"The Change of Heaven"
Volume 2: The Edge of Heaven
Chapter 160: A Gentleman Is Not an Instrument
The emperor stopped me with a wave of his hand. "Marquis Yue, there is no need to say more. I know what you want. Considering that you still have a heart of loyalty and filial piety, I will just assume that you have nothing and have no thoughts. Just leave with me."
After he finished speaking, he glanced at the ministers and finally said to Brother Meng De: "Duke Wei! Marquis Yue is not feeling well, please go and see him!"
Brother Meng De immediately accepted the order and left. I hurriedly stepped back a few steps, half-blocked Brother Meng De's momentum to leave, and knelt again. From Brother Meng De's point of view, I looked at the emperor and said, "I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and allow me to report."
Meng De stopped by me and squeezed my shoulder, probably to signal me not to do it again. I tried hard but only shrugged my shoulders slightly, pretending to stop him, but I wanted to let him know that this involved thousands of lives, and I had to do it no matter what.
The emperor snorted and was about to walk away. Suddenly, my father and the teacher came out and looked at each other. The teacher stepped back first, and my father bowed slightly to the teacher, then turned around and bowed, saying, "The guilty minister has made a statement. I am so bold, but considering that he is also in a position of regent, please listen to his words before making a decision."
The emperor looked at his father carefully for a while, then looked at the teacher. I saw the teacher nodded. The emperor finally seemed to have calmed down, snorted again, walked back and sat back down.
"You bastard down there, get up here and let me hear you. How can I listen to you from so far away?" His tone was obviously softened, but no one laughed at this half-joking and half-insulting remark. The princes stood facing each other in an orderly manner. Some looked at me, some I thought were looking at me; some looked down at the ground, some I suspected were looking down at the ground; some didn't know where they were looking, and some I really didn't know where they were looking.
He bowed every three steps and kowtowed every five steps until he reached his original position, then knelt on the ground again: "I think Your Majesty should not punish the nine clans of the three people, the Shanglin Garden Ling, the Cheng, and the Wei. Since our great Han Dynasty was rebuilt in Luoyang, the previous emperors rarely visited Shanglin Garden, and also reduced some idle positions, and restored the Ba and Chan rivers and Lantian for agricultural use. As a result, the funds for the repair of Shanglin Garden were greatly reduced, and all the output of Shanglin Garden was returned to the Shaofu, resulting in the old palaces, the damage of the gardens, and the siltation of the lakes and waterways. There is really nothing to use, and it is not your fault. This is the first reason; today, the world is just beginning to be peaceful. If you punish them for the old palaces, it may cause the palaces and gardens everywhere to repair them, which will waste money. This is the second reason; it is the first month of the year, and the princes from all directions come to pay homage, and the clans are not in accordance with the etiquette and law. This is the third reason."
In fact, the reasons and words are not complete, but they cannot be completed. I deliberately added some nonsense. Your Majesty should understand that, for example, I have made the palace old, damaged, and blocked, and what this waste of money represents, and the meaning of the princes coming to pay homage for no reason.
Naturally, some people here will think I am a fool; others will think that he will turn out to be much more beautiful than me, and even have several more stripes.
But the only difference is: I dare to come out; and these people - at least for now - none of them intend to do so.
And it’s not that I can’t be beautiful. At least my letters home to Yinling are pretty good, although the two ways of writing should be somewhat different.
I had to make everyone feel like I was the one who came from there - as the regent, my first words in the court were to impeach Dong Zhong - and then I was demoted to a commoner.
In the past, I often kept silent.
If I am too smart, I am afraid that most people will not believe me; if I am too stupid, I guess no one will believe me at all; if I am too honest, many people will believe me, but it will be useless to convince the emperor. So I can only speak in such a clumsy, cautious, clumsy, and roundabout way, which should make them feel that the words come from me and can also touch the emperor.
"Zi Rui'er, do you think Yuan Ling and the others are innocent?" The emperor seemed to have finally tasted the meaning of my words, and there was some anger in his tone. But when he added an "er" after my name, he immediately felt much more at ease.
"Your Majesty, this is not true. First, the emperor is on a tour, and these people are completely unprepared. They should be executed. Second, they have arbitrarily divided the land in the garden among their relatives and occupied the palace. Their behavior should also be executed in public."
"Then what should you do?" The emperor's voice became relaxed, but I couldn't agree more.
"Temporarily detain them and ask the officials to investigate and verify their crimes. But they must be dealt with in the autumn to comply with the law. Their tribe was relocated to the border. Now that the princes of the Han Dynasty have fought against the Xianbei and expanded their territory, they can be relocated there."
I swallowed my saliva deliberately and acted a little nervous and restrained, at least I would be unconsciously like that when I was nervous in front of someone: "Your Majesty exempted the taxes of my territories for three years, so I didn't bring any tribute when I came. I felt uneasy on the way, so I sent someone back to get it. I am willing to do my best to help His Majesty repair Shanglin Garden."
I looked up and saw the faint smile on my father's face, and I felt more at ease. The emperor was silent for a moment, then coughed and said, "Since Rui'er is a filial son, I will grant you the tiger skin you sent me."
Next, the father and the teacher came out one by one, and they all expressed their willingness to make additional contributions to help the emperor revive Shanglin Garden. The first one immediately ordered people to fetch it from the country, and the other one borrowed it from the relatives of the family near here. The former was either too stupid or too smart; the latter was either too smart or too stupid.
In fact, I think it would be more sincere to say that I would immediately find a way to ensure that the Emperor's palace does not fall into disrepair.
Of course there are some who are prettier than me, but the general idea is the same, and such people will have a much more secure position.
For example, Ruber is such a person. It seems that this guy really inherited the legacy from his ancestor Confucius.
But looking at his appearance and thinking about his neighbors, I felt that his position might not be so secure.
But anyway, the father was very happy and asked me if there was anything else I wanted.
"I was originally ordered to take charge of welcoming the emperor, but now I have ended up like this. If it weren't for the doctor and the chief priest Wei who arranged everything for me according to the etiquette, I am afraid I would not be able to escape the death penalty. In this case, how dare I say anything? It is just my duty and I have to do it. This is to avoid deceiving you, but I have committed this offense. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Well, then... where is Wei Jijiu?"
