First Minister of Ming Dynasty

First Minister Section 603

Old Zhu's face turned dark when he heard that Zhang Chengtian was ranked seventh in the grade... After all, it is the Zhang family, even the most disappointing ones, as long as they put their minds on their studies, they will improve by leaps and bounds, which is difficult for others to match.

Compared with Zhang Chengtian, his own group of children are far worse.

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, and said with a sneer, "Your boy is our apprentice, the second son of the Grand Master, can't you even learn by yourself? If you want to go to Henan, you must get good grades, and you must enter the top three in the next exam... Hurry up and get out!" "

Zhang Chengtian said helplessly: "Your Majesty, Master! I, if I enter the top three next time, will there be a reward?"

Old Zhu was stunned for a moment, and then said: "If you can pass the exam, we, we will give you 100 taels of gold!"

Zhang Chengtian immediately said: "Then I go to Henan, how will I calculate the travel expenses?"

"200 taels! Come back and count together!"

"Okay!" Zhang Chengtian agreed, turned around and left.The little fat man had a wicked smile on his face. In fact, he had already passed No.4 in the latest exam.

As long as you master the method and are willing to study hard, you can make progress really quickly.

200 taels of gold is at your fingertips.

Lao Zhu is at a disadvantage now.

Zhang Chengtian tidied up, got up and went to Henan, to Gushi County, the place where Wang Baobao was born and raised.

On the other side, Wang Baobao was captured, as were his younger sisters, and dozens of members of the family gathered together for a family reunion.

Lan Yu didn't make things difficult for him, but arranged for people to divide into three shifts to take care of Wang Baobao, feeding them with food and medicine, with meticulous attention to detail.

"The matter has come to this, you just kill me, so why bother!" Wang Baobao said bluntly, "Will you still surrender when I am?"

Lan Yu was also not polite, "I don't care about you. I only know that Daming treats prisoners preferentially, especially you, and we will take good care of them... So Wang Baobao, don't bow your head, you can't fight our!"

"Can't fight? Let's wait and see!" Wang Baobao sneered, "I've already looked down on life and death, unless you threaten the lives of your family members, but it's a pity that you claim to be a kingdom, I'm afraid you won't do such a thing, right? "

Sapphire laughed loudly, "Don't worry, even if you don't tell the truth, we won't act like that... But please don't worry, we will have a better way to make you bow your head."

Wang Baobao sneered, his heart is as hard as a stone, so feel free to toss about it!

Soon the imperial decree was delivered, and Sapphire was held in his hand. After looking at it for a while, he couldn't help clapping his legs and laughing wildly.

"This must be the grand master's handwriting, it's really amazing!"

Without saying a word, Lan Yu immediately sent someone to escort Wang Baobao's family to the south.

They first passed Hetao, went in the direction of Datong, passed through Shanxi, and arrived in Henan.

Due to Wang Baobao's poor health, a comfortable carriage was even prepared for him along the way, and someone specially diagnosed his pulse and made medicine to ensure Wang Baobao's health.

Zhang Ximeng was right, Wang Baobao was infected with the disease of wealth and honor, and his joints were covered with tophi. Although this disease is terrible, as long as he takes care of it carefully, it will not kill him immediately.

In fact, as he went further south, the weather got warmer and his diet was bland, Wang Baobao became much more energetic.

You can even barely move around.

"This is the Huaihe River! If you want to send me to Beijing, what are you doing here?" Wang Baobao was still confused.

The soldier who escorted him laughed and said, "We're all here, haven't you noticed yet? Naturally, I arranged for you to go home and have a look!"

"Go home! My home?"

Wang Baobao was taken aback for a moment, thinking it was ridiculous, he was a Mongolian, he had left his hometown long ago, where would he have a home?

But he soon woke up and knew where it was... For the first time, Wang Baobao's complexion suddenly changed, and he was in a bad mood.

"You can't do this! Hurry up, send me to Yingtian, I don't want to go! Don't!" Wang Baobao yelled hoarsely, his emotions completely out of control.

The soldier in charge of escort just smiled lightly. Seeing him like this proved that this trick worked!

"Wang Baobao, Ye Luo has returned to his roots. It may be a blessing to return to his hometown and see his old hometown. Let's go and cross the river with us!"

