"The British Master is too polite. I'll ask someone to notify you of this matter, and I'll come to your door. Why bother to go there myself?"
A deep smile appeared on Zhang Mao's face.
If you go just as soon as the notice is given, I will kick the second boy Cheng Guogong out with a kick?
"Come in!"
Zhang Mao said hello behind him.
A boy of eleven and a half years old appeared at the door.
"My grandson's name is Zhang Lun. Grandson, why don't you come and thank Mr. Zhang Zhouzhang for treating your father?" Zhang Mao said to the boy.
The young man took a few steps forward, knelt down and bowed to the ground: "Zhang Lun thanks Mr. Zhang for treating his father."
Zhang Zhou and Zhu Feng looked at each other, as if they didn't understand what medicine Zhang Mao was selling in his gourd.
Even Zhu Feng was thinking about it.
Thank you for saving your son. Instead of giving him a gift, let your grandson come and kowtow... You old man Zhang is really stingy.
"Wrong." Zhang Zhou said, "Young Master, the person who treated your son was Zhu Zhijie, the second son of Duke Chengguo. When did I receive any credit?"
Zhang Mao smiled and said: "Zhang Lun, get up and bow to your brother Zhu to thank you."
"yes!"
Zhang Lun stood up and hugged Zhu Feng, without saying any kind words.
Zhang Zhou looked at Zhang Lun, a bright and handsome boy. He was only half a head shorter than his grandfather when he was still in adolescence. He would definitely be tall, handsome and have a bright future in the future.
But also a little snob.
Like ancestors, like grandchildren.
But it also made Zhang Zhou realize that the children of the Duke's family are very competitive. There are probably only so many military positions, and they are all fighting overtly and secretly, and no one wants to obey anyone.
"Bingkuan, my eldest grandson, has always been good at both civil and military arts. However, he has learned martial arts well. In terms of literature... he has hired famous teachers, but his progress has been slow. Alas! I haven't heard that Bingkuan is Jiangnan Jieyuan. You have an outstanding reputation, and I specifically want him to come and become your disciple." Zhang Mao said sincerely.
Zhang Zhou'er had a sharp eye and could see through everything at a glance.
This is because he knows that he is now deeply favored by the emperor, so he uses different methods to get his grandson to come closer to him. In this way, Zhang Lun may be able to gain the emperor's favor.
This group of powerful people's methods of currying favor with others are more surprising than the last.
"My lord, please forgive me. Although I am from Jiangnan, I have little talent and little knowledge, and I am really powerless to teach apprentices." Zhang Zhou declined.
Zhang Mao smiled and said: "I heard that your Majesty has sent you many errands. Is the repair of Qingning Palace going well? Can I help you?"
Zhang Zhou thought to himself, should I say yes or no?
No matter how useless Yang Peng is, he at least dares to make promises with confidence. But you just make empty promises with a flick of your lips. Whoever believes you will be stupid!
Zhu Feng said: "Brother Zhang, he still has to prepare for the national examination."
"It doesn't matter, just put your name on it first. It's still too late to accept this disciple after Bingkuan passes the Jinshi exam! Haha." Zhang Mao then waved his hand, and someone from the British government came in with something behind him.
A box plus some cloth, the cloth is not silk, just ordinary fine cloth, plus the tea and other things contained in the box, the total can be twenty or thirty taels of silver, which is good.
No better than not knowing.
Zhang Zhouxin said, he is not even as good as the second son of the Zhu family whom you look down upon.
"Grandson, you should learn from Mr. Zhang. By the way, Mr. Zhang, if you have any good cures for dog diseases, please leave them to my grandson. I still have matters to do in the Governor's Mansion, so I will take my leave first. My dear nephew. , let’s see you next time.”
Zhang Maoming knew that Zhu Feng didn't want to talk to him, but he still talked to Zhu Feng.
