Chapter 258: 'Loyalty and Righteousness' Li Shanchang
Li Shanchang's face was glowing red. He had been sulking since he failed in the provincial examination that year, and it was not until today that he finally relaxed.
He was obsessed with arithmetic since he was a child, and because he spent a lot of time on arithmetic, his poetry level was not high.
If it was during the Tang Dynasty, he would still be able to pass the imperial examination in the Ming Dynasty. However, since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the status of arithmetic has dropped significantly, which is why he failed to pass the provincial examination in every imperial examination.
Jiang Dujun's imperial examination comprehensively assessed poetry, Ming classics, and arithmetic, which was very beneficial to people like him who were proficient in arithmetic.
Because although his poems and poems are inferior to others, they are not far behind. In contrast, scholars who want to become officials rarely study arithmetic.
So just after finishing the exam, he had a hunch that he would do particularly well in the exam this time!
Sure enough, when the list was released today and he saw his name ranked first, he finally felt proud.
Li Shanchang also made a special trip to investigate. Among the people who participated in the imperial examination this time, many were Jinshi of the Yuan Dynasty. Among them was a man named Meng Guanghai, who was the top bloomer in the Nantang Ranking in the seventh year of Zhizheng.
In addition, most of the famous scholars from Jiangdong also participated.
The second person is Lu Yiming, the apprentice of Han Jiarang, a great scholar from the Northern School. The third person is Xu Ai, who twice won the first place in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang examinations, but was unable to become an official because he offended most of the powerful people.
Therefore, this imperial examination is extremely authoritative, and his first place is even more valuable.
After learning that he was at the top of the list, Li Shanchang had already made up his mind to become an official in Jiangdu Army.
In fact, he had never looked down upon Zhu Yuanzhang very much. He was an illiterate warrior and was not the same type of person as him. It was only because Zhu Yuanzhang personally invited him after he captured Chuzhou that he reluctantly left the mountain.
Now that Zhu Yuanzhang is about to be destroyed, he naturally does not want to be buried with him.
But having said that, with his current status, if he directly joins the Jiangdu Army, he will definitely bear the name of disloyalty and injustice, and the King of Chu may also despise him as a person.
So this meeting is crucial.
Through this meeting, he must achieve three goals: first, to join the Jiangdu Army. Second, to gain recognition from the King of Chu. Third, to avoid being accused of being disloyal and unjust.
Fortunately, he had prepared for today's meeting for a long time and had already made up his mind, so he did not panic.
The space in the lobby was limited, so only the first twenty scholars got seats, and the eighty people behind could only stand outside the door.
The officials all sat on the left, and the scholars sat on the right. The twentieth-ranked scholar was about to take his seat when he suddenly found that his seat was occupied by a man and a woman.
The man and woman were Qin Lingsi and Monkey. Qin Lingsi smiled sweetly at him, pointed at the 19th-ranked scholar's desk, and said, "Would you like to squeeze in with him?"
The scholar looked around and found that no one paid any attention to this place, so he had to sit huddled with the nineteen-year-old scholar.
Zhang Yangquan sat up high, poured a glass of wine, stood up and said: "The fact that you can stand out from more than a thousand candidates shows your talents. I believe that you will all be the pillars of our great Chu. I
Here’s to you!”
All the officials and scholars stood up and had a drink together.
Zhang Yangquan stretched out his hand to signal everyone to sit down, and then focused on Li Shanchang.
"Mr. Li is the only person who got full marks in this imperial examination. I would like to give you a toast alone!"
Li Shanchang quickly stood up, drank it respectfully, and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
At this moment, Ma Yulin suddenly said: "Mr. Li, I have a few words to ask you. If you have offended me, please apologize first."
Li Shanchang felt a shiver in his heart and secretly said: "Here we come!" He cupped his hands and said, "Excuse me, Lord Masi!"
Ma Yulin's eyes instantly became sharp, staring at Li Shanchang like a knife.
"Since you were an official under Zhu Yuanzhang, why did you come to take part in the imperial examination? Could it be that you saw that Zhu Yuanzhang was weak, so you abandoned your old master?"
When all the scholars saw Ma Yulin being so direct, they were all shocked, and they all looked at Li Shanchang!
Li Shanchang raised his head and said: "I am taking part in the imperial examination for no other reason than to meet the King of Chu!"
Ma Yulin said coldly: "Is it because he is a lobbyist for Zhu Yuanzhang?"
Li Shanchang said bluntly: "Yes, I hope that the King of Chu can send troops to rescue Wuwei. This will also be of great benefit to your army's plan to manage Jiangnan!"
Lu Liangzuo said in a deep voice: "Li Shanchang, did you take part in the imperial examination just to say these words?"
"Yes!"
"Aren't you going to serve in our army?"
"I don't think so!"
Lu Liangzuo said solemnly: "So, do you think our imperial examination in Chu is child's play?"
Li Shanchang cupped his hands and said: "His Royal Highness the King of Chu allocates fields to the people, attaches great importance to farming, and makes the price of food in Jiangdu lower than the world. Li has great respect in his heart, how dare he regard the imperial examination as child's play?"
Lu Liangzuo said: "But you use the imperial examination that my king has worked so hard to organize as a diplomatic tool. If it is spread all over the world, it will definitely attract people's ridicule!"
Li Shanchang smiled loudly and said with emotion: "Please allow Li to say something. After that, Li is willing to die! With Li's life, the world's mouth will be stopped!"
