Guo Huan smiled slightly and said: "You are right. At the beginning, I actually just wanted to get some money to use for things. But I later discovered that the Ministry of Accounts are all idiots. They couldn't tell if I misappropriated it. That's it.
As soon as I came here, I thought: Why am I focusing on political achievements?"
"Of course you get rich by getting promoted. But in the Ming Dynasty, can you get rich by getting promoted? Not necessarily. Our Majesty, we are really good at abacus. What if the officials of the Ming Dynasty become first-class officials? They are probably not as good as those of the Yuan Dynasty and the prime ministers.
The former seventh-grade official."
"And I'm still on tenterhooks. I'm afraid that one day I'll offend His Majesty somehow and my body will be missing."
"In this case, why should I bother to gain political achievements? All I need to do is move my pen and money will come rolling in. What do you want?"
"Tell me, why do I need any political achievements?"
He Xi said: "It's so shameless. Because of your own selfishness, you have increased taxes several times for the people. Aren't you ashamed at all?"
Guo Huan sneered and said: "Only people like you would think this way, but you don't know that in the previous dynasty, these mud-legged people received 50% of the harvest, which was already a great gift. Now the place with the most taxes is just acres.
Taking six buckets, it’s only one-sixth. This is too much.”
"And this is what one person wants? The imperial court destroyed the gentry and moved all the famous clans of the previous dynasty to the barren land in the north. Do you know that Suzhou now has the most beggars, because you can only go back to your hometown by dressing up as a beggar. But gentry is gentry,
The mud-legged people are the mud-legged people. Even if the government changes, they will not be able to change the world."
He Xi said: "So, all the official land of the imperial court has been dispersed through your hands."
Guo Huan said: "Don't say it so harshly. I just acknowledge the reality and provide convenience. They will naturally give me convenience."
He Xi suddenly calmed down and looked at Guo Huan. He had never felt that the person in front of him was so strange. It felt like there was reproductive isolation after six hundred years. Because of the difference in thinking, people were simply not the same species.
Suddenly, He Xi could understand Zhu Yuanzhang better.
Yes, although He Xi was also afraid of Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yuanzhang put a lot of pressure on him. There were many things between him and Zhu Yuanzhang that were difficult to understand each other. But on major issues of right and wrong, Zhu Yuanzhang's views were the same as He Xi's.
The Guo Huan in front of him is a typical Confucian bureaucrat. He talks about benevolence and righteousness, but behind the scenes is business. He does not talk about profit in his words, but in fact he does not talk about the interests of the court and the interests of the people. All he does is his own selfish interests.
.On the contrary, one set after another.
Not only Confucius is resurrected, but even Zhu Zi is resurrected. If you see such disciples and disciples, you will probably be angry to death.
Although Zhu Xi was not a perfect man, he still had some moral standards and could not be called a bad person. Guo Huan was intelligent and capable, but he could not be called a good person.
He Xi's heart was filled with murderous intent, and he said, "The books of the sages have been read on dogs."
Guo Huan said: "Books of sages? Nine Confucian scholars and ten beggars. From then on, except for a few fools such as Song Lian, only ghosts believe in books of sages. Reading books of sages is just a little better than begging for food."
In fact, what Guo Huan said is the truth.
It is difficult to say in detail how much damage the rule of the Yuan Dynasty caused to Chinese culture. If you look at nothing else, the Song Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty are basically two different styles of painting. The difference between the Song Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty is only a hundred years, and the three and five dynasties
Just people.
Why is this happening?
This is the destruction of culture by the Yuan Dynasty.
One official, two officials, three monks, four Taoists, five doctors, six workers, seven hunters, eight civilians, nine Confucians, and ten beggars. This was the classification of social classes in the Yuan Dynasty.
Scholars are only slightly better than beggars.
Under such circumstances, who would still believe in the writings of the sages, and who would still believe in the poems and clouds of the poets?
It is true that some imperial examinations were held in the late Yuan Dynasty, which seemed to improve the social status of scholars. However, among the Jinshi, Han people only accounted for a small part, while ethnic groups such as Mongolian Huihui had more places. Among the Han people,
Southerners, that is, people from the original Southern Song Dynasty, are only a small minority. Not to mention, so what if they pass the Jinshi examination?
Liu Bowen was a Jinshi of the Yuan Dynasty and a genius in the world. In the end, he could only return to his hometown. Even if he was appointed as an official, he would mostly be transferred to a prefecture or county. Because in the Yuan Dynasty, the importance of being an official was based on his family background.
Although there are some scholars who have passed down the tradition, like Song Lian. Song Lian's disciples could go directly to Zhu Xi and were Zhu Xi's disciples. However, the more low-level scholars in the Song Dynasty no longer exist.
This is also the reason why Zhu Yuanzhang stopped the imperial examination for ten years, because he could not select talents and there were not enough scholars.
In fact, in the early Ming Dynasty, Neo-Confucianism was not very prosperous. The reason is also very simple. The culture itself in the early Ming Dynasty was at a low point. Although there were some embellishments from the Yuan Dynasty, it was difficult to say that there were any famous scholars.
There are all kinds of trends of thought.
Just like the famous Liu Bowen, who can be considered a typical figure in the early Ming Dynasty, he cannot be considered a Neo-Confucian.
