Zhang Xie took two disciples to enter the capital from Zuo'anmen in the carriage of the post station, because his father was framed by Shangguan, he had always been wise and reluctant to enter the officialdom, in fact, he was not willing to accept the emperor's call.

But first there was the request of his friend Huang Daozhou, and the emperor's handwriting, especially the two lines of poetry written on the handwriting, so that he really couldn't shirk it anymore.

Compared with the previous two-wheeled carriage, the post carriage transferred from Tongzhou is much more spacious and the driving time is much smoother.

The two students who went to Beijing with him were curiously observing the scenery of the capital outside the car, which was very different from the appearance of the capital they had heard before.

It is said that the wind and sand in the north are strong, and after the dust and dry feces are raised, the smell is really indescribable.

But as far as they saw now, it was only a little dusty, and it was not as frightened as the merchants said.

And after the originally bumpy carriage entered the city, it also became stable.

"Teacher, it's really strange that the people in this capital actually laid iron bars on the ground, what is this for?" The two students looked at the scenery for a long time, and couldn't help but turn around and ask Zhang Xie curiously.

Zhang Xie, who was still pondering what changes would happen to this trip to Beijing, suddenly smiled when he heard the words and said, "Teacher, like you, has not been to the capital for many years. I also don't know about these new gadgets in the capital, so I'd better wait until I get to the Huitong Pavilion and ask..."

Zhang Xie originally thought that even after he entered Beijing, the emperor would not summon him immediately. So early the next morning, he instructed two students to pack their bags in the museum, and he prepared to go out to meet his friends in Beijing.

But as soon as he walked out of the gate of the guild hall, the officials in the hall chased after him and informed him that His Majesty would summon him immediately.

Although Zhang Xie was a little surprised, he immediately followed the little official back to the hall.

The eunuch who came to pass the word was relieved when he saw the little official chasing people back, and then hurriedly urged him to get in the car and go to the palace to see His Majesty.

After the eunuch took him to the Wuying Palace, someone came over and took him into the Wuying Palace.

Zhang Xie felt quite surprised when he saw Chongzhen sitting in the office room that was separated out, instead of receiving him on the throne in the main hall. However, he still remained silent, and finished saluting Chongzhen first.

After the two finished saluting, Zhu Youzhen beckoned him into the inner room to speak. Zhang Xie cautiously sat down on the emperor's throne, and then bowed his head and waited for the emperor's question.

"You are Zhang Shaohe?" Zhu Youzhen held a book in his hand and asked him.

Although he knew that the emperor's question was not malicious, Zhang Xie was still a little nervous in his heart, and he quickly bent his body and said: "The minister is Zhang Xie, the person raised by Zhangzhou Mansion, a fool in the mountains and fields, and he is ashamed to receive the gift of His Majesty." ”

Zhu Youzhen ignored Zhang Xie's prevarication, but raised the book in his hand and said: "Your book "East and West Foreign Examination" is very well written, and the history, deeds, situation, products and trade of 40 countries in the two oceans have been written.

It also records the information of the water journey, the needle road of the two oceans, the marine meteorology, and the tides to these countries, which is really the first book to read before I go out as a maritime merchant in the Ming Dynasty. I'm going to print it and recommend it to the Maritime Association, would you like to? ”

This book was originally commissioned by Zhang Xie to be commissioned by Tao Rong of Haicheng Zhi County, Xiao Ji, the manager of Zhangzhou Prefecture, and Wang Qizong, the governor of Zhangzhou, as a guide for trade between Zhangzhou and Eastern and Western countries.

To be honest, Zhang Xie didn't think the book was very important at the beginning, and there was a pause in the middle. However, after being sentenced by Wang Qizong, the governor of Zhangzhou Prefecture again, he really put his mind into editing this book.

And once he devoted himself wholeheartedly, he was really attracted by the history, geography, and politics of these overseas countries, and thought that it would be better for the people of the Ming Dynasty to know more about the overseas situation, so as to pursue the advantages and avoid the disadvantages, so he completed the book with a serious attitude.

This book not only draws extensively on government newspapers and archival documents, and refers to the notes and writings of many predecessors and contemporaries, but also interviews with boatmen, shipowners, sailors, and maritime merchants, and has been carefully and rigorously examined and edited.

But for him, this book still left a lot of regrets, that is, he did not go overseas to verify these materials in person, after all, the risk of going to sea is too great, and his family invariably stopped him.

Seeing that the emperor attached so much importance to his book, spent several years and painstakingly wrote the "East and West Foreign Examination", Zhang Xie really felt a sense of satisfaction in his heart, "Your Majesty is very loving, and the ministers are flattered." ”

Zhu Youzhen smiled, then put down the book in his hand and said, "But there are some flaws in this book."

For example, it has been a long time since the book was written, and the changes in the countries of the East and West Oceans are obviously still different from the records in the book. Maritime merchants can only use this book as a reference, and can no longer use it to guide their own business.

