Jinyi Night Walk

Clan meeting?

Xia Xun instinctively thought that this meeting might have a lot to do with him. Old man Yang was determined to deal with him again.But... the last time you used the law of the country, you couldn't manipulate me, so what's the use of this family rule?

Peng Ziqi and Manager Xiao came up to meet him and looked at him worriedly. Xia Xun smiled lightly and said, "Since my surname is Yang, I should go there. It's okay, you are waiting at home."

Xia Xun patted his clothes and said to Yang Yu and Yang Wenwu, "You two, lead the way."

Yang Yu snorted coldly, and led Yang Wenwu forward.

Xia Xun really doesn't care too much, is the clan powerful?The patriarchal clan is ultimately subject to the laws of the country. I, Xia Xun, am not a soft persimmon to be squeezed. They still have the ability to arrest me and soak me in a pig cage?The biggest punishment, if you think about it, is just expulsion from the family. I don't want to stay in your Yang family. If it's a big deal, it will break up, what else can I do?

After all, Xia Xun is a modern person. Although he also knows that the family has a strong binding force on the family in ancient times, after all, he cannot have a personal experience and feeling of the ancient patriarchal system.

The ancestral hall of the Yang family was built in the center of Moling Town, and the home of Yang Rong, the old patriarch of the Juben family, was closest.The ancestral hall is a place where ancestors and gods are enshrined and sacrificial activities are performed, and it is regarded as a symbol of the clan.However, in the past, there were seven temples for the son of heaven, five temples for princes, three temples for officials, one temple for scholars, and common people could only sacrifice in their sleeping quarters.That is to say, ordinary civilians can only worship their ancestors in their own living rooms, and only scholars and officials above can set up temples.

But in the Yuan Dynasty, the constraints in this area were gradually loosened, so as long as a big family had financial strength, they could have a ancestral hall, and the rule that ordinary people had no temples was broken since then.The Yang family ancestral hall was built in the Yuan Dynasty. The ancestral hall is not very big, but it is very old. The blue roof tiles are covered with a layer of dark blue moss. The entire courtyard is the trace of years of exploitation.

Inside the gate of the ancestral hall, members of the Yang clan gathered in the courtyard, rich and poor, old and young, whispering to each other, talking about something.Yang Yu and Yang Wenwu seemed to be two little ghosts clearing the way. As soon as they entered the yard, the whispering stopped immediately, and everyone looked at Xia Xun behind them.

Xia Xun calmly stepped into the courtyard gate.Although the people standing here seem to be scattered, they actually have their own rules. They are all arranged according to the distance of the branch and the size of the generation. Xia Xun didn't know any of them, and he didn't know what generation they were, so they entered the ancestral hall. , He put his hands behind his back and looked around leisurely.

"cough!"

Yang Rong coughed, and with the support of his eldest son and eldest grandson, he came out majestically from the ancestral hall and stood still on the steps.He wanted to see Xia Xun's reaction at first, but when he peeked through the crack of the door, Xia Xun didn't care, and actually looked around in the ancestral hall, touching and touching, he almost broke into the ancestral hall to observe it. Unable to hold back, he had no choice but to show up immediately.

As soon as the old patriarch came out, everyone turned to him and stood respectfully. Someone from behind brought a chair and asked the old patriarch to sit down.Xia Xun didn't want to be really domineering and give people the impression of being ignorant of etiquette. Looking around, he squeezed between the two skinny old men and stood upright.

Seeing this, Yang Dingsheng, Yang Rong's son, glared at him and shouted, "Yang Xu, why are you so unruly! The two clans are always from your uncle's generation, where can you stand?"

Xia Xun hurriedly stood up again, with a chuckle on his face, and bowed calmly: "I'm sorry, Yang Xu left home as a child, and I don't know any relatives and elders. I don't know anything about concubine, house status, and seniority, but I really can't tell the difference." Find out who is the elder and who is the younger in this courtyard, and where Yang Xu should stand, please give me some pointers. By the way, I don’t know who you are, why are you standing behind our patriarch?"

Yang Dingsheng was so angry that his face turned blue, and he said in a deep voice, "Me? I am the eldest son of the Yang clan, your uncle! Go, stand over there!"

Xia Xun didn't think it was disobedient, he was from the Ding generation, he was indeed his father's first cousin, so there was no need to argue about this matter, Xia Xun obediently stood at the position he designated, turned his head and looked down at him, Standing a burly man, who looked about 40 years old, Xia Xun cupped his hands and smiled, and asked, "Your Excellency, are you younger than me? Am I not standing in the wrong place again?"

The big man was very well-behaved in the ancestral hall, when he saw him saluting, he hurriedly returned the salute and said: "You can't, you can't, in terms of seniority, you are my uncle."

"Oh?"

