Ji Tang

Chapter 965 Xie Kuan returns!

In early spring, the official road is crowded with people. This is the time when spring flowers are blooming and tourists travel together.In the Tang Dynasty, literati were not as helpless as scholars in later generations.

Literary men can go into battle to kill enemies, and military generals can also serve as prime ministers.

Although after the establishment of Wuyingge and Qilinge, civil and military powers were completely decentralized, this trend has not decreased but increased.Because no matter which class of people they are, entering the court and becoming an official is a shortcut to their ambitions.

Civilian officers rely on years of accumulation and qualifications, while military attachés are just the opposite. Maybe a war can make you stand out.Now the Tang Dynasty was so powerful in martial arts that all the surrounding foreign races fell to the Tang Dynasty's swords and iron cavalry.

The young people of the Tang Dynasty are passionate and impulsive. They are eager to make contributions and expand the territory of the Tang Dynasty, just like the Duke Ji of the Tao Kingdom who was just thirty years old.

His deeds have spread over time to all corners of the world.Countless scholars followed his example and immediately achieved fame and fame, and the title of marquis was just a matter of leisure.

Those who only know martial arts but not the classics are just reckless men, and those who only study but do not practice martial arts are women. In the eyes of scholars all over the world, the real good men are those who are versatile in both civil and military arts.

The Tang Dynasty was rich in military virtues, and literati were proud to serve the Tang Dynasty.

Since they came of age, they have traveled around the world on horseback and with swords.From the Mobei grassland in the north, to the seaside south of Lingnan in the south, to the current Andong Protectorate in the east, some people even went to the Japanese country.The west is what most scholars yearn for. It is a huge territory, a desolate and vast area. Anxi, Beiting, Tianshan, and other major military governors control territory no less than that of the Central Plains.

The more I travel, the more I realize the power of the Tang Dynasty, and I feel a sense of pride in my heart. I am glad that I can be born in such a powerful country and feel very proud!
They traveled together or alone. With the good public security and self-confidence of the Tang Dynasty, they traveled around the world's famous places and historical sites, leaving immortal poems.

But there are also some people who are unknown and willing to bow to the documents and do their best to contribute to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

They may walk in the fields and forests, or swim in the markets, observing the people's sentiments and seeking the welfare of the people under their rule.They may be unknown, but their contributions are obvious to all.

The annual increase in taxes in the Tang Dynasty and the population growth data in various places all illustrate the living conditions of the people under the rule.Crime rates are as low as they've ever been.

Some people even know that they have committed a crime and do not want to bring harm to the reputation of their family members, so they are willing to go to the government office to surrender.In recent years, some have even voluntarily gone to the Border Protectorate to atone for their sins.

All this shows that now is the best era, and the happiness index of the people of Tang Dynasty has simply exceeded the sky.A strong sense of national pride, a safe living environment, and such a world are fascinating to watch.

At some point, a simple carriage came up the pipe. There was an old servant sitting on the shaft of the carriage driving the carriage. Beside the carriage, a man in his thirties rode a tall horse and moved forward leisurely and slowly. From time to time he interacted with the people in the carriage. People talk.

Looking at the greatly changed city outside Chang'an, it was still desolate when I left, but now there are tea shops and stalls as far as the eye can see.

The young man's heroic laughter couldn't help but be infected by him. Looking at Baqiao in the distance, he suddenly became a little lost.

"Lang Jun, Lang Jun?"

At this time, a gentle female voice sounded, and the car curtain was opened by a pair of bare hands, revealing a woman who was not very stunning at first sight, but became more and more attractive the more she looked at her.

She was holding a little girl in her arms, who was sleeping soundly at the moment, as if she had been disturbed, and her immature little hands were waving unconsciously, as if to warn someone.

There was also a teenage boy in the carriage. He was reading a book at the moment, and the conversation between the adults didn't seem to attract his attention!
Xie Kuan was awakened by his wife and asked quickly: "What's wrong?"

The woman glanced at him and said angrily: "I am talking to you right now, why are you so dazed!"

Xie Kuan smiled awkwardly, although he said with some emotion: "We have been here for many years. Who would have thought that after returning to Chang'an, we would find that the changes here are so great, and we don't even recognize the big ones anymore."

He pointed to a manor not far away and said, "Do you still remember where it is?"

The woman looked curiously, but couldn't see anything familiar, so she looked at her husband!
"It used to be a small mound. I remember that my sister and I went there when we were children. But now it has become a manor, and the mound has been integrated into the garden scenery. If I hadn't been deeply influenced by it, I wouldn't have recognized it!"

