The person who came was a young man in his twenties dressed in fancy clothes. He lay in front of Zhu Xiang with a pale face and cold sweat breaking out.
When Zhu Xiang heard the man's name, he was distracted for a while, and the man's cold sweat soaked the clothes on his back.
"Zhang Er..." Zhu Xiang searched for this name from his memory and came back to his senses, "You were once a retainer of Lord Xinling?"
Zhang Er immediately kowtowed and said, "Yes."
When Zhu Xiang saw Zhang Er's frightened look, he moved his lips, and the words that asked Zhang Er to stand up turned into a sigh.
He didn't have a deep impression of Zhang Er, and it took him a long time to remember this familiar name.
A colleague who shared a car with him on a business trip once mentioned Zhang Er with an extremely envious and jealous tone.
Zhang Er's deeds are tied to Liu Bang.
Liu Bang was once a retainer of Zhang Er. After Liu Bang became emperor, Zhang Er immediately rose to prominence.
Zhang Er himself was not very capable in the brilliant era of the late Qin and early Han dynasties, but he was so lucky that every choice he made at a turning point in his life, whether intentional or unintentional, could lead him to a higher level. So even though he did not make many contributions, he could still become a founding noble of the Han Dynasty.
It is said that Liu Bang was a king who killed his subordinates after their death. In fact, ministers in later generations envied Liu Bang. Liu Bang killed kings of different surnames. Even though he knew that his childhood friend was standing next to Empress Lü and wanted to kill him, he let it go in the end.
Although Liu Ying is neither good at literature nor martial arts, and may be suppressed by his in-laws in the future, he is still his own son after all, so let it be.
All the heroes of Pei County who followed Liu Bang to conquer the world died with the country, and some of their titles even continued into the Eastern Han Dynasty. For example, the Cao family and the Xiahou family were married from the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty to the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, laying the foundation for the rule of the Wei Kingdom.
Liu Bang was particularly dedicated in repaying favors.
What Zhu Xiang sighed about was that the glorious figures in history not only had outstanding abilities, but also had luck that ordinary people did not have.
To leave one’s name in history, both talent and opportunity are indispensable.
Wei Wuji did not return to Wei State because he listened to his advice, but went to Yanmen County. Zhang Er did not become a famous scholar by virtue of Wei Wuji's reputation, and finally became the magistrate of Waihuang County.
The year of Liu Bang's birth is unknown. In Zhu Xiang's previous life, Huangfu Mi of the Western Jin Dynasty guessed that Liu Bang was born in the 51st year of King Zhao of Qin (256 BC), and Chen Zan of the Western Jin Dynasty guessed that Liu Bang was born in the 3rd year of King Zhuangxiang of Qin (247 BC), but neither of them had any basis.
However, Liu Bang also led the troops as a pioneer many times in his later years. During the uprising at the end of the Qin Dynasty, his ability to lead troops was second only to Xiang Yu, and he was in his prime. If we have to choose one of the two, the one with higher authenticity should be 247 BC.
Liu Bang, who was less than ten years old, obviously would not have any contact with Zhang Er, who had no chance to make a name for himself. But Zhang Er got the hat of his own son Zheng'er's childhood by accident, which was really a blessing from heaven.
Compared to the farmer who sold his hat for a piece of white steamed bun, Zhu Xiang naturally felt very sad.
"Get up." Zhu Xiang sighed again and asked Zhang Er to get up and sit down.
Zhang Er was not wrong in this matter, but he was not completely innocent either.
The small hat that Xue Ji sewed for Zheng Er was made of the red fox fur that Lian Gong had hunted. Although the material was solid, it had been treasured by the farmer for more than ten years and could no longer be sold at a high price.
Moreover, during the famine years, it was almost impossible to exchange a fox fur hat from more than ten years ago for food.
But Zhang Er must have guessed that the story about the hat was true, and wanted to take advantage of the situation, so he exchanged the white steamed bun for the hat.
Before Wei Wuji hanged himself on the battlefield, he dismissed all his followers and recommended them to his acquaintances and old friends.
Zhang Er stayed in Zhao State and continued to serve as a retainer under the descendants of Pingyang Jun.
Zhang Er must have known that the descendants of Pingyang Jun moved the villagers from the village where Zhu Xiang once lived to their own fiefdom.
Zhang Er must have heard that when Prince Zheng of Qin was young, he exchanged gifts with the villagers and claimed that he would destroy Zhao.
Although it was difficult for common people to survive, more than a decade later, most of the villagers who migrated to the fiefdoms of Pingyang Jun and Pingyuan Jun were probably refugees later. The farmer who got the hat was also cautious and knew that wealth should not be exposed, so no one knew that he was the protagonist of the story. This matter was kept secret.
