At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

After that, the investigation of relevant people and others involved many "parties" of Liu Heyangqiu's party.

Anyway, Cheng Huang's power was abolished, and his son-in-law was in trouble, and he himself was not to blame. He soon resigned and returned to his hometown to retire.

After several consecutive political turmoils, the power of a large number of eunuchs and relatives was completely abolished, and Emperor Ling regained power and administered comprehensively.

However, this was not the initial goal of Emperor Ling. The only reason to abolish these eunuchs was because they were confused and useless. One batch was useless, and another batch was replaced. The overall superiority of people creates an opportunity.

Within a year or two, the new ten permanent servants debuted.

As for Guo Peng, who has set off two consecutive political turmoils, because of his two grievances for Cai Yong, he has created an image of not being afraid of power and repaying gratitude. His fame has soared and he has become a well-known figure in Luoyang City.

However, Guo Peng doesn't seem to care about this matter at all.

After punishing the traitor, he left Luoyang and rushed to Wuyuan, saying that Cai Yong's safety would be ensured before returning from Wuyuan. This behavior was highly praised by all parties.

When Guo Peng arrived in Wuyuan, Cai Yong had already arrived in Wuyuan for seven days. He had already settled down in Wuyuan and started his life in exile. The house he lived in was very bad, low and dilapidated. It was bigger than Luoyang's. Of course the house can't be compared.

But Cai Yong didn't care about it either, saying that it was enough to have a place to live and study and study with peace of mind.

Guo Peng explained to Cai Yong what happened in Luoyang.

"...So, Liu He, Yang Qiu, and Zhao Xuan have all been sentenced to death. It is unforgivable to ask for the execution on another day. Duke Cai no longer has to worry about someone coming to assassinate you. You can study in Wuyuan with peace of mind. When I go back this time, I will definitely fight for a pardon for you, so that you can return to Luoyang as soon as possible, there are still many questions that students want to ask you."

Cai Yong was so moved that he held Guo Peng's hand with red eyes.

"Xiaoyi, although you and I have no relationship with master and apprentice in this life, the thing that I am most proud of is to bring you to Dongguan. You are born and die for me, but I have nothing to repay you, I..."

Cai Yong's voice was choked and he had nothing to say.

Guo Peng hurriedly said: "Cai Gong has the kindness of knowing and meeting with me. Without Cai Gong, how can I worship the teacher? I also hope Cai Gong will stop saying these words. The students are willing to do all this. Cai Gong and peace of mind in the fifth Yuan wait, you have no sins and will definitely be forgiven."

Cai Yong clenched Guo Peng's hands, nodded again and again, and watched Guo Peng leave.

Guo Peng only returned to Luoyang after confirming Cai Yong's safety. After returning to Luoyang, he found that his situation was very different from before.

When he was studying in Taixue, there would be people who wanted to get acquainted with him every day, not only the children of the Han family, but also the children of the gentry.

When Dongguan was proofreading books, no one regarded it as air, and when they saw Guo Peng, someone shouted "Guo Lang".

Even Yang Biao and Ma Riju, the master figures who used to be honest with him in the past, also became friendly with him, often asking him about his studies and encouraging him to study hard.

Lu Zhi's teaching was more attentive and stricter, and, intentionally or unintentionally, he also told Guo Peng some things that happened in the DPRK and some things he needed to deal with as a minister, consulted his ideas, and imparted his knowledge of herdsmen.

The knowledge of herdsmen is not something that ordinary people can learn.

Guo Peng was calm on the surface, unhappy and unprepared, showing his demeanor, but secretly he was excited and excited, and he had to be excited for a long time at night.

After spending so much, running around for countless days, and risking his life, he finally gained a reputation worthy of being valued and respected. No one in Luoyang knows the name of "Yingchuan Guolang".

Guo Peng's deeds of emphasizing friendship, knowing kindness, and sending Cai Yong thousands of miles have been widely circulated and have become a good story.

As Lu Zhi's status has risen, others have higher expectations for Guo Peng. They feel that Guo Peng's future is very bright. Now, due to Guo Peng's boyhood, it is inconvenient to make friends with him. There will be a large group of people to make friends with Guo Peng.

Many people are looking forward to this, and of course some people are worried about it. This person is not someone else, but Guo Peng's old husband, Cao Song.

Chapter 47 Once a marriage contract is established, it must be abided by

With the reshuffling of the eunuch forces, the Cao clan's forces were also affected, and their influence on the government was not as strong as before.

And Guo Peng's fame has risen, and he has become the Yingchuan Guo Lang that everyone admires. The future is bright, and Cao Song can't sit still.

Although this was the scene he was looking forward to, he very much hoped that Guo Peng would be famous, but now that it is really like this, he is not at ease.

If Guo Peng doesn't want to fulfill the marriage contract, there is a way, Cao Song has no doubts about this.

