10 Chapter 010
◎Take the initiative◎
Just as Master Jiang said, Jiang Qing's horsemanship is indeed outstanding.
Xie Mingzhuo was satisfied and said gently, "Get up."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Jiang Qing jumped up happily, having long forgotten her father's instructions to be calm and steady, revealing a row of neat and white teeth.
She has a wheatish complexion, thick eyebrows, single eyelids, and a simple and neat bun, and she looks particularly energetic.
The most commendable thing is her figure. She is tall and straight, wearing a slim military uniform, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and her arms are strong and slender, even extending far past her hips.
Xie Mingzhuo was 1.75 meters tall in his previous life. After traveling through time, his body was still underage, but he was still 1.72 meters tall. In this place where malnutrition is common, this is far above the average height of an adult man.
Most of the maids in the palace were lower than her.
It was rare to meet a girl of similar height to her who was also proficient in riding and shooting, so she couldn't help but have some extra expectations.
"Teach me archery first."
"yes!"
Xie Mingzhuo stood in front of the target, adjusted his posture, and drew his bow and arrow.
The pulling force of this bow is one jun, which is thirty jin, making it a relatively light bow among crossbows.
The elite archers in the army can draw a bow of at least one stone, with one stone weighing four jin. Some exceptionally strong men can pull a bow of two or three stones.
Xie Mingzhuo had chosen the strength talent when he traveled through time, so it was quite easy for him to pull a one-jun bow. After he became proficient in archery, he could continue to try two-jun and three-jun, slowly accumulating the pulling force.
"Keep your body straight and your arms fully open." Jiang Qing stood beside her, changed his expression, and looked focused and serious.
She held Xie Mingzhuo's forearm, lifting it slightly. With her other hand, she gently touched Xie Mingzhuo's waist and said seriously, "Not only should you use your arms, but you should also tighten your waist and abdomen. Aim for the bull's eye. Don't hesitate, shoot!"
call out--
The arrow shot out and hit the straw target, only half an inch away from the center.
"Your Highness is very talented. He will definitely become a great archer after a few more days of practice!" Jiang Qing instantly took off her "teacher mask" and praised him generously.
Xie Mingzhuo laughed: "No need for compliments."
"I'm not complimenting you, I'm sincere!" Jiang Qing's eyes widened. "When I first started practicing archery, it took me a whole day to hit the bull's eye."
Xie Mingzhuo smiled without saying anything and raised his arm again.
When she shot the arrow just now, she did vaguely grasp the essence of archery. This time when she drew the bow, she was no longer confused as before, but instead had a clear idea of what she was doing.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
After ten arrows, the arrow tip went straight through the center of the bull's eye.
She put down the bow, and Jiang Qing's excited cheers rang in her ears.
"Your Highness, you are so amazing!"
Everyone loves to hear nice words, and Xie Mingzhuo is no exception. He had just learned archery, and his heart was filled with joy, his face and eyebrows couldn't help but smile.
Seeing this, Jiang Qing couldn't help but murmur, "Your Highness, you are so beautiful."
Xie Mingzhuo was stunned for a moment, then quickly replied, "You look good too."
"Thank you for your comfort, Your Highness." Jiang Qing scratched her head and smiled. She knew that she looked rough.
His Highness is so kind and willing to encourage her.
"Don't underestimate yourself," Xie Mingzhuo said, "You are very different."
There is no single standard for beauty and ugliness. Jiang Qing has regular facial features. Although her skin color is slightly dark and her figure is too tall, which does not conform to the traditional aesthetic standards for women, in her eyes, such a healthy and strong body is worth pursuing.
Feeling that she was not perfunctory, Jiang Qing's eyes warmed slightly.
"Your Highness, would you like to learn horsemanship?"
"good."
Jiang Qing put her finger to her mouth and whistled, and a brown-red horse came running over.
"Your horse?"
"Your Highness, this is a horse I raised." Jiang Qing stroked the horse's head and said proudly, "Xiao Fei is very well-behaved and obedient. I was worried that it would be difficult for Your Highness to control other horses, so I brought Xiao Fei here. Your Highness, would you like to give it a try?"
Xie Mingzhuo nodded, stepped on the stirrups to mount the horse with the help of Jiang Qing, tightened his waist and abdomen, and then held the reins according to the instructions, exerted force with his legs, and swayed his body as Xiaofei walked.
Xiaofei was indeed very docile. Under Jiang Qing's guidance, he carried Xie Mingzhuo around the field three times without any accidents.
