Chapter 25

Water Margin World, Yanggu County.

"Hurry, hurry, move these things to the carriage."

At the gate of the Zhang family, the Zhang family steward Zhang Zhong is urging the helpers in the house to move boxes of things to the carriage.

"Liang Zhongshu, is there any need for this?

I'm just going to Jinan to take the exam, not moving to Jinan to live."

Zhang Jie, standing on the side, looked at the old steward's move like moving house, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

More than half a month has passed in the Heaven-Dependent world, and more than half a month has passed in the Water Margin world.

The time has gone from June, when Zhang Jie just arrived at the shared space, to mid-July.

There is less than half a month until the provincial exam in August,

and Zhang Jie is also about to set off from Yanggu County to Jinan, the venue for the Shandong provincial exam.

Zhang Jie is still okay, Yanggu County is located in the west of Shandong,

the straight-line distance to Jinan in central Shandong is only more than two hundred li,

and there are many towns along the way, so it only takes about seven or eight days to arrive if you hurry.

Some people who live far away and have poor road conditions need to set off more than a month in advance.

Even so, they have to pray silently not to encounter road bandits or highwaymen, otherwise it is easy to go and never return.

"This trip of the Young Master is an important journey to leap over the dragon gate, so no matter how much importance is attached to it, it is not too much."

The old steward responded while continuing to direct the helpers to load a basket of pots and pans onto the carriage.

"Young Master, Young Master, you have never left home for such a long time since you were a child,

and gone to such a far place. How can the old slave, how can the old slave be at ease?"

As he spoke, the steward's eyes couldn't help but turn red.

He and Zhang Jie's father, Zhang Dahu, were like brothers,

he watched Zhang Jie grow up since he was a child, and in his eyes, Zhang Jie was his son.

Now that his sickly son has to travel thousands of miles, how can he not worry?

If it weren't for the fact that the Zhang family's affairs couldn't leave him, he really wanted to go to Jinan with Zhang Jie.

"Okay, okay. Liang Zhongshu, I will take all of these, take all of them."

The old steward's words have reached this point, and his concern is overflowing, what else can Zhang Jie say?

He can only obediently do as he is told.

"Renjie, on this trip, you should prioritize your own body.

If it doesn't work this time, there will be a next time, never force it."

Zhang Jie's teacher, Scholar Li, also taught him.

He, as a teacher, knows this student's body best,

if Zhang Jie insists on taking the imperial exam while sick, he is afraid he will die in the examination hall!

Although he hopes Zhang Jie will complete his unfinished imperial examination dream,

he still hopes first that this student can be healthy.

Now only Pan Jinlian knows Zhang Jie's strong body condition.

"Teacher, I know."

Zhang Jie cupped his hands seriously.

In a little while, a carriage was filled with boxes of all sizes.

"Young Master, it's getting late, let's set off."

Wu Song, who was acting as a guard, looked at the sun and walked to Zhang Jie's side and said.

"Hmm."

Zhang Jie nodded.

"Liang Zhongshu, Teacher, I'm leaving first."

Zhang Jie bid farewell to the old steward and Scholar Li.

"I wish you a gold list title and a bright future on this trip!"

The old steward and Scholar Li didn't say anything, but together expressed their beautiful wishes to Zhang Jie.

"I wish you a gold list title and a bright future on this trip!"

The helpers, servants, and maids of the Zhang family also stopped their work and blessed Zhang Jie.

"Thank you."

Zhang Jie returned the salute one by one.

"Let's go, Jinlian."

Zhang Jie greeted Pan Jinlian on the side.

"Yes, Young Master."

Pan Jinlian, wearing tight clothing suitable for long-distance travel, responded prettily.

Zhang Jie took Pan Jinlian into the carriage that had been emptied and was specially used for carrying people.

"Drive, drive!"

With the sound of the coachman's whip, this small convoy consisting of three carriages slowly set sail.

The convoy soon wound its way out of the city gate and left Yanggu County.

"Whoa! Whose young master is this? Such a big show?"

Some merchants from other places saw this posture and couldn't help but feel amazed and puzzled.

"This is the convoy of the famous imperial examination genius Young Master Zhang of our Yanggu County.

Young Master Zhang is going to Jinan to participate in the provincial exam this time,

when he comes back, I'm afraid we will have to respectfully call him Master Imperial Examination Graduate!"

A local from Yanggu County beside the merchant introduced Zhang Jie with great pride.

"So it's an imperial examination genius." The merchant understood.

In our Great Song, where the Emperor and the scholar-officials rule the world together,

the imperial examination is truly a top-priority major event, so no matter how much importance is attached to it, it is not too much.

When he was doing business in the Jiangnan area before,

he had seen a young master of a noble family specially charter a three-story building ship to participate in the imperial examination!

