The second year of Guanghe is already the eleventh year of the emperor's accession to the throne. When the late emperor was buried in the past, General Dou Wu, Grand Tutor Chen Fan, and Situ Hu Guang all thought that the emperor was brave, decisive, intelligent and sensible, so they overcame all opinions and welcomed the emperor to the throne from among the clan members. High hopes.
Who would have thought that ten years later, the world would be different day by day, and the Ming Lord who used to think he could clarify Yu Yu would openly open a residence in Xiyuan and sell his official titles. Two thousand stone officials are sold for 20 million yuan, four hundred stone officials are sold for four million yuan, no talent is tested, no public opinion is heard, the most important weapon of the country is entrusted to the hands of a small group of people, and in recent years, the imprisonment of party members has been delayed. With no relief in sight, the chaos in the country is really making loyal people heartbroken.
But these things basically have nothing to do with Youzhou. First of all, the academic style in Youzhou is not strong, there are only a few party members in the DPRK, and there are almost no party members to control. Secondly, as Xianbei grew stronger, its leader, Tan Shihuai, set up his royal court in Danhan Mountain, worked hard to govern, and waited for the day to come. He rejected Dingling in the north, retreated to Fuyu in the east, and attacked Wusun in the west. In more than ten years, Maodun Shanyu was able to achieve great things again. As a result, Youzhou was invaded year after year and suffered terribly, so it had to prepare for war with all its strength.
It was late spring at this time, and the weather was warm and warm. A group of young people wearing long hakama were riding on the official road from Zhuoxian County to Liangxiang. After dozens of miles from Zhuoxian County, the road branched into two, and one road spanned They crossed Taoshui, Yuanshui, and Shengshui, and then a flat river until Jicheng, but they took another route, heading west along the south bank of Taoshui until the junction of Jumashui, Laishui, and Taoshui, and then extended southward until Wu Ruan Guan.
The peach water scenery is as its name suggests. The peach trees on the shore are like waves, and the spring breeze is intoxicating. The petals are flying up and down, just like the untimely spring snow. The fragrance is full of fragrance, making the walkers relaxed and happy. The young men were galloping, followed closely by a dozen bush-horse hounds, carrying various weapons and daily necessities on their backs. As far as hunting arrows are concerned, each bush horse carries four or five full quivers, almost three hundred in total.
Liu Bei, who was nineteen at the time, rode ahead. His height of 7 feet 5 inches is not outstanding among his companions, but his long arms are conspicuous. Sometimes he pulls the reins of the horse and stops by the river to chat and laugh. Sometimes he runs wildly and fast, racing horses and hunting with his companions, making him the leader of the crowd.
When he arrived at Taoyang Pavilion, Liu Bei dismounted and delivered the two geese he had just shot to the local pavilion chief to apologize for hunting here. The pavilion chief refused after two attempts and had no choice but to accept them, and then walked to the pavilion. The group of people were sent two miles away. When their backs disappeared, the officials in the pavilion couldn't help but talk to each other: It was rumored that the surname Lilu in Zhuo County was the top class, but unexpectedly, among the younger generation, the one who is now famous is Duke Yuan Qi. Liu Xuande, a disciple of the same clan, even made friends with Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang, the great businessmen of Zhongshan, but I don’t know what Liu Xuande wanted when he came to the pavilion.
There are seven miles under Taoyang Pavilion, among which Jiangdli is the most noisy and prosperous. Along the south bank of Taoshui, there are two markets in the east and west. The east market is slightly larger and mainly sells meat and vegetables, while the west market is slightly smaller. He makes a living by selling wine and cloth. Between the two markets, there is a huge manor, covering an area of more than ten acres and more than a foot high. However, the courtyard is full of love and affection, and the young peach branches stick out of the wall, blocking the entrance to the courtyard. Capital "Zhang".
Liu Xuande pointed at the courtyard door and asked Zhang Shiping beside him: "Brother Shiping, can the righteous man you mentioned be here?"
"Exactly here." Zhang Shiping nodded. He was a big businessman in Zhongshan, but he was only 30 years old. He had a fortune, but he was dressed in Hu clothes and a Guizhou scarf. He was eight feet tall and had a strong back that was stronger than a cow. He wears a copper-handled steel sword at his waist, and he is no different from an ordinary Youyan warrior. However, looking at his manners and conversation, he is as elegant and steady as a Confucian scholar: "I made an appointment with a righteous man, and when I come to Zhuoxian County, I will come here to find him. This righteous man is quite If there is a legacy of Xihou, he will definitely wait for me here."
