Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1264 Pier
Speaking of Yan Yingyuan, he was not a true scholar, because he was neither a Jinshi (进士) nor a Juren (举人), but only a Xiucai (秀才).

Back then, Yan Yingyuan got his position as a clerk through connections in the capital. He relied on a relative who knew a eunuch in the palace to obtain this minor official post. However, although Yan Yingyuan failed the imperial examinations, it didn't mean he lacked ability. He was not only exceptionally capable but also willing to take on responsibilities. Over the years, he rose step by step from a mere clerk to the position of prefect. He can be considered the second person in the history of the Ming Dynasty's imperial examinations to achieve this. It should be noted that even Li Xin, Chen Xinjia, He Tengjiao, Song Yihe, and even Hai Rui before him, were all at least graduates of the provincial examinations.

Apart from Yang Shan, who brought Emperor Yingzong back from the grasslands, and Yan Yingyuan, who both held the title of Xiucai (a lower-level scholar), no one else could rise to such a high official position. Although Yang Shan eventually became the Earl of Xingji, granted a hereditary title, and held the high-ranking positions of Left Military Commander and Minister of Rites, the problem is that while Yan Yingyuan's current official rank is not as high as Yang Shan's, he is much younger and may reach Yang Shan's level in the future.

However, Yan Yingyuan himself didn't care about any of this. He didn't become an official for the sake of promotion and wealth. Whether he initially served as a clerk, later as a registrar, or became a principal officer in the Ministry of War, or as the assistant prefect in Fuzhou, he took these positions to realize his ambitions and do practical things for the country and the people.

This is why Yan Yingyuan has served as an official all these years out of his own conscience, never considering his own promotion. In his view, if an official does not serve the people, he might as well go home and grow sweet potatoes. Since he was fortunate enough to become an official, he should make achievements. With this mentality, Yan Yingyuan was different from other officials. He worked hard without any worries, which earned him great praise from the people.

On this day, Yan Yingyuan went to inspect the dock. With the rise of maritime trade, more and more ships from Fuzhou were going to sea. Although Fuzhou was not included in the five major trading ports by the imperial court, and the trading port in Fujian was Quanzhou in the south, Fuzhou's geographical location was also good. Moreover, as the provincial capital, Fuzhou was more convenient than Quanzhou in some aspects. In addition, with Yan Yingyuan's management over the years, judging from the port throughput and the import and export of goods, it was no less than Quanzhou.

Dressed in plain clothes, Yan Yingyuan inspected the area around the docks like any other merchant. The locals were already used to Yan Yingyuan's arrival. After all, Yan Yingyuan would come to the docks whenever he had free time, and he never came with a large entourage. He would just stroll around with two or three attendants. When he was in a good mood, he would chat with the dock runners, the laborers carrying goods, and the vendors who set up stalls near the docks, listening to their opinions and feelings about the current situation.

Over time, people stopped taking Yan Yingyuan seriously. In fact, they would greet him and chat with him every time he came. Yan Yingyuan liked this feeling, because only in this way could he see the real situation, instead of sitting in the yamen listening to reports from his subordinates and knowing nothing about the actual facts.

"Lord Yan, come and have some tea and rest your feet." While he was strolling around, a middle-aged man who ran a tea stall saw Yan Yingyuan walking towards him from afar and greeted him with a smile.

"Alright!" Yan Yingyuan nodded with a smile, led his men straight over, and greeted him politely with a cupped-hand salute: "Brother Liu, how has business been these days?"

"Very well! Thanks to you, business is booming. Lord Yan, please have a seat, as usual?"

"Same as always, thank you, Brother Liu." Yan Yingyuan nodded and sat down. This tea stall was very ordinary, just a shed. The tea inside was also very ordinary, only for passersby and laborers working at the dock. In addition, the tea stall also made some snacks for people to fill their stomachs. The prices were very cheap, and the owner earned his money through hard work.

Not long after sitting down, the owner, Liu Da, served Yan Yingyuan tea. The tea wasn't very good, but it was quite refreshing to drink a few sips in this weather.

While drinking tea, Yan Yingyuan chatted with Liu Da and asked some questions, pointing to the nearby dock.

"There was a storm at sea not long ago, so there were fewer ships coming and going. But these days the storm has gradually subsided, and there are more ships going north and south. In addition, the number of ships going to Xiaoliuqiu has doubled recently. There are many more people going to Xiaoliuqiu this year than in previous years. It seems that life is pretty good there," Liu said with a big laugh.

Nodding slightly, Yan Yingyuan smiled and said, "Xiaoliuqiu has been under development for several years now. To be honest, it's quite nice there. Actually, I suggested last year that you consider immigrating there. Putting aside everything else, you'd definitely get land. So, are you tempted now?" "Hehehe..." Liu Da rubbed his hands together and chuckled憨厚ly. Yan Yingyuan had indeed suggested he immigrate to Xiaoliuqiu before, and even said that he could come to him directly if he needed help. However, Liu Da's ancestors had all been from Fuzhou Prefecture. Although his family no longer had much land, they still had some businesses in the city. Moreover, his father had been running a tea stall at the dock. Don't underestimate this tea stall; its monthly income was no less than that of farming. If he went to Xiaoliuqiu, although he could get land, he would have to start all over again. Liu Da was reluctant to give up these businesses, so he had been hesitant.

