Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 385: Destiny Deflected
In the ninth year of Taichang, the emperor went hunting in the north and held a meeting with the various tribes in the northern border in Tongliao.

In the tenth year of Taichang, the emperor toured the south and received homage from various Southeast Asian countries in Guangzhou.

But those who understand know that in addition to Fang Congzhe from the Lifanyuan, the emperor also brought He Shengrui from the Ministry of Official Industry, Xu Guangqi from the Ministry of Culture and Education, and many priests from the Academy of Documentary Research. His purpose was not so simple.

This time, the prince did not accompany him.

There are still six ministers in the capital. The crown prince is still young, so he cannot serve as regent. However, Tian Le, Duke Dingguo, and Duke Ying are all in the capital.

Together with Ye Xianggao and the other four ministers, they formed the core team during the emperor's southern tour.

The advisory scholars were also present.

This was certainly a test: in the first year after the emperor solemnly appointed them as prime ministers, could they continue to steadily advance the reforms that had been set before during the emperor's southern tour?
On April 20th, all officials escorted him to the outskirts of the capital.

This time, there are real "dragon boats" on the canal leading to Tongzhou.

At the beginning of his reign, Wang Dewan and others petitioned to stop the dragon boat race. At that time, the engineering system was completely different, and it was purely to send out miscellaneous workers and conscription labor to complete it. After the establishment of Changminghao and Zhayanghang, shipbuilding was a focus of the emperor's attention.

Guided by pragmatism, the old "dragon boats" that were originally placed only in the Xiyuan Lake were dismantled, and the usable wood became part of the Fengtian Huangji Hall.

Today, this dragon boat, which still focuses on comfort, was newly built in a shipyard in Nanjing.

It was no secret that the Emperor wanted to tour his kingdom.

Now the new policy is strong and urgent, and the substantive depth of the reform is much deeper than that in the first year of Taichang. The emperor is finally going to visit Jiangnan in person.

Although it is called a dragon boat, it is not very luxurious. Its size is only slightly larger than the largest canal boat - after all, there are many locks along the way.

The only difference is the decoration and the structure of the ship.

Of course, on a dragon boat like this, there were only the emperor, Concubine Li and her son, Concubine Rong and her son, as well as eunuchs and palace maids, so it was naturally not crowded.

The entire fleet consisted of nearly forty large and small ships.

"The capital is now in your hands." Zhu Changluo looked at Ye Xianggao and the others, then at his eldest son, "The prince's lectures must not be interrupted, you must listen more and learn more."

"My son, please remember this."

Zhu Youjian saw his father smiling at him, and then looked from afar at the little man waving his hand on the dragon boat over there.

"Okay, I'll leave now." Zhu Changluo waved at them, "If you have anything important to say, please report it to me."

He just glanced at Wang An and then walked towards the dragon boat with Zou Yi and Liu Ruoyu.

Behind him, there was a farewell and blessings for a successful southern tour, and praises for the emperor's grace and the provinces, and then there were farewells from the ministers and colleagues who accompanied him.

Among the people accompanying the emperor was the young Xu Xiake. Since his mother and wife were brought here, he has settled in the capital. But this time, several of the scholars from the Academy of Research followed the emperor on his southern tour, and he wanted to follow them to study.

There were five other young Jinshi, among whom was Sun Chuanting, who was appointed as the head of the Foreign Affairs Department in the Lifanyuan.

I didn’t expect that last year and this year would happen to be Lianjie High School.

The other four newly-appointed Jinshi were appointed to positions in the Privy Council, the Ministry of Officials and other government offices. They were chosen to accompany the emperor, which was naturally a rare opportunity.

Sun Chuanting boarded a boat carrying the officials of their Lifanyuan and naturally began to talk with others.

Sun Chuanting was still relatively new to the officialdom. But everyone was very polite to him - after all, he was not yet twenty years old, and although Sun Chuanting was not among the top in this year's exam, he was not to be underestimated.

"We won't have much to do on this journey until we reach Guangzhou." The speaker was the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "But now that the northern border has been secured, the Holy Emperor is looking at Outer Yunnan and the South Seas from afar, so we still have to do our homework on the way. Director Sun, the records of the world situation of the countries in the South Seas and Outer Yunnan, as well as the compilation of reports from previous years, are all on the ship, right?"

"Since I received your order, I have already done everything. The Privy Council has also given me a lot." Sun Chuanting stood up and said, "I will go get it right away."

"Bo Ya has worked hard." He smiled and looked at his back, then said to the other four Lifanyuan officials, "As of today, Bo Ya is actually less than 18 years old, right?"

"Birthday: April 21, the 21st year of the Wanli reign." Someone remembered it clearly, "Tomorrow I will be 18, and I will be 20."

"The future is limitless."

"...Could it be that his name was not submitted by the hospital?" Someone looked at his expression and understood something.

The Right Assistant Minister said nothing, as if he was just impressed by his youth.

