"Biao'er, we also heard that Lao Si and Du Jie teamed up to summon some great scholars from Shandong, Shanxi and Beiping to Beiping?"
"Dad, I have also heard these rumors, saying that the fourth child will let all the candidates in Beiping Prefecture pass the Jinshi examination in the spring of next year!"
"Hmph, what a fantasy! Is it so easy to pass the Jinshi exam? Now, those scholars in the south are all laughing at the fourth child for overestimating his abilities!"
Lao Zhu looked disdainful.
Zhu Biao nodded slightly, "What dad said is absolutely true, but dad, it's a good thing that the fourth child suddenly pays attention to culture and education!"
"Um!"
Lao Zhu nodded slightly. He valued culture and education very much. Regardless of whether Zhu Di was just pretending, or he really wanted to rely on the lectures of those great Confucian scholars to get a few more Jinshis from the Northern Scholars, it was considered a serious matter.
Unlike those bastard boys in his family, all of them just want to dominate the domain!
Thinking of the things Jiang Yu handed over, Lao Zhu was extremely upset.
"Biao'er, pay more attention to those southern officials and don't let them cause any trouble!"
"My son, I obey!"
…
Time flies, time flies like an arrow.
Soon, as a heavy snow finally fell in Beiping Prefecture, the New Year passed.
at the same time.
Zhu Yuanzhang's decree was delivered to Beiping Mansion, in the Palace of Prince Yan.
The King of Yan, Zhu Di, was ordered to select elite cavalry to inspect Daning and Quaning.
After hearing this, Zhu Di, who had been prepared for a long time, directly summoned the elite cavalry, 5,000 Yanshan Guards, 5,000 Tongzhou Guards, and Miyun Guards, totaling 10,000 troops after receiving the order.
"This time, the army is all elite cavalry. Guo Qing is weak and cannot march long distances. This time Guo Qing does not need to accompany the army."
Guo An was also happy.
A look of gratitude on his face.
"Wei Chen, thank you for your consideration, Your Highness, and please rest assured that Wei Chen will definitely guard Beiping Mansion!"
Zhu Di took a deep look at Guo An, who was about to cry with joy, and said with a gentle face: "Guo Qing is loyal, we know it.
However, there are only two people in Goryeo, Chen Shou and Jin Zhong. Over time, we are afraid that those Goryeo dignitaries will have different intentions, and we need Guo Qing to go and inspect. Guo Qing can make full decisions on Goryeo affairs.
As for the family, there is Zhu Changshi and the princess, so there is no need to worry! "
Guo An's eyes widened and he looked at Zhu Di in disbelief for a while, with a serious look on his face, and then nodded slowly.
"I respectfully obey His Highness's order!"
Zhu Di chuckled and said: "Guo Qing is going to Goryeo this time and will bring a team of royal guards with him!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
In this regard, Guo An could only sigh helplessly.
After sending Zhu Di away, the merchant fleet was ready.
Guo An then took the last thousand kilograms of chili peppers from the Yan Palace and followed the fleet to Goryeo.
As for the people in the academy, such as Zheng Fan and Huang Boqian, they finally came out of the academy. They bid farewell to Guo An with numb expressions on their faces, and everyone went to the capital.
The spring of Ming Dynasty is approaching, and they must go there as soon as possible.
…
On the deep blue vast sea, it seems to be even colder than Beiping Mansion.
Guo An was wrapped in a thick cotton jacket and sat in the cabin of the ship, listening to Yan Xiangwu's report.
Yan Xiangwu is a new student from the academy and is the deputy of the trade envoy Shang Kezhou.
"Guo Changshi, the dock of Jianghua Port has been expanded to be as big as our Yanwangfu harbor.
Now, the Korean people near the dock of Ganghwa Port have become accustomed to the presence of my Ming soldiers, and they will say hello when they see my Yanshan guards. "
“The roads from Ganghwa Port to Wanggyeong Kaesong of Goryeo are also paved with concrete roads that can accommodate two carriages in parallel!”
