Yang Tinghe was now very close to Empress Dowager Zhang, communicating frequently inside and outside the palace, and conspired to eliminate as soon as possible the traitorous officials around Zhu Houzhao who might endanger the survival of the Ming Dynasty.
But Yang Tinghe did not dare to tell Empress Dowager Zhang that I had recruited people from the Zhu family of the Qianhu Family of Jin Yiwei for my own use. Even if he wanted to ask what role the Zhu family played in Anlu's surveillance of Prince Xing's Mansion, he could not ask directly, but to ask
Dig around to get the answer.
Fortunately, a large number of the emperor's closest officials are loyal to the royal family.
Nowadays, the eunuchs in the palace are divided into two factions. One is the new faction. People such as Zhang Zhong, Zhang Rui, and Yu Jing are very close to Jiang Bin.
One is the old school, which is dominated by the main members of the former Eight Tigers, including Zhang Yong, Wei Bin, Gu Dayong and others. These people are senior and have their own base. Most of them will not join Jiang Bin, and many of them have served as
I have been the eunuch of Dongchang, the admiral, and I know the situation of Zhu Wanhong and the Zhu family very well.
When Yang Tinghe inquired about the information, he started with the eunuchs of the old school.
The next day, Zhu Wanhong sent his men to secretly inform Zhu Hao that he had met Yang Tinghe and expressed his intention to surrender. The negotiation between the two parties went very smoothly.
Zhu Hao felt that Yang Tinghe might fall into a hole he dug for him.
"Zhu Wanhong took the initiative to join Yang Tinghe. Yang Tinghe must have felt that the Zhu family had given up on Jiang Bin and was looking for a new backer, but there was no guarantee that he would not have secret dealings with Prince Xing's Mansion. In this case, he would probably use the death of Zhu's fourth brother as a test, and
Ask Queen Mother Zhang to confirm.
"Regardless of whether the Zhu family did it or not, when the people below report to Queen Mother Zhang, they will definitely take credit and say that Jin Yiwei did it.
"So the result of Yang Tinghe's verification was to make him fall into a misunderstanding. He felt that Prince Xing's Mansion and the Zhu family were incompatible with each other, and then concluded that I could not be a direct descendant of Prince Xing's Mansion."
When Zhu Hao thought about this, he felt that Zhu Wanhong's "surrender" drama was a great success.
…
…
It was just as Zhu Hao expected.
On the third day after Zhu Wanhong met Yang Tinghe, that is, March 11, someone sent a letter to the inn where Zhu Hao left for contact when registering for the trial, inviting him to meet him.
Seeing the signature, Zhu Hao felt somewhat complicated. He was the son of Yang Tinghe. In the twelfth year of Zhengde, he submitted a report on "Ding Chou's Fengshi", accusing Zhu Houzhao of "acting rashly and doing things for no reason", which offended Emperor Zhengde and the traitors around him, and was ordered to resign.
Yang Shen, who has been idle in the capital.
Zhu Hao decided to go and meet.
Yang Shen was famous for his talents in the Ming Dynasty, but he did not make many achievements as an official. The main reason was that he was too stubborn in character. In the officialdom, he was one of those who went all the way and did not know how to compromise. At the same time, he was also influenced by his son Yang Tinghe.
This burden of identity.
Although Yang Tinghe was suspected of being the master of the Zhengde and Jiajing dynasties at the beginning of the transition, he was at least able to balance the interests of all parties as prime minister and assistant, and was able to escape unscathed even if he lost in the ceremony. However, Yang Shen was completely a loser.
He had a bad temper and was the initiator of the Zuo Shunmen Incident. It is not surprising that he was finally retaliated and liquidated by Emperor Jiajing.
This is a prick, and he has a certain brain. Birds of a feather flock together, and the people around him are all arrogant and domineering people. He has friends like Yang Weicong who seem to be talented and knowledgeable but are not at all low-key and introverted.
Not surprising.
We met at a very simple-looking street pavilion, located near the Dongsi Archway. Next to it is Dongcheng Bingmasi. It is not far from Longfu Temple and Yanfu Temple. There is a green space nearby, which is a rare resting place in the busy city.
.