"Uh... Your Majesty, Lord Wei was exhausted from the long journey and helped me with the planning. His illness relapsed. He was sent to Chang'an for treatment a few days ago. However, when he arrived in Chang'an, he sent me a bamboo slip with various details to fill in the gaps."
"Well... well, then go back and reward him. And you, you rascal, actually went into the tiger pit and killed my tiger. You are really brave! I think you are filial, and you still remember that I have been unwell recently and sent me the tiger skin. Otherwise, I would throw you into jail as soon as I got here. Anyway, you are suitable to stay there." After these words came out, I felt relieved. The emperor smiled easily, and the princes also laughed.
"Jia Cong, whom I sent to your place, submitted a memorial to me. He went all the way from Xiemu to Guangxin and saw that the government was well governed and the people were happy. He used a saying of Confucius: one can know the teachings of a country by knowing its people. I didn't expect that you would pacify the turmoil in Cangwu, Nanhai, and Yulin as soon as you arrived, and you didn't neglect the government affairs."
"Your Majesty, I am grateful to Lord Jia for his praise. In fact, I have been in Jiaozhou for only a few months, and the government orders are well implemented. This is not a one-day achievement. It is a gradual process." Note 1 I paused: "The government affairs are clear and smooth, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. It is mostly the credit of Lord Xu Zheng, the former governor of Cangwu. It was my humble wife Pingguo who helped to pacify Nanhai... In fact, I did not do anything."
"Well, well... well, I know Yinling's ability. Listen to Lord Chu, she taught you when you were young. She taught you well! And the Xu Situ of Yue State should also be rewarded. My son Zirui, you can reward them yourself. I will not take care of it. But your father-in-law - Mr. Shuijing - seems to be a wise man. When my son Zirui needs to come, I also plan to give him an official position."
Naturally, I quickly thanked him and the matter came to a temporary end.
That day, the emperor went to rest early, and the regent and the Sixian Palace waited for orders in the outer hall.
It was a good thing to get along with three smiling elders. But this time, the smiles of the three elders always made me feel a little overwhelmed, so I could only accompany Xin and respond, and asked the attendants below to bring some wine.
My father looked at me with a grin on his face. Sometimes he would help me adjust my collar and belt, and would suddenly pat me without saying a word. The teacher still pursed his lips and didn't seem to be looking at me all the time. He only glanced at me occasionally and then looked out the window with a smile. Brother Meng De liked to look me up and down, sometimes frowning and pouting, and sometimes laughing out loud.
However, none of them spoke to me; instead, they started chatting among themselves. The only thing that was fortunate or stressful was that they were chatting about me.
We worked so hard to arrange this for nothing. But this guy finally got it. He actually made some progress after mixing things up like this.
Well, Zirui is a man of unique character among us who assist in the administration. This is not about establishing a state religion.
Well, this is all due to Yinling's contribution, right? Alas, it's a pity that Zirui took it back.
Haha, Meng Dexiu didn’t want Qi’er to hear this.
Haha, the eldest princess of Zhao is extremely skilled in martial arts, Meng De must be careful.
Everyone laughed, and I felt a sense of hope.
How about this, I go and see my mother? I'll talk to my father, teacher, and brother-in-law first.
You stay here! Wait for the order, wait for the order, how can I let you go, I just praised you and you don't even know your last name. Stay aside.
After he finished speaking, he helped me straighten my hat.
Lord Zhao, you have taken so many people from me. When will you return some of them to me? My country of Chu is in need of people. The teacher looked at his father's actions with a smile and spoke.
What's there to be afraid of... When Zirui has more children, let them go to the master to learn... Then... they will work for you there, what do you think, Mr. Chu? My father's eyes were always on my crown, and he only turned away when he asked the last question.
Oh, how can that be done? Don’t wait for another ten years. Even if it’s another ten years, I won’t have the energy to teach students. Now I am letting my students teach. Besides, there are no good students like Zirui, Zisheng, and Ziyu among my students at the moment. Sigh…
Mr. Chu is too modest. All the students you taught are outstanding people of the time. If I were lucky enough to study under you before I was twenty, what a wonderful thing that would be. What a pity.
Meng De, you are too kind! Dingguo also took many detours to understand some truths. It seems that reading thousands of books is indeed not as good as traveling thousands of miles. Therefore, when Zirui asked to travel to the north, I was worried and kept reminding him, but I agreed with him in my heart.
Well, the dog has been to many places. It seems that this is necessary. The younger generation of our clan still needs to go out and gain experience. If there are some good seedlings that can become useful in a few years, I will let them all go to Chu. Master, use them as you want. If you don't like them, kick them back to Wang. Wang will definitely not do anything.
Alas, I, Dingguo, cannot accept what Lord Zhao said. However, Zirui is both civil and military. Lord Zhao is truly blessed. I never thought that Zirui could be so capable.
Haha, this guy just likes to fight bravely, and he just happens to be lucky. How can he compare with the learned and capable people and generals who are good at fighting.
Uh, father-in-law, Zirui is not comparable to those people. What Duke Chu said just now is very true. My dear brother Zirui is both civil and military, and is absolutely incomparable to ordinary people. The person your father-in-law recommended is a tool, and the country needs him and uses him. Confucius said: A gentleman is not a tool. Zirui is a gentleman.
I know this sentence, "器" means things. A gentleman is not a thing. This is a joke used in our Xiangyang Academy, such as "You are not a thing, that gentleman is a thing". Just like the "佳人" used in Wudi, which means double natives. This is what young people do when they are idle. If a good word offends them somehow, it will be misinterpreted and used as a topic of conversation and joke. In fact, sometimes I also think this is not good. I really hope that the descendants of my great Han will not be as boring as us.
Of course, I believe that Meng De and my father teacher would not be as boring as our academy and would not explain it in this way.
So, I could feel myself blushing a little.
Well! Listen to my nephew Zishi. You have already seen it. He thought you would do what we arranged for you so as to establish your authority. We did not expect you to do this to us.
