Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 1629 Announcement Four
On the fifth day of August in the second year of Tongguang, there was continuous autumn rain.

Lu Deshan stood under the eaves of his house, looking at the misty pond and rice fields, frowning.

"Why is third brother so sad?" Lu De moved over and asked.

"The rain is continuous. If it lasts for months, the harvest will be harvested next month, which may be affected." Lu Deshan said.

"Isn't that good?" Lu Deqian smiled and said, "I won't compete with my third brother this time. If someone sells the land, I will inform my third brother early in the morning and let you buy it."

Lu Deshan smiled lightly, and said: "Qilang, don't underestimate Imakami. Although he is a warrior, he often indulges in womanizing and promiscuous wives and daughters, but he is a ruthless character and a sensible person. Taking advantage of the famine and wantonly annexing fields, will there really be a good end?"

I don't know how many officials and wealthy families in the Yang Xingmi era were punished. One of the charges was "plundering the people's land", and they don't have a long memory?
"Oh?" Lu Deqian looked at the third brother curiously, and asked: "A person who is obsessed with women can also do great things? My brother reads history books, and those who achieve great things are all honest men and gentlemen.

"You!" Lu Deshan sighed, and said: "In the early years, you were asked to go out with your uncle more often, to Chang'an and Luoyang, but you didn't want to. You just thought that it was not as good as Jiangnan."

"The Hu Feng in the north is soaked in, and the smell is all over the ground, so I don't bother to go." Lu Deqian sneered and said.

Lu Deshan didn't speak.

He is old, nearly 40 years old, and it is impossible to travel far in this life, but the seventh brother is only [-] years old, and he is in his prime. He neither wants to be an official, nor does he want to go out to do business.

Jiangnan does support people.

The time when the Lu family took root in the south of the Yangtze River is so long that it is hard to remember.

They lived in Songjiang for a long time, and their ancestors can be traced back to Lu Lie in the former Han Dynasty——Songjiang, one of the three rivers from Taihu Lake to the sea, is also known as the "Three Rivers of Taihu Lake" together with Dongjiang and Loujiang.

In the early Tang Dynasty, Jiangnan was greatly developed.The Taihu Lake Basin is naturally the top priority. Many fields have been newly reclaimed, the household registration has increased greatly, business travel has flourished, and it has gradually gained the reputation of "land of fish and rice".

For generations, the Lu clan has flourished in Wu County.

Lu Deshan was born and raised here, and his family was in a good family when he was young, allowing him to enjoy the prosperity of the world.

When he was a little older, his family was in decline, which made him see the warmth and coldness of human relationships.

His father, Lu Guimeng, failed in repeated trials. Coupled with the chaotic current situation, the family situation became more and more decadent.

In his generation, the family property has not made an inch of progress, and he still guards the more than 40 acres of land, [-] couplet houses, more than [-] cows, and more than ten tenants passed down by his father to live.

Perhaps, this is life.

Lu Deshan is nearly [-] years old this year. When he was young, he traveled all over the country with his father and saw great rivers and mountains everywhere.

After his father died, he returned to his hometown and became a petty official under Yang Shihou.When the master came to Xiaxia, he resigned and went home to avoid being implicated.

The seventh younger brother, Lu Deqian, is the grandson of Lu Xisheng, the Prime Minister of the former Tang Dynasty. He is of the same clan as him, and the relationship is fairly close.

He has come into contact with many children of the Lu family, and most of them are from better families and have solid knowledge, but in his opinion, these people are a bit too arrogant in being cramped in the south of the Yangtze River!

When the country was established, some people joked that this summer would not last for 20 years.Now it has been 17 years since the founding of the country, and indeed it has not been 20 years, but no one dares to make such a joke anymore. It is inevitable that Daxia Guozuo will exceed 20 years, or even longer.

In recent years, there have been people who have become officials one after another, but most of them are small officials from various states in the south of the Yangtze River.

There are also children who went to the north to take the imperial examination, but they didn't pass the exam.When they came back, they were angry and full of weird words, saying that the scholars in the north were vulgar and ignorant, and their articles were not in line with the principles of sages, but they were able to win the favor of the examiners.

Some people even ridiculed Princess Shang's Jinshi He Ning, saying that he showed off his archery and riding skills during outings, which was insulting to gentlemen, and he was not at all like a scholar.

