Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 10 Coming
Zhu Zhanji pulled an arrow from the quiver on the ground and said:

"The materials used for the arrow shafts are often local materials. The north mostly uses cattail willow, the south mostly uses bamboo, and the Northern Yuan Dynasty uses birch. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Bamboo is straight, while the arrow shafts of willow and birch will bend after drying. They need to be straightened with a long, grooved wood called an 'arrow end'. The arrowhead also has a head. Ours is three-edged, the Northern Yuan ones are like peach leaf spear points, and the southern ones are made into flat-headed iron shovels. The speed and direction of the arrow after it is shot depends on the feathers, and the material of the feathers is also local. The materials are local, and the feathers of different birds are naturally different. Eagle feathers are the best. Eagle feather arrows fly the fastest, and after flying more than ten steps, the arrow body will be straight. It can also withstand wind. Eagle feathers are not available in the south. Eagle feathers are not as good as eagle feathers. Eagle feathers also have good and bad qualities. Horned hawk feathers are better than sparrowhawk feathers. Alas, eagle feathers are not easy to get in the south. They mostly use goose feathers, and in emergencies, they even use goose feathers. If the wind blows, they will bend to one side... The whole set of bows and arrows are most afraid of moisture, and the bowstring is the most important..."

Zhu Zhanji kept talking. Jia Chuan listened carefully at first and felt that this participant in the Renzong and Xuanzong reigns was really quite capable. But after listening for a long time, he realized that Zhu Zhanji was too nervous.

This is really like the situation where the stick doesn't hit you, so you don't feel the pain.

Jia Chuan thought he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. For someone who knew the direction of historical development, he should be out of danger now. Although he was once nervous that his time travel might have changed the course of history, the facts proved that it should not have changed anything.

But after Zhu Zhanji finished his rambling about bows and arrows and then started talking about war horses, Jia Chuan became nervous and began to wonder if his time travel would change history. Had the Emperor's personal guards, the Yulin Army, been subjugated by Zhu Gaoxu?
Zhu Zhanji was still talking when Jia Chuan's mind began to wander out of habit. He wondered what would be the reason for this kind of "if" that shouldn't happen?
What interests were driving the garrison commander to become his sworn brother? Was he simply attracted by the king's longer beard? Or was he eyeing the position of Minister of War?
Jia Chuan remembered that after Zhu Yuanzhang established Nanjing as the capital, he was busy with "clicking and clacking" and never mentioned moving the capital. Zhu Di kicked his eldest nephew off the throne and moved the capital to Beijing on the grounds that "the emperor guards the national gate." Later generations thought that he was afraid that his father would come to find him at night, and Beijing was a long way away, so he felt more at ease.

But Jia Chuan felt that Zhu Di was taking the border issue into consideration. The Northern Yuan Dynasty was in turmoil at that time, but Zhu Zhanji had said that his father Dapang wanted to move back to Nanjing, so this was something to think about.

A word from the leader may make the people below him very busy, and may even affect the interests of many people.

If someone doesn’t want to move the capital…who would be hindered by moving the capital?

"Your Highness!" Kuang Zhong couldn't help it. He took a deep breath, suppressed his physical discomfort and suddenly interrupted Zhu Zhanji, bringing the daydreaming Jia Chuan back as well.

"If the Yulin Guards rebelled, the King of Han would not wait until this time before taking action." Kuang Zhong finished the sentence with difficulty.

Zhu Zhanji turned his head to look at Kuang Zhong, lowered his head and said nothing.

Jia Chuan's mind cleared up a bit, and he joined in the advice, "Since they're mobilizing troops, they won't just send a few people. Even if the Prince of Han has great power, can he bribe everyone? If there are any individuals who are really affected, Your Highness can just shoot them with an arrow. Once we reach the capital, the truth will naturally come out. Those who haven't been bribed will only have to wait and see. Who with any sense would dare to show up after Your Highness has revealed his identity?"

"You think too simply. If..." Zhu Zhanji didn't continue.

Jia Chuan knew what Zhu Zhanji was thinking and said quickly, "Since the King of Han has chosen the area outside Cangzhou as the last barrier, it's impossible for him to have any plans in Bazhou. If he had plans everywhere, it would be just as Doctor Kuang said. Why would the King of Han wait until now to take action?"

Zhu Zhanji let out a long sigh and said seriously, "The divine weapon of the world cannot be obtained by intelligence alone. Besides, our ancestors have made a decree, who dares to have other thoughts?"

Jia Chuan didn't quite understand, but judging from Zhu Zhanji's expression, he seemed to be no longer panicked.

The emperor is also human, a mortal, not a saint, but he must do the work of a saint: be far-sighted, discern the human heart, know how to use people wisely, punish clearly, be selfless, and maintain emotional stability...

Jia Chuan scratched his head. He was caught in the rain last night and wondered if he would get lice.

