Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

The father and son were silent for a long time and kept communicating with their eyes.

Finally, Ju Ming decided to lower the price: "One hundred guan."

"It's still too expensive." Bai Chongyan shook his head.

Ju Ming carefully observed the other person's expression and guessed Bai Chongyan's true thoughts.

He once read a record that there was a scholar in the south of the Yangtze River during the Song Dynasty. He usually kept quiet, but in the year of great disaster, he donated more than 100,000 yuan to relieve the people.

The wealthy families in the Song Dynasty should be very wealthy.

Why is Mr. Bai so stingy?

But from Bai Chongyan's perspective, he was sincerely bargaining.

In order to be the county registrar, Mr. Bai spent more than 3,000 yuan on managing relationships, which greatly reduced his family's assets. He did not earn back his capital until he retired.

Bai Chongyan really wanted to buy that pen. If he had replaced it with that novice member, he would have taken advantage of it.

The novice members take a powerful approach and can do anything as long as it is beneficial.

The old white people are developing into gentry. Of course, the gentry also does powerful things, but relatively speaking, they are more disciplined.

It can also be said that the gentry are the ones who set the rules. They are eager to establish order in the countryside and have the say in this order.

Bai Chongyan thought about it and made another counteroffer: "How about forty strings?"

"Ninety Guan is already very cheap." Ju Ming said.

The two sides bargained and went back and forth for several minutes.

Ju Ming felt that he really couldn't sell it, so he could only say: "Then sixty pieces."

"It's a deal!"

Bai Chongyan was afraid that they would regret it, but he still had a happy face, as if he had taken a big advantage this time.

"But there are conditions." Ju Ming said.

Bai Chongyan put away his smile: "Your Excellency, please speak."

Ju Ming stretched out his right index finger: "First, my father and son are living here and want to settle down in the village. Please ask Mr. Sanlang to sell ten acres of mountain land and ten acres of forest, and they must be close to the water pool in the mountain."

"Okay." Bai Chongyan said without hesitation.

The location of the pool is far away from the river bank.

Not much food can be grown in the mountains there. The mountains and forests there are only used for cutting firewood or wood to make furniture.

There are mountains and woods everywhere nearby, and you can take them again at any time. It's just that the value is lower if you are not next to a waterhole.

Ju Ming stretched out another finger: "Second, for five acres of land, please help Mr. Sanlang transfer it to the county government."

Bai Chongyan did not agree immediately this time, but looked at Ju Ming thoughtfully and asked with a smile: "You two want local household registration, and it is the household registration of the main household?"

Ju Ming did not answer, but stretched out a finger again: "Third, if I go to take the imperial examination, please ask Mr. Sanlang to help me be my guarantee!"

"Sure enough," Bai Chongyan shook his head and sighed, "If it weren't for the imperial examination, who would want to be the head of a household with only a few acres of land?"

The imperial examination threshold in the Song Dynasty was more stringent than that in the Ming Dynasty.

First of all, it must be the main household, that is, it must pay taxes to the court.

Secondly, there are status restrictions. Monks are not allowed, entertainers are not allowed, and even industrial and commercial practitioners are not allowed.

The imperial examination qualification review in the Song Dynasty can be roughly summarized into seven items, and Ju Ming has committed three of them: first, he is not a native of the country and has a fake name; second, his ancestors are three generations old and his criminal status is unknown; third, he has been a "merchant" or "Monk".

But rules are made to be broken.

There were so many candidates in the Song Dynasty who changed their household registrations randomly, and the court didn't bother to take care of it unless someone reported it and caused a big fuss.

There are also industrial and commercial practitioners who follow the Tang Dynasty regulations and are not allowed to take imperial examinations. But in practice, there were so many business students taking the imperial examination that even Emperor Yingzong of the Song Dynasty issued an edict: "In the business and miscellaneous fields, those who have extraordinary talents and outstanding achievements may also be sent away."

