The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 243

Zhang Zhou also wanted to establish contact with Wang Shouren before.

However, even if he is the number one scholar and has a relationship with his friends, he is still not a member of the same circle. Even Zhang Zhou participated in the previous Biantouguan battle deeply, but what others remember more is Wang Yue's desperate gamble.

At that time, Zhang Zhou didn't have much capital to win over a "second-generation official" who was already rich in resources in the civil service circle. If Wang Shouren wanted to work in the civil service circle, wouldn't he be better off relying on his father's relationship?

But now Zhang Zhou feels that he has capital.

After the Battle of Ningyuan, the flowering of cannons is enough to change the future war between Ming and the Tatars. From Wang Shouren's point of view, it is impossible not to realize this. If you, Wang Shouren, still want to have military ambitions in the future, don't you want to follow? study?Or even become the originator of the highest military academy in Ming Dynasty, or even become a lecturer?
Now the emperor gave Zhang Zhou the authority to transfer people.

As for whether Wang Shouren will cooperate after he comes, that is another matter. Zhang Zhou is not demanding now.

……

……

Then Zhang Zhou followed Zhu Youtang to Kunning Palace, where he met Empress Zhang and Zhang Heling.

"Queen, let's see who I invited here?"

Zhu Youtang said with a smile, "Bingkuan's ability can be said to be unmatched by anyone in Ming Dynasty, even I admire it."

Empress Zhang changed her previous hostile expression, and she didn't even face Zhang Zhou with an indifferent and repulsive expression. Instead, she smiled and said with a friendly look: "Bingkuan is here? Sit down."

It seems that the husband and wife are already one, and their attitude towards Zhang Zhou is also in step.

Zhang Heling came over, moved Zhang Zhou's chair out, and said with a smile, "Please sit down, Mr. Zhang."

"Marquis Shou Ning, why are you so embarrassed?" Zhang Zhou smiled.

Is Zhang Heling so "well-behaved"?The last time I met Zhang Heling at the Jiaofang Division, Zhang Heling was all about flirting with Zhang Zhou and putting on airs, and also wanted to use his status as an honorable old gun to win Zhang Zhou over.
Zhang Zhou thought, are you sure you are not fooling me?
Zhu Youtang said: "Bingkuan is welcome, you deserve it! If there is anyone in Daming who can cultivate Heling, it must be you! Look at what Yanling was like before, since he was taught by you, now They can all stand on their own.”

"Yes." Zhang Heling chimed in, "So I hope that Mr. Zhang can also mention something more, so that I can achieve something in the army."

It probably means that this is asking for something, so I give it a good face.

Seeing Zhang Heling's attitude, Zhang Zhou didn't show much respect, and it was mostly perfunctory.

After Zhang Zhou and the emperor and his wife were seated, Zhang Heling went to the side and sat down, still smiling at Zhang Zhou.

Empress Zhang asked: "Bingkuan, how is the prince's studies recently? Your majesty keeps saying that you are teaching the prince, which has made the prince's progress obvious. I don't know anything about it. He really has a bright side?"

"That's right, Bingkuan, tell the queen well." Zhu Youtang was very proud.

The most capable person in Daming was not only his advisor, but also his son's teacher.

With my own discerning eyes, I was able to pick Zhang Zhou out of the vast crowd...

The emperor will not be complacent about his superb ability, but will be proud of his accurate employment.

Zhang Zhoudao: "The minister only played an auxiliary role in the prince's studies. It still depends on the concerted efforts of the lecturers in the East Palace. The prince has indeed improved in his study of the Four Books and Five Classics recently, but there is still a lot of room for improvement."

"Then it's all up to you." Empress Zhang smiled, and after glancing at her husband, she glared at Zhang Heling with resentment, and then turned back to Zhang Zhou with a gentle smile.

Zhang Zhouguang knew from the look on this woman's back and forth that she was a character not to be trifled with.

Could it be that in addition to what others said Queen Zhang knows how to control her husband, she also has her own insights in governing the country?

Then Zhang Zhou dismissed this idea.

The reason is that Empress Zhang didn't get frightened during the three dynasties of Hongzhi, Zhengde, and Jiajing. During Zhengde, she failed to persuade her son. During Jiajing, she could use Yang Tinghe to control her adopted son Zhu Houcong to death, but she was also unable to do so. Up to this point, instead, it took an inexperienced son of a vassal king to complete the purge in three years, and he even refused to recognize her as a mother by relying on great gifts, so he ran back to recognize his ancestors and return to his clan.

As long as she has some political thinking ambitions, why is she so?

Zhang Zhou smiled and cupped his hands and said, "I will definitely live up to the queen's expectations."

