Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 228 Sir, this trip will definitely be worthwhile

After hearing Wei Ziming's question, Wang Dayuan was indeed a little moved, but the main thing was that he changed his mind.

Originally, he thought that the Red Turban Army in Jiangbei was a cult's incense army, no different from Zhang Jue's Taiping Dao Yellow Turban Army in the late Han Dynasty. They all preached that the end of the world was approaching and a saint was born, and then distributed porridge and medicine, and gave out some small benefits, in order to lure people into the cult and rebel.

It's nothing more than that the Yellow Turbans originated from Taoism, and the Red Turbans originated from Buddhism. They were both things to fool ignorant people and women. There was no difference in essence. Although they were popular for a while, they just rose and fell quickly.

But now, after listening to Wei Ziming's introduction, which explained the origin, history and development of Luzhou red scarves, his view of Luzhou red scarves has changed greatly.

Especially Lu Jin's actions and various policy measures, he is a heroic ruler no matter how you look at it!

Afterwards, Wang Dayuan asked about the current system in Luzhou, and Wei Ziming answered one by one. Lu Jin called himself marshal and built a marshal's office. The marshal's office had two civil and military courts, which were divided into various departments. Above the two courts was a secretariat, with civil and military secretaries assisting in military and political affairs, just like a prime minister.

At the local level, the chaotic administrative divisions of the Yuan court were changed. The countryside was divided into two levels: villages and towns, with counties and prefectures above them. There were no government offices at the provincial or road level yet, only county magistrates and prefectural magistrates, which was much simpler than the Yuan court's.

Although Lu Jinding's system was slightly different, abolishing the three provinces and six ministries and establishing two academies and one bureau instead, Wang Dayuan understood that there was actually not much difference in essence. The Military Academy was the Privy Council of the former Song Dynasty, and the Civil Academy was like the Chancellery, which governed all the ministries. The Secretariat above it was a bit like the Secretariat, which assisted the emperor in handling major military and political affairs.

There is nothing wrong with changing the name like this. The most important thing is that Lu Jin is only a marshal now. He has neither the title of king nor the title of emperor. He can change the name again when he really establishes a country in the future.

Secondly, every dynasty has some institutional reforms. The three provinces and six ministries did not exist at the beginning. Like the imperial examination system, they only emerged during the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Today, the Yuan system is in chaos, with neither Han nor Hu people. The local administrative divisions are even more chaotic. The official usury by the court is a major malpractice. Lu Jin is really carrying out drastic reforms.

Especially compared with the other red scarves, Luzhou's Lu Jin was simply the only normal one among that group of crazy people, and he felt a lot more pleasing to the eye.

The Xu Shouhui tribe in Huguang was mentioned here. They established a country and proclaimed themselves emperor in such a tiny place. They also tried to combine politics and religion, abolished the Secretariat and established the Lotus Platform. Just hearing this made the Confucian scholars feel sick.

If Xu Shouhui really won the world, would officials still need to take the imperial examination in the future? Do you have to burn incense before you can become an official?

From this point of view, if the Yuan court is really in trouble, then in the future when various princes compete for the world, Lu Jin will have a great chance of winning. Apart from anything else, scholars from all over the country will definitely side with Lu Jin and dislike Xu Song's integration of politics and religion.

Looking at what Lu Jin has done today, he is quite reliable in terms of civil administration and can be regarded as a wise leader.

Next, it depends on the reaction of the Yuan court. If the Yuan court is really unable to suppress it, then the princes will immediately rise up.

In terms of military, Lu Jin is now unstoppable in defeating the local Yuan army, but I don't know what it will be like when he faces the main force of the Yuan court in the future. If Lu Jin's martial arts are a little stronger, as long as he can repel the attack of the Yuan court, even if he can't seize the world, at least he should have no problem dividing the country and ruling a region. At most, there will be another Northern and Southern Dynasties.

As for the Northern Expedition? The Han people were really heartbroken. The previous Song Dynasty's repeated Northern Expeditions ended in a mess. Now many people no longer have the courage to go on a Northern Expedition.

But even if it is just a "Southern Song Dynasty", a marquis of the Southern Song Dynasty is still a marquis. Lu Jin's promise still carries a lot of weight now, which forces him to consider it carefully.

But then again, although Wang Dayuan admitted in his heart that Lu Jin was a wise leader and had a great hope of conquering the world, in the final analysis, whether you are a wise leader or not, you are still a traitor.

After all, the Yuan Dynasty was the orthodox one now. Based on the traditional Confucian idea of ​​"loyalty to the emperor", Wang Dayuan himself had no intention of rebelling, and at this time he really had no intention of actively surrendering to the enemy.

