Jinting Han people

Chapter 38 Silent Father and Son (4k, please read!)
On the 23rd day of the second month of the fourth year of Taikang, Liu Xian, who was twelve years old at the time, officially began to observe mourning.

As a folk custom that gradually became popular since the Han Dynasty due to the respect for Confucianism, the ritual of mourning not only did not weaken during the Western Jin Dynasty, but instead developed to its peak.

According to the "Book of Rites", during the mourning period, in order to show filial piety, the mourners must pay special attention to their diet: for example, they must not eat for the first three days, and can eat porridge only after the funeral; after the hundredth day of mourning, they can eat simple food and drink water; and after one year of minor mourning, they can eat fruits and vegetables; after two years of major mourning, they can use soy sauce and salt to season food; and after the mourning period is over, they can eat normally, that is, they can eat meat.

The same applies to housing: before the deceased is buried, the filial son must live in a temporary, simple shed; after the burial, the inner walls of the shed can be coated with mud to block the wind; after a hundred days, the shed can be slightly tidied up; during the minor mourning period, the shed can be demolished and rebuilt, the walls painted with white lime, and ordinary pillows and mats laid; during the major mourning period, the son can return to his ordinary house, but he cannot use the bed; after the mourning period is over, there is no requirement.

Such harsh mourning rules not only hinder childbirth but also damage the human body. It is naturally difficult to fully comply with them in real life.

During the Han Dynasty, filial sons who adhered to the Book of Rites were not rare, but completely absent. Among those honored as moral role models by local authorities, some observed filial piety for twenty years and fathered several children with their wives, such as Zhao Xuan during the reign of Emperor Huan of Han. Others initially feigned unfilial behavior and then pretended to come to their senses and reform, such as Xu Wu during the reign of Emperor Ming of Han. Consequently, a folk song mocked this: "The scholar selected is ignorant of books; the filial and honest person selected is separated from his father. The poor and honest person is muddy as mud, while the high-ranking and talented general is timid as a chicken."

Therefore, those who could resist worldly temptations and observe the three-year mourning period without compromise were already renowned as filial sons of their time. For example, Yuan Shao of the late Han Dynasty mourned first his mother and then his father for six years, earning him widespread fame and widespread acclaim. In contrast, Cao Cao, who was selected as a filial and incorrupt official, had no notable achievements.

However, during the Western Jin Dynasty, mourning rituals received unprecedented attention, fostering a culture of "extreme filial piety" from top to bottom. Some years earlier, when Prince Hedong died of his mother's death, he observed a three-year mourning period, strictly adhering to the dietary requirements of the Book of Rites, resulting in a "bare bones and bones" (likely referring to a starving corpse). Prince Pingyang Yan went even further, reportedly losing his mother at the age of nine. During his three years of mourning, he wept blood and nearly lost his spirit. Later, on each anniversary of her death, he would wail and weep for over ten days. Even Ruan Ji, a hermit known for his unruly demeanor and disregard for etiquette, observed mourning rituals, though the specific details were unconventional.

Mourning to the point of near-death is certainly inappropriate for the times. However, for a custom to develop to this extent, there must be unique reasons for the times, which can be summarized as two:

First, after hundreds of years of power struggle, the gentry finally won the power and status they deserved, but they also had to pay a corresponding price.

They boasted of their own exceptional virtues, and as they deserved power, they naturally displayed the same sentiments. Filial piety, as the central tenet of Confucianism, was a natural place for them to focus their efforts. However, whether this truly lived up to their reputation was another matter.

Secondly, the Sima family seized the throne by usurping power and murdering the emperor, violating the Confucian doctrine of loyalty to the emperor. However, as an emperor, he also had to boast about his own virtues, which forced him to make up for it in other areas such as benevolence, forgiveness, and tolerance, in order to conform to the virtues of the "Heavenly Family."

Filial piety was particularly important. As the head of the imperial clan, King Sima You of Qi set an example by mourning first for Emperor Jing of Jin, then for Emperor Wen of Jin, and then caring for his two mothers, Queen Yang and Queen Zhang, until he became emaciated. Only then did he win the hearts of the people. Emperor Sima Yan, though somewhat inferior to his brothers, also vigorously promoted filial piety in his administration. As the saying goes, "leaders lead by example," the trend of "extreme filial piety" naturally spread throughout China, reaching a historical high.

But these meant nothing to Liu Xian. His mourning at this time was neither a show of filial piety nor a perfunctory one.

Since Liu Xian was in mourning when he was studying with Chen Shou in his early years, and Chen Shou was in mourning, he ate and drank with him and had long been accustomed to the life of mourning. He did not feel any discomfort when experiencing it again.

But he didn't want to be like the other mourners, weeping daily before the tombstone. Seeing Zhang Ximiao's tombstone immediately brought back memories of his mother's teachings, and he felt a heavy burden. Tears were a sign of being unable to bear the burden, and he had to prove to his mother that he could continue on with strength.

