Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 997

The whole Luanping City fell into excitement on this day, although a Jinshi could not give them a few cents more, but the simple emotion of being proud of it was still rippling in his heart.

Sure enough, the Yamen of the Governor's Mansion in Chifeng also sent someone to come two days later and directly rewarded him with 200 yuan in silver dollars.

Although Chahar has only been established for more than ten years, a group of local gentry and wealthy businessmen have been born, and they have raised money to build a large-scale memorial archway for Jinshi.

In a few days, 2000 yuan was collected, and the whole Chahar was shocked.

When the magistrate of Luanping learned about this, he shook his head with a smile and sighed.

At this time, the flattering wealthy businessman hurriedly said: "What's wrong with the elder?"

The implication is, of course, to help.

"Oh, this matter is a private matter." The county magistrate said softly, "My son, I will take the Zong Kao in a few days, I hope I can get a fame."

The wealthy businessman was taken aback for a moment, turning his mind a few times before he realized that the county magistrate's surname was Zhu, and the Zong Kao here probably referred to the "clan children's scientific research" of the Zhu family.

For a moment, he was full of envy.

It is heard that the emperor was feeling down and down when he was in Qiandi, so in order to take care of the middle and lower clan children, he set up the imperial examination to select the talents of the clan.

Ordinary scholars who want to become Juren have three small hurdles in the children's test and a large hurdle in the rural test. In a large province like Jiangsu, there are no more than [-] candidates in one session, and in a small province, there are only [-] or [-] candidates. In Chahar, there are even only ten candidates.

Juren can be said to be one of the best talents in a hundred.

And what about the clan?It is an exaggeration to just take the Zong Examination, and if you are selected, you can become a Juren. How much time is saved at one time?

The current clan is even more popular than eating imperial food for generations like before!
Seeing the envy on the latter's face, the county magistrate suddenly became a little proud: a certain is from the royal family of the Zhu family, and there are names and surnames on the jade certificate.

With the end of the palace examination, an examination belonging to the Zhu family also took the stage.

Although it is an imperial examination, its difficulty is not low, which is equivalent to that of the rural examination. The chief examiner is the emperor, and the cabinet bachelor is the same examiner.

Of course, how could the emperor have such leisure time? Basically, the cabinet checked the papers, and the emperor stamped them at the end.

Early in the morning, nearly a thousand clan disciples from all over the country went to the just-concluded Gong Yuan to participate in the biennial imperial examination.

"Your Majesty, at the beginning of the year, according to the report from the provinces, there are already 23 children of the clan who are over seven years old."

"At this moment, there are 970 or eight students who are coming to take the exam."

Accompanied by the emperor was the bloated, gray-haired King Rui. After a series of words, he took a breath.

Seventy-seven King Rui, who has been in the clan's mansion for nearly twenty years, is highly respected in the clan and is trusted by the emperor.

Everyone knows that Princess Kunning is the direct daughter of Emperor Chongzhen. Not only was she named the eldest princess by the emperor, she was also bestowed on her son as an earl, which is a signboard in the world.

In fact, as the son of Emperor Wanli, King Rui, who is closest to the lineage of the previous dynasty, has always been a big name in the clan.

In addition to the son of King Rui who will inherit the title in the future, the other two concubine sons were also honored as county kings by the emperor, breaking the convention.

You must know that according to the new suzerainty regulations, only the son of the son can be named the king of the county, and the son of the son is the general of the town.

Of course, only the sons of princes can be granted titles, and the middle and lower clans can only inherit the titles from their sons, and the rest are common people.

The titles passed down from generation to generation by the clan are only Prince, County King, Zhen Guo, Fu Guo, and Feng Guo, three generals, and Zhen, Fu, and Feng three lieutenants, a total of eight generations, descending from generation to generation.

Theoretically speaking, wealth and honor can be preserved for 200 years.

At the same time, the imperial court dismembered the huge burden of heirs except the eldest son.

"Are there 23 people?"

Zhu Yixi was taken aback.

He did not expect that after 20 years of peaceful development, the clan began to multiply again.

The children here refer to men, women and family members are not included. If they are all added together, there are still 60 to [-] people.

However, in the early years of Shaowu, a large number of clan clans were anonymous. At the time of statistics, there were only about one hundred thousand people, which doubled in 20 years.

"Your Majesty, there are only 430 seven members of the royal family who confer titles and awards."

King Rui was leaning on crutches, seeing the emperor was surprised, he hurriedly explained that he was afraid that the emperor would care and make another ruthless move.

In the early years of Shaowu, almost all those generals and lieutenants were rewarded with land, and their titles were bought out at one time (ten hectares of land for the general, five hectares for the lieutenant), and everyone was demoted to the Fuguo lieutenant to inherit, so that they could inherit the wealth of two generations. .

Now those who have titles are basically inherited by princes and county kings, and there are only about two hundred lieutenants.

