In fact, many people in Xu County have the surname Xu.
Otherwise, at the earliest, this place would not have been directly called "Xu".
But despite so many Xu family, just like the largest feudal dynasty, it will inevitably decline, and no matter how big the aristocratic family, it will inevitably fall. After the Xu family grew up, people's hearts naturally dispersed. Although their surnames are all Xu, they were indeed a family five hundred years ago, but now they still have their own families.
During this period, there may have been some famous Xu characters, but they were unable to regroup the already dispersed Xu family. Of course, this cannot be said to be a bad thing.
The Yuan family was not very gathered well, and the family was powerful, but what happened later?
Xu Ju lowered his head slightly and walked forward like most ordinary people in Xu County. He was familiar with this place. After all, he had been here a lot before following Xu Chu to Guanzhong. So when he was walking in Xu County, like most local people, he did not hesitate at all when turning at the alleys and streets. He just raised his legs and left, not like someone who had left Xu County for a period of time.
After leaving Wang Chang's queue, Xu Ju wanted to find Xu Ping.
Xu Ping is Xu Xiang's follower. Strictly speaking, it is not because he has any blood relationship with Xu Xiang, but because he was adopted by Xu Xiang.
Xu Qingnian was also a sensible figure, and Sikong and Situ were casually responsible, but in the riots after He Jin was killed in Luoyang, Xu Xiang didn't know whether it was because he was completely implicated by innocent people or because there was a conflict of interest in it. Anyway, the whole family was killed in the chaos.
Later, Xu Xiang's youngest son and father in his hometown also passed away one after another, and no one inherited the family business. The elders of the Xu clan summoned an elder and found someone in the clan to adopt him under Xu Xiang's name. It was considered that someone could burn some paper money during the New Year and Festival...
But the family business that Xu Xiang has accumulated is naturally a cost of "adoption". There is only one old house, and ten acres of thin land are considered a place to support the family and shelter from the wind and rain.
After passing through a narrow alley, when you reach the entrance of the alley, you will reach Xu Xiang’s old house.
This is a simple small courtyard built with blue bricks and gray tiles, which is not large in size. The door of the courtyard door seems to be old over the years, with folds appearing one by one, and most of the copper nails and iron bars seem to have been rusted, just like the wind will fall off the door with a bang.
There are many tiles on the courtyard wall that were broken and not repaired in time, causing yellow mud and moss to intersect, and some traces of residual rain erosion.
Xu Ji stretched out his head and looked inside from the gap.
There were two trees in the yard, and the leaves began to fall, making it seem that yellow leaves were everywhere in the yard. The dustpan and a bald broom stood on the side of the door, and obviously no one was using it.
The door was half open and half closed, and the cloth curtains hanging on the door could no longer tell what the original pattern was, but it was gray and black.
"Is Brother Ping here?" Xu Ju shouted inward at the gap in the wall.
"Not here!" Some dull sound seemed to be heard in the room, "Go out! Not back!"
"Oh, Brother Ping, I'm not here to ask for the account!" Xu Ji recognized Xu Ping's voice and laughed, "I also brought some wine and food, open the door quickly!"
After a while, the curtain was lifted and a person walked out.
This man was dressed casually, with his belt not tied tightly, so the collar was very loose, revealing a little black hair on his chest, a tough look on his face, a scar on his cheeks, and his hair and beard were a little scattered, and it seemed that he had never taken care of it.
"Brother Ping, it's me!" Xu Ju raised the oil paper bag on his hand, "This! The braised pork from the old Guan family!"
Xu Ping seemed to recognize Xu Jilai, and his eyes flashed, "Ha, it must be paired with the wine from the old Zhang family to taste enough!"
"Of course!" Xu Ji smiled and raised the wine gourd in his other hand.
Xu Ping walked out, opened the yard gate, then seemed to habitually stretched his head and looked around the yard gate, then closed the yard gate with a slam, and then led Xu Ju into the house.
The situation inside the house is different from the situation in the courtyard, and it seems to be two different worlds. In the house, all kinds of utensils are neatly arranged, the tables and shelves are spotless, which is in sharp contrast to the messy situation in the courtyard.
"Brother Ping, are you okay?" Xu Ju asked with a smile while putting down the wine and meat.
In fact, if Xu Ping ignores the scar flower, it is quite solid and heavy like his word "zhengfang". After seeing Xu Ju, Xu Ping also laughed, but behind the smile, there seemed to be some interesting things, "I heard that brother, you... have you been appreciated by noble people and have become rich and prosperous? Why, what's the matter today to ask me to do?"
『Haha, Brother Ping was joking…』 Xu Ji smiled, 『I'm just here to meet old friends today, nothing else!』
Xu Ping tskated, "Who doesn't know who, you had a lot of ideas back then... Forget it, if you don't say it, I'm too lazy to ask... Wait, I'll go get the dishes and chopsticks..."
