We all know that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty was a master who could not sit still. He loved to leave the palace to travel around when he had nothing to do, which also made him a unique emperor. Qianlong went to the south of the Yangtze River six times in his life, leaving behind many anecdotes that are passed down orally by the people to this day. "Qianlong's Southern Inspection Notes" tells the story of Emperor Qianlong's pseudonym Gao Tianci and his journey to the south. He acted bravely and was loved by the people along the way.
What we are going to tell today is the story of Qianlong in Hangzhou. He passed by Liu Yong's house and found the words "The No. 1 Family in the World" on the door. He was furious and went in to find out. Unexpectedly, he was relieved by an old man. ,What has actually happened?
Liu Yong was born in a famous family, and his career ups and downs were controversial.
When it comes to Liu Yong, everyone must be familiar with it. He also has a famous nickname called "Liu Luoguo"; according to legend, Liu Yong is very tall. , and because he had been studying and writing at his desk for many years, he looked a little hunched, so everyone called him Liu Luoguo. So, what is Liu Yong’s life experience?
Liu Yong was from Zhucheng, Shandong. He came from a well-known family. His ancestors were all officials in the imperial court. His family tradition was also very upright. Naturally, Liu Yong had read poetry and books since he was a child, and he had the ambition to study and become an official. When he grew up, Liu Yong took the imperial examination and successfully became a Jinshi in high school. He later became an official in the court. Because his father held a high position, Liu Yong also won the emperor's trust. Qianlong once personally gave him a poem in the hope that he would succeed. He could continue the family tradition, be a good official, and achieve political success. Liu Yong also lived up to the emperor's high expectations. During his official career, he was dedicated to serving the people.
However, later Liu Yong also faced a lot of controversies, and even went downhill, facing the gradual decline of his official reputation; it turned out that Liu Yong had a political opponent who was also an old acquaintance of ours, called and Shen, For a period of time, Qianlong was very fond of He Shen and ignored Liu Yong. Liu Yong had no choice but to give in. In addition, Liu Yong was already quite old at the time, and his previous ups and downs in officialdom had also consumed his energy. Liu Yong was not so concerned about political affairs. He even made many mistakes and was scolded by the emperor many times, and his official position was demoted along the way. Later, Liu Yong was promoted to be a bachelor of Tirenge , but Qianlong was still very dissatisfied with him, thinking that he was very lazy, cheating and slippery. It can be seen that Liu Yong was a lot slacker in political affairs in his later period.
Many people may not know about Liu Yong. He is also known as the "Prime Minister of Thick Mok" because he is very good at calligraphy and is one of the four major calligraphers of the Qing Dynasty. Although his calligraphy also respects the essence of his predecessors, But he was not unconventional at all, but very creative, and later generations gave him high praise. At the same time, Liu Yong was also proficient in ancient Chinese and loved collecting. His life can be said to be very colorful.
The arrogant plaque angered Qianlong. Let’s see how the old man explains it?
Going back to the story we are going to tell today, after Qianlong came to Hangzhou, he wandered around the local area and passed by a very grand-looking mansion. The doors, beams and pillars were all ornate and exquisitely carved. It looked like an ordinary house, so he couldn't help but walk forward and take a closer look, only to find that this was the Liu family's residence. Qianlong guessed that this should be the Liu Yong family's house. As a result, the next second, Qianlong saw something that made him very angry. It turned out that there was a plaque on the door, which read ", the first in the world" in five big characters.
You must know that in ancient times, the emperor was the most powerful person in the world. The whole world is not the king's land. All treasures within the four seas belong to the emperor. The emperor's power and status are the real number one in the world. The Liu family Although the official to prime minister can be regarded as a high position below one person and above ten thousand people, to put it bluntly, he is just a minister under Emperor Qianlong. How dare he so arrogantly claim that he is the best in the world? Qianlong was quite angry, but he couldn't help but want to go in and see how powerful this family was, so he walked in and called himself Gao Tianci. He was a good friend of the Liu family in the capital and came to visit now. .
After sitting down, Qianlong chatted with the Liu family. They talked about the plaque at the door and asked what it was for. The young man who received Qianlong was a young man. Hearing this question, he did not answer, but asked Qianlong to go to the second hall to ask him. Father, Qianlong took advantage of the situation and walked in. After Qianlong sat down, his servants brought him tea and asked him to wait here. Soon, a middle-aged man came out and sat down to talk to Qianlong. It turned out that he was Liu Yong's brother. The two chatted for a while, and Qianlong once again asked the question he had been curious about for a long time, that is, what does the plaque at the door mean?
Unexpectedly, the middle-aged man still did not give a positive answer, but once again invited him into the third hall to ask his father. Qianlong got up and walked inside again. Not long after, an old man came out. Although the old man looked quite old, he was energetic and spoke freely. He was obviously not a simple old man. After the two met, they exchanged greetings and greetings again. Qianlong once again threw out the problem that was troubling him. However, this time he still got the same reaction. The old man still said that he didn't know and invited him to the fourth hall. Just ask your own father.
Qianlong was already very confused at this moment. The plaque at the door of this house was so conspicuous, but several generations of people had asked questions and asked him to go to the fourth hall to ask. However, the words had already been spoken, and it was not polite to say goodbye, and Qianlong He became more and more curious about the Liu family, so he patiently continued walking inside. Not long after, a white-haired old man was helped out. He looked older than the old man just now, but he was still in good spirits. After the two exchanged greetings, Qianlong asked again who was at the door. What is the purpose of the plaque? The old man replied. This plaque was originally given by relatives and friends on my father’s birthday. There are three plaques in total. In addition to the one in front of the door, there are two more in the back hall. If you want to find out, you can go I asked my father in the back hall.
After hearing this, Qianlong couldn't help but secretly marveled. Along the way, he saw the Liu family's deep and magnificent compound, and could actually see five generations living under one roof, so he walked into the back hall again. When we arrived at the back hall, we saw an old man lying leisurely on the couch. His beard and hair were all white, but his complexion was very rosy. It can be seen that he must be well-preserved and well-maintained on weekdays. When Qianlong learned that the old man was 108 years old, he secretly admired him and respected him even more.
Faced with Qianlong's inquiry, the old man replied that this plaque was given to him by relatives and friends on his birthday, because the Liu family's father was the prime minister, his son was the prime minister, and his grandson was the prime minister. As the saying goes, "one family has three ministers, and father and son are prime ministers together." This is It is a supreme honor, so it is called "the first family in the world". After hearing this, Qianlong also believed that the Liu family was indeed a long-lived, high-ranking and famous family, and it was natural for them to claim to be the best in the world!
Conclusion:
The "No. 1 Family in the World" plaque that made Qianlong secretly angry when he saw it for the first time was actually not an arrogant act, but the Liu family's pride and commemoration of their wealth, longevity, and one family. Qianlong's respect for the Liu family I was quite appreciative of this blessing, so I gave up my anger and left with relief.As a folk story, it is extremely exciting. In the real history of the Qing Dynasty, there was no official position of prime minister, and there was no such thing as the Liu family's father and son being prime ministers. The story more conveys the world's admiration and worship of Liu Yong. And praise for the Liu family’s family tradition!
