I studied in modern times

Chapter 1013 Han Jiang Teaches His Younger Brother (2)

"Brother, what does His Majesty mean?" Han Wei asked after explaining his situation.

Han Jiang's eyes glazed over for a moment, then he said, "Chiguo...did you read the article I showed you some time ago?"

Han Wei shook his head: "I wouldn't deign to read Pu Chuanzheng's fallacies and heresies!"

"You, you..." Han Jiang knew her younger brother's temperament—aloof and proud!
Moreover, they often display an aloofness that is out of touch with reality.

For example, in the sixth year of the Xining era, the late emperor adopted Lü Jiawen's suggestion and decided to abolish the tax system and implement the exemption from travel tax, levying a tax on merchants.

Han Wei, who was then serving as a Hanlin Academician, was the most prominent opponent in the court.

The late emperor considered that he was a minister who had served under the emperor before he ascended the throne, and also one of the most important supporters at the beginning of the reform.

So, I negotiated with them privately time and time again.

But Han Wei just wouldn't listen!
Finally, having no other choice, the late emperor said: "Since Minister Han is so strongly opposed, why don't you form an investigation team to go to Bianjing City and investigate, to see what the advantages and disadvantages are?"
As a result, Han Wei exploded on the spot!

He spoke directly to the late emperor, saying, "Your Majesty's treatment of me is actually inferior to that of Lü Jiawen!" (Lü Jiawen was the executor of the exemption from punishment law.)
Although I am not talented, I was appointed by the late emperor and was a former official of Your Majesty's former residence when you were still a prince!

Now, Your Majesty has ordered me to do such a trivial task, and even made me work with a promising young man like Lü Jiawen!
How can I, as a subject, face entering and leaving the court?

I beg Your Majesty to dismiss me from my post!
So, he actually dragged Sun Yong, the then acting prefect of Kaifeng, along with him, and submitted a petition requesting to leave.

The late emperor was so angry with him he almost died!
Later, when Han Jiang entered the court and became prime minister, the late emperor had a special talk with him about this matter. Han Jiang, Sun and other scholars often said that the various drawbacks of the exemption law were suspected of harming the people and the public. I ordered the scholars to investigate in detail and report the advantages and disadvantages, but the scholars were indignant and asked to leave!
This is my lack of virtue, which has caused virtuous people to stay away.

What could Han Jiang do at that time?

He could only take off his hat and apologize.

From then on, the late emperor never summoned Han Wei back to court to serve as an official, clearly indicating his extreme disappointment.

Upon ascending the throne, the current emperor did not consider appointing Han Wei as regent—this is obvious, as the late emperor must have given him such an instruction.

They might have even commented on Han Wei, and given him a very low rating.

He was faced with his younger brother, who was seventy years old but still acted like a child, clinging to the notions of being a gentleman or a villain, unable to break free from the rules and regulations others had drawn for him.

Han Jiang had no choice but to sigh a few times.

Seeing his brother's sigh of disappointment, Han Wei panicked and quickly said, "Brother, please forgive me! I will send someone tonight to find Pu Chuanzheng's article to read!"

Han Jiang knew that Han Wei was just trying to appease him.

Just like he had promised himself last time, he would definitely read Pu Zongmeng's articles carefully.

The results of it?
He struggled to sit up, and Han Wei immediately went forward to help his brother.

After Han Jiang sat up, he reached for a piece of paper that had been copied in advance from beside the bed and handed it to Han Wei: "Chiguo, take a look first!"

Han Wei subconsciously felt a bit disgusted and didn't want to watch.

There was no way around it; Pu Zongmeng's reputation was simply too bad.

The kind that stinks for miles around even in a clear stream!

Even now, the people of Bianjing have changed their opinion of him.

Outside of Bianjing, however, the prevailing sentiment was still one of criticism.

When it comes to treacherous ministers, the first thing that comes to everyone's mind is Pu Zongmeng.

Thanks to Pu Zongmeng's return to the court and appointment as prime minister, there are now almost no people criticizing Wang Zishao, Jia Zhongmin, Lu Dian, and others.

All I can say is that a good MT (Main Tank) is indeed crucial.

However, Han Wei reluctantly picked up the article that Han Jiang handed him and started reading it.

Even a small stream can cross a vast ocean.

Indeed, it is the article by which Pu Zongmeng founded his school of thought.

