Chapter 94: Posthumous Honors
Ban means "in order." "Bu" is the name of a sacrifice on the day after the last day of mourning. "Bu" also means "subordinate." Sacrifices are made in the order of the ancestors and are subordinate to them.
It was neither the hundredth day nor the anniversary, but Lin Changqing's tomb was extremely lively. His new tomb had been renovated and widened by more than three times, and the tombstone in front of the grave was even taller.
There were twice as many monks around who were in charge of the salvation ceremony as there were during the funeral. The sounds of the sutras were heard one after another and never stopped.
Not only were there paper money, puppets, and paper carriages piled up in front of the grave, there were even living animals, all of which would be used for memorial services later. Not to mention the homes of ordinary people, even the gentry rarely indulged in such extravagance and ostentation.
What was even more surprising was that the person who cried this time was the magistrate Cai Wen. His eyes were red, his voice was hoarse, and he cried even harder than if his own father had died.
Su Fengzhang did not stand in the front. He followed closely, watching the luxurious sacrificial items being set on fire. A strange smell floated in the originally fresh air, making people's throats itch.
He lowered his eyelids slightly and waited quietly for this grand and lively worship to be over.
It was indeed lively. Almost all the people in Yuexi Village had come here. It was still the busy farming season, but they would rather put down their work and come to see the excitement.
These people were not even sad about Lin Changqing's death, but just talked about this grand event with relish.
Standing next to Su Fengzhang was the village chief, Su Wenhui. He couldn't help but sigh softly, "I never thought that Mr. Lin lived such a poor life, yet received such honors after his death."
Some even said, "Yes, if I could have such a glorious life after my death, it would be worth it even if I died right now."
Su Fengzhang glanced in the direction of the person who was speaking, and saw that he looked serious, as if he really thought so.
The village chief noticed that he looked unhappy and asked in a low voice, "Erlang, what's wrong with you? You don't look very happy."
Su Fengzhang shook his head and said, "I'm very happy for him."
What he said was true. Since he was already dead, it was better to have this honor than not at all. He has always been such a rational person.
It's just that there are some indescribable emotions in his heart. Is it pity, lament, or guilt? Su Fengzhang himself can't tell the difference. In the end, it just becomes a heavy emotion.
The worship service was coming to an end. Eunuch Liu was just watching from the sidelines. At the end, he joined in lighting a stick of incense. He was not as exaggerated as Lord Cai.
He watched the sacrifice until it was finished, then smiled and said, "Mr. Lin has such a posthumous honor, it can be said that his life on earth was not in vain."
Magistrate Cai also said: "It is only because of your majesty's grace, respect for the virtuous and humble, and love for the people like your own children that Mr. Lin can have such an honor today."
Eunuch Liu simply smiled and didn't say anything. Instead, he turned and looked at the crowd, asking, "I heard that Mr. Lin's good friend Su Fengzhang is from Yuexi Village. Why isn't he here today?"
"Su Fengzhang is over there. He probably didn't come closer because he was afraid of disturbing the sacrifice." County Magistrate Cai explained.
Magistrate Cai quickly waved to the crowd, "Feng Zhang, come over and meet Eunuch Liu."
Su Fengzhang followed his words and walked over, bowing to the two of them: "I greet Mr. Cai and Eunuch Liu."
Eunuch Liu looked him over carefully, his smile growing even wider. "Is this Mr. Su Fengzhang? He certainly looks handsome and talented."
Su Fengzhang smiled faintly and replied, "You are too kind, Eunuch Liu. I am not very knowledgeable and talented, and I am not worthy of being in such a refined place."
The more he acted neither humble nor arrogant, the more Eunuch Liu looked up to him.
Of course, Eunuch Liu thought highly of him, not because he liked scholars of this kind of character, but because he knew the emperor's preferences very well. Since Su Fengzhang had already caught the emperor's eye and was so handsome and elegant, it was obvious at a glance that he was the type of literati that the emperor liked most. As long as he walked steadily, he would have a bright future. Naturally, he was willing to serve such a person well.
"Mr. Su, you are too modest. Everyone knows that you and Mr. Lin are both the two greatest men in the lake and mountains, and are among the best figures here. Mr. Lin's poems have been passed down through the ages, and Mr. Su is almost as good. You must not be so self-deprecating."
These words surprised the Magistrate Cai who was standing next to him. How come he had never heard of the Two Heroes of Lake and Mountain?
But since it was Eunuch Liu who said this, Magistrate Cai immediately stroked his beard and smiled, "That's right. Feng Zhang has been studious since childhood and quite talented. He previously took the Qingzhou Prefecture entrance examination and indeed won first place. He was even praised by the Fifth Prince and Magistrate Fang."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Liu laughed and said, "So there is such a thing. Young Master Su is a man of great bearing and bearing. He is indeed not an incompetent man."
He even said: "Last year, the Fifth Prince praised Master Su, and this year, His Majesty also praised Master Su. It can be seen that there is a connection."
County Magistrate Cai's ears perked up. Fate? Fate with whom? With the royal family? His heart burned, and he wanted to kneel down and thank Su Fengzhang immediately.
Su Fengzhang simply bowed slightly and replied, "Your Excellency, I am truly humbled by your praise. I will study diligently and tirelessly in the future to live up to your grace."
