Emperor Ming Dynasty

As the saying goes, poor scholars and wealthy people are nothing more than the people who have the qualifications to be officials and can talk face to face with the magistrate.

But now, with the existence of provincial examinations, scholars are also qualified to be officials. Even if they are just assistant officials in the county government, they are still officials.

After Xie Anguo sent Zhao Zhubo away, he immediately shouted: "Thank you behind closed doors!"

"Master, are you an official now?"

The butler said in surprise.

"That's right." Xie Anguo put his hands behind his back and straightened his back: "We must also consider the impact. At this sensitive moment, don't talk too much."

Darling, now that the young master has become an official, his temperament has changed, and every move he makes has an official look.

The housekeeper exclaimed in his heart.

At this time, the boy on the side saw the young master holding his head up and raising his chest, and couldn't help but said: "Young master's breasts are as erect as a big cock."

"You know nothing!" The housekeeper slapped his head directly and scolded: "This is the official step. The chest should be high and the eyes should be raised..."

As he spoke, he turned around and ordered: "From today on, measure the upper part of the young master's clothes by two inches."

"Yes!"

In the afternoon, the team playing gongs and drums came over, and it was very lively along the way.

The rewards were generous, and firecrackers resounded throughout the streets.

At this time, the neighbors came to congratulate him. The poor brought chickens and ducks, while the rich gave books, gold and silver. It can be said that there were relatives and friends from all directions.

The scholar's fame can only take care of himself, but the official position of tongjian can shine on them.

Who doesn't have a difficult time?
In the following days, after entertaining guests, Xie Anguo took his luggage to Hangzhou, the provincial capital.

The provincial examination does not mean that you will become an official after passing the examination. You must also undergo three months of training to teach the powers of official positions and observe in various yamen.

In fact, as far as Xie Anguo knew, this was to be reported to the imperial court, and the family background, place of origin, and achievements were submitted for approval by the Ministry of Officials.

Otherwise, there will be countless so-called official positions.

Unless there are evil deeds within the third generation, the officials will not refute.

After all, the person overseeing the provincial examination was jointly dispatched by the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites, which was a slap in the face to both departments.

The so-called training yamen is actually a wing near the governor's yamen, which is called the small official department by the busy people.

After signing up, he was dragged by the township party in the same county to West Lake College.

"This academy was established with the full support of Governor Fang, and what it teaches is Qin Xue."

The township party said in a deep voice: "Now everyone in the province knows that Governor Fang is friendly to Qin Xue. Although we do not do anything to please Qin Xue, we have to get close to Qin Xue."

He turned his head and whispered: "The sons of the gentry, scholars and scholars in the province are all proud of coming to West Lake College, and most of them abandon Neo-Confucianism and follow the Qin Dynasty..."

Xie Anguo felt awkward.

He studied Neo-Confucianism since he was a child, and Qin Xue only flourished for seven or eight years. Although it is said that Qin Xue came from Neo-Confucianism, they are actually two schools of thought.

In his opinion, Xin Xue is closer than Qin Xue.

But he had no choice. Nowadays, Qin Xue is very powerful. If he wants to get involved in the officialdom, he must get close to Qin Xue, at least once he is appointed as governor of Zafang...

……

Qin State, Hanoi.

Being close to Guangxi allowed the Qin State to not only trade with the Ming Dynasty on land and sea, but also have numerous checkpoints on land, too numerous to mention.

This is also the case, allowing Qin Xue to spread faster and faster in Hanoi.

At this time, the King of Qin received an impeachment from his subordinates and demanded that Qin Xue be banned.

Zhu Cunming looked at the question book in his hand and frowned for a moment.

The great success of Neo-Confucianism was in the Southern Song Dynasty, and it really became an official school in the Yuan Dynasty, and it was consistent in the Ming Dynasty.

In Annan, after the independence of the Li Dynasty, the imperial examination system was implemented following the Ming Dynasty, and Neo-Confucianism spread throughout Annam since then.

Therefore, for Anguo, Neo-Confucianism has penetrated into the bone marrow and is difficult to eradicate.

If Qin Xue is allowed to spread, it will easily shake the foundation of the country.

However, Qin learning became mainstream in the Ming Dynasty. If the Qin State did not follow it, it would be easily excluded.

"Headache!"

Zhu Cunzhang felt that it was really difficult for the King of Qin to be the king.

Not only did he need to consider his own country, but he also had to take care of Ming Dynasty.

Every time Daming sneezed, he would tremble three times.

For example, at this time, Yu Chenglong, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, was constantly changing his land and returning to his hometown in Guangxi, and originally had nothing to do with the Qin State.

But Guangxi is adjacent to the Qin State, and those chieftains are good at crossing mountains and ridges, and come to the Qin State to cause trouble.

This forced the Qin State to deploy tens of thousands of troops to guard the border, and often sent human heads to Guangxi.

The credit belongs to Guangxi, but the hard work belongs to Qin.

A small country with few people is nothing more than this.

