Before Fei Qian could leave River Luo, there was one place he absolutely had to inform: the Family Head of the Heluo Fei Family.
After all, if he just gave a heads-up, they wouldn't hold onto his leg and prevent him from leaving. But if he left without saying goodbye, in this Han Dynasty gentry clans circle, which highly valued etiquette, it would essentially be equivalent to labeling himself a 'madman' for life, which would be a counterproductive thing to do.
The concept of gentry clans began to form during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period, and their influence gradually waned until the Tang and Song dynasties. It was only with the true implementation of the Imperial Examination system in the Ming Dynasty that the gentry clans officially withdrew from the stage of history.
Before the Ming Dynasty, the first thing every emperor had to do was confront the gentry clans directly. They couldn't do without the gentry clans, yet they also had to use various methods to restrict and suppress them. However, those who truly managed to suppress the gentry clans into submission, leaving them breathless, were only a handful throughout history.
The fundamental reason why the Han Dynasty was perpetually caught in the strange cycle of power struggles between imperial relatives and The Ten Attendants was, in fact, the gentry clans. In this era, the gentry clans were mostly benevolent, guiding the nation's direction, but when Family interests were involved, they often did things that harmed the state. Therefore, almost every Han Dynasty emperor first suppressed the gentry clans by relying on imperial relatives. Then, seeing the imperial relatives' power spiraling out of control, they would bring in The Ten Attendants to suppress the imperial relatives. When The Ten Attendants' power became too great, they would then use the pure stream of the gentry clans to eliminate The Ten Attendants.
This cycle led to the Han Dynasty having the most famous imperial relatives throughout history, such as formidable figures like Huo Guang, Wei Qing, and also pathetic ones like Dou Wu and He Jin.
In the Han Dynasty, it was impossible to openly raise the banner of 'down with the gentry clans' and oppose them. Even with knowledge and insights spanning a thousand years, and the ability to foresee danger and seize opportunities, it was almost impossible. After all, at this time, the gentry clans largely comprised the people who possessed the most advanced knowledge. Governing the country still relied on these gentry clan Disciples, while the vast majority of common people, let alone reading, couldn't even count. How could you expect these illiterates to suddenly understand how to govern a country?
Fei Qian belongs to the Heluo Fei Family, which originated from Qin.
Qin Feizi, an early duke of Qin, was enfeoffed in Qin by King Xiao of Zhou, and was historically known as Qin Feizi. Among Qin Feizi's descendants, some were enfeoffed as marquises and granted the title of Pei Township, thus being called Lord Pei. His later generations then adopted their enfeoffment as their surname, calling themselves Pei. Later, from Pei, branches such as Fei and Fei split off, gradually evolving into the current Family.
This branch of the Fei Family has been rooted in Luoyang for nearly a hundred years. Although they haven't produced any high-ranking officials like the Three Dukes, they have served as many court officials, local governors, and commandery administrators. Therefore, when Fei Qian was recommended as Filial and Incorrupt, it was partly due to the Face given by local officials who knew of this connection. After all, large local commanderies had the political task of recommending Filial and Incorrupt individuals every year, and using this to curry favor with these gentry clans in Luoyang was nothing new.
Fei Qian felt like he was visiting a local boss in later generations, and in reality, the gentry clans were pretty much like local bosses.
The current Family Head of the Fei Family is Min, Fei Min, courtesy name Zi Hao. According to seniority, he should be Fei Qian's uncle.
Fei Min was serving as Jianyi Daifu at the time, specifically in charge of discussions. He was a subordinate official of the Guanglu Xun (Master of the Gentlemen of the Palace), with a salary of six hundred piculs. Although his official position was not as prominent as the Three Dukes, he had the right to submit memorials independently, so it was considered one of the important official positions.