Wang Baobao's face was livid with anger, and he was completely mad.

After getting on the boat, he tried to jump into the river several times. Fortunately, the Ming army guarded him tightly, so he was able to save Wang Baobao.

They crossed the Huaihe River smoothly and came towards Gushi County.

Wang Baobao closed his eyes tightly and kept silent, unwilling to take another look at him.

It's his sister, who still has a little impression.

When she was only a few years old at that time, her favorite thing was the old man who sold maltose in the east of the city, and she could buy a large piece for a little money.

That sweet taste can make her recall it for several days.

The joy of children is so simple!

"Is there anyone selling maltose?"

After entering the county seat, the girl kept looking to both sides, and gradually, her eyes widened... Oh my god, is this still the original county seat?

Why are there so many streets?

There are also shops on both sides!

Row upon row, a lot more!

It's really bustling, compared to the beginning, but it's much more lively.

Her eyes kept searching, and she really found a seller of maltose.It's just that the boss looks much younger, not the old man.

"Want to eat? I'll buy you a piece!" The escorting soldier bought a piece and came back.

The girl just took a sip, and immediately showed a look of surprise.

"It still tastes the same as before!"

She couldn't wait to run up to Wang Baobao, "Brother, try it!"

Wang Baobao simply pretended not to hear.

The little girl had no choice but to eat sweets with her head down. Although being a captive is not a good thing, it is an unexpected blessing to be able to return to her hometown and taste the taste of her childhood.

"I don't have anything at noon today, just eat some stewed noodles casually. When I have time, I will go to look for the old house."

The soldiers brought a big bowl to everyone's eyes... Wang Baobao, who had been keeping his eyes closed all this time, smelled the familiar fragrance and shook his whole body, and the gate of memory opened instantly.

"Here, give me a bowl too!" His voice was as thin as a mosquito, but the escorting soldiers were shocked. Along the way, this was the first time Wang Baobao made a request on his own initiative. It was not easy!

Chapter 835 Gushi Goose Meat

After eating a big bowl of stewed noodles, Wang Baobao's body was full of strength again, and even his illnesses healed a lot.

It's still the food in my hometown that feeds people!

"I, I want to walk."

The soldiers in charge of the escort quickly agreed that with Wang Baobao's current state, he would not be able to run very far if he wanted to. They even thoughtfully prepared a carriage so that they could sit in it when they were tired from walking.

After more than 20 years, Wang Baobao was finally able to observe the place where he grew up since he was a child. The feeling is indescribable.

The city of Gushi County has changed, with more streets, better houses, and even more workshops, such as chariot and horse dealers, woodware dealers, and so on.

But there are also some places that have not changed, such as the Town God's Temple, which is still there, and the misty incense reminds Wang Baobao that when he was a child, his mother brought them here to burn incense and pray for blessings.

By the way, the bluestone at the entrance of the Town God's Temple was still there. Wang Baobao groped and sat down, stroking the same rough stone with his rough hands.

He found a small pit on the stone, the size of a thumb... Wang Baobao grinned, it was this small pit, when he was sitting, he liked to put walnuts in the pit, smashed them and ate the walnut kernels.

So many years have passed, the stone is still there, the small pit is still there, nothing has changed...but everything has changed.

At the beginning, the mother at most prayed for the blessing of the gods, so that the child could flourish and become a master.

Facts have proved that the gods are quite effective.

After Wang Baobao became an adult, he encountered the Red Scarf Uprising.Someone threw himself into the red scarf to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty.

There are also people who stand on the side of the Great Yuan Dynasty and wipe out the rebels.

He is a Mongolian, so he naturally followed Chahan Timur, his uncle and godfather, to deal with the rebels together.

They fought, galloped, Nan Suo Hongjin, Beisuo Hongjin, and Liu Futong were all beaten to the brim by them.

Chahan Timur's official position continued to rise, and he seemed to become the most powerful faction in the Yuan Dynasty.

If it weren't for the decisive battle in the Central Plains, they failed, and they might even become characters like Emperor Wu of Wei.

But even though Chahan died, Wang Baobao, who inherited the inheritance, still climbed to the position of King of Henan and Prime Minister Zuo Zhongshu, and became the last pillar of the Yuan Dynasty, maintaining the country's country and dignity.

