Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Descendants of the Miraculous Doctor
The family had plenty of food and clothing, and they had no shortage of food. After the Tian family left, Mrs. Du asked the father and son to prepare the large iron pots. She first boiled two large pots of water, and then the whole family washed from head to toe before changing into new clothes.
Afterwards, white rice was cooked on the stove sent by the Su family, and dried chicken stewed with kelp was cooked in a large iron pot. Both chicken and kelp have a salty taste, so no salt needs to be added to this pot.
The meal was ready, white rice with stewed chicken. The whole family ate until their stomachs were full, and they lay contentedly on the warm kang, not wanting to move. They left their dishes in the pot and didn't want to wash them. They closed the doors and windows, and the whole family slept in a mess.
It has been a hard journey, and I am exhausted both physically and mentally.
The whole family stayed at home, eating and sleeping. After half a month, after enough rest, Gu Wen and Mrs. Du were able to think about the future.
Gu Wen recalled what Tian Qingde had said half a month ago. He said, "Brother Tian wants to find a way out in Songjiang City through Su Guang. I don't think this can be forced."
Mrs. Du also felt the same way: "The Su family couple are not easy to talk to. If you put it politely, they are just following the rules. If you put it bluntly, they are pedantic and inflexible."
Gu Youan smiled and said, "I noticed on the road that when the Su family took advantage of the Li family, they were not pedantic and knew how to adapt."
These words reminded Mrs. Du of Li Hongwen's concubine, Mrs. Zhang. She wondered where she had gone and how she was doing.
Gu Wen said, "It's just human nature. Now that the Su family has arrived in Songjiang City, they have the means to be more discerning, so naturally they've adopted the old rules."
The Su family had just settled down that day, and they couldn't wait to send these thank-you gifts to the Gu family. Gu Wen guessed that the Su family was probably afraid that the Gu family would use their favor to repay the favor and would not let go, so they spent a lot of money, so eagerly and wholeheartedly.
Gu Youan thought about the character of the Su couple and felt that her father was right.
"Since they have made their own way, we should also know what's good for us. From now on, our family will have to rely on ourselves."
Gu Wenqing asked, "Will our family farm in the future?"
Gu Wen nodded: "Well, now that the land has been divided, we naturally have to plant it."
Mrs. Du was a little worried: "The village head said that we will be given land next spring. Our family of five will be allocated a total of 39 acres of land. How should we farm it?"
Gu Wenqing was just about to ask where there was so much land, but then he remembered that An An's birthday was on the ninth day of the first lunar month. After the New Year, An An would be fifteen years old and would be of marriageable age.
According to the rules of Songjiang City, a girl who turns 15 can be allocated eight acres of land.
"If other families can grow crops, then naturally we can too." Gu Wen said, "If we are too busy, we can ask for help. We can't just leave the land empty."
Gu Wen said to Gu Wenqing, "I'll have to trouble you from now on."
Gu Wenqing doesn’t feel it’s hard. Can it be harder than being on the road of exile?
After listening to what her parents said, Gu Youan said, "Brother will be seventeen next year."
Seventeen is not young anymore. If it weren't for the delay in exile, I would have been planning a marriage this year.
Take the two sons of the Tian family for example. Tian Erlang is the same age as his brother, and Tian Dalang is one year older than his brother. Uncle Tian and his wife are planning for the future and marriage of their two sons.
Mrs. Du: "She's only seventeen. It's quite common for men to get married after they reach adulthood in order to pass the imperial examinations."
"Can Songjiang City hold the imperial examination?"
"What kind of imperial examinations does Songjiang City hold? If you want to take them, you can only go to the interior of the country, to Luoyang. However, although Songjiang City cannot hold the imperial examinations, it does have an official selection examination, which is held every two years and includes both civil and military officials."
After all, Songjiang City is a small place, and there are not many people who can be appointed. The civil service examination is more difficult than the Luoyang examination. The military examination is easier, and there are more positions to be appointed.
"Can Prince Qi select and appoint officials on his own?" Gu Wenqing couldn't believe it.
