Chapter 698: Yearning (Part 2)

The Magistrate of Jiaxing County died of illness while in office, and the Magistrate of Xiushui County was promoted to the Governor of Taicang Prefecture. "It's a pity that Zhenxing is from Yuhang. I feel sorry for Zhenxing. I didn't expect that Huguang would request to set up Hecang Fort as Jiahe County." Xu Lingyi picked up the teacup and took a sip. "This can be regarded as a loss in the east, a gain in the west."

On the second day of June, Luo Zhenxing, who had waited for a long time in vain, finally received a letter from the Ministry of Personnel, appointing him as the magistrate of Jiahe County in Huguang. He had to take up the post before the twentieth of June. That evening, Xu Lingyi hosted a banquet for Luo Zhenxing to see him off.

"I have to thank Lord Xiang for this." Luo Zhenxing smiled implicitly, "If Lord Xiang hadn't written to the Marquis, I would have applied for the position of Ningzhou magistrate. Whether I could get it or not is one thing, and I might have offended Elder Liang Ge. It's also a small county, but with Lord Xiang and Lord Wang here, it's much better than Ningzhou."

This sentence sounds a bit awkward, but in fact, in March, the Ministry of Personnel vacated the positions of county magistrate of Jiaxing and Xiushui, two wealthy counties. Because Zhenxing was from Yuhang, he was not eligible to be an official. At the end of April, the county magistrate of Ningzhou was transferred to Anyi County, and Liang Ge Lao wanted to arrange one of his students to go to Ningzhou. Xu Lingyi was thinking about whether to follow Chen Ge Lao's way, but Xiang Daren suddenly wrote a letter to ask them to slow down. In mid-May, Hecang Fort in Huguang was far away from the state government because the bandits had just been pacified. In the near future, it would be requested to build a county to pacify it. Instead of competing with Liang Ge Lao for the position of Ningzhou County Magistrate, it is better to discuss with Liang Ge Lao and let him come forward to give the newly established Jiahe County Magistrate to Luo Zhenxing.

Xu Lingyi perked up and went to Luo Zhenxing to discuss: "Huguang Commander Wang Lei was once my subordinate. If you go to Jiahe, with Lord Xiang and Wang Lei by your side, you will definitely get twice the result with half the effort!"

Luo Zhenxing was worried about this matter, and when he heard the news, he was like drinking ice water in the dog days of summer. He found Liang Ge Lao through the Luo family. This matter was done without any suspense.

Xu Lingyi smiled slightly: "Jiahe is also a place with poor mountains and bad water, but it is also easy to produce political achievements. The Ministry of Personnel's assessment is nothing more than taxes, theft, prisons, household registration, fields, and schools. Everything else is easy to deal with, but I'm afraid you will have to work harder on taxes..."

The two were talking about life in the study, while Shiyi Niang was sitting on the big kang by the window of Qingyinju, cleaning Ting'er's clothes: "This small silk-carved jacket was made with the extra fabric I saved that year. The color is nice and the style is new. Keep it. Maybe Ting'er can use it in the future!"

Ah Jin smiled and replied, "Yes."

Jiangeer came out with wet hair.

"Sixth Young Master, Sixth Young Master!" The little maid Ying Tao chased after him with a handkerchief in her hand.

"Give it to me!" Shiyi Niang took the handkerchief from Yingtao's hand with a smile and wiped her son's hair. "You are so old, but you don't know how to take care of yourself.

Jian Ge'er laughed and sat on the kang, casually flipping through the small clothes on the kang: "Are these all mine? I have so many clothes." "They are all from the Sixth Young Master." Ah Jin smiled and brought a cup of warm water to Jian Ge'er, "I haven't had time to wear them yet. The Sixth Young Master has grown taller." Then he pointed to a pile of clothes on the side, "They are all made of top-quality materials."

Jian'er picked it up and looked at it, then threw it aside without interest. He asked Shiyi Niang, "Mom, is your uncle really going to be the county magistrate of Jiahe County?" "Of course it's true." Shiyi Niang wiped her son's hair carefully, "The official documents from the Ministry of Personnel have come down. Your uncle will leave the day after tomorrow."

Jian Ge'er thought of the six months of companionship. He was reluctant to leave: "Why go there? Isn't Yanjing good? It's so far away, I can't see you during the holidays." He said. He turned his head and looked at Shiyi Niang. "Mom, can you persuade uncle? He can still be a fifth-rank official in Yanjing. Why go to such a poor and remote place!" When you reach the fifth rank, you can enjoy grace, which is the so-called title of wife and son. The lifelong hope of many officials is to pass the fifth rank.

"Your uncle is not just seeking favors or becoming an official," said Eleventh Lady with a smile, "He wants to do something practical for the people. He doesn't want to waste his time dealing with paperwork."

Jiangeer was silent for a long time. He said "Oh" softly and whispered, "I know."

Shiyi Niang couldn't help laughing: "What did you know?" She took a comb and combed Jian'er's half-dry hair.

Jiange'er turned his head and tilted his head to look at her: "Uncle wants to be like Fifth Uncle! Last time we went to Wendeng, Uncle said so." He said, laughing. "Me too, when I grow up, I want to go to Jiayuguan..." His big eyes sparkled, and his expression was indescribably radiant.

Eleventh Lady was stunned.

Since Jian Ge'er returned to Beijing, she has not seriously discussed this issue with him. Firstly, she felt that Jian Ge'er still needed some time to digest the trip to Jiangnan; secondly, she felt that Jian Ge'er was still young and it was not time for him to make a choice. Unexpectedly, he was still thinking about going to the northwest!