I'm sorry to trouble you elders, but this is too cruel. Father, the ministers will not believe that I can do this.
I just can't understand it! You've fought in many wars, and you don't have to do this. As long as you come out and make a report, the emperor will go to Shanglinyuan to issue an order, and you will act according to the order, and this matter will be settled. How come you don't have the courage? We thought that after you have pacified the rebellion in Yue for a while, when you come back, the ministers will think you are different.
Father, but this is the execution of nine generations of the clan. There are more than a thousand people in each family, and there are too many innocent people among them. I really cannot do this.
I know my son is soft-hearted. Actually, I have a memorial prepared for you to follow my order and then report to the emperor to punish all the wives, concubines and children as servants to show his kindness. Let me tell you, most of these three families are bullies who do whatever they want. The reports from Jingzhao Yin and Zuo Fengyi reporting the evil deeds of these three families can fill a room. Do you think your father is the kind of person who kills without blinking an eye
I dare not do that. I know I was wrong.
However, your words today, which you risked your life to speak out, are full of generosity and benevolence. I am afraid that those who disdain you will change their minds about you. Many people think that you are just a successful person, but now, I am afraid that they will change their minds and respect you.
Didn't the last time I offended Dong Zhong and was demoted change their attitude towards me
Doesn’t Zirui know the rumors among the people
I don’t know… what rumors.
There is a rumor among the people that you are the queen's concubine among the people, so you did this.
Hey, Mr. Zhao, what you said is unacceptable!
Father-in-law, why do you still believe this
I believe it? Haha, of course I don't believe it. Zirui and the eldest princess were born in the same year and month. Who do you want to believe it? However, there are some ministers who are willing to believe it. This is your fault, Lord Chu. You praised Zirui so highly, but he was lucky and encountered all opportunities. Zirui's road to success was too smooth. It just so happens that the queen really likes Zirui and even dotes on him, which is even more troublesome. Sometimes, if there are too many rumors, people will take everything seriously. It just so happens that this time, Zirui supported the establishment of the eldest prince as the crown prince as soon as he came, just like me. I heard from some people that there have been some rumors in the past few days.
Oh, why do you blame Dingguo... Uh, bring the wine.
The teacher smiled and said to the hesitant maid outside, interrupting the conversation.
Father had drunk wine in Shanghe before, but this time it was much sweeter than before. Teacher had traveled to Dunhuang, but was not able to go deep into the Western Regions, but he did drink some wine, but the wine here was not as mellow as the wine there; Brother Mengde drank it for the first time, so he naturally praised it highly.
After tasting the wine, as expected, the three of them started to talk about other things. This is why I hate politics. In their words, they always mention a lot of concerns and all kinds of unbearable things. It turns out that the world is still not good with the three of them. However, they mentioned that the three tribes were exiled to the territory of Lord Lu of Yunzhong, which was regarded as a kind of compensation. In addition, only part of this money will be allocated to slightly repair the Shanglin Palace, and most of it will still be allocated to the Shaofu for the emperor's spending.
I usually don't say anything in front of the three of them unless they ask me.
Zirui, I have to remind you.
Teacher, please speak.
You promised the people in Sichuan to attack Dong within five years. What are your plans
Well, there are still three years. I will first take Jiaozhou. In fact, I also plan to take back Zhuya and Danzhou. Only after the rear is pacified can I arrange the attack on Dong thief with confidence. Our scouts report that there are all kinds of people there, and it is extremely chaotic, with various forces confronting each other. I may be able to find a loophole. Then within five years, I will first open up a piece of land in the south of Yizhou where Dong thief is not strong enough to defeat him, and use it as my base for the suppression of Dong. Five years... I should be able to start. I don't have the strength to wipe out Dong thief with all my strength; but I can slowly conquer him, at least I can't break my promise to others.
Hmm, then how do we solve the problem of food and fodder
Transport it from Yue State to Tiannan, and then let Tiannan State supply me nearby.
Sure enough, it was just like when Zirui went from Chu to Yue, and he was about to have the same regrets as last time.
Well, these students will definitely be more careful this time.
Can Zirui trust that Tiannan King Mengjie? Although you have sworn brotherhood, the emperor awarded him a seal last year, but he did not come this year. I always feel a little uneasy, my son Zirui always trusts others too easily.
I think he should be suppressing the rebellion like my son. His position has always been unstable. This brother has half of my Han blood. Those who are not humble in the south and feel that they can succeed him are willing to usurp the throne.
Oh, I didn't forget it. It seems that my memory is also bad. Before I came, Xingba reported that the King of Tiannan was getting married and his younger brother was engaged. He was invited to attend the banquet. He felt that he should not be rude and should go to take a look, so he informed me. I also allowed him to go and prepared a generous gift for him to take.
Ah? No wonder, in fact, the students are also wondering why he didn't come for the Hajj this year. Now I'm afraid the letter has been sent to me... Maybe I have to send someone to deliver some things.
In fact, I should have expected this. This was one of the strategies Song proposed for Meng Jie and his brother. The wife of the new king of Nan should be the daughter of a certain family who is quite difficult to deal with but is waiting and watching. But I am more interested in that fat black man. Meng Jie's second brother is only a few years old. It seems too early to get engaged at this time. Thinking back to the situation at that time, my brother seemed to have already had a goal. I just don't know how their lives will be like after they get married in more than ten years. Thinking of Confucius' words, it seems that I need to change it: In ancient times, people married for themselves, but today they marry for others.
I sighed that most of my children would not be able to escape this test in the future. Suddenly I thought that I was also the second child inexplicably, and had a wife who was born in swaddling clothes? I could only smile bitterly and treat it as self-mockery. The teachers were a little confused, so they could only explain that Meng Jie's younger brother was only a few years old.
