The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Chapter 117 Gathering (Please Subscribe)

The north wind swept through the streets and alleys, carrying dust and making the wine flags on the roadside flutter. People of all kinds of attire, including officials, scholars and merchants, came and went, and the bustling atmosphere of the capital city was palpable.

Walking along the well-organized bluestone path, passing through crisscrossing streets and alleys, the closer you get to the imperial city, the more solemn the streets become.

The shops along the street gradually became scarce, replaced by rows of official residences, patrolling officials, and various government officials coming and going. Carriages and horses moved about in an orderly manner, and the noise of people was lowered. The hustle and bustle of the city streets was gone.

The Ministry of War was located on the east side of the Imperial City, with vermilion gates and wide eaves. Swordsmen guarded the entrance, and a vertical plaque with the words "Ministry of War" in gold on a blue background hung above the gate.

After dealing with the gatekeeper, I entered the gate and looked south. I saw vermilion lacquered partitions, blue brick flooring, and a wooden sign for the martial arts examination registration office under the corridor. Two minor officials were standing on the steps, chatting idly with their hands in their sleeves.

Qi Jiguang straightened his clothes, stepped forward, introduced himself and stated his purpose, and handed over the provincial examination documents from Dengzhou Guard. The clerk took them, flipped through them, glanced at Qi Jiguang's worn-out civilian clothes, and said indifferently, "Wait here."

This wait lasted for more than half an hour, but Qi Jiguang showed no dissatisfaction whatsoever. It was the same when he came to the capital a few years ago to handle the procedures for inheriting his post. Without connections or money to pave the way, a local commander and a military officer was nothing in the capital.

Even if you make a scene, it won't do any good. Do you dare to beat or scold the officials in the Ministry of War?

Just as he was getting impatient, the clerk finally sluggishly came out, holding a permit in his hand, and waved it at him: "Scholar Qi, the roster has been verified. Keep this permit safe. You can enter the examination hall in the spring with this permit."

As for the official residence, there aren't many empty rooms left lately. If you had come earlier to make arrangements, you might have been able to free up one room. Now—”

He stopped there, slightly raised his eyelids, and moved his fingers. Qi Jiguang saw clearly that he took out a small piece of silver from his sleeve, weighing about two or three coins, and placed it next to the gatekeeper.

"I am new here and unfamiliar with the rules. Please accept this small token of my appreciation, sir, for a cup of hot tea."

The clerk weighed the silver ingots in his hand, his expression softening slightly, but he still looked somewhat troubled: "Scholar Qi, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that this job is difficult. The official residence is under the jurisdiction of the Military Selection Office, and you know the officials there, they're all arrogant and conceited. Your little token of appreciation—"

Qi Jiguang didn't say much, and took out another piece of silver from his sleeve, placing it next to the previous one: "I am short of money and really can't afford any more. If the official can point me in the right direction, I will be extremely grateful."

11

Just as the clerk was about to accept the silver and arrange for a shabby room, Lü Fu, the chief clerk of the Military Selection Department, came out. The clerk hurriedly withdrew his hand, bowed, and said, "This humble servant greets Chief Lü."

When the document was delivered, Lü Fu already knew that Qi Jiguang had arrived. He deliberately delayed for a long time so that this local military man could personally experience the difficulties of being an unaffiliated official in the capital.

His gaze fell on the newcomer, Qi Jiguang, who was dressed in plain clothes. Although his clothes were simple, his posture was as upright as a pine tree, and his brows exuded a heroic spirit, unlike the usual scheming and scheming scholars.

Lü Fu stepped forward slowly, looking at the two men. "The military examination has its own set of rules. How can one accept money privately within the officialdom?"

Upon hearing this, the clerk who had just been collecting the money trembled slightly and quickly bowed and shrank to the side, not daring to raise his head. Lü Fu was not going to do anything to this person; without these extra ways of making money, how could they possibly survive in the capital with their salaries?

It was just a warning, to let him know that I was deliberately letting him off the hook this time, so that I could take him in as a dog in the future.

Lü Fu then turned to Qi Jiguang, sizing him up: "You are Qi Jiguang from Dengzhou Guard?"

"Yes, I am new to the capital and do not know the rules of the government. I have heard that there are many candidates taking the imperial examinations in the capital and that official residences are in short supply. I was afraid that I would not have a place to stay and would delay the imperial examinations in the spring. In my anxiety, I acted rashly and had no intention of disrespecting the laws of the government."

Qi Jiguang knew the weight of the Military Selection Office. Although he was a fourth-rank official and the other was a sixth-rank official, the reality was that local officials were far inferior to those in the capital, especially since the Military Selection Office was the very department that controlled his promotion, demotion, and performance evaluation.

"Come with me." Lü Fu nodded and then led him outside.

Qi Jiguang had no choice but to follow. When they reached the innermost part of the Ministry of War's stables, they saw two horses tied up. One was just an ordinary dwarf horse, but the other was different. It was very spirited, with a coat of blue and white intertwined, a chrysanthemum-green base, silver tips, and a mane and tail as soft and shiny as silk.

Its head is small like a deer's, its ears are pointed and upright, its eyes are bright as torches, its neck is long like a crane's, its muscles are tight, its chest is deep and its ribs are round, its back and waist are straight, its rump is slanted and powerful, its hooves are hard and small, it stands firmly in place, its posture is as upright as a pine tree, this - this is too beautiful!

Qi Jiguang stared at it as if he were looking at an absolutely stunning beauty.

As a member of a military family, although he only had a nag, he had seen many fine horses, including the military horses of Dengzhou Guard, the fine horses of Shandong Commandery, and the general's horse of Jizhou Commander, but none of them looked as magnificent as this one.

