The glorious history of the Shi family

In the 21st year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, Master Kang was overjoyed. Wu Sangui was finally defeated, and his thugs had been tempered by the battle. Although the Eight Banners' performance was somewhat disappointing, with a significant difference from their aggressive stance during the invasion, and some who had taken advantage of the situation were reported, the situation was finally over! The country didn't have to pay for the Three Feudatories, and could actually bring them under its control. How wonderful!

Master Kang was so happy that he not only offered sacrifices and made reports in Beijing, but also took his son to Shengjing. The emperor had to attend court in the first month of the lunar year, so it was difficult for him to leave the capital easily. As soon as February arrived, Master Kang boarded the long-prepared imperial carriage and set off. Therefore, the large group that rushed back tragically did not see Master Kang.

Soldiers: We have returned victorious. We haven't even shown off in front of you yet. Why are you leaving?

Master Kong: I also want to show off my achievements to my ancestors!

This has gone too far, let’s get back to the topic.

Shujia's daughter, Mafa, had also been with the army, so when he returned, the whole family had to welcome him. Fu Dali and Qingde had requested leave from school and, led by their second uncle and accompanied by a group of stewards and servants, waited at the gate. Xilute, accompanied by her daughter, concubine, maid, and nanny, was in the inner courtyard listening to the news.

Mafa first went to the main room of his residence, sat down, washed his face and changed his clothes, and then the men and women performed the ceremony together. After the ceremony, the old man first saw his granddaughter. He had gone to the army early and had seen his two grandsons, but he was still in the south when his granddaughter was born.

Shuxian and Shujia's growth and development values ​​fluctuated within the normal range, so their ages were relatively easy to estimate. The old man calculated in his mind, "Well, you little brat, I'm working hard in the front, and you're actually going home to give birth in the back!" The standard father looked so innocent. He just got the chance to go back to Beijing, report the situation, and was allowed to go home and stay overnight by Jia En.

We have strayed off topic again, so let's get back to the topic. The old man looked at his two granddaughters, both of whom were good-looking. The eldest granddaughter was more beautiful. Apart from a small braid on the top of her head, she also had some short hair on her scalp, and she had begun to grow her hair. He also said a few words gently. Although he had already estimated the ages of his granddaughters, he still followed the normal routine, first asking how old they were, and then asking if they had been named. Shuxian answered first: "My granddaughter is nine years old (in lunar age), and my father named her Shuxian." Shujia also answered in the same way. The old man said: "Well, I am relieved about your mother."

After the greetings, the family dinner was served, with men and women separated. The old man sat with his children and grandchildren in one area, while Xiluo Te and his daughter sat in the back hall, separated from them by a large screen with twelve panels. Because her mother-in-law was not present, and her father-in-law and brother-in-law were outside, Xiluo Te did not personally serve the food, but simply kept an eye on the table from behind the screen.

There weren't many people in the front, but it was quite lively. This old man loved a good time. He first asked if Second Uncle had been interested in doing any work recently, then asked, "The master took the Crown Prince to Shengjing, and the guards were accompanying them, but why didn't they ask you? Did you offend someone? Who gave you a hard time?!" The scoundrel old man's voice sounded like a bandit who would roll up his sleeves, grab weapons and bring people to smash the door if his youngest son said yes.

The second uncle said helplessly: "Father, there has to be someone on duty in the Forbidden City. The Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager are still living in the palace." Mafa snorted: "Forget it, you are still young. We'll talk about it next time it's your turn." The second uncle didn't even say a word this time. This father is unreliable, and that is definitely what he thought in his heart.

Mafa's attitude towards his grandsons became much kinder. He asked about their homework. Both grandsons had achieved excellent grades in the official school exams. Mafa was very proud and said, "After all, they are my grandsons. Our family has been a family of military honors for generations, and we followed the emperor into the country. You must not slack off in your riding and archery." Fu Dali and Qingde agreed. Then they started to eat.

The atmosphere was relaxed. At this time, it was more about holding grandchildren than sons, and the old man was more tolerant of his grandchildren than his sons. The old man looked at his eldest grandson, who was about fifteen or sixteen, and then at his youngest grandson, who was about thirteen or fourteen. The older one was almost as tall as an adult, mature and steady, while the younger one was also starting to grow, smart and delicate. The old man was very satisfied. After a few drinks, his words began to become unreliable: "You are all grown up, it's time to talk about wives. Oh," looking at his youngest son, "you are still single, I will find you a wife when I come back..."

Is there anyone who says this about an uncle in front of his nephew? Everyone was stunned.

