Volume 5: Fellow Traveler Chapter 829: Heaven and Earth, Mission
The Fourth Prince is at the age where he is gradually establishing his worldview, while Zhang Chen used to be domineering. However, since he has been to Xingtai and Cangzhou and has truly come into close contact with people's livelihood, and has put aside the halo of his family and fought wits and courage with others, it can be said that his worldview has been shattered and reshaped. So when they heard Zhang Shou's words, they naturally felt different.
"Agriculture is the foundation of the country, so throughout history, the government officials don't want farmers to think too much, because they just need to face the loess and work hard to harvest. This is not only true here, but also in distant overseas countries."
"In our world, the scholars think that those who understand the teachings of the saints are enough. In the distant western countries, the priests and nobles think that apart from them, whether it is the landlords who are born as farmers because of the increasing harvest, the wealthy merchants, or the smart and capable craftsmen who make various machines that make people's lives more convenient, they are all not worth mentioning."
"There is no imperial examination in those Western countries. All official positions are based on family background, not talent. But in our imperial examination... every three years, the list of successful candidates is published all over the country. Do you know how many of them are from real farming families? Not one in ten, but probably one in a hundred. Because farmers cannot afford to support a real scholar, even a scholar."
"So when I was in Cangzhou, I asked Zhu Er to help farmers. This time in Tongzhou, I asked you, Zhang Chen, and Zheng Yan to help students. In addition, there is a huge public school in the outer city. You all know that I never expected to train a few Jinshi."
"I just hope that those who may not be able to stand out in the imperial examinations, but have some talent, perhaps in mathematics, or perhaps in other areas, can have a chance to stand out."
"But if you ask me what the meaning of life is for those who work hard all their lives just to make ends meet, I can only say that I don't know. Because everyone has a different understanding of this."
"If you ask these people themselves, they will look at you with surprise, thinking that you are sick for thinking about such things. Isn't fever the same? If you ask the scholars, they will look at you with contempt and say that this is a natural boundary destined by heaven."
"If you ask those truly knowledgeable and cultured masters, they will tell you earnestly that those who work day after day and year after year for food and clothing are the cornerstone of this huge world. Without the support of these people, the so-called noble emperors, generals, prime ministers and ministers would not even have the most basic ability to survive and would only starve to death."
"But if you ask a beggar on the street..." Zhang Shou dragged out a long tone and then laughed, "he will just throw stones at you in anger. Because to him, as long as he is warm and well fed, his life is meaningful."
Only then did the Fourth Prince frown thoughtfully, and Zhang Chen, who had never been accustomed to showing off his knowledge, instinctively blurted out, "So this is what it means to be a fish without knowing its joy?"
"No, Zhuangzi's words cannot be used in this context." Zhang Shou sneered, and then said sarcastically, "There is a joke. Two poor men were eating sesame cakes at a stall. While eating, they used their fingers to pick up the fallen sesame seeds and ate them. Later, they talked about a very rebellious topic. What ? Guess what they said?"
"One said, if I were the emperor, I would eat sesame cakes every day, eat one and throw one away, and never pick up the fallen sesame seeds. The other said, what's the big deal about sesame cakes? If I were the emperor, I would drink soy milk every day, one bowl after another!"
"This is how the common people see the emperor. Just like what you once imagined the peasants to be. The distance is too far, there is nothing much to say. Unless you have also been there for a year or two like them, otherwise, sitting here and discussing what is the point is simply overthinking."
At this point, Zhang Shou flicked the Fourth Prince's head. Seeing that he was stunned and forgot to cover his forehead, Zhang Shou laughed and said, "So, don't think about problems you can't solve. It's not your turn to think about the meaning of life in the world. Not to mention now, even five or six hundred years later, this problem will still be unsolvable."
Because most people are just huge denominators, just tiny worker ants, just screws... The way a wise man deals with the world is like a needle in a bag, the tip of which is immediately visible. These words may sound very touching, but they can only be listened to and should not be taken seriously!
As the carriages and horses entered the official road, the noise gradually increased. Although the canal had frozen, there had been few heavy snowfalls this year, so the land transportation to the capital was not greatly affected, especially the main road from Tongzhou to the capital, which was very busy. People in the carriages could not only hear the neighing of carriages and horses outside, but also often encountered traffic jams.
