Qianqing Palace.

"Elder Yang Ge, has there been a result of the palace test? Tomorrow morning, send a report to me, so why do you need to come in person? Zhu Si looked very impatient.

Yang Tinghe took the initiative to come to the Qianqing Palace to ask for a meeting, and also brought Mao Cheng and Feng Xi, which had the intention of persecution, which made Zhu Si resist very much.

The attitude of the new emperor was very different from yesterday when he went to check the file in person.

The reason why Yang Tinghe came to test it was also because he noticed that the new emperor had an abnormal demeanor when he went to Wenyuan Pavilion to read the scroll yesterday, which made him feel that he might have a close relationship with one of them.

Yang Tinghe said: "Now that the second and third class rankings have been set, the seal has been opened, and I am preparing to fill in the imperial list." ”

"Oh!?"

Zhu Sidao, "The second and third grades are all decided, and there are only three people left in the first grade?" Does it mean that there are still top rankings in the top two that have not been decided? ”

Mao Cheng stepped forward and said respectfully: "It's all decided." ”

Zhu Si smiled: "That's okay, there are only three people in the first class, what's not to decide?" ”

Yang Tinghe said: "When it comes to the candidate for the champion, it is extremely important, so please ask Your Majesty to decide it personally." ”

As he spoke, Yang Tinghe asked Fengxi to hand over the three exam papers that were still in the seal.

Zhu Si didn't want to read it, but he wanted to know if Zhu Hao's exam papers were among the three papers, so he tried to suppress the excitement in his heart, waved his hand at Zhang Zuo, and Zhang Zuo brought the three papers to him.

"This ...... Let me decide? ”

Zhu Si asked casually.

He saw Zhu Hao's roll at a glance, and the tight strings in his heart were finally released.

Yang Tinghe said: "Yes." ”

Zhu Si asked, "Who are they?" ”

Mao Cheng replied again: "There are still three people, namely Jiangxi Fei Maozhong, Beizhili Yang Weicong and Huguang Zhu Hao. ”

"Who?"

Zhu Siyi's eyes widened when he heard this, with a look of gloom on his face, "I said the last one." ”

When Yang Tinghe heard it, there was really a problem.

Mao Cheng repeated: "Naihu Guang'an Luzhou raised Zhu Hao. ”

Zhu Si took a closer look at the exam paper, squinted his eyes, Yang Tinghe looked at it a little, and the emperor really looked at the paper with the highest evaluation and known as "standing out from the crowd", and immediately counted it in his heart.

Zhu Si suddenly turned to the one next to him, picked it up and said, "Let's use this volume as the champion." ”

This move made Yang Tinghe stunned and unexpected.

Mao Cheng hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the articles on the first volume have been appreciated by all the paper readers, and their articles are sophisticated, so they should be the choice of the champions." ”

Zhu Si frowned: "Didn't you let me decide?" Now that I'm going to make a decision, and you say it's the best, why do you want me to get involved? Just make your own decisions. ”

The emperor was angry.

You scholars, are you making fun of me?

Said let me choose, but I chose but you didn't agree?

Yang Tinghe bowed slightly, and when he looked at Zhu Si, Zhu Si glared at him fiercely.

Yang Tinghe was not annoyed at all, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, it is better to open the three volumes and then arrange them." ”

Zhu Si stood up from behind the table, obviously not wanting to dwell too much: "Although I have never presided over the palace examination before, I also know that I should open the seal after the ranking is listed, and the rules cannot be changed without permission, I have to lead by example...... That's it, Elder Yang Ge, which exam paper do you think is worthy of the title of champion, I listen to you. ”

Yang Tinghe arched his hand: "The hadith is deafening, and the old minister believes that as His Majesty said, since it is determined by the rules, then the one with the highest evaluation is the champion." ”

Zhu Si's face was full of displeasure, but his heart was happy.

He thought to himself, sure enough, Zhu Hao was right, I skipped Zhu Hao's article and chose someone else's, Yang Tinghe must have felt that I recognized Zhu Hao's handwriting and wanted to retaliate against the Zhu family, so he chose Zhu Hao's article as the champion, and what did he say to act according to the rules, if he really didn't have bad intentions, why did he come to ask me for instructions?

