Prologue: The Burial Girl, Hidden in the World (1)
The wind actually got stronger and stronger. The wind was the strongest here, but a small village outside Jinan Prefecture in Shandong Province was extremely unfortunate to have to spend this coldest spring.
Surrounded by decaying walls, two dispensable doors were dangling; tree branches were instantly blown off by the wind and fell to the base of the wall inside the house. The inside of the house was covered with light gray slates, colorless gray and the cold north wind.
It is almost integrated into one. The east and west areas close to the wall are covered with straw cushions, ready for empty seats.
Following the stone road covered in moss, a thatched house flashed ahead: the door there was ajar, and a thin old man sat on a worn-out chair, his eyes looking up to the sky, facing outside the house.
Appearing in the darkness, an old man, a cold chair, a coffin next to him - and dozens of orchids with white buds on the coffin.
Everything blends together in an orderly manner. There are no abrupt tones.
I don’t know how long I waited, but two scholars who were about the same age as the old man opened the door and faced him sitting like an iron tower, sobbing and saying:
"Brother, my niece has passed away, and we can't comfort her. I can only blame God for being blind."
"Maybe it's destiny..."
He was slowly lifted up by the two people and walked outside the house.
The guests had already dressed up and were sitting on both sides - they also moved a cauldron and stood it on the long table. They glanced at him coldly, but he was not afraid of it.
"This dynasty has served His Majesty for forty years. My daughter died at the age of five. I would like to ask you all to pay tribute to me. We are all good friends. Please also consider the soul of the deceased..." As he said this, he bowed deeply to the guests. No one was there.
say.
"Let's move the coffin first," a guest said first.
The old man looked at him, and the guest couldn't help but feel sarcastic. He didn't feel angry, but he was somewhat concerned in his heart.
The old man's name was Zheng Qingyu, with the courtesy name Dezong. He passed the college examination and became a student member. Later, he also passed the provincial examination several times and was still a student member. Because of this ridiculous experience, the locals always called him Zheng Laosheng member.
There are not enough young people, so adding an old person in front would be quite a joke.
Zheng Qingyu is a lunatic, so much so that everyone thinks he is crazy because he stopped taking the exam at some point. What is even more surprising is that he said the exam is not difficult, but that the eight-part essay is poisonous to people. He himself believes that no one in the village dares to do so.
I believe that Zheng Qingyu suddenly went crazy. It is not difficult to take the exam, so why take 30 to 40 years to take the exam? Moreover, because he "believes", he has cut off his way of life. Could it be that the poison is deeper than poverty? It is a joke! They are trying to fight against injustice.
After only eating Wu rice every day, he went to Zheng Qingyu to discuss how important his career path was, even though it had nothing to do with them. Some people who spoke eloquently rebutted him:
"You should listen to advice early, maybe you can pass the exam; if you fail, you have to give up the exam. Our ancestors had a hard life and hoped that future generations would be crowned princes, but you insist on going your own way. This is an insult to our ancestors!"
They were all talking, but Zheng Qingyu remained silent. They were noisy, and their voices gradually faded away, died down, and dispersed. But with a personality that is very different from others, it is hard to expect that he will receive any courtesy in the village in the future. Comments
There are only simple words such as 'idiot' and 'madman' in it, which is extremely unpleasant to hear.
When Zheng Qingyu was fifty-seven years old, he gave birth to a girl, and his wife died soon after. When word spread among the villagers, they all lamented "karma" and even warned the children of the clan:
"If you betray the trust of your ancestors, God will make your life miserable! You will always end up like this!"
When Zheng Qingyu was sixty-two years old, his daughter also fell ill and died young. He locked the door alone and saw that no one was disturbing him, leaving only an empty space, so he cried peacefully all night. During the day, he opened the door again,
I saw that the villagers had gathered in a circle, and just outside the wall they were pointing with their hands, spitting, and cursing: "You have killed yourself..."
Their angry eyes were like looking at criminals who abandoned the city, causing him to be harshly criticized. He couldn't figure out what this had to do with them, but he didn't want to think about it. He was not sullen or angry, and lived as usual.
