Chapter 4: The Fifth Principle of Sharing Pears

After this, the servant appropriately entered the hall to present the meat dishes. The atmosphere among the Chinese at the dining table often becomes relaxed and warm, dissipating the earlier tension.

He spoke of an incident involving the Fifth Lun

Reading more books is indeed useful. The Eighth Old Man has always been cunning, yet today he can only force a smile in response. His expression while drinking is akin to that of drinking urine, quite refreshing

Liu Gong dispelled his doubts about Di Wu Lun: "It seems that Di Wu Lun is truly of good nature, humble and modest. His dedication to learning is by no means an isolated case; it was I who misjudged him."

"Speak up then," said the Eighth, laughing. "What does the Fifth want?"

The Guixing clan gave rise to surnames such as Chen and Tian. Among the Tian clan of the State of Qi, the branch of Tian Guang migrated, which further produced the surnames of the Fifth and Eighth. Although the eight families have diverged into five branches, they still acknowledge each other as relatives of the same ancestry

Fifth Lun usually kept his plans hidden in his heart, but now, half-drunk, he revealed a hint of his small pride, laughing and saying: "Great Father, if in the coming years the world truly descends into chaos, can our clan alone, a single community, survive in such turbulent times?"

However, accustomed to the bright electric lights of later generations, the fifth Lun still feels that this room is too dark

Upon hearing Liu Gong's question, Huan Tan spat out a fishbone and began to speak of an unrelated matter

The two drank together, and in the end, they revealed the bottoms of their empty cups, bursting into hearty laughter

Fifth Lun sighed, saying: "I have heard a ballad in the county town, 'One foot of cloth can still be sewn, one dou of millet can still be threshed, yet the two brothers cannot coexist.' This time, in the competition for the quota at the academy, I do not know how many people are watching the joke of our two families!"

Fifth Ba squinted his eyes and said: "You old man have not changed at all, speak plainly, do not beat around the bush"

In those early years, while serving my mother and my widowed sister-in-law, I also took care of my elder brother's orphaned child and attended to my uncles with great diligence. At the sickbed of my uncle, the Marquis of Yangping, Jingcheng (Wang Feng), I personally administered medicine, with disheveled hair and a dirty face, not changing my clothes for several months, earning the praise of the world

In the fifth neighborhood of Linqu Township, there is a large pear orchard, and every year when the pears ripen, the clan members are invited to gather and share a meal.

Moreover, it can also provide an explanation to the fifth family, eliminating the need to return the bribe to them

Liu Gong did not take his words seriously, only thinking to himself: "The story of the fifth brother sharing the pear is quite interesting. I might as well write this down and present it to my uncle when I return to Chang'an; perhaps he will include it in the 'Miscellaneous Notes'"

After the banquet concluded, Xianyu Bao felt more at ease.

A fence requires three posts, therefore, my family needs assistance

Xianyu Baoling, with a flash of inspiration, decided to report the matter of the fifth Lun yielding the pear and yielding the study to the prefecture.

Fifth Lun reached out to grasp them, as if intending to hold them in his hand and condense them into a single mass

If this can be achieved, once there is a change in the world, I only need to raise my arm and call out, and the clans within ten miles and the three thousand strong men will gather in response!

What does this have to do with today's events? Your Majesty is a sage who appeared five hundred years after Confucius, while the Fifth Lun is merely a country bumpkin; how can they be compared?

Fifth Lun articulated his goal: "Great Father, I aim to establish a renowned reputation and become the universally recognized leader of all clans."

Xianyu Bao firmly asserted: "The Fifth and Eighth clans are not as amicable and harmonious as the Fifth Lun claims; rather, there have been numerous grievances between them. A subordinate once witnessed the heads of the Fifth and Eighth clans encounter each other on a bridge, and neither was willing to yield, resulting in a stalemate that lasted for half an hour. The two families have not been in contact for a long time, making any collusion between them even more improbable"

There happens to be a position in a county that can be decided upon, which is suitable for a person of filial piety and brotherly love like Fifth Lun

Liu Gong regretted provoking Huan Tan and only asked the county magistrate Xianyu Bao: "The fifth and eighth families are relatives; is it possible that they colluded to have Wu Lun relinquish his quota to gain fame, while the eighth family could then enter the Taixue?"