"The cement workshop in Goryeo can produce 10,000 kilograms of cement every month... Those Goryeo dignitaries began to like to use cement to build houses..."
"However, it is a pity that half of the more than 300 Japanese pirates in the cement workshop are dead now. I wonder if they were tortured by the Koreans? Or they died of starvation or exhaustion..."
"What's the difference?" Guo An asked curiously.
"Forehead."
Yan Xiangwu was stunned for a moment, "What Guo Changshi said is absolutely true."
"In addition, some dignitaries in Goryeo seem to have contacted the Jurchens in the north and are using our Ming Dynasty's goods to do business with those Jurchens."
The corner of Guo An's mouth curled up slightly, "You don't need to pay much attention to these. As long as the Koreans don't have any objections and don't do anything to harm our Prince Yan's palace, they can make money from those Jurchen Mongolians no matter how they want to, even if they suck the blood of those Jurchen Mongolians." You can pretend not to know."
"Yes, Guo Changshi!"
A trace of surprise flashed in Yan Xiangwu's eyes. This Guo Changshi was indeed what Ambassador Shang and others said.
"Also, the Korean concubines of my Yanshan Guard in Gaolina have given birth to two thousand cubs so far."
"What?"
Guo An's eyes widened with surprise, "Has it already been born?"
"Exactly!"
Yan Xiangwu nodded with a weird look on his face. If this matter was reported back to Ming Dynasty, there would definitely be a big mess.
"This matter must not be spread outside."
Guo An said solemnly.
Yan Xiangwu nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, Guo Changshi. No matter the officials in the house or the Yanshan Guards, they will never talk about this matter after returning to the Ming Dynasty."
"So, you didn't report this matter to His Highness?"
Guo An said helplessly.
At first, when he heard that a group of Yanshan Guards' Korean concubines were pregnant, he didn't feel much at all.
Now, two thousand cubs are suddenly born?
Although her mother's blood is a Korean girl, she is a true Ming Dynasty person.
Yan Xiangwu smiled sarcastically and said, "Guo Changshi, please forgive me. We thought that Chen would direct them to report this matter to His Highness."
"snort!"
Guo An snorted coldly, "It just so happens that they also think that you officials will report to His Highness King Yan, don't they?"
"Guo Changshi Yingming!"
Yan Xiangwu said quickly.
"You guys, have you thought about how to raise these little brats? They are from my Ming Dynasty. We need to let them know the difference between the Koreans in Kaicheng from an early age!"
Guo An sighed softly and continued to ask.
Yan Xiangwu said quickly: "Guo Changshi is far-sighted, and the official and others have not thought of such a problem."
Guo An glanced at Yan Xiangwu and asked, "It has been three months since you went to Korea. Are there any Korean girls in the house?"
Yan Xiangwu shook his head quickly, "Xiaguan's family already has a wife, so he doesn't have a Korean concubine."
A trace of relief flashed in Guo An's eyes, "You are very good at being able to control yourself. I am a Korean concubine after all.
In the future, what will happen if those Goryeo dignitaries dissatisfied with our Yan Palace? "
Yan Xiangwu's expression condensed, "Guo Changshi, don't worry, if you are not of my race, your heart will be different. Xiaguan and others have always kept this in mind."
Guo An was stunned for a moment, then chuckled and said: "There is no need for this, those Korean girls are now my soldiers and women in Prince Yan's Palace, and they are also members of my Prince Yan's Palace."
"Yes, Guo Changshi!"
"How is the progress of Goryeo's shipyards?"
"Back to Guo Changshi, two docks have been built, and a huge ship sixteen feet long has been built."
"oh?"
…
Ten days later.
Goryeo, the dock of Ganghwa Port.
As the huge fleet slowly approached, a group of Goryeo dignitaries were already standing on the dock. Behind these dignitaries were carriages.
As for the surrounding area of the dock, there were a group of Yanshan Guards standing there. Each Yanshan Guard had a solemn face and looked around from time to time. A chilling air spread throughout Jianghua Port.