Fortunately, the three people in the car had eaten and drunk enough when they came out of Baijia Village, so they were not afraid of hunger. However, after being stuck in traffic for a long time, the impatient Zhang Chen and the Fourth Prince could not help but get impatient and opened the curtains to look. Zhang Shou could hold back at first, but after a long time of stopping and starting, he could not hold back the urge to urinate, so in the end he could not help but open the curtains on his side.
This time, Ah Liu rode his horse over directly, leaned over the window and whispered, "Master, I heard that the Korean envoys have entered the capital. Because there are too many people in the envoys, they have blocked the road."
Zhang Shou was speechless. Every year, envoys from various countries would gather together, but after all, many countries are far away and cannot come every year. The Ming Dynasty today is not like the Ming Dynasty in history. At first, people took advantage of it in tribute trade, and later they began to urgently limit the number of people. The current court has strict restrictions on the number of envoys. You can send more people, but... you have to pay for it yourself!
So, the Goryeo delegation was willing to bring more people and goods at their own expense, even to the point of causing traffic jams on the roads leading to Beijing. What else could they do?
However, being stuck in traffic was really annoying. Zhang Shou glanced at Zhang Chen and the Fourth Prince, who also had long faces, and then said, "Get off the carriage, change horses, and let's go into the city first! The younger ones in the carriage at the back can share a horse with the others, and the remaining few can get on the carriage and walk slowly."
The fourth prince cheered immediately. He had completely forgotten that he could ride a horse. Without even thinking, he shouted, "Teacher, I want to ride a horse with my sixth brother!"
Ah Liu frowned in disdain, but when he saw Zhang Shou's look, he reluctantly agreed. As for Bai Shanshan and Bai Xiaoshui, who were already a little confused because it was their first time riding in a carriage, they had no say at all, and the guards picked them up and put them on the horses very neatly.
Fortunately, because of the Fourth Prince, several double saddles were prepared on the carriage, and Xiao Huasheng and Xiao Cheng had already learned to ride horses, plus Zhang Shou and Zhang Chen, four more horses were available, leaving four people to ride the carriage into the city. Of course, before setting off again, everyone first found a place to put their burdens, so that they could travel light.
Even so, because the road was blocked for more than half, even on horseback, the crowd could not move much faster. In the end, Zhang Chen stood up impatiently. Young Master Zhang, who was known for his tyranny in the capital, swung his whip in the air, making crackling sounds, and shouted loudly and clearly to make way.
If someone angrily asked why he had to give way, he would directly retort: "Because I am the eldest son of Duke Qin's mansion!"
It has to be said that Zhang Chen's reputation is still very useful in the capital. Of course, the most important thing is that this strange man is not afraid of ruining his reputation. Anyway, in the eyes of Mr. Zhang, his reputation before was just like that. He is not as low-key and mean as Fatty Lu. At most, they, the sons of nobles, know that he is not a good person. His reputation can never be spotless even if it is reversed now.
Therefore, he led the team and they were invincible on the official road. In a moment, they broke through the rear of the Korean delegation. Even at this time, Master Zhang still had no intention of stopping. Not only that, he rushed into the rear of the delegation, and the whip that was originally just a wave of the whip actually rubbed the face of the people.
"Make way, make way! You are a bunch of people who are eating and drinking for free under the banner of the diplomatic mission. Don't block my way!"
Faced with such a rude shout, even Zhang Shou, who was surrounded by a group of guards, had the urge to cover his face so that no one could see him. Does Zhang Chen feel uncomfortable if he doesn't act as a villain for a day? Although we are in a hurry to return to the city, we are not in such a hurry. Do we have to compete with the envoys for the road?
Although the title of King of Goryeo was not particularly valued by the major Chinese dynasties - since the complete demise of Goguryeo, from Silla to Wang's Goryeo and then to Lee's Joseon, although they all unified the Three Kingdoms of Korea, in the eyes of the vast Celestial Empire, they were still small countries with few people - but we should never look down on them.
Just as he was thinking this, he heard the Fourth Prince, who was sitting in front of Ah Liu, whisper, "Zhang Chen is holding a grudge! This guy once had a conflict with a Goryeo prince in the street. The guy had just arrived and didn't know Zhang Chen's identity. Because he was insulted by Zhang Chen, he called the guards to beat him up. In the end, they were all beaten against the wall by the guards of the Duke of Qin's Mansion..."
Others beat people like hanging paintings, but for Zhang Chen, it became beating people like plastering a wall, very good and powerful!
However, it would be fine if the newly arrived Goryeo prince dared to hit someone in the capital of the Ming Dynasty just because someone said a few insults... Zhang Chen didn't suffer any loss at all, but still regarded this as an enemy. Now he wants to take revenge when he sees the Goryeo delegation?