When Hongwu took the imperial examination in his early years, Neo-Confucianism was not regarded as the main content.
It was Zhu Yuanzhang who thought about it and finally decided that Neo-Confucianism should be the main content of the imperial examination. It was then strengthened by Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty and finally became the central idea of governing the country in the Ming Dynasty. It can even be said that Zhu Yuanzhang completed a renaissance of Chinese culture.
It's just that because of his own shortcomings, Zhu Yuanzhang only started to study seriously after he became an adult. He didn't really understand many of the subtle meanings of Confucianism. In addition, Neo-Confucianism was a prominent school in the Yuan Dynasty. It eventually evolved into what it is in history.
When He Xi came to this period, it was the moment when Zhu Yuanzhang made his final weighing of Neo-Confucianism. If there were no changes, a few years later, Zhu Yuanzhang would delete the Four Books and Five Classics and restart the imperial examination, focusing on this.
The Central Committee of the Ming Dynasty is still like this. As for Guo Huan, he doesn't pay attention to any sage's books at all. He probably feels like wiping his butt with paper.
He Xi was so angry that he could not speak for a while.
Guo Huan suddenly looked up at the sky and said: "It's almost time. I don't know why you came to see me. But I'm not a fool. You came here this time, using you as a guise, secretly the Jin Yiwei came to check me. I have seen through it.
Come on, come to think of it, while you are here, Jin Yiwei has already started to take action."
"It's just that you forgot one thing. Money can make all the difference. Today's Hangzhou city is no longer surnamed Zhu, but surnamed Guo."
As soon as Guo Huan's voice fell, as if to confirm Guo Huan's statement, He Xi heard the cry of killing suddenly coming from outside. The distance was not too far away, probably outside the Chief Envoy's Yamen.
He Xi was stunned. He didn't know how Guo Huan came to the conclusion that he was a guise and Jin Yiwei was the one hosting him. However, Guo Huan's reaction really surprised He Xi. He Xi said: "What are you doing?
Want to rebel?"
Guo Huan said: "Rebellion, I don't want to rebel, I just want to get some money. I have lived and died for the Ming Dynasty. Is it just for a few taels of silver? Your Majesty is only an old farmer. It is not generous. In this case, I can just take it myself."
.Now that we are here today, it was only because of you who forced me to do so. Now that you have found out that I have embezzled a large amount of money, do you think you can survive without rebelling?"
"Since the result is the same, why don't I do it?"
Behind He Xi, Wang Qianli was sweating profusely on his forehead. The scabbard was almost popping out, and there were figures of people outside the window. It should be Guo Huan's men lying in wait. He Xi gently pressed Wang Qianli's hand to tell him to be safe.
impatient.
He Xi said: "Actually, the result is different. You are just a corrupt person. Being an accomplice can reduce your punishment, but now you are treasonous. It is estimated that you will die as an accomplice."
Guo Huan said: "Are you kidding me? Now my family is ruined and I have to go into exile overseas. You want me to think about them?" At this moment, Guo Huan's true mentality was exposed. Guo Huan said with a ferocious face: "Originally, if you weren't
You are chasing me so closely, and I won’t be able to do anything to you after I go to sea, but you are so confident that you come to your door, doesn’t it make me feel so bad?”
"He Xi, I won't let you die easily."
He Xi said: "Are you sure that the plan you set up outside can catch Commander Mao Xiangmao?"
Guo Huan was stunned and said: "Is it Mao Xiang who is here?" Although Guo Huan had noticed that there was something wrong with Mao Xiang's whereabouts, he never expected that Mao Xiang actually came. After all, he was the commander of the Jinyi Guards.
The weight in Huan's heart is different.
Guo Huan then smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, now the city of Hangzhou is under my control. These officials in Hangzhou City are all my people. They have no way out. Today, let alone Mao Xiang, the prince is here. Your Majesty is here
, I will also hate this."
"Really?" He Xi said.
Guo Huan looked at He Xi, suddenly smiled, and said: "I don't understand. You seem to be stalling for time now, wanting to see if there is a possibility of turning the situation around. No problem, I will help you, I will let you see Mao Xiang's head.
Then I’ll send you on your way, and let you walk in a clear way.”
He Xi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He actually did not expect that today would be so dangerous. Originally, he just wanted to drag Guo Huan for a while and let Mao Xiang complete the deployment outside. He was ready to kill Guo Huan in one fell swoop.
It's just that he didn't expect the current situation. He thought that Guo Huan was just a corrupt criminal. How could he have imagined that he would be so bold now. He could only be a secret assassin. He actually dared to fight against Jin Yiwei openly.
He Xi was a person who cherished his life. Naturally, he was a little scared. But now that Guo Huan said this, he felt relieved.
However, he did not think that Guo Huan could win outside. This confidence did not lie in Mao Xiang, but in another person. Only after this period of time, the situation would definitely turn around.
He Xi said: "Then I would like to thank Mr. Guo for his kindness. It is better for me to obey my orders than to be respectful. Otherwise, let's talk about it."
He Xi's attitude made Guo Huan a little confused. He couldn't help but think about it and thought to himself: "Is there something I didn't think clearly about and overlooked?"
