The strong wind knows the strong grass, and the rough waves know the sincere minister. ------Tang Li Shimin
Yingchuan Yangzhai, now Yuzhou, Henan, was the legendary capital of Xia King Dayu. It is located in a plain, with Yingshui flowing through the city, and Songshan Mountain at its back. It can be described as a place with outstanding people. Yangzhai is only more than a hundred kilometers away from Luoyang and about forty kilometers away from Xudu. It is where the families of public officials and scholar-bureaucrats live together. There are countless wealthy families everywhere and deep courtyards.
Chen Long and his party, with four carriages and five bad horses, hurried into Yangzhai County before dusk, relying on the road guide prepared by the Xiaoxiang Gang. The main street is adjacent to Yingshui, surrounded by shops and flags fluttering. Chen Long raised the curtains and looked at the scenery of Yingshui. Suddenly he saw a big signboard with "Yingshui Inn" and stopped the horse-drawn carriage for accommodation. The waiter came out to greet them, and several people drove the carriage into the inn courtyard. The waiter went to lead the horses and feed them.
Seeing the large scale of Chen Long's inn and its luxurious facilities, he thought that this was a five-star inn in ancient times. The boss, who was chubby, saw that Chen Long was elegantly dressed and had an unconventional appearance. He personally went out to greet Chen Long, and Zhou Buji asked for a few high-quality guest rooms. Chen Long asked: "Boss, I have come all the way and am hungry. Which restaurant is the best in Yangzhai?" The boss said with a cupped hand: "To say that the best is the Moon Landing Tower next door. Your Majesty, come out. Turn right and go straight to the inn." Chen Long nodded and continued to ask: "I have an old relationship with the Guo family here, and I would like to pay a visit, but I don't know where the Guo family's mansion is located?" The boss heard that Chen Long and Guo family The family has a long history, so he couldn't help but say in awe, "I don't know that the person you want to visit is the queen of Duke Guo of Yangqu? Your Excellency, come with me."
The boss led everyone up to the second floor and entered Chen Long's superior guest room. The guest room is elegantly decorated with bright and clean windows. The boss opened the back window and saw the picturesque scenery of Yingshui, which was like sparkling golden light flowing gently under the setting sun. The boss pointed to a courtyard across the river and said, "That's the Guo family's old house."
Chen Long was overjoyed. When he looked around, he saw layers of blue tiles and numerous courtyards across the river, creating an indescribable atmosphere of a wealthy family. Chen Long immediately asked Zhou Buqi to reward the boss with a few taels of silver. The boss took it and said with a cheerful smile: "I dare to ask, sir, if you need me to deliver a famous assassination for you. I also studied when I was young, but unfortunately I didn't achieve anything." , had no choice but to give up his studies and engage in business. However, he is also a descendant of our family and is familiar with several Guo family members. "
Chen Long said in awe, "May I ask the boss, what do you call me?" The boss said, "I am a branch of the Chen family. My surname is Chen Mingyong, and my courtesy name is Xiaocun. May I ask your distinguished guest Gao's name?"
Chen Long was overjoyed and said: "It turns out that you are the successor of the famous scholar Chen Shi and Chen Zhonggong. It is really disrespectful and disrespectful. I and Brother Chen are from the same clan. Our surname is Chen Minglong, and our courtesy name is Wenlong. Our ancestral home is Chang'an."
When Chen Yong heard this, he was also very happy and said: "It turns out to be Brother Wenlong. I didn't expect that Brother Wenlong and I actually have the same ancestry. Today we hit it off. Go to the Moon Tower tonight, treat me as a host, and have a drink with Wenlong." "The words are very generous.
Chen Long wanted to refuse, but Chen Yong refused in every possible way, so Chen Long had no choice but to nod and accept. After the luggage was put away, it was already dark, and Chen Yong came to invite them in person. Chen Long asked Zhou Buji and the others to eat by themselves, and he and Chen Yong strolled into the Moon Landing Tower.
The moon landing building was brightly lit and filled with guests. A high platform was set up in the middle of the huge patio, and several coquettish singers were dancing to the sound of Qingyue's pipa strings. The boss of the Moon Landing Tower was very familiar with Chen Yong and prepared a luxurious private room in the middle of the corridor on the second floor of the patio for Chen Yong to facilitate them to watch singing and dancing.
After a while, the food and wine were served, including chicken, duck, and fish. Chen Yong drank some wine to persuade him, and he had a very pleasant conversation with Chen Long. Chen Long raised a glass of wine and asked, "Brother Xiaocun, is the current patriarch of the Chen family Chen Shi? I want to visit you tomorrow, and I would like to ask my brother for a recommendation."
Chen Yong also drank the wine in the cup and said: "There is no problem with this. I will take my brother there tomorrow, but the old patriarch is old and rarely sees guests. The current patriarch Chen Ji, whose character is Yuan Fang, is a man of virtue. He is famous all over the world, and he has the air of an elder. Knowing that my brother has been in the same clan for a long time, I will definitely be willing to receive him." Chen Long thanked him with great joy.
