Promotion and fortune in Song Dynasty

Qin Zhixian raised the corners of his mouth imperceptibly, but before others noticed, he deliberately lowered his face, and said softly: "Don't make any more noise in the hall!"

The people who were still talking a lot just now restrained themselves and waited with bated breath for him to read the verdict.

The county magistrate of Qin was not in a hurry to announce the verdict, but only asked in a calm tone that could not hear any emotions or anger: "Who just proposed that it is better for the prisoner to compose a poem on the spot to test his knowledge?"

Everyone was taken aback, and unconsciously stepped aside a little, revealing Lu Cilai in the crowd in the back row.

Although Lu Ci was a little surprised, he still took a step forward at a leisurely pace, and saluted with a slight smile: "Return to Gongzu, I'm here."

The magistrate of Qin didn't expect that it would be a young man who hadn't reached the crown, so he was secretly surprised.

So much so that after he paused, he continued to ask the other party's name.

Lu Ci smiled and said: "In Xia Lu Ci, people from Mizhou came here to take care of their mother's grandfather's illness. I happened to hear that my father-in-law enforced the law like a mountain, and the mirror hangs high. I came to the county government to have a look. I just made a small suggestion. It's not a false statement, please don't blame your father-in-law."

Lu Ci's answer in a neither humble nor overbearing way is obviously in line with Qin Zhixian's wishes.

Seeing that the magistrate of Qin showed some appreciation for the young man who suddenly appeared, he was arrogant just now, but he finally started to panic.

Although relying on the reputation of his sister-in-law's family to run amok everywhere, he still has some self-knowledge.

Although he went to a private school for ten days and a half months when he was a child, that is to say, he could memorize a few lines of the Three Character Classic, he could write his own name, and he knew some commonly used characters. At first I was out of ink.

Wouldn't it be difficult for such a man to recite poems and fight against others!

He didn't dare to interrupt the magistrate's speech, lest he be accused of yelling at the court, he only dared to finish asking Lu Ci in Qinzhi County, stroked his beard and beard with a slight smile, and hurriedly inserted: "It's just a little joke , how can the grandfather listen to it?"

Qin Zhixian asked slowly and leisurely: "According to what you said, you don't dare?"

There were a few drops of cold sweat on the prisoner's forehead, and he knew that the magistrate of Qin really agreed with this proposal.

When he was in a hurry, he was really quick-witted: "Whenever you create a poem, you can't rely on the opportunity and inspiration. I'm in prison, full of worries, how can I have such a leisurely mood?"

He was dying, but the faces of the two scholars who had received money from the Sun family to testify for this person were not so good.

None of them were stupid, and it was impossible to see that the magistrate of Qin had already made up his mind, and even had a lot of biases.

The more anxious this person is to defend himself, the more he is in chaos, doesn't it prove that he has no talent?

To their surprise, the magistrate of Qin did not force him to continue working, and even quite agreed with this statement: "This statement is somewhat reasonable. Only a man as talented as Cao Zijian in the world can hang his life by a thread. Seven steps into poetry."

Before the prisoner could show his overjoyed expression, Qin Zhixian looked at Lu Ci and asked seriously, "Since he said that, does Lu Xiaolang have any other suggestions?"

Lu Ci followed up politely: "Since this is the case, why don't Gongzu publish scriptures, and Mo Yi each one, this only needs to study hard, and does not need the help of inspiration."

Without waiting for the criminals to object, Lu Ci leisurely blocked the way out: "But ordinary people, their poetry skills may be short, so that they can't even write a rough poem in a crisis, but they can't even write a poem. You can't even answer the most basic questions. If that's the case, it's obvious that you haven't studied hard on weekdays, and you've become so ignorant."

"I don't read books, I don't understand words, I don't understand words, I don't compose poems." Although Lu Ci's tone was calm, his words were sonorous and forceful: "Forgive me for speaking bluntly——If this can be called a scholar, the world will be a scholar." I'm afraid there will be no common people!"

As soon as these words came out, the people outside who were only listening to the excitement became excited.

"well said!"

"Even my child can compose a simple poem, but he can't even do this. How dare he call himself a scholar?"

