Top Scholar

Chapter 480 Before Going to Court to Pay Homage to the Prime Minister (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Under the eaves of the rear hall of the Leopard Chamber.

Liu Jin knelt there, his eyes glazed over. What was wrong with the Emperor? He was like a completely different person!
They're even worrying about whether the eunuchs are up to the task—that's really abnormal!
Zhu Houzhao reached out and poked Liu Jin's sweaty forehead, then deliberately asked in a cold voice:

"Do you want me to be branded a tyrant, so that I can be infamous for eternity along with you? Hmm?!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jin was struck dumb. He didn't have time to think anymore and started kowtowing frantically, breaking his forehead and bleeding profusely.

"This old servant was wrong. This old servant would rather die than implicate Your Majesty. Your Majesty, please kill this old servant." Liu Jin's snot and tears mingled with the flowing blood, making him a complete mess.

"Alright! If I kill you, who will guard the house for me?" Zhu Houzhao frowned and gestured for Xiao Huozhe to quickly wipe the blood off Liu Gonggong and bandage him.

"Waaah, Your Majesty..." Liu Jin was both saddened and relieved. He quickly wrapped his head in a white cloth and wiped away his tears and snot.

"Get up now!" Zhu Houzhao, already reclining on the imperial couch, examined the diagram in his hand as he spoke to Liu Jin:
"Don't even think about a eunuch becoming a governor! Immediately issue my decree to reinstate all the governors who were dismissed! Isn't the local area chaotic enough already?"

"This old servant obeys the decree and will not dare to do it again." This time, Liu Jin obediently agreed, as docile as an old dog.

Seeing his cowardly appearance, Zhu Houzhao's anger subsided considerably, and he smiled, saying, "However, we can't embarrass you too much, Eunuch Liu, otherwise who will be afraid of you in the future? That Inner Factory, I approve!"

"Your Majesty..." Liu Jin's knees buckled, and he was about to kneel down and weep bitterly again.

"Alright, alright, stop crying, you're acting like a woman." Zhu Houzhao waved his hand impatiently and said, "The Eastern Depot and the Western Depot are always fighting like dogs, and they always come to me with their troubles. It's really annoying. It would be good to set up an Inner Depot to be in charge of the Imperial Guard. You can take on the role of the supervising eunuch."

"Yes, yes, this old servant obeys the decree!" Liu Jin immediately perked up, which showed that the emperor still loved him.

Emperor Zhengde casually warned Liu Jin, "The Eastern and Western Depots may listen to you, but don't get involved. I want the three depots to check and balance each other, understand?"

"This old servant understands!" Liu Jin naturally agreed without hesitation. "Your Majesty, rest assured, this old servant's request to establish the Imperial Workshop is to share the Emperor's burdens, and I would never dare to have the slightest selfish motive!"

Zhu Houzhao waved his hand, signaling him to go and re-bandage the wound. It started bleeding again as soon as it was bandaged…

~~
On March 12, Su Lu went to Guanghua Temple Street, north of Yinding Bridge in Houhai, to pay respects to his fellow townsman, Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe.

In fact, Su Lu had already sent his letter requesting an audience ten days ago, but the Yang family only replied yesterday, saying that the Grand Secretary could see him today...

Compared to the other two Grand Secretaries, Grand Secretary Yang was indeed much harder to see. But Su Lu didn't complain. As a mere candidate in the imperial examinations, it was perfectly normal for him to wait ten days to see a Grand Secretary.
The sedan chair stopped in front of the Yang residence. The place was elegant and refined, with the shimmering Houhai Lake right in front of the Yang residence. The willow branches on the shore were just turning green, like smoke and mist, which was quite similar to the charm of the water towns in Jiangnan.

Taking a deep breath of early spring, Su Lu straightened his clothes, stepped forward to present the invitation, explained his purpose, and offered a generous door gift.

After the doorman went in to announce the arrival, the steward came out to greet him shortly afterward, saying with a smile, "The Grand Secretary has specially come home today to wait for Huiyuan."

