Goose Three Kingdoms

Chapter 656: Motivation for Progress
It was another Double Ninth Festival banquet this year, and Chen Qun was invited because of his award of title for his book On Good Seeds.

Inside the Chongyang Tower, the representatives of workers and peasants who were having the banquet were quiet, unlike the noisy scholars and officials.

The positions were almost fixed, and Chen Qun met again the group of craftsmen who were awarded titles for their merits.

As long as one holds a title and has an unhurried job, he will be invited.

Chen Qun looked around and saw that the three familiar faces at the same table were gone.

Just like last year, Chen Qun didn't talk much and acted very shy.

Over the past year, Chen Qun has verified the "Theory of Good Seeds" by planting peas; next year, other academies will plant peas, and if the experiment is successful, they will all commend Chen Qun and ask for titles.

So even though he had a stable salary this year and didn't have to do physical labor, he still got tanned from going in and out of the fields and pastures, like an old farmer.

They get along well with the craftsmen around them. They are all people with titles, but they are all very pretentious and pay more attention to their manners than the dissolute scholars.

Even when chatting, the voice is gentle and the conversation is slow and detailed.

Only when everyone raised their glasses would Chen Qun follow suit and drink.

The rest of the time I spent concentrating on eating and listening to everyone's stories.

People around also talked about the three missing Guannei Marquis. One was scalded to death by molten iron in a blast furnace explosion while smelting iron. His three sons all inherited the title and became knights. They shared their father's fiefdom and taxes equally and were sent to Qinghua Camp.

One was promoted, and his fief was increased to 300 households. He was granted the title of Marquis of Ting and was able to enjoy higher-end banquets.

The third one was stripped of his title and demoted to work in Shanglinyuan for maliciously stealing the technical achievements of his subordinates.

"I will be content if I can be promoted to the rank of Marquis Ting for the rest of my life."

One of the oldest craftsmen sighed, and immediately attracted many compliments.

He was promoted to the rank of Tinghou, but was downgraded to Guanneihou when the title was inherited. His fief and taxes were divided equally among his sons.

The tax revenue is not much, but this title is very important.

At the very least, my grandchildren will also be able to enter Qinghua Camp.

Chen Qun was mixed in the crowd and also followed suit with a few compliments.

He feels that after the pea experiment is verified next year, he will have a good chance of being promoted to Tinghou.

Around this time next year, he will disappear from here, go to the more upscale banquet area, and become the subject of discussion among everyone here.

He was also curious about what higher-level banquets looked like.

At this moment, Duan Wei, who was at the level of a county marquis, was having a meal. He also returned to Guanzhong this year and was able to attend the Double Ninth Festival banquet again.

As the only county marquis other than Black Bear, Duan Wei sat alone at a table with a roast goose on it.

In addition to a few side dishes, there are also two servings of royal chrysanthemum wine.

He could have brought his wife along to enjoy it, but she died early, and he was accompanied by his concubine whom he had married in recent years.

This concubine was widowed due to the war and became Duan Wei's concubine.

The two sat together, with a thirty-year age difference between them.

Served by the concubine, Duan Wei enjoyed the roast goose.

The bones he ate were also put into boxes, which he would take home to make soup for his family.

So things like goose wings are just something he passes by, and he mainly eats the goose legs and the goose head.

At this moment, Duan Wei seemed to have regained the appetite of his youth and couldn't stop eating.

While serving, the concubine's wife would also eat some leftovers, which made her even more considerate.

At this time, Zhong Yao, who had the title of Marquis of Ting, walked over and asked, "Lord Duan?"

Duan Wei just raised his eyebrows and glanced at Zhong Yao, then lowered his head and continued to gnaw on the goose head.

Seeing this, Zhong Yao just smiled and left along the corridor.

In the Tinghou area, four people share one goose.

Zhong Yao didn't even feel full. Since he couldn't get Duan Wei's share, he simply gave up and hurried home to do his business.

After eating the goose head, Duan Wei started to eat the braised goose gizzards.

The goose stomach is as big as a fist and is divided into two pieces and cut into flower pieces.

After taking a bite, Duan Wei immediately fell in love with the crispy goose gizzards, and took the initiative to share a piece with his concubine: "You should try it too, it is really a rare treasure in the world."

Several other high-ranking officials and generals with titles passed by Duan Wei's compartment. They made eye contact with each other but did not speak.

Among them was Wang Yi, who had been unemployed. Wang Yi was from Beidi County and was originally a Tinghou. Black Bear recalled his previous merits and accumulated 2,000 households, and was promoted to Xianghou.

The rank of Xianghou was already the upper limit for a royal city. A Xianghou meant two people shared a goose, so he was considered full.

But when Wang Yi saw that the county marquis was able to bring women to enjoy himself, he immediately felt uncomfortable.

