Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"No matter what kind of reform it is, some people will always be sacrificed."

"Reconstructing ritual music cannot benefit everyone!"

After seeing Liu Zongzhou off, Zhu Youjian sighed.

He was already mentally prepared for this when he decided to revive the ritual music.

However, Liu Zongzhou, a Confucian scholar focused on his studies, found this somewhat difficult to accept.

Previously, the court forcibly relocated eunuchs, displaced people, and members of the imperial family and nobility. Later, it added foreigners who resisted Sinicization and criminals.

Liu Zongzhou also felt that these people should be relocated, and he did not feel deeply about the loss of their interests.

Now that the imperial court has decided to forcibly relocate the remaining able-bodied men, Liu Zongzhou immediately realized:

This will require the sacrifice of some people.

What mistakes did Yu Ding make? Why were they forcibly relocated?
This was completely contrary to his goal of restoring rituals and music and enabling the people to live and work in peace and contentment, which put him in a dilemma.

If Zhu Youjian hadn't persuaded him properly and assigned him a whole host of tasks to protect the people, Liu Zongzhou probably would have quit.

That was something Zhu Youjian could not accept; he did not want to change the person in charge of his reformed rites and music halfway through, causing the people to lose confidence.

However, no matter what, the policy of relocating surplus population cannot be changed, and the land of the Ming Dynasty can no longer support more people.

The only thing that can be changed is the implementation measures. We can consider Liu Zongzhou's suggestion to divert surplus laborers and leave more people to engage in industry and commerce.

However, this is not enough. Zhu Youjian is preparing to introduce more specific policies to reassure some people.

We can't let this measure cause widespread panic and unrest.
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In this context, a memorial submitted by Qian Qianyi caught his eye:

"Prioritize the relocation of impoverished people; families with stable property will not be relocated."

“Scholars have stable property and stable minds, which can serve as a foundation.”

This was a suggestion made by Qian Qianyi, who used the theory of "On Permanent Property" to advise the court to retain those with permanent property and relocate the poor population.

This was actually a tacitly understood policy of the imperial court. The previous relocation of refugees was to move out the destitute people who had nothing.

The same applies to the relocation of surplus males. Under this policy, the court does not relocate all males other than the eldest son. Instead, it only relocates surplus males who own less than two mu of land, forcing these people to go overseas.

This policy was difficult for landless or land-poor farmers. Their eldest son might not even have two mu of land, let alone the rest of the family. For landless or land-poor families, the male members other than the eldest son had to migrate according to the government's policy once they grew up.

But for landlords and rich peasants, it was no problem at all. As long as they allocated more than two acres of land to their offspring, they could keep their children within their territory.

Qian Qianyi's memorial to the throne unveiled this mystery, pointing out that the refusal of those with stable property to relocate was tantamount to relocating the poor.

Zhu Youjian was initially very angry when he saw the memorial, feeling that Qian Qianyi was going astray again and needed to be guided and corrected.

But looking at it now, I realize his intention:
This was to stabilize a segment of the population, forming the foundation of the court's rule.

"Every policy will harm the interests of some people, but we must never offend everyone."

"Among the four major groups of scholars, farmers, artisans and merchants, artisans and merchants are now benefiting from policies, but their power is weak and it is difficult for them to make their voices heard."

"We must not offend all the scholars and peasants; we must keep some of them at bay."

Zhu Youjian pondered this, and in his heart he was already inclined to adopt Qian Qianyi's suggestion.

In such a chaotic world, it is essential to stabilize a segment of the population; the Ming Dynasty needs people who support the court.

Moreover, Zhu Youjian had absolutely no trust in the integrity of Ming Dynasty officials. If the policy of relocating surplus laborers were implemented, there would certainly be corrupt officials extorting people.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide protection for some people, making it clear that they will not be relocated or suffer losses as a result.

Qian Qianyi chose scholars, or rather, those with stable property, as the target group.

Zhu Youjian planned to go further and clarify the classification of scholars, including more people in the scholar class.

He set a theme for the lecture on the 22nd: how to protect scholars.

According to the terminology of that era, it can be called:

Cultivate scholars!
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The appeal of the term "nurturing scholars" to scholars is undeniable.

Qian Qianyi, as the main speaker, said with great excitement:
The Book of Rites states: "The system of titles and ranks for the king consists of five levels: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron."

“The feudal lords were divided into five ranks: senior officials, junior officials, senior scholars, middle scholars, and junior scholars.”

"In addition to nobles, the court also needs to support scholars."

“After the imperial court enfeoffed nobles, the rulers of vassal states would inevitably support scholars.”

"If the imperial court wants to compete with the vassal states for talent, it must pay more attention to scholars and allow them to have stable property."

