Chapter 77 Come to quarrel
Hu Shanwei stayed in the capital and began to teach the female officials in the palace. For the sake of convenience, Zhu Yuhuan simply fixed the female officials' study place in the inner study hall, and asked the officials in charge of teaching the inner officials to teach the inner officials and the female officials together with Hu Shanxiang.
Hu Shanwei taught the rules of the palace, and officials from the Hanlin Academy were responsible for teaching the classics, history, and literature, which improved training efficiency and was conducive to the diversification of talent types.
The reason is very simple. The current emperor was once a princess and is more accustomed to having female officials serving him. Naturally, he has to train female officials to replace the eunuchs.
Of course, Zhu Yuhuan did not want to abolish the existence of eunuchs. Considering that he would be sailing to the West after the New Year, Zhu Yuhuan specially ordered the addition of a temporary government office called the Nanyang School, which was mainly used to teach and train personnel related to the fleet, including court officials, children of nobles, military officers, female officials, and eunuchs.
This was considered a blow to the Censorate. The censors could no longer tolerate the emperor's "reckless behavior". Not only did he not distinguish between people of high and low status, he even did not distinguish between men and women, and it was really too much.
In the past, during the morning court sessions, Zhu Yuhuan was always enthusiastic while the ministers were listless.
Now, during the morning court session, the censors spoke passionately, and Zhu Yuhuan felt drowsy.
The reason was simple. It was just the same few sentences repeated over and over again: ethical principles, differences between men and women, and following ancient rituals. They didn't get tired of talking, but Zhu Yuhuan got tired of hearing them.
Zhu Yuhuan knocked on the armrest of the dragon throne and then asked, "Are you done?"
Zeng Heling, the chief minister, saw that Zhu Yuhuan had long been impatient and was deliberately waiting for all the censors to finish speaking before he was ready to use his big move.
"Now that everything has been said, it's my turn to speak." Zhu Yuhuan glanced around and said, "For over a year now, you've been attending the morning court every day. How do you feel?"
Since Zhu Yuanzhang, none of the four generations, including Zhu Di, Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Zhanji and Zhu Qizhen, forced officials to attend the morning court every day like Zhu Yuhuan did. At most, they would attend the court once every two days. Not to mention that Zhu Yuhuan also forced people to attend the morning court. Sometimes, the ministers did not have time to leave the palace and had to stay in the duty room in the imperial city.
In fact, most officials have been miserable in their hearts, but Zhu Yuhuan also said that this was to emulate the legacy of Taizu and to be diligent in government and love the people.
This statement also has another meaning. Zhu Yuhuan can also follow the example of Zhu Yuanzhang and take direct action against officials who disobey him.
So everyone remained silent and dared not speak.
Zhu Yuhuan maintained a calm expression and said, "Every morning during the court session, some people give up long ago. A few brave enough even dare to skip the court. Do you really think I don't know? I simply know that the methods left by our great grandfather are no longer applicable, and I don't want to embarrass you. Since you can deviate from the ancestral system, why can't I? I've attended lectures on classics every day for the past year, and I've never heard of a gentleman saying 'strict with others, lenient with oneself'. Could it be that some sage said this, but I haven't heard it? Why don't I send someone to the Confucius Mansion and ask Confucius' descendants if there's such a principle?"
The Confucius Mansion is at best a showpiece and a mascot. How could it dare to interfere in the affairs of the court? If they really had the courage, this group of people should have jumped out as early as when Zhu Yuhuan ascended the throne.
Zhu Yuhuan glanced around at the prince, then at the vague figures of officials standing in the distance outside Fengtian Gate. He continued, "I grew up around three generations of emperors, and I understand patience better than anyone. You can endure, and so can I. We can continue to waste time like this. Or, when you can no longer endure, support the young eldest prince to ascend the throne, and then go to Wala to invite the commoners back!"
The current emperor Zhu Yuhuan certainly likes to make trouble, but his troubles are limited to matters within the court. He has almost never taken officials directly to the imperial prison for torture like Wang Zhen did.
"If I am willing, I can follow the example of the wise and virtuous ruler you miss and send you to Xu Gong. Whether it's your ribs or your lives, it's all within my reach."
No one dared to say anything after hearing this.
No matter what, they could not have imagined that Zhu Yuhuan would be so outspoken and make things so clear during the morning court session.
"If you only want to use this opportunity to gain a good reputation and intimidate me into becoming Emperor Renzong of Song, thereby covering up your intention to form a faction, I will never forgive you lightly." Zhu Yuhuan asked Han Guilan to bring all the memorials submitted by the Censorate and placed them on the imperial table in front of him. He said coldly, "It's just the same few sentences repeated over and over again, and they are all exactly the same. I can't pretend to be deaf and dumb any longer. Since you want to form a faction, then submit a joint memorial openly."
There was complete silence inside Fengtian Gate.
After the court session, Zhu Yuhuan took a rare break. He neither kept the cabinet ministers to discuss matters nor returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to review the memorials. Instead, he changed his clothes and took his people for a stroll to the Nanyang Academy.
What a joke. No matter how much you quarrel, you still have to do what you need to do. You can't let the trolls delay your work.
Since returning from Datong, Zhu Yuhuan has never left the palace privately. Although this time cannot be called "running away from home", it is quite similar.
There were only a few things to do in the palace every day. No matter how diligent Zhu Yuhuan was in government affairs, he would always feel bored. He took this opportunity to come out and see what was going on.
Especially the teaching situation of Nanyang School.
If Zhu Yuhuan had time, she would have wanted to follow Gong Zhen's lectures to learn some maritime knowledge.
It’s a pity that she probably won’t have the chance to go to sea.
However, Zhu Yuhuan is quite satisfied with the current situation. At least she can still take a walk out of the palace, commonly known as "incognito visit".
If Zhu Yuhuan had not regained the victory in Datong, his personal freedom would have been restricted and he would have been forced to wander around the imperial city.
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