Back to Daming to be a genius

Chapter 315 A Destined Encounter

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough...!" The severe coughing sound obviously caused by chronic bronchitis caused by overwork echoed in the field. A young man with a sick face led a large group of civil and military officials, as well as countless civilians with hoes and farm tools, walking through the fields with rows of crops.The team stopped from time to time, and asked the sick man to go down to the field, dig up the soil with his hands, and observe the growth of the roots and tubers of the crops. He didn't care even if his hands and feet were covered with mud. The corrupt officials who are domineering on their heads can't be persuaded no matter how much they try.

Needless to say, this young man who looks like a tuberculosis ghost is, of course, our young master Zhang Haogu who does not engage in conspiracies and schemes, and the Ming actor Zhang Haogu. Those who follow him look like corrupt officials. Bureaucrats, big and small, are naturally the accomplices of Young Master Zhang in Shaanxi and Gansu. As for the common people with hoes and farm tools, they are naturally the people who accept the inspection and guidance of Young Master Zhang, a public servant of the Ming Dynasty, who do not know the truth about the farming work.But no matter what, seeing the dignified governor of the five provinces, the Minister of the Ministry of War and the prince Shaobao, Mr. Zhang was seriously ill, and he still went to the fields without getting too dirty or tired, condolences to ordinary people who worked hard on the front line of labor, and observed drought-resistant crops Growing up and guiding the work of drought and disaster relief, most of the people who didn't know the truth were still moved to tears, choked up with tears, and sighed that the sky has eyes, and sent such a blue sky master who loves the people like a son to the suffering victims of Shaanxi and Gansu.

As one of the outstanding civil servants in the 21st century, Young Master Zhang is of course an expert in face engineering and image engineering, and of course he is a master at avoiding being fooled by face engineering and image engineering. It is very special. Before leaving Xi'an to inspect the planting of drought-resistant crops, except for a few confidantes of Young Master Zhang, none of the officials could know the real destination of Young Master Zhang. After leaving the city, Young Master Zhang also likes to temporarily change the destination, such as This time, I went to Sanyuan for an inspection on the official road, but in the middle of the trip, Young Master Zhang suddenly ordered to leave the official road and took a small road to Li County, only to receive news that Sanyuan County Magistrate Bai and others were preparing to beat gongs and drums to welcome Young Master Zhang. One day later, Wu Yun, the county magistrate of Li County, was killed and caught off guard.But fortunately, Li County has done a good job in planting drought-resistant crops and appeasing the hungry people. Wu Yun was lucky not to be killed by Master Zhang in the field like the unlucky county magistrates of Longde, Qin'an and Yichuan. Beheading the head of the ground, using the head to vent the anger of the mud legs-you know, when the black-hearted governor, Young Master Zhang, goes out to inspect the work, he always brings a few alternate officials of the sixth and seventh ranks with him, so even after beheading the magistrate It can also be replaced immediately.

"Master, it's time to take medicine." In front of the people, Zhang Shitou handed another bowl of medicine to Young Master Zhang, and kindly persuaded: "Master, it's getting late, your health is not good, it's better to go early." Go back to Li County to rest, County Magistrate Wu has already prepared a place for you." Young Master Zhang did not agree, and after drinking the medicine, Young Master Zhang beckoned Wu Yun to his face and asked, "Magistrate Wu, is this The officer took a closer look. You have done a good job in promoting the planting of high-yielding crops, which is worthy of praise. However, I am not satisfied with one thing, that is, the drought-resistant crops in Li County are basically planted on the farmland on the west bank of the Gangu River. In the middle, the east bank is full of abandoned farmland, and there is almost no reclamation, why is this? The terrain of the east bank is basically the same as that of the west bank, why not build a canal and redevelop the abandoned farmland on the east bank?"

"Master Shaobao, there are two reasons for this." Wu Yun replied tremblingly: "One is that Li County has been the hardest-hit area for the past few years. , I can’t spend extra money and food to build water conservancy projects. Therefore, I have no choice but to clean up the water canals on the west bank that have been repaired before, and first reclaim the land on the west bank. I only wait for this year’s grain to be harvested, and I will organize the people to use it. During the slack season in winter, the water conservancy on the east bank will be built, and the deserted land on the east bank will be reclaimed."