The old man had already changed the subject, and was now lashing out at his former superiors: "Wu Shifan is dead, and he still hasn't come back! Isn't he just trying to delay and grab more? What a loser! I'm back first! The master has gone to Shengjing again... These bastards should be so proud of themselves by now, waiting for the master to return happily, and then they'll come back dead, and still be covered in dust."

Double the black line.

The old man cursed for a while and finally calmed down. Shujia was stunned. Cursing his boss like this at a family dinner might be okay two hundred years later, but now... in front of his son, daughter-in-law, grandson, granddaughter, and various servants, isn't it too careless and too disrespectful to his image?

After relieving himself and calming down, the old man returned to normal. Perhaps he felt that since he and his eldest son were not at home, the fact that his grandchildren had grown up to this point should be attributed to his eldest daughter-in-law, so he actually praised her seriously. Xiluo stood up from behind the screen and said, "Father, you are too kind."

The old man muttered, "Well, learn how to be a Han Chinese scholar. I will praise you as much as I can."

Shujia frowned. "Isn't your last name Shi? That's a Han surname, isn't it?" She had been a Han Chinese for over twenty years. Complaining to herself behind closed doors was one thing, but being criticized by others was another.

Glancing from the side, Xiluo Te was still sitting dignified, unmoved. The concubines, maids, and nannies standing to serve her seemed not to have heard anything. In fact, everyone outside the screen remained calm as well - the old man often spoke nonsense, and it was not uncommon for him to offend people because of his nonsense.

The old man seemed to recall something and asked his youngest son and two grandsons, "You've been so busy studying those four, five, and six chapters. Have you learned Chinese well?"

Four, five, six? The nephews' eyes flickered with confusion.

The Four Books, the Five Classics, the Six Arts... There was despair in my uncle's eyes.

After the eye contact, he still had to reply. Fu Dali was looked at by his uncle, and he stood up and replied softly: "Mafa, there are Manchu and Han teachers in the official school..." Don't you know about the official school? The old man pretended not to see the gaze of his children and grandchildren, and turned his head to the back and said: "Have the girls learned Mandarin?"

This time, the maids came out and bowed. "Madam asked us to teach her how to speak. Last year, we hired Mr. Jiang, who is under the Zhengbai banner and knows Mandarin."

The old man called his two granddaughters out again and slowly asked them in Manchu. What do you like to eat? Do you want to play games? Mafa brought some goodies from the south. What do you like? Grow up quickly and marry into a good family. Mafa will give you a lot of dowry. (After eight years of robbery, there must be a lot of goodies for dowry, right?)

The grandchildren were left out and felt a little embarrassed. My son's forehead twitched and asked, "Ah, are you being sulky?"

Shuxian and Shujia answered each question, speaking Manchu, of course. The old man was pleased, "Girls are so thoughtful," but he glared at his children and grandchildren. The Fudali brothers had little memory of their grandfather, who had been away from home for nearly ten years. But he had been fighting on the front lines for eight years, and they had long considered him a hero. Seeing this old scoundrel, they were so shocked that their eyes almost popped out. The second master remained calm, waiting for the old man's anger to flare up.

"Our ancestors' surname was Guarjia, Suwan Guarjia, a genuine Manchu! The surname is Shi? That's the first character of your great-grandfather's name..."

Shujia was confused by what she heard, but finally understood one thing: she, Yao Jing, who had been registered as a Han Chinese for more than 20 years in the household registration book, had changed into Shujia, the second daughter of the Shi family of the Han Army Banner, and now had become a Manchu of the Guwalgiya clan.

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The old man was very unhappy, and the welcoming banquet was a complete mess—this only refers to him; others felt happy just watching him get angry. Then he pointed to his second son: "First, explain everything about our family to them."

So, the second uncle searched through boxes and cabinets to find the family tree, and told his nephews and nieces about his family's glorious history and respect for their identity.

Shujia's family "has lived in Suwan for generations, and their surname is Guwaljia. During the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, there was a man named Buha who was the commander of the Left Guard of Jianzhou. Buha gave birth to Arsong'a, who inherited the position during the Jiajing period. Arsong'a gave birth to Shihan, who moved to Liaodong and took Shi as his surname." This is the origin of the surname Shi, and the fact that their ancestors were bureaucrats for generations and were very successful in the Ming Dynasty.

"Shi Han had three sons: Guozhu, Tianzhu, and Tingzhu. During the Wanli period, Tingzhu was the garrison commander of Guangning, and Tianzhu was a thousand-man commander. When Taizu Shi arrived, Governor Wang Huazhen entered the city. Tianzhu went out with the student Guo Zhaoji to pay him a visit, saying, 'We have already guarded the city gates.' The next day, after entering the city, Tingzhu surrendered with the others and was given the hereditary title of guerrilla commander, commanding the surrendered troops."—This is said to have been copied from official records. What the hell!

