Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 503: Compared to China, the Korean nation is like a filial son's love for his parents.
"This..." Yuan Keli was stunned at first, then turned to look at Fang Congzhe.

Fang Congzhe was very clear about his role in this matter. That was to follow the emperor closely and mediate the situation. Naturally, he would not make his own decisions at this time.

"Tomorrow, I will meet with the Emperor and share your thoughts, Li Qing, and your concerns, Shi Hong," Fang Congzhe said, bowing toward the Forbidden City. "I trust the Emperor will make the final decision."

"Then I'll have to trouble the Prime Minister." Yuan Keli and Shen Yourong both nodded.

"I'm just sharing the country's worries." Fang Congzhe felt that he had said almost everything he needed to say, so he looked around and asked, "Does anyone else want to add anything?"

This time, no one responded. Only Li Xiaozhong wanted to say something, but was stopped by his brother.

Li Huaizhong shook his head, and his mouth seemed to say: Don't be impatient.

"Zixian," Fang Congzhe looked at Xu Guangqi, who had barely uttered a word since entering the room, and asked with a smile, "Why haven't you said anything?"

Everyone followed Fang Congzhe's gaze and looked at Xu Guangqi.

"Prime Minister, everyone," Xu Guangqi said with an awkward smile, cupping his hands. "Although I was the first to propose this, the Emperor is so wise and prudent, and you have all made such thorough arrangements. There is no need for me to add to the complexity."

In fact, from the moment the emperor proposed to depose the King of Korea, the nature of "guardianship of Korea" changed.

Xu Guangqi's initial plan was to personally lead a delegation of over 200 officers and craftsmen to Korea, observing the state of mind of the Joseon ruler and his ministers. If he saw that the ruler and his ministers were united in mind, he would discuss military strategies with them, gradually strengthening them to a position where they could fight or defend. If he saw that the ruler was being coerced by the enemy, he would explain the natural order of the relationship between the ruler and his ministers.

Xu Guangqi didn't even intend to ask the emperor directly for troops. His only "special request" was that the emperor give him the authority to act at his own discretion, so that he could act according to the situation at any time.

But now, the plan has become more specific and expanded to the extent of deposing the king and appointing a regent, with the Korean guardian taking precedence over the Korean regent, the Korean general commanding the entire country's troops, and garrisoning 25,000 soldiers of his own in Korea.

At this point, Xu Guangqi really had nothing more to say. The only thing he needed to do was to draft an imperial edict before Yuan Keli officially set off, deposing the king and appointing a temporary regent to supervise the country until the end of the war.

"Haha. Zixian is really modest. In that case, let's stop here today." Fang Congzhe smiled and looked at Shen Yourong, motioning him to put the map away.

Shen Yourong understood and reached out to peel back the map. The two Li brothers also went up to help with their perceptiveness.

Li Rubai glanced at the sky and was about to ask Fang Congzhe to stay for dinner, but he heard Fang Congzhe say:

"Let me say one last thing. Han Feizi once said, 'Leaks lead to ruin, secrecy leads to success.' Guardianship is a unique military strategy. If the plan is to be hidden, the law must be kept secret. If a leak of information leads to a major disaster, no one will be able to pass the Emperor's test." Fang Congzhe's expression gradually hardened as he spoke. "Don't forget, General Luo is here today too!"

Li Rubai, his son and his two sons were all startled, and then nodded deeply like everyone else.

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"Do you know Li Gong?" While eating, the emperor suddenly asked a sudden question to the Park sisters who had slept with him last night.

"Who is Li Gong?" Pu Yi was stunned for a moment, then shook her head and continued eating. She hadn't been to the Qianqing Palace in a long time and missed the breakfast here terribly. Although the food in Chuxiu Palace had always been good, it was still nothing compared to the emperor's imperial meal.

"Your Majesty, are you talking about Prince Inseong?" Park Miu reached out and picked up a whole boiled egg in the shell, tapping it gently on the table a few times.

"Have you seen him?" Zhu Changluo picked up a piece of excellent fried fish and put it into his mouth. Zhu Changluo didn't know that what he was holding under his chopsticks was the first shad to be tributed to Nanzhili this year.

Shad is a seasonal fish. It's so named because it appears at the beginning of summer and disappears in autumn. Similar to bream but with larger scales, shad is plump and full of fish bones. It's also said to warm the middle and replenish qi, stimulate the appetite and invigorate the spleen, clear away heat and detoxify, and strengthen the body, making it a favorite of the people of Wu. Since the reign of King Wu, shad has been a common dish at the imperial court. Even after Emperor Yongle relocated the capital to Beiping, shad continued to be a staple on the emperor's table.

Li Shizhen recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica: Hilsa hilsa comes from the east of the Yangtze River. Now it can be found in all parts of the river, but it is particularly abundant in the east of the Yangtze River. Therefore, it was used as royal food in Yingtian Prefecture.

Every year from February to March to June to July, the government along the Zhejiang coast would recruit fishermen to catch this kind of fish, which would then be handed over to the shad factory in Nanjing. The shad factory would then supply it to Beijing without stopping.

