Qin Official

Boatman, can you hurry up?

Seeing the old fisherman rocking the oar slowly, the other side seemed far away. Looking up at the sun again, Bai Sheng was almost dying of anxiety.

Bai Sheng's family is a small landowner on the outskirts of Jimo City. The family owns 300 acres of land. Although there are several farmhands to help with the work, every spring, his father will take Bai Sheng to the fields himself. This year was no exception. His father and he dug out the ditches that had become silted up in the winter in preparation for spring plowing and sowing in the coming days.

While working, his father was trying to be brave but accidentally slipped away. Bai Sheng could only send him home first, and then hurried to Dagu Water Ferry to ask the boatman to take him to the east coast...

This delay in going back and forth means you must be late. Master hates disciples who are late. Bai Sheng held the bamboo slips in his sleeves and looked anxious. The weather had become hot.

Finally, the boat docked, but Bai Sheng ignored the etiquette and jumped ashore after leaving a few pennies. There was a small market at the ferry. There were many people, but they did not dare to speak loudly, because a group of Qin soldiers armed with guns and spears, led by an officer in soap clothes, were pasting notices made on the wall of the market gate. The Qin soldiers' black A, in sharp contrast to the plain white Confucian uniforms of the Confucian scholars.

What happened again?

Bai Sheng secretly thought that it was usually not good news to post official documents. It was either recruiting people to serve, or it was a arrogant announcement that a battle had been won far away in the northern part of the Saipei, and Hulu had been beheaded.

It has nothing to do with us if the Qin people win the war. Bai Sheng muttered secretly.

In fact, there were not many people watching, because ordinary Jiaodong people, let alone Qin Zhuan, knew few characters of Qi. The same is true for Bai Sheng. Although he has been the head of Guizhou of the Qin Dynasty for several years, he still studied the Qiyan Qizi, poetry, calligraphy, etiquette and music, and has no interest in the laws and regulations of the Qin Dynasty.

In his father's words, if he farmed three hundred acres of land diligently, his annual harvest would be no worse than that of a county official. Why should he become a Qin official who would offend his fellow villagers? After all, there are only a few people who help others, and not everyone wants to be an official.

Although Bai Sheng was curious about what was written on the notice, he had no time to wait for the clerk to read it in Dong Qi language, so he hurried towards Taolin.

In the peach grove on the east coast, there is an open space that is very famous in the local area. A few years ago, a great Confucian named Fuqiupo who came here from Lu region opened a teaching forum here. People from far and near heard about his reputation and came to study.

It is said that Fuqiubo was a disciple of Xunzi and was famous for mastering 300 poems. He was originally active in Lu and Huaisi. After the death of Chu, the Qin people occupied the land of Lu, and Fuqiu Bo took refuge in Jiaodong.

Unexpectedly, Qi also died soon. Fortunately, Qin Zheng could not leave Jimo City, and the local government did not pay much attention to them. Fu Qiu Bo continued to teach. The bundles he received were not expensive, just a few dried meat sticks. As a result, the number of students increased, and there are now more than a hundred people.

As usual, Bai Sheng could see dozens of people sitting on the ground from a distance, occupying the entire peach grove, and their master, Fuqiupo, was in the middle.

The weather is warm today, the sun is clear but not too hot, and the thrushes are singing beside the peach trees with green buds. This is a good weather for listening to lessons. The master and his disciples should have been reading poems or discussing issues intensely, but today they are not Somewhat unusual, everything is quiet. Bai Sheng even saw a few middle-aged people who, although they were apprentices to Uncle Fuqiu, rarely came to attend classes. All of them had solemn faces.

Seeing these situations, Bai Sheng was a little surprised, An Daozi, couldn't he be angry because I was late? He could only bite the bullet and step forward, cupping his hands and saying: Master, the disciple is late...

Fu Qiubo was sitting under an old peach tree. He was quite old, his back was a little bent, and his hair was sparse, but the white hair on his temples was still meticulously combed. On the right side of the mat were several rolls of bamboo slips, and in front of the mat was a flat piece of bamboo slips. There is a sand table and a branch, which the disciples use to practice calligraphy.