With a professional and responsible martial arts master, Xie Mingzhuo made rapid progress. By the end of the class, she had mastered walking, running and sprinting.
When leaving the martial arts arena, Jiang Qing bowed and said goodbye reluctantly. After watching her leave, he stood there for a long time.
Master Jiang came closer and asked with a distressed look on his face, "Qingniang, how could you speak to the princess like that?"
"What are you talking about?"
"That's too casual," Master Jiang said earnestly. "Even if the princess is approachable, you can't lose your manners."
Jiang Qing wondered, "I respect your highness very much."
"At any time, you must not relax your mind, to prevent harm from your words."
"But Dad," Jiang Qing turned around and said seriously, "Just now when Xiao Fei playfully touched me with his hind legs, the princess stepped forward without hesitation. She was truly worried about my safety."
Master Jiang: “…”
"I think the princess is different from what people say. At least she doesn't treat me like an ant on the roadside that can be stepped on at will." She said with a smile on her face. "The princess even praised me for being different."
“…”
Jiang Qing was happy, but also a little lonely.
"Dad, when the princess learns how to ride and shoot, do I have to stay home again?"
"It's okay if you want to get married." Master Jiang said unhappily.
Jiang Qing shook her head decisively. "I'm not getting married. I want to stay with the princess forever. Do you think I should offer my services and teach the princess how to wield a sword?"
Master Jiang: "...My silly girl, do you expect the princess to kill the enemy with a sword herself?"
"That's right." Jiang Qing lowered her head.
At the Governor's Office in Kaifeng Prefecture, Henan Province, Lu Lian raised his glass and toasted the last person who hadn't fallen down.
"Master Fan, I'm new here. If there's anything I can't do, please forgive me. I'll drink first as a token of my respect."
Fan Cheng was born a military officer and is currently serving as the Chief Censor of Henan Province. He is well-known in the Kaifeng government offices for his large drinking capacity. He was pulled here today to get Lu Lian drunk at the table and to intimidate the new Censor.
Unexpectedly, Lu Lian looked at Wen Xiu and found that his alcohol tolerance was a bottomless pit. He even took the initiative and made Guo Duan and the other two drink to the ground, leaving only him alone.
But he has reached his limit.
He raised his glass tremblingly. "Censor Lu is truly a hero. I'll toast you one more time, this is the last one. You can't drink any more. My wife is still waiting at home."
Lu Lian smiled: "Of course, of course, but I have a favor to ask."
"What?"
"It's said that a strong general has no weak soldiers. Lord Fan is so brave and extraordinary, so I believe he has many talented people under his command. If I want to borrow Lord Fan's soldiers later, I hope you will be accommodating for today's sake."
The Supreme Court was in charge of the criminal law and judicial affairs of a province. The court employed many detectives and runners with excellent martial arts skills, who were all good at catching thieves and criminals.
Fan Cheng hesitated: "This..."
"I have been ordered to investigate the commander of Zongdu, but I am alone and feel uneasy. I just want to borrow some troops from Lord Fan to give myself courage."
It turns out that he was worried about facing Zong Zhen.
Fan Cheng was filled with disdain, and the fear he had felt at the table just now disappeared. He had said that a greenhorn with a pale face and tender skin could not cause any trouble in their territory.
As for drinking capacity, it is innate and you have to endure it even if you don't want to.
He chuckled, "Don't worry, Censor Lu."
How could one take what was said at the dinner table seriously? Censor Lu was still too young after all.
Lu Lian raised his empty cup and clinked it with his, saying with a smile, "This is the last cup. If you can't finish it, Lord Fan, then you don't have to drink it."
Can’t drink? What a joke!
Fan Cheng drank it all immediately, turned the cup over and looked at him proudly. Before Lu Lian could respond, he closed his eyes and fell to the ground.
Lu Lian put away his smile, stepped over Guo Duan who was lying on the ground with an expressionless face, left the governor's office with a smell of alcohol on his body, and went straight to the provincial government.
The situation in Henan was more complicated than he had imagined. Guo Duan held this welcoming banquet just to make him suffer a loss.
And why was Scholar Ma able to attend this welcoming banquet? Why did the Zongdu Commander lead his troops to Runing Prefecture?
When we arrived at the provincial government office, it was already 1:30 PM.
Lu Lian gave his name and the gatekeeper did not dare to stop him. He led him into the main gate, through the east gate next to the ceremonial gate, through the lobby of the yamen, and to the door of the second hall.
