Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 328 Xu Shu: A Scholar Who Has Been Treated with New Respect After Three Days of Separation

Liu Bian sat on his throne, his gaze falling on Xu Fu, who was reporting the results of the mission. His appreciation for Xu Fu grew stronger, and a slight smile appeared on his lips as he praised, "Yuanzhi did a good job this time. He did not disgrace me. He deserves a reward!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Fu immediately bowed and, when he raised his head, a hint of longing for the emperor was faintly revealed in his eyes. He said, "The country is too kind in praising me. This is merely my duty, and I dare not accept such a reward."

All the young scholars in the world held this even younger emperor in high esteem. In particular, the emperor's style of not valuing seniority or age and boldly appointing young people made the scholars regard him as a sacred and inviolable idol.

Liu Bian's smile deepened, and he turned his gaze to Lu Zhi, who sat to his right. He said with a smile, "After three days apart, Yuanzhi has truly impressed me. Master Lu, do you still remember how arrogant and unrestrained Xu Yuanzhi was just two months ago?"

Lu Zhi shook his head slightly. To those who admired Xu Fu, it was an air of arrogance and unrestrained spirit; to others, it was recklessness and impulsiveness.

Xu Fu, who came from humble origins, was able to appear in Luoyang not only as an envoy to the State of Chen, but also by meeting the emperor in the Yuntai Pavilion and even coming into the sight of the emperor and the Grand Tutor. This was due to his close connection with Yin Xiu, the governor of Yingchuan.

The name "Xu Fu" might only remind people of the alchemist who tricked the First Emperor of Qin into giving him three thousand boys and girls and countless gold and silver treasures, but if you call him "Xu Shu," you should be familiar with him.

Before changing his name to Xu Shu, Xu Fu was merely a spirited young man who valued chivalry and was impulsive, compared to the great talent who was proficient in military strategy and had the ability to govern the people.

At nineteen, Xu Fu was not fond of classical studies and preferred a chivalrous spirit; it's just a pity that he didn't get to benefit from the era's advantages.

This is also because of his idol, the current emperor.

The emperor abolished the "Spring and Autumn Annals Judgment" and repeatedly ordered local officials to strictly enforce the law, thus shattering Xu Fu's youthful dream of chivalry.

In the past, when a chivalrous knight-errant killed villains in the street, he would not only win praise from the public, but the government would also often turn a blind eye and let him escape arrest. The government would also send people to send money and food to help his family.

If he were unfortunately arrested, the government officials would "accidentally" let him escape, or pretend to be unable to resist and let his friends and relatives take him away.

However, times have changed. Even if someone is a villain who bullies men and women, Xu Fu cannot kill them without authorization unless they are committing murder or there are other circumstances permitted by law. Otherwise, they will still be held accountable.

The local bullies have also become cunning, committing evil deeds only in the gray areas permitted by law, leaving people helpless.

Until May, several tenant farmers of the Shen family of Yingchuan suddenly beat drums in front of the Yangdi Prefectural Governor's Office, openly accusing the Shen family of Yingchuan of concealing people and land, and even listing the specific numbers clearly.

This kind of behavior clearly indicates that a powerful family or clan is behind it.

Otherwise, how could a mere tenant farmer, who barely knows any characters, possibly know all the secrets of the Shen family of Yingchuan, let alone reveal them to the public in front of the prefect's office?
Most prefects in various regions were tacitly aware of the powerful families' concealment of their presence in Taguchi, turning a blind eye as long as it didn't come to light.

But once exposed in public, it becomes difficult to pretend not to know.

Even so, Yin Xiu chose to handle the matter lightly. He only asked Shen to pay the evaded taxes, and used the excuse of errors in the accounting records to characterize the matter as a misunderstanding caused by dereliction of duty, thus letting it pass easily.

It wasn't that Yin Xiu had any improper dealings or personal relationships with the Shen family of Yingchuan. Did he not want to take down the Shen family of Yingchuan and add a record of punishing powerful figures to his political achievements?
Yin Xiuzheng has been unable to get promoted in recent years because his political achievements have always fallen short of expectations. His desire for merit is stronger than anyone else's.

