Di Ming

Chapter 453 "Lieutenant, you have quite the nerve!"

October 15th, the first year of the Taichang reign.

Chengdu Prefecture, Hanzhou, Deyang County.

On the screen wall in front of the county government office, the latest decree on population census and exemption from poll tax was posted. A large crowd had gathered around, discussing the matter with various expressions.

Most of them looked happy, while a few had gloomy expressions.

On the Shenming Pavilion, not far from the screen wall, there was also a new notice, but the notice on the Shenming Pavilion was far less attractive than the notice on the screen wall.

This is a notice recruiting soldiers for the clan; it has nothing to do with other common people.

The people surrounding Shenming Pavilion were almost all members of the clan. Some of them looked excited, as if they had just witnessed a joyous occasion. Others, however, were indifferent.

Those who looked excited were almost all poor clan sons dressed in simple clothes. On the other hand, those clan sons who looked calm were dressed as if they had no worries about food and clothing.

"Our imperial family can now serve in the army and receive pay? The starting salary is five taels of silver! Grand Tutor, you're so generous!"

"Hmph, what's five taels? Don't you care about decorum? We're all descendants of the founding emperor, how have we been reduced to the ranks of soldiers? Being a soldier is a lowly profession, a disgrace to the imperial clan!"

"How easy it is for my great-uncle to say that! He is a lieutenant general who governs the country, owns hundreds of acres of fertile land, and receives several bushels of rice every month. He lives a very comfortable life. But we few are starving!"

"So what? It's all because your fathers and grandfathers didn't know how to be frugal! Back when Zonglu was embezzling money, he didn't think about saving money to buy property!"

Although they are all sons of the same clan, their titles, treatment, and family circumstances differ, and their experiences of warmth and coldness are naturally quite different.

Some people see it as a rare opportunity and are overjoyed. Others, however, consider it a lowly profession, a disgrace to the dignity of the imperial family.

Zhu Zhiwen, who came to the county town early in the morning to try his luck, perked up when he saw the newly posted notice on Shenming Pavilion.

The Regent Grand Tutor is recruiting soldiers! The first month's pay is five taels of silver, five taels!
Has the imperial court lifted the ban on imperial clansmen?
Zhu Zhiwen was strong, tall, and brave. The fortune teller in his hometown said he was destined to be a great general.

Although people say that a good man should not be a soldier, and that military generals are far less respectable than civil officials, he still wanted to join the army and earn a salary, and wanted to see what the scenery was like in the foreign borderlands.

Unfortunately, he was a member of the imperial clan. The court had a prohibition against members of the imperial clan engaging in any trade. Even though his family rarely received stipends, they couldn't choose their own occupation. So, the idea of ​​him possessing the talent of a great general was naturally out of the question.

But now, is there an opportunity?

These days, I've heard that the Regent Grand Tutor has decisively defeated the rebel army, with She Chongming and An Bangyan's entire forces wiped out and sent to the capital in prison. The Grand Tutor's prestige is known even to the common people in the countryside.

Since it's the Grand Tutor's idea, it's definitely not a trivial matter.

"Official!" Zhu Zhiwen puffed out his chest and asked in a loud voice, "Does the Grand Tutor really intend to recruit clan soldiers? Does the court really intend to lift this ban?"

Even after two hundred years in Sichuan, the members of the imperial clan still speak Nanjing Mandarin, which is the most obvious mark that distinguishes them from ordinary people in Sichuan.

The official recognized Zhu Zhiwen and said irritably, "Hey! Since you're a member of the imperial family, you should be able to read, shouldn't you? It's written clearly here. Why are you asking me?"

Although he was just a yamen runner, he didn't take these impoverished lower-ranking members of the royal family seriously and showed them no respect.

Hmph, they call themselves imperial descendants, but these people are hardly any better than beggars, vagrants, or idlers. They're a disgrace to the royal family!
Zhu Zhiwen wasn't angry at the official's expression. He was used to it.

