United reflection tower

Two scientists once lived in friendship - Tu and Guan. And they married sisters. True, they were very different characters: Guan had the most stringent rules, and Tu was frivolous, even unbridled. And they brought up their wives in accordance with their own views. At first, both families lived together, and then they quarreled. They divided the estate with a tall wall, and even a dam was built across the pond.

Even before the quarrel, a son was born in the Tu family, named Zhensheng, Precious-born, and in the Guan family, a girl named Yuju-an - Beautiful Jasper. Children were similar among themselves - not to distinguish. Their mothers were brought to each other by sisters.

Children grew up already separated, but from the conversations of the elders they knew about each other and dreamed of seeing each other. The young man even decided to visit his aunt, but his sister was not shown to him - Guan's customs were strict. They could not see each other until they guessed to look at the reflections in the pond. They saw and immediately fell in love.

The young man, he was bolder, sought to meet. The girl out of modesty resisted. A friend of the Tu family, a certain Lee, tried to woo the lovers, but received a decisive refusal. Parents sympathized with their son, tried to find him another bride. They remembered that Lee himself had an adopted daughter. Horoscopes of young people were compared - they coincided with extraordinary accuracy. Have an engagement. Maid Li was happy, but Maid Kuan, having learned about the future wedding of her lover, began to wither away day by day.

The young man in his frivolity could not decide and dreamed of each of the girls. Then Lee had a triple marriage plan. He dedicated his friend Tu to him, and obtained the consent of Guan by deception. Scheduled the day of the ceremony. Unsuspecting Guan saw that there was no groom next to his daughter, but was afraid to break the ceremony. When everything was clarified, he was angry, but he was convinced that the excessive severity in which he kept his daughter, and his bad character, which led to a quarrel with the Tu family, were to blame. He had to come to terms.

The young three healed. Especially for them, a pavilion called the “Tower of the United Reflection” was built on the pond, and the wall, of course, was torn down.

Reward Tower

During the Ming Dynasty, there lived a certain Qian Xiaojing, who was engaged in fishing. With his wife, nee Bian, he did not agree. It is true that heaven did not give them offspring. But when the spouses were equal to forty, their daughters were born with an difference of just one hour. Girls grew up real beauties, even though they are commoners.

It was time to marry them. Accustomed to cross over each other, parents decided to do each in their own way. The wife received matchmakers in secret from her husband, and he himself was conducting marriage negotiations. It got to the point that one day at the gates of their house met two marital processions. Hardly managed to comply with decency. True, when the husbands' grooms appeared after time for the brides, Ms. Bian launched a real massacre. The husband persuaded the future relatives to sue, and he volunteered to be a witness.

At that time, the young criminal inspector was in charge of all matters. He listened to both sides, but he could not decide who was right. I called on the girls to ask their opinions, but they only embarrassedly blushed. Then he called the suitors and was crushed by their ugliness. I realized that such louts can not be in the hearts of beauties.

And he thought of this: to arrange contests among young people, something like exams. Who distinguishes himself will receive, if he is single, his wife, and if he is already married - a deer as a reward. And the girls should be placed until the tower, called the "Tower of the Conquered Award." Announcements were posted, and applicants began to flock from all sides. Finally announced the winners. Two were married, two were single. True, one of the bachelors was not at all interested in brides, and the second was completely absent.

The inspector called on the winner and announced his decision. Then he asked where the second winner was. It turned out that the winners were twin cities, and one passed the exams for himself and for his brother. Confessing to this, by the name of Yuan Shijun, he flatly refused to marry, assuring that he would bring misfortunes to the girls who had been grasped for him, and therefore he gathered as a monk. But the inspector did not back down. He ordered the girls to be brought in and announced that Yuan, as a winner, received two brides at once.

Yuan submitted to the will of the ruler. He lived happily and reached high posts. The young ruler also succeeded. They say correctly: "Only a hero can recognize a hero."

Tower of Three Concord

Under the Ming Dynasty, a rich man named Tan lived in the Chengdu region. He only did that he was buying up new lands - he considered it stupid to spend money on other things: the guests would eat the food, the buildings would be destroyed by fire, someone would certainly ask him to defy the dress. He had a son, as scared as his father. I avoided excesses. I just wanted to build a big beautiful house, but greed interfered.

I decided to consult with my father. He came up with this for the sake of his son. In the same alley he noticed a garden, the owner of which was building a house. Father was sure that, having completed the building, he would want to sell it, because by that time he would do a lot of debts and he would be overpowered by creditors.