Because of the issue of children, the teacher also specifically mentioned that the two generals Wu Lan and Wu Ban asked the teacher to ask about their brother's situation before they came. I am naturally fine with everything, and I also plan to let him travel around after returning to Yue State, broaden his horizons, and make him a Langguan when he comes back. The teacher thought that the arrangement was quite appropriate, and I would reply to them when I go back. I suddenly felt strange, why the two of them were still in Chu State, not under the command of Ba Hou. The teacher Ba Hou felt that he was a guest in Wuling, and his civil and military officials were doing nothing. So he asked his generals to either join the teacher or join Chen Hou, do something first, and don't waste their talents. When it comes to recovering Ba State, it's up to you to come back or not. However, most people went to Chen Hou. After all, Liu Yan did have many connections in Yizhou, and Liu Hui was just a cover when he was in trouble. Only the Wu brothers stayed with the teacher, and it was because of their younger brother.
But I always feel that the problem is that these nobles look down on the teacher's background. I can't help but feel sorry for the teacher. Whether in terms of moral cultivation, knowledge and talent, the teacher is far superior to these nobles. Looking around the world, how many people can compare with the teacher
Why must we look at one's origin instead of his moral character? Is this the way for China to prosper
I cannot agree with this. If this is a rule, someone should change it; if it is a custom, someone should break it.
We had dinner at the waiting hall that day, and another eunuch came. The emperor told us to go and have a rest and go hunting tomorrow.
Before leaving, the teacher stopped me and asked me whether I thought of these words myself or Yinling thought of them for me. I naturally answered that I thought of them myself. The teacher actually chuckled and seemed very happy. He patted my shoulder, which was rare.
Brother Meng De heard this but didn't laugh. He looked me up and down very seriously, finally nodded, and finally smiled.
I asked Brother Meng De if he would come with me, but he said that his sister wanted to chat with Yin Ling and Sister Jin tonight, and he didn't allow me to spend the night alone. He also told me where he lived and asked me to go there if I had nothing to do. I thought I might get scolded by my mother when I go back, so I won't bother her tonight.
Meng De finally laughed and left.
On the way back, my father was a little cunning to me, Meng De, but he was generous and straightforward to me. It seems that his son has some abilities.
It's strange, my father is modest outside, but when I'm alone, he doesn't praise me much. After all, his son is a local lord, and he has made many achievements, which is much more useful than those good-for-nothings.
But I am a bit straightforward, as if a gust of wind blew and I farted, so I don't worry about the previous things. However, I always feel that something might be very troublesome. So I accompanied Xin and asked my father softly, "How is mother? Is she not angry about what happened to Sheer?"
The father looked around and dismissed his followers.
"My son, please do not call yourself by your real name when you are outside. Mr. Fan has offended the emperor. Before he is cleared of his wrongdoing, for the sake of protecting your son, please do not reveal your true identity." At the end, there was even a hint of apology in my father's tone, which made me feel a little uncomfortable. Of course, hurry up, my son understands, it won't happen.
In fact, it would be better if I didn't reveal it. Once the truth came out, I would worry about how to explain it to Pei'er. In fact, I married Ziyu's first wife, and now Pei'er has my blood. This matter is really very troublesome.
Even if I can't tell the truth to the world, it doesn't matter. Although I am indeed Shen Gongshe, that is just an empty title. God has sent me back to my parents, and I am so happy that I am dying. "Xiezhi" is good, and Xie Zhi is good.
My father paused and my mother felt much more at ease when she heard that I was fine. Moreover, Yinling would definitely coax my mother today. His daughter-in-law's mouth was usually much more effective than his son's.
I nodded yes.
My father also mentioned that when he has time, he will tell me about the Shen and Xie clan, but I may not know much about it yet.
Sure enough, when I met my mother, we only talked about her wounds for a moment and her worries for a moment, and then all the rest was what my father called "old woman's problems." But I answered her patiently, and if I couldn't answer anything, there would be help.
Seeing me walking freely, my mother was relieved and then very happy. My father also praised me, and my mother was very happy, but I was actually happier.
But evil is the root of good. A little reprimand may be a sign of bad things to come.
Just as Brother Meng De said, the three girls - at least none of them seemed to have grown up tonight - chattered together about all kinds of strange things - from the scenery of Shanglin to all kinds of handsome men and beautiful women.
Fortunately, when talking about Jun Ge, these three girls were still able to think of their own relatives and praise him, which shows that they still have a conscience.
But soon my name was drowned in rouge and powder, gold hairpins and pendants, silks and satins, and not even a single word could be typed out.
Finally, they told me that the three of them would sleep together tonight and I would sleep alone.
I couldn't show that I was unhappy. My elder sister asked me with a smile if I was unhappy, and I naturally smiled and answered, no, no. My younger sister threw herself on my back and asked me if I missed Sister Yinling, and I also answered, how could I? Ling'er didn't, and she gave me a few words of advice, such as not to catch a cold, but she pinched me from below.
As Yiren followed her sisters, she turned around and gave me an apologetic smile.
Only then did I feel relieved.
I guess Yinling will comfort her sister, and that will be good. Once the lady is out, the world will be at peace.
I can't remember who was the first to flatter my wife, Lady Pingguo, in this way. You are not allowed to do that, I have done that too.
Really, I have always had 120% confidence in Yinling, so I only have 80% confidence in myself.
I stayed with my mother until my father told me to go back and rest, saying that the emperor was going to hunt tomorrow and I had to go with him. He gave me some more instructions on what to wear tomorrow and then sent me back.
Seeing that it was still early in the evening, and thinking that there was nothing to do when I returned today, I went to look for some old friends to see if anyone was following my instructions and how they were being implemented.
There is a Liguan a few miles south of Pingleguan, which was originally used by the Yuefu (established during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han). It is said that there are several musicians stationed there, so it is very convenient for them to stay here.
There is a medium-sized pond between the hills. The building is built facing the water and backed by the mountain. There is a sentry fence a little further away, simply separating a piece of space on the roadside.
I originally thought they were resting and was about to leave, but suddenly I heard the familiar sound of piano, so I turned in.
I saw a horse leisurely eating grass on the road leading to the pavilion. I remember it was Captain Qin's horse. I asked outside the sentry post and learned that Captain Qin had just entered not long ago. He came here every day recently, but he was much late today. Then I got off the horse, loosened the reins, let the horse loose in the garden, and walked slowly over alone. The sound of the piano was short and continuous, as if it was intentional, as if it was considering the rhythm of the music. Not too far away, some musicians were talking about something very attentively on the secluded path in the mountains, and the sound of musical instruments could be heard from time to time. Fortunately, no one noticed my arrival, so no one came to talk to me, and she didn't even show up.
