The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

Lin Junhui had already instructed the housekeeper to wait at the door.

After Zhang Ping'an had his attendant hand over his business card, he was quickly led by the housekeeper into the tea room for guests.

After ordering the servants to serve tea, the butler bowed and said respectfully, "Master Zhang, please sit here for a moment. My master has just returned home. I will go and report to him right away!"

Zhang Ping'an nodded and sat down to drink tea.

I have been eating all day today and my stomach is very full. I really just want to drink some tea and eat some fresh fruits to relieve the greasiness.

After a while, just after two cups of tea, Lin Junhui came over.

Before the person arrives, the voice arrives first: "Ping An, long time no see, I hope you are well, I thought you forgot about me!"

The laughter was hearty and cheerful, and you could tell it was genuine joy.

Zhang Ping'an turned around and took a look. Lin Junhui still looked like a handsome and elegant young man. He must have just changed into casual clothes after returning home. He wore a luxurious crane feather cloak on the outside and soft-soled deerskin boots on his feet.

There were braziers burning in all four corners of the room, making it warm.

Lin Junhui took off his cloak and handed it to the butler, waving his hand. The butler tactfully took the clothes and left, helping to close the door.

"I'm fine and have adapted well to life in Ci County. It's just that my schedule is very tight this time. I have to go back tomorrow morning, so I can only find time to get together with you in the evening," Zhang Ping'an replied with a smile.

"I understand," Lin Junhui replied, walking over and sitting cross-legged across from me. "I've been incredibly busy these past few days during the Lunar New Year holiday, with all these social engagements I couldn't turn down. It's so annoying!"

As he spoke, he picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Zhang Ping'an, and the two began to exchange pleasantries.

As they talked, the topic inevitably turned to the war on the front line.

Lin Junhui was both happy and worried about the current situation. "To be honest, I'm happy that Lord Zhou is capable and far-sighted. The situation on the front lines is good now. It would be great if we could fight our way back to the north in one go. That would be a real relief! But at the same time, I also know that the aristocratic families and the eunuch party are fundamentally at odds. This is just a superficial and temporary rapprochement. If Lord Zhou's power continues to grow like this, the aristocratic families will definitely unite and take action. By then, the situation on the front lines will change again. The people will suffer the most and be the ones most affected. Alas!"

After saying this, Lin Junhui drank the tea in the cup in one gulp.

Only after drinking it did I remember that it was tea, not wine.

He then shouted to the servants waiting outside the door, "Bring some wine!"

Zhang Ping'an had just heard about these disputes this morning, and he understood them, but he was more optimistic than Lin Junhui now.

"Junhui, I have heard a little about what you said, but do you think Lord Zhou is a fool? He is smarter and more capable than both of us. He has not been in the court for so many years for nothing, otherwise he would not have been recognized by the aristocratic families for a short time. I don't think he will sit and wait for death. You must know that there are always stronger people among the strong!" Zhang Pingan said in a deep voice, stroking his chin.

"I've considered what you said," Lin Junhui nodded. "But this situation still pains me. The court's top priority right now should be to work together to recover lost territory, develop agriculture, and restore its former glory, rather than being constantly on guard and focusing solely on the loss of power. How many people in the north are suffering? How can we sit still and wait?!"

After a pause, Lin Junhui continued in a low voice, "Factional strife has always been extremely cruel, and countless innocent people have been harmed. To be honest, I'm very worried that my father-in-law might choose the wrong side. His official position is neither high nor low, making him the easiest target. If anything happens to him, I'm almost done for!"

In this regard, Zhang Pingan is much luckier than Lin Junhui. After all, his father-in-law is now a second-rank official, his family is prosperous, and he has a deep foundation in the court. Most of the time, he is the target of wooing by various forces.

All I can say is that everyone has their own troubles!

Zhang Pingan raised his glass: "Come, drink, a drunk will relieve all your worries!"

"Cheers!" Lin Junhui raised his glass again and drank it all.

He laughed and sighed, "I'm just thankful that I moved most of our Lin family to Lin'an last year. At least they're under my watch and I can keep an eye on them a little better. Even if something happens to Nanjing, at least the foundation is still there!"

"Well, now that you mention this, I'm really a little worried about Master Lin. Nanjing is too close to the front line," Zhang Ping'an frowned.

"There's no other way. The world is not peaceful. The clan leader's consideration is right. We can't confine everyone to one place. Besides, there are many noble families in Jinling, and socializing there is also very important. This is safer for now," Lin Junhui said with a wry smile.

After that, he whispered, "Did your father-in-law tell you that there will be tax increases and conscription next year?"

"I've mentioned this before. In fact, war is fought for money. Food and fodder are indispensable, so tax increases are inevitable. I wonder what the regulations for this conscription are," Zhang Ping'an also said in a low voice.

"Increase taxes first, and after the tax revenue is collected, give the people a break, and then continue recruiting soldiers based on the situation on the front line. That's about it," Lin Junhui said, "Now the Ministry of War has reported to the court that one in five men in the Jiangnan region will be recruited, and the exemption can be made with silver. One in four men in the Lingnan region will be recruited. Anyway, those areas are poor and remote, and they can't even get enough to eat. Joining the army can help them get a full meal."

Speaking of this, Lin Junhui admired Lord Zhou very much: "In fact, throughout the dynasties, withholding or delaying food and military pay is inevitable, it just depends on the severity. Lord Zhou still has the means. Since he took over as the commander-in-chief of the front line, food and military pay have been delivered to the nearest penny. This is rare!"

"Really? It seems this person is more powerful than I thought," Zhang Pingan thought after hearing this.

Lin Junhui was also very upset when he thought about this. He waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about this. It's a rare occasion for you to come back. Let's talk about something happy. I heard that your sister-in-law is pregnant. Are you going to be a father in July this year?"

"Yes, you are well-informed," Zhang Pingan said with a smile, and his expression softened a lot when he mentioned the unborn child.

"I heard it from your eldest uncle. We are both in Lin'an and we often meet and chat, so he naturally knows it. I think you will be a kind father in the future. You can't help but smile when you mention your children," Lin Junhui joked.

After saying that, he coughed twice and said, "It's a coincidence, my wife is pregnant too, just three months old. If our two families have a son and a daughter in the future, maybe we can arrange a marriage and become in-laws!"

"Congratulations, you are going to be a father too." Zhang Ping'an was surprised for a moment, then immediately smiled and bowed to congratulate.

"But let's wait until the baby is born before we discuss becoming in-laws. We can't make decisions for the child so early!"

"Hahahahaha, that's right, let's talk about it later," Lin Junhui laughed out loud.