The Most Romantic of the Three Kingdoms

Guanghe four years, Zhengdan day, sunny, there is a breeze.

Xun Zhen got up early in the morning, and after finishing her grooming, Tang Er helped her put on her crown belt and official robe, took out the family sword, inserted it into her waist, reflected it on the bronze mirror on the wall, and asked the waiter with a smile Xiao Xia and Xiao Ren on the left and right: "How?"

The two smiled and said, "Beautiful and full of energy."

Tang Er knelt at his feet, and while tidying the bottom of his robe, he asked: "Didn't the county lord exempt this year's Zhengdan greetings? Right now it is not the time for the family to worship. Young master, you dress up. So neat, what are you going to do?"

"Although the county lord is considerate of the inferior, and exempted from this year's Zhengdan celebration, but for the subordinate, he has to abide by his duty, and the famous thorn still needs to be handed over. . . . You go and take the subordinate thorn that I wrote last night. Come, I'll deliver it to the magistrate later."

Tang Er complied, got up and went to the study next door, brought the bamboo slips on the desk, and handed them to Xun Zhen. Xun Zhen took a silk bag, put the famous thorn in it, and adjusted her clothes again in front of the bronze mirror. She felt that there was no problem, so she took Xiao Xia and Xiao Ren to the official temple.

Out of the courtyard, the inside is very lively.

A sound of "crackling, crackling" came from the left hand side, Xun Zhen turned to look, and saw that there were several boys with drooping beards lighting "firecrackers" not far away. These boys were all dressed neatly, like little adults, surrounded a brazier, and threw the cut bamboo into it. Whenever the bamboo made a "crack" sound, they all jumped for joy.

Xiao Xia smiled and said, "Whose child is this? No adults are watching? Aren't you afraid your hands will be burned by firecrackers and your eyes will be broken?"

Xiaoren said: "Xunjun, we only ordered firecrackers last night, but we didn't order them this morning. Forget about it. Would you like me to go back and light some firecrackers?" It has been a custom since the Spring and Autumn Period, in order to expel the ghosts and ghosts of the mountain.

"Zibuyu is weird and chaotic. The purpose of lighting firecrackers is to create a lively scene. Except for the night, it's alright. If you forget this morning, forget it." The movement of the child lighting firecrackers reminded Xun Zhen of the time before he crossed. He smiled, shook his head vigorously, drove away the memories, took a deep breath of the cold morning air, and felt refreshed.

Many people in the alley have their courtyard doors open, or their servants, or their masters, are hanging peach talismans on the doors. The so-called peach talisman is a wooden board made of peach wood. It is more than one inch wide and seven or eight inches long. There are two pieces. One is written: Shen Tu, and the other is written: Yu Lei. Can catch ghosts and monsters, hang on both sides of the gate. ——This is actually the predecessor of the door gods and Spring Festival couplets of later generations.

Xun Zhen listened to the sound of firecrackers and witnessed the change of peaches. She walked slowly with her hands behind her back, and recited in a manic voice: "The sound of firecrackers kills one year old, and the spring breeze brings warmth into Tusu. Thousands of households are on the verge of death. Exchange the new peach for the old talisman." Suddenly there is some generosity, from now to the future, to the era he traveled through, a lot of things have changed for two thousand years, but there are some customs that have never changed.

Xiao Xia and Xiao Ren looked at each other. Xiao Ren asked, "Xunjun, are the few lines you read just now a poem? Firecrackers, Tusu, new peaches for old talismans, we all understand, what does '曈曈' mean?"

The "Tu Su" in this poem recited by Xun Zhen originally meant Tu Su wine, but it was another name for Fu at that time. Tusu wine was not popular until the Tang Dynasty. The 罘罳 is the screen set outside the door, and the spring breeze sends warmth into the screen, which is also smooth. Xun Zhen just recited it because he heard and saw it, and he couldn't help it. Hearing Xiao Ren's question at this time, he said in his heart, "It's very dangerous." "

"Xun Jun is really knowledgeable." Xiao Ren and Xiao Xia admired him very much. The more illiterate people are, the more they have a natural reverence for learned people. Although they are light chivalrous people, they are no exception.

Going inside and out all the way, and passing by, from time to time there are people who hang peach talismans outside the door to greet him. Someone who had a good relationship with him asked, "Shirou, with your neat crown and belt, are you going to the official temple?"

"Yes, today is Zhengdan, although the county lord has exempted He Bai, but the famous thorn must be sent."

"Then you have to hurry up. It will be time for sacrifices in the clan in an hour or two. Don't be too late."

"It's not too late! Just send a name stab, it will take at most half an hour to go back and forth."

Xun Zhen walked over and heard someone whispering from behind: "How many days did this Zhenzhi become a township official? Did he raise guests? The two people behind him are very eye-catching. He brought him from Xixiang. Did you come back? Although the clothes are frugal, the one with short coat and long sword looks very heroic."

Someone replied in a low voice: "Don't you know? Last time Shiro crossed the border to attack thieves and killed a group of strong thieves in Congjia County. He won the praise of the county lord and gave him a reward of 2 million yuan. I heard that he distributed most of the money to the deserving villagers, but it is expected that there will be a lot left, so what does it mean to raise one or two guests?"

