Chapter four hundred and ninety-ninth the wind and rain can be determined
That evening after leaving office, Zhang Yuan walked back to his apartment in Lige Old Hutong. The wind was biting along the way. The weather was already very cold in mid-October. It seemed that the first snow this winter would come soon. Zhang Yuan thought to himself: "Snow
Nurhaci, who fell behind, would definitely lead his army back to Jianzhou, and sacked Fushun and surrounding cities, which was enough for the Jurchens of the Later Jin Dynasty to rest and spend the winter. The first wave of aggression by the Later Jin Dynasty could come to an end for the time being, but Zhang Chengyin, the commander-in-chief, was defeated.
Today is October 17th, the sixth day of October. There is a time difference of eleven days. During this period, the Eight Banners Army will definitely continue to capture and plunder, but the news has not yet reached the stables in time. This winter in Beijing
It’s not easy.”
Arriving at Li Ge's old alley apartment, Zhang Yuan put aside all worries about the country and the people for the time being and walked in. He saw a bamboo birdcage hanging under the corridor of the foyer. In the cage, a black-feathered starling was jumping up and down. Zhang Yuan was overjoyed.
, said loudly: "Has Xiuwei arrived in Beijing?"
The black-feathered starling in the exquisite birdcage shouted in response: "Weigu is looking for meson, and weigu is looking for meson."
Zhang Yuan laughed loudly.
Xue Tong and Uncle Yao walked out of the ear room, as well as Uncle Yao's wife Lin, and four old servants and maids whom Zhang Yuan was not familiar with, and came together to pay homage to Zhang Yuan.
"Ms. sir——"
Wang Wei quickly walked out of the inner courtyard's ceremonial gate, and Yingying prostrated herself. Zhang Yuan helped her up and took a closer look at her face. Her skin was white and her eyes were charming, without the slightest trace of weather. Wang Wei was very good at retouching without revealing any traces of beauty.
.
Wang Wei introduced Zhang Yuan to those old servants and old women who were her old friends at the Orchid House in Jinling. This time Wang Wei returned to Jinling and sold the Orchid House. Those who had been in the house since Ma Xianglan were
Wang Wei originally planned to give some money to the servants and send them away. But these people were unwilling to leave and said they wanted to follow Wang Wei. Wang Wei had to bring them all to Beijing. Beijing Shengmei Company was short of manpower. Although these servants were old,
They are all a bit big, but they are still manageable.
Zhang Yuan and Wang Wei entered the inner courtyard. Shang Danran, Shang Jinghui and the others were reading family letters and checking gifts from their hometown. These were all brought by Wang Wei from Shanyin and Kuaiji. Wang Wei returned to Shanyin on June 10th.
Ninth is Zhang Yuan’s twentieth birthday. A grand ancestor worship ceremony was held in Dongzhang. Zhang Ruiyang and his wife had learned from Zhang Yuan’s family letter that Mu Zhenzhen had given birth to a boy a month earlier. They also inquired carefully from Wang Wei and found out two years ago that Mu Zhenzhen had given birth to a boy.
The second grandson, the old couple couldn't be happier -
Zhang Yuan learned from Wang Wei that the family in his hometown was still the same. His father, Zhang Ruiyang, kept the promise he made before Zhang Yuan came to Beijing to take the exam the year before last. He would not accept the offer of land and would not go out to solicit lawsuits. On weekdays, he only managed Yanghe Yicang and Hanshe Bookstore.
, is willing to contribute to local public welfare, and has a good reputation in Shanyin——
Wang Wei also brought two shipments of goods this time, including cloth and satin from Qingpu, various glasses from Shanyin Mirror Factory, and a large number of books published by Hanshe Bookstore. In the past two years, Shengmei Trading Company, Hanshe Mirror Factory and
Hanshe Bookstore is developing rapidly and prospering. This makes Zhang Yuan very happy.
While they were talking, the boy came to report that Mr. Yu from North Korea was here again. Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "He's coming when he's here. Don't add the word 'again', wouldn't it make it look like we're bothering him to come to our door."
Shang Danran all laughed. The Korean envoy and his entourage had been stranded in Beijing for nearly three months, and the Ming Dynasty's edict to confer Lingyang Jun Li Zhu as the king of Korea has been delayed. Yu Yan, Jin Zhongqing and others were so worried that they bid farewell to Beijing.
There was no Ming Dynasty official who could be trusted, and only Zhang Yuan could be entrusted to him, so he would visit Zhang Yuan every now and then to ask for advice.