But my horse followed me all the way. I thought I had developed a bond with it and it was reluctant to leave me. I wanted it to stop following me and relax, so I loosened its bit and girth. But it just followed me all the way, and I was even a little touched.
However, the feeling of being touched disappeared very quickly. The exact timing was that we passed Captain Qin's horse together, and then I passed by alone.
Seeing the two horses leaning against each other, seemingly very affectionate, and then suddenly running away together, I suddenly began to wonder if it would be better for me not to go over.
Besides, she is here too, so it might be even worse for me to come here today.
When we stopped, we were already very close to the building and could hear the people talking quietly inside the window. It sounded like Miss Ren was playing a piece and asked Captain Qin for his opinion. Captain Qin listened to a piece and gave his opinion. For example, the music was too fast and it was hard to understand the deep meaning; the music was too gorgeous and seemed a bit frivolous; or the meaning was good, but it seemed too proud and the composition was a bit complicated.
I originally thought that the last sentence would offend people, and indeed after he said that, the girl on the other end was silent for a long time.
When I was wondering what the captain should say, the girl let out a cheerful "Ah!", and then I heard a piece of piano music that also made me feel happy and enlightened.
She thanked him and apologized for keeping the captain waiting for so long, saying that when she was thinking, she often forgot who was around her and what was going on.
Captain Qin seemed to have nothing to say, at least I couldn't hear clearly what he said before. But it was too late at the end, and I didn't want to disturb the girl's rest, so I left first. Miss Ren suddenly asked hesitantly if they could play another song together.
I left amid the music without saying goodbye.
I left quietly, just as I came quietly. I waved my sleeves, called softly, and then continued to call, waving my sleeves, but still could not summon my horse back.
After about half a minute, the music didn't stop, but I didn't want to continue to enjoy it. I led the horse away, and before leaving, I told the sentry not to let me come in, especially not to let anyone know what happened in the courtyard.
The second gatekeeper snickered, almost causing a bloody incident. At least my hand had already unconsciously rubbed the gun barrel a few times. They felt some pressure and tried to freeze their faces, but they still often made a sound of giggling.
On the way, I gave my mount a serious education and criticism in the spirit of learning from past mistakes and curing the disease to save the horse. Since it was all black, I named it Black, and its organizational relationship was classified as White's cousin.
Black friend was completely disorganized and undisciplined during the action tonight, and did not reflect the good spirit of the Han horse. He lacked self-control and neglected etiquette, and had sex with other horses, which seriously affected the appearance and caused extremely bad social impact. He should reflect on himself, reform through labor, and strive to change his ways and become a horse again.
During the entire education process, Hei kept his head down and remained silent. In view of his good attitude, the criticism meeting was closed immediately.
It seemed to be very late at night when I returned, and the lights in several houses near my house were dark. Fortunately, I was leading a horse that was even more tired than me, and asked the guards to be quiet. I went straight to the stable quietly and tied it up without making any noise.
When I opened the door of my house, there was someone waiting for me.
Oh, Qiuluan, why haven’t you rested yet
Today it is my turn to serve you and your wife to bed at night.
Uh... Wasn't it you the night before yesterday? Only two people took turns at night
Oh, you and your wife just came back the day before yesterday. The sisters followed you all the way, and I was afraid they were tired. I was the only one who had nothing to do during those days, so I let them rest.
Well, okay, Qiu Luan is a good girl... Haha, since you call Song He** "big brother", you should call me "big brother" too.
Qiu Luan dared not... dared to ask Yue Hou... Where is the wife? Why can't I see her
Oh, Madam Pingguo was kept by my sisters, so I slept alone today. Qiuluan, do you know where the armor I brought is? I need to wear it tomorrow.
Oh, I'll get it for you!
No, no, that armor is very heavy. Tell me where it is and I'll get it myself.
After a while, she led the way and brought the armor. After a careful inspection, all the parts were complete and seemed to have been wiped clean, looking spotless. I felt at ease and thought nothing was wrong, so I went to sleep.
Qiuluan, go and have a rest! You are no longer needed.
Since my wife is not here today, let me help you undress.
My heart seemed to be suddenly touched. I am not a fool, but I am definitely not confused either.
Well, no need, go and have a rest! I still need to look at something for a while, light a lamp and put it on the table, you can go now!
Yes... My Lord.
I am not a cold piece of wood, so I smiled at her who came over with the lamp and said: Thank you for your hard work!
I am not a stove that burns hot and fiercely, so I told her to turn off the other lights and not to waste lamp oil. When you miss your wife, one lamp is enough.
Not long after she left, I blew out the lights and went to sleep. First, I was really tired, and second, there were no books to read around. I read the first sentence of the bamboo slips that had been piled up, and I could recite the rest immediately after closing them. It seemed that I suddenly realized today that if I read carefully many times, even to the point where I could read it many times in my dreams, it turned out that memorizing books would become so easy.
But I didn't sleep as well as usual that day. I stroked the pillow beside me and found that Yinling was gone, and woke up suddenly. Finally, I remembered that Yinling would not come back tonight, so I lay down with a sense of loss and slowly fell asleep.
Because of this, I know more things. Some people came to visit me and then left.
The next morning, I only brought my son with me. Lord Song and Lord Xu followed me in the carriage of the Marquis of Yue, and rested outside with the carriages of others. Today, let them chat with the officials of the various princes, which will be much more enjoyable than going in with us.
The so-called hunting, in simple terms, is to mark out an area, drive the animals into it, and let the emperor and dignitaries hunt like they are harvesting wheat in the fields.
Today is not a fun day for a garden tour. This kind of thing requires strong people, such as ** and my mount. Today, my black friend has fully recovered his vitality and proudly carried me to the hunting ground. I noticed his bad intentions to go to the hunting ground, and quickly pulled him to stand beside my father, not allowing him to go to the Qinhou residence. I must admit that my black friend was a little upset.