"Look at his guilty look, he will be damned if he can recite it!"

"If someone like him is considered a scholar, what kind of white man am I!"

Even Qin Zhixian no longer concealed the smile of approval on his face, and looked at the criminal with a gray face: "Lu Xiaolang's words are also very reasonable. Do you still have objections?"

This person knew that the general situation was over, so he stopped making futile arguments. He just had a little bit of luck, hoping that the question was not difficult, and he could answer a little bit.

However, in order to demonstrate the fairness of his trial results, and to prove that the questions he posed were not too difficult, the magistrate of Qin also randomly selected a young person from the crowd to answer the questions together.

When Lu Ci saw that it was Zhu Shuo who had been watching silently, it was not someone else who was picked by the magistrate of Qin...

"..."

This is God's death for this criminal.

Now even Lu Ci couldn't bear to look at this old brother who was still dying.

Compared with Tie Jing and Mo Yi's words, which can be passed only by rote memorization and a little understanding, even Lu Ci has a well-thought-out plan, and Zhu Shuo is even more at ease.

The county magistrate of Qin is also kind, and the questions he asked are indeed not difficult, but they are definitely not something that someone who only knows a little about the three-character scriptures can answer.

When the other party was still hesitating, Zhu said that he answered two questions quickly without blinking an eye, and compared the other party into the mud.

The other party's face was flushed, and he couldn't say a word of eloquence.

Since he was not a scholar, he naturally no longer received the special protection of the law, not to mention being punished lightly, and he was not even allowed to be redeemed.

However, at first, the prisoner thought that he would get away with nothing because of his status as a scholar, so he readily confessed his guilt early in the morning. Now, because he didn't quibble to evade it, he got a little leniency.

According to the law, the prefect of Qin County sentenced this person to a hundred survey rods and managed the neighboring states; and the two scholars who received money from the Sun family and gave false testimony for him did not escape punishment.

However, since it is the first time for them to commit a crime, they can be sentenced to ransom, which will not hinder their participation in the imperial examination.

Lu Ci took Zhu Shuo, followed the crowd out of the government office, and walked to the mansion where they rested, while thinking about the case just now.

By observing the judgment of the magistrate of Qin County, one can see that the other party pays attention to his reputation among the people, but does not blindly pursue political achievements, but has a more or less sympathetic style.

Li Xin wanted to take back the manor, but there shouldn't be any obstacles elsewhere.

It takes time and effort to clear the injustice case, and there is also the suspicion of damaging the reputation of the first emperor who indirectly caused the matter. Such a thankless effort, of course, cannot be expected to be done by a local official who is neither relative nor relative.

But to give some convenience to the descendants of the well-known wronged people, and to give a little lesson to the increasingly domineering wealthy businessmen, such as the people of Qinzhi County, most of them will be happy to do it.

On the way back, Lu Ci also stopped by the dealer and booked a qualified lawyer for Li Xin.

It's just that when he came out, he had been smiling and talking to Zhu who was beside Lu Ci, and his eyes inadvertently caught a person passing by in the crowd, and his smile suddenly became a little faint.

He was hesitating when the other party spotted him by accident. After a flash of surprise in his eyes, he took the initiative to approach him and greeted him a little stiffly: "Isn't this Goro! I haven't seen you for many years. You are much older. I almost didn't I recognize you. When did you come back, why haven't I heard of it?"

Lu Ci saw that this person was dressed in brocade and had a gentle temperament. He was about twenty years old, and when he looked carefully, he was obviously similar to what Zhu said, so he knew it in his heart.

Listening to the familiar address, it is not a real brother, but at least a brother.

...However, Fan Zhongyan is actually from Suzhou, and there is also an elder brother who seems to be very unfamiliar with him here?

Lu Ci couldn't help but frowned.

If he remembers correctly, Fan Zhongyan himself said that it was because of his father's death that his mother had to remarry due to the hardships of life.

This is strange.

Now that she is remarried, how could she not take away her other sons, only the youngest Fan Zhongyan?

Let's take a look at this man who called Fan Zhongyan "Wulang", his clothes are not only luxurious, but also worthy of being exquisite, and he doesn't seem to worry about life at all.

