At noon, the sun fell in the bright courtyard of the Princess Royal Palace. In the main hall where more than fifty people gathered for a banquet, the emperor's words were soft. Huang Shengyuan couldn't help but raise his head and look at the people around him. There were several familiar figures.
, looking at each other almost subconsciously, understanding that something might be wrong.
"...A rich family wants to grow bigger, and a clan wants to last longer. This is all human nature. After all, if your family has been around for a long time, your life will be better, and the country's family business will also be better. Therefore, I also ask for advice on this matter.
I have passed many, many people. Being here today, I also have some views on the longevity of my family, and I want to share them with you all..."
"First, it's a story about the Zuo family..."
In front of the main hall, Jun Wu smiled and looked around.
"...Speaking of the Zuo family, everyone is actually familiar with it. It is a large family that was passed down from the founding of this dynasty by Gong Zhenglian. The previous generation of family head Duan Yougong, you have all heard of his name... Last year there was a riot
What caused the uproar was that a group of Zuo family members came from the southwest. I entrusted them with important responsibilities and made many people very unhappy... Haha, you don't need to turn around. We won't talk about anything else today, not about political affairs, just about...
Clan, everyone, these Zuo family members are real talents. They have been on the battlefield and killed Jurchens. They handle things neatly..."
"... But why do the Zuo family have so many talents? Some people say that the Zuo family is very Confucian. Everyone in the family is studying. These children have been exposed to it since childhood and have laid a very good foundation. Some people say that dragons are born, dragons are born, and phoenixes are born.
, even the daughter-in-law of the Zuo family must be a well-educated woman, plus they are from a well-established family, and they have married into a well-matched family, so the children born to them are naturally not bad, they are very talented..."
"... But actually it's not the case. When Zuo Gong was still alive, I was lucky enough to receive his teachings. When he talked to me about the children at home, he just sighed. When it came to having grandchildren, most of them were ignorant and incompetent. They only knew how to teach me.
He is a hedonistic playboy. If this continues, the Zuo family may not even be able to maintain its integrity... At that time, the Central Plains fell and the Zuo family moved south. At that time, he made a decision that no one could have imagined...
"
"...He selected a total of more than 120 children and teenagers from his direct and collateral families at home, and sent them to the Chinese Army in Xiaocanghe at that time. By the way, he also donated some food to others to support Ningxia in the southwest.
Yi, on the front line of fighting with the Jurchens, took care of his children."
The Zuo family is now almost regarded as the largest family closest to the Wu Dynasty. Regarding the deeds of his family, every time there are rumors in the world, someone will occasionally talk about it secretly, but the emperor did not shy away from talking about Xiaocang River, and even
Even if he exposed the possibility of the Zuo family being "collaborating with bandits", it still made everyone at the table look at each other in awe.
Jun Wu waved his hand above.
"As I said, we won't talk about politics today, we will only talk about clan..."
"...Whether Zuo Gong's decision was right at that time, many people who knew about it have discussed it. But one thing is that the Zuo family was originally a wealthy family in Hedong. When the Central Plains fell, there was a blood feud. He sent his family to the northwest, and fought wherever there was a daughter.
Zhenren, he had the idea of where to put his family; secondly, Zuo Gong and Ning Yi also made a three-part agreement, agreeing that the Zuo family would never be enemies of the Wu Dynasty. During this period, many things happened, one of which,
It moved me very much..."
"...It was the autumn of the third year of Jianshuo. The Jurchens began to mobilize their troops one after another to besiege the northwest. The Chinese army knew that this war would be very fierce. Ning Yi contacted Zuo Gong and asked him if he wanted to stay here.
The children should be taken away in advance, otherwise they would inevitably die. Zuo Gong refused... In fact, some people have heard of this matter, but many people have not heard of it. In the fifth year of Jian Shuo, the northwest was completely white.
Canghe had already been surrounded and beaten to pieces. At that time, Ning Yi contacted Zuo Gong again and said... nearly half of the athletes of your tribe were killed or injured, but they had also seen blood and fought in front...
Don’t you want to take it back?”
"... Zuo Gong... was already in very bad health at that time and was close to dying. The elders in the clan thought that it was okay. Let's take him back so that they could see Zuo Gong for the last time. Some of the children's parents were crying and shouting.
