Three Kingdoms

Qiao County.

Qiao County was not well-known before Cao Cao, and it was not well-known after Cao Cao. However, it was one of the places where grains were grown in the early days of China. It was known as a "ripe grain" county in ancient times, so it was more or less prosperous in terms of population and economy. , a land of abundant products.

Since the Cao family came to power, Cao Cao has returned home several times, which has made Qiao County proud of surrounding counties, and the economy has further prospered. Today, it is like blooming flowers.

This is also normal.

If a chicken or a dog attains enlightenment, one person can ascend to heaven. Well, that’s wrong. If one person attains enlightenment, then a chicken or dog can ascend to heaven.

Then if we pay more attention to what kind of "Tao" is this "Tao" and what kind of "Heaven" is that "Heaven", there will be some differences.

It's just that among these blooming flowers, few people look at them and just think about them.

There are even rumors that as long as the Cao family is still the Cao family and the Xiahou family is still the Xiahou family, then Qiao County will always be Qiao County and its prosperity will never decline!

A big thing happened in Qiao County recently.

It is said to be a big event. In fact, it is not that big. It is just because it is related to the prime minister of the dynasty, so naturally no matter how small it is, it can be three points big.

This matter is that the Cao family with the big surname in Qiao County, or it can be called the Ju surname, announced to the outside world that under the orders of Prime Minister Cao, they declared that the descendants of the Cao family and the Xiahou family must be honest, diligent, good, and respectful to friends. There is a long list of standards such as respect, respect, etc., and these contents are published on the list. It is said that it is to form a family motto of the Cao family, engraved in the two ancestral halls of the Cao family and Xiahou family, and become the descendants of the Cao family and Xiahou family for generations. Rules that all generations need to abide by.

Anyway, now the Cao family and the Xiahou family are like one family, so the family mottos are generally only slightly different in surnames, and other contents are basically the same.

The family motto is not an original creation of Cao Cao, but what is very interesting is that the founder of family motto in history was Cao Cao's "idol". Of course, there is no such thing as "idol" in the Han Dynasty. It can only be said that it is object of imitation.

In ancient times, human society has experienced changes in clans, families, and families, which are the cornerstones of a society. When the national environment is unstable and laws and morals are unclear, a good family motto can exert the power to stabilize family and social order.

The family mottos of the Han Dynasty were inherited from the Spring and Autumn Period and gradually became more colorful. The family motto contains many famous aphorisms about managing the family and educating children, conveying some very simple principles of social and interpersonal relationships.

Did Mr. Cao have a family motto before? It seems that he did, but he never announced it to the public. After all, it is a "family motto". He talks about it all the time. So what does it mean?

Some people are confused, some are dull, some are indifferent, and some are slightly thoughtful.

But the people who responded fastest were not the Cao family and the Xiahou family, but the officials, big and small in the officialdom...

When the Xiahou family of the Cao family expressed that they had received joint instructions from Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun, especially the order from the prime minister, they should teach the "family motto" to the children of the clan and make sure that everyone in the clan knows good and evil and is sensible. For the surrounding counties and counties To the officials, it was almost like an earthquake!

Although the Cao family plus the Xiahou family would not occupy the entire Qiao County, they would occupy at least half of the city, so their influence would naturally be huge. In addition, those who are officials outside, those who are somewhat related to each other, and people with various interests, anyone with some brains will think about it to some extent.

Not long after this news came out, not only the big and small officials in Qiao County, but also the surrounding Pei Kingdom, as well as the officials at all levels in the neighboring prefectures and counties, all used one excuse or another to personally or send their confidants. I went to visit the Cao family and expressed congratulations during the visit. I also expressed great praise for the family motto of the Cao family and the Xiahou family. Of course, the attitude was more humble to show respect for Cao Cao.

This may explain some problems.

Some very interesting questions.

The Cao family and the Xiahou family were originally some of the most famous surnames in Qiao County. Not only did they have a large number of people, they also had a lot of assets. They had thousands of acres of land alone, as well as dozens of shops and various types of workshops. At least in Pei State, No one in this place can compare with the Cao family and the Xiahou family.

