Chapter 809 How to cut off the so-called thousand-year-old family?
Luo Xianzhi was sitting in the hall, surrounded by many people. He was not the tallest among them, but the others all had their heads down and their backs bent, so he looked like the tallest one.
The people who came to visit him were like an endless stream, with different faces and different expressions. Luo Xianzhi took a rough note of them, turned around and forgot about them, until everyone dispersed and only a few people were left.
Luo Xianzhi rubbed his head. Everyone looked at him with flattering and probing eyes. They understood the importance of Luo Xianzhi better than most people.
Luo Xianzhi had already made preparations for today, and said slowly: "Due to Wang Mang's chaotic politics, Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty appointed the three ministers in vain, and the power was returned to the Ministry of Personnel. In the hundred years of the Later Han Dynasty, the power and responsibility of the Secretariat were increased. Since the beginning of the world, all countries have attached great importance to the Secretariat. You are listed in the Ministry of Personnel, so you must know the importance of the Secretariat."
All the officials in the Secretariat were silent. In a sense, the Secretariat was the highest government agency. The only problem was that its rank was low, and the Shangshu Ling was only a third-rank official. Moreover, the Secretariat was outside the palace, while the Zhongshu Sheng was inside the palace. In terms of responsibilities, the Secretariat was the agency that executed affairs for the Zhongshu Sheng.
Luo Xianzhi didn't care about these people's silence. Most of them wouldn't stay for two years anyway, especially those who were disobedient, who would basically be transferred away.
He put away the smile on his face and said expressionlessly: "Today, the countries are divided, and no country has been able to unify the world. Your Majesty has handed the Shangshutai to me. This is a sign of trust in me. Today, I will set some rules for my colleagues in the Shangshutai.
I enforce the law very strictly, hate evil and cannot tolerate any grain of sand in my eyes. The Secretariat has six departments and twenty-four offices. Almost all the affairs of the entire Daliang are executed by the officials of my Secretariat.
I know the pros and cons of this, and the room for manipulation. In the future, you should keep a close eye on your own department or company. If anything happens and I hear about it, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Now everyone in the Shangshutai finally looked at each other and wanted to say something. If anyone else said this, these people would probably think that this was a warning from the newly appointed Shangshu Ling to their subordinates, telling these officials not to underestimate him.
But since these words came out of Gusu Luo's mouth, they were the truth!
That means Luo Xianzhi really wants to do this.
Luo's words were as sharp as a spit. If he said he would kill your whole family, he would kill your whole family. If he said he would spare your life, he would spare your life.
Now Luo Xianzhi said that he wanted to strictly regulate the Secretariat, which means he really wanted to keep an eye on all officials.
With just a few words, more than 20 people in the hall felt a chill. Even the officials who had not rebelled against anything felt as if a heavy mountain had fallen on their heads, as if they had returned to the era of Duke Wenmu of Gusu.
When Duke Wenmu of Gusu was in charge of the government of Liang State, the Shangshu Ling of the Shangshu Province and the Zhongshu Ling of the Zhongshu Province had to report to him. Especially when Xiao Yan was away at war, apart from matters in the imperial palace, there was no government affairs in the entire Liang State that he had no control over.
Luo Youzhi had a bad temper, and officials at that time lived in fear. Even though they knew that Luo Youzhi would not punish them for no reason, people tend to bully the weak and fear the strong. The same was true in the officialdom. When faced with a strong superior, most people would always choose to obey.
I never expected that Luo Youzhi had been dead for two years. Just after two years of good life, his son came. From his words, his temperament was exactly the same as his father, the Prime Minister.
The thought of working under a very strict leader makes many people feel uneasy almost instantly, and they feel uncomfortable no matter how they think about it.
Luo Xianzhi naturally took in the expressions of these people one by one.
There are fools and smart people in this world. Different people will respond differently to the same words. Luo Xianzhi can tell at a glance that half of these twenty-something people are fools, and he is not sure whether the other half are smart.
The half who were judged as idiots were all those who showed unfavorable expressions towards what he had just said. Even if they thought they had concealed it well, they still could not escape Luo Xianzhi's eyes.
