Go back to the Ming Dynasty to be a thousand households

Chapter 238 Donglin Party Meeting Begins

The 22nd year of Wanli has arrived, and the new year has a new look.

On the [-]th day of the first lunar month, Emperor Wanli issued an edict to strictly supervise officials from all over the country to calm the people and eliminate robbers:
"Last year, disasters and injuries occurred in various provinces, especially in Shandong, Henan, Xu, and Huaihe. I have repeatedly ordered relief. I don't know if the company has implemented it, and whether the people have benefited? At this time of public and private difficulties, I don't know that other than using state money and food in various places. , Are there any cheap first aid measures? Have the miners who caused troubles in various places been resettled and returned to the farmers? Today, the officials in the Quartet do not pay attention to famine politics, and shepherd the small people. In the court, the pursuit is biased towards Luli. The clamor cannot be banned, and the exiles cannot be recruited. When there are thieves, they will hide from each other, or deliberately favoritism, in order to avoid the blame for local accidents. And each governor and official will stop knowing and asking for encouragement. Please, you can’t weed out harsh officials and change the law. I’m very worried about the troubles of thieves and thieves. From now on, we should take the people’s peace and eliminate the thieves as the dethrone of the officials. Those who play with the imperial edicts will be severely punished!"

On the fourth day of February, Chu Yu, the censor of the right capital of the governor's storehouse, said: "We must check the number of drifting rice to fight against traitors. Serve the well-off banner army to prevent invasion and exploitation of fisheries. Build strong tank boats to protect Warehousing. Weave into a team of water, and use the leather to force the demand!"

Emperor Wanli followed his advice.

On February 28th, Sun Piyang, the censor of the right capital, played the matter of scavenging the government of the people: "Today, there are two ways to govern the government of the people. Please use the people's secrets to govern the officials: [-]. Observing the order to verify the household registration. Cultivate barren fields. Third, be responsible for obeying orders so as to be generous. Fourth, be responsible for observing orders so as to promote ethics. Fifth, be responsible for observing orders to prepare for fierce apologies!"

Emperor Wanli ordered the lower part of the court to implement it.

On the [-]nd day of April, Chen Zizhen, the inspector of Fujian Province, played Chen's four business affairs: "First, please open the three wastelands of Haishan, Haitan, and Nanri. After three years, they will be charged with military expenses. Second, please cut the rent and tax. , check the monasteries in the province one by one, reduce the rent and tax by two-thirds according to the proposal, and collect the rest. The commercial tax, in addition to taking capital into the country and leaving the country with a full load of capital and double the profit, such as small transactions in the territory are exempted. Tianzhu Mountain Dang, Zhaomin The tenants should not be invaded by powerful tyrants. [-]. To clean up the farmland, make a separate volume for the grain farms in Zhongfu County of the province, with the name of the army, the acres of land, the location, and the tenants, and print it to the actual collection post. .When the Tun army asks for the rent, the late post will withhold the money and grain that should be paid, and the rest will be given to the army. The grain officer will stop urging the tenants to finish the payment, so as not to disturb the army. [-]. Please contact Guangdong Migu. Most of the grain in Fuzhou, Xinghua, Zhangzhou, and Quanzhou Take it from Guangdong. Lei, Lian, Gao, Chao and other places in Guangdong have a lot of land. The governors of the two provinces, regardless of whether they are rich or not, will probably be bought and sold, and the business will be mutually beneficial!"

The Ministry of Households does what it pleases.

On April [-]th, Zhang Pu, the censor, performed the matter of making money: "The corruption of the money law is actually due to the private creation of the royal family. It has been stagnated recently, so that it is like making money for the people but not for the officials. There is no way to dredge it. Please set up money from Zonglu, official salary, down to household registration, commercial tax, post delivery, work and food. In addition to transportation of money and food, fines and redemption, in addition to accumulated grain, both silver and money will be collected. Those who aid cases, set up Two-tenths of the money. The province directly re-opened the Baoyuan official bureau and cast Wanli to make money. The original place used ancient coins, and used both old and new. It is strictly forbidden for the palace to be responsible for officials such as Chang Shi."

