Sword of Coming

Longquan County Magistrate Wu Yuan left the Li family's mansion on Fulu Street with a confidant, Secretary Lang. Wu Yuan, who was wearing official uniform, was walking when he suddenly stood up and bent down to take off his boots and poured out the gravel. . The secretary-general who was born in a noble family was not surprised by this, but now Fulu Street was far more lively than before. The young man, who was still a subordinate for the time being, immediately tried his best to help the chief officer to cover up, and at the same time said softly: "Then Li Hong had clearly relented before and was willing to take the lead in giving in on the issue of the Immortal Tomb. Why did he suddenly change his mind? Isn't he afraid of giving you the impression of being both a snake and a mouse on your side?"

Wu Yuan, who looked tired, said helplessly: "It's probably Li Hong's second son, Li Baozhen, who has made a name for himself in the capital. Maybe he has secured a backer and sent a secret letter home to ask Li Hong not to act rashly. Or something like that." It’s hard to say that the eldest son, who lives in seclusion, reminded Li Hong to calm down. In short, we are in trouble now. We have no choice. The original arrangements were mostly based on my husband... Well, let’s not talk about it anymore. The ship has arrived. The bridge is naturally straight. Let's go have a drink. First, I'll bring you two pots of Peach Blossom Spring Roast. I'll treat you. You pay and it will be recorded in Mr. Fu's account."

The clerk surnamed Fu was already numb to the Shangguan's credit issue. He just asked curiously: "It is said in the town that the two sons and one daughter of the Li family on Fulu Street were once told by a fortune teller that they were called dragons." Is Linfeng coming?"

Wu Yuan rubbed his pale and thin cheeks and said with a casual smile: "Do you believe these things? We in Lijing City want to get ahead, especially those who are born in Bai Ding Hanshi, who want to be famous and accumulate reputation. Who doesn’t have some unique insights? Even if you are a wealthy person, how can you be so good? Your Fu family’s saying that it is ‘glorious and dazzling’ is full of gold and jade. Is there any water in it? Outsiders don’t know, but you, Fu Yu, don’t know it yourself?”

Fu Yu, who was exposed, shouted angrily: "Master Wu, are you embarrassed to talk about our Fu family?"

Wu Yuan's mood improved, she laughed loudly, and patted her close friend on the shoulder, "We are colluding together."

Fu Yu laughed and said, "Like-minded and congenial, doesn't it sound better?"

Wu Yuan laughed and scolded: "Aren't you pretentious? Being a hypocrite is very tiring, but being a true villain is the most satisfying thing."

Fu Yu shook his head and said regretfully: "Mr. Wu's words are just following the trend."

Wu Yuan lamented and changed the subject, "I miss my wife a little bit."

Fu Yu smiled and said: "Your Excellency, County Magistrate, is it time to relax the ban on brothel hookups in Longquan County? Drinking and debauchery, only wine is nothing."

Wu Yuan nodded and said seriously: "Among the migrant prisoners of the Lu Dynasty, some women's identities fit the bill. Rather than die working hard in the mountains and wild forests, it would be better to give them one more choice. Of course, this matter cannot be forced. , the key is to look at themselves, Fu Yu, now you don’t have to accompany me to look at people every day, you will be responsible for running this matter yourself."

This time it was Fu Yu's turn to look surprised. He had just mentioned it casually before and then asked in confusion: "Seriously?"

Wu Yuan tugged on the collar of his official uniform and said with a smile: "What can you say is real or fake? So many mountains have been opened up, and most of them will be mountain gods living in the Xian family's mansion in the future. If we want to retain these visionary and wealthy people, Uncle, let them spend a lot of money in our town. Do you rely on me, a small county magistrate who is about to lose his status as a superintendent, or on you, Fu Yu? According to my husband’s words in the past, those mountain people who have their eyes higher than the top, When looking at secular women, the so-called beauty is often uninteresting, because compared to the fairies who practice Taoism, what is inside the skin is very different, so the women under the mountain are only left with their identities, such as the golden branches and jade leaves that have perished. A wealthy woman who has married a wealthy family is somewhat tempting. This is something that the group of prisoners from the Lu Dynasty are not lacking in."

