My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 56 There are too many lonely people in the world who are afraid to take the first step - I'm talking about Zhao Yun

November 12, the fourth day after Zhuge Jin returned to Guangling.

In the northern city of Guangling, there was a large mansion that originally belonged to Chen Lan, a general of Yuan army. After Liu Xun's defeat two and a half months ago, it was occupied by Liu Bei's army and rewarded to the military commander Tian Yu.

Now, it was bought by Zhuge Jin, who hastily cleaned it, replaced the door lintel, and used it to help his uncle Song Xin set up his own business.

This house is, of course, much worse than the one Liu Bei gave to Zhuge Jin, but it is still decent.

Zhuge Jin wanted it too hastily, and no one else was willing to buy it. Tian Yu was the only general in the army who was young and had no wife or children in Xuzhou, so he didn't need a big house, so he sold it.

At the time of the transaction, Zhuge Jin was secretly thinking: Could it be that Tian Yu used the excuse that his mother was old and had no one to take care of her and wanted to return to his hometown in Youzhou? That was why he was in a hurry to sell the real estate to cash in?

However, Liu Bei's current situation is much better than the same period in history, so he should still be able to be persuaded.

There is no reason in the world to give up a career in politics just to take care of oneself in retirement. Tian Yu's mother could have been brought to the south to live there in retirement.

But this is not something he should be thinking about right now. Zhuge Jin has a lot of complicated things to deal with in his own family.

……

Early in the morning of that day, Zhuge Jin personally came to his uncle's new house to help preside over the event, and Song Xin was also there to greet and see off guests at the door.

Everything in the mansion looked so hasty and sloppy, but no guest would look down on the Song family because of this.

The Song family held a lunch banquet, but at 9:00 in the morning, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei had already arrived early with valuable gifts to show their support.

Mi Zhu, Chen Qun and the big clans in Guangling did not dare to fall behind.

This made Song Xin, who had not yet entered officialdom, feel quite embarrassed.

He did not understand officialdom and could not distinguish between superiors and inferiors when entertaining guests, so he was in a very flustered state.

It was Zhuge Jin who reminded him: No matter the guest's status, they should be treated equally and just bow.

Song Xin calmed down a little, and secretly wiped his sweat when there were no guests: "Ah Jin, you are so famous now. Who dares not to come in Guangling City?"

Zhuge Jin: "I am already a lieutenant appointed by the imperial court. This is as it should be. I need to get used to it in the future."

The guests arrived soon and it was time to start the banquet. Dozens of tables were set up in total (each person had one table in the Han Dynasty).

Zhuge Jin returned to the main hall and sat in the main seat on the right. Song Xin sat on his left, also facing the guests.

Zhuge Jin picked up the wine and said a few polite words: "Thank you all for coming today. I will leave for Yuzhang next month to work hard for the king. It's because my mother doesn't want my widowed sister-in-law to join my uncle, and she doesn't want me to worry about her. So my uncle proposed that the Song family should establish itself again today, and you are all witnesses."

As he spoke, Zhuge Jin drank a cup first, then Song Xin also drank, and all the guests followed suit.

Then it was Song Xin's turn to speak, and he simply emphasized that "my sister was originally worried that her stepchildren would be left without anyone to take care of them, so she stayed in the Zhuge family until now, and she was not determined to remain faithful to Mr. Jun Gong for the rest of her life.

Mr. Jun Gong and his first wife have long been buried, and since it is difficult to return to Langya, I don’t want to disturb them in the future. Now that Zi Yu has been appointed as a lieutenant by the emperor, he will certainly be able to support the Zhuge family in all matters.”

After Song Xin finished speaking, he also offered a cup of wine to the guests, and everyone drank with him. After two rounds of wine,

The last round, he returned to Zhuge Jin, who ordered his maid to take out dozens of gold ingots and hundreds of pieces of colorful satin in public, and also picked out three pieces of jewels from the pile of jewels given by Liu Xie, and solemnly announced:

"These three pieces of jewels were given to me by the Emperor when I went to Xudu this time. I leave them to the Song family as a token of my glory. Thirty catties of gold and two hundred rolls of colored satin are all the floating wealth I have on hand.

I also want to hand over the 300 farms and farm servants that Mr. Xuande gave me to my uncle today. I hope my uncle will repay me for all the years of raising me. I also wish that the Song family will flourish and bring honor to the family."

After that, the property was handed over and the third round of drinking was finished.

After hearing the whole story, the guests in the hall were either surprised, sighed, or admired.

It is a pity that the Song family has lost such a strong support as the Zhuge family, and they will have to rely on themselves in the future.

But Zhuge Jin was generous after all. When dividing the family property, he left most of it to his stepmother and only kept a house and some daily necessities for himself, which is very commendable.

Here is something that must be emphasized: Throughout the entire banquet and ceremony, Song did not show up, and it had nothing to do with whether Song would remarry in the future. The word remarriage was not mentioned at all.

Those were just private conversations we had behind closed doors a few days ago. Nothing has been decided yet. It's just to keep a possibility and give people some freedom.

