The bamboo forest in Fan's Manor by the Jinghe River is obviously carefully planted. In addition to the tall and beautiful bamboos that are evergreen all year round, there are also purple bamboos, red bamboos, Xiangfei bamboos and Qinsi bamboos. On the left side of the sitting pavilion, there are also rare jasper bamboos and
Dragon scale bamboo, sitting on the pavilion, looking around, the bamboo forest is colorful, like spring and summer flowers everywhere.
Chen Caozhi and Fan Wang were playing chess in a hidden pavilion, while Zhu Yingtai and Fan Ning were sitting aside to watch chess. The setting sun was dim and the people in the pavilion were picturesque.
Chen Caozhi is a junior and plays first. Although Fan Wang is over fifty, his mind is quick and his moves are flying. He deliberately speeds up the chess game. Generally, people who are impatient will follow suit and play fast chess unconsciously. However,
Chen Caozhi was unmoved and still maintained his own rhythm of playing chess with a certain degree of relaxation. Fan Wang secretly nodded.
Chen Caozhi put pressure on Fan Wang with a double-flying swallow move. Fan Wang was very interested in Chen Caozhi's novel moves. He only played more than thirty moves. He was deeply aware of Chen Cao's strong chess ability and immediately concentrated on dealing with it.
This game of chess had been played for an hour. The sun was setting in the west, and the twilight was shrouding the bamboo forest. In the twilight, the colorful bamboo forest all condensed into the cold and dark color of early winter.
The chess game entered the small official stage, and the situation of white's small loss was irreversible. Chen Caozhi put the white piece in his hand back into the chess case, shook his head and said: "Fan Gong is good at chess, I can't do it."
Fan Wang smiled and said: "The younger generation is the best at chess."
Chen Cao said: "Fan Gong has given you too much praise. Brother Zhu's chess skills are not inferior to mine. We have played many games, and we have won and lost."
Xie Daoyun said: "I lose more than I win."
Fan Wang said "Oh" and said: "It's a pity that you two can't stay together for one more day. Otherwise, playing a few more games of chess with the younger generation can reduce the old age." Then he pointed at Ran Sheng who was standing under the pavilion and said: "Fuck this one.
My cousin is a general, Qian Tang and Chen, and is both civil and military."
While Chen Caozhi and Fan Wang were playing chess for an hour, Ran Sheng stood under the pavilion, motionless and calm.
Chen Cao said: "This younger cousin is sixteen years old and is now serving as the commander of the camp under General Huan Shiqian of Ningyuan."
At this time, the steward of the manor came to invite everyone to dinner. Fan Wang said: "Mountain vegetables and wild clover, don't be too rude."
After dinner, Fan Ning asked: "How about you three resting in the village tonight?"
Chen Caozhi asked Xie Daoyun: "What do you think of Brother Yingtai?"
Xie Daoyun hesitated for a moment. She came to visit Fan Wang this time and did not bring her maid. It was inconvenient to have a night meeting in the village. She said, "I won't bother you. I will go back to the county post to rest."
Chen Caozhi knew that it was not convenient for Xie Daoyun to rest here alone at night, so he said: "Well, I will send Brother Yingtai back to the county post, and then I will ask Mr. Fan for advice on chess skills."
Fan Ning felt very unhappy, but he still said, "Zizhong and I will send Brother Zhu back to the county post." He ordered Zhuang Ke to prepare two lanterns, and he, Chen Caozhi, and Ran Sheng sent Xie Daoyun back to the county town.
On the way back to Fan's Manor, Fan Ning finally couldn't help but said: "Zizhong, when choosing a friend, a gentleman values virtue more than talent and learning. This Zhu Yingtai, whose talent and learning is unknown, is a person who tends to follow people's influence.
Seeing that my father was a deposed commoner and hated by Sima Huan, Zhu Yingtai did not dare to stay in my manor for fear of affecting his official career.
Taiwanese judges are like clouds and mud. How can Zizhong have close contact with such vulgar officials?"
