The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 70 Yuan Chonghuan

May 15th, the 47th year of the Wanli reign.

In Zuoanmen, the capital, there is a winding alley.

Yuan Chonghuan (Zi Yuansu), a newly-minted Jinshi, paced back and forth in the alley with a servant who was as thin as a ghost.

An hour ago, the master and servant came out of the Guangdong Guild Hall and walked south all the way to Guangqumen.

The two of them strolled along the bustling T-shaped street for a while, buying some northern snacks like rice cakes and mutton. They ate as they walked, and before they knew it, they had turned into an alley.

The master and servant finished their snacks and prepared to return to the guild hall. After walking around a few times, they found that the alley was still the same.

Yuan Chonghuan, who passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, was quite smart and quickly realized that he might be lost.

Most of the streets and alleys in the capital of the Ming Dynasty were T-shaped.

The north and south gates didn't face each other, and the roads didn't connect directly. This urban layout was designed for military defense. The dead end before the two men was also based on the principles of military defense.

Yuan Chonghuan and his servant Sen Ti wandered through the winding alleys for a long time until they finally reached a dead end, unable to move forward or backward.

Many years later, Yuan Chonghuan, who was leading his army to Ji and Liao, encountered the Jisi Rebellion. He wanted to move forward, but found himself with nowhere to go. He wanted to retreat, but found himself in a desperate situation.

This moment is just like that moment.

"Master Ke Lao, you just had dinner yesterday. The Emperor gave you food. Why don't you stay in the capital and spend a few more days enjoying yourself?"

Although it was mid-spring, Yuan Chonghuan's forehead was covered with sweat. He raised his head and glared at Sen Ti, cursing in his unstandard Mandarin:

"Senti, you bastard! How many times have I told you to learn more about elegant pronunciation and Mandarin? We've been in the capital for over a month now, how are you doing with your Mandarin? If you can't speak, how are you going to follow Master Ke Lao?

After cursing, Yuan Chonghuan was still not satisfied, so he slapped Sen Ti on the face, leaving two marks, to remind this idiot that people from Dongguan should speak less of their local accent and more Mandarin when in the north.

The 36-year-old Jinshi from Guangdong suddenly felt a little tired.

An old student of eighteen, a young scholar of forty.

Yuan Chonghuan was admitted as a disciple at the age of fourteen, and took part in the provincial examination at the age of twenty-three and successfully became a juren.

If time stood still here, Yuan Chonghuan's path to the imperial examination, even if it wasn't as successful as that of prodigies like Zhang Juzheng and Yan Song, could still be considered a young success! His future was limitless!
However, fate always likes to play jokes on people.

After passing the imperial examination at the age of 23, he began to fail repeatedly.

He took the exam four times in a row but still failed to become a juren.

It was not until 47 years later that Yuan Chonghuan, who took the examination for the fifth time, finally ranked 40th among the top three.

His grades were not too bad. In the Ming Dynasty, when the admission rate for Jinshi was less than one in fifty thousand, being able to enter the top three was already a rare talent, and it could not be explained by being a top student.

To add, the 41st person among the third class of Jinshi in the 47th year of Wanli, the one who ranked behind Yuan Chonghuan, was named Sun Chuanting.

Four months ago, Yuan Chonghuan rushed from Guangdong to the capital for the imperial examination. It was a long journey of thousands of miles and the hardships he endured were too numerous to mention to outsiders.

In the winter of the 46th year of the Wanli reign, Yuan Chonghuan went to Beijing via Pingjiang, Guilin, Shaoguan, Jiangxi, Xuzhou, Shandong, and Zhuozhou, Hebei.

The journey was three thousand miles and took more than seventy days.

The imperial examination was held on the ninth day of the third lunar month, so he and Sen Ti spent New Year's Eve on a canal boat on the Linqing Canal.

If it weren't for that kindhearted and honest captain of the Northern Canal Ship, who sold a tattered quilt to two Guangdong guests for fifteen taels of silver, Yuan Chonghuan and his brother Sen Ti would probably have frozen to death in the bottom of the canal ship on New Year's Eve...

As for the fact that the master and servant were nearly murdered and robbed by the bandits of the North several times (they were killed and thrown into the river after being robbed, or thrown into the river after not being killed after being robbed), these troubles are better not mentioned now.

Yuan Chonghuan suffered a lot during his time in the capital. He was pragmatic and did not care about money or women. Unlike some Jinshi scholars, he did not indulge in women after passing the imperial examination.

If it weren't for the need to complete those tedious and boring rituals of the Imperial College, Dongguanzi would have left the capital and returned to the south long ago.

