Chapter 168
"Nothing special. Anyway, since he likes to play, I want him to go to the capital to play."
"To the capital?" Le Zhan was surprised.
"Yes. Without us covering him in the capital, he won't dare to mess around. First, it can let him restrain his temper; second, it can broaden his horizons; third, it is also beneficial to his future. Aren't your two cousins in the capital? Weiyuan is the Secretary of the Grand Marshal (secretary of the Three Dukes' office); Wenjie is the Recording Advisor of the Cavalry Mansion (military department advisor). One follows the Prince of Yuzhang, and one follows Wang Jingze. They are all real power holders! (referring to the Prince of Yuzhang and Wang Jingze) Let Gao'er learn something from his two uncles, it doesn't mean entrusting him to them. It just means walking around more. However, going directly like this, without a name, is not good. I will ask my father to write to Master Master Tian Gai and let Gao'er study under his door, so going to the capital counts as studying abroad."
"Wu Bao, Wu Master Tian Gai?"
"Yes. Since Liu Huan passed away, among the private schools in the capital, Master Master Tian Gai has the greatest reputation. My father has an old friendship with him, and if he asks him to accept Gao'er as an auditor, he will definitely agree."
Le Zhan smiled bitterly: "Let this kid go to Mr. Wu's class to listen, isn't this harming people..."
"He is not an official disciple, just hanging a name sounds good, how can you say it's harming? Mr. Wu likes to lecture on 'The Analects' and 'The Classic of Filial Piety' the most, which is just right for Gao'er. Besides, he is a great Confucian of the world, a famous teacher in the world, maybe a sentence will make Gao'er enlightened. Even if he doesn't achieve anything, he can be influenced. Anyway, we don't rely on him to do research, just speaking of it, it counts as studying abroad. Anything is better than fighting cocks and walking dogs here all day."
Le Zhan thought for a while and made up his mind: "Alright! Listen to Madam! I will have someone pack his luggage and set off as soon as possible."
"No, don't leave now, wait until September."
"Also, it's too hot now."
"It's not the reason for the weather, but Wang Yang is going to the capital in September, let him go with Wang Yang."
Le Zhan was surprised: "Wang Yang? He is going to the capital in September? Who did you hear that from?"
"Commandery selected students go to the National University in October. This year the commandery school recommends, who else but Wang Yang?"
Le Zhan suddenly realized: "Yes! It must be him! Wang Yang is a first-class family, his talent is high, his knowledge and character are even more impeccable. With him and Gao'er together, I can be much more at ease."
"How do you know his character?" Madam Le asked.
"For a soldier's daughter, he didn't hesitate to offend Du Shubao, who had the background of the Prince of Luling. This is benevolence. The academy was surrounded, he was duty-bound and came forward to deal with it. This is courage. With these two points, it can't be wrong."
Madam Le was thoughtful.
"Madam?"
Madam Le pondered: "... This person is not afraid of the strong and has a benevolent heart, has high talent and courage, although his status is noble, his family background is declining, I am afraid there will be many rights and wrongs!"
"Madam hit the nail on the head! Then I will remind Gao'er to pay attention to his sense of proportion when dealing with Wang Yang, and not be involved in certain rights and wrongs."
Madam Le shook her head: "No. Making friends is valuable in nature. If you keep nagging, it will be bad. Besides, with Gao'er's temper, does he know what sense of proportion is? At that time, whether he feels resistant to your words or reluctantly follows your suggestions, he will be tied up in the future, which will hurt the relationship. Since you want to make friends, you can't be hesitant, afraid of wolves in front and tigers behind, how can you make real friends? It's better to hide in the room and not go out! Don't be afraid of small rights and wrongs, as for big rights and wrongs... didn't you say Wang Yang has a benevolent heart and courage? Then even if there are any big rights and wrongs, I think he will try his best to avoid involving Gao'er."
Le Zhan was ashamed: "Ashamed, I have been an official for many years, but I am not as clear and reasonable as Madam."
Madam Le smiled: "Husband is a hall official of the state department, and I am like a clerk, just putting forward an idea to let husband listen to both sides, and the final idea still needs to be taken by husband."
Le Zhan felt very comfortable hearing this, thinking that his wife was really smart and virtuous, a proper virtuous helper! But looking back, every time his wife said to let him take the idea, but those ideas seemed to be his wife's ideas???
Hey, anyway, it was his own idea, who cares!
Le Zhan decided not to think about it in detail.
"By the way, Madam said three things before, now two have been said, what is the third?"
"It's almost the dog days, I want to invite Liu Cheng, Xie Xie Niangzi Xie Si, and Wang Yang to the villa to escape the heat in advance. First, to fulfill the duty of a host, and second, to build some good relationships for Gao'er. I don't ask for anything, just that when Gao'er arrives in Jiankang in the future, having more acquaintances is always good."
"I originally wanted to invite Wang Yang to the dog days banquet. As for Liu Cheng, his brother is my colleague, and I also have to send invitations. It's just that Xie Xie Niangzi Xie Si may not be willing to come."
"Husband didn't understand what I meant. It's not to invite them to the dog days banquet. There are too many people invited on the dog days, so it doesn't show closeness. I want to hold a small banquet before the dog days, and don't need to be so formal, just say invite a few young people to the mountains to cool off and relax. As for Xie Xie Niangzi Xie Si, she is familiar with Wang Yang, let Wang Yang help pass the invitation, maybe she will come for Wang Yang's sake."
Le Zhan was easy-going, but deep down he was still a bit arrogant. Hearing his wife say this, he lost his smile and hesitated: "Is it a bit like flattering..."
How could Madam Le not know her husband's heart knot? She said seriously: "What flattering? They are all juniors, and they don't have villas in Jingzhou, so they have nowhere to go to escape the heat. You, as the Jingzhou Bie Jia, take care of the juniors, what's wrong? Besides, these juniors are all outstanding in literary talent. At that time, talk about poetry and discuss literature, make friends with literature, and don't talk about vulgar affairs, only elegant interests, where is the talk of flattering?"
Once Le Zhan heard about talking about poetry and discussing literature, he was very happy. Wang, Liu, and Xie are all people who are proficient in poetry. At that time, chanting and singing, talking about deep feelings, wouldn't it be pleasant?
But then he thought of the inappropriateness: "But this Wang Yang and Liu Cheng have a gap, if they gather together, won't there be problems?"
"They are all aristocratic sons, at most a few words of disagreement, what problems can there be? Don't worry, I will pay attention, there will be no trouble. It's you, husband, don't stir up trouble at that time."
"How could I stir up trouble!"
"How could it be impossible? I don't know you yet? In order to get good sentences, you can't wait for them to chew on their pens and think, competing for height and sensitivity. I'll remind Bie Jia Le, these few are not the literary clerks in your office, it's fine for everyone to play, but it's best not to distinguish between high and low."
Le Zhan was very firm on this issue: "How can you not distinguish between high and low? Literature is not fast without competition, poetry is not high without competition, what is the point of not distinguishing between high and low? But I know the sense of proportion, I won't praise one and step on another, nor will I neglect anyone."
Seeing her husband's excited appearance, Madam Le was somewhat helpless. I will handle it more at that time.
In a hall in the Liu mansion, the doors and windows were tightly closed.
Two people sat opposite each other in the room, with exquisite wine and food.
Liu Cheng placed the invitation from the Le mansion on the table: "Master Tian, the Le family sent an invitation, but it's not the dog days banquet, it's three days early, is there a problem?"
The man opposite had a calm expression and a steady voice: "No problem, everything is arranged."
Liu Cheng showed a slight smile: "Very good, I have also contacted almost everything on my side."
The man was suspicious and worried: "What the Young Master contacted is..."
"Don't worry, it doesn't conflict with what you are doing."
The worry between the man's eyebrows did not dissipate: "The plan is set, it is not suitable to have too many twists and turns."
Liu Cheng smiled mysteriously: "It doesn't matter, it's just talking about 'combining literature and martial arts,' it won't mess up your plan. I have my own arrangements for this matter, you don't need to worry about it." His smile faded, and he said solemnly: "At that time, you lead the team yourself. After seeing the person, hide far away, don't show your face yourself. After finishing the work, leave the villa and ride a fast horse back to the capital directly."
"Yes. There is another person who must leave Jingzhou, otherwise there will be loopholes."
"I know, he will leave the villa first and wait for you outside. You go together."
"No need to wait for me, he comes out early and can go one step ahead."
"Thoughtful! I toast you a cup, Master!"
The man sat upright, didn't drink a drop of wine, raised his palm and said: "This merit is not yet achieved, it is too early to drink. It is better to drink happily with the Young Master after the event is achieved."
Liu Cheng's mood was inexplicably agitated: "Alright! This cup is temporarily deposited! When I return to the capital, I will definitely drink and talk happily with you!"
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Note: ① "Book of Liang: Le Ai Biography": "Le Ai, courtesy name Weiyuan... returned to be the Secretary of the Grand Marshal, transferred to the office of the Secretary." "History of the South: Le Yu Biography": "Le Yu, courtesy name Wenjie... reached the official position of Recording Advisor of the Cavalry."
The Grand Marshal in the eighth year of Yongming was the Prince of Yuzhang ("Book of Southern Qi: Prince Yuzhang Wenxian Biography": "In the fifth year, he was promoted to Grand Marshal. In the eighth year, he was given a soap-wheeled carriage.") The Cavalry General was Wang Jingze. ("Book of Southern Qi: Wang Jingze Biography": "In the seventh year, he went out as the envoy holding the festival, Sanqi Changshi, Governor of Xiyang and Runan two commanderies military affairs of Yuzhou, Yingzhou, and Sizhou, General of the West, Governor of Yuzhou, opening the mansion as before. Promoted to Cavalry.")
② "History of the South: Wu Bao Biography": "Huan lectured on 'The Rites', Bao lectured on 'The Analects' and 'The Classic of Filial Piety'. Students listened to Huan in the morning and Bao in the evening." In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, asking about learning often started with the two books "The Analects" and "The Classic of Filial Piety," which counts as the study of the path. So Madam Le said it was suitable for her son. However, although these two books are basic, they are not shallow. They belong to "basic yet classic." It's like the Three Hundred Tang Poems, although children can recite them, if you do special research on them, you can get new insights, which is enough to produce results that shake the academic world.
Therefore, treatises on these two books were prevalent in the Middle Ages. Yan Zhitui said: "Since the chaos, many have been captured. Although they are small people of a hundred generations, those who know how to read 'The Analects' and 'The Classic of Filial Piety' are still teachers; although they are crowns of a thousand years, those who do not know how to write are all farming and raising horses." ("Family Instructions of Yan: Diligent Learning") Taking the two books of Analects and Filial Piety as examples also reflects from the side the "basic yet classic" status of the two books at that time.
End of Chapter
