inspire-indiana Chapter 113 Was Xu Jingzong, a descendant of Xu Xun, a famous scholar of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, tr
Chapter 113 Was Xu Jingzong, a descendant of Xu Xun, a famous scholar of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, tr
In the courtyard of the palace in the snow village, the snow was white and the sunlight shone on the snow.
An Ding Si and Zi An, dressed in a small floral jacket and a large green jacket respectively, were sitting on a bench by the door, with roasted sweet potatoes in their mouths, and steam rising from the stove next to them.
Grandma Yang was feeding the chickens in the yard, occasionally glancing at them and shaking her head with a smile.
Zi'an (stroking his chin, gazing at the snow-white courtyard, suddenly asked with some doubt):
Grandma, aren't you from Shaanxi? I heard they make really good oil-splashed noodles and roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) there. Why didn't you make some for us to try?!
Yang (smiled, wiped the snow off her hands, seemingly pleased to be praised):
Hey, you're really smart! That's right, although my hometown is in Shaanxi, it's freezing cold here, so when in Rome, do as the Romans do! The authentic Northeastern flavors are the best! I'll arrange for you guys to have some oil-splashed noodles and stuff later. Let's play in the snow here and start by eating some Northeastern specialties!
An Ding Si (holding a candied hawthorn in both hands, speaking indistinctly):
Grandma, Grandma, I'll be able to ski in no time, believe it or not! And I'll be so good at skiing! I'm going ice skating tomorrow, and I'll also pass on a message to those who are talking nonsense about me being a "little devil"! I'll let them know that An Ding Si is alive and well, hehe.
Zi'an (upon hearing this, immediately burst out laughing): Haha, pass on a message? To whom?! You're not planning to use your skiing skills as "proof," are you? Everyone'd think you're a monster!!
Yang (upon hearing this, suddenly revealed a mocking smile, shook her head, and said):
Skiing? You two better watch out! The snowy areas in Northeast China are not as simple as you think.
No matter how slippery you are, you can't compare to our big white snow cliffs. If you slip and fall, don't blame me for showing you to the village as living examples of "coming back from the dead"!
Zi'an (feigning seriousness):
Hmm, it seems An Ding Si really needs to be careful! Skiing requires skill, otherwise, it would be interesting to witness a miraculous "death and resurrection" after a fall! Don't you think so?
Yang (grinning from ear to ear, patting Zi'an on the shoulder):
Zian boy, you two are so heartless! Did you hurt yourself when you fell while skiing? Grandma has prepared that big turtle protective gear that Anle Si mentioned!!
But seriously, if you guys have a good time skiing tomorrow, you have to treat me to a bowl of hot mutton soup. My old bones need to warm up too!
An Ding Si (excitedly ran into the house to see the protective gear made by Grandma, hugged it and ran back to the snow, plopped down on the ground and started putting it on):
Grandma, don't worry, Grandma, I'll drink mutton soup with you every day. Grandma, I'm going to go skate a few laps to warm up!
Before long, the snow covered the entire hillside.
An Ding Si was wearing a specially made one-piece cotton-padded coat. He looked like a cotton ball, sliding unsteadily across the snow, leaving a trail of small skid marks behind him.
Zi'an glided steadily beside her, occasionally glancing back at her. Whenever the adorable girl fell, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
An Ding Si (skipping and hopping on the snow, falling and getting his face covered in snowflakes and snot bubbles, his chubby face flushed, grinning):
Brother Zian, look how well I skied! This snowy place is much more interesting than those pre-arranged historical events. When I was still Zhen Xiaosi, I could ski like a pro!
Zi'an (watching her fall and get up again, couldn't help but laugh out loud):
Haha, I didn't expect you, little dumpling, to be able to slide so "vividly"! But, the snow here is big and steep, so you have to be careful!
An Ding Si (struggling to lift her small, gloved hands, patting the snow off her body, and muttering):
I'm not afraid of falling! I'll just treat it as a "death game," it doesn't matter anyway! But, do you think my skating posture just now looked like Ouyang Xun in mourning clothes? Hahaha!
Zi'an (watching her shout "I'm not afraid of falling" while slipping and wobbling, her eyes full of laughter):
You know what, it really does look a bit like him. Your skiing posture really does resemble his strange appearance in mourning clothes! Isn't this the catalyst for the "historical mystery" that led to Xu Jingzong being labeled the greatest traitor of the Tang Dynasty?
An Ding Si (patted her little face, as if suddenly remembering something, and said hopping around):
Huh? Brother Zi'an, is it like that incident where Xu Jingzong couldn't hold back his laughter at Empress Zhangsun's funeral?
You say treacherous officials all put on an act in public and do two things behind people's backs, who would have thought he would be like this?!
He was even convicted for it; it seems like everyone around him was more cunning than him!
Zi'an (watching her giggle as she glided by, then fell again, her face covered in snow, he couldn't help but help her up):
Ouch, be careful! If you really fall and turn into a "historical relic," I'm not going to be responsible for saving you!
It wasn't at the funeral they were spreading, but during the mourning period. It's definitely been made up by someone with ulterior motives.
Zian and An Dingsi continued skiing while chatting about Xu Jingzong.
They'd only been on vacation for a few days, but the two of them already spoke with thick Northeastern accents, their words laced with witty banter.
Zi'an: Hey, Xiao Si, do you think Xu Jingzong is a good person or a bad person?
An Ding Si (switched to a new move, slid around frantically, and almost fell):
Brother Zian, this matter is really not something you can just jump to conclusions about!
Historical records say that Xu Jingzong was quite talented!
However, he was portrayed by later generations as the greatest traitor of the Tang Dynasty.
Compared to me, I'm now in a more stable situation, so I can definitely be more objective in my opinion.
