Chapter 4515 The End of the Era
Fang Xuanling smiled calmly and said: "It's not necessarily true that we will never see each other again. I will go back to Chang'an to arrange some things. The river will thaw in the spring after the new year, so I will take a boat back south to Huating Town. I may settle there in the future." Jiangnan has a good climate and sufficient water, which is suitable for health maintenance. ”
He knew that although his son seemed to have no desires and desires, he actually had great ambitions and could not stay away from the center. During his stay in Jiangnan, he became increasingly aware of the importance of Huating Town to his son, so he went south to Huating Town to protect this foundation for his son.
"As for the undercurrents in the capital...why should we worry about it? We are old and cannot be greedy for power and position until death. Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings, and we can just let them do whatever they want. Besides, it may not be It’s not as good as us.”
As the prime minister who was once responsible for the political power of the entire empire, Fang Xuanling clearly felt the rapid changes today.
The navy's rampage across the oceans was not only unprecedented, but the food and wealth that it had brought from overseas were continuously transported back to the Tang Dynasty, which had a huge impact on the entire political structure of the empire. Throughout the dynasties, the top priority of national policy has been food, and the problem of food shortage has never been truly solved in any era. However, with the introduction of overseas improved varieties into the empire and their continuous optimization and improvement, coupled with the large-scale popularization and application of iron tools, the advancement of farming technology With improvements, Datang is bound to usher in a period of explosive growth in grain production.
If everyone could have enough to eat... what kind of era would that be?
Not to mention the new policy that has begun to be planned and is about to be implemented, which is destined to shock the ages...
Some are brand new and unknown. The thinking of these old guys has long been solidified, and they may not be able to adapt to the new era, nor may they be able to do better than the younger generations.
Xiao Yu was a little stunned when he held it up. It took him a long time to react. He smiled bitterly and toasted Fang Xuanling. He said with emotion: "It is said all over the world that 'Fang Mou Duan' is the rule. Although I am not dissatisfied, I never think that I am worse than you. Now Only then did I realize that I am not as good as you in terms of realm. I boast that I have encountered many ups and downs in my life. He turned a disaster into a disaster and turned it into a disaster. His perseverance and ability were unparalleled by few in the world. However, he never thought of letting go. He spent his whole life working in cliques and cliques, but in the end he ended up in retirement... His children and grandchildren You will have children and grandchildren, that’s right, come and have a drink.”
When he was young, he was the prince of the Emperor of Nanliang, but he suffered the misfortune of ruining his country and his family. His whole family was forced to move to Daxing City. Although he was not a prisoner of the imperial court, he was imprisoned and allowed to survive. He could only count on hope. Queen Xiao lives.
Therefore, he has been tirelessly seeking power all his life, because only power can free him from the suffering of life and death in the hands of others, otherwise he would not have reached the point where he is today.
But I have never thought that manpower will sometimes be poor, and that times will change and destiny will inevitably change. I have never thought of letting go of all this and getting out of the whirlpool of power...
Why bother seeking central power?
With the background and reputation of the Lanling Xiao family, no matter how the situation changes, they are still the leaders of the Jiangnan gentry. Even if the emperor sticks to his word and talks about the constitution, is it possible that he still dares to risk the turmoil and overthrow of the entire Jiangnan to target Lanling? Mr. Xiao?
What's more, why do you always want to fight against the center?
The Xiao family of Lanling is now a subject of the Tang Dynasty. It is enough for them to cooperate with the imperial policies, support the unification of the empire, and maintain the stability of Jiangnan.
As for who will be the emperor... The Tang Dynasty has won the hearts of the people and is deeply rooted. It is impossible for anyone who wants to usurp the throne. The position of the emperor is just transferred within the clan. Who goes up and who goes down has nothing to do with the Lanling Xiao family. ?
Maybe there will be a new emperor, the New Deal will not be carried out, and the position of the Lanling Xiao family will become more stable...
"After listening to your words, I really had a sudden enlightenment! I used to be troubled and tossing and turning, but now it's like an enlightenment."
Xiao Yu was in a relaxed mood and toasted repeatedly, and Fang Xuanling also refused to refuse anyone who came. The winter rain outside the cabin was continuous and the blue waves were like washing. The wine was full of wine and the conversation was lyrical. For a while, the atmosphere was pleasant and quite compatible.
After drinking for three rounds, Xiao Yu pointed at Fang Yize and said, "Have you ever been married?"
Fang Xuanling looked at the blushing third son and said with a smile: "Our two families are already in-laws. It is good to establish a good relationship between Qin and Jin, so why bother?"
Xiao Yu put down his wine glass and sighed: "I pride myself on being shrewd and the best at recognizing people. When Emperor Gaozu raised troops from Jinyang, I went to join him at all costs, thinking that he could achieve great things. I have been in officialdom for half my life, and I don't care about simple subordinates. The number of them is also to me I was respectful and obedient. I only took a swipe at the second man of your family and married him as his concubine, the daughter of a direct line of the Xiao family. I did not hesitate to surrender myself to the family. As a result, when it was time for the man to attack the Xiao family, he did not hesitate to do so. Don’t be soft, don’t even blink, what a loss!”
Since getting married to Fang Jun, has Lanling Xiao taken advantage? The answer is naturally yes, but in everything, "Don't worry about scarcity but inequality." The navy's rampage on the sea overwhelmed the social order, which caused the maritime trade of the Tang Dynasty to be extremely prosperous. By loading them on ships and transporting them to countries in the East and Southeast Asia, they can exchange them for much-needed horse hides, grain, and iron materials. Once they are resold, they can make huge profits ten times or a hundred times. Not to mention luxury goods such as silk and porcelain, which can earn almost the same amount. of silver and brass.
