Huguang, Jiangling (now Jingzhou City, Hubei Province), in the residence of Zhang Juzheng. Zhang Juzheng walked upright in the hall, listening to the report of his subordinates, Zhang Yun and Zhang Jingxiu, what they did in the capital, and when he heard that Zhang Yun dared to take the little emperor out of the palace, he was so angry that his beard floated up, and he slapped the table with his hand. The subordinates were so frightened by him that they didn't dare to breathe.

Zhang Juzheng looked at the appearance of his subordinates, waved his hand, and motioned for him to continue, and then heard that the two of them, after making money by sending books, also nodded secretly, and learned that when Zhang Siwei grabbed the handle, he couldn't help but pinch a cold sweat for him. After hearing the report of the subordinate, Zhang Juzheng nodded, waved his hand, and let the subordinate go down.

Zhang Juzheng stood up, walked out of the mansion, and took his subordinates to the private school in his hometown.

A few bungalows and two dozen children are all the students in this school. After Zhang Juzheng returned to his hometown, the first was to take care of his body and advance by retreating, and the second was to take a good look at how his new policy was implemented locally.

I teach to the children in my hometown so that they can understand things so that they can become the pillars of the country in the future. After all, Zhang Juzheng himself is also from an ordinary family, remembering that when he was 13 years old and participated in the township examination for the first time, the governor of Huguang at that time, Gu Lin, in order not to get carried away, forcibly pressed himself not to let himself be lifted, and now I think about it, thanks to him, otherwise, I guess I wouldn't know where I went for a long time.

After the children saw Zhang Juzheng leaving, they immediately stood up and saluted Zhang Juzheng, and after Zhang Juzheng returned the salute, they began today's lecture. I saw him slowly pick up the pen and write a few big words on it: "The gentleman is cautious and alone, and does not deceive the dark room." Humble and self-shepherding, with chapters and chastity. ”

When he finished writing, he smiled and said to the child, "Who of you knows what this means?" ”

After everyone heard this, they exchanged heads and talked about each other.

After a long time, Zhang Juzheng motioned for them to stop the discussion, and then asked people to get up and answer.

"Sir, the general meaning of this sentence is that as a gentleman, don't stay in one place alone, and don't do things that violate morality." A young man in a white-washed robe stood up and spoke aloud.

Zhang Juzheng nodded with a smile, and then said: "What you said is just a literal meaning, it's not easy to think of this, sit down." After speaking, Zhang Juzheng waved him to sit down, and the young man was still a little unconvinced.

Next, several teenagers got up one after another and returned, with similar meanings to the previous teenager's answer.

After Zhang Juzheng listened to everyone's speeches, he stroked his beard and said with a smile: "When you are alone, you should be vigilant and cautious in a place where no one is looking, and you should be extra vigilant when no one hears it, because improper lust is easy to show in obscure places, and bad thoughts are easy to reveal when you are subtle, so a gentleman should be more strict with himself, prevent subtleties, and restrain improper desires and ideas in the bud." ”

"Prudence does not mean not to be, but to pay extra attention, that is, a gentleman should also pay extra attention when he is alone."

After hearing this, everyone also suddenly realized, and took out paper and pens one after another to write down Zhang Juzheng's explanation. It is no wonder that most of the ancient people relied on the guidance of famous teachers to study, just like that Song Lian, when he was young, he went to find local masters to learn knowledge, and ordinary people's understanding of the ancients was still insufficient.

Zhang Juzheng then took the boy to read part of the Analects, and then it was noon. At noon, Zhang Ju usually rests for an hour and then goes outside the city to see the old farmers working in the fields.

After Zhang Juzheng had lunch, he rested early. An hour later, Zhang Juzheng only felt refreshed, and then, with his servants, went straight out of the city.

Outside Jiangling City, Zhang Juzheng and his party came to a cornfield, which was already in the middle of summer, and the whole field was full of corn. Zhang Juzheng looked at the scene in front of him, and couldn't help but feel relaxed, this scene, but Zhang Juzheng was in Beijing, and he had never seen it. Before, he and his high-ranking ministers only saw the sky at the four corners of Beijing.

