Just when Li Zhongren sat down on the ground.
Du Rusong's expression next to Li Zhongren also changed drastically.
He is not thirty, but already twenty-eight, and there are only two years left before he can take the exam.
But it doesn't matter to him.
Mainly his brother, Du Ruchong!
This is the hope of the Du family in Anhua Town, Chongning County, Chengdu Prefecture.
In the former Qing Dynasty, a scholar was eighteen years old and a scholar was twenty-five. If nothing else happened, the Anhua and Du family would become famous.
but now.
If you are over thirty you cannot take the exam.
That's not it.
His genius brother, Anhua Du's hope, can't take the exam?
"Brother Li, where is my brother? Where is my brother now?"
Du Ruchong asked eagerly.
At this time, Li Zhongyi saw Du Ruchong, who was also thin and undressed, and he didn't even recognize him.
"Oh, Brother Du, Brother Du, you are here." Li Zhongyi said, removing an envelope from his arms.
"This is what your brother asked you to bring to you. Inside is a letter and a check from the Royal Bank."
"Check? Where has my brother gone? Has he been taken to jail?" Du Ruchong was shocked when he heard that there was a check in the letter.
"No, no, your brother is now famous in the world as one of the Six Gentlemen of Scholars. He has now opened a [Gentleman's Newspaper] in Guangzhou." Li Zhongyi shook his head, cupped his hands toward the east and said, "That one I have spoken out, no one of the Six Gentlemen can be an official!"
"That man" Du Rusong was silent.
Who else could be the one who could say this?
This is not the time for the Ming and Qing Dynasties to fight.
If you don't want to go here, where else can you go?
Now all the official shops all over the world have the surname Zhu.
Even the big bosses say they don’t want you to be an official, so you definitely won’t be able to be an official.
"Brother Du, there is no need to worry. Your brother's [Junzi Daily] in Guangzhou is very prosperous. He is famous for being outspoken and daring to remonstrate. Many of the policies of the imperial court have some criticisms in [Junzi Daily]. Now your brother is called He is the "opposition censor"."
"No matter how the imperial censor is, he is still in the opposition."
Du Rusong smiled bitterly.
Together with Li Zhongyi, they helped Li Zongren, who was sitting on the ground in a daze, up.
"Brother Li, please be more open-minded. In this world, apart from being an official, there is nothing but... except being an official." At this point, Du Rusong burst into tears.
Besides being an official?
That's easy to say.
As scholars, their lifelong goal is not to become an official in the imperial examination.
Nowadays, after the age of thirty, people are no longer allowed to take the examination.
Which house's rule is this?
There has been no such rule since ancient times.
If so.
Jiang Taigong, Guan Zhong, Lu Shang and so on.
What other opportunities are there?
Why does Emperor Zhu have to have trouble with scholar-bureaucrats and scholars?
Just when Du Rusong was feeling disheartened, as if all his goals in life were lost.
Suddenly someone shouted from the front.
"Fan Xiucai, be careful and don't jump! Your father-in-law is a pig butcher. If you don't study anymore, it would be good to follow him butcher pigs."
"Yeah, yeah, it's also a way to make a living."
"If you want to dance, don't do it on top of my inn!"
Du Rusong followed the sound.
I saw an elderly scholar standing on the roof of a dilapidated inn.
It looks quite depressing.
The clothes are still in the Qing Dynasty style.
The hair on the head must have almost fallen out, and it cannot be pulled into a bun, so it can only be wrapped in blue cloth.
The whole person looked disheartened and hopeless. It looked like he was jumping off the building.
"Isn't this Fan Jin?"
Li Zhongyi exclaimed.
"I don't know where his family is from. It seems that he makes a living by copying and writing here in Chengdu."
"Well, I have been looking forward to being a junior in the imperial examination all my life and shining brightly. Now I am old and can't take the exam. It's really true." Li Zhongren sighed, looking a little discouraged, which made Li Zhongyi hurriedly pull him away. My brother's sleeves are also afraid that my brother will not be able to think about it for a while.
"I think of me, Li Zhongren. I started my education at the age of five and studied sages' books for twenty-seven years. Now I can't take the imperial examination. If I don't take the imperial examination, what's the use of reading these sages' books? What else can I do? Read it. Books that have been written for decades have now become waste." As Li Zhongren spoke, his face was already full of tears.
"Brother."
Li Zhongyi opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
"Looking at Fan Xiucai's appearance, he must be over 30 and cannot take part in the imperial examination, so he couldn't think about it for the moment..."
