The Rise of the Cold Gate in the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Chapter 67

[Brothers, my girl’s house had a power outage. It was said that the air conditioner was short-circuited. I blew it up. I’ll fix it tomorrow. I’ll use it for full time at night.I swear, the power is really cut off, there is absolutely no lie! 】

During the Yongjia Rebellion, the north was engulfed by war, and after the Jin Dynasty moved south, many northern gentry came across the river one after another. From the perspective of social level, it can be divided into three: one is "the upper royal family of Luoyang, the public officials and scholars", which can be called cultural Second, "the middle class is also a northern gentry", but its political, social and cultural status is not as good as that of Luoyang's scholar-bureaucrat class. Among the southerners, it is impossible to form a group power.

As for the original hometown of the Three Wus, only Kuaiji County has not been fully developed and has land left. Therefore, the first stop for the top gentry groups in the north to go south is Kuaiji County, just like the Wang family of Langya and the Wang family of Taiyuan. , Chenjun Xie, Yingchuan Yu, Gaoping Xi and other top gentry settled in Kuaiji County one after another.

The second and third classes were placed in undeveloped remote areas, such as Jinling, Yuzhang, Luling, Xuancheng, Xin'an, and even to sparsely populated Fujian and Guangdong.

Jinling County is sparsely populated, with few slopes and canals, and the land is filthy. It belongs to the backward area in the east of the Yangtze River. Therefore, there was a proverb at the time: "Be born in Dongwu, die in Dantu." It is connected to the strategically important Jingkou in the north and the south edge In the Sanwu area, the northeast is close to the great river, and the geographical location is superior. The Eastern Jin government set up the Overseas Chinese Commandery here as the second choice for northerners to move south.

The Xiao family in Lanling belonged to the second class. They moved south as a clan group and had a certain family influence. However, they were not distinguished by culture, but were good at martial arts, so they were placed in Jinling County.

Like the Xiao family in Lanling, there are also the Yan family in Langya; the Dai family in Qiaoguo; and the Tan family in Gaoping.

Although the Xiao family is powerful, there are also children in the family who have served as officials of the eighth and ninth ranks. However, farming the land is acceptable, and life can be self-sufficient. It is not comparable to ordinary poor families. The Xiao family first lived at the foot of Dongcheng Mountain in Wujin County. and Xiaoyue moved to the foot of Jinniu Mountain on the west side of Wujin County.

There are many low hills in Jinling County, and the Jinniu Mountains run north-south. The highest mountain is about more than 40 feet, which is Jinniu Mountain. It is Fengqi Lake, with the vast plains to the south, Wujin County to the east, and Dantu Waterway to the west, which can be traced back to Jingkou and downstream to Sanwu.

The manor presents a three-dimensional structure as a whole, divided into two rows from east to west. The east row is occupied by the east house, that is, the family of Xiao Yue has three sons, Xiao Qing, Xiao Su, and Xiao Yang; , Xiao Ju, Xiao Lie.

Xiao Qin belonged to Xiao Lie's branch, who lived on the east side of the west house, close to the ancestral hall. Xiao Lie joined the military, resisted the Qin army five years ago, and died in the north; his uncle Xiao Jun lived on the westernmost side of the west, However, when people go to Loukong, he is the county magistrate in the next county of Yuzhang County. His eldest aunt and brother Xiao Lezi are both there; Joining the army, the second aunt was alone at home.

The upper and lower floors can be divided into four floors. The outermost outer wall is an outer wall made of earth and stone. It is more than two feet high and one foot wide.

The lower floor is for tenants, servants, and livestock, the middle is the second floor for warehouses, materials, and storage, and the highest floor is the third floor, which is about five feet above the ground. residence.In the middle of the east and west houses is a mountain depression. There is an ancestral hall, which can be used for weddings and funerals, clan meetings, and ancestor worship. There is a quiet path leading directly to the south bank of Fengqi Lake.

In early spring, Fengqi Lake in the early morning is steep and slightly cold, vast and misty. On the west side of the lake, there are layers of rocks, extending all the way to the north, connecting with the Great Lake to the sky.The morning sun slowly rises from the east, and the blush spreads all over the surface of the lake. The mist recedes slowly, and the clear water floods, like a girl who has removed her veil to cover her face, gradually revealing her bright and pure face.

On the east side of the lake is a smooth road. A row of willows are planted on the side of the lake. Some light-yellow buds have been pulled out, drooping on the ground, or dancing in the morning breeze, or waving waves in the water. The east side of the smooth road is endless. The farmland in the wilderness is full of busy tenants. In a few days, the sky will be blue and cloudy, and thousands of miles will be green.

