Traitors of the Manchu dynasty, why do you make me an emperor through the ages Chapter 175: The army is crushing the realm! The inside story of the test!
Chapter 175: The army is crushing the realm! The inside story of the test!
With Lu Pheasant's suggestion, Li Qian planned to wander around the capital more and get intimate with these big treasures who came from afar.
However, after these few days, he did not meet many "dream people". He only interacted with Zheng Guan and Yan Zhenqing several times.
Winter is approaching, the cool breeze with chill is blowing from the north, and the weather in the capital is gradually getting colder, but even so, it is a warm early winter compared to previous years.
Wu State, Yangzhou, or Daqian, Yangzhou.
Now that winter has arrived, the weather here is getting colder day by day.
The Forbidden Army can no longer wear thin clothes to fight, and now must distribute cotton-padded clothes, which invisibly adds another pressure to the logistics of the Forbidden Army.
In the center of the city, the governor's mansion that originally belonged to the governor of Wu State has now become the place where the generals of the Forbidden Army are stationed.
"It would be too ridiculous to launch an attack together like this."
Yuchi Gong looked at the map hanging on the back wall, frowned and said solemnly: "To the west of Zhenjiang, there is a canal that leads directly to Gusu, the capital of Wu. Why should I say more about its importance? Wu will definitely defend it to the death!"
"And with this canal, it is even more convenient for them to mobilize their troops. To capture Zhenjiang from crossing the river, the difficulty will definitely be no less difficult than capturing Jinling."
Many generals nodded in approval, and Yang Lin also said solemnly: "It is best to make two preparations. On the one hand, we can cross the river here to divert the attention of Wu's navy."
"On the other hand, we need to send a group of troops to march eastward to capture Chongzhou, Dongzhou, and all the way to the seaside, so that the Yue Kingdom can transport grain from the sea."
The generals were silent for a moment, but Zhao Kuangyi, who was still present, couldn't help but said: "Didn't it say so in the document sent by the Ministry of War? It's best not to transport food by sea!"
"Even in winter, the wind and waves this year will not stop. What if we encounter Wu's sailors and wind and waves at sea, and most of the food and grass will be lost?"
Because of the 'Battle of Shiliang River', many generals present looked down upon him, or in other words, they treated him with contempt.
It's just that this guy is now responsible for the transportation of grain and grass, and this issue is within his authority, so he can't be made to shut up.
But even so, Yuchi Gong couldn't help but said: "Zhao Liangdu, are you not awake?"
When Zhao Kuangyi heard the word "Grain Supervisor", his dark face suddenly felt like a layer of ashes from the bottom of a pot.
Darker.
It turns out that when the military tent was discussing matters under the moonlight before the flowers, you called General Zhao. Now you are the food supervisor, right?
However, Yuchi Gong ignored his expression and sneered and continued: "When winter comes, the wind and waves gradually subside. This is something that even a three-year-old child in Wu Yue knows!"
"Your Majesty just had a dream. If you take it seriously, wouldn't it mean you haven't woken up yet?"
There was a burst of laughter in the hall.
Zhao Kuangyi's dark face was also dark and red.
He actually didn't really believe this, but subconsciously he was just making excuses.
Everyone ignored this topic one after another, as if it was a joke and didn't care.
Yang Lin noticed the expressions of many generals and frowned slightly: "No matter what, let the Yue Kingdom try to transport some grain and grass first to see if the sea is really calm."
"How can you try this?"
Yuchi Gong turned his head and looked at him with a frown: "When transporting grain by sea, the Yue State's grain ships are supposed to avoid the Wu people."
"What we need is to set out unexpectedly and transport all the food and grass needed by the army. If we try again, Wu will definitely notice it!"
"If their sailors are alert and blockade the sea, how will the food be transported?"
"Wouldn't that be better?"
The speaker was Han Qinhu. He frowned and stared at the map: "Although Wu's sailors are powerful, they are only tens of thousands in the final analysis, and their number is not large."
"If they still dare to disperse, then we will directly cross the Yangtze River!"
Everyone present was a first-rate general. They were all stunned when he heard what he said. They immediately began to think about the possibilities and began to talk about it.
