Xinye County borders Yiwan and Luo to the north and Jing and Xiang to the south. It is the intersection of north and south and an important water and land transportation route, guarding the gateway for the Northern Army to move south.
Xinye County originally belonged to Yiyang County. In the eighth year of Yuankang (298), Emperor Hui of the Jin Dynasty divided Yiyang County into Xinye County, with Jiyang as its administrative seat and jurisdiction over the five counties of Xinye, Jiyang, Rang, Chaoyang and Anchang.
On December 2, the Yang family army entered Jiyang City amid the sound of silk and bamboo, and was greeted respectfully by officials of all sizes.
The low city walls, narrow streets, and crowded government offices disappointed Yang Anxuan, who had seen the magnificent scenery of Luoyang City.
Wei Ren, the former prefect of Xinye, moved to Beijing according to the court's decree and was promoted to the crown prince's concubine, leaving Chen Shen, the chief registrar, to hand over to the new prefect Yang Quanqi.
Before leaving office, Wei Ren was instructed by Zhongshu Ling Wang Guobao to squander the money and food in the warehouse. Looking at the empty warehouse, Yang Quanqi walked away angrily.
As soon as they got off the bus, Yang Quanqi took his three sons to Xiangyang City to thank Dong Anbo, General Jianwei, and Yongzhou Governor Xi Hui.
In the seventeenth year of Taiyuan (392), Zhu Xuqiu, the governor of Yongzhou, resigned, and the emperor promoted his close confidant General Xi Hui Jianwei and the governor of Yongzhou to guard the north gate.
As soon as Xi Hui took office, the former Qin Dynasty sent Dou Chong, the prime minister of the left, to lead his army south. Xi Hui sent troops to resist. Yang Quanqi, then the governor of Henan, fully cooperated with the pincer attack and successfully repelled Dou Chong. Xi Hui was commended by the emperor for this, and he greatly appreciated Yang Quanqi and praised him as "a good general of the country". The two had close contacts.
When Yang Quanqi was defeated this time, Xi Hui vigorously intervened for him, because he valued Yang Quanqi's military bravery and let him guard the north gate of Jing and Xiang.
It is the end of the New Year, and the shops on both sides of the streets in Xiangyang City are decorated with lights and colorful decorations. Oxen carts are passing by on the wide streets. Pedestrians are luxuriously dressed and smiling, and everything is filled with the joy of the New Year.
Yongzhou Governor's Mansion is located in the middle of Xiangyang City, with two towers guarding it like gods.
Yang Quanqi and others dismounted in front of the mansion. The clerk came forward to ask what the purpose of their visit was. They learned that it was the newly appointed Governor of Xinye, Sima Jianwei, who had come to pay homage to Governor Xi. He was busy leading him into the mansion, and someone quickly went to report.
The Governor's Mansion is not small in size, with official houses scattered on both sides and connected by corridors, which is solemn and steady.
After passing through two ceremonial gates and arriving at the lobby, Yang Anxuan saw a group of people waiting in front of the hall. The man in the middle had a white face and a long beard, wearing a Jinxian crown with two beams on his head and a crimson official robe. He was Xi Hui.
Yang Quanqi quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying: "I'm going to pay homage to Governor Xi."
Xi Hui took Yang Quanqi's hand and said with a smile: "Brother Quanqi, you are finally here. I am looking forward to the rain. Come into the hall to talk."
The two of them entered the hall hand in hand, with everyone following behind them. Entering the hall to meet again, Xi Hui introduced Yang Quanqi to Zhang Hui and Guo Jun from Zhizhong. Zhang Hui was the descendant of Zhang Zhao in Pengcheng, and Guo Jun was the descendant of Guo Yuan in Hedong Wenxi.
After the ceremony, Xi Hui asked Yang Quanqi to sit down on his left side, and Yang Anxuan and his three brothers sat behind his father.
Xi Hui pointed at Yang Anxuan and the other three with the tail of his hand, and said: "Quan Qi, I have heard that you have three tigers in your family. As expected, they are all very heroic and will be feared in their future generations."
"Chief Xi has a high reputation. The subordinate officials came to see him to perform their duties. The new field military administration also asked Governor Xi to give instructions." Yang Quanqi bowed his hands respectfully.
Xi Hui waved his hand and said with a smile: "Quan Qi is very brave in martial arts. With you guarding the new field, Xi can sleep peacefully. You can let it go."
Pointing to the young man at the end of the table on the left, Xi Hui said: "This son is Hu Daoxu (named Hu Fan), the counselor in charge of conquests in my mansion. He is from the Hu family in Hualin. He is good at martial arts, good at shooting, and resourceful. I will entrust him with military matters." Contact Quan Qi."
