prosperous age

After bidding farewell to King Shunyi, Zheng Luo led his men out of the royal court.

The cavalry, carrying torches high, galloped southeast like a winding fire dragon, bypassing Bansheng City and heading towards the Ming army camp.

After bypassing the city wall of Bansheng, they were very close to the Ming army camp, and Zheng Luo and Ma Gui's anxious hearts finally settled down.

The grasslands at night were still too dangerous for these Ming people who had come from the south.

Slightly slowing the horse's speed, Zheng Luo instructed, "Call Qi Cheng over to speak with me."

Before long, Qi Cheng rode up and bowed to Zheng Luo and Ma Gui with clasped hands.

"No need for formalities. Tell me, how did your talk with Brother Ali go?"

He was surrounded by his confidants, except for Ma Gui.

However, on matters of principle, Zheng Luo still trusted Ma Gui, so he didn't mince words and asked directly.

"My lord, Alige has agreed, but he has also set a condition. It is not difficult, but after Dacheng Biji accepts his impolite marriage proposal, he must give him a tribe. Haige'er's tribe will be arranged near Bansheng City, preferably in the southern grasslands."

Qi Cheng immediately reported his conversation with Ali Ge. The men on the grasslands are mostly sentimental.

Alige used to follow Tubo, and after Tubo died, he followed Bahannaji. Now that Bahannaji is dead, he has chosen to follow Haige'er, which means he has remained faithful to him to the end.

"besides."

Just as Zheng Luo was about to agree and let Qi Cheng continue to contact Ali, Qi Cheng spoke up again.

"What else?"

Zheng Luo naturally changed the subject and pressed for an answer.

“Alige hopes that Haige’er can continue to receive the special treatment from Dacheng Taiji, and Haige’er will be loyal to the court just like his father.”

Qi Cheng continued.

Qi Cheng didn't know what kind of tacit understanding existed between Dacheng Taiji and Xuanda, so he naturally didn't dare to say anything. However, when Zheng Luo heard the words, he frowned.

Alige knew about the agreement that Hannaji had privately finalized with Wang Chonggu in Xuanfu, which made him somewhat hesitant.

However, considering that Ali Ge had been carrying out the transactions between Banshengcheng and Xuanfu in recent years, it's likely that Dacheng Taiji had told him some details.

Ultimately, when Hannaji surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, it was a complete surrender; at that time, he truly didn't want to return to the grasslands.

If it weren't for Wang Chonggu's repeated persuasion, saying that the Ming Dynasty needed an ally like him to keep information on the grasslands, and his private promises of many benefits, Han Naji would have preferred to stay in Xuanfu.

After all, living in the city is much better than wandering on the vast grasslands.

Moreover, every winter, the grasslands devour countless lives, and some small tribes are even wiped out.

In recent years, winters on the grasslands have become increasingly unbearable. They are too cold, and ice storms occur frequently, causing large numbers of livestock to freeze to death.

This situation has not only failed to improve in recent years, but has also shown signs of worsening.

Therefore, during trade fairs, the Mongol tribes vied to conduct tribute trade with the Ming Dynasty, hoping to obtain more grain, tea, and salt. Iron pots were no longer a necessity.

The primary goal of trade is to secure enough food to ensure the tribe survives the winter.

The right to allocate the spoils fell into the hands of Lady Chungshun.

However, there are exceptions, namely Ban Sheng Cheng, which is not subject to this control.

Xuanfu will meet all the needs of Bansheng City. Although it is difficult to transfer much to other tribes, it is enough for its own use.

Alige's request was that the Ming Dynasty continue to provide Haige'er's tribe with sufficient supplies.

"can."

This time, after only a moment's thought, Zheng Luo made a decision and said to Qi Cheng, "Tell Brother Ali as soon as possible that I agree."

His request would also be relayed to Lady Zhongshun: Haige'er's tribe would henceforth receive the same treatment as when Bahanaji was in power, and he would continue to temporarily oversee trade with Xuanfu.

“Your Excellency, Huang Taiji may not agree to allocate this grassland to him.”

The grasslands of Mongolia were all allocated by the Great Khan of Mongolia.

The grasslands surrounding Bansheng City and the surrounding dozens of miles were the property left by Anda Khan to Bahannaji, and were naturally included in Dachengbiji's dowry. However, it was difficult for Haige'er to get a share of the grasslands from them.

Even if he were given all the pastures south of Bansheng City, it wouldn't be enough to support his tribe of five thousand people.

In order to survive and not affect the development of Bansheng City, the only option is to allocate a pasture from Huang Taiji in the undivided area south of Bansheng City.

In reality, the grasslands aren't divided into many distinct areas; most herders drive their cattle and sheep to migrate with the water and grass.

The area was lush with water and grass, so naturally, nearby tribes went there.

The different units generally follow a set order, with those arriving later voluntarily giving up a certain distance to buffer the situation and avoid conflicts over pastures.

Of course, there were also instances of larger tribes driving out smaller tribes, but generally the smaller tribes would take the initiative to avoid them.

