Fu Shanhe

Chapter 483 The Torrent of the Times

Under the imperial examination system, scholars who passed the county-level examination and those who passed the provincial-level examination were all candidates for official positions.

Although he did not enter officialdom, he was still outwardly considered to belong to the same social class as everyone else.

If a large number of scholars suffer accidents and are not dealt with seriously, it will inevitably shake the status of the gentry.

The tax dispute that occurred in Jiangnan appeared to be a conflict between the imperial court and the Jiangnan gentry, but in reality it was also an internal conflict within the gentry group.

As the masters of this country, these vested interests do not want the Great Yu to collapse.

For the imperial court to function properly, everyone needs to contribute.

The tax resistance movement of the gentry in Jiangnan was essentially a violation of previous agreements and an unwillingness to fulfill their obligations.

With fixed expenditures, the government must ensure fiscal revenue in order to continue operating.

If fewer gentry members emerge from Jiangnan, then other places will have to make up for it.

When it comes to fulfilling obligations, no one wants to take on more than their share.

Under the avoidance system, all high-ranking officials serving in Nanjing are from other provinces.

One's background determines one's stance.

No one publicly expressed their opinion, but secretly everyone hoped that the imperial court could win this game.

Otherwise, once this bad precedent is set, the consequences will be endless.

After all, if the gentry in Jiangnan could resist taxes, the gentry in other places could follow suit.

Subsequent additional taxes will only target ordinary people at the bottom of society.

The outbreak of the White Lotus Rebellion proved that the burden on ordinary people had reached its limit.

If additional taxes are levied, war will break out in all regions.

If the situation deteriorates, the Great Yu Dynasty might be wiped out.

Even if the Great Yu Dynasty survives the crisis, rebellions will still break out among the people.

Chaos means that the cost of governance will continue to increase.

This is a vicious cycle.

Because of the local chaos, the court had to increase the costs of governance and levy additional taxes.

Tax increases will be unaffordable for ordinary people, which will further fuel the outbreak of chaos.

Once you get caught up in it, it's a one-way street.

Throughout history, feudal dynasties have all perished within this vicious cycle.

"Lord Shi is right. Then please ask the court to transfer troops from the northern frontier."

"The situation in Jiangnan is out of control, and the longer it drags on, the more likely problems will arise."

"There's no time like the present, let's just submit a joint petition now!"

Wan Huaijin then spoke up.

The group exchanged glances and nodded in unison.

The situation in Jiangnan is out of control; if it continues to drag on, the consequences will only be more dire.

As a backup regime, when faced with such a critical moment, it was time for the Six Ministries in Nanjing to fulfill their duties.

……

Yong'an Prefecture, the residence of the Marquis of Hanshui.

Looking at the intelligence report in his hand, Li Mu shook his head helplessly.

Sure enough, all sorts of strange things can happen at the end of a dynasty.

The locust plague sweeping across the Central Plains is eroding the foundations of the Great Yu Dynasty.

At a time when the imperial court needed money and grain the most, the gentry of Jiangnan did not think of helping each other through the difficulties. Instead, they launched an unprecedented anti-tax movement.

This is not tax resistance; it is clearly devouring the flesh and blood of the Great Yu Dynasty.

In this respect, Li Mu is qualified to morally despise the gentry of Jiangnan.

Although he also bleeds the court dry, he doesn't spend a single copper coin of this money; he uses it all for the resettlement of refugees.

By continuously sending people to the country, the social contradictions of Dayu were alleviated, which greatly reduced the ruling costs of the imperial court.

The tax revenue that the gentry of Jiangnan evaded could, in his hands, generate an additional one or two million immigrants each year.

If we continue to persevere, the overpopulation crisis in the north will be resolved in just a few years.

With reduced population density, per capita resources increase, and all the crises we face now are no longer a problem.

The three-hundred-year dynastic cycle that plagued feudal dynasties could be easily bypassed.

From a holistic perspective, his contributions to safeguarding the stability and prosperity of the Great Yu state surpassed those of anyone else.

"Husband, are you still worried about matters of the court?"

Jing Yaqing asked, holding her infant son.

The second year of Fu'an was a turbulent time.

After losing the two regents, Jing and Li, a series of contradictions that had been forcibly suppressed by the noble faction erupted.

Unfortunately, a locust plague broke out in the north, sweeping across the Central Plains.

The locusts were so numerous they seemed to want to devour the whole world.

"The situation in Jiangnan is out of control. My husband's old subordinates hope that I can lead troops north to take charge of the overall situation."

However, the invitation to come to North Korea was a pretext; the main reason was that those guys couldn't endure the hardships of the northern frontier.