According to ancestral regulations, every male member of the imperial clan has a noble title, the lowest being Fengguo Zhongwei (a military rank).

In recent years, many lower-ranking members of the imperial clan have stopped being granted the title of Fengguo Zhongwei. Originally, all the sons of a Fengguo Zhongwei were granted the title. But now, often only one son can receive it. The other sons no longer hold titles; they are merely recorded in the family genealogy, not in the imperial register, and are jokingly referred to as "dispersed lineage."

Zhu Zhiwen was a member of the imperial clan without a title. His father was Zhu Fengcheng, the Commandant of Fengguo. After his father passed away, his eldest brother was the only one to be granted a title, and he became a member of the imperial clan without a title.

However, even after being granted the title of lieutenant, he would not receive much money or grain.

Currently, a Zhenguo Lieutenant is considered lucky to receive 20% of the rations. A Fuguo Lieutenant only receives 10%. The lowest rank, Fengguo Lieutenant, receives roughly half a percent, amounting to only ten shi of rice a year—far from enough to support a family!

As for those from scattered clans who didn't even have a noble title, they could only rely on the relatively wealthy relatives and elders of their own family for handouts and assistance. Or they would settle disputes, take the blame, fight, collect debts, or wail at funerals... In short, none of these were legitimate occupations, just barely enough to make a living.

Zhu Zhiwen was unable to choose a profession, received little help from close relatives and elders, and was already eighteen years old but still unmarried—he was poor and unable to work, and was also from a scattered clan, so few families were willing to marry him.

He came to the city today to help someone fight. This isn't a profession, so the government can't interfere.

Just as Zhu Zhiwen was about to ask another question, a gong suddenly rang out, followed by the officials at the county government office shouting in unison, "The Third Master is coming out of the office!"

Immediately, the registrar, dressed in a ninth-rank blue official robe, strolled leisurely out of the county government office, a folding fan in his right hand and a pot of cool tea in his left. The guards at the gate bowed in unison, their hands on their swords.

The large crowd of people in front of the county government office were so frightened that most of them knelt down in a chaotic manner, kowtowing in disarray and saying, "This humble servant greets the Third Master!"

They hadn't expected that even the registrar himself would show up at the yamen today.

The few who did not kneel were all scholars dressed in ceremonial robes and wearing Confucian caps. They simply stood and bowed, saying, "This junior greets the Registrar!"

As for the members of the Ming imperial family standing by the Shenming Pavilion, they watched indifferently, not even bothering to bow. In fact, the registrar should have been the one to greet them. But that was ancient history. Nowadays, even low-ranking members of the imperial family were ignored by officials, let alone a county registrar.
"Oh?" The registrar tucked his fan into his waistband. "Get up, get up! Don't kneel. I have something to say to you!"

The kneeling people then dared to stand up, saying in unison, "Thank you, sir!" Then they stood respectfully with their heads bowed and hands clasped, secretly glancing at the high-ranking registrar, their eyes filled with fear of the official.

The registrar pointed to the notice on the screen wall, "Can't you all read? If you can, then read this decree from Cao Ting—an order personally issued by the Grand Tutor—and read it aloud properly! Don't you know, this is a major event overseen by the Rat King! The Rat King!"

"A notice has been posted, and we'll be going to the countryside to promote this soon! Everyone in this county needs to know! If you miss any of these important details by the fourth hour, you'll be responsible for the consequences..."

This registrar rarely came out to explain imperial decrees to the people, but today he was unusually earnest. This was because it was an order personally issued by the Regent, and overseen by the Prince of Shu.

With the Regent's prestige and the King of Shu's status, which official in any region would dare to be negligent? Rumors have already spread in Chengdu that anyone who fails to perform their duties will be dismissed and investigated!
The registrar gave the people some instructions, and then a group of officials took the notices and went to various villages to announce them by banging gongs.

