The Red Mansions

Chapter 1670 Jia Heng: The struggle for the great way is always a life-and-death struggle

Chapter 1670 Jia Heng: The struggle for the great way is always a life-and-death struggle...

Jinling, Liangjiang Governor's Office

Li Shouzhong, dressed in a scarlet Sichuan brocade official robe, was sitting behind a lacquered wooden table. His eyes glanced at the officials present, including Jiangsu Governor Zhang Yongchuan, Jiangsu Provincial Governor Zhang Hanwen, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Yan Shiyong, and Provincial Governor Kuang Keliang.

Officials from Jiangxi Province, including Governor Qi Guan and Jiangxi Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Pan Shishou, were present.

All the officials present were wearing scarlet robes, jade belts around their waists, and had warm and prosperous smiles on their faces.

Li Shouzhong said, "Everyone, in recent years, the implementation of the new policy in the Liangjiang area has been neither hot nor cold. Although the annual grain and fodder sent to the court has increased by 8 million shi, the local occupation of grain fields still occurs from time to time. When I was an official in Anhui, I heard that last year in Suzhou, officials and gentry even beat merchants to death and seized their grain fields and wives and daughters. It was appalling and outrageous."

Although the New Deal had been implemented for three or four years and had achieved certain results, the conservative power of local gentry was still very strong.

As he spoke, Li Shouzhong looked at Zhang Yongchuan, who was standing with his hands clasped beside him, and asked, "Governor Zhang, this happened in your jurisdiction. Have you heard any rumors?"

Zhang Yongchuan's expression suddenly changed, and he quickly stood up and said, "Sir Governor, please allow me to report that there is indeed another hidden story behind this matter."

Li Shouzhong frowned, his eyes flashed fiercely, and asked, "What's the hidden story?"

Zhang Yongchuan turned his head and glanced at the surrounding scene, and said, "Master Governor, can we talk to you in detail after the banquet?"

Immediately, Zhang Yongchuan smiled widely and said, "Master Governor, I have prepared some wine and food to welcome you."

Qi Guan, the governor of Jiangxi, said, "Your Excellency, please enjoy the wine and food first."

Upon seeing this, Li Shouzhong's eyes flickered. He did not continue to ask questions, but went to the back hall for a banquet with Zhang Yongchuan, Qi Guan and other officials.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of dishes.

Everyone was toasting each other, and the atmosphere in the hall gradually became noisy and lively.

When the banquet was over, Li Shouzhong called Zhang Yongchuan to the hall, stared at him, and said, "Governor Zhang, if you have anything to say, just speak frankly."

Zhang Yongchuan lowered his voice and said, "Your Excellency the Governor, you may not know that the mastermind behind the Suzhou case was the Prince Wu's Mansion."

Li Shouzhong was surprised and asked, "King Wu?"

The King of Wu was one of the twelfth sons of Emperor Taizong. When he was still young, he was granted the title of Marquis of Wuzhong. After several generations, he had many descendants in Suzhou and his family was wealthy.

Li Shouzhong frowned, his eyes showing a thoughtful look, and asked in confusion: "King Wu? King Wu has never been known to have such evil deeds. How could he commit such a wicked act of occupying grain fields?"

Zhang Yongchuan said, "It was the fourth son of the King of Wu. He had taken a fancy to the wife of that merchant. In addition, the court's new policies have been pressing for the past two years, and the land survey of the King of Wu's palace has caused a lot of loss every year. The King of Wu's palace has always been extravagant and squandered a lot."

Li Shouzhong said, "Lord Zhang is the governor of Jiangsu. How could such a thing happen under his jurisdiction? As an official in charge, why didn't you report it to the court?"

Zhang Yongchuan's resolute and calm face showed an awkward expression, and he said, "I submitted an impeachment memorial to the court before, but the court has been hit by many major events since last year. The impeachment memorial I submitted has fallen on deaf ears."

Li Shouzhong frowned upon hearing this and said, "Governor Zhang should continue to submit petitions to the court until the impeachment is concluded."

Zhang Yongchuan: “…”

Why does he continue with impeachment? What good does it do him?

"Or you and I can jointly impeach him." Li Shouzhong glanced at the expression on Zhang Yongchuan's face and sneered in his heart.

After all, Li Shouzhong had been the governor for several years. After talking with Zhang Yongchuan, he naturally knew Zhang Yongchuan's intentions.

This is to use him as a gun.

Zhang Yongchuan secretly thought it was a pity and said, "Then let's follow the governor's wishes."

After sending Zhang Yongchuan away, Li Shouzhong ordered someone to call the Jiangxi Governor Qi Guan to the back hall for a chat.

Compared with Zhang Yongchuan's smoothness and sophistication, and all kinds of hidden thoughts in his heart, Jiangxi Governor Qi Guan is obviously much more honest and upright.