Xu Ping saw that Xu Ji was lying. Xu Ji came to him today, not for simple food and drink, at least not all. Xu Ping knew that Xu Chu and others had moved to Guanzhong, and even more detailed than ordinary officials knew. After all, it was a big event for Xu Ping and others back then.
Pour wine.
drink wine.
Xu Ping also brought out some pickled cucumbers from his home before, which can be regarded as multiple serving dishes.
"The wine from Lao Zhang's family is still authentic!" Xu Ping drank a small bowl of wine and sighed half-truely, "If this is mixed with too much water, it will be fake... Are you right?"
Xu Ju showed a look of regret and wronged expression, "Brother Ping, you said that... Then I really shouldn't have come!"
"Does it be here? Haven't it all come?" Xu Ping smiled and said, "After saying that, what's the matter? It's better to drink and feel more at ease!"
Xu Ju was silent for a moment, "Okay, let me be honest... I just wanted to pick up some people... Xu's family, Brother Ping, you know, some of our families are still close to Yingchuan..."
"That's it?" Xu Ping smiled.
Xu Ji nodded.
"Oh, you're still the same..." Xu Ping laughed, "It looks honest, but it's actually not honest at all. Is this the truth? Do you think I'm a fool or a fool?"
"Haha, Brother Ping is still good," Xu Ji did not expose it in person, "Actually, I also wanted to ask Brother Ping if he was interested, go to the west together... to share wealth?"
"West?" Xu Ping frowned slightly, "What are you doing in the west? Join the army? If I really want to join the army, I still have to wait until now?"
Xu Ji's eyes flashed over Xu Ping's face, and then looked at a corner of the house. On the shelf there, there were many books, either hand-written or booked.
What is completely different from his appearance is that Xu Ping does not like to dance with guns and sticks. Although he looks rough, his dream is not to go to the battlefield to kill enemies. This is not a strange thing, after all, everyone has their own ambitions.
"What Brother Ping'er thinks is that I don't care about my brother?" Xu Ji said with a smile, "Where you don't look at your wealth, your source, or your appearance, just one thing, your talent! Everything is an exam, you can speak with your talent, and you can become an official if you pass the exam!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Ping couldn't help but raise his hand and touch his face.
There was a scar on his face.
Not deep, but not shallow.
Stay on the face, but also in the heart.
"Don't look at the appearance?" Xu Ping asked, "Don't look at the appearance?"
"Brother Ping... If you really want to discuss appearance..." Xu Ji leaned closer and whispered, "Isn't this... In the Shangshu Deck, who, if you have any appearance, do you say... Haha, right? How about it, 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 seemed to be a warrior on the outside, but in fact he had never received any military or military training since he was a child. It was completely different from Xu Chu. If he really did, he might not be able to beat Xu Ju.
This is like there are many fat fat men with burly figures in later generations, and their strength is not small, but when they really come to fighters, they are like dough, just like dough. In terms of martial arts, they also require skills, and long-term hard practice.
And if a person like Xu Ping who only has some physical capital really joins the army, he will probably be an ordinary soldier, and then fight on the front line of the battlefield, eventually stops at the military academy, or dies on the battlefield before he can make a breakthrough.
What's more, in Shandong, those who control the top leaders of the army are either Cao or Xiahou. So what's the day to make a comeback?
In Shandong, Xu Ping was blocked by this scar on his face when he wanted to follow the path of a civil servant.
Simply put, it is misbehaving.
This is like having tattoos in later generations. As an individual, of course, he has the right to tattoo, and there is no problem with this. After all, it is no longer the era of criminals in feudal dynasties, tattoos representing criminals, but don’t forget that others naturally have the right to not be admitted.
Xu Ji saw Xu Ping's face change, and didn't say much, so he lowered his head and slowly drank with a wine bowl.
Saying more at this time is just a mistake.
Although Xu Ping never said how the scar on his face came from, it definitely didn't fall from the sky! If we speculate based on what Xu knew, the scar on Xu Ping's face might not be so "for no reason"...
Xu Ping inherited Xu Xiang's incense. Xu Xiang had served as Sikong before and also served as Situ. Although he was not as good as the three masters of the Yuan family, and his disciples and former officials all over the world, he was a senior official after all. How could he be the only one broken courtyard left in his family property and ten acres of thin land?
So, where are the properties that once belonged to Xu Xiang now?
There are many ways to eat the most powerful family. Bullying orphans and widows is the worst, and killing people all over the family and then swallowing the family property is the cruelest. And like Xu Xiang, who is not only praised but also gains real benefits, is the real good method.
Xu Ping was adopted by Xu Xiang, who was nominally the heir of Xu Xiang's family business. So what if Xu Ping became prosperous one day and turned over with Xu Xiang's remaining name? Should he vomit what he had eaten? Or should he double it and double it?
Instead of worrying in anxiety, it would be better to cut off all the paths of Xu Ping's promotion!
Immediately, everyone is well.
Xu Xiang has the incense of the four seasons, and Xu Ping has a place to settle down and can enjoy it. Everyone has real income and can enjoy it. As for whether Xu Ping's descendants will change in the future, it all belongs to the next generation, or the next generation.
