Chapter 68 Abandoning his pen and joining the army
The weather in late June is still very hot.
Huaiyu took Ma Zhou and ran back to Huaiyuanfang. Zhao Xin had recruited a new group of people in the small courtyard. Dozens of people were busy making medicine. It was a little strange to see him come back early and bring a scholar with him.
"I'm going to Longyou."
"Why did you suddenly go to Longyou? There's a war going on there."
"I just went to fight and inspect the medical school at Longyou camp."
"Congratulations, boss." When Zhao Xin and others found out that Huaiyu had obtained the rank of ninth-grade officer and was going to Longyou to join the army, they were all happy for Huaiyu.
Fighting, what are you afraid of? What's more, you are a medical officer, and you are not going to fight on the front line immediately.
"Erlang, can you take me there? I have been practicing martial arts since I was a child and I know how to ride a horse." Zhao Xin actually wanted to fight too.
"People will die in war, aren't you afraid?"
Zhao Xin laughed twice, "Erlang, I am a businessman, a businessman with city registration. Do you know what a businessman is? The law despises businessmen. Businessmen and their descendants are not allowed to be officials, and there are strict restrictions on how businessmen can even interact with scholars.
, we merchants cannot ride horses, nor can we wear silk."
After packing these, Huaiyu went to the medicine warehouse in the front yard to collect some more medicines and prepared some backup medicines for marching and fighting.
"Don't be shy. If you really want to remember the favor, remember that if I get hurt in Longyou, just give me a hand."
Not to mention how to recruit a strong man, ordinary people can only be civilian husbands at best.
Finally, I took out a box of condoms. They had been stored for more than five years, and they were actually quite good field tools.
Just as he was about to go back to the courtyard, someone walked out of the opposite door, but it was Fan Xuanfu who she said she would never see again last time. Today she was still dressed as a man.
"Erlang is going to Longyou, please take Ma Zhou with you." Ma Zhou didn't speak all the way back. After thinking for a long time, he decided to go with Huaiyu, especially when he just saw that the businessmen in the front yard were so enthusiastic and wanted to go.
While making meritorious deeds, he would no longer hesitate.
"Erlang, you need someone to help you when you go to Longyou. We will go with you and be your soldiers. Moreover, we all know some medicine preparation and processing. It will also be helpful to go to Longyou with Erlang."
Huaiyu didn't know what to say because of his carefulness and thoughtfulness.
With such a living role model, they are all envious.
Huaiyu was a little surprised. He thought that ordinary people were unwilling to be soldiers and did not want to fight. Unexpectedly, in this era, being able to serve as soldiers and fight was restricted by status. Only the families of scholars and peasants, and powerful landlords and rich peasants, were eligible to select soldiers.
, others can’t do it even if they want to.
Then bring a magnesium block, lighter, compass, and telescope.
These people are very passionate and generous.
There are quite a lot of good things. He bought these things when he was in college because he dated a girlfriend who liked the outdoors. Later, he followed the old path to the mountains, so he took all of them with him when he was packing.
He also brought tents, buckets, baskets and many other tools, which were not ordinary individual soldier equipment and were completely enough for a small team to travel.
"I don't know how to use a stick. Su Guogong has given me one stick, which is enough."
The children of the imperial military attachés were naturally superior to others in the early Tang Dynasty.
A set of knives was always essential for outdoor use, but Huaiyu now has no shortage of knives. Cheng Chumo gave him the refined barrier knife, which is very useful, and the iron horizontal knife given to him by Li Shimin.
For a businessman like Zhao Xin who has been registered in the market, it is impossible to turn over from generation to generation under normal circumstances. Of course, there are exceptions. For example, at the beginning of the founding of Li Tang Dynasty, many slaves were made princes for their military merits, and there were a large number of slaves.
Slaves, industrial and commercial miscellaneous people were awarded official positions based on meritorious service.
The disciples of the Fan family stared with wide eyes, and they were shocked. Some people dared to say in public that they wanted to marry the eldest daughter of the Fan family. How brave they were.
Of course, if it is decorated with dragons and phoenixes, it is an imperial sword, also called a Thousand Bulls Sword. Li Deyu is a Thousand Bulls Sword, and he is equipped with such a sword. Because the sword is too long, he usually holds it directly in front of him with both hands.
This kind of knife is made of excellent materials and made by master craftsmen. It is extremely sharp. It is powerful as a ceremonial sword, and it is also very good at killing people in real battles.
This will come in handy.
They are both a tabard and a cloak. The tabard is made of silk and can be worn over the armor. It has sleeves. The iron armor is worn on the body. It does not resist the sun in summer and does not resist cold in winter. Wearing the tabard outside can protect you from the sun and wind and the cold. At the same time,
It also has a certain anti-arrow effect. Even if an arrow is shot into the flesh, a layer of silk can reduce the wound. The cloak is sleeveless and made of thick gold. It can be used as a blanket when worn outside, and it can also protect against arrows.
