I

Bailuzhou Academy is located on Jiangxinzhou, and there is a ferry that can go there.

Xiao Huan followed Zhao Han to the ferry and said as he walked: "Sir, if you want to recruit talents, you don't need to go to Bailuzhou. Even going there will be useless."

"Why?" Zhao Han asked.

Xiao Huan explained: "In Bailuzhou Academy, the real heroes are all Juren. Now these Juren are on their way to Beijing for exams and will not be back until at least next May."

"I was so busy rebelling that I forgot about this," Zhao Han couldn't help laughing at himself, and asked, "Are there no outstanding scholars among them?"

Xiao Huan asked: "Even if there are, are they kidnapped to rebel?"

"That's true, how can a son of aristocratic family become a thief?" Zhao Han sighed, "Oh, now that I'm here, why should I go and see it? It's the place where Prime Minister Wen (Wen Tianxiang) studied as a boy."

After setting foot on the ferry, within a moment, Zhao Han had arrived at Bailuzhou.

Because Bailuzhou Academy is located in the middle of the river, it was destroyed by floods many times. The academy in front of us was rebuilt in the 19th year of Wanli.

This is a complex of buildings standing between mountains and rivers.

Entering from the main gate, there are three squares facing you, which are respectively dedicated to Confucian scholars (establishing virtue), loyal men (establishing integrity) and famous ministers (establishing meritorious services).

Teachers and students from the tenth district of the school, as well as those still on the continent, were "invited".

A group of scholars stood there and glared at Zhao Han.

Zhao Han ignored them, but bowed to worship the sages of Sanfang. He also found the tablet of Wen Tianxiang's god in the place where the ministers were enshrined.

"Bring a pen and paper!" Zhao Han said.

The soldiers were well prepared and came forward with pens, ink, paper and inkstones.

Being blocked by the rebels in the academy and not allowed to leave, the scholars were extremely angry. Seeing Zhao Han pay homage to the sages of Sanfang, everyone had a slight change of view and felt that this rebel was not without merit.

At this moment, Zhao Han was writing, and many scholars were quite curious.

Putting down his brush, Zhao Han turned around and asked, "Where is the chief of Bailuzhou Academy?"

A young scholar laughed and said: "I went with the governor to kill thieves, and supervised the transportation of grain and grass at Sanjiangkou. Everyone will find and punish the rebellious ministers and thieves!"

"That's no coincidence. I'll look for him later." Zhao Han was not angry and asked with a smile, "This man is quite bold. Where did he come from?"

Xiao Huan introduced: "Ouyang Zheng, a native of Anfu County, was originally from Qianjiang, Huguang."

Zhao Han was a little surprised: "You even know his ancestral home? He seems to be very famous."

Xiao Huan explained: "This is a child prodigy and a crazy student. He has long been famous in Ji'an. He passed the prodigy examination at the age of thirteen and passed the examination at the age of eighteen. He has not yet passed the Jinshi examination. He should have entered Beijing at this time. I went to take the exam, but I don’t know why I stayed in Ji’an.”

"What kind of crazy method?" Zhao Han asked.

"He wrote an article, and I can still recite it," Xiao Huan immediately recited, "I have been an old silverfish all my life, and I will not kill the firefly on the desk. I regret that through the ages, Confucian scholars have always guarded their talents. , the party withers and protects the decay, so that it remains unchanged and the opinions are too roundabout. It is said that poems and rituals are the ladder to the tomb, and grabbing gold during the day is the first disaster. Internal bandits and external thieves all use our generation as a cover, and the seeds of reading are It seems to be perfect!"

Translated into vernacular, the general idea is: Confucian scholars tend to be conservative, form cliques for selfish interests, and have pedantic ideas. Poems and books are just a stepping stone to becoming an official, and the imperial examination is just for convenience and making money. When foreign thieves and internal bandits rebelled, they would use such scholars as an excuse, saying that they were forced to rebel by corrupt and mediocre officials. It seems that there are no real scholars anymore.

