Daming: Dad, you are really not good at governing the country

In the Ming Dynasty's strictly hierarchical and complicated official system, Ma Wenjian was just a ninth-rank imperial gardener.

He is like a drop in the ocean, at the bottom of officialdom, so humble that he can hardly attract the attention of others.

However, despite his low official position, he was by no means illiterate and ignorant of current affairs.

Ma Wenjian knew very well that the current emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was deeply wary of officials of Mongolian descent.

Looking back in time, although the Yuan Dynasty's rule had ended, the residual influence of Mongolian power still lingered on this land to a certain extent.

Zhu Yuanzhang came from a humble background and overcame all difficulties to establish the Ming Dynasty.

He has always been highly vigilant against factors that may threaten the stability of the regime.

Mongolia was once the ruling nation, and its political and military power was extremely strong during the Yuan Dynasty.

Even though the Ming Dynasty had been established, Zhu Yuanzhang was still worried about the potential threat from officials of Mongolian descent.

It's like a heavy stone, always hanging in the balance.

It is said in "Mencius, Teng Wengong I": "What the superior likes, the subordinates will like even more."

Such was the emperor's will, and this trend spread like ripples throughout the officialdom.

Ming officials who were in the capital, the core of power, were all skilled in observing the words and expressions of their superiors and guessing their intentions.

They keenly grasped Zhu Yuanzhang's attitude towards officials of Mongolian descent and followed suit.

Therefore, in the officialdom of the capital, which seemed to be high-sounding but was actually full of undercurrents, no one had much good feelings towards officials of Mongolian descent.

Normally, if there were officials of Mongolian descent present, everyone might be able to maintain some official courtesy and etiquette on the surface.

However, the alienation and vigilance inadvertently revealed in his eyes were difficult to conceal.

In various official gatherings and social occasions, these officials of Mongolian descent often feel an invisible exclusion.

It's as if I'm surrounded by a layer of cold barriers, making it difficult to truly integrate into it.

This official atmosphere caused by Zhu Yuanzhang's attitude has now become a subtle but not to be ignored phenomenon in the official ecology of the Ming Dynasty.

Although Halacha was just a group leader in charge of managing Mongolian war horses in the Yuanma Temple in the capital, and had no rank at all, he still could not escape the fate of being excluded and discriminated against.

Thinking of this, Ma Wenjian, who couldn't bear to see his subordinates being treated unfairly, smiled and said, "Sir Lin, although Haracha has Mongolian ancestry, he has a deep affection and great enthusiasm for horses.

Moreover, Halacha had been living with horses since childhood and was familiar with their habits and characteristics.

He is also meticulous in his work of raising Mongolian stallions.

The health of each horse is carefully checked every day to ensure that the horses receive the best care.

In addition, Halacha is generous and straightforward, and treats his colleagues sincerely and warmly, so he is very popular in the horse farm.

Whether it was Han officials or clerks from other ethnic minorities, they all got along well with him.”

Ma Wenjian then cited several examples to support his point of view and specifically illustrated Halacha's outstanding performance at work.

"Since arriving in the capital, Halacha has quickly become the head of the herd responsible for raising Mongolian stallions with his outstanding professional skills.

He once successfully tamed a wild and fierce stallion. Under his careful care and training, the horse has become one of the best stallions in the farm and made an important contribution to the breeding of excellent horses.

Another time, a young stallion suddenly became agitated.

Not only did it refuse to eat and drink, but it also tried to break free from the reins. Halacha immediately noticed the stallion's abnormality, and without hesitation, he put down his other work and went to the stable.

At first, Halacha called the horse's name softly, trying to calm it down, but the horse was still very irritable.

Halacha did not retreat. He slowly approached and gently stroked the horse's neck with his hand.

During this process, Halacha's movements were gentle and firm, and he was humming a little song from his hometown to soothe horses.

After a period of comfort, the stallion's emotions gradually stabilized.

Then Halacha carefully examined the stallion's body and found a sharp stone stuck in its hoof.

So he carefully took out the stone and applied the herbs he carried with him to the horse's wound to prevent infection.

Over the next few days, Halacha took care of the horse personally every day.

We feed it, change its dressings, and specially prepare nutritious feed for it.

Under Halacha's careful care, the stallion quickly recovered.

They became docile and obedient again and returned to breeding work.”

It was impossible for Lin Zhengyuan to change his mind easily just because of Ma Wenjian's one-sided statement.

He turned to look at Su Jingwen, the sixth-rank temple secretary of Yuanma Temple, and said, "Sir Su, I know that you have actively implemented a series of reform measures since you took office.

Not only did they standardize the breeding process, but Su also established a complete horse health record.

While strengthening the training of horse farm officials, the management level of Yuanma Temple has been significantly improved.

To be able to achieve such outstanding results, I believe that Lord Su must be well aware of the reputation of the officials in the horse farm, right?"

Su Jingwen, who has a pair of almond-shaped eyes, is smart and wise. He is not only good at thinking and analyzing problems, but also able to quickly understand the essence of things.

In addition, Su Jingwen's grandfather was an official of the previous dynasty. Although he was deeply loved by the people, he was also branded as a "former official of the Yuan Dynasty."

In this situation, even for the sake of avoiding suspicion, Su Jingwen had to exaggerate Halacha's shortcomings.

"According to my understanding, the Halacha people have a low level of education and are basically illiterate.

Therefore, it is often difficult to understand some complex Chinese documents and regulations.

In addition, he sometimes has a bad temper and is prone to lose his temper with his subordinates when there are problems with the horses or when he is under a lot of work pressure.

Although Halacha often expressed some regret afterwards, these shortcomings also made him offend many people. "

When Halacha heard Su Jingwen exaggerate his shortcomings, he became furious.

"I have always hoped that through my own efforts, I could allow these Mongolian stallions to thrive in the Beijing horse farm and provide excellent war horses for the Ming army.

I am well aware of the importance of horses to the army, and I hope to take this opportunity to showcase the Mongolian people's superb skills in horse breeding on Ming land, so as to gain recognition and respect from others.

But now it seems that you Ming officials living in the capital are not worth my life at all.

In comparison, I lived in Taiyuan Prefecture, where I lived a more carefree life. I don’t know if I will have the chance to meet His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin again.”

In this originally relaxed atmosphere, when Halacha uttered the four words "King of Jin Zhu Gang", it was as if a blockbuster bomb was dropped into the calm lake, instantly breaking the original tranquility.

The expressions of everyone present froze instantly, and their faces became as solemn as the sky before a storm. (End of this chapter)