Chapter 133: 133. Chapter 132: Heaven

133. Chapter 132: Heaven's Proud Son, Flowing and Stopping

The seventh day of the tenth month, Start of Winter.

The so-called first period is when water begins to freeze; the second period is when the earth begins to freeze. In Beizhili, it had already begun to turn cold and congeal, especially in the early morning; farmers who had previously waded barefoot through water to take a shortcut now mostly chose to find a bridge to cross.

Of course, there are differences between the north and the south.

The south still had residual heat, the air was cool and refreshing, with little rain and dryness, which was a good time for sightseeing.

The north was gradually having a sense of winter, and the feeling of desolation was beginning to rise.

And travelers from the south to the north at this time felt the difference in climate between the north and the south particularly clearly.

A horse carriage with a yellow flag reading "Ministry of Rites Examination" traveled slowly on the official road.

This yellow flag was the identifier for scholars entering the capital for the examination, known as the public carriage—local Administration Commissions would issue silver and fire tallies to scholars, and the fire tallies could be used to borrow carriages at post stations along the way.

The examination in the second month meant that there were still more than a hundred days until the spring examination.

Traveling in winter was inconvenient and easily led to catching a cold.

Arriving in the capital too late in the spring meant one couldn't review the old and learn the new.

Thus, entering the capital in this late autumn season to prepare for the examination became the choice of most scholars.

At this moment, the light of day had not yet appeared, and the road was very dark.

A morning breeze blew past.

Li Kun, who was driving the carriage, couldn't help but shiver and tighten his clothes.

Logically speaking, he was entering the capital from Henan, and the climate shouldn't be much different, but he clearly felt that the further north he went, the more biting it was.

Perhaps... it was because he was already thirty-eight years old this year and no longer able to withstand the cold, Li Kun touched his beard and sighed.

It was just a pity that the public carriage borrowed from the post station with a fire tally only had a carriage and would not be equipped with a postman to drive it.

If he had known, he would have waited until the sky was bright and warm before setting out.

Li Kun thought aimlessly and casually whipped the horse twice.

The morning light was faint, and the chill gradually receded, becoming cool and pleasant.

The pedestrians and carriages on the road also gradually increased.

After all, it was the Beizhili border; there were many people going out early in the morning to cut firewood and farm, and even more going up the mountain to pray to gods and worship Buddha.

The carriages were expensive, luxurious, and imposing; the peddlers were burdened with hardship, hunched and ragged.

Li Kun took both into his eyes and shook his head and sighed frequently.

Just as he was lost in thought, suddenly someone blocked his path.

"This gentleman, could you please do me a favor?"

Li Kun reined in the reins and looked to the side of the road.

He saw a wide carriage stuck on the side of the road, and the driver was looking worried.

And in front of Li Kun was a man in Confucian clothing and a cap, reaching out and beckoning; it was none other than the person who blocked the carriage.

He was in his early twenties, with a fair face, his Confucian clothing and cap fluttering, and his every move was even more dashing.

It can be said that he stands out from the crowd, with a graceful and refined demeanor.

Seeing his extraordinary appearance, Li Kun didn't dare to be arrogant because he was older.

He hurriedly got out of the carriage to greet him: "I dare not be called a gentleman; I don't know what advice you have?"

He did not report his family name.

When traveling, caution is first.

The visitor returned the salute in a standard manner: "I cannot be called a gentleman; I am Gu Xiancheng, greeting you."

After Gu Xiancheng finished returning the salute, he smiled bitterly and helplessly, explaining his intention: "I am the same as you, also a scholar entering the capital for the examination."

"The carriage was bumpy all the way, and I neglected maintenance, so it accidentally broke down on the side of the road."

"Unfortunately, I made an appointment with a friend to host a banquet for me today. If I delay the time, I fear it will make my friend unhappy."

"That is why I boldly disturbed you, begging you to take me along."

Hearing this, Li Kun breathed a sigh of relief.

It was easy to talk if it wasn't some wandering knight.

This little matter, plus the fact that they were both scholars and his demeanor was so outstanding, Li Kun didn't really reject it.

However, he still held a last trace of caution.

He took out the fire tally from his bosom, showed it to Gu Xiancheng, and said enthusiastically: "It's just a small effort."

"I am Lu Kun, courtesy name Shujian, a native of Ningling County, Henan."

Seeing this, Gu Xiancheng also understood the meaning; this was to verify his identity as a scholar.

He immediately took out the fire tally from his bosom and smiled: "That's a coincidence; my ancestral home is Wuxi, and I am also the third in my family, courtesy name Shushi."

Bo, Zhong, Shu, Ji; both of them had "Shu" in their courtesy names, basically meaning they were the third son in their families.

