The march and petition of more than 18,000 poor people caused an uproar in Daxing City. Some people liked it, some were disgusted, some agreed and some opposed, but most people just used it as a talking point.
The Hanshi's march soon received a response from the court. In order to quell the Hanshi's grievances, the imperial court dismissed all the "four thieves" and their accomplices who advocated banning books from their posts and removed them from all positions. At the same time, Yang Jian, who was "hijacked" by the cold scholars, inevitably escalated the situation and was "forced" to expand the number of Taixue students from 72 students to 5,000; he also promised to recruit students from the protesting students. In addition, Yang Jian urgently appointed the great scholar Xue Daoheng as the official minister of Guozixue, and appointed Lu Chu and Wei Jin as the directors of Guozixue, in charge of Guozixue and enrollment matters.
Although Xue Daoheng, Lu Chu, and Wei Jin all came from famous families, they were pure Confucian scholars. They had been asking Yang Jian to restore academic affairs with Liu Xuan, Liu Zhuo and other confucian scholars, and they had great reputations among the poor scholars. The poor people were greatly encouraged by the appointment of people.
Although the whole city is still discussing this matter, it has nothing to do with Yang Ji anymore. In fact, the family members and civil and military officials also knew that Yang Jian was the driving force and supporter behind this incident, while Yang Ji was just a pioneering official in culture and education. It's just that the emperor has always been the distributor and balancer of interests among major political forces. Therefore, if anything happens, the aristocratic families and civil and military officials will not go to the emperor to cause trouble. Instead, they will target the pioneer officials of a certain system. ,supporter. In other words, the groups whose interests have been harmed will put the blame on Yang Ji.
He, Yang Ji, is now directly confronting the world's aristocratic families, digging out their foundations, cutting off their foundations, and severely blackmailing the Bolingcui family by publishing the list of prisoners.
No matter how Cui makes amends or deals with the offending children in the future, she will never be able to restore her lost reputation. After all, it is so bad and despicable that the convicts repeatedly changed their names and took office and repeatedly committed crimes. If they can even do such a thing, who will believe it in the future? Who can guarantee that they will not repeat their same tactics in the future?
Yang Ji also knew that his grievances with Cui could not be resolved, but with enemies everywhere, if a particularly prominent enemy appeared, other enemies would inevitably suffer damage to their own interests, and they would be happy to fight with both sides. If Other enemies chose to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight, but Yang Ji's pressure was greatly reduced.
Yang Ji has always defined himself as a military general and local official. He has always been too lazy to care about the disturbances and ups and downs in the court. If Yang Jian and Yang Guang had not sent people to let him go to court, he would not even go to court in the morning. However, because he was newly married, Yang Jian and Yang Guang did not send anyone to disturb him.
After lighting a fire, Yang Ji hid at home for the next two days without leaving the house. During the day, he and his newlywed wife walked hand in hand among the mansions, and at night they were naturally in love.
On the third day after their wedding, the newlyweds Yang Ji and Xiao Ying got up early, washed up, and prepared to go home.
The wedding of Yang Ji and Xiao Ying was originally scheduled for August, but Yang Jian was angered by Zhang Jin and not only issued a series of military appointments, but also advanced Yang Ji's appointment, in order to allow Yang Ji to return to Liangzhou as soon as possible to take charge. In view of the urgency of time, the return home was scheduled for the third day after the wedding.
Returning home is the last step of the wedding, usually on the third day, fifth day, or one month after the wedding. On the one hand, the bride expresses her gratitude to her parents, brothers and sisters-in-law who have worked so hard to support her. On the other hand, it is the husband's family's respect for the woman's family and their gratitude to the woman for helping him raise an excellent daughter-in-law.
When they were ready, Yang Ji, Dugu Min, Xiao Ying, Xiao Wan, and Yang Wen, the Shaoqing of Zongzheng Temple who represented the head of the Yang family, brought a long motorcade to Xiao Mansion.
