Chapter 10 is canceled

When the fifth Lun entered the village temple, he received the first reminder from the village officials, who certainly regarded him as if he were invisible, hurriedly passing by with their heads down, not even bothering to greet him. The fifth Lun, merely a seventeen-year-old youth, had never encountered such a scene; he could only look around in confusion, and no matter whom he called, no one paid him any attention. In the end, he had no choice but to obediently come to the courtyard where the steward was and bow down.

In simple terms, a family cannot rely solely on hard power; it must also possess soft power, otherwise it is likely to lose its wealth within three generations

The first Liu never expected it to be like this; the county magistrate only informed everyone during the day today, leaving the hometown in the dark.

The differences in economy, land, and population between the fifth, seventh, fourth, and several other families and the first family in this village are not actually significant. However, they have only been regarded as "local gentry" and have never been able to catch up with the first family for over a hundred years, which has its own reasons

... ...

Although the family has declined, its heritage remains intact. Viewing the vital interests of the hometown as a forbidden treasure, only his family possesses the strength of "arbitrary local customs." Naturally, they look down upon the fifth family, which lacks the scholarly background of a prominent lineage.

At this point, the first Liu felt even more dissatisfied, addressing the old country priest San Lao, whose beard was still stained with soup: "To be so lazy on the second day of taking office, this Fifth Filial Piety, what great authority you have!"

The messenger is Jing Dan, the county literary official and the county instructor from Shiting County (Liyang County)

At this moment, everyone exchanged glances, and Liu, in particular, felt extremely awkward

Yesterday, the county sent someone to inform that Wu Dilun has become the new filial piety representative of our township. According to past customs, he will come today to pay a visit to the township's steward and the three elders

The fifth family indeed lacks depth and heritage, posing no cause for concern, no cause for concern

Finally, until the sun was about to set, Fifth Lun did not appear. Instead, the local patrol returning from escorting the thief to the county town to report back brought a major piece of news to First Liu.

Regrettably, after the establishment of the new dynasty, many laws and regulations were altered, which dealt a significant blow to the First Clan, and the First Liu only managed to become a local tax collector

What? Are you saying that Fifth Lun resigned before even taking office... resigned?

However, the one who entered through the door was not the Fifth Lun, but the assistant. He glanced at the marks pressed into the face of the First Liu by the documents, suppressed a laugh, and reported that the meal was ready.

Currently, learning is a body of knowledge passed down through generations. The Eighth Clan, through their efforts, has managed to establish a family tradition of classical studies, following the path of a scholar. Although their academic performance is not particularly impressive and their mentorship is not recognized by the esteemed scholars of classical studies, this remains the choice of the majority of the prominent families in Guanzhong.

The first Liu felt secretly delighted, while the fifth Lun was truly inept at handling people. Such neglect would offend many officials and lead to his isolation by everyone!

... ...

The words of the Seventh Brigade truly resonated within him

The first Liu pondered while tugging at his beard: "The county magistrate has made an exception to promote Wu Lun as a model of filial piety, yet Wu Lun does not appreciate it and has directly resigned. Such rashness puts the county magistrate in a difficult position. It is likely that Xianyu Bao is also quite angry. If someone who has no personal ties or connections were to report Wu's illegal activities to the prefecture, with solid evidence, the county magistrate would probably not come forward to defend him again"

The grand right often erects two pillars on either side of the main gate, with the left one called "Fa" and the right one called "Yue." The term "Fa" signifies the achievements of ancestors in their official careers, while "Yue" refers to the accumulation of days.

As soon as he left, the first Liu, who had been pretending to be engrossed in reading, put down the book, stood up, and began to pace the room with his hands clasped behind his back, deep in thought

When an incident detrimental to education occurs in the village, they directly shift the blame onto Wu Lun, causing him to leave in disgrace and return in shame

After that, the first Liu had some schemes that were hard to express in words to trouble the young man. He would collude with the three elders and assign all the most troublesome neighborhood disputes, which had piled up like mountains in the paperwork, to the newly arrived filial and benevolent one, making him work tirelessly every day without any rest, putting in effort without receiving any gratitude.

The first family is somewhat special; they have inherited the "Da Du Lu" from the Han Dynasty, which was composed by Du Zhou, the Grand Inspector during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. This is how they have been able to repeatedly produce county magistrates and deputy magistrates

Xiang Zuo understood that Xiang Se Fu intended to put the fifth Lun in a difficult position, making him aware of his own status

It is precisely because of this disdain that the First Liu did not heed the instigation of the Seventh Biao, nor was he overly apprehensive of the Fifth clan; he merely felt...

