In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 868 Gross Domestic Product of Beijing Middle School

In northern Xinjiang, heavy snow fell, turning the world into a vast expanse of white.

Large snowflakes were blown about by the strong wind.
Like a small boat caught in a storm, helpless and adrift.

As the year draws to a close, temperatures have plummeted across the area north of the Great Wall.

Several days of continuous snowfall have resulted in snow accumulation in the mountains and forests that is taller than a person.

Looking around, all you could see was a vast expanse of white, with only faint patches of green visible.

On the official road leading from Beiping to Beiping Military Command.
Even with merchants helping to clear the snow, it was still ankle-deep.

The procession from Yingtian was among them, with horse-drawn carriages and handcarts making their way forward with difficulty.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) shouted behind him:
"Hurry, hurry, the post station is only three miles away!"
We need to get there before dark.
Everyone, keep moving forward, don't fall behind, and don't fall asleep!

Despite his efforts to shout,

But by the time it reached his back, the sound had become barely audible.

The group of men could only interpret the meaning on their own.

The procession was enormous, consisting of nearly thirty horse-drawn carriages and handcarts alone.
There were more than forty guards and escorts from the security company, positioned at the front and rear of the group.

In the middle were more than twenty young scholars wrapped in thick fur coats.

They were terrified by the terrible weather and lost their high spirits.

Only a listless gaze and mechanically moving steps.

They moved around using horse-drawn carriages, hoping to use them to protect themselves from the wind and snow.
But to their disappointment, the wind and snow were erratic, blowing everywhere.

As the world ahead grew increasingly white,

A sense of despair began to spread in their hearts.

They could only hold tightly to the rope fixed around their waist.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) tied the ropes to them to prevent them from getting separated.

At first they thought it was humiliating.

But now, they are extremely grateful that the rope has bound the twenty of them together.

Otherwise, in this kind of icy and snowy weather,

If you stray even a foot from the group, you'll get lost and never find your way back.

Along the way, they had already seen several naked people frozen on the roadside.

They also learned something they had never thought of before.
A person who is about to freeze to death will feel hot, very hot.

This shocked them, but they had no intention of experiencing it.

"call--"

A fierce wind howled, whipping up snow and ice that lashed their faces.

Even with a mask on, her exposed eyelids were red and swollen, and her eyebrows were covered with frost.

The procession moved forward extremely slowly.
Everyone felt that time was moving incredibly slowly, and they could only move forward slowly by their own instincts.

Just when everyone was about to give up, the head镖师's voice came from ahead, like heavenly music:

"It's here!"

In an instant, everyone who heard the sound raised their heads sharply and looked ahead, which was covered by wind and snow.

At the edge of the horizon, a gray-white shadowy building loomed in and out of sight amidst the wind and snow.

The large red lanterns on top are particularly eye-catching.
You can still vaguely see the caravan's wagons getting into it.

"arrive!"

Everyone was overjoyed and mustered all their strength to move forward.

Finally, after expending some more energy, they came to the post station.

Unlike the post stations we had seen before,

The station is entirely gray and white, and square in shape, like a chopstick holder standing on the ground.

Even the tall surrounding walls were this grayish-white color.

We've arrived in Daning!

A student exclaimed in surprise.

They had seen similar buildings in Yingtian.
Yingtian Trading Company and many villages near the official road are all like this.

At this moment, the house's sturdy lines gave them a great sense of security.

Upon entering the courtyard, the howling cold wind immediately subsided.
No longer needing to lean against the carriage and exert themselves, everyone was able to stand up easily.

The group exchanged a glance, their eyes straining with all their might.
The snowmen, all white, stood in the yard, looking quite disheveled.

At this moment, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) walked over and quietly counted the items:
"Seven, thirteen, twenty, twenty-two."

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that no one was missing.

Their镖局 (security escort agency) employees could die in the snowstorm.

But these literary stars in front of them absolutely cannot be allowed to get into trouble, otherwise their escort agency will be in real trouble.

"Alright, we've now arrived at the territory of Daning."

Gentlemen, please go inside and rest. We will continue our journey once the snowstorm subsides.

At this moment, a middle-aged man in his thirties stepped out of the line.

He was wearing a black cotton-padded jacket over a white scholar's robe, and a huge felt hat on his head.

"Chief Escort Zheng, how far is it from here to Daning City?"

"It's very close, only three hundred li!"

"Three hundred li?"

Exclamations of surprise filled the air as the group exchanged bewildered glances, unable to discern where they were near.

The middle-aged man was also somewhat shocked, as if he had misheard.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) smiled and explained:
"Gentlemen, the next three hundred miles will not be as difficult as it is now."

When they reached about 270 or 280 li...
You can then see the construction site in Daning; they are building roads there.

They will clean the official road, so once we get there, our journey will be much faster, and we can travel even at night.

If you get tired or sleepy, you can rest at the construction site and just pay some money.

If we travel day and night, we can reach Daning City in five or six days.

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with joy.

It's a journey of 500 li from Shanhaiguan.
They walked for almost a month, enduring wind and rain, and nearly lost their lives.