Therefore, even if I had to leave my horse and kowtow to the emperor, I would definitely hand the reins to the horse's hand and at the same time entrust the horse to Hei, and I would also repeatedly remind these two friends not to move and to wait for my orders below.
** Wearing a suit of armor really suppressed the child's curiosity and stopped him from running around. He brought this suit from Yue State, and Song reminded him of it in Yue State. He didn't like this heavy suit, which was something I had in common with him. But he looked in the bronze mirror and thought it looked good, so he could accept it; he seemed to be the same as me in this regard. The weather was warm, and we had to wait for all kinds of ceremonial guards to be set up and for all the red tape to be completed one by one; although the drums and music were blaring, the horses were neighing and the dogs were barking, I still felt sleepy while riding a horse to serve them. The teacher seemed to have foreseen this, and asked Zishe to wake me up with a wry smile when he passed by me in the name of inspecting etiquette.
Fortunately, my father thought Zishe was joking and laughed at me, saying that I must have been very lazy in the academy. I naturally explained that Yinling had already taught me some things at home, and it was inevitable that I would feel sleepy when I heard the same things. My father treated this matter as a great honor and asked me not to mention it again.
When the emperor took out his bow, a large group of frightened deer and rabbits were driven into the hunting ground amid the crowd's skilled noise and the barking of a large number of vicious dogs brought from the Quantai Palace. The emperor didn't need to aim, just shoot at the large group of animals, and there would definitely be an unlucky one that would be hit by the arrow and fall to the ground. If it were me, I would probably be able to shoot a bunch of them with one arrow. But looking at this large group of terrified animals, I really couldn't muster up the energy and had no interest. Comparatively speaking, I am more interested in dealing with those dogs from the Quantai Palace. In addition, I am a little worried about my Yinling, I know she is afraid of dogs. But it seems that Yiren is not there. I asked my father, and my father replied that he was outside with my mother, sister and others. But I saw Zhou Yu next to Zishi. When the dogs barked loudly, she was also a little nervous. I knew from her movements that she wanted to hide behind Zishi. Zishi shook her hand, as if Zhou Yu was much more stable when he held her hand, but she still had some resistance to the dozens of beasts below. In fact, not only her, many horses including black people have this emotion.
However, the emperor was in a good mood and shot several arrows with his short bow. All the ministers cheered and shouted "Long live the emperor".
When the eunuch came back with a few deer, I was pondering the pros and cons of longbows and shortbows.
The arrow speed of the shortbow surprised me, but the arrow felt shallow; the arrow speed of my longbow seemed to be slower, but the arrow penetrated deep. I remember throwing stones in the past—actually, it was a few years ago. You need to use more force and throw the stone faster to throw it far; if the force is strong and the speed is slow, it will definitely be thrown close. For example, if you can't catch it and it slips out of your hand—that is, you have no force and no speed—you can hit your feet more accurately. In this way, the shortbow has a fast speed, so it should have more force and can shoot far. But everyone knows that longbows with greater force can shoot far, and shortbows with less force can shoot close.
Suddenly I remembered the feeling in my hand when I was holding the arrow that day. It seemed that the arrow was twisting and vibrating in my hand. Could this be the difference
The eldest prince was ordered to shoot, and I woke up only after hearing the cheers. It was said that he hit the target with the third arrow, but everyone, including us, cheered. The eldest prince was also very excited, jumping up and down on the stage, shouting for the eunuchs to quickly bring his trophy over.
Seeing the eldest prince like this, the emperor seemed a little dissatisfied. He did not let him continue and ordered the second prince to shoot.
The second prince waited for the eunuchs to bring back a deer before he drew his bow and put an arrow on it. Unexpectedly, all three arrows hit the ground in front of the herd of deer, as if he did not have enough strength. He could only turn around and kneel, saying that he was too young to draw the bow completely, and begged his father to forgive him.
The emperor did not blame anyone, but just laughed and said that Xie'er had to grow up quickly.
But I looked carefully and found that the Second Prince's aim was wrong. He obviously aimed too low at this distance. I don't know whether he did it on purpose or he really doesn't know how to aim at things at this distance.
Rabbits are very cunning, and only a few deer suffered on this day. The emperor suddenly said that at this time of year, we should follow the weather and not go hunting. Moreover, he had seen the shooting skills of the people in the Imperial Academy, so he ordered people to disperse the deer and rabbits. I think they are as happy as I am, or vice versa.
However, the activity has not yet ended, and the emperor actually wants to see us compare our fighting skills.
The emperor obviously still remembered some old events. He directly called Brother Fengxian to stand in the field and asked who could fight with him.
I felt that I had an unshirkable responsibility, as it was me and Brother Fengxian who had pretended to fight. Seeing that no one came out, I had to bite the bullet and directly rushed out to show my willingness to fight again. Obviously, Hei was more active than me and jumped out immediately. I had to correct his direction and clearly remind him that I was not taking him to a blind date, but to a fight. Obviously, Hei seemed to have misunderstood and made it clear that he was not interested in the other stallion at all.
And I was anxiously waiting for the emperor's approval.
The emperor actually refused. The last time we fought, it was very exciting, but it got boring after watching too much. The two of them fought endlessly, and finally it was just a fight, and they were still enjoying it. It was not very interesting. Suddenly, the queen seemed to whisper something, and the emperor immediately added that I had just recovered from my injury, and he was afraid that the fighting would tear the wound, so he let me rest. Then he asked if anyone was willing to come out and challenge the general of Yan.
I really wanted to breathe a sigh of relief and say to myself: Thank God. But on the scene, I had to act as if I was very disappointed and reluctantly escorted my even more reluctant black friend back.
I can finally enjoy some leisure time. Brother Fengxian is much stronger than me. If he hadn't let me win last time, I, Xie Zhi, would have fallen to the ground in a few moves. There are so many people this time, and they are so close. Although I am sure that Brother Fengxian will let me win, I am still afraid that he will find out. After all, it is best not to go up.
So I obediently returned to my father. When the drums started beating loudly and it seemed that someone was starting to cause trouble, I casually asked my father about the origin of our clan.
