Chapter 810 What I, Luo Shi, want is very simple!
In late spring, the drizzle was falling. After the night, the wind and rain stopped, and star petals fell into the dust. Luo Xianzhi leaned on the railing and looked into the distance. Jianye was the imperial city, so naturally it was not as quiet as Gusu.
Gusu is a city of thousands of lakes, with small bridges and flowing water everywhere, gurgling streams, winding bends, and bluestone-paved riverbanks. The Luo family has been in Gusu for decades, almost a hundred years. The pavilions and towers in the manor, like the long corridors with a woman's slender waist, all fascinate Luo Xianzhi. In his eyes, it is far superior to the solemn, majestic and magnificent atmosphere of the imperial city.
Fortunately, Luo Youzhi planted a large bamboo forest in the Luo Mansion in Jianye. The scholars in Jiangzuo liked this kind of plant which looked quite elegant. Luo Xianzhi held the railing of the corridor, wearing a scarlet official uniform. He did not wear a crown on his head, but just a simple hair tie. There was a white jade with the word Luo engraved on it around his waist. His pupils were black and white, bright and shining.
It was getting late, and after the housekeeper brought the carriage, he went to Xie's mansion. Xie Daoyuan was waiting in front of the mansion, wearing a turquoise dress, which was very rare. She was naturally light and thin, with fair and tender skin, as crystal clear and shiny as ivory. Against the backdrop of the turquoise dress, she looked even more charming and pretty. This was a Xie Daoyuan that Luo Xianzhi had never seen before.
"Daoyun, get in the car, we'll go together."
Xie Daoyuan did not shy away, although she was still a little shy, but she got directly into Luo Xianzhi's carriage. Both the Luo family and the Xie family thought it was normal.
That's why.
The time goes back a few days.
After Luo Xianzhi entered Jianye, he immediately sent a messenger back to Gusu to report the news and ask for marriage.
The area east of the Yangtze River is crisscrossed with waterways, and the journey from Jianye to Gusu is extremely fast. The speed of water routes is incomparable to that of land routes. Even though it is not as smooth as the one-day journey from Jiangling, which is a thousand miles away, Gusu and Jianye are not far away, and the messenger arrived in Gusu on the second day.
In the Gusu Luo family, after Luo Xianzhi's mother received the news, she immediately began to prepare gifts.
The Luo family had a set procedure for marriage. After receiving Luo Xianzhi's letter, they directly selected the betrothal gifts and sent a large number of family servants to Jianye.
Luo Xianzhi was very low-key when he came to Jianye, but when the Gusu Luo family came to propose marriage, especially when the bride was the legitimate daughter of the Xie family, it was a grand event, with a large ship leading the way and red silk tied on it. The red silk alone was not simple.
After arriving in Jianye and visiting the Xie family's mansion, things like gold, pearls, and jade were just appetizers.
There were many intermarriages among the aristocratic families in Jiangzuo, and many of them were wealthy. Xie had certainly seen the world and felt that nothing could shock them.
But once Luo made a move, he knew whether it was possible or not.
As the saying goes, there are millions of wealthy families in Jiangzuo, but they all have to bow their heads when they see me.
What the aristocratic families wanted was not a word of luxury but a word of nobility. For the sake of this word of nobility, they were even unwilling to take those complicated but powerful official positions and instead preferred those clean and noble ones.
But what does expensive mean?
Others may not know, but Luo Shi certainly does.
All the wealthy and powerful families today claim to be descendants of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. When they talk about it, they claim that their lineage is descended from some particularly famous figure, or even can be traced back to the era of Yao, Shun and Yu.
But without a genealogy and records, it cannot be recognized.
In this world today, only the Luo family has a complete genealogy. Not only does the Luo family have a genealogy, but because they have never truly declined, there are various evidences, such as the imperial edicts of enthronement of each generation of emperors since the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, the letters exchanged between each generation of princes, as well as various texts and physical objects.
The main branch of the Luo family took away most things, but also left many things to the two branches that remained in the Central Plains.
Not to mention the thousands of years that passed, even if we start counting from the beginning of the Han Dynasty, four hundred years would be enough to crush the current group of aristocratic families who have only flourished for a few decades to a hundred years.
Not to mention the lineage of Yinghou of the Han State, the title that has existed for four hundred years says it all.
