June 15, 12th year of Jiaqi, Jinling Chengzhong District, Datong Street.

In front of the main entrance of the newly renovated Gu Mansion, a car slowly stopped.

Gu Xi, who was dressed in civilian clothes, had just stepped out of the car, and the head of the Gu family, who had already been waiting by the door with his servants, immediately greeted him.

"Young Master Xi, you have worked hard all the way."

Gu Xi looked at the flattering old man in front of him, and a trace of amazement flashed in his eyes.

Once upon a time, the head of the Gu family was also an important person in his eyes who could not afford to offend, and the gifts of all sizes during the New Year and holidays were never broken.

But since he became the county magistrate of Chengdu County, the other party not only converted all the gifts received over the years into cash as congratulatory gifts and doubled them back.

"It's hard to move on thin ice."

He respectfully followed behind Gu Xi and said in a suppressed voice: "Young Master Xi, after learning the news that you are about to return to your hometown, my lord specially ordered us to open the ancestral hall, saying that he wanted to worship his ancestors with you, and thank the Gu family ancestors for their protection." ”

Gu Zhiwei didn't have to look back, he could feel the dullness and grievances of the children behind him.

Gu Zhiwei spoke softly, turned sideways to move away from the position of the main priest, and handed the three pillars of long incense to Gu Xi.

The pale green liquid in the glass jar placed behind the spiritual seat suddenly rippled and a series of fine bubbles appeared.

Dozens of ancestors' brains contracted and twitched at the same time, as if they were responding to Gu Xi's worship of incense.

"Xi'er, come and put incense on the ancestors."

"Blessings and misfortunes depend on each other, and the disaster of killing may also be your ladder to the sky."

"Uncle, he has a heart."

As long as the new Donglin Party promulgates the content of the second phase of the new policy, I am afraid that I will not even be able to see the sun the next day, and together with the Chengdu County Yamen, I will be bombarded into powder by the Daozu magic weapon flying on the heavenly rules.

The projection of the Gu family's ancestors also dissipated, and the ripples in the altar slowly faded away, and calm was restored again.

Gu Xi looked struggling and hesitating, but after taking a deep breath, he said in a hoarse voice: "But uncle, I really can't hold on anymore." When the next stage of the new deal begins, Qingcheng Mountain will inevitably purge the Confucian forces in the entire Sichuan and Shu regions, and I am afraid that I will not be able to escape death at that time. ”

Gu Zhiwei sighed: "Actually, it's not just you, but the situation of the entire Gu family is not difficult now?" Because of my Zhishi, the Gu family has lost the quota of the new Donglin Party members. If your generation can't quickly pick up the girders, the Gu family will soon fall from the ranks of gate valves. At that time, not only will we not have the qualifications to continue to gain a foothold in Jinling, but we will also face the danger of extinction. ”

"But if this is not the case, how can the position of the county order of Chengdu County fall into the hands of our Gu family?"

"That's good." Gu Xi nodded: "After you stop taking care of things, if you are tired of staying in Jinling, come to Chengdu County for a walk, where the mountains and rivers are more beautiful than Jinling." ”

What is even more striking is that behind these spiritual positions is placed a transparent container, which is similar in shape to an altar. And soaked in it is a complete brain.

"I haven't seen you for six years, but your body is still strong?"

It is now the head of the Gu family, Gu Xi's uncle, Gu Zhiwei.

Gu Xi lowered his head and said, "Uncle, now that the new policy implemented by the imperial court has completed the first stage, I am afraid that there will be greater actions in the future." That group of Taoist priests were not stupid, they knew what the purpose of the imperial court was, and it was probably only a matter of time before they broke out. ”

"Of course I know you're hard. But no matter how difficult it is, you can only continue to grit your teeth and hold on. ”

Gu Zhiwei, who was standing on the side, saw this scene, with a faint smile on his face, and said kindly: "It seems that the ancestors are very satisfied with your performance, get up." ”

Gu Xi raised his hand and touched the left side of his face, which was fair and flat at the moment, and he couldn't see anything unusual.

Gu Xi is no stranger to the brains of his ancestors.

The world is hot and cold, and the relatives are cold and warm, and words alone are not enough to describe the taste.

As a third-class gatekeeper, the Gu family is not a prominent force in Jinling City, and the mansion is naturally only a simple three-story building.

"The three sects, nine streams, and twelve sequences all have their own territory here. In the northern city, the Buddha order gathered near the Jiming Temple, the Taoist order was entrenched in the Lion Rock on the outskirts of the northwest city, and the Confucian order was encamped around the old imperial city. In the south of the city, the ninth-rate forces are staggered. On the surface, everyone is harmonious, but secretly it has long been cooking oil on fire, and the undercurrent is surging. ”

These are all the legacies left by the clansmen who broke the lock and advanced the order in the Gu family and succeeded in becoming a prominent person after their deaths.

Gu Zhiwei said in an envious tone: "Just like those who participated in the feast in the Japanese area, some people lost their lives and buried their bones in a foreign land, but there are also people who take advantage of this long wind and soar. Coincidentally, maybe the prosperity of our Gu family's rise is in Gu Xi. ”

He naturally knows the opportunity that his uncle said.

