Silver Fox of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 33
Liu Biao was wearing a loose Confucian uniform. The crown was not the crown or Weimao crown that princes often wear, but the three-beam Jinxian crown that Confucian scholars often wear.

In fact, Deng Hong also wore the Jinxian crown, but he wore a beam.

The so-called beam is something like a bridge erected on the top of the crown. Confucian scholars often use this method to distinguish learning.

If there are three beams in the Jinxian crown on your head, it means that you are recognized as a man of insight or a nobleman, such as a great Confucian family.If you are not powerful or have no knowledge and wear the Sanliang Jinxian crown, you will be ridiculed and lose your reputation.

However, Liu Biao did not despise Deng Hong because he only had one beam in the crown of Jinxian. He just settled in Jingzhou the year before last, and this year he fought a battle with Liu Zhang. Born, promoted to official.

Deng Hong was recommended by Huang Zu, and he is also a descendant of the famous Deng family in Xinye, so he can naturally get his attention. I hope he is a useful talent, so I am very happy to meet him.

It's just that Deng Hong came into the Gongqing's mansion with a child by his side, which was surprising.

"Deng Hong and Shen Chen have met the envoy."

After Deng Hong and Shen Chen entered the central hall, they greeted Liu Biao first as usual.

Liu Biao nodded and said, "Sit."

After they sat down, Liu Biao asked, "You are the descendant of the Deng family in Xinye? Who is this child to you? Why is the surname Shen and not Deng?"

Deng Hong replied: "Mr. Yuan, Yuanhou is Hong's strong ancestor, Tianzu is Jinghou, Gaozu and great-grandfather are hereditary Yehou, great-grandfather was forced to commit suicide during Emperor An, and grandfather took his family to Xuzhou. It has been three generations. The genealogy records are detailed and can be verified. Ah Chen was born to my cousin's daughter, and she is my grandson. He has been extremely intelligent since he was a child, so he hastily brought him to visit, and please forgive me."

The Marquis of Yuan he was talking about was Deng Yu. Deng Yu was the great-grandfather of Deng Hong's grandfather, that is, the sixth generation ancestor. Deng Hong's generation was already the seventh generation. His grandfather's grandfather was Deng Yu's sixth son, Deng Xun.

Deng Xun gave birth to Ye Hou Deng Kui, and Deng Guangzong, the eldest son of Deng Kui, succeeded Ye Hou. Because the Empress Dowager Deng died of illness, Emperor Han'an took charge and began to persecute the Deng family.

At that time, the Deng family had countless high-ranking officials in the court, and there were as many as seven or eight marquises. As a result, once the dynasty lost power, the upper-level dead were deposed by the deposed ones. The general Deng Zhi, his son Deng Feng, Yehou Deng Guangzong, Xihuahou Deng Zhong, Yin Dengbao of Henan, Deng Zun of Wuyang Marquis, and Deng Chang, a master craftsman, were forced to commit suicide.

After their death, the younger generations also suffered, and had to flee the capital Luoyang and the Xinye area, and moved to various places to settle down.Deng Hong's grandfather was the son of Ye Hou Deng Guangzong. After the Deng family was implicated, he moved to Huangmenting, Xuzhou.

So in retrospect, Deng Hongzu was still very prominent about 70 years ago.It's just that after all, so long has passed, times have changed, and the fluffy phoenix is ​​not as good as the chicken, and its original power has long since disappeared.

Hearing Deng Hong's words, Liu Biao nodded noncommittally: "So that's the case, it doesn't matter. Since you have already moved to Xuzhou, why did you come back?"

Deng Hong said bitterly: "There was a great chaos in the Kanto region. Yanzhou Mu Cao Cao and Xuzhou Mu Taoqian were at odds. The two sides attacked each other, causing Xuzhou to be ruined. Later, Cao Cao slaughtered several counties in Xuzhou, killing and injuring hundreds of thousands of people. The corpses blocked the river, and Surabaya did it. If you don’t flow, if you stay any longer, the clan will perish.”

