Zhang Shuhuan and Li Qian are friends of the same township, the two of them are ministers in the same hall, and they are very good friends, but Zhang Shuhuan has a rigid personality, and he would rather bend than bend, offending many colleagues.
In the early years, Li Qian's family was very embarrassed, and Zhang Shuhuan's father was a well-known local landlord, although he was not rich, but it was far more than the average well-off family.
Li Qian's father is a long-term worker of the Zhang family, once when he went out to herd cattle, he encountered mountain rain, Li's father was accidentally carried down the cliff by muddy water and fell to his death, Zhang's father was kind-hearted, and felt very guilty about this matter, so he took Li Qian to his home and accompanied Zhang Shuhuan to study, the two were of the same age, and they were playmates since childhood, so they were very good.
Later, the two of them were admitted to the Jinshi together, and they became officials in Beijing, and they were strangers in a foreign land, and they didn't have any relatives and friends here, so the two moved around more frequently, almost like a family.
Later, Zhang Shuhuan married a wife and gave birth to a son, named Zhang Yu, Li Qian also married a wife, gave birth to a daughter, named Li Yue, the two families discussed, and set a baby for the two children, Zhang Shuhuan asked someone to buy a piece of jade, carved into two pieces of jade pendant, the phoenix-shaped one was left to his son, and the dragon-shaped one was given to Li Yue, as a token of the marriage.
Later, Zhang Shuhuan was excluded to serve in Lingnan because he offended too many powerful people, and when they were separated, Li Qian brought a family to see him off, Zhang Shuhuan said with tears: "Lingnan bitter cold land, I will go, I am afraid it will be difficult to see you again in this life." ”
Li Qian was also moved by his true feelings, and persuaded: "Don't be so pessimistic, I will help you operate here, and strive to transfer you back as soon as possible, and then you and my brother will have a good time." ”
Zhang Shuhuan shook his head and said: "If a weak person has more power than he can do, he will become a tool used by others. ”
Li Qian didn't think so, and said: "Haven't Brother Zhang heard 'princes and generals, would you rather have a kind?', I believe that things are man-made, sooner or later, one day, I will stand on the heads of all of them, so that others dare not underestimate us." ”
Zhang Shuhuan knew that the two had different ideas, so he was no longer obsessed with this matter, but just called his son to his side and said: "I don't have any regrets in my life, if there is a case, I just hope that Brother Li will remember the past and don't let my son live on the streets." ”
Li Qian feigned anger and said: "What is Brother Zhang talking about, you and I are like brothers, Yu'er is my son-in-law, as long as I am in one day, naturally I will not let him suffer, and when he becomes an adult, you can let him hold the jade pendant to propose marriage." ”
After the separation, Zhang Shuhuan took his family to Lingnan, at the beginning, the two corresponded very frequently, but Zhang Shuhuan's political enemies were not ready to let him go, and repeatedly slandered in front of the emperor, Li Qian had the heart to help his friends argue, but was jointly suppressed several times, and under pressure, he could only cut off the correspondence with Zhang Shuhuan.
Later, Zhang Shuhuan was degraded again and again, depressed into illness, died of illness within a few years, after his death, his wife also passed away, only Zhang Yu was lonely, after burying his parents, he sold all the real estate, and lived in front of his parents' graves.
Three years have passed in a blink of an eye, Zhang Yu is already twenty years old, the funeral for his parents is over, and it is time to enter Beijing to catch the exam, he thought in his heart: "I am now also the time to start a family, my father set a baby for me in the past, and now I am just going to enter Beijing to catch the exam, it is better to go by the way to settle this family business, and it can be regarded as having a reliance." ”
Thinking of this, Zhang Yu pinched the phoenix-shaped jade pendant hard, and no longer hesitated when he made up his mind, he went to his parents' graves and kowtowed and prayed: "Father and mother, the child is ready to enter Beijing to take the exam, complete the parents' last wishes, marry Li Yue as his wife, and spread the branches and leaves for my Zhang family, and hope that my father and mother will bless me with a smooth trip and a glorious lintel." ”
After doing all this, Zhang Yu took all his belongings and set off, all the way to the capital, and found Li Qian's residence after many inquiries.
Zhang Yu took the jade pendant to ask to see, Li Qian took him into the house, ordered someone to cook the meal, Zhang Yu was hungry, regardless of the image of the big food, Li Qian's eyes flashed a trace of disgust, but he hid it well, and asked: "Eat slowly, nephew, I haven't been in contact with Ling Zun for many years, I don't know how he is now?"
Zhang Yu couldn't help but feel sad when he heard this, put down the dishes and chopsticks and said: "My father and mother have passed away due to illness, and I am the only one left in the family. ”
Li Qian sighed: "Alas, the world is impermanent, when Brother Zhang left, he told me that there may not be a time to meet again in this life, but I didn't expect it to become a prophecy, so that my brothers and sisters could not see each other." After that, his eyes were slightly red.
