Liu Biao wore a wide Confucian robe, and the crown was not the crown often worn by the princes or the crown of the appearance, but the crown of the three beams and the virtuous people often wore by the Confucian scholars.

In fact, Deng Hong also wore the crown of virtue, but he wore a beam.

The so-called beam is something like a bridge erected on the top of the crown, and Confucian scholars often use this way to distinguish knowledge.

If you have three beams on the crown of Jinxian, it means that you are recognized as a person of insight or a powerful person, such as a Confucian family. If you are not a powerful person or have no knowledge and wear the crown of Sanliang Jinxian, you will be ridiculed and lose your reputation.

However, Liu Biao did not despise Deng Hong's head of the Jinxian crown only a beam, he just settled in Jingzhou the year before last, and this year he also fought a battle with Liu Zhang, and was preparing to recuperate and recruit talents, so he often took the examination for Jingzhou Chu Sheng and was promoted to an official.

Deng Hong was recommended by Huang Zu, and he was still a famous family of Xinye Deng, so he was naturally able to get his attention, and I hope that this is a useful talent, so I am also very happy to see him.

It's just that I didn't expect Deng Hong to come into the minister's mansion with a child by his side, which is surprising.

"Deng Hong and Shen Chen have seen the envoy."

After Deng Hong and Shen Chen entered the middle hall, they first asked Liu Biao for a salute according to the custom.

Liu Biao nodded and said, "Sit." ”

After they sat down, Liu Biao asked, "Are you the queen of the Xinye Deng clan?" Who are you, this kid? Why is the surname Shen and not Deng? ”

Deng Hong replied: "Hui envoy, Yuanhou is Hong's martyr's ancestor, Tianzu is Jinghou, Gaozu and great-ancestor are hereditary Yehou, Emperor An's great-ancestor was forced to commit suicide, and his grandfather moved to Xuzhou with his family, so far there have been three generations, and the genealogy is recorded in detail, which can be verified." Ah Chen was born to my cousin's daughter, and he was my grandson, and he was very intelligent since he was a child, so he rashly took him to visit him, and asked for your forgiveness. ”

The Yuanhou he said in his mouth is Deng Yu, Deng Yu is the great-grandfather of Deng Hong's grandfather, that is, the sixth ancestor, to Deng Hong's generation is already the seventh generation, and his grandfather's grandfather is Deng Yu's sixth son Deng Xun.

Deng Xun was born Yehou Deng Kui, Deng Kui's eldest son Deng Guangzong inherited the position of Yehou, because the Empress Dowager Deng died of illness, Emperor An of Han was in charge and began to persecute the Deng family.

At that time, the Deng family had countless high-ranking officials in the court, and there were as many as seven or eight liehous, but once they lost their power, the death of the upper class was deposed, and the general Deng Qiu, his son Deng Feng, Yehou Deng Guangzong, Xihua Hou Deng Zhong, Henan Yin Deng Bao, Wuyang Hou Deng Zun, and the general master Deng Chang were forced to commit suicide.

After their deaths, the younger generations below also suffered, and had to flee the capital Luoyang and the Xinye area, and moved to various places to settle down. Deng Hong's grandfather was the son of Yehou Deng Guangzong, and after the Deng family was implicated, he moved to Huangmen Pavilion in Xuzhou.

So if you go back to it, about 70 years ago, Deng Hongzu was still very prominent. It's just that after all, so much time has passed, and the fluffy phoenix is not as good as a chicken, and the original power is long gone.

Hearing Deng Hong's words, Liu Biao nodded noncommittally: "I see, it's okay." Since you have moved to Xuzhou, why do you want to come back? ”

Deng Hong said bitterly: "The Kanto is in turmoil, Yanzhou Mu Cao Cao and Xuzhou Mu Tao Qian are not harmonious, the two sides attack each other, resulting in the ruins of Xuzhou, and later Cao Cao slaughtered several counties in Xuzhou, killing and injuring hundreds of thousands of people, the corpses blocked the river, Surabaya does not flow, if you stay any longer, the clan will perish." ”

"Is that so?"