The Second Hall is where the Governor handles his daily business, with offices such as the Experience Office and the Review Office located on its left and right.
The Lijiesi and Zhaomosuo were equivalent to government offices in later generations. The former was in charge of receiving and sending documents, while the latter was in charge of managing document files.
All documents transmitted and issued to the outside world must be stamped by the Experience Office; the inspection and proofreading of documents from the six offices of the inner yamen are the responsibility of the Zhaomo Office.
Yang Kejian sat in the second hall, reading over and over the decrees sent by the cabinet. The decrees from the capital were all about general policies and did not go into every detail.
The document only mentioned the "wheat harvesting plan", but how to implement the plan still needs careful consideration.
For example, determining the number of self-cultivating farmers, how to persuade and appease farmers in the shortest time, when the money and grain donated by merchants will arrive, etc.
Yang Kejian coughed heavily a few times, picked up a pen and started writing on the paper. A pile of drafts was already piled next to him.
"Sir, Imperial Censor Lu is here to visit."
Yang Kejian's pen tip paused, leaving a large stain of ink on the paper. He couldn't help but sigh, put down his pen, stood up, and went out to greet him in person.
"I'm so honored to see you, Censor Lu. I'm so sorry for not coming in to greet you. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience." He coughed lightly, suppressing the discomfort in his throat, and extended his hand, saying, "Censor Lu, please come in and have a chat."
Lu Lian: "Master Yang, please."
After entering the main hall and waiting for the servants to serve tea, Lu Lian went straight to the point.
"May I ask, Lord Yang, why has the decree not yet been issued to the prefectures, counties, and districts?"
Yang Kejian put his fist to his lips and coughed a few times before saying, "I drafted the official document the day before yesterday and ordered the Ministry of Revenue to copy it, stamp it, and send it to all prefectures, counties, and cities."
"But Lu didn't see any relevant notices in any government or county offices along the way."
Yang Kejian raised his eyebrows and glared at him, "I've done what I should have done. But Censor Lu, you just finished the welcoming banquet, why don't you go to the official residence to wash off the dust?"
Lu Lian understood the hidden meaning in his words.
Time was running out, and he was too lazy to flatter these people. Yang Kejian might have had difficulties, but it was a fact that he failed to issue the imperial decree.
"Since that's the case, Lord Yang, please draft a new document."
Yang Kejian was stunned: "Is what Censor Lu said serious?"
"really."
After dinner at the Qianqing Palace, the Jinyiwei presented intelligence again.
Xie Mingzhuo said, "There are five merchants who have donated money and grain to Henan. Four of them are from Beijing and one is from Shandong. They have all collected the grain and plan to ship it to Kaifeng, Henan tomorrow."
"That's great." Meng Qi said happily, "This way, we'll definitely make it in time, and the farmers won't go hungry."
The other three also looked happy, but Xie Mingzhuo had a serious expression.
Xie Changfeng asked hurriedly: "What's wrong? Is there any problem?"
"The four merchants from Beijing hired the Datong Horse and Carriage Company to transport their grain. Only the Shandong merchant used his own transport team." Xie Mingzhuo looked at them. "The head of the Datong Horse and Carriage Company is Ma Yongfei."
"The man who conspired with Minister Zuo?" Xie Mingshuo narrowed his eyes. "His carriage company has even reached the capital? It seems he has an impressive background."
These days, merchants from other places who can gain a foothold in the capital are no ordinary people. It's not enough to have a backer in their place of residence; they also need to be able to smooth the way for connections in the capital.
Xie Mingxuan asked, "What's wrong with hiring Datong?"
"Henan has yet to implement the decree, which shows that some people are unwilling to see the court provide disaster relief. Ma Yongfei is also in an ambiguous relationship with Han Jingyi, the Left Councillor. I doubt this batch of grain will reach Kaifeng smoothly."
Meng Qi: "There is still one useless Datong."
"Henan is in such a state of chaos, it's not surprising that there are a few bandits, right?"
Xie Changfeng took a deep breath. "I thought everything would be fine once we could collect the food, but I didn't expect there would be so many obstacles. Should we send troops to protect the food?"
"Not for now," Xie Mingzhuo said. "I've ordered the Jinyiwei to keep a close eye on the grain train. If the grain is really robbed, we can follow the clues and maybe catch something big."
Being passive and taking a beating is not her style; she prefers to take the initiative.
Offense is the most effective defense.
【Author’s words】
Send 100 red envelopes~
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