Silver Fox of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 97 Kong Ming
In March, the afternoon sun in Xiangyang is dazzling, and the temperature is not too high, maybe more than 20 degrees.

Weeds are overgrown outside the west city, and there are undulating mountains in the distance. There are some villages and farmlands at the foot of the mountains. Farther away, there are the Qinling Mountains towering into the sky like the back of a black dragon.

The carriage drove slowly past Atou Mountain along the road full of yellow mud, Longzhong was not far ahead, and many carriages could be seen parked there.

Longzhong is actually in the mountains. There are two low hills on the left and right sides. There is a large area of ​​farmland in the depression at the foot of the mountain. Some houses are built row upon row along the hill.

Zhuge's family is among them, not an ordinary small farmyard, but a tiled courtyard common to the gentry in the Han Dynasty, not to mention the waterside pavilions and terraces of top wealthy families, but it is quite a family, surrounded by walls on the outside, and tiled houses on the inside Four or five rooms.

Hearing the news that Zhuge Xuan was critically ill, many of his friends in Jingzhou came to visit him one after another.When Shen Chen arrived, there were many carriages parked outside the courtyard, about a dozen of them, and there were also carriages coming from behind.

There was a little boy welcoming him at the door, and Shen Chen was a regular visitor. Seeing him coming, the little boy said, "Shen Xiaolang."

"Anu, how is uncle?"

Shen Chen got out of the carriage and immediately asked about the situation.

Xiao Tong shook his head and said, "Now that I'm in a coma, Da Lang and Shao Lang don't know what to do."

"What did the doctor say?"

"It is said that it may not survive tonight."

"Oh, let me go in and have a look."

Shen Chen sighed. In the medical situation in ancient times, even pneumonia was a terminal illness, which Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing couldn't cure. It could only depend on God's will.

Entering the courtyard, passing through the front hall to the atrium, I saw many people in the courtyard, some of whom I knew and some of whom I did not know, and after paying respects to those I knew, I went to the atrium. Blinded, eyes closed, face pale.

Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Jun, Zhuge sisters and their husbands Kuai Qi and Pang Shanmin were all around.

At this moment, Zhuge Liang's face was solemn, Zhuge Jun's eyes were red, Zhuge sisters knelt on the side table and silently wiped their tears, Kuai Qi and Pang Shanmin stood beside their wives, their faces were not very good-looking.

Although Zhuge Xuan was only Zhuge Liang's uncle, Zhuge Gui died of illness early, so Zhuge Liang's siblings were raised by his elder brother Zhuge Jin for the first few years. When Cao Cao slaughtered Xuzhou, Zhuge Xuan went to Mount Tai to bring the Zhuge family. Jingzhou, Zhuge Xuan raised them after that.

Therefore, in their eyes, Zhuge Xuan is no different from his biological father. His critical illness, whether it is for Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Junyi or the married Zhuge sisters, is a very bad thing. In general, people have nowhere to rely on.

Shen Chen stood at the door without going in, after a while Deng Hong and Liu Xian came over, saw Shen Chen nodding, and entered the hall, Zhuge Liang and others saluted them, the two visited Zhuge Xuan, and saw that he was still there He was in a coma, so he didn't bother, he came out after a second glance, and everyone was waiting in the yard.

"Achen."

"Uncle, Mr. Zongshi."

"Ah."

Deng Hong nodded and said, "I heard you went down the mountain?"

Shen Chen smiled wryly and said, "Good things don't go out, bad things spread thousands of miles."

"It's also good to go down the mountain."

Deng Hong said, "Any plans for the future?"

Shen Chen thought for a while and said: "Let's continue to study, learning is endless."

"Ah."

Deng Hong responded.

A few more people came outside the speaking room, they were all colleagues in the State Shepherd's Mansion, and they greeted each other and chatted.

Shen Chen still sat cross-legged on the porch.

Zhuge Liang actually saw him, but at this moment he couldn't leave his uncle's side, so he nodded slightly to his uncle, and Shen Chen nodded in the same way, without saying a word.

Soon in the evening, more than three or forty people came to the courtyard. After visiting Zhuge Xuan who was still in a coma, and expressing regret to Zhuge Liang and others, they all sat in the banquet and waited.

The doctor said that we might not survive tonight, so no one left.

At this moment, "Uncle" was heard from the inner room, and everyone froze in their hearts, rushing into the room.

Due to distance and distance, the positions are different, the innermost ones are relatives such as Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jun, followed by friends such as Deng Hong and Liu Xian, and then the rest of colleagues and friends. Shen Chen is in the crowd, leaning against the wall and watching.

Then he saw Zhuge Xuanyou on the wooden floor waking up, his face was not as pale as before, and seeing Zhuge Liang beside him, he forced a smile on his face and said with difficulty: "Ah Liang, Ah Jun"

"uncle."

Zhuge Liang stepped forward to hold his hand, holding back tears and said: "Are you awake?"

"Ah."

Zhuge Xuan responded, and coughed softly: "Ahem, I'm afraid I won't survive tonight. Both nieces are married. I don't have any regrets in this life, but I don't worry about my two nephews. Ah Liang, after I die , you should take on the responsibility of taking care of the younger brother, understand?"

"Uncle, don't talk about life and death lightly, you will get better."

Zhuge Liang comforted in a deep voice.

Zhuge Xuan gave a wry smile, and said with difficulty: "Life and death have their own destiny, how can I not know that the end has come? After I die, you will have no elders. You are the crown, so you should take the name of the watch."

"Please give me the word, uncle."

Zhuge Liang raised his robe and knelt down in front of Zhuge Xuan.