When Zhu Hao arrived, the Yang family's retinues had already surrounded the pavilion and the nearby green space. It was originally a public place, but it was made as if it was the Yang family's private territory. Zhu Hao did not expect that Yang Shen would treat him in such a close manner.
When we meet in public, I always feel that Yang Shen acts too openly.
Inside the pavilion.
A man in his thirties held a teacup in his hand and poured himself a drink. He was dressed in a rather gorgeous jade-colored brocade embroidered robe, with wide sleeves and a soap bar turban, and a square face with sharp edges.
Paired with bright eyes, it gives people an unruly look.
"Sir, Master Zhu brought you here."
The Yang family's retinue stepped forward to report.
They were very close to each other. As soon as Yang Shen looked up, he saw Zhu Hao and made a gesture of invitation, but did not come out of the pavilion to greet him. Zhu Hao smiled and walked into the pavilion with his head held high.
Zhu Hao saluted: "I, Zhu Hao, have met Young Master Yang."
Yang Shen nodded slightly and looked at Zhu Hao with a pair of sharp eyes like an eagle.
Zhu Hao had seen this look a lot, so he didn't find it strange, and he didn't need to pretend to be calm. He just showed a slightly awkward expression of "Why are you looking at me like that?" and tried his best to show it in front of Yang Shen.
I am not very good at social situations, so I have an impression of being naive and simple.
"Young master Zhu can come out on top in this examination and win the title of Huiyuan in the examination where all the talented people from all over the world gather. I think he has learned a lot from others. Today we are only asking about knowledge and nothing else. Please sit down."
Yang Shen's words were quite polite, and his voice was steady and powerful.
Zhu Hao sat on the wooden bench brought by the Yang family next to him. The stone table in front of him was the pavilion's own. Someone brought a teapot and teacups, but what was poured out of the teapot was not tea, just ordinary boiled water. The servant put Zhu Hao on
The tea cup in front of Hao was not even hot when it was filled. This way of entertaining guests made Zhu Hao quite strange.
Can't we find a decent place to entertain guests?
How can the host drink tea and treat the guests to drink boiled water?
Furthermore, even if you don’t invite me to tea or dinner, at least find a closed place with walls on all sides, instead of being in a roadside pavilion with a noisy and busy city just a few steps away, right?
Yang Shen silently observed Zhu Hao's reaction. When he saw that Zhu Hao was neither sad nor happy, his heart moved and he asked: "Is Master Zhu from the Zhu family of the Qianhu Family of Jinyiwei?"
"yes."
Zhu Hao replied, "My father was once a member of the Jinyi Guards for hundreds of families. In the seventh year of Zhengde, when the bandits in the Central Plains were suppressed, he unfortunately died for his country and was awarded the title of General of Loyalty."
Yang Shen nodded and said: "It turns out that he is the queen of Zhongliang... I wonder if he has any brothers?"
"No." Zhu Hao replied.
Yang Shen was slightly surprised: "Jie Jiang's only son is not Yu Ding. He should inherit the military household position. Why did he take the imperial examination?"
Zhu Haodao: "My father ranks third among his peers. The elders are responsible for family inheritance. I am not qualified to inherit the position of a hundred households. My mother has asked me to study since I was a child... I can serve the country in both civil and military affairs."
Yang Shen praised: "It's a good saying that both civil and military service can serve the country, or your family wants to use adult descendants to take the throne, so you are deprived of your military position... This hereditary official position of Jin Yiwei is not a good heir. At last, you have good fortune, and you have a lot of success in the examinations.
You have lived up to your honorable name of justice."
Even Yang Shen felt that something had happened within the Zhu family, so that the only son of the martyred general could not inherit his father's position.
This kind of thing is not uncommon in the Ming Dynasty. After all, the Zhu family really has to wait for Zhu Hao to inherit the position of Jinyiwei Baihu. It has to wait for Zhu Hao to become an adult at the age of fifteen. It will take a long time in the middle. Maybe he can directly find the children of other houses of the Zhu family to inherit the position in advance.
.
But the problem is... the Zhu family did not inherit the actual position of Jin Yiwei Baihu. The position of real power military household is not something you can inherit if you want. You have to move around, stuff money, and open up joints.
Especially during the Zhengde dynasty, there were too many close associates of the emperors such as Jiang Bin and Qian Ning, and the positions of Jinyiwei were completely insufficient. It was even more difficult for foreign Jinyiwei like the Zhu family, who had lived in Anlu for a long time, to inherit the position.