So it seems that the Cao family and the Xiahou family have been unanimously praised by the surrounding people. This kind of family motto can be passed down through the ages and be passed down for generations. However, in fact, only the top core figures in the Cao family and the Xiahou family understand that in fact, among the family The atmosphere inside may not always be harmonious, but tense!

Not to mention the Cao family, even the smaller Xiahou family is a huge family with many internal branches. There are more than 20 direct men under the age of 30 in the family, and there are also 100 unmarried direct women of the same age. There are also more than a dozen people. If all the related men and women of the right age are added together, the number will probably double.

Not to mention the Cao family. Cao Cao took advantage of me and so on. He was already a super wealthy family during the period of Emperor Heng of the Han Dynasty, and there were even more related family members.

Among the clansmen of the two families, there are quite good talents such as Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong. Of course, there are also guys who only know how to make their own small calculations and don't care about other people. In addition, sometimes due to certain things and interests, what should have been a close relationship breaks down. It is inevitable for people to turn against each other, get in the way of each other, and even fight each other between relatives. It is common.

It can be said that in the process of Cao Cao's rise, it was the most majestic and glorious moment for the Cao Xiahou clan, but it was also the most loose and internally strife stage within the Cao Xiahou clan. If it weren't for the fact that everyone knew that everyone wanted to Relying on Cao Cao, any conflicts must be controlled within a certain range in order to have a bright future. Otherwise, I am afraid that some people have already thought of splitting up and becoming independent.

The Cao family and the Xiahou family separated.

Then the Cao family and the Xiahou family were divided again.

Just like some enterprises in later generations, there was only one CEO at the beginning, and then branch companies were formed. Under the branch companies, there were branch companies, and under the branch companies, business offices and so on could be divided, and then each one became the "head office". Never mind the big "general" or the small "general", they are all the general after all.

Some people say that unity is the most powerful force, but others will say that we would rather be a chicken head than an ox tail.

So should we unite or disperse?

If unity is beneficial, we will unite; if dispersion is beneficial, we will be dispersed.

This is probably what most people in the Xiahou clan of the Cao clan think about, but the problem is that in all things in the world, how can one just take advantage of it and take the benefits without having to pay or work hard?

Among these matters, the most troublesome is still the selection of officials within the Xiahou clan of the Cao family.

Normally, if others want to enter the officialdom, they have to go through some threshold tests and so on. However, people from the Cao family and the Xiahou family, as long as they are not too stupid or stupid, can hold some official positions, with different levels. And it doesn't matter even if he is stunned, doesn't he have Xia Houyuan as a role model?

Is this treatment good enough?

However, it is still insufficient.

Human hearts are never enough.

The Cao family and the Xiahou family have gained a lot, but there are still some people who feel that they are not among the quotas for elected officials, that's just not the case!

After all, there are only so many official positions, but there are still many members of the Xiahou clan of the Cao family who have not yet held office. Even excluding those who are not of the right age, there are still ten or twenty "young talents" who have reached the appropriate age, but There are only so many official positions available!

Therefore, the so-called newly released family mottos that mention "courteousness, humility, friendship and respect" are basically ignored.

In a situation where there are obviously too many monks and too few people, how can you be so "reverent and friendly"? Many people have the mentality that if I am "courteous and friendly", who will be responsible when I have nothing to eat, and no one will give up easily.

Don't care about the big men, and don't talk about the hard work of officials. In the feudal dynasty, what is not good about any official position within the system? Who doesn’t want that?

Even if it is Mr. Tao who is the so-called "five pecks of rice", let's not say what the "five pecks of rice" refers to. It is not that Tao Yuanming dislikes the unfavourable official position, but his attitude of inaction. He took office for eighty days, eating and drinking every day without leaving any commendable political achievements, and then he walked away, just like that so-and-so.

