Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 66 Before Entering the Palace

Xu Gong immediately looked unhappy, and Jia Chuan hurriedly explained: "I'm afraid that because of his father..."

"Why do you think I told you so much just now? Gao Yuntian didn't take the imperial examination. His kung fu skills made him the best choice for joining the Jinyiwei. This opportunity was hard to come by. If he doesn't want to..."

"Brother, you misunderstood. This was just my idle speculation. There were other people around along the way, so I didn't have the chance to discuss this with him alone. I didn't see anything wrong with him. Maybe he was a little homesick after returning home after several years."

Xu Gong hummed a sound and said, "The Emperor may summon you to an audience tomorrow. You should sort out your own affairs first. There's no need to worry about others. The Commander-in-Chief and the Pacification Commissioner both want to see you. I'll make arrangements after you see the Emperor."

Jia Chuan's heart skipped a beat. The commander of the Imperial Guard and the governor of the Northern Pacification Division wanted to meet him? Who did he think he was?

"Don't overthink it. Someone wants to kill you. The Emperor ordered the Imperial Guard to find out who ordered this. The Commander wants to see you to learn more so he can investigate this matter."

Jia Chuan could only thank him, but he didn't believe the commander-in-chief wanted to see him just for this matter. It wasn't like the commander-in-chief was investigating personally. However, he still couldn't figure out who was more senior among the Jinyiwei officials, so he asked, "Brother, is this assistant official from the Jinyiwei or the Zhenfusi?"

"Of course it's the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Embroidered Uniform Guard consists of 14 divisions, and there are also the North and South Pacification Divisions. The Pacification Envoys are not as high-ranking as me. Chen Mo is a captain of the North Pacification Division, and Gao Yuntian also joined the North Pacification Division. The North Pacification Division is responsible for arrests, investigations, and interrogations, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard's responsibilities are more than that..."

Having said that, Xu Gong straightened his back and said proudly:

"While the Emperor was holding court at Fengtian Gate, a senior officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard stood west of the throne, responsible for conveying his orders. One hundred and twenty-nine Embroidered Uniform Guard generals, two thousand households, and four hundred households guarded the Danbi, the Imperial Road, the Jinshui Bridge, and the various gates of Fengtian Gate Square. In addition, five hundred Embroidered Uniform Guard lieutenants lined the interior and exterior of the Meridian Gate, responsible for blowing whips and handling ceremonial guards. Every year on New Year's Day, the Winter Solstice, and other major court gatherings, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, along with other imperial guards, served as guards and ceremonial guards. The ceremonial guard totaled over four thousand men, of which fifteen hundred were Embroidered Uniform Guards. During court meetings, the Embroidered Uniform Guard were closest to the Emperor, always on his side, ready to be dispatched."

Jia Chuan seemed to see a throng of people and a strict, disciplined control. He had always believed that the Jinyiwei were like bats, posing at night in black cloaks and holding embroidered spring swords, specifically looking for officials who opposed the emperor. Once they were caught, they would be subjected to the ten cruel tortures of the imperial prison and subjected to all kinds of humiliation...

Today he learned that most of the Jinyiwei were actually guards. How could he be in the guards without rigorous training? With his body, he could only do ten push-ups three times without getting exhausted. How could he join the guards?

"Jinyiwei... do you... want to come in? If you come..."

Jia Chuan wanted to shake his head desperately, but his reason told him not to. He pretended to lower his head and think for a moment before speaking, "Brother, I'm afraid no one knows how the Emperor intends to use me. At least before the Prince of Han is dealt with, I don't know how the Emperor will arrange it. If you suggest that I join the Imperial Guard now, I'm afraid the Emperor won't like it. It's better to wait for the Emperor to speak. By then, perhaps I'll have made some contributions, and you can help me get a higher-ranking official position."

Xu Gong nodded repeatedly after hearing this.

……

Jia Chuan stayed at Xu Gong's house until midnight, when he was sent to Gao Yuntian's house by Chen Mo.

He only knew why Chen Mo said on the road, "Is your house also habitable?" when he was outside the courtyard gate.

Chen Mo whispered, "Censor Gao was very poor, and this house is all he left behind after his death. It's simple to begin with, and having been uninhabited for years, it's even more dilapidated. I'm afraid the roof is leaking. You insist on living here... or why don't you stay at my place?"

Jia Chuan waved his hand and said, "You haven't seen our inspection office's building. I just want to be free. Brother Chen is thoughtful!"

Chen Mo stopped trying to persuade him and went forward to knock on the door.

