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

Zhang Pingan didn't dare to agree to this and asked seriously, "Mao Dan'er, you're not a child anymore. It's not that your uncle won't help you, but do you know what it means to go to the battlefield? There will be bloodshed and people will die! Don't be willful!"

Hearing this, Maodan scratched his hair, his face flushed red, and he said emotionally, "Dad, uncle, you always treat me like a child, but I'm not a child anymore. I know what I'm doing. Following the routine of getting married and having children like my eldest brother, and living a stable life in Lin'an is not the life I want. Do you understand me? I'm not being willful!"

Maodaner spoke excitedly, but Liu Sanlang remained unmoved and did not change his mind. As a parent, he always wanted to put his children in a safe place.

In the future, the child will naturally understand his painstaking efforts.

He loves his children from the bottom of his heart. Although he is not well educated, he is much more open-minded than the average father.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Sanlang took a step back, his expression softened, but he continued to persuade her earnestly, "Mao Dan, it's not that Dad is authoritarian, nor is it that Dad is unreasonable. Okay, even if you know that going to the front lines will mean bloodshed and deaths, do you also know that once you're there, you might not be able to return to your family for a short period of time? You won't be able to see your grandparents, your mother, your older brother, and your younger sister. It could be a few years at the shortest, or even more than ten years at the longest. I've seen too much of that in the army. Dad is just afraid of delaying you!"

"Dad, stop scaring me. I'm not afraid!" Maodan still insisted on his opinion.

"Your father is not trying to scare you. There are many things about the court that you don't know," Zhang Ping'an stepped forward and said.

"The current emperor is a wise ruler with great strategic plans. He personally led campaigns throughout the south to eliminate dissidents. His goal was to clean up the south before unifying the north and moving the capital back to Beijing. Your father and I are going to the front lines this time because the court is most likely preparing to go to war with the Tatars and the Baichao people. These are two tough nuts to crack, and we definitely won't be able to succeed in a year or two."

"No matter what I say to you, you all think I'm a child joking. I don't want to say anything more. I'm going to Kaifeng. I'll go wherever you go. If you don't let me go, I'll follow you secretly," Maodan said with a firm face.

Liu Sanlang was both angry and amused when he heard this. He raised his hand and wanted to hit his son, but after trying, he put it down again when he saw his son's unyielding and stubborn look. He just couldn't bear to do it.

Maodaner saw that his father had softened his heart, so he struck while the iron was hot, saying, "If I follow secretly by myself and encounter danger and can't handle it, then it's better for me to follow you. At least it's safer, Dad, don't you think? Don't worry, I will definitely behave myself and won't cause any trouble!"

These words hit exactly what Liu Sanlang was worried about.

After a pause, he looked up at his brother-in-law Zhang Pingan and asked, "Ping'an, what do you think? How about letting Maodan go with us to Kaifeng? I'm worried about him going back alone. If this guy really follows us secretly like he said, and something happens, I'll die with regret!"

"Children are a debt, brother-in-law, I understand." Zhang Pingan is also a father and really understands this feeling.

After he finished speaking, he looked at Maodaner solemnly and said, "Maodaner, a man should stick to his word. Your father is worried about you, so he's let you go with us. But you said you'd be obedient and not get into trouble. You have to keep your word!"

Maodan'er almost jumped for joy, and patted his chest loudly when he heard the words, "Dad, uncle, don't worry, I will definitely not cause any trouble for you!"

Liu Sanlang smiled helplessly, and the matter was settled.

The person who took over was Zhang Ping'an's subordinate deputy, so there was nothing special to hand over.

Ruan San helped out a lot, preparing a lot of food, clothes, pills, and weapons, which was very thoughtful.

"You two must take good care of yourselves. If you have any problems, write to Runan Prefecture," Ruan San said reluctantly.

"Don't worry, I will!" Liu Sanlang said with a simple smile.

"I was in a hurry to take up my new post this time, so I didn't have a good New Year's celebration. But I packed a lot of dried meat, snacks, and other things in your bag. It's good to chew on them when you have time."

"Thank you very much," Zhang Ping'an bowed and thanked with a smile.

Ruan San is a lively person. It has been a great experience working with him in the past few years, and Zhang Pingan is a little reluctant to let him go.

I'm afraid that among all people, Maodan is the most excited!

After reluctantly saying goodbye, Zhang Pingan led his men slowly towards Kaifeng.

It was still the first month of the year, and the road was not easy to travel on.

If they hadn't been wearing thick cotton-padded jackets and cloaks, and fur hats, they would have been catching a cold.

The further north you go, the more snow you can see that has not yet melted.

Maodaner poked around with his long knife, and finally concluded, "The snow here is much thicker than in Lin'an!"

"The further north you go, the colder it gets and the thicker the snow is," Zhang Pingan explained with a smile.

After saying this, he thought of his hometown, Ezhou Prefecture, and sighed: "You were too young when I left my hometown, and I probably don't remember it. When the snow was thickest in my hometown, it was up to an adult's thighs. One step would create a deep pit!"

"Really?" Maodaner was a little curious and scratched his head. "I just remember that it was very cold in winter. My grandparents wouldn't let us go out casually for fear that we would catch a cold. I really don't remember how much snow there was in my hometown!"

"You just don't know how to appreciate the blessings you have. Think about your father, me, and your uncle when we were young. In the winter, we all had to get up early and follow your grandfather to the town to collect pigs. We also had to open the shop to do business. We were so cold that we had no feeling on our faces, hands, and feet. Only our chests were warm. We got frostbite every year and left old marks," Liu Sanlang recalled.

Thinking about the good life I have now, it feels like a dream.

Everyone chatted as they walked, so the journey was not boring at all.

We arrived in Kaifeng after seven or eight days.

The person who came to greet him was Zhang Ping'an's former classmate Zhao Renzhi, who is now a fourth-rank deputy commander of the capital. This position is mainly to assist the general manager in commanding the troops, but he is often the actual commander and has real power.

To be honest, Zhang Pingan has a new respect for this person.

As far as he knew, it could be said that this person had made an indelible contribution to the current emperor's successful coup in Jingzhou and the crowning of the emperor's robe.

What a great game of Infernal Affairs!

After the two met, they exchanged greetings for a while, and then Zhao Renzhi invited Zhang Pingan and others to a restaurant in the city for dinner to welcome them.

His attitude is much better than when he was in the state school, and he is extremely enthusiastic.

Zhang Ping'an declined several times, but he couldn't refuse anymore. If he refused again, he would offend others, so he had to accept the invitation.

"That's right! We are classmates, classmates, and now colleagues. We should get closer to each other." Zhao Renzhi was very happy, and the gloom between his eyebrows dissipated a lot.

Several of them could ride horses, so they rode forward.

When we were almost at the restaurant, we passed by a pharmacy and suddenly a middle-aged man with gray hair was pushed out from inside.

He fell in front of the horses of Zhang Pingan and his companions.

If it weren't for the excellent riding skills of the men and the timely reining of the horses, this man would have been killed by the horses' hooves.