That night, Wang Xian stayed at Zheng's house. At dawn the next day, he heard the sound of bells ringing outside continuously. He got up and went out to watch, and saw that the Zheng family had already gotten up one after another. Zheng Yan came up to greet him and said apologetically: "
I've woken you up.'
"It doesn't matter." Wang Xian shook his head and asked, "Why are you ringing the bell?"
"This is the ancestral motto of my Zheng family. Ring the Huishan bell twenty-four times at Mao hour every day, and the whole family will wake up. Ring it four more times and wash your hands at the same time. Ring it eight more times, and the men and women will line up in front of the Shijian Hall of the ancestral hall.
Listen to the patriarch's instructions." Zheng Yan introduced.
Wang Xian has experienced clan life. Although his Wang clan is very particular, it is far from such rules... He couldn't help but asked with interest: "Can outsiders participate?"
"Outsiders are not allowed to participate," Zheng Yan said with a smile, "But the second master is not considered an outsider." He extended his hand and said, "Please."
"Please." Wang Xian took a moment to wash up, then followed Zheng Yan to the Zheng Ancestral Hall. The ancestral hall is the core building of Zhengzhai Town and is huge in scale. It is divided into five sections. The first one is the Shijian Hall, with a hanging hanging in the middle.
There is a plaque of "Xiaoyi Family" written by Taizu, and a couplet on the pillars on both sides, "Historians do not use spring and autumn pens, the emperor personally writes to Xiaoyi Family". On the left and right walls, there are eight-foot-high characters "loyalty" and "righteousness" on each side!
Majestic and upright!
Wang Xian couldn't help but asked curiously: "The person who can cooperate with the emperor must be an important minister and a famous scholar, right?"
"Haha..." Zheng Yan's honest face flashed with a hint of nervousness: "It's been too long, I don't remember."
"Oh." Wang Xianxin said, it may have been written by Song Lian, but Tai Shigong has not yet been rehabilitated, so it is difficult to mention it.
Little did he know that this couplet was inscribed by Fang Xiaoru of the Yi clan... It was already a great courage for the Zheng family to dare to hang on to it, so how could they dare to say it openly?
There are several vigorous and winding cypress trees planted in front of Shijian Hall, and there is a pond next to it, one big and two small, forming the shape of the word "pin". The ancient cypress pond symbolizes noble conduct and evergreen lineage.
Next, Wang Xian saw an unforgettable scene... Amidst the melodious sound of bells, the men and women of the Zheng family came out of the morning light. Everyone was neatly dressed and solemn. Although there were thousands of people, there were many
Not cluttered, busy but not chaotic, advancing and retreating in an orderly manner. Inside and outside the courtyard, men and women are separated to the left and right, each in his own place. Apart from the rustling of footsteps, not even a cough can be heard.
After everyone was in their places, the sound of drums sounded in front of the hall. Zheng Yan quietly told Wang Xian that this was the beating of the "teaching drum". When the drum was beaten, it meant that the patriarch began to lecture. However, the old patriarch was old and would give orders unless necessary.
The outstanding ones among the children recite the family rules on their behalf.
Wang Xian nodded and saw the whole place was solemn amid the sound of drums. The old patriarch was sitting in the middle, and a Qingjin disciple stood in front of the hall, reciting the Zheng family rules aloud:
"The prosperity and decline of a family are all related to the accumulation of good and evil... A family that accumulates good will have its remaining blessings, and a home that accumulates bad deeds will have its remaining disasters. It is a clear law of heaven..."
"Everyone who is a son must be filial to his parents; a wife must respect her husband; a brother must love his brother; a brother must respect his brother..."
"Young people must not resist their elders. When they are scolded by their elders, no matter whether it is right or wrong, they should bow their heads and accept it silently without being unreasonable. When they see their elders, they must get up when they sit and walk in order. Even if a nephew is over sixty years old, he is not allowed to interact with his uncle.
