My father, during the Jiajing era, ensured that every household was clean and tidy.

The list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations, also known as the Apricot List, is a list published in spring when apricot blossoms are in bloom.

Only those who pass the provincial examination can participate in the palace examination. Since the palace examination does not dismiss candidates but only ranks them, it means that anyone who passes the provincial examination will have the title of "Jinshi" (进士).

And a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination).

In the Ming Dynasty, this represented talent.

Zhu Zaizhen's words to his teacher were not a joke; he was genuinely recruiting talent, specifically talent for his own use.

Yan Song and Grand Secretary Yan's faction are indeed aligned with Prince Jing's mansion, but it's impossible for Zhu Zaizhen to make a trip to the Yan mansion to make arrangements before getting things done every time something happens.

Once or twice is fine, but three, four, or even more times would make Zhu Zaizhen appear both incompetent and foolish.

in fact.

A few days ago, he went to Zhang Juzheng's house every day. This was part of Zhu Zaizhen's efforts to recruit his own talent, and it was the part he valued most. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone there for several days in a row.

But fate had other plans; Zhu Zaizhen fell for her, but she didn't reciprocate his feelings...

Zhu Zaizhen had already sensed something when Zhang Juzheng evaded the question on the very first day, and in the following days he became even more certain of it.

He was eager to find talented people.

The other party understood and politely declined.

It doesn't seem to be due to opposing stances like those of Prince Yu and Xu Jie; it seems to be some deeper reason...

It's okay.

If they didn't want to, then so be it. Zhu Zaizhen didn't force them. You can't force a melon to ripen. In the following days, he used jokes and banter to downplay his recruitment efforts and focused on cultural enrichment.

Of course, giving up is not an option; we can take it slow, there's plenty of time.

Although he couldn't take down the big boss in a short time, Zhu Zaizhen immediately found another way and decided to find some small monsters first.

That is, a newly appointed Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

This group of people who passed the imperial examination this year and obtained the title of Jinshi are all high-quality talents with impeccable integrity! They are absolutely not to be missed.

Zhu Zaizhen, fanning himself with a folding fan and accompanied by his attendant, strolled leisurely south along Chongwenmen Street. When he reached Dongjiangmi Lane, he turned west and soon arrived near Damingmen.

Between the Daming Gate and the Chengtian Gate of the Imperial City in Beijing, there were the Court of State Ceremonies, the Imperial Observatory, the Imperial Medical Academy, and the various offices of the Six Ministries.

The Ministry of Rites was one of them.

At this moment.

The closer you get to the area near the east wall of the Ministry of Rites, the denser the crowds become. People carry loads on their shoulders and backs, some wear long gowns and others short jackets, while others hawk their wares along the street or stand by and watch the fight. The vibrant atmosphere of everyday life is palpable.

Zhu Zaizhen watched with great interest, getting involved in everything. He went to watch the street performer breaking a boulder on his chest, smelled the supposedly cure-all plaster, and even squeezed in to watch the two women fighting in the street.

Hey!

A vast expanse of white, it's quite beautiful!

After a burst of cheers from the onlookers, Prince Jing was finally pulled out by his guards, who were now sweating profusely and unable to contain themselves any longer. The leader, Shen Dianzhang, pleaded, "Oh dear! My lord, can we please not go into the crowd? You're not afraid, but I am!"

Zhu Zaizhen clicked his tongue twice, not wanting to make things difficult for his subordinate. He moved away from the crowd and walked forward again. "Is it always this lively?"

While keeping an eye on everything around him, Shen Dianzhang said with a sigh of relief, "Today is a bit special. The Ministry of Rites released the results, so there are more scholars, and even small vendors have gathered here."

"I think there's more than one. Look, in those restaurants along the street, there's one dressed in fine clothes."

"them……"

Shen Dianzhang glanced at them and casually pushed aside a fat man who was squeezing in. "Some of them are family members of scholars, while others have the same purpose as you, young master: to make friends with the newly appointed scholars."

Zhu Zaizhen suddenly realized that it was a competitor. He narrowed his eyes and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go, let's book a private room too."

Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse.

We can't fall behind others in terms of pomp and circumstance.

Although they were traveling in casual clothes, money made all the difference. After paying a price far exceeding the usual amount, they successfully secured a seat facing the street.

It was nearly noon, and crowds were thronging the area near the east wall of the Ministry of Rites. As time went on, the crowd grew increasingly noisy.

at last.

As soon as the notice was announced, the crowd surged forward. Soon, a variety of human emotions were on display: some shouted excitedly, some laughed heartily, some wailed, and some were heartbroken.

Zhu Zaizhen watched from afar, but before he could have someone squeeze in to get a copy of the list, he heard someone shout in the street: "The list of successful candidates in the provincial examination, freshly copied, ten coins! Only ten coins!"

"Ten coins won't hurt you!"

"Ten coins won't buy you a bargain!"

"Only ten coins!"

The vendor clearly knew who his target customers were. Without Zhu Zaizhen needing to give any instructions, Shen Dianzhang called out to the people who were circling the restaurant, "Hey, one serving, please."

Freshly copied, the ink still wet, it was guaranteed to be authentic, but the handwriting wasn't exactly neat. Zhu Zaizhen squinted, searching for familiar names among the rows of flamboyant ones.

no way.

Zhu Zaizhen was not the Jiajing Emperor; he couldn't possibly recruit all the newly appointed scholars, as that would be too taboo. He could only select a few outstanding ones.

So, who stands out?

Zhu Laosi's method was simple: if I know someone, you stand out; if I don't, you're just another face in the crowd.

Simple and straightforward.

However, after looking at them from top to bottom, Zhu Zaizhen found that he didn't recognize any of them except for Zhang Siwei, who looked familiar and should have been a historical figure.

Zhang Siwei, Zhang Siwei?

After racking his brains for a while, Zhu Zaizhen was once again annoyed that he hadn't been able to memorize the "Ming Shilu" perfectly and couldn't remember anything.

At this time.

Shouts rose again from the streets: "The list of candidates who passed the provincial examination, freshly copied, only three coins! Just three coins! Three coins won't break the bank, three coins can't buy..."

Before long, the list of candidates who could not be fooled for three coins was in Zhu Zaizhen's hands.

The so-called secondary list.

They were slightly inferior to those on the main list and could not participate in the palace examination, but they were the best among the worst. So they were put on a separate list and given priority to be appointed as Confucian instructors in local prefectures and counties.

The supplementary list was quite long, and Zhu Zaizhen read it quickly. He was already thinking that if he couldn't find anyone he recognized, he would be cheated.

Until... wait?

A very familiar name caught his eye, and Zhu Zaizhen thought he was seeing things. After a careful look, he slowly straightened up, pointed to the name, and asked, "If you want to find him quickly, what method do you have?"

Shen Dianzhang, who was standing to the side, leaned over to look, then turned his head and asked, "How fast does the young master want it to be, sir?"

"soon."

"Understood," Shen Dianzhang said, walking to the windowsill and beckoning to one of the men still shouting, "Three coins won't buy you a bargain!" Shen Dianzhang took out a silver ingot, slapped it into the man's hand, and said, "Go and invite a man named Hai Rui here, immediately!"

The man glanced at the silver ingot in his hand, then at the wealthy customer who had just paid, turned around, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Where is Master Hai Rui! Master Hai Rui! Master Hai!"

Not long after.

The scalpers all over East Street were shouting:

Grandpa Hai—!