In February of the first year of Xingqing of the Great Song Dynasty, Huainan West Road, Shouchun Mansion, and Anfeng Army of the Great Song Dynasty.
The eight-character wall opens to the south, so don't come in if you have no money.
The ancients respected north as top, and all government offices faced south. To the left and right of the government office gate were two brick walls, arranged in an "eight" shape along the side of the door and extending to the left, right and front. This kind of "eight-character wall" building shows the nobility and majesty of the government office, and also makes ordinary people intimidated.
In the land of Huainan, spring is cold and cold. Early in the morning, on the "eight-character wall" on the right side of the Anfeng Army Yamen, the place where the announcement was announced was very lively and crowded with people watching.
"The edict says: I respectfully honor my precious destiny, care for my country and lead the country, and always learn from the rise and fall of my predecessors. I think about it with trembling fear, as if I were walking on thin ice. In order to promote the martial spirit of our people in the Song Dynasty and revive the weakness of the Song Dynasty for hundreds of years, A Martial Arts Hall is specially set up in Jinling Prefecture. All patriotic young people, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, high or low, or born, can go to the Martial Arts Hall to take exams and study..."
After reading this, the onlookers around me were chattering and the noise became a pot of porridge.
"Could this Jinling "Martial Arts Hall" be appointed by Emperor Song?"
"Isn't it clear from the above? It must be the decree of the newly ascended Emperor Song himself!"
"The new dynasty has a new atmosphere. Even the traitor has been killed. It seems that the new emperor is going to do something big!"
People were talking a lot and chatting all over the place, it was so lively. Someone shouted.
"Everyone, stop arguing and listen to Uncle Lu finish reading!"
The voices of the people watching immediately became quieter.
"...Anyone who is over 17 years old and under 30 years old, who is in good health and has a rough understanding of writing and calligraphy can go for the assessment. The assessment time is from the first to the fifth day of March in the first year of Xingqing. After the students pass the assessment, they are scheduled to take one year Graduation, the reserved quota is 1,200 people. After graduation, they will enter the army as low-level officers. Those who pass the one-year internship in the army will be mid-level and low-level officers...announce to the world...the sixteenth day of the first month of the first year of Xingqing in the Song Dynasty..."
After Uncle Lu finished reading, there was another burst of noise immediately.
"Brothers, I'm going to Jinling City! Just wait for the good news that I'm admitted to the Martial Arts Hall!"
In the crowd, a brave and courageous young man shouted loudly.
"Second brother, I'll go with you too! Let's get admitted to the Jinling Martial Arts Hall together, fight for instant fame and glory, and glorify our ancestors!"
Another short-legged tiger was so proud that he shouted loudly.
The two of them put their arms around each other and laughed, and the people around them booed.
"Hu San, as for your head, if you can teach martial arts, you must be the emperor's brother-in-law!"
"That's right, Liu Er is just okay. As for you Hu San, if you're a little tall and can't read a lot of Chinese characters, then stop dreaming!"
Everyone laughed, Hu San blushed, and was pulled away by Liu Er. The spectators dispersed in a frolic.
The Naval Academy of the Song Dynasty was far away in Dinghai, Zhejiang Province. It was still a naval force and the number of people it recruited was small. Therefore, these mainland people did not have much interest.
The Jinling Martial Arts Hall is different. The emperor is the principal and it is located in the Jinling Palace. This alone is high enough.
A group of young men carrying grain and firewood gathered around the place where the announcement was made to watch and discuss it.
"Jinling Martial Arts Hall, it seems that the new emperor wants to use martial arts more!"
"Among us, only the eldest brother and the second brother are literate. They are the only ones who want to go to the Jinling Martial Arts Hall!"
"The second brother is still young, it seems that only the eldest brother is suitable!"
A group of young men were dressed in coarse cloth and had weathered faces. They were all from poor families who sold firewood and burned charcoal. Everyone was talking and eager to try.
The tall young man called Big Brother was seventeen or eighteen years old. He stepped forward and looked at the list for a moment, holding a pole and his eyes shining.
"Second uncle, Jinling Martial Arts Hall is recruiting students. Is this true?"
