In a manor in Yu County, Chenliu County, Cai Yong, who is middle-aged, is discussing the matter of Sikong Bridge Xuanzheng with his uncle Cai Zhen, his brothers Cai Mu and Cai Gu in the living room.

Regarding the conquest of the imperial court, Cai Yong can be described as having mixed feelings. Cai Yong was erudite when he was a teenager and studied under the famous scholar Hu Guang.

He likes literature, mathematics, astronomy, and is also good at music. However, due to the fact that relatives and eunuchs took turns in power at that time, the court was corrupt, and Cai Yong resigned from Chen Liujun's request many times, and also refused the court's requisition.

When Emperor Huan, the five marquis such as Xu Huang and Zuo Yi were often served, and they were lawless, and they heard that Cai Yong's piano and drums were good, so they told Emperor Huan and ordered Chen to stay too shou to urge him to set off.

Cai Yong had no choice but to go to Yanshi, pretending to be sick, and returned home. Since then, Cai Yong has devoted himself to learning, and rarely participated in the social activities initiated by the scholars at that time, and most of his daily life is mainly to read the scriptures and teach disciples.

Although he kept a low profile, his reputation spread in this part of Yuxian. Cai Yong's prose is good at inscriptions, neat and elegant, and often uses even sentences, which is highly valued by the people of the time.

When he wrote "The Tablet of Langya Wang Fu Cai Jun", he was only twenty years old. After this incident spread, those who asked him to write the inscription, in addition to the official eunuchs and high-ranking families, there were also ordinary people, and Cai Yong treated them equally, which made the world admire him even more.

Originally, according to Cai Yong's plan, for Qiao Xuan's expedition, this time it was a polite refusal. But he still couldn't resist the persuasion of his clansmen.

Cai's surname is the country, but Cai Guo was entitled twice and moved the capital three times, and its people either moved or stayed, and the distribution was widespread, and its people were scattered to various places, all with the country as their surname.

At present, although Chen Liucai's family is not a famous family, it is also a large family with many clansmen and rich and powerful people in this place in Yu County.

Speaking of which, I have to talk about Cai Yong's life experience and relatives and children. Cai Yong's sixth ancestor, Cai Xun, is a good Huang Lao, and he was the county commander when Emperor Ping.

At the beginning of Wang Mang, he was awarded the precept Rong Lian rate. Xun smiled at the seal ribbon, looked up to the sky and sighed: I am famous for the Han family, and death will return to its righteousness...... It's a matter of two surnames!

Then he fled to the mountains with his family, and was in a new room with Bao Xuan, Zhuo Mao and others. Great-grandfather Cai Xun, when he mourned the emperor, he took filial piety as the chief of Chang'an.

Grandfather Cai carried, and when Emperor Shun was the emperor, he moved to the new Cai Chang. And Cai Yong's father, Cai Ling, was straight, upright, and did not cooperate with the times, and did not serve as an official in his life, and died at the age of fifty-two.

Cai Yong's mother, Yuan, is the daughter of Yuan in Chen County, and the younger sister of the counselor Yuan Peng. Cai Yong is very filial to his elders, his mother was bedridden for three years, Cai Yong has not untied his clothes and belts regardless of the harsh summer and climate change, and has not slept for 70 days.

After his mother died, he built a house next to the tomb and lived and guarded it, and he kept the etiquette in every movement.

Since his father Cai Ling was alive, Cai Yong lived with his uncle Cai Ling's family and Cai Ming's family, and until Cai Ling's death, Cai Yong also lived with two uncles.

Cai Yong's wife, Zhao Zhennu, was appointed by his mother Yuan. Now that the Yuan family has passed away, Cai Yong, who is now eight years old Chinese New Year's Eve, also has a son and a daughter under his name.

Therefore, such a large family of Cai clansmen living together, the daily expenses are also quite huge. If it weren't for the fact that his grandfather Cai Xi had served as the new Cai Chang and left some surplus wealth for Cai's descendants, with Cai Ling's generation, without additional income, he would have basically been exhausted.

