Knowing his old acquaintance in a foreign country, this young and old prodigy Qi Huzi is also happy, and he made a gesture to Zhang Yuan's five people, only Huang Zunsu did not know him, Zhang Dai introduced, Qi Huzi said: "The little brother is waiting for you to come, just return to the hometown together, I thought you would arrive in a few days." Then he said, "Mr. Jingyi is willing to see you, please come with me." He glanced at Zhang Yuan and added, "Mr. Nangao and Mr. Jingyi are very eager to meet Brother Jie Zi. ”

Zhang Cao said with a smile: "Jiezi is now notorious, I want to see if Zhang Jiezi in Shanyin has three heads and six arms, and whether he is holding a golden hoop stick, haha." This is to compare Zhang Yuan to the Monkey King who made trouble in the Heavenly Palace.

Zhang Dai frowned and said, "Third brother, wait until you see Mr. Gao and Mr. Zou, don't be so open-mouthed." ”

Zhang Cao was dissatisfied: "Big brother, I'm not a three-year-old child, how can I talk nonsense about this private joke." ”

Zhang Dai smiled: "That's good." ”

Qi Huzi said: "A few brothers, please come with me, Mr. Jingyi and Mr. Nangao are in Yiyong Hall." ”

In the cold winter season, the days are short and the nights are long, just for a while, the sky is dark, the gatekeeper of the academy handed a lantern to Qi Biaojia, Qi Biaojia carried the lantern in front of the way, Laifu and other five servants waited in the ear room next to the instrument gate, Zhang Yuan and the five followed Qi Biaojia into the Donglin Academy - as soon as they entered the door, it was a large square, under the heavy twilight, the thin layer of snow on the ground was quite bright, but there was a huge black half-moon in the vast white, this is Panchi, about 20 zhang long, two zhang wide, in the shape of a half-moon, because the surface is covered with snow, The water of this pan pond is as deep as ink - Zhang Yuanxin said: "It seems that ten years ago, Gu Xiancheng and others spent a lot of money to rebuild Donglin Academy. ”

There is a small stone bridge on the half-moon-shaped Pan Pond, Zhang Yuan and his entourage have crossed the bridge, the snow is white, the traces are stringed, the Pan Pond is dozens of steps forward is the Donglin Elite House, there are the guests who are responsible for welcoming the guests waiting, and they also carry a lantern in their hands, and Qi Biaojia together will welcome Zhang Yuan's five people to the Yiyong Hall behind the Jingshe - the Yiyong Hall is the most important building of the Donglin Academy, tall and broad, similar to the main hall of local Confucianism, it is the place where the crowd gathers to give lectures, and the front of the hall is a couplet:

"The Journey of Yongde; In other words, it is prudent. ”

There is also a couplet on both sides of the column:

"Sitting and talking about people is virtuous and holy; It is said that with ordinary things, the surname is the sky. ”

Zhang Yuan was thinking about why Gu Xiancheng's famous couplet was missing, and when he stepped into the inner hall, he saw that the light of the two large lanterns hanging high reflected the twenty-two big characters:

"The sound of the wind and the rain, the sound of reading, the sound is in the ears; Family affairs, national affairs, world affairs, everything is concerned. ”

Gu Xiancheng has been dead for two years, it is the spiritual leader of the Donglin Party who initiated the lecture and discussion of politics, Gu Yanwu put forward the "rise and fall of the country, the husband is responsible" is to inherit Gu Xiancheng's ideas in the opposition to discuss politics, Wanli years of various trends of thought are extremely active, scholars also dare to speak out about the government, the atmosphere is open, Wei Zhongxian destroyed the world academy during the Apocalypse, clamped down on the way of speech, strictly forbidden, the Manchu Qing Dynasty entered the customs to the scholars is even more strict, not only can not gather to give lectures, all the scholars are forbidden to form alliances, dare to discuss the government and the government of the people are beheaded, after nearly 400 years, That's about it...... Gao Panlong is in his early fifties, with a red face, a high nose, and sharp eyes; Zou Yuanbiao was sixty miles away, with a high forehead and a relatively mild gaze, the two leaders of Donglin watched Zhang Yuan and the five people come in to pay a salute after the end of the school, and heard Zhang Yuan's name, Gao Panlong and Zou Yuanbiao exchanged a look - sit down, serve tea, Huang Zunsu is older, and took the lead in saying that he was classmates with Wei Dazhong and Ruan Dacheng in Guozijian, expressing his admiration for Donglin, and Zhang Dai and the four also expressed the same admiration - Gao Panlong opened his mouth to speak, and his voice was like a Hong Zhong: "Five talents in Nanjian, what do you admire Donglin?" ”

