Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"The great defense between Chinese and barbarians, the distinction between Chinese and barbarians, this article is great!"

"The more we debate the truth, the clearer it becomes. We should debate it more often."

Looking at the article presented by Qian Qianyi, Zhu Youjian praised it.

He was not afraid of people debating this, and was even very supportive of starting with the defense against foreign invaders and inspiring nationalism.

But Qian Qianyi was very worried. He thought the emperor didn't understand, so he reminded him:

"The difference between Chinese and barbarians should be distinguished."

"But the text uses Confucius' saying, 'It is better for the barbarians to have no ruler than for the Chinese to have one,' and argues that the barbarians should not be the rulers of China."

"In this case, it would be somewhat inappropriate for Emperor Shizu of Yuan to be in the Imperial Temple."

"Should we ask him to leave again?"

These words reminded the emperor that Ai Nanying's article would have an impact on Kublai Khan's status.

You can't just put him back in the Imperial Temple a few years ago and then invite him back now?
What would the emperor become then? Would he have to change his orders every day?

Zhu Youjian had not thought of this before. After hearing these words, he remembered that when he first ascended the throne, he restored the worship of Kublai Khan in the Imperial Temple in order to win over the Mongols.

Now it seems that it is indeed inappropriate. The imperial temples enshrine the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Yu of Xia, Tang of Shang, King Wu of Zhou, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Emperor Guangwu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Taizu of Song, and Emperor Shizu of Yuan. Compared with other emperors, Kublai Khan can indeed be called a barbarian king.

If we continue to distinguish between Chinese and barbarians, there will definitely be people who criticize this point.

No wonder Qian Qianyi took this article and presented it to me.

"Do you want me to admit my mistake?"

"What should I do now?"

Zhu Youjian's thoughts were racing in his mind, and he was trying to get away with it.

But just as he was about to say it, he suddenly remembered the eight words he had given to Qian Qianyi, and laughed loudly:
"Just argue however you want, don't worry about my attitude."

"The more the truth is debated, the clearer it becomes. Even I must seek truth from facts."

"If the people think that Emperor Shizu of Yuan should not be in the Imperial Temple, then please ask him to leave."

“All those who study and work should have this understanding.”

He openly admitted that his previous considerations were inappropriate so that Qian Qianyi would not have to worry about it.

Compared to when he first ascended the throne and tried to win over all forces to deal with the Jianlu, Zhu Youjian has now determined, after the Battle of Daning, that the victory of the Ming Dynasty is only a matter of time.

In addition, the grasslands south of the desert were swept by the Jianlu, and the Ming army also entered there after expelling the Jianlu.

The Mongols now pose no threat to the power of the Ming Dynasty, so their importance to the Ming Dynasty naturally declines. Zhu Youjian does not need to worry about their attitudes and make gestures to win them over.

His previous order to relocate Mongols who were unwilling to naturalize was a reflection of this point.

There would be no big problem in discussing the status of Emperor Shizu of Yuan Dynasty now.

It is not just the status of Emperor Shizu that needs to be discussed, but also the status of the Yuan Dynasty. It is confirmed that the legitimacy of the Ming Dynasty comes from the expulsion of the barbarians, and Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang is a great man who rebuilt China.

In order to achieve this, it's okay to admit some mistakes. After all, the imperial decree is confirmed by the ministers in the court. If there is a mistake, both the emperor and the ministers are responsible.

Zhu Youjian even thought about it, if a big problem really occurred, he would let the then Prime Minister Huang Liji take the blame and take the initiative to shoulder the responsibility.

Qian Qianyi didn't know what the emperor was thinking. He thought the emperor was really seeking truth from facts and was brave enough to admit his mistakes. He was touched for a moment and said very respectfully:
"Your Majesty seeks truth from facts, how can I disobey you?"

"I will arrange to publish this article and let the people of the world discuss it."

Zhu Youjian nodded in approval, looked at the author of the article, and praised:
"Ai Nanying's article on the defense between China and foreign countries is very insightful."

"The Normal School is really full of talented people, both teachers and students."

"It seems that this school has a good atmosphere, with clear water and luxuriant trees!"

"Putting it next to Tsinghua University was a good idea."

"In the future, my children will also be placed in Tsinghua Garden to be educated in the school."

He was so happy that he gave the Normal School the nickname of Tsinghua School, and asked Sun Qifeng and others to establish affiliated middle schools, primary schools and kindergartens.

Before the renovation of the imperial palace was completed, some of his children were placed in Tsinghua Garden and educated at the Normal School.

Qian Qianyi listened to the emperor's sigh and knew that Ai Nanying had caught the emperor's eye, so he added:

"Mr. Ai is not only a good writer, he also wrote a book called "The Complete History of Ancient and Modern Times" with more than 1,000 volumes, which is now being serialized."

"Should he be specially appointed as a Yuanshi and enter the National History Museum of the Hanlin Academy?"