"It seems possible. It can also be said in the document sent by the Ministry of War that the water ships from Hengshan, Jiangxia and other counties can be ordered to start shipping. If the Wu State Navy gets the news, they will definitely go to stop it."
"We have to worry about both the sea and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Their strength will inevitably be insufficient. Then we will deploy the Forbidden Army along the coast. As long as we find a flaw, we can directly cross the river."
"The Imperial Army marching eastward can try to cross the river at Jiangyin. Once they cross the river and reach Yanling, they can march straight towards Gusu City! The Wu State will definitely not dare not be on guard!"
"Haha, they must be scared to death!"
"This is a wonderful method, and as long as the troops are dispersed, the pressure on our food and grass can be reduced a little..."
Yang Lin and Yu Chigong listened to the discussion and looked at each other with different expressions.
Then Yang Lin turned to the generals in the tent and said, "It seems that you all agree with this strategy?"
"That's right." Han Qinhu nodded and said, "If we divide our troops in this way, we will definitely suffer the least damage."
"And we can cross the river as quickly as possible. As soon as the Wu people see us dividing our troops to advance eastward and westward, they will definitely be able to guess our intentions. As long as they divide their troops, we can try to cross the river and make them confused!"
Yang Ye also said in a deep voice.
Subsequently, many other generals expressed their approval one by one.
"good."
Yang Lin nodded and glanced at the generals in the hall: "Now that it has been decided, we must deploy it as soon as possible. We must cross the river before New Year's Eve!"
All the generals present responded in unison.
But since we have to divide our forces, we have to discuss one, two, and three.
In the end, it was decided that the two imperial guards would march eastward and attack as far as the East China Sea to receive the food and grass coming from the Yue Kingdom.
The other imperial army marched westward to meet the canal ships.
The rest of the imperial army began to disperse, forcing Wu's sailors to spread out on the river to defend themselves.
At the end of the deployment, Yang Lin turned his head again, looked at the three special generals here, and said solemnly: "Grain Controller Zhao, General Yuwen, and General Su. The army is now divided into three groups, and each group has the important task of transporting grain.
"
"Do you have any ideas?"
When court officials address each other, they usually use their highest title.
Although Yu Wenhuaji and Su Dingfang were also responsible for supervising the transportation of grain and grass, they were generals themselves, so they naturally had to be called generals.
But Zhao Er does not hold the position of general, so it is normal to call him grain inspector.
"I won't go to the East China Sea." Zhao Kuangyi shook his head angrily.
Yu Wenhuaji sneered: "I'll go to the west to meet the imperial court's canal ships."
Taking care of the canal boats was a very fat job, so it was easy to make a fortune.
Su Dingfang hesitated for a moment, but did not argue with him, and responded: "Then I will lead the Youwei Wei all the way east to meet the grain ships of the Yue Kingdom."
If grain ships from Vietnam are to be transported here, it must be good.
Yang Lin nodded and finally looked at Zhao Kuangyi: "In that case, Grain Supervisor Zhao will continue to follow the army. After crossing the river, you will be responsible for discussing the land transportation of grain with the Yue Kingdom."
In fact, Zhao Kuangyi had no choice, because the other two had their own forbidden troops, but he was now a bare "food inspector" and could only follow the army.
The reason why he said that before was probably to make himself feel better, right?
"General Su, you must go east as soon as possible."
Yang Lin looked at Su Dingfang and solemnly warned: "The Forbidden Army does not have much food and grass, and sea transportation is the fastest."
"We must receive food and grass from Vietnam as soon as possible and supply it to the army."
Su Dingfang nodded solemnly: "I understand."
Yang Lin looked at him and then turned to look at Yu Wenji: "General Yuwen, there was news before that the remaining troops of the Chu State were unwilling to give up and wanted to restore the country and recapture the capital of Ying."
"If those people can really capture Yingdu, they will definitely continue to advance westward, intending to seize more territory."
"But now those places belong to Wu State and the imperial court. We cannot let them take away the imperial court's land and cities again."
"That's natural."
Yu Wenhuaji said with a ferocious smile: "If they come, let them never come back!"
