Jiajing Chengming

After hearing this, Bai Cang roughly understood the specific situation, so he gnashed his teeth and said, "It's all Yan Song's fault. I won't let him go even if I become a ghost!"

For Shirakura, the only reason for all this is that Yan Song does not understand the rules.

……

……

"Yan Song is a shameless person! He deserves to go to the eighteenth level of hell!"

"In order to keep his position, he did not resign voluntarily, but also brazenly reported the matter of our wealthy families selling Huai salt to the court, making it impossible for Lord Liang to represent the Ministry of Revenue and be relied upon by the wealthy families in the world. He also gave Zhang, Gui and other treacherous people the opportunity to add insult to injury, causing Lord Liang to die tragically, and forcing Your Majesty to simply expand the government-run businesses and compete with the people for profits!"

"Brother, we underestimated this man's shamelessness, which led to today's outcome. Sooner or later, I will also be arrested with him!"

After Liang Cai was arrested, Liu Ye went home to report the situation to his brother Liu Jun, who was an editor in the Hanlin Academy, and also cursed Yan Song in front of Liu Jun.

After hearing this, Liu Jun couldn't help but sigh, and stroked his beard and said:
"Ever since Grand Tutor Yang Gong gave up his power due to illness, there have been more and more treacherous officials in the court, and each one is more shameless than the other!"

then.

Liu Jun smiled bitterly and said, "I heard that your majesty wants the court officials to believe that now the court is full of people, saying that the national treasury is full and the annual income has increased greatly."

"But in fact, what kind of people are in power now? From top to bottom, everyone is either a flatterer or a despicable and shameless person!"

"They let the emperor abuse his power to no limit, and the situation of competing with the people for benefits is getting worse and worse! Although it is called a revival, what good is a revival that undermines the kingly way?"

"Brother, there's no point in saying this now!"

"Your Majesty truly regards the common people as human beings, and he truly dares to practice the teachings of the saints. Unless the nobles in the world truly admit that they are thieves in formal clothing and betray the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, they will not expect the emperor to truly care for the people."

"Otherwise, you will have no choice but to accept the reality that the emperor rules alone and no one can stop him!"

Liu Ye said with a wry smile.

Liu Jun didn't say anything.

But his expression became even uglier.

He didn't want to talk any more about this topic that was bothering him.

Liu Ye also knew that his brother didn't want to continue this topic, so he just talked about family matters at this time:
"Brother, now Huai salt has to pay taxes and accept fines before it can be sold. The profits from the grain have been taken away by the government offices at all levels, and our family's future income will also be reduced by half."

"But at home, few people are willing to work hard to run the business, and many are content to enjoy the honor. In recent years, the next generation of children has been even more arrogant and extravagant than before. So, if we don't take this opportunity to drastically cut expenses, I'm afraid that my Liu family will fall into ruin sooner or later!"

"So, in my humble opinion, we should dismiss the servants. Also, we should sell off all the paintings and calligraphy and antiques that can be sold. We should not buy any more."

"Except for the private school teachers who will continue to teach the children, the family opera troupe should no longer be supported, and the family temple should also be sold."

"The monthly allowances of the sons and daughters must also be reduced. They can no longer be allowed to withdraw money from the account office at will."

After Liu Ye said this, Liu Jun nodded.

At this time, the Jinyiwei also came to Liu's house and announced the arrest of Liu Ye for conspiracy to hide official grain and collude with profiteers to drive up grain prices.

Liu Ye bid farewell to Liu Jun, and was taken to the imperial prison by the Jinyiwei with a depressed look on his face.

In the imperial prison, Liu Ye met Bai Qi and Bai Cang.

All three of them sighed.

Bai Qi spoke first: "All this is to blame on Yan Song for not knowing the rules and not resigning on his own initiative!"

"That's right, he actually dared to resist! This is something we didn't expect!"

"How can he resist!"

"Isn't he afraid of offending the world's wealthy and powerful people?"

Shirakura said through gritted teeth.

"Ugh!"

Liu Ye sighed at this time: "We still underestimated other people's obsession with fame and fortune!"

talking.

Liu Ye looked at Bai Qi and Bai Cang: "Yan Song would rather offend the world's wealthy and powerful people and bear all the infamy than give up fame and fortune!"

"hateful!"

"He should obey the public opinion of the world's wealthy and powerful people and shouldn't be so selfish!"

Bai Qi said this in anger.

Shirakura nodded, and said with tears in grief and indignation:
"He caused our house to be confiscated, and now he is going to be beheaded! He is so shameless!"

But it was useless for Bai Qi and Bai Cang to scold Yan Song now.