Fuqiubo originally looked at Shatu in silence, but Bai Sheng's arrival seemed to wake him up. He did not blame the disciple for being late, and nodded gently and asked him to sit down.

Bai Sheng quickly sat down in his usual seat. Next to him was Lu Musheng, who had been following his master since Lu. He asked Lu Musheng in a low voice: What happened?

Lu Musheng turned his head, with a trace of redness in his eye circles: You haven't heard?

Bai Sheng was busy taking care of his father, so he didn't know what had happened. Looking at the other classmates, they all looked very sad and felt even more confused. At this time, Fuqiubo spoke.

Second and Third Son, instead of giving lectures today, let me first recite Qi Feng along with the old man.

The class seemed to have returned to normal, and the ups and downs of reciting resounded through the peach forest. Fuqiubo asked everyone to stand up one by one and recite the eleven Qi Feng. Bai Sheng recited The East Is Not Bright and was praised by Fu Qiu Bo.

When it was the turn of the next Jimo disciple named Shen Sheng, he sang Cockcrow and was so excited that his voice trembled.

No one laughed at this surprising situation, they all felt the same way.

Then, they picked up the branches and began to write the chapters and sentences in a straight line on the sand table in front of them.

The Qi family of characters is not limited to the Qi Kingdom, but includes the three kingdoms of Qi, Lu, and Zhu. There are many variant characters and eye-catching decorative strokes. They look very fancy and beautiful, just like the life of the Qi people.

Usually everyone has little interest in simple things like writing, but now everyone is so focused. The peach forest is very quiet. You can hear the soft sound of branches cutting through the sand. Sometimes some birds and magpies fly by and chirp, but no one looks up.

They all wrote extremely seriously, as if this was their last lesson.

After some work was done, the sun tilted a little further to the west. Fuqiupe sighed, asked everyone to stop writing, and said:

Today, I not only want to talk about Poetry, I also want to talk about the history of Confucianism!

…

In the peach forest, simple and logical words were spoken with the hoarse and old voice of the great scholar Fuqiu Bo.

I learned from Xunzi. Xunzi said that the Zhou Dynasty was in decline and Guanyong was in charge. The secluded and solemn people were weak and the rituals and music were ruined. The princes acted as they pleased, and the government was governed by a strong country.

Therefore, Confucius was worried that the royal way would be abolished and the evil way would rise, so he compiled Poems and Books and arranged rituals and music. When he went to Qi State and heard the wonderful Shao music, he was so addicted that he didn't know the taste of meat in March. He came from Wei The state returned to the state of Lu and began to correct the music so that the music of Ya and Song could be returned to their respective places in an orderly manner. However, due to the chaos of the world, no one used Confucius. He could only sigh: If any princes are willing to use Qiu, all it takes is In one year, the country can be well managed.' At that time, a unicorn was hunted in the western suburbs of Lu. After hearing this, Confucius lamented, 'My way is poor.' So in his last days, Confucius wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals to serve as the king's law. The diction is concise and profound with profound meaning, and many scholars of later generations have recorded it...

Confucius taught without distinction, which was the beginning of private learning in the world. It replaced the declining official learning and became popular in the world for hundreds of years.

Fu Qiubo continued: Since the death of Confucius, the seventy-year-old disciples have scattered among the princes. The older ones are masters and ministers, while the younger ones are friends with religious officials, or they may disappear. But whether it is the Three Jin Dynasties, or Qi, Chu, Yanlu, There are Confucian scholars all over the world. Those who live in Xihe teach them with Wei Yan, those who enter Jixia teach them with Qi Yan, and those who live in Lanling teach them with Chu Yan. Therefore, the world is fighting for the Warring States Period, and although the art of cowardice is weak, it is not abolished. Especially this. There was no shortage of scholars between Qi and Lu. During the period of Wei and Xuan, there were Mencius and Xunqing who followed Confucius's career and polished it, so that their learning would be prominent in the world.

