fake gentry

"What enabled Tao Gong and Shi Heng Gong to rise from a county official to governor of several prefectures, general of the Southern Expedition, and to establish their own headquarters? It was their courage to take action."

"Back then, Shiheng Gong was able to recruit refugees and train them into an army all by himself, and step by step he has come to where he is today. Since Tao Gong is the son of the lord, he should have the ambition of the lord."

"If you, Master Tao, only wish to live a muddled life, then I will pretend that I have said nothing today. But if you, Master Tao, wish to prove that even if the Tao family members are not from the aristocratic clan, they can govern this area of ​​a hundred miles in a way that is no worse than any aristocratic clan, then this is your chance."

"Perhaps one day, Tao Gong could serve as the governor of Jiangzhou, just like Shi Heng Gong!"

Not to mention Tao Mao, even Dong Xuan stared at Xie Hong in astonishment.

Xie Shang opened his mouth, his gaze becoming extremely strange.

Brother, this is going too far. How could this man possibly become the governor of a prefecture? He comes from a humble background, a poor family, a poor family.

Even if the Tao family becomes a noble family, it will inevitably be a third-class noble family. Once Tao Shiheng dies, his legacy will not be able to protect the Tao family, unless the Tao family produces a genius like you.

Just a few months ago, Tao Kan was concurrently serving as the governor of Jiangzhou. Unfortunately, Jiangzhou was Wang Dun's stronghold, which made Wang Dun deeply wary. So, the court ordered the court to bestow upon Tao Kan the title of General Who Conquers the South, grant him the authority to establish his own government and the same rank as the Three Excellencies, and directly sent Tao Kan to Guangzhou.

Then Wang Dun ordered his cousin Wang Bin to be transferred from the position of Prefect of Yuzhang to Governor of Jiangzhou, which gave Xie Kun the opportunity to serve as Prefect of Yuzhang. Otherwise, Xie Kun would still be drinking in Wuchang every day.

This is the aristocratic circle, so small and ruthless that Xie Hong wanted to use a vulgar modern joke to describe it.

While I was downstairs buying a pack of cigarettes...

"Brother Xie, why do you mock me?"

Tao Mao himself knew that he was not cut out to be a governor.

But Xie Hong still has another pie waiting for him.

"Hong is willing to assist Tao Gong."

Upon hearing this, Xie Shang, who was sitting next to him, was stunned. He looked at Xie Hong with surprise and doubt, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word.

Brother, have you gone mad?

He had considered countless ways his brother could persuade Tao Mao.

It's nothing more than interests, personal relationships, temptations, and pressure.

The only thing I never expected was that he would use himself as bait in front of Tao Mao.

Tao Kan had many sons: Tao Xia, Tao Bin, Tao Cheng, and Tao Fan, totaling more than a dozen, including both legitimate and illegitimate sons. Tao Mao was neither the eldest son nor even considered outstanding.

Although he became the magistrate of Chaisang County, it was because Chaisang County was Tao Kan's fief, and he needed an obedient son to serve as a figurehead.

Tao Mao always lived in the enormous shadow of his father and brother.

But who doesn't want to stand out from the crowd?

He had personally witnessed Xie Hong's talent and learning; if he could get Xie Hong to advise him...

Tao Mao remained silent for a long time before asking, "Why is my lord helping me?"

"I am not helping Lord Tao," Xie Hong shook his head, his voice as calm as still water. "I am helping the thousands upon thousands of homeless refugees in Jiangzhou, and also helping myself. I am not that selfless. The refugees need a place to stay, Lord Tao needs to rise to prominence, and I need to make a name for myself. If Lord Tao agrees, the Xie family of Chenjun will do its utmost to help. After the matter is accomplished, it will greatly help the Tao family rise to the ranks of the gentry. The court will reward us, and Lord Shiheng will praise us. How can Lord Tao not stand out from the crowd?"

Xie Shang's eyes lit up again. His brother always had a knack for summarizing things and was full of witty remarks, which made people feel incredibly comfortable and happy.

Tao Mao gritted his teeth, stepped aside, and bowed deeply to Xie Hong: "Mao is willing to grant Xie Lang's wish."

Xie Hong immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The first step of the Long March has finally been taken.

Since he chose to bet on Tao Kan, he had to plan how to do something meaningful under Tao Kan's command and have as much autonomy as possible, rather than being a mascot.

Therefore, official positions are not important at all. What is important is to work your way up step by step from small to large, to the point where the system would collapse without you. Ideally, you should get the position of magistrate of Chaisang County. He doesn't care about being a magistrate.

