In the study of Ji Zhiheng, the capital of the Ming Dynasty and a lecturer at the Hanlin Academy, Zhang Cheng was drinking tea and chatting with his father-in-law and brother-in-law.
"Father-in-law, Zhang Cheng heard that Governor Chen of Xuanda University may return to Beijing to take over as Minister of War. What do you think of this?" Zhang Cheng asked cautiously.
Ji Zhiheng drank tea and did not answer immediately. He seemed to be thinking. After a moment, he said: "Chen Xinjia is just a civil servant. Even if he has some talent, it is limited by his background.
Since the founding of our dynasty by Taizu, only Jia Jun and Jia Tingjie of Hebei Province during the Hongzhi period have held the title of Juren and held the position of Minister of the Ministry of Industry. From then on, there has never been another person who has held the title of Juren and held an important position in the ministry."
He stopped to take a sip of tea, and then said: "I see that Chen Xinjia is loyal to his superiors and can do his job with sincerity, but he and Yang Sichang are colluding with each other. Although they are both quite talented people, they are generally narrow-minded.
There is no room for others, and loyalty must be guarded against this."
"I sincerely follow my father-in-law's teachings, Zhang Cheng has taken note of them!"
"My Majesty thinks highly of you. I even publicly announced your new poem to the court and circulated it to all officials. It shows that I am very satisfied with your new poem." Ji Zhiheng
Said again.
"So that my father-in-law will know that Zhang Cheng only went to a private school for a few years when he was young, and he only knows a little bit about literature. He was drunk and uttered nonsense. He never thought that it would be spread to the palace and heard by heaven."
"Haha. You talk nonsense after drinking. Since you are so majestic, grand and impassioned, you can see clearly on the page. Zhongchen, you are a great talent!"
"Hahaha……"
…………
Here, while Zhang Cheng was chatting with his father-in-law Ji Zhiheng and second brother Ji Youqing, the street was very lively.
The winter sun sets early, and it is already dark outside, but the shops along the street are not closed. In addition to strings of red lanterns, there are also lights of various colors that have been hung out early.
Although it has not yet reached the busiest time, it still shows the prosperity of the capital. There is an endless stream of people admiring the lanterns, and sometimes there are fireworks rising into the sky, attracting people to stop and watch.
Along the long east-west street centered on Dengshikou Street, colorful buildings have been erected on both sides. The north and south sides of the street face each other, with red doors, embroidered doors, painted pillars and carved beams.
Most of the people with curtains on the colorful buildings were members of the Xun family, officials in the court, and members of the Jin gentry. Each colorful building was expensive to rent, and it cost hundreds of strings of money to make in one night.
The lantern market is full of lanterns of various colors. In terms of materials, there are lamps made of beads, some with paintings and silk ink, and some with five-color gauze, bright horns, paper, and wheat orange ones.
And grassy.
In terms of form, there are flower lanterns, bird lanterns, animal lanterns, insect lanterns, fish lanterns, revolving door lanterns, etc., all of which are ingenious and exquisite.
As for the fireworks set off at night, there are also many kinds of fireworks, which are amazing. There are also various bands, juggling, and all-night music performances, which attract people to stop and watch.
In addition, there are teams of children in colorful clothes playing drums on the street. They play drums from dusk to dawn. Along with the sound of drums, there are also moving floats, colorful boats, etc. There are dozens of small ones playing, while the big ones are
It takes dozens or hundreds of people to push it forward.
However, the Lantern Festival has just entered the Lantern Festival at this moment. The real excitement starts from the twelfth day of the first lunar month, when it really lasts all night long, with men and women crowded together and huge crowds of people.
…………
Due to the rules, a married daughter cannot have sex with her husband in her natal home when she returns home for the first time.
Zhang Cheng tossed and turned on the bed alone, finding it difficult to fall asleep. But it was too cold outside and he didn't want to get up, so he lay on his back on the bed and looked at the gleam of moonlight in front of the window.
After a long time, he smiled bitterly, thinking that when he first came here, he could sleep peacefully alone every night, but now that he has taken control of Xuanzhen North Road and has nearly ten thousand troops, he is no longer used to sleeping alone.
Is this the pain of growing up?
After thinking wildly for a while, I gradually fell asleep, and in a daze I heard a faint sound of shouting.
"Kill... kill the Tatars... it's so satisfying... it's so satisfying..."
"...Zhongchen...come and kill the slave with me..."
"...kill...kill the Tatars...kill..."
Zhang Cheng suddenly woke up from his sleep. He turned over and fell to the ground. He scanned everything around him with wide-eyed eyes and realized that he had just had a dream.
He turned back to the bed, took a fur cloak and put it on his body, put on his shoes, and went to the window. He listened to the north wind whistling outside the window, and couldn't help but think of Lu Xiangsheng, and the tenth day of the first lunar month last year.
, he is leading the army to fight in various places in Jinan.
"It's time to burn incense sticks for Lu Duchen!"
…………
On the tenth day of the first lunar month, in the afternoon, Lin Fangping came to Ji's Mansion to see Zhang Cheng. It turned out that Liu Jinhai had rushed back to the capital today, and Yuan Longchang's carriages and horses were waiting outside Fucheng Gate in the west of the city.
"Fang Ping, you immediately send someone to call Liu Jinhai to stay at Tongchun Tower. Later I will go to Tongchun Tower to meet with Yu Shangyu and others. I happen to have something to tell him." Zhang Cheng said.
"Here."
Lin Fangping responded loudly, and then continued: "Commander Commander, Liu Jinhai also brought a few people here. I wonder if the Commander-in-Chief will receive them?"
"oh!"
Zhang Cheng was also a little confused, but he knew that Liu Jinhai would never bring people to see him easily. If so, there must be something fishy, so he ordered Lin Fangping: "Let's all stay in Tongchun Tower. If there are many people
, then give them a yard.”
"Here!"
…………
In the courtyard behind Tongchun Building beside Xila Hutong outside Dong'an Gate, several strong men were feeding more than 20 war horses. They were all wearing thick cotton clothes, and there seemed to be something similar to a sword hidden inside.
Wear this big red fur cloak outside.
After feeding the horses, he did not go into the house. He was still warming himself by a fire in a grass shed in the small courtyard outside. His eyes looked around involuntarily, and from time to time he looked at a person by a window on the second floor.
They are the escort troops brought by Zhang Cheng. They are watching every move around them outside. There are more than 20 majestic military horses in the B-shaped courtyard next to it, and there are also several large vehicles parked in the courtyard. From time to time, they
Someone came out in the yard and looked over here.
Four red lanterns were also hung in front of the main room, and several braziers were burning in the room. Four strong men were warming themselves over the fire. There was a table next to it, with several food items and a pot of hot tea on it.
In the small living room on the second floor, Zhang Cheng was meeting with Liu Jinhai, the commander-in-chief of Bureau A of the Pro-Military Guards Department. However, he saw that Liu Jinhai had grown a big beard and was a little more bold and heroic than when he was with Zhang Cheng.
.
Zhang Cheng looked at him carefully and said: "Let me tell you, Jin Hai, with your appearance, if we meet on the street, I might not be able to recognize you."
Liu Jinhai was a little embarrassed. He smiled and said: "The commander-in-chief is making fun of us again."