Chapter 471 Yuan Family
February of the third year of the Republic. Ruyang City, Runan County.
This is where the Yuan family in Runan is famous. After 140 years of management, all the wise men and officials in the area came from the Yuan family. All major funerals and funerals in the county are hosted by the Yuan family.
Since the Yuan family descended from the Yuan An era, the lives of the 40,000 people living in Ruyang City have been closely linked to the Yuan family. Everyone from Hao You to Li Shu knows that the center of power here has never been the official in the county temple, but the Yuan residence in the east of the city.
Moreover, the Yuan family has held most of the positions in Ruyang City for a long time since the Yuan An period. From the highest level to the meritorious officials and all the lower level officials, they are all members of the Yuan family's clan or disciples.
Therefore, the county temple also belongs to the Yuan family.
The common people in Ruyang City do not call the Yuan family directly, but call them "Zhong family", which means second only to the Liu family. This title contains both respect and fear.
But the relationship between the Yuan family and the people of Ruyang is not a simple one of bullying and being bullied. In fact, the Yuan family has always provided social welfare and official opportunities for Ruyang people.
A young man living in Ruyang, as long as he can read, will be taken by his father to visit Yuan's house in the east of the city when he becomes an adult.
The door of Yuan's house is never closed, and any Ruyang people who want to meet the Yuan clan leader can enter.
Yuan is also willing to help these young people in Ruyang, and all young people who come to visit will receive their help.
If you know how to read, you can get a job as a county clerk. If you can do arithmetic, you can go to Cangcao to make a living; even if you don't know anything, you have only one strength. It can also be used as Yuan's manor to make a living.
Ordinary powerful people and tenants are four owners and six tenants. But Yuan's tax is thirty to one. This low level of taxation can only be achieved by the Yuan family whose land is spread all over Ruyang.
It is precisely because of this kind of favor that the people of Ruyang can die for Yuan, who is their father.
However, a family cannot maintain such kindness by relying on favors alone. It will always require violence to make people fear it.
The disciples of the Yuan family who are scattered all over the county temple are one kind, and the tribes who are hidden in the countryside and are controlled by military tactics are also one kind.
This is the Yuan family, the Yuan family with the Zhong surname in the world.
No matter how the weather in Kyoto changes, this place remains the same.
……
At this time, in Yuan's house in the east of the city, Yuan Shao was stroking the table in front of him.
The table is made of sandalwood. Even though it is an antique from a hundred years ago, the entire table surface is still as smooth as new because of the unique oiliness of the wood.
There are no extraneous carvings on the table, just like the Yuan family's family style, simple and clean.
Yuan Shao was rubbing the case in his hand, but what came to his mind was the shadow of his father Yuan Feng.
At that time, my father Yuan Feng was sitting in front of this table to receive Yuan's disciples and guests. At that time, Yuan Shao was still the youngest son, helping his father to seal the bamboo slips with clay.
Yuan Shao still remembers that after tying up the bamboo slips, he covered them with dirty mud, then stamped them with his father's personal seal, and finally put them on a brazier to bake.
Throughout the summer, Yuan Shao did just this. Keep sealing it with mud and roasting it with fire.
When his younger brother Yuan Shu could ride on mangoes and engage in battles with the boys in the county, he endured the scorching heat and did hard work beside the brazier.
At that time, Yuan Shao did not complain because he knew that as a commoner, he was naturally inferior to his younger brother.
So he knew this was what he wanted to do.
But now, Yuan Shao not only does not complain, he is also full of gratitude to his father in his heart. Because he knew what kind of wealth his father had left to him.
Because he knows that behind every bamboo slip is a relationship and a transaction. This may involve a certain famous family, or it may involve a political struggle in distant Kyoto.
It was under such influence that Yuan Shao's understanding of power struggle was ahead of his peers.
Yes, my stupid brother is still playing the childish game of fighting with bamboo horses.
And it's not just that. Because Yuan Shao was always painting the bamboo slips, those who came to visit Yuan Feng could always see Yuan Shao. Over time, Yuan Shao was naturally regarded as Yuan Feng's representative.
If some villagers cannot find Yuan Feng, they will even go to Yuan Shao directly and ask him to convey the message on their behalf.
In this way, Yuan Shao's fame and prestige increased bit by bit. His skills are getting stronger and stronger, he knows how to invite names, how to show favors, how to win over, and more importantly, when to eliminate.
His increasingly proficient political skills made him a duck to water in the power game of the Han Dynasty.
Until that day, brother Yuan Ji got married, and their Yuan family spilled their blood in the Golden Palace.
It was not until that time that Yuan Shao realized that the soldiers and horses in his hands were the real weapons in this game of power.
But it was not too late for Yuan Shao to wake up.
When he and his brother Yuan Shu fled south with their confidants and generals.
Under Yinque Pass, he and Yuan Shu faced a choice, whether to choose to go to Nanyang or return to Ruyang.