Emperor Wanli followed his advice.

On May 23, Wang Xijue, the chief assistant of the cabinet, retired.

……

Wang Xijue, courtesy name Yuannu, nickname Jingshi, was born in Taicang Prefecture, Nanzhili.In the 41st year of Jiajing, he was the first in the general examination and the second in the imperial examination.In the winter of the 12th year of Wanli, he was appointed Minister of the Ministry of Rites and a Bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion to participate in the maintenance of the aircraft.In the 18th year of Wanli, Wang Xijue went to the court to ask the eldest son of the pope to establish the crown prince, but the Wanli emperor refused to listen, and returned to his hometown again in June of the 19th year of Wanli.In the first month of Wanli 21, he also served as the chief assistant of the cabinet, changed to the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and entered the Jianji Palace as a bachelor. On May 22, the 23nd year of Wanli, he became an official again.

The reason why Wang Xijue became an official was the important wave of "three kings combined" in the "struggle for the country" event in the history of the Ming Dynasty, that is, Emperor Wanli planned to make the eldest son, third son, and fifth son of the emperor all kings, which aroused the anger of courtiers. However, Wang Xijue, who was the emperor's scapegoat, couldn't bear the pressure and had no choice but to resign.

From March of the 14th year of Wanli to August of the 29th year of Wanli, in the event of "struggling for the foundation of the country", the courtiers fought with Emperor Wanli for more than ten years, all of which revolved around whether the eldest son of the emperor could be established as the prince as soon as possible. conduct.In this battle, a total of four chief assistants resigned, and hundreds of officials were dismissed, but in the end the courtiers won and the Wanli Emperor surrendered.This shows the strength of the civil servants of Ming Dynasty.

Huang Laifu's comment was that it was too painful to be the emperor in Ming Dynasty, and the emperor would not do it even if he was asked to come.

After Wang Xijue, the chief assistant of the cabinet, needs someone to act as the chief assistant of the cabinet, Emperor Wanli ordered the ministers to nominate candidates for the cabinet.Gu Xiancheng, a doctor in the official department, recommended Wang Jiaping, and Emperor Wanli couldn't help being furious when he saw it.Gu Xiancheng had already offended Emperor Wanli during the joint conferment of the three princes earlier. He said to the people around him: "The royal court has its own ancestors' rules. How can Gu Xiancheng speculate on right and wrong? How can I recite the ancestral precepts and abolish the elders?" Li Xiao, posterity ridiculed?"

In addition, Gu Xiancheng knew that Wang Jiaping had always been against Emperor Wanli, so he even recommended this person. It was obvious that he could not get along with him.

The final candidate for the cabinet chief assistant is Zhao Zhigao. In fact, Zhao Zhigao served as the cabinet chief assistant once in March 20th year of Wanli, but he retired in the first month of the 21st year. post.To be honest, Zhao Zhigao didn't want to do it. He was over 70 years old, his energy was low, and his personality was weak. How could he stand up to those wolf-like officials of Daming?But there is no way, Emperor Wanli must let him do it, he has to do it, in fact, Zhao Zhigao did it very painfully, and died of illness in office a few years later.

After driving away Gu Xiancheng, a member of the official department, Emperor Wanli was pleased for a while, but he did not expect the consequences of this, did not expect that Gu Xiancheng would have such a profound impact on the history of Ming Dynasty...

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After the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, there was a strange phenomenon among the court and the public. As long as they fought against the emperor, even if they were dismissed, they would gain extremely high popularity and a reputation of not being afraid of power.

Gu Xiancheng has always been known in the officialdom as "going against him". Originally, when Zhang Juzheng was in office, no matter what Zhang Juzheng said, he would do it against him.The same goes for changing the chief minister of the cabinet.

Wang Xijue once said to Gu Xiancheng: "The weirdest thing today is that what the court thinks is right, outsiders must think it is wrong. What the court thinks is wrong, outsiders must think it is right." Gu Xiancheng said: "I think it should be said this way, outsiders think it is wrong." If it is right, the court must think it is wrong. If outsiders think it is wrong, the court must think it is right.”

