Qin Official

Having been a jailer for most of his life and solving hundreds of cases, Xi never thought that one day, the shackles would be placed on him.

There is a saying in the law of Qin that all those who are imprisoned will be shackles (gong) for upper crimes, shackles for middle crimes, and shackles for lower crimes. What he committed was slandering the emperor, which was naturally the most serious crime. Therefore, he had shackles on his feet, hands, and a heavy wooden shackle around his neck. It was extremely difficult to walk out of the prison.

After leaving Tingwei's prison and seeing the light for the first time, he heard a voice.

"Isn't this Xijun? Why, are you on your way today too?"

But it was Cao Jiu who was convicted by Xi last month of corruption and dishonesty and was going to serve in Lingnan. His crime was relatively minor, so he was only shackles, which was easier than Xi.

He was so happy that he didn't want to pay attention to Cao Jiu, but Cao Jiu came over happily and asked questions.

"Where are you going, Mr. Xi? Are you going the same way as me?"

Xi turned away and the jailer who escorted him answered on his behalf.

"We are going to Zhangye County and Yumen Pass."

"Yumen Pass?"

Cao Jiu looked surprised: "I heard that the quicksand in that place is thousands of miles away, and there is only one pavilion for hundreds of miles. At Xijun's age, a person who grew up in the southern water town can bear to go to that desolate place." What?"

If Cao Jiu was a little cautious just now, when he heard that Xi was going to the Western Regions instead of Lingnan, he no longer had any worries.

"I admire people like Xijun very much."

Cao Jiu raised the wooden shackles in his hands and gritted his teeth at Xi who sent him to prison.

"Be pure and upright, prudent and firm, selfless in scrutiny, meticulous in observing, quiet and unharsh, and judge with rewards and punishments. The person who wrote "The Way of an Official" is simply you. What's even more rare is that you are dedicated to serving the country. , how dare you blame His Majesty!"

"But so what?"

Xi looked at Cao Jiu coldly, but Cao Jiu said with a smile: "Xi Jun, don't look at Cao like that. That's right, I am corrupt, I am good at getting money from my position, I have settled down in my family and forget about the government." , committed the five mistakes of an official, and deserved the punishment. But Xijun is dedicated to serving the country, and he is an honest and just official. In the end, won't he end up with me?"

"No, no, no." He then shook his head: "Xijun wears an extra wooden stick than Cao! Do you know what this means?"

Cao Jiu came closer to Xi, his chubby face full of sarcasm: "This means that the current Great Qin is no longer ten or twenty years ago!"

"The crime of telling the truth is much more serious than embezzling money!"

He said these words, hoping to make him happy, sad and angry, to make him despair, and to make the justice in his eyes shake, fall, and finally be shattered.

"Finished?"

But after hearing this, Xi remained unmoved. He just tilted his head and blew on his shoulders, as if Cao Jiu's approach made the air dirty.

He was from Nanjun County and had heard of Qu Yuan's deeds. A few years ago when he went to Dongtingjun to take office, he also heard those famous words when he went upstream along the Yuan River.

Those who are newly bathed must flick their crowns, and those who are newly bathed must shake their clothes. Are they able to inspect their bodies and receive the warmth of things?

He said: "The law is right, and so am I. You are the ones who are wrong. I believe that in the forty counties and hundreds of counties in the Qin Dynasty, there must still be people who abide by the way of being an official and are respectful and frugal. Respect. Even if the world becomes turbid temporarily, as long as these real Qin officials are still there, there will be a day when it will turn into a bright white! I only hope that you and I can live to see that day!"

After saying that, under the urging of the jailer, Xi took hard steps and walked out.

"happiness!"

Cao Jiu blushed and said loudly: "I am dirty, but when I went to the foreign capital, all my relatives and friends came to see me off, and I had no worries about food and clothing. But Xijun, you have committed the crime of slandering me. How dare anyone send me away!" ?”

