The Reborn Duke of Ming Dynasty

It is more than 1000 miles from Qingyang to Beijing, which is not far away.However, Zhang Fan and the others were not in a hurry. After all, there was still nearly a month, enough time for them to reach the capital.What's more, Mrs. Zhao didn't feel any discomfort when she was sitting in the carriage, except that she was exhausted.Zhang Fan was riding on a horse, walking with Wang Degui and other soldiers guarding him, chatting endlessly, but he didn't feel bored.

Since traveling to the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Fan has also been to some places, such as Ningxia, Hetao, and Datong, but these places can be regarded as the frontiers of the Ming Dynasty. I have never visited the hinterland. What I saw and heard along the way It also gave Zhang Fan a lot of insight.Mrs. Zhao has never traveled far, but she has inherited all the "virtues" of women in the feudal society of China, so she would not show her face in public.

Along the way, they passed Taiyuan Mansion and Zhending Mansion, and they were about to arrive at Baoding Mansion, where Wang Degui and the others' mission would be considered complete.

Along the way, Wang Degui, a frontier soldier who has never traveled far, was even more curious about the things he encountered along the way, whether it was the food he ate, the clothes he wore, or people's living habits.He had been to many places before, but they were all with the army, and the military orders in the army were strict, so how could he have the time to visit the scenery of various places.

"Zhang Xianggong, is this Zhending Mansion the hometown of Zhao Zilong, General of the Five Tigers of Shu?" When a group of people passed by Zhending, Wang Degui seemed to have thought of something, and asked Zhang Fan beside him.

"It's here." Zhang Fan replied, "Degui, why are you asking this?"

"Mr. Zhang, I am a soldier. As long as I am a soldier, how can I not want to be a world-class hero like Shunping Hou!" Wang Degui said as a matter of course.

Zhang Fan was relieved to hear this. Zhao Yun's deeds have been sung by people for more than 300 years. Even after 500 years, Chairman Mao, the great leader of New China, also said, ", but the Zhao Yun whom Wang Degui admired was boasted by Luo Guanzhong.At that time, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms had become popular in Ming Dynasty, so many people had read and heard of it, and there were also many people like Wang Degui who worshiped Zhao Yun.Zhang Fan has read Chen Shou's "Three Kingdoms". After reading carefully, he found that Liu Bei never sealed Zhao Yun, and there was no so-called five tiger generals in Shu, but only accepted the five generals, Zhang, Zhao, Ma and Huang. Only then did the generals of the five tigers just say.And Luo Guanzhong's "Romance" is because he likes Zhao Yun's loyalty, so he brags about Zhao Yun.Moreover, Zhao Yun has the title of "General Ever Victory" again, and he has never led an army to fight. The reason is naturally related to not being reused, but who knows if it has nothing to do with ability!It's just that, no matter what era, people always have a hero in their hearts, a yearning to look forward to, and Zhang Fan naturally won't say anything about it.

"You want to be Zhao Zilong, it's not easy." Zhang Fan said casually, "He is a master of the spear prodigy Tong Yuan, and he is loyal and courageous, and he is not afraid of death."

"I can do it loyally, bravely, bravely and fearlessly." Wang Degui first mentioned his own strengths, "Is it just the force? Level, this..."

"Haha..." Zhang Fan laughed when he heard Wang Degui's words, and said, "Degui, it's not bad that you have such thoughts."

Wang Degui didn't know why Zhang Fan said that, and looked at Zhang Fan suspiciously.

"If a person is not afraid of life and death but doesn't know how to kill the enemy, then he is only looking for death when he goes to the battlefield." Zhang Fan said, "It's just that if you only have force but don't want to fight and just hide behind, then What use is he for?"

After hearing Zhang Fan's words, Wang Degui thought about it.Although he hadn't read any books, he was quite clever, and he could hear some mystery in Zhang Fan's words. "What Zhang Xianggong means is..." Wang Degui asked uncertainly.

"But in comparison, the former kind of people have the potential to become heroes." Zhang Fan continued, "What is a hero? If you are smart, you are called a hero; if you have courage, you are called a hero. But you see, there is a mention here Is it force?"

Wang Degui shook his head.

"So, a hero doesn't have to be stronger than others, and no one else can beat him. It's that he has to have the qualities of a hero." Zhang Fan continued, "It's just that throughout the ages, there have been countless people with heroic qualities, and it is true to be able to become a hero. It is rare. It can be seen that heroes are not so easy to be, and the times make heroes."

