Chapter 34 New Yamen
Although Zhu Zhanji returned to the capital, he had many things to do, so he naturally could not hold a banquet to celebrate the victory as soon as he came back.
The first priority was to deal with the Prince of Han Zhu Gaoxu and his family. Zhu Zhanji had no intention of taking their lives for the time being. He just ordered the Ministry of Works to build a high wall in the Western Garden and lock up Zhu Gaoxu's family inside. Their food and clothing supplies were still the same as when they were in the prince's palace. He also specially assigned palace servants to take care of the Prince of Han's family. He had no intention of treating Zhu Gaoxu harshly. It could even be said that he was lenient and generous. After all, Zhu Gaoxu was actually plotting a rebellion. If it were Taizu or Taizong, he would have been dragged out and beheaded long ago.
As for why he was deliberately imprisoned in the Western Garden, it must have been to make it convenient for Zhu Zhanji to question Zhu Gaoxu at any time, so as to match his testimony with the evidence previously collected by the Jinyiwei in the capital.
Liu Yongcheng had already helped the Wu family to clean up the mess. In addition, unlike Ji Gang who had caused trouble without any cause, Saihazhi himself was more inclined to have no merits or faults. He was also Zhu Yuhuan's master. If anything happened to either of them, the other would not be able to escape. Zhu Yuhuan naturally did not have to worry, but just asked a reliable female official to keep a close eye on the King of Han to prevent him from saying anything he shouldn't.
In order to survive, Zhu Gaoxu was probably constantly leaking information to the outside world. Who knows if this person would self-destruct with Wu Miaosu.
However, based on Zhu Gaoxu's personality, if he really wanted to die with Wu Miaosu, he would have exploded long ago and there would be no need to endure it. He might even forget about Wu Miaosu.
For Zhu Zhanji, although he could not be sure how much of the information from the King of Han was true and how much was false, he would definitely record it in detail, and then find a way to verify it, and even use it to control the officials in the court.
The King of Han is the emperor's uncle, but the ministers are not. Once they are involved in the rebellion, it is impossible for them to have a good end.
Especially after Yang Shiqi and Yang Pu jointly opposed Chen Shan and Yang Rong's proposal to capture Prince Zhao, even if Zhu Zhanji did not show it on the surface, he was probably still angry in his heart. Anyone who ran into this gun would inevitably suffer a lot.
Zhu Zhanji was a decent man. Although Yang Shiqi and Yang Pu opposed him, they were nominally doing so for the emperor's reputation. Not to mention that both of them were loyal ministers left by the previous emperor. Zhu Zhanji naturally would not take this little matter to heart. However, as Chen Shan was the one who took the lead in proposing "capturing King Zhao", he was bound to suffer some torture.
Zhu Yuhuan's absence from the situation made it clear that Zhu Zhanji was gaining more and more control, and it no longer mattered whether he had a say in the court or not. Furthermore, Chen Shan had been his teacher and a loyal subject, so he wouldn't complain even if he suffered some injustice.
In addition, Chen Shan and Yang Shiqi had been at loggerheads before, and they inevitably had some grievances against each other, which allowed Zhu Zhanji to benefit from it.
Therefore, not long after, Zhu Zhanji asked Chen Shan to be a lecturer in the newly opened Inner Book Hall in the palace, responsible for teaching the eunuchs the Three Character Classic, Thousand Character Classic, and then the Four Books and Five Classics. With Chen Shan, the former Minister of Revenue, as a teacher, if such a private school were placed outside, it would probably have been crowded with people.
The superior of the Neishutang is the Silijian. After absorbing eunuchs with certain knowledge and political literacy, it can invisibly become a benchmark for the Hanlin Academy.
So even though Chen Shan seems to be so "down and out" that he has to teach eunuchs, this also reflects Zhu Zhanji's trust in him.
If the first batch of eunuchs were taught by Yang Shiqi and others, it would have become a hindrance to Zhu Zhanji.
Zhu Yuhuan did not comment on anything else, but he had to admit that Zhu Zhanji was indeed good at this aspect. If someone else were to play the game, he would most likely fail.
The selection requirements for the Inner Book Hall are very strict. The higher the qualifications, the better, and the benefits are also very obvious. Zhu Yuhuan naturally let Huai En participate in the selection without hesitation.
It would be a shame not to go for such a great opportunity. Although if you don't study well in the inner study hall, you will definitely not be punished with a simple ruler, but if you can persist, you will also gain huge benefits. Moreover, you don't have to work while studying on weekdays. Even if you are an ordinary eunuch, as long as you enter the inner study hall, you will be more respected than other eunuchs. Who wouldn't want to participate in such a good thing?