However, the list of names accompanying the emperor from the Ministry of Frontier Affairs had passed through his hands, and he knew that this name was not on the list before it was presented to the palace.

Regardless of whether he was appointed by the emperor or not, those who could be included were at least important officials of the second rank or above.

If this isn’t a promising future, then what is?
As they were talking, the fleet was still making preparations.

After a long time, firecrackers blasted outside, and then the ship shook slightly.

The southern tour team finally set off.

It was almost evening when the fleet arrived to the west of Tongzhou.

There are pedestrians on the land road on the north bank of the canal.

They retreated by nearly a hundred troops because the troops protecting the emperor were marching on both sides of the river.

"That's Lord Jingguo?"

Someone in the crowd saw a general's flag from a distance and spoke in a low voice.

Young Li Hongji stretched his neck to look over, and then asked his father: "Dad, who is the Duke of Jingguo?"

"General Yu's son."

"I say to you, old man, now is the time to say that the achievements of Duke Jingguo have surpassed those of General Yu. This title of Duke was earned by his son."

Li Hongji's father shrank his head and did not argue.

He had only heard of Yu Dayou and knew that the current Duke Jingguo was Yu Dayou's son.

So much time had passed before their family came here from Shaanxi.

Now others began to say that Yu Dayou had not met a wise leader. Others said that His Majesty's successive expeditions to the north and the south were too time-consuming, and Li Hongji's father did not want to participate, and only hoped that the imperial carriage would leave earlier so that they could hurry on their journey.

When Li Hongji's father heard people say that there were many big workers in Xinbian and Liaoning Province, he didn't think it was a bad thing.

Because it is said that the workers there are paid by the government, rather than conscripted labor, so doesn't that mean there are more ways to earn an income?

Pushing the cart loaded with his belongings and looking at his wife holding his son in the car, he only whispered: "Be patient, we are delayed for a while, and I am afraid we won't be able to reach Tongzhou before dark."

After waiting for half an hour, they were finally able to continue on their journey.

As it was getting dark, he couldn't see the road clearly for a moment, and the wheel of the wheelbarrow shook in a small pothole and then turned over.

After making sure that my wife and son were not hurt, I went to check the car and found that the wheel was broken.

After being pushed all the way from Shaanxi to here, it really couldn't hold on any longer.

"Boss, what should we do?" His wife asked with a worried face, holding her son who had just been awakened.

Li Hongji's father squatted aside, barely looking at the broken axle and the car that had broken a supporting pillar, feeling helpless for a moment.

All his belongings were on the car, and it would take a while for the car to be repaired. He was even more reluctant to part with the car, as it was in the middle of nowhere.

"There's no other way. Let's see if there's any temple nearby to spend the night. You hold the baby and I'll carry him."

"Can you take the wheel off? I'll carry it. There's also a package for us..."

She held the child in her arms and prepared to share the burden with her husband without hesitation.

Li Hongji's father just squatted there and tinkered carefully. Even if he had to find a carpenter or blacksmith to repair it, he had to be careful. He couldn't let the wheelbarrow get damaged again, so he had to carry it away, so his wife had to help him carry some packages.

After this delay, it got even darker.

After a while, he heard the faint sound of horse hooves and looked towards the west nervously.

There were many people and horses over there, and you could vaguely see the swaying of lanterns.

"Quick, move aside!"

Li Hongji's father didn't care about too much. He moved all his belongings aside first, and then lifted the wheelbarrow with great effort.

There was no need to worry too much about bandits near the capital, but if it was a noble carriage passing by, he certainly wouldn't dare to block the way.

Sure enough, after a while, three carriages were seen coming, followed by four horses.

They were also greatly surprised when they saw from afar a strong man holding something like a huge rock in the distance. They stopped their horses with a long sigh, feeling confused and uncertain.

Then a rider arrived first, saw the situation clearly, and the man put down his wheelbarrow, bent down and bowed repeatedly, then cursed a few words and went back to report.

The convoy started again, but of course the speed was not fast, after all, they were traveling at night.

"Wait. Since someone fell here, the road must be uneven. Go and take a closer look. Be careful."

"Father, I need to relieve myself!"

"...Well, let's take a break. Zhang Ji, go and take a look to see if they have frightened anyone."

The middle-aged man who was speaking looked like a steady man. He simply got out of the car and asked the convoy to be careful and wait in front after passing this section.

At the same time, he also waited for his son to jump out of the car behind and go to the roadside to take care of his urgent needs.

Seeing that his son's problem would not be solved in a short time, he was helpless, so he went to his adopted son.

"I'm sorry to bother you," he said politely, then looked at the family of three and the wheelbarrow lying on the ground. "It's already dark, why is your father-in-law still on the road with his wife and children?"

"Don't blame me, sir." Li Hongji's father bowed again and again, "The emperor is out today, so he was delayed for a while..."

