Chang Feng placed Wang Yue's body in a willow coffin, and agreed with several commanders and eunuchs to take turns keeping vigil.
Coming out of the handsome tent, Chang Feng went to see Fatty Xu who was injured in six places.
Fatty Xu was lying on the hospital bed with his butt stuck out. From time to time, he would moan: "Oh, it hurts me so much, Fatty!"
"Damn the Tatars. Shoot them in the back. Shoot me anywhere, shoot me in the butt!"
"If there is another war next time, I will follow Ye Guang's example and set fires everywhere on the grassland to burn your tents!"
Seeing Chang Feng come in, Fatty Xu felt as if he was seeing a relative: "Master Chang! I thought I would never see you again!"
Chang Feng sat beside Fatty Xu's bed. Originally, he was worried about Fatty's injury. At the door, I heard Fatty Xu scolding the Tatars, and he was very angry. His hanging heart was finally relieved.
Chang Feng said: "Fortunately, the shot was on the back of the thigh. What I wanted to shoot was the front of the thigh. How can I go to Yihong Tower in the future?"
Fatty Xu said: "That's right. By the way, Master Chang, you heard about it. I was lucky enough to kill the deputy leader of the Tumut tribe with my own hands."
"This time, looking at the gossips in the capital, who dares to say that Zhongshan Wang Beimai is a coward?"
Fatty Xu was not able to accomplish this great feat just by luck.
In the capital, he was just a dissolute nobleman who was indolent, greedy and lustful.
Once on the battlefield, the Zhongshan King bloodline in him was completely awakened.
During the Battle of Pucaogou, the Northern Route Army General Zhang An and the guarding eunuch Hao Shan placed the 300-man cavalry unit he led at the end of the entire army for Fatty Xu's safety.
When fighting the Tatar army, the whole army attacked. It only took Fatty Xu a stick of incense to lead his cavalry team to the front.
Wherever there were many Tatars, he rushed and killed them. Where there are dense clusters of arrows, he will appear. Completely disregarding life and death.
On the bloody battlefield, Fatty Xu no longer looked like a fat maggot swimming in a sea of excrement.
Rather, he is like a living dragon who can turn over rivers and seas with ease.
All in all, in this battle, Fatty Xu did not embarrass his ancestor, King Zhongshan.
Chang Feng said: "With this injury, will it be okay to return to Beijing? How about I return to Beijing first and you stay in the northwest to recuperate?"
Fatty Xu said: "It's just a minor injury, what's the big deal? We came out together, so we have to go back together."
The two chatted for a while. Fatty Xu sighed with emotion: "By the way, I fell down after I came back and couldn't get up. I didn't go to see Commander Wang."
"Hey, Commander Wang is like a god with his troops. The brothers swept Helan Mountain according to the strategy he set, and they were absolutely devastated!"
Chang Feng was stunned for a moment, with a sad look on his face: "Commander Wang, Commander-in-Chief, died of illness three quarters ago."
Fatty Xu was shocked when he heard the news.
A commander who can lead his men to victory will be truly loved by his men.
Fatty Xu had long admired Wang Yue.
Fatty Xu scolded God: "God, you are blind! Those useless old civil servants in the capital all live a long life, occupying the latrines and not shitting."
"A capable minister like Commander Wang, but he can't overcome the hurdle of seventy-three!"
At night, Chang Feng takes turns keeping watch in the handsome tent.
Wang Yue lay peacefully in the willow coffin. Throughout his life, he set foot on the grasslands, pacified the northwest, fought in all directions, and conquered the border areas of Jinglu.
To make a digression from God's perspective, the 276th year of Zuo in the Ming Dynasty plus the 18th year of the Southern Ming Dynasty. Only three civil servants were knighted.
Among them was Wang Yue. He was awarded the title of Wei Ningbo during the Chenghua period.
There is no perfect person in this world. He repeatedly made friends with powerful people and tried his best to praise his abilities, which was despised by civil officials.
But when he did this, he was not pursuing glory and wealth. He is already an earl, what else is there to pursue?
