Chapter 347 After the new emperor appeared, the government and the public were in an uproar!
The establishment of separate imperial courts in several southern provinces caused quite a stir among the courtiers.
Although, under the absolute suppression of the imperial power, the courtiers were still calm on the surface, as if nothing happened, but in their hearts, each of them was already restless, restless, or ridiculed.
The ministers who supported the reform naturally frowned, felt uneasy and impatient, knowing that this was the result of further reform, that is, the reform of the imperial examination system.
They are very clear that the background of the imperial examination is linked to the leaping of classes. It is not just as simple as selecting quasi-officials.
The current restructuring means redefining the qualifications for entering the bureaucratic class, and it also means abandoning Neo Confucianism as official science.
Therefore, the ministers who supported the reform were not surprised by the fact that the southern provinces established separate imperial courts. They were just worried that it would cause greater turmoil, and those with impatient personalities desperately hoped that the imperial court would suppress it as soon as possible.
For the ministers who do not support the reform, it is natural to be secretly happy, and even look forward to something, laughing at these reformists for stabbing a hornet's nest.
"It depends on how Zhang Guojiu and others will end up. If they handle it well, it's fine. If they don't handle it well, they will cause chaos. Just wait for Zhang Gui to be the second Chao Cuo!"
"I really hope they can make things happen. This way the etiquette system can be restored, and it will also make people in the future dare not think about reforming the system."
"I have long believed that the most taboo thing in governing the country is tossing! Follow the old laws of the ancestors, the emperor will do nothing, and the world will be governed. All ups and downs have their own determinants. But today's son and his favorites don't believe it. Now it’s good, the old chaos has just subsided, and the new chaos has arisen again, it’s a pity that the wind and rain in this world will never end! The one who started it, the uncle of the country, Zhang Gui, should be hacked to pieces!”
While these ministers who did not support the reform were ridiculing or secretly delighting in their hearts, the southern puppet court sent envoys to Beijing quietly, intending to contact the ministers in the court and together attempt to overthrow the current court.
The puppet dynasty in the south naturally had no motivation to integrate the power of the common people. After all, the reason why they betrayed the court was that the court could not let them wantonly enslave the common people.
So, the only way the puppet dynasty in the south could think of to overthrow the Ming court was to instigate officials of the ruling class.
"Brother, what Brother Zhu means is that even if we don't want to believe that they can succeed in the south, we should leave a retreat for the Chen family. After all, although the Chen family sold their land in the South China Sea, most of the clan members moved to the capital, but the ancestral grave Still, some clansmen still stay in their hometown."
Chen Zisheng mentioned to Chen Zizhuang at this time that Zhu Zhiyu went to Beijing to instigate rebellion against him.
Chen Zizhuang nodded after listening: "What else did he say?"
"He wanted to ask his elder brother why he was so determined to follow Uncle Zhang to reform the system, and he was even the most active. He was jokingly called the mouthpiece of Uncle Guo, the vanguard in the battle for the world's material opinions."
After Chen Zisheng asked, he said again: "There are also many people in the clan who don't understand. Not to mention the many new policies in the past, this time they directly abandoned Confucianism as official learning, not only respecting Confucian scholars! And the children of us gentry are all based on Confucianism. Now brother As the head of the Chen family in Nanhai, who is the great uncle in the court, the next step is to join the cabinet, why do you want to do this, is it just for your own future to join the cabinet?"
After hearing this, Chen Zizhuang looked at Chen Zisheng for a while.
Chen Zisheng hastily bowed down: "My brother made a mistake, please calm down!"
Chen Zizhuang said suddenly: "Come with me!"
As he spoke, Chen Zizhuang took Chen Zisheng to his backyard.
But very soon, Chen Zisheng found himself following his elder brother through a long and narrow hole built in a rockery, and arrived at an unknown mansion next door.
"So this mansion also belongs to my Chen family?"
Chen Zisheng sighed secretly.
The cellar is paved with terracotta bricks, and the headlights are lit for many years, and the cellar is so large that it is impossible to see to the bottom.
And after Chen Zisheng followed Chen Zizhuang to the cellar, he found that the place was full of gold, stone, calligraphy and paintings, and he was dizzy.
"So many inscriptions and paintings?"
