Chapter 1131 Marriage
When Ji Han was trapped in Shu, Prime Minister Zhuge wished he could break one coin into two coins and spend them.
It was also with Dongwu, and it was also inhibitors, and it was the prosperity.
Capture a soil to kill the wool.
In order to continue to gather, even special zones can be opened for locals.
Recalling the past and lamenting the present, who could have thought at that time that a big man would be so rich one day?
Zhuge Changshi took office in Qingchao. As soon as he opened his mouth, he brought some local specialties from South China to everyone to try.
It doesn’t matter whether you are from the Taiyuan Wang family or the Guo family?
Sweet or not?
Just asking you if it’s sweet!
Just say it’s not sweet if you’re brave enough!
Even in the industrial information age, this thing is an important national strategic material.
The Three Kingdoms era, which was still in a semi-slave society, who dares to say that it is not sweet?
What does it mean to be wealthy? This is called wealthy.
The originally large clan in Bingzhou thought it was a bit of a fuss to have them come to greet the governor of Bingzhou.
When the governor of Bingzhou comes over, it makes sense for us to greet him.
Now that a mere Changshi is here, are you asking us to welcome him?
Do you really think we have no face?
But…
But face cannot be eaten as food, right?
But sugar is really more delicious than rice.
So when Zhuge Changshi took out some local specialties from South China for everyone to try, the atmosphere of the banquet suddenly became more and more lively.
As the leaders of the Taiyuan clan, the Wang and Guo families, contrary to their initial reserve, stood up in person to toast Zhuge Changshi.
Zhuge Changshi naturally refused to accept anyone who came.
He watched with a smile as everyone became happier and happier as they drank, and the smile on their faces grew wider.
Ever since the Lord led the Northern Expedition, Adi has been using this method:
Hands of dividends on one hand and violence on the other.
Dividends will be given to those who are obedient, and violence will be given to those who are disobedient.
This is still a good way until now to regain Guanzhong and Bingzhou Hedong.
Very simple, very old-fashioned, but very effective and tried and true.
Dividends are not free. Once you get the benefits, you must be obedient.
Zhuge Changshi didn’t understand what it means that the economic base determines the superstructure.
But he knew that these dividends were actually the influence of the imperial court, or in other words, remote control of places and the disintegration of the local big family's alliance.
If someone takes the bonus but is disobedient, the court will pull the strings.
You have to do whatever these strings want you to do.
Of course, it is not ruled out that some people have extraordinary vision and can see the consequences of taking these bonuses.
But so what?
The bustling world is all for the benefit of coming; the hustle and bustle of the world is for the benefit of the going.
Unless you can provide a bigger dividend, even if you are from the same clan, there will be people who push you down - if you are not willing, some people are willing.
As the saying goes, paint the ground to make cakes, but don’t eat them.
If the slogans are louder, can they be eaten?
The capital of Cangtou and Guizhou knows how to get as much as one-third of an acre of land from home as much as possible.
Otherwise, how can we let the family eat more food?
This banquet lasted until the sky began to get dark, and the host and guest left happily.
Out of the Governor's Mansion, Guo got on the carriage. The carriage drove to a dark corner of the street and suddenly stopped again.
But I saw Guo Pei lift the car curtain, get out of the car, and stand there quietly.
After a while, the Wang family's carriage appeared behind and stopped.
Guo Pei walked over and got into the Wang family's carriage. The two carriages, one in front and one behind, began to rumble forward again.
After the initial silence in the car, Guo Peixing opened his mouth and asked:
"What do you think?"
Wang Chen looked a little complicated and replied: "I think he wants to imitate the old things in Liangzhou."
Hearing this, Guo Pei was a little impatient:
"I'm not talking about this, I'm talking about, what is your Wang family's plan?"
Wang Chen looked at the other party strangely:
“For such a big good thing, naturally we can take as much as we can. Will we extend it to others?”
Guo Pei was startled and seemed a little surprised by Wang Chen's logic. He reminded:
"Don't forget, our Wang and Guo families have put a lot of effort into Wei."
Whether it is Wang Ling or Guo Huai, their positions in the military are not low.
From Guo Pei's point of view, no matter how enthusiastic the banquet is, it is all just a show of force.
How can the fate of the clan be decided so easily?
It is normal to be thoughtful and measured.
Wang Chen exhaled the smell of alcohol and leaned against the wall of the carriage:
"I haven't forgotten. It's precisely because I haven't forgotten that I decided to participate in the sale."
