Thousand-year-old family: its rise began with Shang Yang’s reforms

Chapter 342 Chen Zhulou

"Mr. Lou, run slower."

People live happily on the bustling streets.

A child about thirteen or fourteen years old was running quickly from a distance with an unbridled smile on his face.

"Chen Zhulou! Stop right there!"

An extremely angry roar came from a distance. A middle-aged man in black clothes had a ferocious face and held a bamboo stick in his hand.

"If I don't punish you for three days, you'll tear off the roof!"

"If I don't teach you a lesson today, I'm not your father!"

The running young man even had time to turn around when he heard the roar, and stuck out his tongue at Chen Chengji who was chasing him: "Dad, didn't you just tear up a few of the teacher's books? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Seeing that the person was about to catch up with him, he quickly turned around and ran away, his feet as fast as the wind.

The surrounding vendors and passers-by all smiled helplessly at each other when they saw this scene, and then continued with their lives unconsciously.

but.
They seemed to be helping Chen Zhulou to block Chen Chengji's pursuit intentionally or unintentionally.

This is the third year of Guanghe, and the current emperor has been on the throne for a long time.

Although the world is no longer as peaceful as it was during the heyday of the Han Dynasty, it can still be considered peaceful.

There had been no war in the court for a long time, and after the emperor had new relatives, the Chen family was unwilling to continue to occupy the position of powerful officials in the court. As a result, most of the Chen family's descendants, including the head of the Chen family, returned to Guandu and no longer stayed in Chang'an City.

The emperor also followed custom and conferred titles on the heads of the Chen family.

Ever since the previous head of the family, Chen Ke, resigned from office and retired, the Chen family has not served as an official in the court for thirty years.

Ten years ago, Chen Ke passed away. His eldest son Chen Chengji was conferred the title of "King of An" according to custom, but he was unwilling to serve as an official in the court. He only accepted a nominal position and was appointed as "Grand Tutor" and was in charge of the Secretariat.

Eight years ago, Chen Chengji's eldest son, Chen Zhulou, was born. Since he was three or four years old, he showed a naughty personality, which always made Chen Chengji feel very helpless.

"Huh-huh-"

Chen Chengji bent over, supported his knees with both hands, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He looked at the vendors around him who were pretending to help Chen Zhulou block him, and sighed helplessly: "Hey everyone, this guy has already run far away, there is no need to help him stop me, right?"

After Chen Chengji recovered his breath, he stood there and chatted and laughed with everyone.

Guandu City is very big, big enough to provide a home for the suffering people of the world.

Guandu City was also very small, so small that the common people who lived there and the merchants of all sizes living around the Chen family’s residence all knew and were familiar with Chen Zhulou, and they loved the child very much.

Since the Chen family established Guandu City, they have not practiced any privilege in the city. They are more like "ordinary people" living in Guandu - just with a little more pomp and power than ordinary people.

But they have almost no sons and daughters who do evil. Even if there are, as long as they go to Chen’s mansion to find Chen’s people, those sons and daughters who do evil will be dealt with quickly.

Therefore, the children of the Chen family were probably the most beloved children of the rich and powerful among the common people of the entire Han Dynasty. Although they were somewhat extravagant and spoiled, none of them had a bad nature, because those with a bad nature had all been dealt with.

After chatting with the people around him, Chen Chengji returned to the Chen mansion.

He slowly made tea and waited for Chen Zhulou to come back.

Sure enough, a moment later, a soft sound of footsteps was heard, and Chen Zhulou tiptoed along a secluded path to the backyard.

"Cough-cough-"

Chen Chengji coughed lightly, indicating that he had discovered him.

Chen Zhulou walked up to Chen Chengji with his ears drooping, and stood there like a frost-bitten radish.

"Father, I'm back."

He stood there obediently, as if it was not him who ran away before.

To Chen Zhulou's surprise, this time Chen Chengji did not preach to him or even scold him. He just waved his hand and asked him to sit down.

After he sat down, Chen Chengji slowly spoke: "In the past few years, the emperor issued edicts many times, inviting me to Chang'an to serve as an official, but I refused because the power of Chen's ancestors is still there. If I return to the officialdom at that time, Chen's retreat many years ago will be meaningless."

He looked into the distance with a sense of loss, and said with a sigh: "This year, His Majesty has issued another edict, asking me to go to Chang'an."

