The Prosperous Era of Longwan

The Donglin Party was a bureaucratic political group mainly composed of Jiangnan scholars in the late Ming Dynasty. It lasted for more than 40 years until the Ming Dynasty was destroyed.

The "Donglin Party" was the largest political force in the late Ming Dynasty. It sprouted in the Wanli period, rose during the Tianqi period, and came to power during the Chongzhen period, and finally completely destroyed the country.

It can be seen that the rise of the Donglin Party and the demise of the Ming Dynasty were actually carried out at the same time.

With the Donglin Party's complete control of the government, the Ming Dynasty also slid into the abyss.

The origin of the Donglin Party can be traced back to the Donglin Academy founded by Gu Xiancheng. Gu Xiancheng was stripped of his official position and sent back to his hometown by Emperor Wanli in the 22nd year of Wanli.

After returning to Wuxi, Gu Xiancheng used his literary background to repair the Donglin Academy, and convened a group of frustrated bureaucrats and scholars to initiate the "Donglin Conference", forming an organization that satirized the government in the name of lectures.

This activity attracted a large number of scholars and opposition politicians to participate, and gradually became the center of public opinion in the Jiangnan region, and then formed the "Donglin Party" that confronted political factions such as the Qi Party and the Zhejiang Party.

The development of the Donglin Party went through several key periods. After Emperor Tianqi Zhu Youxiao ascended the throne, the Donglin Party once controlled the government, but because Emperor Tianqi trusted the eunuch Wei Zhongxian more, the Donglin Party was suppressed.

Wei Zhongxian used the protection of Emperor Tianqi to suppress the Donglin Party, resulting in the elimination of the Donglin Party members one by one.

After Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne, although he reused the Donglin Party, due to the lack of a consistent political program within the Donglin Party, it eventually wasted years in the internal and external troubles of the Ming Dynasty.

In the final analysis, it was because the Donglin Party was an organization without a unified program since its birth. It was a group of frustrated people in the court who wanted to return to the court and temporarily formed together to provide help to each other.

Therefore, all the Donglin people had their own little thoughts and could not form a joint force at all.

However, it is still too early for the Donglin Party to form, and Wei Guangde is not aware of this.

After all, it is more than ten years later.

Although the Donglin Party is very famous, it is ultimately criticized more than praised, and is still more criticized by future generations.

Wei Guangde is still considering how to let Zou Yuanbiao escape this disaster.

After all, this fool is still a fellow Jiangxi native. If he does not save him, it will make other Jiangxi natives feel disappointed.

After Lu Bu left, Wei Guangde was not in the mood to deal with political affairs, and was thinking about how to deal with it.

Zhang Juzheng must have gnashed his teeth and vowed to tear Zou Yuanbiao apart.

Feng Bao probably knew about it and would have the same mentality. It took a lot of effort to get to this situation for a few days.

Thinking of the news Chen Ju gave him before, Wei Guangde believed that Feng Bao would definitely push this matter up again, saying that Zou Yuanbiao bullied the young emperor, and after the court caning, he would either be dismissed or exiled.

Of course, this is the worst situation. At this point, Wei Guangde couldn't plead with the little emperor as a fellow villager.

At this time, a fierce quarrel broke out in Wei Shiliang's duty room in the backyard of the Ministry of Justice.

Yes, Wei Guangde could hear the news, which means that the news had already spread.

The censors in his own yamen impeached the Prime Minister, and they were still unwilling to give in under the current situation, which made the Ministry of Justice look at him sideways.

After hearing the news, Wei Shiliang was also furious.

Wei Guangde had told him before that he should tell the people in the Ministry of Justice not to get close to him.

Before, because there were many people who submitted memorials, especially the first memorials of the new Jinshi, Wei Shiliang didn't say much because of the idea that the law does not punish the masses.

But even so, Wei Shiliang still repeatedly warned Zou Yuanbiao and other newcomers yesterday not to submit memorials again.

But what was the result?

The next day, Zou Yuanbiao handed in the memorial and continued to bite Zhang Juzheng.

"Zou Yuanbiao, I told you clearly yesterday that this matter was decided by the palace and you can't get involved. Why don't you listen?

Hurry up and go to the Tongzhengshisi to get the memorial back. Maybe you can settle the matter. Otherwise, your future career will be unpredictable."

At this time, Wei Shiliang had already called Zou Yuanbiao's name directly, which made him very angry. After talking for a long time, he was still unmoved.

In any case, he, a senior official, was so earnest. Was he trying to harm him?

"Erzhan has made up his mind. This matter will never change.

The Prime Minister is unfaithful and unfilial, and he wants to make Your Majesty unkind and unjust. It's abominable."

Zou Yuanbiao lowered his head. Although he was dissatisfied with Wei Shiliang's attitude, he was a senior official in the imperial examination after all. He didn't dare to act rashly, but still insisted on his own opinion.

"This is the request of Wei Gelao."

