This is the first time for Lu Deshan to come here since Shengzhou was renamed as Jiangning Prefecture.
He is not young anymore. When he was young, he had already traveled all over the world, even to the western frontier places like Fenglin Pass. He really has no interest in things like sightseeing. He is most interested now. What I want to do is to supervise my grandchildren's studies - my son has given up and is not the material.
But this time there was something different. The saint personally appointed his name, so he could only hold on to his old body and come here.
Fortunately, the Lu family in Wu County still had some reputation. Although he was a partial house among partial houses and a branch among branches, he could still take advantage of the situation, so he was able to ride on the same boat as the governor, and the journey was not that tiring.
After arriving at Jiangning Mansion, he spent time walking around this new and old city.
The mighty Southern Dynasties, the Wu Palace and the Jin Dynasty, and thousands of palaces have long since turned into dust.
The shepherd boy drives the goats out to graze. While the goats are grazing, they can occasionally find a few pieces of glazed tiles.
When fishermen lower their nets to catch fish, they occasionally catch some porcelain pieces and rusty ancient coins.
Half of the people living in Jiangning speak with a Guanxi accent, and some have Henan and Hebei accents. Only 20 to 30 percent of the people who actually speak Wu dialect speak.
"Nan Chao Mi Meng..." Lu Deshan sighed softly.
He recalled the scene in which the Jin Dynasty was in a state of drunkenness and dreams after traveling south.
The Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, Chen and Five Dynasties were like a revolving lantern, you just finished singing and I came on stage.
Most people are content with enjoying themselves, and there are a few people who want to cheer up, but their hands are tied and it is difficult to get support from others.
Is this a curse? Is there really a curse in this land in the south of the Yangtze River? It is obviously a developed area where people from the north came to settle down south. How come over time, they are no longer able to defeat the group of people who stayed in the north and did not go south?
Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, Jiangnan has been slightly revitalized, but it is Yang Xingmi and his son who rule here. They would rather put their rights in Yangzhou and flaunt the attributes of their Huainan regime than look after Su, Run, Chang, Sheng, and Xuan in Jiangnan. In She, Chi and other states, most of the time they just asked for money and food, and conscripted their wives, and that was it.
Jiangnan once had hope.
A few years before Yang Xingmi died, he had appointed his son Yang Wo as the governor of Shengzhou. This was a very obvious signal.
But Yang Wo disappointed people. The second-generation ancestor knew nothing and had nothing in Shengzhou. He couldn't stay any longer and ran to Jiangbei every two days, which made Yang Xingmi almost angry to death.
Lu Deshan wondered if Yang Xingmi's death so soon was related to his son's incompetence. Before his death, even his close confidants did not agree to pass the throne to Yang Wo. Instead, he advocated passing the throne to a certain general and returning the throne to the Yang family in the future.
Returning power is of course nonsense.
However, since the secession of vassal towns in the middle Tang Dynasty, in the process of passing on the power of Jiedushi, there was no lack of passing on the throne to nephews, adopted sons, sons-in-law, and generals. Because those old commanders knew very well that passing on the throne to trustworthy people would be their descendants. You can still retain a little wealth and dignity, and you can still have some dignity. If you forcibly pass the throne to an incompetent descendant, and you encounter a mutiny because you can't control the situation, it will be the end of the whole family.
How to choose is actually not difficult.
When Xu Wen and Zhang Hao mutinied, Lu Deshan had some thoughts.
Because Xu Wen was Yang Xingmi's confidant, he was sent to Yang Wo to help him - well, wipe his butt.
During the period when Yang Wo served as the governor of Shengzhou, Xu Wen was responsible for many of the personnel affairs. I heard that Xu Wen admired Shengzhou's beautiful place with dragons and tigers dominating the place, and repeatedly suggested moving the place from Yangzhou to the south of the Yangtze River.
In the end, it didn't succeed. I don't know why. It was probably because Yang Xingmi still had feelings for Huainan. After Yang Wo came to power, there was not enough time.
Xu Wen and Zhang Hao were finally forced to surrender due to the situation. All their plans were in vain. It can only be said that this is fate.
Before Lu Deshan set off, he had long talks with the elders of the family for several days.
