Chapter 16: Lang Tao Sha Order (End)
In the warehouse, Lu Deying clearly matched the silver and money with the records in the account books, and then ordered his men to seal all the boxes and bring them back to Dengzhou Port from Honshu Island, so that they could accept the imperial court's inspection and pay the tax silver.
Since the 12th year of Xizai, the Ming Dynasty attacked the Japanese pirates again. The war lasted until the 14th year of Xizai. After that, Honshu Island and Shikoku Island were incorporated into the territory of the Ming Dynasty. The emperor referred to the old precedent during the Yuanguang period and eliminated all those who resolutely resisted, and treated those who surrendered obediently like the people of Kyushu Island.
Of course, some people tried to hold on to their base and fought against the Ming army by relying on the local terrain. It was not until the 16th year of Xizai that Honshu Island and Shikoku Island were truly stabilized. Only then did people from the Ming Dynasty begin to move to Honshu Island and Shikoku Island one after another. Kyushu and Shikoku were merged into Kyushu Dusi, Honshu was renamed Honshu Dusi, and the Ming Dynasty further mined silver mines.
Although Lu Deying's family did not move to Benzhou Dusi, her brother Lu Dezhang managed the family's business in the northwest and Yarkand. She herself took part of the family's property to Shandong, and with the help of her aunt's relationship, she took a boat to Benzhou to do business, selling various embroidery products made by the embroiderers hired by the family.
My grandmother Wang Xiaolan was originally a female worker in a textile factory. She met many female workers who were good at weaving and embroidery. After they left the textile factory, she hired them home and taught many students. Soon, the Lu family formed its own unique embroidery skills, combining frontier scenery with poetry and prose. She produced many exquisite embroidery products, countless colorful screens and fabrics, which could be sold to the nobles who surrendered to the Ming Dynasty and sold for double the price.
Nowadays, industries in various places such as textile factories and glass factories are becoming more and more advanced. They no longer require a large number of workers as before. There were some disturbances in the past few years, which were suppressed by the court several times before things settled down. Thanks to the fact that the Lu family was engaged in embroidery, a craft that cannot be easily replaced by machines, they were not affected at all.
It's just a pity for those who lost their jobs. After leaving the textile factory, they can only go back to do some unstable work. However, some people go back and compile their experiences in the textile factory into books, which they sell to bookstores to make money and they can also use them to recruit students to make a living.
Lin Chunmei, the maid accompanying Lu Deying, looked at the scene on the street and said, "This small place is quite prosperous."
Although this wasn't Lu Deying's first visit to Honshu, he couldn't help but sigh. "Fourteen years have already passed since the sixteenth year of the Xizai era. During these fourteen years, the imperial court has continuously allocated funds and manpower for cultivation. Even a tiny piece of land, after all these years of care, can be called a 'Golden Land.'"
"Thanks to our current strong national strength, we can withstand the expansion of our territory." Lin Chunmei said with a smile: "I heard from the elders in my family that in the past, our area was not a prosperous place, but now it can be called a lively place."
"Ever since General Wang took command of the army, the Hetao region has become increasingly prosperous. With the fresh produce coming back from overseas, it's growing fast and healthy. Logistics are much more convenient now than before, and we no longer have to transport large quantities of food all the way from the south."
Lin Chunmei responded.
Lu Deying looked into the distance and said, "As Dad instructed, we will go back and rest for a while, then go to Jinghai and visit my aunt."
"yes."
Since the Honshu Dusi and Kyushu Dusi were incorporated into the territory of the Ming Dynasty, Shandong has opened several ports, and more and more civilian merchant ships have begun to enter the ports, but the inspection is very strict.
The Lu family has their own merchant ship, which makes them unique among merchants. Therefore, they can carry goods according to the ship's carrying capacity without having to squeeze with other merchants. There are also people to meet them when they arrive at the port.
"Madam! Madam, here!"
Lu Deying saw the servants waiting at the dock from afar. He first asked Lin Chunmei to greet them and help unload the cargo from the boat. Then he asked the housekeeper, "How are Dad and Mom?"
"Everything is fine, except..."
Seeing that he was hesitant to speak, Lu Deying asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's the old lady... The old lady is at the mansion."
Lu Deying was even more surprised. She asked, "What happened to Grandma? Is she feeling unwell? Did your brother bring her to Shandong to seek medical treatment?"
Because they were worried about their daughter, Lu An and his wife went to Dengzhou to help her manage the family property. Her brother and sister-in-law managed the ancestral business in Gansu. As her grandmother was old and could not adapt to the climate in other places, she stayed in Gansu and was taken care of by Lu Deying's brother and sister-in-law.
"No...it's because the old lady passed the imperial examination."
Lu Deying was slightly stunned when he heard this, and it took him a long time to understand what the housekeeper said.
Her grandmother, Wang Xiaolan, is sixty-one years old this year. Although it is often said that "at thirty, one is old enough to become a Mingjing, and at fifty, one is young enough to become a Jinshi", the Ming Dynasty nowadays focuses on recruiting young people. Most people of Wang Xinglan's age become clerks, and even more people retire from their clerk positions at this age.
Wang Xiaolan actually took part in the autumn examination and even passed the examination.
Lu Deying thought for a moment and said, "After passing the imperial examination, you can prepare for the Spring Examination..." When she saw the housekeeper nod, she understood that Wang Xiaolan had made up her mind to take part in the Spring Examination.
At her age, just completing the Spring Examination process was already very difficult, not to mention maintaining her condition in the relatively harsh examination room and achieving good results.
Even many young people would suffer from minor illnesses after completing the imperial examination, not to mention the elderly Wang Xiaolan.
"Grandma..." Lu Deying sighed softly and said, "Let's go back first."