Hu Fan stood up and came to Yang Quanqi's table. He bowed and said, "Hu Fan has met Governor Yang."
Yang Anxuan's heart skipped a beat when he heard Hu Fan's name, and he looked at him carefully with wide eyes. If he remembered correctly, this man was Hu Fan, the founding hero of the Southern Song Dynasty and a famous general. He was about the same age as his elder brother, with sharp eyebrows and tiger eyes, and a white face. A slight beard, a heroic spirit.
Meeting is an opportunity and must not be missed. Yang Anxuan was thinking about how to find a chance to get acquainted.
After the official affairs were discussed in the hall, Xi Hui ordered a banquet to be held in honor of Yang Quanqi.
Yang Anxuan sat next to Hu Fan with a sullen face, raised his glass and said, "I just heard from Mr. Xi that Brother Hu is good at martial arts and good at archery. I also like archery. I hope Brother Hu will give me some advice when I have time."
Hu Fan was a little surprised. He looked at the excited Yang Anxuan and said politely: "Prefect Xi is very complimentary. I heard that Governor Yang was brave and good at fighting. The tiger father has no dog son. The little brother must be an excellent archer. Hu must see it if he has the opportunity." one time."
After half an hour of banquet, Hu Fan felt that Yang Anxuan was close to him. He was a bit talkative, but his conversation was humorous and he drank generously. He was a sweet-tempered person.
After the banquet, Xi Hui invited Yang Quanqi to his study, Qixin Hall, to talk. Yang Anxuan had to say goodbye to Hu Fan.
The Qixin Hall is as warm as spring. The curtain blocks the charcoal basin from view. The faint sound of the piano comes from behind the curtain, and the whole study is elegant and fragrant.
Xi Hui went inside and changed into a silk robe and came out. When he saw Yang Quanqi sitting upright, he waved the tail of his hand and said with a smile: "Quanqi, this is a private room, please relax. Come and offer tea."
The tea soup in the black pottery bowl is green, with white flowers and an elegant fragrance.
Yang Anxuan knew that people in Jin Dynasty bake tea cakes, grind them into foam, sieve them, boil water in a tea pan until it boils, add tea foam, stir up the soup with a teaspoon, and finally pour the tea into bowls.
Tea began in China during the Shennong era. Chengdu became a tea distribution center during the Western Han Dynasty, and tea cakes began to be made and sold in the Eastern Han Dynasty. After the Jin Dynasty moved south, the trend of advocating tea became popular. This method of drinking tea together was different from that of later generations.
Picking up the tea bowl with great interest, Yang Anxuan took a deep sniff of the tea aroma and took a sip of the tea soup. It tastes slightly astringent and slightly bitter in the mouth, but then it returns to sweetness and promotes body fluids. I couldn't help but praise it, "Good tea."
Xi Hui smiled and said: "My dear nephew, do you like tea? You might as well drink more."
Yang Quanqi smiled and said: "In the past, Huan Sima was very frugal. He served tea and fruits to guests during banquets. His sincerity was a good thing."
Xi Hui's smile froze, and he shook his head and said: "Xie Taiwei paid a visit to Lu Shangshu. Mr. Lu treated him with tea and fruits, but his nephew showed him a sumptuous meal, but he was criticized. Mr. Lu took tea as his main occupation, and he behaved like a noble scholar. , Fang is a role model for our generation.”
Yang Liang surrendered to Huan Wen and fought under his command. Although Huan Wen is dead, the Huan family still dominates the Jiangling area and is tabooed by the court. Xi Hui was appointed as the governor of Yongzhou, also with the intention of guarding against the Huan family.
Yang Quanqi realized that he had made a mistake and was embarrassed. He picked up the tea bowl and pretended to drink tea.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Yang Anxuan said loudly: "This tea is green in color and fragrant. It is slightly bitter but sweet after drinking. It has a Zen feeling. It is a good tea."
Xi Hui raised his eyebrows and smiled and said: "Tea has the meaning of Zen. My nephew said it well. Master Huiyuan will definitely make him a confidant after hearing it."
Being aroused by these words, Xi Hui gently flicked the dust in his hand and said with great interest: ""In the seventeenth year of Taiyuan, Xi came to Xiangyang to take up a job and passed by Donglin Temple to pay a visit to Master Huiyuan. The master did not give up and treated me with homemade fragrant tea. I talked with the master about tea and discussed the scriptures without realizing it. Xi remembered that the great master Zeng said that tea can purify the mind and realize Zen, which is similar to what the wise nephew said. "
The Eastern Jin Dynasty worshiped Buddhism, and both Yuan and Dong believed in Buddhism. Master Huiyuan is stationed at Donglin Temple in Xilu Mountain and has a lofty status in Buddhism. Yang Anxuan knew the Buddhist name of Master Huiyuan, who was revered by later generations as the founder of the Pure Land Sect.
