Back to Daming to be a genius

Chapter 273 The Confused Little Dog

(PS: Christmas Eve, I wish all my friends a happy foreign festival.)
"Apocalypse celebrates the new year in six years, dog, you spend the new year in Jinzhou City, Apocalypse in seven years, dog, you spend the new year in the barracks of Jimen, Apocalypse in eight years, dog, you go to Xuanda University , It’s another New Year in Yanghe.” Zhang Laocai pointed his fingers at his son, “That is to say, since you became an official, you dog have never spent a New Year with your father, mother, wife and children. All the puppies asked me: "Grandpa, other people's fathers are here during the Chinese New Year. Why is my father not at home? I can't remember what my father looks like." Tears are shed, I have nothing to do with your eleven mothers, but the little dog and the little dog are both three years old, and the other is almost two years old. Less than a month?"

"Father, since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety can't be both, and there's really nothing you can do about it." Young Master Zhang, who knew he was wrong, shrugged his head and explained dejectedly: "I also want to serve my parents very much, and I also want to spend more time with them. Wife and child, but the military situation is like fire, and the child really can’t get away. In the sixth year of the apocalypse, the child was surrounded by slaves in Jinzhou; In the eighth year of the Apocalypse, Shaanxi rebellion intensified, and the Tatar Khans also had signs of invading the Central Plains. The boy also urgently needed to arrange a strategy to deal with the eight traitors in Zhangjiakou. He really couldn't get away. I hope my father will see that the boy is dedicated to the country. For the sake of this, forgive the child's crime of unfilial piety."

"What about this year? It's the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. Why do you have to stay in the capital this year?" Zhang Laocai raised his voice and asked Young Master Zhang viciously: "Don't use the imperial court to urge you to go back to Xuanda University. The pretext for taking office is prevarication, and I have contacts with some officials in the imperial court. I have heard that the emperor and Jiuqiantui care about you, and they are going to let you stay in the capital for the New Year. By the way, when you are healthy, you will be rewarded and let you go back. Take office—but what about you dog, you actually said in the court that the military situation is urgent, and you hope you can return to Xuanda sooner, do you intend to piss me off?"

"The military situation in Shaanxi is indeed urgent." Young Master Zhang explained: "Baby judging from all the signs, the rebels must make big moves in the near future, because there has not been a single drop of rain in Shaanxi since the Chinese New Year last year, and there have been disasters and famines." It was several times worse than in previous years. Most of the people had even eaten up their crops. The rebels who were beaten back to Shaanxi by the children also gained a lot of room to replenish their troops and make a comeback. During the Chinese New Year period, they invaded the prefectures and counties on a large scale. My son will soon be promoted to the governor of five provinces and take charge of Shaanxi. Of course, I hope to return to Xuanda as soon as possible, and dispatch troops to command the army to suppress the rebellion, so as not to cause the rebellion to become uncontrollable again. situation."

"Shut up!" Zhang Laocai rudely interrupted his son's defense, and snorted, "Without you, Shaanxi can't put down the thieves? In the second year of Tianqi, the thieves in Shandong were so rampant that even the city of Jinan was almost destroyed." After being taken down by the rebels, didn’t they be pacified by the officers and soldiers in the end? Without you, no one in Shaanxi would be able to pacify the rebellious rebels? Besides, I heard that the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, Sun Gelao, and the governor of Shaanxi, Hong Chengchou, were recommended by you. Since you are optimistic about them, what are you worried about?"

"Dad, don't talk nonsense if you don't understand military affairs, okay? There were only 3 thieves at the time of the most thieves in Shandong. Do you know how many thieves there are in Shaanxi?" Young Master Zhang cried bitterly.I never thought Zhang Laocai slapped the table and shouted: "Why don't I understand? Do you think that if you become a high official, I can't cure you? If I die, you have to resign and give me three years to Ding You, You are Lao Tzu's son, so you have to listen to Lao Tzu forever! It's settled like this, you stay in the capital after the new year and then leave, and at Nine Thousand Years Old, I will bring you a gift and tell you to go."