In order to get the child back, when Zuo Gong came to his senses, everyone tried to persuade them. They also said that the Chinese army was unreasonable because they were in that mountain den and would not retreat with the Jurchens... After hearing this, Zuo Gong raised his eyebrows.
He raised his hand and slapped the bed hard..."
"...He laughed and said that the talented people in my clan fought against the Jurchens and refused to retreat! They fought to the death and refused to retreat! How dare you let them come back! Ruin their lives! They - they fought to the death and refused to retreat-"
Jun Wu's palm slapped on the table, making a bang bang bang sound. For a moment, everyone seemed to have seen the dying old man clapping his hands and laughing on the bed. The emperor in dragon robe seemed to have laughter in his eyes.
Mist, but of course no one dared to take a closer look.
Everyone just listened to the voice echoing in the hall.
"...So Mr. Zuo asked Zuo Jiyun to write a book and go back and tell Ning Yi that until your black flag is raised, my Zuo family will be raised. Ning Yi happily agreed."
"... After another year of fighting, the Chinese army finally went south and reached Liangshan. At that time, of the 127 Zuo family members who were originally sent to the southwest, only 55 remained... This was the most difficult
For a period of time, they then participated in the war in the southwest. In the end, thirty-seven people survived. These thirty-seven people had all experienced war on the front line. They had learned the skills of the southwest, and their hands were stained with the blood of Jurchens.
, and then, when Zuo Xiuquan went to the southwest, he brought them back to the Wu Dynasty..."
"...Regarding this matter, some people will say that the Southwest Black Banner and our Wu Dynasty have a sworn hatred. But I feel that when the country is destroyed and the family is destroyed, and China falls, the biggest enemies are foreigners.
Zuo Gong put his children on the front line of the fight with the Jurchens, and nearly a hundred people were killed or injured. Did he feel pain in his heart? I think it must be painful. But they fought to the death with the Jurchens... without retreating, and in the end, they were about to recover.
The things he brought back to the Wu Dynasty, I feel, are his feelings towards the Wu Dynasty and the country as a big clan... This is the first story I can tell you today."
When Junwu said this, he paused for a while.
"There is a second story, which I shouldn't tell you originally..."
"What I'm talking about this time is my experience..."
"...When I was young, I was the son of an idle prince in Jiangning City. I was strictly controlled by the imperial sister, so I didn't develop any bad habits since I was a child. But to be honest, I didn't have too many expectations.
Of course, I can't play chicken and dog fighting, but I can't always learn poetry, arithmetic, and arithmetic. At that time, many people made judgments and said that I was a middle-aged man..."
"...It's good to be a middle-aged man. A young prince will not have to bear too much responsibility in the future. But slowly, the responsibility came. My father became the father, I became the prince, and the Central Plains fell.
Retreat to Lin'an..."
"... When I was still the prince, I was rushing to the shelves and handling military affairs... Do you know what it felt like when hundreds of thousands of troops gathered to fight? Thousands of people died like that, and their blood flowed like rivers. I don't know how to fight.
, even if you keep telling yourself that you hate your country and your family, but standing on the battlefield and dying at any time, you will still be afraid in your heart..."
"...Do you know when I started not being afraid?"
Jun Wu looked at the people below.
"...When we were guarding the Yangtze River, the battle was going badly. I rode around on horseback to encourage the soldiers not to be defeated. Then an arrow suddenly shot over and pierced my stomach, which is...here."
He stretched out his finger and slowly tapped a spot on his stomach.
"...From that time on, whether I was going to the battlefield or doing other things that ordinary people would not dare to do, I was no longer afraid. I led my troops outside Jiangning City and rushed through the Jurchens' military formation, and arrived in Fuzhou.
, I have also fought two battles, big and small, as you all know... I cannot say that I am a pioneering monarch with great talents and great strategies. Whether many things can be accomplished or not, we will only know if we have to do it. But if you really give me a small family,
Whether it is pioneering or maintaining success, I am really confident..."
Jun Wu smiled to himself.
"The two things I mentioned today are both a bit fierce, but I am still young and that's the kind of person I am. Please forgive me... What are these two things talking about? It is said that a large clan must continue.
What exactly is needed to prosper? In fact, it is not a business or a relationship. In the final analysis, what is needed is young people who can become talents..."