……

Jia Chuan knew that Gao Yuntian's uncle was rich, so he thought that no matter how bad the Gao family was, he would not be able to find out much. Now that he saw it with his own eyes, he believed Xu Gong's evaluation of Censor Gao, that he was honest and pedantic.

It's not that he's pedantic because he's not greedy, but since his wife's family is wealthy, she'll surely have a substantial dowry. It's certainly a matter of integrity not to accept it, but there's no need to force the whole family to live like this. Is it to demonstrate his integrity to the world? If he were truly righteous and unyielding, unafraid of the powerful, why would he have agreed with the Earl of Anping to discuss marriage after Gao Yunduo reached the age of 15? There's no need to politely decline, just turn it down directly.

A delaying tactic? Not necessarily!
The second courtyard was already narrow, and now the windows were broken and the tiles were shattered. From the damaged areas, it was clear that the original materials were not of good quality.

When Jia Chuan saw it, Gao Yuntian and Shunzi had already cleaned up the place. This process really showed Dong Yuanyuan's ability. She took care of everything, whether it was something that couldn't be pulled, moved or lifted. She worked harder and harder. In just a few rooms, all of them were clean while Gao Yuntian and his sister were still in grief.

Dong Yuanyuan separated the firewood that could be used for chopping in the yard and piled the useless ones at the foot of the wall. After she cleaned them up, she found that there was nothing left.

A few people decided to sleep on the floor at night, and when the next morning came, they would find someone to repair the house and buy some daily necessities.

What Dong Yuanyuan is concerned about is what to eat tonight?
Several people were stunned. There was nothing else in the house except firewood. What to eat?

It was curfew at that time, and the "Great Ming Code" stipulated that anyone who broke the curfew without reason would be flogged fifty times.

People seeking medical treatment for illness, funerals, fires, etc. are exempted, and shops must close early. Even if Gao Yuntian has the ability to go out, he has nowhere to buy food.

Seeing Gao Yuntian and his sister looking troubled, Dong Yuanyuan comforted them, "It's okay. It's getting dark now. You won't feel hungry if you fall asleep. You can go out to buy food as soon as the sun comes up. Really, you won't feel hungry if you fall asleep."

Shunzi took Dong Yuanyuan's hand distressedly and said, "The dry food along the way is in the hands of the Jinyiwei, otherwise we can make do with it."

Gao Yuntian was dejected. Gao Yunduo said, "Be patient for a while. We still have Jia Chuan. He was escorted back by the Jinyiwei. They are definitely not subject to the curfew. Let them get us some food."

Dong Yuanyuan tilted her head and thought about it, and suddenly her face turned into a bun with a smile

Shunzi asked worriedly, "What if Xu Chenshi insists on letting him stay?"

Gao Yunduo said, "They will send someone to inform us, and then ask my brother to say something good about it. It's not a difficult thing to do."

Dong Yuanyuan suddenly felt stronger again and asked, "Is there anything else that needs to be demolished?"

Gao Yuntian said hurriedly, "I dare not tear it down any further. Now there's only a skeleton left. Let's just leave it as it is. Let's just live here for now and then slowly renovate it."

Gao Yunduo sat on the floor, leaning against the door frame. "I wonder what kind of mission Jia Chuan will be assigned. Will he be in the capital or out of it?"

Gao Yuntian sat down next to his sister and said, "How can you call him by his full name? After all, he is my brother, and we still have to be polite to each other."

"He doesn't care about that."

"That's his business, you..."

Before Gao Yuntian could finish his words, there was a knock on the courtyard door. Dong Yuanyuan quickly ran to the door and opened it. Seeing Chen Mo, she pulled Chen Mo aside and said to Jia Chuan, "Brother, there's nothing to eat."

……

This night had exhausted Chen Mo. He had to fetch food and bedding, and finally alerted the patrol officers from the Five Cities, who helped him fetch two beds...

The people from the Wucheng Military Department didn't know who Jia Chuan was, but they all knew Chen Mo.

When Chen Mo escaped from Gao's house, Dong Yuanyuan was already asleep on the couch, snoring loudly.

Shunzi was guarding outside the room where Dong Yuanyuan was sleeping, leaning against the door frame which had no door, listening to Dong Yuanyuan's rhythmic snoring, and sleeping very soundly.

Jia Chuan and Gao Yuntian, brother and sister, sat on a wooden board in the yard. In front of them was a small table with some leftover pastries on it.

Jia Chuan couldn't sleep because he was worried about his future.

The Gao brothers and sisters were overwhelmed with mixed emotions and found it difficult to fall asleep.

