Songjiang Prefecture, Tuisi Garden.

After a month of recuperation, Lord Xu finally regained his vitality.

At this moment, he was sitting on a recliner with his eyes closed, turning a string of bodhi prayer beads in his hand. On his knees was a thick blanket, on which lay a Linqing lion cat with long snow-white fur and one yellow and one blue mandarin duck eyes.

This cat looks very similar to the Persian cat, but without the short face and upturned nose of the Persian cat. It is a pet cat native to the Ming Dynasty. People say that the lion cat with heterochromatic mandarin duck eyes can ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to the family.

Lord Xu has never kept a cat in his life, and now he has tried every possible way to change his luck.

It is said that he even ate eggs boiled in boy's urine...

Xu Fan sat aside, holding the book "On the Desires of Rich and Noble People", and slowly read the opening chapter of Hai Zhongcheng's masterpiece to his father.

"The relationship between things does not lose its stability. The gentleman is able to cultivate himself from the simple things he has done... Is there anyone who does not want to be rich and noble? Is there anyone who does not hate being poor and humble?"

Xu Jie listened quietly. After he finished reading, he was silent for a long time before asking, "What do you think?"

Xu Fan looked incredulous and said, "This doesn't seem like something Hai Rui could write. He should be talking about how a gentleman is not enslaved by material things and how wealth and honor are like floating clouds to me."

"Then you underestimate Hai Gangfeng." Xu Jie said calmly: "You just read his speech at Suzhou Prefecture School. The eight words he gave to his students are the answer."

"Cultivate oneself internally and serve the people externally?" Xu Fan was stunned.

"Yes, he distinguishes between his own requirements and those of the people in Jiangnan." Xu Jie's well-maintained hands gently stroked the satin-like cat's back, and said with some worry: "Who said Hai Gangfeng is incapable of making compromises? He is a true man who never shows his true colors."

"I didn't expect that Hai Rui, a guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, actually has so many tricks up his sleeve." Xu Fan said depressedly, "I'm afraid many people will be intimidated by him now."

"That's right." Xu Jie nodded slightly and said, "But this is also a good thing. At least it means he won't mess around."

After a pause, Lord Xu said, "Don't rush Xu Wu to act. You just messed with one governor, you can't mess with another right after that. Not to mention the court, our own people will also have opinions."

"Yes." Xu Fan nodded. Seeing that his father was in good condition, he whispered, "By the way, father, Zhong Zhenji came yesterday."

"What is he doing here?" Xu Jie sneered and said, "I'm afraid it's not a good thing."

"He said that the governor's office required that Songjiang must complete the land survey before the New Year." Xu Fan said in a deep voice.

"That's normal. That was his predecessor's wish." Xu Jie said with drooping eyelids, "We just need to cooperate. Those who are innocent will be innocent. That's perfect. Don't tell me it's been several months and you haven't cleaned up your mess yet?"

"It's all done." Xu Fan replied quickly, "According to my father's instructions, most of our land has been transferred to the names of our family members and servants. Only 20,000 acres are left for Hai Rui to show off his power."

"Hiss..." Xu Jie twitched when he heard this. Two thousand acres of land, a few hundred thousand taels of silver! Isn't this going to cost someone's life?

"Prodigal son! If you hadn't caused such a big disaster, would my Xu family have to bleed so much?" The distressed Lord Xu pinched the cat subconsciously.

The lion cat let out a roar and ran away from him.

"Yes, it's all the sons' fault." Xu Fan lowered his head quickly. He really couldn't understand why his father, who was already 66 years old, attached so much importance to the family property.

"Forget it, let's get through this first." Elder Xu sighed and said, "I hope Hai Gangfeng's sword will fall sooner so that I can live in peace."

"Yes." Xu Fan nodded and guessed, "Given Hai Rui's anxious nature, it shouldn't be too long."

"Then wait." Xu Jie closed his eyes again and stopped talking.

~~

In the intensive care unit of Kunshan Hospital, bursts of laughter could be heard from Master Zhao.

Jiang Xueying sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Zhao Hao, who was about to laugh to death, with a puzzled look on her face.

On Mr. Zhao's quilt, there was also the book On the Desires of the Rich and the Noble. But the difference was that he was reading the last chapter by Li Zhi.

"Hahaha, I thought it was powerful enough to have Qiu Wenzhuang in the Ming Dynasty, but I didn't expect there is an invisible hand here." Zhao Hao laughed so hard that he fell backwards and said, "Good job Li Zhuowu, he has done the work of Voltaire and Adam Smith!"

"Forte? Duck eggs are like honey?" Jiang Xueying's face was full of confusion. "Is he from the West?"

"Yes and no." Zhao Hao smiled and shook his head. They were Westerners from one or two hundred years later. "I think their views have something in common. This Li Zhuowu is really a treasure old boy."

"I also think that Mr. Li's articles are very good." Jiang Xueying didn't understand Zhao Hao's new words, but it didn't stop her from expressing her admiration for Li Zhi.

This is normal. If you ask who is the most popular among women in the Ming Dynasty, it must not be Zhao Hao, but Li Zhi!

How could any girl not like Li Zhi? He was the first person to advocate gender equality and encourage girls to go out of their homes.

Zhao Hao understood this very well, but he couldn't help but feel a little jealous: "After all, he is the female friend 'Li Zhuowu'."

"Brother, what are you talking about?" Jiang Xueying saw this and quickly waved her hands to explain, "I was just talking about this article, I didn't say I like him as a person." After a pause, she added, "The chairman and several senior executives in the group also highly praised his article."

"Of course." Zhao Hao was still not surprised.

What kind of soil produces what kind of ideas. The highly developed industry and commerce in the south of the Yangtze River have profoundly changed the traditional social form and will naturally give birth to ideas that are in tune with it.

Li Zhi's classical liberalism would undoubtedly be welcomed by the scholars and officials in Jiangnan. A small government that does not compete with the people for profit and does not meddle in other people's affairs is the favorite of the powerful families...

But unfortunately, this path may not be suitable for the Ming Dynasty.

In another time and space, after Zhang Juzheng's death, the Ming Dynasty was consciously or unconsciously rushing towards a small government. At the end of the Wanli reign, there was only one prime minister left in the cabinet; there were only four ministers and assistant ministers in the six ministries. There was no minister in the Ministry of Rites, and only one assistant minister in the Ministry of Revenue, who also served as the Minister of Works...

The situation was so bad for the high-ranking officials, and the Ministry of Personnel was even worse. Of the 58 people in the six departments, only four were left. Of the 110 censors in the 13 provinces, only five were left, and the positions of Left Chief Censor, Left Deputy Chief Censor, and Left Assistant Chief Censor were all vacant.

Want to rely on four secretaries to supervise the central government and five censors to inspect the whole country? This is not to mention a small government, it is simply anarchy...

Absolute liberalism is simply freedom to the sky.

What was the result? The Ming Dynasty, which had won three large-scale battles in the southwest, northwest, and northeast 20 years ago and drove the hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops that had just been tempered in the Warring States Period into the sea, was defeated at Sarhu and lost to the insignificant Jurchens...

Although not all faults can be blamed on the liberal small government, the loss of the Ming Dynasty's fighting power and the inability to convert its overwhelming population, technology and wealth into strength on the battlefield were due to the government's long-term loss of control over the local areas...especially Jiangnan.

Since the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, the south had to send 4 million dan of grain to the capital every year. However, during the Chongzhen period, it only sent 1 million dan… Everyone was free, and no one was willing to fulfill their obligations to the country. How could such a country not perish?

ps. The first of four consecutive updates.