Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 316

The people at the bottom are the most sensible. As the ruled, they naturally don't care about the government.

But they know that whoever makes them live better is more qualified to be their ruler.

Yan Xiucai's advice made the villagers here suddenly become Zhu Youjian's supporters.

At this time, Gu Lin, a student of Donglin Academy in Wuxi County, Changzhou Prefecture, Nanzhili Province, who also became a student because of his sociology teaching position, shouted angrily to his classmates:
"Everyone, take a look, what are these lords in the court talking about? They even scolded me that the scholars and people in Nanzhili didn't know the etiquette, didn't know the holy grace, and slandered the government indiscriminately! And Liu Zongzhou, a Yue man, was in vain for my respect in the past. He is such a human being, but he never thought that he would be so shameless for the sake of power!"

Although Gu Lin is a professor of sociology, he was born as a rich businessman for generations, and his teaching status is just bought from the government. Naturally, he doesn't need to teach in sociology, but it is for nothing to occupy a quota for the rural students. Find a place to take the test.

It has to be admitted that Zhu Youjian's policy of encouraging scholars to engage in teaching issued by the Ministry of Rites, because of the corruption of some officials, has given many officials and merchants a loophole to take advantage of. With their talents, not everyone can become a granary student. But now it is possible to bribe the government to get a quota of granary students and get a teaching salary for nothing.

Of course, this is not mentioned here for the time being, a policy will inevitably change its flavor when it is implemented below.

As long as there is a local official who carries out the will of the imperial court, it can be regarded as a matter of benefiting the country and the people.

A well-to-do man like Gu Lin would naturally not be a newspaper reader to earn a small amount of money, and he would not be bothered to contact the low-level people who he never took a look at. Naturally, he would not be like Yan Xiucai who came from a poor family. Going to talk to the common people, the only ones who associate with him are naturally his classmates and friends.

These classmates and friends of his are also the sons of officials, gentry, merchants, and merchants who are already dissatisfied with the imperial court's collection of commercial taxes, coupled with the regional disputes that have been difficult to eliminate since ancient times.

Now hearing what Gu Lin said about Liu Zongzhou, many people naturally responded, and Zengsheng Zuo Jinmao also sneered: "How many officials in the court are good, they always only value the friendship of fellow countrymen when they choose officials , don’t ask the virtuous and foolish at all, otherwise the people of Yue, Qi, and Gan will be in power in all courts!”

"Look at what the officials of the imperial court are saying in the Guanghua Daily, saying that commercial taxation is an act that benefits the country and the people, and even saying that the opening of Songjiang Prefecture is the first virtuous government in Chongzhen's 19 years, but it is just to take advantage of the people. Because of the stupid officials of the fat court," Gu Lin continued to say with righteous indignation.

"That is, everyone, from the perspective of Zuo, today we might as well form an association here, revive the old Donglin Restoration Society, take rectification of the government as our mission, and revive the scholarly atmosphere as our mission, how about it?"

When Zuo Jinmao called out, most of the other students also echoed.

Gu Lin smiled at Zuo Jinmao, and said, "In this case, how about we reorganize as the Duan Literature Club under the Donglin Academy of Gu Duan Wengong (Gu Xiancheng) in the past?"

"it is good!"

Most of these students responded, and immediately Gu Lin ordered someone to take out the prepared roster, and asked all sentient beings to write down their names and enter the club.

Some of the students, like Gu Lin, Zuo Jinmao and others, were born in rich gentry and were dissatisfied with the government, and even more dissatisfied with the non-South Zhili officials in the court, so they all came to sign in positive response.

But in fact, most of the students have to choose to obey because of the power of these people in the local area, or they just instinctively flatter and follow others.

And some students left here quietly, unwilling to form an association with these people to criticize current affairs.

