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

"Actually, there's nothing to prepare. We can just go there as usual," Zhang Pingan replied.

"You and Sanlang seem quite calm," Mr. Huang said with a smile. "But it's also true. You're not that old yet, and you've already achieved what you've achieved. Your future prospects will naturally be bright. Unlike me, I tend to worry about gains and losses at my age."

"In my opinion, Brother Huang, you don't have to worry too much. The emperor is well aware of your talents and will naturally make appropriate arrangements," said Zhang Ping'an.

Liu Sanlang also followed up with a few words of comfort. He really felt that there was no need to rush for success in officialdom. As long as today was better than yesterday, it would be fine.

After hearing what the two said, Mr. Huang no longer dwelled on this issue.

After finishing their vegetarian meal, they rode back to the city together.

Three days passed in a flash, and soon it was the day of the celebration banquet for the Northern Expedition.

The banquet was scheduled in the evening, so the civil and military officials who attended the celebration banquet basically entered the palace at dusk.

At the palace gate, Zhang Ping'an met many old acquaintances, including his father-in-law, Grand Tutor Qian.

The two men were not of the same level of importance, so after nodding from a distance, Master Qian followed the Prime Minister.

Zhang Ping'an followed his brother-in-law, Mr. Huang, Zhao Renzhi and others and walked forward.

Zhao Renzhi had been working in the palace for some time and was already familiar with the various routes in the palace. He led a few people and introduced them as they walked.

"That's Xuande Gate, to the east is Donghua Gate, to the west is Xihua Gate, with the front court and the back bedroom, divided into three parts: the outer court, the inner court, and the harem. The emperor mainly handles government affairs in the Daqing Hall and Wende Hall of the outer court.

The Privy Council and the Secretariat were located in the southwest and southeast corners of the palace city. They were the core administrative areas of the court and were connected to the outer court palaces.

The emperor's bedroom is located in the core Funing Hall of the inner court, surrounded by Kunning Hall, Yanfu Palace, Rouyi Hall and other halls where concubines live.

The area behind it is the back garden, which is a royal garden. When the emperor is tired, he can go hunting or shooting arrows there.

The overall layout of the imperial palace still follows that of the previous dynasty, but it has been renovated and expanded, making it more secure and majestic than the previous dynasty.

"These glazed tiles are newly laid, they look really magnificent!" Lord Huang asked, pointing to the top of the palace.

At this time, the afterglow of the setting sun fell on it, making the roof look golden. Combined with the surrounding scenery, it was indeed solemn and majestic.

"That's right," Zhao Renzhi nodded, explaining with disdain, "Didn't the Tatars occupy the capital for several years? Their nobles, though they called them nobles, were actually filthy poor when they lived outside the Great Wall. They had no upbringing and no manners. After moving into the palace, they had no idea how to maintain it. They even raised cattle and sheep, making the entire palace a smoky mess. The tiles were never cleaned, and it was truly unbearable to look at. We had to replace them all."

"Tsk tsk, it's like a cow chewing on a peony, what a pity," Lord Huang showed a regretful expression when he heard this.

"That's right!" Zhao Renzhi agreed deeply.

"By the way, the Queen and other important figures in the court are here today. You'd better be careful with your words. It's better to say nothing than to say something wrong. I heard that the Queen wants to use this banquet to choose a princess for the Crown Prince!"

Liu Sanlang, Zhang Ping'an and Mr. Huang are not talkative people, so they are not afraid of this.

However, Master Huang was somewhat tempted after hearing this and whispered, "After the Crown Prince gets married, I'm afraid he'll have to choose a concubine soon. I already have several daughters of the right age at home who are both virtuous, beautiful, and talented. They may not be good enough for the position of Crown Princess, but they can definitely run for the positions of Liang Di or Liang Yuan. Please help me keep an eye out for any news in this regard. As for the others, follow the rules. I will definitely not treat my own people unfairly!"

After saying that, Mr. Huang winked and gave an expression that said you know what I mean.

Zhao Renzhi was stunned when he heard this, but he quickly reacted. He laughed and patted Master Huang on the shoulder, whispering, "Since Brother Huang has given me instructions, I will take them to heart. Don't worry, I will send you a letter as soon as I have any news!"

"Thank you very much!" Mr. Huang smiled, very satisfied.

Zhang Ping'an and Liu Sanlang didn't have a suitable girl in their family, so they just listened to the news.

Since the situation in the imperial court stabilized, the first criterion for the selection was that only girls over the age of fifteen could participate.

Zhuzhu from Liu Sanlang's family is not even thirteen yet, so there is nothing to worry about in the next two years.

They talked as they walked, and soon they arrived at the Linde Hall.

Palace servants came forward and took the officials to their corresponding positions according to their ranks.

