Di Ming

Chapter 199 The Person Carried Out of the Examination Hall
Zhu Yin appeared frail and ill, yet his calligraphy showed no signs of sickness, displaying the elegance and skill of a master calligrapher. Even among those who passed the imperial examinations, his calligraphy alone was outstanding.

But on the manuscript paper, the ink was dripping wet, and it was written:

"...All the profits in the world will eventually come to an end, and the wealth of the four seas will eventually be fixed, but the heart of greed is inexhaustible, and the heart of pursuing profit is unchanging. People are bustling about, coming and going for profit. It is said that the world is going downhill, and people yearn for the simplicity of the three dynasties... This is how the common people are bound by profit."

"...Then, virtuous and noble people harm the public good for their own gain, abandon righteousness for profit, engage in petty and despicable acts, and are shameless and unscrupulous. They lament the corruption of officialdom and yearn for the enlightened rule of ancient times...This is how high-ranking officials are bound by profit."

"...Within the entire realm, all land belongs to the king. All goods within the universe are produced by the king. Millet from ten thousand miles away is stored in the imperial granary. Tribute from distant barbarians also enters the imperial treasury. Thus, the emperor possesses the wealth of the four seas, and the nation has a ruler. However, rulers who seek profit from the world and compete for profit from their subjects have existed since ancient times. They say that the way of the ruler is flawed, and they admire the wisdom of Yao and Shun... This is how rulers are confined by profit."

"...Above is the sun and moon, below is the light of dawn. Heaven's way is virtuous, benevolence and righteousness are constant, abundance and scarcity are equal, and poverty and wealth are balanced. Have you ever heard of a sloping upper beam while a straight lower beam is upright, or a muddy upper beam while a clear lower beam is flowing downstream? Therefore, if the ruler is bound by profit, the ministers will inevitably be bound by profit as well. When the ministers are bound by profit, the common people will be even more bound by profit. Consequently, virtue is valued more than profit, the fundamental and the superficial are reversed, people's hearts are in turmoil, the world yearns for change, the moral order collapses, and the state is in turmoil..."

This was a classical essay that Zhu Yin had meticulously prepared for nearly half a year after carefully studying the examiners' articles. Although it was only a little over four hundred characters long, every sentence resonated with the words of the sages and aligned with the ideas in the articles by the examiners, Xu Guo and Zhao Nanxing.

It speaks on behalf of sages, examiners, and officials. The writing is steady and balanced, devoid of any harshness, and its theme is flawlessly refined. It is both shrewd and dignified, polite and measured, and its words are substantial—truly a work of considerable skill.

In the imperial examination of the Wanli Emperor's reign (1579), Tao Wangling, who achieved the highest score, used the language of ancient sages to criticize the emperor's pursuit of profit over the world in this question. Although he mentioned Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Dezong of Tang, Tao was actually implying that Wanli was greedy and satirizing him.

Tao Wangling's article hit Xu Guo's sweet spot, scratching the examiner's itch and saying what Xu Guo and others wanted to say but were unable to.

However, Zhu Yin already knew that the examiners were Xu Guo and Zhao Nanxing, and carefully studied their articles and works in advance. He found that the two men attached great importance to governance and advocated that scholars should value virtue over profit, while also advocating that the common people should also disregard profit.

Xu Guo came from a Huizhou merchant family and despised the greedy pursuit of profit by merchants, especially opposing the emperor's avarice. However, he did not only oppose the emperor's greed, but also hoped that the emperor, officials, and commoners would not compete for profit, and that everyone should abide by their respective duties.

Therefore, although Tao Wangling said what Xu Guo wanted to say, he only said half of it, leaving the other half unsaid.

Zhu Yin's essay on the Eight-Legged Essay filled in this gap, completely expressing what Xu Guo wanted to hear.

Zhu Yin addressed the struggles for profit among commoners, high-ranking officials, and the emperor, essentially covering all aspects and assigning equal blame to each.

However, Zhu Yin also emphasized that the emperor is the role model for his subjects. Only if the emperor does not compete for profit can the cause be rectified and the subjects not compete for profit.

Zhu Yin did not actually agree with this Confucian argument, yet he meticulously wrote an article expressing his disagreement with it, which reveals the drawbacks and hypocrisy of the eight-legged essay system for selecting officials.