"Father—!" Young Master Zhang was about to continue to refute, when the mother of Young Master Zhang stood up and reprimanded: "Dog, don't talk back to your father, your father is doing it for your own good. Don't say dead words, it's unlucky. You can go directly to Jiuqiantui and tell him, the dog, my sisters and I will scold him." Zhang Laocai snorted coldly, and asked Zhang Shitou's father to load the carriage with gifts, Pidianpidian rushed to Weiran Hutong to intercede with his son-although Zhang Laocai is a local rich man, but now in the capital, there is really no dignitary mansion that he cannot enter.Young Master Zhang was surrounded by eleven old women, who pinched, scolded, cried and persuaded, and bombarded Young Master Zhang in turn. They scolded Young Master Zhang so much that he couldn't laugh or cry. In the end, he had to honestly agree to his parents' request and stay at home for the New Year. Only then did the old lady show mercy and let young master Zhang live.

After Zhang Laocai went to Wei Zhongxian's mansion, he didn't return to Prime Minister Wen's Alley until it was completely dark. At the same time, to the surprise of Zhang's family, Wei Zhongxian actually sent Zhang Laocai back home, saying that he wanted to meet the young master Zhang Xinna casually. His concubine and the two sons of Young Master Zhang, Young Master Zhang did not dare to neglect, so he had to call Yang Wan out to kowtow to Wei Zhongxian, and also asked Xiong Hu and Dayuer to bring out the eldest son Zhang Hongyan and the second son Zhang Hongxin, and let the two sons meet the godfather .Wei Zhongxian was also very interesting, not only gave the two grandchildren lucky money in advance, but also rewarded Yang Wan with a pair of red coral tribute from Nanyang as a meeting gift.

After tossing for a long time, Wei Zhongxian offered to leave, but the Zhang family couldn't keep him, so they sent Wei Zhongxian out of the house together. Wei Zhongxian got into the sedan chair, and called Young Master Zhang to the sedan chair, and asked with a smile: "What's the matter? Xuanda? It’s rare to go back to the capital, so I’d better take up the post after the Chinese New Year. In Shaanxi, with Mr. Sun and Hong Chengchou watching over him, I guess there won’t be any trouble, right?”

"Father, what my son is worried about now is the trouble between Mr. Sun Ge and Hong Chengchou." Young Master Zhang said worriedly: "Mr. Sun Ge is good at defending but not attacking, and Hong Chengchou is good at attacking but not defending. If Mr. Sun Ge sits in Xi'an, let Hong Chengchou lead his troops to attack If there is an accident, it can ensure that Xi'an and Tongguan are safe and sound. However, the latest military report received by the court stated that Sun Ge Lao actually let Hong Chengchou sit in Xi'an, and he personally led the army. The army went deep into Pingliang Mansion and chased down the rebels who fled into Pingliang. In this way, the troops of Xi'an Mansion would be empty. If the rebels took the opportunity to enter Xi'an, not only the army food and weapons in Xi'an city would fall into the hands of the rebels "Father, there will also be a huge gap in the encirclement that you have painstakingly arranged to encircle the rebels, causing the rebels to break through Tongguan and enter the Central Plains in a dangerous situation."

"No way, Mr. Sun and Hong Chengchou are so useless? Let the thieves take Xi'an easily?" Wei Zhongxian was skeptical.Young Master Zhang said with a wry smile: "Originally, Sun Ge and Hong Chengchou were relatively capable of fighting among the hundreds of officials, and they also knew the soldiers and the army better, but this time they did the opposite. The head of the enemy makes my son a little worried." Speaking of this, Young Master Zhang moved closer to Wei Zhongxian's ear and said in a low voice, "My son even suspects that Mr. Sun Ge may have heard the news that he will be promoted to the governor of the five provinces. He felt that it would be too embarrassing for a young man like Haier to tell him what to do, so he was anxious, eager to prove himself by destroying the main force of the rebels, so he made the wrong choice to personally lead the army to pursue the rebels. Coach, the most taboo is to be impetuous and greedy for success, Sun Ge has always committed this big taboo, and he lost three points before the battle!"

"So? Is there really a danger in Xi'an?" Wei Zhongxian asked in a deep voice.Young Master Zhang nodded, and solemnly replied: "That's true. If the boy is the leader of the rebels, then the boy must take advantage of Hong Chengchou's character of field attacks to lure Hong Chengchou's main force away from Xi'an with false soldiers, and then the main force will sneak attack Xi'an and succeed." At least [-]% to [-]% certainty."