"Elder Yang Ge, do you have to insist on this?"

Zhu Si chattered endlessly, trying to get Yang Tinghe to change his mind.

Mao Cheng hurriedly came out of the ranks: "Your Majesty, the palace examination paper should be the champion with the highest evaluation, which is the national body." Take the second part as the example, and the third part as the flower, please Your Majesty Holy Judgment. ”

Zhu Si waved his hand: "That's okay, just take him as the champion...... Whoever he is, he will play another tomorrow morning, and you can step down. ”

……

……

Yang Tinghe took Mao Cheng and Feng Xi back to the Wenhua Palace.

There was no communication on the way.

When he arrived at the Wenhua Palace, Mao Cheng couldn't help but ask, "Pavilion Elder, what does Your Majesty mean?" ”

Yang Tinghe pointed at Feng Xi, and Feng Xi immediately withdrew from the hall with each other, so that only Mao Cheng and Yang Tinghe were left alone in the Wenhua Palace.

Yang Tinghe said: "You come and open the seal." ”

Mao Cheng immediately opened the three exam papers, and in the order they were arranged, they were Zhu Hao, Yang Weicong and Fei Maozhong.

"Huh? Why ...... The fourteen-year-old? Mao Cheng was very surprised.

Zhu Hao's article is so outstanding?

First won the yuan, and now it is the champion again?

Yang Tinghe said: "It seems that this son's academic attainments are not shallow!" ”

"But the husband ...... He ......" Mao Cheng looked around, and after making sure that there was no one else, he reminded in a low voice, "This is Anlu, will it ...... Provoked criticism? ”

In fact, Mao Cheng didn't mean to "provoke criticism", but wanted to say, will this person form a party with the emperor and not be used by us?

Yang Tinghe smiled and said, "At first glance, you know very little about this son, he is not only a student in Anlu Prefecture, but also grew up in the palace since he was a child, and he has a lot of connections with His Majesty today......"

"Huh?!"

Mao Cheng was really shocked at this time.

Yang Tinghe said: "But he is also the son of the Zhu family of Jinyi Wei Qianhu, the old man specially inquired about this son's uncle, and now Zhu Wanhong of Jinyi Wei Qianhu, I learned from him that this son has been arranged to be a companion in the palace since he was a child, and has always acted as the eyeliner of the imperial court." ”

Mao Cheng couldn't have imagined that there was so much inside information behind him, and he was speechless for a while.

"Therefore, Your Majesty, when you learned that this volume was ranked high in the East Pavilion yesterday, you will have a different look, but Your Majesty recognized his handwriting at a glance, and was repulsed, and today it is resolutely not to choose him as the champion."

Yang Tinghe spoke his own judgment.

Mao Cheng said: "Is it possible, Your Majesty has a close relationship with this son, and Your Majesty is pretending?" ”

A sneer appeared at the corner of Yang Tinghe's mouth: "The old man once asked the Queen Mother for Zhang Yongzhang's father-in-law, and learned that the death of the eldest son of King Xingxian was related to the Jinyi Wei Zhu family...... Do you think Your Majesty will trust the children of the Zhu family? ”

Mao Cheng suddenly realized: "No wonder, Your Majesty clearly recognized his words and knew him, but he didn't choose him as the champion, it turned out that there was such a grudge, that ......"

Yang Tinghe issued a warning: "Only you and I know about this matter, and we must not leak it to others." ”

"It's nature."

Mao Cheng wiped a handful of cold sweat.

Jin Yiwei plotted to kill the eldest son of Xingwangfu? That is, the little emperor does not have much real power now, otherwise he will definitely issue an order for a thorough investigation, and there are not a few people who are implicated.

Yang Tinghe picked up Zhu Hao's scroll again, and his eyes were deep: "In this way, such a young man can also be used by the old man." ”

"But Jiefu, after all, this son is from Anlu Prefecture, I'm afraid that the rumors outside will be bad, he is not very old, how can he serve the public in the new science and technology jinshi? Ranked first, you can enter Hanyuan, but you are still the champion...... Isn't it...... Alas! ”

Mao Cheng has something to say that he is embarrassed to say, the emperor clearly resists Zhu Hao as the champion, and you are still tough against the wind, it is clear that you don't give the emperor face!

