The Shen family in the south of the Yangtze River, with pink walls and tiles, flying eaves and corners, more than ten houses are built by the water, layer upon layer, scattered, hidden between the green shadows, hidden in the thick shade, showing a good atmosphere of wealth.

With a bit of solemnity on his face, Shen Weijun walked through a long path and came to the quiet backyard, only to see a pool of several zhang in the courtyard, and a small pavilion was covered on the side of the pool, which looked extremely delicate.

The pavilion is nameless, and the decoration inside is also extremely ordinary, only a small stone table, two old men are facing each other at this time, sitting on both sides of the stone table to drink tea and discuss, and on the stone table is a stack of thick account books.

Shen Weijun walked to the pavilion, facing the old man on the left side of the pavilion, knelt down straight, and said softly: "Father, the matter has been done, and the Zhou family and the Wang family are estimated to have actions in the next two days." ”

The old man on the left side of the pavilion had gray hair and slightly open eyes, but he didn't seem to have woken up, holding the teacup in one hand and shaking the feather fan in his hand with the other, and didn't say a word, as if he didn't see Shen Weijun at all, while the old man opposite him was full of white hair, and he also closed his eyes and tasted tea, and didn't make a sound.

Shen Weijun was a little annoyed in his heart, so he had to increase his voice, and swallowed his anger: "Father, the child thinks that this is the friend who contacted Shilin at this time, I heard that the fourth brother is back, and Shilin is also a little famous, so it is better to let him contact Shilin, so as to contribute to my worth." ”

The gray-haired old man still didn't speak, and he didn't even stop drinking tea, but the white-haired old man opened his eyes and glanced at Shen Weijun.

"Father, if my Shen family doesn't make any more moves, will I just watch the family go down?"

Shen Weijun couldn't bear it anymore, his heart was full of dissatisfaction with his father, if it weren't for these old immortals who had been holding the power of the clan, how could the situation have come to this point?

"Hmph, Huangkou Ruzi, how about daring to talk about the family?"

The gray-haired old man seemed to be very disdainful of Shen Weijun, and he sneered: "Let's not talk about how well you read the sage books, but just based on the situation in the world, what do you know?" ”

Shen Weijun took a deep breath, his face was a little painful, "Since my ancestor of the Shen family, Gong Mogong, built his family business in Jiangning, it can be said that he has gone through ups and downs to create such a family business!" But now the imperial court is taking a salary from the bottom of the kettle, if the father continues to sit idly by, the Shen family will no longer be the Shen family! ”

"Hahaha........"

Before the gray-haired old man could say anything, the white-haired old man opposite him opened his mouth and laughed, "Others say that you Shen Guanglie am wise, but now it has also made the old man see the joke, and there is no way to teach his son so far." ”

Shen Guanglie's aging face frowned, and he said in a low voice for a long time: "Big brother, don't say cool things, you don't know what the situation of our Shen family is now...... After all, the future will depend on Jun'er and their generation....... At present, our methods have seen the effect, as long as this level is passed, the future Jiangnan Shen family will still be the Shen family! ”

Shen Weijun was so despised by the white-haired old man, he was originally a little annoyed, but when he heard his father say this, he was a little surprised at the moment, as if there were many things that he didn't know at all...... This shows that he has not really been recognized by the family.

"Father, what the hell is going on?"

Shen Weijun's face was a little ugly, and he hoped to get an explanation.

Shen Guanglie snorted coldly, "Do you really think those scholars can be of any use? Even if they go to petition together, they won't let that person stop...... The emperor has been keeping an eye on the movements of our family now, and even if the scholars petition at this time, the court will only think that it is our black hand......"

But if you don't...... What should our Shen family do in the future? A trace of doubt appeared on Shen Weijun's face, he didn't seem to understand what the family was doing now.

The white-haired old man sneered, "What should I do?" Great nephew, do you know that when the tiger wants to eat people, if you want to survive, it is not for you to run faster than the tiger. ”

"As long as someone in front of you feeds the tiger, it's fine."

Shen Weijun said the answer, but at the same time, his heart became cold.

He has completely understood that everyone has been tricked in this turmoil.

I am afraid that the assembly on the eighth day of the fifth month will turn into a great purge of the gentry group by the emperor, and the leader of this matter is not only the imperial court, but also their Shen family.

