I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1052 The Han envoys are like parents; they truly cannot be abandoned.
Wei Youshan explained to His Majesty the various difficulties encountered in the process of manufacturing sulfuric acid.

With the imperial court in dire need of large quantities of sulfuric acid, Wei Youshan led the master craftsmen of the Xishan Coal Bureau to begin the trial production process.

The process was extremely difficult. The first problem was with the materials. Iron and copper react with sulfuric acid and are not resistant to corrosion. Sulfuric acid is highly corrosive and very dangerous. Whether it is the cylinder or the pipes, if the air pressure is insufficient or a hole is corroded, production will be very dangerous.

After numerous experiments, the Gewu Academy finally solved the problem using a traditional alchemy furnace, which was actually a ceramic jar.

In the past, to obtain sulfuric acid, also known as ferrous sulfate oil, it was necessary to dry distill ferrous sulfate. Long ago, alchemists would put ferrous sulfate into earthenware jars, heat them in a furnace, and extract sulfuric acid. This method was inefficient and yielded even lower output, and could only be used for small-scale extraction.

Earthenware pots are corrosion-resistant, high-temperature resistant, and made using mature techniques. They are easy to shape and can be fired into any desired shape.

Soon, the first batch of pottery jars began to be used. After the sulfur burned, it turned into sulfur oil in the pipes along with the water vapor. Sulfur oil and ferrous sulfate oil are the same thing, and they are acidic and corrosive.

However, its output is quite meager, almost identical to that of dry distilled ferrous sulfate, and is accompanied by a severe pungent odor.

The efficiency is just too low.

The artisans of the Ming Dynasty began adding all sorts of random things to jars and towers. They would find a mineral and burn it with fire, or put various mixtures together and burn them to see if they could refine something unexpected. This had long become a daily routine for the artisans.

Coal, coke, iron blocks, and even fertilizer were not spared; they were all thrown into the furnace, producing all sorts of random products, until a Ming Dynasty craftsman threw saltpeter into the furnace.

The production of sulfuric acid began to increase significantly.

"The tower consists of two earthenware jars, one male and one female, filled with lead and sealed tightly. There are three towers in total. The first one holds sulfur, the second holds saltpeter, and the first two towers are connected to the third tower. There is a pressure relief valve in the middle. As long as the air pressure is sufficient, you can release the air to the third tower by lifting the pin." Wei Youshan explained the function of the three towers.

These three towers are the front stoves, responsible for pressurizing and heating; the third tower contains water.

The gas pressure in the three towers is sufficient to produce sulfuric acid. There are eight large tanks in a row. The eighth tower is mainly for waste gas treatment. Inside are copper bars for the final recovery of sulfur and nitrate.

Craftsmen discovered during production that the higher the efficiency of raw material utilization, the less waste is generated. One key factor is temperature. According to Zhu Zaiyu's explanation of heat from the Institute of Gewu, the hotter it is, the faster these tiny particles, which are too small for humans to observe, move, meaning the more fully they react.

Of course, higher temperatures aren't always better, and sealing issues also need to be considered.

The master craftsmen began the fourth iteration, trying different temperatures to increase reaction efficiency, much like burning.

After seven generations of iterations, it is finally possible for His Majesty to see that they are not just idlers, but are actually doing their jobs while receiving salaries from the court.

Wei Youshan presented the emperor with a sealed glass bottle. According to the label, it contained concentrated sulfuric acid with a concentration of 98%, weighing half a jin (approximately 250 grams). However, Zhu Yijun frowned and asked, "Is this water?"

"Your Majesty is wise." Wei Youshan paused for a moment; His Majesty was truly not easily fooled.

Zhu Yijun chuckled and nodded, saying, "Water is fine then."

Concentrated sulfuric acid is highly corrosive. Giving such a dangerous substance to the emperor was clearly against the security protocols of the Imperial Guards. Zhu Yijun had never even come into contact with copper sulfate pesticide, let alone concentrated sulfuric acid.

Zhu Yijun didn't want to put his subordinates in a difficult position. He didn't insist on seeing the concentrated sulfuric acid, but instead accepted the water as concentrated sulfuric acid. Production doesn't lie; the output and demand are there. If copper sulfate pesticides can't be mass-produced, the government factories from top to bottom will be put on trial.

Deceiving the emperor is an unforgivable crime.