The Gusu Luo family of Jiangdong is the legitimate son of Marquis Ying and has ruled Jiangdong since he ascended to the throne as the half-king of the Duke of Yuzhang County and has held this position until now.
In fact, there has always been a very cruel fact in the world. It is very simple for Luo to send the betrothal gift, but when it comes to returning the dowry, it is not easy. The value of the dowry and the betrothal gift should be almost the same, but how can they be almost the same?
Many of the things that Luo sent over had no equivalent.
But in order to express his appreciation, Luo often takes out those precious gifts. This can be considered a happy trouble.
After Xie accepted the betrothal gift, the marriage only had one last step left, which was to choose an auspicious day for the wedding. At this point, there would be no more gossip about Luo Xianzhi and Xie Daoyuan going in and out together.
In the carriage, Xie Daoyun bathed carefully before leaving. The faint fragrance of osmanthus filled the carriage. The Luo family was never a conservative person. Luo Xianzhi first sniffed a few times, and then whispered: "Daoyun, who are the people invited this time?"
Xie Daoyuan quickly went through most of the people in his mind.
Qushui Liushang Banquet.
This was originally a form of entertainment among scholars. Even though Xie invited all the families to come, not everyone could enter. Basically, they were all famous scholars from each family. If this was not just a pretext for entertaining all the families with the wine flowing through the stream, most people would not be qualified to come.
Outside Jianye City, the season of lush grass and flying birds has passed. Now it is spring, and the weather is gradually approaching early summer. Groups of scholars are chatting together with their good friends.
As for the topics of conversation, they were not very strange. They were just some interesting things in life and discussions about Luo Xianzhi, the descendant of the Luo family who had been at the center of the vortex storm since he came to Jianye from Gusu.
After the direct line of the Luo family disappeared and the lineage of Marquis Ying became increasingly weak, the Jiangdong Luo family became more and more prominent.
"This new Shangshu Ling is truly calm and composed despite the catastrophe. This mentality really makes me admire him very much."
"The whole Jianye City was discussing his appointment. Countless people opposed it, but this Shangshu Ling was able to report to the Shangshutai without changing his expression. According to the officials of the Shangshutai, this Shangshu Ling seemed to be unaware of these things."
"How could they not know? These things are widely spread. With the intelligence capabilities of the Luo family, how could they not know? Even if the emperor doesn't know, I don't believe that the Luo family would not know."
Everyone felt a sense of empathy when hearing these words. The shadow that Luo Youzhi left on many people was really too great. Even though Luo Youzhi had been dead for two years, many people still remembered what Liang State was like when he was alive.
"What does this have to do with us? These are issues that the top families should think about."
"You can't say that. I always feel that if Luo Shi comes up, nothing good will happen. If I can get close to Luo Shi and gain Luo Xianzhi's appreciation, that would be another matter."
"It's too difficult to get close to the Luo family. Unless there is a genius in your family and there are no problems with your character, you still can't be in the eyes of the Luo family."
Countless whispers were heard everywhere. Xie An and others had arrived here a long time ago. As the host this time, Xie An arranged the seats for everyone and greeted some old friends.
The Xie family's real prosperity came in the past twenty years, so many of the Xie family members were still close friends of the second-rate aristocratic families. These people looked at Xie An with envy.
"Anshi, your Xie family is now quite powerful. Even a big family like the Lu family can accept the invitation. You are really not the Xie family of the past."
Gusu County was the Wu County of the past. Lu was a big family in Jiangdong. It produced great figures like Lu Xun who made great contributions to the Wu State. Xuzhou, the most important province for the Liang State facing the Han State in the north, was conquered by Lu Xun.
In the late years of the Wu Kingdom, he was almost nominated as emperor. During the Chu Kingdom, he was also one of the nine major surnames.
Until now, it is still a famous family in Jiangzuo and a first-class clan. Even such a big clan now treats Xie family equally. The more you understand the chain of contempt among the gentry, the more you know how incredible this is.
Upon hearing this, Xie An naturally would not say anything to show off, but just smiled slightly. The Xie family's background was not bad to begin with, the only thing they lacked was prominence in this world. With Luo Youzhi's help, they naturally had their current status.
"Anshi, I wonder what kind of person your Xie family's son-in-law is?"
