Chapter 855: Only by winning the fight is there a big picture!

Factional strife and factional imprisonment are somewhat different. Both are struggles, but factional strife is competition with each other, while factional imprisonment is fighting for the sake of fighting, without any standards at all, until the other party is completely killed.

Yan Song and Xu Jie, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Juzheng and Wang Chonggu—there were varying degrees of factional strife, but at least there was still a fig leaf of the country's destiny and the big picture. No matter how fierce the fighting was, everyone didn't disrupt Hu Zongxian's pacification of the Japanese pirates, and there was no lack of military supplies.

Even if the top level was severely torn, pacifying the Japanese pirates and resisting the Hu had to be done. The factional strife in the mid-to-late Jiajing and Longwan periods was a performance-based competition entirely centered on the indicator of "pacifying the Japanese pirates and resisting the Hu," comparing whose philosophy was stronger and whose execution was stronger.

But the factional strife at the end of the Ming Dynasty, especially from the Wanli National Foundation Case until the fall of the Southern Ming, was all factional imprisonment without any bottom line, without any standards, regardless of good or bad, right or wrong.

The disaster of factional imprisonment is one of the four omens of national destruction; it is the result of the systematic corruption of the organizational system, not the cause.

When an organization already presents the disaster of factional imprisonment, this organization has already completely rotted.

When factional strife develops from competition to factional imprisonment, it is a life-and-death struggle. The big picture? Only by winning the fight is there a big picture!

The loser has nothing to do with the big picture. Those involved in the struggle don't care about peasant uprisings, border emergencies, military and state affairs, or the country's destiny. Killing the person in front of them and grabbing the other party and his minions to death is the real business.

After all, the Jianzhou Jurchens and peasant armies are far away in Liaodong and Shaanxi, while the enemies of the struggle are right in front of them.

The most obvious one is the Southern Ming. If you read the history of the Southern Ming, you will sincerely develop a prejudice against the cheap Confucians.

In the twenty years of the Southern Ming, they fled from half the country to Burma.

During the most prosperous period of the Southern Ming, the Southern Ming court even received the support of the peasant army; the peasant army wanted to support Great Ming in repelling the Jianzhou Jurchens. When it was perishing, it still had a very solid base in the occupied areas: Han people who were oriented toward royal transformation.

Great Ming's ancestral law had a banner of "expelling the Tatars and restoring our China." As long as this banner was raised, even in later generations, it could still serve as an adhesive, condensing hearts and uniting everyone who could be united.

Against such a background, in just twenty years, the Southern Ming lost from Nanjing to Burma and finally disappeared into the long river of history.

The dog-shit things in the history of the Southern Ming were almost all done by cheap Confucians. These cheap Confucians fought for the sake of fighting, without good or bad, without right or wrong, and even without performance.

Zhu Yijun, as Zhang Juzheng's direct disciple, had been taught by Zhang Juzheng the method to solve factional imprisonment, which was authoritarian rule, and in necessary times, even one-man autocracy. This is the only way to solve factional strife.

Zhang Juzheng had pondered whether there was any system that could avoid factional strife. But he pondered for decades, and

the final conclusion was that there is no system that can avoid factional strife, even in theory.

The only way to solve it is to achieve authoritarian rule, and to solve factional strife and achieve authoritarian rule, one must first ask two questions.

First, how did these cheap Confucians obtain power?

As long as the channels for these cheap Confucians to obtain power are closed or narrowed, the subject of the struggle can be effectively contained, and the cheap Confucians will hold power.

Second, long history tells everyone that factional strife will destroy the country. The Emperor knows, the civil and military officials know, and the common people know. If these cheap Confucians are allowed to harm the country and the people, the country will definitely perish. But why, why has no one stood up to deprive them of their ruling status? To dismiss them, strip them of their titles, exile them, confiscate their property, exterminate their three clans, or exterminate their nine clans?

The answer to the second question is political responsibility. When it is necessary, when a choice must be made, weigh the pros and cons and the propositions, do not hesitate, do not be afraid of making mistakes, and even less think about the consequences. Choose one side and then persist to the end.

