Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 153: There is no distinction between high and low among the Chinese people! (The third update)

West City of Peking.

Xia Zhibai currently lives here.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of Prince Yan's Mansion, his surroundings were very quiet.

He even has the leisure time to bask in the sun.

He is indeed very free.

There is indeed nothing that can be done.

at this time.

Heiwa's figure suddenly appeared. His steps were a little hurried, but there was a hint of joy on his face.

Hei Wa said, "Brother Xia, you are right. The Prince of Yan's Mansion is indeed investigating and seems to have found some things. I just saw those military officers in armor all leaving in disgrace, as if they were scolded."

A gleam of light flashed in Xia Zhibai's eyes.

he knows.

The leisure time is over.

Xia Zhibai stood up, looked at Heiwa, and asked, "Have the scholars recommended by Master Yuan arrived?"

"We're here." Heiwa said hurriedly.

Xia Zhibai nodded: "Okay, take me to meet them."

"You haven't been negligent?"

Hei Wa quickly shook his head and said, "How could I neglect what Brother Xia ordered? It's just..."

"Just what?" Xia Zhibai looked at Heiwa curiously.

Heiwa looked a little embarrassed and unnatural. After hesitating for a long time, he reluctantly said, "Brother Xia, do you really want to use these people? They are not Han Chinese, but Semites, and one of them is Mongolian."

“I don’t think they can be trusted.”

Heiwa did not hide his true thoughts.

He just hates these Semites.

If it weren't for these Mongols and Semites, his parents would not have died, and he would not have been homeless. If it weren't for Xia Zhibai's rescue, he would have starved to death at any time.

He hated these people.

Xia Zhibai looked solemn, pulled Heiwa in front of him, and said in a very serious tone: "Heiwa, I can understand that you have resentment and hatred towards the Mongols. You are not the only one in the world who thinks this way. Many Han people think this way. But the ones you should hate are the Mongolian nobles, not these poor people at the same bottom of society."

"Their experiences may not be much different from yours."

"When your majesty raised the army, there were many Semites and Mongols in the army. They were also at the bottom of society and were oppressed. In the eyes of the Mongolian nobles, they were no different from the Han people. They were just their slaves."

"If they had not been suppressed to the extreme, why would they have rebelled?"

"It's okay to hate."

“But don’t hate the wrong target.”

"But they can read." Heiwa was still unwilling.

He just can't trust it.

Xia Zhibai smiled, touched Heiwa's head, and said, "So what if they can read? If they were really Mongolian nobles, they would have fled with the Northern Yuan Dynasty when it was defeated. Now they are still staying in Peking, trying to make a living here, and they are not targeted by the government. This is enough to prove their innocence."

“Literacy is indeed rare.”

"But Mongolia is a relatively relaxed tribe."

"If you are ambitious, it is not impossible to take the opportunity to learn secretly."

"Don't kill them with one blow."

"But it's not absolute. You'll know the details when you meet him."

"You lead the way first."

Heiwa hesitated for a while and walked forward reluctantly.

Xia Zhibai shook his head.

The Ming Dynasty court did not have much prejudice against the Semites, Mongols, and Jurchens, but the common people at the bottom were not like that. They hated the Yuan people who seized their food and occupied their land and houses, but the Semites, Mongols, etc. were also divided into high and low classes.

even.
Some of the lowest-class Mongols and Semites are not even as good as the Han people.

This is also why, when Zhu Yuanzhang rebelled, there were so many Semites and Mongols following him, because they had also suffered from the Yuan Dynasty for a long time and wanted to overthrow this brutal and foolish dynasty. However, after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, the living environment of the Semites and Mongols who stayed in the Ming Dynasty was better, but not much better.

The scholars of the Ming Dynasty were even more xenophobic.

These Semites and Mongols had almost no chance to learn to read and write.

Their only avenue for advancement is military service.

The princes stationed on the frontiers also like to use these people.

But not all Mongols and Semites wanted to go to the battlefield and kill the enemy. Some Mongols and Semites wanted to learn to read and write and pursue a career in officialdom, but these people had no chance. They basically could not pass the imperial examination, and not many scholars were willing to teach them, let alone accept them as disciples.

They are now in a very embarrassing situation.

Neither up nor down.

Xia Zhibai had not noticed this group of people before.

