but!
Before he could rejoice for a few hours, news came back that the family had closed all the bookstores in the city.
Aristocratic family….Aristocratic family! Family! !
It's them again, obstructing their own decree! !
Li Shimin never imagined that the entire city of Chang'an, except for a few scattered bookstores, were all owned by aristocratic families. This Chang'an City... or even the bookstores in the world might be owned by aristocratic families!
"Auxiliary engine, now that the matter has come to this, is there anything you can do to help me reverse the situation?"
Li Shimin asked in a gloomy voice.
Changsun Wuji and others all shook their heads.
"Your Majesty, all the bookstores in Chang'an City are owned by aristocratic families. Being able to take over all the bookstores under our noses does not happen overnight."
"I believe they must have learned from the lessons of the imperial examinations of the previous dynasty and planned for several years. Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, we have had too many things to deal with and our manpower is scattered. We don't have as much energy as they do to concentrate on one thing. We... prepared It’s not sufficient.”
Changsun Wuji was very helpless.
Wei Zheng also shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, there is no solution to this situation. Once bitten by a snake, you will be afraid of straw ropes for ten years. They must understand this truth."
The words of the two ministers made Li Shimin's heart feel cold.
Qin Qiong stood up at this time, extremely angry, with red eyes and said: "Your Majesty! Let the last general lead his troops and smash their bookstore!!"
"This is absolutely not allowed, General Qin! The imperial court is a body of public trust, and everyone in the world is looking at us. If we smash up their bookstore for no reason and commit such robbery, the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes family will definitely take advantage of public opinion. If we are impeached, people all over the world will be disappointed and think that the imperial court is a robber!!"
Changsun Wuji was so frightened that he quickly stopped him.
Qin Qiong said angrily: "Then Changsun Pushe, what should I do if you tell me to wait!?"
"This...I don't know either."
Changsun Wuji was confused.
When Li Shimin heard the two men's words, his heart became even heavier.
Could it be... is it true that there is no way! !
silence.
Spread in Tai Chi Palace.
It lasted for a long time, and several ministers in the DPRK had no idea.
They thought about it.
All the books in Chang'an City are controlled by aristocratic families, and if they print books by themselves, the time required will not be overnight.
And now, the imperial examination is promulgated.
The time for the first exam has been set. If it is changed or canceled at this time, the credibility of the court will be greatly damaged.
this matter,
It seems that no matter how it is arranged, the court will suffer losses.
"Now it seems that there is only one way left."
Wei Zheng sighed.
Others, including Li Shimin, looked at him with hope.
"What advice does Wei Shizhong have?!"
Changsun Wuji asked.
Wei Zheng sighed again: "At this stage, I'm afraid... the only option is to cancel the imperial examination, and wait until the court is fully prepared before discussing a new round of imperial examination."
Regarding the imperial examination, Wei Zheng has always been opposed to it.
Now the facts have proved that this matter is indeed not the time for the imperial examination.
"this…."
Changsun Wuji was stunned.
So does everyone else.
The imperial examination had only been open for a long time, and it was less than a day, so it was cancelled?
How does this make the world view the imperial court?
What do you think of the struggle between the imperial court and the aristocratic families?
They will think that the aristocratic family is far stronger than the imperial court!
As for the aristocratic family, they would also ridicule the court unscrupulously.
When I think about such a future...
Their bodies are getting chills!
Changsun Wuji and others did not want to cancel the imperial examination.
But….
If you don't cancel, what else can you do?
All the books that can be read in the world are in the hands of aristocratic families, and printing books did not happen overnight, so why should the imperial examination be so difficult?
So what should we do when it’s time for the imperial examination?
"Let's go, you all can go down first."
As if feeling that there was no other good solution, Li Shimin waved everyone away.
The arc of the beckoning hand was so full of powerlessness and helplessness.
"Your Majesty, you..."
Changsun Wuji hesitated to speak. He was worried about His Majesty's condition.
