That night, Wang Xian stayed at Zheng's house, and the next day it was bright, and he heard a bell ringing outside, endlessly. He got up and went out to watch, and saw that the Zheng family had already gotten up, Zheng Yan greeted him and said apologetically: "Wake up the adults." ’

"It doesn't matter." Wang Xian shook his head and asked, "Why did you ring the bell?" ”

"This is the ancestral motto of my Zheng family, every day when I ring the bell twenty-four times, and the whole clan gets up when I hear the sound. Continue to knock four times and freshen up at the same time; Knock eight more times, men and women lined up, and went to the ancestral hall to listen to the patriarch's lecture. Zheng Yan introduced.

Wang Xian has experienced clan life, and his Wang clan is very particular, but it is far from such rules...... I couldn't help but ask with interest: "Can outsiders participate?" ”

"Outsiders are not allowed to participate," Zheng Yan said with a smile: "But the second master is not an outsider." He stretched out his hand and said, "Please." ”

"Please." Wang Xian washed for a while, and then followed Zheng Yan to the Zheng ancestral hall first. The ancestral hall is the core building of Zhengzhai Town, and the scale can be described as huge. It is divided into five inside, the first into is the Shijian Hall, in the middle hangs the "filial piety" plaque of the Taizu imperial pen, the pillars on both sides are couplet "the historian does not use the Spring and Autumn pen, the Son of Heaven personally writes the filial piety family", on the left and right walls, there is also an eight-foot-high big character "loyalty" and "righteousness"! Majestic, righteous and majestic!

Wang Xian couldn't help but ask curiously: "The person who can match the Son of Heaven must also be a famous minister, right?" ”

"Hehe......" Zheng Yan's loyal face flashed a trace of nervousness and said: "It's too old, I don't remember." ”

"Oh." Wang Xianxin said that it may be written by Song Lian, and Taishi Gong has not yet been rehabilitated, so it is not easy to mention.

But he didn't know that this couplet was inscribed by Fang Xiaoru of the Yi Ten Clans...... The Zheng family dares to hang it, it is already great courage, how dare they say it clearly?

In front of Shijian Hall, there are several vigorous cypress trees, and there is a pool next to it, one large and two small, in the shape of the word "product". The ancient cypress pool, the character is noble, and the lineage is evergreen.

Next, Wang Xian saw a scene that he will never forget...... In the melodious bells, the men and women of the Zheng clan came from the morning light, everyone was neatly dressed and solemn, although there were thousands of people, but there were many but not mixed, busy but not chaotic, advance and retreat in an orderly manner. Inside and outside the courtyard, men and women were separated from each other, and apart from the rustling of footsteps, Jing couldn't even hear the sound of coughing.

After everyone was in place, the drum sounded in front of the hall, and Zheng Yan quietly told Wang Xian that this was a 'listening drum', and beating the listening drum meant that the patriarch began to speak, but the old patriarch was old, and if it was not necessary, he would let the outstanding among the children recite the family rules on his behalf.

Wang Xian nodded, and saw that the audience was solemn in the sound of drums, the old patriarch was seated, and a Qingjin disciple stood in front of the hall, reciting the Zheng family rules:

"The rise and fall of people is just about accumulating good and accumulating evil...... There will be afterglow in the house of goodness, and there will be aftermath in the house of unkindness, and the reason of heaven is clear......"

"Whoever is a child will be filial to his relatives; Whoever is a wife will honor her husband; Whoever is a brother will love his brother; Whoever is a brother will respect his brother......"

"The lowly shall not resist the superior. Accept the rebuke of the elder, whether it is right or wrong, but when you bow your head and accept it silently, you don't need to see your brother, you must get up when you sit, and you must act in order. Even if the nephew is sixty years old, he is not allowed to sit with his uncle. ”

"The ancestors must participate in the four o'clock sacrifices; The younger will be followed by the old, and the word will be ......."

With the disciple's suppressed rhyme, Old Man Zheng shook his head and recited, and thousands of men and women in the clan also recited in unison, with a sound that penetrated the sky, washing the sky and people's hearts spotlessly. After finishing the recitation and meditating for a while, the clansmen entered the two large dining rooms on the left and right to eat. On the left is the 'Tongxin Hall', which is the men's dining place, and on the right is the 'Anzhen Hall' which is the women's dining place, all of which are lined up with rows of long tables, and the food on the table is the income of the clansmen's labor, although it is not rich, but it is safe to eat.

If you don't see it with your own eyes, it is difficult for later generations to imagine this kind of scene of thousands of people having a meal, lively but not noisy. What kind of scene is this? It simply cleanses the soul, like a spring breeze......

Wang Xian was also fascinated, and he finally understood that the true belief of my Chinese people is not Buddha, not Taoism, not Confucianism, but clans.

In my Huaxia, clan is religion and faith!

Wang Xian was invited to eat in the small cafeteria in the backyard, which was intended for pregnant and postpartum women, and occasionally used to entertain distinguished guests.

The meal was naturally rich, but Wang Xian's heart was full of pilgrimage-like excitement, and he said to Old Man Zheng: "I know that the Zheng family's family rules are 'eat without saying anything, sleeping without speaking', but there are a few questions that are held in my chest and not asked, which is really unpleasant." ”

Old Man Zheng twisted his beard and smiled: "Your Excellency, just ask." ”

"How can these thousands of people be well organized?" Wang Xian asked, this is also rare in six hundred years, unless Foxconn ......

