In 1856, the early winter in Jiangnan arrived. The weather is the kind of wet and cold that is unique to the south, and a hint of chill seems to be about to sink into the bones.

In Changshu's Tieqin Tongjianlou Book Club, a chubby old man was bareheaded and did not wear a hat, guarding a red clay stove, sitting leisurely with his legs crossed, looking at the ancient books in hand for a while, and looking at the flames on the stove for a while. There was a pot of tea hot on the stove, and the fragrance of tea was floating in the room where he was.

This iron piano bronze sword building was formerly known as Tianyu Zhai, which is the private library of the Qu family, a large landlord in Guli Town, Changshu, and is known as one of the four major private library buildings in the Qing Dynasty. After passing on to the current Qu family, it was greatly expanded and renamed "Tieqin Bronze Sword Building", which not only stored Chinese books, but also collected many books from the West, Japan, Korea and India. There are not only books on philosophical thoughts, but also many works on science and technology, which can be described as all-encompassing.

Now Qu Yong is working as an official in other places, and the Tieqin Bronze Sword Tower is presided over by his son, Qu Bingyuan, who is the commander of Changshu County. Although this library building is owned by the Qu family, it is also possible for Changshu scholars to come here to study and borrow books, no matter what the purpose of Qu Shaoji, the father of Qu Yong, was to build the library, anyway, it has now become a gathering place for Changshu scholars.

However, there is no party in today's study building, and the surroundings are so quiet that only the sound of tea turning flowers and spitting on the stove can be heard, which is really quiet and leisurely.

The fat old man who was reading suddenly put down the scroll in his hand, listened attentively, and heard the creaking sound of footsteps on the stairs. He sighed, and suddenly smiled bitterly: "Mirror, pharmacy." But you? I'm hiding here, old man. You still found it. ”

Outside the door, there were two voices with different voices. The curtain was lifted. I saw two men in Confucian clothes and scarves walking in. One of them is Chang Familiar with the county Qu Bingyuan, and the other is a little similar to the old man and Emperor Zhu's henchman Weng Tongxi, but he is much more handsome, it is Weng Tongxi's eldest brother, Weng Tongshu who is hiding in Changshu as a "non-second minister" - in addition, there is also a Weng Tongjue in Changshu's Weng family who is now an official in the Yamen of the Nanzhi Governor. And that old man, of course, is Weng Xincun, the Shilin leader of Changshu and even the entire Shanghai Mansion.

Weng Xincun looked at his son and Qu Bingyuan and smiled: "Old man, I'm already old and confused, talking nonsense all day long, what are you still doing with me?" ”

"Old and confused. Talking nonsense all day long, "It's Qu Bingyuan and Weng Tonggong's comments to Weng Xin!" Well, of course, in front of Zhu Jishi. Although there are a lot of emperors and Lao Tzu, the two of them can't do without a little expression, right? Anyway, Old Man Weng wouldn't lose a single hair because of these words, but he just laughed and understood...... Their Weng family is the surname of Changshu, the family of the eunuchs, and the biggest truth of the emperor Lao Tzu is still known.

Qu Bingyuan smiled and bowed, and said with a smile: "Mr. Mi An is rare to be confused, I will wait for the younger generations to be born later, and I still have to listen to Mr. 's teachings from time to time." ”

Weng Tongshu also gave his father a salute, and he is now a hidden idler. The family has a field shop, and there is no need for him to go out to find an official position. And the reputation of "no minister" can't be said to be don't want it, right? Otherwise, why would he inherit the old man's position as the leader of Jiangnan Shilin in the future? Although this position is not an official, it has a lot of influence, and it is very helpful to his younger brother Weng Tongyi's current career, as well as his handsome son Weng Zengyuan (who caused trouble because he was too handsome in history, was seduced by Cixi, and was so frightened that he resigned and went home to eat rice) in the future.

However, this Shilin leader is not so easy to be, it is not as simple as fighting against a group of young people all day long, and from time to time he still has to care about world affairs, such as compulsory education and parliamentary elections...... During this time, Jiangnan Shilin, who was originally quiet and quiet, made a fuss because of these two incidents.

