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

A head popped out from the carriage. It was Wang Chengen, the first clerk of the Imperial Household Department.

The group ignored Hong Xiucheng and stopped about ten steps away from the team. The leader dismounted and walked to the carriage where Wang Chengen was and saluted.

"Zhang Xiuqing, is everyone here?" Wang Chengen asked seriously.

"My Lord, forty-two of my subordinates have been waiting here last night."

"Well, this is the uncle. You must obey his orders along the way." Wang Chengen pointed at Zhang Shikang.

"This person looks a little unfamiliar, Eunuch Wang, where did you find this?" Zhang Shikang asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Although he heard Wang Chengen say last night that he would bring some guards with him, Zhang Shikang looked at these people's clothes and hairstyles and felt that they looked a bit like Taoist attire.

The middle-aged man named Zhang Xiuqing saluted Zhang Shikang and said:

"Please let your master know that we are all from Dongyue Temple in the capital, and we are assigned by your father-in-law to be the escort of the emperor on this trip. If your master has any instructions, you can order us to do it."

"Oh, I see. It's the Longhu Mountain Zhengyi Sect." Zhang Shikang blurted out as soon as he heard it.

When the Ming Dynasty was founded, Zhengyi Taoism made great contributions. Zhu Yuanzhang then established Taoism as the state religion of the Ming Dynasty and ordered the Zhengyi Taoist priest of Longhu Mountain to be in charge of Taoism throughout the country.

The Dongyue Temple in the capital is the only temple of Zhengyi Taoism in the capital.

Although Zhang Shikang brought hundreds of personal guards, it was not safe enough after all. He was also worried that the news would leak out if the guards in the palace were withdrawn. Taoists often practiced martial arts, so Wang Chengen instructed the Dongyue Temple to select some martial artists as guards.

Zhang Xiuqing did not dare to respond to Zhang Shikang's words, but just bowed and waited for orders.

"I heard that you Taoists all have Qinggong skills, and you can jump ten feet high and jump off a cliff. And you still shout that you want to believe in science?"

Zhang Shikang looked Zhang Xiuqing up and down.

He remembered a short video he saw later. In the video, there was a Taoist priest with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He shouted that he should believe in science, but then he turned around and jumped off a cliff of more than ten meters. Zhang Shikang was stunned at the time.

"This..." Zhang Xiuqing couldn't understand the tricks of the young master in front of him, and looked at Wang Chengen with embarrassment.

"Just answer whatever the master asks you."

"My Lord, I have never heard of any such thing as Qinggong. Taoism emphasizes internal strength, which is nothing more than some techniques." Zhang Xiuqing said modestly.

"Then can you do this? It should be the kind that makes a rattling sound." As he said this, Zhang Shikang swung his arms left and right, making strange gestures.

Zhang Xiuqing frowned and pondered for a moment, then squatted down in a horse stance, raised his hands, and performed the starting move of the Longhua Fist, which caused a sound of breaking through the air.

"Uncle, is this it?" Zhang Xiuqing asked modestly.

"Shit!" Zhang Shikang was shocked. He even saw the afterimage.

"And that...that...Jianming, yes, Jianming! It means pulling out the sword with a clang." Zhang Shikang was amazed, but he made some random gestures again.

Zhang Xiuqing looked embarrassed when he heard this.

"My Lord, I used a knife."

"It's okay, I have it." Zhang Shikang then threw the new big sword that his brother Chongzhen had replaced for him.

Zhang Xiuqing had no doubt about it and demonstrated it immediately, and sure enough, the sound of sword ringing was heard.

"Fuck, it turns out it's all true. Teach me when you have time!" Zhang Shikang thought this move was so cool that he immediately expressed his desire to learn it.

But Wang Chengen in the carriage frowned.

"Zhang Xiuqing, do you know that what you are holding in your hand is the Emperor's Sword? Return it to my Lord immediately." Wang Chengen scolded.

Zhang Xiuqing was shocked when he heard this. He had no idea that what Zhang Shikang casually threw to him was actually a gift from the emperor. He quickly knelt on the ground to apologize and raised the sword high above his head.

"Alas, it's just a sword, why are you making such a fuss, Eunuch Wang?" Zhang Shikang took the sword and complained to Wang Chengen.

After this little episode, Zhang Shikang and his party did not delay any further and headed towards Dingzhou.

But after walking for half an hour and still not leaving the capital, Zhang Shikang became a little impatient.

It took him less than a day to get here. If he continues at the current speed, it would probably take him two days to reach Dingzhou.

He turned his head to look at the carriage behind him, found the culprit that was holding him back, so he dismounted, lifted the curtain of the carriage and jumped in.

Emperor Chongzhen was sitting in the carriage. He was wearing purple clothes. According to Wang Chengen, he was dressed like the dandy young man Zhang Shikang had been before, and he announced to the outside world that he was the eldest son of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.

It’s just that there was no such title as Duke Zhenguo in the Ming Dynasty, and Zhang Shikang almost burst out laughing at just one look at it.

The attire of Emperor Chongzhen did not look like that of a dandy at all. Although he was only 28 years old, Zhang Shikang would believe him even if he said he was 38.

"Your Majesty... I think you'd better stop pretending to be the son of a noble family. It would be more like pretending to be a noble family." Zhang Shikang jokingly said in a low voice.

Wang Chengen quickly moved aside to make room for Zhang Shikang.

But who would have known that Emperor Chongzhen would be a little unhappy after hearing this.

"Am I really that old?"

Zhang Shikang had teased him in front of him before, and told him to stay up late less and exercise more. It was uncomfortable to be told that the boss was always a nobody.

"I'm too old to say anything, I'm just talking nonsense, hey, how do you feel, Your Majesty? Isn't the scenery outside nice?"

Seeing Emperor Chongzhen half-lifting the curtains to look out from time to time, with a look of innocence, Zhang Shikang asked.

"Since I... am the son of a noble family, we should not address each other as monarch and subject on this journey. I am older than you, so you should call me brother." Emperor Chongzhen retracted his gaze and said.

Even though the scenery outside was very novel, Emperor Chongzhen did not want Zhang Shikang to think he was ignorant, so he still kept a stern face and pretended to be mature.

"Okay, but since we are all children of noble families, we have to change the way we address each other. Calling you brother is too distant." Zhang Shikang said with a smile.

Emperor Chongzhen glanced at Zhang Shikang and said:

"What do you call it?"

"That's right. Generally, when the relationship is close, people call each other brothers." Zhang Shikang raised his eyebrows at Brother Chongzhen.

"Brother...brother..." Emperor Chongzhen muttered.

"Yes, it's my brother." Zhang Shikang said with certainty.

"I'd better call you Shikang." Emperor Chongzhen couldn't adapt and said awkwardly.

"Okay, bro, that's it.

But brother, can’t you ride a horse?

We are walking too slowly." Zhang Shikang called him "old brother" all the time, which was very smooth.

"How dare your Lordship underestimate the Emperor? The Emperor must be able to ride." Wang Chengen echoed.

"What are you talking about? Brother, do you think we are here for a trip?" Zhang Shikang yelled.

You have to know that there is a war going on now. As the supreme commander, he cannot reach the front line as quickly as possible. Every minute of delay is irresponsible to the soldiers on the front line.

"I... I'm not very good at riding." Emperor Chongzhen said a little awkwardly.

This was the first time Zhang Shikang had seen such an awkward situation. It was different from the leisurely stroll of Chongzhen in the court. It was probably because he was in an unfamiliar environment and met unfamiliar people.

This guy is actually a socially anxious person?