What Ma Gui was saying was that if Huang Taiji could not get what he wanted, he might not agree to give the southern grasslands to Haige'er's tribe.

"It's alright. When the time comes, let Lady Zhongshun and Dacheng Biji report the grassland that Haige'er wants to Huang Taiji. If he doesn't agree, the Xuanda Cavalry will patrol the grassland in the future, and their destination will be the outer perimeter of Haige'er's grassland."

Also, tell Alige that if any tribe dares to drive cattle and sheep into that pasture, they should not act unless my Ming cavalry is by their side. Make a note of it, and when the trade fair begins, I will reduce their trading share as punishment.

The reduced share will be left for them to dispose of.

Zheng Luo is a practical person who doesn't mince words. If they encroach on Haige'er grassland, then he will return the profits during the trade fair.

After doing it twice, naturally no one will do it anymore.

Even if Huang Taiji secretly gave the instructions, and even if it was done, Huang Taiji would still be the one who suffers the loss, and he would have to make up for the benefits to others.

To put it bluntly, it's about making it a fait accompli.

After speaking, Zheng Luo glanced at Ma Gui beside him and said, "General Ma, is this matter alright?"

"No, as long as the Governor-General gives the order, the Xuanfu cavalry will obey without the slightest disobedience."

Ma Gui hurriedly expressed his opinion.

"Grand Secretary Wei was afraid that Lady Zhongshun would start a fight with Huang Taiji because of Banshengcheng, which would disrupt the peace of the grasslands."

Giving Ban Shengcheng to him would not be impolite, and I think Lady Chungshun would be satisfied.

"We'll discuss this tomorrow. We still need to give Huang Taiji some face; we should be respectful where necessary, after all, he is the Prince of Shunyi, appointed by His Majesty."

Zheng Luo smiled easily.

"This humble general understands and will certainly not dare to act rashly."

Ma Gui hurriedly echoed.

"Qi Cheng, do you understand what I mean?"

At this moment, Zheng Luo spoke to Guerrilla General Qi Cheng.

"I understand. I will go there first thing tomorrow morning, no, I will go there tonight. I have already agreed on the code with Brother Ali, and I will deliver the message tonight."

Qi Cheng hurriedly said.

"Very good, thank you for your hard work. Once the mission is accomplished and we return to Xuanfu, I will recommend you for commendation."

Zheng Luo immediately said.

For a guerrilla commander, whether he is promoted to brigadier general or commander of a thousand households, it's all up to him to say a word.

He now only wanted to fulfill Wei Guangde's request as quickly as possible and finalize the matter of Bansheng City to avoid causing a greater conflict. After Qi Cheng urged his horse away, Ma Gui whispered to Zheng Luo, "Sir, what about Lady Zhongshun?"

"I will write to my wife as soon as I get back, explaining the importance of this matter. I think she will not refuse."

Zheng Luo smiled.

"There is one more thing, sir. This is only Ali's opinion. What if Da Cheng Bi Ji is unwilling?"

Ma Gui suddenly realized that Ali, whom they had contacted, was still unaware of Da Cheng Bi Ji's attitude.

"Hehe, if Ali hadn't consulted with Dacheng Biji beforehand, he wouldn't have dared to make any demands today."

The fact that they dared to bring it up indicates that after Lady Zhongshun sent a message to the city, they had already discussed and agreed on the conditions.

"Giving it to the Haige'er tribe is probably the condition that Dacheng Biji insisted on. After all, he's her son, and she's worried that she won't be able to fulfill her promise later."

Zheng Luo, however, seemed to see through him and said with a smile.

"Your Excellency is wise; I understand immediately after you have explained."

Ma Gui hurriedly put on a smile.

The next day, large cavalry units from all the camps surrounding Bansheng City escorted their leaders to the royal court in the northwest of the city. The north gate of Bansheng City was also wide open, and Alige led a group of guards toward the royal court.

While the argument raged fiercely in the Khan's tent at the royal court, Wei Guangde was also in his duty room, pressing his temples with a headache.

Standing before him were Chen Kai, Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate; Lao Kan, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief; Xu Xuemo, Minister of Rites; Xu Guo, Vice Minister of Rites; Wang Guoguang, Minister of Personnel; and Yu Youding, Vice Minister of Personnel.

"Grand Secretary Wei, this is not a matter of just one province, prefecture, or county. According to my investigation, most prefectures and counties in the thirteen provinces have doubled the registration fee for the county and prefectural examinations."

The popular uprisings were caused by the government's promotion of new-style schools in the past two years, which led to a large number of scholars in various regions.

The court must deal with this matter swiftly and decisively; otherwise, scholars throughout the land will likely harbor resentment towards the government.

Left Censor-in-Chief Chen Kai urged.

"Lord Chen, you yourself said that many prefectures and counties in various provinces are like this. If we really want to investigate thoroughly, where will the Ministry of Personnel find so many officials to replace them?"

Wei Guangde put down his hand, looked at him and said, "Actually, you and I both came from the imperial examination system. Don't you know that this has been around for a long time? It's just that there were few scholars in each county at that time, and each family sold their property and borrowed money to raise the fees required for taking the imperial examination."

