Chapter 250: Xu Liushou's Resurrection, the Horror of the Gentry in the Southeast
Chapter 250: Xu Liushou's Resurrection, the Horror of Southeast Gentry (Part 2)
After a cold rain in late autumn, winter comes.
It has not yet snowed in the southeast, but the cold has already set in on the gentry in the southeast.
It’s nothing, Xu Liushou is resurrected!
The mood of the gentry was like the winter weather, gloomy and misty.
Playing here.
Not only did they receive news from Xu Liushou, they also received an invitation. Xu Liushou invited everyone to have a meal in Yingtianfu.
time is tight.
When the gentry received the news, they were ready to set off.
At this time, no one dared to say no.
After all, if you don't go, your teammates will definitely sell you out.
Going may not necessarily do any good, but not going will definitely be bad.
Now, under the promotion of Xu Liushou, the four-wheeled carriage developed by Fang Xiandao has been promoted in several large prefectures such as Yingtian Prefecture and Jiangning Prefecture.
The technology of the four-wheeled carriage was very complex and required very high materials, so it was difficult to mass-produce it at the time.
Other gentry tried to imitate it, but failed.
Because the craftsmen they employed could not compare with those of Fang Xiandao and the Ministry of Works.
Moreover, as the news of Xu Qing's resurrection spread, it is conceivable that many skilled craftsmen would go to Xu Liushou, who has always been kind to craftsmen.
It is an honor to work for Wenquxing.
The Lei family, an aristocratic family of craftsmen in Nanzhili, was the first to join the Xu family after Xu Liushou won the top spot in the imperial examination.
Not long ago, when the news of Xu Qing's death spread, many people were waiting to see the Lei family make a fool of themselves, or wait for the Lei family to leave the Xu family. Unexpectedly, the Lei family was still willing to follow the Xu family.
This was certainly due to Lei's distant relative, Mr. Lei, but Lei himself was also very willing to rely on Xu.
Although the Lei family is just a family of craftsmen, they have one particularly powerful feature: almost all large-scale gardens in Southern Zhili are closely related to the Lei family.
It can be said that the Lei family basically determined the style and aesthetics of the Southern Zhili gardens.
With the help of the Lei family, it was inevitable that the cement manufactured by the Xu family and the Ministry of Industry would sell well in Southern Zhili.
The key point is that many gentry and powerful people are now setting their sights on cement.
This is an absolutely delicious piece of meat. Anyone who can get a bite of it will have a mouthful of oil.
Before anyone could do anything, the owner came back.
Some gentry even felt fortunate that no action was taken.
The gentry traveled all night and arrived at Yingtian Prefecture City after a hard journey.
Some gentry who were closer to Nanzhili found that some gentry who were farther away had arrived earlier than them. When they asked about their respective departure times, some of them were even later.
The gentry who came earlier than the others were very proud, saying that their carriages were four-wheeled carriages, which were very comfortable to ride and fast. Moreover, several gentry families had jointly bought cement to build roads in their own state capitals.
The comfort level of the carriage naturally reached a new level. The key is that they can also collect tolls from it, which is a mountain of gold and silver.
After the event, people still said, you have a two-wheeled carriage, but they have a four-wheeled carriage, if you are not slow, who is slow?
Some conservative gentry could not help but regret it.
They only thought about sharing the profits from cement directly, but they didn't expect that there were people who were even bolder and directly bought cement to build roads. Collecting tolls from this business is indeed a long-term money-making business.
There's something wrong with the structure.
The cement industry in the southeast is just starting out now, and if you want to buy cement, you have to prepare a lot of capital.
Taking action at this time is indeed a courageous and visionary move.
The key point is that some time ago, there were rumors that Xu Qing was dead, but these people were still so bold.
In fact, they also have another consideration. The Dayu Dynasty has always believed in the end of government after the death of a leader. Now that the six Xus are dead, wouldn't it be very likely that a rare item like cement will be out of print? If they don't buy it now, when will they?
After all, people have full trust in the court.
Without Xu Liushou, what new industries could the court develop?
Although cement is so magical, without Xu Liushou, they felt that the cement business would never be promoted and would be shelved sooner or later.
Because no matter what, Xu Liushu is a heretic of Confucianism.
Confucianism has always emphasized the extermination of heresy.