The rain stopped last night in the second half of the night, but the sky was still cloudy.

Unable to see the position of the sun, Jia Chuan could only roughly calculate the time. When he felt a little hungry, he vaguely heard the sound of horse hooves.

Zhu Zhanji naturally heard it too. Unlike Jia Chuan who was looking off into the distance, he quickly stood up and left the pavilion. He squatted down and carefully examined the tiny pebbles on the ground. Slowly... he smiled and said, "There are quite a few people here!"

……

Indeed, quite a lot!

It rained heavily last night and the sun didn't appear today. The ground was still wet and muddy. Jia Chuan didn't see any dust flying, but mud balls were flying everywhere, which made it difficult for the soldiers running behind.

Kuang Zhong struggled to walk out of the pavilion. Looking at the hundreds of soldiers rushing towards him, he couldn't control himself and burst into tears.

The soldiers all dismounted a few dozen meters away, and the leader led a dozen people and ran quickly towards the pavilion.

"Your Highness! I'm too late!"

One person knelt down, and more than a dozen people behind him followed suit.

Jia Chuan actually heard a crying tone in this sentence.

"Commander Wu, get up quickly." Zhu Zhanji stepped forward and helped Commander Wu up.

"Your Highness..." Commander Wu looked up and could only utter two words, tears streaming down his face.

Jia Chuan felt that it didn't seem like acting, and the real emotions were very present. Zhu Zhanji and this person must have known each other for a long time, but there was no one to introduce them to each other.

As Jia Chuan was thinking, Zhu Zhanji turned around and pointed at him, saying to Commander Wu, "This is Jia Chuan, Jia Chuan, this is Wu Qiyong, the commander of the Bazhou Yulin Guard."

Jia Chuan bowed to Wu Qiyong, still pondering the name in his mind... should he use it or not?
Wu Qiyong was shocked. Who is this person? The prince did not introduce his official title. He was dressed as an inspector and did not say anything. He introduced him first.

Wu Qiyong was not the only one who was shocked. The officers standing behind him, including the deputy governor, assistant governor, captain, and military officials, were all stunned.

This was not the end yet. Zhu Zhanji held Jia Chuan's hand tightly and accepted the greetings from the officials again. Some of them were people he knew, so he couldn't help but exchange a few words with them.

Jia Chuan was quite calm. He thought back to when the major cases were solved, the director had taken them to meet the leaders of the provincial department. He was familiar with this kind of scene and knew how to act. However, he forgot that it was subordinates meeting their superiors back then, which was very different from the current situation.

Kuang Zhong, who was standing at the back, was worried. Jia Chuan had received such an honor at such a young age. He was just worried that he couldn't bear it. He hadn't even enjoyed the glory yet, and now he had lost his head!

Jia Chuan's mind was now racing: "You know so many officials, why are you still afraid? Could Zhu Gaoxu have bribed them all?" Zhu Zhanji thought, "Jia Chuan is just a clerk in the Inspection Office. He can't expect to be promoted quickly, but officials are shrewd. If he does this today, word will spread quickly. He's paving the way, making it easier for Jia Chuan to act in the future."

……

Wu Qiyong suppressed his surprised expression and bowed, saying, "Your Highness is injured and should have entered the city first, but I knew Your Highness was in a hurry, so I ordered the military doctor to come with you. Your Highness will receive treatment first. I also ordered people to notify Bazhou and the nearby counties to find some comfortable carriages. We will use whichever one arrives faster. It's better than the ones transporting goods in the barracks..."

Before Wu Qi finished speaking, he heard shouting in the distance and subconsciously looked into the distance.

Everyone turned their heads to look. At this time, except for the leaders at all levels who were surrounding the big leader, the other soldiers were following the order and orderly surrounded the official road three times, with the outermost circle about fifty meters away.

A dozen people looked through the soldiers and saw a woman with a child kneeling on the ground and begging for something. The soldiers pushed the woman away, and the woman got up, knelt down again and cried and begged again.

Wu Qiyong couldn't help but feel a little angry. He shouted, "Take him aside and interrogate him carefully. Don't alarm the prince!"

At this time, Jia Chuan was still dreaming of promotion. In order to deepen his impression, he took the opportunity to look around at the person he just met. He happened to see that the commander of the garrison, Chai Yu, was not curious like the others, but lowered his head and pursed his lips. A hint of fierceness flashed across his face. Perhaps he felt that someone was looking at him, Chai Yu suddenly looked up at Jia Chuan, his eyes fierce and with a hint of threat.

Jia Chuan shrugged and squinted his eyes to look at the woman in the distance. He originally thought that the woman was just someone's trick and he didn't take it seriously. With so many people around, it was not his turn to think of ways to protect the prince. But after seeing this expression, he habitually began to pay attention.