Turning his eyes aside, he saw the ticket saying: Restrict Qin Xue.

Looking at the handwriting, Zhu Cunmai knew it belonged to Prime Minister Liu Guan, so he said: "Let the Prime Minister come over."

Soon, Liu Guan came quickly.

Liu Guan was an auxiliary officer in the Prince of Qin's palace at that time. When the Prince of Qin became a vassal, he immediately ascended to heaven and became the Prime Minister of the country. His family also moved to Annan and became one of the largest families in the Qin State.

Although Qin is not a big country, it cannot hold up the power of its officials, and it can take care of many of its relatives.

At least now, when the imperial examination has not completely filled the official positions in various places, it is easy for the individuals recommended by them to fill the official vacancies.

Zhu Cunmei acquiesced to this situation.

Compared with the local aborigines, they are more devoted to the royal family.

"Old minister, I pay homage to Your Highness!"

"Liu Qing, get up!" Zhu Cunzhang picked up the inscription and said, "What about this Qin Xue?"

"Your Highness, although it is a happy event for Qin to study in Qin, it will do more harm than good to Qin."

Liu Guan said softly: "Neo-Confucianism in the Qin State only took root near Wangji, and it was less popular in other places. If the Qin State came again, it would probably intensify internal strife."

As he spoke, he listed directly: "There are more than [-] private schools in Jiaozhou Prefecture Academy of Neo-Confucianism, and Qin School has reached [-]."

"There are only six to seven hundred schools in the rest of the state capitals. Qin Xue is only in Jiaozhou, seeking to seize the Confucian scholars."

"Therefore, for the Qin State today, what is needed is Neo-Confucianism, not Qin Xue."

Zhu Cunming nodded and sighed: "But it's hard to explain to the imperial court. Many civil servants and military generals are Qin students. If we restrict it, I'm afraid..."

The meaning of these words is still unfinished.

But Liu Guan understood.

Most of the trade between Qin and Ming Dynasty was in Guangdong and Guangxi. Mount Huangli was high and the road was far away, making it difficult to govern. The king of hell was easy to deal with, but the devil was difficult to deal with.

Therefore, offending local officials would be detrimental to Qin's trade.

You know, last year, Qin's tax was 700 million shi on grain and 200 million yuan on money.

Customs charges amounted to 60 million yuan.

How can we prevent Qin from being careless?
"Your Highness and Your Majesty are father and son, just say one word." Liu Guan said solemnly:

"As for the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, Yu Chenglong, I heard that he is a sensible and upright character, so I will write a letter from an old official to find out the truth!" "Very good!"

King Qin nodded and smiled.

……

It snows in Hutian in August. During this Little Ice Age, Suiyuan has already fallen heavily, almost an inch thick.

Herdsmen have rounded up their cattle and sheep and slaughtered the old and sick ones to save pasture for the winter.

In Jiuyuan City, Suiyuan Governor Xiong Rulin was making a fire in the hall. The stone basin was filled with charcoal, and the whole sheep was roasted on it. The brush was constantly brushing oil and spices, and the fragrance was overflowing.

He chewed the mutton and took out shreds of meat from between his teeth from time to time: "This sheep is old."

He was born in Yuyao County, Shaoxing Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. He was a Jinshi in the fourth year of Chongzhen (1631) and was awarded the title of magistrate of Tong'an County. During his tenure, he led troops across the sea and defeated the Dutch in Xiamen.

After the fall of the Hongguang court, he resisted the Qing Dynasty in Zhejiang and planned to establish King Lu as his banner to fight against the Qing Dynasty.

Later, because King Yu ascended the throne, they had to abandon King Lu and return to the imperial court.

He was promoted continuously over the years until he succeeded the aging Zhang Guowei and took up the post of governor of Suiyuan the year before last.

It can be said that he was not a pure scholar, but a man of both civil and military skills. This is why the imperial court asked him to come to Suiyuan.

In fact, his beard was stained with oil and he was eating mutton with big mouthfuls. He looked nothing like a scholar. He was as good as a martial artist or a martial artist.

The chief envoy Tu Zhongji on the side cut the meat with a knife and ate it in small pieces, not to mention how elegant it was.

Tu Zhongji entered Taixue during the Wanli period and studied under Huang Daozhou. Huang Daozhou was unjustly imprisoned. He petitioned and argued hard, but the emperor was furious and was caned and sent to Jinyi Prison.

After Hongguang, he followed the king of Tang and prepared to set up another flag. As a result, the king of Yu entered the capital and had to follow him.

Over the years, he has reached the position of chief envoy.

Compared with Xiong Rulin, Tu Zhongji is more like a Taoist, very particular about etiquette, and he is a master of Neo-Confucianism.

Although I have been affected by some influences since I came to Suiyuan, I am still relatively old-fashioned.

"You can only eat old sheep in autumn and winter. This is in line with the season." Tu Zhongji said casually: "Old Governor Xian must control it. Tender mutton is against the season."

"I know." Xiong Rulin said nonchalantly, "But I'm old, and now I can only eat tender mutton. I'm old."