Empress Zhang looked at her husband again and said: "Then, Your Majesty, shouldn't you reward Bingkuan?"

"Haha, Empress, you don't have to worry about it, I will naturally give it to him generously." Zhu Youtang thought, do you need to remind me of this?
Empress Zhang said with a smile: "The court bestowed it on His Majesty's will, and the concubine also wanted to reward him, which represented the wishes of the Zhang family. Even my mother told the concubine before that she would walk around with Bingkuan more in the future. He didn't Bad intentions, all for the sake of the royal family and Daming. The concubine also wants him to bring He Ling and Yan Ling more..."

That sounds fine.

But Zhang Zhou still felt that there seemed to be a deep meaning in the words.

It wasn't that Queen Zhang revealed it on purpose, but she accidentally "leaked her mouth".

It lies in the words "he has no bad intentions".

Zhang Zhou thought about it, I saved your daughter, predicted the disaster in the Qingning Palace, and did so many things for the court, what could make you think I had bad intentions at first?It must be the matter of giving the emperor a concubine.

You saw that in the past six months that I have been with the emperor, I have never instigated the emperor to accept a concubine, and I have even helped you both to recuperate your health and prepare for your pregnancy, so you will resolve your previous prejudice against me...or say You also know that you can't fight me now, so you made peace with me?

Zhu Youtang said: "Queen, if you want to reward, I will not stop you, but your Zhang family does not have many, so it is better to listen to me as to how to reward more."

In fact, the emperor didn't really want the Zhang family to be a reward.

First of all, the name issue is very unruly. Why does your Zhang family reward meritorious officials on behalf of the royal family?Even if it is a mutual help, the main thing is to help me, not deliberately help your Zhang family, you just have to thank me.

But Zhang Zhou knew that the emperor cared about the more critical factor, because the emperor felt that even if the empress was a reward, it was the money in his pocket.

It's as if your Zhang family can create silver or wealth now, but in the end, don't you take the silver out of my pocket?

Will my two brothers-in-law make their own fortune?

They are being polite if they don't clean out my purse. The meager wealth of my family in the past two years has almost been searched and wiped away by the two brothers!
"Chuan Shan, I'm drinking with Bing Kuan today, He Ling, why don't you go back first?" Zhu Youtang didn't seem to plan to keep his brother-in-law in the palace for dinner.

Zhang Heling said: "Your Majesty, I am also hungry."

very direct.

Zhu Youtang frowned and said, "Your family is short of these meals? But that's okay, let's stay together! When I talk to Bingkuan, don't interrupt!"

"Yes, yes. It's too late for me to follow along, so how could I interrupt?"

……

……

One lunch, I ate very tasteless.

The main reason is that Zhang Heling is there, saying that he is not allowed to interrupt, but he talks the most nonsense at the dinner table.

Zhu Youtang was still a little displeased, because he hadn't planned to invite anyone other than Zhang Zhou, otherwise he would have stayed with Zhu Feng, but now Zhang Heling was there to disrupt the situation.

After lunch, Zhu Youtang excused himself to go back to Qianqing Palace, and specially called Zhang Zhou to follow him.

Zhang Zhou found that he was more and more like the emperor's servant... eunuch! ? ?
"Bingkuan, it's still the same sentence. I asked you to bring Heling to deal with the queen. You don't have to take it to heart." Zhu Youtang was afraid that Zhang Zhou would mind cultivating the Zhang family brothers, so he specially instructed him.

Zhang Zhou smiled.

It seems that even if a man reaches the level of an emperor, he still does one thing in person with his wife and another behind his back.

Zhang Zhoudao: "If Marquis Shou Ning studies hard, I don't mind teaching him everything."

"As long as he... didn't cause trouble for me, it's good. You may also wonder why I support him and protect him when I know he is shameless?" Zhu Youtang asked with emotion.

Zhang Zhou smiled and shook his head: "Your Majesty has too few relatives, but if Marquis Shou Ning and Uncle Jianchang have not done anything too extreme, I think His Majesty will treat them leniently."

"That's right, I thought so before, but in recent years, the two brothers have become more and more shameless, and more and more people impeach them, but the queen still protects them..."

Zhang Zhou can feel it from here.

Because of the appearance of Zhang Zhou, the emperor had already created a rift in Zhang's family.

At first, Empress Zhang should be very aware of this. After all, the emperor no longer regards the Zhang family as a sycophant, and has Zhang Zhou, a powerful figure with a civil official background and a half-celestial status, to advise... Empress Zhang is in crisis After realizing it, he was picky about Zhang Zhou.

But later Queen Zhang discovered that Zhang Zhou could do too many things, and he was irreplaceable in the emperor's heart.

That's why I took the route of warm friendship.

