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

After watching the brown bear, Xiaoyuer went to play with his friends again.

It was not until evening that all the autumn hunting teams returned.

My eldest brother-in-law Liu Sanlang is extremely brave and has achieved great results. In addition, he has always been humble, and now he has established a foothold in the military attaché team.

He was quite happy at first, but after hearing the gossip about his brother-in-law in the camp, he couldn't sit still anymore.

Donkey Egg and Cat Egg were still young, and they heard that everything would be fine in the future. They were very moved by their uncle's infatuation.

"You two boys are still young, what do you know? When you return to Beijing, your grandparents will be worried again when they find out. Alas!" Liu Sanlang sighed.

Donkey Egg comforted him, "My uncle has always been smart and sensible. Now that Xiaoyuer is growing up and has a son to inherit his legacy, I think his loyalty is great and admirable!"

"That's right, the person I admire most is my uncle," Maodaner nodded heavily in affirmation.

"This is not a question of whether the relationship is faithful or not. How are you going to handle the household chores and interpersonal relationships in the future? You can't always rely on your grandmother. Besides, your grandmother is old and now she only interacts with wealthy families. She doesn't understand these things very well. You can't let your uncle worry about everything!"

Unable to explain himself to his two sons, Liu Sanlang stopped talking and turned to look for his brother-in-law.

At this time, Zhang Ping'an was still playing chess and drinking tea with Lord Wang in the tent, feeling very comfortable.

Seeing his elder brother-in-law coming to find him, he apologized to Lord Wang and the two of them left.

"Brother-in-law, I heard you had another good harvest today. Congratulations!"

"My affairs are all trivial matters, but you, I heard that you swore in front of His Majesty that you would be a bachelor and a widower for the rest of your life?" Liu Sanlang's tone was a little heavy.

"Yes, I have thought about this for a long time. Today is a good opportunity. I will ask Your Majesty to agree. It will be a bright future for me." Zhang Pingan replied calmly with his hands behind his back.

“I didn’t expect it to spread so quickly!”

Liu Sanlang was speechless. "Everyone's been calling you a fool behind your back, but you're still so calm. I wonder how you'll explain this to your parents-in-law and your eldest sister when you return to Beijing. To be honest, Daya has been worrying about this and helping you keep an eye on it, and you ended up giving her this!"

"How come elder sister is getting more and more keen on matchmaking as she gets older? I know my own affairs well, so you don't have to worry, it's not a big deal," Zhang Ping'an said this, but in fact he had already imagined the expressions of his parents when he returned to Beijing, but there was no other way, he had to go.

"Oh...!" Liu Sanlang had no choice but to sigh deeply. After all, he was just his brother-in-law. No matter how much he worried, he could do nothing when he met such a stubborn brother-in-law.

No matter what others say behind his back, few people would directly mention it to his face. At most, they would give him an ambiguous and veiled compliment of "love saint".

Zhang Ping'an took it as a compliment and accepted it without changing his expression.

Early the next morning, the team broke camp and returned to Beijing.

The second prince Zhou Shu did not ride a horse this time, but took a carriage.

Zhang Pingan glanced at him from a distance and saw that his face looked okay, though he still had the same gloomy look as before.

But perhaps he had learned his lesson, and he never lost his temper again along the way until he returned to Beijing safely.

Although it was an autumn hunt, Zhou Ziming still rewarded everyone based on their performance.

Zhang Ping'an was rewarded with several high-quality fox furs, as well as tiger bone wine and bear bone wine.

My eldest brother-in-law Liu Sanlang was rewarded with a set of leather armor, which was very practical for a military officer.

As a rising star, Maodaner not only received the gold cakes and silver belts that were initially awarded, but also received a few good skins.

It can be said that this autumn hunting trip was worthwhile.

As for the team that would lead the mission to the Western Regions, Zhang Ping'an had some rough ideas of candidates in mind based on the results of the autumn hunt.