"Oh, how many people are there in Li County now, and how much land has been reclaimed and cultivated?" Young Master Zhang asked with a cough.Wu Yun replied honestly: "Master Shaobao, there are currently 160 people in Li County, and 550 acres of land have been recultivated to grow high-yield crops."

"Oh, so the people in Li County have almost one mu of land per capita." Young Master Zhang nodded and said with a smile: "I have seen the growth of drought-resistant crops in Li County. Mr. Song Yingxing estimates that this year's sweet potatoes and potatoes in Li County The yield per mu is about 750 catties on average, and at least it will not be less than [-] catties. That is to say, the average grain harvest per person in Li County this year will be at least [-] catties.—Magistrate Wu, what do you say Am I right?" Wu Yun poked around with the abacus for a long time before raising his head to admit that the number was true.Young Master Zhang nodded and said with a smile: "Very well, since you admit this figure, then you have to remember that after the harvest of autumn grain in Li County this year, the imperial court will stop allocating food to Li County, and I don't want Li County to hand over the public grain tax." , but Li County must be self-sufficient in food, do you understand?"

"I understand. Please rest assured, Mr. Shaobao. After the autumn harvest, I will not ask the court for a piece of food." Wu Yun agreed quite confidently—because the figures reported by Wu Yun are actually quite watery, for the sake of Defrauding food relief and preventing the court from collecting food and taxes, deliberately over-reporting the population and under-protecting the cultivated land, there is considerable leeway. Of course, they are not afraid of the food self-sufficiency requirements proposed by Young Master Zhang.Young Master Zhang smiled and said again: "Okay, then you remember again, after the autumn harvest and before next year's autumn harvest, if there are people in Li County who cause civil uprisings due to famine, I will ask you to settle the score." Also, the deserted land on the east bank must be recultivated by me next year. If after the autumn harvest next year, Li County can not only be self-sufficient in food, but also transfer more than 30 jin of grain to remote areas, then I will definitely I will ask the imperial court for your merits and promote you to the official position."

"Thank you, Master Shaobao, I must keep the teachings of Master Shaobao in mind." Wu Yun respectfully agreed.Young Master Zhang smiled and patted Wu Yun on the shoulder. He wanted to say some words of encouragement, but felt his eyes darkened, and he staggered and fell down. Fortunately, Wu Yun had sharp eyesight and quick hands, and supported Young Master Zhang, screaming "Master Shaobao, Master Shaobao, what's the matter with you? What's the matter?" The people in Li County behind were also commotions, and many people shouted nervously, "Zhang Qingtian, Zhang Qingtian, what's wrong with you? Zhang Qingtian, You must not have any accidents!" The accompanying officials from Shaanxi, Gansu, Gansu and the military all turned pale with fright. Weak, already unconscious...

………………

The news that Young Master Zhang fainted in the field of Li County was spread through various channels, which immediately confirmed the folk rumors that Young Master Zhang was seriously ill. Hearing this news, the morale of the Shaanxi-Gansu Ming Army was greatly demoralized, and the people were also panicked. Afraid of losing such a rare good master Qingtian, only a few thieves who have been abused to the point of death cheered, saying that the dog officials who have harmed countless Shaanxi-Gansu Rebels have finally received their retribution, and we have finally seen the dawn of a comeback up.But it is a pity that when these thieves once again went to the people to incite the people to rebel and uprising, the people in Shanxi and Gansu who had already hung their lives for food and saw that the drought-resistant crops were about to be harvested did not follow this set. There were only a few of them, and they were reported by the common people for showing their traces, and they were grabbed and beaten up by the Shaanxi-Gansu Ming army. Hai Tianxin, the big thief who had been hiding in Tibet for more than a year, was also captured by the Ming army, taken to Xi'an and beheaded—— ——Although the morale of the Shan-Gan-Ming army was demoralized by the news of Young Master Zhang's serious illness, the third-rate army was more than enough to deal with these thieves.

