In March, under the bright sunshine, Yang Anxuan entered Xiangyang City with his sleeves filled with the fragrance of flowers.
The eldest brother Yang Anyuan was the chief clerk of Sima Mansion. Yang Anxuan accompanied him with the items sent to him from home, so he went to Sima Mansion first.
After Tongzhen went in, Yang Anshen took it out with a face full of joy. When he saw his third brother, he hugged him and said with a smile: "I haven't seen you for more than a year. An Xuan is taller than me and very strong."
The two brothers exchanged pleasantries for a while, and then Yang An said deeply: "Let's go home."
Yang Anxuan was a little surprised. The official office was the front office and the back house. Seeing his elder brother leading him to the west, he clearly bought a house in the city.
After walking two miles to the west and turning into an alley, Yang Anshen said with some embarrassment: "Third brother, Brother Yu took a concubine in Xiangyang and didn't dare to tell the family. You have to cover it up for Brother Yu."
When Yang Anshen was in Luoyang, he was already married to his wife Fan Yanglu. When Lu was in Jiyang, she gave birth to a daughter named Yang Lin. Because her daughter was still young, Lu did not go to Xiangyang with Yang Anshen.
When I came to Xiangyang this time, my sister-in-law, Mrs. Lu, also asked her to bring some clothes from my eldest brother Xia and Qiu. I don't know how sad she would be if she learned that my eldest brother was taking a concubine in Xiangyang.
Yang Anxuan felt that the relationship between the middle brother and his sister-in-law was good. He usually saw the two of them as a husband and wife, and they were affectionate. Unexpectedly, Yang Anshen took a concubine only a year after coming to Xiangyang.
Although they were his own brothers, it was difficult to talk about family matters, so Yang Anxuan could only agree with a wry smile.
The small courtyard is surrounded by a wall and has a double-sloping eaves roof. There are three main rooms and wing rooms on the left and right.
The courtyard was cleaned, and several pots of blooming flowers were decorated on the porch, which was pleasing to the eye.
Several servants were sitting on the corridor steps chatting, and when they saw Yang Anshen hurriedly stood up and saluted.
Walking inside and entering the hall, a woman was embroidering with her maid. Seeing Yang Anshen coming with someone, she quickly stood up and saluted.
Yang Anshen first introduced with a smile: "Mr. He, this is my third brother An Xuan, please meet me soon."
Mr. He glanced at Yang Anxuan calmly and said, "Mr. He has met your third uncle."
Yang Anxuan saw the He family in their youth, with a hairpin in her dark bun, a rosy-colored undershirt, a belt around her waist, and picturesque features. She was much prettier than her sister-in-law, Mrs. Lu, and her movements showed a romantic attitude. No wonder the eldest brother Bewitched by her.
Observing her words and deeds, Yang Anxuan knew that this woman was very carefree, so she returned the courtesy with a solemn look.
Yang An said deeply: "Quickly prepare some food and wine. I want to have a few drinks with my third brother."
Yang Anxuan stopped him and said: "Brother, I can only stay in Xiangyang for two days. In addition to meeting Governor Xi, I also want to catch up with brother Daoxu. Why don't you go outside, call brother Daoxu, and let's eat and talk." "
After taking a look at the small courtyard, Yang Anxuan said with a smile: "I have several people and horses accompanying me. I'm afraid your small courtyard won't be able to accommodate them. I might as well stay in an inn, so you can have some peace and quiet."
In addition to Hu Yuan and Zhang Feng, Yang Anxuan was accompanied by Yang Huai, the horseman who drove the carriage, and Xu, a maid who took care of daily life.
Yang Huaiyuan was Yang Anxuan's personal guard. He was injured by an arrow in the leg, so he became a horse driver in the clan. Yang Quanqi asked him to drive Yang Anxuan's car, but he also served as a bodyguard.
Mrs. Xu was Yuan's side servant and she was careful in her work. Yuan asked her to accompany her to take care of Yang Anxuan's daily life.
Yang Anshen wanted to persuade him, but He smiled and said, "Shen Lang, since the third uncle said this, he has his own reasons. Just bring more money with you."