Rather than encountering difficulties from the boss, it is really a kind of political escape. The so-called self-proclaimed "I will be an official when I am in trouble, and hide when I am in trouble". In fact, it is clear that I want to sit back, enjoy and work. Don't ask me to come. But this kind of thinking was very popular in the feudal dynasty.

In the feudal dynasty, as long as the official did not trouble the people, he could already get a "good official" comment. When the term of office was over, he could even get a people's umbrella to thank the official for not killing people in the past few years.

Therefore, compared with those sleazy officials, Mr. Tao can naturally be called a "good official".

But the question is, when did the officials of this feudal dynasty start to compete with the lower limit instead of the upper limit? These people studied Zhou Gongdan and other things in the Book of Songs, and they also praised his merits and practical things for the people. When did the scriptures teach the lower limit of being an official?

The scriptures are just scriptures, and the family precepts are just family precepts. In order to be able to drink spicy food and be willing to go out of your way to enjoy the popularity, do you still care about these few words?

In the past few days, Cao Ding, the elder of the Cao family, has had a headache.

Cao Ding served as Shangshu Ling in the early years, but now he is older and has returned to his hometown to support his family. Because he has a higher seniority, he is considered Cao Cao's uncle, so he serves as the elder of the Cao family.

On this day, Cao Ding was discussing the allocation of official positions with several other elders in the clan. Suddenly a servant of the Cao family came and shouted: "Oh no, there is another fight in the South Courtyard!" 』

According to Cao Cao's instructions, all the descendants of the Xiahou family of the Cao family who were about to participate in the selection of officials were gathered in one place, which was the south courtyard of the Cao family compound.

When there are more people, there are more things. There was a fuss a few days ago, and today there was another conflict.

Cao Ding frowned, "What exactly is going on? Tell me in detail!" 』

Cao's servant breathed for a moment, sorted out his thoughts, and then said, "It was Brother Sheng and Brother Hong who were beating Brother Ying... It is said that Brother Ying didn't say hello when he saw Brother Sheng, and then he Brother Hong grabbed his robe and beat him... If he said yes, he would be whipped if he said yes..."

Hearing what the servant said, Cao Ding had an even more headache.

The "Brother Sheng" mentioned by the servant is the grandson of Cao Chi, the chief official of Taizhong. His father died early, and he was the only one left in the family, who was favored very much. It was okay in the early years, after all, I was still young. In the past few years, I have gradually grown up and started to travel outside. Because I was too pampered at home, my temper was not very good. Relying on the name of the Cao family, I often behaved violently. It also caused a lot of trouble.

Another "Brother Hong" is Xia Houhong, the son of Xia Houlian. Xia Hou Lian's abilities were just that, but Xia Hou Hong, Xia Hou Lian's son, thought that his father was a talented man who was jealous and plotted by villains, so he often complained on weekdays.

Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong didn't deal with each other on weekdays, and they often fought. But I don't know why they went together to embarrass Cao Ying today?

The other person involved, Cao Ying, is the son of Cao Jie and a member of the Cao Zhongxing lineage. In his early years, when Cao Teng had not yet made a fortune, he went elsewhere and lived a very ordinary life. In recent years, he defected to Cao Cao because of his name. The descendants of the Cao family who returned to their hometown.

Similar to Cao Ying, of course he can be regarded as a descendant of the Cao family, but he is already far away from Cao Cao's branch. In addition, there is no strong backer, so even if Cao Ding knows Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong He was somewhat bullying, but he had no intention of intervening to stop him. He just waved his hand and said, "Go, let the two of you calm down!" They are all brothers, so why do they have such a big hatred? It's all good, please restrain yourself! 』

The servant nodded and turned around.

As soon as this servant left, another servant came hurriedly and arrived in front of the hall to report: "To the elders, General Fubo has arrived outside the city!" 』

"What? ! ? ” Cao Ding couldn’t help being surprised, but he didn’t dare to be negligent. He quickly said to the clan elders around him, “Hurry, follow me to greet you! 』

Although Cao Ding is older and can be considered Xiahou Dun's elder, Xiahou Dun, as an important minister of the imperial court, has more weight than simply age.

