In the same year, all my friends regretted that Shen Shuren was left in Beijing to compose, and missed the opportunity to "return him to the place as soon as possible to snatch Zhang Xianzhong's head."
Chen Shuren himself was not in a hurry, he was very sure that Zhang Xianzhong would not die like this.
Chongzhen asked him to revise it for two or three months, so he would do it. At that time, it would be transferred to other places, and the starting point would be half a level higher.
So, starting from mid-March, Shen Shuren made several preparations.
On the one hand, he quietly waited for the accounts of water transport reform from various places to be delivered, preparing to face the doubts of resisters from all sides and deal with the debate before the imperial court.
On the other hand, he also sent several letters to his hometown in the south.
The first letter was to his father Shen Tingyang, asking him to prepare money and food first, so as to lay some material foundation for his future work as a local official in Huizhou to suppress thieves.
The second letter was to Zheng Sen, who had just changed his scientific name to "Shenggong". It was to ask about the progress of the overseas species collection work that attracted Zheng Chenggong's attention last year.
The last letter was to his friend Gu Yanwu, who was currently living in his hometown in Kunshan with nothing to do. He asked Gu Yanwu to come to the capital as soon as possible and help him serve as a staff gunner for a while, so as to pass the two or three months of the Imperial Academy's editing period.
Chen Shuren didn't intend to waste time. Since the emperor asked him to make a transition as an editor, he would make some achievements if he could in the past few months.
When Shen Shuren first won over Gu Yanwu last year, he thought about using Gu Yanwu's skills in the future to write some inspiring theoretical articles so that people in the world can cheer up in the future and believe that "unifying the north with the south can also succeed." Summarizing the previous dynasty The successful experience of the Han people in resisting foreign enemies in the past dynasties shows that even if Chongzhen died, the people would not lose their will to resist.
This matter has been put aside, and there is no time to focus on deployment. It is regarded as a relatively low-priority idle move.
Now that he is a Hanlin compiler, his responsibilities are related to the compilation of history. He can also follow Sima Guang of the Song Dynasty and write some commentaries on "taking history as a guide". So of course Shen Shuren must seize the opportunity and take advantage of his "academic authority" When endorsing, be more productive.
As for the actual operation, of course he was only responsible for political and philosophical thoughts, specific literary and phrasing organization, and substantiation of arguments, all relying on Gu Yanwu as the gunman.
Chen Shuren's three letters were all sent south quickly. It took only eight and ten days to reach Nanjing and Suzhou respectively.
After Gu Yanwu failed the provincial examination last year, he decided to study at home and never wanted to take the exam again.
Now I received a letter from an old friend and learned that Shen Shuren actually won the second-level Jinshi and entered the Hanlin Academy as a compiler. She was kindly paid a lot of money to hire him as an aide to learn more about knowledge and criticize history. Of course he was happy to accompany him.
Who among the well-read scholars wouldn’t want to write something that can give guidance and praise or criticize the ancients? With the academic authority of the Hanlin Academy, it’s useless if you don’t use it!
Gu Yanwu was very proactive and chose to take the Shen family's sea-going ship directly to the north, so that he could reach the capital faster, and it was estimated that he would be able to arrive in early April.
…
When another letter from Shen Shuren was delivered to his hometown in Taicang, Shen Tingyang was even more surprised.
That day was March 19, and Shen Tingyang was at home calculating the freight for the second batch of grain shipped to Tianjin this year.
As mentioned before, the Shen family's more than one hundred sea-going ships embarked on a journey north to transport supplies to Guanning's army in the middle of the first lunar month.
With the navigation technology at that time, it would take half a month to sail to the north, load and unload supplies, wait for the wind direction and rest for four or five days, and a round trip would take forty days.
Therefore, this time point is exactly the day when those ships returned, reloaded with grain from the south, and then arrived in Tianjin again.
