Chapter 5 (Chickens, Dogs, Mulberry, and Hemp)
The escape that followed went exceptionally smoothly. The group arrived at the servant's house very quickly, but the farmhouse was indeed shabby, and it would not be an exaggeration to call it a humble dwelling.
Having lived among royalty and powerful clans for two generations, this was the first time Liu Jun had ever been outside the palace walls and courtyards.
Seeing ordinary people living in ordinary homes inevitably evokes a sense of wonder.
Just then, Guo said, "Please bring us some farmer's clothes so we can change quickly."
She asked the servant in a gentle tone, "I still don't know your name?"
The servant was flattered and said, "I am Lu San, thank you for your concern, Madam."
"Are you from Wuzhong?" Cui asked interjecting.
Guo shook her head. "There aren't that many powerful families; most are just ordinary people. Keep this money safe, consider it money we used to buy your clothes."
Lu San declined the offer but accepted it. Watching his departing figure, Madam Guo said slowly, "Send someone to keep an eye on him. We'll stay for five or six days, and then find an opportunity to leave."
"Does Aunt mean we should be wary of this Lu San?" Cui asked, puzzled.
Guo looked at Liu Jun and asked, "What do you think, Maotou?"
Perhaps it was a feeling from a past life, but whenever they called him by his childhood name, Liu Jun not only didn't feel ashamed, but instead felt a sense of intimacy as if from another world. When she asked him a question, he didn't pay attention for a moment and blurted out, "Could it be your aunt?"
Madam Cui was stunned for a moment, then looked around and said angrily, "Foolish child, how can you speak ill of your elders?"
Guo stopped her, saying, "What time is it? Why are you still insisting on these high-class formalities? How old-fashioned."
Liu Jun couldn't help but smile. When Cui was born, the Great Jin Dynasty was at peace. Compared to the Guo family, who had truly experienced war, they had more of the pride of a powerful clan, but less wisdom and experience.
But he still said respectfully, "I know I was wrong, and I will not do it again."
They stayed at Lu San's house for six days. Although Lu San was only thirteen or fourteen years old, he was usually quiet and clever. After discussing with his family, they decided to let him stay with Liu Jun.
What shocked Liu Jun the most was that Lu San's family actually proposed that he sell himself into slavery. It should be known that in those times when human life was as worthless as grass, slaves were like livestock, written as "living persons" in official documents, and could never be freed from this status for generations. When powerful families acquired these slaves, they would often beat, scold, and sell them, occupy land in their names, and force them to work the land at will without paying taxes, while all their harvest went into the pockets of the powerful families.
How could a servant so lowly be pushed into such a fiery pit by his own family?
Looking at the Guo and Cui families, they only sighed slightly and then agreed.
That evening, he quietly asked Guo, who said, "This family is poor. The money they have given us in the past few days is more than a year's worth of labor, and much more than Lu San's usual wages. So they have decided to sell him."
Liu Jun pursed his lips, recalling his violent and rude biological father and his scarred concubine mother from his previous life, and once again sighed at his good fortune in this life with both parents being kind and loving. He said, "If we force him to stay in such a family, they won't treat him well. Moreover, if we reject them and they become resentful and send us to Liu Qiao, it will be even worse."
Guo stroked his head and said, "It's a pity that you are so young. You should be living a life of luxury and carefree, but you have to be dragged around by others."
Liu Jun smiled and said, "Grandson thinks this is excellent. A real man doesn't have to be like his father, who roamed the world freely. He should be down-to-earth and take responsibility. Those who are all talk and no action, who can neither govern the country nor secure the nation, and some can't even protect women and children, have no courage at all. What use are they?"
Although his words were sharp, they were all reasonable. Although Guo had always criticized Liu Kun for only caring about his career and not his family, she was actually very proud of her ambitious son. Looking at her precocious and amazing grandson, her heart softened like a pool of spring water.
Remembering the folk saying that overly clever children cannot survive, Guo couldn't help but worry about his future. She said earnestly, "Although I am a woman, I have lived to be this old and rarely make a mistake in judging people. As the saying goes, you can tell what a person will be like at three years old. Although your words and actions are decisive and resolute, you lack a bit of composure and tact. When you grow up, I'm afraid this will be a burden to you."
Recalling his past life, Liu Jun felt a mix of emotions. "Grandmother is absolutely right. In the future, I will definitely cultivate my character, think things through carefully, and never let Grandmother down."
Just then, Lu San returned with the matter settled. Madam Guo said calmly, "From now on, you will serve the Second Young Master wholeheartedly, and you will have a bright future."
After saying that, she got up and left.
Liu Jun knew that she was giving him enough time to win over Lu San and learn how to manage subordinates, which was exactly what he was good at in his previous life, but also what he lacked.
His strength lay in being a puppet emperor, capable of mobilizing hundreds of palace guards to sacrifice themselves and die alongside him in a coup. His weakness lay in his inability to win over his close advisors, which ultimately led to his downfall and death.
Although the Sima clan held immense power at the time and appointed loyal ministers like Zhong Hui, he often questioned himself afterward whether he could have won the hearts of the people and restored order if he were Emperor Taizu (Cao Cao) or Liu Bei.
Thinking of this, Liu Jun chuckled to himself. Now that the Jin dynasty is about to perish, why keep dwelling on these old stories?
"Do they call you Lu San because you're the third child, or because your name is Lu San?" Liu Jun was not short for his age, but he was still much shorter than Lu San, who was five or six years older, so he had to look up at him to ask.
But Lu San felt that there was a kind of serene nobility between his brows that made people dare not look directly at him. He bowed and said, "In reply to your question, my name is San because I am the third child in my family. There is no special story behind it. Please give me a name, my lord."
"I've heard you've never been to school? But your manners and speech are quite polite..."
Lu San said embarrassedly, "With my family background, what books could I possibly read? I learned them all by secretly reading and studying after I entered the manor."
Liu Jun laughed and said, "It's nothing. You'll be following me closely from now on. You'll not only learn to read and write, but you'll also need to learn archery and horsemanship. I just hope you won't complain about it later."
Lu San was overjoyed, and then heard Liu Jun say softly, "As for the name... you shall be called Lu Jing from now on."
His clear, childlike voice was filled with wistful reminiscence, and his tone was so melancholic that even Lu San, an unrelated person, felt a sense of desolation.
Seeing Lu San's bewildered expression, Liu Jun suppressed his melancholy and said, "Xunzi said, 'The key is to begin with reciting the classics and end with studying the rites.' This is mainly because he hopes that you will study the classics and learn the rites in the future, understand the principles of things, and be more effective in doing things."
"only."
"In addition, I once knew an old friend whose name is also Jing. I hope that you will be as loyal and steadfast as him in the future, so as not to disgrace our encounter."
Lu Jing prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed, "Thank you, my lord, for bestowing upon me this name."
Liu Jun helped him up, then sat down on the only tattered mat in the room. He patted the mat beside him and said with a smile, "Sit down, I'll teach you the Analects first..."
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