Zhu Yijun wandered around the gunpowder factory in Xiliu for quite a while. In his hand was a model of the principle. In reality, a tower was as tall as a three-story building, with a steel-concrete frame. The towers were neatly arranged in front of him, with countless pipes running through them.

Everyone who sees it will be incredibly shocked; it's unbelievable that human beings can achieve such a feat.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" Dr. Ke Yanchang, an agronomist, bowed in greeting. He had arrived a little earlier than the Emperor and hurriedly went to the copper sulfate preparation workshop. Under layers of protection, he saw concentrated sulfuric acid and copper sulfate in the reaction process.

"Your Majesty, I am late in coming. I hope you will forgive me." Ke Yanchang bowed again to apologize.

"Indeed, it's a full two years late." Zhu Yijun had Li Yougong bring Ke Yanchang's Chonggu Progress Award medal and its gold base, and personally handed it to Ke Yanchang before letting out a sigh of relief and saying, "I have kept it safe, for fear that Dr. Ke might break it."

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty." Ke Yanchang carefully put away his Chonggu Progress Award medal, the front of which read "Technological Progress Award," and the back read "Presented by Wang Chonggu."

Ke Yanchang didn't really want the plaque because Wang Chonggu was a treacherous official.

However, seeing the exquisite skills of the craftsmen that Wang Chonggu brought out, Ke Yanchang still began to have some doubts about Wang Chonggu's identity as a treacherous official.

Perhaps Wang Chonggu wasn't a treacherous official after all, but rather a label attached to him by the political infighting in the court? The court struggles were too complicated for Ke Yanchang to pay much attention to; this award for progress was an affirmation of his contributions, and he deserved it.

As Zhu Yijun and Ke Yanchang walked, they talked about the production of ferrous sulfate oil and how copper sulfate pesticides should be used.

Most of the time, Ke Yanchang did the talking while Zhu Yijun listened. Sometimes, Zhu Yijun would ask some questions, and the topic gradually shifted from pesticides to farming.

For example, the cultivation of Zhong Sheng Liang Shu No. 1 and the promotion of fast-growing poplar have led Daming to plant hundreds of thousands of acres of fast-growing poplar in many places. The rotation of artificial forests has many benefits; for every fast-growing poplar planted, one less tree is cut down.

The Ming Dynasty's demand for timber was virtually unlimited, but its vegetation cover was also very low, and soil erosion was severe. How to prevent soil erosion and manage the relationship between people and nature amidst excessive development was a challenge encountered by the Ming Dynasty on its path of development.

"The chief physicians conducted a three-year experiment on potatoes produced by Zhong Sheng Liang Shu, using three hundred specimens and making long-term observations. They found that potatoes were indeed qualified to be a staple food, and even those engaged in heavy physical labor would not experience symptoms of malnutrition," Zhu Yijun said, recounting the medical experiments on potatoes as a staple food.

Although the imperial physicians of the Ming Dynasty did not have very good testing equipment, they had specimens specially approved by the emperor for direct testing.

The nutritional value of potatoes has been proven in practice, and this high-yield crop can indeed more easily feed the people of the Ming Dynasty.

"This is truly a welcome piece of news." Ke Yanchang's eyes lit up. The biggest fear with this high-yield, easy-to-grow crop is the lack of something that the Ming Dynasty doesn't yet understand, which would prevent it from being consumed long-term and becoming a staple food.

Now it seems we can put this concern aside for the time being.

"I've heard that Dr. Ke also helped Marquis Ningyuan cultivate 500,000 mu of cotton fields. Tell me more about it," Zhu Yijun said, beginning with the story of the Western Regions expansion.

Ke Yanchang said with great emotion, "I still have to thank Marquis Ningyuan for saving my life. When I was looking for halophytes in Hami, I was captured by bandits. It was Marquis Ningyuan who rescued me by going to great lengths to save me."

"Bandits?" Zhu Yijun immediately felt a chill run down his spine!
If anything were to happen to Ke Yanchang, Zhu Yijun would probably tear all the bandits in the Western Regions to pieces, and that still wouldn't be enough to vent his anger.

The agricultural scholars dispatched by the Ming Dynasty were all accompanied by fifty imperial guards for protection. It wasn't like Ke Yanchang was left to wander alone in the desert. Perhaps it was precisely because of the guards that the bandits thought he was a big fish.