After Zhang Juzheng approached the cornfield, he saw a few old farmers, dragging their families to pull weeds in the cornfield, Zhang Juzheng walked to the old farmer's side and asked with a smile: "Brother, your harvest is okay, there should be some surplus grain every year." ”

Corn is native to countries in Central and South America. Corn was first introduced to China in Guangxi, and the time was 1531. It was less than forty years since Christopher Columbus discovered America. After 50 years, it has spread all over China, especially after learning of his high yield, it has become the main ration of farmers.

The old farmer looked at Zhang Juzheng dressed extraordinarily, felt that he had come from a lot of roads, and said with a smile: "It's okay, if God appreciates the food, there is still a lot of surplus grain, if there is a catastrophe, it is not easy to say." ”

After Zhang Juzheng listened, he looked at their family, this is a family of five, he and his wife, as well as sons, daughters-in-law, and grandsons, so that three generations are in the same house, and they are happy.

The old man's daughter-in-law, when she saw Zhang Juzheng, also smiled and said, "If Mr. doesn't dislike it, let's eat a little with us." After speaking, he handed Zhang Juzheng a few yellow cakes.

Although Zhang Juzheng didn't have long after lunch, he still took it with a smile and put it in his mouth, only to feel the fragrance of corn filling his entire mouth, which was a cake made of corn.

Zhang Juzheng was eating, while talking to the old man about the family, after asking him about the situation in the house, the old man was originally surnamed Wang, and he was from Wangjia Village nearby.

When the old man heard it, he was also shocked, he thought that Zhang Juzheng was sent by the government to set his words, and he also said no, Zhang Juzheng has lived for so many years, and he is also an old fritter, of course he knows, there must be another hidden truth in this. Zhang Juzheng didn't ask any more questions, and turned his head to look at his grandson, who was about seven or eight years old, with two pigtails and two big eyes, staring at Zhang Juzheng in a daze.

Zhang Juzheng looked at the old man and asked, "Brother, has your child gone to school?" ”

After hearing this, the old man also smiled helplessly: "Alas, it would be good for us children of peasant families to be able to support ourselves, so we have spare money to go to school for our children." ”

Zhang Juzheng was also sad after hearing this, he himself can be regarded as an ordinary person, but fortunately, his father is still a showman, tightened his belt and sent him to school.

"It seems that we still have to increase the income of farmers," Zhang Juzheng said secretly in his heart.

Zhang Juzheng remembered Zhang Yun's previous proposal that the experienced old peasants should be gathered together and the state would distribute them with money, so that the peasants' income and status could be increased, and the grain output of the entire country could be increased.

After Zhang Juzheng and the old farmer exchanged a few words, he was about to leave, the old farmer left, and had to give Zhang Juzheng a few corns, Zhang Juzheng excused himself to no avail, then let the slave, quietly left some silver and left.

In Jiangling County, among the county officials, I saw a middle-aged man about 40 years old wearing a red official robe, standing tremblingly under the hall, and sitting on the chair was Zhang Juzheng, who had just returned from outside the city.

Zhang Juzheng looked at the small county order in front of him and said, "Lord Jiang, you go and bring me all the taxes and revenues of the government office." ”

The county order is named Jiang Yun, who was originally a person raised in Longqing for five years, because of his relationship, he was sent to make a county order, and he has not been promoted after so many years.

Soon, Zhang Juzheng got the tax records of the county, and the income and expenditure records, picked up the book and began to check it, this does not know, a check is shocked, the whole county actually has a deficit every year, can only rely on the people's taxes to make up, the taxes on it are varied, Zhang Juzheng looks at the more angry he becomes, only to feel a ball of anger burning in his heart.

After Zhang Juzheng finished reading it, he threw the ledger directly to Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun suddenly knelt down and said: "My lord, this tax is not something I can decide, it is all set by the people who are assessed above, if I can't complete the tax, the above will find trouble for me, and I hope that my lord will know it" Jiang Yun, after finishing speaking, he couldn't stop kowtowing.

After Zhang Juzheng heard this, he was also embarrassed. blames himself for regarding taxation as the only criterion for the evaluation of officials, which leads to the officials below having to set up a name and levy tyrants against the people in order to flatter the above. Although before he left, he had already written to Wanli and reduced the proportion of taxes, but the people below took advantage of it, how could they let it go easily.

After Zhang Juzheng learned the truth, he did not continue to embarrass this small county order, and asked him to abolish these taxes, and the matter was settled.

After Jiang Yun saw Zhang Juzheng walking away, he stood up, touched his back, and found that his clothes had already been soaked with sweat.