Outside the city of Gaodu, outside the newly cultivated hundred acres of barren fields, an earthen platform was erected. This is just in the east of the city, which is the evolution of the ancient ritual of welcoming spring in the suburbs. Early in the morning, there were people from four villages and eight townships guarding the stage. This is the Lichun Nuo ceremony presided over by the county magistrate, and I haven't seen it for a few years at least. No wonder there were severe droughts and insect plagues in the past few years. Without the government to eliminate the disasters and welcome the spring, how could the weather be good
With a very simple mind, these people rushed over early, just hoping to grab a good spot in front of the stage. The soil cow used to whip the spring stands on the edge of the stage, covered with blue banners, and its size is quite impressive. However, the county magistrate has not yet arrived, and no one dared to take a step forward.
After another half an hour, the sound of gongs and drums could be heard from afar. This is the purification of the way, the exorcism of ghosts, and the necessary ritual for Nuo practice. Not long after, I saw the brigade of yamen escorting the two of them towards this side. The two in the center were both wearing green clothes, the older one was wearing green silk, with a flat face and a beard under his chin. He looked very majestic. The young man beside him was wearing a veil as a crown, and his complexion was like that of Haruyuki that had not yet melted away. It was dazzlingly white, and it was so beautiful that people didn't dare to look at him.
Immediately there was a commotion from the audience: "Who is that person? How did he walk with the county magistrate?"
"Why is Lord Lang so handsome?"
"Ah, isn't that the legendary Liang Langjun?!"
"Such an immortal character must be Liang Langjun!"
The commotion got louder and louder, and then, I don't know who knelt down first, bowing down to the handsome man reverently. Last year, in order to defend the city, many young men died unexpectedly. It is said that Liang Langjun cast a spell to lure away the rebels, so that Gaodu was spared the disaster of breaking the city. And these newly returned refugees ate an unknown amount of horse meat porridge. I don't know if the meat porridge is a blessing, so few people die from the disaster in the refugee village, it's like a miracle.
Today, the county honors the buffalo, the god of welcoming spring, and Liang Langjun is on his side. Wouldn't it be good weather, no disease and no disaster? Excited and uncontrollable, just like the wheat waves that fell down, all the people in the four fields knelt down.
Guo Jiao looked at the people who were kneeling down below, and said with a smile: "Lianghou, look, the people's hearts can be used!"
"It's still the county that respects the benevolent government, so that the people can return to their hearts." Liang Feng cupped his hands and replied.
This is a compliment in front of outsiders, and it sounds better than a hundred times in private. Guo Jiao laughed and asked Liang Feng to preside over the ceremony on the same stage. Naturally, Liang Feng would not steal his limelight.
Standing on the soil platform, Guo Jiao bowed deeply towards the east, and said loudly, "Spring is here, I congratulate the God of Mang! May this year's harvest be fruitful and the weather is good!"
Following his voice, the gongs and drums rang again, and a dozen or so men with Nuo faces began to drive away the Nuo, singing and dancing. Because they were greeted by the wood god Jumang, this time the Nuo ceremony was not accompanied by a square face. The crowd wore blue clothes, held wicker sticks, and wore a bird face on their heads, shouting and shouting around the soil platform. After reciting the long divine incantation, they also danced the Nuo dance, and the curtains covered with the ox were lifted.
This time, it was the master craftsman in the craftsman who carved the spring ox. I saw that the local ox was lifelike, with complete hooves and horns, just like a sturdy yellow ox, ready to set off for farming. Guo Jiao stepped down from the soil platform, took the colored staff handed over by the yamen, and hit the soil cow hard. With every blow, a small official sang auspicious words, and the people greeted him with shouts. In the cheers of the sky, Guo Jiao whipped six times, and it ended.
However, when the ceremony was over, Guo Jiao did not put down the colored staff, but held the wooden staff in both hands and walked up to Liang Feng: "Thank you Lianghou for coming along, this spring will be dedicated to Lianghou!"
The voice fell, and the drum music played again. This is also a kind of etiquette, which is called "sending spring". The county magistrate personally sends the whip spring color stick to the county gentry, which can be said to be the highest treatment.
Liang Feng naturally wouldn't refuse, he took the colored staff with both hands and bowed in thanks. Seeing the movement of the two people handing over the colored sticks, there was another cheer from the audience, with the blessing of the Buddha, why not be afraid of disasters!
In this way, the work on the scene is finished, Guo Jiao whispered: "Lianghou, let's withdraw some..."
I don't understand Guo Jiao's meaning, but Liang Feng is not stupid enough to ask, he smiled and followed behind the other party, backing off more than a hundred steps. After standing still, Guo Jiao gave a wink to the clerk next to him, and the other party hurriedly rang the gong beside the stage. As soon as the gong sounded, the people below became chaotic, and rushed towards the local cattle with a bang. This battle was almost as if they hadn't eaten for hundreds of years, and they were starving for the last bite.
Having never seen such a scene, Yi Yan immediately shouted and led the soldiers to stand firmly in front of Liang Feng. Guo Jiao next to him laughed and said: "Don't panic, this is the common people robbing spring mud, and no one will be hurt."
After listening to Guo Jiao's explanation, Liang Feng understood. What these people robbed is the soil from the spring cattle. It is said that if sprinkled in the fields, it can bless the soil with fertility, and if it is placed on the silkworm seeds, it can protect the spring silkworms from disease and produce more silk. It is a kind of treasure with excellent intentions, how can you not let people rob them of their heads
In less than a quarter of an hour, the huge mud cow didn't even have any dregs left, and some people were unwilling to scrape the ground where the cow was standing, hoping to get a little mud. Looking at the happy expressions of the people who grabbed the spring mud, Liang Feng felt relieved. In a few days, when the overturned vehicles outside the city are also fully equipped, under the intensive cultivation, the county will definitely be able to achieve a bumper harvest.
