Adding another trouble
Shujia had a beautiful idea, finding a middle ground between two conflicting opinions. Furthermore, her approach was to tear a hole in the dam of resistance from the officials and gentry, waiting for the water pressure to break the entire dam. The combined service and tax payment were sold as a bundle; if the former was accepted, the realization of the latter would not be far behind.
Throughout history, how many high-ranking officials have prided themselves on serving as examiners for various levels of selection? This is because, under the civil service examination system, teachers, students, and fellow students formed a small community, from which they would support each other in officialdom. Being a preceptor, of course, lacked such brilliance. However, they taught the children of the Eight Banners, whose chances of becoming officials were several times higher than those of the average person. The most outstanding students could enter the Eight Banners official schools directly. Even if one's luck was unfavorable and fame didn't lead to officialdom, having a few students who had a good chance of becoming officials was not a bad thing.
"The emperor values heroes, and literature teaches you." "Books contain golden houses, and books contain beautiful women." For thousands of years (and this number is not an exaggeration), how many people have grown up listening to these catchy poems encouraging learning? Even the common people, not to mention those from scholarly families, can readily recite the line "All things are inferior, only reading is superior."
The Chinese have always held the idea that "those who excel in education will become officials." In fact, for hundreds of years, the only way to become an official was through military merit and academic examinations! Since the Chinese joined the Manchu Banners and entered the Western Han Dynasty, their acceptance of the "study hard to become an official" theory has been no less than that of the Han people.
The above two points were common knowledge, shared not only by Shujia but also by the other kings and ministers. That's why they were so frustrated after hearing Shujia's proposal. They only raised possible problems with the plan's feasibility, and rarely denied its rationality.
But! They all forgot one thing - the Eight Banners were martial! Shunzhi was a man who liked Han culture. Shujia didn't quite understand the policies during his reign. However, during the Kangxi period, he began to repeatedly emphasize the issue of riding and shooting of his own tribe. When it came to Yinreng, he was unwilling to let the bannermen be weak.
Such a major event is truly unimaginable unless you've reached their position. Even the princes, when it comes to educating their sons, never allowed them to neglect cultural knowledge; no one argues that this isn't important. In fact, Kangxi went even further than his father in studying Chinese literature, setting extremely high standards for his sons and even supervising Yunyu's calligraphy practice. Yinreng's literary accomplishments surpassed Kangxi's.
None of this could mask one thing: no matter how much they admired Sinology, they refused to forget their roots. The emperor was different from the other kings; their positions were different, and they had different concerns.
Yinreng is just sick, you can't treat him as dead! After Shujia reported this matter to Yinreng who was recuperating, Yinreng was so excited that he wanted to pound the bed: "How can this be? What should I do if these sour scholars turn my Eight Banners children into nerds?" What he was thinking about now was what should he do if those Eight Banners children who he relied on to suppress various unrests and maintain his rule all became sour scholars?
The Eight Banners are already degenerating to a worrying degree. If they continue to read cluttered books from a young age, the new generation will become idiots... And when war breaks out, who will they rely on? The Green Camp? Building up a Han Chinese armed force? That would be the beginning of national ruin! Encouraging the Eight Banners to study, to a certain extent, is to cultivate talent for governing the country. We can't always rely on Han Chinese to serve as officials close to the people and formulate national policies. However, if all the bannermen abandon their military careers and embrace literature, our lives will be in danger. We'll all be doomed!
More than two hundred years later, a great man succinctly pointed out this truth: political power comes from the barrel of a gun!
The Qing emperors trusted the Eight Banners the most and did not trust the Han people very much. They felt that the most reliable armed force was the Eight Banners.
Shujia had never expected Yinreng to be so agitated. He kept coughing and his face was pale. She couldn't hear what Yinreng said next. She only caught the first sentence and realized what he meant. Damn it, forget this one!
Yet, secretly, she believed her approach was right. There were only thieves who could steal for a thousand days, but no one could guard against them for a thousand days. Constantly dividing the bannermen and civilians, guarding against one and the other, was internal conflict, a suicidal act. It was like chronic suicide, until, in the end, even saving oneself would be difficult. It would be best if they could merge into one. Otherwise... history had proven it.
