Chapter 12: Langtaosha Order (Part 2)
In the 24th year of Yuanguang, Wang Xiaolan and Lu Xin officially got married. Wang Xiaolan then quit her job as a female worker in a textile factory and followed Lu Xin into business.
In addition to learning business, Wang Xiaolan also hired a teacher to teach her at home, and soon she was able to write fluently.
Although she had not been in the textile factory for a long time, she had made many connections. She was very good at dealing with people and was very adept at doing business. In addition, her identity as a woman allowed her to have close contacts with many women who started to engage in handicrafts at home. She soon became famous and everyone called her "Wang Niang".
It was not until the 30th year of Yuanguang that the couple had a son and a daughter. They named their son Lu An and their daughter Lu Ning.
"Mom, what are you looking at? It doesn't look like an account book..."
Wang Xiaolan looked at her daughter and said with a smile, "This isn't an account book. It's the 'Nanyang Jinglüe' (Nanyang Jinglüe) published by the Nanyang Academy. Although our family doesn't engage in overseas business, we should learn more about maritime affairs so that we don't fall behind."
"So that's how it is..." Lu Ning nodded in confusion, then said excitedly, "My brothers and the others said General Wang is coming back, and everyone is going out to the streets to welcome him! Isn't Mom going to go and see?"
Wang Xiaolan patted her daughter's head and said, "You and your brother should go and see it together. Last year, when I went to deliver something to the Xinjiang Regional Command, I saw General Wang. He looked so impressive."
A few years ago, Weining Earl Wang Yue attacked Yilibali based on the information provided by Lu Xin and Wang Xiaolan. Afterwards, the two of them "retired with honor". However, the court did not publicly reward the couple because they had to appoint them to trade with Yunusi Khan and others who fled west. Instead, they secretly praised and commended them.
After that, Weining Earl Wang Yue led his troops to civilize Xinjiang and never returned to Gansu. Now that he has finally returned to Gansu, many people have gone out to greet him, wanting to catch a glimpse of this victorious general.
After all, Wang Yue was a favored minister of the emperor, and he had a smooth journey. He was also very capable, both civil and military, and was highly respected. Because he had repeatedly repelled the Junggar and other tribes and protected the peace of the debate, he had a very high prestige in Gansu.
Lu Ning responded and then ran out with his brother.
There were already many people standing on both sides of the street, waiting to see the rumored General Wang.
The brother and sister Luan and Luning asked their servants to lift them up high, and then they could see the tall horses in the distance. The man in the lead was tall and majestic, with bright armor shining in the sun, and the crimson cloak he wore was even more eye-catching. There were two rows of soldiers following him to clear the way and protect him.
Although Wang Yue was majestic on his horse, he did not look rebellious. The noisy sounds around him gradually disappeared with the arrival of the army, and were replaced by the shouts of the crowd:
"General Wang is home! General Wang is home!"
Wang Yue's originally serious expression was broken by the shouts of the people around him. A smile soon appeared on his face, and he thanked the people who came to greet him.
The Lu siblings couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, staring at Wang Yue's figure intently.
Lu An couldn't help but say, "No wonder there are more and more people practicing martial arts in the academy now. General Wang looks so majestic, especially that beard..."
The servant under him laughed and said, "Brother, you should become a great general in the future and serve your country with the same loyalty as General Wang."
Lu An nodded seriously and said expectantly, "When I go to school later, I will also learn martial arts."
The people nearby heard this and laughed, saying, "Brother Lu, you've never heard of this. When the Emperor's grandmother returned from the Luchuan expedition, she offered sacrifices to her ancestors in Nanjing, and the whole city was filled with flying flowers in welcome. It was even more grand than this!"
Lu An nodded, not quite understanding, and said, "So His Majesty also fights in person, how impressive."
"Except for that one..." The man pursed his lips, not naming anyone, and said, "Which emperor of the Ming Dynasty couldn't fight? He never lost!"
Everyone around heard it clearly and started laughing.
Although Zhu Qizhen, a commoner, was deposed from the throne, he did not become a taboo among the people, especially in the northern border areas, where people would make fun of him from time to time. Some people liked to hear it, while others did not. Most people hated the fact that someone would make fun of such a shameful thing.
Things like this were often mentioned, and even the young children knew it clearly, so Luan couldn't help but laugh out loud, but he never heard his sister's voice.
Lu An looked back in confusion, only to see his sister staring at the receding figure in a daze. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Why are you staring at her?"