Sitting together."
"You must pay homage to your ancestors during the Lunar New Year, and offer sacrifices at all times; the young must follow the elders, and the words must be ethical..."
Following the disciple's melodious rhymes, Mr. Zheng shook his head and recited. Thousands of men and women in the clan also recited in unison. The sound was brilliant, penetrating the sky, and washing the sky and people's hearts spotlessly. When the recitation was completed,
After a moment of quiet contemplation, the tribesmen entered the two large dining halls on the left and right to eat. On the left is the 'Tongxin Hall', which is where men eat, and on the right is 'Anzhen Hall,' which is where women gather. They are all lined up.
There are rows of long tables, and the food and drinks on the tables are all obtained from the hard work of the tribesmen. Although they are not rich, they are safe to eat.
Without seeing it with their own eyes, it would be difficult for future generations to imagine such a lively but not noisy scene of thousands of people having dinner. What kind of harmonious and harmonious scene is this? It simply cleanses the soul, like a spring breeze...
Wang Xianyi was so fascinated that he finally understood that the true belief of our Chinese people is not Buddhism, Taoism, or Confucianism, but clan.
In China, clan is religion and belief!
Wang Xian was invited to eat in the small canteen in the backyard, which was prepared for pregnant women and postpartum women, and was occasionally used to entertain distinguished guests.
The food was naturally sumptuous, but Wang Xian was filled with the excitement of a pilgrim, and said to Mr. Zheng: "I know that the Zheng family's rule is 'no words when eating, no words when sleeping', but there are a few questions that are kept in the chest and are not asked.
, I really don’t like the taste.”
Mr. Zheng twisted his beard and said with a smile: "My lord, just ask."
"How can these thousands of people be so organized?" Wang Xian asked. This will be difficult to do six hundred years later, unless Foxconn...
"It's not difficult to say. If there is order, there will be no chaos, and if there is no chaos, there will be peace." Mr. Zheng said slowly: "I, the Zheng family, have been living together and eating together for hundreds of years. Without order, there will definitely be chaos. For this reason, I, the Zheng family, specialize in
After setting up the Youxu Hall, formulating one hundred and sixty-eight family rules, and giving instructions every day, and passing them down from generation to generation, everything will naturally become orderly."
Then the old man gave Wang Xian a lot of examples. In addition to the order of elders and children, order of superiority and order, order of men and women, the Zheng family even stipulated the time for getting up, three meals, and clothes, shoes and hats according to the season.
There are rules for distribution, when to wear clothes of what material, and what age women should wear what kind of jewelry... Another example is the upbringing of disciples, who must learn etiquette when they are five years old, study from the age of eight to the age of twenty, and those who are motivated by learning
Continue to study, there is no hope of learning financial management at home. Gambling is not allowed, drinking is not allowed before adulthood, you must walk within thirty miles, and you are not allowed to read illegal books...
Wang Xian was dumbfounded. Why is this style so familiar? When the old man proudly introduced that when Emperor Taizu formulated the rules of the Ming Dynasty, they were based on the Zheng family rules, he suddenly realized that Emperor Taizu's kind of continuous pulling
The source of the turtle-hair method of controlling shit and farts is here!
It is possible to implement such meticulous rules within a clan, but in a country, it is purely wishful thinking. Therefore, the glory of the Zheng family is revered, so most of Taizu's rules have become decorations...
After breakfast, Wang Xian declined the Zheng family's offer to stay and went back to the county.
Mr. Zheng sent him to the entrance of the town. Seeing that Wang Xian was very interested in those archways, he proudly explained to him the stories behind the archways. Wang Xian looked inexplicably impressed when he heard that, full of reverence, and fainted.
I almost went back to the county.
Watching the group of people leaving, the old man of the Zheng family stood under the archway of "The First Family in Jiangnan". He was still leaning on the faucet, but his back was straight, and he no longer looked senile.