"Your humble servant greets you, sir." Qi Guan's face became serious, he stepped forward and spoke.

Li Shouzhong quickly stood up, extended his hand to support him, and said, "Master Qi, there is no need to be so polite."

Qi Guan thanked him, then looked at Li Shouzhong and said, "I don't know if the governor has summoned you. What do you want to ask?"

Li Shouzhong was silent for a moment, then asked, "Master Qi, how is Jiangxi implementing the new policy?"

Qi Guan said: "Governor, Jiangxi has spared no effort in implementing the new policy. The people have benefited from the new policy and are grateful for the court's wise governance. Especially after the implementation of the policy of allocating land tax to each acre, the population has increased by more than 100,000 people every year."

Li Shouzhong twisted his beard with his hand, and under his thick eyebrows, there was a hint of consideration in his eyes. He said loudly: "The new policy has been implemented for a few years. I hope it can benefit the people in Jiangnan."

Qi Guan nodded and said, "However, Jiangxi is rich in tea trees, and the imperial court imposes heavy taxes on tea. Now the imperial court is considering whether to exempt the tea tax and show sympathy to the people of Jiangxi."

Li Shouzhong said: "I will submit a memorial to the court and discuss this matter."

Qi Guan's face became serious, and he said in a deep voice: "Sir Governor, many officials in Jiangnan are resistant to the new policy, and many local policies have not been implemented, especially in Jiangsu. Rich merchants and vassal kings and royal families have occupied a lot of land, and the governor of Jiangsu cannot control it."

Li Shouzhong said: "I have also heard about this in Anhui. Speaking of Jiangsu, when the new policy was implemented, there were many illegal things."

Qi Guan looked at Li Shouzhong and asked loudly, "What does the governor mean?"

Li Shouzhong said in a deep voice: "Wait and see what happens. Once we have collected all the evidence of his crimes, we can eradicate him completely."

Qi Guan’s opinion should be yes.

This governor has become suspicious of the officials in the south of the Yangtze River.

By the time Li Shouzhong met with the officials from Liangjiang, it was already evening, the sky was dark, and the lights were just coming on.

Li Shouzhong walked quickly to the study and sat down on a pearwood chair with a carved backrest.

Chief Clerk Hong Zhongchang hesitated for a moment and said, "Mr. Dong, the officials in Liangjiang do not seem to welcome Mr. Dong to take up his new post."

Li Shouzhong frowned and asked, "Are you talking about Zhang Yongchuan and others? They originally wanted to take over Liangjiang, but they didn't want the court to appoint me as the governor of Liangjiang. It's normal for them to be unhappy."

In the past, Li Shouzhong had lived in Nanjing and was well aware of the temperament of officials in Liangjiang. He even had many old friends in the six ministries in Nanjing and the officialdom in Jiangnan.

Hong Zhongchang asked, "Dong Weng, I wonder what the purpose of the King of Wei's transfer of Dong Weng to Liangjiang is?"

Li Shouzhong said: "During the Chongping period, the Jiangnan region had been in conflict with the central government over the implementation of the new policy. At that time, the King of Wei was in Jiangnan, and the new policy was implemented as scheduled. After the Zhejiang Party withdrew from the court, the gentry in Jiangnan thought that no one in the central government would speak up, so they were ready to make a move."

The withdrawal of the Zhejiang Party, which represented the gentry groups in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, from the court and the public, to some extent made the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River more wary and fearful of the imperial court.

However, because the court situation has changed like a revolving lantern in the past two years, the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River are afraid and dare not take action.

At this moment, an old servant came quickly, approached, and whispered, "Master, this is a letter delivered by King Wei."

Upon hearing this, Li Shouzhong nodded and said, "Bring it here and let me have a look."

As he spoke, Li Shouzhong took the letter from the servant, lowered his eyes to read it, and a thoughtful look suddenly appeared on his face.

"Mr. Dong, I wonder what instructions the King of Wei has?" Chief Clerk Hong Zhongchang asked with a deep gaze.

Li Shouzhong frowned, then relaxed his brows and said, "In Jiangnan, Hao Jiru and other old ministers have been attacking the central government and making rumors. The King of Wei was furious and asked the people in Jiangnan to be on guard against them."

Li Shouzhong didn't say anything else, then went to the hall in the back house and sat down.

Today, Zi Yu is assisting in the administration of the Shenjing. Many people in Jiangnan are dissatisfied with him, and he is also often viewed with hostility in the Southern Province.

Shenjing City, Ningguo Mansion——

The Lantern Festival of the first year of Qiande had just passed, and the noisy and enthusiastic atmosphere gradually faded away, while the entire Shenjing City was still discussing the specific content of Qiande’s ten new policies.

The candidates who were staying in the capital and those who were rushing to the capital from other places were discussing the specific contents of Qiande's new policies.

