Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

"Give them a slap in the face, so they know what etiquette and respect are!"

Zhang Shikang didn't even look at the jailer. He gave orders while taking the lunch box from his personal guard.

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When Zhang Shikang rushed back from the military camp, he only brought 300 personal soldiers with him. These soldiers had seen blood on the battlefield, so they naturally did not hold back. Even Sun Buer was stunned.

He did not know Zhang Shikang. Seeing that this man was armed and was looking for Yang Sichang again, he immediately covered his face and said angrily:

"Who are you to dare to break into the Ministry of Justice? Do you want to rob the prison?"

After he said this, he was immediately frightened. If the other party really wanted to break into the prison, wouldn't he be the first one to be killed?

Thinking of this, his legs immediately went weak. Just as he was about to kneel down and beg for mercy, he heard the man say:

"Slap them again and let him know who I am."

As he spoke, Zhang Shikang shook the lunch box in his hand and gave Yang Sichang a friendly look.

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Two more big pussies.

"The one standing before you is the Grand Marshal of the Armies of the World, personally appointed by His Majesty."

Sun Buer was slapped twice again. Hearing such a long name, he was even more confused, but he immediately knew that he could not afford to offend this person.

"Go away." Zhang Shikang said with disgust.

"Okay." Sun Buer fled in panic.

There were many such small-time people who curry favor with the powerful in the Ming Dynasty court, and the real superiors simply ignored them.

Zhang Shikang and several of his personal guards were discussing whether it would be faster to kick the prison door open or chop it open with a sword.

When the Minister of Justice Fan Fucui learned that Zhang Shikang was coming to visit him in prison, he ran in personally and spoke only flattering words.

"Why didn't you tell me in advance that you were coming here, so that I could be prepared?"

Fan Fucui said as he ordered someone to open the prison door.

He was a close confidant promoted by Emperor Chongzhen to fight against the Donglin Party. Besides him, there was also the Minister of Revenue Cai Guoyong, who was the only two high-ranking officials in the six ministries besides the Donglin Party.

Fan Fucui knew that Zhang Shikang had a bad temper, but in his opinion, the two of them were always on the same side as His Majesty, so they should be closer.

Yesterday, the court officials opposed the emperor's edict, but he did not get involved. He left the court early and returned to the government office.

"Uncle Ben is just coming here, what's there to prepare? Are you planning to hire someone to clean up?" Zhang Shikang teased.

"It's dirty and cramped here, how can the uncle bear it? Even if you clean it, there is always a bad smell.

If Lord Bo wants to interrogate him, I can take him to the backyard." Fan Fucui said, half covering his nose.

He seldom came to the prison in person. It was very dirty and filthy, and it was really not a place for a gentleman to come.

"Come on, you're just putting on all this show. I'm just here to visit you. If you can't stand it, just leave."

As Zhang Shikang spoke, he walked into the cell carrying his lunch box and sat down opposite Yang Sichang without any concern.

During the entire process, Yang Sichang did not say a word.

At this moment, he actually had mixed feelings in his heart. He never expected that the only person who came to visit him was the person who had scolded him the most harshly in the past.

This man actually saved his three clans.

In the past, he thought Zhang Shikang was a playboy.

Later, he felt that Zhang Shikang was a playboy with some military talent.

Now, he is increasingly unable to understand Zhang Shikang.

Zhang Shikang took out the dishes from the lunch box and placed them on a small table between them while talking to himself.

There were a total of four dishes in the lunch box, two meat dishes and two vegetarian dishes. Three of them were common dishes in restaurants, and Zhang Shikang bought them casually when he passed by the restaurant.

Only the fourth dish took Zhang Shikang a lot of effort to buy.

It was a plate of chicken tongues, Yang Sichang's favorite delicacy.

Other than that, there's a pot of wine.

Zhang Shikang poured wine for both of them.

When he turned around, he saw that the Minister of Justice Fan Fucui was still standing behind him, covering his nose and looking like he wanted to leave but was embarrassed.

"Master Fan, what are you still doing here? Don't you have official business to attend to?"

Fan Fucui then bowed and left.

After Fan Fucui left, Zhang Shikang immediately complained to Yang Sichang.

"Look at what kind of people your majesty has promoted. How can you revive the Ming Dynasty with such a bunch of insects?"

Only Zhang Shikang would dare to slander the current emperor like this. Yang Sichang was no longer surprised. He had been in officialdom for decades and had seen all kinds of officials.

Zhang Shikang raised his wine glass. Although Yang Sichang did not say anything, he also raised his glass, clinked it with Zhang Shikang's and drank it all in one gulp.

"Lord Yang, do you feel that the people around you have changed and become bad people?" Zhang Shikang smacked his lips and said for no reason.

Yang Sichang didn't know why Zhang Shikang said that, but after thinking about it, he said:

“Officialdom is like a battlefield, or rather, at certain times, it is even worse than a battlefield.

If you are defeated in the battlefield, at most you will die on the battlefield. But if you fight bravely, even your enemies will admire you.

But in the officialdom, everyone will want to bring you down and step on you with ten thousand feet so that you will never be able to stand up again.

"It's lonely up there, Lord, are you sighing about this?"

When a bird is about to die, its cry is sad; when a person is about to die, his words are kind. Yang Sichang was grateful to Zhang Shikang for putting aside their past grudges and saving his relatives when they were in danger.

He thought that Zhang Shikang had some doubts about life and officialdom. After all, Zhang Shikang was only twenty years old, so it was normal for him to be confused. So he wanted to enlighten him with his many years of life experience and experience as an official.

But Zhang Shikang's next words almost made Yang Sichang unable to hold back.

"No, no, it's just the opposite of what you said. Benbo is now the Grand Marshal. He is surrounded by good people and has smiling faces wherever he goes."

Zhang Shikang took a bite of the dish and motioned Yang Sichang to eat too.

"Benbo just thought that being a Grand Marshal was really nice, so he came to see you."

When he is at the peak of his glory, he shows off in front of the most destitute people. His words are very hurtful and most people would probably get furious after hearing them.

After Zhang Shikang finished speaking, he raised his eyebrows and glanced at Yang Sichang. If it were usual, the narrow-minded Yang Sichang would have lost his temper long ago.

But now, not only was there no anger on Yang Sichang's face, he even calmly picked up a piece of his favorite chicken tongue with chopsticks and put it into his mouth.

He chewed calmly, feeling the delicious food spreading in his mouth. He knew this might be the last time, so he chewed extra carefully.

Zhang Shikang was stunned.

"Master Yang, have you attained enlightenment?"

In ancient times, there was a legend about Wang Yangming attaining enlightenment in Longchang, but in later generations there are more legends about others attaining enlightenment in prison.

Rumor has it that there are talented people in prison and they speak well.

Yang Sichang knew that Zhang Shikang was like this and might have intended to provoke him, but unlike those court officials, Zhang Shikang might simply have wanted to provoke him.

This kid has always been like this. I can’t figure it out, and I can’t understand it. But it’s not what those people say. This kid is definitely not just a playboy.

He really didn't have the slightest thought of being angry. When a person is about to die, what is there to be unhappy about?

Maybe it is really as Zhang Shikang said, he has realized it, but everything is meaningless.

He ignored Zhang Shikang's nonsense, swallowed the delicious food in his mouth and said:

"My Lord, be careful of the Donglin Party."

……