Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 373 The livelihood of the people depends on food and clothing.

Guangzhou.

After Duncan ascended to the throne, Xingwangfu was renamed back to Guangzhou, but the people still believed that Guangdong and Guangxi were the places where the dragon rose, so they continued to use the name Xingwangfu.

Meanwhile, in a narrow alley in Temple Street, a young man in tattered clothes frowned and said to his companion, "Brother Lu, are you really not planning to take the imperial examination again?"

The man, Brother Lu, was dark-skinned and tall. He gave a bitter smile and said, "My family is running out of money and food. All I want now is to find a job."

Upon hearing his friend's words, the young man's expression shifted, for his clothes revealed that his family was of modest means.

"Brother Liu, would you be willing to listen to what I have to say?"

The tall man clasped his hands and said, "Now that the world is in ruins and needs to be rebuilt, we poor scholars do not necessarily need to pass the imperial examinations to realize our talents and ambitions."

"His Majesty has always been unconventional in his selection of personnel."

"Judging from the scale of this year's imperial examination, the court probably has other plans."

This is the worst of times and the best of times.

But for scholars, especially Confucian scholars, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period was probably the darkest time. It can be said that in the nearly 1,000 years of Chinese history, no era has seen scholars suffer more than today.

For this very reason, the power of Confucianism was weakened to the extreme, and it was only later, due to the Song Dynasty's extremely favorable treatment of the scholar-official class, that its social status was restored.

Among all the scholars in the country, those from the Guangdong and Guangxi regions were the most looked down upon.

Because of Liu Chang's edict to castrate.

Because His Majesty heavily relied on Li Fengji and others, scholars in other places even jokingly called them the "eunuch faction".

Although Duncan restored the imperial examination system after taking office, he did not elevate the status of Confucian scholars, let alone treat them with the extreme favor shown to them as in the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Kuangyin's rise to power was illegitimate, and he had to curry favor with the scholar-officials to solidify his position. This led to a situation where civil officials in the Song Dynasty rarely faced the death penalty for their mistakes, while military generals were often executed. However, under Duncan's rule, civil officials were executed just the same way. It just goes to show that this era was not lacking in capable people; if you didn't do it, there were plenty of others who would.

"Then you don't need to go to Houji Academy?"

The man surnamed Liu frowned and kindly advised, "After you've completed your studies, won't you still have to work in the fields?"

Scholars are proud and arrogant; they have no desire to do dirty or tiring work.

The man surnamed Lu, standing to the side, smiled without saying a word and said calmly, "The Grand Minister of Agriculture is one of the Nine Ministers and is the Dean of the Houji Academy."

"Did you know that he was not from a Confucian background? He didn't even have any official rank or title?"

"Brother, go back and think it over carefully."

After saying this, the man surnamed Lu took his leave. However, since they were old friends, he could hint at some things, even if he couldn't say them explicitly. He broke off a branch, paused for a moment, and handed it to him, saying, "Brother Liu, if you have thought it through, you can come to the post station to find me, and we can travel north together."

The man surnamed Liu was holding a twig, seemingly puzzled. He was quite talented, but also proud and arrogant. He couldn't bear to take off his long gown and lose face as a scholar. What he longed for more was to pass the imperial examination, become famous, and be ennobled.

Just as he was walking towards the West Market, a sudden commotion broke out ahead, followed by the sound of firecrackers and drums, attracting a large crowd towards the direction of the Guangzhou Provincial Administration Office.

"what happened?"

Curious, he followed the crowd and soon saw a notice posted by the government office, which was the official gazette issued by the imperial court.

Someone standing in front read it aloud, and it was relayed intermittently to the back; he only heard one part of it.

—"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"
Cao Yanxing, a merchant from Sogdiana, donated cotton seeds, a meritorious act that benefits the nation, sparing the people from the suffering of cold and increasing the source of tax revenue for the region. He is hereby specially granted the title of Marquis of Cotton, bestowed with a purple-gold seal, and granted a stipend of one thousand shi (a unit of grain). So be it.

what?
He was granted a title of nobility?
The crowd gasped in astonishment, and Liu Ranhong couldn't help but feel envious. After inquiring around, he learned the reason behind it.

The Sogdians have a long history in the Central Plains, referred to in Chinese historical records as the "Nine Sogdian Surnames" (including surnames such as Kang, An, and Cao). From the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties, Sogdians consistently served as generals. This Cao Yanxing is said to be from Guazhou, and the item he presented was cotton.

Liu Ranhong was a quick-witted person. He soon frowned and thought to himself, "Why does this gazette specifically mention the Sogdians?"

"A Hu person was granted a title?"