Fei Min wore a brocade robe, had a three-strand beard, a square Face, and was slightly overweight. His expression was serious and unsmiling, giving him a very dignified appearance. Upon entering the hall, he didn't even glance at Fei Qian, who was standing respectfully with cupped hands. Only after straightening his clothes and sitting kneeling in the center of the main seat did he seem to suddenly notice Fei Qian: "Nephew, are you well?"
Thankfully, he addressed him as "Nephew," which indicated that Fei Min's main tone for today was still one of kinship. If he had addressed him as "young official," it would have clearly been a formal, distant approach.
Han Dynasty etiquette was truly exhausting, and it was even more exhausting to encounter a Family Head who was also an official. Fei Qian muttered to himself, but he still performed the proper etiquette, lowering his gaze, bowing, and replying with polite formalities.
In the Han Dynasty, Juniors or subordinates were not allowed to look up and make eye contact when answering elders or superiors, unless explicitly requested by the elder or superior. When answering, their gaze could only reach the other person's chest at most. After answering, their gaze had to drop to the ground. Direct eye contact with the other person's eyes was either a provocation or an invitation to a fight.
After the pleasantries, the main event began.
Upon hearing Fei Qian's intention to leave River Luo and travel south to Jing and Xiang for study, Fei Min stroked his beard slightly, as if lost in thought, "Your father, Zi Yun, was also very scholarly, well-read and with a strong memory. His travels and studies in Qi were also a beautiful story... Nephew, you have inherited your father's spirit and wish to advance your studies. If Zi Yun's spirit is aware, he will surely feel comforted, but..."
Fei Min changed his tone, "But if you are going to travel and study, what will you do with the hundred-odd scrolls of books Zi Yun left behind? The journey is long and arduous, and the world is currently unstable. If they are accidentally damaged or lost, wouldn't that be a lifelong regret?"
"Lord Uncle, what you say is very true. What is your suggestion?"
"In my opinion, why don't you, Nephew, temporarily store Zi Yun's Legacy at your uncle's home? When you return from your studies, I will return them to you. This way, it will reduce your travel burdens, and also ensure the preservation of Zi Yun's Legacy without worry. What do you think, Nephew?"
Fei Qian remained silent for a long time.
He knew that the so-called temporary storage was merely a pretense; once handed over, he could forget about ever getting them back.
In the Han Dynasty, knowledge was priceless, and as the carrier of knowledge, bamboo slips held an extremely high status.
These collections of books in ancient times represented not just books, but also the foundation of a Family, a Legacy. A single scroll could be worth a thousand pieces of gold, and many impoverished Disciples were even willing to pay any price to acquire a scroll.
Fei Min, the Family Head of the Heluo Fei Family, on one hand, saw Fei Qian as young and easy to bully. On the other hand, Fei Qian's Family had no heir yet, so as the Family Head, he naturally had the undeniable responsibility to prevent the Family's knowledge from falling into external hands. Of course, the most important thing was that these collected books were too valuable. As the Family Head, his own Family only had a little over eight hundred, less than nine hundred, scrolls. Fei Qian, this kid, actually had over a hundred scrolls! Wasn't that like casting pearls before swine? If he could acquire them, he could claim to be a Family with a thousand scrolls! What an enticing title that was!
Fei Min had already been coveting them, and now Fei Qian had actually come to his door, providing such a good excuse. How could he easily let it go?
Fei Qian couldn't help but sigh in his heart, this was the so-called gentry clans! In the eyes of the gentry clans, Family comes before country; Family is paramount, and Family interests are above all else at all times.
Helplessly, when one is under someone else's roof, one cannot but lower one's head. Moreover, Fei Qian was merely a collateral branch, and had even less right to speak. The Family Head personally meeting him and explicitly asking for them with the excuse of "temporary storage" was already out of consideration for their kinship, and more importantly, for the Face of so many collected books. If he were an ordinary commoner, he might even have sent a Family servant to deal with it.
