The snow was not heavy, just like finely chopped pear petals, which had been falling all night. When I opened the door in the morning, there was a thin layer of snow on the ground, and there was the coldness and chill of snow in the air.
The two children Zongzhi and Runer were very happy. This was the first time they saw the snow outside Chenjiawu. It seemed a little different. Is the snow in Shanyin whiter? And today they have to follow Uncle Chou.
Taking a boat to visit Mr. Dai Andao in Shan County requires a long journey by water.
The servant of the county post was sweeping the snow with a broom. The temperature had not yet dropped to freezing point, and the snow melted easily. As he swept, the thin snow turned into water and seeped into the dry surface. Run'er shouted: "It's a pity, it's a pity.
!" Asking the servants to stop sweeping the snow, she would step on the snow and leave a series of footprints. She would look back and laugh.
Ran Sheng stood aside, looking at the petite Run'er and her exquisite bead-like footprints, feeling a little envious in his heart. Run'er was still a child, but he was not. The pastoral scenery of Chenjiawu was as warm as ever, and the stern little
Teacher, the sound of Wubao shouting books, the noisy chirping of cicadas, the mist of Mingsheng Lake in the distance... these are Ran Sheng's most precious memories.
After breakfast at Junyi, Chen Caozhi took Zongzhi and Runer, as well as Xiaochan, Yuyan, Huang Xiaotong, Jingnu and two Chen family private soldiers, a total of nine people, from the Li River in the south of Shanyin City.
A three-foot-eight large awning boat, which is the official ship of the county office, has a boatman and three pole handlers. It will flow down the Li River to the Cao'e River in Shangyu, and then upstream to Shan County. The upper reaches of the Cao'e River are at
Shan County is named Shanxi.
Daishu, the internal historian of Kuaiji, led a group of officials to escort Chen Cao to the ship. Xie Daoyun and Ran Sheng also came to see him off. Ran Sheng originally wanted to follow him to Shan County, but Chen Cao ordered him to stay and assist the deputy envoy Zhu Tuduan.
When the county magistrate Lu Chu learned that Chen Caozhi had really gone to Shanxi to visit Dai Kui, he shook his head and said to He Zhu: "Chen Caozhi is like Xie Wanshi who fishes for fame. They only care about the demeanor of celebrities and don't realize that they are in a dangerous situation. He is unreasonable.
He has been dismissed from his post, but he still travels around without returning to Chenjiawu. Hehe, the officials sent by Wu County to Qiantang to try the Chen family's land occupation case are about to arrive. Chen Caozhi will leave in despair this time.
And back."
He Zhu said: "I was angry when I saw Chen Caozhi's indifferent and aloof appearance. When we were classmates at Xu's Thatched Cottage in Wu County, he was just a member of the common people. He was so pretentious that he relied on Ling Shulu to envoy
Your appreciation is arty."
"You don't have to say this." Lu Chu didn't want He Zhu to mention the matter between Chen Caozhi and Lu Weirui. After this blow, Chen Caozhi naturally didn't have to think about marrying his Lu family girl. Thinking of his younger sister Lu Weirui's infatuated look,
Lu Chu also felt pity and helplessness. Unlike his younger brother Lu Qin, Lu Chu actually had no ill feelings toward Chen Caozhi because he had never been in contact with him before. He only complained that Chen Caozhi was overestimating his own abilities and wanted to marry a girl from his Lu family, which ultimately led to his ruin.
You can't blame others.
Lu Chu said: "Daofang, the dian plan of your village should go to Qiantang again, and the Chen family's land occupation case must be thoroughly investigated. Otherwise, Chen Caozhi was quite effective in Kuaiji Tujuan. My father withdrew."
His position may be criticized by others."
He Zhu said: "Why do you need to order this? Ni Dianji and four others have already left for Qiantang early this morning. They are waiting for the officials who are in charge of the trial to arrive. Also, one hundred hermits from my village have been sent to the county.
They are all old, weak, sick and disabled, so let Zhu Yingtai deal with the trouble and resettle them."