The arrow is dustproof, windproof, coldproof and sunproof, and is more convenient.
"Erlang, now that you have obtained an official position, you have also been transferred to the Longyou camp to inspect the medical school. According to the custom, you can bring your children or subordinates with the army. As long as Erlang is willing, I can voluntarily join the army."
"Yes, give it a try. What will happen if you don't try? Even if you die in Longyou, it will be a bad fate. What if you really do meritorious service? I don't want to live a mediocre life and regret it when I grow old."
"If a person dies and a bird looks up to the sky, if we don't die for tens of thousands of years, we will just take one life. It's worthless. Poor people don't care about their lives. If you have the chance, you should always give it a try."
"On the battlefield, there are no weapons and no eyesight. Even if you are in the medical camp, you are not necessarily safe." Huaiyu said.
"But what should we do at Qian Jin Tang?"
Cheng Chumo went to Longyou this time because he worked hard to win over Lao Cheng. To put it bluntly, he went there specifically to fight for merit. The world is unified. If we don't fight, there will be no chance. The generals and their noble sons need more and more solid military exploits. I
They are both General Youwuwei. It is impossible for the eldest son to stay in the capital as a guard all the time. In that case, how will he inherit the family business in the future.
It's very long. It can reach directly to the mouth and nose when leaning on the ground. It's at least 1.56 meters. This sword is familiar to Huaiyu. Fan Xuanfu used it to chop Xue Wanche on the street. It's also called the Horse-Zhanning Sword.
An additional mule team was even assigned to Huaiyu. The eight mules were responsible for logistics support and transportation, including armor, tents, dry food, etc.
He looked at the box of condoms and even thought of the sports-loving girl. Unfortunately, they separated before he fell ill.
"Take care of yourself."
"Occasionally tomorrow morning."
"Xuan Fu, when I come back, I will marry you!"
"You can think about it one more night and talk about it tomorrow morning."
In front of the emperor and the prince, in addition to the real swords worn by the Qianniu guards, there are also many ceremonial guards who carry wooden swords decorated with gold and silver, also called banjian.
I looked through the Taoist treasures left by the old Taoist in my luggage for a while, but I couldn't calm down, so I simply closed them and put them away, then rummaged through my luggage again, planning to bring a few things that could be used.
It seemed that Lao Cheng really wanted to take Huaiyu as his son-in-law. Huaiyu was about to go on an expedition, so he directly sent eight soldiers from his hometown.
Cheng Chumo came and brought him two sets of armor, a black horse bow, two bows with six strings, sixty feather arrows, and even prepared seven things for him to take with him on an expedition, including a sharpening stone and a knot-breaking awl.
Felt hats, felt clothing, rattan leggings, wheat rice and corn, etc.
After planting, tell the good man to remember to water it. Maybe by the time he comes back, these novel fruits and vegetables will have matured.
"Bring this knife with you. Ma Shan, can you use it? My father has many swords. I'll get you one."
Because of their low status, merchants were not allowed to ride horses or wear silks and satins, so merchants generally rode mules and donkeys.
A businessman has the same status as a son of a criminal.
"Erlang, so many scholars in the Han Dynasty went to the Western Regions to make great achievements. Those who traveled far, joined the army, and became marquises thousands of miles away are the role models for our generation of scholars."
"I, Aye, asked me to lend you eight men. They are all young and strong, and they have fought with me for many years. They are experienced, capable of riding and shooting. Their task is to protect you personally. I, Aye, have given each of them
It is equipped with two horses, as well as spears, swords, swords, bows, arrows, whips and axes, and even rice and rice."
"wait for me a while."
At first glance, I fell in love with the Swiss Army Knife. This combination knife has many practical functions, so I brought it with me.
Several slaves also became the founding fathers of the country.
There are even fine salt and vinegar cloth.
The older ones in this group include pharmacists in their 40s and 50s, the younger ones include apprentices who are only 14 or 15 years old, and there are also young clerks who are 17, 18 or 20 years old. They all have eager eyes and want to give it a try.
Huaiyu held his war robe, cloak, and long knife, looking at the gate of the Fan family with mixed feelings in his heart.
"Well, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has granted me the crown prince's right guard to lead the government to join the army, and sent me to the Longyou camp to inspect the medical school." Huaiyu looked at her, "You have lost weight. Is your injury better? Let me help you change your medicine."
He had just been promoted to the sixth-grade military rank of Youwuwei Tongjunfu. This time when he went to Longyou, he had to be at least a general manager and lead a battalion of 1,800 people. Although Cheng Chumo was the son of the Duke of the country, he could
I'm not a loser either, I'm very excited about this trip.