He stuffed his old face into his crotch and did all this so that his military strategy could be approved and implemented by the court. Better stabilize the border fortress and attack the northern invaders.
Now, at the age of seventy-three, he goes straight to Helan Mountain. He died of illness in the northwest land he spent his whole life guarding.
Wang Yue's life was full of regrets.
Zhang Yong walked into the handsome tent and came to Chang Feng.
Zhang Yong discussed with Chang Feng: "Master Chang, the emperor's decree ordering us to return to Beijing will take at least a month to arrive."
"It's 2,200 miles from Ningxia to the capital, a journey of several months. The prince's body is put in a coffin and transported back. I'm afraid it will turn into water halfway."
"Ningxia is a poor place no better than the capital. There is nowhere to store ice cubes and put them in coffins. What should we do?"
Chang Feng waved his hand: "There is no need to transport it back to Beijing. Just bury it in the northwest."
Zhang Yong hesitated: "No way. The prince is the first general in the Chenghua Dynasty, the earl of the imperial court, and the largest feudal official in the Hongzhi Dynasty."
"According to the rules, the emperor will definitely issue an order to transport his body back to Jingrong for burial."
Chang Feng walked to the willow coffin and stared at Wang Yue's face: "The prince said it before the expedition. His wish is to be buried in the northwest after death."
"Let's bury him first before the emperor's imperial edict arrives. This is not considered resisting the edict."
"As for the honorable burial in the capital, let's take some of the prince's clothes back and build a tomb."
Helan Mountain is already the territory of the Ming army. The soldiers of the border army protected Wang Yue's coffin, left Lingwu City, and came to the foot of Helan Mountain.
It is autumn, the sky is high and the clouds are clear. Under the blue sky and white clouds, tens of thousands of frontier soldiers stood upright like javelins.
Zhang Yong, the military supervisor; Chang Feng, the military admiral; Li Jun, Zhu Jin, Zhang An, the town commander; and Hao Shan, the guard eunuch, personally carried the coffin and placed it in the tomb.
Wang Yue once said before going on the expedition: "Even if I die and am buried in a coffin in the northwest, my soul will turn into a Yin soldier and a Yin general to guard the northwest border of the Ming Dynasty."
Being buried at the foot of Helan Mountain, which he recovered with his own hands, was his best destination.
Tens of thousands of frontier soldiers all cried bitterly. The sound was earth-shattering.
When a man sheds tears, he doesn't shed them easily, but they are not sad yet.
Chang Feng shouted: "Everyone, the prince does not want to see you crying to see him off."
"The prince told me on his way to Ningxia. He likes the "Red Scarf Army Song" composed by Taizu the most."
"Let's sing the military song together and send the prince off on his way!"
Tens of thousands of frontier soldiers banged their scabbards and sang.
"The clouds follow the dragon, the wind follows the tiger, fame and fortune come from dust and earth. Looking at China, the people are suffering, and the fertile land for thousands of miles is barren."
"Look at the world, there are no barbarians, and only one man can make up for the defects in the way of heaven. A good man, regardless of his parents, only serves the common people and not the master."
"Holding a ninety-nine steel sword, I will kill all the barbarians before I stop. I am a dignified man, why should I act like a horse or a cow for barbarians?"
"A soldier drinks all the wine in his bowl and never looks back on a thousand-mile journey. The golden drums sound in unison and the crowd roars. The Yellow Dragon will never stop until it is defeated!"
The "Red Scarf Army Song" sung by tens of thousands of people echoed in the sky of Helan Mountain
A few days later, in the capital, the main hall of Qianqing Palace.
Cabinet members and officials from the six departments stood in the main hall.
Emperor Hongzhi looked solemn. There are two memorials and a victory report in front of his dragon case.
The first memorial and victory report were received by him three days ago. The victory report said that there was a great victory in the northwest, and the Ming army made a lot of gains and drove the prisoners outside the Helan Mountains.
The memorial was a list of the meritorious officers of the Western Expedition written by Wang Yue before his death and written by his subordinates.
Chang Feng's name ranks fourth on the merit list. Second only to Zhang An, Hao Shan, who made the first contribution, and Zhang Yong, who had to be ranked in the top three in order to give the Supervisor of Ceremonies face.