"So Bingkuan, you can punish them for me, punish them well, you don't have to be polite!" Zhu Youtang's attitude was very firm, "I can trust you to take care of the crown prince, so don't you even give up the two younger brothers? So you don’t have to worry about anything.”

Zhang Zhou thought to himself.

Your son worships me as a teacher in name, but the Zhang family brothers are at most my temporary students. It is much more difficult to control these two misbehaving people than to control your son.

No matter how smart your son is, he will always be a child. I can grasp their pulse when it comes to choosing between interests or pursuing preferences.

How do the brothers of the Zhang family handle this pulse?
Gather up with titles?Or by grace?Or a woman with money?

Unless I really have the ability to drop a bolt of lightning from the sky and strike them, they probably won't know how to obey.

……

……

Zhang Zhou did not stay in Qianqing Palace for too long.

Then went to the Wenhua Palace.

The afternoon is a "special session" specially reserved for Zhang Zhou to teach, which means that the rest of the East Palace lecturers can leave, and only Zhang Zhou Zhou is left to teach alone, not for an afternoon, but for about an hour, and then Zhang Zhou can go out. Palace, and Zhu Houzhao can go to have dinner with his parents and sister, and share the family happiness.

"...Master Zhang, you are here."

When Zhang Zhou arrived at the Wenhua Palace, he saw Liu Jin waiting at the door, and when he saw Zhang Zhou, he came over nervously.

Zhang Zhou said: "What's going on?"

Liu Jin said with a bitter face: "The crown prince said to ask An Bianhou to get him a Shenwei Yuanyuan cannon. The crown prince wants to see for himself whether the cannon has the supernatural power."

"Isn't this nonsense?" Zhang Zhou frowned.

Liu Jin said helplessly, "Only you can tell the crown prince what is appropriate. Even Marquis Anbian doesn't know what to say."

……

……

Zhang Zhou entered the hall and found Zhu Houzhao eating.

And Zhu Feng was holding a pen with a bitter face, and was standing there drawing something on the paper. After knowing Zhang Zhou's arrival, Zhu Feng couldn't help but looked up and looked over for help.

Zhang Zhou frowned.

Why are you Zhu Zhijie so useless?You are already a marquis, do you have to have some dignity in front of the prince?
You should just throw a slap in the face... Of course, you can't be so extreme, at least you should show your tolerance and tell the brat what you can and can't do!
"Prince, what is this for?" Zhang Zhou came in and asked without any courtesy.

Zhu Houzhao said: "I asked him to draw pictures of the war in Ningyuan. If he can pull the cannon, I will let him go! What about Zhang, who wants to help a friend? Come here!"

Zhang Zhou grabbed Zhu Houzhao's chopsticks and threw them on the ground.

"what?"

Then, whether it was Zhu Feng or the eunuch of the East Palace, everyone was dumbfounded.

How can a courtier treat the prince like this?
Zhang Zhoudao: "Prince, I can bring you the cannon, but can you tell me where to shoot it?"

"You... you... I can fight wherever I want!" Zhu Houzhao was so angry that he was trembling all over.

Zhang Zhou pointed in the direction of Fengtian Temple and said, "I don't think you should choose a direction, just go there directly. What do you think? The Forbidden City will be blown up for you, so I just took the opportunity to rebuild it."

"Zhang Bingkuan, I'm giving you face, and I'm calling you sir, don't push your nose and face, and don't talk to me in such a strange tone!" Zhu Houzhao stood in front of Zhu Feng, and didn't want to be in front of Zhang Zhou at all, because he knew that if If he doesn't show some momentum today, even Zhu Feng won't be afraid of him in the future.

It's hard to catch a soft persimmon, but he can't be pinched by the soft persimmon just because his momentum is weak today.

"I just want to see the artillery, what's the matter? You're blowing so hard, in my opinion, it's all bragging, otherwise why don't you dare to show it to others?"

Liu Jin hastily made peace and said, "His Royal Highness, the Shenweiyuan Cannon is too powerful. I'm afraid I can't demonstrate it here."

"Where can I demonstrate it?" Zhu Houzhao asked.

Liu Jin rolled his eyes, as if singing a double reed to a bear child, and said: "I heard that Master Zhang is about to open a military school called Yanwutang, which specializes in teaching people how to use Shenwei far guns and mighty sky gunpowder. If you can go there and learn something..."

"Hmm." Zhu Houzhao seemed to be inspired, and stared at Zhang Zhoudao, "What about Zhang Bingkuan, do you want to intercede for your friend? If you take Ben Gong to the martial arts hall, then Ben Gong promises not to embarrass this guy in the future! "

This product?

It's you!

At a young age, he has also learned to use ghosts.