He was like a squirrel trying to survive the winter, constantly stuffing things into his luggage.
A large amount of equipment was also prepared for Huaiyu's expedition.
If the prince hadn't appointed Huaiyu to inspect the medical school, he would have even dragged Huaiyu to his camp.
In addition to not being able to take the imperial examination or serve as officials, businessmen cannot even join the army to seek military merit. Li Yuan clearly said that businessmen and miscellaneous people should not be prepared to join the ranks. Li Shimin also said that businessmen and businessmen of all kinds should only be given lavish financial aid, but must not be given more.
Official rank means standing shoulder to shoulder with the virtuous gentlemen of the court, sitting and eating with them.
"Are you going on an expedition?"
When I returned to the backyard, there was no Runniang to greet me, so I felt a little uncomfortable for a while.
Who can guarantee that he is the lucky one?
But now that he saw everyone's enthusiasm, he realized how good the identity of Erlang of the Wu family was when he came here to meet Huaiyi.
"Let me think about it, and you can think about it carefully and talk about it tomorrow morning." Huaiyu did not agree immediately.
"Brother Ma, you are a scholar."
After storing the Zhongnanshan luggage that I brought from home, I was stunned for a while, and then I simply took out some seeds, picked up a hoe, and started planting in the backyard.
"Don't refuse. If you refuse, you don't treat our old Cheng family as friends," Cheng Chumo patted Huaiyu on the shoulder, "Whether you become our Cheng family's son-in-law or not, we are still brothers and friends."
Ma Zhou was given a wing in the middle courtyard to live in, and Huaiyu returned to the backyard.
Fan Xuanfu did not reply.
As a businessman, it is sinful to sit with scholar-bureaucrats.
Another thing given by Fan Xuanfu was a long knife.
The only way out for people with low status is military merit, but the contradiction is that the imperial court does not allow industrial and commercial miscellaneous people to enlist in the army to obtain military merit.
Fan Xuanfu said coldly, "Don't think too much, I'm just repaying you for saving your life." After saying that, he walked through the door, "Have a nice journey,"
It is said that Li Bai did not take part in the imperial examination because he was the son of a businessman.
He smiled and said to Huaiyu: "Your medical skills are superb, and the elixir can bring the dead back to life. I can only count on you."
"Erlang, please."
After a while, Fan Xuanfu came out and said, "Bring these two things with you."
"My brother has been working with me before and he is familiar with it. Just let him take care of it." Zhao Xin prayed.
He was so excited that when he knew that he was going to be transferred to the Longyou Army, Huaiyu actually resisted a bit. He was quite satisfied with his current life. Although he also hoped to get an official position one day, he couldn't.
I never thought about going to the battlefield to earn meritorious service.
"Thank you."
Fan Xuanfu stood at the door and looked at him, but shook his head and refused to let Huaiyu pass, "When are you leaving?"
At this time, not long after the founding of the Tang Dynasty, many former slaves, craftsmen, merchants and even musicians were awarded titles and official positions due to their meritorious services, and those with inferior status were also awarded titles and ranks, transcending the original lowly class.
.
The status of businessmen is low, and it is stated in the legal provisions. For example, the election decree promulgated by the Tang Dynasty clearly stipulates that officials and their cohabiting relatives with high merit or above, who are responsible for business and industry, and whose business is passed down from family to family, are not allowed to hold office. This is also the general code.
It is recorded that the sons of the Xing family, who were in the special category of Gongjia, were not allowed to take the exam.
After all, regardless of the age of hot or cold weapons, the battlefield is a place where human lives are taken.
Volunteer to join the army, bring your own dry food, prepare your own horses and weapons, etc., and you don't even need the court's pension when you die. Of course, if you can really achieve military exploits, you can also get rewards or even medals. This is the only breakthrough status for the lowly people.
Class restrictions.
I heard that Huaiyu, as an official, was going to fight in Longyou. Most of the dozens of people in the courtyard wanted to go, including pharmacists, clerks, and apprentices, all of whom wanted to risk their lives.
I also have a watch, too.
After seeing Chu Mo off at the door, the eight kings of the Cheng family stayed behind and arranged for them to rest in the front yard.
Zhao Xin wants to go, he is not willing to live his whole life and even his descendants as businessmen and scoundrels for generations.
"Wait for me!" Huaiyu shouted again.
The two disciples looked at you with great admiration. They respect you as a man, but you said this before going on the expedition. Are you really not afraid of our eldest daughter, the eldest daughter of the Fan family, who is known as a scumbag? Do you think you have a long life?
They had even concluded in their hearts that Wu Erlang would probably never come back.
