On September 26, the eighth year of the Xuanli calendar, the first day of the Dayu Autumn Examination, it rained continuously.
Fu Xiaoguan did not go out today. The result of the disaster relief proposal would not be known until after the autumn examination. He was unfamiliar with the capital and could not meet Dong Shulan during the day, so he simply meditated and continued to practice the Nine Yang Heart Sutra.
Not long after they sat down, Chunxiu came to report that the second son of the Dong family had come again.
Fu Xiaoguan thought about it, stood up and welcomed Dong Xiu De in.
Chunxiu brewed two pots of tea and retreated behind Fu Xiaoguan. Fu Xiaoguan looked at Dong Xiude and asked, "Isn't today the Autumn Examination?"
"I didn't go. I wouldn't pass the exam anyway."
This guy is a bachelor, "Aren't you worried that your father will beat you?"
After chatting with Shulan last night, he roughly knew the situation of the Dong Mansion.
"They're so used to beating me... Don't you think these parents are stupid? They've been beating me since I was a kid, and they haven't even realized that beating me won't solve the problem. They haven't even thought of trying other methods!"
Fu Xiaoguan was amused and asked, "Then tell me what other methods are there?"
"For example...if you give me some money, I might learn a little more."
This guy is screwed, a total money-grubber.
Perhaps because it was still early and rainy outside, Mr. Dong did not suggest taking Fu Xiaoguan out for a walk. The two of them just sat there drinking tea and chatting, and their relationship actually deepened a lot.
Fu Xiaoguan has gradually become more plump, and he can also find common ground with a playboy like Dong Ergongzi, which makes Dong Ergongzi say that they met too late.
Then, under Fu Xiaoguan's deliberate guidance, they talked about the power in Shangjing.
"Of the six great clans in Shangjing, the Yan family is undoubtedly number one. Yan Yunchuan was a renowned prime minister who pioneered the prosperous Taihe era. His son, Yan Beixi, is the current prime minister. While he can't compare to Yan Yunchuan, he still sounds quite impressive. As for Yan Shidao, the third generation of the Yan family, he started as a county magistrate and climbed the ranks to become the Privy Councilor. While this was all thanks to the Yan family's support, he certainly has his strengths. The saying 'one family, three prime ministers' means Yan Shidao will eventually become a prime minister. As for the fourth generation of the Yan family, the most talented is Yan Xiwen, but I'm not optimistic about him."
Fu Xiaoguan was a little curious and asked, "Why?"
"Don't they say wealth doesn't last for more than three generations? He's already in his fourth generation! Besides, he can't even handle you, so how can he possibly become a prime minister again?"
What was said...Fu Xiaoguan smiled silently and was speechless.
"There's a lot of debate about who the second most powerful family in the capital is. Some believe it's the Shi family, while others believe it's the Fei family. In my opinion, it's the Shi family, because their business is incredibly large. Let me tell you, besides the barbarians, their rouge, powder, brocade, and silk are sold to countries as far afield as Fan, Yi, and the Wu Dynasty. To say the Shi family is as wealthy as a nation is no exaggeration. Furthermore, the current head of the Shi family, Shi Chaoyuan, is the current Minister of Rites, a man of many talents."
"As for the Fei family, Old Master Fei is still alive. Don't underestimate this old man. He's a true veteran of three dynasties and a minister of state! It's said that his prestige in the court was so high that even Prime Minister Yan Beixi was overshadowed by him. You can imagine how powerful this old man is. Old Master Fei has four sons. The eldest son, Fei An, is fifty years old. He was once a general of the southern border army, but now he has retired and is farming in Nanling County outside Shangjing City."
"What? Farming?" Fu Xiaoguan asked in surprise. A great general farming? This guy is quite interesting.
"Yes, he cultivates ten acres of land himself, and it is said that he leads a pastoral life, which is quite comfortable."