However, the Shen family of Yingchuan had a special status and were by no means an ordinary noble family. They were not people he could easily touch, nor could they be used as stepping stones for his political achievements.

The Shen family of Yingchuan was a noble family with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain) for generations, but among the many noble families in Yingchuan, they were only of the middle and lower class, yet they were known for their arrogant and domineering behavior.

There was nothing they could do; more than eighty years ago, a legitimate daughter of the Shen family of Yingchuan entered the palace and became a concubine of Emperor Xiaozhang.

What happened more than eighty years ago is not enough to make people wary. Yin Xiu is a descendant of Empress Yin, the wife of Emperor Guangwu of the Ming Dynasty, who lived more than a hundred years ago!
However, one of the sons born to Consort Shen was Liu Kai, the Prince of Hejian.

Liu Kai's third son, Liu Yi, the Prince of Pingyuan, had a son named Liu Zhi.

Yes, it was Emperor Xiaohuan, Liu Zhi.

Emperor Huan died young without an heir, so by all accounts, the good days of the Shen family should have come to an end, and what awaited them was the revenge of other powerful and influential families.

Unexpectedly, the court chose the Marquis of Jiedu to ascend the throne as emperor.

The title of Marquis of Jiedu was inherited by Liu Shu, the fourth son of King Xiao of Hejian, while the Marquis of Jiedu who ascended the throne was named Liu Hong.

Actually, it doesn't matter. Whoever ascends the throne is a descendant of Emperor Guangwu, so what difference does it make?
But Emperor Xiaohuan and Liu Hong were both emperors who succeeded their fathers from the younger branch of the imperial family.

In order to maintain the legitimacy of their own lineage, Emperor Xiaohuan and Liu Hong had to inherit the throne as descendants of Emperor Xiaozhang, and therefore naturally had to legitimize Consort Shen.

Even Liu Kai was posthumously honored as Emperor Xiaomu, which made the Shen family of Yingchuan even more prominent, and naturally, they became even more arrogant and domineering.

The throne has now passed to Liu Bian, but it is undeniable that he also carries some blood from the Shen clan of Yingchuan.

Although Yin Xiu did not know how the emperor would deal with Shen Shi, he knew that it would put the emperor in a difficult position no matter what, so he decided to take the blame himself.

To everyone's surprise, Shen not only failed to appreciate the gesture, but also made outrageous remarks, claiming to be a relative of Emperor Huan, the retired emperor, and the current emperor. She not only refused to pay the back taxes, but also ordered her servants to beat the county officials and tax collectors sent by Yin Xiu with wooden sticks.

Just then, Xu Fu and his friend Shi Tao were traveling with their swords when they passed by this place. They saw this group of servants beating the county officials and tax collectors until they were bleeding from their heads and even when they were almost out of breath, but they still did not stop.

Xu Fu and Shi Tao stepped forward to stop them, but were instead surrounded and beaten by the servants.

But the two were not angry; on the contrary, they were pleased.

Hey, here comes the opportunity to be a chivalrous hero and legally kill someone, isn't it?

If you don't take what Heaven offers, you will suffer the consequences!
Fuck him!

Xu Fu and Shi Tao joined forces and killed eighteen servants, only suffering minor injuries from being hit a few times.

This matter alarmed the prefectural governor's office!

However, the Shen family of Yingchuan did not believe they would be punished. Instead, they demanded that Yin Xiu severely punish Xu Fu and Shi Tao for murder, and even planned to secretly kill Xu Fu's mother and Shi Tao's family.

But before they could make a move, a "mad dog" came running after smelling the scent!

Guo Tu was originally from Yangdi in Yingchuan County, so he would naturally pay special attention to strange and unusual events in his hometown.

Upon hearing of such a heinous crime, he was naturally furious and came personally to investigate the facts.