And the house was built by a certain Yu Hao, a respectable man who did not pursue fame, who devoted his leisure to poetry and wine. After several years, as Tang had foreseen, Yu became completely impoverished - the construction was eating up a lot of money. He had to sell a new house. Father and son of Tana pretended not to be interested in buying, scolded the buildings and the garden in order to bring down the price. Offered for the house a fifth of its true value. Yu Hao reluctantly agreed, but set one condition: he leaves behind a high tower, encloses it with a wall with a separate entrance. The younger Tan tried to argue, but his father persuaded him to give in. He realized that sooner or later Yu would sell the tower. The tower was beautiful. On each of the three floors, the owner arranged everything to his liking. The new owners soon disfigured the house with perestroika, and the tower was still striking in its perfection. Then the rich decided to take it away at all costs. They failed to persuade Yu. They started a lawsuit. But, fortunately, the judge quickly understood their sneaky plan, scolded Tanov and drove them away.

In distant lands, Yu had a twin friend, a man as rich as he was generous and indifferent to money. He came to visit and was very upset at the sale of the house and garden and the neighboring tricks. He offered money to buy the property, but Yu refused. A friend was about to leave and before leaving told Yuya that in a dream he dreamed of a white mouse - a sure sign of a treasure. He conjured not to sell the tower.

And the Tans were now waiting for the death of a neighbor, but that, contrary to their expectations, was strong and even at sixty gave birth to a heir. The rich got tanned. However, after a while an intermediary appeared to them. It turned out that Yu with the birth of his son was very restrained and ready to sell the tower. His friends discouraged him, but he insisted on his own, and he himself settled in a tiny house under a thatched roof.

Soon, Yu moved to another world, leaving a widow with a young son. Those lived only on the money left from the sale of the tower. At seventeen, his son Yui passed the exams and reached high posts, but he suddenly filed a letter of resignation and went home. On the way, a woman handed him a petition. It turned out that she was a relative of the Tans, whose family has long been plagued by misfortunes. The elders died, the descendants went bankrupt, and recently they arrested her husband by slander: someone wrote a denunciation that they were hiding stolen wealth in the tower. They searched, found ingots of silver. The woman suggested that since the estate once belonged to the Yu family, silver could belong to them. However, for a young man who remembered the ever-present poverty, such an assumption seemed ridiculous. But he promised to speak with the district chief.

At home, the old mother, learning about the incident, told him about a dream that had once been dreamed of by a friend-sister of the late father. It all seemed to his son a fairy tale. Soon the county governor came to him. The old woman told him a long story. It turned out that the sister-friend was still alive and at one time was very upset when he learned about the sale of the tower. The chief immediately understood everything.

At this time, the servant reported the guest. It turned out to be the same friend, now a deep old man. He fully confirmed the guesses of the county governor: he secretly left silver in the tower, even the numbers of the ingots were preserved in his memory. The boss decided to let Tan go free, gave him the money and took the deed of purchase to the estate and tower. Thus came the reward for the good deeds of Yui and for the evil deeds of his father and son Tang.

Summer delight tower

During the Yuan Dynasty, an official named Zhan lived alone. Two of his sons followed in the footsteps of his father and served in the capital, while he drank wine and composed verses. And in his later years, a daughter was born to him, named Xianxian - Charming. She was really pretty, but not a coquette, not a turtle-tail.

Her father was still worried, as if spring desires had not woken up in her soul ahead of time, and came up with an occupation for her. Among the Chelyadins, he selected ten girls and ordered his daughter to train them. She zealously got down to business.

It was a hot summer. Escaping from the heat, Xianxian moved to the shore of the pond in the "Arbor of Summer Delight". One day, tired, she dozed off, and her students decided to swim. One of them suggested swimming naked. Everyone cheerfully agreed. When, upon awakening, the mistress saw such disgrace, she was terribly angry and punished the instigator. Got the rest. The father liked the severity of his daughter.

Meanwhile, matchmakers came to Zhang's house, proposing a young man from the Qu family to the suitors. He sent rich gifts and asked Mr. Zhang to take him as a student. The old man agreed to this, but he answered evasively about marriage. The young man did not intend to retreat.

His determination reached Xianxian and could not help but like her. And then she found out that he excelled in exams. I began to think about him constantly. But Qu never returned to his native land. The girl was even worried: had not his father's evasion scared him away? She became sick from anxiety, slept from her face.

Soon, the young man returned home and immediately sent a matchmaker to find out about the health of Xianxian, although the girl did not tell anyone about her illness. The matchmaker assured her that the young man was always aware of everything, and in confirmation she told the story of the ill-fated bathing. The girl did not believe her ears. She even more wanted to marry Qu.