Great Ming has an extremely vast territory, has the deepest depth, and has the most diligent common people. These are all political redundancies. As long as the final decision-maker firmly chooses one side, even if it is the wrong choice, as long as they persist, the wrong can be executed into the right.

This is consistency.

Zhu Yijun never lacked political responsibility. What spring and autumn history judgments, what historical evaluations—he couldn't see them anyway. He never cared about how high the garbage on his grave would be in the future. Whoever delayed Great Ming's revival would have their life ended.

Hesitation is destined to achieve nothing.

Before the imperial examination, Zhu Yijun took the time to add a salary to the distant Marquis of the Beacon Towers and the Coastal Defense Inspectors, calculated by the day. As long as they were not in the hinterland or the port, but in the grasslands or on the sea, the daily subsidy was one *qian* of silver, which in these days could probably only buy ten *jin* of pork or thirty-five *jin* of rice.

If a distant Marquis of the Beacon Towers or Coastal Defense Inspector served for four months, the subsidy would be twelve silver. The maximum number of attendance days for a distant Marquis of the Beacon Towers or Coastal Defense Inspector was six months, and they could not exceed the period. They had at least half the time in a year to rest in the beacon towers and ports, and at least two months of annual leave in a year.

But the Xianbei Plain Expedition Team was an exception. The Xianbei Plain Expedition Team was paid by the trip, one hundred silver per trip. Zhu Yijun had never owed this money. Even every year during the New Year, when he went to Nanhaizi in Daxing County to comfort the families of the distant Marquis of the Beacon Towers, Zhu Yijun would personally ask the family members if the silver had been delivered on time.

The Xianbei Plain was still very dangerous; this money was life-selling money.

The distant Marquis of the Beacon Towers and Coastal Defense Inspectors were Great Ming's most expensive military branch. The two teams had a total establishment of only six thousand people. The annual salary was twenty-five silver, and the annual New Year silver, start-of-work silver, and rewards were eight silver. They could receive a salary of thirty-three silver a year. Adding the current attendance subsidy, an ordinary distant Marquis or Inspector could receive a salary of forty-five silver a year.

After three years of service, they could go to the Navy or the Capital Camp to serve as battalion commanders, and be selected to join the Embroidered Uniform Guards of the Northern Depot.

【855-34】

This subsidy money came entirely from the inner treasury. The Grand Tutor raised the Emperor's salary, and Zhu Yijun raised the salary for the distant Marquis of the Beacon Towers and Coastal Defense Inspectors.

This matter was requested by the Tan Sima, Ceng Shengwu, on the grounds that scouts were the most hardworking, requesting extra rewards to encourage the soldiers to serve. Ceng Shengwu's original intention was to split it between the state treasury and the inner treasury, but Zhu Yijun put it all into the inner treasury, because the Embroidered Uniform Guards protecting him were mostly selected from here. Life-saving money was not convenient to be handed over to the outer court.

Feng Bao placed a memorial on the imperial desk with a complex expression and said helplessly: "Your Majesty, the Censor of the Zhejiang Circuit, Wang Guo, impeached Ceng Shengwu and me for colluding, sending me three thousand *taels* of silver to plot a promotion."

"Did you take it?" Zhu Yijun asked with some curiosity.

Feng Bao shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, I only take Your Majesty's silver. Is the money from the imperial estates not enough for me to embezzle? The eunuchs handling affairs in the imperial estates everywhere give sixteen thousand silver in filial piety every year. This year, it might be eighteen thousand silver."

Feng Bao had never concealed his corruption. The eunuchs of the imperial estates hoarded goods and sold the items in the imperial estates at high prices. After making money, they had to give a share to Feng Bao, this old ancestor. Every year, just this share was over a hundred thousand silver.

"Three thousand *taels* to buy a Tan Sima—this is looking too highly upon me." Feng Bao looked at this memorial and said in a low voice: "This Wang Guo is a poor ghost who has never seen silver."

How much silver does it take to buy a Tan Sima? Feng Bao hadn't calculated it, but based on Ceng Shengwu's merit in pacifying the Nine Silk, calculating three *taels* of silver per bandit leader, Ceng Shengwu reported beheading and capturing twenty-three thousand people, which would be at least over sixty thousand *taels* of silver. Just the battle of the Duzhang Barbarians alone was four thousand six hundred people.

