New Shun 1730

After such a discussion, the money must be paid.

But after paying the money, we have to stop the world from talking about it.

Otherwise, this matter will never end.

Today, they use this as an excuse to "extort" a hundred thousand taels.

Tomorrow, they have no money, and they use this as an excuse to "extort" another hundred thousand taels.

Is this too much?

Exchanging money is a small matter.

Even if they exchange another three or five million taels, these people can do it. The key is that everything must have an end.

The salt merchants are experienced in this kind of thing.

People often come to them for help, just like retainers. Then there are some people who write a couplet today to "sell" to the salt merchants for some silver, and write a blessing character tomorrow to "sell" to the salt merchants for some silver.

It's a bit like Feng Xuan, who complained about not having fish to eat today and meat to eat tomorrow, and wanted to go home after talking about swords and singing.

Otherwise, why do people say that not everyone can be one of the four princes of the Warring States Period?

The attitude of these salt merchants was very clear. If they met such a person who was shameless, they would just let him go.

Otherwise, he would be a bottomless pit and would pester you to death.

Although they asked for less, only thirty or fifty taels, they knew that this kind of thing could not last long. The longer it lasted, the more he would be arrogant and his greed would be hard to satisfy in the future.

At this time, the salt merchants probably felt similar to this when they looked at the emperor. If he gave too much, he might be arrogant tomorrow.

Now they felt that Liu Yu was here to ask for money and to beg for food for the emperor, so he had to give the money. But there must be a reason for giving it.

The salt merchants could not think of any good solution for a while, so they could only disperse today and ask everyone to go back and entangle their trusted staff and think of a solution.

In the eyes of the literati in Jiangnan, each of the salt merchants was "kind and generous", "kind-hearted", and "elegant and generous".

For example, some salt merchants specially built courtyards and landscapes, and used them as wine-cups and winding waters. From time to time, they invited various literati to gather here and write poems.

Some people were good at calligraphy, so they were funded with silver and money to copy the Thirteen Classics. After the copying was completed, they were given to dignitaries and introduced to others, and they would be rewarded later.

Some people were good at writing, so they specially created opportunities for writing poems and essays, and paid for them to publish poetry collections.

They really achieved "talking and laughing with great scholars, and no ordinary people coming and going".

It should be said that Liu Yu's evaluation was correct. Against the background of the chaos in the late Ming Dynasty and the destruction of the economy of the Jiangnan manor owners, the existence of these salt merchants objectively continued the prosperity of literature and art in Jiangnan in the late Ming Dynasty.

Those who engage in artistic creation must be supported by someone; to a certain extent, the great development of natural history in Europe is actually somewhat similar, and the premise is that they must have money and leisure. It's nothing more than a difference in direction. These days, if you don't have money and leisure, let alone literary creation, can you afford to buy a few pieces of rice paper for painting?

However, such literati are not staff.

Literati are about integrity, and few people really rely on staff. To some extent, staff are divided into masters and servants.

Staff, Qingke, and literary friends are three different levels.

Staff who really depend on these salt merchants for their lives may not be very good at poetry and songs, but some practical skills such as accounting and giving advice are still good.

But even if these staff have some practical skills, they can't think of any good solutions for a while.

There is always a hurdle that can't be bypassed, that is, although it seems that the emperor's behavior is no different from that of beggars, in fact, the difference is huge.

The emperor can make you lose your head, while beggars can only shit on your window at night.

A group of staff couldn't give any good solutions, which only made Zheng Yuxu, the eldest brother of Zheng Yuji, from the Yangzhou branch of the big salt merchants, anxious and angry.

Just when he was angry, the servant came to report that someone had handed in a visiting card to visit.

The visitor's surname was Wu, his courtesy name was Minxuan, and his given name was Jingzi. He was quite talented and had lived in Zheng's house for a while before.

At that time, the father of Zheng Yuxu and his brothers had not died yet. He happened to get a piece of Taihu Linglong Stone, so he used this stone as a town and built a book collection pavilion, called "Linglong Pavilion".

There were no less than 100,000 books in the collection, and no less than 300 to 500 people copied books here every day. He held poetry meetings in spring, summer, autumn and winter to make friends with literati.

Many poor literati also came to eat, and he entertained them and did not drive them away. The literati all called him "Little Mengchang".

Zheng Yuxu also recognized Wu Jingzi. His ancestors were also military officers who followed the previous emperor Yongle to raise troops to clear the court, and got a hereditary position of the Cavalry Guard. Later, the family branch turned to the imperial examination, and also produced many talents. The family was also rich in tens of thousands of gold, but later the family fell into decline for many reasons.