Xie Kuan pointed to the willow tree on the roadside again and said with a smile: "How could there be such a willow tree here before? I heard that in the past few years, the government organized people to plant trees. As long as they are on both sides of the official road, trees that grow in the local area will be planted."

"Firstly, it's for beauty, and secondly, it gives passers-by a place to rest in the hot summer. You see, this willow tree was probably planted not long after we left, and it has grown so big."

The woman also followed his gaze and saw that the trees like guards extended to an invisible place.I hadn't noticed it before, but now it's particularly spectacular.

"Shailene!"

Seeing that his son was still reading, he didn't know whether to be happy or distressed.If other people's families had such hard-working children, it would be too late for them to be happy.

But Xie Kuan was not happy, because this child was so addicted to books that he was either reading or on the way reading every day.Over the years, he not only read through the collection of books at home, but also almost read through the books he borrowed from his brother-in-law.

If he just watched it in a casual way, he would definitely give this kid a good beating.But this child not only reads books, but also understands books, has a good memory, and is not ashamed to ask questions. He must understand everything he does not understand, otherwise he will not be able to eat well or sleep well.

My knowledge is average, and now I really can't teach this child.As for governing yourself?Haha! I am the person who reads the most there, and the students there are basically taught by myself, let alone any highly respected scholars.

The reason why I came back this time is that my term of office is about to expire, and secondly, I haven’t seen my family for several years, so I naturally miss them.I have come here three times just for this child, and I can’t teach him.But someone can teach me!
Thinking of his brother-in-law, he lost consciousness for a while. Such a person is rare in the world, right?

When she heard daddy calling her, Xie Lin took her eyes away from the book and said with some reluctance: "Why is daddy calling me?"

"Oh, by the way, Daddy, I don't understand something here. Please ask Daddy to clear up the confusion!"

After saying that, he took the book to Xie Kuan to read.

Xie Kuan's wife, Mrs. Wu, held her forehead and smiled bitterly, looking at her son speechlessly.Xie Kuan didn't fare much better. He took the book over casually, took a look at it and said casually: "I don't know, I'll ask your teacher when I see him!"

"Oh!"

Seeing his son's disappointed eyes, Xie Kuan almost ran away.Are you being looked down upon by your own son?
Take a deep breath, exhale!

After suppressing the urge to beat this kid, he said earnestly: "Your teacher is your uncle, and he is the new teacher your father found for you. But he doesn't know about this yet, it's just that your aunt promised to speak for you. "

"So whether you can make him accept you as his disciple depends on your ability."

Xie Kuan paused and said with some hesitation: "I heard that your uncle accepted a female disciple a few years ago and no longer accepts disciples. I don't know if he will this time."

"Don't worry, father, I will definitely impress my uncle!" When he said about his uncle, the boy's eyes were shining, making Xie Kuan feel jealous.His own son worships others, even if that person is his brother-in-law.

This boy has grown up hearing about his uncle's deeds. Under his own governance over the years, the border area has become a trading county in the north. Businessmen from all over the country gather here, and various news spreads.

And the deeds of his brother-in-law also became known to others.How about joining the army alone to avenge his father, about capturing the Khan in the snow, and about building an academy and making Xuanzhou rich in five years.His disciples built big boats and took them to the East for ten years to bring back high-yielding seeds.

All kinds of deeds made him yearn for it, and he often begged himself to take him to see his uncle.But he was far away in the North, how could he take him there?
In addition to his young age, I didn't feel comfortable letting him go back alone.So he said that my uncle liked children who were studying best, and he liked children who were more knowledgeable.

So this kid got out of control, reading all the books he could find, and asking questions if he didn't understand. In just a few years, he wiped out all the ink in his stomach.

Hearing that he was coming to Chang'an this time, the boy was extremely excited. He even studied hard on the way because he was worried that he would disappoint his uncle.

Xie Kuan shook his head, not knowing whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, but in any case, reading more is always a good thing, right?

At this time, many people on the Ba Bridge were eagerly looking forward, as if waiting for someone.

The only way to go out from Baqiao's director Anton, most of the people waiting here come to greet friends or relatives.There are also many people who are breaking willows to see each other off, looking forward to the farewell, and leaving to accompany the return.

Some people cry when they meet, others feel sad when they say goodbye, and people's true feelings always echo between separation and return. This also allows ancient Baqiao to witness countless love, hate, and separation sorrows.

"Old Liu, why haven't Brother Kuan and Madam arrived yet? It's been almost half a month. We promised you three to five days. Nothing will happen, right? Why don't we send them to look for them?"

Lao Zhang, the housekeeper of the Xie family, said a little anxiously.

