Griffin Commander in the Late Ming Dynasty

The Imperial College and schools at all levels were collectively called official schools or Confucian schools. In addition, Zhu Yuanzhang also established community schools across the country many times.

Official schools are national universities, and community schools are private colleges that enroll children under the age of fifteen to study, teach etiquette, laws, etc., and cultivate talents for the country.

However, local officials were not very interested in this matter and were passive and slow to act. As a result, community schools were short of funds and many of them had to be abandoned shortly after they were established.

This situation became increasingly serious after the mid-Ming Dynasty. Scholars aimed to become officials through the imperial examinations, but due to the prevalence of the eight-legged essay, the status of official schools became very embarrassing. Official schools were no longer places for teaching and educating people, but became places to obtain examination qualifications, and the schools became in name only.

The abolition of official schools led to the gradual rise of local clan schools, mainly clan schools established by clans and private schools established by individuals.

A portion of the clan's income from clan land would be used to develop education. Because of the Chinese characteristics, nothing is better than power, and letting clan members become officials is the best way to develop clan power.

You can think of it as a high-end private college. Doesn't it have a very American feel?

That's right! Because the clan school adopts strict elite education, only accepting clan members or close relatives, the number of students in the class is kept small, only about ten people, and the clans are also very willing to spend money. The clan school facilities are very complete, with food, desks, stationery, clothes and other necessities. There are also extra rewards for outstanding performance.

The rise of clan schools had even more serious consequences. After scholars trained by their families passed the imperial examinations, the first thing they thought of was their families rather than the imperial court. Some poor scholars without families, if they had good qualifications, would be funded and supported by local gentry and businessmen. After they passed the imperial examinations, they would also follow the same rules as their families and register their land to evade taxes.

So what should we do if the clan fails to train a suitable scholar from a poor family?

You can also send servants to wait for the imperial edict, and once it is released, go up and kidnap the person and bring him back to marry your daughter. This is called "catching a son-in-law", and it was once regarded as a good thing.

Over time, the imperial power did not extend to the countryside, and the Lijia system of the Ming Dynasty gradually collapsed. Local governments could only rely on gentry to maintain public order and collect tax revenue, resulting in less and less tax revenue.

If we want to change this, we must start with education, break this monopoly, and not let the people of the Ming Dynasty continue to receive education happily.

"Ha ha ha, can you hear me, Masgar in Ki country?"

A call from the chat channel interrupted Jiang Han's thoughts.

"Fuck, yes!"

"What? It's me! What a mess you have in your mind all day long?"

"Ah, it's Sister 45, what's going on?"

"I brought you the surprise you asked me to bring before. I'm in the mansion now. If you have time, come and take a look, okay?"

Hmm? The person who brought it? Oh! It's that Grandpa Bi!!

Jiang Han has asked 45 to investigate Bi Maokang's information. After reading it, Jiang Han was shocked. Wow, I was shocked. You actually let such a talent look after the granary?

The Ming Dynasty is indeed a land of great natural beauty. Even the old man in the community could be a hermit. Why don't we capture him, tie him up, and squeeze him dry?

The Yangzhou craftsmen now have the blueprints of the flintlock rifle and can make it by following them. However, many specific operational issues still require the leadership of experienced people. Otherwise, they can only rely on their own methods and experience to produce a bunch of defective products, resulting in a huge waste of resources.

Now there is a tough guy who is good at rubbing flintlock rifles, we must take him down! These are all key talents!

He winked at M4 next to him, and M4 understood and stepped forward: "Commander, the people you instructed to invite have arrived, please move."

Every time I write about the plot, I get stuck and can't write anymore. It's so painful. I'm sorry that the update is a bit slow. I will get better after I sort out my thoughts.

Volume 226: Chapter Chapter : Persuading Surrender and Counter-Persuading Surrender

His face was covered with a sackcloth hood, and his two thumbs were tied together with a thin rope behind his back, making it difficult for him to exert any strength. His legs were tied into a clever knot from the knees. From the moment Bi Maokang opened his eyes, he found himself in this state.