"It's not difficult to say, if it's orderly, it's not chaotic, and if it's not chaotic, it's safe." Old Man Zheng said slowly: "My Zheng family has lived and eaten together for hundreds of years, and if there is no order, it will definitely be chaotic." For this reason, my Zheng family has set up an orderly hall, formulated 168 family rules, and passed down from generation to generation, so it will naturally be orderly. ”

In addition to the orderly order of the young and the old, the orderly respect and inferiority, and the orderly order of men and women, the Zheng family even stipulated the time of getting up, the time for three meals, as for the clothes, shoes and hats that are distributed on time according to the season, when to wear what kind of clothes, and what kind of jewelry women wear, there are regulations...... For example, in terms of disciples' upbringing, they must learn etiquette when they reach the age of five, and they should study from the age of eight to the age of twenty. Gambling is not allowed, alcohol is not allowed until adulthood, walking is allowed within 30 miles, and inappropriate books are not allowed......

Wang Xian was dumbfounded when he heard this, why is this style so familiar? When the old man proudly introduced that when Emperor Taizu formulated the rules of the Ming Dynasty, it was based on the Zheng family rules, and he suddenly realized that the source of Emperor Taizu's turtle hair ** who even had to take care of shit and fart was here!

Such meticulous rules can still be implemented within a clan, but in a country, it is pure wishful thinking. Therefore, the glory of the Zheng family is revered, so most of Taizu's regulations have become decorations......

After breakfast, Wang Xian refused the retention of the Zheng family's father and son and wanted to go back to the county

Old man Zheng sent him to the entrance of the town, and saw that Wang Xian was very interested in those archways, so he proudly explained to him the stories behind the archways. Hearing this, Wang Xian's face was inexplicable, and with full of reverence, he went back to the county in a daze.

Looking at the back of the group leaving, the old man of the Zheng family stood under the archway of "the first in the south of the Yangtze River", he was still holding the dragon head crutches, but his waist was straight, and there was no old dragon bell.

Zheng Yan stood aside with his hands down, and said with a relaxed expression: "It's too tender." ”

"But a letter from the province said that this Wang Xian was originally going to be appointed to the history of Qiantang." Old Man Zheng was full of worries and said: "But it was changed to the Pujiang Classic History by Jian Yi himself, and Jian someone served as the secretary of the Ministry for ten years, and he boasted of being selfless and selfless, how could he make an exception for him?" ”

"It's just boasting. If the surname Jian is true and loyal, he will not be attached to the rebel thief. Zheng Yan said coldly: "Maybe someone bribed and wanted to be the history of Qiantang, so he squeezed Wang Xian to Pujiang." ”

"Crooked reasoning......" Old Man Zheng shook his head slightly and asked, "How was his group last night?" ”

"They all slept honestly, and there was no movement." Zheng Yan couldn't help laughing and said: "Father was too worried, and thought that he would visit Zheng Zhai Town at night." ”

"There's nothing wrong with being careful." Old Man Zheng felt a little at ease, but said with a straight face: "It is related to the safety of the master, and it is related to the lives of tens of thousands of people in my Zheng family, and there is no room for negligence." ”

"Yes." Zheng Yan hurriedly responded.

"Alas......" Old Man Zheng caressed the mottled archway pillar with vermilion lacquer, and asked in a low voice, "How is the master living recently?" ”

"It's okay to sleep, but it's a little boring." Speaking of the master, Zheng Yan said solemnly: "The child went to ask for peace last time, and said that he wanted to go for a walk. ”

"Please wait a few more days, Master." Old Man Zheng said slowly:

"In the past, after confirming that it was a false alarm, I will arrange for the master to go out to relax."

"Yes, the child will tell the master when he turns around." Zheng Yan nodded, and whispered depressedly: "I don't know what progress they have made in the seventh brother of the Dao Dao, but now they are really holding their breath, and even a small history can make us scream." ”

"It's easier said than done." Old Man Zheng said worriedly: "My loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty has been almost wiped out by the Yan thieves, even if there are those who have ancestors in their hearts and are willing to live and die, they will not be able to become a climate. The time is not ripe, and forcibly raising an incident will only make the loyal ministers bleed in vain......"

"I heard that the Explanation Sect has been gaining momentum recently," Zheng Yan said softly: "Actually, joining forces with them is also a way." ”

"Stupid!" Master Zheng said categorically: "The master is orthodox in the world, how can he get mixed up with those cult demons?" ”

"Back then, Emperor Taizu didn't make a fortune from Mingjiao?" Zheng Yan whispered,

"That's different, Taizu was born in cloth, unrestrained, and everything is to strengthen his strength." Master Zheng said in a low voice: "But the master is the orthodox emperor of my Ming Dynasty, the co-master in the hearts of the people and subjects of the world, once he has an opportunity, he can raise his arms and shout, the world can return to the heart, the people will respond, and the mountains and rivers will change color!" Therefore, the preservation of the Eucharist and waiting for the opportunity are the most important things! After a pause, he sighed: "If you are mixed with the Mingjiao demons, what orthodoxy is there at all?" ”

"Father said yes." Zheng Yan couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, his brother almost missed a big thing.

"How?" Knowing his son Mo Ruo's father, Master Zheng stared at his son like a sword and said, "What are you hiding from me?" ”

"No, Seventh Brother just mentioned it in the letter," Zheng Yan said softly: "I replied to him and told him what his father meant." ”

"Hmm." Old Man Zheng nodded, sighed and said, "Actually, why am I not selfish? The master is fine, and my Zheng family will be fine. As a father, I often think that if I can continue like this, it will actually be a good ......."

"I'm afraid that the tree wants to be quiet and the wind doesn't stop......," Zheng Yan said in a low voice as he watched the west wind sweep the canopy of the big cypress tree at the entrance of the town.