Liu Biao was taken aback and said: "This Cao Cao does not cultivate virtue and angers innocent people, which is not benevolent." ”

Deng Hong said: "It is precisely because of this that the clan decided to return to the ancestral land. Nowadays, only the people of Jingzhou who make the king rich and strong, this is all because of the king's cultivation of benevolence, righteousness and virtue, and the hegemony of the layman. ”

Touted Liu Biao a little, and Liu Biao was really happy: "Hahahaha, I am a child of the clan, and I am a shepherd for the Son of Heaven, so I naturally have to be conscientious." Since you are a famous family, you must also know the scriptures and righteousness, and you don't know what the scriptures are? ”

"On .... Analects. ”

Deng Hong was a little embarrassed, when he first fled, he couldn't bring long books at home, only short books such as "Analects" and "Zhou Yi", so he actually read very few books.

Liu Biao thought for a while and said, "Then you can talk about it," the state has a way, and the words and deeds are dangerous; There is no way to do it, and it is dangerous to say goodbye. "What should I do?"

Deng Hong glanced at Shen Chen and replied, "This is the sage warning the world that you should be honest and cautious. ”

"Is that all?"

Liu Biao was a little disappointed, isn't this something that everyone in the world knows?

"Of course not."

Shen Chen suddenly spoke: "Uncle Ancestor once said that Confucius said that Sun is not afraid of disaster, and if it is useless to cause trouble, then the gentleman will not do anything. Therefore, knowing the survival of advance and retreat without losing its integrity is also the way of the time. ”

"Oh?"

Liu Biao was quite surprised.

Since the Han Dynasty, Confucian scholars have begun to interpret and annotate Confucian classics.

The Analects is only a few thousand words in total, and it is not difficult to memorize by rote.

The difficulty is whether we can analyze the meaning of Confucius through the situation and context at that time.

Because of the different ways of interpreting these classics, there are often disagreements between schools and schools of thought when interpreting these classics.

Even some Confucian scholars like to be different, and the words analyzed are contrary to Confucius's ideas, but they can be far-fetched, and the world has no way to refute them, and they have actually become the words of a family and handed down.

For example, in Zhao's "Zhou Yi", the Zhao Bin mentioned by Shen Chen before analyzed the "Jizi" in "Jizi's Mingyi Lizhen".

He believes that this is not the name of a person, but the origin of all things, saying: "Yin and Yang Qi are dead; The one who makes the basket is also the ruler of all things. ”

Because Zhao Bin is extremely good at arguing, no one can say anything about him, so this statement was also recorded and became "Zhao Shiyi".

However, Liu Biao's sentence "There is a way in the state, and dangerous words and deeds; There is no way to do it, and it is dangerous to say goodbye. There is no ambiguity in understanding, but what can be realized from it naturally depends on the thoughts of the Confucian scholars who studied the classics.

Deng Hong only translated this sentence at the beginning, and Shen Chen's supplement was not ordinary, it belonged to his own understanding, not a simple translation, and the content and interpretation were also very clever.

Hearing this, Liu Biao nodded appreciatively and said, "Yes, you are very knowledgeable." That "the Master wants to be overwhelmed and fails." "And what do you mean?"

"Forehead ......"

Deng Hong squeaked and said, "This is Confucius who saw the messenger's self-cultivation and morality." ”

Liu Biao frowned, and he had such a superficial understanding.

Shen Chen immediately took over the conversation and said: "That's why Confucius praised the envoy for respecting his lord and his envoy. The words of the messenger are more and more inferior, and the sage of his lord is more and more prominent, and it can be said that he knows the heart of a gentleman and is good at rhetoric. Therefore, the master said again that it is important to pay attention to beauty. According to Zhuang Zhou, "Bo Yu is fifty years old and knows forty-nine years". He also said: "Bo Yu is sixty years old and sixty. "Cover its merits in virtue, old and tireless. It is to practice and proclaim. Not only did the messenger know it, but the Master also believed it. ”

Liu Biao's eyes suddenly lit up, and he nodded slightly: "Good!" Coped with it superbly. Not only Boyu can enter virtue, so that people can also enter virtue, I think the two ancestors and grandchildren of Lingru have a deep meaning. ”

"Make the king pass the award, this is the truth that my uncle usually told me, although I don't understand it very well, but I also wrote it down, and often read it silently in my heart."