Xianyu Baodao: "I dare to inform the two gentlemen that, in fact, Di Wulun has long been renowned in the countryside for his friendship and brotherly love, especially since he fell seriously ill a month ago, he has become even more so."

What is the reason for that

Be quiet

... ...

... ...

Oh? Liu Gong was taken aback; things have become complicated now. Is Di Wu Lun repaying grievances with virtue?

With a face full of youthful indignation, the eighth son of the Jiao family felt deeply ashamed. He had left a bit of stubble on his face in an attempt to appear more mature, yet his temperament was still impulsive. Provoked by the fifth son of the Ba family, he immediately flushed with anger and stood up to argue, only to be restrained by his father.

Upon seeing an old rival at the door, the Fifth Overlord spoke with irritation: "The meat in my pot has just finished cooking, Eighth, are you perhaps here to scrounge a meal?"

I am afraid it is just like me, too lazy to bother with the tedious study of textual interpretation and grammar. Huan Tan laughed heartily

Today was a wasted trip, the eighth still owes the fifth a favor, and it remains unpaid! In the future, we will have to cooperate with the fifth family to perform this play of brotherly harmony!

Nowadays, the fifth clan has relinquished its quota; logically speaking, the funds and silk that the fifth clan provided to me should be returned.

The Eighth Jiao was truly intoxicated. He had studied Confucian classics for many years, and the moral principles of Confucianism were deeply ingrained in his blood. Today, a few words from Fifth Lun genuinely made him see things in a new light. While he admired him, the slight feeling of discontent also vanished. He let out a belch and said to his father: "Sir, Fifth Lun is indeed truly filial and respectful. I had wronged him before."

The central hall of the Fifth Clan Courtyard is the largest building in the courtyard. Sturdy columns support the structure, and there are windows on all four sides of the hall, making it very bright during the day. After nightfall, two rows of bronze lampstands are placed against the walls and lit in succession.

On the main seat of the eastern table sat the arrogant Fifth Overlord, with a wooden stand behind him that held a longsword, which was the very sword he practiced with every morning

The term "surname" refers to the ancient surnames such as Ji, Jiang, and Mi that existed before the Spring and Autumn period, representing the original sources, akin to different trees within a forest. As populations proliferated and migrated, surnames grew like trees, beginning to branch out, which is what is referred to as "clan".

The eighth straight-faced individual smiled and clarified the intention of their visit: "Today, we have come here to express our gratitude regarding the matter of Lord Yu relinquishing his quota at the Imperial Academy for my son. As the poem states, 'Throw a peach to me, I return it with a plum.' We ought to come and convey our thanks.

The fifth Lunhua speaks so confidently; if they continue to cling to those minor grievances, they are truly unable to recognize what is good or bad... The eighth can only respond with a smile, and the ultimate outcome is...

Regardless of whether the Eighth Clan is willing or not, this favor has already been owed

When Di Wu Lun eats pears, he always takes the smaller ones. Although the small pears are clearly more sour, when someone asked him why he does this, Di Wu Lun replied: "After studying the Classic of Filial Piety, I understood the principles of filial piety and brotherly respect. As I am the youngest in my family, I should let my elder cousin take the larger ones, while I take the smaller ones"

The Former Han Dynasty governed the world through filial piety, and the posthumous titles of emperors were prefixed with the character for filial piety. Fraternity is derived from filial piety; as stated in the "Classic of Filial Piety," teaching the people to be respectful and harmonious is best exemplified by fraternity, which advocates for mutual affection among brothers and a proper order of seniority and juniority.

However, since he has already received those items and money, there is no reason to return them. What should be done in this case

The Eighth Grand Minister

If this matter is not handled properly, it would be a case of repaying kindness with resentment, and the reputation in the county would be greatly damaged. This is far more costly than reluctantly giving up an acre of land or a few mu of residential property.

