Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 51

Dai Mengxiong, the magistrate of Yangqu County, got off his sedan chair outside the gate of Wufeng Guanshan. Looking at the snowstorm, he couldn't help but breathed into his hands and rubbed them vigorously.Master Qian Liang, Yang Naiwen, and the yamen servants followed closely behind, all shrinking their necks from the cold.Yang Naiwen said: "My lord, you've got a view of nine peaks and five peaks! It's such a cold day! I think this Fu Shan is too hypocritical!"

Dai Mengxiong whispered: "Don't talk nonsense! The emperor's will, I can't help it!"

Dai Mengxiong told everyone not to talk too much, and walked into the Hall of Sanqing respectfully.Daotong saw him and hurried in to spread the message.Fu Shan was writing a book in the dormitory. After hearing the announcement from Daotong, he said, "As usual, you said that I was sick!"

Dao Tong returned to Sanqing Hall and replied, "Master Dai, my master has been ill!"

Dai Mengxiong smiled and said: "I guessed it a long time ago, your master must still be ill, I'm here to visit!"

Dao Tong said: "Master Dai, my master told him that he needs to rest alone and don't want others to disturb him!"

Yang Naiwen couldn't bear it any longer, and said, "Isn't your master too airy?"

Dai Mengxiong turned around and scolded Yang Naiwen: "Old Master, how dare you say that? Mr. Fu Shan is famous all over the world, and the emperor misses him all day long! Go, go and see Mr. Fu Shan."

As Dai Mengxiong said, he walked in, Daotong couldn't stop him.When I came to Fu Shan's hut, I saw Fu Shan lying on the corner with his back turned outward.Dai Mengxiong went to the bed and sat down, and asked: "Mr. Fu Shan, are you feeling better?"

No matter what Ren Dai Mengxiong said, Fu Shan seemed to be asleep and didn't answer a word.Dai Mengxiong held back his embarrassment and said, "Dai is ashamed. My reputation as a supervisor is donated, and Mr. Fu Shan naturally looks down on me. But I try my best to govern the county. Mr. Fu Shan must have heard about it. The people voluntarily donate Longting, engrave the "Sixteen Points of the Sacred Edict" on a stone tablet and use it to enlighten future generations. I think this has never happened in ancient times! I am not a scholar, but Mr. Chen Tingjing, a fellow from Shanxi, is he? Are you a scholar? I also know that it was Mr. Chen Tingjing who recommended you in front of the emperor. The emperor is thirsty for talents!"

Fu Shan fell asleep still motionless, and the wind blew the window paper crackling.At this time, a servant of the yamen hastily came in and said: "Master Dai, there are eight sedan chairs outside, dozens of people, I heard they are imperial envoys!"

Dai Mengxiong was horrified when he heard the words, and immediately stood up to welcome him out of the mountain gate.It turned out that Chen Tingjing went straight to Wufeng Temple as soon as he arrived in Yangqu.Zhen'er, Liu Jing, Ma Ming and others accompanied them, as well as some bearers and yamen servants.Zhen'er dresses up like a flirtatious boy.

Chen Tingjing opened the sedan chair curtain, and Dai Mengxiong knelt down and worshiped: "Dai Mengxiong, magistrate of Yangqu, pays his respects to the imperial envoy!"

Chen Tingjing asked: "Oh, what a coincidence. Get up. Are you Dai Mengxiong, the magistrate of Yangqu County?"

Dai Mengxiong replied: "The humble job is just right!"

Chen Tingjing said: "I want to meet Mr. Fu Shan alone, you all wait outside!"

Chen Tingjing entered Fu Shan's room alone, cupped his hands and said: "The late Chen Ting pays homage to Mr. Fu Shan!"

Fu Shan turned around slowly, sat up, and glared: "Chen Tingjing, you are harming me! You are going to ruin my reputation for the rest of my life!"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said: "The emperor called for a test of erudite poetry, and I came here specially to invite you to Beijing. You and I have been separated for nearly 20 years. You have seen everything the court has done in these years."

Fu Shan smiled coldly: "I saw it! Gu Yanwu was in prison, Huang Zongxi was offered a reward for his arrest, and I was imprisoned by the government myself! I saw it all!"

Chen Tingjing said: "One moment, another moment. Now the imperial court also calls Gu Yanwu and Huang Zongxi to take the exam and learn great poems."

Although Fu Shan's words were calmer, the edge was very sharp: "The abacus of the Qing court, the people of insight all over the world can see clearly. When they first entered the customs, they wanted to use scholars, and there were shameless people like Qian Qianyi. Abandoning the ancestral temple, willing to be a second minister. But when Shunzhi was in charge, he thought the world was stable, so he began to suppress scholars. Qian Qianyi and others did not end well after all, and brought their own disaster. Now the Qing court has been doing it for almost 40 years, the emperor They found that scholars were the most difficult to deal with, so they took soft measures and summoned some learned and famous poems! I believe that Gu Yanwu and Huang Zongxi would not listen to the Qing court's clamor!"

