Xu Shuzhai
One morning in the late autumn of 2021, my friend Mr. Jiao Zisheng (the founder of heavy-color freehand Chinese painting, a famous painter, calligrapher, and sculptor) and I drove out of the city to the south, along the The national highway leads to the (Tongliao) Wuhan (Wuhan) line. This highway was originally a provincial highway called Anxin Line (Anguo City to Xinhe County). There is a constant flow of vehicles on the road. On both sides, there are endless crops and picturesque scenery with a promising harvest. pastoral scenery. After driving for about ten kilometers, we arrived at Xincun, a warm, quiet and harmonious village. We were greeted by the village party secretary Guan Shuqiang. Xincun, to be honest, the name just sounds like an ordinary small village. It is very inconspicuous and has nothing special about it. However, if you understand the profound historical heritage of Xincun, you will definitely look at it differently and your admiration will rise spontaneously. Now let’s listen to the extraordinary story of the ordinary ancient village and the legend of Xincun.
Secretary Guan Shuqiang told us that Xincun has a long history and has more than 1,300 people. The surnames are Shang, Guan, Wu, Liu, etc. It belongs to Mazhuang Township, Xinji City. In 2020, it won the title of "Provincial "level forest countryside" title. Residents have lived here since the Han and Tang Dynasties and have thrived to this day. Because there are nine sweet water wells in the village, it was called Jiuyanjing Village in ancient times. In the Qing Dynasty, it was changed to Xincun and later Xincun. Since ancient times, the small village has simple folk customs, a gathering of talents, farming, reading and family inheritance, and family harmony. By the Ming Dynasty, Xin Village had become famous far and wide. Because there were many officials and business people in the village, it was known as "Little Beijing".
Legend has it that when Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty moved the capital from Nanjing to the north, he first took a fancy to Jiuyanjing Village. He saw that the scenery here was beautiful and pleasant. . But it’s hot here in summer, so I walked north to Tianjin Wei. Tianjin Weidong is close to the sea in the east and there are mountains in the north. It is also a geomantic treasure land. However, Tianjin Weidong is too close to the sea and is difficult to defend, so Beijing, which is better in all aspects, was finally chosen as the capital. This is the legend of "One Beijing, Two Guards and Three Xin Villages (Jiuyanjing Village)" that is still circulating in Xin Village.
The village is dotted with historic sites. There were originally nine ancient wells in the center of the village, one in the middle and eight on the sides, arranged according to the eight parts of the Bagua: Kan, Zhen, Gen, Xun, Li, Kun, Dui and Qian. There is a kind of solemnity and mystery in it. The water quality is clear and sweet, and it was used until the 1970s. It has nurtured generations of Xincun people, and the ruins still exist.
The most majestic, spectacular and important buildings in the village were the Shang Ancestral Hall and Theater built in the Ming Dynasty. Ancestral hall is also called family temple. It is an important place to worship ancestors, convey family ties, continue family traditions, and gather for meetings. The theater (stage) is an indispensable part of the ancestral hall. There is a saying that "there is no ancestral hall without a (stage) stage". The main hall of the family temple has three rooms and several east and west rooms. Enshrined at the top of the center of the temple is the imperial edict of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty ordering the construction of an archway for "eight generations living together". Below is Zeng Guofan, the Prime Minister of Zeng Xiangxiang (November 26, 1811 - March 12, 1872), originally named Zicheng. His courtesy name is Bohan and his nickname is Disheng. He is the 70th grandson of Zengzi, the sage. He served as governor of Liangjiang, governor of Zhili, and bachelor of Wuyingdian. He was granted the title of first-class Yiyong Marquis, with the posthumous title "Wenzheng" and later generations called him "Zeng Wenzheng". Chinese statesman, strategist, Neo-Confucianist, litterateur, calligrapher, founder and commander of the Hunan Army in the late Qing Dynasty. The wooden plaque with the words "Ren Rang Hanging Type" written in handwriting, below is the portrait of the Shang family's ancestors, and in the square grid on both sides are the tablets of the Shang family's ancestors. The family temple and the theater are integrated buildings. Every year from the third to the seventh day of the first lunar month, operas are performed in the theater. People from all over the country come to watch the opera. Every day is like a temple fair, with people coming and going, and it is very lively. There is also a pair of stone tablets on the south side of the theater, which record the introduction of the Shang family's ancestors and the village. Nowadays, only one stone tablet base is seen. It is said that the stone tablet is buried not far from its original location. The original site of the family temple is now the Xincun Village Committee.
