Zhang Yangquan lowered his head and dealt with official duties for a while. Suddenly he felt something was wrong and looked up.
Guo Niansheng hasn't left yet, standing there without saying a word, with a hesitant look on his face.
"Does the Prime Minister have anything else to report?"
Guo Niansheng smiled apologetically and said, "Your Majesty, do you still remember Li Shanchang?"
Zhang Yangquan sat up straight and said, "Of course I remember. Did he come to Jiangdu again?"
Guo Niansheng smiled and said: "He didn't come, but if the king really wants to use him, I have an idea!"
Zhang Yangquan asked: "What's your idea?"
Guo Niansheng said: "I heard that Zhu Yuanzhang has been short of food. It is better to send someone to Li Shanchang and ask him to persuade Zhu Yuanzhang to buy food from our army. At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang will send Li Shanchang over, and the king will make Li Shanchang his condition. As long as Zhu Yuanzhang gives him to us,
Just sell grain to him!"
Zhang Yangquan was silent for a while and said, "Will Li Shanchang cooperate with us?"
Guo Niansheng smiled and said: "As far as I know, he actually wants to join our army, but he just doesn't want to bear the name of injustice!"
"How do you know?"
Guo Niansheng said hurriedly: "I have a clerk under my command who is a student of Li Shanchang. He has been exchanging letters with Li Shanchang. I heard about it from him."
Zhang Yangquan was stunned and said: "Who is that person?"
Guo Niansheng said: "The surname is Hu and the given name is Weiyong! Although this person is young, he is smart and capable and can do things effectively. He is a rare talent!"
Zhang Yangquan was shocked and asked: "Didn't he take part in the imperial examination?"
Guo Niansheng sighed and said: "I took part, but it's a pity that I didn't pass the exam!"
"You didn't pass the imperial examination this time?"
Guo Niansheng said: "The competition in the imperial examination was more fierce this time. He is not good at Ming Jing poetry, nor is he good at arithmetic, so he did not pass the exam!"
Zhang Yangquan asked: "Then what is he good at?"
Guo Niansheng said: "This man does not study much because of his poor family, but he is extremely smart and has a unique way of seeing things!"
Zhang Yangquan suddenly said: "Prime Minister Zuo, the last time you persuaded me to recruit a hundred or more scholars, it must have been for this person, right?"
Guo Niansheng began to sweat on his forehead. He hesitated and nodded.
Zhang Yangquan sighed, leaned back on his chair, and said, "If you want to recommend this person, just tell me directly. Why go around in circles?"
Guo Niansheng whispered: "Your Majesty even lets famous people like Ye Zhen take the imperial examination. Hu Weiyong is not famous, so you will definitely let him take the imperial examination, so..."
Zhang Yangquan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said: "You really think highly of this person. What ability does he have that makes you admire him so much?"
Guo Niansheng smiled apologetically and said: "Your Majesty will know it when you meet him once!"
Zhang Yangquan thought for a while and said: "Let me think about this matter. Li Shanchang's matter was also Hu Weiyong's idea, right?"
Guo Niansheng acquiesced.
Zhang Yangquan felt a chill in his heart.
He believes that Hu Weiyong is indeed capable, but this person is too keen on power and scheming. No matter how powerful his ability is, he will never use it!
However, Li Shanchang is indeed a talent, and he does not have hidden ambitions like Hu Weiyong. He thought for a while and said, "Just do what you said about Li Shanchang!"
Guo Niansheng said happily: "Then I will send someone to find Li Shanchang right now!" and resigned.
The news that Liu Futong captured Bianliang has spread throughout the world, and most of the powerful men in the capital have been shocked.
This frightened them even more than the previous Yangzhou defeat.
After all, during the Battle of Yangzhou, they were the ones who fought against the rebels, but this time it was the rebels who fought against them.
All of a sudden, the dignitaries of Dadu were rushing around like ants on a hot pot, as if Liu Futong had already arrived at the door of Dadu.
Even Emperor Yuan Tuo Huan was affected and went to court for the first time in a long time to discuss countermeasures with his ministers.
Finally, at the suggestion of Hama and the prince, Emperor Yuan issued an order to recall Chahan Timur and decided to entrust him with important tasks.
On the other side, after Liu Futong occupied Bianliang, he made Bianliang the capital, repaired the old palace of the Northern Song Dynasty, and ordered people to take Han Qing'er and her son over.
Immediately afterwards, he sent four envoys to find Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhang Shicheng, Zhao Junyong, and Zuo Junbi respectively, hoping that they would join Han and Song Dynasties.
Zhao Junyong had offended Liu Futong, so he was so frightened that he not only agreed, but also went to Bianliang in person to apologize to Liu Futong.
Zuo Junbi flatly refused.
Although he only has one place, he thinks very highly of himself and has always regarded himself as being on the same level as the leaders of the three major rebel armies.
Liu Futong didn't even fight a single fight and actually expected him to surrender. Isn't that a dream?
Now that Zhang Shicheng has closed his door and become the Tu Emperor, he doesn't pay any attention to it, and he doesn't even bother to send someone to reply to the letter.
