In 1856 AD, early winter in the south of the Yangtze River came just now. The weather was the wet and cold that was unique to the south. A hint of chill seemed to be immersed in the bones.

In the Tieqin Tongjianlou Bookstore in Changshu, a fat old man was bare-headed and not wearing a hat, guarding a red mud stove, sitting leisurely with his legs raised, looking at the ancient books at hand, and then looking at the next.

Look at the flames on the stove. A pot of tea was hot on the stove, and the fragrance of the tea was floating in the room where he was.

This Tieqin Tongjian Building was originally named Tianyuzhai. It was the private library of the Qu family, a landlord in Guli Town, Changshu. It is known as one of the four major private library buildings in the Qing Dynasty. After it was passed down to Qu Yong, the leader of the Qu family, it became a big one.

It has been expanded and renamed "Iron Qin Tong Jian Tower", which not only contains Chinese books, but also contains a lot of Western, Japanese, Korean and Indian books. It not only contains philosophical and ideological collections, but also has a lot of scientific and technological aspects.

The works are truly all-encompassing.

Qu Yong is now an official in another place, and his son, Qu Bingyuan, was the magistrate of Changshu County. Although this library is privately owned by Qu, the scholars in Changshu want to come here to study and borrow books.

It is also possible. No matter what the purpose of Qu Yong's father Qu Shaoji built the bookstore, it has now become a place for the gatherings of Shilin in Changshu.

However, there are no gatherings in the library today. The surroundings are so quiet that only the sound of tea squirting on the stove. It is so quiet that it is extremely quiet and leisurely.

The fat old man who was reading suddenly put down the book in his hand, listened to it, and heard the creaking sound of his footsteps stepping on the stairs. He sighed and suddenly smiled bitterly, "Mirror, pharmacy. But you? I'm all old man.

Hiding here, you are actually finding it."

Two voices of response came from outside the door. As soon as the curtain was lifted, two men in Confucian uniforms and net scarves walked in. One of them was Qu Bingyuan, the magistrate of Changshu, but the other was the old man and Zhu.

The emperor's confidant Weng Tonghe is somewhat similar, but he is much more handsome. It is Weng Tonghe's elder brother, Weng Tongshu who hides in Changshu as a "no traitor" - In addition, there is also a Weng Tongjue from the Weng family in Changshu who is now an official in the Nanzhi Governor's Office.

.And the old man is Weng Xincun, the leader of Shilin in Changshu and even the entire Shanghai Prefecture.

Weng Xincun looked at his son and Qu Bingyuan and smiled: "Old man, I am old and confused. I'm talking nonsense all day long. Why are you still coming to me?"

"I'm old and confused. I'm talking nonsense all day long" is the comment Qu Bingyuan and Weng Tonghe who kept to Weng's heart! Well, of course, it was in front of Zhu Jishi. Although there are a lot of emperors, they can't be without any expression, right?

Old Man Weng would not have a hair short because of these words, but just smiled and realized... The Weng family is a big family of Changshu and a family of officials. The biggest reason for the emperor is still known.

Qu Bingyuan laughed and bowed, and said with a smile: "Mr. Sui'an is rare to be confused. When we are young, we should listen to the teacher's teachings all the time."

Weng Tongshu also gave his father a gift. He is now a idler in the world. He has land and shops at home, so he doesn't need to go out to find an official position. Moreover, he can't say that he doesn't want the reputation of "not traitors"? Otherwise, he

Why should the position of inheritance the old man in the future be the leader of Jiangnan Shilin? Although this seat is not an official, it has a great influence.

Because he was too handsome, he was seduced by Cixi and was so scared that he resigned from office and went home to eat rice.) The future career will be very helpful.

However, this Shilin leader is not so easy to be. It is not as simple as writing poems with a group of literary youths all day long. From time to time, you still have to care about the world, such as compulsory education and parliamentary elections...

The originally quiet Jiangnan Shilin was a mess because of these two things.

Weng Tongshu and Qu Bingyuan had already sat down, and both showed a look of embarrassment. Qu Bingyuan smiled bitterly and said, "Mr. Sui'an, you are really right. Today's emperor really likes to find things for the people below. A compulsory education is still in trouble, and now

A parliamentary election will be released, and this rule is too unfavorable to our Shilin.”