"Many of our clans, in the first generation, were born out of constant struggle. But after the previous generation suffered hardships and tiredness, they began to pamper the second generation, and then in the third generation, from the beginning
Even more so, they cannot be beaten or scolded. The family has a lot of money, but the children are not successful. After the ancestors die, there is no supporter, and they will all be scattered sooner or later. The so-called wealth cannot last more than three generations, and most of them come from this..."
"Everyone who came here today, I know, it is not easy for you to be the head of the family. You want to give your son Yin an official position, you want to get some power, and I have read every bit of it recorded in this book.
In fact, we all have pity for the parents in the world...Have the children in your family started to be spoiled and become incapable of doing anything, or...they just look like a middle-aged child, so they cause you to worry about them every day?"
He looked at the changes in the eyes of everyone below and sighed.
"...The two stories I just told are actually inspired by this... Everyone, in fact, everyone knows many truths. I know all the rich families. If there is a child who can read in their family,
When a great genius is born, it is something that the whole family can be happy and proud of. Why? Because everyone knows that such a child will be able to ensure the prosperity of the family in the future. But, is it true that a person's success is
Can we only look at geniuses?”
"...Don't talk about me, let's talk about the people of the Zuo family. Are they geniuses? In fact, they are not... When Zuo Gong selected children from the main branch and collateral branches of the Zuo family, his biggest criterion was not how smart the child was.
, but are there the kind of children who can endure hardship? He threw one hundred and twenty-seven children to the black flag, and the remaining thirty-seven had to endure hardship to become a master. Everyone, if you are now
All the geniuses I saw came out to compete with these Zuo family members. No genius can beat them..."
"...I said when I came here, one person's marriage is a small matter." Jun Wu paused, "But the wish of the people in the world is a big matter... The imperial sister sent this book to the palace, and I
After reading this, I can see how difficult it is for you. You want your family to have a good future and your children to have a stable life. For this reason, many of you have really given everything you can get...
…”
"...But, when it comes to choosing a few concubines, even if it is really about selling your official position and getting a title, how many of you can be satisfied? The fact that you can come up with these things for this matter shows that you share weal and woe with our Wu Dynasty.
Heart, I don’t want any of you to fail with this intention. So in the past few days, I have discussed it carefully with several elders, and finally decided to offer you another favor in the Military Academy...
…”
"...If you have young heroes in your family, or children who can endure hardships and stand hard work, please send them to me...I cannot promise them the wealth in front of them, but I will arrange for Li Guang, Li Pin, Zuo Wen
Waiting for the best teachers to teach them, I will arrange for them to experience in the most difficult environment. I will make them useful people, and then entrust them with important responsibilities. In the future, some of them will become members of your family.
, the real pillar!”
"...Since I succeeded to the throne, I know that there have been several public discussions outside. The first is that I strictly implement reforms and do not listen to anyone's advice, and I am an independent man; the second is that I like to appoint scholars with no background, but are unwilling to appoint
Any aristocratic family is unwilling to decentralize power... In fact, the world is my world, and you are my people. How can there be any difference between nobles and ordinary people? When ordinary people become officials, they will naturally gradually become nobles. If the nobles can
If you manage a good place for me, why should I use a stupid young man?"
"...The country is in dire straits, and I am actually very thirsty for talents. But what exactly are talents? Because of the relationship between in-laws, can you provide some favor to the children in your family? Give them an official position? Keep them safe for the rest of their lives? But in this regard, no
I'll hide it from you, but I'm very harsh. But I believe that even if ordinary people are put into the fire for refinement, fine iron will definitely come out. I also know that your expectations for the continuation and growth of the family must also be placed in the fire.
This is superior to fine iron!"
"...In the past, we were far apart. You didn't know what kind of person I was, and I didn't understand you clearly enough. But this time, I have spoken to you from my heart.
What kind of talents I want and how I will do it are all laid out here. After this luncheon, each of your families will have two or three people who will come to Fuzhou to study.
It would be too easy, but they will be awarded officials in the future. I hope that the children in your family will become ministers of the imperial court in the future, and your family will become the pillars of the world... I will use this cup to encourage you all.
"
Jun Wu was above, raising his wine glass.
At the banquet below, everyone raised their glasses happily and praised him. Huang Shengyuan also had a smile on his face, but he was a little confused in his heart. He was just thinking: Here we go again...
Just after drinking the wine in the cup, an old man at the table in front of him was sobbing and fell to his knees. He only heard him say: "Today I can see His Majesty's Tianyan, and then I know that His Majesty is the Holy Son of Heaven. There is hope for the Wu Dynasty to cheer up, little one."