Seeing his appearance, Zhang Yu thought that his uncle still remembered the old love after all, and his hanging heart was also let go a lot, Li Qian then asked: "Virtuous nephew, do you need my help this time? As long as you are in need, I will never refuse." ”
Zhang Yu hurriedly said: "My nephew is not talented, and I also want to participate in this scientific expedition, and there is one more thing to do this time, that is, I want to complete the family affair with Yue'er's sister, please fulfill it." ”
"Oh. Li Qian twisted his beard, and then said: "This matter was decided between me and your father, and I shouldn't have shirked it, but now that you are about to take the exam, you shouldn't be distracted by this matter, and I am not an ordinary person after all, and I must have a name for marrying a daughter, if you can be admitted to the Jinshi, I will be the master of your marriage, and now I will live in my house for the time being, and prepare for the exam with peace of mind." ”
Zhang Yu bowed and said, "What my uncle taught me is that I originally planned to do the same, and it all depends on your arrangement. ”
Li Qian waved his hand to call the housekeeper, and took Zhang Yu to clean up a guest room and stay, and in the evening, Li Yue heard that his future husband had come to propose, and he couldn't help but feel a little deer in his heart, wanting to see whether his future husband was beautiful or ugly, and how his style was, so he broke away from the maid and wanted to go to his father to take a sneak look.
At this time, Li Qian was anxiously pacing back and forth in the house, and the henchman housekeeper standing next to him asked, "Master, are you worried about the matter of your uncle who came today?" ”
"What uncle!" Li Qian's eyes widened, and he said angrily: "It's just a broken household, and I also want to touch the light of my lord, if I hadn't thought of his father's old feelings, I would have kicked him out a long time ago." ”
At the end, he said: "It's just that this matter is too troublesome, after all, I have set a baby kiss with his father, and there are tokens as evidence, if I reject him directly, I am afraid that he will talk nonsense everywhere and ruin my lord's reputation, but if I agree to him, it is inevitable that his father's political enemies will attack me by this, and I have already found a good family for Yue'er, if it can be done, my career can go further, how can I get rid of this stumbling block?"
The housekeeper rolled his eyes and stepped forward and said, "Don't worry, master, I have a plan, but I can ensure that the master has no worries." ”
Li Qian turned his head to look at him, and shouted: "If you have something to say quickly, are you still waiting for the master to ask you?"
The housekeeper looked flattering and said: "Master, it's better not to do two things, just ......" Speaking of this, the housekeeper compared a knife, and then continued: "We said to the outside world that this son died of an emergency, and he didn't know it, and it wouldn't affect the master." ”
The housekeeper stopped when he said this, Li Qian took a deep look at him, and said, "I'm sleepy, I'm going to rest now, you can arrange the affairs in the house, don't be lazy." With that, he left.
Unexpectedly, all this happened to be seen by Li Yue, who came to peep at her husband, she was anxious and angry, she never expected that her father, who she admired the most on weekdays, turned out to be such a person, in order to avoid such a tragedy, she hurriedly ran to Zhang Yu's residence and knocked on the door.
Zhang Yu was reading a book, and when he heard a knock on the door, he casually asked, "Who?"
Li Yue said anxiously: "Gongzi Zhang, I am your fiancée Li Yue, you open the door quickly, I will tell you in time." ”
Zhang Yu was a little unhappy, and said coldly: "Miss Li, men and women don't kiss, although we have a marriage contract, but after all, we haven't finished the marriage yet. ”
Li Yue was anxious and said: "You are such a fool, you really treat me as a woman who doesn't know how to respect herself, I have a life-and-death matter to tell you, open the door quickly." ”
Zhang Yu didn't dare to slack off anymore when he heard this, got up and opened the door, Li Yue rushed in, closed the door tightly with his backhand, Zhang Yu blurted out: "Miss Li, please respect yourself......"
Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Li Yue: "Don't delay the time, you hurry up and pack your things and leave here now, it's too late." ”
Zhang Yu was a little unclear when he heard this, and thought that Li Yue disliked him and was unwilling to marry him, so he came to drive him away in the middle of the night, so he lowered his face and said: "Miss Li doesn't have to be like this, if you really don't look down on it, I'll just leave, why humiliate me like this." ”
Li Yue knew that he had misunderstood, so he had to patiently explain the reason to him, Zhang Yu sighed after listening: "The world is declining, people's hearts are not ancient, am I really going to die here?"
Li Yue was angry and anxious, and felt a little funny, and said: "If you still feel sorry for yourself like this, you will really die here." I'll send you out now, run as far as you want after you go out, don't get caught, and don't participate in this scientific expedition. ”
Zhang Yu had to say more, Li Yue poked his head out and saw that there was no one around, so he couldn't help but pull him out, and let Zhang Yu step on himself and climb over the wall from the garden, Zhang Yu was moved, and said: "Miss Li, your kindness is unforgettable, if I am lucky enough not to die, I will definitely repay your kindness." ”
Li Yue said astringently: "What do you say to repay or not, it was my father who wanted to harm you, I have made a marriage contract with you, even if I didn't enter the door, I also decided that I was the daughter-in-law of the Zhang family, you can rest assured, although I am not a chaste martyr, I will never remarry someone else." ”
Li Yue said, pulled off the silver hairpin jewelry on his head, threw it to Zhang Yu, and said: "These things should be regarded as funding your study, you must study hard, I will wait for you to marry me!"