The impact of Young Master Zhang's serious illness is not only in the Shaanxi-Gansu territory, but also in the five northwestern provinces. Its impact is so great that it not only shocked the Ming court, the slave capital and the Ningyuan rebels, but even crossed the sea. It has affected North Korea, Annan, Ryukyu, Nanyang and other Ming vassal states—no way, the Wencheng martial arts of the Ming Dynasty in recent years are basically created by Young Master Zhang. Of course, these vassal states that rely heavily on the Ming Dynasty also know that once the Ming court loses This giant pillar of the sky will have consequences, and the only Fusang country around Daming that has not surrendered to the vassal state breathed a sigh of relief, because when the envoy of the Fusang shogunate met Young Master Zhang in the capital of Daming, Master Zhang once said cruel words, if If Fusang doesn't care about its subjects and continues to connive at Japanese pirates harming the coast of Daming, when Master Zhang has time, he will definitely consider leading an army east to Fusang to help the shogunate manage the people of Fusang!And what makes the Fusang envoy even more frightened is that the erudite and talented young master Zhang can not only speak Fusang languages ​​such as Bageya Road, Yiku Yiku, and Asia’s Butterfly Extermination, but also understand the geography of Fusang, where men and women bathe together, have many hot springs and volcanoes, etc. The people's sentiments are well known--for Fusang, who once had a grudge with Ming Dynasty in North Korea, what is more terrifying than a Daming God of War who knows all kinds of situations in Fusang?
Let's talk about the reaction of Xi Zong, Wei Zhongxian and the Ming court to Master Zhang's illness. On May [-]th, after a long journey of more than [-] days, he was ordered by his father to rush to Ningyuan to get married. Wu Sangui, captain of the Army Wolf Cavalry, commander in chief of Pingliang, commander of the hereditary Kaizhou Guard, and his entourage finally rushed to Ningyuan's necessary halfway station - Beijing City, the capital of Daming.Because Wu Xiang hadn't bought the ancestral house in Shihu Hutong in the history of the Wu family, and it was getting late, so Wu Sangui could only bring thirty soldiers to live in the Luhe Post Station, never thinking about Wu Sangui just After handing over the guide to the post officer, a young eunuch led a group of Jinyi guards into the post station, and asked loudly, "Has General Wu Sangui come yet?"

"I'm Wu Sangui, what's your order?" Wu Sangui went up to him and asked back.The little eunuch breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly sang: "Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of Pingliang, listened to the decree, and the emperor ordered you to go to Beijing to face the saint immediately. This is my honor." Wu Sangui had no choice but to let the soldiers stay in the station to rest after agreeing, and he followed He led the little eunuch and Jin Yiwei into the city, and entered the palace overnight to face the saint.

Entering the back hall of Qianqing Palace where Ming Xizong lived, Wu Sangui saw Ming Xizong, Wei Zhongxian, the three assistants of the cabinet, and the officials in the palace at first sight. Wu Sangui did not dare to neglect, and hurriedly kowtowed to salute, but Ming Xizong was impatient He said anxiously: "Wanli, Pingshen, Wu Aiqing, I would like to ask you, what is the condition of your immediate superior Zhang Haogu and Zhang Aiqing? Is there any danger?" concern.

"Back to the emperor, Zhang Shaobao's condition is very bad now." Wu Sangui replied honestly: "When I left Xi'an on April 27th, I went to bid farewell to Zhang Shaobao. Zhang Shaobao coughed up blood in front of my minister. According to the doctor, Zhang Shaobao's The illness is completely caused by exhaustion, and it will take at least half a year of recuperation before the body can recover, otherwise, if Zhang Shaobao continues to work so hard day and day, I'm afraid he will... "

"What will happen?" Wei Zhongxian asked impatiently.Wu Sangui hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth and replied: "Go back to Eunuch Wei, the doctor who took Zhang Shaobao's pulse said that his life might be in danger!"

"What? Is it so serious?" Ming Xizong and Wei Zhongxian's master and servant screamed at the same time.Wu Sangui replied with a mournful face: "Going back to the emperor, back to Eunuch Wei, Zhang Shaobao is completely exhausted. I have seen with my own eyes that during the past year in Shaanxi and Gansu, regardless of the wind, frost, rain, snow, and stern winter, Zhang Shaobao has been busy with military affairs and government affairs every day. Late at night, sleep less than two hours a day, work more than anyone else, eat less than anyone else, no matter how much we persuade him, he will not listen, in the end we persuaded too much, Zhang Shaobao also scolded us for meddling, saying He bears the favor of the emperor, and cannot be sorry for the trust and entrustment of the emperor and Eunuch Wei to him, in order to repay the favor of the emperor and his father, even if he is exhausted, he is willing."