Fu Yu said angrily: "The imperial court intends to appoint a new kiln supervisor at this time. What is it if it's not picking fruits? My lord, in the past two months, you have traveled to more than 60 mountains step by step, and you have struggled with those old foxes. Just talk, from the groundbreaking of the county government office to the Chenghuang Pavilion, to the site selection negotiations, preliminary measurements and wood preparation of the two civil and military temples, to the resettlement of the survivors of the Lu family, everything is down to the smallest detail. What day do you sleep for more than three hours? Okay? , the court gentlemen are just talking, is Mr. Wu really in trouble? Maybe the difficulties caused by the four surnames and ten tribes are simply the instructions of someone in the court! I deliberately want your official career to start in Longquan County and end in Longquan County. !”

Fu Yu probably felt that the last statement was too unlucky and unrealistic, so he said gloomily: "At least I would think that I would not be able to successfully take charge of a movie before I reach the age of fifty, and I can only rely on boiling words to get through it bit by bit." A high position in the ministry.”

Wu Yuan opened his chapped lips, but finally said nothing.

Fu Yu suddenly laughed out loud, Wu Yuan turned around and asked, "What happy things did you think of?"

Fu Yu nodded and said: "This Longquan County is small, but compared to the bustling capital, I still like it here. There are soju, pastries, and meat buns every morning. If you want to eat, you can go there and buy them. It takes at most half an hour to go back and forth. Sometimes when I feel upset, I just sit in the wine shop and order a pound of loose wine. I, Fu Yu, can sit quietly for an hour, and no one will come over and call Mr. Fu for another hour. A bowl of sauced pork and a plate of pickled vegetables. I really want to live like this forever. So now, I want to make some good achievements here. I am not afraid of difficulties no matter how difficult it is."

Wu Yuan hummed, "If you just lie down and enjoy the blessings and be supported by others to rise to the top, then what's the point of being an official? You have to be down-to-earth and do something for the people. You are better than me. I came from a poor background and know that the people in the city and the countryside It's not easy for the villagers. You are the noble son of the Fu family who has been here for generations. I am surprised that you can think so."

The two walked side by side.

Fu Yu said helplessly: "But the problem is, if you do practical things, the people may not think well of you. In the history books, capable ministers and officials pioneered and forged ahead in the local area, but in the end they were scolded and left in despair. Isn’t it less? Hundreds and hundreds of years later, the government and the public finally realized it, and in the end they only handed down a few poems praising virtues, which were of no use."

Wu Yuan shook his head and said: "It's wrong to think so. Doing things is just doing things. Your original intention is to do something that makes you feel particularly proud. As for whether the people will appreciate it after you do it, and whether the court will recognize it, you don't have to think about it now. If you think about these too much, you will only find trouble. If you think too much, you may even lose your fighting spirit. We Confucians are different from Taoists who pursue how high Taoism is, and different from Buddhism who pursue how far Buddhism is... …”

Fu Yu sighed.

Wu Yuan seemed to be talking to himself: "Among the three religions, Taoism emphasizes purity. It is a matter of one person. If the world collapses and the earth falls apart, it is enough for me to live forever. I don't pay attention to the past and afterlife, but care about this skin in this life, because I need it." Rely on this skin to prove the Tao and walk across the Bridge of Immortality. It is said that Buddhism is divided into big and small. The small is similar to Taoism, and the big tells ordinary people that suffering in this life and blessings in the next life have given people a lot of thoughts. Only our Confucianism is different from Taoism. The secular world is the most entangled recently, and there is the dilemma of "near one is not inferior to one who is far away". The greater the knowledge, the higher the cultivation level, but the more constrained one is. I always feel that if I stretch my legs and raise my head, I will touch the wall of rules. . For example, my husband put forward the purpose of learning, which emphasizes learning more than merit. He hopes to eliminate those rotten scholars and cynics. It is a bit like cleaning up the family. Those who do so will make enemies on all sides and will inevitably be excluded."

Wu Yuan shook his head and said: "Sir, your idea is good, but you are afraid of going to extremes in everything, and everyone is lazy. It is very likely that after a hundred years of prosperity, there will be a decline of five hundred or one thousand years, because although scholars are still While studying the books of saints and sages, all of them were sanctimonious, but in the end, it was no longer for the purpose of "cultivating the awe-inspiring spirit" as the saints called it. Now it's okay, it is to establish virtue, meritorious service, and reputation. The three immortals of Confucianism, sages and gentlemen are still pursuing the word "virtue" , but once a gentleman's knowledge gradually becomes the world's moral standard, wouldn't it be forcibly lowered to the level of 'meritorious service'? For a long time, it is the scholars who look down on the matter of reading to cultivate virtue. After reading a few words, I turned over the A few pages of the book seem to be exchanged for how many copper coins. What a terrifying scene this must be."