Ke Yanchang found a halophyte and sent it to Jiayuguan. With his guards reduced, he was surrounded by bandits.

The bandits were after money, not lives. When Li Chengliang learned of this, he asked Tiger, a bandit leader, to intervene and save the man. Tiger was one of the bandits who had surrendered to Li Chengliang and was considered to have been recruited. His original name was Ma Sanhu, and he was quite prestigious in the underworld.

Ma Sanhu ransomed Ke Yanchang, and Li Chengliang did not react. However, the bandits were in an uproar and directly raided the bandit den that had robbed Ke Yanchang.

If the bandits didn't do that, Li Chengliang would wipe out all the bandit dens.

After Zhu Yijun learned the whole story, he learned that Ke Yanchang did not allow anyone to report it because he felt it was not a big deal. When traveling, it is not unusual to encounter dangers. For such a trivial matter to alarm the emperor and have local officials questioned would cause Ke Yanchang some difficulties in his future travels.

"Damn bandits!" Zhu Yijun cursed viciously. He could have let it go if he didn't know, but now that he did, he couldn't just let it go.

The Ming Dynasty has armed forces stationed in the Western Regions by the Marquis of Ningyuan. These bandits have become stumbling blocks on the Ming Dynasty's path to reopening the Western Regions. So let's crush them.

Zhu Yijun immediately ordered Li Yougong to issue a decree to Marquis Ningyuan, stating that these bandits should be eradicated completely, and their heads should be used to contribute to the creation of a peaceful Western Region.

Ke Yanchang described the situation in the Western Regions in great detail, which differed from what the Ming Dynasty officials had imagined. From the kings and nobles to the common people, everyone in the Western Regions sincerely welcomed the Ming Dynasty to come and rule them.

According to the experience of people from the Western Regions, once the Central Plains dynasty arrived, the heavens would be clear and the world would be at peace.

Whenever people from the Central Plains came, people from the Western Regions would support them in establishing rule. There was even a saying in the Western Regions: "Han envoys are like parents; they are truly not to be left behind."

During the transition between the Western and Eastern Han dynasties, the Western Regions lost contact with the Central Plains. When Emperor Guangwu re-established the Eastern Han dynasty, the country's strength was limited, and there was no intention to reopen the Protectorate of the Western Regions. The Western Regions were then ruled by the Xiongnu, whose rule over the Western Regions was utterly abhorrent to both gods and men.

Despite repeated petitions from various kingdoms in the Western Regions, Marquis Ban Chao of Dingyuan reopened trade routes to the Western Regions and managed them for thirty years, bringing stability and prosperity to the region.

By the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Western Regions had once again lost contact with the Central Plains. It wasn't until the transition between the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties that Yelü Dashi of the Liao Dynasty fled to the Western Regions and established the Western Liao Dynasty. He gained the support of the people of the Western Regions and did a very good job managing the Western Regions.

For the people of the Western Regions, the people sent by the emperors of the Central Plains were trustworthy. They did not trust people from other directions, as these rulers could only bring turmoil and bloodshed.

The Western Regions have been conquered by rulers from all directions since ancient times: the Xiongnu in the north, the Tibetans in the south, and the Persians and Timur in the west. These rulers were all more brutal and more unconventional than the last.

Only rulers from the Central Plains could promote agricultural technology, build water conservancy projects, mediate conflicts between the various states in the Western Regions, and end the wars.

The well-drilling and karez well-making techniques left behind by Ban Chao still protect all the people of the Western Regions.

Moreover, contrary to what the emperor and the scholar-officials thought, the Western Regions were an agricultural area, not a nomadic area. Every year, oasis farmland was developed by relying on snowmelt and groundwater. The people in the agricultural area naturally tended to be more inclined to follow the agricultural Central Plains dynasty.

Even in the pastoral areas north of the Tianshan Mountains, the locals will grow some crops instead of migrating with the water and changing seasons. They live a fixed pastoral life and do not approve of migration. Of course, no one in this world wants to be a vagrant.

Li Chengliang's construction of the Iron Gate Pass and Hot Spring Pass garnered the support and admiration of the locals, because what he did seemed no different from what Ban Chao did: reclaiming wasteland, building water conservancy projects, constructing passes to prevent invasion, mediating conflicts between various parties, and stopping the killing.

Of course, this doesn't mean there aren't any die-hards; when force is needed, Li Chengliang is never stingy with it.

