Chapter 153 152 Ceremony

The jingling of horse bells came from the official road in the distance, and the two carriages slowly turned out from the corner. When they got closer, the wooden wheels turned and made a "creeping" sound.

"Brother Lao and Brother Wei Xian, when do you plan to leave for next year's examination?"

In the car, Shen Liangdong, the oldest, spoke.

Lao Kan frowned slightly and then said: "The general examination is in February. If we rush for the examination, we can only make it just in time even if we set off in December."

"Yeah, it's safer to leave in November."

Wei Guangde didn't speak, just nodded.

Shen Liangdong and Lao Kan are right.

Although you can take a boat all the way from Jiujiang Prefecture to Beijing, you cannot avoid the seasons.

In winter, the Grand Canal is frozen, making it impossible to sail, so they can only go by land to Beijing to take the exam.

"If Chengzu had not moved the capital to Beijing, it would have been better to hold the examination in Nanjing as he did in the 10th year of Yongle."

Lao Kan suddenly said something.

"hehe."

In response, Wei Guangde and Shen Liangdong could only smile and shake their heads.

The three people were chatting while the carriage gradually moved away.

A few days later, the carriages of the three new imperial examination candidates finally returned to Jiujiang City, and the carriages of the carriage company delivered them to their homes one by one.

Fortunately, the three of them all lived in the city, so they didn't spend much time.

According to the previously agreed itinerary, they set off in mid-November.

When Wei Guangde got off the carriage, he saw Zhang Ji jumping out of the car behind him, taking the luggage handed over by the coachman, and quickly followed.

"Got home."

Standing in front of his house, Wei Guangde stretched. After staying in the car for a long time, he felt uncomfortable all over.

"Yes, your ladyship must have known the news. She may be very happy."

Zhang Ji carried something aside and echoed proudly.

While the two were talking, Uncle Lin, the concierge in charge of the Zhang family's door, heard voices outside and looked out. He saw Wei Guangde and Zhang Ji standing outside the door. He hurriedly opened the door and greeted them in panic. come out.

"Master, the second young master is back."

Before running out, he didn't forget to shout into the house to notify other people in the family.

Following his shout, many people were quickly attracted to the room, and everyone rushed in the luggage that Wei Guangde had brought back.

Asking Zhang Ji to put the things back in his small courtyard, Wei Guangde picked out a small box from the bag and went to his mother's yard. At this time, Wei's mother had received the news and arranged for someone to arrange the dinner and food for the evening. Wei Guangde entered When I arrived, I saw Mother Wei with a smile on her face.

"Mom, the baby is back."

"Okay, just come back."

As soon as Wei Guangde approached, Wei's mother took him into her arms and patted Wei Guangde's head happily.

In the evening, Father Wei went home from work, and Zhang Shigui and Wu Zhankui were with him.

Wei's mother arranged for someone to notify him, and in the afternoon, aunt Wu Zhang had already come to Wei's house, hugging Wei Guangde and praising her again.

Not long after, Zhang Fugui and Zhang Hongfu also came over. Zhang Tongzhi originally planned to come over, but after all, he was getting old, so he asked his children and grandchildren to come over to celebrate.

The banquet was divided into two tables, the female family members were in the inner room, and the male guests were naturally in the outer room.

While the wine was intoxicating, Wei Guangde heard his father suddenly ask: "The news came today, how capable are these Japanese pirates, and they haven't been wiped out yet."

"Who knows."

Wu Zhankui said casually, "Brother-in-law should know better about this matter. He has always been in charge of the news about Japanese pirates in Wei."

As they spoke, their eyes shifted to Zhang Shigui.

"That group of Japanese pirates was a bit difficult to deal with. They landed in Shangyu, Zhejiang in June. The Shaoxing Prefecture immediately mobilized surrounding officers and soldiers to contain them, but they still let them escape and robbed towns near Hangzhou. He grabbed hold of him and fled before the officers and soldiers surrounded him."

Then Zhang Shigui began to give them a detailed introduction to the battles and escapes between the Japanese pirates and the officers and soldiers after they landed. Of course, this information came from the official and may not be accurate. I can only say that it was probably good.

When Wei Guangde heard the news about the Japanese pirates, he naturally became concerned again.

Now in the emperor's mind, apart from Xiuxian, only the Southern Japanese and the Northern Monkeys could bother him for a while.

For next year's palace examination, I will ask them to propose solutions. Although they may not necessarily follow them, it is also a reference to see if there are any good suggestions that they have missed.

Most of the papers in the palace examinations of the Ming Dynasty dealt with political issues at that time. Therefore, after the palace examinations, they would not be returned to the candidates, but would be archived directly because no one could say for sure. The discernment of high-level officials.

Even when Zhang Hongfu handed over a wine glass and wanted to go with him, Wei Guangde waved his hand to stop him.

"Afterwards, on the way to escape, we were attacked many times by local officials and guardsmen. However, the more we attacked, the fewer and fewer the group of Japanese pirates became, they became more and more elite. They were very good at hiding and attacking. No wonder Zhejiang and Nan The officers and soldiers in Zhili have nothing to do.”

