Volume 5: Fellow Traveler Chapter 794: The Emperor's Gift
If you think that Miss Zhu is only capable of being willful and spoiled...haha, then you will definitely be badly betrayed.
For example, the emperor was caught off guard and was defeated. He didn't care whether Hua Qi would tell Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying what he said in Qingning Palace. After all, he admitted it in front of Hua Qi, and irresponsibly left the mess of Qingning Palace behind, and also told the truth to Concubine Yu. But he really didn't expect Zhu Ying to "take a different approach"!
Facing those stubborn and clear eyes, how could the emperor say no? If he really thought he was right, he would not have left the third prince, the crown prince, in Qingning Palace to accompany the empress dowager for a night, nor would he have asked Hua Qi to go to Qingning Palace to tell him that he was staying in Fengxian Palace for a night under the persuasion of Concubine Yu.
Therefore, he could only smile bitterly and nodded, "Okay, okay, I'll give you the OK. Tell me, when are you going to ask the Queen Mother to leave the palace? I'll instruct the Sharp Cavalry Battalion in advance to have them guard along the way to prevent anyone from disturbing the Queen Mother and making her angry."
Besides you, who else in the world would dare to make the Queen Mother angry? Zhu Ying quickly glanced at the emperor, but she didn't say this, nor did she reject the emperor's kindness. She just added a few more words: "The date hasn't been set yet. My grandmother and mother will go later. Madam Qin and Princess Jiangdu will also go. There are many female relatives, so people will be sent to clear the area near the girls' school..."
Zhu Ying explained the matters of clearing the area and keeping on guard in an orderly manner. Seeing that the emperor was obviously distracted, she said calmly, "As the Inspector of Education, I had originally intended to lead the team to patrol and guard in person to prevent anyone from daring to make a move. Since the emperor wants to send the Sharp Cavalry Battalion, I have to say bluntly that I will be in charge of this team in the future."
"Let's just do this. We'll use the same team I brought to the Royal Farm last time. We're familiar with them now and can be used more easily than others. It's settled."
Fortunately, this is temporarily under your charge, otherwise I would be like a meat bun hitting a dog, and there would be no return? Ahem, fortunately I didn't say it, otherwise he would really be bitten hard by the angry little girl!
The emperor was glad in his heart, but he nodded his head repeatedly, as if he was very satisfied. Until Zhu Ying knelt down and saluted in a serious manner. He said that he was going to Qingning Palace and would leave. He quickly agreed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. But who knew that Zhu Ying had only walked out for a few steps, and suddenly, without looking back, she recited two lines of poetry.
"Who says that the love of a little grass can repay the kindness of three springs?"
"Your Majesty, my mother has been meditating in the temple since she was a child. I can't see her all the time, but this has not reduced my admiration for her. After she came back, she treated me even better, and I was even more filial to her. Even after she got married, I often went to see her and accompany her. The Empress Dowager has devoted more to you than my mother over the years. You shouldn't talk like that. That's too much!"
Seeing Zhu Ying walk out with big strides after finishing speaking, the emperor couldn't help but rub his nose and sighed deeply again. I was scolded again, once last night and once today. It's really self-inflicted! However, the emperor who was high above was not angry, because he understood a truth very well. As long as there were still people who dared to scold him, he would not be so arbitrary that no one would stop him.
Therefore, when Zhu Ying's back completely disappeared from his sight, the emperor could not help but reach out and knock on the bronze bell beside him. It was not until Chen Yongshou hurriedly flashed in from outside that he said unhappily: "Yingying barged in, you should at least make a sound. What if she met someone with a bad temper instead of a good temper like Old Wu? Wouldn't she have to fight with this girl head-on and have a big fight?"
I just saw that the person you were talking to was Elder Wu, and Miss Zhu was acting like she would cause trouble if you didn't let me in, so I had no choice but to let him in...
Although he felt extremely wronged, Chen Yongshou dared not argue, and could only bow his head and apologize repeatedly. The emperor chose such a person to stay in the Qianqing Palace because he valued her honesty, so it was okay to vent his anger. After all, Zhu Ying's brazen intrusion just now was obviously based on the person. If it was Master Kong, she would most likely not be so presumptuous.
Don't look at Zhu Ying's reckless behavior, this girl is very smart! Thinking of this, the emperor wiped the sweat from his forehead again, and then asked again: "Did Yingying come to the Qianqing Palace first, or did she go to the Qingning Palace first?"
