The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 509: Juren Enters Beijing
The New Year is approaching and snowflakes are falling.

The capital is getting colder and colder.

However, the streets are becoming more and more lively.

People in Beijing have started preparing for the New Year.

Wanli also took little Zhu Changxun to buy a lot of New Year's goods.

Of course, they are not preparing for the New Year.

They are the royal family, and there are thousands of eunuchs serving them in the palace. Naturally, someone will prepare New Year's goods for them, so they don't need to prepare anything.

Wanli actually just wanted Zhu Changxun to understand the prices in the capital.

This is actually quite important.

Whether ordinary people live well or not is closely related to the price of goods.

For example, the most common salt.

From the Hongwu Dynasty to the Zhengde Dynasty, the price of salt in the Ming Dynasty was mostly more than ten wen per catty, which was equivalent to five or six yuan or seven or eight yuan per catty. Although it was a bit expensive, ordinary people could still afford it.

Things were a bit outrageous during the Jiajing period. Yan Song and his son controlled the salt administration and were wildly corrupt. The three major wealthy families in Puzhou also added fuel to the fire in order to make money. The price of salt soared all the way to four or five hundred coins per catty!
In other words, salt at that time cost more than two hundred yuan per pound.

It’s so expensive, how can ordinary people afford it?
The problem is, we can’t live without salt.

If you don't eat salt, you will get a lot of strange diseases, such as edema all over the body, weakness in the limbs, dizziness, and even constant convulsions.

The common people at that time were exploited to the point of having their bones and marrow sucked out.

Things were still good at the moment, as Wanli had already lowered the price of salt to about ten cents per pound. The people now had money, so there was no problem with eating salt.

The prices in Beijing are relatively stable, and some things are even on the decline.

For example, dried and fresh seafood.

This thing used to be very expensive.

Among the so-called delicacies from land and sea, seafood is famously expensive.

However, there are more and more fishing boats in the Ming Dynasty now, and the production of dried and fresh seafood is also increasing. Scarcity makes things valuable, and when there are more goods, the price will naturally drop.

The seafood became cheaper and more affordable for ordinary people, and there were more and more dishes on the tables of ordinary families.

Now everything in the Ming Dynasty seems to be developing in a good direction, at least that's what we see in the capital.

Everyone seemed to have the joy of the New Year on their faces, and the streets and alleys were filled with joy and peace.

However, as the New Year approaches, many strange people seem to suddenly appear in the capital.

Most of these people walk with their noses facing the sky. Even if it is snowing, they will hold an umbrella with their nostrils facing the sky.

They seem to look down on ordinary people and even disdain to associate with ordinary people.

With more of these people on the streets, it feels like there are nails everywhere, which looks very eye-catching.

Who are these people?
When little Zhu Changxun saw these arrogant people, he couldn't help but feel curious.

It was still snowing in the capital at about 4 p.m. that day, but Wanli changed into casual clothes as usual and left the palace with little Zhu Changxun.

They usually asked their secret guards to find a relatively hidden alley in advance and set up defenses secretly. As soon as the carriage entered, they got off and pretended to be ordinary civilians to go shopping.

Originally, they always had a great time shopping there.

After all, it’s the New Year, and the people on the streets are very happy, so they are naturally happy to see it.

Unexpectedly, this time they met a few arrogant people as soon as they ran out of the alley and into the street.

These guys seemed to have not seen them at all and actually walked straight towards them, as if they were sure that they would definitely get out of the way.

Seeing this, Wanli quickly pulled little Zhu Changxun aside.

He had to act like a commoner at the moment, so naturally he couldn't let others hold an umbrella for him. It would be a bit inconvenient for him to hold someone with an umbrella, so usually when it rained or snowed, he would go out with an umbrella in one hand and holding little Zhu Changxun in the other.

Seeing this, Li Xuancheng and Shan Sinan took a step forward and stood on both sides of them, staring at these guys with a little vigilance.

These guys seemed to have not seen them at all. They just walked away without even bothering to pee on them.

Little Zhu Changxun looked at their backs and couldn't help but frown slightly and said, "Dad, who are these people? They are so arrogant."

When you are on a secret visit, you cannot call the Emperor "Father". You have to learn from the common people and call him "Dad".

The little guy still remembers this very clearly.

However, there are some things that the little one can't see yet.

Wanli pulled little Zhu Changxun along as they followed these guys slowly and at a leisurely pace, while explaining in detail: "These people are actually very easy to recognize. You should be able to guess their identities by looking at their clothes.

Because the lining of the cotton-padded clothes they wore was made of silk and satin.

Silk and satin are not something that only rich people can wear. Ordinary people are not allowed to wear them, and merchants and craftsmen are not allowed to wear them no matter how rich they are.

There was no rule prohibiting farmers from wearing them, but, except for the wealthy gentry, ordinary farmers could not afford silk and satin.

Of course, even the local tyrants and gentry would not dare to act so arrogantly when they arrived in the capital.

There is another type of people who specialize in wearing silk and satin. These people are the gentry among the scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, or the scholars with official titles.

This honor and rank also has different levels. Generally, a poor scholar cannot be considered a member of the gentry, because the honor and rank of a scholar is generally not enough to become a real official.

The so-called real officials are those registered with the Ministry of Personnel. Such officials all have ranks. Those without ranks cannot be called officials, but can only be called clerks.

At this time, the annual leave has not yet come, and the real officials have to sit on duty in the yamen and cannot go out and wander around.

Judging from all these, there is only one type of person left, that is, the scholar who has the title of Juren, and whose family is very wealthy.