Three thousand *taels* really couldn't buy it.

Zhu Yijun looked at the memorial for a long time and ordered the Censorate to investigate and see what the situation was.

Ceng Shengwu had been busy dispatching and transporting grain, gunpowder, and other materials to the front line recently, and had no contact with these censors at all. If this censor was making a false accusation for no reason, Zhu Yijun would send this censor to the Jinchi Viceroy's Office.

Early the next morning, Zhu Yijun received a report from Lu Guangzu through a small eunuch. Lu Guangzu had investigated clearly, and it really couldn't be considered a false accusation.

Ceng Shengwu didn't send silver, and Feng Bao didn't receive silver, but the matter of the three thousand *taels* of silver was indeed a fact.

"My beloved ministers, no need for formalities. The Tan Sima didn't send silver, and Attendant Feng didn't receive it, so how is it that the three thousand silver is a fact?" Zhu Yijun presided over the court discussion and asked about the situation first.

Lu Guangzu hurried out of the ranks, handed a memorial to Feng Bao, bowed his head and said: "The Tan Sima has a student named Cao Daye. This Cao Daye sent the silver, fearing it wouldn't be accepted, so he falsely used the Tan Sima's name. Attendant Feng indeed didn't receive it, because this silver was sent to Attendant Feng's cousin's hand, so the three thousand *taels* is indeed a fact."

"This Cao Daye sent the silver, but didn't see a promotion for a long time, so he went to look for Attendant Feng's cousin. As a result, he couldn't find him, got drunk, and talked about this matter with others. It spread from ten to a hundred, and it changed its appearance. Censor Wang Guo has the fault of not investigating clearly."

"It's just not investigating clearly, not a false accusation. No fault." Zhu Yijun said immediately. The censors and speech officials do nothing but chase shadows and report based on hearsay. As long as it wasn't a false accusation fabricated to drive away a revival minister, then there was no problem.

Tan Lun coughed twice. Only when the censors and speech officials competed to impeach would Zhu Yijun take vigorous action.

Zhu Yijun finished reading the whole memorial. The Censorate had already questioned Cao Daye, and Cao Daye confessed without reservation. But Feng Bao's cousin—this was a matter of the inner court, and the Censorate didn't question him.

Zhu Yijun handed the memorial to Feng Bao and told Feng Bao to take a good look at the situation inside.

"I am guilty." Ceng Shengwu was helpless, came out of the ranks, flicked his sleeves, and knelt on the ground: "I failed to manage my subordinates strictly. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

"I deserve to die ten thousand times." Feng Bao's face turned iron-blue after reading the memorial, and he also knelt on the moon platform.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said: "No need for formalities. Attendant Feng, take the Eastern Depot agents and Embroidered Uniform Guards, go and arrest your cousin to the Imperial Prison, and ask about the situation. Don't let this be Cao Daye talking nonsense."

The court discussion lasted for more than an hour, mainly to discuss the metropolitan examination and the palace examination. By the time the court discussion was about to end, Feng Bao returned to the Wenhua Hall with an iron-blue face. He knelt as soon as he entered. Feng Bao said with great unwillingness: "It is indeed a fact. My cousin is addicted to gambling, owes money to the gambling house, had nowhere to borrow, so he used my name to solicit bribes everywhere, and got over thirty thousand *taels* of silver."

"It's not just Cao Daye alone."

"I deserve to die ten thousand times. I beg Your Majesty to remember my hard work and allow me to go to Fengyang to guard the mausoleum."

Feng Bao glanced at Zhang Hong standing beside His Majesty, feeling helpless. He had been so careful, so careful, but he ended up falling into the hands of this cousin.

"Good, it's actually a nest case." Zhu Yijun was stunned. He never expected that there were more than ten people who sent silver to Feng Bao's cousin, Feng Ning!

Feng Bao bowed his head and said: "There are no more."

These were his own relatives. If Feng Bao said it had nothing to do with him, no one would believe it. Whether this silver reached Feng Bao's hands, no one knew. Even the person who delivered the letter before was beaten forty strokes, which might have been to cover up the corruption.