On the convoy side, Zhang Jie, sitting in the carriage, apologized through the window to Wu Song, who was patrolling outside:

"Brother Wu Er, it is a humiliation to you, I will definitely find you a precious horse in the future."

"What are you saying, Young Master? Besides, I am very satisfied with this mount."

Wu Song's tone was relaxed, and as he spoke, he reached out and touched the mane of the mule under his crotch.

That's right, Wu Song's mount is not a horse, nor a donkey, but a... mule!

There is no way, because Wu Song has a majestic figure and a strong build, his weight exceeds two hundred and fifty jin.

Ordinary horses simply cannot carry him for a long time.

To use the words of Cao Chengxiang asking Guan Erye in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms":

"Yunchang, why is your mount so thin and weak?"

Guan Erye: "My body is quite heavy, the horse cannot carry it, so it is thin and weak."

You must know that Guan Erye was riding a military warhorse, and Wu Song's weight exceeded Guan Erye's,

so it is normal not to find a horse suitable for him.

And Wu Song is very tall, riding an ordinary horse is like riding an underage pony, which is quite ungraceful.

According to Zhang Jie's speculation, only a precious horse of the level of Red Hare, known as "Lu Bu among people,

Red Hare among horses," can carry Wu Song to gallop on the battlefield.

But a precious horse like Red Hare is a gift from heaven, and there may not be one in an era.

Zhang Jie had no choice but to find a mule that was in its prime, powerful,

and five feet (about 1.5 meters) tall to be Wu Song's mount.

This mule can carry Wu Song, the only drawback is that the speed cannot come up,

it is okay to rush on the road, but it will not work to go to the battlefield to fight.

As for why Zhang Jie didn't find a warhorse or something for Wu Song to ride?

It's not that Zhang Jie didn't work hard, but Wu Song's physical requirements were too high, and our Great Song is really not giving strength.

Wu Song's physical conditions have already been stated, so I won't repeat them.

Our Great Song is too dragging, so I have to talk about it properly.

For raising horses, good horse breeds and good horse farms are indispensable.

Where are the best horse breeds?

The answer is in Great Liao.

The best horse farms are usually located in high-cold areas, with long mountains and large valleys, beautiful grass, and sweet springs, suitable for horse grazing.

And where are such places?

The answer is still in Great Liao.

Our Great Song originally didn't have good horse breeds and horse farms, and after the Liao-Song and

Xia-Song peace treaties, military preparations were relaxed, and horse farms were largely occupied by noble families and aristocrats.

Coupled with the sharp increase in population, reaching tens of millions, the conflict between farming and grazing was great, and people often changed horse farms into farmland.

Coupled with the strategy of "valuing infantry and slighting cavalry" and poor horse administration,

our Great Song simply couldn't cultivate many horses that could be used as warhorses.

So much so that when facing the Jin Kingdom during the Jingkang Incident, even if the whole country's strength was exhausted, only 20,000 cavalry could be pieced together.

The Great Song court treated those few warhorses like eyeballs,

that was something Zhang Jie, a mere scholar, could get.

If Zhang Jie wants to get warhorses, let's talk about it when he becomes a high official like a Minister of the Six Ministries,

or one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers!

And if you ask who in the world is best at using cavalry,

some people might say Huo Qubing, who carved stones at Yanran,

some people say Genghis Khan, who swept across the Eurasian continent, and even more say Alexander and Napoleon,

but Zhang Jie thinks it should be the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, nicknamed the "Iron Lady," Margaret Thatcher.

Don't believe it, this one is the creator of the Ogilvy victory,

fighting 6,000 peasant uprising troops with 50 light cavalry, and returning in great victory!

Margaret Thatcher: Not afraid of the British cavalry, that is no longer an ordinary protester, must deliver a heavy punch!

The convoy moved forward in an orderly manner and arrived at a town according to the itinerary in the evening.

Under the negotiation of an old man who had worked in the Zhang family caravan for more than ten years,

Zhang Jie and others successfully checked into a "Moonlight Inn."

When Zhang Jie saw this name, he couldn't help but complain in his heart:

"Could it be that a supreme power is standing behind this Moonlight Inn?

Otherwise, why is there an inn named 'Moonlight' in almost every world."

At night, the energetic Zhang Jie, after letting Pan Jinlian fall into a happy and deep sleep, entered the shared space with ease.

As soon as Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie entered the shared space, he saw Heaven-Dependent Zhang Jie, who was dressed in green tight clothing,

with a long sword hanging from his waist, dressed like a young knight.

"You're here."

Heaven-Dependent Zhang Jie held his long sword and said in a low voice.

Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie, who instantly understood that he was cosplaying the Gu Long martial arts style, also deliberately lowered his voice:

"I'm here."