My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 146 Three Generations of Loyal Officials
In Xiangling County, Hedong Prefecture, a young man of medium height and with a resolute face was walking towards his grandfather's house.

This young man was Jia Kui, a descendant of the Jia family of Pingyang, who had just turned twenty.

The ancestors of the Jia Kui family in Pingyang were once prosperous, but they gradually declined afterward.

Jia Kui's grandfather, Jia Xi, was extremely learned and skilled in military strategy.

Unfortunately, due to his family background, he did not have any benefactors to help him and could only spend his remaining years in the countryside.

Jia Kui was orphaned at a young age and came from a poor family. In order to get through the winter, he had to deliberately stay at his brother-in-law's house. At dawn, he secretly left wearing his brother-in-law's cotton-padded trousers.

And Jia Kui's brother-in-law, Liu Fu, also became famous in history because of this pair of cotton trousers.

Jia Kui loved military affairs from a young age and aspired to join the army. He often led a group of children to form squads for play, which surprised his grandfather.

Jia Kui's grandfather was very surprised and said to him, "You will surely become a general when you grow up."

Subsequently, Jia Kui's grandfather began to orally impart tens of thousands of words of military strategy to him.

In truth, Jia Kui knew that all of this was done by his grandfather to help him gain fame. However, the effect of this attempt to make him famous was not very good; to this day, he still hadn't caught the eye of nobles and officials.

His grandfather called him over this time, but he didn't know why.

Hopefully, this will be good news.

When Jia Kui arrived at his grandfather's house, he saw his grandfather standing at the gate of the courtyard waiting for him.

"grandfather."

Jia Kui walked up to his grandfather and bowed in greeting.

Jia Xi nodded. He was very satisfied with his grandson, but it was a pity that he could offer him so little help.

After the two entered the house, they sat down separately, and Jia Kui waited quietly for his grandfather's instructions.

"I called you here today because there's something I need to tell you."

Jia Xi remained silent for a short while, while Jia Kui continued to wait quietly until Jia Xi continued, "I have asked an old friend to help you get a position as a magistrate in the prefecture. Are you willing?"

Jia Kui's face showed surprise. He knew that with his reputation, it was clearly impossible for him to be appointed as a senior official in the prefecture. This was obviously something his grandfather had paid a price for.

However, this also proves that Jia Kui's strategy of making a name for himself has come to a complete end. Whether he can stand out from the crowd next depends on his own true talent and how he conducts himself.

This brings us to the unique system of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Even in decline, a prestigious family like Jia Kui's still possessed considerable wealth; the saying "a lean camel is still bigger than a horse" illustrates this point.

However, even within this family, relationships are still arranged according to blood ties, and members receive the family's protection and care based on their social class.

Some members of large families may be very poor, like Jia Kui, who didn't even have a pair of cotton trousers.

But this doesn't mean they are really like the poor.

They come from humble backgrounds, not from the poor.

No matter how poor they are, they can still become officials.

Even this poverty could very well be deliberately created.

The Eastern Han Dynasty did not have the later imperial examination system, so the selection of officials mainly relied on recommendations.

It can be a recommendation from an official or a virtuous person in the local area.

To become an official, one must have virtue; to recommend someone, one must have virtue; and naturally, the person being recommended must also have virtue.

Therefore, cultivating one's moral character through examination is the most preferred method for those from poor families.

Since they are already impoverished, why not refuse the help from their family and others, and create a persona of "the poor are proud"? That's how they get their moral character.
However, once anything becomes popular, internal friction is inevitable.

By the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, all the powerful and wealthy families were going to great lengths to make their direct descendants famous, making it even more difficult for ordinary poor families to do so.

If Jia Kui is willing to accept the position of county official arranged by his grandfather, it would mean that the family's investment in him has come to an end.

Unless Jia Kui demonstrates greater talent and potential for advancement in the future, the family will not continue to invest resources in him.

After a moment of silence, Jia Kui decided to accept his grandfather's offer.

"Thanks to my grandfather's guidance, I have always followed his teachings!"

Jia Xi seemed relieved, nodded, and smiled, saying, "I've already spoken with the county clerk and arranged for you to work under him. Just focus on your duties, and your contributions won't go unnoticed."

Jia Xi then told Jia Kui about his experiences as a senior official in the prefecture, as well as some tips on how to conduct oneself in society.

Jia Kui listened attentively. These were things that ordinary people had never heard of, which could save him from many detours and even help him avoid some traps.