It turns out that this group of people traveled out of the county for no other reason than to find heroes. Since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Youzhou has been located on the frontier. It has been repeatedly invaded by barbarians and suffered from wind and frost, which has shaped the unique temperament of the Yan people. Therefore, although the Yan State is not strong, it has many heroes and knights. By the time of Emperor Shizong of the former Han Dynasty, Emperor Shizong expanded the territory to fight off the barbarians, annihilated the three Koreans, and Youzhou's fine cavalry became famous all over the world. Later, when Emperor Shizong re-established the Han Dynasty and Guangwu Zhongxing, although the Confucian scholars did not like the despicable spirit of Youzhou warriors, they could not Don't admit it privately, Shizu was able to conquer the world thanks to the heroes of Youyan led by Geng Yan and Wu Han.
Liu Bei was a rising star in Youzhou. Although he came from a poor family, his family reputation was still quite good. Therefore, he visited the heroes of Youzhou and solved problems for the people around him. He became a well-known hero in Youyan. Zhang Shiping, as a big horse dealer in Zhongshan, He had no choice but to make friends with him. Just yesterday, when Liu Bei and Zhang Shiping were having a banquet, they asked if they knew where they could visit heroes. Zhang Shiping pondered for a while and then said that he knew a person who had the ability to capture tigers in martial arts and the style of a fine nobleman in justice. You can have a deep friendship with it.
Xihou refers to the famous minister Guo Ji during the Han Dynasty. Guo Xihou was an official to Shangshu Ling and a pastor in Liangzhou. However, he was a humble and self-restrained person, which did not differ from person to person. When he passed by Xihe in the past, he met hundreds of children with him. They made an appointment to return home one day earlier than agreed. Guo Xihou did not want to break his promise, so he stopped at a pavilion outside the city for a day before entering the city, which became a good talk.
In Zhang Shiping's eyes, who can be compared with Guo Ji?
A group of people dismounted their horses and went to the door of the courtyard. A pale head appeared in the small window at the door. They asked everyone a few more questions, then asked everyone to wait and went to report to the parents. Not long after, a burly man opened the door of the courtyard. He opened the door and welcomed everyone into the courtyard with a smile. Stepping across the porch, the courtyard suddenly opens up, with luxuriant grass and peach blossoms. Several large cauldrons are placed under the trees, and a few local dogs are taking a nap aside with their tongues sticking out. The faint fragrance of wine overflows, making people feel a little drunker.
"I don't know what a good day it is today. I have another distinguished guest coming from my house. I am so honored." The big man's name is Zhang Hun. He looks like Tai'a and speaks softly. Liu Bei and his entourage have many brave men who rely on Confucius. Although he was powerful, he was like a shrub in front of Zhang Hun, which made everyone feel stagnant. Only two or three people had their expressions unchanged. Liu Bei looked as usual and asked Zhang Hun with a smile:
"You're welcome, Mr. Zhang. I have always heard of the Taoyang Zhang family's martial arts name. But in the past, I felt that I was young and ignorant, and easily misunderstood by others. Until today, I came to visit. I just heard what Mr. Zhang said that there are distinguished guests here in the mansion." , I wonder if it’s appropriate for me to come here?”
Zhang Hun replied happily: "Hey, the deer is roaring, eating the pods in the wild. I have a guest who plays the harp and the sheng. Xuande is really joking, and the master said the same thing: 'It's such a joy to have friends coming from afar.' All the talents have arrived. , young and long-term gathering, all those who are interested will be excited and excited by it. There is no one who dislikes whether the time is right or not. I will come to you whoever invites you."
After walking through the front room and arriving at the backyard, the scenery was completely different from the front yard. I saw seven or eight bluestone locks scattered here and there on the ground, two rows of spears and halberds standing on the left and right, and a wooden man in the center. , but it was crooked, with puncture marks everywhere on the wood surface, and it looked like it wouldn't last for a few moments.
But everyone didn't say much. Just because they broke into the backyard, they heard someone talking loudly in the wing of the backyard. The righteous men Zhang Shiping mentioned must be among them. When facing heroes, Liu Bei pays most attention to treating heroes with courtesy. Then he took off his cloth shoes and signaled everyone to go to see him quietly.
But there seemed to be two guests in the room, and there was no one talking or laughing. Although the footsteps were pounding on the corridor, the conversation was getting louder and louder. Only one voice was heard speaking passionately: "Chen Jun, I admire you for your knowledge, but I admire you for your knowledge." Isn’t what he said just now a big fallacy?”
