Chapter 516

Both are high-ranking officials, and both are less dogmatic officials. When Chen Xie was mentioned, although he was a little disapproving, he couldn't erase Chen Xie's achievements for the Ming Dynasty in his heart.

"The new court push method, I'm afraid it will be difficult for Hanlin Cichen to accept, and I don't know how to live it?" Hong Chengchou pulled the topic back, which is the topic he is most concerned about at present. After all, he is not from Hanlin, and from the perspective of a civilian official, he is not qualified to enter the cabinet. Now the emperor gives him the position of a minister, which may not be a good thing, it is too eye-catching.

Wu Fu was born in Hanlin, and when he heard this, he was silent, and said for a long time: "This is not what it used to be, since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, no one has been able to catch up with today's crisis." He laughed as he spoke, and his tone was full of helplessness: "This is His Majesty who wants to change, and his heart is extremely disappointed, and his attitude is very resolute." No one dissuaded him, let alone a group of ministers. Forget it, don't talk about this, Brother Hengjiu, hurry up and freshen up, and before it's too late, hurry up and inform Your Majesty. ”

Wu Fu, who had a complicated mentality, resigned, and when he was still in the position of governor of Shanxi, in the face of drought and the turbulence of the exiles, he could only sigh and sigh, and could not find a solution. How to put it, interests shackle the mind. In the face of the Qing army that entered the Kou, the Wenchen had no way, and there was still no way to face the rampant rogues. I can only watch Da Ming decay little by little. Since Chen Xie's birth in the second year, he has created a legendary story. Wu Fu has always been very concerned about him. As long as you think about it carefully, it is not difficult to see that what Chen Xie does is the right medicine. What is Daming's biggest problem? Financial problems! As long as this problem is solved, other problems can always be solved slowly.

The key is that Chen Xie implemented a new commercial tax system in the position of governor of the three provinces. Didn't cause much backlash. Even if there was a rebound, it was suppressed by Chen Xie. Although this suppression was a bit bloody, in terms of finance, the results were immediate. Without Chen Xie's hard work, where would he get the money and food? The so-called public opinion is raging. To put it bluntly, it was a group of gentry who were calling there. No matter how loud they shout, Jinshang, who is eager to change the financial status quo, will not touch a single hair of Chen Xie at all.

This is where Wu Fu is helpless, Chen Xie has done many things that are unacceptable in his opinion. But he is the beneficiary, and the people in Shanxi have been living in drought for many years. But the government has no capacity to provide relief. Until Chen Xie came out to take the lead in suppressing the thief, in just over a year, this problem was basically solved. Where does the money and food come from, as a household servant, Wu Fu knows very well. This is all the money and grain that Chen Xie took out from his own family property, and gave it to His Majesty first. The entire Ming Dynasty can do this step, probably only Chen Xie. Wu Fu couldn't help but admire Chen Xie's ability to make money, and even more admired his bold style, and he didn't go bankrupt.

Wu Fu's attitude towards Chen Xie is a bottom line, as long as Chen Xie is not in Beijing as a cabinet minister. In fact, this is also the mainstream view of Beijing officials now. The emperor gave Chen Xie the title of scholar of Dongge, and no one could stop him. But you can't really stay in Beijing to govern. In fact, Wu Fu also knew very well in his heart that Chen Xie really wanted to stay, and the ministers had no way at all. There are even some Wenchen. Speculation has begun on Chen Xie.

After Hong Chengchou finished getting acquainted, it was already dark, called his entourage, ran to the palace, and handed a sign outside the palace gate, indicating that he had returned to Beijing. Then go back to the inn. On the way back, I saw a brightly lit house. He glanced at it with complicated eyes, bowed his head and left silently.

This house belongs to Chen Xie. To be precise, it was the mansion given to the princess by the emperor, but it was just hung with the sign of the Chen Mansion. There were so many princesses in the Ming Dynasty who married, but Chen Xie was not treated according to the treatment of a concubine. It is a simple marriage, similar to a folk marriage. It can be said that this is a high-standard treatment, and in the entire two hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, there is no precedent for a princess to follow her husband.

There was a lively scene in Chen's mansion, Lu Xiangsheng and Yang Tinglin came together, Chen Xie was the Beijing teacher who came to Beijing on the 28th of the lunar month, Zhu Yujiao wanted to return to Beijing for the New Year, and Zhu Youzhen also asked him to come to visit, under the guise of reporting on his work. Well, in fact, Zhu Youzhen really wants Chen Xie to enter Beijing, and there are too many things he wants to ask Chen Xie. Zhu Youzhen's dependence on Chen Xie, even he was not aware of it.

What Zhu Youzhen didn't realize, Lu Xiangsheng and Yang Tinglin both realized. So when I came to Chen Xie together, under the guise of visiting, I actually wanted to find out the true intention of Chen Xie's trip back to Beijing. These two did not object to Chen Xie's collection of commercial taxes, but they were deeply resistant to the reform of the imperial examination. The reason for this resistance is the two words "fairness".

