The Great Seminary

Chapter 173 Double Walls
Zhang Gui's question actually hides many mysteries.

As a result, Lu Zhenduan was fooled.

He sighed, squatting down to untie the dried meat tied to the dead donkey;
While answering, “What else can His Royal Highness Prince Zhen want to do?

Naturally, he would continue to fight his 'small country war' and make a name for himself."

"But nearly 300,000 new soldiers died in the last battle. How can we continue the fight?"

Zhang Gui had clearly known through his perception of the 'Nine Islands of Heaven' that King Zhen had miraculously gathered hundreds of thousands of new troops in a short period of time.

But he still pretended to be confused and asked.

Lu Zhenduan picked up a piece of dried meat and looked at him with a strange look.
"Long Hu, you are not only a descendant of the Shishi Kingdom's Yang family, but also a descendant of the Pingyang Zhang family.

How come after returning to East Continent, you don't even know the story of "Father and Son Are Not Close" that made your clan famous?

"No, no." Zhang Gui replied in a daze, shaking his head like a rattle.

"Perhaps you returned to Xianrong Island early, and the news hadn't reached Zhihai Town by the time you left."

"Yes Yes.

This time when I returned to Xianrong Island, I encountered a small storm, which delayed my arrival at Sichuan Ginseng Port for several days.

Zhang Gui said hurriedly, spouting nonsense:

Tell me what happened, what news, and what is "Father and Son Are Distant"?

"Don't worry, Longhu. This strange story needs to be told from the beginning.

You should know that our Ming Song Dynasty’s Emperor Hezheng and His Royal Highness Prince Zhen…”

Lu Zhenduan coughed lightly and answered slowly.

Zhang Gui snatched the mysterious "grandson" away, the dried meat in his hand,
"Lao Lu, you have ten sentences to explain the situation to me.

Otherwise, let alone the donkey meat hotpot, there won’t even be any pork jerky to chew.”

"The most difficult issue to reconcile between the Emperor and Prince Zhen is that the military fortune of the minister's son has overshadowed that of his father, the king, in the hearts of the general public.

And you, Longhu, also know the character of our Emperor of Correction.

It is no exaggeration to describe him as ambitious and self-willed.

There is no way he would take the initiative to make concessions while his face was frozen.

Regardless of whether King Zhen's momentum is real or fake, he can't find a reason to make concessions.

As a result, at this time, a young talent in the noble family submitted a memorial entitled "The Distant Relationship between Father and Son".

It is said that father and son are as close as one.

When Emperor Hezheng was still a prince, he reviewed memorials on behalf of the late emperor when he was still in poor health…”

"There is such a thing. Didn't the 'Current Emperor' serve as the Crown Prince for a full twenty-nine years?

Even the 'Chufu Palace' where I live was struck by lightning and caught fire during a rainy day, and I can't decide how to pay for the repairs? "

"That's right, the previous emperor was also famous for his power grabbing.

However, on April 15th of the third year of Chun's reign, when the old man, who had eye disease, asked the eunuch to read out the memorials for comments, he came across a memorial written by an idiot and became angry.

I wanted to write the four words "worse than shit" but my eyes hurt and I couldn't write them well.

He casually instructed the filial emperor who was heating the medicine nearby to write it for him.

The result was recorded in the "Daily Records".

The emperor had only done this once in his life by chance.

Therefore, no one in the world cares.

But it was remembered by the strange person from your Pingyang Zhang family, and he solved the problem from this.

It is said that this time the emperor was ill and recuperating, so he sent his princes to tour the southern country, giving them instructions in advance and giving them advice in letters after they left.

It was just like when he was a prince, reviewing memorials on behalf of the previous emperor, which was a case of "father ordering son to take over the job."

Now all the princes have made their own achievements.

Especially when King Zhen learned that the current emperor was trying to overthrow the country for the sake of the foreign country Han Li, he was furious.

However, he was unable to lead the army in person due to illness.

So, while the Yuanshan guards of Xianrong Island were rampant, they attacked Zhihai Town. By the way, your fief Zhenhai Town was mentioned here.

In addition, you, General Longhu, were also mentioned in "The Distant Flesh and Blood of Father and Son".

It is said that although my mother’s family is barbaric, but my father…”

"Alright, alright, I get what it means. It means that the poem "Father and Son Are Far Apart" has resolved the conflict between the Emperor and Prince Zhen.

So that we can all eat dumplings together again, right?"

"What does 'eating dumplings' together mean?"

"It is because of the estrangement between father and son that the emperor has the dignity to take a step back.

The situation had been getting increasingly tense over time, but now there is room for negotiation and easing of tensions."

"exactly.

After the memorial "Father and Son", the attitude of the imperial court, including the inner court, towards Prince Zhen's "acting" changed.

Let's not talk about anything else, let's talk about the "Nine Islands" that Xingzai cares about the most, filling the islands with people, training new troops, and opening up cities.
In the past, except for the East Guangdong Province, the immigration authorities would delay immigration to other places in every possible way.

Even if people were starving to death in the area and a rebellion broke out, they were still unwilling to do so.

Sometimes they are so tough that they almost resort to violence to stop it.

But now, the door to convenience is wide open everywhere..."

"I see.

That's why the 'Nine Islands and Ten Cities of Heavenly Craftsmanship' suddenly gathered so many cannon fodder.

Let King Zhen continue to play the game of 'minced meat'."

Zhang Gui's doubts were immediately cleared up when he heard this, and he thought to himself.

Just listen to Lu Zhenduan continue to talk,

"...In short, the words of "Father and Son" are sincere and the friendship is touching..."

"Alright, alright, why are you rambling on about this? It's just a memorial after all.

It sounds like a masterpiece that will last forever."

Lu Zhenduan heard something strange in Zhang Gui's words and asked curiously:

"Long Hu, didn't you know about the "distant relationship between father and son" before?

Why does it seem like, hiss, it seems…"

"I've never heard of 'Father and Son Are Distant' before.

But I know that only one person in the Zhang family of Pingyang could write such an article.

That's Zhang Jiuqing, right?"

“It’s Lord Jiuqing.

Well, you and I, one a scholar and one a warrior, are the two pillars of the Zhang family in Pingyang..."

"Okay, Lao Lu, stop trying to make amends.

To tell you the truth, I grew up with Zhang Jiuqing, and I have always disliked him.

I used to be polite and pretend to endure it, but now I have let it go and don’t want to endure it anymore.

Hate is hate.

But it is a crime to kill a master.

Zhang Jiuqing was able to write a memorial to reconcile the conflict between the current emperor and Prince Zhen at this time. Whether in terms of courage or talent, he was considered a man of the time.

No wonder Lord Hexiang appreciated him so much, considered him his successor, and even married his granddaughter to him."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhenduan just laughed dryly.

Fortunately, Zhang Gui did not really save himself from a donkey meat hotpot just because he failed to explain the matter of "the distant relationship between father and son" clearly within ten sentences.

He personally broke the donkey skin, cut off half of the ribs, washed them repeatedly with well water, and began to prepare dinner.

After a while, Han Li, the coroner who had been out patrolling the streets to bury corpses during the day, returned to the yard one after another.

Seeing the leader from the suzerain country breaking the meat bones and putting them on a plate, they hurried over.

“Death penalty, death penalty.

How could we allow you and Lord Lu, a noble from a high country, to work so hard just to eat?"

"Yes, sir, just let us do these kitchen chores.

You and Master Lu should hurry inside to warm up."

(End of this chapter)