I'm really not the carpenter emperor

But this time, the examination was not as festive as in previous years. Instead, it aroused an uproar and discussions.

In each department of the court, those who come here every day accuse the chief examiner Gu Dazhang and fellow examiners Li Yuanjian, Jiang Zhenye and others of forming cliques for selfishness and providing convenience for Donglin Gongsheng.

Even an anonymous Gongsheng broke the shocking news, saying that Liu Zongzhou, the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, also participated in this matter, and the list of high officials in the imperial court was impressively listed!

All of a sudden, there was a lot of voices inside and outside the capital.

Qian Han, a supervisor in Sichuan Province, set off from his home one year in advance to prepare for Tianqi's three-year examination, but when he lost his name to Sun Shan, he was outraged and took the lead in attacking him.

The supervisor named Qian Han sent the post to the Yamen of Shuntian Prefecture, exposing fellow examiner Li Yuanjian to practice favoritism and malpractice, making Li Zhiling, a member of his family, and other high school gold medals, despised by others.

Then, it was reported that three Juren in Hangzhou had drunken sex and beat a high school Jinshi Dong Lingong to death on the street.

The news came out one after another, and all the officials in the DPRK were panicked. No one had expected that the matter had reached such a level in advance.

Nowadays, the situation of scholars all over the world is indignant and frustrated, and the Jinshi who used to be on the gold list of high school in the past have become street rats, and everyone shouts and beats them.

The emotions of the people everywhere were also stirred up by these situations, and became more and more violent. Even the discussions in the streets and alleys also used these things as talking points, and talked about them with great relish.

Coupled with the fact that some people are fueling the flames behind their backs, making a big fuss, fearing that the world will not be chaotic, and spreading rumors everywhere in a rhythm, the discussions between the government and the opposition are also wave after wave, and there is no sign of stopping at all.

Almost everyone is waiting with great interest, waiting to see how this matter will develop in the future, and what good things will happen.

……

The weather in September is pleasant and green like the sea.

Undercurrents surged in the court, and public opinion boiled in the local area, but Zhu Youxiao ignored it and led the guards to visit Nanhaizi again. Looking at the surrounding greenery, he said with a smile:

"This is a good time for hunting!"

Chapter 4 Hunting in Nanyuan, Zhang Bang Anmin

Since Zhu Youxiao ascended the throne in the 47th year of Wanli and changed Yuan Tianqi, Nanhaizi has been continuously expanded, and it has become a forbidden garden exclusively for royal hunting.

Cao Huachun, the admiral and eunuch in charge of Nanhaizi, requested twice to build a city to surround Nanhaizi.

Today's Nanhaizi is surrounded by more than 120 miles of city loops, with nine gates in four directions, which are exclusively for Zhu Youxiao and future royal children to shoot in and out.

In addition, there are eight small doors for guards and palace people to enter and exit.

Nanhaizi Forbidden Garden includes a number of winding rivers, criss-crossing, dense forest and deep grass.

The Nanhai Zijing army also expanded from the original 800 to 600 people, most of whom were elderly and deposed eunuchs, and they were all under the control of the admiral eunuch Cao Huachun.

Zhu Youxiao once issued a decree to bestow [-] mu of land on each of the eunuchs of the Nanhai Zijing Army, each with a barracks. They lived in the barracks in the Forbidden Garden on weekdays and were responsible for raising animals and planting flowers and fruits.

The responsibility of the Jing army is not only to prepare for the emperor's hunting in advance, but also to maintain the Nanhaizi Forbidden Garden, and to patrol and clear the roads during the day.

Speaking of Cao Huachun, as Wang An's confidant, he was able to achieve his current status because of his inextricable connection with Wang An's faction in time to break up with Wei Zhongxian.

The sound of banners and flags, and the sound of iron armor and leaves intersecting can be heard endlessly.

The hooves of the horses made the grass tremble constantly.

A white horse is walking vigorously and cheerfully, ringing the luan bell from time to time, and having fun in the wilderness. This is Zhu Youxiao's mount.

"drive!"

Before Zhu Youxiao left the palace today, under the service of Zhang Yan, he passed on a set of royal casual clothes for shooting and hunting, with a heroic appearance and a radiant look.

Zhu Youxiao sat on a priceless saddle specially customized for the emperor, and under his crotch was a one-in-a-thousand-mile horse.

There is a refreshing spring breeze coming towards you, and a boundless blue sky is on your head. Zhu Youxiao suddenly stopped his mount, looked around, and laughed loudly:

"I haven't been riding a horse in Nanyuan for almost a year!"

Behind him was a line of armored soldiers of the Yongwei Battalion. No one answered, they all looked at the emperor standing on the slope and guarded closely.

The last time I came to Nanhaizi, I had just succeeded to the throne not long ago.

At that time, the reason why I always came was not only because I wanted to stay away from the temple disputes, but also because the palace was indeed not as safe as Nanyuan at that time.

Come again now, but it is another completely different mentality.