A trip to persuade the cultivation ceremony to make Liang Feng feel at ease. However, not long after returning to the mansion, bad things fell from the sky. Ningbei General's Mansion sent an envoy to recruit him as a vassal of the General's Mansion.
The visitor, surnamed Chen, was a recorder at the General's Mansion. After seeing Liang Feng, he nodded with satisfaction: "Dong Yinggong heard that Liang Lang is a virtuous man with outstanding demeanor. The government is in charge."
Looking at Chen Lushi's arrogant appearance, Liang Feng said lightly: "I have been sick on the bed for a long time, and my body is too weak to be used by Duke Dongying."
Unexpectedly, this kid refused to say a word. Chen Lushi's face froze: "Liang Lang is from Bingzhou, and now the world is in turmoil, it is the time to employ people. Duke Dongying recruits talents widely, and appoints talents to use energy, which is really the mainstay of Bingzhou. Such refusal, Isn't it sloppy?"
Liang Feng smiled but didn't answer these harsh words.
Seeing the person in front of him who was incapable of oil and salt, Chen Lushi only felt extremely depressed. It's a good errand, and it's actually done like this. If you go back, you will be punished by Dongying. However, the expedition is the etiquette of the country, and he can't use force. After holding it for a long time, he can only get up and retire.
Seeing the appearance of the recorder leaving angrily, Lvzhu whispered worriedly: "Langjun, this is Duke Dongying's expedition, can you really not go?"
"Of course." Liang Feng sneered.
Not only can, but it is something that anyone who wants to recruit celebrities must accept. It can be said that it is a tradition since the Han Dynasty that celebrities and scholars cannot succeed in expedition.
In the two Han, Wei and Jin Dynasties, when the imperial examination system did not appear, the expedition system was another important way to become an official besides the inspection system and the nine-rank Zhongzheng system. The imperial conscription was called "Zheng", and the government's conscription was called "Pi". Many famous scholars and scholars entered the official circles by means of conscription. However, this "Zhongnan shortcut" is not a hundred attempts. Many hermits were reluctant to take up official positions, and they were unable to do so. There was a great Confucian Zheng Xuan who refused the Han court's call for several times, and there was a famous scholar Wang Sa who had a grudge against Sima Zhao for murdering his father and failed to succeed in all three expeditions and seven evictions. Even Sima Yi, the ancestor of the Sima family, did not pretend to be sick to escape Cao Cao's initial expedition
In a dynasty like the Western Jin Dynasty, where the situation was complicated, and those in power were stupid and stubborn, it became more popular if they should not be recruited. With such a social atmosphere, it is impossible for celebrities who are devoted to fame and power to come and go. As a result, if the expedition is not enough, it has become the choice of another part of celebrities to raise their prices. They would never want to become an official if they didn't look at the cottage again and again, and they didn't get promoted again and again.
Therefore, the expedition has become a wrestling between those in power and celebrities. Those in power want to have a good reputation as Ren Xian, and celebrities use this mentality to support themselves, and no one will easily break the balance. But now Liang Feng is no longer the kind of ordinary person who is unknown, and he has made a name for himself again and again, and he has the right to refuse the expropriation.
Just because Sima Teng went to Beijing to take credit for the epidemic prevention thing, he would not devote himself to that stupid general's mansion. And the expedition was a good thing, not a bad thing, for him. Because even if you should not be recruited, the world will acquiesce that you have the ability to be an official. In the future, if you want to continue to recruit, you can only be promoted to the official position step by step, and you cannot use the original official position to recruit several times.
If Sima Teng pulls up the foundation in the matter of expropriation, it will be beneficial to him. He wanted to see what else the fool could come up with.
※
"What did you say? Liang Feng shouldn't be recruited?!" Sima Teng raised his eyebrows when he heard the master's words, "How dare you be so domineering as a mere Tinghou?! Send a convoy to Liang's house to pick him up. Come to Jinyang!"
Master Gao couldn't help but smile bitterly: "General, that Liang Zixi said that he was too weak to deal with it. I'm afraid it would be inappropriate to act so hastily."
"What's wrong?!" Sima Teng said angrily, "I have already respected the virtuous corporal, regardless of previous suspicions, he is still so ignorant. Do you want me to take care of the thatched cottage?!"
This was a bit too much, and Master Gao hurriedly coughed: "The general's words are serious. In fact, there is no way to go back to the expedition. Didn't he say that he was ill? Then send a few doctors over to diagnose him. If you are really sick, you can give medicines to extend the doctor and give some kindness. If you pretend to be sick, you will naturally have a reason to ask guilt. In this way, can you also show the general’s generosity?”
Hearing this, Sima Teng pondered for a moment, and finally nodded bitterly: "That's fine. Send two imperial physicians to check his pulse carefully! If you dare to say anything untrue, I will take him as a question!"
Master Gao breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Liang Zixi used this kind of excuse. If you put it another way, it would be really difficult to deal with. But is this person trying to raise his prestige, or is he really unwilling to come to the General's Mansion? If it's the latter, it's easy to handle, if it's the former, it's a person with deep scheming. It may not be a good thing for such a person to enter the general palace.
But the words have already been said, and now it is a bit difficult to ride a tiger. Alas, it seems that I have to send a letter to Wang Wen as soon as possible. If there is no trouble, it will be troublesome.