Lu Ning couldn't help but point at Wang Yue's back and said, "I want to wear that red cape too. It's so majestic!"
"That's easy? Go back and ask someone to make one for you!"
Lu Ning muttered, "How can what I have done compare to what the general has done..."
Lu An thought for a moment and said, "How about we go practice martial arts together later?"
Lu Ning nodded vigorously and said, "Okay."
As the brother and sister were talking, the Lu family's servant came running over and said, "Brother and sister, there is good news from home!"
Lu Ning asked curiously, "What good news?"
The servant smiled brightly and said, "My uncle and aunt from my mother's family both passed the imperial examinations in the spring and were both selected as Jinshi. This is a great thing for our family, a double blessing!"
The Lu family has always been kind and generous in the local area. When they heard such good news, the people around them immediately congratulated them, and the servants also happily returned the gifts.
When the brother and sister returned, the servants in the house had already congratulated Wang Xiaolan. Wang Xiaolan was also very generous. She showed it to everyone in the family and arranged for someone to write invitations to familiar families and set up several banquets to celebrate.
Because of their special status and abundant wealth, the Lu family usually behaves in a low-key manner, which is rare.
"Madam Wang's family has produced three outstanding people. It is truly a blessing from our ancestors. People like us who come to the Lu family for a drink are also sharing in the good fortune!"
"Yes, yes. I heard that the list of successful candidates was personally reviewed by His Majesty. It's said that officials in the same court should avoid forming cliques, but he still chose Madam Wang's younger brother and sister. This shows that the Wang family's young master and his wife are extremely talented!"
Lu Xinwen said with a look of pride, "Scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans, scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans. Although merchants are not treated as harshly as they were in the days of our great grandfather, it is still a great honor to have a scholar in the family! Not to mention a Jinshi chosen by His Majesty!"
The guests burst into laughter upon hearing this, saying, "Look at Master Lu! We've all been waiting to come back for your wedding in ten years!"
Lu An and Lu Ning, who were eating snacks on the side, couldn't help but straighten their chests.
If my uncle and aunt can do it, then naturally they can too!
"Next, Lu Ning!"
Lu Ning was unusually nervous, but he still went forward and waited obediently.
Last year, Wang Yue wrote a letter requesting the establishment of a more powerful traditional army targeting the local people in Xinjiang. The main recruits would naturally be the people from Gansu, Xinjiang and other places.
The emperor had no objection to this request and specially granted a plaque with the words "Northwest Military Academy" and allowed Wang Yue to take charge of related matters. As a result, Gansu and other places soon began to recruit people who had practiced martial arts but did not qualify for the military imperial examination to join the army for collective screening and training.
Due to Lu Ning's insistence, Wang Xiaolan hired a martial arts master for her daughter to learn martial arts. Fortunately, Lu Ning had some talent and learned very well.
In addition, Lu Ning also studied military tactics and military classics, which was also a preparation for taking the military imperial examination in the future.
In recent years, there are very few women among the military scholars. Many of the selected female military scholars remain in the capital to protect the crown prince, and few are sent to the border.
Lu Ning didn’t know which type of person she would become, but it was too early for her to think about these things. For her now, the most important thing was to develop her abilities and prepare for participating in the martial arts examination in the autumn.
"Lu Ning, it's your turn, go in."
Lu Ning responded and then walked in slowly. She noticed the gaze of Wang Yue at the top of the table, suppressed her excitement, and simply demonstrated her level according to the examination process and content that she had already understood.
In the 41st year of Yuanguang, Wang Yue's pursuit of the Tatars ended, and he returned to his leisure time, resigned from his post as chief officer, and turned to training new generals and officers in Gansu and other places.
Lu Ning's class will be Wang Yue's first batch of real students, so Wang Yue attaches great importance to it and personally participates in the assessment.
Seeing Lu Ning so calm at such a young age, Wang Yue couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.
In fact, he had heard from others a long time ago that Lu Ning was the daughter of Lu Xin and Wang Xiaolan. Both of them had made significant contributions to the previous battle between the Ming army and Yilibali, and had a close relationship with Wang Yue.
But assessment is another matter. Wang Yue will certainly not lower the threshold for Lu Ning. Instead, he will make the requirements more stringent.
There are relatively few female military officers, and Wang Yue still hopes to train several outstanding female generals who can achieve results for the emperor.
Fortunately, Lu Ning's performance was beyond Wang Yue's expectations. He was very proficient in basic riding, archery and weapons, and was in no way inferior to other candidates.