"Master, Chongwenmen is just ahead. We've been going in circles here. Master, there's a group of people over there surrounding the soldiers from the Bingmasi (military forces), making a lot of noise. The Yankees are fighting fiercely. How about we take a detour back to the guild hall?"

"What are you afraid of? Lead the way!"

The master and servant walked out of the alley. The street was bustling with people and the air was filled with the smell of horse manure and dead rats.

Yuan Chonghuan covered his mouth and nose, lamenting that it was not easy to live in the capital, as the rats were more numerous and bigger than those in Lingnan.

As we continued walking forward, the stench of dead rats eased slightly.

But I saw a group of people standing at the foot of the Chongwenmen city wall. They were wearing bulging clothes and cotton clothes and fur coats on the outside. They looked like refugees near the capital.

Yuan Chonghuan looked at these people coldly. They huddled together, staring at the dusty Chongwenmen.

Soldiers from the Military Affairs Department came up to persuade the refugees to stay away from the city gate.

These soldiers from the Five Cities Army were all dressed in rags and were even thinner than Sen Ti. Many of them had crystal clear snot hanging from their noses.

Yuan Chonghuan cursed a few times, then said with compassion:
"I thought this was the best place in the Ming Dynasty, but I never thought the people would suffer so much and their lives would be so difficult! How sad and lamentable!"

A blind fortune teller was standing next to him. He saw that Yuan Chonghuan was wearing a blue silk robe with a green silk edge, a round collar and wide sleeves.

Hearing his plastic Ming Dynasty official language, I knew that this gentleman was a provincial candidate who came to Beijing for the imperial examination. He must be either rich or noble. The blind man said attentively:

"Master, are you here from the south for the imperial examination? Judging from your temperament, you can tell that you are a wealthy man. Look at your full forehead and your sturdy figure..."

Yuan Chonghuan interrupted the blind man and took out a few copper coins from his sleeve.

"Old man, go home early and stop cheating people!"

When the copper coin was placed in front of the fortune teller, the blind man immediately opened his eyes, took the money and thanked him repeatedly.

Seeing that the fortune teller did not leave, Yuan Chonghuan laughed and asked:

“Why are all the refugees standing here?”

The fortune teller got the money and immediately explained:
"Master, these are all eunuchs waiting to enter the palace. There are even more outside the city, almost six thousand." (Note 1)

Yuan Chonghuan was shocked:
"Waiting to enter the palace? Are you saying they are eunuchs?"

"Yes, sir. You come from the south, so naturally you don't know. These are all eunuchs who want to enter the palace to seek a job. It happens every year, it's nothing new."

Sen Ti shuddered when he heard this. This servant boy just turned fifteen this year, which is the prime age for him to enter the palace.

"Master, I'm afraid."

"Get lost! You bastard!"

Seeing that he had met a kind-hearted person, the fortune teller immediately started to think about how to get more money from Yuan Chonghuan.

He showed a look of sorrow, looked up towards Liaodong, and sobbed softly:
"My last name is Ke, and my reputation is terrible. My three sons have all gone off to fight in Liaodong. They're not sure if they're alive or dead, and haven't heard from me in years. We have 20 mu of thin land, and since last year, we've been paying Liao taxes in addition to the regular taxes, and 70% to 80% of that has gone. Seeing that life is becoming difficult, I, who can read a few words, came out to tell fortunes!"

"Seventy to eighty percent of the rent? Then what do you eat?"

Yuan Chonghuan was shocked. He had been in Lingnan for a long time and had never known that the people in the north were oppressed so severely.

Corrupt officials took advantage of everything, and the common people could not make a living and were forced to become refugees.

The imperial court stipulated that the Liao tribute should only be an additional two cents per mu on top of the original land tax. Why did the imperial decree become 20% per mu once it left the capital?
Under the secret manipulation of officials at all levels, the burden on farmers increased more than tenfold.

"A bunch of losers, only caring about making money. Millions of people's money have been poured into it, and they always lose the battle! Losers!"

Yuan Chonghuan shook his head and sighed. His dissatisfaction with the northern bureaucrats had been going on for a long time.

Blind Ke didn't hear Mr. Yuan's complaint clearly and continued to complain to him:

"If I were not so old and the palace did not want me, I would have asked Liu Yidao to kill me long ago. I could live in the palace and enjoy the best food and drink instead of hiding under the city gates every day, freezing to death, starving to death, or having my body eaten by wild dogs."

Yuan Chonghuan felt sorry for the old man and couldn't help but sigh.

