Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

Zhao Chengqing couldn't help but snorted coldly, but he pointed at Liu Jian's nose and said: "Since you are hosting the banquet for the emperor, how can you be on the left? I have been humiliated, but if you dare to humiliate Your Majesty, you are a traitor!"

Since he is here to host the banquet for His Majesty, even if he is an insignificant general, he must sit in the center with dignity.

This move was not only to cheer up the generals, but also to protect the emperor's face. Why could their generals only sit on the left when they came to the main banquet?

Say a thousand, say ten thousand. These civil servants can look down on their generals, but they cannot blaspheme the imperial power. Even if he is here to attend a banquet, he should sit in the middle.

As a result, this third-grade official who appeared out of nowhere actually blocked it like this. Not to mention his starting point, he must be disloyal to the emperor.

In fact, he had already seen clearly the ugliest side of these officials in Nanjing. When they were in power, they might want to save face. In the nursing homes in Nanjing, they were all people who wanted to use their spare energy and make money.

this……

Liu Ji and others turned to look at Liu Jian and realized that Liu Jian's words were indeed inappropriate.

Since Zhao Chengqing came to host the banquet on behalf of the emperor, he could sit on the left side. He should sit upright. This is the most appropriate position for the host of the banquet.

"Rong En's banquet has always been arranged like this. I think you came here deliberately to disturb the laws of our ancestors!" Liu Jian knew that the only way to suppress the imperial power was to use the laws of his ancestors, so he immediately used them flexibly.

"Don't talk about these old issues with me. Now that I'm hosting a banquet under the emperor's order, how can I not be in the middle?" Zhao Chengqing had already learned how civil servants can talk nonsense, so he didn't intend to continue the order: "Continue to move, I see. Who dares to stop it!"

"You dare?" Liu Jian, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, saw that he was really going to move to the center. He immediately stepped forward to stop him in anger.

Zhao Chengqing's face suddenly darkened, and he punched Liu Jian hard, who came over to stop him, and hit Liu Jian on the bridge of his nose.

As a general who is determined to make great achievements, he naturally has to use his strengths and avoid weaknesses. Anyway, it is not a problem for him to fight ten, so he naturally has to show his fists.

ah?

Liu Jian never expected that Zhao Chengqing would dare to take action. Blood spurted out from his nose immediately. He fell backwards and flew a foot away, and then fell heavily to the ground.

this……

When Liu Ji and other important ministers saw Zhao Chengqing knocking Liu Jian down with one punch, they couldn't help but look at each other.

It's just that Zhao Chengqing was reckless, but Liu Jian's beating was really in vain. After all, Zhao Chengqing's identity was here, and it was just as reasonable to sit upright.

Wang Yue has been watching with cold eyes, but now he can't help but look at him with admiration when he sees his old friend's son behaving like this.

Although Zhao Chengqing is a second-generation martial artist, he has been training with Zhao Fu on the border since he was a child. In addition, he is indeed very talented in fighting, so he is also a rare Ming general.

It's a pity that his father Zhao Fu was ostracized in the court and chose to resign and live in seclusion in the last ten years. Zhao Chengqing's successor was directly ostracized to Nanjing.

Last time in Yangzhou, I heard the chattering Wang Zhi mentioning Zhao Chengqing. Judging from Wang Zhi's tone, he admired Zhao Chengqing. Zhao Chengqing's recall to the capital this time was probably the result of Wang Zhi's recommendation.

Zhao Chengqing looked at Liu Jian on the ground and ordered coldly: "I have been ordered to host the banquet, and I represent the emperor. How dare you, a small third-rank official, step forward to stop him? If someone comes, throw him out immediately!"

"Let me go! Let me go!" Liu Jian shouted angrily when he saw two powerful soldiers lifting his collar.

However, these two soldiers ignored him at all and directly lifted Liu Jian out like a chicken and threw him out according to Zhao Chengqing's instructions.

Zhao Chengqing sat in the center, looked at the important ministers present and said calmly: "I was ordered to host the banquet, who wants to cause trouble at this honor banquet?"

"Since Your Majesty wants Uncle Wu Jing to host the banquet, Uncle Wu Jing will naturally sit in the middle. We have no objection!" Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, and other officials were not sure of Zhu Youtang's intention, but they expressed their obedience.

Not to mention Wu Jingbo's tough tactics, they had always supported the emperor's authority. Now that the emperor wanted to change the banquet to the main banquet, they naturally chose to accept it.

As for whether one should sit on the left or the main banquet should be in the middle, this is not a particularly important matter. There is no need to argue about this matter.

When Zhao Chengqing saw that the matter had calmed down, he said calmly: "In that case, let's get started! After the things here are over, I have to go to the palace to return to life!"

