fake gentry

Yuzhang Commandery was known as the most important of the ten commanderies, and Nanchang City was the seat of the prefecture and commandery. The governor, the prefect, and the military all resided here, making it a place of great prominence.

Three hundred years from now, a man named Wang Bo will write the first parallel prose preface to the Tengwang Pavilion here.

Yuzhang, the old prefecture, Hongdu, the new capital.

This is the Yuzhang Prefecture, a place of abundant resources and outstanding people, as described by Wang Bo.

The head of the Luo clan was named Luo Shao. Three years ago, he sought an audience with Wang Dun, who was then the General Who Guards the East. Wang Dun recruited him to serve as the Assistant Prefect of Yuzhang County, acting as the Prefect.

The Prefectural Assistant was an eighth-rank official with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain).

The Prefectural Assistant was the Prefect's deputy, but their positions were worlds apart.

The standard rank of a prefectural governor is the fifth rank. If the governor of an important town is given the title of general or governor-general, the rank can be raised to the fourth rank, with a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain).

Luo Shao had been seeking the position of prefect, but because of his status as a member of a southern gentry family, Wang Dun often treated him with disdain, and the scholars under Wang Dun's command also looked down on Luo Shao, which made him feel ashamed and indignant.

He secretly resented Wang Dun, who could have easily decided the position of prefect, yet refused to give it to him.

It should be noted that the Luo family of Yuzhang was the head of the four major families in Yuzhang, and in Jiangzuo, it was considered a first-class clan, second only to the four major families of Wujun.

Many of Luo Shaozu's ancestors held the position of prefect, and some even rose to the rank of one of the Nine Ministers, making them comparable to the four prominent families of Wu County.

However, Luo Shao also knew that in terms of influence, the Luo family of Yuzhang could not compare with the four families of Wujun, and the gap was not just a little bit. In the eyes of the four families of Wujun, the four families of Yuzhang were practically invisible.

Sima Rui could completely ignore the four prominent families in Wu County when he crossed the Yangtze River to the south. It was only after Wang Dao lowered his stance and personally led key figures from the northern gentry to visit him, and arranged for Sima Rui to travel in a sedan chair with more than a hundred prominent northern immigrant families on horseback, that Gu Rong and other gentry from Wu County witnessed Sima Rui's influence and were thus accepted.

The four prominent families of Wu Commandery all desired official positions, with various prestigious posts and salaries of two thousand shi (a unit of grain) readily available. However, the Luo family of Yuzhang desperately sought a position as a prefect but could not obtain one.

Luo Shao was hailed as one of the best scholars in the county, but if he had not served Wang Dun, he would not have even been able to obtain the position of county magistrate.

This is already the leader of the four clans.

If the position of Prefect of Yuzhang remains vacant, or if it is filled but the prefecture is held remotely, then Luo Shao will always be the person in charge of Yuzhang, and everyone will be happy in that case.

But sometimes things just happen by chance.

Xie Kun of the Xie clan of Chen Commandery was originally the chief secretary of the general and a core member of the staff. He was also enfeoffed as the Marquis of Xianting. It can be said that he was very important in Wang Dun's staff. In addition, he had the aura of a famous scholar, so Luo Shao could not even get close to him.

Unfortunately, Xie Kun was ostracized and demoted to the position of Prefect of Yuzhang County because he opposed Wang Dun's uprising.

That's alright. As long as Xie Kun doesn't come to take up the post of governor remotely, Yuzhang will still be Luo Shao's domain.

But Xie Kun suddenly announced that he was coming to Yuzhang to take up his post.

So no matter how unwilling Luo Shao was, or how prestigious he was locally, he was nothing in the eyes of a great scholar like Xie Kun.

He only has one path: to relinquish power.

If they insist on confronting Xie Kun, it would be like an ant trying to shake a tree, or at least it would be overestimating their own strength.

However, the position of Prefect of Yu Commandery was a crucial turning point for the four powerful families of Yuzhang. Only by securing this position could these families freely place their members throughout Yuzhang, and at that time, even the imperial decrees could be ignored. This was the political structure of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, where the emperor was essentially a figurehead.

If they can't maintain their positions, then those four families will have no choice but to continue cultivating their reputation and seeking fame.

What is the purpose of the aristocratic families cultivating their reputation and seeking fame? Do they really think they all want to live in seclusion like Zhai Tang? Who doesn't want to sit in the imperial court, establish their own government, and build their own headquarters?

The relationship between the northern and southern gentry was already tense. Luo Shao was afraid of the Wang clan of Langya, but not of the Xie clan of Chenjun.

The Xie family of Chen Commandery who migrated south had nothing to offer except for Xie Kun's fame and Xie Pou's official position.

Therefore, Luo Shao had to seize Xie Kun's position as prefect, or at least let him continue to hold it remotely.