Moreover, Feng Ning and Feng You, the cousin and younger brother, both said in the Imperial Prison that it had nothing to do with Feng Bao and that they acted on their own initiative.

But as long as Feng Ning and Feng You didn't bite Feng Bao, Feng Bao could naturally operate, drag it out for a period of time, and after the limelight passed, save them.

Therefore, no matter what, Feng Bao could not wash away his guilt. Back then, Yang Shiqi was at the height of his power, his son committed a crime, and Yang Shiqi had to leave immediately, because he was the source of his son's confidence in committing crimes and murder.

This case of Feng Bao was the same. No matter whether Feng Ning and Feng You gave the silver to Feng Bao, they could embezzle silver because Feng Bao was the old ancestor in the palace and could speak in front of His Majesty.

Beyond this, Feng Bao had bullied His Majesty when he was young to establish his prestige. Seventeen years of no mistakes, but he fell because of these relatives he never associated with.

He hoped that His Majesty would look at his hard work in the past and give him a chance to end his life.

"The Tan Sima is fined half a year's salary. My lords, you must keep an eye on your subordinates. Bribery cannot buy a promotion. Matters of promotion are all in the box under the official book screen. At the end of each year, the register is opened to fill in names and determine promotions." Zhu Yijun pointed to the lock on the official book screen. Inside was the register of the Method of Assessment, and the key was in the Emperor's hands.

The Method of Assessment was the beginning of the Wanli Reform and the foundation of all new policies. If the administration was not cleared, and one still wanted to reform, Wang Anshi and Fan Zhongyan were the end results.

Zhu Yijun counted two fingers very seriously, stretched them out toward the ministers and said: "Over the years, Attendant Feng has served by my side and spoken good words for two ministers. One is Minister Tan Lun, and the other is Vice Minister Wang Yie. Minister Tan was impeached for coughing, and Attendant Feng couldn't stand it. Wang Yie was implicated in the Yang Wei case, and Attendant Feng spoke good words for Wang Yie twice."

Wang Yie was stunned. He had no contact with Feng Bao at all, yet Feng Bao actually spoke good words for him twice.

"Attendant Feng will return the stolen money for your cousin and younger brother. This Feng You and Feng Ning family will all be sent to the Jinchi Viceroy's Office. All bribing officials will be sent to the Luzon Viceroy's Office and will not be allowed to return to the hinterland for ten years." Zhu Yijun made the final disposition. He chose leniency.

Feng Bao was obviously stunned, trembled, kowtowed heavily again, and said loudly: "I thank Your Majesty for your great grace."

Seventy thousand silver was not a matter at all. He could take out another seventy thousand silver. He didn't quite understand why His Majesty, who was always decisive, had become so soft and benevolent.

After Feng Bao returned to the moon platform, Zhu Yijun signaled Feng Bao to announce the end of the court.

"If you have matters, report early. If not, roll up the curtain and end the court." Feng Bao flicked his whisk and announced the end of the court. For so many years, this had been his job. He suddenly remembered the first year of Wanli, when Wang Jinglong entered the palace to assassinate the Emperor, and he appeared in the Wenhua Hall with a broken forehead. Seventeen years had passed.

Feng Bao knew very well that he was not irreplaceable.

Zhang Hong could barely replace him, and Li Yougong was the most suitable. Li Yougong, as the Emperor's sparring partner and the leader of the small eunuchs, could be described as having fought north and south and worked hard over the years. Now he was still in Changmen City, Japan, killing Japanese pirates.

Moreover, Li Yougong read books extremely well and could support the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Zhang Hong had no heart for those troublesome matters of the outer court over the years, and focused entirely on serving the Emperor's food and daily life. Zhang Hong's confidence in fighting with the ministers of the outer court was a bit weak. Now he read a lot of books, but he didn't dare to make decisions on some matters. On the contrary, he was used to food and daily life, and had no heart for the position of the old ancestor.

The second ancestor, Zhang Hong, managed the eunuchs of the Shipping Office, and their lineage also ate very well.