Who among the two will attend the Taixue? Is it based on their scholarly knowledge and expertise? It is not; rather, it is a struggle between the two families behind the scenes. They will have to wait until the larger scholarly families in this county have no suitable candidates of age to study before it is their turn. However, the fifth family clearly won a spot by offering more money, yet suddenly relinquished it, which took everyone by surprise

He only thought that the fifth family wanted to use this quota to make a deal with his family

Finally, Lord Wu spoke up. He raised the lacquer jug presented by the maid and poured three cups of wine into the exquisitely crafted black and red lacquer ear cups. His household was modestly affluent, with limited financial resources, thus they had always maintained simplicity. On ordinary days, they used earthenware for their own consumption, reserving the lacquerware for entertaining guests.

"That area in Qunan is a good piece of land"

Of course

The maturity of the Fifth Lun's words far exceeded his age. Not only did the Eighth Zhi father and son listen in astonishment, but even the Fifth Ba was taken aback. After a long while, he slowly said: "I am ashamed; we have lived for so many years, yet we are not as open-minded as this young child."

In the nightfall of Linqu Township, each village occupies a corner, with flickering lights resembling scattered stars in the dark sky

After taking a sip of wine, Huan Tan spoke: "Although I have only exchanged a few words with this young man, in my opinion, the reason he seeks knowledge may not solely be due to filial piety..."

Absolutely impossible

On the other hand, the county magistrate Xianyu Bao secretly felt a sense of anxiety for Di Wulun

Unlike the veteran leader of the Fifth faction who follows the military official route, the Eighth faction leader, in his youth, attended lectures at the Taixue and always speaks with a hint of scholarly subtlety. Today, he comes not to provoke but merely lowers his head and says: "Speaking of which, I indeed haven't had the food of the Fifth family for decades."

Eighth urgency: "Father, I can go to this academy next year, why must I..."

In the spacious center, two rows of low lacquer tables are arranged, behind which are the seating couches. This is the place where the fifth clan convenes the main decision-makers of the clan for important matters, as well as a place for receiving guests. The patriarch of the eighth clan and his young son, who arrived late at night, are kneeling and seated in the guest position on the west side

Is it still a small house in the county town

... ...

Wang Mang himself is a typical example of gaining reputation and rising to power through the persona of filial piety and brotherly love. Huan Tan implied in his words: "At that time, were there not people like Bo Shi who doubted the Emperor's pure intentions, suggesting that the display of filial piety and brotherly love was merely a means to seek fame and profit?"

Lun'er, the reason you want to learn is probably not just to settle the grievances between the Fifth and Eighth families, is it

Hahaha. The Fifth Overlord, feeling somewhat pleased, said: "My Lun'er is naturally intelligent, and in the official academy, he easily ranks first with distinction in any examination. He is still young and has plenty of opportunities. Considering that your family's young man is nearly twenty and has repeatedly failed in his attempts, if he doesn't go now, he will be getting old. After all, we are cousins, so I softened my heart and gave him the chance!"

In just one afternoon, the remarkable achievements of the fifth Lun have already spread throughout Changling County

The eighth straight reprimanded him, feeling somewhat disappointed in his son, as the lad still had not grasped the current situation. Look at Fifth Lun, who has remained silent with a smile, demonstrating such composure, and he is three years younger than you.

However, the Fifth Dominator remained unmoved, looking at the Eighth with a smile, clearly conveying the sentiment: "I want nothing at all, only your family to benefit from the Fifth Clan's favor"

Fifth Lun Dao: "The Fifth and Eighth are brothers of the same clan, connected by blood, and are also close neighbors, with no disputes over land or water between them. I have also heard that in the past, the Eighth clan elder had a very good relationship with my grandfather, but later they fell out due to misunderstandings"

After the new dynasty, following the Han, since he ascended to the throne by usurping the position of a minister, even with the mythical narrative of the Red Emperor's abdication, Wang Mang could not overly emphasize loyalty without contradicting himself, thus he continued to promote filial piety and brotherly love

Or should I recommend you to the county to be one of the three elders of the township

The Eighth Brother also raised his cup and said with a sense of shame, "Indeed, my esteemed brother has a good grandson."

