fake gentry

Since the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, men have been capped at the age of twenty.

After undergoing the coming-of-age ceremony, one is officially considered an adult and gains full social rights such as marriage and political participation.

However, due to the chaos and disorder of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the rites and laws were neglected, and the coming-of-age ceremony for aristocratic men almost completely disregarded this standard.

Some families have only one son left, and he happens to be only eleven or twelve years old. Other families are thriving, and he doesn't want to grow up even after he turns twenty.

Will you wear the crown or not?

Therefore, scholars today are generally precocious and immature, and it is impossible to distinguish who is older or younger based on age alone.

Xie Hong was actually 26 or 27 years old, but he became 16 years old after transmigrating. Wang Huzhi, Lu Shi and others were around 20 years old, and their actions were not as composed as Xie Shang, who was 14 years old.

"Fengzhi! What kind of society should we form?"

Lu Shi shouted urgently and loudly: "We have twenty-four scholars, who can be called twenty-four friends."

The Seven Scholars of Jian'an, the Eight Friends of Jingling, the Eight Elders of Yanzhou, the Eight Worthies of Jiangzuo, and the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove were all societies.

Xie Hong suddenly felt like laughing when he saw more than twenty pairs of bright eyes.

When he said the word "association" just now, he hadn't actually thought about what kind of association he wanted to form.

He simply felt that if he didn't take advantage of the hot-blooded gentry who were offering themselves up to him and keep them firmly by his side, he would be doing himself a disservice.

It's all about connections.

There are high-class and low-class noble families from both the north and south. If you can fool them, it's like having several extra lives.

Sometimes it really is like that. Even if you just said that Wang Dun was not a prime minister but a rebel, and that got back to Wang Dun, he would have to consider your influence before he could kill you.

In a moment of madness, he blurted out, "We can be called the Heaven and Earth Society."

He regretted it as soon as he said it.

"The Heaven and Earth Society?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then fell into deep thought.

Lu Na repeated the name to himself, his eyes suddenly lighting up. He clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Excellent! Feng Zhi is indeed learned! 'Heaven and Earth,' is it derived from the I Ching's Qian and Kun? Qian represents Heaven, Kun represents Earth—a fine name!"

Wang Huzhi also praised it, saying, "The Book of Rites says: 'The virtue of Heaven and Earth is unchanging, yet all things are born from it.' We take Heaven and Earth as our names to emulate their virtues and their responsibilities. Fengzhi's name is grand and majestic, perfectly matching our aspirations!"

He Xi, unusually, showed a hint of excitement, shaking his head and saying, "When heaven and earth interact, all things communicate; when superiors and inferiors interact, their wills are aligned. To gather with heaven and earth is to connect superiors and inferiors and to make friends with like-minded people. This name is brilliant! Who in Jiangzuo has such spirit as we do?"

Yang Ben slowly said, "Zhuangzi said: 'Heaven and earth possess great beauty, yet they do not speak of it.' We take the name of heaven and earth to use this unspoken beauty and virtue to do things that benefit the world. Xie Lang is truly an outstanding person."

Lu Shi slammed the wine cup in his hand to the ground: "Heaven and Earth Society, good! Just this name alone is enough to make us go down in history!"

Others followed suit, causing Xie Shang to grimace in pain.

Why are you smashing things when you can just talk?

You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household.

That's all money.

Surrounded by the crowd, Xie Hong inwardly laughed like a pig.

There's a saying, isn't there?

Great scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Watching these guys solemnly quoting scriptures to interpret the Heaven and Earth Society, he forced himself to keep his mouth from twitching and tried his best to maintain his composure.

It's impossible for a character like Wei Xiaobao to suddenly appear, nor is it possible for someone named Chen Jinnan to appear. How outrageous could things get?

Xie Hong decided to take the prank to the extreme. He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, then said seriously, "Now that an alliance has been established, there should be a leader. Who do you gentlemen think should take on this role?"

Who else could it be?

You should thank Xie Fengzhi.

Wang Huzhi and Lu Shi were naturally the most distinguished among those present, given their family background, social status, and reputation.

But could even a higher rank match Xie Hong's current prestige?

"Since you gentlemen do not mind my lack of talent and knowledge and have chosen me to be the leader, I will temporarily take this position and be called the Chief Master."

The Grand Master?

Everyone thought the name was both novel and powerful.