His omniscience was connected with the fact that somehow he bought a magical thing from a junkman, bringing the farthest objects closer to his eyes. It was into this All-Seeing Eye that he also saw the bathing scene and the dull look of Xianxiang itself. Once he even saw what poetry she wrote, and sent a match with the matchmaker. The girl was shocked. She believed that Qu was a celestial, and since then she could not even think of a husband - a mere mortal,

Father, meanwhile, did not give an answer, he was waiting for the results of the capital’s tests. Qu succeeded there, took second place, hastened to send matchmakers to the Xianxiang brothers. But they, too, did not give a decisive answer, explaining that two more of their compatriots who had successfully passed the exams used to marry their sister. Qiu had to return home with nothing. The brothers wrote a letter to their father, advising them to resort to divination.

The old man obeyed the advice. Although the girl was sure that Qu was omnipotent, fortune-telling was not in his favor. Xianxian tried to persuade her father herself, referring to the opinion of the late mother, who, appearing to her in a dream, ordered her to marry Qu. All is useless. Then Qu devised a plan and informed him of Xianxian. She again went to her father and said that she could repeat the text of the burnt spell addressed to her mother to the word. And she uttered it without hesitation from beginning to end. The old man trembled with fear. He believed that the marriage of his daughter and Qu was a foregone conclusion in heaven. He immediately called the matchmaker and ordered the wedding to be done.

But the fact was that Qu was able, with the help of the All-Seeing Eye, to read and remember the text of the spell, which was transmitted by Xian-xian. After the wedding, he confessed to his wife in everything, but she was not disappointed. The all-seeing Eye was placed in the Tower of Summer Delight, and the couple often resorted to it for advice. They lived in love and harmony, although Qu sometimes allowed himself secretly from his wife to have fun with her former students.

Tower of Return to Truth

During the Ming Dynasty, an amazing con man lived. No one knew his real name and where he came from. Few saw him. But the glory about him was, as they say, all over the world. There he robbed someone, here he fooled; Today it is operating in the south, tomorrow - in the north. The authorities got off their feet, but they couldn’t catch him. Sometimes they grabbed him, only there was no evidence against him. This is because the fraudster was extremely clever in changing his guises: the cheated never managed to recognize him. This went on for almost three decades, and then he voluntarily settled in one place, showed his true appearance and often told about his past life as an edification - like this: some funny stories have survived to this day. The name of the swindler was Bei Quizhong. His father hunted by robbery, but his son decided to go on a different track: he preferred cunning to brutal robbery. The father doubted the abilities of his son. Once, standing on the roof, he demanded that he make him go down to the ground, then, they say, he would believe in his ability. The son said that he could not do this, but he could persuade his father to go up to the roof. The father agreed and got down from the roof - the son surpassed him in tricks. Parents praised the dexterity of their offspring. We decided to try it in a more serious matter.

He went out of the gate and returned three hours later. Porters brought him boxes of food and tableware, received a few coins and left. It turned out that the dodger took part in someone else's wedding ceremony. He sniffed everything, realized that soon the feast would move from the bride's house to the groom's house, impersonated himself as the groom's servant and volunteered to accompany food and utensils. Then, under some pretext, he sent the porters, hired new ones, whom he ordered to carry everything to the parental home. No one understood where the wedding food and dishes went.

Several years have passed. The young fraudster became famous. There was no man whom he could not fool. so the experienced one kept a shop in the city of Hangzhou, and he fell: he bought a bar of gold from a stranger, after a while another unknown person said that the bar was fake, and he volunteered with the merchant to expose the fraudster, but as soon as the merchant made a fuss, the kindness disappeared. It turned out that he - and this, of course, was the scammer Bay himself - and replaced the real ingot with a fake one.

Another time, Bay and his friends saw a flotilla of boats on the river. Local officials met a new ruler from the capital. Since no one knew the ruler by sight, Bay easily impersonated him, deceived a lot of money from officials and was like that. There were many similar feats behind him.

But among the singers he was famous for generosity. Once they even hired dozens of good fellows to catch Bay and take them to visit. And it happened, but the fraudster managed to change his appearance, and the little girls decided that they just came across a similar person. One girl, whose name was Su Yingyang, was especially upset. She dreamed with the help of Bay to abandon an unworthy craft and go to the nun. Her tears moved the unrecognized fraudster, and he decided to help the unfortunate. I bought it from a fun house, found a building suitable for a chapel, with two courtyards: I settled a girl in one half of the house, and decided to settle in the other. In the garden, he hid the looted riches, right at the foot of the three towers. One of them was decorated with a board with the inscription: “The Tower of Return and Stop,” but a miracle suddenly happened: the inscription itself changed, and now it was written on the tower: “Tower of Return to the Truth.”Since then, Bay has quit cheating and, like Su Yingyang, has rejected worldly vanity.

True, he needed a two-story building for prayer, so he decided for the last time to resort to his craft. He disappeared for six months along with his henchmen, predicting that there would certainly be kindlings who would like to build a chapel. Indeed, after a while, an official and a merchant came to Su Yingyang, who expressed their willingness to pay for the construction of such a house. And soon Bay returned.