Chen Tingjing said: "Mr. Fu Shan, Wansheng knows that you have a deep relationship with Gu Yanwu. I agree with Gu Yanwu's few words. He thought that the subjugation of the country is just a change of surname and owner, and scholars should not pay too much attention to it; the important thing is the subjugation of the world. It means that morality is degraded, people are like beasts, and people cannibalize people."

Fu Shandao: "Of course I remember these words. You used these words to lobby me 20 years ago."

Chen Tingjing said: "The late student will not change his mind, and I still want to use these words to convince you. The emperor's family wins over talents, which is understandable. The so-called learning of literature and martial arts is the same as the emperor's family. Scholars enter the official career, just to show their ambitions and benefit the common people in the world!"

Fu Shan said: "I don't know if Dai Mengxiong, the magistrate of Yangqu County, is considered a scholar in the eyes of you Chen Tingjing. He spent money to buy a prison student, and donated money to a magistrate. He made a lot of noise to build a dragon pavilion, and to whitewash it. Taiping, blackmail the people!"

Chen Tingjing said: "I am going back to Shanxi this time because of two things. One is to invite Mr. Fu Shan to go to Beijing to take the exam and learn good poetry, and the other is to visit Longting."

Fu Shan smiled and said: "The emperor is so generous, he sent a second-rank official for my sick and old body! I dare not be!"

Chen Tingjing said: "Mr. Fu Shan, I have been demoted to a fourth-rank official because I opposed the construction of the Dragon Pavilion."

Fu Shan seemed to be touched in his heart, but he remained calm, and looked at Chen Tingjing's official uniform coldly. It turned out that it was really a fourth-rank one.Fu Shan had heard of Chen Tingjing's official voice, and he respected it in his heart.It's just that the matter of entering Beijing is related to fame and festivals, so it is definitely not allowed.

Looking outside the five peaks, Dai Mengxiong was very anxious seeing that it was getting late.Seeing Zhen'er coming out of the temple, Dai Mengxiong stepped forward and asked: "My lord, it's getting dark now, do you want to invite the imperial envoy to go down the mountain to rest?"

Zhen'er said: "Master Dai, let's go back first. The imperial envoy said that he regards Wufeng Temple as a residence and doesn't want to live in another place."

Dai Mengxiong felt troubled in his heart, but he didn't dare to insist on persuading him, so he had to go down the mountain first.

That night, Chen Tingjing and Fu Shan had a face-to-face conversation, and they would leave at dawn.

On the second day, Chen Tingjing finished his breakfast and prepared to go down the mountain.Fu Shan sent Chen Tingjing to the outside of the mountain gate, and said: "Master Chen, we have agreed, if you can truthfully find out about the construction of the Dragon Pavilion, I will follow you to the capital!"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said: "It is the emperor's will to invite you to the capital; it is my duty to investigate the construction of the Dragon Pavilion. Two different things."

Fu Shan said: "But whether I go to the capital or not depends on how you investigate the Jianlong Pavilion."

Chen Tingjing said: "Okay, it's a deal!"

Fu Shan cupped his hands and said, "Never break my promise!"

When Chen Tingjing went down the mountain, he went to the county government office, and Dai Mengxiong wanted to accompany him to the countryside to see the Dragon Pavilion.After leaving the city, Chen Tingjing opened the sedan chair curtain, but there was no one outside, he was very surprised.

Yang Naiwen followed closely beside Chen Tingjing's sedan chair, always smiling at Liu Jing, looking very flattering.Liu Jing looked a little impatient, and said, "Master Yang, you have to follow behind your county magistrate, why are you always following us?"

Yang Naiwen laughed and said, "Yongshu is afraid that you will not be able to find your way."

Ma Ming couldn't help it anymore, and said: "Go to the back, there are people leading the way in front, it's unnecessary!"

Yang Naiwen felt bored, so he retreated to the back.

Then Liu Jing whispered to Chen Tingjing through the sedan chair curtain: "Master, when you went to Shandong that year, the people along the road knelt to greet you. This time is good, why is there no one there?"

Chen Tingjing lifted the car curtain, looked outside again, nodded and said nothing.Zhen'er said: "At that time, our master was very happy to see the people kneeling to greet each other. I really thought you were a stupid official!"

Chen Tingjing laughed and said, "If it wasn't for my fate, I would have been killed by you long ago!"

Zhen'er laughed and said, "I knew you would bear a grudge for the rest of your life. He followed you wholeheartedly, just to make amends!" Chen Tingjing laughed out loud.

After walking for a long time, there is still no one.Chen Tingjing became more aware of the strangeness, so he ordered: "Sing the gong!"

Everyone finds it strange, and they don't know what the master's idea is.Liu Jing said: "My lord, there is no one, so there is no need to ring the gong to clear the way! Besides, you don't like publicity, my lord."

Chen Tingjing said: "Listen to me, ring the gong to clear the way."

Liu Jing and Ma Ming looked at each other for a moment, and had no choice but to obey.All of a sudden, the bang-dang-dang gong resounded across the field, startling jackdaws and sparrows, and the silence between heaven and earth became even more pronounced.The cottages by the road were still silent, and no one came out to visit.

