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

On the afternoon of the second day, Old Qiu came early with a bag on his back and a dog-skin hat on his head.

It was sent by his son and grandson.

The middle-aged stall owner looked very worried and reluctant.

On the contrary, Old Qiu seemed to be in a good mood.

"Okay, you guys go back. I'm well fed and well housed here, there's nothing to worry about. I'm not the only guide in the team, I'm just assisting. In Xi'an, you won't find anyone willing to pay five times the salary to hire me as a guide. I'll be back in three or four months at most, don't worry. Oh, and also, you have to boil her medicine on time. The doctor said to use it for two months in a row and then change the prescription, so remember that!"

The stall owner sighed and nodded upon hearing this, his expression showing no sign of diminishing worry.

However, he also knew that his father was telling the truth. The price of this order was actually far higher than the market price, so he made a lot of money.

In this way, the financial pressure on the family can be much less. With money, most of the troubles can be solved.

"Grandpa, please try to come back as soon as possible. We will wait for you at home." The young boy looked better than his father. The boy did not know the feeling of worry. He felt more curious about long journeys and was not as sentimental as his father.

"Oh, I got it. Go back!" Old Qiu waved his hand and drove him away.

The stall owner then walked away with his son, looking back every few steps.

Zhang Pingan was watching this scene on the second floor, and he felt homesick. Home is where the relatives are!

"According to reports from our subordinates, this pangolin is ignorant and fearless, and can eat and drink. I thought he was very stubborn. However, do we really want to take him to Guazhou? The journey is not short!" Qian Jie said as he came over from the side.

Zhang Pingan smiled faintly when he heard this: "Of course, and I also want to see if this bait can catch a big fish!"

"You didn't tell Zhao Renzhi the whole truth. This pangolin is more than just a petty thief. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so concerned about it. I think I know you quite well."

"I do have some guesses, but they are just guesses. It would be pointless to tell them in advance. Things are accomplished through secrecy, and they fail through disclosure."

After hearing this, Qian Jie laughed twice and said, "Okay, then I won't ask anymore. I know you have your own information channels. After all, we are in the same boat. Everything has been packed, and we will set off tomorrow morning."

"Yeah!" Zhang Pingan nodded.

Some things really don't need to be explained so clearly.

Early the next morning, while it was still dark, everyone had already gotten up and the inn was brightly lit.

In addition to horses, there were also some camels accompanying them this time.

The entire journey from Xi'an to Guazhou is about 1,200 kilometers, including the Loess Plateau, Gobi Desert, Desert, Grassland and Oasis.

Although camels are slower than horses, they can carry heavier loads and have greater endurance, so many people use them when traveling outside the Great Wall.

Prefect Cao brought a group of officials from the yamen to see him off early in the morning.

There was no mention of the pangolin incident, strictly adhering to the principle of less is more.

Since Zhang Pingan and the others didn't mention this matter, he would not cause trouble for himself.

However, he had a clearer understanding of the abilities of Zhang Pingan and others, and felt a little more wary.

"Prefect Cao, I'm sorry to bother you these days. Xi'an is a good place. If I didn't have official business, I would have stayed a few more days."

Zhang Ping'an had already had breakfast in advance. It was a cold winter morning, so he put on a cloak over his military uniform and a neatly groomed hair crown, making him look very energetic.

His graying hair did not diminish his heroic spirit, but instead made people feel that he was experienced.

"Thank you for your praise, sir. When you return and pass through Xi'an, please stay for a few more days so that I can show my hospitality," said Magistrate Cao politely with a smile.

"I definitely will!" Zhang Ping'an patted Magistrate Cao on the shoulder, then jumped onto the horse nimbly.

"Prefect Cao, see you later!"

"See you later!"

Qian Jie and Zhao Renzhi also mounted their horses, said goodbye to Prefect Cao, and led the troops out of the city.

The officials followed him and would not come back until they had sent everyone to the city gate.

Watching the crowd retreat, a counselor beside Prefect Cao whispered, "Sir, are we really going to ignore the pangolin? I've heard it's not that simple!"

Hearing this, Prefect Cao glanced at the people around him and said speechlessly, "We don't have the ability to capture the person ourselves, so how can we still dream of asking Lord Zhang for him? No matter how important this person is, he has nothing to do with us now."

"Your Excellency is wise, it is I who was not thoughtful enough!" Upon hearing this, the counselor bowed his head and admitted his mistake.

Prefect Cao was not one to treat his subordinates harshly. He admonished his advisor, "You've been with me for several years and have always been loyal to me. I know this, but things are different now. The court is becoming increasingly peaceful. From now on, the court will definitely be dominated by civil servants. I'm the only one in my family who can become a civil servant, and the younger generation below me still need time to grow. I can't make any mistakes. Now, we don't seek to achieve anything, but to avoid mistakes. Do you understand?"

"I understand. I will be more cautious next time," the counselor responded immediately.

"Well, let's go back and keep an eye on the developments in Guazhou. Also, send a message to my father and brother, asking them to pay close attention to the training of the people below in the next few months and be well prepared. If anything unexpected happens in Guazhou, we can also get some benefits."

Although it was only Prefect Cao who saw them off in public, there were many people secretly watching Zhang Ping'an and his group.

Before Zhang Ping'an and his men left the city, every family had received the news.

The name pangolin, which was not much noticed in the past, has now spread to everyone, and everyone has different guesses about it.

Zhang Ping'an had somewhat anticipated these reactions, but he didn't care.

After taking his men out of the city, he headed towards Xianyang and Baoji.

It's already mid-October and they don't have much time left.

What I fear most is heavy snow blocking the roads.

The further west you go, the poorer the land becomes.

Old Qiu was indeed very familiar with this road and had never made any mistakes while stopping along the way.

The tied-up pangolin also behaved very well, eating, drinking and sleeping as usual.

Zhao Renzhi often felt itchy when he saw it.

Half a month later, they passed through Tianshui and Dingxi and arrived in Lanzhou.

While resting in a dilapidated inn at night, Zhang Ping'an finally received the long-awaited letter via carrier pigeon.

"What's up, did you catch a fish?" Qian Jie asked with a smile after seeing it.

"Well, that's right. The move deployed in advance is still useful. I wonder if the fish are fat?" Zhang Pingan said as he unfolded the letter and continued to read.