This is truly cheating with all the buffs stacked up! Zhu Yin was very satisfied with this extremely cleverly crafted eight-legged essay.

Making it into the top ten is not difficult.

Moreover, Xu Guo shared the same identity as himself: the top scholar in the Southern Zhili province.

He was the top scholar in the Southern Zhili province in the 44th year of the Jiajing reign (1555).

In addition, Xu Guo is also a minister who advocates making the eldest son of the emperor the crown prince. If I enter the top ten, he may abandon Tao Wangling and appoint me as the top scholar!
……

The highly anticipated imperial examination by the Ministry of Rites is underway, and undercurrents are already swirling outside the examination hall.

On this day, two big gamblers with southern accents came to the Wanfu gambling den near Xuanwu Gate, bringing three hundred taels of gold to bet on Zhu Yin, who was seriously ill and taking the exam, to pass.

In the early Ming Dynasty, gambling was strictly prohibited, and all gambling dens and casinos were shut down. But that's all ancient history now.

Emperor Wanli frequently gambled in the palace, indulging in gambling all night long. His example was set by those below him, creating a chaotic and corrupt atmosphere.

The decline of social order and morality began during the Jiajing era. By the Wanli era, it had reached a point of moral decay and rampant materialism. Today, gambling is rampant in the country, gambling dens are everywhere, and swineherds are commonplace.

According to the book "Wuzazu", there were five or six thousand beggars in Beijing who made a living by gambling every year, not to mention the wealthy citizens.

After passing the imperial examinations, the first thing most people did was go to gambling dens to gamble, which was considered fashionable. Even officials were ashamed of not being a gambler; they felt they had lost face if they didn't know how to gamble.

According to the "Daily Records of Knowledge", after the Jiajing Emperor, many officials opened casinos, and gambling became a gray channel for bribery and corruption, which greatly corrupted the social atmosphere.

Take Wanfu Gambling House for example. It had members such as the Duke of Dingguo and other powerful officials in the court. It was one of the eight major gambling houses in Beijing. Many high-ranking officials and nobles were regular customers. It was a huge den of extravagance.

Wanfu Casino occupies a large area and is not only a large gambling den, but also includes restaurants, brothels, money exchanges, fighting arenas, and theaters.

It was practically a large-scale entertainment center, a bustling hub of all sorts of people year-round. The wealthy and powerful of the capital also frequented the Wanfu Gambling House for gatherings, transactions, discussions, negotiations, and dispute mediation.

Even envoys from the Mongols and Jurchens beyond the Great Wall, as well as envoys from Korea, Annam, Siam, and Ryukyu, often came to visit because of its reputation.

However, they often came to Wanfu Casino not to gamble or play, but to secretly trade with powerful figures in the Ming Dynasty, make private requests, and inquire about the movements of the court.

Every year during the imperial examinations, Wanfu Gambling House would bet on who would pass the exams. This year was no exception. Anyone with a high profile among the candidates was a potential target for betting.

For example, Zhu Yin.

The prodigy who achieved the highest score in the imperial examinations, Zhu Lang of Jiangzuo, was undoubtedly a highly renowned figure among the candidates, and was certainly worthy of being bet on.

However, Zhu Yin took the exam due to a serious illness, and far more people bet on him failing than on him succeeding, with odds exceeding five to one on the first day.

As the candidates lined up to enter the examination hall, many gamblers observed Zhu Yin and found that he was indeed seriously ill. There were even rumors that he might be carried out of the examination hall or even die inside.

Is it even possible to pass the exam in this condition? It's too difficult.

Since the betting pools were opened, the number of gamblers betting on Zhu Yin to lose has increased day by day. The vast majority of people do not believe that the auspicious sign of a twelve-year-old Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) would truly appear in the Ming Dynasty.

Even the renowned Yang Wenzhong was only a twelve-year-old Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination).

By the fifth day of the exam, the odds had reached an astonishing 10 to 1!

With such drastically different odds, no one is willing to place bets anymore.

But today is the last day of the exam, and yet a gambler from the south has placed a bet of three hundred taels of gold on Zhu Yin passing the exam!
Three hundred taels of gold, equivalent to over two thousand taels of silver, was the maximum bet that Wanfu Gambling House could place. With this bet, the odds of Zhu Yin passing the imperial examination plummeted to nine times.