After the name, it is also specifically stated that Chang Feng has two great achievements, supervising food and military affairs.
Xu Guangzuo, the eldest son of Duke Dingguo, ranked fifth.
The second memorial was just received by Emperor Hongzhi, and it contained the news of Wang Yue's death.
Emperor Hongzhi stared at the three memorials and suddenly shouted: "Before the Western Expedition, all officials who participated in the impeachment of Wei Ningbo will be dismissed from their posts!"
Xu Pu has retired and returned to his hometown. Today's first assistant in the cabinet is Liu Jian, second assistant Li Dongyang, and cabinet member Xie Qian.
Liu Jian quickly dissuaded him: "Your Majesty, it is an ancestral tradition to speak up to officials. Besides, there are too many people who have participated in the impeachment of Wang Yue."
Emperor Hongzhi was a benevolent king who always treated civil servants kindly. This is also the reason why later generations criticized him for relying on and conniving at civil officials.
But this time, Emperor Hongzhi did not give the civil officials any face. He gritted his teeth and repeated: "They will all be dismissed!"
Liu Jian had no choice but to hand over his hand: "Yes. The cabinet will draft the decree now."
Emperor Hongzhi said again: "Draft another decree to posthumously give Wang Yue Shaobao a posthumous title of Xiangmin. He ordered the Ministry of Rites to set up nine altars for sacrifice. Wang Yue's grandson Wang Xuan was admitted to the Imperial Academy."
"The Cabinet, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Personnel will work out rewards based on the list of meritorious services submitted by Wei Ning Bo during his lifetime."
Wang Yue was given posthumously to the Three Dukes.
His men were also well rewarded. Zhang An and Hao Shanguan were promoted to one level. Li Jun, Zhu Jin, Wu Jiang and others were all given generous internal funds.
Among the remaining subordinates, two were promoted to two levels; forty-seven were promoted to one level; 73 were promoted to agent level (equivalent to half a level); and 635 were rewarded with internal funds.
At the end of autumn, Chang Feng, Zhang Yong and Fatty Xu embarked on the road back to Beijing. This ended the journey of following Wang Yue's coffin-carrying expedition to the west.
Everyone returned to the capital in the early spring of the twelfth year of Hongzhi.
Withdraw the troops and go through Andingmen.
The chief ceremonial officer, who had money to spare, went to Anding Gate to greet the coffin containing Wang Yue's clothes and the three meritorious officials on behalf of the emperor, and delivered a decree to reward them.
Chang Feng, Zhang Yong, and Fatty Xu fell to their knees.
Qian Neng said loudly: "The emperor is destined to be carried by heaven, the edict says. The Jinyiwei commander Zuo Tongzhi Changfeng, the ceremonial supervisor Bingbi eunuch Zhang Yong, and the eldest son of Duke Dingguo Xu Guangzuo assisted Duke Xiang Min in the attack on Helan Mountain and contributed to the pacification of the northwest."
"Give Chang Feng the commanding officer of the hereditary Jinyi Guards."
"Give Zhang Yong the title of 'Brave Eunuch'."
"Give Xu Guangzuo the title of military commander Qianshi."
"Appreciate this."
This is an extremely generous reward for the three of them.
The imperial edict that begins with "Heaven carries the emperor, the edict says" is not something that any official can receive. It is very formal.
The positions of Jinyiwei are divided into hereditary or non-hereditary.
The emperor liked to grant hereditary royal guards positions to generals.
For example, someone is a hereditary guard of thousands of families passed down from his ancestors. But in fact, he may not be able to make up for the lack of Jin Yiwei. They are paid in name but do nothing in reality.
Chang Feng's position was originally bought by his father with money and was not hereditary. Because the hereditary imperial guard positions need to be granted by the emperor, there is no room for operation and they cannot be purchased at all.
Now I have a hereditary reward. When his son Chang Ponu grows up, he can receive the salary of his commanding officer, and his grandson can also receive it. There are endless descendants.
This is a golden rice bowl that can last until the Ming Dynasty is divided and the company is divided.