Xie Hong's heart died, and he set his sights on Tao Kan's inheritance.

Anyway, after Tao Kan died, his 100,000 elite troops were all squandered by his two sons, so it's better to hand them over to him for control.

Seeing that everything was going smoothly, Xie Hong prepared to take his leave and then explore Chaisang County properly, as this was his first time entering a city since his transmigration.

But just as they were about to leave, people from the prefectural governor's office arrived.

The visitor was none other than Zhou Ping, Zhou Guang's closest retainer.

Zhou Ping had changed into a coarse linen outfit and had a cloth wrapped around his head, making him look no different from an ordinary commoner at first glance. If he hadn't had the prefectural governor's token, the county yamen's bailiffs would never have let him in.

Upon seeing Zhou Ping, Xie Hong's heart sank for no apparent reason.

"Greetings, Young Master Xie."

Zhou Ping lowered his voice and said urgently, "Shen Chong, the Prime Minister's trusted military advisor, has arrived at the Prefect's residence with a hundred armored soldiers, intending to take the young master to Wuchang."

Xie Shang felt a moment of panic, but forced himself to remain calm.

Dong Xuan was so shocked that his mouth gaped open and he couldn't utter a single word.

Upon hearing this, Tao Mao sat up abruptly, the teacup in his hand slipping and falling to the ground with a sharp crack that was particularly jarring in the quiet hall.

He felt like the sky had fallen.

"Has Zhou Guang gone mad?"

Tao Mao addressed his superior by his given name, which was tantamount to a public break, but Zhou Ping did not take it seriously.

This is because the relationship between the Tao and Zhou families is not merely that of in-laws. Tao Kan's rise to prominence was entirely due to Zhou Fang's initial support, so the relationship between the two families is far better than outsiders know.

Tao Kan also harbored ambitions to establish his own independent regime, but he certainly wouldn't dare to rebel. That's why, after Zhou Fang's death, his two sons became very close to Wang Dun.

It's all for the sake of maintaining power and influence.

Following Wang Dun could elevate one's social standing, and the Tao family, deeply intertwined with the Zhou family, naturally had a much greater chance of obtaining official status.

The moment Xie Hong heard the name Shen Chong, his heart skipped a beat.

Shen Chong was undoubtedly Wang Dun's most trusted confidant. He and Qian Feng were the most trusted advisors of Wang Dun and were his most relied-upon strategists.

Qian Feng held central control of the government's secrets, while Shen Chong controlled the military in Wu, the home of Jiangdong, together supporting Wang Dun's rebellion.

The two were very close in private and maintained a high degree of consistency in key decisions such as Wang Dun's uprising and the deposition and installation of officials. They were also the core partners who promoted Wang Dun's second rebellion.

After the rebellion failed, both men were captured and killed by the Eastern Jin army, and their fates were exactly the same.

Shen Chong came from the Qian family of Wuxing, a prominent clan. He studied military strategy from a young age and was known for his heroic spirit.

The Shen family of Wuxing was extremely wealthy and even minted their own coins. The Wuzhu coins they minted were thin, light, and exquisite, and were known among the people as Shen Lang coins. Among the gentry in Jiangdong, the Shen family was second to none in terms of wealth.

But Shen Chong was not most famous for his money; he was the one who managed the rear for Wang Dun and raised military funds, making him an indispensable assistant to Wang Dun.

The fact that Wang Dun sent someone to arrest him shows how much importance Wang Dun attached to this matter.

The Shen family of Wuxing also became criminals because of their involvement in Wang Dun's rebellion. It wasn't until their son, Shen Jin, was promoted by Wang Huzhi that he was able to enter officialdom.

Later, Shen Jin used his family's and his own influence to recruit a thousand brave men to go to Luoyang. With fewer men, he fought against the Yan state. As a result, Luoyang fell. Shen Jin led five hundred men to defend Luoyang and fought bitterly for another year until they ran out of food and supplies and had no reinforcements. Only then did the Yan state's Grand Chancellor Murong Ke and the King of Wu, Murong Chui, join forces to conquer Luoyang.

Who are Murong Ke and Murong Chui?

He was a top general of the Former Yan during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, leaving a significant mark on history.

Shen Jin's death enabled the Shen family of Wuxing to return to the ranks of the gentry, a truly moving and tragic act.

Xie Hong felt like he had eaten shit.

What the hell did I do to offend Wang Dun?

Could it be that sentence from a few days ago?

Is Dun not the prime minister, but a rebel?

Who the hell sold me out?

Did the Heaven and Earth Society already have a traitor so soon after its founding?

I'm so tired of it all.