For Kong Ne, there was nothing else to worry about now. He had come to Yingtian Prefecture simply because he couldn't refuse the imperial decree, just as his ancestors couldn't refuse the barbarians. The Kong family didn't care who ruled the country, but they also knew they couldn't withstand the military might of those in power.
However, Kong Ne also had his own responsibilities. After all, he was a "literary master" and a descendant of Confucius, so he also had his own responsibilities.
Just as the court was celebrating, Old Zhu suddenly appeared. Zhu Yunying 'naturally' left the dragon throne, giving the main seat to Old Zhu, and sat to the side. Little Zhu was also very happy at this moment, and happily went to find his mother.
For little Zhu, sitting alone at a small table was far less pleasant than being by his father, mother, or great-grandfather's side.
Old Zhu seemed quite pleased and said loudly, "This is also a gathering of wise men. I am at ease with you all governing our Ming Dynasty. You can either follow me to conquer the world and drive out the Tartars, or you can follow me to restore the people's livelihood. I am happy. Although I have abdicated and no longer concern myself with politics, the new emperor has done a good job, and you should all do your best to assist him."
Since Old Zhu has said so, it naturally means that all the civil and military officials and members of the imperial clan need to listen to the imperial edict immediately.
Old Zhu continued, "This time, thinking about the imperial examinations is really worrying us. Our dynasty has been established for thirty years, and we've poured our hearts and souls into it. We originally thought that now that the false Yuan dynasty has been driven out, we Han people should stand up for ourselves. But looking at it now, it's still not enough!"
Now we're getting down to business. All that previous 'feasting' was just a facade. The real focus is on what the Emperor Emeritus said; these are the things that have everyone on their toes, and they're no small matters.
Zhu Yunying remained mostly silent at this time, probably because he was self-aware enough to know that even if he abdicated, he would still be the most powerful person in the world, and the true soul and core of the empire.
Old Zhu continued earnestly, "We know that many people in the court and among the people like Yingtian Prefecture, and we don't want to leave either! Our hometown is in Fengyang, and our parents' tombs are there. Staying in Yingtian is also close to home. Jiangnan is prosperous, and everyone likes it. But this won't do. Our Great Ming Dynasty cannot be a small court that is content with a corner of the country!"
Alright, now Zhu Yuanzhang has brought up the issue of moving the capital again. This matter has long been settled, and Zhu Yuanzhang bringing it up again is a way for him to share his true feelings with everyone. The most important thing is that now that he's said it, if anyone dares to oppose it again, not only Zhu Yuanzhang, but even Zhu Yuanzhang himself will not hesitate to take drastic measures.
"Throughout history, all dynasties established their kingdoms in the north. The ancient capital of the Six Dynasties is our Yingtian, but Yingtian was just a small court like Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen." Old Zhu said domineeringly to the people in the hall, "Our Great Ming is different. Our Great Ming is a unified empire, and our Great Ming should not enjoy comfort in this southern land."
In fact, many people are aware of these things. The relocation of the capital during the Ming Dynasty was not initiated by the then-Crown Prince. Both Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Crown Prince Zhu Biao intended to move the capital, but they preferred Chang'an. However, after learning that Guanzhong was devastated and unsuitable as a capital, they had to consider Beiping, a city they had not originally considered.
When Zhu stood up, he didn't seem to have the grandeur and majesty of an emperor, but who would dare to underestimate this domineering emperor who came from humble beginnings?
With his hands behind his back, Old Zhu continued, “We are not happy about this year’s imperial examination. We know that there are few talented people in the north, and the literary style has never been as good as that in the south. But why is the north of our great Ming Dynasty so desolate? Shi Jingtang lost the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, and after the Song Dynasty, the Central Plains have been in constant turmoil. We drove out those Tartars, and now we are busy going after the barbarians and restoring our Han etiquette. We have not done this well, not well at all!”
During the Mongol Yuan dynasty, the entire world revered the Mongols, and many Chinese traditions were lost. The north was particularly hard hit, having been under foreign rule since the time of Shi Jingtang. Even though Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang consistently used policies such as intermarriage, changing surnames to Han Chinese, and eliminating non-Han customs, many people still did not have a high degree of acceptance of the Ming dynasty.
This situation is particularly pronounced in the north, where these issues are indeed more severe.
The civil and military officials and members of the imperial family in the hall simply listened patiently. The Emperor Emeritus was giving instructions, and they were naturally very patient. There was really no need to say anything more at this time, nor was it possible to refute the Emperor Emeritus, who was a man of great foresight.
Zhu Yunying was extremely discreet at this time. He knew that his father wasn't boasting about his achievements; he knew that the main event of the banquet was yet to come. What his father was saying now was just an appetizer, a small prelude.
Looking at Kong Ne, Old Zhu suddenly asked, "Duke Yansheng, the whole country knows about the chaos of this year's imperial examination, and we also know that many officials have grievances."
At this moment, Kong Ne quickly stood up, still appearing to speak for all scholars, "Your Majesty, there has been much controversy surrounding this year's imperial examinations, presumably because scholars from both the north and south feel it is unfair. The court has posted the names of the successful candidates' essays, and the scholars will know that the court is acting justly."
Old Zhu smiled, but then suddenly asked, "Duke Yansheng, we've heard that no one from Qufu has taken the imperial examination?"
Kong Ne was taken aback; he genuinely knew nothing of these matters. In truth, he didn't care about such things. Whether there were any candidates in Qufu or not was unimportant, nor was it important whether any descendants of the Kong family took the exams. What mattered was the Kong family's stable position—that was enough.
In fact, many people in the Ministry of Rites knew that it wasn't that no one from Qufu was taking the imperial examination. It's just that, for some reason, three people who were supposed to take the exam suddenly either fell ill before the provincial examination or were distracted by brothels, thus missing this year's spring examination by sheer chance.
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