He began to recall that he was sitting peacefully in the sedan chair when suddenly a pair of large hands covered his mouth and nose from behind. He didn't know what was in the thick cloth that covered him, and he lost consciousness on the spot. Now it seems that he was kidnapped?

Why? Bi Maokang couldn't understand why there would still be thieves who wanted to kidnap a high-ranking official in this day and age? Were these people not afraid of death?

What is he trying to achieve? Yes, he is the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, in charge of money and grain, and he seems to be very rich, but whether you can get the money or not is another matter.

Do you believe that as soon as you kidnapped someone and told them where you wanted to get the money, you were surrounded by a large army?

No one really thought they could kidnap the Great Yuan of Chaozhong and get away with it, right? No way, no way?

Bi Maokang actually hoped that the people who kidnapped him were really that stupid. This would undoubtedly be good news for him, because these kidnappers were basically honest people who had gone crazy because of poverty. They were the kind of idiots who had gone astray and didn't know where to go. It would be easy for them to escape safely. But unfortunately, it was not the case. This time we met a master.

Just by feeling the way the other party tied you up, you can tell that he is a veteran and an expert. Ordinary people cannot tie people like this. This shows that the other party has rich experience in tying people up and knows how to tie people up so that they cannot resist. Such a person is either extremely skilled and is a backbone of the flower-shooting industry, or he has been trained by a special organization.

So why did the other party kidnap me? Could it be that...

Just as Bi Maokang was daydreaming, he heard footsteps approaching from outside the door. The door was opened and he heard a young man's voice.

"Good guys, you guys tied me up really tightly. Take off the hood first and loosen the ropes on my body. You're already old, don't tie me up and cause me to get hurt."

"But Commander, the danger level of the opponent has not been eliminated yet."

Why is there a woman's voice?

"How could an unarmed old man be in any danger? I used to punch the Nanshan Nursing Home, and I'm very skilled at beating up old men. Besides, don't you have my back? It's okay."

The other party was very confident... He was filtering the useful information in his mind when he suddenly felt a bright light in front of his eyes. Bi Maokang closed his eyes uncomfortably and waited for a while before slowly opening them. Suddenly, he felt a loosening behind him. Obviously, the other party had cut the rope that tied him.

Suddenly he was relaxed, and the pain in his hands and penis, which had been bound together, seemed to have been untied and surged over him. The intense pain and numbness almost made him scream.

Bi Maokang felt that he had never been so embarrassed. He lay on his side on the big bed and slowly recovered.

"Feeling better?"

At this moment, Bi Maokang finally regained his normal vision. He looked up at the culprit who had tied him up. Unexpectedly, the other party looked very young, and his clothes were very elegant. Bi Maokang's heart skipped a beat. He knew that the worst might be about to happen.

"Who are you and where is this place?"

"Wow, you're asking questions right after you woke up. You seem to be quite energetic. As for where this place is, this is Yangzhou."

"Yangzhou!?" Bi Maokang was stunned.

Oh no, I’ve entered a den of thieves!

What is Yangzhou? That is the nest of the enemy army! Don't forget that you are currently in a hostile state with this group of people. It is obvious what the enemy is going to do by capturing a logistics minister.

Jiang Han also felt a little emotional. Wow, he finally brought the person here. He finally found a genius in weapons manufacturing and he must make good use of him. However, there is one bad thing. The person he brought here still has to be convinced by words. This is too difficult. Can't I use my Griffin's honey-made succubus cakes to directly fill people's favorability?

"Don't be nervous. It seems that you are well aware of your current situation. But don't worry, we are all civilized people and will not do anything excessive to you. We arrested you mainly for a purpose."