Lu Chu remembered something and said: "The state department has issued a document to this county, strictly prohibiting land reclamation around the lake. The Taoist side should go back and tell your uncle not to compete for land in Jianhu Lake."
He Zhu said bitterly: "Although Chen Caozhi has been dismissed from his post, his legacy will be endless. After what happened, I, Mr. He, will definitely seek the post of Qiantang County Magistrate. I will make it difficult for Mr. Qiantang and Mr. Chen to make trouble at every turn."
Chen Caozhi took a pair of nephews and nieces up the Cao'e River from Shangyu to Shan County. Along the way, they saw the scenery on both sides of the river and told some allusions and interesting stories.
The two little brothers and sisters like to take boats. Every time they used to go to Fenglin Ferry to visit their mother, Ding Youwei, they wished that the river would be wider and the boat would go slower. But now, they can stay on the boat all day long and watch the scenery.
The two punting men, one on the left and one on the right, leisurely jumped into the boat. There was a gurgling sound from the bottom of the boat. The clear blue water on both sides of the boat continued to flow. The mountains and forests on both sides of the bank were continuous and green, and they had not withered through the winter. Uncle Chou was there.
Zongzhi and Run'er were extremely happy when people around them said funny and meaningful words.
There was a light snowfall last night, but it has cleared up today. There is still a thin layer of snow on both sides of the river bank, like morning frost. The wind is calm, the waves are calm, and the boat is moving slowly.
Run'er suddenly said: "Uncle Chou, do you know that Run'er and her mother went to visit Mrs. Lu last month. When they came back, Mrs. Lu took a boat with us across the Songjiang River and saw us off one way after another. We couldn't bear to say goodbye.
, Run'er felt very sad. My mother promised to go to Huating to visit Miss Lu again next year. Uncle Chou, when will I marry Miss Lu back? Run'er really likes her as my aunt Chou."
Chen Caozhi frowned slightly. This time, the conflict between Lu Shi and his son has become acute. They will spare no effort to attack him. He must fight back. Lu Chu and He Zhu will definitely be punished if this conspiracy is not successful.
His relationship with the Lu family has become even more tense. It is impossible to reconcile with Lu Shi and his son. He can only marry Wei Rui if he overthrows Lu Shi. However, the relationship is delicate. He cannot openly be an enemy of Lu Shi.
He also felt sorry for Wei Rui for hurting the Lu family too much. Although he knew that Lu Shi was dismissed from office by Huan Wen in history, it probably would not be this time. As the chief official of the Tu Duan Department, Lu Shi privately obstructed Tu Duan, but Tu Duan
However, it was still carried out under the leadership of Huan Wen. Lu Shi would not be dismissed from office because of this. At most, it would be an ineffective execution of the civil war. As the leader of the Jiangzuo gentry, Lu Shi was the leader of the Jiangzuo gentry. Unless he made serious mistakes, Huan Wen could not easily demote him. To deal with Lu Shi
It is not just a matter of stubbornness. This is the inevitable evolution of the conflict between the northern and southern gentry. It is inevitable that Lu Shi, with his rigid and stubborn personality and ignorance of the general trend, will be squeezed out of the center of power of the imperial court. It is only a matter of time.
The winter moon is coming to an end, and another year has passed since the three-year appointment with Wei Rui. Because Chen Caozhi is the fusion of two souls, based on the concept of future generations, he always feels that he and Wei Rui are only nineteen years old. Three years later
He is only twenty-two years old and has a long time to come. Now his friends, Liu Shangzhi has a son, Xu Miao will be a father soon, Gu Kaizhi got married in April, Kong Wang is engaged to a girl from the Xie family in Kuaiji, and next year
At the beginning of spring, Ding Chunqiu will get married in the twelfth lunar month. His wife is the niece of Quanli Quanchangshi of this county, while Xie Xuan's wedding to Heshang Yang's daughter will be in March next year.
Friends are either fathers or married, which puts pressure on Chen Caozhi. Jin people marry early because their life span is short. How can Chen Caozhi treat himself according to the average life span of six or seventy years in later generations?
marriage!