In the morning sun, on the south side of the smooth road, a delicate young man came, and stopped slowly, wearing a white satin and wide-sleeved Confucian gown, the morning sun randomly dyed a trace of red on the white clothes, and the face as white as jade appeared. There was a blush, and the eyes were as black as ink, lingering in the lake and mountains, like a handsome young man walking in the painting.

This young man is naturally Xiao Qinzhi, he was recuperated in bed for two days, he was able to walk on the ground, he couldn't stay any longer, following his memory, he walked through the secluded path behind the ancestral hall, and came to the east bank of Fengqi Lake.

Two steps behind Xiao Qin, followed by a "guard" Zhou Lie who never left. He looked [-] or [-] and looked very scribbled, but he was tall, brave and strong, and he was taller than the elder Xiao Qinzhi. It is half a head taller, about seven feet or more.

Zhou Lie's father was Xiao Lie's subordinate, both of them died in the battle to the north, Zhou Lie's mother died of dystocia, so she lived in the Xiao family since she was a child, Xiao mother treated him like her own, and grew up with Xiao Qinzhi.

The two can be said to be young, although it is essentially a master-servant relationship, Xiao Qinzhi has never looked outside Zhou Lie. Ever since Xiao Qinzhi fell into the water, Zhou Lie blamed himself and couldn't sleep at night. Therefore, no matter Xiao Qinzhi now Wherever he went, Zhou Lie followed closely.

Xiao Qinzhi moved forward slowly, wandering in the painting, and unknowingly walked to the place where he fell into the water. In his memory, Xiao Qinzhi clearly remembered that he was pushed from behind that night, but Xiao Qinzhi woke up No publicity, before the matter is clarified, publicity is rash, so as not to startle. Of course, "a gentleman repays grievances with sincerity, and repays virtue with kindness". Under the narrow understanding, this revenge must be avenged, it's just a matter of how long it takes . "

Xiao Qinzhi looked around the falling water for a long time, his concentration made Zhou Lie panic, he was afraid that Xiao Lang would lose his mind for a while and jump into the lake again, this time the posting was more advanced, and he was almost tied to his belt.

There is a high ridge on this side of the farmland, and there is a ditch below. The person who came that night should have hidden in the ditch and waited here on purpose, and he has a certain understanding of Xiao Qin's habits, so he can be preliminarily judged as an acquaintance.

And the reason why Xiao Qin came here that night to vent his groans was because Xiao Yunzhi was discussing about Xiao Yunzhi's remarriage in the ancestral temple. After Xiao Qinzhi strongly opposed it, thinking about Adi's experience, he felt depressed for a while.

So is there a connection between the two?
Xiao Qinzhi frowned and pondered, he felt something was wrong, there must be a connection, but he couldn't tell the reason.

"Xiao Lang! Xiao Lang!"

A figure sprang out from the south bank of Fengqi Lake. It was Man Gu, the second son of the tenant Mancang, who was shaking his hands and shouting, with an anxious expression on his face, as if there was something urgent.

Xiao Qin was startled, and he and Zhou Lie immediately went up to meet him. After Man Gu finished speaking, he couldn't help being sullen, his face turned cold, and he walked towards the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall of the Xiao family was jointly built by members of the Xiao family, and the scale is not bad. There are huge murals of Jumang and Rushou on the four walls. The younger brother of Weizi, Duke Zhongyan of Zhou Feng Song Dynasty, and Xiao He, the final marquis of Han Dynasty, etc., made sacrifices and burned incense all year round, and the whole ancestral hall was full of solemnity and solemnity.

Today, the whole clan's speakers were present, as if they wanted to discuss an important matter concerning the whole clan of the Xiao clan. Xiao Qin walked in with his wooden shoes off and saw many clansmen sitting on futons in the main hall of the ancestral temple. , all eyes gathered, while Mother Xiao knelt and wept on the west side, and Second Aunt and Adi Xiaoyun waited on both sides.

Xiao Qin glanced at it, and he already understood what it was about. First he bowed and saluted, and then said in a solemn voice:
"My father, Xiao Lie, is dead. Our three siblings were brought up by my mother's painstaking efforts. Today, seeing my mother weeping in the ancestral hall, could it be that you are taking advantage of my father's death to deceive my mother and my wife?"

An old man in a black shirt and long robe, with short eyebrows and protruding browbones, was taken aback when he saw that Xiao Qinzhi had changed his previous weak style, but then he got up and pointed at Xiao Qinzhi, accusing him: "Second brother, look , got an illness, lost even the basic etiquette, made a lot of noise in the ancestral hall, and looked at the elders, I think, the book has read the dog's belly."

The angry person is Xiao Yang, the third son of Xiao Yue's lineage, and he has a son named Xiao Qiu, who sits behind his father and spends a lot of money to become an errand clerk in Wujin County. mouth mocking.

