Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 614: The Three Courts’ Trial and the Writing of Books
That night, when Zhu Ying returned to the Duke of Zhao's mansion, it was almost midnight. An unmarried daughter stayed at her fiancé's house so late, even with enough guards, the Zhu family knew the character of Zhang Shou and his mother. At this moment, everyone in the family, from the wife to Duke of Zhao Zhu Jing and Jiu Niang, to Zhu Tingfang and Zhu Er, were waiting for her in Qing'an Hall.
So when Zhu Ying entered the room with a beaming face, facing such a big scene, she couldn't help but blurt out: "Grandma, Dad, Mom, Big Brother, Second Brother, are you planning to hold a three-person trial?"
Zhu Er, who was secretly yawning, laughed out loud when he heard Zhu Ying's words. Then he remembered that everyone in the class was older than him - even if Zhu Ying was younger than him, her status in the family was much higher than his!
He quickly shut up and sat up straight. Although he didn't want to wait here at all, wouldn't it be better to do something in the room that the children of the family would like to see? But his grandmother had summoned him, and even his father and brothers were waiting here, let alone him? So he could only sit there like a clock, while trying his best to secretly wink at Zhu Ying, with an expression on his face that said, "You must be careful."
Of course, his tell-all expression could not be hidden from anyone present, and of course he did not intend to hide it. After all, letting people see the deep brotherly love between him and Zhu Ying would also help to make up for his stupid behavior last year.
As expected, the lady didn't even look at Zhu Er's weird face. She just smiled and calmly answered Zhu Ying's half-teasing, half-coquettish question: "We are the ones who spoiled you. You said weird things in Xinglong Tea House before, and now you come back so late and still talk about a three-court trial. You haven't even married yet, but you're already someone else's!"
Before Zhu Ying could explain, she changed the subject and said, "We don't bother to ask you about what happened with you and Ah Shou. Anyway, you're going to get married soon, and it will be your mother-in-law's turn to take care of you in the future! So many people at home are waiting for you to come back. We want to ask you what happened today when you and Ah Shou rescued the scholar who fell into the water at the Yinding Bridge. Please tell us the whole story."
"Don't be impatient. You should know that the palace just received news that Liu Feng, the manager of the Qianqing Palace, was beaten to death by the order of the emperor."
This time, Zhu Ying was truly horrified. She was not horrified because of Liu Feng's death. In her opinion, this talkative guy who said those things to the Fourth Prince deserved to die. But she knew the Emperor's temper best. Although he was sometimes as impulsive and reckless as the Fourth Prince, and even Zhang Shou was behind him in his eccentricity, the Emperor never liked to kill people casually.
Especially the illegal killing of people, which was the last thing the emperor, who had always revered Taizu, wanted to do.
Zhu Ying was silent for a moment, and finally repeated the series of events after the rescue, including the Fourth Prince's big mouth, in detail. Although she didn't like to be pedantic, she had a very good memory and remembered almost every word.
The Madam and the others also listened carefully. Except for the Madam occasionally interrupting to ask the reaction of Magistrate Shen and Zou Ming and other three scholars, Zhu Jing, Jiu Niang and Zhu Tingfang remained silent. As for Zhu Er, he was only amazed at the Fourth Prince's mouth, how could he ask any questions? It was not until Zhu Ying finished speaking that the Madam sighed softly.
"No wonder the emperor is so angry... It seems that something big is going to happen this time! County Magistrate Shen was promoted to the fifth rank by the emperor. He is not a meddlesome person and would never make a big fuss about a mere eunuch. But he heard such words in front of three candidates and several runners. If he didn't react at all, how could he be an official if the news got out?"
"I just hope he can firmly say that it was all Liu Feng's nonsense and not escalate the situation to the Imperial Household Department."
When the lady said this, she saw Zhu Ying's face was full of depression, so she said in a deep voice: "This happened before the crown prince was canonized. No one knows whether it was Liu Feng's quick words, or someone was afraid of the Imperial Household Department and deliberately spread a mess of rumors, so all kinds of reasons came together to promote such a strange case, or maybe someone planned it. In short, the situation will not be good next time."
"So, both you and Shou should be more restrained recently."
However, just as she finished speaking, she saw Zhu Ying showing a very strange expression, and she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Zhu Jing, who had just not spoken, frowned and asked, "Yingying, what are you two planning to do now? You used to do what you wanted, but since you met Zhang Shou, you have become more and more daring!"
