Daming Yinghua

Chapter 253
The jailer removed Zhang Mingshi's bracelet and anklets.

After years of prison life, even if Luo Si respected the side generals and told the jailers not to humiliate Zhang Mingshi and starve him from the cold, he should not pay attention to daily washing.

Zhang Mingshi came out with a stench heavier than that of cattle, horses and livestock. When he walked towards the gate of the imperial prison with everyone, not to mention the suavely dressed young son Luo Yangxing, even Liu Qiao calmly pulled away from him a few steps.

Zheng Haizhu didn't seem to mind, and walked side by side with Zhang Mingshi with a calm demeanor, knowing that he loves to listen to the scene at home at the moment, so he talked about his visit to Zhang's mansion in Shaoxing.

When passing by the cell where Ma Qiancheng's tablet was enshrined, Zheng Haizhu called Liu Qiao and said, "Wait a minute, governor, can you allow me to see the place in front of the coffin, it's almost Mid-Autumn Festival, and Ma Gong's daughter-in-law wants to ask me to send some fruits."

Liu Qiao nodded readily without doubting him.

Zhang Mingshi, who was on the side, was stunned when he saw it, and said in a complicated tone: "It turns out that the imperial court still thinks about Ma Xuanfu. If the Miao tribe in Yunnan can be as peaceful as Shi Jie in Sichuan and Shu, I won't suffer these six years of injustice."

Zheng Haizhu wished that Zhang Mingshi could complain for a longer time, so that she could check the details again.

Sure enough, the small space in the dungeon below seemed to have been cleaned. Not only were the bed boards gone, but the mud floor was also bare.

Without asking any further questions, she turned around and left the cell.

After completing the formalities, leaving the imperial prison and getting on the mule cart, Zheng Haizhu pointed to Qin Fang who was driving the cart and said, "Mr. Zhang, this is Lao Qin, the manager of our business company's branch in Beijing. He will take you to the inn first. We will prepare everything for you. Tonight, another friend who loves firearms and I will hold a banquet to celebrate Mr. Zhang's escape from prison."

Looking at Zhang Mingshi's face, which was much older than his forty-year-old years, the wrinkles rippled like water waves.

"Madam Zheng, dare to ask the name of that talented man?"

Zheng Haizhu introduced in a harmonious voice: "His surname is Lu, and his first name is Xiangsheng. He is also a scribe in our Southern Zhili. He has already made a name for himself, but apart from the sage books of the masters, he prefers the firearms books of the dynasty. A few years ago, when my fire and gas factory was still a blacksmith shop, he was in charge. I treated him like my younger brother, so I told him that Lu Xiandi's hard skills in wielding a big knife with one hand would definitely be among the best in martial arts exams. Moved the idea of ​​​​abandoning the imperial examination system."

Zhang Mingshi gave a faint "Oh".

Where is his age and experience, how can he not understand Zheng Haizhu's foreshadowing.

It means that the younger boy, even though he is a scholar, will not look down on generals.

The joy of finally being free, as well as the thoughtful arrangement of the woman in front of him, and the eloquent words, made Zhang Mingshi completely relaxed.

He then said bluntly: "Mrs. Zheng has done so much for this old man. I am very grateful and will not separate from my wife. Please ask Madam to lend me a few taels of silver so that I can teach me to go south by boat. Well, if Madam doesn't mind, after I return to Shaoxing to see my grandson, I will go to Madam's firearms factory to see if there is anything I can do to help, okay?"

Zheng Haizhu likes this kind of non-devious way of communication, so he stopped being polite, and opened his mouth like a formation of troops.

"This time Mr. Zhang was released from prison because he was pardoned, not rehabilitated. I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to be given a military post again. My firearms factory is desperate for talents, so I would most like Mr. Zhang to condescend to come and give advice. However, because I have been granted permission to enter the Wenhua Palace to teach the eldest son of the emperor, Mr. Zhang has to stay in the capital for the next month or two, helping Mr. Lu and me, thinking about how to teach the eldest son the magic method of firearms interestingly."

"Uh, so..." Zhang Mingshi frowned slightly.

Zheng Haizhu knew that he was eager to return to his hometown, and he was naturally depressed when he heard that he would be dragged away by a woman who seemed to be "coercing favors and repaying her favor".

