Chapter Seven: Don't Overthink Things

As soon as the imperial examination began, an attack took place, and the victim was none other than the man suspected to be his eldest grandson. Upon receiving the news, Emperor Hongwu was enraged, immediately ordering the chief examiner and all invigilators imprisoned and charged. As for the assailant, Yuan Cheng, his entire clan was sentenced to execution.

Though the examination was interrupted, such a grand event held every three years could not be stopped. Emperor Hongwu threw the Minister of Justice Yang Jing, the Minister of Personnel Zhan Hui, and Acting Minister of Rites Ren Hengtai (in the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu, the former minister Li Yuanming retired due to age, and all duties were assumed by Ren Hengtai) into the imperial academy to oversee the examination, while the security was handed over to the imperial guards.

In addition to the examiners being of higher rank and the questions changed, what truly made the candidates bemoan their fate was the new rule: all examinations had to be completed within nine days, with no rest days in between. The only silver lining was that, for those nine days, their meals would be supplied by the imperial palace, rather than the usual coarse bread.

Following this decree, everyone cursed Yuan Cheng, but could do nothing except grit their teeth and continue. As for the victim, Zhu Yang, he wholeheartedly agreed with Emperor Hongwu’s decision, for during those nine days, he no longer had to worry about being attacked by the Xu family.

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In the imperial palace’s study, Emperor Hongwu reviewed memorials while asking, “What’s the story with this Yuan Cheng? Has the investigation been completed?”

“It has,” Jiang Huan replied. “Yuan Cheng is from Jianning Prefecture in Fujian. He’s somewhat famous locally as a child prodigy, but harbored deep resentment against Zhu Gongzi for besting him in the provincial exam.”

“He was the one who provoked Zhu Gongzi at the Champion’s Tower that day,” Jiang Huan continued. “But Zhu Gongzi outmatched him. Still, that wasn’t the main reason for Yuan Cheng’s attack.”

“The main reason?” Emperor Hongwu looked up with curiosity.

“Yes,” Jiang Huan nodded. “Yuan Cheng’s uncle was originally named Li Rong, a captain under Zhang Shicheng. After Your Majesty defeated Zhang Shicheng, he changed his name to Wang Hai and lived in seclusion in Jianning. Yuan Cheng’s father, Yuan Bomin, knew Li Rong from before, and Li Rong gave his sister in marriage to Yuan Bomin. The following year, Yuan Cheng was born.”

“Afraid of his identity being exposed, Li Rong kept his distance from the Yuan family until Yuan Cheng grew up. When Yuan Cheng became top scholar, Li Rong, under his new identity as Wang Hai, started interacting with them, but Yuan Bomin and his wife, for Yuan Cheng’s protection, never revealed Li Rong’s true identity.”

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It wasn’t until yesterday, when Zhu Gongzi raised the issue of ‘Old Wang next door,’ that Yuan Cheng, unaware of Li Rong’s identity, assumed Wang Hai was just the neighbor, possibly entangled with his mother. Driven by a desire to protect his mother’s honor, Yuan Cheng resolved to kill Zhu Gongzi.

Emperor Hongwu was speechless.

“So this disaster was entirely brought on by that foolish boy himself?” The emperor said, amused and annoyed.

“Yes,” Jiang Huan replied, bowing his head, secretly marveling at how much trouble this suspected imperial grandson could stir up.

“How is the Xu family now?” Emperor Hongwu asked, remembering Xu Miaojin.

“The second son has returned home,” Jiang Huan replied.

“Returned? Did they receive some news?”

“Yes. After a night of rumors, Xu Miaojin’s reputation remained intact, while Zhu Gongzi’s name was dragged through the mud.”

“Oh?” Emperor Hongwu raised his eyebrows, puzzled as to how his grandson’s reputation could be so tarnished.

“It was all Zhu Gongzi’s doing,” Jiang Huan said with a wry smile.

“Tell me the details,” Emperor Hongwu said with interest.

After a single night, tales of Zhu Yang’s exploits at the Champion’s Tower spread everywhere. The love story of Xu Miaojin and Zhu Yang became common knowledge throughout the capital, embellished by the masses into hundreds, even thousands of versions. Of these, three were most widely discussed.

The first version: Xu Miaojin and Zhu Yang were childhood sweethearts, but Zhu Yang’s family was poor. Xu Da, King of Zhongshan, disapproved and ordered his eldest son, Xu Huizu, to drive Zhu Yang and his father out of the capital. They wandered, enduring hardship until they settled in Fujian, where they finally accumulated some wealth. This time Zhu Yang returned not only to sit for the imperial exam but chiefly to see Xu Miaojin. According to sources, he declared that if he succeeded in the exam, he would elope with Xu Miaojin.

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The second version: As reported by an informant, Zhu Yang, as a child, accompanied his father to the capital for the lantern festival and encountered Xu Miaojin. Struck by love at first sight, he pursued her relentlessly. Xu Miaojin initially refused, but as the saying goes, a determined suitor will eventually win. After repeated attempts by Zhu Yang, she was about to agree when he saw a woman even more beautiful. As an unrepentant rogue, Zhu Yang chose the prettier woman over Xu Miaojin, abandoning her. Now, having been dumped by the beauty, he returned to the capital both for the exam and to rekindle his pursuit of Xu Miaojin.

The third version: As told by a friend of an informant, Zhu Yang is a notorious playboy, already enamored with a woman in Fujian. But on his journey to the capital, he happened upon Xu Miaojin as she was buying cosmetics and fell for her at first sight. He discarded his family in Fujian, used a public duel as an opportunity to declare his love for Xu Miaojin, leveraging public opinion to force her hand.

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All three versions—except the first, which portrayed Zhu Yang positively—depicted him as either a playboy or a scoundrel, cunning or obsessive. Now, all the young men in the capital had formed an alliance called “Protect Xu Miaojin, Punish Scoundrel Zhu Yang,” vowing to block Zhu Yang from approaching Xu Miaojin after the exam. The sons of the nobility joined forces to bring Zhu Yang down, wielded their family influence to prevent him from passing, and would stop him from eloping with Xu Miaojin. Even the courtesans and pleasure boats declared they would refuse him entry.

“You’re saying these three versions were all spread by Zhu Yang himself?” Emperor Hongwu asked.

“Yes,” Jiang Huan nodded. “In recent years, Zhu Gongzi recruited pirates in Fujian, Taiwan, and near Qiongzhou, specializing in smuggling. He secretly cultivated some followers, mostly in Ryukyu and the Korean Peninsula. For this exam, he brought a few men along, but they rarely interacted with him directly. If he hadn’t instructed them to spread rumors, we might never have found out!”

“It seems this boy is plotting something,” Emperor Hongwu mused, stroking his chin. “Hurry and see to that matter—I want the answer as soon as possible!”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Jiang Huan replied.

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