The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

The atmosphere at the morning court session was very somber from the very beginning.

Although Zhou Ziming had been ill for a long time and his energy was not as good as before, and his complexion was also very poor, he looked much more energetic today after being groomed and dressed by the palace servants.

The magnificent dragon robe and jeweled crown gleamed with a chilling light against the backdrop of the resplendent golden hall.

Zhang Ping'an had excellent eyesight and noticed that he had even applied powder, which, while not able to conceal his illness, did make his complexion look slightly better.

This detail alone demonstrates how much Zhou Ziming valued today's morning court session.

He was a man of great self-respect, and the majesty of an emperor could not be violated or disregarded at any time.

The Crown Prince sat in the lower seat, enjoying Zhou Ziming's favoritism as usual.

His expression was calm, as if he didn't know what would happen at the morning court session, but his slightly trembling eyes betrayed him, indicating that his inner state was not as calm as his face showed.

The second, third, and fourth princes stood among the courtiers.

Although they are father and son, their positions in the main hall clearly remind them that they are not only father and son, but also ruler and subject, and there is a distinction between ruler and subject!

After the civil and military officials finished presenting their important matters with trepidation, Zhou Ziming took the initiative to bring up the topic of today's morning court session, which was the issue of enfeoffing and assigning fiefdoms to the princes.

Although his voice was short, each word was deliberate and forceful.

"I recently read the Rites of Zhou and felt deeply that the feudal system of vassal states to protect the imperial family was an ancient system and also the way of governing the country in our Great Zhou Dynasty. Now that the princes are growing up, they should learn about politics and guard the four directions to consolidate the foundation of the country. I intend to enfeoff the princes today and let them take up their fiefs. What do you think, my ministers?"

Although all the civil and military officials knew that this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision by Zhou Ziming, but a carefully planned and meticulously orchestrated "performance".

While ostensibly questioning them, Zhou Ziming was actually sitting at the head of the table, secretly observing the reactions of the civil and military officials, especially those ministers who had been too close to the princes.

It wasn't really about discussing it with the ministers.

They simply took the opportunity to announce the results and issue the final decision.

But no one dared to actually show it.

Even the cabinet ministers who stayed in the palace to discuss matters yesterday.

They had already received warnings and admonitions from Zhou Ziming, and any potential opponents would face immense pressure and furious repercussions.

Grand Tutor Qian felt bitter inside, but on the surface he still had to smile and step forward to express his opinion: "What His Majesty said is very true. The princes have reached the prime of their lives and should serve the country and share His Majesty's burdens. It is the right time to enfeoff them and assign them to their fiefdoms. However, the enfeoffment of the princes in their respective fiefdoms, as well as the determination of their guards and annual stipends, still need to be discussed."

It was said nicely, but it was something they had no other choice but to do.

In fact, Grand Tutor Qian did not oppose the Crown Prince's succession to the throne; in fact, he was quite pleased with it, since the Crown Prince was much easier to deal with than the overlord Zhou Ziming.

Sending several princes to their fiefdoms was also a necessary measure to stabilize the court.

But perhaps because of his prolonged illness, Zhou Ziming has become much more suspicious than before, and his current style of doing things is unusually ruthless.

Coupled with the recent stripping of his power, he always felt a sense of unease about being in a precarious situation.

I'm afraid Zhou Ziming will launch another purge before he dies.

It doesn't matter if he dies, but if he brings shame upon the family, then we will truly have no face to face our ancestors.

Therefore, he now has to be even more careful than before.

There was even a thought that the princes should not be allowed to take up their fiefdoms for the time being.

With the royal family in chaos and Zhou Ziming unable to intervene, these powerful families were better able to survive.

After all, Zhou Ziming was on the verge of collapse and wouldn't last much longer. Once he kicked the bucket, the crisis would be over.

After yesterday's experience, Grand Tutor Qian clearly saw that the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were unlikely to amount to anything. If anything unexpected happened, it would be the Second Prince.

However, the Second Prince has been detached from the center of the court for a long time, and no matter what he does, he always has to rely on these powerful families and veteran officials.

Nothing terrible.

With Grand Tutor Qian taking the lead, others echoed his sentiments and wholeheartedly supported the idea of ​​being enfeoffed.

The second prince's face showed nothing, but the third and fourth princes looked grim upon hearing this.

But they didn't say anything, waiting for what would happen next.

They were allowed to take up their fiefdoms; that's the usual practice, even though it was a bit early for them considering their age.

The most important thing now is how to manage the fiefdom.

Despite having received advance warning, people are like that—they won't give up until they're absolutely certain.

I have to hear a concrete result.

Unfortunately, no unexpected changes occurred until the very end.

Under Zhou Ziming's instructions yesterday, the emperor and his ministers worked together to quickly determine the fiefdoms for the princes.

There were slight discrepancies between what Qian Ying had told Zhang Ping'an yesterday and what the Second Prince Zhou Shu's fiefdom was in Xi'an, further west, not in Shanxi. The rest was largely the same.

Zhang Ping'an immediately understood: Zhou Ziming still didn't trust the Second Prince, but out of consideration for Empress Wei, he didn't ultimately act too cruelly.

So we compromised.