When he was in Lingnan, he was determined to save the people of the world. However, saving one or two people was not his ideal:

"The old man has suffered a lot. Once we pacify Liaodong, we won't have to pay Liao tribute anymore, and life will be easier."

The old man persisted and continued to ask:
"Master, tell me, how many years will it take to pacify Liao? When will we no longer have to pay that damn Liao tribute?"

Yuan Chonghuan said angrily in his heart: Every leader of the Liaozhen army deserves to die. It's a pity that he doesn't have the imperial sword in his hand, otherwise he would have killed these warriors with his own hands!

"Master, how many years will it take to pacify Liao?"

"The situation in Liao is difficult. I'm afraid it will take five years, old man. I think you are in good health and can live to that time."

Yuan Chonghuan was a little distracted and hurriedly asked his brother Sen Ti to give him more money.

The servant gave the old man a few more coins and waved goodbye to let him go.

"The master has a kind face and a good heart, and walks with the gait of a dragon and a tiger. He will surely be a high-ranking official in the future!"

Blind Ke said goodbye to the two noble men and ran away.

"Master, we only have money left for our journey. If you keep throwing money away like this, we'll have to go out and tell fortunes in a few days."

Yuan Chonghuan ignored the servant.

At this time, fighting broke out on the other side of the city wall.

The skinny soldiers were no match for the refugees. Although they were armed with swords and muskets, these weapons were just decorations and could not even kill a chicken.

"Open the door! I was castrated last winter, completely clean, leaving nothing behind! I've been living here waiting, waiting to enter the palace to work, to serve the emperor, and to serve our great Ming Dynasty! You son of a bitch, you're blocking my way in, not letting me honor His Majesty! I'm going to fight you!"

A burly man with a face full of flesh kicked away the soldier blocking his way and shouted to the eunuchs behind him:
"Those bastards won't let us in, won't let us live, beat them to death! Beat them!"

The eunuchs were like chickens with blood, picking up sticks and stones and hitting the soldiers of the Bingmasi Division. The soldiers of the Bingmasi Division were beaten black and blue, and fled in all directions.

Yuan Chonghuan was reading with great interest. In recent years, he had been determined to pass the imperial examinations and had devoted all his energy to reading the Four Books and Five Classics and picking out sentences from them. Therefore, he did not know much about the historical stories of the dynasty and the customs of the capital.

This is a good opportunity to gain some experience.

During the Ming Dynasty, starting from the Xuande period, more and more people castrated themselves and entered the palace, and it became a disaster.

Regarding the reasons for self-castration, apart from a few perverts with bad habits, the vast majority of people simply want to improve their extremely miserable living conditions. (Note 2)

Of course, there were also some poor children who were cruelly castrated by their parents, sold to human traffickers, and forced into the palace.

For the people of the Ming Dynasty who lived under military rebellion, natural disasters, and harsh policies, entering the palace would prevent them from starving to death, eating Guanyin soil, or exchanging their own children for food.

You can even eat and drink well and develop some relationships with the palace maids that transcend gender.

Of course, if you are not careful, you may become a big figure like Liu Jin, Wang Zhen, and Wei Zhongxian, and bring honor to your family.

According to Maslow's famous hierarchy of needs theory, when people cannot even guarantee food, other needs can be ignored or even completely suppressed, of course including that thing.

Therefore, by the Chenghua period, there were more than two thousand loyal and righteous men from all over the country who had castrated themselves and asked to enter the palace to serve the emperor and the harem, and the number was increasing year by year.

As the economy deteriorated year by year, political corruption intensified, and natural disasters occurred frequently in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, more and more men in the capital area castrated themselves.

Liu Zhaosun's sworn brother Wei Zhongxian was one of the thousands of eunuchs who castrated themselves. People only remember him because Eunuch Wei later became the Nine Thousand Year Old Emperor.

According to historical records (Note 3), in the th year of the Wanli reign, that is, the next year, an army of more than would-be eunuchs would flood into the capital, begging the court for jobs.

They said they were not picky about any job, and after their humble request was rejected, they quickly transformed from loyal, brave and patriotic quasi-eunuchs into a noisy and belligerent mob.

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty still had its power, and with the joint efforts of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War, this group of rabble was driven out of the capital. Some of them were too ashamed to face the elders of Jiangdong (after all, those who returned home in glory like Eunuch Wei were a minority), and finally chose to commit suicide.

The group of eunuchs before us were just a small part of the 20,000 eunuchs who poured into the imperial palace in the 48th year of Wanli.

More prospective eunuchs are still on their way to the capital.

