Changes in the sky
Volume 2: The Edge of Heaven
Chapter 184 Luncheon Discussion
At noon, I was at Youfufeng Mansion instead of the government office, so I could have a free meal. Unexpectedly, this seemingly casual lunch was not a relaxing one. As time passed, I could still recall the spring scenery of Fufeng Mansion that day, and how I felt like I was living a year during the meal.
Because it was a lovely spring day, I consulted with Yan and set up a banquet in the backyard with Yan's cheers. For this reason, I asked Master Zhong to send a smart servant to Shefu and his family to report quietly to his parents and himself, and not to announce it loudly in front of everyone. I don't want to steal the limelight from Yuan. I don't know when he will be able to go home again, so it's better to let him say goodbye to his relatives and friends. As I grow older and more experienced, I hate being observed and scrutinized like a xiezhi; rather than being visited by the masses who don't know the truth, it's better to be quiet and free here.
As the maids prepared for lunch, the two masters, as expected, began to discuss calligraphy. While the two were immersed in the discussion and Yan was listening attentively, I seemed to be inadvertently stepping towards the top of the courtyard wall, slowly approaching as if nothing had happened, just to pull out the particularly conspicuous arrow. If I had really used all my strength to shoot, the rammed earth wall would have gone in a few inches. However, this rammed earth wall seemed to be a bit old, and the surface was a bit loose. But when I pulled it out, although some rammed earth was brought out, the arrowhead was left in the wall. I followed the arrow hole and put my fingers in to fiddle around, but found nothing. It was not easy to use chisels and files to dismantle the wall of the right Fufeng, so I had to throw the headless arrow, which was obviously shorter, back into the quiver. When I turned around, I was greeted by the two old men and one young man. I don’t know if these people noticed that I went out, and thought I was going to do something, so they quietly followed to see, and each of them had an indescribable smile, which forced me to laugh at myself.
Normally, a banquet of this level would have required an archery ceremony, but both of them praised my archery skills, saying that even if it was just a formality, they would not embarrass themselves in front of me, so they skipped it. Yan even thought that I had taken off the arrows and shot, and he praised me even more. I felt that I was even more shameless, because I just waved my hands modestly to fool people, and did not explain honestly.
To cover it up, I changed the subject and said that Lord Zhong had saved up a few days of rest during the recent chaos, so now he could spend a few more days chatting with Uncle Cai. But they both said in unison that they only had five days off, so why did they need to save up some.
I was surprised and asked, "Isn't it a "ten-day break"? It has always been like this in Jingzhou. I did the same thing in Yue State. When I was the Sili Xiaowei in Luoyang, I didn't even take a break once."
Lord Zhong didn't know what to say. Lord Cai suddenly realized: Jingzhou was inhabited by many barbarians, so the measurement and conventions used were often based on the old Chu system, which was similar to the Shang system. During the Shang Dynasty, there was a "ten-day sacrifice" (sacrifice and divination once every ten days, performed by the Shang king), so there was a rest period of ten days. When the nephew of Yuehou was in Luoyang, the chaos had just been quelled and he was busy with government affairs. He didn't think about the rest period, so he didn't know about it.
Frankly speaking, I felt a little indignant. I had always believed that people should have a ten-day break. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that I had been at a disadvantage in the past. However, when I thought about having a meal soon, my mood improved.
I didn't expect that eating with them would be a hassle, because Uncle Cai Taichang was there. He was obviously in a very elegant mood, and it happened that I had accidentally recited a few sour poems and bad essays before, which were all familiar to him. He ignored me who wanted to show that he didn't want to embarrass himself, and turned directly to the other two. Master Zhong Fufeng, who I thought was only good at washing slates and correcting chaos, also happily agreed, and Yan, who was not even as tall as my waist, jumped up and down and had a lot of fun. So on this day, I had to pretend to be elegant and recite poems with others, which was a big punishment.
Since the archery ceremony was waived, they wanted to do something new this time. I was not very good at participating in such elegant events, so I just nodded by the side. The three of them discussed for a while, and then wrote spring, summer, autumn and winter on four wooden tablets and placed them in a secret box. Yan was even included in this. Each of them took one, and the one they occupied would be the title. They could not write the four words "spring, summer, autumn and winter", but hid these seasons in it, talked about an ancient person, and finished the story of this ancient person in a poem. My heart was beating like a drum, and I was afraid that the drummers in the army knew more than the ancients.
I was really far behind the scholars. Even Yan participated enthusiastically and showed no fear of difficulty. They were really enthusiastic, and I pretended to be enthusiastic. As a result, I got a winter, but Yan got a spring, Taichang got a summer, and You Fufeng Lord naturally got an autumn. The advantage is that I can drag it out to the end; the disadvantage is that if they do too well, I will be embarrassed on the spot.
Please take your seats one by one, toast and exchange cups, starting with spring. In the courtyard, peach trees are lush and green, with a few unknown flowers dotted in between. If it weren't for this scene at this time, it would really be a free and leisurely place. The girl left the table and looked up for a moment under the peach tree, then walked back and forth a few steps, as if she had gained something, then shook her head and continued to pace, really like a worried adult.
