Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 64 You choose for him!

Wuying Palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang put down the brush in his hand, rubbed his temples, and felt a little tired.

He hasn't slept all day.

A lot of things have happened recently. In addition to the imperial examination, there were also floods in Shouzhou and Chuzhou, which affected more than 100,000 people. There were many refugees along the way. Government officials from all over the country have been constantly writing letters to the court, hoping that they could allocate funds and grain for disaster relief.

For disaster relief.

The Ming Dynasty already had a relatively complete system.

However, there have been numerous disasters during these years in the Ming Dynasty. Faced with this series of troubles, Zhu Yuanzhang was very annoyed.

He expelled the Tartars, restored China, and recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun that had been lost in the Central Plains for hundreds of years. He was truly born with the mandate of heaven. Why did the Ming Dynasty he established suffer so many disasters?

Is it really his fault?

Zhu Yuanzhang stared coldly at the skylight in the towering hall, his eyes full of arrogance and defiance.

"What a thief!"

"Since we can conquer this country, we can also rule the world. Just wait and see, we will rule the world more firmly than anyone else."

He snorted coldly and then looked away.

He reached out and took the steaming hot handkerchief handed to him by the eunuch. There were even a few holes on it, but Zhu Yuanzhang didn't care. He wiped his face with his hand to make himself feel more energetic.

at this time.

Park Gou'er entered the palace and said softly, "Your Majesty, Duke Hanguo has arrived."

"Let him in." Zhu Yuanzhang threw the handkerchief aside, took a sip of hot tea, and then looked outside the hall.

Inside the palace.

Li Shanchang entered the hall cautiously, looked around imperceptibly, and then bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, I, Li Shanchang, pay my respects to you."

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his head, yawned, squinted his eyes, and said, "Sir, has anything happened in the court recently?"

Li Shanchang said, "Your Majesty, there has been no major incident in the court recently. The only major incident is the flood in Shouzhou and Chuzhou, which has affected many people."

"However, the imperial court has already issued an order, and government offices at all levels along the way have been actively treating the people. The rain is much lighter now, and it should stop soon. When the time comes, we can organize the resumption of production, and it shouldn't cause too much impact."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

He was already a little drowsy, yawned several times, and said slowly: "We don't care much about the Shouzhou flood."

"What we care about is the imperial examination."

"We heard that there was cheating in the imperial examination this time!"

Li Shanchang's eyes narrowed slightly, and he looked at Zhu Yuanzhang suspiciously, somewhat puzzled. How could there be any possibility of cheating in this imperial examination?

He and Zhu Biao participated in the whole process, and other officials had no chance to intervene at all. The only time, it was handled by His Highness himself.

Li Shanchang said: "I don't understand."

Zhu Yuanzhang opened his eyes, his tiger eyes became bright and sharp, with an imposing manner, he stared coldly at Li Shanchang and said: "We say yes!"

"Your Majesty, please give us your instructions." Li Shanchang said.

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, took out a memorial from the table, threw it at Li Shanchang's feet, and said, "Then let us take a good look at it."

"Read it before you answer."

Li Shanchang's eyelids twitched, and he did not dare to delay. He quickly reached out to pick up the memorial on the ground and read it carefully. When he saw a familiar name appearing on it, his face changed slightly.

"Your Majesty, there may be some misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and said with disdain: "I don't think there is any misunderstanding. Your brother Li Cunyi has met many scholars from Huaixi during this period."

"And it just so happened that all of these people were selected."

"You told me it was a misunderstanding?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up, pointed at Li Shanchang, and said indifferently: "Brother, I have been very tolerant for your sake."

"He and Hu Weiyong are relatives by marriage. We didn't blame him when Hu Weiyong was arrested. We were already magnanimous enough. It's time for Li Cunyi to be more restrained."

“But we were wrong.”

“Some people just can’t be tamed.”

"This imperial examination cheating may be a misunderstanding, but what about the slave trade? Forcing women into prostitution? Are these also misunderstandings?"