He sincerely begged the family to change their attitude, because some people actually privately called the emperor "half Hu and half Han", and even criticized the prince's bloodline, saying that the queen was either Xianbei or Dangxiang, and that the prince was a "horse race".
Such appalling remarks, even if they are only talked about privately within the family, are playing with fire. Once spread, I am afraid that they will not even be qualified to go to Liaodong and the Western Regions, and the heads of the Nine Clans will definitely be killed.
His persuasion had an effect. Those big-mouthed boys were directly punished by the family law and sent to the mountains and forests to supervise the mines.
In addition to this incident, Lu Deshan also mentioned that the children of the family should not sharpen their heads and take the Jinshi examination.
Although Jinshi is honorable and noble, the competition is fierce. Instead of doing this, it is better to think of ways to deal with miscellaneous subjects. Take agriculture as an example. After passing the examination, you will still be awarded an official position of eight or nine grades, which is no different from Jinshi.
Moreover, as long as you pay attention, you will find that many officials with agricultural backgrounds in the first batch of Tongguang four years have been promoted. Lu Deshan does not know the reason why these county officials with agricultural backgrounds have such a smooth career, but He guessed that it had something to do with the so-called elegant administration of the new dynasty, right? Where was Wang Yong, the servant of the sect? The attitude of the saint couldn't be more clear.
Some people in the family believe that Jinshang is already over sixty years old and has only a few more years to live. After his death, the prince may not necessarily insist on the elegance of the new dynasty.
Lu Deshan expressed doubts about this. But he had no evidence and no one was sure. He could not convince the family elders on this matter.
Once miscellaneous subjects are suppressed, these officials who are currently enjoying a relatively smooth career may stop there. This is the biggest worry within the family.
The Jinshi subject, at least regardless of the new policy or the old policy, is quite affordable. If you pass the Jinshi exam, you will really make money without losing money, although it is a little difficult.
At this point, I can no longer continue.
He knew that the Lu family of Wu County admired Han Yu and Pi Rixiu's orthodoxy theory very much. He wrote an article to criticize this argument, which had offended many people. The reason why the elders of the family didn't show his displeasure was because, to be honest, the big family was opportunistic. Because of his instinct, he, Lu Deshan, is only valued today.
After understanding this, he could only sigh three times, silently came to the Yang Palace, and listened quietly to the saint's summons.
"The world is so ignorant, what can I do, what can I do." After paying homage to the historical sites, Lu Deshan shook his head and left.
The new dynasty's elegant administration is obviously beneficial to Jiangnan.
When people from the north do business, they naturally have less advantages than people from the south. If you don't understand this, you deserve to be eliminated.
****
On April 20th, the breeze outside Linhua Hall was gentle and the water was calm.
Shao Shude summoned the third batch of officials and gentry who came to the lakeside pavilion.
Most people were summoned together in small groups, but when it was Lu Deshan's turn, he was the only one.
This is special treatment, no doubt about it.
"Meet Your Majesty."
"Elders don't need to be polite, just give me a seat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Shao Shude sat on the stone bench, playing with the tea cup in his hand, and said casually: "The third son of Lu Gong, were you also an official in the past? Was it under the rule of Yang Xingmi or Qian Liu?"
"At the beginning, he was affiliated with Xingmi, and later he was assigned to Qian Gong."
"Why did you leave your job?"
"I don't have enough talent, so I have to resign."
Shao Shude smiled and said: "If you can't be a high official, there should be a position suitable for them, right?"
"Yes." Lu Deshan responded.
It is true that a person lacks ability, but if he is really picky, he can indeed find a few official positions that are tailor-made for him and give full play to his strengths. But the question is, who will leave these official positions to you? You have
What kind of face is worthy of others doing this? Being able to choose an official position is an extraordinary ability in itself, and it cannot be achieved by people who are not public servants.
"I will let people make arrangements as appropriate, so don't worry." Shao Shude said.
"I thank your Majesty for your kindness." Lu Deshan immediately stood up and saluted respectfully.
This was a sweet date given by the sage. Lu Deshan did not dare to refuse, nor was he willing to refuse.
Everyone has selfish motives. Yang Xingmi couldn't be broken back then, and neither can he.