That day, God helped Yan. On that day, wild geese were flying north from the sky above Huaili. Yan was obviously inspired. A smile immediately appeared on his face, and he chanted in a similar way: The wild geese are flying; they are too fast to catch up. Go to the vast sea and wait for the wind to blow north. A gentleman has the way, at the age of nineteen; he fulfills his duties, and his flags are broken and his ears are faded. The wild geese are flying; they are too fast to return. Go to the southern mountains, and the trees are drooping. The emperor shot them, tied them up and painted them with blood; the Chanyu was deaf, and Su Gong finally returned. The peach tree is young and tender, and it is praised as precious; the bright and beautiful flowers are praised as the best. Haven’t you heard that the highest good is like water; the white branches make Chang’an shed tears.
The Lord of the Imperial Household only stroked his beard and smiled; the Lord of the Right Fufeng clapped his hands and praised him for starting and ending in spring, saying that Lord Su had spent 19 years shepherding sheep in the North Sea, all in such a short time, and that the daughter of Brother Bo Ji was a prodigy, and given time, she might be able to surpass other talented women. Uncle Cai was naturally grateful and humble. I felt very stressed, a child in his early teens could come up with such a poem in a short time, and suddenly I felt that staying in Shefu and being treated like a Xiezhi by others might not be a bad thing.
After toasting each other according to etiquette, Uncle Cai seemed to like drinking a lot and drank a lot more. Everyone had their own thoughts and no one urged him. At least I believe that I am definitely different from those two. I am just thinking about winter and how to connect with an ancient person who appeared at an unknown time. Uncle Cai finally got a little drunk and stood up with a sense of satisfaction. This time he looked at his precious daughter with great approval and walked into the courtyard.
I think it should be easier to do in summer, at least peach trees will bear peaches. Then I will bring up the story of two peaches killing three warriors, and then make fun of Yan Zi's story of eliminating meritorious officials. As for autumn, it is just the time when wild geese come back, and it is easy to talk about the return of Zhang Qian, the Marquis of Bowang, from the Western Regions. In winter, what else can I do? When I think about the peach trees being dead by then, and the peaches being rotten long ago, when I walk in the snow and find nothing to be found, I am so hungry that I can't think of anything worthwhile.
It's really disgraceful for me to appear in such a scene. It's better to concentrate on finding a big piece of meat in the pot and beans to fill my stomach first, because there will be a hard job later.
The Lord of Rites seemed to look towards the north for a while, as if he could still see the wild geese flying north just now. Soon he began to recite slowly: "The kudzu tree grows thickly, and its branches are swaying; in the middle valley, its leaves are dense. When you were young, you had noble ambitions and were strict in conduct; you declined the legacy of your predecessors. You studied at the Imperial College and became known as a sage child; the emperor appreciated your talent and moved you three times. The kudzu tree grows thickly, and the cicadas are chirping; in the middle valley, the breeze is blowing; Yuyang invaded, and You and Bing were in danger; you led a thousand troops and defeated and chased away ten thousand cavalry; the mulberry trees had no branches, and the wheat ears were forked; you were very happy to govern. The kudzu tree grows thickly, and the yellow birds are crying; in the middle valley, the setting sun is sad; when you were in Shu, you were busy with all kinds of affairs every day; the things you controlled were mountains of treasures; the resources you relied on could be borrowed for ten generations. When you left, the people cried; you broke the shaft of the cart and carried cloth bags and straw raincoats."
I think my uncle's work is not as good as his daughter's, maybe a little better in terms of poetry, but considering Lord Cai's age and experience, this work can only be considered inferior. Lord Zhong praised Lord Cai for his extensive knowledge and strong memory. Many of the sentences were recorded in the memorials of ministers 150 years ago. Lord Cai actually put these old memorials and the tune of "Ge Tan" together to make a poem.
I felt that even so, this was still not good enough, so I just followed Zhong Fufeng's praise and expressed some amazement. I hoped that I was sincere and Uncle Cai would not see through it. Yan seemed to think the same as I did. She simply did not praise her father's work at all, and even said nothing, just ate quietly. Most of the pressure in my heart was gone, and I thought that today would not be too embarrassing. But I felt guilty if I wanted to praise him again, because I actually didn't know who he was talking about.
Why do I always feel that I don't know if Yin Ling taught me this when I was young: "No matter who you are, you can't compare with the Holy Child." It seems that I just remember that there is a Holy Child, but who is the Holy Child
Seeing that none of us seemed to be very enthusiastic, Lord Zhong asked Uncle Cai how he remembered Lord Zhang Junyou (Zhang Kan, courtesy name Junyou). Uncle Cai smiled and said: Yong was in charge of education, and the old classics and systems can be seen; plus he commanded the Imperial College, how could he not know about the Imperial College Saint Child? And there is Mount Qishan here, and I suddenly remembered that when I traveled to You and Bing, there were still children playing and singing: Mulberry has no branches, wheat ears have two branches; Lord Zhang is in power, and he is so happy. It is really lamentable. Moreover, he is the descendant of Zhang Zifang (Zhang Liang), the Marquis of Liu; the grandfather of Lord Zhang Pingzi (Zhang Heng); and the current Minister of Works of Zhao State, Zhang Kai, is the descendant of Lord Junyou.
