In the inner city of Nanjing, on Danfeng Street not far from the Imperial College, there is a complex and impressive courtyard. Just looking at the location and area of this mansion, you can know the status of the owner. You must know that after the "Eunuch Rebellion" last September, most of the garden mansions in Nanjing changed their owners. To be able to be gifted a mansion so close to the imperial city is of course an extraordinary figure.
If someone looks at the main entrance of this mansion, they will see a plaque reading "Kenan Hot Spring Bo" hanging outside the door. The so-called "hot spring" refers to Tangshan Hot Spring near Nanjing City. Nowadays, marquises and earls who are falsely granted the title of Ming Dynasty often choose the name of a state or county, usually the name of the hometown of the recipient. There are a few exceptions, and you can get special bans. And this hero who was given the gift of overcoming the difficulties of Wenquanbo is one of them!
The person who could get the title of "Hot Spring Uncle" was none other than Zhu Cihong's teacher, Qian Qianyi, who was famous for his fear of cold water. He was afraid of the cold water, so he got a hot spring. Of course, Qian Qianyi didn't know the meaning behind "Hot Spring Uncle", and he felt it was very glorious!
The prince named him "Hot Spring Uncle" because he must have felt that he worked too hard for the country and the people, so he asked him to go to Tangshan to take a bath with Liu Rushi in his free time... By the way, Zhu Cihong I also found a confiscated villa in Tangshan and gave it to my wife, Liu Rushi. Although it is not worth a lot of money, this honor is rare among those who have overcome difficulties.
However, Qian Qianyi himself, the hot spring uncle who seemed to outsiders to be in good health, was currently sighing in the flower hall in the backyard of the hot spring uncle's house!
He was accompanied by a group of good students. Seeing the teacher like this, the students just said something to you and I spoke to comfort him.
"Teacher, Enke's performance this time was a bit ugly. More than half of the people turned in blank papers, but the responsibility is not yours!"
"Yes, scholars have their own opinions. Now everyone says that the prince is too greedy and has ruined the ancestral system of giving preferential treatment to scholars..."
When Qian Qianyi heard this, he raised his head suddenly and looked at the person who spoke, and found that it was Ji Kun, the censor of Zuoban Supervision.
"Chunfan, what are you talking about?" Qian Qianyi was a little angry, "This is slandering you!"
"Teacher," Ji Kun shook his head, "Students only say one thing and another...haven't you noticed what His Highness the Crown Prince wants to do?"
"Chunfan," Zheng Sen was also here. He said with an indifferent expression: "Don't the prince just want to impose strict business taxes? I didn't say anything. Why are you, a censor, dissatisfied?"
"Damu," Grand Duke Luo said with a smile, "What harm will the strict imposition of business tax do to your family? Even for ordinary merchants, it is not a burden... It's just a different place to pay, even if it's more, it's not much. A few dollars. The prince's plan is to collect business taxes in name, but in fact it is to collect profits from the scholar-bureaucrats!"
"Aren't you exempted from the land tax for five years?" Zheng Sen said.
"This is also a competition with the scholar-bureaucrats for profit!" Ji Kun said, "The land of the gentry is already tax-free. In the past, if you passed the imperial examination, you would have donated land and shops. Now that you are exempt from tax for five years, I am afraid that there will be no such good thing again in five years." ..."
Grand Duke Luo smiled: "There won't be any in five years!"
Ji Kun was startled, then nodded: "Yes, there won't be any in five years! In five years, I'm afraid the officials and gentry will have to pay grain and taxes together..."
"Isn't that true?" Qian Qianyi was still a little unsure.
"That must be the case!" Grand Duke Luo said with a smile, "Thousand-year-old Master is the reincarnation of Emperor Taizu Gao... During the time of Emperor Taizu Gao, private lands held by officials and gentry also had to pay taxes, and only the imperial court granted them Only Hontian can be exempted from tax."
Ji Kun nodded and said: "That must be the case...but the teacher is the hero of overcoming difficulties, so he can certainly benefit from it!"
Qian Qianyi glared at his student, who had weird ideas: "Chunfan, what do you mean?"
Ji Kun smiled: "It's just Shunchang's death... Although Master Qiansui is the reincarnation of Taizu Emperor Gao, he is still young after all. Most of the people here today will not be able to survive him. So there is no need to worry. What, if you work hard and work hard, you will naturally be a hero in overcoming difficulties. Needless to say, you will be prosperous and wealthy throughout your life, and you can also be a blessing to your descendants!"
Qian Qianyi could tell that Ji Kun was saying something sarcastic - not that following Zhu Cihong would lead to a bad end, but that he despised those scholars who were willing to serve as the minions of Prince Chitose's lackey... even though he was also one of Zhu Cihong's lackeys!
Grand Duke Luo smiled: "Brother Chunfan is right... In a few years, you will be the left deputy censor of the capital!"
The deputy censor of the left and right is the highest position that a full-time censor can hold, and the next higher is the censor of the left and right. These two positions are held by courtiers and honorable ministers. However, the left and right deputy censors of the third rank are also very good, and they also have "anti-corruption commissions". If they really reach that position, they will have a net worth of hundreds of thousands taels.
Ji Kun just smiled bitterly and said nothing - he had always regarded himself as a famous scholar, but now he had to go down the road of being a cruel official...and he couldn't change the track!
Grand Duke Luo turned to Qian Qianyi and said: "Teacher, now the southeast is ruled by Prince Chitose... We can't fight him! Zuo Liangyu upstream is useless, even if he is not terminally ill, with his little strength , and we can’t defeat the new army that overcomes difficulties! We scholars can either follow him and become rich and powerful, rank among the courtiers, and honor our ancestors. Or...hehe, teacher, forget it!"
This Grand Duke Luo has been following Qian Qianyi for so many years, but he still doesn’t know how strong the teacher is? Don't look at someone who is worried about the country and the people now. If he really wants to step forward, his legs will be weak. And he himself is the same. He has wanted to be an official for so many years. Now that he has a great opportunity, he is either the top pick or the second pick. He would be stupid not to take it.
Qian Qianyi sighed and looked at Zheng Sen again. Zheng Sen nodded and said: "What the Grand Duke said makes sense... The gentry in the southeast are all scholars, so what can they do to fight against the new army that can overcome difficulties? Besides, It will definitely be profitable for us to follow the prince, what does it have to do with us if others are harmed?"
Qian Qianyi glanced at Ji Kun again, and Ji Kun said: "Let's see...gentlemen are in the party but not in the party, and villains are in the party without being in the party. Dong Lin sometimes calls himself a party, but in fact he is just a The group. Only the eunuch party is the real party! Now the prince is going to change the Donglin group to the Donglin party. Is it just this party but not the Donglin group? Is it still Donglin? The prince is the king after all. Use villains to keep away from gentlemen. It’s okay for emergencies in troubled times, but can it be done for long-term peace and stability?”
Grand Duke Luo chuckled and said: "I don't know when this troubled times will begin! Maybe it will last for 150 years like the Southern Song Dynasty!"
Ji Kun sighed: "The Southern Song Dynasty was also destroyed by Mongolia!"
There was silence in the flower hall, and everyone was silent. I don't know how long it took before I heard Qian Qianyi sigh: "150 years, 150 years... we can finally die as ghosts."
