Chapter 1332: Whoever's Husband It Is, She's Responsible for Teaching Him

"Your daughter-in-law respectfully greets Imperial Father."

"Don't kneel, don't kneel. Yuying, you must be careful with your health! Quickly, quickly, bring her a chair! Yuying, sit down at once!"

On the deck of a dragon boat sailing across the waters of the Jing River, Zhu Cilang was beaming as he urged his daughter-in-law Ding Yuying to take a seat. He was growing fonder and fonder of Ding Yuying.

Although Ding Yuying was a top student, she was absolutely no bookworm. Not only was her IQ high, her emotional intelligence was especially high too, and her belly was equally promising — after sleeping with Zhu Hexing for one month and twenty days, a pregnancy pulse had already been detected; she was carrying the dragon seed.

After becoming pregnant, Ding Yuying still did not dare slack off. Not only did she "march with child," following Zhu Cilang's personal expedition army westward, she also kept working hard.

Every day, she would come to Emperor Zhu's boat, first pay her respects (and also pay respects on the Crown Prince's behalf — the Crown Prince was not on the same boat as Zhu Cilang, and moreover could not board Zhu Cilang's boat), then attend supplementary lessons — Princess Nisha and Xu Erlin took turns giving her and Wu Ahuan lessons. Sometimes Zhu Cilang would personally give his two pregnant daughters-in-law (Wu Ahuan was pregnant too) finance and economics lessons, and would also teach them some insights on governing the country.

After finishing her studies at Zhu Cilang's place, she still had to return to the warship where the Crown Prince was, to keep him company, and at night she had to continue serving him — Zhu Hexing was at the age of vigorous energy, cooped up on the boat all day with nowhere to vent it, so he could only let Ding Yuying work a little harder.

Ding Yuying really was quite formidable — studying by day, attending to the Crown Prince at night, with a child in her belly, and after more than ten days she showed not the slightest sign of fatigue.

And her studies hadn't fallen behind either. Yesterday she took a test and scored high marks in every subject. A regular superwoman!

Seeing his daughter-in-law gracefully seated in the chair, Zhu Cilang took a stack of exam papers from Princess Nisha's hands, then handed them to Ding Yuying with a smile: "Yuying, you did quite well. Confucian studies full marks, French 90, financial management 95, accounting 95, tax law full marks, military studies 85 — very good!"

Ding Yuying breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. She knew that if she failed the exam, she might well receive a grand funeral!

Truly, exams carry risk; one must do the questions seriously!

If the poor students of later generations had her kind of motivation to study, they couldn't be guaranteed admission to Peking, Tsinghua, Fudan, or Jiaotong, but they would certainly get into a decent university!

Of course, there was also a certain probability of being driven insane!

But Ding Yuying's stress tolerance was quite good; she showed no signs of going mad yet. Having thick enough nerves was also a kind of ability! If she did go mad, she'd get a grand funeral all the same, so she didn't dare go mad either!

Zhu Cilang added: "No lessons have been arranged for you this morning. In a while some ministers will arrive to discuss state affairs. You will sit in and listen, and also be responsible for taking the record."

"Ah?" Ding Yuying was startled by Zhu Cilang's words. "Imperial Father, you want your daughter-in-law to..."

"You must begin learning how to govern the country!" Zhu Cilang said with a smile. "You are the Crown Princess. Someday there will be times when you must serve as Regent (when the Emperor goes to war, the Empress serves as Regent). You can start learning now."

What? Ding Yuying was somewhat speechless. The Crown Prince hadn't even started learning yet! And she, the Crown Princess, was learning first — what was that supposed to mean? If you, old man, were to pass away one day, who would govern the country?

Zhu Cilang glanced at her: "Have Erlin copy the things you record. Take the original back to show the Crown Prince. Whatever insights you gain, go and discuss them with the Crown Prince as well."

So Zhu Cilang's plan was to teach Ding Yuying the way of governing himself, and then have Ding Yuying teach Zhu Hexing. His main reason was that he found Zhu Hexing's brain a bit slow, and had no patience to teach a foolish boy, so he simply decided to teach the smarter Ding Yuying first, and then let Ding Yuying teach Zhu Hexing. Whoever's husband it is, she's responsible for teaching him! Ding Yuying hadn't been dragged in to be Crown Princess — she had earned the position through her own hard work in the examinations. How could she not be responsible for teaching him?

"Your daughter-in-law understands. Your daughter-in-law will certainly study hard. If there is anything I do not understand, I will go back and consult the Crown Prince." Ding Yuying was indeed clever; she immediately grasped Emperor Zhu's meaning.