Li Kun took Gu Xiancheng's fire tally and looked at it carefully; it was indeed the standard format of the Administration Commission, and only then did he feel relieved.

He immediately revealed a smile: "Please get on the carriage, Shushi; I will drive."

Once the names and identities have been announced, there is no need to be so overly polite with "gentleman" and "your excellency" at every turn.

Gu Xiancheng hurriedly declined: "By reason, it is I who disturbed you, adding trouble."

"By emotion, you are fourteen years older than me; I should treat you as an elder brother."

"By both emotion and reason, I should be the one driving for you."

Seeing his handsome face and full etiquette, Li Kun couldn't help but feel good.

He immediately laughed: "Since we are traveling together, we might as well drive together."

The middle way can always persuade people.

Gu Xiancheng immediately thanked him and turned back to instruct the driver to guard the carriage and wait for help.

Afterward, Li and Gu sat on Li Kun's carriage together, one on the left and one on the right.

The horse was whipped twice, hummed twice in dissatisfaction, and the carriage traveled slowly again.

Li Kun's legs hung empty outside the carriage, sitting sideways.

Gu Xiancheng sat cross-legged, took off his official hat, and tidied his hair, which had become a bit messy from dragging the carriage.

"By the way, Brother Lu, why did you call yourself Lu when we reported our names, but on this fire tally, it is Li?"

Gu Xiancheng asked casually.

It wasn't that he suspected he was being lied to; after all, he had shown him the fire tally, and there was no need to cover it up.

It was just out of curiosity.

Hearing this, Li Kun just shook his head and sighed: "It's a long story."

Gu Xiancheng became interested.

He looked at Li Kun curiously and smiled: "Such a good time and good autumn mood, it's just right for killing time."

He could hear that Li Kun was just sighing and didn't have any inconvenience.

Sure enough, hearing this, Li Kun sighed again and told the story: "My sixth-generation ancestor, named Lu Heisi, was born at the end of the Yuan Dynasty."

"He read few books, understood righteousness, and farmed in Xin'an, making a living by irrigating gardens."

"Later, the flames of war rose everywhere; my ancestor had the ambition of governing, so he joined the Grand Ancestor..."

Gu Xiancheng listened with great interest to Li Kun telling the family story, occasionally interjecting to ask for details.

"……After the war, the Grand Ancestor rewarded my ancestor with the position of Battalion Commander, bestowed one catty of flower silver, and personally took the decree to restore his family."

"Who knew, an accident happened when the decree was issued."

Hearing this, Gu Xiancheng's expression became strange, obviously having already guessed.

Sure enough.

Li Kun sighed three times and said: "The end of the edict says: 'Order the old man Li who grows vegetables at the Water South Stockade. Respect this.'"

"It was actually recording 'Lu' as 'Li'!"

Gu Xiancheng coughed violently twice.

This was a bit rude; Gu Xiancheng hurriedly covered his mouth with his sleeve to cover it up.

Only after relaxing did he open his mouth: "So it was the descendant of a founding hero; I am truly disrespectful."

Then he asked curiously: "Then your ancestor didn't argue for this?"

Li Kun shook his head: "According to my ancestor's epitaph, at that time, Heisi argued about the surname, and the Grand Ancestor threw the brush and said, 'It doesn't matter if you are surnamed Li'."

After speaking, he couldn't help but feel a bit melancholy.

The Grand Ancestor bestowing a surname is a good thing, but changing one's name due to a slip of the brush is somewhat embarrassing.

The so-called "those in the clan who love etiquette, seek it in their hearts but are not at peace."

Life is even more awkward.

Li Kun's mother was surnamed Li; parents having the same surname in Henan is considered unethical—"Therefore, my family often marries with the Li surname, and after the coffin is closed, when setting up the tablet, they always call him Master Lu."

This is called following the monarch in life and following the ancestors in death.

Even after his parents passed away, how he would write the tablet was a big problem for him.

Therefore, even though Li Kun was nearly forty years old, he was still unwilling to give up seeking fame.

The Grand Ancestor's slip of the brush is impossible to change just because one wants to; one must have the Emperor nod to have a chance to return to the original surname.

If you don't pass the jinshi examination and reach a certain position, how can you have the qualifications to let the Emperor issue a decree to restore the surname?

Founding hero? A Battalion Commander sent back to his original hometown, passed down to the sixth generation, besides some floating wealth, what other path is there?

Gu Xiancheng, who was listening on the side, was proficient in worldly affairs and naturally understood the inconvenience.

He also understood why this Li Kun stubbornly called himself Lu.