"I'm fine, let's go."
"Everyone go down and calm down. I need to be quiet too."
He waved everyone away again.
Changsun Wuji and others looked unwilling, but had no choice. This was the reality, so they had no choice but to leave Tai Chi Palace.
Not a while after they left.
Li Shimin, who had suppressed his inner anger for a long time, punched the desk hard.
"Bang!!"
The sound was so loud that the servants outside Taiji Palace trembled.
"Aristocratic family! Damn it!!"
Li Shimin roared angrily, this was the first time he was so angry.
.
….….…….….….
The main residence of the Li family in Longxi, the backyard.
After the bookstore closed, news came back one after another that the people in Chang'an City were mentally shaken.
"Master, all the bookstores in the west of the city have been closed. The family's detectives have been stationed in all the major bookstores to protect the bookstore closure plan."
"Master, all the bookstores in the east of the city have also been closed, but... there was an accident on the way. Someone broke into the bookstore Tianxuefang without authorization and was severely injured by Tanfeng Guards. Now he has used money to settle the matter, so there is no big problem."
"Master, the bookstores in the south of the city are all closed without any obstruction."
"Master, the same goes for the bookstores in the north of the city. They are all closed."
People keep coming to report the latest progress.
When they heard that all the bookstores in the last direction were also closed, many other family elders and even the head of the family were all smiling.
"Hahaha, good! Good, good! Finally everything was successful!"
"This plan is really wonderful, Master Li. I really didn't expect that you, the Five Surnames and Qi Wangs, are so capable and can help us solve our serious problems easily."
"It's true, Chang'an City cannot live without you for a day!"
Many family heads began to praise him repeatedly.
In fact, there is no need to brag, because facts have proven that the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes are powerful in all aspects.
"Hahaha, thank you all for your recognition of my Longxi Li family and the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes."
The head of the Li family in Longxi was so happy that he never forgot to return the favor one by one.
Immediately.
Keep talking.
"All bookstores are closed. I wonder what people in the world can do to study!"
"Hahaha, Erlang of the Li family is really overestimating his ability by setting up the imperial examination."
"Oh, I have thought about it. In fact, it is good for Erlang Li of the family to set up the imperial examination. It provides opportunities for scholars all over the world to become officials. It is fair and just, and we should respond."
"In the future, those of us who belong to aristocratic families will take part in the imperial examinations established by him, and follow the rules of Erlang of the Li family. As for other scholars who have no books to read, that is not something we should consider. Our own books are not enough."
The head of the Li family in Longxi was all smiles.
There are not enough books.
This is just a fool. After all, the bookstores in Chang'an City will not have enough books for the aristocratic family to use? Absolutely impossible.
All the elders and heads of the family are human beings, so they naturally understand this truth.
"The head of the Li family is right. Since Admiral Tiance organizes science and technology, we should follow the imperial examination. After all, we also have to think about the call of the emperor."
"That's right. Those people are born to farm. What's the harm in letting them take part in various imperial examinations? Farming is their destiny."
"Well done to the imperial examination! Let the common people know themselves clearly. Official positions are not something they can get their hands on."
Everyone was talking a lot.
The words were extremely cheerful because the huge stone in my heart was lifted.
Bookstores across Chang'an City are closed.
Cholera has begun to spread among the people in Chang'an.
Li Shimin is probably as anxious as an ant on a hot pot now, right?
What Li Shimin faced now was either to cancel the imperial examination or to find a book quickly.
No matter which way.
Li Shimin will be harmed, and in the end, the so-called imperial court will definitely become a big joke.
When Pei Ji and the others saw this result, they felt extremely relaxed.
They are 10,000 people who do not want children from poor families to enter the imperial court.
Now they can be said to call the shots. Above the imperial court, family officials have almost absolute power.
How comfortable!
Except for the officials who followed Li Shimin, who would be full enough to let those from poor families squeeze in?
Even if there is a threat from Great Yan in the distance, come on, Great Yan is only two cities away, so what is there to be afraid of?