Chen Caozhi found it a bit funny. Because Xie Daoyun was a girl and did not bring a maid, it was of course inconvenient for her to stay at Fan's manor. Fan Ning misunderstood him before he thought about it. It's no wonder that Fan Ning regarded Huan Wen as an enemy. Last year
King Kuaiji wanted to make Fan Ning his successor, which was ridiculed by Huan Wen, but he couldn't do it because Huan Wen wanted to suppress him so that the Fan family would have no chance of success——
Chen Cao said: "Brother Wu Zi wrongly blamed Zhu Yingtai. If Zhu Yingtai really had such concerns, he would not have come with me to see your father. This person - this person has mysophobia. Even if he is traveling, he will bring it with him."
Bedding, didn’t you see her applying powder and incense?”
Fan Ning laughed and said, "That's it!" He said nothing more.
Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng returned to Fan's manor with Fan Ning. Fan Wang was waiting for Chen Caozhi in the study. After sitting down, Fan Wang asked with a smile: "Fan is a person hated by Duke Huan. Zi Zhong associates with my father and son. He is not afraid of doing anything."
Is it something that Duke Huan is taboo on?"
Chen Cao said: "If I dare not interact with the elders I respect because I am concerned about my official career, and I am timid and worried about gains and losses, then it would be better for me to live in the mountains and forests and be a farm servant, which would be more carefree and happy."
Fan Ning said: "Dad, can you say that 'there is no good or evil in the body of the heart, there is good and evil is the movement of the mind, knowing good and evil means having a conscience, and doing good and eliminating evil should be done by studying things.' How can such true knowledge and insights be humble?"
This generation, Zi Zhong has an awe-inspiring spirit in his heart."
Fan Wang looked at Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng, and said: "There are only two brothers, my father and son, and Zizhong in this room. I can speak frankly - Zizhong is knowledgeable in both Confucianism and Mysticism. He has cultivated his moral character and is virtuous. Do you want to establish a family school?"
, to set an example for future generations?”
Chen Cao said: "If Cao had a life span of sixty years, then after the age of fifty he would be able to concentrate on learning with a bright head and a poor mind."
Fan Wang nodded with a smile and said: "I watch Cao's chess, forge ahead with determination, and come up with new ideas one after another. I am not willing to gather people to lecture for the rest of my life. So Fan wants to ask, who does Cao think Huan Wen is?"
Chen Caozhi hesitated for a moment and said: "Huan Gong once commented on himself - If a man is not famous throughout the ages, he will be infamy for thousands of years."
Fan Wang, Fan Ning and his son looked at each other and smiled. Fan Wang said: "It seems that Cao Zhi is well aware of Huan Wen's aspirations. Cao Zhi refused to be conquered by King Kuaiji and insisted on going to Xifu. Is it to help Huan Wen usurp the throne to gain a high position?"
"
Fan Wang's question was very pointed. Chen Caozhi knew that he had to answer carefully and said slowly: "I think that even if Duke Huan has different intentions, it will be difficult for him to succeed."
Fan Wang opened and closed his eyes and asked: "How can you see that? The Huan family has conquered half of the world by occupying the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and the Jin Dynasty is declining. It may not be difficult for Huan Wen to take over the Jin Dynasty and replace it."
Chen Cao said: "Xizhonglang general Yuan Zhen, Beizhonglang general Yu Xi have heavy troops, Xi Min is at the entrance of Jingkou, and the kings and Xie family have not returned home, how dare Duke Huan usurp the throne!"
Fan Wang said: "Huan Wen often used the Northern Expedition to gain fame and attack dissidents. Xie Wanshi and Fan were both deposed by Huan Wen because of this. Yuan Zhen and Yu Xi lived in the Huaihe River. I expect Huan Wen will repeat his old tricks and use the Northern Expedition to weaken these two.
If people are like this, Huan Wen can usurp the throne."
Fan Wang's prediction was correct. According to historical records, Yu Xi was dismissed from office by Huan Wen because he could not save Lu and Gaoping, and Yuan Zhen was the scapegoat for the failure of Huan Wen's third Northern Expedition. He was forced to surrender to Yan, and his clan was eventually destroyed——
Chen Cao's way: "Things are planned by people, and accomplished by heaven. Even if Duke Huan has exhausted all his agencies, his lifespan is limited. Duke Huan has to eliminate dissidents and win the support of the great families in the north and south. It is difficult to succeed without ten years of management, and all five of Duke Huan's sons are
If you are mediocre, it will be difficult to carry on Duke Huan's ambition."
Fan Wang frowned, thought carefully, and sighed: "Cao's insight is difficult for others to match. He is really the talent of Wang Zuo."
