Chapter 14 The Emperor Asks
The two siblings first went to pay a visit to their father Zhu Zhanji, and then the three of them went to Wenhua Hall together.
After all this going back and forth, the sky had already brightened up. Today the sky was clear and the air was fresh. Unlike the hot and humid days in the past few days, the weather was unusually pleasant.
Because they were going to leave the palace, the three of them rode in the same carriage. Zhu Yuhuan was surprised to see Zhu Zhanji's forehead sweating. He held out his handkerchief and asked, "Are we a little late? Have we made Dad wait too long?"
Although Zhu Zhanji was not the thin type, he was not as fat as Zhu Gaochi. She and Zhu Qizhen had not yet started sweating, but Zhu Zhanji was sweating profusely.
Zhu Zhanji just sighed and said, "It's not your fault, it's just that the weather is getting hotter and hotter."
Zhu Yuhuan naturally understood what he said. Zhu Zhanji probably realized that his health was not as good as before and deliberately did not want to talk about it.
In this case, Zhu Yuhuan did not take the initiative to speak, but Zhu Qizhen on the side said: "The fruit in the ice jar is delicious, Dad should try it too!"
Zhu Yuhuan saw through his little trick at a glance and teased him with a smile, "Zhen'er, you're not thinking of sneaking into the Palace of Heavenly Purity to eat the ice fruit?"
Zhu Qizhen didn't expect Zhu Yuhuan to guess so quickly. His face, which was already unable to hide the truth, showed guilt. He muttered, "I didn't..."
Seeing that the brother and sister were getting along just like before, Zhu Zhanji said with a smile, "Your sister is very smart. Could it be that she can't see through your little tricks?"
Zhu Qizhen had no choice but to say obediently: "I definitely won't steal."
He still remembered how his father scolded him on the day of the horseback riding. Although he was afraid of Empress Dowager Zhang, his grandmother, no matter how strict she was, would always show some affection for him. His father was different. His grandmother always reminded him to listen to his father and not disobey him.
"It's just some ice fruits. Eat them if you want. Just make sure they don't harm your body." After Zhu Zhanji said this, he exhaled and closed his eyes to rest.
He actually already had a candidate for the Prince's lecturer in mind. Besides, Zhu Qizhen had only just begun to learn, so why would he need the ministers of the cabinet to teach him? The Wenhua Hall was chosen today simply to go through the formalities; the more important things were yet to come.
Zhu Zhanji glanced at his daughter, who rested her chin on one hand, looking thoughtful. The crown prince beside him was looking around, his mind wandering.
Thinking that although Zhu Yuhuan had a lively personality when he was young, he also behaved well, which was completely different from the prince, Zhu Zhanji felt even more headache. He could only comfort himself that the prince was still young and he would be fine when he grew up. As long as he had a father like him, the prince would mature one day.
Before the emperor's carriage arrived at the Wenhua Hall, someone had already gone in to announce it, and the ministers were already standing in the hall waiting. So when Zhu Zhanji arrived, everyone bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live your Majesty."
Zhu Zhanji sat on the emperor's throne, and the eunuchs brought chairs and let Princess Shunde and the crown prince sit next to each other on the emperor's right hand side.
Zhu Zhanji smiled and waved his hand, motioning everyone to sit down. He then said, "You should all rest well on Chongwu Day, but since this concerns the Crown Prince's studies, I have no choice but to consult with you, my trusted ministers." Seeing that everyone responded, yet felt particularly reserved because of Zhu Yuhuan's presence, he smiled and said, "The princess often attends daily lectures and is most familiar with these attendants, so I have brought the brother and sister along."
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "Gentlemen, don't worry about it. Everything is based on Daddy's wishes."
Everyone responded in agreement.
If he only needed Princess Shunde's advice, why bother bringing her here in person? Couldn't he just have her pass on a note? Although Zhu Zhanji didn't say anything, everyone present was smart and had heard the rumors in the capital long ago. They immediately understood what Zhu Zhanji meant.
His Majesty wanted them to witness the royal family's affection with their own eyes and spread it everywhere to dispel the rumors. Some even had drafts of poems and essays already in their minds, waiting to find a way to spread them later to please His Majesty.
Unlike Zhu Zhanji and Zhu Yuhuan who followed the rules, Zhu Qizhen looked at everyone as soon as he came in. Seeing that they were all old men older than his grandmother, he immediately lost some interest.