"What does it have to do with Ah Shou?" This time, it was Jiu Niang who was unhappy. "If everyone did not do anything out of line and everything followed the rules, wouldn't it be dead and dull? If you had followed the rules in the beginning, how could you be here today? Young people should be enterprising and enterprising. How can they be like those old men in the court, who stick to the old ways and make a fuss when they see sparks, thinking they are firecrackers!"
This last sentence was quite vulgar. Zhu Er still wanted to laugh when he heard it, but his elder brother was still sitting upright, so he could only hold it back.
But after the stepmother finished speaking, she glanced at him sideways and said, "Erlang, if you want to laugh, just laugh. Why are you holding it back? When your father was young, he dared to fight and speak out. Now he is not old yet, so you want young people to be careful!"
Zhu Jing was so annoyed by his wife's scolding - Jiu Niang was always the type who said whatever she thought, and when they were newly married, she admired him very much for his fearlessness and courage to make achievements. But when he later began to be patient and conservative, and to act cautiously, she gradually disapproved of his intense temperament, and when he made a decision about their three children, the conflict broke out completely.
But at this moment, he had to try hard to explain: "The current situation is unclear..."
"Why is the situation unclear? The situation is now clearest! Everything is based on the first priority of enthroning the crown prince. Other things can be put aside and ignored! Just like the previous incident of deposing the queen, as long as other places can also make a big fuss, this incident may not really attract so much attention."
Jiu Niang looked at the Madam and said calmly, "Besides, Yingying prefers to move and doesn't like to be quiet, while Shou has a lot of strange ideas. Now is the time when Jiuzhang Hall is about to be separated from the Imperial College. Although the situation seems strange and it is better to be quiet than to move, it is not appropriate for them."
"So, why not let them go? Now that Yingying's father and her elder brother have returned, the Zhu family is no longer what it used to be. There is no need to be afraid of anything. Besides, Lu Wan, who used to order people to deal with the Zhu family and was actually a pioneer, is now on the same side as A Shou. In addition, there are A Shou's students, as well as other helpers such as Old Master Ge..."
“We are no longer what we used to be.”
The lady didn't expect that Jiu Niang was not only radical, but also exposed some things. She couldn't help but smile bitterly. How could she not know that what her daughter-in-law said was indeed right? Compared with the rumors of Zhu Jing's defeat, the father and son were unknown, and a lot of people in the court were jumping up and down, as if they wanted to uproot the Zhaoguo Mansion. The current Zhu family is simply in a state of prosperity.
Zhu Jing was the Minister of War, Zhu Tingfang was in charge of the South City Military Division, which was in charge of the Five City Military Divisions, and even the second son Zhu Tingjie, who had always been out of tune, was no longer the same as before. Not to mention that because of Zhu Ying's fiancé Zhang Shou, the family had a large number of new helpers.
Moreover, they did not need to break away from their relatives and friends or take other actions in order to avoid making the emperor wary. As long as the emperor continued to trust the Zhu family as always, the Zhu family could be said to be as stable as a rock.
However, what she actually hoped to do was to keep a low profile so that she could see clearly the possible black hand behind this whole thing...
The son obviously agreed, but the daughter-in-law opposed. The lady did not insist and simply asked gently, "Da Lang and Er Lang, you two should also speak up."
Zhu Tingfang glanced at Zhu Ying, who was clasping her hands together as if begging him. He finally said expressionlessly, "Grandma, let Yingying do whatever she wants. Our Zhu family has been patient for too long. Now that dad and I are back, if we still can't let Yingying be herself, then aren't we useless as father and brother?"
"As for Zhang Shou, as long as he can stand with Yingying, it's up to him."
Zhu Er saw that his elder brother clearly supported his younger sister, and he was immediately delighted. Even though his father glared at him, he just pretended not to see it: "That's right, this disturbance is strange. It seems to be aimed at the Imperial Household Department, but it may be aimed at the emperor. My sister and brother-in-law just do their own things. If there is a big fuss, it can also divert attention, right?"
Second brother, you are smart!
Zhu Ying then glanced at Zhu Er with satisfaction, and then said with a smile: "A Shou said the same thing. Others thought we would be cautious and wait and see, but we won't! Since we are open and have a clear conscience, then of course we should do what we should do! The girls' school will be opened in the next few days. Although Yongping is in charge and Madam Hong is assisting him, look at how Yongping is today..."