According to Han Dynasty etiquette, a step-wife who had not given birth to any biological children in her husband's family could be taken back by her parents' family after her husband and the original wife died and were buried together, and the mourning period was over. How she lived in the future and whether she remarried was up to her parents' family.

A few years ago, the Song family raised their stepchildren for another four years out of moral obligation, as none of them had reached adulthood.

Zhuge Jin also emphasized today that his uncle had set up his own business, and all subsequent affairs of the Song family would be decided by Song Xin, and Zhuge Jin had no say.

If you can't get married, it's normal to spend the rest of your life in your parents' home.

……

After the host finished his three rounds of speeches, Liu Bei, who was standing by, was the first to react and praised Zhuge Jin's filial piety:

"Zi Yu is now a lieutenant, serving the country without hesitation. Letting his stepmother live out her days with his uncle in a place far away from the war is the true filial piety. He is not like those who seek fame and reputation, but let their parents go through danger for the sake of their own filial piety."

These words were extremely emotionally intelligent, further praising Zhuge Jin's behavior. Then he changed the subject and suggested to Song Xin:
"Mr. Song has been with the Ziyu brothers for several years, so he must be quite knowledgeable. It is not a good idea for him to stay in the government. I wonder if Mr. Song can take a job as a guest in this state? This job is leisurely and does not require any risks. He can live and work in peace."

Being a guest official is the easiest and most unemployed job, and there is no real profit to be made.

Just as the imperial court needed a Grand Herald to receive envoys from various countries and prefectures and counties, the provincial governor also needed a subordinate official to be responsible for receiving and seeing off guests.

Song Xin was a little nervous at first, but when he heard that the job Liu Bei proposed was so easy, he put his mind at ease. He expressed his gratitude on the spot and was willing to accept the job.

In this way, the Song family also gained face. Having just established their own family, they immediately had an official position, and they didn't have to worry about being too humble when socializing with others in the future.

Afterwards, everyone had a feast on their own, and both the host and the guests had a great time. Needless to say, those who had other matters to ask Zhuge Jin also came to discuss and report during the feast.

Liu Bei came over first with a glass of wine to chat.

He did not want to take credit for Song Xin's recruitment, but he discovered some unexpected uneasiness in what Zhuge Jin had done this time.

He got straight to the point and asked, "Zi Yu, I wanted to ask you after I received the post yesterday. The yard you found for your uncle was originally given to Guo Rang by me, right? He was so eager to sell it. Did he say anything when he sold it?"

Zhuge Jin also picked up the wine glass and took a sip. "This shouldn't be the first time that Guo Rang has expressed his concern for his mother back home, right? When he sold the yard, he said that it was too big for one person to live in, so he wanted to exchange it for some gold and silver, so that he could ask someone to take it back to his hometown in Youzhou to supplement the family expenses."

Liu Bei couldn't help but look gloomy: "In fact, right after the Battle of Guangling, he hinted to me once that he wanted to go back to take care of his mother. I advised him to think about it again and not to rush. It turns out that it's not easy to keep him."

Zhuge Jin disagreed. He felt that Liu Bei was judging people with a gentleman's heart.

According to historical records, many people returned to their hometowns during the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period under the pretext of supporting their relatives. Of course, many of them are true, but some are just excuses.

It's like before Zhuge Jin traveled through time, he met too many female colleagues in the education and training institution, and the best reason for resigning was "I am in a long-distance relationship with my husband/boyfriend, and I want to develop in his city."

If a working woman in the future gives this reason, her boss will definitely not be able to keep her.

After all, forcing them to stay is too detrimental to one's virtue. As the saying goes, it is better to demolish ten dilapidated temples than to separate a couple.

In the Han Dynasty, there was no separation of husband and wife, but there was separation of parents and children. Zhuge Jin thought that if it was just for filial piety, he could also suggest that the other party's parents move away from their hometown and come to the place where their children were seeking official positions to take care of them.

At most, you can give more money, a better house, more maids and servants, and ensure a stable rear environment.

Zhuge Jin hinted at his thoughts and then advised Liu Bei not to worry: "In my opinion, this matter will be resolved sooner or later, and it is not just a matter of Guo Rang.

Two months ago, our army had not yet established a firm foothold in Guangling, and my family was captured by Lu Bu. At that time, the troops were worried that the bad news would happen again in the future, which is also human nature.

But now the situation is different. All the families of the army will return, and the general has been appointed as the governor of Yangzhou. Even though Guangling is surrounded by powerful enemies, once they cross the river and join forces with Liu Yao, Jiangdong will surely become a stable rear area in the future. Why should they worry about their families not being able to live in peace for a long time?
The general should wait for an opportunity to explain these principles to Guo Rang and other soldiers who are wavering. In addition, Xianhe will probably be free for a while after returning from Xudu, and there will be no foreign affairs for him to worry about.

Xianhe is also from Youzhou, right? He is from the same hometown as the general. Let Zizhong arrange some ships to sail north along the coast to patrol the areas of Youzhou and Jizhou, and bring back those who still have families in Youzhou and Jizhou. This is the long-term plan."

After listening to this, Liu Bei suddenly felt cheerful.