Yang Anxuan said in a modest voice: "How could this young man dare to be compared with Master Huiyuan, despite his virtues and talents?"
Nowadays, Buddhism is very prosperous in both the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Northern Dynasties. From the emperor, princes and ministers to the common people in the market, there are countless Buddhist believers. Master Huiyuan is a Buddhist leader. If you can get a word of praise from him, it will be of indescribable benefit.
Xi Hui's affection for Yang Anxuan greatly increased, he stroked his beard and said with a smile: "If my nephew passes through Lushan, he must go to see Master Huiyuan. The master has a broad mind and a humble man. He planted many tea trees outside Donglin Temple and made tea by himself. Treat a good friend. My wise nephew is very knowledgeable about tea, and he will definitely hit it off with the master."
Yang Anxuan responded respectfully: "If you get a chance, I must go to Donglin Temple to seek help from Master Huiyuan."
Seeing Xi Hui's happy expression, Yang Quanqi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He thought that Xuan'er had excused him for his mistake.
Yang Quanqi straightened his crown and stood up. He led his three sons to prostrate themselves and respectfully said, "Yang Quanqi thanks Duke Xi for saving us."
Xi Hui stood up to join us and said with a smile: "You and I are close friends. There is no need to be polite. Please get up quickly."
Yang Quanqi bowed three times and returned to the banquet, saying: "Yang heard that the King of Kuaiji wanted Wang Xu to be appointed as the governor of Xinye. When Wang Xu went to Luoyang to announce the decree, he was too angry. Yang was worried that he would harm the King of Kuaiji and implicate Duke Xi..."
Xi Hui waved his hands indifferently and said: "It doesn't matter. You are appointed by the emperor to be the governor of Xinye. As long as you are loyal to the emperor, how can the King of Kuaiji disobey him? As for Wang Xu and his ilk, they are just sycophants. Xi will take care of you." Make the decision, don’t worry about it.”
Yang Quanqi said gratefully: "Thank you very much, Duke Xi. Please tell Duke Xi to tell the emperor that I will serve you with all my loyalty and dedication."
Xi Hui stroked his beard and smiled, feeling a little proud in his heart. He urged the emperor to give Yang Quanqi a lighter sentence because he wanted to draw Yang Quanqi under his command. The Yang family army was brave and good at fighting and was a powerful force. If you sit in Yongzhou yourself, the troops from the north will be disturbed if they go south. How can you defend the enemy without an effective general? Yang Liang had surrendered and fought under Huan Wen, and was regarded as a faction of the Huan family. Now he has switched to his own, which gives the court more strength and gives him more peace of mind.
"I have something to ask of you, Lord Xi." Yang Quanqi said hesitantly.
Xi Hui smiled and said: "Quanqi, just tell me if you have any difficulties and I will try my best to help."
Yang Quanqi said: "I can't stay in Xiangyang all the time. I want my eldest son An Shen to serve Duke Xi. I don't know what Duke Xi wants?"
Xi Hui smiled. Yang Quanqi wanted his eldest son to serve in the state government. This was a proton in his hands, and his intention to surrender was obvious.
"What rank is An Shenxian's nephew now? What is his official position?" Xi Hui asked.
In the Jin Dynasty, sixteen-year-old men were designated as Ding. Once they became Ding, they could be designated as Ding. The ordering was done once every three years, and next year was the year of Ding.
"In the 13th year of Taiyuan, it was designated as the fifth grade, but it was never promoted," Yang Quanqi said: "It was originally the record office of the Princess of Henan."
Xi Hui nodded. Yang Liang and Yang Quanqi and his son were both fourth grade. It was normal for Yang Anshen to be ranked fifth. After all, he was only in his twenties and would have the opportunity to be promoted in the future.
After thinking for a moment, Xi Hui said: "Then I'll first let An Shenxian's nephew be appointed as the chief clerk in Sima Mansion, and then I can be promoted when I have the opportunity."
The chief secretary of Sima Mansion has an official rank of eighth rank and a salary of 400 shi. The princess's office is also of rank 8, but the official salary is 400 shi higher. Moreover, the eighth rank of the Governor's Mansion has a much greater future than the eighth rank of the Prefect's Mansion.
Yang Anshen happily stood up and thanked Xi Hui. He liked literature and disliked martial arts, so it was a dream to be appointed as the chief secretary of the Sima Mansion in the state. Yang Quanqi also stroked his beard and smiled, very satisfied.