Jia Chuan first told Gao Yuntian that he would join the Jinyiwei Northern Pacification Division as the chief flag bearer, but Gao Yuntian did not say anything.

Jia Chuan mentioned again that Censor Gao had not been tortured before his death, but Gao Yuntian still did not say a word.

Jia Chuan could only advise: "Just bear with it for a while, and wait for me... to find a way to transfer you somewhere else."

Gao Yuntian then spoke:

"I've thought a lot along the way. Previously, because of my father, I did have a dislike for the Imperial Guards. But, my uncle is right. Right and wrong in officialdom aren't determined by good or evil. There are bad people in every government office, including the Imperial Guards. It's hard for good people to get ahead in officialdom. My uncle said, unless I stay away from officialdom and live in the countryside..."

"Your uncle is a very insightful person," said Jia Chuan.

"So I've thought it through. If I don't take this position, someone else will. It's better for me to go. Besides, this is earned by your face. If I don't appreciate it, it will be you who will be in trouble."

Gao Yunduo turned her head to look at her brother, snorted, and asked, "How come I didn't know that my brother also thinks about others?"

"Stop joking, let's talk business!"

Jia Chuan glanced at Gao Yunduo and said, "I heard about your marriage... It wasn't agreed upon back then, but you still insisted on marrying him?"

Gao Yunduo's face flushed in the night sky. She frowned and asked, "I'm not in the capital anymore. When did I ever say such a thing?"

Gao Yuntian said hurriedly: "Back then, it was because you were not yet of marriageable age, but this marriage was approved by my father, so naturally..."

"How can you say so naturally? After your father's accident, Duoduo reached the age of marriage. Did the Anping Earl and his family contact you to discuss the marriage? Now that his family has been impeached, not to mention whether he can still keep his title, even his life is in danger. Do you want Duoduo to give her life away for nothing?"

Gao Yuntian was stunned for a moment. He completely ignored Jia Chuan's emotional issues. He only saw him frowning and asked anxiously, "Did Xu Chenshi tell you this himself?" "You also know that the information obtained by the Jinyiwei must be correct. Do you still want Duoduo to jump into the fire pit? If you are willing to jump, I think the Li family will be happy for you!"

Gao Yuntian sat up straight, as if he had made a great decision. He took a deep breath and said, "When Dad was alive, he often said that people should keep their promises, especially since the Li family is now like the Gao family back then..."

"What crime was your father accused of? The Li family is 'arrogant and perverting the law!' Don't you know what kind of behavior the Anping Marquis family once had in the capital? Don't you know if this charge is wrongful? Now it's like you want to talk to Sun Wang about benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, but don't you think about whether he can understand? You made a promise to the Anping Marquis family? Ask them if they know how to write these two words?"

Gao Yuntian said righteously: "No matter what they do, we just need to do what we should do."

Jia Chuan seemed to see Censor Gao in prison. He couldn't help but ask angrily, "You also want to leave your name in history? Use your sister's life of suffering to build a good reputation for keeping your promises? You wish! If I can transfer you to the Jinyiwei, I can also kick you out! If you dare to arrange Duoduo's marriage with the Li family, I will..."

"He dares!" Gao Yunduo said coldly, "Don't worry, he can't beat me. If the marriage is decided, it will be him who will marry. I won't marry him."

Gao Yuntian sighed and said, "Don't push me, you two. The eldest brother is like a father. Now that my parents are gone, I have to..."

"You don't even know how your own marriage is going! I'm going to make a bet with you. Before the news of you joining the Jinyiwei gets out, go to the home of Cheng Dianbo at the Imperial College and see if your good father-in-law will let you in!"

Gao Yuntian was stunned for a moment. Of course he knew what the Cheng family's attitude had been in recent years, but he always felt that since they had not brought the matter of cancelling the engagement out into the open, it was still valid. His uncle had told him that the Cheng family were scholars and they did not take the initiative to propose cancelling the engagement for the sake of face, but expressed their opposition to the marriage with a distant attitude, waiting for Gao Yuntian to be sensible and go to them to discuss the matter of cancelling the engagement.

How could Gao Yuntian not understand? He was just deceiving himself.

Now that Jia Chuan had finished speaking, his shoulders slumped and he hung his head in frustration.

Gao Yunduo looked at Jia Chuan in surprise and said softly, "I've talked to my uncle about him many times in the past few years, but he always stuck his neck out to argue. I didn't expect he would actually listen to you."

Jia Chuan was encouraged. He straightened his back, cleared his throat, and said, "The Gao family depends on you to continue. A good wife can influence three generations. You should think it through. If your parents knew, they would also hope that you would have some backbone. A good man, how can you worry about not having a good wife?"