But now, Zheng Haizhu is very sober, and he has to restrain his empathy for human relations.

"Mr. Zhang," Zheng Haizhu said with the meaning of "Dun Dun", without concealing the strength accumulated from his real qualifications. "In the past, from Liaodong to Fujian, I dared to call the generals of Liaodong and Fujian, as well as the young and brave generals like Ma Xuanfu's son Ma Xianglin. But the more I admire my military officials of Ming Dynasty, the more I feel that there are still too few generals. Zhang Gong, you are in the right age, and now you have a good opportunity. It is time for the new king , know your name."

Zhang Mingshi smiled wryly, and in the depths of the wry smile he couldn't hide his anger, and for a moment he showed disdain for Zheng Haizhu's words.

"My wife was conferred and ordered before she was 30 years old, and now she is going to be a female teacher for the future prince. It's so smooth, and everything is like flowers and fire. But this old man has no ambitions to be a bird or a battlefield. Old man, it's not enough to be hurt by those civil officials in the court, those swords and pens!"

Zheng Haizhu shook his head: "Mr. Zhang's words are wrong. The old man has a long-term ambition. The master has all his skills and has a deep knowledge of firearms. How can he be bitten by a snake and lose his energy?"

Then, she showed bitterness similar to Zhang Mingshi's, but the bitterness was not entirely the anger of venting emotions.

"Mr. Zhang thinks that everything is going well for me? Hehe, how do you know that I haven't been harmed by the civil servants of the Ming Dynasty? He is full of benevolence and morality, and he has a mind that smells worse than pigs' water. I have met civil servants who want to insult me ​​and bully me because they are in charge of the Taipu Temple's money bag. But we can't overturn a boat with a stick. During the war against Fushun, Zhang Quan, who was appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of War, was not a civil servant? Chief soldier, Shang Zhouzuo, who slapped the table with Hongmao to negotiate terms, isn’t your Shaoxing fellow a civil servant? Isn’t Yang Lian, who is begging for the Lord Long Live this time, a civil servant?”

Zhang Mingshi was first put on a high hat by Zheng Haizhu, and then he heard her complain a lot, and then he heard about the civil servants of the Ming Dynasty who were praised by her, so he didn't feel that this little woman wanted to argue with him about right and wrong.

What's more, what they said was right, it was the pen of the censor who framed his old Zhang back then, and now it was the pen of the censor who helped Lao Zhang get out of it.

Zheng Haizhu saw that Zhang Mingshi seemed to be thawing, and felt that there was no need to urge him to rekindle his fighting spirit, so he softened his tone and said: "When I was mediating first, I was afraid of being too public, and I didn't dare to tell Zhang Gong's family. I got a letter of approval from Yang Yushi the day before yesterday, so I used the post station to write a letter to Shaoxing, asking your son to go north. Shaoxing will always take a month to get to Beijing."

Zhang Mingshi was happy, and the feeling of licking the calf was full of enthusiasm. He thought again, even if he really decided to disarm and return to the fields, his son would not be willing to be a farmer.

Thinking about it this way, this Mrs. Zheng really gave herself a good chance to revive her family.

He rubbed his hands, and said sincerely: "Madam speaks and does things in a proper way, I admire you."

……

It was night, Zheng Haizhu held a banquet at the Hongyan Tower recommended by Qin Fang, Yang Lian was naturally not suitable to show up, and Lu Xiangsheng was the only one to accompany him.

Lu Xiangsheng failed in Chunwei last year, and continued to prepare for the exam in Nanjing Guozijian.

The next trial will be two years later, so there is no urgency. As soon as he received Zheng Haizhu's urgent call, he figured out the simple reason, and rushed here excitedly.

When I met Zhang Mingshi today, one was seven-point theory and three-point practice, and the other was practice-oriented and theory followed suit. After chatting at the wine table, they made up for each other's shortcomings in less than half an hour.

In addition, Lu Xiangsheng has always been very interested in battlefield warfare and offensive and defensive methods. When Zhang Mingshi was in Yunnan, because of the complex terrain there, he was also proficient in all aspects of attacking cliffs, crossing river banks, killing grasslands, and sieging cities.