If Luo Youzhi was really an official who only knew how to exploit his subordinates and be harsh to them, how could he have sat in the position of prime minister for eighteen years and managed the Liang State in such an orderly manner? How could Xie have so actively supported Luo Youzhi to come out and serve as the Minister of the Chancellery?
Apart from anything else, just the fact that the Xie family was able to rise from a second-rate aristocratic family shows that Xie An's ability was important, but more importantly, Luo Youzhi was willing to use his reputation and power to help the Xie family. Otherwise, with the Xie family's status, it would have been difficult for them to rank among the top.
It should be noted that the status of aristocratic families is not only determined by the level of official positions held in one's own generation, but also by the achievements of one's fathers and grandfathers, and the merits of one's ancestors. What matters is the background, not just your own merits, but the merits of all your ancestors, at least three generations.
The Xie family's ancestors had a good reputation, but it was not enough. Without Luo Youzhi's promotion, they would never have reached their current level. After all, in Jiangdong, there were wealthy and powerful families everywhere.
Not to mention the distant past, the Lanling Xiao and Huaiyin Han families who moved south to Jiangdong were great families with a history of 400 years, and were among the Five Surnames and Seven Aristocrats of the Han Dynasty. They had never really declined, and at their most downtrodden times, they all had titles of marquis and official positions of two thousand stones. After arriving in Jiangdong, they were still the top families, even higher than the Jiangdong gentry. The Xiao family became the royal family, but the Han family was still there. Among all the Jiangdong aristocratic families, except the Gusu Luo family, which was superior to the Han family, no other family dared to say this.
In addition to these big families that moved south, there are also the six surnames of Jiangdong, Qiao, Chu, Gu, Lu, Zhu, and Zhang, the four surnames of Jingxiang, Huang, Pang, Kuai, and Cai, as well as the Liu family. Many of them have lost their power, but after all, they have relatives and old friends, so they still cannot be underestimated. The worst of them are second-class aristocratic families.
As for those high-ranking officials who had followed Yuzhang County Duke Luo Chu, the Zhou, Lu, Zhuge and others, they are still in power. There are too many of them. Their fathers, grandfathers, and even great-grandfathers were famous in Jiangzuo. In the clan records, they have infinite advantages.
Although the Xie family rose quickly, it would have been a dream to defeat these families without Luo Youzhi's support.
The Xie family was not the only one like this. Many of Luo Youzhi's subordinates entered the ranks of the gentry. Luo Youzhi enforced the law strictly, but he only prevented them from taking unauthorized measures. He also gave them all the things they deserved.
How could Luo Xianzhi not know what Luo Youzhi knew?
When he said that he enforced the law strictly, he was telling these officials not to use their power for personal gain, but he did not say that he wanted them to live a hard life.
It is crazy to let officials who hold power live the same hard life as the common people. Even King Su could not do it.
Those officials in the hall who reacted strongly to Luo Xianzhi would never have thought that they might lose their current power and position just by frowning.
As the sun set, Luo Xianzhi leisurely left the government office, leaving behind a crowd of people looking at him, some openly and some secretly.
On this day, Luo Xianzhi did not do what most people had expected as a new official would do and start interfering in the affairs of the Secretariat. He only listened to some general reports from the left and right prime ministers and the six ministries. The content was basically quite empty, but he listened with great interest.
The rest was really not done.
In the evening, he left without hesitation, without any intention of working overtime to continue sorting out affairs. This was completely different from the rumored Duke Wenmu of Gusu, who worked day and night and devoted his heart to handling affairs.
Luo Xianzhi sat in the carriage. He no longer needed to pretend any expression. He fell into thought, recalling every word. It was certainly not in vain to ask the officials of the Secretariat to give him a report and summary today.
He could tell from them who was preparing carefully, who really wanted him to know something, and who was completely fooling him or even trying to set a trap for him.
These things are hidden in those texts, and only smart people can extract useful information.
In addition to this reason, he did not take up the three major tasks in office because there was no need. The current Shangshu Tai was not named Luo, and he did not have anyone suitable to use in the Shangshu Tai.
