Chapter 002: Bandit-style Apprenticeship
Provinces are shifting responsibility onto each other, each claiming that the rebellion is in the territory of the other. In the end, no one wants to take charge, and it has become necessary to trouble the Ministry of War to coordinate the efforts.
The two escort officers were amused, and one of them laughed, saying: "How old are you? Have you weaned yet? At such a young age, you dare to learn to rob on the road."
Master Shen suffers from mild myopia; upon careful observation, he can only see a small dark shadow. However, when Wang Yuan releases an arrow, that dark shadow immediately falls. The arrow is shot swiftly and accurately, leaving the crow no opportunity to react.
He passed the examination for the title of Xiucai at the age of seventeen, yet by the age of twenty-seven, he remained a Xiucai. In a fit of anger, Shen Fuceng, who prided himself on his extensive knowledge, reluctantly took a position as a secretary for the county magistrate due to financial pressures
Shen Fuceng, styled Weitang, was a native of Yuyao in Shaoxing Prefecture
At the moment when one officer was stunned with fear, another officer suddenly drew his sword. Unexpectedly, as the blade was drawn out of its sheath by two inches, Wang Yuan shot an arrow, striking the officer's tiger's mouth, causing blood to flow profusely from his right hand, rendering him unable to hold the sword.
Finally, one of the officers grew impatient, shaking the shackles in his hand and saying: "What state are we in? Hurry up and get moving, or I'll put these shackles on you!"
"Not robbing the silver?" The two officials were quite surprised, and then they were overjoyed.
Little brother, we will take our leave now. Be careful with your hands and don't let the arrow loose.
It is you!
Although the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was severe, as long as there was no corruption or malpractice, various penal laws were implemented in a humane manner. Throughout the several hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, sentences of exile could generally be reduced to forced labor—only in serious cases would true exile be imposed.
Wang Yuan retorted directly: "Once we reach the territory of the Guizhou chieftains, let alone a mere official, even the Chief Minister of the Ming Dynasty would be killed without hesitation!"
The local chieftains of Guizhou have come to their senses, each no longer holding the court in high regard
Master Shen, infuriated, stamped his feet and forced a smile, attempting to ingratiate himself by saying: "Young brother, I am merely a convict with no valuable possessions on me. How about..."
Bold!
That county magistrate was promoted all the way to the position of prefect, which also elevated Shen Shiye's status. Later, when the prefect was transferred to serve as an official in the capital, he conveniently used his funds to assist Shen Fuceng, securing him a low-ranking official position.
An arrow was shot, knocking off the hat of the official.
Wang Yuan finally put away his bow and arrows, and once again bowed slightly in a gesture of respect, appearing very courteous: "Since there is no way to escape, then let us accept our fate. Sir, please accompany me back to the mountain"
The official, whose hat had been shot off, finally came to his senses, shocked by Wang Yuan's marksmanship. With a fierce demeanor but a cowardly heart, he said: "Little brat, do you know what the crime of killing an official is?"
Wang Yuan continued to issue orders: "The criminal will remain; you may leave."
Only Shen Fuceng remained standing there, with a bewildered expression on his face. Suddenly, he shouted at the backs of the two people: "Don't run, come back quickly! What am I supposed to do if you run away?"
Shen Fuceng has encountered a major issue
Three individuals were approaching from a distance along the official road, two of whom were escorting officers, while the remaining one was undoubtedly a convict in exile
What is even more absurd is that the borders of Guizhou intertwine with those of Sichuan and Huguang, and sometimes when hundreds of people rise in rebellion, they only manage to flee a distance of about one hundred to one hundred eighty miles, necessitating the joint military intervention of three provinces.
Wang Yuanzhao cupped his fists in salute to the three individuals and said in Guizhou dialect: "Please hold on, I have something to ask you."
Shen Fuceng assisted a superior who was a man of integrity, but he acted impulsively and went against Eunuch Liu. Unfortunately, even a man of integrity can be greedy; he was caught by Eunuch Liu in a corruption case. Not only were his financial resources taken away by the eunuch, but Shen Fuceng, as his assistant, was also dismissed and sentenced to exile for 3,000 miles—fortunately, his home was not confiscated.
Master Shen shook his head repeatedly: "I cannot outrun it."
It is indeed Wang Yuan
Wang Yuan clasped his fists again and said: "May I ask, have you ever received an education? Are you able to compose a classical essay?"
Since the Chenghua period, the system of garrisons in Guizhou has gradually deteriorated, and daily rebellions still require local chieftains to resolve them
Last summer, Emperor Hongzhi passed away, and Emperor Zhengde Zhu Houzhao ascended to the throne, while the chief eunuch Liu Jin began to maneuver and exert his influence.
Wang Yuan drew his bow and nocked an arrow: "And pay attention to that old crow (the raven) in the tree"
The Zhazuo Chief Officer's Office, where Wang Yuan is located, is precisely within the territory of the Song family of Shuidao.
Wang Yuan aimed at his head, squinting and sneering: "Do I still need to shoot a third arrow?"
The two officials immediately ran even faster, not caring that Master Shen had not yet boarded the vehicle
As long as the transportation routes composed of relay stations are controlled, it will be possible to swiftly deploy troops to suppress the rebellion in the geographically complex province of Guizhou
In this barbaric land of Guizhou, even the act of seeking a master is so simple and crude, and the way to express sincerity is even more straightforward
Wang Yuandao: "Value people over money"
Master Shen laughed heartily: "I, Shen Weitang, passed the scholar examination at the age of seventeen, yet you dare to ask me if I can write in the eight-legged essay..." Just as he was laughing, his expression suddenly changed, and in a panic, he exclaimed, "What do you intend to do? Why are you pointing a bow and arrow at me? Quickly put down the bow and arrow!"
