The Great Seminary

Chapter 60 Burnt Tail
Although Zhang Gui had a premonition that he was about to make a comeback, he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

A puzzled thought flashed through my mind, "What's going on here?

In just two days during the first month of the lunar year, I was transformed from a commoner to a military officer of the imperial court.

Do the Zhang family members in Pingyang always want to snatch the mourning hat to wear?
However, since this old man was brought from Jiujiang, he must be genuine.

Well, it may be that the big shot said something and the small fry ran around.

The old man wants to curry favor with the elder, so he acts so aggressively."

Thinking of this and looking at the old cows and horses in front of me again, doubt turned into pity.

Zhang Gui's voice softened. "Okay, let's go to the ancestral hall now."

The rules of the great families of the Ming and Song dynasties.

There are many ancestors buried in the family cemetery who were given posthumous titles by the emperor after their death.

The ancestral hall can enshrine a certain number of tablets in the right position and receive incense.

The size of the ancestral hall can be determined by the number of tablets that can be enshrined in the correct position.

The Pingyang Zhang family was once killed in Longjin, northern Xinjiang by the political enemies of Zhang Siwei, a "promising" member of the family.

Even the ancestral graves were dug up.

As a result, the family had to re-establish themselves in the south, and they were unable to move the graves even if they wanted to.

It is impossible to build a prosperous ancestral hall because of the consequences.

But no matter what, basic decency is still there.

The main gate of the Zhang Family Ancestral Hall in Pingyang has eight doors on the left and right, each seven feet wide and two feet high, made of red locust wood.

The door is carved with an intricate picture of "Sages Ascending to Heaven".

Outside the ancestral hall, there is a stele with the words "Civil officials, dismount; military officials, dismount".

It was considered as a favor given by the current emperor after the family recovered.

However, there are only five archways in front of the stone tablet, which shows that it is not a big deal.

Zhang Gui came here to wander around when he was a child, but very rarely.

Because he is a time traveler, and his biological father in this life is heartless and abandoned his wife and children.

So I feel from the bottom of my heart that the Pingyang Zhang family's ancestral hall has nothing to do with me.

I have never paid attention to the rules of family sacrifices.

When I arrived at the stone steps of the ancestral hall, I saw that the door was closed.

Zhang Gui tilted his head curiously and asked Zhang Jiujiang in a low voice,

“You were talking so excitedly just now, how come I’m the most talented person in the clan?

"I'm adding the family tree, but the ancestral hall is still closed?"

"To add a talent of your caliber into the family tree, we just need to open a side door," Zhang Jiujiang teased.

Zhang Qiguan, who was standing by, was quite old but had sharp eyes and ears. He could vaguely hear the conversation between the two and couldn't help but smile strangely...

According to the rules of the Ming and Song dynasties, the sacrifices in the ancestral halls of prominent families were divided into four levels.

The highest-ranking one is called "Zhangji", also known as "Zhangmiaojialao".

The "temple" here refers to the family temple, that is, the ancestral hall.

It shows the traditional law of the ancient clans in Dongsheng Prefecture that regard their ancestors as gods.

He rarely shows up and is always mysterious.

The second-ranked one is called the chief priest, who also serves as the "elder of the temple" in the clan and only appears during grand clan sacrifices.

The second one is called the Great Priest, and he also has the qualifications to independently preside over the sacrifices.

Generally speaking, they are responsible for small-scale family ceremonies.

The lowest level of sacrifice is called small sacrifice, which means broken sacrifice.
But no matter what level of sacrifice, it represents the face of the ancestors to some extent.

Although his actual power may not be that great, no one in the clan dares to take it lightly...

Zhang Gui climbed the stone steps and, as per the rules, entered the ancestral hall alone through the side door.

Waiting for him was a handsome little priest.

After the two met, the young priest had an expressionless face and led Zhang Gui without saying a word to the ancestral tablet, where he bowed three times and kowtowed nine times.

Then he opened the family tree that had been folded long ago and filled in the name "Zhang Jiugui". After doing everything, Xiaoji looked at Zhang Gui steadily, his eyes never moving.

The two looked at each other for a moment, and Zhang Gui understood.

He hurriedly took out two silver ingots from his sleeve and stuffed them into the little priest's hand, "Thank you for your help, sir.

It's freezing cold, so please have a drink of water to warm yourself up."

This was the private money he had prepared to use to treat Zhang Jiujiang to a drink, a total of five ingots and fifteen taels.

The friends have always voluntarily helped Zhang Gui. Although it doesn't matter whether they go to a roadside stall or a big restaurant as long as they are close friends, they have to be open and honest occasionally.

But I didn't expect that part of the money for the wine would now become a tip.

What was even more unexpected was that the young priest took the silver, put it in his hand as a cushion, and frowned.

He hummed and murmured disdainfully, "Small family, how shabby."

As the old saying goes, it is easy to see the King of Hell, but difficult to deal with little ghosts.

Since ancient times, even if the emperor ordered something to be done, he would always give some benefits to the person in charge.

It was rare for Xiaoji to ask for benefits after adding Zhang Gui to the family tree.

What's wrong with saying something weird?

But Zhang Gui has now risen to power and become a makeshift emperor, and his temper has also become worse.

He was not used to the little priest, so he snatched back the two ingots of silver he had given him.

"You're being picky when you're given red envelopes, squeezing people during New Year's Day.

Do you think I am willing to be included in the family tree?

If you have the ability and the ability, just erase my name from the family tree.

Is this unbearable for you?"

Xiao Ji was almost suffocated by Zhang Gui's blockage, and his lips began to tremble.

But how could a little monkey like him change the arrangements made by the clan elders?

He could only point at Zhang Gui and keep saying, "You, you, you..."

Zhang Gui acted as if he didn't see it, shook the silver in his hand, put it back into his sleeve with a proud look, turned around and walked away.

It took less than a moment in total, and the matter of entering the family tree was completed successfully.

Then Zhang Gui, Zhang Jiujiang and Zhang Qitong reunited outside the ancestral hall.

He went to the clan's stable used exclusively for official business, asked for a two-horse express carriage, and headed straight for Longmenpo.

Longmen Port was a famous and prosperous place for maritime trade during the Ming and Song dynasties, and the first private port in Siyang County.

The big boss behind the scenes is naturally powerful and is the emperor of the Ming and Song dynasties.

Those in charge of the port were his most trusted household slaves and eunuchs.

Because only 30% of the tribute silver went to the Ministry of Revenue.

The remaining 70% belonged to the Neiku and was the royal family's private money.

Therefore, as the world evolved, the eunuchs got hold of the money collected from tribute collection by many counties.

After all, this kind of behavior of selling titles and official positions to buy fame and honor is not decent no matter how it is beautified.

No matter how corrupt and greedy the civil service group is, they still have to save some face compared to the eunuchs who are strong without desires and have nothing below them.

There is no way to fight for it.

Longmenpo is connected to Zhangjia in Pingyang by a county road, but they are far apart in the east and west.

It was not until noon that Zhang Guicai finally saw the tall gate tower of the port city.

Eunuchs do things in a less organized manner and are quick to achieve success, and they express themselves directly.

Therefore, although there are thousands of merchants and tens of thousands of people here, there is not even a one-foot-high city wall.

He simply chose the lucky number "Welcome guests from all over the world and make money from all directions".

On the only main gate tower, there is a huge plaque with three golden characters inscribed on it: "Burn the Tail Gate".

It symbolizes that as long as you are willing to come here, whether doing business, seeking honors or even being a hanger-on, you will have a bright future, like being reborn.

(End of this chapter)