They were overjoyed that they could reach Daning City in just five days.

The middle-aged man asked in surprise:

"If someone in Da Ning were to clean the official roads, would the students be able to ride in carriages?"

Chief镖师 Zheng smiled and looked at everyone:
"You gentlemen have suffered along the way. As long as there isn't too much snow on the road, you can stay in the carriage, where it will be warmer."

The middle-aged man breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Thank you very much, Chief Escort Zheng."

At this moment, the innkeeper walked in.
Beside him were two tall, dark-skinned young men, all bundled up tightly.

One of them frowned slightly as he looked at their disheveled appearance.

Especially when he saw the scholar's robes they were wearing underneath, he sighed helplessly, as if he had seen a fool.

"Who is the team leader?"

The middle-aged man looked puzzled at the speaker, wondering why a servant could speak with such a strong voice.

However, considering the special status of the Northern Pacification Command, he stepped forward:
"I am Xu Ziyan, the clerk of the Ministry of Rites' Department of Receptions. May I ask who you are?"

"I am Xie Jin, and he is Yang Shiqi."
From now on, all twenty-two of you will be under my command. Understand?

Upon hearing this, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) and the others looked puzzled.
Who is this person?

If he doesn't give his official title and only his name, who will know who he is?

But unexpectedly, when the twenty-two students present heard his name,

They were all shocked and couldn't help but take a few steps forward to carefully examine the person in front of them.

Soon, a sense of doubt arose in their minds.
Is this Xie Jin, the most talented scholar in the capital?

Why do you look like this?

So dark?
Xu Ziyan was somewhat shocked by Xie Jin's appearance and asked:

"May I ask if you are Xie Jin, the Supervising Censor of Jiangxi Circuit?"

Xie Jin nodded:

"It is I. I am currently an official in the Beiping Regional Military Commission, responsible for compiling the regional military commission's GDP for this year. This is Yang Shiqi, the head of the Revenue Department of the Daning Prefecture, who is handling this matter with me."

Everyone present looked at Yang Shiqi and saw that he was as dark-skinned as Xie Jin.
Aside from some differences in their facial features, the two are otherwise indistinguishable.

Yang Shiqi's attitude was much warmer; he smiled and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"I am from Taihe County, Ji'an Prefecture. I am here to meet you all."

A person from Jiangxi?
Upon hearing this, the attitude of those present immediately changed; they had previously thought he was from Da Ning.

Xu Ziyan bowed deeply and asked:

"My lords, we have been ordered by the Ministry of Rites to come to the Military Command to spread the king's teachings."
The journey here has been arduous and full of hardships.

"What kind of job are you referring to, sir?"

The people behind him nodded frequently; they had been wanting to ask that question for a long time.
However, due to Xie Jin's reputation as the most talented man in the capital, he always harbored fear.

They were indeed scholars, but they had neither official rank nor connections.

Compared to this accomplished person before him, he was far inferior.

"We'll talk about teaching and nurturing students later. The orders from the Commander-in-Chief are that you all enter the Experience Department together."

Follow this official in calculating the gross domestic product of the Northern Pacification Commandery.
It's essentially an account book, similar to the fish-scale yellow register.

This job is extremely tedious and we are short-staffed.
"Once you've rested enough, I'll teach you how to do it."

At this point, Xie Jin, with an arrogant expression, glanced at them indifferently:
"Let me make this clear from the start: the Commandery is a military office."
Now that you have come on orders from the Ministry of Rites
Since we're here, we should accept it and prioritize obeying orders.

Do what you understand, and try to understand what you don't understand through doing it.

This official does not wish to see anyone hindering the work of the Bureau of Records, and even less does he wish to see you all acting arrogantly out of talent.

These words immediately sparked a wave of discontent.

The crowd looked at each other, puzzled as to what had gotten into Xie Jin.

What is this all about?
According to the Ministry of Rites, they clearly came to the Beiping Regional Military Command to enjoy a life of luxury.

Moreover, what they were doing was teaching and educating people and promoting the king's rule.

Having such an experience, even if it is not helpful for the imperial examinations, will be of great benefit for entering the Imperial Academy.

After all, others only talk the talk, while they walk the walk.

But now, how did I inexplicably become a clerk in the Bureau of Experience?

Xie Jin saw their dissatisfaction.

He ignored it and continued speaking:
"The fact that you have come here at this point in time means that there is no hope for the imperial examinations and you can only look for other options."

Since you're not good at studying, you should put more effort into other things.

If you want to come to Daning to live a comfortable life, that's wishful thinking!
I'm telling you, you came to the area beyond the Great Wall to suffer.

If someone is unwilling to endure hardship or obey the commander's orders,
Now turn back and the Commander will issue you a document stating that your document is invalid!

"Now, does anyone want to go back?"

The students remained silent, their expressions returning to calm, but the anger in their eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Documents that are not accepted?
This undoubtedly ruined their future.

Seeing that no one spoke, Xie Jin nodded in satisfaction:
"Very well, since you've chosen to stay here..."

Stop complaining, and don't act all high and mighty, like you're the most important person in the world. You have no right to be arrogant!