Gao Yuntian smiled bitterly and said, "With the current situation at home, who would be willing to marry me after the engagement is cancelled?"

"I'm breaking off the engagement to support the Cheng family. They've been thinking about it for years. You're a virtuous person! After you've worked in the Imperial Guard for a while, there will inevitably be many people proposing marriages. Your family is like this now, but it won't be like this tomorrow. What are you afraid of? But you have to let Duoduo help you with the matter of finding a wife. You can't do it yourself. If your brain isn't right, you'll easily ruin your life."

Gao Yunduo covered her mouth and laughed.

……

The next morning, when Dong Yuanyuan woke up, Shunzi had already bought hot porridge, noodle tea, and sesame cakes.

Jia Chuan asked if there were any breakfast shops in Beijing at that time. Gao Yuntian explained it at length, and Jia Chuan understood that although the government had strict control over the market, there were still fixed and mobile vendors who opened early, selling mainly porridge and noodles.

After they had breakfast in the yard, Dong Yuanyuan started clamoring to go for a walk, because Gao Yunduo had promised her last night that she would take her to the street to buy some daily necessities. However, many shops were closed at this time, so Dong Yuanyuan could only wait patiently.

Dong Yuanyuan felt that she had money. Shunzi had given her some banknotes, and Dong Shuben had secretly given her some more before leaving. In her life, Dong Yuanyuan had never seen so much money. She secretly said to Gao Yunduo, "Whatever the family needs, I will buy it for you."

Gao Yunduo was touched. She was a few months older than Dong Yuanyuan, so she said in an older sister's tone, "It's great to have a younger sister!"

Then Gao Yunduo secretly called Shunzi aside, stuffed some money into his pocket, and told him to just say that he had it with him and forgot to give it to Yuanyuan.

Gao Yunduo felt that Yuanyuan was well-intentioned and that she had to buy something for her, otherwise she would definitely not be happy. But how much money could Dong Yuanyuan have? Gao Yunduo knew Dong Shuben's character. Even if he gave his daughter money, he wouldn't give her much. He would keep most of it to make his wife happy.

After eating, Jia Chuan walked out of the courtyard and strolled in the alley. He didn't dare to go far, for fear that someone would come to summon him to the palace at any time.

But the house was too small, and Dong Yuanyuan was bored and ran around the front and back yards. Jia Chuan was afraid that she would be injured. If she went to the palace today, it would be difficult to explain if she was carried in with a bruised face.

Jia Chuan strolled around until Gao Yunduo took Shunzi and Dong Yuanyuan away, and he didn't wait for anyone from the palace to summon him in. He walked into the house and saw Gao Yuntian strolling around as well, waiting for the Jinyiwei.

"I really don't remember what Xu Chenshi said? Did he ask you to report to the Northern Pacification Office yourself, or did he ask you to wait for news at home?" Jia Chuan suddenly realized that he might have forgotten a big issue.

Gao Yuntian was so anxious that he kept going around in circles, complaining that Jia Chuan was not thorough and thoughtless, and kept repeating the same things over and over again.

Jia Chuan was in the early stage of the palace tension syndrome, and no matter how good his temper was, he couldn't help it at this time. He pointed at Gao Yuntian and shouted: "If I could beat you, I would have beaten you to death long ago!"

Gao Yuntian shut up because he saw Chen Mo suddenly appear at the gate of the courtyard. He was originally smiling, but after hearing Jia Chuan's words, the smile froze on his face.

"Captain Chen!" Gao Yuntian saluted and quickly winked at Jia Chuan.

Jia Chuan quickly turned around and saw Chen Mo and said, "Hey, why are you here so late? Brother Gao was complaining about me not setting a time to meet you yesterday. I was just about to get mad at him, and then you came. If you had come a little earlier, I wouldn't have gotten scolded."

Chen Mo pointed at Gao Yuntian and said, "You really don't know how to appreciate the blessings you have. Wouldn't it be better if Jia Chuan could take care of everything for you and even eat your meals for you?"

Jia Chuan hurried forward, mysteriously pulled Chen Mo into the courtyard, and asked in a low voice, "Brother Chen, do you know about his marriage?"

Chen Mo nodded and said, "The Jinyiwei investigated the Gao family... ahem, the Cheng family, just a small family."

"Then Brother Chen must have known that the Cheng family wanted to cancel the engagement, but he was hoping that Brother Gao would speak first, right?"

"Of course, we've even discussed this privately... Well, well, I'm not being nosy, but this family isn't very good. They only said the marriage was set, but they hadn't even exchanged gifts. To save face, the Cheng family would rather delay the marriage for their own daughter than force the Gao family..."

