The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 351 You Are the Spark
Fujian, Tingzhou Prefecture, Ninghua County.

Fifty-year-old Yin Chengfang was carrying a hoe and hoeing the vegetable garden in his home. Beads of sweat dripped down his face. The straw sandals on his feet were already a bit worn, and his short jacket was full of patches.

No one who sees this will believe that this is a great scholar who is very famous in Fujian Province, especially among the Hakka people.

Yin Chengfang inherited Zhu Xi's teachings, but made some breakthroughs from the framework of Neo-Confucianism. He advocated that reading and learning is to become a saint, but opposed spending a lifetime studying classics and talking nonsense. He advocated the unity of knowledge and action, and the combination of learning and practice, rather than empty talk.

He also advocated abolishing the drawbacks of the imperial examination system, believing that it was the main way to recruit talents for the country. One should read widely the classics, history, philosophy, and collections, be proficient in mathematics, and know astronomy and geography. The secular studies that are currently aimed at passing the imperial examination cannot be considered real knowledge.

Then, his tragedy happened. Before that, Yin Chengfang had failed the county examinations three times in a row. After he put forward this view, he became famous throughout Fujian, so the examiners deliberately did not choose him.

Because no one knows whether taking such a somewhat "extreme" disciple will bring trouble to the master in the future.

Therefore, the more famous Yin Chengfang became, the less likely he was to pass the exam. He was in his forties before he barely passed the exam and became a scholar. Then he did not have the energy or family property to continue taking the exam, so he returned to his hometown to open a school and teach students.

The big yellow dog on the edge of the field first growled lowly twice, then suddenly wagged its tail happily and rushed out to greet them. Yin Chengfang knew who was coming without even looking.

"Teacher, your health has just improved. How can you go to the fields to hoe the land? Let the students do it for you."

The man who came was tall and thin, about twenty-one or twenty-two years old. He had the literary air of a man well-read in poetry and books, and his eyes were bright, he was full of energy and very friendly. You could tell at a glance that he was not the kind of sour scholar who only read books by rote.

Yin Chengfang stood up and handed the hoe in his hand to the tall and thin student without any hesitation. Seeing that he was very methodical and although he was slow, he knew how to plant, he nodded with satisfaction, and finally a smile appeared on his face.

"Farming is a matter of great importance to the nation. You are gifted and intelligent, and you have a family background in education. You will surely become a great man in the future.

You have learned enough about the teachings of Confucius and Mencius and the teachings of Cheng and Zhu, but you lack the understanding of the sufferings of the people.

Today, you and I, master and disciple, will work together to till this acre of land. In the future, when you become a local parent, you will think about the hard work you have put in today and will understand the hardships of life. You will then be able to benefit the people."

The "Zu Si" that Yin Chengfang mentioned was the courtesy name of this young scholar. His surname was Yi and his name was Yi Bingshou. He was one of the most famous celebrities in Ninghua County in history.

He was an honest official who loved the people and punished villains. Historically, when he was the prefect of Yangzhou and a large-scale flood occurred in Yangzhou, Yi Bingshou shared the suffering with the people and overcame the natural disaster together.

He was able to "swallow deveined millet when hungry and drink muddy running water when thirsty" and was deeply respected by the people of Yangzhou. They even built a statue of him and enshrined him in the Three Sages Temple to worship Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi.

This was extremely rare in the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty.

Legend has it that he was the inventor of the original instant noodles. To this day, some people in Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian still call instant noodles "Yimian".

In fact, both the master and the apprentice were not very good at hoeing the fields. The old farmer could finish the acre of land in two quarters of an hour, but the two of them took more than an hour and were so tired that they leaned against the edge of the field and gasped for breath like dogs.

In order to appear more sociable, the lively big yellow dog next to him had to lie down on the edge of the field, sticking out his long tongue and looking very tired.

"Mr. Kezhai, Mr. Kezhai, Brother Zusi, something big has happened in Guangzhou, something big has happened!"

Just when the two were exhausted, another scholar, who was slightly shorter than Yi Bingshou, ran over hurriedly with a stack of papers.

This person was Yi Bingshou's good friend, Song Xiang from Jiaying Prefecture. He was also very famous in history and was known as the number one talent in Lingnan during the Qing Dynasty.

As for how Song Xiang, a native of Jiaying Prefecture, came to Ninghua, Fujian, it was because most of the residents in northern Guangdong, southern Jiangxi, and northern Fujian were Hakkas, and Yin Chengfang and Yi Bingshou were also Hakkas.

It is actually easier for Hakka people in these places to travel across provinces than to travel within the same province, and the language barrier is not that great, so the connection is quite close.

What Song Xiang had in his hand was naturally the major assassination case committed by Chen Shaocheng, Ye Tingbao and Ye Tingtai in Guangzhou.

When Yin Chengfang picked it up and took a look, he froze. After a long while, he took a deep breath. He grabbed Song Xiang's arm and his eyes widened.

"Did Debao really die? Did the assassin really say he was avenging Chen Wenzhong?"