They want to be transferred back to Jiangnan, but no one can take over their current heavy responsibilities.

The recent loss of control in Jiangnan is partly their doing.

Li Mu joked with a smile.

The upheaval that occurred in the Jiangnan region was seen by many court officials as if the sky had fallen.

But for Li Mu, it was child's play.

What kind of commander produces what kind of soldiers?

The younger generation of noble generals are bold, partly because they are young and fearless, and partly because they have learned from him.

After successfully raising the butcher's knife against the gentry for the first time and finding that they were powerless to fight back, everyone's fear disappeared.

Even when filing a lawsuit in the imperial court, evidence is required.

The bloodshed was committed by the rebels; what does it have to do with the nobles?

In the past, the gentry and powerful families were targeted; this time, corrupt scholars were killed. In essence, both actions were aimed at establishing authority.

"Husband, are the rumors true? Was the Jiangnan Shilin massacre really committed by your former subordinates?"

As she spoke, Jing Yaqing opened her eyes wide and asked.

The news is truly astonishing; what was initially just suspicion has now been definitively proven.

The last time someone dared to massacre scholars like this was during the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.

Since the establishment of the Great Yu Dynasty, the gentry have been treated well, and there have been no further cases of large-scale massacres of scholars.

“My lady, I will not acknowledge these words outside.”

"Jiangnan is the stronghold of the gentry group. Who else but those rascals would have the motive and ability to take action against them?"

Li Mu answered calmly.

Such a grand spectacle could not have been staged by the infighting within the civil service.

Last month in the Jiangnan region, more than a thousand scholars were murdered, and seven gentry families were wiped out.

Such a large-scale undertaking has long since exceeded the boundaries of political struggle.

If the nobility group had hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in the Jiangnan region, this scare tactic would be enough to deter all sorts of evil spirits and demons.

Unfortunately, reality proved harsh; the noble faction's garrison in Jiangnan had dwindled to just a few thousand men.

The gentry of Jiangnan, having suffered a loss, were certainly unwilling to admit defeat so easily.

The current chaos is a result of the instigation of ambitious individuals.

"Husband, didn't you say more than six hundred people died? How come it suddenly exceeded a thousand?"
My cousin from the Yun family, although he is a bit rough around the edges, does he really have to be so ruthless?
Besides, the few soldiers he had weren't enough to handle such a major undertaking.

Jing Yaqing shook her head and said.

The circle of noble families is not large, but you can basically connect with everyone in some way.

Especially when the nobility was weak, they formed even closer bonds. The sons of different families interacted frequently, and those who grew up in the capital were all acquaintances.

She found it hard to connect the rugged Yun Xiangwen with the murderous butcher he is now.

"The official death toll only includes those whose bodies have been found; many more victims are still missing and their whereabouts are unknown."

The actual death toll may not be more than a thousand; it could be much higher.

do not judge a book by it's cover.

He Yunxiang dared to kill a scholar in the street; what else wouldn't he dare to do?

Of course, he couldn't have accomplished so much killing by himself.

If all the troops stationed in Nanjing were mobilized, the rumors circulating outside would not be mere gossip, but a direct confirmation of his guilt.

In fact, his troops never left Yingtianfu.

Scholars from various places who encountered accidents were all victims of underhanded tactics by others.

With insufficient funds and provisions allocated by the imperial court, life on the northern frontier was difficult, so the generals naturally had to find ways to raise money and supplies.

It's not uncommon for grain merchants to send people to the south to purchase grain in order to reduce their profit margins.

Since the decision has been made to use the tax evasion of the gentry in Jiangnan as a pretext, it is quite reasonable to arrange for some people to secretly infiltrate the area.

While the recruited soldiers were withdrawn, the local garrisons and outposts were not abolished.

Although they are just empty shells, it is still possible to hide some people inside.

With these arrangements in place, it was possible to launch simultaneous attacks in multiple locations, eliminate all the intellectuals who were heading to Nanjing to protest, and further escalate the conflict.

However, although they were bold, their methods were still too immature.

To force the gentry of Jiangnan to compromise, such killings alone are not enough; the rebels' swords must also be used.

If a rebel army were to use the banner of equal land distribution to massacre gentry and merchants.

After conquering one or two prefectures, the gentry and merchants in various places will no longer feel that the imperial taxes are too heavy.

Upon hearing Li Mu's answer, Jing Yaqing rolled her eyes on the spot.

This is not solving a problem; it's creating an even bigger one.

Although the current plans of the nobility are also to escalate the problem, they haven't dared to go that far.

If we are not careful, the rebels could escalate the situation, and the consequences could be disastrous.

"My lord, according to your wishes, we should simply let the rebel army slaughter all the major academies in Jiangnan."

