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

After Zhang Ping'an's explanation, Zhao Renzhi felt much calmer.

He no longer interfered in the affairs of Yumen Pass.

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year's Eve.

As the host, Wei Chengfeng ordered his firemen to prepare a table of delicious food for the New Year's Eve dinner and invited Zhang Ping'an and others to have the meal together and stay up to celebrate the New Year.

The soldiers in the camp also let go of the fatigue of the year for the first time. They were all in high spirits. They lit a bonfire, barbecued, drank, and boasted together. The place was filled with laughter.

Zhang Pingan carefully looked at Wei Chengfeng's face. Apart from looking a little more sallow than before, he was in good spirits, his back was still straight, and his demeanor was elegant.

Wei Cunren's brows were slightly furrowed, and he no longer had the calmness he had when they first met.

He must be worried about Wei Chengfeng's illness.

Zhang Ping'an has never been a person who spoils the fun, so today after asking a few questions about Wei Chengfeng's condition, he did not mention this matter again, nor did he mention any government affairs. He ate his meal in an orderly manner.

Seeing this, Wei Chengfeng smiled and spoke more casually: "I believe it now. If I had really met you back then, I would definitely have praised you. Smart and steady children are always admired."

Hearing him say this, Zhang Pingan also put aside his status and changed his address. He smiled and said, "Today is New Year's Eve. Uncle Wei is talking to me from the heart, so I will also say a few words from the heart."

"You say!" Wei Chengfeng put down his chopsticks and listened carefully.

"Youth is the foundation of everything. Only when you are healthy can you be qualified to participate in the various things in this world. If Uncle Wei trusts me, I have a close friend whose family is a well-known medical family. He is very good at medicine and may have a way to treat Uncle Wei's illness. I wonder if Uncle Wei is willing to try."

"Oh? Do you understand my condition?" Wei Chengfeng asked slowly while stroking his long beard with an unchanged smile.

"I've lived here for so long, and I've heard a bit about the people coming and going in the camp," Zhang Ping'an admitted.

"You hope I'll get better?"

"I hope Uncle Wei can live a long life. Both publicly and privately, you are a blessing to the people living on the border. You have made an indelible contribution to the current stability of the border. I admire a man of such talent like you from the bottom of my heart. Even if I have any ideas, the two are not in conflict," Zhang Pingan replied seriously.

"Alas, it's a pity that the timing is wrong, otherwise I would definitely adopt you as my adopted son," Wei Chengfeng said with some regret.

Then he raised his hand and pointed outside, saying, "You don't have to stay up with me after dinner. It's lively outside. Going out for a drink with them is a rare experience. You may not have such an opportunity again in the future when you are in a high position in the government. The most fortunate choice I have made in my life is to stay in Guazhou. Although the frontier is bitter and cold, everyone lives a very real life. I live a happy life too, leaving behind many beautiful memories. It's worth my life!"

"The scenery of the border is majestic and magnificent, and it is indeed not seen anywhere else," Zhang Pingan nodded.

Seeing that Wei Chengfeng looked a little tired, he advised: "Uncle Wei, if you are tired, you might as well go back to the tent and rest. Don't worry about me."

"I'm old and can't stand the night, so I'll go back first. You can do as you please. Let Cunren and Da Jiang take care of you." Wei Chengfeng didn't say politely. After saying that, he said goodbye and returned to his tent.

Zhao Renzhi was unusually silent tonight and didn't say a word at the table.

Zhang Pingan was a little curious. He waved his hand in front of him and said jokingly, "What are you thinking about? You're so engrossed!"

"I didn't think anything!" Zhao Renzhi came back to his senses and shook his head.

Then he stood up and said, "Let's go. The host has left and it's boring for us to sit here. Let's go out and have a drink. I see they have lit a lot of bonfires. It's quite lively to gather around and brag. After all, we should at least finish the New Year's Eve before going to bed!"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but sigh in a low voice: "Time flies so fast. After today, tomorrow will be the sixth year of Jianxin. But I still feel like I'm still a young man of seventeen or eighteen. How come I'm already thirty all of a sudden?"

"You are already a married man with children and a father, what are you afraid of?" Zhang Pingan laughed.

"You're not a girl. Why should you be so shy as a man, afraid that your youth will fade away? Let's go!" After saying that, he put his arm around Zhao Renzhi's shoulder and went out.

This was a rare night without intrigue.

Everyone gathered around the campfire, eating meat and drinking wine, making dirty jokes from time to time, and laughing together.

Some soldiers could play the yun, and they played a cheerful tune.

Someone started crying while listening.

Every festive season is the easiest time to evoke homesickness, and everyone misses home.

Da Jiang laughed and scolded: "What are you crying for? A grown man is still crying like a cat!"

He cursed like this, but handed over the strongest liquor in his hand. Once he was drunk, he didn't have to think about anything.

Zhang Ping'an looked at these scenes, thought a lot in an instant, and looked at Zhao Renzhi beside him.

This man is not a suitable general. The Guazhou cavalry will probably not have a peaceful life following him.

Alas, there are so many things that we cannot control!

Although the border was bitterly cold, all necessary rituals were still performed. At midnight, the sound of firecrackers could be heard in the camp.

Say goodbye to the old and start anew, the sixth year of Jianxin has arrived!

In the end, Zhang Ping'an also got drunk.

When I woke up the next day, it was already noon.

Zhao Renzhi is similar to him.

After the two of them got dressed, washed, and ate, breakfast was brought in. It was called breakfast, but in fact it was already lunch.

Soon, all the high-ranking generals in the camp came over to wish the two of them a happy new year.

Zhang Ping'an distributed red envelopes to each person according to their level.

Because they were in the military camp and had no relatives to visit, Zhang Ping'an asked Zhao Renzhi to go hunting with Da Jiang and others on the second day of the Chinese New Year.

It can be considered as a way to kill time.

Occasionally we caught a few foxes, rabbits and wild roe deer, which was pretty good.

After the New Year's Eve dinner, Chiang Kai-shek's attitude towards Zhang Ping'an obviously improved a lot.

When no one was around, he took the time to secretly ask Zhang Pingan: "Is the doctor you mentioned true? When will he arrive?"

"Am I a person who doesn't keep his word? But if he arrives, it will be at least autumn," Zhang Pingan replied while packing up his arrows.

His desire to save people was genuine; he didn't lie.

This kind of days continued until the 16th day of the first lunar month, when Qian Jie received a letter from Yumen Pass.

The Kingdom of Shache replied that it was willing to submit to the Kingdom of Great Zhou and to establish a long-term friendly relationship between the two countries, but the prerequisite was that Lin Junhui would stay in Shache and become their son-in-law.

Another thing is that before being detained by the Shache Kingdom, the diplomatic team led by Lin Junhui and others was attacked secretly. According to various clues, the person who did it was most likely Wei Chengfeng's subordinates.

Qian Jie asked what to do next and whether they needed to close the net first.