At night, only Zheng Qingyu was still awake, but the doors and windows had been left open all day. He was looking at the clear moon in the sky, thinking, as if there was nothing else. After all, he had been living in this anger for more than ten years.
, only the night can make people lonely, everyone feels lonely, Zheng Qingyu only thinks of peace and quiet. Among these uneven atmospheres, Zheng Qingyu is the quietest. As for how hot the fire outside can burn, it has nothing to do with this plain water.
Now that other people are not important, Zheng Qingyu is in a dilemma as to how to bury his daughter. Fortunately, there are classmates from Jinan Mansion, one named Ye Shanli and the other named Zhang Yingce, who came specially to ask for the funeral. They are both scholars, so they should be able to get along well together.
Talk, and things will be settled more properly. But when the two of them discussed with him, Zheng Qingyu always felt that something was wrong, and both of them were in trouble. They looked at their classmates who were sitting upright, and said helplessly:
"What does Dezong want to do?"
"I'm going to buy a forest and bury my little girl's coffin."
The two people looked at each other and immediately looked embarrassed. "Zheng...Brother Shi, look at us, we don't..."
"I don't want your money, I'll pay for it myself." He said firmly.
Ye Shanli smacked his lips, and Zhang Yingce sighed softly. Then there was silence. Zheng Qingyu was still looking up to the sky.
Zheng Qingyu paid for the forest himself, and Master Lin had always heard of Rang's reputation. He would be a fool if he didn't take this opportunity to trick the madman. Master Lin mentioned many difficulties and raised the price of the forest by as much as one tael of silver. Zheng
Qingyu didn't want to bargain, so he bought it at that time, with almost nothing in his pocket. His two classmates could no longer accept that Zheng Qingyu had become so weird, but this was far from over. Zheng Qingyu called them again and took out the money.
A pile of money, said to be about thirty coins, was sent to the government to buy orchids. Ye Shanli no longer objected, but said with a wry smile: "Dezong, what do you want to do?"
"I don't want to do anything. My daughter loved the orchids at home the most when she was alive, but they all died later. She didn't even see the orchids before she died..." Zheng Qingyu closed his eyes. Zhang Yingce came over to comfort him, but Ye Shanli just stood there and said: "I understand.
, Dezong is not feeling well. But it is cold this year, so these flowers are naturally more expensive, and I am afraid I won’t be able to get back a penny. But you don’t have much money, who can you ask for...?"
Zheng Qingyu opened his eyes and said, "My hands and feet are intact, so I won't worry about your money."
Seeing how determined he was, Zhang Yingce pushed Ye Shanli to collect the money. The two of them walked out of the door together. Ye Shanli looked back and saw that Zheng Qingyu didn't follow him, so he counted the coins and asked: "Zhang Yingce."
Brother, you said he was underpaid, why should we pay for him?" Zhang Yingce glanced at the money as if nothing had happened, and when Ye Shanli opened his mouth, he said first: "Dezong would not be like this, you are called 'with a villain's heart,'
It's also the way to save a gentleman's belly."
"Thirty-three cents...a penny is a lot." Ye Shanli said suspiciously.
Orchids were covered in a mess on the coffin. Several guests carried the coffin out of the room and placed it steadily in front of the long dark yellow table. Zheng Qingyu slowly stood up, and many guests followed suit.
Zheng Qingyu stepped forward and put a hand on the coffin, and the guests also followed to support the coffin. With people gathered like this, the coffin gradually moved to the cemetery. There were pine trees on both sides of the forest, and strips of white cloth were hung on the jagged branches.
, there were many solemn-looking guests standing under the tree, and outside the forest there was a circle of villagers watching something happening, shouting as usual. Zheng Qingyu didn't hear it, but as he dragged the coffin forward, his ears were full of ridicule.
Echo. But the echo went and came back, and the buzzing sound followed. The curse and the buzzing came alternately, hovering in his ears, unable to stop for a long time.
