The sound of "squeak" sounded, and the door opened in the firewood was an old man about sixty years old, dressed in a short linen cloth common to old peasants in the countryside, and his white hair was particularly eye-catching in the cold wind.

The old man was visibly stunned when he saw the brightly dressed Tang Cheng and the two, he hadn't seen a guest dressed like this come to the door for a long time.

Rifle saluted the old man and handed over the name thorn in his hand.

After patting his hands with both hands, and wiping off the remaining firewood foam on his hands with the placket of the short cotton silk, the old man stretched out his hands to take the famous thorn, and then when he opened the famous thorn with exquisite workmanship, his face immediately changed.

The old man didn't report it at all, and after closing the name thorn, he silently opened the firewood and avoided the side, and the fortune of this scene was a little unclear, so he looked back at Tang Cheng.

Tang Cheng couldn't figure it out, but he didn't hesitate to walk over, and after he entered the door, the old man led him to the same simple main house, and said in a dry tone: "The old man of the family reads behind closed doors in the house every day, and he doesn't even go out of the village, and he almost never even goes out of the gate, except for a few village neighbors who occasionally come to the door, there are no visitors outside."

After listening to the old man's strange words, Tang Cheng understood, these exiled officials are the objects of strict guard, and the officials in the place of exile are the specific responsible caretakers, it seems that according to the regulations of the Ministry of Officials, the behavior of these people must be reported to them every other time, and in all the contents of the custody, in addition to the words and deeds of the exiles, the most important thing is to communicate with each other.

The treatment of these exiled officials was somewhat similar to that of the rightists and those released from prison during the Cultural Revolution in later generations, and they were all subject to supervision and residence.

In this case, don't talk about his own county order, it is just an ordinary soap suit, this old man does not dare to be a little lazy, the reason why he directly opened the door and let people in without handing over the name thorn to the inside, is because he knows that his master has no right to refuse at all.

"It's not the Longmen County Order that came today, it's Tang Cheng, who has learned from Shannan Dongdao, and came to see the master," as soon as he thought of this, Tang Cheng stopped his steps and said to the old man: "My master and servant are waiting here, and the old man is tired to inform the Duke of Qi on his behalf."

The old man didn't expect Tang Cheng to say such a thing, and after a pause and looked down at the famous thorn in his hand, he dragged his old legs and walked inward, although he didn't say anything, but compared to his expressionless face just now, his face at this time was obviously much more lively.

While waiting, Tang Cheng took a closer look at the scene in the courtyard. It goes without saying that it is dilapidated. But the humble is the simple. The courtyard is arranged neatly. There is no ordinary farm yard to mess around. Especially the bush stood tall in the cold wind. The slight shaking of the ground and the bamboo can be seen at a glance that it was transplanted from elsewhere. These days, Tang Cheng has also been to many peasant households. See green onions planted in the yard. There are a lot of peppercorns. This is the first of its kind to be carefully planted with bamboo patches.

Kankan looked at this small courtyard carefully. The old man has also arrived. Before he could speak, he handed back the name thorn in his hand. "Honoring the name of the guest. The master of the family did not dare to bow down. The original is returned".

Hearing this, Tang Cheng did not speak. Xiang Laifu nodded, then turned his head to look at the old man.

"The old man has been unwell recently. The face is haggard, and it is not convenient to meet outsiders in person. Lord Tang, please go back." The old man repeated Kong Qidi's original words with a worried face. His eyes fell tightly on Tang Cheng's face. As if he was afraid that he would be furious.

Rites are also courtesy. Waiting, waiting. But he was rejected by the old man in a hurry. And even a fool can hear that this old man is lying. If Kong Jue is really sick, he will say it. The old man must have said it as soon as he entered the door. Will you wait until now? When he heard this, Laifu became angry. This surname Kong Di is too ignorant of current affairs. The landing phoenix is not as good as a chicken. Does he really think that he is still the prince of Chang'an City?

Come to think of it. After taking the famous thorn and blessing, he smiled in his heart and was ready to watch the excitement. He didn't know what kind of temperament the big official was. In Baiyang Town, the eight bright single-hooked spears were set up on the neck, and they were not convinced, and they bowed their heads. How can you stand Kong Jue's obvious neglect? People still refuse to bow their heads under the eaves. No matter how great the sin is, it is deserved.

