Chapter 0010: Treating a Dead Horse as if it Were Alive

He first glanced at his eldest son, Liangqing, then looked at his younger son, Liangchen, and for a moment was unable to make up his mind

Compared to the scholarly elites of this era who endured the rigors of the imperial examination, the loyal ministers cannot yet stand out among the crowd or rise above the masses; it is already quite commendable if they can pick up what others have let fall between their teeth

The loyal minister recalled that the historical records mentioned that when Chongzhen acted against his second uncle, there were members of the eunuch faction who advised the second uncle to take the initiative. However, this second uncle, who had gambled his entire life, ultimately did not dare to go all in on his last bet. As a result, he was gradually ensnared by Chongzhen and ultimately met with the fate of hanging himself

Wei Jinde still had some hesitation, but Liangqing spoke up from the side: "Father, I think we should let the third one go. He has been out and about these past two years, has seen the world, and understands much more than I do."

However, after ten years of hard study, even becoming a successful candidate is not guaranteed. Now, one can simply lie at home and wait for a count, marquis, or even a duke. Anyone would know how to make that choice

Upon careful consideration, Liang Chen indeed bears a striking resemblance to his second uncle; otherwise, the villagers would not frequently compare him to his uncle, privately referring to this pair of uncles and nephews as a duo of lively treasures

Liang Chen pondered that it was not possible for him to waste away ten years in his hometown, as that would truly be a squandering of time. Therefore, he considered that he should abandon literature for martial pursuits, so that in the future he could achieve something in the military by relying on his second uncle's influence

Liang Qing thought for a long time outside, and together with Liang Chen, they came up with the idea of persuading his father to find a way to go to the capital to meet their second uncle

This choice is also a means of self-preservation for the loyal minister. The key reason for the downfall of the second uncle after more than a decade is not solely because his greatest supporter, Tianqi, has died, but rather because he lacked military power.

This mindset is akin to that of a newly wealthy local tycoon who, in the midst of their ecstatic joy, becomes arrogant and dismissive of everything around them

Where did Uncle Er learn his equestrian skills? Liang Chen believes there is only one possibility, which is the county's Taipu Temple Horse Factory. His equestrian skills were also learned at the Taipu Temple Horse Factory. However, he was less fortunate than Uncle Er; he was caught while stealing a horse to ride and was beaten nearly to death

At only 16 years old, it is not too late to enlist in the military

At the very least, it will not be worse than the original fate

Without troops at hand, the downfall of the eunuch faction could largely be accomplished with just an imperial edict

Liang Chen never expected that frequently wandering around the county with a group of dubious friends would actually be considered as having seen the world in the eyes of his elder brother

Wei Jinde was somewhat moved by what his eldest son said. Today, he was prompted by the ghostly messenger to mention the matter of his second son, Jin Zhong, which was somewhat influenced by the Zhang family's provocation. This made him recall that the second son was also serving as a husband in the palace. If the second son could contribute to the family like the youngest of the Zhang family, then that piece of land could be preserved.

The loyal minister was afraid that his father would not allow him to go, so he hurriedly performed a few movements to demonstrate that his leg injury had long since healed

Upon hearing these words, the loyal minister could not help but feel an overwhelming joy, as his heart soared from Pear Tree Village straight to the capital city.

As of now, it is the thirty-seventh year of the Wanli era, and there are still ten years until the Battle of Sarhu in the forty-seventh year of Wanli. During this period, there have been several small-scale skirmishes between the Ming Dynasty and the Later Jin, with the intensity of the conflict not being strong. As long as one is not unfortunate enough to find oneself in Fushun or Tieling, survival is absolutely possible

Liang Qing, seeing that his father did not oppose, hurriedly recounted the reasoning he had prepared outside. He emphasized that without the two mu and eight fen of paddy field, their family's livelihood would be unsustainable. He also mentioned that this land was inherited from their ancestors, and if it were to be lost from their hands, it would truly be a disservice to their forebears.

Not to mention anything else, but that Pan Xuezhong from the county is already someone whom good officials look up to. To use a phrase from later generations, we are all peers, so how can there be such a vast difference between us

Having made up his mind, Wei Liangchen was about to go find his father to discuss the matter of going to the capital when his elder brother, Liangqing, pushed the door open and entered

It must be said that ever since Wei Liangchen learned that his second uncle was Wei Zhongxian, he has developed quite a petty mindset

The land is the source of eternity; with the possession of eternal land, one can support descendants in their studies, thereby transitioning from agriculture to officialdom, and altering the fate of a family or even a lineage

This is truly a coincidence; Liang Chen also wishes to go to the capital, and Liang Qing shares the same thought. The excuse of protecting the ancestral fields is the most suitable, so the two brothers quickly reached an agreement and went to find their father, Wei Jinde

It is no wonder, after all, that in his previous life, Li Zirong was merely an ordinary person. Suddenly learning that immense wealth and fortune awaited him, it is inevitable that his mindset would become somewhat "petty".