When leaving, Zhang Lun and two subordinates were specially left behind, meaning that Zhang Lun could go back after he obtained the "True Scripture" from Zhang Zhou.
The philistine sentiment is palpable.
…
…
Zhang Mao left.
There were only three people left in the yard, which was awkward.
Even Zhang Lun felt that he did not appear at the right occasion, because the two people in front of him didn't know what to say to him.
Zhang Zhou knew very well that it was a great honor for Zhang Mao to take the initiative.
No matter how favored he is, there is still a fundamental gap between him and the Duke of Ming Dynasty.
"There is nothing I can do about your father's illness, I'm sorry." Zhang Zhou said, "Come, let's see you off!"
Jia Laoshui, who was recruited earlier, came over to see Zhang Lun out.
Zhang Lun looked aggrieved and said: "No. If I go back like this, my grandfather will definitely punish me."
Zhu Feng smiled and said, "Is the British father so harsh on you?"
Hearing that Zhang Lun would also be punished by Old Man Zhang, Zhu Feng felt a little more balanced. Everyone said that the British police and military were strict. Maybe it was because he paid more attention to corporal punishment education, so it was also for my own good to kick me?
"Yes." Zhang Lun was always just an eleven or twelve-year-old boy, nodding sincerely, "Sometimes he wouldn't let me in, sometimes he would beat me with a military stick, and sometimes he would punish me by depriving me of food. Even Zuntang didn't do this to me. .”
Zhang Zhou said: "That's because your grandfather has high expectations for you. The eldest grandson of the Duke's family will have a heavy burden on his shoulders in the future. In this case, you go back and tell your grandfather that I have prepared another recipe and let your father eat it in a different way. , are you tired of eating those kinds of things all the time?"
"Recipe?" Zhang Lun obviously couldn't keep up with Zhang Zhou's thinking.
Zhu Feng had some objections and pulled Zhang Zhou aside: "Brother Zhang, do you still care if the Zhang family treats you like this?"
Zhang Zhou said: "I don't see you when you look up, and you don't see me when you look down. Besides, I also gave you a gift...how 'heavy' it is? Why don't you just write a recipe?"
"Hmph!" Zhu Feng looked heartless, but he still remembered Zhang Mao's revenge.
"Zhang Lun, I'll write down the recipe and you can take it back to your family."
"good!"
Zhang Lun was about to follow Zhang Zhou into the house when Zhu Feng gave him a cold look. Zhang Lun seemed to be afraid that Zhu Feng would force him, so he had to stand obediently in the yard.
"Half-grown children, as for that?"
"Even if he kicked me, he still wants to arrange his grandson next to you. What are you doing? Taking credit?"
Zhang Zhou then looked at Zhu Feng with eyes that said, "So that's what you think."
Not long after Zhu Feng followed him, he changed from a playboy to a capable person in the eyes of the emperor. When Zhang Mao saw that this was profitable, of course he rushed to send people to him.
Once this example is established, it is estimated that other distinguished nobles will follow suit...
There are thousands of capable ministers in the Ming Dynasty, but the ministers who have the emperor's trust are Ge Laobu Tang. Those people will not easily accept disciples, and being a student of Ge Laobu Tang will not make you as fast as being a student of him.
Emotional Old Man Zhang is doing business... Is there a rare commodity to live in?
Zhang Zhou's stingy nature is similar to Zhang Mao's, and he immediately figured out the tricks of old man Zhang.
Zhu Feng said: "Brother Zhang, why don't you write him a recipe and also write a reply to Miss Lin Er?"
"Write what?"
"Anything is fine, let me explain."
"Okay, I'll tell her that I'm worried about the safety of the Ming Dynasty. I worry so much about the important affairs of the court that I can't sleep at night. When I encounter disasters for my family and country, I often find it hard to hold back my tears. I wish I could be named on the gold medal soon to share the worries of the world..."
"Can you write something else?"
"Can I write that you are interested in her?"