Chen Yong continued to ask: "But who do you want to visit in the Guo family?" Chen Long said: "I heard that the Guo family has a child prodigy named Guo Jia, whose courtesy name is Fengxiao. The boy I brought here, Zhou Yuanzhi, is also known as a child prodigy. Name, I came here to meet Fengxiao and examine each other's schools." Chen Yong said: "I see, this matter is easy to handle. Patriarch Chen has always been in contact with Guo Jia's father. You can just ask Patriarch Chen in person tomorrow to help introduce him." Chen Long Overjoyed, he toasted Chen Yong with another drink.
Chen Long continued to ask: "I heard that Patriarch Chen is knowledgeable and virtuous, why hasn't he become an official yet?" Chen Yong sighed, put down his wine glass and said, "Isn't it because of the party's imprisonment? In those days when the eunuchs took power, the old patriarch himself Please go to jail, and you will be pardoned in the second year. The old patriarch has lived in seclusion here for many years in order to avoid disaster. Although there is no party ban now, the old patriarch has strictly ordered not to leave office, so the current patriarchs live here in seclusion with their families. "
Chen Long couldn't help but lament that it would inevitably involve the politics of North Korea and China, and the more the two talked about it, the more they fell in love. Just as the sound of pipa playing outside the corridor died down, I suddenly heard several people next door clapping the table and cheering. Then there was the sound of footsteps, and I saw a person aged fourteen or fifteen years old. He took a wine bottle and walked crookedly to the railing of the corridor to the opposite floor. He came down from the high platform and shouted: "Come again, come again! The wine is not drunk yet, the song is not finished yet, the dance cannot stop!"
The angle where Chen Long was sitting was just enough to see the young man's side and back. The young man's hair was not tied up, he had a long body, a black brocade skirt that reached the floor, and a jade pendant on his waist. He was obviously a young man from a wealthy family.
Chen Yong also turned his head and saw the young master, and couldn't help but smile: "Brother Wenlong, what a coincidence. This is the person your little prodigy wants to meet."
A huge wave surged in Chen Long's heart. He didn't expect that this drunken and lustful little naughty boy turned out to be the famous Guo Jia and Guo Fengxiao. I heard that Guo Fengxiao likes good wine and beautiful women, but I didn't expect that drinking underage was actually cultivated since he was a child.
Chen Long thought he couldn't miss it in person, so he got up and went to the corridor to support the swaying Guo Jia. Guo Jia turned around slightly, and Chen Long saw that he had long shawl hair, a pure white complexion with two blushes due to wine, a slender oval face, thin sword eyebrows, a beautiful nose and red lips, and a pair of big black eyes. It seems that the wisdom is as deep as the sea, and the whole person is full of heroism. Chen Long thought to himself, this person is so beautiful, but he is inferior to the chubby Zhou Buyi.
Guo Jia turned his head and did not recognize Chen Long, and said slurredly: "Who are you?" Chen Long smiled and said: "I am not that person, but Chen Long is. I saw that you drank so generously, so I came here to propose a toast." Guo Jia took a sip from the wine bottle in his hand and said: "Good wine! Good wine!"
Seeing that Guo Jia praised his wine, he couldn't help but feel proud and burst into laughter. At this time, the pipa strings played again, and Guo Jia raised the pot and drank and sang. Several companions came out to see Guo Jia making a fool of himself, and dragged him back to the private room. Chen Long looked at Guo Jia's back and thought, Fengxiao, Fengxiao, even if you are young and frivolous, sooner or later you will still be in my pocket.
After the wine was over and the banquet was settled, Chen Yong agreed with him to visit the Chen family early tomorrow morning. After a night of silence, Chen Longjue asked Zhou Bujie to prepare gifts early. Lu Chang et al harnessed the horse and went out of the city with Chen Yong to visit the Chen family's secluded mansion. With Chen Yong around, the flow was naturally unobstructed. The servant led him into the hall to watch tea, saying that the master would be here later. In a moment, a man wearing a turban and wearing a Confucian uniform, around sixty years old, with gray temples, kind eyes, a three-locked beard, and a thin figure, was none other than the current patriarch of the Chen family, Chen Ji and Chen Yuanfang. He entered the hall and sat down at the main seat. Chen Long quickly stood up, bowed and said impolitely: "Young man Chen Long, whose courtesy name is Wenlong, is from Chang'an. His ancestors followed Emperor Xianguangwu in Zhongxing, and the late emperor gave him the surname Chen. Today I came here to pay homage to the clan leader." Chen Ji said with a pleasant look: " Since we are from the same sect and are loyal queens, please sit down and serve tea."
When Chen Long sat down, Chen Ji asked: "Wen Long is here, but is he going to Luoyang to seek an official position?"
Chen Long cupped his hands and said: "When the patriarch asks, I will tell you everything. I am going to Luoyang to bribe the eunuch with money and ask to be the head of a county in my hometown. What does the patriarch think?" Chen Yong next to him was shocked, but he didn't Dare to speak.
