Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 839 Northern Tour
"The ambassador has changed to another..."

Zhu Yixi sighed, then shifted his eyes, and once again immersed himself in the discussion in his ears, making himself more down-to-earth.

But obviously, he didn't care.

From Spain to East Asia, it will take at least half a year's journey. When Spain reacts, the day lily will be cold.

Moreover, although the value of the Philippines is high, it is not as good as South America and North America. Whether it is climate, land, or products, the Philippines is very different.

Taking a step back, the Ming Dynasty allowed the Spaniards to freely do business, live and preach in the Philippines and Taiwan, which is already a very suitable place to stay.

For colonization, white land and places with a lot of aborigines have their own advantages. For Ming, there is no shortage of population, and white land is more suitable for immigration.

"Xiyi is so presumptuous? He even went to Yuquan Mountain!"

"Who says no, this world is becoming more and more incomprehensible."

At this moment, two scholars in t-shirts, speaking Mandarin, slowly entered and sat down beside him.

A skinny man with bright eyes, and a short and stocky man with bow legs. The difference between the two is half a head, which makes them look very suitable.

Seeing such a big posture, I was surprised, but didn't take it to heart.

Yuquan Mountain has become the foothold of the royal family and nobles, and I don’t know how many second generations are playing and resting, just get used to it.

"Brother Li, you haven't tried it, what's your plan now?" the short man couldn't help asking.

"I'm going to prepare for the exam in Tianjin for the next day."

The person who was called Brother Li smiled wryly at this time: "I thought I came to Yuquan Mountain, but the price is not bad in Beijing, and Tianjin is cheaper..."

"What about you, brother Shimadzu, you are knowledgeable and diligent, and your husband said that if you work hard, you might be able to pass the exam."

Hearing this, Shimadzu Jiucheng sighed: "My family is not as thick as you, so I can only know Japan..."

"The Heavenly Dynasty is vast, the land is vast and the resources are abundant, and it is so difficult to gather the elites."

Li Ziqiu said calmly: "However, in the past few years, I'm afraid it's your chance."

"In this exam, in addition to the original stereotyped essays, supplementary exams have been added, such as geography, arithmetic, history, etc. If the stereotypes are consistent, the additional questions will be used first."

"Oh?" Hisashi Shimadzu couldn't help but said, "What do you mean?"

"The last one was in the imperial examination, this subject is in the general examination, and it is rumored that it will be in the next subject. I'm afraid it will be changed after the stereotype is completely changed."

Li Ziqiu said in a low voice, his eyebrows and eyes were full of joy: "If it's about stereotyped writing, you and I can't match the centuries-old writing style of the Celestial Dynasty, but if it's about other things, we're on the same threshold."

"If you return to Japan at this time, wouldn't all your previous efforts be wasted?"

"It's better to stay in Tianjin with me and help each other. Even if you are an accountant, you can live with it for a few years without delaying the exam."

When Shimadzu Jiucheng heard it, his eyes rolled and his heart beat instantly.

During the Edo shogunate period, the Tokugawa family would only appoint royal family members (directly subordinate samurai) and genealogical daimyos (generational retainers), and they had been vigilant and weakened about the external daimyos (the daimyos before the Sekigahara War), let alone their appointments.

Even if he has all kinds of talents, he will not be appointed.

As for the Shimadzu family, after the Ryukyu Kingdom was taken by the Ming army, Shi Gao fell straight down, making it even more difficult to raise samurai.

Therefore, a few years ago, Japan was included in the tribute system of the Ming Dynasty, and the shogun was canonized as the king of Japan. Since then, the relationship between monarch and minister has been formed.

After coercing each other to trade with each other, a large number of Japanese samurai can travel freely to and from Daming, and this place has become a place for talents.

The same is true of the noble imperial examinations in North Korea. Their talents, like Japan, flocked to Beijing in an attempt to succeed in the imperial examinations.

In view of this, the Ministry of Rites promulgated regulations that Jinshi of North Korea enjoyed the treatment of Juren in Ming Dynasty and could directly sign up for the examination.

In Japan, North Korea and other unrecognized persons, they need to take the examination of the Imperial College, and after passing the examination, they can sign up for the general examination.

Note that after they become Jinshi, they can freely choose to return to the country or become officials.

If you are an official, you will be treated the same as ordinary Jinshi, and you will be awarded an official after two years of observing politics.

In the last subject, there were as many as [-] scholars from the DPRK and Japan who participated in the general examination, but none of them entered the palace examination, which can be described as a pity.

Even so, no one has given up, and no one has given up the opportunity to leap over the dragon's gate.

"That's not bad!" Shimadzu Hisagi couldn't help agreeing.

"It's just that the Guozijian is too strict. There is an exam every year, otherwise the quota of supervising students will be wasted and you will lose your qualifications."

