Chapter 130: Proposal and Chongyang's Portrait
Chapter 130: Proposal and Chongyang's Portrait (Subscription Request)
Under Xu Qing's dictation, everyone gritted their teeth and wrote a petition for land measurement, then signed and sealed it and handed it to Xu Qing for review.
As expected, you can leave after paying.
Therefore, when others saw that some people had left, they wrote more carefully.
Fortunately, they all learned to read and write since childhood, and they have been learning copywriting since childhood. Once they put their attention to it, their efficiency improves a lot.
Soon, everyone submitted their petitions and were able to escape from the government office.
Xu Qing ordered the clerks at the government office to pack the petitions neatly and put them in a box for safekeeping.
At this time, Xie Quan walked out from behind the screen.
He looked horrified and asked, "Gongming, won't you hurt them too much by doing this?"
Even though Xie Quan considered himself a national hero, he could not have imagined that Xu Qing's way of dealing with the rumors would be so extreme.
However, the land survey did solve the root problem of the people's eagerness to donate land and rely on people. The reason is that the land and population concealed by these people did not disappear out of thin air, but the taxes and labor service were transferred to the powerless people, so their burden became heavier and heavier.
The imperial power did not extend to the countryside, and local officials were constantly changing, so as long as they could collect taxes, they would not care about these trivial matters.
When faced with exploitation, most ordinary people can only swallow their anger.
They even felt like they wanted to be slaves but couldn't when they saw that the farmers who relied on the local gentry lived better than themselves.
If the land survey is successful and the taxes and labor service on the common people are reduced, with the wealth of Jiangning Prefecture, ordinary people will be able to live a good life and naturally will no longer think about personal dependence or donating land.
However, doing so would inevitably lead to criticism from all over the world. Not only would one be hated by the wealthy and powerful people in Jiangning Prefecture, but one would also be attacked by the wealthy and powerful families in the entire Southern Zhili.
The pressure by then will be so great that it is simply unimaginable.
Xu Qing smiled and said, "Mr. Wenyuan, just tell me whether the problem has been solved?"
Xie Quan's face twitched, "The previous problem was solved, but a bigger problem has emerged."
Xu Qing chuckled and said, "Sir, please take a seat and listen to me."
"it is good."
Xu Qing then spoke slowly, "Sir, do you think there is any difference between my previous troubles and my current troubles, other than the size of the problem?"
Xie Quan was thoughtful after hearing this, and he quickly reacted: "The troubles in Gongming before were private affairs, belonging to the internal struggles of the gentry, but the nature of it is different now, it is a public matter."
He then seemed somewhat dazed.
If it was Xu Qing's private matter, then it was a struggle between Xu Qing's own power and the gentry of Jiangning Prefecture and the forces behind them.
The proposal to "survey the land" has now become a huge problem, but it has also changed the nature of the matter.
After Xie Quan figured it out, he still couldn't help frowning: "Although this matter has become a public matter, it is not a wise move to protect yourself if the matter gets out of hand. I am afraid that if Gongming is not careful, he will be crushed to pieces."
Xu Qing laughed: "Sir, you are right. But you underestimate me."
Xie Quan: "What do you mean?"
Xu Qing: "When I was still a scholar, I dared to maneuver in the officialdom of Nanzhili. Now that I have passed the imperial examination, am I not as good as before?"
"Although this is true, a son of a wealthy family should not sit in the hall. It is always insecure."
"Sir, your words are suitable for others, but not for Xu's current situation. If I make small moves, others will plot against me all day long. You see, now that I propose to survey the land, they are anxious. The best defense is offense."
Xie Quan felt that what Xu Qing said made sense, but it seemed to lack something core. He frowned, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. He patted the coffee table and said, "Xu Gongming, you are so good, but you don't want to tell me the truth. Did Grandpa tell you something?"
Tai'a was the name of the Prime Minister, which was given by the emperor.
This word is of great significance. Because Yi Yin assisted Taijia as Aheng, he was called Tai'a. Therefore, the meaning behind the emperor's bestowing of the word is to compare the chief minister to the ancient "Yi Yin", just like Huo Guang of the Han Dynasty received the map of Zhou Gong carrying King Cheng from Emperor Wu of Han.
Since Gu Yi and Huo were on par, they were the most powerful among the prime ministers. Above them were people like Cao and Mang, who were not ministers.