Old Liu was sent by the owner of the house to greet the owner's brother-in-law, so he was naturally a little anxious. It had been several days, but there was still no sign of anyone. The Marquis just came out of the study the day before yesterday, and he asked several times a day, but he didn't receive anyone at home. If he hadn't received it today, he would have been too embarrassed to go back home.

However, as the chief steward of the Duke of Nan's Mansion, he had a good heart. Instead, he comforted Lao Zhang and said, "Don't worry. Now the Tang Dynasty is peaceful and the people are safe. Even a child walking on the road is very safe. Nothing will happen. Maybe, it should be What delayed you?"

"I heard from people in Chang'an that the snow in the Central Plains melted some time ago, making it difficult to walk on the roads, and some mountain roads are even more difficult to travel. Many people are trapped there and unable to move. Maybe they were also delayed because of this? "

Lao Liu said a little unconfidently.

Lao Zhang also knew that he was comforting himself, but he still felt angry in his heart.

"How do you think these local officials are doing things? The people are trapped on the mountain road, but they move so slowly? Isn't this a vegetarian meal with corpses?"

Lao Liu quickly slapped the guy in the face and said angrily: "Is this something we should talk about? Someone has to do it. We'd better wait patiently."

That's what Lao Zhang actually said. As soon as he said it, he knew something was wrong. When he heard Lao Liu's words, he changed the subject and said: "Our family is not an outsider. You said Brother Kuan is the same. How many years has it been?" Coming back once, how much resentment is there!"

"With the abilities of your father-in-law and my father, if he had stayed in Chang'an, would he still be the county magistrate now?"

"Okay, Lao Zhang, you talk too much!"

Lao Liu reluctantly interrupted Lao Zhang and said speechlessly: "This matter is not something we should worry about. Since your father and my father-in-law didn't say anything, it means that the matter itself is not a bad thing. Don't worry about it." You talk nonsense everywhere and ruin your master's affairs. How will you end up with it then?"

Lao Zhang kept slapping his mouth, but finally he shut up.

This is the Ji family, and he doesn't dare to say this to others.But seeing Lao Liu being so cautious, he lost interest in talking.

"Huh? Look at that person."

Lao Liu had only met Xie Kuan a few times before. Over the years, his memory had long been blurred, but when he saw the man riding a horse on the official road, he felt familiar, so he said to Lao Zhang beside him.

Lao Zhang was stunned at first and looked in the direction. He was in disbelief at first, wiped his eyes, and suddenly opened his eyes and said excitedly: "Brother Kuan? That's right, it's Brother Kuan, it's Brother Kuan and the others who are back. "

After saying that, he ignored Lao Liu and hurriedly ran forward, shouting "Brother Kuan" as he ran.Let the people seeing you off and picking up people on the roadside frown.

Someone wanted to step forward and scold him, but was stopped by his own family and pointed at the carriage next to Old Liu.The man understood instantly. The pattern of pines, waves and clouds was unique in Chang'an, no, in the entire Tang Dynasty.

Knowing who the visitor was, everyone moved out of the way, which made Xie Kuan, who was walking forward, stunned.

"Brother Kuan, Brother Kuan, it's me!"

At this moment, a familiar voice that he had not heard for many years reached his ears. He followed the sound and was immediately overjoyed.

Not caring about anything else, he quickly dismounted and ran forward, supported the panting Lao Zhang, and said happily: "Uncle Zhang? Is it really you?"

After saying that, he shouted to the carriage behind him: "Madam, Lin'er, come out quickly, Uncle Zhang is here to pick us up."

"Uncle Zhang, how have you been doing these years?"

Lao Zhang also woke up from his excitement at this time, took Xie Kuan's hand, and said with red eyes: "Okay, okay, everything is fine. Madam, master, and eldest lady, they are all fine."

"Uncle Zhang!"

Xie Wu stepped forward and saluted, but Lao Zhang quickly stepped away and said with some fear: "I can't do it, I can't do it. How dare I ask my wife to salute? You are trying to kill me!"

Xie Kuan quickly supported Uncle Zhang and said with a smile: "You have watched me grow up. I have always regarded you as my elder. What's the harm with a mere courtesy? It won't be in the way."

"That won't work. Our Xie family's calligraphy and propriety has been passed down to the family. You have to remember this clearly. If you dare to do this again, old slave, old slave will be killed here."

Xie Kuan took a look and said quickly: "Okay, okay, I won't do it anymore. Isn't it okay if I can't do it anymore?"

After hearing this, Lao Zhang relaxed and looked at the young man holding the book behind Brother Kuan.
(End of this chapter)