Zheng Qingyu cried loudly, holding the coffin, taking a step and resting. The tragic injuries and pain were released with the tears, but they still could not escape. It was not until his face was covered with tears that he put the coffin there and looked at it.
After being buried, Zheng Qingyu cried and threw himself down. The guests supported him, but they wondered why he was like this, as if he was mourning himself.
After the burial, the long table was placed in front. Zheng Qingyu was the first to lay paper in front of the memorial tablet. He took a pen and swirled it around the inkstone. When the pen was full, Zheng Qingyu wrote his name on the paper vigorously and vigorously.
I asked a few more guests to write and put them aside.
After the funeral was over and their daughter was buried, the villagers wanted to see Zheng Qingyu make another joke, that is, see how he asked for money. But Zheng Qingyu sat at home every day without saying a word, which made the villagers very angry.
, which also made his two classmates anxious. Ye Shanli really didn't want to watch the joke here, and was afraid that he would be in the joke, so he packed his bags and prepared to leave.
When he called Zhang Yingce, Ye Shanli let out a long sigh, and the white air from the sigh almost fell on Zhang Yingce's face. Zhang Yingce saw that he wanted to discuss leaving, so he held him down and said: "Dezong is a little inappropriate, but as a friend
He should also be given a helping hand. In your own Ye Mansion, which is Ye Hanzhang's Mansion, see if there is an opportunity for him to join the manor?"
Ye Shanli raised his head and glanced at him: "Okay. You go and report it. I'll go back to Jinan first... If it's okay, just... ask." He took his luggage and left.
Zheng Qingyu still sat there blankly. When Zhang Yingce ran up to him panting, he slowly made a bow gesture. Yingce saw that the book placed aside was at the mercy of the cold wind, and the yellow paper
He was rummaging around; but Zheng Qingyu himself was wearing short cloth clothes and motionless. It was hard for him to believe how Zheng Qingyu could survive the winter wearing such clothes. Thinking of this, the sweat on his forehead disappeared unknowingly.
"Dezong should go to the palace to beg for a bowl of food... It's better than waiting to die in the thin fields here."
"'Better' means that my death was better... not much better. When I died, they had nothing to say... When I died in Jinan Mansion, no one recognized me and they had nothing to say."
"What does Dezong think of people? I, Zhang Yingce, have spent half my life studying and understanding the ways of sages and sages, so I am willing to help you! Don't you want to encourage yourself, don't want everyone in the world to read clearly, so that these villagers are not so ignorant and vicious?
?”
"If because of reading, the world hopes to be like a sage and gain fame, hopes to be praised by the court, hopes to imitate the emperor's dog, and strives for the reputation of literary integrity, then everyone will do good things - then the so-called 'goodness' is nothing more than
It's ignorance covered with a layer of high-sounding skin..." Zheng Qingyu looked at him coldly.
Zhang Yingce couldn't bear it anymore. He looked at Zheng Qingyu's face and shouted like a roar: "I tell you: people's hearts can be saved, people's hearts can be saved! Since there are people like Dezong, it means that there is a right way in the world. Why not Dezong?
Do you want to resist this worldly way? Dezong also knew that the world is pure and bright, and it is not something that can be said."
Zheng Qingyu suddenly looked at the anger in Zhang Yingce's brows, and said slowly in a low voice:
"I can go...but don't make it so ridiculous."
When he decided to go, Ye Shanli also wrote back, saying that the Ye family was short of an old and knowledgeable gentleman, and he could ask Zheng Qingyu to fill it. He also said that the only people the Ye family needed to teach were his two children under ten years old.
, the eldest son was named Ye Zhen, and the second son was named Ye Long. It didn’t take much effort. Zheng Qingyu immediately set off and followed Zhang Yingce into the mansion.
When you first arrive, you first have to pay a visit to Mr. Ye Hanzhang, who is in charge of the Ye Mansion. The servants who guided you along the way said that when Mr. Ye just inherited the family business, the great master was deprived of his official position in the court. The family business was in crisis, so he relied on Mr. Ye's wisdom.