But over the years, the situation has gradually changed. Now, more and more people are immigrating to Xiaoliuqiu. Almost every day, people from all over Fujian come to Fuzhou and board ships at the dock to go to Xiaoliuqiu. Moreover, as the development of Xiaoliuqiu goes smoothly, news has come from there that the land there is fertile and the climate is not much different from that of Fuzhou. If you go there and work hard, your family can own the business in a few years. This is much better than doing anything else.

For this reason, Liu Da's mentality gradually changed. Today, when he saw Yan Yingyuan at the dock, he deliberately tried to find out what Yan Yingyuan thought, but Yan Yingyuan saw through his little scheme at a glance, which made him a little embarrassed.

"Lord Yan, you said that my second and third sons can go to Xiaoliuqiu to settle down first, while my eldest son and I will stay here temporarily. Is that feasible?" Liu Da asked.

“Sure! Why not?” Yan Yingyuan said with a smile. “Anyway, the immigration to Xiaoliuqiu is done by household. Go back and first separate the second and third sons’ households, then let them go and try. If it doesn’t work out there, you and your eldest son are still here. It’s a fallback plan, isn’t it?”

“That’s right! That’s what I was thinking too.” Liu Dayi slapped his thigh excitedly. “Anyway, the second and third sons’ families are all grown up now, and there’s not much work for them to do at home. Letting them go to the docks to carry heavy loads won’t earn them much money, and it’s a very tiring job that they can’t do for long. So I was thinking it would be better to send them out to farm in Xiaoliuqiu. No matter what, they’ll have land to go to. As long as they work hard for a few years, once the land is cultivated, they’ll have a business.”

Yan Yingyuan nodded. There was nothing wrong with ordinary people thinking this way. Isn't that how most common people are? Besides, they're not stupid. Even though they don't read or write, they still understand what's good and what's bad. And the news coming back from Xiaoliuqiu is very good. Liu Daben runs a tea stall at the dock. He hears and sees things every day. Even if he's stupid, he can figure something out. So it's quite normal to use this method.

Just like Liu Da said, let his second and third sons go and try it out first. If it goes well, they can stay. Maybe Liu Da will bring his eldest son over later. If things don't work out in Xiaoliuqiu, they can find a way back. At least their businesses here are still there. Getting rich is impossible, but living a stable life is no problem. That's the wisdom of ordinary people.

However, compared to the New World, the immigration policy of Xiaoliuqiu was slightly inferior. This included the resettlement costs, land allocation, and tax exemptions, which were naturally less generous than those in the New World. It's important to understand that the New World not only provided each household with a one-time settlement allowance of three silver dollars, but also covered all travel expenses from the Ming Dynasty to the New World. Furthermore, each household was immediately allocated thirty mu of land upon arrival, with future births in the New World allocated ten mu for men and five mu for women. Seeds, farming tools, and even housing were all provided locally. In addition, there was a three-year tax exemption, followed by a two-year tax reduction of half for the next five years – an extremely generous policy.

Compared to the New World, the immigration to Xiaoliuqiu was not so favorable. After all, Xiaoliuqiu was closer to the Ming Dynasty. It could be reached by sea from Fuzhou in a day or a day and a half at the fastest, with only a strait separating the two.

Moreover, the resettlement allowance for each immigrant to Xiaoliuqiu was only one silver dollar. While travel expenses were free, they had to bring their own food for the day on the ship. Furthermore, although each household was granted thirty mu of land, there was no increase in acreage for newborns; at most, they would receive some free seeds. Farm tools were only available for free rental, and any long-term use would be deducted from future taxes. The tax exemption only lasted two years, and there was no tax reduction of half, which was far worse than in the New World.

In Yan Yingyuan's view, if one truly had the courage to immigrate, going to the New World would be better than going to Xiaoliuqiu. Although the New World was much farther than Xiaoliuqiu and the journey was far more dangerous, once there, life would be much easier. Moreover, it was said that the imperial court was planning to allow Yongguo and Songguo to establish their own independent governments and vassal states, making them true vassal states in accordance with the Ming Dynasty's Pacification Commission system. Under these circumstances, the future prospects of going to the New World might be brighter.

Just as Yan Yingyuan was thinking about this and was about to talk to Liu Da about it, asking him if he would be willing to let his second or third son go to the New World to try, suddenly a person rushed towards them from a distance. Judging from the person's clothes, he seemed to be dressed as a yamen runner. When he got closer, Yan Yingyuan recognized the person as someone from his own yamen.

(End of this chapter)