After all, this is not a simple journey, but a comprehensive national expedition full of dangers.

The composition of the delegation is directly related to the success or failure of the mission, the reputation of the country and even the life and death of an individual.

In addition to being smart and physically strong, team members must also possess skills in many areas.

First of all, the leader must have extremely high political wisdom and diplomatic skills and command capabilities.

Secondly, there are the indispensable translators, who not only need to be proficient in the languages ​​of the Western Regions, such as Xiongnu, Tocharian, Sogdian, Dayuan, etc., but also need to understand written translation and local customs to facilitate translation and recording.

Then there is the need for a suitable guide, who has geographical knowledge and field experience, is familiar with the mountains, rivers, deserts, oases, water sources, seasonal climate changes, etc. in the Western Regions, plans routes, avoids wind and sand, identifies directions, and finds water sources. In addition to the guides provided at the beginning, after arriving at the border, you will also have to hire local merchants who travel between the border and outside to assist.

It also requires arithmetic talents who are proficient in accounting. They are responsible for managing the mission's "purse" and ensuring the maintenance of economic activities. At the same time, they keep records of various routes and national conditions. This is also one of the missions of the envoy.

In addition, doctors, veterinarians and craftsmen who are proficient in medicine are also indispensable.

Finally, there are the armed personnel who are responsible for gathering intelligence and protecting the safety of the delegation.

Zhang Ping'an had carefully planned the mission based on the functions. The first mission should have at least fourteen people, and the most appropriate number would be between twenty and thirty.

It is neither too eye-catching nor too tiring, and everyone who deserves it can wear it.

Of course, if you are testing the waters for the first time, it is definitely not a good idea to choose a level that is too high.

On the contrary, young talents like Li Yue and Maodaner are more suitable.

It can be said that risks and opportunities coexist.

Zhang Pingan had not originally considered his nephew Maodaner, but Maodaner's performance in the autumn hunt was indeed outstanding and his abilities were also excellent.

If you are willing to go to the Western Regions and give it a try, you can at least level up three more levels if you succeed, which will invisibly create a huge gap between you and your peers.

Zhang Ping'an planned to talk to his elder sister and brother-in-law about this matter and let them consider it and make the decision on their own.

A few days after returning home, Zhang Ping'an finally discovered that the good things he did during the autumn hunt were not hidden.

Zhang Laoer and Xu Shi didn't lose their temper, but just kept sighing, which made people feel even more uncomfortable.

"Dad, Mom, don't worry, I know what I'm doing now," was all Zhang Ping'an could promise.

"Son, although Daddy hasn't been educated, he knows that His Majesty's words are as good as gold. It's too late to say anything now. Oh, don't worry about me and your mother. We'll figure it out after a while. Fortunately, we still have Xiaoyu'er at home to carry on the family line. Oh!"

Zhang Laoer sighed repeatedly, which made people feel sad and uncomfortable.

Xu wanted to cry again, and she turned sideways to sulk.

Zhang Pingan was also helpless and could only wait for them to figure it out slowly.

The happiest person in the family was Xiao Yu'er. He had listened almost everything with his little ears, and combined with what his classmates had said in school, he almost knew what had happened.

Thinking of his father's infatuation with his mother, he was very moved at such a young age. Just like his cousins ​​said, he was the result of his parents' love and was different from other children.

Even if his mother is gone, his father will love and protect him wholeheartedly.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yu'er immediately went to pour a cup of tea for his father. He held the cup in both hands and ran back, laughing sweetly, "Dad, drink your tea. When you are old, I will definitely be filial to you. Just like you are so good to me now, I will be good to you too, very, very good!"

"Oh, my son has grown up. It seems that I can enjoy happiness too." Zhang Pingan took the teacup and touched his son's head.

Zhang Laoer watched from the side and smiled with relief, and his sadness was relieved a lot.

The Zhang family lived a life of loving father and filial son.