The imperial court promoted schools to enlighten the people, not to make them all participate in the imperial examinations.

As I've said before, the Ministry of Rites should have a policy of easy admission but strict graduation requirements for schools in various regions. Only after passing the school's examination can the instructor issue a certificate, and the certificate must be verified for registration for the county and prefectural examinations.

If they had followed their instructions, how could things have turned out this way?

Wei Guangde looked at Xu Xuemo and Xu Guo speechlessly.

Both of them kept their heads down and did not respond.

Ultimately, the Ministry of Rites failed in its duties, neglecting to detect the early signs of trouble.

This matter is related to the commercial tax subsidies implemented by Wei Guangde and Zhang Juzheng for schools in various regions.

Because most private schools in various regions were requisitioned by the imperial court to become public schools and tuition was waived, although buying books would cost a lot of money, most families could still afford it by gritting their teeth.

As a result, children from all over the country naturally flocked to public schools to study, and this has continued for nearly three years now.

Starting in April and May, county and prefectural examinations began in various places, and a large number of students who had enrolled in the previous two years flocked to the county government to register for the county examinations.

This is nothing unusual; it's the same every year. This year there are just a few more people.

Unfortunately, there have always been shady practices regarding registration fees in the local area.

Okay, since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial examinations, from the county level to the metropolitan level, required a registration fee. In other words, the examination papers issued by the government had official seals, and the paper and paper cost money.

Therefore, the imperial court stipulated that each examination paper should cost 500 coins, which is approximately eight qian of silver.

In reality, the cost of filing a complaint in local areas is usually double, which means it costs about one or two taels of silver.

The same applies to county examinations, prefectural examinations, and metropolitan examinations.

Any excess revenue naturally went into the county government's coffers and into the pockets of the officials within the government.

In the past, there were few scholars, and everyone considered themselves superior, so naturally, they didn't dare to talk about certain things in public and just kept quiet about them.

However, many of the applicants this year are from humble backgrounds, including some stubborn scholars.

As a result, the extra half tael of silver caused chaos in many local county governments, and even affected students in schools across the country.

Regardless of their own talent for studying, once they started making a fuss, more and more people started causing trouble. They even surrounded the county government office, seriously disrupting the local imperial examination order this year.

It's only June now, and many county and prefectural examinations have not been held as scheduled. Naturally, the local inspectors have begun to investigate. As a result, the Censorate has now gotten involved in the Ministry of Rites' affairs, and the Ministry of Personnel has also been affected.

After all, strictly speaking, it was these officials who were corrupt and broke the law.

As for how to govern, the Ministry of Personnel has no way to do it. This is the case everywhere. If governance is to be carried out, the only solution is to swap out the corrupt officials. It would be better not to govern at all.

"Ministry of Rites, submit a memorial tomorrow proposing to double the registration fee for future imperial examinations, setting it at one tael of silver, based on market rates."

Wei Guangde finally made his own decision: it wasn't that if the government collected too much money, then raising prices would leave everyone speechless.

"Grand Secretary Wei, this is inappropriate."

Chen Kai's eyes widened immediately upon hearing Wei Guangde's solution.

"President Chen, please be patient and let me finish."

Wei Guangde hurriedly continued, "In addition, schools in various regions must strictly examine students and classify them."

Students with the talent to pass the imperial examinations were issued certificates, while other students were issued official documents, which required detailed records of their learning at the academy.

Students from county government offices in various regions who register to participate in the county examinations must have their official documents checked; those without proper documents are not permitted to take the exams.

In fact, Wei Guangde simply instructed the Ming Dynasty's schools to issue graduation certificates and completion certificates to the students.

A certificate, written on official paper, served as a graduation certificate, which students used to participate in the imperial examinations.

Documents, written on ordinary paper, were equivalent to graduation certificates, indicating how many years one had studied at a particular school.

"What about those who don't come from a formal schooling background?"

Xu Guo asked.

"As before, those who act as guarantors can participate in the imperial examinations."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

“Teaching them to read is not about preparing them for the imperial examinations, but about helping them understand the imperial gazette and government notices, so they can think about all sorts of things all day long.”

The Ministry of Personnel, in coordination with the Censorate, dealt with officials who accepted more than one tael of silver.

They broke the rules, so they must bear the consequences.

Wei Guangde continued.

Some people will be dealt with, but the overall framework will still recognize the original unspoken rules, which will become explicit regulations in the future.

Wei Guangde was helpless; this system had been established for many years, and it was difficult to change it back.

It can only be said that scholars in the Ming Dynasty suffered greatly. In order to study, they had to pay several taels of silver for tuition every year, more than ten taels of silver for books, and three or four taels of silver for writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones every year. Finally, when they participated in the imperial examination, they would be cut by officials.

Everyone says that poor scholars are poor. Just do the math yourself. How much money does it take for a family to spend to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar?

For someone from a poor family, it's simply impossible. (End of Chapter)