You kid also knows that there is no way to directly mention it to your father, or to me, and let you go to the Yanwu Hall to study.

That's why he deliberately made things difficult for Zhu Feng and wanted to open a gap?
It's a pity... You kid still can't hide it from people with your flamboyance. Your father knows that the thing is in danger of exploding, so he will let you go?Unless your father wants to never die!
"Prince, do you know the power of Mighty Heaven Gunpowder?" Zhang Zhou asked.

Zhu Houzhao said with a smile: "I know, it can blow down the city walls. I don't go up there myself, just take a look from a distance. I'll light a cannon, no problem?"

Zhang Zhoudao: "Prince, do you know that the Shenwei Cannon is at risk of exploding?"

"What? Bomb blast? What do you mean?" Zhu Houzhao was confused.

Zhang Zhou sighed: "Exploding the chamber means that after ignition, the shells did not go out, but exploded on the spot, and the people within one or two feet around died without a whole body!"

"..."

Zhu Houzhao was speechless for a moment, "Are you scaring me?"

Zhang Zhou said: "Ask Marquis An Bian, is that so?"

"Really?" Zhu Houzhao stared at Zhu Feng.

"Yes." Zhu Feng nodded hastily.

That's a fool.

Zhang Zhou didn't even bother to scold Zhu Feng anymore.

This kid is very active in front of men of the same age. He seems to have strong communication skills, but he is limited to socializing among young people. Once he is on a big scene, he is prone to stage fright.

To put it bluntly, this is the second generation of a dude. If he hadn’t met Zhang Zhou, he would have never had the chance to touch the political arena for half his life. Later, he succeeded his elder brother as the Duke of Chengguo, and he would achieve nothing. In the end, it was Zhu Feng’s son Zhu Xizhong who had nothing to do with him because of his relationship with Lu Feng. Bing rescued Emperor Jiajing's father together, and made him a powerful mansion for decades.

Historically, Zhu Xizhong was born in the 11th year of Zhengde, that is, 17 years later.

Zhang Zhou couldn't figure it out, what was Zhu Feng going to be doing for the next ten years?

Zhu Houzhao stared at Liu Jin and said, "Then let me learn how to fire a cannon?"

Liu Jin said: "His Royal Highness, the servants have never fired a cannon, so I don't know what it looks like."

Zhu Houzhao pulled Liu Jin forward: "Mr. Zhang, otherwise, you should teach Liu Jin to me first. If I have nothing to do, I can just go and have a look, and I will definitely not go to battle in person! How about the head office?"

Zhang Zhou sneered and said, "His Royal Highness, do you think I can decide this kind of thing?"

"You can tell Father Emperor." Zhu Houzhao took it for granted.

Zhang Zhoudao: "Old rules, if you have been successful in your studies recently, then I will let you go...to see the power of the Shenwei Cannon from a distance, if you can't...don't even think about it."

"Again?"

Zhu Houzhao was quite tough at the beginning, he challenged Zhang Zhou and sang double reeds.

But after hearing Zhang Zhou's conditions, Zhu Houzhao became worried again.

Every time he used some good things to lure him, so that he had to study hard in exchange for a chance... He just wanted to ask, can you, Zhang Bingkuan, change your tactics?

Zhang Zhou sat there, and said coldly: "Prince, do you remember what I told you before? When you ask a person to do something, you should first think about what he needs."

"You don't always need to torment me and enjoy it, do you?" Zhu Houzhao was annoyed.

It feels like being played by Zhang Zhou.

But every time he had to give in.

Zhang Zhou said unhappily: "I am the lecturer of the East Palace. You don't know my performance evaluation standards, do you? Your Majesty and the Queen asked me about your schoolwork before, but I didn't have the nerve to say that you have learned so much recently. Shit looks..."

"You are swearing!" Zhu Houzhao turned around and taught Zhang Zhou a lesson.

"Hmph! Why don't you let me tell you if you don't study well? Compared with before you met me, your academic performance has improved a little, but the problem is that you are far behind the children of ordinary people who study! If you can't keep up with them Your academic progress, you still have the nerve to ask me to tell His Majesty to let you go out of the city?"

"Why go out of town?"

"Nonsense! Are the cannons set off in the city? You should know what kind of battle the crown prince is going out of the city! What I need is that your academic progress satisfies your father. You choose yourself, change or not!"

It was said by Zhang Zhou.

Zhu Hou's light became clear.

Zhang Zhou just wanted to use his academic progress in exchange for "performance". Zhang Zhou would only intercede for him to meet his needs after he had performance.

"Zhang Bingkuan, you are so ruthless! Bring me the book, I want to study... woo woo..."

(End of this chapter)