This question made everyone come forward. This was the question that everyone was most concerned about. Xie An stroked his beard and said, "Lingxiu is a man of great strategy. He is a rare talent for governing the country. He is not very proficient in elegant conversation. As you all know, the Luo family has always believed in the way of governing the country and Lingxiu is one of the best. He has the thousands of miles of mountains and rivers of Jiangzuo in his heart and is determined to fight the Northern Expedition."
As soon as Xie An said these words, the faces of these people became unhappy. What does it mean to be determined to march north? It means that he still wants to implement Luo Youzhi's governing policy. Only Luo Youzhi's governing policy can enable Liang State to have the ability to march north.
This is not good news for most people, but the consolation is that this is also a huge opportunity. Following the Luo family, there is meat to eat. This has been proven by history. Not to mention those that happened too long ago, the recent Xie An is a clear proof. Although Luo Youzhi's ship did not get on, Luo Xianzhi's ship still has a chance.
Thinking of this, they immediately said, "Anshi, we are all old friends. If there is a chance, you must speak well of us in front of the Shangshu Ling. We are all willing to fight in the north."
Luo Xianzhi was the Shangshu Ling, not the one who led the troops on the front line. Xie An's wish was to train Xie Xuan to be his deputy, and have Xie lead the troops outside in the future. When he heard what they said, he immediately agreed with a smile. This was exactly the purpose of his conversation with them.
Most people in this world are so helpless. Even the gentry have to keep working hard to maintain the wealth of their family, just as the nobles of Bang Zhou cannot live a life of drunkenness and dreams, but have to keep working hard to maintain the survival of their country. Faced with the appearance of Luo Xianzhi, these gentry found out after a little calculation that they could not resist at all. In this case, they might as well surrender to the enemy directly.
After the few people left, Xie An suddenly sighed. At the same time, Luo Xianzhi and Xie Daoyuan, who were traveling together in the carriage, also sighed.
"Although many people are dissatisfied with you being the Shangshu Ling, the level of dissatisfaction is unimaginable. The last Shangshu Ling was criticized and resigned after only a few days in office."
Luo Xianzhi knew that the previous Shangshu Ling was of relatively low status and naturally not a commoner. There were commoners who held high positions, especially those in military affairs, but the position of Shangshu Ling had never appeared before. Since the rise of the gentry, from the Later Han Dynasty to the era of the Warring States Period, no commoner had ever held the position of Shangshu Ling.
Not to mention pure commoners, even poor families did not have it. This was a reserved position for the aristocracy, and the emperors of various countries were cautious when choosing. At the beginning, Cao Cao appointed Xun Yu as the Minister of the Chancellery, Liu Bei appointed Prince Yinghou as the Minister of the Chancellery, and the State of Yan appointed Murong as the Minister of the Chancellery.
The previous Shangshu Ling was from a noble family, but his family background was relatively poor. He was the Shangshu Ling with the lowest status since the establishment of Jiangdong. The result was naturally self-evident. Emperor Xiao Yan finally gave in. If Luo Youzhi was still alive, he would definitely insist. This was also one of the reasons why Xiao Yan wanted Luo Xianzhi to be the Shangshu Ling.
This time, countless people opposed it, but Xiao Yan was able to persevere.
Luo Xianzhi heard what Xie Daoyun said and whispered, "I have always known that every generation of the Luo family knows that the Luo family does many things because of their high status. No matter what others think, this is an indisputable fact. We suppress the aristocratic families, but the Luo family itself is an aristocratic family. We suppress the nobles, but the Luo family itself is a noble family, just as the Luo family destroyed the nobles, but the Luo family is the nobles.
In fact, Luo Shi has been changing, but it has never changed. Luo Shi can be in any form, so Luo Shi has no interests of its own, so it can take the interests of the world as its own interests. "
Luo Xianzhi's words made Xie Daoyuan feel a little shocked. This was the first time that she felt at such close range what it meant that the world belongs to all. If there is a world that truly belongs to all in this world, it is the Luo family.
The power contained in it was something Xie Daoyuan had never heard of in the past years. The children of the Xie family all had a heart that cared about the country and the people. Xie Daoyuan had always known this, but compared with Luo Xianzhi, it seemed several levels lower.
Normal aristocrats have the so-called concept of family and country. The family is the country and the country is the family. While maintaining the family's wealth, they do not want the country to decline. This is a spirit passed down from the Bang Zhou period. There is also a saying that those who have constant property have constant heart.
