roccoschili Chapter 4719 Times have changed
Chapter 4719 Times have changed
Chapter 4719 Times have changed
Fang Xuanling immediately understood the whole story.
The reason why Xiao Yu tested him today was obviously because the aristocratic families could no longer sit still in the face of the huge overseas interests. They might not have any rebellious intentions and might only pursue profits, but it would definitely not be a good thing if this put the empire into hidden dangers.
The suppression they faced at home was too severe, making it hard for the aristocratic families to breathe. After enjoying a comfortable life of wanton indulgence for hundreds of years, they were suddenly restricted and had to turn their attention to overseas. However, this time they did not hope to make huge profits through maritime trade as before, but to directly extend their influence and completely escape the control of the empire.
Shensheng died inside...and Chong'er was born outside?
How can it be!
Xiao Yu nodded: "Of course I know this, so what does Xuanling mean?"
Fang Xuanling looked serious as he looked at Xiao Yu, his tone sincere: "Now that Zhenguan Academy has been rebuilt, the number of students has increased by more than 30% compared to the past. They are all talented and intelligent people. Unfortunately, the teaching staff is insufficient and the teaching team is unsustainable. Brother Shiwen has a brilliant literary talent and extraordinary classics. He can be called the leader of the Jiangnan literary world. Since you have nothing to do after retirement, why don't you bring your family north to the academy to serve as a teacher, teach and educate people, and serve the country? It would be a pleasure to have students all over the world in the future."
There was no politeness or euphemism. The moment he opened his mouth, Xiao Yu's thoughts were completely blocked.
Xiao Yu did not expect that Fang Xuanling would not only completely refuse, but also cut off all possibilities. His suggestion that he return to Beijing to teach seemed to be a joke, but in fact it was an ultimatum. If he refused to leave Jiangnan and return to Chang'an, Fang Xuanling would most likely write to His Majesty to impose even more severe suppression on the Lanling Xiao family.
Once that happens, the Lanling Xiao family's transcendent status will be challenged, as there are too many aristocratic families in Jiangnan who want to take their place...
He couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "Why is it so?"
Fang Xuanling's face was serious and his tone was solemn: "Brother Shi Wen, are you blaming me for being too harsh and unsympathetic? To be honest, I am not only upholding the laws of the court and eliminating hidden dangers, but also for the sake of the Xiao family."
Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows: "I'd like to hear the details."
On the one hand, you suppress my Xiao family and completely disregard our usual friendship, and on the other hand, you pretend to be "doing this for my own good". Everyone says that you, Fang Xuanling, are an upright gentleman, but it turns out you are so shameless.
Fang Xuanling personally poured tea for Xiao Yu and asked gently, "The Xiao family originated from the Marquis of Ling and the former general. It has been passed down for nearly a thousand years. During this period, the family has been passed down continuously and the incense has never stopped. I wonder how it will continue?"
"Marquis of Ying" was Xiao He, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, and "General Qian" was Xiao Wangzhi, the sixth-generation grandson of Xiao He and a great Confucian scholar in the Han Dynasty. These two people have always been regarded as the ancestors of the Xiao family of Lanling.
Xiao Yu felt a little embarrassed.
It was not because Fang Xuanling asked him how the Lanling Xiao family could continue its thousand-year heritage, but because of the phrase "the inheritance is continuous, the incense is not cut off"...
Compared with the cultural aristocratic families with a long historical tradition such as the "Cui family", "Wang family" and "Zhu family", the Lanling Xiao family truly rose in the middle and late Southern Dynasties. They were typical "latecomers" and "late bloomers". In the social atmosphere of the time that valued family background, the Lanling Xiao family felt ashamed.