This edict was tantamount to admitting that business students could take the imperial examination and serve as officials.

What does it mean to be a genius and a person who stands out from the crowd?

Those who can pass the exam are, and those who fail are not!

Bai Chongyan thought carefully for a moment: "Let's do this. All the mountains and forests sold to you will be selected without title deeds. Your future identity will be refugees fleeing from Jingxiang, and you have been cultivating local wasteland for several years. Those mountains are all For the wasteland you have reclaimed, the government will give you household registration and land deeds in accordance with the law."

"That's great!" Ju Ming was very satisfied.

The Song Dynasty not only encouraged annexation, but also encouraged people to open up wasteland. As long as the land was reclaimed, the court would provide household registration and land deeds, and even tax exemptions for newly opened wasteland.

It seems to be a good government, but in fact it has long been deformed.

Take South Jing Road as an example. North Jing Road, which is next to the capital city of Kaifeng, should be densely populated and prosperous. The actual situation is that the land is vast, sparsely populated, and the fields are barren!

There are large areas of wasteland, but the people are unwilling to cultivate it.

First, after you have been cultivating the land for several years and it has finally matured, and you can go to the government to register and get a certificate, suddenly a powerful person jumps out and says that this is obviously our land. Even if the powerful don't take action, it's not easy to deal with the government. It's hard to get land deeds, but the taxes are collected more aggressively, which will make you bankrupt again in minutes. Or, you cultivate ten acres of land, and when it comes time to pay taxes, you suddenly find that you have to pay twenty acres of land.

Due to all these factors, people were more willing to flock to cities to work. The proportion of urban population in the Song Dynasty even exceeded that of the Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China and the early New China. However, due to insufficient rural population, the number of towns in the Song Dynasty was far less than that of the later ones. dynasty.

Of course, there are more complicated reasons for the desolation and desolation of South Beijing Road, which we will not discuss here.

If father and son Zhu Ming and Zhu Guoxiang want to obtain household registration through "opening up wasteland", they must have someone to smooth their relationship with the county government. This is the top priority. Human resources are the key, and whether we can open up wasteland is secondary.

Bai Chongyan continued: "As a guarantee for the imperial examination, I can agree. The premise is that you must farm in the village for more than one year, and you have not committed any crimes. Otherwise, I will not be able to obey the order."

"Of course." Zhu Ming expressed understanding.

Bai Chongyan asked: "Are you sure you will be escorted to the capital (win the examination)?"

Ju Ming smiled and said, "I have to try it."

In fact, Ju Ming is not sure. He is just preparing in advance. Whether he will take the imperial examination in the future depends on the specific situation.

Having an official body makes it easier to do anything.

After all, Bai Chongyan was a scholar. After finalizing the calligraphy transaction, he began to discuss knowledge: "Since you want to take the imperial examination, what great scriptures will you take?"

"Book of Changes." Ju Ming replied.

Bai Chongyan did not study the "Book of Changes" deeply, so he turned to examine the classics: "No king is benevolent, and no king is unjust. What is the meaning?"

Ju Ming didn't even need to search for information in his mind, because these two sentences were too simple, and he immediately answered: "As a minister, your first priority should be to make the king a benevolent and righteous person."

Bai Chongyan asked again: "A gentleman cherishes virtue, while a villain cherishes earth. A gentleman cherishes punishment, while a villain cherishes favor. What's the meaning?"

Ju Ming said: "Gentlemen and villains have different interests, just public and private."

"Is it just public or private?"

Bai Chongyan suddenly serious, carefully savored the meaning, then stood up and bowed: "Thank you for your advice!"

The popular version of "The Analects" in the Northern Song Dynasty was the "Analects of Confucius" annotated by He Yan of the Three Kingdoms. The content of the annotations is very lengthy, and the difference between a gentleman and a villain is explained in a few words.

What Ju Ming just answered was the content of Zhu Xi's annotations.

Zhu Xi did not mingle words, and only used the words "public and private" to accurately explain the difference between a gentleman and a villain.