Wei Zhongxian was well aware of Young Master Zhang's ability to use troops. After listening to Young Master Zhang's warning, Wei Zhongxian almost wanted to agree to Young Master Zhang's request to be the governor of the five provinces immediately, but after careful consideration, Wei Zhongxian withdrew his thoughts and said in a low voice "Monkey boy, then you send a letter to Hong Chengchou, warning him not to leave Xi'an lightly, and let him guard the largest city in the Northwest. On the Tongguan side, our family will also go to the Wen Zhihui Henan Governor Yang Zuoji to tell him to be careful." Guard Tongguan, if Tongguan is lost, our family will want his head! As for you monkey boy, you should stay in the capital for the New Year before leaving."

"What about Old Sun Ge? He went deep into the famine-stricken area alone, and he was short of food and grass for the army. If something happened, he would be in trouble." Young Master Zhang asked worriedly.Wei Zhongxian was overjoyed when he heard it, and cursed in a low voice: "Why does our family have such a stupid son like you? You are about to be promoted to the governor of five provinces, and there is a veteran of the three dynasties under him, the former elder of the court. Can you command him with ease? We The family is for your own good, and I hope that something happens to him, so why are you worrying about him?"

"Want something to happen to Sun Chengzong?" Young Master Zhang was stunned. Then he remembered that his godfather was the most famous treacherous eunuch in history. Wouldn't it be as easy as a joke to kill loyal ministers and good generals?Wei Zhongxian patted Young Master Zhang on the shoulder with a sinister smile, and said, "Monkey boy, it's good for you to worry about state affairs, but while worrying about state affairs, you also have to think about yourself. That's it, we haven't celebrated the New Year together yet, this year You can rest assured that you will go to work after the new year. On the second day of junior high school, remember to bring our two grandchildren over to pay New Year's greetings. Well, it's too late, and our family should go back to rest. Let's talk later if you have anything to say "Master Zhang had no choice but to die and rushed to Xuanda to take office immediately, honestly sent Wei Zhongxian away, and planned to stay at home to celebrate the New Year with his parents, wife and children.

In the next few days, our poor young master Zhang finally enjoyed a lot of family happiness. Apart from honoring his parents and holding his son, the rest of the time he spent with his wife and two concubines, no less Doing some ridiculous 3P4P things is very lewd.And as New Year's Eve approached, more and more officials at all levels visited Master Zhang's mansion in Prime Minister Wen's Hutong, and all kinds of valuable or strange gifts flooded into Master Zhang, a promising newcomer. In the mansion, and our Young Master Zhang is not a good thing in the first place, of course, the gifts that come to the door are all accepted without any politeness, and it is also very profitable.However, the hypocrisy and politeness of welcoming and sending guests every day made Young Master Zhang, who was completely used to gold and iron horses, feel very boring and boring, and couldn't help but want to find something to pass the time.

On the morning of the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, when there were only two days left before the Chinese New Year, Young Master Zhang was afraid of being blocked at home by gift-giving officials, so he changed into casual clothes early, and brought his two sons, Shi Kefa, Zhang Shitou and other soldiers Sneaking out of the house to visit the New Year's Eve street scene in Beijing——As for why he didn't take his wife with him, the two sons of Young Master Zhang won't sue, so there's no need to make it so clear.

The capital city that is about to celebrate the new year is really lively. The streets are densely packed with Ming people who are visiting the scenery of the capital and buying new year goods. There are also all kinds of stalls on both sides of the street. Dazed, Zhang Hongyan and Zhang Hongxin, who were riding on Young Master Zhang and Shi Kefa's necks, kept yelling, asking this and that, and it didn't take long for their hands to be full of candied haws and various toys.But even so, the two sons of Young Master Zhang kept asking for this and that. Young Master Zhang, who owed a lot to his sons, did not refuse. With sharp eyes, he suddenly shouted: "Grandpa Xu, Grandpa Xu, father, I saw Grandpa Xu."

"That Grandpa Xu?" Young Master Zhang asked casually.Zhang Hongyan said in a childlike voice, "It's Grandpa Xu, the high-ranking official who often visits our house. Mother said that he is the Minister of the Ministry of Industry and a good friend of Grandpa."

