Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 72: Yan Song’s only son with little presence (Second update, please subscribe!)

"Tianjin is just ahead. Once we get to Tongzhou, it's only half a day's journey before we reach Beijing..."

Li Yuying stood at the bow, looking at the increasingly crowded boats on the river, her eyes blurred. "Master, do you think I can achieve my wish on this trip?"

Hai Yue stood beside her and said slowly, "If the Ming Dynasty wants to send troops directly to suppress the rebellion of the Li family, I'm afraid it can't! Even if they do, it won't be for the legitimacy of the Li family..."

Li Yuying forced a bitter smile: "For Jiaozhi Province?"

"Not bad!"

Even if the Ming Dynasty sent troops, it was only to take advantage of the civil unrest in Annan and try to take back this land that once belonged to China.

Let the two capitals and thirteen provinces become the two capitals and fourteen provinces.

During the boat trip, Hai Yue, besides reviewing her lessons and taking care of Zhou Xuan, also occasionally went in and out of the young princess's room. By now, the maids around her were used to it. This kind of relationship also made it worthwhile for him to deepen the topic: "Princess, have you ever considered that the Li family's rule is actually completely over?"

Li Yuying's face turned pale, and she twisted her hands together, but she still couldn't stop shaking.

A short pain is worse than a long one. Although this is cruel, it is the truth that must be revealed.

In fact, the fact that Mo Dengyong was able to kill his master and usurp the throne meant that the original rule of the Annan Li family was at least on the verge of collapse.

Although Mo Dengyong was a traitor, the Li family certainly did many evil things.

The reason why rebellions are happening one after another in Annan now is not because people remember how good the Li family was in the past, but because they are dissatisfied with the rule of the Mo family, and more rebellious people are beginning to emerge.

In the subsequent period of the Southern and Northern Dynasties of Annan in history, the Later Le Dynasty in the south was only nominal, and the real power was controlled by Nguyen and Zheng successively. Later, the Zheng-Nguyen conflict broke out, and finally the Nguyen Dynasty was born, which became the Vietnam familiar to later generations.

No matter what, the Li family has nothing to do with it.

Now they only have the title of righteousness left, and are being exploited by various ambitious people in Annan.

The old trick of holding the emperor hostage to control the princes is to squeeze out the last bit of value.

Of course, this truth is cruel.

Especially for an envoy group that risked their lives, in the end even the chief envoy sacrificed his life, and only the last princess was left.

Tears quickly filled Li Yuying's eyes, and she said sadly, "Why are you telling me this?"

Hai Yue's eyes were filled with pity, but her tone remained firm: "Because this is the truth! A fact that cannot be avoided! If you try to turn a blind eye, then your brother's sacrifice and the deaths of the entire diplomatic corps will all be in vain!"

"But...but if that's really the case..."

Li Yuying trembled and said, "We have gone through so much hardship, and so many people have died to protect us. What is the point of coming to the capital?"

Haiyue said: "The fact that you can come to the capital is meaningful!"

Historically, Mo Dengyong blocked the northern border of Annan. The Annan Li family had always wanted to send envoys to the Ming Dynasty to seek help, but failed repeatedly. It was not until the 16th year of Jiajing, seven years later, that they successfully arrived in the capital and met Jiajing.

By that time, Mo Dengyong had already firmly established his rule in the north, and all the rebels had been driven south by him. The pattern of confrontation between the north and the south had been established.

It's different now.

The Annan delegation's arrival in Beijing seven years ahead of schedule is indeed of great significance!
Tears welled up in Li Yuying's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She was able to suppress the grief of her brother's sacrifice and greet everyone with a smile along the way, just to avoid being despised. This kind of strength was beyond the reach of ordinary people. At this moment, she slowly nodded and said, "I understand. This time when I come to the capital, I must be cautious in my words and deeds and abide by my duties. I dare not ask for anything else. I must first fulfill my duty of tribute to Annan!"

As expected, she understood it immediately. Hai Yue's eyes flashed with approval, and she whispered, "It's useless to be cautious. After you enter the capital, you will definitely be involved in the disputes in the court. If you encounter any disputes, don't act on your own. Go and ask the palace for advice! If it gets difficult again, send someone to find me!"

Li Yuying showed cautious expectation: "You...are you willing to help me?"

Her family knew her own business. As a princess from a foreign vassal state, there was actually no benefit in contacting her at this time. If it were an ordinary person, who was appreciated by taking advantage of the case of the Annan delegation, he would have avoided her long ago.

Hai Yue said firmly: "As long as I can, I will help you!"

Li Yuying couldn't help herself and leaned her head over. After her brother's death, she only had him to rely on in a foreign country.

Haiyue said no more, just hugged her. Looking at the little princess again, her cheeks were flushed, like the morning glow reflecting on snow, and the original paleness disappeared without a trace.

The two stood at the bow of the boat, hugging each other, silent.

It was their first time going north, their first time entering Beijing, and their first time facing this huge political core.

Even for Haiyue, it would be impossible to say that she was not nervous at all.

Fortunately, the warmth of each other's embrace can calm people's hearts, and the wind blowing on the river seems to be much warmer.

"I...I'm going back first!"

After a long time, Li Yuying raised her head reluctantly, patted her red face, whispered something, and quickly returned to the cabin.

Hai Yue still stood with her hands behind her back. After a moment, she said helplessly, "Come out! You've been watching for a while, right?" "What great skills!"