Ke Yanchang meant that reopening the Western Regions was simpler than the court had anticipated, at least because it had a strong foundation of public opinion and historical inertia. The people did not resist the Han people coming to establish rule. With this premise, many things became much simpler.

After the construction of Wenquan Pass, the Ming Dynasty could set up the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and Li Chengliang could become the Grand Protector of the Western Regions. Although Li Chengliang was already old, he still wanted to make achievements and at least raise his family's title to Duke.

Zhu Yijun, along with Ke Yanchang, Zhang Juzheng, and Qi Jiguang, had lunch together at the Wuying Tower in the Beidaying Camp. Zhu Yijun then took the time to write an imperial edict to the Western Regions, instructing Li Chengliang not to let these bandits get away with it. How dare they provoke the Ming Emperor! They couldn't be allowed to live. Each of the agricultural scholars was a valuable asset; Zhu Yijun was unwilling to lose any of them.

After lunch, Zhu Yijun reviewed the troops at the Beida Camp. In the afternoon, he returned to the Imperial Study in Tonghe Palace to continue handling state affairs and general matters. The memorials were numerous and complicated, and he did not finish dealing with them until dinner time.

“This article is interesting.” Zhu Yijun picked up a miscellaneous newspaper. The People’s Daily published a miscellaneous newspaper titled “A Study of the Families of Jinshi Scholars—Wealth and Rank Do Not Last Three Generations.”

This article examines the lineage of 2088 verifiable Jinshi families from the Hongwu to the Wanli periods. First, the geographical distribution is extremely uneven, with the families concentrated in Zhejiang and the Southern Prefecture. Second, among these 2088 Jinshi families, the number of families that passed down the lineage from one to seven generations is 311, 1500, 209, 51, 12, 4, and 1, respectively.

Nearly 86% of the families of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) in the Ming Dynasty did not last three generations, and only 10% did. The probability of not lasting more than three generations was 96%. This was in stark contrast to the military merits, who included hereditary commanders of thousands and hundreds of households. Almost all of them had descendants. The "Annotated Records of Selected Officials of Shaanxi, Gansu and Suiwei" records this in great detail, showing that their lineage was almost unbroken.

Families of scholars who passed the imperial examinations rarely enjoy wealth and status beyond three generations.

This scholar spent five years researching why these families of successful candidates in the imperial examinations declined, and finally came to the conclusion that there was only one reason for the extinction of any family that could be verified: internal strife, which led to the decay and collapse of the family structure.

The internal strife was extremely serious, with wives and concubines vying for favor, sisters-in-law fighting within the household, brothers quarreling, officials accusing each other, framing and falsely accusing others, hiring hitmen to commit murder, bribing jailers to kill in prison, being cuckolded, divorcing wives, and nephews drowning their aunts in ponds. The methods were varied and numerous, and the drama was several times more exciting than the messy stories written in those vernacular novels.

The author cited the Xu family of Changshu, Suzhou as an example.

Xu Shi was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 26th year of the Jiajing reign (1567) and rose to the position of Minister of Works in Nanjing. He died in the 9th year of the Wanli reign (1588) at the age of 63. Not long after Xu Shi's death, the Xu family of Changshu could no longer hold on.

Xu Shi had a son and a daughter. Naturally, the daughter, who had passed the imperial examination, had to marry the son, so Xu Shi found a good match for his daughter.

Xu's daughter married Qu Ruji, whose father was Qu Jingchun, who ranked first in the provincial examination and second in the palace examination in the twenty-third year of the Jiajing reign, and rose to the position of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Unexpectedly, not long after Xu's daughter entered the family, her father-in-law, Qu Jingchun, passed away. According to the etiquette of mourning, Qu Ruji was required to observe three years of mourning, during which time he was not allowed to share a room with Xu's daughter.

Xu was to endure three years of widowhood. Unable to control her desires, she fell for her husband's younger brother, Qu Rukui. The two exchanged glances and ended up in bed together.

When the husband, Qu Ruji, learned of this, he flew into a rage and wrote a letter, "A Letter in Reply to Xu Sikong," informing his father-in-law, Xu Shi, that he wanted to divorce his wife.

Xu Shi was a government official who valued his reputation above all else. Naturally, he refused to let his son-in-law divorce his wife and even promised him some benefits.

