Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Since Zhu Guoxiang provoked academic disputes, especially with the emergence of new astronomical knowledge, officials from various schools have been sending letters to friends.

What is communication for?

Shake people!

Let local great Confucian scholars come to Beijing quickly and strive to gain more say in the official learning of the new dynasty. At the same time, we must also fine-tune our school's academics based on new astronomical knowledge.

Luo Congyan was invited here, and his student Li Tong was this year's top pick.

He took a servant to inquire along the way and finally arrived at Luo Ji's residence in the capital. Luo Congyan and Luo Ji, despite their very different names, actually have the same grandfather.

Luo Ji can barely be classified as Cai's party, because he helped Cai Jing carry out academic reform. However, he has been outside for a long time and is outside the inner circle of Cai Jing's party. He does not agree with Cai Jing's other practices.

When the new campus of Taixue was completed, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty ordered the court officials to write lyrics to celebrate. Luo Ji's lyrics were rated first, and he was highly appreciated by the emperor and Cai Jing.

This person was very lucky. Ju Ming died of illness the year of the rebellion, so he did not have to go through the series of chaos that followed.

"Uncle, please come in!" Luo Zhao greeted him warmly.

Luo Congyan followed his cousin into the mansion. When they talked about his cousin's death, he couldn't help but sigh: "The past few years were chaotic and the war was turbulent. It has never been possible to make the trip. It is really a regret in my life."

He also had a mission this time, which was to record the descendants of his cousins ​​who settled in Tokyo and bring them back to his hometown to write in the family tree.

While the uncle and nephew were chatting, there was a sudden noise outside.

Luo Zhao frowned slightly, and suddenly a servant hurried over and said in panic: "Ms. Sir, there are some deposed kings from the previous dynasty outside. Because of that... because of that engagement matter, there has been a lot of trouble."

"Didn't we all agree? Give us some money and we'll give up!" Luo Zhao said depressedly.

Luo Congyan asked: "What engagement?"

Luo Zhao replied: "My second mother-in-law made a promise to King Xin of the previous dynasty. The three letters of greeting are missing, and the six etiquettes are missing. There is nothing wrong with regretting the marriage. Who would have thought that King Xin would be so arrogant."

This is related to the reputation of the Luo family, and Luo Congyan also has a say. He said: "It is better not to regret the marriage."

Luo Zhao explained: "My uncle doesn't know that King Xin has two sisters. Although they are the wives of the prince, it is best for the Luo family not to get involved. The officials and the prince are treating the former royal family well at this time, but what about five or ten years later?" ?Who can say for sure at that time? If one thing is not right, disaster will happen."

Luo Congyan said: "People cannot stand without faith."

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The guys from the football club didn't take it too seriously to watch the excitement, and actually helped the Zhao brothers knock down the door.

And hit the door directly!

They didn't use tools. They were divided into two or three people. They took a few steps back and then rushed forward with their bodies.

A servant quietly observed and quickly came to report: "There are many people outside watching the fun!"

Luo Zhao suddenly had a headache and could only take his uncle to the gate.

As soon as he asked someone to remove the latch, several Cuju players stumbled in and rolled into a ball.

"The door is open, the door is open!"

Everyone shouted and became more excited.

Zhao Yan ran to Luo Zhao in two or two steps, grabbed the latter's sleeve and asked, "Why do you regret your marriage?"

Luo Zhao didn't want to be embarrassed and said in a low voice: "Let's talk about it in the inner house. Don't let these many people see the joke."

Zhao Mo also rushed over and held Luo Zhao's shoulders: "Let's make it clear here and let the people of Tokyo comment. Why do your Luo family want to regret their marriage?"

"We have something to discuss." Luo Zhao was already worried. His idea was to give some money to cancel the engagement, but he didn't expect that the three deposed kings had turned into thugs.

Zhao Kai and Zhao Gou, however, wanted to be embarrassed, and advised from the side: "Let's talk about it after we go in, don't make it a laughing stock."

Zhao Yan was afraid that the Luo family would regret it, so he insisted: "Right here, in front of everyone, the Luo family must give an explanation!"