Especially compared with Fan Zhongyan, who lived pitifully alone in a cold cave and had to eat a pot of porridge for two days, he could be called a rich food.

Thinking of this, Lu Ci looked at Fan Zhongwen with a colder look.

Zhu Shuo narrowed his eyes slightly, and said gently: "This time I am only visiting relatives with friends, so I don't want to work on you two brothers, let alone tell others about it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Shuo stepped aside and gave a brief introduction to Lu Ci and his second brother.

Lu Ci smiled slightly and bowed to this person named 'Fan Zhongwen', and after a few words of politeness, Fan Zhongwen took his leave first because he still had something urgent to do.

Before he left, he told Zhu to go home and take a look when he had time, and Zhu said nod in response.

After returning to the mansion, Lu Ci sat on the most comfortable wooden chair, gently supported his pointed chin with his index finger and thumb, and began to question him with a smile: "I have known Brother Zhu for so long, and I still don't know You also have four elder brothers in Suzhou."

Being stared at by Lu Ci's smiling eyes, Zhu said that he became inexplicably nervous, and explained in a messy way: "I went to Zizhou with my mother when I was two years old, and I have never seen these elder brothers since. They... Not from the same mother, now that I have changed my surname, I am not from the same family, so..."

Lu Ci suddenly realized.

What Zhu said about being alone and alone makes perfect sense now.

Leaving aside the situation of the Zhu family, the four elder brothers surnamed Fan, including Fan Zhongwen, must all be descendants of Fan Yong's wife, the Chen family.

However, Fan Zhongyan's biological mother, Xie, was only his concubine. Following Fan Yong's early death, he was expelled from the house by the main family, and had to bring his own meager dowry to remarry others in order to make ends meet.

Fan's family property is all owned by the Chen family and the four sons born by the Chen family, so life is naturally more prosperous than Zhu Shuo's.

Even so, there is no question of seeking justice.

Even according to the law, in terms of the distribution of Fan Yong's inheritance, Zhu said that although he was not a direct son, he was not worth a penny, so he must have suffered some losses.

If the lawsuit could be brought in time back then, maybe some of it could be recovered.

However, after Mrs. Xie was bullied, she silently chose to leave. Now after many years, the dust has settled, Mrs. Xie has remarried, and Zhu said that she still thinks about returning to her family and family name in the future.

In this way, even if Lu Ci has a solution, it is not easy to use it.

Even for Zhu Shuo, who plans to change back to his old surname, he may have to properly maintain his relationship with the Fan clan.

Lu Ci thought for a moment, and then asked: "It's rare for you to come back to Suzhou, so it's okay if you don't go there?"

Zhu said with a soft sigh.

Because the person he was talking to was Lu Ci, after hesitating for a moment, he decided not to hide anything, but to tell the most fundamental reason: "Returning hastily, the tribe may think that I have something coveted, so it is inevitable to be more careful. I If you don't have this thought, if you cause trouble for no reason, it will not be beautiful."

As eloquent as Lu Ci, I don't know what to say now.

In his opinion, he could only blame the evil system of monogamy and multiple concubines, and Fan's father didn't make any plans for the concubine's death during his lifetime.

But he didn't need to say much - after all, from what Zhu Shuo said just now, it was not difficult to see that Zhu Shuo was actually clear about Chen's thoughts.

At this moment, Zhu said that he was poor and white, and suddenly came to the door. At the least, he was regarded as a poor relative of Daqiufeng, which caused some malicious speculation about his mother Xie's family;

The fact that Mrs. Chen was able to directly sweep out Mrs. Xie, who was holding her two-year-old son, out of the house, shows how much she values ​​family property.

In the silent atmosphere, Lu Ci calmly opened the "Analects of Confucius", which he had already memorized by heart, and suddenly came up with a question: "Zi said that there are four ways of a gentleman in Zichan, what are the so-called four?"

Zhu said that he straightened his back reflexively, and replied without hesitation: "Yes: he is respectful in his actions, respectful in his affairs, beneficial to the people in support, and righteous in making the people. Be right."

Lu Ci nodded seriously, and without giving Zhu Shuo a chance to think about it, he continued to ask the next question: "There are seven authors, please use the names of the seven."