The eldest brother spoke urgently and asked about the only eldest uncle who was accompanying him.
He had been burning charcoal on the mountain for a while, but he didn't expect that this was the first time he went down the mountain to sell charcoal.
"It should be true. I heard that General Chen Jia'an of the Anfeng Army was also elected to the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall. It seems to be true."
The second uncle looked at his nephew, nodded and said.
My nephew is so vain that he hides and avoids seeing people even if he sells his charcoal. The Jinling Martial Arts Hall is recruiting students. He won't be tempted by this, right?
Chen Jia'an is a strong general in the army, young and brave. He was elected to the Jinling Martial Arts Hall. It seems that the Jinling Martial Arts Hall is indeed a thing.
"Brother, this new emperor is really good. Just like selling charcoal now, those officials no longer dare to collect taxes. This saves a lot of money!"
While the eldest brother was thinking about it, a thin black boy said happily.
"I heard that the new emperor made firearms that can break armor and kill people hundreds of steps away, but it's incredible!"
"The briquette stove was also invented by the emperor! And that soap, it's really easy to use, but it's a bit expensive!"
Several teenagers were chattering away, and the eldest brother put down his pole and leaned against the wall.
"Dalang, what are you going to do?"
Seeing that the tall young man seemed to be entering the Yamen, the second uncle quickly asked.
My nephew is not really going to apply for the Jinling Martial Arts School, is he?
"Second uncle, Ding Hubu just happened to be with me. God wants me to go. If I can't enter the Jinling Martial Arts Hall, the second brother will go in two years, and the third brother will go in a few years. There will always be someone in the Lu family who can stand out. "
The tall young man's attitude was firm and unquestionable. He waved to the surprised young people and walked into the Yamen.
It's already February. It would be really bad if I delayed my journey and missed applying for the Jinling Lecture Hall.
The second uncle sighed and did not stop his nephew.
Although there is one less laborer, the Lu family is in ruins, and the only one who can hold it up is the eldest son of the Lu family.
In this case, you might as well let your nephew give it a try, maybe there will be unexpected surprises, which is better than sitting in the valley burning charcoal all your life.
"Stop! This is a stronghold of the Yamen. Do you want to force your way in?"
Seeing the young man in rough clothes and short clothes, with big and worn shoes on his feet, the official at the yamen gate immediately stepped forward to stop him.
A group of mud-legged people were chattering and making noisy noises outside the Yamen, which he already disliked.
"My lord, please inform me that I want to pass the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall. Please meet with the Commander-in-Chief of the Military Academy and issue a certificate so that I can go to Jinling."
By reason, also called public proof. The written vouchers issued by the government to prove identity, ownership, financial storage, etc. are similar to letters of introduction from later generations.
"It's just you? Taking the martial arts hall exam? Why don't you pee and look after yourself? Get out of here and go back to chopping wood and burning charcoal!"
Zaoli shouted coldly and looked extremely impatient.
He was dressed in coarse cloth, his hands and face were black and dirty, and the smell of sweat was nauseating. What kind of behavior would it be for someone with muddy legs to break into the government office at every turn?
"The emperor's decree, you dare not let me in? Are you trying to resist the decree?"
The tall young man said coldly with a cold look in his eyes.
"Resist the decree? What's wrong with me just resisting the decree? What can you do to me? You bitch who doesn't know how to live or die..."
The officials in the county were used to being domineering and arrogant, and did not take the young man seriously at all.
Before Zaoli finished speaking, the young man stepped forward and punched Zaoli hard in the face. Zaoli took a few steps back and fell to the ground. The entire left side of his face was swollen.
Zaoli was dizzy and lay on the ground. Before he could recover, the young man stepped forward and kicked Zaoli's chest hard with his big foot. Zaoli was in so much pain that his body was bowed.
A real man is willing to retaliate, so how can he be humiliated by these dirty guys?
[Lu Wende was a famous general in the Southern Song Dynasty, but he was not as famous as Meng Gong and Yu Jie. He spent a little more pen and ink, because the woodcutter to the general is more legendary, and which of his ancestors' "Han Kiln Ode" is so famous. 】