Seeing Zhang Yuan, the North Korean envoy Yu Yan looked sad and said: "The slave chiefs brazenly captured Fushun and plundered the border villages. I am afraid that they will also turn against North Korea. And His Highness Lord Lingyang has not yet been canonized by the Celestial Empire, although he is loyal to the Celestial Empire."
, but I’m afraid that the government order will be difficult to implement.”
Zhang Yuan comforted him and said: "Please be at ease with Yu's verdict. In my humble opinion, the canonization edict will be issued within this month."
Yu Yan, Jin Zhongqing and others thought that Zhang Yuan had received the news from the inner court, and they were overjoyed and asked what happened?
Zhang Yuandao: "We just went back to the library to wait for the good news. Don't reveal it to anyone else first to avoid any accidents."
Yu Yan and others repeatedly said yes and were overjoyed. Since Zhang Yuan said this, there must be definite news. After talking for a while, they left. When Zhang Yuan sent them out, Yu Yan turned around and said sincerely: "His Royal Highness Lord Ling Yang, to Zhang Yuan
Your Excellency is extremely respectful to each other. If the emperor wishes to enthrone him, please ask Mr. Zhang to spare no effort and make another mission to our country." Yu Yan felt that Zhang Yuan was easier to get along with and he was not as arrogant as other Ming officials.
Zhang Yuan hurriedly said: "If I go to your country again, I will provoke criticism from others, which will also be detrimental to your country." Being an envoy is indeed a hard job, and now that the general trend of Lingyang's monarchy in Korea has been determined, there is no need for him to go again.
Korea.
Yu Yan also knew that Zhang Yuan had many political enemies in the court, and he had to be cautious in everything he said and did. He said no more at the moment and bowed before returning to the hall.
At night, Zhang Yuan rested in Wang Wei's room. After making love, the two of them whispered on the pillow. Wang Wei explained in detail the story of his trip to the south of the Yangtze River. He also said: "I made many inquiries on the way, hoping to find the emperor who stayed with me back then."
But nothing was found in the Buddhist temple where the coffin was kept." He sighed quietly: "More than ten years have passed, and the coffin of the late emperor must have been burned by the monks and can never be found again."
Zhang Yuandao: "It is very common for people who have died in a foreign country to leave their coffins in Buddhist temples. Even if ten or twenty years have passed, the monks will not throw away those coffins, because once the descendants of the deceased come to the mountain gate, it will be a big trouble - Xiu Wei, don't be sad
, I will return to Jiangnan next year and help you search all the way, so that your father can rest in peace."
"Hey!" Wang Wei asked curiously: "My husband is going back to Jiangnan next year?"
Zhang Yuandao: "The party struggle between the DPRK and China continues, so I'd better stay away from the edge for the time being." He thought: "The Wanli Dynasty is coming to an end. I won't swim in this muddy water and wait for the new king to take the throne. Of course, for the upcoming Ming Dynasty and the
I still have to make plans as much as possible for the decisive battle of Hou Jin Dynasty. Unfortunately, the decision-making is not up to me. If we can avoid a big defeat, it will be a success. In such a situation, we can only figure it out slowly."
Wang Wei was very happy when he heard what Zhang Yuan said, and said: "Chen Meigong of Huating once said, 'The only way to open the dense places of flowers and willows is to open them; when the wind is fierce and the rain is heavy, you can only see the roots of your feet if you stand firm.'"
You deserve the clear words of Meigong."
Zhang Yuan laughed silently, but then heard Wang Wei say again: "Actually, I really can't get used to living in this northern land. I still like Jiangnan, but wherever my husband goes, Wang Wei will always follow him."
Zhang Yuan smiled and asked, "If I were demoted to Qiongzhou Prefecture to become a minor, would you also be willing to follow me?"
Wang Wei said: "Of course, no matter where we are in the world."
Zhang Yuan gently stroked her slender waist and said: "It doesn't have to be so hard as expected. I want to live a happy life. I want to enjoy the moon at Qinhuai and go boating on the West Lake. That's also my wish."
Wang Wei hugged Tengen on his side and stopped talking. The two of them listened quietly to the sound of the wind outside. The north wind was blowing hard. I wonder if the first snow has fallen?
