The north of Yuan County is connected to a mountain. Yuan Mountain is lush with trees, with high and gentle terrain and many peaks.
Dinghe Peak near the north of the city is a famous scenic spot in Yuan County. It overlooks the entire city and is the best place for literary gatherings.
Another cemetery, Changju Peak, which is far away from the county town, has excellent feng shui.
In the early years, all residents of Yuan County could be buried at Changju Peak after their death, but as the number of deaths increased, the county government continued to raise the standards for burials at Changju Peak.
After Liu Shancheng, the Grand Secretary, served as the Left Prime Minister, it was not known whether it was done by the magistrate of Yuan County at that time or by the words of Liu Shan's disciples, but the standard for those who could be buried in Changju Peak was raised again. Only the patriarch of a prominent family, or people of higher status could be buried in Changju Peak after their death. Those tombs that did not meet the standards had to be moved.
When this incident happened, the whole county was in an uproar, especially the families who had just buried their elders, who were very dissatisfied.
However, the county magistrate put pressure on people without mercy, forcing those families to relocate their graves under the slogan of returning the graves to forests.
If it was really for Yuan County, many families would move the tombs no matter what, after all, the government compensated the cost of moving the tombs. However, during the process of moving the tombs, many families found that the county government gave ordinary families one tael of moving fee, but gave the Liu family a full five taels of moving fee.
Many people in Yuan County were even more dissatisfied, but they soon discovered something else. A few members of the Liu family actually did not move the tombs on the grounds that their ancestors' tombs were far from the hillside of Changju Peak, and they obtained permission from the county government.
What is worrying is not the lack of wealth, but the inequality of wealth.
As soon as this incident happened, many people from Yuan County went to the county government office to petition, but the county magistrate kept being perfunctory. Finally, some people went to the prefectural government office and even the state government office, but in the end, as expected, several leaders were arrested and imprisoned, important people were severely punished, and the rest were warned.
Those scholars did not receive much punishment, but many common people without literary titles were banned from participating in the Jingguo imperial examinations within three generations.
In the Shengyuan Continent, this kind of punishment is equivalent to a death sentence, and the turmoil over the tomb relocation was immediately quelled.
However, from then on, many people in Yuan County regarded Liu Shan as an enemy.
Some people from Yuan County had to leave their homes and go to other prefectures and counties, and from then on became the mortal enemies of the Zuo Xiang party.
Just after the government announced that Liu Shan had returned to his hometown to mourn his father and would not hold an official position for the time being, firecrackers were heard everywhere in Yuan County.
In the past, the yamen runners and soldiers of Yuan County would have searched the houses and convicted people like wolves and tigers, but now the family who set off firecrackers is safe because the magistrate of Yuan County has been arrested by the Ministry of Justice and taken to the capital.
There is a valley in the northwest of Yuanshan Mountain. There are waterfalls cascading down the valley, deep pools of water and unique scenery. It is known as the first scenic spot in Yuan County and is named Luopu Valley.
As early as ten years ago, a fence and a gate were built at the entrance of the Luopu Valley, and it was designated as the private property of the Liu family. People from Yuan County could no longer enter the valley.
The people of Yuan County dared to be angry but not to speak out, because everyone in Yuan County knew that Luopu Valley was already in Liushan's hands.
Today's Falling Waterfall Valley is no different from usual.
Even if there are occasional sounds of firecrackers in the city, they will not disturb people here.
Although Liu Shan was not the left prime minister, he was still a university scholar.
The only grand secretary in Yuan County's history.
The servants of the Liu family were guarding outside the gate of Luopu Valley. Although they were not as arrogant as before, their fat and strong bodies could still intimidate everyone.
Beside the pond in the valley, there is a courtyard with dense bamboo forest and winding paths in the courtyard. The view is suddenly clear when you go deeper.
In the courtyard, there were actually more than a dozen people, facing Liu Shan in the center like stars surrounding the moon.