You know, even if the surrounding county magistrate or something comes to visit in person, Cao Ding will just say "come in" indifferently. All the elders in the hall also understood the connection, so they did not complain at all. They all stood up quickly and followed Cao Ding to greet him outside the Cao family compound.

Outside the Cao family compound, Xiahou Dun immediately stood up, then glanced at the archway and lintel erected at the entrance of the compound, as well as the Cao family flag flying in the air, and remained speechless.

He doesn't have to come. He just needs to ask his confidants or staff to come and send a message, telling him what to pay attention to, etc. It's not necessarily impossible.

But Xiahou Dun still came in person.

Basically, what Cao Cao wants to do will not be hidden from Xiahou Dun.

Compared with the Cao family, the Xiahou family is a relatively small family. There is no doubt about this, but smaller families also have various disputes.

And it's a big dispute...

Therefore, Xiahou Dun felt that he had to come in person, see and talk about it in person. After all, some things could not be solved by just letting someone send a message or writing a letter.

When Cao Ding arrived outside the courtyard, Xiahou Dun had already dismounted and was looking at the screen wall that had just been erected with his hands behind his back.

After a while, the Cao family's family motto will be engraved on this screen wall, so that everyone who enters the Cao family's compound can see it.

Cao Ding stepped forward to greet him, and the other elders also greeted Xiahou Dun. After the two parties exchanged greetings, they moved to the main hall. Cao Ding asked Xiahou Dun to take a seat, but Xiahou Dun refused. In the end, the two joined hands and sat on the left and right, and then the order was settled, and the rest of the people took their seats one after another.

After chatting for a while, Xiahou Dun said, "I wonder how the Prime Minister handled the matter?" 』

Cao Ding said: "The Prime Minister has given orders, so I dare not slack off." Nowadays, the young talents of the Cao family and the Xiahou family are all gathered in Nanyuan..."

After Cao Ding basically talked about what he had done these days, Xiahou Dun nodded first, then pondered for a while, and frowned slightly, "Thank you for your hard work, elder... It's just..."

Cao Ding couldn't help but feel a jump in his heart.

Everyone knows, but, but, but, what is behind these words is the key point.

"I don't know if there is any oversight, please let me know, General." ” Cao Ding said.

Xiahou Dun nodded, and then looked around, "Everyone here is an elder of the Cao family. There are some things that I, a member of the Xiahou family, should not talk about... However, since it is the prime minister's order, I will speak out... 』

Cao Ding felt something was wrong in his heart, "Yes, general, please speak frankly." 』

Xiahou Dun said in a deep voice: "The Prime Minister has many instructions, asking the Cao clan to restrain their behavior. They must not do the usual things of bullying men and dominating women in the countryside. Instead, they need to build bridges, pave roads, clean canals, and open a relief fund for the poor." The porridge shed and other things... have you taken care of these things? 』

"This..." Cao Ding hesitated slightly, and then said, "The Prime Minister ordered us, of course we dare not neglect it. Everything will be done according to the Prime Minister's order..."

"Working on it?" ”

While talking, Xiahou Dun took out a volume of booklet from his sleeve, and then motioned for his servants to hand it to Cao Ding, "Everyone, let's take a look..."

Cao Ding took the booklet, flipped through it, and his expression changed. After reading from beginning to end, Cao Ding remained silent and then handed the booklet to the next elder.

The elders of the Cao family looked over one by one.

Some people's faces turned pale and sweat broke out on their foreheads after watching it.

Some people have no expression on their faces, but there is a hint of schadenfreude in the corners of their eyes.

Some people's faces turned red and they wanted to find a crack to crawl into the ground...

In fact, speaking of it, what is recorded in this booklet is not a big deal. In the feudal dynasty, isn't it normal for officials or gentry to use their power to bully others, buy and sell by force, plunder property, occupy fields, bully men and dominate women, etc.?

But these things at the moment seem a little unusual...