To put it ten thousand steps back, even if the Great Yan develops, even if the Tang Dynasty is overthrown, won’t the aristocratic families still be like them?
A century-old court, a thousand-year-old family.
Nothing more than this.
"The overall situation of this matter has been decided. Come on, come on, everyone, finally come to my Li's house in Longxi. I will definitely entertain you with good wine."
"Steward Li, go and bring out all the fine wines that our Li family has collected for many years. We want to have a good drink today."
The head of the Li family in Longxi was extremely generous.
Many family elders and family heads were left on the spot to eat and drink.
today.
It's a rare good day, destined to... you won't come back until you're drunk!
….….….….….….
A few days later.
Jiangdong, including the city of Kaifeng, also received imperial examinations from the imperial court but fell into a situation of no books.
For a while, the imperial court was really in trouble.
Kaifeng City.
Zheng family, the main residence.
"Dad, does this move to seal the book also have meaning for our family?"
Zheng Zhiyuan was slightly stunned.
Today, Zheng Yuanzhou specially called him here and talked a lot about the imperial examinations. Finally, he said that there was no book in the world for poor officials to read, which was partly due to the Zheng family.
This made Zheng Zhiyuan extremely unbelievable.
His youthful dream was still to benefit the whole world.
"Hahaha, not bad."
Zheng Yuanzhou nodded with a smile: "Zhiyuan, do you still remember a few months ago when dad was talking to you about the relationship between the family and the people of the world?"
Zheng Zhiyuan thought for a while and said, "Remember, Dad... you said that our family is everything to us."
Zheng Yuanzhou nodded: "Yes, that's why we have to seal the book. The head of the Li family in Longxi did a good job. Even your grandfather would have made such an arrangement in Chang'an City."
"Our family and the people of the world are always on opposite sides. No matter how kind-hearted they are, as long as they are in a low position, they will only think about pulling our family down because we occupy too many resources and take away their share. It’s also taken.”
"So there are two levels that are always in opposition. If they have a better time if they take the imperial examination, it means that our family will have a hard time."
"And other things can follow the same principle. As long as the people are better off, it will definitely mean a loss to the interests of our family. If you think it is not, then you just haven't found it."
Hearing this, Zheng Zhiyuan became more and more confused.
Are they always...opposites?
Not even the slightest chance of harmonious coexistence?
He couldn't help but question his own beliefs. Was his belief that he wanted to benefit people all over the world really wrong?
Should you really put family interests first in your own family?
He didn't know the answer to this question.
but….
It seems that dad is right...
No, it seems wrong again….
Zheng Zhiyuan held his head, becoming more and more confused, and his whole person was caught in a collision of ideas.
"father!"
After a while, he seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes brightened: "You said that our family and the people of the world are always at odds, so why... When I secretly released pork for the people to eat, you didn't stop me after you found out, but instead acquiesced to me. Behavior."
After Kaifeng City succeeded in curing their own pork, the Zheng family originally did not want to inform the people of Kaifeng City, but only planned to keep it for their own family and secretly enjoy it, including the method.
It was Zheng Zhiyuan who insisted on going his own way, secretly bringing pork to the poor people to eat, and telling some people about the marinating method of pork.
It was precisely because of his willful behavior that the news spread further and further, reaching Chang'an City, letting Fang Xuanling know that pork was sold in Kaifeng City, and Li Shimin knew that the Zheng family had a relationship with the King of Chu's army.
in other words.
The Zheng family originally secretly helped the Chu royal family, but Zheng Zhiyuan's act of secretly sending pork exposed the Zheng family to the public, letting General Tiance know that the Zheng family had a lot of connections with the Chu royal family.
It was he who exposed the Zheng family.
Zheng Zhiyuan only learned this after the fact. From then on, he always listened to Zheng Yuanzhou and no longer dared to be too nice to those people.
Treating them too well is like giving away pork, which exposes the family...