Zheng Haizhu listened quietly at the side, and took time to eat the delicacies on the table until he was full. When the two of them started to discuss actual combat with questions and answers, he asked the restaurant clerk for an inkstone, paper and pen, and prepared to write.

Zhang Mingshi turned his head, subconsciously showing surprise: "What are you doing madam?"

Zheng Haizhu smiled, looked outside the private room, and said in a low voice: "Don't be nervous, I'm not from Dongchang. I just wrote down the novelty woodwork that Mr. Zhang mentioned, and thought it over carefully so that it would be more interesting for the eldest son of the emperor. This is called, lesson preparation."

The corners of Zhang Mingshi's lips relaxed, he didn't care about words such as "preparing for lessons" that he had never heard of, and it was better than recording a statement.

Lu Xiangsheng also woke up from the mentality of chasing the stars of the veteran generals on the battlefield, and helped explain: "Madam went to inquire. The eldest son of the emperor likes woodwork, and he likes to make various wooden mechanisms. Madam thought, firearms are not only made of copper and iron smelting and medicine stones. The gun has a gun frame, and the cannon has a cannon. They are all made of wood. Moreover, the purpose of firearms is to attack and defend the enemy. Speak up."

Zhang Mingshi understood: "So, it's reasonable and reasonable, Madam really knows how to be persuasive."

Zheng Haizhu was also polite: "Actually, I started my career by opening a school."

When she mentioned the word "school", she thought of the name taboo issue that might arise in the future, so she wrote it down on the paper and made an emphatic mark.

Zhang Mingshi leaned forward and took the initiative to say: "Your Highness likes wooden knot traps. That madam wrote a nest car. It's interesting. In the southwestern area, Yang Yinglong rebelled in Bozhou. Every battalion of our Ming army had nest carts."

Zheng Haizhu said: "Okay, let me make a note first, and I will trouble Mr. Zhang to explain it to me and brother Xiang Shengxian in detail tomorrow. We'd better draw a general idea."

Talking and writing like this, eating, drinking and drinking, the three of them didn't end their chat until the middle of the day.

Due to the curfew in the capital, the steward of the Zuo Mansion was already waiting in front of the restaurant with Zuo Guangdou's badge.

Zheng Haizhu sent Zhang and Lu to the inn, and when they returned to the gate of Zuofu, Li Daniu came forward to report.

"Ma'am, I sat in Liuquanju for two hours. Sure enough, someone went to ask the waiter, but there are guest officials who look like Mrs. Zhang and General Zhang eating in the private room. I also asked how many people there are in total. The others are scribes or martial artists who seem to have kung fu."

"What did the guy say?"

"The buddy found it puzzling, and asked back, civil and military are all written on the forehead, some literati are like butchers, and some military generals are very refined."

Zheng Haizhu was not in the mood to smile, and said again: "Sitting there, did you see the guests coming in and going out? What do you look like?"

Li Daniu said: "I've been watching everything, and none of them left soon. Those who came to inquire should be very shrewd. They should sit down and have some food and drink before they leave."

Zheng Haizhu frowned.

"The pretense of Liu Quanju's banquet, the pretense of entertaining important guests, we only threw it to that scribe. So, he, or who is behind him, is really eyeing me?"

Li Daniu also wondered: "Who can we offend in the prison? Madam paid a visit to Commander Luo and Liu Dudu last time, and it's all fair and honest to mention General Zhang when I go back."

"Well, they shouldn't pay attention to Zhang Mingshi, an unlucky general who has been imprisoned for several years and has no power behind him. It should be based on the scribe's report that there is still an important person today. They want to see who that person is. They want to find out my whereabouts and who I made friends with in Beijing?"

Zheng Haizhu thought of Ma Qiancheng's clean cell, and suddenly felt goosebumps, as if two eyes were staring at him from behind.

She suddenly thought of something again: "By the way, today I asked Liu Qiao's young master how his health was. Liu Qiao said that he still had stomach problems, but he could sleep peacefully for four or five hours after taking a doctor's prescription. This must be wrong. How can there be a baby who is only half a year old and sleeps longer than us. In the next few days, go and find out about that Shanxi doctor."

(End of this chapter)