"He was dead. He was shot three times and stabbed five times. By the time the doctor arrived, all the blood had been drained from his body.

In addition to Debao, more than 40 soldiers of the Fu Biao standard-bearer and Governor Goshaha were killed or injured. The magistrate of Panyu County was seriously injured and could not get up. The governor's financial advisor also died on the spot.

The righteous man Chen Shaocheng said in front of hundreds of people that he was avenging Chen Wenzhong, and then he detonated a fire bomb and committed suicide.

In shock, Yin Chengfang looked at Song Xiang meaningfully.

The assassination happened ten days ago. Song Xiang got such detailed information so quickly and came to find him as soon as possible, calling him a hero.

This kid has no good intentions!

"Look, sir, I have another memorial text here." Song Xiang smiled faintly at Yin Chengfang, ignoring his gaze, and handed over a memorial text written by Mo Zibu.

Yin Chengfang opened it and glanced through it, only to see the following at the end:

"I weep three times for the world. The first is for my ancestors and the Three Loyalists of Lingnan. They trampled my hometown and killed my compatriots with their hooves. Wherever the beasts went, there was no one to stand against them. Only my ancestors faced them with their flesh and blood. Even if their entire family died, they would not surrender. How heroic!
Secondly, I mourn for my compatriots. The Eastern barbarians shaved their heads and changed their clothes, launched a literary inquisition, suppressed scholars ideologically, and harmed the people. They used the blood and flesh of 200 million of my compatriots all over the world to support one million tyrannical slave owners. While they were living in luxury, my compatriots were freezing and starving to death on the roadside. How sad!
Three cries for our brave son, born into a family of loyalty and righteousness, who could have lived in shame, but could not bear to see beasts harming his compatriots, so he sacrificed his flesh and blood to warn the world. With only three men, he killed dozens of barbarians. Fighting one against ten, he was truly a brave son of the Han family. How magnificent, how heroic!

Mo Zhao tells his fellow Han people all over the world that the Eastern Barbarians have long since defied Heaven's will and their time is coming to an end. "But our loyal and brave men can defeat ten Barbarians with one Han. Let's see who is truly invincible today."

"Your knowledge is lacking, and your choice of words and sentences is too straightforward." Yin Chengfang threw the article brought by Song Xiang to the ground, but then hesitated for a moment and picked it up again.

"But the idea is right!" Yin Chengfang read it again carefully. "Using ancestral blood feuds to stir up the people's hatred of the enemy. Using the shaving of heads and changing of clothes and the literary inquisition to hurt the hearts of scholars. Using the bravery of the three warriors to puncture the impression that the Eight Banners are invincible, and even more so using their bravery to inspire those who secretly resist."

After Yin Chengfang finished reading, he handed the article to Yi Bingshou and sighed, "I originally thought this Mo Zhao was a pirate, calling himself Marshal Tiangong or General Qitian. After reading it today, I realize that although he lacks literary talent, he has great ambitions. He really is like the less educated Hongwu Emperor."

This is the important reason why Mo Zibu agreed with the assassination of Chen Shaocheng and the other two. He needed to send a clear signal to his compatriots on the mainland.

That is, Mo Zhao was not the kind of pirate who roamed the coast of Fujian and Guangdong, nor was he a mountain king who ruled the mountains. He was a hero who came to drive out the Tartars and regain the lost territory.

Song Xiang laughed heartily, "Mr. Kezhai is indeed a great scholar among our Hakka people. He saw the essence of the matter right away.

"King Mo, you have great talent. You need to rely on talented people like us."

"Ah! Huanxiang, what are you talking about?" It was not until this time that Yi Bingshou reacted. He looked at his good friend Song Xiang in shock and horror.

Yin Chengfang snatched the sacrificial text from Yi Bingshou's hand, then looked at Yi Bingshou and said:
"Zusi, I, a country boy, have nothing to teach you. From now on, you can study in the county school and don't need to come here anymore."

Yi Bingshou looked at his teacher Yin Chengfang with some sadness, wanting to say something but stopping himself, his eyes slightly red.

After a while, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to Yin Chengfang. Then he looked at his good friend Song Xiang with a complicated expression, turned around and walked towards the county town.

"Zusi's father, Yi Gong Chaodong, is currently serving as a doctor in the Ministry of Justice. He has a bright future!" Song Xiang whispered. His family conditions were very poor. Even though he was known as a child prodigy, he had to rely on writing and calculating for others to supplement his family income.

Yin Chengfang was in a similar situation. He had taken the imperial examinations for decades and ruined his family. He could only survive by taking in a few students and cultivating two acres of thin land.

But Yi Bingshou was different. He came from a family of officials and was a true nobleman. Yin Chengfang drove Yi Bingshou away at this time, actually to protect him.

Seeing his student walking away sadly, Yin Chengfang glared at Song Xiang fiercely, "Song Huanxiang, you are so young and known as a child prodigy. Are you going to throw away your future?

