Chapter 130: Sincerity of the Oath

Wang Yang "overjoyed," immediately stood up, excitedly: "Clan uncle's re-creation grace is as high as a mountain and as deep as the sea, please accept a bow from Yang!"

Wang Tai hurriedly supported Wang Yang: "We are all one family, why be so polite?! It is the Wang family's luck that the Wang family produced such a sage. What merit does clan uncle have? You cannot accept a bow from my nephew!"

Wang Tai changed the subject: "This matter is not difficult, but it cannot be done by clan uncle alone. I have to find someone to help. To tell you the truth, when clan uncle discovered that your household registration had a problem, I was afraid that the remedy would not be timely and there would be a big mistake, so I immediately started to help you handle the registration and talked to a fellow clan friend in detail about your situation. He also appreciated you very much. But he insisted that you must first earn a merit, saying that you have no merit now, and whether it is combining clans or changing the genealogy, it will not convince the public. Only by earning merit can you enter the registration logically. I tried to persuade him to help you enter the registration first, and talk about the others later, but he refused to loosen his mouth. Oh my! Isn't this good things take time?!"

Wang Yang "eyes shining," a determination to "establish merit and career": "Clan uncle, tell me! What do I need to do, I will definitely try my best!"

"Hey! Actually, it's not a difficult task. Isn't my nephew very favored by the Prince of Badong? My friend's meaning is, as long as you meet the Prince of Badong every time, write down some important things the Prince of Badong said."

It's the Prince of Badong again!

And making friends out of nothing?

Changing face king, changing face king, you play so high every day, do you know how many people are staring at you?

Or is the changing face king very favored by himself? Can it count?

However, Wang Yang did not refute.

Because he was very clear that the Prince of Badong treating him closely and inviting him to ride horses in the suburbs seemed to be the beginning of the trouble he caused. But it was actually his amulet.

Whether it was the mysterious woman taking the initiative to make up for his loopholes, or Wang Tai performing uncle-nephew affection here, in the final analysis, it was because he could approach the Prince of Badong and had utilization value. Just from this point, it was necessary to maintain a friendly relationship with the Prince of Badong, and even make the relationship go further. As for Xinghan's warning, he could only put it aside for now and wait until this game was broken.

Wang Yang pretended to be confused: "Important words?"

"Yes, just words that are taboo, just write down a few sentences."

Wang Tai waved his hand, and two servants stepped forward, placing a table, paper, and pen in front of Wang Yang.

"Nephew, write whatever you think of, don't worry too much. The things here will absolutely not be spread out! These are all things between big figures, and have nothing to do with us people below. Just write a few lines casually to deal with it."

Wang Yang pretended to recall hard: "But he didn't seem to say anything taboo..."

"Oh, this counts!" Wang Yang "suddenly realized."

"Yes, it's this kind of words, they all count. Write!"

Wang Yang didn't write, but said: "There are no similar ones anymore!"

"If there are none, it's not easy to handle? Clan uncle will help you! He also said that with his bravery, if he encounters troubled times, he will not lose to Liu Bei and Sun Quan!"

???

"When was this sentence said?" Wang Yang asked.

"It was said when he was sitting and whispering with you!"

You old guy is really black!

But using this method to frame the Prince of Badong is a bit clumsy, after all, it's not a TV drama...

Wang Yang acted like a "silly boy": "There is no such sentence!"

"Oh, nephew, didn't I say it, just write it casually to deal with my friend? Otherwise, you can't pass the test!"

"But this is making something out of nothing, framing the clan prince..."

Wang Tai immediately interrupted:

"What framing, don't talk nonsense! Nephew, you are still too young! It's just writing a few lines to deal with it! It counts as being willing to do things and showing an attitude. Do you think anyone takes this seriously! Not to mention that we are all family, and I still expect you to rise in your career in the future, bring light to the family, and then help clan uncle, it's impossible to harm you! Just say this is what clan uncle helped you think of, and clan uncle can't harm himself, right?

Besides, wanting to use these few sentences to frame the Prince of Badong is purely wishful thinking! If it were so easy to frame, the Prince of Badong would have fallen long ago. Court affairs are not that simple! No one would be stupid enough to take these few words that cannot be verified seriously. As for reporting to the imperial court, it's even more impossible! Not to mention that this sentence doesn't count as any crime! Even if it were more serious, the Prince of Badong really said something rebellious to you, but this kind of private conversation between two people, without any witnesses, how can it be won? Nephew is a genius, but this worry is superfluous."

Wang Tai shook his head, his smile very strong, as if Wang Yang's worries were all jokes.

It is precisely because I cannot see through what you want to do that I am worried.

Wang Yang took out the spirit of a "silly boy" to get to the bottom of it: "Then I don't understand, since it can't be taken seriously, why write it?"

"Nephew." Wang Tai patted Wang Yang on the shoulder and said earnestly: "You don't need to consider these things. Anyway, knowing that it is beneficial and harmless to you is enough. What you should consider now is the household registration, this is a matter of life and death! If it is not solved in time, and it is turned out by someone with a heart, then it will be bad!"

Wang Tai became more and more worried as he spoke, as if the person facing such a dangerous situation was himself:

"Besides, it's not just your own business. If you really have an accident, this is first of all the loss of our entire family! Also Liu Zhao, Zong Rui, the crime of forging household registration, I'm afraid you can't escape it. That matter of leaving files in the state should also have been helped by your friends, and it will definitely be cleared out by then! Isn't this a disaster for no reason?