Xiao Qinzhi was happy and fearless, looked straight at the patriarch Xiao Qing and the angry Xiao Yang, and teased: "The sixth uncle is so majestic. Fortunately, my nephew just recovered from his illness today. If the illness is not cured, I'm afraid I will have to trouble Li Langzhong to come and have a look. .”

Xiao Qinzhi's change was too great, it was very different from the past, his soft knife-like words were so sharp that many clansmen didn't realize it for a while, even Xiao's mother couldn't expect it.

Xiao Yang was furious, looked at the patriarch Xiao Qing, and said angrily:

"Second brother, take a good look, he dares to contradict me, it's disrespectful."

Xiao Qinzhi walked past him as if he had never heard of it, sat down next to the second aunt, and asked the second aunt in a low voice: "Is it still the same thing?"

The second aunt nodded, looking at Xiao Yunzhi with a look of worry.

The nephew's ignorance drove Xiao Yang completely crazy, and he shouted at the patriarch Chen Qing: "Second brother, do you care about it?" Then he shouted at Xiao Qinzhi who was calm and composed, "Don't be a fool Daily dream, do you think that studying can make you stand out? My family is not a noble family, you are afraid that you will not be able to pass the rank, what can you do in the future as a scholar with no strength? Xiao Yunzhi was dismissed by her husband's family, As an ominous person, it is a disgrace to our family. Now that I have the opportunity to make the county master Chen a concubine, why would I not want to? Although Chen master comes from a poor family, he is deeply valued by the Gu family, and his future is bright. I will definitely look at this relationship, a lot of blessings to my family, maybe I can find you an errand, it is your blessing to have such a good job."

Xiao Yunzhi is also wearing plain clothes all her life today, her black hair is just tied up with silk casually, the long hair on her forehead is so heavy that she can't lift her head, but the futon is a corner that has been wet for no reason.

The beauty of life is either a blessing or a curse.

Chen Qing, the patriarch sitting at the top, looked at Mother Xiao and sighed, "Sisters and sisters, the fourth brother is gone. The matter of Yunzhi is all up to you. Although Master Chen is quite old, his wife is dead. , Yunzhi becoming a wife is not long in the future."

Xiao's mother just looked at Xiao Se's Yunzhi, and said nothing in a daze, but Xiao Qinzhi didn't agree, she got angry from her heart, and thought: "Mr. Chen's reputation is not good, he has no talent and no virtue, but it's just through Gu The family's power, rampant in the village, suffered from Adi alone, and fulfilled the whole Xiao family's affairs, they can do it? And that Xiao Yang is the running dog of Mr. Chen, the father and son want to use Adi as their support The door stone is tolerable, which one cannot be tolerated!"

Immediately snorted coldly: "Don't think about it, I don't agree to this matter. I, Adi, is both talented and beautiful. How can I give an old widower a concubine? He is also worthy? Even if I can't get married in this life, Adi , as a younger brother, I am also willing to take care of you, although my family is not rich, but I am rich and self-sufficient, more than enough, is it about your business?"

The Xiao family at the foot of the Dongcheng Mountain had been watching from the sidelines. It would be best if this matter worked out, or not, but they were surprised by Xiao Qin's categorical speech.

Patriarch Chen Qing was slightly embarrassed, and decided not to speak anymore, but in the blink of an eye, he showed a little appreciation for Xiao Qinzhi, and then looked at Xiao Yang, the father and son were choked, their lips trembling for a long time, seeing There was no way to talk about Xiao Yunzhi's matter, and he looked at Xiao's mother again, and said unswervingly:
"Fourth sister-in-law, you have to think about it, and you will never lose again. In addition, the fourth brother is no longer here, and he no longer enjoys the right to a private household. In the past few years, he spent some money and escaped by luck. However, if he offends Mr. Chen this year Book, but it’s hard to say.”

Xiao Qiu took pleasure in his misfortune, and added: "And you, Xiao Qinzhi, will be sixteen in two years. You need to be registered as a naturalist, and you have to bear corvee every year. How do you bear it?"

Xiao Qinzhi said indifferently: "Thank you Brother Cong for your hard work, I have my own plans."

Xiao's mother saw that her son spoke with restraint now, neither humble nor overbearing, in the joy in her eyes, she revealed a little bit of worry, and said:
"Dog, your body is weak, and you have to serve [-] or [-] days of corvee every year. If you can't afford it, why don't you let some fields go to your sixth uncle, and let him replace you, so that you can study with peace of mind."

The patriarch Chen Qing persuaded: "Qinzhi, your father left you ten hectares of land, and your grandfather divided your family's five hectares of land, a total of fifteen hectares. Anyway, you can't use that much. Give three hectares to your sixth uncle's family. Save a lot of things."