Seeing that although he was young, he was not arrogant and his words and deeds were flawless, Eunuch Liu thought more highly of him.
He smiled and said, "As it should be. We are still looking forward to meeting Master Su in the capital during the imperial examination."
After saying this, Eunuch Liu suddenly asked, "Did Master Su write 'Song of the Year Flower' himself?"
"That's right." Su Fengzhang replied.
Eunuch Liu said, "Song of the Flower of the Year is so well-written and well-organized that it is rare for men to enjoy reading it. The women in the harem also enjoy it. Not to mention others, His Majesty has also praised it repeatedly, calling it a rare and good storybook."
Su Fengzhang didn't know what he meant, and didn't know how to express himself for a moment, so he could only thank him again.
Eunuch Liu smiled and said, "Alright, everyone must be tired, let's go."
After saying this, he led the way down the mountain. Magistrate Cai did not immediately follow him. Instead, he walked up to Su Fengzhang and whispered, "Could it be that Eunuch Liu wants you to write a few more storybooks so he can present them to His Majesty?"
Su Fengzhang frowned upon hearing this. County Magistrate Cai suggested, "If that's the case, it would be a great blessing. Why not give it a try?"
"It's just a storybook. If Eunuch Liu doesn't like it, just throw it away. It's harmless."
Su Fengzhang said, "'Song of the Flower of the Year' is based on a true story, which is why it is so thrilling. I don't have the talent to write a storybook, so even if I did, it would be a mess. It would be better to give up and leave a good reputation behind."
County Magistrate Cai felt it was a pity, as this was a good thing that could be directly reported to the emperor.
He has been an official for so many years, but this is the first time he has had a relationship with His Majesty the Emperor. He can't wait to cling to this thigh tightly.
"Why don't you try writing it first? How do you know it won't work if you haven't written it yet?"
"Okay, I'll give it a try." Su Fengzhang said this, but he was determined in his heart that he would not write.
Not to mention that he really is not cut out for writing storybooks, even if he had millions of stories in his mind, he would definitely not write them at this moment.
"Sui Hua Yin" was fine, as it was originally just to clear his name. If he continued to write other scripts, even if they were sent to the emperor, what difference would he make from an actor singing a play?
He did not look down on actors, but in those days, actors had a low status. Why did he give up a good career path in the imperial examination and instead take this crooked path?
Furthermore, even though Eunuch Liu seems to be very powerful in Hushan County, the truly favored eunuchs will not be sent out. After all, Lin Changqing and he are not important figures.
After thinking about it, it is easy to send this book out, but the benefits gained are minimal, and there may even be endless doubts. Su Fengzhang is a sober person, so how could he do a business that is obviously a loss-making business?
Su Fengzhang was extremely clear-headed, but the people around him might not be.
I don’t know what kind of super hearing the people around me have. Before they even got down the mountain, the few words they said were spread out, and they are becoming less and less reliable.
When the village chief came over to ask, his first question was, "Erlang, would His Majesty the Emperor want to read the storybook you wrote? This would bring honor to our family!"
Su Fengzhang frowned slightly, shook his head and said, "Uncle, where did you hear this rumor? It's absolutely not true."
"Ah, no? It is said that the eunuch from the palace mentioned it to you when you were on the top of the mountain." The village chief was puzzled and felt extremely regretful.
Su Fengzhang quickly said, "That's fake. I guess I misheard it."
The village chief slapped his thigh and cried out in regret, "It's actually fake! My happiness was all for nothing."
Su Fengzhang also reminded: "Uncle, you have to remind everyone not to speak carelessly. Although we are far away from the emperor, criticizing His Majesty is a serious crime. Just look at Mujia Village. With just one word from His Majesty, all the connections accumulated by their ancestors were destroyed."
The village chief immediately became cautious upon hearing this. If Yuexi Village was in high spirits these days, then Mujia Village on the other side was filled with sorrow. It was because a treacherous and evil man named Mu Wei appeared in their clan, and the entire family was punished.
With just one word from the emperor, all relatives of the Mu family who had any connection with the government were sent back home to eat him. It was said that even the daughters who married out were despised. The kinder ones were willing to support them, while the crueler ones directly divorced them and sent them home.
The village chief shuddered and said quickly, "I don't know which brat is talking nonsense. I'm going to tell them to shut up right now. They must not talk nonsense, or they will bring disaster to the village."
Su Fengzhang felt relieved. Second Uncle Su, who had been following behind him, was also disappointed. He sighed and said, "Never mind. It's fake, so what? Erlang will definitely be more successful in the future."
"Erlang, your second uncle was totally against Mr. Lin's burial before. Don't take it to heart. Your second uncle was stubborn at that time and just thought it was unlucky." Uncle Su said embarrassedly.
He was the most passionate person who opposed it before, and he deeply felt that Lin Changqing's funeral at the Su family would bring bad luck.
But at this moment, he patted Su Fengzhang on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Who would have thought that a few months later, His Majesty the Emperor would have the County Magistrate come here in person to pay homage? This isn't just bad luck, it's pure blessing."
Su Fengzhang looked at his second uncle Su who left happily, and felt mixed emotions for a moment.
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The author has something to say: Today's update
I wrote a lot of words dedicated to my true feelings.
But still not counted as a long review of Danyang cute
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