Chapter 867: Prosperous Age (13200 Supplement)

In the second year of Kaiping, the Liang King sent the Chancellor to lead an army of thirty thousand on a northern expedition, achieving a total victory and beheading the Jin King.

In the third year of Kaiping, the Chancellor fell gravely ill and returned to Jinshi to recuperate.

That same year, the Liang King, Xiao Liang, ascended the throne as Emperor, styling himself "Human Emperor," and did not perform the rites to Heaven, while simultaneously abolishing the title of "Son of Heaven."

In the fourth year of Kaiping, the Chancellor Xulingzi gradually went into seclusion, entrusting state affairs to Cao Man, Fan Jin, Taichong, Taihe, Taiyin, and others.

In the fifth year of Kaiping, Tang Xun led the Liang Army to capture Song Jing, launched a northern expedition against the Jin State, and captured the young king, the Empress Dowager, and tens of thousands of princes, nobles, and aristocrats, presenting the captives at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. A group of emerging generals, such as Si Yunming and Zheng Fang, began to rise, and civil officials such as Zhang Jushi and Lu Xiaoyi also came to the fore.

……

In the blink of an eye, it was the sixth year of Kaiping.

This person had regular facial features and rather thick lips, which remained tightly pursed when he was not speaking, easily giving one a sense of unyielding perseverance.

……

This caused Yang Fei, at a young age, to harbor some cynical thoughts, single-mindedly hoping to encounter an enlightened ruler, take charge of major affairs, and then carry out reforms!

He concealed these thoughts very well, and at this moment, he only chatted idly with Zhen Bao: "Brother Zhen, how much profit have you made from your trading recently?"

The Chancellor Xulingzi therefore returned power to His Majesty, and Xiao Liang began to rule personally. He enfeoffed Xulingzi as State Preceptor, followed the precedents of Xiao and Cao, continued to forgo the Four Books and Five Classics, and instead promoted the civil service examinations, imposed religious taxes, commercial taxes, and the policy of "Collect Grain Uniformly" for officials and gentry as a permanent national policy, while simultaneously establishing the "Taishang Dao Academy" to study science and the Tao of truth.

Xulingzi served as the Dean of the Taishang Dao Academy.

In the blink of an eye, it was the sixteenth year of Kaiping.

Many directly shaved their heads to become monks, or, feeling disheartened, became Taoists, or even let their hair grow long and retreated into the deep mountains, claiming they would "not eat Liang grain"!

As it turned out, even monks and Taoists had to pay taxes, and those who entered the deep mountains could not endure it for long before slinking back, or they died directly in the mouths of tigers and wolves.

In physiognomy, such people often have firm wills and will achieve great success in the future, whether in business or politics.

At this moment, he waved his hands frantically: "Little Brother, for you to go to Jinshi to take the civil service exam, in the past, that would have made you a disciple of the Son of Heaven! How could I accept a bow from you?"

It was just that while teaching naughty children to read, he could not help but spout strange, archaic jargon, mocking the current times.

His teacher, Junshan Xiansheng, was said to have been a famous Confucian scholar during the Song Dynasty, but because the Imperial Court did not use the Four Books and Five Classics to select officials, the status of Confucian scholars plummeted.

This also led to the civil service exams in Jinshi being several times more difficult than in other major regions.

This person was named Yang Fei, a student who was heading to Jinshi City to attend the public examination.

"This Steam Small Paddle Steamer, powered by a Steam Engine, utilizes water and fire, moves without wind, and is truly marvelous."

"Eh, eh... no need to be so polite." The merchant Zhen Bao had an honest appearance and looked like someone who would not deceive others; such an appearance was most suitable for business.

The court and the public were full of praise, believing that the ruler and his ministers were in perfect harmony, a state of governance unseen in a thousand years, and the Liang State gradually entered a prosperous age.

'I am a student of Junshan Xiansheng, and I must assist a wise ruler to accomplish great things for the people of the world!'

"My father said that since the Emperor established the Merit Pavilion recently, there is no such thing as the Great Immortal Huli..."

A little girl said timidly: "Isn't it said that the Liang King also has immortals helping him? I want to see the story of the Great Immortal Huli..."

Even so, a large number of candidates still preferred to spend huge sums of money to buy houses in Jinshi and change their household registration just to take the exam in Jinshi, which led to several major corruption cases.