A gentleman pays attention to justice, while a villain is obsessed with self-interest.

"I don't dare take it seriously." Zhu Ming smiled and returned the gesture.

"Public and private, public and private..." Bai Chongyan muttered to himself. Combining these two words, he began to recall the content of "The Analects of Confucius Li Ren" and found that several verses could be deconstructed based on this.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He got up and walked around, almost dancing.

Learning the word "public and private" is Bai Chongyan's biggest gain, and it is much more important than buying a top-quality writing brush.

Grandma Yan and Shen Yourong also looked surprised when they saw Bai Chongyan was so abnormal.

In their minds, Bai Sanlang was full of knowledge and was a well-known local talent. But Zhu Dalang made Bai Sanlang lose his composure with just a few words. In comparison, how knowledgeable Zhu Dalang must be!

After being happy for a long time, Bai Chongyan finally sat back and suppressed his excitement: "Brother Zhu..."

"Just call me Da Lang." Ju Ming has already accepted this title.

Bai Chongyan asked: "Which great Confucian disciple did Dalang study under?"

Ju Ming said: "I have been traveling around since I was a child. My elementary school education was taught by my father. As for the Confucian classics, I listen to some here and some there, and I also ponder them by myself."

Bai Chongyan was even more impressed: "It turns out that Dalang is a self-taught master. Brother Yu is really ashamed!"

Bai Chongyan asked Shen Yourong to bring "The Analects of Confucius" and "Mencius" and planned to ask them word for word, hoping to get more new explanations.

Ju Ming stood up and clasped his fists: "San Lang, it's already late."

"Yes, yes, it's me, Meng Lang," Bai Chongyan quickly stood up and said goodbye, "Master, please have a rest and come back tomorrow for advice!"

Ju Ming said: "Walk slowly."

Bai Chongyan looked at the table: "I will bring this writing brush tomorrow with the money, and the deed for selling the land will also be sent to me."

"No rush." ​​Zhu Ming was really not in a hurry. He had already fooled this guy anyway.

Bai Chongyan added: "Brother Yu has a good friend who is the husband of the Prime Minister of Yangzhou. We have made an appointment to go to the mountains together tomorrow. I wonder if I would like to go with him?"

The son of the state magistrate?

Of course I want to go!

Ju Ming looked calm and upright, and did not admire the powerful at all: "I am very happy."

Bai Sanlang left with his family children, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sent him out with gifts. After they returned to the house, they treated the Zhu family father and son with even more respect.

What a talented man, if you can always be Brother Qi’s teacher...

Bai Chongyan held an umbrella and returned to his home. He was inexplicably excited all the way, not only the joy of buying a good pen, but also the pleasure of seeking new knowledge.

As for the scandal about his classmate's widow, Bai Chongyan no longer believed it.

The road was slippery on a rainy day, and I accidentally fell down half of my body in the mud.

He went straight to his father's study without changing into clean clothes.

Officer Lao Bai was reading a book with the light on, and glanced at the muddy water on his son's body: "You're back?"

"It's done." Bai Chongyan said.

Member Lao Bai said: "It can be done tonight. It seems that father and son are very capable and convinced you."

Bai Chongyan roughly recounted the incident and said: "Father, the Zhu family and his son must not be bad people. Even if they are bad people, with their talents and knowledge, there is no need to deceive villagers and women. Especially the young scholar Zhu, although he only asked for advice These two sentences have already impressed the child."

Old Bai Yuan worked as a county clerk, but his knowledge was too much for him to pass the examination. He asked, "Are you really that talented and learned?"

"More than just being talented and learned," Bai Chongyan highly praised it. "When I went to Yangzhou from Xixiang County to study, I met more than one or two Confucian scholars. Even the famous Confucians in Yangzhou also interpreted the Analects of Confucius according to He Pingshu's words. 》. One or two, they can explain it like a lotus flower, and they are clear-headed, but who can say the word 'public and private'?"