The loyal minister observed clearly that both his father and elder brother, Liang Qing, harbored the thoughts typical of farmers; they would seize any opportunity to gain an advantage, and if they could not, they would simply let it go. This is not related to whether one's nature is simple or one's character is cunning, but rather a matter of survival strategy.

To be precise, until the ascension of Emperor Chongzhen, Wei Zhongxian had no real generals under his command, apart from the group of Jinyiwei known as the Five Tigers and Five Heroes, as well as the minions of the Six Ministries. He did not possess an army capable of daring to act against the emperor.

He thought that his father must not think this way, but to his surprise, his father agreed with his elder brother's words, nodding and saying: "That's fine, someone at home still needs to work, let the eldest stay at home, and you, the third, go ahead."

Wei Jinde economized to support Liang Chen's education at the community school, hoping that Liang Chen would achieve success. However, all of this is built upon the foundation of his two mu and eight fen of rice paddy. Without this piece of land, not only would he be unable to support Liang Chen's studies in the future, but his own situation would likely deteriorate from then on. The prospect of marrying off his two sons would also become a distant dream.

While claiming to want to be like Pan Xuezhong, in reality, it is merely the boastful talk of youth. On a positive note, it can be seen as establishing a role model in life; on a negative note, it is simply overestimating oneself

Land is the lifeblood of farmers, especially in this era, where having more land or less land has a significant impact on the fate of a farming family. Otherwise, for thousands of years, why have the Han people, once they have money, preferred to buy land and become landlords

Thus, the path of studying is, in fact, the only choice available to a loyal minister when no other options exist

However, if one's own nephew were a military general, commanding a troop that obeys the orders of the Wei family, then the fate of Wei Zhongxian could be altered, the fate of the old Wei family could also change, and naturally, the fate of the Ming Dynasty would follow suit

If Second Uncle is not doing well, but has been in the palace for twenty years, he should at least be able to say a few words in front of the powerful eunuchs. If he pleads with them a bit, perhaps they might be able to help.

Why does Wu Fuzis daughter, Wu Xiuzhi, look down on Liang Chen? Is it not because he is an unworthy student? Or perhaps it is because the ancestral grave of the Wei family does not emit any smoke, indicating that the Wei family simply lacks the talent for scholarly pursuits

Wei Jinde furrowed his brow and said, "Your leg injury has just healed, how can you go to the capital?"

The boss is right; if we do not go to Beijing to find his second uncle, how can we know if the matter will succeed? Even if it does not succeed, we will not lose anything.

After much consideration, Wei Jinde agreed to go to the capital to find his second uncle, but the question remained: who should be sent

Either become a farmer or go to school; faced with this choice, a good minister would certainly grit his teeth and choose to study

The loyal minister volunteered, standing tall and saying: "Father, I will go."

The loyal minister made up his mind to first go to the capital to see his second uncle, and then find a way to enlist in the army. He had no other skills, but he was quite capable of preserving his life. Moreover, thanks to the reckless behavior of the original owner of his body, he was very proficient in horsemanship

After listening to the statements of his two sons, Wei Jinde was somewhat surprised; however, he did not outright reject the matter on the spot, but instead contemplated the feasibility of the situation

Three months later, for the provincial examination, the good official is not prepared to participate. The original owner of his body was not suited for studying; even if he exerts himself now, relying on the knowledge from two lifetimes, he can barely manage to pass the examination for a xiucai. As for the juren level, he is afraid he cannot pass that either, let alone the jinshi.

Liangqing's idea is quite simple: to treat a dead horse as if it were alive. If his uncle is indeed doing well in the palace, then he should ask him to put in a good word for the county, just like the Zhang family, to protect their ancestral land

Zhang Jia has benefited from the youngest one's fortune, so why shouldn't they take advantage of it themselves

Why did Wei Zhongxian dare not take action? Besides being deceived by the illusion of Chongzhen and harboring fantasies about him, the most important reason was that he had no troops to mobilize

Entering Beijing

If there is an opportunity, I would try to slightly alter the Battle of Sarhu. If there is no opportunity, I would wait for the death of Wanli and then offer suggestions to my second uncle, so that he would not be overly humiliated by the Donglin Party in the case of the relocation of the palace. Once Tianqi ascends the throne, everything will proceed smoothly.

This point is strikingly similar to that of Second Uncle Wei Zhongxian. Historical records indicate that Wei Zhongxian enjoyed riding horses, could hold a bow in his right hand, control the string with his left hand, and shoot with remarkable accuracy.

So much so that Sun Chengzong, who was stationed outside at the time, attempted several times to lead troops into the capital to "clear the court of traitors," while Wei Zhongxian had no means to respond, leaving the eunuchs in a state of constant anxiety. Ultimately, it was thanks to Sun Chengzong's loyalty that he did not take that step, allowing the eunuchs to turn danger into safety, successfully counterattacking and decisively suppressing the Donglin Party