The results surprised me a little. One branch of my Xie family is descended from Emperor Yan, and from Boyi of Guzhu State (the one who gave up his kingdom to his brother Shuqi, and then died together because they refused to eat Zhou millet, and was mentioned earlier in this book). King Cheng of Zhou granted Boyi's descendants the title of Marquis of Shen, so they have had the surname Shen. Originally there was another country called Xie, which was a descendant of Emperor Huang and had the surname Ren. It was destroyed by Chu during the reign of King Xuan. Those who stayed here kept the surname Ren, and those who moved out did not forget their homeland, so they all had the surname Xie, which was also a branch. King Xuan's Zhao Gong (Zhao Kang Gong Hu) helped my clan build a palace on the original land of the Xie State, on the bank of the Xie River, and granted the Xie State, with Xiecheng as its capital. Later, those with titles in this lineage had the surname Shen, and those without titles had the surname Xie. There were also Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Qiang people who returned to the Han Dynasty. Because they always used the word shè when talking, they also had the surname Xie when they were naturalized. This is the third branch. Note
My family is the one that has always maintained the title. My son cannot use the surname Shen for the time being, which is a shame for my ancestors. My father is open-minded about it. After all, he is his own son, and it just so happens that his surname is Xie. Even if we are separated, he will not be a descendant of another family. This is already a great blessing from God.
There were already cheers and sighs coming from the arena. The situation was pretty much what I expected: after a few rounds, most of the time their weapons were knocked away, and some even fell off their horses after dodging too hard.
In fact, if we really fight, I should be in a similar situation to them. But obviously Brother Fengxian will let me go, and will not give these young and energetic generals from the princes' families any face. Not far away, the Yuan brothers were a little unhappy, one of them seemed to be unhappy because only one of their four generals was there. The general next to him, with a sullen face but lowered his head, seemed to be the general who shot for Yuan Benchu that day. From the looks of it, it seemed that someone had just straightened out his anger. Yuan Shu directly scolded Ji Ling, saying that he was useless. He seemed to be invincible in the country of Sui on weekdays, but he wilted when he met Lu Bu. I suddenly noticed that Han Fu was sneering at Yuan Shao in the distance, because the others were either looking at the field or whispering with the people below, but this person's expression and movements were a little strange.
But ** was obviously not the one I was focusing on. He was a little stunned, and the fork in his hand was also swinging slightly, as if he was also fighting. He didn't suggest going up to try. I guess he could feel the obvious gap, and maybe he was still thinking about me and didn't want to go up and embarrass me.
"Is it really true that my son, Marquis Ping'an Fengyun, is the only one who can fight against General Yan?" The emperor seemed suddenly very proud.
Suddenly, Taiwei Zhang Wen reported that Cavalry Commandant Yang Feng had mentioned that on the road, Fengyun Hou had fought with General Huoqi, and all the Yulin Cavalry had seen it. It was said to be extremely exciting, and it was a draw. Since Yue Hou's troops were injured, why not ask General Huoqi to fight with them.
The emperor said it was a good idea, and ordered his brother Zishi, who was standing not far away, to go and fight.
Zishi bowed and said that General Yan had fought eight battles in a row and if he fought now, he might run out of energy. He hoped that the princes would send out four more brave generals to fight him one by one and then have a decisive battle, which would be fair.
The emperor clapped his hands in approval, and I also clapped my hands in approval in my heart.
Brother Zishi is as strong as me, or even stronger than me, but he is definitely not a match for Brother Fengxian. Why not find some weaker opponents to fight four times? If we can win, even if we lose the match with Brother Fengxian, we will be different from those twelve people. Moreover, after fighting those four people, everyone knows that Brother Zishi is definitely weaker than Brother Fengxian who has been resting for a while. Even if he loses, it won't be a bad show.
Those who came to join in the fun seemed to be no pushovers. However, they all lost relatively "easily".
So everyone cheered, but I could remember these four because they were definitely fake fights. I wanted my master to teach me that set, and I didn't have many other skills, but if I looked closely, I could tell the speed and strength.
I can only doubt the intentions of these four families: they all deliberately exposed their flaws to Zishi, and they must be hoping that Zishi would give them face in the future. Brother Zishi has climbed much faster than me during this period of time.
Especially when Lord Sun Jian whispered with this person for a while before the fourth person came up, I was more convinced that my suspicion was correct.
When all the other people stopped talking and the drums suddenly started again, a decisive battle began.
However, I guess this one is fake too.
But I'm still very interested in how they will play this out.
Note 1: Many of the above-mentioned ancient texts on political principles are from the Analects of Confucius, including the title of this chapter. If you don’t understand the principles, you can go and search for them.
Note: I am reposting the names and lineages of the ancestors in the Xie family biography. Many family trees have records of them. Although there are some differences, they are basically the same. (You can search it online. Because it is quite long, it will cost you more VIP money. Please refer to the reposting in the settings)
The eighth generation ancestor, Kao Yuwang Gong, reigned for fifty-five years. Chiyou became a tyrant, abdicated the throne to Huangdi, and was demoted to a marquis. His mother was Yiqi, and his son was Emperor Zhu.
The ninth generation ancestor, Emperor Zhugong, was demoted to a marquis by his father and granted Dingluo as his fief, and his position was inherited by his descendants. His mother was Yijishi and his son was Qingjia.
The tenth generation ancestor was Mr. Qing Jia, his wife was Chen Zhang, also known as Chen Jiang, and his son was Xi.
The eleventh generation ancestor was Kao Xigong, his mother was You Taishi, and his son was Qi.
The twelfth-generation ancestor was Kaoqi, his wife was Feng, and his son was Zhurong.
The 13th generation ancestor, Duke Zhurong, served as the Yellow Emperor's assistant and ruled the world, and was good at arguing about the south. His mother was Zhi, and his son was Chui.
The fourteenth generation ancestor was Kaochui Gong, whose mother was from Shushan clan and whose sons were Boyi and Boyi.
