Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

Today's scenery belongs to Liu Cunye, the No. 1 scholar, Qian Fu, and Jin Gui. They walked out of the Forbidden City along the royal road and rode horses on the streets of West Chang'an amidst the cheers of countless people.

The filthiness of the past is not worthy of praise, but the kindness of the present has no limit.

The spring breeze is proud of the horse's hoofs, and I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day.

…

The reason behind this kind of scenery is naturally not how outstanding the three of them are, nor what achievements they have brought to the dynasty, but the emperor needs to give preferential treatment to the three of them in order to gain the yearning of scholars all over the world.

It was only in later generations, when localities were still superstitious about the number one scholar in each province, that the government decisively took action to curb this unhealthy phenomenon. After all, it is scientists who contribute to the country, not academic masters who can only hand in high-scoring answers on exams.

In fact, with the development of China, studying is no longer the exclusive preserve of aristocratic families. Nowadays, the relationship between supply and demand in the dynasty has changed, and official positions have long been in a situation where there are too many monks and too few people.

Even if the dynasty does not treat the number one scholar so favorably, even if the dynasty treats scholars less favorably, how many scholars in the world are willing to be mediocre hermits and masters?

It is said that the salary of court officials is low, but even with this low salary, countless scholars have fought hard and were obsessed with fame all their lives.

Of course, the court is still dominated by literati after all, and this traditional practice of serving champions and scholars will continue.

The game about serving new Jinshi students is still going on. Apart from the Yuma Kua Street for the first, first and third Jinshi, the most grand event is actually the honor banquet hosted by the emperor.

Taizu of the Song Dynasty stipulated that after the palace examination, the emperor would announce the ranking of the successful candidates and give a banquet to celebrate. Because the banquets were all held in Qionglin Garden, they were called "Qionglin Banquets".

However, in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the official name had been changed to Rong'en Banquet.

Since the eighth year of Xuande's reign, the imperial court has stipulated that banquets should be given to the ministers in the Ministry of Rites. From now on, Jinshi honor banquets will be held in the Ministry of Rites, and a member of the ministers will be ordered to attend the banquet.

Time quietly came to the afternoon, and the Libu Yamen located in Dongjiangmi Lane was very busy.

"The Number One Scholar is here!"

"Haha... Congratulations to Brother Zhan for picking the third flower!"

"Brother Qian, your poetry is better than that of Li Taibai, and your writing skills can govern the country and bring peace to the country. You are a role model for our generation!"

…

The 601 new scholars were in high spirits during happy events. When they saw the first, first and third grade scholars, they all came forward to congratulate them.

Faced with the compliments from people around him, Liu Cunye, the number one winner, seemed a little "socially afraid", Qian Fu, the second place winner, appeared "socially awesome", and Jin Gui, the top pick, always maintained a humble face.

Jin Gui was born into a prominent family in the south of the Yangtze River. His father worked in Wenzhou Prefecture and studied under Yang Yiqing. Although he is only twenty-five years old, he already looks very stable and polite when congratulating people around him.

The first, third, and third grade scholars exactly reflect the temperaments of the three types of scholars.

"Mr. Liu Ge and Li Shangshu are here!"

The previously noisy banquet hall suddenly became quiet, but they all turned to look at the big shots present.

In addition to the 601 new scholars, there were also a number of record readers attending the banquet. The presence of so many important ministers can be said to be quite impressive.

According to the etiquette system, Liu Cunye, the number one scholar, sat alone, Qian Fu, the second best scholar, and Jin Gui, the third best scholar, sat together. The other four Jinshi scholars sat at the same seat according to their rankings. The order of seats followed a very strict hierarchy.

Xu Hong and other Guangdong Xinke Jinshi have also arrived here. Gao Kui originally wanted to sit next to Xu Hong, but he was killed by the eyes of the second Jinshi in the second class.

In this era, the order of seats is related to status and their level. Now that the list has been posted, according to the unspoken rules of the officialdom, even if they are both top three scholars, they are already distinguished.

After Gao Kui was stared at by the Jinshi, he once doubted whether the woman he slept with last night was his wife, so he returned to his seat in despair.

"Which one is Li Yu, the Minister of Civil Affairs?"

"Which one is Li Si, the Minister of Household Affairs?"

"What? Are you still looking for Du Ming, the Minister of Punishment? You have already resigned!"

…

The 601 Jinshi present saw the important ministers present and whispered to each other, but they carefully identified the important ministers in the dynasty. Among them, the most concerned ones were Li Yu, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Zuo Duyu, the Imperial Examiner. Shi Wangyue.

As for Du Ming, the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice who was mentioned, although Song Cheng found out that Du Ming was framed by Sun Ming, the Marquis of Huichang, it is also true that Du Ming's son was plotting a money house. Du Ming resigned from office and returned home because he was unable to educate his son.