"Is this such a coincidence?"

"Why did all the misunderstandings happen to him?" "I don't believe it."

Zhu Yuanzhang shuffled the memorials on the table, picked up another one, glanced at it sideways, and threw it to Li Shanchang.

Li Shanchang's face looked strange.

When Li Shanchang saw the second memorial, his face turned livid and he said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, there may really be injustice here."

"Cun Yi's personality is a bit impatient."

"But he's not a bad person."

"I will never do such a thing as favoritism and fraud. Besides, this imperial examination is under the charge of me and Your Highness. If he really participated in the fraud, I and Your Highness would not have failed to notice it."

"As for the illegal trade in slaves."

"I think this is a trumped-up crime."

"Cunyi is currently the Minister of Imperial Household Department. According to the law, he is qualified to adopt slaves. Therefore, buying and selling female slaves is completely reasonable. I do not think there is anything wrong with Cunyi adopting slaves."

"Your Majesty, please take a closer look."

Zhu Yuanzhang closed his eyes slightly, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he said coldly: "You mean we wronged him?"

"I dare not." Li Shanchang said in a deep voice: "I just think there may be something hidden."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was gloomy. "If I hadn't found out the truth, would I have called you here today? Some time ago, I dealt with a group of officials in Yingtian Prefecture who were inactive and corrupt."

"These officials confessed that they turned a blind eye because Li Cunyi ordered them to do so. They did it for your sake."

"Do you want us to show you your confession?"

Li Shanchang's expression changed slightly.

Zhu Yuanzhang put his hands behind his back and continued, "It would have been good if we hadn't investigated. After a thorough investigation, we found that he had close contacts with Hu Weiyong in the past."

“They can even be considered as accomplices.”

Li Shanchang's face changed, and he said quickly: "Your Majesty, Hu Weiyong has been executed for several years."

"The poison is still there." Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Li Shanchang, kept looking at him, and asked: "Now I am curious, when Hu Weiyong rebelled, did you know something in advance?"

"Why else would you be so nervous?"

Li Shanchang's face changed drastically, and he knelt down quickly and said, "I am loyal to Your Majesty and have never had second thoughts. How could I participate in Hu Weiyong's rebellion?"

"I am terrified."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Li Shanchang who was kneeling on the ground in fear and trepidation, and sneered: "Of course I believe you."

"But your brother has violated the law many times. Emotions can be tolerated, but the law cannot. As his brother, you should choose one for him: Hu Weiyong's accomplice or imperial examination fraud."

"minister"

"Let me ask you to think it over carefully." Zhu Yuanzhang glared at Li Shanchang fiercely.

"Examination cheating." Li Shanchang spoke tremblingly, his eyes full of grief, anger and unwillingness.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll listen to you and punish him for cheating in the imperial examination. But he is your brother after all, so let's keep him alive."

"It is only said that he participated in fraud but failed."

"Exiled to Chongming Island!"

"how?"

"Your Majesty is wise." Li Shanchang lowered his head. He had now realized that it was not his brother who made the mistake, but Zhu Yuanzhang who was dissatisfied with the results of the imperial examination and wanted to change the rankings.

His brother was just a scapegoat.

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Go and tell Li Cunyi that if it weren't for you, we would have killed him long ago."

"It is already a great mercy to exile him to Chongming Island."

"I understand." Li Shanchang said.

Looking at Li Shanchang's departing figure, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly showed a hint of murderous intent in his eyes. He looked at the eunuch beside him and asked, "Did we miss something just now?"

"I am a stupid slave." Pu Gou'er looked uneasy.

"Does Li Shanchang thank us?" Zhu Yuanzhang said indifferently.

Park Gou'er hesitated for a moment and nodded: "Your Majesty, Duke Hanguo did not thank Your Majesty just now."

"It seems that our old friend is dissatisfied with the decision I just made." Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed coldly.

(End of this chapter)