This won't work! She hopes to eventually eliminate the distrust between ethnic groups and work together for the country. This is the only way out. Especially since the Bannermen, especially the Manchus, are so few in number! This is unavoidable. As for Yinreng, he was still subconsciously on guard. While he couldn't lose his sense of defense, he had to try to restrain himself and clearly analyze what methods of reconciliation were available under these circumstances.
Shujia believed that class systems couldn't be abolished instantly by fiat, but they could be gradually eliminated. For example, the distinction between bannermen and commoners could be gradually replaced by differences in nobility. In any case, it was a hasty process, and with the passage of time, they would eventually become one, with differences existing only in household registers and in folk customs.
Well, that's all in the future. Right now, she has to get through this hurdle first!
Taking a deep breath, Shujia weakly defended herself, "It's just that I know a few words. Falconry all day long... well, those who fly hawks are all good! They play with crickets, thrushes, and hang out in teahouses! Those from aristocratic families with strict upbringing are okay, but among the middle-class and lower-class banner families, how many are truly 'martial'?"
As she spoke, she became more and more powerful: "Don't worry, there will be horse riding and archery classes in elementary schools! If there are horse riding and archery classes, there must be teachers, and the idle bannermen will have a place to go." Her school system was copied from later generations, and of course there were physical education classes. Here, it was localized and turned into martial arts.
Yinreng remained silent. Even in his anger, he knew that what Shujia said made sense. The current situation was indeed like this, but he was reluctant to accept it, feeling powerless. Subconsciously, he understood that four successive Qing emperors had been silently implementing this policy.
That is the emergence of the Eight Banners of the Han Army. The Eight Banners of the Han Army were proposed by Fan Wencheng with the aim of expanding the ruling base, uniting the Han people, winning over more people in the confrontation with the Ming Dynasty, and forming a "united front" in another sense.
It's just that during the implementation process, due to the influence of various factors, it has become what it is now.
A thin layer of sweat broke out on Yinreng's forehead: "Forget it, forget it. Since we have given them face, it would be better if they don't refuse it again!" A hint of cruelty flashed in his eyes.
Yinreng had guessed it right; there were indeed some who were taking advantage of the situation among the gentry. However, Shujia could no longer yield, and could not think of a better solution. The only option was to suppress them!
You've directly taken away your fame. Didn't you say that officials and gentry don't have to serve or pay taxes? Now you're not like that anymore. Just serve and pay taxes! You used to be able to pay money instead of serving, but now there's no such preferential policy. Just do the hard labor.
Unexpectedly, this combination of soft and hard tactics resulted in the establishment of at least the first elementary school, and the implementation of the new policy in the vicinity of the capital was quite successful. After being knocked unconscious by the queen's flurry of punches, the kings and ministers, having witnessed the queen's fierce side, all became obedient.
There was another reason for their silence: this was a woman; she could throw a tantrum, but you couldn't! Winning a fight with a woman wasn't a sign of skill, but losing was truly humiliating. And judging by the current situation, the possibility of losing was quite high. They weren't enemies, just testing the waters. They weren't determined to oppose her, so it was better to wait and see what happened, focus on their work, and avoid causing trouble.
Here's the thing.
Shujia didn't remain silent about the negative rumors. She didn't defend herself, but instead cursed anyone who used the theory of cause and effect to insinuate something: "Even a woman like me knows that a man doesn't speak of strange things, supernatural powers, or gods. Yet, these people have the nerve to call themselves disciples of the sages! They've read so much that they've lost their minds! Since he keeps saying that, I'll grant his wish. I'll give him a certificate of ordination, strip him of his official title, and send him to Beijing to chant Buddhist scriptures! Don't let his ability to play the gods go to waste."
There was nothing she wouldn't dare to do, even if she had to label the saint's disciples as charlatans. A scholar encountering a soldier couldn't reason with them, but when he encountered a shrewd woman, he couldn't even reason with her.
Everyone wanted to persuade him, but the idea was supported by King Yong, which attracted attention from all sides of the government.
The kings and ministers stopped playing tricks, and with Hongdan's political ability, which was no longer a rookie, he actually managed to keep his footing.