"Is this Prime Minister Zhang of Zhao State very famous now?" Now I am really interested.
"The son-in-law of the Prince of Hedong, isn't that a very famous thing?" Lord Bo Ji glanced at his precious daughter, but was very vague and didn't say it all.
As expected, Yan asked what was going on. Even a very cute girl would still be interested in such trivial matters. The three of us immediately agreed, "Nothing serious. It's just that the Prince of the County has chosen Zhang Kai as his son-in-law."
Yan seemed to be deceived, and she even snorted. Perhaps she thought Zhang Kai was trying to curry favor with the rich and powerful.
I really couldn't help but tell her that Zhang Kai was actually a kidnapper of young girls.
I felt much more relaxed, and I couldn't help but fill my stomach slowly, drink slowly, and slowly read through some of the sour poems I had composed in the thatched cottage. Suddenly, an idea flashed in my mind, and I felt that this wine was really good.
It seems that I am indeed not suitable for writing poetry, but I am indeed suitable for drinking.
The color of this wine is reddish, but it is slightly different from that of red wine. Red wine is clear, while this wine is heavy. The sweetness is also lighter, but it has a thick and sticky feeling in the mouth.
The taste is really good. At first, it tasted a bit bitter, but after a few cups, it became sweet and I couldn't stop. I drank a lot myself. The more I drank, the better it tasted. I kept toasting. I found all kinds of excuses to toast. I also forced the two elders to keep returning the toasts.
Uncle Cai was obviously a little drunk. I don't know what made him so excited. He recited a few passages from Sun Tzu's Art of War, as if to indicate something. After a few cadences, he asked me: How did my nephew, the Marquis of Yue, dare to lead a mob to attack the Qiang camp at night, and succeed? How do you explain it? In relation to what he recited, my actions did not match any of the passages he recited.
I seemed to have drunk too much, but I could easily say all the things I had thought of before, very smoothly, without any hesitation: This matter is urgent. If we don't solve it, we will not let the Xianbei envoys laugh at us, and the prestige of our great Han Dynasty will be damaged. Moreover, the emperor and the entire court will be in danger. Since I have asked the princes to send troops, those who can think can know that this battle is either victory or death. The only difference is the difference between dying in battle or returning and being executed. I can't escape it, let alone others? Since everyone has the same fate as me, how dare they not die? It is difficult for a group of thousands of people to gather together to unify the orders; but what is needed is to gather their leaders, plan and plan, and give them to each family so that they will be of the same mind as me. After the order is issued, each family will understand it. If there are those who do not obey, each family will deal with it on their own. What does it have to do with me? All the personal guards are the close and elite warriors of each prince. Who will lose face or show cowardice in front of others? Everyone must fight bravely and seek military merit. The troops I lead must be the most powerful and valiant troops that the Han Dynasty has not seen in hundreds of years. This is knowing oneself. Therefore, in this battle, what I am worried about is whether the enemy is prepared. It is difficult for them to conquer Chencang, and they are newly attacked by General Zhang's troops. Although they were defeated, General Zhang was still able to lead the remaining troops to retreat to Chencang. This means that the enemy's strength has been exhausted. The enemy is tired and helpless, which is a sign of being trapped. Moreover, the heavy snow has blocked the mountains and the roads; there are still scattered bandits in the east, serving as their eyes and ears; how can the bandits expect that I can come on the newly formed ice of the Wei River that night? This is knowing oneself. I will take advantage of this opportunity to attack them, and my chances of winning are already 70% to 80%. Moreover, Lord Zhong Fufeng and General Zhang's troops are in Chencang City and can take action at any time. How can the enemy not be defeated
Thinking of all these classics by Uncle Cai, it would be inappropriate if I didn't say a few words: Warfare is the art of deception. If you anticipate the enemy's unpreparedness, you can defeat him.
After drinking so much, he felt thirsty but couldn't help feeling proud. He directly picked up the jar and drank a big mouthful of it comfortably. He seemed to be laughing foolishly. He didn't care that this behavior was very indecent.
I don't remember what they said, but it must have been a lot of praise. It seemed like I heard words like "unparalleled in the country" and "unparalleled in the world". I felt embarrassed and just waved my hands to be modest, saying frankly that the two adults were overpraising me.
After being disturbed by me several times, Zhong Fufeng finally got a chance to stand up.
In fact, I suddenly thought of a question, how did Zhong Fufeng know that Uncle Cai was quoting the original sentence from the memorial in the past. But considering that he was just making excuses to toast, I am too embarrassed to interrupt now. I know all about the ancestors and descendants of Lord Zhang Junyou, but I know nothing about him except the name of "holy child". But after listening to Uncle Cai's poem, I now have a basic understanding of what he did. He is indeed a hero.
For example, I now know that Zishi is the grandson of Li Yuanli. His grandfather was a "role model for the world" (original text in the history book), and his grandson is also a hero.
Strange, I always feel that I am scolding Zishi by thinking this way. But I think if Zishi recognized his ancestry, his courtesy name would probably change. For example, the brothers Mi and Zhou Cang were recognized by the Zhou family as members of the Zhou clan, and their courtesy names were changed to Wenhe and Wenshi.