Shen Tingyang himself was also prepared to wait for the accounts to be completely settled and give a detailed report to the emperor before returning to the Ministry of Household Affairs in the capital to report on his work——
Historically, around June or July of the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, he saved a lot of money for the court because of this great achievement, and was promoted by Chongzhen to Yuanwai Lang of the Transport Department of the Ministry of Household Affairs. He was promoted to two ranks within one year ( From division level to deputy director level to chief director level)
Now, because of his son's butterfly effect, which helps accelerate the reform of water transportation, he can also deliver the emperor's orders more than two months in advance and be promoted in advance.
Shen Tingyang is very excited about the great achievement. He has been working overtime until late at night every day, doing a lot of cost accounting himself. When he is not energetic, he asks his wife and concubine to make Dushen soup for him every night to refresh him.
Anyway, the Shen family controls the Yellow Sea trade. Now if we want to say who can produce the most Korean ginseng in the territory of the Ming Dynasty, it must be the Shen family.
As long as Shen Tingyang is not afraid of eating badly, he can afford to eat Korean ginseng.
That morning, Shen Tingyang was working hard at his desk when he suddenly heard a wave of noise coming in from outside, interrupting his train of thought.
"Who is making a noise? I told you that there should be no noise in the house these days!"
Shen Tingyang was interrupted from his calculation thinking, and was so angry that he broke a jade pen barrel, and pretended to ask the housekeeper to arrest the troublemaker and teach him a lesson.
One of his most favored concubines was usually allowed to serve next door to the study. When he heard the master's anger, he quickly came over and fanned her with a handkerchief to comfort her:
"Master, please calm down. I'll go out and ask Uncle Xiang how he managed to train such an ignorant servant."
Shen Tingyang took a breath and thought it would be better to rest for a while. As soon as he got up, the noise spread to the sixth courtyard, which was faster than the rising tide of the sea.
Shen Tingyang saw the panting old housekeeper Shen Xiang rushing in with the support of his son Shen Shou, half dragging and half dragging him in three steps and two steps. There were also a large group of servants and maids of various ranks beside him.
The moment he saw the old butler appear, Shen Tingyang realized something. He knew that something serious was probably happening, and his anger subdued a lot. He asked with a straight face: "Why are you so shocked? Just talk about it." "
Shen Xiang still wanted to take a breath, but seeing that the maid next to him was about to speak first, he quickly held back his second breath and rushed to say: "The eldest young master has graduated from high school! I am so happy!"
He spoke so hastily that he used a post-position sentence of "daoxi", with a big gasp between the two half-sentences.
"High school? High school what?" Shen Tingyang swayed slightly and subconsciously asked a very awkward question.
He had no idea that his son was seriously going to Beijing to take the exam, but was just "helping the family transport military rations to Shanhaiguan."
Now that you're here, let's take a roundabout way to the capital to take the exam.
He is very aware of his son's academic level.
In those days, when taking the scholar examination, the master would check his identity and be a little more relaxed when grading the exam. As for the supervisor, it was completely bought.
Later, even though he became good at skills, they were only skills in practical administration, not the Four Books and Five Classics.
Seeing the master standing there in a daze, the ordinary servants and maids who had just been overtaken by the old housekeeper hurriedly harassed Daoxi:
"What kind of high school could it be? It's the high school where you can take the imperial examination!"
"The eldest young master is ranked fifty-seventh in the second class and sixtieth in the overall list. He is a Jinshi. I heard that he was granted an exception by the Hanlin Academy for compilation. The young master sent an urgent letter back. The official documents of the imperial court are probably not that good. quick."
Chen Shuren's letter was actually sent six or seven days later than the official report from the court, because he waited until the results of his appointment came out before reporting the good news to his family.
It's just that Shen Shuren's family letters can travel three to four hundred miles a day by horseback, but the good news from the court is not an urgent official document. The post station only delivers it more than a hundred miles a day, and finally arrives in Suzhou at about the same time.
Shen Tingyang was shocked for a long time under the noise of many servants and maids. Even his concubine began to congratulate him in different ways, and then he completely accepted this reality.
"Lin'er is actually in high school! He's actually in high school! What kind of ancestral blessing is this, a divine miracle! I, the Shen family, have been a member of the Longqing family since the fifth generation of maritime merchants, and I can actually pass the Jinshi examination!"