Zhang Shou's question was answered by the fourth prince the next moment: "Because of this incident, Zhang Chen was imprisoned at home by Qin Gong and was not allowed to go out for a month. To be honest, the consequences were not as serious as the last time when Sister Yingying went to the outer yamen of the Silijian to block the door. That time, Zhang Chen was beaten and couldn't get out of bed for several days. But he is the most vengeful person!" When he got the chance, the naughty child would naturally tell tales!
Zhang Shou laughed when he knew that this was the way to make enemies. He knew without counting that the Goryeo of this era should not be the Goryeo of Wang Dynasty, but the Joseon of Lee Dynasty. It was longer than any other feudal dynasty in China, lasting almost the entire Ming and Qing Dynasties, and finally perished because of the Japanese invasion.
As for why the court still calls it Goryeo instead of Joseon, he heard that the court did not approve the name of the country proposed by Joseon Li Chenggui at the beginning, and unlike Zhu Yuanzhang who approved it in his later years, it had never been approved. Therefore, the emperors of successive dynasties still conscientiously granted the title of Goryeo King to the monarchs of the Joseon Dynasty, and the golden seal had never been changed.
Even though Zhang Shou was not interested in the history of the Joseon Dynasty, he had heard of some of their history from the melodramatic historical dramas that he occasionally glanced at once or twice, including the most famous law of imprisonment of illegitimate children.
Therefore, Zhang Shou couldn't help but be distracted for a moment, thinking that the history of the Ming Dynasty was completely distorted, and he didn't know what was happening in Korea. While he was distracted, because of Zhang Chen's recklessness, the delegation actually gave way to them, and they finally arrived at the center of the delegation smoothly.
At this time, Zhang Shou saw the sedan chair surrounded by many followers. Since the Ming Dynasty, he had rarely seen sedan chairs carried by people because of the ban of the wise and mighty Emperor Taizu. Even the emperor in the palace did not like to ride in a sedan chair when going in and out. Moreover, the sedan chair in front of him made him feel like he had traveled back to a Korean drama.
The length, width and height were only about one meter, or about three feet. It was so small that the people inside couldn't even move...
Sure enough, the next moment, he heard the Fourth Prince exclaiming, "What's in the big box those four people are carrying? Is it a tribute from Goryeo?"
Zhang Shou was stunned when he heard this, and then he realized that the Fourth Prince had rarely been out of the palace before, and even if he had the opportunity to meet the Korean envoys, he would probably never see the scene of sitting in a sedan chair. However, before he could explain, he heard Zhang Chen, the leader of the team, grinning.
"But you guessed wrong this time. This is their Goryeo's warm sedan chair. The person sitting in the sedan chair is not a tribute, but a living person!" Thinking of how he got into an argument with that bastard Goryeo prince because he sat in a sedan chair, Zhang Chen laughed. "They said they were an envoy to celebrate the New Year, but they rode in a sedan chair through the city. Don't they take the ban of our Emperor Taizu seriously?"
Just now, Zhang Chen was shouting that he was the eldest son of the Duke of Qin and was ordering people to make way. Naturally, all the members of the Goryeo delegation heard it. When they heard this extremely serious accusation, the servants who carried the sedan chair were spared, but the others immediately panicked.
After all, Zhang Chen had a conflict with a Goryeo prince who came to study at the Imperial College in Beijing. That incident was too famous. After all, the so-called Goryeo prince was quite dissatisfied with this after returning to his country, and that was none other than the former crown prince, the king who had just ascended the throne not long ago!
Just as the emissary on horseback was about to refute Zhang Chen righteously, a weak voice came from the carriage: "I have been on a long journey and my old illness has recurred, so now I can only ride in a sedan chair. I also know that I violate the order of Emperor Taizu, but please, Master Zhang, allow me to ride in the sedan chair to the city gate and then change horses."
Hearing the crisp but somewhat weak voice from the sedan chair, and hearing that the person inside seemed very young, Zhang Shou rode forward and stopped Zhang Chen who was about to ask questions, and then asked in a friendly manner: "Is the person in the sedan chair the chief envoy of the Goryeo delegation?"
The envoy who was riding over was startled when he heard this, and then hurriedly shouted, "No, no, the person in the sedan chair is our king. By the order of the Heavenly Dynasty, the King has ordered us to escort the king to the Imperial Academy to study."