Jia Chuan said hurriedly: "That's exactly what I said. Brother Chen should understand that once the Cheng family knows that Brother Gao has joined the Jinyiwei..."

Jia Chuan was stunned when he saw Gao Yuntian winking at him.

Chen Mo didn't see it and said, "Once the Cheng family knows that Brother Gao has joined the Jinyiwei, this marriage will probably be cancelled."

Jia Chuan glared at Gao Yuntian, meaning: You're still thinking about this kind of family? It will definitely drag you down in the future! Then he said to Chen Mo: "That's what I mean, so can you find a way to cancel the marriage first, and then let Brother Gao handle the employment procedures?"

Chen Mo waved his hand and said, "How difficult is this? Today..."

Gao Yuntian coughed violently and pointed his finger towards the gate. Jia Chuan turned around suddenly and saw Qian Guan's smile at the gate, just like Chen Mo's face just now, with the smile frozen on his face.

After being shocked, Jia Chuan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was Qian Guan who came to the palace. They had met in Dongzhao County before and were familiar with each other. They could have a good talk later and not say anything nonsense when they returned to the palace. Qian Guan should give him this face.

Chen Mo looked back and was terrified. If anyone were to ask who these Jinyiwei were afraid of, it would probably be these eunuchs who could hang around in front of the emperor.

Jia Chuan quickly went up to greet him warmly, as if he were an old friend who hadn't seen each other for several years. Qian Guan also cooperated very well and even wiped his eyes.

Chen Mo finally felt relieved, and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel closer to Jia Chuan.

Qian Guan came to summon Jia Chuan to the palace for an audience. He said, "This errand was not originally my responsibility. I requested it. I want to see Jia Jingcheng as soon as possible."

Jia Chuan looked deeply moved, but his heart was beating fast. Could it be that Qian Guan knew something and came to remind him in advance?

"Here, ah, I should at least have a cup of hot tea for you, but... let's put it this way, after I meet the Emperor, you choose a place and I'll host..."

Qian Guan smiled bitterly and said, "I am not allowed to leave the palace without reason."

Jia Chuan whispered, "When you talk to me, you don't need to use the word 'slave' or 'slave'. You are you, and I am no different."

Qian Guan was really moved by these words. He took a deep breath, turned his head and frowned, looking at the yard, and said, "Why are you living here? Xu Chenshi is not..."

"It has nothing to do with Xu Chenshi. This is my brother Gao's house. No one has lived there for a few years, so it's quite dilapidated. It's okay, I can just fix it up slowly."

"Come with me to the palace first. Don't keep the emperor waiting for too long. We can talk about this on the way."

Qian Guan turned around and Jia Chuan wanted to follow him, but he hadn't thought clearly beforehand which foot to take first, and he stumbled on his first step. Then Jia Chuan looked down and saw his work clothes. He asked hurriedly, "Isn't it disrespectful to meet the emperor like this? I don't have anything else to wear."

Only then did Qian Guan notice Jia Chuan's outfit. He sighed and slapped his forehead, saying in frustration, "I didn't even notice!" He turned to look at Chen Mo angrily and asked, "You were traveling with him, and you didn't think of this? Didn't Xu Chenshi see it last night either?"

Chen Mo hurriedly said, "I'll prepare it right away!" Then he turned and rushed out of the yard.

Qian Guan whispered to Jia Chuan, "Didn't General Han give you three hundred taels? Don't you know how to buy a few new sets of clothes?"

Jia Chuan's heart skipped a beat. His first act of corruption in two lifetimes had already become known to everyone? Everyone in the palace knew about it, so... did that mean Zhu Zhanji knew about it too?

　The book continues from the last time. I continue to thank Liuyun Feizhou 008, Dong Dian'ersha, Longweishanren, 20170608230406836, Shi Yan, Uncle Qiao Sheng, Feng Songya, 110514210452284, 20111101223310368, 20181201202119766, 20220901183837783. It's really hard to find a book to read. It will be sealed immediately. The winner wins and the loser loses. 20220307130832777, Yaotai Jianfeng, yourpu ppy, reincarnation passerby, 20230109025152146, 202208270551166954, purple smoke flying, 20241119235-ad, stunned, leo-9527, silent as, the setting sun - the heartbroken person is at the end of the world, make the sadness less, 202012101911526005, 20241021233250604, Black Iron 20210301105364913388th Stage, , thank you for your monthly tickets, a big fist! This is the first time that I have passed without double monthly tickets. I smiled foolishly for five minutes in February.

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(End of this chapter)