Even the Shui Dong Song clan, known for their loyalty, has begun to feign compliance while secretly isolating information, deliberately neglecting the post stations in collusion with the Shui Xi An clan. There are only three routes entering Guizhou from Bashu and Huguang, and the two local chieftains have tacitly joined forces to cut off the starting segments of these three transportation lines.
Such trivial matters as blocking the official road can only trouble Wang Yuan to handle personally
You should have said so earlier
"After all this commotion, you just want to become my disciple?" Master Shen, while sensing the sincerity, also felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity and indignation
Hahaha
Emperor Yingzong Zhu Qizhen instigated the Tumu Fortress Incident, leading to a chaotic situation in several provinces to the north. Once the northern situation was stabilized, he became preoccupied with suppressing the refugees in Jing and Xiang, leaving him with no time to attend to the Yunnan and Guizhou regions
Exiles and demoted officials are not encountered every day, so Father and Elder Brother gave up after waiting for a few days, as they still had to attend to the family's livelihood
Gazing at the distant towering mountains and contemplating the exile that lies ahead, Master Shen let out a long sigh: "My fate is so bitter!"
Master Shen not only did not keep silent, but instead grew increasingly desolate, weeping and wailing: "Consider me, Shen Weitang, who recognized characters at the age of five, composed poetry at eight, and passed the scholar examination at seventeen. How lamentable that the examiners fail to appreciate the subtleties of literature, causing me to fail the provincial examinations time and again, unable to even attain the status of a juren! After much difficulty, I encountered a benefactor, lowered myself to abandon my studies to become a secretary, and after wasting half my life, I finally secured a low-ranking official position. I served as an official for two years, a mere sesame seed of a minor official, and yet I became entangled in the struggles of the court. Now I am to be exiled to Yunnan; is that a place for a person to live? My fate is so bitter, oh heavens above, I beseech you to open your eyes!"
Wang Yuan did not answer directly, but pointed to a large tree thirty steps away: "Sir, do you see that tree?"
Master Shen's troubles are not yet over, when he suddenly begins to recite the works of Su Dongpo: "My heart is like a withered tree, my body like a boat unmoored. I ask you about your life's achievements, Huangzhou, Huizhou, and Danzhou!"
Due to the very low proportion of Han people in Guizhou and the presence of towering mountains everywhere, the core idea of the court's governance in Guizhou is to "secure the frontline territory"
Among the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, Guizhou Province has the smallest area, yet it is densely populated with relay stations along the route
What excellent archery! Master Shen praised with admiration.
Whoosh
Master Shen nodded and said, "I see."
The two rescuers were extremely annoyed; if it weren't for the fact that they could receive a reward from the family after delivering the person, they would have likely just killed this fool with a single stroke.
In this situation, the court naturally adopts a laissez-faire attitude towards Guizhou, and there is truly no place to seek justice for the death of a few officials.
However, the official road of the Guantong Station is still in use, and merchants or exiles often pass through here. Compared to the Central Plains region, the official roads in Guizhou are very narrow, and there are various steep ascents and descents, with some sections requiring one to crawl on all fours to ascend.
Mu Bin, also known as the master assistant, was born in Shaoxing Prefecture and is indeed a Shaoxing master assistant
The child was dressed in black clothes and black pants, covered in patches, with straw sandals on his feet. A crude bow hung from his waist, and a quiver of arrows, with the fletching in disarray, was slung over his back, clearly indicating that these were homemade weapons
Wang Yuan asked, "Can you run faster than the arrow in my hand?"
Wang Yuan asked with a smile: "How about that?"
The saying goes that those who are ruthless do not speak much; Wang Yuan demonstrated through his actions that robbery is a very serious matter
Wang Yuan comforted, "Sir, do not be afraid. I only wish to study, but unfortunately, my family is poor and cannot afford a teacher. I hope you can return to the mountain with me and teach me the great principles of the sages that can lead to an official career. As for confronting soldiers and scaring off officials, it is merely a way to express my sincerity."
Returning to the mountain? Master Shen still cannot comprehend. If he were kidnapped by a burly man, there might be a possibility of being taken back to the mountain to serve as a military advisor, after all, that is how it is depicted in "Water Margin". But the problem is, Wang Yuan is just a little child!
Since the Chenghua period, the post stations in Guizhou have gradually fallen into disrepair
In the late spring season, the weather is warm and sunny
The three had not walked far when they saw a child standing by the roadside
The two officials immediately turned around and ran away, so they could claim they had been robbed upon their return, and by inflicting some minor injuries on themselves, they could easily brush the matter aside
Wang Yuan drew his bow and nocked an arrow, standing calmly on the official road, and said to the three adults: "Please cooperate, this is a robbery"
Master Shen ultimately chose to follow his heart, dawdling as he continued on his journey, speaking as he walked: "Those who understand me say my heart is troubled, while those who do not understand me wonder what I seek. I do not lament my own fate, but rather lament this vast Ming Dynasty, which has lost a remarkable talent capable of governing the world..."
Master Shen, assessing the situation, pleaded in a low voice: "Why not show some mercy and let me go as well"
Two escort officers also stopped; one stood drinking water while the other held a wooden plank and said: "Master Shen, you need not complain, as you haven't even been shackled. It is we brothers who suffer, having to accompany you for thousands of miles, with no knowledge of when we might return."
The Zhazuo Station under its jurisdiction is already deserted, the buildings of the station have collapsed, and the wild grass in the corners grows taller than a person
Master Shen could barely understand this dialect, and at that moment, he felt quite curious. Without waiting for the two officials to respond, he smiled and said, "Little child, what do you wish to inquire about?"
The two officials were momentarily speechless, unable to find words to refute.