There was one more thing: the Bordered Yellow Banner's elementary school had just opened, and with gentry serving as teachers, it was considered a major success. However, to expand the program, they planned to open seven more schools in Beijing alone. This was in accordance with established practice; the Eight Banners were assigned to specific branches, ensuring no disruption of order. While the money wasn't too much, and the staff were available, it would still take several months to complete the project.
Because Xianghuang Banner was a pilot area, it had more people overseeing it, so efficiency was naturally high. The other seven banners, on the one hand, had seven schools running simultaneously, resulting in a heavy workload, and on the other hand, the attention of higher-ups was scattered, resulting in slightly less progress, so it took longer.
When these elementary schools were completed and Yinreng was able to go out to work, it was a good opportunity for him to move to Changchun Garden to recuperate.
The emperor can get up!
This is really good news. People's hearts have gradually settled down, and various tasks have been carried out in an orderly manner.
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Shujia sighed. "Politics sounds impressive, but it's not a job for just anybody!" The more one knows how much impact one's orders will have on others, the more cautious one must be. There's still one more task to complete before the emperor moves in, and that's the grand ceremony. Seeing the emperor's demeanor, everything should be kept simple this year.
In the eastern warm room of the Qianqing Palace, Yinreng stood, leaning on a desk. After sitting or lying for so long, he preferred to stand and read documents. Shujia lowered her head, appearing respectful but actually nervous. Yesterday, while combing her hair in the mirror, she had noticed a single strand of gray, a startling surprise. She searched in the mirror for a long time, unable to make the gray hair appear black.
Shujia was a little worried. She had drawn up the list, so she certainly wouldn't shoot herself in the foot by letting Yinreng enter the harem. Yinreng had no objections and handed out the entire list. Then he suddenly asked, "What do you think of Princess Chunxun's son, Chenggun Zhabu?"
"Huh?" Relatives were Shujia's strong suit. Yinreng had relatively few sisters who lived to see marriage. Princess Chunxun was the sixth princess. In the 45th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, she married Tsering, a Khalkha taiji of the Borjigit clan of Mongolia. Tsering was a 20th-generation descendant of Genghis Khan. After following his grandfather to the Qing dynasty, he was taken into the imperial court by Emperor Kangxi to study. Tsering and the princess had a good relationship. Her son was also quite handsome, and the princess wasn't ugly either. Their son was also good-looking.
Shujia knew the basic information about this person, but she didn't know why Yinreng suddenly mentioned him.
She still forgot one thing: she cared about inbreeding, but Yinreng didn't! Chenggunzabu and Wuyunzhu were of similar age.
Although Yinreng gradually recovered from his illness, he felt a sense of regret. Everything else was fake, except his achievements. He needed to make arrangements for his wife and children. Hongzao's arranged marriage was with Fuerdan's youngest daughter. Of all his children, only Wuyunzhu and his youngest son, Hongbing, remained unmarried. Hongbing was still young, but Wuyunzhu had already reached marriage age.
"Two generations of Shang Lords?" This was the only reason for objection. "Isn't this too much grace?"
"What's the point of caring about grace now?!" He stretched out his hand and covered Shujia's hand. "Celing grew up in the inner court. He made great contributions in defeating Junggar last time and has been promoted to a prince. Chenggunjabu has such a father. I didn't take back Chunxun's dowry. Chenggunjabu is more educated than the ordinary Mongolian Taiji." With the title, they can be considered to have more common language.
Shujia said in a deep voice: "She is still young, why are you in such a hurry? She is just a child, and you are marrying her off so soon, even though it is such a long way."
"Too far... Let me think about it."
Yinreng had no choice but to accept Shujia's chaotic moves in government affairs. Apart from suppressing her forcefully to get a rebound, he had no other options. Although Shujia's method was somewhat contrary to the ancestral system, it was the method with the least resistance.
As the saying goes, there's always a price to pay for every gain. After Yinreng's condition stabilized, he posed a difficult question to her: how should she marry her daughter? She had to come up with a suitable candidate, or else her daughter would have to marry far away. She wasn't broad-minded enough to let her daughter marry far away in Mongolia.
The author has something to say: The difference in concepts between the emperor and the empress!
Fortunately, the truth became clearer through debate, and they were now able to discuss state affairs openly.
Next, there will be a big turning point, hehe.
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