The reason he spoke on behalf of the Fifth family was, firstly, because Xianyu Bao's father had once been a colleague of Fifth Ba and their relationship was quite good. Moreover, in order to assist Fifth Lun in gaining admission to the Imperial Academy, the old man had also provided him with numerous benefits

In their youth, the two had a good relationship, both serving as officials in the countryside; one was a headman, and the other a clerk. However, they later fell out, and as for the reason... it was, after all, due to a woman.

Having said that, he raised the wine cup and drank it all in one go

The eighth straight man pretended to be drunk, feeling unconvinced in his heart: "You, young lad, have studied for several years, yet all you understand are benevolence, righteousness, and morality, unaware of the treachery of human hearts. Fifth Lun addresses you as 'Zongxiong' with every word, toasting and flattering you, and you do not even know what your own surname is!"

Therefore, I would rather forgo the opportunity to attend the academy than see the two families fall out. I only hope that the Eighth family and the Fifth family can, through this matter and this cup of wine, laugh away their grievances

After watching the guests' carriage depart, the Fifth Overlord turned around and looked at his grandson with amazement, yet his confusion only grew stronger

In this day and age, what is the most important thing for a commoner? It is not land or slaves. Since the establishment of the New Dynasty's decree prohibiting the consolidation of land and the buying and selling of slaves, these two aspects have almost been locked down, making it difficult to increase them rapidly. The only thing that can be accumulated is reputation

The sword is sheathed, its edge concealed, just like the fifth Lun, who awaits guests with a composed demeanor and a smile.

Liu Gong's suspicion of Fifth Lun arises from the fact that in this era, filial piety and brotherly respect are indeed profitable endeavors

Of course, someone will also be sent to place the best pears under a weight of money and silk, to be delivered to the local officials for them to taste. This story was heard by Xianyu Bao from the servant Fifth Fu who delivered the pears.

This story is quite simple, yet it leaves a deep impression. Within just ten days, it spread throughout the county, thanks to the efforts of those who took it to heart

Having spoken, he proactively raised his cup and offered a toast to the eighth person directly

The Fifth Clan shook their heads; they lived in close-knit communities, built fortified courtyards, and were able to guard against petty thieves. However, if what Fifth Lun speculated were true, and the world were to witness a great upheaval akin to the turmoil during the end of the Qin Dynasty and the beginning of the Han Dynasty, then these mere two hundred able-bodied men would be entirely insufficient. A larger band of chaotic soldiers would be enough to annihilate the Fifth Clan.

He rose and presented two cups of wine to the Fifth Overlord and the Eighth, while he himself knelt down in the empty space between the east and west seats, raising his cup and saying: "I have heard that in this world, people are divided into those with different surnames, those with the same surname, those of the same clan, and those of the same family"

The emergence of such exemplary filial piety under his governance is undoubtedly a testament to the effective education and achievements of the county magistrate

The Fifth Tyrant and the Eighth Direct seemed to have restored their past camaraderie, drinking merrily and becoming quite intoxicated. In the midst of their revelry, the two even tapped their chopsticks against the rim of their bowls, singing the songs of their youth.

However, this is not detrimental to my family either

When the night grew late, the small banquet finally came to an end. The Fifth Master, known for his good drinking capacity, personally saw the Eighth Master and his son out. The news of the reconciliation between the two families today will surely spread throughout the entire Linqu Township soon

I do not need him to let me!

The Eighth, pondering in this manner, glanced at his son who was sound asleep in the carriage. He gently removed his outer garment and covered him, sighing, "The Fifth is indeed fortunate to have such a grandson; it is truly an anomaly. When it comes time for the younger generation to take charge, the Eighth family will likely have to rely on the Fifth family for support"