After all, in the eyes of the emperor and the imperial court, the prince and the county king are considered important clans, who need to take care of one or two, and the rest are just distant relatives.

Compared with the 20 nobles counted in the Wanli period, this can be said to have been cut to the heel.

King Rui was afraid that the emperor would be dissatisfied, so he would cut down the vassal.

"En!" The emperor nodded slightly, but didn't say much.

He naturally knew a lot about the clan's situation.

In terms of Zonglu, the prince is against the Duke of the country, the king of the county is against the Marquis, and the three generals of Zhenguo, Fuguo, and Fengguo have Zonglu of one thousand, eight hundred, and five hundred stones.

The third-class lieutenants are three hundred, two hundred, and one hundred stones respectively.

The four hundred people who receive Zonglu spend about 20 yuan a year, which is not a lot of money, and it will gradually decrease as time goes by.

Zhu Yixi looked up and saw those clan children, one by one with their servants, forming a long line in front of the tribute courtyard.

Zongkao refers to the rural examination, and everything must be rigorous, but it is no longer the soldiers of the Beijing camp who are searched, but the guards.

"Do you know why I no longer confer official titles directly, but meritorious deeds instead?"

Seeing that everyone had entered the tribute courtyard, Zhu Yixi turned his head and asked about the living man who was writing non-stop.

The man was startled, then put down his pen and said seriously:
"Zong Kao is to raise talents for the country. If he is directly appointed as an official, he may arouse the hatred of the government and the public. His name will not be right, and his words will not go well."

"That's right!" Zhu Yixi smiled with satisfaction and nodded.

Another living man was mad with envy.

In fact, although the effect of directly appointing an official at the beginning was very good, it was like taking medicine.

A clan with such a background can only serve as some small officials, and it is impossible to integrate into the officialdom, let alone assist the emperor.

The imperial examination is the right way to be an official, and the two-ranked Jinshi is the real official master.

If Zong Kao is not beneficial to the emperor, what is the use of it?

It would be a waste to arrange jobs just for those distant relatives.

Therefore, after summarizing, Zhu Yixi felt that the Zongkao was still positioned as a rural examination, and was used to shorten the time for the long march of the imperial examinations of the clan.

Every two years, 80 people are awarded as juren at a time, which not only expands the group of Zhu family gentry, but also eliminates the adverse effects.

It would be best if someone from the imperial family can pass the Jinshi examination. Taking a step back, Juren can also become an official and enrich the middle and lower classes.

Hope to produce some real talents!

"Let's go, there's nothing to see."

Zhu Yixi shook his head, then took care of King Rui and left together.

Since the Zongkao is benchmarked against the provincial exam, no matter the number of sessions or the content, it is naturally the same, it is just that the level of competition is different.

Considering King Rui's age, the emperor specially asked someone to arrange a carriage, and the two sat opposite each other.

King Rui is getting old, and the age spots on his face are very conspicuous. Along the way, he chatted about the events in Hanzhong and Huguang, and his face was full of emotion.

In the end, he couldn't help but said: "Your Majesty, I am too old to take on the responsibility of the clan's mansion..."

Zhu Yixi looked at King Rui's old face, and couldn't bear it: "You have worked hard, old man."

"Well, in a few days, let the son come to the clan mansion and serve as You Zongzheng!"

Hearing this, King Rui instantly had a smile on his face.

He didn't expect the patriarchal decree to be hereditary to his family, but he counted on the emperor's attitude.

Now it seems that he is of King Rui's lineage and is still favored by the emperor.

At this time, Zhu Yixi was thinking about the Zongrenling.

From the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it was basically princes and county kings who held such important positions, and only they could hold down those vassal kings.

The first patriarchal order of the Ming Dynasty was his ancestor Qin Wang Zhu Xi.

He thought, should the prince be in charge of the clan mansion?
Immediately, he rejected it.

The patriarchal mansion involves nobles and vassals, especially those nobles, who are now either serving as generals in various places, or in charge of the five armies' governor's mansions, and the Beijing camp is also controlled by them.

If the prince is really involved, then it will be over.

Suddenly, a chubby figure appeared in his mind, and he couldn't help but smile knowingly:
Old Qifu King.

This kid is alive and kicking, and it's time for him to have a errand to sharpen him.

……

Japan, Tohoku Mutsu Country, Morioka Domain, Morioka Castle.

The Morioka domain originally had [-] shi, but the second-generation feudal lord Nambu Shigenao died of illness suddenly. Since he had no heirs, he did not appoint a feudal lord.

The feudal clan was supposed to be abolished, but in the end the shogunate was divided into two, with [-] koku being the Morioka vassal, inherited by the fifth younger brother Shigenobu, and [-] koku Hachihoku being inherited by the younger brother Naofa.

Morioka Domain is the main horse trading place in Japan. Because of its proximity to Ezo, it was issued a black seal by Tokugawa Ieyasu for trading with Ezo.

Therefore, Ezodi has always been an important place for trade in the Morioka Clan.