Huang Zunsu saw that Zhang Yuan was silent, so he replied: "The five people who were born later admired the knowledge and integrity of the gentlemen of Donglin. ”

Gao Panlong said: "Then let me ask you, what is the purpose of studying?" ”

Huang Zunsu said: "Reading is reasonable, and the road of self-establishment, cultivation, loyalty, and patriotism is practiced." ”

Ni Yuanlu and Zhang Dai also answered like this, very magnificently, and Zhang Cao's answer was: "Illiterate, more depressed than a blind person-"

One sentence made the serious Gao Panlong laugh, Gao Panlong said: "It's not about literacy, it's about reading." ”

Zhang Cao means that if you are illiterate, you can't read "Water Margin" and "Golden Bottle Plum", isn't she depressed, listening to Gao Panlong's emphasis on reading, knowing that Gao Panlong refers to reading the Four Books and Five Classics, so he said: "Of course, it's to be an official." ”

Gao Panlong laughed and said to Zou Yuanbiao: "Brother Erzhan, this grandson of Zhang Suzhi is willing to tell the truth. "Eyes blazing, staring at Zhang Yuan, do you want to listen to Zhang Yuan's high opinions?

Zhang Yuan said: "Studying in the later years is also to be an official-"

Zhang Cao replied that he was an official, Gao Panlong just smiled, but Zhang Yuan also replied, but Gao Panlong showed disdain, thinking that this famous Zhang Yuan was just a vulgar thing - but Zhang Yuan said again: "If you don't become an official, how can you benefit the people." ”

Zou Yuanbiao had been observing Zhang Yuan's words and deeds, and then said: "What a big breath, how can you benefit the people?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Can you let the late students ask the two gentlemen some questions first?" ”

Zou Yuanbiao and Gao Panlong glanced at each other, nodded together, and said, "But it's okay to ask." ”

Zhang Yuan asked: "For more than 20 years, the dispute over the country's capital has been sparse like rain, depreciating, and the court cane, disturbing one after another, consuming countless energy of the monarch and ministers. ”

Gao Panlong listened to Zhang Yuan's opening to ask about this important matter, his spirits perked up, and he replied: "The affairs of the world are not a private matter, and the establishment of the prince is the affairs of the world, how can the emperor be allowed to abolish the elder and establish the young." ”

Zhang Yuan asked: "Do you not hesitate to fight for the waste of the government for this?" ”

When Gao Panlong heard this, he was furious and said sharply: "If the country is not fighting, what are you fighting for!" ”

Zhang Yuan remained silent and said steadily: "Wansheng understands what Mr. means, and Wansheng still has a question, the two gentlemen think that my Daming Kingdom has near-term worries?" ”

Gao Panlong said: "The country is not solid, this is a big worry. ”

Zhang Yuan said: "King Fu has settled in Luoyang, and the battle for the country has been decided. ”

Zou Yuanbiao looked at Zhang Yuan and said: "Zhang Sheng seems to have a high opinion of the country's near-term worries, and he is willing to hear about it. ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Internally, the land annexation, the corruption of the officials, natural disasters, and party strife continue, and the Jianzhou Jurchen is growing rapidly outside, which will surely become a great disaster in Liaodong." ”

Gao Panlong was not concerned about the Jianzhou Jurchen general Liaodong's great trouble, and said: "The Mongolian Tatars are the border troubles, so the Jianzhou Jurchens can have a few people, which is a big disaster, but land annexation and natural disasters are indeed big troubles, as for the party struggle, it is inevitable to fight, the party, the class, want the world to have no party, there must be no gentleman, villain and the like, the monarch, do not suffer from the party, to distinguish its party." ”

Zhang Yuan did not compete with Gao Panlong for the party of the gentleman and the party of the villain, and said: "Jianzhou Nurhachi, within three years, the founding of the country will be called Khan, and from then on the Ming Dynasty will be the enemy, and Liaodong will have no peace." ”