The 15th generation ancestor, Duke Kaobo Yi, was appointed by Shun as a governor of Yu. He assisted Yu in controlling floods and made great contributions. When Yu died, he offered the throne to him, but he refused to accept it and lived in seclusion in the south of Jishan Mountain. His mother was from the Yu clan, also known as You'e clan, and his son was Ruomu.
The sixteenth generation ancestor was Mr. Ruomu, his wife was Shi Fei, and his son was Fei Chang.
The seventeenth generation ancestor was Fei Changgong, his wife was Zhu Jiangshi, and his father was Zifang.
The eighteenth generation ancestor was Kao Fang Gong, his mother was from the Shishan clan, also known as the Shushan clan, and his son was Renchang.
The 19th generation ancestor was Duke Renchang, also known as Duke Ren. His wife was You'e, also known as E's, and his son was Tianying.
The 20th generation ancestor was Kao Tianying, his mother was Shushan, and his son was Gui.
The 21st generation ancestor was Kao Si, his wife was Hu, also known as You Hu, and his son was Min.
The 22nd ancestor was Kaomin Gong, whose mother was Nenzi, also known as (Nüqu) Zi, and whose son was Bao.
The 23rd generation ancestor was Kao Bao, his wife was Gui Fang, and his son was Qian.
The 24th generation ancestor, Kaoqian, had a wife named Youhu, also known as Hu, and a son named Cheng.
The 25th generation ancestor was Kao Chenggong, his wife was Zhi, and his son was Ye.
The 26th generation ancestor was Kao Ye, his mother was Feng, and his son was Yu.
The 27th generation ancestor was Kao Yu, his mother was Ji, and his son was Qing.
The 28th generation ancestor was Kaoqing, his mother was Yiji, and his son was Bao.
The 29th generation ancestor was Kao Bao, his wife was Guifang, and his son was Kuan.
The 30th generation ancestor was Kao Kuan Gong, whose wife was You'e, also known as E's, and whose son was Dian.
The 31st ancestor was Gong Kao Dian, also known as Gong Xing. His mother was You Jiao, also known as Qie Zi Ming.
The 32nd ancestor, Lord Kaoming, had a mother named Youjiao, also known as Youqie, and a son named Che.
The 33rd generation ancestor was Kaoche Gong, his wives were Baohui and Shifei, and his son was Neng.
The 34th generation ancestor was Kaoneng, his wife was from the Shushan clan, and his son was Hong.
The 35th generation ancestor was Kaohong, his wife was Baohui, also known as Shifei, and his son was Rui.
The 36th ancestor was Lord Kaorui, his mother was Feng, and his son was Yi.
The 37th generation ancestor was Kao Yigong, his wife was Bao Hui, also known as Shi Fei, and his son was Bai.
The 38th generation ancestor was Kaobai Gong, whose wife was You'e, also known as E's, and whose son was the eldest in the family.
The 39th generation ancestor was Kaoshi Changgong, his wife was Jingpu, and his son was Gong.
The 40th generation ancestor was Kao Gonggong, his mother was Guifang, and his son was Xiangruo.
The 41st generation ancestor was Kao Xiangruo, his mother was Youtai, also known as Shao, and his son was Fan.
The 42nd ancestor was Mr. Fan, his wife was Chen Jiang, and his son was Xie.
The 43rd generation ancestor was Kao Xu, whose wife was You Jiao, also known as Jiao Shi, and whose son was Anshi.
The 44th generation ancestor was Duke Anshi, his mother was Yiji, and his son was Zhongzhen.
The 45th generation ancestor was Duke Zhongzheng, his mother was Zhi, and his son was Shaoliang.
The 46th ancestor was Shao Lianggong, his wife was Feng, and their son was Zi'annian.
The 47th ancestor was Kao'an Nian Gong, his wife was from the Shushan family, and his son was Ziqing.
The 48th generation ancestor was Kaoqing Gong, his mother was Jingpu, and his son was (讠合艹).
The 49th generation ancestor was Kao (讠合艹), his mother was Feng, and his son was Yan.
The 50th generation ancestor was Kaoyan Gong, whose wives were Ji and Guifang. His sons were Sui Zhang and Yun, who gave birth to Sui Zhang, also known as Fu Zhang.
The 51st ancestor was Kao Yun Sheng Gong, also known as Kui Yun Gong. His wife was Ji, and his son was Lü Shang.
The 52nd ancestor, Lü Shanggong, was named Ziya, also known as Feixiong, and also known as Jiang Taigong. At the age of 80, he met King Wen of Zhou, served as the minister to King Wu and ruled the world. He was honored as the teacher and father of Zhou, and was granted the title of Marquis of Qi, and his descendants inherited the title. His mother was Ma, and his sons were Ding, Wang, Nian, Yan, Ke, Shao, Luo, Duo, Qing, Yi, Shang, Qi, and Zuo.
The 53rd ancestor was Kaozugong, who was granted the title of Lord Shen. His mother was Jingpu and his son was Ji.
The fifty-fourth generation ancestor was Kaoji Gong, whose mother was Youhu clan, also known as Hu clan, and whose son was Linggao.
The fifty-fifth ancestor was Kaoling Gaogong, his wife was Ji, and his son was Song.
The fifty-sixth ancestor was Mr. Song, his wife was Ms. Wen, and his son was Mr. Mou.
The 57th ancestor was Gong Kaomou, also known as Gong Mou. His wife was Gu and his son was Cheng.
The 58th ancestor was Kaocheng Gong, his wife was Ma, and his son was Hu.
The fifty-ninth generation ancestor was Mr. Hu, his mother was Ms. Wen, and his son was Xian.
The 60th generation ancestor was Kao Xian Gong, whose mother was You Shi and whose son was Ning.
The 61st ancestor was Kaoning, his wife was Gu, and his son was En.
The 62nd ancestor, Duke Kao En, was styled Hong Dao. His wife was surnamed Meng, and his daughter married King Li of Zhou. He had two sons, Cheng and Shen Fu.
The 63rd ancestor, Duke Cheng, was also known as Shen Bo. He assisted King Xuan in restoring the throne, and King Xuan granted him the title of Xie, which his descendants took as their surname, thus becoming the first ancestor of the Xie family.