Whether some civil officials felt their ideals crumbling at this time, or whether they felt they had not encountered a wise ruler, is something we do not know.
Because they had been expelled from the palace, they could only continue kneeling outside the imperial city. It seemed that some scholars had also received the news and rushed over, as if this was the only way to demonstrate their integrity as intellectuals and their concern for the country and its people.
The integrity and lofty ideals of scholars seemed to have been completely swept away in the Ming Dynasty. Almost mirroring the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, they became objects of disdain and contempt by foreign rulers. The idea of returning to the lofty position of the Song Dynasty, or even restraining imperial power, was simply a pipe dream.
Wang Chengen stood expressionless atop the Chengtian Gate city wall, looking down at the kneeling civil officials and scholars. Meanwhile, some of the officials were busy registering each and every one of the kneeling people.
Song Zhong approached Wang Chengen and said, "Eunuch, you should rest. I'll take care of things here."
"Commander Song, you must keep a close eye on these men," Wang Chengen said, still somewhat worried. "If they delay His Highness's important business, neither of us can bear the responsibility!"
Song Zhong naturally understood, but remained confident, saying, "Don't worry, Your Excellency, it won't be long before we find out their backgrounds. At that time, I'll have plenty of ways to properly train them!"
One was the head of the Eastern Depot, and the other was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The meeting of these two major secret service agencies of the Ming Dynasty was bound to lead to trouble. With these two together, the backgrounds of the civil officials and scholars would soon be thoroughly exposed.
Watching Wang Chengen leave, Song Zhong sighed. The Embroidered Uniform Guard had had a tough time these past two years; many of their powers had been taken away by the Eastern Depot.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince left some traces of the Imperial Guard, and the current Imperial Guard appears more refined. Although they no longer have the power of interrogation, they can continue to operate discreetly. In addition to supervising officials, the current Imperial Guard is also responsible for intelligence gathering.
It wasn't just about gathering intelligence on civil and military officials; it also required gathering intelligence on the areas surrounding the Ming Dynasty. This included information about the countless students in the Imperial Academy's "Foreigners' Halls," who all yearned for the beauty of China.
Holding her chubby son, Zhu Xiong Ying was in a good mood and teased Zhu Wen Yin, "Yin'er, my dear daddy!"
Little Zhu was quite disrespectful, pushing Zhu Xiong Ying's face away with her tiny hand. Seeing she couldn't hold it in any longer, she cried out for help, "Mother, Mother!"
Feeling utterly humiliated, Zhu Xiong Ying handed Zhu Wenying to Xu Miao Qing with a disgruntled expression. "It's strange," she said, "this Wenying is very close to his great-grandfather, and also to all of you. But it's just me; he won't let me be close to him!"
"This is my fault." Xu Miaoqing quickly admitted her mistake, she did feel that she had not done enough, "It is all because I failed to teach Yin'er well."
Xu Miaoqing genuinely felt she hadn't done a good job, and even had some concerns. Although her son was the eldest son and naturally held the moral high ground, he seemed somewhat 'rebellious,' which wasn't a good thing. Xu Miaoqing was still worried that her son would fall out of favor.
Zhu Xiong Ying felt rather helpless. His position sometimes meant he couldn't joke or complain. What he considered trivial, just a minor rant, might cause others to overthink.
"It's not really your fault. How much can a child understand?" Zhu Xiong Ying comforted Xu Miao Qing with a smile. "It seems you haven't been spending enough time with Yin'er. Try to spend more time with the boy in the future."
Xu Miaoqing smiled gently and said, "My husband is busy with state affairs, so he doesn't have much time. It's also because Yin'er is naughty; this child is a bit unruly."
Zhu Xiong Ying laughed, then said to Xu Miao Qing, "Today, the Emperor mentioned the selection of concubines. How are your preparations going? Do you have any plans?"
This was a big deal, and even though Xu Miaoqing felt bitter, she dared not be careless. "I have my own rules. As my husband said, I will not accept any women with bound feet. They are all beautiful and fair-skinned young ladies, and most of them are gentle, virtuous and well-educated."
The selection of imperial concubines for the crown prince was naturally no simple matter. Although the Ming Dynasty had been established for less than thirty years, there had been small-scale selections of concubines before. Combined with the rules and experiences of the previous dynasty, there was naturally not much to worry about.
There's no need to worry about appearance; anyone with a physical disability or body odor simply cannot enter the palace. Even those who snore, grind their teeth, or have an undesirable body proportion will generally be eliminated.
Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, generally reassured. "That's good. Character and background are the most important. This time, the three people we're bringing into the palace must not be high-ranking officials or nobles. You probably already know that."
Xu Miaoqing immediately understood that these three spots were meant for low- to mid-level civil and military officials, as well as gentry, which could be considered the basic base of the feudal emperors.
"I understand," Xu Miaoqing said to Zhu Xiong Ying without hesitation. "If you don't like them, you can bestow them upon Yunwen and Yuntong. My grandfather also issued an edict that if the young ladies cannot enter the palace, the imperial uncles should make arrangements for them."
That's true, the scale of this selection of concubines is quite large. Besides Zhu Xiong Ying's special status, there's also an awkward situation: Zhu Xiong Ying has quite a few imperial uncles, many of whom are of marriageable age, and many are younger than him. Of course, some of his cousins have also been married off.
Ultimately, those born into royalty have virtually no freedom when it comes to marriage. Even arranged marriages by parents and matchmakers are not allowed; many marriages are outright political alliances with special implications.
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