The wealth of the entire East and Southeast Asia flowed into the Tang Dynasty along with the sea water on various routes, and those with sea trade licenses made huge profits.
However, the Jiangnan nobles headed by the Lanling Xiao family did not make a big profit from it, because they were always constrained by various constraints and did not want to be led by the navy by the nose and throat. On the contrary, it was the second and third-tier people who Because they were unable to resist, the small family members were obedient and obedient. They were taken care of in the sea trade, and their wealth quickly gathered while their strength expanded rapidly.
The situation in which the Xiao, Chen, Lu, Zhang and other major families controlled Jiangnan changed rapidly. Many families began to rise, and with the support of the navy, they were very emboldened, which seriously affected the leadership status of the Lanling Xiao family.
How could Xiao Yu not feel deeply resentful?
Fang Xuanling chuckled and said: "Shi Wenqian's idea is wrong. You only see that marrying Shu'er to Erlang as a concubine did not benefit the Lanling Xiao family far better than other families, but why don't you think about what would happen if Shu'er was not there?" If your son enters the Fang family, will your Lanling Xiao family be the target of Erlang’s first round of suppression and suffer heavy losses?”
"Uh..."
Xiao Yu was stunned for a moment, don't tell me, it sounds like it's really not bad?
After all, Fang Jun wants to use the navy to control the entire Jiangnan trade. The most convenient way is to "capture the thief first." Get what you want?
At this point, the topic of Xiao Yu's desire to have a marriage house naturally branched off.
The two men who once dominated the court and dominated the world during the Zhenguan Dynasty reminisced about the past, remembered the bitterness and sweetness, sang songs at one moment, and composed poems with great enthusiasm at another. After drinking a glass of wine, the bitterness of a lifetime of glory turned into two lines of tears. Everyone cried...
*****
Dali Temple was the highest judicial institution of the Tang Dynasty. Together with the Ministry of Punishment and the Yushitai, it formed the judicial system of the empire. It was commonly known as the "Three Law Divisions" among the people.
As one of the "Nine Temples", the Yamen Office of Dali Temple is not located in the imperial city like other Yamen, but is located in Yining Square inside Kaiyuan Gate. The alley in front of the door is full of cars and horses and pedestrians all year round, but Under the majesty of this highest judicial institution, it is trembling and quiet.
Dai Zhou, the minister of Dali Temple, was sitting in his room, taking a sip of tea. He raised his eyes through the window and looked at the seven-story tower of Daqin Temple not far away, which was built by Emperor Taizong. He felt that his sight was blocked and his heart was depressed. He snorted angrily.
Since the prosperity of the empire, a large number of people from Western countries have poured into Chang'an, bringing with them various sects, one of which is Nestorianism. These believers continued to deceive the people of the Tang Dynasty with their evil talk. Many officials were even obsessed with them and fell into them, so they advised Emperor Taizong to build temples for them. Emperor Taizong had a universal mind and readily agreed.
However, in Dai Zhou's view, those who are not from my race must have different minds. Most of their believers are desperadoes who have done evil in their own country. Those who promote various doctrines under the guise of sects and turn themselves into serious people are actually just trying to The ultimate goal of spreading branches and leaves within the territory of the Eastern Empire is various interests.
Not banning it is already considered magnanimous, so why endorse it with the background of the imperial court?
"Dang, dang, dang," a soft knock on the door sounded, and Dai Zhou looked away: "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Dong Xiong, the young minister of Dali Temple, walked in quickly and presented a thick stack of documents to Dai Zhou with a solemn expression on his face: "Prince of the Temple, there is a big case!"
Dai Zhou didn't dare to neglect, so he quickly put down the tea cup, picked up the documents, and read them carefully one by one.
However, someone anonymously reported that Renhong, the governor of Guangzhou, was greedy and derelict in his duties, plundered land, amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars, lived a luxurious and lavish life, and even organized a gathering of young people under his rule to have several conflicts with Feng An, the general manager of Gaozhou, which led to Social unrest and instability...
Dai Zhou frowned, thoughtfully: "Should Dang Renhong return to Beijing to report on his work?"
Although the Tang Dynasty did not have a term of several years for officials from other provinces, the Zhongshu Province would evaluate the officials' positions and order them to return to Beijing from time to time to report on their duties. They would either be promoted if their political achievements were outstanding, or they would be demoted if their jurisdiction was in chaos. Dang Renhong, on the other hand, has not returned to Beijing to report on his work for more than ten years. Young officials have rarely even heard of his reputation and do not know his identity, but veterans of the two dynasties like Dai Zhou know it very well.
Dong Xiong nodded and said: "Zhongshu Sheng asked Dang Renhong to return to Beijing to report on his work. He followed the ancient business road. He just arrived in Lantian territory, and these corruption evidences have been sent to him."
There was definitely something wrong with Dai Zhou. News of Dang Renhong's misdeeds under his rule had long been spread. During the reign of Emperor Taizong, he was repeatedly impeached by the imperial censor. However, Emperor Taizong recognized his achievements and refused to accept the case.
Since Zhongshu Sheng ordered him to return to Beijing to report on his duties, he was obviously dissatisfied with his political performance, and there was a high probability that he would never take over the post of governor of Guangzhou. According to the rules of the officialdom, since the official had left the jurisdiction, most of the past matters would not be investigated. No one will hold on to him and impeach him. (End of chapter)