Chapter 29: All are related
The selection is finally scheduled for June 25th.
If all goes well, the results will be announced on the same day.
If Zhu Hao could pass the entrance exam and be admitted to Prince Xing's mansion as a companion student, then regardless of whether Zhu Niang could pay the family's forty-odd taels of money at the end of the month, Zhu Hao could escape the family's control.
The day before the selection, on the 24th, Zhu Niang went back to the Zhu family. It was Zhu Jia who called her back to discuss family affairs. When she came back, she looked relatively good.
"Mom, did grandma give you any trouble?"
Zhu Hao quickly pulled Zhu Niang to sit at the table, pouring her tea while asking questions.
Zhu Niang shook her head: "Your grandmother just summarized the family's income in the past two months. Only our side handed over the most profits. Your grandmother asked us to keep up the good work."
Zhu Niang was delighted to receive the old lady's approval.
Zhu Hao said, "Mom, I think grandma wants to praise you to death, right?"
"What is flattery?"
Aunt Li, who was standing by, didn't understand and asked.
Zhu Hao did not explain, but asked: "Has grandma tried to find out whether we can renew the share of money at the end of the month? Or tried to find out how our business is this month?"
"this……"
Zhu Niang thought about it, and although she didn't want to admit it, she nodded.
Zhu Hao smiled bitterly and said, "If my guess is correct, if we can pay the full amount of money by the end of the month, my family will use me as a scapegoat and take me back home, ostensibly to study, but in fact to keep me under surveillance and force my mother to submit."
Aunt Li felt that Zhu Hao's words were a bit extreme, and couldn't help but remind him: "Master Hao, the Zhu family is still your family, you can't look down on people like that."
"Aunt, we should always prepare for the worst... Mother, I have to take the examination for selecting companions for Prince Xing's Mansion tomorrow. Do you have any opinions?"
Zhu Niang had been busy looking for a teacher for her son these days and had long forgotten about this matter. After being reminded, her face immediately became solemn: "Xiaohao, even if you are lucky enough to pass the exam, your grandmother will not allow you to be a companion..."
"After much thought, mother decided to return to the Zhu family. After all, we are blood relatives, so it won't be too difficult. But once we enter the palace... with its high walls and large courtyards, it will be difficult for mother to even see you once."
Zhu Hao said, "Mom, I am going to be the little prince's classmate, to study and grow up together. You said that as if I am going to jail."
Aunt Li also advised: "Master Hao, it is said that once you enter a marquis's mansion, it is like entering a deep sea, let alone a prince's mansion. You'd better not go."
I don't know where I heard some weird poems, which seem profound but actually make no sense. Do you think I am going to marry into Prince Xing's Mansion and Xiao Lang will be a passerby from now on?
"Mother, Auntie, I heard that the new magistrate of Beijing sent his son to the Prince Xing's Mansion for the selection, and they will take the selection exam together tomorrow... It won't be too humiliating for me to go, right?"
Zhu Hao then told the news he had heard.
Zhu Niang shook her head: "How could the county magistrate's son be chosen as a study companion?"
"Why don't you believe it, mother? This is not a secret. Besides, I came to the palace to be a tutor, not a servant. I don't need to sign a contract to sell myself. Even if I am unhappy in there and want to leave, or mother wants to take me out, can it be that Prince Xing's palace will be unreasonable?"
But no matter how Zhu Hao persuaded her, Zhu Niang was determined not to let her son take the exam.
"Mom, anyway, I won't go back to the Zhu family... I heard that after my grandmother took me back, she sent me directly to the family workshop as an apprentice. At that time, I would be responsible for raising livestock, leading mules, and removing horse manure."
Zhu Hao's words shocked Zhu Niang: "This... this... is not possible?"
Zhu Hao said, "Don't underestimate the ruthlessness of the Zhu family towards their own people... If grandma was sincere, why would she report me to the government twice in a row? Doesn't she know what it means for a chaste woman to go to the government? Is there anything more despicable than sending your own woman to jail?"
Originally, Zhu Niang disagreed no matter what, but after hearing what Zhu Hao said and recalling the past, her heart suddenly sank.
She went to jail, but luckily she was released that night. Even so, if the news got out, how much damage would it cause to her reputation? In this era, a woman going to jail was like going to the gates of hell. The Zhu family took the initiative to report to the government twice, which was tantamount to framing her.
"Then...can you pass the selection tomorrow?" Zhu Niang finally gave in.
Zhu Hao nodded heavily: "Everything depends on human effort. I have Mr. Lu's guidance, so it shouldn't be too bad... Believe me, I will definitely be able to successfully enter Prince Xing's Mansion."
Zhu Niang sighed softly: "I'm afraid you won't be selected. Besides, even if you are selected, your grandmother won't let you go... Oh, prepare well."
…
…
Passing the test of Zhu Niang and Aunt Li was a huge progress for Zhu Hao.
In order to enter the Prince Xing's Palace, he had to first obtain the support of his relatives. As for the attitude of the Zhu family... it was not within his consideration.
