Wild North America 1846

Chapter 552 The Master of Chinese Studies Arrested

Author: Portuguese toothless

Chapter 552 The Master of Chinese Studies Arrested

Los Angeles

In a quiet Chinese-style garden building with three entrances, Gu Pinzhai, a famous master of Chinese studies with some gray hair, is sitting in his study. He is carefully revising an ambitious article he just wrote, "On the Dangers of Disorderly Expansion", with a smile on his face.

Look of satisfaction.

This is a piece of writing requested by an old friend of the editor-in-chief, and will be published on the front page of the Los Angeles Times in the near future.

Gu Pinzhai is well versed in the wonders of guiding social public opinion. The purpose of the article must be explosive and criticize current ills, so as to attract heated discussion and active participation from the public, thereby creating a focus of public opinion and forming greater social influence and public response.

His eloquent article did not specifically target which country?

Just from the perspective of "disorderly expansion", one would go to South America and then to East Asia, not only wasting people and money, but also losing moral integrity. It is not the style of a great country!

As long as you are not extremely stupid, you can understand who he is writing about in his article?

"Master, my wife does not agree with you taking Liu Xiang'er as your fifth concubine. A dozen people from my maternal uncle's family came to ask for an explanation. The eldest young master and the second young master want to invite you to come and host it, but they can no longer stop you." The housekeeper at the door said.

He replied respectfully.

"It's so presumptuous..."

Gu Pinzhai's face darkened when he heard this, he put down the brush in his hand, carefully pressed down the article he had just finished writing with a ruler, then stood up and walked out of the study.

He looked in the direction of the front yard with a gloomy face. He could faintly hear the noisy shouting coming from there, and couldn't help but said angrily, "A bunch of bastards who have no regard for propriety, justice and shame. How can I allow them to make irresponsible remarks about my affairs?"

Gu Pinzhai is world-famous for his profound foundation in Chinese studies. He has authored many classics handed down from generation to generation, especially the Interpretation of the Chinese Model for middle school students, which was written by him. Therefore, he is known as the "Master of Chinese Studies" and the "Master of Chinese Studies".

For a time, he gained a halo and was invited as a guest at gatherings of upper-class nobles. There was no shortage of fame, prestige and money.

Gu Pinzhai teaches at Moling Academy, a private aristocratic school in Los Angeles, is employed as a visiting professor at the University of Los Angeles, and holds many public positions. He is one of the local celebrities in Los Angeles.

Out of respect for knowledge, Gu Pinzhai's personal income is quite high. He earns an annual salary of 1,200 yuan for teaching at Moling University, and 620 yuan for being a visiting professor at the University of Chicago. He also earns income from serving in various public affairs, which totals about 3,000 yuan a year.

In addition, he was not good at writing, and he received writing fees from top cultural celebrities, which could be as little as 10 yuan per article, or as much as hundreds of yuan, and he could easily earn thousands of yuan from publishing books, so his net worth was indeed substantial.

Otherwise, it would not be able to support the daily expenses of a family of more than 20 people.

This is not...

Gu Pinzhai is an old-hearted man, and he has just fallen in love with the pretty maid Liu Xiang'er, who is 15 years old, and wants to take her as his fifth concubine. This is an elegant thing in the first place.

It's a pity that the madam didn't do it, so the commotion started like this. It's simply unreasonable.

Like many Chinese families, Gu Pinzhai’s first wife is also a Chinese immigrant. His second, third and fourth concubines are either white women or Indian women. This is because marrying another Chinese concubine is expensive, and ordinary

It is difficult for people to do it.

The Imperial Marriage Law has very strict regulations on this. Anyone who marries a Chinese woman as a wife or concubine must pay a wedding tax. The regulations vary from place to place. In Los Angeles, it costs 540 yuan, and the remainder is multiplied.

What does "the remainder be counted twice as much" mean?

For example, when Gu Pinzhai marries the first wife, he needs to pay a wedding tax of 540 yuan. If the second concubine, third concubine and fourth concubine are Caucasian or Indian women, they will be ignored and no additional tax will be paid.

.

Because the household registrations of white women and Indian women are registered under the name of the Chinese household head, they are not women with independent identities. They cannot divorce and have no right to divide property. They are de facto vassal classes.

Generally speaking

Ordinary citizens can get a full tax refund for their first payment of 540 yuan in wedding tax. What they actually bear is the registration fee and certificate issuance fee of more than 10 yuan, which is not a big pressure.

But marrying Liu Xiang'er is much more troublesome. This pretty maid is a standard Chinese woman from a good family. She has an independent household registration book, the right to sue for divorce, and the right to divide property. She is a woman with the same rights as the first wife.

The wedding tax is calculated in multiples, that is, one time of 540 yuan, or 1,080 Tang yuan.

Since I am a Chinese wife in the second house, this is a non-tax refundable fee and needs to be paid in full.

In addition, a large dowry must be paid.