Gu Wen smiled slightly. "During the time of the previous emperor, Songjiang City didn't have so many people. The affairs of the city were managed by the Northeast General, who was closest to here. Until now, Prince Qi has managed the city well over the years. Songjiang City has a prosperous population and many caravans come and go. The court has no control over this place, so Prince Qi can naturally make the decisions."
Legally speaking, Songjiang City is the fief of Prince Qi. If Prince Qi has the ability to control it, he will be the emperor in Songjiang City.
Gu Wen knew his son's academic ability best. After careful consideration, he said, "Da Lang, your academic ability is limited. If you want to become an official, how about becoming a military officer?"
Gu Wenqing was bewildered. A military officer? Could he do it?
"Give it a try. You're tall, but a little skinny. Next year, work harder on the farm so you can have more food. Take care of your body first. When you have some free time, I'll ask someone to see if there's a martial arts teacher you can learn from."
"The Tian family has two children. The elder one passed the imperial examination at the age of eighteen. He has a temperament similar to Brother Tian and is a man of great ambition. He might be a good scholar. The second child is not as good at studying, but he has a quick mind and is good at speaking. If he fails in studies, he will probably pursue a military career."
Not to mention the private army of Prince Qi's Mansion, there are many positions in the Northeast Army and Liaodong Army near Songjiang City, and there are many career opportunities for military officers.
Gu Youan: "Dad, the Northeastern Army and the Liaodong Army are both imperial armies. Can my brother join them after passing the military officer exam?"
"The Liaodong General is having some trouble, but the Northeast Army is fine."
The current Northeast General's surname is Meng. General Meng is the cousin of King Qi. The two families have always been close. Even though the Northeast Army is not King Qi's private army in name, there are signs of this.
Two years ago, Gu Wen heard from a colleague in the Ministry of War that the emperor originally did not want to allocate military funds to the Northeast Army because the Northeast Army was controlled by a man named Meng, and the Governor-General of the North, who was in charge of the northern armies, could not intervene.
At that time, if the Minister of War had not objected, saying that the Northeast Army, Yanzhou Army and Liaodong Army supported each other to control the grassland tribes and should not be moved lightly, the Northeast Army's military funds and food supplies would have been cut off.
"The Northeast Army was originally the army of Prince Qi's maternal grandfather, Meng Kai. When his followers died, it was passed to his second son, Meng Chuan. Back then, because the Northeast Army couldn't be mobilized but still needed to be used, the late emperor, in order to control it, married Meng Kai's daughter as his successor empress, which led to the birth of Prince Qi."
A few years ago, Queen Meng passed away. She refused to be buried in the imperial mausoleum and wanted to be buried in her hometown, Songjiang City. The late emperor agreed.
Unexpectedly, just two months after Queen Meng's death, the late emperor passed away. The current Emperor Zhou Xuan took advantage of Prince Qi's visit to Songjiang City to attend Queen Meng's funeral and quickly seized the throne. He immediately issued an edict, saying that in sympathy with his young uncle Prince Qi's filial piety, he allowed Prince Qi to stay in Songjiang City to mourn for his mother for three years and did not need to return to the capital.
After Zhou Xuan ascended the throne, he divided the fiefdoms of several uncles who were still alive after the palace fight, and gave Songjiang City to King Qi as his fiefdom.
Since his exile, during the months of suffering on the road, Gu Youan looked at the starting point of things and quickly transitioned from a modern society with a sound legal system to the Zhou Dynasty, where rules were ignored and power was the only concern.
After listening to her father's explanation, Gu Youan said, "The feudal system isn't a good idea. If the current emperor pushes too hard, Prince Qi might really want to rebel, and his chances of success are pretty good."
In Gu Youan's mind, the emperor who came to power as the winner of the palace fight in Luoyang City had many means to eliminate dissidents, but his vision in governing was not very good.
According to the information Gu Youan has heard so far, Prince Qi is much more capable than the current emperor. Prince Qi also has the Northeast Army left by his grandfather. He is still a prince and has been recommended by ministers.
As long as we find a suitable excuse, if Prince Qi raises his army, then everything will be ready.
Gu Wen: "The royal family's affairs are not something our family can consider."