Zhao Han laughed loudly: "He is a true scholar!"

Xiao Huan immediately poured cold water on Zhao Han: "Sir, this person cannot be a thief. The Ouyang family is a local wealthy family."

Although Ouyang Zheng's grandfather was just a country squire and had not even passed the scholar examination, the officials who came to take office were deceived into getting married in various ways. The eldest son married the daughter of the imperial envoy, the second son married the daughter of the censor, and the third son married the daughter of the prefect. Ouyang Zhan's father was the fourth son. At that time, he married the daughter of a magistrate. The magistrate later went to Shandong to participate in politics.

A network of in-laws between officials and gentry was thus formed.

Zhao Han sent someone to hand the couplet he wrote to Ouyang Zhan and asked, "Can you still read this word?"

"The righteousness still lingers in heaven and earth, and the loyal heart shines through the past and present forever." Ouyang Zheng finished reading the couplet and tore it into pieces with a sneer. "A rebel thief deserves to be inscribed Prime Minister Wen? If Prime Minister Wen knew something, he would die with his eyes closed!"

Seeing that the couplet written by Zhao Han was torn up, all the students were frightened and feared that Zhao Han would kill him on the spot.

Zhao Han did not get angry, but asked: "I only started the uprising in Huangjia Town and did not threaten everyone. Why did half of Luling County rebel in just a few months? I came all the way from Meitang Town and only killed a few people. He is a notorious landowner, why do the people in these places also rebel?"

Ouyang Zhan didn't dare to answer because he knew the reason.

"Hmph, I dare not tell the truth. You are just trying to gain fame!" Zhao Han left after saying this. He just came to pay homage to Wen Tianxiang.

Feeling that he was despised by a rebel, Ouyang Zheng couldn't help but said: "All officials are corrupt and exploit the people excessively. If we, the scholars, can be named in the gold medal, we will work hard to cultivate moral governance and make the people live and work in peace and contentment."

Zhao Han stopped and asked, "Are tenants considered common people?"

"Of course it's the common people." Ouyang Zong said.

Zhao Han sneered and said: "The tenants have no land and are squeezed by the landlords with heavy rents and interest rates. There are also many harsh rules such as farming, winter livestock, bean cakes, and warehouse delivery. Even if there is no exploitation by corrupt officials, can they survive?" If you diligently practice virtuous government, you can get landlords to reduce rents and interest rates, and get landlords to cancel harsh regulations?"

Farming was transferred, tenants were seized by rent pledges, and tenant fields were taken back without paying rent in advance.

Winter animals, every winter solstice festival, tenants must give gifts to landlords, mostly chickens, ducks, geese and other poultry.

During the Chinese New Year, tenants must give rice cakes to landlords.

Delivering the land to the warehouse and transporting the land tax to the county government should have been the responsibility of the landlord, but it was all passed on to the tenants, who were made to bear the losses in grain and fire consumption.

There are various ways to play these games. In southern Jiangxi, tenants have to give gifts to the landlord when they marry their daughters. It is suspected to be a civilized variant of Chu Yequan.

Facing Zhao Han's question, Ouyang Zheng was speechless because his family was a big landowner.

Zhao Han said sarcastically: "You said that Confucian scholars are clinging to their old ways and are ignorant, aren't you? You are just sober, but you are only sober. What have you done for the people of the world?"

"I..." Ouyang Zong clenched his hands, wanting to refute this traitor, but he couldn't find the words.

Because what Zhao Han said was the reason why he was usually depressed!

He knew that the court was hopeless, and he knew the crux of the problem, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Historically, this person became a Jinshi in the tenth year of Chongzhen and was released as the magistrate of Jiangdu. Despite the pressure from the court, he did not increase taxes or collect stipends from the people. He also organized the construction of dams and the excavation of canals. Clean up the backlog of cases in the county and try to eliminate unjust prison sentences. Later, he was transferred to Huaxian County, and he used gentle methods to make tens of thousands of thieves (remigrants who became bandits) surrender and allocate land to these refugees for farming.

