Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Translation School.

After his identity problem was resolved, Mao Pijiang became active again.

And because of this experience, he vigorously promoted the distinction between Chinese and barbarians in school and supported Ai Nanying's proposal of a great defense against Chinese and barbarians.

As a teacher at the Normal School, Ai Nanying was also quite famous among the teachers in the capital. In order to avoid the controversy of barbarization caused by learning foreign languages, the Translation School specially invited him to give lectures and listed the "Chinese and barbarian defense" as a compulsory course.

As a student of the Translation School, Jin Zizhong also attended this course and learned about the latest policies of the Ming Dynasty court.

After the course ended, he immediately found the Crown Prince Li Wang and said:
"Your Majesty, good news!"

"The Ming Dynasty accepts the naturalization of foreigners, and they can become Chinese and Han people."

Li Wang had also read relevant news in the newspapers and was very concerned about the current hot news in the Ming Dynasty. Even one of his tasks in the Ming Dynasty was to send this news back.

He was naturally very concerned about the content about vassal monarchs and the distinction between Chinese and barbarians. However, he did not think that the Ming Dynasty's naturalization policy had anything to do with him, and sighed:
"The Ming Dynasty accepts foreigners as naturalized, but they must follow Chinese etiquette."

"Even Emperor Shizu of Yuan Dynasty was considered as a half-Chinese and half-barbarian ruler, let alone us, Korea?"

It is obvious that the situation in Korea is understood, and the degree of sinicization cannot be compared with that of the previous Yuan Dynasty.

Getting involved in this matter would be completely self-humiliating, as the people of the Ming Dynasty would emphasize your foreign identity.

For him, who admired China, this was undoubtedly asking others to step on his face.

He is the crown prince of Korea, why should he make himself unhappy!

Jin Zizhong didn't think so. He thought this was a good opportunity and said to Li Wang:

"A ruler who is half Chinese and half barbarian is better than a barbarian ruler!"

"The Ming Dynasty's imperial temples all worshipped Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, which shows that the people of the Ming Dynasty still recognized the emperor of the Banhua people."

"If Your Majesty can make Korea be recognized as a half-Chinese country by the Ming Dynasty, it will be a big step towards leaving the barbarians and joining the Chinese."

"In the future, the history of Korea and even the Ming Dynasty will praise your majesty."

This was something Li Wang had never thought about. Before, when talking about "half Chinese and half barbarian", he only paid attention to the "half barbarian" and even used this to measure himself, feeling quite inferior.

However, they did not notice that "half-Chinese" was ranked before "half-barbarian". The Ming Dynasty generally praised the rulers who were half-Chinese and half-barbarian, believing that they were progressive compared to the rulers who were completely barbarians.

So he became excited all of a sudden, stood up and paced around and said:

"It's good to leave the barbarians and enter China!"

"My country, Korea, originated from Jizi, and is originally a descendant of the Chinese people."

"Our dynasty has been very successful in education, and we usually call ourselves Little China."

“If I am recognized as half-Chinese by the Ming Dynasty, I will not be listed with the barbarians.”

"How can barbarians like the Jurchens and the Japanese compare with Korea?"

My mind was immediately opened up, and I automatically skipped the word "half-barbarian" and planned to use "half-Chinese".

Gain psychological advantage over the barbarians and suppress the Jurchens and Japanese who invaded Korea many times.

He said to Jin Zizhong:

"Jin Qing, I know how loyal you are."

"What do you think we should do about the matter of escaping from the barbarians and entering China?"

Jin Zizhong was thinking of Mao Pijiang, who was promoting the distinction between Chinese and foreigners at the Translation School, and recommended him:
"We are outsiders to the Ming Dynasty after all. We don't understand what's going on in the court, so we need help."

"My classmate at the Translation School, Mao Pijiang, is the son of Mao Qizong, an official at the Taichang Temple."

"They are descendants of Tuohuan, the ninth son of Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty and the Prince of Zhennan. They are now considered Han Chinese."

"Mao Qizong was a Jinshi and a famous scholar in Yangzhou. He had close contacts with Qian Qianyi and others from the Donglin Party."

"It is said that Mao Pijiang was almost granted the status of a Yuanshi when he and Fang Yizhi invented the rickshaw together."

"Because of the controversy over the use of human labor, the award was ultimately given to only Fang Yizhi, who invented the rail car."

"This person can be said to be in the emperor's heart. With his assistance, it will be easier to escape from the barbarians and enter China."

Li Wang nodded repeatedly and immediately asked him to invite Mao Pijiang.

I was also afraid that I couldn't invite him, so I asked him to bring an expensive gift.

Jin Zizhong said:

"The gift is secondary. The key is to make Mao Pijiang feel that he has a chance to make a contribution."

"He almost became a Yuanshi back then. If he performs meritorious service again, he might be granted the status of a Yuanshi."

"Please write a letter to formally invite him to participate in this matter."

"It can be used as evidence when the merits are awarded in the future."