"Is there such a thing?"

Liu Biao was very surprised and said, "This Cao Cao doesn't practice virtue, and he angers innocent people, which is not benevolent."

Deng Hong said: "It is precisely because of this that the clan decided to return to the ancestral land. Now in this world, only the people of Jingzhou, who make you rich, make the state strong. This is all because you cultivate benevolence, righteousness and virtue inside, and rule the king outside."

After a little flattering of Liu Biao, Liu Biao was really pleased: "Hahahaha, I am a son of the clan, and I will take care of one side for the emperor. Naturally, I must do my best. Since you are from a famous family, you must also know the meaning of the scriptures. I don't know what scriptures should be ruled? "

"On the Analects."

Deng Hong was a little embarrassed. When he fled, he could not bring long books with him at home. He could only bring short books such as "The Analects of Confucius" and "Book of Changes", so he actually read very few books.

Liu Biao thought for a while and said, "Then let me tell you, "If a country has the right way, its words are dangerous; if the country has no way, its words are dangerous." "What should be done?"

Deng Hong glanced at Shen Chen, and replied: "This is a warning from the sages to the world, they should be upright in their words and deeds, and be cautious in their words and deeds."

"are these all?"

Liu Biao was a little disappointed. Isn't this something that the world knows?
"Of course not."

Shen Chen suddenly said: "Uncle once said that Confucius said that Sun Fei is afraid of misfortune. If misfortune is of no benefit, then a gentleman should not do it. Therefore, it is also the right way to know how to advance and retreat, survive and perish without losing the righteousness."

"Oh?"

Liu Biao was quite surprised.

Beginning in the Han Dynasty, Confucian scholars began to interpret and annotate Confucian classics.

"The Analects of Confucius" is only a few thousand words in total, and it is not difficult to memorize it by rote.

The difficulty is whether we can analyze the meaning Confucius wanted to express through the situation and context at that time.

Different schools and schools have different ways of interpreting these classics because of their differences in writing, sentence punctuation and understanding.

There are even some Confucian scholars who like to be unconventional, and the words they analyze run counter to Confucius’ ideas, and they can be far-fetched. The world has no way to refute it, and it has become a family saying.

For example, in Zhao's "Book of Changes", Zhao Bin, who was mentioned by Shen Chen before, analyzed the "Jizi" in "Jizi Zhiming Yi Lizhen".

He believes that this is not a person's name, but the origin of all things, saying: "Yin and Yang Qi perish Jizi; Jizi is the origin of all things."

Because Zhao Bin is extremely eloquent, no one can speak against him, so this statement was actually recorded and became "Zhao Shiyi".

However, Liu Biao's sentence "When a state has its own way, its words are dangerous; if its state is not right, its words are dangerous."

Deng Hong only translated this sentence at the beginning, but Shen Chen's addition was unusual, it belonged to his own understanding, not a simple translation, and the content and interpretation were also very clever.

Hearing this sentence, Liu Biao nodded appreciatively and said: "That's right, you are very knowledgeable. Then "Master, I want to do my best, but I can't do it." "What's the point?"

"Forehead"

Deng Hong squeaked and said: "This is Confucius who saw the self-cultivation and morality of the envoy."

Liu Biao frowned, again with such a superficial understanding.

Shen Chen immediately took up the conversation and said: "That's why Confucius praised the envoy for respecting his master and his envoy. The so-called saying that he wants to do too much but fails, so he should save himself and restrain himself. If it is often not enough, it can be seen. The envoy's words The more self-deprecating the words, the better the virtuousness of the master can be said to know the heart of a gentleman, and he is good at eloquence. Therefore, the master said again that he valued beauty. According to Zhuang Zhou, "Boyu died at the age of fifty. I know what is wrong with 49 years." He also said: "Boyu's sixty years of travel and sixty years of transformation. "It is based on his merits of advancing virtue. He is old and tireless. It is based on practical actions and brilliance. Not only the emissary knows it, but the master also believes it."