Xi did not answer, and walked away through the crowd, and everyone on the roadside avoided him. After all, he was an imperial criminal who had offended the emperor.

Cao Jiu looked at this scene with pride. He was going to the south, to the territory of the Marquis of Changnan. His family had passed the Qi, and he would naturally be taken good care of...

Xi walked westward like this. When he passed by the Imperial Palace, his former colleagues looked at him from a distance and whispered to him. The Imperial Palace official Mao Jiao did not show up. Xi was an official designated by Qin Shihuang as a "slanderer", and people from the government came openly. Send it, isn't this a slap in the emperor's face?

Passing by the Wei River, he looked to the south at the Epang Palace, which was under construction. He was happy to salute from afar, because he heard that it was the prince who helped Su to admonish him and saved him. But His Majesty was angry, and Fusu was busy taking over the supervision of the construction of Afang Palace, so he did not dare to see him off at this sensitive moment.

So alone, when they reached Duting, the group stopped to rest.

"Is this the Du Ting who committed suicide by Wu Anjun back then?"

Xi looked at the inconspicuous little pavilion in front of him. He could not imagine that the famous Lord Wu An, who had conquered the world, would die here in frustration. When he served in the army to attack Zhao, even after several generations, his name Bai Qi could still stop Zhao'er from crying at night.

When Bai Qi offended the King of Qin and went on the road alone, was he also filled with sadness? Is there no one to send you off?

The jailer was busy drinking water and eating, and untied the shackles on Xi's hands, but the shackles on his feet were tied to the horse-tying stone together with the cattle and horses. Holding a bowl of rough rice and beans in his hand, Xi looked at the mottled stone pillars where it was rumored that Bai Qi had committed suicide and could never be washed away after the blood splashed on them.

At this time, a carriage arrived with few entourage, but if a careful person took a closer look, they would know that the specifications of the carriage were that of a prince.

A beautiful woman in her thirties, dressed in plain clothes and linen, got out of the car. Accompanied by her attendants and concubines, she walked this way. When she was five steps away, Shi Shiran saluted her.

"Wife of the Wei family, come to send your congratulations!"

…

"It turns out to be Mrs. Changnanhou!"

Xi didn't expect such a thing, and quickly stood up to return the favor. He heard that Hei Fu married Ye Teng's only daughter, but they had no personal relationship, and they rarely visited her, so they had never seen her.

After arriving in Xianyang, Mrs. Ye sent a servant to visit her, saying that she was happy with her family and asked her to bring some Anlu products to her. She had always been poor. What her family sent was nothing more than a few pieces of clothes and some rice that was not easy to buy in the north.

At this time, Xicai heard that Ye Zijin was also in Xianyang, but he was still in his filial piety period and had not left home for several months.

This must be the first time she has walked out of the house after two months in Xianyang, and it was actually to send a gift...

He was a little moved with joy: "In the Xianyang market, everyone saw me walking in a shackles, and they all tried to avoid me. Madam, aren't you afraid that you will come to send me off as a criminal and bring trouble to the Marquis of Changnan?"

Ye laughed and said: "Who doesn't know the relationship between Xijun and his beloved? They are both colleagues and township party members. He even regards Xijun as a teacher and a role model. If he wants to cause trouble, he will be hurt long ago. Besides, it was the beloved who made a mistake at the moment. , let His Majesty know the name of Mr. Xi, and this is why we went to Xianyang. In the final analysis, it is my beloved who has brought trouble to Mr. Xi."

Xi shook his head and said, "I caused the trouble myself. What does it have to do with the Marquis of Changnan?"

Ye Zijin said: "A good man often says that there are only three people he respects the most in his life, and Xijun is one of them. If he knew that Xijun was exiled far away from the capital, and he refused to send me off, he would definitely scold me. A sensible stupid woman..."

He said happily: "But if your Majesty really blames you..."

