Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 1150 Postscript VII: The Queen Mother's Teachings to the Little Emperor

The unemployed are rioting in factories in the suburbs, but this does not affect the rich people going out of the city to relax.

When Xie Yan was going back, he saw a long line of carriages leaving the city.

The BMWs and carved carriages were elegant and luxurious.

Servants were in groups, following them.

It may be that several families have agreed to go out together. There are four or five hundred servants following the carriages. Even those servants are dressed in bright clothes, as if they are superior to others.

Such a luxurious style can solve the employment of many people.

Xie Yan was surprised and said, "After all, I am also the son of a judge, and my father ranks second in the officialdom of Huangzhou Prefecture. Why do they have a big show when they go out, but only you follow me when I go out?"

Wang Sheng smiled and said, "Different family styles."

Xie Yan said, "These families are difficult to manage, right? My father is an official in Huangzhou Prefecture, and I am afraid he has to look at their faces."

"Everything needs to be discussed." Wang Sheng said.

Xie Yan suddenly had a question: "Even if my father doesn't care about ostentation, why doesn't he even take a concubine?"

Wang Sheng immediately suppressed his laughter: "My husband and my wife are deeply in love, and they won't allow a third person to interfere."

"Why does this sound fake to me?" Xie Yan was a little unconvinced.

Wang Sheng said very obscurely: "My wife has a distinguished family background. She was married down at the beginning. Although she is a woman, she has her own opinions."

Well, Xie Yan understood it now.

It's not that his father doesn't want to take a concubine, but he has the desire but not the courage.

Xie Yiqin claimed that he could become a prefectural judge in his forties thanks to his imperial examination ranking and official achievements. Who would believe it if he told others? It's because he has a father-in-law to support him.

Of course, the father-in-law has limited ability, and Xie Yiqin's future career will depend on himself.

Xie Yan asked, "What does my grandfather do?"

Wang Sheng replied, "At the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the tribe was dismantled and moved to Hebei. The second generation after moving to Hebei became a Jinshi, and gradually became an official family. The old man was an upright official. He was demoted to Java during the Dingtai period and was promoted to the Governor of Luzon overseas. He requested to retire due to old age and died of illness at the beginning of last year."

"Then are there any uncles in my grandfather's family who are officials?" Xie Yan was quite looking forward to it.

Wang Sheng said, "There are two more who are officials. Langjun's uncle is a powerful political advisor in Guangdong Province."

Xie Yan was very happy to hear that he really became a second-generation official in this life, and his parents' family were all officials.

Thinking about the hardships of delivering food before crossing, it's finally over!

Thinking about delivering food, Xie Yan couldn't help but think of his parents in the original time and space. He could only comfort himself that his parents responded to the two-child policy and gave birth to a younger brother in their forties. When he was gone, his younger brother would support him.

Xie Yan pointed at the convoy that had gone far away: "Where are they going?"

Wang Sheng guessed: "Maybe they are going to Anguo Temple, where incense is very popular. It is said that Han Qi studied hard in the temple for several years, and Su Shi also went to the temple every one or two days for five consecutive years."

"It's almost noon now, how long can you play?" Xie Yan didn't like those guys.

Wang Sheng said: "There are many elegant houses in Anguo Temple, which are specially for wealthy pilgrims to live in. As long as you can afford it, you can live in the temple for a lifetime. If you leave the city near noon, you must stay overnight in the temple. Those rich people get up very late, so of course they will be very late when they are invited to go out."

It was almost noon and they had to rush home for dinner, so the two called a donkey cart.

When they got off the car at the side door of the hall, Xie Yan actually met his colleague - a takeaway boy.

This was a takeaway for his family. It was placed at the gatehouse and was not allowed to enter. Wang Sheng helped to carry it to the backyard.

There were other meals at home.

The mother explained, "I missed the chili in Huibinlou, so I ordered some to be sent over. Liulang's injury has not healed yet, so don't touch the chili today."

The lunch box was opened, and Xie Yan was stunned when he looked at the chili: "Is this kind of chili available everywhere?"

The mother said, "It has spread to Hunan in recent years, and there are also a few farmers in Huangzhou Prefecture who grow it. The price is still quite expensive, and it will be cheaper in a few years."

"Where did the chili come from?" Xie Yan asked.

The mother said, "There is a place called America overseas. In the later years of Emperor Taizong, he speculated that there was a beautiful state in the far east of the ocean, so he sent a fleet to explore it."