"Yeah, the more people who come to enlightenment, you and I can live this year, but next year will be very difficult—"

The two communicated in Mandarin, and Zhu Yixi could hear it clearly from behind.

This pondering made him smile, thinking of the memorial at the Ministry of Rites earlier this year.

There is a principal who said that the country is vast and there are many Dingkou. Every year, more and more people take part in the examination. Even overseas Japanese and North Korean scholars come to participate. You can increase the number of Jinshi as appropriate.

After all, 300 people is really too small.

Looking at it now, this quota is indeed a bit small.

Thinking of this, he got up, and under the astonished eyes of Liu Afu and Yang Le, he went directly to the back, smiled at them and said:

"I can hear the words of the two of you clearly. Now I have an idea, which can be regarded as a shortcut to the end. I wonder if I would like to listen to it?"

Li Ziqiu and Shimadzu Jiucheng were displeased with this man's presumptuous move. They were about to explode, but when they heard the word Zhongnan shortcut, they immediately changed their attitudes.

Respectfully with temptation:

"Brother, is there any way out?"

"There is no connection, but there is a loophole. It is very convenient and suitable for the two of you, especially this brother Shimadzu."

Zhu Yixi looked at the shorter Japanese and smiled slightly.

The latter was immediately moved, his pupils dilated, his lips parted, and he didn't know what to say.

"Come here and talk."

After speaking, he brought the two scholars to the table in his corner by the window.

"Tea, please—"

Zhu Yixi said politely.

Shimadzu Hisashige couldn't bear it any longer, and hurriedly asked: "This virtuous brother, I'm like a cat scratching me, you'd better just say it straight!"

"Whatever the price, I'm willing to pay—"

Although Li Ziqiu didn't speak, his expression was the same.

Zhu Yixi understands their anxiety. A piece of news can change the fate of a person or even a whole family. Who can resist it?
"This matter is in your ears, others don't want to speak."

He lowered his head slightly, and the two of them leaned over knowingly, and listened carefully:

"I heard that Ryukyu Prefecture is adjacent to Japan, and the population is only tens of thousands, but there are quite a few places for scholars every year. You can be naturalized as Ryukyu Prefecture."

"There are very few scholars there. With the talents of the two, a mere scholar's fame should be easily obtained. At that time, whether it is to go to the township examination or enter the prison, it is feasible."

"No matter how bad it is, a scholar with a reputation can still participate in the provincial examination. Although he is only a minor official, he has also become a court official and entered the rank stream."

As soon as this remark came out, Shimadzu Rijiu was overjoyed, and made a gesture to kneel down, but was held back, and the excitement on his face could not be concealed.

Compared with the impoverished Jinshi, the fame of a scholar is extremely affordable, you can attack if you advance, and you can defend when you retreat. This news is really valuable.

Li Ziqiu on the side was a little hesitant: "Ben Gong, brother Shimadzu's family is in Kagoshima, and it is similar to the Ryukyu dialect, so you can easily get past it, but I can't!"

"If you want to return to your hometown, you can only take the exam honestly. If you really want to be an official in Daming, you can only become a naturalized citizen."

Zhu Yixi said earnestly: "There is a string of small islands along the coast of Denglai. You only need to go to the isolated islands to buy a few acres of land and find the government to naturalize. It is not difficult to take the imperial examination, but if you want to be a scholar easily, you can only go to the Ryukyu Mansion. "

The two thanked each other a lot and asked for their names.

Zhu Yixi shook his head and said: "We will meet again if we are destined, we will not meet each other if we don't have the destiny, dust to dust, dust to dust..."

After saying that, he left the restaurant under the protection of a group of guards.

Looking back, the two still stretched their necks and looked excited, so he shook his head and smiled.

In fact, during the conversation between the two, Zhu Yixi got a glimpse of the difficulties of foreign scholars.

In the Ming version of the tributary system, according to his ideas, it is usually not only possible to obtain trade wealth, but also to allow the free circulation of talents.

In this way, talents from various countries can be absorbed through a system such as the imperial examination, and then fed back to other countries.

As a result, the elite class of the vassal state will be bought, and the imperial examination will become the prosperity of the entire East Asia, strengthening the influence of Confucian culture.

And Confucianism, isn’t it Ming Dynasty?

He originally thought that there would be a gap in the Imperial College for them to participate in, but he underestimated the difficulty of Jinshi.

There are thousands of people across the country, and the difficulty of admission is [-] to [-]. In North Korea and Japan, where the cultural atmosphere is far less than that of Ming Dynasty, this is an extremely difficult requirement.

This is equivalent to letting the national football team directly enter the finals, but their level can't even get tickets to the World Cup.

If things go on like this, it is not good for absorbing talents from other countries and increasing political centripetal force.

Therefore, the gap in the immigration of Ryukyu Island is actually a backstop.

If you can't become a Jinshi, then become a scholar and a scholar first!

It is also good to absorb talents from various countries.