Even at this time, there was a well-known student named Tang Ying who directly chose to refuse:
"I'm sorry, my friends, Mr. Tang has always been from a poor family. He was promoted by the Grand Master and was taken as the head of the desk from the farmhouse. He should have been determined to learn;

But Tang can't understand how some people are acting pretentiously here today, so Tang wants to refuse to join the literary club, and even report to the imperial court that you are gathering crowds here to make troubles, with the intention of influencing the government!

Today, Tang only asked his friend Gu, how did the increase of commercial tax and the opening of the Songjiang Prefecture benefit the people?

Bucai's mother's family is a fisherman in Huangpu, Shanghai. So far, I have heard no complaints from the people, so how can I talk about taking advantage of the people!
Although we are all scholars and should care about the country and the country, as scholars, we must pay attention to a word of sincerity!Since you are concerned about current affairs, how can you speak nonsense!

17 years ago, thieves broke out everywhere in Chongzhen, Jianlu wantonly plundered the customs, resulting in the loss of the country and the loss of the northern capital.

Now that the world is in peace, and the Northern Expedition has not yet begun, if you want to act like this again, what is it like to abandon your home and country!
If you are dissatisfied with the corrupt officials in the current court, you can go to the capital to sue the imperial court!

Why bother to straighten the court system with big words here, not to mention that the court policy is not chaotic, if the chaotic policy is chaotic, it is because you formed associations at will! "

"Farewell!"

After Tang Ying finished speaking, she wanted to throw up her sleeves and leave.

But Zuo Jinmao stopped him:
"Friend Tang, please stop. You are just from a humble military background, and your mother's family is even more humble, but the fisherman's ears, the great master takes you as the head of the case, and the government will give your mother's family some favors, you will naturally appreciate the court's kindness .

But do you know that dozens of official and gentry families in Songjiang Mansion were wiped out within one month, and the young ones were even sent to Dongfan as slaves!

Although we must not disobey our father, these officials in the court are so cruel to us Wu people, can you just turn a blind eye! "

"These are all done by pirates. The government has already explained that His Majesty is going to send a large army. Even the people of Songjiang Mansion said so!"

Tang Ying hurriedly replied.

But Gu Lin sneered: "What did the pirates do? Friends Tang, you have to believe that it was the pirates. We have nothing to say. We don't agree with each other. If you don't want to join the club, we don't have to force you." , but from today onwards, you and I will cut off our robes, let's go!"

"Farewell!" Tang Ying left with cupped hands.

"I'll take my leave too. Although I'm the son of a merchant, if it wasn't for the imperial government's collection of commercial taxes, my family would not have been able to get a loan from the Daming Central Bank this year. Fortunately, my sister didn't come to your Gu family to be your aunt! Pooh!"

At this time, a Zengsheng named Wei Hewei also said a few words, and hurriedly chased after Tang Ying.

Gu Lin blushed a little. He knew that the seventh patriarch of his family was fond of humiliating girls, and he even knew that he had harmed the Wei family. Moreover, if he hadn't helped at the beginning, the girl of the Wei family would have already fallen into the clutches of his seventh patriarch. Seeing that Wei Hewei is about to leave now, besides being red-faced, he is also a little angry:

"It's a waste of me trying to help you out, white-eyed wolf!"

Some students who did not want to participate in the court's disputes or disagreed with Gu Lin and other political opinions also began to leave one after another at this moment.

Seeing this, Zuo Jinmao walked up to Gu Lin:

"Among the 54 students, 37 signed, and [-] left. The others don't matter. But this Tang Ying is a person valued by the great master, and he is also the leader of the court examination case. He has a very high status among the scholars in this county. , and that Wei Dawei has also become a rich man since he got a loan from the Daming Central Bank, and is quite powerful in the county and even in the scholarly circle of Songjiang Prefecture. It is a pity that these two people do not join the Duan Literature Society What's worse, this Tang Ying actually threatened to expose us."

"If he wants to sue, he must sue the Grand Master. Don't forget how Wu Zhifu, the prefect of Songjiang Prefecture, died. There are so many outlaws these days, and the sudden death of two life members is nothing!"

Gu Lin smiled coldly.

(End of this chapter)