Zhu Youxiao was tired from riding, so he took out the Suifa bird blunderbuss custom-made for the emperor by the Military Armament Department and held it in his hand, searching for the prey in his eyes, and asked unintentionally:

"What's going on in the court recently?"

Although Cao Huachun was an eunuch, he was also skilled in equestrian skills. He refused to let go of this opportunity to get close to Tianyan, and immediately said: "Your Majesty, the court is not at peace these days."

"After the test, the gold list was issued, which aroused the indignation of scholars from all over the world. Some people said that the test questions of this test were sold in advance..."

"And this matter, how come I don't know?"

Zhu Youxiao looked back at him, and just as he finished speaking, before Cao Huachun could reply, Zhang Weixian, the Englishman who was driving with him, pointed to the front and exclaimed:

"Your Majesty, there are a group of pheasants in the pine forest ahead!"

"All of you are heroes who accompanied me to conquer the Southwest, and you are all shooting and hunting with me today!"

Zhu Youxiao seemed to have forgotten what Cao Huachun said in an instant. He held up the royal horsewhip inlaid with gold and jade with his right hand, lashed at the rear seat of the horse, and then let go of the rein.

The snow-white mount let out a howl, and galloped northward like a flying arrow, like a white shooting star, across the yellow-green wilderness.

Zhang Weixian naturally knew that Emperor Tianqi was pretending to be stupid, so he didn't say much, took out his whip and lashed his mount, and galloped forward, and the cavalry of the Yongwei Battalion also patted their horses to catch up, and followed closely behind.

The pheasants reacted quickly, felt the slight tremor on the ground, and fled in all directions, but Zhu Youxiao's horse's hooves were like the wind, so they couldn't escape.

"boom--!"

With a loud bang, Zhu Youxiao shot nothing, but he didn't think about it. He turned around and whipped three times, controlled his mount to turn around and chased after the single pheasants.

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

Three more shots were fired, and finally one of the pheasants fell down.

The smoke of the gunpowder filled the wilderness, accompanied by a faint smell of blood, the sun gradually set.

The white horse seemed to understand its owner's mood, and ran fast and steadily. After an unknown period of time, Zhu Youxiao put away the shotgun after enjoying himself, reined in the horse, and was about to give up today.

"Your Majesty is mighty!"

Zhang Weixian followed behind, applauding the wind.

"I am not mighty. The mighty ones are the capable ministers and officials of the Military Weapons Department, Bi Maoliang, Bi Maokang, Xu Guangqi. Without them, there would be no such easy-to-use blunderbuss!"

Zhu Youxiao laughed loudly, but before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly flickered.

But the white horse stepped on a piece of wet grass, and Zhu Youxiao reined in the horse, slipped its front hoof, and the horse fell forward.

Zhu Youxiao was almost thrown down. Fortunately, at the last moment, he pulled the reins hard, and the white horse suddenly jumped up, and then he gradually regained his composure.

"His Majesty--!"

Zhang Weixian hurried up to greet him, seeing that Zhu Youxiao was fine, he turned around and said angrily: "Cao Huachun, there are more than [-] people in the Jing army, did the imperial court raise them for nothing? The Nanyuan forbidden area is not well cared for. This is your dereliction of duty!"

"If it weren't for His Majesty's bravery today, I'm afraid it will be a big mistake!"

Cao Huachun didn't expect such a coincidence, when the emperor stopped his horse, he happened to pass by a piece of wet grass, and hurriedly knelt down and begged his sins: "I will die for my servant, I will die for my servant!"

This was an accident, and Zhu Youxiao didn't take it seriously, but was a little happy.

If it wasn't for this accident today, Zhu Youxiao didn't know how far his equestrian skills had reached, so he waved his hand and said:

"It's okay, it's okay, God's will is unpredictable!"

Cao Huachun wiped the cold sweat off his brow, and seemed to feel that the emperor's words had something to say, so he didn't dare to be negligent in the slightest, and hurriedly said:

"Your Majesty has a kind heart, and my slaves thank His Majesty for your kindness!"

"Hahaha, why are these trivial things so violent? By the way, I remember you said that there will be some people selling test questions in advance. Who are they?"

Zhu Youxiao laughed a few times and asked while rubbing his wrist.

Cao Huachun got up, followed the white horse and walked slowly, saying:

"Returning to Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance. It is said that the chief examiner Gu Dazhang deliberately sold test questions to Dongling Gongsheng, and even Zuodu Yushi was involved."

"I also vaguely remember that in the memorial book a few days ago, the proportion of tribute students on the gold list is a bit too much..." Zhu Youxiao held the rein of the horse in one hand, and seemed to be thinking about something when he said this, and then smiled again :

"But it's okay, it's just a coincidence with what happened today. I'm very concerned about where these rumors started."

"Gu Dazhang and Liu Zongzhou are both important ministers of the imperial court and gentlemen of Donglin. In my opinion, they are unlikely to do such a thing..."