Chen Zisheng exclaimed.
Then, Chen Zizhuang personally opened the lock of a side door, and then said to Chen Zisheng: "Look here."
Then, Chen Zisheng found that the place was full of gold and silver, shining brightly.
Chen Zisheng looked at his elder brother in horror: "Brother, you also..."
"This is not greedy for my brother! These are all brought to the Chen family by Uncle Guo!"
"You know that brother Wei likes gold and stone calligraphy and painting, and it costs money to play with gold and stone calligraphy and painting. Now the hall is full of gold and stone calligraphy and painting, and it is because of the dividends given to brother by the uncle of the country that brother has the financial resources to buy so many gold and stone calligraphy and paintings. .”
Chen Zizhuang said: "Perhaps your Majesty doesn't have as many calligraphy and stone paintings as brother."
Chen Zizhuang continued: "The key is all bought for my brother, not a gift or bribe from others."
Chen Zisheng was speechless.
And Chen Zizhuang said to Chen Zisheng: "Zisheng, do you understand now? Although the uncle of the country has always thought of the righteousness of the people of the country to instigate the reform of the brother and these people together with him, and even chose to stand for the brother at first. On the side of Uncle Guo, he is indeed young and vigorous, with the ambition to serve the country and the people, so he disregards the critics of scholars and joins his relatives; It will also bring benefits to our Chen family, and these benefits are enough to be described as incomparably rich."
Chen Zizhuang touched the gold and silver as he spoke, and said with a smile: "The key point is that these are the wealth that your Majesty admits that our Chen family should have. Our Chen family can spend it freely. You spent a hundred thousand taels of silver for concubine , There is no impeachment by the censor, it is related to the recognition of the silver by His Majesty, and His Majesty's recognition means the recognition of the world."
Then, Chen Zizhuang suddenly changed his face again, and said: "However, you have to understand that the premise that these properties can be recognized by His Majesty, can be regarded as legitimate and legal property, and can be owned by my Chen family is not how loyal and patriotic our Chen family is." , but the line of reform and system reform must be correct!"
"The emperor and the people of the world must think that the reform is correct. Only in this way, our Chen family can keep these properties!"
"Because once one day people in the world think that the reform is wrong, and if your majesty thinks so, it means that the properties of my Chen family are ill-gotten gains and illegal gains, and they can no longer be owned! Those who are under the banner of restoring the ancestral system The people who are here can directly take away our wealth in the name of returning the barbarian property to the barbarians!"
Chen Zizhuang asked Chen Zisheng after speaking: "Do you understand?"
Chen Zisheng nodded: "I understand a little bit. If my Chen family wants to continue to be wealthy, we must continue to support legal reforms. Is this what you mean?"
"In addition, power is more important than wealth. My Chen family's power is due to supporting the reform. If you want to continue to have power, you must continue to support the reform. Otherwise, even if you are rich, you can't keep it. So, brother here Before, I would rather go bankrupt than support Uncle Guo’s will, but this is it?”
"That's right! Uncle Guo's methods are beyond your comprehension. Under his persuasive temptations, he has no other choice for the elder brother, the country and the family. Let alone Uncle Guo wants to abandon Confucianism, even if Uncle Guo says Burning books and burying Confucianism can be regarded as a complete reform. Brother Wei and my Chen family have to support it, and the same is true with His Majesty. Behavior, open your eyes and close your eyes."
"Confucianism and practical learning will be vulnerable in the face of real money! Wei Zhongxian is nine thousand years old, and he wants to call Uncle Guo a godfather behind his back. Do you think he really wants to be so cheap?"
Chen Zizhuang was also speechless in front of his younger brother, expressing all the dark side of his heart for a while.
But Chen Zisheng felt that what his brother said was right because of what his brother said, so he was willing to believe it. Looking at the mountains of gold and silver in his Chen family, he said: "Brother, I suddenly feel that as long as the country is peaceful and the people are safe, nothing else is important."
Chen Zizhuang smiled slightly: "My brother can be taught!"
Chen Zisheng went on to say: "My clansmen, let my younger brother persuade me. I just want to be an official with peace of mind. But, brother Zhu, what if he really digs up my Chen family's grave because we don't want to communicate with the traitors in the south?"
(end of this chapter)