Just when Heiwa said this, he realized that these people were also targets to be won over.

And easier to win over.

Because this group of people have been suppressed for too long.

I have been unsuccessful for too long.

They need new channels for advancement other than joining the military.

If we can activate the enthusiasm of these people, it will be of great benefit to restoring production in northern Xinjiang.

Think of this.

Xia Zhibai's heart moved slightly.

He felt more and more that it was the right decision for him to come to the North.

Bridging the north and south.

It's not just geographical.

There are also people from nomadic tribes such as Mongolia, Semites, and Jurchens, and these people must also be thoroughly digested.

In a leaky house in the west of the city.

There were a few men with full beards sitting there.

Their clothes were dirty and their eyes were dazed, and they seemed uncomfortable.

"Da Lu, do you know why the new number one scholar wants to see us?" A Mongolian man with a scimitar on his waist suddenly looked at a middle-aged man with a larger build and asked curiously.

Darutemur looked a little old, his beard was already gray, and a hint of bitterness appeared on his wrinkled cheeks.

He is indeed the oldest among them.

That's all.

In the past, they seldom had dealings with government officials and barely made a living by writing letters to others. How could they be qualified to meet such a "high-ranking official"? If it had not been for the famous Yuan Xiangshi who came to them, they would not have dared to believe it at all.

Dalu glanced at the people who looked uneasy and said in a deep voice, "What's the hurry?"

"The Han Chinese have an old saying: When the enemy comes, the generals will come; when the water comes, the earth will cover it."

"Even if he is the top scholar, so what? We have never done anything that harms the world, nor have we committed crimes or violated laws. Would he dare to do anything to us? Moreover, this may not be a bad thing. Moreover, Master Yuan, he is kind."

"How could he harm us?"

"Don't be suspicious, you will know when the time comes."

That being said.

But Dalu was obviously worried himself.

It was difficult for him to calm down, and he really couldn't figure out why a "high-ranking official" like Xia Zhibai came to find them?
As for thesis, they secretly learned some characters from Mongolian nobles' literacy and calligraphy practice in their early years, but they cannot recognize all the characters even now; as for martial arts, they have been holding pens for too long and are no longer used to wielding swords. The scimitars at their waists are purely for decoration and they dare not use them easily.

If you are not good at either civil or military affairs, then what else can be valued?
They couldn't figure it out.

They only hoped that Xia Zhibai had heard their names by chance and was curious and wanted to meet them. After all, there were still many Han people in the world who had never seen Semites and Mongols. Out of curiosity, they had the urge to meet them. As for other reasons, they really couldn't think of them.

Several people did not dare to neglect.

But there was really nothing to clean up.

The only decent piece of furniture in the house was a lame desk, and the most valuable thing was a stack of yellowed hemp paper.

After sitting there for a while, several people could not sit still any longer, so they simply stopped sitting and walked around the room, but the worry in their eyes became more and more intense. Even in private, they recalled several times in their minds what they had done in the past few years.

Just when Dalu and others were getting anxious, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.

Then there was a knock on the door.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Not long after.

The door opened.

Dalu stood at the door with a nervous look on his face, looking around anxiously.

finally.

His eyes fell on a young man.

Dalu imitated the way the Han people bowed and said respectfully, "Dalutemur, I pay my respects to you, Your Excellency."

Several others followed suit.

Xia Zhibai reached out and helped Dalu and the others up, saying lightly, "You don't need to be so nervous. I'll come over to take a look."

"Oh, okay." Dalu answered subconsciously, and then felt that he seemed to have said something wrong. He looked at Xia Zhibai nervously for a few times. Seeing that Xia Zhibai was not angry, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Xia Zhibai smiled and said, "You should also know something."

"I asked Master Yuan to find you."

Dalu nodded actively and said, "I know. Master Yuan told us. But sir, why did you come to us?"

Dalu asked the question that he wanted to know most urgently.

The others also looked over eagerly.

Xia Zhibai laughed and said, "I was ordered by the court to open an iron mine in Beiping. However, I am new here and not familiar with Beiping, so I want to find a few people who are familiar with Beiping. Of course, I also have another purpose, which is to find some useful people."

After hearing Xia Zhibai's words, Dalu and the others were stunned.

Looking for available people?
Why did you find them?