Yin Xiu was Guo Tu's former superior, but Guo Tu did not give Yin Xiu any kind look. Instead, he directly submitted a memorial to the emperor, requesting that Guo Tu, in his capacity as the Chief Justice of the Court of Justice, handle the case beyond his rank.

Liu Bian was furious after reading the memorial. Although he had not yet implemented the land survey, the Shen family of Yingchuan dared to openly beat up the county officials and tax officials, and even dared to do evil under the banner of the emperor's relatives.
He immediately granted Guo Tu's request and bestowed upon Guo Tu the authority to execute officials below the rank of two thousand shi without prior approval. He also ordered Xun Fei, the Flying Cavalry Commandant, Cai Mao, the Assistant Commandant, and Fu De, the Commandant of the Crossbows, to each lead two thousand soldiers of the Wuwei Battalion to Yingchuan, all of whom would be under Guo Tu's command and control.

Liu Bian's intention was very clear: since you, Shen, keep claiming to be my maternal relatives, then I will let the real maternal relatives deal with you!
After arriving in Yingchuan County, Guo Tu refused all the visiting cards and invitations from officials and powerful families in Yingchuan County, and ordered Cai Mao, the military officer in charge of the army, to surround the residence of the Shen family in Yingchuan.

Cai Mao was also amused. Anyone could claim to be a relative of the emperor now. When faced with the members of the Shen clan of Yingchuan who blocked the gate and violently resisted arrest, he personally took to the field in heavy armor, wielding a ring-pommel sword and killing more than ten people. He then ordered his guards to arrest all the criminals.

Guo Tu then ordered that all the criminals, including the Shen family from Yingchuan, be publicly tried in an open area outside the city gate of Yangdi.

First, there is the crime of the Shin clan of Yingchuan concealing the crimes of Taguchi.

The Second Year Laws and Ordinances - Household Laws states: "Those who are not registered as households but own land and houses, and whose land and houses are registered under other people's names, shall be ordered to serve as soldiers on the border for two years, and their land and houses shall be confiscated by the county government."

This means that if the ownership of land and houses is not declared in the official household registration system, then all members of the Shen clan in Yingchuan involved in the case will be demoted to soldiers and sent to the border for two years, and all illegally held land and houses will be confiscated by the government.

Secondly, there was the incident of the Shen family of Yingchuan beating up county officials and tax collectors.

This is an extremely egregious act, escalating from "tax evasion" to "violent resistance to taxes" and "attacks on officials."

Tax evasion and assaulting officials are not usually punished severely.

Even if it was a beating of an official, according to the "Second Year Laws and Ordinances - Law on Thieves", "Anyone who beats or insults a county official shall be fined four taels of silver", which was something that could be resolved with money.

But violent resistance to taxes is tantamount to treason!
This is no longer an ordinary aristocratic family; we must take decisive action!

Otherwise, why would the emperor have dispatched the Wuwei Camp to Yingchuan County?
Not to mention the numerous past crimes committed by the Shen family of Yingchuan, which were exposed one by one after their downfall. Guo Tu did not participate in the subsequent accusations and appeals.

After all, it made no difference to him; he was just a dying man destined to be exterminated by his clan.

What difference is there between being sentenced to beheading once and being sentenced to beheading ten times?

If it weren't for the involvement of Emperor Xiaohuan, the retired emperor, and the current emperor, Guo Tu would have been sentenced not only to the extermination of his entire clan, but to the extermination of nine generations or even the extermination of three generations.

Since he was already here, and hadn't had a chance to fully enjoy dealing with the Shen family of Yingchuan, Guo Tu had no intention of leaving easily.

Many prominent families in Yingchuan eagerly reported the Shen family of Yingchuan, leading to the execution of the entire Shen family. However, unbeknownst to them, before their execution, these individuals confessed to all the crimes committed by other prominent families they knew of, and even provided substantial evidence.

Guo Tu was very happy to watch this dog-eat-dog drama, and even ate two extra bowls of rice for dinner because of it.

As for whether the emperor would allow him to carry out large-scale criminal punishments in Yingchuan?