Originally, his temper had always been unpopular in official circles, but after he was "disobedient" and dismissed from office by Emperor Wanli, his reputation suddenly skyrocketed. In his residence in Beijing, there was an endless stream of people visiting him every day.Not long after, his younger brother Gu Yuncheng and fellow countrymen Gao Panlong, Zou Yuanbiao, Zhao Nanxing, Sun Piyang and others also resigned. .

Everyone said that Mrs. Gu and others worked hard on state affairs, but were dismissed for crimes. They are honest and selfless officials.For a while, all officials in the capital were proud to talk about the Gu brothers.

May 22th, [-]nd year of Wanli.

The weather is still hot, but it is cool in the Shamao Hutong next to Dengshikou Street in Beijing. There is a stone bridge next to the alley. On both sides of the stone bridge, there are several huge banyan trees. The roots of the banyan trees have been deeply embedded in the stream. .

At this time, under the banyan tree, the bridge was already parked with all kinds of vehicles, and people dressed in cloth clothes came out of the bridge from time to time, and went to a quiet mansion next to it.

At this time, in the courtyard, there are already all kinds of passionate literati gathered. Everyone is eating tea and snacks, just talking high-spirited.There was only a man in a cloth shirt standing with his hands behind his back, looking at the courtyard in a daze.

The man was 45 or [-] years old, with a stubborn look on his face, he didn't say a word, but just listened to everyone's words silently. It was Gu Xiancheng, the official doctor who was dismissed from office.After today's meeting, he will leave the capital and return to his hometown in Wuxi.

The parting is imminent, everyone is saying some words of praise and prayer, sometimes the words are fierce.

A middle-aged man said loudly: "At present, the evil wind is raging in the court, and the cabinet ministers are treacherous. The hen wakes up the morning, and the woman predicts the political affairs, which is also ominous. I can only hate that we are unable to rectify the customs. Loyal and good people like uncle Shi brother , was also demoted, but what to do."

Another human said with a sneer: "It's just that your Majesty lives in Jiuchong, doesn't listen to political affairs, allows women to interfere in politics, and villains run rampant. If Zhao Zhigao and his like are incompetent, how can they assist the government? If things go on like this, the country will not be a country!"

Another small official said in tears: "Mr. Jingyang and other upright people have also been demoted. The court cannot tolerate upright people. There are treacherous men in the court, Huang Laifu, Li Rusong and other domineering warriors outside the court. The survival of the Ming Dynasty is in danger!"

Everyone responded one after another, sighing when they took the case.

One person was quite disdainful of the words of the previous officials: "Huang Laifu, Li Rusong and others, what are they doing to them? Don't let this generation fall into our hands, otherwise we will have to eliminate harm for the common people."

The crowd applauded again, and they were even more passionate.

The middle-aged man who spoke before was called Zou Yuanbiao, styled Erzhan, nicknamed Nangao, Jinshi in the fifth year of Wanli, in his forties this year, and he was always proud of his disobedience and direct admonition, and the reform of officials in Shangshu. Su and Gu Xiancheng vented their anger. After Gu Xiancheng was dismissed, he was also sealed away, which aroused applause.

The latter person is Gao Panlong, who is only 17 years old this year, and his characters are preserved. He was a Jinshi in the [-]th year of Wanli, and he was awarded a pedestrian. He had a good deal with Gu Xian and resigned together with Gu Yuncheng, Zou Yuanbiao and others.

Everyone talked for a while, seeing that Gu Xiancheng was still silent with his hands behind his back, Zou Yuanbiao said: "Brother Uncle Shi, since we have decided not to stay in this filthy place, we are begging you to give us your advice on what to do in the future."

Gu Xiancheng turned around solemnly, looked directly at the crowd with sharp eyes, and after a while, he said: "Nowadays, the outline is not upheld, the government is corrupt, and the country is in danger, how can we stand by? Professional evangelism, personable personage, supporting righteousness. With me alone, I can show my vision. If this is the case, even if I lose my job and give up my life, why should I be afraid?"

