Yangzhou Jiangyuan, the home of Huizhou merchant Jiang Guomao, is famous for its stacked stones. There is a rockery at the entrance, as well as a pond and water feature. It has various bamboos, orchids, flowers and grasses. It is winding and fascinating. It is wide in the middle and narrow at both ends.
The three-section horse-head wall is simple but highly contrasting, full of the rich flavor of Huizhou Mountain game; the wood carvings and stone carvings on the roof and walls are both general and freehand.
The "elegance" of Jiangyuan is wild, light and elegant, and unconventional.
Most of Huizhou's six counties, She, Xiuning, Wuyuan, Qimen, Yi, and Jixi, are located in mountainous areas with barren land. They can't fill their stomachs by farming, so they have to go out of the mountains to do business to make a living. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty's "Anhui Geography"
Said: "There are many Huizhou people buying business, so it is inevitable." After generations of Huizhou people's unremitting efforts, Huizhou merchants were finally listed as the three major business gangs in Chinese history along with Shanxi merchants and Chaozhou merchants.
In the long-term business war with Shanxi merchants and Shaanxi merchants, Huizhou merchants suffered all the hardships of having no one in the court. Therefore, they paid special attention to the education of their children. If they could not become officials themselves, they would try their best to force the next generation to study and take the imperial examination. Earn money
Yinzi, returning to his hometown to open a school and run a test center was the favorite of Huizhou businessmen, and thus he won a good reputation as "Jia Er loves Confucianism".
Indeed, if you go to the homes of Huizhou merchants, almost every household will have couplets on the door encouraging their children to study hard and take the imperial examinations. For more refined families, the couplets will be like this: "If you study well, do business well, and be efficient, you will be better;
It’s hard to start a business, it’s hard to keep it going, but it’s not hard to know it.”? For an ordinary family, the couplets are written in a simple and easy-to-understand manner, but the words are rough and rational, and they are full of genuine hopes for their children to succeed.
There are also couplets in Jiangyuan, which are the family motto left by the old lady, "It is better to raise a pig than to raise a child without studying." Legend has it that this old lady walked out of the mountains alone with a load and saved a fortune for his children and grandchildren.
He had not read any books and did not understand any big principles. He only knew that if he did not study, he would be bullied by others, so he left this family motto.
Jiang Guomao clearly remembers that when his great-grandfather was in generation, his family was in decline. His grandfather took his entire family, including his young self, to leave the ancestral home to seek a living, so he brought this couplet with him.
Later, my grandfather overcame many obstacles and struggled to build a family, and finally opened a shop in Yangzhou City. When he was happy, he added a family motto and hung it in the study, "Three generations did not study and raised a litter of pigs."
By Jiang Guomao's father's generation, the Jiang family began to get involved in many industries such as furniture, pawns, grain, and salt.
But it was Jiang Guomao who really made the Jiang family the chief merchant of Huizhou merchants and the leader in the business world of the Ming Dynasty.
When he was very young, Jiang Guomao was forced by his grandfather to study and practice calligraphy. He also took the merit examination and was a supervisor of the Ming Dynasty. Unfortunately, he was the legitimate son and had to take charge of the family business and could not be an official. Otherwise, he would be an official now. After studying,
He is naturally bookish, elegant, considers himself to be of high moral character, and has none of the philistine habits of ordinary businessmen.
At that time, Hui merchants and Shanxi merchants competed for control of the Huaihe Salt Industry. The leader of the Shanxi merchants, the Lao Fan family, was the first of the eight imperial merchants of the Qing Dynasty. They were powerful and wealthy, and Jiang Guomao could not compete with him. However, Jiang Guomao had political foresight and was able to seize the opportunity early.
Realizing that the Manchu Qing Dynasty was on its last legs, he hugged the thick leg of Emperor Guangwu, secretly communicated with the Ming army, smuggled salt, and conveyed news. When the Ming Dynasty successfully expelled the Tartars and liquidated the eight profiteers, the old Jiang family naturally replaced the old Fan family and became Yangzhou
The largest salt merchant.
Jiang Guomao, who has experienced many hardships, naturally knows that no one in the court should do business, so he tried his best to curry favor with Guan Shouzhen, the chief minister of the court. With this big tree, his business grew bigger and bigger, not only salt, furniture, pawns
, grain, also involves silk, tea, ginseng, mink, colored glaze and other industries, and even has business overseas.
Even so, Jiang Guomao still felt unsafe, so he paid heavily to bribe the government and palace officials. Taking advantage of Emperor Guangwu's draft, he sent his granddaughter Jiang Rou into the palace and became the old emperor's concubine. Although she was not very favored,
But because the Jiang family was willing to spend money, they gave only one hundred thousand taels to the emperor's confidant eunuch Ma Huanxi, and she was still named an concubine.