"Lu Ning passed."
Lu Ning was a little nervous at first, but when he really touched the weapon, the brief nervousness quickly disappeared completely.
Lu An waited at the door for a long time, and finally saw his sister. He immediately went over, fanning Lu Ning and giving her a bag of snacks. He asked attentively, "Ningning, how was it meeting General Wang? Did he scare him? He never thought there would be such a woman with superb martial arts skills in the world..."
Lu Ning noticed the looks from the people around him and rolled his eyes at his brother. He said, "General Wang has been a soldier for half his life, fighting on the battlefield. He's seen all sorts of brave generals. How could he be as exaggerated as you?"
Lu An asked cautiously, "Could it be...didn't you pass?" Before Lu Ning could say anything, Lu An said, "That's okay. Ningning, you're only thirteen. You'll have plenty of opportunities in the future!"
"I passed."
Lu An, who was racking his brains to comfort his sister, was slightly stunned. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, patted his sister on the shoulder, and said, "Oh, why didn't you tell me earlier? You scared me to death!"
Lu Ning snorted and said, "Don't you see whose daughter I am? Of course I won't be rejected!"
Seeing her proud expression, Lu An couldn't help but chuckle and said, "My parents are out meeting guests, so let's go to Lansheng Restaurant and have a good meal today to celebrate, how about it!"
"I won't pay."
"I'll pay for it, I've heard that this newly opened restaurant is delicious, so this is a great opportunity to try it out!"
The study life after being selected was not easy. Wang Yue was very strict with these students who were new to the military and obviously had high hopes for them.
Lu Ning had good grades before entering school, and after entering the school, he was unwilling to fall behind others and practiced even more diligently.
Just one year later, at the beginning of the 43rd year of Yuanguang's reign, the emperor passed away suddenly. Not only was the whole country in mourning, but everyone at the Northwest Academy was also a little nervous.
As the saying goes, "a new emperor appoints his own ministers." With the emperor's death, how would the newly established Northwest Military Academy cope? If the newly enthroned Emperor Chenghua disagreed, the Northwest Military Academy could be disbanded at any time, which would be a bad omen for students like them who had just begun their systematic training in military officer knowledge.
Fortunately, there was a high-ranking general named Wang Yue in the military academy, so everyone was not distracted.
The aftermath of this incident did not last long.
The emperor was busy with basic government affairs and the funeral arrangements for the previous emperor, and had no intention of making large-scale changes to the court. Not long after, the empress died of illness, and the emperor's health deteriorated further. All government affairs were handed over to the crown prince.
This Crown Prince also had experience supervising military campaigns against the Jurchens and was very familiar with military affairs. Not to mention that she had once managed the logistics for Wang Yue's campaign against Yilibali, so she was an old acquaintance of Wang Yue and certainly would not comment too much on the Northwest Military Academy.
In the third year of Chenghua, the emperor died, the new emperor ascended the throne, and changed the reign title to "Xizai".
"Ning'er, this spring examination is not easy, you must pay more attention."
Although Lu Ning was reluctant to accept the teacher's instructions, he still agreed obediently.
Wang Yue sensed her emotions and said, "Don't blame Master for not letting you join the army directly. Military merit can certainly help you advance through the ranks, but if you want to go far in this career, you still need to have the background of a military scholar. Several of your senior brothers have had smoother careers after participating in the Spring Imperial Examination. This year's examination has more military scholars than the previous ones, which is a good thing for you. Not to mention that you are still young. If you can succeed in the Spring Imperial Examination, you will definitely be appreciated and promoted by His Majesty."
Lu Ning was slightly stunned, and asked in confusion: "Master, don't you always say that the older you get, the more stable you become?"
Wang Yue coughed twice and said, "Many of His Majesty's guards have been dispatched to various locations, some replacing the original eunuchs who served as garrison commanders. Although young, these people are all His Majesty's trusted confidants. And those of you who are potential Jinshi this year are also included in His Majesty's selection of talents. The younger you are, the easier it is to train you to become His Majesty's 'loyal ministers'... Master is confident in your abilities."
When he said this, there was a hint of nostalgia in his tone, perhaps he was also recalling the king who had been kind to him.
Lu Ning understood Wang Yue's intention and promised solemnly, "Master, don't worry. In the Spring Examination of the sixth year of Xizai, I will definitely make a name for myself and bring honor to Master, my parents, and my brother!"
Wang Yue's eyes softened as he said, "The most important thing is to live up to your abilities and the late emperor's careful cultivation."
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