The Ye family was revitalized. After the death of the great master, the master cried from day to night, did not eat for three days, and vomited blood. The family persuaded him several times before eating the porridge. The emperor was so moved that he prescribed an encore for the master.
He was dismissed from the Hanlin Academy and was repeatedly promoted to the title of Censor Zhongcheng. The master often gave his advice, which made the adults in the court dissatisfied. He used slanderous words to confuse the emperor and forced him to become an official. When he was fifty-four years old, he had no choice but to resign.
After retreating, Master Ye continued to praise the emperor's wisdom and taught the young master how to study and be a loyal minister to the dynasty. The first few gentlemen he invited taught him crooked ways. The master became angry and wanted to invite an old gentleman to teach him how to write.
Zheng Qingyu lowered his head and said "yes", then walked through the corridor and walked towards the Zhaige where Ye Hanzhang was studying. There was a bamboo bridge in front of the Zhaizhai, with a pond under the bridge, and fish and shrimps appearing in the microwave.
Shadow. Walked to the Zhai, looked up, and saw three big gold characters "Living Water Zhai" flashing on the plaque.
Zheng Qingyu was looking at the plaque when an old man came out of the room with a stick. Zheng Qingyu turned to bow to the old man. Seeing his majestic appearance and bold eyebrows, he decided that this must be Ye Hanzhang. Ye Hanzhang returned the gift to Zheng Qingyu with a smile.
, but the smile was so serious that it didn’t look like a smile, it was just a layer of skin and flesh, which made Zheng Qingyu unable to relax. Ye Hanzhang grabbed him, and the pair of white heads walked like this. Ye Hanzhang spoke first:
"I wonder how old you are?"
Zheng Qingyu said: "I will be sixty-two next year."
Ye Hanzhang walked in front and said with a smile: "In this case, I should call you 'brother'. My dear brother is fifty-seven years old this year, but he is five years younger than you." After that, Ye Hanzhang sat on the Taishi chair near the flower window.
"Is Shisama no longer taking the exam?"
"There is no exam."
"This is common. I heard that your village still thinks that you have insulted our ancestors? Huh, you fools! It's just like a common man's opinion." Ye Hanzhang motioned Zheng Qingyu to sit down and said, "How about learning with your feet? Scholars... should be able to teach children."
Zheng Qingyu sat down and said, "I have written notes and I carry them with me." He took out the notes from his arms and said, "Please take a look at my comments." Ye Hanzhang took it and looked at it briefly, then sighed: "Okay.
!Especially this piece of textual research is very subtle.”
He gave the folded scroll to Zheng Qingyu and said, "Go to the Zhengdao Hall next to my studio and prepare to teach my second son. I will call them to school tomorrow. There will be no other disciples." After chatting for a while, he gave orders to a few servants.
I took Zheng Qingyu with me.
The school is not very spacious. There is only one servant for cleaning. There are three rooms, each separated by a white wall. The left wall is the place where the teacher rests and corrects questions. There is a chair, a table across the table, and calligraphy and painting hanging on the wall;
The larger room in the middle is where students are taught. There is a long table about three feet wide, with a small table and a stool below each for students to attend class.
Zheng Qingyu nodded and went to his room to rest.
It was just morning, Mr. Zheng managed to hold himself up, gathered himself up, and sat upright in the school. He looked at the door with both eyes. For a while, two blurry figures gradually ran up.
When he stood at the threshold of the school, Zheng Qingyufang saw these two children.
"Student Ye Zhen."
said the taller child.
"Student Ye Long."
Another childish voice said.
Zheng Qingyu smiled and asked the students to come in. The two students just timidly pulled away the stools and sat down.
"Mr. Zheng, what are you teaching...?" the two children asked together.
"Your father said that the previous teacher had finished teaching the Analects intermittently, so he should teach... Mencius. But empty teaching is useless. The mind must be rectified first. Let me ask you first, why are you studying?"
"Father said that he should be the emperor's loyal minister and serve the emperor." Ye Zhen straightened up and replied.
"You can't say that. The world does not belong to the emperor alone, and this dynasty does not belong to the emperor alone."
"Serve the country and fight to the death!" Ye Long said.