Wang Degui fell silent after hearing Zhang Fan's words.Yes, a hero does not have to be outstanding in force, but to have factors about the hero itself.It's just that although Zhang Fan uttered the reality and shattered his fantasy, Zhang Fan's words were closer to Wang Degui's life, and instead aroused his hope.

The two walked in silence for a while, and Zhang Fan broke the deadlock.

"By the way, Degui, since we wiped out the Tartars' southward invasion team last year, there has been no movement from the Tartars, have they not come again?" Zhang Fan asked. Will the Tartars of the scale commit crimes against the wind?

"No." Wang Degui replied, "Probably because the Tartars have not dispatched an army for many years. We did not kill them for the first time in so many years. The Tartars are also afraid. The Tartars have never seen it."

"In this way, the common people are safe this year." Zhang Fan sighed, "It's just that the Tartars are still willing to invade our Ming Dynasty, and the frontier will not be peaceful for a day."

"Don't worry about this Mr. Zhang." Wang Degui said, "The tartars have fought us no less than a hundred times over the past hundred years, but they just grabbed some food and so on. How can they really hurt my Daming, even if I don't eliminate them in my life? The Tartars, my children, grandsons, descendants and grandchildren will also destroy the Tartars. It’s just that the common people will suffer.”

Zhang Fan really looked at Wang Degui differently now, he didn't expect that a farmer soldier who didn't know a few big characters, but just called the general banner based on his seniority would have such an opinion, and he couldn't help asking: "Degui, Who told you these ideas?" Zhang Fan thought that someone else told Wang Degui, so he asked.

"No, it's all on my own mind." Wang Degui looked at Zhang Fan suspiciously, not knowing why he would ask himself that.

Zhang Fan is going to reposition Wang Degui this time. He stood up to Wang Degui, knowing that Wang Degui was staring at him a little embarrassed, and when he wanted to talk, he said, "Degui, read and read more when you have time." Let's read." After finishing speaking, Zhang Fan rode to the carriage and went to talk to Mrs. Zhao.

Wang Degui rubbed his head, looked at Zhang Fan's figure in bewilderment, and thought in bewilderment: "What's wrong with Mr. Zhang, what kind of book did he ask me to read?"

Zhang Fan and his party were dragged down by their belongings and Zhao's discomfort with long-distance travel. It took a full [-] days before they saw the city wall of Baoding Mansion. The first stage of the journey was considered complete.

When the group came to the post station in Baoding Mansion, Zhang Fan handed out the letter that Ma County Magistrate gave to him, and met the person Zhang Juzheng sent to welcome Zhang Fan.The visitor was a middle-aged man in his 40s, named Li Shan.

After Zhang Fan met with him, Li Shan said, "Master Zhang must have been exhausted after coming all the way from Qingyang. Do you think we should rest for another night or..."

Zhang Fan went to seek his mother's opinion. Although Mrs. Zhao felt a little unwell, she was still in good spirits, and asked Zhang Fan to arrange it himself.

"I've been walking for more than 20 days, and I'm tired." Zhang Fan said, "Besides, I promised Wang Zongqi, who escorted me here, to buy them a drink."

"It all depends on Zhang Xianggong's arrangement." Li Shan said.

"Why don't you come too, there are so many of us, and you are not missing." Wang Degui who was on the side said.

"In that case, it's better to be respectful than obedient." Li Shan said.

That night, in a restaurant in Baoding, Zhang Fan, Wang Degui, several sergeants under him, and Li Shan who came to pick up Zhang Fan sat at the same table.Mrs. Zhao didn't come because it was inconvenient, and she was also tired, so she had a rest in the station early.

Wang Degui and his group of sergeants are good at drinking, but these 20 days have suffocated them, and they don't care about anything at the wine table, just drinking heavily.Here Zhang Fan and Li Shan are talking about this.

"Does Butler Li know why Lord Zhang called me to the capital at this time?" Zhang Fan asked.From the previous conversation, Zhang Fan knew that Li Shan was Zhang Juzheng's housekeeper, and Zhang Fan asked him because he thought he might know something.

"Master never tells me about the court affairs." Li Shan said.

Zhang Fan was about to be disappointed when he heard what he said, when Li Shan said again, "It's just..."

"Just?" Zhang Fan asked suspiciously.

"It's just that the master was quite upset a few days ago," Li Shan recalled.