"Did they really find it?" Xie Yan was surprised.

Mother smiled and said, "Emperors Taizu and Taizong were both gods sent from heaven. How could their speculations be wrong? However, there are rumors that things did not go smoothly at the beginning. The first and second sea exploration fleets disappeared. It was not until the fifth year after Taizong's death that the third sea exploration fleet returned from Luzon."

Xie Yan asked again, "Is there a governor's office in America?"

Mother shook her head, "America is too remote, and not many people are willing to immigrate there. The court has always organized explorations, and each time a batch of death row prisoners were transported there. It seems that it stopped for 20 to 30 years in the middle. It is estimated that the population there is not much now."

After discovering that America was remote and poor, the court still insisted on exploring its land, which made many ministers express incomprehension.

But almost every emperor would organize a fleet to go to America, as if looking for a treasure called rubber.

So far, rubber has not been found, but many other things have been brought back one after another.

For example, peppers.

For example, potatoes.

For example, tobacco.

The mother in this time and space can eat spicy food. She sweated on her forehead because of the spiciness, but she became more and more excited.

Xie Yan also wanted to try it, but was forbidden to touch it because his injury "had not healed".

In the afternoon, he returned to his study and took out various textbooks to study.

The Four Books are still compulsory, and the Six Classics still have to be chosen. Xie Yan felt dizzy after just a few glances.

However, when reading those words, there is always a sense of familiarity, probably because of this body.

"Is it possible to take a shortcut by bypassing the Four Books and Six Classics?" Xie Yan asked.

Wang Sheng said: "If you choose to take the Li Jinshi exam, the questions on the Four Books and Six Classics will be easier. Especially the Six Classics, the questions are very simple. But when taking the Li Jinshi exam, physics, chemistry, astronomy, and geography are much more difficult. "

"Then I will take the examination for Jinshi!" Xie Yan was overjoyed.

Wang Sheng advised: "Liu Lang, it's really difficult to be a Jinshi. Wen Jinshi's mathematics, physics and other test questions are ridiculed by Li Jinshi as child's play."

Xie Yan said: "I just like to challenge difficult problems, please don't stop me!"

He casually opened a mathematics textbook and became confused as he looked at it.

He knew the Arabic numerals, and he also knew the symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, but there were some symbols that he had never seen before in the Bible.

These symbols were created by the mathematicians of the Ming Dynasty!

Xie Yan quickly opened the physics textbook, and there were also a lot of symbols he didn't recognize.

Damn, it's not compatible.

Throughout the afternoon, Xie Yan was reading carefully, mainly to familiarize himself with the various symbols and units in this world.

During dinner, the second brother and the younger sister went home, but their father never showed up. It was probably because the riots by the unemployed had not yet been dealt with.

…

Luoyang.

The side hall of Chui Gong Hall, inside the political hall.

Retired minister Yang Lide, who had just rushed back to the capital, bowed to the Queen Mother Ye and said: "The sage knows clearly that reform is not something that happens overnight. Being too radical and reckless will lead to bad things!"

Queen Mother Ye asked: "Mr. Yang came to the capital in a hurry and was anxious to see the emperor. Do you just want to persuade your majesty to postpone the reform?"

Yang Lide said: "As soon as the article in the "Da Ming Xun Bao" was published, chaos broke out in many places. How could the imperial court write an article to incite the people to rebel?"

Queen Mother Ye is less than thirty years old this year. Her eye sockets are a bit deep and her nose is a bit straight. The rest is no different from a Han Chinese.

The little emperor is eleven years old and is sitting there very sensibly. He looked at this now and then that, as if he wanted to understand why the adults were arguing.

Queen Mother Ye did not answer.

Prime Minister Deng Gongwu said: "The child labor ban was promulgated at the end of last year and came into effect on January 1 this year. It's already summer, how many factories have complied with the ban? Not only did the factories not comply, but private newspapers also said nothing about it. Mention. What do they want to do?"

Yang Lide said: "Governing a big country is like cooking a small delicacy. Don't be too impatient. Even if you have to rush, you should let the officials take action instead of inciting the small people to riot!"

"Am I inciting the common people to riot?" Deng Gongwu sneered, "I am telling the truth and presenting facts throughout the article. Not a single truth is wrong and not a single fact is false!"

Yang Lide suddenly realized: "It turns out that the article was actually written by Deng Xianggong."

Queen Mother Ye suddenly said: "I asked the Prime Minister to write it."

