"This ambassador has also been replaced by another one..."
Zhu Yixi sighed, shifted her gaze, and once again immersed herself in the discussion in her ears to make herself more grounded.
But obviously, he didn't care.
It takes at least half a year to travel from Spain to East Asia. By the time Spain reacts, the day lilies are already cold.
Moreover, although the value of the Philippines is high, it is not as valuable as South America and North America. Whether it is climate, land, or products, the Philippines is very different.
To say the least, the Ming Dynasty allowed the Spaniards to freely do business, live and preach in the Philippines and Taiwan, which was already a very suitable place to stay.
When it comes to colonization, both white land and places with a lot of indigenous people have their own advantages. For the Ming Dynasty, there is no shortage of people, and white land is more suitable for immigrants.
"Xi Yi is so impudent? He even went to Yuquan Mountain!"
"Who says it's not the case? This world is becoming increasingly incomprehensible to people."
At this moment, two scholars in t-shirts, speaking Mandarin, slowly walked in and sat down next to him.
One was a thin man with bright eyes, and the other was short and stocky with bow-legged legs. They were half a head apart, so they seemed particularly suitable.
Seeing such a big posture, I was surprised, but I didn't take it seriously.
Yuquan Mountain has become a stopover for the royal family and nobles, and countless second-generation people are playing and resting there, just get used to it.
"Brother Li, you have failed the test, what are your plans now?" the short man couldn't help but ask.
"I'm going to prepare for the exam in Tianjin for the next day."
The person who was called Brother Li smiled bitterly: "I thought I would come to Yuquan Mountain, but prices are not as good as in Beijing, and Tianjin is cheaper..."
"As for you, Brother Shimazu, you are diligent in your studies. Your teacher said that if you work hard, you might be able to pass the exam."
Hearing this, Shimazu Hisari sighed: "My family is not as rich as yours, and I can only know Japanese..."
"The heavens are vast, the land is vast, and the resources are abundant. How difficult it is for a gathering of elites to take part in a test."
Li Ziqiu said calmly: "However, in the past few years, I'm afraid this will be an opportunity for you and me."
"In addition to the original eight-part essays, the Jinke Examination has also added supplementary tests to test geography, arithmetic, history, etc. If the eight-part essays are consistent, the additional questions will be used to calculate first."
"Oh?" Shimazu Hisari couldn't help but said, "What do you mean?"
"The last one was in the palace examination, this one is in the joint examination, and it is said that it is in the next subject. I'm afraid it's a complete change of stereotyped writing."
Li Ziqiu said in a low voice, his eyebrows full of joy: "If it is about eight-legged writing, you and I will never be able to compete with the centuries-old literary style of the Chinese dynasty, but if we are taking other tests, we are on the same threshold."
"If you return to Japan at this time, wouldn't all your previous efforts be wasted?"
"Why don't you stay in Tianjin with me and help each other? Even if you just work as an accountant, you can make do with it for a few years without delaying the examination."
When Shimazu Hisunari heard this, his eyes flew and his heart was filled with excitement.
During the Edo shogunate period, the Tokugawa family would only appoint imperial family members (directly subordinate samurai) and gushidai daimyo (retainers from generation to generation), and they were always wary of weakening the gaibei daimyo (the daimyo before the Battle of Sekigahara), let alone appointing them.
Even if he has all kinds of talents, he will not be hired.
As for the Shimazu family, after the Ryukyu Kingdom was captured by the Ming army, Shigao fell sharply, making it more difficult to raise samurai.
Therefore, a few years ago, Japan was included in the Ming Dynasty's version of the tribute system, and the shogun was canonized as the king of Japan. Since then, a monarch-minister relationship has been formed.
After coercing each other to trade, a large number of Japanese samurai could freely travel to and from the Ming Dynasty, and this place became a place for talents.
The same is true for North Korea's aristocratic imperial examinations. Like Japan, its talents flocked to Beijing in an attempt to succeed in the imperial examinations.
In view of this, the Ministry of Rites promulgated regulations that Korean Jinshi enjoyed the treatment of being elected in the Ming Dynasty and could directly sign up to participate in the examination.
In Japan, North Korea and other unnamed people, they need to take the imperial examination. After passing the examination, they can register for the examination.
Note that after they become Jinshi, they can freely choose to return to their country or become officials.
If you are an official, you will be treated the same as ordinary Jinshi, and you will have to observe the government for two years before being promoted to an official.
In the previous subject, there were as many as twenty scholars from Korea and Japan who participated in the joint examination, but none of them entered the palace examination, which is full of regrets.
Despite this, no one has given up, and no one will give up the opportunity to leap over the dragon gate.
"That's not bad!" Shimazu Hisari couldn't help but agree.
"It's just that the Imperial College is too strict. There is only one exam every year. Otherwise, all the efforts made by the Imperial College will be wasted and the qualifications will be lost."