Chen Cao said: "To be fair to Mr. Fan, what I am worried about is that in Beihu, although Murong Xianbei is strong, he will eventually be destroyed by Fu Jian. At that time, the north will be unified, Jiangzuo will be in danger, and Jingxiang will have troops from the West.
However, there are no elite troops in Guangling and Jingkou, so it is a pity that the Beifu Army should be disbanded."
Fan Wang gave a high-five: "What Cao Cao said is absolutely true. The West Palace and the North Palace are two-phase checks and balances. When fighting against foreign enemies, they can respond head to tail. This is a long-term security strategy. However, it is difficult to establish the Northern Palace while Huan Wen is still alive."
Chen Cao said: "Fan Gong can wait with peace of mind. The day will come when the imperial court will reuse Gong Fan."
When he had a conversation with Chen Cao, Fan Wang seemed to have seen the sun from the clouds, and he was open-minded and said: "I am old. If Cao wants to rebuild the army of Beifu in the future, I will do my best." He also said: "Liu Jian, the general who conquered the captives."
, who was originally under my rule, but now also at home, Liu Jian has a son named Liu Laozhi, who is fifteen years old and has a purple-red complexion. Although his stature is not as strong as his younger brother's, he has amazing spiritual power, and is Shen Yi and good at planning. If Jian
Beifu soldiers, this person can be a vanguard general."
Liu Laozhi was a well-known general in the Beifu Army who had made outstanding achievements in the Feishui Battle. In June, Jingnu once said that he wanted to go to Huainan and recruit 60 private soldiers for Chenjiawu in the Jingkou area. Chen Caozhi wanted to
Jing Nu looked for Liu Laozhi, but after thinking about it, he gave up. The Chen family was not yet able to support a private army of a hundred people. It was impossible for him, Chen Caozhi, to adopt into his family in advance those heroes who would dominate the later history.
Chen Caozhi talked with Fan Wang, Fan Ning and his son until late at night. Looking at the current situation, Chen Caozhi benefited a lot and felt that this trip was worthwhile.
Early the next morning, Fan Ning saw Chen Caozhi off, and Ran Sheng returned to the city, holding hands and saying goodbye.
Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun said goodbye to Zhu Xian and Jia Bizhi, the prefects of Wu County, and then went to the Xu Cottage to say goodbye to Dr. Xu Zao. They told their two cousins to study humbly and return to Qiantang with Dr. Xu at the end of the year.
After leaving the south gate of Wu County, Xie Daoyun rode a brown mare alongside Chen Caozhi. Xie Daoyun was seven feet and one inch tall, about 1.73 meters tall in later generations. Even among men, he was considered to be of medium height. However, riding on the horse, Xie Daoyun looked...
He is short, no other, with a short upper body and a long lower body. Usually his long gown feels elegant, but now riding on horseback, you can see that Xie Daoyun's legs are extra long——
Five miles out of the south gate of Wujun City, there is a branch road in front, one going south to Jiaxing, and the other going east to Huating.
Xie Daoyun asked: "Zizhong, which way should we go?"
When Chen Caozhi saw Xie Daoyun's teasing words, he couldn't help but feel a little surprised, and said: "To take the Jiaxing road, we have to cross five or six ferries. There are so many of us, which is very troublesome. If we go around Huating, we will miss half the ferries."
Xie Daoyun smiled on his lips and said: "You always have good reasons - well, let's go to Qingpu, then go to Huating." He then said: "Zizhong, I heard what Zhu Taishou said, Shi Luqin, the imperial censor, returned at the end of last month.
Wu Jun worships his ancestors, and they should still be at the Lu Family Manor in Huating."
Chen Caozhi remembered that Lu Ji's birthday was September 27th. Every year on this day, the descendants of the Lu family would drive away birds and cranes in the reed field of Huating, and let the birds and cranes fly in the air and chirp to commemorate his death on the 8th.
The three Lu Ji brothers who were involved in Wang Zhi's rebellion, the so-called Crane in Huating, can be heard every year——
Today is the sixth day of October, and Lu Qin is supposed to leave for Beijing. The reason why he stayed in Huating is because he knew that Chen Caozhi would take the opportunity to visit Lu Weirui in Kuaiji, so he wanted to stay in Huating villa to see Chen Caozhi.