Then, the registrar strolled to the Jingshan Pavilion, sat down leisurely under the pavilion, took a sip of cool tea, and calmly addressed the members of the imperial clan gathered in front of the Shenming Pavilion:

"This is also an order from the Regent! Join the army and get paid! Aren't you happy? At least you can serve in the military! Finally you can have a job! Isn't that great? Good situation!"

"You've all seen the notice, right? Anyone between fifteen and thirty, as long as they're physically fit, can get a salary! The starting salary is five taels of silver! Well, this means the Grand Tutor and Cao Ting are going to support you!"

"Anyone who wants a salary, or is capable of receiving one, must register at the county government office within five days! Latecomers will not be accepted!"

"To be honest, the county magistrate would love for all of you to join the army and earn a living! It would make the county much quieter!"

The registrar rarely bothered with these lower-ranking members of the imperial clan, but today he had to personally give them some instructions to complete the task of recruiting clan soldiers in the county as soon as possible.

Upon hearing the registrar's words, Zhu Zhiwen had no further doubts and bowed, saying, "Third Master, I'm the first to sign up! I'll sign up on the spot! My name is Zhu Zhiwen, a tenth-generation descendant of the founding emperor..."

Zhu Bu asked, "You don't have a noble title, do you?"

Zhu Zhiwen shook his head: "No. But my name is on the family genealogy, just not in the imperial register..."

The registrar nodded: "I know, alright, alright! Have the clan chief and the village head issue a guarantee to verify your identity, then you can come and register."

"Okay!" Zhu Zhiwen agreed and turned to leave.

He needed to go home immediately to tell the clan chief and the village head, get a guarantee, and then go to the city to enlist! He was confident he could be recruited; the starting salary was five taels of silver—how exciting!

Zhu Zhiwen strode out of the city gate and, just after crossing the bridge, spotted his younger sister, Zhu Yunniang, dressed in patched clothes, sitting timidly on a small stool, selling vegetables by the dusty official road.

The little girl was only thirteen years old. She was not strong and didn't bring many vegetables, mostly cabbage and green beans, which wouldn't fetch much money.

"Such fresh and tender cabbages, just picked this morning, still glistening with dew! Only one coin a pound!"

An old woman with a shaky gait walked over, took out two warm copper coins from her handkerchief, squatted down in front of the little girl, and picked and chose like a beauty pageant contestant. Finally, she muttered something and picked up a large cabbage that weighed more than two pounds.

"Girl, I want this one."

"Grandma," Zhu Yunniang said with a sweet smile, "this cabbage must weigh about three pounds." "I want this one." The old woman hugged the cabbage, seemingly unable to carry it any longer.

“Alright,” the girl gave in, extending her rough hand to take the two coins. “Grandma, take them.”

The old woman, having gotten the better deal, grinned, revealing her single-toothed mouth, and then shakily walked away.

Just as Zhu Zhiwen was about to go over and talk to his sister, a peasant woman suddenly came over from not far away, carrying a load of vegetables. She slammed the load down next to Zhu Yunniang, put her hands on her hips, and shouted:
"This is where I sell my vegetables! Don't you know that?! You're not allowed to sell here!"

"You're a member of the clan! Members of the clan aren't allowed to sell vegetables! Don't you know?! Stop selling vegetables! You're not allowed to sell them anymore!"

Zhu Yunniang said, "Why can't I sell it? I didn't go into the city to sell it at the market. Is it not allowed outside the city?"

"No!" the peasant woman said fiercely. "Members of the imperial clan cannot engage in selling! This is a rule set by our great-grandfather! You members of the imperial clan cannot sell needles or nails!"

"If you don't leave, I'm going to take you to the authorities! The old men in the yamen will arrest you and strip your family of its title!"

With tears welling up in her eyes, Zhu Yunniang said, "It's just some vegetables from our own garden, is this what you call buying and selling?"

