The great man will live forever

Chapter 158 I am who I am
Sima Qian's house is not small. There is a large courtyard at the entrance. In this courtyard, you can see two trees, one is a red date tree, and the other is also a red date tree...

The history of red dates in China can be traced back to the late Neolithic Age around 8000 BC. At that time, humans in the Yellow River Basin began to collect and eat wild red dates.

In ancient documents such as "The Book of Songs", there are also records about red dates, indicating that red dates have become one of the important ingredients in ancient China.

Jujube pulp is thick, delicious and sweet, and is rich in protein, fat, sugar, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

Therefore, it has nutritional values ​​such as prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, anti-tumor, anti-allergy, detoxification and liver protection, nourishing blood and beauty, enhancing resistance, calming and calming the nerves.

Sima Qian was not rich, so it was normal to plant some jujube trees.

There are mainly five large rooms and several small rooms.

A servant's room, a study room, a bedroom for Sima Qian and his wife, a boudoir for his daughter Sima Li, a living room, a kitchen and a utility room next to it...

Including the courtyard, it covers an area of ​​400 square meters. You must know that this is Chang'an, the center of the Han Dynasty. This house is probably worth a lot of money. It would start at a million in future generations.

Chang'an City has 9 urban areas and 160 lanes. At its peak, the city's population was about 50.

The place where Sima Qian lived was also close to Weiyang Palace. It was quite good to have such a mansion. After all, the Han Dynasty valued military merit, and only those marquises who had fought wars all year round and had fiefdoms were really rich.

Sima Qian's annual salary is estimated to be around 20 yuan. Taishi ordered a salary of 600 shi. Later, the grain was about 3 yuan per catty. 600 shi is about 7 jins. This multiplication is about 21 yuan. The price of food varies every year and will fluctuate. However, the output of grain in ancient times was low, so it must have been more valuable than in later generations. But even if it was more valuable, it is estimated to be as high as 30.

Imagine the future generations, with an annual salary of 20 to 30 in the capital. It seems that it is not really rich, but it is not too poor. At least it has enough food and clothing, which is much better than the ordinary people in the Han Dynasty who often don't have enough to eat.

Among them, his study was the largest, estimated to be at least 150 square meters in later generations. It was densely packed with bamboo slips, making the large study very small.

Bamboo slips look like they are many, but in fact they contain very little content. A bamboo slip weighing several kilograms can record on one page in later generations. This is the power of technology.

Among them are "Zuo Shi", "Guoyu", "Shiben", "Warring States Policy", "Shangshu", "Shu Jing", "Book of Songs", "Spring and Autumn", "Lu Shi's Spring and Autumn", "Five Emperors' Virtues", " "Emperor", "Spring and Autumn Chronicles"...

Sima Qian carefully opened the thick "Warring States Policy" slips and began his research work.Although he is old, he is already 40 years old, but his eyes are still as hot as a teenager, and he is devoted to this vast ocean of ancient books.

He carefully flipped through each scroll of bamboo slips, as if he was having a conversation with ancient heroes.His fingertips gently glide over the bamboo pieces, just like the melody of a musician jumping on the strings. Each word is like a pearl, which he carefully strings into a necklace of history.

Whenever he found a new historical material, he would immediately sit down at his desk and record it. The ink flashed in the sunlight, like streaks of historical lightning.The speed of the pen seems to freeze time and engrave every important moment on the bamboo slips forever.

He seemed to feel the pulse of history, dancing in his hands like an ancient poem.

The sunlight outside the window shone on his meditative face, coating his brows with a layer of golden light.

At this moment, people and history, history and reality, seem to be intertwined into a beautiful picture, which makes people sigh.With his diligence and perseverance, Sima Qian started this great project - compiling "Historical Records".

In this process, he is not only a recorder, but also a thinker and explorer. What flows in his pen is not only ink, but also wisdom and courage.

He knew that every word he wrote would become a beacon for people in the future, illuminating their path forward.

"The Marquis is here, the Marquis is here." Liu Qianniang dragged her daughter into his study, interrupting his train of thought.

"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me while I was writing a book?" Sima Qian rarely frowned. He rarely spoke harsh words to his wife.

"It's my fault, but husband, the Marquis is here."

"Aweng, don't blame mother, Fudohou is here." Sima Li on the side spoke. She is almost ten years old. In the Han Dynasty, marriage can be discussed in a few years. Almost all the young people in Chang'an know this. Marquis of Lanling.

"Hou Fudo? Why is he here?" Sima Qian immediately stood up, packed some clothes, and prepared to greet him.

"Fudohou?"

Before he could walk out of the door of the study room, Liu Han came in. Sima's face looked ugly this time. He seemed to be crying but not crying, and half smiling but not smiling. He looked like a student who was caught red-handed after being nicknamed by his teacher in later generations. "Your Majesty, I forgive you. I didn't know that Your Majesty is here, but I missed you from afar." Sima Qian saluted with great respect.