Unexpectedly, the idea of blessing was all in vain, Tang Cheng was not only not annoyed after listening to the old man's obviously perfunctory words, but he didn't even mean to be angry at all, "Since Gong Qi is unwell, then I will come to visit another day after studying", after Wen Yan said with a smile, Tang Cheng turned around and began to walk out, and the old man who breathed a sigh of relief in his heart when he saw this hurriedly followed to see him off.

"Gong Qi is a great Confucian in the world, and he is deeply admired by thousands of scholars all over the world, so he should cherish his body.

From now on, the county will no longer condemn people to disturb the tranquility, and ask the Duke to maintain it without authorization. In addition, there will be some rituals to be presented later, but they are all medicinal herbs and earth rituals, so I hope you don't shirk it."

This made the old man not know how to answer, neither dared to agree on behalf of the master, nor did he want to refuse directly, people under the eaves, this new county magistrate looked really good, don't annoy him because of repeated refusals. For a while, I didn't know what to say, the good old man was just chattering.

"What has Gong been reading lately?".

Tang Cheng's sudden question made the old man a little unable to react, and replied casually: "The old man has recently devoted himself to "Chu Ci", especially Qu Zi's articles."

"Oh! After learning is also good Qu Zi, Qu Fu is twenty-three, but I don't know which one is the best one for Gong Gong? ”。

"Nine Chapters", this kind of question and answer between readers seems to be normal, and the old man didn't feel that there was anything wrong, so he answered casually, "What the old man has been reading recently is the fifth chapter."

"Chapter Nine?" Hearing this, Tang Cheng thought for a while and then smiled and whispered, "Xi, wronged and self-restrained." The party thought that it was Xi, and the constant degree was not replaced. Yi Chu Bendixi, a gentleman despises. The chapter painting is ink, and the previous picture has not been changed. The inner thickness is positive, and the adults are so. ”

"Adults are good at learning".

The old man's words made Tang Cheng dumbfounded, and then he also tasted some sour taste. As a scholar in the Tang Dynasty, if he can't even read Chu Ci, then he is really a scholar in vain, and what the old man said is obviously a compliment. Thinking that Kong Jue was born in a famous family, his grandfather was the early Tang Dynasty Confucian Kong Yingda who drew Lingyan Pavilion and was buried in Zhaoling after his death, and now the necessary "Five Classics of Justice" on the corporal's desk is from his hands. The identity of the descendants of Confucius, and there is such a grandfather who can be called the world's scholars, and Kong Qi himself is also the identity of the prince's left concubine, the so-called prime minister's seven officials, this old cangtou is his old family, and he is not a great Confucian or a high-ranking official as he sees it.

Tang Cheng shook his head with a smile, and at this time he happened to walk to the firewood at the door, and he didn't say anything more and arched his hand to the old man and went straight out.

After seeing Tang Cheng walk out of the firewood, the old man who closed the door turned around and went back to the humble study, "Master, he's gone."

Kong Jue, who was nearly fifty years old in front of the rough wooden bookcase, had a square and upright face, and put down the pen in his hand after hearing the report, "What did he say?" ”。

He said that the old man was a great Confucian in the world, and he looked up to the scholars of the world, so he should be good at taking care of himself; In addition, the Longmen County Ya will not send people to disturb in the future", the old servant replied while habitually walking to the bookcase to sort out the four treasures of the study, and when he picked up the pen, he suddenly saw the words that Kong Jue had just written on the bookcase banner, he was stunned and trembled, and a large ball of thick ink dripped down from the end of the pen and stained a ball on the banner.

How could this old servant, who had been with him for decades, make such a low-level mistake, "What's wrong?" ”。

"When Tang Cheng left, he asked the master what he was reading, and the old servant said it according to the truth, and he had chanted a few words after listening to it", the old man said this, and looked up at Kong Qi with a look of surprise on his finger banner and said: "The poem he chanted just now is exactly the same as the book written by the master!" ”。

There are eighty-four sentences in the fifth part of Qu Yuan's "Nine Chapters", these ten sentences are neither the beginning nor the end, they are stuck in the middle, and they are not recognized famous sentences.

"Oh, that's the case?" After hearing this, Kong Jue stood silently for a while, and then smiled slightly: "Thousands of miles away actually get a bosom friend, there is fragrant grass within ten steps, this son is so smart, Longmen County has won people this time."

