Zuo of the Ming Dynasty is still there, but the nobles of Jiangnan have lost their former glory.
The reason is just the word "money".
The sharp drop in fiscal revenue caused the Jiangnan nobles to begin to decline before the dynasty.
The occurrence of this situation must start from the Jiajing period.
Before Jiajing, it was the heyday of Jiangnan nobles.
At that time, the Jiangnan nobles held great power and were far away from the capital and the emperor. They could be said to dominate.
They also collaborated with pirates. On the one hand, they trained a large number of officials to advocate maritime bans, and on the other hand, they monopolized huge profits from maritime trade. Their glory was unprecedented.
But what they did undoubtedly violated the interests of the imperial court and threatened the national defense and security of the imperial court.
Hence the suppression of Japanese pirates.
Many people in later generations were very surprised. Although the Japanese pirates were not that powerful, why did the Ming Dynasty fight so fiercely and spend so much effort to put them down?
This is because, behind the apparent suppression of Japanese aggression, there is actually a game between two political forces.
In the end, the imperial court won a great victory, and the nobles of the southeast suffered heavy losses.
With this result, the merchants and craftsmen who were originally suppressed by the nobles began to rise, which eventually led to the emergence of the Donglin Party.
The opening of the sea in Longqing could be regarded as the first wave of impact of the emerging class on the noble families in the southeast.
Although it ended in nothing and seemed to have failed, Longqing's opening of the sea allowed the emerging class to get in touch with the southeastern pirates.
From then on, the emerging class was able to bypass the nobility, aristocratic families, and the government and have its own channels for maritime trade.
Not only that, relying on the powerful strength of the southeastern pirates, the emerging class began to squeeze the interests of nobles and noble families.
During the Wanli and Tianqi years, the situation of nobles and aristocratic families became even worse.
Because the emperor sent eunuchs to seize the pass, mines, water and land transportation in various places. And these were originally profit-making channels for nobles and aristocratic families.
Therefore, if Emperor Tianqi's fall into the water was a conspiracy, then the biggest suspect is Xungui.
Although the Donglin Party is powerful, it cannot reach into the inner court and cannot plot against the emperor.
Only nobles who are closely related to the royal family can complete such a plot without knowing it and under the protection of eunuchs.
It was the rampant eunuchs during the Wanli and Tianqi years that forced the nobles to bow their heads and choose to join the emerging class in the southeast.
Since then, the Donglin Party has degenerated from being simply a representative of the emerging class to becoming an emerging powerful class.
Later generations criticized the Donglin Party a lot, which also came from the Donglin Party's various actions since then.
But there is no doubt that from monopolizing huge commercial interests to becoming a vassal of the emerging class, the decline of the Southeastern nobles is inevitable.
This is also the fundamental reason why Xu Yinjue, the eldest son of Wei Guogong, waved the flag and shouted for Zhang Cai.
The Neo-Confucian concepts advocated by Fushe are undoubtedly in the best interest of the nobles and provide ethical support for their actions.
The practical approach advocated by Liu Zongzhou will undoubtedly further attack and weaken the noble class.
"There are many gardens in Nanjing, and among them, none is better than the East Garden. Today, all the great masters are opening a forum to talk about Taoism. It is really a grand event. I am not very talented, but I am a respectful landowner, so I specially set it up, just to serve tea. Pour some water and ask for a lucky name."
As a landlord, Xu Yinjue talked eloquently, but there was no trace of Xu Da's heroic spirit in his body.
The nobles of Nanjing have long been dulled by the prosperity of fireworks, and have become a waste of money.
When he thought of the virtue of this guy kneeling outside Nanjing to welcome the Manchus into the city, Zuo Mengeng wrote him down in his notebook.
Others were impressed by Xu Yinjue's charm and complimented him one after another. The scene was quite lively.
Xu Yinjue looked at Liu Zongzhou, with a hint of agility hidden in his words.
"When Xiao Ke was young, he heard that Mr. Jishan was a master of Neo-Confucianism, and he admired him deeply. He never thought that after many years, Mr. Jishan's knowledge would become more and more advanced, but Xiaoke was so stupid and ignorant that he could no longer understand. Today. I would like to ask Mr. Jishan to give me some advice in person."
This is a mockery of Liu Zongzhou's weak stance. He started with Neo-Confucianism but turned to the study of psychology.
How could Liu Zongzhou be hindered by his little tricks?
"All kinds of knowledge in the world lead to the same goal through different paths, but they are just seeking the truth. In order to seek the truth, you can learn from everyone's strengths and you will be able to see the clear nature of your heart and eventually achieve great success. If your son has this desire for knowledge, he should be taught."
After saying these words, Xu Yinjue's face turned red and he almost had a seizure.
Just tell Zhou Xingxing and Huo Yunxie Shen: Do you want to learn? I'll teach you.
Those who understood it all suppressed their laughter, for fear of offending Xu Yinjue. Those who didn't understand it felt that the famous Mr. Qishan was a good example of a man who taught without distinction and was diligent in teaching others.
Xu Yinjue had a hard meal, knowing that he could not talk about the Grand Master, so he quickly changed the subject.
"As the saying goes, ducks are prophets when the water in the spring river is warm. It is spring and the peach blossoms are in full bloom. Today we will take a boat trip to Bailuzhou to discuss the truth through the beautiful scenery. Wouldn't it be fun?"
The most famous exquisite spot in the East Garden is naturally Bailuzhou.