Zhu Youjian wrote down the four characters "Tsinghua Academy". Hearing this proposal, he nodded and said:

"Ainanying's knowledge is more than enough for him to be a Yuanshi."

"But whether he can be specially awarded as a Yuanshi depends on whether his articles are recognized."

"If his view on the defense of the Chinese and the barbarians can defeat others and his Complete History of Ancient and Modern Times has made contributions to historiography, he can indeed be granted the status of a Yuanshi."

"You and the officials of the Ministry of Rites should pay more attention to him and recommend him as a talent."

He approved Qian Qianyi's proposal and let him take charge of it.

Qian Qianyi happily accepted the order and listened to the emperor's instructions:

"Next year will be the imperial examination, and we must first seek opinions from this year's Yuanshi candidates."

"Only those who are determined not to take the imperial examination can become Yuanshi. Otherwise, they will automatically give up their status as Yuanshi."

"I don't want some people to become Yuanshi but look down on it and want to take the Jinshi exam as a Yuanshi."

"You must know that the status of Yuanshi and Jinshi is the same, and the probation period is four years."

This was his original intention in establishing the Yuanshi degree, to be regarded as the same as the Jinshi degree.

As a minister in the court, Qian Qianyi certainly knew this, and he also knew why the emperor specifically mentioned this.

Because the number of candidates for the provincial examination was very large, many juren were admitted this year. Next year, another 800 jinshi candidates will be selected, and many juren will become jinshi.

As long as these people become Jinshi, they can obtain a position from the eighth to the sixth rank, which is at least half a rank higher than the ninth rank obtained by Yuanshi.

Therefore, some Yuanshi who thought they could pass the imperial examination felt unfair. They thought that if it were not for the Yuanshi status restriction, they could pass the imperial examination. Some people even complained in the newspapers that Yuanshi should be allowed to pass the imperial examination.

The emperor's words today are a response to these people:
Yuanshi will never be allowed to take the Jinshi examination to maintain the equal status of the two.

However, this did not solve the grievances of some Yuanshi, so Qian Qianyi tried to say:

"A Yuanshi can only be granted the ninth rank. Isn't that a bit low?"

"I think that since Yuanshi is equal to Jinshi, they should be treated the same." Zhu Youjian was a little surprised and looked at Qian Qianyi and said:

"Is it still considered low to be a ninth-rank official in the Hanlin Academy?"

"Only the first-class Jinshi can directly become a Hanlin."

Now it was Qian Qianyi's turn to be stunned. He opened his mouth and said with a dry mouth:
"A ninth-rank official in the Hanlin Academy can also be considered a Hanlin?"

"They are just low-level officials in the Hanlin Academy."

Zhu Youjian said as a matter of course:
"They are all officials of the Hanlin Academy. Can they still not be considered as being from the Hanlin Academy?"

"The Yuanshi are all national talents. Putting them in the Hanlin Academy is to reserve talents for the country."

"If someone has made many contributions over the years, he can be promoted from the ninth rank."

To which level will he be promoted? Of course, it means the rank of Grand Secretary.

Because compared with other officials, the most important thing for Hanlin officials is that they can enter the cabinet in the future.

The Cabinet used to be a subsidiary of the Hanlin Academy, and only Hanlin officials could serve as Cabinet Grand Secretaries.

Qian Qianyi never imagined that the emperor would regard the ninth-rank secretary of the Hanlin Academy as an official of the Hanlin Academy.

This was different from what he expected, and even many ministers had not thought of this.

Thinking that the future Hanlin Academy Shujishi would face competition from Yuanshi, some of whom were even from official backgrounds, Qian Qianyi knew that this remark would cause an uproar if it were spread, so he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and advised:

"Scholars must pass the county examination, prefectural examination, academy examination, provincial examination, metropolitan examination, palace examination, and the Hanlin Academy examination before they can become Shujishi and become officials of the Hanlin Academy."

"Now that your majesty has granted them the status of Yuanshi, he can directly appoint them as Hanlin scholars. This is too unfair to Shujishi."

"I think that a ninth-rank official is not considered a Hanlin."

Zhu Youjian frowned and said unhappily:

"They are all officials of the Hanlin Academy. Is there any difference?"

"From what you said, only the first-class Jinshi and Shujishi are considered to be from the Hanlin Academy?"

Qian Qianyi nodded hurriedly and said:
"exactly!"

"Only the first-class Jinshi and Shujishi are considered to be from the Hanlin Academy."

"They are the best of the best among the Jinshi candidates. Should the Grand Secretary be selected from among them?"

This was the custom in the past and is still maintained today.

Zhu Youjian did not want the cabinet to have too much power, so he did not change this. However, if Yuan Shi's position as a ninth-rank official was not counted as a Hanlin, it would be too unfair to Yuan Shi.

So he remained silent for a while, waiting to see how Qian Qianyi would solve this problem.