However, there was a farmer in Pingyang Jun's fiefdom who exchanged his hat for food. At that time, Prince Zheng was already the Crown Prince. Zhang Er only needed to pay a piece of white steamed bun to get a token that was suspected to allow him to meet the King of Qin. This was a good deal for him.
Even if it is fake, Zhang Er will not lose anything.
It was not a forced sale, and Zhang Er was very proud of the deal. But he did not expect that King Zheng of Qin would care so much about the commoner he had met in his childhood.
Qin Wangzheng was only four or five years old when he left Handan, and he probably didn't remember much. Most of his memories of Handan were probably from Changping Jun. He may have known that he gave the hat away, but he probably had no feelings for the hat and the farmer's child.
King Zheng of Qin might use the excuse of their childhood promise when he attacked Zhao, but no one in this world would believe that King Zheng of Qin really cared about a specific commoner he met in his childhood, let alone Zhang Er.
But King Zheng of Qin actually cared a lot about things that happened in his childhood.
He personally came to Zhao State and returned to his former home on the outskirts of Handan. He asked the people in the village where they had gone, and specifically mentioned the name of the peasant boy to whom he had given a hat.
What's worse is that the peasant child didn't starve to death. Zhang Er couldn't even come up with something to flatter himself.
Zhang Er feels extremely regretful now.
He didn't regret buying the hat. What he regretted was why he was so stingy at that time. He didn't need food. Although the farmer was probably a liar, he could afford to give him a bag of food.
However, if he could go back to the past, Zhang Er would probably still just give the farmer a piece of white steamed bun casually.
Because the hat was too torn and dirty, and it happened more than a decade ago. If Zhang Er hadn't heard that story, he would never have taken a second look at it if he wanted to bet on a one in ten thousand chance.
Even if people have heard the story, they would probably ignore the farmer. They would not believe that a farmer who had never received any education and only knew how to dig in the fields would cherish a child's fur hat for more than ten years.
Before this, Zhao had suffered from famine many times. Even if there really was such a hat, the farmer who got it should have exchanged it for food long ago. How could he wait until now to exchange it
But the hat is real.
It is also true that the King of Qin attached great importance to his childhood memories.
When the King of Qin left Zhao, Zhang Er still had a lucky mentality.
Perhaps the farmer had died. A few years later, he took the hat to Xianyang to find the Qin nobles and ask for an audience with the King of Qin. If he returned the hat, he could make up a touching story to seek an official position.
But who would have thought that Duke Xiang of Zhu had stayed in Zhao State and looked for the farmer child for the King of Qin, and he actually found him.
Zhang Er had no choice but to come hurriedly to apologize, scolding himself for being possessed by evil spirits and asking Duke Zhu Xiang for forgiveness.
"The cake you gave him really helped him get through the famine, and he is very grateful to you." Zhu Xiang sighed and said calmly, "Since you are a retainer of Lord Xinling, you must have some ability. I will give you a place in Handan Academy. If you study hard, if you can be admitted to Xianyang Academy in the future, you can be considered to be successful."
Zhu Xiang did not make things difficult for Zhang Er.
As he said, the farmers themselves were very grateful to Zhang Er. If it weren't for Zhang Er, the farmers would definitely not have survived the famine.
Zhang Er's momentary speculation saved Zheng'er's old friend, so that Zheng'er's beautiful childhood memories did not become lost when he recalled them. Zhu Xiang should not only not blame him, but should thank him.
That's why Zhu Xiang sighed.
Luck and opportunity are really something that people cannot envy. Zhang Er, like in his previous life, can always make the right choice at the turning points of his life, whether consciously or unconsciously.
"You can choose a young boy from that farmer's family as your apprentice and take him to study. If he can learn, you and his family will both serve as officials in Qin in the future, and it will be a good story for future generations." Zhu Xiang said, "Even if his young boy is dull, it is better for him to learn some literacy and arithmetic than to learn nothing."
Zhang Er heaved a sigh of relief and immediately said, "I will adopt him as my adopted son!"
Zhu Xiang said calmly: "It's up to you to decide what to do next. You got this opportunity by accident, so cherish it. I hope to see you in Xianyang Academy in the future."
Zhang Er was very excited: "I will never let Duke Zhu Xiang down!"
He wanted so badly to slap his thigh, jump up and spin around on the spot!
Although Duke Zhu Xiang only gave him a place in Handan Academy and did not give him much benefit, as long as he was listed in front of Duke Zhu Xiang, he was equivalent to being listed in front of the King of Qin! As long as he really had the ability, he would definitely be able to serve as an official in Qin!
Are there not many talented people in this world? Most people just lack an opportunity to show their talents in front of a noble person.
Now that he has this opportunity, he just needs to study hard. I wonder how many people will envy him!