If it weren't for the five surnames and Qi Wang, who had a strong foundation, I'm afraid that because of his contact with the King of Chu's department at this time, and how vigilant Admiral Tiance was to the King of Chu, he would have been in disaster, right?
Of course, this was learned after the fact.
When delivering the pork, he secretly hid it from the Zheng family, which is why an extremely funny thing happened. Half of the people in Kaifeng City knew how to marinate pork, but the Zheng family... didn't even know that their own method was leaked...
It was not until later that the news spread more and more widely, and they could no longer hide it. Only then did the Zheng family know that their young patriarch had done such an unnatural thing.
When the owner of the family, Zheng Jibo, learned about it, he was very angry, but he did not blame him. Seeing that the pork incident was spreading further and further, instead of banning it, he sent people to publicize it.
This is what Zheng Zhiyuan doesn't understand.
Logically speaking, it should be banned!
Zheng Yuanzhou laughed: "Yuan'er, this is... that's because your grandfather, including me, have seen different scenery from Jiangdong."
Zheng Zhiyuan was surprised: "A different...scenery?"
"That's right." Zheng Yuanzhou nodded, then looked at the area east of the Yangtze River, and said thoughtfully: "There, including the Great Yan Kingdom, epoch-making things are happening there."
"Dad doesn't know what exactly happened in Dayan Kingdom."
"But in Jiangdong, dad saw it. What he saw... was clear..."
Speaking of this, Zheng Yuanzhou narrowed his eyes slightly.
It was as if a picture appeared before his eyes.
Every time I go to Jiangdong, I see pictures of strange and weird things.
"There are documents separated by symbols, there are also two-wheeled cars, there are dramas, stage plays..."
"There are so many things that Dad has never seen before."
"They are symbols of the new era, and in the new era, can our family still maintain the sense of oppression of the older generation?"
Hearing this, Zheng Zhiyuan fell into deep thought.
Zheng Yuanzhou didn't let him think for too long, and slowly explained: "No, books...the land in Jiangdong has become popular, as have salt and other things."
"Land, that land is even less valuable, everyone has it."
"The superior people over there in Jiangdong are different from the aristocratic families in our old age. They no longer use books to restrict people. Everyone there has books to read, land to plant, and food to eat, but they... I believe they still Trapped by something.”
"Human desires are never-ending. Even if a new era system is as powerful as Jiangdong, your grandfather and I firmly believe that their people will be enslaved by desires."
"Of course, those who have faith like the King of Chu are less likely to be enslaved by desire, because faith exists beyond desire. This generation believes in the King of Chu and believes that he can free them from the life of a servant. They are willing to go through fire and water."
"And what happens when the King of Chu dies? Or what about their children and the next generation? What will happen?"
"Can there be someone like the King of Chu who makes all the people surrender? No... no, the King of Chu is such an outstanding person. In these thousands of years of history, only one person has been born in the land of China, so there will never be another outstanding person like him, at least Not any time soon.”
"Even when the King of Chu is still alive, the future children of their generation will be born and have lived in a healthy environment since childhood. They will definitely not have the same faith in the King of Chu as the older generation. Their faith will eventually weaken, and even if it does not weaken, the King of Chu will still be the king. An individual, he will grow old, sick and die, he will die.”
"But our Zheng family won't! In the generation of King Chu, our Zheng family can work for him without needing anything, just to have a place in the new political system, and wait until he dies..."
"It is foreseeable that when the King of Chu dies, faith will collapse. Then they who have no faith will become slaves of desire again. As for what will be given to the slaves, your grandfather and I thought about it for a long time, plus I counted From what I saw and heard in the past, I finally felt that they would believe in something called money more."
"In Jiangdong after the death of King Chu, I estimate that everyone in Jiangdong is working hard and actively, yearning for a better life, and this kind of life... needs money to change."
"As long as you have money, you will always be a master in Jiangdong."
"And our Zheng family has plenty of money."
