Gongfu Street in the capital is close to the imperial palace, so it is most convenient for going to court to discuss matters.
When Emperor Taizu ascended the throne, he made a mansion specially built for his heroes and generals. Because the streets were all filled with residences of princes and princes, it was called Gongfu Street.
A hundred years have passed, and it goes without saying that Dayan is prosperous, but several houses on Gongfu Street have changed owners many times.
But there was one family among them. Not only did it not change owners, but the house got bigger and bigger, and now it occupies half the street.
This is the famous Xu family. Today, Xu Min is the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Xu Dun is the minister of the Imperial Academy, and Xu Jing is the minister of the Ministry of Rites. One mother is a compatriot, three Jinshi, and two nine ministers. They are full of nobles and nobles. They are a family that has lived in the capital for a long time.
The great meritorious minister of the ancestors of the Xu family, named Xu Qing, was the first counselor under Taizu at that time. Taizu established Dayan, named Xu Qing the grand master, and commanded six tribes. He was the first generation of assistant ministers of Dayan.
Later, when he became an official because of his old age, Taizu granted him the title of Duke of Su, and he was hereditary for three generations.
After three generations, the title was taken back. However, the Xu family's children all studied hard and passed the imperial examinations and became officials for generations, all without relying on their ancestors. The royal family was grateful that the Xu family had served the country for generations, so it did not take back the Duke's Mansion, but only took out the plaque.
Replace it with "Xu Gongfu".
This Xu Gong's Mansion has been passed down to the second generation now. Five generations of the Xu family have lived here. However, their ancestral home is Jinling, and they have not forgotten their origins. They go back to offer sacrifices every year, and have sacrifices in both Jinling and the capital.
By setting up a clan school, it can be regarded as taking care of the children of the clan with all one's heart.
The current old lady of the Xu family, whose surname is Zhang, was also a young lady from the Duke's family. She married into the Xu family, but her husband died before taking office. She took care of the funeral arrangements alone, dragging her three children with her.
When he came back, a lot of his family property had been squandered by the clan members.
Mrs. Zhang was a strong-willed person and had endured it for many years. Only when her three sons had become scholars did she speak openly.
At that time, the elders of the Xu family saw that Mrs. Zhang's sons were all capable, and felt that there was hope for reviving the family, so they acted impartially and asked the family to move back to the mansion, which is now "Xu Gong's Mansion".
The Xu clan always had some foresight. A few years after Mrs. Zhang moved into the mansion, her eldest son earned her a royal title, and she naturally became the most honorable old lady in Mr. Xu's mansion.
There are two other direct descendants of the Xu family, one in the east and west directions of Duke Xu's mansion. Mrs. Zhang and her three sons are firmly in the main house.
The Xu family seems to have a great business, but they don't have many heirs. Because the Xu family has an ancestral motto that only a man of forty can take a concubine if he has no children.
Although Mrs. Zhang gave birth to three sons, she only had two legitimate grandchildren, one was Xu Hai, the youngest son of the eldest son, and Xu Yang, the eldest son of the second son.
Xu Jing, the third wife, has three daughters and no sons.
Xu Jing was nearly forty years old, and Mrs. Zhang was making preparations for him to take a concubine. Who knew that his wife, Hu, was a strong-willed woman and refused to agree. Then she let go and said that Xu Jing's concubine could enter the house and put her name on it.
Next, I broke off the relationship with the woman outside.
When Xu Jing's scandal broke out, Mrs. Zhang also asked her son. At that time, his son swore to her that the son was not his biological son. He just followed him because he saw that the child was not as pitiful as his father.
’s surname.
Mrs. Zhang had never doubted her own child, so she believed it. In order to quell the rumors and the anger of her daughter-in-law, she took the initiative to expel the child from the clan school. From the beginning to the end, she did not even see what the child looked like.
Pass.
Now that the daughter-in-law mentioned it again, Mrs. Zhang said: "That one is not his biological child. Besides, he has been driven away. How can he find it?"
Hearing this, Mr. Hu sneered and said: "Let him tell himself whether he is his biological child. He even lied to his own mother. I have been husband and wife with him for twenty years. If it were not for our three daughters, I would have gone home with Li a long time ago."