So Liu Xian politely declined Fei Xiu and the others' requests for care. Even at the tender age of twelve, he took matters into his own hands, finding a flat spot near his mother's grave to build a wooden hut. He cleared the thorns and weeds, drove in wooden stakes, and covered them with planks, constructing a ten-foot-square wooden hut not dissimilar in structure to Chen Shou's hut. Besides providing a place to stay, he also built a roofed reading area on the side. The only difference was that Liu Xian also practiced swordsmanship and archery daily, so he also set up straw men as targets.

After everything was ready, Liu Xian went to Dongwu again and asked Zhu Fu to bring a whole truckload of books. After unloading the books and some daily necessities, Liu Xian sent Zhu Fu back. Before leaving, they agreed that Zhu Fu would come every ten days to deliver some daily necessities and bring some clothes for change.

From then on, Liu Xian officially began his mourning period. He read in the morning, practiced martial arts in the afternoon, and before dusk, he visited his mother's grave to pay his respects and recount his day's learnings. It was a simple life, and perhaps the loneliest time in Liu Xian's life, looking back. Yet, at this moment, his heart felt as peaceful as a bamboo forest after rain. He already had his first real goal in life: to marry after mourning ended, then embark on a career in officialdom and, in accordance with his mother's wishes, visit Chengdu.

But besides this, he had another concern: the missing Lord Anle. Although he hadn't been seen for a month, his mother had promised him that he would come to visit. Liu Xian, trusting Zhang Ximiao's words, waited patiently. However, after five or six days, with no sign of him, he couldn't help but feel suspicious and resentful.

Soon, the first ten days passed. Zhu Fu arrived in a carriage to deliver rice and flour, accompanied by his maid, Ah Chun. As they were about to return, a sudden downpour began. The three of them sat under the roof, waiting for the rain to stop before leaving.

A torrential downpour pounded down in the mountains, the air damp and cold, and the surroundings dim. Seeing Ah Chun sitting on the porch, her hands folded, staring blankly at the downpour, Liu Xian suddenly remembered that he had heard Zhang Ximiao say that Ah Chun had come to Luoyang with her from Chengdu. Had she also lost a family? Suddenly, Liu Xian felt sad and asked Ah Chun, "Do you still have any relatives alive?"

Ah Chun shook his head and said with difficulty: "All gone."

Seeing Liu Xian lost in thought, she slowly said, "When I was fourteen, Chengdu was in chaos. My father, mother, husband, and children were all gone!"

When talking about her children, Ah Chun couldn't help but get a little excited. She closed her eyes, not knowing whether she was reminiscing about the past or trying to hold back tears.

Liu Xian knew that she must have lost her loved ones, but he didn't know that she had been married and had children.

After a while, Ah Chun calmed down. She gave a dry laugh and said to Liu Xian, "Now, every time I miss my children, I chant the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva. The master said that as long as we are sincere in our hearts, they will be reincarnated and will no longer suffer."

Liu Xian felt sad and wanted to persuade Ah Chun, asking her why she didn't find someone to marry and have a child while she was still young. But looking at her scalded face, he immediately remembered the time his father had poured boiling water on Ah Chun's face. For a moment, he felt so ashamed that he even turned his head away, not daring to look Ah Chun in the face.

After the rain stopped, Ah Chun stood up and went down the mountain with Zhu Fu, carrying their belongings. Liu Xian stood under the shed, silently watching them disappear into the distance. He thought, he too must shoulder Ah Chun's responsibilities.

It started raining again that night. The next morning, it was pouring down even harder. The hut was shaking in the rain, and Liu Xian was worried about the risk of collapse.

The rain was pouring down, drowning out all other sounds. Liu Xian built a fire and cooked a bowl of thick porridge. He sat on the ground and was about to eat when the creaking of the eaves made him uneasy. He stood up and walked to the door to watch the rain. The water on the ground formed a stream, flowing through the wooden pillars and flowing into the low-lying areas. The dense bushes rustled in the heavy rain, as if something was hidden inside. The wind blew over, and the bushes trembled as if they were cold.

When the rain stops, I'll add some more thatch, then find a log in the forest and add another beam to the house. Thinking this, Liu Xian walked back to the dim house and sat down with his back to the door, intending to finish the rest of his food. As he sat on the ground eating, he suddenly felt the light from behind him flicker, interspersed with a brief period of darkness. He stopped chewing and pricked up his ears to listen, but he heard nothing unusual.