When Su marveled at his sagacity, he revealed to her fraudulent tricks with which he made the official and the merchant fork out. But this was the last time that Bay resorted to his unworthy craft.

Fine Tower

During the Ming Dynasty, two friends, Jin Zhongyuy and Liu Minshu, lived. They tried to become scientists, but did not show much zeal and decided to engage in trade. They also had a third friend, Quan Zhushu, who was an unusually handsome face. They bought three shops, combined them into one and began to sell books, incense, flowers and antiquities. Behind their shop stood the Tower of the Collection of Fine Arts.

Friends conducted their trade honestly, knew a lot about objects: read rare books, burned wonderful incense, knew how to play musical instruments, and knew about paintings. Things were going great, the shop was a success with experts.

Two older friends were married, and the youngest did not have time to marry and lived at the bench.

At that time, the court academician was a certain Yan Shifen, the son of the first minister Yan Song. He heard about the shop of friends, but more of antiquities or incenses interested him in a beautiful young man, because he was a nobleman no stranger to a known vice. He went to the shop, but friends, learning about his penchant, decided to hide the young Quan. Yan scored a thousand gold things and returned to the palace. He promised to pay for purchases later. No matter how many friends visit for money, all for nothing. Finally, manager Yang opened their eyes to them: the nobleman would not return the money until he saw Quan. The young man had to go to the palace. True, Yang's hopes did not materialize: despite his youth, Quan showed extraordinary firmness and did not yield to his harassment.

At that time, the insidious eunuch Sha Yucheng served at the court. One day, Yan Shifan came to visit him and saw that he was scolding the servants for negligence. I decided to recommend that young Quan. And the plan for two villains was born: to lure the young man to the eunuch and to scatter. The eunuch knew that he was sick and death was not far off. After his death, the young man must pass into the hands of Jan.

The eunuch Sha sent for Quan. It is as if the dwarf trees that were once bought from his shop need to be trimmed. The young man appeared. The eunuch intoxicated him with a sleepy potion. The unfortunate had to part with his twin friends and settle in the house of the eunuch. Soon, after asking someone, he realized that Yan Shifan was guilty of his misfortune, and decided to take revenge. After a while, the eunuch died, and Quan entered into service to his worst enemy.

Day after day, he wrote down the vicious words that the nobleman and his father spoke against the emperor, remembered all their misconduct. This family has done evil to more than one. Many submitted to the sovereign revelatory reports. Finally, Yanei was exiled.

Through one court lady, the emperor found out about the misfortune of Quan Zhushu. He summoned the young man to himself and interrogated with partiality. Here and other officials added fuel to the fire. The villain was taken to the capital and his head chopped off. Quan managed to get his skull and fit it under a vessel for urine. Such is revenge for shaming.

Scattered cloud tower

During the Ming Dynasty, a young man named Pei Jidao lived in Lingani. By himself, he was good, talented and extremely intelligent. They grabbed the girl Wei for him, but then the parents preferred the daughter of the rich Feng, a rare ugly creature, and the character of the infamous one. Pay never appeared in public with her, was afraid of the mockery of his friends.

Once, during a summer holiday, a terrible whirlwind flashed on Lake Xihu. Frightened women jumped out of the boats, water and rain washed off the powder and blush from their faces. The young people gathered for the holiday decided to take this opportunity and find out which of the residents of the city is beautiful and who is ugly. Among the youth was Pei. When his wife appeared in a crowd of women, her ugliness caused general ridicule. But two beauties amazed everyone with their charm. In one of them, Pei recognized his first named girl, Wei. The second was her servant Nenhong.

Pei's wife soon died, and he again became the groom. Once again, the matchmakers were sent to the Wei family, but they angrily rejected the offer. Pei once opted for a rich bride. The young man did not find a place for himself from grief.

Near the house of Veyev there lived a certain mother, Yu, who had a reputation as a mentor in every female craft. Maid Wei and her maid studied with her. Pzi decided to resort to her help. Gave her rich gifts, told about his sorrows. But mother Yu, although she spoke with the girl Wei herself, also did not succeed. In the girl’s heart, resentment did not die out.

Then Pei knelt in front of mother Yu and began to beg her to arrange a wedding for him, even with the maid Nenhong. This scene from the top of the Tower of the Scattered Clouds was precisely this same maid. I just thought that Pei was praying for her mistress. When she found out from mother Yu what she was talking about, she softened and promised if they would take her as a wife and persuade her mistress.

The maid’s plan was complicated and required patience. First, she persuaded the parents of the girl Wei to turn to the fortuneteller. Of course, Pei had to preliminarily cajole this fortuneteller properly. Having arrived at the house, he convinced the parents of the bride that the future bridegroom should be from among the widowers, and in addition, it was imperative that he take the second wife for himself. Here it was not difficult to hint at Pei as a possible candidate for a husband. Parents decided to slip his fortune teller, among others, and his horoscope. Of course, he chose his enchantment.