Having said this, Zhang Shigui sighed and raised his wine glass. Everyone on the table picked up their wine glasses and drank it down.

Zhang Shigui's next words gave Wei Guangde a thorough understanding of the group of Japanese pirates. After the thieves were discovered in Shaoxing Prefecture, they were besieged by the government troops around Shaoxing Prefecture, and most of the Japanese pirate ships were damaged.

Probably seeing no hope of escaping, this group of Japanese pirates chose a tactic that had never been used by Japanese pirates in the past, which was to run west and fight inland. Unexpectedly, they succeeded.

Come to think of it, at this time, the officers and soldiers thought that the Japanese pirates were going to the seaside, so the defense on the inland side was lax and the opportunity was seized.

After that, the Japanese pirates ran to the outside of Hangzhou and fired with guns. Before the surrounding officers and soldiers surrounded them, they ran westward and successively raided Yuqian County and Changhua County.

Then, the Japanese pirates came out of Zhejiang. Changhua County is located at the junction of Zhejiang and Nanzhili.

However, this group of Japanese pirates did not directly enter Nanzhili. Instead, they went slightly south into Yanzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province, and looted Chun'an County. After being encircled and suppressed by the Zhejiang army, they continued westward from Chun'an and ran into Nanzhili. Huizhou Prefecture under the jurisdiction of the Huizhou Prefecture.

"Huizhou Prefecture? It's not far from Jiujiang, right?"

Zhang Fugui suddenly interrupted and said that he had known about the news of Japanese pirates running into the interior before, but he was not clear about the whereabouts of the thieves.

Now when I heard the meaning of my elder brother's words, I realized that the Japanese pirates had actually arrived near Jiujiang.

"All in all, it's only a few hundred miles away from us."

Zhang Shigui nodded and said.

"The Huizhou side must have been unprepared, and they were penetrated again. I heard before that this group of Japanese pirates are still running around, and they have almost reached Yingtian Mansion."

Zhang Fugui deserves to be well-informed. His sources of information are not only at home, but also from many friends doing business outside, so he is naturally well-informed.

Regarding the Japanese pirates' intrusion into the interior, he just heard it out of curiosity and didn't ask much about it. After all, it had little to do with him.

"Yes, they fought to She County under Yanzhou Prefecture, where they defeated the encircling and suppressing army. They went north to Jixi County, and then continued north to Jingde, Ningzhou Prefecture, and then passed through Jingxian County, Nanling, Wuhu, and now It should be near Taiping Mansion. If they continue to run north, won't they be close to Yingtian Mansion? "

Zhang Shigui has a really good memory, and he keeps spitting out a series of place names. It is obvious that his work in the command and envoy office is not in vain, and he knows the whereabouts of the Japanese pirates who invaded the inland this time.

"The defeat in Wuhu was quite disastrous. The main force of Jianyang Guard was defeated. If we think about it, if this group of Japanese pirates continues to go north."

By this time, Zhang Shigui had explained in detail the whereabouts of this group of Japanese pirates that had traveled thousands of miles inland.

"How many more of them are there?"

Wei Guangde listened very carefully and couldn't help but ask.

"According to Tang News, there seemed to be only a few dozen Japanese pirates left in Chun'an. In the subsequent battle in Wuhu, in addition to the Jianyang Guards, many local people also participated, and more than ten were killed that time. There probably aren’t many people left.”

Zhang Shigui frowned and thought for a moment before saying: "But the rest are all strong, and they are even harder to catch."

In fact, when Wei Guangde heard Zhang Shigui say that the Japanese pirates were approaching Yingtian Mansion, he already had a memory in his mind.

This memory, of course, comes from later generations, a joke I read online.

Yes, at that time, Wei Guangde read the article with the mentality of reading a joke. It said that dozens of Japanese pirates attacked Nanjing City. He vaguely remembered that he checked the information online later and found that this paragraph was actually true.

Then I saw all kinds of analyses. Some said that this was the city of Nanjing where the Japanese pirates escaped accidentally. Some said that the Japanese pirates were secretive but very purposeful. They first ran westward, then fought northward, and even encountered officers and soldiers from many places. The encirclement and suppression campaign continued northward, as if it had been planned in advance.

And the most ridiculous thing is that they think that there are dozens of Japanese pirates who came ashore. Note, they think that there are only dozens of Japanese pirates who came ashore.

In fact, they were not pirates, but were sent by a certain Japanese lord to investigate the military situation of the Ming Dynasty. They were prepared to launch a massive attack after finding out the situation.

At that time, Wei Guangde was stunned for a moment. To be honest, he believed everything he saw.

However, the more news I heard from Zhang Shigui, the more it sounded like it was exactly that?