Luo Zhao discussed in a low voice: "Half of the three books and six rites are missing, the engagement can be canceled. This matter is indeed a small mistake of the Luo family. All the gifts received can be returned, and how about a compensation of 500 guan?"

Hearing that the compensation had increased to 500 yuan, Zhao Yan was a little moved. He turned to Zhao Zhen and asked, "What do you think, eighteenth brother?"

Zhao Zhen, who had just grown up, didn't care about this. He valued his own face more, and he had indeed fallen in love with his fiancée. He immediately roared: "Not to mention five hundred guan, even five thousand guan will not do!"

Luo Zhao was also angry: "Okay, just follow the rules and wait until I return to the back house to get the gift book."

Zhao Yan and Zhao Mo's expressions changed, and they quickly advised their younger brother: "Forget it, forget it, just pay five hundred guan."

The book of etiquette is a part of the three books and six etiquettes. To put it bluntly, it is the gift list for the bride.

With Song Huizong's luxury, how could his son's marriage be shabby?

If he strictly followed the gift list, he would have to spend at least tens of thousands of dollars before Zhao Zhen could marry his fiancée. (The bride will also have a large dowry. Although the groom will definitely not lose money, he has to take out the gifts first.)

"I don't want money!" Zhao Zhen was still confused.

Zhao Mo leaned into his younger brother's ear and said: "The letter of ceremony was too expensive at that time. It was not just about money, but also some rare things that were hard to buy even with money."

Zhao Zhen was stunned, feeling extremely aggrieved.

His status has turned him into a young man who cannot afford the bride price!

Zhao Gou was full of bad intentions and deliberately loudly said to Zhao Kai: "The third brother is a good poet, and he wrote a poem on the spot about the Luo family's repentance of their marriage. I also have some friends, and I know a few famous actors, so I can let them Help spread the new words.”

"This is easy to handle, it's just a new poem." Zhao Kai understood immediately.

Now it was Luo Zhao's turn to change his face drastically. If the regret of marriage was written into a new song and sung, regardless of whether the Luo family was justified or not, his reputation would be ruined from now on.

Luo Congyan finally spoke, first bowing to the deposed kings, and then said: "Everyone, please come in and talk in detail."

"Yes, yes, let's talk after we get in." Luo Zhao agreed.

The brothers looked at each other. They were manipulated by the gift list, and now they didn't want to be watched by others.

The Zhao and Luo families reached a consensus and walked toward the inner courtyard together. The servants of the Luo family began to drive away the onlookers.

Several football players who broke into the door were kicked away unwillingly. They also felt extremely unhappy and shouted at the top of their lungs: "One can't afford the betrothal gift, and the other is making trouble to regret the marriage. These two families are evenly matched. Hahahaha!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The onlookers also laughed, and they finally had something to gossip about when they got home today.

If this matter spreads, both sides will suffer, and both the Luo family and the Zhao brothers will become laughing stock.

Zhao Kai vaguely heard the words outside the gate and scolded Zhao Gou angrily: "What kind of bad friends have you made? You didn't help, but you still laughed at my family!"

Zhao Gou had long been dissatisfied with Zhao Kai, and said angrily: "I didn't call you here. You guys did something inappropriate, but you come to blame me. Matters with a bad reputation like this should be discussed in private and cannot be allowed to happen. Others know.”

Zhao Kai then inquired about the details of the football players: "Do those prodigals have any descendants of officials?"

"If they are not the children of officials, why would I make friends with them?" Zhao Gou asked back.

Zhao Kai became silent and felt aggrieved at the same time.

In the past, if these libertines dared to play tricks on him, he would have ordered the soldiers of the Imperial City Department to arrest them.

The tiger fell on the plains and was bullied by dogs, the dragon was trapped in the shallows and was teased by shrimps!

The two parties came to the living room. Luo Zhao asked his servant to serve tea and introduced: "This is my uncle, a great scholar from Fujian. Jinke Tanhua is his disciple."

Zhao Kai and Zhao Gou turned their heads to look at each other at the same time, having completely settled their dispute.