But no matter how you say it, Yang Shen has a little more respect because of Zhu Hao's background.
He did not think that the relationship between Zhu Hao and his family was in danger.
It wasn't that Yang Shen was unintentional, but he couldn't have imagined that any family would eat Juehu so hard these days, to the point of going crazy? And Juehu could also fight against the big families and join different political camps... One person monitors Prince Xing's palace.
A child from a family of thousands of Jinyiwei families would actually become a direct descendant of Prince Xing's Palace and win the trust of the owner of the Palace?
Not to mention that Yang Shen didn't believe it, even the cunning old foxes in the court would never have thought of this level.
It was all thanks to Zhu Hao's own efforts and took several years to accomplish. If it had been someone else... let's forget it.
…
…
The identity issue was resolved, and the two sides began to discuss knowledge.
Because they were not familiar with each other, and Yang Shen's purpose was not only to test Zhu Hao, but also to recruit him under his command. During the conversation, he often asked about Zhu Hao's academic attainments.
"...Which one of the Five Classics is the original one?"
Yang Shen asked.
"Spring and Autumn, but I also dabble in the Book of Songs."
Zhu Hao never concealed it.
Yang Shen nodded: "If you know the Spring and Autumn Annals, you will know etiquette, and the education of benevolence and virtue all comes from the Spring and Autumn Annals. It's a pity that many times people forget the etiquette education, and history is not up to anyone."
Zhu Hao thought to himself, why are you lamenting this in front of me? You want to tell me that the Ming Dynasty is now in the Warring States Period when all the heroes came together and did not talk about martial ethics?
oh.
You may be implying to me that Confucian culture cannot occupy the mainstream of the Ming Dynasty now, right? You also want to say that Jiang Bin and other traitorous ministers have brought chaos to the country and need to bring order to the chaos? Wait for me to take over?
If you were an ordinary person, you would definitely be talking eloquently now, and talk about your ambitions in governing the country.
But Zhu Hao wouldn't do that.
Yang Shen and I are not familiar with each other. If you suddenly come to see me and I tell you about my ambitions and military strategies, you will definitely feel that I am deliberately trying to please you, and you will also feel that I already knew about my uncle's meeting with you.
And now I am not a new scholar, just a tribute scholar.
We have no friendship in the past, and we are not from the same school of thought, so we are incompatible with each other. We even have holidays with your good friend Yang Weicong!
"Oh, I have indeed learned a lot about how to conduct myself in the world in "Spring and Autumn"." Zhu Hao spoke calmly and mellowly, without leaving any trace.
Just don’t talk about it in depth!
Yang Shen didn't ask Zhu Hao where he was from. He probably thought that Anlu, a remote and cornered place, wouldn't have any famous teachers, and he hadn't heard of any famous schools of thought being born in Anlu, so he didn't think about it in this regard.
If he knew that Zhu Hao studied under Tang Yin, he would probably be shocked.
"The imperial examination will be held in a few days, are you ready?" Yang Shen asked.
Zhu Hao muttered in his heart, is this testing my knowledge of court affairs? Now that the emperor is in critical condition, even if the imperial examination is held, it will be difficult for the emperor to appear at the scene.
"I am preparing for the exam seriously. I have spent ten years in cold weather just to get my name on the gold list. I don't dare to slack off at all."
Zhu Hao was still talking about the situation.
Yang Shen tried several times but failed to achieve good results. Although he had doubts, he heard Zhu Hao talk to him naturally without any hesitation. He just blurted out everything. In addition, he lacked understanding of Zhu Hao, so he didn't think anything else.
"Sir, there is something going on at home, please go back."
Just when Yang Shen wanted to ask a few more questions, a servant from the Yang family came to deliver a message.
Zhu Hao thought to himself, there are only three days left before the death of Emperor Zhengde in history, do you still have time to test me here?
Yang Shen stood up and bowed to say goodbye. The etiquette was quite considerate.
"Master Zhu, we will talk more when we have time. I also hope that you will rank first in the palace examination. Young talents like you are the vital force that the court urgently needs to supplement."
After simply saying goodbye, Yang Shen left with his entourage.