Do you know how difficult the path you have chosen is and how it will bring disaster to your family? "

Song Xiang smiled bitterly, "Mr. Kezhai, I have no future in the Qing Dynasty.

Because too many Hakka people from Jiaying Prefecture have gone to Southeast Asia, almost 25% of them are working for King Mo Zhao."

"So many?" Yin Chengfang was also surprised. There were also many Hakkas from Xinghua going to Southeast Asia, but the total number was only about a thousand people, so Yin Chengfang's feeling was not very strong.

Song Xiang's expression became even more helpless. "Moreover, more than 40 people from my Song family also went to Xingtang. My blood cousin Song Jun is the deputy commander of the Xingtang Army.

The year before last, he took my uncle's family to Southeast Asia, and wrote to my father, saying that he had found a position in Xingtang, and that he would be the county magistrate of Pingding County, Guiren Prefecture. My father was quite tempted.

Mr. Kezhai, what do you think I should do?
If I continue to follow the Qing Dynasty, when the King of Xing Tang and the Qing Dynasty come to war, people like me will not be able to take the imperial examinations, and it is uncertain whether I can even save my life."

Yin Chengfang also fell silent. This... this was too difficult, but he immediately opened his eyes wide.

"You people from Jiaying Prefecture have no way out, so why are you trying to trick me? I don't have that many people from Xinghua going abroad to Southeast Asia, and I, Yin Chengfang, don't have any relatives serving the King of Xingtang!"

When Song Xiang heard Yin Chengfang say the three words "King of Xing Tang", he knew that King Mo Zhao's eulogy had touched Yin Chengfang's heart.

Song Xiang took two steps forward, got closer, and lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Kezhai, my father wasn't even a student. He was just a barely literate man who could only teach three hundred thousand. He had a future as a county magistrate, and it was only a matter of time before he was promoted to county magistrate.

Mr. Kezhai, you are well-read and a great scholar among our Hakka people, and the Hakka people are the ethnic group that King Xing Tang relies on as his confidants.

If you can respond, let alone becoming a county magistrate or a county magistrate, even becoming a provincial governor would be a piece of cake.

Who knows, in the future he might even become the representative of our Hakka people in the Xing Tang court, and it’s not impossible for him to be a key official!

Yin Chengfang's face began to look conflicted. Yes, he, Yin Chengfang, started to learn at the age of five and studied all his life, but now he still has to rely on farming for a living when he is old. Is he willing to accept this?
"Mr. Kezhai, if it were the Ming Dynasty and there were no bannermen riding on the heads of us Han people, you would have passed the imperial examination thirty years ago and would have been a governor of a province, wearing a scarlet robe. Have you ever thought about who is to blame for your current misfortune?
I heard that Brother Shi's path to the imperial examination was not smooth. Do you want him to end up like you, studying all his life and ending up living in the mountains and farming?

If he had a father who was a key minister, no! As long as we give our brother a fair environment, a court where 70% of the official positions are not occupied by Tartars, with our brother's talent, wouldn't he be able to pass the imperial examination?
Mr. Kezhai, you have reached the age of knowing the destiny. If you change your allegiance now and follow me, King Xing Tang, to restore the Han Dynasty, you can also become a hero like Liu Wencheng.

If I wait a few more years, I’ll be too old to even try, and I’ll be too weak to do it.”

Yin Chengfang's entire body began to tremble, his face showing a complicated expression. Suddenly, he pointed at Song Xiang and said, "Son, go back to your Jiaying Prefecture. I don't need you to teach me how to do things!"

Song Xiang laughed out loud. He knew that Yin Chengfang was actually moved, but he couldn't tell whether he, Song Xiang, was really King Mo's man or had other purposes.

"Mr. Kezhai, I will be staying at the Shunfeng Inn in the south of Ninghua City for five days. If you have figured it out, please come find me anytime. I will then introduce Mr. Xinghuo to you!"

The so-called Mr. Xinghuo was none other than Lin Qiaoyin, who had conspired with Mo Zibu.

He took Mo Zibu's saying that a single spark can start a prairie fire and called himself Mr. Spark. Under the cover of the Fujian Small Knife Society, he had already made a great name for himself.

Even the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang and the General of Fuzhou knew about this person and issued an arrest warrant, but they didn't know who he was and didn't catch him.

And Yin Chengfang is the most important person that Lin Qiaoyin wants to capture.

Although this person was only a scholar, his students were all over Fujian, and he was extremely prestigious especially among the upper and middle classes of Hakka people.

As long as he was won over, the Small Knife Society would be able to open up the area from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou to southern Jiangxi, northern Fujian and northern Guangdong, which was later known as the Ruijin Soviet Area.

The mountains here are high and the forests are dense. The people are tough and basically all of them are Hakkas. As long as they are organized, they can threaten the Pearl River Delta to the southwest, attack Fuzhou to the southeast, reach Nanchang and Jiujiang to the north, and take Hangzhou to the east.

This is the real center bloom!
(End of this chapter)