The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Yan Chengjin grabbed the stool to avoid being dragged into the palace by Li Dongyang, but he was afraid that the tough guy would be exposed in the struggle.

He didn't want to enter the palace yet.

The Duke of Yansheng is the descendant of a saint. It is difficult to return the land to the people by just advising.

Even if Li Dongyang gave advice, he would probably take off the title of Duke of Yansheng and replace it with someone else.

"Lord Li, you can talk, I don't want to enter the palace yet."

"You are so afraid of death! Can His Majesty kill you?" Li Dongyang held on.

The people of Shandong feed on rotten corpses. Such a tragedy would kill countless people every day.

Thinking of this, he wanted to go to the palace immediately to expose the evil deeds of the Confucius Mansion.

Seeing this, Li Qing'e hurriedly advised: "Dad, why don't you listen to what Lord Yan has to say?"

"You don't know, this boy is extremely cautious. Even if he is given another month, he will continue to think about it." Li Dongyang was angry.

Thinking of the ragged people who starved to death on the official road, and the people who came later actually used them as food, the softest part of my heart felt like being stabbed by a knife, and my eyes were red.

Did you drink tiger wine? Really strong.

Yan Chengjin thought carefully, showed 30% of his strength, and let go of Li Dongyang's hand: "Lord Li, even if you enter the palace, you can't solve the bad politics in Shandong. Why don't you listen to me?"

Li Dongyang was quite surprised. This boy was weak, but he easily broke free: "You say."

"Lord Li should know that Kong Wenshao's father is Kong Hongxu, the former Duke of Yansheng?

All scholars in the world respect Confucius, and even the court respects Confucius.

Advising His Majesty is just a decree to punish him, which is harmless."

Seeing that Li Dongyang calmed down, Yan Chengjin continued: "I have something to say, I don't know if I should say it?"

Promoting the land tax in Shandong

First, the land of Duke Yansheng must be taken back. Second, officials are afraid of the new policy, so they need Li Dongyang's full support.

Li Dongyang pondered for a moment, his eyes narrowed slightly: "Why do I feel that you want to change the system again?!"

"That's right, I want to implement the land tax system in Shandong and return the good land to the people. What do you think, Lord Li?"

Li Dongyang's pupils shrank slightly, and he staggered two steps and almost fell.

It's too bold, openly dividing the land of Duke Yansheng, this kid actually has such an idea.

Li Qing'e brought two cups of hot tea.

After a quarter of an hour, the tea was cold, and Li Dongyang was still sitting on the chair, saying nothing.

Yan Chengjin knew that with Li Dongyang's wisdom, he could figure it out, so there was no need to add unnecessary details.

"I am going to the palace to report to His Majesty. When do you plan to make a suggestion to His Majesty?"

After returning from the sacrifice in Shandong, he should have gone to the palace to report to His Majesty, but he felt that the situation was urgent, so he returned to the mansion and took Yan Chengjin with him.

"We need to wait for one person to return to the capital before I can be 30% sure."

...

Chengxian Street,

The curtain on the red carriage was lifted, and Kong Wenshao sighed that the capital was more prosperous than Qufu.

The street was wide, accommodating two carriages in parallel. The surrounding restaurants were up to three stories high, and there were gentry wearing gorgeous clothes everywhere.

What surprised him was that there was no beggar or refugee, it was simply a paradise on earth.

"Why are there no refugees?"

After leaving for a while, the entourage quickly ran back: "The refugees were all settled in Liangxiang and were not allowed to enter the city."

At first, the refugees who moved to Liangxiang had already become the people of Liangxiang, and some of them entered the city wearing coarse clothes.

But the people in the capital still thought that the refugees were living in the shantytowns of Liangxiang, so they answered like this.

Kong Wenshao got off the carriage and took a deep breath.

After the sacrifice, he heard that someone was secretly investigating the fields and houses of the Kong Mansion.

Coupled with Li Dongyang's cold face, he felt that something was wrong.

In the past two years, His Majesty has repeatedly reformed the system, first opening the northwest and then abolishing the salt permit, and it is inevitable that the Kong family will be targeted.