As for Zhang Yong being awarded the title of "brave and brave", the eunuch title was an honor that could only be enjoyed by eunuchs with outstanding merits such as Zheng He.
Because Xu Guangzuo was originally the prince of a duke, he had a noble status. The reward is too low for his status. Therefore, he was given the title of military attaché of the second rank.
However, just like "hereditary", conferring titles does not necessarily lead to actual positions.
In terms of official rank alone, Fatty Xu is now two ranks higher than the commander of the Jin Yiwei, Mou Bin.
The three of them entered Beijing, and under the guidance of Qian Neng, they came to Qianqing Palace to find Emperor Hongzhi's return.
When Emperor Hongzhi saw the three of them, he praised them: "You have made great achievements in assisting Duke Xiangmin this time."
"Zhang Yong, Wang Yue's memorial to me before his death said that you are quite capable of leading troops. You are a rare warrior."
"Xu Guangzuo, although you have a noble status, you can take the lead. Even though you were wounded in six places, you still fought bravely to kill the enemy and made the contribution of beheading the general. The King of Zhongshan is alive in heaven and will be proud of you."
"Chang Feng, it has to be you! Supervising food and military affairs are handled properly. You also obtained the Tatar troop deployment and military strategy for Duke Xiang Min before the war."
"You must imitate Duke Xiang Min. Be a capable official who is both civilized and military. Spring this year will start in half a month, so it's just the right time for you to return to the capital."
"I grant you half a month's leave. You can go home and prepare for the exam."
Emperor Hongzhi respected Wang Yue very much. He is known as "Xiang Min Gong". He is now not afraid that civil servants will talk too much about his favor to Wang Yue.
One handsome person covers up all the ugly ones. Wang Yue pacified the northwest and died of illness in the army. No one will speak ill of him again.
Chang Feng returned home. Nearly a year of traveling to the northwest left his skin tanned.
It goes without saying that when Liu Xiaoyan, Chang Tian, Chang Ponu, Liu Bingyi, Mrs. Jiu and others saw Chang Feng, they reunited as a family and were very happy.
In the dining room, the family was eating dumplings to celebrate their reunion.
Xiaohu was also put into the dining room as an exception. Wagging his tail next to Chang Feng, he rubbed his head against his legs.
Liu Bingyi said: "My dear son-in-law, you have made great achievements and returned safely. It is really gratifying to congratulate you."
"The emperor has given you the hereditary command and command. Just watch, the people who come to congratulate you tomorrow will probably have to cross the threshold again."
Chang Feng said the truth: "This meritorious service is not due to my son-in-law's ability. It's just good luck."
Chang Tian said: "Yesterday when I entered the palace, the queen told me that the emperor has been full of praise for you these days. He said that you are the sharpest dagger in the Ming Dynasty. You can kill monsters and demons whether in the capital or the frontier."
A dagger, a shady dark blade.
Chang Feng smiled bitterly. He couldn't tell whether this comment was a derogation or a compliment.
I have been in the army for nearly a year, and my military life has been very difficult. When I got home, I naturally wanted to eat meat. However, it is an ancient saying that wives and concubines should not live with each other.
In the middle of the night, Chang Feng was in the room of his wife Liu Xiaoyan.
In the second half of the night, Chang Feng was in Madam Ninth's room.
This night was truly shocking. The King of Hell was frightened when he saw it, and the Jade Emperor blushed when he saw it.
It's just as Liu Bingyi said. At noon the next day, there was an endless stream of officials coming to Changfu to congratulate him.
Chang Feng asked Liu Bingyi to block the door of the house, and only told irrelevant people that he was tired and sick from the journey and it was inconvenient to see guests.
Only Jin Yiwei's paoze and Chang Feng's literary friends could enter the house.
Qian Ning, Shi Wenyi, and Wang Miaoxin came to the living room.
After some greetings, Chang Feng asked: "I left for one year, how is the situation in Beijing? How is the situation in Wei?"
Qian Ning replied: "Civil officials are getting more and more upset! The emperor wants to build a temple, not with money from the treasury, but with internal funds."