Tu Zhongji smiled, said nothing, and then changed the subject: "Last year's tax increase was rapid."

"Yes."

Xiong Rulin smiled, showing a few yellow teeth: "Suiyuan made a fortune because of these two mines, the gold mine and the iron mine, and it's all thanks to Mr. Zhang!"

Between Jiuyuan and Guihua, Zhang Guowei discovered several mines, so a large number of merchants came, and the imperial merchants also undertook contracts.

As a result, it was received by him before it bore fruit.

The annual contracting fees for several mines are over [-] silver dollars, which is not worth mentioning for the mainland, but for Suiyuan, it is a windfall.

You must know that Suiyuan's annual finance is only one million, which is worse than Guizhou. The consumption of the garrison is even a big boost.

The imperial court not only returned the taxes it paid every year, but also allocated 30 million to ease its financial pressure.

After all, the iron sheep's money to redeem the nobles' land is a large sum of money.

Therefore, for Suiyuan, 10 yuan is a windfall that can last for decades or hundreds of years.

Xiong Rulin put down the leg of lamb: "So these days, I have been asking people to find mines. Whether it is gold mines, iron mines or coal mines, even lime mines, it is always better than herding sheep."

"Lao Tu, farming in the mainland is a way of making a living, but on our grasslands, sheep herding is not a good life. When you are hungry, you can only eat grass and wool. You just rely on the weather for food."

"At least, under the current heavy snow conditions, gold and iron mines can still be mined without delay, and businessmen are reluctant to do so."

Tu Zhongji nodded and sighed: "Nowadays, the imperial court promotes both agriculture and business, and it is even more obvious in our grassland."

"What? You, Lao Tu, also want to learn from Qin?"

"Fart!" Tu Zhongji was angry: "Neo-Confucianism is the authentic Confucianism, Qin Xue is just a temporary trend, wait and see again in a few years, the preservation will be worse than the Xin Xue."

"I don't care about other places, but in Suiyuan, it can only be Neo-Confucianism."

Xiong Rulin smiled bitterly but did not refute.

Suiyuan is different from the mainland in that Confucianism has not been widely spread, let alone Qin Xue.

However, due to the situation in Suiyuan, Tu Zhongji was very enthusiastic about opening up wasteland for farming, but he had no objection to mining.

There are no gentry here who compete with the people for profit.

As the two chatted, Xiong Rulin talked about the Heidaigou coal mine: "Heidaigou is an open-pit coal mine. You can dig out coal with a shovel. It is easy and convenient. It is only more than two hundred miles away from naturalization, and it is also close to Jiuyuan." Very close.”

"How much is the annual contracting fee for such a large coal mine?"

"I heard that there are more than ten miles around, at least [-] per year."

Tu Zhongji said in a deep voice and said a huge number.

Xiong Rulin was shocked: "Although the mine is large, can the coal mined out be sold out? This is not a gold or iron mine, so there is no need to worry about sales."

"In my opinion, thirty thousand is about right."

Tu Zhongji frowned and said: "There are about half a million people in Suiyuan now. We need a lot of coal for the winter, especially the people in the city, which is no less than [-]. Thirty thousand is too little."

"Let's make a compromise, 4 yuan."

"Okay! I'll listen to you." Xiong Rulin nodded in agreement.

When local mineral merchants contract, they not only have to pay mining taxes to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but they also have to pay the local government a sum of money as contract fees.

After that, the profit is his.

Although it was covered with heavy snow, the news about Heidaigou Coal Mine had spread a few months ago.

Businessmen from Shaanxi and Shanxi came one after another, including those from the imperial business, just wondering if they could find some time to spare. Maybe they didn't like the meat?

Hundreds of people immediately gathered in the small Heidaigou.

Hundreds of local noble families smiled happily and provided tents and food in exchange for money.

Money is expensive and goods are cheap in Suiyuan, so businessmen are naturally not stingy.

Yu Wangfei arrived in Heidaigou in a carriage.

Black, endless black.

Black and barren.

He didn't care, just dug up a shovel, and coal came immediately.

An open-pit coal mine lives up to its name.

As a Shaanxi businessman, Yu Wangfei saw business opportunities.

After all, with the stability of Suiyuan, the population continues to grow and gather in the city. The demand for fuel is huge, and the coal mine business is promising.

He didn't panic and didn't stay in Heidaigou for long before he couldn't wait to go to Jiuyuan City, which is the provincial capital of Suiyuan.

Immediately, he headed straight towards the border troops.

Different from the Beijing camp, the border troops were all stationed in the city, and it was also an inner city with a vast garrison.

"Please tell Deputy Commander-in-Chief that it's his nephew who's visiting!"

Yu Wangfei handed over a silver dollar, and the guard immediately became friendly: "Wait a moment."

In a moment, the housekeeper brought the carriage and brought Yu Wangfei and his party into the station.

There are thousands of frontier troops stationed in Jiuyuan City, and the huge Suiyuan has 5000 people, who account for the bulk of the coal.