Great Ming Dynasty Wen Chao Gong

Chapter 179 Chen Ju’s inquiry

In Kunning Palace, the queen was already waiting for the emperor's arrival.

"Queen, I summoned Zhang Xiao today, and everything is normal with him." The emperor said to the queen.

"Your Majesty, you really are. There are so many ministers in the court, can't you share the country's worries? Why are you just asking a few ministers to go back and forth?" The queen was a little unhappy.

"It's not that Zhang Xiao has a relatively good understanding of the situation in North Korea. He also proposed the countermeasures. It would be more effective for him to handle it personally. I didn't expect such a thing to happen. There is nothing important now, so I will let him stay in the capital. Stay well."

"This is better. Your Majesty, what should we do next? Zhang Xiao is alone in the Ming Dynasty. What should we do?"

"Queen, you don't have to worry too much about this matter. I have already made arrangements. I am going to ask Chen Ju to go to Zhang Xiao's house to check it out. Queen, please send someone over to check it out too."

"Your Majesty's proposal is good. I will send someone from here to go with you. Those who go must watch carefully and don't be deceived or deceived." The queen warned.

After coming out of the palace, Zhang Xiao walked towards the Ding Family Bookstore.

"Shopkeeper Ding, the second half of "Assassin's Creed" that I gave you before can be prepared for engraving first. The illustrations can be published later. After all, the illustrations are more difficult to draw and expensive to sell, so they won't sell too much. Ben." Zhang Xiao said to Shopkeeper Ding.

"Eunuch Chen, that's not what you're saying. Nanyang has always been full of kingdoms. The Ming Dynasty followed the trend and made kings and marquises without much loss. However, the support Nanyang can provide is real. Although the Chinese in Nanyang live far away from overseas, they always have nothing to lose. Because it is difficult to leave our homeland, we are still willing to build our hometown. If the Ming Dynasty is strong enough, the Chinese in Nanyang will be safer. Otherwise, the wealth accumulated over the years will be in vain. "

"Good luck to you, Mr. Xia."

"Eunuch Chen, why are you free to visit my humble home today?" Zhang Xiao politely waited for Chen Ju at the door.

"Why did Eunuch Chen ask about this? It is true that Zhang was never married in the Ming Dynasty. He was still young when he was in Nanyang. I don't know if his family had any betrothal contract. I didn't care about it after the chaos. In the Ming Dynasty, I don't know. , I also relied on copying and writing to do calculations. I was lucky enough to be a minor official, so I just wanted to write books to supplement my expenses, so I didn't bother with this matter. "

"A place with family members is a hometown. Now that our homes have been invaded and people are scattered, there is no such thing as a hometown. In fact, Nanyang is not a real hometown. Back then, my family went to Nanyang because of their livelihood. Now that I have returned to the Ming Dynasty, I also It’s like a wanderer returning home,” Zhang Xiao said.

"I haven't been busy with anything, just eating, drinking, or strolling around the capital. At that time, I thought that if I had the chance, I would also visit the mountains and rivers of Ming Dynasty. Now I can go out, but it's all for office work, and I can't care about the road. What a view.”

The guests and hosts were seated, but Zhang Xiao always felt that Chen Ju's visit this time was different from before.

"Mr. Zhang, I have read and proofread the book you gave me before. But there is one thing I can tell you. Mr. Zhang, the last few books you have written are all about foreign stories. In fact, many customers have told me that they still want to read Chinese stories. Although this foreign story is interesting, it is difficult to understand. The name of this person is difficult to understand. This is also a coincidence. It suddenly became a hot seller. It’s hard to say about the following books. After all, most of them are just for fun, and the writing is too difficult for everyone to understand.”

"We ministers always have to work harder. Zhang Zhanshi wants to go out for a walk, and the court does not have suitable errands. What ambitions does Zhang Zhanshi have to serve in the court now?"

"Zhang Zhan, what do you do when you're not busy?" Chen Ju then asked.

"It doesn't matter, I already understand what Shopkeeper Ding means. I will pay attention to it when I write a book later."

"Zhang Zhanshi, you were never married in Ming Dynasty, right? Are you also unmarried in Nanyang?"

"Zhang Zhanshi, even after you become an official, you will not forget your father and fellow villagers."

"Now that you are an official in the Ming Dynasty, have you ever thought about finding your own people?" Chen Ju then asked.