Because hilsa die immediately after leaving the water, to ensure relatively fresh hilsa were delivered to Beijing, "post horses galloped in the dusty winds of day, and river boats were protected by ice and snow in the hottest summer." March was fine; as long as delivery was fast, preservation wasn't a concern. However, after April, the fish had to be transported to Beijing, held steady by ice stored in various cellars.

"No," Pu Mei said as she peeled an egg, "I have never met Inseong-kun. I only know that the king has such a half-brother."

"What is Li Gong's reputation?" Zhu Changluo asked again.

"I don't know." Pu Mei asked in confusion, "Why does the emperor want to ask about Rencheng Jun?"

"There's no reason, I just suddenly remembered that there was such a person. It doesn't matter if you don't know." Zhu Changluo didn't expect to know anything about the Korean court from the two tribute girls.

But at this moment, Park Mi suddenly said: "If it is Inseong-kun, he must not be a good person."

"What do you know? Don't talk nonsense!" Park Miu glared at her sister.

"You're such a domineering elder sister. You don't want to say anything yourself, but you don't allow others to." Zhu Changluo reached out and patted Pu Mei on the head, but his tone and gesture were gentle. "Prince Rencheng is far away in Korea and can't hear. Even if he did hear, would he come to the Forbidden City and give you a beating?"

"Hmm," Pu Mei shrank back and said sheepishly, "With the Emperor protecting me, I'm certainly not afraid of Rencheng Jun. But I'm worried that this silly girl will not be able to keep her duty, speak nonsense, and make the Emperor unhappy."

"It's just a casual chat at the table, there's no such thing as duty or non-duty." Zhu Changluo smiled faintly and turned to look at Pu Yi, who was sitting to his right. "We're good friends. Don't worry about her. Speak."

"Hmph." Pu Yi gave her sister a smug look. "Your Majesty. Lord Inseong has been ordered to take charge of the Imperial Kitchen. Anyone who has been to Hanyang knows that the Imperial Kitchen is notorious for rampant corruption. How can Lord Inseong be a good person when he's in charge of it?"

"Sikanyuan, what is this for?" Zhu Changluo asked.

"It's the Imperial Household Department's official position," Pu Mei continued. "He's in charge of both purchasing ingredients and preparing the imperial meals."

Zhu Changluo nodded silently. Before the restoration of the Western Factory and the purge of the inner court, the Imperial Kitchen Office was indeed one of the most corrupt offices in the palace. Aside from substituting inferior food for the imperial meals, they were willing to do anything. "Since the corruption in the Imperial Kitchen Office has become so well-known, why doesn't Li Hun do anything about it?" Zhu Changluo said flatly.

Pu Mei fed the peeled egg to the emperor's mouth and said cautiously, "Your Majesty is still wise. You must have been deceived. If the king knew about this, he would definitely take action."

"Perhaps he himself is willing to be deceived." Zhu Changluo glanced at the food attendant Hu Shangshi. He followed Pu Mei's instructions and ate the egg.

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After breakfast, the emperor changed into his leather robe with the help of the Park sisters.

Today, the Emperor will once again visit the Huangji Hall to receive the final homage of the newly minted Jinshi scholars. After today, the Jinshi scholars will only see the Emperor as official officials.

"Your Majesty," Pu Yi was stunned by the sight of the emperor wearing such a solemn and dignified robe for the first time. "How handsome!"

Pu Yi's feelings were much more reserved. Unlike her sister, she didn't stare directly at the emperor, but she couldn't help but secretly examine his dignified features. Elegant, dignified, and yet tinged with an unfathomable mystery.

Compared with the emperor of the superior country, the nobles of Xian country are like monkeys in human clothing.

"Haha," Zhu Changluo only smiled lightly and glanced at the time. "Do you know what the imperial examination in Korea is like?"

"An ancient king said, 'In foreign countries, China is like their parents.' Therefore, the Korean imperial examination system is like a filial son's love for his parents," Park Mi-hyun set the tone. "Korea has three types of imperial examinations: civil service, military service, and miscellaneous. Speaking of the civil service, it's divided into major and minor examinations. In China, the major examinations are the provincial and palace examinations, while the minor examinations are similar to the children's examinations. The minor examinations are further divided into the student examination and the jinshi examination. Scholars from all provinces across the country who pass the student examination can take the major examination. If they pass the jinshi examination, they can enter Sungkyunkwan to study and wait for the examination."

"Sungkyunkwan?"

"It's the Imperial Academy of Joseon," Park explained. "The Book of Zhou states, 'The Grand Master of Music is in charge of the laws of Sungkyunkwan, governing the academic affairs of the founding of the nation and uniting the nation's young men.' The name 'Sungkyunkwan' probably comes from this."

Zhu Changluo looked at Pu Mei in surprise. "Have you also studied the Zhou Li?"

"I have the honor to serve the king of a superior country, so how can I not learn the etiquette of a superior country?" Pu Mei lowered her head, her voice cautious and shy.