The situation at that time was that Wang Yun, the governor of Yuzhou, was a tough man and would be suppressed once he returned to Ruyang. But Nanyang was different. At that time, Nanyang was in chaos, and Liu Biao, the nominal pastor of Jingzhou, did not even dare to go to the state to govern Hanshou, which was described as weak and powerless.
Younger brother Yuan Shu is still as simple as before.
He first said that he was going to Nanyang. In his opinion, Nanyang has a population of one million. According to this county, it can reach a state, which has far greater potential than the tens of thousands of people in Ruyang.
It was even rare for Yuan Shu to honor him as his elder brother, saying that the elder brother was at home and the younger brother was away, and they were in harmony with each other.
Yuan Shao did not refuse because he just wanted to return to his hometown.
His childhood memories told him how important Ruyang was.
As a result, the two brothers separated from Yin Queguan and each took a different path.
Just after returning to Ruyang, Yuan Shao had indeed expected it.
Even though the bloody massacre in Kyoto has spread to Ruyang, it cannot weaken the Yuan family's prestige in Ruyang at all. Moreover, the tragic death of the Yuan family aroused the anger and unity of the people of Ruyang.
They united around Yuan Shao and were bound to pay with blood.
But soon, Yuan Shao fell into trouble.
He has no soldiers.
After all, Ruyang is just a county town with a population of less than 40,000, and a large number of people are still concentrated in the hands of powerful powerful people in the county.
Yuan Shao had no way of recruiting enough troops in Ruyang City. So far, he has a force of thousands of Yuan's troops.
Of course, if Yuan Shao forced the powerful people in the county to hand over their people, these powerful people would do it.
But Yuan Shao did not intend this. Because he wants to maintain the interests of the group. The Yuan family is no longer the Yuan family of the past. The loyalty of these people now relies on past kindness to maintain their loyalty.
The kindness that can only cause everyone harm will not last.
So Yuan Shao had to find a way to recruit troops from other places.
Just as Yuan Shao continued to think deeply, a heroic warrior outside whispered outside the door of the quiet room:
"My lord, I claim to be the Zhang family in the county seeking an audience."
Yuan Shao came back to his senses and smiled at the heroic young general outside:
"Let him in. It's cold outside, so wear a cloak."
After saying that, Yuan Shao had his leather cloak given to the generals outside.
This general is actually our old acquaintance, Li Dian, a powerful young man from Yingyin County.
Since he entered the capital last year with Jiao Shu as his number one, he has been recruited by Yuan Shao. At that time, Yuan Shao was famous all over the world, and he was as humble as a valley. The Yuan family was also at the top of the world, and everyone wanted to join Yuan Shao's family.
But most of these people flew away like birds after Yuan's disaster. Only Li Dian followed Yuan Shaonan.
Over there, Li Dian bent down to thank him, and then continued to guard the door.
Soon, a fat middle-aged man came to this quiet room under the guidance of the waiter. Several generations of Yuan family heads have received their disciples and guests here.
It was actually a bit cold in February, but this fat middle-aged man was obviously covered with a layer of gauze, but his forehead was covered with sweat. Before Yuan Shao could say anything, he took off his shoes and went up.
Then Li Dian's knife was placed on his neck.
At this time, the fat man fearfully said to Yuan Shao inside:
"Mr. Yuan, save me."
Yuan Shao's voice came from inside:
"Come in."
As soon as this was said, Li Dian let him go.
When the fat man came in, the first thing he saw was a middle-aged man over seven feet tall standing in front of the desk. He was handsome and elegant. A pair of eyes, majestic yet kind.
As expected of the Yuan family, he is a good-looking person.
Just when the fat man was about to tell Yuan Shao about his catastrophe, he saw a young man in the corner of the room.
He didn't want outsiders to know about his affairs, so he hurriedly asked:
"I wonder if I can have a few words with Mr. Yuan alone."
Yuan Shao's eyes were very cold, and he said lightly:
"He is my eldest son, and he is destined to inherit my family business. Not only you, but your future sons and your grandsons also need to meet him. Do you understand?"
The fat man felt the change in Yuan Shao's tone, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a fragrant handkerchief, and said flatteringly:
"The young master must be one of the best in the world."
He was smart enough to realize what was wrong with him.
That is because his title was wrong. He could not call Yuan Shao as Yuan Gong, because Yuan Shao was his lord, and this patronage relationship had lasted for three generations.
So he quickly reversed his mistake.
Sure enough, seeing that this man was quite smart, Yuan Shao asked:
"What do you want from me?"
As soon as these words came out, the fat man began to burst into tears and cried to Yuan Shao about his experience.
It turned out that he was a cloth merchant. When he learned that the prefect distributed summer clothes to the county soldiers, he found someone to use his connections to win the business. To this end, he also borrowed a large amount of money from other customers of the Yuan family.
