288 [Going to Han and Tang Dynasties in Thirty Years]
Hukou.
The merchant ship had just docked, and Xu Nianzu and others got out of the cabin to get some air, when suddenly there was a crackling sound from the dock.
Then the gongs and drums sounded, and the suona played happy music.
Really loud gongs and drums, firecrackers blasting in unison!
But I saw a Confucian scholar get off the boat, and immediately eight people carrying a blue cloth sedan stopped beside him steadily.
Many gentry and wealthy people came to greet us, and one of the masters of ceremonies shouted: "Mr. Lu, please get on the sedan!"
The Confucian scholar named Lu couldn't laugh or cry, and waved his hands repeatedly: "It doesn't have to be like this, it doesn't have to be like this, I'm just here to be a teacher."
A gentleman came forward and said: "Without Mr. Lu, Hukou County Middle School would not be able to be founded. Mr. Lu is my great benefactor in Hukou County. Please don't refuse and go to the school in a sedan chair."
When the Confucian scholar was about to refuse, a group of gentry came, surrounded him and pushed him into the sedan chair.
Xu Fengcai stood on the boat and asked in confusion: "Why is it that a great scholar enters the city in an eight-carat blue cloth sedan?"
"Hahaha," Li Fenglai couldn't help laughing, "Looking at the badge on his chest, you can tell that he is from the Mathematics Society. In Daxing Culture and Education in the main town, both boys and girls have to attend elementary school for three years. Above the elementary school, there is also a middle school.
Many states and counties have not yet established one. They must have mathematics and geometry teachers before new middle schools can be established, and the person in front of me must have been invited to teach mathematics and geometry."
"Jiangxi actually attaches so much importance to mathematics and geometry?" Xu Fengcai was extremely shocked.
Li Fenglai said: "The main town attaches great importance to it, and the gentry naturally attaches great importance to it. In the future, I am afraid that these exams will also be taken to obtain scholars. All states and counties are secretly competing with each other. Opening middle schools one year earlier can produce more students, and in the future, they can also take the exams to become officials."
Go first."
Xu Nianzu asked: "How many middle schools are there in Jiangxi?"
"More than a dozen, maybe twenty, there are many new ones added every year," Li Fenglai replied.
Liu Rushi suddenly asked: "When a middle school is established in the county, will the former county school be abandoned?"
"Of course not," Li Fenglai explained, "just change the county school to a county middle school. You still have to study the Four Books and Five Classics, and add mathematics, geometry, and equivalent courses."
"I see, Mr. Zhao really advocates practical learning." Xu Fengcai said happily.
The merchant ship made some supplies, then entered Poyang Lake and took them to Ji'an Prefecture.
The Confucian scholar named Lu was also carried into the city on a sedan chair with eight carriages.
Outside the city, inn.
Xu Du, Xu Jiaying, Zhou Gui, Wang He, Ding Ruzhang and more than ten scholars watched silently as the sedan entered the city.
Suddenly, they closed the window.
Xu Du said: "Let's decide, who doesn't want to start an uprising?"
No one said anything.
Xu Du asked again: "Who is willing to cause trouble?"
All stand up.
Ding Ruzhang said: "The emperor is fatuous and the court is unethical. Zhejiang has been in serious disaster for several years, and now we have increased the salary training. This year and next, there will be another tragic situation of people eating each other. This Mr. Zhao has not come to Zhejiang for a long time, so let us
Just conquer Zhejiang and give him the territory!"
"We have been in Jiangxi for three months to observe the government," Wang He said. "If the Jiangxi government can be implemented in Zhejiang, tens of millions of hungry people will be saved!"
Xu Jiaying smiled and said: "Your family has a lot of land."
"After returning to my hometown, I will divide my land first!"
Wang He clenched his fists: "The elders in our family are all ruthless and ungrateful people. When the time comes, I will need your help. If anyone in my family dares to obstruct the division of land, they will be arrested and placed under house arrest."
"good!"
Xu Du pounded the table and said, "I will lead the troops to divide your land, and you will lead the troops to divide my land!"
Zhou Gui also stood up: "My family doesn't have a few acres of land, so it doesn't matter whether we divide it or not. If there is anyone else who can't do it, I will lead my troops to help him divide the land."