However, Ye Zijin didn't care at all and smiled humorously: "Then blame it on me, a stupid woman, for making my own decisions. Your Majesty can't be as knowledgeable as a woman, right?"

Ye's kindness was very generous. She didn't come empty-handed, she even gave her two servants.

"A house of people is for Xijun to use, and a maid is for Xijun to wash and make meals along the way."

Xi felt it was inappropriate, but Ye Zijin said: "They are a couple, and they are also from Anlu. They are free, not a concubine. They are not given to Xijun, but they are just on the same road. Yumen is far away, and a You can also accompany Xijun to talk about his hometown dialect on the road. When you get there, if you want to communicate with your family, you can let the two of you pass it on. "

She looked at the jailer on the side and said with a smile: "The two of them have their own talismans and take care of their own food and accommodation. Isn't this illegal?"

How dare the jailer offend Mrs. Changnanhou? He bowed his head and promised again and again, and no longer dared to wait for happiness.

Having said that, I couldn't refuse the joy, so I could only say thank you.

Ye Zijin also asked someone to pour a glass of wine.

"On behalf of my beloved, I wish you the best of respect and wish you a speedy return!"

After saying that, he raised his head and drank it all! Underneath the sad appearance of plain clothes and linen, there is a hint of heroism that is rare for women!

After drinking the farewell wine, I felt happy that the lump in my chest had disappeared and there was no more sadness. He looked at the carriage heading towards Xianyang, nodded and said:

"The Marquis of Changnan has a good wife! If she were a boy, she would be worth two thousand stones!"

…

It was already more than a month later in mid-August when Ye Zijin's family letter reached Yuzhang County. The letter told Heifu all about the turmoil that occurred in Xianyang during this period.

She told about Sima Xin's wife Cao's intercession for her brother, but she believed that "Cao Jiu was greedy, despicable, and unusable. He thought he had a good man to protect him, acted arrogantly, and did not consider himself a criminal."

So Heifu decided that after this person arrived, he would have a good experience of life in the south and understand the dangers of the world.

What surprised Heifu even more was that Ye Zijin actually had a tacit understanding and went to send off the wedding on his behalf.

"What a good wife! She understands me!"

Hei Fu was full of praise and he was truly impressed by his wife's intelligence and emotional intelligence.

This also dispelled the idea that Heifu, who had been living in the south for a long time, was physically empty and wanted to find a local girl to have fun...

Black Coward decided to do it himself and have enough food and clothing.

Ye Zijin also sent him a happy message, just one sentence.

"What is the law? What is the official? I have never forgotten my joy. I hope the Marquis of Changnan will not forget it!"

"For this belief, for these words, I did not hesitate to offend the emperor."

Heifu couldn't help but smile bitterly. This was both unexpected and reasonable. If you put such a person in such an environment and can still be harmonious and turn a blind eye, would you still be happy?

Thinking about his career as a Qin official for more than ten years, and thinking about Xi Yuan going to the Western Regions and possibly never seeing him again, Hei Fu had mixed feelings, and he also had some words to give to this "teacher"!

Heifu immediately asked people to find paper and pen. They were now on the outskirts of Nanchang City, where armies from all over the country gathered, preparing to set off to attack Minyue. The military situation is raging, and time is tight. There is no room for long remarks, only enough time to write a hasty sentence!

What to say? Heifu looked at the white paper and hesitated.

"I advise you to drink another glass of wine, and there will be no old friends when you leave Yangguan in the west?"

But after writing it, he shook his head violently!

no no! It shouldn't be this sentence, the joy is gone, it is not a desolate farewell, nor is it a lament for the inversion of black and white in the world.

Heifu crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the fire. He was beating the war drums of the expedition, holding a pen in his hand, seriously and vigorously, and wrote another sentence that he thought was worthy of a happy gift:

"Don't worry, no one in the world knows you!"

Your name may not be sealed in Yunmeng's coffin or written on several Qin slips.

"But Xijun, your name is known to everyone in the world at this moment!"