In the dark night, two carriages drove into an inconspicuous alley. The luxurious and spacious carriages made the alley seem cramped and narrow. Xiangfan City, as the old nest of the Qing Party, has a clear distinction between rich and noble. Fu and noble princes like Wang Linquan, because they have no family background and fame, even if they have a house in the city, they don’t often live there. The mainstay of the family, the Lu family, together with the rest of the family, lived in seclusion on both sides of this alley in the city. Their house was almost the same size as the mansion of the royal family, and Wang Linquan's main entrance on Laoshan, no matter how grand it was, was also It's just the gate of a wealthy family, not a mansion. And this alley, which is called by the people of Qingzhou, is full of dignitaries. In addition to the prosperous Lu family, Wen Taiyi, the oldest official servant among the six servants of the imperial court, and Hong Lingshu, the general of Qingzhou who holds the military power of a state, are also there. Adjacent to each other, it was these three Qingzhou giants who held together to support the Qing Party that was able to fight against Zhang and Gu in the temple. Unfortunately, there were three surnames in success and three surnames in defeat. The enshrined renunciation and morality surfaced, the Qing Party ceased to exist, and the birds and beasts scattered into the rest of the forces. The rest of the high gates ranked here are also scattered by the fallen trees, and they choose other high branches to attach to, no matter how hard it is to gather people's hearts.
If someone can take a closer look, they will find that the threshold is consistent with the identity of the owner of the Pinzhi Mansion, which is much higher than that of ordinary people. The rules here are insurmountable. On the road between the houses, the gate of the Lujia Mansion is the most talked about by the market. When the mansion was built, the two gates were carved directly from trees, and then they were made into doors and transported. Then they were reinstalled. Such a huge tree, It is destined that the two of them will not be able to embrace each other, the threshold of the Lu family is so high, it is said that many children would have to climb over it. Ordinary people can only take a detour to the sheep house, and they have no way to get close to this alley, let alone go to the gate of Lu's house to find out.
A kind old man with snow-white eyebrows stood under the steps of the gate of the mansion, holding a bamboo lantern, the candle light flickered slightly, reflecting the old man's kind face and shining brightly, the sixtieth year is considered a long life, and the old man is actually eighty old age. The eldest grandson beside him is also approaching the age of forty. The man looks elegant and wears a gorgeous fourth-grade sparrow brocade official uniform. Sitting in the yamen, visiting superiors and officials, socializing with colleagues in the county, and even young scholars under the rule visiting for advice, are trivial but not negligible headaches. Originally, tonight I had to burn a lamp all night to deal with a lot of thin books and copywriting At that time, the family servant in the house temporarily notified the ancestor to rush back home, so Lu Dongjiang, the sheriff of Taixi County, had to rush back before he had time to change his official uniform. The future head of the Lu family looked at the end of the alley, turned his head and asked his grandfather in a low voice if he would hold the lantern for him. The old man who was the backbone of the Youth Party shook his head. The old man didn't tell the eldest grandson who would come to visit late at night. Lu Dongjiang, who was afraid of this grandfather since he was a child, did not dare to speak out. This kind of awe lasted until the year when Lu Dongjiang, who was known as Lu Bok, was in his thirties. , Only then did it get better, so that the old man would not tremble every time he was asked face to face, for fear that the old man would despise him. No wonder Lu Dongjiang, a famous scholar in Qingzhou, is so unmanly. It is indeed his grandfather who has achieved too much fame. Just the fact that he formed a cabinet with the current chief assistant's mentor in the previous dynasty is enough to make people respect him like a god.
The Lu family has six generations under the same roof, but all of them without exception live under the protection of the old man. I am afraid that only Lu Dongjiang's daughter can talk and laugh freely with the old ancestor, and no one else has the courage. After returning to his hometown, the old man with the title of Shangzhu Kingdom glanced at the mansion across the alley, which was the old man Wen Taiyi's mansion. After careful calculation, when the next person is in court and the other is in the wild, it will take about four or five years. We've met, it's good if we don't meet, we can always maintain the harmony on the face, unlike Hong Lingshu who bowed his head and didn't look up to see each other, on the contrary, the farther and farther he went, the two descendants who had a good relationship with each other became estranged I got tired of it, and there was a big fight not long ago, so much so that when it came to the young feudal lord, that young man could be a man, and he didn't hesitate to put on the posture of pleading guilty as a feudal lord, you are the lord of Qingzhou who is watching the fire from the other side, It's all right if they don't each hit 50 big boards, what's the crime? He could still stay in the capital in his seventy-seventh year, and often worked day and night to seek peace for the king, without feeling tired. At this moment, the old man really felt a little tired. Turning his head and glanced at the knocker on the door of Yi, Lu Feichi laughed at himself. He has worked hard all his life, and after so many frightening choices, he got such a green and animal-faced tin ring that is not inferior to the prince.
