Emperor Zhengde of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 199
"I'm calling you here this time. I have another thing to arrange for you!"

"Your Majesty, I am willing to go through fire and water for His Majesty, and I will not hesitate to do so! Please give orders!"

Zhu Houzhao nodded in satisfaction and said: "This time when the vassal kings enter the capital, some of them will definitely have evil intentions. I want you to secretly monitor these vassal kings. If anyone has evil intentions, you will immediately use your power in your hands."

"Even if they don't have any intentions, then you have to do what they do in normal times, especially when you come into contact with anyone, and you must monitor them clearly for me!"

"I obey the order!" Cao Zhengchun hastily bowed his hands and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation to arrange this matter.

In the station thirty miles away from the capital.

The vassal kings from all over the world gathered together, quietly discussing the matter of meeting the emperor tomorrow.

"Prince, you said that the emperor suddenly summoned so many of our vassal kings into the palace, is it because he wants to cut down the vassals?" Shu Wang asked in a low voice.

The so-called prince made a gesture prohibiting speaking, looked around unconsciously, and said calmly: "This is the holy will of His Majesty today, how can we easily guess?"

"However, the matter of King Lu has failed, and His Majesty has long been on guard. In my opinion, this is also reasonable."

King Shu's eyeballs rolled around a few times, and he said with concentration: "Brothers, if Your Majesty really wants to cut down the feudal clan, what should we do?"

Zhu Houzhao's plan to reduce the feudal clan has been issued to the cabinet, and the next step is to implement it seriously.

However, the vassal kings from all over the world are now gathered in the capital, and most of them are in a state of panic all day long, because none of them know what is waiting for them in front of them?
Li Dongyang, Xie Qian and the others hadn't left the Hall of Mental Cultivation yet, the eunuch Xiao Fangzi came forward and said, "His Majesty, Minister of Rites, Yang Tinghe, please see me!"

"Let him in!"

Yang Tinghe walked into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, saw Xie Qian and Li Dongyang were there, cupped his hands and said, "My lords, long time no see, how are you?"

Yang Tinghe was isolated in the Gongyuan and did not come out for more than 20 days. He did not dare to slacken the slightest slack in the Gongyuan, for fear that something would happen outside.

"Master Yang is lucky!"

The two people in the cabinet complimented Yang Tinghe before they started talking about formal topics.

Holding the test papers of all the candidates in their hands, several guards in Jinyi followed Yang Tinghe to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Your Majesty, I have selected a total of [-] copies of all the articles in this imperial examination. Please have a look at them."

Jin Yiwei presented the tray, and Xiao Fangzi hurried over to catch it with both hands, presenting it in front of Zhu Houzhao.

The first one, titled "On Sea Territory", was written by Xia Yan.Both Xie Qian and Li Dongyang stood aside, quietly watching Emperor Zhengde.This article by Xia Yan explained the relationship between the Ming Navy and the sea area, and most importantly, he also explained how to build the Ming Navy.

Zhu Houzhao first finished reading the article, and then handed the paper to Li Dongyang who was standing. Xie Qian also stretched his neck and leaned over to read it.

Zhu Houzhao then read other people's articles.He read a few well-written articles, and read a few articles written by students who failed the list. There is indeed a gap between the two.

Among the failed essays, Zhu Houzhao saw an article written by a talented man named Wen Zhengming.

Most of it is praising the beauty of the Ming Dynasty sea area and the magnificence of the Ming Dynasty Navy. Basically, the content is empty, only gorgeous rhetoric, which is obviously a talent for writing, but there is nothing practical.

Zhu Houzhao put Wen Zhengming's article aside and didn't read it any more.

Yang Tinghe stood beside Zhu Houzhao, observing Zhu Houzhao's face from time to time. Since the leak of the test questions, Yang Tinghe was walking on thin ice, fearing that there would be any omissions again.

We must know that the famous fraud case during the Hongzhi period involved a large number of ministers in the DPRK and China.

Zhu Hou put down the paper after reading a few articles, turned to Yang Tinghe and said, "Yang Aiqing, who do you think will be the Huiyuan who will take the exam this time?"

Yang Tinghe arched his hands and said: "Your Majesty, I think Xia Yan's article is targeted, hits the nail on the head, and has a clear point of view. It can be named as the source of this new scientific meeting."

After Yang Tinghe finished speaking, he stood aside with his head bowed.Both Li Dongyang and Xie Qian frowned. Xia Yan's article was indeed well written, basically what Yang Tinghe said.

Zhu Houzhao put down the paper in his hand, and said to Yang Tinghe: "Since Yang Shangshu thinks Xia Yan is a talent, then follow what Yang Shangshu said! Then start publishing the list!"

Huiyuan, that is, No.1 in the Jinshi examination, was very eye-catching at the time.

"The minister obeys the order!"

Yang Tinghe presided over the imperial examination and performed his duties conscientiously. Zhu Houzhao obtained information from Dongchang. This time, more than [-] candidates were caught and entrained in the imperial examination. These people were all banned from the examination for life.

In the examination room, Yang Tinghe personally invigilated all the candidates and did not dare to slack off in the slightest.

"Yang Shangshu"

"Chen is here!"

Zhu Houzhao suddenly turned to look at Yang Tinghe, which surprised him suddenly.

"You've worked hard during this period, take a few days off, I'll ask the servant to deliver some food to your house, and you can take a vacation at home in the next half a month, you don't have to go to court."

"It is the duty of a minister to be loyal to His Majesty." Yang Tinghe immediately thanked Shengen, and he really needed to rest for a while. This month, all kinds of ups and downs made him overwhelmed.

Zhu Houzhao waved his hand, the cabinet Li Dongyang and Xie Qian said goodbye to Zhu Houzhao, and all returned home.

Just after the few people left, the eunuch jogged over and said to Zhu Houzhao, "Your Majesty Qizuo, the Empress Dowager of the Palace of Compassion is here to invite you."

"Well, I see, you go down first!"

Zhu Houzhao finished the matter at hand and went to the Palace of Compassion and Ning.

In the Palace of Mercy Ning, only the Queen Mother was there. Seeing Zhu Houzhao, the Queen Mother stood up and said to Zhu Houzhao, "Zhao'er, you can go to the West Lake with Ai's family!"

Zhu Houzhao followed the queen mother to the West Lake in the Imperial Garden, and the queen mother chatted with Zhu Houzhao while walking.

"Zhao'er, Aijia heard that all the vassals from all over the country have entered the capital? How do you plan to deal with these vassals?"

Zhu Houzhao smiled: "Queen, don't I have to kill them all?"

"The ancestors left these vassals to protect my Ming Dynasty, and also to prevent others from usurping the throne. You have to position these vassals correctly, otherwise they are likely to bury hidden dangers."

"You have to think clearly, they are your enemies."

Zhu Houzhao said: "This matter will be handled properly by the child, and the queen mother does not have to worry."

The Queen Mother listened to Zhu Houzhao's words, but refused to believe it. She knew her son too well. If there was a threat to his country, he would not show mercy.

Zhu Houzhao accompanied the Queen Mother to play in the back garden, and she told Zhu Houzhao insinuatingly that the reduction of the feudal clan should not be too much, and that the Daming feudal king will help Daming to a certain extent.

You must not listen to the words of the ministers and drive out all these vassal kings, otherwise there will be powerful ministers in the future, and the emperor will be emptied.

This has basically become a rule in the past dynasties. If all the vassal kings are killed, if a minor emperor appears in the future, others will stare at the throne.

If you don't have your own relatives to help, even if you are the emperor, no one will obey you, and the dynasty will not be far away there.
(End of this chapter)