The candidates for the lecture had already been drafted, so a few casual discussions led to a conclusion. For example, Hu Yi was put in charge of all the affairs of the Zhanshi Mansion, and Wang Zhi, who had been in charge of drafting imperial edicts in the cabinet, was appointed. This man had outstanding literary talent and was more than qualified to be a bachelor of imperial studies.
These candidates were all on Zhu Zhanji's white list, so naturally he approved them all. However, Zhu Zhanji added, "In addition to the Four Books and Five Classics, the Crown Prince must also learn riding and archery. Only a well-rounded mind in both civil and military affairs is the right path."
The emperor had said so, and the ministers were at a loss for words. Yang Shiqi immediately recommended someone, saying, "Duke Ying had once accompanied Emperor Yongle on his campaigns, and he would be the most suitable person to teach the crown prince riding and archery."
As soon as Yang Shiqi said this, the others also echoed him.
The most important thing is that Duke Yingguo Zhang Fu has a closer relationship with these ministers, and he does not have the style of those military heroes who are proud of their achievements. His qualifications and vision are very suitable. The only flaw is that he is a little older.
For example, Saihazhi, who had previously instructed Princess Shunde in riding and archery, was a good person with a good resume, but unfortunately he had resigned and returned home. The new commander Liu Mian was younger and not familiar with these ministers, so naturally no one made any proposal.
Zhu Qizhen didn't know who the Duke of Ying they were talking about was, so he looked at Zhu Yuhuan.
Zhu Yuhuan wiped the corner of his mouth with his handkerchief to cover his mouth and whispered, "The Duke of Ying who once fought in Jiaozhi."
Zhu Qizhen didn't understand any of this, so he just lowered his voice and asked, "Is he very old?"
Zhu Yuhuan was almost choked to death by Zhu Qizhen's words. Sometimes she really didn't understand what Zhu Qizhen was thinking, so she could only say, "Very impressive."
"Better than your sister?"
Zhu Yuhuan whispered, "Yes."
Fortunately, the emperor was on the throne, at a distance from his ministers, otherwise these whispers would have been heard by them long ago, and who knows what would have happened then.
Zhu Zhanji was also expecting everyone to choose Duke Yingguo Zhang Fu. He nodded with satisfaction and said, "That's very good. We will follow the list we discussed today and draft an edict later."
"yes."
After Zhu Zhanji finished speaking, he looked at Zhu Qizhen, who was still trying to discuss the age issue with Zhu Yuhuan, and waved at him, saying, "Prince, come here."
Hearing Zhu Zhanji say this, everyone's eyes turned to the prince. Zhu Qizhen was not shy at all. He walked up to Zhu Zhanji with his head held high and said, "Dad."
Zhu Zhanji actually reached out and held his son on his lap and sat down, saying, "I am selecting teachers for you. You must remember that these people are the ministers you will entrust with important tasks in the future."
Zhu Qizhen said openly, "I remember it."
Everyone was a little frightened when they heard him say that. They quickly stood up and knelt down, saying that they dared not do it. However, they also understood that this was the trust from the emperor, and they felt honored and grateful in their hearts.
Only Zhu Yuhuan remained calm, wondering if she was also included in the so-called "subjects"?
"Okay." Zhu Zhanji patted his son's shoulder and then asked, "Then let me ask you, when you become the emperor, can you make use of talented people, promulgate benevolent policies, and bring peace to the world?"
Zhu Qizhen raised his head slightly and said in a loud voice: "Yes!"
Zhu Zhanji's eyes showed a little more relief, and he asked, "If someone dares to violate national discipline and harass the people, would you dare to lead the troops to defeat the enemy and quell the rebellion?"
Zhu Qizhen's blood boiled at his father's words, and his voice became even louder, "Dare!"
As soon as these two sentences were spoken, Zhu Zhanji was overjoyed. He reached out and took off his dragon robe and precious belt and dressed his son.
At this point, everyone had nothing to understand. They all kowtowed and shouted "Long live the King!" Yang Shiqi even praised him, saying, "The ancients said that the courage and determination of King Tang of Shang and the intelligence of King Wu were both innate. Seeing His Royal Highness the Crown Prince today, I can see that this is indeed true."
Zhu Yuhuan followed suit and knelt in greeting, but his heart skipped a beat.
She finally understood who Zhu Qizhen inherited from. It turned out that the real master was here. This performance art was truly impressive...
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