Shen Chen put all the credit on Deng Hong again, and there were some things that Deng Hong, an adult, was more convenient to do than him.

Therefore, pushing Deng Hong to the front desk is the top priority.

Originally, Liu Biao had already recognized Deng Hong's talent and wanted to recruit him, but the ghost sent him down, and suddenly said: "Wait until you talk about it," the gentleman is up, and the villain is down. "And what do you mean?"

Deng Hong hesitated for a while, hesitated for a while before squirming his lips and said: "The gentleman grows upward, and the villain sinks downward......."

At this time, he wanted to go into the hole, because Liu Biao's brows furrowed again.

"A gentleman follows the principles of heaven, so he is wise. The villain is a martyr, so he is dirty. Just as the Ten Standing Servants manipulate power and bewitch the Son of Heaven in order to seek wealth, fame and fortune, the villain's behavior is also. The party members rose up and struggled, which is called a gentleman who is upright and upright, and it is the principle of heaven. The difference between the top and the bottom is only in the slightest thought, and the opportunity to reach it is unavoidable. ”

Shen Chen replied without humility or arrogance, and by the way, he held Liu Biao without a trace, this horse kung fu is much more clever than Deng Hong.

It's just that he doesn't know that it's the third time, and it's almost time to show his stuff.

Liu Biao first looked at Deng Hong, and then at Shen Chen, who was sitting upright with a serious face, even if he was a fool, he could see that Deng Hong was not the protagonist, the kid was.

After all, how can an adult not be able to answer anything, but a child can answer it fluently?

Unless this Deng Hong wants to help his grandson become famous.

The problem is that Liu Biao also knows what Deng Hong is doing, which is nothing more than wanting to gain a foothold in Jingzhou and ask for an official position.

But you don't behave well yourself, let a child behave, can Liu Biao really let a seven or eight-year-old child become an official?

This is obviously impossible.

So there is only one truth.

That is the level of knowledge of this child, far beyond Deng Hong.

Thinking of this, Liu Biao's gaze at Shen Chen suddenly became a little meaningful.

He didn't speak, and the atmosphere in the room became a little awkward.

The ancestors and grandchildren glanced at each other, both of them were very nervous, if Liu Biao saw that Deng Hong had no knowledge, would he drive them out?

In that case, if the money is spent in vain, the clan's life in Jingzhou will be sad.

However, what they didn't expect was that Liu Biao was not angry, but after a while, he looked at Shen Chen with blazing eyes and asked, "Is this really what your uncle taught you?" ”

Shen Chen arched his hand and said, "Hui Envoy, these are the truths that my uncle often told me when he taught me to read. It's just that the uncle has always been wooden and not good at words, so it may be that the first time he saw him, he was a little nervous, and it was normal to forget what he had learned before. The boy is not very old, and when he sees that the envoy is amiable, he doesn't have so many worries about talking. ”

"Is that so?"

"That's right."

"Nonsense."

Liu Biao pretended to be angry and said, "You are deceiving me. ”

Shen Chen stiffened his neck and said, "I didn't deceive the envoy, everything is the truth." ”

Deng Hong was afraid of angering Liu Biao, so he hurriedly said: "The childish child is not inferior, and I ask you to forgive me." ”

"Hahahaha, you child, it's funny."

Unexpectedly, Liu Biao laughed, looked at Deng Hong and said: "The Ru clan has this son, so it should be prosperous." ”

At this age, there are many Confucian scholars in their thirties and forties who have not been able to understand the meaning of the scriptures, how can this be a genius?

If you can cultivate it well in the future, I am afraid it will be a great achievement.