"Ding knows that Mr. Zhang is doing big things, and the book you wrote may have some ideas in it. It's just that the customer mentioned it, so I just quoted it."

"Oh? Shopkeeper Ding wants me to write some books about China? It's not impossible. I will tell you later when I have decided which book to write. Books about foreign countries can actually be simple. I I’ll discuss it with you then.”

"It's nothing important. I just wanted to have a chat with you at your Majesty's request. By the way, I also want to tell you that the person next to me is Eunuch Xia, who is in Kunning Palace." Chen Ju introduced Get up the people around you.

"Zhang Zhanshi, you have been in Ming Dynasty for so long, do you miss your hometown in Nanyang?" Chen Ju asked.

"Only when the Ming Dynasty becomes more powerful, especially when the Ming Dynasty's navy becomes more powerful, can the backbone of the Chinese in Nanyang be strengthened. In fact, many Chinese in Nanyang have been operating in Nanyang for many years and have a lot of savings. If the imperial court can really They will be very willing to provide reliable protection, and of course if the court can appoint officials, everyone will be even more enthusiastic," Zhang Xiao explained.

"Of course this is what I was thinking. It's just that in the vast ocean, my clansmen have long been separated. I just hope that they are all still well. When the eunuch Sanbao went to Nanyang, the people of China could come and go freely when they went to Nanyang. Now Nanyang has been The Folangji people thousands of miles away are at the top. If the Ming Dynasty's fleet can appear again in Nanyang, those Folangji people will not dare to be arrogant anymore. Nowadays, there are thousands of Chinese people in Nanyang, but they are scattered all over the country. , Folangji is a big country after all. If we are targeted by the Folangji people, without the help of the imperial court, we will have to be defeated individually. "

Zhang Xiao came back from shopkeeper Ding. Before he could rest, he received news that Chen Ju was coming to visit.

"Zhang is a scholar, but he has more knowledge than ordinary people. Now that he is serving in the imperial court, he just wants to play the role of a counselor. He also hopes that the Ming Dynasty can make the country strong and the people rich, the barbarians from all over the world will surrender, and it will reach the Han and Tang Dynasties."

"Zhang Zhanshi, your ambitions are big enough. It's just better to be more pragmatic when doing things. You have accomplished some things now, but you must know that the difficulty of the world's affairs lies in the big things, and even more difficult in the details. The two capitals and thirteen provinces Things cannot be easily solved with just a few books and a few new utensils.”

"Zhang has been taught." "Zhang Zhan, Chen also has one more thing to say today. The ancients said that Confucians used literature to disrupt the law, and chivalrous people used martial arts to disrupt the prohibition. Most of the novels you are writing now are about Although the story of chivalrous people breaking the law finally comes back to the principle of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, it is not good to talk about these things too much. "

"Zhang understands."

"Zhang Zhanshi, Chen also wants to ask you something. Now that you are in charge of the Imperial Academy, you have a humble but powerful position. What would you think if the imperial court arranges you in a less important position in the future?"

"Eunuch Chen, Zhang is a commoner. This official position is originally a gift from His Majesty. If Your Majesty feels that I am not suitable to stay in the current Yamen, then I will strictly follow His Majesty's instructions and go to the new Yamen to serve. If Your Majesty still If it feels inappropriate, Zhang is willing to resign from public office and become an ordinary citizen again.”

"Zhang Zhan is an upright person, but you don't have to worry about Zhang Zhan. The court still wants to use you, but if I want to give you an official position, it seems more noble, but it will be difficult to promote again in the future. Are you willing?" Chen Ju spoke in more detail.

"If this is the case, Zhang will naturally accept it happily. This is His Majesty's care."

"One last question, Zhang Zhan, the two Korean women in your house, why did you just bring them back from North Korea?"

"Eunuch Chen, these two Korean women were devastated by the war at home and were homeless. They were both well-educated and well-educated, so they were sent by Liu Chenglong and Liu Xiang of North Korea to serve me. When I return to the country, if I If the two of them stayed in North Korea, their life would probably be a bit difficult, so I thought about it and decided to take them with me."

"So that's the case." Chen Ju nodded after hearing this.

"Eunuch Chen, is there anything else you want to ask?" Zhang Xiao asked.

"I have nothing more to ask. What does Eunuch Xia have to ask?" Chen Ju looked at Eunuch Xia beside him.

"Eunuch Chen, you asked very carefully. Xia doesn't have anything to ask anymore." Eunuch Xia next to him waved his hand.

