Jinting Han people

Chapter 134 The Monkey of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect (5k)

The autumn of the first year of the Yuankang reign quietly descended upon the capital. Although it had experienced two major coups d'état in quick succession, these coups were like a sudden autumn breeze, arriving unexpectedly and then quickly disappearing as if nothing had happened.

Luoyang was still the same Luoyang as before. There was an endless stream of foreign merchants in the suburbs, the market in the city was bustling with people, and from time to time you could see luxurious carriages passing by.

Compared with the luxurious ox carts of those high-ranking officials and dignitaries, the carriage of Sun Xiu from Langya was somewhat ordinary. It had neither tasseled curtains nor decorations such as gold, silver, pearls and jade. It didn't even have a good ox worth bragging about. The only thing worth mentioning was the wood of the carriage itself, which was made of yellow pear wood and was considered sturdy and durable.

But this obviously could not satisfy Sun Xiu. He saw a three-horned black carriage, which was a carriage that only princes could ride. In front of the carriage were three agile blue oxen. Unlike ordinary oxen used for farming, the muscles of these blue oxen were as hard as stones, and they walked briskly on the streets. Sun Xiu was very envious. Pointing at the carriage, he said to his son Sun Hui who was sitting next to him:

"Just wait, White Slave! Sooner or later, I'll be riding in a carriage with horns!"

Only the Duke's carriage could have chariot ears, but the eleven-year-old Sun Hui didn't quite understand this. He didn't think chariot ears were any good, so he asked, "Father, do chariot ears make the car go faster?"

"No."

"Can car ears make the car stop shaking?"

"also can not."

"What's the use of the car ears?"

"It's actually useless," Sun Xiu said, patting the shaft of his own cart. "But people living in this world should always have aspirations, to live a colorful and unique life. And according to national law, only a small number of people's carts can have horns. For this reason, carts with horns are better than those without."

But Sun Hui disagreed with his father's words and continued, "Ha! It's still useless! If you ask me, Father, if I must have a preference, I think I should marry a princess."

"You want to marry the princess?"

"That's right!" Sun Hui said with a beaming smile, "I've heard that the princesses of the imperial court are all incredibly beautiful, as pretty as fairies. If I could become a consort to a princess, how wonderful it would be! Not to mention becoming a member of the royal family, so noble!"

"Didn't we go to see the Marquis of Xiangyang marry Princess Yingchuan last time? I'm so envious!"

For Sun Hui, this is undoubtedly an unrealistic dream.

Because the requirements for the position of imperial concubine in the Western Jin Dynasty were very strict. First, family background was considered. Although there was no clear regulation, at present, the lowest-ranking imperial concubines were all from county-level marquis families. The Sun family of Langya was just an ordinary poor family with a salary of two thousand stones, which was far inferior.

The second factor is appearance. The appearance of a prince consort does not have to be majestic and heroic, but at least he cannot be ugly. Sun Hui was short and had a monkey-like face, which did not meet the standard.

Sun Hui actually knew that he was not capable of it, but precisely because he knew it was impossible, he had this desire.

But Sun Xiu didn't care at all after hearing this. He said casually, "Don't be envious, kid. Since you told me today, I will definitely find a way to do it."

"Can Father do this?"

"I can't do it now, but I've already asked the Heavenly Official, and he said that you are blessed with great fortune and have the help of a noble person. With your talent and the help of a noble person, what can't you do?"

"No, today, we are going to meet the distinguished person!"

"Noble?"

"Yes! The most sought-after nobleman in the world today!"

Yes, Sun Xiu was now walking on a road going against the flow of the crowd. He wanted to drive out of Luoyang City and then head all the way to the northwest of Mangshan, where there was the most luxurious garden in the world, the Jingu Garden.

And in the Jingu Garden, now lives the most powerful nobleman in the Jin Dynasty - Jia Mi, Duke of Lu.

Soon after Empress Jia came to power, she split the three traditional ministries of the state. Among them, the Secretariat, which drafted imperial edicts, wrote official documents, and kept official archives, was divided into two.

The part of drafting imperial edicts was still left to the Minister of the Central Secretariat Zhang Hua, but the part of writing history and archiving was handed over to his nephew Jia Mi, and a secretariat was specially established.

It seems that Jia Mi's position as Secretary General is insignificant, but in fact, everyone in the officialdom knows that this 19-year-old Secretary General is the real prime minister of the country.