Chen Yongshou was not aware of what happened in Qingning Palace yesterday, but the emperor was awake late at night and wandering around the palace. He sat in Yonghe Palace for a while and then went straight to Fengxian Hall. The prince had also stayed in Qingning Palace before, so of course he knew about it.
Even though he didn't understand what happened, he at least knew that something must have happened. So, he just now deliberately stayed a little further away to avoid hearing anything he shouldn't have heard, and when he answered now, he was even more cautious.
"Your Majesty, although I didn't have time to ask, judging from the way the young lady behaved when she came, she should have come directly to the Qianqing Palace, and then went to the Qingning Palace."
Yes, if she had really met the Queen Mother, Zhu Ying would have scolded her even more harshly. Of course, that might not be the case. The Queen Mother is a person who is reluctant to speak out about many things. She might downplay the matter. The Crown Prince is even more a person who is willing to keep secrets for his father. He would never speak about his father behind his back. Thinking of this, the Emperor rubbed his eyebrows and suddenly asked a very unreasonable question.
"I remember that although Yingying married Zhang Shou, she probably hasn't been granted an imperial decree yet, right?"
Officials above the fifth rank were granted imperial edicts, and officials below the sixth rank were granted imperial decrees. For most court officials and even wives and mothers, the fifth rank was a huge hurdle. Once they jumped over it, their careers would be completely open. Once they jumped over the third rank, their careers would be even smoother. But this does not mean that once you become a fifth rank official, you can immediately ennoble your wife and children, bring honor to your family, and once you are promoted, your wife and mother will also benefit from it.
Because except for the special favors of the emperor, imperial edicts and titles were usually granted in bulk, with a fixed time each year, and a large number of titles were granted at a time. Otherwise, they were granted one at a time, and the Ministry of Personnel's seal inspection department, which was specifically responsible for conferring titles and succession matters, would probably be so busy that they would faint...
Therefore, Zhang Shou had just married, and there was no doubt that his new wife Zhu Ying had not yet had time to be granted an imperial decree. Firstly, Zhang Shou had not yet had time to ask for a title for his wife, and secondly, in the eyes of most people, a fifth-rank concubine was too insignificant for Miss Zhu, who had once dominated the capital, and it was better not to mention it to make people angry.
Therefore, when the emperor specifically mentioned this, Chen Yongshou remembered that the emperor seemed to have given Princess Zhu Ying a crown and clothes, but Zhu Ying did not appreciate it. So, he could only carefully hint at it.
"Your Majesty, the eldest lady has not yet been granted a title... But, this matter should not be urgent, right?"
Seeing the emperor tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest with an expression of noncommittal, Chen Yongshou could only bite the bullet and remind him again: "It is said that a husband's honor is equal to his wife's. The eldest lady thinks so highly of Mr. Zhang, she must want her husband to follow her lead. There is actually no rush for the imperial edict. When Mr. Zhang becomes a first-rank imperial tutor in the future, who can disrespect her as a first-rank lady?"
"How dare you say that! How do you know he can become a first-rank imperial tutor?"
The emperor laughed in silence, pointed at the steward who was looking down like a quail, and said calmly: "I didn't say that I wanted to confer an extraordinary imperial decree on Yingying. If you put it that way, it would be a bit awkward to specially send the imperial decree of a fifth-rank concubine to Zhang Garden. How about this, I will give Zhang Shou another position!"
However, instead of feeling relieved, Chen Yongshou was even more frightened.
Zhang Shou was already a lecturer in the Eastern Palace at such a young age, and he had never taken the imperial examinations, but he was openly appointed as a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy. Of course, many officials in the court disagreed, but the reason why these objections were ineffective was that Zhang Shou had deciphered the code twice that no one else could decipher. But the most important thing was...
The Third Prince highly respected his teacher Zhang Shou, and those dandy young men in the capital who were once considered hopeless were now completely obedient to him. Not to say that each of them was very promising, but they had all turned over a new leaf and reformed!
Although most of these students were marginal figures in the family—except for the oddball Zhang Chen—they were too numerous and, when they banded together, they actually formed a formidable force.
The most important thing is that Zhang Shou also found two of the best marriages in the world for Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu. How could those students' families not be excited or even impressed?
As a result, Zhang Shou gained a group of supporters of considerable weight. For example, Zhang Qiong, the Marquis of Xiangyang, spread the word that Zhang Xueshi's affairs were his affairs, and if anyone dared to mess with him, I would beat him up at home. I really don't know how the Duke of Chu, who was so prudent that he was called a coward, could have such a brother.
