The Prosperous Era of Longwan

"Oh, it's all done at last. Lubu, Lubu, come in."

Wei Guangde stretched himself out in the duty room and shouted loudly outside.

Yesterday, I wasted a lot of time because of the investigation of Wangzhuang and Xuntian, and all official duties for the day were left behind.

Therefore, today Wei Guangde went into a life-threatening job on duty, processing the official documents handed over yesterday and today.

After working for a long time, I finally drafted all the backlogged memorials and it was considered finished.

"master."

"Take these out. They have been taken care of. Let them record them and send them to the Supervisor of Ceremonies."

Wei Guangde gave an order to Lu Bu, who was bowing in front of him and obeyed the order. He also stood up and walked around the room casually.

"Master, then I will take the official document out."

"Um."

"Master, while you are walking in the house, you might as well go to the lotus pond next to it to see the lotus flowers. The one that bloomed yesterday is called beautiful."

"Yeah, it seems like your kid even talked about it yesterday."

While he was talking, Wei Guangde had already walked to the check-in door, stepped over the threshold, and walked towards the lotus pond next to the center.

Inside the room, Lu Bu picked up a large pile of memorials and slowly walked out.

There were quite a few memorials on the desk, and it looked like I had to make two trips to move them all out.

Wei Guangde left the duty room and strolled through a moon gate. Inside was a garden. There was a pool in the middle of the garden. There were not only koi carps but also large lotus flowers in it.

Lotuses and lotuses were not only used for ornamental purposes in ancient palaces, but also had profound cultural significance.

The lotus symbolizes the noble quality of emerging from the mud and is unstained, and the lotus is often regarded as a symbol of Buddhism.

This place is called the lotus pond, and naturally there are only lotus flowers. Correspondingly, there is a special lotus pond in the palace.

At this time, Wei Guangde entered the garden and smelled a light fragrance. Looking at the lotus pond, he saw a sea of ​​flowers blooming, which was pleasing to the eye.

However, the only fly in the ointment was that at this time, there were actually several servants in the lotus pond who were picking the blooming lotus flowers in small wooden basins.

"What are you doing?"

Wei Guangde casually approached the edge of the pool and shouted into it.

"Mr. Wei Ge."

"Mr. Wei Ge."

The servants who were picking lotus flowers stopped what they were doing when they heard the sound and saluted Wei Guangde.

As they bowed and saluted, the small wooden basin immediately began to sway on the water.

"Okay, be careful, you can easily catch a cold if you fall into the water."

It's almost the end of the year now, so it's supposed to be cold.

But the weather this year is a bit strange. It was not hot in April and July, so the lotus flowers in the lotus pond did not bloom.

I thought it wouldn't bloom this year, but I didn't expect that it still bloomed two months later. I have to say it was a bit strange.

"Who asked you to pick lotus flowers here? What are you doing with them?"

Wei Guangde asked curiously.

In the early years, the lotus ponds were blooming, and everyone just walked around and looked around, but they never heard that the inner court would ask the chamberlain to pick all the lotus flowers.

Although lotus flowers can be used as medicine, Wei Guangde really doesn't know the specific effects.

After all, he doesn't know how to read any pharmacological books, and he has no intention of becoming a doctor.

As for the lotus pond on the other side, it is different. The lotus seeds, lotus pods, lotus roots and other parts of the lotus are all favorite ingredients of people. Even in later generations, they are considered to be ingredients with rich nutritional value.

Every year, the inner court organizes servants to pick lotus ponds and present them to the nobles in the palace for enjoyment.

"Mr. Wei Ge, Mr. Chief Assistant asked us to pick this and send it to Qianqing Palace."

Unexpectedly, a chamberlain opened his mouth to explain the reason, which made Wei Guangde stunned.

"The chief assistant asked you to make it and send it to Qianqing Palace after picking it?"

Wei Guangde couldn't help but ask again and frowned.

He didn't expect that picking lotus flowers was actually ordered by Zhang Juzheng and given to the emperor. What did this mean?

"I don't dare to deceive Mr. Wei Ge. It's really the order from the Chief Assistant to the room, saying that the white lotus and the pair of white swallows captured by the Hanlin Academy will be sent to the Qianqing Palace to the emperor."

The chamberlain who answered at the beginning continued.

"Well, okay, you continue."

Wei Guangde didn't care about them picking lotus flowers, but he was a little curious at this time.

What does it mean when Zhang Juzheng gave white lotuses and white swallows to the little emperor for no reason?

Wei Guangde shook his head slightly and walked around the lotus pond as if he didn't care.

At this time, most of the lotus flowers have been picked, and they no longer look like the sea of ​​flowers before.

Feeling bored, Wei Guangde left the garden directly and returned to the duty room.

"Have you finished moving?"

When Wei Guangde came in, he saw Lu Bu in front of the writing desk, preparing to carry out the last pile of memorials.

"All moved."

Seeing that his master had returned so quickly, Lu Bu secretly glanced at Wei Guangde's face while answering.

"Master, is there anything untoward?"

At this time, Wei Guangde still frowned slightly. After all, he planned to enjoy the flowers, but he didn't expect to feel lonely while doing so.

"Lu Bu, do you know what the lotus is used for?"

Wei Guangde suddenly asked.

"Lotus? What else can it be used for besides looking at it? And it can't be eaten."

Lu Bu was very honest and answered directly.

"Besides watching, haha, as long as you can watch."

Wei Guangde smiled.

"Master, are the flowers in the lotus pond withered? That shouldn't be the case. They have only been in bloom for a few days."

Lu Bu said.

Suddenly, Wei Guangde thought of what the chamberlain had said about Bai Yan in the Hanlin Academy, so he asked again: "Do you know about Bai Yan in the Hanlin Academy?"

"Baiyan, I heard that a pair of white swallows flew out of nowhere two days ago. The bachelors of the Hanlin Academy thought it was strange, so they wanted to catch them and feed them.

But I heard that the chief minister asked Bai Yanjin to be presented to the emperor. "

Asking this kind of thing was Lu Bu's strength, and he answered immediately.

"Hehehe, when did Zhang Baigui learn how to be nice and sweet? He gave Bailian as a gift and Baiyan as a gift. Whenever he caught a white turtle, he also gave it away."

Wei Guangde laughed happily.

Zhang Juzheng's nickname was Uncle Taiyue, but his baby name was Zhang Baigui. It is said that before Zhang's mother gave birth to him, Zhang Juzheng's grandfather once saw the moon falling into a water tank in a dream and turning into a white turtle.

Of course he would not name his grandson "Bai Gui", so he used the Chinese character Tongyin and named his grandson "Bai Gui".

Bai Gui comes from "The Book of Songs·Daya·Yu" "Bai Gui's tarnish can still be polished off, but the tarnish of Bai Gui cannot be done".

The meaning of this poem is that the stains on the white jade can be rubbed away, but the mistakes in the speech cannot be undone.

Zhang Juzheng's grandfather placed high hopes on this, hoping that he could protect himself wisely and live a comfortable and stable life.

However, because Zhang Juzheng had previously introduced the examination method, some people who were dissatisfied with him in the official circles used the metaphor of "white turtle" to describe him in private.

This shows how unpopular the New Deal implemented by Zhang Juzheng was in the officialdom.

Wei Guangde also heard someone mention it by chance before, but he just laughed it off.

Just now, it was Bai Lian and Bai Yan, which made Wei Guangde think of Bai Gui.

"Sir, I heard that the works presented to the palace were the "White Lotus" and "Baiyan" newly composed by Lord Chief Assistant. You mentioned that Lord Zhang had people pick white lotuses and present them to the palace. Only then did I understand what "White Lotus" was. What's the meaning.

When I first heard about it, I was still wondering where this "Ode to White Lotus" began. It turns out that its roots are in Lianglian Pond. "

Lu Bu whispered.

Lu Bu knew to restrain himself from talking about ministers behind their backs, even in front of Wei Guangde.

It's not a good thing to gossip about people behind their backs.

"He also wrote poems, haha. This is Uncle Zhang."

Wei Guangde shook his head as he spoke, then waved his hand and said: "Okay, okay, stop talking, take everything out first."

"Yes, sir."

Lu Bu agreed and walked out of the duty room holding the pile of memorials.

At this time, to the north of Taungoo City in Myanmar, a large army was marching rapidly forward with red flags flying.

Suddenly, a group of people appeared on the left side in the distance. There were not many people, only about ten riders. They were obviously scouts sent by the other party.

After this group of scouts appeared, the large army immediately rushed out with twenty or thirty horses on fast horses and rushed directly in that direction.

The scouts on the opposite side noticed that a group of cavalry from the army was rushing towards them, and they decisively turned their horses and left.

Soon, the group of people split into two groups and ran quickly to the south, while the other group of seven or eight cavalrymen seemed to deliberately slow down their horses before leading the pursuers toward the west.

"Brother, I just said that I found a group of scouts. After seeing our army separate a group of people to drive them away, they fled to the southwest."

Not long after, more than ten cavalrymen from the army rushed to the front of the banner of the Chinese army and said to a young general under the banner.

"Second brother, it's not far from Taungu City."

The young general under the banner was Li Rusong, the eldest son of the left governor Li Chengliang, and the person in front of him was his brother Li Rubai.

"Brother, it should be dozens of miles away. According to our marching speed, we will arrive the day after tomorrow at the latest."

Li Rubai replied loudly.

"Then this team of scouts is probably sent by Toungoo City to investigate the surrounding enemy situation."

Li Rusong chuckled.