Zhang Er was very excited.
He decided to educate the farmer's child well, and it would be best if they could become relatives.
As long as their two families can produce a few talents, the Zhang family will be able to gain a firm foothold in the Qin State with the help of this "good story".
Zhang Er was born in a humble family. He was a poor scholar, and was what was called "common people" in that era. If he could enter the court of Qin, he would have made a class leap. How could he not be excited
Zhu Xiang presented Zhang Er with several volumes of textbooks from the Xianyang Academy.
Zhang Er couldn't put the paper book down.
Paper was already common among the general public in Qin, but it was a rare commodity in the six kingdoms. Anyone who had a book made of paper would definitely hold a banquet to show off.
Zhang Er decided to offer the books given by Zhu Xianggong as a sacrifice to the gods.
When taking an exam, worshiping the books given by Zhu Xianggong is definitely more useful than worshiping gods and ancestors.
This is how the issue of Qin Shi Huang's childhood hat was resolved.
Zhu Xiang got to know a new historical figure, gained one heart of favorability, and drew a duplicate spice.
He probably won't have too much interaction with Zhang Er in the future, and the level of goodwill between them is just a matter of one heart.
The subsequent impact of Zhang Er's incident simply made Zhu Xiang think of the group of people in the early Han Dynasty.
At this time, before the fall of the Wei Kingdom, Liu Bang's grandfather should have been the magistrate of Pei County. Now that the Wei Kingdom had just been destroyed, Liu Bang should still be in Pei County.
Zhu Xiang had the idea of going out to meet the young Liu Bang, but immediately gave it up.
He is very busy now and has no time to take care of the children.
The State of Wei would also establish a college, and given Liu Bang's background, he would definitely be able to enter the Pei County College.
Zhu Xiang thought of Lu Zhi again.
In fact, Lü Zhi's family background is similar to Liu Bang's. Although she has accumulated wealth for several generations more than Liu Bang, her family currently has no real power. If her family had not encountered enemies, she would definitely have married before the age of fifteen.
Zhu Xiang never thought of interfering in Lu Zhi's personal trajectory.
The harems of Zheng'er and Fusu were mainly composed of noble ladies from the six kingdoms, and Lü Zhi's family background was not up to the standard. Moreover, Lü Zhi was not extremely beautiful, so even if she managed to enter the Qin royal family's backyard, it would be difficult for her to win favor.
Even if we take a step back and Lu Zhi had a son, given Zheng'er's temperament, anyone who dared to show his tendency to interfere in politics in the harem would be doomed to fail.
If Lu Zhi had been matched with an ordinary scholar and served as an official in the local area with Xue Ji as an example, she might have been able to earn a title for herself with her own talents and leave her name in history.
Zhu Xiang also thought of Han Xin, who might not have been born yet, and Xiao He, who was as famous as Han Xin and Zhang Liang.
Xiao He would certainly be able to enter the Xianyang Academy with his own abilities, but I don't know if Han Xin, with his naive temper and weak fighting skills, can make it through.
And there is Xiang Yu.
Xiang Yu had not yet been born. It was unknown whether his mother was in Chu or had been taken to Qin.
Zhu Xiang had no intention of looking for any of them. But Zhang Er would suddenly appear before him, and he had a hunch that other historical figures would also emerge.
He calculated the time and found that Zheng'er had just become the King of Qin and most of the famous people in the early Han Dynasty had already been born.
time flies.
The gap between eras is really small.
Perhaps because of the passing of time, Zhu Xiang felt a little melancholy.
But the disappointment disappeared when Xue Ji pushed the door open.
"My dear, do you want to inspect the fields today?" Xue Ji asked.
Zhu Xiang said, "Yes. Do you want to go with me?"
Xue Ji joked, "When it comes to growing cotton and raising mulberry trees, I'm probably better than you."
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "Of course. Let's go together."
The couple put on sun hats and rode out together.
"We have walked this road before." Xue Ji recalled, "Zheng'er was not there at that time."
Zhu Xiang complained, "Zheng'er's presence is too strong. All I remember of this place now is the image of Zheng'er sitting heavily on my neck."
Xue Ji covered her mouth and laughed, "Who told you to let Zheng Er sit on your neck?"
Zhu Xiang said: "It's not that I force him to sit, it's just that he likes it."
Xue Ji said: "You can refuse, but you indulge him."
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "That can't be helped. Who made Zheng'er so cute?"
Xue Ji nodded: "That's true. Oh, my dear, look, I have white hair too. I wonder if I will look as good as you when my hair is completely white."
Zhu Xiang replied: "That must be better looking than my hair."
The couple talked and laughed as they walked along the country paths.