"A little seventh-grade censor dared to block the emperor in the morning."
"The three elders in the cabinet are becoming more and more overconfident. They reject the emperor's orders at every turn."
It is indeed a fact that the power of civil servants has grown since Hongzhi Dynasty.
Shi Wenyi interjected: "Damn it. Several doctors and chief officers from the Ministry of War came to our guard in a big way last month. They checked the positions of Jinyiwei to see if there was any reselling of positions."
"If Commander Mou hadn't stopped them, I would have killed a few of them and put them in jail."
It is a long-standing bad habit to resell Jinyiwei positions privately. I think Chang Feng's position was bought by his father with all his family wealth.
Chang Feng remained silent. The ceremonial supervisors and factory guards are the emperor's best tools to check and balance civil servants.
However, today's long live benevolent people are not very willing to use domestic slaves to deal with foreign ministers. He, the boss of Jinyiwei, had no choice.
As an aside, the Jin Yiwei of the Hongzhi Dynasty may have the best reputation among the sixteen emperors and seventeen dynasties of the Ming Dynasty. In other words, it is also the one with the weakest influence and the least power.
Chang Feng said: "Forget it, let's not talk about it. Where is Wei Li, what big errands have you got recently?"
Qian Ning replied: "The emperor always attaches great importance to the national talent promotion ceremony. It is the same in spring this year."
"Last winter, the emperor issued an edict. Let us Jin Yiwei strictly investigate the malpractice of the imperial examination. We must ensure that this spring is fair and just."
Chang Feng smiled and said: "I took the Chunwei exam three times. I failed every time. This is the fourth time I took the exam. It may be the result of failing again."
"When the Chunwei Examination is over, I will officially return to Jinyiwei to run errands."
Shi Wenyi said: "Master Chang is humbled. You will definitely try to pay tribute this time and be on the gold list!"
Chang Feng waved his hand: "No need to say auspicious words. I know how much I weigh."
"Besides, I haven't read any books or practiced craft writing since I've been in the northwest for a year."
“I will be satisfied if I can be a few laps away from entering the rankings.”
After talking about the examination, Chang Feng said to Shi Wenyi and Qian Ning: "You two go back to the guard first. Brother Miaoxin will stay here for a while."
Qian Ning and Shi Wenyi left the hall. Chang Feng and Wang Miaoxin were the only two people left in the hall.
Chang Feng said: "'Black Willow' Balmeng betrayed Nanzhen Fusi and took refuge with the little prince."
"'Rock' Hada is still loyal to the Ming Dynasty."
"This time, I almost fell into Balmen's trick."
"You, Nanzhen Fusi, think of a way. Spread rumors on the grassland, saying that during the Western Expedition, the Tatar military information was leaked to our Ming Dynasty by Balmen."
Wang Miao thought: "You mean to use counterintuitive tactics to get rid of Balmen?"
Chang Feng nodded: "That's right. You have to do a good job in acting. Balmen went to the grassland more than 30 years ago. His family members stayed in the Ming Dynasty."
"Although he has a new home in the grassland, his old home should still be in the capital."
"Check it out. Choose a male from his family to join the Imperial Guard and serve as the general flag."
"The Vulture Society has not yet been eradicated in Beijing. They should spread the news to the grasslands."
Wang Miaoxin handed over her hand: "Don't worry, Mr. Chang. I know what to do."
Chang Feng said: "The purpose of using counterintuitive tactics is not only to get rid of Balmeng. It is also to protect Hada who is loyal to the Ming Dynasty."
A word of caution. Eight months later, Nanzhen Fusi's counterintuitive plan was successful. Balmen was chopped into pieces by the little prince and fed to the eagle.
(Note: This kind of afterword is just mentioned in one sentence, and I will not write it again later. Let me explain the ending of the supporting role of the villain. Don't complain, it is not digging a hole at all.)
Chang Feng and Wang Miaoxin chatted for a while. He suddenly remembered something: "Zhang Cai is very capable. He has made great contributions to this expedition to the west."
"You go back and tell Commander Mou that he will be promoted to Zhang Cai. Let him be deputy Qianhu. He will still be with me from now on."