"He even wrote a letter of tears and blood, saying that the court is now controlled by many powerful nobles, relatives, and even eunuchs. The noble families, relatives, and eunuchs regard the court as a battlefield and treat him, the emperor, as a chess piece."

"He also said that if I didn't go, he would go to Emperor Cheng's tomb and cry."

Chen Chengji held his forehead and sighed.

In fact, the current emperor has every reason to cry in the Chenghuang Temple.

The mother of Emperor Cheng Liu Jin was the Empress Xiaociwu Chen Ming. Chen Ming's father was the ninth-generation grandson of Chen Ye, and Chen Chengyi was the twentieth-generation grandson of Chen Ye, with a difference of only eleven generations.

If the emperor today really wanted to check the seniority according to the royal jade disc, he would probably call Chen Chengyi his great-uncle.
Chen Zhulou looked at his father who was inexplicably disappointed, and was somewhat confused: "Father, even if the emperor went to the ancestral hall of Emperor Xiaocheng to cry, we should live our lives. Is there anyone in this world who dares to blame our Chen family?"

The Chen family has always stood at the top of the Han Dynasty's court since the founding of the country.

Even though the Chen family has not been very active in the Han political arena since their ancestor Chen Chong left the court in the tenth year of Yongping, the power of the Chen family cannot be underestimated.

No one would question such a family that has been passed down for more than 500 years.

Among the great families today, the Chen family is still the undisputed number one family.

There are still countless disciples of Chen among the students and literati all over the world.

In the face of Chen Zhulou's doubts, Chen Chengji stood up and his face became calm. He looked far away, as if he was thinking about something.

"Zhu Lou, have you ever left Guandu City?"

Chen Zhulou shook his head: "Father, you almost never let me leave Guandu."

Chen Chengji smiled and turned his head, looking at Chen Zhulou with clear eyes: "Do you know why I won't let you leave Guandu?"

"In the past, when our ancestor Wen'an was in his teens, he had already traveled to various countries. Our Chen family has also traveled when they were eleven or twelve years old, in order to achieve the "travel thousands of miles" that is necessary for scholars to accumulate life experience."

"But I still won't let you leave Guandu City."

"Do you know why?"

Chen Zhulou's expression changed several times, and finally he lifted his clothes and knelt in front of Chen Chengji: "Father, I want to admit something to you."

Chen Chengji waved his hand: "I know, when you were ten years old, you pestered your uncle to take you out."

Chen Zhulou's face flushed. He didn't expect that his father knew about this.

Chen Chengji simply asked, "Since you have been out, what do you think of the outside of Guandu City?"

Chen Zhulou's voice became even more silent: "After Emperor Xiaoming, there were six emperors until the current emperor came to power. During the reigns of Emperors Xiaozhang, Xiaohe, and Xiaoan, although the national strength of the Han Dynasty declined, it can still be said that the country was "politically clear."

"During the reign of Emperor Xiaoshun, the young emperor ruled the country and the empress dowager interfered in government affairs. So when Emperor Xiaoshun ascended the throne, he used eunuchs. At that time, my ancestor's persuasion was fruitless, so he resigned in anger and returned home." "Later, the empress dowager intended to depose the emperor, but was stopped by Chen."

"When Emperor Xiaoheng ascended the throne, the country's decline was reversed, but the people's livelihood at this time was no longer as good as when the three emperors Xiaozhang were in power."

"After Emperor Xiaoheng passed away, Emperor Chong ascended the throne, and life for the people of the world has become somewhat difficult."

"Until now."

Chen Zhulou hesitated for a moment, but in the end he did not rashly judge the emperor.

His father, on the other hand, had no scruples and sneered, saying, "When the current emperor came to the throne, he favored eunuchs and sold official positions and titles, making life miserable for the people. Although the people can still survive, they already have complaints!"

"The great Han Dynasty has been around for nearly four hundred years since the time of Emperor Gaozu!"

"When has there ever been a scene like this?!"

"Liu Hong still had the nerve to write to me and tell me that he was going to Emperor Cheng's tomb to cry. If I were him, I would just run into a wall and die in front of Emperor Cheng's tomb!"

Having said that, Chen Chengji could no longer control his emotions. He stood there angrily with his sleeves waving.

But Chen Zhulou was helpless.

In fact, he himself knew this.