Next year will be the imperial examination year, and these wealthy scholars will come here early and stay in an inn or rent a courtyard in the capital. After the New Year, they won't have to rush back to the capital. "Oh, so you are the scholars here to take the exam?

Little Zhu Changxun thought about it carefully, still a little puzzled, "Is being a juren so great? I've met quite a few officials, and they were all jinshi graduates, and none of them were as arrogant as them."

These guys haven't experienced the harsh beatings of the officialdom yet.

Wanli patiently explained: "The officials you see are basically old hands in the officialdom. They are able to keep their emotions under control, so naturally they won't act arrogantly in front of you.

These scholars should have never been officials and their families were well-off.

They think they are superior to others, they think they are not in the same class as ordinary people, to put it bluntly, they look down on ordinary people."

Upon hearing this, little Zhu Changxun couldn't help but frown slightly and said, "Dad, these guys look down on ordinary people. If we let them pass the imperial examination and become officials, wouldn't they look down on ordinary people even more?

If such a person were to be appointed as a local official, what would happen?"

Alas, this problem is really a headache.

Wanli shook his head and sighed slightly, "Yes, if these people are sent to the countryside, they will most likely exploit the civilians under their rule.

Nowadays, there are very few scholars who truly study for the country and the people. Most of the scholars have become like this, shouting that they are studying for the country and the people, but in fact they don’t care about the common people at all.

If such a person becomes an official, he will definitely try every possible way to benefit himself."

Aren’t they corrupt officials?
Little Zhu Changxun was quite puzzled and asked, "Dad, if you know they will become corrupt officials, why do you let them become officials?"

If you have never been an emperor, you don’t know the helplessness of being an emperor.

This is not a question of whether I want them to be officials or not, but the Ming Dynasty cannot be governed without officials.

Wanli shook his head and sighed slightly, but did not explain immediately.

Because these are not good to say outside.

At this time, the scholars in front seemed to be thirsty, so they turned directly into a teahouse on the street.

Seeing this, Wanli immediately pulled little Zhu Changxun in.

The waiters in the teahouse have received countless guests, so they are naturally more perceptive than Xiao Zhu Changxun.

The first few were obviously the juren scholars who were here to take the imperial examinations. A waiter immediately went to greet them, bowed and took the umbrellas from them, and kept flattering them, saying, "Gentlemen, please take your seats."

A teahouse is also called a teahouse, and usually has a second floor.

The second floor is for those high and mighty people to sit.

As for ordinary civilians, they basically cannot go to the second floor.

Seeing that Wanli and the other three were all strangers, and all wearing ordinary cotton-padded clothes, the other waiter politely led them to an empty table on the first floor. He wiped the tabletop pretentiously and then asked, "What would you like to order, gentlemen?"

How would I know what you have?

This question stumped Wanli.

Fortunately, Shan Sinan had been to a teahouse before.

He said calmly, "Give me a pot of Biluochun."

The origin of Biluochun is actually West Lake. Rich people drink Longjing tea, while poor people drink Biluochun. Anyone who has been to a teahouse seems to know this very well.

The way they are dressed doesn't look like they can afford to drink Longjing tea.

Upon hearing this, the waiter nodded repeatedly and left in a flash, not noticing anything wrong.

Even these cunning people couldn't see through their identities, which proves that they were very good at disguising themselves.

Upon seeing this, Wanli sat down and hugged little Zhu Changxun. He then whispered in his ear, "What you just said is not suitable to be said in public. Ordinary people would not dare to say such things openly."

Oh, so this is something we need to pay attention to as well.

Little Zhu Changxun nodded slowly, but couldn't help but whisper in his ear, "Father, you clearly knew they would become corrupt officials, so why did you let them serve?"

Do you think I want to employ corrupt officials?

Wanli shook his head slightly and sighed, "You should know that there are at least tens of thousands of officials in the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, these officials must have been educated and have some knowledge.

If you have never been to school, have no knowledge, don't know how to behave or manage people, and can't understand official documents or even petitions, then you cannot be an official.

In other words, civil servants can only be selected from scholars, which has gradually changed the original intention of scholars to study. Originally, scholars did not necessarily study in order to become officials. For example, Confucius and other sages mostly studied to teach and educate people, but now scholars basically study in order to become officials.

There are so many scholars in the world, who will be the official?
This can only be screened through imperial examinations and distinguished through fame and honor.

To put it bluntly, the imperial examination was for selecting officials. Passing the examination and becoming a scholar did not necessarily mean one could become an official, but passing the examination and becoming a juren meant one could become an official, and passing the examination and becoming a jinshi meant one would definitely become an official.

This is a rule that has been used for hundreds of years, and this rule has been used in the Ming Dynasty for more than two hundred years.

It can be said that this is how the civil servants of the Ming Dynasty were produced. If a scholar passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, he must be appointed as an official.

So, it’s not that your father wants to use corrupt officials, but that’s the rule of the imperial examination, and your father cannot wantonly violate the rules that have been used for hundreds of years.

If Father breaks the rules that scholars have long established, he will offend all scholars in the world. If scholars start making trouble, even our ancestor, the Hongwu Emperor, would be afraid."

Oh, it turns out I have to use it.

Little Zhu Changxun nodded slowly, then asked, "How do we solve the problem of corrupt officials? We can't just leave it alone, right?"

Can this problem be solved?

Which emperor in history solved it?
Upon hearing this, Wanli frowned and pondered for a while before patiently explaining, "This problem is not actually about corrupt officials, but about scholars, or why scholars study.

This situation occurs in every dynasty after one or two hundred years, and the purpose of scholars studying will mostly change from becoming an official to fighting for power and profit.

This is a problem of reading culture, and it is difficult to solve.”

(End of this chapter)