"Go back and tell the Yamen of Shuntian Mansion to publish a list immediately to comfort people's hearts, and say that the recent rumors are all rumors, and the court will definitely arrest the instigator of the rumors."

After finishing speaking, Zhu Youxiao speeded up his horse and said while riding:

"Today's hunting is full of rewards, and I will send the deer I hunted to the concubine. As for the pheasant, I will pick the fattest one and send it to the Qianqing Palace. I will share it with the empress!"

Seeing the emperor and his party leave, Cao Huachun was a little unpredictable. Could it be that such an important matter should be passed by posting a list to appease people's hearts?

Chapter 4 Ten

Back at Kunning Palace, Zhu Youxiao kicked his boots, stepped on his stockings and walked in. He just sat down on the throne specially prepared for him, and breathed a sigh of relief.

After a few breaths, Zhang Yan personally poured a cup of hot tea and brought it to her eyes like an ordinary court lady. She observed Zhu Youxiao's complexion carefully, and said:

"Come back so late, you must be very tired, drink a cup of hot tea to warm up your body."

Zhu Youxiao reached out to pick up the tea, saw Zhang Yan turned around, took her hand again, and said with a smile: "I'm not tired at all, nor cold, but on the contrary, my whole body is steaming, dry and hot."

Zhang Yan turned around, saw Zhu Youjiao staring at him, took a few breaths, and said softly, "What kind of prey did your majesty bring back?"

Looking at his queen, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help reaching up, brushing her slightly messy hair, and said: "Today's shooting is the most profitable one I have ever received."

Zhang Yan smiled slightly, waiting for the emperor to speak.

Zhu Youxiao took a sip, then put the tea on the table, pulled Zhang Yan to sit on his lap, and said, "I have hunted a group of people today, a group of self-righteous people."

There was a blush on Zhang Yan's snow-white neck, and she didn't struggle, she just laughed softly: "How can your majesty hunt people!"

Zhu Youxiao remained silent, and only after a while did he talk about the fact that he almost stumbled and injured his horse while hunting today. Of course, in the end, he naturally had to return to the theme of his bravery and successful turnaround.

Zhang Yan picked up Zhu Youxiao's hand, looked at the scars on it, and said: "Your Majesty inherits the great achievements of our ancestors, teaches martial arts, and is good at shooting and hunting. This concubine knows that it means never forgetting danger."

"But think about it, Your Majesty, how can a horseshoe be reliable? With a body admired by all people, it is lighter than galloping and hunting. I am deeply worried for Your Majesty..."

Zhu Youxiao didn't care, and chuckled lightly: "Zhu'er's biting words, you can learn from those court ministers who have also done something!"

Zhang Yan frowned, then looked at the Maoqin Hall in the distance, and said: "Your Majesty is galloping and hunting, and his horse is as fast as flying. He is not inferior to the Mongolians on the frontier. The morale of the soldiers is naturally boosted when they see it. It is really frightening..."

"Even if Your Majesty doesn't think about concubines, he should still be a concubine, a prince..."

At this point, Zhu Youxiao turned her head, looked straight at her and said, "I know, and Zhu'er is worried. I haven't ridden a horse for a long time today, so I just had a good time!"

"I am not only the prince, but I have always been thinking about the queen."

"Look at you!..."

When Zhu Youxiao spoke, he stared at her affectionately, as if he was very serious.

Zhang Yan felt as if her heart was filled with honey, it was so sweet that it was difficult to breathe, a burst of joy echoed unconsciously in her chest, and she was about to rush out.

Zhang Yan seemed to feel something suddenly, a blush rose on her face, and she was even hotter.

She got up from Zhu Youxiao's legs who had already reacted, and walked into the bedroom on the east side. After a while, she took out a small hand-warming incense burner commonly used in the palace, handed it to Zhu Youxiao, and asked to put it in her arms before going to bed. for a while.

Zhu Youxiao kept nodding, and suddenly looked at her again, with a half-smile and said:

"How many times have I told you that these things can be handled by the palace eunuchs and eunuchs, you just stay with me, you don't need to be so busy!"

Zhang Yan also said "hmm" lightly, but in the blink of an eye she was making the bed again.

The queen is so virtuous, so Zhu Youxiao didn't say any more. He took off the stocking and threw it aside. Suddenly, he felt strange, and deliberately raised his voice, saying:

"Queen, come and pour water to wash my feet!"

"oops!"

Zhang Yan looked at this side with some shame and anger, at first she pretended not to care, but after a while, she gave Zhu Youxiao another look, and actually went to wash her feet herself.

Zhu Youxiao's machismo was greatly satisfied, but after all, he was reluctant to let Zhang Yan do the servant's work in person, and held her in his arms when he passed by.

Zhang Yan seemed to be embraced like this often, not surprised, let the emperor's big hands continue to play tricks on his body, and in a blink of an eye he heard him laugh like a villain:

"A good night is worth a thousand dollars! Empress, let's go to bed!"

……