The Most Romantic of the Three Kingdoms

Supplement for May 18th.

——

The ox cart walked slowly, and it was already evening when it reached Yingyin.

Wen Pin sent Xun Zhen to Gao Yangli and outside, and promised to come and see him off early in the morning, saying goodbye and leaving.

Old Deng, the supervisor of the ward, came out to greet him, and said with enthusiasm and respect as always, "Master Xun is back? You haven't come back for a while. If we have a well-ranked husband in all the counties, counties, counties and townships of the Han Dynasty, we can be like you. Diligence, why can't this world be at peace?"

Xiao Xia and Xiao Ren Chang went home with Xun Zhen and knew this old Deng very well. Xiao Xia smiled and said: "Old Deng, you don't know yet, do you? Xun Jun has been promoted by the prefect to be the postmaster of the north, and he will go to Yangzhai tomorrow to take office."

"Northern postmaster? ..., oh, Xunjun, don't say the villain is talking nonsense, the villain has long seen that you have a noble face. Look at you, how long has it been? The postal supervisor has risen step by step. In another three to five years, maybe even the two thousand stone silver-marked blue ribbon, Xun-Jun will be able to bring it along!"

Xun Zhen smiled and said: "Old Deng, you can talk more and more. Although I have been appointed by the government as the postal supervisor of the north, I am still only a small official with a hundred stone, and the bronze seal of two hundred stone is yellow. Shou Shang dare not think about it, you dare to be the master of the emperor, and let me wear a silver-printed blue ribbon?"

Although Lao Deng was only a lijian, he "supervised" Gaoyang Lizhimen. He had seen many officials who came to pay homage to the Xun family, and he had a good understanding of the official system of this dynasty. He said: "Although it is a hundred stones, compared with the township, there are Zhiqiangfu, one in the sky and one in the ground." He was right. Although the quality and rank of the township Youzhi Qiangfu and the county governor post are the same, it is definitely a promotion from the township Youzhi to the county governor post. It is for this reason that Xun Zhen stayed in Xixiang for more than a year. After the word "trial" was removed and it became "really rank", he could get this promotion. ——As for the reason why he didn’t wait enough for a year to be promoted from Fanyang Pavilion Chief to Township Youzhi Qiangfu, it was because the Pavilion Chief was only “fighting food” and didn’t even have “rank”, so he could relax the conditions and do not have to Too strict enforcement of imperial regulations.

Xun Zhen was in a hurry to go home, but without talking to old Dundee, she took the reins and drove the bullock cart into the interior. As usual, Old Deng watched him go away, and just now he returned to the inner and outer school, and while returning to the house, he muttered: "Xun-Jun is really humble, you have become the postal governor of the county, and when you talk to me, your tone and attitude are exactly the same as before. "

...

As soon as they entered the house, they set up the mount and the bullock cart, and helped Tang Er to get out of the cart. Someone came from outside the courtyard.

"Zhenzhi, the king asked you to see him." But it was Xun Yan's third son, Xun Yu's elder brother Xun Yan.

Xun Yan, with the character Xiu Ruo, was also very famous in the county. Among the sons of Xun Qian, he and the four sons Xun Chen and Xun Yu were the most virtuous. He was older than Xun Zhen, and Xun Zhen hurriedly bowed and saluted: "I have seen brother."

"Jiajun heard that you were back, and immediately ordered me to find you to see him."

"Yes. Zhenfang came back from the village, his clothes were stained with dust, and he didn't wear a crown and belt, so he didn't dare to go like this. Brother, please wait for a while, wait for me to wash and change my clothes, and then go to see the adults." Xun Zhen told After committing a crime, he returned to the room and was served by Tang Er, changed into a Confucian robe, and put on a high crown. Xiao Xia and Xiao Ren drew a basin of water by the well and waited on him to wash their hands and face.

Xun Yan was graceful and elegant. He waited for him to finish cleaning up without rushing. He stepped out of the hospital and led him into his home. Please go to the hall first, and then go to the backyard to inform Xun Wan.

Xun Qian came over quickly.

Xun Zhen hurried to the hall door, and Xun Yan served Xun Lai, took off his shoes, and helped him to the hall. Xun Qian sat on the throne and said, "You all sit down too." Xun Zhen and Xun Yan knelt down and sat on the side seats.