We had a great time that day. One of the two adults was not very generous to begin with, but became generous after drinking too much; the other was generous to begin with, but became even more generous after drinking. I was one of those who was very generous to begin with, but became less generous after drinking. If we count Yan, who was not very generous whether he drank or not, the four of us could really fit together at one table.
When I drink too much, I often think of a lot of sad things. It seems that I developed this problem after the Mingzi battle.
I could still suppress it while I could still control myself. Besides, Yan was also present. There were some things that the children should try not to hear. But her father drank to his heart's content that day, and even asked Yan to toast Mr. Zhong and me twice. Yan soon became drunk and fell asleep at the table in the warm sunshine of the midday sun. Her father didn't pay much attention to her. In addition to asking someone to bring his cloak to cover Yan, he just persuaded the other two to continue drinking. And I couldn't control myself.
I suddenly lay down, stretched out my arms and legs, and hugged my head, as if I wanted to squeeze everything out of my head and not leave it behind.
Someone suddenly asked Zirui what happened. Another person asked: "How is Lord Yuehou doing?"
What is the best general of the Han Dynasty? How dare you call yourself a peerless hero? How can Zhi be called a great general? It has only been four years since the first battle of the 16th century, but there have been dozens of major battles, most of which were bloody and fierce. In these four years, all the enemies, wounded and killed by Zhi were Han people. How can Zhi be called a great general? He is just a butcher. In these four years, Zhi was wounded in hundreds of places, and his body was almost completely torn. In the battle, blood splattered, bones and teeth flew everywhere; people with broken hands and feet and broken waists were everywhere. I once saw a young soldier who was seriously injured in the battle array, with his intestines exposed, falling in the pile of corpses, crying and calling for his mother for a long time. And I am here, but I am powerless to put an end to all these things and stop them all. Don’t mention how a general can be. He can neither keep the enemy out of the country nor quell the frequent civil unrest, which has caused the people to be slaughtered and displaced. When he is in the afterlife, how can he face the heroes of the Han Dynasty
After I finished speaking, tears streamed down my face. Suddenly, I felt something was wrong. My mind suddenly became clear and I quickly sat up. Facing Uncle Cai and Lord Zhong who were looking at me in deep thought, I said, "Please forgive me for making fun of you, my lords. I am not very drunk and I hope you will forgive me for any nonsense I said."
The two of them said it was okay, and they comforted me, telling me not to worry about the past. The chaotic world was not something we could choose, and what I did was the best of all good things.
I can only express gratitude for this enlightenment.
But Lord Zhong seemed to be inspired by my words and soon became one. To be fair, his words were mediocre and not very good. I did not memorize them, of course, mainly because I was drunk at that time. However, the person he mentioned caused a lot of controversy: Lord Ma Rong.
I know this person. Most of the classics we studied in the school have his annotations and commentaries handed down. The teacher also commented on them. Some of them were praised by the teacher as wonderful, while others were not commented on by the teacher. When I was studying, Yinling also quoted Ma Rong's annotations to me when he taught "The Analects" and "Li Sao". (Note: Most of Ma Rong's annotations have been lost. If there are so-called quotations later, they are basically inferred from the fragmentary content of "Zheng Ji" quoted by others. Because Zheng Xuan was his student, his thoughts were different, but they should be partially inherited)
The most interesting thing is that the debaters are actually a father and daughter. Yan didn't know when she woke up, her face flushed, her eyes wide open, a little drunkenness did not affect her difficulty with Lord Zhong.
But her father immediately took over the conversation, and the argument started between the father and daughter. Mr. Zhong and I became the ones who tried to mediate.
In general, Yan was quite dissatisfied with the fact that Lord Ma was afraid of the powerful in his later years and lived under the domineering general (note: Liang Ji). He said frankly that his life was not worth cherishing, and how could he bend his integrity. Lord Cai was obviously dissatisfied with his daughter's rude accusations against his friends, and explained that if he disobeyed the power of the relatives, Lord Ma's erudition would not be passed down, and it would be difficult to teach future generations, which might cause great regrets. In order to pass on the classics and morality, Lord Ma had to endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens. Moreover, when he was young, he was also outspoken and dared to remonstrate, and was exiled to the north, almost losing his life. Later, he was not allowed to move for ten years, and was humiliated when he asked for leave. A real man should be able to bend and stretch when he enters the officialdom.
Lord Zhong, however, spoke up for Yan, repeatedly mentioning that he was not good at poetry. He just remembered that Duke Zheng and Duke Lu had gone to Maoling to pay tribute to their teacher a few days ago, and had stayed at his house, where they had drafted a memorial and asked him to copy it on white silk. He borrowed some words from them, and then compiled a poem here to make a show of his ugliness.
Lord Cai was surprised and asked, "Could it be that Duke Zheng (Zheng Xuan) of Qingzhou is here too?" Lord Zhong nodded his head in agreement. Lord Cai was somewhat sad. It was a pity that he could not meet Kang Cheng (Zheng Xuan's courtesy name) again. If he had known, he would have come here to bother him a few days ago.