Qu Ruji was a man of strong emotions, and he wrote another letter in reply, determined to divorce his wife. Xu was divorced and returned to her parents' home.

Enraged, Xu Shi began to make things difficult for his former son-in-law, Qu Ruji.

Qu Ruji would be beaten up as soon as he walked down the street. A large group of Xu Shi's students, former officials, relatives and friends would do everything they could to suppress Qu Ruji.

This former son-in-law, Qu Ruji, is a decisive and ruthless man. If you, Xu Shi, are not afraid of losing face, then let's make it known to the whole world!
Qu Ruji directly corresponded with his former father-in-law and brought his adulterous brother to the yamen to accuse Xu Shi of illegal acts. These affairs of the Xu family women became famous throughout the land.

The matter became known to the whole world. Xu Shi finally imprisoned his daughter at home, forbidding her from seeing her lover. However, he did not stop suppressing his former son-in-law and even planned to bribe the jailer to kill him. How could the jailer dare to take on such a big case? In the end, Qu Ruji was released by the yamen.

Xu Shi also had a son named Xu Shangde.

Xu Shangde had three wives and one concubine. His first two wives died not long after they married him. Xu Shangde then took a concubine named Zhou, who was very capable and gave birth to three sons for him, all of whom were healthy.

Just when Zhou thought that she could become the principal wife from a concubine because of her son, Xu Shangde married his principal wife, An.

The first conflict began.

The Zhou and An families began their power struggle. An, who came from a wealthy family, was skilled in such struggles and was also very capable, giving birth to three sons in one go. In the end, Zhou died, and An completely took control of the household.

An won, but her methods terrified her husband, who then gave the Imperial Academy spot, awarded to his concubine Zhou's eldest son born out of wedlock.

The second conflict began.

This time, thanks to her status as the mother of the family, Madam An left most of her property to her son, rather than the eldest son born to her concubine, Madam Zhou. Madam An won again in this second round.

However, the eldest son of a concubine obtained a place as a student of the Imperial Academy through hereditary privilege. This was reported to the court and could not be changed. After serving his full term at the Imperial Academy, he passed the performance evaluation and became an official, eventually rising to the rank of fifth-grade Nanjing Ministry of Justice official.

This official position might not seem significant in the imperial court, but it carries immense weight in the local government.

The eldest son, along with two other sons born out of wedlock and three legitimate sons, launched the third conflict.

This third dispute dragged on for a long time, eventually leading the Nanjing Imperial Censor Deng Cheng to write in his closing report that "Xu Changzuo (the eldest son of a concubine), the former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, committed adultery and abducted his father," summarizing this absurd family feud.

This eldest son of a concubine drowned his aunt, Xu, who had been divorced for her immoral behavior;

The situation wasn't peaceful either. The second son actually colluded with outsiders, disguised himself as a bandit, and robbed his own father, who was so angered that he died.

The eldest son of a concubine was arrested for drowning his aunt, but the eldest son of the legitimate wife bribed the jailer to poison her in the prison cell.
The second and third sons of the concubines pretended to be the ghost of their father, seeking his life, and scared the second son of the legitimate wife to death.

When the battle between the legitimate and illegitimate sons came to an end, all the lives of the Xu family members had been lost, leaving only the second son, an illegitimate son, who made a living by selling his calligraphy and writing letters. Not to mention an official family, his family had become a laughing stock in Changshu.

This stepmother, née An, came from the An family of Wuxi, Jiangsu. Her father was known as An Baiwan, a wealthy family with assets of one million taels of silver. She also had a son named An Xifan, who was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the fourteenth year of the Wanli reign.

The power struggle within the An family is also underway.

An Xifan was also a son born out of wedlock, and he was An Baiwan's son born late in life. The second conflict had already begun, and the Imperial Inspector had already handled two cases of infighting within the An family, which were just as exciting as those within the Xu family.

After reading the miscellaneous article, Zhu Yijun remained silent for a long time before saying, "It seems that our young master Wang and young master Yang are quite promising."

Although Wang Qian did not get along with his father, his character was recognized by Hai Rui and Zhang Juzheng, and his talent was undeniable; otherwise, Zhu Yijun would not have sent him to Luzon to stabilize the region.