Wei Shiliang of the Ministry of Justice was still persuading Zou Yuanbiao, while Lu Bu had already walked out of the imperial city and headed directly to the Tongzhengshisi.

The Tongzhengshisi was just outside the imperial city, not far away, so Lu Bu arrived quickly.

Fortunately, Zou Yuanbiao's memorial was still in the yamen and had not been sent to the palace for the time being.

After finding the person, Lu Bu quickly told the other party what Wei Guangde meant.

"Put the memorial on hold for now, don't send it to the palace for the time being, and wait for Zou Yuanbiao to take it back himself."

"But there are rules"

"Don't talk about rules, it's just one day, it's easy for you to do it, and I'm not asking you to take this memorial privately."

"The memorial will be sent to the palace at one o'clock tomorrow morning at the latest."

"Okay."

After making arrangements here, Lu Bu immediately went to the Ministry of Justice in a hurry.

So, in Wei Shiliang's duty room, Lu Bu saw Zou Yuanbiao bowing his head and not speaking.

"Sir Wei, this is just a note from the cabinet. The Tongzhengshisi will hold the memorial for one day. Let him take it back today no matter what."

Without avoiding Zou Yuanbiao, Lu Bu realized that he was a stubborn guy, so he simply spoke to Wei Shiliang in person, seemingly lowering his voice.

Using power to suppress others is the norm in officialdom.

For most people who are obsessed with officialdom, knowing Wei Guangde's attitude, most of them will change because of this.

However, it is not known whether Zou Yuanbiao wanted to show himself in front of Emperor Wanli, or whether he really insisted on "etiquette and law". After Lu Bu expressed his opinion, Zou Yuanbiao remained unmoved.

Normal people do things naturally for their own purposes.

At this time, impeaching Zhang Juzheng is wrong for fame and profit, and even to please Wei Guangde in the hope of promotion.

But Wei Guangde's attitude is clear, and the emperor's attitude is clear, it is unwise to still insist on it.

"Sir Wei, please persuade him again. If he still can't be persuaded, pass a note to the cabinet before the court is dismissed."

Before Lu Bu left, he pulled Wei Shiliang outside the duty room and whispered.

When Lu Bu returned to the cabinet and told Wei Guangde about the matter in the Ministry of Justice, Wei Guangde was also very angry.

I really think that it is a big deal to be a Jinshi. There are many Jinshi who have wasted their lives.

Wei Guangde thought about it for a while and made up his mind. After this matter is over, this person must not stay in the capital. He should go as far as possible and be exiled to a remote and inferior county to live and die.

In fact, Wei Guangde had heard of Zou Yuanbiao.

I met him in Jiangxi Guild Hall at the beginning of the year. Many people said that he was the most talented person among the candidates who came to the capital for the examination this time.

Jishui was a place where many dignitaries of the Ming Dynasty came from, so the fragrance of books was very strong.

When Zou Yuanbiao was young, he studied under Hu Zhi, a Jinshi in the Jiajing period. He traveled with him, visited famous mountains and rivers, visited many academies, and heard the theories of various schools. He was a knowledgeable person.

In this regard, his starting point was much higher than Wei Guangde.

Before Wei Guangde took the imperial examination, he also traveled all over Jiangxi and visited many academies one by one.

This is what the ancients called "reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles". Of course, this view was actually questioned in ancient times, because many scholars insisted that "traveling ten thousand miles is not as good as reading ten thousand books".

There are actually three key points here, namely, the meaning of "reading ten thousand books", "traveling ten thousand miles" and "seeing countless people".

Reading ten thousand books means reading a wide range of books and mastering theoretical knowledge; traveling ten thousand miles means experiencing and discovering in life practice and traveling in nature.

Only by traveling ten thousand miles can you see far and improve and sublimate your existing knowledge level.

Lu You once said, "What you learn from books is always shallow, and you must practice it yourself to know it thoroughly." This means that to truly grasp the essence of things, you must "practice it yourself", you must practice it yourself, and see it for yourself.

In his poem, Lu You emphasized the importance of learning through practice, highlighting his extraordinary insights.

However, the saying that "reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles" is biased.

Reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles are not opposites, the two complement each other and enhance each other.

They cannot be neglected or replaced by each other.

"Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles" is said to be proposed by the essayist Liu Qi, and Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty recorded in "Painting Purpose": The six principles of painters, one is vivid spirit and charm. Spirit and charm cannot be learned, this is born, it is naturally gifted, but there are also places to learn. Reading ten thousand books, traveling ten thousand miles, get rid of the dust in your chest, and naturally the hills and valleys are inside, and you will become Juan E.

However, Wei Guangde's view is the popular view of later generations, and his personal experience in the Ming Dynasty is different from the records in the book.

Reading thousands of books is to go to Beijing to take the imperial examination and get a name on the list.

Traveling thousands of miles is also to enter the official career, traveling thousands of miles to Beijing to participate in the joint examination and the palace examination to seek fame, to be able to enter the court to serve the emperor, and to play the meaning of one's life.