Lord Zhong said: "Duke Zheng has been living in seclusion and not serving in the government, so he came quietly. When he and Duke Lu arrived, Yao was the first to see them. He is not like Brother Bo Ji who has traveled around the world."
Yan felt that the two elders were trying to change the topic, so he quickly continued the argument.
I suddenly felt a lot more sober and quickly joined the argument. Naturally, I had to speak on behalf of Lord Cai and also try to smooth things over for Lord Zhong.
"Sister, both of you, can you listen to what Zhi has to say?" After calming down the blushing father and daughter and exchanging glances with the slightly embarrassed Lord Zhong, everyone finally quieted down: "Zhi was ignorant of his own life experience when he was young. When he was eighteen, he learned from his parents that he was originally from the north. It was only because of the chaos in the past that he was displaced to the land of Jingchu. He lives with the wife that his father had arranged for him to marry."
These are my origins, which are known to all the court officials and the common people, so it is not a problem to repeat them again.
"Zhi had never seen his parents since childhood, and depended on his wife for life. The hardships during that time were too difficult to describe. Therefore, after knowing his own life experience, he hated the chaos and the eunuch party to the core." At this point, I decided to drink a glass of wine with a sad and angry expression. In fact, I just wanted to drink: "After that, Zhi had very good luck and was honored to be promoted to a high position in the court. He finally had the opportunity to read various classics. Only then did I realize that my fathers were also responsible for the disaster."
Now the father and daughter really stopped arguing, and even Lord Zhong asked me why.
I started to call out names one by one. Every one of them was a party member. I also listed his official position.
I only remembered a dozen or so, and that's all I can remember. When I thought my biological father was Fan Mengbo, I first seriously learned about the Party and Faction Persecution Disaster of the past. I had such doubts back then, and today their debate about Mr. Ma woke me up.
"I think I don't need to go down any further. I was planning to write a poem for the role model of the world, Lord Li Yuanli, to praise his integrity in the midst of a harsh winter. But I can't do it now. I finally feel that the party members of the past deserved to be defeated."
Yan was still a little confused, but the two adults were lost in thought, obviously touched.
"In fact, several of the famous scholars who were labeled as party members were powerful people in the past. They could not dominate the government, but they were able to call the shots in the court. The others mentioned were also powerful people. How could they be framed twice by a group of eunuchs in the inner palace without any ability to fight back? It was not until our generation grew up that they were vindicated?"
"Why?" Yan might have really been living in poetry and songs and had no idea about these things.
"Because they were hindered by their own reputation and burdened by their character, they could not act according to the circumstances. They only knew to be models of loyalty to the emperor, and dared not and were unwilling to disobey the rules and etiquette. However, they did not know that those eunuchs would not abide by the rules and regulations, and were good at deceiving their superiors and subordinates. As a result, they missed great opportunities again and again, until they were captured. The Qingliu were actually pedantic people who valued false reputations but not their own lives, and valued personal reputations but forgot the well-being of the people and the country. Unexpectedly, after these two disasters, most of the elites in the world were lost, and evil people were rampant in the court. Loyal and upright gentlemen died, and treacherous people gained power. It was a matter of eternal regret, which made people sigh endlessly. Looking at the chaos in the world today, if Yuan Ligong and others were allowed to do it again, would it be the same? It's a pity that the past is gone."
"But justice is in the hearts of the people. The survival of our descendants depends on the protection of the people. If the people also learned from the nobles and waited for death, silently accepting the imperial edict, how could Zhi talk here without knowing what to say? Therefore, Zhi finally realized the mistakes of his fathers."
"Those who practice great justice should not be bound by rules; those who practice great benevolence should not be hindered by mistakes. Warfare is a treacherous path. The military affairs of the court are not a smooth road. But for the sake of the people of the world, the people and the country; doing injustice to the treacherous is justice for the world; doing unkindness to the bandits is the kindness of the gentleman."
Of course, I didn't forget the purpose and target of these words, even though they were actually meant for the other two adults: "Yan, do you understand? In order to protect themselves, good people sometimes have to make concessions to bad people or use some conspiracies and tricks as long as it is not above justice. The purpose is just to eliminate these bad people in the end, or to protect other good people."
"Brother Zirui, do you treat your sister as a child?" It seemed too straightforward and obviously a bit boring to our talented girl.
"Well, there are loyal and treacherous people in the world, but where there are loyal ministers, there are inevitably traitors. Loyal ministers have their own moral justice, and traitors have their own opportunistic schemes. If the loyal want to defeat the treacherous, you must learn to at least understand the treacherous. The Art of War says: Know yourself and know the enemy, and you will never be in danger in a hundred battles; the ancients were not deceiving me."
Yan finally smiled with a blushing face. The two adults also smiled.
Maybe I was a little bold because I drank a lot of wine, but I am not worried about what I said. First, after the turmoil of the past few years, especially the massacre by Brother Meng De, the eunuch party has long been a force to be reckoned with, and most of the former clean officials have been vindicated. Second, there are no eunuchs here; third, I am at least one of the four assistants who can one day rule the inner court. I can't say this, and it is unjust.