Xia Xun was a little surprised, looked at the long line of people behind the big man, and asked, "These behind you are all younger than me?"

"Yes, they are all your nephews, some call you uncle, some call you uncle."

Xia Xun smiled happily: "It seems that my seniority is not too low."

These words made some clansmen couldn't help laughing, but the old patriarch didn't dare to laugh out loud in front of him.

Yang Rong saw that the solemn atmosphere was being made unseemly by his gags, and he couldn't bear it any longer. He immediately interrupted him loudly, and said loudly: "Silence, silence! Today, I called all the big guys here to discuss the situation of my family. A few big things."

Seeing that everyone had calmed down, he nodded to his grandson Yang Chong and said, "Chong'er, tell me."

"Yes!"

Yang Chong bowed and saluted, then took three steps forward, descended two steps, stood still, and said loudly: "I invite everyone to come today, because there are two important events related to my whole family to be announced. The first , is to build the ancestral hall. The ancestral hall is the place to respect and respect the ancestors. Everyone has seen that the ancestral hall of our Yang family has been in disrepair for a long time and has been dilapidated. As a descendant, how can we bear to see the place where the ancestors are incensed like this? So , the patriarch discussed with several elders and decided to rebuild the ancestral hall.

According to the wealth and poverty of each house, the patriarch discussed with the elders and drew up a donation list. The clan members of each house listened carefully, and prepared earlier when they went back. After three days, the money will be delivered, and I will send it to you. The father will sign for it together with the three clan elders, and it will be used for the temple.Yang Lao, five guans of righteousness should be paid, Yang Yi, five guans of righteousness should be paid..."

Xia Xun listened quietly, and when he was read to him, he could not help but move when he heard the donation of two hundred guan, and suppressed it forcibly without making a sound. Go on, and when he finished reading, Xia Xun shouted: "Wait a minute, I have something to say."

Yang Rong glanced at him, and said slowly, "Yang Xu, what do you have to say?"

Xia Xun said proudly: "I don't understand why the Yang family has each branch and house, and the highest one only needs to pay..."

Yang Dingsheng snorted coldly: "There are no rules, the patriarch asks questions and doesn't know how to bow and salute before answering? What sage book are you reading?"

The veins on Xia Xun's forehead tensed, but then eased back, grinning, took a step forward, bowed his hands and said: "Old patriarch, the younger generation is a little puzzled. Why is the highest payment for each house and branch, but the highest payment is only [-] guan? The younger generation needs to pay two hundred guan, which is ten times worse?"

"That's it!"

Yang Rong stroked his goatee and said with a smile, "Naturally, the calculation is based on the affordability of each house. All the houses of the Yang family are engaged in farming. Although there are some wealthy families, compared to you , After all, it’s a lot worse. Seeing you come back, you’re going to build a lot of construction. The scale of the courtyard, in our entire Moling Town, who can compare with you? Naturally, those who can do more work for family matters.”

Xia Xun retorted and said: "The younger generation heard from my father that when my father abandoned farming to start a business, he was criticized and opposed by the patriarch. Now does the patriarch admit that my family is strong?"

Old Yang Rong blushed, slapped his chair and shouted: "Abandoning agriculture and doing business is a self-degradation! No matter how rich you are, you are still a lowly occupation. This point will never change."

Xia Xun was about to refute, when he thought about it, he would eventually abandon the Yang family and establish his own name. Anyway, this ancestral hall is the ancestral hall of the Yang family. I still agree with the repair of the main shrine. This is something I did for them before I found an opportunity to leave the Yang family. Anyway, this benefit is used on the dead. of.

Thinking of this, Xia Xun gritted his teeth and retreated back into the arrangement.

Yang Chong smiled complacently and continued: "The second thing is about the Yitian in my Yang clan. My Yang clan has spread branches and leaves, and the descendants are gradually prospering. Some people are rich, and naturally some are poor. And Yitian Today it is still only the three acres of land where the clan gathered at this time. After a hundred years, time has passed and the situation has changed. The three acres of Susukida are no longer enough to supply the four seasons sacrifices, the clansman's education, and the relief of the poor. Therefore, the clan leader discussed with the clan elders and decided to expand the Yitian. , divided into three clan fields for sacrifice, righteousness, and learning, and a total of [-] mu of righteous land is needed."

There was a commotion among the people in the hall when they heard this. If you know that the land is their lifeline, if you take out an acre, you will be very distressed. Since ancient times, in a big family, the formation of the family land is mainly caused by becoming an official and becoming a high-ranking official. It is composed of the clansmen who donated tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land, or clansmen whose lands were confiscated due to negligence. It is not uncommon for the descendants of the temple to discuss public donations, but if a family takes out a piece of land, that would be great. , now the patriarch wants to build a [-]-acre righteous farm all at once, who can afford it? "

Yang Chong raised his hands and said in a loud voice: "Don't be impatient when you are safe, don't be impatient when you are safe, listen to me. This family land does not need to be shared by the whole family. It is only donated by the rich in the family. Although my grandfather's family background is also Ordinary, but as the head of the clan, he should set an example first, and my grandfather decided that my family would donate five acres of clan land."

