National Division

Chapter 13 History of Dajing Kingdom
That night, in the study

The orange lamplight flickered and danced, and a person was reading by lamplight, focused on his studies, his two sword-like eyebrows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.

Shen Xian skimmed through the national history, and after closing the book, he was unable to calm down for a long time.

It felt magnificent and breathtaking.

The founding of the Great Jing Dynasty was similar to that of the feudal dynasties in the previous life. It took advantage of the chaos of the previous dynasty, and then dragons and snakes rose up to fight for the throne.

"Emperor Taizu of the Great Jing Dynasty was a man of outstanding talent. He was a descendant of a prominent family from the previous dynasty. Taking advantage of the internal strife in the previous dynasty, he was assisted by the thirty-six meritorious officials of the Qilin Pavilion, and he pacified the world and established the country. From then on, Emperor Taizong established the imperial examination system, and the country achieved great success in both civil and military affairs. Then came Emperor Hongxi, and now the Empress Dowager..."

Shen Xian thought of a dynasty—the Tang Dynasty.

If he can't even see it, then he truly has no right to claim that he is well-versed in classics and history.

However, the map and territory are clearly slightly different from the previous life, and the Empress Dowager was not a concubine of Emperor Taizong Wen, but a secondary concubine of Emperor Hongxi. She was known to the late emperor for her talent and learning, and later became the empress.

Emperor Taizong did not rise to power through the bloodshed at Xuanwu Gate or by relying on the "Imperial Guard Succession Law," but rather received his mandate from Emperor Taizu based on his military strategy and literary talent.

Shen Xian picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, skipped over the various wise measures of the Taizong era, and directly turned to the Hongxi era.

As time passed, Shen Xian's expression grew somewhat solemn, because this wasn't Li Tang's script; it looked more like Zhu Ming's.

During the Hongxi reign, natural disasters seemed to become more severe after the 24th year of Hongxi's reign.

In the twenty-fourth year of the Hongxi reign, a severe drought struck Hebei, Guannei, and Longyou, leaving the land parched and swarming with locusts. Subsequently, the two emperors moved the capital to Luoyang.

In the twenty-fifth year of the Hongxi reign, the Qingjiang River flooded, submerging countless farmlands and tens of thousands of houses along the banks of the river in Jiangzhou, Tanzhou, and Yingzhou, leaving many people displaced and homeless.

In the 27th year of the Hongxi reign, a major epidemic broke out in Jiannan Circuit, with soldiers and civilians infected and more than 100,000 dead or injured.

……

……

"Looking at this constant natural disaster, it's like an empress dowager ruling, causing the heavens to be angry and the people to resent her." Shen Xian's eyes flickered as he muttered to himself.

In the twenty-third year of the Hongxi reign, the late Emperor Hongxi was recuperating from illness, and the Empress Dowager began to take charge of state affairs in a grand manner.

However, if it was a divine intervention, then by the eighteenth year of the Hongxi reign, the two sages were already jointly honored, and no natural disasters were observed.

"After that came the garrison soldiers' rebellion, which swept through many prefectures and counties in the south. The imperial court sent troops to suppress it. Well, in the thirtieth year of Hongxi, there was a civil unrest that swept through dozens of prefectures and counties. It took four or five years to quell it, but the imperial court was also severely weakened." Shen Xian felt somewhat speechless.

With these constant natural disasters, could it be the end of the Ming Dynasty?

It truly is a case of internal and external troubles.

Without realizing it, I looked up at the sky.

Shen Xian frowned. During the Hongxi Dynasty, natural disasters were frequent, and the court was exhausted from dealing with them. Then, peasant uprisings broke out one after another, and there was even a rebellion by the garrison soldiers in the south. In order to unify the use of troops, the prefectures and counties set up military governors.

Upon seeing this, Shen Xian shook his head vigorously.

This is not a good sign; it signifies the beginning of a loss of control over the central government and the growing unchecked power of local authorities.

I fear that if this continues, military men will dominate, and there is a risk of the dynasty being overthrown.

Fortunately, Huang Chao did not appear, and the prestige of the Li Jing royal family remained intact.

Shen Xian frowned, his mind turning to the decline of the Yu family, and then to Yu Qingchan.

This was also an era of clashes between powerful clans and humble families.

From the perspective of promoting talented individuals from humble backgrounds and suppressing powerful clans, the empress dowager who favored cruel officials and eliminated the imperial clans should be considered a revolutionary and progressive figure.

But Emperor Hongxi and Empress Dowager... were clearly acting somewhat recklessly.

"It might not be that simple; it's just that a thin national history book won't record those secrets," Shen Xian said.

The historical records of the Great Jing Kingdom are merely simple accounts of the events, without explaining the underlying reasons or the positions and motivations of the various forces involved.

However, this global trend has not yet affected Guhe County.

However, as my father said, the cruel officials who fabricated false cases were always a hidden danger.

Or rather, it wasn't easy for him to live that kind of Brahmanical life.

Shen Xian suppressed the turmoil in his heart and sighed inwardly.

Logically speaking, it's not wrong for him to practice martial arts; he was just born at the wrong time. But based on his conversation with Miss Yu today, he feels... the world is about to descend into chaos.

This is a keen perception from later generations, or rather, an ability to collect, organize, and analyze information.

One leaf knows autumn.

The Empress Dowager is, after all, a woman. If she continues to act recklessly, the whole country may rebel, unless she has something to rely on.

Having mastered both literary and martial arts, they were sold to the emperor.

But now my martial arts are at the acquired level, and my understanding of Taoist scriptures is only at the primary or secondary school level. If I want to gain recognition in the imperial court, or to help my father improve his skills...