Chongzhen hanged himself, and Ouyang Zheng followed suit. He was rescued by his colleagues and fell seriously ill.

In the same year, Ouyang Zheng surrendered to the Qing Dynasty. While presiding over the Henan Provincial Examination, some candidates wrote "Uncle Wang Dorgon" as "Uncle Wang Dorgon". Ouyang Zheng was implicated and imprisoned. This was also the first literary prison in the Qing Dynasty.

This is a very typical traditional civil servant. He was born as a child prodigy. He was full of ambition when he was young. When he was an official, he protected the country and the people. He also committed suicide following Chongzhen. After dying once, he began to cherish his life and surrendered to the foreign invaders without any psychological burden.

Zhao Han stopped talking nonsense with the scholars. As he was leaving, he suddenly said: "Tie that mad man away and let him see how I govern the people!"

Ouyang Zhan still wanted to struggle, but was directly pushed to the ground by the soldiers and led away from Bailuzhou with five-flowered belts.

On the ferry.

Xiao Huan said with a smile: "Brother Xianwen, don't be afraid, Mr. Zhao will not kill easily."

Ouyang Zhan's hands and feet were all tied up, and he glared at Xiao Huan and said: "You are a scholar in vain, and you turned to a rebel!"

Xiao Huan sighed: "I'm not like you, with a prominent family background and able to take the imperial examination without any worries. In order to treat my father's illness, I had no choice but to borrow usury money and was forced to work as a litigator. Tell me. "I've already been a gangster, what's wrong with me surrendering to the rebels?"

"You have no moral integrity as a scholar, you deserve to die!" Ouyang Zheng said scornfully.

Xiao Huan became playful and smiling again: "If I had the integrity, I would have starved to death long ago. Can I still talk to you today?"

Ouyang Zheng said: "If I were you, I would jump into the Gan River and die!"

Xiao Huan sneered and said: "It doesn't matter if you die, my parents at home are well taken care of. But if I die, will you raise me as my mother? Will you raise the orphans and widows? You, a son of a noble family, are putting it lightly!"

Ouyang Zhengwuyan thought that filial piety was involved here and he couldn't talk about it casually.

Xiao Huan pointed to the pier in the south of the city: "Look there, the market has recovered, and the escaped merchant ships have returned to load their goods. Have you ever seen such rebels?"

Ouyang Zhan struggled to sit up and saw that the dock was still bustling.

With a look of horror on his face, he regarded Zhao Han as a serious threat to the court. Being able to capture a city without looting, but quickly restore order, is no ordinary rebel!

Zhao Han was standing on the bow of the ship, observing the situation at the dock.

Xiao Huan pointed at Zhao Han and whispered: "Brother Xianwen, this is the hero, can you believe it?"

"This is a bandit!" Ouyang Zhan was still arrogant.

"Pedantry," Xiao Huan said with disdain, "Today's imperial court is about to collapse. You idiots are so short-sighted. Sooner or later, you will be crushed to death by the collapsed old house. Given time, my lord will definitely sweep away the inner world and rebuild the bright and beautiful place." Qiankun!"

Ouyang Zheng sneered: "You still want to be the founding prime minister? I'm afraid you will be killed as a hero!"

Xiao Huan said cheerfully: "You can't even think of any tricks to alienate people. If you can be a founding hero, what if you are punished by the nine tribes? At least I have had a good time. Isn't it a hundred times better than being a litigator?"

"Crazy rebel! Madman!" Ouyang Zheng spat.

Xiao Huan asked: "Who in the world is not crazy?"

While the two were talking, there was a sudden commotion outside Nancheng.

However, Chen Maosheng had already entered the city, leading political workers and going door to door to promote the idea of ​​​​Datong. Many domestic slaves who had no worries joined the army enthusiastically.

By the way, beat up the old master!