Just as Jia Xi was wholeheartedly teaching and Jia Kui was diligently studying, a procession of carriages arrived outside the courtyard.

Although Jia Xi and Jia Kui disliked the noise outside, they continued talking to themselves until the noise outside the courtyard reached its peak, and at the same time, someone shouted loudly.

Is Master Jia at home?

Jia Gong?

Jia Xi and Jia Kui looked at each other, wondering if this person had come to see them.
The only person who could be called Jia Gong was Jia Xi, not Jia Kui.

But who would come looking for an old man like me?

Jia Xi stood up from his seat, and Jia Kui naturally followed suit.

The two men came out of the house and could see the carriage outside the yard through the fence.

Jia Xi was a connoisseur; in his youth, he had served as a clerk in the prefecture and immediately recognized the carriage as a sign of the state government's recruitment of talented individuals.

I just don't know why this carriage came to my doorstep.

Could it be that they've come to recruit me?
Jia Xi couldn't help but get a little excited, but then he thought that he was already over fifty years old. Although he had accumulated a reputation for being diligent, loyal, and caring for the people, what use was that reputation?

The magistrate stood outside the courtyard gate. Upon seeing Jia Xi and Jia Kui, he bowed to them and asked in a humble manner, "May I ask if you are Jia Xi or Jia Xiuyuan of the Jia family of Pingyang?"

Only then did Jia Xi realize that the other party was indeed looking for him.

So Jia Xi and Jia Kui quickly opened the courtyard gate and welcomed them in, then introduced themselves: "I am Jia Xi. May I ask who you are?"

The envoy introduced himself: "Lord Jia, I am an envoy of Liu Xuande, the governor of Xuzhou. I have long admired your reputation and outstanding talent. I have come here on the orders of the governor to recruit you as a literary advisor. Please do not refuse."

"this……?"

Jia Xi was somewhat bewildered. The governor of Xuzhou?
This is Sili, after all.

Isn't this conscription a bit too far off?

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, recruitment was mainly concentrated within the provinces, but occasionally it could also be carried out in neighboring provinces.

It is very rare for someone like Liu Bei to go so far as to recruit someone from the entire Yu Province to Sili, but the more he does so, the more sincere he appears.

"Present the gift."

The governor gave an order to the governors behind him, and then three or four governors took out a lot of valuables from the oxcart behind, including gold ingots, copper coins, silk, and plain silk, etc., worth about 50,000 coins, which can be described as a very generous gift for recruiting officials.

The original gift was only five thousand coins, but Liu Feng specially decided to increase it to fifty thousand coins. After all, the person recruited was a virtuous and capable man of the Han Dynasty. Three generations of father and sons had saved the country through indirect means. The son was brave enough to kill the Duke of Gaogui Township in battle and annihilate Cao Wei. The granddaughter was wise enough to wreak havoc on the Jin court and destroy the Jin Dynasty. They could be called a family of loyal martyrs.

Objectively speaking, this is also a typical family development trajectory at the end of the Han Dynasty.

Jia Kui was virtuous, capable, cared for the people, valued their livelihood, and was loyal to the country, but not to the Han dynasty.

When it came to his son Jia Chong, he was still capable and talented, but he was extremely selfish and only wanted to rise to prominence. What did the well-being of others and the country matter to him?

As for her granddaughter Jia Nanfeng, she was the epitome of stupidity, wickedness, and rottenness, scoring zero in all aspects of morality, intelligence, and physical fitness; she could no longer be considered a human being.

To be fair, Jia Kui was truly loyal and devoted to the country, and possessed exceptional talent. However, due to his family background, social standing, and personality, he never managed to become a governor, let alone a high-ranking official in the central government, until his death.

It's no wonder that Jia Chong would go to such extremes as to completely reverse course and go to the other extreme.

If Cao Pi and his son Cao Rui had understood the principle of gratitude and not been so nepotistic in their appointments, and had given Jia Kui some opportunities, perhaps Jia Chong could have become a pillar of the state.

After all, there have been too many precedents in history.

Pei Ju, who was later praised in Sima Guang's monumental work Zizhi Tongjian as a prime example of "when the ruler is wise, the ministers are virtuous; when the ruler is foolish, the ministers are wicked."
However, if Jia Kui had actually been recruited by Liu Bei to Xuzhou in that era, Jia Chong would most likely never have been born.

"this……."

Even though Jia Xi came from a prominent family and was known for his integrity, he was still shocked by the extravagant gift he received. In Jia Xi's view, this was probably five times more than the usual gift.