We can only rely on our knowledge and perspective from our past lives.

"Young Master." At this moment, Zhiyun covered her mouth with one small hand and yawned. Her petite body was draped in spring clothes as she entered the study and said, "It's already past midnight. It's getting late. Young Master, you should go to sleep early."

Shen Xian nodded, smiled, and said, "Go to sleep right away."

With that, he got up, returned to his bed, and went to rest.

Nothing more to say all night.

…… ……

The next day, the rooster crowed at dawn, and the sky was bright.

Yesterday, a light spring rain fell on Guhe County, and the peach tree in the courtyard also experienced a shower of peach blossoms, with petals covering the ground and filling the air with fragrance.

With the help of Zhiyun and Xiuyue, Shen Xian changed into a sky-blue brocade robe, and her beautiful hair was styled into a bun.

"Wait a moment, have someone ask Uncle Lin and Miss Yu if they are used to the food. I'm going out after I finish breakfast."

He needs to see Uncle Li and find another way to get some money.

It seems like my dad's side isn't going to drop many gold coins anymore.

Zhiyun said, "Young Master, you can rest assured."

Xiuyue said, "I think this Miss Yu looks gentle and weak, but she has a strong sense of integrity."

Xiuyue witnessed everything that happened yesterday.
Zhiyun said, "It's a pity that he was born with an eye disease, not to mention that his family suffered a great misfortune and his family fell into decline."

Then, she asked softly, "So, how much is Miss Yu's monthly allowance?"

Shen Xian thought for a moment and said, "Same as me, two taels a month."

These few more have come in; needless to say, they'll be fed by humans and chewed by horses again.

It doesn't seem right to make my father work like a slave all by himself.

He basically spent all of his father's salary.

As Shen Xian pondered this, he couldn't help but calculate the Shen family's annual income.

No matter what, the Shen family was a branch of a prominent family in the county. Even a broken boat has some nails, so they were considered a top-tier powerful family in Guhe County.

After the Shen couple moved to Guhe County, in addition to their two qing of official land (200 mu, which yielded half of the output), they also acquired 300 mu of permanent land. Because the banks of Guhe County were irrigated by the Guhe River, the weather was favorable, and each mu of land yielded about two shi of millet and wheat.

In addition to the imperial court's taxes, Shen Bin's salary (including a monthly salary of two taels of silver and an annual salary of sixty shi of rice) was also paid.

Their annual income was roughly 800 shi (a unit of dry measure).

It may seem like a lot, but Shen Bin is kind and generous, and he is very generous with his money.

In addition, supporting a large family, cooks, grooms, servants, maids, and young servants was actually quite a stretch, especially after Shen Xian started practicing martial arts, which increased expenses.

"I just heard Miss Yu talk about land consolidation yesterday. The Shen family actually bought two hectares of land."

Thinking of this, Shen Xian felt a little strange, but his Shen family had not taken advantage of the situation; they had purchased the items at high prices.

However, this small incident reveals a broader trend: land annexation was rampant from top to bottom.

The equal-field system established at the founding of the nation has been greatly damaged.

Actually, this is not surprising. After all, the Great Jing Kingdom has been established for a hundred years, and its population has multiplied for several generations, making the contradiction between a large population and limited land increasingly acute.

At this time, the rulers of the dynasty would usually implement reform policies.

Perhaps this is the general trend of history?
Shen Xian pondered, adjusted his belt, and looked at the tall, slender young man with sharp features in the mirror. He thought to himself, "He truly has an outstanding temperament and a dignified appearance."

Xiuyue muttered from the side, "The Yu family is a prominent family in the capital. They should have brought a lot of gold and silver with them when they fled here. We shouldn't need to worry about them."

"Whether they have it or not is one thing, whether we give it to them or not is another matter entirely." Shen Xian smiled and said, "I haven't even said anything yet, you little money-grubber."

As he spoke, he gently stroked Xiuyue's straight nose.

Xiuyue gave a reproachful snort, and didn't say anything more.

Shen Xian straightened his clothes and stepped out of the room.

As they spoke, they arrived at the front hall, sat down at the dining table, and began to eat breakfast. After a while, they walked along the vermilion-beamed covered walkway towards the front yard.

Not long after they walked, they saw Lin Jing stretching his arms in the courtyard.

Shen Xian stepped forward to greet him and asked, "Did you rest well last night, Uncle?"

Lin Jing's smile broadened as he said, "You've rested quite well, Nephew Shen. Are you about to head out?"

Shen Xian nodded and said, "I'm going out to take care of some business."

Lin Jing laughed and said, "I was saying that I would let Qingchan talk to you about the Daoist scriptures today."

Shen Xian smiled and said, "There's no rush to wait until I get back."

Lin Jing nodded and watched Shen Xian leave.

Shen Xian went to the front yard, called his servant Ah Xin, and asked him to prepare a horse.

Only when he went to Qingyang Temple for classes would he pretend to be a cultured person, prepare a carriage, and leisurely go there.

Because it was early morning, the streets were sparsely populated. Shen Xian raised his whip and, with a "Giddy up," spurred the horse on.

The servant behind him said, "Young master, wait for me."

Master and servant, riding horses with whips cracking, their hooves clattering across the street. The spotless bluestone slabs, drenched by last night's rain, occasionally splashed with water droplets. On either side, lush willows swayed in the breeze.

A man in a green robe rides a horse along a blue stone path, where willows sway in the breeze, beckoning him to the wind.

It is March, the spring rains have just passed, all things are thriving, and vibrant life is right before our eyes.

(End of this chapter)