Seeing Li Kun in low spirits, he couldn't help but sympathize: "The Grand Ancestor misheard, there is truly nothing to be done. After Brother Lu wins the golden list, you might as well use the excuse of the ancestor's phonetic error and submit a memorial to request restoration."

This was reminding Li Kun of the ways of officialdom.

Don't always say the Grand Ancestor did it, otherwise, it will be that the ancestral law cannot be changed.

Instead, say it was a phonetic error, and things will be a hundred times easier to handle.

Li Kun was startled.

His family was already down and out, otherwise, he wouldn't be using a public carriage rented from a post station.

He had no concept of these ways of officialdom, but now that he was reminded, he immediately realized the bottleneck.

Li Kun nodded with lingering fear and hurriedly bowed to thank him.

Gu Xiancheng still had an expression of being unmoved by favor or humiliation, just saying it was a small matter and refusing to accept the thanks.

With this matter as a foundation, the two gradually became familiar.

They began to exchange learning.

From Chen Hao's "Collected Explanations" to the "Great Compendium of the Four Books and Five Classics," from trial essays to strategies for current affairs.

When discussing strategies for current affairs, there was always someone who couldn't help but point out the mountains and rivers.

"……Not only that, I witnessed the tyrannical politics of Jiangling, and this time entering the capital, I will definitely face Minister Yaoquan and advise him to save the situation from the middle."

Jiangling is naturally Zhang Juzheng, and Yaoquan is the courtesy name of Shen Shixing.

Gu Xiancheng said this as a matter of course, and his whole person appeared even more radiant.

Li Kun listened intently and looked at Gu Xiancheng quietly.

Was this expressing a political inclination, inviting like-minded people, or showing off relationships and pulling in connections?

The first sentence was clearly expressing dissatisfaction with the current Chief Grand Secretary.

The second sentence was showing that he had a close relationship with the Minister of Personnel, Shen Shixing.

Regardless, between the words, a feeling of being a proud son of heaven came rushing toward him.

He suddenly realized that although Gu Xiancheng's appearance and conversation were extraordinary, the temperament of an opinion leader on him was the real reason why he was so dazzling.

Li Kun was not too familiar with court politics, pondered for a while, and asked curiously: "What does the tyrannical politics of Jiangling that Shushi mentioned refer to?"

Gu Xiancheng shook his head endlessly: "That's a lot."

"Coercing the master at the West Garden."

"Disrupting politics in Nanzhili."

"Setting up the Method of Examination to seize power in the cabinet, demoting colleagues."

"……"

Gu Xiancheng was about to continue.

The carriage suddenly stopped, interrupting his words.

He looked up suspiciously and saw a line of soldiers and two prison carriages in front, walking slowly, blocking most of the road.

Only half a small path was left for pedestrians and carriages to pass alternately.

Gu Xiancheng narrowed his eyes, looked at this group of people, took the reins from Li Kun's hand, and said in a low voice: "Let's go, go around."

Li Kun was still looking around curiously.

Especially looking at the group of Embroidered Uniform Guards and inner court officials in front.

Hearing this, he couldn't help but ask: "What is the background of this?"

Gu Xiancheng sneered: "Background? Naturally, it's a miscarriage of justice handled in Huguang."

Li Kun was startled.

Suspiciously: "Miscarriage of justice?"

Gu Xiancheng raised his finger and pointed at the two people in the prison carriage, explaining: "These two people should be the Prince of Dong'an and the Prince of Wugang of the Chu clan."

"The former is said to have plotted against the imperial envoy and hoarded troops to rebel."

"And the latter has many charges."

"As for why it is a miscarriage of justice, isn't it because Jiangling is oppressing the clan vassals……"

Halfway through, he looked back and saw Li Kun's ignorant expression, so he stopped his mouth.

That phrase "many charges" had the implication of implying that the imperial envoy fabricated charges.

But whether it was this matter or the sentence behind it, it was not something that this peer who had never experienced officialdom could understand.

So Gu Xiancheng thought about it and swallowed it back.

Li Kun seemed to understand a little.

Comforted: "Shushi doesn't need to be angry; I heard that the Emperor took the granddaughter of Grand Secretary Li into the palace this year, perhaps he will experience human affairs in these two years."

"At that time, Jiangling will always have to return power to the Emperor."

Gu Xiancheng nodded absentmindedly and dealt with it.

Li Kun turned his head and continued to drive.

The ignorant expression was immediately restrained, his eyes were deep, as if he was pondering something.

The two had their own thoughts and fell into a brief silence.

……

On the official road at the feet of the Son of Heaven, the road is always the flattest.

