Chapter 197: A way out
Human character always maintains a dynamic balance, which is why nature is easy to change and difficult to change. However, this does not mean that human character will not undergo drastic changes, especially those who have experienced life and death. They will be completely different before and after.
Xu Bang is like this.
Xu Si was born in Xiangyang, Jingzhou, grew up in Xiangyang, and studied in Xiangyang. But the place where he really took off was in Yanzhou. Because of his connections with the party members, he worked for the party members here like He Yong and others. Because he helped many comrades through the rescue, Xu Bang also gained some fame, and then he was valued by Li Zan and joined the army.
But there is one thing to say. Compared with party leaders like He Yong, Xu Bang is just a peripheral member of the periphery. He has only earned some reputation after working hard for so many years. In fact, Xu Bang's heels are not bad, and the Xu family is not bad in Xiangyang, but compared with the Cai family, the Kuai family, the Yang family, the Liao family, and the Ma family, they are still inferior.
He himself studied under the Yang family's prodigy Yang Lu since childhood, but it was a pity that he passed away at the age of seventeen. Precisely because his family did not have much help, he came to Yanzhou early to work hard. Although he gained something, it was not as good as what he paid for.
It turns out that even if Xu Si was unwilling to give in, he didn't have much thought. After all, wasn't that always the case? But that night he asked the Lord of Taishan Prefecture for divination, and the goddess fell into a dream that night and gave him a peach charm of "peace and joy". Then the next day, he was lucky enough to escape from the cruel battlefield. All this told him that there was a kind of guidance in the dark, and Xu Si's luck had arrived.
Peace and joy? Doesn't it mean that he is told that Taiping Road is the path pointed out to him by Lord Taishan?
There was no way out for him in Hanting, so he went to Taiping Road. Sure enough, when I thought about it, I suddenly felt that the world was vast.
So when Wang Kai asked him if his luggage was packed before, he said yes. This is the reason. He wanted to throw himself into the Taiping Road outside the city.
But who knows, the turtle grandson from nowhere will take a step ahead of him and shoot first, stealing Xu Si's way. But now I can't care anymore. Master Wang has entered the city. If he doesn't welcome him, he won't even have a chance to vote.
As soon as he went out, he saw Gao Yi, the magistrate of Zhangxian County. This person's presence has been very low since the Prime Minister settled in Zhangxian County. At this moment, Gao Yi and a few of his followers were in a panic. As soon as he saw Xu Bang appearing, he subconsciously cried and asked:
"Xu Jun, there is a safe way to survive."
Xu Bang frowned and was about to say, how can I give you any way to survive? But when I saw the crown on Magistrate Zhang’s shining forehead, I was stunned for a moment, and then immediately said:
"What a coincidence, I have a way to survive here. Mr. Gao County, please follow me."
After saying that, he took the overjoyed Gao Yi straight to the county office, where a raging fire was already burning.
Along the way, they passed through the fleeing crowd, and when they arrived at the county office, they saw Zhao Shu and Li Zou leading their respective tribes, calling the name of the Prime Minister inside through the crowd.
Xu Bang sighed, bowed deeply to the blazing fire, and praised:
"What a fierce spirit!"
Then he turned his head to Zhao Shu and Li Zou, who were at a loss and had no way forward:
"Do you want a way to survive?"
——
It is still the old rule. When Taishan's army enters the city, they first need to capture the towers on all sides, then occupy the arsenal and grain platform, and then strangle the Han soldiers scattered everywhere.
By now, two thousand troops from four tribes had rushed into Zhang County. Others still have to stay outside the city to guard against possible attackers. Although this probability is unlikely, it will definitely happen if it is possible. If we can't enter the city according to the procedures every time, it only takes one attack to turn a great victory into a great rout.
So Zhang Chong did not enter the city at this time. He had to wait for all the armies in the city to send battle reports before he could enter the city. He is no longer a one-man soldier. How many people are pointing at him? He also carries the entire Huangtian on his shoulders. great cause. If you expect Zhang Jiao, it will definitely not work.
At this time, Zhang Chong received reports of merit from the city from time to time outside the city. He looked at the black gas smoke above the city. Zhang Chong sighed and said to He Kui on the side:
"Is the Prime Minister of Dongping also a relative of yours?"
He Kui smiled awkwardly, nodded, and said:
"You can still climb if you insist. This Li Zan is from a prominent family in Xiangcheng, Yingchuan. Their area is either intermarrying with the locals or with prominent families in Runan. This Li Zan's sister married a new generation of the Yuan family in Runan. Junyan Yuan Shao, and Grand Administrator Cai and I are related to the Yuan family, so we can be considered relatives.”
He Kui was still conservative, fearing that the melons and plum blossoms would be lost, so he pulled Cai Yong out. It was not that he was worried that Zhang Chong would think too much, but that as a subordinate and chief adviser, he naturally had to reflect the situation truthfully. Zhang Chong didn't care, he couldn't help but care.
Zhang Chong heard the name Yuan Shao from He Kui and couldn't help but read it:
"Yuan Shao?" He Kui nodded, and then took the initiative to introduce Zhang Chong. He did not say anything more about Yuan's prowess, which Zhang Chong knew, but introduced Yuan Shao alone:
"Yuan Shao is much older than our generation. He has little ideas and rarely plays with our relatives. When he was very young, he was tricked into being a boy by his father, and then he lived in Kyoto. After that, he When he came of age, he was sent out to serve as the chief of Puyang. I heard that he was quite famous for his work in office, but as a member of the public family, no matter what you do, your reputation will be praised.”