After the Wang family experienced the Chang'an Rebellion, all the main members of the family died, which can be said to be a serious loss of vitality.
The current persons in charge of the Wang family are two brothers, Wang Chen and Wang Ling.
Wang Lingyuan was in Yangzhou, and Wang Chen was the talker in the Wang family's hometown in Taiyuan.
The decision he made can represent Wang's opinions to a considerable extent.
But Guo is different.
Even when the Hu people plundered Taiyuan and Hedong, the Guo family, as a local clan, built a stronghold to protect themselves and did not suffer much harm.
So Guo Pei cannot make decisions on such important matters alone.
Wang Chen seemed to notice Guo Pei's hesitation, and said in a cold tone:
“I remember seven or eight years ago, when Emperor Ping of Wei (i.e. Cao Rui) was still there, there was a Guo nobleman in the palace. He was very favored by Emperor Ping. He was from the Guo family of Xiping."
Speaking of this, Wang Chen glanced at Guo Pei with deep meaning.
"The Xiping Guo family, although not as good as the Taiyuan Guo family, can still be considered a local wealthy family."
“When the Han Dynasty established Xiping County, it did not take action against the Guo family in Xiping. However, during the Battle of Xiaoguan, the Guo family wanted to raise troops to respond to Cao Zhen. In the end..."
Wang Chen continues.
In the end, they were naturally exterminated.
I heard that the man who led the army to exterminate his clan is now in Bingzhou. His surname is Liu, his given name is Hun, and his courtesy name is Polu.
"Over the years, our Wang family has regained some of its vitality, but it cannot compare to the prosperity of your Guo family."
Wang Chen sighed, "It's not that I don't know that it's hard to take the benefits given by the government. But if you don't take them, it means that you and others are not of the same mind."
Managing a family is like sailing against the current. If you don’t advance, you will retreat.
The territory of Taiyuan is so big.
If you don’t take it, someone else will. Then the pressure will not only come from the government, but also from other people, and even from the same clan.
Guo Pei frowned, feeling a little uncomfortable:
“How come the official behavior of the Han Dynasty is like this? Not to mention the Wei State, even compared with the Later Han Dynasty, it is very different..."
In the past, local officials, without the cooperation of big clans like them, would not be able to carry out government orders not only to the countryside, but also to the city.
How can the current Jihan government dare to force them to act?
It’s so arrogant!
“Because they can do it without relying on us!”
Wang Chen saw clearly: "Ji Han's treasury has enough money and food, and Ji Han's examination method can select good talents for their use."
At the same time, Xinghanhui also controls the most profitable business in the world.
In the past, the farming and reading heirs of aristocratic families were:
Farming means controlling a huge population and land, and monopolizing the means of production.
Reading means mastering knowledge and monopolizing intellectual resources.
The imperial court wants to govern the world. If it doesn't rely on aristocratic families like them, how can it rely on those mud-legged people who have nothing?
At that time, Liu Xuan (i.e. Emperor Gengshi) proclaimed himself emperor and granted official positions indiscriminately. There were many small officials, diners and cooks, and the three assistants caused political chaos. Chang An said:
If the sheep is raised under the stove, he will be a lieutenant general; if the sheep's stomach is rotten, he will be the riding captain; if the sheep's head is rotten, he will be the marquis of Guan Nei.
However, in a short period of time, Emperor Gengshi lost the support of the people. He guarded such a good location in Guanzhong and had a great reputation. He was defeated and died within a few years of being emperor.
What does a mud-legged person know? Still want to rely on them to rule the world? Go ahead and dream!
Plowing can be done by robbing, but if you want to rob, can you rob?
But who would have thought that the emerging forces represented by the Xinghan Society would have such big weapons as printing, papermaking, phonetic dictionaries, etc.?
Nowadays, the heirlooms of farming and studying in aristocratic families have become really just farming and reading heirlooms to make ends meet.
Wang Chen doesn’t know what productivity determines production relations, but he knows: the world has changed.
"Our Wang family is not too bad on the Wei side, so we don't need to worry too much, but on the Han side, we need to put some thought into it."
“It’s better to take advantage of the fact that Ji Han still has a use for us and push the clan members out to gain more advantages. We can’t really let those gray-headed Guizhou heads ride on our heads, right?”
Guo Pei was silent.
He was now sure that Wang Chen's performance at the banquet was not acting, but at least a little sincere.
