Chapter 062 Future Layout
Shen Yichen took the money and went to the street to buy a pot of rice wine and some meat, but he hesitated on the way back and turned back to Chengguogong Private School to wait for Zhao Hongjie and others who were about to finish school.
Although Shen Yichen's personality makes it difficult for him to fully integrate into the world of these young boys, friendship has nothing to do with age or status. During the past six months, he has personally felt how much Zhao Hongjie values him.
In addition, people like Li Da, although there were some frictions and estrangements in the early stage, they have basically been resolved now. Even if you don't deliberately make friends with them for the sake of military connections, Li Da has the advantages of credit and loyalty, and he is considered to be one of the more reliable second-generation officials.
Besides, he had already become the nominal leader of this group of people. It would not be justified if he did not tell them about his success in the provincial examination and invited them to his home for a celebratory banquet or something like that.
It didn't take long before groups of students from the outer courtyard private school came out from the corner gate of the Chengguo Mansion. Zhao Hongjie and the others were surprised to see Shen Yichen standing in the alley, and then they surrounded him.
"Boss, weren't you taking the provincial exam? Why are you here at the private school?"
"Yi Chen, why are you holding food in your hand? Did you not take the exam?"
"Impossible, my dear brother, you are the top candidate and you are likely to be selected for the provincial examination. Why don't you take the exam?"
"Boss, listen to me. We were all planning to go to the exam room to cheer you up, but the teacher didn't approve our leave. It's such a pity!"
Faced with all these discussions, Shen Yichen believed everything else except the one who wanted to take leave to cheer him up. He didn't believe it at all.
If they could really get leave successfully, it would be strange if these guys didn’t go out and play on their own!
"I handed in my paper for the prefectural examination early, and was selected by the prefectural governor. I am here to invite you to a celebration banquet."
When they heard that Shen Yichen had passed the exam ahead of schedule again, the group of people were collectively stunned, because being ranked first in the county exam was beyond their imagination, and this time their brains were directly overloaded.
"real or fake?"
"You dare to question big brother? If big brother says to take the middle, then take the middle!"
"Brother, you are so talented, what can you do in a small provincial examination?"
"That's right, even if you win the first prize, you have to believe it now!"
After they realized what was happening, the group of junior brothers from the outer courtyard started to discuss and praise him again. However, when Shen Yichen heard these words, he felt that these guys were just making fun of him...
Shen Yichen was too lazy to explain more to them, so he turned around and walked towards the exit of the alley. Seeing that the bosses had left, the discussions and flattery naturally came to an end, and a group of people immediately followed.
In the small courtyard of Shen Yichen's house, the aunties from the neighboring houses have already started helping Shen set the table.
Over the years, there has never been any wedding banquet held in the courtyard, and it has never been as lively as it is today. Shen was deeply moved when she saw this.
"Mom, we may need to set up one more table. I brought some classmates over to celebrate."
Hearing Shen Yichen's call outside the courtyard gate, Shen looked up and found that her son had returned with the rice wine and food he had bought, followed by six or seven classmates.
"Okay, come in and sit down, I'll go get ready."
Shen's face was filled with joy, not only because there were guests at home, but she was even more happy that her son could make friends in the private school and was no longer the isolated one.
Because since Shen Yichen entered school, he had never brought any other classmates home except Zhao Hongjie. Shen had also stayed in the Gaozhai compound, and she knew very well why her son's identity was incompatible with those clan relatives and officials' children.
Now that so many classmates have come to my house for a drink, it naturally means that Shen Yichen is accepted by everyone. As a mother, how can I not be happy?
It was just the following scene that made Shen realize that her son might not just be accepted...
Li Da, Zhao Hongjie and others entered the courtyard and stood in a row in front of Shen, then bowed and shouted, "Greetings, aunt!"
If someone didn't know this kind of situation, they would have thought it was the scene of recognizing the boss in the Young and Dangerous movies. Shen was really scared, and she looked at Shen Yichen with mixed feelings.
Shen Yichen, who was standing next to him, also felt a headache when he saw this.
After all, they have been in school for several years, but why can't they be seen as scholars and scholars? They are just like soldiers. It seems that their fathers made the most wrong decision in their lives to let them study literature!
"Okay, okay, okay, please sit down quickly. Chen'er, you should also greet your classmates."
Shen quickly waved her hand to signal Li Da and others to take a seat, and not to stand in a row together. If others didn't know, they would think that their family was paying homage to the master of the mountain.
At the same time, Shen also vaguely understood why her son had not been able to pass the exam to become a student for so many years. Could it be that this is the legendary "birds of a feather flock together".
After we were seated, with the help of the auntie next door, the dishes were served quickly, and soon both tables of guests were happily eating and drinking.
After three rounds of drinking, Li Da suddenly leaned close to Shen Yichen's ear and said, "Brother, I have good news for you today. My father has agreed to let me join the army in the capital, and I may leave soon."
Hearing Li Da calling him "big brother" and "brother", Shen Yichen knew that this boy must have drunk a little too much. However, he still remembered going to the capital to join the army. It seems that joining the army is indeed his dream.
"Then I wish you all the best and we'll see you in the capital in the future."