It must be said that Pu Zongmeng's articles are indeed very impressive.

No wonder he is Mr. Lianxi's brother-in-law.

The entire article, though only a little over a thousand words long, is rich in classical allusions, ranging from Guan Zhong to Tao Zhu Gong, and from the Duke of Zhou to Confucius.

Every sentence is closely tied to Confucian political correctness.

The central idea of ​​the entire article is—making money is justified! Having money equates to having benevolence and righteousness! Having money equates to loyalty and filial piety!

why?
Because when a person is rich, they will hire others. The richer they are, the more people they can hire, the more people they can support, and the more taxes they can pay to the court!
Therefore, the more rich people there are and the fewer poor people there are, the richer the country becomes.

Therefore, as long as wealthy people invest money in production, expand production, hire more people, and pay more taxes, they can achieve their goals.

Then he is a gentleman!

They are the righteous men of the world, the loyal ministers of the country, and the filial sons of their clans!
After reading it, Han Wei swallowed hard, then looked at Han Jiang and said slowly, "It seems that people have many misunderstandings about Pu Chuanzheng!"

"Judging from his writing, although it is somewhat biased, he has not lost the main principles and the great righteousness remains!"

That's a very impressive evaluation.

no way!
Who is this Han Wei, who served as the prefect of Yingchang Prefecture twice (Xuzhou was upgraded to Yingchang Prefecture in the third year of Yuanfeng, and Han Wei was the first prefect of Yingchang. At the same time, the Han family had been operating in the area since the time of Han Yi. The Han brothers all grew up in Changshe, Yingchang, and Han Yi and his sons were eventually buried in Changshe. As for why Han Wei, who grew up in Yingchang, was the first prefect of Yingchang, it was because he was a former official of Emperor Shenzong when he was a prince, and Emperor Shenzong's title before his ascension to the throne was Prince Ying), and he had huge interests in the area?

It's no exaggeration to say that if things continue like this, the Han family of Yingchang will end up like the Han family of Xiangzhou.

Therefore, the imperial court appointed Huang Lü (Lü Huiqing's father-in-law) as the prefect of Yingchang.

After Huang Lü, the successor will inevitably be a minister from Lü Huiqing's faction.

All of this is to suppress and limit the Han family's influence in Yingchang.

This is precisely why Han Wei was dissatisfied with some of the court's policies.

Especially the revised Green Sprouts Act and Exemption from Service Act.

The Han family has suffered huge losses because of this in recent years!

The extra fees for exemption from corvée labor and travel expenses alone amounted to nearly ten thousand strings of cash each year!
But there is no way!
Because the person who promoted these reforms was named Han Jiang.

This is Han Jiang's achievement!
Therefore, the Han family could only swallow their anger and resentment.

However, all of this is contingent on Han Jiang still being alive.

Once Han Jiang is gone, his sons will surely stir up trouble.

Pu Zongmeng's article solved a major problem for the Han family.

Since the imperial court agrees, having money is definitely a good thing.

Then it's only natural for us to be a little richer.

Therefore, in the future, this can be used as a bargaining chip to negotiate with the imperial court and local authorities.

Han Jiang looked at her younger brother, whose face was beaming with joy, and shook her head: "Chiguo, you must read carefully!"

He knew his fifth brother all too well—as long as his interests weren't harmed, Han Wei still had a strong sense of national responsibility and concern for the world.

Just like before the Xining Reform, he desperately praised Wang Jiefu in front of the late emperor.

However, when Wang Anshi's reforms began to affect his own interests, he screamed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Ultimately, he severed ties with Wang Anshi because of the exemption from the law.

Because the exemption law truly harmed the fundamental interests of the Han family—Xuzhou, one of the centers of commerce in the world!

As the most powerful family in Xuzhou, the Han family possesses far too many interests.

The exemption from the law effectively removed the biggest source of profit for the Han family in the past – the science and technology industry.

We can no longer simply requisition the goods of small merchants for a pittance.

How could Han Wei not be anxious?
“Pu Chuanzheng, you’ve made yourself perfectly clear!” Han Jiang leaned back on a soft cushion and said softly, “Wealth and honor are what people desire, but they must be obtained through the proper means!”

"And what is the way of the wealthy?"

"One should practice benevolence and righteousness!"

"The benevolence of the wealthy lies in employing people and paying taxes!"

