Jiajing Chengming

Hearing the respectful praises of the emperor by the important officials around him, and coupled with the strength shown by the emperor just now, Zhao Dahao, a Jinshi who had just entered the officialdom, seemed to have finally felt what the mighty imperial power was!

Coming from a family of officials, he is usually arrogant.

After he passed the imperial examination, his arrogance only grew, and he felt that the whole world should be impressed by him.

After all, he was a Jinshi, and he was praised and obeyed by people all around him in the village and at home.

Therefore, although he often knew who the emperor had severely punished, he had not experienced it personally.

In addition, he was habitually arrogant and instinctively did not want to admit who he was afraid of or who he should respect. He only instinctively felt that others should respect him because of his talent. Therefore, it was only at this moment that he realized the majesty of imperial power and realized that it was not only his parents but also the emperor who could take his life.

The key point is that the emperor can still take the lives of his entire family.

Zhu Houcong is now becoming more and more arrogant and powerful because of the increasingly powerful military forces under his control and the increasing financial resources.

He would kill any minister who crossed his line without hesitation.

Gradually, the killing became as severe and cruel as that of Emperor Jiajing in history.

Especially after Altan Khan took the initiative to seek peace, more and more people around him flattered and feared him. For example, even the Prime Minister Yang Yiqing did not dare to criticize him at all.

Therefore, this increasingly arbitrary, strong and overbearing mentality began to grow in Zhu Houcong's heart.

However, Yang Yiqing and other ruling ministers who were by Zhu Houcong's side every day knew that the emperor had begun to change, so Yang Yiqing would plead for mercy at the beginning, but now, he just said yes directly and was too lazy to plead for mercy anymore. He was afraid of displeasing the emperor, who would kill him in anger, making the confrontation between the emperor and his ministers even more intense.

Because he knew that after the Emperor revitalized the military, he would have many ways to kill him if he wanted to, and it was inevitable that the Emperor would become more and more powerful and suppress the bureaucracy.

Therefore, even though Yang Yiqing knew that he had a high status, outstanding military achievements, and was still needed by the emperor, he did not intend to offend the emperor by relying on the deaths of a few ministers.

However, the process of Zhu Houcong becoming increasingly powerful was a gradual process.

When he first became emperor, he was still feigning flattery towards Yang Tinghe. Later, after the grand ceremony was decided, he still tolerated Jiang Mian until the other party really went too far before taking action. Only now, he has become more and more domineering and tyrannical. He no longer gave warnings first, but instead really gave a thundering blow when he was angry!
In this way, this process has the effect of boiling a frog in warm water.

Ministers who are slow to react or who have not had enough contact with Jiajing will find it difficult to perceive this change quickly.

Some ministers are even still immersed in the habits of three or five years ago, thinking that it is no big deal if they seriously provoke others, and they can still enjoy the reputation of not fearing the powerful and not flattering the imperial power.

Therefore, when the news spread that Zhao Dahao was sentenced to immediate execution for opposing the expansion of the imperial examination system and angering the emperor, many officials were still shocked.

Among the young scholars who were observing the government, there were those who were already dissatisfied with the expansion of the imperial examination system and the corresponding new policies, and were shocked and angry about this.

They didn't understand why the emperor treated them so well while being so cruel and strong at the same time.

This is especially true for those Jinshi scholars whose family members were dismissed from their posts and could not be forgiven and reinstated.

Like Zhao Dahao, they were very angry that the emperor was willing to kill his opponents and expand the imperial examination system to solve the problem of insufficient officials.

"Your Majesty only knows how to abuse grace, and does not know how to practice mercy and forgiveness. You are unwilling to forgive those who have been convicted. It is all because of the obstruction and instigation of treacherous ministers that this situation, although not ungrateful, has emerged! This is not the peaceful and harmonious politics that should be seen in a prosperous era!"

"In this case, we should propose that all loyal and upright gentlemen who wish to protect the country's talent selection system and prevent it from being abused should withdraw from the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination, in order to show their determination not to tolerate corrupt officials disrupting the government for fame and fortune!"

"I agree!"

"Why don't we each write an article and go to our hometown association to issue an appeal, and then go to the Confucius Temple together to show the Sage Master that we are not interested in fame and fortune, and we are not afraid of treacherous flatterers!"

Therefore, some scholars who were observing the government started to call for action at this time.

As a result, many new Jinshi scholars and scholars who were originally going to take part in the Shuntian Prefecture's provincial examination in Beijing soon came to the Confucius Temple in the capital.

This is not surprising.

After all, the Shuntian Prefecture's provincial examination was mainly conducted among scholars, who were all children of bureaucrats, students of the Imperial Academy, and tribute students.

This is because someone in these families is an official in Beijing and it is inconvenient for them to return home, or they are selected to study at the Imperial Academy in Beijing and it is inconvenient for them to return home to take the exam. Therefore, they can directly take part in the provincial examination in Shuntian Prefecture without going back.

As a result, since those who were more opposed to the reform were mostly children of bureaucrats from big bureaucrats and landlords, there were a lot of scholars coming to the Confucius Temple.

Of course, it is also related to the fact that the scholar group is mainly composed of scholars with such background.

Stop gossiping.

It is said that these people went to the Confucius Temple together and started crying in the temple.

They talked about how treacherous ministers were harming the country, and then read out their own essays, advocating that the scholars boycott the examination.

Because it was not appropriate to directly scold the emperor and father, people like Yang Yiqing and Zhang Cong were scolded very harshly.