This directly caused the major clans of Jiangnan to lose a generation of their scions, and the resulting commotion was even greater.

Jing Yaqing jokingly remarked.

The chaos of recent years has reduced the number of relatives in the Marquis's household, with many experiencing the tragedy of parents outliving their children.

If the rebels in Jiangnan were to rise again, no one could be sure whether the noble faction could withstand the pressure.

Enough of the Jing family members have died; she truly doesn't want the chaos to continue.

In theory, it is possible to promote grassroots generals to fill vacancies, but in practice, it is simply not allowed.

In chaotic times, rife with deceit and treachery, loyalty is far more important than ability.

“What you say makes sense, madam. This is indeed a way to curb the power of the gentry and powerful families.”

However, this plan is too contrary to the natural order, so we will not interfere and let them figure it out on their own.

Li Mu responded immediately.

His status and position prevent him from making a statement on this matter.

If such a suggestion were given, those old subordinates would definitely do it.

The dire situation in northern Xinjiang instilled a deep sense of crisis in the younger generation.

It is evident from the letters sent by some former subordinates that these people were genuinely worried about the future of the Great Yu.

However, in terms of specific operations, some people are too presumptuous.

The naiveté of believing that the return of the nobility to power would save the country was a mistake.

Unfortunately, they forgot that the current aristocratic faction is not the same as the previous one.

A few years ago, the core of the aristocratic faction consisted of a group of passionate young people who were politically pure and had very high personal integrity.

Even with a salary that offers no pocket money, they are willing to sacrifice their lives for the Great Yu Dynasty.

After entering the melting pot of officialdom, many people's true nature is quietly changing.

Things are changing below, and the corruption at the top is even more severe.

Compared to Jing and Li, the current leaders of the nobility are far inferior in both demeanor and ability.

They couldn't even sort out the problems within the nobility faction, let alone control the government.

The younger generation preferred to support Li Mu, a governor far removed from the central government, as their leader, rather than follow the two leaders.

In contrast to the younger generation, the older generation of nobles were the main supporters of the two.

Perhaps they've grown old and lost their ambition; or perhaps their enthusiasm has been dampened by the bureaucracy. In any case, they just want to maintain the status quo.

Compared to saving the country, they cared more about making a few more taels of silver from their family businesses.

It is severely internally divided, and externally it is a complete mess.

In this context, even if the court allowed Li Mu to return as Grand Secretary, it would not reverse the general trend of the decline of the Great Yu Dynasty.

"Husband, will we get involved?"

Jing Yaqing asked with a worried expression.

She didn't care about the life or death of the gentry in Jiangnan.

However, she couldn't help but be concerned about the changes within the nobility faction.

In her private interactions with various families, many hoped that she could persuade Li Mu to go north and clean up the mess left by the imperial court.

After all, the nobility group was too closely tied to the Great Yu Dynasty, sharing both glory and disgrace.

She always evaded these matters.

If it's difficult to refuse some elders, then just agree outwardly and then throw the letter in the trash.

Going north is impossible.

Knowing full well that Dayu was a mess, and that the Marquis of Hanshui had finally managed to extricate himself from the mire, wouldn't it be foolish to go back and wade into the muddy waters again?

"Getting involved was inevitable, sooner or later."

We are both sons of noble families, and in the eyes of outsiders, we have been favored by the emperor for generations.

Now that the nation is in crisis, how can we not step forward?

However, it's important to consider how you participate.

When the court collapses, I will go north to defend the emperor.

While it may be difficult to restore order to the nation, it is not difficult to temporarily stabilize the situation for the court.

Don't worry, once the situation stabilizes, I'll immediately slip away.

After a few more upheavals, once the people of the world have lost patience with the Great Yu Dynasty, we'll be free!

Li Mu replied with a solemn expression.

Having caught up with the late years of a dynasty, the sons of nobles who enjoyed the benefits of early development inevitably faced constraints later on.

Often, your own thoughts are not important; the general trend will push you forward.

A few years ago, Li Mu would have only thought about heading south to avoid trouble and get away from the court's infighting.

As the Dayu Dynasty continued to decline and the Annam Protectorate grew stronger, the balance of power between the two sides was quietly changing.

If the Great Yu Dynasty were to collapse one day, he, the most powerful lord in the land, would become a thorn in the side of all parties.

Whether they like it or not, they are forced to get involved in the chaotic struggle for power.

Even if he doesn't do it himself, his subordinates will push him to do it.

In fact, if he hadn't been born into a noble family, the civil and military officials below him would probably have already incited him to rebel.

After all, if the leader doesn't improve, the subordinates can't improve either.

……

(End of this chapter)