In the past, when Zheng Yuxu's father was alive, he had contact with Wu Jingzi because he admired his reputation. Knowing that Wu Jingzi was short of money, he gave him two hundred taels of silver without waiting for him to ask.

Zheng Yuxu thought that this was another person who came to ask for money, and he was annoyed.

If it were normal days, in order to continue his father's reputation as the little Mengchang, he might have to go to receive him, but now he is facing the turmoil of salt policy reform, how can he have the heart to do it?

But this man is quite famous. Although he is poor, the people he contacts on weekdays also include some leaders of the Northern Confucianism in the Jiangnan Confucian Academy, which is not insignificant.

The literati who deal with salt merchants are also divided into different levels because of their talents, reputations, and relationships.

At that time, a Confucian scholar from another province traveled to Yangzhou. When he saw a Confucian scholar from Yangzhou meet a salt merchant, he bowed his head and said respectfully: Did you know that I came to the mansion yesterday to pay a visit? The salt merchant didn't even say a word, but just nodded and left without even looking at him.

For a moment, the Confucian scholars from other provinces were stunned and exclaimed that the world was turned upside down, scholars and merchants had switched places, and the Great Shun was about to end.

But obviously, Wu Jingzi's reputation was not that of a person who could be "slightly nodded and not answered" by the salt merchants. At least he had a few capable people in his circle of friends.

Zheng Yuxu was about to ask someone to bring twenty or thirty taels of silver to get rid of him, but he looked at the visiting card again, read the allusions in it, and his heart moved.

He stopped the servant who was about to prepare the silver and money to send him off, and said, "Wait, I will go to meet him myself."

After leaving the door, he forced a smile from a distance and bowed his hands and said, "Brother Minxuan! Where are you from? Come in quickly!"

Wu Jingzi saw Zheng Yuxu coming to meet him, and thought that what I said about this matter would be disadvantageous to the people.

However, in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a scholar would die for his confidant.

In the past, when I was down and out, his father gave me a hundred taels of silver without saying a word. As a human being, you should be grateful and repay the kindness.

If he asked someone to send me some money today and let me go, I would have solved a problem.

However, he came to welcome me today, so I must repay such kindness.

If you don't repay a favor, how can you be a human being?

Thinking of the ugly faces in his satirical novels, and thinking about the troubles in his family due to the division of the family property, Wu Jingzi finally decided not to be the kind of person he satirized, but to be a person who knows how to repay kindness, which can also be regarded as a spiritual satisfaction of the Confucian scholars for the chivalry of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

After a few greetings, he led him into the hall, and Zheng Yuxu asked: "Brother Minxuan, what advice do you have for me this time?"

Wu Jingzi said: "This time, it's not for anything else, but because Brother Zheng is worried about something. In the past, Huaiyin did not forget the kindness of the old woman for a meal, and Hou Ying wanted to repay Xinling for driving the car. I have always admired them, and I came here today for this matter."

Zheng Yuji was very happy, knowing that Wu Jingzi had several close friends, all of whom were capable. For example, Cheng Tingzuo, a famous scholar in Jinling and a leader of the ancient Confucianism of Yan and Li, had a close relationship with Wu Jingzi.

Those who are truly capable will not come to be this staff member. And the learning of Yan and Li emphasizes practical learning, unlike those who can only recite poems and write couplets. The fact that Cheng Tingzuo can be friends with this person also shows that he has some means.

Zheng Yuji thought about the salt administration that his staff had no solution to. Could it be that this person would be responsible for it?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but deliberately said cheerfully: "Brother Minxuan came at the right time. Now the salt administration reform is spreading all over the world, and I am at a loss!"

At this point, Wu Jingzi's face was a little ugly for a while, and he felt very uncomfortable.

In fact, the matter of salt administration reform had been a hot topic a year ago. Because of this, he and his friend Cheng Tingzuo broke off their friendship.

Wu Jingzi supported the change of the ticket system for the salt administration reform. His friend Cheng Tingzuo also supported it.

The two had discussed it for a long time in Jinling and had a good chat, but then they chose different paths.

The two were about the same age, and their styles of poetry were similar. They both liked to use ancient poems. I thought that Xin Jiaxuan's poems, which were criticized for "using too many allusions", were really good poems.

The two also had similar views on some things.

They were both in their forties this year, but before Wu Jingzi came this time, the two chose different paths.

The cause of this matter can be traced back to 20 years ago.