Kong Jue is a square person, he used to be in Chang'an when he was not easy to allow people, and it was even more so after the long stream, and his smile was also rare in the past two years, the old man saw this and seized the opportunity to take advantage of the situation and said: "When Tang Cheng went, he said that there would be some medicinal materials and local products later, please don't shirk the master", after speaking, the old servant added a sentence: "His words and gifts are the identity of the future learning rather than the county order."

"Take it", Kong Jue's cheerfulness this time simply made the old man a little unable to believe his ears, the emaciated camel is bigger than the horse, and Kong Jue's identity is special, although the official position can be taken, but his lineage of Kong Sheng's descendants and the reputation of Confucianism can not be taken away by anyone, although he has been here for the past two years, but the rituals sent from all over the country are really not small, but he has not accepted it once, just guarding the thin field for self-sufficiency, although people are not sick, but the body and bones are indeed a lot worse, Tang Cheng These medicinal materials are at the right time.

"Yes", the old man hurriedly agreed, for fear that Kong Jue would change his mind again.

"Dry and put this piece away, and then I will use it as a gift in return", after finishing speaking, Kong Jue turned around and walked out of the door and walked towards the bush of strong bamboo.

……

"Big official, let's just leave?".

"What else can you do if you don't go this way?" , Tang Cheng replied casually, "You didn't hear the old servant say that Kong Jue is sick."

"This disease is a fake."

"It doesn't matter if it's true or not", Tang Cheng smiled faintly, "My original idea doesn't work at all, and besides, I don't agree with him, and it's useless to see him."

This confuses Laifu, how can everyone know that their personalities are incompatible? Fortunately, Tang Cheng was also interested in speaking now, and before he could ask, Gu Zi continued: "Do you know what the poems I just read mean - reflect on your ambitions, what's the matter if you are wronged?" Stick to the usual, not sleek and not square. The ambition to change oneself with the customs is what the aspirant despises, and only by keeping the rope and ink without changing his own temperament, and the heart is full and upright, it is what the aspirant should adhere to and praise. Words are the voice of the heart, Kong Jue is not only reading, but also borrowing Qu Zi's own mind."

"There is a lack of people available in Longmen County, I originally wanted to ask him to go out of the mountain to help", Tang Cheng, who was fluttering, shook his head gently, "When I came, I was worried that I would ask him not to move, but now it seems that it is useless to please, the situation in Longmen is so complicated, if you want to do things here alone, you can't do it by relying on Fang Zheng alone, if you really move this great god to Longmen County, you will be lifting a stone and hitting your own feet."

"Since it is useless to invite him, what is the matter of the etiquette that the official said ......?" , Laifu is Tang Cheng's personal entourage, and the two ladies are not there, so things like these ushers are in his charge, and he can't help but ask.

"It's just a matter of local products, prepare more, you have to be careful about medicinal materials, one is to choose one that is suitable for the elderly

The medicinal materials should be good, don't spare money", Tang Cheng raised his hand, "I will go back to the county town to do this, and I will send it by the way after it is done."

Laifu was quite unimpressed with Kong Jue, and he was really reluctant to rush on a cold day, "Longmen County is too small, what good medicinal materials can ......."

"If Longmen didn't have it, I would go to Huairong, the state city", Tang Cheng's face suddenly turned cold, "After Kong Jue became the concubine that day, he taught Li Chongjun to do his best, but Li Chongjun was impatient and not only did not listen to the persuasion and deliberately indifferent to it, Kong Jue's repeated advice can be said to be a place where he cried blood, so the relationship between the two has become more and more stiff, if it weren't for Kong Jue, the prince's left concubine, who was the emperor's own finger, I am afraid that he would have been thrown out by Li Chongjun a long time ago, and if he wants to talk about personal friendship, he really can't talk about it at all."

"When Li Chongjun failed to raise troops in the palace, his old cronies were killed or degraded, Kong Jue was almost the only one around the prince who was not implicated, he could have lived in Beijing in peace, but when Li Chongjun died and the court discussed his guilt, he stood up again, and defended Li Chongjun with clear merits, and even the emperor's and Empress Wei's mistakes were not concealed."

Laifu only knew Kong Jue's old official position, and when he heard about his past experience at this time, he was a little hot for a while.