"yes."
Lu Deying handed the inventory task to Lin Chunmei, and then got on the sedan chair to go home. However, her mind was inevitably on what the housekeeper had just said, and her thoughts gradually drifted back to her childhood.
She was raised by her grandmother. After hearing her talk about many old family stories, she naturally understood why her grandmother wanted to participate in the imperial examination at this age.
As a child, my grandmother was poor and had to work alongside my great-grandmother to support the family. Even if she wanted to learn, she could only listen to fragments of what was said and not open her eyes. Although she had the opportunity to learn after marriage, she needed to carefully manage the family business. Wang Xiaolan's energy was fully focused on these matters, so naturally she had no time to participate in the imperial examination.
The death of my grandfather two years ago was also a blow to my grandmother. Now she suddenly got ready to take the imperial examination, which made Lu Deying a little worried.
"Ying'er is back." The elderly Wang Xiaolan looked at Lu Deying and said with relief, "She is more graceful and elegant than when she was a child."
Lu Deying first greeted her grandmother and parents, then walked over to her grandmother, sat down on the embroidery stool, and said with a smile, "When I heard that you were coming at the port, I left my work behind and rushed back to greet you."
Wang Xiaolan patted her granddaughter's hand and said, "The matter at hand is the most important."
"What's the big deal? Seeing grandma is the most important thing."
Wang Xiaolan was silent for a while, then said, "Ying'er, you should have heard about this from your family..."
Lu Deying noticed the look in her parents' eyes and nodded, saying, "Uncle Zhang has already told me." She paused and said, "As long as Grandma wants to do it, why not?"
Even Wang Xiaolan, like everyone else, had an expression of surprise on her face at this moment.
Lu Deying said seriously, "The most frightening thing in life is to have regrets. Besides, my grandmother had already passed the imperial examination, so it was only natural for her to take the imperial examination again. If it were anyone else, would they have let go of such a great opportunity that was within their grasp?"
Hearing this, Wang Xiaolan stared at her granddaughter in a daze. After a long time, she nodded slightly, but there seemed to be a light in her eyes.
In fact, the Lu An couple did not object to Wang Xiaolan continuing to participate in the Spring Examination, but Wang Xiaolan's health was there. They cared more about Wang Xiaolan's health than whether she passed the exam or not.
"This matter is really a source of worry for Grandma. Since we have this opportunity, why don't we help her?" Lu Deying said solemnly, "Ever since Grandpa passed away, Grandma has been alone at home, just playing with my nephews and nieces. If this continues, I'm afraid Grandma will become depressed and sick. It would be better to let Grandma go out more often. It can both relax and comfort her. It's a good thing. As for Grandma's health, now that Ying'er is back, let me take care of her personally."
Seeing his daughter's thoughtfulness, Lu An was relieved and said, "After these few business trips, our Ying'er has grown up a lot."
Lu Deying walked between her parents, took their arms, and said, "That's right. Ying'er is planning to go to Jinghai to visit her aunt later."
"If it weren't for the overwhelming workload at home, your mother and I would love to go out to sea with you. Not only could we visit your aunt, but we could also go out and have some fun and see what's so interesting about the world on the sea that attracts so many people to go out and see it."
“There will always be opportunities in the future.”
With the support of her family, Wang Xiaolan felt much happier. She read and exercised every day, and accompanied Lu Deying to check account books, go shopping, etc. The two of them had a lot of fun together.
In the 33rd year of Xizai, Wang Xiaolan went to Beijing to take part in the spring examination, and her granddaughter Lu Deying was also by her side. An elderly woman taking part in the Jinshi examination, accompanied by her granddaughter, was indeed somewhat conspicuous. However, after several exams, the candidates were "seriously exhausted", so naturally no one cared about it.
After the palace examination, the list of successful candidates was announced. Wang Xiaolan ranked 81st among the top three. Although she was not among the top, she was still on the list.
Not to mention that Wang Xiaolan is now old and her physical fitness is no longer comparable to that of young people, but she can still stand out, which shows that she is still strong.
But Wang Xiaolan's steps only went so far.
She took the initiative to write a letter, begging the emperor to give the opportunity to fill the vacancy to someone else.
This move was indeed surprising, but the emperor remained calm and simply agreed to Wang Xiaolan's request.
Wang Xiaolan's talent is limited, and her age and physical condition are also limited. Naturally, she cannot be compared with those young people who can go to the countryside to suffer hardships.
But the emperor understood her difficulties, not to mention that Wang Xiaolan had made significant contributions to the peace in the northwest, so the emperor was willing to help her.
During this period, Lu Deying took time to walk around and observe the capital, and he could sense that the capital was increasingly permeated with an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, and there was also a trend of luxury, comparison, and waste. In the streets and alleys, there were pairs of lazy men and women, picking their teeth and chatting, which showed the comfort and wealth of the capital.
After all, the Tatars in the north have basically surrendered in recent years and depended on the Ming Dynasty for their livelihood. The emperor divided these people and often gave them benefits, managing them in a more decentralized manner, which is different from the management of India and other places.
After all, the land in the north is slightly poorer than other regions, so it is no wonder that the emperor is not interested. The improved rice grown in India is not inferior to the rice in Jiangnan and Luoyang, and the income is much higher than that in the north.
Wang Xiaolan stood at the gate of the capital, looking back at the tall and majestic city walls. She couldn't help but sigh and said, "The prosperity of the capital is indeed extraordinary. It's a pity that we should go back."
Lu Deying supported Wang Xiaolan and said, "It's enough that grandma has come."
The grandfather and grandson looked at each other, smiled, and then set out on the road to leave the capital.
But my long-cherished wish has been fulfilled, and I will probably never come back.
They still have a long way to go.
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