This is a very real aspect; after the enfeoffment, there will inevitably be a loss of talent, with some seeking refuge with the rulers of vassal states.

If the Ming Dynasty treated scholars worse than its vassal states, more scholars would flock to them.

The consequences were disastrous. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, many states rose to power precisely because they supported scholars.

The imperial court must support scholars and retain the most outstanding talents.

Zhu Youjian listened attentively and nodded in approval. He then added with interest:

"Who are the scholars you mentioned, sir? Are they Jinshi (进士), Juren (举人), or Xiucai (秀才)?"

"And what about those who own property? Are they all scholars?"

Qian Qianyi, after considering the emperor's actions, replied:
“A Jinshi is naturally a scholar, as are a Juren and a Xiucai.”

"His Majesty has permitted the donation of the title of Gongshi, which is set as the lowest level of honorary rank, and has also determined the honorary ranks for civil and military officials, artisans, and other personnel."

“Anyone who is awarded a medal will have a rank of Gongshi or above and can be called a scholar.”

"Scholars are not necessarily property owners, and property owners are not necessarily scholars."

This explanation suited Zhu Youjian's wishes quite well.

Because after he ascended the throne, he focused on building up the civil service class and distinguishing it from ordinary citizens in elections.

In the initial electoral system established in the Ming Dynasty, ordinary citizens only had the right to vote, not the right to be elected. Only those who obtained the rank of Gongshi or above could be elected as members of parliament.

Citizens and public servants belong to two different classes. What he needs to do now is to clarify the public servant class, expand the concept of "scholar," and solidify the membership of more people.

He addressed his ministers:

“Regardless of whether they are farmers, merchants, soldiers, or soldiers, anyone who has rendered meritorious service and received rewards and honors from the imperial court can be called a scholar.”

"What is a scholar? He is the elite among the people and also their role model."

“Outstanding individuals from all walks of life can become scholars.”

By establishing this principle, Zhu Youjian treated scholars as elites.

And this group should be expanded to become supporters of the imperial court:
“Jinshi, Juren, Xiucai, they are all scholars.”

"Aren't those who have passed the county-level imperial examinations but are still considered scholars?"

"Tell me, are students who have completed their studies considered scholars?"

The officials present looked at each other in bewilderment, unsure how to respond to the emperor.

If even those who have passed the preliminary examinations are considered scholars, then the standard for scholars is far too low. But if we say they aren't, wouldn't that offend the group of students who have passed the preliminary examinations?
It should be known that all scholars, including those who passed the county-level examination, the provincial-level examination, and the imperial examination, had to start from the level of a student in the lower-level examination.

At the emperor's question, the lecture fell into a brief silence. The chief lecturer, Qian Qianyi, then said:

“A student who has passed the imperial examinations is naturally a scholar, but he is still somewhat lacking in the qualities of a scholar and can only be called a student.”

"The imperial court should not place too heavy a burden on scholars; it should only support those who have achieved official rank."

Zhu Youjian nodded in agreement with his explanation. He then continued, following his lead:

"Since scholars with official titles all come from the ranks of students who have completed their studies."

"Then can a student who has completed the preliminary studies be called a candidate for scholar-official position?"

"The imperial court is currently unable to provide for them, but in certain aspects, they should be given certain preferential treatment."

"For example, when there is surplus population, they can be excluded from the list, and they can be moved out without being forced."

“If these people are willing to go overseas, they can serve as clerks or officials in the military garrisons.”

This measure drew praise from the court officials, who all echoed the proposal.

It was impossible to raise a child prodigy like a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, but preferential treatment could indeed be given in policies such as the relocation of surplus males.

Some families that didn't own much land felt relieved at this point. They planned to have their children take the imperial examinations to avoid having their surplus members migrate.

Even if they fail to pass the imperial examinations and have no other means of livelihood, they still have the option of becoming officials overseas.

It can be said that once this policy was introduced, the lives of those who had completed their studies were secured, and they all praised it.

After the court officials unanimously agreed to designate the child prodigy as the future scholar, Zhu Youjian continued:
“Clerks could be promoted to officials, and after the introduction of the examinations on etiquette, law, mathematics and arithmetic, most of them were scholars who had passed the county-level examinations.”

"It goes without saying that scholars who pass the county-level examination belong to the literati. Other officials should be regarded as prospective scholars, just like students who pass the county-level examination."

"As long as they perform meritorious service and are awarded a rank, they will officially become scholars."

This qualification was less recognized than that of a student who had passed the preliminary examinations; many officials disliked clerks and clerks, believing them to be cunning and defiled the status of scholars.

However, government offices truly cannot function without clerks, and with some scholars now serving as clerks, the image of this group is changing. If these clerks were given a preliminary scholar status, they would reluctantly agree.

