"The wax one is the connection, the handover of the new and the old, so the big sacrifice is to repay the merits."
"The name of Xia is Jiaping, and the name of Yin is Qingsi. The Zhou Dynasty used wax, and the Han Dynasty changed it to wax. The wax people are hunters, and they hunt animals in the fields to sacrifice their ancestors."
——Ying Shao's "Customs and Customs"
The New Year's Day is approaching, and things inside and outside Luoyang, the capital, have become lively.
The mansion of the Duke of Gongqing, which is usually high in the mountains, has also begun to worship ancestors just like the home of Li common people; it is decorated with peach figures, hanging reeds and wild rice, and painted tigers on the door to protect against evil.
The emperor's home is even more grand.
After the emperor Cao Rui led the clansmen to worship in the Ancestral Temple, he also inherited the rites of the former Han Dynasty and selected a total of one hundred and twenty children of the Zhonghuang clan aged ten to twelve years old as his sons. Within the palace confinement, drums were beaten to make noise to drive away Nuo.
However, all this excitement has nothing to do with Xia Houhui.
Originally, he had the intention to go back to his family's ancestral hall to worship his ancestors according to folk customs, but when he arrived in front of the Anning Tinghou Mansion, the gatekeeper guarding the house informed him that Xia Houheng had specifically ordered him not to enter.
Just to paraphrase, he bowed repeatedly and asked Xia Houhui not to embarrass a servant like him.
Because if Xia Houhui barged in, he didn't dare to stop him and couldn't stop him. Then he would be killed by Xia Houheng's stick.
In response to this, Xia Houhui could only turn back angrily.
Of course he knew that with his eldest brother Xia Houheng's gentle temperament, he would not be able to kill his subordinates with a stick.
Moreover, the original intention of not allowing him to return to the house to offer sacrifices was based on the previous private agreement between the two of them, and they acted as brothers against each other to show to outsiders. In this case, why should he embarrass a disciple?
Even when I turned around to return, I felt a regret quietly falling into my heart——
Alas, I can't go to the house and have a good meal of wine and meat.
Yes, since he moved out of the Anning Tinghou Mansion, he has never eaten wine and meat again!
You have to do a full set for acting~
They all moved to private houses outside the city and crowded into servants' homes. How could they not lack food and wine?
Moreover, when he asked his eldest brother for money and silk at home, Xia Houheng's reaction was to ask him to read the "Book of Filial Piety" again, and not to force his eldest brother to do things like sticks and sticks, just to make outsiders laugh.
It’s right to think about it.
You know, although the Xiahou family is quite wealthy, they have seven brothers!
After all the brothers had heirs, Xia Houheng still had to select two to adopt to Xia Hou, who died young. Xia Hou Rong was given blood food, and the family property also had to be divided into seven parts~
Moreover, Xia Houheng had previously used his family's wealth to make up for the difference in keeping the horses in the palace. He also allocated dozens of acres of farmland and more than forty households at the west end of Yangqu, the boundary of Yiyang County, to him. Thinking of asking for money?!
Not asking for a beating!
But Xia Houhui was also helpless.
He is not greedy for money, he just raised many children outside.
And after he had a premonition that he could not change the trajectory of history by persuading Emperor Cao Rui, he planned to raise more.
It’s not a lot, maybe three to five hundred would be enough.
Logically speaking, if three to five hundred people and children are placed at the west end of Yangqu, they can afford food, clothing, housing and transportation, but he does not intend to treat them as tenants~
Except for the weak, sick and disabled who will be sent to work as farmers in the future, the rest of them can either be skilled in swordsmanship and martial arts and serve as minions of dead soldiers, or they can be outstanding in learning and can be quietly arranged by him to join the army as a hundred-man general or five-man general. The governor of a hundred people, or the food, knife, and pen clerk of Ren Gongqing's residence.
In this case, the initial investment cost will naturally be very high.
For example, if you ask a husband to teach you how to read, or a warrior to teach you martial arts, it will cost a lot of money; for those with outstanding talents and learning, you need to find a family with an innocent family background to register them, so that others will not find out that they are people who worship Xia Houhui as their main person.
The most important point is that these children cannot be raised together.
First of all, I don't want to be accused of treason by others just because I support you.
On the other hand, it is an indispensable precaution to be on guard against others.
In the face of interests, it is sometimes difficult for human nature to withstand the test.
In the future, if there is a white-eyed wolf among these children who cannot withstand the temptation of power and becomes a traitor and reports this matter, all the children will be exposed.
And keeping them separately and free-range among the people will prevent all the hard work from being in vain.
The most important thing is that with fewer people exposed, people will not think of Xia Houhui as having ulterior motives.
Domestic Slave and Buqu~
What noble family doesn’t raise a few?
Moreover, in Xia Houhui's heart, he hoped that he would never have to use these children throughout his life.
Because once it is used, things have reached the worst point.
Yes, he has no rebellious intentions.
The reason for making such preparations, which are like treason, is that loyalty seems to be a traitor, and I want to reserve a glimmer of hope for Wei Guo's survival in the future.
In other words, why did he choose this path with the highest risk?
Obviously, he was born in the Xiahou family, and he held the noble position of Sanqi Shilang. He only needed to be accompanied by a good companion to win the favor of the emperor Cao Rui, be careful in his words and deeds, and have good relations with all the officials in the temple, so that he could also be in the temple in the future.
Having a certain right to speak can also extend Cao Wei's life, so why take desperate risks?
This is the theory, but it doesn't work in practice.
Nowadays, the gentry has become powerful, and the powers in the court have been clearly divided among the princes. Even the emperor Cao Rui is blocked in front of the chancellery!
He is just a newcomer who has just entered the official career. How can He De stand at the pinnacle of power and influence government affairs as he wishes?
Perhaps, he kept his own integrity and served his duties humbly, and chose to be a vassal of a group of forces in the DPRK and China in an attempt to become the leader of this group of forces. In the end, the result was nothing more than a dream!
It is precisely because of this that after the emperor Cao Rui wanted him to be a lonely minister, he followed the trend and offended the nobles and expelled himself from the clan to establish his image as a loyal minister of the country and attract other like-minded people to attach themselves to him.
Turn yourself into a leader of a powerful group of people.
As the saying goes, if you are poor, you will change, and if you change, you will be successful.
Since there is no hope of breaking through the current situation, then find another way!
Moreover, when he just started to change his strategy and establish the image of a lonely minister of the country, he was already reaping the rewards!
It was Du Shu who was appointed Zhonglang again by the emperor.
Just when Xia Houhui was kicked out of the house by his eldest brother and was taken in by a servant, and became a meal in the capital, Du Shu paid him an uninvited visit.
Yes, when Xia Houhui recommended him to Shangshu, he did not come to express his gratitude immediately.
It's not that he doesn't feel grateful.
But since he never interacts with others, if he came to express his gratitude as soon as he got back together, it would bring unnecessary trouble to both of them.
For example, Emperor Cao Rui would feel that Xia Houhui recommended him out of selfish motives.
Furthermore, the public officials and ministers will also regard the two of them as partisans and crooks seeking official power.
returning a Favour many times more.
In Du Shu's eyes, if he received the favor of Xia Houhui's recommendation, he should keep it in his heart and repay Xia Houhui in the future when he was in despair.
There is no need to stick to human relationships and express gratitude in words.
Now, it was Xia Houhui who was in despair.
Du Shu was a very simple man and did not have any worries in his heart, so when he came to visit, he asked his servants to bring him a lot of money.
The meaning is obvious.
He wanted to let the "poor" Xia Houhui buy a small house because a gentleman has the right to make money, so that he would not be crowded with servants and make others laugh.
Well, Du Shu is quite wealthy.
Although his father, Du Ji, was very poor in his early years, he had lived as a county guard for a long time. At that time, the world was in turmoil. Li Shu abandoned their farmland and hid in the mountains and forests to avoid the war. Therefore, there was a lot of unowned land. Du Ji also used his salary to purchase many acres of land.
, leaving a family fortune for his children and grandchildren who would not have to worry about food and clothing.
However, Xia Houhui rejected his kindness.
"Brother Wu Bo, I am here to support you and agree with your words. I am not trying to repay you with money or silk."
He said this with a look of justice on his face.
Right.
He never wanted money, but he was greedy for Du Shu's body. Ahem! He wanted Du Shu to become a like-minded person~
Du Shu didn't think that much.
After hearing the rejection, he smiled sternly and advised in a gentle tone, "Zhiquan misunderstood. I am not repaying him with money or silk, but I have no ability to manage life, and I have no friends in the capital, so I will
I thought about entrusting these treasures to Zhi Quan for safekeeping so that I can come back if necessary in the future."
"Oh, brother, I can't even find a good reason for not keeping friends with others."
Xia Houhui smiled at such a lame excuse. After joking, he changed the subject and asked solemnly, "Brother Wu Bo has been reinstated into the court. If he sees that the atmosphere in the court is not right or that the ministers do not act, what will happen to him?"
Brother, as always, you don’t care about your official career, why don’t you impeach me?”
"That's natural!"
Although he didn't know why Xia Houhui asked such a question, it did not prevent Du Shu from immediately answering him solemnly and saying without thinking, "It is a matter of loyalty to the emperor to eat the emperor's salary. Although I am not talented, I still want to serve the country, so why don't I dare to say it!"
"
"good!"
Hearing this, Xia Houhui raised his palms and praised him.
Then he raised his hands in a salute and said, "If this is the case, brother, there is no need to remember my recommendation."
Uh~
Du Shu was stunned for a moment.
Immediately, he stood in awe, took a step back and bowed in salute, "Now I know Zhiquan's heart! I won't give more advice, which would be an insult to Zhiquan's high righteousness!"
After the ceremony, without waiting for Xiahou Hui to say anything, he turned around and left with his servants and money.
It also made Xiahou Hui open his mouth, and finally rubbed his belly in vain.
I don’t accept gifts of money or silk from you, but I can accept a meal of wine and meat~
It's almost noon. I should take out the wheat rice mixed with gravel to remind you to take me to a wine shop for a banquet. Why are you walking so fast!
Really!
Alas, it seems that we have to wait a few more days until Emperor Cao Rui gives a banquet in the palace to satisfy our craving.
After muttering secretly, Xia Houhui smiled again.
Because he knew that after this conversation, he was inseparable from introducing Du Shu as a fellow traveler.
After all, villains seduce others in order to benefit, and gentlemen deceive them in order to gain advantage.
If someone like Du Shu imitated Yan Dan's treatment of Jing Ke, that would be the last resort~