Beyond the old north gate of Xincun is the Yuqing Temple built in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, with three main halls and east and west side halls. The main hall is dedicated to the Three Pure Ones - Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, Taiqing Daode Tianzun; on the left and right are worshiped Zhongtian Ziwei, the North Pole Emperor, Chengtian's imitation of the Earth Emperor and Earth Emperor, Gouchen Shanggong Emperor, Antarctic Emperor The Immortal Emperor. Later it was converted into a school and is now Xincun Primary School.
Along the way to the south of the city, there are almost horse tracks everywhere. Qin Zhouyu moved his family members to the county town and sent servants and horses to rescue the old and young of the neighbors into the city. Those who have a difficult diet will be salty and uncomfortable. In April, the thieves retreated. In May of the second year of Tongzhi (1863), Director Shang Qin Zhou gathered people in the village and said: "The thieves come and go irregularly, and taking refuge outside is not a good idea. I want to build a fortress to protect the village. All expenses will be borne by me. Everyone said, "It's good." Although the construction cost of the village wall was very high, the rich contributed money and the poor contributed their efforts to build the mounds and dig ditches. It took less than a month to complete. Some of the walls were made of green bricks, some were built with rammed earth, and some were a combination of the two methods. The circumference of the village wall is 600 feet (one foot in the Qing Dynasty is equal to 3.2 meters). The wall is one foot and two feet high, two feet and five feet wide at the bottom, and one foot wide at the top. The parapet is five feet high and two feet and five inches thick. The ditch protecting the village is deep. Two feet, two feet wide. There are two village gates in the north and south. In the spring of the seventh year of Tongzhi (1868), bandits headed towards Hutuo from the southwest of the county, and dozens of nearby villages took refuge in the village. Qin and Zhou tried their best to defend themselves, housing those who had no shelter, giving them grain to those who had no money, and giving porridge to those who could not lift fire, but they were absolutely without virtue. In the seventh year of Tongzhi, a heavy ditch was reopened outside the wall of Xiazhai, with an average width of 20 feet and a depth of 20 feet. By building walls and strengthening defenses, the safety of one party was ensured.
Zeng Wenzheng, the governor of Zhili, paid a visit to the sages of the country. He heard about Shang Qin and Zhou Yixing and how he had lived in cuan for eight generations. More than a hundred people at home and abroad were harmonious and harmonious, so he specially invited Shang Qin. Zhou lived in the Lixian Hall in Baoding, inquired about current affairs, and wrote the four characters "Ren Rang Chui Xing" in handwriting to express his excellence. He wanted to stay in Zhili and be hired as an adviser to the governor. Qin Zhou declined to return home because of his complicated family affairs. Later, Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili, reported Shang Qinzhou's righteous deeds to Emperor Guangxu. The emperor was very happy after hearing this and praised Shang Qinzhou.
After listening to the legendary story of Xincun told by Secretary Guan Shuqiang, we walked in the ancient village. Chickens and dogs heard each other. Sometimes the chickens flapped their wings and chased each other, and sometimes they were looking for food; the dogs in the village Wagging their tails, they looked at us friendly; the wild ducks stretched out their necks and called, as if they were competing to see whose voice was louder, and sometimes flapped their wings, as if to welcome us, what a cheerful country-style painting! The trip to the ancient village of Xincun has gained a lot of meaning. Harmony can be seen in the ordinary, virtue can be seen in the ordinary, true love can be seen in the ordinary, and greatness can be seen in the ordinary. I hope that the fine traditional virtues of our Chinese nation will continue to be carried forward.
