Before Zhu Hao went to Xishan to "do hard work", he could go home and spend one night according to the emperor's "gift".
But in fact, he couldn't spend that night at home, because he had to say goodbye to Zhu Si and explain some things to him. He just went home near dusk and handed over family matters to Sun Lan.
In particular, Mother Zhu had mentioned before that if her son was traveling, it would be best for her daughter-in-law to come home and see if she had nothing to do. Zhu Hao kept this in mind, and then allowed Sun Lan to return to her parents' home to visit her parents and family occasionally...after all, he would have to go out again.
For two months, casual communication at home would make people aware of him, so he decided not to contact him for the time being after leaving Beijing.
"...The government and the public are peaceful, so why does your husband want to leave the capital again?"
Sun Lan was vague about the situation in the DPRK and had no idea about Zhu Hao's current situation.
I just thought that Zhu Hao was away on business for two months. Before that, she sewed clothes specially for Zhu Hao. One of them was cut from the cloth she woven herself. The workmanship was very good, but it didn't look like a winter coat.
It looks like something worn in spring and autumn.
Zhu Hao smiled and said, "Just think of it as a trip."
"travel?"
Sun Lan didn't quite understand this new term.
Zhu Hao said: "Traveling and sightseeing are equivalent to going out to wander around Mingchuan Mountains. After walking around for a while, it's almost time to go home."
Sun Lan thought for a moment and felt that such a description seemed inappropriate. She shook her head and said: "The Hanlin Academy has always been a place where saints are born. Why go on a trip when you have beautiful errands to do? Please remember to come back early."
"Um."
Zhu Hao nodded.
…
…
In the evening, Zhu Hao met Zhu Si. Zhu Si was bragging to Zhang Zuo and others with the memorial sent by Tang Yin from the Xuanfu.
The general meaning is that now Tang Yin has stabilized the situation in Xuanfu and Datong. As a juren, without being favored by others, he has temporarily become a qualified governor of Xuanda. Zhu Sihai is even ready to let Tang Yin take a further step.
Be the governor of the three sides and coordinate military affairs in the northwest...
After Zhu Hao arrived, Zhu Si focused only on Zhu Hao.
"...You have to leave again. After one or two months, I have no one to help me in the capital. I always feel like something is missing." Zhu Si said gloomily, not wanting to let Zhu Hao go out again.
Zhu Hao said: "I'm just going to Xishan this time. Kuai Ma Interpretation can even make the round trip in less than half a day. If there is anything important, it won't be delayed."
Zhang Zuo smiled and consoled him: "Yes, Your Majesty, Mr. Zhu will not go far this time. Even if he returns to Beijing occasionally, it is feasible as long as no one notices him."
Zhu Hao glanced at Zhang Zuo.
You guys are full of tricks, don't make random ideas.
"Stop talking, I know that Zhu Hao will definitely not give up halfway. After all, we are around the capital. There are many informants named Yang. It is estimated that some arrangements will be made in the mine to avoid exposing the secret... Zhu Hao, as long as I
I just need to find you if I need anything."
Zhu Si was a little depressed and said with a stern face, "I thought it was very lively when I came here before. You, Mr. Tang and my uncle were all here, but now you have to leave again. It's so deserted here that I don't even need to leave the palace.
.”
Zhu Hao knew that there was still someone Zhu Si couldn't let go of in this courtyard, and that was Gong Yeling.
But now Gong Yeling obviously does not have the qualifications to enter the palace.
How to introduce this woman to outsiders?
She was said to be a woman from Leji whom the emperor met outside the palace? Or was he acquainted in Anlu? She was actually ten years older than the emperor? The fact that Emperor Chenghua doted on Concubine Wan Gui had created a psychological shadow among the ministers, so Zhu Si took full control of the court.
In front of the palace, there was no way to accept this woman into the palace and arrange a status for her.
Of course, you can accept her into the palace without giving her a title... The problem is that Empress Dowager Zhang has too much influence in the palace now. Empress Dowager Jiang will always grovel to Empress Dowager Zhang when she sees her. It is impossible for Gong Yeling to be able to do anything when he enters the palace.
Sleep.
"After the new year."
Zhu Hao said: "I guess Mr. Tang will be back soon when I return to the capital."
Zhu Si smiled and said: "You just like to do those mysterious things... If Mr. Tang comes back, who will be the Governor of Xuanda?"
Zhu Hao said: "
Zang Feng, he is the qualified minister of pastoral care... Even if Mr. Tang can control the situation now, it is more because he is someone close to His Majesty and can gather people's hearts, and he has the support of the victory in Juyongguan, but he will stay in Xuanfu for a long time
, the weaknesses in its ability to govern the government will be exposed, and by then the northwest may not be as stable as it is now."
"Oh, I understand. I just want Mr. Tang to transfer him back before his shortcomings are exposed and replace him with an experienced veteran... Zang Feng is actually quite good. I am optimistic about him."
In the past, Zang Feng was definitely not from Zhu's fourth camp, and was at most a centrist.
But as Zang Feng was deposed by Yang Tinghe in the northwest, he almost ended up in jail, forcing Zang Feng to sell himself and join the little emperor.
Next, Zhu Si uses Zang Feng. Even if there is no publicity to the outside world, everyone will regard Zang Feng as a member of the new emperor, including Yang Tinghe and Zang Feng themselves, and they have to think so.
Zhang Zuo asked tentatively: "Then Mr. Tang is not in the northwest, could it be..."