"She must not teach people the wrong way! Although Madam Hong is knowledgeable, she certainly cannot suppress her. I have to go and watch. But just watching is not enough...Grandmother, mother, can you two also write a book to talk about female virtues that are different from those in the Four Books for Women?"
Although this was a difficult question to answer, the lady and Jiu Niang understood it immediately. The two looked at each other, and Jiu Niang spoke cautiously, "Yingying, are you planning to get involved in the girls' school? Although you had a quarrel with Yongping today..."
"It's not about quarreling, but I'm worried that she will instill her own utilitarian ideas into others. At first I thought she was very suitable for this, but now I think she is too self-righteous!"
"Grandmother, mother, Ban Zhao wrote "Instructions for Women", Empress Changsun wrote "Rules for Women", Song Ruoshen wrote "The Analects of Women", and even Empress Wu Zetian pretended to have people compile "Biographies of Women" and "Ancient and Modern Internal Models"... Throughout the ages, these talented and virtuous women have written many books, but is it useful to actually manage household chores at home, support their husbands and raise their children? "
"Grandmother, mother, even if they are the daughters of officials and noble ladies who can read and write, there are some like He Yongping who have been sensitive and thoughtful since childhood, and their thinking becomes more and more narrow-minded; there are also those who are foolish and only care about ancient books, thinking that just following them can make the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law harmonious, and the couple be united; there are also those who are full of knowledge but don't know how to manage household chores, and eventually their family falls into decline..."
"Scholars study more than just classics and history. How can women only learn about women's virtues?"
Seeing that the Madam hesitated and Jiu Niang looked at her thoughtfully, Zhu Ying suddenly smiled and said, "Isn't Ah Shou writing a book with the reputation of Grandpa Ge? If you don't want to write, I will write it and use your names, how about that?"
At this moment, the huge Qing'an Hall was completely silent. Zhu Er wanted to touch Zhu Ying's forehead to see if she had a fever and was confused talking nonsense - his sister, who hated reading since childhood and found it easy to recite poems and books, but always frowned and bargained with the teacher, would actually say that she would write a book herself today?
Even Zhu Tingfang couldn't help but glance outside, wondering if the sun had come out again. Zhu Jing tugged at his beloved beard in silence until he had pulled out two strands, then he came to his senses.
When the Madam saw that Jiu Niang was already in a daze, she laughed and said, "Yingying, are you sure you can really write?"
"If I don't know, go ask Ah Shou! Who told me that women all over the world have been suffering from the so-called female virtues for a long time!" Zhu Ying said confidently, and then raised her eyebrows and said, "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have thought that Yongping's current mentality is not suitable for presiding over a girls' school... Anyway, I'm not afraid that she will be unhappy this time. If she has the guts, she can come and compete with me!"
Even though she was not sure whether Zhang Shou was doing this to make Zhu Ying happy, after hearing what Zhu Ying said, the last bit of worry that the lady had was gone. She completely forgot that things were going to be very turbulent outside, and nodded happily and said, "Okay, in that case, I will lend you my and your mother's names. When you finish writing, you can print it out under our names."
"Old Master Ge can confidently let Ah Shou use their name, so why should your mother and I be reluctant?"
Seeing that the lady agreed, Jiu Niang immediately smiled and said, "I don't even have to lift a finger to pass down my works. Why wouldn't I want to? Just go for it. Your grandmother and I will support you!"
Zhu Ying was naturally very happy to receive such encouragement and recognition. After paying her respects, she left. When she left, Zhu Er said quietly, "Grandma, mother, father, and elder brother, what on earth are you all doing here tonight?"
After being fooled by Zhu Ying, it seems that the things he was most worried about before were all forgotten, and he was only thinking about how to help Zhu Ying write a book! Thousands of years , wouldn't his sister, who he now thinks is almost as uneducated as himself, become a good wife and mother who wrote a book about women?
Of course, Zhu Ying had no idea about how Zhu Er was framed by his relatives in Qing'an Hall. She walked briskly back to her boudoir, as if she had not noticed Zhan Jin and Liu Yin's resentment towards her for going out to play all day without her. She smiled and said, "Zhan Jin, Liu Yin, get ready. Follow me into the palace tomorrow and prepare to fight!"
No matter how capable Zhang Shou was, she couldn't write a book on women's virtues. In fact, she had already thought about it in her mind and asked Hong for help! With Hong's intelligence and sense of propagation, she should be able to accept it in the name of her grandmother and mother to promote her own ideas, right? Well, she is really smart!