But no matter what, he must seize this opportunity to go to Liaodong, defeat the Jianzhou Jurchens like his father did, and thus be granted a title of marquis for his merits.

The banquet officially started soon, but Zhao Chengqing sitting in the middle really looked like an eyesore.

Living in this era that emphasizes literature over martial arts, everyone in the world knows that "everything is inferior but reading is good", but now the most dazzling one is a military general.

This psychological gap will eventually make some new scholars feel uncomfortable.

It's just that this arrangement comes from the emperor. Even if they are really dissatisfied, not to mention that it is not their turn to object, they cannot object.

Wang Yue saw all this in his eyes, but he knew that the current emperor's earlier claim that he wanted to strengthen the country militarily was not a lie, but had been slowly promoting this national policy.

After this period of observation, what he most admired about Hongzhi was that he talked less and did more, and he was always able to carry out what he said.

Perhaps in the near future, the status of civil servants will be further reduced, but he seemed to see a prosperous Ming Empire.

Wine and delicacies were placed on the table, and music played nearby.

Under the guidance of officials from the Ministry of Rites, 601 new scholars have begun to take action.

Although the examiner of this palace examination was Hongzhi, the examiners present also made "indispensable contributions", so the new Jinshi naturally had to express his gratitude.

In fact, this is not about being grateful, it is just finding an excuse to hug the other person's lap.

In the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, the relationship between the master and his disciples was one of giving and repaying kindness, and at the same time they formed a community of interests. If there are just too many people in a group, the group will easily deteriorate.

Liu Ji is a person with a very easy-going temperament, and he accepted the toast from the new Jinshi with a smile.

It's just a pity that although there is "favor", who dares to compete with the emperor for students in the palace examination, naturally it is impossible to conclude a teacher-student relationship.

After several rituals at the Honor Feast, it was time for free activities.

Anyone who can get the title of Jinshi is not a fool. Naturally, they will not miss this opportunity to express themselves. They are like peacocks spreading their wings, some reciting poems, some writing lyrics, and some showing calligraphy, but they want to win the attention of big shots.

Qian Fu, who was ranked second in the list, was indeed a Sheniu. He wrote a poem on the spot: "Tomorrow comes tomorrow, there are so many tomorrows. I live to wait for tomorrow, everything will be wasted. If the world is tired of tomorrow, spring will pass and autumn will come. Look at the water. Flowing eastward, I watch the sun set in the west at dusk. What will tomorrow be like after a hundred years? Please listen to my "Song of Tomorrow"."

"What a poem!"

"This poem should be widely publicized!"

"Haha... I'm afraid this poem will be passed down from generation to generation!"

…

When Liu Ji and other officials saw Qian Fu's poems, they felt as if they had found a treasure, and they immediately praised the second place in the new major.

Qian Fu was extremely confident in his talent, and found that Liu Ji looked at him with a deep look, and he suddenly felt that he was about to become famous.

Although Zhao Chengqing sitting in the middle was indeed an eyesore, as he drank more and more, the new Jinshi became more and more relaxed.

The focus of the toast was not Liu Ji, the second minister of the cabinet, but Wang Yue, the imperial censor of Zuodu, and Li Yu, the official minister. The former was their nominal mentor, and the latter was the person who controlled their destiny.

Although you have obtained the title of Jinshi, you don't need to worry about "employment" at all, but even the lowest county magistrate has a distinction between high and low. Some remote counties are simply hell on earth, and the best place to go is naturally the large and wealthy counties in the south of the Yangtze River.

However, there was also an unhappy thing. It was supposed that they could establish a teacher-student relationship with Wang Yue after passing the joint examination, but all of their protégés were rejected.

"Teacher, I'm glad that my student was ranked second in high school today. I'm very lucky to have been admitted by you. I sincerely ask you to accept your student's certificate!" Jin Gui unexpectedly took out a copy of his student certificate and presented it very sincerely.

"That's right, disciple stabbing!"

"Why didn't I think of sending my disciple a stab here?"

"Hey, what a pig-headed person, Jin got the upper hand!"

…

The new Jinshi who was present saw Jin Gui's move and immediately slapped his forehead without realizing it. He immediately regretted why he didn't bring his disciples to come.

After passing the examination, they all went to Wang Yue's house to hand over their apprenticeships, hoping to formally form a teacher-student relationship with Wang Yue that was recognized by the officialdom.

It's just that this matter happened unexpectedly, and Wang Yue didn't accept his disciple's thorns at all.

Now that Wang Yue is here, and they have become new scholars, now that they are using this public occasion to express their feelings, Wang Yue will definitely accept their discipleship.

Jin Gui faintly heard the regretful voice behind him, and the corners of his mouth could not help but rise slightly.