According to custom, the natal family must host a banquet on the day of return to celebrate and allow the groom and his parents to get to know their new relatives. Today, the Xiao Mansion is also holding a grand banquet. Not only the clan members in Beijing are coming to the house, but also their in-laws are coming to celebrate. Officials from the DPRK and the Central Government have also sent people to send gifts to express their congratulations to the Xiao family for their good son-in-law. This also shows that the Lanling Xiao family valued Yang Ji as their son-in-law and respected the Yang family as a relative.
Since Emperor Xiao Yan of Liang Dynasty starved to death in the "Hou Jing Rebellion", the Xiao family of Lanling has successively become the puppets of Hou Jing, Wang Sengbian and Chen Baxian. When Nanliang was officially replaced by Nanchen established by Chen Baxian, they were executed. In the end, only Xiao Yi and others who were far away in Jiangling escaped, so Xiao Yi established the Houliang regime in Jiangling. After the founding of the country, he immediately led his army to attack Xiao Qi, the grandson of Emperor Wu of Liang Xiao Yan and the son of Xiao Tong, the prince of Zhaoming. Qing was in danger, so he had no choice but to claim vassal status from the then Western Wei Dynasty and request the Western Wei Dynasty to send troops. The Western Wei regime ordered the general Yang Zhong to send troops. Yang Zhong attacked Jiangling and killed all the members of Liang Yuan Emperor Xiao Yi. Xiao Qing, who received the help of the Western Wei Dynasty, established the Western Liang regime.
Since then, Xiao Tong's lineage, headed by Xiao Qian, has officially established friendly relations with the Yang family. When Yang Jian established the Sui Dynasty, Xiao Cong, the last emperor of Liang Dynasty, followed the general trend, removed his national title, moved to Daxing and settled in Daxing, and was treated favorably and reused by Yang Jian.
However, the position of the Xiao family headed by Xiao Cong in the officialdom of the Sui Dynasty was very embarrassing. For the sake of the fate of the family, they were very restrained and did not dare to make any political demands. If Xiao Cong had not been the emperor's son-in-law, I am afraid Xiao Cong would not have allowed him to When he became the Minister of Military Affairs, it was because of this that the overall strength of the Xiao family was gradually declining. There is certainly a reason for Xiao's restraint, but at the end of the day, Xiao still has no successor.
Except for the three heads of the family, Xiao Cong, Xiao Jue, and Xiao Yu, the rest of this generation are all mediocre people. The elders of the later generation have no skills except singing the wind and the moon, dancing and writing.
On the other hand, Xiao Cong's sisters have all found good husbands. Except for the eldest sister who married Wang Gun in her early years, one of them married Dou Wei, the new master of the Dou family, one married Yang Guang, and one married the eight pillars of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Hou Mo Chen Yi, the grandson of Hou Mo Chen Chong, one of the kingdoms; now even Xiao Kui's youngest daughter Xiao Ying has been promoted to the first line and married to Yang Ji, the king of Wei in the Sui Dynasty.
The Xiao Mansion opened the main entrance and two side doors early in the morning. When the head of the family, Xiao Cong, heard that the newcomer was coming, he led his clan members to wait in front of the square. When the Yang family got off the carriage, he came up with his clan members and led Yang Ji and Xiao Ying to kneel down and salute to Mrs. Xiao, an elder.
Mrs. Xiao lifted her daughter and son-in-law up one by one, and saw that her daughter Xiao Yingsu's face was rosy, fresh and delicate, as if she had applied a layer of powder, and she was even more beautiful than before she got married. She was also here, how could she do it? Don’t you know this is the delicate state after being moisturized?
Her complexion is so good and her eyebrows are moist and charming. This is obviously the result of being favored. As a mother, Mrs. Xiao is naturally happy and comforted.
Mrs. Xiao stretched out her hand to pull her daughter to her side and asked in a low voice.