The third-class gate valve building is no more than three floors, the second-class gate valve is only six floors, and the first-class gate valve is nine floors.

"Jinling is a rich land, but also a killing field. The degree of chaos here is far greater than that of the Chengdu Mansion where you are located, and even the Chongqing Mansion where Pei Xingjian is located is difficult to match.

"In addition, all your relatives and dependents have moved from the first floor to the second floor to live, and all the school-age children have also been arranged into the best Confucius Temple in Jinling.

Even he can be very sure that the New Donglin Party and Daoxu Qingchengshan will definitely use Chengdu County as a place to test the bottom line and strength of the other party.

There is even a saying in the Confucian order gate valve that the depth of a gate valve depends on how many ancestors are enshrined in the family ancestral hall.

Gu Xi bowed respectfully again when he heard this, and only after he finished did he slowly get up.

The old butler's face was covered with layers of folds, and the cracks were full of grateful smiles.

"The Gu family is just a small ant in this city. If you want to survive, you have to desperately seize every opportunity. And Chengdu County, where you are located, is the only way for our Gu family to retreat when it comes to life and death. Can you understand this, Gu Xi? ”

According to the internal rules of Confucianism, the construction height of the gate valve building should be strictly matched with the gate valve level.

The old housekeeper said with a smile: "And the old man also said that when the old slave is not in charge of the internal organs one day, the Gu family will pay to help me replace it, and will reward the old slave with a comfortable old age." ”

And he will also quietly pass on all kinds of trends and news within the Gu family to himself, no matter how big or small.

In the depths of the ancestral hall is a high altar. There are three animals and five fruits, meat and vegetarian miscellaneous chens placed on it, and in the midst of smoke, dozens of spiritual seats with gold characters on a black background are enshrined on it.

Even if the new Donglin Party will have a backhand, it will be difficult for it to have a good end.

Before he became the county magistrate of Chengdu County, he once sent people to the Yang family in Mianzhou County to compete for the brain tissue slices left by the other party's ancestors.

"Thank you, Young Master Xi."

Gu Zhiwei took off the heavy crown on his head, revealing a head of gray hair, and asked softly to Gu Xi beside him while walking towards the outside of the ancestral hall.

The gate of the ancestral hall is open, and there are three entrances in the courtyard, and there are plaques and couplets hanging everywhere. There are countless words like 'poetry and books are passed down to the world, and they are dazzling to see.

"I'm in a really difficult situation right now."

can grow up as a concubine and let the family open an ancestral hall for himself, Gu Xi is naturally not a person who will be carried away by three or two bold words.

"I know"

Gu Xi let out a 'hmm' and walked into the Gu family through the wide open middle door.

Gu Xi's expression was solemn, holding the incense three times and bowing nine times, and at the moment when the long incense was inserted into the incense burner, an inexplicable palpitation surged in his heart.

But he didn't even dare to say half a cruel word, so he could only force himself to laugh.

Gu Xi showed a bitter face when he heard this, and he didn't hide it recklessly, and said honestly: "I thought I had picked up a big bargain, but it turned out that I caught a hot potato in my hand." I can't throw it away and I can't grasp it steadily, so I can only grit my teeth and endure the pain, and I can't hold on. ”

The first floor houses the collateral relatives of the family, the second floor belongs to the Gu family's large house, and the third floor is the residence of Gu Zhiwei, the current head of the Gu family, and the family ancestral hall.

Without going to see his relatives, Gu Xi went directly to the top floor of the mansion and came to the family ancestral hall where many children of the Gu family were probably not qualified to enter in their lifetime.

One after another miniature projections appeared, standing in front of their respective spiritual positions, looking at Gu Xi who was kneeling on the ground, smiling and nodding.

"Thanks to you, young master, the old slave has no other diseases except that his genes have been locked and he has begun to degenerate."

"You've been in charge of Chengdu County for a while, how do you feel?"

When Gu Xi left Jinling City for the southwest of the empire, he had always lived on the first floor.

Gu Zhiwei said softly: "Coming out is just the first step in our Confucian order, you still have a lot to learn next, sending people under the fence and enduring humiliation is one of the compulsory courses." ”

"I'm afraid that Qingcheng Mountain won't give me a chance to finish this class."

In front of the altar, there stood an old man with a high crown and a big belt, dressed in solemn clothes.

But not long ago, a Dao order surnamed Liang in Qingcheng Mountain forcibly broke into the county government of Chengdu County and used an engraved talisman to whisk his face to the point that it was black and swollen.

At that time, even if the court rewards any benefits, it will only benefit the Gu family, what does it have to do with yourself?

The short career as a county magistrate made Gu Xi clearly understand what it means to be stronger than people. Between the two behemoths of Confucianism and Dao Order, he is just an insignificant cannon fodder.

Even the New Donglin Party is now waiting for the news of their death, so they have a legitimate excuse to attack Qingcheng Mountain.

(End of chapter)