Historically, Xie Kun died while serving as the Prefect of Yuzhang, which may well have been due to the contributions of the Luo family.

Luo Shao had always been very capable in his position as Prefectural Assistant, with the aim of becoming Prefect, but now he felt a great threat.

Who would have thought that Xie Kun would actually leave Wang Dun's entourage and come to become a prefect?

This was something Luo Shao had never expected.

Luo Shao dared not harbor resentment towards Wang Dun, but he hated Xie Kun to the core.

Just as she was racking her brains trying to figure out how to scheme against Xie Kun, someone delivered a pillow to her.

Zhai Qian, the second son of the Zhai family, felt slighted by a boorish country steward and took his anger out on the person behind the steward, who turned out to be Xie's son.

The man's name was Xie Hong, Xie Kun's cousin.

At first, Luo Shao didn't take Xie Hong seriously, but as Zhai Qian found Zhang De, Zhang De, greedy for the profits from honey, went to the Zhang family, and the Zhang family patriarch then found Luo Shao, and so on, Luo Shao immediately perked up.

The imperial court compiled genealogies of aristocratic families and required all prefectures and counties to compile their own local genealogies.

This was the official basis for verifying the status of aristocratic families, directly serving the needs of selecting officials at the prefectural level.

Genealogical records not only document the lineage, social status, and rank of all prominent families, but also their members, official positions, and so on.

Why did the gentry not need to carry any kind of identification when they went out?

Nothing more, a name is enough.

Whether staying at a post station or entering the city, all you need to do is look up the genealogy.

The sons of high-ranking families are often recruited immediately after their coming-of-age ceremony, or given prestigious official positions by the court. Within three to five years, they can rise to a position that would leave ordinary gentry in despair.

In ten years at most, they would become governors, commanders, generals, or even high-ranking officials, or at least prefects. They wouldn't have to do any work; their appointed clerks would handle everything, and they could just travel and enjoy themselves.

It's just that simple and unpretentious.

As the Prefectural Assistant, Luo Shao clearly remembered the genealogies of all the noble families of the third rank and above.

This is no joke; it's like a set of rules that modern civil servants must memorize.

He realized almost immediately that Xie Hong's identity was not right.

There is no such person in the Xie family genealogy.

The Xie clan of Chenjun migrated south as a whole, so no clansman would be left out.

Genealogical records are updated every year, and if a family produces a genius who becomes famous at a young age, it can't be kept secret.

Xie Hong could not possibly be a gentleman from the Xie clan of Chen Commandery.

So, he is using a false surname.

Once it's confirmed that Xie Hong is a counterfeit product, if handled properly, it's entirely possible to set Xie Kun on fire.

At that time, a renowned scholar like Xie Kun would have no choice but to resign from his official post and retreat to the mountains to preserve his reputation, waiting for the impact of this incident to fade before returning to public life.

Wouldn't the position of Prefect of Yuzhang be within my grasp?

In the worst-case scenario, even if he can't become the Prefect of Yuzhang, Xie Kun shouldn't be made the Prefect. He can continue to act as the Prefect as the Assistant Prefect.

This is a chance for the four families of Yuzhang to change their fate; they absolutely cannot miss it.

The Luo family's manor was called Lushan Garden. It was situated by mountains and rivers, covering an area of ​​over 100 hectares. It had hundreds of tenants and no fewer than 100 servants and retainers. Moreover, there was another manor outside Nanchang City, covering an area of ​​several tens of hectares.

Inside Lushan Garden.

Xiong Xiang, the patriarch of the Xiong clan, said without any hesitation, "What are we waiting for? I'll send people right now to make sure that brat is brought under control."

"Master Xiong, please don't act rashly." Deng Yi, the clan chief of the Deng clan, said solemnly, "Neither you nor I know the details of this boy. Even if he is using a false surname, do you have any evidence? The most important thing is to find out whether Xie Youyu really has such a nephew. Don't be impulsive. Let's wait for the people that Master Luo sent to Wuchang to return before we discuss this further."

Xiong Xiang snorted and looked at the other person: "Lord Hu, what do you think?"

Hu Chong, the clan chief, smiled bitterly to himself, but his face remained solemn as he said, "Deng Gong is right, and Xiong Gong also has a point. Let Luo Gong make the decision."

The three of them glanced at Hu Chong with great dissatisfaction. Kneeling beside him was Zhang Xun, the patriarch of the Zhang clan, who kept his head down and dared not participate in the conversation.

After struggling for a while without coming up with a solution, Luo Shao finally lost his patience and waved his hand, saying:

"Then do as I say. Let Zhai Qian lure that kid to Huangshiyan under the name of Zhai Tang. Then we'll launch a joint attack in front of the Jiangzhou scholars and make sure he's utterly disgraced."

At this point, a ruthless glint flashed in Luo Shao's eyes:

"I'll trick Xie Youyu into going too, and then..."