Of course, if Lu Jin came to Nanchang now, and then recruited him, he might go "out of helplessness". To put it bluntly, it was the traditional conservative thinking that was at work.

There is also another most crucial question. Wang Dayuan felt that he did not have any outstanding talents. Why did Lu Jin send people all the way to recruit him?

Unable to figure it out, Wang Dayuan just asked.

Wei Ziming thought for a moment before saying, "I am not sure what the Lord wants you to do, but I have some private guesses. It should be related to going out to sea."

Wang Dayuan nodded when he heard this. He thought so too, but he didn't know why Lu Jin asked him to go out to sea. If it was to find out information about overseas, then his book "Records of the Island Barbarians" would be enough. But Wei Ziming just said that Lu Jin had also returned from overseas travels, and that the journey was no less far than his own. So Lu Jin should not be going there for overseas information.

Wang Dayuan racked his brains but couldn't figure it out. He could only smile bitterly and said, "Your elders don't want me to be Xu Fu and find him some elixir of immortality, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Ziming waved his hands repeatedly.

"How is this possible? Sir, you don't know that my master is the direct descendant of Gongshu clan. He has a family heirloom called "Gongshu Secret Canon". The first volume of Gongshuzi's book has a famous saying that Gongshu clan is the least believer in ghosts and gods, and also disdains the idea of ​​immortality.

“Even, even”

"Even what?" Wang Dayuan asked curiously.

"The book even shows disdain for ghosts and gods. Gongshu Shi directly compares himself to ghosts and gods, and his sequel has a crazy statement 'borrowing the power of heaven and earth, and imitating the ability of ghosts and gods'." Wei Ziming sighed.

"This mortal compares himself to a ghost or god. It's really crazy." When Wang Dayuan heard Wei Ziming say this, he suddenly felt that Lu Jin was a little crazy.
Wei Ziming waved his hands and said, "No, it's not what you think. The master's family learning originated from Gongshu Ban in the Spring and Autumn Period. He was good at mechanical engineering and later absorbed the learning of the Hundred Schools of Thought and the Mohist School, and integrated them into one.

"The book compares itself to ghosts and gods, which is actually borrowed from the Confucian Xunzi's "Encouragement to Study", "The one who borrows the carriage and horses is not fast, but can take a thousand miles; the one who borrows the boat and oars is not able to swim, but can cross the river. The gentleman is not born different, but is good at borrowing from things." People are not ghosts and gods, but they can control objects and perform the functions of ghosts and gods. Although it seems a bit arrogant, it is not the words of a fool."

"So that's how it is." Wang Dayuan suddenly realized. Now it seems that it's not a bad thing. Lu Jin should not be a lunatic.

Wei Ziming added, "Although the lord likes mechanical arts, he is not a foolish lord who only cares about ghosts and gods and ignores the people. On the contrary, Gongshu strongly advocates the application of mechanical arts in people's livelihood.

"Soon after the Lord captured Luzhou, he taught the craftsmen to make a flying shuttle loom. The shuttle could move back and forth on its own without the need for manual labor. The ordinary looms in the world today can only weave cloth two feet wide, and a woman can only weave a maximum of ten feet a day. However, the flying shuttle loom made by the Lord can weave cloth more than six feet wide, and each woman can weave more than three feet a day. The cloth produced is nine times more than before. This is a model of mechanical equipment used for people's livelihood."

"It's so magical?" Wang Dayuan originally thought it was some kind of mechanical device, just bragging, but he didn't expect that the other party actually made a real thing.

"That's not all. We also have new four-wheeled carriages. Ordinary two-wheeled carriages need at least eight horses to carry two thousand kilograms of weight, but the four-wheeled carriage made by the lord only needs four horses to carry the same two thousand kilograms. The same horses can carry twice as much, which not only saves horse fodder, but also increases transportation capacity. Now this kind of four-wheeled carriage has been equipped throughout the army, and it is very convenient to transport military supplies."

Wang Dayuan was stunned after hearing what he heard. If that was the case, then there was nothing wrong in being interested in mechanical engineering, as long as it could be used for the people's livelihood. It was better than having the emperor make it as a toy.

For example, the current Toghan Temur also likes carpentry work. He is now building a dragon boat in Dadu, and then leading a group of concubines and Tantric monks to perform the "Sixteen Heavenly Demon Dance" on the dragon boat.

