Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5012 Falling apart
Gao Kan's face was calm and he disagreed: "The world belongs to all people in the world, not to one family or one surname. All land under heaven belongs to the king, and all people are his subjects. No one can be free from the jurisdiction of the central government. The policies formulated by the central government must be followed by the whole country, and no one can override the national policy."

These words were sonorous, powerful and murderous, but Xiao Yu had to admit that in a situation where the aristocratic families had suffered heavy losses one after another and their strength had been greatly reduced, there was no one who could divide the territory and rule as they did in the past and compete with the central government.

The situation where “imperial power does not extend to the countryside” is gone forever.

Anyone who dares to resist the central government's policies and continue the old practice of occupying a certain area and ruling it according to its own will suffer a devastating blow.

Gao Kan looked at Xiao Yu and said, "This is what I came to Nanjing for."

Xiao Yu knew that Gao Kan was acting on orders, but he still wanted to advise him from other angles not to be too harsh: "In any case, the foundation of the Jiangnan gentry cannot be wiped out by banning or expelling one or two scholars. The vast majority of the scholars in the examination hall are descendants of Jiangnan gentry, and Jiangnan is still the Jiangnan of the Jiangnan people. The general has a bright future. If he has the support of the Jiangnan gentry, he may be able to ascend to the throne and become a prime minister in the future. Why make a mistake?"

If something happens, if you show mercy and let them off, the Jiangnan gentry will remember this friendship and will reward you in the future.

Gao Kan was unmoved and said in a deep voice: "Then Duke Song should pray that nothing happens. Whichever family is so bold will surely suffer a catastrophic disaster."

Xiao Yu let out a long sigh. What else could he do facing such an unyielding general?

After the exam ended that day, Xiao Yu returned to his villa outside the city and sent someone to deliver a letter to the person in charge of the Jiangnan gentry who were staying in Jinling, summoning them to the villa to discuss important matters. These powerful families must be restrained, otherwise, once Gao Kan started a killing spree, the land of Jiangnan would be devastated.

……

In March in the south of the Yangtze River, there is a light drizzle and the grass and trees are lush.

Through the open windows, one can see the beautiful scenery of flowers, trees, mountains and rocks in the courtyard. The candlesticks are shining high, and the candlelight shining on the floor is as soft as water, reflecting one's own reflection.

Xiao Yu was wearing casual clothes and sitting on the ground. In front of him were more than a dozen leaders of the Jiangnan gentry. Lu Yanyuan was kneeling on one side, looking dejected and absent-minded.

Xiao Yu wanted to scold him, but when he thought of such a young talent completely cutting off his path to officialdom, he couldn't bear it and sighed, "Why be so reckless? The imperial examination is a national policy. We can express our dissatisfaction, but the real purpose is that the policy is biased towards the Jiangnan gentry. The true meaning of struggle is to fight without breaking. Have you ever thought about the consequences of boycotting the imperial examination?"

Lu Yanyuan hung his head and said nothing, his heart was as dead as death.

Beside him, a capable middle-aged man with a short beard said angrily: "Your Majesty has been deceived by the traitors. Whether it is 'expelling your name and stopping your career' or 'destroying your writings since birth', it is no less tyrannical than the Qin Emperor!"

Xiao Yu was helpless: "You Xuan, be careful with your words!"

This person was Lu Xuanzhi, the lieutenant of Yuzhang County, who was the younger brother of Lu Jianzhi and the uncle of Lu Yanyuan.

Because the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River were independent of the central government, there were not many people like Xiao Yu who were listed as prime ministers and held great power. Most of them were like Lu Xuanzhi who served as county magistrates or county lieutenants. Although these positions seemed to be low, they were actually the forbidden fruits passed down from generation to generation within the gentry to ensure their own interests.

But times have changed. Although the pattern of Jiangnan being dominated by the gentry will remain the same for some time to come, the imperial examination has severed the official positions passed down from ancestors. In the past, when fathers retired, they only needed to recommend their own sons or nephews to take over, but now they have to go through the process of imperial examinations, and all official positions are appointed by the Ministry of Personnel, leaving very little room for maneuver.

Lu Xuanzhi said: "Since Your Majesty has done it, can't we say anything? The court is full of treacherous people, Fang Jun, Liu Li and others control the government, and regard our Jiangnan gentry as a thorn in their eyes and a thorn in their flesh. We should fight back and not just obey orders."

The noisy child gets the milk. If you just keep tolerating him, it will only make the central nervous system become more and more demanding.

Opposite him, Xie Yan was somewhat dissatisfied: "What you call fighting back is to collude with the Wujun family to cause a scene in the examination hall and boycott the imperial examination without any knowledge?"

Lu Xuanzhi frowned: "We are the proud scholars of Jiangnan. We should stand up to injustice. What's wrong with that?"

Xie Yan did not argue with him.

In fact, who can't see what tricks Lu is playing?
He secretly colluded with the Wujun aristocratic families and made trouble during the imperial examinations in order to boost his reputation. As the head of the Wujun aristocratic families, the Lu family had been deteriorating and declining in recent years, and they urgently needed enough prestige to revive their family. Otherwise, if they continued to decline for a long time, they would inevitably become the prey of the other powerful families.

I just didn't expect the imperial court's attack to come so quickly and so harshly...

He was too disdainful to argue with him, but Xie Wenhua couldn't help but said, "The Lu family's children are selfless and proud. They have demonstrated the unyielding will of the aristocratic family with their own strength. They have achieved what they deserve. It is admirable."