"Is this a sign that the imperial court intends to expand its influence in the Western Regions?"

Below is a long introduction about cotton, written entirely in vernacular Chinese. It is said that His Majesty dislikes classical Chinese.

In addition, the infamous Duke Yansheng, who was known for his family's history of submitting surrender documents, was also granted the title by the Song Dynasty. After His Majesty ascended the throne, he directly stripped the descendants of Confucius of their title and instead appointed them as the Sacrificial Officials of the Great Sage and Teacher Confucius.

This attitude basically reveals His Majesty's stance on Confucianism.

Can a country not be governed without Confucianism?

joke.

The official gazette contained a further passage about a merchant from Kucha who presented a crop called "watermelon" as a tribute. He was rewarded handsomely for this, but not with a noble title; he was simply given an official position.

The above mainly focuses on cotton, explaining its functions.

"To offer this item, one can actually obtain a noble title."

"What's so special about this cotton?" Liu Ranhong wondered.

Why didn't such a good thing happen to him?
China has two cotton varieties. One originated from the Indian subcontinent, with Asian cotton spreading to Hainan Island and the Guangdong and Guangxi regions via India, Myanmar, and Vietnam. The other originated from the African continent, with herbaceous cotton spreading to Xinjiang and the Hexi Corridor region around the Northern and Southern Dynasties period via Africa and West Asia. The latter is considered to be of slightly better quality.

Cotton became widespread in the Central Plains only at the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, and large-scale forced planting began during the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang in the Ming Dynasty.

The official gazette specifically mentioned that cotton will be planted on a pilot basis, and it may be promoted on a large scale in the future.

"Brother Lu is right."

"This Grand Minister of Agriculture is indeed a very powerful and influential position," Liu Ranhong thought to himself.

The Grand Minister of Agriculture was roughly equivalent to the Minister of Agriculture in later times, and also oversaw a portion of agricultural finances. His Majesty attaches great importance to agricultural development; the fact that offering a single cotton stalk can earn one a title of nobility speaks volumes about this.

"Has the world really changed?"

"Is passing the imperial examination the only way out?"

Before leaving, Liu Ranhong saw a notice from the Guangzhou Provincial Administration Office, which was recruiting people to go to Yizhou for two purposes: immigration and land reclamation, mainly to grow sugarcane. He heard that Yizhou was very suitable for growing sugarcane, and because of the large-scale promotion of sugarcane, the price of sugar in Guangzhou had dropped by nearly one-third, so ordinary people could buy some to try. Of course, the high-quality sugar was still just as expensive.

For people to survive, food and clothing are of paramount importance.

For some reason, Liu Ranhong suddenly recalled a sentence he had heard not long ago: "Since His Majesty ascended the throne, the general policy of the country has been to focus on the people's food and clothing. As for education, little effort has been put into it. In fact, many Confucian proposals have been rejected, and Legalist laws and punishments have been adopted instead."

You can't even get enough to eat, and you're talking to me about moral education?

"His Majesty looks down on Confucian scholars; it seems Brother Lu is right."

“In the future, Confucian scholars may not be able to be given important positions in the court. This civil service examination is more like a formality.”

What is so special about the Houji Academy?
Isn't it just a place to learn how to farm?
Why does Brother Lu not even want fame and fortune?

Liu Ranhong pondered all the way home, completely baffled. When he returned home, he was still holding the branch in his hand. He looked at it for a moment, thinking that his friend was acting strangely and irrationally. He casually tossed it into the small pond. After all, it concerned his future prospects, and he still needed to think it over carefully.

As evening approached, Liu Ranhong was still undecided, but as he stepped out of the courtyard, he suddenly froze, staring blankly at the direction of the pond.

A branch stood in the small pond, its green leaves glistening, and even a small flower had bloomed on it.

This miraculous scene left him deeply moved and unable to calm down for a long time.

"Brother Lu has misled me!"

"If I had known that Houji Academy possessed such extraordinary abilities, why would I have bothered taking the imperial examinations?"

He just hoped it wasn't too late.

If all the academies established by His Majesty possess such astonishing abilities, then in the future, wouldn't only Confucian scholars be truly powerless in the imperial court?

How long have you been learning, Brother Lu?
Then they can use such methods.

Wouldn't the legendary Grand Minister of Agriculture possess the power to summon wind and rain and change the seasons?
At this moment, Liu Ranhong was extremely excited and ran wildly towards the post station. When he passed the dock, he saw Tanka people worshipping the sea goddess, and further away were immigrants heading to Yizhou.

Quanzhou.

