Chapter 003: An Incident Occurred

The pendulum, resembling a weight, swings back and forth, producing a rhythmic "da-da" sound

After holding it in for half a day without producing a sound, Liu Sheng slapped the book "Biographies of Heroes" and said: "This book is good because after reading it, one feels that Guo Ying should not just be made a marquis; he should at least be granted the title of duke. In the book, Chen Youliang is shot dead by Guo Ying, and the Battle of Poyang Lake is described as the most perilous battle for the Ming dynasty. Just by looking at this biography of heroes, one might fear that Guo Ying's achievements are not inferior to those of Xu Da.

The Duke of Yi is a top-ranking noble in the current court, and it is quite easy for him to engage in activities if he wishes to do so

Liu Yu was also well aware that, given the family's current situation, many matters were beyond her control. After hearing her father's words, she pondered for a moment and replied: "It all depends on my father's arrangements"

Uh?

Upon hearing that it was meant to praise herself, Liu Yu quickly replied: "I received a very good evaluation."

There is no need to follow the formal imperial examination route; entering the upper house is equivalent to being a graduate of a prestigious university during the era of guaranteed job placements, thus granting one the qualification to hold an official position

The distorted method of the Three Departments is a sharp weapon used by imperial power to suppress civil officials and to introduce corruption into the officialdom through the nobility

Liu Sheng did not say much, leaving Liu Yu to ponder for a long time before finally stating: "When heaven is about to confer a great responsibility upon a person, it must first temper their mind and body through hardship. The northwest border is not peaceful, so you should prepare early. His Majesty intends to expand the territory, yet is dissatisfied with the sons of noble families and the younger generation who are overly indulgent, unable to endure hardship. They complain about the requirement of staying at school for a hundred days in a year under the three-shelter system, how can this be acceptable?"

Indeed, a major incident has occurred in the court

It is well known that among the five virtues, the virtue of water is associated with black, as both the virtue of water and Qin emphasize black... However, this group of old Shaanxi folks, stubborn as they are, insist that water is blue

The furnishings of the outer study in the government office are all somewhat worn.

Ultimately, this is a feudal society, under the patriarchal system, especially in the households of nobles and lords, where there are even more absurd formalities. If the father does not say to sit down, and the son sits down directly, he is bound to receive a beating

Indeed, it should be so. As the saying goes, we must take history as a mirror and be vigilant. The noble families of the Ming Dynasty were weak and incompetent, and after the Tumu Fortress incident, they were entirely composed of debauched youths, ultimately leading to such a fate. Not to mention the crooked tree on Coal Mountain, even our family's residence originally belonged to the Xu family of the previous Ming Dynasty. Xu Da was such a hero; who could have imagined that three hundred years later, his descendants would be so feeble? During the siege in the year of Jia Shen, Xu Yunzhen did not even have the courage to fight in a single battle on the city walls. Nobility is tied to the nation; you must understand that one can only share in the fortunes of the nation if the nation exists.

I heard that a few days ago at Wude Palace, you received a top rating

As I was pondering, I heard Liu Sheng casually and seemingly unintentionally ask another question.

You possess some talents, and if you can enter the upper house in the future, it would naturally be a good thing. However, the surroundings are currently quite unstable; what are your thoughts on this?

Moreover, as soon as the morning assembly disperses, he calls for the young servant to come and find out. Is there some movement in the court? Are we really preparing to take military action in the northwest?

In recent years, the national court has gradually stabilized, and the nobility can no longer hold military power too tightly. On ordinary days, they engage in trivial matters—presiding over the weddings of princes and princesses, representing the royal family in sacrifices, hosting the Feast of Honor, and even nominally overseeing the compilation of the "History of Ming"—with the nobility merely lending their names to demonstrate their regard for the previous dynasty, while in reality, they do not engage in any actual work, merely lending their names.

Currently, the northwest is unstable, with continuous warfare against the Zunghars; the northeast is persistently harassed by the Russians; and in the southwest, the reform of local governance has led to constant turmoil instigated by local chieftains

The treehouse is newly painted and the whole family is dressed in new clothes; this family is certainly not of noble descent, at most they are just nouveau riche

Watching his cheap old man engrossed in "The Heroes of the Ming Dynasty," Liu Yu couldn't help but chuckle to himself

I heard that you went to the Dai Jiabin Mansion again a few days ago

Liu Yu entered, bowing his head and not daring to look directly.