For the first time, I felt that my criterion of selecting people based on morality rather than talent might indeed have some problems.
But later I felt that I was still young.
The two adults didn't say much afterwards. They sat back in their seats and continued to drink and toast each other as usual. They occasionally talked about something, but most of the time they returned to poetry or official changes.
Yan leaned closer and asked me: Yan, I have heard that your brother married another woman besides Sister Yinling, who is that
I wondered why these women were so interested in this kind of thing. If you open up to her, she will immediately start asking you questions, and she is always interested in this kind of thing. I was not confused yet, so I decided to leave myself a way out.
I'm not afraid of being laughed at by my sister, but I'm actually not very clear about this matter until now. The letter asked me to marry the girl who was with me, so I asked for permission to marry Yinling; but later, someone who knew about it came to tell me that the person I was engaged to was someone else. He also presented evidence, so I couldn't let my ancestors break their promise, so I had to marry that girl again.
I paused for a moment, scratched my head and acted innocently: But now, I have already married your sister Yinling, I can't divorce her, right
The girl was drunk and nodded repeatedly. It seemed that she couldn't think of more gossips and questions. Really, I was really afraid that she would ask about that girl, because I couldn't think of a good excuse.
Fortunately, the matter has finally come to an end. I am really talented in making up lies, or making up plausible truths, or mixing truths and lies together. However, when it comes to her, I lose all my tricks.
There is another strange thing. No one has ever asked me who my father is. I guess no one can remember a famous party member named Xie. If I really tell him a name he doesn't know, he will feel guilty when he says he has long admired me. Or maybe it's because the emperor gave me to my father as his son... Why do I feel so awkward when I think of this sentence... In short, everyone thinks it's disrespectful to my father if I mention it again.
After much thought, I think the latter possibility is more likely.
Later, Lord Cai played a tune on the piano at Lord Zhong's request, and the matter was forgotten.
I managed to escape by saying some heart-breaking words that made everyone sigh, which saved me from having to write poetry. It was a great thing.
As a result, my mood improved and I drank too much again.
Naturally, I thought of some sad things again. I seemed to lament for those loyal and good party members. What a pity! After this disaster, how many good generals and ministers of our Han Dynasty were lost. God has mercy on us. How could we frame the loyal and good people like this? How many righteous people did not have a good end to protect the descendants of loyal and good people like us. The way of heaven is clear, but how could it be so cruel
I moved several of them to tears, as if they were reciting the poem I wrote in front of the princess and others at Pingle Pavilion that day. "How many things have happened in the rise and fall, talking and laughing as the sun sets. Poor old woman at home, who can I lean on?", "Don't argue with me, who is dreaming and who is awake? When awake, don't ask, who is turbid and who is clear?" It was as if they were also talking about the future, and I used a word in this poem poorly.
When I woke up again, something happened.
A soldier came to report that he saw a hundred-odd horsemen on the tower, without flags, galloping from the east. They would reach Huaili in half an hour.
This was indeed a bit strange. I was startled and sat up straight. Suddenly I figured it out and felt relieved.
Uncle Cai naturally asked Lord Zhong: Brother Yuanchang, do you know why
Yao has never seen such a battle. I wonder if the Lord of Yue has any advice for you
I am not worthy of your advice. Is it from the south of the water or the north of the water
The official road north of the Wei River.
If such a large force is mobilized and there is no obstruction from the front, it must be a major event from above. If it is Zuo Fengyi or Jingzhao Yin, they will definitely send a fast horse to inform us first, and ask you to give convenience in Fufeng. Since you don’t know, it is naturally not the case. If it is from the court, it is definitely not to find Uncle Cai or me. Zhi came from Shanglin Garden. If they want to find Zhi, they must go to Shanglin Garden first, let them know that I am going to Huaili, and then take the official road from Shanglin Garden to Huaili to come here. According to this inference, it is naturally not to find my uncle. These people are not holding flags, so they must be escorting some valuables. It is too ostentatious to avoid rumors. There is no mention of carriages and palanquins, so it should be some important valuables or documents to be given to Lord Zhong, but it should not be an imperial edict. His Majesty today will not be so disregarding of etiquette. The imperial edict is like the emperor coming in person, and there should be a carriage and a sedan chair as a ceremonial guard.
Brother Zirui, why couldn't they be marauding soldiers
Yan, have you heard too many stories about soldiers and horses? In broad daylight, do you know how many soldiers are there in Huaili? Even if we don't count the soldiers in the city, how many civilians are there in the city? In addition, the city walls are high and steep, so if we temporarily call up guards in the city, it will be more than enough to stop a hundred or so soldiers.
Then, why must we look for Lord Zhong? Is it impossible to go to other cities without going through Lord Zhong
Now that we have arrived at Huaili, we can only stop here. This is Youfufeng, the westernmost of the three prefectures of Sili. Your uncle Zhong is the highest official here. Could it be that there is a change in his own jurisdiction, and the person in charge is completely unaware of it
Then we can’t go to the west to close the country
A hundred or so people traveled west for several days, which was no different from a single person. In this situation, their food, drink, defecation and transportation could only be solved by the post station. Except for Gaoyou in Xuzhou, which post station could easily change horses for more than a hundred people, not to mention accommodation and meals.
