The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 104 Your Highness, the Blame Lies with the Civil Service Group

Li Jinglong escorted Princess Qin back to Yichun Courtyard.

He walked along the imperial road, humming a little tune.

Being ordered to amass wealth—just thinking about it is exhilarating.

Let's bring back Li Siqi's fortune and get the business back on track, and we'll have tons of money to be made.

Let's earn a small goal first.

Then, we waited for Zhu Yuanzhang to die.

Finally, I'll just lie down and live a peaceful life.

perfect!

"Jiujiang!" came the voice of Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Li Jinglong bowed to Zhu Biao, who was approaching.

"Come, follow me to the Eastern Palace." Zhu Biao waved his hand.

Li Jinglong looked troubled: "Your Highness, I still need to report back to His Majesty."

"You really don't want to go to the East Palace?" Zhu Biao glared at him. "Father is resting now. We'll go to the Wenhua Hall in half an hour."

""

Li Jinglong chuckled: "How could I not want to go to the Eastern Palace? I wish I could go there every day to listen to Your Highness's teachings and enjoy the tea and snacks there."

"Yunwen still can't ride a horse, how can that be? You have to teach him properly. Don't be afraid of him falling." Zhu Biao said as he walked.

That little bastard won't die from the fall.

Li Jinglong thought to himself, but said aloud, "Yes, yes, Your Highness and the Crown Princess shouldn't feel sorry for me then."

"The Zhu family never cares about their children," Zhu Biao asserted.

As the two talked, they entered the East Palace.

Crown Princess Lü came forward and bowed to Zhu Biao: "Your Highness, you've returned early today."

"Take a break, I still have to go to the Wenhua Hall to review memorials." Zhu Biao rubbed his temples.

Li Jinglong bowed and said, "Greetings, Crown Princess."

Madam Lü turned her face, her smile gentle: "Jiujiang, it's been a while since you've been here. Yunwen has been missing you."

Li Jinglong thought to himself, "Looks like he didn't hurt him badly last time."

The sound of Zhu Yunwen reading could be heard coming from the attic.

"Let's go take a look." Zhu Biao walked towards the attic.

Li Jinglong followed behind, already plotting how to give this little bastard extra lessons.

In the attic, Zhu Yunwen sat upright at his desk, holding a book in both hands, his little face serious, and he was reading aloud with a swaying head.

Lu Ben stood with his hands behind his back, listening to Zhu Yunwen's reading aloud, nodding slightly with his eyes full of approval.

Zhu Biao stepped in, and Lü Ben bowed: "Your Highness."

"Father-in-law, Yunwen is studying better and better." Zhu Biao raised his hand.

Lu Ben's eyes gleamed with undisguised pride: "The young prince is intelligent; he understands things immediately."

Zhu Yunwen put down his book and said earnestly, "It's all thanks to my maternal grandfather's excellent teaching."

"That's your good fortune. Your maternal grandfather was a great Confucian scholar of our time. Countless students from the Imperial Academy would do anything to become his disciples, but even they might not have the chance," Zhu Biao said.

Lü Ben waved his hands repeatedly: "Your Highness is too kind. This old man is unworthy of the title of great Confucian scholar."

"You are worthy of the title of father-in-law." Zhu Biao changed the subject, "By the way, the Emperor has already selected you as the chief examiner for next year's imperial examination."

A hint of joy flashed in Lü Ben's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it: "I'm afraid I can't bear such a responsibility."

"Besides my father-in-law, who else is qualified to be the chief examiner for the new imperial examination?" Zhu Biao said with a smile.

Lü Ben bowed deeply: "Your subject will certainly do his utmost."

"Excellent, excellent," Zhu Biao exclaimed. "After more than ten years, the imperial examinations have been reopened. This is the true imperial examination system of the Ming Dynasty."

Li Jinglong, standing to the side, had a strange expression on his face.

The civil service group began to take shape from this point on.

Old Zhu abolished the position of prime minister and took direct control of the six ministries, exhausting himself and Zhu Biao to the point of exhaustion.

When things got too tough, they appointed Grand Secretaries as advisors, and before long, the cabinet was formed.

By the time of Zhu Di, Grand Secretaries began to participate in state affairs, the cabinet was formally established, and the civil service group gradually grew stronger.