Duan Wei put the remaining half of the goose gizzard into the lunch box he brought with him, and said to his concubine, "This kind of treasure should not be enjoyed by one person alone. I want to invite Ah Chan to live in Guanzhong permanently."

The concubine thought for a moment and said, "My husband, if two marquises from the same family were in Guanzhong together, it would surely arouse jealousy."

Hei Xiong praised Duan Xing's achievements and conferred the title of Marquis of Xinfeng County on Duan Xing's descendants; Duan Wei was responsible for selecting people and chose Duan Xing's grandson Duan Chan to inherit the title, bypassing Duan Xing's sons.

Zhang Xiu intended to support and cultivate Duan Chan, so he led troops in Hexi.

In Duan Wei's eyes, such qualifications and achievements are of no significance at all. Only by coming to Guanzhong to study can one have a better development.

He also intended to change the family tradition. A family of generals for three generations was a misfortune in itself.

Faced with the concubine's concerns, Duan Wei also fell silent.

In Guanzhong, if you make the wrong friends, all your efforts will be wasted.

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The Duan family had two county marquises, second only to Ma Teng and his son.

Duan Chan stayed in Xiliang, although the place was remote, he would never make a big mistake.

In Guanzhong, the more power you gain, the greater the danger.

With so many people working so hard, the highest rank they can get is a county marquis.

Duan Chan is already in the most comfortable position under the shogunate, so there is really no need for him to take the risk by coming to Guanzhong.

But you can also try another way, which is to stay in Guanzhong in August every year and return to Xiliang at the end of September.

If you are in Guanzhong, you will naturally be invited to enjoy the Double Ninth Festival banquet.

Duan Wei calmed down and looked at the side dishes on the table. When he saw a dish of East China Sea salted fish, he said, "We don't want this."

"You should take it and give it to Agui and the others to eat with their wine."

The concubine suggested giving the food to the coachman and guards, and Duan Wei did not object. He watched the concubine continue packing and put the steamed salted fish into another lunch box.

She had experienced the Sanfu Rebellion. As a person who had almost starved to death and most of her relatives and friends had starved to death, she was very frugal with food.

On the other side, Zhong Yao drove to Nanxiang Villa.

Sun had prepared hot soup for him, and Zhong Yao felt humiliated by Duan Wei.

While enjoying Sun's massage, Zhong Yao said, "It was not until Duan Wei returned to Guanzhong that I learned that the county marquis could bring his wife to the banquet. The Grand Marshal had never mentioned this before. It was a pity."

Resting his head on Sun's thigh, Zhong Yao narrowed his eyes and said, "Many people call him a tyrant. He has been treating me worse than before. I am very worried."

Sun was horrified, her legs trembling slightly, and she quickly whispered, "My husband, please don't be confused. The historian Wengong is by your side, who can harm him?"

"What are you thinking?"

Zhong Yao stood up and pushed her, then slapped her in the face: "I am worried that the Grand Marshal will think I am old and useless. The white geese he raises are quite effective. If you and I can eat the same goose, not only will we live longer, but the issue of having children may also be solved."

Sun also reacted and her eyes widened: "Husband, are you going to expose me?"

"The merits and virtues of the Grand Marshal are no less than those of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and they have benefited millions of people throughout the country. How can we allow children to slander him?"

Zhong Yao seemed to be encouraging himself: "The current disaster is small and can be easily eliminated. If we let it go, it will become a large-scale disaster and even I will be in trouble. As the Inspector of the Imperial Guards, I have the duty of supervision."

As he spoke, he patted Sun's belly and said in a low voice, "I wanted to ask Duan Wei for a share, but this old man really looked down on me. A hundred years from now, you and I will eventually turn into dust. If we have no offspring and no descendants to support us, we will still suffer in the underworld."

Sun had given up hope and whispered, "My husband, why don't you adopt the baby? Madam Dongxiang has adopted many orphans and abandoned children. I can go and ask Madam Dongxiang for help."

"How can you adopt someone with a different surname?"

Zhong Yao was really angry this time: "You don't understand, there are good and bad species. Chen Changwen's "On Good Species" is a clear proof!"

Originally, Zhong Yao did not have such a strong prejudice, but Chen Qun's "Theory of Good Seeds" was constantly extended and developed, and he could not help but believe it.

Now when he thinks back on his childhood and adolescence, he knows that his intelligence is beyond the reach of his peers.

He would feel desperate if he had to give birth to and raise a child of mediocre ability.

If this child was as smart as himself, he would be able to die with peace of mind.

In terms of personal experience, the difference between a wise man and an ordinary person is as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.

Not to mention the orphan from another family proposed by Sun, he now even looks down on his brother's offspring.

(End of this chapter)