"Wang Mang acted like a traitor and acted as if he were loyal. The ancestors rose up in response to the fate of heaven. Since he raised his army, he has won every battle. In the front, he has the unparalleled victory of Kunyang, and in the rear, he has the foundation to pacify Hebei and establish the capital of the East." All the generals in Taiwan were outstanding men and came under the command of Shizu. Guangwu was revived and Confucianism flourished. As Chen Jun said, isn’t it a fallacy to think that Shizu was not outstanding in talent and not heroic in nature?”
Since ancient times, China has had the custom of criticizing people, but if we want to say when this culture was most prosperous, we must count the current period. The Eight Horsemen, Eight Chefs, Eight Dragons and Eight Masters, not only celebrities from all walks of life in the political arena interact with each other. By bragging, ordinary people can talk about heroes and knights, and become famous all over the world.
It was obvious that what was going on in the room was the most radical criticism: discussing the political gains and losses of His Majesty the Emperor. If the discussion was too intense, the chief of the pavilion would not be arrested and imprisoned for a charge of deceiving the public, but politics is the first step since mankind entered civilization. Instinct, no matter how great the danger, is willing to accept it.
I heard another person persuade him calmly: "Brother Guan, please slow down for a moment. Chen has not finished what he said, so why should Brother Guan be the first to do so?" This man's tone was gentle, but his voice was extremely powerful, revealing a great deal of confidence. Confidence, even the people outside the room couldn't help but be infected by it. Knowing that the remarks he was about to make were deviant, they couldn't help but wonder what he would say.
"Shizu is capable of rebuilding the mountains and rivers and rebuilding the Han Dynasty. Naturally, he has the talent, but whether he can be called a hero, I don't think so. A hero knows himself, and a hero will win. Shizu knows that it is okay, and he can be called a hero, but he cannot Self-victory makes it difficult to become the hero.”
"To accept the country's filth is to be the ruler of the country; to accept the country's inauspiciousness is to be the king of the world. Although the ancestors were talented, they were lazy as kings and could not worry about the people's urgent needs or think about the people's thoughts. When he wanted to be new and reckless, the ancestors would hide in hiding all the year round. The thieves and thieves were left alone, and the pavilion officials did not even dare to knock on the door to ask. Compared with today's eunuchs' homes, how much better is it? As for when he proclaimed himself emperor, first Nanyang tortured the people and forced Deng Feng to rebel, and then Wu Han The massacre in Chengdu. Although Shizu had a reputation of being a lover of talents, he was actually tolerant on the outside and cruel on the inside. Therefore, Dong Xuan was humiliated by Huyang and later dismissed by the Yin family. Ma Yuan twice made great achievements in subduing waves, but was framed and buried in one dynasty. Cao Cao, how can you call this a hero?"
Although it is not a long speech, every sentence emphasizes the ugliness of Liu Xiu when he was in power. The other person was speechless for a while, and then sighed: "In that case, what other heroes in the world can talk about it? No one is a saint, who can Can there be no fault? Chen Jun's argument is certainly reasonable, but world affairs are not determined by people's words. At the time of the New Mang Dynasty, Shizu was already an extraordinary talent. As you said, there is really no hero in the world." After that, a few words are inevitable. Long sighs and long sighs, the feeling of depression is palpable.
"Brother Guan, you don't have to be like this. A person's life is not only determined by human affairs, but more by luck. In my opinion, there were still two outstanding people in the new era, but it was just bad luck."
"Chen Jun said, are they Kai Xiao and Gongsun Shu?" Wei Xiao and Gongsun Shu were considered to be the only two forces under Liu Xiu's army that had resisted for a long time. Therefore, when later generations talk about Liu Xiu's powerful enemies, they usually refer to these two. The leader, Liu Bei, who was outside the wing, was a little disappointed. He thought the content would be somewhat new, but what the person in the room just said hit the point. He believed it deeply and couldn't help but listen.
"No, no, Wei Xiao, Gong Sun, and Shu are just housekeeper dogs, so what's the point?" The man laughed. His laughter was as handsome as the green pine trees in the Cangshan Mountains, but it was also a bit immature. "The hero I'm talking about is King Yancen of Wu'an." It’s just with Polu General Deng Feng.”
This sentence is really a strange statement, and everyone can't help but be surprised. Some of them don't even know who these two people are, and they are confused, but they hear people in the room laugh and say:
"I wonder if the distinguished guests outside the room have been standing in front of the door for a long time. Are they tired? If you don't want to leave, you can come into the room to talk."