Fu Yu was stunned at first, but soon his expression changed drastically. He stretched out his hand to grab Wu Yuan's arm and whispered: "Wu Yuan! These words must not be said to your husband, absolutely not! You are not a Qi practitioner or a practitioner. , I don’t know the cruelty of the battle between the avenues, an unintentional word or an unintentional act can lead to death!"

Wu Yuan patted the back of Fu Yu's hand and said with a hoarse smile: "Of course I don't have the courage. Besides, with my husband's knowledge and talent, I may have simply thought wrongly and thought lightly. He will definitely look down on me. This idea."

After Fu Yu let go of his hand, "Don't let anything slip. I don't want you to be like Song Yuzhang one day, who suddenly..."

Fu Yu said no more. Talking too much will lead to mistakes.

Wu Yuan changed the subject, "If I take the wrong path in the future, no matter how big an official I, Wu Yuan, am at that time, Fu Yu, you must remember to scold me in person, preferably to wake me up."

"Don't worry, I will keep it until the time comes and give Wu Shangshu a good punch without saying a word."

"Liu Bu Shangshu, it's only the second grade. It's a little small. It's a little small."

"Not small, think about it. When I, Da Li, occupy half of this Aquarius Continent, a six-book minister is still small? I think the minister is already very big. Anyway, Mr. Wu, I have agreed, I am this person In addition to being able to come up with some small ideas and being bad at making decisions, I will follow you to death for the rest of my life. From now on, you will be a minister and serve as my minister, how about that?"

The two scholars, who were already in the officialdom, walked back to the official residence of the government office with a smile.

In the Li family's mansion, a scholar in green shirt picked up the book again and said with a smile: "Wu Yuan, you are not wrong about the matter of merit, but you are indeed thinking too little."

The town is becoming more and more prosperous and noisy.

In addition to studying in the abandoned school every day, the young Cui Chang still lives in the Yuan family's old house. Every day he moves a chair and sits next to the patio that hides the wind and collects water. He often stays in a daze for an hour or two at a time. Occasionally, I would go to the brand new school run by the Chen family in Longweixi. I would leave soon after just a few glances.

Wu Yuan, the magistrate of Longquan County, has officially resigned from the post of kiln affairs supervisor. It is said that his successor is a young man from the Cao family of Shangzhu State. The Cao family and Wu Yuan's future father-in-law, the Yuan family, are out of date. The famous rivals in the Great Li Chaotang could fight on various occasions if they disagreed. In the small inner court where Huang Zi Gongqing met, the two high-ranking Shangzhu Guo pointed at each other and cursed at each other. His Majesty the Emperor mostly gave kind words to this, but sometimes when he was really annoyed, he told the two meritorious men to go home and start the quarrel. Anyway, the two families have been neighbors since their ancestors. It is said that the children of the two families have learned to live apart from each other since they were young. A wall is built, and various objects are thrown at the neighbor's house. You throw bricks and I throw mud blocks, and we reciprocate.

Wu Yuan came to visit this time to ask his husband humbly: "Sir, the imperial court has always been controlled by the Cao family. Are you planning to move me back to a certain Qingshui Yamen in the capital to sit in the office while I fail to open up the situation? How many years have you been on the bench?"

"no."

Cui Chan was still sitting on the big chair with his old spirit, and said calmly: "What is Cao Ji's family background? What is his ability?"

Wu Yuan smiled bitterly and said: "My family background is far better than mine, and my abilities are quite impressive."

"Fighting with such a person in the ring just shows that you, Wu Yuan, are still a bit overweight? What's more, you are the magistrate of Longquan County, and Cao Ji is just the kiln superintendent. Now that the banned Long kiln has been reopened, you are just doing some finishing work related to natal porcelain. It's just a matter of fact, not as serious as you think."

The young Imperial Master with a grain of cinnabar on his brow looked at the patio, "Of course Mr. Cao wants Cao Ji to step on you and go up. Now it depends on whether you have the ability to become Cao Ji's officialdom obstacle. You can't stop it, Yuan It's hard to say whether Mr. Yuan is still willing to marry his daughter. If you can stop Cao Ji, who has high hopes for you, Mrs. Yuan may beg you to marry that woman."

