Chapter 1767: Only One Use
Seeing Kasin's puzzled expression, Xiao Peng explained, "The story you just told is indeed recorded in our country's ancient books, but there is a serious problem with it."
"What's the problem?" Kasim asked.
Xiao Peng explained, "There are two books that record this story: Zhang Zhuo's "Chaoye Qianzai" and Liu Su's "Sui and Tang Jiahua." The story's content is roughly the same, but the protagonists are different. In Zhang Zhuo's "Chaoye Qianzai," the protagonist is Ren Gui, the Minister of War under Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, while in Liu Su's "Sui and Tang Jiahua," the protagonist is Fang Xuanling. Furthermore, neither book describes the wives being given poisoned wine, rather than being made jealous. I imagine vinegar smells so strong that even the dumbest person could detect it. Later, misinformation spread, and the poisoned wine became 'vinegar.'"
Kaxin suddenly understood and asked, "Whose wife drank the poisoned wine? Who did this happen to? Was it Ren Gui or Fang Xuanling?"
Xiao Peng thought for a moment and said, "First of all, we can't be sure whether such a thing really happened."
"Why?" Kasim asked.
Xiao Peng explained, "First, although both 'Chaoye Qianzai' and 'Sui and Tang Jiahua' record this story, this 'jealousy' story occurred around 630 AD, while 'Chaoye Qianzai' was completed around 715 AD, and 'Sui and Tang Jiahua' was written after 742 AD. So, if I ask you to tell me the history of World War I, can you remember it all clearly? Can you guarantee that it's all correct?"
Kasim shook his head.
Xiao Peng snapped his fingers. "Let's assume this story is indeed true. I personally lean towards the version in the Chaoye Qianzai. First, Zhang Ju was older and completed his book earlier. Also, Zhang Ju's literary accomplishments were indeed higher and his work was more rigorous."
"Why do you say he's meticulous in his work?" Kasim was puzzled.
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "He was a law enthusiast in that era. His work, 'Dragon Tendon and Phoenix Marrow Verdicts,' records Tang Dynasty legal cases. It's because of this book that Tang Dynasty legal cases have been passed down to the world. This book has been used for research in every dynasty since the Tang Dynasty, including in countries like Japan and Korea, where it is regarded as a classic. At that time, whenever envoys from Japan and Silla went to Daxia, they would definitely pay to buy Zhang Ju's books! And his 'Youxianku' is probably the world's first novel written in the first person. However, it was because of this novel that he offended Prime Minister Yao Chong during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang... However, this novel spread to Japan and became very popular and has been passed down to this day. Many of his poems and lyrics also came from Japan."
"And what about Liu Yu? While his father did serve as a historian compiling the 'Daily Records' for several years, and his great-great-grandfather's brother Liu Yinzhi also worked with Linghu Defen, the Imperial College's chief academic officer during Emperor Taizong's reign, on the national history and the annals, these events had little to do with Liu Yu. Liu Yu's writing began after he entered the Jixian Academy, two years after Zhang Ju's death. You could think of the Jixian Academy as the national library, where his job was to read books and compile them. He was in charge of compiling the national history, and then came the book 'Sui and Tang Jiahua'. So, can we understand that he wrote 'Sui and Tang Jiahua' after reading many books at the Jixian Academy, perhaps even Zhang Ju's 'Chaoye Qianzai'? So, if this story is indeed true, and Li Shimin really did reward his subordinates' wives with poisoned wine, then it happened to Ren Gui, not Fang Xuanling. Poor, famous prime minister of the early Tang Dynasty, who for nearly two thousand years has been associated with being 'henpecked'."
Kasin was dumbfounded after hearing this. After a while, he slowly clapped his hands and said, "Old... Xiao, why are you researching these things? Is it useful?"
Xiao Peng grinned and said, "It's useless!"
"Ah?" Kasim didn't expect Xiao Peng to answer him like this.
Xiao Peng explained, "It's very important for those great figures to study history. As the saying goes, 'History is a mirror that can reveal the rise and fall of nations.' But what's the point of ordinary people learning history? I've thought about it for a long time and can only think of one purpose."
Kasin quickly asked, "What's the function?"
Xiao Peng pointed at Kaxin and said, "When I'm bragging here, you should just listen carefully! Just like when you told them the story about 'jealousy' just now, they all looked up to you."
"Puff!" Ka Xin snorted: "Old... Xiao, I have to listen to you whenever you speak."
Xiao Peng waved his hand and said, "Don't suffer any more. Just call me boss. No one here is stupid. They can see the relationship between us."
Kaxin let out a long sigh: "Boss, you should have told me earlier, this makes me uncomfortable!"
He picked up his wine glass and said, "That's strange. Why haven't those Korean scoundrels come over yet? How long are we going to wait here?"
Gregory's face turned green after hearing this. "No wonder you guys suddenly wanted to come over to see this 'bride market'. Could it be that you're really after the meat instead of the wine? Are you just waiting here for them to come and cause you trouble?"
He was about to give the two of them some words of advice when suddenly the light outside the floor-to-ceiling glass window lit up.
Only then did Xiao Peng see that there was a circular venue outside the window with a boxing ring in the middle. There were no seats around the boxing ring, but there were floor-to-ceiling windows.
Only then did he realize that the floor-to-ceiling windows in his room were one-way windows. They could see what was happening outside the glass, but the people in the area outside the glass could not see them.
Xiao Peng took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. A girl next to him lit it for him and introduced it to him, "Sometimes there are boxing matches here."
"What boxing match?" Kasim became interested after hearing it.
The girl explained, "There's a penal reform camp in the wilderness between here and Varandey, and there's another one in Komi. Every once in a while, the two camps select a few skilled male and female prisoners and bring them here to compete, and then people can place bets. The casinos outside are small-time casinos, but the boxing matches and the 'bride market' here are the main sources of profit."
Xiao Peng frowned and said, "I can understand the boxing match, but how can the 'bride market' be profitable?"
The girl whistled. "Nenets furs are so valuable! Last year, a Nenets man traded thirty wild sable pelts for a bride, and those 30 sable pelts sold for 50,000 euros! Isn't that a good deal?"
Xiao Peng wanted to ask the girl a few more questions, but suddenly his attention was attracted by what was happening in the venue.
Kasin also looked at the venue in shock: "Boss!"
Xiao Peng took a deep breath and calmed down: "I saw it."
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