"I was rude and came to the door without handing over a greeting card."

"Where, where, Lord Marquis can come, it will be so brilliant."

The two complimented each other. In fact, they had met each other, but not many times. At most, they were just acquaintances.

Sima Qian asked his wife Liu Qianniang to entertain Liu Han and served some delicious food, the most eye-catching of which were red dates.

"It's relatively simple and not as good as the Marquis Mansion. Please forgive me, Lord Marquis."

"These dates come from the two jujube trees in the yard?"

"Yes, last year's ones can be stored for a long time after being dried in the sun. This year's ones haven't bloomed yet. If they bloom and bear fruit, they will be sent to the Marquis for tasting immediately."

Sima Qian was neither humble nor arrogant. Although Liu Han was the Marquis of Lanling, the prince's tutor, and the great Sima Hussar general, he had great military exploits and his status was comparable to that of the prince. He was the person whom Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty relied on the most. There was a big difference in status between the two. He had a low profile. , but without the slightest intention of being flattering.

The two talked about other things, from south to north, from grasslands to deserts, from rivers to mountains, from Dujiangyan in central Sichuan to Qilu Taishan, from the Great Wall to Dongting Lake...

Back then, with his father's support, Sima Qian traveled thousands of miles. At the age of 20, he traveled through the Yangtze River, Xiangjiang River, Yuanjiang River, Huai River, Surabaya River, Yellow River and other river basins. Along the way, he inspected scenic spots and historic sites, visited historical relics, and investigated social customs.

After Liu Han won the Battle of Mobei, he specifically asked Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to send 800 people to escort him. He spent two years traveling through the mountains and rivers of the Han Dynasty. Looking back on the past, it was already 16 years ago, but those roads he had traveled , the scenery he has seen, the people he has met, and the things he has seen are still vivid in his mind, as if they were yesterday.

The two of them had a great time chatting, and seemed to feel that they had known each other for a long time.

"By the way, Fudohou? What do you mean?"

Sima Qian, who was still smiling at first, suddenly turned bad, "It's my fault. I shouldn't talk about people behind their backs. Please punish me."

Sima Qian did not shirk, knelt down and apologized sincerely.

"It's okay, I don't blame you, I just want to know what you mean?"

"Well, apart from the war, the Marquis was also summoned by His Majesty. For more than ten years, he almost never left the Marquis Mansion, so the people also called the Marquis the Immovable Marquis.

I admire it very much. There is a saying in "The Art of War: Military Struggle Chapter" by Sun Tzu: "Therefore, it is as fast as the wind, as slow as the forest, as invading and plundering as fire, as motionless as a mountain, as unpredictable as the clouds, and as moving as thunder."Loot the countryside to divide people, expand the territory to divide profits, and act with power in mind.The person who predicts and uses a straightforward strategy will win. This is the method of military warfare. '

The Marquis is a famous general who has never been born. Of course, ordinary people cannot understand it, but I understand it and think it is very appropriate, so I say it smoothly. "

"I'm just a dead otaku. When you put it like that, my image suddenly became taller." Liu Han was a little speechless, thinking so in his heart, but he said: "But I spent two years traveling around the Han Dynasty, how can I be like this? You say I can’t move? If I didn’t have these experiences, how could I have just been chatting with you?”

"This is what I admire about Mr. Hou. But after all, that was 16 years ago. In 16 years, many children had started families and started businesses. Mr. Hou was the leader of the young men in Chang'an. They knew very little about the past. I know that the Marquis fought two battles in the west of Hexi and surrendered to the Xiongnu army. In the battle of Mobei, he sealed the wolf in Xu, drank from the vast sea of ​​horses, destroyed South Vietnam, shocked the southwest, defeated Fujian and Vietnam, and expanded the territory thousands of miles..."

Liu Han knew about Xian Dana, who was probably an ancient idol. People who respected him might call them "Xian Dana" or "Zi".And for those who have passed away, people may call them "sages".

"I heard that you want to write historical records, which will probably cost money. I'll send some money to you tomorrow. You can use it as you like. If it's not enough, don't worry."

Sima Qian was overjoyed at first. He had indeed spent money and energy. There were many classics in the palace, but not all of them. He had to spend money to search among the people. Then he thought of something and his face calmed down again.

"If the Marquis asks me to praise you, I will never do it. I just want to write what I want to write and don't want to be influenced by others. I will write it truthfully, but I will not exaggerate the Marquis too much."

Liu Han laughed loudly, "Hahaha, you can write whatever you want. It doesn't matter whether you have merit or demerit. Who am I afraid of scolding? I am who I am!"

(End of this chapter)