Lu Deshan could only smile at this.

The atmosphere in the North is like this. After all, it is the northerners who hold the power of this country. Isn't it obvious what kind of articles they like to read?

When it comes to the year when poetry and fu are tested, if the words are too gorgeous, you will be deposed directly.

What they like is the rough and chill tone of "the army marches to fight each other in the middle of the night", rather than boudoir reading materials such as "one inch of lovesickness and one inch of gray".

When times are like this, you just have to adapt.

But Jiangnan, a rich and gentle township, makes people miss it, so there is nothing like it.

"The imperial decree has arrived in Suzhou, and now the honorary title 'Jianwen Shenwu Supreme Emperor' is added, what do you think?" Lu Deshan stopped looking at the rain, turned around and asked.

"'Shenwu' can be talked about, but where does 'Jianwen' start?" Lu Deqian asked.

"This article is not the other article." Lu Deshan said: "The four-wheeled carriage, don't you think it's very good, you bought one? Your family doesn't use coal for cooking? It's wet and cold in winter, don't you also make sweaters?"

"Can this be considered 'literature'?" Lu Deqian was tongue-tied.

"Basic food, housing, and transportation are the biggest 'literature' in the world. Why do you read sage books?" Lu Deshan asked.

"Cultivate one's self, regulate one's family, govern one's country..."

"What if there are other ways to govern the country without reading the books of sages?"

"This... will definitely cause people to lose their minds, and the country will fail."

"Indeed." Lu Deshan nodded, and said: "The sage books do have the effect of stabilizing people's hearts. If you are rude, the world will be chaotic, and the killing will be endless. Since the Tang Dynasty, when the warriors ruled the country, killing the generals and driving the commanders, fish and meat, it is a lack of etiquette. But relying on etiquette alone, after all, what you get is a world of strictness, dignity and order. It saves trouble, but the prospect is not very good."

"Then what should we do?" Lu Deqian asked subconsciously with some resistance.

Lu Deshan smiled, then turned to look at the misty rain and fog.

In the fog, a farmer wearing a coir raincoat is digging the ridges of the field to drain the accumulated water.

Farmers always care about their own lives.And their life is the people's livelihood, the biggest "literature" in the world.

"The Han family has its own system, which is based on the overlord's way. Why should it be purely taught by virtue and use Zhou's government?" Lu Deshan said in a low voice: "Today, the world does not reject any one of the overbearing and kingly ways, and he has also proposed some new things."

"What?" Lu Deqian asked.

"I can't say, maybe it's the theory of the Shao family." Lu Deshan smiled and said, "After thinking about it, the only word is 'balance'."

"Why?"

"If the world only wants to build a country that belongs to the world, then moral education is enough, but he has great ambitions. He would rather risk the world's imbalance and the danger of confusion than purely use moral education." Lu Deshan said: "Have you heard of whalers?"

"Some people compare it with 'Snake Catcher'," Lu Deqian said.

Lu Deshan laughed, laughing out of joy, and gradually laughed out loud.

Lu Deqian was puzzled.

Liuhe East's "Snake Catcher's Talk" is very famous. Some people use this as an analogy to whaling. Is there any problem?Those who go out to sea are close to death, and those who are buried in the belly of fish do not know how many.Moreover, these people are unruly and unruly, and they are still encouraged to go fishing and whaling today. Isn't this a source of turmoil that cannot be controlled?
What this world wants is stability, and many things can be sacrificed for this. Today, I am really confused.

"Today, they are not forced to go to sea to hunt whales." Lu Deshan put away his smile and said, "On the contrary, everyone is rushing to go to sea, hoping to soar into the sky."

"Isn't this depressing?" Lu Deqian asked, "Isn't it good for men to farm and women to weave, to work at sunrise and rest at sunset?"

"Would you like to farm the land for the rest of your life?" Lu Deshan asked.

"I...I don't farm, but I have land, so I can recruit people to cultivate it and collect rent." Lu Deqian said.

"Isn't that enough?" Lu Deshan shook his head and said, "Some people don't want to cultivate the land, and the sage gave them a choice, such as going out to sea to hunt for whales. Those who catch a big fish and return will be appointed officials. When they see local officials, they can also sit and talk, and they won't be short."

"Some people are good at doing business, and the sage provides them with convenience. Those who have contributed a lot will also benefit. Aren't Zhao Zaiqing's two sons serving as county magistrates in Hunan?"

"Some people are fighting for their lives on the battlefield, looking forward to conferring their wives and sons, and the saints satisfy them. Even today, the saints still limit the number of people admitted in the scientific examination. Above the imperial court, there are Jinshi, Yin officials, warriors and even foreigners. There is no single family that dominates."

"Some people are not good at the Four Books and Five Classics, but they can take mathematics, construction and other subjects. Even if they can't be a high-ranking official, they will have no problems in the seventh and eighth ranks, and there will be no worries about wealth."

"There are so many kinds of things. I call it 'New Dynasty Elegance'."

Lu Deqian was silent for a long time, hesitant to speak.

Lu Deshan stopped him with his hand, and said, "I know what you're going to say. Have you read "On Bloodlines?"

"I've seen it a few times." Lu Deqian said vaguely, embarrassed to say that he had read the whole text twice.

"You!" Lu Deshan laughed loudly, and then said: "The sage has already thought about it for you. Let me ask, is there a difference between last year's new sweater and ten years ago?"

"It seems to be softer?" Lu Deqian said uncertainly.

"Of course." Lu Deshan nodded affirmatively, and said, "This is the function of breeding, and it is also the core of this "On Bloodlines". Wang Yong is an unknown person, and he made his way to the top with this book. Now he is the Supervisor of the Shaofu, and it is not out of reach to enter the Zhengshitang in the future."

"Actually, the role of this book is more than wool?"

"Many new fruits and vegetables have been cultivated in the Northland, and the yield is amazing."

"Milk production surges when cows are fed wine pomace."

"Rye and sugar beet are widely planted in the original bitter cold land."

"Even crops such as wheat and corn have been selected and bred for generations."

"Draw horses, pack horses, war horses, bullocks that are adaptable to different climates and have great strength, etc., there are too many."

"What's more, the fish caught from the sea are very cheap, and many people can afford them. If there are fish to eat, the food eaten will naturally be less."

"The sage started his career from the agricultural reform." Lu Deshan finally said: "He does things one by one, with careful consideration, and benefits all families. How can he be as simple as a "slutty wife and daughter" warrior?"

"This..." Lu Deqian was at a loss for words for a while, and complained after a long time: "The saints only benefit the north, but don't give us the scholars and people in the south of the Yangtze River half of the benefits."

"I heard that Sinong Temple selected rice seeds in Xiangyang more than ten years ago." Lu Deshan glanced at him, and said: "After Huainan was captured, Sinong Temple collected rice seeds in Nanjing, Guangzhou, Annan and other places to optimize breeding. If you are interested, you might as well ask those classmates and friends whose family is an official in Nanjing to see if they can get new rice seeds. If so, it will benefit your farmers.

"Listening to what the third brother said inside and outside the meaning, do you really remember today?" Lu Deqian asked.

"The sage is editing "Tong Guang Quan Shu", and he must have added a lot of things he likes. After the book is completed, I really want to read it." Lu Deshan sighed and said, "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I won't be able to wait until that day. Jianwen Shenwu—why didn't he come to the world 20 years earlier?"

"Hearing what you said, you really have some skills today." Lu Deqian muttered.

Lu Deshan laughed again, if he has no means, he can't be truly convinced, dare to be so willful and promiscuous with wives and daughters?
"Perhaps, I should go out for a walk." Lu Deqian said suddenly: "The Lu family of Wu County has been passed down for thousands of years, and there are outstanding generations. They are not all pedantic people. The pool in the south of the Yangtze River is indeed a little small. Even Persians and big cannibals can travel across the ocean and come to the Central Plains. How can we fall behind?"

"If you can think that way, the goal of the saint has been achieved." Lu Deshan said with a smile: "Go, go and see more for me, this world is different from before."

The pattering rain stopped, and the golden sun pierced through the dark clouds and shone on the earth.

Lu Deshan and Lu Deqian looked up at the land after the rain, it was so fresh and refined, so thriving.

Sunny after the rain, but that's all.

(End of this chapter)