In Luo Xianzhi's mind, the foundation of governing is a team of officials who can implement his will and a team of officials who can receive feedback from the lowest level. Only with such a team of officials can various policies be implemented, and he will not become a lame Shangshu Ling whose policies are only implemented in Jianye City.
In the Luo family, there is also a statement on this matter. When in charge of the government, "ask less why and more on what basis." The full statement is "Ask less why those officials do not obey you and more on why those officials obey you." This is the first mindset that needs to change when holding power.
Without this kind of thinking, being in charge of government will surely end in a huge failure. Even if one is lucky enough to gain the trust of the king and become a prime minister, he will still step down in disgrace in the end.
Most of the treacherous officials understood this truth. They formed a community of interests and colluded with each other. After the petty officials took their money, the county magistrate took it, who took it after the county magistrate, who took it after the provincial governor, who took it after the nine ministers, who took it after the nine ministers, and the three dukes did not forget to prepare a portion for the emperor. They built courtyards and palaces for the emperor and collected beauties from all over the world to fill his harem. The emperor took so many things, and even if he knew that the people below were exploiting the people, he would not care. What did it have to do with him anyway?
If it arouses public outrage, or if you feel that the treacherous officials are too rampant, then take the opportunity to strike them down. If it does not arouse public outrage, then continue to enjoy the tribute from the treacherous officials with peace of mind.
Of course, the Luo family could not do this. The Luo family in power throughout the generations naturally could not say that they had never harmed the people, including when King Luo Wen was in power. There were people under their rule who were oppressed to the point where they could not survive. Human power is sometimes exhausted, and it is impossible to do anything without a heart to save the world.
The key is how we look at the world. We cannot think that these things are right just because such things are not uncommon. We cannot let them change from unspoken rules to the surface just because they cannot be stopped. These things can only live in the dark forever. Once exposed to the sun, the Luo family will strike without hesitation, and those who carry out it will die without a burial place.
When Luo Shi couldn't stop these things, he only did two things.
The first is to give those officials who are unwilling to go along with the corrupt crowd and those officials who still have ideals in their hearts a chance to choose, that is, Luo. Therefore, Luo must be upright and set an example to tell everyone that there is still light and justice in this world, and it is not all turbid.
The second is to never let those people get away with it. Minor offenses and mistakes can be forgiven, but for those big thieves, we must find an opportunity to bring them to ruin. If we cannot do it in this life, we must punish them through their descendants in the future, making them without descendants and making them notorious.
The first one is for everyone in the world to see, and the second one is done by Luo family themselves. There is such a list in Luo family, and they are the people who must be killed.
Although Luo Xianzhi is young and may lack some experience, the words "family background" are not just a casual remark.
He himself did not need to be cautious in trying to figure out the emperor's thoughts, and then engage in political struggles to get rid of his opponents bit by bit. He had more room to maneuver.
After taking charge of the Secretariat, looking at the densely packed officials, Luo Xianzhi wondered on what basis he could control these hundreds of officials and even more clerks. There were six ministries under the Secretariat, handling almost all the affairs of the entire Liang State, which involved tens of thousands of officials. How could he control them?
After much thought, it was still necessary to carry out a purge of the opposition, promote some people and demote some others, or continue to bleed the aristocratic families to release more official positions and resources, and to lift the ideological ban on the State of Liang on a larger scale.
The power of the aristocratic families was still too great. After the great development of the State of Chu, Luo Youzhi's eighteen years of attacks were far from enough to shake the basic base of the aristocratic families. Of course, a big reason for this was that Luo Youzhi did not actually use military force, but suppressed them through political means. This relatively mild method was indeed slower to take effect.
The fastest way is to kill directly according to the family tree and turn the world upside down. For example, in every great chaos, many old nobles will simply disappear from the face of the earth. Human life is the root of everything. The so-called power and wealth are all based on human life. Without life, the nobility will disappear.
But whether they are willing to admit it or not, the gentry is also one of the foundations of a dynasty's rule. While these people are hollowing out the dynasty, they are also supporting the existence of the dynasty.