After the court ended, Feng Bao carefully served the Emperor on the small train back to the Tonghe Palace, wanting to speak but stopping, trying several times, but eventually didn't ask.

"Why didn't Attendant Feng directly beat Feng Ning and Feng You to death?" Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and started the topic.

Feng Bao immediately said: "They are criminals. If I beat them to death, wouldn't that give people a handle?"

Zhu Yijun asked again: "Then why didn't Attendant Feng wait until the court ended, wait at the Tonghe Palace, and plead privately, instead of going to the palace?"

"The Tan Sima did not indulge his subordinates, and Your Majesty was still waiting for the report." Feng Bao didn't know why the Emperor asked this, and chose to answer truthfully. For so many years, Feng Bao had seen it clearly: telling the truth to His Majesty was better than telling lies.

His Majesty hated people lying to him the most.

Zhu Yijun smiled, looked out the window, and stopped talking. Feng Bao was just confused because he was concerned. After calming down and thinking for a while, he naturally understood.

The small train whistled and arrived at the Tonghe Palace.

Feng Bao's uneasy heart fell back into his stomach, and he finally understood why the Emperor was lenient.

In a situation where something went wrong and he was a bit panicked, Feng Bao didn't beat the person to death to destroy the evidence, nor did he drag it until after the court discussion. This was not deceiving, it was loyalty. He stated the truth in the palace and handed all decisions to the Emperor.

If he made one wrong step, he would probably be on the road to Fengyang. If Feng Bao chose to hide it from the Emperor, that would be deceiving the Emperor.

As an attendant to the Emperor, ability is secondary, and loyalty is primary. There are many capable ministers, and there are so many ministers in the Wenhua Hall—which one is not shrewd and capable? Which one doesn't have an idea with a turn of their eyes?

The Emperor is not short of capable ministers, but rather short of loyal ministers.

Zhu Yijun arrived at the Imperial Study, changed his clothes, and headed to the Northern Earth City to review the troops. He said to Feng Bao: "In the Kaiyuan era, in the seventeenth year of Kaiyuan, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang began to slack off. Memorials from all sides had to be sent to Gao Lishi first, then major matters were presented to the Emperor, and minor matters were decided by Gao Lishi himself."

"For this reason, Gao Lishi remonstrated with Emperor Xuanzong of Tang three times in the seventeenth year of Kaiyuan, the first year of Tianbao, and the seventh year of Tianbao, on the grounds of the country's destiny, the ancestral entrustment, and the difficulty of ending well. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang did not listen."

"The last remonstrance about the difficulty of ending well finally angered Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang no longer relied on Gao Lishi, but relied on Yuan Siyi, and set up the Inner Servant Province and Inner Servant Supervisor—one Gao Lishi, one Yuan Siyi."

Gao Lishi was a virtuous eunuch. The three remonstrances were harsher each time. The first time was about the country's destiny and state affairs, which was still official business. The second time was about the ancestral entrustment, which was already pointing at the nose and scolding. The third time was about the difficulty of ending well, which didn't leave any face at all, hoping that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang could wake up.

But Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was immersed in the congratulations of ten thousand nations and the flowers, and finally, the Great Tang took a sharp turn for the worse.

"You do your work well, no need to think so much. Matters in the palace are not for the ministers outside to manage." Zhu Yijun changed his clothes, sat on the small train, and headed to the Northern Camp.

"I obey the decree." Feng Bao bowed again. Until the whistle sounded and the Emperor left, Feng Bao stood straight. His face changed several times, first full of sorrow, then anger. Two unlucky relatives had cheated him out of over seventy thousand silver!

Feng Bao was also very fortunate. In this storm, his life was saved, and his position was saved. As for the seventy thousand silver he was cheated out of, he would just earn it back slowly.

On the ninth day of the second lunar month, Great Ming's triennial metropolitan examination began. Yuan Keli carried his book box, prepared to enter the examination hall. He stood anxiously before the examination compound, looking at the long line, wondering if he had forgotten anything, and then laughed at himself.

Zhang Juzheng had taken his forty *jin* of millet, not only letting him make up for mathematics at the family school, but also having the All-Chu Hall prepare everything for the examination, exactly the same as Xiong Tingbil's, prepared together.