Sure enough, this gang of thieves didn't even want to pretend to be hypocritical. They came straight to the point. Damn it, did they think that my life was in their hands, so they were fearless? Humph! You think too much! It is said that wealth and honor cannot corrupt, poverty and humbleness cannot move, and might and power cannot bend. As an official of the Ming Dynasty, I naturally want to laugh at the sky with my sword, and leave my loyalty to Kunlun!

Jiang Han smiled shyly, Bi Maokang snorted coldly, and they both spoke almost at the same time.

"Mr. Bi, can you help our craftsmen find out what's wrong with the work they made?"

"I won't tell you the route for transporting food and fodder!"

As soon as the words came out, both of them were stunned for a moment, amazed at each other's thinking.

"Old man, you are the one who looks after the granary. Why are you interested in the art of war?"

Attacking the grain route is a routine operation for two armies. As an enemy, they will naturally use all means to destroy their opponents, such as burning granaries, stealing buttocks, changing homes, hiding cattle and wild hidden knives with king insects, and infiltrating spies behind enemy lines. They will use whatever is useful. However, everyone knows about intercepting the grain route, but few people do it. Because the grain route is the top priority, it must be top secret information. Generally speaking, very few people know about it. If you don’t know the place, do you have to cast a wide net to find it? I’m afraid the enemy will laugh if they know it.

Although people often jokingly call Bi Maokang a granary keeper, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he knows clearly where every tax grain goes. Based on this information, it is very easy to infer the transportation route of the army that is suppressing the rebellion.

But Jiang Han didn't expect that. After all, for him, opening the field of vision during combat was a routine basic tactical operation. He subconsciously used his own tactical thinking to consider it. He didn't expect that, without cheating, interrogating the enemy to get the route was the most convenient method. Feng Ling Yue Ying took it to his mind.

Bi Maokang was also confused. What the hell? I am a fourth-rank official in charge of the distribution of money and grain in Nanjing. You arrested me and didn't think about how to get information about money and grain. You actually interrogated me about the project? Am I crazy or are you crazy? Or is this world crazy?

The two looked at each other in amazement: "Where to transport food and fodder?" "Help the craftsmen check the tools?"

Hearing Jiang Han's sudden realization, Bi Maokang felt a pain in his heart. Oh no, I didn't remind him! He saw that his actions in Yangzhou were very wise and thought he was a cunning person. Unexpectedly, he was on the second floor. He thought he was on the first floor, but he was in the basement!

"Ah, so that's what you're hesitating about. Don't worry, I won't ask you anything that could harm the interests of the Ming Dynasty. We asked you to come here mainly because we value your abilities, not the added value brought by your official position."

"A weapons design master like you, with great ambitions but difficult to achieve, has such brilliant ideas, but you can only stay in front of the granary and waste your life. I guess you must be very unwilling? The Tartars in the north are eyeing the Central Plains, but you can only stay in the granary and watch the big rats baring their teeth. If it were me, I would definitely not accept it. Therefore, we sincerely want to invite you to be our industrial consultant."

Jiang Han has never done the job of talking nonsense before. She is truly a young lady getting married, so her skills are definitely not very good, but at this stage she can only bite the bullet and do it.

"Humph, you are sincere. Is your sincerity to tie me up here and threaten me with my life and freedom to make me submit?"

Not to mention that Jiang Han's words really touched Bi Maokang's heart. He had worked hard on this imitation flintlock rifle, and once it went into production, it would definitely change the way the entire Ming army fought. Facing the Tartars in the field, the Ming army would also be able to fight. But unfortunately, the emperor did not adopt his idea, and he was ostracized by the court and demoted to Nanjing.

It seemed like he had been promoted to the fourth rank, but everyone knew that this meant he was exiled from the political center. From then on, everything in the Ming Dynasty would have nothing to do with him anymore. If nothing unexpected happened, he would probably have to watch big rats grinning for the rest of his life until he retired and returned home.

Is he willing? No? But as a pillar of the Ming Dynasty, it is impossible for him to betray the Ming Dynasty to realize his personal ambitions.