"Oh, eight people died in Gongyuan Street alone this month. They were all scholars who were over 30 and could not take the imperial examination. How pitiful!"
"Yes, they are all people who have studied sage books for more than 20 years, and they don't know how to do other things. They are suddenly not allowed to take the exam. How can they live..."
"Yes, how are we going to live now? After half a lifetime of studying sage books, I can't even take the exam..."
That's when.
Many scholars gathered at the scene to watch the fun.
There seemed to be quite a few old scholars over thirty among them.
"It's over, it's over, it's over, this life is over."
Some people are moved by the scene.
"If you don't live anymore, if you don't live anymore, just die."
Some people also climbed to the top floor of the inn.
That's when.
boom!
There was a loud noise.
Fan Jin has already jumped down.
This inn is either a very high building or a three-story wooden building.
But he couldn't stand it. The ground was covered with bluestones. Fan Xiucai fell with his head downwards and his head split open on the spot.
Plasma, brain plasma.
Splattered everywhere.
Even Li Zhongyi, who was watching the excitement from a distance, had a trace of blood on his face.
"Brother Du, what are your plans next?"
Li Zhongren looked at his cellmate Du Rusong and asked.
Du Rusong sighed and said, "My family's property has been almost spent because of trying to get me out of prison. When I go back this time, I will sell off other family property and go to Guangzhou to join my brother."
"Brother Li, why don't you come with me to Guangzhou? It's okay if you don't want to be an official in the Ming Dynasty!"
"We must do it, we must do it! We must do it!"
Li Zhongren gritted his teeth.
"Brother, what else can we do?" Li Zhongyi stamped his foot.
It would be great to go to Guangzhou.
[Ji Zi Bao] is a world-famous newspaper and can earn tens of thousands of dollars every year. Going to Guangzhou to write articles for [Ji Zi Bao] is much better than staying in Sichuan and farming.
"I can't do it, don't I still have you?" Li Zhongren took a deep breath and said.
"Me? Big brother! The Zhu family doesn't want us to be their officials, and we don't care. If you don't take the exam, and my brother won't take the exam, we'll just go back to our hometown and farm."
Snapped!
Li Zhongyi hasn't finished speaking yet.
Li Zhongren's slap had already hit him in the face.
"What are you talking about? Brother Wei can't take the exam because he is too old to take the exam. You are only twenty, why don't you take the exam? Not only must you take the exam, but you must also pass the exam! Brother Wei is in prison and has many problems. The inmates have discussed that the first scholar examination in each province is the easiest to pass, but it becomes more difficult after that! In Daqiao Town, we are the only scholars in the Li family who have passed the scholar examination. There is a high probability that this will happen. The mayor of Daqiao Town is yours! Take the test! You must take the test!"
In fact, Li Zhongyi did not intend to give up the exam.
Just a few days ago.
Someone in Sichuan is instigating a petition.
This time it is not the same as last time, saying that the new school will be abolished.
Rather, it is [Petition from Sichuan Scholars to Open the Imperial Examination].
This is begging the emperor to hurry up and hold the imperial examination.
No more imperial examinations.
All the officials in Sichuan have to be hired by outsiders.
If these outsiders come to Sichuan to serve as officials, they will definitely not care about what Sichuan people think, and they will definitely get what they can.
In addition, the policy came that people who are thirty years old cannot take the exam.
Those scholars who were almost thirty could not sit still.
I'm so anxious that I get angry.
Everyone signed it.
There are also many new students here in Chengdu from Shanghai and Guangzhou.
A number of "new discipline lifting assault training courses" have been opened.
Many old scholars plan to embrace Buddhism temporarily and try it out before they turn thirty.
Li Zhongyi is no exception.
Daqiao Town is now managed by a few subordinates, waiting for him to become the only scholar in Daqiao Town.
Then he must be the mayor.
Until then.
All the wealth and land that the Li family has dispersed in the past few years can be recovered!
The Li brothers and Du Rusong parted ways.
Du Rusong is going to Guangzhou to join his gentleman brother.
And the Li brothers.
I have to go back to my hometown.
Li Zhongren didn't know how he walked back to his hometown.
Although he lectured his younger brother, what he said was clear and logical.
But he has to think about it himself.
The essence is to deceive people.
How could you be so open-minded?
Twenty-seven years.
Studying hard in the cold window.
During the three-nine days, the dog days of summer, and the twelfth lunar month of winter, I studied hard.
Although Sichuan is known as the land of abundance.
But Chengdu is the only richest city in Sichuan.
The land of abundance.
It has always been the Chengdu Plain, not the Shankara around Sichuan.
