Chapter 557
Lin Kunshan made great contributions during the war and gained freedom. Since then, he has escaped from other villages and made a living by teaching. Slowly, his heart revived, like a swordsman with stunt skills. After returning to seclusion, he always sighed that the sword had returned to its box, and that there was no use of force. The ground, looking at the road leading into the distance, will still be heartbroken.
Lin Kunshan not only moved his heart, but also acted. He chose Zeng Dangyun among the students and was determined to cultivate a champion.
He didn't get his wish, Zeng Dangyun only entered the top three, and if he didn't offend the minister in Lingyun Pavilion, he could only rank in the top two, which was a long way from being the champion.
But he was not disappointed, Zeng Dangyun met the emperor after all and caught the emperor's attention.
"That's enough." He said to his disciple, "You and I have a bright future."
"I was supposed to be the second-class jinshi, but I fell into the third-class together with Liu Jian, sigh." Zeng Dangyun sighed, feeling much stronger than Liu Jian, who can only read, "Your Majesty clearly appreciates my eloquence, why... "
"Because he wants to reuse you, he doesn't want you to attract attention too early." Lin Kunshan laughed.
Zeng Dangyun had always admired his teacher, but at this time he was a little confused.
A few days after the announcement, the excitement passed, and everyone went their separate ways, but the two teachers and students still lived in the inn. Every time Zeng Dangyun wanted to go home to announce the good news, Lin Kunshan said, "Wait."
That evening, Lin Kunshan finally arrived.
A guest came to visit, but without asking, he said "find someone" to the guy, walked into the backyard, and knocked on Lin Kunshan's door.
"Long time no see, my lord is getting fat." Lin Kunshan cupped his hands and smiled.
Chao Jing has indeed gained a lot of weight, and his temper has also increased. He stretched out his hand to push Lin Kunshan in, stepped into the door, and closed it, "You are so bold."
Zeng Dangyun was sitting in the room reading a book when he put down his book and looked at the guests in military uniforms with some panic.
"Go to another place to read, things here have nothing to do with you." Chao Jing ordered.
Zeng Dangyun glanced at the teacher, hugged the book, hurried out the door, and returned to his room next door, feeling uneasy in his heart, he listened against the wall, but could only hear a few words alone.
Lin Kunshan watched the disciple go out and said with a smile, "I'm still not brave enough."
"What else do you want?" Chao Jing looked around.
"Hehe, don't talk about this, let's talk about your purpose first, I've been waiting for a long time."
Chao Jing rudely found a chair and sat down, "Your Majesty said, do you want to go to the West?"
"Your Majesty is really smart, and you can see through it. It doesn't have to be me. I just have an idea. Of course, if Your Majesty sends a decree, I will never shirk it. It is my duty and an honor to be able to serve Your Majesty and the Great Chu. ."
"What's the use of flattering the emperor in front of me? I won't convey it for you."
"From the heart, not flattery."
"Your Majesty said, you can go to the West."
"Yeah." Lin Kunshan looked at Chao Whale and waited.
"what?"
"The imperial decree, without the imperial decree, Lin Kunshan is just a man. With the imperial decree, he is the messenger of the Great Chu."
"Do you see me as someone who preaches the imperial edict?"
Lin Kunshan smiled a little embarrassedly, "If you have something to say, say it clearly, don't go around."
Chao Jing coughed twice, "Tomorrow, the imperial court will issue a decree to recruit envoys, you can sign up."
Lin Kunshan clasped his fists and said, "This is what you're waiting for, please tell your majesty..."
Chao Jing got up and waved his hand, "I rarely see the emperor, how can I have the time to speak for you?"
After Chao Jing left, Lin Kunshan breathed a sigh of relief, and even thought that he should order wine and meat to celebrate.
Han Ruzi decided to accept a part of Zeng Dangyun's suggestion and sent envoys to the west to announce the arrival of the Chu army, and to instigate the countries to attack the gods and ghosts. Army expedition.
As soon as the imperial decree came, there were many applicants. Hundreds of thousands of Chu troops were standing outside the Great Wall, and the Western Expedition was sure to win. Everyone wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to make meritorious deeds, but not everyone could go to the battlefield, so acting as a messenger became another option.
In just ten days, nearly 500 people signed up inside and outside the capital, and the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites jointly screened out 100 people, with brief introductions for the emperor to choose.
Han Ruzi read it carefully, and Lin Kunshan was among them. In the introduction, he did not mention the word hopeful, but only said that he was a citizen of a certain county and a certain township who made a living by teaching.
Han Ruzi laughed, circled Lin Kunshan's name first, and continued to look down, when he suddenly saw the name of "Liu Jian", he couldn't help but be stunned.
Liu Jian was this year's candidate. He did well in the exam and was recommended to be questioned in Lingyun Pavilion. As a result, he didn't even know what "Western" was referring to, so he wrote a reply about the Western Regions, which was a public shame. The ranking of the top two, but finally fell into the top three.
After hesitating for a moment, Han Ruzi drew a small triangle on the upper right of the word Liu Jian. After reading everything, he ordered Liu Jian to be summoned.
Seeing the driver again, and alone, Liu Jian trembled even more, and the eunuch beside him had to reach out to help him up.
Why do you want to sign up to be a messenger even though you don't understand the West? Liu Jian had already thought about the answer, but he still stuttered a little when he said it, but slowly he got better, "Students should...have the world in their hearts, but Weichen and Weichen only know how to read and read dead books, and even... His Majesty is showing off his ugliness, and Wei Chen is embarrassed. He remembers the saying, 'Read ten thousand volumes of books, travel ten thousand miles'.
"But you don't know the West."