"No, Brother Zhang, you should just write whatever you want. I won't read it. I just want an explanation!"
…
…
Zhang Zhou found that if he wanted to become a monk in the palace, he would have to deal with all the troubles outside the palace first.
He wrote a reply to Lin Yi. Che Zhulun talked about it and said that it was not nutritious at all. Zhu Feng cherished the letter when he got it. Those who didn't know it really thought that Zhu Feng was relying on his letter to attract girls.
Zhang Lun also successfully got the "prescription" he wanted, and went home to meet Zhang Mao.
Zhang Zhou himself had to work overnight, selecting suitable materials from tens of thousands of pieces of glass in three days to assemble the telescope.
These lenses are also produced to specified specifications, but without ready-made technology, flat glass cannot be made, let alone concave and convex lenses. They are very careful when firing, but the defective rate is nearly 99%.
On the afternoon of the deadline, Zhang Zhou still delivered twenty telescopes to the palace as promised.
Zhu Youtang personally received Zhang Zhou and was delighted when he saw the finished product.
"Bingkuan, thank you for your hard work! I have prepared some rewards and have them delivered to your house."
When he heard that the imperial gift had been received, Zhang Zhou became more energetic.
There are quite a lot of rewards for working for Zhu Youtang.
"Your Majesty, I am preparing to prepare for the exam. Can you arrange to see the prince?" Since Zhang Zhou received the reward, he should do some business.
Go and give Xiao Zao private lessons to the prince.
Zhu Youtang asked: "How many more days will you rest?"
"No need!"
"Okay, I will send you to the East Palace. If you need any books or something, whether they are from the palace collection or the Hanlin Academy, I will ask someone to give you the bibliography. You can just make a list... …”
Zhang Zhouxin said, it’s not for nothing that I serve as your son’s companion.
This treatment... tsk tsk.
Leverage.
Of all the candidates, who has been treated like me, not only preparing for exams in the palace, but also having access to the palace's collection of books? If I fail the exam again, I won’t be able to see Jiangdong’s father.
…
…
Zhang left on Monday.
Zhu Youtang was still playing with the telescopes, not for inspection, but just for fun.
Adult men also have fun.
It's just that Zhu Youtang usually disguises himself very well in front of outsiders. Ever since he was a child, no one has given him a chance to play, and his personality has been suppressed.
"Your Majesty, are these things to be sent to the northwest immediately?" Dai Yi asked for instructions.
"Um."
Zhu Youtang nodded, "Together with the previous one, twenty-one, send fast horses to various border towns quickly, but we have to make an agreement with the people who convey the message. This thing is easy to break and cannot fall to the ground."
"Yes." Dai Yi took out another memorandum, "Your Majesty, here is a list of recommendations for promotion to bachelor's degree. It will be discussed in court tomorrow. Would you like to take a look?"
"oh?"
Zhu Youtang picked up the memorial and read the list of recommendations above.
Yang Tinghe, Wang Hua, Liu Ji, Wang Hao, Jiang Lan, Zhang Bin, Wu Wei and others were among them.
"Are these the only people?" Zhu Youtang asked.
Dai Yidao: "Some people also suggested that Zhang Yuanzhen, a bachelor at Nanjing South Hall, be transferred to the North Hall."
Zhu Youtang shook his head and said, "No, just Wang Jizhi."
Dai Yi was startled.
Now I just want to give you a list of names to give you an idea, but you decided to let Wang Hao be promoted to Bachelor of Science. Isn't that... too hasty?
Zhu Youtang said: "Wang Hao may have some shortcomings in his ability to govern, but when he gave lectures in the East Palace, he was very talented and learned enough to lead the lectures on Sutras and Banquets. In addition, he was also selected for me at the Jiangnan Examination Hall. Isn't talent selection also a reflection of ability when it comes to talent? Just him."
Dai Yi understood.