What is particularly noteworthy is that the newly established academy within the Imperial College began to recruit students. This academy was built under the supervision of Xu Guangqi, the director of the Imperial College. It was said that it was intended to train medical craftsmen and other tradesmen for the court.

But, how can the land of the sages Confucius and Mencius be allowed to be tarnished by such dirty tricks?

For a while, the censors and scholars in the capital were discussing this and making a lot of noise about it.

It even reached the ears of the cabinet chief Qi Kun and other cabinet ministers.

Palace Garden, Wenhua Hall

On the eaves of the corridor in front of the hall with flying rafters and brackets, small clerks from the cabinet were coming in and out in a hurry, holding books.

Qi Kun's face was as calm as water. He looked at Liu Zheng standing beside him and said, "There have been rumors in the capital recently that the King of Wei values ​​the learning of ink masters and craftsmen, but despises Confucianism. I wonder why?"

Liu Zheng shook his head slightly, his eyes flickering, and said, "Prince Wei's opening of the imperial examination should not mean any disrespect to Confucianism. I wonder where this rumor came from?"

Qi Kun's broad, straight-nosed face showed a hint of hesitation, and he said, "But Xu Guangqi is the director of the Imperial College and also holds the title of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. It seems that he really wants to bring the knowledge of the craftsmen of the Ministry of Works to the Imperial College to teach the students."

When Liu Zheng heard this, he looked at Qi Kun and said calmly, "Prime Minister, Xu Guangqi was also a Jinshi from the two lists."

Qi Kun said: "The government has just stabilized, and now this wave of public opinion has arisen. The situation in the capital is really worrying."

Liu Zheng thought for a moment and asked, "Prince Wei is in the palace right now. Should we send someone to ask for his opinion?"

After Liu Zheng entered the cabinet, he took the attribute of a tool man to the extreme and basically acted according to Jia Heng's will.

Qi Kun waved his hand and said, "That's not necessary."

If King Wei really did something perverse, made an enemy of all scholars in the world, and cut himself off from the world, it would actually be a good thing.

When Liu Zheng heard this, he looked at Qi Kun with a twinkling gaze from under his thick eyebrows and said, "Prime Minister, should we have people on guard against the Censorate and the Imperial Academy and prevent them from causing any more trouble?"

After Jia Heng's continuous bloodbaths, the personnel of the Censorate and the Hanlin Academy changed several times, and Liu Zheng was also worried that it would cause a political turmoil again.

Qi Kun said: "Let someone know, but this matter... ultimately depends on what King Wei thinks."

If one really abandons Confucianism and follows Mohism, then I am afraid that not only the noble offices such as the Censorate, the Hanlin Academy, and the Six Ministries, but also people like the Minister of Personnel Yao Yu will stand up to oppose it.

At this moment, a cabinet clerk came quickly and reported, "Lord, Lord Lin is here."

As he spoke, Lin Ruhai could be seen walking quickly from outside the hall, wearing a colorful green scholar's robe and with his hair in a bun tied up with a wooden hairpin. His fair, elegant face was filled with a solemn expression.

Qi Kun went up to greet him and called out, "Master Lin."

Lin Ruhai said: "Prince, I have already informed the Imperial Academy about the examination questions for the special examination, but there seems to be a public opinion storm in the capital recently?"

Qi Kun said: "Lord Lin, it was mentioned in the capital that the King of Wei valued the learning of ink and craftsmen, but despised the teachings of sages, and the scholars in the capital were discussing this."

Lin Ruhai's elegant face showed a thoughtful expression, and he said, "Just now, the King of Wei sent someone to propose that in addition to the special examination this year, we should set up other subjects such as mathematics, classics, engineering, and logic to recruit scholars in the same subjects. At the same time, in the Jinshi examination, we should add a volume of policy essays to select practical talents."

Qi Kun was shocked when he heard this and asked, "The King of Wei wants to reform the imperial examination system?"

"It's not a reform, it's just admiring the ancients." Lin Ruhai said: "Prince Wei's intention is that since the Sui and Tang dynasties, in addition to the Jinshi exam, there have been other subjects to be examined. Now it is just a comprehensive study of the Tang and Song systems, re-activating the various subjects, and making the imperial examination more comprehensive and detailed."

Qi Kun had an indifferent expression, his eyes flickered under his silkworm eyebrows, and no one knew what he was thinking. He said, "If this happens, I'm afraid the news in the capital will get more urgent, and the arguments will get louder."

The scholars at that time were worried that Prince Wei would emphasize Mohism and neglect Confucianism. Unexpectedly, Prince Wei even made a big move in the imperial examination which concerned everyone's vital interests.

Lin Ruhai stared at Qi Kun and said, "That's exactly what I'm worried about. In the next few days, the court bulletin will publish the contents of the imperial examination so that candidates can prepare in advance."