Under normal circumstances, this statement would be a compliment, but saying it in this situation is tantamount to a direct mockery.

Lu Xuanzhi was immediately furious: "My son stood up for the interests of the Jiangnan gentry and suffered an extremely unfair punishment. You should all be united against the enemy and make joint efforts to petition the court to revoke the order. How can you be so sarcastic here? It is really disgusting!"

Zhang Ji, who had been silent, was also very unhappy: "The gentry in Jiangnan are of the same blood. Facing the suppression of the imperial court, we should work together and not make trouble before the battle. "

Xie Yan shook his head and said, "But you guys didn't discuss this boycott of the imperial examination with us beforehand. Now you are caught off guard and you want us to follow you and fight against the court. How can this be justified?"

Lu Xuanzhi said: "My family members are standing up for the interests of the entire Jiangnan gentry. You can't just stand by and watch."

He pointed at Lu Yanyuan, He Mo, Zhu Yuan, Zhang Zheng and others standing by and said, "These are all outstanding children of the Jiangnan gentry. They will surely be able to stand on their own and support the family in the future. How can we let them fail in this imperial examination?"

Xie Wenhua was indignant and was about to continue arguing when Xiao Yu knocked on the lacquered table in front of him. The hall became quiet and everyone looked at Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu sighed, glanced at Lu Yanyuan, and then said to Lu Xuanzhi: "The reason why the court dealt with us so harshly this time is to suppress us, the Jiangnan gentry, and make us follow the system of the imperial examination. So even if we jointly write to His Majesty, it is impossible for His Majesty to revoke the order, especially since this decree is the will of the entire Political Affairs Hall, and there is no reason to change it. How can the authority of the Political Affairs Hall be reflected if the order is changed every day?"

Lu Xuanzhi was silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "If that's the case, then my Lu family will fight hard. I don't believe that Your Majesty will sit back and watch Jiangdong deteriorate, and I don't believe that the court will kill all of the four families in Wuzhong!"

The main branch of the Lu family has already died out, and the situation of the Gu family is even worse than that of the Lu family. If there is another wave of attacks, the entire family will be wiped out and the bloodline will be cut off. Has any benevolent king in ancient and modern times ever cut off someone's bloodline?
Zhang Ji, who was drinking tea leisurely, was so frightened when he heard this that his hand trembled, and the hot tea spilled on the back of his hand, burning him so much that he grimaced and gasped. He wiped the water stains with a handkerchief, then looked up at Lu Xuanzhi: "Youxuan, how can you easily say such words? Our Wuzhong family has a long history, relying not only on our own strength, but also on going with the flow, forbearing and submitting. Knowing that the court is very determined and the means are cruel, you still act recklessly without regard for the consequences. This is not what a wise man does."

The four Wuzhong families have been passed down for thousands of years, and their interests are intertwined and difficult to separate. Once the Lu family commits suicide, the other families will be implicated even if they do nothing.

Who would be willing to go crazy with Lu?

The Zhang family invested a large amount of money in the Huating Town Salt Field, and made a lot of profit every year. This was a long-term industry that would be passed down to future generations. They also purchased ships and went out to sea for trade, which brought them even more huge profits. Like many aristocratic families, they had gradually transferred the roots of their family from the land to these lucrative industries.

But whether it is the salt fields or maritime trade, they are all firmly in the hands of the Royal Navy. Once breaking with the central government, all interests may be lost.

Compared with such huge interests, the disputes among the four surnames in Wuzhong are insignificant. How could they follow the Lu family and go crazy?
Furthermore, the most severe punishment was given to Lu Yanyuan, while the others were only disqualified from taking the imperial examinations for three years...

Lu Xuanzhi was so angry that he laughed: "Don't you know the truth that the lips and teeth are cold? Today, my Lu family has been severely punished for standing up for the Jiangnan gentry. My brother's family has 'destroyed all the writings since birth', and those who have official positions have been 'removed and suspended'. Lu Yanyuan is very talented and has profound calligraphy, but he can never be an official in his life! My family has paid such a huge price, but you are just watching coldly and indifferently, only calculating your own interests, selfish and short-sighted! From now on, everyone has their own plans and takes care of their own business. The Jiangnan gentry will soon fall apart!"

Zhang Ji was displeased: "Isn't it your Lu family who acted on their own initiative to seek a dominant position? Since you want to gain the greatest benefit, you must bear the backlash after failure. How can you let us share the loss with you? Besides, Gao Kan's army is guarding Nanjing and deterring Jiangnan, and the navy ships are cruising in the rivers and waterways. They can reach any place in Jiangnan in an instant. Who dares to "fight hard" is no different from seeking death? If you want to die, that's your own business, don't let us get involved!"

The others were all silent, obviously agreeing with what Zhang Ji said.

If there is any benefit, it's yours, but if there is any loss, it has to be shared by everyone?
That doesn't make sense!
Lu Xuanzhi was extremely angry and turned to look at Xiao Yu: "What did Duke Song say?"

Xiao Yu said: "The Lu family has suffered a huge loss this time. We will consider compensating them, but we will never break off relations with the court. That would be a consequence we cannot bear. In fact, in the final analysis, the imperial examination is just an extra obstacle. Jiangnan is still the Jiangnan of the people of Jiangnan."

Lu Xuanzhi stood up angrily: "Then I will wait for your compensation!"

He left with Lu Yanyuan in anger.