Chapter 13 Lang Tao Sha Order (Part 3)
"Ningning, you'd better bring some thick clothes. I heard it's very cold in the capital too."
"Ningning, why don't you bring your pillow from home? If you don't sleep well in the capital, won't that affect your performance?"
"Speaking of which, Ningning, how about asking Aunt Li in the kitchen to make a few of your favorite pancakes, dry them in the sun, and take them with you to the capital. Otherwise, if you don't adapt to the climate..."
Looking at his brother's frantic behavior, Lu Ning said disdainfully, "The capital is a prosperous area, unlike our place, which only became so prosperous after Master came. As long as you have enough money, who would be afraid of not being able to buy good things in the capital?"
Lu An sighed and said seriously, "They say 'A nest of gold or silver is not as good as your own thatched nest'. There is truth to that old saying!"
Wang Xiaolan, who was arranging for the servants to help her daughter pack her things, couldn't help but laugh. "You're the only one who's always so talkative. If you have nothing else to do, go away! Ask your uncle Wang if the carriage prepared for your sister is ready. If you weren't in the process of going through the six rituals, I would have asked you to personally escort your sister to the capital."
"oh……"
The spring examination was held in February. Considering that there might be snow on the road, which would affect the journey, many people set out for Beijing before the New Year. Lu Ning planned to set out as soon as autumn came. In addition to arriving in Beijing early to adapt to the climate and prepare for the examination, he also had another task, which was to visit his aunt on the way.
When the Wang family's brother and sister passed the imperial examination, they were both sent out to serve as officials. Therefore, my grandmother once lived in the Lu family for a while. Later, my aunt Wang Xinglan, who was ordered to serve as an imperial censor, returned to Beijing and took up the post of Left Censor-in-Chief in the Censorate. She rented a house in Beijing and took my grandmother back. Later, the old lady could not stand the climate in the north, so she followed Wang Changzhu to the south.
Lu Xin and Wang Xiaolan are now old and do not travel in person for business as often as they used to, so they cannot visit the capital often, so they asked Lu Ning to take this opportunity to pay his respects.
Seeing her son's listless look, Wang Xiaolan shook her head helplessly and said, "He's already grown up, and he still hasn't calmed down. It's really... If we hadn't met twice and the woman had agreed, I'm afraid my daughter-in-law would have run away before she even got married!"
Lu Ning said with a smile, "Don't worry, mother. I heard there's a perfume shop in Beijing that sells very fragrant perfumes, with a wider variety than we have here. I'll buy a few bottles for my future sister-in-law when the time comes. It'll also help me, this disappointing brother, to sell it to her."
The Wang family usually handles these things, but this business started in the capital, where all the old shops are located. Everyone inevitably thinks that the perfumes from Northern Zhili are authentic, so no matter how expensive these things are, there will always be people who will buy them.
Lu An immediately bowed and said, "Then I would like to thank you very much, little sister!"
Wang Xiaolan scolded, "You're so unruly!" She looked at her daughter and warned, "Some of the gold and silver jewelry is for your aunt. I'm afraid she'll be stuck in the capital without money. As for those boxes of rare goods, have her share them with Chang Zhu. Keep them for personal relationships and to maintain connections."
Although official salaries had increased since the Yuan Guang era, officials in Beijing still had significant expenses. Renting a house alone was a significant expense, and given the high cost of land in the capital, prices inevitably rose. After Wang Xinglan married her husband, he also found a job as a clerk. Their combined salaries covered not only rent but also cleaning and cooking duties, leaving them struggling to make ends meet.
Therefore, Wang Xiaolan invested some money in her own business for her younger brother and sister, and also got some dividends from each business trip. She also helped them buy a few shops and took some money from it herself, because she was afraid that her younger brother and sister were too shy and would refuse her kindness.
Lu Ning responded and said, "Don't worry, mother. I will definitely bring everything with me."
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lu Ning followed his caravan to the capital, going east through Shaanxi and Shanxi.
The journey was safe and sound, and Lu Ning was able to take this opportunity to travel around. The cities where they stopped along the way were quite lively, and the population movement was more frequent than in Gansu, which was far from the solemnity of the border areas that Lu Ning had imagined.
There were not only Han people in the conversation, but also Tatars and a very small number of foreigners with high noses and deep eyes that Lu Ning had seen before. They were very harmonious and could roughly understand each other's meaning without anyone translating. This scene was quite interesting.
Although he had seen many prosperous styles, when he really came to the capital, Lu Ning couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. The capital was neatly and uniformly planned, with houses lined up one after another and the streets clean and tidy.
Uncle Wang, who came with her, laughed and said, "Sister, you don't know. Was this capital city repaired by the Emperor Xianmiao a long time ago? Or was it designed by Mr. Tianquan himself, and the national treasury was used to repair the city walls and streets. I heard that it cost a lot of money."
Lu Ning couldn't help but sighed, "So it's Xu Shoufu. I've heard from Master that several of his students are good at water conservancy and astronomy, and are highly valued by Grandma Xianzong."