Now anyone who has anything to do with Zhang Zhou can benefit, and Wang Hao was promoted because of this.
Others were trying their best to please Master Zuo in the hope of being taken care of by the officialdom, but now it was just the other way around.
…
…
Inside Kunning Palace.
Zhu Youtang had dinner with his wife, and then naturally wanted to put it into practice.
"...Queen, you don't know that I have used Bingkuan's medicine. I feel refreshed these days and can even eat a lot more. But the goat milk that Bingkuan asked me to drink, I really I can’t drink it.”
In the Ming Dynasty, there were no dairy cows, and those who drank milk drank goat milk.
But goat's milk... tastes a bit strange. Zhu Youtang's body is weak and he is not used to drinking this stuff at all, so he can only drink a small amount every time. Even if there are seasonings in it, it won't help.
Queen Zhang frowned.
She seemed to feel something strange because her husband had mentioned Zhang Zhou more and more recently.
"Your Majesty, you seem to be different from before."
"Really?" Zhu Youtang was curious, "What's the difference?"
Empress Zhang thought for a while, shook her head and said, "I can't say exactly, but it seems like... she talked more."
Zhu Youtang was startled and thought about it for a moment. It seemed that as his wife said, he was not as afraid of meeting strangers as before, because whenever he chatted with Zhang Zhou too much, he would be brought into the rhythm of Zhang Zhou's words. It is a state of freedom and freedom.
"Queen, let's not talk about this for now and rest early."
Zhu Youtang was about to go over and pull the queen towards the phoenix couch.
Empress Zhang said: "It's still early. I haven't seen the prince in the past two days. I miss him a little. Your Majesty, why don't you let him come out to visit you from time to time? It shouldn't affect his studies."
"no!"
This time Zhu Youtang's attitude was very firm, "I will not change the things I have decided easily. This is my responsibility to the prince. Queen, you don't need to plead for him anymore."
Queen Zhang felt even more puzzled.
Because no matter what she said in the past, even if her husband didn't want to agree, he would always use a discussion tone to get her to give up. How often had she seen her husband act as decisively as he does now?
"I also sent Bingkuan to teach him day and night. Bingkuan's ability is enough to teach him well. As long as he completes the study of the Four Books and passes the examination, he should be able to come out in about a month! With Bingkuan here, I can even teach him well. There is no need to test him personally.”
Zhu Youtang calculated Zhu Houzhao's study progress.
This time, I plan to confine my son for a month.
Empress Zhang was already in a bad mood, and she lost her temper when she heard this: "Your Majesty, now you mention Zhang Bingkuan in everything. What medicine did he give you? Shouldn't Your Majesty pay attention to your family? Who is Zhang Bingkuan?" "
The wife is jealous.
Zhu Youtang thought for a while and said puzzledly: "Bingkuan is dedicated to the Ming Dynasty, and he also wants me and you to be able to spread the branches of the royal family as soon as possible. Why does the queen have any objections to him?"
"I don't care, I want your Majesty to promise not to see him less in the future!"
Empress Zhang also knew that she could not go too far, and it was unrealistic to directly block the emperor from seeing Zhang Zhou.
Zhu Youtang said: "No!"
"His Majesty……"
"Don't say that Bingkuan did nothing wrong. Even if he did something wrong, he should judge it fairly. I can't understand why a person who wholeheartedly cares for me and you could do anything wrong? In this way, I have some things to be busy with today, so I won't be here Stay overnight at Kunning Palace!"
"His Majesty?"
Queen Zhang simply thought she had heard wrong.
She had always chased Zhu Youtang away, but this time it was Zhu Youtang who took the initiative to show her off?
"Show me, Qianqing Palace!"
Zhu Youtang didn't just say it, he actually left.
"Queen, the deer blood wine prepared earlier..."
"Everyone get out! I don't want to see anyone today!"
Queen Zhang was filled with jealousy, but she could only sulk.
(End of chapter)