"You sent someone to deliver a letter the day before yesterday, saying that you were promoted by the government to be the postal supervisor in the north?"

As soon as Xun Zhen sat firmly, she immediately got up when she heard the words, avoided the banquet and bowed down, and said respectfully, "Yes. . . . , I can only manage twenty or thirty li, I have little knowledge and little knowledge. I never thought that I would be promoted to the post of postal supervisor by the ruler of the government. I am on the right side of the county, and I am uneasy. I am going home today, I just want to see the adults, hoping to get the adults. The guidance and instruction. As soon as I got home, before I showered my hands, my brother came.”

Xun Qian was obviously old.

When Xun Zhen saw him the year before, although he was old, he was in good spirits, but now most of his teeth have fallen out, his teeth are white and falling, and he is very old.

He said slowly: "The year before last, when you first served as the head of Fanyang Pavilion, many people in your clan looked down on you, and there were a lot of gossip behind your back. To be honest, I didn't expect you to achieve today's achievements. Remember you Ren Ting Not long after that, I called you here. At that time, when I talked about Qiu Jizhi, you said that the county magistrate compared you to Qiu Lan. I said that it took Qiu Lan a whole year to make Puting 'great', and that you could not compare Get on him. . . . From now on, I was wrong."

Xun Zhen was terrified and said, "Your lord is not wrong, the youngest boy Zhenwei can't be compared with Qiu Lan."

"No. It took Qiu Lan a year to make Puting great, and it took you a year to bring peace to the whole town. Although it seems that killing the third clan is too heavy, I know that you are In order to establish prestige, after establishing prestige, you will be able to establish morality again, break prison in the Spring and Autumn Period, rule the people with morality, popularize education, support the orphans and widows in the village, and make people in the whole county praise you for being wise. Better than Qiu Lan. However, even so, you still have to keep the word modesty in mind."

"Yes. The character that the lord gave to Zhen, when Zhen was in Fanyang Pavilion and Xixiang, he always hung it on the wall of his room, recited it every day, and dared not forget it." Xun Wan summoned Xun Zhen that time, I gave him a pair of characters, which was a sentence from the Book of Changes: "Qian is the handle of virtue."

"You have now been promoted to the post of Duyou. Duyou is the right post of the county court. You are the eyes and ears of the prefect. You are in the county of the supervisory department. The inspector is a humble but extremely powerful. If the postal supervisor is good, then the county will be fine; Bo, I will then appoint you as the postal governor of the county. The post supervisor and the master are both important ministers of the county, the confidant of the prefect, and the position of the county officials is second only to the county officials. Among us, the two are in the county. Right. Although the Yin clan and our Xun clan are related by marriage, you must not be arrogant about it, you know?"

"Yes."

In February of this year, Yin Xiu removed a group of outstanding sages from the county, and successively used Zhang Zhong as the five sense rafters, Zhang Li as the main memory rafter, Du You as the thief Cao rafter, Guo Tu as the strategist, and Xun Yu as the main rafter. Xun Zhen and these people are also considered "the same year", and they have been reused in the same period.

"Wen Ruo also asked me before he took office, and asked me how I could do my job well. I told him two words. Today, I will give you these two words as well."

"Zhengong heard the teachings of the adults."

"The first sentence: love the people."

"Yes."

"What does it mean to love the people? The Master said: 'The way of a country of a thousand vehicles is to be respectful and trustworthy, to use prudence to love others, and to make the people in time'. This is to love the people.

"Why do you need to love the people? In recent years, the two major epidemics have made it difficult for the people. Since you have eaten the state salaries and been used by the county governor, you should share the worries for the emperor and the government. This is one of them.

"Secondly, I, the Xun clan, is a descendant of Xunzi in the Warring States Period. He has passed down poetry and books, and has been famous in the Qing Dynasty. Since this dynasty, there are not a few people who have served as officials. My father used to be the prime minister of Langling, and my brother used to be the chief of Langling. He was also the prime minister of Jinan. Xun Qu's father and my brother-in-law served as the prefect of Guangling, and Xun Qu's uncle served as the state minister of Pei and Yuesi. In addition, many of the fathers in your clan have served as county magistrates. All of them have clear and honest names. Xun Qu's uncle also died in prison with Li Yuanli for conspiring with the old general to kill the eunuch.