"You flatter me so much," Su Lu said hastily and fearfully.

"Please come in quickly." Steward Yang then led Su Lu into the mansion.

The moment Su Lu stepped into Yang Tinghe's mansion, he sensed the difference. Compared to the elegant simplicity of Li Tinghe's mansion and the scholarly unpretentiousness of Wang Tinghe's mansion, Yang Tinghe's mansion was exquisite and meticulous in every detail... The paint on the carved beams was as bright as new, the strange rocks and bonsai in the corridors were arranged in a well-ordered manner, and even the servants' clothes were neat and tidy, showing the grandeur of a prime minister's mansion.

To be honest, this is exactly what Su Lu imagined the Grand Secretary's residence to be like...

The steward led him to the main room in the central courtyard to serve tea. After a short while, Grand Secretary Yang slowly emerged from behind the screen.

Yang Tinghe was dressed in a light blue brocade robe with dark patterns, a jade belt around his waist, and his hair and beard were neatly combed. Every gesture he made exuded the dignified demeanor of a prime minister.

"This junior scholar pays his respects to Your Excellency!" Su Lu quickly stood up and bowed, not daring to be impolite.

"Su Huiyuan, there's no need for such formalities. We've known each other for a long time, and I've long admired your name."

Yang Tinghe's accent was completely free of any Sichuan influence, and his tone was as gentle as the Houhai Lake outside the door. "Please sit down."

This senior official from Sichuan, who just turned fifty this year, has already been a cabinet member for two and a half years, making him one of the youngest Grand Secretaries in history.

This is because he became famous at a young age, passing the provincial examination at the age of twelve and the imperial examination at the age of nineteen, and had already served in office for thirty years. Therefore, although he was not very old, there were few officials in the entire court with more seniority than him.

And no one is more reliable than him... He is a man that even Liu Jin could not do anything about. His shrewdness and deep cunning are unmatched in the entire court.

Such a person was quite polite to Su Lu. After they were seated and tea was served, Yang Tinghe offered some words of encouragement, telling him not to be nervous about the palace examination in three days, to keep a calm mind, and that he would definitely have a good result.

Su Luyi observed the proper etiquette for a junior, responding humbly and politely completing the formalities of the visit.

That's quite good, considering that Su Lu stole someone's daughter-in-law, causing Grand Secretary Yang to lose face. Yang Tinghe also tricked Su Lu, almost getting him imprisoned in the capital to experience the hardships of imperial prison... Everyone knows the entanglements involved. Facing each other maturely doesn't mean the knots in their hearts have disappeared.

Therefore, Yang Tinghe could not be as enthusiastic as Li Dongyang, nor would he regard him as a successor like Wang Ao, imparting all his knowledge of officialdom...

Su Lu wouldn't deliberately try to curry favor with this Minister Yang; it would be enough for everyone to maintain a polite distance.

So after sitting for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Grand Secretary Yang served tea and saw the guest off.

"I won't disturb you any longer, Your Excellency. I'll take my leave now." Su Lu felt as if he had been granted a pardon and rose to take his leave.

Just as he was about to leave, Yang Tinghe looked at his back with a conflicted expression, and finally called him back.

“Nephew Su,” Yang Tinghe’s voice softened, his tone becoming more gentle, as if he were from the same hometown, “we didn’t know each other in the past, and there were some minor disagreements due to unforeseen circumstances, but let’s just let it go. Don’t hold any grudges in your heart. We Shu people are serving as officials in the capital, four thousand miles away from our hometown, and our first priority is to be united.”

Upon hearing this, Su Lu immediately bowed deeply and respectfully stated, "This junior will remember Your Excellency's teachings and will follow Your Excellency's lead from now on."

The master's admonition still echoed in my ears: it wouldn't hurt to be outwardly respectful to this cunning and manipulative Grand Secretary Yang...