"...I see." The middle-aged man looked at his wheelbarrow and shook his head, then looked at the woman hiding behind the old man holding the child, "I'm not surprised. If you hadn't suffered, we would have been thrown to the ground. We should thank the old man. Judging from his accent, he is from the northwest, right?"

"To answer your question, my family is from Xi'an."

"Xi'an Prefecture? All the way here?" The middle-aged man was surprised, then his eyes moved and he continued to ask, "So, you also want to go to Guandong?"

"The master really knows everything." Li Hongji's father looked at the nobleman in front of him with awe.

The man smiled and said, "There are many people who want to go outside the Great Wall to find other ways out. It's not surprising. You have a family to support, and now your belongings are broken... How about this, Zhang Ji, you help me move the things to the back car, and I'll give you a ride?"

"No, no, sir, don't worry about us."

"It's fate that we meet. If the emperor hadn't set out on his southern tour today, we wouldn't have been on the road until late at night." The man smiled and said, "My last name is Zhang, and I'm from Shanyin, Zhejiang. My father-in-law is going to Liaodong, and I want to go to Liaodong too, so we happen to be going the same way."

"Master...are you going to Liaodong too?"

"It's not Liaodong, it's North Korea!" A crisp voice sounded, and a young man in his teens came over and looked at his father in confusion, "Father, what is this?"

"Nothing." The middle-aged man surnamed Zhang smiled and looked at Li Hongji's father. "Father-in-law has seen it. This is my son. My wife is here too. We are all going to Liaodong with our whole family. Could it be that father-in-law is worried about something? If you don't want to accept the favor, you can help with some chores along the way and take care of the horses. That can be used as a reward."

Li Hongji's father was stunned and didn't dare to continue. After all, the noble man in front of him was too enthusiastic, and he didn't understand why.

"Let's go. Your son is still young. Are we going to spend the night in this wilderness?"

He said this without question and went to the car in front. His son, who was holding his hand, looked back and asked in confusion, "Father, why did you take them with you?"

"Since we have met here, it is fate. If we meet, it is nothing to help each other." But he added, "Let's wait and see for a while."

“…Father, I don’t want to go to North Korea.”

"Dad has already promised your second uncle."

"I'm doing fine in Sanyin..."

"Why? Dad sees that you are very happy in the capital."

“But North Korea…”

"Okay, listen to your father." The middle-aged man said, "Take the Niuhuang Pills first when you get on the bus. Your great-grandfather worked hard to get them for you."

"...Father, I won't be able to finish eating this until I'm sixteen!"

"It's already late today, be obedient."

The boy seemed to have a chronic illness, but now he looks very healthy.

On the other side, Li Hongji's father had no way to resist being helped by the noble master, and continued to travel east with their carriage.

After a long time, I arrived in Tongzhou and found that I was actually staying in a post station.

To be able to live here, one must either be an official or have connections and money, which shows that he is not an ordinary master.

"Hero Zhang, where exactly is your master... and North Korea?" He had followed all the way here and now felt a little relieved. They didn't seem to be a bad family.

The sturdy man Zhang Ji puffed out his chest and said, "Our master was the chief historian of the Prince of Lu's palace. Now, with the grace of His Majesty, he is going to Korea to serve the old man, Prince Lu. Our uncle is now serving as a councilor in Korea, just like... just like one of the new ministers appointed by His Majesty."

Li Hongji's father's legs went weak and he trembled, not daring to ask more questions.

The young Li Hongji was ignorant. The thirteen-year-old boy was named Zhang Dai. His father's name was Zhang Yaofang, his mother's surname was Tao, and his second uncle was named Tao Chongdao.

After waiting for many days, Zhang Yaofang finally got the approval. He would set off for Korea only after the officials from the Lifanyuan who had escorted His Majesty on his tour today returned.

Now in the room of the posthouse, Zhang Yaofang smiled at his wife and son and said, "This family seems to be honest and timid. They are determined and strong enough to push the cart all the way from Shaanxi. The best thing is that they have a three-year-old son. Not many people in the family are willing to go to Korea with us. If we can see them along the way, it will be no problem. We can also win their hearts and they will be useful in Korea."

There are many people who are willing to go to Liaodong, but fewer who are willing to follow him to Korea.

The hired workers in the clan are unwilling to leave Zhejiang. Without knowing their roots, they will be left helpless. Isn't this an option?

Of course, since he was preparing to go to Korea and was bringing his son, the nephew that Tao Chongdao was looking forward to very much, wouldn't the old man Li's son be able to become his son's confidant when he grew up?
Zhang Yaofang had great confidence in the old man Li and his family, as they came to his aid in times of need and treated him as their adopted son.

Zhu Changluo, who was also resting in Tongzhou, naturally didn't know that the fate of Li Zicheng, who was only three years old, had changed again because of his tour.

When he heard this name again, it was already many years later...

(End of this chapter)