However, this did not affect the scholars' identification of the various court officials, but they all took note of their appearance and official positions.

Now everyone is about to enter the officialdom. Regardless of whether they have connections or not, they are now trying to find a backer in the court to protect their career.

History has long proven that taking sides is more important than working hard.

The most typical example is Liu Daxia. Originally, Liu Daxia and the great scholar Yang Pu were already related. Because they hugged the thick thighs of his teacher Peng Shi, they prospered in officialdom.

Even the current chief minister Wan An and second minister Liu Ji were actually lucky enough to have been escorted by their teacher Gao Gu in the early years.

Only those who are truly in the officialdom will understand that almost all officials are not promoted out of love for no reason, but because they are members who have been cultivated by various forces.

The reason why the Chenghua Dynasty's civil service group was so strongly opposed to Xianzong's system of entrusting officials was that Xianzong took back the personnel appointment rights that originally belonged to the civil service group, making it difficult for them to promote their own people to important positions in the future. .

The 601 new scholars present had gradually learned the rules of the official game when they passed the examination, and naturally they did not want to miss this opportunity.

They first get to know the ministers clearly, and later seek opportunities to make a good impression on each other, and then look for opportunities to hug the thick thighs of their dreams.

It is worth mentioning that after the first minister Wan An was impeached on New Year's Day, he was no longer keen on recruiting disciples and refused to attend the banquet on the grounds of physical discomfort.

It was at this moment that a middle-aged man wearing a unicorn uniform walked in without saying a word. The unique pair of military boots and the murderous aura on his body proved that he was a senior military general.

"Who is this person?"

"I don't know him! I've never seen him before!"

"What a great style. When did our generals from the Ming Dynasty dare to be so perverse?"

…

Seeing the high-ranking generals who suddenly appeared here, the new scholars at the table couldn't help but start talking, their eyes showing deep confusion.

Not to mention the current ministers such as Liu Ji, the Second Assistant of the Dynasty, and Li Yu, the Minister of Civil Affairs, sitting in the hall. Even if they were just facing these new scholars, the Ming Dynasty should not have such arrogant generals.

Unexpectedly, this military commander who suddenly appeared here ignored the important ministers sitting here. He completely regarded himself as the real protagonist of this banquet.

"Come here, move this case to the center!" The middle-aged man looked astonished and ordered, pointing to the empty case on the left.

The general who broke in here was about forty years old, with thick eyebrows and sharp eyes, and his arms looked powerful, exuding a good temperament.

When the two accompanying guards heard this, they immediately stepped forward to place the table in the center.

ah?

The new scholars present were dumbfounded and looked at the general in disbelief. They couldn't understand who this arrogant general was and why he dared to sit in the middle of this banquet.

"Wait a minute!" Liu Jian, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, seemed to be furious, and stood up with a blushing face to stop him.

"Haha...there's something good to watch!"

"What kind of general is seeking his own death?"

"The left minister of the Ministry of Rites takes action, this person is going to bring shame on himself!"

…

When the new Jinshi saw the dignified Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites standing up, he felt as if he had been given a shot of blood. He wanted to see how the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites would deal with this arrogant military commander.

Although the military generals once dominated the court in the early days of the founding of the country, since the Tumubao Incident, even the military power of the Beijing camp has fallen into the hands of their civilian group, and the military generals have long been unable to hold their heads high.

When the middle-aged man suddenly shouted to Liu Jian to stop, he looked very calm and asked: "What's the matter?"

"According to the custom, the military ministers are ordered to sit on the left, the cabinet sits on the right, and the file readers sit according to the order of the drawings. Don't you understand this rule?" Liu Jian, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, asked with a straight face.

The emperor ordered military officials?

As soon as these words came out, some new scholars became aware of it.

According to the banquet system, since the Ming Dynasty began to recruit scholars, at every honor banquet, although the emperor would not be present in person, he would send a military minister to attend the banquet to ensure the power of God.

It's just that after so many years of development, the status of martial arts and generals has suddenly declined, and the martial arts or generals sent here now have no sense of existence at all.

That's why the military ministers sent here to "serve the banquet" are really just "servants".

For Xinke Jinshi, who the military officers or generals sent to serve the banquet can actually be replaced by A, B, C, and D, and they are not even aware of the existence of the military officers serving the banquet.

However, something unexpected happened at the Rong'en Banquet this time. The banquet warrior who appeared out of nowhere changed from the weakness of the banquet warriors in the past and actually asked to sit in the middle.

"Master Ci Fu, who is this person who sits in the middle without following etiquette?" An official from the Ministry of Rites looked at this unfamiliar middle-aged general and immediately asked Liu Ji, the Ci Fu.