Li Wang readily accepted the suggestion and immediately wrote a letter personally inviting Mao Pijiang to have a chat.
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Mao Pijiang was very happy when he received Li Wang's handwritten letter.

Although many students from various universities received invitations from princes and nobles, only a few of them were personally invited in writing.

Not to mention that North Korea's escape from foreign rule and entry into China was, in his opinion, a perfect opportunity to make a contribution.

He had not even been admitted to the Normal School before, so he already knew that his eight-legged essay writing skills were not worth mentioning in the world. He had no expertise in etiquette or mathematics, so if he wanted to become an official, it would be best for him to obtain the status of a Yuanshi.

So he had already decided in his heart to accept the invitation from the Crown Prince of Korea.

But I still have to make some judgment, so I said to Jin Zizhong:
"I am deeply honored to be invited by the prince."

"But this is a serious matter. Please allow me to discuss it with my father, Brother Jin."

Jin Zizhong felt a little unhappy and thought that Mao Pijiang was a little ungrateful.

If it were in Korea, even though Mao Pijiang was a scholar of the Ming Dynasty, he would have no chance to meet the crown prince.

But now in the Ming Dynasty, famous people like Mao Pijiang and his father Mao Qizong must not be offended. Even the princes of the Ming Dynasty did not dare to offend them easily.

So he could only say politely:
"This is indeed a big deal. I hope Brother Mao will consider it carefully."

"We in North Korea have always admired China, and we hope that with the help of Brother Mao, we can complete the preparations to leave the barbarians and enter China."

After talking with Mao Pijiang, he put down the gift and left.

After he left, Mao Pijiang saw the tax bill on the gift and ordered someone to pay the tax as well.

He had actually decided to help the Crown Prince of Korea, so naturally he was not polite about it.

When Mao Qizong learned about this, he was also very supportive and said happily:
"If you can accomplish this, you will have done a great service to China."

"In the future, all barbarians who come to China will take this as an example."

"My fake family's identity and bloodline will no longer attract criticism."

"No one can say that our Mao family is barbarians!"

He supported his son's participation in this matter and helped North Korea escape from foreign rule and join China.

He also warned:

"You can help the Crown Prince of Joseon, but you must never become his subject."

"Otherwise, you will be branded as a vassal and it will be difficult for you to become a minister in the court in the future."

"The number of official positions available to vassal states is limited, especially since Korea is only a vassal state."

As the court of the entire empire and its vassal states, the Ming court officials naturally could not all come from the empire. The court was already discussing allowing officials from vassal states to serve in the Ming court.

However, these positions were obviously limited, and not all vassal states had ministers.

Mao Qizong didn't want his son to be branded as a vassal, so he could only compete for the positions open to vassal states. Mao Pijiang also knew the sensitivity of this and nodded:

"The child remembers!"

"I will definitely be loyal to the Ming Emperor first."

"But the process of escaping from the barbarians and entering China will not wait for anyone. I can't just pass the imperial examination and help them, right?"

Mao Qizong frowned and thought for a while, then said:
"It doesn't matter!"

"You can go directly to the Lifanyuan as a clerk as a translator."

"Then your father will help you arrange for your appointment to the Crown Prince of Joseon."

"This way you are sent by the court and have a legitimate identity."

Mao Pijiang was unhappy to hear this because he did not want to be a clerk.

This identity was discriminated against in the Ming Dynasty. It was only after the current emperor ascended the throne that things got a little better, and clerks got the opportunity to be promoted to officials.

However, they are also discriminated against in official circles, and most of them are low-level officials.

Mao Pijiang said reluctantly:

"There's no need for clerks!"

"As long as the child does not recognize the Crown Prince of Joseon as his master, that will be all."

"That way you won't be his."

Mao Qizong pointed at his nose and said with some regret:
"You! You still don't know how dangerous the political world is."

"Can you explain this clearly?"

"As long as the Crown Prince of Joseon grants you an official position, you will be branded by him."

"Listen to your father and work in the Lifanyuan. Try to be an outstanding official and be granted the status of a Yuanshi."

"Then strive to pass the imperial examination and become a true imperial scholar."

This was exactly what he planned, to gain the opportunity to be a specially granted Yuanshi as an official.

After Mao Pijiang understood, he suddenly said:

"So this is what my father thought."

"Can a Yuanshi take the exam to become a Shujishi? Is this settled?"

Mao Qizong twirled his beard and said:
"The emperor said that he handed this matter over to Qian Muzhai, and he is actually very concerned about this matter."

"In the compilation of the History of the Mongols and Yuan Dynasty, Chen Zilong and Ai Nanying were appointed as proofreaders, a position previously held only by officials from the Imperial Academy."

"Now that the emperor has made this appointment, it means that if the court does not approve it, the emperor will make the ninth-rank secretary an official of the Imperial Academy."

"It is basically a foregone conclusion that a Yuanshi can take the Shujishi examination."

Mao Pijiang suddenly understood why Ai Nanying had been happily promoting the distinction between Chinese and barbarians these days.