More than ten years ago, Li Gangzhu, a disciple of Yan Xizhai of the Northern Confucian School of Ancient Studies, came to Jinling. Cheng Tingzuo saw Yan Xizhai's masterpiece for the first time, and he shouted "It's a pity that we met too late" for his criticism of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, his belief in returning to the past, equalizing land, carrying out separate education, carrying out practical learning system, and carrying out separate selection of agricultural, industrial and commercial studies.

Even in public, he said some "appalling" words: In ancient times, the harm to the Tao came from outside Confucianism; now, the harm to the Tao comes from within Confucianism. Yan Shi originated from Yan and Zhao. When the four seas advocated harmony and were of the same spirit, he was able to compromise and denounce the wrongs. He was the only one in five hundred years. Therefore, it is said that Yan Shi's situation was more difficult than Mencius, and his achievements were twice as great as Mencius.

The allusion here is that the reason why Mencius's status was so high was because Mencius faced a difficult situation at that time. Facing the siege of disciples of big hands such as Mo Di and Yang Zhu, the world's learning was either from Mo or from Yang, and Confucianism was no longer a prominent school of the time.

The biggest harm to the world in the past was not using Confucianism; the biggest harm to the world now is that some people use the banner of Confucianism to engage in private goods.

Therefore, the environment faced by Yan Xizhai was more difficult than that of Mencius. It is always easier to deal with heterodoxies than heresies.

Therefore, Yan Xizhai's achievements were several times greater than those of Mencius.

This is a bit... a bit shocking. At this time, it is simply the madman's crazy talk, no matter what, it is impossible to be on par with the second sage.

After seeing the Yan-Li School, Cheng Tingzuo completely gave up his previous studies, began to study the books of Yan Yuan, Huang Zongxi, Gu Yanwu and others, and began to practice his own journey of practical learning.

He established the Yan-Li School in Jiangnan, and also made up for an important problem of the Yan-Li School - the Yan-Li School is "Ming Gui", plus some of the ideas of the Yan-Li School that focus on practical learning, coupled with this "Ming Gui", directly caught the biggest weakness: this is Mohism, not Confucianism. This is not heresy, this is paganism.

He supplemented the worldview and cosmology of the Yan-Li School, and over time, he has become the leader of the Yan-Li School in Jiangnan. But in fact, he himself advocates a set of theories of "broadening his love, not loving his relatives alone", but he firmly does not care whether this is called universal love, but pan-love.

Wu Jingzi was also critical of Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism. It should be said that the incident twenty years ago did not lead the two to the divergence they have today, and they should still be on the same path.

Besides this incident, Cheng Tingzuo's most famous event in Dashun originated from a poem he wrote.

A poem written before Liu Yu captured Bai Ling and built a navy.

The poem is called "Worrying about the Western Barbarians".

Cruel as firearms, there is no room for discussion.

After flattering, China has no enemies.

Contemplation is not accidental, deep hiding seems to keep silent.

This is not for others to use, the intention is unpredictable.

I heard that Ma Qian was sent to a merchant ship from afar.

He is hiding evil intentions, and he has been eating away at them.

In which year will he attack Luzon and destroy it as a vassal state.

Govern with Western laws, work at night and rest during the day.

If a daughter is born, take her in first, and then allow her to marry in the world.

... It is not to admire saints and sages, but to seek dignified etiquette and music. The emperor is facing the God, and the observation is glorious.

To a certain extent, there must be a deliberate element of smearing here, at least the sentence "work at night and rest during the day" is definitely deliberate smearing. However, the following sentence "First take a daughter in, then allow her to marry in the world" can also be understood as the first person to introduce the concept of "big night power tax" to China?

In short, the poem adds the previous preface, saying that since Matteo Ricci came to China, these missionaries have all possessed special skills, flattering China all day long and saying that China is invincible. If you think about it carefully, this is probably not accidental, but a hidden evil intention.

Look at Luzon, I don't know when it was conquered. I'm afraid these missionaries are the vanguard of eroding China, and we must be on guard. Will he preach first, and then use believers to lead the way to conquer? Like Luzon.

These scholars and officials are still foolishly thinking that they really come to admire saints and seek rituals.

I'm afraid China will have the same fate as Luzon in the future. Don't be fooled. Be vigilant.

When Cheng Tingzuo wrote this poem, the navy of Dashun was not even in sight.

Of course, if it continues to develop normally, it is estimated that Cheng Tingzuo will gradually become "extremely xenophobic". This is not only the limitation of the times, but also another special reason, that is, before Liu Yu appeared, practical learning was monopolized by Catholic missionaries.

To oppose Catholicism, the literati could easily oppose the mathematics they mastered.

However.

Dashun did not develop normally.