Liu Shan was thin, with an elegant face, pure white hair and beard, and many more wrinkles on his face than before. He looked more than ten years older than a year ago, but his eyes were still deep. He was no longer the failed left prime minister in the court, but a wise university scholar.
If there were any great scholar present, he would certainly find that even though Liu Shan had suffered such a heavy blow, and even though Jing State's national destiny regarded him as an enemy, his realm was not damaged at all, and he might even be promoted to a great scholar within a few years.
Liu Shan drank his tea calmly while the people around him were talking loudly.
Among these people, there are the backbone of Zuo Xiang's party, who have already resigned from their posts and apologized, and will soon head to dangerous places such as the north or Liangjie Mountain.
There are Grand Secretaries from the Lei and Zong families, Hanlin scholars from the Qing Kingdom, and people from other miscellaneous families.
"Mr. Liu, just rest assured and cultivate yourself. When you become a great scholar, you will be able to dominate the world again!"
"The left prime minister of Jing State will definitely return to his position!"
"That Fang Yun is extremely stupid. He thought that by forcing you away, he could control the world's situation. He actually chose to resign. In my opinion, this is the beginning of his downfall!"
"That's right. Although Fang Yun is a rare genius, his way of being an official is far inferior to that of people like us. Once he gives up his official position, it will be difficult for him to gather his followers. Liu Gong is different. He has been running the country for decades. As long as the mourning period ends, he can make a call and his followers will gather."
"Mr. Liu, please follow the rules. We are joining the army just to bide our time. When the time comes, we will return to the throne!"
"Although Fang Yun managed to turn the tide during this invasion by the southern barbarians, the Kingdom of Jing has already exhausted its national strength. Once there is any disturbance, it will surely be defeated quickly. Moreover, the Kingdom of Qing will not sit idly by and watch the Kingdom of Jing recover. If nothing unexpected happens, the Kingdom of Qing will definitely take action against the Kingdom of Jing."
"I came from Qing Kingdom and have learned that after the battle of Ning'an, the demon world was shaken. It is said that the demon saints have reached an agreement not only to attack Liangjie Mountain, but also to destroy Jing Kingdom. If nothing unexpected happens, when the barbarians regain their strength, they will take down Jing Kingdom!"
"Actually, how long can that person... hold on?"
"He was supposed to die before this year, but it is said that he got some benefits from Fang Yun's medical association and his life was extended by one or two years. Even so, he may not last three years! When the three years are up, as long as the barbarians put a little pressure on him, our Qing army will march north in the name of fighting against the barbarians, take over Xiangzhou, Jiangzhou and the capital, and leave other places to Wu State."
"Don't forget that not only the king can seize love, but also the saint can seize love! As long as Lord Liu is promoted to a great scholar and the sage of the clan seizes love, Lord Liu will rush to Liangjie Mountain to participate in the war. After a few months, the East Saint Pavilion will issue a transfer order to let him return to Jingguo. At that time, Lord Liu will rule Jingguo again!"
"Yes, only when Liu Gong is promoted to a great scholar can he turn his hand to make clouds and his other hand to make rain."
Everyone nodded.
At the same time, many people noticed that Liu Shan was holding the official seal, and their expressions changed slightly after seeing it.
Liu Shan's official seal did not change, but the name was no longer "Left Prime Minister's Seal", but his "Marquis' Seal", which had a slightly different function.
Many people communicated secretly and soon learned from the discussion list that in Baling City, Fang Yun was instructing the officials of Xiangzhou on how to handle government affairs in the Academy of Literature, and the apricot trees were towering and formed a small apricot altar.
Everyone was at a loss, and then some people blushed, and then their eyes showed worry. Just now they said that Fang Yun had difficulty gathering his followers, but now a small Xingtan was formed. Moreover, the formation of a small Xingtan was due to the guidance of government affairs, which was originally only something that a generalist could do.
Confucius traveled around the world and gave lectures in dozens of places, but the place he visited most often and was the most important was the Xingtan.
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