"Look at what you said. How can I force you to submit? I was shocked by your resume, so I am eager to recruit you. Maybe the method I used to invite you here was a little rough, but please believe that we have absolutely no ill intentions."

The old man's eyes rolled.

"Don't try to play tricks on me. No matter what your purpose is, I won't help you. You can kill me or chop me up as you like, unless..."

"Unless something"

"Unless you are willing to submit to the Ming Dynasty, then you will be a part of the Ming Dynasty, and I will naturally be able to help you."

Volume 227: Chapter Chapter : Is this different from what we agreed?

Jiang Han almost laughed out loud. Good fellow, you old man are not honest? I was just thinking about how to turn you against me, and you are planning to turn me against me?

Bi Maokang became excited and began to lobby: "I have heard about your situation in Nanjing. You were originally a businessman, unwilling to be oppressed by the Jinyiwei, so you started a rebellion. After taking Yangzhou, you rested and restored the people. I believe that you have the people and the country in your heart. However, after you took Zhenjiang, Nanjing can no longer tolerate your actions and will send a large army to attack you soon. With your strength, you will definitely not be able to stop it. When the army goes south, people will suffer. Why don't you surrender?"

"When the time comes, the land of Yangzhou will be assigned to you. The people will no longer have to suffer from war, and you can also work hard to govern under the rule of the Ming Dynasty. Isn't that wonderful?"

These words were really meant for Jiang Han and Shen Li Linghua, who couldn't help laughing: "Old sir, are you kidding me? I have read Water Margin, and the heroes who are recruited are no longer heroes."

"Young man, think about it. How can you take the events of the Song Dynasty seriously? Besides, the novels are all fake. They are all iced black tea diluted with water. Look at Zheng Zhilong in Fujian. He was once the same as you, but now he has been promoted to a general. Isn't he also very safe?"

"In that case, why don't we talk about recent events? Old sir, do you think that with the current Ming Dynasty, we can stop the Jurchens from coming south again?"

"Why not? The Jurchens of the Later Jin Dynasty are mostly cavalry. They are good at field battles, but they are not strong enough for sieges. There are three important passes in Liaodong, all of which are heavily guarded. If the Tartars want to march south, they must bypass these three important passes. They can only wait until winter comes and the water freezes."

"But, although the ice is solid, it cannot support a large amount of baggage. With their artillery, they will definitely not be able to capture Beijing. They can only plunder. Our Ming Dynasty is vast and rich in resources. Once this natural disaster is over, we can recuperate and counterattack northwards."

Bi Maokang was still optimistic about the overall war situation. The Jianzhou Jurchens had never been able to break through the three strong passes in Liaodong. If they wanted to go south, they had to take a detour, and they could not carry large baggage. Once they entered Hebei, Beijing was right behind them. Beijing was a very critical place. As the imperial capital of the emperor, Beijing's city defense was absolutely first-class. It was not comparable to the several-meter-high city walls here. The city walls of Beijing were dozens of meters high, and the blue bricks on them were extremely thick. Cannons could only leave a white mark when they hit them. In fact, the Qing army in the previous life had never captured Beijing. Beijing was opened by the direct surrender of the ministers in the city after Li Zicheng went to Beijing. After the Qing army went south, Li Zicheng naturally surrendered directly without any backbone. To be honest, although the Ming Dynasty had problems of one kind or another, to be honest, it was indeed tough. Although there were all kinds of outrageous and rare things, there were also heroes among them like stars in the sky.

"Your idea is good, but have you ever thought that even the Ming Dynasty might not survive until the disaster is over?"

"Nonsense!"

Bi Maokang's defense was broken. Jiang Han's words were like a sharp wound: "How dare you, a young boy, speak so arrogantly, you..."

"Look at you. I haven't said anything yet. Why are you in such a hurry? Do you know how long this natural disaster will last?"

"...I really don't know. Could it be that you know?"

Although Bi Maokang is a scholar, he generally studies science. He mainly uses scientific thinking when encountering things and emphasizes rigor. If he doesn't know, he doesn't know. It is unlikely for him to brag.