Compared to the fiefdoms of the other two princes, Xi'an was a pretty good place to go. Although it was under the control of the Northwest Army, it at least gave the princes some real power.

The third and fourth princes were basically just figureheads.

That small fiefdom isn't enough to be considered.

For the rest of his life, if the Great Zhou Dynasty doesn't fall, he can basically see the end of his life at a glance.

The Third Prince, Zhou Zhuo, appears to have a fiery temper and seems carefree, but in reality, he is unpredictable and can turn on you in an instant, making him very emotionally unstable.

Upon hearing that the matter was about to be settled, he immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your subject kowtows to thank Your Majesty for your great favor and the reward you have bestowed upon me. I am deeply grateful and will certainly do my duty diligently and keep to my responsibilities, guarding this region for Your Majesty."

At this point, Zhou Zhuo paused, secretly observing that Zhou Ziming's expression was acceptable, showing no signs of anger.

So he continued: "Although this place is barren, it is precisely because of this that the Emperor's trust and expectations are all the more evident. Your son will do his utmost to educate the people and cultivate the wasteland, even if it means dying nine times. However... Your son is young and inexperienced, and I fear that my abilities are insufficient and I will fail the Emperor's grace. If I could have one or two wise men to assist me, I might be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort!"

After saying this, Zhang Ping'an actually looked at the Third Prince with newfound respect.

I thought he was just a complete idiot, but I didn't expect him to know a thing or two about language.

Knowing that one must never express disdain for the fiefdom, resentment towards the father, or jealousy towards the brothers in one's words, but rather subtly move the emperor by demonstrating one's loyalty, filial piety, and willingness to share the burdens of the country.

He expressed his commitment to fulfilling his duties, but revealed the difficulties he was facing, which indirectly told Zhou Ziming that this place was too challenging.

If Zhou Ziming felt even a little bit sorry for this son, he would consider giving him more resources.

Unfortunately, Zhou Zhuo overestimated his importance in Zhou Ziming's heart.

Zhou Ziming was not moved at all and said casually, "Since you are a prince of the Great Zhou, how could you lack capable retainers to come to you? Although Shu is a bit barren and rugged, it is also a paradise on earth. I think it is very suitable for you."

Zhou Zhuo pursed his lips, tightening the corners of his mouth. "What Father said makes sense."

The Fourth Prince Zhou Yong felt a chill in his heart when he saw his Third Brother return defeated. He was actually quite clever, but he was too young and lacked experience, which made him appear dull in front of the old fox in the court.

Still making a final effort, he stepped forward and said, "Father, you have entrusted the important land of Fujian to your son. I am grateful. Although Fujian is a difficult place, it is the southeastern shield. However, the fiefdom is far away. The thought that I will not be able to stay by your side every day to listen to your teachings makes me extremely sad and reluctant. This is the only thing I am worried about. I humbly request that you allow me to return to the capital to pay my respects every year so that I can fulfill my filial duty."

These words were even more skillful than those of the Third Prince Zhou Zhuo, although both were in a pleading posture and essentially no different.

Even when faced with his youngest son, Zhou Ziming showed no mercy and offered a somewhat insincere compliment: "The Fourth Prince's filial piety is touching, and I am very pleased. However, a country has its laws, and a family has its rules. Now that you have been enfeoffed, the Fourth Prince should stay in your fiefdom and properly fulfill your duties as a subject!"

The last two sentences were a bit harsh.

The court fell silent for a moment.

Subsequently, a dozen or so court officials, who had been won over by the mothers of the Third and Fourth Princes, cautiously stepped forward to speak on their behalf.

"Your Majesty is wise and has enfeoffed princes, which is the foundation of the country. However, Sichuan is poor and the people suffer greatly. I have consulted the Book of Rites and the Collected Statutes and found that the annual stipend, estates and guards of princes are all of the same rank. The enfeoffment of the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince seems to be insufficient compared to the rites. I am not petitioning for others, but for the sake of the court's rites and the country's statistics. If the enfeoffment of princes is inadequate, it may be looked down upon by other vassal states, and it is not a way to show Your Majesty's closeness to them."

"What Lord Liu said is very true, especially in southern Fujian, which is adjacent to a strategic location. The people are fierce and the river bandits often appear. The Fourth Prince is guarding this place with his precious body. If the territory is small, the treasury is not full, and the guards are not strong, then there will be no way to suppress the local people and deter the disobedient. In order to ensure the safety of the Fourth Prince and the peace of the border, I humbly request Your Majesty to increase his guards as appropriate, or grant some mining and salt tax in the surrounding area, so that he can raise his own food and pay and serve as a bulwark for the country."

The others also implied the same thing, wanting to secure more resources for the Third and Fourth Princes.

They weren't unaware that speaking at this time might bring bad luck, but they were so confused that they were taken advantage of, so they had no choice but to risk helping.

After saying this, he didn't hear the voice of the person above him, and he was so frightened that his legs trembled.

They were terrified of losing their official positions.

Zhang Ping'an stood still, silently mourning for his colleagues.

Speaking up for someone at this point will obviously not end well!

As expected, Zhou Ziming coughed twice, clenched his fist, and then asked in a deep voice, "What, are you questioning the fairness of my enfeoffment of the princes?"

"You are so brave!"

After saying that, Zhou Ziming slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne.