The next day, Pujiang County issued summonses to the families of the eight missing persons to come to the county government to discuss follow-up matters.
In order to show respect for the first family in Jiangnan, Wang Xian decided to go to Zhengzhai Town in person.
It is said that he has been in Pujiang County for some time, and he is very familiar with this first family in the south of the Yangtze River. However, except that most of the people around him are named Zheng, he has no personal experience of the power of the Zheng family. He only knows that the taxes in Pujiang County are...
The Zheng family has always collected the money on schedule, without the need for the government to go to the countryside to collect the money, and there has been no mistake for many years. When the people of Pujiang County have disputes, they always come to Zhengzhai Town to find the Zheng family master for settlement, and once the decision is made, no matter whether they win or lose, they will not do it again.
He went to the government to impose a heavy sentence; he also heard that all the labor collection, water conservancy construction, bridge construction and road construction in Pujiang County were all handled by the Zheng family, and the government only needed to assign tasks and check and accept them at the time...
In short, the feeling given to him is that Pujiang is the Zheng family, and the Zheng family is Pujiang!
Such a family is supposed to dominate the countryside, be powerful in Jinhua, and even radiate Zhejiang... However, on the contrary, such a powerful giant is so low-key and quiet, so low-key that no one can feel its existence, so quiet that it is never heard.
No news about it.
Today, Wang Xian will personally visit Zhengzhai Town to see this famous but silent first store in Jiangnan!
The group left the county town and rode twenty miles east to Zhengzhai Town, where the Zheng family's original family lived. As the name suggests, the entire town is the Zheng family's house, and the Zheng family's house is Zhengzhai Town!
From a distance, you can see the green mountains covering the ancient town. Surrounding the ancient town are endless golden rice fields. Farmers are busy harvesting in autumn. In the fields, there are also peasant women singing in a gentle voice:
"Outside the gate of Zunjiudu, a solitary sail is flying on the water. The blue clouds and all the old people are gone, and a few people with gray hair have returned."
Fish soup and rice in the wind and rain, haze and cranes in cloaks. Because you are so happy, I also dream of Chai Fei...,
Wang Xian and others were surprised when they heard the song. This first family in the south of the Yangtze River really lived up to its reputation. Even the peasant women working in the fields were so elegant. Xianyun, who had always been insulated from curiosity, couldn't help but ask: "Who composed this song?"
"
"This is Mr. Qianxi's song." In terms of poetry, Wang Xian is better than Xianyun. At least he knows that this poem was written by Song Lian. He couldn't help but sigh: "Speaking of which, this is also the hometown of the first civil servant who founded the country."
Song Lian, also known as Qianxi, was once the main strategist for Emperor Taizu to conquer the world. It was from him that Taizu launched his Northern Expedition to conquer the Yuan Dynasty. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Song Lian was praised by Taizu as the leader of the founding civil servants. He was only a member of the Taizu Dynasty.
It is too difficult to have a good death in civil and military affairs. Even if the wisdom and calmness are like Liu Bowen and Song Qianxi, they retreat bravely from the rapids early, but they still cannot escape the bad luck of being implicated... Song Lian's grandson Song Shen was implicated in the Hu Weiyong case, and his family was exiled to Maozhou. Song Lian died of illness there.
en route.
Thinking of Song Lian's fate, several people couldn't help but sigh, until they approached the entrance of the town, they suddenly looked up and saw a series of archways standing on the street, meandering in groups, which was extremely spectacular.
The first archway is also the tallest, largest and most exquisite. It is elegant and thick with carved beams and painted pillars. It has five big golden characters written on it, "The first one in Jiangnan", and it is signed by Zhu Yuanzhang!
There is also a couplet under it that reads: 'The kindness and filial piety are unparalleled in the world, the first one in the south of the Yangtze River is Gunxiu'!
Everyone hurriedly dismounted without saluting, and then dared to walk inside. The second archway was inscribed with the words "filial piety and righteousness throughout the door". Further inside, the third archway was inscribed with the inscription "Three Dynasties Banners", and the fourth archway was inscribed with the inscription "In Order".
.After the 'Orderly' archway, there are the 'Ende' archway, the 'Linfeng' archway', the 'Nine Generations Cohabitation' archway... The last archway is called 'Qiyi Chengren'!
The nine archways stand there quietly, silently telling the nobility and glory of the first family in Jiangnan. It makes people feel awe and dare not make mistakes. After passing under the nine archways, the group feels like walking on a pilgrimage.
The journey became silent and solemn, even the most lively Lingxiao was no exception.
A thought flashed through Wang Xian's mind. How depressed would the people in the town be when they were pressed down by nine archways? But when he passed through the archways, he saw a small stream more than ten feet wide winding up, with gurgling and crystal clear water.
The clear water swept away the solemn atmosphere. Going upstream, I saw ten stone bridges on the stream, framing the north and south. Pomegranates were planted beside the stream. It was September, when the pomegranates were ripe and bright red.
Pomegranate fruits hang all over the branches, complementing the green willows...
The houses in the town are built next to the river, with white walls and black tiles, small bridges and flowing water. There are wine flags and shops in front of the market, and the chickens and dogs smell each other.
, I made the mistake of empiricism again
Because the accompanying officers were wearing green and red uniforms, the people in the town knew that they were coming from the government. Instead of being as fearful as ordinary country people, a middle-aged man in a Gebu robe stepped forward and saluted with great respect:
"The little man Zheng Xun, the seven-mile-long leader of Zhengzhai Town, would like to greet the second master?"
"You know me?" Wang Xian asked curiously.
"On the day when the second master took office, I was in the queue to welcome him and had the honor to see his face." Zheng Xun said respectfully: "There is a humble house in front of me. Please go and sit down for a while, eat some tea and fruits, and wait in front of me.
Go and inform the clan leader."
"How dare you disturb the old man?" Wang Xian shook his head and said with a smile: "I came here this time to see the first family in Jiangnan, and to deliver a summons from the government to your brother Zheng Yan. Because it was official business, I was not polite.
, I’d better make a special trip to visit the old man next time.
"The second master is so polite. It's just a false reputation. It's just an old thing. Don't mention it again." Zheng Xun shook his head and said, "If my uncle knew that I didn't know him, he would definitely be punished." After that, he invited Wang Xian to come into the house.
Zheng Xun's house is a two-story house with three entrances. It is very compact, but there is a clump of daylily planted on the patio, several poles of bamboo, and a few banana leaves. The walls in the house are painted white, and the decorations are simple but not complicated. The furniture is simply arranged.
, there are several elegant calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall, and a couplet is really eye-catching:
'There is no better way to nourish the heart than to have few desires; there is no greater happiness than reading.'
"I have heard for a long time that the Zheng family cultivates and reads family members, and both men and women are literate, and every family has talented and learned people. Today, I saw that it is indeed well-deserved." Wang Xian pretended to nod in appreciation.
This made Lingxiao and Xianyun look at each other. Doesn't this little Xianzi hate the most sarcastic words? Why did he do it himself?
"A prize, a prize, a prize." The answer was, a tall old man with gray hair and a childish face, holding a dragon-headed crutch in one hand and supported by a middle-aged man on the other, walked in tremblingly.
Wang Xian hurriedly stood up and saluted: "I'm here to pay homage to Mr. Fengjun, and wish him long life." Talking to people and talking to ghosts is the basic training of an actor.
"Don't you dare? Help the second master up quickly." The old man was Zheng Tang, the head of the Zheng clan. He ordered his son Zheng Yan to help Wang Xian up. Although the second master was really a bit tender.
When they were seated, Wang Xian insisted on inviting the old man to take the seat. He was at the bottom and said in fear: "I didn't want to disturb the old man."
"What are you talking about, Mr. Er? It's your first time at Hanzhuang. I should have welcomed you from a distance." The old man shook his head and said with a smile, "Now this is already rude."
"In front of the old man, you should never take the word 'Second Master' seriously. Let's just call him 'Zhongde'." Wang Xian said modestly.
"The second master really scares me..."
The two argued for a long time, and finally ended up with Mr. Zheng replacing "Second Master" with "Sir". Then Mr. Zheng asked: "I don't know what the evil son has committed. Do you want your Excellency to come and deliver the ticket in person?"
"The old man misunderstood." Wang Xian said with a smile: "How could Brother Zheng break the law? I am just here on a routine basis in response to the constitutional order of patrolling the road to conclude old cases.
"But for my poor grandson-in-law?" Mr. Zheng said with a gloomy expression.
"Exactly." Wang Xian nodded: "It has been a full year since this case was put on hold. Shelving it is not an option. I would like to ask Mr. Zheng and Mr. Zheng for some advice on how to deal with it."
Mr. Zheng looked at his son, and the middle-aged man standing aside said softly: "The Han family has always abided by laws and regulations, so naturally it is up to the second master to decide."
"That's right." Mr. Zheng nodded and said, "The Han family and the government have been searching for a whole year, not only in this county, but also in the entire Jinhua Mansion, but they still haven't found it..." As he spoke, he took out his handkerchief and wiped the corners of his eyes.
He said in a low voice: "We can't cause any more trouble to the government."
"We can't talk about trouble, but hanging like this does make the living suffer day and night." Wang Xian sighed: "In my opinion, can this case be closed?"
"How to end it?"
"As long as the missing person's family agrees, the account can be closed as a missing person." Wang Xian said calmly: "After the account is closed, the case will naturally disappear."
"Is there such a thing?" Zheng Yan said in surprise. "I've never heard of it before."
"This is a new regulation from the Ministry of Punishment. It has just been promulgated a few months ago." Wang Xiandao: "You can discuss it with the groom's family. If you are willing to understand, please come to me at the County Government Office of History in three days and I will issue a document for you."
"Yes, this matter needs to be discussed with the in-laws." Zheng Yan nodded.
"If you agree, please ask the groom's parents and your wife to go to the county government office together." Wang Xian stood up and said: "Everyone hopes that this page will be closed as soon as possible so that they can live peacefully. I will take my leave and wait for good news in three days."
"Sir, you can't leave," Mr. Zheng took Wang Xian's hand and said, "This is the first time you come to my Zheng family. If you don't leave without a glass of water and wine, you will make people laugh at me for being ignorant."
"That's it." Wang Xian grinned and said, "Being respectful is worse than obeying orders."
"That's exactly what I mean!" Mr. Zheng said happily: "Please move to Han's house, the banquet should have been prepared."
"please."
"please."
So an old man and a young man came together to the main house of the Zheng family. It was much grander here, with a large courtyard with five entrances, a spacious hall, free-range chickens, fresh fish from the stream, vegetables in the courtyard, and all kinds of food.
The fine wine brewed was a sumptuous banquet. The old man and the young man drank and chatted in harmony, until the evening, Wang Xian was so drunk that he fell asleep...