The spirit of the Luo family is the same principle. The Luo family equates the world with themselves, so they have the heart to protect the world.
Seeing the shocked Xie Daoyun, Luo Xianzhi reached out and held her hand, saying sadly, "It's a pity that this is something that only the main branch can do, and it's something that can only be done with the blessing of the Su King. The power of the Jiangdong Luo Clan is not enough, so I can only do my best. Many things can't be done. The current Luo Clan is unique, but not high enough."
Xie Daoyuan could feel the sadness from the bottom of Luo Xianzhi's heart. She understood what Luo Xianzhi was saying. To fulfill such a grand wish, the power required was too strong. It could only be done when the Luo family was at its peak, such as during the reign of King Zhaosheng, the reign of King Luowen, the reign of Duke Zhaowuwei, and before the expedition against the Hu people.
There are too many smart people in this world. Everyone can see the decline of the Luo family, and they cannot interfere in many things. Otherwise, how could Sima Yi dare to violate the Luoshui Oath? With the Luoshui Oath in front, everyone knows that the Luoshen is real, but in the expedition against the Hu people, the Luo family suffered such tragic casualties, and countless direct descendants died on the grassland, as well as all the clan members died on the grassland.
The Goddess of Luo River is supreme, but like the King Su in the past, she does not care about human affairs. She is the god of Luo River, and her divine realm is in Luo River.
All the countries in the Central Plains knew how many people there were in the Luo family. The population of Zhaocheng was public. In addition, when they migrated to Liaodong, the supplies could be hidden with the ring, but people could not be put into the ring. Everyone knew that the Luo family migrated 100,000 people to Liaodong.
Almost all the young men and boys of the entire Winter City died on the grassland. Everyone knew that in the legendary Winter City in the extreme north, only the elderly, women and children were left. Everyone was skeptical whether these people could survive in the ice and snow.
In most people's minds, the Luo family, which has been passed down for 1,400 years, is completely finished this time. Even if they can really survive, when the old people die, it is estimated that there will be only a small tribe of 10,000 or 20,000 people, or even a few thousand people, struggling to survive in Liaodong.
The Jiangdong Luo family has become the psychological sustenance of many people, but more people know that the Jiangdong Luo family is just a normal aristocratic family. The only difference is that the Jiangdong Luo family is more powerful than other aristocratic families, and is more powerful in all aspects.
Xie Daoyun hesitated for a moment, and then slowly hugged Luo Xianzhi. Her body was soft and boneless. Luo Xianzhi only felt the warmth and fragrance of jade against him, and his nose was filled with fragrance. He placed his broad palm on Xie Daoyun's soft hand and slowly said: "Daoyun, although Jiangdong Luo's family is a branch, it has an important task. Although most people think that the main branch of Luo's family will be extinct in Liaodong, you are my future wife. I can tell you that although the main branch is struggling to survive in Liaodong now, it will never be extinct. Su Wang will bless every descendant. When the time is right, the family will return to the Central Plains and raise the flag in the old place of Zhaocheng. At that time, we descendants who are stranded in the Central Plains will be able to return to the embrace of the family.
If we can create unparalleled achievements, if we can dedicate ourselves to our family, after countless years, we will ascend to the heaven of the Suwang and enjoy eternal light."
Xie Daoyuan only felt that Luo Xianzhi was hugging her tightly, and the hot breath he exhaled while talking blew on her neck, making her feel a little itchy, but when she heard Luo Xianzhi's serious voice, she only felt a solemn feeling. Since she met Luo Xianzhi, she could often feel the heaviness and sense of history from Luo Xianzhi.
This feeling fascinated her greatly, as if she were singing a sacred song. Every time this happened, she had the urge to chant poetry.
She believed what Luo Xianzhi said. She believed that the Luo family would return to the Central Plains. When that day comes, all their current actions will be worth it. Xie Daoyuan began to understand why both Luo Youzhi and Luo Xianzhi were determined to achieve great things. The Luo family had an unspeakable belief that supported them in their hearts.
"Master, Madam, we are here."
Xie Daoyuan and Luo Xianzhi separated, tidied their slightly messy clothes, and then got off the car together. As soon as they got off the car, they felt thousands of burning gazes coming at them, and everyone in the Qushui Liushang Banquet looked here.
At this moment, there was only one thought in the minds of countless people -
That’s Luo Xianzhi!
So young and so handsome.