Ding Ruzhang said: "There is no need to rush to divide the land. Let's fight from Dongyang, Yuyi, Jinhua, all the way to Jiangshan County. After the land borders Jiangxi, please immediately ask Mr. Zhao to send people to Zhejiang. Send troops quickly, so that the government cannot react in time!"
"Okay." Xu Du nodded.
Wang He said: "Let's make an alliance!"
More than a dozen scholars from Zhejiang took out the statue of Guan Gong, cut their palms and swore a blood oath.
Guan Gong, the god of imperial examinations.
This thing originated from the Wanli period, when new scholars were assigned work. Due to serious favoritism and fraud, the official department switched to the method of drawing lots.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs specially made a kind of "Guanhou Lot", which marked the location, size, simplified and traditional content, etc. After drawing lots for the new Jinshi, they were assigned to a certain place to be the county magistrate based on the drawn content.
It's nonsense, but it's fair.
It's a pity that after a few years of fairness, he started to openly cheat.
The Guanhou lottery was made in different lengths and thicknesses. As long as you bribed the officials of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, you could know in advance which lottery you were drawing was the best.
Since allocating officials to use Guanhou's signature, Guan Gong gradually became the god of imperial examinations. Scholars often went to Guandi Temple to worship before the imperial examinations.
There is too much business and Guan Gong is very busy.
Xu Du and others took a boat to Nanjing to visit the local sword-carrying scholars. Then they went to Hangzhou to visit Xu Ying and explained that they were about to start an uprising and asked Jiangxi to provide early support.
Then, lobby the various branches of Fushe in Zhejiang.
Xu Duming had a wide circle of friends, and within ten months, he actually persuaded hundreds of scholars to join the group. Even the children of wealthy families did not dare to report casually because they were afraid of Zhao Han, and even some scholars who came from big landowners were willing to join.
All I can say is that Zhejiang is so miserable.
During the severe drought two years ago, bones were exposed in the wild. Fathers and sons, brothers, and husbands and wives were eating each other. Anyone who dared to go out alone might be eaten.
And this year we have to send more people. The court will send one more point, and the officials dare to send five more points, ten points!
Historically, Xu Du was the leader of the Yishe (Fushe branch), who dispersed wealth to recruit soldiers and summoned warriors. While contacting scholars from all walks of life, he also contacted the revolting peasants. He supported 100,000 soldiers and maintained strict discipline. He successively conquered Dongyang, Yiwu, Zhuji, and Pujiang.
Yongkang, Wuyi, Tangxi, Lanxi and other cities.
In the end, they were forced to accept the call for peace. Sixty-four people, including Xu Du, were killed by the government after the call for peace. The remaining troops were provoked to rebel, and they captured several counties. After defeat, they moved to Fujian and joined forces with the Fujian uprising army.
Scholars rebelled, but it took ten years to succeed.
The White-headed Army uprising in Xudu was a rebellion by a group of intellectuals, and all the scholars from Jiangnan sympathized with it.
Xu Du was killed, which even caused Xu Fuyuan and Chen Zilong to break off their relationship.
…
But he said that when people come to the border of Jiangxi, they can see the prosperous scene without entering the city.
The drought in southern Zhili this year is severe, and only the northeastern part of Jiangxi is affected. In addition, about half of the Dongting Lake Plain is drought-stricken this year.
When we came to Poyang Lake, there were fertile fields all along the lake.
There are also many fishermen who have also abolished exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes. They row and fish while rowing and singing.
That is to say, King Zhao Tianwang has a relatively loose control, stipulating that the fishing nets cannot be too dense, and the nets are not allowed to be cast during the breeding season of fish.
When passing Wucheng Town, I suddenly heard someone cheering.
However, an official came to post a notice saying that due to the serious drought this year, the land tax in the four counties of Pengze, Hukou, Fuliang, and Leping would be completely exempted, while the land tax in the three counties of Jing'an, Wuning, and Ningzhou would be reduced by half.
"When we arrived in Jiangxi, there were surprises everywhere." Lin Xue said with a smile.