Seeing that the case was almost over, the cunning Nenhong demanded from Paye a paper confirming his intention to marry her. He signed.

Soon they got married. Nenhong moved with her mistress to a new home. On the wedding night, Pei pretended that he had a terrible dream, which he still interpreted as the same magic as a hint of the need to take a second wife. Wei, afraid that she would not get along with her new wife, herself persuaded her maid to marry Pei. They played the second wedding. After the prescribed number of moons, both wives resolved by their sons. Pei never took other women into the house.

Tower of Ten Wedding Cups

During the Ming Dynasty, there lived a certain farmer in the Wenzhou region, nicknamed the Wine Fool, an unlearned man, even a stupid one. True, he was able to amazingly write hieroglyphs in hops. They said that the immortal gods lead him with a brush, and local residents often visited Durny to find out their future. And always his written predictions were justified.

At the same time, there lived a young man named Yao Jian, famous for his remarkable talents. Father hoped to marry him to some noble beauty. I found him a girl from the Tu family. Things quickly went wrong, and a tower was built for the newlyweds. It was then that they called for Wine Durny to inscribe the annoying inscription - the name for the tower. He drained a dozen glasses of wine, grabbed a brush and instantly wrote; The Tower of Ten Cups. The hosts and guests could not understand the meaning of the inscription, even decided that the drunk calligrapher was mistaken.

Meanwhile, the wedding day has come. After a solemn feast, the young husband dreamed of reuniting with his wife, but a certain flaw appeared in her bed - as they say, "there were no gates for the traveler among the rocks." The young man was sad, and the next morning he told all his parents. They decided to return the unfortunate home, and instead demand her younger sister.

Secretly made an exchange. But Yao Jun was unlucky here: the youngest turned out to be ugly, and even suffered from urinary incontinence. Whatever morning, a young mule woke up in a wet bed amid a terrible stench.

Then we decided to try a third sister from Tu’s house. This, it seemed, was good for everyone - neither a flaw of the eldest, nor ugliness of the youngest. The husband was delighted. True, it soon became clear that the beauty, even before the wedding, had identified with some man and had suffered. The sinner had to drive away.

Such or any other failure ended up in all of the following attempts by unfortunate Yao to find a pair: either he came across a malicious one, then an obstinate, or a stupid one. For three years, our hero visited the groom nine times. One old relative named Guo Tushu guessed what was the matter. It is known that with the brush of Wine Dope, when he wrote the name for the “Tower of Ten Wedding Goblets”, he was led by a holy celestial. Young Yao has not yet fulfilled the predictions, drank only out of nine goblets, and there remains one more. Then the parents asked Guo to find somewhere in a foreign land a bride for his son. They waited a long time. Finally, the news came from Guo that the bride was found. She was brought and performed marriage ceremonies. When the husband seduced the muslin blanket from her, it turned out that before him was his first wife

What was to be done? Day after day, the couple suffered, but suddenly the unexpected happened. In the very place where the wife did not have a "peony bud", an abscess appeared. A few days later he burst, a wound formed. They were afraid that the wound would be healed, but nothing happened. Now the beauty was, as they say, flawless. Truly the couple were overjoyed. It is not without reason that they say that happiness must be sought, and not obtained with ease.

Tower of the Returning Crane

During the Dynasty, a certain Duan Pu lived in Bianjin, an offspring of an old family. At nine years old, he joined the sciences, but was in no hurry to pass exams, he wanted to gain experience. He was in no hurry to get married. He was an orphan, he did not need to take care of anyone, so he lived freely and for his pleasure.

He was friends with a certain Yu Zichang, also talented and similar to him, as a young man. Yu also did not aspire to a career, but he was seriously thinking about getting married. However, it was very difficult to find a worthy wife.

Meanwhile, the emperor issued a decree. All learned people had to come to the palace for trials. Let's go and Duan with Yui. Although they did not dream of success at all, and even wrote the essays through their sleeves, luck accompanied them, and they occupied high places.

In the capital city there lived a venerable man named Guan, in whose house two beauties grew up - his daughter Weizhu, the Pearl in the frame, and the niece Zhaotsuy - Lazurnaya. Azure beauty even surpassed the Pearl. When the sovereign arrived in time a decree on the selection of beauties for the palace harem, the court eunuch could only choose these two, although he preferred Zhaoqiu. She was to become a sovereign concubine. However, the emperor soon abandoned his intention. The time was turbulent, one should draw the sages closer to oneself, and not indulge in voluptuousness.

It was then that Kuan heard about two young men who had succeeded in trials. For such, you can give the daughter and niece.