Ever since his granddaughter entered the palace and became a concubine, the magistrate of Yangzhou was afraid to breathe when he saw Jiang Guomao. If he were an ordinary person, his tail would be raised to the sky. Jiang Guomao has seen the big world and knows that the king of hell is aggressive and difficult for little devils.
He was very respectful to the governor of Yangzhou, and he called himself a grassroots citizen. He never showed any slightness, and showed many kinds of filial piety in daily life. The governor of Yangzhou was moved very much.
People say that Mr. Jiang is a kind man.
In the study room of Jiangyuan, Jiang Guomao, who has just reached his sixtieth year, is wearing a Confucian scarf and a blue shirt. He is sitting on an official hat chair. He picks up the tea cup on the butterfly table and quietly sips tea.
The best Mingqian Longjing tastes fragrant but not greasy.
His eyes were fixed on the butterfly table composed of seven different shapes, and he remained silent. He seemed to be admiring it, but in fact he was lost in thought. Yi'er had finished the exam, and he didn't know how he did! Although his hands and eyes were all over the sky, he was in a trance.
The younger son got the test questions, but no one dared to talk about high school until the day when the results were released.
Jiang Guomao was discerning and knew that the more property he had, the more jealous people would be and the greater the crisis. Even though he was ingratiating himself with the chief minister of the dynasty, and even though his granddaughter was named a concubine, he still felt uneasy and tried his best to let the younger members of the clan
Take the imperial examination and become a high official. "It is better to raise a pig than to raise a child without studying." He has always remembered the ancestral motto of the old lady; "Three generations have not studied and raised a pig." His grandfather's ardent expectations have always been
Never forget.
Unfortunately, although many of the children of the concubine clan passed the exams and some became officials, most of the children of the direct clan were just scholars. The only eldest son, Jiang Yan, who had any hope of taking the imperial examination, had to inherit his family business and could not become an official.
.Now the hope of the family lies in the youngest son Jiang Yi, and we must ensure that he wins the election at all costs.
Just as Jiang Guomao was thinking about it, Jiang Yan opened the study door and said, "Father, the government office has released the results, and my sworn brother ranks fifteenth in the B list of high school (he won the B list in the provincial examination)."
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"Ancestors bless you! My direct descendant of the Jiang family finally has a candidate!"
Jiang Guomao was overjoyed, stroking his beard and smiling, and suddenly remembered something, "Hurry, prepare the wedding money, and prepare to receive the news (the person who reported good news during the imperial examination era also refers to the good news sent)".
After a while, there was a sound of gongs. Three messengers rode horses to the gate of Fanyuan. They tied up the horses. One struck the gong, another held up the good news, and the third stepped forward and spoke: "Excuse me, is this Jiang?"
Kindergarten? Please come out, Mr. Jiang Yi, and congratulate you on your high school graduation.
Menzi poked his head out, opened the door and saluted, "Everyone, please wait a moment, my young master will be here soon."
After a while, Jiang Guomao came out with Jiang Yan and Jiang Yi.
The police officer who spoke earlier had a keen eye and recognized Jiang Guomao. He knew that he was a very important figure in Yangzhou City, so he hurriedly sang a fat song, "Congratulations to Mr. Jiang. Your son is a literary star and has passed high school! Congratulations, congratulations!"
Hearing his pleasant words, Jiang Guomao felt happy and winked at the housekeeper.
The housekeeper stepped forward and handed the officer a piece of silver. He took a peek at the newspaper and saw that it was actually ten taels of silver. Normally, the wedding money given to the newspaper was only a few coins, but he was worthy of being the richest man in Yangzhou, and his actions were lavish!
Thanks.
"Today I am lucky enough to be in high school. I have some wine at home. Can you please come with me to the garden for a drink?" Jiang Guomao said with a smile.
The policeman couldn't help but be touched. Mr. Jiang is such a person that even the government official would not dare to neglect him when he saw him. Unexpectedly, he was so easy-going and had no airs at all!
He hurriedly handed over his hands and thanked him, "Thank you Master Jiang for your kindness, but I have to go to the next house to announce the good news."
"In this case, I won't keep three of them, so go ahead," Jiang Guomao said politely.
After the newspaper left, Jiang Mansion held a banquet with loud gongs and drums, and even invited a theater troupe to sing for the neighbors.
After a long time of commotion, Mr. Jiang took Jiang Yan and Jiang Yi to the Jiang Family Ancestral Hall to pay homage to their ancestors. Looking at the old lady’s memorial tablet, Jiang Guomao burst into tears and said, “My ancestors are on top, my Jiang family has elected a member!”<