Seeing that Shen Weijun's face was blue and white for a while, full of panic and anxiety, Shen Guanglie finally sighed, "Our Shen family is afraid that this time it will be completely hemorrhaged, Jun'er, we will really have to rely on you young people in the future!" ”

.......

Many scholars from other provinces have gathered in Nanjing, some of them are dissatisfied with the imperial examination system, and some people think that the imperial court is biased towards new learning, thinking that they want to petition the imperial court to change the current status quo.

However, not all of them were oppositionists, and there were also some scholars who had passed the new school examination in various provinces, and these people needed to attend a six-month government training course in Nanjing, and then they could be assigned to the grassroots level of the provinces to become officials, so they also came to Nanjing together, and there were many conflicts with the old school scholars.

In the eyes of those scholars who are not accustomed to Xinxue, Xinxue is a betrayal of Confucianism and Taoism, so everyone needs to resist it, and for those scholars who pass the new discipline, they are resentful and jealous, thinking that these people have no real talent and learning, so they come to participate in the new imperial examination.

As for the new scholars, they think that those old-school scholars are some rotten people who eat the ancients, and the scholars of the imperial court should be based on practical learning, what can you know just by reading some of the Four Books and Five Classics? Do you know what the population of a county is? Know how agriculture develops? Do you know how to support industry and commerce?

Tens of thousands of scholars quarreled all day long in Nanjing, and even developed to the point of drunken brawls, so that the Nanjing police department, together with the city guards, sent people to patrol the streets every day and arrested those who violated the law and discipline into their cells.

Shen Luochuan and Xu Zhai found the Yike teahouse where their classmates gathered in this environment, only to see that the scale of this teahouse is not large, dozens of people ordered a few pots of tea here, and then ordered some melon seeds, dried tofu tired food, and began to talk day after day.

"Brother Xu, is Nanjing City so lively now?"

Shen Luochuan looked at a young scholar holding a folding fan on the table next to him, and couldn't help but be a little curious, they thought that there shouldn't be many people coming.

"Humph! It's nothing to be busy! It's a mess! ”

The young scholar shook the folding fan in his hand and said in a low voice: "Brother Shen should have just come to Nanjing, although there has been a turning point in the imperial examination now, some people have already said that this kind of change is completely fooling personnel. Isn't that insulting! ”

"That's right, the imperial court has done a big bad job this time!"

Xu Zhai had a little excitement on his face, and said loudly: "Isn't it unfair to put these scholars who focus on the way of Confucius and Mencius in the border land, but put the new scholars in the prosperous place?" It's just digging the roots of Confucianism and Taoism! If it were a long time ago, who would still know the words of Confucius? ”

The young scholar nodded lightly and sighed, "How can such an act convince the people of the world?" Now not only Jiangnan Shilin, but even Huguang, Zhejiang, Fujian, Liangguang and even Sichuan, which has just been taken, there are already scholars who have come to ask for justice! ”

Shen Luochuan bowed slightly, his bad mood in the past two days had finally eased a little, and he said continuously: "Then the scholars of Nanjing, what are your plans?" ”

"Right now....... Let's wait for the eighth day of the fifth month to go to the noon gate to beat the drum, let the imperial court expel the traitors, re-run the imperial examination, abolish the new study and new policy, and stabilize the hearts of the people in the world! ”

"Good! Good! That's how it should be, if you want me to say, not only must we abolish the new school and new policy, but the imperial court also needs to take care of the people's security, I heard that there was a war in Japan not long ago, and now it is said that it will fight another war in Burma in the south...... We don't dare to say anything about the Northern Expedition, but we can't ignore the provocation here! ”

"That's right! The world cannot sit idly by and watch the imperial court do the desolate government! ”

"On the eighth day of the fifth month, beat the drum!"

.........

In Ningshou Palace, a ray of sunlight came in through the window curtains, Ning Yu and Ning Zhongyuan were sitting in the hall playing chess, and Cui Wancai, the second assistant on the side, was staring at the chessboard carefully, silent.