Since he doesn't have to worry about the imperial examinations, doesn't he have the leisure time to promote knowledge?

Thinking of Chen Zilong, who was only three years older than him, he felt a sense of urgency:
My peers are so outstanding, how can I waste time?

The officialdom now practices the grinding and inspection system, so we cannot always lag behind others.
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After agreeing on how to proceed, Mao Qizon quickly helped Mao Pijiang obtain the status of an official in the Lifanyuan.

At this time, the Lifanyuan still lacked many officials, not to mention clerks.

They were very welcoming to officials like Mao Pijiang who were born as scholars, not to mention that the Translation School was jointly managed by the Lifanyuan and the Taichang Temple.

Mao Pijiang's identity as a student of the Translation School meant that he was one of their own. It was easy for him to seek a position as an official.

Mao Pijiang got his wish and served in the Neifan Department, becoming an aide to the Minister of Neifan Department.

The Minister of Internal Affairs at that time was Zhuang Tingchen, who was formerly the Censor of Guangdong and was once rated as the most honest person in the world.

Zhu Youjian transferred Kong Zhenyun to the Lifanyuan after Kong Zhenyun was transferred to Heilongjiang Province as an inspector general because of his integrity and his experience in the Ministry of Rites. He planned to observe whether Kong Zhenyun could take on the important task.

He has always attached great importance to honest officials because they are very rare in the Ming Dynasty.

In particular, Zhuang Tingchen had opposed the construction of a shrine, which was remarkable when Wei Zhongxian was in power. Now that Wei Zhongxian has fallen, he should be rewarded and promoted.

Zhuang Tingchen is already sixty-three years old this year, and he never expected to have the opportunity to serve in the court.

After he took office as the Minister of Internal Frontier Affairs, he worked very diligently. Although he was not as highly regarded as the previous Minister of Internal Frontier Affairs, Kong Zhenyun, he was also praised by some people.

Zhuang Tingchen's pursuit naturally did not stop there. He knew that he was old, and according to the current emperor's habit of employing people, he could only work until he was 70 years old at most. If he wanted to become a minister, he only had the opportunity in the next few years.

Therefore, he had to work hard to make achievements in order to gain the emperor's appreciation and become the minister of one of the six ministries or the president of a government office.

Looking at Mao Pijiang's proposal to educate Korea to escape from foreigners and join China, Zhuang Tingchen keenly realized that this was the opportunity to make a contribution that he was looking for:

"The Emperor previously designated Korea, Mongolia and other places as internal vassal states and classified them together with the internal vassal states."

"But the requirements for the inner vassal state and the difference between the inner vassal state and the real inner vassal state have not been completely determined."

"It's good for you to escape from the barbarians and enter China! You must at least become half Chinese and half barbarian before you can serve as the ruler of a vassal state."

"Just go ahead and do this. I fully support you."

"If you can make a contribution, I will definitely recommend you as a Yuanshi!"

Mao Pijiang said happily:
"With Zhuangbutang's words, I feel relieved."

"The most urgent thing now is to determine what Banhua is and what the requirements are for the Banhua monarch and Banhua vassal."

"Only in this way can we educate North Korea and make them leave the barbarians and join China."

Zhuang Tingchen thought about it for a while but couldn't get the point.

After all, he is old now and many of his ideas are not as good as those of young people.

Although he supported the emperor's reform of rituals and music, there were some parts that he really couldn't understand.

So he found Huang Liji, the president of the Lifanyuan, and asked for an audience with the emperor to discuss the matter.

When Zhu Youjian saw the words "escape from the barbarians and enter China", he found it very interesting.

Historically, this is what the Edo Shogunate of Japan has always pursued. Later, when Chinese civilization declined, it turned to "leaving Asia and entering Europe."

Now that North Korea wants to break away from the barbarians and join China, he naturally welcomes it. This represents Chinese civilization and has a strong appeal to the surrounding areas.

After thinking about it, he said to Huang Liji and others:

"As a semi-Chinese ruler, you must first follow Chinese etiquette."

"Even if we don't follow the Ming Dynasty's etiquette and laws completely, we will at least not violate them. We will also actively promote education and educate our people to become Chinese."

“You can explore it in detail and put forward relevant requirements.”

Let Huang Liji set the standard for a half-Chinese monarch based on the deeds of half-Chinese and half-barbarian monarchs such as Emperor Shizu of Yuan Dynasty and Emperor Xiaowen.

As for the country of Banhua, the requirements are even higher. Zhu Youjian said:
"For a country with half Chinese people, I think half, at least 20% to 30% of the people should be Chinese, use Chinese characters, and identify themselves as citizens of the Ming Dynasty."

"About 20 to 30 percent of the Ming citizens in Korea today were acquired through donations."

"Let the King of Korea educate them first and make them qualified citizens."

"Divide the Banhua country into different levels according to the progress of education."

He ordered the Lifanyuan to help the King of Korea promote education and convert those who were loyal to the Ming Dynasty into Chinese. (End of this chapter)