Xiao Ying responded, then lowered her head, her delicate chin almost buried in her tall chest, her face turned bright red, and she nodded slightly in shame.
Mrs. Xiao smiled and said: "You are already a woman, why are you still so shy?"
As he said that, he looked at his handsome, handsome and heroic son-in-law with joy, and said harmoniously: "You are all good children. As long as you and your husband are harmonious and happy, it will be the greatest comfort to us elders."
Mrs. Xiao was extremely satisfied with Yang Ji as her son-in-law, not only because her daughter had found a good son-in-law, but also because the marriage between the two families had elevated her status in the Xiao family from a concubine to Xiao Kui's concubine. Although she had little power, But the living conditions have increased countless times. If the person her daughter married was not Prince Yang Ji, she would never have this honor.
After they finished the ceremony, Xiao Cong took out a jade box from the tray in the hand of a maid, and Mrs. Xiao handed it to Yang Ji: "This is a small gift from me to you. It contains Xuan brush, Hui ink, rice paper, and She With one inkstone each, I hope you can not only secure the country with force, but also stabilize the country with culture."
Lanling Xiao's poetry and calligraphy are passed down from family to family, and knowledge of books is a gift. Mrs. Xiao's gift to her new son-in-law may seem shabby, but everyone knows that this set of pen, ink, paper and inkstone is of great significance and is full of the best wishes of the elders.
Yang Ji bowed solemnly, then took the jade box and said respectfully: "Thank you, mother-in-law, for your gift. My son-in-law will keep it in my heart."
Xiao Ying took Yang Ji to bow to her brothers and sisters-in-law one by one, which meant that Yang Ji officially became the son-in-law of the Xiao family. After the couple finished their thanksgiving ceremony, the elders from both sides met again to salute one by one.
"After the entrance ceremony, everyone is invited!" Xiao Cong saluted and led a group of people into the Xiao Mansion. After passing the screen wall and the front yard, Mrs. Xiao and the female family members of the Xiao family took Dugu Min, Xiao Ying, Xiao Wan and other female family members of the Yang family there. Backyard narrative.
Yang Ji and Yang Wen followed Xiao Cong and others into the main hall and met the relatives of the Xiao family one by one. Fortunately, the Xiao family did not have any elders except Mrs. Xiao, the mother-in-law, so Yang Ji, the new son-in-law of the Xiao family, was also welcome. No need to kneel down to salute.
After chatting about family issues in the main hall, Xiao Cong took Yang Wen, his brother Xiao Jing, and his nephews to other guests, while he and Xiao Jue brought Yang Ji into his study.
The maid served tea, then closed the door and left.
Xiao Cong held the tea cup and motioned for Yang Ji to drink it too, then took a sip and said with a smile: "This tea was brought into the Xiao family by the Crown Princess from the palace. It is said to have been created by the Wenhui Society. This tea soup is fresh and timeless. Compared with In the past, making tea was indeed more elegant. The tea is produced in Bashu, so Wenhui might as well try it."
Yang Ji nodded his thanks, took a sip from the teacup, and found it tasted pretty good, but he preferred strong tea, and this tea was a bit lighter compared to his taste.
He gently placed the tea cup on the table and listened quietly.
The Xiao Mansion was crowded with guests today, but Xiao Cong and Xiao Jue brought themselves to the study, obviously they had something important to discuss.
Xiao Cong and Xiao Jue also put down their teacups, and Xiao Cong said, "Wenhui, since we are now a family, we have something we want to talk to you openly and honestly."
Yang Ji said with a smile: "I also prefer to be straightforward, so this is the best."
"Yes!" Xiao Cong nodded and said: "You know the situation of the Xiao family. In fact, I personally do not advocate that our generation enter the officialdom of the Sui Dynasty. Tongwen (characterized by Xiao Jue) can become the Minister of the Military Academy , It’s totally the meaning of a saint. He, Princess Shang Lanling, is half a royal, so it’s okay to be an official. But when Lao Qi Shiwen becomes an official, the problem is big."