Duke of Gusu, one of the three dukes of other surnames in Liang State.
Gao Xian was promoted to the position of Shangshu Ling before he even wore the title of Emperor.
Most importantly, it is the most powerful family in Jiangzuo. Since the birth of the clan records, it has been ranked on the first page and has never changed as a top-level powerful family.
Looking at Xie Daoyuan beside Luo Xianzhi, she was wearing a white dress and looked like a god or an immortal. She looked delicate and gentle, as quiet as a flower reflected in the water, and she was graceful and elegant. She was a talented girl who was famous for her poem "Yongxu" when she was a child. In recent years, she has been promoted by the Xie family and is known as the best in Jiangzuo.
Such a fairy concubine is a good match for Luo Xianzhi.
"In this situation, who wouldn't think of the Duke of Yuzhang County who lived nearly a hundred years ago?"
Duke of Yuzhang County.
This sentence suddenly evoked many people's memories of the book. When the Duke of Yuzhang County first came to Jiangdong, there was also the Qushui Liushang Banquet, and it was also Luo and the beauty, the two Qiao sisters who were known for their beauties.
The pictures and written records of that grand event are still circulating throughout the country, especially in Jiangdong, where everyone knows about it.
Today is the same scene again. Painters are already sitting at various corners of the stream. There are so many literati and scholars here, and I don't know how many poems, verses and essays have been written to commemorate them.
Thinking of this, everyone who came here actually felt quite pressured. If something went wrong, they would become a laughing stock in history.
Luo Xianzhi and the Xie family members walked to his seat, which had the best view of the entire banquet and was right in the middle of everyone.
After Luo Xianzhi and others sat down, Xie An and Xie Daoyuan began to point out the people who came here and identify them to Luo Xianzhi.
Xie An pointed to a place with royal hats and said, "That is Xiao Yun, the Prince of Kuaiji. He is the only person from the royal family who came here. Lingxiu, you should know that such a grand occasion cannot be held without someone from the royal family."
Luo Xianzhi nodded, indicating that he knew that the biggest change in the title system since the end of the Han Dynasty was the distinction between princes and dukes.
A prince is a traditional vassal king, usually consisting of one character, selected from the names of countries during the Zhou Dynasty. Of course, because of the existence of the Luo family, no one has ever been given the title of King of Luo.
The prince, who is below the prince, is named after the county and is usually conferred by the emperor on less favored princes, or meritorious ministers of the royal family, or the son of the crown prince. This is the system of titles that has undergone the most changes in the world today.
Below the Prince of a County, there were no major changes. Above the Marquises there was a special title of Duke of a County, which was usually given to people with special political status, such as the Duke of Longxi granted by the Wei State to the emperor of the Han Dynasty who abdicated, the Duke of Liaodong granted by the Yan State to the Yan family who abdicated, the Duke of Chu granted by Xiao Yan, and the Duke of Luo family who once ruled Jiangdong.
Xie Daoyun pointed at a few people and said, "Those are from the Gusu Lu family. You should be familiar with them. The Luo family and the Lu family are from the same county. They are a long-standing Jiangdong noble family. That one is the Huaiyin Han family. You should be even more familiar with them. They are a great noble family with a 400-year-old tradition."
Luo Xianzhi noticed that Xie Daoyuan used the title of great noble, which was a detail. The current Huaiyin Han family was originally established by a part of the Huaiyin Han family who went south to Jiangdong. Unexpectedly, a few decades later, Jiangdong successfully counterattacked the Han Kingdom, and Xuzhou fell into the hands of Jiangdong again. The Lanling Xiao family and the Huaiyin Han family who had gone south at that time actually returned to their homeland, returned to their old county, and rebuilt their family.
The Xiao family was transformed into a royal family. The only pity was that the Huaiyin Han family did not get the title of Marquis of Huaiyin. And any discerning person could see that even if a county duke was given, this title would not be given to the Han family.
The main branches of the Xiao and Han families who remained in the Han Kingdom moved north with the defeated Han army and now live in Qingzhou in Qi. Today's Qingzhou is home to the Xiao, Han, Lu and Luo families. Only the Zhang family is left of the Five Surnames and Seven Families. Where is the Zhang family? The Zhang family is practicing Taoism and is temporarily not involved in politics. They are not even considered a member of the gentry.
