Note: This will be the greatest history challenge being faced by yours truly. The entire Book of Han (汉书) do seem to have a different language system compared to the Records of Three Kingdoms (三国志), thus this will be an arduous journey of sorts.
Foreword: There's a current MediaCorp 8 drama entitled Break Free. Have to admit this to be a decently good stuff even though keeping track is quite dicey, read: lack of time management. But this is not the subject of the topic. Rather, if you think the 4 blokes in question are non-decent folks, then you're a retard. You wanna see a true blue SOB? Once a jailbird, not really forever a jailbird. But once an intelligent bastard, a bastard for life...
Ng Boon Gay acquitted?
Peter Lim?
Tey Tsun Hang?
CPIB boleh or not?
CHC sure kenna or not?
本人不受理，报歉
本人倒知何者为陈平
此人别名乃：
“天下第一奸”
奸人一等，别无老二
奸的厉害，可为忠臣
秦桧，您以为自己很行吗？
人家姓陈的不必花十二句话就可让你没老二。。。
P.S: 宋高宗，小儿黄D 一个。天皇老子的鸟样也没法子像姓陈的。。。
Brief intro:
Problem 1: The Hungry Game
其嫂疾平之不亲家生产，曰：“亦食糠耳。有叔如此，不如无有！”
伯闻之，逐其妇弃之。]
《汉书卷四十：张陈王周传》
[Chen Ping, a native of Huyou town, Yangwu county. Living a life of poverty during his youth, he was nevertheless a studious person while dabbling in the arts of Huang Di and Lao Zi. Possessing a field spanning thirty mu, he lived with his brother Bo.
Bo was a farmer, yet he allowed Ping the freedom to learn. Ping was tall and handsome, hence the folks
questioned Ping: "Why do you look well fed despite being poor?"
His sister-in-law loathed him as a wastrel, hence saying: "Indeed a useless person. To have such a brother-in-law is no different from having none at all!"
Upon subsequent knowledge of his wife's words, Bo divorced her.]
《Book of Han, Fortieth Scroll: Accounts of Zhang, Chen, Wang, Zhou》
A/N: Altho this lobo blogger here is already 30 yrs old despite ppl saying I only look like 20+... -_-
But still, it seems that Chen Ping was indeed an intelligent bugger. If you're poor, you're expected to live a farmer's life, NOT studying random stuff. Because people will laugh at you, calling you a stupid dreamer. Feudal China was truly an anal society back then. But then again, no one has ever said feudal history in every country/culture was non-anal in nature. Yes, guys. Chen Ping was indeed living out a gay life b/c he's indeed one hell of a talented bastard unlike this local talented bastard wannabe here.
Problem 2: Me NGSB=Me have rich GF=Me Gusta!
仲曰：“平贫不事事，一县中尽笑其所为，独奈何予之女？”
负曰：“固有美如陈平长贫者乎？”
卒与女。为平贫，乃假贷币以聘，予酒肉之资以内妇。负戒其孙曰：“毋以贫故，事人不谨。事兄伯如事乃父，事嫂如事乃母。”
平既取张氏女，资用益饶，游道日广。]
《汉书卷四十：张陈王周传》
[Upon adulthood, Ping was ready to find a wife. However, the rich never wanted him whilst the poor felt inadequate to him. As time passed, there was a rich man, Zhang Fu. He had a grand-daughter who was married five times, yet all her five husbands died. Hence no man dared to take her. Ping on the other hand, desired her. Back then, there was a major funeral at the city. Ping chose to take the risk by attending the wake in spite of his own poverty, being the first to attend and the last to leave. Thus Zhang Fu only saw Ping upon arrival. As he followed Ping back to his home, he witnessed only a desolate residence with a mat acting as doorway. Yet, there were many carriage tracks belonging to those of repute.
Zhang Fu told his son upon return: "I now intend to marry my grand-daughter off to Chen Ping."
His son then said: "Ping is merely an ordinary poor man ridiculed by the masses! Why must my daughter marry him?"
Fu replied back: "Have you ever seen a poor man of fair bearing like Chen Ping?"
Thus, Ping was promptly married to the girl. Ping was still poor during that time, hence he chose to use false currency as dowry while lavishing wine and meat upon his wife. Fu instructed his grandsons: "Do not be contemptuous just because of other's poverty. Treat his brother akin to a son to his father and respect his brother's wife like a son to his mother."
