The 19th day of the twelfth lunar month, the day before the wedding.
Gu Zhengchen practiced and taught in the morning as usual.
Mu Chun and Mu Sheng listened with rapt attention. This was the last lesson before New Year's Day. Their father said that Mr. Gu would be getting married tomorrow, and he would be newlyweds soon. He would not have time to teach, so he would have to teach after the fifth day of the first lunar month.
Gu Zhengchen was getting excited when he was talking, and five men stood at the door ignorantly. Gu Zhengchen threw out the chalk in his hand without even thinking about it.
Wu Rong raised his hand to catch the chalk tip and snorted: "Mr. Gu, the angel is here."
"What an angel? God asked him to wait even when he came."
Gu Zhengchen continued his lecture. Just after he said a sentence, he suddenly felt something was wrong. He turned to look at Wu Rong and said with an unnatural expression on his face: "You said the angel is coming?"
Wu Rong said with a cold face: "Mr. Gu heard clearly."
Gu Zhengchen was very depressed. He thought that the winged angels in the West were the emperor's envoys.
This has to be done. If you neglect the angels, you are neglecting God. If you neglect God, you are neglecting God's son. As the emperor, Lao Zhu will be angry.
If you can't make it in class, then go to the front yard.
As soon as he arrived in the front yard, Gu Zhengchen saw a familiar figure, raised his hands and said, "This is not Chamberlain Zhao."
When Zhao Xun saw Gu Zhengchen, he laughed and took out the imperial edict from his wide sleeves: "The emperor has sent us to announce the edict to the Gu family. Please bow to the people of the Gu family and listen to the edict."
Gu Mu, Gu Qingqing, Liu Qian'er, Zhang Pei and others all saluted.
Gu Zhengchen knelt at the front, lowering his head and listening to Zhao Xun reciting the imperial edict.
It is now the sixth year of Hongwu's reign, and the Ming Dynasty has not yet established a pedestrian department. At this time, the personnel responsible for conveying orders are not fixed. They can be eunuchs or officials.
Zhao Xun cleared his throat, took a deep look at Gu Zhengchen, and read: "The emperor is destined to be the emperor, and the edict says: Since the three emperors and five emperors, ignorance has begun, the four poles have been established, and the nine tripods of mountains and rivers..."
Gu Zhengchen was confused when he heard this. This imperial edict was definitely not written by Lao Zhu. With Lao Zhu's level of education, he would never be able to write such elegant and boring words.
Just pass the decree, why do we have to start with the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors? Without these people, we won't be able to talk about things.
Just when Gu Zhengchen was feeling dizzy and trying to understand Wen's words, Zhao Xun suddenly paused, coughed, and continued reading: "Today, there is Gu Zhengchen from Teng County, who is the first to demonstrate the body-building technique, and the whole army will spread it." , Strengthening the army is a great achievement; the latecomers offering alcohol to save thousands of soldiers from perishing on the front line are an important weapon for the country, and the most important weapon of the army is a great achievement. I remember that you have worked hard, although you have not gone into battle to kill the enemy. However, because of your military merits, I will grant you the title of Quanzhou County Male, with an annual salary of 400 dan, and you will be hereditary..."
"What?"
Gu Zhengchen opened his mouth wide and looked at Zhao Xun in shock.
A man from Quanzhou County?
What is that stuff?
Zhao Xun read a few words hastily, shouted "I appreciate this" and waited for Gu Zhengchen to thank him. Gu Zhengchen was dumbfounded, but it was Gu's mother who pressed him to thank him.
Gu's mother was very happy. Her child had great potential and was awarded a knighthood at such a young age. Although he was the lowest county boy among the fifth-class knighthood, it was still a knighthood after all.
Gu Qingqing and Liu Qian'er were both happy for Gu Zhengchen, but they didn't realize that Muchun had clenched his fists and looked so angry that even Wu Rong and Zhang Pei couldn't believe it.
Gu Zhengchen took the imperial edict and looked at it carefully. Yes, Quanzhou County man, the four words were clear and there were no typos.
But, whose idea was this? Which wicked guy is cursing himself?
Lao Zhu, you must have been deceived, right? How could you, a shrewd person like you, allow this to happen?
In the Ming Dynasty, there were indeed five levels of nobility: duke, marquis, uncle, county son, and county male. This is a fact.
There is just one problem. In the third year of Hongwu, although the system of five-level nobility was clearly defined, when Lao Zhu was ennobled, in addition to the Duke, only marquis and earl were granted, and there was not a county son or a county boy. !
This is not to say that there were no county sons and county men in the Ming Dynasty, such as Wang Fengxian, the son of Luoshan County, Chang Desheng, the son of Huaiyuan County, Sun Yan, the son of Danyang County, and so on.
But whether it's the county sons or the county men, they are all posthumous titles.
In other words, in the six years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there has not been a living county son or county boy. The titles of these two levels are all reserved for the dead...
Now that you have named yourself a county boy, isn't this a curse to your own death?
If you are hereditary and neglectful, you are planning to curse future generations!
Gu Zhengchen stopped Zhao Xun who was about to run away, and said with a sullen face: "Servant Zhao, what do you mean by this?"
Zhao Xun said with a smile on his face: "The man from Gu County is young and promising. He has been awarded a title at a young age. He is getting married tomorrow. It is really a double happiness."
"Double Happiness, your sister!"
Gu Zhengchen became furious, raised the imperial edict in his hand, and asked, "Whose idea was this?"
Zhao Xun knew the problem, but he still pretended to be relaxed: "This is the result of the discussion between Zhongshu, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Metropolitan Governor's Office and His Majesty. Why is the man from County Gu dissatisfied with the imperial reward?"
Gu Zhengchen gritted his teeth, his face uncertain.
Gu's mother hurriedly sent Zhao Xun away. When she turned around, Gu Zhengchen had been carried to the backyard. After asking, she found out that he had just kicked a stone in anger and stung his foot...
Gu Zhengchen couldn't help but be angry, Lao Zhu, Lao Zhu, if you can't afford it, don't give it. It's also acceptable to send some silver and copper coins. What's the point of getting a title specially awarded to the dead?
Just as Gu Zhengchen was lying on the wicker chair in the backyard, with Mu Chun helping him calm down, a strange face appeared in front of Gu Zhengchen. He looked at it with interest, turned around and asked, "Mu Ying, what's going on here?" Is he a man from Gu County?"
Mu Ying nodded repeatedly and winked at Gu Zhengchen. She was about to step forward to introduce him, but was stopped by Xu Da.
Xu Da sat next to Gu Zhengchen and said calmly: "The imperial court made you a county boy. I heard that you were angry and even got angry at a stone."
Although Gu Zhengchen didn't know the person in front of him, he knew from Mu Ying's respectful expression that the person coming was not simple. However, he was so angry that he really didn't want to move, so he directly replied: "If I call you the county boy, you will How about it?"
Xu Da took the tea bowl handed over by Wu Rong and did not drink it. He just said with a natural expression: "I will lead people to demolish his home."
Gu Zhengchen sat up and looked deeply at Xu Da: "Can you lend me some people? I also want to demolish the house."
Xu Da was stunned for a moment and asked, "Whose home are you planning to demolish?"
Gu Zhengchen gritted his teeth and lay back again: "That's it."
Xu Da looked at Gu Zhengchen who was swallowing air and smiled: "Did you know that Zhongshu argued for nine days in a row about your reward before finally deciding on this result?"
"I'd rather not."
Gu Zhengchen said bluntly.
Xu Da shook his head slightly: "In the three years of Hongwu's great feudalism, there were no county sons or county sons. This is because Your Majesty considered that if the county sons and county sons were granted the title, how many county sons and county men would there be in the Ming Dynasty?"
"The title should not be used indiscriminately, and the majesty should not be desecrated. In the end, those who should have been granted the titles of county son and county son were granted the title of commander, Qianhu, and deputy Qianhu. You must know that county son and county son are not just for chasing titles. I reserved it just because I had no choice at the time."