Judging from what he said, there were actually hundreds of Japanese pirates when they came ashore. They were encircled and dispersed by the army in Shaoxing Prefecture. One of the stronger Japanese pirates chose to flee westward. Later, they may have discovered that there were more officers and soldiers in other directions. , so he turned around and ran north, and accidentally ended up at Yingtian Mansion.

Well, at the time of the Luming Banquet, the documents that I saw for the Jiangxi Capital Commander and the Jiangxi Chief Envoy were probably the news that the Japanese pirates had arrived in Huizhou.

Huizhou is only two hundred miles to the west, but it is Pengze County under the jurisdiction of Jiujiang Prefecture. If you go south, you will enter Raozhou Prefecture in Jiangxi.

Wei Guangde has been to Raozhou.

When he was traveling in Jiangxi, he had been to many places and was quite impressed by them.

"If the Japanese pirates really arrived at the gates of Nanjing, wouldn't Beijing go crazy?"

Zhang Hongfu suddenly muttered.

The two capitals of the Ming Dynasty, Beijing and Nanjing, are important places of confidentiality. If there is another special existence, it is Fengyang.

In these three places, ancestors of the Zhu family are buried, and there is also the tomb of Taizu outside Nanjing.

"Yes, that's why we issued a military order yesterday, asking all the main soldiers to assemble and stand by. If the Nanjing War Department sends an order to mobilize troops, we will rush to Nanjing immediately."

Zhang Shigui said helplessly.

"There are dozens of Japanese pirates, and we Jiujiang Guards are still needed to send troops to rescue them?"

Zhang Hongfu looked in disbelief. There is no one left in the Nanjing Camp?

"I am afraid that this group of Japanese pirates are not fighting hard. They should be using guerrilla tactics. If they can fight, they can win, but if they can't, they can run away."

Wei Guangde whispered his judgment. If there were more people, his whereabouts would be easily exposed, and he would naturally be surrounded and suppressed by a large number of officers and soldiers.

After several battles, the inferior ones were beheaded, and the remaining ones were all elites. The small team made it easier to hide their tracks, leaving the large army helpless.

They took advantage of the loopholes and only attacked the small team of the army, creating panic among the Ming army.

"Yes, if they really could fight, they would have defeated the army in Zhejiang, and they would not have fled to Nanzhili."

Zhang Shigui nodded.

"What about Yingtian Prefecture now? And that Mr. Xu, if he leaves at this time, he will probably be accused of deserting the battlefield."

Wei Meng suddenly said.

"What Mr. Xu? What deserting the battlefield?"

Wei Guangde asked curiously. He had just returned home for a long time, so he naturally didn't know many things.

Soon, Zhang Hongfu explained to Wei Guangde in a low voice, and Wei Guangde knew that Xu Bangrui, the eldest son of the current Duke of Wei, had arrived in Jiujiang a few days ago and came to his house to drink wedding wine.

After Zhang Hongfu told Wei Guangde about the bad things in Duke Wei's family, Wei Guangde suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. It was too familiar.

When in Nanchang City, the scholars got together. In addition to talking about learning and gossip, they also talked about state affairs.

Well, the two princes of Emperor Jiajing were conferred titles and the two princes got married almost at the same time, which was naturally one of the topics of conversation.

As expected of Jiangxi, many candidates here have relatives serving as officials in Beijing, and they are well-informed. During the communication, Wei Guangde also learned that it seems that Emperor Jiajing also likes the younger son, Prince Jing, and does not seem to think much of Prince Yu.

There are also rumors that the emperor wants to abolish the eldest and establish the youngest. Isn't this similar to the situation in Duke Wei's family?

If there is only one difference, it is that Duke Wei's intention is very clear, while the royal family is still a little vague and can't see the emperor's specific thoughts.

"Ahem."

At this moment, Zhang Shigui suddenly coughed twice, attracting the attention of everyone at the table, and then he said slowly: 'The old man has analyzed that the idea of ​​the prince is probably not feasible. No matter what the emperor's attitude is, it will not pass the court. '

Speaking of this, Zhang Shigui looked around at everyone, "Keep your mouth shut. When you see Mr. Xu in the future, you must treat him as the prince, understand?"

The others nodded in response, and Wei Guangde blinked, as if he had realized something.

It is still a feudal dynasty, and this era is like this. It emphasizes "the order of seniority and the order of respect and inferiority. It is the blessing of the family. If you don't know etiquette, you can't stand."

In Nanchang City, Wei Guangde heard some officials' children say that King Jing is indeed better than King Yu in dealing with people, but in the eyes of most court officials, King Yu is still the crown prince.

Nothing else, it's just the difference between seniority and juniority.

Thinking of what he said just now, Mr. Zhang really sees it clearly.

But Wei Guangde thought of more. When he was in Nanchang, Wei Guangde was still guessing whether it was Prince Jing or Prince Yu who could inherit the throne. He had no impression of this, but after listening to Zhang Shigui's words just now, he understood that if there were no accidents, Prince Yu's ascension to the throne would be unstoppable.

Learned.

In this era, the word "li" represents morality and law, as well as system.