Thinking of this, Chen Caozhi felt deep pity and guilt for Lu Weirui, who had been waiting for him for nearly four years. Back then, under the Ruixue Mountain Tea in the back mountain of Zhenqing Taoist Temple in Wu County, Weirui said shyly: "Chen Langjun,
I'm sixteen years old. If I marry someone else, I won't be able to watch the camellia flowers with you." His eyelashes lowered between his brows, and the golden step on his bun slipped off. He put the golden step on Wei Rui's head and whispered: "
Don't marry, wait until I marry you." The words were still in his ears, a thousand days had passed, would he miss Wei Rui's life?
Chen Caozhi shook his head and thought: "Even if time goes back and the past can be repeated, I will still say those words to Wei Rui. This is a love that is immersed in the bone marrow. How can reason be restrained? Wei Rui is the same as me.
I feel that if we work hard to be together, I will definitely be able to marry Wei Rui into my family."
Zongzhi and Runer were sitting next to Chen Caozhi. Seeing Uncle Chou lost in thought, the two brothers looked at each other. Runer tugged Chen Caozhi's sleeve and said, "Uncle Chou."
, Uncle Chou, it would be great if my mother were here too. Our family would be happiest and most at ease by taking a boat."
Chen Caozhi came back to his senses and said with a smile: "Next year, Uncle Chou will pick you up and go to Jiankang with your mother. It will take a month to travel and have fun along the way, okay?"
Zongzhi, Run'er said happily: "Okay."
Yuyan on the side said: "Zongzhi's young master is going to Wu County to study next year."
When Zongzhi turns thirteen, Ding Youwei plans to let Zongzhi follow his cousins Chen Mo and Chen Tan to study under Dr. Xu Zao in February next year, study and make friends, and then attend Dingpinya when he reaches fifteen.
Ji, Zongzhi is the most promising disciple of the Qiantang Chen family after Chen Caozhi. He is eager to learn and think deeply, has good conduct, and has the style of a father and uncle. He is usually taciturn, but he is very clear-headed in arguing his principles. In Chen
There was no one else to argue with in Jiawu. Zong Zhidu asked each other questions with his mother, Ding Youwei, and Run'er. Asking questions and talking about them was a good way to improve one's studies and knowledge, which was different from those in power who only talked about it.
Chen Cao said: "Zongzhi will go to Xu's Thatched Cottage in Wu County as usual next year to study. I will take you to the capital before the end of next year."
Run'er said: "Uncle Chou, what should Run'er do? My brother has gone to Wu County, and there is no one to accompany Run'er to study and practice calligraphy. It's very boring to be alone."
Chen Cao said: "Run'er will stay with your mother at home. You will go to Jiankang at the end of next year. Uncle Chou will guide you."
Run'er looked at his brother Zongzhi, then looked at the Yan River outside the tent window, and said quietly: "It would be great if Run'er could go out to study like my brother."
Chen Caozhi's heart moved, and he immediately thought of Xie Daoyun and Zhu Yingtai throughout the ages, that's the only one.
Zongzhi, who had no idea that he was speechless, said at this time: "Run'er can pretend to be a man and go out to study."
Chen Caozhi laughed and thought: "This trend cannot last forever. This is the Eastern Jin Dynasty, not a thousand years later." He smiled and asked: "Run'er, can you pretend to be a man?"
Xiaochan and Yuyan on the side pursed their lips and smiled. Xiaochan said: "Let me see if Miss Runer can pretend to be Mr. Runer?" She sat Runer on her lap and looked at Runer carefully.
.
Run'er was a little embarrassed, her little face was red with embarrassment, her long and curled eyelashes were flickering, her baby-fat cheeks were as white as gel, her lips were tender red, and the outline of her lips was extremely beautiful.
Xiao Chan suppressed her laughter and said, "Oh, such a beautiful young man, wouldn't he have robbed your ugly uncle of his reputation and created another Jiangzuo Weijie?" When he said this, he looked at Chen Caozhi.
Run'er twisted her body and acted coquettishly: "Run'er doesn't comply, sister Xiaochan makes fun of Run'er."