In ancient times, men generally reached adulthood at the age of 20, which was called Jiguan, which means that they would grow up after that, and they would start to assume family responsibilities, and even separate to become the head of the family.

But there are exceptions.

That is, the elders are all dead, and among the remaining children, the oldest male must inherit the family business in advance.

For example, before Zhuge Xuan brought the Zhuge family to Jingzhou, Zhuge Gui died of illness, Zhuge Liang's half-brother Zhuge Jin had to serve his stepmother and raise Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Jun and other brothers and sisters. became the head of the Zhuge family.

Later, after Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jun's biological mother and Zhuge Jin's stepmother died, Zhuge Xuan came to pick them up to Jingzhou, but Zhuge Jin didn't go. At this time, he separated from Zhuge Liang and the others and went to Jiangdong alone to develop.

Therefore, at that time, Zhuge Jin left home to start his own business, and the head of the Zhuge family in Langya became Zhuge Xuan, so Zhuge Liang didn't need to take the title to inherit the family business.

Now that Zhuge Xuan is dead again, Zhuge Jin has separated and left, and the burden of the Zhuge family head in Langya will naturally fall on Zhuge Liang's head.

Zhuge Xuan bestowed characters on Zhuge Liang before he died. In a sense, it is an ancient inheritance order.

His breath gradually weakened, watching Zhuge Liang knelt down in front of him, and said softly: "I have already thought about your word, let's say Kong Ming."

"Thank you, Uncle, for giving me the words, Kong Ming."

Zhuge Liang kowtowed to salute.

Since then, his surname is Zhuge, his first name is Liang, and his courtesy name is Kongming.

"I have no regrets in this life."

Zhuge Xuan smiled.

After he gave Zhuge Liang a letter, many friends from behind came up to visit.

As an elegant scholar, Zhuge Xuan had a wide range of friends, including the Cai family, the Kuai family, the Pang family, the Huang family and other major families in Jingzhou had his friends.

For example, Pang Tong's father, Kuai Liang of the Kuai family, Huang Chengyan of the Huang family, and even Cai Zan and Cai Yan of the Cai family are all here.

Among them, Cai Yan is not that Cai Wenji, but Cai Mao's cousin.

When Luo Guanzhong wrote "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", he fictionalized the Cai family as Cai Zhong and Cai He, but in fact Cai Mao's cousins' real names were Cai Yan and Cai Zan.

Both of these two were officials in other places in the early years. Cai Yan used to be the prefect of Ba County, and Cai Zan was the county magistrate of Mei County. After the Dong Zhuo Rebellion, they both abandoned their officials and returned to their hometowns. father.

Many of Zhuge Xuan's friends came forward to express condolences one by one. Zhuge Xuan dragged his sick body to talk to them one by one. Finally, I was able to take care of Brother Zhuge Liang a little bit.

Hearing that his uncle was still worried about them before he died, Zhuge Liang and Zhuge stood beside him solemnly, but tears flowed silently from their eyes, and they had already become tears.

To a certain extent, Zhuge Xuan struggled to explain his funeral to his friends while dragging his sick body. In fact, he was using his last bit of influence to ask his friends before him to help Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jun brothers in the future.

Later, Zhuge Liang was related to all the major families in Jingzhou, and he worked as a lobbyist everywhere to help Liu Bei gain a foothold in Jingzhou, and persuaded Sun Quan to join forces to fight against Cao. is working.

So Zhuge Xuan's kindness to Zhuge Liang and the others is really as high as mountains and seas, making the four brothers and sisters cry uncontrollably, and afraid of disturbing their uncle and many guests, they can only cover their mouths and cover their faces with their sleeves , sobbing softly.

After a while, Zhuge Xuan and many friends greeted each other with difficulty, lay down on the wooden slum, and continued chatting with everyone, marking the end of his life, saying goodbye to everyone and leaving.

When it was getting late, his voice became weaker and weaker, and his complexion, which had improved a little bit, began to turn pale, and then it seemed that there was only air coming out, not in, and his mouth was slightly opened, as if there were countless words Want to say, but can't say anything.

"Uncle, uncle?"

Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Jun, Zhuge sisters rushed forward.

Zhuge Xuan forced a smile in the end, and then slowly slipped his head off the pillow.

"Uncle! Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo."

Eldest sister Zhuge tremblingly stretched out her fingers to press on Zhuge Xuan's pulse, and then burst into tears with a wow.

"Wooooow, uncle."

Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Jun and the others couldn't stop their tears from crying.

Everyone around suddenly realized that Zhuge Xuan had died of illness, and they all looked sad and sighed endlessly.

Many of them shed tears, and his former friends all shed tears of sorrow.

Liu Xian wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his wide sleeved robe, stepped forward and advised, "Kong Ming, Ah Jun, the most important thing now is to take care of your uncle's funeral."

"Woooooooooooo."

The three Zhuge brothers and sisters were still crying.

Only Zhuge Liang wiped away his tears with red eyes and lowered his head sadly and said: "Uncle is right. Uncle died of illness. As a nephew, you should take care of the funeral affairs for uncle first."

As the head of the family, he must take on this responsibility.

Immediately Zhuge Liang got up and ordered the servants to start arranging the things that had been prepared.

In fact, everyone had already expected this step, otherwise the Zhuge family would not have informed everyone to come, so they had already made preparations.

This was also Zhuge Xuan's last words. He could feel that the end was approaching, so he asked Zhuge Liang to buy some plain cloth, and at the same time asked him to send someone to notify his friends to come.

One is to see the last side, and the other is for everyone to help Zhuge Liang after his death.

Now that Zhuge Xuan died of illness, the funeral will naturally begin.

(End of this chapter)