The snow in the mountains was still freezing hard, and the farmers were trapped in their homes by the thick snow, and there was nothing else to do except sweep the yard and polish the farm tools. The Song people in the world chose the law to defend themselves, and the news came from the Ezhou Jingshi, as if they had grown wings, and flew into the mountain village of southern Anhui, which was surrounded by lofty mountains and mountains. Ordinary villagers just use it as a conversation after tea and dinner, but the old man Wei Bingde of Weijia Village attaches great importance to it and specially gathers the heads of all families in the clan to discuss the choice of law in the ancestral hall. However, after discussion, Wei Bingde's idea was extremely right, even if he cut off his head now, he was determined to enter the clear stream.

The ancestors of the Wei family have been nobles, Wei Dazhuang is a famous minister of the Wuzong Dynasty, and Sima Wenzhenggong has a comment on it as "poor and open-minded, and stubborn". His family was poor, and at the beginning, his family received a congratulatory gift, and Wei Dazhuang saw that he would abandon the congratulatory gift. His successive ministries of works, officials, and rites were all known for their incorruptibility, and the state and county officials said that "seeing the Duke of Wei knew that there were people in Bianliang who did not receive money". It's just that since Wei Dazhuang, the cultural context of Weijia Village has declined, although many children of the clan have gone to school, they have never been out of Jinshi. Many children of the Wei nationality saw that their careers were hopeless, and they went out to make a living, and they were honest and righteous, diligent and thrifty, and the scale was getting bigger and bigger, and their business was all over the southeast, and there were even people who went to Annan, Dashi and other places to do business with boats.

The stone tablet repaired by Wei Zhongsu in the matter of the imperial court for the Ministry of Rites was erected in the ancestral tomb, like a signboard, whenever foreign merchants visited, they had to go to worship and pay their respects. However, whenever this happens, Wei Bingde has the shame of seeing his ancestors and is heartbroken. Although the Wei family is prosperous, it is just the last merchant and cannot be called a famous family. When Huizhou Kaizhou School donated students, respecting the Son of Heaven and not obeying the order, Wei Bingde began to scoff at it, and Huang Dashan people in this county donated ten students in one go, Wei Bingde was in a hurry to catch up, gritted his teeth and donated fifteen students, plus the children who went to school with their ability, the Wei family had 30 students in the state, which was twice as many as the Huang family's students, and it was a decisive force in the state. The imperial court ordered the people of the world to choose the law and be self-disciplined, so that Wei Bingde saw an opportunity, an opportunity for the Wei family to get rid of the last stream of merchants and return to the famous family of the Qing Dynasty.

The ancestral hall of the Wei family is tall and old, the pine and cypress were planted in the Wuzong Dynasty, it has grown for more than 100 years, the forest is full of trees, covering the sky and the sun, so that the ancestral hall naturally has a simple and solemn atmosphere. The spirit cards of the ancestors of the past dynasties are placed on the top, and the calligraphy and paintings of ordinary celebrities are hung on both sides, but the ancestral teachings in the family tree, such as "the world's affairs, all with diligence and leisure." Shinong industry and commerce, although the industry is different, is their own job. Laziness is laziness, and diligence is vocational training. If you are not diligent, you can't, and if you are not thrifty, you won't be rich. ”“...... The four industries are the most hard, and they have been hungry for half their lives; The stone pillow in the wilderness is often sleeping, carrying the wind and frost and turning the snow. ”“...... Only treat people with sincerity, and people are self-satisfied; Let the art be the master, and the thing will not be close in the end. ”“...... Home also, for the sake of frugality and livestock accumulation. The poor eat again every day, and the rich eat three times, and eat only thick porridge. The guest is not millet, the family does not ride horses, and does not raise geese...... Female residents do not occupy fish and meat, and daily needlework sewing ......"

In order to make friends with the government and cling to the powerful outside, the Wei family inevitably had to feast on guests, and they were angry with the horses, and they made a lot of money out of the scene. But in the local area, they are all thrifty, and their clothes are always based on simple colors such as white, gray, and black. Everyone stood in the ancestral hall with their hands held their breath, listening to the patriarch finish the matter of the court's great ceremony without hurrying, and their expressions were different, obviously thinking about the gains and losses of this choice of law and self-discipline.

"Our Wei family used to be regarded as a scholarly family, a family of poetry and books, but now there is no Jinshi to support the lintel. The "Song Rite Law" compiled by Yuhang Wu Shangshu is a clear stream method, and we can't climb it. I have made up my mind, so I will self-discipline with the "Gentleman's Law" of the Ministry of Etiquette. Wei Bingde's middle air was full of energy, and his deep voice echoed in the ancestral hall, which made everyone's ears buzz, he slowed down his tone, and said step by step, "The rules of the court are that people choose their own laws and self-discipline, and I can't break the rules of the court." You are all the heads of your own families, and you have to take this idea yourself. ”

The Wei family has always been tightly embraced, who would have expected the patriarch to be so open, really according to the rules of the imperial court, let go and let each family choose their own law. The expressions of the people below changed, and the people who traveled from all over the world were the best at observing words and feelings. When there are big things, in addition to their own small abacus, people are conformists, and some people are already looking left and right, hoping to see the clues from other people's faces. The movements of the clansmen in the ancestral hall were all in Wei Bingde's eyes, but he was calm. The entire clan was in his heart, and he could estimate what everyone thought. But he just turned a blind eye, and he didn't bother to guess. Wei Bingde sat in the position of the patriarch of the Wei clan, relying on his own toughness, acting fairly and impartially, not any other tricks.