To kill all these people at once would be to destroy oneself. Neither Luo Youzhi nor Xiao Yan would do that.
and.
Luo Xianzhi understood his father. The gentry could be killed, but the reason could never be because of their gentry status. They could die because of corruption, they could die because of breaking the law, they could die for any reason, but not because of their gentry status.
Just as Luo Shi has always believed, a minister can die for any reason, but should not die because his achievements surpass his master. It is normal for a king to be afraid of ministers who have achievements surpass their master. This is exactly the suspicion in people's minds. But if a king kills his minister because his achievements surpass his master, then Luo Shi will stay away from this king.
These two things seem to be unrelated on the surface, but in fact they are one and the same.
Just as Taoism is pursuing longevity, ascending to heaven in broad daylight, and turning into an immortal by turning into a rainbow, Taoists all over the world are working tirelessly towards this goal. But if all Taoists now knew one thing, that is, ascension is a scam, and the so-called fairyland is full of evil demons that specialize in eating these so-called immortals who ascend, what kind of scene would that be?
despair!
There is only despair left.
The same is true in officialdom. Everyone in this world has a dream. Even an ordinary farmer, an ordinary businessman, an ordinary worker, or a poor scholar, everyone has a dream of wealth and glory.
But if reality tells them that they will die if they get wealth and glory, the only way to save their lives is to stay at the bottom of society forever. Of course, staying at the bottom of society cannot save their lives either. They will be oppressed by the clerks below and by the emperor above. What will the world become like then?
Therefore, the Luo family always has a bottom line in doing things. A big reason why it is so easy to attack Luo Youzhi is that Luo Youzhi rarely kills people, unless they are people who have committed great evil.
"Clean up the noble families, promote the common people, and bring more people under the rule of Daliang."
Luo Xianzhi thought and muttered to himself.
…
Luo Xianzhi was invited to a manor of the Xie family. This manor was given to Xie by Luo Youzhi when they got engaged. The name of Xie Daoyuan's father was on the title deed. The manor was very large and could accommodate almost all the members of the Xie family. It was surrounded by mountains and rivers and had beautiful scenery. There were fertile fields outside the manor and many of the tenants were Xie's followers.
The Xie family was not one of those aristocratic families that advocated idle talk. Starting from Xie An's generation, the rise of the Xie family was based on achievements. Previously, they followed Xiao Yan and Luo Youzhi to make achievements, and now they follow Luo Xianzhi to make achievements. It has always been like this.
As soon as Luo Xianzhi arrived, the younger generations of the Xie family came. Xie Daoyuan was the eldest sister in the Xie family, and most of these younger generations were Luo Xianzhi's brothers-in-law. They welcomed Luo Xianzhi in, and then took him directly to a separate courtyard. It was square and looked like a two-story building connected together. It looked quite elegant. In Jiangdong, there were many such two-story wooden buildings.
Xie Xuan walked with Luo Xianzhi and said, "Brother-in-law, my uncle asked me to take you to my sister first, and then talk to you at dinner."
Luo Xianzhi raised his eyebrows, but did not say anything. Unless one of them died, there would be no accidents in the marriage between Luo and Xie. The door of the courtyard was half open. A maid saw Xie Xuan and Luo Xianzhi and shouted to the inside of the door: "Miss, the county lord is here."
It was not yet dark, and the soft light fell on people's faces, as if a breeze was blowing, bringing bursts of flower fragrance. The courtyard door was wide open, and a figure as quiet as a delicate flower reflected in the water appeared in front of everyone. She was dressed in white, fluttering in the wind. She was tall and graceful, with a sweet smile on her face, thin shoulders, and a white and transparent face.
Seeing this, Xie Xuan smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, I will leave first. When the food is ready, a maid will come and call you to the table."
After saying that, he slipped away. The smile on Luo Xianzhi's face became more sincere. He secretly thanked Xie Xuan for being sensible and hoped that he could take care of him more in the future.
He took a few quick steps to Xie Daoyuan's side. A faint scent of osmanthus wafted from his side. Xie Daoyuan didn't say anything, but just smiled and spread her hands, motioning Luo Xianzhi to enter the yard.