This amount of money is based on the annual salary income of local people in Los Angeles for 20 years. Based on the income of ordinary workers in Los Angeles in 1870 of 107 yuan, this dowry would start at 2,140 yuan, with no upper limit, and it can be regarded as Liu Xiang'er's private money.

If you marry a third Chinese concubine, the wedding tax will be doubled on the basis of 1,080 yuan, that is, 2,160 Tang yuan. By analogy, these taxes will be paid in full, and there is no tax refund.

As long as you marry five aunts and wives, all of whom are Chinese, the wedding tax will exceed tens of thousands of Tang Yuan, and will double as time goes by. Even the wealthy cannot easily afford it.

The result of tax evasion is huge fines, which often lead to bankruptcy.

The purpose of this marriage tax is to restrict the excessive occupation of Chinese female resources by aristocrats and wealthy families. The government has subsidized preferential shipping tickets for many Chinese female immigrants. It is not easy to cross the ocean and settle in North America.

Nobles and wealthy families take in a large number of concubines and take concubines, which consumes too much social resources and must bear a high fine for this. This is the purpose of levying a "multiple" wedding tax.

You can just get married, but you will still have to pay a high wedding tax.

The imperial government can use the high taxes collected to subsidize immigrants, especially female immigrants from the mainland. This is a way to adjust social inequality through taxation and can be widely accepted by the public.

Come to the front hall

Gu Pinzhai saw his wife, Mrs. Gu, weeping and complaining to more than ten people including her maternal uncle and nephew, accusing him of "being old and careless, disregarding human relations, disregarding the friendship between husband and wife for more than ten years, and engaging in adultery with the charming maid..."

"In this way, the crying pear blossoms are accompanied by rain, which is sad and touching.

My maternal uncle and others were filled with anger. When they saw Gu Pinzhai, they immediately reprimanded him loudly without showing any dignity.

Gu Pinzhai was so angry that he was shaking all over and shouted angrily;

"It's absolutely ridiculous. You unscrupulous people know what "the husband is the guide for his wife" is? What is "the moral relationship between elders and young children"? How can we criticize the affairs of gentlemen with "ignorance of human ethics"?

I think that my Gu family is a high-ranking scholar in the academic world, a home with generations of scholars. How can I allow you to bully me at will?

Butler, take my name tag and go to the Los Angeles Police Department to ask Superintendent Hu to send police officers to arrest the lawbreakers as a warning to others!"

The housekeeper is also a member of the Gu clan, so he responded and got ready to do the work.

This shocked Mrs. Gu's natal family. Mrs. Gu, whose face was full of tears, also reacted and reprimanded loudly: "The housekeeper is not allowed to go. Why are you so crazy, sir? What about my maternal uncle and nephew?"

Time to become an outlaw?"

"What kind of family? I only saw these madmen, regardless of their superiority, roaring in the lobby of my private house and making malicious remarks that slandered my innocence. I am a great master of Chinese studies, how can I tolerate such nonsense?" Gu Pinzhai retorted plausibly.

.

My maternal uncle is not someone to be trifled with. Although he is an ordinary employee of the Building and Construction Department under the Los Angeles government, he is a veteran. With the reliable Veterans Club as his back, it is difficult for others to bully him.

superior.

My mother-in-law smiled coldly and said, "Gu Pinzhai, a sanctimonious old man, what are you talking about here about superiority and inferiority?

I bother……

I am a veteran who has followed the Holy Spirit in conquests here and there. No matter where I go, I am no shorter than you. If you want to climb on top of me and dominate me, your daydream will be blinded sooner or later!

I think back then, you were just a poor scholar.

It's because I misjudged the person and insisted on marrying my sister to you, which cost my sister a lifetime of happiness.

I never thought that you, an old guy, would be so promiscuous that you would marry a 15-year-old girl with your body half buried in the soil. You are simply a beast with human face!

You want to ask Superintendent Hu of the Los Angeles Police Department, right?”

Speaking of which

The maternal uncle angrily said to the son beside him: "Qiwen, take my name tag to the Los Angeles Cavalry Regiment 6th Regiment Veterans Club and ask the Baron to come forward to seek justice. I am a noble soldier of the royal family, but I can still be bullied by a literary thief like you."

?”

"Rude, rude and disgraceful."

"You are really a sanctimonious literary thief, and you are despised by others."

"You, you, you..." Gu Pinzhai trembled with his fingers, his face turning red and blue with anger, but he could do nothing to stop the other party's maternal uncle.

This was one of the reasons why he violently criticized the current situation of the empire. Warriors were in power, and the pride and arrogance of scholars disappeared in the face of social status, and they could only become one of the ordinary people who wrote articles in newspapers and magazines for entertainment.

Because the empire has implemented universal education, the social status of scholars is not high. After graduating from college, they can only work as employees in companies or administrative agencies. Then they need to accumulate qualifications step by step at the bottom and slowly climb up.

Just like in the Qing Dynasty, if you get two Jinshi rankings, you can become a seventh- or eighth-grade county magistrate. It is completely impossible to become a county magistrate. There is no tax-free land. There are no such benefits for being a high-ranking official.