He himself had never suspected that someone might use filial piety as an excuse, so he didn't think much about many things. When he was inspired by Zhuge Jin's pragmatic thinking, he reacted immediately.

"That's true. I'll have a heart-to-heart talk with Guo Rang and other Yuan Cong comrades who still have families in their hometown of Youzhou. Alas, if Shi Ren were still alive, he would definitely want to bring his parents back. Last time, when I provided relief, I only provided relief to his wife and children. His parents are still in his hometown of Guangyang County."

In this life, according to the report submitted by Zhang Fei to save face, Shi Ren "died in battle in order to divert Lei Bo's pursuit while Zhang Fei and Zhuge Jin were on their way to break out of the siege to Haixi County."

Therefore, Liu Bei still cherished the old feelings for these comrades brought from his hometown. Although Shi Ren's family was no longer of any use, Liu Bei still thought of taking Shi Ren's parents to his hometown and providing them with money and food for their retirement.

Seeing that Liu Bei finally understood, Zhuge Jin reminded him, "I heard that the general had a general sent by the Marquis of Ji, who was brave and good at leading cavalry. He returned home two years ago because of his brother's death. The mourning period for a brother is only a little over a year, so it should be over now, right? If you can really send Xianhe to Hebei, why not investigate as well?"

Liu Bei's eyes lit up: "You have heard about Zilong? Did Yunchang or Yide tell you? Zilong did return to his hometown to mourn his brother.

But I always thought that Zilong was a trustworthy person who understood me very well. As long as his term of service was up and he wanted to join me, he would naturally come to find me.

With his martial arts, there is no place in the world that he cannot go. If I forcefully go to look for him, will it embarrass him? Or has he encountered some unspeakable secret?"

Zhuge Jin was so angry that he kept shaking his head, but he didn't say anything harsh. He just thought to himself: No wonder in history Zhao Yun returned to his hometown for five or six years. With your temper, you seem to be considerate of others, but in fact you are embarrassing.

Zhuge Jin had no choice but to organize his words and reminded him, "General, although I have never met Zilong, but from hearing Yunchang and Yide occasionally mention him, I can roughly guess that he is a proud and ambitious person.

When he left because of his brother's death, the general was still working with Tian Kai to help Tao Gongzu fight against Cao. Tao Gongzu had not yet passed away, nor had he given up the position of Xuzhou governor, right? "

Liu Bei recalled the time and nodded, "That's true, so what?"

Zhuge Jin sighed, "For a man of integrity, he thought that he and the general were friends in need, and when he left because of his brother's death, the general had not yet made a name for himself. After he left, the general rose to a higher position. If he returns immediately after mourning, wouldn't it seem that he despises poverty and covets wealth?

In this case, he might live in his hometown and not take office, waiting for the general to call him, otherwise he would not serve another master to show his integrity. Our army has just lost three counties in Xuzhou, and only the last one and a half counties are left. It is also a critical time.

Sending Xianhe to summon him now, and saying that he urgently needs Zilong's help, he will definitely come overnight. It can also fulfill his duty of helping him in need, and the friendship between the general and Zilong is also perfect, isn't it wonderful? "

To be honest, Zhuge Jin's logic may not be correct.

He just knew that in history Zhao Yun did not come out to seek refuge for six years after returning to his hometown, and then he reversed the result and made up a psychological activity. Zhao Yun might not really think this way in his heart.

But it didn't matter. Zhuge Jin could judge that as long as Zhao Yun had a way out, the more difficult Liu Bei made his situation sound and then invited him, the easier it would be for Zhao Yun to come. He and Liu Bei were already so close, so giving Zhao Yun a psychological hint of helping him in times of need would help him make up his mind.

Zhuge Jin felt that Liu Bei's behavior in history was also due to "feeling that he knew the other party too well and was afraid that the other party had other unspeakable secrets and would be embarrassed, so he would rather miss it than take the initiative."

In the end, he could have come back in more than two years, but it took six years.

My advice can be considered as a good deed. It allows Zhao Yun to start working three and a half years earlier and not miss the opportunity to make meritorious service. It will be good for everyone.

Liu Bei carefully considered Zhuge Jin's psychological deduction, and his eyes became brighter and brighter:

"Why didn't I think of that? Ziyu, I've always thought I was good at being humble and I never needed anyone to teach me how to treat people. I didn't expect that you not only know other things, but you can also point out my shortcomings in my most proud strengths. It's really... unbelievable!"

Liu Bei had been shocked by Zhuge Jin many times, but he thought this time was still the strongest shock.

Because Zhuge Jin could actually give him some pointers in the areas of emotional intelligence and psychology, which were Liu Bei's strongest points and what he was most proud of!
Little did he know that Zhuge Jin was still relying on cheats this time, so he could only analyze the mentality of Tian Yu, Zhao Yun and others.
If you ask him to find a complete stranger and analyze the situation from scratch, Liu Bei's emotional intelligence and analytical ability will definitely be far better than his.

"I'll go and make the arrangements. Guo Rang, Zi Zhong, I have something to discuss with you!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed, and hurriedly pulled Mi Zhu and Tian Yu to the side hall to discuss matters separately, without caring at all that this was the Song family's inaugural banquet.

(End of this chapter)