My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

He was dressed in a flying fish robe, with an embroidered spring knife at his waist. Snowflakes that had not yet melted clung to his shoulders and the brim of his hat, indicating that he had rushed here from outside and that the chill on his body had not yet completely dissipated.

Upon entering the warm, spring-like pavilion, he immediately stepped forward and performed a full kneeling bow to Zhu Cilang:

"Your subject, Li Ruolian, pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Be flat."

Zhu Cilang raised his hand and asked directly:

"What's the rush that I made you come all this way in person?"

Li Ruolian stood up, her gaze quickly sweeping over Hong Chengchou sitting to the side. A hint of hesitation flickered across her face, but seeing that Zhu Cilang showed no intention of asking Hong Chengchou to leave, she steeled herself and bowed, saying:

"Your Highness, I have just received an urgent report from the Central City Military Command that a fight broke out about two quarters of an hour ago at an inn called 'Yuelai' in Rice Market Alley in the South City."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang's brows furrowed immediately, his tone clearly showing displeasure and a hint of speechlessness:

“Li Ruolian, you are now the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, not a head constable of the Shuntian Prefecture! Is it really worth you coming all the way here to report to me about such a trivial civil dispute as a fight in an inn?”

"Aren't there plenty of such trivial matters in the capital every day? Could it be that the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty is so idle that he has to personally intervene in street brawls?"

He was genuinely annoyed, feeling that Li Ruolian was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Seeing the Crown Prince's displeasure, Li Ruolian quickly bowed and explained, her tone hurried:

"Your Highness, please calm down! Your Highness is wise! If it were just a fight between ordinary people, I would never dare to disturb Your Highness's ears with such a trivial matter. However... this matter is quite special and no small thing."

He paused, glanced at Hong Chengchou whose expression had also begun to turn serious, and continued:

"One side involved in the fight was the innkeeper and his staff, while the other side consisted of two students from Liaodong."

"Students from Liaodong?"

Zhu Cilang frowned even more deeply and subconsciously glanced at Hong Chengchou beside him.

Hong Chengchou's heart tightened, and the ominous premonition grew stronger. His hands, which were resting on his knees, unconsciously clenched tighter.

Li Ruolian took a deep breath and finally uttered the most crucial information:
"Furthermore, according to the preliminary investigation by the Military Command, the household registration of these two students involved is not Han Chinese, but rather marked as 'Jurchen household'!"

"What? Jurchen people?!"

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding loudly in the warm and quiet room.

Before Zhu Cilang could fully react, Hong Chengchou, who was sitting next to him, suddenly stood up from his seat. His face instantly turned deathly pale, filled with extreme shock, disbelief, and a hint of anger and panic at being implicated by his subordinate and the impending exposure of the matter!

He repeatedly instructed the students to behave themselves, but no sooner had he left than they caused such a disturbance in the capital, and it was related to the two Jurchen students whose identities were the most sensitive and who were most likely to attract controversy!
This was like a resounding slap in the face to him at the height of his pride!

Zhu Cilang finally realized what was happening. His expression instantly turned extremely serious, and his sharp gaze turned sharply to the pale-faced Hong Chengchou. His tone was filled with undisguised questioning and stern scrutiny:
"Minister Hong, what exactly is going on? Why have I never heard of any Jurchen students coming to the capital to participate in the imperial examinations? And now this scandal of a street brawl has broken out? Explain this to me clearly!"

Hong Chengchou inwardly groaned, his forehead instantly beaded with cold sweat, and even the back of his official robe felt damp.

He knew he could no longer hide the truth, so he had no choice but to step forward, bow deeply, almost burying his head in his chest, his voice filled with fear and remorse:
"Your Highness, please calm your anger! I...I am guilty! Please allow me to explain this matter in detail."

He then recounted in detail the events surrounding the establishment of the imperial examinations in Liaodong to appease the newly surrendered people, how Wu Shouren and Chang Yong'an passed the examinations, and his decision to allow them to go to the capital to participate in the metropolitan examinations based on his considerations of "unity of Chinese and barbarians" and "to show leniency," without daring to conceal anything.

Finally, with a tone of exasperation and eagerness to shirk responsibility, he said with deep remorse:

"Your Highness is wise! I was in Liaodong to stabilize the people's hearts and demonstrate the benevolence of the court, which is why I allowed them to participate in the imperial examination. I had no other intentions!"

"On the way here, I repeatedly warned all the students that the capital is the most important city with strict laws and regulations. They must be careful with their words and actions and never cause trouble!"