If an uninformed person reads their articles, he or she will only think that Yang Yiqing and Zhang Cong are worse than Qin Hui and more cruel than Zhang Tang.

"If someone who took the same exam as me is promoted due to favor, then even though I am promoted, I am also a lucky person! I am ashamed of it!"

"If someone who took the same test as me advances because of his talent, then even though I failed, I am still a person who shares the glory! I celebrate for that!"

……

For example, when the essay of Liu Jin, the runner-up, was read by the Jinshi examiner, Wang Wende, a scholar who was preparing to take part in the Shuntianfu provincial examination, responded:
“What a great article!”

"We should be ashamed of this!"

then……

Wang Wende solemnly said, "I have decided not to take the provincial examination this time. If there are still friends who want to take the provincial examination, they are no longer my friends. I will sever ties with them!"

"And I!"

"If you are admitted because of the grace of the expansion, as this article says, then you can't help but be suspected of being lucky to be admitted!"

"I, Lu, would rather not pass the provincial examination for the rest of my life than let myself be tainted with the name of being lucky and shameless! Anyone who wants to take part in this provincial examination is not worthy of being my friend, but my enemy. If I meet him, I will spit in his face!"

Scholar Lu Li also responded.

At this time, Mao Tiancheng even urged: "Why not join forces to stop those who take the provincial examination? If they don't listen, then they are really lucky to be admitted!"

"Well said, let's go and stop them together. Whoever goes will be the lucky one and will be killed by anyone!" Imperial Study.

“It’s really the opposite!”

Zhu Houcong soon found out about this.

After all, this is the capital city, densely populated by the emperor's minions.

So, Zhu Houcong said this.

then……

Zhu Houcong leaned over again, sneered, and said:
"The crying temple again!"

"These scholars who are observing politics did not petition when they were asked to sign up for the Qing army before, but now they actively jump out. Do they think I will really pity them?"

"My Ming Dynasty lacks everything except hypocrites who are good at writing stereotyped essays!"

Zhu Houcong twitched his lips when he said this.

"Grasp!"

"Anyone who goes to the temple to cry will be arrested and killed!"

"They are destroying the imperial court's talent selection ceremony, denying my achievements in literary governance, and refusing to acknowledge that the literary style of this dynasty has flourished!"

"These people should all be regarded as disloyal and disloyal!"

"Anyone who prevents others from taking the provincial examination should be killed without mercy, on the grounds that they are preventing others from being loyal to the court!"

"Anyone who does not apologize for his own children's illegal behavior and even speaks out to dissuade them will be killed for subverting the government and being disloyal!"

Zhu Houcong then gave orders in a stern tone.

Yang Yiqing and other ministers in the Imperial Study could not help but be in awe.

Zhao Huang couldn't help but glance at Yang Yiqing at this time. Seeing that Yang Yiqing didn't say anything, he couldn't help but shout, "Your Majesty!"

Zhu Houcong turned around and looked at him coldly: "What do you want to say?"

"I want to say, Your Majesty is wise!"

"Now if we want to restore the Lord's authority, we must use severe punishments!"

"Anyone who prevents the world's ambitious people from being loyal to Your Majesty has the heart of a tyrant and will become an official in the future, either a powerful official or a bad official! Fortunately, Your Majesty was not blinded by their superficial emotions, so I..."

When Zhao Huang saw Zhu Houcong's cold and murderous eyes, his legs went weak and he knelt down.

Moreover, he immediately changed his tone and turned the words of dissuasion that were about to come out of his mouth into words of active defense for Zhu Houcong.

"I have said before, in the Imperial Study, do not say these useless flattering words!"

"Don't I know that I am wise?!"

Zhu Houcong threw the secret report from the East Factory in his hand at Zhao Huang, and then reprimanded Zhao Huang in a stern tone.

Zhao Huang hurriedly bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was so angry that I forgot the teachings of the Holy Spirit!"

"This will never happen again!"

"Get up."

Zhu Houcong said this in a cold voice at this time.

He naturally knew what Zhao Huang was really thinking.

But he didn't intend to expose it either.

"Yes!"

Zhao Huang, who was sweating profusely, responded, then held the armrest of his chair and stood up with gritted teeth.

"Step aside!"

"Step aside!"

"Step aside!"

……

At this time.

Jinyiwei Shi Bao had already led the Tiqi to the crying temple, and also dispatched Jinyiwei to various guild halls.

Because the Jinyiwei responded so quickly, the second place winner Liu Jin and others had not even left the Confucius Temple.

Mao Tiancheng even stopped several of his fellow villagers and asked them if they were willing to boycott the exam together. When they said they dared not not take the exam for fear of their parents being unhappy, he even scolded them:

"What do you mean by daring not to take the exam? It's just that you only care about your own fame and fortune, and don't care about the righteousness of the world!"

"I bother!"

After Mao Tiancheng said this, he actually spat at the other person.

Pfft!

At this time, Zhao Ang, an officer of the Imperial Guard, who had already arrived, stabbed Mao Tiancheng in the back with a knife.

Mao Tiancheng looked back in surprise.

Zhao Ang then held up the imperial edict and shouted loudly: "According to the imperial edict, anyone who cries in the temple and disrupts the imperial court's talent selection ceremony, who does not acknowledge the emperor's achievements in civil governance, and who prevents scholars from pledging their loyalty to the court, will be killed without mercy!" (End of this chapter)