Yuya pleased the news. But Duan considered marriage an annoying hindrance. True, arguing with a high dignitary did not fit, and Duan resigned himself. We played weddings. Yu married the Pearl, Duan married Azure. Yu lived happily, could not get enough of the beautiful wife and even promised not to take the concubines into the house. Duan also fell in love with his wife, but sometimes he was gripped by anguish: he understood that such a wife was a rare jewel, so wait for trouble.

Soon, friends received appointments to high positions. Everything seemed to be working out perfectly. However, the joy did not last long. The sovereign changed his previous decision and again ordered to take the beauties to the harem. Upon learning that the two most beautiful virgins went to miserable students, he was terribly angry and ordered two friends to be sent to remote provinces. Helpful officials immediately advised sending them with tribute to the state of Jin. Messengers usually did not return from there.

Yu Zichang loved his wife, and the separation seemed to him a dry meal. Duan, on the contrary, honestly told his wife that he most likely would not succeed in returning, and ordered that his heart not be tormented in vain. The young woman was shocked by his coldness, she was very angry. Moreover, on their house, he fixed a sign with the inscription: "Tower of the Returning Crane", hinting at eternal separation - he supposedly will return here only after his death in the guise of a crane.

The journey turned out to be difficult. Life in Jin was even harder. Jin officials demanded bribes. Duan immediately refused to pay, he was abused, chained to pads and beaten with whips. But it was hard. But Yu, in a hurry to return to his wife, litter right and left with the money that his father-in-law sent him, he was well treated and was soon released to his homeland.

He was already embracing his wife in thoughts, and she, knowing of his arrival, could not wait for a meeting. But the emperor, after listening to the report of Yu Zichang, immediately appointed him inspector for the supply of troops with food. It’s a military affair, not a minute could be wasted. Of course, the emperor continued to take revenge on the man who intercepted his beauty! And again, for Yui and his wife, the joy of meeting was replaced by the pain of separation. He only managed to deliver a letter from Duan to his wife. She read poetry and realized that her husband had not changed at all - instead of his heart he had a stone. And she decided not to torment herself in vain, do needlework, earn money, and then spend it generously. In a word, she stopped languishing.

Yu Zichang’s life went on in hardships. He didn’t get off the saddle all day long, his wind was blowing for a second, it was pouring rain. So not a year or two passed. Finally a victory was won. But then it was time to pay tribute to the Jin state again. A court official who remembered that the sovereign did not favor Yu, proposed that he should be sent as ambassador. The emperor immediately made an appointment. Yu was in despair. I even wanted to lay hands on myself. His letter was saved from Duan, who, having endured hardships and hardships, found an opportunity to keep his friend from a rash act.

The Jinans were delighted at the arrival of Yu. They expected generous offerings from him. But this time, father-in-law was in no hurry to send money, and Yu could not appease the greedy Jin people. And then terrible trials fell upon him. They finally retreated from Duan, even were ready to let him go home. Only he was in no hurry. After two years of constant torment, they also waved their hands at Yu — it became clear that money could not be obtained from him.

Over the years, friends have become even closer. They helped each other in everything, shared sorrows and sorrows. Duan tried to explain his severity to his wife, but Yu could not believe that he was right.

Eight years have passed. Jin Province went on a march on Song, captured the capital. The sovereign was captured. Here he met with his subjects, who ruined his life. Now he repented bitterly. Even ordered them to return to their homeland.

And after endless separation, the ill-fated wanderers were approaching their native places. Time did not spare Yu. He became completely gray. Not daring to appear to his wife in this form, he even dyed his hair and beard with a special dye. But when he entered the house, he learned that his wife died of grief.

But Zhaotsui, Duan's wife, it seems, even got prettier. The husband was delighted, decided that she correctly took his old advice. But the wife held a grudge against him. Then he reminded her of a secret sign contained in a letter transmitted eight years ago through Yu. The woman objected that it was his usual letter with words destroying love. But it turned out that it was a shifter letter. His wife read it in a new way, and a joyful smile lit up her face. This time, she realized how wise and insightful her husband was.

Ancestral Offering Tower

During the reign of the Ming Dynasty - already during its decline - the scientist Shu lived near Nanking. His family was very numerous, but among the ancestors in seven generations only one child was born. As a wife, he took a girl from an eminent family. Soon she became a support in the house. The couple loved each other very much.They had no children for a long time, finally a boy was born. Parents and relatives literally prayed for the child. True, the neighbors were amazed at the courage of the people who gave birth to a son. painfully turbulent times were, gangs of robbers were rampaging everywhere, and women with children seemed especially defenseless. Soon, the Shu family also realized the danger.

Shu himself decided at all costs to save his son - a precious gift of fate. Therefore, he dreamed of taking the word from his wife that she, even at the cost of her own dishonor, would try to save the boy. This decision was not easy for his wife, she tried to explain herself to her husband, but he stood his ground. In addition, relatives demanded by all means to preserve the life of the continuer of their clan. We turned to fortune telling. The answer was still the same.