Huai En couldn't let go of Zhu Yuhuan, but thinking that he would be able to help Zhu Yuhuan more after he passed the test in the inner study hall, he readily agreed.
He usually followed Zhu Yuhuan to attend lectures, so the entry-level exam was naturally no problem for him and he easily entered the inner study hall.
Zhu Yuhuan was a little uncomfortable at first without Huai'en always by his side, but he became more relaxed and casual when practicing boxing and kicking on weekdays, but he also got injured more frequently.
Zhu Zhanji finally finished all these things and had the leisure to go to the harem. By the way, he conveyed the good news that he had not been able to tell his daughter before going to the battle. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the door, he saw Zhu Yuhuan asking the palace servants to help her treat the bruises. He couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
Zhu Yuhuan has always been a man of strong character, and he is not the type to swallow his anger. He didn't even tell anyone about being beaten... Could it be that he was beaten outside the palace?
Zhu Zhanji certainly knew that his daughter opened a teahouse and sold glass outside the palace, but these were harmless matters and would not have aroused such hatred, not to mention that no one dared to beat the princess. How did Zhu Yuhuan get injured?
Zhu Yuhuan, who had been letting the palace maids treat the bruises, lowered his sleeves and bowed obediently, saying, "Huanhuan greets Daddy." She asked somewhat puzzledly, "Why aren't Mom and Tongtong here?"
"The Queen Mother left the Empress and the concubines to give them a lecture, so I came to see you first." Zhu Zhanji said jokingly, "I heard from the Queen Mother that Princess Shunde is getting busier and busier these days, so you can't just see her casually."
Zhu Yuhuan's eyes curved with laughter when he heard this, but he tried to act serious again and said, "Military orders are as strong as a mountain. Daddy is so powerful and majestic. No one in the world dares to disobey his orders."
Zhu Zhanji reached out and pinched his daughter's cheek, smiling, "Girl, you've been able to coax people since you were little, and your tongue is getting more and more clever." He sat in the main seat and saw that the tea served by the palace servants was exactly the same as the tea from the Taiping Teahouse outside the palace. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "I heard that the Taiping Teahouse outside the palace is doing very good business. It even gave away free tea during its opening days."
Zhu Yuhuan didn't hide anything and asked openly, "Huanhuan also wanted to take advantage of Daddy's return to Beijing to share in the good fortune. Daddy is a magnanimous person and won't blame Huanhuan, right?"
Seeing her so calm, Zhu Zhanji didn't say anything more. After all, these were just insignificant things to him, and he just regarded it as Zhu Yuhuan's joke. However, a few censors wrote memorials to criticize him, but he put them aside.
——Because Zhu Zhanji deliberately spread the rumor that the new government office was related to Princess Shunde before he went on the expedition, most people took a wait-and-see attitude towards it, and only a few wrote memorials.
Zhu Zhanji also specifically asked Yu Qian, who had been recommended by Zhu Yuhuan before and had now been promoted to Censor. Yu Qian did not avoid suspicion and first focused on elaborating on the improved agricultural tools he had seen. His praise for Zhu Yuhuan was quite proper. Probably considering Zhu Yuhuan's status as a princess, Yu Qian did not accuse Zhu Yuhuan of doing things that were inappropriate for her as a princess, as Zhu Zhanji had seen in the memorials.
In Zhu Zhanji's opinion, since his daughter has such talents, it would be a pity not to make good use of them.
Zhu Zhanji waved away the palace servants who had entered the room and asked, "Where is the eunuch who usually serves you? I think he is the most clever one around you, and he can barely be considered useful."
Zhu Yuhuan replied with a smile, "My father set up the Inner Academy to select talents from among the inner officials. Although he usually serves by my side, the Inner Academy has Chen Shangshu as a lecturer and scholars from the Hanlin Academy as teachers. With such a good opportunity, I can't bear to let him just do menial work by my side."
Zhu Zhanji shook his head, feeling helpless about his daughter's constant consideration for the servants. He changed the subject, saying, "The previous dynasty had the Sino-Agricultural Ministry, which oversaw agriculture, sericulture, and water conservancy. Our great-grandfather dispersed these responsibilities among the six ministries, so it would be difficult to reclaim them without authorization." He set the teacup aside, his fingers lightly tapping the armrests of his chair. "And now the country has too many redundant government offices. Adding more without authorization is not a good idea."
Zhu Yuhuan didn't expect Zhu Zhanji to say this to him, and after hearing it, he couldn't help but complain in his heart.
You have made a decision that goes against your ancestors and started to formally teach the eunuchs to read. What are you afraid of doing something on your own?
However, Zhu Yuhuan nodded in agreement and said, "Father, what you said makes sense. If the government offices become redundant, we will be repeating the mistakes of the Song Dynasty."