No one would believe such an absurd historical scene unless they saw it with their own eyes.

"I don't believe it either."

Yuan Chonghuan shook his head and said:

"The morals of our Ming Dynasty are declining. How pathetic and lamentable!"

Yuan Chonghuan was silent for a long time, feeling a little upset, and decided to return to the guild hall first.

At this time, a group of Jinyiwei walked out of Chongwenmen, all wearing Feiyu uniforms and carrying embroidered spring swords, looking quite imposing.

There were two eunuchs in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The appearance of the eunuch immediately triggered frenzied shouting from the surroundings.

Looking at the eunuch in fine clothes and riding a horse, the men who castrated themselves for survival all felt the meaning of life at this moment. This was the decent way they wanted to live.

So the refugees raised their wooden sticks and beat the soldiers of the Bingmasi even harder.

"Kill them! They won't open the door for me!"

The reinforcements from the Bingmasi finally arrived, numbering several hundred people. As soon as the two sides met, they immediately started fighting.

Wei Zhongxian looked at the crowd fighting at the foot of the city wall with indifference.

He has been in the north for more than 20 years and is used to seeing this scene.

Every winter and spring, there would be lazy people coming to the capital with the same dream as Wei Zhongxian.

one World, One Dream.

"These people are so cunning, thinking that after being castrated, they can enter the palace and enjoy wealth and glory without having to do anything. They deserve to be beaten!"

Wei Zhongxian turned and looked at the Jinyiwei flag beside him, and said earnestly:

"Shen Lian, have you thought about what we told you last time?"

Xiaoqi reined in his horse, clasped his hands together, and said to Wei Zhongxian:
"Eunuch Wei, thank you for your kindness. I will not enter the palace, not in this lifetime."

Shen Lian returned to the capital from Liaodong, and with the help of Kang Yingqian's letter and three hundred taels of silver, he was promoted to a small flag of the Pacification Office.

He searched everywhere in the capital for Hokusai for almost a month, but found that the woman that Brigadier General Liu mentioned did not exist at all.

Thinking that it was Lord Liu's special instructions, he did not give up. His hard work paid off, and he finally found Hokusai in Tanzhe Temple.

Hokusai was an old monk with a white beard.

Shen Lian guessed that Lord Liu had remembered it wrong, so he temporarily let the matter go and continued to work as his own flag.

After a while, a eunuch from the Imperial Household Department found him and offered him five hundred taels of silver as soon as they met.

The eunuch also said that he was the elder brother of Lord Liu. Shen Lian drew out the Embroidered Spring Sword, put it on the eunuch's neck and asked him, why don't you have the surname Liu.

The eunuch remained calm, pressing his fingers against the blade as blood dripped onto the ground. He smiled and said that he and Brigadier General Liu were sworn brothers and had sworn an oath to drink the blood of the Tartars together.

Shen Lian felt that this man was generous and loyal, no wonder Lord Liu wanted to become sworn brothers with him, so he often went out with him to drink and fight.

Out of kindness, Eunuch Wei reminded Shen Lian more than once that the emperor did not have much time left, and asked him to kill him as soon as possible and follow him into the palace. In the future, he would rebuild the Western Factory. The two brothers would be in the east and the west, each taking charge, and see who dared to bully us.

Shen Lian has never made up his mind, and my mother is always thinking about leaving a descendant for the Shen family.

"Shen Lian, the palace is full of talented people, and everyone speaks well. I really like staying in the palace..."

They walked through Chongwen Gate and turned left to head towards Zhengyang Gate. Wei Zhongxian suddenly grabbed the sleeve of Shen Lian's Feiyu suit.
"Brother Shen, today is not up to you. Come, follow me into the palace! You're going to be a eunuch!"

Just as Shen Lian was about to break free, another eunuch came forward and held his shoulders. Although Shen Lian had some martial arts skills, he was no match for the two eunuchs and was dragged into the palace gate while struggling.

Sixteen-year-old Shen Lian felt like the world was collapsing at this moment.

Yuan Chonghuan saw a handsome Jinyiwei being molested by two eunuchs in public in front of Chongwen Gate. The Jinyiwei struggled desperately, but was outnumbered and was dragged into the palace.

"Shameless!!"

Yuan Chonghuan sighed again that the world was deteriorating, people's hearts were no longer as pure as before, and evildoers were rampant. This capital city was indeed not a place to live in for a long time.

Just as he was about to call the servant to go back together, a burly man came over.

Yuan Chonghuan remembered this person, who was the newly-minted Jinshi Sun Chuanting who ranked right after him.