The purpose of his asking Chen Chengji just now was not to ask Chen Chengji to answer for him. He just wanted to give his father some advice and let his father know that he alone could not change this rotten man.

Unless his father is willing to take out the "last will" that Emperor Wen left to Chen, in order to make the current emperor abdicate and choose a wise emperor.

but
This is only a temporary solution and not a cure for the root cause. Can changing the emperor cure the corruption at the root of the Han Dynasty?
Chen Zhulou ridiculed this.

If it were that simple, he believed his father would not hesitate.

He simply stopped pretending to be a child and stood up and looked at his father: "So, father, what do you want to do?"

"Enter the court as an official and carry out major reforms?"

"If you want to save the Han Dynasty, you must carry out thorough reforms and completely burst some abscesses, so that the people of the world can breathe a sigh of relief."

Chen Zhulou had a look of disdain on his face: "But can it really go as my father wishes?"

"If you want to reform, then the interests of those aristocratic families will be the first to be affected."

“Yes, Chen is not afraid of these so-called noble families.”

"No matter how powerful they appear, they are nothing but chickens and dogs in front of the Chen family."

Chen Zhulou stared into Chen Chengji's eyes, and then said word by word: "But who is behind these families? Who are the people who occupy the greatest interests and constantly oppress the people?"

"It's the Emperor of Han!"

"Chen can kill the relatives by marriage, and father can also learn from Chen Zheng's ancestors and rush into the Weiyang Palace to force the emperor to kill the Ten Eunuchs. He can even learn from his ancestor, who was the King of the State of Zheng, and rush into the Changle Palace with a sword and ask the queen, "Do you remember the old Qin stories?"

"and then?"

"Without Empress He and General He, as long as the emperor remains like this, there will be the next General Liu, General Wang, and General Cao."

"Father."

Chen Zhulou stood there, his eyes lamenting, his voice carrying a hint of sadness: "One person's strength is useless, you can't save the Han Dynasty!"

Chen Chengji stood by the pond with his hands behind his back.

His back looked very lonely.

"so what?"

Chen Chengji turned his head, and there was no anger or dissatisfaction in his eyes, not even any negative emotions.

He simply asked, "So?"

"Because you can't save the Han, so you don't go?"

"Is it because you care about your body that you don't do it?"

"Even if there is no way to save the Han Dynasty, as long as I go to the court, whether it's the Queen Mother, He Jin, or the eunuchs in the court, who won't give me some face?"

"even."

"Does the emperor dare to openly stop my reforms?"

Chen Chengji smiled brightly at this time. His tone was calm but a little arrogant: "Affecting their interests?"

"Even if I slapped them on the left cheek, they would obediently extend their right cheek to ask me if I wanted to continue. Even before they could even cry out in pain, they would ask me if my hand hurt."

He smiled and said, "This is Chen."

Chen Zhulou asked silently: "But, who would care about this short respite?"

He stared into his father's eyes. In the past, he always considered himself to be extremely smart and felt that there might not be anyone smarter than him even dozens of generations before him.

But now, looking at his father's appearance, he felt that he seemed to be wrong in the past.

Chen Chengji tapped the ground and said, "People all over the world will care. People who are trampled underfoot by the powerful will care."

"For Chen and the Han, this is just a moment of respite."

"But for the common people in this world, ten or twenty years is almost their entire life."

"Zhu Lou, you always look too far ahead."

As Chen Chengji walked out, he said, "There's nothing wrong with having a long-term vision, but sometimes it's better to have a short-term vision."

"Even if I can only be in charge for five or ten years, I can still help the people survive during these years."

“It’s nice to be far away.”

"But the road is under your feet. Pay more attention to the road under your feet."

“Only in this way can we have a clear conscience.”

Looking at Chen Chengji's back, Chen Zhulou stood there in a daze, with a hint of shock in his eyes.

Is this my father?
He seemed to understand the meaning of "cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world" in "The Great Learning", and he understood even more the meaning of "look up to the heavens without shame, look down to the earth without shame, and have a clear conscience without shame for yourself" by his ancestors.

This is just what the Chen family should do.

Peach Blossom Spring
A wisp of Chen Ye's soul awakened, and looking at this scene, he couldn't help but pick up the wine glass and drink it all.

"If we have this kind of person, we will be able to see the light of day."

(End of this chapter)