"In other words, if the rich want to be righteous people, loyal ministers, and filial sons of their clans, they have to spend money to hire people and pay taxes!"

"This is precisely the essence of his writing—a small stream can eventually cross a vast ocean!"

Han Wei listened, then carefully read the article again, a serious expression appearing on his face.

Immediately, he raised his head and looked at Han Jiang: "What does my brother mean..."

“This article by Pu Chuanzheng is…” He looked towards the direction of the imperial city and bowed slightly.

He does possess that much wisdom.

Han Jiang nodded, looking at Han Wei with satisfaction: "This is also a place where His Majesty instructed Chiguo!"

"This is also the answer to what I saw and heard in Anjiefang today, Dhritarashtra!"

Han Wei shuddered upon hearing this, looked at Han Jiang, and asked, "What does my brother mean?"

"Yes!" Han Jiang pointed to the article in Han Wei's hand: "My brother's talent is unparalleled!"

"Pu Chuanzheng, how can this be compared?"

"Moreover, Pu Chuanzheng has a notorious reputation and is despised by scholars and officials!"

"My brother is different; his reputation for integrity is known throughout the land!"

"As long as one thoroughly understands the sacred intent within the main text of Pu Chuan..."

"Why should my brother worry that he cannot be a minister of the state?"

Han Wei's breathing quickened instantly. His greatest regret was that he could never sign his name on hemp paper, let alone rise to the position of prime minister.
Thus, today's conversation before the Emperor in the Funing Hall...

The crowds seen in front of Anjiefang...

The conversation with Li Zhu in Anjiefang, the scene witnessed in Li Erhu's workshop...

They appeared before his eyes one by one.

At the same time, Pu Zongmeng's words seemed to be being recited, vibrating in his eardrums.

The workshop owners of Anjiefang, with the combined strength of their workshops, could weave in a month the amount of cloth that a couple from an entire prefecture or even a whole region could produce by working day and night.

A massive amount of cloth flooded the market and entered government warehouses.

This not only caused the price of cloth in Bianjing to fall every month.

It also makes it possible for more people to afford clothes and shoes.

It also allowed the country to make money.

This also ensured that the soldiers along the border received sufficient rewards.

After a long while, Han Wei suddenly remembered something and sighed, "No wonder, on my return to the capital this time, in the markets of Bianjing, all the passersby, peddlers, laborers, and even children and women I saw were wearing hats and cloth shoes..."

"I was also wondering..."

It should be noted that in the past, even in Bianjing (Kaifeng), there were quite a few people who were dressed in rags and were bare-chested and barefoot.

In the vast rural areas outside Bianjing, it is common for a single old garment to be patched and mended and passed down for two or three generations in some families.

As for the hat?

Those who could afford to wear them were always the middle and upper classes.

For the poor at the bottom of society, it's a blessing if they can even wrap their heads in a rag.

This is why cloth could become a hard currency.

Now, most people in Bianjing can afford clothes, shoes, and hats.

This is indeed a social change that is difficult to detect without careful observation.

And everyone who knows what this change means will be excited.

"So that's how it is! So that's how it is!" Holding the article in his hand, Han Wei felt as if he had found the direction for his future.

He looked towards Pu Zongmeng's residence, two sentences churning in his mind—"You think you're worthy? I can take your place!"
He truly looked down on Pu Zongmeng.

In Han Wei's mind, Pu Zongmeng was just a good brother-in-law.

Without Mr. Lianxi, what would he be?
There is no such person in Shilin!
He couldn't even get into the circle of scholar-officials!
It was at this moment that Han Wei suddenly remembered something and asked Han Jiang, "Brother, there is something I don't understand. I hope you can enlighten me!"

"Tell me……"

Han Wei then shared his thoughts from when he left the palace with Han Jiang.

After listening, Han Jiang laughed heartily: "I wondered what it was?"

"Those who hold the reins of power are often blinded by their own involvement!"

Didn't the Emperor tell you?

"Didn't you think of that yourself?"

Han Wei cupped his hands and said, "I have a vague idea, it might be the Spring and Autumn Period... but I can't figure out what connection the world today has with the Spring and Autumn Period?"

This is indeed a headache for him.

His intuition told him that this was the official's unspoken meaning.

Moreover, the more he saw in Anjiefang, the stronger his intuition became.

But he always felt like something was blocking his view.

It left him confused and unable to explain it.