"Are they Yu Manzi's soldiers?"

Li Rubai was stunned for a moment, and then he also laughed, "Brother, I have forgotten that I haven't seen the Burmese scouts in how many days. Apart from hiding in the city, they have never been out and about.

I just hope those bastards don't hurt those people, otherwise we might not look good when we see Yu Manzi. "

"That's right. Send someone to chase him immediately and tell them not to take action.

Also, the former army brought the flag of the Ming Dynasty to the front for me and asked them to take off all the rattan armor.

As it is now, I can't tell whether it's the Burmese army or the Ming army when I see it from a distance. "

Li Rusong said angrily.

Since it was discovered that the rattan armor equipped by the Burmese army can protect against bird bullets, soldiers in the Ming Dynasty are proud to own a piece of rattan armor.

Regardless of where it is worn on the body, or whether it is a shield, many Ming soldiers are equipped with one now, and they like to wear it on their bodies and hold it at hand.

The Ming army originally had a uniform uniform, that is, a mandarin duck jacket, but now it's better. From a distance, the entire Ming army now has no uniform uniform.

There might have been a war before, so Li Rusong didn't bother to care.

But now we are approaching Toungoo City, and we are about to meet with the Ming Navy. It would be inappropriate to continue to dress like this.

Don't you see it?

The scouts sent by Yu Dayou all regarded them as the Burmese army.

"Okay, then I'll go ahead and talk to them and tell them to take off their rattan armor and put on our armor."

Li Rubai said.

"You don't have to change into military uniforms. The weather here is very hot. If they don't want to wear armor, just let them do whatever they want.

But you need to let the flag bearer holding the Ming Dynasty flag go to the front, so that they can easily identify the military flag when they see it from a distance. "

Li Rusong said.

The climate in Myanmar is hot and humid. Not to mention Li Rusong and Li Rubai, even the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty in the southwest are extremely unsuited to the climate here.

This is also the reason why many Ming soldiers took off their war jackets and only wore rattan armor, which was cooler.

If Li Rusong hadn't wanted to maintain his prestige as a general, he would have taken off his armor here.

When we were in the mountains of northern Myanmar, we had not felt such a strong feeling, but since going south, the soldiers began to take off their clothes. The heat was really unbearable.

"You guys, hurry up and chase us. Be careful, they might be people from the Navy."

At this time, Li Rubai had already turned around and gave instructions to the three soldiers behind him.

"Yes, Second Young Master."

The soldiers clasped their fists in response, then waved their riding whips and chased in the southwest direction.

Even though they had been running away for a long time, the cavalry team probably wouldn't pursue them desperately.

After all, they were unfamiliar with the place. The main purpose of chasing them was to expel the other party's scouts and prevent them from observing the Ming army's queue at will, so as to judge the size of their army and other information.

Sure enough, not long after chasing them out, they saw the returning Ming Army cavalry squad.

After some questioning, I found out that of course I didn’t catch up.

"Have you noticed what the other person is wearing?"

A soldier asked.

"They are similar to us. Some are wearing short coats and some are carrying shields. They must be from the Burmese army."

"It's just like the Burmese army we saw before. The military uniforms are not uniform and they wear everything."

Several cavalrymen talked in various directions.

"They separated one group and went south, and the others separated to lure you away?"

The soldier is the captain of this team, and he is still asking.

"Yes, Tiger Head, I can see clearly that their military camp should be in the south, but there is a small slope to the west, so I led my brothers to chase them and check if there are any ambushes behind the slope."

This time it was the captain of the Ming Army cavalry who spoke, and he explained the situation.

"Young master, there should be no Burmese troops operating around here now. The ones you were chasing just now were probably the scouts from Toungoo City.

Therefore, when encountering similar points of attention in the future, it is not too late to distinguish between friends and foes before taking action. "

The captain of the personal soldiers told Li Rusong's previous guess.

"No way, they're not even wearing Ming Army uniforms."

The cavalry squad leader said suspiciously.

"Come on, look at yourself, do you still look like a Ming Dynasty frontier soldier?

Haha, looking from a distance, I almost want to shoot you. "

The soldier captain said cheerfully.

"Ha ha."

Their conversation elicited laughter from the other soldiers.

In the Ming army now, perhaps only a few generals and the soldiers around them still wear the clothes of the Ming army. The others are wearing whatever they want to keep cool. From a distance, the Burmese army is completely the same.

"That's a bit of a joke. Next time you meet me, why don't you shout twice?"

The cavalry captain said cheerfully.

They were all servants who followed Li Chengliang from the north to the southwest, so they were relatively familiar with each other and their riding skills were pretty good. They were naturally assigned to provide sufficient protection at the front and rear of the army to guard against enemy reconnaissance.

Far behind them, a small group of cavalry escorts hung the Ming flag with black characters on a red background and walked at the front of the army. (End of chapter)