"Maybe the court has something to worry about." Zhang Fan said casually.

Maybe he felt that the atmosphere was a bit silent, Zhang Fan wanted to adjust the atmosphere, and said, "Where is Steward Li from?"

"My master and I are from the same hometown, and we are also from Jiangling, Huguang." Butler Li said with a smile.

"Oh, so Butler Li knew Mr. Zhang before?" Zhang Fan asked with interest.

"Master won the Juren when he was 16 years old, and he is very famous in Jiangling. Many people know about Master, but they have never seen him, and so do I." Butler Li said with a smile, "I went to the capital that year, It was the master who took me in when I was in trouble."

"Master Zhang must be a good person." Zhang Fan said.

"Master, he treats people generously, and has never bullied anyone with his own status." Li Butler said, "He is usually very frugal, even if it is his own family, the master never indulges."

Listening to Steward Li's narration, Zhang Fan got to know this famous Zhongxing official of the Ming Dynasty more and more.

On the second day, Wang Degui bid farewell to Zhang Fan and returned with a few of his men.Li Shan brought two servants and accompanied Zhang Fan's mother and son to the capital.

It was not far from Baoding to Beijing, and the few of them slowed down, and saw the city wall of the capital the next day.

Looking at this ancient city with a history of more than 2000 years, Zhang Fan was really shocked by it.The city has been used as the center of power by various regimes many times, and its thousands of years of history have endowed it with splendid splendor.But to this day, since Zhu Di moved his capital here, it still glows with its own charm, whether it is the joys and sorrows of ordinary people, or the grievances and hatreds of the powerful and royal families, it is still being staged, and it will continue for half a year. century.

As a Chinese, as a Chinese reborn from later generations, this city is so familiar and unfamiliar to Zhang Fan.Although he had never been to Beijing in his previous life, he learned a lot about it from various sources.But now, it has been 500 years since he came to this city in person, which makes Zhang Fan feel very emotional.

Several people did not stop, and walked directly towards the city gate.Several people walked in from the Yongding Gate on the south wall of the outer city.Before reaching the gate of the city, Zhang Fan had already seen the bustling traffic of people and vehicles at the gate. This city seemed like a seductive and deep paradise, and people kept wanting to enter.And those who have nothing are unwilling to leave.After entering the city gate, you can see a scene of prosperity, people rushing about, busy with their own affairs.Zhang Fan was really stunned by the scene in front of him, even in an international metropolis like City S in later generations.Looking north along the central axis of the city gate, through the Zhengyang Gate of the inner city, through the dark crowd, one can vaguely see the building representing the Ming Dynasty—the power center of the most powerful country in the world— ——Forbidden City, the vast building complex can feel its aura even if you just glance at it briefly. Gotta try this taste of majesty!

Steward Li led Zhang Fan's mother and son through the gate of the inner city to a small house.

"Mr. Zhang, this is the place where the master used to live. He has never been willing to sell it. Now it is just in use." Li Butler said.

Zhang Fan looked at the house in front of him. It was about the same size as the house Ma County Magistrate gave him when he was in Anhua. He could tell that although the house was not expensive to build, it was located in a Position represents a large amount of wealth, which is not only money, but also other things.

Butler Li also asked people to help carry things, but Mrs. Zhao still had to move Zhang Fan's box full of books by herself.

There were not too many things, and it took more than an hour to get everything done, and only Mrs. Zhao was left to clean up.

"Mr. Zhang, let's buy a maid." Li Butler said, "Although Lingtang is still young, he is the elder of the family after all, and Mr. Zhang is now living at the foot of the emperor. It is not a solution to make Lingtang tired."

"Thanks, Steward Li is concerned, but my mother has done it. I will go back and persuade my mother, and I will trouble Steward Li when the time comes." Zhang Fan said.

"You don't need to thank Mr. Zhang, just come and find me when the time comes." Li Butler said.

"By the way, I have to trouble Steward Li to take me to thank Mr. Zhang for his kindness." Zhang Fan said.

"That's unnecessary." Li Butler said, seeing that Zhang Fan was a little confused, he hurriedly said, "Master Zhang has ordered that if Mr. Zhang arrives, let Mr. Zhang and I go back after finishing the matter. Master wants to see you."

Zhang Fan didn't expect to see each other so soon, so he had to tell his mother, took a deep breath, and said to Butler Li, "I have to trouble Butler Li to lead the way."