"If it weren't for the identity of the descendants of Confucius and the great Confucian of the country, Kong Jue would have died in the court two years ago, this is a real pure minister and straight person", said here in a breath, Tang Cheng deliberately slowed down his voice and said in a deep voice: "Remember, you can dislike people like Kong Jue, you can not learn from them, and you can even avoid him when you see him, but you can't be disrespectful." If so, I won't spare you! ”。

"Yes, the little one is noted."

Tang Cheng nodded, pointed to the house in the corner outside the village and said, "Let's go, go to this house, if you are not mistaken, Xu is the person I want to find is here."

Laifu has been following Tang Cheng for a long time, he has long been used to such reprimands, although he must remember what he should remember, but he is not angry because of this, in short, he is already skinless and faceless in front of Tang Cheng. At this time, as soon as he heard Tang Cheng's strange words, he couldn't help but answer, "Why did the big official say this?" ”。

Tang Cheng was already accustomed to Laifu's tone, and he didn't care about it, "You see that more than ten families in the whole village are all very simple, but this one is quite atmospheric. To be able to do this step in this barren land as an exiled official, the master must be a person with strong survival ability, too square, and it is impossible to live enough, so that the person who can do things is what the Longmen County Ya lacks the most, and it is what I want to find."

As soon as the name of the Longmen County Order was handed over, the courtesy that Tang Cheng enjoyed in this house was simply a world different from that of Kong Qi's family, and the furnishings in the house in the courtyard were not clearly known, if he didn't clearly know that this was the home of an exiled official, Laifu couldn't believe it. The big official is right, this is indeed a capable person who can settle himself comfortably in any environment.

Tang Cheng still likes to deal with such people, simple, direct and worry-free, and after a simple greeting, he immediately cut to the point, but this smart-minded person made a special request, he must wait for his new county order to solve the problem of Xi people, or at least he is willing to go to the county government to "help with office affairs" after initially showing the ability to solve the problem of Xi people.

Tang Cheng responded to this, but he also made a request, that is, to let this person find some people for him to do an experiment during this time, just looking at his blank face, obviously he didn't say all this Tang Cheng said, he hadn't even heard it.

Everything has been decided, Tang Cheng declined the invitation of the man to stay for a banquet and got up to say goodbye, and when Tang Cheng was sent to the village road, the man reminded in a low voice, "Recently, I have encountered many local old farmers who are worried about the drought this winter, and two days ago, the old Xi people who have been grazing on the grassland all their lives also have the same worries when they visit, these people live here, and what they say must be for no reason, Tang Mingfu, as a local parent, needs to be careful and take precautions."

Suddenly hearing such news, Tang Cheng chuckled in his heart, before he could solve it, the natural disaster was coming again? Not to mention that it is still a rare drought, God really cares for him!

In his heart, he hoped that it was these old farmers and Xi herdsmen who looked away, Tang Cheng nodded, bowed his hand to the man, and then took Laifu out of the village.

Zheng Lingyi, the purpose of Tang Cheng's visit to this village, knew it, and when he came back with a heavy face, although he couldn't help but be disappointed in his heart, he stepped forward with a smile on his face and comforted: "After all, the people in this village are not ordinary people, and now they are in such a situation, it is not easy to ask them to contribute to Longmen, and the husband does not have to be discouraged, just run a few more times in the future."

Zheng Lingyi has really worried a lot about following him these days, after all, the matter of the drought is not a quasi-letter, Tang Chengsui didn't say it to annoy her, and only smiled and said the different encounters that went to the two families just now.

"Seeing the big from the small, the husband is unique in looking at people", Zheng Lingyi was really happy this time, "Kong Jue's affairs will be handled by the concubine, this is also the concubine's business", at this point, her feet suddenly stopped.

"What?".

"Actually, it's not just Kong Jue, the concubine wants to prepare a few more rituals, and send one to every family in this village, or it can be set as a regular practice, and send someone to send some food every three or two months", this sudden idea made Zheng Lingyi's eyes shine.

"It's easy to put the icing on the cake, but it's hard to send charcoal in the snow. Ling Yi, you have a very good idea", Tang Cheng finished speaking and looked back at this dilapidated and inconspicuous village, "Let's go, it's time to go back to the county government after calculating the time."