Lu Dongjiang became more and more uneasy when he saw his grandfather's rare state of mind waning. Ask myself the past few years in charge of Taixi County, dare not slack off, and there are no flaws in human relations. Nowadays, the imperial court is aggressive and revitalizing the imperial examinations. Many scholars in the jurisdiction who have friendship with him as teachers and students have passed the Jinshi. When Lu Dongjiang asked himself, the old man suddenly raised the lantern in his hand and said softly: "There is a saying about this thing. , the more workmanship, the more vulgar. It means that once the workmanship is too complicated and loses its original flavor, it is too late. It is also a principle to be a human being. No one hates a person who is all-round, but no one will sincerely become a confidant with this kind of person. If you want to get along well with others, you must know one or two embarrassing things about that person and one or two handles to make you feel at ease and at ease. It’s not that you didn’t do well in Taixi County, it’s that you did too well The eldest granddaughter-in-law of our Lu family is not bad. Although she came from a small family, she can manage the family well after arriving here. It is human nature that she doesn't like you to mess with flowers. It is a good thing that she respects each other like a guest, but because of this, she refuses the entertainment on those romantic occasions, and is out of tune with the entire officialdom. You really think that superficial reputation, one or two umbrellas when you leave office, can make you step on others Got promoted? You should know that our Lu family in Qingzhou can no longer keep their promises, and it will only go from bad to worse in the future. With grandpa alive, everything will be fine. When I close my eyes, you are so drunk and sober. , It is tantamount to making enemies on all sides, you may think that you are a good official and a good person, and you have no shame in bowing down, but your father left early, and several uncles did not live up to it. , It is not easy not to hold back, since you are the head of the family in the future, it is inevitable that you will be like the shadow wall behind the Yimen Gate, acting alone, blocking all the filth for this family, you can no longer take it for granted like today."
The old man, who seldom talks at length with his descendants, took a break and looked depressed. Lu Dongjiang's face was pale, and he was sweating profusely in winter, and the back of his official uniform was soaked in sweat.
Smell the horseshoes before seeing the carriage.
Lu Feichi said with emotion softly: "Officials and officials protect each other. These four words are not pleasant to hear, but they express the true meaning of being an official. Now the three surnames of the Qing Party are in the same boat, and they are going their separate ways. It's a long way to go. Grandpa has been unable to recover from this game of chess in Qingzhou. He has obtained all the benefits that should be obtained. It is difficult to snatch anything from Wen Taiyi and Hong Lingshu's pocket. Grandpa still can't do it. But there is one thing Grandpa can do before he dies, and that is to take you to sit on another chessboard, where there are not many moves and there is plenty of room. The strength of the family is weak, but the descendants of the Lu family will not starve to death."
Lu Dongjiang once had a secret meeting with the old man on the Chunshen Lake with Chulu Mountain in Beiliang. Although he did not participate in the conversation, his wisdom in dealing with the world was enough to grasp the clues. Besides, Lu Chengyan secretly returned to Beiliang, but Lu Dongjiang didn't want to think about it. Not to mention the bitterness of the northern cool and cold, the key is that the situation is like a tired egg. Lu Dongjiang was born in Anle, and he is used to the peaceful life of drought and flood. Even if his daughter may become the side concubine of the vassal king, he never feels any glory. Cut, Lu Dongjiang woke up in the middle of the night with fright several times, but he didn't dare to question his grandfather's proposition.
As the sound of horseshoes became clearer and clearer, Lu Dongjiang plucked up his courage and said through gritted teeth: "Grandpa, on the old chessboard, even if the Lu family is going downhill, at least they can still hope that a national player will appear in the future to regain the lost ground. Maybe one day the chessboard will be overturned, no matter whether the Lu family's chess player is grandson or whoever, he will only end up losing the whole game, do you really want to change it?"
Lu Feichi squinted his eyes, and Lu Dongjiang was sweating profusely, and he didn't dare to wipe it off. After speaking out his heart, his momentum suddenly weakened, and he lowered his head and said, "It's my grandson's fault."
He never wanted to smile at the unsmiling old man who was the eldest grandson, and patted Lu Dongjiang on the shoulder, "Dongjiang, grandpa has been waiting for this day for many years."
Lu Dongjiang suddenly raised his head with a look of disbelief. Lu Feichi looked towards the dim sheep house at the end, and said with relief: "It's okay to worship the ancients blindly, and it's the same as writing poetry and being a man. If you don't even have the guts to say no to grandpa in this life, when grandpa closes his eyes, you will Very disappointed. The reason why grandpa is so fond of Yan'er is that she is smarter than you all and knows when to nod and when to shake her head. Grandpa has been in three parts of the capital in his life, and has been kneeled by so many people, many of them Now that I have written six books, how much did your grandfather listen to your flattering words? If you go to Beijing, even Bi Yaner will treat each other with courtesy. How do Wen Taiyi and Hong Lingshu compare with your grandfather? Let alone one of them I have to beg for mercy with Zhang Julu. A person eats too much bird's nest and shark's fin, and casually eats home-cooked dishes, which will only whet his appetite. But then again, at this age, grandpa will inevitably become dizzy. Who is standing fifty steps away? , Grandpa will definitely not be able to answer. But when looking at the current situation, he should be farther away than you. Besides, my gambling skills and luck have always been good, and the last bet, God will surely give me some face."
Years of depression in Lu Dongjiang's heart were all gone, and he was in good spirits.
The old man smiled and said: "A good bird chooses a tree because it is afraid that the big tree will not be solid, and if it changes the gate, it is afraid that the building will collapse. But the weather in Beiliang does not seem to be declining. It is clearly a situation where the family is getting more and more prosperous. In the past Strong branches and weak stems are really not suitable for clinging to, but now the trunk is growing gradually. When my grandfather was on his way back to his hometown, he talked to a man surnamed Huang about the general situation of the world. It is worth outsiders to bet all their wealth, and grandpa thinks so deeply. This is why the meeting tonight and the subsequent departure of the Lu family. The children of the Lu family are mixed. You, the head of the family, don't need to be too restrictive. You choose a few Lu family members who are not worthy of the responsibility, as abandoned sons, and take the initiative to help the king of Xinliang to kill chickens and monkeys. Beiliang will remember it in all likelihood Let go of this old love. If you want a bonsai in the garden to look good, you have to cut it and cut it, and you can’t make a choice. There is no good thing in the world that you can’t let go of.”
Lu Dongjiang was both terrified and suddenly said: "The grandson will definitely remember it in his heart."
The old man who was always carrying the lantern squinted his eyes and tried his best to look at the approaching carriage. His words were soft at first, but imperceptibly hurried, "Grandpa hopes very much that the Lu family will have an old man like Grandpa when the next political downturn occurs." Not to die, but to clear the fog and teach opportunities to the children and grandchildren face to face, this is the greatest wish of grandpa."
Lu Dongjiang's expression suddenly changed, and he said sadly, "Grandpa, are you going to Beiliang with us?"
The old man sighed, and finally handed the lantern to the eldest grandson slowly, and said with a smile: "The Lu family has changed to a new owner, but someone has to give an explanation to the old owner, and it is a kind of willingness to start and finish. It's outrageous to be empty-handed."
Lu Dongjiang took the light lantern, but it was as heavy as ten thousand jun.
After the old man handed out the lantern, he seemed lost and relieved. Without turning his head, he just stretched out his finger and pointed at the eaves of the mansion behind him, and said in a deep voice: "Remember, one is under the eaves, and it is one's duty to do things with one's head down, but don't forget to be a man with one's head up, because this is what we have always done. A duty that cannot be lost from the birth of a mother's womb."
The old man quietly straightened his waist, and looked at the King of Beiliang who got off the carriage.
At that time, the young general refused to admit defeat after all his capital was exhausted. In order to make a comeback, he and a group of high-ranking elders begged for alms and horses. He stood in the torrential rain from early morning to dusk.
And he, Lu Feichi, was one of the old elders.
The elderly man who no longer had a lantern in his hand slowly closed his eyes with a smile on his lips.
Lu Dongjiang was shocked, and hurried forward to support the ancestor of the Lu family who fell backwards, and burst into tears.
The lantern in his hand fell heavily to the ground.
When people die, the lights go out.