How does brother know so much
Although you have not read thousands of books, you have traveled thousands of miles, so you naturally have some experience.
Oh, there is another possibility, to go find the Eighth Outer Army. I suddenly remembered: maybe there is a military transfer, if it is transferred to General Zhang's troops, some lieutenants and military officers should be sent, this time General Zhang's troops suffered a huge loss.
Lord Zhong pondered for a moment, then came close to me and whispered that he was worried that something bad might happen to General Zhang.
I nodded slightly in agreement, guessing that 80% of it was Brother Meng De's idea, and the remaining 20% was probably from my mentor.
So he replied softly: If there is such a scene, it must be an attempt to seize power. This time we need to find Lord Fufeng to help them arrest someone. This time General Zhang's troops acted without authorization and were defeated, which violated military orders. If the superiors do not punish them, they will probably not be able to explain. Now General Zhang's troops must be in panic in the camp, and the morale of the army is unstable. Going directly to the army to capture the general and change the school may cause chaos. Asking Lord Yuan Chang to lure them to Huaili and then make plans should be the best strategy.
Mr. Zhong bowed and apologized to us immediately. If we need anything, just tell the servants. He will deal with the matter first and leave for a while.
Uncle Cai came over to ask me what Lord Yuan Chang had just talked about. I answered him truthfully, but vaguely: it should be related to the Battle of Chencang, and it might be about the rewards and punishments of the Youfufeng officials.
Then why not raise flags, and why need more than a hundred cavalry escort
This time, a part of the Eighth Army suffered heavy losses, and it is estimated that some school officers will be transferred to take up the post. However, they probably received an order to take up the post immediately. There may be rewards in the car later.
I think General Zhang is a talented person. Although he is a bit reckless, he is a brave general. And it would be a pity if his nephew and the Hu'er called Che'er were all executed by military law.
"Uncle, please wait a moment. I do have some military matters to discuss with Lord Zhong."
To avoid their suspicion, I immediately went out and found Lord Zhong, explained a few things to him, and even showed my support for the government. I looked for his writing pad, and he certainly had these things. I wrote a few words. I was distressed that I didn't bring my seal, but I remembered that I was wearing the crown that the emperor gave me that day. I took off the crown as a proof.
If so, then take out my letters and belongings, just because I have given instructions. If not, then nothing will happen.
Lord Yuan Chang obviously did not want General Zhang to be in such a situation, he just hoped that it would not happen.
I immediately bowed and left, and was so flustered that Lord Zhong just wanted to show me his respect. I said: I am really asking for a favor from my brother who fought for the country together that day, and Lord Zhong accepted it.
When we got back to the backyard, the two of them clearly saw the changes on my head. Before they asked, I had been wearing the crown before, and I felt that the crown was too heavy, so I put it down to relax for a while. Yan looked so ugly, and I got a piece of silk scarf from somewhere to tie it on my head. There was no bronze mirror around, so I could only feel that it was silk. Uncle Cai also praised that I looked gentle and refined, not like a general commanding troops, which was very pleasing. Looking at Yan, she seemed very satisfied, looking left and right, and nodded to show satisfaction with her craftsmanship. In order to express my gratitude for Yan's help, I asked her how to thank her.
Yan thought about it for a while and decided to learn archery. It was inconvenient to refuse, so he agreed immediately and asked someone to get a short bow. Since there was originally an archery ceremony here, there should be bows; since this was a group of scholars with a refined hobby, short bows and light bows could naturally be found. But this girl wanted to use my bow, so I had to give it to her first, and then asked someone to get another bow, add some short arrows, and set up a target in the yard.
As expected, the bow barely stretched. She pushed the bow with her feet and pulled the string with her hands, but nothing more happened.
Yan asked me to draw the bow once and see. I drew the bow to its full length and told her that she was too old and had short arms to use the bow because the distance between the bow and the string was too large for her to use enough strength.
Uncle Cai was quite unkind. I gave Yan so much face, but he still criticized me rudely: Girls are boring, why should they learn to shoot arrows
Yan suppressed his smile, turned to look at his father, stuck out his tongue and made a face. He also said: Sister Huang is always practicing archery, but every time I want to learn, she can't shoot well and then becomes stunned. It will take half a day to wake up. Let me learn from Brother Zirui in the future. Now that I finally get the chance, father should not mess around.
That year on Yunmeng Lake, I wanted to teach her archery and I made a joke about it. As a result, everyone hid away in response to the situation. Only we were left on the deck. That day, in the sunshine, she looked so beautiful when she pretended to be angry.
I quickly shook my head, trying to forget those scenes temporarily.
The bow and arrow were finally taken, Yan immediately put the arrow on, stretched the bow, and then happily said, "Is this the case? I saw that Dad and his friends all did this during the archery ceremony, and so did Sister Huang. Brother Zirui, how should we aim at the target?"
I told her to wait and not to do anything evil, and asked the maids in the yard to quickly retreat behind Yan. I felt that all the positions in front were dangerous at the moment, and the fact proved that my view was completely correct.
