Chapter 31

"Yongzhen, did you just say that you have an elder brother in the army? Is that true?"

"Indeed, he is currently serving under General He Shixian." Zhang Ke did not lie. In fact, he had an elder brother and an elder sister, but they were from different mothers. His elder sister, Zhang Yuexin, had married in Jinzhou four years ago, and his elder brother, Zhang Feng, had joined the army two years ago.

These days, it was said that good men did not join the army, and good iron was not used to make nails. At the time, Shen Shi had earnestly tried to dissuade Zhang Feng, but Zhang Feng was very stubborn, and since Shen Shi was his stepmother, she could not stop him.

"He Shixian, I've heard that he is a man of good reputation, skilled in leading troops, and is considered one of the top brave generals in Liaodong. I will write him a letter to arrange for you to serve as a scribe, assisting in military affairs. Once you have earned some merit, you can be promoted, and it will not be a waste of your talent!"

Wang Huazhen spoke casually, as if it were a trivial matter. However, to Zhang Ke, it felt strange. Wang Huazhen was a Right Censor, a fourth-rank official, while He Shixian was a second-rank general. The difference in rank was vast, yet in Wang Huazhen's eyes, He Shixian, this "big official," seemed like a subordinate who could be ordered around at will, and in reality, it was indeed almost the case.

The value of scholars over soldiers had reached an unimaginable level!

Zhang Ke sighed inwardly and smiled, saying, "Sir, I do not wish to serve under General He."

"Oh? Do you have a better choice?"

"I want to join a garrison."

As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Huazhen's face froze. He could accept anything Zhang Ke said, except for this, which was truly unimaginable!

"Yongzhen, have you thought this through? Do you not know what the garrison soldiers are like! Calling them useless is an understatement; they are simply parasites, incapable of fighting the Tartars but excellent at bullying civilians. If you mix with them, you will be lowering yourself, disgracing yourself, and..."

Wang Huazhen could not think of more words and said angrily, "In any case, I cannot arrange it, or I will have no face to meet Brother Hong!"

Zhang Ke smiled slightly, "Sir, I see it differently. In the early days of the Ming Dynasty, the garrison soldiers were the ones who swept across the land. For a hundred years, they defended the borders, serving as the pillars of the state."

"Brave men do not dwell on past glories; the garrison soldiers are now useless."

"That's true, but I want to understand why the garrison system has collapsed and whether it can be restored. The Jurchen are formidable because they fight with their lives on the line, knowing that failure means death. Our recruited soldiers, on the other hand, are just there for the pay, and at the first sign of trouble, they flee. Even with a great general like Qi Jiguang, the army can maintain its strength, but with mediocre leaders, they suffer defeat after defeat. The reason is that these recruited soldiers lack the will to fight to the death. The garrison soldiers, however, are from Liaodong, their land is where their ancestors tilled, and their families are behind them. If their fighting spirit is ignited, even if two or three out of ten die, they will still fight fiercely, and how can they not win!"

After listening to Zhang Ke's analysis, Wang Huazhen nodded and then shook his head.

"Yongzhen, you are oversimplifying things. A hundred years of corruption have left Liaodong's land in the hands of powerful families. High officials are corrupt, and so are the low ones. When I first came to Liaodong, I wanted to reform, but it was like water on a stone, impossible to penetrate!"

"Sir, there is no need to worry. Liaodong is at a point where it must change or perish. There will be a time when you can show your true abilities."

Wang Huazhen smiled, "May your words come true, Yongzhen. Since you see things this way, why don't you stay and help me?"

This was the second time Wang Huazhen had invited him, showing that he genuinely appreciated Zhang Ke's abilities. However, Zhang Ke had his own plans. Without a strong army of his own, he could not achieve anything. Following Wang Huazhen would be no different, and even if he followed Emperor Chongzhen, it would be of no use!

"Sir, I would love to assist you, but I know nothing about military and state affairs. These are not matters that can be solved with small cleverness. I am willing to start as a common soldier, gain experience, and if I can find a way to solve the problems of the garrison, I will ask you to push it forward. If I fail, it will not affect the overall situation, and it will be a win-win!"

After listening to Zhang Ke, Wang Huazhen closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He then stood up, walked to the desk, laid out the paper, picked up the brush, and after a moment's thought, wrote four large characters in bold strokes.

Wang Huazhen looked at it, nodded in satisfaction, and stamped it with his seal.

"Yongzhen, this is a piece of calligraphy I wrote for you. What do you think?"

Zhang Ke hurriedly looked and saw four powerful characters: Loyalty, Bravery, Benevolence, and Filial Piety.

Wang Huazhen was the fourth-place winner in the 1613 imperial examination, a renowned calligrapher who rarely wrote for others. Today, he had written for Zhang Ke, which was a rare honor.

"Sir, your calligraphy is superb, and I am deeply impressed, but these four characters are too heavy for me to bear!"

"Ha ha ha, I am not asking you to bear them, but to follow their direction. If you do not, your teacher will punish you!"

"So, you are giving me a whip?"

"What, don't you want it?"

"I would be honored. With your encouragement, I will surely achieve great things!"