Xie Daoyun poured the warmed wine into the glass and handed it to Luo Xianzhi. She held the tea and drank it. After seeing Luo Xianzhi finish the cup, she smiled and teased, "These past few days, news about you has been everywhere in Jianye City."
Luo Xianzhi rubbed his head and smiled: "It is indeed very annoying, but the troubles are much less than expected."
Xie Daoyun heard this and said meaningfully: "My dear, the storm is not small at all, it just moved from the surface to below the surface. The current Jianye City is like an undercurrent. In the past few days, countless people have come to my Xie's mansion, and they all secretly sent letters to make appointments. This is all because of you."
There was no expression on Luo Xianzhi's face. It was expected and reasonable. His marriage with Xie was known to everyone, and most people now knew that he had stayed in Xie's mansion for a long time and Xie An personally sent him out.
From their last conversation, Luo Xianzhi knew that Xie Daoyuan was indeed a talented woman with abilities that ordinary people did not possess, so he briefly talked about the issues he had been thinking about.
"The problem of the nobles is indeed not easy to deal with. The nobles are now too large and complicated."
Xie Daoyun pondered, "There are even many professions around the aristocracy. In the past, the historians were responsible for compiling the genealogy of the nobility, and the clan leaders were responsible for recording these. But now, there are even specialized genealogists who can record countless things for a branch of a bloodline."
Huh?
Luo Xianzhi suddenly reacted, music maker!
When talking about genealogy makers, we have to mention how complicated the gentry in the world are today.
In the distant Zhou Dynasty, there was a patriarchal system. This system was extremely strict. It was easy to tell who was older and who was younger, who was higher and who was lower. There was nothing worth worrying about.
However, as more than a thousand years passed, the patriarchal system had already collapsed to the extreme. Since the middle and late Han Dynasty, there have been few emperors who succeeded to the throne through the eldest son, and basically no one cared about the patriarchal system anymore.
To some extent, the aristocratic families are a weakened version of the bloodline aristocracy. Where there are people, there is the world, and where there are people, there must be a struggle to determine who is superior and who is inferior, and this is of course true among the aristocratic families.
There are theories about who should be ranked at the top. Chu Xiong became emperor through a clan book because he clarified the status of these families through this book, and it was widely recognized.
The clan records soon spread to several other countries. Although the gentry in other countries were not as powerful as that in Jiangdong, they still had to rank themselves. Moreover, these things soon influenced the country's talent selection from the bottom up.
The gentry still have remnants of the clan system, such as some main branches and offshoots, but this does not necessarily mean that the offshoots are inferior. There are too many cases where the offshoots eventually become stronger than the main branches.
The nobles who share the same county's origin must be divided into high and low levels. Different branches in the same family must also be divided into high and low levels. The nobles must be ranked, and those who are not nobles want to become them.
The clan records compiled during the Chu State period only listed dozens of surnames, totaling more than a hundred. Up to now, although the surnames have only increased by a dozen, the number of aristocratic families has increased by hundreds or even thousands. Aristocratic families, large and small, are almost everywhere in Jiangdong.
To become a member of a noble family is not something you can do just by saying you are one; it must be officially recognized. A noble family must at least know their origins, when they started to prosper, how many generations they have gone through, what major events each generation has achieved, what achievements they have made, and to whom they passed it on. All of this must be recorded from generation to generation.
Many things here are too complicated and difficult to distinguish without some family background. Even the same surname may come from two completely different counties. If you make a mistake, it would be ridiculous.
Thus, a special profession called genealogist was born, who specialized in revising these family genealogies, and these people were quite knowledgeable in this area.
But at this time, a big problem arose!
The Luo family genealogy cannot be wrong.
Not to mention the direct lineage which is absolutely correct, even for branches like Luo Xianzhi, the Luo family's genealogy is extremely strict and well preserved.
But it is different for other families. Family trees are very large, and the court even needs a special storage room to store these records. Wars and other events will damage these things.
Many family genealogies need to be repaired, and this is the role of the genealogist, to repair those families whose family genealogies are damaged. This is also a big deal for the country.
but.