On the ship, something strange flashed in Guo An's eyes.
"Why are you so guarded?"
Yan Xiangwu said: "Chief Commander Guo, last winter, a group of Japanese pirates emerged from nowhere and actually touched the harbor when my fleet arrived.
If Sun Yan and other Qianhu, who were guarding Jianghua Port, were not vigilant and had hidden sentries and mines set up around the harbor, the Japanese pirates might have succeeded.
But even though the Japanese pirates were defeated, it seems that the Japanese pirates also knew about the trade between Prince Yan's Mansion and Goryeo at this harbor.
Therefore, Japanese pirates often come to harass..."
Guo An frowned, "This place is so far away from the Japanese pirate island. How often can those Japanese pirates come here?"
Yan Xiangwu said: "Don't worry, Guo Changshi, we have also conducted a strict investigation and there is no collusion between Goryeo dignitaries and those Japanese pirates!"
"Um!"
Guo An said thoughtfully: "So, does it mean that those Japanese pirates have been hiding on an island somewhere in Goryeo?"
Yan Xiangwu: "That should be the case!"
Guo An frowned again: "Then you don't send people to exterminate them? You actually allow those Japanese pirates to spy on our fleet every day?"
Yan Xiangwu said: "Guo Changshi forgives me, the main reason is that our fleet of Prince Yan's Mansion is used for trade.
In addition, the soldiers also guarded Kaicheng and here, and they could not spare too many troops to search for the Japanese pirates.
Moreover, every time those Japanese pirates come, they can only leave a pile of corpses and cause little damage to the fleet..."
"alert!"
Before Yan Xiangwu finished speaking, there was a burst of angry shouts on the fleet.
Immediately, the war drums beat.
The Yanshan Guards at Jianghua Harbor were all heading in one direction to kill.
As for the entire fleet, they also began to quickly form their formation.
"Don't be alarmed, Guo Changshi, it's probably those Japanese pirates who are here again."
After turning around, Yan Xiangwu was stunned.
Guo Changshi beside him, at some point, already held a clairvoyant eye in his hand and looked into the distance.
"More than twenty Japanese pirate ships?"
After seeing the Japanese pirate ship clearly, Guo An's eyes were full of dissatisfaction.
"More than twenty ships?"
On the side, Yan Xiangwu was also surprised, "There are more Japanese pirate ships!"
"More?"
Guo An frowned and looked at Yan Xiangwu.
"Boom...boom..."
At this time, the roar of artillery fire began to sound in the distance, mixed with small screams.
It took two quarters of an hour before the distance gradually became quiet.
Yan Xiangwu quickly said: "Back to Guo Changshi, there were only a dozen ships that invaded the harbor at first.
And then, there seemed to be more and more Japanese pirate ships! "
"snort!"
Hearing this, Guo An's face darkened.
Coincidentally, the ship gradually docked at this moment, and Guo An walked directly on.
Chang Guoting and other city ship commanders, as well as Sun Yan and other generals who were guarding below, were all shocked when they saw Guo An coming off the ship and hurriedly rushed to greet him.
"The lower official has met Guo Changshi."
"I will see Guo Changshi at the end!"
"Everyone, get up!"
Guo An's face has returned to calm.
However, Sun Yan, Chang Guoting and others still did not dare to be careless at all.
They saw the gloomy expression on Guo Changshi's face when he got off the ship just now.
After recognizing Guo An, the surrounding Goryeo dignitaries wanted to come forward and pay their respects.
Unfortunately, there were a group of guards from the Prince of Yan's Palace guarding the area, and these Goryeo dignitaries did not dare to force their way in.
Of course, they also felt the anxiety on the faces of Sun Yan, Chang Guoting and others.
After a while, Xu Xiang walked down with a group of hundreds of households.
"Reporting to Guo Changshi, the invading Japanese pirates totaled 26 ships and more than 1,200 people. More than 800 were killed by the general and others, and more than 400 escaped!"
…
(End of chapter)