The car stopped at some point, and a servant’s voice came from outside:
“Mr. Lang, we’re here.”
Guo Pei said goodbye to Wang Chen and returned to his car.
The two cars finally separated, one car drove into the house where the lights were starting to light up, and the other car drove into the night.
In December of the first year of Yanxi, even Chang'an had already had two heavy snowfalls.
This year's Chang'an is colder than last year, and the snow is heavier than last year.
Fortunately, Feng Duhu managed Guanzhong well in the past two years, and production recovered well.
Coupled with the support of Longyou and Hanzhong, this winter did not bring much trouble to Chang'an.
The emperor of the Han Dynasty ordered that firewood and rice be distributed to the orphans and widowers in the city, and the people were happy with it.
After the snow in Chang'an, the sun is red in the sky and the earth is white. As far as the eye can see, the silver light is dazzling and the iridescence is twinkling.
A carriage drove down Zhangtai Street and stopped in front of the gate of Zhendong General’s Mansion.
The car looks very simple, but if you look closely, you can see that the wood used throughout the car is of the highest quality.
The workmanship is even more exquisite, and it has a return to simplicity.
This kind of carriage, except for the aristocratic families with a long history and good foundation, most people cannot afford it.
Someone came up and called the door.
The concierge stuck his head out: "Who are you looking for?"
“May I ask if this is Duke Pei’s residence?”
Although the person who called the door was just a servant, there was no lack of etiquette.
Pei Qian, the former minister of Wei State, abandoned the dark side and surrendered to the bright side, and returned to the Han Dynasty. He was granted the title of General of the North, the Marquis of Pingyang County, and the governor of Yanzhou.
The porter glanced at the carriages and horses behind him, nodded and said, "Exactly."
The other party handed over a greeting card: "I wonder if Mr. Pei is at home? My master came here specially to visit Mr. Pei."
The porter took the invitation and said, "Please wait a moment."
Then send the invitation to the house.
After a while, the side door of the Zhenbei General's Mansion was opened wide, and Pei Qian personally greeted him:
“Guo Jun is coming from Taiyuan, why didn’t you inform him in advance?”
Guo Pei had already got out of the car and gave Pei Qian a big gift:
“Pei, I have met Mr. Pei.”
“How polite! It’s too cold outside, come inside quickly.”
“Mr. Pei invites you first.”
Entering the gate of the mansion, there is a vestibule, which is elegantly decorated.
Coupled with the red bricks and blue tiles, it is very pleasing to the eye.
This surprised Guo Pei:
Although Chang'an was the old capital of the Han Dynasty, it had gone through many wars and it had only fallen into the hands of Ji Han less than three years ago. It had only been half a year since the emperor of the Han Dynasty moved the capital to Chang'an.
I never wanted to see the scene in the city, but it was peaceful, stable, and quite prosperous.
Not to mention that most of the houses of powerful people on Zhangtai Street are newly built.
How much manpower and material resources will this require?
Pei Qian led Guo Pei through the corridor of the vestibule and came to the living room, where he was served tea. Pei Qian asked:
“Why did Zhong Nan come to Chang’an at this time?”
It is the coldest time of the year, and the journey from Taiyuan to Chang'an is not pleasant.
Guo Pei took a sip of hot tea soup to warm himself up. When he heard Pei Qian's question, he quickly put down his tea cup and replied:
“When I heard that Duke Pei had returned from the east, I always wanted to come over and meet him, but I just didn’t have the chance.”
“Now Taiyuan has finally settled down, and I also wanted to visit Chang’an, so I rushed over.”
Pei Qian nodded:
"We should go to Chang'an to see it. After all, the Chang'an now is not the Chang'an before."
Although Chang'an was one of the five capitals of Wei State in the past, its actual status and population output were far inferior to those of Hedong.
Now, it’s different.
Whether he wants it or not, Hedong and Taiyuan are all under Ji Han's control.
Whether Wei will be able to advance westward again in the future is still unknown.
If you don’t want to be left behind in this great change in the world, you must always keep abreast of the latest changes in the situation.
And if you want to keep abreast of the latest changes in the situation, the political center of Ji Han, one of the protagonists in the world, must be a place that cannot be missed.
Guo Pei agreed:
“What Mr. Pei said is true.”
Then he looked around, coughed, drank another cup of tea, and then whispered:
"Actually, the reason why I came to Chang'an this time is because I am too stupid and can't understand many things, so I thought of asking Duke Pei for advice."