But while the cloth was on the road, it was robbed by thieves. Although there were no casualties, all the cloth was robbed.
At that time, the fat man was completely disappointed, but a friend told him that Mr. Yuan might know about this. The fat man continued to ask, but the man said no more.
He had no choice but to come to Yuan Mansion to seek help from Yuan Shao in order to save his life.
After hearing the fat man's cry, Yuan Shao remained unmoved and just rubbed the table.
But Yuan Tan, who was staying in a corner of the quiet room, looked at this guest of the Yuan family curiously. He couldn't understand why a fat man could shed so many tears when his forehead was sweating so much.
Is this person a big water bag?
The tragic fate of the fat man could not move Yuan Shao, he said coldly:
"Why did you make summer clothes for Xu Qiu?"
As soon as these words came out, the fat man was stunned.
Then his face suddenly turned red, and then the sweat on his forehead started to trickle out. This time he didn't dare to wipe it away.
He didn't dare to look at Yuan Shao anymore, and just murmured in a low and inaudible voice:
"I, I just want to do business. I really don't know, I really don't know anything. I'm a fool, I don't want that batch of goods. Wuwuwu."
The fat man cried louder.
Because he was really scared.
Yuan Shao smiled, but his voice was cold:
"No, I will find that batch of cloth for you. But you don't have to sell it to the county, just sell it to me. Not only that, from now on you will serve as my official and ensure my military supplies."
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Of course the fat man understands what Yuan Shao is talking about, and even more understands what Yuan Shao wants to do.
His batch of cloth could be used to dress three thousand people, but as far as he knew, Yuan's tribe was far from this quantity. Obviously, the Yuan family should have recruited troops elsewhere.
Not to mention the matter of appointing him as a government official, which is obviously going to cause trouble.
The fat man knows this, but can he refuse? Can he tell the truth?
He can't even do it.
A hundred years ago, when his ancestor was kneeling in rags in front of the Yuan family's house and about to starve to death, the Yuan family gave his ancestor food and clothing, and accepted his ancestor as a disciple.
When it came to his family's ancestors, because of his cleverness and ability, he was granted freedom by the Yuan family and allowed him to settle in Ruyang. After that, three generations of their family engaged in business, relying on and serving the Yuan family.
This is the bond of kindness.
After this is resolved, the fat man no longer needs to stay.
Finally, he kowtowed three times to Yuan Shao and then one to Yuan Tan.
After doing this, he retreated.
After the fat man left, young Yuan Tan asked his father doubtfully:
"Sir, this retainer is obviously disloyal, why do you still want him to be a government official?"
Yuan Shao looked at Yuan Tan and said lovingly:
"What is loyalty?"
Yuan Tan thought for a while and replied seriously:
"Think about my family's thoughts, worry about my family's worries. Everything my family sends is done with care. This is loyalty."
Yuan Shao laughed and was noncommittal.
He just told Yuan Tan this truth:
"The man just now has been a member of my Yuan family for four generations. His ancestors were about to starve to death. Without me, how could the Yuan family survive? How could there be four generations of his family? Isn't this a great favor? After that, this family My ancestor was a bit talented, and it was I, the Yuan family, who allowed him to go out and start his own business, so that he could become a decent family. Isn't this a great favor? From then on, I, the Yuan family, accepted all their requests. Business. Do you think this is a great favor?”
Yuan Tan nodded:
"With these four generations of great kindness, even if there are endless generations of descendants, it will not be enough."
Yuan Shao nodded and continued teaching:
"But what about this man? Maybe he has been doing business for a long time. He really feels like a businessman, doing business with everyone, and being friends with everyone? Even my Yuan family, he wants to be in this generation Do you know why he wants to do business with the prefect? Because he wants to use the money he earns to repay the debt he owes us. He doesn't want his descendants to repay it."
Yuan Shao's words were beyond Yuan Tan's understanding. He didn't understand, but he knew that he should be obedient and remember at this time.
Speaking of this, Yuan Shao's eyes were already cold:
"This is the human heart. When you are glorious, others will use more than ten generations of their clan to cling to you. But once you are in decline, no one is willing to have anything to do with you anymore. From this point of view, the person just now is still loyal. At least he understands that the favor must be repaid.”
Yuan Tan understood a little bit and continued to listen to his father's words:
"But the more this happens, the less I can let him pay it back. The more loyal this person is, the more unstoppable this debt is. This is the way of up and down, does Tan'er understand?"
Yuan Tan did not dare to lie to his father and shook his head honestly.
Yuan Shao's eyes dimmed slightly and he didn't say much.
At this time, Li Dian’s voice came from outside the door again:
"Lord, the people from all counties in Runan are back. The matter is done!"
After a while, Yuan Shao's voice came from the clean room:
"Come here, wear armor."
Do your family members understand what is going on? If not, I will talk about it in the next chapter.
(End of chapter)