Fu Xiaoguan nodded. Dong Xiude took a sip of tea and continued, "Old Master Fei's second son, Fei Bang, is forty-five years old and currently serves as the Minister of War. Old Master Fei's third son, Fei Ding, is forty-two years old and currently serves as the Imperial Censor. Although he is only a third-rank official, he has the power to supervise all officials!"
Then Dong Xiu De briefly talked about the remaining Xue, Xi and Qin families among the six major families in Shangjing.
Each of these aristocratic families has its own unique characteristics. For example, the Xue family owns the largest shipping business in the world, with its own shipyard, dock, and so on.
The Xi family owned the three best ranches in the Yu Dynasty. Almost all the war horses of the Yu Dynasty were provided by the Xi family. In addition, the Xi family also had many extremely outstanding cavalry generals in the four border armies of Dayu. The best of them was Xi Changge, who was born in a concubine's house. At the age of 35, he was already the commander of the cavalry of the Western Border Army. It seemed that it was only a matter of time before he would take charge of the Western Border Army.
What Fu Xiaoguan did not expect was the Qin family, the Qin family where Qin Bingzhong was.
Qin Bingzhong wasn't the head of the Qin family; the head was Qin Bingzhong's younger brother, Qin Yuheng. Qin Yuheng's son, Qin Huizhi, was currently serving as the Vice Minister of State Affairs. According to Dong Xiude, he was extremely low-key, yet he had the potential to become a prime minister. However, Dong Xiude didn't believe Qin Huizhi could defeat Yan Shidao, as the Yan family was more powerful.
Dong Xiude had told me that Qin Bingzhong and Qin Yuheng had different opinions on the family's development path, and the two brothers had been at odds for years. In particular, an incident in the first year of the Xuanli reign caused Qin Bingzhong to move south to Linjiang, rarely returning to Shangjing.
In the first year of the Xuanli reign, border friction arose between the states of Dayu and Yi. Qin Tong, the eldest grandson of Qin Bingzhong, was then a lieutenant in the Eastern Frontier Light Cavalry Corps. Qin Tong led his troops on an expedition, encountering the Red Feather Corps of the Yi. The two sides clashed at Ximayuan, resulting in a crushing defeat for the Dayu army and Qin Tong's death. This event became known as the Ximayuan Massacre in modern history.
After learning the news of Qin Tong's death in battle, Qin Bingzhong stayed indoors for three days, then went to Linjiang and had no contact with Qin Yuheng anymore. The Qin family in Shangjing had actually been divided into two. Of course, Qin Bingzhong's lineage had no power anymore. The so-called Qin family in Shangjing generally refers to Qin Yuheng's lineage.
"What can I say about Old Qin? He's a great scholar of the time, and once a high-ranking official at court. But once he's even mentioned the word Confucian, he's inevitably a bit pedantic. He always tries to educate others with the books of sages, but ends up being educated by others instead. Why bother? Why bother?"
Dong Xiu De shook his head, feeling sorry for Old Qin. He spread his hands and continued, "You're telling the wolf to eat grass instead of meat. Isn't this ridiculous?"
"Is there any hidden secret in this?"
"How could I know the real situation at that time? But I did hear some gossip while drinking. The commander of the Eastern Border Army at that time was Fei Bang, and it was said that the order for Qin Tong to go to war was issued by Fei Bang. However, Fei Bang did not tell Qin Tong that he would be facing the most powerful Red Feather Legion of the Yi Kingdom! Qin Tong only had a thousand light cavalry, and they had a crazy ten thousand Red Feather Army! And now I think about it, it seems like a setup. Qin Tong's scouts didn't find the enemy, but they surrounded him. In the spring of the third year of the Xuanli period, Fei Bang was transferred to the Minister of War, and his successor as the Grand Marshal of the Eastern Border Army was Yan Haochu, the third son of Yan Beixi."
"Haha, a civilian official became the Grand Marshal of the Eastern Frontier Army!"
Dong Xiu De stood up and said, "Don't talk nonsense about these things. It's almost noon. Let's go to Sifang Building."
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