"Perhaps Jiangdong will replace the Tang Dynasty in the future, and their new era body will also replace the old aristocrats of the Tang Dynasty, using land, food, books, etc. to restrict people, instead of using money to restrict them."
"Our Zheng family is just taking a step ahead and trying to use money to control it to see if this plan can work."
"It is precisely because of this that since you have spread the word about pork, it has spread throughout the country. Because our Zheng family, as long as we have money in the future, almost all other books, land, etc. can be given away."
Zheng Zhiyuan was stunned: "So, we are now using pork to improve people's reputation for the Zheng family. We can even give away books, land, etc., and then try to use money to enslave them in the future? To cater to Jiangdong's new era system?"
Zheng Yuanzhou smiled and said: "Yes, we are testing whether it is feasible to use money. If not, we will implement other methods."
"But they shouldn't use books, population, and land to restrict people, because that's not what Jiangdong does."
"We need to try out novel methods that can enslave the people, and keep trying and making mistakes to find the best one!"
Zheng Zhiyuan said helplessly: "Is it necessary to do this?"
Zheng Yuanzhou smiled and said: "It is very necessary, because no matter what the economic system is, there will always be people who are superior to others and people who are inferior to others. People can never be equal."
"The King of Chu is still here. Maybe our generation of the Zheng family won't be able to enjoy the treatment of many masters, but it won't be that much worse."
"But after King Chu dies, our next generation will be different. Your grandfather and I, as the old and new helmsmen of the Zheng family, will always consider the next generation of the Zheng family! This is also the thought of my ancestors of the Zheng family, It’s because they think about the next generation that our generation has such a great status!”
"After all, King Chu only has a hundred years at most, but our Zheng family will live forever!"
"We in the Zheng family...will always be masters!"
….….….….….….
Many days later.
After a long journey, Ma Zhou finally arrived in Dayan.
Tired of traveling.
Ma Zhou, who used to be so heroic in the past, is now more embarrassed than a beggar.
But when he saw the city in front of him, Yanyun City, which was even more magnificent than Chang'an City, Ma Zhou suddenly felt that it was all worth it.
“It’s here, it’s here!!”
Ma Zhou's eyes were moist and he sighed.
No one knows how much hardship he has suffered along the way, and how many hardships he has experienced. He almost thought he would never make it to Great Yan.
Good thing.
It's all worth it!
Under the extremely enthusiastic guidance of the self-defense soldiers from Yanyun City, Ma Zhou walked into Yanyun City.
This one comes in.
He was stunned on the spot.
There are so many things I don’t know, it’s jaw-dropping.
"Brother Bin Wang!"
At this time, Zhao Yang waved to him not far away.
Since Ma Zhou arrived at the border of Dayan, a messenger went to his home to inform him that he was coming to pick him up.
It's a bit similar to later generations of high-speed trains arriving at a station, and then WeChat notifying relatives and friends to pick them up. The only difference from the Yanyun City in front of us is that the person responsible for notifying is the Self-Defense Army soldiers.
Today's Yanyun City, under the leadership of King Chu, has long become a city with extremely advanced and fast information.
It's just that the Self-Defense Army soldiers did it for them and became the information link button.
"Brother Zhao!"
Ma Zhou walked over quickly.
At this moment, after comparing the information and confirming that Zhao Yang and Ma Zhou were friends, the Self-Defense Army soldier walked away.
"Here, are all the soldiers in Dayan so enthusiastic?"
Ma Zhou couldn't help but said in surprise.
Zhao Yang smiled and said, "This is also part of their job."
"That's it." Ma Zhou nodded, and then he pointed to a place on the street: "Brother Zhao, is Dayan so open? Can female prisoners run into the street?"
Zhao Yang looked along his fingers and found a woman in prison uniform performing something hard.
"Oh, those are not prisoners, they are actors from a stage play. I heard that the theme is pure prison style, and the main focus is novelty, which attracted a lot of people to watch."
(End of chapter)