Chen Caozhi looked at this smart and cute ten-year-old niece with a smile, but what he was thinking about was what Xie Daoyun looked like when he was ten years old. She shouldn't be as beautiful as Run'er. Xie Daoyun's face is long and narrow, and the bridge of his nose is as straight as a man's.
, if you don’t laugh out loud, you can barely pretend to be a frail and beautiful man by applying powder to cover it up, but Run’er can’t. Run’er is like his mother Ding Youwei, with a soft face and contours, so she really can’t pretend to be a man.
Chen Caozhi then told the fable of "stealing a bell and covering one's ears" in "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals", which made everyone on the boat laugh.
The awning boat arrived at the junction of Shangyu and Shanxian. The stream was clear and shallow, and the sand and stones at the bottom of the water could be clearly seen.
The boatman on the bow muttered: "The water in this stream is much shallower than in previous years. There have been only two light snowfalls in the past three months. I only hope there will be enough rain next spring, otherwise we will not be able to sail."
Chen Caozhi then asked the boatman whether the flow of the Shan River had been cut off in the past twenty years. The boatman replied: "It is rare for the flow to be cut off. According to the words of the village elders, the Shanxi River was cut off during the Huanglong period of the Eastern Wu Dynasty. Kuaiji County had no flow for seven consecutive months."
Rain, severe drought, and no harvest occurred more than a hundred years ago."
Chen Cao looked at the water of the Shanxi River and thought to himself: "The Yanxiang River has stopped flowing. It is really a severe drought that has not happened in a century. It is difficult for human power to remedy it."
That evening, the black-topped boat came upstream to Changshan Creek, a tributary of Yan River, and anchored on the left bank. Dai Kui's thatched cottage was not far away under the schistous rocks. It was here that Wang Huizhi returned home five years ago.
I asked the simple villager where Mr. Dai Andao lived. The villager pointed to the big trees ten feet high in front of him and said, "Dai's thatched cottage is right next to the big tree. Mr. Andao is playing the piano. If you get closer, you will see
I can hear the sound of Mr. Ando’s piano.”
Chen Cao and his party walked more than a hundred steps toward the big tree, and saw seven or eight thatched cottages arranged in a "pin" shape. The sound of the piano could be heard from the thatched cottage.
Chen Caozhi stopped and listened quietly. Zongzhi and Run'er also stopped and looked around. Dozens of houses were scattered around, leaning against mountains and rivers. Ancient locust trees towered into the sky. Smoke from cooking stoves curled up in the dusk.
There is a faint sound of water splashing on the cloud rocks.
Chen Cao's uncle, nephew, and several maidservants stayed in Dai's thatched cottage for five days, climbing cloud rocks, fishing in the Changshan River, exploring secluded places, watching paintings and listening to the piano.
Dai Kui was extremely happy. Although he liked to live in seclusion, he did not live in isolation. Dai Kui had a noble character, was obsessed with piano painting, did not admire power, and was indifferent to fame and fortune. Chen Caozhi was considered his junior. Although he was an official, he had no vulgar character.
He talked about Buddhism and Taoism, spouting witty words from time to time, and was unique in his music, calligraphy and painting. Although his nephews and nieces were young, they were beautiful in appearance and had extraordinary conversational skills. They were all capable of painting. For five days in Dai's thatched cottage, Zongzhi painted a painting called Boating.
The picture is a fishing picture made by Run'er, which is full of childlike interest and has a good artistic conception. It is quite similar to the brushwork and interest of Nai Shu Chen Caozhi. The Chen family of Qiantang has his own unique family style.
Chen Caozhi collaborated with Dai Kui to paint a picture of "Enjoyment in Dongshan" at Dai's Thatched Cottage, with the theme of Xie An taking prostitutes to Dongshan. He used heavy ink and light colors, and the painting had a novel meaning.
In the afternoon of the 23rd, Chen Caozhi said farewell to Dai Shu and returned to Shanyin by boat. Dai Shu played the harp and played the harp on the bank of the stream to say goodbye and meet again in Jiankang next year.