Member Lao Bai said: "These two words are not difficult at all. I know their meaning as soon as I hear them."

Bai Chongyan said: "It's one thing to understand it, and it's another thing to speak it out. If you don't study "The Analects" to perfection, how can you say this? The simpler the words, the more wonderful they are. , as the saying goes, the most important thing is simplicity."

Old Bai understood clearly: "You mean, all the Confucian teachers in Yangzhou are not as knowledgeable as this young man?"

"Not necessarily. The word 'public and private' may have come to him by chance," Bai Chongyan said.

"Does he want to take the imperial examination and become an official?" Lao Bai asked again.

Bai Chongyan said: "This is indeed the intention, and I asked the child to help guarantee it."

Old Bai Yuanwai pondered: "In that case, why not give him some mountainous land? He won't be able to pass the imperial examination, and it's just a few acres of poor land. It won't be a loss for us at all. When Erlang (Bai Ergongzi) comes back, we will give it to him. He helped create the household registration. For your grandmother's birthday banquet, please invite the Zhu family and his son to sit inside, and don't mix with ordinary people."

"Father is wise." Bai Chongyan also admired his father's arrangements.

Old Bai Yuanwai warned: "Don't look at my family being very powerful in the countryside. What does it matter if we leave Xixiang County? You should be kind to others, and don't argue with others and make enemies. That gangster downstream is not stingy, and he calls himself a novice Bai Yuanwai, a fish and meat town." Neighbors, making enemies everywhere, colluding with bandits, and selling salt and tea privately, sooner or later you will have to break up your family and run away!"

When he was young, he was also a ruthless character. More than ten years ago, he finally got the best of him, resigned from his position as bookkeeper and returned to the countryside in despair.

From then on, he cultivated his moral character and treated his neighbors with kindness, and gradually gained a good reputation.

"Father is right," Bai Chongyan said.

Member Lao Bai added: "I forgot to ask you yesterday, is Zhong Xiucai willing to come to my house to teach?"

Bai Chongyan said: "My child has been invited, and Zhong Xiucai is willing to come, but the requirements are more stringent. The monthly salary is four guan, and another one has to be paid every year."

"He must be so poor!" Old Bai was furious.

Bai Chongyan said: "Our place is too remote. I have asked several gentlemen. Anyone who has some skills is either unwilling to come or the price is too high. With the remuneration given by my father, I can also hire a teacher, but what about his knowledge? But I don’t like it.”

Lao Bai said: "It's okay to be less knowledgeable. After all, I'm just teaching Meng Tong. Liang Xuejun in the family is too old and is so dazzled and deaf that he can't even hear the quarrels in class. We must find a new teacher this year."

Bai Chongyan hesitated again and again and couldn't help but say: "My child thinks that the private school should be changed into a village school, so that all children in the village who are interested in learning can come to study."

"You still need to build a village school, do you really think I am a good person?" Old Bai sneered.

Bai Chongyan said: "Father, there is no village school, so my family can only be considered a rich man. Only by establishing a village school and educating the countryside can we be called a gentry family."

"The gentry's home, the gentry's home..."

The old white member was moved by this title. After pondering over and over again, he nodded in agreement and said, "Indeed, there is no village school in the village, and you will lose face when traveling abroad. With fifty guan, you should be able to set up a village school, right?"

Bai Chongyan said: "It's more than enough."

Member Lao Bai immediately made the decision: "After your grandmother's birthday, we will build a few thatched houses so that all the children in the village can come to study, and let Liang Xuexue continue to teach for the time being."

Bai Chongyan suggested: "Since the master of the Zhu family can compile the "Three Character Classic", he must have a lot of experience in teaching Meng children. He also said that his Meng studies were taught by his father Zhu Xianggong. Wait for the children to test his knowledge again. Maybe we can hire Mr. Zhu as a village scholar."

"Alright." Old Bai agreed.