However, the emperor's next words drew their opposition:

“Soldiers protect the country and its people. Hereditary soldiers with the character ‘shi’ in their titles should be considered scholars.”

"Hereditary military households and soldiers who have served in the military have the opportunity to become officers and should be included in the reserve civil service."

This treats ordinary soldiers in the army as equivalent to students or even scholars.

The scholars in the imperial court vehemently opposed this.

Since the Song Dynasty, military service has been discriminated against. The saying "Good men don't become soldiers, good iron isn't used to make nails" is deeply ingrained in people's minds.

Even though the Ming Dynasty is currently at war, they are unwilling to elevate the status of soldiers. The lessons of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period have led the literati to exert great effort to suppress the military.

Even among the officials of the Privy Council, few supported this view, believing that the status of military personnel should not be elevated too much.

Yuan Keli, the Grand Councilor who attended the lecture, said:
"The scholars designated by His Majesty are those who possess the rank of Gongshi or above."

“If a sergeant receives a medal, he can indeed be called a scholar.”

"But ordinary sergeants, who do not have honors, should not be called 'scholars'."

“These people should be treated as prospective scholars, just like the students who have completed their studies.”

This statement garnered the approval of some of the ministers.

However, some people strongly disagreed, believing that soldiers were not worthy of being scholars, and that sergeants were not candidates for scholars.

Zhu Youjian had anticipated this long ago. The reason he demanded that all soldiers be included among the scholars was because he knew that some civil officials would vehemently oppose it.

Now that Yuan Keli had proposed a moderate approach, he immediately agreed:

"The lowest rank of a scholar was Gongshi, which was equivalent to a ninth-rank official."

"Only those who have received the rank of second lieutenant or above can be called 'scholars'."

"Other sergeants, whether hereditary or professional, are all treated as reserve sergeants."

"They enjoyed some of the preferential treatment afforded to scholars, just like students and clerks."

Like clerks, soldiers were included in the reserve civil service.

This was the support group that Zhu Youjian focused on building. The hereditary officers and soldiers of the garrisons were the source of the officer corps, and the court needed these people to control the army.

As emperor, Zhu Youjian needed their support. No matter how much his ministers opposed him, he insisted on including military officers among the scholars and soldiers among the reserve scholars.

Moreover, soldiers were given preferential treatment; once they completed their twenty-year service period, they were awarded medals and ranks, and promoted to civilian status.

In the future, these retired officers will also participate in elections and, with a fixed number of members, will have a voice in parliament to safeguard the interests of military personnel.

These measures complement each other and have been implemented continuously.

Some of the ministers were aware of the situation, while others, even if unaware, stubbornly opposed it out of instinct.

However, Zhu Youjian ignored their opinions and, with the support of the Privy Council officials, forced this conclusion.

Officers and sergeants, like civil officials and clerks, were included in the scholar and pre-scholar class.
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Then Zhu Youjian, in his view of agriculture, industry, commerce, and trade, similarly designated candidates for the scholar-official class:

"One can become a public servant by paying one thousand taels of silver or one thousand shi of grain."

"In addition, I believe that people who have paid more than one thousand taels of taxes and more than one thousand shi of grain in total may be granted the status of prospective scholars."

"They are the court's most active taxpayers and the most supportive of the court. We should pay more attention to them and protect their interests."

This statement is rather blatant and suggests a strong emphasis on protecting taxpayers.

However, the courtiers did not object to this as they had to the soldiers earlier—

Because most of them belonged to this group, people whom the imperial court needed to protect.

Qian Qianyi, who was the most vocal advocate for them, said:
"Whether they pay taxes or serve in the military, they are all contributing to the court, and they should be treated with the same preferential treatment as soldiers."

"I just don't know how these prospective scholars should become scholars. Do they have to donate money to obtain the status?"

Zhu Youjian laughed heartily:

"Donations are not required. As long as the accumulated tax payment exceeds 100,000 taels and the accumulated grain payment exceeds 100,000 shi, the status of a public servant can still be granted even without donations."

"Moreover, the imperial court encourages the development of agriculture, industry and commerce. Anyone who is recommended as a model worker, filial piety and hard work in the fields can obtain the status of a scholar, and the candidates can be considered as prospective scholars."

"Industry, in particular, will receive key support in the future. All senior craftsmen will be included in the list of reserve scholars."

"Workers who accumulate more than one hundred service vouchers through service in enterprises can also be granted the status of reserve scholar, and senior craftsmen can be granted the status of public scholar."

This was a preferential treatment for workers, preparing them for entering an industrial society.

However, the civil officials present did not agree with this, as they did not believe that workers should enjoy preferential treatment and be regarded as prospective scholars.

Just like with the previous criticism of the soldiers, they strongly opposed it. They also believed that the emperor's definition of a reserve scholar was too broad and lowered the status of scholars. (End of Chapter)