Therefore, after they successively gained the ruling status of Southern Qi and Southern Liang and truly became a top-level family, they constantly revised and improved their family genealogy and lineage. Both "Book of Southern Qi" and "Book of Liang" traced the genealogy of the Lanling Xiao family before the migration to the south directly to Xiao He and Xiao Wangzhi of the Han Dynasty, and it was passed down from generation to generation without any omissions. The most suspicious thing is that this is obviously a fabrication by Xiao Zixian, the author of "Book of Southern Qi", and his contemporaries. In the Six Dynasties era, all aristocratic families revised their genealogies, which was a common social trend at the time. During the Southern Dynasties, as the social status of the Lanling Xiao family continued to improve, they naturally had to trace the origins of their family and cling to famous and prominent families in history. Xiao He and Xiao Wangzhi of the Western Han Dynasty were recognized as famous ministers by the world, so it was natural for the Xiao family to trace them as ancestors.
Yan Shigu, a famous scholar in the world, once verified this and said that Xiao He and Xiao Wangzhi had different places of origin. However, the "Book of Southern Qi" recorded that Xiao Wangzhi was the sixth-generation grandson of Xiao He, which is obviously inconsistent with the "Book of Han" and obviously lacks basis. Ban Gu, the author of "Book of Han", lived during the Han Dynasty and should have been very clear about the blood relationship and family inheritance of important figures at that time. If Xiao Wangzhi was a descendant of Xiao He, I believe he would not have missed it.
Yan Shigu said more bluntly: "In modern times, genealogies have falsely claimed that Wang was a descendant of Xiao He, and they have traced the order of ancestry, and scholars have all described him as an ancestor. However, the Marquis of Han was a senior official of the Han Dynasty, with great achievements and high positions, and his descendants have detailed tables and biographies. Chang Qian was a great scholar with great learning, and his reputation was both high and not far away. He was well-versed in ancient and modern times and could talk about his ancestor. The market and the court have not changed, and the years are not far away. The elders have passed on the story and have seen and heard it. If he was actually a descendant of Xiao He, how could the historical records not be detailed? Since the "Book of Han" does not describe it, how can future generations trust it? It is obvious that it is not true."
It directly points out that the so-called inheritance of the Xiao family of Lanling is indeed a forgery, embellishment and far-fetched.
Of course, most of the so-called long-standing families in the world had done this before, and they were afraid that Yan Shigu would be interested in tracing the origins of each family, so they rushed to Chang'an and begged this famous scholar to stop...
But no matter what, this is an indelible stain on the Lanling Xiao family. Xiao Yu has no way to defend himself, so how can he not be embarrassed?
He felt that Fang Xuanling was slapping him in the face, so he was very unhappy and said in a cold and hard tone: "The Lanling Xiao family naturally farms and studies hard, and poetry and books are passed down from generation to generation. What doubts does Xuanling have?"
Fang Xuanling was surprised: "If that's the case, why does the Xiao family tirelessly pursue more money? Even though the profits from sea trade are ten or a hundred times greater than the output of land, they still want to cross the ocean and go to foreign countries? Without this land, what is the use of the poetry and books passed down by the Xiao family for generations? Go to educate the barbarians in foreign countries and spread the Confucianism of China?"
Xiao Yu was a little depressed: "Do you think I am willing? But now His Majesty is suppressing the aristocratic families more and more, and one day he will cut off the foundation of our inheritance. You, the Qingqi Fang family, are a small family, and you may not be able to understand our suffering and desolation."
Compared with the Five Surnames and Seven Clans, the Qingqi Fang family is indeed a small family, with only one main branch and few side branches. As long as the Fang family father and son are standing firm, the whole family will be prosperous. But it is different for aristocratic families like the Xiao family, with many branches and a large population. It is impossible to rely on Xiao Yu alone. More children need to enter official careers, seize power, and then feed back to the family.
Otherwise, even if the main trunk is prosperous, it will completely decline when the branches wither.
Once such a deep-rooted family completely declines, it will be almost impossible to restore its former glory...
Fang Xuanling asked curiously, "Why are you miserable and sad? The Lanling Xiao family has been passed down for thousands of years, and they are luxurious and prosperous. If your family is miserable and sad, how can the people of the world feel? Now the world is peaceful, the rivers and seas are calm, and the prosperous times have arrived, but there are many people in the territory of the Tang Dynasty who are hungry, clothed, have no books to read, and have no medicine to cure. What else are you dissatisfied with? Do you have to violate the laws of the country in order to continue the glory of your family? Does the Lanling Xiao family really want to move out of the Tang Dynasty and go to the foreign countries and barbarians overseas to spread out and establish their own country?"