"Huh! Three hectares was before, today is five hectares." Today Xiao Qinzhi made Xiao Yang lose face in front of his clansmen, holding back his anger and waiting for it to explode. How could he let go when the opportunity came? Pass?
"It has to be the paddy field on the east side of Fengqi Lake." Xiao Qiu said maliciously, with a trace of cruelty hidden in his eyes.

The patriarch Chen Qing couldn't stand it any longer, and said, "Sixth brother, what's the matter? Don't forget the kinship, the agreed three hectares are three hectares."

Xiao Yang resentfully pointed at Xiao Qinzhi, and said, "Unless he knelt down and kowtowed to admit his mistake, five hectares and one penny cannot be lost."

The five hectares of paddy fields by Fengqi Lake are the fields with the best harvests. The father and son first wanted to dedicate Xiao Yunzhi to Mr. Chen so as to build a platform for him. , If it fails, and want to occupy five hectares of the best paddy fields, it is simply frenzied and disgusting, how can you even think about a trace of camaraderie?
Xiao Qinzhi carefully considered the countermeasures in his heart. The Mancang family and Zhou Lie had citizenship, and at the worst, they were assigned to Qiao County, and it was not impossible to spend money and trust to be assigned to Jinling County, and he was 16 years old. Ding Ji still has two years, enough time to figure out a way to deal with it.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed in Xiao Qinzhi's mind, and the previous falling into the water seemed to be connected with the matter of Adi: Xiao Yunzhi was the concubine of Master Chen, and the biggest hurdle in the middle was Xiao Qinzhi. In short, there are only three orphans and widows left, so why not let them decide?
As for Xiao Yunzhi becoming a concubine and Xiao Qinzhi falling into the water, the biggest beneficiaries behind the two incidents are not Xiao Yang and his son?

Thinking of this, Xiao Qinzhi was furious in his heart, and the anger went straight to the top of his head. When he looked at the father and son again, his mentality had completely changed, but he endured the attack on the spot.

You are unkind, don't blame me for being unrighteous.

Xiao Qinzhi squinted at Xiao Yang, and said with a sneer, "I once heard from my father and uncle that when my grandfather served as the order of Huaiyin, he dragged the family from his grandfather, and he was able to come and take root here, and my grandfather helped a lot. Yes. This is the Jinniu Mountain Xiao’s manor, which is also from my grandfather’s lineage. It has contributed a lot, and the patriarch must understand it best. The master said: A gentleman cherishes virtue, while a villain cherishes soil; a gentleman cherishes punishment, and a villain cherishes benefits.”

The patriarch Chen Qing was pointed out by his nephew, and he immediately showed his face in embarrassment. He is familiar with the Analects, how could he not know what Xiao Qinzhi meant?Even the other lineage of the Xiao family at the foot of Dongcheng Mountain must be able to gain a foothold in Jinling County because of Xiao Zheng's affection, and there are whispers in the ancestral hall.

But Xiao Yang and his son were stunned by the refutation, lost face, short of breath, eager to change the topic:
"You don't talk about the things of your ancestors, I will keep his kindness in my heart, but you, with sharp teeth and gags, don't be able to bear the hardship by then, begging for mercy, it's too late!"

Xiao Qinzhi got up, walked to the ancestral tablet of the Xiao family, saluted respectfully, then gouged out Xiao Yang and his son, and said:
"My Xiao family, who was the final waiter of Xiao He after publishing the article, and the Taifu Xiao Wangzhi, has fallen into the ranks of the nobles and become a humble family until today. If Xiao Zuquan knows, the descendants of Xiao He do not take the revitalization of the family as their own responsibility, but only focus on the petites. Li, blind, I don't know how to feel?"

Many members of the Xiao clan were shocked, feeling guilty, but Xiao Qiu sneered: "You don't put gold on your face, and you still have the face to criticize others. You can't even write well, and you don't even understand the Three Classics." One door, what right do you have to shout about?"

Xiao Qinzhi said indifferently: "Hey, Xi Shi? I leaped up, but I only descended a few feet, soaring among the stalks, this is also flying to the end, and the other is Xi Shi? Ke Chuan Gongye, rope His ancestral martial arts is only an eighth-rank county magistrate?"

Xiao Yang and his son were choked again, their faces were flushed, and they were furious, and then they laughed angrily: "Okay! Okay! Arrogant child, I don't know the heights of heaven and earth, I cried all day because of you."

Xiao Qinzhi was too lazy to answer, he didn't even look at it, he helped his mother and Adi, and walked slowly towards the outside of the ancestral hall, Xiao Yang and his son were ignored again.

Patriarch Xiao Qing looked solemn, looked at Xiao Qinzhi's back, meaningfully, glanced at Xiao Yang, walked out of the ancestral hall without saying a word.

(End of this chapter)