Bai Sheng listened carefully, but he also felt that something was wrong. Today, the master seemed to want to teach them everything he knew and stuff it into everyone's minds at once. And why is there an indescribable sadness in those words, while the faces of the students are full of anger?

Sure enough, Uncle Fuqiu's face immediately turned sad: What a pity, in this world, not only the six arts will be lost to the hands of the old, but even the writing of Qilu will be lost?

The old Confucian looked up again and saw that the sun had completely set to the west, just like it had during his career as a teacher.

He passed away like a man, never giving up day and night. Two or three sons, the sun is about to set, and the last lesson taught by Fuqiupu to you will end here!

Master!

Everyone burst into tears and rushed forward to save him. Only then did Bai Sheng understand the reason why the master and his classmates were lamenting in anger!

Shen Sheng explained his doubts and said: The new county governor in Jimo City has issued an order that private learning will be prohibited and students will not be allowed to teach in the same language. I am afraid I will no longer be able to teach students in the peach forest.

When Bai Sheng heard this, he was shocked and extremely sad. He also immediately understood that the announcement posted on the wall of the Dukou store by those crow-like Qin officials was probably about this!

Lu Musheng on the side said bitterly: The new governor has opened a public school and wants the disciples of the wealthy families in Jiaodong to enroll and teach Qin's laws and regulations in Qin dialect and Qin language. He originally wanted to invite the master to hold a public school ceremony. When the Master rejected him, he became angry and ordered that from tomorrow onwards, no one can gather together to teach private learning. Anyone who violates this will be exiled! If you want to learn, you can enter a public school and use officials as your teachers...

Even a great Confucian must bow his head before power. Outside the peach forest, there are always Qin officials and Qin soldiers watching. The new governor only allows Fuqiu Bo to teach until sunset. Once the time has passed, people will be sent to drive him away. Got it!

Fu Qiubo stood up helplessly and said meaningfully: As I just said, although Lu is dead, as long as the Spring and Autumn is still there, Lu will not be destroyed. Even though Qi is dead, if it is recited in the same language, Qi Feng is still there, so Qi will never be destroyed...

Remember this sentence, this is your last lesson!

Fuqiupe looked at his disciples and then at the familiar peach forest. He suddenly choked up and couldn't speak any more. He just gestured with his hands: Disciples, please disperse...

…

Fu Qiu Bo walked away with the support of several disciples, leaving only Bai Sheng and dozens of others standing there blankly.

I haven't recited all the eleven poems of Qi Feng yet. Bai Sheng wiped his tears. He didn't expect that his studies would end like this. And judging from this, if they continued to study selflessly in the future, they would never learn anything. Poetry book?

In the past, he was delayed by family affairs, did not study hard, and missed many Master's classes. Now he regrets it.

Me too, Master is right. If one day, the scholars of Qi can no longer even write the word Qi and forget the hundreds of years of history of Qi, then what qualifications do they have to say that they are Qi people? ?”

At this time, the young scholar named Shen Sheng, who was so excited that tears filled his eyes when he recited Qi Feng, stood up suddenly and said sadly and angrily:

Didn't the new governor say that he wanted to establish legal teachings and save punishment? Nowadays, private education is prohibited, which is no different from King Zhou Li's blocking of people's speech!

The young man was passionate and easily impulsive. Shen Sheng became excited and raised his arms and shouted: Second and Third Sons, we will go to the township school and report this matter to the leaders and common people, and ask them to follow us and petition the government. Who is willing to accompany me when I resume private studies!?

…

On the other side, in the evening, Heifu had just finished working for the day and was about to go back to eat and rest, but there was a faint drum beat in his ears...

Where is the drum sounding?

While Hei Fu frowned, Chen Ping hurried in and reported: The county guard, there are a dozen disciples of Fu Qiu Bo who are dissatisfied with the laws and regulations. They went to the long-abandoned rural school and beat drums to summon the people. Now there are thousands of them. People gather!”

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