He is now the top prospect in the new science. When this student card is given to Wang Yue, he is the first student to post, and his status can surpass the previous number one Liu Cunye and second place Qian Fu in one fell swoop.

In terms of filial piety, he is not as good as Liu Cunye; in terms of talent, he is not as good as Qian Fu; but when it comes to being an official, he is confident that he can crush the two idiots in front of him.

"Haha...congratulations to Mr. Wang on getting a good disciple!" Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites, said happily when he saw this.

Wang Yue took a deep look at Jin Gui who was kneeling in front of him, then looked around at the new scholars and important ministers present and said: "I am a minister of the Ming Dynasty. I was sent by the emperor to preside over the examination and approve the test papers. The best are selected and the fittest are eliminated. All the reasons for passing are You have studied for many years, so how do you get the status of teacher and student? It is a bad habit in the officialdom to form a teacher-student relationship because of the scientific examination!"

As soon as these words came out, it was like a heavy slap in the face of all the ministers, even with repercussions.

Since the Ming Dynasty implemented the imperial examination to obtain scholars, the fates of officials and candidates who obtained merit have intersected, and the powerful officials can naturally accept a large number of disciples.

In the county examination, the county magistrate establishes a teacher-student relationship with the candidates.

During the prefectural examination, the prefect established a teacher-student relationship with the child.

During the college examination, a provincial student will establish a teacher-student relationship with the students.

In the rural examination, the examiner of the rural examination established a teacher-student relationship with the new imperial examination candidates.

In the joint examination, the most valuable thing is naturally the teacher-student relationship between the new Jinshi and the examiner of the joint examination.

…

It is this kind of teacher-student relationship where the master and his disciples are not only a relationship of giving and repaying kindness, but also constitute a community of interests. The final result is that the teacher acts as a wise minister in the court, while the students exploit the local people and send warnings of ice, charcoal and other warnings to the teachers.

After all, Wang Yue was still the king who beheaded, and he always pretended to be the people of China, not some cronies.

Although he now has a place in the court by accepting 601 new scholars as his disciples, he still resisted this temptation in the end.

What's more, he pointed the finger at this bad officialdom habit of deceiving oneself and others. He was obviously just doing his duty to mark the examination papers, but in the end he was awarded the title of teacher and student.

"Teacher, when you drink water, you will think of the source, and when you lean on the tree, you will think of the shade; a crown and a set of gifts are not given by the teacher!" Jin Gui did not expect to be rejected, and quickly said as usual.

Wang Yue smiled coldly and said righteously: "You are apprentices just because you want to find support! But since ancient times, the harm to the imperial court has been cronies. I have neglected the emperor and asked him to punish such bad official habits! "

this……

Liu Ji and other officials were dumbfounded when they saw that Wang Yue had criticized his cronies in such a way, and had even proposed to the emperor to punish the teachers and students for the scientific examination.

If this kind of attack had occurred at other times, Wang Yue would have been directly sprayed to death by Manchu officials.

After all, this kind of teacher-student relationship established through scientific examinations is an important guarantee for Qingliu officials to compete with imperial power, and Ci ministers are the biggest beneficiaries of this relationship.

Not to mention the ministers in power, even the small local magistrates would strongly support this form of establishing a teacher-student relationship. Is there any reason not to hate Wang Yue?

Fortunately, the court now has less and less space for ministers, and the imperial power is getting stronger, making it possible for this bad habit to be rectified.

It's just that no one can't figure it out. Although he is already one of the biggest beneficiaries of this system and can accept 603 non-commissioned officers with dignity, Wang Yue actually wants to overthrow this system.

"Really... so strong!"

Xu Hong and other new scholars saw Wang Yue's attitude. Although they were inevitably a little disappointed, their eyes looking at Wang Yue were already shining.

"If there were more Wang Yue in the court, wouldn't it be undesirable!" Zhao Chengqing had admired Wang Yue since he was a child, but now that he saw Wang Yue pointing out the bad habits of officialdom, he couldn't help but sigh secretly.

There were so many changes in the Rong'en Banquet in the second year of Hongzhi that even many years later, people were still talking about it.

On the second day of the Rong'en Banquet, 601 new scholars were required to report to Honglu Temple for three days of "pre-job training", mainly to learn official etiquette such as court meetings, banquets, and sacrifices.

It is worth mentioning that the Jinshi in their current class will also erect a Jinshi inscription tablet with all their names engraved on it.

Just as 601 new scholars entered Honglu Temple, a piece of heavy news suddenly broke out in the capital: the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of Punishment, and the Shuntian Government Office jointly launched a joint operation to seal down all pawnshops, money shops, and money banks in Beijing. .