In addition, some unprovable wild history rumors are also recorded in the book, which undermines the authenticity of the book. ”

Zhang Xie suddenly said with a sad face: "What Your Majesty said is very true, but the minister is already old and frail, and I am afraid that it is no longer enough to run around like when he was young to listen to these new changes." ”

Zhu Youzhen waved his hand and said, "I don't want you to add a new copy of the "Eastern and Western Examinations", but I hope that you can serve as a teacher at the Naval Military Academy and teach them about the geography and history of the countries in the Eastern and Western Oceans, as well as the hydrological data on the seas in various regions.

Of course, the most important thing is how to go to the local area to collect this information, as long as you can teach enough people. Then I hope that we can compile a book every year on the latest information of the countries of the East and West Oceans, so as to serve as a guide book for the Ming maritime merchants and navy. ”

After understanding Chongzhen's intention to recruit himself to Beijing, Zhang Xie's heart suddenly settled down, and he immediately became interested in the emperor's proposition.

He thought for a while, and then said: "If Your Majesty wants the minister to preside over the revision of the new examination of the East and the West, then the minister hopes to invite a few people to assist him..."

When Zhang Xie walked out of the palace, the uneasiness along the way finally disappeared completely. He turned to look forward to it, and the new task given to him by the emperor began.

Haidian Tsinghua Garden, this originally noble and gorgeous private garden, has now completely changed its appearance.

Except for a part of the front garden, which is still largely unchanged, only a door number is hung at the entrance, and two more guards.

In the second half of the garden, a large number of flowers and rockeries were bulldozed, forming a playground with a radius of 1,000 steps.

Li Guorui leaned on a tall spruce tree with his hands on his chest, looked at everything in front of him, felt great regret in his heart, and secretly sighed that the emperor was simply a tyrannical thing, and turned his garden into what it is today.

If it was someone who knew him before, he would definitely not recognize this black and thin man in short clothes now, who was the youngest son of Marquis Wu Qing.

Beside him, there were more than thirty people lying in the shade of the trees, dressed like him. In the past, these people and Li Guorui were generally noble sons in fresh clothes and angry horses, but now they have become clay figures wallowing in the dust.

On the other side of the playground, dozens of similarly dressed people sat in the shade of the trees, but compared to the people in the shade of the trees on this side, the people in the shade of the trees on that side seemed much more regular, and they sat there cross-legged one by one, as if waiting for someone to give a lecture.

A man under the age of 20 lying on the grass three or five steps away from Li Guorui, he propped up his body with his elbows, straightened his head and looked at the opposite side, and couldn't help but laugh and said: "These stupid birds, do you even have to rest in formation now?" ”

"Well, in my opinion, they have to line up to go to the toilet now." Another young man lying on the grass with his eyes closed said casually.

The conversation between the two immediately caused many people to laugh. The people sitting cross-legged opposite seemed to hear their laughter, and many of them turned their eyes to this place.

The third son of Marquis An Yuan and the fourth son of Marquis Linhuai, when they saw the young man on the opposite side staring at this, they immediately raised their fists towards the opposite side in a demonstrative manner.

"These losers seem to be thinking of some kind of ghost idea again, Brother Cheng, should we be on guard?" Li Chang said to the young man sitting at the front.

Due to their different backgrounds, the cadets of the naval academy quickly divided into two opposing camps after entering the school. Shio, boat people, and low-ranking military attaché trainees soon gathered together.

And Xun Qi and the students from Jiangmen were also quickly entangled, except for a very few mavericks, the vast majority of the students quickly distinguished their belonging.

Although Chongzhen's purpose in establishing this naval school was to break the traditional Ming tradition of judging the noble and the inferior by blood. Clearly, however, his vision was not fully realized.

Even the rules of the military academy formulated by the emperor himself did not stop the cadets of the naval academy, and they were naturally divided into two groups: the civilian faction and the noble faction.

The instructors of the Naval Academy, headed by Yu Zhigao, felt that this kind of antagonism and class division among the cadets was the most normal. Because of the antagonism and class, these students were able to obey the school, which stimulated their competitive mentality.

And according to the emperor's idea, the establishment of a military academy where everyone is equal among cadets is what makes them feel weird.

Because of their family backgrounds, the educational foundation of these students is very different, the civilian students are good at self-care and practical ability, and the noble students are better in music and cultural education.

The habit that the noble students have developed since childhood has led to the fact that after entering the school, they treat the students from civilian backgrounds as slaves in their own families and bully them wantonly. In such a situation, how can the two sides get along on an equal footing.

However, Yu Zhigao also knew very well where the emperor's bottom line was, so although he acquiesced in the confrontation between the cadets of the Naval Academy, and even favored those cadets from time to time, he never let the contradictions among the cadets openly become out of control.