Liu Biao's eyes lit up immediately, he nodded slightly and said, "Good! You handled it very well. Not only Boyu can advance in virtue, but also make others be able to advance in virtue. I think you, your grandson and grandson, are very impressed."

"To honor the king, this is what my uncle told me in normal times. Although I don't quite understand it, I have written it down and often read it silently in my heart."

Shen Chen again gave all the credit to Deng Hong, some things were easier for an adult Deng Hong to do than him.

Therefore, pushing Deng Hong to the foreground is the top priority.

Originally, Liu Biao had already recognized Deng Hong's talent and wanted to conscript him, but by mistake, he suddenly said: "Well, let's talk about it later, "A gentleman goes up and a villain goes down. "What's the point?"

Deng Hong hesitated for a moment, and after hesitating for a long time, he moved his lips and said: "A gentleman grows up, and a villain sinks down."

At this time, he wished he could get into the hole, because Liu Biao frowned again.

"A gentleman follows the principles of heaven, so he advances to a high level. A villain sacrifices his desires, so he investigates the bottom. Just as the ten permanent servants manipulate power and confuse the emperor for wealth, fame and fortune, the behavior of a villain is also the behavior of a villain. Party members rise up and fight. It is said that a gentleman is just and upright, and it is based on the principles of heaven. The difference between upper and lower is only in the slightest of a thought, and the opportunity to achieve it is inevitable."

Shen Chen replied neither humble nor overbearing, and at the same time gave Liu Biao an unobtrusive compliment. This horse's kung fu is far superior to Deng Hong's.

It's just that he doesn't know, it's already the third time, and it's almost time to reveal his secrets.

Liu Biao first looked at Deng Hong, and then at Shen Chen who was sitting upright with a serious face. Now even a fool could see that Deng Hong was not the main character, but the kid.

After all, how can an adult who can't answer anything, but a child answer it fluently?

Unless this Deng Hong wants to help his grandson become famous.

The problem is that Liu Biao also knows what Deng Honglai is doing. He just wants to gain a foothold in Jingzhou and seek an official position.

But if you don't behave yourself and let a child behave, can it be said that Liu Biao can really make a seven or eight-year-old boy an official?
This is obviously impossible.

So there is only one truth.

That is the level of knowledge of this child, far surpassing Deng Hong.

Thinking of this, Liu Biao's gaze towards Shen Chen suddenly became meaningful.

He didn't speak, and the atmosphere in the venue became a little awkward.

The grandparent and grandson looked at each other, and both of them were very nervous. If Liu Biao saw that Deng Hong had no knowledge, would he drive them out?
In that case, not to mention the wasted money, the life of the clan in Jingzhou will be sad.

But what they didn't expect was that Liu Biao was not furious. After a while, he looked at Shen Chen with piercing eyes and asked, "Did your uncle really teach you this?"

Shen Chen cupped his hands and said: "Return to the envoy, these are the principles that my uncle often told me when he taught me to read. It's just that my uncle has always been dull and not good at words. Maybe it's because I was a little nervous when I first met the envoy, and I forgot what I learned before. It's normal. The boy is not very old, seeing that the envoy is amiable, so he doesn't have so many worries when he speaks."

"Is that right?"

"That's it."

"nonsense."

Liu Biao pretended to be angry and said, "You are deceiving me."

Shen Chen stiffened his neck and said: "I didn't deceive the envoy, every sentence is the truth."

Deng Hong was afraid of offending Liu Biao, so he said quickly, "Your words are not rude, please forgive me."

"Hahahaha, you childish, it's interesting."

Unexpectedly, Liu Biao laughed loudly, looked at Deng Hong and said, "If your family has this son, it will be a great success."

At this age, many Confucian scholars in their 40s and [-]s have failed to understand the profound meaning of the scriptures. Is this more than a genius?
If it can be well cultivated in the future, I am afraid it will be a great achievement.

(End of this chapter)