As for the Ge family of Ji Han, she never deposed or enthroned an emperor, so her power was still a little lacking.
However, there were also some weird people in the court who wrote to the emperor, saying that he trusted the prime minister too much and there was a danger of "holding the sword upside down".
It means that if you hand over power to others, you will suffer the consequences.
The emperor replied: "If I don't listen to you, will I be harmed?"
The minister replied: "It's hard to say."
And now, he has been exiled to the northwestern border.
From then on, the power of the Prime Minister became increasingly greater.
Xu Qing nodded immediately, showed the letter to Xie Quan, and then took it back.
After Xie Quan read it, he naturally recognized the Prime Minister's handwriting, "Grandpa Tai A certainly has the ambition to clear up the world, but for something like this, only a young man like you, Xu Gongming, would dare to take on the most difficult and hardest task in the world."
He didn't say it too bluntly.
It means that one really dares to think, and the other really dares to do.
After all, he is a child prodigy of two generations, a genius among geniuses, and his thinking is indeed different from that of ordinary people.
How difficult is it to survey the land?
In the past, Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, who was nominally the ruler of the restoration but in reality the ruler of the founding of the country, carried out land measurement, which caused a strong backlash from the powerful and almost shook the foundation of the country.
This is certainly because Emperor Guangwu relied too much on the powerful and was too closely tied to them in his conquest of the world. It can also be seen that clearing the fields has been difficult since ancient times.
Doesn’t the Prime Minister know how difficult this is?
Doesn’t Xu Qing know?
If you know the difficulties and still dare to think and act, you are what the ancients called a "real man".
Xu Qing smiled and said, "Mr. Wenyuan, you don't have to flatter me like that. In fact, the land survey may not be successful, but if the Prime Minister is strong enough, the rice-to-mulberry project will definitely be a success."
This is Xu Qing’s real intention.
The theory of opening the skylight is most applicable to the national conditions of the Dayu Dynasty.
As long as the plan of replacing rice with mulberry trees is successfully implemented, Xu Qing will have control over the source of raw silk. Together with the sea route opened up by King Lin, it will be an endless source of wealth.
Of course, eggs are not only in silk, but also in tea, which are the most profitable businesses in maritime trade.
He used Jiangning Prefecture as his base and controlled these two businesses. He had both the people and the money. He only needed to wait for the right time. Even the Duke of Wei would be unable to do anything to him. By then, he would not need to rely on others' power, but would be a force in itself.
If he only cared about solving the problem of people's donations and competing with the gentry in Jiangning Prefecture, he would be losing the big picture for the small.
What are the gentry in Jiangning Prefecture worth?
In this game of chess, they are not qualified to fight Xu Qing.
If Xu Qing gets entangled in trivial matters, he will waste his potential and energy, which will not be worth the loss.
Xie Quan was a wise man, and he understood Xu Qing's idea immediately. He said, "Gong Ming, are these methods of yours gifted by heaven?"
He recalled Zhang Zifang's comments on Emperor Gaozu of Han.
What this means is that Han Gao's abilities were given by God and could not be taught by humans.
Xu Qing: "I guess so, and it's not a rare skill. Sir, you don't understand. It's not that I'm smarter than you, but that you look at things differently from me."
Xie Quan: "What do you mean?"
"The principle of the Book of Changes is that everything in the universe is a yin-yang opposition. There is no pure good, nor is there pure evil. If you look beyond external things and see the essence of things, you will naturally not be deceived by them. Sir, you are a master of the Book of Changes. If I say this, you will definitely understand."
Xie Quan seemed to be thinking about something, "It seems that my Yixue is not as good as yours."
Xu Qing said calmly: "It's not that I'm not as good as you, but I just look at things from a different perspective."
Xie Quan: "It's easy to think of the truth, but the courage to act is the most valuable quality. In this respect, I am far inferior to you."
Xu Qing thought, "If you knew you might not live for many years, what would you not dare to do?"
He changed the subject and said, "This matter has come to an end. It depends on how things develop and how the higher-ups play the game. Sir, please take the trouble to accompany me to Yingtian Prefecture."
"What are you going to Yingtian Prefecture for?" Xie Quan asked subconsciously.
Xu Qing laughed loudly: "I am proposing to Mr. Feng. I'd like to ask you to be my witness. As for the betrothal gift, this is the best one. Mr. Feng, if you hand it over, you will definitely be promoted after returning to Beijing."