"Don't tell me, I really know that the natural disasters today are not sudden severe cold and drought, but the arrival of the Earth's mini ice age."

"Earth?"

Jiang Han's words made the old man a little confused.

Well, I have to explain it again: "The world we live in is a sphere, I call it the Earth..."

"Hun Tian said that. I know that. But what does the Little Ice Age mean?"

"The Little Ice Age, as the name suggests, is when the temperature of the entire world begins to drop, rivers freeze, and the climate becomes abnormal. You must have felt it, old man. Even in the warm Jiangnan region, there are continuous snowstorms in winter. There is no definite answer to the cause of this. You can simply understand it as the land we live in is experiencing a climate change, and this kind of change occurs every three to four centuries. So far, China has experienced a total of four Little Ice Ages in history. The first four were all dynasties that changed, and the fourth was the Ming Dynasty."

Bi Maokang felt as if a bolt of thunder had exploded in his mind. He had never heard of such remarks before. However, there were traces to follow. There were records of these generations in history books, and they were well documented. He only needed to compare them. If the other party was lying, he would be exposed soon. But what if it was true?

This so-called Little Ice Age, every time it occurs, it will trigger a change of dynasty and a chaotic era. This was the case with the Han Dynasty and the prosperous Tang Dynasty. What about the Ming Dynasty? Can the Ming Dynasty be the exception? Looking at the bandits everywhere and the rampant Jian Nu in the north, Bi Maokang knew that it was very blue.

"How long will this so-called Little Ice Age last?"

He just felt his throat dry, and asked slowly.

"Ah, I know what you are thinking, old man. Since it is the Little Ice Age, it will eventually end, right? As long as we can hold on until the Little Ice Age ends, I have to say that this is a good idea. However, I still have to say that unfortunately, the Little Ice Age will not last very long, but it is not short either. From now on, it will take about a hundred years. Old man, how long do you think the people can tighten their belts? One year? Ten years? Fifty years?"

"This kind of disastrous weather will continue. It won't get better in the short term. And, do you think this is the most terrible situation? I tell you, of course not! Now is only the early stage of the Little Ice Age. Ten years later, it will be the coldest time of the Little Ice Age! By then, the river surface will be frozen harder than a dirt road. Do you think the Jianzhou Jurchens will be able to hold back and not move south? Or, even next year, will they be able to hold back?"

"The land of the Ming Dynasty cannot grow food, and the army has no food and fodder. Can it resist the repeated southward advances of the Jiannu? Impoverished and weak, Beijing will be slowly dragged down by constant consumption. The fortresses were breached from the inside, not to mention the peasant armies that are rising everywhere. Which of these can the Ming Dynasty solve? This is God's will. Wake up, old man. The Ming Dynasty is doomed."

"No, that's not right..."

Bi Maokang murmured.

"What's wrong?"

"Since you already know the disaster you mentioned, why don't you tell the government? Moreover, these things are all your personal conjectures and have not yet come true. However, the Ming army is about to arrive at the city. This is imminent. With such a threat behind us, shouldn't we surrender to the government and do something big?"

Jiang Han shook his head: "It seems that we can't reach a consensus. It seems that you still don't understand, old sir. With someone like you as an example, I don't have the slightest thought of surrendering to the Ming Dynasty..."

"Old sir, you should be more worried about what the bandits behind you will do when your Ming army marches south to attack me."

"commander"

M4 walked in from the door and nodded to Jiang Han.

"Okay, I'll be there in a minute."

Jiang Han responded, "Then I will leave first, old man. You can walk around the city and look around during this time. When you have made up your mind, let me know. I have something else to do here, so I will leave you first."

"Hmm? You're not going to put me under house arrest?"

Bi Maokang was a little confused. My goodness, are these rebels so careless? I am at least a fourth-rank official of the Ming Dynasty. You let me wander around the city like this. Aren't you afraid that I will spread the word to the people?