Yang Ji asked with a smile: "Brother Shi Wen is talented and upright. I think he is quite good. Why do you think there is something wrong with him?"
Xiao Cong had a headache and said: "He is talented and capable, but he has a hard and bad temper. This kind of person is acceptable in learning, but if he enters the officialdom, he will suffer a big loss sooner or later... He is serving under your command like this Jiu, you should know what kind of person he is."
Yang Ji said: "Brother Shi Wen is indeed a very serious person. There is no room for any sand in his eyes. To be honest, sometimes I can't stand him."
"Since Wen Hui thinks so, it's easy to handle." Xiao Cong said to Yang Ji: "Shi Wen is very talented, but after all he lacks some rules and is a bit arrogant. If we didn't have the relationship we have now, It's okay to stay in Liangzhou, but you and he have become a family now, so the situation is different. After you went to Liangzhou, you immediately found a reason to demote him, so that he would not have to give up to you and Xiao. The family will be in great trouble."
Yang Ji said: "Brother Shi Wen is indeed a little unreasonable and unkind, but because of this, it is particularly rare. The prince will definitely use him again one day. Brother, you are too worried."
Xiao Jue, who was next to him, frowned and said, "Wen Hui has a heavy responsibility on you. If he offends his colleagues and has a quarrel with them, then you will really be a different person inside and outside. The key is that we are worried that he will ruin the Sui Dynasty's Western Region plan. .”
"The people under my command are all of this type. They are all indifferent and disrespectful." Yang Ji was worried that Xiao Yu would lose his shield, so he said, "Brother Shi Wen is unruly and lacks tact. , and he is indeed well established in the officialdom. But if he enters the capital, the prince will definitely promote him to a capital official, and then he will offend even more important people."
Xiao Cong thought about this and asked with a headache: "In your opinion, what should I do?"
"I think it is better to continue serving in Liangzhou." Yang Ji said: "Our Sui Dynasty is a martial dynasty. We don't have enough military merits to even be the prime minister. Brother Tongwen, the Minister of Military Affairs, is in charge of material, In fact, he does not have much real power in matters such as post-war pensions. As long as Duan Wenzhen, who has a good military record and is both civil and military, is familiar with military affairs, he must be the Minister of the Ministry of War, and there will naturally be no need for Brother Tong Wen to exist as the Minister of Inspection. By then, I'm afraid They will turn to the idle job of Jiu Temple Qing, which is not of much help to the Xiao family. In addition, the descendants of the Xiao family are too literary. They may be first-rate in reciting poems and composing poems, but they have no practical talents. This is not good for the Xiao family. The Great Sui Dynasty will not be of any benefit to the Xiao family."
"What the Wenhui said is absolutely true." Xiao Cong and Xiao Jue looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"Liangzhou General Manager's Office now has both military and political affairs, but in name it is still focused on military affairs. Although Shi Wen's brother Fa Cao is also a civilian official, he is also more inclined to military law. When he eliminated illegal officers, he was also deeply loved by the soldiers at the bottom , this kind of support from the army is not something that every civilian official can obtain. If he does well, it is equivalent to having an invisible force that cannot be underestimated, and the civil and military affairs of his brother Tongwen can harmonize and echo each other, which has many benefits." Yang Ji continued: "The key is that the soldiers in Liangzhou are unruly and the people in Liangzhou are fierce. The soldiers and people only obey the strong and capable. I think this is the perfect place to blunt Brother Wen's arrogance."
How could Yang Ji be willing to abandon such a good shield like Xiao Yu?
Xiao Cong thinks too much.
"Brother, I think Wen Hui is right." Xiao Jue said to Xiao Cong: "Shi Wen in the capital can only be dissatisfied and resentful. Such an unruly guy should be thrown to the frontier to be polished. Ichiban, instead of taking him back to the capital and causing trouble for the family."