Xiao Yu was speechless.
No matter how miserable the Lanling Xiao family is, they can't be worse off than those who are hungry and naked. They just seem miserable compared to their former selves, and no one in the family can accept it.
From frugality to luxury is easy, from luxury to frugality.
As for migrating to foreign countries to establish their own country... that's just a thought. The Tang Dynasty can allow aristocratic families to profit from maritime trade, but it will never allow a whole migration of countless people to foreign countries to establish a country.
Only the descendants of Emperor Taizong have this qualification. If the aristocratic families want to carve out a piece of meat from the huge body of the Tang Dynasty to establish their own country, forget it...
Fang Xuanling said earnestly: "Don't be blinded by the generosity and kindness shown by His Majesty. No matter how tolerant and kind he is, he is still the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the ruler of the world. Once the core interests are touched, he will never blink an eye when killing people. Do you think that you can plan these things perfectly and without the gods and ghosts knowing? That is too much to underestimate His Majesty. Listen to my advice, set off for Chang'an now to teach in the academy and express the loyalty of the Xiao family to His Majesty, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous."
The emperor is the dragon that is entrenched above this beautiful land. The dragon soars across the nine provinces and dominates the eight wildernesses. When it is kind, it creates clouds and rain, and nourishes all things. But no matter how gentle the dragon is, once it gets angry, it will thunder and destroy all things. This is the characteristic of the dragon, and all dragons are without exception.
Do you think that the dragon sitting on the throne is not as majestic and domineering as his father, so he is weak and can be bullied?
Aristocratic families are sometimes blinded by power and interests, or perhaps after experiencing the power changes between the Sui and Tang dynasties, they have little respect for imperial power. They think that the world today is still like the time when the Sui and Tang dynasties came and that "whoever has soldiers can be a king" and that by staying in the south of the Yangtze River, far away from the center of the government, they can arbitrarily oppose the court's orders, and even do whatever they want as the emperor is far away.
It's just ridiculously stupid.
Xiao Yu smiled bitterly and said, "But if I return to Beijing to teach, where will the Jiangnan gentry be placed?"
Being a "leader" is not easy. While enjoying power, one also has to shoulder responsibilities. He came today to test Fang Xuanling and to find out the court's attitude. Naturally, he was not representing the Lanling Xiao family himself, but was shouldering the expectations of all the Jiangnan gentry.
He could just walk away and avoid the emperor's anger and punishment, but what about the other nobles?
When they knew that this "leader" of theirs had retreated from the battlefield and even sold out everyone, everyone would definitely call for his destruction, and the Lanling Xiao Clan would become infamous...
Fang Xuanling shook his head and said calmly: "That's all I have to say. Brother Shiwen, take care of yourself."
How can I care about others at this time?
Once the emperor's anger is vented, the Lanling Xiao family will be the first to bear the brunt. Will they bear the emperor's punishment for the sake of their reputation along with the other aristocratic families?
It’s not impossible, as long as you are willing to bear it and can afford it.
But it was obvious that Xiao Yu was unwilling to bear it, and he knew he couldn't bear it, so he quickly made a decision: "I will return to Jinling and write a memorial to the emperor, and then I will leave for Chang'an."
Since Fang Xuanling asked him to withdraw from his duties and teach at the academy, there was no reason why he should not be a teacher. After all, among all the learned scholars in the world, there were not many who could surpass Xiao Yu in literary classics. Even Fang Xuanling had to admit that he was inferior...
Fang Xuanling nodded slightly and said with emotion: "The times have long changed. The world is changing with each passing day. We cannot cling to the old ways and be stubborn. Instead, we should make adjustments and keep pace with the times. Otherwise, sooner or later we will be eliminated by the times and smashed to pieces by the surging waves."
Xiao Yu felt a little confused and also a little sad.