"Sister is just getting ready to show off her new knowledge in front of the Emperor." Pu Yi came up to interrupt at an inappropriate time. "If the Emperor really asks, Sister will be very happy."

"You!" Pu Mei's face turned red with anger. If the emperor followed Pu Mei's words and said something sarcastic, Pu Mei would be so embarrassed that she would cry.

"As the old saying goes, 'Learn the civil and martial arts, and serve the emperor.' If you don't use what you learn, what's the point?" The emperor rubbed Pu Ni's head affectionately. "Men of insight and wisdom from all over the world take the civil and military examinations to serve the emperor. I'm delighted that Niang is willing to study the classics and etiquette to please me."

"Yeah." The blush on Park Mi's face gradually faded away, and at the same time, it gradually turned pink.

"Okay. I'm going to accept the thanks from the scholars. You guys can go back too." Zhu Changluo rubbed Pu Yi's head again.

"Yes." The Park sisters' response was somewhat disappointing. It had been almost a month since they were last favored by the emperor. They didn't know when they would see each other again after this farewell.

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The format of presenting a memorial of thanksgiving was almost identical to the imperial edict. All officials would gather in the square after a body search, and then an official from the Ministry of Rites would preside over the ceremony.

The difference between the two ceremonies can be understood just by looking at the number one scholar.

When the list of candidates was announced, the top scorer and the ranking of the other Jinshi candidates were still unknown, so everyone was still arranged according to their ranking in the imperial examination. By the time of the thanksgiving ceremony, the list of candidates had already appeared, and the top three were known, so the order of the candidates changed accordingly, with the top scorer at the head, followed by the second and third place candidates, leading the Jinshi team. Once the Ministry of Rites officials loudly announced the arrival of the imperial court, the top scorer would lead the other Jinshi candidates into the hall to express their gratitude.

When they re-entered the Huangji Hall, all the Jinshi scholars, including the runner-up and third place winners, were still wearing the Jinshi robes issued by the Imperial College. However, the champion, Wen Zhenmeng, was wearing a unique outfit that made him stand out from the crowd.

The top scholar's attire consisted of a two-beamed court crown, a scarlet silk robe, a white silk midriff, a full knee-length skirt, a large sash, a brocade ribbon, and a jade pendant. He also wore a gauze hat with a round collar, a silver belt, a pair of court boots, felt socks, and a locust wood hut.

This scarlet silk top-ranking scholar's robe, distinct from the dark blue silk robe worn by Jinshi scholars, was a special formal attire bestowed upon the top-ranking scholar by the Ministry of Rites, following the announcement of the results of the imperial examinations and before the emperor's thanksgiving. It was the only such set in the world. As early as the Chenghua period, the practice of bestowing imperial robes and sashes upon the top-ranking scholar began. For nearly two hundred years thereafter, the top-ranking scholar in every imperial examination wore this special robe and appeared before the emperor to recite his carefully crafted letter of thanks.

Because it was a gift, the champion robe did not have to be returned to the Imperial College like the Jinshi robe. The champion could keep the robe permanently as a commemoration of his success.

Wen Zhenmeng clearly knew the right accent for each situation. Though a southerner, he had performed in the imperial court many times and had diligently learned to speak. Therefore, by the day of the ceremony of praising the emperor and thanking him, Wen Zhenmeng's accent had become so refined that it was almost indistinguishable from that of a northerner.

However, the top scholar's efforts were obviously in vain, because the emperor, sitting on the high platform of Mount Xumi, had no intention of paying attention to the top scholar at all.

Just as Wen Zhenmeng was reciting the extremely humble and respectful memorial of thanks in his Beijing accent, which "did not sound like a southerner at all", Wang An, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, was whispering in the emperor's ear about the visit of Prime Minister Fang Congzhe, together with his own soldier Cui Jingrong, Secretary of Rites Xu Guangqi, Shao Yintai Yuan Keli and Deputy General Shen Yourong, to the Right Governor-General Li Rubai.

".Judging from the time they came and went, the Prime Minister and his men should have had dinner at the Li family." Wang An finally whispered.

Zhu Changluo looked at Fang Congzhe and said to Wang An, "Go down and tell the Prime Minister that after the ceremony, he doesn't need to return to the pavilion, but can go directly." Zhu Changluo paused. "Let's go to Hongde Hall."

"Is it only Prime Minister Fang who is being summoned?" Wang An asked in a low voice.

Zhu Changluo glanced at Xu Guangqi, who was also serving as the Minister of the Honglu Temple, and said only: "He will be enough."

"Yes." Wang An tiptoed down from the throne, trotting gently. He moved quietly, making no unusual noises, like a nimble old cat. But because he was standing on the dais, beside the emperor, he still caught the attention of nearly everyone. Even Wen Zhenmeng's recitation paused for a moment as he left.

At that time, people still didn't know what the emperor's close eunuch said in the prime minister's ear when he stepped down from the Sumeru throne, but two months later, this brief whisper with unknown content left a vivid mark in the annals of official and unofficial history.

(End of this chapter)