Why the Spring and Autumn Period?

Why the Spring and Autumn Period?

Han Jiang leaned back on the cushion, her expression turning serious.

He said softly, "Dhritarashtra, you do understand!"

"The Emperor has made it very clear!"

"It's just your heart..."

He pointed vaguely at Han Wei's chest: "Unwilling to admit it, and dare not admit it!"

Just like when he was young, Han Wei respectfully cupped his hands before his elder brother and said, "Please enlighten me, elder brother!"

"The Emperor said... The number of urban households in the country has increased from over 20% during the Xi and Feng eras to nearly 30% today, and commercial taxes have increased from nearly 10 million strings of cash during the Xi and Feng eras to nearly 15 million strings of cash today!"

"Is this not a harbinger of the collapse of the well-field system during the Spring and Autumn Period, when the royal power was not flourishing?"

"After the collapse of the well-field system, private land and private property emerged!"

This is a standard Confucian perspective.

It also reflects the historical perspective of the literati.

It was precisely because the royal cause was not prosperous that various chaotic phenomena occurred, such as the Eight-Row Dance being performed in the court, treacherous ministers and traitors seizing power, and the lower classes rebelling against their superiors. From then on, rites, music, and military expeditions originated from the feudal lords.

Even more absurd things like the sacrifices being performed by me and the government being controlled by the Ning family.

The laws and etiquette have completely collapsed.

The well-field system, which served as the foundation of etiquette and law, was also difficult to maintain and naturally collapsed.

Ultimately, this led to the division of Jin into three states and the rise of the Tian family to power in Qi.

Countless scholars and officials, whenever they think of this matter, beat their chests and stamp their feet in despair.

He wished he could drag all those treacherous officials from the Spring and Autumn Period back up and kill them all again.

"And what about the Song Dynasty now?" Han Jiang laughed, looking at Han Wei: "Chiguo, think about this carefully..."

"Since ancient times, when have there ever been such a large number of households in a city as today? And when has there ever been such a huge amount of commercial tax revenue?"

"Nearly 30% of the urban households represent nearly 30 million urban residents!"

"The annual commercial tax revenue of 15 million strings of cash accounts for more than 20% of the nation's total annual revenue!"

"If this continues to develop..."

"The number of households in urban areas reaches 40% or 50%... and their annual tribute accounts for 50%, 60%, or even 70% of the nation's annual revenue?"

"Isn't this a dramatic social change, just like the one during the Spring and Autumn Period?"

As Han Jiang spoke, he asked, "Your Majesty once told me in private... that during the Spring and Autumn Period, the well-field system collapsed first, followed by the collapse of the rites and laws..."

The official said: "The economic base determines the superstructure!"

"Therefore, the Emperor said: Since the Qin Dynasty, the world has been the world of landlords and tenants!"

"However, the land yields very little and depends heavily on the weather, hence the saying that 'three years of cultivation yields only one year of harvest'!"

"Thus, the rise and fall of dynasties, the change of dynasties, are all contained within it!"

"But the Emperor wishes to escape this cycle of reincarnation!"

"And so, all these things have come to pass!"

These were all things that the emperor told him in private conversations when he was prime minister.

These words also inspired him to wholeheartedly assist the emperor.

Because Han Jiang knew that if he succeeded, he might be able to break free from the cycle that had been in place since the Qin Dynasty!
This is in the interest of all the scholar-officials!
This was especially in line with the interests of prominent families like the Han family of Yingchang, who were already closely associated with the Zhao family.

Only when the Emperor is well can everyone be well.

To put it bluntly—the Zhao family's empire is doomed.

Will the next dynasty treat everyone this well?

Ha ha!

If they encountered someone like Huang Chao... probably none of them could escape.

Moreover, we now face Tartar captives to the north and Tangut bandits to the west.

If the Song Dynasty were to perish.

This would likely be a repeat of the chaos caused by the Five Barbarian Invasions.

Our ancestral graves and hometowns may be trampled on again by the hooves of barbarian horses.

The barbarians have no reason with the scholars and officials.

They only know how to kill, killing until everyone bows down.

This is also why the current ruling group turns a blind eye to Zhao Xu's actions, and even silently cooperates with them.

Emperor Zhao is truly governing the country together with the scholar-officials!

For the scholar-officials, there was no better candidate for ruler than Emperor Zhao.

(End of this chapter)