Inside the magnificent Jinxiu Hall of Wanfu Gambling House, five animal-shaped stoves were burning with red charcoal, the kind only used in the palace, making it as warm as springtime.

Inside the hall, beautiful figures moved gracefully, laughter rang out like bells, a fragrant breeze was intoxicating, and decadent music filled the air. Behind the brocade screens and beaded curtains, sat more than a dozen men dressed in fine clothes.

They were young or old, fat or thin, but without exception they all exuded an air of wealth and status, clearly indicating that they came from prominent families.

They had just spent half a day playing mahjong and dominoes.

Even the hostesses who accompany the drinks are all outstanding in appearance and temperament, not ordinary, vulgar women.

Jinxiu Hall is one of the most luxurious halls within Wanfu Casino, exclusively for the wealthy and powerful; ordinary people simply cannot enter.

"Someone's even placing a huge bet on Zhu Yin passing the exam?" A handsome young man in the room sneered. "They really have too much money to burn."

This man was none other than Zheng Guorui, known as the Second Master, the younger brother of Zheng Guotai and the elder brother of Zheng Guowang.

Zheng Guorui had just turned twenty this year, but he was already a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a military officer of the fourth rank. In addition, he was also the Right Supervisor of the Shanglin Garden and concurrently in charge of the South Sea Garden, a very lucrative position.

Nowadays, the high-ranking officials of the Embroidered Uniform Guard are all sons of these powerful and wealthy families. A middle-aged eunuch with a white face and no beard laughed and said, "Grandpa gambles with us in the palace, and sometimes we gamble against each other, but he never bets on big odds."

This eunuch was none other than Yin Yuanlu, a eunuch serving in the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Zheng Guorui and Yin Yuanlu were also regulars at Wanfu Casino.

The manager of Wanfu Gambling House said with a forced smile, "What Second Master and Master Yin said is true. With such high odds, there will always be gamblers who are hoping for a lucky break. But to bet three hundred taels of gold is quite generous."

The gambling den's head manager, surnamed Liu, was the leader of the Red Lotus Society in the capital. All the gangsters, beggars, and bodyguards in the outer city followed his lead.

Liu Dalongtou has many protectors, most of whom are present.

Among them were the Zheng family's brother-in-law, palace eunuchs, princes and nobles, military generals, ministers, and wealthy merchants from Shanxi.

A middle-aged man who looked like a nobleman drank the wine fed to him by the prostitute, then put his arm around her and said:

"The exams end today. We'll know how Zhu Yin did by how he comes out. If he's carried out, the result is obvious. If he comes out unharmed, that's a big variable."

"If he really succeeds, the emperor will be embarrassed to have a twelve-year-old scholar in the court. At that time, those pedantic scholars will definitely submit a memorial to force the emperor to let Changluo study."

"Alas, the nobles, generals of the capital garrison, the secret police, and the twenty-four departments are mostly our comrades, and can be considered loyal ministers of the Consort. But even with so many of us and His Majesty's support, we still can't suppress those stubborn and pedantic scholars. What can we do?"

This man is Zhu Yingzhen, the Duke of Cheng. Although he is a Duke and holds the highest rank, he is a member of Consort Zheng's faction and is betting on Zhu Changxun.

As a top nobleman, he could have remained detached and not needed to take sides. However, in order to gain more real power, he still joined the Zheng family and wholeheartedly helped Zhu Changxun vie for the position of crown prince.

A refined-looking man, who appeared to be a civil official, said, "Uncle Zheng, Duke Cheng, I've heard that Zhu Yin is a disciple of Junior Minister Shen. Why didn't you advise Junior Minister Shen to let Zhu Yin take the exam a few years later?"

This person was Ding Xianchen, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, one of the very few civil officials who supported Consort Zheng.

Yin Yuanlu shook his head and said, "Minister Jiong (Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices) does not know, I have met Shen Yiguan before, but he said that he had already advised Zhu Yin."

Zheng Guorui shook his head and said, "What difference does it make whether I try to persuade him or not? Zhu Yin won't pass the exam this time. If someone bets on him to pass, I'll place another bet on him to fail."

Duke Zhu Yingzhen of Chengguo laughed and said, "I'll place a bet too."

Everyone placed their bets, quickly raising the odds to 12 to 1!

They weren't doing it for the money, of course; they were just making a statement.