Later, the Tumu Crisis reshaped the power structure.

When Emperor Yingzong of Ming was captured, almost all the nobles and military generals who accompanied him were also captured.

A vacuum of military power has emerged; who will fill it? Civil servants will.

Yu Qian led the civil officials in the defense of the capital, and from then on, civil officials not only managed the government affairs, but also the military.

This is how the civil service group was formed.

Then, he became the scapegoat for the Ming Dynasty.

If you do a good job, it's because Your Majesty is wise; if you do a bad job, it's because the civil officials are ruining the country.

During the Zhengde reign, the Jiajing reign saw officials berate the cabinet; during the Wanli reign, officials were even more ruthless, simultaneously criticizing the cabinet, the eunuchs, and the emperor—a chaotic free-for-all.

Zhu Yunwen stood properly beside the desk, but his eyes kept glancing at Li Jinglong.

That means: You're here again?

Li Jinglong returned his smile with a kind smile.

I'll train you until you're worn out.

"Father-in-law," Zhu Biao said, glancing at the books on the table, "Yunwen's homework will need to be doubled."

Lu Ben was slightly taken aback, and Zhu Yunwen's face fell instantly.

"He is now the eldest grandson of the emperor and will shoulder great responsibilities in the future. While others read one book, he must read ten; while others can be lazy, he cannot."

"Your Highness, the imperial grandson is only seven years old, and his grip on the pen is still weak. If we push him too hard, we may be forcing him to grow too quickly."

"I know that it is precisely because he is only seven years old that he must begin early. If he does not study well, how will he face the court officials in the future? If he does not understand reason, how will he manage his ministers?"

"Father-in-law, I know you love your grandson dearly. But you must be stricter. If he needs to be disciplined, then so be it."

Lu Ben remained silent for a moment, then nodded: "This old minister understands."

Zhu Yunwen stood there, feeling utterly dejected.

Li Jinglong watched from the side, clicking his tongue in admiration.

Zhu Biao's educational philosophy is the pinnacle of "tiger parenting."

He was lost in thought when Zhu Biao turned his gaze towards him.

"And as for horsemanship and archery, Jiujiang, don't be polite to him either. I know you jostled him quite a bit last time you took him riding; that's good."

"The descendants of the Zhu family cannot only be bookworms. Father Emperor is conquering the world, and among my brothers, the second, third, and fourth..."

Which of the five brothers wasn't skilled in archery and horsemanship?

"If Yunwen doesn't even dare to ride a horse or draw a bow, how will he command respect in the future? How will he earn the respect of the border soldiers?"

"Jiujiang, I entrust him to you. You must train him the way your father trained you."

Li Jinglong cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, I will do my utmost."

Zhu Biao nodded in satisfaction: "I want a grandson of the emperor who can shoulder the responsibility of ruling the country."

He looked at Zhu Yun with expectation in his eyes.

Li Jinglong felt some sympathy for Zhu Yun.

This Crown Prince was treated like an animal by Zhu Yuanzhang every day, and then he even forced his own son to be treated like an animal as well.

Zhu Yun, whom Zhu Biao painstakingly nurtured, immediately began to reduce the power of the princes after ascending the throne.

The campaign was so fierce that it enraged Zhu Di, the fourth uncle, who then launched the Jingnan Campaign, captured Nanjing in one battle, and the Jianwen Emperor disappeared, becoming an unsolved mystery for all time.

Then came the Yongle Emperor, who moved the capital to Beijing, launched five expeditions to the Mongolian steppes, and made seven voyages to the Western Ocean.

After that, during the reigns of Emperor Renzong and Emperor Xuanzong, the civil service group began to develop. During the Zhengtong era, the Tumu Crisis occurred, the emperor was captured, and the civil service came to power.

Chenghua, Hongzhi, Zhengde, Jiajing, Longqing, Wanli.

Emperors either loved alchemy or they loved strikes.

Who manages the affairs of the court? The civil officials.

Well done, Your Majesty is wise.

If they don't perform well, civil officials will ruin the country.

Whether the emperors of the Ming Dynasty are good or bad in the future has little to do with how much you, Zhu Biao, push your children now.

"Your Highness, from now on, the blame will fall on the civil service."