"Have you decided to go to Jiayuguan so early?" Eleventh Lady slowly slowed down her hair-combing movements. "Didn't you tell me that Zhuge Liang's strategy of borrowing arrows from a straw boat was unparalleled, and that he and Yu burned down the Red Cliff with great momentum..."

"Yes!" Jian Ge'er laughed, "But I like the northwest more. The sky is vast and the wilderness is boundless. Unlike the south of the Yangtze River, everything is exquisite and small, and the adults and men act like women..."

"Nonsense again!" Eleventh Lady said angrily, "Your uncle is from Jiangnan, Mr. Zhao is from Jiangnan, Chen Gelao and Dou Gelao are both from Jiangnan, which one of them looks like a woman? Aren't they the ones who decide on national affairs? Isn't it their contribution to the peace and prosperity of the world?"

In Jiang'er's mind, although Jiangnan is good, the Northwest is more to his liking. He wants to go to the Northwest. If his mother thinks the Northwest is not good, she will definitely oppose him going. Even if his father agrees, there will probably be many twists and turns. If he is not careful, he may not be able to go!

He wants to convince his mother.

"Mom, the northwest is really great!" said Jian'er, "It's wide and high. You can run and jump as you like."

"But life in the northwest is very hard." Shiyi Niang laughed. "The wind and sand are blowing in your face, and there's nothing good to eat. You're just going there for fun. If you stay there every day, you'll get bored. It's just like if you stay at home every day, you'll always find the outside world more interesting."

"No way!" Jian Ge'er got anxious. He turned around and looked at Shiyi Niang, ignoring the fact that Shiyi Niang was combing his hair. "My father and I traveled from Jiayuguan to Hamiwei, eating big cakes every day and sometimes staying out overnight. But when I rode my horse over the hillsides, looking at the land under my feet and the valleys left behind, I still found it very interesting." He laughed as he spoke, "It's not like when I went to Jiangnan with my uncle. They said they wanted to pick stars from a small three-story wooden building, a small earth slope was called a mountain, and a palm-sized pool of water was called a lake. It's boring..." There was some disdain between his brows.

Eleventh Lady rode a horse.

When sitting on horseback, one's vision becomes broad, the earth and the people are all at your feet, and there is a sense of superiority looking down on the world, which will fascinate many people.

Or does he simply enjoy the freedom of riding a horse and running without restraint?

"You traveled so far just to ride a horse?" she asked him softly.

Jiange shook his head, was silent for a while, and said, "I want to be the general of Jiayu Pass!"

"Why do you want to be the commander-in-chief of Jiayuguan?" Eleventh Lady looked at her son.

"In winter, the Tartars would come to Jiayuguan to steal things. Good people would die every winter. I even saw people without legs or hands, begging on the street." Jiange'er's face gradually tensed up. "The general of Jiayuguan drank with Daddy and started crying. He said he was old and couldn't beat the Tartars. He asked Daddy not to blame him. Daddy also looked helpless. He buried his head in drinking with Jiayuguan and got drunk." As he spoke, his little hands clenched into fists. "When I grow up, I want to be the general of Jiayuguan and fight the Tartars. Let them never dare to come and steal our things again."

Shiyi Niang looked at the little person in front of her. She felt familiar yet strange.

"Then do you know that fighting the Tartars is very dangerous?" Her eyes sparkled with tears. "If you are not careful, not only will you fail to defeat the Tartars, but you will also lose your life, and even your followers like Chang'an and Suifeng will die with you!"

"No!" Jiange smiled and dragged Shiyi Niang out. "Let's go to the yard."

Eleventh Lady wanted to know his intention, so she followed him to the yard.

Next to Jiang Ge'er was a row of weapons racks, with several long guns, clubs, and snake spears. He took out the club and swung it a few times. A dull sound of tearing cloth was heard in the air. He nodded with satisfaction. He hit the pomegranate tree next to him with the club. With a snap, the branches of the pomegranate tree, as thick as his arm, fell down.

"Mom!" The candlelight from the red lantern under the eaves shone on his face, and the smile in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows was filled with undisguised pride, "Awesome, right? I will become more and more powerful in the future!" He was full of confidence.

Eleventh Lady was speechless for a long while.

"Jin'er!" After a long while, she stepped forward and gently embraced her son. "Brute force alone is not enough. You also need to learn how to march troops and deploy troops, and how to deal with ministers in the court." Her eyes were blurred and she choked with sobs and couldn't continue. "It's a very difficult, very difficult road..."

She felt sad that her son was walking on a rough path, but why did she feel a sense of pride in her heart?

She burst into tears.

"Mom, what's wrong with you?" Jiang'er asked curiously, his mind racing, "Are you afraid that you won't see me again after I go to the northwest? No, I will write to you often and come back to see you as soon as I have time..."

Eleventh Lady began to sob.

Jianger was a little panicked: "Mom, I, I won't go now. The general of Jiayuguan said that I can only go to the northwest after I can wear the pair of yak boots..."

Strong arms held the mother and child in their arms.

"Okay, okay, don't cry!" Xu Lingyi comforted Shiyi Niang gently, "Jian'er will be fine... The general of Jiayuguan is not something you can become if you want to... If Jian'er didn't have the ability, I wouldn't let him go..." Shiyi Niang buried her face in the warm embrace and cried softly.