Wang Miaoxin nodded: "Okay. Then I'll go back to the guard first."
In the afternoon, Chang Feng sent someone to invite three literary friends to discuss craft articles. They are brother-in-law Huang Yuan, Zhang Cai, the "little minister" of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Wang Shouren, the director of the literary selection department.
Wang Shouren also brought a friend of his named Zhang Cong.
Zhang Cong and Wang Shouren are similar in age, in their twenties. He and Wang Shouren have the same temperament, so good that they only need to wear a pair of trousers.
Huang Yuan and Zhang Cai both had the title of Jinshi. They are Chang Feng, Wang Shouren, and Zhang Cong, the three senior candidates in the examination room.
The two of them came up with the question. Chang Feng, Wang Shouren, and Zhang Cong wrote breaking and continuing themes.
After writing the topic, break the topic and accept the topic. Zhang Cai and Huang Yuan read and commented carefully.
Huang Yuanxin spoke bluntly: "Brother Shou's articles are exquisite and graceful, and they are quite spiritual. They are much better than my craftsmanship."
"I think my undergraduate student will definitely be a high school scholar. Maybe he will also be among the first or second class."
"Brother's article is quite satisfactory. If I were the examiner, I would be in between taking it and not taking it."
"As for Zhang Cong and Brother Zhang's article, it's hard to describe in words."
Although Huang Yuan was born in a coffin shop, he has been a royal relative for a long time and has good emotional intelligence.
Low EQ: bullshit.
High emotional intelligence: It’s hard to describe in one word.
Zhang Cong is a failed problem solver with mediocre qualifications but hard work.
He is twenty-six years old and this is his first time taking part in the examination. Next, he will fail seven subjects in a row. It was not until the age of forty-seven that he became a Jinshi and entered officialdom.
This person was the most late bloomer among the chief ministers of the Ming Dynasty.
Let's say that Chang Feng, Huang Yuan and others are discussing craft articles.
At the same time, two southern candidates came to the capital.
One of these two people was named Tang Yin, whose courtesy name was Bohu.
One is named Xu Jing.
Tang Yin, thirty years old. People at that time commented that he was "the first of the four great talents in the south of the Yangtze River".
The life of a gifted scholar is very bumpy.
When he was twenty-five years old, Tang Yin's father, mother, wife, and son passed away one after another. My sister committed suicide.
Everyone in the family died except him. His account will be closed if he is short of it. Just like a Ming Dynasty version of "Fuguier".
This man with a rough fate can be called a great talent in the world.
After the whole family died, Tang Yin was very depressed for a time. He drank alcohol all day long to relieve his sorrows, and vented his sorrow through calligraphy and painting.
This depression lasted four years.
In order to cheer him up, his friends Zhu Zhishan, Wen Zhengming, and Xu Jianqing encouraged him to participate in the Yingtianfu Township Examination last fall.
After the provincial examination, the three of them served Tang Yin drinks.
Tang Yin drank one more glass and uttered arrogant words: If I, Tang Yin, are to be given up by Jiejie Yuan, who else can I have?
This sentence sounds like bragging.
Jieyuan, ranked first in the provincial examination and first in the province.
The provincial examination is a competition among the smartest people in the province. How confident is Tang Yin that he dares to say that he can take first place in the province?
Zhu Zhishan is a loudmouth who cheats teammates. Tang Yin's drunken rants were spread.
The entire Jiangnan scholar community laughed at Tang Yin for being arrogant and a delusional person.
Then, the Provincial Examination Winners List was announced. Everyone was dumbfounded. As expected, Tang Yin ranked first, high school Jie Yuan.
I'm not afraid of top academics, but I'm afraid that top academics can control scores, and even more afraid that top academics can predict rankings.
If you win Xie Yuan, you will naturally go to Beijing to take part in the examination. Tang Yin thought to himself: I am thirty years old, and I have not wasted my life by gaining the status of No. 1 scholar and an official position in the Imperial Academy.
Then go to the capital.
So he embarked on a trip to Beijing in late autumn last year.
