Jinyi Town Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 574 The Heaven will give great responsibility to the people

12-year-old Zhang Juzheng is a scholar.A year later, he will be greeted by the Huguang Township Examination.

In the second year, 13-year-old Zhang Juzheng packed his bags and came to Wuchang City, the capital of Huguang, to take part in the provincial examination.

In Wuchang City, Zhang Juzheng met the second Bole in his life: Governor of Huguang Gu Lin.

The 13-year-old boy Lang and a group of 40-year-old and [-]-year-old scholars took the exam together, which naturally caused a sensation in Wuchang City.

Governor Gu Lin Gu learned of this and decided to meet this proud young man in person before the township examination.

The two were talking about the past and the present by the rockery in the back of the Governor's Yamen. Governor Gu let out bursts of exclamation from time to time: "National scholars! National scholars!"

As the conversation arose, Governor Gu suddenly made a move that made Zhang Ju red-faced.The majestic governor of Huguang, from the second-rank officer, actually took off his belt in front of Zhang Juzheng!

Governor Gu is not manly, and he has no habit of breaking his sleeves.He is an upright person, and he will not do indecent things to the handsome young man Zhang Juzheng like those brickmen called beasts in later generations.

He took off his belt to give it to Zhang Juzheng!This is not a casual move.Because the Ming Dynasty had a system, the belt represented the grade of the official.

Governor Gu is a second-rank official, and his belt is a rhinoceros belt.

He handed the belt to Zhang Juzheng with both hands.

Zhang Juzheng quickly shied away: "My lord, the official robe and belt are power! The student is just a scholar, how dare you accept such a big gift from you?"

Governor Gu smiled at Zhang Juzheng: "You want to wear a jade belt from now on. This rhinoceros belt is actually not suitable for you. Please feel wronged and accept it."

"Law of the Ming Dynasty": Jade belts are not allowed to be worn by anyone who is not a first-rank cabinet scholar or the commander-in-chief of the five armies!

Zhang Juzheng accepted this precious gift from Governor Gu.He was the most famous in the south of the Yangtze River, and was appreciated by the governor of a province.It seems to be a matter of course to pass the provincial examination.

Anything, I'm afraid it seems to be two words.

Governor Gu sent Zhang Juzheng away, then turned around and called Xu Kangyong, the Huguang Xuezheng who was in charge of the rural examination.

Governor Gu told Xu Xuezheng word by word: "Listen well. In this provincial examination, a 13-year-old young talent named Zhang Juzheng will participate. You must not let him pass the exam!"

Ever since, Zhang Juzheng's brilliant essay for the exam has become a piece of waste paper.He packed up and returned to his hometown in Jingzhou in despair.

Afterwards, it was widely rumored that Governor Gu was intolerant, jealous of the virtuous and capable, and deliberately made the young talent Zhang Juzheng lose the ranking.

When Governor Gu heard these words, he smiled and explained to his family: "What do they know? I am afraid that Zhang Juzheng will repeat the mistakes of Fang Zhongyong in the Song Dynasty. Only those who have experienced setbacks can have a great future. I suffered a setback at the age of 13. , it’s better than another setback at the age of 31!”

Zhang Juzheng, who returned to Jingzhou, continued to study hard.Three years later, he came to Wuchang again to take part in the provincial examination.

Before the township examination, Xu Xuezheng first found Governor Gu.He asked: "Lord Futai, that young Lang Zhang Juzheng is here again. This time, do you want to continue to let him land?"

Governor Gu shook his head: "No. One setback will make him work hard. Two setbacks, three setbacks, I'm afraid it will kill his ambition."

One month later, Huguang Township tried to release the list, and 16-year-old Zhang Juzheng won the exam!
The 16-year-old boy won the Juren and caused a sensation in the south of the Yangtze River.All of a sudden, famous people from the south of the Yangtze River came to Jingzhou one after another, just wanting to see this young man.Banquets, poetry gatherings, flower viewing, and moon viewing.These comforts and pleasures made Zhang Juzheng addicted to them, unable to extricate himself.

He even thought: I am only sixteen anyway.Play for a few years first, and then prepare for the exam.

If things go on like this, Zhang Juzheng may really become the second Fang Zhongyong: become famous at a young age, and spend his life in mediocrity.

At this moment, Zhang Juzheng's grandfather, Zhang Zhen, died!He was played to death by His Royal Highness Liao Wang!

King Liao was about the same age as Zhang Juzheng.I didn't like reading since I was a child.His mother, Concubine Mao, said to him at every turn: "Look at Zhang Juzheng, and then look at you..."

In the eyes of King Liao, Zhang Juzheng has always been a child of someone else's family.King Liao didn't have a broad mind.His mind is smaller than the eye of a needle.

After the death of Concubine Mao, no one cares about King Liao.King Liao decided to take revenge on Zhang Juzheng.

Aren't you Zhang Juzheng awesome?I'll play your grandfather to death, let's see what you can do to me!
In the twelfth lunar month of winter, the King of Liao asked Zhang Zhen, the old guard of his palace, to jump into the lake to catch a fish.Zhang Zhen was already old, and after suffering from the cold, he died when he returned home.

Standing in front of his grandfather's grave, Zhang Juzheng gritted his teeth and said to his father Zhang Wenming, "Father, I want to avenge my grandfather."

Zhang Wenming shook his head: "Son, you can't beat the King of Liao! He is a vassal king, what about you? You are just a juren! Study hard, and wait until the day when you are named on the gold list and become a general, maybe you can do it for your grandfather." vengeance."

Zhang Juzheng remembered his father's words.In the following years, he no longer participated in any banquets or poetry gatherings, and locked himself in the study room, with his head hanging from the beam, his buttocks pierced, and studying hard.

Four years later, 20-year-old Zhang Juzheng embarked on the road to the capital.He is full of confidence that he will be able to pass the general examination, enter the palace examination, be named on the gold list, shine on the lintel, step into the official career, and become a general. . .While working for the well-being of the common people in the world, he also took the opportunity to avenge his grandfather.

However, things backfired.You know, those who are qualified to participate in the test are all heroes in the world!You, Zhang Juzheng, are considered a talented person in the land of Jingxiang, and you may not be able to succeed if you are placed in a general examination where talented people gather.

That year, the ambitious Zhang Juzheng failed the exam and left Beijing in despair.

That summer night when I was 20 years old.Zhang Juzheng returned to Jingzhou.He said to himself in the study: "Heaven will send a great mission to the people of Sri Lanka, and they must first suffer their minds and wills, work their muscles and bones, starve their bodies and skins, empty their bodies, and chaotic their actions!"

(End of this chapter)