Zhang Ping'an and Mr. Huang sat in the middle, while Liu Sanlang and Zhao Renzhi sat further back.

Grand Tutor Qian was sitting in the front, next to him was the Prime Minister. The banquet had not yet begun, and the two were chatting in low voices.

Zhang Ping'an also saw his elder brother-in-law Qian Ying and his second brother-in-law Qian Jie.

I guess he was brought here by his father-in-law, Master Qian, to broaden his horizons.

I heard that both of them were promoted.

But today is the celebration banquet for the Northern Expedition, and their names are not on the commendation list.

Mr. Huang likes this kind of scene the most. While chatting with the people around him, he carefully looks at the faces of everyone on the scene.

At least it matches the characters in my mind.

About half an hour later, the emperor's ceremonial guards were displayed outside the palace, and the imperial guards stood solemnly with their spears in hand. The sound of bells and drums soon changed to the "Long Live Music" and "Taihe Music" played when the emperor entered the palace in his imperial sedan chair.

A eunuch sang loudly first: "The Emperor! Has arrived!"

The ending sound is long.

Upon seeing this, the ministers immediately fell silent, kowtowed, and said, "Long live the emperor!"

Then Zhou Ziming came in slowly on the imperial sedan chair, and finally got off and sat in the seat at the top.

The prince followed closely behind and sat at the lower left.

Liu Sanlang also saw Qin Qingshan, the king of a different surname who had come forward to sign an alliance with the Tatars.

The three of them entered the palace together, which shows that Qin Qingshan was deeply trusted and favored by the emperor.

Lord Huang and Zhang Pingan also paid special attention to this person.

Zhou Ziming seemed more majestic and distant than the last time Zhang Pingan saw him.

A person's facial features will change with the changes in the environment they are in. Zhang Pingan now agrees with this statement.

After waving his hand to let everyone stand, Zhou Ziming asked Qin Qingshan to read out the victory letter and the reward edict to express his importance and respect for these heroes, which was also a great honor.

"A certain general performed a certain battle, beheaded several people, and expanded a certain amount of territory..." It was all written very clearly. Not too many people were granted titles, and the main thing was promotion to official position and rewards of gold, silver, silk, and land.

This is also because many civil and military officials were promoted from low-level officials, and there is a lot of room for rewards.

Everyone listened attentively with a solemn expression. After about two quarters of an hour, it was Zhang Ping'an's turn.

"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: I believe the rise of an emperor requires the support of men of courage and integrity. Envoy Zhang Ping'an, with his loyal resolve and strategic planning, has pacified the Central Plains, earning him first-class merit. I hereby promote him to the rank of Second-Rank Deputy Privy Councilor, grant him a red-lettered iron certificate, hereditary to his descendants, and also grant him 500 taels of gold, a three-story mansion in Zhuque Lane east of the city, and fifty rolls of fine silk to honor his exceptional merits. You shall obey my orders and do not disobey me! This decree! April 11, the fourth year of Jianxin."

After hearing this, the officials around Zhang Pingan all looked at him with envy.

It is increasingly difficult to get promoted to higher official positions above the third rank. For many people, after reaching the third rank, it is harder than climbing to the sky to get promoted again.

Zhang Ping'an is not that old, but he is already a second-rank deputy privy envoy. It is foreseeable that he will most likely enter the cabinet in the future. His future is bright. How can we not envy him!

To be honest, Zhang Pingan himself was a little surprised, but there was no time to think too much at the moment. He quickly stood up, saluted, and accepted the order.

After reading this, Lord Huang rekindled his expectations. His official position was not much different from Zhang Ping'an's before. He wondered if he could make a big breakthrough this time, and it would be best if he could stay in Beijing.

Zhang Pingan naturally hopes that everyone is well.

After another four or five people passed, it was finally Mr. Huang's turn.

Unfortunately, the result disappointed Mr. Huang. The reward was just a promotion of one level and some money. He was still stuck in Kaifeng and could not stay in Beijing.

After receiving the decree, Lord Huang sighed softly, "It seems the divination sticks from Daxiangguo Temple are quite effective. They really live up to their reputation. I can only wait for another opportunity later!"

"Don't you just have to wait patiently when you sign the contract? The final result will definitely be good. It's just a matter of time. Don't be discouraged," Zhang Pingan comforted.

"Alas, people with the same destiny have different fates. I have understood this truth long ago. Don't worry, I won't get stuck on it," Mr. Huang quickly came to his senses.

The two looked back again, and soon they heard the song of Zhao Renzhi and Liu Sanlang.

Zhao Renzhi was promoted from the rank of Palace Guard Commander-in-Chief to the rank of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Guard.

Liu Sanlang was promoted to the rank of fourth-rank commander of the Dragon God Guard, which was a qualitative change.