All ministers must pay taxes honestly.

Gu Pinzhai and others did not see the social fundamentals of the Tang Empire's universal prosperity. They only focused on the fact that the upper class had no privileges, and scholars had no privileges. They had enough to eat and drink every day, and their eggs ached from leisure.

Only then did he take advantage of the current situation to vent his dissatisfaction.

"Pick up the bowl to eat meat, put down the bowl to scold your mother" refers to these scholars.

Gu Pinzhai raised his fingers and cursed bitterly: "All the warriors are despicable and shameless, and they are also the biggest thieves of the country!"

in a trance

There were many strong men in the hall. They were looking at the angry Chinese culture master Gu Pinzhai with a strange look like "Why have I offended you?". The eyelids of a white-faced middle-aged man in the lead could not help but twitch.

He coughed lightly and said, "This is a big fallacy. We are all loyal and patriotic elites of the Tang Dynasty, and we act openly and aboveboard. Well... let me introduce myself."

I am Gao Zhensheng, the leader of the Operations Division 5 of the General Security Bureau. I have been ordered by the top to summon Gu Pinzhai, who teaches at Moling Academy in Los Angeles. I believe you are the one?"

These words

The intense words in the lobby were instantly silenced. Everyone in the empire who had some information about the so-called "General Security Bureau" knew that it was the "Jinyiwei" of the Tang Dynasty, a mysterious and terrifying place.

The nobles would rather be found by the General Police than get into trouble with the "General Security Bureau".

As long as you go in, you will have to peel off your skin even if you don't die. There is only one person in a hundred who can come out intact.

At this time, Gu Pinzhai's face changed drastically. He was like an old dog that had lost all its energy and could no longer stand still. He murmured, "Could it be...does the Tang Dynasty also want to build a literary prison?"

Although the words were not loud, everyone present could hear them.

Team leader Gao Zhensheng nodded in agreement and said softly;

"We, the Tang Dynasty, have freedom of speech and open folk customs. We advocate the flourishing of a hundred flowers in the cultural and sports circles and the establishment of an open and civilized society.

But this is not the reason for a small group of criminals hidden within the empire to deliberately slander and discredit the glory of the imperial court. This is the public enemy of the whole people and the thief of the country!

The suspect Gu Pinzhai committed a serious crime. Even when he was being arrested, he still deliberately slandered the Tang government. He should be punished with a higher level of punishment.

We found the latest incriminating evidence from the study, um...

This article, "On the Dangers of Disorderly Expansion," involves the great politics of the imperial court, and the suspect Gu Pinzhai has lost his basic stance through his frantic attacks.

The crime is conclusive and it saves us a lot of effort!"

As he said that, team leader Gao Zhensheng held a stack of letter paper in his right hand and shook it. It was the work that Gu Pinzhai carefully crafted in his study.

Now regarded as the latest criminal evidence, team leader Gao Zhensheng gave it to the team members around him to carefully preserve it. It will be used as one of the evidences for conviction in the future.

It’s really satisfying to vent beforehand, but I’m afraid of making a list afterwards!

At this time, looking at Gu Pinzhai, who had spoken so plausibly just now, he was already paralyzed on the ground, urinating and incontinent in fear, and exuding a strong smell of urine. How could he still have the sanctimonious demeanor of a master of Chinese studies?

Team leader Gao Zhensheng has long been accustomed to the stinky virtues of the literati. When he is not attacking these literati thieves with an iron fist, he dances more wildly than anyone else, and plays a higher tune than anyone else. He is doing his best to plan for the empire and working with courage and courage.

What social advice and suggestions look like.

Once its dirty nature is revealed, no tough guy can hold on.

At this moment

Mrs. Gu's maternal uncle and nephew and others also knew that something big was going on, and their faces changed in shock. After a while, they saw the action team capturing all the people in the Gu family.

Then he asked cautiously, "Sir, we are members of the Gu family's mother's family. We don't know anything about this matter in the Gu family. Please tell me, sir, can you be kind enough to let me go back?"

"Please be patient. Since you have come here, you will be interrogated. If you are not involved, of course you can go back, but..." Team Leader Gao Zhensheng said lightly, but his eyes were so sharp that he frightened his maternal uncle and nephew.

The hearts of others were suddenly shocked.

The most fearful thing is this "but...". Looking at such a big war situation, if it involves even a little bit, the consequences can be imagined.

But now there is no other way. While waiting in fear, I cursed in my heart that Gu Pinzhai was really seeking death and jumping repeatedly on the edge of danger. This has caused great harm to her family.

The other side is worried about being implicated unnecessarily, and is really unable to cry.

While taking action against Gu Pinzhai, powerful departments across the empire worked together to comprehensively arrest those involved. Many places were coordinated by police stations, including some well-known newspaper editors, literary leaders, Chinese classics masters, and university professors.

and famous literati were arrested one after another, and the society was shocked for a while.

(End of chapter)