Chapter 26: Selected Reading Companions
Now that the Zhu family is on the chopping block, they urgently need to find out the movements of Prince Xing's Palace, so Zhu Jia tries to win over Captain Lin and get him to work for her family.
In fact, Captain Lin was under a lot of pressure as well.
Now that the Zhu family is willing to bribe him, it is a good thing. Not only can he get things done, but he can also make money. Why not do it?
"Madam, there is another good news."
Captain Lin didn't want to say it, but now that the Zhu family promised him a huge profit, he no longer concealed it: "Didn't I tell you before that the court had sent people to secretly lurk in Prince Xing's palace, most of them were driven out, and there are still two people missing? Recently, I contacted one of them. It turns out that he is still in the palace. He has inherited his father's business and serves as a guard in the palace's ceremonial guard department. He has also settled down in Anlu."
Zhu Jia looked curious: "Who is it?"
Captain Lin was very secretive: "It is inconvenient to say it clearly."
Zhu Jia suddenly realized that this should be the "trump card" held by Captain Lin. If he only told her that there was such a person and then told her his specific identity so that the Zhu family could contact him, what value would he have?
Zhu Jia sighed, "At the beginning, the late emperor sent my Zhu family to Anlu to investigate whether the palace had any connections with officials, gentry, and nobles, to prevent them from rebelling against the emperor. The palace relied on others for internal affairs. Who would have thought that now... Alas!"
What you meant was that our Zhu family is only responsible for investigating the external affairs of the palace, and the court has assigned someone else to be responsible for collecting internal intelligence. Aren't you, Captain Lin, the one who took over this matter from your predecessor?
The Zhu family and Captain Lin jointly monitored Prince Xing's Palace, but now the court has put all the responsibility on the Zhu family. Zhu Jia reminds Captain Lin that you cannot stay out of it.
Captain Lin smiled and said, "This man's father was the general flag of the Jinyiwei, and served Prince Xing by order of the emperor. After Prince Xing was granted a title, his family moved to Anlu. After he came of age, he inherited the position and joined the Yiwei Division. Now he has taken root in the palace. If we can find another candidate to join Prince Xing's palace as an insider, we can support each other in the future."
Zhu Jia frowned.
What support? Even if he could successfully sneak into Prince Xing's Palace, he was just a child. How could he have any connection with the guards of the Prince's Palace?
Captain Lin bowed and said, "At this point, Madam, you should quickly arrange for someone to be selected as a reading companion for the palace. I will take my leave now."
"please!"
…
…
Zhu Jia personally escorted Captain Lin out of the village.
Afterwards, Zhu Wanjian was called to the main hall, and he was told about the selection of people to enter the Prince Xing's Palace and serve as a companion to the Prince Xing's son.
Zhu Wanjian was puzzled: "Mother, why hasn't this important event been announced to the public? We are selecting children of appropriate age to study in Prince Xing's Palace."
Zhu Jia said, "This is news that was passed on by someone in the palace. I think it will be posted publicly within a day or two."
Zhu Wanjian curled his lips and said disdainfully, "There are many children of the same age who study in our house. I have two children in my room, but they are not very good at studying. Can they be successfully sent to the palace?"
The Zhu family was not a family of scholars.
The Zhu family inherited the military position as a military household. Although in recent years the Zhu family has been trying to let their children study and take the imperial examinations, they also produced the scholar Zhu Wanquan.
But it is still very difficult to select someone from the younger generation of the Zhu family to be selected as a companion to the prince's palace.
"Bring back everyone we can. As long as they are under twelve years old, we can arrange for them to go for a try... Anlu is a remote place, and there aren't many real scholarly families. When the time comes, we'll have some activities. Is there anyone who dares to compete with our family?"
Zhu Jia is making preparations for both scenarios.
It would be best if he could be selected. If not, he could simply use the Jinyiwei to coerce and bribe his competitors. In the end, wouldn't it be the Zhu family's children who would be selected?
Zhu Wanjian had a wicked smile on his face: "By the way, the third brother's family has a little Haozi, do you want to invite him to participate in the election together?"
Zhu Jia's face was cold: "How can you be selected as a companion to the prince's palace if you haven't even opened your mouth yet? If it succeeds, how will the family control the third son's family in the future?"
Zhu Wanjian nodded: "Mom, you are thoughtful. I will go and make arrangements right away."
…
…
The Zhu family prepared for a rainy day and made arrangements in advance.
At this time, Zhu Hao was also preparing to go back and tell his mother and Aunt Li about this matter.
If the plan took the worst possible step and he could only work as a servant in the palace, he would not dare to tell his family in advance.
Being a slave or a maid is a sign of willingly lowering oneself to low status.
But now things are very different!
The palace wants to select a study partner in the city, and the status will be that of a classmate of Prince Xiaoxing. Although he cannot leave the palace every day in the future, he does not have to be trapped in that small world of the palace.
When Zhu Hao explained the situation, Zhu Niang frowned and asked, " Xiao Hao, who told you about this?"
Zhu Hao said, "It was Mr. Lu who told me... Mr. Lu has a close personal relationship with the Prince Sui. With his help, if I can enter the Prince's Palace to be a companion to Prince Xiaoxing, then I can study and not be controlled by my grandmother. It can be said that I kill two birds with one stone."
Zhu Niang and Aunt Li looked at each other, and from their expressions, it could be seen that they did not support it.