Li Fenglai was quite proud: "Even the mountain people in Jiangxi can still have enough to eat now. But they don't eat well, and they eat sweet potatoes as their staple food."
Jiangxi is full of mountains, and many places are uncultivated.
Because reclaiming wasteland is very tiring and requires continuous fertilization. In the first few years after it is reclaimed, the harvest may not be enough to repay the seeds, and it will take two or three generations to turn a piece of wasteland into good farmland.
It is very likely that as soon as wasteland became fertile land, gentry came out to seize the land, so farmers were not very enthusiastic about reclaiming wasteland.
Sweet potatoes do not care about land. Although the yield of newly reclaimed wasteland is very low, the harvest is definitely greater than the cost of seeds. Now, sweet potatoes are grown everywhere in the mountains of Jiangxi, and more than 100,000 acres of mountainous land have been reclaimed.
Brothers Xu Nianzu and Xu Fengcai looked at each other, feeling a little surprised.
A big businessman like Li Fenglai actually felt very proud when he talked about the mountain people having enough to eat.
"Hehe," Li Fenglai explained with a smile, "At the beginning of Mr. Zhao's uprising, there were no sweet potatoes in the counties of Ji'an Prefecture. The sweet potatoes and bracts were purchased and introduced from below. Now, sweet potatoes and bracts are promoted throughout the province, and I also have a share of the hard work.
.”
"Disrespect, disrespect!" Everyone bowed their hands and saluted.
Li Fenglai said proudly: "With just a little effort, many people can be saved. This is a great good thing for accumulating yin and virtue."
The boat sails to Nanchang.
On the pier, a group of demons appeared unexpectedly.
Different from the costumed demons in Suzhou and Hangzhou, these costumed demons in Nanchang are not colorful and the fabrics are not luxurious, but the styles of clothes and hats are outrageous.
Some people even openly wear python robes!
It is not a traditional python robe, it is also decorated with various patterns, the wide sleeves are changed into arrow sleeves, and the belt is tightly tied, which is very stylish.
"Can this python robe be worn on the street?" Xu Nianzu asked in surprise.
Some people in Jiangnan also wear python robes, but they only wear them at home, and at most they can have fun with friends in private.
Li Fenglai explained with a smile: "Haha, Mr. Zhao doesn't care about his clothes. His home is against the rules. As long as you don't go out naked on the street, you can wear anything. Of course, you can't wear official uniforms, military uniforms or official uniforms. If you are caught, you will be slapped immediately."
When Liu Rushi saw the Nanchang Pier, there were many women there, and they looked like they belonged to wealthy families.
They were probably out of the city to pay homage to the Buddha. Their dresses and coats were not appropriate, and they were just randomly dressed, but overall they looked quite pleasing to the eye.
Li Fenglai introduced: "It was the style improved by the Fei family. It was first worn in Ji'an Prefecture and soon spread to Nanchang. The hair accessories have also been improved a lot. Ladies like it very much, and commoner women have begun to follow suit."
Wang Wei sighed: "What a scene of a prosperous age!"
Everyone looked curious all the way as they followed the river to Ji'an Mansion.
It happened to be noon at this time, and a group of coolies sat down to rest. A vendor came over with a load and set up a fire to cook soup and noodles.
"Old Li, buy me two taels of wine!" said a coolie.
"Hey, Fifth Brother, do you still want to drink today? Don't drop your bag while carrying it this afternoon."
"Are you afraid of two ounces of wine?"
"I'll come too!"
"..."
A group of coolies were sitting on the pier eating noodles. Everyone was drinking wine, and the noodle soup was very oily and had a layer of spicy oil floating on it.
Xu Nianzu stood there stupidly, watching the coolies drinking and eating noodles, and his eyes suddenly became wet.
"What's wrong, brother?" Xu Fengcai asked.
Xu Nianzu murmured to himself: "I should have come to Jiangxi long ago and stayed in Jiangnan, wasting a few years. During the holy period, I can see the prosperity of the Han and Tang Dynasties, which will surely come within thirty years!"
(I recommend "Buried Alive in the Qing Dynasty" by Da Luoluo. He is a master of history. Don't worry about the quality. You can know the content just by looking at the title of the book.)