Everyone in the room was filled with enthusiasm, and Gu Yuncheng, Gao Panlong, Zou Yuanbiao, and Zhao Nanxing shouted loudly: "Don't you dare to follow the left and right without the whip and wings?"

Gu Xiancheng suddenly raised the glass of wine in front of him and drank it down. Blood color appeared on his face, and he said loudly, "Bring the pen and ink!"

Immediately, the family took out pens, inks, papers and inkstones, brushed the fragrant ink with a book boy, and brushed away the silk paper. Gu Xiancheng raised the brush, and the wind and rain that he had gone through for more than [-] years flowed in his mind again. The pen is like a dragon and a snake, and it is done with one stroke: "Those who pretend to imitate the past, the years have passed and the present has passed. There is still a breath, and there should be things. Don't let the eternity spoil my heart."

The meaning of this poem is: Since I was a child, I have determined to do great things like the ancient great men, but the years pass by like a fleeting moment, and this year is nearly half a century, my life is dying, and I can't accomplish anything.But how can I think about my own birth, old age, sickness and death?As long as you have a breath, you should forge ahead!
Gu Xiancheng burst into tears when everyone yelled: "Wonderful, wonderful, it really expresses the heart of my generation."

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On the second day, when Gu Xiancheng and others left the capital, there were as many as a hundred officials seeing them off.Since Gu Xiancheng is from Wuxi, he returned to his hometown in Wuxi.When they arrived in Wuxi City, there were hundreds of officials and gentry outside the city to greet them. Everyone was proud that there was a villager in their hometown who dared to fight against the emperor.

The place where Gu Xiancheng lived in Wuxi was called Duanjutang. After he returned home, he gave lectures at home.

Because of Gu Xiancheng's reputation, there was an endless stream of people from all over the world who came to ask him for advice.Not only his own home, but also the surrounding temples and inns were full of people.Later, dozens of book houses were built in the south of the house for the visitors to live in. For a while, Jingxi River was north and south, with the sound of books during the day, and the candlelight at night.Such a grand scene has attracted many famous people to come to ask for advice.

Not only that, Gu Xiancheng often went to Suzhou, Changzhou, Yixing and other places to give lectures, the greater the influence.

In the 32nd year of Wanli, Gu Xiancheng built Donglin Academy in the east of Wuxi City. As one of the initiators, Gu Xiancheng donated the most silver.Gu Xiancheng personally reviewed the purpose and specific appointment ceremony for the academy lecture.There is also a famous couplet written by him hanging in the academy: "The sound of wind and rain, the sound of reading, and the sound of reading, family affairs, state affairs, world affairs, and everything cares about everything."

After the opening of Donglin Academy, Gu Xiancheng, Gao Panlong, Qian Yiben, Xue Fujiao, Shi Menglin, and Yu Confucians gave lectures. There was a conference every year and a small conference every month, which was unprecedentedly grand.Long before the opening of Donglin Academy, there were many scholars attached to each other.After the establishment of Donglin Academy, many scholar-officials who were dismissed were often attached to the rumors. Apart from giving lectures, they often satirized current affairs and judged people.

With the increasing number of people attached to the party, Donglin's influence is also growing day by day. Most of the six officials and nine ministers of the imperial court are members of Donglin's party.Later, Shen Yiguan joined the cabinet to form the "Zhejiang Party", and the two parties fought each other for almost 50 years.

In history, after Gu Xiancheng was dismissed from office, he never recovered. However, as a commoner, he was able to influence the imperial court and influence the current situation in the world. It is also a miracle.The Donglin Academy he founded formed a force that could despise the chief minister of the dynasty, prevent the resurgence of ministers, and even change the appointment of the emperor. Ten years of partisanship.

This was something that Emperor Wanli did not expect at the time.Huang Laifu didn't expect that this seemingly unrelated person, the power he formed, would be so attached to him in the next few decades!

(End of this chapter)