Cao's family is not as good as before. If Guo Peng doesn't want to fulfill the marriage contract, Cao Song doesn't even know what to do.

It was only then that he realized that he had thought too many things too simple.

In September of the second year of Guanghe, Guo Peng was going to be 15 years old, and when the three-year contract expired three years ago, Cao Song couldn't help but began to worry about gains and losses. He wanted to explain this matter to Guo Peng and remind him a little, but I found myself afraid to do so.

What if Guo Peng is unhappy?

In fact, as Cao Song thought, many people took a fancy to Guo Peng's fame and future prospects, and were dissatisfied with the fact that he had a marriage contract.

In particular, the fact that the betrothed was Cao's turbidity made many people even more dissatisfied, and even wanted to help Guo Peng to operate, to help him relieve Cao's worries.

During this period of time when Lu Zhi was working in the court, he heard some friends around him mention this incident, and smiled bitterly, so he mentioned it a little while he was teaching Guo Peng's knowledge at home.

As a result, what he did not expect was that Guo Peng rejected the matter, saying that he would fulfill his promise and take leave to go home in September, perform the crown ceremony, and get married.

And invited Lu Zhi as a witness to attend his crown ceremony and wedding.

"Do you really want to do this?"

Lu Zhi asked him.

"If you really want to do this, once you have made a marriage contract, you must abide by it. Students are born to be human beings, and faith is the foundation of doing things for others. If the contract is broken, how can the students have the honor to follow the teacher?

Lu Zhi understood Guo Peng's will, and looked up to him even more, and also agreed to the invitation to participate in Guo Peng's crown ceremony and wedding.

Afterwards, Lu Zhi also conveyed such news to his friends, telling them that Guo Peng would never break the contract, and Lu Zhi's friends who were waiting for his daughter would not regret it.

The news quickly reached Cao Song's ears, and Cao Song was inexplicably surprised, but Guo Peng didn't say it himself, which made him a little worried.

Seeing that September was still two months away, Cao Song became more and more eager until July [-]th, when Guo Peng came to visit Cao Song with some gifts.

"Zhang-in-law, September [-]th is still two months away. It's almost time to prepare for the marriage of my son-in-law and Alan, right?"

Seeing Guo Peng taking the initiative to mention this to him with a smile on his face, Cao Song suddenly felt that his efforts had been paid off enough.

September 15th is Guo Peng's birthday. Three years ago, Guo's family and Cao's family agreed that three years later, when Guo Peng turns [-], he will perform a crowning ceremony, bestow letters, add crowns, and then hold a wedding with Cao Lan.

In order to meet the needs of social interaction and marriage, it is not uncommon for gentry men to perform the crown ceremony in advance, and Guo Peng is not a special case. Now that the three-year period has come, it is time to fulfill the marriage contract.

Cao Song was overjoyed and immediately sent someone back to his hometown Qiao County to inform his family to start planning for Guo Peng and Cao Lan's wedding.

Guo Peng also wrote a letter and sent it home, asking Guo Shan to do it on his behalf. He would rush home a few days before the crown ceremony, and before that, he would continue to study and study at Dongguan School.

The news was sent back to the Cao family in Qiao County. A big stone in the heart of the Cao family finally fell. Everyone happily ran to tell each other, and then launched the power of the family to prepare for the wedding.

Originally, the Cao family lost their positions one after another because of Cao Chi and Cao Cao, and the Song family's relatives were exterminated, and their power declined. Only Cao Song in the family still insisted on the court. Since this year, I heard that Guo Peng has done a lot in the court. The big event, the fame soared, but I haven't heard the news of the wedding for a long time, and I am worried that things will change.

At that time, many family members were worried that Guo Peng would break the contract. Cao Cao, who lived and studied at home, resolutely disagreed. He stood up and said that Guo Peng was not such a person, and he would definitely fulfill the marriage contract.

On July 21st, the news of Cao Song came, and the whole Cao family was overjoyed. They even brought together the Xiahou family to prepare for the wedding.

After Guo Peng's letter was delivered to Guo Shan, Guo Shan read the letter carefully, and then let out a long sigh.

"Why are you sighing, husband?"

Mr. Yang poured water for Guo Dan on the side, saw Guo Dan sigh, and asked cautiously.

Ever since he scolded Guo Peng, and then the news that Guo Peng was doing well in Luoyang, Yang was a little afraid of Guo Peng, and felt that Guo Peng must be a high-ranking official in the future, the one who holds the power. One, when I think of this, I don't dare to talk about it.

"Xiaoyi wrote to me and told me that he would go home in September, make a crown ceremony, and officially marry Cao's daughter, and then return to Luoyang to continue his studies."

Guo Dan put down the bamboo slip and said slowly.

"This...isn't this a good thing? Now that Dalang is already Duke Lu's disciple, with Duke Lu taking care of him, isn't his future career very clear?"

Yang felt a little strange.

