Qianlong: Qing Dynasty?What about my Daqing?

Chapter 336 Losing privileges, losing everything.

Just when Li Zhongren sat down on the ground.

Du Rusong beside Li Zhongren also changed his face drastically.

He is not thirty, but already 28, and there are only two years left before he can't take the exam.

But he's okay.

Mainly his elder brother, Du Ruchong!
This is the hope of the Du family in Anhua Town, Chongning County, Chengdu Prefecture.

In the former Qing Dynasty, the talented scholar, a 25-year-old Juren, if nothing unexpected happened, Anhua Du's family would be rich.

but now.

If you are over [-], you cannot take the test.
Isn't that.

His genius brother, the hope of Anhua Du's family, can't take the exam?
"Brother Li, where is my brother? Where is my brother now?"

Du Ruchong asked eagerly.

Only then did Li Zhongyi see Du Ruchong, who was also thin and stripped off, whom he didn't quite recognize.

"Oh, brother Du, brother Du, you are here." Li Zhongyi said, and removed an envelope from his arms.

"This is what your brother entrusted to bring to you. Inside is a letter and a check from the Royal Bank."

"A check? Where did my brother go? Has he been taken to prison?" Du Ruchong was shocked when he heard that there was a check in the letter.

"No, no, your brother is now one of the famous six gentlemen in the world, and now there is a "Gentleman Newspaper" in Guangzhou." Li Zhongyi shook his head and said, arching his hands at Dongfang and saying: "That one The Lord has spoken, Six Gentlemen, no one can be an official!"

"That Lord" Du Rusong fell silent.

Who else could be the master who can say this?

This is not the time for Ming and Qing to fight.

If not here, where else can you go.

Now all the official shops in the world have the surname Zhu.

If the big bosses say they don't want you to be an official, then you will definitely not be able to be an official.

"Brother Du, you don't have to worry. Your brother's [Junzi Bao] is very popular in Guangzhou. It is famous for its outspokenness and courage. Many policies of the imperial court, [Junzi Bao] have some criticisms. Now your brother is called it." It's "Doctor Censor in the Field"."

"No matter what the imperial censor is, he is still in the wild."

Du Rusong smiled wryly.

Together with Li Zhongyi, he helped up Li Zongren who was sitting on the ground in a daze.

"Brother Li, you should also be more careful. In this world, there is nothing but... other than being an official." At this point, Du Rusong burst into tears.

Besides being an official?

That's easy to say.

Those scholars, isn't their lifelong goal to be an official in the imperial examination.

Now after the age of 30, the examination of scholar is not allowed.

Which rule is this?

There has been no such rule since ancient times.

If so.

Jiang Taigong, Guan Zhong, Lu Shang and others.

What chance is there?
Why does Emperor Zhu have to have trouble with scholar-bureaucrats and scholars?

Just when Du Rusong was disheartened, as if all his goals in life had been lost.

Suddenly someone shouted in front of him.

"Fan Xiucai, if you want to be more open, you can't dance! Your father-in-law is a butcher. You won't study in the future. It's good to follow him to butcher pigs."

"Yes, yes, it is also a means of earning a living."

"If you want to jump, don't jump on top of my inn!"

Du Rusong followed the reputation.

I saw an elderly scholar standing on the roof of a dilapidated inn.

It looked quite downcast.

The clothes are still in the style of the former Qing Dynasty.

The hair on the head should have almost fallen out, and I can't even pull it into a bun, so I can only wrap it in a blue cloth.

The whole person looks disheartened and hopeless, it seems like a pig jumped off a building.

"Isn't this Fan Jin?"

Li Zhongyi exclaimed.

"I don't know where his family is from. It seems that he lives by copying and writing here in Chengdu Mansion."

"Oh, I've been looking forward to the imperial examination for my whole life, the glory of the lintel, now I'm old and can't take the exam, it's true" Li Zhongren sighed, and he looked quite disheartened, which made Li Zhongyi hurriedly pulled him away. Elder brother's sleeves, also afraid that elder brother will not be able to think about it for a while.

"Think of me, Li Zhongren, who was enlightened at the age of 5 and studied hard for 27 years. Now I can't take the imperial examination. If I don't take the imperial examination, what is the use of reading these sage books? What else can I do? I have read dozens of books. The book that was written in [-] is now a waste." Li Zhongren said, his face was already full of tears.

"Big brother."

Li Zhongyi opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say.

"Looking at Fan Xiucai's appearance, he must be over 30 years old and unable to take the imperial examination, so he couldn't think about it for a while..."