After hearing this, Zhang Chong glanced at He Kui and said to himself: It seems that He Kui had some stories about the Yuan family in Runan when he was a child. This obviously does not deal with Yuan Shao.
Then I heard He Kui continue to say:
"But Yuan Shao didn't work for long when his mother passed away. After that, he went home to mourn. I also went there at that time. After Yuan Shao buried his mother, he announced in public that he would abandon his official position and observe mourning for his mother for three years. This matter It’s very serious.”
Seeing that Zhang Chong didn't respond, He Kui explained:
"The Han Dynasty ruled the world with filial piety, and the scholar-bureaucrats who were candidates for Confucian classics often took filial piety as a criterion. Therefore, when the mother dies, the son will mourn for three years. Just as the "Book of Rites" says: 'After the death of a parent, he will not engage in politics for three years.' But this That's not the case. In our world, etiquette is for the convenience of others. For example, if you don't observe filial piety for the following three years, you won't even be able to meet the threshold of filial piety. But for officials. For Han officials, this is very honorable.
In actual operation, Han officials used the sun to change the moon. In other words, one day of mourning for parents is counted as one month, so the three-year period of filial piety only takes thirty-six days of mourning. This will not damage the reputation of the Han official as a filial son, and can also take into account the righteousness of the emperor's herdsmen. Later, during the Guangwu period, even this kind of changing of the sun and the moon stopped, and they were directly excused by saying that loyalty and filial piety could not have both, and that filial piety and loyalty were sacrificed for the sake of being a minister. ”
Now Zhang Chong understood that Yuan Shao did what he was supposed to do, which showed his filial piety. This Yuan Shao knew how to raise his reputation.
This is not over yet, He Kui continued:
"Since Emperor Huan, the world has been weakened and the officialdom has been filthy. Those who can fulfill their filial piety to their parents and give up their positions are like Liao Ruochenxing. So everyone looked at Yuan Shao differently at that time. But that's not all, because his dead mother was not Yuan Shao's biological mother, but It’s my stepmother.”
Zhang Chong knew from later generations that Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were not born from the same mother. The latter often scolded Yuan Shao for his adopted son, but this was the first time he heard that Yuan Shao was adopted.
Then He Kui told Zhang Chong a secret secret of the Yuan family in Runan.
It turns out that Yuan Shao's father's generation includes not only Yuan Feng, who died a few years ago, but also Yuan Wei, the third prince who is still alive. There is an eldest brother above these two named Yuan Cheng, and he is more famous than his two younger brothers. Because he is handsome and can talk, he is very popular in Kyoto circles. Generally speaking, when out-of-town prefects encounter trouble in Kyoto, they can solve it as long as they approach Yuan Cheng.
But it was a pity that this man died early and had no offspring. So as soon as Yuan Shao was born, his father adopted him into Yuan Cheng's family and asked him to pass on the incense to Yuan Cheng. Of course, this was also related to the fact that Yuan Shao was not his legitimate son. Of course, Yuan Shao's father was indeed doing good for Yuan Shao and wanted to give him to Yuan Shao. His way out. Because according to the patriarchal system, Yuan Cheng's lineage is the eldest son. Although Yuan Shao is adopted, under the patriarchal system, he is the eldest son of Yuan Cheng, and he is the eldest son. One can imagine Yuan Shao's resources.
Hearing this, Zhang Chong understood why Yuan Shao, as the eldest son of a concubine, was more famous than his legitimate son Yuan Shu in the late Han Dynasty, and why Yuan Shu always couldn't control his anger and choked Yuan Shao, but Yuan Shao, who seemed to be weak, seemed so calm. It turns out that Yuan Shao stole his younger brother Yuan Shu's identity as his legitimate son.
Zhang Chong lamented that a family really has everything.
Just when Zhang Chong thought Yuan Shao's story was over, He Kui continued to surprise him:
"Qu Kuai, this Yuan Shao is definitely a figure. The internal fighting among the Yuan family's generation is still very serious, especially his younger brother Yuan Shu who hates him to the core. But this still does not hinder Yuan Benchu himself from being powerful. Qu Kuai. Kui, do you know what Yuan Shao did after serving his mother for three years?”
Zhang Chong asked:
"What did you do?"
"Yuan Benchu kept his mourning for another three years, three years and three years. This time he did not keep his mourning for his mother, but for his adopted stepfather Yuan Cheng who had been dead for many years."
Now Zhang Chong admired Yuan Shao, not because he admired his pure filial piety, who believed that Yuan Shao stayed for six years because of his filial piety, but because he admired Yuan Shao's gambling nature. You must know that he was around 20 years old when he observed his filial piety, which was the golden starting point of his official career. But now he has spent six years in his hometown. Even though he is a son of a noble family, he will be promoted after completing his term, but his seniority still has to be considered. Yes, it's just compared with the children of the same clan. Therefore, in these six wasted years, Yuan Shao would be one generation behind his peers.
What about Yuan Shaotu? Just for fame, Zhang Chong guessed Yuan Shao's thoughts based on Yuan Shao's career path later. This person obviously did not want to take the normal route of moving to official positions for the sons of the Han Dynasty princes, but blocked a big one and overtook him in a corner. What could that be? Isn’t it just to get rid of the eunuchs? Sure enough, Yuan Shao knew politics.
After hearing this secret, Zhang Chong was still satisfied. Everyone has a heart for gossip. Here Zhang Chong chatted with He Kui about Runan's power and secrets, and all the armies entering the city sent news:
"Zhang County, it's decided!"
(End of chapter)