Because the grain transport was cut off by Zhima Li, it was difficult for the grain from Jiangnan to go north. When Emperor Shundi of Yuan Dynasty, Xiao Tieguo, had a party with the monk and his concubine, people in Dadu were already cannibalizing each other.
"In fact, this is not surprising. Gongshu Ban in the Spring and Autumn Period was famous for his skillful craftsmanship. The various tools he made were extremely practical and are still being passed down to this day, such as well digging, umbrellas, and other tools. He also invented battle equipment, such as battering rams and ladders. It is not surprising that later generations put people's livelihood first."

"That's true." Wang Dayuan nodded repeatedly when he heard this. The worship of Lu Ban by the folk craftsmen was unmatched, not even the emperor. In various dynasties, some mysterious books similar to the "Lu Ban Book" were occasionally circulated, and their mystery was comparable to the Eight Diagrams and the River Map and Luoshu.

"Therefore, I believe that what the Lord has asked you to do is not to satisfy one person's personal interests, but should be a priority for the benefit of all people. If you want to accomplish this, I'm afraid you have to sail thousands of miles away. Throughout the world today, who else in China has traveled the farthest across the sea except you?

"This is also my understanding of what my lord said, that you already have the talent to be granted a title of nobility, but you still need a mentor. However, these are all my guesses, so please just listen to them." Wei Ziming concluded.

Wang Dayuan was somewhat tempted when he heard this. He was already forty years old, and apart from his two experiences at sea, he had no other strengths, let alone the desire to take the imperial examination and become an official. But if he were allowed to do what he liked, such as going on adventures at sea, and at the same time contribute to the people of the world and leave his name in history, a thousand years later, people would remember him as they remembered Zhang Qian, and by the way, make him a marquis. This kind of good job, just thinking about it would make people feel very happy, right?

However, Wang Dayuan thought for a moment and did not agree directly.

"This matter is of great importance. After all, I am a good citizen and I cannot openly surrender to the enemy. Moreover, my family business is all in Nanchang. If the matter fails, I am afraid that the whole family will be implicated. However, I appreciate the kindness of your elders. I am grateful for your respect for me. Can you allow me to consider it?"

Seeing that he did not refuse firmly, Wei Ziming immediately felt that there was a chance, so he did not urge him, but said, "Of course, the lord has no intention of urging you, sir, you can think about it carefully. If you think it through one day, you can send someone to the shop in the city to find me. I will arrange someone to escort you to Luzhou, and someone will take care of your family.

"And my master has another thing to say. Even if you don't want to serve me, you can go to Luzhou first and meet him. Just treat it as a visit to a friend. If you don't want to stay, my master will never force you to stay. My master still has these credibility."

Wang Dayuan was even more tempted when he heard this condition, but joining the enemy and rebelling was a big deal after all, so he did not agree directly, but said solemnly, "I will consider it carefully."

After Wei Ziming finished speaking, he stood up and said goodbye.

"Since you have understood, I have completed the task entrusted by the lord. However, I still have some private words to say to you."

"What?" Wang Dayuan asked curiously.

"Since ancient times, one cannot be granted the title of marquis without having made contributions to the country. The Lord has promised you the title of marquis, which makes me very envious. I only regret that I do not have your talent and cannot travel the oceans for you, establish unparalleled contributions, and be recorded in history to bring glory to our family. I privately hope that you can cherish this opportunity.

"As the saying goes, there are many good horses, but few good horse trainers. It is rare to meet a bosom friend in life, let alone one's own good horse trainer." "As for your concern for family affairs, please forgive me for speaking frankly, but how can a marquisate be easily obtained? The marquises who founded the dynasties of various dynasties wanted to achieve the merit of following the dragon, and all of them risked their lives in a sea of ​​blood and corpses. Who of them didn't have a family? You can become a marquis just by going out to sea. If you tell others about it, I wonder how many people in the world will envy you."

"Besides, the lord has not asked you to lead troops to fight. You can just change your name and tell the outside world that you are going to sea again. Who would make things difficult for your family? Besides, if you are really worried, you can move to Luzhou with your family. The lord values ​​you so much, how could he not accept your family?

"That's all I have to say. If you don't like it, please don't take it to heart. These are my personal words and have nothing to do with my master. I will return to the city and wait for good news from you. Bye."

Seeing Wei Ziming was about to leave, Wang Dayuan also stood up and saw him out the door. After Wei Ziming left, he returned to the study alone, only to find that he had forgotten to return the folding fan that Wei Ziming had just given him.

After learning about Lu Jin's identity and the whole story of the Luzhou Red Scarf, I have different feelings when looking at this fan again.

The folding fan was flung open with a swish. The paper mounting and the carvings on the fan bones were all top-grade. What was even more amazing was the design. It was easy to carry, could fan the air and block the sun, and could be used for inscriptions and paintings on both sides. It was indeed an elegant item that scholars and writers carried in their sleeves. Needless to say, although this thing originated from Japan, it must have been improved personally by the rebel commander who was proficient in mechanical engineering.