As long as the evidence is conclusive, he will arrest even members of the Xun family of Yingchuan.

Otherwise, why would the emperor send 6,000 guards to the small Yingchuan County?

Is it really just to show a small-time member of the Shen family in Yingchuan what it means to be a maternal relative?
Fortunately, the Xun family of Yingchuan generally abided by the law, and only a few collateral relatives went into hiding in Tiankou, but they did not obstruct Guo Tu from enforcing the law.

As for Xu Fu and Shi Tao, who killed eighteen evil slaves, they were naturally declared innocent and even rewarded.

Killing someone by force in order to save the life of an official and protect one's own life constitutes "killing on sight," which is to say, killing someone in accordance with the law.

"Ge Sha" was usually a specific legal term used in the Han Dynasty for officials killing people in accordance with the law. However, in the Later Han Dynasty, both killing in self-defense and killing to prevent the infringement of another person's life were called "Ge Sha".

Thus, the names of Xu Fu and Shi Tao fortunately came into the sights of Liu Bian and Lu Zhi.

Lu Zhi's gaze toward Xu Fu was filled with admiration, and a slight stirring of regret for his talent arose in his heart.

This subcategory belongs to me!
“Yuanzhi is still young, and it is not appropriate for me to hastily grant him official rank and title. How about I bestow upon you a teacher?” Liu Bian naturally noticed Lu Zhi’s ardent gaze, and with a smile pointed at Lu Zhi, he said, “Yuanzhi, would you be willing to become Lu’s disciple?”

Xu Fu was taken aback upon hearing this. If he said he was unwilling, that would certainly be a lie.

Who could refuse such an opportunity to become a disciple of the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty and a fellow student of the emperor?
But he was also uneasy, worried that if he agreed too readily, he would seem greedy for wealth and glory, and even more afraid that Lu Zhi would look down on him as a reckless man who did not know the classics.

Seeing Xu Fu hesitate, Liu Bian feigned displeasure and said, "What, are you unwilling? Or perhaps you look down on Master Lu?"

Although Xu Fu was exceptionally talented, he was still a young man who had not yet come of age. Intimidated by the emperor, he immediately prostrated himself on the ground and said loudly, "If I could become a disciple of Lord Lu, it would be my greatest fortune. I only fear that I am not well-versed in the classics and would disgrace Lord Lu's reputation."

Lu Zhi lowered his eyes slightly and glanced at Xu Fu.

These words were cleverly worded; the use of "Lord Lu" instead of "Grand Tutor" as a form of address alone was something the impetuous Xu Fu of the past would never have uttered.

Just as the emperor said, a scholar should be viewed with new respect after three days of separation.

However, Lu Zhi was also very interested in Xu Fu. This young man had a similar chivalrous spirit to him when he was young, and his talent was also remarkable. He was just like him when he was young!
Although he has many disciples now, none of them can fully inherit his knowledge.

Although the current emperor is outstanding, he is unlikely to inherit his military strategies.

And Xu Fu... perhaps there is hope?
Lu Zhi raised an eyebrow and, feigning seriousness, scolded, "You brat! You don't perform the apprenticeship ceremony, but instead try to distort the truth, saying that I don't want to accept you as my disciple?"

Xu Fu looked up and met Lu Zhi's solemn expression and the smile in the Emperor's eyes, and immediately understood.

Xu Fu immediately kowtowed heavily to the ground, performing the formal ceremony of becoming Lu Zhi's disciple.

As for the tuition fee, ten strips of dried meat will suffice as a symbolic gift afterwards.

Lu Zhi snorted softly, inwardly very satisfied with Xu Fu's imperfect but exceptionally sincere manners, but on the surface he still maintained the demeanor of a strict teacher, and said solemnly, "Your name is 'Fu,' but this name is too common."

The poem “Su Guan” in the Book of Poetry says: “I hope to see you in white? My heart is grieved. I will return with you.” “Shu” means “fortunately”.