Yang Lide looked at Queen Mother Ye again and found that the Queen Mother had a resolute expression and piercing eyes, which was comparable to that of an ordinary woman.

He suddenly realized something.

Queen Mother Ye was born as a child goddess, and she was the only child goddess in the Qihe area for more than a hundred years. She persisted in studying at Imperial College and was selected as the crown prince's concubine.

A woman who can go to Taixue University, even if she does not graduate successfully, will definitely have great perseverance and great wisdom.

This reform is most likely led by the Queen Mother!

Of course, the actual operation is inseparable from Prime Minister Deng Gongwu, because the Queen Mother has no political experience at all.

Queen Mother Ye asked: "Do you know what kind of chaos the Qihe Protector's Mansion was back then?"

Yang Lide said: "The Qihe Protectorate has been sorted out by the late emperor."

Queen Mother Ye sneered: "The Qihe Protectorate is easy to sort out. It just quells a few rebellions and kills more civil and military officials and foreigners. But what if chaos breaks out in the Han Dynasty?"

"There will be no chaos in the Han Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty is now in its prime," Yang Lide said. "In his later years, the emperor was recuperating and his finances had gradually become more abundant. After many rebellions, he also reorganized the armies in various places. Now the treasury is full, the soldiers and horses are strong, and the territory is vast. , It has far surpassed the peak of the Han and Tang Dynasties! In such a prosperous age, there is no need for reforms! Once reforms are carried out, chaos will inevitably occur!"

Deng Gongwu said angrily: "A prosperous age when even the ban on child labor cannot be implemented?"

Yang Lide turned to Queen Mother Ye: "Sage, please reinstate me to my official position. I will implement the child labor ban and ensure that no child labor is openly used in factories across the country within a year!"

Deng Gongwu laughed and said: "If it hadn't been for my article, would you have come back to the court sick and taken over the responsibility of implementing the child labor ban? Since you are sick, you should go home to recuperate."

Queen Mother Ye said: "Mr. Yang is loyal to the government and the country. During his retirement, he returned to the court to discuss state affairs when he was ill. Such behavior should be rewarded, so let's reward him with one hundred silver coins. The Pingren Division selected officials to escort Mr. Yang back to his hometown to recuperate."

Yang Lide hesitated to speak because Queen Mother Ye stared at him.

Finally, he retreated.

It was possible to get rid of it so smoothly, thanks to King Yong's coup. On the charge of rebellion, he killed dozens of powerful people and jailed and exiled more than two hundred rebels.

The first three rows of the court hall were all empty!

In the first ten rows, there were only a few rebel generals left.

Many of them were unjustly killed. They did not know the inside story of the coup and just subconsciously relied on the "new king". And after another new king called Qin Wang, they immediately chose to shut up and wait and see, and finally went to the outskirts of Luoyang to welcome the new king back to Beijing.

It's not important.

The important thing is that they were promoted and reused by the pseudo-emperor!

Deng Gongwu also bowed and left.

Empress Dowager Ye took the little emperor's hand and boarded the imperial sedan chair to return to the palace.

She took out an old box and opened it with the key. There were more than a dozen booklets inside: "In three months, the emperor will be twelve years old. You should recite one page of these books every day and don't tell outsiders."

"What is this?" The little emperor asked curiously.

Empress Dowager Ye said: "Your grandfather was with the abdicated Emperor Taizong from the age of six to twelve until his death. These books were passed down to your grandfather by Emperor Taizong."

The little emperor took a look and reached out to pick up a book to read.

Queen Mother Ye continued, "These books were secretly sent to me by your confidants by your grandfather after your brothers died young. You must remember that His Majesty Taizong will not be wrong, and your grandfather will not be wrong either. If ministers say something different in the future, they must be traitors."

The little emperor didn't quite understand, so he just nodded.

Queen Mother Ye continued, "Your uncle Prince Yong, who usurped the throne, is the leader of those traitors. No, he is not even the leader, but a puppet chosen by the traitors."

The little emperor asked, "Weren't uncle Prince Yong and those traitors killed?"

Queen Mother Ye said, "There is no end to the traitors. Your grandfather killed many traitors, but he is old and can't kill them anymore. Not only did the traitors come back to life, but even some loyal ministers became traitors."

The little emperor asked, "Mother said that Master Deng was a loyal minister, so will he become a traitor in the future?"

"It's possible, but not necessarily." Queen Mother Ye said.

After hearing this, the little emperor had fear in his eyes.