Chapter 47: The Turbulence of Change (1)

In Chongwenmen, it is the so-called residence and gathering place for the literati class, and it seems relatively quiet on weekdays. On this day, there are full of new soldiers who are fully armed and searched their homes everywhere. All officials and powerful officials involved in the coup are not spared, the main culprit is taken down and his family is restricted from their activities. Once they leave their residence, they will be killed immediately.

There was no need for trial. The next day, the execution ground was set up in Caishikou, Chengnan. More than 300 main prisoners who participated in the coup fell to the ground, killing Caishikou into a river. Just one day later, the people of Beijing witnessed the miserable scenes of the former princes and nobles with their own eyes. The young men were tied up by ropes, and the women and children were sent to a large cart and forced out of Beijing. These former masters, wives, ladies, and young men did not know what they were going to.

Where is the place? The man is fine. The woman and the child cried all the way, and thousands of people cried together. The scene was so sad that the audience was shocked. In this era, the rebellion was about to destroy the nine clans, but Yang Yi just killed the main culprit, and his relatives and family were exiled. The place where the exiled was far away Alaska. This time, the number of large-scale exiled reached more than 15,000. The rule of the Qing nobles over China was basically uprooted except for the emperor who was still having a false reputation.

The newly built pier in Dagukou, Tianjin became the starting point for these people to leave. Ships loaded with exiles left one after another and sailed towards the desolate Alaska.

Beijing has not stopped yet, and the local people have begun a round of purges. The troops from major military regions have dispatched one after another, and the charges of rebellion have been arrested, killed, and exiled. It is easy for famous people to see that this is a great purge against the Qing people. The Manchus, the title that once represented the superior, has now become an plague that everyone avoids.

During the Spring Festival in 1862, Beijing was still bustling. The state forced the reduction of various taxes and rents, which allowed the people to have a certain amount of rest and recuperation. It was just that I didn’t know whether the cold wind in Alaska was suitable for those exiled people. The people didn’t have much energy to care about national affairs. What they were more concerned about is whether there was still rice in their own pots. As for the former princes and nobles, they were just one of their free topics, but there were only a few differences.

Compared with the past, the people's bowls have a few more pieces of meat than before, and they have eaten dumplings for a few days. The smiles on the housewives' faces are much brighter than before. The Spring Festival is really the most important festival for the Chinese. What is commendable is that during this year's Spring Festival, there are no more people starving to death on the streets of Beijing. This is the benefit Yang Yi brought to ordinary people.

Compared to the common people, Yang Yi’s New Year is not easy. In addition to dealing with various government affairs, he also has to plan a new year’s reform plan. He was busy until the evening of New Year’s Eve that Yang Yi had the opportunity to spend the New Year with his family.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the first group of visitors were Guo Songshou, Long Zhanlin, Wang Jieyun, Deng Fulun, Yan Gengyun, Gao Xinkui, and Li Huangxian, who were known as the "Seven Sons of the Family". These seven people are indeed talents. After Yang Yi entered Beijing, they were quickly valued. Although Sushun valued them very much and boldly appointed them, they became Sushun's aides. In the era when the Manchus informed them, it was difficult for them to show their talents. Now they are all important members of various ministries. Compared to before, under Sushun's past, their status has changed a lot. In this regard, their gratitude to Yang Yi is not very problematic in terms of loyalty/. On the first day of the New Year, they came to Yang Yi's mansion early to greet Yang Yi. It can be regarded as a kind of repayment to Yang Yi's knowledge.

After seeing off the "Seven Sons of Sumen", a large sign was hung at the gate of Yang Yi's mansion, saying, "Don't wish you a New Year, you must not enter until official business." This is what Yang Yi had thought of a way to deal with the officials who came to greet New Year. Although many of the people who came to greet Yang Yi were sincere, Yang Yi still wanted to have a quiet New Year, accompany his wife and friends. If it weren't for the Seven Sons of Sumen, they would probably not have been able to enter Yang Yi's gate.

Others didn't see each other's New Year greetings, but Yang Yi was welcomed by Yang Yi because they did have business to talk about. On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Zhang Jian, Li Xiucheng, Liu Mingchuan, Nie Shicheng, and even Chen Yucheng, who was far away in Guangzhou, rushed back to Beijing, and Yang Yi's mansion became lively.

Yang Yi's year is very simple. He brought these people to discuss the plan for the new year. Two hot pots, a few side dishes, and everyone sat around the table. There was no party, no singing and dancing, and the busy people in the room were Yang Yi's wife and their close maids. If outsiders saw this, they would not believe that there were a group of first-rank officials from the country sitting here. Anyone who could just stomp their feet would be the one who could shake the local area.