Data source "Shulu County Chronicle"
October 2021 in Yuntaozhai
Attachment: "Record of the Cohabitation of the Eighth Generations of the Shang Family"
Record of the cohabitation of the eighth generation of the Shang family
Song Chenshou (the magistrate of Shulu County in the Tongzhi year of the Qing Dynasty)
I read the county annals and recorded the surrender of two brothers, Shang Lun and Shang You of Xin Village. The combination of production and cuan is a matter of secret admiration. When asked about the condition of his descendants, Qian said: "Eight generations of his family have lived together since the beginning of the country. There are hundreds of people in the family. They have no words to say, and the family welcomes the spring." "The four-character jing made me more and more envious. It is thought that harmony brings auspiciousness, harmony can bring wind, and is rarely seen in times of close proximity. What can he do to achieve this? The reason why the husband's family cannot stay together for a long time is because they are not in harmony with each other. Harmony leads to unity, and disobedience leads to separation, which is also love. And the reason for the disharmony is not to give way. Giving in leads to harmony, fighting leads to disobedience, especially love. However, during this period, the public and private affairs of the person in charge of household affairs are regarded as separate. If the person in charge is impartial, he will give in to each other and make peace, and the people can be united; But can the Shang family be impartial and not show favoritism? Otherwise, what can he do to cause this?
Sometime later, the Shang family, Qin Zhou and Qin Zhang Kunzhong, came to the house for official duties, and the rest of the family took part in their household affairs. Let’s ask him the reason for this. That is to say, "There is no other way. The rules are based on the old chapters, and they are all uniform. My family has hundreds of acres of land left by our ancestors, and we select the best and wise ones among the people to serve as cashiers, and use the surplus to expand it."
There is plenty of food for one year, and there is no limit to it, so several acres of sacrificial fields are set up. All ancestral halls are honored, and ancestral tombs are visited and swept. How many acres of land are there? If a man gets married in time, and if a woman gets married in time, they all go out. There are not many, but the wedding is only one. How many acres of land are there for funerals? All the clothes, quilts, coffins and coffins are used, and the expenses for Qiulong tombs are all. They all come out of Yan, there is no distinction between thick and thin, and the funeral ceremony is the same; and there is a field for free study, divided into two grades, those over seven years old are trained by the teacher, and those over fifteen are trained by the teacher, and after three years If the material is readable, read it. Otherwise, the person will be moved to his job and will not be allowed to wander around. There is also a land for widows, which is divided into two grades. Those who are under twenty are given double the amount, and those who are under thirty are given half. , after three years, he will be regarded as abide by his voluntary code, otherwise he will listen to others and do not force him. Within a family, scholars, farmers, industry and merchants all keep their professions, and those who are able to join the family belong to the community and do not dare to hide themselves. During the day, women, old and young, all worked diligently to spin, and whatever they put in, they returned to the public and did not save it for themselves. It is not allowed to have concubines, if there are more than fifty children who have no children to take over, it will lead to quarrels between favors; it is not allowed to buy a noble title, because those who study and become officials will be valued, for fear of leading to prosperity and decadence. The rules of this past generation are roughly like this. Even the most trivial matters at home are hard to come by. Eat vegetables, and eat some meat at the end of the day. After the elders have finished eating, they will divide into groups and hold chopsticks. The clothes are made of coarse cloth, and a piece of silk is used to celebrate. After the elders have finished the ceremony, they then enter the hall in order. Guests have a certain balance between old and new. The Qi people have a certain degree of respect for relatives and sparse relatives. If there are those who are extravagant and extravagant, and everyone will look at them with jealousy, then they will be worried and have a heart of fear; if there are people who are lazy and self-destructive, and everyone will laugh at them, then they will be embarrassed and feel guilty. The door of the boudoir must be kept in a solemn manner, and there must be no noise and laughter; the children must be strictly supervised, and there must be no habit of traveling in the open space. These are all left behind by previous generations, and they have been followed for more than a hundred years, and they cannot be surpassed. As time goes by, everyone is at peace with each other, that's all. "
After hearing this, he stood up and said: "This sage said that he is rich and good at etiquette. Is that what I see today? If you are polite, you will be orderly, and if you are orderly, you will have good housekeeping. Strict; polite, amiable, and amiable, family harmony. Is there such a thing as not giving in to those who are discordant? If you follow this way, you can do it even if it lasts ten lifetimes or a hundred lifetimes. The son should keep his guard up and not fall down. The nine generations of Zhang Gongyi living together will not be as beautiful as before. ”