He pointed to the box of petitions from the local gentry regarding land survey.
Xie Quan couldn't help but smile, thinking: "Feng Qiuyuan, if you accept this son-in-law, I wonder if you can sleep well at night."
Although he felt gloating over other people's misfortune, having this box of petitions was indeed a real achievement for the Inspector-General.
If the Prime Minister is strong enough, Feng Xifeng will definitely get the credit for this achievement.
And what the current Prime Minister lacks the least is strength.
Xie Quan couldn't help but regret that he had wasted half his life and it was not as good as others who had a good daughter.
Life!
...
...
Outside the government office, Mr. Lei looked up to the sky and sighed, his face full of sorrow.
Mr. Hu and others nearby asked, "Master Lei, what's wrong?"
Now everyone feels sympathy for each other and have become much closer. It is unlike before, when they appeared to be very friendly on the surface but secretly wanted to stab each other to death and then eat the corpse.
Mr. Lei said with an embarrassed look on his face: "Master Hu, I...ah...I suffered a huge loss during the land survey this time."
Mr. Hu and others were speechless. You old man, you look ferocious but useless. If you had dared to resist in person just now, and everyone joined forces to fight back, could he, Xu Gongming, have defeated this group of prominent local gentry by himself?
Now I regret it.
Forget about righteousness when you see small profits, and cherish your life when you do big things!
You deserve it.
However, seeing Lei Juren's annoyed face, it was obvious that he was going to be seriously hurt. Everyone was originally upset, but now they unconsciously felt happy.
Even the hatred towards Mr. Lei for being the first to surrender was suddenly alleviated a lot.
Mr. Hu said, "Xu Gongming is so lawless that he dares to bully us gentry. I will report to the old master when I get back and ask him to write a letter to his former colleagues."
"Yes, expose him. Xu Gongming must know that Jiangning Prefecture is not a place where he can cover the sky with one hand..."
At this time, Mr. Lei stomped the ground, and dust flew up immediately, and a sunken pit appeared under his feet.
Everyone was shocked and asked, "Master Lei, what happened?"
Mr. Lei said, "I will be more angry if I try to hold it in for a while. Why don't we go in and ask Xu Gongming for an explanation?"
"Forehead……"
Mr. Hu first bowed and said, "I am in a hurry to go back and make medicine for the old man, so I will go back home first. Everyone, goodbye..."
"I remembered that I have something to do at home... ahem..." Mr. Ding hurriedly got on his own carriage and urged the coachman to hurry up.
"My concubine is about to give birth..."
The gentry quickly got on the carriage one by one.
Mr. Lei watched everyone go away and shook his head. "I have always convinced people with my virtue. Do you really think I want to fight?"
With an innocent look on his face, he walked up to his carriage, lifted the curtain and entered the carriage.
"Old Lei, you did a good job this time." A big hand patted Mr. Lei's shoulder.
Mr. Lei was startled, and when he looked closely, he saw that it was King Lin. He patted his chest and said, "Old Lin, you got on my carriage without anyone noticing, and you almost scared me to death." King Lin laughed and said, "You, Old Third Lei, are not so timid."
Mr. Lei: "How can I compare with you in courage? If they hadn't agreed just now, would you have teamed up with Xu Gongming to kill them?"
Lin Tianwang smiled: "I would like to, but it depends on whether Xu Gongming agrees."
Mr. Lei laughed and said, "You, Xu Gongming, and Old Monk Yankong, three great masters of internal organs, join forces. Which wealthy family in Jiangning Prefecture can stop you? Fortunately, Lei has always known the times, otherwise I would have been sold out by these old guys and taken the blame for them."
Lin Tianwang smiled and said, "Xu Gongming never treats his own people unfairly. If you take the Lei family's dyeing factory as a shareholder, you will definitely make a lot more money than before. How about this? After today, you will have no share in this business."
Mr. Lei: "I was waiting for you to say this. I don't understand business matters, but the dyeing workshop is full of old people from my Lei family. No matter if they stay or not, they can't be treated unfairly. Otherwise, I will bring people to your island and eat you out of money."
Lin Tianwang: "I'm just worried that you won't come."
Mr. Lei laughed: "It's boring to be a martial arts candidate. If the whole family wasn't here, I would have gone to the sea with you long ago."
King Lin smiled slightly: "Lao Lei, I just like your personality, so I won't say anything more. We are brothers, and we will see each other when the matter comes."