Several other children expressed disdain: "What Taoist immortals? They are all liars! Haven't you seen the scientific debunking by the Taishang Dao Academy? Talisman Paper can self-ignite only because phosphorus was added; taking money from boiling oil is just adding borax and vinegar!"

"Brother Zhen is worthy of being a merchant; your perspective is broad! This student has learned much."

"What disciple of the Son of Heaven? It's nothing more than a minor official... I just happen to live close to Jinshi and was assigned to this major region for the exam!"

Yang Fei said, feeling somewhat emotional.

Junshan Xiansheng belonged to the more flexible type; he had self-taught the Tao of science and taught students in the countryside, managing to make a living.

A chubby merchant nearby laughed: "This is indeed a rare object; it was only researched by the Taishang Dao Academy three years ago... After it was put into commercial use, only some mines needed it, but people always have strange ideas, and putting it on a boat is equivalent to the rowing of a dozen strong laborers, and it works day and night without rest... It is said that they want to use it on land, but it requires laying railway tracks, which is extremely costly, and the lords of the Imperial Court are still discussing it..."

Yang Fei gripped the railing, his heart surging with emotion.

Xiao Liang was also eighteen, already an adult in ancient times.

This thing, also called a "picture book," was something Yang Fei also loved to read when he was a child.

As for being able to take the exam in Jinshi and be directly supplemented into the various departments of the Imperial Court, that went without saying; the promotions were very fast.

The rest either went mad or changed.

Time is like water, and the years pass like a shuttle.

The dashing figures of a dozen years ago—some died, some retired, some held high positions in the Imperial Court, and some became Legendary.

A person on the deck, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, leaned against the railing and looked out, unable to help but sigh.

At this time, after more than a decade of great chaos, the world had finally been pacified again, and the territory was several times larger than the previous Great Song; the national title remained "Liang," with its capital in Jinshi.

Yang Fei thanked him sincerely.

Although the civil service exam regulations explicitly stated that those who passed would all start as clerks, there were still differences in various places.

It could be said that although the Liang Dynasty had entered a prosperous age, there were many problems that followed.

"Give it to me quickly, I want to see General Tang crush the Jin soldiers!"

Just as Yang Fei was about to say something, he saw several children running onto the deck, fighting over a small book.

And the most popular book at the moment was none other than "Song Liang Yingxiong Zhuan," which described the previous chaotic times.

"It's passable, barely enough to make a living... The Imperial Court's tax laws are quite detailed, with taxes reported layer by layer, and one has to be skinned alive... Fortunately, one doesn't have to suffer the extortion of checkpoints, road blocks, local ruffians, and powerful clans... There is still some profit, but it can't be made big."

Toot, toot, toot!

On the canal, a small paddle steamer puffed black smoke, carrying a boatload of tourists upstream, heading straight for Jinshi.

For example, working in the Six Departments of a prefecture, even if it was just serving tea and water, was better than being in a county.

……

Time is the best healer; it can soothe pain and make people forget many things.

Zhen Bao seemed to sigh: "Those wealthy merchants whose businesses span states and prefectures can only be glorious for a while before they unknowingly fall... The truly super-profitable businesses are all operated by the Imperial Court! Hehe... The scholars of the previous dynasty said something about not competing with the people for profit, and there was some truth to that."

"No, I want to see civil officials plotting for the world. What is so good about martial men? I still want to be a high official, like Grand Academician Fan or Grand Academician Zhang... To change the world with one strategy, that is the style of a top strategist..."

"Is Brother Yang sitting on a small paddle steamer for the first time?"

Some have even been gradually forgotten by people.

Children speak without restraint, but Yang Fei was shocked!

Although he did not believe the claims that Xulingzi possessed pear-shaped fruits and Fire Jujube, understood Flying Sword techniques, could perform Bean Soldier Summoning, or bring the dead back to life, he did know that Xulingzi had previously served as the Chancellor to the Prince of Liang, and had truly rendered illustrious service by overcoming Jinshi, beheading the Prince of Wu, and the Jin King.

Yet now, he seemed to have been gradually marginalized by the Imperial Court!

Unfortunate news: the computer is broken, so updates might lack Stability.

(End of this chapter)