Chapter 2748 All Have Traditions

In Xu County, there are actually many people named Xu.

Otherwise, this place would not have been directly called "Xu" in the earliest times.

But even though there are so many Xu families, just like no matter how big a feudal dynasty is, it is inevitable to decline, no matter how big a family is, it is inevitable to fall. After the Xu family grows, people's hearts will naturally disperse. Although they are all named Xu, speaking of it They were indeed one family five hundred years ago, but now they are still taking care of their own homes.

There may have been some famous Xu family members during this period, but they were never able to reunite the dispersed Xu family members. Of course, this cannot be said to be a bad thing.

The Yuan family was well gathered and the family was powerful, but what happened next?

Xu Ju lowered his head slightly along the road and walked forward like most ordinary people in Xu County. He was familiar with this place. After all, he had come here many times before following Xu Chu to Guanzhong. So when he was walking in Xu County, like most of the local people, he turned at the alleys and streets. Without any hesitation at all, he just lifted his legs and left. He didn't look like someone who had been away from Xu County for a while.

After leaving Wang Chang's queue, Xu Zhi went to find Xu Ping.

Xu Ping is the son of Prime Minister Xu. Strictly speaking, he is not related by blood to Prime Minister Xu, but he is merely adopted by Prime Minister Xu.

Xu Xiang was also a man of the hour in recent years, and he was the Sikong Situ casually. However, during the riots after He Jin was killed in Luoyang, Xu Xiang didn't know whether it was because he was innocently implicated, or because there was a conflict of interest. Anyway, The whole family, young and old, were all killed in the war.

Later, Xu Xiang's youngest son and old father in his hometown also died one after another, and there was no one to inherit the family business. The elders of the Xu clan summoned the elders and found someone in the clan to adopt him under the name of Xu Xiang, which was regarded as a celebration for Xu Xiang. When the time comes, someone can burn some paper money or something...

But the family property that Xu Xiang accumulated was naturally considered as "adoption" expenses. There was only an old house and ten acres of Susukino fields to support the family and provide shelter from wind and rain.

After passing through a narrow alley, turn right at the entrance of the alley and not far away, you will arrive at the old residence of Xu Xiang.

This is a simple small courtyard built with green bricks and gray tiles, and the area is not large. The door of the courtyard door seems to have aged with the years, and wrinkles are showing one by one. Most of the copper nails and iron bars seem to be rusted, as if they will fall off the door with a bang when the wind blows.

There are many places on the courtyard wall where the tiles are broken and have not been repaired in time, leaving yellow mud and moss intertwined with each other, and there are still some traces of rain erosion.

Xu Ju stretched out his head and looked inside through the gap.

There are two trees in the yard that have begun to lose their leaves, making it seem like there are withered yellow leaves everywhere in the yard. A dustpan and a bald broom stood beside the door, obviously no one was using them.

The door was half open and half closed, and the curtain hanging on the door could no longer distinguish its original pattern, it was just gray and black.

"Is Brother Ping here?" ” Xu Ju shouted inward from the gap in the wall.

"Not here!" ” There seemed to be a dull voice coming from the house, “Go out! Not back! 』

"Oh, Brother Ping, I'm not here to ask for a debt!" ” Xu Ju recognized Xu Ping’s voice and laughed, “I also brought some food and wine, please open the door quickly! 』

After a while, the curtain was lifted and someone walked out.

This man was dressed casually, and his belt was not tied tightly, so his collar appeared to be very loose, and some black hair on his chest was exposed. He had a tough look on his face, and there was a scar on his cheek. His hair and beard were a little scattered, and he seemed to have no health at all. Not generally maintained.

"Brother Ping, it's me!" ” Xu Ju raised the oil paper bag in his hand, “This! Lao Guan’s braised pork! 』

Xu Ping seemed to recognize Xu Julai, his eyes flashed, "Ha, that must be paired with old Zhang's wine to be delicious!" 』

"Of course! ” Xu Ju smiled and raised the wine gourd in his other hand.