Military orders came out of the mansion one after another, and the camp outside the city began to move slowly. The civilian husbands, dressed in slightly thin linen clothes, carried grain, grass, ordnance, and moved first...
Daqian Jingcheng.
It’s November and this year is gradually coming to an end.
But the first snow of this winter has not yet arrived.
Some people are happy about this and some are worried about it.
The people at the lower classes are happy that it is not too cold this winter, so they obviously do not need to spend too much money on charcoal for heating.
The people below are also worried. If it doesn't snow yet, will next year be a drought year?
What to do with the grain harvest?
In an agricultural society, one depends on the weather to make a living, and this is really not just a casual statement.
Li Qian has been running around the capital these days, but he hasn't noticed these things because his focus is always on those who hold high positions.
It's November, which means the New Year's Eve is getting closer.
Except for Juren who are very close to the capital, most Juren will still rush to the capital before the year to prepare for the examination.
Because the imperial court had moved the examinations in advance in previous years, and had moved the examinations in March to February several times, so most people would still come early to be on the safe side.
Li Qian was sitting in a wide carriage at the moment. He was wearing a ermine fur coat of a suitable size, which Chen Leyi had tailored for him. He was wearing a thin black cotton coat underneath the fur coat.
Along with him were Zheng Guan, Xie Yuan, Yan Zhenqing and Lu Bu, an old eunuch.
"I heard that Bao Zheng really lives in the guild hall in the east of the city?" Li Qian opened the car window, lifted the curtain and took a look at the situation outside. A gust of cold wind came in through the gap in the car window.
Since the winter, he no longer likes to wander around the city on foot, but prefers to ride in a carriage or sedan chair.
"I also found out about it, who knows if it's true or not?"
Zheng Guan leaned on the soft tiger leather seat and shook his head helplessly: "Brother Li, why are you so interested in him? You're not a pretty girl?"
"Haha~" Li Qian chuckled and shook his head: "If it were a pretty girl, I wouldn't want to find him."
On the other side, Yan Zhenqing, who had a maroon face, thick lips, and was quite dignified, also opened his eyes and looked at the scene outside the car window.
Li Qian's carriage was specially built by the old eunuch at the request of the imperial eunuch. Even the windows were made of translucent dark colored glass, so you could see what was going on outside at a glance from inside the carriage.
When you don't want to see it, just pull the curtain behind the car window to block it.
"I heard that Bao Zheng has real talent and knowledge, and is very popular. He is highly regarded by the adults in the court. A few days ago, when my brother wrote to me, he also said that when Bao Zheng passed through Xingyang, he was also raped by Prime Minister Yan Hehe. Your Excellency has invited you."
Yan Zhenqing's voice was a little muffled, as if his throat had been injured recently.
Li Qian nodded and asked curiously: "What happened next?"
Yan Zhenqing shook his head: "I don't know either. My brother only said this in his letter."
Li Qian was silent for a moment and then asked: "Has Cai Jing looked for him since he came to the capital?"
"There should be, right?"
Zheng Guan was a little hesitant on the side: "Cai Jing likes to find people to contact us Juren, but no one has ever heard of Bao Zheng appearing near Cai's residence."
"He has only entered Beijing these two days. It seems he has been living in the guild hall, right?"
Li Qian nodded: "No matter what, let's go and take a look and find out."
Zheng Guan also said cheerfully: "I hope he won't go to Cai Jing and get on the old man's pirate ship."
"Um?"
Li Qian was stunned for a moment and then asked: "Brother Zheng, why aren't you worried about failing the exam these days?"
Not only that, I also hope that Bao Zheng will not accept Cai Jing's solicitation.
Zheng Guan chuckled and said to Li Qian: "I asked someone to carefully inquire about the grading of the general examination before, and then I realized that there are many tricks in it."
"Actually, what the chief examiner and deputy examiner decide is only the ranking of the candidates, and it is the room master of each room who decides whether the candidate can be admitted. There is always a saying in the joint examination, 'take the same examination, and the ranking will be determined by reference. In chief examination'."
"Only papers recommended by fellow examiners in each room will have a chance to be selected by the examiner, while papers not recommended by fellow examiners will have no choice but to be rejected."