"Naturally, but the more so, the more I regret it. I didn't choose a good girl for Xiaoyi to marry, but I chose Cao's."

"This... the matter has come to this point, I'm afraid it is..."

Seeing his wife's embarrassed expression, Guo Dan waved his hand.

"It's not that I'm blaming the Cao family. This marriage is confirmed. I'm blaming myself."

After all, Guo Dan never mentioned the matter, and handled county affairs every day. When someone from Mrs. Cao came to ask, he answered. Mr. Cao didn’t ask, and he didn’t participate. Anyway, he didn’t lose a cent of the money.

This matter was mainly handled by Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan and several of the Cao clan were busy helping, both the Cao clan and the Xiahou clan took action to greet relatives and friends to prepare the wedding banquet.

According to Cao Song's standard, when the time comes, the entire Qiaoxian county will be set up with running water tables, and everyone in the county will be invited to eat. The more people, the more lively.

The more people blessed, the more face Cao will have, the happier Guo Peng will be, and the smoother the marriage will be.

At the beginning of September, Guo Peng took leave of absence from Dr. Taixue, went home for the crown ceremony and got married, and embarked on the journey home together with Zang Hong, who was going to come back with him.

On September [-], Guo Peng and Zang Hong came to Qiao County.

Guo Peng first went home to meet his father, introduced Zang Hong to his father, and then went to Cao's house with Zang Hong to meet Cao's and Xiahou's friends who were busy arranging marriages for him.

After seeing each other for a long time, Guo Peng also felt that he missed him very much. He gave them the gifts he brought back from Luo Yang, introduced Zang Hong to them, and let them run around, and he was dragged by Cao Cao to Cao Cao's study. speak in.

"Xiao Yi, I have heard about what happened to you in Luoyang."

Cao Cao said with a tense expression: "You are really bold enough, Yang Qiu is the commander of Sili and holds great power, so you actually act against him directly?"

"So what? Big brother, didn't you ever confront Jian Shuo?"

Guo Peng laughed.

"I am... I have a bottom line in my heart, but you are different. Yang Qiu can really kill people."

"Even so, I have to do it. Duke Cai has a big favor for me. Watching Duke Cai suffer and not do anything is not something I can do."

Guo Peng said sternly: "Even if I lose my life, I will still appeal for Duke Cai and repay his kindness to me."

When Cao Cao heard this, he sighed very much.

"Xiaoyi, in terms of morality, I'm not as good as you!"

Guo Peng was stunned for a moment, just smiled and said nothing.

After coming out of Cao Cao's house, Guo Peng reminisced with his friends and accepted the inquiries of the elders of Cao and Xiahou. All of them greeted them properly, fully demonstrating the communication skills learned in Luoyang.

Later, after having dinner with a group of people, I went home with Zang Hong.

After arranging accommodation for Zang Hong, he asked the servants to wait on Zang Hong to sleep. Guo Peng returned to his room and changed his clothes before coming to Guo Dan's study.

Guo Dan didn't sleep, and had been waiting for Guo Peng in the study.

"Xiao Yi, what you did in Luoyang was too thrilling."

Because of the slow speed of information dissemination, Guo Dan has experienced various very complex emotions in the past few months.

"Father, the son has no choice. If you don't do this, the son will have no place to stand. This time, it's just death and life."

Guo Dan also understands Guo Peng's situation, the society's pursuit of loyalty, filial piety and justice, and the power of political correctness.

However, as a father, although he values ​​power and position, he does not care about his son at all.

"Ugh……"

Guo Dan stood up, walked to Guo Peng's side, and said, "I'm so sorry for you."

"It's not hard for the family to plan."

Guo Peng's answer is perfect.

Chapter 48

After leaving Guo Dan's study, Guo Peng returned to his small room, took off his coat and sat down beside the bed under the service of the servant.

Looking at the flickering candles in the house, Guo Peng sighed wearily.

All your actions are for the sake of the family?

no.

Just to survive.

The world is unfair. Some people struggle all their lives without food and clothing, and some people have food and clothing since birth.

There has never been much fairness in this world, and if it is to be said, only death is fair to everyone.

In the troubled times at the end of the Han Dynasty, there will be no difference because you are a commoner or a powerful person. You will die when you deserve to die. The white knife goes in and the red knife goes out. No matter you have a great official position and noble blood, you will die the same.

It is not to say that the higher the status, the safer it is. Sometimes, the higher the status, the more dangerous it is. The position of emperor is the highest position in Chinese history, but the abnormal mortality rate of this position is far higher than that of any position in ancient and modern times.

Especially in troubled times, the emperors took turns to do it. When they came to my house next year, the bandits in the village dared to establish themselves as grass-headed kings. In the troubled times of the end of Han Dynasty, more than half of the population of more than 5000 million died.

They died sadly in the wilderness, where no one could see them. Only a few of them could be buried or cremated, and most of them could only be left to rot away, leaving their bones exposed in the wild.