Of course Wu Sangui's words were a bit exaggerated, but Ming Xizong and Wei Zhongxian were crying when they heard it, and Ming Xizong wiped away his tears and said: "Zhang Aiqing, my minister, if I have a few more ministers like Zhang Aiqing, why don't you worry about building slaves forever?" Daming is not happy?" Wei Zhongxian stomped his feet and scolded: "This monkey boy, we tell him to take care of himself, why doesn't he listen? Why doesn't he listen? Does he really want our white-haired people to send black people? Cry to death for him?"

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Wei, you can't let Mr. Zhang be so tired anymore." Zhang Ruitu, the chief assistant of the cabinet, stood up and said: "Mr. Zhang has to rest and recuperate for a while, otherwise if this continues, if Daming really loses one Optimus Pillar, it’s too late to regret.”

"My minister seconded the proposal." Feng Quan also said hypocritically: "In my opinion, I should immediately send someone to replace Mr. Zhang Haogu, and then take Mr. Zhang back to the capital, let him put down all military affairs and government affairs, and rest in peace."

"That's right, discuss who is the most suitable to send to Shaanxi and Gansu to replace Zhang Aiqing?" Ming Xizong wiped his tears and said.Wei Zhongxian saw Feng Quan's vicious intentions at a glance—letting Young Master Zhang put down all military affairs and government affairs, what is it not to deprive Young Master Zhang of his military power in disguise?After glaring at Feng Quan viciously, Wei Zhongxian hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, although Zhang Haogu is the son of the servant, the servant should love him more, but the servant still wants to say one thing - the rebellion in Shaanxi and Gansu has not been completely settled yet. Jiannu is on the verge of making a move again, and the military must never leave Zhang Haogu, a monkey bastard, so the most he can do is let him put down government affairs, not military affairs."

"Also... makes sense." Mingxi Zong was moved by Wei Zhongxian, and asked hesitantly: "Then who should take over the government affairs for Zhang Aiqing? Or let Mr. Sun take over. Mr. Sun is not as good as Zhang Aiqing in fighting wars, but he can govern the situation." In terms of Anmin, he is still very good at it.”

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Wei, I have something else to report." At this moment, Wu Sangui interjected, took out a sealed memorial from his pocket and held it high above his head, and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, when I leave Xi'an , Zhang Shaobao also knew that he was seriously ill, and the court might relieve him of the burden, so he asked the minister to bring a memorial to the emperor and Eunuch Wei, saying that he wanted to recommend someone."

"Bring it quickly. Zhang Aiqing is the most loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, and the person he recommends must be good." Ming Xizong was overjoyed, and hurriedly asked Wu Sangui to present the memorial, and handed it to Li Yongzhen, the supervisor of ceremonies, to read it. Ming Xizong, Wei Zhongxian and the officials present were all dumbfounded—the candidate for the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu recommended by Mr. Zhang turned out to be Hong Chengchou, who once killed nearly 8 prisoners in Feiqiu Pass!Even Ming Xizong wondered: "Hong Chengchou, can he really do it? He killed more than [-] surrendered soldiers. It may be possible to fight a war, but this governs the situation and stabilizes the people..."

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Wei, I agree with Mr. Zhang's recommendation." Fortunately, Zhang Ruitu, the teacher of Young Master Zhang, voted for it in time, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, in all fairness, even though Hong Chengchou's killing of the captives hurt the peace of heaven, , contrary to the grace of God, but in fact it has reduced countless troubles for the court. It is not an exaggeration to say that his merits outweigh his faults. Moreover, Mr. Zhang also said in the memorial that the Shaanxi-Gansu rebels were as afraid of floods as tigers. With him sitting in Shaanxi and Gansu, at least he can form a strong deterrent to the remnants of the rebels, which is better than repeating the mistakes of Yang He and Hu Tingyan! As for the governance of the situation and the people, Zhang Haogu previously implemented the policy of comforting the people and suppressing the thieves in Shaanxi and Gansu At present, it is indeed effective, so for Hong Chengchou, it is only necessary to ask him to continue to implement the suppression policy and strategy left by Zhang Haogu, and not to change it without authorization, and there should be no big problem."