"It is because of your clan ancestors, the fathers in your clan that they are upright and upright, and that makes the world pay attention to my Xun clan. It is not easy to gain fame. Now that you and Wen Ruo are also in official positions, you must always respect their high morality. As an example, take the clear name of our Xun family in mind, we must use sparingly and love the people, we must treat the people as if they are hurt, and we must not be harsh and harassing the people. Remember, remember, we must not fall into the reputation of our Xun family in the world."

"Yes."

"Second sentence: Be cautious."

"Yes."

"Why do you have to be cautious? The lord's responsibilities are in picking up the remains and filling the queer, serving the prefect's left and right, and he is a close official under the prefect's door. All of them are important positions. Since they are important positions, they must attract attention. It has been more than ten years since the party has been constrained by the party. All the members of the Xun clan have been removed from office and imprisoned at home. Fortunately, the emperor Shengming issued an edict two years ago. The ancestors and the following, all have to explain', you and Wen Ruo can get out of the county court. However, after all, there is no complete solution to the party, isn't Xun Qu and their family still under the party's constraints? My sixth brother, isn't your clan father still the same? Are you afraid to come back? Xun Qu’s uncle died because of a plot to execute the eunuchs, and those eunuchs are not only unharmed, but they are still in power in the court! They are watching us all the time. Therefore, I ask you to be careful. . . . The Master said: 'The state has the way, not abolished, the state has no way, and it is free from torture', you must be such a person."

"Yes."

Xun Wan spoke for a while, feeling a little thirsty. Xun Yan walked to the couch where he was sitting in small steps and knelt down and served tea. He took it, took a sip, and exhorted with a serious expression: "You go to Yangzhai, you must be cautious in everything and obey the law. You must strictly abide by the rules of the court in your speech, behavior, advance and retreat, and don't give others excuses. Yangzhai It's the county seat, and there are many surnames in the county. Zhang, the permanent servant of the central government, asked him to live in Yangzhai? Avoid them and don't offend the people in their family."

"Yes."

"That's all I can tell you about."

"Zhenbi remembers the teachings of adults."

"You are quite affectionate, and you are a prudent person. Remember my two words, love the people, and be cautious in words and deeds. Also, after you go to Yangzhai, don't do things like exterminate the third clan. You need to establish your prestige in Xixiang, and now your prestige has been established, who in the county does not know about your killing of the third clan? Don't kill people easily."

"Yes."

Xun Wan returned the wooden bowl to Xun Yan, motioned him to sit down at the banquet, and then said, "I'm calling you here today, not mainly to tell you this, but another matter."

"Sir, please speak."

"Yesterday morning, Zhong Yu from the Zhong family of the Changshe came."

"Jun Zhong?"

Zhong Yu is Zhong Yao's clan father. Zhong Yao is a young orphan, can learn well, and is famous in the prefectures. It is because Zhong Yu provided him with tuition fees since he was a boy to be able to specialize. Xun Zhen heard this person's name, and felt strange in her heart, thinking, "What does Zhong Yu have to do with me? I don't know him. What did your lord tell me about this?"

"He came to propose marriage for you."

Xun Zhen was stunned: "Promise me?"

"Yes. Duke Taiqiu of Xu County has a daughter and grandson. She is Ji Fang's nephew, Yuan Fang's nephew, and Chen Qun's daughter-in-law. She is sixteen years old this year. The Chen family wants to marry this daughter to you, because Zhong Yu is the Introduction. What do you think?"

After Xun Zhen was shocked, she calmed down and turned to her surprise, thinking, "How could Duke Taiqiu suddenly want to marry my granddaughter?" He quickly thought of Chen Qun, "In February last year, the prefect went to the west in spring. When I was in town, I met Chen Qun.... But I remember that he didn't talk to me very much at that time, and he didn't say four or five sentences in total. Since then, I have been busy practicing Qingxia, even at home. Rarely, I have never seen him again. As for his father, Chen/Yuan Fang, I have never seen him before. How could his family want to recruit me as a son-in-law?"

Although I can't figure it out, it's a good thing. The fame of the Chen family in Xu County is not comparable to that of the Xun family, and Chen Hao likes to make friends, so he has friends, disciples, and old officials all over the world. If he can become his family's son-in-law, it will definitely help his family. He didn't think about it for too long, and quickly said: "Marriage matters, parents' orders, matchmakers' words. Zhen's parents passed away early, and he studied from brother Zhong when he was ten years old. It's all because of brother Zhong. This matter. , Zhenne needs to ask Brother Zhong for his opinion."