The Fukuyama Castle established by the Matsumae family was also tacitly approved.

Now, with the establishment of the Yue Kingdom, a few 10 silver coins are not worth mentioning to Ming Dynasty, but to the mere Morioka Clan, it can be described as a great stimulus.

For a time, [-] stones and tens of thousands of Morioka Fans showed great vitality because of their trade, and the clan's government was upward.

Specialties such as Tsugaru-yaki, wood, placer gold, copper, horse, chestnut, rice, silk, wine, wagashi, miso, tobacco, lacquer, wax, catfish, etc. were continuously exported to Vietnam in exchange for a large amount of silver dollars.

In the midst of this prosperity, suddenly the gate of Morioka City was opened wide, and the feudal lord, the elders of the family, and all the veterans of the general generation, went out of the city in a mighty manner.

After a long time, a burst of dust passed by, and dozens of people appeared in front of them.

"Why did the Ming people come here?" The feudal lord Nambu Shigenobu asked doubtfully.

The old Nannan Zhiyi said in a low voice: "It should be about the food!"

Nambu Shigenobu suddenly understood.

Recently, there have been frequent floods in Morioka Castle, and a lot of Jiulian Morioka Castle has also been flooded. The reconstruction work is constantly going on, and the vassal government is under great pressure.

However, compared with the Morioka Domain, the Yue Kingdom, which has been in a state of expansion, is even more food-deficient.

After a while, a group of people appeared in front of them.

The first person, although wearing a bright robe, looks like a Japanese.

Nanfang Shigenobu stepped forward to say hello, "Why did Yan Yuandian come here in person?"

"The Morioka Palace is too polite." Zong Yizhen said with a smile: "I was entrusted by His Royal Highness King Yue, so I have to come!"

After the King of Yue married the princess of the Tokugawa family, he asked Zongyizhen (the great secret of Tsushima Island), who became the judge of the Ministry of Rites, to act on behalf of the Yue Kingdom in Japan.

Because Zongyi is really Japanese, the shogunate is familiar with him, so naturally he doesn't care about changing his vote.

The two talked familiarly, and then entered the city side by side.

In the highest Tiange Shouzhong in the city, Zong Yizhen looked around and said with a smile: "Your Fan is really rich and powerful!"

The fine wool blankets, exquisite porcelain, expensive famous knives, and the ivory pendant fan all reveal his wealth and strength.

"This is the blessing of His Royal Highness Lai Yue." Nanfang Zhongxin said in a gentle manner, his face was full of sincerity, obviously the words came from the heart.

The Mutsu area, which has been peaceful for half a century, is overpopulated, but the land is barren. The trade of Yueguo has saved the entire Morioka domain and Mutsu country.

"It's good that your fan knows."

Zong Yizhen suddenly became serious: "I wonder how much rice your clan can provide this summer?"

"It's five hundred koku." Nanbu Shigenobu gritted his teeth and said, "You know that Fukuoka is flooded, and many rice fields have been destroyed. The five hundred koku of rice was collected from my treasury."

In exchange for silver dollars, the people can only starve a few more meals.

Zongyizhen asked again: "I know about the Mutsu flood, but I don't know how expensive the rice is?"

Nambu Shigenobu was taken aback for a moment, and then said, "The price of rice ranges from one contract to three Wen."

One stone of rice in Japan is three hundred catties, which is equal to two stones of rice in Ming Dynasty.

It counts as a thousand hops (100 liters or 2.5 gauge).

In other words, the price of a stone of rice is [-] Wen, converted into Daming, it is [-] Wen for a stone of rice.

This is an extremely exaggerated figure in the entire Ming Dynasty.

"It seems that the entire Mutsu country is short of food."

Zong Yizhen said in a deep voice, suddenly, his eyes burst into bright light: "I can sell you food, a lot of food."

"Twenty-five hundred wen per stone (three hundred catties)."

"Where do you get the food from Yue?" Nanbu Shigenobu was full of disbelief.

Zong Yizhen smiled lightly and said: "Shenggang Hall, there is a saying in the Ming Dynasty that people should look at each other with admiration after three days of farewell. Today's Yue Kingdom is beyond your expectations!"

In the end, Zong Yizhen represented Yue Guo and reached an agreement with the Morioka Domain to become the agent of Yue Guo in Mutsu to sell horses and grain.

After completing the task, Zong Yizhen returned to the country of Yue by boat.

At this time, the country of Yue has undergone major changes after several years of development.

Due to its proximity to Japan and North Korea, the Yue State aggressively recruited people in the two places, and at the same time kept relocating people within the country. In just two or three years, the population exceeded [-].

Among them, the number of Han people is only about [-].

Thanks to the farming technology of Ming Dynasty, the area of ​​cultivated land in Yue State has reached one million mu. Although the yield per mu is only about 150 to [-] catties, the quantity makes up for the quality.

It was self-sufficient last year and was even exported to Japan.

(End of this chapter)