Shen Tingyang's expression was extremely distorted. Sometimes he wanted to laugh wildly, and sometimes he had to maintain his manners and suppress his laughter. He was even more surprised than Fan Jin.
His family has been a maritime merchant since his great-great-grandfather started to do business more than 80 years ago, and the money has never been short of money. However, none of the academic titles or above have been obtained through actual examinations.
Shen Tingyang was so ecstatic that he felt it was better than earning one million taels more.
"Quick, let the embroidery shop immediately select the best ones from the high-quality colored satins that are ready to be shipped! All the porches of the house must be decorated with colors! Shen Shou, give you half a day, and every pillar must be hung with gold threads before nightfall. Red gauze lantern!”
Shen Shou was ordered to do it immediately.
"Come back!" Shen Tingyang called him, worried about gain and loss, and rubbed his hands. "It won't take half an hour. First, bring Lin'er's family letter to me!"
He still feels a little unrealistic and is afraid that he will be embarrassed by bragging. Then he remembered that he must read the letter with his own eyes and not just listen to oral reports.
Everyone had no choice but to stand and wait for the master to read the letter slowly and word by word. Only then did Shen Tingyang let out a deep breath and finally added a warning:
When decorating the lanterns, work from the inside to the outside. Don’t make any noise outside the gate until the last moment!
In this way, there is at least half a day's time difference. When the decoration of the yard is completed, if there is any news that something unexpected happens, the facade outside can be closed in time.
After the arrangements were made, Shen Tingyang clutched the family letter and walked to the study. His concubine followed behind him, and he also brought two maids who polished ink. Seeing how restless he was, Shen Tingyang comforted him with gentle words:
"Master, do you still need to calculate these household accounts? It's such a great day today, why not take a rest and calm down."
"Who cares about these bad debts? Fold them up and take them away!" Shen Tingyang waved his hand.
Mo Mo's maid then came up to sort out the account books carefully. She had just sorted them out, but Shen Tingyang changed her mind like a neurotic: "No, how can such a trivial matter as Lin'er delay the emperor's order! I still have to check this account, you all. Don't bother me when you go out! Get away!"
The maid was confused by the master's surprise and had to retreat.
Shen Tingyang sat at the desk, pretending to be serious about settling the accounts, until the moment the maid closed the study door, he snickered and took out the crumpled family letter, looking at it quietly and happily.
The maids had been driven far away, so even if they giggled, they probably wouldn't be heard.
Shen Tingyang kept snickering for who knows how long. He probably didn't even eat lunch. It wasn't until noon that the housekeeper came to inform him again, and he almost got scolded by Shen Tingyang again.
"I told you to go away and stop disturbing me, so what?" Shen Tingyang was still worried that he had lost his authority and his subordinates might hear his snickering.
"Sir, it's Wu Siye from the Nanjing Imperial College who is here to visit. Wu Siye came from Nanjing the day before yesterday to congratulate him. He said that among the students under his supervision in this department, only the young master got into the top two."
Only then did Shen Tingyang return to his anger and rejoice, and quickly straightened his clothes.
Wu Weiye was one of the "Three Great Masters of Jiangzuo", a master of learning in Jiangnan, and the second-ranked scholar in the five years of Chongzhen.
After all, Shen Shuren had the reputation of being a student of the Nanjing Imperial College. Although he never studied with Wu Weiye, he could not be labeled as a disciple of the Wu family in name.
Shen Tingyang himself was also a student at Nanjing Imperial College back then, which was fifteen or sixteen years ago. I heard that Wu Weiye came to visit, which was equivalent to the new principal of his alma mater coming to visit old alumni. Of course, he would give him full courtesy.
"Chief Wu Shan is here? Please come quickly!" Shen Tingyang hurriedly arranged his clothes and went out to greet the guests with a spring breeze on his face.
As soon as he saw Wu Weiye, he raised his hands and bowed: "When Mr. Wu came to his humble abode, he was very happy! Mr. Wu is worthy of Jiangzuo School, and he was a great leader for a while. The reason why the dog can achieve what it is today is because of Mr. Wu's good teaching!"