Wang Huazhen laughed heartily, patted Zhang Ke on the shoulder, and said, "Rest now, think about your next steps. Even if you join the army, I am still your senior. If you have any problems, just let me know!"

With Wang Huazhen's assurance, Zhang Ke felt completely at ease, as if he had found a home. He happily went to the courtyard prepared for them.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he heard laughter. Hu Zi and the others were excitedly chasing each other.

Zhang Ke did not disturb them and went directly to his room. Qiao Fu was lying on the silk quilt, staring at the white ceiling. Qiao Gui was sitting opposite, running his rough hands over the smooth quilt, smiling.

"Can you act a bit more dignified? Don't let people think we are country bumpkins!"

Qiao Gui said indifferently, "We are from the countryside, why pretend? Zhang Ke, I want to buy a few silk quilts to take home so my father can sleep comfortably."

"Right!" Qiao Fu sat up suddenly, "The New Year is coming. We should have new clothes, new pants, new shoes, and buy a cartload of good food. We should also tear down the old house and build a new one! Oh, I saw that rich people carry stones. We should buy a few and carry them, so no one dares to look down on us."

These two were in a state of newfound wealth, not knowing how to act. Zhang Ke could only shake his head.

"Brothers, we have some money, but we need to use it wisely. When we return, I plan to partner with Uncle Liu to expand the blacksmith shop and specialize in producing iron tools for profit. We also need to join the army!"

"Join the army?" The two were shocked.

Zhang Ke said, "Do you remember what I said when we left? Liaodong is in chaos. We encountered so many things on this trip. Without some strength, how can we survive?"

The two fell into deep thought. Being a soldier was not a good career, dangerous and looked down upon. Qiao Fu suddenly slapped his thigh.

"Ke, are you also joining the army?"

"Of course."

"Ha ha ha, then I have nothing to worry about. Following you, I won't lose!"

Qiao Gui also smiled, "Right, we are in this together, for better or worse."

The three finally agreed. They were exhausted and fell asleep immediately. They had not slept the night they entered Guangning, and they had been busy with Wang Huai Shui and trading. Zhang Ke was mentally and physically drained. He did not know how long he slept, but when he woke up, the sun was high.

Zhang Ke suddenly noticed a dark figure outside the door. He quickly dressed and opened the door to see Thirteen standing there, still in a single layer of clothing, unfazed by the cold.

"Sir, I apologize. Please come in!"

"Ha ha ha, no need. Follow me to see Lord Hong; he has been waiting for you since morning."

Zhang Ke nodded hurriedly and followed Thirteen to a small, elegant courtyard. Lord Hong was in casual clothes, standing under a grapevine, lost in thought.

Hearing footsteps, Lord Hong turned around and saw Zhang Ke, smiling.

"Thank you, my savior!"

Zhang Ke bowed deeply, "I am ignorant and disrespectful. Please forgive me, Lord."

"Ha ha ha, you are not ignorant, but very clever. Did you see through my identity and want to take advantage of me?"

"Indeed, if not for the Mongols, I would have been laughing to myself with the silver!"

Lord Hong laughed heartily, "Thirteen, see? We thought we were being secretive, but a little thought can reveal the truth. Come inside, let's talk."

Lord Hong was not as sinister as rumored, but laughed heartily. Inside, they sat down. Lord Hong said, "I will call you Zhang Ke. You did well yesterday, resolving the conflict, maintaining the dignity of the Ming, and even preventing a war. You have done a great service."

"Lord, please do not say that. With your status, you could have made a promise to the Mongols, and they would have released you!"

Lord Hong smiled bitterly, "I will not hide it from you. Thirteen and I came to Liaodong on orders. We intended to travel incognito. I impulsively wanted to buy a fur for my godfather, and this happened! I was truly afraid yesterday, fearing that my identity would be exposed in public, causing more trouble. Fortunately, you were clever and resolved the issue."

Thirteen said with a worried face, "Lord, although we handled it yesterday, there are no secrets. Someone might have already learned of our arrival."

Lord Hong smiled, "Let them know. At least our trip was not in vain."

He took out several silver notes and placed them on the table. Zhang Ke was shocked; they were the fake silver notes from Wang Huai Shui!

Lord Hong picked one up and smiled, "Zhang Ke, do you think these silver notes were made by Wang Huai Shui? Such exquisite notes, more refined than the official currency, could a small con man have this skill?"

Lord Hong spoke to himself, and Zhang Ke's mind raced, suddenly realizing a possibility that frightened him.

Lord Hong looked at Zhang Ke and smiled, "The white wolf fur was indeed good. I bought it. Here are three hundred taels of silver. Take it!"

He took out more silver notes, "Don't worry, these are real!"

Zhang Ke waved his hands, "Lord, we agreed on one hundred and fifty taels. I am a man of principles and cannot take more!"

"Ha ha ha, it's not too much. Didn't you pull out three fake silver notes yesterday?"

Zhang Ke shook his head firmly, "Lord, what is mine, I will take. What is not, I will not, even if I die!"

"You are an honest young man. I will take back the silver notes. Take this as a keepsake, and do not refuse!" Lord Hong said, handing Zhang Ke a string of sandalwood beads.

; Page break for ads

; End of page break for ads