Until now, the army was defeated and captured, and returned to his hometown.

The experience of these decades is like a dream... Wang Baobao remembered a play called Handan Dream, which seems to be about this.

In order to save a scholar, Lu Dongbin gave him a pillow.

The scholar lay on it, and in a dream, he took the imperial examination, married a beautiful woman, became a high-ranking official, had infinite glory, lived to be more than 80 years old, had children and grandchildren around his knees, and was named a grand master...

Finally, when I woke up from the dream, the yellow rice cooked next to me was not yet cooked.

Maybe I am that Lu Sheng, and the next moment I wake up from my dream, there will be a fairy floating over to save me and ascend to the fairy world!

Thinking of this, Wang Baobao actually grinned.

He didn't wait for the immortal, but he smelled a strong fragrance, which was extraordinarily mellow. It traveled through the five sense organs, opened the seven orifices, and drilled directly into the head.

It smells so good.

Wang Baobao hurriedly looked up, and the source of the aroma was a restaurant, the store was not big, it only sold goose meat.

Gushi goose meat!

Wang Baobao's interest came immediately.

Gushi's goose is famous all over the world. It is said that Luo Binwang's song about the goose is about Gushi's goose.

It is also said that when Emperor Sui Yang traveled south, there were more than a thousand delicacies, but the goose meat of Gushi was the most popular among nobles.

It seems that historical celebrities all have the task of endorsement for food.

Regardless of whether it is true or not, Gushi goose meat is indeed very famous.

The geese here are very good, and the breeding is also particular. When they were young, they were raised outside and ate weeds. When it was fattening, they even had to be fed with rice grains.

Growing up on food, the meat is fat and tender, and the taste is mellow. Needless to say, the dishes are made.

Wang Baobao remembered that when he was a child, goose was his favorite food, but at that time the family was not very rich, so they could only eat one or two meals throughout the year.

But every time he eats it, he has endless aftertaste.

If there is no goose meat, this year will be in vain.

Finally came across goose meat again, and I still can't miss it.It's just that goose meat is different from stewed noodles, and the price is not cheap.Wang Baobao thought for a while, then reached out and pulled out a ring inlaid with gemstones.

"Please order a few tables of geese for our whole family to try."

The escorting soldier nodded, "I still have to ask if they will accept the ring... It's a bit embarrassing for us to pay for it."

A soldier went to the restaurant with a ring, and came out with a smile after a while, "It's a good luck, a little brother saw that the ring was good, and he paid [-] rings, which is enough to buy four tables of goose banquets."

Wang Baobao was taken aback. His ring was said to have been snatched from Khwarazimo. It had been passed on for hundreds of years, so it was worth twenty rings?

forget it!

Under the low eaves, people had to bow their heads.

It would be worth the extra cost if he could treat his family to a meal of authentic goose meat. Anyway, he is now a prisoner, so what else can he think?

Wang Baobao followed the soldiers and entered the restaurant. He sat down and waited for the food to be served... Just near the window, there was a little fat man sitting there, eating heartily.

The aroma of goose meat floated in front of Wang Baobao, and the little fat man ate the goose meat so much that he thought Wang Baobao was hungry.

He also noticed that the little fat man's finger was wearing his ring.

Wang Baobao made a slight movement and walked over on his own initiative.

"Brother, do you know the origin of this ring?"

The little fat man didn't raise his head, just ate the goose leg, and said casually: "What else could be the origin? Isn't it just one unlucky guy who passed it on to another unlucky guy? If I didn't feel sorry for you, I wouldn't pay you any money. If you want it, I find it unlucky!"

In a word, Wang Baobao was almost thrown to his knees!

But what he said is also right, when Khwarazimo was destroyed by Mongols, the ring fell into the hands of Mongols. After so many years of inheritance, the Great Yuan Dynasty was also finished, and he could only exchange the ring for goose meat...

"Brother, from what you said, you seem to be very knowledgeable?" Wang Baobao said, "I don't know your surname!"

The little fat man on the opposite side smiled and said: "You asked me your name, but I didn't say it was free... Guess what my name is?"

Wang Baobao couldn't help but said, "Needless to say, it's nothing more than the surname of the current emperor, or the Zhang surname of the Jade Emperor... I guess your surname is Zhang! Right?"