Soon, robbers came to their land. The scientist hid. The woman was left alone with the child. Like all the surrounding women, she did not escape abuse. Once the robber burst into the house and already brought a sword, but the woman offered him her life in exchange for the life of her son. He did not begin to kill anyone, but took the mother with the child with him. From then on, they followed him everywhere.

Finally, peace reigned. The scientist sold the house and all utensils, went to buy his wife and son from captivity. I could not find them anywhere. Moreover, robbers attacked him on the way, and he lost all his money. I had to beg. Once a piece of meat was thrown at him, he glared at it with his teeth, but tasted an unusual taste. It turned out to be beef that they had never eaten in their family. Because there was a kind of vow that allowed each generation to have at least one heir, and Shu decided to die better than violate the ancient ban.

He had almost accepted death when spirits suddenly appeared and, struck by his stamina, brought the scientist back to life. They explained to Shu that he was observing a “half fast”, a ban on the use of beef and dog, which means that he could turn any trouble into his own good.

A few more months passed. The poor man went out thousands of roads, suffered a lot of ordeals. Once the soldiers forced him to drag a ship along the river. During the day, the huts were strictly watched by a guard; they were locked up in a church for the night. At night, Shu did not close his eyes, shed tears and complained about fate. Once his noble mistress heard his moaning, swimming towards her husband. She ordered to bring him to her. I asked. And then she ordered him to be shackled in iron so as not to interfere with her sleep. She said that her fate was being given into the hands of her husband, the military leader who was about to appear. The commander has arrived. The unfortunate appeared before him. It was clear that he had no malicious intent. He explained why he cried so bitterly at night, he called the name of his wife and son. It was then that it turned out that the wife of the military leader was the scientist's ex-wife. Shu prayed that the child, the successor of the clan, be returned to him. The military leader did not mind. The wife refused to return - she had lost her honor.

The commander gave Shu money for the road and the boat. Soon, doubts began to gnaw at the scientist’s soul, he wanted to return his wife. Then the horseman appeared, who brought an order from the military leader to immediately return. The scientist was lost in gloomy conjectures. It turned out that after the departure of her husband and son, the unfortunate woman decided to accept death. She was found hanging under the crossbar of the cabin. The military leader ordered a healing infusion in her mouth and a pill to prolong life. The woman came to life.

Now she fulfilled the oath - tried to die. It was possible to return to her husband. The commander ordered Shu to tell everyone that his wife had died and he had married a second time. He endowed them with money, clothes, utensils. Since ancient times, such noble deeds are very rare!

The tower of newfound life

In the last years of the Song dynasty, a rich man named Yin lived in the Yunyang region. He was distinguished by great frugality, his wife helped him in that. They did not boast of anything, they lived quietly. They did not decorate their home. True, Yin decided to build a small tower near the sanctuary of his ancestors, so that the forces of Yang would be favorable to him. In this tower, the couple arranged a bedroom.

Soon, Inya's wife suffered, and in due time gave birth to a boy, who was named Lawshen, Born in the tower. Everyone had a good child, though he only had one testicle. Parents of the soul did not look at him.

Somehow he went for a walk with the kids and disappeared. We decided that his tiger carried away. The couple were desperate. No matter how many attempts have been made to give birth to a child since then, only failures pursued them. But Yin firmly refused to take the concubine. By the age of fifty, they decided to take an adopted son. They were only afraid that they could be flattered by their wealth, they could rob the elderly. Therefore, Yin decided to go to distant lands. There no one knew that he was rich, and it was easier to choose an adopted son. The wife approved her husband's intention and collected him on the road.

Yin put on the dress of a commoner and hit the road. To quickly achieve his goal, he even wrote a special paper: “I am old and childless, I want to go to foster fathers. I ask only ten lanas. Those who wish can make a deal immediately and do not repent. ” But everyone just laughed at the old man. Sometimes they kicked and cracked my head.

Once a young man of a pleasant appearance squeezed through the crowd and walked up to Yin with a respectful bow. Everyone laughed at him, but he kindly invited the old man to a drinking institution, and treated him. So they got to know each other better. It turned out that the young man lost his parents as a child, is still not married, is engaged in trade and even managed to save something. He had long dreamed of going to foster sons, but was afraid that everyone would decide that he would cry for someone else's wealth. Now the adoptive father and son have healed soul to soul.

At that time, a rumor passed that enemy troops were approaching, and robbers were rampaging on the roads. Old Yin advised his son to distribute the goods to the merchants, and to go home lightly themselves. The son agreed, but was worried whether the old man would have to starve on the road. It was then that Yin announced that he was rich.