Already."
Seeing that her daughter-in-law was so sad and desperate, Mrs. Zhang immediately looked at her son: "Is what your wife said true? Is that child really your flesh and blood?"
Xu Jing's face was ashen and he nodded lifelessly.
Mrs. Zhang was so angry that she threw a teacup in front of her.
With a "bang" sound, Xu Jing's forehead was smashed on the spot and he bled a lot, which shocked Mr. Hu.
Mrs. Zhang was unmoved, but cursed heartbrokenly: "How could I give birth to such a beast like you? You lied to your mother, you were unfaithful to your daughter-in-law, and you were unkind to your children..."
"When I made a mistake, I didn't know how to make amends for it. Instead, I tried to shirk the blame. When my family was poor, it was me who taught your two brothers their first education. When it was your turn, I finally saved up money for you to go to ethnic studies. But how did you learn this?
What does it look like?”
As he spoke, he began to cry heartbrokenly.
Xu Jing knelt down and closed his eyes, his heart aching.
He didn't know how difficult it was for his mother. Just because he knew it, he had been cautious all these years and didn't dare to make the slightest mistake.
It was the only time that such a disaster was left behind.
When Xu Min and Xu Dun heard that their third brother had been beaten to a bloody head by their mother, they rushed to try to persuade him.
But Mrs. Zhang still punished Xu Jing by kneeling in the ancestral hall, and no one was allowed to treat his wounds.
Seeing that her mother-in-law was so angry, Mrs. Hu had no choice but to say anything. Moreover, her two daughters who had already married outside the family rushed back and together with the younger daughter, they begged their father for mercy. Mrs. Hu stepped forward to clean up the mess.
It was proposed to take the child back to the Xu family and put it in her name. As for the woman outside, she couldn't tolerate it at all.
Mrs. Zhang just said she would no longer care about Xu Jing's affairs, put her hands away and went back to her room.
Xu Min and Xu Dun were not easy to control and left with a long sigh.
Mrs. Hu knew that this was their cleverness. If they wanted to take care of it, they would be suspected of forcing her.
In this way, both good and bad are hers, which is really cunning.
Although she secretly hated her, Mrs. Hu still went to the ancestral hall to make things clear to Xu Jing for the sake of her three daughters.
Let Xu Jing give the child a warning. When he is brought into the house, he must obey the rules and not think of other things.
Every boy in the Xu family earns his own future. If he has the ability, he will stand out. If he doesn't have the ability, he will leave and live alone as soon as he has a family and a career.
Xu Jing remained silent, with his eyes closed and his face pale.
When Mrs. Hu saw this, she felt frightened. She was also afraid that he would not be able to think about it and would commit suicide because he was embarrassed in front of his two brothers. He immediately said: "You don't have to scare me. Anyway, I have done what I can do. If you still want him
If you come back to inherit the ancestral business, I would rather you die now."
Xu Jing slowly opened his eyes and said in a difficult voice: "I can't."
When Mrs. Hu saw that he responded, she felt relieved, but she said on her face: "Don't think that I don't know what you are thinking? You have never been able to compare, but you have to compare. If you are higher or lower than others, I would
I admire you. But you are really busy competing with your two brothers."
After saying that, he waved his sleeves and left.
Xu Jing lowered his head, glanced at the cold stone slab, then looked up at his ancestors, and suddenly laughed.
Laughing with laughter, crying with sadness.
The memory goes back to his childhood, when he was made to kneel down, and his mother felt sorry for him and brought him food in the middle of the night and talked to him.
The same sentence came over and over again in his mouth: "With brothers pampering you, even if you will never learn anything in the future, as long as you are safe, mother will be satisfied."
As soon as the scene changed, the old master in the school slapped his palm hard with a ruler, and while slapping him, he said: "You unlearned bastard, your two brothers don't need anyone to teach you, your mother can do the job for you.
Who would have thought that you are a waste, and that we have spent all our efforts in vain to learn from you!"
The classmates laughed and ridiculed, and privately said that the third child of the Xu family was a "waste idiot" and was born with a useless seed.