In the direction of the port, a huge shipyard has been built, and the people coming and going here have a unique temperament. If I had to describe it carefully, it would probably be the confidence of an experienced shipyard worker.

"His Majesty has instructed us to build the Fortune Ship."

"But we really don't have enough manpower!"

"Could it be that you really intend to accept those Confucian disciples as your students? These scholars are so aloof and arrogant, are they really willing to learn?"

Quanzhou has been China's largest shipbuilding base since the Song Dynasty.

At the Jiangkou Wharf, a thin old man glanced at the person beside him and said indifferently, "If you want to learn, stay; if you don't want to learn, get out."

"Now that everything is in ruins, Your Majesty wants to create an unprecedented golden age."

"We don't want those useless people who spout classical Chinese phrases."

"Anyone who can't get the job, get the hell out of here!"

We employ scholars because they are quick learners; they have acquired knowledge and can learn other things quickly. But if they still cling to the old Confucian ways, then they should just be let go. What this world lacks is not government officials.

"correct."

"Old Master Mo, His Majesty has also ordered us to start manufacturing textile machines. Cotton is not yet widely available, so what use would we have if we rushed to manufacture them?" someone said cautiously.

The old man glared at him and said coldly, "This is His Majesty's decree. Send people to build it immediately."

"If there's nowhere to use it, just leave it there for now."

The imperial court intends to build Quanzhou into the largest shipyard in the entire Central Plains. Now, tens of thousands of craftsmen have gathered here, and the Mo Sect is in charge. His Majesty has only given them three years. If they cannot build anything decent in three years, they can wash their necks and accept their punishment.

Everything must give way to the development of productive forces.

The bureaucracy that had persisted in the Central Plains for over a thousand years was directly rectified. After suppressing Confucianism with one hand, Duncan's next step was to rectify officialdom. He wasn't targeting corruption, but rather the ability to get things done. Officials who lacked ability or efficiency, even if they were honest, were all fired.

Agriculture is the foundation, and industry is the tool.

Everything was done for the sake of productivity development. Even the work of education was abandoned, and many Confucian ideas were discarded. The most basic subjects such as Chinese and mathematics were directly replaced with a part of the post-enlightenment education system.

This happened after the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

When Confucianism was directly broken in the spine, it was forced to crawl on its knees.

If we don't carry out sweeping reforms at this time, it would be a disservice to the era. From the end of the Tang Dynasty to the present, rebel armies have killed powerful clans and gentry, and military men have killed Confucian scholars, forcing all the scholars in the world to kneel down.

It can be said that all obstacles to reform were removed. Duncan abolished the titles of Confucius' descendants with a single word, and the Confucian disciples did not dare to utter a word.

The group quickly entered the county government office.

The local officials in Quanzhou were also in a real bind. The performance evaluation criteria from above included shipbuilding, fisheries, and maritime trade, none of which were easy tasks. If they wanted to continue in their positions, they had to produce some results.

"Old Mo."

"There really isn't enough tung oil." The long-bearded man rushed over as soon as he saw them.

Official airs?
That's suicide. These people are directly under the Ministry of Works. If they submit a memorial to the cabinet, he'll be packing his bags and leaving in a few days.

Those technical experts who were transferred from the central government could directly submit their memorials to His Majesty through the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

What is this concept?
Disciple of the Emperor.

A vital national asset.

Grand Academician.

Even a high-ranking official in a region would be in deep trouble if he offended them.

I heard that in order to pilot cotton planting, more than a dozen officials in the south were dismissed from their posts in one go. All of them were dismissed for not doing their jobs properly and for colluding with local gentry, which affected the implementation of the policy.

Your Majesty has killed fewer people since ascending the throne. Before ascending the throne, people would have already lost their heads.

productive forces.

They had only recently learned this word, and it was said to have come from His Majesty.

His Majesty places high hopes on these technical experts, and has also heard that disciples of the Agricultural School, escorted by masters of the Military School and experts from the Six Doors recruited from the martial arts world, have been exploring overseas regions, supposedly to search for superior overseas breeds to bring back to the Central Plains.

Yanjing.

A caravan is heading to Liaodong. Since the decree on the tea-horse trade was promulgated, goods such as horses, furs, cattle and sheep from Liaodong have been flowing into the Central Plains, while tea, tools, porcelain and other products from the Central Plains have been flowing to Liaodong, Mongolia and other places.

At that moment, the sound of horses' hooves approached, and the caravan was immediately alarmed. A manager stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Gentlemen, what are your thoughts?"

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

The man in the lead, with a full beard, looked like a burly man from the north. Holding a riding whip, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"Are we going to Huanglong Prefecture?"