Li Yue sent Zhang Yu away, and the housekeeper naturally pounced, Li Yue did not hide it, and calmly told his father about letting Zhang Yu go, so angry that Li Qian scolded angrily: "I do all this for your own good, if you marry that poor boy, you will suffer for the rest of your life." ”
Li Yue replied: "The so-called parents' order, the words of the matchmaker, you have already set a family affair for me, if I don't obey, it is unfilial, since I have a marriage contract with Zhang Yu, I am the daughter-in-law of the Zhang family, if you watch your husband killed, it is unjust, although the child is not a chaste martyr, but she will never want to be this unkind and unrighteous person." ”
"You, you ......" Li Qian was speechless by his daughter, turned to the housekeeper and said: "Lock her up for me, I want to see who is in charge of this family." ”
Li Yue was confined to Li Qian's house, but Zhang Yu ran out of the capital overnight, sold the jewelry given to him by Li Yue, and randomly found a place to rent a grass hut to study hard, quietly waiting for the next opportunity for scientific research.
After a few months, Li Qian was exiled as an outcast because of his participation in the internal strife of the powerful, and the officials who had a good relationship with him on weekdays did not dare to intercede for him, Li Qian was sent to Gansu, due to the continuous suppression of political enemies, the family property was also confiscated, and in the outbreak of the plague this year, the couple were all seriously ill and could not be treated.
Before dying, Li Qian called his daughter to his side and instructed: "In the past, my father was wrong, there was no one in the court, and being an official was just a pawn used by the benevolent people, after I died, you have to live well, you are kind to Zhang Yu, you can go to him for refuge." ”
After the death of Li Qian and his wife, Li Yue wanted to die together, but he couldn't bear to expose his parents' corpses in the wilderness, and he had no money to bury them, so he had to sell himself to bury his father.
There is a local rich man surnamed Zhao, who is extremely lustful, but his wife is jealous and very strict, and he doesn't even have a beautiful maid by his side.
When I brought it home, I remembered the fierceness of the tigress, and after thinking about it for a long time, I first went to discuss with my wife, saying that I bought her a maid to serve, so that I could get the approval, but as soon as Li Yue entered the door, my wife saw her beautiful appearance and moonlight, and immediately became angry, and beat her husband first: "Okay, you are an old man, find such a beautiful woman to come back, do you still want to deceive the old lady with that little flowery intestines?"
Li Yue was at a loss for what to do, and the tigress turned her head and saw her standing there pitifully, she was even more angry, picked up a stick and hit her, scolding: "Xiao Nizi doesn't get out yet, do you want to be a big wife?"
Li Yue was beaten out with a stick, his hair was scattered, and he cried aggrievedly, thinking that it was better to die, and he happened to be rescued by a passing nun and taken to take care of in the nunnery.
Li Yue asked to cut her hair as a nun, but the old nun did not agree, and said: "I see that you are not a person who has been in the dust for a long time, there is still coarse tea and light rice in the nunnery to fill your stomach, and when the time comes, you will naturally leave." ”
Li Yue had to coil up her hair, put on a nun's clothes to practice, and lived like this for a while, Li Yue was gradually taken by some prodigal sons in the city, and came to harass her several times, and even almost succeeded a few times.
It's just that those sons and buddies are going to harass every once in a while, forcing Li Yue to seek death and life, and the old nun went to ask for help from the government and posted a notice, and these people have relented.
After another two years, the wind was raging, the clouds were thick, and the sky was gloomy, and the old nun exclaimed after seeing Li Yue: "I see that the turbidity on your face has disappeared, and you should be out of the sea of suffering soon." ”
At noon, it suddenly rained, someone knocked on the door hard, Li Yue opened the door and saw a sedan chair, followed by many people, Li Yue asked them in surprise what was the matter, someone replied: "Master Si passed by here on the way to take office, and wanted to avoid the rain." ”
Li Yue hurriedly opened the door to let them in, and the people in the sedan chair hurriedly opened the sedan curtain when they heard Li Yue's voice, and when they looked at each other, both of them were stunned, it turned out that the so-called manager was Zhang Yu.
The two hugged each other, telling each other their experiences, after separation, Zhang Yu studied hard, and then won the list, and was promoted again and again after becoming an official.
Both of them sighed at the wonder of fate, and Li Yue sighed: "Now you and I are really very different." ”
Zhang Yu took her hand and said softly: "What are you talking about, without you, I wouldn't be where I am today, my wife's position has always been reserved for you, do you want to tear up the marriage contract with me?"
Zhang Yu called the old nun, gave her five hundred taels of silver to thank her, and then left with Li Yue, and later Zhang Yu became a waiter, and Li Yue gave birth to a son and a daughter for him, all of whom are very smart and kind, which is a later story.