"I'm ashamed to say that our descendants are ashamed of our ancestors, three generations have not been famous, but they have also been left behind by our ancestors, and all the children of my Wei clan have studied and studied. In the past few days, I have asked all parties to go to the village school to copy the general gist of the "Song Rite Law", "Gentleman's Law", and "Vulgar Law". The so-called people have their own ambitions and can't be forced, so let's do it, those who are willing to abide by the "Song Rite Law" or the "Gentleman's Law" are standing on the left, and those who originally abide by the "Vulgar Law" are standing on the right. The clansmen on both sides have property to be divided, so they are not in a hurry to discuss it first. If you set the etiquette law, you will be given justice. ”

After Wei Bingde finished speaking slowly, he paced to the left side of the ancestral hall, and his eyes did not look down again, but fell on a poem of ancestors hanging on the wall of the ancestral hall. The name of the person, the shadow of the tree, he has been in charge of the clan for more than ten years, and if he says that he will give people justice, he will give people justice. No one from the Wei clan doubted it. Everyone whispered in a low voice, and after a while, some people had already made a choice, walking to the left side of the ancestral hall, standing behind Wei Bingde, and more people hesitated in place, until more than ten parents chose to self-discipline with the "Gentleman's Law", and then someone mustered up the courage to stand on the right side of the ancestral hall. Gradually, more than 50 heads of families in three generations of the clan made a choice.

"It's good that everyone has made up their minds," Wei Bingde's face sank like water, and he said slowly, "Although people have their own ambitions and abide by different etiquette laws, our Wei clan in Huizhou will still have to watch and help each other in the future, and don't let outsiders see the jokes......" He nagged and repeated the important ones of the ancestors, and everyone listened respectfully, and officially signed and drew a charge on the book of choosing the law and self-discipline, and then dispersed with each other. Wei Bingde flipped through the roster, the smile on his face gradually cooled, and the old people in several clans were embarrassed.

"The second brother doesn't know what's going on," Wei Bingzhi sighed: "You actually go to abide by the 'vulgar law'?" ”

"Who knows?" Fourth Uncle Wei Zhigong said, "After all, there is something wrong, and I am not hard." ”

Several others chimed in. Wei Bingde only sighed. Wei Bingyi is quite good in the clan, and everyone has no ill feelings towards him, only this time he chooses the vulgar and is easy to self-discipline, and he will be separated from everyone in the future. Since the imperial court uses people's own choice of law to argue between good and bad, it is conceivable that if a businessman walks in all directions, if he cannot abide by the "Song Rite Law" or "Gentleman's Law", he will inevitably be regarded as a lowly and vulgar person, and many important occasions will not be able to enter at all. Even among businessmen, you must know that people who do business pay special attention to credibility. Among the so-called "gentlemen", there is naturally credit, and no matter how big the business, as long as each takes what he needs, he will make his own profits. Even with a few words, you can make a decision on the spot and make a high-five appointment. If the other party is just a "vulgar" businessman, whether it is a joint stock or a transaction, before the negotiation, there is a little suspicion in his heart, and whether the business is successful or not, it will take more effort in vain. Therefore, wealthy businessmen and tycoons who do not have a reputation for themselves will never allow themselves to fall into the bottom of the "vulgar" when they have a glimmer of opportunity.

"The court uses etiquette to distinguish turbidity, and there is no way for good and evil, but people call themselves." Fifth Uncle Wei Zhishan coughed, took out a handkerchief, spit out thick phlegm, and sneered: "Huang Yunheng, Huang Fourth Master, he is full of shit, it's strange that he can keep the clear flow method." If the imperial court moves seriously, just this time, the Huang family will be defeated. ”

Weijia Village and Huangjia Village, the fields of the two villages are only separated by a shallow stream, and they are both big families that have lasted for hundreds of years. The Huang family was originally a one-handed cover in the local area, but since the Wei family made its debut, the two families have fought openly and secretly. Unlike the Wei family, which is a Shili heirloom, the Huang family has always been very loose, but the patriarchs of the past dynasties have been clever and have caught the clansmen and the surrounding villagers to death. The patriarch of the Huang family, Huang Yunheng is a sweet-mouthed sword, two-sided and three-sworded, but everyone is afraid of him. It is said that he has several faces, and he smiles at the gentry, and he may be cursing you for being ruined and ruined, and he is high up to ordinary villagers, as if he can dominate the lives of others, and he can make friends in front of high-ranking officials and nobles and pretend to be pitiful, and he can always take advantage of more and free money and food every year. For the power and prestige of the two families, he and Wei Bingde fought for more than ten years.

At this time, in the ancestral hall of the Huang family, many clansmen also gathered together. Unlike Wei Bingde, who only called the parents of each family, Huang Yunheng has always convened all the clansmen at the clan meeting in Huangjia Village. In addition to women and children in the village, they all have to go to the ancestral hall for public discussion. The wick of the oil lamp hung on the hall burned very strongly, illuminating the patriarch so that the hall was shining, and there was no sign of excessive wine at all.

Huang Yunheng was as high as usual, twisting his beard, and said carefully: "The "Song Rite Law" and the "Gentleman's Law" are both new laws of the imperial court, which are complicated and tight, and they are often the big crimes of killing heads and stealing families. He coughed lightly and asked, "That's just my plan, what do you think?" ”