A few days ago, when the list of candidates was announced in the Golden Hall of Fengtian Palace (4), the two exchanged a few words, and Yuan Chonghuan still had some impression of this person.

"Brother Yuansu, what are you still doing here?"

"Oh, it's Brother Bai Gu. I haven't seen you for a few days. I didn't know you were still in the capital."

Yuan Chonghuan looked up at Sun Chuanting, who was much younger than him, and frowned slightly. This man was only in his early twenties, but was ranked only after him, which made him, a 36-year-old Jinshi ranked in the third and fortyth place, stand out even more.

What made Yuan Chonghuan even more unhappy was that Sun Chuanting was still wearing the Jinshi hat and clothes that he wore on the Chuanlu day.

"Aren't the Jinshi's cap and robes supposed to be taken back after the release ceremony?"

Yuan Chonghuan looked annoyed. It seemed that there was still a distinction between the north and the south. His Jinshi hat and clothes had been taken away by the Imperial College a long time ago, but this northerner was still wearing them and parading around in the streets, showing off in front of people!

Could it be just because he, Yuan Chonghuan, was a juren from Guangdong?

"Brother Yuansu, tomorrow we will behead the Eastern Tartars in the inner city, and the Lieutenant General Kaiyuan will present the captives to the imperial court. All the six ministries and the newly graduated Jinshi can witness the execution. The Emperor may also come to visit. Brother Yuansu, will you come with us? We can also show you the elegance of the newly graduated Jinshi!"

After Sun Chuanting finished speaking, he looked up at Yuan Chonghuan.

Yuan Chonghuan looked at Sun Chuanting in fine clothes and on a horse, and thought to himself, we will present the captives tomorrow, and this northerner is parading around in the city wearing the official hat and robes of a Jinshi scholar today!

"Brother Yuansu, I heard that the Ministry of War has read your plan for pacifying Liao and they all say it's a wise and prudent strategy for the country. I'm afraid it's going to be sold out in Luoyang."

Yuan Chonghuan had a gloomy face. Last month, during the imperial examination, the topic was about the strategy for pacifying Liaoning. He mistakenly wrote "five years" instead of "fifteen years to pacify Liaoning" and was judged by the examiner as "frivolous".

With just a slight shake of my hand, my ranking dropped to the top 340. How could I not feel regret?
When Sun Chuanting brought up the test plan, Yuan Chonghuan felt that he was being humiliated. He already had a bad temper and couldn't help but blurt out some classic Cantonese lines:

"What the hell, you bastard! You're so cute!"

"(Asshole, what are you so proud of?)"

After saying this, he took his servant Sen Ti and headed towards the guild hall.

Sun Chuanting was stunned for a moment. He was born in Shanxi and raised in the Three Jins. He was devoted to literature and not fond of traveling. He was not as knowledgeable as Qiao Yiqi.

This trip to the capital for the examination was Sun Baigu's first time traveling far away. Sun Chuanting felt that although Yuan Chonghuan had a tough and impatient temperament, he was also a capable person.

This person was well versed in personnel management, financial management, military tactics and warfare. In this imperial examination, Yuan Chonghuan wrote a policy for pacifying Liaoning, which was a unique and correct use of military force, and was written in a fluent and upright manner, which won the favor of the head of the Ministry of War.

The servant asked in Shanxi dialect:

"Brother Gu, what did this barbarian say? Was he cursing at us?"

Sun Chuanting smiled slightly, thinking:
"Perhaps he is greeting His Majesty. The Cantonese dialect, with its rhythmic tones, is naturally different from the elegant dialect of Shanxi."

"Let's not bother with him, Lao Bai. Let's go back to the Shanshan Guild Hall and have some noodles. Tomorrow we'll take a good look at Liu Zhaosun, the man who killed Amin three times."

Note: (1) Shenzong Shilu, Volume 11
(2) The Veritable Records of Emperor Xiaozong, Volume 75, May of the sixth year of the Hongzhi reign
(3) The Veritable Records of Emperor Shenzong, Volume 13
(4) Two days after the palace examination, the emperor summoned the newly qualified Jinshi candidates. The successful Jinshi candidates, dressed in official uniform and wearing a three-branch, nine-leaf crown, stood respectfully in front of Tiananmen Square, waiting to be called. Then, along with the princes and ministers, they entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony and stood on either side, listening attentively to the announcement of their names and rankings. This was known as the "Jindian Chuanlu." "Lu" means to display, and "chuanlu" means to be called out one by one, and then to enter the palace to see the emperor.

(End of this chapter)