"Good. Lord Uncle, what you say is very true, but..." Fei Qian knew that he absolutely could not refuse such a matter, but he also couldn't give in too easily and let these fellows look down on him. "But my father loved the Qi analects most during his lifetime, often unable to put them down. As an unfilial son, I miss him when I see them and cannot bear to be separated from them. I must take them with me no matter what."
Do you really think I, Fei Qian, am easy to bully? The most valuable Qi analects cannot be given!
It is well known that during the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang burned books and buried scholars alive, killing most of the Confucian scholars. By the Han Dynasty, the tables had turned, and it was the Confucians' turn to flourish. During Emperor Wu of Han's reign, it reached its peak, with Confucianism being exclusively honored by both the court and the common people, and the Hundred Schools of Thought being abolished. Many Disciples of the Hundred Schools of Thought were forced to switch to Confucianism, while those who stubbornly refused were either killed, arrested, or more often, banished to the frontier.
By the late Eastern Han, Confucianism was the only scholarship that could ascend to the court, and the most important academic work of Confucianism was the analects.
Since the analects was compiled and published in the early Warring States period, its wording often varied due to oral transmission, repeated hand-copying, and circulation. In the late Western Han, Zhang Yu, Emperor Cheng of Han's imperial tutor, compiled the "Zhanghou Lun" (Zhanghou's analects), which had 21 chapters, primarily based on the "Lu analects" combined with the "Qi analects."
The "Qi analects" were collected by Fei Qian's father during his travels in Qi. Although they were only fragments, in the eyes of the Confucian scholars at the time, their value was immense and irreplaceable.
"This... this..." Fei Min's beard trembled, very reluctant, but Fei Qian had hoisted the banner of "filial piety" high. He couldn't possibly ask Fei Qian not to fulfill his filial duty, for wouldn't that violate one of the most fundamental philosophical principles of Confucianism?
"Nephew, wouldn't it be enough to keep three to five scrolls with you?" Fei Min still wouldn't give up.
Fei Qian shook his head firmly.
"Alas, so be it, I'll follow your wishes, Nephew." Although Fei Min was regretful, he was satisfied that he could get most of them without having to break Face. After all, Fei Qian was still a member of the Fei Family, and making too much of a fuss would invite ridicule. It was just a pity that he couldn't achieve complete success. "Then, Nephew, when do you plan to set off?"
Meaning, when can I go to your house to get the books?
"I have been invited by the Cui Family, and there may be some unfinished matters. Once these matters are resolved, I will depart within a month. I will inform my uncle at that time." - The Cui Family might cause me trouble, and if I can't resolve it, I can't leave. If you can resolve it, then I'll leave in at most ten-odd days, and I'll inform you when I go.
"The Cui Family? Is it the Cui Family in the north of the city? I know them. Nephew, your journey will be long and arduous. Your uncle has nothing to give you, but I have prepared some travel money. I hope you will not decline, consider it your uncle's wish for your safe journey and academic success." - Okay, I'll handle it for you. Here's a deposit, no backing out, it's settled.
When Fei Qian left the Heluo Fei Family with five hundred gold, it signified the completion of his transaction with Fei Min. This was the helplessness of a collateral branch; even if Fei Qian had refused this time, Fei Min would have found another way, though it might not have been as amicable as it was now.
The collateral branch Fei Qian surrendered his collected books in exchange for a certain degree of freedom and protection granted by the main Family, Fei Min.
If Fei Qian did not achieve much in the future, then these collected books would be gone forever. Of course, if Fei Qian gained influence one day, these collected books might even be returned twofold.
This is the gentry clans. The Family Head has great power, but also the responsibility to lead the entire Family to healthy development. Collateral branches are often exploited by the main Family in an invisible way. Of course, if the main Family is incompetent, then the elders within the gentry clans will hold a meeting, depose the Family Head, and select a virtuous person from other collateral branches to replace the Family Head. The wealth of the original Family Head's lineage would then be swarmed and divided by others, leading to its decline.
Beneath the gentry clans' gentle and courteous demeanor, lies the bloody and cruel Law of the jungle.