Zheng Yan stood aside with his hands down, and said with a relaxed look on his face: "It's too tender."
"But there was a letter from the province saying that this Wang Xian was originally going to be appointed as the Dianshi of Qiantang." Mr. Zheng said with worry: "But it was changed to the Dianshi of Pujiang by Jian Yi himself. Jian was appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs for ten years.
You are selfless, why would you make an exception for him?"
"It's just self-promotion. If the person named Jian was truly loyal, he wouldn't have rebelled against the Yan thieves." Zheng Yan said coldly: "Maybe someone bribed Wang Xian and wanted to be the history of Qiantang, so he forced Wang Xian to come to Pujiang.
"
"Wrong logic..." Mr. Zheng shook his head slightly and asked, "How was his group last night?"
"They all slept peacefully, and there was no movement." Zheng Yan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Father is too worried. He thought he would visit Zhengzhai Town at night."
"Be careful and you won't make a big mistake." Mr. Zheng felt a little relieved, but said seriously: "It concerns the safety of the master and the lives of tens of thousands of people in my Zheng family. There is no room for negligence."
"Yes." Zheng Yan responded hurriedly and respectfully.
"Alas..." Mr. Zheng gently stroked the mottled vermilion arch pillars and asked in a low voice for a long time: "How is Master's daily life lately?"
"The food and sleep are fine, but I'm just a little bored." Speaking of the master, Zheng Yan said solemnly, "My son went to say hello last time and said he wanted to go out for a walk."
"Master, please wait for a few more days." Mr. Zheng said slowly: "In the past few days, after it was definitely a false alarm, I will arrange for Master to go out to relax."
"Yes, the child will report it to the master when he turns around." Zheng Yan nodded and said in a depressed voice: "I don't know what progress Seventh Brother and the others have made. It's really suffocating now. Even a small Dianshi sect can make it difficult."
We are in a state of panic.”
"It's easier said than done." Mr. Zheng said with worry on his face: "My loyal ministers of the Ming Dynasty have been almost killed by the Yan thieves. Even if there are those who cherish the ancestors and are willing to accompany them life and death, they will not be able to do so. The time is not ripe, forcefully
The uprising only caused the loyal ministers to bleed in vain..."
"I heard that preaching has been gaining momentum recently," Zheng Yan said softly, "In fact, joining forces with them is also a way."
"Stupid!" Mr. Zheng said flatly: "Master is the orthodoxy in the world, how can he get involved with those evil cults and monsters?"
"Didn't Emperor Taizu make his fortune through Mingjiao back then?" Zheng Yan whispered,
"That's different. Taizu was born in common people and was unrestrained. All he did was focus on increasing his strength." Mr. Zheng said in a low voice: "But Grandmaster is the orthodox emperor of my Ming Dynasty and the common master in the hearts of the people in the world. Once he encounters an opportunity, he will raise his arms.
With one call, the world can return to its center, all the people will respond, and the colors of the mountains and rivers will change! Therefore, the most important thing is to preserve the Holy Body and wait for the opportunity!" After a pause, he sighed: "If you get mixed up with the monsters of the Ming Cult, what kind of orthodoxy can you have?
"
"Father said yes." Zheng Yan couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. His brother almost missed the big event.
"What?" Mr. Zheng, who knew his son Mo Ruofu, stared at his son like a sword and said, "What are you hiding from me?"
"No, Brother Qi just mentioned it in the letter," Zheng Yan said softly, "I'll just write back and tell him what my father meant."
"Yes." Mr. Zheng nodded and sighed: "Actually, I don't have selfish motives. Master, if you are well, I, the Zheng family, can be well. As a father, I often think that if I can continue like this, it will actually be okay.
Not bad..."
"I'm afraid the tree wants to be quiet but the wind won't stop..." Zheng Yan said in a low voice as he watched the west wind blowing the crown of the big cypress tree at the entrance of the town.