"I will change your name to 'Xu Shu'. Are you willing?"

Xu Fu naturally couldn't refuse, as the right to change one's name has always been reserved for the individual and their parents.

Ordinary teachers do not have the authority to change the name of their students.

Lu Zhi's offer to change his name showed that he regarded him as a son or nephew, which meant that he wanted to take him as a personal disciple. So he knelt down again and thanked him, saying, "I thank you, Master, for the kindness of giving me this name."

Liu Bian looked at Xu Shu and couldn't help but chuckle.

History is ultimately created by people.

He didn't know why Xu Fu changed his name in history, but it couldn't possibly be because of Lu Zhi. However, this was definitely a good thing for Xu Shu.

With Lu Zhi as his teacher, Xu Shu's future will surely be smooth sailing.

However, Lu Zhi, who doesn't even spoil children, naturally wouldn't let his disciples off the hook. Xu Shu will likely have to endure all sorts of trials personally inflicted by Lu Zhi in the future.

Liu Bian suddenly hesitated, wondering whether he should still promote Yin Xiu, the governor of Yingchuan.

Based on seniority, Yin Xiu is more than qualified.

However, in terms of performance, he always fell short in the year-end evaluation of the clerks, precisely because his performance score was lower than others in the overall score, thus losing the opportunity for promotion.

Liu Bian originally intended to help him, but now he suddenly felt that Yin Xiu seemed to be somewhat "strange".

Over the years, Yin Xiu has recommended many talented scholars from Yingchuan to serve in the imperial court.

Even setting aside the sons of prominent families like the Xun, Zhong, Zhao, Du, and Ren clans of Yingchuan, there were still many talented individuals from humble backgrounds. There were also scholars from humble origins who were recommended, either by chance or by their own initiative, such as Xi Zhicai, Zao Zhi, Shi Tao, and Xu Fu in the present moment.

Xi Zhicai, who was thirty years old, came from a poor family, but his surname Xi originated from Fuxi.

The surname "Xi" originated from the descendants of Fuxi, also known as Fuxi. (Note 1)

However, by the time of Xi Zhicai's generation, the family had already declined, with no one serving in official positions for several generations, and even the transmission of classical studies had been cut off.

Xi Zhicai's father died early and was unable to pass on his knowledge of the classics and their interpretations. However, his family's military books contained detailed annotations. Therefore, although Xi Zhicai was not well-versed in the classics, he was well-versed in military books. However, his lack of knowledge in the classics made it difficult for him to enter officialdom.

Thanks to Yin Xiu's chance encounter with him, he recommended him to the court. Liu Bian ordered Huangfu Song to examine him and then assigned him to General Jia Cong, who was about to head south. He eventually entered the General's office as a military advisor.

Twenty-two-year-old Zao Zhi came from a relatively better background. Her family was a once-powerful clan that had fallen on hard times, so at least they didn't have to worry about basic necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt. However, even Zao Zhi had to work in the fields during the busy farming season.

According to Zao Zhi, his ancestors were originally surnamed Ji, and their ancestral home was Lin Sui County in Pei State, which was once the fiefdom of Qu Yuan, Ji Yi. Because his ancestors offended someone, they changed their surname to Zao in order to avoid disaster and moved to Yangdi in Yingchuan County.

Zao Zhi was well-versed in agronomy and also skilled in mathematics. He was noticed by Zhang Hong, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, and appointed as the Vice Minister of Agriculture with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain), responsible for the processing and preservation of statistical documents of the Grand Minister of Agriculture. He was also favored and valued by Cao Song, the Grand Minister of Agriculture.

Perhaps there really is such a thing as "luck" in this world. In the middle of the year, Wang Yun, the governor of Yuzhou, will be transferred to the court. Liu Bian couldn't help but wonder if Yin Xiu could discover more talented people for him if he became the governor of Yuzhou.

(5049 words)
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Note 1: The Records of Wei states: This branch (the Fuxi clan) had Xi Zhicai, a native of Yingchuan.

(End of this chapter)