Strictly speaking, the imperial examination is one of the fairest modes of electing officials. Why is it simply only the Four Books and Five Classics, and the original intention of formulating this rule, people now don't know that it should be Zhu Yuanzhang's idea. Even if it is Chen Xie, it can only be a guess. Lao Zhu is too domineering, he has always made rules, and in his opinion, those rules are inherently beneficial to the Ming Dynasty, so he formulates them. If you are not convinced, then chop you up, and you will not be told a word of nonsense. Zhu Yuanzhang even dared to play an abridged version of "Mencius", what else could not be done? It can be said that when the imperial examination was in the hands of Zhu Yuanzhang, it could be regarded as a completely invigorating and dull means. The qiē rules formulated by Zhu Yuanzhang revolve around two words: "governance". The common people are tied to the land, don't run around and cause more trouble. Use etiquette to bind people's minds and instill servile thoughts. A qiē is convenient for the ruler to control the common people as the starting point.

Lao Zhu is definitely a smart person, and the limitations of historical figures have not been avoided in him. How can the rulers of feudal dynasties fail to see the lessons of the rise and fall of dynasties in history? They must have seen it, but the lessons learned from it were different. The Song and Ming dynasties were both emasculating the armed forces of their own nations, and they were at an absolute disadvantage in foreign wars. In fact, the Qing Dynasty was the same, and it failed to avoid the fate of being beaten by powerful foreign forces.

After the third round of drinking, the two guests put down their wine glasses, and Lu Xiangsheng asked very unceremoniously: "Sihua, Your Majesty is discussing political affairs and proposing the reform of the imperial examination, what do you think?" Chen Xie didn't answer in a hurry, but asked rhetorically: "What do you think?" ”

Yang Tinglin said with a smile: "The rules of more than 200 years can be changed if you say it, I'm afraid it's very difficult." ”

Lu Xiangsheng said worriedly: "The root of the Ming Imperial Examination is still in education. Sihua is in Liaodong and Dayuan, and I don't know what the original intention is for giving muskets to the people? This is still relatively polite, it is not bad to say that Chen Xie incited the people to be a mob. Opposition to this matter is all over the sky, and Lu Xiangsheng is also strongly opposed. What are you kidding, the people have muskets in their hands, how can they educate? The officials were a little more severe, afraid that the people would shoot him with black guns.

From this matter to the improvement of the imperial examination, Lu Xiangsheng's thinking is really very special, but is there really no connection between the two? Actually, there is a connection, but it is hidden deeply. Lu Xiangsheng could feel it, but he didn't understand it. The improvement of the imperial examination will undoubtedly cause a chain reaction. Whether it is agriculture or mathematics, it is a part of the natural sciences. Once this thing enters the imperial examination, one can imagine what changes will occur in the direction of running schools at the grassroots level. When the time comes, there is no need to force it, and the students will learn by themselves. If you don't learn this, what will you use to take the imperial examination? Once the wind of natural science rises, it is natural that it will affect other levels. This includes the so-called Gangchang and Rites, and at a certain point, sooner or later someone will find that the so-called "Mandate of Heaven" is nonsense. Can you restrain a man with a musket in his hand? Once the interests are harmed, can the religion control the reasonable guy? In the final analysis, Chen Xie is harboring evil intentions and going to the religion. It's just that the means are very hidden, in Liaodong, Chen Xie is under the guise of dealing with Jiannu and Tartars, and in Dayuan, the Ming Dynasty really doesn't care much about that place, and is classified overseas.

Chen Xie had already had a draft, and when he heard Lu Xiangsheng's question, he naturally began to flicker: "Brother Jiandou, you have read history books and been an official. There are two problems, I think you are very clear. First, there are so many dynasties in history, which time is not the people who can't survive and rise up as a prologue? The country is eternal, not in the so-called education, but in the people's food and clothing. But now Daming, do you think food and clothing are guaranteed? Why? I tell you, in the fourteenth year of Hongwu, the population of the whole country was 59,870,000, and now the population is 18,000,000. The population will increase, but the arable land will not increase. The larger the population base, the faster the increase will be. So, how to solve the contradiction between population growth and land change? Once the population reaches a larger number in the future, what will be used to feed the people? Even if the wind and rain are good every year, I don't think this land can support so many people. Not to mention, there is also the issue of land annexation, which cannot be solved by every dynasty. If these problems cannot be solved, the collapse of a dynasty will be a matter of time or time. The second problem is a continuation of the first problem, immigrants to Liaodong, Dayuan, our people have passed, that is to fight with the locals for living space, to say that it is not good, to fight for a qiē. How do you think they will react? There are so many things, you take them and I'm gone. If you don't give the people guns, what is the difference between them emigrating to the past and sending them to death? The purpose of immigration is to relieve the pressure of the inward 6, and without the idea of constant outward expansion, the country will sooner or later be crushed by the population. If there is not enough force, what can be used to expand? If Daming wants to be eternal, it needs to have a long-term vision. Internally, we should develop agricultural technology and increase grain production. Externally, it continued to expand and seize more land to meet the needs of population growth. ”

Chen Xie's mouth was dry, and Lu Xiangsheng was dumbfounded. These questions are still a bit difficult for him to understand. To put it mildly, even if he is a pro-people official, how much can he care about the life and death of the people? And these things that Chen Xie said sounded very lofty and far-sighted. (To be continued) R655

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