Looking at Guo Pei's cautious look, Pei Qian couldn't help but smile:
“What can’t you understand?”
Guo Pei didn't seem to expect that Pei Qian asked such a direct question. He couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, and then he said a little bit:
“For example, Mr. Pei’s choice?”
"Um?"
“I am worthy to hear that Duke Pei abandoned the east and went to the west because he was concerned about his son who disappeared during the civil unrest in Hedong. I wonder if it is true or not?”
Pei Qian smiled calmly: "Whether it's true or false, does it matter? Anyway, I'm in Chang'an now."
He glanced at Guo Pei and continued:
“And my family, Axiu, has already entered the Royal Academy to study.”
“Royal Academy?”
"It was the former Taixue. The emperors and ministers of the Han Dynasty had the ambition of reform and innovation, so they changed Taixue into a royal academy to eliminate the shortcomings of Taixue in the later Han Dynasty, in order to show that there is no distinction between teaching and learning, and everyone who has learned can serve the emperor of the Han Dynasty."
If it had been before, Guo Pei would have been shocked at most, and at the same time lamented that the emperor of the Han Dynasty had a determined and enterprising spirit.
But after talking to Wang Chen that night, he subconsciously thought:
Education without distinction? Doesn't that mean that the aristocratic family's monopoly on worldly knowledge is broken?
“Pei Gong, what are the requirements for admission to this Royal Academy?”
“Of course there are. Generally speaking, most of them are outstanding students selected from schools in various places.”
“Of course, there are also some quotas for people with high moral standards to recommend private students to participate in the college entrance examination.”
Pei Qian stroked his beard and said, "My Axiu entered the academy after being recommended by Feng Duhu and taking the academy exam."
When Guo Pei saw Pei Qian mentioning Pei Xiu repeatedly, his heart moved and he suddenly asked:
“You must remember that your son has almost reached the age of dancing elephants, right?”
Pei Qian nodded:
“That’s right, it’s already six months out of ten, and it’s time for the Elephant Dance.”
“It’s time to set a marriage, have you ever talked with a matchmaker?”
Pei Qian was startled, hesitated, and then said:
“Although a matchmaker came to the door, I didn’t get a good match.”
Even though Pei Xiu is called the young leader of Hedong, he is still the concubine of the Pei family.
It's not that no one wants to marry a daughter, but the women who want to marry are mostly concubines in the family. There are not any legitimate daughters, but they all come from small families, and Pei Qian doesn't like them.
Because the person he wanted to marry Pei Xiu was the legitimate daughter of a noble family.
Otherwise, how to improve Pei Xiu’s status?
Even if she is not the legitimate daughter of a noble family, her natal family must at least be strong or influential and be able to help Pei Xiu.
Otherwise, how could Pei Xiu be in charge of the Pei family and inherit his own title?
Guo Pei naturally didn't know what Pei Qian was thinking. When he heard that Pei Xiu was not married yet, he was overjoyed and said:
“I have a daughter at my knees who is already in her hair. The family wants to find a match for her. If Mr. Pei doesn’t give up, she can hold the dustpan and broom for the son.”
The origins of the Guo family in Taiyuan are even longer than those of the Pei family in Hedong.
The two surnames, one from the north and the other from the south, are both in the west of Taihang, and they have always known each other.
Now that Guo Pei actually mentioned that he wanted to marry his daughter to Pei Xiu, Pei Qian was so shocked that he almost couldn't sit still:
“Is this true?”
"How dare you play with Duke Pei?"
“You can’t be called Pei Gong.” Pei Qian stepped forward, took Guo Pei’s hand, and laughed loudly, “From today on, you and I are in-laws!”
Half a month later, Wang Chen, who was far away in Taiyuan, learned that Guo Pei had betrothed his daughter to Pei Xiu. He was so angry that he almost opened the case again:
“Guo Jiazi, you said you wanted to discuss it with your clan, but it turns out you went to Chang’an to find your relatives!”
“My Wang family is also an in-law of your Guo family, how could you deceive me like this?”
Guo Pei's brother Guo Huai married Wang Ling's sister, who was also Wang Chen's younger sister.
"It's a pity that my royal family is not prosperous and I don't have a legitimate daughter suitable for marriage..."
Wang Chen sighed, and then was shocked:
"No, the Guo family has already set up a line in Chang'an, and our Wang family cannot fall behind."
(End of this chapter)