If you think someone is bad, you will definitely criticize him to death. By then, will cement, as one of Xu Liushou's great achievements, be preserved?
Many gentry gathered together and saw Xu Liushou.
It was indeed the "unparalleled young man in the world" Xu Liushou, whose elegant demeanor made everyone's faces show endless admiration.
Although deep down, most people are full of disappointment.
But the expression on her face, that kind of excitement that comes from the heart, may not be something that even a Hua Dan who has been singing for ten years can perform.
There were several gentry who, because they had been a little negligent towards Xu's business in the past few days, now wished they could split their hearts out for Xu Liushou to see.
It really is none of their business, it's the servants in the house who acted on their own.
Xu Liushou just sat there, and the gentry surrounded him like stars surrounding the North Star.
Everyone was very nervous, fearing that Xu Liushou would start a massacre of the local gentry and powerful people like he did last time in Qingzhou.
Tsk tsk, that scene, just hearing people describe it, gave many gentry nightmares.
"Don't be afraid, everyone."
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Our admiration for the No. 1 scholar is truly like a mountain we look up to, and our exemplary conduct is like a shining example..." Not caring whether it's right or not, they just flatter him first.
We are all veterans and we all know one thing very well: attitude is more important than what you say.
It doesn't matter if he says something wrong, as long as he sticks to the theme, he and others serve Xu Liushou like children serve their parents...
That’s the correct answer!
Even though Xu Qing was always calm, he felt a little flattered by this group of shameless guys.
No wonder it is difficult for the emperor to accept advice. People around you praise you for your wisdom and wisdom every day. Even if you don’t think you are like that at first, after a long time, you will concede that I can’t be wrong.
It was all the ministers who were wrong, as they simply failed to understand his foresight.
The bad things in the world are caused by these mediocre officials!
Moreover, in order to maintain his own authority, the emperor was unwilling to admit his mistakes.
When Emperor Wu of Han issued the Luntai Edict, it was not to repent, but to summarize the gains and losses and adjust the general direction of national development. It was only later generations who insisted that it was an edict of self-criticism in order to force the emperor to make concessions.
Any emperor who was a little bit smart would know this.
Therefore, unless it is absolutely necessary, no matter how cowardly the emperor is, he will not issue an edict of self-blame and feel that he is wrong.
Whether the emperor admits it or not, history will have its own judgment.
So many things from the past and present are talked about in laughter.
For Xu Qing, it doesn’t matter whether it is a good reputation or a bad reputation. The most important thing is that people must remember him so that he, the demon, can be immortal.
That's why he doesn't have to worry about being an idol.
Let others laugh or scold me, but I can handle all the major affairs in the world on my own.
When the gentry heard the purpose of Xu Liushou's summons, they all showed confusion on their faces.
Xu Liushou actually planned to rebuild a palace for the emperor in Yingtian Prefecture.
Yingtian Prefecture already has an imperial city, but they are also rebuilding a palace. That's too extravagant and wasteful.
Moreover, a few months ago, the Ministry of Works built a summer palace for the old emperor in Huangshan. In the future, when the summer heat comes, the emperor can also go to Huangshan to escape the heat.
The ministers did not object to this matter, because in this way, they could also go to escape the summer heat.
Because cement was used in the Huangshan Palace, it further promoted the development of the cement business.
But in Yingtian Prefecture, Nanzhili, rebuilding a palace meant more than just a way to escape the summer heat; it was a signal of great political significance.
This was a test of the imperial power to penetrate deeper into the south.
And Xu Liushou, who was responsible for the construction of the palace, was the spokesperson of imperial power in the south.
No matter how Xu Qing manipulated everyone before, everyone could accept it, after all, he could make money.
If we build a palace now, I'm afraid a flying dragon will appear in our way.
What's more, Xu Qing used to have the support of the imperial power and was more of a favorite of the emperor.
Building a temporary palace for the old emperor now has a very different meaning.
This is like using a whip to drive them like cattle and horses.
Seeing everyone's hesitation, Xu Qing slowly said, "If anyone wants to object, please tell me."
The gentry were disgusted.
If we ask who is in favor, no one will say anything. But if we ask who is against now, who would dare to come out and become a target at this time?
Now the four major families headed by Duke Wei have also arrived. Duke Wei fell asleep on the spot and said he had caught a cold.
As for Xu Qing's rival, the head of the Wang family, he was also pretending to be deaf and dumb at this moment.