As expected of someone studying law, he is well aware of which regulations can be exploited. After a brief moment of contemplation, Liu devised a cunning plan and summoned his trusted confidant: "Go, invite the head of the Fourth Clan here!"

The steward and the three elders all serve as officials, and upon the appointment of the fifth official, he must come to pay his respects as soon as he dismounts from his carriage

Meanwhile, Xianyu Bao, who was somewhat displeased with the abrupt resignation of the fifth Lun, received an imperial order from the prefecture

Although Fifth Lun was still tired, he would not delay important matters. The ideas were already in his mind, so he picked up a twig and began to sketch a few drafts in the yard for Fifth Ba, as well as for his cousins and craftsmen such as Qiu Gao Nu, with a face full of capitalist demeanor

As the legitimate son of King Tian Guang of Qi, the First Clan often regarded itself as the primary lineage, while other families considered themselves as branches.

The first Liu began his imagination. When the fifth Lun arrived at the village temple wearing a half-communication seal and carrying the pride of having subdued the seventh clan yesterday, he expected that there would be people waiting in line at the entrance to greet him. However, the place was completely empty.

However, on the surface, the First Liu remained unperturbed and simply said: "Since the new filial piety finds our humble village temple too small and is unwilling to lower themselves, then there is nothing we can do. Everyone, it is getting late; apart from the night watchmen, the rest of you may return home."

As someone knocked on the door, the imagination came to an abrupt halt. It turned out that the first Liu had actually fallen asleep on the table. He quickly sat up straight, hurriedly wiped his mouth with his wide sleeves, and after a cough, restored his dignified demeanor: "Come in"

That is, that is. The three elders and Li Tian, along with the various village officials, all expressed their support for the steward.

He has no idea that he just stood up someone who waited for a day in vain

However, by the time the banquet concluded, there was still no trace of the fifth volume of the *Illustrated Book*.

The first Liu merely smiled and did not respond, waving his hand to indicate that the seventh Biao could leave

Since there are several days of leisure after the harvest and the supply of food is ample, we cannot be content with merely renewing the village community

Xiang Zuo was taken aback, but the miser spoke again

Recently, the Fifth Clan has suddenly become high-profile, first reconciling with the Eighth Clan, and then intervening in the dispute over water between the two villages. The Fifth Clan possesses military strength, while the Fifth Lun seeks fame and reputation. Could it be that they truly intend to challenge the First Clan's status within the clan and the community?

The county magistrate of Xianyu, the lady of the county has summoned you for an urgent matter

Xiang Youjiao is a straightforward person who did not grasp the subtlety of everyone's expressions. He laughed and said: "The people of the county praise Di Wulun as 'two concessions and one refusal': first conceding the pear, then conceding learning, and finally refusing an official position. Indeed, he regards fame and fortune as mere dirt."

In contrast, the fifth clan's ancestors held the highest position of a local official, and they were even embarrassed to erect a gate at their doorstep.

The fifth patriarch felt sorry for his grandson; their family was not one that adhered to Confucian classics, and they would not overreact to the act of napping by condemning it as "a decayed wood that cannot be carved," nor did they wake him up

My two brothers and I were disputing water with the Sixth Clan, and even the steward did not say anything, yet the Fifth Clan insisted on intervening

Furthermore, the local officials are inconsistent; if we were to host a banquet for every arrival and departure, it would be excessively extravagant and contrary to the county magistrate's advocacy for simplicity among officials. Such unnecessary social engagements shall be avoided today.

Because wealth alone cannot determine nobility, one must also consider family background and scholarly heritage

Having reconciled with the Eighth Clan previously, and now supporting the Sixth Clan, the Fifth Overlord and his grandson harbor considerable ambition, seeking to compete with the Seer for dominance and to become prominent figures in the village

Only those who have been deeply let down can understand this feeling of being betrayed

After lying down until the afternoon, Fifth Lun finally rubbed his eyes and came to attend the internal meeting of the Fifth family, the topic being the construction of the community after the busy farming season

After preparing to give Di Wu Lun a hard time, Di Yi Liu returned to the table and continued to feign reading the bamboo slips. However, his mind was no longer on those legal statutes and clauses; he was preoccupied with how to embarrass Di Wu Lun later.