They can't read or write, and aren't very popular.

This shouldn't be looked for them.

Compared to being immersed in the beautiful dream of "pie falling from the sky", they are more panicked and uneasy. They are self-aware and know their own talents. They also know that they are not qualified to be seen by such "high-ranking officials" in the court. They dare not have such extravagant dreams and are only filled with uneasiness and tension.

I don’t understand what Xia Zhibai means.

They have also heard some things. Han people like to beat around the bush.

After three circles to the left and three circles to the right, he finally told the truth, so I didn't dare to ask more questions.

Looking at the dazed expressions of the few people, Xia Zhibai smiled bitterly and shook his head.

No one dares to believe the truth these days.

He walked into the house.

Seeing Xia Zhibai had seen the house, Dalu suddenly came to his senses, followed nervously, and whispered: "Sir, the place we live in is too simple, we dare not dirty your feet."

Xia Zhibai waved his hand and said, "It's okay."

"There are many people who are homeless and have no place to live in the world. I won't look down on you for that."

"As the saying goes, this is a humble house, but I am kind to it."

"If I only judge people by their food, clothing, shelter and transportation, you would underestimate me."

"I, Xia Zhibai, have not fallen to this level."

Xia Zhibai walked into the house and took a quick look. It was indeed shabby, even shabby. There were not many furniture in the house, but there were a few books that were neatly placed there, but the pages were all torn.

Dalu scratched his head in embarrassment, blushing involuntarily, and quickly put away those "broken books".

This is his home.

This person has the best family background among them.

Xia Zhibai turned around and asked, "Can you read and write?"

Dalu nodded, then shook his head and said with a wry smile, "How can I be so lucky? I used to be a servant of a nobleman. I can recognize a few words, which I learned secretly. However, I didn't learn them well and I can't recognize many words. These books were hidden by me when the Mongolian nobles fled."

“I still don’t recognize them all.”

"As for writing, I can write a few, but not many."

Dalu sighed, also feeling quite regretful.

Xia Zhibai said: "Can we do it with simple registration information?"

Dalu hesitated for a moment and said uncertainly: "This should be possible, but it won't work if it's too complicated."

"will not!"

Dalu didn't blush at all.

If you can’t do it, you can’t do it. If you can’t write it, you can’t write it.

No such ability.

Xia Zhibai turned to look at the others and asked, "What about you? How many words can you write?"

"More than four hundred."

"More than three hundred."

"More than three hundred."

"."

Several people were talking in low voices, their voices as soft as the buzz of a mosquito.

Xia Zhibai frowned.

This number of words is a bit too low.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Can you recognize and write common characters?"

"Just an ordinary name."

Dalu nodded and said, "That's fine."

immediately.

Da Lu looked at Xia Zhibai with some doubt, not understanding why Xia Zhibai asked these questions. Did he really want to use them?
But how is this possible?

Among the scholars in the city, who is not more literate than them? Who is not more learned than them?

Xia Zhibai smiled and said, "That's enough. My requirements for you are not high. Just do some simple information registration. Register the information collected by some little beggars and summarize it to me every few days."

"Don't be surprised."

"I do want to use you."

"There's not really a lot of reasons, it's just that I'm short of money and can't afford to pay for other people."

“We can only settle for the next best thing.”

"Besides."

"Since you chose to stay in Ming, you are naturally the people of Ming. As an official of Ming, I should treat you equally."

"In terms of literacy, the Han people do have an advantage, and in terms of fighting, the Mongols and the Semites are a little more outstanding. However, it is unfair to you to limit it entirely to civil and military skills."

"This situation will not change in the short term, and I cannot change it either, but I can use the power I have to make some adjustments, employ more Semites and Mongols, and pass on some knowledge to you."

"But whether you can gain recognition from the world in the end depends on your own efforts."

"As the saying goes, a master can only lead you to the door, but the practice depends on yourself."

"I can only lead the way so far."

"There is one thing you can rest assured about. In my eyes, there is no distinction between Semites, Mongols, Jurchens, or Han Chinese. Those who enter China and support China are all Chinese people, without distinction between one person and another, and without distinction between high and low."

"I will treat everyone equally."

“Equal rewards and equal punishments.”

　Start to restore the third update

　　
　
(End of this chapter)