You Shouli led four people, standing behind Xiong Tingbil and Yuan Keli. As the chief steward of the All-Chu Hall, You Shouli came personally because he was afraid that someone would frame the two. One must know that Xiong Tingbil was the one who settled the Yin Mountains with three arrows, both civil and military, and was famous in the capital. Many people were trying to bump into him and stuff things into Xiong Tingbil's book box to ruin his reputation.

Great Ming's metropolitan examination had extremely strict searches, with dozens of search officers and search soldiers to check the candidates.

After all *juren* entered the compound, they had to undress and stand naked. Two search soldiers would step forward to check, from the hairline to the knees, naked abdomen and bare feet, and even the anus would not be spared. If anyone brought small notes into the examination hall, their titles would be immediately revoked and they would never be employed again.

"Xia Zongyao, a *juren* from Yangzhou Prefecture, brought forbidden items into the examination compound. Revoke his title as a warning to others!" A search officer suddenly stepped forward, stood before the gate of the examination compound, and shouted loudly.

The search officer turned sideways, and two search soldiers carried a disheveled scholar and threw him out of the examination compound. If anyone cheated in the metropolitan examination, they could forget about having any relationship with titles or official careers in this life.

They would even have to spit out all the benefits they received as *juren*.

All the *juren* were fearful. Every year, there were *juren* who wouldn't give up, spending countless silver to buy the examination questions circulating through small channels, and some even directly bought the eight-legged essays, waiting to copy them after entering the examination hall.

Xia Zongyao was such a person who harbored luck. Even the person who sold the questions told him that the search officer had already been bought and there would definitely be no problem, so he could enter the examination hall to take the exam with peace of mind.

"I didn't bring anything! Someone framed me! Slandering and defaming the student! That's not my stuff!" Xia Zongyao's face was ashen. He sat on the ground, not even bothering to tidy his clothes, and argued loudly.

"Go to the Shuntian Prefecture to beat the drum and complain." The search officer ignored him. Besides being a search officer, he was also the Commander of the Northern Depot. Since the second year of Wanli, he had been a search officer. For so many years, he had caught many people who harbored luck, and everyone said it wasn't theirs.

If there was a grievance, go to the Shuntian Prefecture office and beat the drum, and the court would naturally have someone investigate the truth.

Yuan Keli and Xiong Tingbil walked into the examination compound and undressed in the side room.

The search officer recognized Xiong Tingbil. He had lived in the All-Chu Hall since he was ten. Some people said this was Zhang Juzheng's illegitimate son. The search officer thought it was nonsense. Xiong Tingbil's background was very clear, and he didn't look like him at all. Xiong Tingbil was tiger-backed and bear-waisted, like a military man.

"Commander Zhao, it seems there is a situation." A search officer flipped through the book box, knocked on the wooden board of the book box, and his face changed.

Xiong Tingbil's face changed. He didn't even put on his clothes, walked to the book box, knocked on it, and smashed the wooden board with one punch. There was indeed a problem. Nine sheets of paper were hidden inside, densely written with words.

Xiong Tingbil picked up those sheets of paper, his face showing confusion, and then put on his clothes and said: "I will go to the Shuntian Prefecture to report the case myself."

When Xiong Tingbil came out, he saw Yuan Keli, who had also been driven out of the gate, and said with some apology: "I implicated you, brother. This was aimed at me. If it were just me, that would be fine. His Majesty has found a military path for me, and I can find a way out on the battlefield. It's not right to implicate you, brother."

"Shall we go to the Shuntian Prefecture to beat the drum together?" Yuan Keli looked at his book box and asked. He actually wanted to say that he could also be a military man. He was very sure that he had military talent and could be a Confucian general.

"Let's go together." Xiong Tingbil headed toward the Shuntian Prefecture office.

How could the Shuntian Prefecture Magistrate Yang Junmin dare to be slow? He immediately ran to the Tonghe Palace to report the details to His Majesty.

Xiong Tingbil and Yuan Keli wanted to cheat, and they had to rely on bringing forbidden items? Insulting!