There is also the poem inscribed on the fan, which is also very interesting. When Wang Dayuan saw it for the first time, he thought that the poem "The Road Is Hard" was just to correspond to the sea ship painted on the front. The picture was the protagonist and the poem was just a supporting role. But after learning that Lu Jin wanted to recruit him, he looked back at the poem "The Road Is Hard" and felt that this poem was the key point.

'A golden cup of wine costs ten thousand, a jade plate of delicacies costs ten thousand. I put down my cup and chopsticks and cannot eat. I draw my sword and look around, feeling lost. I want to cross the Yellow River, but it is blocked by ice. I want to climb the Taihang Mountains, but they are covered with snow.'

'When I have leisure time, I fish on the green stream, and suddenly I dream of the sun on the boat.

'The road is hard, the road is hard, there are so many forks in the road, where are we now? There will be a time to ride the wind and waves, and set sail to cross the vast ocean.'

The poem "The Road Is Hard" was written by Li Bai in his middle age. It expresses his resentment, the feeling that he has a lot of talent but nowhere to display it, and he can't see where the road ahead lies.

But the second half of the sentence seems to be cheering myself up and encouraging myself that the future will definitely be bright.

There are several allusions in this poem. "Fishing in the Green Creek" is about Jiang Taigong, who finally caught King Wen of Zhou after he was several dozen years old. He helped Zhou to destroy Shang, and achieved a great success as a king.

Suddenly I dreamed that I was sailing next to the sun. This is a story about the merchant Yi Yin. Yi Yin was originally a farmer and scholar. Suddenly he dreamed that he was sailing next to the sun and the moon. Later, he was hired by Shang Tang as an important minister to help Shang destroy Xia. He also made great contributions and was a talented person who could assist the king.

Moreover, Jiang Ziya and Yi Yin have another thing in common, that is, they were both late bloomers and were already old men when they came out of the mountains.

This poem itself was written by Li Bai to encourage himself in his middle age, and it can be linked to Wang Dayuan's current age.

Forty years old is the prime of life, neither too old nor too old. You are approaching middle age and have not achieved anything. But do not lose heart. There are many roads to cross. No matter where you are now, there will be a time to ride on the wind and waves and sail across the vast ocean!
Jiang Ziya and Yi Yin were both in their seventies or eighties, but they were able to accomplish great things. You are only forty years old, you are still young!

There are two interpretations of the phrase "many forks in the road". One is that it means going astray, not knowing where the road ahead leads and what to do next.

But there is another explanation. The fork in the road means that there is more than one road ahead, but multiple choices. If this is the explanation, joining the rebels and achieving a career as a king's assistant can also be regarded as a "fork in the road", an optional option.

'There will always be a time to ride the wind and waves, and set sail to cross the vast ocean.'

Wang Dayuan muttered something in a low voice, recalling what Wei Ziming had said about Lu Jin's various methods of governing, the imperial examination questions, and Lu Jin's family background, plus the poem in front of him. Although the poem was not written by Lu Jin, it was the most appropriate topic to use as an inscription for him.

Wang Dayuan can now be sure that Lu Jin is not only not one of those who worship the evil cult, but also has a very high level of Confucian culture. At least he knows this allusion very well and uses it very accurately, which is very rare among the rebel kings.

As a monarch, it seems that Lu Jin is qualified in terms of civil administration. In terms of military affairs, although Wang Dayuan himself does not understand military affairs, a glimpse of the whole picture can reveal the whole picture. Although Lu Jin's army is still in Luzhou Road, Wei Ziming, the spy and agent, has already been stationed in Nanchang, Jiangxi. What does this indicate?
Judging from the fact that Wei Ziming opened a store in Nanchang City, it is obvious that he did not come here just for himself, but had the intention of staying there for a long time. He sent people to Nanchang so early to operate the business. By the time Lu Jin brought his army here, perhaps Nanchang City would already be full of people from Luzhou. No wonder this man was successful in conquering cities.

This was just Nanchang. Who knows how many spies and detectives Lu Jin had sent out? With Lu Jin's tactics, how could he not win? Even Wang Dayuan, who had no knowledge of military affairs, could see Lu Jin's intelligence advantage.

The more Wang Dayuan thought about it, the more he felt that Lu Jin could accomplish something. At least he looked like the most promising one among the rebel armies.

After Wei Ziming's visit, Wang Dayuan hesitated for a few days at home, tossing and turning, unable to sit or sleep. When he heard that Lu Jin might be looking for him to go out to sea, he felt like something was wrong.