Zhu Zhanji then continued, "Father, I've thought about it and decided to separate these meritorious craftsmen into a separate government office, giving it a new name, and removing it from the jurisdiction of the original government office and the Ministry of Works. How about that? Then you'll still be in charge of them, and with your fifth uncle by your side, you won't have to worry about rumors outside."
Zhu Yuhuan immediately understood what Zhu Zhanji meant and asked tentatively, "Are they considered officials of the new government office or craftsmen?"
Zhu Zhanji hadn't expected Zhu Yuhuan to ask this first. He was stunned for a moment, then said, "Of course they're still craftsmen. This government office will also have officials in charge." He frowned slightly and said, "Are you saying that these craftsmen should also become officials? This registration system for craftsmen has existed since ancient times, passed down through the dynasties. How can it be easily abolished?"
Zhu Yuhuan really had to admire the value of Zhu Zhanji's few short words.
Making Zhu Yuhuan work without a legitimate official position, and then assigning Zhu Zhanji to run the entire yamen, directly placed Zhu Yuhuan under Zhu Zhanji's shadow, inevitably creating a rift between the uncle and nephew. For the craftsmen, it was just a matter of moving from one yamen to another, with no change in salary or status.
If he wasn't the emperor, he would have been put in a sack long ago...
Zhu Yuhuan had no choice but to say tactfully, "When these craftsmen worked in the courtyard before, they all received additional salaries..."
Zhu Zhanji's frown finally relaxed, and he smiled, "This isn't a difficult task. I'll naturally give them extra wages when the time comes, a few cents more than what you gave them."
Zhu Yuhuan knew he was no match for the powerful, so he explained, "Although craftsmen have been registered as craftsmen for generations, unable to leave their original place of residence and taking shifts, not all of them are proficient in their craft, and there are quite a few who are just filling in the gaps. I've also heard from residents of the outer city that some craftsmen have even slacked off, hidden themselves, or even fled in order to escape the craftsman registration. This not only delays the craftsmen's progress, but also greatly wastes the government's manpower in searching for them. So, if we could hire these craftsmen for a monthly salary, not only would it save manpower and resources, but it would also allow them to focus on improving their own skills. Especially since these craftsmen are veterans and have a deep understanding of their craft, and mutual management would be more standardized..."
Zhu Zhanji heard her hidden meaning and said, "These things are not something that can be accomplished overnight. There are many craftsmen in the country. It is really unnecessary to worry about a few people like this."
Zhu Yuhuan had nothing to say about this, so he could only follow Zhu Zhanji's words and said, "Huanhuan understands."
Seeing that she had stopped talking, Zhu Zhanji reminded her slowly, "Huanhuan, being lenient to others may not necessarily win their hearts. Some people are born without the ability to be content."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded seriously, but chuckled in his heart. He decided to let Zhu Zhanji keep this to himself.
Although Zhu Yuhuan now has some say, he has no decision-making power. He can only try his best to fight for the rights and interests of these craftsmen according to Zhu Zhanji's wishes.
Since there was no point in arguing, Zhu Yuhuan didn't want to dwell on the topic any more and instead said, "A few days ago, grandma complained of a headache. There happened to be a very good female doctor at the charity hall outside the palace. She was the granddaughter of Old Lady Lu and had treated the leg ailment of the Duke of Yingguo with some success. Huanhuan wanted to invite her in to see grandma. However, my father was not in the palace at the time, so Huanhuan didn't dare to make any decisions on her own..."
Zhu Zhanji was somewhat impressed by Madam Lu and said, "Since she is indeed a talent, we can recruit her like we did her grandmother. We can summon her to the palace to treat the Empress Dowager and then reward her with a position as a female official. This way, she can also take the pulses and diagnose the concubines in the harem on a daily basis."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled shyly and said, "She doesn't ask for this, but if she can really help grandma recover, can daddy give her a handwritten inscription like the charity hall?"
Zhu Zhanji had not expected her to make such a request. He said with a mixture of laughter and tears, "According to your order, I'm afraid that soon the whole capital will be filled with my handwritten inscriptions."
Zhu Yuhuan laughed awkwardly a few times and said, "I've already told my grandmother that she promised to give her a clinic..."
Zhu Zhanji: "You girl..."
Sometimes I really don't know whether his daughter is smart or stupid, she dares to give anything to others easily...
But it's better this way. He just hopes that his daughter's thoughts are as simple as possible, so as to avoid intrigue and unrest among brothers and sisters in the future.
It is good that the heir of the Ming Dynasty is intelligent, but if brothers kill each other because of this... he really does not want to see such a scene. Perhaps when the late emperor was alive, he repeatedly forgave the King of Han and the King of Zhao, and he must have the same idea in his mind.
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