He found a nearby inn and rented a small courtyard to stay in. Yang Anshen sent someone to invite Hu Fan. With little effort, Hu Fan came over excitedly.
Yang Anxuan and Hu Fan had been separated for more than half a year. They had experienced life and death together when they went to Changzi City, and their feelings were naturally different from others.
The two of them were very happy to meet each other, and Yang Anshen and Hu Fan got along well. Yang Anxuan ordered the store to buy wine and food, which were placed in the hall, and the three of them drank happily.
Yang Anxuan valued his friendship with Hu Fan very much. If he wanted to achieve great things, he needed someone to help him. Hu Fan was good at martial arts, good at shooting, and resourceful. He was a rare commander. He must not be allowed to fall under Liu Yu's command in the future.
Friendships also need to be managed. As time goes by and the distance increases, emotions will naturally become estranged and alienated.
After three glasses of wine, Hu Fan mentioned the matter of coming to Beijing to present a golden crown, and reminded: "An Xuan, I have read the book to order Wang Guobao to target you. You should be more careful after arriving in Jiankang."
Yang Anxuan knew in his heart that his admission to Guozixue this time was the result of the game played by the big shots in Beijing, and the agreed upon upper-middle grade became upper-low grade. It is not an exaggeration to say that this trip to Jiankang is like a dragon's pond and a tiger's den.
"Thank you, Brother Daoxu, for reminding me, I will be careful." Yang Anxuan smiled confidently: "That day when I was reviewing the genuine products in Yin Zhong, I once said, 'There will be times to ride the wind and waves, and hang sails directly to help the sea.' I am willing to work with Brother Daoxu. mutual encouragement."
Hu Fan was aroused by Yang Anxuan's words and responded with enthusiasm: "Yes, even if we encounter many dangers, our determination to move forward should not change. An Xuan, let's encourage each other."
A few words wiped away the unfamiliarity between the two of them for more than half a year.
Yang An said with a deep smile: "It is a blessing for the Yang family that my third brother has been classified as a top-notch student. If he goes to study at the Imperial Academy, he will surely make a big splash and become famous all over the capital. Come on, big brother, give you a toast. I hope you can regain your family reputation as soon as possible."
It can be seen that Yang Anshen is very satisfied with his current life. He is far away from the war, the governor Xin Zhong, and has a new concubine. His face has become rounder and his belly is showing signs of bulging.
When the crowd was about to disperse after drinking, Yang Anxuan said with a smile: "It's still early, how about the three of us go to school and compete with Yang Shang to shoot arrows?"
Hu Fan agreed with both hands, but Yang Anshen shook his head and said: "I'm a little drunk, so I won't join in the fun. I'll take my leave first."
After Yang Anshen left, Hu Fan reminded him vaguely: "Brother An Shen's concubine, Mrs. He, was originally the famous girl of Meifeng Courtyard. Brother An Shen was very fascinated by her. He heard that he would spend money to redeem her." Got ten taels of gold.”
Yang Anxuan frowned. The family gave his eldest brother a lot of money. His salary as an eighth-grade official was obviously not enough to redeem the He family, buy a house, and daily expenses. Even if his mother secretly subsidized it, it would have been almost all spent.
"Brother Daoxu, where did Brother Yu get his money? Isn't he secretly embezzling money?" Yang Anxuan said worriedly.
Hu Fan frowned and said, "I haven't heard of that. However, Brother An Shen has borrowed money from everywhere. I heard that he has borrowed a lot. Almost everyone I know has borrowed money."
Yang Anxuan said angrily: "He is seeking death. When he can no longer borrow money, he will cheat. If he can't cheat, he will get greedy. He will not only destroy himself, but also destroy the reputation of the Yang family. Brother Daoxu, he wants to How much did you borrow?"
Hu Fan didn't hide anything and said: "Four thousand yuan."
Yang Anxuan slapped the case with hatred and said, "Brother Yang Qing followed him to take office, why didn't he dissuade him?"
Hu Fan was silent. Although Yang Qing was a member of the Yang family, he was a concubine. It was too late to please Yang Anshen in order to keep his position, so how could he go against his will.
"I paid off these debts for him to save him from getting deeper into trouble." Yang Anxuan sighed.