The people of the clan were shocked, and they all looked at Yang Rong with admiration, Yang Rong smiled with his beard twisted, and nodded slightly, contented.

Xia Xun sneered secretly at the side: The income of the family farm is mainly used to enshrine the four seasons incense candles and fruits for the ancestral temple, to help the poor and the students of the people from ordinary families, simply put, it is the charity fund of the family , and the person in charge of this fund is the head of the clan, how to operate it is completely up to him, what is the difference between donating five acres and not donating?

"The other 25 acres..."

Yang Chong looked at Xia Xun and smiled slightly: "Pursuing ancestral sacrifices, caring for the old and the young, and building family studies have made countless merits. Your house has been away from home for many years and has not contributed to the family at all. Now that you are back, your family is rich and wealthy." , this Yitian, after the public discussion of the elders of the clan, it may fall on you."

Xia Xun was furious, and reprimanded: "It's a joke to slip the world!"

Yang Chong's face changed, and he shouted: "Why, do you object? Who is the clan? The clan is respected. Who is the clan? Join the great-grandfather at the top, and the great-great-grandson at the bottom. The family is lucky. Get together at home, get together as relatives, and love each other , Death mourns, there is a way to get together, so it is called the family. Li said: The family will have something;

Xia Xun laughed loudly: "Dear family? Where are the relatives? I only saw a group of wolves who hate the rich and jealous, and wished they could tear me up, chew me up, and swallow me up!"

After finishing speaking, Xia Xun cupped his hands and said, "It suddenly occurred to me that Yang is going to accompany his wife to visit Qixia Mountain. I'm busy. You can discuss these trivial matters that have nothing to do with me. I, Yang, will leave more than ten times away." Years ago, no one remembered my life and death. Now that I’ve come back, I haven’t seen a single friendly person from my tribe, so let’s not get involved in these things, and leave!”

"You are bold!"

Yang Rong got up in a rage, and said angrily: "In the ancestral hall, you dare to disrespect your elders, it's so rude! Take him down!"

Under Yang Rong's prestige, he shouted an order, and the young and strong members of the clan immediately surrounded him.

Yang Rong's move is not too much, because the law of the feudal era tacitly allowed the clan to exercise primary jurisdiction and general punishment powers other than the death penalty for descendants of the clan that the clan believed to be illegal.In fact, even if the execution of the death penalty, such as dipping in a pig cage, has already happened, they generally admit the facts.As for general civil and criminal cases related to family marriage, land, and fights, as well as violations of national laws and family rules by descendants, if the family handles them properly, the government will regard them as having dealt with them accordingly.

Because in the era of the core of Confucian culture, the family is considered to be a microcosm of the country, and the use of the clan to deal with disputes has the effect of enlightening and deterring. The majestic punishment of the court and the persuasion of the government have the actual effect of reducing big things to small and small things to nothing."

Xia Xun didn't notice this. He is a policeman. Although he knows the law, he is not as familiar with it as the judge. Even if he is a judge, he may not know the ancient law so clearly.Seeing those clansmen gathered around and wanted to take someone, Xia Xun glared and shouted sharply: "Who dares!"

The [-]-year-old man who was standing beside him just now was drank by him, his face trembled, and he subconsciously dodged away, revealing a few younger members of the Yang clan behind him. It's time to carry out the patriarch's order, or to avoid this bold guy who dares to ridicule the patriarch and shake the roof tiles in the ancestral hall.

Xia Xun put his hands behind his back, his eyes wide open, and his tongue burst into thunder: "Get out! Don't you have no respect? I'm your uncle!"

The boys were so frightened that they forgot to move. Xia Xun walked out from them proudly. From the beginning to the end, no one dared to touch him.

Yang Rong had never seen anyone dare to be so rude to him in the ancestral hall, he was so angry that he sat back in the chair, just panting.A sinister smile escaped from the corner of Yang Chong's mouth, this move was already in his expectation.

He is a smart man, and his mentor just gave him a little advice, telling him how to use the spear of the son to attack the shield of the son, and he drew inferences from one instance, and thought of many practical and effective ways to punish others in the countryside: "Yang Xu, your mother was killed You are forced to die, your father is forced to leave his hometown, your fate will be worse than theirs, this is just the beginning, if my master has no means to punish you, you will be ruined and your family will be ruined, you are not worthy to be the young patriarch of the Yang clan !" ~!