This time he must go to Beijing.

"Get ready and go to the palace to see the emperor tomorrow."

Forbidden City.

Li Dongyang bathed his body, tied his hair, changed into a red python robe, and walked towards the Fengtian Hall with a heavy heart.

Stepping into the hall, he bowed slightly to Emperor Hongzhi on the throne: "Your Majesty, your servant Li Dongyang, sees your majesty!"

The cabinet and the six ministers turned around.

It was heard that Li Gong sent back a memorial, Shandong was like a purgatory on earth.

Although Liu Jian was born in a wealthy family, he had traveled to famous mountains and rivers and knew that what Li Dongyang said was completely true.

In the poor places of the prefecture, especially after the disaster, thieves were everywhere, and people...

Emperor Hongzhi did not expect Li Dongyang to return to Beijing a day earlier: "The memorial sent back by Li Gong made me feel deeply uneasy."

"The depth of poverty of the people today is what I have seen on the road, and I dare not be false in the slightest."

"Who did it?"

Liu Jian and his men looked over and wanted to know who did it.

Could it be the gentry in Shandong?

Such a domineering gentry really did not take the court seriously.

Li Dongyang pondered for a moment: "It was the Duke of Yansheng."

The hall seemed to be frozen, and Emperor Hongzhi's face was stiff. How could it be Kong?

Liu Jian's pupils trembled slightly because he was too shocked.

By comparison, Xiong Xiu was relatively calm. He had received some information. He had already thought of the people that the Censorate wanted to investigate.

Xiao Jing heard from the spy that Yan Chengjin was investigating Duke Yansheng, but he didn't expect that the two things were really related.

Li Dongyang sighed: "It's not Duke Yansheng."

Emperor Hongzhi was confused.

Liu Jian and others were also confused.

Li Dongyang continued: "Kong Wenshao has only been Duke Yansheng for half a year, and has little to do with him, but the bad politics in Shandong are caused by the Kong Mansion.

During the reign of Emperor Yingzong, Kong Hongxu begged the previous emperor for a large piece of land, which was even more than the fiefdom of the vassal kings.

Today, Shandong's bad government stems from this. "

The source of Shandong's bad government was the Confucian government.

If we want to rectify it, we need to deal with the Confucius family, not Kong Wenshao. If it is replaced by another person, the root cause of the bad government will still be there.

Emperor Hongzhi understood what Li Dongyang meant and fell into deep thought. Kong Wenshao did not break the law. These lands were all given by the late emperor.

The Kong family is a descendant of Kong Sheng and has a fiefdom, which is understandable.

Li Dongyang looked at Emperor Hongzhi: "Your Majesty, why not summon Jiu Qing to discuss it further?"

The late emperor punished Kong Hongxu because of his moral corruption and widespread resentment among the people. His punishment was in compliance with the wishes of the people of the world.

But Kong Wenshao had nothing to blame.

The unprovoked rectification of the Kong family seemed like the imperial court was deliberately targeting the Kong family.

What's more important is that Yan Chengjin is not here, and now is not the time to advise on the implementation of the idea of ​​dividing the family into an equal share.

Xiao Jing came in and reported: "Your Majesty, Duke Yan has arrived in Beijing. Please come to see him tomorrow morning!"

Emperor Hongzhi looked astonished. Although Duke Yansheng was not like a vassal king and was imprisoned in his fiefdom, he would not enter the capital without being summoned by the court.

Li Dongyang was slightly surprised. When he arrived in the capital today, Kong Wenshao was following him?

"It seems that Duke Yansheng also knows that the imperial court may be rectifying the Confucius mansion."

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Xiao Jing: "Did he say why he came to Beijing?"

"Gong Yan Sheng said that he has something important to report."

Xiao Jing raised his head slightly and continued: "Your Majesty, the scholars in the capital now know that Yan Shenggong has arrived in the capital, and they have come to see him one after another. There is a lot of excitement outside the palace."

Li Dongyang sighed, maybe Kong Wenshao knew something was wrong and wanted to win over the scholars in the world.

With scholars involved, it becomes a little more difficult.