Here comes the problem.
This thing can be forged. After all, it is essentially just a record. If a fake one really appears, no one will know.
This kind of fraud is certainly not something an ordinary person could forge for himself a prominent identity and then gain political favor. The aristocratic families are not stupid, and this is a society of acquaintances. Most families have their own in-laws and old friends, so it is difficult to fake it.
The real fraud was the collaboration among the nobles themselves.
Some fallen aristocratic families, in order to return to the top, and some rising strongmen, in order to give themselves a glorious identity, would pretend to be a branch of a certain aristocratic family that had been wandering outside, and now they have become prosperous and return to their roots. Both sides benefit mutually, one party gets the identity and the other party gets the benefits. The genealogist can make it so perfect that even if the main branch comes to check, they will not be able to find anything.
There are so many people in a big family, who knows whether there are any people in the branch that are stranded outside? The status of aristocrats obtained in this way is the most basic aristocratic status, but it is different with this status. It will be easier to get promoted in the future and easier to be accepted by the mainstream.
This may not have been without the promotion of Luo Youzhi. One of the measures to suppress the gentry was to make their identity less precious. You are a gentry, I am a gentry, what else do you have to be proud of?
This method achieved very good results. A large number of commoners disguised as aristocratic families appeared in the officialdom of Liang State.
But in Luo Xianzhi's opinion, it might be time to enter the second stage.
That would be a severe blow to the reputation of the gentry. Wouldn't it be ridiculous if there were fake gentry?
The key is to find the fake ones.
Luo Xianzhi figured out the key points and his face was full of excitement. He looked at Xie Daoyun and said happily: "Daoyun, you are really my lucky star. You have solved my problems twice. But the Xie family is also a high-ranking family. I am now thinking about how to suppress the aristocratic families. Aren't you worried?"
Xie Daoyun glanced at Luo Xianzhi after hearing this, then took back her hand that was pouring wine, and poured a cup of tea for Luo Xianzhi instead, and then she said softly: "I will marry you in the future, so I will naturally think on your side. If you want to suppress the nobles, then suppress them, if you want to promote them, then promote them, I don't care about these.
Speaking of family, my lord is a genius. What is there worth me teaching him?
The late Duke Wenmu of County also once suppressed the noble families, but the Xie family still stood out in Jiangzuo. I believe that you will not let the world be without noble families. Since there will be noble families, why can't it be the Xie family?
The Xie family's generation is full of romantic and talented people who can serve as your assistants. I have never worried that the Xie family will decline in this generation.
As for what happens in the future.
Is there any family in this world that can remain prosperous forever?
The descendants of the Three Kings and Five Emperors have all become extinct.
The descendants of the Qin Dynasty have never seen it.
Once the Han Dynasty is destroyed, the Liu family will also be forgotten by the world.
Didn’t even the direct descendants of the Luo family disappear from the world?
Compared with those ancient royal and imperial families, and compared with the Luo family that has been passed down for 1,400 years, what is the mere Xie family?
My husband is actually more worried than I am.
The Buddhist scriptures say that all conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew and lightning, they should be viewed in this way.
Laozi and Zhuangzi said to be quiet and do nothing, and follow the way of heaven, so why should we be so anxious? "
Xie Daoyuan spoke very easily, with a calm expression on her face, which made Luo Xianzhi know that she was speaking from the heart.
She lightly tucked a strand of hair that had fallen on her forehead behind her ears. Her ears had already started to turn red, and it was obvious that what she had just said made her feel very shy.
Xie Daoyuan used Taoism and Buddhism to reason, which is quite in line with the current trend in Jiangzuo. The principles in Taoist and Buddhist scriptures sound very mysterious and have a unique philosophy. They may not be suitable for governing the country, but they are quite useful for debates, which is exactly the current trend.
From the real to the virtual, it doesn't matter whether you can do things or not, you have a noble status anyway, but you must be able to speak well. With this, you can pretend to be a talented person, and speaking with such words will really make you look very stylish.
Luo Xianzhi felt very comfortable after listening to this. People often say that when a woman gets married it is like being reborn for the second time, especially in this era when a woman is bound to her husband for almost her entire life.
