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

Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan immediately understood.

He knew that it must have been Zhu Cilang who informed Chongzhen of his intention to retire and return to his hometown, which was why Chongzhen bestowed so many gifts upon him.

Emperor Chongzhen's actions were not intended to retain the emperor, but rather to express his remorse and offer words of comfort.

After all, what Emperor Chongzhen did before was indeed somewhat unethical.

Thinking of this, the last bit of doubt and unease in his heart vanished, replaced by a complex mix of emotions.

After chatting for a few more minutes, a servant from the Xue family suddenly came in and quietly handed Xue Guoguan something.

Xue Guoguan took it, stood up, walked to Wang Chengen, and handed the item over with a smile:

“Eunuch Wang, thank you for your trouble today. You braved the cold to make this trip. This is just a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it as payment for a cup of hot tea.”

Wang Chengen glanced at it and saw that it was a bank note issued by the Ming Dynasty Bank, with a face value of two thousand taels.

He immediately adopted a perfectly timed demeanor of refusal, quickly handing the silver note back and saying:

"Oh dear, Grand Secretary Xue, you flatter me! I was merely carrying out His Majesty's orders and running errands. It was my duty, how could I dare accept such a generous reward? Absolutely not, absolutely not!"

Xue Guoguan, however, insisted on pushing his hand back, his smile becoming even warmer, but his tone leaving no room for refusal:
"You are too kind, Eunuch Wang. This is just a small token of my appreciation and is by no means a reward. In the future, His Majesty will need loyal and diligent people like you to assist him in important matters of the court."

"If you don't accept this meager tea fee, you're looking down on me."

Seeing that Xue Guoguan had put it this way, Wang Chengen knew that it would be pretentious to refuse any longer, and two thousand taels of silver was indeed a considerable "extra income" for him at the moment.

So he casually slipped the silver note into his sleeve, put on a smile, and bowed, saying:

"In that case, this servant will gladly accept the reward from Grand Secretary Xue! Grand Secretary Xue, rest assured, this servant will do my utmost to serve His Majesty well."

"You're too kind, Father-in-law."

Xue Guoguan nodded with a smile.

After drinking a few more sips of tea, Wang Chengen estimated that it was about time and got up to take his leave.

Xue Guoguan personally escorted him to the gate of the mansion. After watching the imperial procession disappear into the distance, he turned back to his mansion. Looking at the imperial gifts in the courtyard, he was filled with mixed emotions.

Wang Chengen, carrying the silver notes, happily returned to the palace to report to Emperor Chongzhen.

Time flies, and as the twelfth lunar month draws to a close and the year-end approaches, the Emperor Chongzhen's birthday celebration is also drawing ever closer.

The entire city of Beijing seemed to have been thrown into a giant dye vat, with festive red spreading at a visible speed, and the festive atmosphere growing stronger day by day.

After all, Emperor Chongzhen's birthday celebrations were almost consecutive with the Spring Festival, which meant that the court and the people had to prepare for two grand celebrations at the same time.

From the Forbidden City to ordinary alleys, a busy yet joyful mood flows in the air.

Furthermore, since the imperial court had completely defeated the peasant army led by Li Zicheng this year, the country had seen a long-awaited period of peace and tranquility. After requesting permission from Emperor Chongzhen, the Ministry of Rites issued an imperial edict and a special decree:

In gratitude for Heaven's blessing, to celebrate the Emperor's birthday and to share the joy with the people, a special decree has been issued for a three-day nationwide celebration!
At the same time, to demonstrate the emperor's boundless grace, 30% of the country's annual tax and grain taxes were exempted, and a general amnesty was granted, pardoning all prisoners who did not fall under the "ten unpardonable crimes".

This news spread far and wide via the fast post roads, immediately drawing praise from all the people, who were all grateful for the emperor's benevolence.

At the same time, contingents from all sides arrived in the capital in an endless stream, adding to the grandeur of the prosperous era.

The princes of various regions all sent their heirs as representatives, carrying a dazzling array of lavish gifts to the capital to offer birthday greetings. The top noble families with hereditary titles, such as the Duke of Wei in Nanjing and the Duke of Qian in Yunnan, also sent important figures from their families to gather in the capital, demonstrating their loyalty to the country.

From even further afield, delegations of envoys from overseas vassal states such as the King of Korea, the Jurchens, the various tribes of Southern Mongolia, as well as Ryukyu, Annam, and Siam, also came with tribute.

These tributes filled the warehouse of the Huitong Hall, which was specially used to receive foreign guests, and were waiting to be presented to the emperor on the day of his birthday.

The main streets of the capital, such as Qipan Street, Damingmen Imperial Road, Dongsi Archway, and Xisi Archway, had already been adorned with dozens of magnificent and spectacular giant painted towers and ingeniously crafted lantern mountains, all under the leadership of the Ministry of Works.

The decorated pavilion is made with pine and cypress branches as its frame, and is decorated with various colored silks, colored papers, and glass, and painted with auspicious patterns such as cranes, peaches, and the Eight Immortals.