If it weren't for the fact that the Yuan family brought some dowry from home later, Cai Yong would not have the comfortable life he has now.

But people from such a big family can't just eat the ancestral inheritance, then they still have to die sooner or later!

So when Cai Zhen heard that Cai Yong was recruited by Sikong Mansion as a subordinate of Peng, he immediately initiated today's family discussion.

At this time, Cai Zhen sat on the top throne, and persuaded Cai Yong bitterly: "Uncle knows that you have the classics of Qin Si, the Six Classics, the poverty and the low, and the ambition of not having a camp in the world, but you don't think about yourself, you have to make some plans for your son and daughter in the future, you can't let your son be as poor and happy as you, even if your son does what you do, you don't want your daughter to be looked down upon by her husband because of her poor dowry." Cai Yong listened, frowned and thought for a while, and finally shook his head and said: "Children and grandchildren have their own children and grandchildren, and now that I am old, even if I agree to the expedition of the imperial court, what kind of achievements can I make." As the saying goes, a companion is like a tiger, and his nephew has never done anything in officialdom, so he is afraid that it will be self-defeating. Instead of contributing, it is a burden to the people. Cai Zhen and his son Cai Mu and nephew Cai Gu each glanced at each other, and the two immediately understood what it meant.

I saw Cai Mu laughing and said: "Brother, why should you grow the ambition of others and destroy your own prestige!" The elder brother is now famous in Chen County, and Lord Taishou has conquered several times, all of which value the elder brother's character and learning. Now even Sikong Mansion has sent a conscription order, which shows that the elder brother's talent is also a famous person in Luoyang. My brother has been concentrating on his studies, don't you hear that 'there must be my teacher in a threesome'. Luoyang Taixue is famous all over the world, and it is a place where students from all over the world gather, and my brother has the intention of teaching students, so why not go to Luoyang to take a trip and see the talents of the world. Speaking of this, he glanced at the thoughtful Cai Yong, and then continued to speak: "Foolish brother heard that when today's son personally recruited a twelve-year-old boy to serve the Son of Heaven, this person's name is Wu Yong, it is said that the whole world praises the prodigy, not only the poetry is unparalleled, but also heard that the spirit has also traveled through the Taixu, in the Taixu has heard the immortals teach the scriptures, and even silently wrote two and a half "Shangshu" essays, even the current Five Classics and Fourteen Doctors, have personally written a preface for it, and want to personally accept him as a student but cannot. After hearing this, Cai Yong was a little moved, he loves to collect books, and the "Shangshu" essay is not intriguing to him.

In particular, he also heard that today's Tai Academy has a method of printing immortals, which can print hundreds of volumes of "Shangshu" into a thin volume.

He was also fortunate to see this kind of book once in the house of a wealthy Cai family in Yu County, when he read it, he was very shocked, and he liked it so much that he couldn't put it down.

Originally, the rich man of the Cai family wanted to give it to him, but when he heard that the rich man spent tens of thousands of dollars to find someone to get it, Cai Yong stopped thinking.

The so-called gentleman does not win the love of others, and if he accepts such a valuable gift, he will not know how to repay such a great righteousness in the future.

But he really wanted this book, and now when he heard Cai Mu's words, an impulse suddenly rose in his heart, but after thinking about it, he was a little discouraged, his family wealth could not support such a toss.

At this time, Cai Gu suddenly spoke: "I heard that my brother was able to be recruited by Sikong Mansion this time, and the counselor Yuan Peng made a lot of efforts, so he also specially begged Yuan Feng of the Yuan clan in Runan, and my brother should not live up to my uncle's heart." As he spoke, he sighed and said, "My uncle died early, and my aunt also died of illness due to hard work. Even on the eve of his death, he still remembered his brother's future life, and asked his uncle to take care of his brother in the future. Auntie's move is really embarrassing! This time, the doctor Yuan Peng won such an opportunity for his brother, if he gave up in vain, he was afraid that his aunt would have knowledge and would complain to his brother! Speaking of which, I have to mention the Chen Liuyuan clan and the Runan Yuan clan.