Zhang Ruitu made it clear that Hong Chengchou's merits outweighed his faults. This is undoubtedly shocking to the feudal landlord class rulers who claim to be governed by Cheng Zhu's Confucianism. It's very clear——Zhang Ruitu's point is right. If Hong Chengchou hadn't risked the world's disgrace and massacred nearly [-] soldiers overnight, and killed all the thieves and veterans in Shaanxi and Gansu, then Even if Young Master Zhang is extremely capable, it is impossible to basically stabilize the situation in Shaanxi and Gansu in just one and a half years.Of course, Wei Zhongxian, the actual power holder of the Ming court and the actual master of the financial revenue and expenditure of the Ming Dynasty, also understood this truth, so after a long silence, Wei Zhongxian also voted for it, "The emperor is holy, and the rewards and punishments are clear. The slaves think that Hong Chengchou killed After being captured, he was demoted three ranks in a row, and he has already accepted the punishment. For more than a year, Hong Chengchou has fought here and there under the command of Zhang Haogu, a monkey boy, and has repeatedly made military exploits. It is time to reward him."

"Feng Aiqing, Huang Aiqing, what do you think?" Ming Xizong, who was worried about being notorious for his cruelty, kicked the ball to the cabinet and asked the second assistant Feng Quan and the third assistant Huang Liji.Of course Feng Quan and Huang Liji were also afraid of reprimand, but seeing Wei Zhongxian's sinister gaze, Huang Liji replied obediently: "Go back to the emperor, I also think that Hong Chengchou can take up this position." Feng Quan played a trick , replied: "Back to the emperor, I have always believed that Zhang Haogu, the governor of the five provinces, is not only capable of both civil and military skills, but also has a good understanding of people. Master Zhang Haogu recommended Hong Chengchou to be the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, there must be his reasons, and my ministers can second the proposal."

"Slippery!" Zhang Ruitu and Huang Liji cursed together in their hearts.Ming Xizong also breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Well, since the elders of the cabinet, Zhang Aiqing, and Zhongxian all think that Hong Chengchou is suitable for the post of Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, let's draw up an order and let Hong Chengchou be promoted to the post of Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu." Governor, share the pressure for Zhang Aiqing. As for Zhang Aiqing's condition, Shaanxi and Gansu are thousands of miles away from the capital, and I don't know whether Zhang Aiqing's body can withstand the bumpy journey. Let's wait for the report from the imperial physician I sent before making plans."

"The ministers wait for the decree." The cabinet ministers kowtowed and agreed with the ceremonial supervisors and eunuchs, and after discussing other affairs in Shaanxi and Gansu, Ming Xizong, who was also not in good health, waved away the crowd and asked them to go back to rest.Because it was Li Yongzhen's turn to be on duty tonight, Wei Zhongxian was able to leave the palace and go home for the night, so Wu Sangui naturally followed behind Wei Zhongxian obediently.On the way, Wei Zhongxian asked Wu Sangui repeatedly about the specific condition of Young Master Zhang, and when he was about to board the sedan chair, he suddenly asked, "Uncle, what do you plan to do when you return to Ningyuan to get married this time?"

"What are you going to do?" Wu Sangui was stunned by this strange question at first, then suddenly came to his senses, and hurriedly replied in a low voice: "Going back to Jiuqian, Sangui dare not disobey the order of his parents, but Jiuqian and Zhang Shaobao Sangui did not dare to forget about the kindness of his knowledge and encounter, the righteousness of his family and country, his loyalty and integrity."

"That's good." Wei Zhongxian understood, patted Wu Sangui on the shoulder, and sighed: "Little monkey, it's really hard for you, and our family knows it's hard for you, but you have to pass this level no matter what." Said Forget it, Wei Zhongxian beckoned Wu Sangui to the front again, and whispered in Wu Sangui's ear: "Tell your father and your uncles, as long as you get Yuan Chonghuan's head, everything will be easy to talk about. However, they are not the culprits, for your sake and Yuan Chonghuan's sake, our family will still forgive them."

"Wei... Weichen..." Wu Sangui's mouth was trembling, and he answered in a low voice after a long while: "Weichen remembered, please don't worry, Jiu Qiansui."

"Okay, just remember." Wei Zhongxian laughed loudly, then waved his hand and said: "Go, we know, you must have brought a letter to Monkey Boy, go to Monkey Boy's house to deliver a letter, and spend the night there to rest, as for you The congratulatory gift for marriage, our family will send someone to you tomorrow. Remember, the monkey cub’s parents and family love him very much, don’t scare them with nonsense.” Wu Sangui knew that Wei Zhongxian was reminding himself not to tell the truth to Young Master Zhang’s parents and family. After stating his condition, he hurriedly agreed in a low voice, and respectfully sent Wei Zhongxian into the sedan chair to leave. Then he rode on the Zhaoye jade lion horse presented by Young Master Zhang, and rushed to Wen Chengxiang's alley to visit Master Zhang's parents.

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"Tap, tap, tap, tap." The sound of the horse's hooves was slow, and Wu Sangui, who was preoccupied, was not walking fast. Shanzong or surrender to become a slave, what should I do? One side is the adult who treats me like my own brother, and the other is my biological father who gave birth to me and raised me. Which side should I choose? And when I go to Ningyuan this time, I will marry Shanzong Member's daughter, when the time comes, not only my father's family and mother's family will be from the Shanzong, but even my wife's family will be from the Shanzong. When the time comes when the adults and the court take action against the Shanzong, I will do it myself Exterminate my three clans......."

In the midst of conflicts, before he knew it, Wu Sangui had already arrived at the gate of the Zhang Mansion in the alley of Prime Minister Wen. Looking at the closed gate and the red lantern hanging high, Wu Sangui sighed, got off his horse and walked to In front of the door, there was a slow knock on the destined door.A moment later, the vermilion lacquered door opened with a creak, and to Wu Sangui's surprise, the person who opened the door was not the servant of Zhang's family, but a petite young girl. When he took a closer look at the girl's face, Wu Sangui suddenly stunned…………

What a beautiful face this is, the skin is delicate and delicate, the small cherry-blossom lips, the crystal-clear black eyes, and the small and exquisite nose constitute a cute and innocent little melon-seeded face , so cute that people can't help but want to hold her in her arms and take care of her carefully. Although she is only ten years old, she is already an incomparably beautiful embryo. I really don't know how much she will turn upside down when she grows up. Sentient beings, how many men are driven crazy?Intoxicated?At that moment, Wu Sangui even had such a thought in his heart, "If she is the wife I am about to marry, then for her, I will do whatever I want!"

"Who are you? What are you knocking on the door for?" The little beauty asked Wu Sangui with her head tilted.Wu Sangui, who had just woken up from a dream, came back to his senses after a while, and quickly asked: "Excuse me, my little sister, is this the residence of Mr. Zhang Haogu, the governor of the five provinces of the Ming Dynasty?" After asking this, Wu Sangui realized that he was a little dizzy Now, it's not like I haven't been to Young Master Zhang's house, and I've lived here for a while, so why do I ask such nonsense?

"Yes, who are you looking for?" The little beauty said mischievously: "If you want to find my brother, then please go back. My brother is still in Shaanxi. I don't know when he will come back."

"Who is your brother?" Wu Sangui asked dumbfounded.The little beauty smiled, and replied: "My brother, of course, is the famous governor of the five provinces, Mr. Zhang Haogu."

"You are Master Zhang's younger sister?" Wu Sangui turned pale with shock, and hurriedly asked, "Why didn't I know? Why didn't Master Zhang mention you?"

"Because my brother doesn't know that he already has a sister like me." The little beauty said with a chuckle, "I'm Madam Eleven's new goddaughter. I used to be called Xing Yuan, but now I've changed my name to Zhang Yuanyuan."

"So that's it." Wu Sangui breathed a sigh of relief, and then suddenly remembered something, "Wait, it seems that the lord once said——If he has a younger sister, he must let me be his brother-in-law!"

(End of this chapter)