The Huaiyin Han family and the Jiangzuo gentry have a completely different style of painting. And because of their long history of feudal states, it is very appropriate to describe them as aristocrats.
"That's the Wang family of Langya. They migrated here during the war. They were quite prosperous in the past, but now there are no geniuses in the family. They have gradually fallen to the level of a second-class noble family. However, my uncle's friend has good calligraphy skills, which can be used as a record for today."
Wang family of Langya.
Luo Xianzhi knew that during the Chu State period, it was relatively prosperous and there was a period of time when the emperor was in charge of the government, but the time was very short. During the Chu State period, the flags on the city walls changed frequently, and each family took turns to be at the top and control the government of Jiangdong together with the royal family. In the end, Xiao Yan didn't want to play this way anymore, and he had enough strength, so he directly changed the emperor.
Among the contemporary Wangs, the most famous is Wang Xizhi, who is known as the best calligrapher in Jiangzuo.
Luo Xianzhi nodded and said, "I know Wang Xizhi. When I saw his calligraphy, I found that his writing is as graceful as a startled swan and as graceful as a swimming dragon. No one in Jiangdong can compare to him. I heard that the writing he can write after drinking is even more moving. Uncle, please persuade him to drink more later. He must record everything he hears and sees today and pass it on to future generations."
Xie Daoyuan continued to introduce some more famous people to Luo Xianzhi. Finally, after counting all the people, there were four first-class aristocratic families, nineteen second-class aristocratic families, twenty-four third-class aristocratic families, and hundreds of other inferior aristocratic families.
On the surface, the number does not seem to be that large, but in fact it is a rather terrifying number.
You should know that in Liang State, most of the gentry would not appear in Jianye. They all served as officials in their hometowns. Only after becoming officials in the capital would they come to Jianye, such as Luo Xianzhi. In other words, many famous gentry in the county did not appear here. Even so, so many gentry came here.
This has to be said to be a miracle.
After Luo Xianzhi and others arrived, they did not say anything immediately, but instead began the normal banquet and fun. In this era when there was a lack of entertainment activities, it was quite joyful to gather together with friends.
After all, as we all know, many games are only fun when there are many people around. It happened to be a sunny day, and the wind was blowing gently, making people neither hot nor cold at all. This is a good season for outing, and a good time for men and women to travel. At this moment, everyone gathered together, and bursts of cheers and laughter rang out from time to time in the venue.
Luo Xianzhi was not idle here. Waves of people came to pay him a visit. Although the word "paying a visit" was not quite appropriate, after all, Luo Xianzhi was too young, and almost everyone who came to pay him a visit was older than him, but because of the different identities and status of both parties, this word should still be used.
"Daoyun, there are so many scholars in Jiangzuo who admire you."
Luo Xianzhi sighed slightly. Although no one said anything, Luo Xianzhi could see that many of the scholars who came to pay respects to the elders admired Xie Daoyun. Xie Daoyun knew it of course. Hearing this, she said indifferently: "Of course it is so. Just like there are countless women who admire you, those who are outstanding are all like this."
Luo Xianzhi smiled and shook his head. Xie Daoyuan was right. That was exactly the case.
After everyone paid their respects, the atmosphere gradually improved. Luo Xianzhi was finally ready to announce something big to everyone. As the news spread, the laughter on both sides of the stream gradually dissipated, and many people sat up straight. No matter how happy they were before, they eventually realized that this was a banquet held for Luo Xianzhi, not a party for drinking and entertainment, and now was the time to get down to business.
Luo Xianzhi cleared his throat, and then said in a tone full of reminiscence and emotion: "I'm sure you are still a little unfamiliar with me. My father was in charge of Daliang government in Jianye for eighteen years, but I have not been here many times. I have always lived in Gusu.
This time, I have received the grace of His Majesty the Emperor. Seeing that Daliang is in some chaos, I came to Jianye. I summoned you all here today because you are all members of the aristocracy, and many of you are role models among the aristocracy. I have a question for you: Is my Luo family the leader of the aristocracy in Jiangdong?"
Luo Xianzhi's question was jaw-dropping. It was like boasting. Since ancient times, only others have praised people as role models, but no one has said that they are role models. Only others have praised people as the leading scholars, so how could one want to be the leading scholar?
But when Luo Xianzhi asked this, what could the people present say?
"Gusu Luo Clan is of course the leader of the Jiangzuo noble families!"