When Hu Fan was in Yan State, he saw Yang Anxuan buying horses and roads with more than 3,000 taels of gold. He also knew that Yunjie Paper had 30% of his dividends. The debt that Yang Anshen borrowed was really nothing to Yang Anxuan.
However, if you pay off your debt this time, what should you do if you borrow it next time?
"Yu Hui told my elder brother clearly that if he still persists in his obsession, Yu Hui will tell his father and ask him to teach him a lesson." Yang Anxuan said angrily: "Let's go find him."
Hu Fan hurriedly said: "An Xuan thinks twice, if this happens, there won't be a rift between your two brothers."
"Long-term pain is worse than short-term pain. Yu would rather his elder brother hate Yu than see him trapped in the quagmire." Yang Anxuan stood up decisively and said.
Hu Fan was a little helpless, which made him look troubled.
Yang Anxuan took Hu Fan to Yang Anshen's residence. When Yang Anshen learned that his third brother was here again, he smiled and said, "Aren't you going to shoot arrows? What do you want from me?"
Yang Anxuanqiang smiled and said: "You are still enlightened by my elder brother in archery. How can I miss you today? Come on, let's see if my archery skills have deteriorated?"
Without any explanation, he pulled Yang Anshen out of the door. He stood in the shadow under the eaves, watching Yang Anshen being pulled away, with a gloomy expression.
Pulling Yang Anshen to the inn, Yang Anxuan asked straight to the point: "Brother, I heard that you borrowed a lot of debt to marry Mr. He, how much is the total?"
Yang Anshen glanced at Hu Fan unhappily, complained that he talked too much, and said reluctantly: "It's not much. I can pay it back when my salary is paid next month."
"You have 2,250 yuan and 15 shi of corn a month. How much money do you have left in addition to household expenses? I think you have four or five servants in your house. I'm afraid the salary is not enough." Yang Anxuan was not polite. typical.
Being scolded by his younger brother, Yang Anshen felt a little embarrassed. He lowered his face and said coldly: "Third brother, are you questioning me? You have no respect for your elders. How can this be unreasonable?"
With that said, he stood up and was about to leave.
Yang Anxuan grabbed his sleeve and said: "Brother, I don't want to say more about your concubine, but I shouldn't borrow debts for the He family. Brother, have you ever thought about how you will stand up in front of your friends and colleagues if you can't pay off your debts?" "
Yang Anshen's eyes showed a look of pain and struggle, he shook his sleeves and roared: "You don't have to worry about it."
"Brother, please wake up. You can't repay the debt you owe. Is your salary enough for daily expenses? How long can you survive by borrowing money? Aren't you afraid that your father will know when you reach out to your mother? If father knows that you are here, What should I do if I borrow money to survive in Xiangyang? My sister-in-law serves her parents at home and works hard to raise Lin'er. I wonder if I can live up to my sister-in-law?"
A series of rhetorical questions shot into Yang Anshen's heart like sharp arrows. Yang Anshen sat dejectedly on the table, bowing his head and saying nothing.
Yang Anxuan waited for a moment and then said: "I went to Jiankang this time and brought some money. Brother, how much debt do you owe? I will help you pay it back."
Yang Anshen raised his head, looked at Yang Anxuan with some gratitude, and said, "No, third brother, how can you go to Jiankang and have no money? I will find a way to solve the debt, so you don't have to worry about it."
It's the same four words "you don't have to worry about", but the tone is completely different.
Yang Anxuan smiled and said: "Brother, don't worry, it's not the money given by the family, it's Cheng Yi given by the Yin family."
Yang Anshen knew that his third brother had a close relationship with the Yin family. The Yin family was a wealthy family in the county and must have given Cheng Yi a lot.
The debt he borrowed weighed on his heart like a stone, and this period of time made him feel uneasy. Yang Anshen said hesitantly: "It's only tens of thousands of dollars, not much. How about you pay for Yu first, and then pay you back when Yu has money."
Yang Anxuan thought to himself, what the elder brother said was so easy. Tens of thousands of dollars is enough for his salary for a year, and asked: "How much exactly?"
"Seventy-six thousand dollars." Yang An gritted his teeth and counted out.
