Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Den of Nepotism

The selection was finalized for June 25th. If everything went smoothly, the results would be announced that same day. If Zhu Hao could pass the examination and become a study companion at the Prince of Xing’s residence, he would be able to break free from his family’s control, regardless of whether his mother, Lady Zhu, could pay the family’s forty-plus tael levy at the end of the month.

The day before the selection, on the 24th, Lady Zhu returned to the Zhu family home. Lady Zhu-Jia had summoned her under the guise of discussing internal family affairs. When she returned, her expression was relatively calm.

"Mother, did Grandmother give you a hard time?" Zhu Hao quickly pulled her to the table, pouring her tea as he asked.

Lady Zhu shook her head. "Your grandmother merely summarized the household income for the past two months. Ours was the most profitable, and she urged us to keep up the good work."

Receiving the old lady’s validation, Lady Zhu looked pleased.

Zhu Hao remarked, "Mother, I suspect Grandmother is trying to kill you with kindness."

"What do you mean by 'kill with kindness'?" asked Aunt Li, who was standing nearby.

Zhu Hao didn’t explain, but asked instead, "Did Grandmother probe whether we could pay the levy at the end of the month? Or perhaps drop hints to find out how our business is doing?"

"This..." Lady Zhu hesitated, unwilling to admit it, but nodded nonetheless.

Zhu Hao gave a bitter laugh. "If my guess is correct, once we hand over the full amount at the end of the month, the family will target me next. They’ll bring me back, ostensibly for my studies, but in reality, it will be to keep me under their thumb and force you to submit."

Aunt Li felt Zhu Hao’s words were a bit extreme and couldn’t help but caution him, "Young Master Hao, the Zhu clan is our kin, after all. We shouldn’t think so poorly of them."

"Aunt, it is always better to prepare for the worst. Mother, I am going to take the examination for the Prince of Xing’s study companion tomorrow. Do you have any thoughts on this?"

Lady Zhu had been busy looking for a tutor for her son and had forgotten all about it. At this reminder, her face turned grave. "Hao-er, even if you are lucky enough to pass, your grandmother won’t allow you to become a companion..."

"I’ve thought it over, Mother. It would be better to return to the Zhu family. They are, after all, blood relatives, and surely wouldn’t make things too difficult. But if you enter the Prince’s residence... behind those high walls and deep courtyards, it will be hard for me to even catch a glimpse of you."

Zhu Hao replied, "Mother, I am going to be a classmate to the young prince, to study and grow with him. The way you describe it, it sounds as if I’m going to prison."

Aunt Li also tried to dissuade him, "Young Master Hao, they say that entering a noble house is as deep as the sea, let alone a Prince’s residence. It’s better not to go."

Zhu Hao couldn’t help but think of some obscure, nonsensical poetry he had heard. *Do they think I am marrying into the Prince’s residence, never to see them again?*

"Mother, Aunt, I heard that the new County Magistrate, Jing, is sending his own son to the Prince’s residence to compete. If I go, surely it won't be such a disgrace?" Zhu Hao shared the intelligence he had gathered.

Lady Zhu shook her head. "How could a Magistrate’s son possibly apply to be a study companion?"

"Why won't you believe me, Mother? This is no secret. Furthermore, I am going to be a companion, not a servant. There is no indenture to sign. Even if I find life inside the residence difficult and wish to leave, or if you want to bring me home, surely the Prince’s residence wouldn't be unreasonable?"

No matter how Zhu Hao tried to persuade her, Lady Zhu remained dead set against him taking the exam.

"Mother, in any case, I will not return to the Zhu family. I heard that if Grandmother takes me back, she intends to put me to work as an apprentice in the family workshop—tending to livestock, leading mules, and shoveling horse manure."

Zhu Hao’s words shocked Lady Zhu. "This... this... surely not?"

Zhu Hao continued, "Don't underestimate the cruelty the Zhu family is capable of toward their own. If Grandmother had a shred of sincerity, would she have reported us to the authorities twice? Does she not know what an official investigation means for a virtuous woman? What could be more despicable than sending one’s own kin to prison?"

Initially, Lady Zhu had been adamant, but hearing this and reflecting on the past, her heart turned cold. Her brief stint in the local jail had been enough; if word spread, the damage to her reputation would be irreparable. For a woman of this era, a trip to prison was akin to a brush with death. The Zhu family’s two reports to the authorities were tantamount to framing her.

"Then... can you succeed in the selection tomorrow?" Lady Zhu finally relented.

Zhu Hao nodded firmly. "Man proposes, God disposes. With Master Lu’s guidance, I shouldn't fare too poorly. Trust me, I will succeed in entering the Prince of Xing’s residence."