The caravan manager, with a forced smile, said, "We can't go that far; at most, we'll go as far as Shangjing."

Are you gentlemen heading to Huanglong?

I heard that the imperial court has issued a decree on military settlements on the border. Recently, many soldiers have gone to Liaodong and other places. It is said that soldiers can be given more than 200 mu of land, and even auxiliary soldiers can be given more than 100 mu of land. Of course, they all need to cultivate the land themselves. However, I also heard that the black soil there is quite fertile.

Some soldiers worried that their families would suffer if they went there, so they went with others first for two or three years, and then brought their families over after they had settled down.

Even these merchants had heard that the people stationed at the border were living a miserable life, in remote, desolate places, and had to guard against wild people like the Jurchens.

But as long as you can get through this, you'll eventually become a small landowner.

The soldiers looked visibly disappointed. The burly man at the head of the group seemed to be a centurion. He rode up to the goods, looked them over, and asked, "Do you have any pots, pans, or other utensils?"

The caravan manager quickly nodded and said, "Yes, yes."

The burly man with the thick beard continued, "Could you send someone to Huanglong Prefecture? We'll send someone to meet you on the way."

The caravan manager hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and said, "Yes."

It would be best for these merchant caravans traveling to the northern frontier to have some connections with military figures, which could help them avoid a lot of trouble in the future.

well.

The burly man at the head of the group nodded and said to one of the men beside him, "Bring me a written agreement."

After saying that, he threw out a piece of gold and said, "This is the deposit."

"Don't delay."

These dozens of men quickly departed, galloping on horseback with agile movements. It was said that the border army had transferred a group of elite troops there, and they must be the ones.

"They must be from the Zhending Army."

"Look at those sabers. I heard that when they wiped out the Uyghurs of the Western Regions, they defeated three thousand enemy soldiers with only a few hundred men," a waiter whispered.

The caravan manager glared at him, signaling him to shut up.

After a while.

The caravan soon set off, heading towards Liaodong.

Recently, many troops have withdrawn from the west, including the Zhengding Army, Xiping Army, and Anxi Army. Many of their elite troops have been transferred to local areas to suppress bandits. The Liaodong region is relatively peaceful. After the remnants of the Khitan forces have completely submitted, these merchants no longer need to worry about encountering bandits.

"I've heard that the imperial court plans to wage war against the Jurchen barbarians in two years?"

An elderly merchant in a caravan whispered to someone nearby; these merchants were all very interested in the news.

Northeast Province.

The imperial court recently implemented the provincial system, which originally only appeared in the Yuan Dynasty, but Duncan used it ahead of schedule.

It's not easy to develop Northeast China ahead of schedule right now; we can only start by clearing land and developing it step by step.

This is a pilot program.

As long as immigrants can establish themselves in the Northeast region, they can also migrate to the West and Northwest in the future. These people cannot feel the dramatic changes taking place in the times, but they do sense that the current dynasty seems to be somewhat different from the past dynasties.

In the imperial city.

After issuing a few decrees, Duncan patted Lady Huarui's full moon. This woman had fair skin and a delicate fragrance, and was warm in winter and cool in summer, making her perfect for warming the bed. Lady Huarui knelt respectfully to help Duncan get up. Not long after, Lu Qiongxian, along with more than ten beautiful palace maids, helped him dress and wash.

Nothing much to do today, so I'll just... well, never mind... I'll rest for a couple of days first.

Duncan's consciousness returned to the higher dimension, ready to check on the custody status of the other human beings.

tired.

Pulling up your pants gives you a tough look.

Lu Qiongxian had presented many well-trained beauties during this period, including beauties from the common people and concubines from the harems of the Southern Tang and Northern Song dynasties. Duncan had slept with nearly a hundred of them, but now he had lost interest and felt that he no longer had any desire for beauty.

With the world now relatively stable, it is not advisable to wage war. He mainly entrusts his human form to others, and unless a Hindu pantheon descends, he will not need to take action personally.

Duncan is now waiting for a turning point, a moment of spiritual revival.

Not only this world, but the world of origin is also changing.

Because a recent message appeared on the projection page of the first human host that the French Revolution had broken out, someone had summoned heroic spirits through a ritual, and even a distinguished figure named 'Napoleon Bonaparte Duncan' had appeared.

The surname Bonaparte originated in Tuscany, Italy, which was the heart of the Roman Empire.

This man claimed to possess the bloodline of Emperor Duncan and even summoned the powerful spirit of a legendary general from the Imperial Eagle Legion, who was known as the "Conqueror of North Germania" and the "Butcher of Lombardy," among other illustrious titles.

………………

(End of this chapter)