Hu Fan was shocked and said: "Brother An Shen, you have borrowed so much money, how can you pay it back? You are confused."
More than 70,000 yuan is not a small amount of money, it is enough to support a family of five for several years. Hu Fan and Yang Anxuan are both eighth-grade officials, and their annual official salary plus seasonal rewards will not exceed 60,000 yuan.
Yang Anshen felt guilty and murmured: "I spent all the money I brought to redeem He's family. I needed money for renting a house, He's makeup, and household expenses. Yu's salary was not enough, so I had to borrow it. I originally thought I could borrow some money for emergency use, but I didn’t realize that the gap was getting bigger and bigger, and it was out of control.”
Yang Anxuan didn't say anything. He went back to his residence and took out ten taels of gold. He handed it to Yang Anshen and said, "Brother, this is ten taels of gold. It's enough for you to pay off your debt and still have a little bit of surplus. However, according to the way you spend it now, if A lot of money will be spent quickly.”
Seeing that Yang Anshen was holding on to the gold, Yang Anxuan continued to persuade: "Brother, if Mr. He really wants to live a peaceful life with you, he will vacate the house and live in a government office. Just keep one or two of the servants for your use. This will give you a salary It’s enough for household use.”
Yang Anshen held the gold tightly and nodded repeatedly: "Third brother, I will listen to you. I will move back to the official residence in two days. Don't worry, He is a reasonable person and she will agree."
Yang Anxuan sighed secretly. It seemed that his eldest brother was very fascinated by the He family. He wanted to be a bad person, otherwise it would be too late to regret when something happened to his eldest brother.
Thinking of this, Yang Anxuan stood up and came to Hu Fan to bow down solemnly. Hu Fan asked in shock: "An Xuan, why do you do this great ceremony?"
"Brother Daoxu, you are Yu's confidant and good friend. I have a favor for you. Please agree to it, Brother Daoxu."
Hu Fan glanced at Yang Anshen and knew that Yang Anxuan's entrustment was related to Yang Anshen.
This is a family matter between two brothers, so how can outsiders interfere. Hu Fan deliberately refused to agree, but he was impressed by Yang Anxuan's sincerity and sighed: "An Xuan, please tell me."
Yang Anxuan said: "Brother Daoxu is also a friend of the eldest brother. Yu wants to ask brother Daoxu to witness. The eldest brother promises that he will move back to the official residence after Yu pays off his debts."
Hu Fan had a troubled look on his face, and Yang Anxuan said: "You know that Brother Daoxu is in trouble, but you can't do anything about it. If you are still stubborn, please write to Brother Daoxu to let him know, and you will report it to your father."
After glancing at Yang Anshen, Yang Anxuan said: "Brother, I have no choice but to help you. I can't watch you fall into the abyss. I hope that the eldest brother will know your intentions and don't anger Brother Daoxu."
Yang An sighed deeply and said sadly: "That's all, I don't blame you, let alone express my anger at Dao Xu."
Putting the gold into his arms halfheartedly, Yang Anshen bowed his hand towards Hu Fan, stood up, left the inn and returned home.
After Yang Anshen left, Hu Fan smiled bitterly and said, "An Xuan, you have put Brother Yu on the line."
Yang Anxuan said apologetically: "In Xiangyang City, Yu only has one friend, Brother Daoxu, and he can only rely on Brother Daoxu. Yu sees that his eldest brother is very fascinated by the He family, so he can't just watch him fall into the abyss and ignore him. "
Hu Fan sighed: "Oh, forget it, I did this evil thing for you. Brother An Shen is not a bad character, but he was fascinated by the He family and acted a little ridiculously. If Brother An Shen still doesn't repent, Brother Fool will follow his words. I told you."
Yang Anxuan thanked him again.
Hu Fan smiled and said: "It's always the elder brother who plans for his younger brother, but you, the younger brother, worry about it for me. It's very good."
Seeing Hu Fan's appreciative smile, Yang Anxuan's heart moved. He remembered the historical records that both of Hu Fan's parents died when he was young. .
This is a man who attaches great importance to filial piety and brotherhood. It seems that what he did just now is because of his fate, and he has unintentionally interfered with his relationship. The friendship between him and Hu Fan has become a little closer.