Only Zhu Yuanzhang was the most hesitant. After convening the generals for discussion, he decided to agree to surrender to Han and Song Dynasties, but he did not enter the capital to see him.
During the entire discussion, Li Shanchang remained silent and silent.
He had already decided to join the Jiangdu Army, but Zhu Yuanzhang was particularly ambitious at the moment. If he resigned at this time, he might be harmed by Zhu Yuanzhang, so he could only wait.
After Zhu Yuanzhang was really taken over by Liu Futong and gave up his ambition to become king, he would then resign to Zhu Yuanzhang.
Recently, the Wuwei Army has been short of food. Not only are the people very hungry and emaciated, but even high-ranking civil servants like Li Shanchang cannot have enough to eat.
After the meeting, Li Shanchang returned home. There was still more than half of the month left, but the rice vat at home was almost empty.
Fortunately, he hasn't gotten married yet, otherwise life would be even more difficult.
He had dismissed all the servants at home. He cooked a bowl of porridge himself and drank the porridge while reading.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door outside.
Li Shanchang went over and opened the door. When he saw the people outside, he was surprised and happy.
"Wei Yong! Why are you here? Come in quickly!" Li Shanchang took Hu Weiyong's hand and walked into the house!
Hu Weiyong actually only met him once, and Li Shanchang almost forgot about him after he left Jiangdu.
Unexpectedly, one day, he suddenly received a letter from Hu Weiyong, in which Hu Weiyong sincerely wanted to become his teacher and learn arithmetic.
Li Shanchang had a good impression of Hu Weiyong, and the fact that this man came to be his disciple during a difficult time showed his sincerity, so he wrote back and agreed.
Since then, the two have frequently exchanged letters, in which Hu Weiyong told him all about Jiangdu's army.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
When Li Shanchang left Jiangdu Prefecture, Zhang Yangquan only occupied half of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, but now he has taken the entire Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces into his pocket, which made him sigh every day.
Jiangdu Army is now in a period of rapid expansion. The later someone joins the army, the harder it will be for them to enter the top ranks of Jiangdu Army.
And as time goes by, King Chu’s impression of him will fade. How can he not worry about this?
"Teacher, this is what you want to eat?" After Hu Weiyong entered the lobby, he saw Li Shanchang's half-eaten bowl of porridge.
Li Shanchang gave a wry smile and said: "Wuwei is short of food, and it is difficult for everyone in the army to have a good meal."
Hu Weiyong took off his bag, took out a few hard cakes from it, and said with a smile: "I think the cakes are too hard, teacher, can you give me a bowl too?"
Li Shanchang smiled, feeling more and more that Hu Weiyong was a wonderful man, and said with a smile: "Okay, wait a moment."
He entered the kitchen and served Hu Weiyong a bowl of rice porridge. When he returned to the lobby, he saw that Hu Weiyong had already soaked two hard biscuits in his bowl.
Li Shanchang was not polite. While eating porridge and cakes, he asked: "Wei Yong, if you don't stay well in Jiangdu, why do you come to me? This road of inaction is a dangerous place!"
Hu Weiyong smiled and said: "The students are here to pick up the teacher and leave the dangerous place!"
Li Shanchang's eyes lit up and he said: "If someone else said this, I would never believe it, but I believe what you, Hu Weiyong, said. Tell me, what can you do?"
Hu Weiyong said: "Teacher can propose to Marshal Zhu to buy food from the Jiangdu Army. Marshal Zhu will definitely agree and will send the teacher to Jiangdu. Then the teacher can stay in Jiangdu!"
Li Shanchang frowned and said: "You should know that I, Li Shanchang, am not an unjust person. Otherwise, why would I come back when I was in Jiangdu last time?"
Hu Weiyong smiled and said: "The situation is different this time. The left prime minister has already made suggestions to the King of Chu. As long as you go to Jiangdu, he will use you as a condition for selling grain. Will Marshal Zhu refuse to agree?"
Li Shanchang was surprised and happy, and said: "How can the left prime minister be willing to speak for me?"
Hu Weiyong smiled and said: "To be fair to the teacher, the student is serving as a clerk in the Prime Minister's Mansion."
Li Shanchang took a deep look at him and said: "Wei Yong, since you have been appreciated by the left prime minister, why do you still spend so much time on my affairs?"
Hu Weiyong sighed and said: "Students dare not lie to the teacher. Although the left prime minister has a high position and power, he cannot make students become officials!"
Li Shanchang was stunned and said: "He refuses to recommend you?"
"No, it's the King of Chu who refuses to use me. Now that the King of Chu has so many talented people, he doesn't have to use people as easily as before. No matter who wants to enter the officialdom of Chu State, the only way is to take the imperial examination!"
Li Shanchang understood that Hu Weiyong's only way out was the imperial examination. With his talent and learning, the only way to pass the examination was to improve his arithmetic ability.
"Don't worry, when I arrive in Jiangdu, I will definitely teach you all the knowledge of arithmetic!"