Does father mean to compile a book titled "The Great Shun Heroes Biography" as well

Liu Yu hurriedly nodded, but her mind was filled with a multitude of questions, full of confusion

Guo Yingfeng was titled the Marquis of Wuding, and above him were the dukes. Their family later encountered some troubles, and their titles were nearly lost. Now I inherit the title of Duke of Yiguo, why should I take such a crooked path

Upon realizing this, Liu Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the frantic search for him was not as bad as he had imagined. It appeared that his cheap old man was in a good mood

After a long while, Liu Sheng put down the book, removed the glasses presented by the Western missionaries, and suddenly asked, "Have you read 'The Biography of Heroes'?"

What is so good about it? Liu Yu was somewhat confused, how should this be expressed

In the room, there was not even a maid to pour water. Liu Yu's father, Liu Sheng, sat at the table, holding a novel titled "The Heroes of the Ming Dynasty" in his hands, engrossed in reading.

It seems that this is just a precaution for oneself? When the time comes to train in the Northwest Army, one cannot refuse to go simply because it seems difficult

Either literary or martial. Generally, one would first serve for a few years as a palace guard, protecting the Forbidden City, or accompany the emperor as a ceremonial guard. As one grows older, there will be opportunities for external appointments.

Though I say this outwardly, in my heart I think this matter has little to do with me. It is not I who will inherit the title, but my elder brother. Even if my elder brother were to pass away, it would be my nephew who would take over, not me. In the future, I will be separating and establishing my own household; this is something you should discuss with my elder brother.

Liu Yu also did not know what it was about, thinking to herself that if you are not planning to do this, why are you bringing it up? She took those few pages of the booklet, and it was not appropriate to flip through them directly in front of her father, so she could only hold them in her hands first

After speaking, he threw a small booklet onto the table and said, "Take a careful look at these articles when you get back."

Duke Liu Shengxi, the higher the official rank, the deeper the blue color. The blue is derived from indigo but surpasses it; as a duke, the highest among ministers, he naturally wears a deep blue color

What is good about it? It is quite lively and rather interesting

Yes

The current Duke of Daxun, Liu Sheng, is approximately in his forties or fifties. Having lived a life of luxury for a long time, he still appears quite youthful.

Feudal clan rules are quite troublesome, and Liu Yu is well aware of this. The larger the family, the more rules there are. Although Liu Yu deeply detests this, he is helpless and can only accept it

On the wall hangs an ancient Han sword, a suit of plate armor "presented" by the Kingdom of France, and beside the screen is a Western self-striking clock.

Dressed in a set of blue-green uniform, adorned with embroidered qilin and bai ze.

Due to the continuous wars in the past, the "History of Ming" had not yet been completed, and Liu Sheng was still tasked with the supervision of its compilation. However, while overseeing the compilation of the "History of Ming," he was also reading the "Biographies of the Heroes of the Ming Dynasty," which seemed rather strange.

The furnishings in this outer study still carry a hint of the martial general's style

The previous dynasty's "Chronicles of the Jia Shen Year" satirically stated: "The bandit claims to be a king of water virtue, and since his clothing is still blue, all the soldiers wear blue, and the official hats are also made of blue fabric"

Since you have read it, do you know what is good about this book

But it seems that such a precautionary measure does not need to be taken to that extent, right? It is unlikely that one would hastily send their servant to find them for such a trivial matter

Liu Yu was taken aback for a moment, and only then did he come to understand. He thought to himself that Guo Xun was indeed cunning; he must have heard more about the tales of heroes than he had read from the "History of Ming." Wouldn't it be the case that the whole world would know it was Guo Ying who shot Chen Youliang?

Due to the previous Ming dynasty's self-designation as the Fire Virtue, and considering that water can extinguish fire, the Great Shun subsequently identified itself as the Water Virtue based on the theory of the Five Virtues

Until later, the founding of the nation was ridiculed by the remnants of the previous dynasty as "crude and unrefined, ignorant of the Five Virtues, and the Water Virtue being blue, truly the first bizarre occurrence in two thousand years, a mud-legged person sitting on the throne is likely to be like this," yet they never changed blue to black, being quite stubborn.

There are many rumors that "The Biography of Heroes" was compiled with funds from Guo Xun, the sixth descendant of Guo Ying. This does not seem to be without basis. The noble family of Xun is envied by the world, yet little do people know that in order to preserve their titles, future generations can come up with all sorts of dubious methods.

Where it is broadcasted, that is hard to say

A seemingly casual remark immediately sent a chill down Liu Yu's spine; at this moment, he finally understood that the previous words were merely appetizers, and the main course was right here

This book was published a long time ago, and the urban life of the Great Shun is quite similar to that of the previous dynasty, widely circulated. Liu Yu nodded slightly, thinking to himself that he had seen it in his previous life