Zheng Zhilong ranked among the three princes, Zheng Sen entered the cabinet and was in charge of the Ministry of Industry, Zheng Jing was appointed as the military commander of Dongning Army, Zheng Cong and Zheng Sen's second son were awarded the title of Duke of Sulu, Zheng Du, Zheng Zhilong's third son was appointed to Quanzhou Prefecture, Zheng En and Zheng Zhilong were the fourth

Zichu learned that the Ryukyu Prefecture belonged to the Dongning Army and six other personnel appointments related to the Zheng family were announced on the same day, February 25, the 20th year of Hongxing's reign.

For the Zheng family in Anping, it is truly a blessing in disguise!

In addition, 11 girls from the Zheng family have entered the top 100 in the preliminary examination of Jinling Women's University, which greatly increases the probability that the princess will come from the Zheng family.

The Zheng family is now so popular that it has surpassed the Queen Wu Sanmei's natal family in one fell swoop and has become the most powerful noble in the Ming Dynasty!

However, these are still extraordinary times. Empress Wu Sanmei's brother Wu Sangui is still besieged in Lueyang by Li Dingguo, and his life or death is uncertain.

Therefore, the Zheng family had to keep a low profile to avoid giving the impression that a villain has gained power. Therefore, the Zheng family did not hold a big banquet to celebrate, and they closed the door to thank guests. Even the southern courtiers who were in their party could not enter the East Lake.

The gate of the Zheng family mansion in the town.

However, being unable to enter the house does not mean that you cannot meet privately. Donghu Town is built near the water. All the high-end mansions built in Donghu Town are built along the water. They have private docks, and you can go boating on the lake in your free time.

On the evening of the 25th, a very simply decorated boat, which looked a bit old, sailed silently on the lake near Quanguo Duke's Mansion, and finally sailed into a secluded harbor.

It stopped. There was still smoke coming from the chimney at the stern. It was obvious that someone was having a dinner on the boat.

The owner of this low-key looking boat is none other than Zheng Zhilong, the Taibao Duke of Kenanquan.

"You, old man, are really frugal in your life. This boat has become so old, so you are not willing to buy a new one. It is so happy that you are here, and you are not willing to treat everyone to some delicacies from the mountains and seas, so I just grab some fish and shrimp from the East Lake.

Are you a guest?"

The one who was holding a wine glass and looking at a table of bland river fresh fruits and vegetables and joking was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Grand Duke Luo. The last champion of the Ming Dynasty, he was already in his fifties this year, and he had reached the age where he needed to take care of his body for a long life.

, I no longer care about delicacies from mountains and seas.

"This is called low-key!" Ji Kun, the minister of Dali Temple, said lightly, "Your Majesty's plan has always been to use the north to control the south, but now among the eight ministers, southerners occupy five seats, only the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of War.

It is in the hands of the Northerners. Now even the position of the first noble is occupied by the Southerners."

"You can't say that," Shen Tingyang, who had just taken office as the Ministry of Household Affairs, shook his head and said, "among the Yingtian nobles, the majority are from the north, at least seven-tenths, and they are all from military families, very powerful!

Unlike us southerners, most of whom are industrial and commercial scholar-bureaucrats, even if they have military merits, they are from the navy and cannot be compared to those from the army."

What he said was not that he looked down upon the navy, but that it was difficult for the navy to play a decisive role in the political life of the Ming Dynasty!

The Ming Dynasty was a country with a large army, and the number of the army was close to 1 million. The number of the navy was 50,000 to 60,000, and they were all stationed outside. Yingtian Mansion and Wuhan Mansion did not have many navies.

"But the southerners are rich!" Ma Shiying's son, Ma Luan, the prefect of Wuhan, said with a smile, "The wealth of the world is gathered in the southeast. The wealthy businessmen in one province in the southeast can often be equal to the number in one province in the north. With money

In recent years, the three major universities in Yingtian, Wuhan, and Tianjin, as well as Nanjing University, Nanyang University, and Beiyang University, have made up more than 80% of the students from the South. There are only schools under the military headquarters.

, mainly northerners.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Zheng Zhilong again, "Now His Majesty wants to use examinations to select concubines for the Crown Prince and other princes. I'm afraid that this Crown Princess will probably be a talented girl from the south!"