Qi Kun nodded, expressionless, and said, "Since Elder Lin is fine, then we can do as you say."

Lin Ruhai said: "Prince, in Shandong, the first batch of immigrants heading outside the Great Wall have already set out. The local government has sent officials and soldiers to escort them along the way to prevent them from being attacked."

Qi Kun thought for a moment and said, "We need to be careful to prevent fights between immigrants and local people when we have immigrants stationed at the border."

Lin Ruhai said: "Don't worry, Prime Minister. I have already instructed the officials who are out of the border to escort them along the way. After arriving in Liaodong, they will be settled according to the ethnic groups and villages. At the same time, I will select soldiers to escort them and suppress lawlessness."

Qi Kun nodded and said in a gentle voice: "Liaodong is a vast land with few people, especially in winter, it is extremely cold. The people of our Han Dynasty have never experienced such a climate. I am afraid it will take some time to adapt."

Lin Ruhai said: "Don't worry, Prime Minister. The Ministry of Revenue has already made relevant considerations. For the people who go to the border areas to open up land, each household will be given 50 kilograms of cotton and 10 kilograms of wool to help the people gain a foothold in Liaodong."

Qi Kun was surprised and said, "Fifty kilograms per household? That's a lot of money. Can the Ministry of Revenue afford it?"

Lin Ruhai said in a deep voice: "The imperial court has a major policy, no matter how much waste there is, it doesn't matter. As for the Ministry of Revenue, since there is a lot of wool tribute from Qinghai and Northwest China, the treasury is piled up like a mountain, so there is no need to worry about insufficient supplies. In addition, after conquering the Liaodong Jurchens, there are also a large number of sable furs left unused in the treasury, which can be distributed to the people in Shandong and other places depending on the situation."

It is worth mentioning that cotton had not yet been introduced to China at this time, but Jia Heng had already sent the Jinyifu Guards to find cotton seeds through maritime trade.

Qi Kun said: "In the first three years, the situation of reclamation in Liaodong was still a bit difficult."

"Everything is difficult at the beginning." Lin Ruhai sighed and said, "But once everything is on the right track, it will be a smooth journey."

Qi Kun nodded and said nothing more.

……

……

In the study room of Ningguo Mansion in Shenjing——

Jia Heng and Chen Xiao were sitting opposite each other. At this moment, a maid came over, offered them a cup of fragrant tea, and then slowly left.

Jia Heng picked up the teacup, took a sip, and asked, "What did the Jinyi Mansion say? Did they mention what the gentry in Jiangnan are busy with recently?"

"The carrier pigeon from the Jinyi Palace said that the people behind the Hao family are the royal family and relatives of the emperor in Southern Province." Chen Xiao said loudly.

When Jia Heng heard this, a cold look suddenly appeared on his resolute and calm face, and he said, "They have been dissatisfied with me for a long time."

He must find an opportunity to clean out the former royal relatives in Jiangnan, otherwise, when he makes further progress in the future, they may contact the gentry in Jiangnan and ignite a raging war in Jiangnan.

Chen Xiao whispered, "Have you heard that there is a wave of public opinion in Beijing recently?"

Jia Heng asked: "What public opinion trend?"

Chen Xiao stared at the young man in the python robe and said, "Some people say that you value Mohism and other miscellaneous studies, but despise Confucianism. You are really close to villains and far from gentlemen."

Jia Heng nodded, a thoughtful look on his face, and said, "This is the beginning of a dispute between the schools."

As he takes up the banner of developing the country through science and education, he is bound to arouse the hatred of the existing vested interest groups.

This was a dispute between the Confucian and Mohist schools.

Of course, in the early stages, he adopted the strategy of building a false front while secretly advancing through Chencang. Before his new disciples were fully formed, it was not appropriate for him to directly conflict with the huge old bureaucratic group.

The establishment of scientific religion is also the way of knowing through investigation of things as mentioned by sages.

Chen Xiao whispered, "Should we avoid it for now? This year's special examination will expand other subjects, and the scholars in the capital will inevitably have disputes again."

Jia Heng said quietly, "Sooner or later, this will happen. The struggle for the great way is always a fight to the death."

Chen Xiao asked: "What are your plans next?"

Jia Heng waved his hand, his eyes flashing, and said, "Just wait and see what happens. There's no need to panic."

Chen Xiao reminded, "You just need to be mentally prepared as soon as possible. I'm worried that scholars from both the north and south will criticize you and mislead the world, causing you to lose points in the eyes of scholars all over the world."

Jia Heng said: "Let the scouts from the Jinyi Palace and the inner guards be more clever. I want to see who will take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble this time."

Chen Xiao nodded and said, "I'll give the order right away."

Jia Heng said, "You wait in the mansion, I will go to the palace right now."

Immediately, he stood up and walked quickly towards the palace.

……

……

(End of this chapter)