Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 561 An old heart never grows old

At the banquet, Lu Ping had already left, but everyone was still at the table. Even though Lu Ping was not there, the place was still silent.

Jiang Jiyu laughed awkwardly twice, then bowed to everyone and said, "Everyone, I have some things to do at home, so I will leave first."

No one in the room responded or said anything. Seeing this, Jiang Ji put away his smile and left the restaurant on his own.

After Jiang Jiyu left, Ma Boxian snorted coldly and said, "He is indeed a villain. We are ashamed to be in the same league with him!"

Hearing this, everyone denounced Jiang Jiyu, but they could only scold Jiang Jiyu. No one dared to scold Lu Ping in public because everyone knew that Lu Ping had something on him. Now the Qingluan Guards must be keeping an eye on them. If they were not careful, the fate of the Lin and Wen families would be clear.

After this banquet, the progress of the land surveying team in Jinling Prefecture was significantly faster. Wu Jinkun was very excited about this and thought that this time the land surveying in the south of the Yangtze River might be completed by the end of the year.

The price Wu Jinkun paid for this was that his story was spread everywhere, and some people even circulated stories privately, in which Wu Jinkun was portrayed as a cruel official like Lai Junchen and Zhou Xing.

Wu Jinkun was quite speechless about this, but before he could make any move, officials from Jinling Prefecture searched the city for books. However, this behavior was only a temporary solution and could not curb the private slander of those who had ulterior motives.

Lu Ping wanted to help Wu Jinkun, but was stopped by Wu Jinkun, who said: "Justice is in the hearts of the people and in the history books. I have nothing to fear from the arrangements of some villains. If I really care about it, it will play into their hands!"

Although Wu Jinkun's reputation was fabricated by these gentry whose interests were damaged, the speed of land surveying was greatly increased. It was not until the land survey of Jinling Prefecture was completed that the court's decree on the treatment of Lin Weining and Wen Yunde was sent to Jinling Prefecture.

This decree was the result of the trial of the two men. Among them, the main culprits Lin Weining and Wen Yunde were sentenced to immediate execution, their properties were confiscated, and the families of the two men were exiled to Ningguta. The officials in the two men's families were demoted or dismissed according to the closeness of their relationship.

In fact, some people in the court suggested, "This is the biggest case in our dynasty. We should use severe punishment to deter lawbreakers!"

But Meng Jun believed that Lin Weining and Wen Yunde were certainly guilty of the death penalty, but their families did not deserve the death penalty. Moreover, these people were basically educated people, and exiling them to the Ningguta area could at least educate the local people.

Looking at the series of prisoner cars, the people of Jinling pointed and talked on both sides of the road. An old man shook his head and said, "The emperor today is still benevolent and righteous!"

Someone nearby echoed, "Yes, this is a serious case of treason, and executing the entire family is a light punishment."

…………

Suzhou Prefecture, the old residence of the Qian family in Changshu.

Qian Qianyi was extremely depressed. Thinking back to the past, he was one of the leaders of the Donglin Party and was respected wherever he went.

It was not until Duoduo entered Nanjing that Qian Qianyi led other ministers in the pouring rain, opened the gates of Nanjing and surrendered to Duoduo. At this point, he lost all face.

Qian Qianyi was a man of complex character. But in the final analysis, he could be said to be a person who loved to be an official. In recent years, many of Qian Qianyi's friends had successively obtained official positions in the Qian Dynasty.

Qian Qianyi knew that he was not favored by the current emperor. Therefore, he thought that since the direct approach was not feasible, he should take a roundabout way and try another path to see if he could contribute to the foundation of the Qian Dynasty.

But what Qian Qianyi did not expect was that he had tried many ways, but when the recommendation documents reached the higher-ups, there was no response. Even Du Yinxi, out of face, submitted a memorial to Meng Jun, saying that although Qian Qianyi had some moral shortcomings, he was still quite talented. He also said that the court was in need of educated talents, and if that didn't work out, Qian Qianyi was qualified to go to Liaodong to be a chief instructor.

But even with such low conditions, Meng Jun still did not agree. Qian Qianyi then gave up the idea of being an official again and returned to his old home in Changshu, devoting himself to the mountains and rivers. However, as time went on, he envied his old friends, seeing them all busy with paperwork.

As the saying goes, cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. Qian Qianyi believed that if he could not serve the Emperor Qian, his life would not be complete.

Until the news came that the imperial court was going to distribute the tax on land, Qian Qianyi keenly felt that this might be a good opportunity for him to make a comeback. Especially when he heard that Wu Jinkun was in Jinling Prefecture and the land survey was at a stalemate, Qian Qianyi was extremely happy. Isn't this the opportunity?

What Qian Qianyi did not expect was that before he could find a way, a good friend brought news from Jinling that there was no obstacle to the land survey in Jinling.

Seeing Qian Qianyi becoming increasingly depressed, Liu Rushi advised him, "My husband, your career is full of difficulties and the world is fickle. Why do you have to seek fame?"

Qian Qianyi sighed: "If I can't be an official, how can I leave a good reputation in the world in the future!"

Liu Rushi was speechless when she heard this. How could Qian Qianyi's stain be washed away by becoming an official? To put it bluntly, it was just his addiction to being an official. Even though he was old, his heart was still young!

Seeing that Liu Rushi was silent, Qian Qianyi consoled her, "In this world, many officials and generals surrendered to the Qing dynasty when they were loyal to the emperor, and surrendered to the Qing dynasty when they were loyal to the emperor. I only surrendered to the Qing dynasty once. Compared with those who surrendered and rebelled, how can I not rise again?"

Liu Rushi also knew that Qian Qianyi was telling the truth, but she also knew that the fundamental reason why Qian Qianyi could not be revived was that the current emperor had no good feelings towards Qian Qianyi, a fellow countryman, and her husband's efforts to be revived were doomed to be in vain.

Thinking of this, Liu Rushi advised: "Thinking back to the past, Tao Yuanming picked chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, and Li Bai sailed on the rivers and lakes. They were all detached from the hustle and bustle of the world and were content. Although we live in a humble alley, we can still enjoy the spring flowers and autumn moon, drink tea and discuss poetry, and enjoy a leisurely life. Why bother to fight for the days of paperwork and hard work?"

But Qian Qianyi did not take Liu Rushi's advice to heart. Seeing this, Liu Rushi sighed in her heart, and then slowly said: "If my husband wants to write a letter, it is better to ask Lord Du to make a petition to the emperor, take the initiative to volunteer, and be willing to be the emperor, appease the hearts of the gentry in Jiangnan, implement new policies, help the change of the land tax, reform the old and establish the new, maybe you can find another way to regain the emperor's favor."

Qian Qianyi also knew that although he had the stain of surrendering to the Qing Dynasty, his reputation still retained some respect among the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River. Therefore, Qian Qianyi believed that if the court employed him, then the system of allocating land tax to each acre would surely be twice as effective with half the effort!

Qian Qianyi immediately returned to his study and wrote furiously. His thoughts raced in his mind and he soon wrote down on paper the Ten Strategies for Stabilizing Jiangnan. He then wrote a letter to Du Yinxi, asking him to write to the emperor again on his behalf, expressing his willingness to be the emperor, stabilize Jiangnan and promote reforms.