Chapter 152: The Emperor’s Moods

Zhang Yue failed to attend the selection due to “illness,” but despite knowing that the Hanlin Academy offered little in the way of status, others wouldn’t miss the chance to join it—after all, it was a great opportunity to get close to the emperor. Thus, aside from him and the three top candidates who were definitely selected as Hanlin scholars, all 246 remaining Jinshi from that examination batch attended. To be admitted to the Hanlin Academy, one first needed to excel in writing, so after the three rounds of exams, the Jinshi didn’t find it any easier than the previous imperial examinations, with the examiners being especially strict.

Although Yang Rong sent someone to check on Zhang Yue’s illness, he privately thought his “illness” was just right—it prevented people from questioning the rankings of the second tier, yet it also stopped him from actually entering the Hanlin Academy and wasting time in the capital. Of course, he had deeper considerations, but these were not meant for outsiders to know. When reporting the results of the selection, when Zhu Di asked thoughtfully why Zhang Yue was absent, his conviction grew even stronger.

“Your Majesty, he happened to fall ill before the selection. It’s truly a pity.”

“Oh, he’s ill?” Zhu Di nodded thoughtfully, then picked up another memorial scroll, casually asking as he read, “Besides him, are there any others who didn’t attend due to illness?”

“Your Majesty, only he is missing from this batch of Jinshi.”

“That’s strange!” Zhu Di continued reading without looking up, saying, “His writings may not be top-notch, but they are quite good. As long as the examiners don’t deliberately reject him, it shouldn’t be hard to get him as a Hanlin scholar. But since he’s Zhang Fu’s nephew, and there were already rumors after he passed the imperial exams, if he gets another position as a Hanlin scholar, some people might react badly. His illness is quite clever—it avoids many problems!”

Yang Rong was pondering whether the phrase “clever illness” was a compliment or had some other meaning when Zhu Di, who had been polite moments earlier, suddenly snapped, “That bastard! Does he really think I don’t know everything?”

This sudden outburst caught Yang Rong off guard. In that brief moment of confusion, Zhu Di flung the memorial scroll away. Just then, a eunuch brought tea on an inlaid lacquer tray, and coincidentally, the scroll hit him in the face. His vision went dark, and he lost his balance; the tray and teacup flew out of his hands. In the already tense atmosphere of the hall, the loud clatter was particularly jarring.

After a brief silence, Zhu Di suddenly roared in fury, “Throw him out and execute him with a stick!” Although Yang Rong didn’t care about a trivial eunuch, watching that young eunuch, barely seventeen or eighteen years old, being dragged out by two strong Jinyiwei guards who rushed in, his mouth covered so he couldn’t speak, yet his legs still kicking desperately, made him feel as if something was blocking his chest and preventing him from breathing. It wasn’t the first time he had experienced the emperor’s capricious temper, but over the years, Zhu Di’s mood had become increasingly violent, to the point of terrifying him. “How dare he still speak to me about serving at my side! I’m lucky I’m not killed by his anger! Yang Rong, draft an edict for me—tell that little brat to stay put in Le’an Prefecture, Shandong. If he dares to set foot outside, I…” Zhu Di took a deep breath, his face showing unmistakable brutality. “If he thinks he’s brave enough, let him bring his soldiers and try it out. Let’s see if those guys will obey his orders or mine in a sudden turn of events!” He was referring, of course, to the Prince of Han who had now been banished to Le’an Prefecture, Shandong. Though Yang Rong was extremely dissatisfied with Prince Zhu Gaoxu, facing Zhu Di’s furious outburst, he couldn’t help but feel worried. He quickly returned to his seat, ground ink, and soon drafted an edict. Knowing well Zhu Di’s temper, he handed it in with both hands after finishing it, then casually changed the subject and joked about other matters, as if Zhu Di had never been enraged before. “Hm.” After glancing at the edict drafted by Yang Rong, Zhu Di set it aside casually, his anger seemingly gone. Since Shi Qi remained to assist the crown prince and Hu Guang had passed away, only Yang Rong was working in the cabinet that day. While handling state affairs, he casually asked a few questions here and there before suddenly posing another one. “I’ve executed Zhou Mian and demoted Liang Qian. What does the crown prince say?” Though it was a completely unexpected question, Yang Rong wasn’t an ordinary person. With quick thinking, he immediately replied, “Your Majesty, you forgot—the crown prince already submitted a letter of apology, admitting he had been deceived and now regretted it too late. Moreover, with Shi Qi by his side to advise him, the crown prince will surely not trust such bribes anymore, and those treacherous villains won’t be able to deceive him either.”