He smiled and said: "So, as long as my paper is recommended by the same examiners, they will let me win. As for the ranking, I don't care."
Li Qian was also startled, he also knew about this.
It's just that Li Qian's understanding is different from Zheng Guan's.
Among the Four Books and Five Classics, there are poems, books, rituals, Yi, and the Spring and Autumn Five Classics.
In the examination, after the candidates hand in their papers, the large number of papers will first be divided into five categories according to the subjects they deal with.
But these five types of examination papers cannot be handed over to only the chief examiner and deputy examiner. There are too many, and they need to be seen in the year of the monkey and the month of the horse.
For this reason, many co-examiners were appointed, also called room examiners.
The number of room examiners in Daqian is basically more than twenty, and it is common to have more than thirty.
Among them, the Book of Songs and the Book of Changes are the most popular, and can be divided into seven, eight, or eighty-nine rooms almost every time, followed by the Book of Books, and the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Book of Rites that have the least number of students.
There are also three marking officers in each room to help out.
When marking papers in your own room with the examiner, you should pick out the good ones, then go to the hall and recommend them to the chief examiner and deputy examiner. After verification by these two, they will decide whether the candidates should go or stay.
According to the regulations, one room can produce thirty papers, including twenty main papers and ten supplementary papers.
This is also the origin of the saying that "the one who takes the exam will be judged by the same person, and the one who determines the level will be judged by the main examiner."
The version I heard from Zheng Guan's mouth seemed to be that as long as the exam paper was recommended by the same examiner, it would not be rejected and I would have peace of mind.
But as far as Li Qian knows, this is not the case.
The power of the chief examiner and deputy examiner is actually very great!
If the deputy examiner likes a certain paper, he will write the word "take" on the paper with an ink pen.
If the examiner likes a certain paper, he will write the word "中" on it with an ink pen.
Only when a paper has "take" and "hit" at the same time, the paper will be considered qualified, and its owner's name will appear on the apricot list.
Look, as long as one of the chief examiner and deputy examiner disapproves, that person will not pass the exam!
Moreover, the allocation of exam quotas also involves the allocation of other interests, and the filthiness in it goes beyond that.
Yan Zhenqing seemed to know something. He suddenly shook his head, sighed and said, "Brother Zheng, you should have heard of the theory of searching for documents, right?"
Zheng Guan was stunned and said with some confusion: "Of course I know it's because the examiner was dissatisfied with the selected papers and went to each room to check the rejected papers in person?"
"As long as the paper is searched by the examiner, it can be passed."
"But searching for failed papers means searching among a huge number of papers. Firstly, it is very troublesome and energy-consuming. Secondly, it is very offending to fellow examiners."
"So very few examiners have done this over the years."
To search for failed papers is to distrust your fellow examiners, or to call them blind in disguise. Therefore, examiners will not do such a thankless thing unless necessary.
Zheng Guan chuckled and said: "Brother Yan, you don't think Cai Jing would go to so many examination rooms to search for failed papers just for me, do you?"
"I'm not that proud!"
"And as long as they don't deliberately stare at my papers, how could I be dismissed?"
Yan Zhenqing sighed helplessly. He wanted to use this as a hint to him, but he didn't expect that Zheng Guan didn't understand the meaning at all.
"Brother Zheng, think about it, the examiner can select those who are not selected by the same examiner, but can't the examiner remove those who are selected by the same examiner?"
He shook his head and said: "No matter what, the choice is still in the hands of the examiner. If the paper is selected, it only means that there is a possibility of being selected, but it does not mean that it has been selected."
"ah?"
Zheng Guan was shocked: "Really?"
Li Qian shook his head helplessly: "Brother Zheng, before you came to the capital to take the exam, didn't you ask your family about this kind of thing?"
Zheng Guan's face turned red, as if he thought of how he pretended to be a master in front of Li Qian.
"They asked me to take the exam in Yuzhou, but I didn't listen and just ran out..."
It turns out that he is the eldest young man of a promiscuous family.
Li Qian shook his head helplessly: "Brother Zheng, you don't want your family to see you in such a mess, right?"