Xun Qian was very satisfied with his answer. One should not forget one's roots, and should not forget kindness. If he can't wait to agree on the spot, it can only show that he is a snob. Xun Hao Nianxu smiled and said, "I asked your brother Zhong. He has no opinion."

"My lord is the head of the clan. I don't know what my lord means?"

"The Chen family is also a family with several surnames in China. The Duke of Taiqiu is very old and virtuous. He lives in seclusion in the township. Chen Qun, although he is young, is also well-known in the county. The daughter raised by such a family must be very virtuous. In my opinion, it is a good match for a son. . . . You are twenty-two this year?"

"It's almost twenty-three."

"It's long overdue to get married. Your brother Zhong doesn't know what he's doing all day long. He doesn't do business. He found a beautiful woman for you, and there is no news yet.... If you have no opinion on this marriage, then you can decide it like this?"

"Listen to the arrangement of the adults."

"Okay. I'm going to ask you Brother Zhong to go to the Chen family in the next two days to collect and offer a dowry.... You know, Wen Ruo's crown last month has become a year, and his marriage can't be delayed any longer. A few days ago, the Tang family in Yan County sent someone to ask when they plan to marry their daughter. The Tang family's daughter is seventeen or eighteen this year, and they can't wait. I plan to marry them within this year. You are from Wenruo's family. Brother, you can't fall behind him, wait for the betrothal gift to the Chen family, and after asking the name for divination, let's calculate the wedding date and see if we can get married in July or August. What do you think?"

The marriage age of the men in the Han Dynasty was 12 or 13 years old, and the older ones were usually in their twenties. The marriage age of a woman is twelve or three for the young and fifteen or six for the long. Men are good, but if women are not married after fifteen or sixteen, it is very difficult to say. In the sixth year of Emperor Hui of the former Han Dynasty, there was an edict: "Women over fifteen to thirty do not marry, five counts". Calculation is the calculation of Fu, the head tax. Those over fifteen who do not marry will be charged five times the poll tax. This is also a disguised regulation of the age of marriage for women. The Tang family's daughter is seventeen or eighteen, so it's no wonder she can't wait.

The marriage between the daughter of the Tang family and Xun Yu was settled with Xun Wan when Tang Heng, the late father of the Tang family, was still alive. Tang Heng was the **** of Emperor Huan and one of the "five princes". He originally planned to betroth his daughter to Runan Fu Gongming, but Gongming refused to marry, so he changed to Xun Yu. At that time, Xun Yu was only two or three years old and could not get married.

Soon after, Tang Heng died of illness. In the second year of his death, the first disaster of party restraint broke out, and the conflict between scholar-bureaucrats and eunuchs intensified sharply. The Xun family's poetry and books are heirlooms, and they pay attention to one's faith. Although they did not break off the marriage because of this, the marriage was delayed because of this. In the second disaster, Xun Yu's concubine, Xun Yu's uncle, Xun Yu, even died for plotting to kill the eunuch. The entire Xun clan was also implicated and was imprisoned and unable to serve. This marriage is even worse. However, due to various considerations, the Xun and Tang families did not regret their marriage. It has been dragged on until today, Xun Yu has become an adult, and the Tang family's daughter can't drag it on anymore, so the two families decided to marry them.

The twists and turns of the marriage between Xun Yu and the daughter of the Tang family are well known to everyone in the Xun clan. Xun Zhen also knew that there were quite a few people outside, so they ridiculed Xun Wan, saying that he was greedy for Tang Heng when he accepted this marriage, which was detrimental to Xun's high reputation. Xun Zhen laughed at such a statement. Xun Qian is also one of the "eight dragons", so how could he do something like marrying a wife for his son because of his admiration? The fact that he should get married is because he was forced to help. When Tang Heng was called "Tang Sitting Alone", he had power over the court and the opposition, and his life and death were in his mouth. The Xun clan had more than a hundred mouths. Xun Lingzhi's promise to this marriage was in fact the same as Chen Hao's behavior of hanging Zhang Rang's father alone in those days. It was not out of his original intention, but for the sake of compromising.

