Chapter 42 Why be ashamed

The child was also pitiful. His father went to Ningxia to guard the border, and there was no one to teach him. It must have been difficult to face the Spring Festival alone. Emperor Hongzhi really couldn't bear to let Zhu Houzhao go.

Zhu Houzhao murmured dissatisfiedly: "What does Chunwei have to do with Erchen?"

Li Dongyang and others' expressions changed drastically. Is this what the Crown Prince should say?

You are the crown prince and will become the emperor in the future. These are all good ministers who will assist you. Why don’t you care at all?

What a fool!

Emperor Hongzhi also felt angry. He was so angry that he smiled: "I think you are tired of living a good life. Come and bring him a basin of water!"

The eunuchs quickly brought a basin of water to Zhu Houzhao and asked him to hold it above his head.

Zhu Houzhao held a basin of water on his head and sneered: "Father, do you dare to bet with me that if I don't spill a drop, my father will allow me to leave the palace?"

Emperor Hongzhi was angry: "It seems it's still not enough. Come here and get him some more chopped walnuts!"

Not long after, Zhu Houzhao put a basin on his head, walnuts on his knees, and a bowl in his mouth.

With Zhu Houzhao's temperament of not being afraid of being scalded by boiling water, he would not beg for mercy either life or death.

He also hummed: "My father did not allow his sons to leave the palace, but he sneaked out of the palace. If he cannot leave the palace as the emperor, then why did his father have to leave the palace again..."

Emperor Hongzhi was furious and took out the dragon-beating whip.

"Father... I don't dare anymore. I know I was wrong..."

An indescribable sound sounded in Nuan Pavilion...

Emperor Hongzhi put down his whip when he was tired, and said to Liu Jian and the others: "I received two memorials today, guess what they are about?"

The way to be an official is to be tacit in your heart. As a minister, you must always secretly speculate on His Majesty's holy will.

Li Dongyang didn't know at first, and Liu Jian and Xie Qian thought about it and didn't know either.

Emperor Hongzhi said: "This is a memorial from the Imperial Procuratorate to impeach Cheng Minzheng, saying that he is lazy and derelict in his duties. He has been on leave for a long time and has never gone to Zhan Shifu to teach the prince to study."

Cheng Minzheng is the Zhan Shi of Zhan Shifu. He is the head of the government and has the important task of teaching the prince. Being lazy and derelict in his duties is not a trivial matter.

Li Dongyang said: "I really don't know."

Emperor Hongzhi nodded. After all, Cheng Minzheng is an official of the East Palace. I am afraid that the prince knows best: "Zhu Houzhao!"

Zhu Houzhao fell asleep in a daze when he heard a shout and woke up from his dream: "Whoever dares to call this general by name will be killed!"

Emperor Hongzhi almost lost his temper.

Xie Qian shook his head, he could fall asleep like this, what should he do in the future?

Only then did Zhu Houzhao realize that it was his father calling him, and said angrily: "Father, say it again, I only heard my name just now."

Emperor Hongzhi said: "Let me ask you, how long has it been since Master Cheng went to the East Palace to teach you how to read?"

"My son, I don't know." Zhu Houzhao thought for a while.

Li Dongyang and the three of them sighed, and Emperor Hongzhi became angry: "You don't even know how many days Master Cheng will be away?! Don't you feel ashamed!"

Zhu Houzhao sniffed, feeling a little uncomfortable with the itch: "You don't know anything, so why be ashamed!"

There is indeed nothing wrong with you. If you don’t know anything, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Even saints still have things they don’t know.

I have to admit that the prince's words always make sense sometimes.

I don’t know if these sages’ books that I read were specifically used to attack Emperor Hongzhi.

Li Dongyang and others did not dare to say anything.

Emperor Hongzhi burst out laughing.

This is the time to let yourself go and beat him to death!

Zhu Houzhao was horrified when he heard this, and immediately straightened his kneeling posture. After thinking about it carefully, he suddenly became honest: "I remember it, it seems that Master Cheng has rarely come to the East Palace since Master Yan went to guard the border."

Li Dongyang and others have been trying to shoot him to death for almost a month.

However, now is not the time to break up with Zhu Houzhao.

Emperor Hongzhi sighed and pondered a few times: "Cheng Minzheng is not only an official of the East Palace, but also the Minister of Rites. He is lazy and neglects his duties. How should he be punished according to the law?"

Liu Jian thought for a while and stood up: "If you don't go to court for many days without any reason, you can be fined three months' salary, or you can be sent back to your hometown..."

Li Dongyang felt sad. After all, they were officials in the same year. Although he and Cheng Mingzheng had their own opinions, they never had the intention of persecution. It would be a pity if Cheng Minzheng really became an official.

