Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 552 - 388: History of the Former Dynasty
Another four days passed, during which Gu Chengyu took a day of rest. Today, he was still organizing books in the Wenhua Pavilion. However, the organization of these books was nearing completion.
Gu Chengyu looked at the books on the shelves, labeled and categorized, and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. It was finally over. He’d been covered in dust here for days; it was truly exhausting. However, he also found some precious unofficial histories or rare copies.
Regarding historical records, sometimes the official historiographies are not accurate. He found some clues in certain books that just happen to overturn the previous historical records. To embellish the Emperor’s words and deeds, some truths get covered up.
It can be said that history is generally compiled according to the Emperor’s wishes, and Gu Chengyu also found some records of that Emperor of the Qing Dynasty’s life in these books.
There aren’t many such books, as the Qing Dynasty did not last long; it was a very short-lived dynasty. Some books were certainly destroyed, leaving only some trivial anecdotes unrelated to the court. Even if mentioned, it was only tangentially.
However, these few books unequivocally demonstrate that this Yuanqing was a fellow who travelled through time. During the Early Tang period, the people lived prosperous lives and the nation was strong; the golden age of the Great Tang had already begun.
Yet, halfway through, Yuanqing appeared. He was merely a grassroots figure, but he rallied some people to follow him and seize power. He was extremely valiant and good at warfare, and in less than a year, he captured many cities, dividing the land to establish his rule, completely opposing the court. Ignoring the court’s attempts at reconciliation, he was determined to take the throne for himself.
The war caused countless citizens to be displaced and led to innumerable deaths and injuries. In some places, most of the populace left their homes. Those fields were left unattended and overgrown with weeds.
Gu Chengyu didn’t even need to think to know that the people at that time were surely complaining endlessly. Their initially peaceful lives were disrupted, and they were thrown into a life of displacement. Don’t think that war has nothing to do with the people. Where do the supplies and Silver Coin needed for war come from?
The court needed Silver and grain, and so did the rebels. Both parties increased land and population taxes to obtain these. War certainly required soldiers, who were drafted from each household’s able-bodied individuals.
The able-bodied were the backbone of their households, and being taken away to war, how would their families survive? Not to mention the cruelty of war, countless soldiers killed or wounded. Some of these able-bodied men never returned, and at a time of crisis, the court wouldn’t issue any compensation money.
This chaotic era lasted for seven years until Yuanqing triumphed and successfully established the Qing Dynasty. When the dynasty was first established, everything needed rebuilding, so the previous heavy taxes were naturally lifted, allowing the people to return to their hometowns and resume their former lives.
But how could the people not harbor resentment? Their lives were originally serene but were destroyed by the wars launched by Yuanqing. They didn’t care who became Emperor, as long as this Emperor could lead them to a good life.
Although later on, the court recovered and rested for many years, the people’s lives never returned to their former abundance. Moreover, over those years of continuous warfare, the National Treasury became depleted, and even the small distant countries took advantage of the situation.
Amidst such internal and external troubles, it was remarkable that Yuanqing was able to maintain his grip on the Emperor’s throne, earning some respect from Gu Chengyu.
Though undoubtedly fraught with hidden problems, at least during Yuanqing’s thirty-odd years of reign, he managed to suppress them.
From the recorded deeds in the books, Gu Chengyu was able to spot some modern terminologies occasionally appearing, and some of Yuanqing’s habits exuded a strong modern aura. However, his former profession seemed related to martial arts, leading Gu Chengyu to guess he was some kind of mercenary with excellent skills.
Unfortunately, there was no development in agriculture or industry, indicating he wasn’t adept in those areas. He did establish the Guange Style, considered a reform for the examination system!
Yuanqing himself didn’t understand these things, but in the early stages, he was good at recognizing and utilizing talent. Once he had stabilized his position on the throne, he inaugurated the Enlightenment Examination, recruiting many talented individuals to serve him.
At that time, the scholars were all elated because the number of people allowed to take the exam was quite broad, making it the best opportunity for them to rise like carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.
Unfortunately, Yuanqing later indulged in women, to the point that his health was depleted. Having fathered so many Princes, they naturally eyed the throne eagerly. This ultimately led to a struggle for succession, which was exploited by the Zhao aristocratic family of the time.
In the end, the dynasty founded by this fellow time traveler lasted only thirty-two years before falling apart.
Gu Chengyu flipped through some more books, gaining insight into some of the major hidden dangers of the current dynasty. The greatest hidden danger, needless to say, was the depletion of the National Treasury. During Yuanqing’s wars, the treasury was already exhausted. Although it later recuperated, the treasury still wasn’t full.
Afterwards, with the establishment of the Dayan Dynasty, everything once again needed rebuilding. Adding to that was the need for large amounts of grain and Silver to support soldiers guarding the border. Da Xing would occasionally intrude, and when it became too much, the Dayan Dynasty could only choose to go to war.
With an empty treasury internally and the barbarians probing at the borders externally, it was a dire predicament, and it wasn’t just the empty treasury that was the issue. Emperor Huiming’s health had been declining for years, so the examinations were changed to once every three years, resulting in a dearth of talented individuals. On top of that, Chief Minister Xia held too much power within the court, nearing a point where it became a one-man show, presenting another danger.
Gu Chengyu could surmise the Emperor’s intentions. When the late Emperor overthrew the Qing Dynasty, many aristocratic families offered substantial assistance. Hence, after taking the throne, he grandly rewarded meritorious officials, some titles becoming hereditary, and even granted Red Book Iron Certificates.
The power of aristocratic families grew increasingly formidable; before his passing, the late Emperor left Emperor Huiming with this mess. These aristocratic families, unless guilty of treason, were untouchable. But if Emperor Huiming didn’t move against them, he would have his authority stripped away.
Since they couldn’t be touched, he could only support some newly influential figures to counterbalance them, cutting down the aristocratic families’ protégés and weakening their power gradually. Perhaps the shift to holding the examinations every three years was also for this reason.
The main force in the examinations was never the poor students; those noble sons who couldn’t inherit titles mostly chose to enter government through the exams. Extending the time could also effectively reduce the number of aristocratic offspring occupying the court.
Emperor Huiming spent most of his life fighting against these aristocratic families. As for why he supported Xia Qing, it was related to Xia Qing’s personal abilities. If Xia Qing had been born in chaotic times, he would have been a warlord. His talent was one thing; moreover, he had something his mentor didn’t—cunning and deceitfulness.
Ha! How could things get done in court using only straightforward strategies? Both open and stealth strategies were necessary. And his mentor, being naturally genuine and candid, despised such tactics, so he could only step aside for Xia Qing.
How could the Emperor agree to his mentor’s resignation just because he advised him against indulging in Alchemy? Therefore, many of Emperor Huiming’s words and actions held deeper meaning.