The sound of the piano spread far along the stream. The stream was twisting and turning. Dai Kui had disappeared, but the sound of the piano still accompanied the boat.
From Shanyin to Shan County, we rowed against the current. On the way back, we had a smooth wind and current, and it was much easier to do the pole fishing. We just had to check the water situation and not let the boat run aground near the shoal. The speed of the boat was also much faster than when we came. In the dusk, Chen Cao's trip
They landed in the south of Shanyin County. Four sergeants sent by Ran Sheng had been waiting for a long time. They immediately entered the city quietly and went to the Neishi Mansion behind the county government. Dai Neishi sent the government officials to the county post to invite Zhu Yingtai.
Xie Daoyun and Ran Sheng arrived soon, and Dai Neishi bought wine to discuss the inspection of He's Manor tomorrow.
Today is November 23rd, which is the last day of the review period. A total of 9,720 hidden households have been reported in the ten counties of Kuaiji. However, before Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun reviewed the soil settlement, only 9,720 hidden households were detected in Kuaiji County.
After handing over 2,450 households, only more than 12,000 households were found in the entire Yangzhou. It was an outstanding achievement. Yu's surrender of 700 hidden households greatly shocked the people of Kuaiji. According to the estimation of the meritorious officials in charge of household registration in counties and counties
, after this civil war, three out of the four hermit households in Kuaiji County have been handed over, which is more than the total number of hermit households handed over in the previous three land wars.
Xie Daoyun said: "The day before yesterday, the He family handed over a hundred hermit houses, including the old, weak, sick and disabled, along with their families, and sent them to the county. They said that all the houses and property belonged to the He family, and these hermit houses had nothing, and they had to be resettled by the county.
Dai Shijun sent a letter to He Sui, the head of the He family, ordering him to take the people back and only hand over the family registration of these hermit households. The He family has not yet replied. Those 100 hermit households, more than 300 people, are now in the southern suburbs.
The asylum has a tent for temporary accommodation, and the bedding and food are provided by the county office."
Dai Shu said angrily: "The He family is really rampant and should be punished."
Xie Daoyun said: "I ordered Chen Zisheng to secretly arrest two of the He family's residents for questioning, but it was the He family who seized their clothes, silk and property, saying that the county would provide them with food and accommodation."
Chen Cao said: "Anyone who commits injustice will be punished by his own death. If a big family has such little vision, how long will it take for the He family to survive?"
Chen Cao's uncle, nephew, and maidservants rested at Dai Shu's Neishi Mansion for the night, while Xie Daoyun, Ran Sheng and others returned to the post house.
On November 24th, before dawn, the meritorious officers, legal officers, court officers, and thieves officers from Kuaiji County and Shanyin County were on urgent standby. One hundred horses, infantry archers, and twenty Xifu soldiers from Ran Sheng
The elite sergeants were the vanguard, carrying no swords or guns, each armed with a five-foot oak stick, and headed towards the He family manor ten miles southwest of Shanyin County.
Chen Caozhi said to Xie Daoyun: "Brother Yingtai just needs to stay in the county office. I will go to He's Manor."
Xie Daoyun did not appreciate it and said: "Zizhong, now I am fully responsible for Kuaiji Tuduan. How can I not go?"
Chen Cao smiled and said, "Then let's go together."
The head of the He family, He Sui, was He Zhu's uncle. He once served as the domestic historian of Wu. Due to disagreements with Wang Shu, the governor of Yangzhou, and suffering from many illnesses, he resigned and returned to Kuaiji to manage the family's property and educate the younger members of the family.
At the end of Mao hour on that day, He Sui was still lingering with his concubines on the warm couch. People who take the medicine have high sexual desire, and if they don't take it, they will become impotent. Therefore, although He Sui was suffering from illness, he had many wives and concubines, and the five stone medicine was returned.
You have to continue taking it.
The steward of the manor stumbled to report. He Sui heard that the county's envoys had come to search the hidden house. He was shocked and angry. He stood up in his clothes and rushed out angrily. He rushed to the gate of the manor in a carriage, only to see more than a hundred people.