"Your Majesty, I truly do not know why they are so audacious as to disregard my warnings and engage in a public brawl! Such behavior is utterly outrageous, a disgrace to civilization, and a betrayal of Your Majesty's grace!"

"Your Highness, I implore you to severely punish these two individuals to serve as a warning to others! Furthermore, strip them of their Juren degree and banish them from the capital to set an example and eliminate such abuses!"

Hong Chengchou was truly enraged and felt a great sense of crisis, so he decided to immediately sacrifice the pawns to save the king and completely sever ties with the two troublesome Jurchen students. He absolutely could not allow them to affect his imminent entry into the cabinet and the Crown Prince's trust in him.

After listening to Hong Chengchou's long explanation, Zhu Cilang's expression became somewhat strange. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the rosewood armrest, and remained silent for a long time.

Because he needs time to process this sudden, politically complex information and to carefully weigh the pros and cons.

An eerie silence fell over the warm pavilion, broken only by the occasional soft crackling of the charcoal fire.

After a long while, Zhu Cilang suddenly remembered something, then turned his deep gaze back to Li Ruolian, who stood with her hands at her sides, looking tense, and asked in a deep voice:
"Li Ruolian, what exactly caused the fight? What is the situation reported by the Military Command? Tell me all the details you know, without omitting anything."

"The minister obeys the order."

Li Ruolian secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the most crucial moment had arrived. She quickly reported the situation she had learned from the urgent report from the Military Command, including details such as how the innkeeper refused customers due to household registration issues, how he insulted them, and how the argument escalated into a fight. She did so in a detailed and objective manner.

He had actually wanted to say these words for a long time, but Zhu Cilang had been thinking about something, so he didn't dare to speak rashly!

As Li Ruolian's narration drew to a close, Hong Chengchou, who had been on edge as if awaiting a verdict, finally breathed a long sigh of relief, and the heart that had been hanging in his throat finally returned to his stomach.

Then, taking advantage of Zhu Cilang and Li Ruolian's inattention, he secretly wiped the sweat that had already seeped onto his forehead with the inside of his sleeve.

Just now, he felt like every second was an eternity, fearing that Wu Shouren and Chang Yong'an were taking advantage of their favor and deliberately provoking trouble.

If that were the case, then Hong Chengchou, as the one who recommended them to the capital and was the former Liaodong military governor, would certainly be held responsible and would likely receive a severe reprimand.
Even more frightening is that it could seriously affect His Highness the Crown Prince's judgment of his own abilities, and his long-awaited entry into the cabinet might just vanish into thin air.

Fortunately, from Li Ruolian's report, he clearly understood that the incident was caused by the innkeeper's discriminatory and insulting remarks.

The innkeeper first refused to serve them because they were "Jurchen people," then uttered abusive language, insulting Wu and Chang as "Jiang slaves and Tartars," and even slandering their achievements as illegitimate. This thoroughly enraged the two men, who were already extremely proud due to their sensitive identities, leading to the outbreak of the conflict.

Moreover, judging from the description, Wu and Chang were clearly at a disadvantage in the conflict and were more seriously injured.

This fundamentally changed the nature of the matter. It was no longer a simple brawl among scholars, but a serious issue involving ethnic discrimination, insults to scholars, and even a challenge to the imperial court's policy of "civilizing the barbarians."

His Highness the Crown Prince has always valued the assimilation of the newly surrendered people of Liaodong in order to stabilize the border. It seems that His Highness's attitude is likely to favor Wu and Chang, who have been wronged.

Thinking of this, Hong Chengchou felt somewhat relieved.

He secretly raised his eyelids and quickly glanced at Crown Prince Zhu Cilang, who was sitting at the head of the table, trying to read some clues from that young face.

Zhu Cilang tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the rosewood chair, his face showing a thoughtful expression, as if he was weighing the pros and cons.

The warm room was silent for a moment, with only the faint crackling sound of burning silver charcoal in the brazier.

Finally, Zhu Cilang's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and a faint, ambiguous smile even appeared at the corners of his mouth. He then shook his head and said with a sense of relief:
"I thought it was some huge, earth-shattering matter, but it turns out to be just a small matter. Since no one was killed and it was just some minor injury, it can be easily resolved."

"The incident was caused by the innkeeper's discrimination against the students of the Guihua Academy, his abusive language, and his provocation. I hereby issue the decree that the Five Cities Garrison should give the innkeeper ten lashes as a warning to others! He is also ordered to compensate the two Jurchen students for all medical expenses and the loss of their clothing."