Not long after setting off, he met Xu Jing by chance.
Xu Jing was born in Jiangyin. Real landlords, rich people!
The Xu family in Jiangyin is the largest landowner in Jiangyin. It was really thousands of hectares of fertile land, with rice and flour in warehouses, trees and forests, rice and flour in warehouses, stacks of coal, boxes of gold and silver, flocks of mules and horses, fences of chickens and ducks, and ponds of fish and shrimp.
Tang Yin is the idol of Jiangnan scholars. Xu Jing is his little fanboy.
Xu Jing asked Tang Yin to go to Beijing with him, and patted his chest, saying that he could cover all Tang Yin's expenses: we would stay in five-star hotels along the way; we would ride to death, go around and around, and never ride in a Mazda; we would relieve our loneliness and find songs. The dancers and dancers all look for the most high-end and expensive ones!
How could Tang Yin not agree to such a good thing? Not only can I have a comfortable trip to Beijing, but I can also have a little fanboy behind me every day.
No matter what he does, his fans will praise him: "Awesome, awesome, really awesome!" to satisfy his vanity.
Tang Yin and Xu Jing traveled together. The two traveled around the mountains and rivers, spending money like water, looking for flowers and willows. Finally arrived in Beijing today.
Tang Yin glanced at the sky in the capital and thought to himself: Hey, it's just a general examination, why does it matter? The real test is the palace examination.
The only suspense is whether I will be the number one or the second in my undergraduate program - whether there will be a smarter scholar than me in Ming Dynasty.
The next day, Yumen went to court early in the morning.
Although Chang Feng has half a month off, he still has to attend the morning court.
He suddenly discovered that the emperor and his ministers had not seen each other for less than a year, and the health of Emperor Hongzhi on the dragon throne was getting worse and worse.
Emperor Hongzhi coughed frequently and his face turned yellow. He spoke with a weak breath. Halfway through the decree, Xiao Jing was about to give him a piece of cake.
You know, Emperor Hongzhi has just turned thirty this year!
Judging from his complexion, he looked like an old man who had been ill for a long time.
Both Taizu and Taizong were workaholics. One lived to be seventy-one, and the other lived to be sixty-five. In ancient times, it was considered a long life.
Because both of them have been in the military for a long time, they are warriors and have strong bodies.
Emperor Hongzhi grew up in the palace and was weak and inexperienced. His daily arrangements for morning and afternoon meetings, as well as various Sutra and Sutra feasts are full.
He also committed suicide and imitated Taizu and Taizong in reviewing memorials until his death. I only sleep two or three hours a day.
It would be weird if this rolling method doesn't damage the body.
Not everyone can be a workaholic.
Chang Feng felt very distressed when he saw Emperor Hongzhi's appearance. After all, the relationship between king and minister is deep. He thought to himself: Next time he meets the emperor alone, he must remind the emperor to take care of his dragon body.
Xiao Jing finally shouted "dismissal", and he helped Emperor Hongzhi leave the dragon throne.
A group of officials walked towards the imperial gate.
I will try it out in half a month. Chang Feng lowered his head, pondering over the wording of the eight-legged article.
Unknowingly, he and a third-grade civil servant walked side by side. He didn't notice.
This third-grade civil servant is the right minister of the Ministry of Rites, Cheng Minzheng.
Ma Wensheng suddenly grabbed Chang Feng and said, "Little friend Chang, please go slowly."
Chang Feng asked: "Ma Laobu Tang, what's the matter?"
Ma Wensheng did not answer immediately. When Cheng Minzheng walked away, he lowered his voice and said, "Just now you were walking side by side with Cheng Butang from the Ministry of Rites. He is the examiner of this examination."
"If you are seen by the officials, you have to gossip about it. If you try to pay tribute, the mouth of the court officials will be as broken as a shrew in the market. You have to avoid suspicion."
The examination has always been the responsibility of the Ministry of Etiquette. Cheng Minzheng, the right servant, was the chief examiner and was recommended by Li Dongyang, the second assistant.
Chang Feng said: "I was negligent. Thank you Ma Laobu Tang for the tip."