"Good! The Grand Master is the head of the organization, and the helmsman is the one who guides the ship's direction. The Grand Master is the one who will show us the way!"

Look, look, this is the taste!

Xie Hong pressed his advantage: "In that case, let's come up with another slogan."

"Slogan?" Lu Na's eyes lit up even more. "What's a slogan?"

Since things have already come to this, Xie Hong is determined to go all the way: "At the beginning of the establishment of the association, the foundation is not yet stable, so a slogan is needed to unite people's hearts. The slogan does not need to be profound, just catchy."

Wang Hu clapped his hands loudly: "What a catchy phrase! Fengzhi, quickly recite the slogan, and we will all obey."

Xie Hongqiang, suppressing his shame, struck a pose befitting the grandmaster's entrance: "The earth shakes the high hills, a stream and mountain range shine eternally, the gate faces the sea, the Sanhe River flows for ten thousand years."

"I understand the meaning of the earth shaking the high hills, and the ancient beauty of the streams and mountains—is this not the very place where we gather today? But Xie Lang, why does the gate face the sea instead of the Heavenly Sea? And what is the significance of the Sanhe River?"

Xie Hong forced an interpretation: "Gentlemen, the Jin dynasty is now in a precarious situation in the Three Wu regions, which are located by the sea, making it like a gateway. This leaves us with no way to retreat and only the determination to advance. As for the Sanhe River, the name Sanhe signifies the abundance of people in the Three Wu regions, and the river symbolizes social standing. Our alliance today is, of course, to ensure that all the families that join us will live on forever."

This statement is incredibly damaging.

No one present could withstand such a stimulating test.

They may be disloyal to the emperor, but they will never be disloyal to their family.

A mere slogan has reduced everyone's intelligence to that of an embryo.

Xie Hong explained in detail: "The Heaven and Earth Society is newly formed, and it is not advisable to be extravagant. I will first set up two branch halls. The first is the Jiankang branch hall, which will be led by Brother Xiuling. The second is the Wujun branch hall, which will be led by Brother Shiyan. The rest of you will temporarily belong to these two branch halls. We will set up a new hall later. What do you think?"

Wang Huzhi bowed deeply to Xie Hong solemnly: "Huzhi obeys the order."

Lu Shi was so excited that his voice trembled: "I will certainly live up to the Grand Master's expectations!"

Soon, the twenty-odd young men from aristocratic families split into two teams, demonstrating that the divide between the North and the South was undeniable.

The young nobleman from the Wang family of Taiyuan who had been making things difficult for Xie Hong immediately ran to stand behind Wang Huzhi.

Meanwhile, the sons of the Zhang family of Wujun and the Shen family of Wuxing surrounded Lu Shi.

Yang Ben and He Xi glanced at each other, and Yang Ben cupped his hands and asked, "Thank you... Grand Master, is it possible to establish a branch in Taishan Prefecture?"

Xie Hong chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself that Taishan County was about to be swallowed up by Shi Hu, and that Shi Hu was just dreaming.

"Of course, as the number of members increases in the future, Mount Tai and Kuaiji should also open their own halls."

He could tell that neither Yang Ben nor He Xi wanted to be subordinate to anyone.

"In that case, I will return to Jiankang Hall."

"Xi Gui Wu Jun Tang".

Amidst the commotion, the twenty-odd young men from various aristocratic families returned to their respective halls and sat down again. Wine, hot tea, and other beverages were served once more, and all eyes were on Xie Hong, waiting for their leader to speak.

Xie Hong's gaze swept across every face present. His tone, no longer as relaxed as before, turned serious: "Gentlemen, the Heaven and Earth Society is newly established. How should we make a name for ourselves?"

Everyone gradually quieted down.

Xie Hong stood up and said loudly, "Ten years have passed since the Yongjia Rebellion. Hundreds of thousands of refugees from the north have fled south. These refugees have no land to cultivate and no houses to live in. The old and weak die in ditches, while the young and strong either sell themselves into slavery or become bandits. The imperial treasury is empty, and the gentry protect their own households. Who will take care of them?"

Mencius said, "The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important."

"The nation is founded on the people, and the state exists for the people."

"Are we divided into noble and commoner classes based on clan, and noble and lowly based on fate?"

"The people are divided into the north and the south, and the country is divided into the north and the south?"

Xie Hong's words were like a stone thrown into still water, stirring up a huge uproar.