The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 483: Duke Yansheng, be alert and don’t lose face

At the beginning of the third lunar month, the ice and snow in the Central Plains melted.

Mo Zibu did not order Ryanstein to go in and take over the entire Shandong Province. Instead, he appointed Yuan Shoutong as the governor of the military, finance, grain, criminal justice and other matters in the entire Shandong Province, and let them manage themselves.

At the same time, the imperial guards and tax supervisors from the Palace Front Department, the Criminal Law Department and the Internal Court Transportation Department rushed directly from Kaifeng to Qufu with only a few dozen officials.

The reason used was that the Confucius family of Yanshenggong despised the emperor, harbored anger and resentment, and was disrespectful in their hearts.

Yuan Shoutong rushed from his hometown Zouping to the provincial capital Jinan, and then saw the letter written to him by Qian Daxin on the emperor's orders.

Yuan Shoutong is 57 years old this year and his health is not very good, but he still grits his teeth and perseveres for the sake of his descendants.

Because their Jiaoqiao Yuan family is not just an ordinary big family, but one of the richest families in the world.

Yuan Shoutong's grandfather, Yuan Zilan, was a wealthy man who was as famous as Shen Wansan in the Ming Dynasty and Kang Baiwan in the late Qing Dynasty in folk legends.

By the time it was passed to Yuan Shoutong, the Jiaoqiao Yuan family owned more than 600,000 acres of land in Shandong and Hebei, hundreds of shops, and more than 20 businesses.

There are Yuan's manors throughout Zouping, Changshan, Qidong, Linzi, Shouguang and other counties, and even a large number of privately controlled river ferry docks.

Their family also built a summer resort covering dozens of acres in Baiyun Mountain in Zouping. The roads on the mountain are paved with bluestone slabs, showing luxury.

Later generations estimated that by the early years of the Jiaqing reign, all the assets of the Jiaoqiao Yuan family were worth more than 30 million taels of silver, and the gold and silver hidden in the cellar alone exceeded 2 million taels.

This was the only family in Shandong during the Qing Dynasty that could be compared with the Kong family. The slight difference between the two families was that the Yuan family invested more in business, while the Yanshenggong Kong family focused on land and owned more than 1.2 million acres of land.

"Who sent this letter? Did the imperial army march north from Xuzhou? Did the imperial guardsmen heading for Qufu also set out with this letter?"

After reading the letter, Yuan Shoutong was obviously a little nervous and asked his nephew Yuan Xu three questions in succession.

Because Qian Daxin's letter has already made clear the emperor's attitude, which is that the Yuan family's current achievements cannot guarantee its current status.

Even if the emperor saved the Yuan family because of Yuan Shoutong's contributions, could the descendants of the Yuan family hold on to such a large family business under the impact of the new wave of Dayu?

Yuan Xu was not too anxious. This was the norm in large families, because these large families were made up of individual people, and everyone had their own little plans.

Yuan Xu organized the escort of Liang Guozhi to the south and recruited a large number of extraordinary people who had infiltrated the White Lotus Sect, such as Wu Sanniang, for Dayu. He himself was already the Shandong inspector of the Northern Pacification Division of the Jinyiwei.

At the same time, his father-in-law Ji Yun also had the merit of preserving the Yongle Encyclopedia and a batch of precious ancient books. Recently, he was reporting to his superiors through him that Heshen wanted to make merit by preserving the precious cultural relics in the Forbidden City.

It can be said that at a time when the emperor attaches so much importance to ancient books, ancient paintings and other cultural relics, no matter what the Jiaoqiao Yuan family is like, Yuan Xu will not have any problems in Dayu, and there is also a heaven-shaking upward channel waiting for him.

So when he heard his uncle Yuan Shoutong's question, Yuan Xu thought for a moment and said calmly, "This letter was not sent by Qian Ge Lao's family, but by Zhao Qiguan of the Northern Pacification Division of the Jinyiwei.

I think these are not the words of Lord Qian, but the intention of Your Majesty copied by Lord Qian.