"That's not necessarily the case!" Prince Consort Zheng Jiangong shook his head and frowned, "Princess Kunxing said that the two girls from the Wu family are both stunning, not only beautiful, but also charming, and can be ranked among all the women who took the exam.

Top two!"

Under Zhu Cixiang's promotion, Princess Kunxing and Princess Zhaoren also received new education, and their studies were very good. Therefore, they and Zhu Cixiang's concubines Xu Erlin and Jin Dongzhu, as well as the eldest daughter born to Zhu Cixiang and Wu Sanmei, have already married

Luo Xiushen's son Luo Kedi was engaged to Zhu Tianfeng and other five people. They were also caught by Zhu Cihong and participated in the preparation and enrollment of Jinling Women's University. If they could master the teaching materials of Women's University under Zhu Cibing's guidance, then they

She will also become a teacher at a women’s university and become the first generation of professional women in China.

Although the two girls sent by the Wu family to Wuhan to take the exam were not outstanding academically, they were both extremely beautiful.

"Don't be afraid," Ma Luan shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter if Wu Ake is as beautiful as a fairy. She is the prince's cousin. His Majesty has already said that cousin marriage is not allowed."

"But Wu Ake is not the most beautiful," Zheng Jiangong said, "Wu Ahuan is the most beautiful among all the women who took the exam. The cousin your Majesty refers to refers to blood relatives, not adopted sons. So this Wu Ahuan can be

The princess’s!”

The Ming Dynasty had a rule against cousin marriage, but it was not strictly enforced and there were many loopholes because this rule was not based on biology but ethics. In order to prevent the future emperor of tomorrow and his vassal monarch from giving birth to brain-dead children due to incest marriage.

For heirs, Emperor Zhu stipulated that the determination of cousin marriage should be based on blood relationship.

So Wu Ake cannot run for the crown princess, but Wu Ahuan can!

"Isn't Wu Ahuan ranked outside the 200th place?" Grand Duke Luo asked, "She shouldn't be able to get into the women's university, right?"

One of Grand Duke Luo's daughters also passed the preliminary examination and ranked fifth! She is a real top student! So he is also concerned about who can become the crown princess and naturally knows Wu Ahuan's ranking.

"The first test only has a literary competition but not a martial arts competition, but the second test has a martial arts competition." Zheng Jiangong said, "This Wu Ahuan is not only stunningly beautiful, but he has practiced martial arts since he was a child, including horse riding, shooting, shooting, fencing, and spears.

She’s not good at it. She’s also proficient in military science! She ranks 255 in literary studies and should be ranked first in martial arts. There is no problem in being admitted to a female university.”

After hearing what he said, several people present understood that Wu Ahuan of the Wu family had "customized" it for Zhu Hexing based on Zhu Cihong's request.

"Prince-in-law," Grand Duke Luo asked, "do you know what will be tested in the re-examination?"

"It's not confirmed yet," Zheng Jiangong said, "but martial arts and military skills will definitely have to be tested because as the crown prince and the princess of the vassal, the wife will have the opportunity to regent and supervise the country, and it is not enough to not understand military skills.

In addition, financial management must also be tested! Only with money and soldiers can the emperor's throne be secure. If the king does not have the ability to control the army and manage finances, he will have to ask his concubines to assist him."

Zhu Cixiang's approach is a break from the norm, which means that a ZTE hero like him can do it. But if you think about it carefully, it is quite reasonable. Because the range of choices for princes and princes is not large, and they cannot be selected through examinations!

But their wives can be carefully selected. Of course, they must choose women who have the ability to help their husbands and sons run the country. In fact, the conditions for drafting in the Ming Dynasty were also very strict in the past, but the standards were wrong. They did not test the culture, Tao, military, strategy, and wealth.

, but a bunch of "female Durban" were selected. When they are needed to help the little emperor or the lazy emperor govern, they are basically unreliable, so the power can only be controlled by civil servants and ministers.

What's worse is that because the emperor, empress, and queen mother don't understand, they can't tell who is loyal and who is traitorous in the court, who is a capable minister and who is a braggadocio.

Because they were determined to test military strategy and martial arts, several southern ministers present felt uncertain, and everyone turned their attention to Zheng Zhilong.

Zheng Zhilong glanced at everyone and said slowly: "The key now is not what to take the exam, but how to create a crown princess? Excluding the prince's same surname and cousins, will the one with the highest score become the crown princess? This matter has not been finalized yet!
Chapter completed!