But for a man, how important is it to marry a virtuous wife?
It is no exaggeration to say that a virtuous wife can bring prosperity to three generations. After meeting Xie Daoyuan several times, Luo Xianzhi knew that he could hand over the entire Gusu Luo family to her hands.
Thinking of this, Luo Xianzhi raised the teacup in his hand and gently touched it with Xie Daoyun who was about to drink tea. Xie Daoyun was a little stunned, her rosy lips slightly parted, and she was dazed in a very cute way. Luo Xianzhi smiled softly and said, "Daoyun, we will get married in Gusu, this year. I think the whole Luo family will welcome your arrival."
Xie Daoyuan never expected that Luo Xianzhi would suddenly say such a thing. They had met only three times and had spent very little time together, but Luo Xianzhi's words were full of appreciation and love for her, which Xie Daoyuan could feel.
Xie Daoyun opened her mouth, thinking about what to say, but then lowered her head, her ears completely red, and she said shyly in a low voice: "I have to wait for Luo's proposal, and for my uncle and father to agree. I am a woman, so I have no choice but to obey the arrangements of my family."
Follow the family's arrangements.
This is the truth, and it is not the truth. Given how favored Xie Daoyuan was in the family, she still had some room for choice. Although it was impossible for her to marry into a poor commoner family, she could choose from among the rich and powerful families.
When you meet someone you like, you will naturally follow the family's arrangements. This has been the case since ancient times.
Before Luo Xianzhi could say anything more, the maid came in and called out, "Miss, Duke, the master of the family asks you to go to the front yard."
It was not yet dark, and Luo Xianzhi looked at the swaying lotus leaves in the pond and said with a smile, "Daoyun, let's go. It's a good opportunity to meet the Xie family's clansmen."
This is a family dinner.
There were no outsiders, all of them were members of the Xie family. The oldest were naturally Xie An and his wife, followed by the brothers and sisters of Xie Daoyuan's generation. The Xie family was not a large family with a large population, and Xie Daoyuan had few brothers, but they were all talented and learned people, and the pride of the Xie family.
After Luo Xianzhi and Xie Daoyuan arrived together, Xie An and his wife sat in the main seats. Luo Xianzhi saw that Xie An's left hand was empty, so he knew that was the seat reserved for himself, so he sat down. Xie Daoyuan sat to her aunt's right under everyone's mischievous gazes.
Since ancient times, the arrangement of seats has been very particular. It is a reflection of one's status. If mistakes are made in this regard, it will cause people to be uneasy and even lead to a political crisis, making people wonder whether the emperor is going to take action against some people.
The country is a big family, the clan is a small family, and the same is true in a family.
Luo Xianzhi and Xie Daoyuan sat next to Xie An, which meant that in the eyes of the Xie clan members, Luo Xianzhi and Xie Daoyuan's status was second only to Xie An among the people present.
It would not work simply relying on Xie Daoyuan's status. Xie Daoyuan was the eldest daughter, but she had an older brother. However, a woman should not just look at herself. It is quite reasonable for a wife to rely on her husband's status.
Luo Xianzhi.
Don’t talk about Xie’s.
If he was a prince consort, even if the royal family held a family banquet, he would have to sit in front of those royal children who had not yet been crowned kings. This was his status.
If Xie let Luo Xianzhi sit behind the Xie family members, it would be extremely disrespectful. Whether in terms of family background or current official position, it would offend people.
After Luo Xianzhi and Xie Daoyuan sat down, Xie An's wife Liu held Xie Daoyuan's hand.
Xie Daoyuan was very favored by the Xie family, otherwise she would not have lived in Xie An's house for a long time. Liu asked some questions in a low voice, with a smile, and then said: "Last time, I went to the temple outside Jianye to make a wish, but I didn't expect it to come true so soon. I have to choose a time to fulfill my wish.
It is a great honor for our Xie family that the Duke of the County can come to visit us. "
Luo Xianzhi only said softly, "We are all family, so there is no need to be so polite, aunt. My nephew has already written a letter and asked the family to send someone to Jianye to ask for Daoyun's hand in marriage. It shouldn't be long before someone comes."