Zhu Cilang nodded with satisfaction. Talking to smart people was easy — one hint and they understood. And this girl had high emotional intelligence too; she even knew to save face for the lucky boy. If she could always look after him like this, the lucky boy truly was lucky!

Just then, several small boats pulled up alongside Emperor Zhu's flagship. Arriving were the couple Zhu Hehao and Wu Ahuan, the deputy military strategist Wu Guoyong accompanying the expedition, Minister of Rites Shi Kefa, Minister of Works Zheng Sen, Governor-General of Huguang Hao Yaoqi, Provincial Military Commander of Huguang Feng San, Commander of the First Army Tian Yiqing, and others.

After the group had performed their salutations, they all noticed Crown Princess Ding Yuying seated behind a writing desk, with the four treasures of the study laid out before her, apparently ready to take the record. The arrivals were all startled. What was going on here? Had the Hanlin academician on duty fallen ill, and the Crown Princess been brought in as a substitute?

Emperor Zhu said with a smile: "It was We who had the Crown Princess take the record, and also let her familiarize herself with court affairs, so she can discuss them with the Crown Prince when she returns."

The Crown Prince and Zhu Cilang could not ride on the same boat. If the boat capsized, both father and son would be lost — to whom would the Ming realm be entrusted?

But having Ding Yuying take the record and explain court affairs to Zhu Hexing was still just a pretext — it was to establish a precedent for the Crown Princess studying state affairs!

Zhu Cilang continued: "Since the founding of the Imperial Ming, there have been many child sovereigns and few adult sovereigns. Including Us, there have been eleven child sovereigns or young sovereigns to take the throne, while adult sovereigns number only six, including the two founders Taizu and Chengzu, one who took the realm and one who pacified it. From this it is evident that accession at a tender age is highly likely to occur again in the future! That being so, We must consider who will assist a child sovereign. Since ancient times, when a child sovereign ascends the throne, the state has relied either on an empress dowager to govern, or on guardian ministers to govern. And as for guardian ministers..."

His gaze blazed as it swept over the several ministers, making them all shiver — Your Majesty, please don't frighten people! What's this talk of guardian ministers... You're not dying yet, so what "guardianship" is there to speak of? Those would clearly be death-sentence ministers!

"Imperial Father speaks truly!" Zhu Hehao was the one among the princes who best understood Emperor Zhu's intentions, and he also needed to cultivate a regency for himself.

Zhu Hehao said: "Since ancient times, guardian ministers have rarely ended well. For the state and for themselves it is no good thing. Better to let the empress dowager rule from behind the curtain!"

Before a guardian minister actually takes the post, it certainly conforms to political correctness — surely better than women meddling in politics! But once he takes it, he will likely find it hard to look after his own life and limb.

In history, guardian ministers who could safely hand power over to a young sovereign are truly too few. By contrast, there are many precedents of power being transferred from an empress dowager to a young sovereign. Moreover, after the Tang dynasty, only in Western Xia did fierce struggles occur between a regent empress dowager and the monarch.

Zhu Cilang nodded and looked at Shi Kefa, asking: "Minister Shi, you are a veteran minister and a meritorious minister of the Overcoming Difficulties. We trust you most of all. We ask you: are you willing to serve as a guardian minister?"

"Not willing! Absolutely not willing!" Shi Kefa shook his head like a rattle-drum — how could he dare say he was willing? At his age, he couldn't possibly serve as guardian minister for Zhu Hexing's son; he could only serve as guardian minister for Zhu Cilang's son. If he said he was willing, wouldn't he be cursing Zhu Cilang to an early death?

Although Zhu Cilang was right now speaking inauspicious words, such words were only for him to say casually. If anyone else said them, they would risk having their head removed!

"Eldest Senior Brother, what about you? Are you willing to serve as a guardian minister?"

Zheng Sen hastily shook his head: "This subject is not willing. This subject absolutely will not serve as a guardian minister..."

He was the son of the richest man in the Ming! He still wanted to live a few more decades!

Zhu Cilang looked at the others again. "And you? Who among you is willing to serve as a guardian minister?"

"None of us are willing... We absolutely will not serve as guardian ministers!"

They were all meritorious ministers of the Overcoming Difficulties! Not one of them was a fool! Who would dare take on this death-sentence minister post?

Zhu Cilang chuckled: "Since none of you will serve as guardian ministers, then if something untoward truly happens, We can only let women govern... Ahuan, you will also take the record together with Yuying. In the future, the United Provinces will certainly have need of you to serve as Regent!"

(End of Chapter)