“Zhou Mian is a scoundrel, but Liang Qian isn’t.” Zhu Di was momentarily speechless with laughter, which reminded him of Du Zhen who had interceded for Liang Qian. “Du Yishan has been in office for some time now. The provincial governor there submits reports frequently, but he, in just one month, hasn’t submitted a single report! What news is there from Shandong?”
Yang Rong was still on guard against Zhu Di asking more about the crown prince, Zhu Gaochi, but unexpectedly, the emperor shifted the topic again. Feeling as if his prepared punch had lost its target, he was extremely frustrated. Yet, that was just Zhu Di’s nature, so he could only take a deep breath.
“Your Majesty, the White Lotus Sect has been active in Shandong for days and weeks. Such rebels are treacherous and cunning; it won’t be easy to uncover the truth right away. Du Yishan is prudent and steady, so he surely won’t rush to claim credit at the slightest hint…”
“You’re saying he won’t apologize just because he found nothing at first, right?” Zhu Di cut Yang Rong off. Seeing his surprise, Yang Rong bowed in agreement, prompting Zhu Di to laugh heartily. “Since I’ve appointed him, I trust him. But write to that cold-faced man and tell him to submit reports when it’s time—there’s no need to wait for results! Hmm, when the Ministry of Personnel selects officials from the new graduates this time, inform them of my wish to send Zhang Yue to Shandong as well!”
Even Yang Rong, who was usually calm, was startled and quickly warned, “Your Majesty, the White Lotus Sect is rampant in Shandong. What if something goes wrong…”
“If he’s the nephew of the Duke of Ying, how could he fail to handle such a minor situation?” Zhu Di dismissed his concerns with a wave of his hand and added, “Shi Qi also suggested this to me, and I think it’s a good idea. Sons of noble families are usually pampered; even if they seem capable in the past, their skills are merely petty and lack true talent! His teacher is currently in Shandong, and it’s difficult for that governor. If his student avoids challenges, he won’t achieve much in the future!”
Only then did Yang Rong realize that Yang Shi Qi had made such a recommendation. He regretted having interjected earlier. After all, he had little connection with the Zhang family. Rather than acting out of respect for Du Zhen or Yang Shi Qi, he had been considering Zhu Di’s temperament. In a flash, he remembered Meng Xian, the commander of the Changshan guards who had just been dismissed the previous day, and an idea struck him.

“I can’t guarantee it, but the bond between Du Yishan and Zhang Yue as teacher and student is extremely deep. If the Ministry of Personnel assigns Zhang Yue to Shandong, he will surely be delighted. However, to speak frankly, the Duke of Yingguo’s nephews have all reached marriage age. The eldest has already been engaged, and it is said the second one has also found a suitor. As for Zhang Yue, I’ve heard there are countless people from various families offering marriage proposals to his family.”

Although Zhu Di was not the kind of emperor who ruled by merely issuing orders from the palace, he didn’t go around incognito just for fun either. Even the notorious Jinyiwei would not report such trivial matters. After further inquiry, he learned that the marriage of Zhang Yue was of utmost concern to the Meng and Du families. After a brief pause, he smiled.

“I didn’t expect that kid Zhang Yue to be so sought after.” The more he thought about it, the more interesting it seemed, until he couldn’t help but laugh heartily. “Putting the Meng family aside, I’ve never heard that cold-hearted Du Yishan would take a liking to his own student. Good, good—this marriage would indeed be a fine match. Being both a mentor and a father-in-law, it would make a wonderful story when told.”

As for the Meng family, Yang Rong naturally understood what was meant. Compared to Du Zhen, Meng Shan, the first Marquis of Baoding, had fought alongside Zhu Di to establish the dynasty—so the degree of closeness was self-evident. If it weren’t for the fact that this Meng family was not the original branch but Meng Xian, Zhu Di might have had a different opinion. Realizing this, Yang Rong felt much more at ease.

It seemed the emperor, though suspicious of the Eastern Palace, still had a clear judgment in his heart.

So, as he left Jingfu Palace, he let out a long sigh, filled with anticipation for the new members joining the Hanlin Academy. He walked there carefree, not noticing Princess Chenliu, Zhu Ning, approaching. Nor did he see her stop a short distance away, staring thoughtfully at his retreating figure until he was out of sight.

The maid beside her didn’t understand why Zhu Ning was staring at Yang Rong and asked puzzledly, “Princess, aren’t you going to Jingfu Palace to plead for the Meng family?”

“When did you hear that I’m going to plead for them?”

Zhu Ning turned and glared coldly at the maid until she timidly stepped back and lowered her head. Only then did she look up at the red-tiled, double-eaved roofs of Jingfu Palace, longing deeply for the ZhouWangfu in Kaifeng. As a princess with privileges even greater than those of a crown princess, she had once been delighted, but that spoiled girl phase had long passed. At least she still knew what to say and what not to say.

Moreover, when she met Meng Min yesterday, although she mentioned her father’s demotion, her tone was somewhat relaxed. She wasn’t like some superficial young ladies who constantly complained and cried. Why would she go and make things worse?
It’s really strange—out of all these wealthy young ladies, why are the two she’s closest to both having family discussions about marriage with the Zhang family, and to the same person at that?