Because the outcome was already decided, Bai Qi, Bai Cang and Liu Ye were all taken to the Xishi Pailou and beheaded.

After seeing the body of his brother Liu Ye, Liu Jun burst into tears and wrote the two words "Yan Song" on the table with great effort.

For Liu Jun, Yan Song was naturally the culprit who killed his brother.

Therefore, after writing the two words "Yan Song", Liu Jun began to write the name "Yan Song" on the rice paper, crying as he wrote. After writing many "Yan Songs", he tore up the entire piece of rice paper.

But Liu Jun still couldn't get rid of his hatred and still couldn't get over the fact that his brother was beheaded. What made him even more unacceptable was that he had to write a letter of apology for not teaching his brother well enough.

So, Liu Jun simply went to the brothel again that night, ready to get drunk and vent his anger.

But as Liu Jun was walking towards an upscale brothel he often visited, he saw an ancient painting that he really liked hanging in the antique shop he often visited.

Liu Jun walked over and admired the ancient painting with great interest.

"Sir, you have a good eye. This Mi Xiangyang painting is hard to find in the market. If you take it back, it will be a family heirloom. Our store just needs to raise money to expand the store, so we are willing to pay 500 silver dollars! What do you think?"

The antique shop owner immediately came over upon seeing this.

Liu Jun admired the painting with great fascination and said with a smile, "Then wrap it up."

"Good Le!"

But after a while, Liu Jun thought of his brother Liu Ye's words that his family was not as good as before, so he hurriedly shouted: "Wait!"

The owner of the antique shop was stunned.

"no need."

Liu Jun left embarrassedly after saying this, and did not go to the brothel to get drunk again. He just turned back to look at the Mi Fu painting with some reluctance.

He finally decided to set an example for his children in terms of saving money.

But it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality.

For Liu Jun, he has been accustomed to a luxurious and elegant life. If he is asked to be frugal suddenly, he will feel extremely anxious and uneasy.

Liu Jun felt more resentful about Yan Song's exposure of the malpractices in the salt administration and the court's opening of grain shops.

When he arrived at the Hanlin Academy, Lu Bangpeng, the Imperial Lecturer, called him to his duty room because he was going to take the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination with him. Seeing that Liu Jun looked depressed, he asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, just melancholy."

Liu Jun replied with a wry smile.

At this time, Lu Bangpeng also smiled bitterly and sighed, "Yes, it's sad! The situation of competing with the people for profits is getting more and more serious, and the officials in the court turn a blind eye to it. How can I not be sad!"

After hearing this, Liu Jun looked up at Lu Bangpeng with a look of surprise.

Lu Bangpeng suddenly said to Liu Jun solemnly: "Ziquan, we Qingliu should take on the responsibility of correcting the world!"

Liu Jun understood what Lu Bangpeng meant, so he nodded, and then he bowed and said, "You are right, we should follow your opinion!"

Moreover, the provincial examination in Shuntian Prefecture was different from that in other provincial governments. In addition to students from Zhili Province, tribute students and students of the Imperial Academy from all over the country, as well as children of officials, could all go to Shuntian Prefecture to take part in the provincial examination.

This has meant that the Shuntian Prefecture's provincial examinations have always been large-scale, no less than the metropolitan examinations, and basically there are tens of thousands of candidates taking the first entrance examination.

Therefore, in recent years, the Shuntian Prefecture's provincial examination has admitted 135 successful candidates.

This time, the number of candidates in the imperial examination was increased to 180.

However, this was a time when the wealthy and powerful were most resentful of the emperor, and the officials in charge of the examinations were mostly learned officials from scholarly families.

Therefore, the chief examiners Lu Bangpeng and Liu Jun only admitted juren according to the previous quota, that is, only more than one hundred juren.

"Your Majesty has issued an edict that 180 candidates will be admitted to the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination this time. Why is it still 130 as in the past?"

"Why!"

"Aren't your examiners officials from the Ming Dynasty?"

When the results were announced, many candidates who failed the exam were dissatisfied and started shouting.

Especially the scholars on the second list were so angry that their eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

After the list was released, Lu Bangpeng just sneered at Liu Jun and said, "How many quotas the court should take, and whether the meritorious service in the civil administration of this dynasty can increase the quota, is up to us scholars and officials to decide, not the emperor!"

"That's right. If you have the guts, Your Majesty, you can really kill the backbone of all the scholars in the world! Let a villain who is not a clean official preside over the examination!"

"Otherwise, I would rather die than admit those unqualified people! If I admit them, they will only instigate the emperor to compete with the people for profit!"

Liu Jun then followed suit.

A determined look. (End of this chapter)