This time Shen Yichen did not have any complaining mentality, but was really moved. In ancient times, the distance between carriages and horses was so long that if they separated today, they would not know when they would meet again.
After saying that, Shen Yichen raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
"Okay, I'm also waiting for you to go to Beijing to take the exam, and step onto the throne one day!"
Li Da also became emotional and picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it in one gulp.
"Yi Chen, how about I join the army too?"
Listening to Li Da saying that he was leaving, Zhao Hongjie was filled with emotion. Now, of the three musketeers at the bottom of the outer courtyard private school, he would be the only one left. He couldn't continue to live in a muddle-headed way. He had to think of a way out.
Don't wait until you look into the school in the future and see only unfamiliar and backward students, and no longer those familiar figures.
To be honest, although Zhao Hongjie was also the son of a military general, Shen Yichen was not very optimistic about his decision to join the military.
Now the Ming Dynasty's garrison system is gradually decaying, and only the northern and Beijing camps are barely able to stand up, and their combat effectiveness has also declined greatly. Especially in the 14th year of Zhengtong, the Ming Dynasty army will encounter a catastrophe. With Zhao Hongjie's character and physique, it is a question whether he can come back alive from the border.
But Zhao Hongjie was at a dead end on the road to imperial examinations. After so many years of studying, he had not even mastered the elementary education, which was even less reliable than joining the army.
The best outcome would be that his father, Zhao Tongzhi, would be promoted, and he could get the title of a student of the Imperial Academy through imperial favor. The key point was that Zhao Hongjie was a bastard, and his family had many brothers, so there were not many places for him to be promoted through imperial favor.
Shen Yichen thought about it carefully and decided that he could join the army without having to fight in a war, as the risk factor was relatively low.
Soon, Shen Yichen had an idea in his mind, and he wanted to find a path that met the requirements. However, he had no idea whether Zhao Hongjie could adapt to it.
"Zhao Hongjie, how about you join the army and enter the North and South Pacification Division?"
"Jinyiwei?"
When Zhao Hongjie heard the name of the Pacification Division, he immediately thought of the term Jinyiwei.
During the Zhengtong period of Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty, the Jinyiwei was on the rise in power. The scope of their authority began to expand, and they were able to report directly to the emperor without going through other departments, becoming a complete imperial guard.
But the problem is that the Jinyiwei has a bad reputation among the people, especially the imperial prison under the jurisdiction of the Northern Pacification Division, which has always been known for persecuting loyal officials. Didn't the Hanlin scholar Liu Qiu, who was rumored to have died in the imperial prison last year, die?
"Yes, Jinyiwei."
"This... this doesn't quite suit me, does it?"
Zhao Hongjie couldn't help but shudder when he thought of the bloody scenes of executions in the imperial prison. Even though he was the son of a military commander, he really didn't have the courage.
If there was, he would not have been despised by Li Da for so long.
"If you are afraid, you can enter the Southern Pacification Office, which is responsible for law, military discipline, and supervision."
Shen Yichen naturally understood Zhao Hongjie's character. The methods used by the Northern Pacification Office's factory guards were indeed not suitable for him.
Relatively speaking, the Jinyiwei of the Southern Pacification Division was more like a "military police" and in the later period it became a sinecure and basically did not cause any major problems.
Of course, from a selfish point of view, if Zhao Hongjie joined the Northern Pacification Division, he would have old friends in the secret service agency in the future, and the help they would bring would be immeasurable.
But Shen Yichen would not use his friends as pawns , because such people would be deserted by their friends and relatives in the end, and no one could trust them. So the choice was still in Zhao Hongjie's hands, and he had to decide how to go in the future.
"I see."
Zhao Hongjie did not say what his choice was, but after saying he knew it, he also gulped down a large glass of wine.
The celebratory dinner lasted until nightfall. Just as Shen Yichen was about to clean up the tables and chairs, he found that Aunt Yang next door to the courtyard gate had not left, and her son Zeng Aniu was standing next to her.
"Aunt Yang, is there anything else?"
Shen Yichen walked over and asked, it was obvious that he had something to say.
As expected, facing Shen Yichen's question, Aunt Yang showed an embarrassed smile on her face, and said hesitantly: "Yichen, you have become a literary star now, and I also want to trouble you to help me with something."
"Aunt Yang, you can say whatever you want."
Shen Yichen did not refuse. In the years that the mother and son have lived in this small courtyard, to be honest, the neighbors have helped a lot. Even when he was a child, his mother was too busy selling cloth to handle the meal, and she often ate at Aunt Yang's house.
A drop of water should be repaid with a spring. Not to mention that he has not yet turned over a new leaf, even if he returns home in glory one day, Shen Yichen will never forget the kindness of those who have helped him.
"My son Aniu will be 20 next year. He has no other skills except farming. He has not even found a wife yet."
"Yi Chen, if you know any high-ranking official, please help A Niu. I will be relieved as long as he can find a wife."
Hearing this, Shen Yichen burst out laughing. What kind of requests are these? I am a bachelor myself, how can I help your son find a wife?
The title of "Wenquxing" among scholars is just a courtesy. Aunt Yang may really regard herself as "Wenquxing"...