My first father from the time I traveled through time—during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang—had already started his career in officialdom.
He won the hearts of many with his literary talent, and later Emperor Gaozong of Tang gave him a big opportunity to do many important things, such as national governance and lawmaking. He was involved as a member of the leadership team in all of these areas!
Zi'an (nodding while skiing): Hmm, that means this person is capable! But why are so many people criticizing him?
An Dingji (with a serious expression, jumping with his snowboard):
Listen to me, nobody can predict who someone will talk about or what kind of public opinion they will influence. Nobody is a perfect saint!
I heard it's because he did some shady things in order to climb up the ladder.
Hey, tell me, to climb the ladder, all that flattery and power struggles, if you're not efficient at it and just go around showing off, how can you possibly succeed? You definitely won't have a chance! Just doing all that flattery isn't going to work.
When later generations mention him, they always like to bring up some "negative stories," isn't it because they think my second mother, Wu Zetian, has a bad reputation?! They usually just want to use Xu Jingzong's affairs to talk about their own affairs!
Zi'an (smirking):
Some say he appears refined and gentle on the surface, but is actually quite wicked behind the scenes.
It's all written in the history books. They say he was a master at flattery, always spouting sweet words and nice phrases, and incredibly good at making people happy.
However, the historical perspective has been defined. It's not that intellectuals couldn't stand it; intellectuals are just pens, speaking out for those in power.
Why make historical evaluations so complicated, calling him a "treacherous villain"?!
I think he just had the luck to get into officialdom. He happened to be in power when your second mother, Wu Zetian, was at the height of her influence, so he just followed along!
An Ding Si (chuckles, stumbles but regains her balance):
Brother Zian, that's not good at all!
Look at people now, how many are just like Xu Jingzong in their eyes? Flattery is a skill, called reading between the lines.
An Ding Si (patted the snow off his cotton-padded coat and thought seriously for a moment):
Those who only care about getting promoted and don't do public work, and who only care about enriching their own families, are usually criticized.
That's right.
An Dingji (swinging his ski poles forcefully, then continuing to ask with great interest):
Brother Zian, what exactly is the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi that Wang Bi and He Yan discussed in "A New Account of Tales of the World"?
Zi'an (waving his hand with a smile): Oh, you know that? That's a good question!
That kind of knowledge was called "metaphysics," and it was especially popular during the Zhengshi era.
Wang Bi and He Yan discussed the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi, which made metaphysics popular for a time, and many people began to follow this idea of "governing by non-action".
Xiao Si asked, "I heard that when Emperor Wen of Wei was emperor, He Yan didn't get any official position either."
Yes, Emperor Ming of Wei thought He Yan was unreliable, so he gave him some sinecure positions. Later, when General Cao Shuang came to power, He Yan worked with him and gradually rose to the positions of Attendant-in-Ordinary and Minister of Personnel, and was also responsible for selecting officials, and was granted the title of Marquis. However, after the Gaoping Mausoleum Incident, He Yan and Cao Shuang were killed by Grand Tutor Sima Yi, and his entire family was wiped out.
Xiao Si said smugly, "Hey, I know very well that He Yan and his group, including Xiahou Xuan and Wang Bi, loved to talk about metaphysics all day long and would engage in philosophical discussions. As a result, they led a trend and became the founders of Wei-Jin metaphysics."
Xiao Si (waving his ski poles while frowning and thinking about something):
Oh—metaphysics! What about Buddhism? Was Buddhism also very popular in the Southern Dynasties? I heard it had a huge influence, especially in poetry! You must know.
Zi'an (nodding vigorously):
"Absolutely! After Buddhism spread south, its popularity was phenomenal!! It was comparable to the dumpling feast on New Year's Eve in Northeast China! Nothing tastes better than dumplings, and you had to grab them even if they were hot! Many people started incorporating Buddhist ideas into their poems. Take Guo Pu, for example. He not only wrote five-character poems, but he could also mix in some Taoist elements and pay special attention to rhyme. Wow, if that level were up today, he would be a top-tier poet!"
"And that kid Sun Chuo is even more amazing! He directly incorporated the Buddhist concept of 'three lifetimes' into his poem, creating a fusion of Buddhism and Taoism. Just thinking about it is intoxicating!"
Xiao Si (winking with a grin):
"Wow, Zian-ge, I'm impressed! Back when you were Wang Bo in your first transmigration, were you already this learned? You can talk about such profound things so easily, I'm impressed!"
"Then Xu Xun and Sun Chuo, whom you just mentioned, must have been quite good writers, right? I bet a bowl of spicy hot pot that their style definitely led later writers astray!"
Zi'an (chest out, head tilted, looking energized):
"Absolutely! Why not say which way it went? Take Xu Xun and Sun Chuo for example, they were the top figures in the literary world, the absolute traffic generators back then! Their writing style, whether it was their profound thoughts or their eloquent words, was later regarded as the gold standard by a group of literary youths! Trying to write like them is harder than practicing the Nine Yin Manual, and they were a huge boost to the literary creation of later generations!"
Zi'an (suddenly narrows his eyes, claps his hands and laughs):
"Oh my, Anle Si'er, your thought process is quite something! The moment Xu Xun was mentioned, I immediately thought of Xu Jingzong, whom you just mentioned. So you're analyzing his ancestors' good deeds, huh? Hey, I think that's actually quite interesting. It seems that your cute little brain is not only good-looking, but also full of valuable information!"
Little Si (raising its little head, as if showing off):
Hehe, you found out! Brother Zian is amazing. I do know that Xu Jingzong was the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, the son of Xu Shanxin, the vice minister of the Ministry of Rites of the Sui Dynasty, and a descendant of Xu Xun, a famous scholar of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.