Chen Ji changed his expression and said: "Now in the court, the eunuchs are wielding power and framed Zhongliang. Our Chen family has never been an official, let alone bribery. Regardless of whether you are a member of the same clan, I will kick you out of this house. You can go now. ." As he spoke, he picked up the tea cup and gave it a heavy shake.
Chen Long quickly stood up and cupped his hands and said: "I was joking just now. I have long known about the moral character of the patriarch's family, and it is a special test. I heard that the old patriarch has let go of the court due to the party's imprisonment, and has lived in seclusion here, no longer serving as an official. However, I want to be a good official, implement benevolent government, and benefit the people. What does the clan leader think?"
When Chen Ji heard this, his expression softened slightly, and he nodded and asked Chen Long to sit down, saying: "Of course I am very happy that my nephew has such ambitions. However, the current situation is chaotic and the people are in dire straits, so I can only wish my nephew good luck. What's the point of working for the benefit of the people? It’s so difficult, I wonder how my nephew can do it?”
Chen Long said: "I heard that the world belongs to the people of the world. What the people want is nothing more than food, clothing, housing and transportation. If I were the governor of a county, I would cut taxes, return land to the people, promote agriculture, run schools, set up medical clinics, and be strict The regulations punish corrupt officials, restrict warlords, and ensure the livelihood of the people. All production needs are provided by the government, and the income from labor is shared between the public and private parties, so that wealthy officials cannot exploit tenants, and poor farmers and poor households have enough food to feed themselves, and then gradually become rich. , the untouchables can study and make progress, so that the old can be supported, the poor can be supported, the sick can be treated, and the untouchables can have goals. As for the army, it is no longer a self-respecting warlord who cedes land, but is purely a soldier of his sons who protects the country and the people." Voice. Just as he landed, he heard a shout of "Okay!" from the door. A young handsome man wearing a scarf and Confucian clothes, with slender eyebrows and handsome eyes, walked in. His face was full of bookishness, and his temperament was elegant and natural. The man first raised his hands and saluted Chen Ji and said, "Father." Then he glanced at Chen Long and said, "Who is this brother?"
Chen Ji chuckled and said to the young Junyan: "My son, come and see your brother Wenlong. His words are really breathtaking. His ambition is higher than yours!" The Junyan said to Chen Long He cupped his hands and said, "It turns out it's Brother Wen Long, and I am Chen Qun. I have long words. Listening to my brother is worse than studying for ten years. I am not as good as me." Chen Long was ecstatic in his heart. Chen Qun was extremely intelligent and capable of internal affairs. No less than Jiang Wan, who once served Liu Bei but later switched to Cao Cao. Along with Xun Yu and Sima Yi, he served as Cao Cao's adviser and reached Dahonglu. Chen Long quickly bowed and saluted: "It turns out to be brother Changwen, whose name I have admired for a long time. I am Chen Long, courtesy name Wenlong, from Chang'an. I am now studying in Lingling County."
The two hit it off, and when talking about their age, Chen Qun was half a year older. During the family dinner at noon, Chen Long brought out the theory of political negotiation again. Chen Ji and Chen Qun were stunned for a moment, and the father and son expressed their deep admiration for Chen Long. When the wine was half drunk, Chen Qun raised his glass and said to Chen Long: "Brother, I admire your great talent today. Since we have the same surname, how about you and I becoming brothers with the same surname?" Chen Ji was delighted when he heard this. Chen Long was overjoyed. In front of his elders, he and Chen Qun drank wine and became brothers.
After dinner chatting, Chen Ji was very sleepy and went to take a nap. Before leaving, he asked Chen Long to stay longer so that he could meet the old patriarch. Chen Yong also went to meet acquaintances, leaving only Chen Long and Chen Qun. . Chen Long told Chen Qun that he wanted to go to Guo Mansion to meet Guo Jia tomorrow, but Chen Qun slapped his chest so loudly that he wrapped his arms around him. Chen Qun suddenly asked: "Brother, don't lie to me. Where do you live in Lingling? I heard someone rumored last month that Lingling was besieged by the Yellow Turbans. There was a man with the same name as you who drove away the Yellow Turbans and took the throne himself. The county governor implements benevolent government, aren't you my brother?"
Chen Long's face turned red and he knew he could no longer hide it. He said with a smile: "I know I can't hide it from my eldest brother, but this news spreads so fast. It's my younger brother who wants to help me succeed." Chen Qun said: "In this case, I am willing Helping our virtuous brothers for our common ambition is better than helping those corrupt officials in the court. But the old patriarch has strictly ordered us not to serve as officials. We have to find an opportunity to report this matter to the old patriarch for approval." Chen Long said happily: "Since eldest brother Promise, I'm very happy. I'll see you at the old patriarch's side, but I won't pay attention to you until later." After saying that, he replaced the wine with tea and drank it all with Chen Qun. After drinking, Chen Qun suddenly stood up and bowed to the tunnel: "Your Excellency, the county guard, Chen Qun is willing to do your best!