Something is coming! Liu Xian felt a chill down his spine. This place was remote and there were not many bandits, but if it was some wild beast like a leopard or a bear, it would be hard to say. So he quickly got up and went to the wall, took the Zhaowu sword, the elm bow, and a dozen arrows, and tiptoed to the door, listening carefully to the movement outside. At this moment, heavy footsteps were heard in front of the corridor at the door, as if someone jumped onto the rainy ground outside with a plop. Liu Xian hurriedly chased after him, shouted, drew his bow and arrow, rushed out the door, and aimed at a figure. He saw a man wearing a conical hat and a straw raincoat standing outside in the rain. Hearing someone rushing out of the house, the man suddenly turned around and looked at Liu Xian. The man had a messy beard, pale face, thin cheeks, and held a few loquat flowers in his hand. The petals were disrupted by the rain, and the color was difficult to see.

It was the long-lost Duke Anle Liu Xun.

Father and son stared at each other in the rain, both stunned. Liu Xian's grip on the bow weakened, and he gradually let it go. Meanwhile, the flowers in Liu Xun's hand fell to the ground.

The rain poured down in torrents, and for a moment the only sound in the world was the sound of rain.

Liu Xian remained silent, his face expressionless, yet the hatred within him surged like a raging wave. However, the image of his mother's dying face resurfaced before his eyes, preventing him from taking action against this man. He also asked himself, why did he have to be his father?

He finally managed to control himself, then lowered his head and said to Liu Xun, "Why are you standing in the rain when there's a place to hide?"

His tone was extremely rude, almost like he was treating a stranger passing by, but this was the limit of his ability to suppress his disgust. He forced himself to carry out his mother's request for forgiveness, but it was not something he could do easily.

But this obviously exceeded Liu Xun's expectations. He was not angry as usual. After a moment of silence, he did not speak. Finally, he moved his feet and walked straight into the thatched hut.

After watching his father enter the thatched hut, Liu Xian followed in and first added some more fire to the fire. Then he poured a bowl of porridge and handed it to Anle Gong, saying, "Here!"

Duke Anle, having taken off his straw raincoat and bamboo hat, was now lying on his straw mat, lost in thought. Unexpectedly, his son did something beyond his expectations. Still silent, he took the bowl of porridge with both hands and simply used his spoon to stir the soup in the bowl, not taking a single sip for a long time.

Liu Xian didn't even look at him, but instead picked up a copy of Guanzi and began to read. But in reality, he was just pretending; with Liu Xun beside him, he was so distracted that he couldn't concentrate on reading at all.

After a long time, he finally heard his father say, "Liu Xian, I just realized that you are already an adult."

Liu Xian felt a pang of sadness, but he subconsciously sneered, "It's all thanks to you, sir, for your good teaching."

This sentence silenced Anle Gong again. After he finished drinking all the porridge in his bowl, he said, "You are not me, you don't understand."

"I really don't understand, maybe mother does."

Although Duke Anle was grieving, he could not bear his son's constant teasing. Finally, he said angrily, "What did you say? You've learned swordsmanship, but have you ever seen blood?"

"I've seen my mother's blood."

Just a few words were enough to kill Liu Xun.

Duke Anle almost collapsed, completely losing the strength to refute. He didn't want to dwell on this topic any further, so he simply asked, "Xi Miao...did she have any last words?"

Liu Xian finally put down the book in his hand, looked up at his father, and said slowly: "Mother said...she told me not to hate you. She said...none of this is...your fault."

When Liu Xun heard this, his throat choked and he couldn't say a word.

When tears were about to flow, he quickly turned his back to the corner to avoid being noticed by his son.

Liu Xian hadn't noticed. He only felt that his father was hateful, and all his actions were abhorrent. There was no point in saying right or wrong here. No matter how tragic the past was, it was no excuse for violence against those around him. There were still people who loved him in life, so how could he not cherish them? Liu Xian now constantly reminded himself to cherish the love of those around him.

Neither father nor son spoke again. After a long wait, the rain finally subsided, and Anle Gong put on his raincoat and prepared to leave. Liu Xian finally said to him, "You'd better go home early. Second uncle and the others must be waiting anxiously."

Duke Anle glanced at his son, nodded silently, put on his hat, and walked north in the drizzling rain.

Life is actually like tears falling in the rain.

It was also from this time that Liu Xian began to observe mourning with peace of mind.

A month later, when Zhu Fu came to deliver clothes to Liu Xian again, he said that a big event had happened in Luoyang.

As Emperor Sima Yan's relentless crackdown on the Qi faction led to a series of defeats, King Sima You of Qi was forced to obey the emperor's order and return to his fiefdom. However, before he could leave, he died of illness. It's said that he was so enraged by his defeat in the factional struggle that he vomited blood and died. Emperor Sima Yan was devastated and immediately executed the imperial physician who had treated Sima You. He also ordered his nephew, Sima Jiong, to inherit the title and remain within the capital.

At this point, the Qi Wang faction struggle that lasted for nearly two years finally came to an end with the emperor's party's complete victory.

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(End of this chapter)