Weng Tongshu smiled bitterly: "The leaders of the Shanghai Prefecture Council have already estimated that if we follow the current legendary Shanghai Prefecture Public Affairs Council election plan, among all voters with voting rights, the scholars can only control it.

To 20%, the remaining 80% are under the control of the merchant.”

Weng Xincun just smiled and said nothing. Voting for parliamentarians is also a pilot project, and it is only implemented in Yingtian, Shanghai, Guangzhou’s three prefectures, North Borneo and West Borneo. However, the text of the Election Law has not been made public yet, and now it is only the Royal Society and the

The two members of the quasi-party organizations of the Zhengdaohui heard the news - in fact, everyone knows that this was deliberately released from above, and they wanted to test the reaction below, probably because they were slashed by the petition bell during the pilot of compulsory education.

A lesson?

The test result was naturally shocked by Shilin. It is not the early years of liberation. Since the Ming Dynasty recovered, although it has taken the bourgeois path, it is also "not killing a soldier". I haven't heard anyone have said it wrong.

After saying that, the emperor was taken to behead him. Although there are Jinyiwei in the Ming Dynasty, this Jinyiwei is not the other Jinyiwei, and it does not seem to be very cruel.

In this relaxed environment, the Confucian scholars and officials who were so oppressed by the Qing Dynasty that they were cautious and did not dare to speak gradually became bolder. At present, they had actually developed to the point where they would gather people to discuss the government every now and then. However, although the environment was relaxed,

It is easier to get an official than in all dynasties, but the Confucian scholars and officials of the Ming Dynasty still felt a lingering sense of loss.

Because all the scholars and officials knew that in the Ming Dynasty, scholars did not have a superior status, and civil officials could not surpass military officials. There was no such thing as using civil servants to control military officials and using civil servants to control military officials. However, the scholars and officials even more

What we can't accept is the political status of merchants, and they are actually about to climb to the head of scholars... and they are not ordinary big businessmen. Well, when Zi is from a businessman today, it is okay to look up to the big businessmen.

It’s understandable. But this time the legendary election method of the Shanghai Prefecture Public Administration made a group of small vendors ride on the heads of the scholars!

This is really a bit bullying scholars too honest!

Weng Tongshu smiled bitterly and said, "If you pay taxes of more than 10 yuan a year, you will have the right to vote... Most of the vendors in Changshu County can vote! In Shanghai, even those who drive carriages and those who pull Oriental carriages have the right to vote! Even Shanghai Beach

The popular tyrants in the hall are actually qualified to designate a voter, and most scholars who are well-read in poetry and books can't get a vote! It's really a disgrace to be gentle..."

Weng Xincun was stunned, "What happened?"

Qu Bingyuan just smiled bitterly: "There are many wealthy merchants in Shanghai, and the money in the brothels and Chuguan is easy to make, so they pay a lot of taxes. The first-class famous prostitutes pay 5 yuan a month, which is 60 yuan a year. It's enough to be designated one.

The voter's standard."

"60 yuan...it's so much!" Weng Xincun was surprised and shook his head and said, "In the countryside of Changshu, the average tax of a mu of land per year is 10 large copper plates, and 60 yuan requires 600 mu of land, which can catch up with the wealthy people.

It's a house."

"Yes, you have to pay a tax of 1 yuan a month when driving a rickshaw, 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 a tax of 3 months a month.

It’s 36 yuan a year! If there is a stall selling vegetables and meat in a market in Shanghai (vegetable market), a young man will have to pay a tax of more than 30 yuan. How can those scholars who study and pass on their families compare?”

Weng Xincun shook his head slightly: "The ones who sell themselves, those who drive rickshaw, those who drive big trucks, and those who sell vegetables... earn hard-earned money, and they have to pay part of it to pay taxes. They have raised 400,000 officials and scholars.

These people are all the parents of civil servants in the world, and it is appropriate to hold a vote in their hands. And those scholars who have not yet had high school can benefit from the country and the family? What is the right to vote? Or study hard and take the exam for one.
Chapter completed!