At least Xu Ping, who has a scar, never thinks how high he can walk again!
But the question is, is Xu Ping willing?
If Xu Ping originally wanted to live a stable life, then why should he become someone else's heir? It's not that a three-year-old child doesn't know anything, what an adult says is what...
After a while, Xu Ping raised his wine bowl and invited him to drink as if he had heard nothing.
Xu Ji didn't continue to say anything, and just drank. Then the two of them talked about some family matters, chatted and drank, and finally finished the meal. Then it got late, and Xu Ji stayed in Xu Ping's house and slept soundly, but Xu Ping couldn't sleep anymore.
It wasn't for Xu Ji's snoring, well, maybe there were some, but more of it was Xu Ping's own indifference. He once thought he had no hope, but suddenly some light appeared in front of him, and he felt a little worried about gains and losses.
After dawn, the two stood up one after another, washed up, and then cooked the dried rice dumplings.
Early sausage is also very simple.
Finished.
Xu Ping faced this Xu Ju, Zhengrong said: "Brother, what are you here to do? If you don't explain it clearly, how can I trust you?"
Xu Ju was silent for a while, then sighed, "Brother Ping, it's not that I'm intentionally hiding it, but this matter is a bit risky, I don't want to involve my brother..."
"Ha, risk." Xu Ping nodded, "You may encounter risks when going up the mountain to collect firewood... What is there no risk? Tell me."
『This...Okay, I said bluntly," Xu Ji said slowly, 『Actually, was this time to get someone in the prison...』
"Snap people? Who? Oh, I understand, you, no, you want to save Kong Wenju, right?" Xu Ping first thought for a while, then quickly responded, "Don't take the official path... Oh, I understand, right, that's what makes sense! Yes, it's Kong Wenju, right?"
If you are an ordinary person, you probably don’t have to go through so much trouble. And from a certain perspective, Kong Rong is indeed the only one who is in Xu County, who is worth Xu Ji in prison and the person represented by Xu Ji to catch people.
Just like most infuriating events, it is inevitable that people will forget them as time goes by. Kong Rong's incident was indeed indignant at the beginning, and there were a lot of discussions on the streets and alleys. However, as Kong Rong's detention extended, not only did the people outside the prison gradually decrease, but even the topics discussed in the market on weekdays became other things.
In other words, it is "reduced hot searches".
When Cao Cao killed Bian Ran for the first time, he didn't have much experience. Now he didn't know if he understood a lot, summed up his experience, or was there any other reason. Anyway, there are indeed much less people talking about Kong Rong in the market, and even Xu Ping and others received less extra rewards...
That's right, those who shouted Kong Rong loudly outside the Xu County Prison, "The unparalleled benevolence and righteousness, a role model in the world" were basically not the serious gentry children, but the "superman" invited by these gentry children. Xu Ping took several orders, went outside the prison every day to shout, and then received some money.
Perhaps this is also the reason that Xu Ping quickly thought of Kong Rong.
Xu Ju coughed, "Brother is indeed smart and keen... But it's not Kong Wenju, well, it's mainly Kong Wenju himself who doesn't want to... Besides, Kong Wenju's affairs are so big, so there must be soldiers guarding him. If my brother and others are asked to do this, wouldn't it be... So, this time, we are just saving Kong Wenju's son. If Kong Wenju really dies one day, he will not have cut off the inheritance incense..."
"Inheritance Incense..." Xu Ji murmured and repeated these two words, and then sighed, "It's rare, rare... In this Shandong, no one cares about Kong Wenju's inheritance Incense... But you... accomplished this matter! I took this job! I have no money, take it out first, so I can greet some people."
"Did your brother have any worries?" Xu Ji asked, and did not take the money directly.
Xu Ping stared at Xu Ji and couldn't help but smile and said, "Why, are you still afraid that I will cheat you of money? This is not as difficult as you imagined! Kong Wenju is indeed difficult to save, but is Kong Wenju's son... not difficult! It's hard for ordinary people to enter this Xu County prison, but it's easy for some people to enter...
Xu Ju frowned and thought for a moment, "Oh? Could it be that my brother knows the prison guards in the Xu County prison?"
Xu Ping reached out and pointed Xu Ji, but did not answer directly, but said, "Now, there are more children who can't live outside the city. Find someone who is about the same age as you want, spend some money, and then you can change it... it won't cost anything at all! This is a traditional craft work! Those prisoners often do this job, and Qiu Zhan can find scapegoats, let alone two children?"
『This is true…』 Xu Ji nodded and said, 『But... Kong Wenju's matter is probably not waiting for Qiu Zhan, and he may not even be executed publicly... Do you know what I mean?"
Xu Ping was stunned for a moment, then nodded silently.
Generally speaking, most prisoners are executed after the autumn, but the problem is that Kong Rong is not an ordinary person. It is very likely that he died silently in prison at some point, and then claimed to the public that Kong Rong hid and hit the wall, or died of drinking boiled water...
This is also normal.
Chapter completed!