Lu Liangzuo was stunned. Li Shanchang was actually willing to die in order to seek help for his lord?
Chen Ji laughed and said: "Since this Mr. Li has taken the first place in our imperial examination and has put life and death aside, what's the harm in letting others say a word!"
Zhang Yangquan finally spoke up and said: "Mr. Li just mentioned that rescuing Wuwei will be beneficial to our army's strategy in the south of the Yangtze River. I don't know how to interpret this?"
Li Shanchang said loudly: "Your army has captured Jiangdong, and it is just around the corner to capture the whole of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. I dare to ask your army, will you stay in one corner of Jiangsu and Zhejiang by then, or will you expand externally?"
"This is a military secret, how can I tell you so easily?" Xu Ai said loudly.
Today is his golden day in Japan, but he has been messed up by the lobbyist Li Shanchang, so he is naturally angry.
Li Shanchang ignored him and said calmly: "Then let me analyze it for your army. After your army captures Jiangsu and Zhejiang, there are only two ways to go north and west. To go north, you must fight Zhang Shicheng, and to go west, you must fight against Tian.
A dispute breaks out between the Wan army and the army!"
Zhang Yangquan said enthusiastically: "How does Mr. Li think we will choose?"
Li Shanchang smiled and said: "If you go north, you will only be attacked on both sides, putting your army in trouble. If you go west, you can capture the south of the Yangtze River in one fell swoop. With the Yangtze River as a barrier, you can advance, attack, retreat, and defend. The world will be at your fingertips!"
Luo Guanzhong bowed his hands respectfully and said: "May I ask, sir, what does this have to do with our inaction in rescue?"
Li Shanchang said: "What your army needs most right now is time to stabilize the prefectures and counties you have captured. But Tianwan's army does not have this weakness. If they defeat Wuwei, they are likely to continue to advance eastward and threaten your army!"
Shanzhu said coldly: "Tianwan's army can't even defeat the Yuan army, how can we be afraid of them?"
He and Xu Baisheng were the only two generals present.
Li Shanchang glanced at him and said: "Tianwan's army was defeated before because the Yuan army was encircling and suppressing it with all its strength. Although your army defeated the Yuan army in Yangzhou, it was because of their internal discord and Gaoyou was in front, not your army."
The army is more powerful!"
Liu Bowen suddenly said: "Tianwan's army seems to be strong, but in fact it has serious internal divisions. It would be better for him to attack us and give us an excuse to counterattack them!"
Chen Ji said with a smile: "What Liu Gong said makes sense. If Mr. Li wants to scare us with a painted tiger, he would be looking down on me!"
Li Shanchang glanced at Liu Bowen and said: "No matter whether Tianwan's army has internal troubles or not, as long as our army still exists, we can help your army contain Tianwan's army. Isn't this enough for your army to send troops?"
Xu Baisheng said solemnly: "We have rescued you, but we can't guarantee that you will contain Tianwan's army. Maybe you will help Tianwan's army deal with us in turn?"
Shanzhu said coldly: "We still remember your army's sneak attack on Chuzhou!"
Li Shanchang was about to persuade again, but Zhang Yangquan interrupted with a smile.
"Mr. Li, if I intervene in your grudges with Tianwanjun, it will only cause civil strife in the rebel army and benefit Yuan Ting. There is no need to discuss this matter again!"
Li Shanchang took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said: "In this case, Li Shanchang has nothing to say, please give me death!"
Zhang Yangquan looked at Li Shanchang silently, his eyes flickering slightly.
At this moment, Chen Ji spoke up: "In order to save his lord, Mr. Li won the first place in our army's imperial examination. It is a good story. If he is punished, it will not be good!"
Li Shanchang bowed his hand towards Chen Ji and said with a wry smile: "Mr. Chen is overly complimentary!"
Guo Niansheng said earnestly and sincerely: "Mr. Li, Zhu Yuanzhang's army is about to be destroyed, why do you have to accompany him to death? Why don't you stay!"
Li Shanchang sighed and said: "I am a minister of Zhu Yuanzhang and an envoy sent by him to ask for help. If I join your army, wouldn't I become a disloyal and unjust person?"
Suddenly hearing a slight cold snort, Li Shanchang looked for his voice and saw Liu Bowen looking at him with disdain.
Li Shanchang felt a chill on his back.
At this time, Guo Niansheng said again: "What did Mr. Li say? You ignored your own safety for the sake of the Savior. Who in the world dares to accuse you of being disloyal?"
Taigong He said leisurely: "As the saying goes, a good bird chooses wood, and a good minister chooses his master. Just as Chen Siqing said, if Mr. Li can join our army as the first in the imperial examination, he will definitely be a good story!"
Li Shanchang was about to refuse a few more words when Liu Bowen suddenly said: "He Gong, Guo Xiang, a loyal man like Mr. Li, any words that persuade him to betray his Lord will be an insult to him!"
He turned to Li Shan with a smile and said, "Is that right, Mr. Li?"
Li Shanchang stared at him for a while and said calmly: "It's Mr. Liu who knows me!"
Zhang Yangquan looked at Liu Bowen, then at Li Shanchang, and said loudly: "Mr. Li is admirable for his loyalty and courage. There is no need to mention the punishment. Come and reward Mr. Li fifty taels of gold!"
Li Shanchang sighed secretly, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you so much, King Chu!"