Watching Xun Zhen, Xiao Xia, and Xiao Ren go away, someone else said: "When he first asked himself to be the head of the pavilion, I didn't look down on him. Our Yingyin Xun family is well-known all over the world, and it was paid by a remote side. All of them are proud of their surnames. He is very good, and he went to ask the county magistrate to give him a position as a pavilion chief. The pavilion chief is a servant and a lowly position. I really felt that he was too embarrassing for our Xun family! Unexpectedly, in just three months, he has made contributions one after another and was promoted to Xixiang Youzhi."

Someone snorted and said with disdain: "Ting Chang is a lowly servant, and the township is not much better! Let's not talk about the Xun family, let's just say that in modern times, which of the ancestors and fathers has served as an official? Have you ever held such a lowly position? To tell you the truth, if it wasn't for the fact that the clan father summoned him and heard that he encouraged him a few words, I would have gone to his house and scolded him!"

Xun Zhen had good friends in the clan, and naturally there were general friendships. This person with disdain is the one who has a general relationship with him, and it seems that he looks down on him very much.

The person who spoke earlier said: "Although the rank of the township rank is not high, it is only a hundred stone officials, but it can be regarded as a seal! There are many famous ministers and scholars who have been rose husbands in their humble days, and some Ranked. Didn't Gaomi Zheng Gong Kangcheng have been a village rose husband when he was young?" Zheng Kangcheng is Zheng Xuan, and Kangcheng is his name.

The person who looked down on Xun Zhen said: "Although Zheng Kangcheng is famous, his family background has declined since he was young. How can he compare with my Xun family? I went to Yangzhai last month and met Xin Ping at Xin's house. , Brother Xin Pi, Xin Ping saw me, and the first sentence was: 'I heard that the emperor has a strong pavilion, I'm glad to congratulate.' Where is this congratulation? It's obviously a mockery! I just can't figure it out, why did the clan father summon him, why did he encourage him?"

The person who spoke first was very dissatisfied, and criticized: "If you are a son or nephew, how can you tell your elders behind your back? Silence! Silence!" He stopped talking to this person, hung up the peach talisman, turned around and entered the courtyard, Going to prepare for the family sacrifice that will start in a while.

Xun Zhen only heard the first half of their conversations, and the latter couldn't hear them because they were far away. However, even if he heard it, he wouldn't care. From the moment he made up his mind to invite himself to be the pavilion chief, he knew that there would definitely be some clansmen who couldn't understand his move. Those who know me say that my heart is worried, and those who do not know me say what I want, that's all.

Out of the inner door, he walked slowly through the streets and alleys with Xiao Xia and Xiao Ren. There were not many people on the street, but there were quite a few people in and out of some lanes and alleys passing by, and it was expected that the big clans in each li were preparing for the ancestor worship. Passing through a small half of the county, to the gate of the official temple, leaving Xiao Xia and the two waiting outside the gate, he entered the temple alone.

In the courtyard of the official temple, there were many people standing lively, and watching their dress, they were all officials of the county. There are pavilion chiefs wearing red ribbons, Baishi officials with green cyan ribbons, and Dou Shi and Zuo Shi who are not qualified to wear seal ribbons. He thought in his heart: "If there are officials in the county court, at least I can know a few. I don't know any of these people. I think they should all come from other places. , wanderers, and all kinds of petty officials.”

He doesn't know anyone, and no one knows him. This will have to be changed at a different time. He may still go up to chat a few times and take the opportunity to meet a few more people, but today is Zhengdan, and soon the clan will worship the ancestors, but there is no time to stay in the temple more, bypassing the various Man, go straight to the backyard. He had been summoned by the county magistrate Zhu Chang and knew where he lived. He handed the one-foot-long thorn to the county guard who was guarding the gate outside the house door in the backyard, and bowed respectfully and said: "Xunzhen, the official, I wish Zhu Jun a new year. Nafo."

After casting the famous thorn, Xun Zhen didn't stay much, and came out of the temple, led Xiao Xia and Xiao Ren, and turned back to the inner center. When he was about to get to the door, he saw a young man standing outside the door, talking to the prisoner. Hearing him say: "I'm here to find Xun Jun, if there's an emergency, just let me in!"

Old Deng from the prison gate shook his head and said, "Half of the residents here are surnamed Xun. Which Xun are you looking for?"

"The current ruler of Xixiang is Xunjun."

"Oh! You mean Shiro Xunjia. He just went out. It seems that he is going to the official temple to meet the magistrate. He should be back soon. Just wait at the door."

With sharp eyes, Xiao Xia saw the man at the door and said, "Hey, isn't this Gao Bing? Why is he here?"

Xun Zhen's heart moved, and she thought, "Could it be that there is a result in the pavilion?" He stopped in the distance and waved, "Xiao Gao!"

Gao Bing turned his face to see him, left Lao Deng, ran over in a hurry, looked left and right, saw no one around, lowered his voice, couldn't hold back his joy, and said, "Xunjun, Hu / Ping's Shuzi are all Recruited!"