Xie An and Liu looked at each other with smiles in their eyes. The atmosphere at the table suddenly became a little warmer. People outside were interested in Luo Xianzhi, and these young people from Xie's family were even more interested in Luo Xianzhi.
After all, a person who is basically the same age as them was directly promoted to Shangshu Ling. Who wouldn't be curious?
Xie Xuan was the most active and asked immediately: "Brother-in-law, is there any difference now that you are the Shangshu Ling?"
Perhaps he felt that his words were a little unclear, so he added: "For example, do you feel any different from the last time you came to the mansion?"
Luo Xianzhi understood what Xie Xuan wanted to ask, whether there were any psychological changes after the change of status and position. He hesitated for a moment and asked back: "I don't think there is any difference. Youdu wants to be the Shangshu Ling. When you become the Shangshu Ling, you will naturally know whether there is any difference. When I become the prime minister in the future, I will let you be the Shangshu Ling, okay?"
ah?
The table suddenly burst into laughter. Xie Xuan knew that Luo Xianzhi was joking and not joking. For example, Luo Xianzhi was going to be the prime minister in the future, which was not a joke. If Xie Xuan was really talented, it would not be a joke to let Xie Xuan be the minister of the imperial court. However, he still waved his hand and said, "Thank you for your concern, brother-in-law. Xuan likes military affairs and wants to be a general commanding a large army in the future. Uncle also thinks Xuan is good at commanding the army, so forget about the minister of the imperial court."
After saying that, he waved his hands repeatedly.
Xie An said at the right time: "My dear nephew, this boy is still too young to be a great talent, but he is indeed extremely talented in military affairs. He has the demeanor of a master at a young age. If there is a day for the Northern Expedition in the future, he can be used. I once wanted to recommend him to Your Majesty, but unfortunately I myself am not trusted by Your Majesty, so naturally I have no weight."
"oh?"
Luo Xianzhi understood, and looked at Xie Xuan with a smile, and then said: "Then I will have to see what Youdu can do in the future. Your Majesty has always wanted to march north, and the war in Daliang will not end so easily in the future. Before Your Majesty goes on the expedition, I will find a chance to tell you."
When promoting someone, do not avoid relatives.
If Xie Xuan really has talent, Luo Xianzhi certainly wouldn't mind giving him a push. After all, if Xie Xuan could grow up, it would be a huge help to him.
Luo Xianzhi knew that what he wanted to do could not be done without a large group of allies. The Xie family was a big family that was already a staunch ally, so he had to maintain this relationship.
After Luo Xianzhi said this, the atmosphere in the Xie family became more heated. Recommending Xie Xuan was not a big deal. If the Xie family was really as pitiful as Xie An said, then they did not deserve the title of the top family in Jiangzuo.
The most crucial thing about this matter is that Luo Xianzhi is willing to contribute to Xie's affairs, which shows that he really regards Xie as his own. This is the most crucial thing. After all, Xie wants to follow Luo's all the way, whether it is marriage or working under Luo.
Luo Xianzhi thought for a moment and asked, "Uncle, how many nobles are there in Jianye now? Daoyun said last time that he would hold a banquet for me, but it was delayed. I think the time is ripe now. It's time to invite all the nobles in Jianye and the surrounding areas to come. I just want to identify them and compare them with the ones in the clan annals to see if there are any more or fewer."
Summon the nobles?
Xie Xuan was somewhat puzzled by Luo Xianzhi's actions, but he still agreed, "Don't worry, this matter will be settled soon."
————
The period of the late Han Dynasty and the Warring States Period was a period of great development of the politics of the aristocratic families in my country. Many people call this period a historical regression, but I think the emergence of this period just marks the complete end of the ancient aristocratic era. After three hundred years of ideological fission in the Han Dynasty, the most conservative and retro groups also abandoned the blood aristocracy. History is an upward spiral. The aristocratic families are still far inferior to the blood aristocracy at the peak of their rise. To some extent, this is a proof of social progress. - "Politics of the Aristocratic Family"
(End of this chapter)
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