"Alright, everyone go and rest."

"I will be waiting for you at the post station tomorrow morning, and then I will teach you statistical methods."

Everyone was completely bewildered, feeling as if they had been assigned tasks without even realizing it.

Xu Ziyan stepped forward and lowered his voice:

"Lord Xie, these people are all promising scholars; even the Minister himself is involved."
What kind of statistics are these? Isn't this...something?

"Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles, yet you've seen nothing and done nothing."
"To think you can govern the world just by reading a few articles? What kind of bookworm is that?"

At this point, Xie Jin seemed to recall something, a fleeting hint of embarrassment crossing his eyes, and he said in a deep voice:
"I will obey your orders."

"Yes"

Seeing his firm attitude, Xu Ziyan decided to agree first and then find out more about it after arriving at the military headquarters.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) and his men, witnessing this scene, couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.

Throughout the journey, she acted as if she were the most important person in the world, and her delicate appearance resembled that of a courtesan from a brothel.

Now someone will teach them a lesson.
Cool!
The group went to the post station to rest.

Yang Shiqi looked at Xie Jin with a strange expression and said:
"Isn't this a bit too serious? After all, he's a scholar sent by the Ministry of Rites."

"We need to make the unpleasant things clear up in advance, so they can be mentally prepared."
For them, their chance at a meteoric rise to success in this lifetime hinges on this one opportunity.

If you suffer a loss because of this, you might regret it immensely later.

Xie Jin rambled on with deep emotion.

This greatly surprised Yang Shiqi:

"If I remember correctly, when Brother Da Shen first came to the Commandery, he was even more arrogant than them."

"How can they be the same?"

When Jie Jin's sore spot was exposed, Bangbang punched him twice and remarked:

"I have already passed the imperial examinations and am registered with His Majesty."
If things don't go well in Daning, I can always go back to my hometown and wait for another opportunity.

With such a prestigious title, how could I not attract the attention of some high-ranking official and be given a government position?

And they were either those who failed the exam or those who had no hope.

Otherwise, the Ministry of Rites wouldn't have sent them here.

If they can't do well here, they'll never be able to go to the Imperial Academy or the National University, and they'll probably be destined to be poor, pedantic scholars for the rest of their lives.

"What if they get into high school again after they go back?" Yang Shiqi asked doubtfully.

Upon hearing this, Xie Jin's expression changed repeatedly, and finally he sighed helplessly:

"Shiqi, it's understandable that you don't know the ins and outs since you didn't make it to the palace examination."

Yang Shiqi looked puzzled and gestured for him to continue.

Xie Jin didn't mind and continued speaking:
Before the imperial examination, anyone with even a sliver of hope of passing,

They would be received by officials from various departments, become familiar with each other, and have a better chance of becoming officials in the government later.

The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Revenue were the leading departments.
The students they met were considered set in stone; there was a 90% chance they would go to the local government office.
The other government offices were much the same.
This is a tacit understanding among the leaders of various departments to select talent in order to maintain harmony.

They clearly weren't chosen by the government offices in the capital, otherwise they wouldn't have been sent here.

Yang Shiqi looked enlightened and nodded repeatedly:

"I see. I hope I can go through this someday."

Xie Jin smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Shiqi, with your talent, you're more than qualified to pass the imperial examinations."
But since you're already an official, whether you take the exam or not is irrelevant.
"Many of the ministers in the Six Ministries today have become ministers without having taken the imperial examinations!"

"Minister?" Yang Shiqi froze on the spot, then shook his head repeatedly:

"I'll be so grateful if I can be in charge in the future."

I heard that the person in charge gets a good salary, enough to support a family.

Xie Jin glared at him:
"If you're only after money, why not just go into business?"
With your relationship with the adults, becoming a manager in a trading company would be a piece of cake.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to earn several thousand taels of silver a year?
I think you still want to be an official.

Yang Shiqi, his thoughts exposed, scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile:
"If a scholar goes into business, he will probably be laughed at when he returns to his hometown. It's better to become an official. I just don't know if I will be able to wear a scarlet robe in my lifetime."

"Fourth rank?"

Xie Jin curled his lip; as a junior compiler in the Imperial Secretariat,
If you live long enough and live a proper life, it would be strange if you didn't get to wear the scarlet robe.

"Brother Shiqi, in the imperial court, the fourth rank is just the starting point."
They could only enter the Fengtian Hall, and even then, they had to stay at the back and listen obediently.

If you're going to do it, then become one of the six high-ranking officials! In charge of all the affairs of the world!

"To sit at the same table as His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince—that is the mark of a true man."

Xie Jin's pride resurfaced.

He was confident that after this journey through Daning...
He believed he had surpassed all his peers!
He gained profound insights into court politics and the operation of various government departments!

He's no longer the armchair strategist he used to be!

Yang Shiqi could only admire his bold words.

He rubbed his hands together, looked at the vast expanse of white snow outside the post station, and sighed:
"In my life, I just want to be a manager, a fifth-rank official, which would be enough to bring honor to my ancestors."

"Alright, alright, come inside, it's freezing."

(End of this chapter)