Whether those who are close to the Luo family or those who reject the Luo family, no one can deny this ironclad fact. If the Luo family is not the leader of the Jiangdong gentry, then who is it?
If anyone dares to speak out, it is unknown what the Luo family will do, but the family mentioned will definitely do everything they can to kill the person who framed him.
Luo Xianzhi showed a sincere smile on his face, "Since the Luo family is the leader of the nobles, then they should have a say in what the nobles should be like.
The key to the distinction between the gentry and the commoners lies in the words "gentry" and "commoners".
"Shi", this word is really too old, so old that it was one thousand four hundred years ago, when it was still in Haojing, did you know?
That was the place where Zhou Dynasty prospered, and it was the first capital of Zhou Dynasty. In the present-day Guanzhong area, my Luo clan’s ancestor, the most supreme and holy King Su, enfeoffed the princes in Haojing and established the seven levels of the emperor, princes, ministers, officials, scholars, commoners, and slaves.
The Jiangdong scholars on both sides of the stream: "..."
How does this go directly back to the ancient times? I know the Luo family has a long history, but they don’t have to show it off all the time. I’m really envious.
Luo Xianzhi felt very comfortable saying this, and continued: "In the middle and late period of the Zhou Dynasty, the world's great talents were all among the scholars, so all the philosophers used the word "scholar" to refer to wise men. It is said that scholars must be broad-minded and resolute, and the responsibility is heavy and the road is long. We call ourselves literati, and there are also Taoists, lay scholars, and other names."
Some people couldn't bear to watch it anymore, or perhaps they wanted to say something on purpose, so they shouted, "My Lord, these things should be explained to the children in elementary school. What do you want to tell us today?"
Luo Xianzhi also said loudly: "Don't you understand what I want to do? The word "scholar" has always represented brightness and beauty, but what about now?
Why are there so many bad people among the aristocracy since the end of the Later Han Dynasty?
Since our ancestor, the Duke of Yuzhang, came to power in Jiangdong, why have so many members of the aristocratic families been convicted of crimes?
Up to now, among the thousands of aristocratic families in Jiangdong, how many are clean? Do I have to tell you about the dirty things done by some people who pretend to be aristocratic families?
The Luo family is the leader of the Jiangzuo gentry. I believe you all know that our Luo family values reputation the most. If people in the world are full of disgust when they mention the gentry, how will our Luo family cope with it?
If people in the world think of the gentry as a group of good-for-nothings who only care about romance, why would my Luo family treat it this way?
If people in the world think of the gentry as bullying men and women, running rampant in the countryside, and levying heavy taxes, then how can our Luo family, as the leader of the gentry, stand safely in this world?
Since the Luo family is the leader of the aristocratic families, they must do things that others cannot do and dare not do.
Since the clan records were revised ten years ago, the entire Jiangdong has not re-ranked the gentry. I looked through the clan records and felt that many of them were not worthy of their names, and many were simply ashamed to be listed in the same record. I think that the clan records should be revised again, all those bad apples should be excluded, and then those families that can meet the standards of gentry should be selected to enter the list. "
Before Luo Xianzhi had finished speaking, there was already a burst of noise in the banquet, filled with voices of disbelief. Revising the clan records, it had only been ten years since they had to revise the clan records, and furthermore, they had to revise them using standards that did not meet the standards of a "scholar". What exactly were these standards? Wasn't it formulated based on Luo Xianzhi's preferences or even interests?
No wonder Luo Xianzhi asked just now whether the Luo family was the leader of the Jiangzuo gentry.
The word "leader" does not only represent the first, but also the standard and the role model. Others should learn from him. What if they cannot reach the standard?
If you fail to meet the requirements, you will be expelled from the aristocratic family!
What a cruel method!
If Luo Xianzhi knew what these people were thinking, he would probably burst into laughter. It is not so easy to abolish the aristocratic families.
Doing this with the reputation of the Luo family would indeed gain recognition from many people. After all, the aristocratic families were something that the Luo family developed step by step from the Confucian aristocrats of the early Han Dynasty.
But at the current point, it has become too big to be eliminated, and interests are entangled. It is impossible for the Luo family to abolish it just by saying so. The main branch cannot do it here either. It is more difficult to touch the interests than to touch the soul.
This method can only be used to attack a small number of noble families. Once a large-scale attack is carried out, the result will immediately be "Why did the Luo family rebel?"