"Hey, eight of them died in Gongyuan Street this moonlight. They were all scholars who were over 30 years old and couldn't take the imperial examination. What a pity!"

"Yeah, they are all people who have read sage books for more than [-] years, and they don't know how to do other things, so they won't be allowed to take the exam. How can they live..."

"Yeah, how do I live now? I have read the sage books for half my life, but now I can't take the exam..."

Just then.

Many scholars gathered at the scene to watch the excitement.

Among them, it seems that there are quite a few old scholars who are over [-] years old.

"It's over, it's over, it's over, this life is over."

Some people are in love with the scene.

"Don't live, don't live, let's die"

Someone also climbed to the top floor of the inn.

Just then.

boom!
A loud bang came.

Fan Jin has already jumped off.

This inn building is not very high, it is a wooden building with one floor and three floors.

But he couldn't stand the bluestone slabs on the ground, and Fan Xiucai, whose head fell downward, had his head burst on the spot.

Blood plasma, brain plasma.

Splash all over the place.

Even Li Zhongyi, who was watching from a distance, had a trace of blood on his face.

"Brother Du, what's your plan next?"

Li Zhongren looked at his cellmate Du Rusong and asked.

Du Rusong sighed, and said: "My family's property is almost spent because of getting me out of the prison. When I go back this time, I will sell other family wealth and go to Guangzhou to join my brother."

"Brother Li, why don't you go to Guangzhou with me, as an official of the Ming Dynasty, it doesn't matter if you don't do it!"

"Do it, must do it! Definitely do it!"

Li Zhongren gritted his teeth.

"Brother, what else can I do?" Li Zhongyi stomped his foot.

How nice it is to go to Guangzhou.

[Junzi Daily] is a world-renowned newspaper, earning tens of thousands of dollars a year, going to Guangzhou to write articles for [Junzi Daily] is much better than staying in Sichuan to farm.

"I can't do it, isn't there you?" Li Zhongren said after taking a deep breath.

"Me? Brother! The Zhu family doesn't want us to be their officials. We don't care. If you don't take the exam, your younger brother won't take the exam either. We'll go back to our hometown and farm the land."

Snapped!
Li Zhongyi hasn't finished yet.

Li Zhongren's slap had already hit him in the face.

"What are you talking about! I can't take the exam because my brother is too old to take the exam. You are only twenty, why don't you take the exam? Not only do you have to take the exam, you must pass the exam! My brother fought with many in prison. The inmates have talked about that the first scholar exam in each province is the easiest to pass, and it will be difficult after that! In Daqiao Town, our Li family is the only scholar who passed the exam. There is a high probability that this The mayor of Daqiao Town is yours! Take the test! You must take the test!"

In fact, Li Zhongyi did not intend to give up the exam.

Just a few days ago.

Some local people in Sichuan urged to submit a petition.

This time it is not the same as last time, saying that new learning will be abolished.

It is [Sichuan Scholars Please Open the Petition for the Imperial Examination].

This is begging the emperor Lao Tzu to hurry up and hold the imperial examination.

No more imperial examinations.

The officials in Sichuan have to be done by outsiders.

These outsiders came to Sichuan to be officials, so they would definitely not care about the ideas of Sichuan people, and they would definitely get what they could.

In addition, the policy of not being able to take the test at the age of 30 came.

Those scholars who are almost thirty can't sit still.

Get angry in a hurry.

They all signed it.

In Chengdu, there are also many newcomers from Shanghai and Guangzhou.

A lot of "new subject lifting assault training classes" have been opened.

Many old scholars are planning to embrace Buddhism temporarily, before they turn 30.

Li Zhongyi is no exception.

Daqiao Town is now managed by a few subordinate officials, waiting for him to become the only scholar in Daqiao Town.

Then he must be the mayor.

Until then.
All the wealth and land that the Li family has scattered over the past few years can be recovered!
The Li brothers and Du Rusong parted ways.

Du Rusong is going to Guangzhou to join his gentleman brother.

And the Li brothers.

I have to go back to my hometown.

Li Zhongren didn't know how he got back to his hometown.

Although he taught his brother a lesson, what he said was straightforward.

But to say that he also thought about it
That essence is foolishness.

How could it be so easy to think about it.

27 Ah.

Study hard in the cold window.

Thirty-nine days, dog days, cold winter months, studying hard.

Although Sichuan is known as the land of abundance.

But the wealth of Sichuan is rich only in Chengdu.

The land of abundance.

It has always been the Chengdu Plain, not the Shankara around Sichuan.

For example, Daqiao Town, Li Zhongren's hometown.