"I..." Zheng Guan was speechless, with a bit of annoyance on his face: "Then what do you want to do?"
He came out this time to prove himself and came with the idea of taking the first prize. It would be a big shame if he didn't even pass the general examination.
How can you raise your head in the clan in the future?
Li Qian chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I may have some connections that can help you."
"Do you have connections?" Zheng Guan was stunned at first, then frowned at Li Qian: "Brother Li, don't you know Cai Jing or Song Qiaonian and want me to go over and apologize to them?"
He said stubbornly: "Let's make a deal first! Even if I can't pass the Jinshi exam, I won't go!"
Li Qian smiled and shook his head: "Brother Zheng, where did you think you were? I gave you some advice at the Luming Banquet that day and helped you deal with Song Qiaonian!"
Zheng Guan was startled, then suddenly said: "Yes, why did I forget? Then what kind of career do you have?"
Yan Zhenqing also looked at Li Qian curiously.
Li Qian laughed and said: "I know an official in the court, and I have some relationship with Mr. Heshen from the Ministry of Personnel."
"I went to see him yesterday and asked him to ask the adults to help him ventilate, so that Cai Jing would not embarrass you during the examination."
Li Qian’s act was a standard one of borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha.
In fact, in his opinion, even if there was no such thing, Cai Jing would not specifically depose Zheng Guan's paper.
After all, Zheng Guan belongs to the Zheng family in Xingyang, and his status is not low.
With Cai Jing's versatile and well-connected personality, how could he specifically try to get in his way and offend him?
The reason why Zheng Guan was so worried was probably because he was frightened.
Cai Jing looked for so many people in the city, but he was not the only one looking for him. What does this mean?
Normal people would understand that Cai Jing might be trying to deal with Zheng Guan.
But in Li Qian's opinion, Cai Jing also had reasons why he couldn't approach him and recruit him.
Song Qiaonian is Cai Jing's in-law and one of the mainstays of Cai's party. Now that the two have had a conflict, Cai Jing has been recruiting Zheng Guan with great enthusiasm. What will Song Qiaonian think?
Cai Jing would not do this to alienate his generals just for the sake of a mere candidate, so he could not invite Zheng Guan there.
But this doesn't mean that he gave up recruiting Zheng Guan, it just means that each person has his own recruiting method.
"With my lord?"
Zheng Guan looked at Li Qian in shock: "Brother Li, you have such an access, but you don't use it yourself, but you want to give it to me?"
Yan Zhenqing also had an incredible look on his face.
If Li Qian takes this opportunity to take the entrance examination, he will almost certainly pass it!
Does he know what Jinshi represents? How could someone in this world give up the Jinshi spot to others?
Li Qian chuckled and patted Zheng Guan on the shoulder: "Brother Zheng, I'm not in a hurry to take the Jinshi exam. For me, it's the same three years earlier and three years later."
"But you are different. You came out to prove yourself. A man, you have to fight for it no matter what."
"Besides, I don't know enough, so I shouldn't go astray. But you already have the talent of a middle-class scholar. It would be a pity if you were buried and suppressed because you offended a villain."
"Brother Li, this is yours..." Zheng Guan's face flushed anxiously: "I...how can I be so embarrassed..."
"At times like this, I don't want mother-in-law and mother-in-law."
Li Qian smiled and waved his hand: "I have asked someone to send a message to Mr. He a long time ago. It's too late for you to regret it now."
Zheng Guan held Li Qian's arm tightly with both hands and was moved to tears: "Brother Li... I won't say more... I really don't know how to thank you..."
This is a ray of light in despair!
He was already ready to go home in ashes, but he didn't expect to see hope again.
Yan Zhenqing also said with emotion: "Brother Li, you are a true gentleman. Today is really an eye-opener for me."
Zheng Guan had gradually calmed down, and suppressed his excitement and said to Li Qian: "You must have spent a lot of money asking Mr. He for help? I will replenish it for you! You gave up this opportunity, how can I ask you to pay for it? ?”
"No, no need." Li Qian said with a smile: "I didn't spend any money at all, and you don't need to make up for it."
Only he himself knew that this was Hu who had intercepted Cai Jing.