If you want to talk about the origin of the Yuan family, everyone at the time believes that it comes from Shun, and its descendant Yuan Taotu is the ancestor of the Yuan family.

In the "Three Elders of the Han Kingdom, Yuan Liang Monument" wrote: Shun Miao was the first to be a feudal monarch. Zhou Zhixing, Yu Yan's father is Tao Zheng, and his heir is Chen Hou.

To the great-great-grandson Tao Tu, the first father's character, the surname Yuan. During the troubled times at the end of the Qin Dynasty, the ancestors of the Yuan family took refuge and migrated to the Heluo area.

After Hanxing, he moved back to his hometown of Chendi Fule County. It can be said that since the Han Dynasty, the Yuan clan of Chenjun is the main lineage, and the Yuan clan of Runan is also a branch that migrated out of Chenjun.

However, Runan Yuan's family, from Yuan Anguan to Sikong, Situ, Anzi Yuan Chang and Yuan Jing are all Sikong, Jingzi Yuan Tang is Sikong, Taiwei, and now Yuan Feng and Yuan Kui are ranked in Jiuqing, Runan Yuan's family can be said to be prominent in the world, and the protégés and former officials are also all over the world, and in the imperial court, Runan Yuan's family has become the head of the official group.

And with the Runan Yuan family, Chen Liuyuan's family is a little bleak, except for Yuan Zhang's family moved from Yangxia County, Chen County to Fule County, and no famous person is famous in the world.

Today's counselor Yuan Peng is also difficult to support in the imperial court, so in order to protect his life, he does not offend all kinds of forces, does not express his opinions on anything, and simply lives himself as a transparent person.

Cai Yong actually understood his uncle Yuan Peng's intentions, and now after Cai Gu mentioned this, his eyes immediately moistened, and he choked up: "You don't need to say it anymore, I will go to Luoyang to answer the call!" Cai Zhen and the others glanced at each other, and they all saw a relieved expression on each other's faces.

Waiting for Cai Yong to vent for a while, everyone stepped forward to comfort him. In the end, Cai Zhen patted Cai Yong's shoulder and sighed: "Let's go back first, you don't have to be so reluctant, if you really don't want to go, we just didn't say anything today, and we will still get along like before in the future." It's just that I'm afraid that it will be difficult to explain to the doctor Yuan Peng. After speaking, Cai Zhen took his son Cai Mu and nephew Cai Gu and left the living room together.

After everyone left, Cai Yong thought for a long time, and finally made up his mind to go to Luoyang. Now that he is middle-aged, if he misses this opportunity, he should not have the opportunity to participate in government politics in this life.

In fact, he didn't want to be obscure all his life, let alone go to Luoyang to apply for the job this time, and the idea of expanding the Cai family, but he felt a little sorry for his wife and a pair of children.

His wife Zhao Zhennu is about the same age as him, his eldest son Cai Xing is only fifteen years old this year, and his eldest daughter Cai Zhenji has just turned eleven this year.

When he left, he left the orphans and widows at home, although his uncle's family helped take care of them, but he was still quite reluctant in his heart.

Therefore, Cai Yong returned to his inner house and saw that his wife was teaching a pair of children to read under the lamp, and his face was full of hesitation.

Zhao Zhennu saw that her husband wanted to speak and stopped, so she told her children to rest. She prepared washing water for Cai Yong and waited for him to change clothes.

When the two of them lay on the bed together, Cai Yong whispered that he was going to Luoyang to answer the call. Unexpectedly, Zhao Zhennu was just surprised, so she said with a smile: "It is a matter of course for the eldest husband to contribute to the court and do things for the people, the husband does not have to remember our mother and son, I will take care of their growth." As she spoke, she got up and took out a bag of gold and silver jewelry from the bottom of the box and handed it to Cai Yong and said: "These are the dowries that my mother prepared for me when I got married. ”