It is a small town located in the mountains on the edge of the Chengdu Plain.

Such a town.

According to local records.

In history, from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, and then to the present Ming Dynasty.

In total, there were only 17 scholars -- including Li Zhongren.

In the past few hundred years, only 17 scholars have emerged.

This is really not easy.

and so.

ten years ago.

When Li Zongren returned to his hometown as a high school scholar.

That is also a tall horse, wearing red and hanging colors, parading the streets and alleys, with infinite scenery.

And the Li family in Daqiao Town was also officially promoted to the family of gentry.

In Daqiao Town, it is not that there are no big families with more land than the Li family.

but.

The big family and the gentry are different.

No matter how much property Otoda has, he is still a "ruled" class.

When paying land taxes and miscellaneous pies, it may be possible to pay less than small and medium-sized households.

But it's still a heavy burden.

But Li Zhongren was selected as a scholar.

That would be different.

That means that Li Zhongren became a member of the official reserve team of the Qing court and a member of the ruling class.

In the law of the Qing Dynasty.

Although since the implementation of Emperor Yongzheng's policy of "paying food for officials and gentry together",

Most people will not have the privilege of legal tax exemption.

but.

The burden of the Qing Dynasty is not just land taxes.

There are also various miscellaneous factions.

This miscellaneous brand belongs to a gray area, it is not a tax from the imperial court, but a means for local officials to make money, and theoretically it should not be collected.

But the Qing court could only turn a blind eye to this.

After all, they still rely on the gentry to rule the countryside.

"Officials and gentry pay food together", and did not say "officials and gentry pay miscellaneous faction".

And in the Qing Dynasty.

This miscellaneous faction pays more than twice as much as the regular tax.

therefore.

After high school talent.

The miscellaneous cards of the Li family in Daqiao Town will be exempted.

It doesn't count if you get rid of the miscellaneous factions.

Another advantage is that.

Since then.

Where can the Li family in Daqiao Town find a short price to pay for their food, and this time it is at least half less.

Even with normal taxation.

That only needs to pay about one-seventh of the original land tax.

But all the rich landowners of the landlord class are Grandet.

Even so.

The gentry class still has ways to avoid taxes.

After Li Zhongren became a scholar.

His family has a privilege-assisting in tax collection.

By convention.

The officials of the Qing Dynasty did not go directly to the countryside to collect taxes.

Instead, the local gentry collected taxes on their behalf.

Every place has an approximate tax amount.

After collecting it.

How much the imperial court gets and how much the officials at all levels share are all within this quota.

As for saying.

Can the local gentry charge more and put it in their pockets?
of course.

As long as there is no civil uprising.

Anyway, the illiteracy rate is so high now.

There are very few people who can figure out how much tax they have to pay, so it's not like letting the local gentry bully them casually.

because of this.

In the short few years of Li Zhongren's high school scholar.

The Li family in Daqiao Town has become the leading big family in Daqiao Town.

and this.

It is a person who relies on the imperial examination to make a fortune.

Under the influence of the imperial examination system.

The epitome of a family rising from the bottom.

A scholar.

In the eyes of the great figures in the court.

Just like ants.

Nothing at all.

Not even an official.

But for those families who relied on the fame of this scholar to join the gentry class and make a fortune.

This.

That's how it all started.

get fame.

The family can grow and prosper.

lose fame.

Lose privileges.

Lose privileges.

Lose everything.

Of course.

Now the Li family in Daqiao Town has not reached this level.

Although Li Zhongren can't take the exam.

But there is still hope for his younger brother Li Zhongyi.

If Li Zhongyi can be a "high school scholar", then the Li family will still be a well-known family of gentry in Daqiao Town.

Li Zhongyi's goal in life—or in other words, the goal of life before the age of 30 is to pass the imperial examination and high school.

But what about Li Zhongren?

After he returned to the village.

I began to think about my own future-this is why Emperor Zhu must stipulate that 30 years old cannot take the exam.

For Emperor Zhu.

These talents.

In fact, it is the local "elite class".

Their brains are active, and to a certain extent, the imperial examination is an intellectual game, and a smarter brain is naturally more likely to go to high school.

These smart minds, if they have been reading the Four Books and Five Classics all their lives.

The smartest part of a nation has been reading all their lives.

It's such a fucking waste of manpower. A waste of brainpower.

30 years old can not take the test.

It is also forcing smart people like Li Zhongren who can be a high school scholar at the age of twenty.

Make good use of your ingenuity.

We must build a new Ming Dynasty well.

(End of this chapter)