Weng Tongshu and Qu Bingyuan had already sat down, and they both showed embarrassed looks. Qu Bingyuan smiled bitterly and said: "Mr. Sui'an, you are really not wrong, today's saints really like to find things for the people below, a compulsory education is still disturbing, and now there is another parliamentary election, and this rule is too unfavorable for our Shilin." ”

Weng Tongshu smiled bitterly: "The leaders of the Shanghai Mansion Righteous Daoist Association have already estimated that if according to the election plan of the Shanghai Prefecture Public Bureau members that are now rumored outside, among all the voters who have the right to vote, the scholars can only control less than 20%, and the remaining 80% are controlled by businessmen. ”

Weng Xincun just smiled and said nothing. The election of parliamentarians is also a pilot project, which is only implemented in the three provinces of Yingtian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and in the provinces of North Borneo and West Borneo. However, the text of the "Election Law" has not yet been made public, and now only the members of the two quasi-political party organizations, the Royalist Association and the Righteous Path Association, have heard the rumors - in fact, everyone knows that this was deliberately released from above, just to test the reaction of the following, probably to learn the lesson of being knocked on the petition bell during the compulsory education pilot, right?

And the result of the test, of course, was Shilin shock. It is no longer the early years of the liberation, since the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, although it is taking the bourgeois road, but at the same time, it is also "not killing a soldier", and I have not heard of anyone who was pulled to behead because he said the wrong thing and offended the emperor. The current Da Ming, although there is a brocade guard, but this brocade guard is not the other brocade guard, and it doesn't seem to be very ferocious.

Under this relaxed environment, the Confucian scholars and doctors, who were oppressed by the Manchus and did not dare to speak carefully, gradually became emboldened. At present, it has actually developed to the point where people will gather every once in a while to discuss the government and politics. It's just that although the environment is relaxed, and it is easier to get an official than in all dynasties, the Confucian scholars and doctors of the Ming Dynasty still have a lingering sense of loss.

Because all the scholars and doctors know that in the current Ming Dynasty, scholars do not have a superior status, and civil officials cannot be above officers and miscellaneous officials, and there is nothing to use literature to control military and military affairs. However, what is even more unacceptable to the scholars and doctors is the status of businessmen in politics, and it seems that they are about to climb to the heads of scholars...... And it's not an ordinary big businessman, uh, when today's son is a merchant, it's understandable to look down on big businessmen. But this time, the legendary election method of the Shanghai Prefecture Public Bureau made a group of small traders also ride on the heads of the scholars!

This is really a bit of a bully, the reader is too honest!

Weng Tongshu smiled bitterly: "If you pay more than 10 yuan a year, you have the right to vote...... Most of the vendors in Changshu County can vote! In Shanghai, even those who drive the carriage and pull the Oriental carriage have the right to vote! Even the popular biaozi in the Shanghai Tang Hall is actually qualified to designate a voter, but most of the scholars who are full of poetry and books can't get a single vote! It's really humiliating......"

Weng was stunned, "Is there such a thing?" ”

Qu Bingyuan just smiled bitterly: "There are many wealthy businessmen in Shanghai, and the silver money in the Qinglou Chu Pavilion is easy to earn, so there are many taxes, and the first-class famous prostitutes have to pay 5 yuan a month, which is 60 yuan a year, which is enough to meet the standard of appointing a voter." ”

"60 yuan...... So many! Weng Xincun was taken aback, shook his head and said: "In the countryside of Changshu, the average annual tax for one acre of land is 10 large copper plates, and 60 yuan requires 600 acres of land, which can catch up with the rich family." ”

"Yes, you have to pay a tax of 1 yuan a month for pulling a foreign car, 12 yuan a year, and you can also go to vote." Weng Tongshu said again. "If you are a coachman who drives a carriage, you have to pay taxes for 3 months a month, which is 36 yuan a year! If there is a stall selling vegetables and meat in the market (vegetable market) in Shanghai, and a young person must not pay more than 30 yuan in taxes, how can those scholars who cultivate and read heirlooms compare? ”

Weng Xincun shook his head slightly: "Those who sell their bodies, those who pull foreign cars, those who drive big cars, and those who sell vegetables...... All the money earned is hard-earned money, and a part of it has to be used to pay taxes, and we have raised 400,000 scholars who are officials, and they are all the parents of the officials in the world, and they should have a vote in their hands. And those scholars who have not yet reached high school have no benefit from the country and the family? What voting rights to fight for? Or study hard, it is the right thing to take the test for a talented official, as long as you have merit and fame, won't you have votes? (To be continued......)