Because not long ago, Lord Liang took a step back and retired directly, and the Wang family was tricked by Huo Jing. Now Huo Jing has successfully become the Prime Minister.
This caused a direct break between Minister Wang and Lord Huo.
Who would have thought that before Lord Huo could even get comfortable in his seat, Xu Liushou would be resurrected.
Because time was too tight, the head of the Wang family had no chance to inform Shangshu Wang who was accompanying the emperor on his southern tour, and could only act freely.
He was worried that he might end up making things worse, so he didn't want to fall out with Xu Qing at this time.
God knows whether Xu Qing intended to retire Lord Liang or not, and whether he had buried a big trap.
If the Wang family jumps in at this time, wouldn't it be obvious that they are jumping into someone else's trap?
Moreover, the head of the Wang family vaguely felt that since Xu Liushou had been resurrected, Lord Liang might not want to return to the cabinet, but Huo Jing had already become the prime minister, so how would the situation end?
Logically speaking, if Lord Liang was reinstated, Huo Jing would have no choice but to give in.
The head of the Wang family felt secretly happy.
Although they are related by marriage, Huo Jing really tricked the Wang family in order to get to the top this time.
Moreover, the head of the Wang family was very fortunate that his brother, Shangshu Wang, did not become the prime minister, otherwise Xu Qing's resurrection would have been too embarrassing.
Everyone knows that although Xu Liushou was of a low rank, he was able to manipulate the promotion of a third-rank official even though he did not pass the imperial examination.
Everyone says that Feng Xifeng, the assistant minister of military affairs, is the junior cabinet minister. In fact, that is not true. The real junior cabinet minister has always been Xu Liushou.
This person is the core planner of the reform faction.
Turn your hand and clouds will appear, turn your hand again and rain will fall!
Unfathomable!
Under Xu Qing's dominance, the gentry in the southeast had no choice but to agree to contribute money and effort to build a palace for the emperor.
And it must be completed before the first month of the lunar year, because Your Majesty plans to celebrate the New Year in Yingtian Prefecture this year.
The construction period is very tight.
However, with the financial resources of the southeastern gentry and Fang Xiandao's mechanical technology, it is not impossible to do this.
After all, it’s just a temporary palace, not an imperial city.
For Xu Qing, the purpose of the practice palace is more of an obedience test.
It doesn't matter if everyone has ulterior motives, it's human nature. If anyone dares to oppose Xu openly, he will not be polite.
Even if Xu Liushou's sword couldn't kill the Martial Saint, or even deal with the Black Mountain Old Demon, it would still be easy to deal with this group of spineless people.
In fact, all matters concerning the palace were done first and reported later.
But it doesn’t matter. Just send a dream to Yan Shan at night and ask him to go to the emperor to complete the process.
This is also the advantage of the demon.
From now on, Xu Qing will be stationed in the southeast and can still micro-manage the situation in Beijing.
There is no need for any tricks.
Moreover, if there is news in the capital, Xu Qing will be able to know it first and respond calmly.
This means that Xu Qing can send telegrams, but others can only send messages by carrier pigeons. The message is so slow, if you don’t die, who will?
Do you understand the value of the extraterritorial demon?
Moreover, with Xu Qing's magic skills improving, and Fang Xiandao's mechanical skills further developing, Xu Qing might be able to create a magic network in the future to connect important places in the world, so that everyone can communicate with each other.
This idea is very ambitious.
Xu Qing estimated that it would not be possible to achieve this in a short period of time.
But it doesn’t matter, once you have a plan, you can take action.
At that time, the Black Mountain Old Demon, the Creator, will truly experience the power of "humanity".
Most of the gentry left the scene feeling depressed.
But there are also some people with quick minds. Building a palace requires a lot of manpower and material resources, which is also a good opportunity to do business.
Now the customs in the southeast region have been completely distorted.
Many scholars realized that there were limited official vacancies, and that the purpose of becoming an official was to make money, so why not just go and make money directly?
Moreover, the southeast region has always had a business-oriented culture.
Nowadays, many educated people have started doing business. Although most of them are just trying to make money, some of them have become rich and turned their lives around through their outstanding knowledge.
After making money, you can donate money to become a student of the Imperial Academy or a tribute student, and your status and position will also improve.