He had the power to inquire about all imperial edicts within the three provinces, and any that did not meet his liking could not be issued. He could also contact the Empress and directly interfere in all court affairs. In addition, the Empress almost obeyed her nephew's orders. Perhaps it could be said that he was the true emperor of the Jin Dynasty.

So during this month, Jia Mi's status in Luoyang rose sharply. Shi Chong almost gave up his own Jingu Garden and invited Jia Mi to live in the palace.

Hearing that he was fond of literature, chess and music, the scholars in Luoyang also came to curry favor with him and came to the Jingu Garden one after another to hold literary banquets. As long as Jia Mi did not stop, almost every day one could see some celebrities singing his praises, and the poems were so numerous that they looked like flowing water.

It was the same when Sun Xiu came today.

He got off the oxcart and asked his son to wait inside while he walked towards the main courtyard of Jingu Garden, led by a maid. This was his first time in Jingu Garden, and as he walked, he was astonished by the luxury and splendor of the garden, while at the same time, he glanced at the maids passing by with lustful eyes.

Like his son, Sun Xiu was also a lustful person. However, his lust did not stem from admiration for beauty, but from self-loathing. Sun Hui was ugly, and as a father, he was not much better looking.

Although Sun Xiu's name contains the character "xiu," he looks nothing like the character for "xiu." He is short, with wrinkles covering his brow early on. His abundant energy and endless thoughts have also caused his hairline to recede.

Coupled with his hunched back and thin figure, he was only in his early thirties, about the same age as Lu Ji, and looked extremely wretched. If Sun Hui's face was just like a monkey, then Sun Xiu's temperament was like a monkey.

On the way, he teased the maid who was leading the way, "They say the pavilions in Jingu Garden are the best in the world. I don't think that's true. In my thirty years of life, apart from the princess, I have never seen anyone as beautiful as you."

Sun Xiu's temperament was indeed vulgar, but she was a guest of Jingu Garden after all, and her words were flattering. Her tone was smooth and natural, and seamless. The maid couldn't refuse. She covered her mouth and smiled and said, "Mr. Sun, you are too kind. I am just an ordinary person in the Shi Mansion. If you want to be beautiful, there are many people in the mansion."

"Really?" Sun Xiu showed an expression of disbelief.

"real."

"God, is there anyone more beautiful than this girl?"

"Why are you joking, Mr. Sun? Isn't it already a consensus in Luoyang today who has the most beautiful daughter?"

Sun Xiu naturally knew that the maid was referring to Wang Yan's daughter, the current Lady of Duke Lu, Wang Jingfeng. But he still chuckled and said, "It's a pity, I'm not so lucky. I've never met Lady Lu, so it's hard to say."

His unctuous words made the maid relax a little and responded, "But in my opinion, although Lady Lu is beautiful, she is still not worthy of her reputation."

"Oh? Is there a higher level out there?"

"Yes! If we really want to talk about what is peerless beauty, incomparable beauty, compared to Sister Lu Zhu, Lady Lu Gong is still a little inferior."

"Green Pearl?"

"Yes, our master once had a concubine named Lu Zhu. She was so beautiful that it made people feel ashamed. I don't know how to describe it. I can only say that there is probably no woman in the world more beautiful than her."

Sun Xiu was very curious and asked, "Then why have I never heard of her reputation?"

"Alas, it's all about that robbery," the maid sighed. "I don't know where a group of thieves came from. Not only did they rob us of our wealth, they also took away Sister Luzhu. We haven't heard from them since."

Sun Xiu suddenly realized that they were talking about the robbery that shocked Luoyang four years ago.

At the same time, he felt a little curious. Everyone said that Shi Chong was robbed of a lot of treasures, but unexpectedly, a beauty was also robbed. What kind of beauty could receive such an evaluation?
He couldn't think of anything and could only lament to himself: What a pity, beauty deserves a hero, and a smart person like me didn't fall into my hands!
So he asked again: "Since she is such a beautiful woman, didn't Envoy Shi send any guards?"

"My master was always afraid that others would see Sister Luzhu, so he rarely let her show up in public. He was also afraid that the guards would have evil intentions. He thought that there were enough swordsmen in the garden to protect her, so he didn't want to have guards around her. Sister Luzhu was a loner and didn't want any maids, so she was easily kidnapped..."

"Alas, Lord Shi is still being gentle with women. If it were me, I would simply put an iron chain around Miss Luzhu's neck and chop off the robbers who tried to take her away. Why would there be so much trouble?"