He bowed, and then a gust of wind lifted the curtain of the car, and then the whole person disappeared.
Mr. Lei looked at this with great envy.
He is also a man of extraordinary talent, but he has not yet broken through to the level of internal organ training, so he is very envious of King Lin.
Fame, wealth and honor are fleeting.
Only when I get older do I realize that having a good body is better than anything else.
...
...
Soon, the news about the land survey in Jiangning Prefecture spread among the people.
As a result, those villagers who had been clamoring to donate land stopped thinking of donating land to Xu Jieyuan and becoming dependent on him.
In the past, people wanted to be slaves and were unable to do so.
This time there is a way to live a good life without being a slave, so naturally everyone will wait.
Moreover, the land survey will involve all the powerful and wealthy gentry. Even if they surrender now, they may be found out and punished.
What's more, it was Xu Jieyuan who took the initiative to propose this matter.
The villagers ran around to celebrate.
They are the ones who know best the benefits of land surveying. Even if only part of it is implemented, it can alleviate many of the burdens that have been innocently placed on them.
This is not a good thing for the clerks in the government and county offices.
Because exploiting and oppressing the poor people is beneficial, and it also shows their authority and is an opportunity for them to show off their power on a daily basis. If the land survey is successful, their sense of superiority over the lower-class people will naturally be reduced a lot.
Therefore, it is inevitable that some people will say strange things.
Most of the clerks in the yamen were people who relied on Xu Qing for profit. At this time, they were bewitched by some local gentry and could not help but feel resentful.
Xu Qing knew all this, but he allowed them to feel resentful.
Moreover, at this juncture, instead of calming people's hearts, he also took Xie Quan with him and headed for Yingtian Prefecture.
As a result, the public opinion struggle over land survey in Jiangning Prefecture became increasingly fierce.
Xu Qing and his party crossed the Qixia Mountain, passed the customs, and sailed on the vast Black Water Lake. Xie Quan chanted leisurely: "There are so many things that have happened throughout the ages, and the endless Yangtze River flows on."
Xu Qing came to his side and smiled gently: "Sir, if you are in such a good mood, how can you be without wine? Let me catch a big fish for you to drink with."
He came to the side of the boat and used his spiritual power. A gust of cold wind blew off Xu Qing's body, and then the lake water gushed out. A several-foot-long black fish was wrapped by the lake water and fell onto the deck.
Many officers and soldiers on the ship were stunned.
Is this Xu Jieyuan? Not only are his martial arts amazing, his Taoism is also so terrifying.
Xie Quan was equally shocked.
He already knew about Xu Qing's ability in practicing martial arts, but he didn't expect that Xu Qing also had amazing Taoist skills.
Xu Qing then drew out his feather knife, killed the fish, drained the blood, took out the internal organs, and sliced the fish meat. During this process, he ordered someone to bring a copper furnace.
Xie Quan was surprised and also had a full meal with Xu Qing.
Moreover, Xu Qing caught several big fish in a row, so the rest of the government troops could also get some meat.
While eating the meat, Xu Qing still felt regretful that he had not learned the Taoist art of the Luo Sect's Vacuum Seal. Otherwise, he could condense the soul hand and go down to the Black Water Lake to catch an old turtle, which would not be difficult.
Xie Quan could tell that Xu Qing was showing off, but this made him believe even more that Xu Qing could accomplish great things.
With such military power and talent, he can travel across the world, attack when advancing and defend when retreating, and come and go freely.
He is indeed a heroic young man who is destined to be a man of great responsibility.
He had been wandering for half his life, and it was a blessing for him to meet such a young hero.
Even Xie Quan couldn't help but compare Xu Qing with the former Jiangdong overlord Sun Bofu, both of whom were young heroes and extremely brave.
The difference is that Xu Qing is wise and far-sighted, and may not be much worse than Sun Ce's brother Sun Quan.
Pity.
If it were in troubled times, Xu Qing's ability would at least allow him to control the southeast and watch the world's situation with a smile.
Fortunately, with Xu Qing's ability, he will surely make great achievements in governing the country.
However, there are too many powerful people in history. For example, Emperor Taizong of the previous dynasty, the second son of the Li family, started his army at the age of seventeen and conquered the world in a few years.
There has been a prophecy in this dynasty that eighteen children will rule the world. A fortune teller once said that the one who will replace "Yu" in the future will be the son of Li.