The two father-in-laws said their goodbyes and left. Zhang Xiao was still a little confused. He didn't know what these two people wanted to do when they arrived at home today and asked some questions.

"Wenhua, what do you think the two father-in-laws want to ask when they come here today? It's weird." Zhang Xiao looked at Lu Zhang and asked.

"My boss, it seems that you are also confused by the authorities. Although Eunuch Chen seemed to be talking about some official matters just now, he was more directly talking about your personal affairs, my boss. I will make a bold guess, I am afraid it is not His Majesty who wants to grant you a marriage." Lu Zhang replied.

"Oh? Marriage?"

"My boss, you have made a lot of contributions over the years and have done things properly. However, you cannot always be promoted so quickly. Your Majesty must also take into account the thoughts of your ministers. But if you cannot be promoted to a higher position, give a marriage manager Still no problem.”

"Oh? Is that so?" Zhang Xiao was a little surprised.

"Lv will make another bold guess. Maybe my boss, your return from North Korea early this time has something to do with it. When Eunuch Chen saw you, he looked at you carefully for a long time. My boss, don't you think there's something unusual?" "

"There are some. Eunuch Chen's eyes and tone this time are different from before. It's true that he is not used to it."

"But according to Eunuch Chen, if this marriage can take place, your career may come to an end. So Eunuch Chen must ask you carefully just now, because he is afraid that you will regret it at the moment. It can be seen that this marriage It’s still quite important.”

"This marriage is so important, so it's not like the princess is facing us, right?" Zhang Xiao said casually.

"My boss, I also had this speculation just now, but I didn't dare to say it out loud. But since you said so, my boss, Lu doesn't dare to hide it anymore. This is really very possible. After all, with my current official position, my boss, With His Majesty's favor, if he is transferred to a local official, he will become a high-ranking official. It is not impossible to join the cabinet and worship the prime minister in the future. But if the princess is the princess, then there will only be one prince-in-law. I am afraid that I will never be able to do the job again. However, the imperial court is very strict with the clan and relatives. In the past, the princes-in-law did not look for nobles, but for ordinary people with better grades. My boss, who is not yet married to the official position, On the contrary, there are very few.”

"Is it really Princess Shang?"

"My boss, based on what I know and see so far, this is the most likely option. My boss, could you please think about it again? If you really agree to this marriage, my boss, your career will end here."

"It doesn't matter, His Majesty can use whomever he wants. Of course, the rules must be followed, but some people really don't have to follow the rules. In fact, to put it bluntly, it's just a matter of His Majesty's words. If His Majesty wants me to continue, If you are busy, I will continue to be busy. If Your Majesty doesn’t think you need me to be busy anymore, that’s fine. I’ll go rest and travel for a while.”

"My boss is the one who stands high and has high hopes. It's Lu who is superficial." Lu Zhang said.

"That's not the way to say it. It's just that as a minister, you can't make random requests to His Majesty, especially regarding official positions. By the way, Wenhua, yesterday I went to Dingjia Bookstore to tell Shopkeeper Ding that I always write books about foreign countries. , everyone can’t understand it and doesn’t like it. Today Eunuch Chen said again that he doesn’t think much of my book “Assassin’s Creed” and even used Han Feizi’s words to make excuses for the first half of the book. Have you read the first part or the second half? What do you think of the writing?”

"How should I put it, Boss, I think Shopkeeper Ding's concerns are reasonable. Boss, you wrote "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", which tells the story of the Song Dynasty's resistance to the Jin Dynasty and the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty. Although the protagonist's name is It is currently compiled, but the historical figures and historical events are still written according to historical facts. Maybe these customers who bought the book have heard stories about the resistance to gold and the Yuan Dynasty when they were young, so my boss, you are more comfortable writing novels about this area. Customers also like to buy and read. As for books about foreign countries, there are definitely fewer people who want to read them.”

"And my boss, you gave the novel such a title and suffered another assassination. Although you can take advantage of this trend these days, you can sell some. But it's hard to say later. After all, you have to be busy changing places to watch the excitement. It’s fun to watch, otherwise it would be boring. Once this sales wave is over, many people will not buy the book. And let me say something that is not very respectful. Adults don’t like to read this book, and children can’t understand it. , The old man wants to be lucky, so the book won't sell so well. I don't mean to say that my boss is bad at writing the book, but if it were written in China's own history, more people would read it than before. " Lu Zhang explained.

(End of this chapter)