On the way, Yin learned that the young man was in love with the daughter of his former master and would like to visit her. We agreed that the old man will go forward, and the young man will stay to visit her. When the boat with the old man had already sailed, he realized that he had not told his adopted son his name, and decided to leave an announcement on each pier.

Meanwhile, the young man found out that the village where his master lived was looted by robbers and all the women were taken prisoner. In terrible grief, Yao sailed further and stumbled upon the bazaar, where they traded prisoners. Only robbers did not allow women to be examined. Yao bought one at random - it turned out to be an old woman. But the respectful young man did not scold her, but offered to be his mother.

The woman, in gratitude, informed him that the robbers were going to trade young and beautiful the next day, and explained how, if so, to find the best of the girls. Yao did as she ordered, bought a woman without bargaining, removed covers from her - turned out to be his beloved Cao. The sign was the jasper arshin that he himself had once given to her.

Need I say how happy the young were, how the old woman thanked. Moved on. Swam to some village. They hailed them from the shore. The son recognized the adoptive father, but the old woman also recognized her husband. When he left home, she was captured by robbers. In captivity, she met the girl Cao.

Overjoyed, Yin and his wife brought the young to the tower in order to complete the ceremony. But the young man, looking around, suddenly said that he recognized the bed, toys, utensils. Asked, it turned out - in front of them is a son, abducted in childhood. Then the father remembered the acceptance of his child, took the young man aside, looked and probably recognized him as his own son.

A wonderful story immediately became known throughout the county. The young had many children, and the Yin clan flourished for a long time.

The tower where heed the advice

During the reign of the Ming dynasty, there lived one venerable man, and he was called Yin. He held the post of interpreter of texts under the person of the sovereign, and everyone called him the historiographer Yin. He had a cousin nicknamed Dysou, the Elder Tugodum, a very modest man who looked like a hermit.

When Dysou turned thirty years old, gray hair appeared in his beard. He burned all his verses and works, destroyed his brushes, and distributed to his friends painting accessories. He left only a few books on agriculture. He explained to those interested that it was impossible to live a hermit in the mountains and do calligraphy.

The historiographer Yin appreciated Tugodum: he did not flatter, he always spoke the truth. So the official was not lazy to visit him, although Dysou lived far away. But Tugoduma did not occupy vanity. He dreamed only of purity of being, of estrangement from worldly vanity. He dreamed of leaving the city and settling in solitude. I bought some mu stunted earth and built a hut to live here until old age. He said goodbye to friends and a few days later with his family went to the mountains. Then Yin decided to call the tower, in which they once had conversations, "the tower where heed to the advice."

Gu Tugodum enjoyed the life of a hermit. Yin sent him a letter, begging him to return, but he refused. Once, a messenger came from a county council demanding to go to the city, because an arrears were discovered behind Gu. He was terribly upset. Then he decided to cajole the messenger. Dodger took a hundred coins.

And then there were robbers in the area. Once they came to Gu and robbed him to the skin, and even left some things taken from other unfortunates. Life was getting worse day by day. Friends sent him letters with sympathetic words, but no one helped with the money. Another six months passed. Gu is used to poverty. But fate did not spare him.

Guards appeared with an arrest warrant. The robbers were arrested, and they admitted that they left part of the booty in the house of a certain Gu. Gu understood that for some transgressions, heaven does not allow him to live as a hermit. He called his wife, ordered them to pack their things, and moved to the city. At the city gates he was met by friends. They persuaded him not to talk with the boss, saying that he would ruin everything, but took the negotiations upon himself. One condition was put forward: from this day, Gu remains to live in the suburbs. They even found a house for him.

When the friends parted, there was one Yin historiographer who told me how he lacked the advice of a friend. They talked all night, and in the morning Gu, looking around, could not understand why the owner left such a beautiful house.

Here came the messenger from the council. At first, Gu was alarmed, but he, it turns out, appeared to return the money that Gu had given him to appease officials. Then the robbers appeared and, with an apology, returned Gu the loot from him. Then the county governor arrived in person. He expressed joy at Gu's decision to settle near the city.

In the evening there were guests with wine and dishes. Gu told them about an honest officer, noble robbers and a respectful county governor. The guests looked at each other and laughed. Then the historian Yin laid it out honestly. It turned out that all the troubles of Gu were arranged by his friends to force him to abandon the life of a hermit. Until dawn, the fun lasted, the wine poured. Gu settled in a new place, and everyone came to him for advice. And the historiographer Yin simply settled nearby in a peasant's house, called the "Tower where heed to the advice."

The attentive reader has already understood that this is a story more about Yin than about Gu Tugodum. There are few in the world who are able to reject the bustle and live as a hermit, but even less - especially among the nobility - who are aware of their own imperfections and are ready to listen to someone else's opinion.