Wang Yue always taught his students to be focused on their studies, but he would always mention Emperor Xianzong from time to time when chatting, and the topic would often go off track. Therefore, although Lu Ning was born late and was not from the capital, he was very familiar with the deeds of Emperor Xianzong.
"Yes, during the Yuanguang era, the Yellow River was dredged many times. This was all thanks to Prime Minister Xu."
After the master and his servants entered the capital, they first found an inn where they usually stayed when they came to the capital, and sent someone to report to Wang Xinglan's house. They unloaded all their belongings, counted them, and put them away one by one. They had a simple meal to fill their stomachs.
Not long after, the servant came back with news that Uncle Wang asked them to come over for dinner in the evening, and left a few people at the inn to guard the things. She asked the servants at home to bring food over.
Lu Ning made some simple arrangements, asking the inn staff to deliver meals to the servants who stayed behind, and the rest of the people went to Wang Xinglan's residence for dinner in the evening.
Taking advantage of the free time, Lu Ning began to stroll around the city with a few servants.
She had heard people say before that there were many lively places in the capital. Now that she had arrived safely in Beijing, Lu Ning couldn't help but look forward to it.
"This is Nanyang Academy, why are there so many people here?"
Lu Ning's first stop was the legendary Nanyang Academy. Most of the overseas officials came from here, and many navy officers also studied here. In addition, since Emperor Xianzong, the methods of recruiting talents have become more diverse, and many students admired it very much. Therefore, many people came to visit the Nanyang Academy as soon as they arrived in Beijing. Therefore, there were always crowds of people in this area before the Spring Examination.
The person next to him laughed and said, "From your attire, I can tell you're a martial arts student. Are you here to get some good fortune on this street too?"
Lu Ning was wearing a white veil and a Tartar hat, the uniform of a martial arts student. Naturally, her identity was known to others. However, she didn't mind being recognized. She simply asked curiously, "Good fortune? What kind of good fortune?"
"According to Grandma Xianzong's wishes, this Nanyang Academy is used to train successful officials. Before the exam, everyone often comes here to hang out, hoping to get some official luck!"
Lu Ning suddenly realized and said, "So that's how it is. No wonder there are so many people here!"
"I wonder who my sister is from?"
“I’m from Gansu.”
The other party immediately understood and said, "Sister, you have a very agile figure. Could you be the beloved disciple of Marquis Weining?"
Lu Ning said proudly, "Yes, several of my senior brothers and sisters passed the military officer examination. Ma Yuzhen, the captain of the Liaodong Army, is my senior sister!"
The other party praised him, with a hint of envy in his tone, "It really is true that a good teacher produces excellent students!"
Marquis Weining himself had made great military achievements, and he also had very good relations with the emperors of the Yuanguang and Xizai dynasties. His student was able to pass the autumn examination and go to Beijing to take the exam, so the possibility of failure was not great. Not to mention that Lu Ning was a woman like the emperor. It was likely that this Lu Gongshi had the hope of becoming Emperor Xizai's confidant at such a young age.
Compared with the liberal arts students, martial arts students like Lu Ning, who were originally not given much attention, have more opportunities for promotion.
"Number one scholar cake! Number one scholar cake! Number one scholar cake made from Liaodong sorghum!"
"The mellow sorghum wine is spicy and refreshing. I drink it and ride on horseback, wearing the top scholar flower on my head—"
Lu Ning left Nanyang School and just walked to the street corner when he heard people hawking on the street and couldn't help but go over.
The other person also obviously saw her, his eyes lit up, and he immediately praised her: "Oh, I have never seen a Wushengyuan lady before or this year, and you are a student of the Imperial College?"
Lu Ning saw that the other party was trying to sell him something, but he did not refuse. He smiled and said, "I am planning to take the military examination this year."
"I can tell from his accent that he's from Gansu. He must be Wang Weining's disciple!"
"The store is overrated."
"In the 32nd year of the Yuanguang reign, when Grandma Xianmiao was still alive, General Wang returned from Gansu to Beijing to report on his work. He drank our wine!" The shopkeeper said proudly, "General Wang took only one sip and said it was spicy. It shows that our wine tastes excellent! My lady..."
Lu Ning didn't comment and said, "Shopkeeper, give me a bowl. I'll try it right away."
"Okay!"
Lu Ning sat in the shed outside the store and took a sip of the sorghum wine. It tasted really good, so he asked the store owner to make another pot, intending to take it back for other employees to try.
In addition, Lu Ning also did not forget to inquire about where there are places to stroll around in the capital and where to buy gifts for visiting relatives and friends.
After all, it was his first time visiting his aunt's house. In addition to the things his mother entrusted him, Lu Ning should also make some thoughtful preparations.
After a brief stroll around the capital, Lu Ning took his things back to the inn where he was staying, handed the wine he had bought to the servants who stayed behind, and then went to his aunt's house.