Zhu Si smiled and said: "It's better to go back to the capital. I will be very happy to see Mr. Tang at any time... I miss him."
Only then did Zhang Zuo understand why the emperor wanted to replace Zang Feng, who was not a direct lineage, with Tang Yin in the northwest to command the army. The reason was that the emperor did not feel safe in Beijing and needed someone with certain abilities like Tang Yin to help him support the situation.
As the emperor said, this courtyard is too deserted.
"Zhu Hao, you are leaving tomorrow. Let's have a good drink tonight. I want to talk more about the future with you. I want to know when you are going to expel Yang from the court..."
…
…
The monarch and his ministers stayed together until very late.
Zhu Hao just took a short nap in the second half of the night. Before dawn, he had to report to the Jinyiwei Yamen. He would be "escorted" by the Jinyiwei people to the "garrison station", which was the Xishan Coal Mine.
The people who went to Xishan were mainly the supervisors who were assigned to the Imperial Academy, and Cai Ang, who had a relatively high signature in the Hanlin Compilation.
Zhu Hao and Cai Ang rode in the same carriage, which meant they were taking care of each other.
"A bunch of old bones can't last more than a few days..."
Cai Ang always felt that time was wasted in front of Zhu Hao.
In fact, Cai Ang is only over 40 years old. In the Hanlin Academy, this age is the right year to be promoted... If you want to be promoted to bachelor, you must know the age of destiny. As for joining the cabinet, those over 50 are early, and six
There are many people who join the cabinet in their teens... Cai Ang himself is not so emotional, just because Zhu Hao is too young.
Even younger than his son, Cai Ang couldn't help but sigh.
Zhu Hao smiled and said: "Brother Cai, there is no need to feel sorry for yourself. We are just going to Xishan. After a few steps, someone will arrange our daily life. Just treat it as a quiet time. Then someone will find us some more books.
, wouldn’t it be good to study it carefully and discuss it?”
"hehe."
Cai Ang didn't know how Zhu Hao had such an open-minded character.
"By the way, Brother Cai, I heard that among your fellow villagers, there is a young man named Wu Cheng'en. Do you know him?" Zhu Hao asked with a smile.
Cai Ang was very surprised. He didn't know why Zhu Hao suddenly mentioned this. He nodded and said, "I do know him... That little friend is very interesting. He visited me when he returned to his hometown. He is very knowledgeable, but he always likes to talk about fairy tales."
Weird rumors. Oh, by the way, I heard that someone over there in Huguang wrote a novel about monkeys, and it was also made into a play. He couldn’t be more fond of it..."
Zhu Hao thought.
Isn't it? "Journey to the West" is originally Wu Chengen's masterpiece, and now I have written it in advance. Then Wu Chengen has read what he will write in the future. Even if he will never touch it again in this life, he will become more familiar with it the more he reads it, and he feels that his own thoughts and stories are
If their origins and transitions are the same, then they still have to live in the shadows?
Cai Ang asked: "This carriage is really bumpy... By the way, Jingdao, why did you suddenly mention the little friend of the Wu family?"
"hey-hey."
Zhu Hao said with a smile: "I am a young man, and I have heard about young talents from all over the world. Isn't it normal? In fact, I have also written some stories about ghosts and monsters."
"Ah? You've written this before?"
Cai Ang was surprised.
You are young and mature, and you won the first prize in the exam as a teenager
You must have been forced to do knowledge since you were young, right? You actually still have the mind to think about those weird things?
Zhu Hao smiled and said, "The story about monkeys that Brother Cai mentioned was written by me."
"Ahem..."
Cai Ang coughed violently.
Good guy.
This kid in front of me is really a child prodigy. Not only is he very knowledgeable, but he also engages in some weird and bizarre knowledge?
"Brother Cai, are you okay?"
"It's okay, it's okay. If you see this young friend from the Wu family, he will definitely pester you... Speaking of which, he is a few years older than you, but he didn't go well in the imperial examination, or he cares too much about things outside the classic meaning.
"
When Cai Ang said this, he was already drowsy.
Zhu Hao asked: "Can we contact him and ask him to come to the capital?"
Cai Ang closed his eyes, shook his head and said, "It's difficult. The Wu family only expects him to leap over the dragon's gate. How can they let him go out to study? But if you are thinking about him, I will mention you by the way when I write a letter home to let him know.
, It turns out that the famous master he admired is actually working beside me...perhaps he can understand the obstacles in his heart and devote himself to learning."
Cai Ang admired Wu Chengen very much.
However, one of them is a Jinshi, and the other is just a commoner. They have little involvement with each other. If they are appreciated, it is difficult to say that they are valued. Cai Ang himself has not made a name for himself in the court.
Zhu Hao understood that it would be unrealistic for Wu Chengen to give up the imperial examination and come to the capital. Scholars with this idea had high hopes from their families and mostly took the imperial examination. How could they just give up?
Without the title of imperial examination, how can one stand out and shine?
This society only recognizes Jinshi. Of course, candidates also have a certain social status, but students only have a small reputation in the local area.
The carriage was traveling bumpily.
The escorting soldiers and imperial guards drove the carriage forward quickly.
Although the journey was not very hurried and the group would definitely arrive at the Xishan Mine before dark and would not have to spend the night on the road, this was after all an exile and not a real trip, and the soldiers' attitude was still to escort prisoners.
Zhu Hao said: "Brother Cai, please write a letter back when you have time. I would like to discuss knowledge with you, a young friend of the Wu family, or help him run the school and see if I can recruit a supervisor."