That's right, it's indeed five times.

Hedong was Sili, which was directly under the central government. The gentry of Sili and Henan constituted the top tier of the powerful and wealthy class in the Han Dynasty. Moreover, it was economically prosperous, with fertile land, abundant products, and well-developed transportation.

The gifts given for recruiting officials were often one or even several times that of those given in other peripheral prefectures and counties.

Liu Feng specially increased the ceremony tenfold, but in Jia Xi's eyes it only amounted to fivefold.

However, if it were taken to Youzhou or Liangzhou, it would probably be worth dozens of times more.

"Master Jia, is your esteemed grandson, Mr. Jia Kui, still alive?"

The governor suddenly uttered something that astonished Jia Xi and Jia Kui: "The governor's son has heard about Mr. Jia Kui's amusing experiences at his brother-in-law's house and admires his magnanimity. He has also heard that Mr. Jia Kui has the ambition to join the army, achieve merit, and bring peace to the world. Therefore, the governor would like to invite Mr. Jia Kui to go with him."

Jia Xi and Jia Kui exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

"The governor has come from afar, please rest for the night."

Jia Xi didn't mention the matter of conscription, but instead took out money and asked his neighbors and clansmen to help purchase wine and meat to entertain the Xuzhou envoy.

The governor understood that Jia Xi and Jia Kui had not yet made up their minds, so he did not urge them and simply went to rest.

Jia Kui couldn't help but ask, "Grandfather, what about Liu Xuzhou's recruitment?"

Jia Xi did not know who Liu Xuzhou was before. He only learned from the governor's introduction that Liu Bei had gone to Xuzhou and accepted Tao Qian's dying appointment to take over as the governor of Xuzhou.

Jia Xi had heard of Liu Bei before. He was a disciple of the great Confucian scholar Lu Zhi and had a good relationship with the Chen family of Yingchuan, so he could be considered a former official of the Chen family of Yingchuan.

Actually, to be precise, Tao Qian wasn't the first person to give up his position to Liu Bei.

Back when Chen Ji was in Pingyuan, he greatly admired Liu Bei. He not only nurtured and promoted Liu Bei, but when he finally fled home, he simply gave up his position as the Chancellor of Pingyuan to Liu Bei. He was truly the first person to relinquish his post.

Jia Xi recounted Liu Bei's background and experiences to Jia Kui, whose eyes lit up as he listened.

Especially when he heard that Liu Bei's trusted generals all came from humble backgrounds, Jia Kui couldn't help but think of himself.

This is practically a lord made just for me!

However, Xuzhou is just too far away.

In fact, it was precisely because Xuzhou was too far away that Liu Feng was worried that Jia Xi and Jia Kui would refuse to be recruited because they were attached to their hometowns, which is why he invested so much money.

Despite his advanced age, Jia Xi's proficiency in teaching Jia Kui tens of thousands of words of military strategy demonstrates his remarkable knowledge.

In fact, Jia Kui, whom he trained, was indeed a military genius. It was just a pity that Cao Wei did not give him the opportunity to give full play to his true talents.

Moreover, Liu Feng remembered that Jia Xi died no earlier than 208 AD. Therefore, Jia Kui was not mentioned in any historical records during the Battle of Red Cliffs. It is highly likely that he went to observe mourning for his grandfather.

In this way, Jia Xi would have thirteen years of remaining energy to contribute. Moreover, with Hua Tuo around, his lifespan might even be extended. It would be excellent to invite Jia Xi to be a military instructor.

Therefore, Liu Feng suggested that Liu Bei simply take both the grandfather and grandson together.

"You really want to go..."

Jia Xi could only finish his sentence before he could stop, because the fire in Jia Kui's eyes had already answered his question.

Not to mention Jia Kui, even Jia Xi himself, whose heart had long been filled with despair, felt a warmth return.

"Alright, then I'll go with you to take a look."

*********
At this time in Jiangdu, Yuan Shu's chief clerk, Yang Hong, personally came to the front line to convey Yuan Shu's orders.

According to Yuan Shu's instructions, Yang Hong first reprimanded Sun Ce, severely criticizing him for abandoning the city and retreating without authorization, and for instead holding Guangling and waiting for reinforcements.

However, the criticism eventually turned into appeasement, saying that as long as Sun Ce could capture Guangling, the position of Guangling Prefect would be given to him.

Sun Ce sneered and remained silent, clearly showing his disbelief.

It should be noted that at the end of last year, Yuan Shu was still assuring Sun Ce that if he captured Lujiang, he would appoint Sun Ce as the governor of Lujiang.