Why worry?

Only do the questions.

The author has something to say: Notes:

1. Redemption:

Officials who commit crimes can be redeemed.When using an official to make atonement, redemption is to use copper to make atonement.

Of course, copper redemption is not really paying copper, but converting it into money to pay. ("Song Dynasty Imperial Examination Society", p175-177)

If a scholar commits a crime, he can be redeemed.This regulation started in the fifth year of Dazhong Xiangfu (that is, the 'this year' in this article).Gong Juren who had taken the examination of the Ministry of Rites, public sinners could be redeemed, and later expanded to private sin sticks. "Qing Yuan Tiao Fa Shi Lei" Volume [-] "Dang Ranmen Punishment Redemption" has clear regulations on which scholars can use redemption.Scholars with different identities can redeem different sins.

2. 驵侩: That is, dental or dental institutions

A badge is similar to a business license.

The Song Dynasty formulated a set of "Yabao Law" to regulate the behavior of Yaren, requiring Yaren to register with the government and obtain a "identity card" issued by the government before they can engage in Yaman activities, otherwise their identity will not be recognized "Black Teeth". The "body card" contains the person's name, place of origin, industry, and "restraint" clauses.There are three articles in total: [-]. Goods that have not been stamped are not allowed to be traded; If you want to limit the money on credit by yourself, you must clearly sign a contract and call more strong insurance, regardless of causing lawsuits.If a merchant comes to the door, Yaren is obliged to read the "restraint" clause on the "body badge" to the merchant first. [Note] There is no doubt that merchants will have less risk when cooperating with legitimate dental professionals with "identity cards". ("Song: The Dawn of Modern Times")

3. Fan Zhongyan was originally from Wu County, Suzhou, and had four elder brothers.Fan Zhongyan is at the end.

Among them, the eldest brother died early and lost his name without examination; the second brother, Fan Zhongwen, had close contacts with Fan Zhongyan; Lost name without examination.Fan Zhongyan's "Epitaph of Fan Fujun" says: "Three of the five sons of the late father died early. But my brother and I are the pillars of the family."

4. Fan family property:

Fan Zhongyan later wrote a poem "Three Questions in Suihantang", which was written for Suzhou's "ancestral home", which proved that the Fan family had property in Suzhou.

5. There is no clear historical evidence to prove that Fan Yong's main family, Chen and Xie, were Fan Yong's concubines, but there are many supporting evidences. For details, see Mr. Li Congxin's research.

Listed below:

Regarding Fan Zhongyan's "returning to the clan and resuming the surname", he was obstructed by his tribe.

Lou Yao's "Chronology of Fan Wenzheng" (hereinafter referred to as "Chronology") contains: "When you come to Gusu, if you want to return Fan's surname, but the clansmen are in trouble, please ask the public firmly, saying: 'If you want to return to your original surname, he has nothing to covet. .' Xu ​​Yan."

The fundamental reason why the tribe refused Fan Zhongyan's reinstatement was related to property, and they agreed to reinstate Fan Zhongyan's surname only after he made it clear that "he has nothing to covet".

In the end, Fan Zhongyan buried his mother Xie in Luoyang instead of Suzhou.

Regarding the burial of the Xie family, Fan Zhongyan explained in a letter to his uncle and brother Fan Zhongyi: "I used to wear clothes in the past, and wanted to return to Gusu for burial, but I saw that the customs were too thin. Because Sigao was originally from the north, his descendants were fortunate to predict Jin gentry, it is appropriate to build a hall, but change it to Luo." Fan Zhongyan is a tolerant and kind elder, and he does not want to criticize the Suzhou people too much.

The sentence "customs are too thin" shows Fan Zhongyan's attitude and evaluation of him, all of which are related to Xie's identity and remarriage. (Section 1 of Chapter [-] of "Research on Fan Zhongyan")

6. The two Moyi questions given by Lu Ci are from "The Analects of Confucius Xianwen No. 14" and "The Analects of Confucius Gongye No. [-]".It is also included in Wang Yi's "Yan Ji Yi Mou Lu Volume [-]", the Moyi test questions that actually appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty.