Daming: Mixed in Dangzhi County, Beiping

"Ok?"

Guo An was stunned, "What does the ancestor's book mean?"

Wang Zhongkuan said hurriedly: "Your Highness, I am here with great sincerity and will do my best to search for two large boxes of manuscripts of Taishi Guo!"

"Written by the ancestors themselves?"

Guo An asked with some surprise.

"Exactly!"

Wang Zhongkuan nodded repeatedly.

On the side, Cui Wei, Wen En and others have already taken it upon themselves to open the two boxes at the door.

From the box, I took out books that were well preserved, but the paper was a little yellowed.

"Your Highness, please take a look. This is "Pushing Steps" written by Guo Taishi himself. This is "Li Cheng". There are also "Selection of Zhuan Shen" and "Fifty Volumes of Five-Star Examination"...

These are all books written by Guo Taishi that we found from various major families, and there are also some manuscripts written by Guo Taishi!
Every copy is well preserved! "

"In addition, there are also books such as "Draft of Liyin", "Ancient and Modern Jiao Shi Kao", "Xin Zhi Twenty-eight Houses and Sit in the Stars and Go to the Extremes", "Yueli Kao" and other books, although they are not written by Guo Taishi himself. It is written, but it should also have the seal of Guo Taishi!
Your Highness, here are some of my Ming Dynasty’s unique classics, please ask Taishi Guo.”

Hearing this, Guo An's expression moved slightly.

He took the book and started reading it seriously.

"These books are indeed written by our ancestors!"

After a while, Guo An nodded slowly.

When he was at the Guo family's old house in Beiping Prefecture, what he read the most were books related to that ancestor, so he naturally knew him.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhongkuan, Cui Xu and others couldn't help but feel relieved.

Guo An raised his head and looked at Wang Zhongkuan and Cui Wei, and said: "Since you have spent so much effort to find these classics and manuscripts written by our ancestors for my king, why have you been so secretive and unwilling to tell the truth? talk?"

"Your Highness, forgive me!"

Wang Zhongkuan, Cui Wei and others were suddenly full of ridicule and a little embarrassed.

Guo An smiled lightly, "It doesn't matter, tell me, what do you want to do after you found these books?"

Wang Zhongkuan's face lit up and he said quickly: "Reporting to Your Highness, we want to beg Your Highness to save us!"

"How to save?"

Guo An couldn't help but sneer.

Wang Zhongkuan said cautiously: "Your Highness, we have found out that it was you who proposed the matter for those merchants to report.

In addition, the commander of the Imperial Guard, Wang Zhen, although he does not often contact you, as His Majesty's former ministers, you have a very good relationship!

Moreover, you are deeply favored by His Majesty, and you are also the teacher of His Royal Highness..."

"Ok!"

Guo An nodded slightly, "What you said is all true!"

Cui Wei said in a low voice: "Your Highness, the commander of the Jinyi Guards has discovered hundreds of corrupt officials and evil gentry in places like Fujian, Jiangxi, and Hunan last year.

He had raided hundreds of houses and killed countless people. He had already achieved enough credit.

And Your Majesty should also be satisfied..."

"presumptuous!"

Guo An's expression condensed, "Your Majesty, can we arrange it in private?"

"Yes, yes, His Highness taught you a lesson very well. I'm waiting for Meng Lang!"

Cui Wei nodded quickly in response.

Guo An said again: "You want me to dissuade His Majesty from sending Wang Zhen to investigate in places like Henan, Shandong, and Shanxi?"

"Your Highness, Holy Ming!"

Cui Wei and Wang Zhongkuan immediately looked at Guo An expectantly.

"hehe!"

Guo An couldn't help but laugh angrily, "You guys are really crazy. Wang Zhen killed so many corrupt officials in the south, as well as evil gentry who preyed on the common people, and even suppressed several rebellions.

As a result, it's the north's turn, and you just want His Majesty to stop?
Do you think His Majesty will agree? Or will Wang really agree? Or would the southern officials and gentry agree? "

"Or do you want everyone to think that His Majesty is being unfair, allowing those officials and gentry in the south to cause trouble in court, and causing Your Majesty to lose credibility?"

"..."

The faces of Wang Zhongkuan and Cui Wei suddenly stiffened.

"Your Highness, forgive me, I don't dare!"

"If I try to dissuade His Majesty like this, I, Guo An, will immediately lose His Majesty's trust, and may even be demoted to Guozhou by Your Majesty!"

As he spoke, Guo An looked angry, "I, Guo An, ask myself, I have never offended you, why do you want to harm me?"

Several people were shocked and said hurriedly: "Your Highness Mingjian, we definitely have no such idea!"

"What do you mean?"

Guo An snorted coldly, "You should take these books and go back. I can't bear this gift!"

Wang Zhongkuan hurriedly bowed and saluted again, his face full of sorrow.

“Your Highness, we will never dare to let Your Highness go to look for His Majesty.

However, I wonder if His Highness can go find Wang Tongzhi and ask him to be more lenient when the time comes? "

Guo Andao said: "The king is really from Xi'an Mansion. He will show mercy when the time comes. Why do I need to go and explain?"

"Your Highness..."

Wang Zhongkuan, Cui Wei and others took a deep breath, with a ruthless look in their eyes, and said sadly: "Your Highness, there is nothing we can do.

You are also from a big family, and you also know that in every big family, there will always be a few things that don't live up to expectations.

On weekdays, he does nothing but idles around, and likes to bully people and cause trouble..."

"There are no people of this race in our Guo family!"

Guo An replied lightly.

Wang Zhongkuan and Cui Wei looked stagnant!
Guo An added: "However, it's just a few tribesmen. You can just punish them directly after you go back. What's the difficulty?"

Wang Zhongkuan: "..."

Guo An directly picked up the teacup and drank.

Wang Zhongkuan and Cui Wei knelt down on the ground with a thud.

Guo An was shocked and stood up quickly.

"What are you doing, get up quickly!"

"Your Highness, we are the ones who are stupid. We should not have deceived Your Highness!"

Wang Zhongkuan and Cui Wei were still kneeling on the ground, their faces full of sorrow.

"Your Highness, you also know that as a local squire, there will always be unruly people who refuse to obey discipline. When they were about to starve to death, we kindly loaned them money and grain, and we could only use their fields as collateral.

But after those unscrupulous people get through the difficulties, they will push and shove them in all kinds of ways, not paying back the money or exchanging food...

As a big local clan, we cannot allow those unruly people to bully us like this! "

"...Sometimes, when county magistrates or government officials come, they ask for political achievements or money. For the sake of the safety of our family, we can only humiliate ourselves and give them money.

But, you also know, those officials are a bunch of wolves, they are like a bottomless pit..."

"...Our family, if Jin Yiwei is asked to investigate, we will definitely not be able to hide it!"

"Do you still think I'm a fool?" Guo An smiled coldly and said angrily: "Do you think I'm easy to bully?"

Wang Zhongkuan and Cui Wei were shocked and saluted and apologized repeatedly.

"Your Highness, forgive me, we would never dare to do this!"

"Humph!"

Guo An snorted coldly, "I would like to ask, those common people dare to play rogue against you gentry who dominate the counties?
Or are those officials just idiots who dare to extort and oppress you? "

"..."

Wang Zhongkuan and Cui Wei quickly laughed with ridicule on their faces.

Guo An said in a deep voice: "I have seen how many crazy gentry families treat the people under their rule like livestock, bullying them wantonly, regardless of their life or death!

Then, on the surface, he pretends to be a country sage and asks for fame from the world. His behavior is disgusting..."

The faces of Wang Zhongkuan, Cui Wei and others suddenly became ugly.

This is the first time they have experienced this kind of face-riding output since they were born.

Guo An continued: "Even your Majesty can't pardon such harm to the gentry in my hometown. You actually want me to plead with Your Majesty?"

Wen En said: "Your Highness is prejudiced against us!"

Guo An sneered: "Do you think that what I said is all false and fabricated?"

"it's not true!"

Wen En hurriedly explained, and then said angrily: "The Guo family where His Highness lives is also a country squire!"

"Everyone knows about this!"

Guo An nodded slightly, "The Guo family where I belong was just a squire before. But now, as Xingtai County becomes my fiefdom, the entire Guo family will jump up and become Xingtai County, even the entire Shandong, and even the entire Guo family." The great Ming family!”

Wen En asked: "Then why does His Highness treat our extended family like this?"

"How much contribution did this king make to the Ming Dynasty, and how much contribution did the members of the Guo family of this king make to the Ming Dynasty?"

Guo An sneered, "What contributions have you, the so-called big families, made to the Ming Dynasty?"

"I wait……"

Wen En said something and was immediately stunned.

After a long while, he said quietly: "We are waiting for these families to have Jinshi candidates!"

"Tsk!"

Guo An sneered directly, "What's the use of fame? With the salary of the Ming Dynasty, enjoying the privileges of the Ming Dynasty, serving as an official of the Ming Dynasty, but never doing official business in the court, just oppressing the people and exploiting merchants...

Such acts of seeking wealth, taking bribes and perverting the law, and destroying families and people, are these good deeds done by gentry families like you? "

"Your Highness, they had no choice but to do such a thing!"

"Oh?"

Guo An couldn't help but sneered: "Is it possible that someone forced them to seek wealth and murder, and ruin their families?"

"It's those local gentry..."

At this point, Winn quickly shut up.

Guo An couldn't help but sneered, "So, what's wrong with letting those merchants report the evil gentry and merchants of the Ming Dynasty?"

Wang Zhongkuan couldn't help but whispered: "Your Highness, we are all northern scholars, we can be regarded as fellow countrymen, and our ancestors are still friends. How can we be like this..."

Guo An smiled lightly, "Yes, if we divide it by north and south, we can be from the same hometown!"

Wang Zhongkuan and Cui Wei were delighted.

Guo An added: "But there are too many people from the north, and they are all fellow countrymen. I can't just watch you, treat the people from the north like beasts, and harm and bully them like that!"

The faces of Wang Zhongkuan and Cui Wei suddenly stiffened again.

"Your Highness, we are all scholars who have read the books of saints and sages since childhood. We know the truth and are different from those lowly peasants..."

"fart!"

Guo An couldn't bear it anymore and cursed angrily.

“If the sages knew about it, I’m afraid they would be so angry that they would kick you out of the door and wall!

You eat the food grown by farmers and use the clothes, houses and furniture made by craftsmen, but now you all claim to be noble!

However, apart from your clever words and your ability to confuse right and wrong, what else do you do? "

Wen En said anxiously: "Your Highness, you are also from a gentry family!"

"I didn't deny it!"

Guo An smiled coldly, "However, the Guo family where I belong has never bullied the people, let alone done anything harmful to nature!"

"I remember that in Henan, there seemed to be a kind of green rice money.

One stone of grain is worth three coins of silver when ripe, but you only get half of it first. The gift of money from the master is said to protect the head, and it is twenty-three times out of ten.

You really don’t want to give those people a way to survive! "

"..."

Wang Zhongkuan and Cui Wei couldn't help but sigh softly, their faces full of sorrow.

"Your Highness, we really know our mistake! I don't know why Your Highness is so determined to kill us gentry. Can you give us a chance to change our ways?"

"Why should we investigate and prosecute corrupt officials and evil gentry?"

Guo An glanced at these northern gentry strangely, his eyes full of disappointment.

"You are familiar with the books of sages and understand the principles. Don't you know the reason?"

The expressions of Wang Zhongkuan and Cui Wei changed slightly.

"However, I don't like to talk about these big principles. I am also a human being, and I can be selfish."

Guo An said quietly, "I am now the king of the Ming Dynasty, and I share weal and woe with the Ming Dynasty!
Only if the Ming Dynasty becomes richer, will my life be better.

Although you are just gentry, you should be like this!
Think about it, how much more can you gentry earn every year in Goryeo, Japan, or by opening up the sea for sea trade?

How many benefits can you enjoy? "

"Besides, everyone likes to enjoy themselves. Even if you are extravagant and lustful, I won't pay attention to it. That is your own business.

However, if you harm the people, you are digging into the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, and I can't stand it! "

Wang Zhongkuan asked subconsciously: "Your Highness, why is this?"

Guo An stared closely at Wang Zhongkuan, Cui Wei and others, "I wonder if you remember that at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, when rebels rose up in various places, what was the situation like for you gentry families?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Wang Zhongkuan, Cui Wei and others suddenly changed.

In troubled times, facing the rebels composed of common people, the families of the gentry suffered the most!
Guo An continued: "In the Ming Dynasty, there are still the largest number of people.

You have all studied, and there are people in your family who are officials. You are powerful, and you can bully those people.

But why do you treat them like animals and won’t stop until you take away all the fields from their homes and destroy the families they bully? "

"You can bully one generation of them, or even bully two generations, or three generations, or four generations...

However, you have forced all of them to the point where they can't survive, making them feel that only by banding together to resist can they have a chance of survival!
Do you think your life will be better by then? "

"There are rules up and down, and there are distinctions between authority and authority. How good is this kind of governance?"

"But if the common people dare to commit crimes and fall into chaos, the young will overtake the elders, the humble will overshadow the nobles, and the subordinates will overshadow the superiors... What will the Ming Dynasty be like?
Do you want the gentry like you to become the targets of revenge from the common people? "

...(End of chapter)