But what happened? Sun Ce spent two whole years finally conquering Lujiang, offending the Lu family of Jiangdong to the death, only to find that Yuan Shu had broken his promise again.

This time, Sun Ce was determined not to act until he saw the benefits, after all, he was much more assertive than he was six months ago.

During the siege of Lujiang, although Sun Ce was the commander of a large army with tens of thousands of troops under his command, they were actually Yuan Shu's army, which was only temporarily placed under his command.

Even though Qiao Rui and Zhang Xun greatly admired him and were willing to be commanded by him, it was because Sun Ce was capable and charismatic.

It doesn't mean they actually had the authority to command Qiao Rui and Zhang Xun.

In the six months that Sun Ce had been staying in Liyang, his troops had grown several times larger, and they were all elite and brave warriors, no less capable than his uncle and cousin.

The more troops Sun Ce had, the more confident he became. At the same time, the pressure was also quietly increasing, making him more urgently in need of a place to raise his troops.

Guangling is indeed a very suitable place.

That is why Sun Ce rushed to Guangling overnight, hoping to win the first merit.

But now the situation has changed.

Guangling was not only captured by the Xuzhou army, but the enemy also sent their main force and elite troops.

Next comes the stage of confrontation between the two armies, a real battle with real weapons, and at the cost of human lives.

If Yuan Shu doesn't offer real money, Sun Ce will dare to outwardly comply but inwardly defy him.

Wu Jing looked at Sun Ce, then at Sun Ben.

Despite Sun Ce's current success, the actual head of the Sun family is Sun Ben.

However, Wu Jing really couldn't understand Sun Ben's attitude. He was the patriarch of the Sun family, yet he tolerated Sun Ce in everything, which seemed quite strange.

On the other hand, Sun Ce's nephew is becoming more and more capable. His military skills are indeed improving day by day, and he has already surpassed his uncle.

Yang Hong told him privately that the position of Prefect of Guangling was originally reserved for him.

Since Sun Ce is being so aggressive, we can only temporarily entrust the task to him and ask Wu Jing not to mind.

Even after he went to Jiangdong, the position of Prefect of Danyang was still his.

Wu Jing was indeed somewhat displeased after hearing this, but his displeasure was not directed at Sun Ce, but at Yuan Shu.

Wu Jing felt that Yuan Shu didn't think much of him.
You've repeatedly tricked Bo Fu, and everyone's not blind; they've all seen it.

Now you've taken my position as governor to appease Bo Fu, and then you come here to complain. Do you think I, Wu Jing, am a petty person who would fight with my own nephew for the position of governor?

When Sun Jian married Wu Jing's sister, not only did Wu Jing disagree, but the entire Wu family also disagreed.

In the end, it was Wu's eldest daughter who made the decision herself. Unfortunately, she didn't really like Sun Jian, nor did she have the discerning eye to recognize him as a hero.

Wu's eldest daughter was forced to marry Sun Jian under pressure, in order to protect the Wu family and her younger brother Wu Jing.

Fortunately, Sun Jian was genuinely good to Wu, and by extension, he also valued his brother-in-law Wu Jing highly, keeping him by his side and carefully instructing him in battle tactics.

Wu Jing gradually began to accept his brother-in-law from the bottom of his heart, and eventually came to be grateful to him.

Moreover, after following this brother-in-law, they found Yuan Shu as their powerful backer, and one by one they became captains, acting generals, and even prefects and governors.

Just when Wu Jing thought the relationship between the Sun and Wu families would get better and better, his brother-in-law suddenly died.

Wu Jing truly felt like the sky had fallen.

However, judging from the current situation, Bo Fu is becoming more and more successful, and he really does resemble his brother-in-law.

Chief Clerk Yang Hong was at his wits' end. He tried his best to persuade Sun Ce, but Sun Ce clearly chose to passively resist.

Wu Jingzheng, whom he had originally imagined to be an assistant, was staring intently at the table, as if there were some secrets on it that he needed to study.

As for Sun Ben, who was also an ally, he remained silent, simply watching Yang Hong work on Sun Ce.

Sun Ben was originally supposed to be in Liyang, but Yuan Shu was determined to take Guangling this time, so he sent Qiao Rui with Sun Ben to Jiangdu to help in the battle, and left Zhang Xun to guard Liyang.

Gradually, Yang Hong's patience wore thin, and he asked somewhat angrily, "Bo Fu, what exactly do you want?"

(End of this chapter)