No matter how much you read, it is useless if you can't go to Beijing to participate in the joint examination.

Wei Guangde is pragmatic. Facing a young man like Zou Yuanbiao, he has no way to do it. He can only think about getting rich far away to avoid getting into trouble and losing his future.

Jinshi, what matters is the official position. Wei Guangde plans to talk to Feng Bao later to show mercy and not to beat him directly in the court. He should be dismissed and deprived of his official position.

Zou Yuanbiao will definitely not be able to escape this court beating. If he does not withdraw his memorial, the most important thing is whether he will be demoted to a commoner, which will destroy his previous efforts.

Demoting him to a remote place was the best outcome Wei Guangde could do for him.

Next, he had to talk to Zhang Juzheng and tell him not to hold a grudge against him. Then he would kill him.

Wei Guangde also lamented that he had to clean up the messenger who was more likely to cause trouble than to do good.

This young man was loyal to his duty and thought he could handle everything. He didn't know how much the "leader" of Jiangxi had to do to protect him.

Sure enough, before the court was dismissed, Wei Shiliang sent a message that Zou Yuanbiao refused to take back the memorial and refused to let it go.

Wei Guangde didn't have the ability to take this kind of thing directly from the Tongzhengshisi. It was a memorial. Unless he did it himself, he would never touch it.

After all, everything sent there would be recorded.

Not only the time, place and name of the official were recorded, but also a copy of the memorial content would be kept on file.

If it was so easy to cover up, then the channels of speech could really be controlled and cut off at will, and the imperial power would not be able to continue to maintain.

Wei Guangde was in a bad mood today, so he just casually talked to Zhang Siwei about today's memorials, and the daily meeting of the cabinet was over.

After Zhang Siwei left, Wei Guangde immediately asked someone to invite Feng Bao.

"Shan Dai, why did you rush to ask someone to find me?"

Feng Bao entered the cabinet, looked at Wei Guangde with a smile and asked.

"Brother Shuanglin, please sit down first."

Wei Guangde did not answer, but first led Feng Bao to sit down, and asked Lu Bu to serve tea.

After he left, Wei Guangde smiled bitterly and said: "Brother Shuanglin, I won't speak in secret in front of people. I can't do anything about it in the morning of the Ministry of Justice today.

But there is a hometown sentiment, so I can only put down my face and ask Brother Shuanglin to raise your hands."

"Haha. Zou Yuanbiao really doesn't know the importance of the matter, why do you care about him."

Feng Bao still had that expression on his face and said coldly.

He had known about the Ministry of Justice for a long time, and also knew that Wei Guangde had sent someone to pass on the message, but he met a fool who didn't know the depth.

To be honest, Feng Bao didn't expect that there would be someone who dared to commit a crime against the wind, so he went to the police station as soon as he heard the news and sent someone to inquire.

He also heard about what happened in Wei Shiliang's duty room, and knew that it was not Wei Guangde's intention, so he came to see him.

Otherwise, he would have used his means long ago.

It was easy to deal with officials, and it was not easy to deal with a newly-minted Jinshi who had no official position.

"Newly-minted Jinshi are all like this, there is no need to be on the same level with him."

Wei Guangde smiled.

"Then how do you want to resolve this matter?"

Feng Bao asked with a smile.

He really didn't take this matter to heart, although it once made him shocked and angry.

Wei Guangde's face had to be given, after all, he was the second assistant, and he often had to help with the affairs of the court, at least he would turn a blind eye.

Besides, the two of them are planning to make money in Myanmar recently.

Today, the news came that Myanmar looted a million taels of silver, which made Feng Bao have a lot of thoughts.

There are also more than ten boxes of various gemstones and jades, which is also a considerable fortune.

In the future, it is not too much to get one or two hundred thousand taels of silver and one or two boxes of gemstones and jades from Myanmar every year.

These days, the purchasing power of silver in the Ming Dynasty is still very strong.

The annual income of ordinary people in the capital is only ten taels of silver, and it is probably less than ten taels of silver in other places.

One or two hundred thousand taels of silver is almost the level of a marquis of ten thousand households.

"Zou Yuanbiao is young and ignorant, so this beating is inevitable. Please show mercy, Brother Shuanglin."

At this point, Wei Guangde bowed to Feng Bao.

Wei Guangde saw the court caning yesterday, and the stick was solid.

Even though Feng Bao didn't intend to kill them, the four men were also injured and would not be able to get out of bed unless they recovered for three months.

Even so, they still had to leave the capital within a few days, and could only lie on the carriage and heal their wounds.

To put it bluntly, those who were not in good health might die on the way.

Therefore, the first thing to do was to rescue Zou Yuanbiao from the imperial caning. The superficial injuries were not a problem, and he could learn a lesson. As long as he was not injured, it would be fine.

Feng Bao nodded when he heard this, but he remained silent. (End of this chapter)