After listening to his father and sister, Gu Wenqing made a decision: "I'll follow Dad's instructions and learn martial arts instead."
A Xuan came over and said, "Brother, I want to learn too."
Mrs. Du picked up her little daughter and said with a smile, "Learn. You learn, An'an learns too, and we all learn. It's better to live peacefully inside the Great Wall than outside. Learn some skills to protect yourself."
Gu Wen looked at his two daughters with a smile on his face. "It's still snowing outside, so it's hard to go out. I'll go talk to Brother Tian tomorrow when the snow stops."
The Gu family stayed at home to recuperate and did not go out. The Tian family was in a similar situation. The next morning, the snow stopped, and Gu Wen went out alone to the Tian family.
Mrs. Du called her son up and said, "Wenqing, come out and move around. Sweep the snow from the yard."
"Hey, I'll be right there."
Gu Wenqing put on his cotton coat and went out. Gu Youan went to the kitchen to check the things stored at home. The dried chicken sent by the Su family was eaten up, and there was still some bacon left. Gu Youan took out a few strips of bacon from the space and put them in.
There are chickens and ducks in the space, and a basket of chicken and duck eggs has been stored. There is also frozen fish bought in Shanhaiguan, but it is not convenient to take them out now.
"Sister, what are you doing?"
Ah Xuan came running over. Gu Youan closed the cabinet and said with a smile, "Let's see if there's anything delicious at home."
Ah Xuan chuckled: "Let's tell Mom that we'll have stewed meat for lunch today."
Gu Youan glanced at the half-basin of dough on the stove: "We'll have buns for lunch."
"Oh, I don't want to eat buns, I want to eat meat." A Xuan pulled her sister's arm and acted coquettishly.
"It's no use telling me. I can't make the decision."
Gu Youan took her out of the house, turned around and went into the house to get a comb and sat down: "Come here, I'll comb your hair."
"No, it hurts." A Xuan turned around and tried to run.
"It doesn't hurt. I'll be gentler." Gu Youan immediately reached out and grabbed her.
"Well, you said that if it hurts, I'll cry."
Gu Youan immediately smiled: "Comb it a few more times. If there are no lice anymore, you don't need it anymore."
"Okay."
A Xuan pulled her hair down randomly, and lay in her sister's arms, shaking her head like a messy little puppy.
Gu Wenqing finished sweeping the snow and went inside. He then took the wooden bucket outside to collect the snow. When Ah Xuan saw this, she earnestly instructed him like a grown-up: "Brother, we need clean snow."
Gu Wenqing looked at her with a smile and nodded in agreement.
Mrs. Du went to the kitchen to see how the dough was rising. Gu Youan didn't notice that Ah Xuan ran to the kitchen with a messy head of hair: "Mom, I want to eat meat."
"There's only half a piece of meat left at home. If I eat it..."
Mrs. Du opened the cupboard and saw a few extra strips of bacon. She immediately changed her mind and said, "Then cut half a piece of bacon for lunch and mix it with the cabbage to make bacon and cabbage stuffed buns."
"Great, great."
A Xuan happily ran to find her sister: "Sister, Mom said we'll have bacon and cabbage buns for lunch."
Gu Youan pulled her over, combed her hair into two small buns, and slowly said, "Do you want to eat fish?"
"If you don't eat it, it will sting and make you feel uncomfortable."
"Sea fish have fewer bones."
"Then we'll eat sea fish."
A Xuan ran to the kitchen to find her mother again, and Gu Youan followed her.
Mrs. Du glared at her little daughter: "You little girl, just now you were talking about eating meat, and now you want to eat fish. Which little girl is as greedy as you?"
Ah Xuan hummed and acted coquettishly: "Eat, eat."
Gu Youan said with a smile: "Mom, let's go to Songjiang City when we have some time?"
There are no sea fish for sale in the town, but there are frozen fish for sale in Songjiang City every winter. I heard that they are shipped from the seaside and the price is not expensive.
Mrs. Du knew that An An wanted to use the trip to Songjiang City as an excuse to sell some things, so she said, "Wait until your father comes back and ask him first."
Mrs. Du glanced outside and said, "Your father should be back soon."