That is not what Luo Xianzhi wanted to do. Unite the majority of people, crack down on a small number of people, divide their interests, then unite the majority of people, crack down on a small number of people, and divide the interests of these people again. In this process, ensure that you are the one who gets the most benefits. This is the true meaning of reform.
This principle comes from a book on government written by our ancestor Luo Wengong 1,300 years ago. Wengong was one of the most talented people in the history of the Luo family in terms of government affairs. He was almost perfect in terms of literature, and his reforms were also almost among the most successful. He solved the problems of Bang Zhou during his lifetime, and did not face a counterattack from the opposition faction after his death. He achieved the ultimate balance in all aspects. His reforms are simply a work of art.
Since then, successive heads of the family have tried to achieve the same achievements in governance as Duke Wen, but so far not many have succeeded because Duke Wen's talent was too terrifying. The descendants of the Luo family still achieved great success, such as Duke Xuan of Luo and King Wen of Luo, but that was because the Luo family was already very strong, and not because they achieved it through clever personal abilities.
Luo Xianzhi admitted that he could never compare to his ancestor Duke Wen, but given the Luo family's status in Jiangdong, the reform he wanted to carry out would be successful in just a matter of time as long as he was not impatient, as long as the emperor supported him, and as long as he took his time.
"My Lord, does His Majesty the Emperor know about this?"
Someone else asked loudly, "How can we, as ministers, decide on our own such a big matter as revising the clan records? Especially changing the criteria for selecting the nobles is really too shocking."
This sentence made most people wake up from their dreams. Yes, for such a big matter, how could it be decided directly by the ministers without asking for the emperor's consent?
The clan records are official. Of course, there are private revisions, and they are highly recognized. However, if they are not officially recognized, then they will not be able to obtain various privileges. After all, the purpose of doing this is to obtain various privileges. Therefore, private revisions should be taken seriously, and official revisions should also be taken seriously. Only by doing both can the clan become strong.
The King of Kuaiji was somewhat surprised by Luo Xianzhi's boldness, and then he heard Luo Xianzhi say loudly: "I have naturally told His Majesty about these things. His Majesty approves of my plan and even wants to implement it immediately, but I persuaded him not to. After all, this is a big deal, so I still have to inform you. This is called etiquette."
I have manners, and you should know some etiquette.
This is what Luo Xianzhi meant.
The Prince of Kuaiji closed his mouth just as he was about to speak. He had no idea about this and the emperor didn't tell him, but Luo Xianzhi couldn't have lied.
If Xiao Yan knew what he was thinking, he would definitely say to him, "Who are you? What is Lingxiu's status? How can you compare yourself with Lingxiu?"
Some people in the field had already seen the expression of the Prince of Kuaiji and immediately understood what had happened. For a moment, some of them felt shaky, especially those aristocratic families whose family traditions were already mediocre. They had even anticipated that their families would not have an easy time in the future and might even lose their status as aristocratic families.
The emperor's attitude is very clear, that is, to support Luo Xianzhi. What the emperor and the Luo family want to do together has never failed. This is something that has been confirmed countless times during the period of Gusu Wenmu County Duke.
What difference will it make now that Luo Xianzhi has taken over?
History has also proven countless times that the Luo family’s rule is continuous, especially when it comes from a father to a son. The son usually inherits his father’s governing ideas and continues to expand previous achievements.
Just like the current situation in Liang State, Luo Xianzhi rushed over from Gusu two years after Luo Youzhi's death. This is already a rather special situation. On the one hand, Luo Youzhi died really early and Luo Xianzhi had not grown up yet. On the other hand, Luo Xianzhi had some hesitation.
But at this moment, Luo Xianzhi put aside all his hesitations.
Staring at everyone hungrily!
————
In the first year of the Taiwu reign of the Southern Liang Dynasty, the Taiwu Reform led by Luo Xianzhi began to be implemented. Luo Xianzhi followed his father's ruling ideology and continued to adopt the policy of suppressing the gentry. The "Clan Records", which was originally a classic book to safeguard the interests of the gentry, became a tool in Luo Xianzhi's hands to suppress the gentry. This method was widely imitated and dealt a heavy blow to the aristocratic families time and time again. It was one of the major achievements of the Taiwu Reform. - "History of the Southern Dynasties: Southern Liang"
(End of this chapter)
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