Lü Fu leaned against the wooden railing of the stable, watching Qi Jiguang's fixed gaze, and a slight smile curved his lips.

Coming to his senses, Qi Jiguang turned to look at Lü Fu, wondering if some duke or governor was playing a trick on him.

Let alone a mere Ministry of War official, even a Vice Minister of War might not be able to ride such a fine horse. This horse is clearly an imperial horse.

"Let's go."

Qi Jiguang responded, looked at the green horse with reluctance, and then walked to the side of the old horse. He was already grateful to have a horse to ride, so he dared not be picky.

Lü Fu didn't move, and only spoke when Qi Jiguang turned his head in confusion: "You've gone to the wrong place. That's the horse for you to ride."

"Huh?" Qi Jiguang's pupils shrank slightly, and he was completely stunned. He subconsciously let out a surprised sound, and for a moment he thought he had misheard.

He looked down at his worn-out casual clothes, with a dozen or so taels of silver and a few dozen copper coins in his sleeves. Then he looked up at the green horse that was watching him not far away and felt completely helpless.

Forget about trading his entire outfit for a horse; even the saddle, with its ebony base, silver-plated and gilded design, lotus scroll pattern, and black fox fur padding, is too expensive to replace.

Then look at the stirrups, gilded bronze, the bridle, made of fine cowhide wrapped with silver thread, adorned with small blue-white jade beads—

He hadn't felt poor when he stood at the inn's entrance, nor had he felt destitute when facing the minor official from the Ministry of War, but when he looked into those clear, pure eyes, he suddenly felt embarrassed.

"Sir, please stop joking, student—"

"Stop talking nonsense and keep up."

Lü Fu pushed past Qi Jiguang, mounted his old horse, and rode off. Qi Jiguang hesitated for a moment, feeling that something was wrong. He wanted to leave, but he was afraid of offending the head of the military selection department and failing the imperial examination.

Even future promotions were difficult, so he could only mount the horse with trepidation. But once he got on, he forgot everything. This horse is really great; riding it makes all the difference!

The two traveled to a secluded alley. As soon as they dismounted, Qi Jiguang sensed something was wrong. Goosebumps rose on his body as he felt eyes on him from all directions.

But all he could detect were the positions of a few people. A chill ran down his spine. Could it be a trap? Were they going to kill him here?

Have I offended any powerful or influential people? Or my father? No, right?

Pushing open the courtyard gate, one finds a spacious and well-organized courtyard paved with uniform bluestone slabs, the gaps clean and free of weeds. An old locust tree stands in the center, its branches strong and vigorous. Though its leaves have fallen in winter, its gracefully spreading branches accentuate the courtyard's tranquility and openness.

The three main rooms facing due north are connected as one, with blue tiles, gray walls, and wooden window lattices, which is the standard style of official residence in the capital. The central hall is open and bright, with a table and four chairs, where one can sit quietly and read.

The east wing is a bedroom with a flat wooden bed, complete with cabinets and shelves, simple and clean, enough to make one rest. The west wing is a study with a large desk and two empty bookshelves against the wall. There are also two storerooms for storing firewood and grain. In the corner against the wall, there is a separate, exquisite little stable with its own door and fence, dry and well-ventilated, with clean hay and complete with troughs and stone water troughs.

To the east of the courtyard, there is a flat open space, which is a designated area for martial arts practice. A complete set of weapons stands neatly against the wall: a blue stone lock of varying weight, two square training stones, a long spear standing still, a sheathed training knife, and a wooden target with a hard bow in the distance.

Have I ever saved any powerful or influential people? Or even my own father? No, right?

Qi Jiguang, still half-asleep, tied up the horse and instinctively grabbed the trough to feed it, not wanting it to go hungry.

"Alright, I just fed him not long ago. Let's go, His Highness is waiting for you."

"Your Highness!" Qi Jiguang felt a weight lifted from his heart, but the weight was so heavy that he felt a tightness in his chest.

He was not a governor, nor a duke, but a prince. He subconsciously straightened his clothes. His casual clothes, which had been exposed to the north wind for half a day, were already wrinkled and crumpled, with bits of grass from the stable still stuck to the cuffs.

"Which prince is it?" Although he asked the question, he probably already guessed.

"It is His Highness Prince Jing."

1

Sure enough, Qi Jiguang took a deep breath, nodded, and said to Lü Fu, "Thank you for introducing me, Master Lü."

"Don't be nervous, His Highness is always kind and approachable."

This description is not quite right for a young boy, but he is, after all, a prince, and cannot be treated like a child.

Dragging my slightly heavy steps, I walked to the main hall with a mix of anxiety and uncertainty. Someone came out to greet me; they seemed to be palace eunuchs.

Seeing that Chief Lu was very polite to him, Qi Jiguang also greeted him: "This humble general greets Eunuch Ma."

Upon hearing this, Ma Dezhao paused slightly and softly reminded him, "Scholar Qi."

Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang understood what the other party meant. The Prince of Jing only wanted to see the military candidates who had come to the capital for the imperial examinations, not the Deputy Commander of Dengzhou Garrison.

"This student has met Eunuch Ma."

Ma Dezhao smiled. He liked intelligent people, so he respectfully stepped aside and said, "Please come in, Scholar Qi. His Highness has been waiting for a long time."

The room was warm and inviting, having long since dispelled the winter chill. Several exquisite hot pots were displayed on the table in the center, with charcoal fires burning brightly, the soup bubbling gently, and wisps of steam rising gently.

Plates were arranged in layers on the counter, with fresh beef and mutton, seasonal vegetables and crisp greens neatly arranged, a complete meal of meat and vegetables, and a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Qi Jiguang had been traveling all day and had been eating dry rations. Today, in particular, he hadn't eaten anything and his stomach was rumbling.