For example, take Li Zhongren’s hometown of Daqiao Town.
It is a small town located in the mountains on the edge of the Chengdu Plain.
Such a town.
According to local records.
In history, from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, and then to the current Ming Dynasty.
Altogether, there were only 17 scholars—including Li Zhongren.
Only 17 scholars have emerged in these hundreds of years.
This is really not easy.
so.
ten years ago.
When Li Zongren, a high school scholar, returned to his hometown.
It was also a tall horse, dressed in red and colorful, paraded through the streets, and the scenery was endless.
The Li family in Daqiao Town was also officially promoted to a gentry family.
In Daqiao Town, it is not that there are no big families with more land than the Li family.
but.
There are differences between wealthy households and gentry.
No matter how much land the big households have, they are still the "ruled" class.
When paying miscellaneous land taxes, you may be able to pay less than small and medium-sized households.
But it's still a heavy burden.
But Li Zhongren became a scholar.
That's different.
That means that Li Zhongren became a member of the official reserve team of the Qing court and a member of the ruling class.
In the laws of the Qing Dynasty.
Although since the implementation of Emperor Yongzheng's policy of "officials and gentry receiving food from one body".
Most people no longer have the legal tax exemption privilege.
but.
The burden of the Qing Dynasty was not just land tax.
There are also various sects.
This miscellaneous brand belongs to a gray area. It is not a formal tax for the court, but a way for local officials to make money. In theory, it should not be collected.
But the Qing court could only turn a blind eye to this.
After all, they still have to rely on the gentry to rule the countryside.
"Officials and gentry all receive food from one body", nor does it say "Officials and gentry all receive food from mixed factions".
And in the Qing Dynasty.
This miscellaneous faction has more than double the amount of regular taxes.
therefore.
After becoming a high school scholar.
The Li family in Daqiao Town is no longer a miscellaneous brand.
Not even getting rid of the Zapai.
Another advantage is.
From now on.
The Li family in Daqiao Town could find a short price to pay for their food, but now they lost at least half of it.
Even if you pay taxes normally.
That only requires paying about one-seventh of the original land tax.
But all the rich and wealthy landlords are Grandets.
Even so.
The gentry still had ways to avoid taxes.
After Li Zhongren became a scholar.
His family has a special privilege - to help collect taxes.
According to convention.
Officials in the Qing Dynasty did not go directly to the countryside to collect taxes.
Instead, local gentry collected taxes on their behalf.
Every place has an approximate tax amount.
After collecting it.
How much the imperial court receives and how much profit is shared by officials at all levels are all within this quota.
As for saying.
Can the local gentry collect more and put it into their own pockets?
of course.
As long as there is no civil unrest.
Anyway, the illiteracy rate is so high now.
There are very few ordinary people who can calculate clearly how much tax they have to pay, so they are not allowed to be bullied by the local gentry.
That is why.
In just a few years, he was a scholar in Li Zhongren High School.
The Li family in Daqiao Town became the leading wealthy family in Daqiao Town.
This.
He is a man who made his fortune by taking the imperial examination.
Under the influence of the imperial examination system.
The epitome of a family rising from the bottom.
A scholar.
In the eyes of the big shots in the court.
Just like ants.
Nothing at all.
Not even an official.
But for those families who rely on their reputation as a scholar to join the gentry class and make a fortune.
this.
That's where it all started.
Get fame.
The family can grow and develop.
Lose fame.
Losing privileges.
Losing privileges.
Lose everything.
Of course.
Now the Li family in Daqiao Town has not reached this level.
Although Li Zhongren can't take the exam.
But there is still hope for his younger brother Li Zhongyi.
If Li Zhongyi could be a "high school scholar", then the Li family would still be a well-known gentry family in Daqiao Town.
Li Zhongyi’s life goal—or rather, his life goal before the age of 30—is to enter the imperial examination high school.
But what about Li Zhongren?
After he returned to his hometown.
He began to think about his future - this is why Emperor Zhu must stipulate that he cannot take the exam at the age of 30.
For Emperor Zhu.
These talented people.
In fact, it is the local "elite class".
Their brains are very active. To a certain extent, the imperial examination is an intellectual game, and smart people are more likely to go to high school.
If these smart people have been reading the Four Books and Five Classics all their lives, what kind of things will they do?
The smartest people in a nation actually study all their lives.
This is such a waste of manpower and brainpower.
You cannot take the exam if you are thirty years old.
It also forced smart people like Li Zhongren, who could become a high school scholar at the age of twenty.
Make good use of your intelligence.
We must build a new Ming Dynasty well.
(End of chapter)