Young Master Yang is Yang Bo's son, Yang Junmin. Yang Junmin works like a slave in the position of Assistant Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, suffering from all sides. He is squeezed by the emperor, court officials, military officers, powerful and influential people, and wealthy merchants. Despite all these pressures, Yang Junmin still manages to maintain the situation with difficulty, and he does it quite well. In fact, he has become more and more adept at it in the last two years.

Although Zhang Juzheng's sons were not in official positions, they lived in harmony and did not engage in any internal strife.

But not all the officials in the court were like that.

Hai Rui's adopted son wanted to use Hai Rui's reputation to exchange for money, but was angrily rebuked by the emperor and replaced with a son of the imperial clan.

Ling Yunyi's son even used his father's name to cheat in the imperial examinations, forcing Ling Yunyi to retire. If he hadn't made great contributions and been willing to retire, the censors would have impeached him long ago.

"It is the father's fault if the son is not taught well. The story of Duke Wencheng teaching his son has become an interesting anecdote in the capital, and it is known throughout the world." Li Yougong felt that this was no accident.

Hai Rui's adopted son dared to do this entirely because of the adoption, which prevented Hai Rui from strictly disciplining him, while Ling Yunyi was constantly traveling and neglected to manage his son.

Yang Bo is known for his strictness towards his son.

When Yang Junmin was a child, he punched a pageboy and refused to apologize. He was almost beaten to death by Yang Bo. Yang Junmin knelt in the snow, holding the family precepts, for two whole hours before he was allowed to return to the house after his mother pleaded for him. He then fell seriously ill and almost died.

The same was true in the palace. His Majesty was busy with state affairs and had no time to discipline the children, but His Majesty the Empress did not care about the children. Even being lazy would result in a beating. The Emperor and Empress even had an argument about education once, and in the end, the Empress won.

Empress Dowager Li was dissatisfied with the Empress and even wanted to support Consort Ran to oppose the Empress. This was because the Empress had the same strict requirements for all the imperial heirs, which were rather harsh.

The reason why Your Majesty's imperial heirs are so promising is not because they are spoiled, but because they are well-managed.

There is also Prince Zhu Yiliu of Lu. Empress Dowager Li dotes on Prince Zhu Yiliu, but Prince Zhu Yiliu has been beaten by His Majesty quite a bit since he was a child.

Li Yougong was the sparring partner and witnessed it firsthand more than ten times. Each time, His Majesty used the guise of sparring to beat Zhu Yiliu until he was bruised and battered.

Otherwise, with Zhu Yiliu's mischievous nature, who knows what kind of trouble he would have caused? His ability to stand on his own now is closely related to the education he received from His Majesty, his elder brother.

"It's easier said than done. I know that, but I just can't bear to scold Zhi'er and Chao'er. When these children misbehave, the maids whip them with willow branches. It's really unbearable to watch." Zhu Yijun put down his newspaper and sighed. He knew this principle, but he couldn't bring himself to be ruthless.

Wang Yaozhuo was ruthless enough to do it; once she started, she never hesitated.

Zhu Yijun couldn't bear to watch, so he simply stopped looking and left the education of his child entirely to Wang Yaozhuo.

Li Yougong said with a smile, "The situation in the palace is somewhat different."

The relationship between His Majesty the Emperor and his princes is not only that of father and son, but also that of ruler and subject. Adding the layer of ruler-subject relationship makes things very complicated.

Any admonition Your Majesty gives could send a signal similar to establishing or deposing an heir. If Your Majesty really gives Zhu Changzhi a severe beating, the court officials might interpret it as a sign that the crown prince is going to be replaced.

A true king is impartial; His Majesty really cannot beat the princes. The Empress must shoulder the heavy responsibility of educating them. The Empress has raised a bunch of useless fools who don't even have a qualified heir. How can the Empress participate in the suburban sacrifices, worship the ancestors on the spirit path, and be buried with His Majesty?

The empress receives such treatment, but she also bears responsibility; the foundation of the nation rests on her shoulders.

"Transfer it to the official gazette." Zhu Yijun personally approved this "Examination of the Families of Jinshi" to use direct data to tell all Jinshi officials in the country to take good care of their children, otherwise these family misfortunes would surely happen.

A staggering 96% of families that produced Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) could not pass down their lineage for more than three generations—this number is truly alarming.

It wasn't just families of scholars who had passed the imperial examinations that were like this; in fact, the power struggles within some influential and wealthy families were also quite brutal and equally ruthless.

(End of this chapter)