Due to marriage, Chen Ping became increasingly rich as he managed to expand his horizons via constant travels.]
《Book of Han, Fortieth Scroll: Accounts of Zhang, Chen, Wang, Zhou》
Problem: Was Chen Ping being an opportunistic bastard or was he truly besotted with a poor rich pretty girl? Nobody knows. But still, Chen Ping was indeed sly enough. Sly enough not to pull a massive cotton wool over his future doubled-confirmed grand-dad-in-law, but rather shrewd enough to understand Zhang Grand Sr was no idiot. People derided Chen Ping due to a blatant contrast in appearances (or depending on the individual, was... well unworthy lol!).
But yet, why was it that Chen Ping could invite people of higher standing? The rich looked down on him and therein lies the deceptive play in words. When we say people of high repute, we tend to think "oh, that rich fella living somewhere in Bukit Timah ah! The private housing there super posh one leh!"
Bzt, wrong. The feudal Chinese didn't believe in that kind of stuff. This was something far more accustomed to Western feudalism, but NOT on how the Chinese think back then. The Chinese had always been a people utterly obsessed with traditional learning/philosophy. Just like how the Greeks tend to measure their own status individually via scholarly learning/philosophy. The Greeks could talk high and mighty about the meaning of life, the Chinese just preferred talking personal values and morals. In fact, the legalism system (法家制度) implemented by the Qin dynasty was quite a bit similar to the current system we're all seeing now (hello, all you bodoh peh kambing think only SG got death sentence is it?)
So what am I trying to say? When I say people of higher standing, it means people of higher learning. Even though every other schools of thought were banned brutally, it's very likely that by that time, Qin Shi Huang had already passed away/incapacitated (Read: do you think the ban-hammer would be nerfed if he's still around and perfectly healthy?).
Correction: Apparently, people of higher learning in this aspect were those truly learned people, not those belonging to the other schools of learning. In short, whatever practical usage applicable beyond Legalism was still legit. Simply put, I've screwed up horribly. -_-
But no matter what, Zhang Fu wasn't an idiot as I've said earlier. Remember that major wake? If Chen Ping wasn't hell bent in marrying the lucky widow, he wouldn't pull out all stops.
Firstly and foremost, by arriving first and leaving last, the intent was very clear: to get Zhang Fu's attention. He knew what kind of character was Zhang Fu and that's why he could afford to throw the proverbial die.
This is NOT your everyday 4-D/Toto/IR punt. Chen Ping was very sure he would score his big break so as to speak. In short, if you understand what a person is like, you can be very sure that playing along the flow will be extremely easy. It's just like how husband and wife have to get along with each other. Either husband can understand his wife and the wife knowing her husband, or you can be very sure divorce will be coming very soon.
Zhang Fu knew Chen Ping's status, but he could also accept the fact that he looks far more of a towkay-kia-been rather than the standard pokkai-been.
In fact, if not for whatever subtly implied via Chen Ping's intelligent choice of friends, do you think he would be that well fed? Hello! You think he spend millions of dollars trying to dig a fountain of youth+smart, ah?
Oh, and he's also a good husband as well despite a dubious repute, I can give him that. In short, using fake currency will get you jailed any/everywhere, not just here in SG mind you. To Zhang Fu, it's legit b/c he knew Chen Ping was being honest with him. Chen Ping could have easily tried weaseling himself out via lying, cheating, and stealing, but he had nothing to hide b/c he's a real gentleman truly worthy of a lady's hand. Suay-siao girl, so what? Still got more than enough to provide for her what! You think this type of kind and intelligent husband so easy to find meh?
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| When in doubt, can go hunt Baidu. No j/k here. |
To be continued...
Boliao-Trollolol note:
If you all can try envisioning any Japanese/Korean gal being the unknown lucky girl, who will be your pick? Remember guys, this is not me trolling Nippon due to the Nihon-jin's batshit crazy brand of creativity. Rather, I'm waiting to see whether MOGEF will have a reaction lol! Me vs the Yeoseongbu? Well, a boliao bastard must learn to have fun what! If not I sure got kosong life one leh! :P
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