In addition, the imperial army had left Xuzhou, but did not go north to take over Shandong, but went to Kaifeng Prefecture.

As for the imperial guards going to Qufu, they set out with this letter."

Yuan Shoutong glanced at his nephew Yuan Xu and said, "You know all this very well. It seems the rumors that you accepted the position of Jinyiwei are indeed true."

Yuan Xu, who thought he was exposed, looked at his uncle whom he had been afraid of since childhood, hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth and admitted it. Not only did he admit it, he also wanted to directly attack him.

"Uncle, my nephew is not only the Shandong Detective of the Northern Pacification Office, but he has also revealed many of the Yuan family's secrets for the sole purpose of getting promoted."

However, Yuan Xu thought that Yuan Shoutong would be furious after hearing this, but in fact, Yuan Shoutong's face did not show much expression, and he just nodded slowly.

"You are shameless and ruthless enough to betray your own family. You are also very brave enough to say it to my face.

Do you really think that just because you are a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I, your uncle, won’t dare to touch you?
Believe it or not, even if my uncle has you killed, he still has a hundred ways to prevent His Majesty from pursuing the matter."

Yuan Xu's forehead was slightly sweaty. Although he knew that his uncle Yuan Shoutong would most likely not treat him like this, the prestige he had accumulated since childhood could not be eliminated in such a short moment.

In early spring in March, after a few drops of sweat rolled down his forehead, Yuan Xu fell to his knees with a thud.

"Uncle, if you want to beat me or kill me, I have no complaints, but you should also know that Dayu is newly established. Unlike the old days when the country was in turmoil and nine out of ten houses were empty, the court does not have that much land to distribute equally.

Therefore, they will definitely not continue to tolerate the existence of large landowners like our Yuan family, who own hundreds of thousands of acres of land."

Yuan Shoutong pulled up a strange smile and said, "Your knowledge is still a little lacking.

If Emperor Guangzhong had only aimed at equal distribution of land, he would not have been worthy of accomplishing the great task of expelling the Tartars.

Xu'er, why don't you think about it? Can the current equal-field distribution model solve the problem?

Even if the land of us wealthy families was confiscated, each person would only have two or three mu of land, and about 300 kilograms of grain per year. If we used all of it to eat, we would only be able to survive. We couldn't even afford to buy sauce and vinegar, let alone buy clothes. We would also suffer from various diseases.

Moreover, at present, one acre of land can produce more than 100 kilograms of grain, which is due to the fact that a large number of large households are building water conservancy projects in the countryside and renting out oxen and iron farm tools.

If these big households were gone, do you think the farmers who received land would be able to maintain their current yield per mu?

Without the large households in the countryside to store grain, if there is a flood or drought, guess what the countryside will become.

I tell you, if we continue to distribute land equally like this, within ten years the world will collapse.”

After hearing this, Yuan Xu was quite dissatisfied. He stiffened his neck and said, "But uncle, we, the wealthy families in the countryside, don't engage in production. All the output goes to the people below us, and now they can survive.

But you say that without us who eat the food for free, the common people will not be able to survive. Is there any such thing as this in the world?"

"Yes!" Yuan Shoutong said firmly, with a sinister look on his face that Yuan Xu had never seen before, "Because we, the wealthy families in the countryside, will let those redundant people die of poverty.

The extra people usually only live for 10 to 20 years and die before they can even get a few rations of food. The food they save will naturally be eaten by those who can survive.

So even though there was not enough food in the world for everyone to eat, no major chaos occurred.

Because some people have passed through the hands of us wealthy and powerful people, and through our exploitation, we have eliminated them."

When Yuan Shoutong mentioned the word "elimination," his voice trembled slightly. "That's why I say that without the wealthy families in the countryside, without the cruel but necessary elimination process, the end result will be that everyone will die of poverty and starvation together!"

Yuan Xu suddenly understood. He stood up from the ground and exclaimed, "No wonder the emperor insisted on distributing land equally. It turns out he wants everyone to suffer poverty together.