After speaking, Chang Feng raised his head and glanced at Cheng Minzheng's back.
Chang Feng didn't know that when he was in charge of military ration affairs in Yanchi last autumn, a small incident happened in the capital.
After Liang Chu, the chief examiner of Yingtian Township Examination, finished marking the papers, he regarded Tang Yin of Xie Yuan as a heavenly being.
When you are an academic official, you will naturally fall in love with the articles written by the outstanding talents of the world.
Liang Chu was excited for a moment and copied Tang Yin's paper. He sent someone to Beijing to give it to his friend Cheng Minzheng, so that they could appreciate the anecdotes together.
Cheng Minzheng read Tang Yin's article and regarded Tang Yin as a once-in-a-century talent: This young man can do it! What a great article!
Cheng Minzheng was going to court at this time and had no intention of going to the Rites Yamen. Instead, he was going back to his house and asked his servant to send a message to Tang Yin, asking Tang Yin to visit him at his house.
He wanted to meet Tang Yin, a great talent in Jiangnan. It would be best if you can easily gain the promised disciples.
Appointing disciples is one of the imperial examination habits of the Ming Dynasty, and it is a common practice.
The civil servants of the Ming Dynasty most liked to be examiners. To engage in politics, you need connections. The so-called connections are nothing more than "disciples and old friends".
For example, in the general examination, the examiner will give a tribute to which student's paper. He is that student's "teacher".
In the future, when students become officials, they must be on the same page as their teachers. We share adversities and advance and retreat together.
The transportation captains of later generations loved to act like teachers and students. Use teacher-student relationships to safeguard political interest groups.
Promised disciples are a special case among disciples.
To use an analogy. Tang Yin was very famous, and his articles were among the best in the world. Old man Cheng took a look and said, hey, this young man can do it! I have to start early and get him into my circle of contacts.
Before the exam, Old Man Cheng will find Tang Yin: Xiao Tang, your article is very good. But exams are not only about strength, but also about luck.
There are many people who have good articles but bad luck and lose their reputation.
If you don’t believe it, look at Wang Shouren, the son of the bachelor Wang Hua’s family next door. He was somewhat famous in the capital, but he failed in both subjects.
But don't worry. When you meet a bole like me, your luck will come! I am the examiner of this session. I guarantee you can win!
According to the script, Tang Yin will kneel down and kowtow, crying with gratitude: Thank you Master Cheng for your love. You will be my teacher from now on. Master and disciple are like father and son. You will be my godfather from now on! No, dear father! Closer than my biological father!
The test results will be released later, and I will be in the palace test consecutively. When Tang Yin became an official, he had to follow his teacher Cheng Minzheng's lead. Be the teacher's most loyal lackey.
If Cheng Minzheng had any daughters from his seventh aunt or eighth aunt who had not left the government, he would act as a matchmaker and introduce them to Tang Yin. Everyone kissed each other, breaking bones and connecting tendons.
This is how the large and small interest groups and large and small circles of civil servants are formed.
In a word, when establishing an interest group, we must start with the agreed students.
However, in the past ten years or so during the Ming Dynasty, no examiner dared to accept Chang Feng as his promised disciple.
Chang Feng used to be the top shopkeeper of Jinyiwei, but now although his power is not as good as before, he can still be regarded as the second shopkeeper. I won't accept the tricks of you officialdom veterans at all. No need to fawn over you.
Besides, what if Baba, the examiner, goes to make an appointment with Chang Feng. Chang Feng turned around and complained to the big boss, Emperor Hongzhi: The examiner of this year was engaging in malpractice for personal gain.
Then the examiner will be unable to eat and walk around.
Chang Feng, a candidate for the general examination in the twelfth year of Hongzhi, returned home after the court and continued to prepare for the examination.
The examiner, Cheng Minzheng, returned to his home. Waiting for Tang Yin, a talented man from the south of the Yangtze River, to come to your door.
A major imperial examination fraud case during the Hongzhi Dynasty is about to take place.
("Carrying the Coffin to the West" ends, and a new volume "The Case of Tang Yin" will be opened tomorrow)
(End of chapter)