Qian Qianyi may not be very proficient in practical matters, but as a student of the Imperial Academy, he is well versed in these matters. He quickly came up with a good idea and said:
"I think that since the status of Yuanshi is equivalent to Jinshi, then they should be allowed to take the examination of Shujishi."

"Only after you have the status of Shujishi can you be considered a member of the Hanlin Academy, and after you are dismissed from office, you can directly serve as a seventh-rank official."

This is a test for Yuanshi, but also an opportunity to be promoted directly to the seventh rank official.

At the same time, he could eliminate those Yuanshi who came from official backgrounds or craftsmen, and prevent them from obtaining the status of Hanlin.

Zhu Youjian pondered Qian Qianyi's suggestion and said:

"Let the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Academy discuss this."

"My requirement is that we cannot let Yuanshi be lower than Jinshi, so that people will not look down on this status."

After confirming this principle, he thought of another thing and said casually:

"Some time ago, I saw some people write good essays in the essay contest between the emperor, his subjects and the people."

"You should compile the most recognized and widely circulated articles into a book and publish it. The best authors should be specially granted the status of Yuanshi and recruited to serve in the Congress Preparatory Office."

“The Ministry of Rites and the National Assembly should discuss the candidates and must nominate someone who is recognized by the people and has no group opposition.”

"I think Chen Jiru wrote it well, but he said 'a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent'. The Queen has some opinions on this."

"Let him explain this sentence carefully, and let Congress also discuss the status of women in Congress."

This is another troublesome matter because the current Congress has not considered women.

Zhu Youjian read Chen Jiru's article and thought of what he had written before, "A woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent," so he specifically raised this point.

He hoped that Chen Jiru could solve the problem of women's status in Congress and include women in Congress.

If Chen Jiru could not solve the problem, he would naturally be opposed by women. His views on the relationship between the monarch, the subjects and the people would not be recognized by all the people, and he would not be able to obtain the status of a Yuanshi.

Qian Qianyi felt a headache just thinking about it. Fortunately, the emperor did not give this matter to him, but asked Chen Jiru to do it.

With this idea in mind, Qian Qianyi took the emperor's instructions and passed the relevant matters to the Ministry of Rites, the National Assembly, and the Hanlin Academy. He also wrote a letter to Chen Jiru to inform him of this.

Chen Jiru was far away in Suzhou, so it took him some time to receive the news. However, people in the capital quickly knew the emperor's position on Yuan Shi.

Qian Jiazheng, Chen Zilong, Fang Yizhi and others who served as ninth-rank secretaries in the Hanlin Academy were ecstatic. They never imagined that the emperor appointed them as ninth-rank secretaries because he regarded them as being from the Hanlin Academy.

Ai Nanying, who had the opportunity to be specially awarded as a Yuanshi, was also very excited. He vigorously promoted the idea of ​​defending against foreign invaders in the newspapers and argued with those who disagreed.

For a time, the newspapers in the capital were bustling with people, and many scholars and common people were discussing the distinction between Chinese and barbarians.

What the Jianlu did in Liaodong was also dug up, and the saying of killing the poor and the rich was once again widely circulated.

Li Yu, who hosts the Royal Orchestra, took this opportunity to launch a carefully written drama "Blood of Liaodong".

This play, written at the emperor's order, was a mobilization for the Liaodong War next year.

The three main characters in the play are based on Mao Wenlong, Li Yongfang and Liu Xingzuo. It tells the story of the different choices made by the Han people in Liaodong when facing the Jianlu. It praises the rebellious Mao Wenlong and the rebellious Liu Xingzuo, and despises traitors like Li Yongfang.

Because the story is based on real events, and the main writer Li Yu is very good at writing historical dramas, "Blood of Liaodong" was well received by the public as soon as it was released, and the performances were sold out.

Many people learned about the sufferings of the Han people in Liaodong and the blood debt committed by the Jianlu, and realized what the great defense between Chinese and barbarians meant and what the distinction between Chinese and barbarians meant.

There were constant calls to eliminate the Jianlu and avenge the Han people in Liaodong, and some passionate people even took the initiative to join the army and fight in Liaodong.

Ai Nanying's idea of ​​"great defense against the barbarians" quickly became the mainstream of the debate on the two. Confucian scholars in the Yuan Dynasty, such as Hao Jing and Xu Heng, supported the orthodoxy of the barbarians and were despised by the people.

However, some people still recognized their idea that "whoever can follow the Chinese way will be the ruler of China". The status of Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, was still unresolved.

These people believed that since Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty could implement Han law, he was the emperor of China. The Yuan Dynasty was also orthodox and inherited the status of the Song and Jin dynasties.

Others insist that "it is better for the barbarians to have a king than for the Chinese to have no king" and believe that no matter how well Kublai Khan did, he was not the emperor of China.

Neither group could convince the other, and the argument continued in the court. After consideration, Zhu Youjian asked them to hold the court discussion in front of him. He intended to thoroughly determine the issue and clarify the status of the Yuan Dynasty and Emperor Shizu. (End of this chapter)