"Xu Guangqi?" Young Master Zhang was taken aback, and when he looked in the direction his son pointed, he didn't find any official sedans and carriages, only dense crowds and various trucks.It wasn't until Zhang Hongyan pointed it out again that Young Master Zhang was surprised to find that a white-haired old man driving an ox cart full of charcoal seemed to resemble Xu Guangqi's back.Young Master Zhang knew that there was something wrong, so he quickly winked at Zhang Shitou. Zhang Shitou understood, and hurried over to observe quietly. He became an old man selling charcoal with make-up on his face, so small that he could hardly recognize him."

"There must be a problem." Young Master Zhang's heart sank, and he hurriedly ordered: "Send someone to watch him quietly. Don't let him find out. Come back and let us know if there is any news." Zhang Shitou agreed, and quickly arranged to leave from Linqing The confidant soldiers brought along quietly stared at Xu Guangqi, while Master Zhang took his sons to a nearby restaurant, and waited for an answer while having lunch.

After lunch, after waiting for a long time, the guards sent to watch finally came back to report, "Young Master, Mr. Xu is not alone, he has a few servants in disguise to protect him, the little ones were almost discovered by them, but it's okay." , There were too many people on the street in the past two days, and the little one escaped in time. Later, the little one followed them and turned left and right, and finally found that Mr. Xu and the others had entered Cheng Guogong's mansion through the back door."

"Chengguo Mansion?" Young Master Zhang's face changed, and he quickly handed his son to Shi Kefa, and asked him to bring his two sons back to Prime Minister Wen's alley, and then ordered Zhang Shitou and other confidantes: "Go, go right away Duke Cheng's Mansion."

Passing through the crowded crowd, he hurried all the way, and when he finally arrived at Duke Cheng, Young Master Zhang was still one step too late. When he entered the lobby of Duke Cheng's mansion, Xu Guangqi had already changed into his official uniform and was Talking affectionately with Zhu Chunchen, Zhang Weixian and other die-hard royalists.Seeing Young Master Zhang coming in, Zhu Chunchen hurriedly greeted him affectionately: "Master Zhang is here, rare visitor, please sit down quickly, come here, and serve tea to Master Zhang."

Young Master Zhang didn't speak, and he refused to sit down. A pair of triangular eyes just stared at Xu Guangqi, Zhu Chunchen and others closely, making Xu Guangqi, Zhu Chunchen and others feel guilty.Zhu Chunchen couldn't help asking: "Tanhualang, what's the matter? Why is your face so ugly?" Young Master Zhang still didn't speak, Zhang Weixian understood, and hurriedly winked at Zhu Chunchen, asking Zhu Chunchen to lead Young Master Zhang into the back hall , Putting aside the crowd to talk alone.It was only at this moment that Young Master Zhang asked with an incomparably cold expression: "What is in the bullock cart that Master Xu sent just now?"

Before Young Master Zhang finished speaking, the complexions of Zhang Weixian, Zhu Chunchen and Xu Guangqi changed drastically, they were as pale as dead people.Young Master Zhang asked again: "Is it a rifled musket? Master Xu, you two princes, you are so courageous, do you know that if Dongchang or the Zhenfu Division find out about this, then you will die! Even the emperor will not spare you!"

"You...how did you know?" Zhang Weixian asked tremblingly.Young Master Zhang smiled wryly, and replied: "Do you still need to ask? You two princes, who are you, and you can't get what you want? Only Mr. Xu personally supervises the casting, and the court has expressly stipulated that only soldiers of the slaughtering slave army are allowed to die. The rifled muskets you have are what you can't get elsewhere, and what you need most!"

Zhang Weixian, Zhu Chunchen and Xu Guangqi were stunned. After a long time, Zhu Chunchen asked nervously: "Does Wei Zhongxian know about this?" Young Master Zhang shook his head and said in a low voice: "Father may not know now, but if you continue like this, He must know."

"That's good." Zhu Chunchen breathed a sigh of relief.Zhang Weixian also wiped his sweat and said: "As long as he doesn't know, it's good. Fortunately, all the rifled muskets we need are ready, and we don't need to take risks in the future to smuggle and steal rifled muskets. As for lead bullets and gunpowder, those things If it is not strictly controlled, it is even less likely to be discovered.”