After the two men bowed respectfully and accepted the order, they were soon rewarded.

The Nine Cups Ceremony begins, which means serving wine and feasting.

There are also singing and dancing to liven up the atmosphere.

The atmosphere is much more relaxed and cheerful than before.

Master Huang watched with great interest, commenting as he watched, and then urged Zhang Pingan: "Food, sex and nature are all part of human nature. You are young and handsome, with a bright future. It would be great if you had a confidante who understands you and knows your feelings. You don't need to give her any official status. That way, the Qian family won't say anything, and it won't affect the status of the mistress and the legitimate son. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"

Zhang Pingan shook his head: "Not every man wants to be hugged by women. I think the way it is now is good!"

"Tsk, you're so stubborn. Never mind. I'm too lazy to persuade you anymore," Mr. Huang shook his head.

Looking at his expression, Zhang Ping'an guessed that he would have to bring in another concubine when he returned to Kaifeng.

It was only because Madam Huang was resourceful and open-minded that she didn't argue with Lord Huang. Otherwise, the Huang Mansion's backyard would have been in turmoil with all the beautiful girls in it long ago.

The banquet lasted until after midnight, when Zhou Ziming and the prince left, and then it slowly ended.

Zhang Ping'an doesn't like alcohol, so he doesn't drink much and doesn't get drunk.

Mr. Huang was quite drunk.

After saying goodbye to his father-in-law, Grand Tutor Qian, and his two elder brothers-in-law, Zhang Ping'an and his elder brother-in-law left with Lord Huang.

Zhao Renzhi originally wanted to go with them, but another colleague came up to talk to him, which made it inconvenient, so they just parted ways.

Sitting in the carriage, Liu Sanlang was obviously very excited. Because he was too excited today, he didn't drink much wine and was still very sober.

"Ping'an, I really didn't expect that today I would be rewarded by His Majesty, and I would be promoted to the fourth-rank commander of the Dragon God Guard. I have been promoted several levels. For a military officer, the fourth rank is a middle-to-senior official, and it is also a watershed. I heard that it can not only benefit descendants, but also grant titles to the female members of the family. Although I am not an official fanatic, I feel that it is all worth it if I can make my family live a better life because of this."

Liu Sanlang couldn't continue speaking and said with some sadness, "Especially your eldest sister. After she got married, she was busy running around at home and really suffered a lot. I wasn't home these past few years. Although she didn't say it in her letters, I know it must have been difficult. A virtuous wife brings less trouble to her husband, and a harmonious family brings prosperity. I'm only now in my middle age and slowly savoring this truth."

"Brother-in-law, I understand how you feel. I feel the same way. But now everything is fine. The celebration banquet is over. I plan to write a memorial tomorrow to request a leave of absence to visit my family. I will go back to Lin'an to bring my family to live with me in the capital. By the way, I will also go back to my hometown, Wushan County, to pay homage to my ancestors. Anyway, it's peaceful now, so there's no need to worry about bandits.

Didn't His Majesty say at the banquet today that he would soon issue an imperial decree to the world, declaring that after the people were relocated back to their original places, half of their ancestral property would be returned per head. I estimate that most people will still return to their ancestral places, and who knows, we might even see many acquaintances from our hometowns by then."

"You're right. I also need to apply for leave to go back home to visit my family," Liu Sanlang nodded.

"Well, now the Ministry of Personnel is giving priority to those of us officials who have been to the battlefield and fought on the front lines to go home to visit our families first. It should be approved. Brother-in-law, you might as well think about what gifts you should bring back to your family," Zhang Pingan said with a smile.

The atmosphere suddenly became relaxed.

"However, according to our rank, we can only request titles for our legitimate wives and legitimate mothers, but not for our grandmothers. This is one of the reasons why I didn't request titles for them before. On the one hand, the world was not completely peaceful at the time, and on the other hand, I wanted to wait until I was able to do so so that I could request a title for my grandmother as well."

"Ah? Is that so? I don't know much about this and I just heard it from others. If that's the case, then forget it, otherwise it will seem like I'm unfilial." Liu Sanlang scratched his head, obviously not expecting this.

Zhang Pingan waved his hand and said, "It's not that serious. This is also the rule of the court. There won't be any gossip because of this. This is a different time now. It is still necessary to ask for titles for them now.

Think about it, when they all arrive in the capital, they will definitely have to interact with the wives of other officials and make friends with others. These interactions require a good match. The wives of other officials are all high-ranking officials with titles like "Lady of the State" or "Lady of the County", while they are commoners. They will be looked down upon, and even worse, people may suspect that the family is not harmonious, which will not be good for the children's future marriages."

"So that's it!" Liu Sanlang understood immediately.