But fortunately, they are noble clans, and the crime is not enough to die. But your two retainers won't have such good luck! What was the name of that child? The most pitiful thing is your beautiful guard, sigh, it's really a red face with a thin life... Nephew, nephew? Oh, don't worry too much! If something really happens, clan uncle will definitely run for you with all my strength! It's just that this case is too big, I'm afraid clan uncle is also powerless!"

Wang Yang gradually put away the coldness in the depths of his eyes, and a look of fear and anxiety appeared on his face, asking hurriedly: "Clan uncle, what will happen to me? You said the noble clan's crime is not enough to die, but I am also a noble clan! I am really the Langya Wang clan! It's just that I haven't registered! Clan uncle, save me! Clan uncle!"

Wang Yang pulled Wang Tai's sleeve, almost shedding tears.

Wang Tai heard Wang Yang only ask about himself and didn't mention others at all, and was suspicious in his heart, but he couldn't distinguish the truth from the false at the moment, so he had to put it aside first and said: "Clan uncle wants to save you! But you are the key to this matter! Although your bloodline is Wang family, without household registration and genealogy, you are not a noble clan, so I'm afraid you can't escape death..."

"Clan uncle, I know! I'll write! Whatever you say, I'll write!"

"Look, look, it's not that clan uncle makes you write, clan uncle is helping you—"

"Yes, yes! I know! As long as I can enter the noble registration, I can write anything! But clan uncle..." Wang Yang hesitated and asked: "If I do this thing, can this household registration really be solved?"

Wang Tai's voice was firm, his expression extremely sincere: "Of course! To tell you the truth, clan uncle wants to solve your household registration problem more than you do, so you are the real Wang family member! You are the thousand-mile horse of my Wang family! It is the Wang family's loss that such a talent cannot enter the Wang family genealogy!"

Wang Yang lowered his head, silently counting for eight seconds in his heart, and then suddenly raised his head, staring at Wang Tai.

"Clan uncle, I want to ask you to take an oath."

Wang Tai smiled in his heart: "A scholar, after all, is young!" He sighed: "Zhiyan, you still don't trust clan uncle!"

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just... just want a guarantee."

"Good!" Wang Tai stood up, raised his palm, and said loudly: "Today I, Wang Tai, take the Jiang River as an oath. As long as my nephew Wang Yang handles this matter, I will definitely help him obtain the Langya Wang clan household registration! The sincerity of the oath is like the sun! If I have a treacherous thought, the Jiang River god will punish me!"

Even taking the Jiang River as an oath... you old guy, why don't you point to the Luo River as an oath!

Wang Yang took a breath and said: "Good, I'll write!"

Wang Tai watched Wang Yang write. At this moment, the sound of shouting and fighting suddenly came from outside the door: "Who is it?"

Only two muffled groans were heard, and the courtyard door was kicked open with a bang!

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Note: ① "Jin Shu: Xuandi Ji": "The emperor sent the palace captain Yin Damu to persuade Shuang, pointing to the Luo River as an oath, and Shuang believed it."

② The nine-rank middle-official system had obvious changes in promotion and demotion during the Wei and Jin dynasties, and by this time it had completely stiffened. All noble clan children were second-rank, first-rank was vacant, and commoners were third to fifth-rank, and seventh to ninth-rank were not in the official flow. For those interested in this issue, refer to Miyazaki Ichisada's "Research on the Nine-Rank Official System," Yang Junru's "Nine-Rank Middle-Official and Six Dynasties Gate Valves," and Zhang Xuhua's "Research on the Nine-Rank Middle-Official System."

But "difference" is the core of class, so Confucianism talks about restoring rites, and the core of rites is "rites have differences." Now that the noble clans are all second-rank without difference, and commoners are gradually rising, facing this situation, the aristocratic families began to distinguish "differences" in their official careers, that is, the difference in the nobility of the starting official and the distinction between clear and turbid official positions. This point will be fully reflected in the Jin Ling volume. ===== CHAPTER 131 =====

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Note: ① "Book of Jin, Annals of Emperor Xuan": "The Emperor sent the Palace Captain Yin Damu, whom Shuang trusted, to persuade Shuang, pointing to the Luo River as an oath, and Shuang believed him."

② The Nine-Rank Zhongzheng system saw significant changes in ranking during the Wei and Jin periods, and by this time it had become completely rigid. All noble clans were necessarily ranked second, the first rank was left vacant, commoners were ranked third to fifth, and those from the seventh to ninth ranks could not enter the official stream. Those interested in this issue may refer to Miyazaki Ichisada's "Research on the Nine-Rank Official Law," Yang Junru's "Nine-Rank Zhongzheng and the Six Dynasties Aristocracy," and Zhang Xuhua's "Research on the Nine-Rank Zhongzheng System."

But "differentiation" is the core of class, so Confucianism speaks of restoring rituals, and the core of ritual is that "rituals have gradations." Now that noble clans are all second-rank without differentiation, and commoners are rising, faced with this situation, the great families have begun to distinguish "gradations" in official careers, namely the difference in the nobility of the starting office and the distinction between clear and turbid official positions. This point will be reflected in detail in the Jin Ling volume.