Xun Zhen replied, "After Zhen returns, I will prepare the dowry."

Xun Hao laughed so hard that he showed his few teeth. He said, "Although your parents are gone, but with your brother Zhong and me, do you still need to prepare the dowry?"

The Han people followed the pre-Qin custom of "wives are women, and concubines are men", and they attach great importance to betrothal gifts. In the early Han Dynasty, it was stipulated that the bride price of the empress should be 10,000 catties of gold. In this dynasty, Emperor Huan's betrothal gift to Empress Liang reached 20,000 catties of gold. The Xun clan was only a prominent family. Although they had been eunuchs for generations, most of them were honest, and not many were wealthy. Xun Zhen knew that Xun Lai's family was not rich, and did not want him to give him a betrothal gift, so he said: "When Zhen was in charge of Fanyang Pavilion, he killed a group of thieves and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in rewards. There is little leftover, enough for the betrothal gift. Nacai has already troubled the adults and Brother Zhong, and I dare not let the adults and Brother Zhong spend any more money."

"You don't need to talk about it. You don't need to take care of the betrothal gifts. I'll discuss it with your brother Zhong.... Speaking of the thieves you killed in Fanyang Pavilion, you recruited a lot of clients in Xixiang, didn't you? You used to bring them here last year. Let them go hunting in the mountains, don't they?"

"Yes."

"I've heard about this for a long time, and I also heard that Duke Yin of the government praised you for having great ambitions. Zhenzhi, our Xun clan has been dressed for generations, and we have studied the book of saints. You are young and martial, I can understand that. But playing with people loses morals, and playing with things loses our minds, but we must not waste our Xun family’s family education because of this. When dealing with people, we must still have rules, and we must be respectful and upright first. After you go to Yangzhai, don’t do this again.”

"promise."

It was night outside the hall, and candles rose in the hall. Xun Wan's spirit was a little weak. Xun Zhen saw that he had nothing else to explain, so he respectfully said goodbye. As soon as he arrived at the door of the hall, before he had time to put on his shoes, Xun Wan called him back again, called him to the front, opened his mouth, and pointed Pointing to his tongue~www.wuxiaspot.com~ pointed to his scattered teeth, looked at him, and asked, "Do you understand?"

"Zhen understands."

"Go."

Xun Zhen took a few steps back, bowed respectfully on the ground, and bowed again.

Xun Qian’s gestures of pointing his tongue and pointing his teeth imitated the actions of Lao Tzu when he taught Confucius in the past, which means that the soft can overcome the rigid, and it is still reminding Xun Zhen to be cautious in his words and deeds, and not to be too sharp. Although Xun Zhen didn't know that Xun Qian had written to Chen Yu and other celebrities to make him famous, but the old man's care and support for him was clearly felt. When the ceremony was over, he bowed his body and lowered his hands, and backed out of the hall.

Xun Yan sent him out and said with a smile: "From now on, you and Wen Ruo will be officials in the same dynasty. We must help each other. Wen Ruo is younger than you and has never been an official before. If you have time, teach more. teach him."

Xun Zhen thought to himself: "With Wen Ruo's talent, can I still teach him?" Mang Qiang said: "Wen Ruo's talent is a hundred times better than me. How dare Zhen dare to show his ugliness?" It can be as famous as Xun Yu and Xun You. In addition, because he had served as the pavilion chief for nearly two years, and the township's rank husband, some clansmen even felt that he was better than Xun Yu and Xun You in the way of being an official.

——

1. Although I have been appointed by the government as the postal supervisor of the north, I am still only a small official of the Hundred Stones.

"Han Jiuyi": "The old system: order more than 600 stones, the Shangshu is adjusted and moved, 400 single appearances to 200 stones, the prime minister is transferred, the county is a hundred stones, and 2,000 stones are transferred". The county governor of 2,000 shi can eliminate hundreds of stone officials on his own, such as the county meritorious officer, the county owner Bo, and the county governor.

2. In February of this year, Yin Xiu removed a group of outstanding sages from the county, and successively used Zhang Zhong as the five sense rafters, Zhang Li as the main memory rafter, Du You as the thief Cao rafter, Guo Tu as the strategist, and Xun Yu as the main rafter. .

Although these people appeared in Yin Xiu at the same time, they were not necessarily all promoted by Yin Xiu.