The lantern mountain is layered upon layered, with thousands of lanterns of various shapes hanging on it. When the night deepens, it is shimmering with colorful lights, like a dream.

To further demonstrate his benevolence as emperor, Chongzhen also issued a special decree ordering the Shuntian Prefecture to distribute basic necessities such as "longevity rice" and "longevity noodles" to widows, orphans, the lonely, and those living in poverty in the capital.

What is even more commendable is that he was considerate of the candidates from all over the country who were preparing to participate in the imperial examinations the following spring, and specially allocated a sum of money from the imperial treasury to reward each candidate with ten taels of "exam assistance silver".

This move deeply moved many of the scholars.

Although many of them came from wealthy families and were not short of money, the ten taels of silver represented the emperor's care and encouragement. This "imperial grace" warmed the hearts of many scholars and greatly increased their loyalty to the court.

And so, amidst the expectant gazes of the entire nation, the Chongzhen Emperor's birthday celebration finally arrived in grand style, amidst a flurry of snowflakes and the deafening sound of gongs and drums.

On the day of Emperor's birthday, at dawn, before the sky was bright, the Bell Tower and Drum Tower on the central axis of Beijing rang out first. The deep and powerful sound of the bells and the exciting and inspiring sound of the drums intertwined and pierced through the cold air, spreading throughout the city.

Immediately afterwards, bells and drums throughout the Forbidden City responded in unison, thus beginning the solemn ceremony.

On the vast square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the full imperial regalia had already been arranged, stretching all the way to the Meridian Gate.

Dressed in flying fish robes and carrying embroidered spring knives at their waists, the Jinyiwei guards stood solemnly on both sides, holding golden maces, axes, and ceremonial stirrups, exuding a stern and unapproachable aura.

As dawn broke, the auspicious time arrived.

Emperor Chongzhen, dressed in a ceremonial robe with twelve embroidered patterns and wearing a crown with twelve tassels, ascended the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony amidst the playing of "The Song of Ding'an" by the Shaoyue orchestra.

All the princes, nobles, civil and military officials in the capital, led by Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan, stood solemnly below the steps according to their rank, performed the grand ceremony of four bows and three kowtows, and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

The sound rose in layers like a tsunami, soaring into the sky, fully demonstrating the supreme power of the emperor and the unity and strength of the empire.

Subsequently, a congratulatory memorial written in parallel prose by the Hanlin Academy was read aloud.

The congratulatory memorial was eloquent and ornate, employing the utmost to praise and extol Chongzhen's achievements since his ascension to the throne. It compared Chongzhen's accomplishments to those of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, who founded the dynasty, and Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di, who expanded the territory, praising his great achievements as a "sage ruler who restored the dynasty."

To be honest, even Chongzhen himself felt embarrassed when he heard what was said here, because he didn't do these things at all, but Zhu Cilang did them!
However, considering that Zhu Cilang was his son, it seemed normal for a father to take credit for his son's achievements, so Chongzhen accepted it with a clear conscience.

Next comes the presentation of birthday gifts.

Princes, nobles, and envoys from various countries stepped forward one by one, presenting the rare and precious treasures that had been prepared beforehand.

Each birthday gift is ingeniously crafted, imbued with profound meaning, and demonstrates the loyalty and respect of the presenter.

After the elaborate and solemn court ceremony, a grand banquet was held.

Xue Guoguan, along with other key officials of the court, including Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet and Ministers of the Six Ministries, were able to attend a banquet in the Hall of Supreme Harmony and have close contact with the emperor.

The other officials, according to their rank, took their seats in the square outside the palace. The banquet was extremely lavish, featuring delicacies from land and sea.

Emperor Chongzhen bestowed generous rewards upon the officials who attended the banquet, including gold, silver, paper money, and precious silks. He was especially generous in rewarding the soldiers who had rendered meritorious service in quelling internal rebellions and consolidating border defenses in recent years, demonstrating the emperor's boundless benevolence.

In the afternoon, Emperor Chongzhen made a rather unusual move.

Surrounded by a large number of eunuchs and guards, he ascended the towering Meridian Gate and received the spontaneous worship of the people of the capital.

At this time, the square in front of the Meridian Gate and both sides of Chang'an Avenue were already packed with people.

Upon seeing the emperor appear, a deafening roar of "Long live the emperor!" erupted from below the city gate.

Meanwhile, a variety of performances, including dragon dances, lion dances, stilt walking, and acrobatics, which had been prepared in advance, were staged one after another. The sound of gongs and drums filled the air, and cheers resounded, pushing the festive atmosphere to its first climax.

Emperor Chongzhen smiled and ordered that coins inscribed with the words "Long Live the Emperor" be thrown into the jubilant crowd.

Golden copper coins rained down, prompting people to scramble to collect them, creating a lively and festive atmosphere that reached its peak.

Evening arrived quickly, and the celebration banquet inside the palace was held in the Qianqing Palace.