"Yu'er, there are more and more scholars in Nanjing....... Have you figured out what to do with it? ”

After all, it was the turmoil that made more and more noise, but even the Emperor Ning Zhongyuan, who had not looked at things for a long time, was alarmed, of course, he had no idea of interfering in political affairs, but after all, the world had his hard work, so after the end of the game, he asked casually.

Ning Yu had a somewhat relaxed look on his face, and said softly: "After all, I didn't touch their sore feet a few days ago, so it was naturally divided by An An, but now this knife almost cuts off the fat on their bodies, and it is normal to call a few times, and it is nothing to get up and shine on the hooves, it is not a big deal." ”

Ning Zhongyuan nodded lightly, since his son said so, he naturally believed it, and sighed softly: "It is not easy for our old brothers who started back then, they are dead and scattered, whether it is my Ning family, as well as their Cheng family and Zheng family, it is all hard work...... After taking Wuchang, the other gentry clans did not contribute at all......."

While nagging, Ning Zhongyuan picked up the black chess pieces on the table and put them into the chess basket one by one, but when he talked about Zheng Jiazi, he paused slightly, "If the emperor can perform some rain and dew in addition to the thunder, it is also a good deed." ”

Ning Yu was a little silent when he heard this, it was not that he didn't understand what the Emperor Taishang meant, but there were too many aspects involved, which made him have some scruples in his heart, just like the Zheng family, which itself is a confidential matter within the current Ning Chu.

Before Ning Chu was established in the country, the Zheng family, as the founding father, secretly colluded with the gentry group to oppose the new policy, so it was completely swept away later, but for the sake of the Zheng family's hard work, they only expelled all the Zheng family from Nanjing and sent them to Yunyang to take care of them, and the gentry groups behind the Zheng family were swept away at that time.

Ning Zhongyuan's meaning is very simple, now that Ning Chu's foundation has been established, there is no need for the gentry to go over, if the means can be softer, the matter will definitely not be so big, so he gently advised Ning Yu that in addition to thunder, it is necessary to apply the grace of rain and dew.

It's just that this is not what Ning Yu wants at all, so he fell into silence, and the second assistant Cui Wancai also seemed to notice something, and hurriedly said softly: "It is inevitable that the Emperor Taishang will be worried, but this matter is not so complicated, it is nothing more than some ignorant scholars, who have been transferred by some well-intentioned people, and this is why the blood has come to ........"

"Hmph, hot blood? They're not that simple. ”

Ning Yu pursed his lips and sneered: "Forget your righteousness when you see small profits, and spare yourself when you do big things." If there are such simple people among them, I am afraid that they are just substitutes for the dead who have been fooled. ”

In Ning Yu's view, the current action is just the last desperate counterattack of the gentry group, as long as they don't rebel, then what to do later, they naturally have no room to speak, they don't want to pay anything, just want to enjoy the result, it is definitely impossible.

Ning Zhongyuan also knew that he couldn't continue to speak, otherwise the emperor was afraid that he would also show resistance in his heart, and it would not be good at that time, so he didn't say anything more and continued to play against Ning Yu.

After a few games of chess, Ning Yu did not continue to stay in Renshou Palace, but went back to Fengtian Hall directly, but just when he returned to the palace and began to review the folds, Ning Luoyuan, the person in charge of the shadow, wanted to meet and return important news.

"Back to Your Majesty, the Shen family has revealed all the secrets, including the list of the masterminds behind the organization of the beating of the Dengwen drum on the eighth day of the fifth month of the fifth month, a copy has been provided, and it has now involved the big clans in Zhili and even all over Huguang....... The minister is ready to deal with it. ”

Ning Luoyuan lowered his head on one side to reply to the news, and on the other hand, he handed a thick stack of folds to the female officer on the side, and then the female officer handed it to Ning Yu's table, thinking that this was the so-called list.

"Hehe, the Shen family is interesting, how are they going to buy the lives of the Shen family?" Ning Yu didn't have any expression on his face, just asked lightly.

Ning Luoyuan said in a low voice: "Back to Your Majesty, the Shen family plans to sell all the acres of land in their hands at a flat price, and then switch to industrial and commercial real estate, and they have also contacted the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, claiming that they hope to become a part of the Chamber of Commerce." By the way, they also donated 100,000 silver dollars to the Spring Miao Fund under the royal family. ”