Although Emperor Taizu did not believe it, he was always quite strict with court officials with the surname Li.
Fortunately, Xu Qing's surname is Xu, otherwise such an outstanding young hero would inevitably give people another handle to criticize him.
The journey was safe and sound until they arrived at the Inspectorate's Office.
Now Lord Feng lives in the back house.
To formally propose marriage, you need to choose an auspicious day.
As for now, it is a private visit from the future son-in-law.
He used the name of Xie Quan visiting an old friend.
It's like covering one's ears and stealing the bell.
Feng Xun came out to receive Xie Quan warmly. After exchanging pleasantries, he said with a smile, "Wenyuan, it's a pity that you didn't win the Five Classics title this time. Otherwise, it would be a good story if you and I were both the top five classics winners in the provincial examinations."
Xie Quan really felt Lao Feng's enthusiasm. Only good brothers would stab someone in the heart! He said sarcastically, "If Qiu Yuan participated in this provincial examination, he would definitely be the champion. After all, you are the elder, and there is no reason for you to rank behind the younger generation."
Feng Xun'an's face flushed, and then he coughed: "You are a man who speaks with sarcasm. Come on, let's go to the pavilion in the backyard to drink."
Xie Quan smiled and said, "You should first accept the gift your son-in-law gave you."
"What gift?" He had heard some rumors, but he felt strange and didn't want to ask directly, so he planned to find Xie Quan to find out the truth first.
Xie Quan whispered something in his ear.
Feng Xun'an was shocked, but then he calmly asked, "Your idea?"
"Is there anyone in the world with better ideas than your son-in-law?" Xie Quan laughed.
Inspector Feng could not help but nod, then shook his head, "Gong Ming, please deliver the things to my study and wait for me there."
Xu Qing naturally agreed, then took the box and went to the study with the help of the servants.
Inspector Feng hurriedly pulled Xie Quan to the pavilion to question him.
Xie Quan naturally told the truth.
Feng Xunan was not angry after hearing this. He said, "This kid is always willing to take risks. This seems to be his style."
"Aren't you angry?"
"What's there to be angry about? Since I chose him, I had expected this. Life is short-lived. Sometimes having a grand and exciting life, regardless of success or failure, is not necessarily a bad thing. You old man, you might even be jealous of me in your heart."
"Who said that? I won't."
"Uh-huh."
...
...
Xu Qing put down the box in the study and the servant left.
"Brother Gongming." Feng Wu appeared in the study and sat in Old Feng's seat.
Xu Qing's mouth twitched, "Awu, can we talk more seriously?"
"That's not proper. I asked you to call me by my nickname, but you refused."
"My name is Xu Qing. It feels weird to call you by your nickname 'Qing'er'." Xu Qing held his forehead and said.
Feng Wu chuckled and said, "I heard that you did something big again after returning to Jiangning Prefecture."
Xu Qing: "The tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop. Do you think I want this? Anyway, you have no place to regret."
Feng Wu: "I won't regret it. Life is short and fleeting. As long as I don't regret it, no matter how I live, it's the right way."
Xu Qing: "Then you have to work harder to help me. Otherwise, I will be too tired to do it alone."
He was telling the truth. Now that his business was growing, he was in urgent need of someone he could trust to share his worries. For some things, he even had to rely on his closest and most capable relatives to share the responsibilities.
Feng Wu is a master of Taoism with a strong spirit. It goes without saying that he is very smart, not to mention he has a powerful background.
With this free meal right in front of him, Xu Qing had no choice but to eat it.
Feng Wu smiled and said, "Then you work harder and we can have more people."
In the eyes of women of this era, once they get married, having children is a natural thing. The more children the better, because only in this way can the family prosper.
Xu Qing did not shy away from saying, "Then you have to practice the Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist diligently. If you find any difficulty, just ask me."
Feng Wu smiled and said, "I tried very hard. Let's not talk about it for now. I'll show you a treasure."
Xu Qing couldn't help but wonder, "What treasure?"
Feng Wu took out a scroll and slowly unfolded it.
Xu Qing took a closer look and exclaimed in surprise: "The image of Chongyang Zhenren."
He was mesmerized by the sight. The bronze mirror glowed faintly, as if it had a strange reaction to the portrait.
I saw the words written on it:
Nothing can leave the empty shell, only some people can realize it before they are born.
(End of this chapter)