"That's alright." Xiao Cong pondered for a moment, then asked Yang Ji: "The Han scholars have been making a big fuss in the past two days. Many officials who support the ban on books have been blocked by the poor scholars. Could it be that the saint really wants to kill the family members? Is it impossible to kill them all?"
"Actually, that's not the case." Yang Ji shook his head and said without conscience: "With the popularity of movable type printing, ink, and books, the saints are just taking advantage of the situation to open a smooth path for the poor to study. But even if the poor have achieved success in their studies, there are still What's the use? Look at the civil and military ministers inside and outside the court, who is not a member of the aristocratic family? How can these people give a poor scholar a smooth path to officialdom? The aristocratic family and the authorities are obsessed with it, so they took the stupid step of "book banning order". So everything now , It’s entirely those people who are over-nervous and are solely to blame.”
The current policy can be considered quite moderate. If Yang Guang takes power, with his strong and domineering attitude, once he feels that the court situation is not under control, and once the family members dare to unite to launch a boycott, I really think that Yang Guang will not dare to kill anyone. A drifting pestle and a pile of corpses on a pillow?
This guy can even think of a way to eliminate the backbone of the Guanlong nobles with the help of the enemy. Is there anything in the world that he doesn't dare to do? Once Yang Guangfa goes crazy, the consequences will be unimaginable.
Yang Ji didn't think that the aristocratic family members couldn't see clearly the character of Yang Jian and Yang Guang. The selfishness of these aristocratic families is comparable to that of the emperor. As long as they notice the coming of the butcher's knife, they can kneel down and eat shit, but bearing the humiliation and burden is nothing!
When things got impossible, the gentry, a "civilized" political force, would not openly oppose the imperial power, but they liked to engage in some conspiracy and conspiracy secretly, either to poison the emperor and establish a new emperor; or to join forces to support a puppet who represented their interests. When the prince becomes the emperor, he will abolish all the policies established by the tough emperor; or he will support Lu Mingyue, Gao Shida, and Zhang Jin to bring trouble to the world, as happened in history.
As for the political forces with military power in their hands, such as the Guanlong nobles, it is much more straightforward; they can either change dynasties like the Yuwen family, Gao family, and Yang family and become the emperor themselves; or simply like Li Yuan and his son, directly collude with the Turks to bloodbath the Central Plains, and Smash everything owned by the hostile forces.
In a word: the family members can count on anything, but don't expect them to have a bottom line.
Regarding Yang Ji's answer, Xiao Cong sighed and said bluntly: "That's what I say, but most civil and military officials and local officials come from aristocratic families; poor scholars and military attachés are too meager to support a single sky. . Therefore, I believe that the Great Sui Dynasty has fallen into a very dangerous stage of "green and yellow". Once everyone joins forces to oppose it, it will definitely shake the foundation of the Great Sui Dynasty. Our Lanling Xiao family and the royal family have an inseparable relationship that shares weal and woe. Naturally, I don’t want the Sui Dynasty to reach that point. I hope Wenhui will be able to persuade the saints and princes to be gentler in the future. If they are too domineering and eager, it may be counterproductive."
"I'll try my best." Yang Ji smiled bitterly.
It is true that the aristocratic families control most of the resources of the Sui Dynasty. Even Yang Jian, an old tiger, has to kowtow to them many times and does not dare to use overbearing means to eliminate them, but it does not mean that the world will not change without them.
What will happen to the Sui Dynasty in the future, Yang Ji can't tell now. The key depends on Yang Guang's future policy policies. If he follows the path paved by Yang Jian, there may be some turmoil, but the Sui Dynasty, with its poor family and common people as its shield, will never die in its second generation. The tragic scene; if Yang Guang was as eager for quick success and ambitious as in history, the result would be hard to say.
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