There were already servants waiting at the door to receive them. When they saw the sedan chair land, the one in the lead informed the people around him to go inside and communicate, while he himself waited outside the door to greet them and led Lu Ning and others in.
Uncle Wang had already been waiting at the gate. When he saw Lu Ning come in, he sighed and said, "This is the first military scholar in the family. He is as talented as your aunt and uncle." After that, he personally led Lu Ning into the hall, and the servants followed to serve tea and snacks.
Lu Ning greeted them with a smile, then asked, "Why don't you see your aunt?"
"The Censorate has always been full of social interactions, and your aunt is no exception. I've already sent the servants to inform her, and I believe she'll be back early today. Ningning, the rooms at home are already tidied up, so you can stay at home."
Lu Ning waved his hand quickly and said, "I hurriedly visited my aunt and uncle today because of my mother's request. After all, I'm going to Beijing to take the imperial examination, so I don't want to bother them too much. My master also told me before I left not to use my connections casually, for fear that others would spread rumors. In a few days, I will rent a courtyard in Beijing and hire one or two people to make fires and cook, which will also make it convenient for me to prepare for the exam."
"General Wang is the one who thinks things through." Uncle Wang said, then waved toward the door and said, "Why don't you come over and say hello to your cousin?"
Zhao Wenlu then stepped forward obediently, "Hello, cousin."
Due to heavy work load, Wang Xinglan had been married for many years before she gave birth to a son, who is only five years old this year. He usually follows his uncle Wang to study and learn to read.
Lu Ning took out the brocade bag he had brought with him and said, "Wenlu, this is a gift from my cousin to you. Open it and take a look."
Zhao Wenlu first looked at his father, and when he nodded, he took it and opened it. Inside was a white jade pendant carved with orchid patterns.
"Besides this, there are also writing brushes, inkstones, and paper. My mother asked me to bring them. She thought Wenlu was old enough to learn to read, so she specially prepared a set."
Uncle Wang said repeatedly, "Thank you for your concern, sister."
By the time Wang Xinglan returned, it was completely dark. The family sat at the table. Wang Xinglan first picked up some food for Lu Ning, then said, "My eldest sister wrote to me earlier, saying that you were going to take the Autumn Examination. I thought I'd bring you to Beijing earlier so that our family could meet." Her face grew a little more smiling, and she said, "When your uncle and I passed the imperial examination together, your mother was so happy that she sent many gifts to our family. Now it's your turn to go to Beijing to take the exam. There's not much your aunt can do to help you, but I can teach you some of the examination procedures and the ways of the world. I'm just waiting for you to pass the palace examination..."
Lu Ning nodded repeatedly and said, "I will prepare seriously for the exam during this time and will not let my parents, aunt, and uncle down."
Wang Xinglan couldn't help but sigh. "If it weren't for my eldest sister, how could our family have had so much money to send my brother and me to school? You're lucky to have come at a good time. There are more and more private schools these days, and tuition has actually dropped a lot."
Lu Ning had also heard his mother talk about the difficulties of raising an orphan and a widow, so he comforted her, "Don't worry, Auntie. My mother said that as long as you work hard, your life will get better and better. With your aunt and uncle leading by example, Wenlu will definitely become a pillar of the country when she grows up!"
The family chatted and laughed, and after three rounds of drinks, Wang Xinglan saw that her son had gone to rest. Then she told Lu Ning, "If there's a chance in the future, your aunt will try to find a way to help you get some connections and study at Nanyang Academy for a longer period of time."
Lu Ning was a little surprised and asked quietly, "Why? Shouldn't we go to Liaodong, Shanxi and other places to make meritorious deeds faster, like Ma Yuzhen and the others did?"
Wang Xinglan waved her hand and said, "Things are different now. Your Majesty was raised by Emperor Xianzong, and you're always thinking about things at sea. Besides, you don't know..." She lowered her voice and said, "I heard that there are traces of barbarian activities in India, and King Hui is now eager to go out to sea to meet those barbarians! I'm afraid that the people of Nanyang Academy will be even more popular than before..."
Lu Ning was slightly stunned, but soon understood what his aunt meant.
It would be fine if the barbarians could have friendly exchanges with the Ming Dynasty like other vassal states, but if they want to conflict with the Ming Dynasty, talents like Lu Ning, who have passed the military examination and studied marine knowledge in the Nanyang Academy, are the most scarce and important.
Not to mention that he was able to mobilize the emperor's aunt, Queen Hui, which shows that the news is most likely true.
Wang Xinglan patted her shoulder and said, "General Wang is undoubtedly shrewd and far-sighted, but he's been away from the capital for many years and isn't as well-informed. Ever since General Wang pursued the Tatars, the Ming Dynasty has focused its attention on the sea. Now that there's a possibility of a war at sea, you shouldn't miss this opportunity. If you're lucky, you could sail with Prince Hui... Are you still worried about not being able to contribute to the country?"
Lu Ning came back to his senses, raised his glass and said in a toast: "I will listen to my aunt!"
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