In fact, Wang Dayuan is a person who can't sit still. He went to sea twice since he was 19 years old and wandered overseas for a long time. This time he has only been home for one or two years. He has not been idle in this year and more. He wrote books, visited teachers, and asked celebrities to write prefaces. He is just free now, otherwise he would not have been away from home when Wei Ziming looked for him three times.

In addition, Wei Ziming did not make a final statement before, saying that even if he did not want to work for Lu Jin, he could go over and take a look, just as if he was visiting a friend, and at worst he could come back later. Lu Jin would not go back on his word like that.

After making the decision, he sent his servants to Nanchang City to take a look and found that Wei Ziming was still the same as usual. He spent his whole day either selling fans or making friends with celebrities and asking people to paint and write inscriptions for him. His business was booming.

Wang Dayuan secretly admired this man, he was really brave, he was not afraid of him reporting him to the government.
After much hesitation, Wang Dayuan finally decided to go to Luzhou.

On this day, Wei Ziming was organizing the information he had collected in the store. When he saw Wang Dayuan coming to him, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Sir, your visit to our shop really brings honor to our humble shop. I wonder what you are here for?"

Wang Dayuan looked at the customers in the store, and followed his example by taking out the folding fan and said, "My friend sold me this fan the other day. The calligraphy and painting on it are very good. I would like to visit this gentleman. Can you arrange it for me?"

"Of course, sir, please come to the back hall."

After leading Wang Dayuan into the back hall, Wei Ziming asked, "Have you thought it through, sir?"

"Mr. Wang is just going to visit a friend this time. As for whether it will succeed, we have to wait and see. Your elders will not go back on their word, right?" Wang Dayuan asked with a smile, blinking his eyes.

"Of course not. If you want to come back after you go, you can do so anytime. When will you leave?"

Wang Dayuan thought for a moment before saying, "The sooner the better. Once I decide to do something, I can't sit still. Besides, I have some doubts about this trip. You'd better make arrangements before I change my mind."

Wei Ziming agreed immediately, "Okay, sir, if you want to leave, you can get on the ship before dark today. If you want to go home and say goodbye to your family, you can leave two days later.

"If you are leaving today, please leave a letter and a token for your family. I have prepared a house at a river crossing outside the city. This is a safe house specially prepared for your family. Although it is a bit remote, it does not attract attention and is very safe.

"There are people stationed there permanently. If your family is in danger, you can immediately come here to find our people. We can arrange a boat to escort your family away that day. If you have other difficulties, you can also send a reliable person to the store to find me to relieve your worries."

"There is also a safe house? I didn't expect you to prepare so carefully. Regardless of whether this thing succeeds or not, I would like to thank you here first."

This time Wang Dayuan was really surprised. He guessed that Wei Ziming had made a big move in Nanchang, but he didn't expect that he had underestimated him. Or, he didn't expect that the other party's intelligence organization was so tight and well prepared. It seemed that Wei Ziming was bold and had the confidence.

"No, no, this is what I should do. In our line of work, we need to be cautious. First, it leaves a way out so that we can feel at ease. Second, it is to understand your worries. Even if you stay in Luzhou, you can rest assured in Nanchang."

"That's great. Please bring some paper and pen. I want to leave a letter for my family."

That evening, Wei Ziming sent a guard named Li Chen to escort Wang Dayuan to the boat outside the city gate of Nanchang, and this guard escorted him all the way to Luzhou.

Wang Dayuan boarded the ship and found that it was a six-meter-long ship that was specially used for long-distance shipping on the Yangtze River. He then asked the guard named Li Chen.

“How do we plan our trip?”

Li Chen used a bamboo pole to push the boat away from the dock. The boatman held the sail and rowed the oars to drive the boat onto the river. Then he said to Wang Dayuan, "Go to Ganjiang River, pass Poyang Lake, then turn to Jiangzhou, and change to a small boat to go to Leichi."

Wang Dayuan was a little surprised when he heard this. He was also familiar with geography, so he immediately asked, "Why don't we go directly to Hezhou or Wuwei?"

"No, it's too far. Let's go directly from Jiangzhou to Leichi. Once we get to Susong, it will be our territory. This will save us from unnecessary trouble."

Wang Dayuan was even more surprised. "You have already taken Susong? Doesn't this mean you have taken over the entire Anqing Road?"

"Yeah." Li Chen nodded.

Wang Dayuan sighed when he heard this. The Yangtze River was really going to be cut into two parts. Lu Jin was stuck in Anqing, and anyone who wanted to survive on the Yangtze River in the future would have to depend on his mood.

(End of this chapter)