Xu Ping walked out and opened the courtyard door. Then he stretched his head and looked around the courtyard door as if out of habit. Then he closed the courtyard door with a bang and led Xu Jue into the house.

The situation inside the house is different from the situation in the courtyard. It seems to be two worlds. In the house, all kinds of utensils are neatly arranged, and the tables and shelves are spotless, which is in sharp contrast to the messy situation in the yard.

"Brother Ping, are you okay? ” Xu Zhi asked with a smile while putting down the food and wine.

Xu Ping's appearance, if you ignore the scarred flower, is just like his character "Zhengfang", he is quite solid and heavy. After seeing Xu Zhi, Xu Ping also smiled, but behind the smile, there seemed to be something rather playful, "I heard that brother, you...have not been appreciated by nobles, and have become rich and powerful?" Why, do you have anything to do with me today? 』

"Haha, Brother Ping is joking..." Xu Ju smiled, "I just came to see my old friend today, nothing else!" 』

Xu Ping clicked his tongue, "You don't know who, you had so many bad ideas back then... Forget it, if you don't tell me, I won't bother to ask... Wait, I'll get the dishes..."

Xu Ping saw that Xu Ju was lying. Xu Ju came to see him today, certainly not for simple food and drink, at least not entirely. Xu Ping knew that the migration of Xu Chu and others to Guanzhong was even more detailed than what ordinary officials knew. After all, it was a big event for Xu Ping and others back then.

Pour the wine.

drink wine.

Xu Ping also brought out some pickled cucumbers from his previous home, which can be considered as a variety of dishes to go with wine.

"Lao Zhang's wine is still authentic!" Xu Ping drank a small bowl of wine and sighed half-truthfully, "If this is mixed with too much water, it will be fake... Are you right?" 』

Xu Zhi showed an expression of regret and being wronged, "Brother Ping, if you say that...then I really shouldn't come!" 』

"Should I come? Haven't they all come?" Xu Ping smiled and said, "Come on, what's going on?" If you make it clear, drinking will feel more comfortable and comfortable! 』

Xu Ju was silent for a moment, "Well, let me tell the truth...I just wanted to pick up some people... As you know, Brother Ping, the Xu family, some of our family members are still near Yingchuan..."

"That's it? ” Xu Ping smiled.

Xu Ju nodded.

"Oh, you are still the same..." Xu Ping laughed loudly, "You look honest, but in fact you are not honest at all. Is this the truth? Do you think I'm a fool or a fool? 』

"Haha, Brother Ping is still awesome." Xu Zhi didn't feel embarrassed about exposing it to his face. "Actually, I also wanted to ask Brother Ping...if he was interested in going to the west together...to share the wealth?" 』

"The west?" ” Xu Ping frowned slightly, “Why are you going to the west? Join the army? If I really want to join the army, do I still need to wait until now? 』

Xu Ju's eyes passed over Xu Ping's face, and then he looked at a corner of the room. On the shelves over there, there are many books that are either handwritten or in volumes.

Completely different from his appearance, Xu Ping doesn't like to dance with guns and sticks. Although he looks rough and crazy, in fact his dream is not to kill enemies on the battlefield. This is not a strange thing, after all, everyone has his own ambitions.

"What Brother Ping is thinking, is it possible that my brother and I are out of tune?" ” Xu Ju said with a smile, “Over there, they don’t look at their net worth, their origins, let alone their appearance, they only look at one thing, their talent! Everything is an examination, and talents speak for themselves. If you pass the examination, you can become an official! 』

When Xu Ping heard this, he couldn't help but raise his hand and touch his face.

There is a scar on his face.

Not deep, but not shallow either.

Stay on your face, but also stay in your heart.

"Don't look at appearance? Xu Ping asked, "You really don't care about appearance?" 』

"Brother Ping... if we really want to talk about appearance..." Xu Ju came closer and whispered, "Isn't this... in the Chancellor's Desk, then whoever wants to talk about appearance, you say... Haha, right? So, do you have any ideas? 』

Why don't you have any ideas?