"Yes, the more people come to Ming Dynasty, the more you and I can survive this year, the harder it will be next year -"
The two of them communicated in official language, and Zhu Yixi heard clearly from behind.
This thought made him smile, remembering the memorial to the Ministry of Rites at the beginning of this year.
One of the chief officials said that because of the vast territory and the large number of people, more and more people take part in the examination every year. Scholars from Japan and North Korea also come to participate, so we can increase the number of Jinshi places as appropriate.
After all, three hundred people are too few.
Looking at it now, this quota is indeed a bit small.
Thinking of this, he stood up and, with Liu Afu and Yang Le looking at him in astonishment, came directly behind him and smiled at the two of them:
"I heard what you two said clearly. Now I have an idea. It can be regarded as a shortcut to the south. I wonder if you would like to hear it?"
Li Ziqiu and Shimazu Hisari were unhappy with this man's presumptuous move. They were about to have a fit, but then they heard the word "Zhongnan shortcut" and immediately changed their attitude.
Respect with temptation:
"Brother, what kind of connections does this have?"
"It's not a good connection, but there is a loophole. It's very convenient and suitable for the two of us, especially this Shimazu brother."
Zhu Yixi looked at the shorter Japanese and smiled slightly.
The latter was immediately moved, his eyes widened, his lips opened, and he didn't know what to say.
"Come here and talk."
With that said, he took the two scholars to the table in his corner by the window.
"Please have some tea——"
Zhu Yixi said politely.
However, Shimazu Hisari couldn't help it anymore and hurriedly asked: "This wise brother, I'm scratching you like a cat, you'd better just tell me!"
"No matter what the price, I am willing to pay -"
Although Li Ziqiu didn't speak, his expression was consistent.
Zhu Yixi understands their anxiety. A piece of news can change the fate of a person or even an entire family. Who can bear it?
"This matter has reached our ears, no one else should say anything."
He lowered his head slightly, and the two of them leaned over knowingly, listening carefully:
"I heard that Ryukyu Prefecture is adjacent to Japan, and the population is only tens of thousands. However, there are a lot of scholarship quotas every year. You can be naturalized in Ryukyu Prefecture."
"There are very few scholars there. With the talents of the two of you, it should be easy to get a scholar's reputation. When the time comes, it will be feasible whether you go to the provincial examination or go to prison."
"No matter how bad it is, a scholar with a good reputation can still take part in the provincial examination. Although he is only a minor official, he will still become an official of the imperial court and enter the rank."
As soon as these words came out, Shimazu was overjoyed and tried to kneel down, but was restrained. The excitement on his face could not be concealed at all.
Compared with the slim chances of becoming a Jinshi, the reputation of a scholar is extremely affordable. You can attack when you advance, and you can defend when you retreat. This news is really valuable.
Li Ziqiu on the side was a little hesitant: "My dear friend, Brother Shimazu's family is in Kagoshima. The dialect is similar to the Ryukyu dialect. You can easily get through it, but I can't!"
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"If you want to return to your hometown with honor, you can only take the exam honestly. If you really want to be an official in the Ming Dynasty, you can only naturalize."
Zhu Yixi said seriously: "Coming to a string of small islands along the coast, you only need to go to the isolated islands to buy a few acres of land and apply for naturalization from the government. It is not difficult to take part in the imperial examination, but if you want to easily become a scholar, you can only go to Ryukyu Prefecture.
"
The two of them thanked me profusely and asked about their names.
Zhu Yixi shook her head and said: "If we are destined to meet again, we can meet again. If we are not destined to meet, we will not know each other. Dust will return to dust, and dust will return to dust..."
After saying this, he left the wine shop under the protection of a group of guards.
Looking back, they still stretched their necks and looked excited. Then he shook his head and smiled.
In fact, during the conversation between the two, Zhu Yixi got a glimpse of the difficulties of foreign scholars.
In the Ming Dynasty's version of the tribute system, according to his ideas, it was usually not only possible to obtain trade wealth, but also to allow free circulation of talents.
In this way, talents from various countries can be absorbed through systems such as the imperial examination and then fed back to other countries.
As a result, the elite class of the vassal country will be bribed, and the imperial examination will become a prosperous era in East Asia, strengthening the influence of Confucian culture.
And isn’t Confucianism the Ming Dynasty?
He originally thought that there would be a gap in the Imperial Academy for them to participate, but he underestimated the difficulty of becoming a Jinshi.
There are thousands of people across the country, and the admission difficulty is twenty to one. In North Korea and Japan, whose cultural atmosphere is far less than that of the Ming Dynasty, this is an extremely difficult requirement.
This is equivalent to letting the national football team directly enter the finals, but their level is not even able to get tickets for the World Cup.
If things go on like this, it will be detrimental to absorbing talents from other countries and increasing political centripetal force.
Therefore, the gap of Ryukyu Island immigration is actually a foundation.
If you can't become a Jinshi, then you should first become a scholar and raise people!