Aunt Li asked, "Did Mr. Lu say he could help you get into Prince Xing's mansion?"
"It hasn't been explicitly stated, but maybe we can give it a try." Zhu Hao lied.
Zhu Niang shook her head: "The palace is a strategic location with strict access control. It is not easy to get out once you enter. I will try my best to help you find a master. You don't have to take the risk of entering the palace."
Originally Zhu Hao thought that Zhu Niang would support him, but now he finally understood that his mother not only wanted her son to be successful, but was also afraid that the child would get into trouble.
As a member of the Zhu family, Zhu Niang certainly knew that Prince Xing's Mansion had become the target of public criticism in the court.
At the family meeting held by Zhu Jiashi before, it was stated that Prince Xing's Mansion was a thorn in the side of the royal family, and Zhu Niang certainly did not want her son to get involved in muddy waters.
Zhu Hao asked, "Then mother wants me to return to the Zhu family?"
This question stumped Zhu Niang again.
Of course, she didn't want her son to enter Prince Xing's Mansion, but did she want her son to return to the Zhu family?
"Mother, in my opinion, the Xingwang Mansion is a place where dragons and crouching tigers are hidden... Mr. Lu said that the current emperor has no heirs. If we follow the order of succession to the throne, if the current emperor has any accident, a real dragon will fly out of the Xingwang Mansion."
In order to get Zhu Niang's agreement, Zhu Hao had to make the conflict of interest clear.
Zhu Niang was shocked: "Xiaohao, you can't say such things casually. If you spread it, you will be beheaded."
Aunt Li opened her eyes wide, obviously she was also very frightened.
"Mr. Lu said it, not me. If the government wants to investigate, they won't go after a child, right?" Zhu Hao smiled, looking harmless.
Zhu Niang's expression eased, and Zhu Hao struck while the iron was hot and said, "If that's the case, if I go to Prince Xing's Mansion to study, won't I have the opportunity to meet the future emperor? Not only can I study and take the imperial examination, but I can also grow up with the true dragon emperor..."
Zhu Niang raised her hand to interrupt her son and shouted, "Don't say such things anymore. Even if it's not from you, you can't spread it on behalf of Mr. Lu. Maybe he really wants you to do it for your own good, but the Prince Xing's Mansion... you can't just enter if you want to. Since you have to be selected, and you haven't even read a book, your chances are slim. Rong Niang, please discuss it with your aunt and then decide whether to let you go for the selection!"
…
…
After talking for a long time, Zhu Hao tried his best but still failed to agree with his mother whether to be selected or not.
Zhu Hao suddenly felt that perhaps he should act first and ask for permission later to avoid any complications. But he also understood that the two mothers, one big and one small, were also thinking about his own interests.
The next day, the news of the palace selecting a companion for the prince spread throughout the streets.
At the same time, the election rules are also posted publicly.
The standard is that the candidate is between seven and nine years old, has been in elementary school for one or two years, can recite the Analects and Mencius, has a clean family background, and cannot have any criminals among his relatives. The palace provides food, accommodation, and daily expenses for the four treasures of the study...
In short, the conditions are favorable, and for children from ordinary families it is an opportunity to study for free.
When the news came out, public reaction was enthusiastic.
The selection will be conducted before the end of the month and one needs to "register" first. The palace will send people to investigate the family background of the candidates, which is actually the most difficult hurdle for Zhu Hao to pass.
If the Xing Palace knew that he was from the Jinyiwei Zhu family, and had already learned that the Zhu family settled in Anlu to monitor the Xing Palace, then how could the Zhu family's children have the opportunity to study in the palace?
That afternoon, when Zhu Hao and Uncle Zhong were going out of the city to collect salt, Zhu Hao asked with a smile, "Uncle Zhong, do you think it's okay for me to apply for the position of a tutor in the palace?"
Uncle Zhong was puzzled: "Young Master, you are the only son of the head of the family. If you enter the palace... it may seem glorious on the surface, but you may suffer a lot behind the scenes. I'm afraid the head of the family won't let you go, right?"
"But if I don't enter the palace and am taken back by my grandmother, I'm afraid my life will be even worse, right?" Zhu Hao continued to ask.
Uncle Zhong sighed, "Young Master, if you go back to the Zhu family, you will be surrounded by clan members and blood relatives. But if you go to the palace, it will be like a sheep among wolves, full of dangers! It is better to leave the opportunity to the children of the noble families on the surface of Anlu. Even if they have trouble entering the palace, they will have people outside to support them, so their situation will not be too bad."
Zhu Hao smiled and said, "Children from wealthy and prominent families, especially those from prominent families, may not want to go... Even if they go, the palace may not necessarily want them."
"Why?"
Zhong Shu stared.
Zhu Hao couldn't explain much.
In fact, the reason is very simple. When the royal palace selects a companion for study, it is of course best to choose a child from a small family. The background of such a child is not that complicated, and the interests of the family are firmly tied to the Xingwang Palace.
If he is the son of an official, the meaning is different. The Prince Xing's Mansion needs to worry about being held accountable by the court, saying that he has connections with local officials and gentry and is plotting something illegal!
Moreover, no matter how powerful the local gentry in Anlu can be, how powerful can it be? In the future, the Prince Xing's Mansion may produce a real dragon. Does it need to contact the officials and gentry in this small place of Anlu?
They just want to train a few potential helpers for their son, and the simpler the background, the better.
