For example, Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty once appointed a champion of martial arts named Niu Fengshan, but this descendant of the champion of the Qing Dynasty actually lived by begging and lived in seclusion in the mountains without water and electricity. Why?
Niu Shijing, a descendant of Niu Fengshan, lives in the scholar's mansion in Mingyuepo Village, Gucheng County, Henan Province. The Champion House was built on the mountain, which was built for Niu Fengshan by villagers Qi Xin after he was appointed as the champion of martial arts. At that time, Niu Fengshan was admitted to the No.1 martial arts scholar, and at that time, the scenery was no different, and the place where he lived could not be shabby. There are 41 holes and more than 3 rooms in Zhuangyuanfu, which is the largest house in the whole Mingyuepo.
However, Niu Shijing, who now lives in the Champion's Mansion, is a famous local beggar. Through the inquiry of the villagers, I learned that he is 7 years old this year, but he has no children or daughters. His begging is also different from others, not asking for money, but just eating. Although he begs for a living, such a man gives the subsidy from the government to other people in need. Therefore, people in the whole village speak highly of Niu Shijing.
According to data research, Niu Fengshan didn't ride a horse after winning the top prize in that year, nor did he change his attitude towards the neighborhood because of the change of his identity. Such a prominent person, after seeing his elders, still kowtowed and saluted, and greeted the villagers with a smile, which won everyone's love and respect.
As the first member of the thriving Niu family, Niu Fengshan was highly appreciated by the imperial court at that time. Later, he was transferred to Gansu as a guerrilla in Liangzhou, and was promoted to the general commander because of his merits, becoming a gift for four generations. Perhaps it stems from the inheritance of ancestors. Niu Shijing's personality is in the same strain as Niu Fengshan's, and he is friendly. Everyone in the village has a good relationship with him, so he often helps him by giving food and bedding.
Among Niu Shijing's ancestors, besides Niu Fengshan, his eldest son, Niu Jue, was also a scholar. Niu Xuan writes well, and his regular script calligraphy is appreciated by Emperor Tongzhi and Empress Dowager Cixi. When the number one scholar has been decided, he was appointed as the biography of the Golden Temple (the first place in Dimethyl). Not only that, Niu Jue also wrote a plaque for Kang Million's family, which is also known as one of the four largest plaques in China.
however, after the Qing government was overthrown, the imperial examination system ceased to exist. In 195, the imperial examination system, which lasted for more than 1 years, was abandoned. The Niu family no longer has the scenery of the day. The once-crowded number one scholar's mansion is now a ruined wall, just as Bai Juyi said in "Answer the dream and smell the cicada and see it", "The face is not the day before, and the cicada sounds like last year".
Although the status of the top scholar in the Qing Dynasty no longer exists, the thirst for knowledge is still passed on. As a descendant of Niu Fengshan, Niu Shijing was admitted to the university in the 196s, which was very remarkable at that time. Not only that, his handwriting is also very good, and he can be called an excellent intellectual. I heard that he later became a beggar because he was mentally stimulated, but no one knows the specific situation.
Niu Shijing once lived in the Champion House with his brothers, but all the brothers died one after another, and now he is the only one left. Nowadays, Niu Shijing wears his own rags and often walks back and forth for more than 4 kilometers just to get a bite to eat. After the founding of New China, most descendants of Niu Fengshan moved away from Mingyuepo to find a new way out. And stubborn old people like Niu Shijing will eventually be abandoned by the times.
The development of history is ups and downs in this way. No family has been thriving for thousands of years, and there are few families that have been more than a hundred years. Niu Shijing's life today is the epitome of the continuous progress of the wheel of history. No matter how brilliant his family used to be and what dazzling achievements he had, it has now become people's talk after dinner. The end of this big family can be found everywhere in the long river of history, and finally it has become a legendary story passed down from mouth to mouth.
References:
On Balance and Daoxu
Hearing the cicada and seeing it when you answer a dream.