The sergeant and the horse-mounted archer, holding oak sticks in hand, had entered the manor. He Sui patted his shoulder and shouted angrily: "Call Dai Shu to see me!"
Ran Sheng took the lead and had a thick oak stick in his hand. He jumped off the horse and shouted: "Old man, call He Sui quickly. He Zhu is coming to meet you. He will present the family register and wait for inspection."
He Sui was so angry that he fainted and said angrily: "I am He Sui. You, a lowly soldier, dare to be rude to my He family manor. I will never let you go." He shouted: "Left and right, take this person down first.
You can't speak until you have been punished for fifty times."
More than a hundred people from He's tribe arrived at this time, armed with swords and spears, and they were menacing, and more and more people gathered together. The heroes of the county and the thieves were a little afraid, and they looked at Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun.
Chen Caozhi stepped forward and saluted He Sui: "Chen Caozhi, Tuduan Si Zuojian, came to Guizhuang to inspect the registration. Is He Neishi gathering private soldiers to resist the law?"
Although He Sui was irritable and angry, he had been an official for many years and knew the pros and cons. It would be a serious crime to gather private soldiers to resist the law.
The Jiangzuo gentry can be divided into two major categories, one is the cultural gentry, such as Gu, Lu, Zhu Zhang, Yu, Wei, Kong He, etc., and the other is the military and strong clan, such as the Shen family of Wuxing, and the Zhou family of Yixing. The former is easy to win over, and the latter is It is difficult to tame the rebels. The Shen family and the Zhou family have military and economic strength, and are most likely to conflict with the northerners crossing south. Therefore, the Shen family and the Zhou family rebelled several times, but they were all suppressed. The Shen family was even more reduced. For the common people.
As a Confucian family in Kuaiji, the He family is not known for its military force. Even if the force is as powerful as Zhou and Shen, how can they defeat the Jin army? So when He Sui heard Chen Caozhi say that the He family wanted to gather private soldiers to resist the law, he couldn't help but feel his spine In a cold sweat, he said: "My He family is a large family with Shili heirlooms. How can we allow military households to intrude? The He family has handed over four hundred hidden households, why do we still come to check the registration!" The voice was sharp: "Chen Caozhi, I'm sorry that you, an unfounded child, dare to insult me, the He family, I will go to the capital tomorrow to accuse you of abusing your power and disturbing the countryside!"
Chen Caozhi said in a calm tone: "He Neishi wants to go to Beijing to complain, please do so, but don't resist the law today, we will carry out the Gengxu land extermination order." He then glanced at the He family members holding swords and sticks. Bing said coldly: "If you dare to resist the government, according to Jin law, it is the third death penalty and the sixth crime of emigration, and you will be deprived of your household registration and sent to Xubian as a soldier."
The more than two hundred private soldiers of the He family looked at each other in confusion. They were kept in the manor to guard against theft and bandits. They had never said that they wanted to fight against the government, so they couldn't help but take a few steps back.
He Sui never expected that Chen Caozhi would dare to inspect the He family's manor like this. He was the mortal enemy of the He family. Generally, local officials would not dare to be so decisive and would always leave a way out for themselves. But Chen Caozhi He made it clear that he did not take the He family seriously, but He Sui also knew that a armed conflict at this time would bring disaster to the He family. He shouted: "Chen Caozhi, don't be arrogant. I will fight with you personally." You go to the county office to see Dai Shu, and then go to Jiankang to see the great Situ and the great Sima. I, the He family, are also from the Sangong family, how can I accept your humiliation?"
Chen Cao said: "He Neishi is going to see Dai Neishi and the King of Kuaiji. I'm sorry that I have official business and can't accompany you." He said in a loud voice: "It is said that the steward of He's manor has a plan."
He Zhu rushed over and shouted angrily: "Chen Caozhi, you have been dismissed, how dare you barge into my He family manor!"
Chen Caozhi said calmly: "I am the left supervisor of the Tuduan Division. I have the right to participate in the inspection of the thirty-two counties in the four prefectures where Tuduan is implemented."