Li Dongyang and three others thought that Emperor Hongzhi would severely punish Cheng Minzheng.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Hongzhi said: "Let him and Duke Li preside over this Spring Festival!"

The conversation changed so quickly that Li Dongyang and the three of them didn't react.

Emperor Hongzhi continued: "I have ridiculed him these days, and he is a sensitive person. He must have some resentment in his heart, so he does not come to the East Palace. It just so happens that this spring, let him host it."

Therefore, in the spring of the twelfth year of Hongzhi, the examiner appointed Li Dongyang and Cheng Minzheng.

Zhu Houzhao rolled his eyes and fell into deep thought.

Lao Gao seems to be a candidate in Chunwei. Do you want to reveal some information to him?

Just listen to the window creaking.

When Emperor Hongzhi came to his senses, there were only a few broken walnuts left in a basin and a bowl where Zhu Houzhao had knelt.

Jumped out of the window and ran away?

……………………

Yan Chengjin was counting the silver in his warehouse at home. There was nearly 40,000 taels of silver, which was too much to fit in the originally small warehouse. He opened all the boxes and almost blinded him.

Wang Busui is still sending money one after another, how can he pretend?

Now is the most prosperous period of the Hongzhi Dynasty, and it is best to earn money. Most people have money in their hands and are willing to spend it to buy things.

Yan Chengjin never thought that one day he would be worried because of too much silver.

Yan Chengjin said to He Neng: "Buy some sand and gravel tomorrow and dig a secret room under the warehouse. Remember not to let the servants mix the silver in and steal it when pouring the soil."

He Neng said bitterly: "Master, you might as well build a bigger warehouse!"

Yan Chengjin has thought about it, but it is safer to put it underground.

"This young master has so much silver, do you want to spend it indiscriminately, but you want to help this young master spend silver every day."

He Neng said a little aggrievedly: "Silver is easy to spoil if it stays underground, and it is not easy to spend if it rusts."

Yan Chengjin is not afraid. He puts more straw and sand and gravel, and the box is sealed tightly, so how can it leak?

The main thing is not to worry about spending silver, but not to expose wealth.

If two warehouses are built, craftsmen will be hired. Wouldn't others think that the silver in the Yan Mansion cannot be stored, and it will be easy to attract thieves if the news leaks out?

Chunxiao knocked lightly outside the door, and the voice came in: "Master, Master Cheng is here, in the courtyard, I didn't let him come."

Yan Chengjin strode into the courtyard, only to see Cheng Minzheng pacing back and forth, sighing anxiously from time to time.

Is this... trying to expose himself again?

Cheng Minzheng saw him, as if he saw a savior, and took his hand: "My dear nephew, you are finally here, my uncle has something to tell you."

"Don't panic, drink a cup of wolfberry tea first."

"Oh, it's too late!" Cheng Minzheng said anxiously: "I received the decree from His Majesty to be the chief examiner of this spring exam."

If Yan Chengjin hadn't said it, he would have almost forgotten that Cheng Minzheng was the examiner of this spring exam.

Cheng Minzheng noticed Yan Chengjin's frightened expression: "Why does my nephew look so bad?"

"It's okay..." Yan Chengjin said: "Brother Cheng is also a candidate for the Jinke, why is Your Majesty also?"

Cheng Minzheng sighed: "My son knows that he has no hope of winning the first prize after meeting my nephew. He will wait for another three years and swear to win the first prize. Now is not the time to talk about this. The whole capital is looking forward to my book. If I go to the Imperial Examination Hall, I will be cut off for a few days. What should I do?"

Yan Chengjin knew that he was worried about his reputation. The examiners of the imperial examination would also be confined to the Imperial Examination Hall for a few days.

"When the new school and the tea school were fighting fiercely, my father did not write. When he wrote again, his reputation soared. How did you know that this was not a blessing in disguise?"

After thinking carefully, it was really the case. Cheng Minzheng was delighted: "So that's it!"

It would be troublesome if the matter of selling questions involved him. Yan Chengjin reminded him: "Master Cheng, don't come to me again. You are the chief examiner of this year's exam, and I am a candidate. It is not good to get out if we are too close. From today on, I will stay at home and not see you!"

Yan Chengjin thought about it, and felt uneasy again: "Please keep this matter confidential, Master Cheng."

Cheng Minzheng nodded, but expressed his understanding: "It should be, it should be. I am Taoist Liu Nuan, and please keep it confidential."

Just when they were about to leave, Yan Chengjin was startled.

At some point, a person was lying on the wall. It turned out to be Zhu Houzhao!