Manager Liu, eager to curry favor, carefully said, "Gentlemen, even if Zhu Yin passes the exam, I have ways to get rid of him. So many people die in Beijing every year, how many of them can be investigated?"

"Old Liu, you're confused!" Zheng Guorui frowned. "He was a Juren (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations)! If he were murdered, wouldn't the court investigate thoroughly? Would Shen Yiguan and the other Juren from Nanzhili let it go? My family would be implicated! It's obvious we were the ones who did it!"

Ding Xianchen's face also darkened. "This is absolutely unacceptable! If you kill a top scholar, no one can protect you!"

Manager Liu chuckled and repeatedly said that he was confused.

Having been involved in both the underworld and legitimate society for many years, how could he be so foolish? He had no reason to risk killing Zhu Yin.

He was just making a statement, saying empty words, to show his loyalty to the Zheng family.

Although everyone was talking about Zhu Yin, the gathering today was not actually about Zhu Yin. Rather, it was to welcome the Jesuit missionaries from Macau.

The matchmaker said that the missionary hoped the imperial court would stop investigating the Jesuits and allow them to build churches in Beijing and Nanjing and preach freely.

The other party brought many valuable gifts as a token of their gratitude.

If they could persuade the emperor, there would be even more generous gifts to come, and the Jesuits would be promised a generous gift every year, while also being exempted from maritime trade taxes on their smuggling trips to Macau.

Another requirement was to contact the tribal leaders of the Mongols through the border generals.

The crowd was immediately intrigued. So they gathered together, waiting for the missionary to arrive so they could finalize the deal.

It was here that they also received envoys from Mongolia, Jurchen, and Tibet. This was not the first time they had done something like this.

While everyone was waiting for the foreign envoy, a gambling den manager suddenly came to report:

"Gentlemen, the imperial examination is over, and the examination hall doors are open. That child prodigy, Zhu Yin, was carried out. Although he didn't die, he was half-dead."

"Good!" Zheng Guorui clapped his hands. "Then it's impossible for him to have won! He's lucky he didn't die!"

Yin Yuanlu laughed and said, "Perhaps his vital energy will be severely damaged and his life will not last long. It would be a real pity if he were to die prematurely."

Duke Zhu Yingzhen of Chengguo drank a cup of wine and said, "Those corrupt scholars who love to meddle in the emperor's family affairs have no more 'prodigy card' to play this time."

When everyone heard that Zhu Yin had been carried out of the examination hall, they were all relieved and overjoyed.

"The foreign monk hasn't arrived yet, let's play a few more rounds!"

Just as the Duke of Cheng picked up his cards, Zheng Guorui asked again, "Where is my fourth brother? How did he look after leaving the examination hall?"

The gambling den manager shook his head, "Reporting to Second Master, there were too many people leaving the examination hall, and I did not see Fourth Master."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a servant of the Zheng family, pale-faced, came to the curtain and knelt down to report, "Second Master, something terrible has happened! Fourth Master was carried out; he is very ill!"

What? The smiles on everyone's faces froze.

It's normal for Zhu Yin to be carried out, but why was Zheng Guowang also carried out?
"Fourth Brother!" Zheng Guorui suddenly stood up and rushed out anxiously. "Please forgive me, everyone! I'll take my leave first!"

When Zheng Guorui rushed back and saw Zheng Guowang, he found that Zheng Guowang had lost a lot of weight, was pale, and looked extremely haggard, as if he were seriously ill and unable to recover.

"Second brother..." Zheng Guowang said weakly, his eyes brimming with tears.

Zheng Guorui was shocked when he saw it. How could his fourth brother be so ill!
The imperial physician, who was already diagnosing the patient, exclaimed in horror, "Second Master, while Fourth Master has indeed caught a cold, but Fourth Master, Fourth Master..."

Zheng Guorui shouted, "Speak quickly!"

The imperial physician said with a strange expression, "Fourth Prince may... be experiencing menopause."

"What did you say?" Zheng Guorui wondered if he had misheard. "What nonsense are you spouting! Say it again!"

Despite the freezing weather, the imperial physician was sweating. He said softly, "I just examined you, and Fourth Prince... he really has started his period..."

"You're talking nonsense!" Zheng Guorui kicked out with a fit of rage.

(End of this chapter)