Empress Zhou, Consort Tian, ​​Consort Yuan, and Empress Dowager Zhang all attended in their finest attire, looking radiant.

The princes and princesses also presented their own birthday gifts, such as a painting or a handmade item, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere for the family banquet.

After the banquet, Emperor Chongzhen, still in high spirits, took his concubines to the highest platform in the palace to watch the dazzling fireworks meticulously prepared by the Imperial Household Department.

Clusters of dazzling fireworks exploded in the dark night sky, forming colorful patterns that illuminated the entire night sky of Beijing as if it were daytime, bringing this grand day to a perfect close.

Throughout the entire birthday celebration, Crown Prince Zhu Cilang naturally participated.

But without a doubt, the absolute protagonist of this day was Emperor Chongzhen.

Therefore, Crown Prince Zhu Cilang seemed less prominent.

However, Zhu Cilang himself didn't care about this at all, and was happy to have some peace and quiet.

The festive atmosphere of the Emperor's Birthday Celebration had not yet completely dissipated when the Spring Festival, which followed, injected new vitality into Beijing.

Pasting Spring Festival couplets, setting off firecrackers, visiting relatives and friends to exchange New Year's greetings, and strolling through temple fairs.
The entire capital city was once again immersed in a lively and joyful atmosphere, with a strong festive spirit that lasted for a full two weeks.

Shortly after the festival, the imperial court officially issued a series of important personnel appointments.

The most noteworthy event was undoubtedly the appointment of Hong Chengchou.

The emperor issued an edict allowing Hong Chengchou to join the cabinet and participate in government affairs, and ordered him to preside over the upcoming imperial examination of the sixteenth year of Chongzhen (1643) together with Xue Guoguan, the Grand Secretary.

The specific division of labor was that Xue Guoguan served as the chief examiner and Hong Chengchou served as the deputy chief examiner.

Faced with this decision, the civil and military officials of the court inevitably had some private discussions, but there was not much opposition in public.

After all, Hong Chengchou had managed Liaodong for many years, stabilized the crisis, and made outstanding achievements, which is obvious to all.

His qualifications and abilities are sufficient to fulfill the duties of a cabinet minister.

In addition, the controversy before the Lunar New Year ultimately proved that he was slandered, which actually earned him some sympathy.

Therefore, most people see his inclusion in the cabinet as a matter of course and beyond reproach.

Thus, Hong Chengchou smoothly entered the core of the imperial power and shouldered the important task of assisting Xue Guoguan in selecting the best talents in the country.

Time flies, and more than a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Finally, the day of the Guiwei imperial examination, which scholars across the land had been eagerly anticipating, arrived.

At this moment, thousands of candidates who had gathered in Beijing from all over the country were already eager to participate in this fierce competition that could change their lives.

After nine days and three intense exams, the exam papers were collected, anonymously marked, transcribed, proofread, and then sent to a heavily guarded marking area.

After the examiners worked tirelessly day and night to review and discuss the results, the final outcome was finally announced amidst great anticipation.

The provincial examination for undergraduate studies selected 380 candidates who qualified to participate in the final palace examination.

However, one point must be made clear: the imperial examination system of the Ming Dynasty was not as absolutely fair as many people imagine, based solely on merit.

In order to ensure that talented people from different regions within the empire have the opportunity to enter the ruling class and to prevent a single region from monopolizing the number of examination slots, which would lead to an imbalance of political power.

From the Xuande era onwards, an unwritten rule gradually formed in the Ming Dynasty.

That is to implement a separate admissions system.

Specifically, this means dividing the candidates nationwide into three major examination regions based on their geographical location:

Southern section: Includes Yingtian, Suzhou, Songjiang, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Huguang, Guangdong and other places.

These regions have a rich literary tradition and produce many talented individuals, thus having the largest number of admissions, accounting for about 55% of the total.

The Northern Volume includes Beijing, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, and other regions.

The second highest number of places available is 35 percent of the total.

In addition, there is also the middle section: including the southwestern regions such as Sichuan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou.

However, the number of places available for the middle-level exam is the smallest, accounting for only 10% of the total.

The main reason for this is to maintain political balance, prevent any one country from dominating the exam, and avoid regional imbalance caused by all candidates from a remote province failing the exam.

Therefore, in addition to fairness, the ancient imperial examination system also emphasized balance.

In practice, the examiners will first determine the total number of students to be admitted this year, and then strictly follow the above proportions to calculate how many students should be admitted from the Southern, Northern, and Central exams.

The subsequent rankings were conducted independently within each region.

The examiners will select the top 55 percent of candidates from the mountain of Southern exam papers, the top 35 percent from the Northern exam papers, and so on for the Central exam papers.

This means that a student who fails to qualify in the highly competitive southern exam area may actually have a much higher level of knowledge than students who are among the top high school students in the northern or even central exam areas.

In short, the intricacies, trade-offs, and unspoken rules involved are incredibly complex. (End of Chapter)