Cui Yi glanced at Wu Yuan and said, "It is inevitable for your Majesty to employ people who are familiar with each other. You will always be treated preferentially after your meritorious service. But in the final analysis, it still depends on your true ability."

Wu Yuan smiled and said: "After listening to Mr.'s explanation, the student feels much better."

Cui Chan sneered and said, "You're in a much better mood, sir. What should I do myself?"

Wu Yuan pretended to be deaf and mute and refused to speak.

Cui Chan suddenly said something out of nowhere, "Do you have any thoughts on the conflict between Master Ruan's only daughter Ruan Xiu and outsiders?"

Wu Yuan thought for a while and quickly said: "Although Ruan Xiu was a little harsher, it was the idiot who claimed to be a romantic who entangled her first. She had reminded her several times. It was unreasonable, but reasonable. She couldn't fault the big one. What’s wrong? What’s more, her father Ruan Qiong fought a big fight and killed people in the sky above Lizhu Cave. After that, no monk dared to go beyond the rules. Like father, like daughter..."

Cui Zhang was a little impatient, probably because he disliked this student for being too stupid. He poured beans out of the bamboo tube and said a lot, "My Lord Wu, please go and check carefully why that idiot has the leisure to wander around, and he happened to pass by Ruan Xiu was in the small shop in Qilong Lane, and he didn't know her identity at all, and it was at the moment when the family purchased Shantou and became friends with Da Li, so he didn't know the importance. If one or two coincidences are coincidences, then Aren't you surprised that there are so many coincidences? There are many stupid and perverted men in the world, but a young man who is qualified to show up here on behalf of his family, and who has quite good cultivation qualifications, will have such bad luck? "

The young man's words were humorous and interesting, but Wu Yuan looked solemn when he heard it, and his mood was anything but relaxed.

At the end of the sentence, the young man began to feel sorry for himself again, rubbing his cheeks with both hands, "To be honest, I am worse off than that pervert, but I am really unlucky! Wu Yuan, why don't you put your face over and let me Sir, how about a few slaps to vent your anger?"

Wu Yuan was not stupid, it was obvious that the beating was in vain, "Sir, I think it's better to forget it."

The young man said angrily: "Once you are a teacher, you are always a father. You have a temperament that is just like mine, and you are probably someone who deceives your master and destroys your ancestors. When the affairs in Longquan County are generally settled, try to find time to go to the capital and follow me... ...and I will continue to discuss the construction of an academy in Piyun Mountain."

Wu Yuan nodded, but there was no change in his expression.

The young man waved his hand and said, "It's your business."

Wu Yuan stood up and said goodbye.

In this Yuan family's old house, except for the silent young man with an exquisite face, after Wu Yuan made a secret trip, he brought back a young prisoner named Xia Yulu for his mentor Cui Han. He was fourteen years old and had a slender figure, not inferior to the youth. Strong, with a face like a crown jade, and a jade tree facing the wind, he is a first-rate good skin. For some reason, Cui Chang asked him to change his name to Yu Lu, and the young man could only accept it silently, even if he was very reluctant.

The tall young man who changed his name to Yu Lu probably escaped from the dire straits, or maybe he was born with a cheerful temperament. Whenever he had something to do, he cleaned the Yuan family's ancestral house from the first floor to the second floor, and finally even climbed to the roof to renovate it. The old tiles, if Cui Han hadn't disliked the young man's noisiness and shouted and cursed in front of his eyes, I guess the young man could have even painted the walls of the old house.

The dishes and vases at home were all polished spotlessly by Yu Lu. Every time Wu Yuan came to visit his mentor, he could see Yu Lu busy there. After seeing him, apart from smiling, he just stood in the distance. , holding the broom, began to wait patiently for his departure. After politely seeing off the guests, the young man would start to do the servant work of cleaning footprints and wiping chairs. The young man enjoyed it, which puzzled Wu Yuan. Could it be that this young man's family and country were ruined and his whole family was reduced to a pariah prisoner? So the stimulation was too great and his mind was a little confused, right?

After Yu Lu adapted to the clean and busy life of the old house, Cui Chan, who had a secret letter in his sleeve, quietly returned to the house with a stranger. She was a slender but dark-faced girl, whose appearance could only be regarded as In the middle and lower part, his expression is stiff all day long, but his eyes are still pretty.