…
Because of the war in Liaodong, the Ministry of Rites, from the right minister He Zongyan down, felt anxious. The matter of canonizing Lord Lingyang Li Zhu as the king of Korea could no longer be postponed. The old slave of Jianzhou was aggressive this time. After the defeat of Zhang Chengyin, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, Korea began to attack the Ming Dynasty.
His attitude was very crucial. Once Xian was coerced by the slave chief and refused to submit to the Ming Dynasty, Taiyuan officials would definitely hold the Ministry of Rites responsible for the long delay in canonizing Li Jian. For this reason, He Shilang visited Fang Congzhe twice to discuss canonizing the North Koreans.
Regarding the king's matter, Fang Congzhe was also worried that the situation in Liaodong was uncontrollable and North Korea had to be won over, so he agreed to send envoys and canonize the king, and reported to Emperor Wanli for approval——
On October 24, Li Weihan, the governor of Liaodong, sent another urgent border message. After the Eight Banners Army of the Later Jin Dynasty defeated Zhang Chengyin's 10,000 troops, they immediately besieged Fu'an, Huabaochong, and Sanchaer to the north of Fushun and south of Tieling.
, Li Yongfang, a former Fushun guerrilla, was willing to be a pioneer in establishing slaves. When the Eight Banners Army attacked Songshan Tunbao, Li Yongfang worked hard to persuade them to surrender. The soldiers and civilians of Songshan Tunbao opened the gate and surrendered, and the four surrounding villages refused to surrender.
The fort was massacred and bloodbathed. Except for Qinghe City, which is known as a natural danger, and was still guarding the area hundreds of miles around Fushun, all other castles and villages were looted. All the people and food stolen were transported away, and torches were set off when the troops retreated.
All the cities and houses were burned down...
On October 26, according to the imperial edict, Xu Guangqi, Zuo Zanshan of Zhan Shifu, was sent as an envoy to the King of Korea to ennoble Ayang Jun Li Jie as the king of Korea.
On the 29th, the Ming Dynasty envoy left Beijing, and Zhang Yuan was sent outside Chongwen Gate. It snowed for the first time since the beginning of winter in front of the stables, and the outside of Chongwen Gate was completely white. Zhang Yuan said goodbye to his senior brother Xu Guangqi, and Xu Guangqi said goodbye to Liaodong.
Zhang Yuan's understanding of the situation is similar, and this trip should be able to win over the Korean communists to resist the post-Kin Dynasty.
Yu Yan, Jin Zhongqing and others bid farewell to Zhang Yuan one after another. Yu Yan said sincerely: "Our country can end the chaos anyway because of the kindness of Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang is an honest and upright person, and distant ministers dare not express gratitude with vulgar etiquette. Tao Jingjie
The poem says, 'Mountains and rivers are thousands of miles away, words and laughter are difficult to explain'. Today we say goodbye, and I don't know when I will be able to listen to Mr. Zhang's clear words again!"
When Zhang Yuan heard Yu Yan quoting Tao Yuanming's poems, he suddenly thought of the blind virgin who was proficient in divination, acupuncture, and swordsmanship and loved Tao Yuanming's poems. But what came to his mind was the image of a beautiful girl: black gauze hat, high-waisted white robe, eyebrows
Thin and upturned, with clear black and white eyes, a tall and delicate nose, long eyelashes, a pointed chin, and a charming expression——
This was Zhang Yuan's impression when he first met Princess Jeongmyeong at Datong Hall in Pyongyang. Under the bright sunshine in May, the small and soft cold hairs on the girl's neck were as clear as yesterday.
Zhang Yuan thought to himself: "Princess Zhenming, who had a tragic life, has recovered from her aphasia and her status has been restored. All her hardships have come to an end."
…
The cold winter arrived and the land in Liaodong was covered with ice and snow. Nurhachi did not continue to attack Qinghe City. At the end of October, he returned to Hetuala with hundreds of thousands of Han people who had been captured and a large amount of money, silk, grain and grass. The war in Liaodong temporarily subsided, and in
In Beijing, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, a military mobilization against the Hou Jin Dynasty was rapidly unfolding. The Ming Dynasty could not tolerate the arrogant aggression of the slaves, and must give a devastating counterattack.
Because the city of Fushun was destroyed and Zhang Chengyin's entire army was wiped out, Li Weihan, the governor of Liaodong, could not escape the blame. Several officials had already impeached Li Weihan for being fatuous and incompetent. He had to choose another capable minister to manage Liaodong. Therefore, Yang Hao, who was familiar with Liao affairs and had been idle for many years,