Aren't you fond of meddling in others' affairs? Then go ahead and meddle to your heart's content

Jing Danzi Sun Qing, aged around 30, once studied as a student at the Taixue in Chang'an. His appearance is rather ordinary, but his voice leaves a deep impression. Not only does he speak in an extremely standard and refined manner, but his voice is also loud and magnetic

Although everyone uses semi-transparent printing, there are still varying levels of quality, and the first Liu takes advantage of this fact

Of course, Tian Rong and Tian Guang, the kings of Qi during the Chu-Han period, cannot be counted. Starting from the time of the westward migration, the first family produced a county magistrate, two county vice magistrates, and one official of the court. Although this was during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han when their family purchased the grain, the donated official is still an official!

When the first Liu learned that it was already the afternoon (15:00 - 17:00), he was quite surprised. Upon further inquiry, he found that the fifth Lun had not yet reported in!

Your two brothers are indeed foolish, although the seventh and sixth have already been out of the family for five generations, they can still be considered as part of the same clan. Being accused of brotherly discord is detrimental to moral education, and the county magistrate naturally does not wish for you to engage in disputes, thus you deserve this humiliation. You must remember this lesson in the future

Furthermore, when Xiaoti arrives, he may come to pay his respects to me and the three elders. The others should continue with their official duties and need not come to welcome him. This year, the harvest in the village has not been good, and we should reflect on ourselves. Therefore, everything should be kept simple, and there is no need to embellish the formalities

The Seventh Brigade once again stated: "We indeed acted rashly, but the crux of the matter does not lie in the rights or wrongs of my family, but rather on what grounds the Fifth Clan intervenes in this matter"

Since last month, the fifth family's child has indeed been excessively boisterous, which is not a good thing for our clan. It is time to teach him a lesson, to make him understand the hardships of the world, and to restore his humble disposition as a member of the clan

In the early morning, the Seventh Brigade had already paid their respects at the temple in Linqu Township, lamenting the experiences of their family being "humiliated" by the Fifth Clan

And the county magistrate happens to be a relative of the first clan

After a whole day of back-and-forth yesterday, Fifth Lun was extremely fatigued. Since the occurrence of the crossing, his body has become exceedingly drowsy, and today he indulged in a long sleep at home.

Fifth child, you have insulted me too much

Indeed, it is said in the county town today that he is a "half-day filial and fraternal"

The elderly man sitting upright behind the table was none other than the first of the village's tax collectors, Liu. He had a thin face, three strands of long beard, and exuded an air of authority. Holding a bamboo scroll in his hand, he did not even glance at the pitiful-looking Seventh Biao, and spoke:

Naive

After everyone left, as the first Liu returned to the room, he immediately tore off his calm demeanor, trembling with anger. The imagined humiliation and covert insults from the fifth Lun throughout the day suddenly turned into a backlash of shame and rage after he found himself empty-handed.

The Seventh Biao also dared not say much and left the village temple with a heavy heart

The First Liu immediately instructed Zuo Li to hastily serve the meal, quickly eating a few bites to finish. When the Fifth Lun arrives, the kitchen should be made to say that there is a shortage of rice today and that there is no food left, so that he will have to work through the night on that pile of bamboo slips with an empty stomach

Unlike the disdain shown in the morning, Di Yi Liu became serious and decided to teach Di Wu Lun a good lesson, making him pay the price for his arrogance, while also suppressing the haughty demeanor of the Di Wu family, so that they would know who the true master of Linqu Township is

There is no need to wait for the new filial piety; the county magistrate has asked me to convey to the steward that Fifth Lun has already returned the official seal yesterday and has requested to resign and return home

Fifth Lun was unaware that he had missed a meticulously planned PUA experience for newcomers in the workplace

Since Fifth Lun has resigned, isn't it a futile effort to prepare various means to make things difficult for him today, akin to engaging in a battle of wits with the air

Could it be that he guessed I was going to deliberately make things difficult for him, and thus chose to come only at the right moment to avoid any awkwardness

... ...

What time is it

But upon careful consideration, the first Liu shook his head again: "Do you wish to become a prominent family in the village? The Fifth family is not qualified enough."

What is a "sefu"?

When the village assistant came to report that the three elders had discussed hosting a banquet and were inquiring about the preparations for the meal, the first Liu merely replied, "Fifth Lun is my descendant; there is no need to be so formal."