Yang Tinghe said coldly: "It's just doing things according to the rules, why be afraid?" ”

……

……

The ranking of the palace examination is determined.

That night, Zhu Si couldn't wait to inform Zhu Hao of the good news, and he was extremely excited, as if he had won the top prize.

The old men in the Xingwang Mansion all stepped forward and congratulated Zhu Hao with a smile on their faces.

Tang Yin sighed: "Fourteen-year-old boy, Lianzhong Sanyuan...... No, you are Lianzhong six yuan, which can be said to be the first person in the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Hao, you are worthy of the appreciation and cultivation of you as a teacher. ”

When he put gold on his face, Tang Yin began to regard himself as Zhu Hao's enlightenment teacher again.

Zhu Hao didn't have much joy on his face, his eyes blinked, and he asked, "Yang Ge Lao's side, there is no abnormal behavior?" ”

"Who says no?"

Zhu Sidao, "Yang Ting and that old horseman, today they actually took advantage of the palace test to go to my Qianqing Palace with the Ministry of Rites Shangshu and Hanlin Bachelor, and they really regarded the palace as their own home!" Fortunately, Zhu Hao, you reminded me, and I pretended to recognize your words, but I didn't choose you as the champion, guess what? That old puppet actually told me that everything should be done according to the rules, and the champion can only be you...... The old guy didn't know that he had been calculated by us a long time ago! ”

Zhu Si was unusually annoyed when he spoke.

Obviously, Yang Tinghe went to the Qianqing Palace today to ask for a meeting, which completely angered him.

Although Zhu Si can refuse, Yang Tinghe's move has an arrogance of "you dare not see me", which is where Zhu Si is ashamed.

Zhu Hao said: "It doesn't matter if the champion is not, as long as he feels that there is a feud between the minister and His Majesty, let the minister stay in Beijing in the future." ”

Zhu Si asked puzzledly: "But Zhu Hao, why did I say that I didn't choose you, but the old man surnamed Yang insisted on acting according to the rules?" ”

Zhang Zuo was also very strange: "Yes, Mr. Zhu, our family really can't understand this, Your Majesty asked, and our family didn't know how to answer." ”

Zhang Zuo intended to "admit it" in front of Zhu Hao.

He belittled himself so much because he knew that Zhu Si thought that Zhu Hao's strategy was unparalleled in the world, and if he still pretended to be big, it would leave a bad impression on the new emperor that "you are not sincere and want to fight with Zhu Hao", so it is better to elevate Zhu Hao in front of others and belittle himself, reflecting his humble desire to learn and his incomparable respect for Zhu Hao.

Zhu Hao said: "Because he takes it for granted that I am one with the Zhu family behind me, and the Zhu family stayed in Anlu to monitor the Xingwang Mansion, so he has a grudge with His Majesty." ”

"Really? Ha ha. Zhu Si obviously knew this statement, but with Zhu Hao here, he didn't think about the Zhu family in a bad way, but thought it was fun.

Zhang Zuo looked embarrassed: "This may not be good for Mr. Zhu's reputation." ”

Zhu Si waved his hand: "What's wrong?" Let the surnamed Yang think that Zhu Hao is from the Zhu family of Jinyiwei, and he will relax his vigilance, maybe he will think that Zhu Hao will join his party, and then Zhu Hao will successfully break into them, but if there is any plan, Zhu Hao will deal with it as soon as possible, and see the move...... It's exciting to think about! ”

Zhang Zuo shuddered when he heard this, if there really is that day, Yang Tinghe will be unlucky.

Zhu Sizhen raised his arms: "Anyway, in the future, I will have strong reinforcements in the DPRK, and finally I will no longer fight alone, with Zhu Hao here, it will not be far from the time when the old horsemen go home to farm!" I've been waiting for this day to come sooner! ”