Shujia declined to comment on this.

Then there are the brilliant achievements of the Shi Tingzhu brothers. Oh, yes, Shi Tingzhu is the ancestor of this branch of their family. Shi Guozhu became the Minister of Works, Shi Tianzhu served as the Minister of Justice, and the most remarkable one is Shi Tingzhu. When talking about his achievements, my uncle's face was filled with a hint of pride.

Shi Tingzhu, using Guangning as a token of his allegiance, joined Nurhaci and his son on their campaigns, including defeating the Mongols and the Koreans. He also liaised with Zu Dashou and worked alongside Kong Youde and Shang Kexi. Upon the establishment of the Han Army Banner, he joined the Plain White Banner and became Gushan Ezhen of the Bordered Red Banner (note: this was actually the Bordered Red Banner Commander, a Manchu term at the time). He was stationed in Jingkou and captured Taiyuan. Upon his retirement, he was promoted to both the Grand Tutor and the Junior Tutor of the Crown Prince, and then to the hereditary rank of Third Rank Earl. After his death, he was granted the titles of Junior Tutor and Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince.

My second uncle looked on with longing at the former earl, whose achievements were commemorated on a stone tablet. Then there was my grandfather's generation. He had six brothers, and he was the third. His name was Huashan, and he was a Heshuo Efu (son-in-law) to a Heshuo Gege (a princess). Well, that's not the point. The point is... Gege's biological father was Duoduo, who had been a Heshuo Prince Yu. It's said that he had an older brother named Dorgon, born from the same mother.

Hua Shan’s time as Duoduo’s son-in-law was short-lived, as Shujia’s grandmother died in the sixth year of the Shunzhi reign at the age of sixteen, shortly after giving birth to their only son, Shi Wenbing. Shi Wenbing was Shujia’s standard father. He was the son of a princess, and after Shi Tingzhu died in the twenty-fourth year of the Shunzhi reign, the title of third-rank baron was inherited by him, not his father. The reason was—Hua Shan couldn’t remain a bachelor forever, right? So, after Dorgon’s fall, he remarried and gave birth to a son, his second uncle, Shi Wenzhuo. [1] Tragically, Hua Shan’s auspiciousness was comparable to that of Master Kang, but his second wife also died. Fortunately, he was more self-aware and did not remarry.

That's not right! Thanks to a book about the Ming Dynasty, Shujia is quite familiar with Ming Dynasty history. To clarify the context, she even compiled a genealogical chart of the reigns: Chenghua, Hongzhi, Zhengde, Jiajing, Longqing, and finally the end of the Wanli reign. Isn't that a gap of a century and a half?!

Their family has only gone through four generations? Buha was already old enough to hold an official position during the Chenghua era, so he was at least a young man... Oh my gosh... Are her family truly Manchu or just fakes?! In other words, 150/4 = 37.6, meaning each generation only had the next when they were nearly 40 years old to make up for the difference. While there are cases where the eldest and youngest sons have a significant age difference, what's the probability of this happening for four generations in a row? "Inheritance" requires the eldest son to be the heir apparent if there's a legitimate son, or the eldest son if there's no legitimate son. It's just a coincidence that the legitimate son is born late in every generation, right?

Or...did they miss a generation or two? Early marriage is the norm these days, isn't it? Even six generations is perfectly normal. Did the genealogy have a mistake?

In her ears, Shi Wenzhuo continued to talk about the achievements of his ancestors, and Shujia was already lost in thought. (Ahem, actually, Hua Shan is the third child, not the eldest... Girl, you... are you really stupid?)

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Shujia drifted back into the house like a wandering spirit, her mind replaying the story: "My ancestors sold out Guangning, my great-grandfather was Duoduo, who slaughtered people all over Jiangnan..." Shi Wenzhuo hadn't introduced Shujia's grandfather, the Minister of War, but judging by his seniority and age, he likely shared the same experience. They were almost all involved in the massacres they once loathed. Having so many relatives like him was truly heartbreaking.

This time, even the right to criticize in private was revoked, and she was extremely depressed. She was not one to like to bring up the past. Fifty-six ethnic groups were one family. At most, she would say so verbally, but it was difficult for her to be radical in her heart. But how long ago was that? Time, the good medicine, has smoothed over many things, okay? What about now? When is it now? Wu Sangui is still wearing his hair and proclaiming himself emperor under the banner of restoring Chinese clothing! She can't pretend that nothing happened. What is tragic? This is tragic! Shujia hugged her head.

Oh my God, sister!

[1] After some changes, the radicals of the characters Bing and Zhuo are the same, so the two are assumed to be brothers.