Liu Ji saw everything, picked up the wine glass and said helplessly: "Uncle Wu Jing and Zhao Chengqing!"

Zhao Chengqing and Zhu Youtang were actually from the same hometown. Their ancestor Zhao Desheng followed Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang to fight for the world. Although he died in the battle, he was granted the title of Ancestral Temple in the second year of Hongwu, was granted the title of Duke of Liang, and was given the hereditary command of Tongzhi.

When the fourth generation grandson Zhao Fu served as the commander of the left guard in Jining, he led his troops northward during the Civil War Incident, and then participated in the defense of Beijing. Due to his meritorious service, he was sent to guard the left guard as a general from the left.

In the first year of Chenghua, Zhao Fu used the governor's Tongzhi to wear the seal of General Zhengyi, and together with Han Yong, the imperial censor of Zuodu, conquered the Yao people in Dateng Gorge and revolted. Because of Ping Yao's meritorious service, he was granted the title of Uncle Wu Jingbo.

In the third year of Chenghua, Zhao Fu sent his general military officers to the east with Li Bing, the censor of Zuodu, and defeated the Jurchens in Jianzhou. He was granted the title of Marquis of Wu Jing.

In the eighth year of Chenghua, Wang Yue was the governor of military affairs. Zhao Fu took the seal of General Pinglu and led his troops to search for traps on three sides. However, when they arrived in Yulin, they found that the Tatar tribes had penetrated deep into Taihang, so he and Wang Yue asked the court for more troops.

Officials accused Zhao Fu of fearing war, and Guo Boring even accused Zhao Fu of supporting the bandits and respecting himself, but Xianzong did not adopt it in the end.

Soon after, Xianzong recalled Zhao Fu to the capital as the admiral of the capital camp. This move was strongly impeached by Yan Guan.

Although Zhao Fu successfully oversaw the capital camp, he ultimately grabbed the military power of civilian officials. He soon resigned from his post on health grounds, and decided to resign as a marquis in exchange for a hereditary earl.

In the 22nd year of Chenghua, Zhao Fu passed away and was granted the title of Duke Rong, with the posthumous title: Gongsu.

Zhao Chengqing is the legitimate son of Zhao Fu. He has been fond of martial arts since he was a child and is familiar with the art of war. He wants to make contributions to the Ming Dynasty like his father Zhao Fu did.

Although Wu Jingbo's mansion had made great contributions, Zhao Fu was not favored by the civil service group during his lifetime and could not truly integrate into the Wu Xun group. Therefore, Wu Jingbo Zhao Chengqing was excluded and sent to Nanjing to serve.

After all, the court is not dominated by the civil servant group. Wu Jingbo and Zhao Chengqing were summoned back from Nanjing by Zhu Youtang, and the first imperial emissary came to host the Ron'en Banquet.

Zhao Chengqing knew that this emperor's mission must be done beautifully, so he responded calmly to Liu Jian's question: "The order I received is to come and host the honor banquet! I am here on behalf of His Majesty and also the host of the banquet. How can I do that?" The principle of staying on the left?"

Although there is only one word difference between "servant banquet" and "main banquet", the meanings are completely different.

In the past, when "serving banquets", Wu Xun in the early days was naturally still aloof, but now he has become a little transparent. But now that the banquet is being held, there is no reason to huddle in the corner like a mascot, but to sit openly and generously in the center.

At least let this group of high-minded new scholars know that he, Wu Jingbo and Zhao Chengqing, has received the emperor's favor and is here to host the banquet.

Zhao Chengqing knew that Wang Zhi was right. It was the most important thing for their ministers to do to figure out the emperor's wishes, and at the same time, they must maintain the emperor's authority at all times.

Now that the emperor has appointed himself to host the banquet, he is the most important person here, but he can sit in the center with dignity and dignity, and at the same time announce the existence of Wu Jingbo and Zhao Chengqing to the 601 new scholars.

"Since the Ming Dynasty, when military ministers attended honor banquets, they were all served as banquets, and there was never a mention of the main banquet!" Liu Jian did not expect that a young earl would dare to be so stubborn, and immediately questioned it.

Zhao Chengqing looked at the third-rank official in front of him, but asked calmly: "My lord, do you not believe what I said, or are you questioning His Majesty?"

In fact, he knew that this was a test. If he couldn't handle this little thing, he would have to go back to Nanjing tomorrow to continue his "retirement", let alone Liaodong.

Huh?

Officials such as Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, turned to look at Liu Jian and found that Liu Jian had overreacted, or was preparing to openly oppose the emperor.

"Even if the emperor sends you to host the banquet, you should sit on the left as usual!" Liu Jian knew that Zhu Youtang was capable of such a thing, but he insisted on his position.

With so many important ministers here, what qualifications does a small martial artist have to sit in the middle? It is simply a big joke.