Then I asked her to shoot an arrow randomly to get a feel for it, and then I quickly stopped her. I quickly went out the back door to see what was happening outside. It seemed that there were not many people walking behind the government office, and the whole street was empty. It should be safer. I asked the two young soldiers guarding the door to stand outside the door first, but if anyone approached, I asked them to walk along the back wall of Fufeng Mansion to be on the safe side.
The two thieves were laughing. It reminded me of the time when I was practicing archery in Changsha, when the guards at the prefectural governor's mansion looked like they wanted to be beaten. Fortunately, I held back this time and didn't kick each of them.
The practice officially begins.
As for the results of the initial practice, I think that if I look at it from the wall of Huaili, each arrow should be quite close. If I look from the South Mountain and can still see Huaili, each arrow should be on a place called Huaili City. Yan was indeed very excited, until later, the fingertips wrapped in the scarf were so painful that she finally stopped. As a master, seeing the arrows scattered in front of her at any place made me doubt my life. Many times, I was amazed at how the arrow flew from the bow in her hand to that direction.
Uncle Cai continued to laugh in an unkind manner, causing Yan to turn around and glare at him from time to time.
As her archery master, I have to say two things. To summarize: First, do not draw the bow with all your strength, but keep some strength to steady the bow. When your arm is shaking because of the power of the bow, you will not be able to shoot accurately; second, do not keep your arm flat when drawing the bowstring, that is the etiquette of archery. If you are shooting an arrow, do it in the way that you can be steady and use your strength best. Third, novices, especially girls, still need to wear gloves.
For this reason, I showed her my hands, especially letting her feel the rough calluses on my fingers where they hooked the strings. I smiled and reminded her that it is best not for girls to have these.
My master didn't teach me much back then, he just let me practice on my own. When I was young, Yinling taught me "Liezi Learns Archery" (selected from "Liezi Fu Pian"). My master taught me about the same as Guan Yinzi (note: Liezi's master who learned archery). Old Liezi had learned it quite well, so I don't know why he compiled the "Ji Chang Learns Archery" (selected from "Liezi Tang Wen"). I have never fully understood this article. Because there was no bow at home at that time, Yinling was afraid that I would get into trouble and didn't dare to find one for me, so I could only learn without a bow. Naturally, "Ji Chang Learns Archery" seemed to be a good textbook. So I tried to see things bigger, but in the end I always saw more and more, and even saw nothing. For this, Yinling taught me angrily that although I had a target, I should never use food as a target.
"If you only know the reason why you can hit the target, you will be successful." As a teacher of a talented girl, you have to act more sophisticated. In fact, it is simpler, that is, you just shoot, and when you know how and why you can hit the target, it will be fine. In fact, this is how I came to be.
More than half an hour later, Lord Zhong finally came back, as if nothing had happened.
He didn't bring my crown back, and what I was worried about happened. But he saw my relaxed expression, so he knew that there was indeed a chance for this matter to turn around. He just stared at the scarf on my head for a few more seconds, probably because changing from a crown to a scarf was not a good idea.
We continued to toast each other, and as we drank, Lord You Fufeng came closer to me and said, "Lord Yuehou needs to report this matter to His Majesty as soon as possible."
I naturally nodded in agreement.
Not long after, someone from the main gate came to report that a young man was looking for me outside, claiming to be a subordinate of Yue Hou.
I hurriedly said goodbye. I had something to do in Shanglin Garden tonight, so I had to go back quickly. I said goodbye to Zhong Fufeng, and said goodbye to Uncle Cai and Yan in Luoyang. I had to leave. When they had recovered in the evening, they would force me to write the poem about winter. If they wanted to have another poetry meeting using the words "east, south, west, north, up, down, left, and right", would I still be alive
The two adults escorted me out, and as expected, the help was waiting outside. Seeing the two adults behind me, the young man naturally saluted quickly.
Lord Zhong obviously knew Yuan, and it seemed that he had known him for a long time, definitely before the Battle of Chencang.
"I have just ordered someone to deliver your reward to your home. Is your father happy?" Lord Zhong was obviously very good at pleasing others.
"Thanks to Uncle Zhong for his kindness. My family is having a banquet today, and my uncle actually delivered the emperor's reward directly to my home, and ordered the yamen officials to publicize it in a big way. The guests all praised it, and my parents are extremely happy." Yuan could not hide his excitement, his face flushed.
But I think the blush on his face is because he drank too much.
"This is indeed what Yue Hou wants, Yuan'er, you don't need to thank me." It is obvious that Lord Fufeng has a special relationship with the She family. In addition, Lord Zhong's words are really pleasing.
Of course, I appreciate your kindness and need to bow again to express my gratitude.
Yuan was indeed drunk, and he was very familiar with me and was not restrained. One time, he looked at me stupidly, and I asked him what was wrong. He replied: Uncle, I think there is something wrong with you. Did you change your clothes
I looked at my clothes and said: No, you bastard, you are really drunk.
Thinking about it later, it seemed really different. The crown on my head was replaced with a silk scarf.
Some things in the officialdom should be thrown away when they can be thrown away, but things in the market must be useful. Because there are so many officials in the court who are still scheming against each other, but there are so many ordinary people in the world who live in peace and security.