"Since she is here, it means someone leaked the news. Call her in and I will interrogate her personally." Zhu Zhanji said with a gloomy face.

Jia Chuan could tell that Zhu Zhanji thought the woman might be related to the King of Han.

Wu Qiyong hurriedly advised, "This is a critical moment. Your Highness should be cautious and not act immediately. I will definitely find the person who leaked the information..."

Zhu Zhanji waved his hand and said, "You stopped them this time, but they will plan for another time. Just let them do it. Why didn't Haishou and the others come back with you?"

"Hai Shou was injured and had little strength left when he arrived at the military camp. I hurried over and ordered someone to treat Hai Shou's wound first. I also found a usable carriage for Hai Shou and the others to follow. They should be arriving soon."

Wu Qiyong glanced at Lu Rong, the assistant clerk, as he spoke, and Lu Rong quickly ran towards the woman.

Zhu Zhanji walked into the pavilion with his hands behind his back. A soldier had already entered with a cushion and spread it on the stone bench. Zhu Zhanji sat on it and pointed at Kuang Zhong and said, "Prepare one for Doctor Kuang as well. Where is the military doctor? Let Doctor Kuang take a look first."

Wu Qi waved his hand, and a group of soldiers came running with a white-bearded military doctor.

The soldiers quickly formed a circle around the outer pavilion. Wu Qi, along with his men and officials from the military preparation department, formed another circle inside. Jia Chuan and Kuang Zhong were also there, of course. With so many people, the pavilion was completely blocked from all sides.

When the white-bearded military doctor bowed and entered the pavilion, the woman was also brought out of the pavilion with the child, but she could only kneel on the mud five meters away from the pavilion.

Jia Chuan stood by the pavilion, peering through the gap at the woman, her body sifted like chaff, and the child with the hollow eyes. He sighed inwardly: If this woman is truly the King of Han's... The King of Han has even come up with such a plan. Besides killing both mother and child, what else can he possibly accomplish? A scare? It's a good thing he didn't achieve the throne with such a mentality, but the question is, how did he come up with a new plan so quickly?

"Do you want to see me?" Zhu Zhanji's low voice came from the pavilion.

"Huh?" The woman clearly didn't understand. Wu Qiyong immediately stepped forward and reprimanded her in a low voice, "You're not even polite when you see the Crown Prince!"

The woman was stunned for a moment, then she kowtowed and begged, "Please, please, Prince, help me!"

"Oh? Is this a grievance?" Zhu Zhanji sneered: "Tell me, I'm really curious about what you have to say."

"I, my family of seven, I've been looking for them, but I can't find them. I went to the county office to file a complaint, but they ignored me, saying they couldn't handle matters related to military settlements..."

"Why are you looking for the county government office when your family is missing? And now you're looking for me again. Do you think I'm hiding your family? Or... will I help you find them myself?"

"No, no!" The woman waved her hands repeatedly. "I'm not good at talking. My family fled from Shaanxi and rented farmland for farming. My father and two brothers are hardworking. Every year, after deducting the rent from the farmland, the rest is enough to support the family. My father and brothers are capable. Later, in addition to the farmland in the barracks, they also gradually bought dozens of acres of good farmland nearby. We live a comfortable life. My two brothers are married, and I am married too..."

The woman spoke in a hurry and couldn't help coughing a few times. It seemed that she had said this set of words to many people and could recite it by heart.

The child saw that his mother looked unwell, so he hugged her arm tightly and looked at her nervously.

The woman patted the child gently and said:

"A few years ago, my father felt unwell and wanted to ask the military governor to stop renting the farmland and only farm the family land. But the military governor of the military governor refused. How could we common people dare to go against the military governor? My father thought about giving him some gifts and asking for more. He gave a lot of gifts, but every year the military governor refused. Before the New Year, I went back to my mother's house and heard my eldest brother say that the military governor in charge of the farmland at the military governor not only refused to accept the gifts, but also threatened my father that if he stopped renting the farmland, he would definitely teach him a lesson..."

"Who is in charge of the military farms in the garrison?" Zhu Zhanji asked.

Wu Qi looked at Chai Yu with a sullen face. Chai Yu bowed and said, "I am in charge of the farming. This woman is talking nonsense. Her family has earned some money over the years and she wants to return home. It's just that her family didn't tell her that she is married..."

"You're talking nonsense! My father wasn't in good health, how could he have traveled a thousand miles? I went back to my parents' home at the end of December, and they were still there. When I went back on the third day of the Lunar New Year, all the houses and land had been sold to someone else. Our family of seven was missing, alive or dead, Your Majesty!"

The woman was so excited that she knelt forward twice. Seeing this, Chai Yu rushed out of the crowd and kicked the woman in the heart, but unfortunately, his foot was grabbed by someone before it touched the woman.

Chai Yu staggered and turned around to see Jia Chuan, who had just looked at him.

(End of this chapter)