"The main reason I summoned you to raise your womb is to get to know the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River." Shao Shude raised his hand to signal him to sit down, and then said: "There are many rich families in the south of the Yangtze River. What do they think of me? What do they think of the imperial court? What do they think of the imperial court?
What do you think of the new dynasty’s elegant administration? Let’s talk about it one by one.”
"Back to Your Majesty." Lu Deshan thought for a moment and said: "Your Majesty is a rare wise king and a wise king in ancient times. He swept away the evil atmosphere in the world, regained the old territories, and opened up new lands. These achievements are placed in front of the world, which makes people endure.
Keep paying homage and be grateful."
"A wise king and a wise king?" Shao Shude laughed loudly and said, "I'm afraid not everyone praises me like this, right? In the past, there were many major cases in Jiangnan, and there were many people who opposed me."
Lu Deshan wanted to say something, but Shao Shude stretched out his hand to stop it and said: "I know that they are all remnants of Yang Wu and have nothing to do with you. After cleaning up, the atmosphere will be completely new."
Lu Deshan sighed secretly.
In the process of this "renewal of the atmosphere", countless people were killed, imprisoned, and exiled. Some of them were large families with deep roots in the local area and flourishing branches. They were simply uprooted.
Lu Deshan still remembers that the Jin soldiers stationed in the south of the Yangtze River were Jin soldiers from Hedong, and they were so cruel and ruthless that it made people shudder.
Those tribes and private soldiers raised by big families are vulnerable to them, just like adults beating children, it is terrible to see.
"Keep talking." Shao Shude waved his hand and said.
"The Jiangnan gentry are loyal to the imperial court," Lu Deshan continued.
"Aren't you convinced by your mouth?" Shao Shude asked.
Lu Deshan was suffocated, then quickly adjusted and said: "Your Majesty is wrong. As soon as the Holy Emperor arrived in Nanjing, all the tribes donated money and food. They are extremely respectful."
He knew that it would be difficult to have a conversation with such an immediate emperor, because they often speak unexpectedly and irregularly, and they are temperamental and can use swear words.
"I believe you." Shao Shude smiled and said.
In fact, what Shao Shude wanted was just a gesture.
Wherever he went, the people welcomed him wholeheartedly, even if he pretended to be full of vitality and all things flourishing, he still had to pretend to me.
For a dynasty that was founded only twenty years ago, it is indeed not easy to stabilize people's hearts, especially since Jiangnan was pacified only ten years ago.
"The Jiangnan Shilin people have different attitudes toward the new dynasty's elegant politics." Lu Deshan said: "Some people praise it, some criticize it, some people are happy to change, and some people are complacent."
"Are you too complacent?"
"Fewer and fewer."
"That's true." Shao Shude smiled and said: "When I arrived in Yangzhou, I read a few articles, which were very good. Nowadays, there are indeed more Jiangnan scholars who agree with the new dynasty's elegant politics."
When Shao Shude went south from Xuzhou, he discovered a strange phenomenon. The further south he went, the more Jiangnan scholars praised the elegant politics of the new dynasty, and the more Confucian scholars argued for him.
It is true that for now, these people are all telling lies, and who knows what they really think. But the scary thing about some things is that when most people start telling lies against their will, the lies become
It became true and became politically correct.
People born later have lived in this environment since childhood, and their outlook on life will inevitably be affected.
In other words, Shao Shude came to Jiangnan to "unify thought", break through this most complete fortress of Confucianism, and protect the elegant politics of the new dynasty.
"But there are still some people who are still stubborn. What should we do?" After laughing, Shao Shude suddenly asked.
"Maybe we can induce him."
"What kind of inducement?"
"The imperial examination is the lifeblood." Lu Deshan said: "No matter how much you appreciate a certain kind of knowledge, if you don't take the imperial examination, there will definitely be fewer people who learn it."
Shao Shude smiled sincerely this time.
Everyone in the world is busy for the sake of profit. Even a big family is not exempt from the secular world. No matter how big a family is, if no one is an official for several generations, it will not be able to maintain its "divine status" and will inevitably fall.
The imperial examination has indeed captured their lifeblood. If what needs to be done is to stick to it and insist on being a friend of time.
If you persist until the end, you will always see results.