The questions were approved by His Majesty. His Majesty called them Xiong Da one after another, very affectionately. Telling them the questions and getting a top spot was simple?

"Your Majesty, calm down, calm down. The metropolitan examination is a major event. I have a way that is not a way." Feng Bao looked at His Majesty, who was about to change into military attire to go to the Capital Camp, and was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. If His Majesty left the gate, the Capital Camp would enter the capital!

As for the way, where did Feng Bao have a way?

"Things have come to this, what other way do you have? No matter what, Xiong Tingbil and Yuan Keli will miss this metropolitan examination. You Shouli checked it several times personally, yet it was still swapped. Aiming at the teacher is aiming at me." Zhu Yijun looked at Feng Bao and asked with a furrowed brow.

"I really have a way! Your Majesty, they are just waiting for

Your Majesty to get angry. This is the purpose." Feng Bao boldly stretched out his hand and stood before His Majesty: "Your Majesty, everyone changes clothes and changes examination baskets. In this way, there will be no so-called problem of bringing forbidden items. Imperial examination baskets and clothing!"

"Eh?" Zhu Yijun looked at Feng Bao and sized him up for a long time. Feng Bao really found a way.

Feng Bao watched His Majesty put down his helmet and let out a long sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. He had also thought of it in a hurry, his mouth faster than his brain. Only after he finished speaking did he realize that he had really come up with a good idea.

In this way, there would be no problems with bringing forbidden items in the future. Just change clothes and take the examination baskets issued by the court upon entering the compound, wouldn't that be it?!

"Eh, this really seems to be a good way. Your Majesty, change clothes and change examination baskets!" Feng Bao realized that this idea was excellent. He was surprised himself. Could it be that he really had some talent in dog-fighting?

"In this way, the test questions will also be changed together. In the future, when the co-examiners and chief examiners submit the questions, they will not be approved, but directly sent to the Three Classics Factory for printing, bagged and sealed." Zhu Yijun's eyes flashed with cold light, and he chose to go a step further.

Feng Bao was more concerned about dog-fighting, while Zhu Yijun was more concerned about power. He was very greedy for money because he was greedy for power. This time, he was seizing the power of interpretation.

It wasn't he who broke the rules first; it was someone who insisted on making things difficult for Xiong Tingbil and Yuan Keli, these two disciples of Zhang Juzheng. Then one couldn't blame Zhu Yijun for being impolite and breaking the rules of hundreds of years.

By evening, the Emperor's strict decree reached the examination compound: no one was allowed to enter or leave, all personal items were confiscated, and the inner treasury distributed standard examination baskets and clothing. Xia Zongyao, Xiong Tingbil, and Yuan Keli were also sent into the examination compound.

Soon, the imperial decree to invalidate the old questions also reached the examination compound. The Emperor wanted to set new questions. ===== CHAPTER 856 =====

"Hey, this actually seems like a really good idea, Your Majesty—changing the outfits and the exam baskets!" Feng Bao realized this was an excellent plan, and he was incredibly surprised himself; could it be that he actually had some talent for dogfighting?

"In that case, the exam questions will be changed as well. From now on, when the co-examiners and chief examiner submit their questions, they won't be reviewed; they will be sent directly to the Three Classics Printing House to be printed, then bagged and sealed." A cold glint flashed in Zhu Yijun's eyes as he chose to go a step further.

Feng Bao was more concerned with dogfighting, while Zhu Yijun was more concerned with power. He was very greedy for wealth because he was greedy for power; this time, he was seizing the power to interpret the classics.

It wasn't he who broke the rules first; it was others who insisted on making things difficult for Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Keli, two of Zhang Juzheng's students. In that case, Zhu Yijun could not be blamed for being impolite and breaking the rules that had stood for hundreds of years.

By evening, the Emperor suddenly issued a strict decree to the Examination Hall: no one was allowed to enter or leave, all personal items were to be confiscated, and the Inner Treasury would distribute standard exam baskets and clothing. Xia Zongyao, Xiong Tingbi, and Yuan Keli were also sent into the Examination Hall.

Soon, the imperial decree declaring the old questions void was also delivered to the Examination Hall; the Emperor was going to set new questions himself.