Xu Ping did not consider taking the route of force. On the one hand, he looked like a warrior, but in fact he had never received any military or force training since he was a child. He was completely different from Xu Chu. If he really took action, he would Even Xu Ju may not be able to defeat him.

It's like there were many big fat guys in later generations who were not weak in strength, but when they were in front of a fighter, they were like dough and were kneaded casually. In addition to talent, martial arts also require skills and long-term hard training.

And for a person like Xu Ping, who only has some physical capital, if he really joins the army, he will probably be an ordinary soldier, and then fight on the front line of the battlefield, and finally end up in the military academy, or die on the battlefield before he can make it out. above.

What's more, in Shandong, the people who control the top ranks of the army are either Cao or Xiahou. How can they get ahead?

But in Shandong, Xu Ping was blocked by the scar on his face when he wanted to take the path of a civil servant.

To put it simply, it means bad appearance.

It's like being in the afterlife and having tattoos on your body. As an individual, of course, you have the right to get a tattoo. There is no problem with this. After all, it is no longer the era when tattoos were used to represent criminals in the feudal dynasty. But don’t forget that others also have the right to refuse admission.

Xu Ju watched Xu Ping's expression change and didn't say much. He just lowered his head and drank slowly from the wine bowl.

If you talk too much at this time, it would be wrong.

Although Xu Ping never said where the scar on his face came from, it definitely didn't fall from the sky! If we extrapolate based on what Xu Ju knows, the scars on Xu Ping's face may not be so "just"...

Xu Ping inherited the incense of Prime Minister Xu. Prime Minister Xu had served as Sikong and Situ before. Although he was not as good as the fourth generation and three princes of the Yuan family and the Yang family, with disciples and former officials all over the world, he was still a high-ranking official at one time. , how could it be possible that the only remaining property of the family now is a dilapidated courtyard and ten acres of thin farmland?

So, where are the family properties that once belonged to Prime Minister Xu?

There are many ways to exterminate a family. Bullying orphans and widowed mothers is the lowest. Killing a whole family and then devouring the family property is the cruelest. But like Xu Xiang, he has not only received praise but also gained substantial benefits without making a move. , is the real good method.

Xu Ping was adopted by Xu Xiang, and he was nominally the heir to Xu Xiang's family business. So what if one day Xu Ping became prosperous and used Xu Xiang's remaining reputation to make a fortune? Are you vomiting back what you have eaten? Or do you want to double and double again?

Instead of worrying in uneasiness, it would be better to cut off all Xu Ping's promotion paths!

Suddenly you are good, I am good, and everyone is good.

Xu Xiang has four seasons of incense and can eat, Xu Ping has a place to live, and everyone has real income and can have fun. As for whether there will be any changes in Xu Ping's descendants in the future, that all belongs to the next generation, or the next generation after that.

At least Xu Ping, who has a scar, can no longer think about how high he can go!

But the question is, is Xu Ping willing?

If Xu Ping originally wanted to live a stable life, then why would he become someone else's heir? It's not like a three-year-old child doesn't understand anything and can do whatever adults say...

After a while, Xu Ping raised his wine bowl to invite him for a drink, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Xu Zhi didn't say anything else. He just drank. Then the two of them chatted about some family issues and ate and drank. Finally, they ate all the food and drank all the wine. Then it got late and Xu Zhi stayed. In Xu Ping's house, he was snoring and sleeping soundly, but Xu Ping couldn't sleep.

It wasn't Xu Ju's snoring that made the noise, well, maybe there was some, but it was more that Xu Ping himself felt uneasy. He once thought he had no hope, but suddenly some light appeared in front of him. , he felt a little worried about gains and losses.

After dawn, the two of them got up, washed, and then cooked breakfast.

Preserved meat is also very simple.

Finished.

Xu Pingping looked at the evidence and said with dignity, "Brother Xian, what are you here for?" If you don't tell me clearly, how can I trust you? 』

Xu Ju was silent for a while, and then sighed, "Brother Ping, it's not that I intend to hide it, but this matter is somewhat risky. I don't want to involve my brother..."