On the 25th, the weather was a bit hot, and Zhu Niang specially prepared a new . As a mother, she felt guilty for not being able to ensure her son's studies, so she did not skimp on his clothes at all. Although she was still tight on money, she still let her son go to the election in style.
Zhu Niang and Aunt Li did not accompany them, and asked Yu San to stay by their side.
The place to register for the exam is located outside the east gate of Xingwang Mansion, not far away from the flower and bird market.
Yu San was not qualified to enter the palace, so when he arrived, he handed the cloth bag sewn by Zhu Niang to Zhu Hao, and then walked aside to wait.
There was a commotion outside the east gate of the palace. Zhu Hao observed carefully and found that the children who came to participate in the selection were all dressed very well, but their accompanying parents were basically wearing coarse linen clothes, which showed that their family background was only average. Come to think of it, the real wealthy families would not bother to send their children to Xingwang Palace as companions.
Zhu Hao saw an acquaintance in the crowd, it was the new magistrate of Changshou, Jing Zhongkuan, whom he had met once before.
The magistrate of Jing was wearing a straight Taoist robe and a flat-top scarf today, looking gentle and elegant.
The Prince Xing's Palace sent an official to entertain them. Zhu Hao took a glance and saw that the official was also dressed in a straight robe and his rank was not visible. As for Jiang Lun, there was no sign of him.
Just after the hour of Chen, more than a dozen guards from the palace drove the parents who were sending their children to take the exam to one side, and then made a group of children line up and enter Prince Xing's palace one by one.
Soon a group of children came to a big elm tree inside the east gate that was so big that four or five people could hug it. The dense shade of the tree covered a large area, and there was a sense of coolness under the scorching sun.
There was a swing hanging on a branch that stretched out horizontally at the side. It swayed slightly in the breeze. I didn't know who it was prepared for.
There were about 30 children participating in the selection, and their ages ranged from six to ten, with some only four or five years old. Zhu Hao pondered for a moment. The selection requirement was to memorize the two books of the Four Books, The Analects and Mencius. What could these four or five-year-old children do? They couldn't even speak clearly, right?
"Wow!"
One child, who had never experienced such a scene, actually burst into tears in public.
It didn't matter that they cried. The children were already very nervous, and now they were all restless. A child who was about the same age as Zhu Hao shouted , "Stop crying! If you cry again, I'll kick you out!"
Zhu Hao turned his head and looked.
Although this child is young, he has a resolute expression, and his eyes are calm and sharp , flashing with a brightness that penetrates people's hearts. It is obvious at first glance that his temperament is very different from that of ordinary children.
The frightened child was the youngest one. Upon hearing the words, he ran crying towards the direction where the guards were gathered. He grabbed a captain of the Royal Guards who had a sword on his waist, and pointed at this side while crying, as if he was complaining.
Zhu Hao's heart trembled.
It turns out that the crying boy is actually a candidate for selection within the palace. Needless to say, he went to complain to his family.
An eight or nine-year-old kid laughed and joked, "Hey, you're going to be in trouble. He has a backer."
The one who just said the harsh words rolled his eyes: "It's still unclear who will be unlucky."
As they were talking, the captain of the palace's ceremonial guard department came over with a child. It was not known whether the crying child was his son or a child from his own family. At the same time, Jing Zhongkuan and the palace official who entertained him came over together.
"Lu Dianzhang, what's the matter?"
The palace officials directly questioned the captain of the Ceremonial Guard.
Hearing this name, Zhu Hao's brows showed surprise.
Lu Dian Zhang?
Could it be that this broad-faced, square-eared, handsome man with a bit of heroism is the famous Lu Song?
Lu Song used to be the chief guard of Prince Xing’s palace and had served the emperor well. And that crying and complaining kid... was Lu Bing?
Lu Bing was born in the fifth year of Zhengde's reign. He was only four years old in the ninth year of Zhengde, or five years old in lunar age. This was probably the important reason why there were so many children of four or five years old who came to apply to be selected as study companions.
He is related to me!
Lu Dianzhang said, "I heard that there was a small dispute among the students who were applying for the election here, so I came here to take a look."
The chief guard of the royal palace was a sixth-rank military officer. However, after the Battle of Tumu, the Ming Dynasty emphasized civil over military. A sixth-rank military officer, let alone the chief guard of the royal palace, even a captain of a garrison or a guard commander would have to kneel down and kowtow when seeing a seventh-rank county magistrate. The class gap was almost insurmountable.
Jing Zhongkuan smiled and pointed at the child who had just frightened others: "Zhang Fengzheng, this is my son, please take good care of him."
Fengzheng is the chief eunuch in the palace.
The eunuch named Zhang Fengzheng in the Prince Xing's Mansion is naturally Zhang Zuo, the future eunuch who will hold the seal of the Imperial Household Department of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Hao suddenly felt that it would not be easy to pass the selection.
All those who come here are people with connections, with one level putting pressure on the other.