There is a small island in the lake, and peach blossoms are planted along the lake. Every spring, the water is as green as jade and the peach blossoms are sparkling. People walk on the boat, far away from the world, and it feels like a paradise.
This is not what everyone is concerned about, so there is no objection.
Bring each other into the park and board the boat one by one.
Only then can we see that Jiangnan Xungui's background is still there.
Due to the limitations of the cruise ship, everyone could not board the ship, so Xu Yinjue arranged many tables and chairs around Bailu Lake, each with its own unique charm based on the beautiful scenery.
Those who were not qualified to board the ship were invited to different seats, and they were able to sing in harmony with the people on the cruise ship. They were not alone.
There are also many stages set up in the middle, presumably there will be various performances, but it is lively and lively enough for everyone to have fun.
But when we boarded the ship, something happened.
Seeing the four young and beautiful women around Zuo Mengeng, Xu Yinjue was a little unhappy.
"As a host, I will make my guests feel at home, but this little friend has gone to unnecessary lengths."
People who didn't know it all started laughing, thinking that Zuo Menggeng was a bumpkin and was insulting his master.
Zuo Mengeng laughed and introduced loudly: "This is Zhuo Jing. I have long admired the outstanding people and places in the south of the Yangtze River, so I came here to see it."
Everyone cheered and looked over like a monster.
On such an occasion, you actually brought your wife?
Xu Yinjue was full of lawsuits and wanted to have Zuo Mengeng kicked out. Fortunately, he was cautious and asked, "What do you call your Excellency?"
Zuo Mengeng seemed to be smiling but not smiling.
"I don't dare to be the eldest son to inquire. Dongchang Assistant Counselor Zuo Menggeng is just accompanying the teacher to recite Taigong's appointment today."
The crowd was excited again, and many people's eyes quickly changed, and they all wanted to get closer.
Xu Yinjue and Zhang Cai were really shocked. They thought that Zuo Menggeng was so young and was just a descendant of Liu Zongzhou. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be the first military general of the Ming Dynasty who had been causing a lot of noise recently.
Yes, after the battle of Qingshui Pass, Zuo Mengeng was rated as the best general of the Ming Dynasty by the good guys, regardless of whether saying so would make Zuo Mengeng hate him.
But this is what everyone in the world does.
Especially after facing Hou Jin's various humiliations over the years, someone finally won a battle, which really made people all over the world feel bad.
Even though Zuo Mengeng was just a martial artist, he still received praise from countless people.
By the Bailu Island, everyone bowed together and paid their respects.
"General Zuo's battle has greatly enhanced our power and revitalized the morale of the people. His merits are immeasurable. I never expected that he would be so open-minded. He is indeed a role model for our generation."
Qian Shisheng, the Minister of Rites, greatly praised Zuo Mengeng and stood clearly on this side.
He is a veteran of the Donglin Party. He originally studied with Gu Xiancheng and Gao Panlong, and his teacher was Qian Longxi.
Last year, Qian Shisheng resigned in anger because of Qian Longxi's injustice. It was not until this year that he was reinstated as the Minister of Rites in Nanjing.
If Qian Shisheng set up Zuo Menggeng's eyes for the same purpose as Donglin, Xiong Mingyu would be much more affectionate.
"When the Eastern invaders invaded, I happened to be in the capital, and General Zuo's various achievements were displayed on the desk, which was really amazing. At that time, everyone inside and outside was in ruins, fearing that the Eastern invaders would be too powerful and Tai'a would hang upside down. Fortunately, General Xiaozuo had outstanding military exploits and protected him. My Ming Dynasty will be forever solid."
Xiong Mingyu was the Minister of War in the capital at the time. As a person involved, his words are naturally very credible.
The crowd followed up with another burst of praise, and Zuo Mengeng faintly surpassed Liu Zongzhou and became the focus of the field.
"Thanks to the favor of the boss, the last general was able to do so. It is really the junior's fault that he has never thanked me in person."
Hou Xun had already told Zuo Mengeng how he became Dongchang's assistant general. He knew that Xiong Mingyu had played a role in this.
Therefore, it is appropriate to say thank you.
Xiong Mingyu held his hand, feeling very happy.
"We are dedicated to the country and are loyal. If we see someone with great talent, of course we will recommend him to Your Majesty to benefit the world."
Nowadays, the political situation in Nanjing is very delicate. It is quite difficult for Xiong Mingyu and Qian Shisheng to fight against the other people who are not from the Donglin Party.
Qian Qianyi traveled around the mountains and forests and no longer got involved in political disputes, which really deprived them of a helping hand.
Seeing the conflict between Zhang Cai and Liu Zongzhou today, Xiong Mingyu suddenly discovered that the Donglin lineage was actually divided.
Xiong Mingyu was very angry about Zhang Cai and others' behavior of getting involved with nobles and noble families. If he took advantage of Zuo Mengeng's opportunity, he would of course speak out loudly and reiterate his principles.
Zhang Cai and others naturally understood the mystery behind his words. They all looked ugly, but they could not refute.
In terms of knowledge, they can question Liu Zongzhou. After all, this can be regarded as communication.
But they didn't dare to show any disrespect to Zuo Mengeng.
After all, in this era of silence, Zuo Mengeng was the only general who defeated Hou Jin. If you collide with him when he is in the spotlight, whoever touches him will die.
Seeing Zuo Mengeng respectfully accompanying Liu Zongzhou, Zhang Cai and others became even more anxious.
Liu Zongzhou has such a godlike retinue, can they really win this time?