Gu Wen went to the Tian family to discuss something and came back almost at noon. Mrs. Du asked him to come in for dinner and asked him why he had been gone for so long.
"Did the Tian family leave some food for you?"
Gu Wen took off his boots and changed into a pair of cloth shoes. He smiled and said, "The Tian family has it even harder than ours. It's not so good to eat at the Tian family."
Gu Wen went to the kitchen to get hot water to wash his hands. Mrs. Du served him a bowl of rice soup and some steamed buns.
The rice soup was no longer hot, so Gu Wen drank a mouthful to moisten his mouth before saying, "On the way back, I ran into the eldest son of the Luo family and talked for a while."
"Oh, they're out selling firewood?"
"No, Luo Dalang's father has bad legs and feet, so he went to Zhang's house to exchange some plasters for use. Zhang's family is the closest to our house, and we just happened to run into each other, so Luo Dalang and I went to Zhang's house."
Mrs. Du said, "It's time to go. We've been in the neighboring village for half a month, and we haven't visited our neighbors yet. It's not good at all."
Gu Wen thought the same. After he and Luo Dalang went to Zhang's house, he learned that the Zhang family was exiled to Songjiang City five years ago. They had been in famine for five years and were only freed this year and changed their citizenship.
"The Zhang family cleared the land for a year in Dongyuan County and then moved to the neighboring mountain village. Brother Zhang said there were fewer people here and it was quiet, so after the five-year period was up, they registered their household registration here."
Gu Wenqing was curious: "Why was the Zhang family exiled?"
"Alas, the Zhang family is also unlucky."
The late emperor was still alive before Zhang Shinan was exiled. At that time, Zhang Shinan had just entered the Imperial Medical Bureau as an imperial physician. It happened that the prince was seriously ill and could not be cured. Although he was not the chief imperial physician, he was implicated after all.
Five years ago, Gu Wen was still a Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works. Given their family's status, they were not qualified to hire an imperial physician even if someone in the family fell ill. However, when people in the capital city talked about an imperial physician named Zhang, Du thought of someone.
"Could this Imperial Doctor Zhang be a descendant of that miraculous doctor from Qingzhou Prefecture, Shandong?"
"That Divine Doctor Zhang was Zhang Shinan's grandfather. After Divine Doctor Zhang passed away, Brother Zhang's other brothers and uncles all practiced medicine in their own clinics in Qingzhou or started a medicinal herb business. He was the only one in the Zhang family with some talent for medicine, and he was admitted to the Imperial Hospital at a young age."
"Oh, what a pity."
Gu Youan looked at her father and asked, "A young man who just joined the Imperial Hospital can have contact with the Crown Prince?"
Gu Wen glanced at his daughter with appreciation: "An An, you've hit the nail on the head."
Zhang Shinan's grandfather was the director of the Imperial Medical Service. It was possible that his grandfather's former enemies in the hospital were setting a trap for him.
Gu Youan said, "It could also be that seeing that he had already entered the Imperial Hospital based on his abilities when he was only in his twenties, some people were afraid that he would be the next miracle doctor, so they were wary of him and cleared away obstacles in advance."
Du sighed, "Where there are people, there are conflicts. Nothing is easy."
Gu Wen hummed, "That's exactly what I meant."
Gu Wenqing finished his meal, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and said with a smile: "I think An An is very suitable for officialdom. I have never seen a young lady as clear-headed as her."
Gu Youan smiled faintly. In the Great Zhou Dynasty, what could the young lady do no matter how smart she was?
An An has gained wisdom and has learned some basic skills, but she has no chance to move up, which Gu Wen finds a pity.
Her parents and brother all felt sorry for her, but Gu Youan didn't think so. If she couldn't become an official, she could still do other things, such as business, farming, studying medicine, or reading. No matter which one, although it was a bit difficult, she still had to try her best to learn a skill.
The Zhou Dynasty was different from the modern times. The more difficult the situation was, the more important it was to hold resources. This might be the only way out for the whole family.
In Gu Youan's opinion, the Zhou Dynasty regime was not very stable and it might fall into chaos at any time.
If you don't plan for the future, you will have immediate worries. It's better to make plans early.
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