"Aren't you afraid that I will report to my father?" Young Master Zhang said calmly, "You are secretly hoarding ammunition and rifled muskets. You must be preparing to arm your confidants at a critical moment and attack my father, right? Nine thousand years old and I Like father and son, you believe that I will sit idly by?"

"You are different from Wei Zhongxian." Zhang Weixian said confidently: "Although you have many faults, you are loyal to the court and the emperor, and your conscience is not lost. When the critical moment comes, you will definitely stand by our side."

"Are you so sure?" Young Master Zhang asked with a livid face.Zhang Weixian, Zhu Chunchen, Xu Guangqi and others looked at each other for a few times, and finally Zhang Weixian asked: "Tanhualang, are you really determined to help Wei Xie in his crimes? Don't you know that Wei Xie and the Ke family are colluding, bringing disaster to the country and the people? To poison the common people, to frame Zhongliang, is there more than justification for death?"

"Then let me ask carefully, where did my father cause the country and the people to suffer?" Young Master Zhang asked in a deep voice: "Since the first year of Taichang, the government has been corrupted, party disputes have been endless, and border affairs have collapsed. Lin, revived the imperial court, closed the border market again, in the past few years, he has pacified the rebellion of extravagance in the west, blocked Liaodong to build slaves in the east, resisted the Tatars in the north of Mobei, chased and suppressed the rebels in Shaanxi, and fought on several fronts at the same time, all of which were wars Bloody battles, but he has always ensured that the frontline soldiers are not short of salaries, and the supply of food and grass is sufficient. How many troops, food, grass and land have been lost in the Liaodong battlefield over the years, but every time he can take out enough food, grass and military salaries to recruit troops and re-consolidate the front line. I I would like to ask you, if you are in power, can you do better than him? Can you provide more food, grass and military pay for the front line?"

Zhang Weixian, Zhu Chunchen and others were speechless, and Young Master Zhang said again: "As for torturing the people and framing Zhongliang, yes, he killed nineteen Donglin Party officials, but did he kill an innocent person? Did he add an article to the people?" Is there any tax for money? There has been a drought in Henan for eight years, and the plague of locusts has also been raging for eight years. Why didn’t a large number of people starve to death? Didn’t the people rebel? It's too far away, the population is too large, and the imperial court really can't provide money and food to relieve them, and it took seven years of drought before the trouble started—if you were in power, would you be able to do better than him?"

"But if he wants his great-grandson to be emperor, that's treason, that's usurping!" Zhu Chunchen retorted excitedly.Young Master Zhang sighed, and said: "He wants his great-grandson to be the emperor, just like you want Tai Kangbo's grandson to inherit the throne. Flesh and blood? Why do you favor one over the other and let Tai Kangbo's grandson succeed?"

Zhang Weixian and the others were speechless again. After a long time, Zhang Weixian squinted at Young Master Zhang and asked, "So, you plan to report us to your father?"

"I won't report it." Young Master Zhang shook his head, with a tired look on his face, and said weakly: "I'm tired, and I don't want to get involved in this matter anymore. After the new year, I will go to the Northwest to suppress thieves. When the thieves are settled, I will go to Liaodong to fight Jiannu, and then go to the southeast to fight pirates and red-haired devils, and recover Taiwan Island for the imperial court. After I finish these things, I guess you should be over. Let you go Well, I don't want to interfere anymore, I'm really tired." After finishing speaking, Young Master Zhang shook his head again, turned around and left.

"Zhang Haogu, you want to stay out of it? You can't do it." Zhang Weixian shouted at Young Master Zhang's back: "Even if we let you go, Wei Zhongxian will not let you go, you must participate, you can't escape Yes. Think about it carefully, whether to be a loyal minister of Ming Dynasty or a traitor of Ming Dynasty, you should be prepared to choose."

"Can't I really run away?" Young Master Zhang felt confused for a while, and murmured in his heart: "If the day comes when I have to make a choice, what should I do? On the one hand are the court Qingliu who trusts me and my friends , one side is the old eunuch Wei who treats me like his own son, which side should I choose?"

(End of this chapter)