"Ha, risk. ” Xu Ping nodded, “Going up the mountain to collect firewood may be risky... What is risk-free? You say it. 』

"Well... okay, let me speak frankly," Xu Ju said slowly, "Actually, the purpose of coming here this time is to find someone in the prison..."

"Get people?" who? Oh, I understand, you, not you, want to save Kong Wenju, right? Xu Ping thought about it for a moment, and then quickly responded, "Not taking the official route... Oh, I understand, yes, that makes sense!" Yes, it’s Kong Wenju, right? 』

If you were an ordinary person, you probably wouldn't need to go to such trouble. And from a certain perspective, it is true that Kong Rong is the only person in Xu County and prison who is worthy of Xu Zhi, and the people represented by Xu Zhi are trying to fish for people.

Just like most infuriating incidents, people will inevitably forget them as time goes by. Kong Rong's incident was indeed infuriating at the beginning. There were a lot of discussions in the streets for a while, but as Kong Rong was imprisoned As time went on, not only did the number of people outside the prison gradually decrease, but even the topics discussed in the market on weekdays became other things.

In other words, it is "reducing popular searches".

When Cao Cao first killed Bian Rong, he didn't have much experience. Now I don't know if he has learned a lot and summed up the experience, or there are other reasons. Anyway, there are indeed fewer people talking about Kong Rong in the market nowadays. A lot, even Xu Ping and others received less extra compensation...

That's right, those who shouted loudly outside Xu County Prison that Kong Rong was "unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness, a model for the world" were basically not serious gentry children, but "stand-ins" hired by these gentry children. Xu Ping took several orders and went outside the prison every day to shout and receive some money.

Perhaps it was for this reason that Xu Ping quickly thought of Kong Rong.

Xu Ju coughed, "Brother is indeed smart and sharp...but it's not Kong Wenju. Well, it's mainly because Kong Wenju himself is unwilling...Besides, Kong Wenju's matter is so big that there will definitely be guards guarding it. If my brother and others are allowed to do it, Isn't this matter... So, this time, we are just saving Kong Wenju's son. If Kong Wenju is really killed one day, the inheritance will not be cut off..."

"Inherited incense..." Xu Ju murmured and repeated these two words, and then sighed, "It's rare, it's rare... In Shandong, no one cares about Kong Wenju's inherited incense... To do this , but you... succeeded! I took this job! If you have any money, take it out first so I can hire some people. 』

"Brother, do you have a plan? ” Xu Jue asked, not taking the money directly.

Xu Ping stared at Xu Ju and couldn't help but laugh: "Why, are you still afraid that I will defraud you of your money?" This matter is not as difficult as you think! It’s true that Kong Wenju is difficult to save, but Kong Wenju’s son… it’s not difficult at all! It is very difficult for ordinary people to get into the county jail, but for some people, it is easy..."

Xu Ju frowned and thought for a moment, "Oh?" Could it be that my brother knows the jailer in Xu County Prison? 』

Xu Ping stretched out his hand and tapped the sign. He did not answer directly, but said, "These days, there are too many children who cannot survive outside the city. Find someone of similar age, spend some money, and change it when the time comes..." …it takes no effort at all! This is a traditional handicraft! The prison bosses often do this job, and even Qiu Zhan can find a scapegoat, not to mention the two children? 』

"That's true..." Xu Ju nodded and said, "But... As for Kong Wenju, I'm afraid I won't wait for Qiu Zhan, and may not even be executed publicly... You know what I mean, right?" 』

Xu Ping was stunned for a moment, and then nodded silently.

Generally speaking, most prisoners are executed after death, but the problem is that Kong Rong is not an ordinary person. It is very likely that Kong Rong died silently in prison at some point, and then announced to the outside world that Kong Rong hit the wall while hiding, or died from drinking boiled water...

This is also normal.

"In that case, we can only change it in advance..." Xu Ping frowned slightly and said, "In this case, the risk is really high... However, I do know someone..."