When poverty becomes unbearable and the people below can no longer survive, they will come out on their own initiative, crying and shouting to go to Southeast Asia and the Northeast, without the need for the court to organize them.

"Hahaha, this young man is teachable!" Yuan Shoutong laughed heartily. "Now you understand, His Majesty isn't thinking about distributing land in the interior of the country, but about distributing land outside the Great Wall and in Southeast Asia."

Yuan Xu, who suddenly understood, couldn't help but show a look of relief on his face. "So, according to this statement, if our Yuan family doesn't hand over the land, it won't be a big problem."

"No, I still have to pay it back!" Yuan Shoutong shook his head, "Yuan Xu, remember, as a minister, you can win the emperor's favor, but you must never know the emperor's mind. Even if you do know it, you must never show it.

Our family continues to pay the land, but it is not just a payment, nor is it for nothing.

At the same time, I will write to His Majesty, requesting that our Yuan family be compensated with the same amount of land outside the Great Wall. The Yuan family will also mobilize the poor people of Shandong to leave the province to assist the court in developing the area outside the Great Wall."

Yuan Xu was convinced. No wonder his uncle could serve as a cabinet minister in the Qing Dynasty and board the ship of Dayu in the Xin Dynasty at the critical moment.

"Now you know why I asked you those three questions, right?" Yuan Shoutong asked.

Yuan Xu thought for a moment, then nodded, "Nephew, I understand. The letter was sent by the Jinyiwei, which means that your uncle's guess is correct. His Majesty wants to force people to go out and explore, so he is forcing our Yuan family to align with him.

The fact that the imperial army didn't march north suggests that His Majesty wants to let those who are not clear-sighted cause trouble, and then confiscate their property while identifying some local nobles in Shandong who are discerning and willing to cooperate with the new dynasty, like our Yuan family."

However, when it came to the third point, Yuan Xu was a little confused for a moment, while Yuan Shoutong laughed and said:
"The letter to me and the imperial guards' investigation into Duke Yansheng's Mansion were sent together. This shows that His Majesty still recognizes the contributions of our Yuan family and is willing to accept them. It also reminds our Yuan family to do a good job of post-collapse work after the collapse of Duke Yansheng's Mansion."

Yuan Xu nodded, hissing softly. "The title of Duke of Yansheng has been inherited by the Kong family since the Song Dynasty. They are descendants of the sage who worship the saint. Your Majesty, if you do this, aren't you afraid of opposition from scholars across the world?"

Yuan Shoutong spitted in disdain, "What a bullshit descendant of a saint! The saint's greatness lies in his wise words and the traditions of Chinese etiquette and morality that he summarized and passed down, paving the way for peace for all eternity. He is not the descendant of a bunch of people who prey on the people.

Only the two Song dynasties, which were in a state of partial peace, had to rely on these so-called descendants of saints to strengthen their own Taoist traditions, and only barbarians like the Yuan and Qing dynasties needed to praise the Kong family to win the hearts of the people.

Even if Zhu Yuanzhang did not abolish the Kong family, it was only out of helplessness. At that time, the Han people in the north and south had been divided for hundreds of years, and Confucianism and the Kong family needed common etiquette, morals and interests to bring the Han people in the north and south back together.

But the current emperor has no such need, so the title of Duke Yansheng of the Kong family should be deposed!
Humph, these crooked-mouthed monks have turned a good religion into Islam and Christianity, and turned a good sage from ancient times into a clay statue in a temple. How shameful!

Yuan Xu was stunned, looking at his uncle who was attacking wildly, as if he didn't know him.

After scolding him, Yuan Shoutong looked at Yuan Xu and said, "Go and resign your position in the Imperial Guard. Then follow me. I will personally teach you how to transform yourself from a local tycoon to a noble official in the new dynasty."

Yuan Xu was even more shocked. If it were in the past, he would have been eager to do so, but now he really wanted to refuse.

Yuan Xu felt that he was very suitable to be a Jinyiwei. Of course, his main purpose was to leave the Yuan family, because such a large family not only brought power but also responsibility. Just look at how hard his uncle's life was and you will know.