After all, scholars are scarce in this era, no matter which country they are in.

Even though the imperial examinations are so prosperous, Zhu Yixi can be sure that the national literacy rate never exceeds [-]%.

On the way, Zhu Xixi was already preparing to set up a county in the Miaodao Islands in Dengzhou Prefecture, a string of islands called Salmon Islands in the Song Dynasty, which would be regarded as a gap for Korean talents.

Just like Ryukyu Island.

After returning to the Mountain Resort, it was almost dark.

As for the twin girls, he had already forgotten about them.

After staying in Yuquan Mountain for a long time, Zhu Yixi was really bored. He suddenly thought of the grassland and the countless cattle and sheep outside the Great Wall.

Holding Qiqige in his arms, feeling the thickness and softness of the Mongolian woman, he couldn't help asking: "Do you want to go to the grassland?"

"Of course I think about it." Qiqige couldn't help but pouted, "I've been in Beijing for several years, and my son is about to run away, but I haven't been to Beyond the Great Wall again..."

Seemingly feeling that the environment was not right, she immediately said, "But it's all worth it to stay by Your Majesty's side."

"Okay, homesickness, everyone has it."

Zhu Yixi patted his thick buttocks, and said with emotion: "The withered and yellow Xi'an mansion, why is it not a kind of nostalgia?"

Speaking of this, the emperor's longing and curiosity for the grassland became more and more difficult to stop.

The next day, he summoned his cabinet ministers and said that he would go outside the Great Wall, that is, Chifeng, to have a look and inspect the situation of Chahar.

Unsurprisingly, everyone in the cabinet was unanimous in their disapproval.

At this time, Zhao Shu didn't care about the courtesy of the monarch and his ministers, so he spoke directly, and all the words were just one sentence: "The emperor's body is great, don't take it lightly."

As for other dissuasion, I don't care about the recklessness of the Tartars, the insecurity outside the Great Wall, and so on.

The emperor refused to give in, and said coldly: "The Chahar Department has set up a governor, and there are three cities of Chengde, Kuancheng, and Chifeng. There are tens of thousands of people in the Khan tribe, and there are already hundreds of people who have been assigned to the guard department. Why not be afraid of it?" ?”

Having said that, the cabinet will never give in.

After a stalemate for a while, the cabinet also knew that relying on the emperor's prestige, this matter would definitely be carried out successfully, so they could only compromise:
"Your Majesty bears tens of thousands of burdens in the world. Chifeng is far away from the capital and goes deep into the grassland. Even if it is outside the Xuanwei Great Wall, you should not go there."

Zhao Shu said in a deep voice, "You can go to Chengde."

Hearing this, Zhu Yixi showed helplessness on his face: "Forget it—"

Originally, he didn't want to go to Chifeng, it was too far away, Chengde outside Gubeikou was very good, and he could go back to the Great Wall at any time.

Seeing this, several people in the cabinet could not understand the emperor's plan.

Regret is not enough, but don't be too awkward in your heart.

The co-author emperor wanted to go to Chengde from the very beginning. They worked hard for a long time, and their saliva was almost dry. Who knew it was a waste of effort.

Helpless, the cabinet can only draft a will.

First of all, the Beijing camp sent thousands of people to Chengde as protection.

Secondly, the household department has to transfer a large amount of money and food from Taicang to Chengde. This is not only food for the emperor, ministers, and the army, but also a reward for the Chahar tribes.

After all, what the Tartars like most is rewards.

The Ministry of Rites not only had to arrange the journey, but also had to send people to notify the tribes on the grassland, the Mongolian nobles, the Huoyu, and the ministers to let them go to Chengde for an audience.

One by one, it is extremely troublesome.

In a word from the emperor, not only eunuchs broke their legs, but civil servants like them also had to abolish countless pens.

And here, just after Yang Le left the palace, he met Tian Fu.

"Eunuch Tian——" Yang Le saluted to show his respect for the head eunuch.

Tian Fu waved his hand: "You and I have such a relationship, why should we be so indifferent?"

As he spoke, he smiled and supported him: "Come on, get into my carriage, and I'll have a table with you today, let's have a good drink."

When they arrived at the magnificent farmhouse, Yang Le was nowhere to be seen. He ate meat and drank a lot, very boldly.

Tian Fu smiled and clinked glasses with him, until he was half drunk.

"Take them all away!"

After drinking and eating, the two sat opposite each other, looking very close.

"Brother Yang, have you been hiding something good from me recently?"

Tian Fu squinted his eyes and smiled drunkly.

"You are the supervisor of ceremonies, so how can you dare to hide anything good from you!" Yang Le's heart trembled, and he quickly denied it.

"Hmph, Brother Yang, it seems that he still treats me as an outsider."

Tian Fu shook his head, breathed out the smell of alcohol, and said dissatisfiedly: "It seems that my good intentions have gone to nothing..."

(End of this chapter)