Cheng Jiao and Meng Yi slowly headed towards Zhao State. On the way, Meng Yi and Cheng Jiao learned how to change Fusu's diapers.
Meng Yi couldn't understand: "Why do we need two people to change his diaper when there are servants here?"
Cheng Jiao said: "You asked a good question, but this is an order from my elder brother. I guess my elder brother just wants to torture me."
Meng Yi read the imperial edict from the King of Qin presented by Cheng Jiao. He could not understand why the King of Qin wanted to torture Prince Cheng Jiao like this. Then he said depressedly: "The king only ordered you to change the prince's diaper, and did not mention me."
Cheng Jiao sneered: "Can you escape? Are you not happy to share the joys and sorrows with this young master?"
Meng Yi complained in his heart, I don’t think I have ever shared the good times with you, but you forced me to share the bad times.
However, Cheng Jiao was the prince of Qin after all, and the only brother of the King of Qin. Meng Yi could only swallow his dissatisfaction, not daring to speak it out loud, and gritted his teeth to learn how to change diapers.
Little Fusu probably inherited some of his father's tenacious spirit and good physique, and was very adaptable to the bumpy journey. He was in better spirits than Cheng Jiao and Meng Yi.
He was just too energetic. He played and screamed in the carriage every day, making Cheng Jiao and Meng Yi very upset.
"I really want to tie him on my back and ride as fast as I can to beg my uncle for help." Cheng Jiao looked haggard.
Meng Yi agreed: "The carriage is indeed too slow."
He once again deeply admired Chang Pingjun. Chang Pingjun could do anything, even take care of children!
"Wait, does the person on that horse look familiar?" Cheng Jiao pulled Meng Yi and pointed outside the carriage window.
Meng Yi looked at the place Cheng Jiao pointed to, where a group of dusty people dressed as rangers were setting up a stove and cooking on the side of the road.
He didn't recognize it for a moment: "Who?"
Cheng Jiao said, "It's the one in blue clothes... The more I look at him, the more familiar he looks."
While Cheng Jiao was thinking hard, Meng Yi recognized him and said in surprise: "Isn't that Prince Dan of Yan?!"
Cheng Jiao exclaimed: "Ah?! He escaped??"
The two looked at each other.
"Well, I didn't see anything."
"certainly."
"Driver, speed up! We're having dry food for lunch today, so don't stop to cook!"
"Put down the curtains and don't attract the attention of that group of people."
"Woooaaaa! Fusu! No! Dry food! I want broth! Broth!"
"Hey, my dear nephew, stop howling, just bear with it for now."
"don't want!"
"Can I eat milk cake?"
"don't want!!!!"
There was chaos in the carriage, and the children's howling was deafening, which scared Prince Dan.
He glanced at the carriage team protected by the soldiers, and was terrified, afraid of being discovered. He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the carriage team disappeared in a cloud of dust.
"I wonder which official in Qin State will take up the office with his entire family." Prince Dan thought.
"Prince Dan has already fled from Qin. When will we go to destroy Yan?" Although Chu posed a greater threat, King Zheng of Qin was obviously more enthusiastic about destroying Yan.
Lin Zhi couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, were you really beaten by Prince Dan when you were a child? That shouldn't be the case. I don't remember you meeting him."
Qin Wangzheng said sternly: "It has nothing to do with Prince Dan. I just want to destroy Yan."
Cai Ze stopped Lin Zhi who was about to say something nonsense. He said, "Let's get down to business. Don't interrupt and waste time."
"The hostage's escape is not enough to be an excuse for Qin to send troops." Cai Ze said, "But if Your Majesty wants to send troops, you can force Yan to send the crown prince again, and then let the crown prince escape again. I am absolutely sure that when Crown Prince Dan is sent to Qin again, he will escape halfway."
Lin Zhi said, "Why go to all this trouble? Let Prince Dan return home and plan an assassination, then we will have enough excuses to send troops. Oh, I really miss the days when we could attack whomever we wanted. Now we have to find excuses."
Qin Wangzheng's face darkened: "Assassination?"
Lin Zhi immediately said: "It's not to assassinate you, but to assassinate me or Cai Ze."
Cai Ze's face darkened as well: "I'm just afraid that he will go and assassinate Zhu Xiang."
Lin Zhi said: "He shouldn't be that stupid."
Qin Wangzheng's face changed, and then he coughed dryly and said sternly: "Then let him assassinate me!"
Lin Zhi and Cai Ze: "..."
Cai Ze was also puzzled: "Your Majesty, did you really have no feud with Prince Dan when you were a child?"
Qin Wang Zheng said solemnly: "No! I just want to destroy Yan!"
Lin Zhi and Cai Ze: “…” I’ll write to Zhu Xiang and ask him later.
(End of this chapter)