Especially the Fushe. Through the Fushe, many grassroots officials have direct and indirect relations with the Fushe. Therefore, the members of the Fushe can do business like fish in water.
Brothers help brothers!
If the news of Xu Liushou's sudden death had not spread, the development momentum of Fushe would have been much faster.
But this incident was not entirely a bad thing. It was an unexpected internal purification that expelled members with weak wills and rectified the ethos of the Fushe.
Xu Qing was very clear that the rectification of the Fushe Society was not a temporary thing but required continuous rectification, otherwise the Fushe Society would quickly degenerate.
Human nature is like this and cannot be restrained by etiquette, laws and morals.
After the gentry left, the heads of the four major families stayed.
The head of the Wang family did not speak, but Wei Guogong spoke up. He said, "Gongming, we all support you in building the palace, but you have to pay attention to our business as well."
Xu Qing knew what Duke Wei meant.
The influence of Fushe is very great now. If Xu Qing had really died, the collapse of Fushe would have been a matter of time. However, who would have thought that Xu Qing would be resurrected. Therefore, Duke Wei and others had to take this matter seriously.
The Fushe's erosion of grassroots power was equivalent to digging up the foundations of the four major families.
The key is that the four major families themselves have a large population, so there are many who sincerely join the Fushe, and some children even rebel against Tiangang, which makes the four family heads very headache.
They did not intend to ban Fushe, but planned to set up a society similar to Fushe. Xu Qing could also be the president, but the group must mainly include prestigious gentry such as the four major families.
To put it bluntly, the threshold for joining the Fushe is low, and they want to create a high-end Fushe.
If you can't beat me, just join!
Moreover, if Xu Qing wants to control the southeast, the four major families cannot get around it no matter what.
Their ecological niche is very important, no less than the three major chieftain families in Qiannan Province today.
"We are all loyal to Your Majesty, as loyal as the sun and the moon. The ideal of the Fushe Society is to save the world, but the emperor represents the country, so we must protect him even more. So, how about setting up a Fulong Society?"
"Fulong Meeting?" Duke Wei seemed to have difficulty hearing.
Xu Qing's face darkened, but he still explained patiently.
This old fellow is still unwilling to give up and wants to rebel!
However, Xu Qing was really good at something, and he also came up with a set of theories for the Fulong Society, which was the virtual monarchy. It meant that the emperor should learn from the Zhou emperor and rule by doing nothing. The major events in the south should be shared by the ministers.
The system of a nominal monarch and common rulers for the world is also the ideal social form of Confucianism.
When this theory came out, even the head of the Wang family was tempted.
He knew in his heart that this was Xu Qing's backup plan. If the old emperor passed away and a new emperor took the throne, Xu Qing would most likely set up a figurehead monarchy to counter the new emperor.
As for directly rebelling against the old emperor, in his opinion, it was not that Xu Qing could not do it, but the cost would be very high.
Xu Qing's current credibility is comparable to that of the old thief Sima before the Luoshui Oath. If he rebels against the old emperor, it will be a major blow to the entire monarch-minister system.
Even if Xu Qing succeeds in ascending to the throne in the future, will his subordinates be able to accept it?
The distinction between superiors and subordinates and the order of respect and inferiority are important factors for the stability of the world.
What's more, the favor Xu Qing received from the old emperor was truly enormous.
In fact, Xu Qing believed that he could survive three years later by relying on the immortality of the demon, but the old emperor might not.
Regardless of whether the Black Mountain Old Demon represents the Way of Heaven, Xu Qing, after the Battle of Changbai and his understanding of the Black Mountain Old Demon, is very clear about one thing: the old demon will absolutely not tolerate an immortal emperor.
If we say that the Black Mountain Old Demon was Xu Qing's death.
Then three years later, the Black Mountain Demon would definitely be the old emperor's death.
According to his judgment, the possibility of the old emperor surviving this fatal disaster was very low.
Once the old emperor died, even if Xu Qing did not rebel, he would not be able to hand over power.
Xu Qing even had a more extreme idea. If the old emperor passed away, he would let the crown prince take the throne.
In fact, he felt that if the old emperor did not die, Prince Yu would surely die.
The old emperor had achieved great success in practicing Taoism, so he would definitely not keep a crown prince in his prime.
So in a sense, Prince Yu was also doomed.
It’s a chain reaction!
(End of this chapter)