Sun Xiu's remarks were so shocking that the maid was about to make a joke with him, but she was so frightened that she dared not speak. She did not say anything along the way. When they arrived at the main courtyard of Jingu Garden, she bowed slightly and fled.

The door to the lobby was open at this time. Sun Xiu took a few steps and heard someone reciting poetry inside:
"How high is Mount Tai, so high that it reaches the heavens.

The highest point is so high and so far away, it was once said to be gloomy and dark.

There is also a pavilion in Liangfu, and a pavilion in Haoli. The secluded road is home to thousands of ghosts, and the shrine room is home to hundreds of spirits.

I chanted long songs beside Mount Tai, with passionate and inspiring voices."

The poem is a good one, with brilliant literary talent, but the artistic conception is a bit kitsch. Simply put, the poem is a eulogy to Mount Tai, praising its grandeur, its towering height that seems to reach the heavens, and its beauty, its wonders that seem to be a gathering of gods and ghosts.

This is a typical metaphor of using objects to describe people, and the object of the metaphor is not difficult to guess, of course it is Jia Mi, the current owner of Jingu Garden.

But the people in the hall seemed unable to hear the poetic meaning. After the poem was finished, the whole room was filled with cheers. Sun Xiu looked inside and found that they were all famous people.

"What a great poem!" Brothers Liu Kun and Liu Yu both applauded.

"Shiheng is a man of great literary talent. I am ashamed to say that I am not as good as him." Pan Yue, the Imperial Court Assistant Minister, also smiled and twirled his beard.

"What a great phrase 'Long chanting beside Mount Tai, with a passionate and inspiring voice of Chu'! Shi Heng's metaphor is really wonderful! Only by the side of Duke Lu can we serve the country and make passionate voices!" The new General Zhennan, Shi Chong, also loudly praised Lu Ji's new work, with a happy expression and endless aftertaste, but his words lacked the reserve that a celebrity should have.

However, Lu Ji, who was writing the poem, lowered his head, as if he was very embarrassed, and no one knew what he was thinking.

But Jia Mi, sitting in the middle, seemed somewhat bored. For most people, being flattered was a pleasure, let alone being flattered by a group of literary celebrities. But for someone in Jia Mi's position, flattery was commonplace.

After all, things that come too easily are usually not cherished, and things that require some effort are particularly meaningful.

So at this moment, he closed his eyes slightly amid the flattery, as if he had heard a lullaby, his soul flying away for a moment, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

At this time, Sun Xiu stopped at the door and whispered a few words to the servant beside him. The servant then walked over to Jia Mi and whispered. The poets in the hall fell silent for a moment, waiting for Jia Mi's response.

"Oh? The Prince of Zhao's chief secretary is here?" Jia Mi opened his eyes and knocked on the table, saying, "Let him in."

Upon hearing this, Sun Xiu hurried in, knelt down smoothly, and said loudly, "I greet the Duke of Lu~~"

He was short in stature, and when he knelt down he was so agile that he looked like a mouse rolling on the ground. The scene was so funny that the celebrities present could not help but chuckle.

But Sun Xiu felt no shame. He believed that letting others look down on him was a form of wisdom, and there was nothing wrong with playing the clown. First, it could quickly close the gap between them, second, it could expose their true nature, and third, it could dispel their suspicions. With these three points, he might be able to turn the tables.

Jia Mi was indeed amused by Sun Xiu, and he said, "Raise your head."

Sun Xiu raised his head.

"Are you Sun Xiu?"

"Yes, I am Sun Xiu from Langya."

"Your surname seems to be inherited. It really does sound like a monkey." At this, Jia Mi shook her head, a smile mingling with her pretty face. She couldn't help but clap her hands and said, "Why would the King of Zhao employ someone like you? Doesn't he have any shame?"

This was a grave insult, but Sun Xiu acted as if he hadn't heard it. He said rather complacently, "Your Highness the Prince of Zhao is the son of Emperor Xuan, so naturally he has more dignity than others. The reason he can use a villain is simply because he's useful."

"Useful? What's the use? Can you make monkey calls?"

"I can't crow like a monkey, but I can crow like a rooster." After saying this, he crowed without any hesitation, just like a rooster crowing, so lifelike that it caused another burst of laughter.

Then Sun Xiu said, "However, the reason why His Royal Highness the King of Zhao favored me was not because of this, but because I was practicing Taoism."

"Cultivation?"