Lady Zhu sighed softly. "I only fear you won't be chosen, and even if you are, your grandmother won't allow it... Sigh, go and prepare well."

...

Getting past Lady Zhu and Aunt Li was a significant step forward for Zhu Hao. Securing his family's support was the first priority; as for the attitude of the Zhu family... that was not his concern.

On the 25th, the weather was somewhat sweltering. Lady Zhu had specially prepared a new silk outfit for Zhu Hao. As a mother unable to provide for her son's education, she felt a deep sense of guilt, so she spared no expense on his appearance. Despite their tight finances, she wanted her son to look impressive for the selection.

Neither Lady Zhu nor Aunt Li accompanied him, letting Yu San serve as his attendant instead.

The reporting station for the exam was outside the East Gate of the Prince of Xing’s residence, not far from the bird and flower market. Yu San, not qualified to enter the residence, handed Zhu Hao the cloth bag his mother had sewn and waited to the side.

Outside the East Gate, it was noisy. Zhu Hao observed that while the children arriving for the selection were well-dressed, their accompanying parents were mostly in coarse hemp clothes, suggesting their families were only of average means. It made sense; truly wealthy and powerful families would not deign to send their sons to serve as mere companions.

In the crowd, Zhu Hao spotted an acquaintance: the newly appointed Magistrate of Changshou, Jing Zhongkuan. The Magistrate was dressed in a simple scholar’s robe and a flat-topped cap, looking elegant and refined.

Officials from the Prince’s residence arrived to receive them. Zhu Hao glanced at them; they were also dressed in simple robes, with no visible rank badges. As for Jiang Lun, he was nowhere to be seen.

Shortly after the hour of the Dragon (7:00 AM), a dozen guards drove the parents aside and had the children line up to enter the residence.

Soon, the group of children reached a large elm tree inside the East Gate, so wide it would take several people to encircle it. The dense canopy provided a welcome relief from the scorching sun. A swing hung from one of the branches, swaying slightly in the breeze.

There were about thirty children participating, mostly between six and ten years old, with a few as young as four or five. Zhu Hao pondered this; the criteria for selection were a mastery of the *Analects* and the *Mencius*. What could these four or five-year-olds do? They could barely speak clearly.

"Waaah!"

One child, overwhelmed by the scene, burst into loud sobs.

The crying unsettled the already nervous children. A boy of about Zhu Hao’s age barked, "Stop crying! If you cry again, you’ll be kicked out!"

Zhu Hao looked over. The boy, though young, had a resolute expression, with eyes that were calm, sharp, and piercing—he possessed an aura quite distinct from the other children.

The child who had been intimidated, the youngest among them, ran toward a group of guards, grabbing the leg of an officer from the Prince’s Ceremonial Guard who was wearing a sword. He pointed toward the group, seemingly lodging a complaint.

Zhu Hao felt a chill. The crying child was clearly an internal candidate from the Prince’s residence; he had gone straight to his family’s adult connections.

A boy of eight or nine laughed, "Hey, you’re in trouble. He has backing."

The boy who had made the threat rolled his eyes. "Who’s in trouble remains to be seen."

Just then, the officer from the Ceremonial Guard did indeed walk over with the child. At the same time, Jing Zhongkuan approached with the official who had greeted him.

"Commander Lu, what is the matter?" the official asked the officer.

Hearing this, Zhu Hao’s brows shot up. Commander Lu? Could this man with the broad face, square ears, and dignified air be the famous Lu Song? Lu Song had served as a commander in the Prince of Xing’s residence and was a key figure in the Prince’s future rise. And that crying, complaining brat... was he Lu Bing?

Lu Bing was born in the fifth year of Zhengde (1510). In the ninth year of Zhengde (1514), he would be four years old—or five by traditional counting. This was likely the reason for the presence of such young children.

It was all about connections!

Commander Lu replied, "I heard there was a small dispute among the candidates, so I came to check."

The commander of the Prince’s Ceremonial Guard was a sixth-rank military official. However, since the Tumu Crisis, the Ming Dynasty had favored civil officials over military ones. A sixth-rank military officer, even one in a Prince’s residence, would have to kowtow to a seventh-rank county magistrate. The class gap was almost insurmountable.

Jing Zhongkuan smiled and pointed to the boy who had made the threat. "Director Zhang, this is my son. I hope you will look after him."

A "Director" (Fengzheng) was the head of the Prince’s eunuchs. The Zhang who held this position in the Prince of Xing’s residence was none other than the future Grand Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Zhang Zuo.

Zhu Hao suddenly realized that passing this selection would not be easy. Everyone present was connected, one layer of influence piled upon another.