The younger members of my family are all willing to be handed over to His Majesty and allowed to be spurred by Your Majesty..." Naturally, there were a lot of random words of praise after that. This man is a rich man from the countryside. He has never seen such a big world, even though the words in his mouth are somewhat unacceptable.
When they went to the elegant hall, everyone just behaved normally, but as they spoke for a while, the words gradually started to feel a little off, and then they suddenly hit their foreheads and hit the ground.
"...Little old man... I have learned something painfully, and I still have something to report to you at the risk of my life. Your Majesty, I have long heard that I am guilty of the death penalty. Among the people who came to Beijing with us this time, there are bad people, and some people are plotting against evil. Your Majesty -
—”
The hall fell silent, and everyone looked at each other, then turned to look upward, and saw the emperor's face gradually becoming calm and serious, and then he raised his hand in vain.
"Since this is the case, I would also like to invite Mr. Ming to come into the back hall to speak..."
Then some guards came over and led the crying old man into the back hall.
Just after the talent left, Huang Shengyuan heard a bang, and someone knelt down on the side: "The villain is guilty. I have also heard about this. I am also willing to explain to Your Majesty and Princess..."
Arranged...
Arranged two...
It's too fake, it's too fake...
Huang Shengyuan looked around, almost shouting. His eyes were shaking.
Here we go again...
Here we go again...
…
The bells of the temple in the distance rang, and it was past noon.
In view of the large-scale influx of people into Beijing in May, the news of the emperor's first move had not yet spread widely. Cao Jinlong rode a carriage through the streets of the city and arrived at Xiangyufang in the south of the city.
This was an ordinary place where civilians lived in Fuzhou City. After confirming his disguise again, Cao Jinlong walked through the long street and sat in a simple teahouse for a while, watching the movement in a courtyard across the street.
Before half the time, there were some special movements in the yard. The person he was waiting for had already returned.
Cao Jinlong left the teahouse, walked into the old courtyard next to it, and then followed the closed dark corridor to the innermost room on the second floor.
The room was dark, and the window facing the street was not open, but the room next door was connected to a wooden building in another courtyard. He pulled a rope on the wall, and after a while, there was someone in the room over there.
He came over and knocked lightly on the partition on the wall. Cao Jinlong also knocked.
A small wooden board on the room had just been opened.
Cao Jinlong stood here, looking at the profile of his face exposed on the other side of the wooden frame. He could smell the alluring aroma on the tip of his nose. He was silent for a while, and then he said: "Shuang'er..."
"...Cao Lang."
The voice from the other side also came over.
It's Chen Shuangran.
…
Conspirators have their own tricks, and adulterers and adulterers have their own stories. On the afternoon of June, causes and effects, big and small, accompanied by the ubiquitous sunshine, poured into the prosperous and crowded Fuzhou city.
The streets and alleys are filled with bustling people and busy traffic, extending into the distance with countless connections.
Ning Ji and Qu Longjun bought some dishes for the evening at the vegetable market. They were walking towards Huaiyunfang with large and small bags. Suddenly, beside the crowded market, two green forest men in bunts opened their clothes.
, rushed towards a green-robed official who was shopping for children at a grocery stall.
Suddenly, there was a chaotic sound, and on the street in the afternoon, two Green Forest men stabbed the official several times and chopped him down on the steps outside the door by the roadside. Then they rushed into the crowd and took advantage of the chaos to escape.
Blood flowed all over the street, and the child who had been taken by the official stood in a pool of blood and cried.
Ning Ji and Qu Longjun both looked at this scene with some confusion.
The same incident occurred several times in Fuzhou City that day.
…
The sun is setting in the west, and it is evening in this world.
The weather is still hot.
At the intersection of Yinqiaofang, the fat aunt was sweating profusely while starting the stove and lighting the fire. After setting up the tables and chairs, she was so tired that she sat down on the roadside with a groan.
"This damn weather... it might as well be a strong wind..."
She was chatting with an acquaintance at the stall next to her, and the other person came closer and slapped her in the mouth with his hand.
"Bah, bah, bah, child's words are unbridled, children's words are unbridled... It's better not to make a strong wind..."
"Hehehe, I was just saying..."
People who live in seaside cities and make a living, even if it is too hot, do not look forward to the arrival of typhoons.