Gao Panlong asked, "How dare you be so sure?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Haixi Jurchen has four Hulun divisions, three of which have been annexed by the Jianzhou Jurchens, north of Fushun, all of Nurhachi's territory, the Khitan Zeng Yun 'Jurchen is not more than 10,000, full of 10,000 invincible', Nurhachi unified the Jurchen tribes, if he does not establish a country and claim the emperor, how can he get it?" ”

Zou Yuanbiao said curiously: "Zhang Sheng, how do you know so much about the Jurchen tribes?" ”

Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "Xiucai doesn't go out, he knows the world, as long as he has a heart, he can always understand." ”

Gao Panlong said: "But if I want to be politically harmonious, why not be afraid of the Jurchens, I think that the country's troubles are not outside." ”

Before the battle of Sarhu, the Ming Dynasty and the opposition generally despised Nurhachi, and they all thought that as long as the army came out, the Houjin army would collapse, but it could be won in a battle, and now it can be glimpsed from Gao Panlong's attitude, in fact, Gao Panlong said it is also good, if the Ming Dynasty is politically harmonious, it is indeed not a big trouble for Houjin, but the party struggle [***] continues, where can we talk about what political communication and harmony, Zhang Yuan can't let Gao Panlong believe him now, he just reminds him first, and leaves a foreshadowing - Zhang Yuan said: "Then don't talk about external troubles, just talk about near worries, How do the two gentlemen think the land annexation should be resolved? ”

Zou Yuanbiao was quite surprised by the weak-crowned scholar Zhang Yuan calmly and eloquently talked about this, and said: "Let's listen to Zhang Shenggao's argument first." ”

Gao Panlong said: "The emperor blessed the king of 40,000 hectares, the ministers strived for, it was reduced by half, the royal clan occupies the land is extremely amazing, in Henan Province alone, about the royal palace covers an area of six or seven, the military tun is two-tenth, and the people are only one-tenth and two, a large number of land annexation, land rent is levied at will, please Zhang Sheng try to discuss how to solve the land occupied by the palace?" ”

Zhang Yuan has considered these questions, but there is no suitable opportunity to express them, and now that Donglin Erkui asked, he was not polite, and said: "If the clan occupies the land without a good reform strategy, I am afraid that the land of the Ming Dynasty will not be enough for the rice of the feudal clans——"

This sentence is the breakthrough of the eight-strand text, the outline is leading, and the first voice is grabbing, Zhang Yuan is now using the eight-strand literary technique to learn and use, and even Gao Panlong, who has a prejudice against Zhang Yuan, praised: "This is extremely true." ”

Zhang Yuan proposed to strictly restrict the occupation of land by the clans, and the state would grant a fixed amount of land, give it to the world, and let the princes and clans run it themselves, and the state would not support the old people, and the clansmen would raise the clansmen, so as to change the completely parasitic way of life of the clans-Zou Yuanbiao nodded and said: "Zhang Sheng said it very well, but it is extremely difficult to implement it, and the kings will rise up against it, and the emperor will not make such a determination." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Of course, it is extremely difficult, otherwise how can it be called the country's troubles, not only the clan occupies the land seriously, but the gentry occupy the land is also very much, in fact, I thought that the land annexation is not terrible, no matter how it is annexed, the land still has to be cultivated, not that once the land is annexed, the peasants have to be displaced without land, the key is the loss of taxes and the landlord's intention to increase the land rent and pass on the taxes to the hired farmers, in the event of a disaster, the hired farmers are unable to bear the taxes, they become displaced people, this is the focus of the need for reform——"

Zou Yuanbiao and Gao Panlong glanced at each other, and both felt that this weak-crowned scholar pointed to the key point, and had profound insights, and the two of them took turns to ask Zhang Yuan questions, and simply regarded Zhang Yuan as the first assistant of the cabinet of governance, Zhang Yuan was very smart, and his answer had great reservations, he could not say all his reform plans at once, because this would affect the vested interests of a large part of the people, and the things that could not be implemented for the time being could not be publicized first, otherwise the resistance would be terrifying, and it would be extremely unfavorable to Zhang Yuan's career.

(To be continued)