Yang Naiwen asked Dai Mengxiong in a low voice: "Master Dai, what kind of trick is the Imperial Envoy playing?"

Hearing the sound of the gong, Dai Mengxiong felt flustered, so he had to hide it and said: "It's only natural for the imperial envoy to ring the gong to clear the way."

Chen Tingjing put down the sedan chair curtain, no longer paying attention to the outside, and listened to the sound of gongs.After walking for dozens of miles along the road, the gongs kept ringing, only a few dogs barking occasionally, but no one came out to watch the excitement.Chen Tingjing knew in his heart that Dai Mengxiong had already called someone down to say hello.

Hearing someone greet and speak, the sedan chair stopped.Chen Tingjing lifted the car curtain and told Liu Jing to stop beating the gong.Chen Tingjing finished his clothes and got out of the sedan chair, and raised his eyes to see a place in Han Village.

Dai Mengxiong also hurriedly got off the sedan chair, a young bearer reached out to help him and said, "Father, please slow down."

Chen Tingjing was very surprised, and asked, "Why did someone call you daddy?"

Dai Mengxiong replied: "This bearer is the dog Dai Kun."

Chen Tingjing looked at Dai Kun, who was about 20 years old, and looked like his father, and said: "You are young, and it is time for you to study, how can you carry the sedan chair?"

Dai Mengxiong said respectfully: "Returning to the imperial envoy, the humble family is not rich enough to afford a gentleman. Besides, the county government is struggling with expenses. I let the dog carry the sedan chair, which also saves some money."

Chen Tingjing nodded and said, "Guochao needs an upright official like you!"

Dai Mengxiong said with a smile: "Your Imperial Envoy, being an honest and honest official is the minimum conduct, and it is not worthy of such praise."

Chen Ting looked at Dai Kun, very kindly, and said: "But reading is also very important, don't delay your child's future."

Dai Mengxiong said: "Let's see and talk. After a few years, the life of the people in Yangqu is getting better and better, and then let the dog go to study."

Chen Tingjing nodded and said no more.Dai Mengxiong led Chen Tingjing to the village, and said: "If the people know that the imperial envoys are visiting, they will definitely kneel down to greet them. The people love the imperial court! But the humble officials know that the imperial envoys hate disturbing the people, so they didn't let the people know in advance! "

Chen Tingjing nodded and smiled, thinking that the gongs were almost broken along the way, and none of the ghosts came across, so the people in Yangqu are all deaf, right?Chen Tingjing kept his words in his stomach and was bored, and only took care of his eyes.

Dai Mengxiong said as he walked, "Master Imperial Envoy, this is the first village where the Dragon Pavilion was built, Lijiazhuang." Chen Tingjing saw early on that the village was poor and not rich, so he asked, "How did it come about? Who first proposed it? "

Dai Mengxiong said: "There is a wealthy family in the village. The head of the family is called Li Jiasheng. He paid for it alone and built the Dragon Pavilion."

After hearing this, Chen Tingjing didn't say much, and just perfunctory for the time being: "Oh, really?"

Dai Mengxiong led Chen Tingjing through the village alley, and suddenly saw a large house, thinking this must be the Li family.Sure enough, a middle-aged man ran out the door, knelt down on the ground, kowtowed and said, "Crassman Li Jiasheng pays homage to the imperial envoy and the county magistrate!"

"The Li family is not polite!" After Chen Tingjing said that, he looked around, but he didn't see anyone coming out to watch.

Li Jiasheng got up, bowed his head and said: "Please imperial envoy Mr. Chen and Mr. Dai to sit in the humble house!"

Chen Tingjing felt strange and asked, "Li Jiasheng, how do you know that my surname is Chen?"

Dai Mengxiong came out to smooth things over and said, "Your Imperial Envoy is the biggest official in the imperial court in Shanxi today. As long as you step into Shanxi, no one will know about it!"

Chen Tingjing said: "Didn't you say that you dare not let the people know that I am coming?"

Dai Mengxiong replied that the bull's head was wrong: "I don't dare to disturb the common people when I come out on weekdays. I learned this from you, the imperial envoy."

Yang Naiwen hurriedly echoed: "Master Dai visits the people unannounced on weekdays, and the common people are vegetarians, which is very popular among the people!"

Chen Tingjing nodded vaguely, and entered the Li family compound.Liu Jing turned around inadvertently, and saw the door of a house opened not far away, and a child ran out, looking outside strangely.A woman hurriedly chased it out, and ran in hastily with a child in her arms, not daring to look back.

Entering the gate of Li's house, bypassing the Xiaoqiang wall, you can see the piled mountains and chiseled ponds inside, the beautiful trees are lush, and the buildings are shaded by the pavilions, which is very lively.The pond is covered with ice, and the broken stalks of the lotus can be seen faintly.Thinking about the summer and autumn seasons, the Li family's garden must be a scenic spot in the south of the Yangtze River.But Li Jiasheng said repeatedly: "The humble house is simple, I have wronged the imperial envoy."

(End of this chapter)