"It all makes sense!" Zheng Qingyu said with a smile, "But you think, the world does not belong to this dynasty, and it does not belong to the emperor after all. In the final analysis, this world belongs to the common people. Only by taking this as our basis can we be able to create a lasting legacy.
This is the purpose of studying and becoming an official." Zheng Qingyu said slowly.
"Father doesn't teach us this..." The two children were extremely confused and opened their big, watery eyes to look at him.
"I am sir, just listen to me." Zheng Qingyu said slowly.
"Although today's world is prosperous, there are many bad policies, and a major reform is needed to revitalize it. If we don't think about reform, it will be difficult to find a way out."
"Thinking about ancient and modern dynasties, they prospered because of new laws and failed because of old-fashioned ones. But the old-fashioned ones were obsessed with it and said 'ruling by doing nothing'; although the new-law dynasties can see clearly, the laws cannot last forever. But it turns out that old-fashioned laws often gain a reputation, and new laws often fall into disgrace.
It's just pointing out the way out and then locking the way out, and the cycle goes back and forth. Looking at it this way, reform is so difficult! It is easier for the emperor to be inconsistent, and it is almost impossible to change the law if it lasts forever."
"But if the imperial court is wise enough to understand, then a prosperous age can be expected. I cannot hope for it, but I can only leave it to you: Starting today, I will teach you how to correct your mind, and then we will talk about Confucius and Mencius."
Zheng Qingyu spoke very quietly, but the two students heard it strangely and their hearts were boiling. Regardless of what the teacher meant specifically, it was just a story-telling conversation. When Zheng Qingyu finished speaking, they were still asking for more, as if they were still enjoying themselves. He talked for a while. But Zheng Qingyu stopped talking about this grand lecture and focused on talking about how to be careful. The students were not interested at all. Soon, when he saw that the time was up, he looked downcast, hurriedly collected his books and dismissed the get out of class, lowered his head and walked out. .
The two brothers were not like that. On the contrary, they were really enjoying themselves. They each rolled up a book, imitating Zheng Qingyu's appearance, saying a few angry words, and then left to have fun.
Zheng Qingyu is still teaching. This news came out in the village, which has always been well-informed. The villagers were shocked because Zheng Qingyu did not insult his ancestors, but became glorious. Zheng Laosheng has become Zheng Mingmen, after all, the professor will be in Ye Mansion
The person in charge, that is, the master of a famous family, will "enlighten the Tao" in the future and at least be granted the title of Duke. The tomb will be very grand, and the body will be covered with gold and silver. When the coffin is moved, there will be hundreds of people fighting and crying.
In fact, it can be said that the ancestors have made great achievements. However, within a few days of planning for Zheng Qingyu, the villagers spread the news about his being driven away more intelligently.
It is said that at that time, Mr. Ye accidentally heard one of Zheng Qingyu's lectures and became furious. He returned to his studio and muttered: "This guy is so bold. He dares to talk to the emperor and doubts the saint's virtue!" In a fit of anger, he sent someone to drive Zheng Qingyu away.
He also reprimanded the two young masters of the Ye family and asked why they didn't tell him earlier. The two children of the Ye family said that they listened very enthusiastically, but in the end they didn't take it in. They just took it as a joke. Master Ye was relieved and said that Zheng Qingyu was a serious person on the surface.
, he has a vicious heart, if he were not kind in this life, he should be arrested.
People don't know that Ye Hanzhang first said that they were "just a common man's opinion", and then said that "they should be arrested". Isn't it contradictory? After all, Ye Hanzhang was born as a Jinshi, was knowledgeable and knowledgeable, and he was very good at knocking horses and giving direct advice.
How could a man with liver and gallbladder and good liver and intestines be so miserable? They thought hard, even though it was meaningless, but they finally convinced themselves and made it public. It was an answer that everyone agreed with: that is, although Mr. Ye thought he could skip the exam,
But he had nothing to do with Zheng Qingyu. He doubted his saintliness, so he was not included in this list. Only then did everyone feel relieved and suddenly enlightened.