"Young Master, this is a bad idea." He Ji cautiously glanced toward the door. Seeing no one, he whispered, "The Crown Prince is aloof and reserved, cautious man who rarely associates with outsiders. Furthermore, he's not greedy for wealth, so trying to curry favor with him is a dead end. I heard Cai Jing wanted to curry favor with the Crown Prince and sent him a gift of many pieces of glassware from the Kingdom of the Qin Empire. Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince not only refused to appreciate the gift, but flew into a rage in front of the gift-givers, had all the glassware smashed, and said, 'As an important official of the court, you ignore moral teachings and instead give me these toys. You're clearly trying to make me lose my ambition.'"
This flattery hit the horse's hoof.
Cai Jing was smart all his life but confused for a moment. He made such a bad move, which was really embarrassing.
"Hehe! I know everything you said." Gao Yanei said.
"Since you know, what else are you talking about?" He Ji glared at him and advised, "Young Master, I advise you to stay out of the royal family's affairs. If you mess up, you will be doomed."
"Okay, what you said makes sense. I will consider it carefully." Gao Yanei looked willing to accept advice.
Zhang Shixun said nothing and just listened to them quietly. As a person from later generations, he was not very clear about the process of this dispute over the succession to the throne, but he was very clear about the final result.
Although Zhao Ji favored his other son Zhao Kai, he eventually hurriedly passed the throne to Crown Prince Zhao Huan, who became Emperor Qinzong, because of the sudden invasion of the Jin Kingdom.
Therefore, Crown Prince Zhao Huan will become the winner of the fight for the throne, although the winner's ending is tragic.
To be honest, Zhang Shixun didn't like Crown Prince Zhao Huan. He was indecisive and petty, and he couldn't even tolerate someone as upright as Li Gang.
Another son, Zhao Kai, was very similar to his father Zhao Ji in temperament, character and personal hobbies. He was smart and clever since childhood. When he grew up, he became accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, especially painting. It is said that his flower and bird paintings were extremely exquisite, and everyone who saw them was sincerely impressed.
What is even more amazing is that as a prince, Zhao Kai actually went to take the imperial examination secretly, passed all the way, and finally entered the palace examination and won the first place. He told the truth to Zhao Ji after the results were announced. Zhao Ji was of course happy, but he was afraid of gossip from scholars all over the world, so he promoted the second place to the top scorer.
These are all recorded in the "History of Song Dynasty" and should be correct. However, it is unknown whether there was any behind-the-scenes manipulation.
If he had to choose, Zhang Shixun would choose someone like Zhao Kai rather than the cowardly and incompetent Zhao Huan.
Today, Gao Yanei talked about this topic, which reminded Zhang Shixun that he would eventually have to face Zhao Huan in the future. This is an issue that cannot be avoided and it is also a headache. Zhao Huan is a very difficult person to deal with.
Gao Yanei saw Zhang Shixun sitting there without saying a word, so he asked, "Brother, why are you sitting there like a mute person?"
"It's not my place to interrupt the topic you two are discussing," said Zhang Shixun.
"Haha! We've neglected Master Zhang." He Ji raised his wine glass and said, "Master Zhang's riding and archery skills are truly admirable to me. Come, come, come! I'll toast you a glass."
Zhang Shixun quickly raised his glass and said, "I should toast to Brother He. If it weren't for your dedication in teaching me archery, this exam wouldn't have gone so smoothly."
"Mr. Zhang, you're too polite. You were able to pass the exam thanks to your own ability. I was just a small help. We hit it off right away. This little thing is nothing to worry about."
The two clinked their glasses and drank it all in one gulp.
"Hey! The way you two are so devoted to each other is disgusting... So I didn't do anything, did I?" Gao Yanei couldn't sit still anymore and said angrily, "I've been running around for so many days, and in the end, it's all He Dalang's credit."
He Ji curled his lips and said, "Master Zhang doesn't treat you as an outsider. If you can't even see this, you've been eating my food for so many years in vain."
Zhang Shixun filled the glass with wine, held it up with both hands and said to Gao Yanei, "Gao Yanei has worked hard and made great contributions. You are a man of justice. I offer you a toast."
"That's pretty good." Gao Yanei clinked his glasses with Zhang Shixun's and drank it all.
After three rounds of wine and five dishes, He Ji asked Zhang Shixun with concern: "With Mr. Zhang's martial arts skills, it should be a sure thing that you will pass the military examination. I wonder what your plans are after you pass?"
"I haven't had time to think about this issue yet." Zhang Shixun said truthfully.
"Don't worry about it. My father has already considered it for him. He will directly serve in the Tianwu Army. The position of Deputy Commander of the Right Wing First Army is reserved for him."
"The position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army is indeed quite high. Even if you win the first place in the military examination, it's no more than that." He Ji hesitated for a moment and said, "With General Gao working for Brother Zhang, it's indeed a great position for you to secure. However, if Brother Zhang doesn't want to pursue a military career, there are other options."
"Other options?" Zhang Shixun didn't understand. If a military candidate didn't want to join the army, what else could he do?
"For example, transfer to a county and become a county magistrate."
"Is it possible to change jobs?"
"As long as there are people, it's not a problem."
"Come on, what's so good about being a small county magistrate?" Gao Yanei retorted.
"Don't underestimate the position of county magistrate. Although it's not a high-ranking position, it's the highest in the county. It's easy to achieve political achievements, which leads to promotions. Most importantly, being a county magistrate means you're completely free from military service."
Zhang Shixun understood that he was speaking out of consideration for himself, and hurriedly bowed his hands in thanks, "Thank you, Master He. I know you're thinking of me. However, there's no rush for this matter. Whether I can pass the military examination is still uncertain, so it's not too late to consider this issue after I pass."
"Yeah! That's true." He Ji nodded.
"Brother will definitely pass the military imperial examination. I'm putting my word here. If you fail, I will jump into the Jinming Pool." Gao Yanei said, patting his chest.
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a sarcastic voice outside, "Jinming Pond has no cover. You can go and dance there anytime. Just remember to bring me along so I can have fun."
The three of them looked up and saw a man coming in through the curtain. It was Wang Hongfu—Wang Husun.
"Why, you don't welcome me?" Wang Husun looked at the three of them with a forced smile.
"Oh my! It's Wang Husun, so you're out of jail now? I remember you said you'd spend the rest of your life in prison, so why are you talking like a fart?" Gao Yanei stuffed a large piece of beef into his mouth, puffed out his cheeks and said incoherently, "You promised to treat me to a meal, but after you got out, not only did you not treat me, you even had the nerve to come here and make a fuss."
"You bastard, you're talking nonsense. I didn't say I wouldn't invite you," Wang Husun said, pulling a stool over and sitting down. He sneered, "I heard Gao Yanei's been very busy these days. I also heard you've been running around helping someone take the military exam. I wonder how you did?"
"Don't worry about your own business." Gao Yanei spat out a broken bone and said, "Wang Husun, you've disturbed our drinking mood. Is there anything else you want to do? If not, get out!"
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