"This matter is now closed, and no further trouble should be caused."

He paused, then instructed Li Ruolian:
"Li Ruolian, you should personally make arrangements to find a quiet and safe place to settle the two students and all the other candidates from Liaodong who are traveling with them, so that they can study and prepare for the exam in peace and not let this matter affect their studies."

"The necessary expenses will be drawn from the Crown Prince's private treasury."

Zhu Cilang had already returned to normal when he made this decision.

When he first heard that a Jurchen had passed the imperial examination and gone to the capital to take the exam, he was indeed very surprised, even somewhat taken aback.

But after the initial surprise, he quickly calmed down and, combining his vague memory of the course of history with his analysis of the current situation, realized that although the matter was unexpected, it was also reasonable.

After all, Huang Taiji had already established the imperial examination system after becoming emperor, modeled after the Ming Dynasty, to select talents. Therefore, it was not unimaginable that scholars would appear among the Jurchen tribes.

Hong Chengchou's holding of the imperial examinations in Liaodong and incorporating those who had become naturalized into the system was a concrete manifestation of the court's strategy of "pacifying and appeasing" and "transforming the barbarians with Chinese culture."

Thinking further, Zhu Cilang even felt that this was a rare opportunity.

If any Jurchen people were to learn Han culture and accept Confucianism through the formal imperial examination system and eventually become officials of the Ming Dynasty, it would undoubtedly greatly promote ethnic integration, weaken hostility, and have immeasurable positive significance for the long-term stability of Liaodong and even for the possible large-scale cultural assimilation in the future.

This is far superior to simple military conquest and oppressive rule.

Hearing the Crown Prince's clear instructions, Li Ruolian felt reassured and immediately bowed in response:

"Your Majesty, I obey! I will proceed immediately!"

After saying this, he prepared to bow and take his leave to make arrangements for related matters.

Hearing that His Highness the Crown Prince not only did not blame him, but also made such a clear judgment, Hong Chengchou finally felt the biggest weight lifted from his heart. He felt completely exhausted and secretly adjusted his breathing, trying to calm his wildly beating heart.

This sudden incident seems to have turned out to be a close call.

However, things in this world are often unpredictable.

Just as Hong Chengchou had barely caught his breath and Li Ruolian was about to reach the entrance of the warm pavilion, Ma Bao once again rushed into the warm pavilion, almost running.

His face showed a hint of tension and urgency. Without even a proper bow, he hurriedly reported:

"Your Highness! Your Highness! There are Imperial Guards outside! They have something extremely urgent to report!"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang was slightly taken aback, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

Even Li Ruolian, who had already stepped one foot out of the door, suddenly stopped and turned around in astonishment.

what's the situation?
He, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had just come in from outside to report, so how come another Embroidered Uniform Guard came to see him in the blink of an eye?

And it sounds like it's "extremely urgent"?
Has something new happened in the capital?
Li Ruolian froze on the spot, caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to continue to carry out the Crown Prince's orders or stay and listen to what had happened.

Zhu Cilang frowned again, a hint of impatience flashing through his mind.

But he knew that unless there was a truly urgent situation, the Imperial Guards below would never dare to disturb him again.

However, he was too lazy to personally receive wave after wave of Imperial Guards at this moment, so he said to Li Ruolian, who was standing dumbfounded at the door:

"Li Ruolian, don't leave yet. Go out and ask the Imperial Guards what they want. Once you have a clear answer, come back in and report to me."

Li Ruolian quickly withdrew her foot, turned around, and bowed in response:

"I obey!"

He then quickly walked out of the warm pavilion.

Taking advantage of this brief moment, Zhu Cilang glanced at Hong Chengchou, whose face was still pale and who was still shaken, and said in a gentle, reassuring tone:
“Minister Hong, there is no need to be too nervous. It seems to be just some trivial matters that are not a big deal. Since I have already made a clear decision, I will not blame you for this.”

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's gentle words of comfort, Hong Chengchou felt a surge of warmth and gratitude. He quickly rose and bowed deeply, his voice slightly choked with emotion, saying:
"Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your trust! Your Highness's discerning judgment is truly remarkable, and I am moved to tears!"

However, he was not completely at ease; an inexplicable sense of unease, like the gloomy sky outside the window, shrouded his heart.

Not long after, a series of hurried footsteps approached again.

Li Ruolian returned, but his expression was completely different from when he left! His face was solemn, his brows were furrowed, and even fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

His eyes held a hint of panic and disbelief, as if he had heard some extremely horrifying news. (End of Chapter)