Plus the horse carriage with the yellow flag of "Ministry of Rites Examination," it could avoid some eating, taking, and demanding—this is also the reason why some places call scholars public carriages, which has the same effect as "eating state grain" in later generations.

Therefore, Li and Gu traveled smoothly all the way and arrived at Tongzhou, Shuntian Prefecture, before noon.

Li Kun heard that the friend Gu Xiancheng mentioned had already booked a manor to host a banquet.

This is at the feet of the Son of Heaven, and I don't know how much it cost.

It is worthy of being a proud son of heaven with connections from Nanzhili to Beizhili, which really makes Li Kun tongue-tied.

Li Kun sent Gu Xiancheng outside the manor and was about to go to the post station to return the carriage with the fire tally—no one dared to affect their official career for a few taels of silver for a carriage.

But Gu Xiancheng laughed: "This matter will be done by servants; Brother Shujian helped me all the way, how can I be stingy with a lunch?"

"With such great talent as Shujian, I should introduce some friends to you; you are all outstanding and talented, just right to complement each other!"

After speaking, he grabbed Li Kun's hand and wouldn't let him leave.

Then he poked his head out to beckon the servants waiting at the door: "Why don't you hurry up and call your master to come out to welcome me, and say that I have brought a beauty to join the banquet, and it is appropriate to add one more!"

It must be said that Gu Xiancheng's appearance and demeanor, and his sincere appearance of making friends, were extremely lethal.

Li Kun couldn't break free and was pulled off the carriage by him in a few moments.

The two hadn't walked a few steps yet.

At this time, a clear voice came from the manor gate: "This morning, a physiognomist said that my life has a peach blossom evil, and sure enough!"

Li Kun saw a man in brocade robes, about twenty-one or twenty-two years old, with a smile on his face, dashing and calm, stepping forward quickly.

"I said why Shushi came so slowly; it turns out he had a new love and was lingering on the road! Poor me, I am already sticking to my back!"

The visitor joked with Gu Xiancheng.

He turned his head to look at Li Kun, saluted solemnly: "I am Li Sancai from Lintong, courtesy name Daofu; this gentleman, please."

He looked at Li Kun and pointed at Gu Xiancheng: "I was ignorant when I was young, occasionally playing, but Shushi always warned me with a straight face, encouraged me to learn, reminded me in everything, and warned me at all times; he is a beneficial friend in name, but actually a strict teacher."

"Since this gentleman is Shushi's friend, he is also my friend."

After speaking, he grabbed Gu Xiancheng with one hand and Li Kun with the other, leading the two into the manor.

This attitude and sense of proportion were grasped extremely well.

Plus the handsome and peerless face.

Whoever saw it couldn't help but feel good.

Li Kun had an ignorant expression on his face, introducing himself.

But in his heart, he was sighing that the intention of these two to form a society was so obvious, he just hoped it was a proper path.

Never mind, leave after eating.

At this time, after Gu Xiancheng waited for Li Kun to finish introducing, he finally had room to interject.

He looked at Li Sancai and said with feigned displeasure: "Why did only you come out to welcome me, and the others? Is it because my ranking in the examination this year was too low and my foundation was shallow, so you didn't bother to come out to welcome me?"

Speaking of which, he almost didn't pass the examination this year.

But who told Nanzhili to make a fuss last year, spreading rumors that the central government wanted to suppress Nanzhili scholars.

Many scholars in the academy whose learning was ahead of him were affected, their minds were restless, and they failed the examination instead.

It was a close call for Gu Xiancheng to pass the examination.

It was just that the ranking was relatively low.

Facing Gu Xiancheng's teasing, Li Sancai didn't respond with laughter as before, but instead, after hearing this, his expression converged, showing a bit of color.

He looked at Li Kun and hesitated.

But after thinking about it, he still opened his mouth and said: "Something happened at the Hanlin Academy today, saying they couldn't get away."

Gu Xiancheng was stunned.

The Hanlin Academy is so idle, and there is a time when they can't get away?

He asked curiously: "What happened?"

Li Kun also silently pricked up his ears.

Li Sancai suddenly grabbed the shoulders of the two, pulled them toward the middle, and whispered: "It is said that today the Shujishi……"

"Because of the demotion of Xiong Dunpu last month, they are kneeling at the gate of the Wenhua Hall to complain!"

Although in the History of Ming, Li Sancai's ancestral home is Tongzhou, Shuntian, in July 1979, when the Nanle County Cultural Center in Henan Province moved its site, the tombstone of Wei Yunzhen was discovered, with the inscription "Li Sancai of Lintong," which is clearly ancestral home Lintong, living in Tongzhou, so this point in the History of Ming is a misrecord. ===== CHAPTER 134 =====