The imperial examination scandal was developing in a direction that no one expected, leaving many people speechless.
The imperial investigation team found no evidence of corruption or bribery in this imperial examination, so there was no question of negating the results. Those who passed the examination could rest assured and only needed to wait for the palace examination.
Meanwhile, the unsuccessful candidates who were still trying to protest their innocence were suddenly arrested by the Imperial Guards. This caused the troublemakers to cry out their grievances in the midst of chaos, feeling that they had a duty to act and that the court was suppressing the conscience of scholars.
Although these scholars wanted to complain and vent their frustrations, they probably also needed to consider whether they could escape unscathed. The more tumultuous their disturbance in Yingtian Prefecture was, the more miserable their current fate was.
I wouldn't say the imperial prison is overcrowded, but those once high-ranking scholars have been reduced to prisoners.
Zhu Yunying was in a good mood upon returning to the Eastern Palace. Seeing little Zhu holding Zhu Ruyi, Zhu Yunying couldn't help but laugh.
"Why do you insist on carrying your little sister when you can play by yourself?" Joo Yoon-young found it amusing and teased Little Joo, "Your little sister is too fat now, you can't even carry her."
Little Zhu immediately became aggrieved and rushed to Zhu Yunying's side to hug his leg, "Father, I've lost weight, it's not fun anymore."
Zhu Yunying thought it was just innocent childish talk, so she squatted down and pinched little Zhu's cheek, "You still have so much fat, how did you get thinner?"
“That’s what my great-grandfather said!” Little Zhu said firmly, clearly heartbroken. “I’m not going to talk to my great-grandfather anymore, I’m not going to play with him.”
Little Zhu still has a bit of baby fat. This is quite common in young children; many babies are a little chubby. They usually slim down a bit over time, and Little Zhu is one of them now.
Xu Miaoqing said helplessly, "If we tell him to eat more but he doesn't eat properly, he'll lose weight and then start making a fuss with us."
Being a little thinner is actually quite good. Joo Yoon-young was initially worried that his son would always be chubby. But it's mainly Old Joo who likes to see little Joo chubby; he thinks that's what's truly adorable.
Joo Yoon-young felt that being a little chubby as a child was cute, but if he remained a chubby little boy forever, it wouldn't be cute, and it wouldn't be good for his health either. However, Old Master Joo spoiled little Joo, so sometimes Joo Yoon-young really had no choice but to let him have his way.
He picked up Zhu Ruyi, and the little girl was quite considerate; at least now she knew to look at her father with a pure smile. This made Zhu Yunying very happy. Although his son was a bit mischievous, his daughter seemed to be showing signs of becoming more considerate.
Just as Zhu Yunying was chatting with his wife and daughter, Shuangquan cautiously approached and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus will be coming for a meal."
Zhu Yunying immediately became smug and said proudly, "In the end, it all comes down to coming over here. I won!"
Shuangquan didn't dare to respond, nor did Xu Miaoqing. The main reason was that Zhu Yunying was teasing Old Zhu; only Zhu Yunying received such treatment. If anyone else had done the same, they would have been accused of 'great disrespect' without a doubt.
Old Zhu wobbled over, and Little Zhu, who had been talking about arguing with his great-grandfather, immediately went to find him excitedly. He showed off his rocking horse, his rattle-drum, and a little carriage pulled by a rope...
Old Zhu only glanced at Zhu Ruyi briefly, purely out of respect for Zhu Yunying and little Zhu. Old Zhu already had too many daughters to look after, and a whole bunch of granddaughters, let alone this great-granddaughter. Even if it was a case of loving someone because of their family, in Old Zhu's old feudal mind, there still needed to be some sense of propriety; there was a big difference between sons and daughters.
After a pleasant dinner, Xu Miaoqing, with her keen eye, led Lian Qiongqiong and the others away first. As for Chunhe Palace, let's leave it to the Retired Emperor, the Emperor, and the Crown Prince. These are the three men at the pinnacle of power in the Ming Dynasty, even if one of them is still just a child.
Little Zhu naturally wouldn't understand some of the topics, but that didn't matter. There were some things that didn't need to be kept from him, even though it might have a negative impact on the little guy's innocence. But who told him he was the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, the heir apparent of the empire? Some things were better left unsaid.
Old Zhu was somewhat smug, but also spoke earnestly, "Ying'er, we were thinking of letting you handle these matters. But if we think about it carefully, if you were to depose the Duke Yansheng, the resistance would be immense."
Zhu Yunying laughed and said sincerely, "Grandson naturally understands this principle, but grandson has no intention of deposing the Duke Yansheng. He only thinks that according to the rules, they should not be allowed to become the head of the civil officials, so he should demolish their palace."
Old Zhu naturally understood Zhu Yunying's meaning; the current Duke Yansheng's status was simply too high.
The Duke of Yansheng was the head of the civil service in the Ming Dynasty, holding the first rank. However, during the Song Dynasty, although the official rank of the Duke of Yansheng was not high, his cultural significance was considerable. During the Jin and Mongol periods, the Yuan Dynasty elevated him to the third rank, and the Ming Dynasty elevated him to the first rank.
In addition to being granted a title, the Duke of Yansheng was allocated land by successive dynasties. The rent collected from the land did not need to be handed over to the court, but was used directly for the expenses of worshipping Confucius. After more than two thousand years of changes, the Duke of Yansheng also owned sacrificial land and private land.
Furthermore, there is the Temple of Confucius. Since the Western Han Dynasty, emperors of successive dynasties have continuously bestowed posthumous titles upon Confucius, and the scale of the Temple of Confucius has grown larger and larger. After the Jin army marched south, the Temple of Confucius was actually burned down for a time, but the Jin people quickly rebuilt it. Because Confucius was posthumously honored as "King," the Temple of Confucius was built in the same style as a royal palace.
Old Zhu nodded and said, "We did praise the Duke of Yansheng too highly; it was a bit inappropriate."
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