Chen Yongshou thought about Zhang Shou's supporters who could not be underestimated, but he could not help but think of Zhang Shou's political enemies. Therefore, even though he had just stopped one thing, he had to try his best to stop the emperor's momentary impulse: "Your Majesty, Mr. Zhang has really taken care of a lot of things. Didn't you say before that he always complained that he was too busy..."
Before Chen Yongshou could finish his words, the emperor chuckled: "This guy is used to being lazy, like an abacus bead, it only moves when you tap it. To be more precise, he only devotes his heart and soul to the things that interest him, and he doesn't bother to care about other things at all."
"Only those who are really blind and blind would be wary of him trying to seize power. It's good enough that he doesn't avoid you, but you still think he will seize power? He doesn't even want to stay in the Imperial College, so he simply starts a new business to avoid the oppression there. If he can't be successful in the court, can he set up a new court?"
Seeing Chen Yongshou's pale face, the emperor did not think what he said was a big deal: "Since he is the teacher's disciple and is known as a mathematical genius, then shouldn't he help with the mathematical books that I promised to give to the teacher? Anyway, he has already found the judges and arranged the discussion in Banshan Hall, so he doesn't have to worry about it."
"Those translators understand foreign languages, but they may not understand the languages of all countries. Moreover, these guys know nothing about mathematics. The teacher found a set of big books from the ancient and modern collections, and later he cursed that the translation was too bad. In this case, wouldn't it be most appropriate for Zhang Shou to take the students of Jiuzhang Hall to translate these books sent to the capital?"
Although he said this, the emperor was thinking about something else. When this is done, it will be just like when Emperor Taizu had people compile the Siku Quanshu, which was not completed until Emperor Taizong's reign, but the compilers were all promoted one by one. It shouldn't be too much for him to promote Zhang Shou to the first or second rank, right?
Now there is no war, and Zhang Shou is not a local official, so it is not convenient to use other excuses to get promoted... He can only choose this relatively long way, but at least it is in line with Zhang Shou's way. Otherwise, he will do bad things with good intentions, and Zhu Ying may rush into the palace to settle accounts with him, the emperor. This girl is really bold!
So, in the evening of that day, Zhang Shou, who was just about to announce the end of get out of class in Jiuzhang Hall, received a huge gift from the emperor - a cart full of books!
These first-year students in Jiuzhang Hall are not those unlearned dandies - even the dandies in Banshan Hall have understood one thing: books are precious, and their value is no less than gold, silver and jewelry. Therefore, when Zhang Shou went out, they looked at each other, and finally Ji Jiu took the lead, and a group of people followed him out to watch the fun.
Soon, the seniors in the second grade also came out after hearing the news. Then, they saw Zhang Shou, who was flipping through a book, with a gloomy face. There was no joy on his face, but some inexplicable expression. If it was Lu Sanlang, he would have gone forward to flip through the book, but they were relatively well-behaved. In the end, it was an outsider who broke the deadlock.
"Is this the math book that the emperor gave to the teacher? Oh, the emperor really thinks highly of the teacher!"
As he said this, Zhang, a big guy who had just heard the news and brought everyone from Banshan Hall to watch the fun, came forward. Seeing that Zhang Shou had no objection, he picked up a book and flipped through it. Soon after, he turned into a clay sculpture or a wooden statue.
Others naturally noticed his distinct change in expression. Some did not move because of confusion, but some were so curious that they were itching to try their luck, especially when they saw that Zhang Shou did not blame the big guy. So they quietly stepped forward and picked up a book like Zhang did, and then they had the same expression as someone else.
As the students of Banshan Hall fell into a frozen state one after another, the people of Jiuzhang Hall gradually couldn't help it. Ji Jiu, who came from a wealthy family, certainly didn't think that there was any magic in the book. He just thought that it must be written with difficult mathematical knowledge that those guys couldn't understand at all.
After all, when the eunuch Chen from the palace came to present the award, he clearly said... mathematics classics! How can you, who know nothing about mathematics, understand this?
He snorted softly, strode forward, and snatched the book from Zhang Dakuo, who was still in petrified state. However, he felt dizzy after turning the first page. Although Zhang Shou taught them a lot of numerical symbols, so he knew most of the characters on this page, why did he go blind when he closed it?
