Wang Xiaolie only saw a lake green dress and a pair of eyes. How old this person is, how good-looking he is, everything is unclear. Wang Xiaolie only saw one pair of eyes. These eyes are strange. Everything was ordinary, but in Wang Xiaolie's eyes, it was like bright stars in the sky.
Just for a moment, the figure turned through the bamboo forest and reached the other side, out of sight.
Wang Xiaolie rubbed his eyes and looked up again. Only two female envoys were seen holding oil-paper umbrellas, lowering their heads and smiling softly. Watching them talking and laughing, they turned around the bamboo forest and disappeared into the rain.
Looking stupidly in the direction of the bamboo forest, Wang Xiaolie had an unspeakable feeling in his heart. It's like meeting someone or something familiar to you after thousands of years. This feeling is very strange, as if it is very familiar, but I can't explain it. Just like when I was a child, I saw a beautiful city girl on the road behind the village, and the yearning I felt in my heart. Just like when I was in school, behind the hedge, a little girl raised her legs high and said step by step that she wanted to visit all the beautiful places in the world. Just like a little girl standing under a big tree on a rainy evening, crying. Just like after the exam, the beautiful girl did not do well and tore up the paper in frustration.
This feeling comes from how many years later, I have completely forgotten what that girl looked like, I only remember a feeling. Now, suddenly, the feeling is back. However, no matter how much he thought about it, Wang Xiaolie could not remember the past.
Zhike came over and clasped his hands together: "Donor, the yard has been tidied up. The rain is getting heavier, you can go in and have a rest."
Wang Xiaoxing thanked him. He couldn't help but said: "I just saw someone passing by here. Zhike, are there any other guests in the temple today?"
Zhike said: "This temple is very big, and there are always guests here. The people living nearby are Zeng Shicao's family."
Seeing Wang Xiaolie's expression, he was still very confused. Zhike added: "Zengwu, the grandson of Zengshe Renzhao, was a Jinshi during the Xuanhe period and a scholar in Bozhou during the Jingkang period. He was captured by the Jin people and would rather die than surrender, and his whole family was killed. Until last year, his younger brother Zengdun went to Haozhou to look for him. I want to welcome the bones back to my hometown for burial. I don’t want the Jin people to cross the river and wreak havoc in Jiangxi. I can’t return to my hometown for a while, so I stayed in this temple temporarily.”
Zeng Zhao was Zeng Gong's younger brother. He served as the official of Zhongshushe three times. Later, because of Zeng Bu's involvement, he was demoted and died. The Zeng family of Nanfeng was a famous family at this time. Although they were often implicated in political reforms, they were still famous all over the world.
Wang Xiaolie thought for a while and asked: "Bozhou to Jiangxi, why come to Xiangyang?"
Zhike said: "The two Huaihe Rivers have been in chaos in the past few years. There are rebels and bandits everywhere. They move carefully. Furthermore, Zeng Dun's grandmother, Mrs. Wei, is from Dengcheng, Xiangyang. She has relatives to trust when she comes here."
Wang Xiaolie nodded. I see.
Zeng Dun is the grandson of Zeng Bu and the cousin of Zeng Wu. His grandmother Wei Wan was one of the famous female poets in the Song Dynasty, known as Mrs. Wei. Mrs. Wei was originally from Dengcheng. She once came to Xiangyang and had relatives to seek refuge with.
Zeng Wu's mother is Su Che's fifth daughter, and he is Su Che's grandson. It is a common thing for these aristocratic families, wealthy families, and relatives to have relatives. Some celebrities in the literary world are relatives, and some become relatives after becoming famous.
Originally, Wang Xiaolie wanted to ask who passed by just now, but after thinking about it, he was abrupt and didn't ask any more questions.
In the yard, after changing clothes, Wang Xiaolie went to the hall to chat with Chen Yuyi. While he was talking, a soldier came in, saluted Wang Xiaolie and said, "For defense, there is a Zeng official outside who wants to see you."
Wang Xiaolie looked at Chen Yuyi. He said: "Please let the officials come in."
Not long after, a young man in his twenties or thirties came in. He saluted Wang Xiaolie: "I am Zeng Dun, a son of the Zeng family in Nanfeng. I have seen defenses."
Wang Xiaolie said: "Before I came in, I just heard from the monk Zhike that you were waiting here to welcome my brother's body. I told the counselor that if it is convenient, I would go visit him later."
"How dare! How dare!" Zeng Dun saluted repeatedly, but his expression softened a lot. Starting from Zeng Gong's generation, the Zeng family has produced Jinshi scholars all over the world. Although the Zeng family was later implicated because Zeng Bu was a reformist, it was still a prominent family in the world. Wang Xiaolie came from a poor family, so he should have yearned for such a prestigious family, and even fawned over them.
Wang Xiaolie ordered him to sit down and asked Zeng Dun, "I wonder if the officials are here to teach me?"
Zeng Dun was stunned for a moment. Thinking that he was living in a foreign land and had no home to return to, he handed over his hands and said, "My cousin Wu was originally a scholar in Bozhou. Because the Jin people went south to cause trouble, everyone in his family died in office. Last year, I was ordered to go to Bozhou to welcome his body. Because of the turmoil in the Huaihe River, , unable to leave for a while, he went around to Xiangyang Prefecture. My grandmother was from Dengcheng County, Xiangyang Prefecture, so I thought I could rely on him. Who would have thought that last year, when the Jin army crossed the Yangtze River and went south, Jiangxi was severely poisoned, and even those who had their homes could not return. A few days ago, I heard that the defense was victorious at Jingmen, and the Jin army seized the road back to the north of the Yangtze River from the Huaihe River. I originally thought that I could help my brother's coffin return home in the autumn. But I heard that there are so many bandits in Hunan and Jiangxi now - —”
Wang Xiaolie nodded: "That's right. After the Jin army left, the troops and thieves from Hunan and Jiangxi broke out into a mess, even worse than the Huaihe River. For a while, I'm afraid you won't be able to return home. .”
After hearing this, Zeng Dun sighed: "Yes. After hearing this, I was so worried that I couldn't even think about food and drink. In addition to me, there were also several relatives from my grandmother's family who also wanted to go south. I couldn't leave for a while. At Lumen How can it be so great to sit in a temple and eat nothing?"
Temples in the Song Dynasty also functioned as hotels. Officials and scholars on the road often stay in temples instead of hotels. There are few people, so it's okay to stay there for a short time, but if you stay there for a long time, you will definitely be annoying.
Wang Xiaolie heard the meaning behind Zeng Dun's words. He said: "Is it possible that the official has been away from home for a long time and has no money to make ends meet?"
Zeng Dun said: "When I came out, I brought enough money. In addition, my grandmother's family is also a local wealthy family, so it will be fine if I stay for a few years. Who would have thought that the Jin army came to Xiangyang the year before last, and my grandmother's house was robbed. Last year Another clan member committed a crime, and life is difficult now——"
Wang Xiaolie thought for a while. Cai Dao said: "Official, my place is different from other places. I don't like to give gifts as favors. If you give money, it won't go into the envoy's account and you can only pay it out of your own pocket. To tell you the truth, although I am in charge of several states, But I don’t have any spare money.”
Zeng Dun was stunned for a moment, but he didn't expect Wang Xiaolie to speak so straightforwardly. As a descendant of the Zeng family, no matter where he went, the local officials should give him dozens of taels of silver, but Wang Xiaolie didn't want to give him a penny.
Zeng Dun said: "I understand. It is certainly not easy to defend a place with several states. Just living in a temple and sitting on nothing will inevitably make people uncomfortable. I thought that if I can't go back to Nanfeng for a while, I might as well find something to do. I don't know Xiangyang Yamen, do you have any spare time?"
Looking at Zeng Dun, Wang Xiaolie shook his head with a smile: "The huge yamen in Xiangyang is of course short of people. However, in the current government, there is no idle work. As long as you are willing to work hard, you will get a lot of salary. But if you don't do anything, you can There will be no salary. Officer, you are our son and are familiar with poetry and books. If you are willing to do something, you can find a job in the Yamen."
After hearing this, Zeng Dun handed over his hand: "If so, thank you for the defense. I have been living in Lumen Temple for several months, and I am really bored."
After chatting for a few more words, Zeng Dun said goodbye and left.
Looking at Zeng Dun's leaving figure, Chen Yuyi said: "The Zeng family is a prominent family in this dynasty. If they are in trouble for a while, there is no point in helping others. Why should we refuse people thousands of miles away for defense? Whether it is Xiangyang or the Zhizhi Division, we can find It’s not difficult to get a job.”
Wang Xiaolie shook his head: "When the counselor first met me in Xiangyang, did he give you a sinecure?"
Chen Yuyi shook his head: "No. Although I didn't have much official work at the beginning, I was not idle either."
Wang Xiaolie said: "What a yamen or an army fears most is raising idle people. Of course, over time, there will be idle positions, which is inevitable. But these idle positions are often due to various reasons. People are not doing anything. Either they have someone to rely on, or these positions are reserved for emergencies. They are not set up casually. When there are idle positions in the yamen at any time and people can be placed, the yamen should be rectified!"
Chen Yuyi was surprised when he heard this. He hurriedly raised his hands and said, "That's right about defense. I have learned a lesson!"
When the yamen is big and there are many people under it, there must be idle posts. Wang Xiaolie can't control this kind of thing. If we take care of these things every day, the army and the government will have big problems. But this does not mean that Wang Xiaolie's subordinates have special idle positions. Zeng Dun had thought that Wang Xiaolie, like other generals in command of the army, must have some positions and only receive a salary and do nothing, but he was wrong.