"Uncle, I have betrayed our family's situation to the imperial court. Do you really want me to take over the Yuan family?"

Yuan Shoutong laughed, "You think you can just walk away after getting the benefits from selling out the Yuan family? Don't dream. Since you are so cruel and bold, you must bear greater responsibilities."

"Go to Qufu in a few days and tell the Kong family that they are the banner of our Qilu land. Don't lose any points!"

Damn, that’s cruel!
Yuan Xu was a little frightened. For the sake of the Yuan family, his uncle dared to harm even a descendant of a saint like Duke Yansheng.

Then, he would definitely be able to do something to his nephew.

Yuan Xu understood that if he really didn't take over, or showed an attitude of wanting to leave the Yuan family, his uncle would definitely not let him go.

. . . .

At the same time, in the Yanshenggong Mansion in Qufu, which was like an imperial palace, waves of angry voices were getting louder and louder.

In fact, at the beginning, the Yanshenggong Mansion did not want to neglect Mo Zibu, but because the 71st generation Kong Zhaohuan was so seriously ill that he even needed someone to support him when walking.

The Kong family is a powerful place with many evil spirits. At this critical moment, when Kong Zhaohuan is so ill, it is natural that people from top to bottom are in unrest.

Upon hearing that the emperor was going to punish the Kong family, the timid ones wanted Kong Zhaohuan's eldest son Kong Xianpei to go to Kaifeng to meet the emperor and admit his mistakes, while others were wondering if there was any opportunity to make meritorious deeds to atone for their sins.

More people responded directly, because even during the Qing Dynasty, the banner emperors had to be polite to the Kong family, the Duke of Yansheng.

Emperor Qianlong came to pay homage several times and even kowtowed to their ancestors. You, Mo Guangzhong, dare not respect Confucius when the world is not yet unified?

An elder of the Kong family howled beside Kong Zhaohuan's bed, "For thousands of years, no matter which family or surname became emperor, they all had to worship and offer sacrifices to Confucius.

The Emperor Guangzhong has not yet unified the country, but he wants to punish us and ask us to hand over our land. This is simply outrageous!
If we compromise today, he will continue to push us further and our lives will be in jeopardy!"

"Yes, which emperor wants to rule the world without the efforts of our Kong family? We are descendants of the saints. Without us, who will offer sacrifices to the ancestors?"

Then, these clansmen, some of whom were truly confused, but most of whom were truly insidious, all turned their attention to Kong Xianpei, the eldest son of the current Duke Yansheng.

In the eyes of these evil-minded guys, the title of Duke Yansheng cannot be revoked, the only difference is who will inherit it.

If Kong Xianpei could not resist the flattery and stepped forward to challenge the emperor's authority, then once he was deposed in the future, wouldn't other families have the possibility of inheriting the title?

Besides, the emperor's intention to confiscate the Kong family's land did threaten their interests.

The Kong family has been entrenched in Qufu since the 195th year of Emperor Gaozu of Han ( BC). It has been two thousand years now. A complex chain of interests has long been formed from top to bottom, and the entire Kong Mansion has almost rotted into a festering sore on the land of Shandong.

Their extravagance and the greed of each branch have made the output of 1.2 million acres of land somewhat stretched.

Not to mention confiscating hundreds of thousands of acres, even if ten thousand acres were lost, it would cause a chain reaction. Therefore, even if they were against the emperor, they would not compromise.

And there is a precedent for this. Twenty years ago, Kong Zhaohuan, the Duke of Yansheng of this generation, was instigated by his clansmen to extend his hand to the remaining one-third even though the Kong family had already occupied two-thirds of the households in Qufu.

They even dared to fleece the Qing emperor Qianlong, so what was the point of fleecing you, Emperor Guangzhong, who had not yet unified the country?

However, these people seem to have forgotten that it is Confucius himself who is respected, not these so-called descendants of the saint with the surname Kong.

(End of this chapter)