Yang Tinghe nodded slightly, his complicated expression gradually fading, and his gaze towards Su Lu held more expectation: "Study hard. Since the founding of this dynasty, our Shu region has never produced a top scholar!"

"I will do my best," Su Lu replied respectfully once again.

~~
After paying his respects to Yang Tinghe, Su Lu ended all his social activities before the exam, closed his doors to visitors, focused his mind and waited quietly for the palace examination three days later.

Compared to the tedious and difficult preparation for the provincial examination, the preparation for the palace examination was much easier.

Because the palace examination lasted only one day, candidates entered the Forbidden City in the morning and had to leave before the palace gates were locked in the evening.

Moreover, as spring warms up, there is no need to carry the burden of keeping warm, and even food does not need to be prepared by oneself... How can the emperor, who is personally testing the scholars, make it reasonable for them to bring their own food? The palace will provide tea and snacks to demonstrate the emperor's boundless and omnipresent grace.

Therefore, candidates only need to bring a few stationery items: two or three writing brushes, an ink box and a pack of fine pine soot ink, a small and portable inkstone, plus the essay paper uniformly distributed by the Ministry of Rites.

This was far too easy for seasoned Chinese scholars who had fought countless battles in the imperial examinations...

For Su Tai, who was also a veteran of countless battles, it was far too easy.

Xia Ge'er hasn't even broken a sweat yet after just one day of lifting bricks!
~~
Two days before the palace examination, on the 13th, all the successful candidates gathered at the Ministry of Rites.

Firstly, they received the examination tickets and answer sheets.

Secondly, the Vice Minister of Rites, who would escort the candidates into the palace, would personally inspect their attire. Actually, there were no special requirements; on the day of the examination, candidates only needed to wear the standard formal attire of a successful candidate in the imperial examinations.

Wearing a black gauze hat with stiff wings, a blue silk round-necked robe, and black court boots, with a blue silk sash tied around the waist, one must be clean and tidy from head to toe.

However, the attire of candidates for the imperial examination often varies from province to province. In previous years, some candidates who were not particular about their attire wore large hats and winter clothes. Therefore, the Vice Minister had to check in advance and make sure that the necessary changes or purchases were made to avoid a mess that would affect the solemnity of the palace examination.

In addition, the Vice Minister also sent a physician to lead all the candidates in a rehearsal of the entire process... From entering the palace gate and bowing in front of the Fengtian Hall, to listening to the policy questions, taking their seats to answer the questions, and then handing in their papers and leaving in an orderly manner, every step was done according to the rules and regulations, and no mistakes were allowed.

The Vice Minister warned the candidates that this was an examination held before the Emperor, and if they broke the rules, even if their essays were excellent, they would be ranked at the bottom of the three categories, which would greatly diminish their future prospects.

The Chinese candidates, who had initially been relaxed, thinking it was just a formality, became tense again after hearing the Vice Minister's words. Not only did they listen attentively during the rehearsal, but they also practiced on their own back at the guild hall, fearing that they might make a mistake and be left behind.

~~
The day before the exam, the list of examiners was officially announced. Unsurprisingly, all the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet and the ministers of the Six Ministries and Nine Departments were on the list.

The chief examiner for this palace examination was Emperor Zhengde himself, making it the highest level of examination!
As the examinations drew near, several Grand Secretaries were secretly worried. The Emperor always found excuses to skip various important duties; even for an important ceremony like the Plowing Ceremony, he would not show up and have the Duke of Yingguo plow in his place…

The dynasty prioritizes agriculture, and if even the emperor dares to skip work, then it's perfectly normal for him not to show up for the palace examination.

To everyone's surprise, when he made the routine request for instructions, Emperor Zhengde readily agreed!

The Grand Secretaries, however, were filled with doubt. Could this emperor be harboring some ulterior motive? But since the emperor had already agreed, they could only anxiously await the palace examination…

The following day was March 15th, and the day of the palace examination finally arrived!
P.S. The imperial examination is tomorrow, please vote with your monthly tickets!!

(End of this chapter)