It is also good to attract talents from various countries.
After all, scholars are scarce in this era no matter which country they are in.
Even though the imperial examinations were so prosperous, Zhu Yixi was certain that the national literacy rate never exceeded 10%.
On the way, Zhu Xixi had already prepared to establish a county on the Miaodao Islands in Dengzhou Prefecture, a string of islands called Salmon Island in the Song Dynasty, as a gap for Korean talents.
Just like Ryukyu Island.
After returning to the summer resort, it was almost dark.
As for the twin girls, he had long forgotten about them.
After staying in Yuquan Mountain for a long time, Zhu Yixi was really bored. He suddenly thought of the grassland and the countless cattle and sheep outside the Great Wall.
Holding Qiqige in his arms and feeling the Mongolian woman's thickness and elasticity, he couldn't help but ask: "Do you want to go to the grassland to see it?"
"Of course I have." Qiqige couldn't help but say: "I have been in Beijing for several years, and my son almost ran away, but he has never been to the Great Wall again..."
As if sensing something was wrong in the environment, she immediately added: "But being able to stay with His Majesty, everything is worth it."
"Okay, everyone feels homesick."
Zhu Yixi patted her thick buttocks and said with emotion: "How could the yellowness of Xi'an Mansion not be a kind of nostalgia?"
Having said this, the emperor's yearning and curiosity for the grassland became increasingly difficult to stop.
The next day, he summoned his cabinet ministers and promised to go outside the Great Wall, namely Chifeng, to inspect Chahar's situation.
As expected, everyone in the cabinet was unanimous in their opposition.
At this time, Zhao Shu didn't care about the etiquette of a monarch and his ministers, and spoke directly until all his words were just one sentence: "The monarch's body is so great that it should not be taken lightly."
As for other dissuasion, they do not care about the recklessness of the Tatars, the unsafe conditions beyond the Great Wall, etc.
The emperor refused to give in, and said in a cold voice: "The Chahar tribe has established a governor, and there are three cities in Chengde, Kuancheng, and Chifeng. There are tens of thousands of people in the Khan tribe, and hundreds of people are on duty in the bodyguard department. Why should we be afraid?
?”
Having said that, the cabinet will never give in.
After a long stalemate, the cabinet also knew that with the emperor's prestige, this matter would be successfully implemented, so they could only compromise:
"Your Majesty is burdened with tens of thousands of responsibilities in the world. Chifeng is far away from the capital and deep into the grassland. Even if it is outside the Xuanwei Great Wall, you should not go there."
Zhao Shu said in a deep voice: "We can go to Chengde."
Hearing this, Zhu Yixi showed a look of helplessness on his face: "That's all -"
Originally, he had never wanted to go to Chifeng. It was too far. Chengde, just outside Gubeikou, was very nice and he could return to the Great Wall at any time.
When several members of the cabinet saw this, how could they not understand the emperor's plan.
I don't feel regretful at all, but I feel very uncomfortable.
The co-authored emperor wanted to go to Chengde from the beginning. They worked hard for a long time, and their saliva was almost dry. Who knew that their efforts were in vain.
Helpless, the cabinet could only draft a decree.
First, the Beijing camp sent tens of thousands of people to Chengde for protection.
Secondly, the Ministry of Revenue had to transfer a large amount of money and grain from Taicang to Chengde. This was not only food for the emperor, ministers, and the army, but also a reward for the Chahar tribes.
After all, what Tatars like most is rewards.
The Ministry of Rites not only had to arrange the journey, but also had to send people to notify the tribes on the grasslands, the Mongolian nobles, the living ministers, and the ministers, asking them to go to Chengde for an audience.
One by one, it is extremely troublesome.
The emperor said a word, not only the eunuchs had their legs broken, but also civil servants like them had to lose countless pens.
And here, as soon as Yang Le came out of the palace, he met Tian Fu.
"Eunuch Tian——" Yang Le saluted to show respect for the leader of the eunuchs.
Tian Fuze waved his hand: "With such a relationship between you and me, why do we need to be so indifferent?"
As he said that, he actually smiled and helped him: "Come on, get in my carriage, I will set a table with you, and we brothers will have a good time drinking."
When they arrived at the splendid farmhouse, Yang Le was not seen outside, eating meat and drinking wine in a generous manner.
Tian Fu smiled and clinked glasses with him until he was more than three points drunk.
"Take all of this away!"
After drinking and eating, the two sat opposite each other and looked extremely close.
"Brother Yang, are you hiding anything good from me recently?"
Tian Fu squinted his eyes and smiled as if he was drunk.
"You are the Chief of Ceremonies Bingbi, how can I hide anything good from you!" Yang Le's heart trembled and he quickly denied it.
"Huh, Brother Yang, it seems you still treat me as an outsider."
Tian Fu shook his head, smelling of alcohol, and said dissatisfied: "It seems that all my good intentions were in vain..."