Lu Bing flashed out, first with a half-smile, winking, then seriously asked: "Do you have any insights into the situation in Annan?"

Haiyue did have some thoughts on the situation in Annan, but now was not the time to reveal them, nor was there any need to hide them. "I can't say I have any opinions, but they are somewhat immature. This is a matter of state, and there's no need to rush!"

"Yep!"

Lu Bing nodded repeatedly. "Your Majesty has been concerned about the situation in Annan for a long time. The envoy's arrival in the capital will inevitably affect all parties. You must not stand out! First, take the Imperial College entrance examination. Once you have the status of a student, you will have taken root in the capital and will have some say!"

The students of the Imperial Academy often expressed their opinions on the situation in the court. When Zhang Cong and Gui E were dismissed from their posts, these students went to plead for mercy and were reprimanded by Jiajing.

Haiyue thought of something: "Will our college's exam ranking have some impact on admission to the Imperial College?"

In this Guangdong Academy Examination, he ranked 153rd.

What kind of ranking is this?

According to the official quota, the admission of students in the Ming Dynasty followed the principle of "40 in large prefectures, 30 in medium-sized states, and 20 in small counties". In the middle and late stages, the number of students was allowed to be increased, but the average annual number of students admitted in Guangdong Province was only between 150 and 200, with each prefecture admitting 15 to 20 people.

This time, one hundred and fifty-three students were admitted.

Wang Shifang ranked Haiyue last.

Not even pretending.

For a student who ranked first in both the county and prefecture exams in high school, such a ranking naturally attracted attention and sparked a lot of gossip, after all, others did not know the inside story.

For a normal 17-year-old boy, this was also a blow. So after the rankings were announced, everyone around him tried to avoid mentioning it, even Hai Rui tried not to talk about it.

Only Haiyue herself doesn't care.

When he walked out of the Imperial Examination Hall, he felt ridiculous, but now he just found it interesting.

Anyway, he knew very well that with his current level, he was not qualified to win the honor of the Little Three Prizes.

If one's virtue does not match his position, disaster will surely follow. It is better to be suppressed than to be praised to death.

After all, I don’t know what happened to the person who suppressed me now.
Lu Bing could sense his open-mindedness and admired him. He himself was preparing for the military imperial examination, so he knew that this person would also want to get in through a fair and dignified process, not through recommendation, and certainly not through donations. He said slowly, "When you get to the Imperial College, you'll need to be prepared!"

Hai Yue smiled: "Although the Imperial College is the highest institution of learning in the Ming Dynasty, if you want to successfully enroll, it really doesn't depend entirely on your academic knowledge, right?"

Lu Bing didn't hide it and sighed softly, "Indeed, during Emperor Wuzong's reign, the Imperial College was in disarray, Confucian classics were neglected, attendance was a sham, people were clinging to powerful eunuchs, gangs abounded, and violence was rampant. Fortunately, Yan Jijiu put things in order!"

"Other than that... Gangs? Violence?"

Haiyue was a little nervous, but she was quite interested in Yan Song's rectification, so she asked in detail.

The atmosphere in the Imperial College during the Zhengde period was a complete mess. Even after years of chaos surrounding the enthronement ceremony of the Jiajing Emperor, this highest institution of learning had not seen any improvement. It was not until Yan Song took over that he banned unhealthy practices, implemented reforms in the teaching system, adjusted the examination cycle, clarified rewards and punishments, increased living allowances for poor students in the Imperial College, and suggested stopping the donation of silver for the sale of student titles. He vigorously rectified the academic atmosphere and won support from all levels of society.

It's just that after so many years of corruption, it's definitely difficult for Yan Jijiu to completely change it in just a few years...

So after Lu Bing talked about the changes in the Imperial College, he said seriously, "If you want to enter the Imperial College, you still need some connections!"

Haiyue was not surprised at all. "My fourteenth brother, Lin Jingfu, and I all have the confidence to take the exam. We don't ask for special treatment, we just want a fair chance. Don't just ignore us and dismiss us directly because we were born in Lingnan!"

"rest assured!"

Lu Bing patted his chest and guaranteed that he would severely punish the Guangzhou government, but the officials only arrested Zhou Xuan, which made him feel very embarrassed. This time he must get the job done.

However, the Imperial College was beyond the jurisdiction of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so they had to look for someone.

Since you want fairness, it would be right to directly look for the honest and upright Yan Jijiu.

Lu Bing returned to the Jinyiwei's room and muttered to himself, "What was the name of Yan Jijiu's only son?"

Compared with other officials in the capital who had many wives and concubines and lived a life of debauchery, Yan Song only had one wife, Ouyang. They had been supporting each other since they were young and were very loving. They had only one son, who was his only child.

With the infant mortality rate in that era, the risk of having an only son was extremely high. Fortunately, Yan Song's son was already eighteen years old this year and had grown up safely.

Logically speaking, the only son of the former chief academician of the Imperial College and the current right vice-minister of the Ministry of Rites should have some fame among the children of officials in the capital.

But when Lu Bing recalled it now, he just remembered that he was a little follower who followed Gui E's son all day long. He was so low-key that he couldn't even remember his name.

When asked, Hong Qi and others scratched their heads and said they didn't know.

Lu Bing rubbed his chin for a long time, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind: "I remember now, Yan Shifan! Call Yan Shifan! Send him a letter, I have arrangements!"

(End of this chapter)