"It's a pity that I felt a little uncomfortable when I remembered that the world was nominally the little emperor of the Qing Dynasty." After a few glasses of wine, Liu Mingchuan said. During this purge, Liu Mingchuan secretly wrote letters many times, asking Yang Yi to abolish the emperor and become the emperor himself. However, Yang Yi replied: "Don't do anything randomly, I have my own opinions, so I suppressed it." Thinking of this, Liu Mingchuan felt uncomfortable, so he complained a few times now.

"Save it alone, stop complaining. Do you want to abolish the Qing Dynasty? It's just that I'm too anxious to leave the world in a hurry, for fear that the world will be in chaos. Now China cannot be in chaos anymore." Li Xiucheng persuaded again.

"What are you afraid of him? Today, it's actually all of you. Whoever dares to make trouble will kill me." Nie Shicheng and Liu Mingchuan were all the way, and they wanted Yang Yi to be the emperor.

"I think so, what's the use of keeping this Qing Dynasty? Just use it to be wasted." Chen Yucheng also had this opinion.

Seeing that they were talking excitedly, Yang Yi did not speak, but continued to drink and eat. Instead, Zhang Jian took over and said, "You are still not considerate enough. Although the world is actually an adult, you think about it. What will happen if the adults depose the emperor? Not to mention the Han officials represented by Zeng Guofan, they will have to be the first to object. Let's not talk about the scholars they represent. Keep the emperor to deal with the scholars in the world, and let them use it for me."

After hearing Zhang Jian's words, the four governors all looked at Yang Yi, wanting to hear Yang Yi's opinion. As a result, Yang Yi smiled and pointed to the hotpot and said, "It tastes good, why don't you eat it?" The four of them were dizzy and Zhang Jian smirked.

"By the way, I'll say hello to you guys in advance. After the Chinese New Year, I will cancel the level of governor. You guys will only manage the army and will not interfere in local government affairs. If there are any difficulties in the local area, you still have to support you with all your strength." Yang Yi said this very seriously.

After hearing this, the four of them suddenly became quiet and buried their heads in eating their hot pot.

After the 15th day of the 15th, the year is basically over, and the people are starting to get busy again. Spring is the beginning of the year. Farmers have to consider what to plant this year? What kind of livestock are raised, and merchants have to start to consider what to trade.

This spring, the most nervous one should be the scholars, because this year is another year of competition. Students from all over the world pack their luggage, shoulder the hope of the whole family, and gather in Beijing with their own ideals.

After three exams, many candidates with weak neuroscience fainted in the examination room on the spot because they could not bear the stimulation. The test questions were so strange. None of the three questions came from the articles of saints. The articles of Confucius and Mencius who he had studied hard for many years were useless at all.

Question 1: The West in your mind. Question 2: What does the Opium Rebellion mean to China? Question 3: On the cultural gap between China and the West.

Such a question will not make these scholars who are accustomed to writing eight-legged articles worry? How can such questions be quoted from classics? They have nothing to do with the teachings of saints. How can they solve the questions? How can they write a policy? Many students are at a loss, so it is not surprising that they fainted on the spot. Fortunately, the official was prepared for everything that was about to happen. The fainted candidates immediately came to rescue them, washed their faces in cold water, and put a few needles on them. Most of the candidates who fainted woke up again. Although the questions were a little strange, no one was willing to give up. Most of them still struggled to continue the exam.

Such test questions, the results of such candidates can be imagined. For the first question, most candidates write the West as a barbaric place, and their understanding of the West is mostly from idle books like "Shan Hai Jing". Those who have never read "Shan Hai Jing" began to fabricate it out of thin air. In short, the West has been written by them as barbaric and desolate places. Some remote candidates, such as those in Yunnan and Xinjiang, simply describe the desolateness of the local area.-The answer to the second question is more funny, some people's

The answer actually says that opium is a good thing. The root cause of the Opium Rebellion is banning smoking. It is very comfortable to smoke opium. Our family is smoking. Why should we ban smoking? You can tell that it is an addict at first glance. Of course, no matter how the candidates are aware of the harm brought to China by opium. However, as for what the Opium War means to China, they really can't figure it out, but some candidates call on the test paper that if opium is not eliminated, China will be in danger of destruction of the country and the race. Such an answer is deafening.

In fact, the third question is the main problem in Yang Yi's mind. Yang Yi really wants to know how much Chinese scholars know about Western culture. In Yang Yi's opinion, if everyone in the world can open their eyes to the world, China's development will be rapid.
Chapter completed!