Even when she was facing Grand Master Da Li, she remained expressionless, neither fearful nor flattering. This made Yu Lu admire her. After hearing that she was also a prisoner and immigrated, he wanted to be more attentive and cordial with her, so he just It was a pity that the girl ignored him, and she was even more clumsy and full of mistakes when doing housework. She broke the dishes once or twice. Finally, Yu Lu couldn't bear it anymore, so he asked her to sit and rest, and all the big and small things were done by him. He did everything by himself, from buying groceries and washing rice, to cooking, to washing clothes, but she was not polite at all. She just sat on the chair carefree every day, more like a master than her master Cui Chan. The girl didn't seem to appreciate Yu Lu's good intentions. She didn't even look at the boy. Instead, she occasionally caught a glimpse of a hint of sarcasm in the eyes of that mediocre face.

Cui Chan clapped his hands heavily and said, "Come here, all three."

Yu Lu, a tall young man in Yushu Linfeng, a young girl with an excellent figure, and a young man with exquisite appearance, stood in front of Cui Han.

Cui Zhang tilted his head and looked at the three of them. Finally, his eyes rested on the tall boy, "Yu Lu, you were the pawn I fought for from the beginning."

"As for you, you are the one that the empress is determined to get. But now she has lost power and is living in a miserable state. She has been driven to the Changchun Palace to cultivate her mind and character. As for me who is in the capital of Great Li, I have mastered the green After leaving the bamboo pavilion, I took advantage of the opportunity and went to the water tower to send you to me. I took you out of the pit of fire. You should thank me. According to the empress's style of making the best use of everything, you fell into her In his hands, the outcome in the future may not be better than that of Yang Hua."

Cui Chang shifted his gaze and looked at the girl, "What are your last names going to be in the future? Or should you follow Yu Lu's example and simply change everything?"

The girl's voice was soft and charming: "Master Imperial Master, I just need to return my surname to Xie."

Cui Han thought for a moment, then laughed and said, "Oh? Why don't you just say thank you by your last name? This name is such an advantage. Thank you, why don't you thank me?"

The girl's face remained expressionless, but there was anger in her eyes, and no matter how hard the girl tried to hide it, she could not hide it.

Cui Chan said sadly: "I won't be called Cui Chan anymore. If you like, just call me Cui Dongshan, or you can call me Young Master."

Cui Chan's face was filled with dismay, "Yu Lu, thank you. Please clean up and salute. We will set off tomorrow and follow the south post road to Yefu Pass on the border."

Neither of them questioned anything.

Cui Chan saw the delicate young man with a face full of expectations and said, "You, just stay here, or you can go to Chen's School to study. It's up to you."

The young man was full of grievances, and just when he was about to muster up the courage to pray for his companions, Cui Chan glared angrily, "Get out!"

The young man was startled and left quickly.

Cui Zhang stood up, walked to a small study room on the second floor, and began to write a letter.

Nearly ten thousand words.

"Too much is not good enough. The Dali imperial court places too much emphasis on literati, which makes many people seeking fame and fame use poetry as a shortcut to official career and a stepping stone to enter the officialdom. The current atmosphere in Dali capital must be changed. We must not let the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty become peddlers and pawns. The superficial academic style that blindly advocates beautiful poems and poems must emphasize classics and meanings, current affairs, and reality, and must firmly grasp the word merit. Even if the Song Dynasty in Dali changes dynasties, no matter who comes to sit on the throne, they cannot lose this You and I are the foundation of our success."

"It's only right to break down the big and conquer the strongholds, and then gradually figure it out."

"The Imperial College must be in our hands. At the appropriate time, we can take back the arrangements of the Qintian Prison in exchange for complete control of the Imperial College."

…

At the end of writing, Cui Han suddenly slammed his hand on the ground, "What's the use of writing this now? I'm not me anymore. You, a guy who can stand and talk without pain, still have the nerve to ask me not to contact you for the time being. Take care of yourself, you should give me half of your family wealth. You are worthy of being Lao Cui Chan, an iron rooster who never plucks a dime! You are enjoying the blessings in the capital, but I am going to be a disciple of others. God, why don't you just kill me with a thunderbolt? me……"

The young man with a cinnabar mole on his eyebrow burst into tears and was heartbroken.