"These days, Wei Chen asks every person that he knows more about the West and the gods and ghosts, and Wei Chen thinks that no matter how much he hears, it's better to go and check it out in person. Wei Chen is here, not seeking merits or careers. Boda is prominent, just to find out, observe the customs, and see what this vast area that has been neglected by Weichen for many years looks like."
Han Ruzi felt more and more that the so-called champion was just a temporary title, and the selection of talents still had to be more observational, "Okay, I will let you go to the west to find out, in addition to completing the mission of the envoy, after you come back, write a travel note for me, and share yours. Write down what you see, hear, and feel.”
Liu Jian knelt down and kowtowed, "According to the order, Your Majesty."
Han Ruzi selected thirty-five envoys, divided into five groups, each with different numbers, accompanied by a number of handymen, and sent them to different countries to convey the will of the emperor of Chu: The Chu army is approaching, and the gods and ghosts will be ordered first. In the head of the person, named the king.
The official envoy was an official of the Ministry of Rites, and there was another deputy envoy on each route. Liu Jian had no position, just an ordinary envoy.
There is only one envoy along the way, and most people are unwilling to be the envoy, because he has to personally meet the gods and ghosts, and be held accountable for several crimes.
Lin Kunshan was willing, even a little urgent, as if he was afraid that this "good job" would fall into the hands of others.
In the late spring season, the envoys set off and passed through the Western Regions, and were escorted by various countries. In Huzhu City, they would go to different directions.
The envoy Liu Jian is on is the farthest, and will pass through the west to the southern seaport to convey the imperial decree to the King of England and Huang Pugong.
The King of England received a formal canonization, adding a sea character to his name, and became "King Haiying", allowing him to establish his own official office. He was invited once every ten years. Huang Pugong was named the king's prime minister. As for the retreat, the emperor ordered them to wait for a while. Years, after which advance and retreat are free.
The arrow was fired, and it would take a long time to get a response. Han Ruzi could only wait patiently. During this period, he continued to urge the Chu army to prepare for the battle.
Shortly after the envoys set off, an urgent letter came from the East China Sea Kingdom, saying that the East China Sea King had returned from overseas.
Although he often fought for favor and quarreled before, Cui Teng missed this cousin very much. After obtaining the permission of the emperor, he went to greet him in person. He met the King of the East Sea in Luoyang, treated him well, and took him back to the capital. He rested at home for one night, and the next morning Come see the driver.
Han Ruzi stood by the window upstairs, saw Donghai King and Cui Teng from a distance, and waved to the two of them. Donghai King looked up and saw it, immediately knelt down, was pulled up by Cui Teng, and hurried to Lingyun Pavilion.
When they got upstairs, the East Sea King was about to kneel again. Han Ruzi stepped forward to help him up, looked left and right, and said with a smile, "You're finally back."
The King of the East Sea said with a weeping voice: "Your Majesty, I almost died in the belly of a fish, and I will never see Your Majesty again."
Cui Teng smiled and said, "You're okay, at least your body is intact, and you seem to have gained some weight, unlike me, who has a lame leg."
The three sighed for a long time, and Han Ruzi asked, "Come on, why did you delay at sea for so long?"
"Oh, it's hard to say." King Donghai told his own experience. It turned out that he encountered a strong wind at sea, and the boat was destroyed and people drowned. He was rescued by a passing boat and taken to an island. After being trapped for a long time, he returned to Dachu. He traveled to many countries by boat, during which he did not dare to reveal his true identity. It was not until he set foot on the territory of Great Chu that he went to the Tan family of Donghai Kingdom and was able to report it to the government.
Cui Teng had already heard it once, but he still sighed while listening, often adding some details to the King of the East Sea, as if he had followed him across the ocean.
Han Ruzi also sighed from time to time, but he would not interrupt, and finally couldn't help saying: "Cui Teng, go and ask the eunuch to prepare some delicious food, and leave the King of the East Sea to eat at noon, and then you don't have to come up."
Cui Teng smiled and said, "I'm talking too much, okay, I'll come back when I'm having dinner. It's been a long time since I had a drink with Your Majesty."
Cui Teng resigned, and the King of the East Sea said almost the same, "That's it, I really didn't expect to see His Majesty alive."
"The princess is very happy. She cares about you very much and asks people to ask about you everywhere."
"Of course I'm happy. I cried in the middle of the night last night, saying I thought I would never see me again."
Han Ruzi smiled and stared at the East Sea King again.
"What's wrong? Your Majesty." The East Sea King touched his face.
"You have been drifting at sea for so long, and you have not seen black, but have turned white."
"Yes, I have been hiding in the cabin."
"Crossing the sea, the ships don't stop in the south, but they dock in the East China Sea. King of the East China Sea, what ship are you on?"
The King of the East Sea plopped down on his knees and cried, "Your Majesty sees it, in fact, I have been back long ago, and I have never dared to enter the capital to see the driver."
"What does 'don't dare' mean?"
"Danyu, the gods and ghosts, intends to let me return to the country and let me assassinate Your Majesty."
"If you don't do it, what are you afraid of?"
"Da Shan Yu, the gods and ghosts, poisoned me, saying that the antidote will only be given to me if the assassination is successful within two years."
"Two years have passed, are you okay?"
"It was Meng E who saved me."
Han Ruzi was shocked, "Meng E?"
"Yes, she still has a letter to write to His Majesty. I wanted to find another opportunity... Since His Majesty has seen through it..." The East Sea King took out the letter from his arms and handed it to the Emperor with both hands.
Han Ruzi stretched out his hand to pick it up, his heart suddenly moved, and he asked, "Have you seen Lin Kunshan again?"