The first grade of the Ming Dynasty represents a special meaning. As long as there is no big trouble in the future, you can get into the cabinet despite your seniority.

There is really no need to offend the teacher of the future prime minister because of a marriage!

Seeing that the Zhao brothers were shocked, Luo Zhao took the opportunity to double the compensation: "The Luo family is willing to pay a thousand gu to cancel this engagement."

However, Zhao Zhen was very arrogant, and the young man insisted on saving face: "I don't want compensation! I will raise the betrothal gift in the gift book. If it's not enough in one year, I'll raise it in two years. If it's not in two years, I'll raise it in three years!"

Luo Zhao reminded: "According to the law, if the marriage is not consummated for three years from the date of issuing the engagement letter, the engagement can be cancelled. There is only half a year left."

It was the first time that Zhao Zhen had heard of such a rule, and she was stunned not knowing what to do.

"Eighteenth brother, forget it." Zhao Yan whispered.

Zhao Zhen was unhappy and buried her head in silence.

Luo Zhao had people bring baskets of copper coins, and he wrote a deed to cancel the engagement, signed it himself, and handed it to Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Gou felt that he could not always be suppressed and had to work hard to regain his face, so he pointed to the baskets of copper coins and said, "These are too heavy to move. We only need silver coins!"

"Yes, just silver dollars!" Zhao Kai said quickly.

Apart from doing this, the two of them had no other means. Even a branch of the Luo family could bully them.

Luo Zhao had no choice but to take out the silver coins, and both parties quickly signed and stamped them, sending the Zhao brothers away like the gods of plague.

The brothers left Luo's house and found that there was someone waiting outside.

As soon as they went out, they heard questions:

"Does the wedding still need to be held?"

"How much money did the Luo family lose?"

"You're not really going to regret your marriage, are you?"

"..."

When the brothers got the money, they were not happy at all. Knowing that they had become the laughing stock of the people in Tokyo, they hailed a donkey cart nearby and fled the city quickly.

After the donkey cart drove for a while, Zhao Gou began to complain: "If something like this happens, how can I go to Yuanshe to play football? I will be laughed at if I go!"

"I'm too embarrassed to make friends with literature!" Zhao Kai also started nagging.

Zhao Yan was already angry, but now he was even more angry: "The eighteenth brother's marriage is not as good as your reputation? Ever since Prince Zhu led his troops into the city, our Zhao family has been disgraced for a long time!"

Zhao Gou actually changed his target and turned to Zhao Kai with a strange look: "Although our brothers were nobles of the previous dynasty, they were only as famous as the third brother for a few years, and enjoyed all the blessings. As a prince, he actually became the top scholar in the imperial examination, from the Ministry of Rites to the The examiners all helped cheat..."

"Who said I cheated? Don't slander anyone!" Zhao Kai was furious.

"You know whether you cheated or not." Zhao Gou was full of resentment towards Zhao Kai, and this time he finally planned to vent it all out. In order to flatter Zhao Kai, he often went to Zhao Kai's house to play. Not only did he get angry many times, he was also jealous of Zhao Kai's palace that seriously violated the rules.

Zhao Kai patted his chest and said, "I got the top prize based on my ability!"

Zhao Gou sneered: "At the age of fifteen or sixteen, he defeated all the talents in the country and won the first prize in one fell swoop. No fool would believe this!"

"Say one more thing?" Zhao Kai pointed at his younger brother.

Zhao Gou laughed and said, "You bullied your elder brother, cheated on the imperial examination, and tried to usurp the throne. I'm talking about you!"

"I, I, I...I'll beat you to death!"

On the bumpy donkey cart, Zhao Kai pounced on Zhao Gou.

The two hugged each other and fought each other. When the driver heard the noise, he quickly stopped moving.

The other three brothers were dumbfounded. They were here to talk about marriage today, but why did the third and ninth brothers get into a fight?

The two men fought more and more fiercely. They rolled off the donkey cart onto the street and were at each other's throats. The three brothers Zhao and Chu quickly tried to break up the fight.

Passers-by stopped one after another and came to watch the princes fighting each other.