"I have been a disciple of the Heavenly Master since childhood, practicing the Yin Spirit Method until I reached the state where the mountain spirit enters my body and the earth god protects my elixir. My master said that my shabby face is probably due to the influence of the mountain spirit entering my body."

"However, there are gains and losses. Then I gained some skills and abilities. With these skills and abilities, I won the favor of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao."

"Magic power?" This piqued Jia Mi's interest. He leaned forward and asked with a smile, "What magical power do you have?"

"I have three magical powers."

"The first thing is to accumulate blessings and ward off disasters."

"Everyone in the world commits evil deeds, which lead to sin, which brings misfortune, and misfortune affects one's happiness and longevity. As long as someone confesses their sins to a villain, the villain will use magic to reach the heavens, eliminate their misfortune, and prolong their life."

"The second thing is alchemy cold food."

"The human body has two kinds of energy: clear and turbid. Clear energy lifts us up, while turbid energy makes us drowsy. The so-called "transmigration" is nothing more than removing the turbid energy and concentrating the clear energy. It is extremely difficult for a person to achieve this on his own, but with the help of elixirs, it can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Even if one cannot truly achieve "transmigration", at least one can feel refreshed."

"The third is having many children and great blessings."

"I'm afraid this is not enough to discuss with you in detail."

At this point, Sun Xiu laughed obscenely and without any image.

The scholars present also came to a conclusion: What a complete villain! Not only does he lack the integrity of a scholar, he even has no respect for decency! The fact that King Zhao could use this man shows that his moral character is quite low...

But Jia Mi did not think so. In his opinion, this was exactly the person he needed. If King Zhao had any moral character, it would make things difficult for him.

So he smiled and asked slowly, "Do you know why I called you here?"

Sun Xiu replied, "I don't know, but I do know that I will do whatever the Duke of Lu tells me to do."

Faced with such shameless flattery, Jia Mi also felt a little uncomfortable. He said: "It's not a big deal. It's mainly because the Queen has been thinking about something recently."

"Prince Liang is too old. It seems a bit unreasonable to ask him to sit in Guanzhong and take charge of military affairs. After all, we still have to take care of the elderly!"

"But Chang'an cannot be without a royal family member in charge, so I've been considering who should replace Prince Liang."

Sun Xiu understood the meaning of the music and immediately realized that the queen was suspicious of Prince of Liang Sima Rong and regretted letting him sit in Guanzhong. However, as to who should replace Sima Rong, Queen Jia had not made up her mind yet. Presumably, Duke Lu would make the conditions next.

Sure enough, Jia Mi said calmly, "What I mean is that we can consider Prince Zhao. After all, he is the younger brother of Prince Liang and a descendant of Emperor Xuan. But the Queen still has some doubts."

"Doubts?" Sun Xiu hurriedly knelt forward and asked in a low voice, "What doubts does the Queen have?"

"The country has given out too many rewards in the past two years, and the treasury is quite short of money. Although there are many princes in the world, there are few loyal ministers. I don't see why the palace is short of resources..."

Sun Xiu repeatedly said, "Duke Lu, the King of Zhao is a loyal minister! The King of Zhao is a loyal minister!"

Then he whispered a promise, "Duke Lu, His Royal Highness the Prince of Zhao has saved a little over the years, and I am willing to donate 10,000 gold to relieve the Queen Mother's worries. When we arrive in Chang'an, I will worry even more about state affairs and will donate 10,000 gold to the palace every year, without slacking off!"

Jia Mi nodded slightly and said with a smile, "You are still a loyal minister. I will report your words to the Queen. I am sure the Queen will also think so and make good use of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao."

"But besides that, I have one small request."

"Hmm? Duke Lu, please speak."

"The new Xiayang chief, Liu Xian, is a troublemaker. You definitely won't like him. When you get to Guanzhong, think of some way to give him a good beating. If he doesn't understand, you can just kill him."

"I see. I understand Duke Lu's intention."

The conversation ended just like that. Under the gaze of Lu Ji and other famous scholars, Sun Xiu, the chief secretary of King Zhao, walked out of the Golden Valley Garden with great pride. He looked up at the sky and thought: After enduring for so many years, with the blessing of the heavens, my luck has really turned!
After walking a few steps, he thought again: Where should I go to play with this beauty?
As for Jia Mi, Liu Xian, and Lu Ji, once they left the mansion, these names did not remain in his joy for a moment.

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(End of this chapter)