"You grow vegetables? Good heavens!" the peasant woman shouted even louder. "Members of the imperial family can't grow vegetables! That's a rule set by our great-grandfather! You're growing and selling vegetables, you're in big trouble!"

"I'm going to sue the authorities! I want you gentlemen to stand up for me! Come quick, a noblewoman from the imperial family is doing business!"

"Alright!" Zhu Zhiwen walked over. "We're not selling anymore, and don't make a fuss! We're all poor people struggling to make things difficult for each other!"

"You still complain?" the peasant woman sneered. "Your ancestors lived a life of luxury, eating fish and meat at every meal, wearing fine silks and satins, and being served by a house full of servants. You've already enjoyed a life of ease! You've indulged in too much wealth and luxury, isn't that diminishing your good fortune?"

Zhu Zhiwen said coldly, "Even if we were rich and noble, that was our ancestors' business. My siblings and I have never had a single day of wealth and luxury since we were born. So who looks down on whom?"

The peasant woman scoffed, "Don't you receive any stipends? The Cao court pays you with money and grain; you eat the emperor's rice! How can we compare!"

Tears welled up in Zhu Yunniang's eyes. "You're bullying us! Where do we get any more government grain? There are eight of us in our family, and our eldest brother only gets ten shi (a unit of dry measure) of government grain with rice husks each year. What's that enough for us? Unlike you, we can't do anything! We can't even secretly grow some vegetables in peace. Waaah, we need to survive too..."

Why didn't members of the imperial clan engage in any trades they were forbidden from doing? Because upper-ranking members of the clan didn't need to. If lower-ranking members did, they would be monitored by the common people. No matter what trade they secretly engaged in, they would be reported by their peers and brought to justice.

“Little sister…” Zhu Zhiwen felt very sorry for his sister and patted her head. “Let’s go. If they won’t let us sell, then we won’t. Let’s go home. Third brother has already found a job. Things will be better from now on.”

"An official post?" Zhu Yunniang looked puzzled. "Aren't all professions forbidden for us members of the imperial clan? How come there are official posts? Third Brother, you mustn't break the rules."

Before Zhu Zhiwen could speak, the peasant woman said, "Alright, alright, stop crying! You're so kind! I can't bear to see you cry like this!"

She took out a handful of copper coins, about a dozen or so, and said, "Sell your vegetables to me! Consider it me selling them for you!"

Ultimately, she wasn't a bad person. Thinking that they were both from poor families, she suddenly softened.

"Thank you, elder sister!" Zhu Yunniang accepted the copper coins. "Elder sister has a sharp tongue but a soft heart."

The brother and sister thanked him and then went home together. Along the way, Zhu Zhiwen told his sister about the notices in the city, and Zhu Yunniang finally understood that her third brother was going to join the army and receive a salary!

But will my older brother agree?
The two walked for five or six miles before returning to their home in Longquan Township.

The largest residence in the village is the General's Mansion of the General of the State, which is also the ancestral home of Zhu Zhiwen's clan. The current clan head is Zhu Zhiwen's great-uncle, whose title is Zhenguo Zhongwei, and they are already four degrees of kinship.

Zhu Zhiwen's grandfather was born in the General's Mansion. Fifty years ago, after starting his own family, his grandfather moved out of the General's Mansion and established his own Assistant Commandant's Mansion in his hometown.

Zhu Zhiwen passed by the ancestral home, the General's Mansion, from afar, but did not go to see the clan head. Instead, he went home first to discuss it with his elder brother.

It's currently October, a short off-season for farmers, and many people are sunbathing and catching lice in front of their yards or under the woodpile.

The entire village was filled with the atmosphere of autumn. At the entrance of the Sichuan Opera troupe in the village, there were still rows of washed and dried costumes and masks hanging out to dry.

In the fields, cowherds rode water buffalo everywhere. Ducks quacked by the stream, and geese stretched their necks and spread their wings by the roadside, domineeringly blocking the way and honking arrogantly.

The villagers greeted Zhu Zhiwen and his sister when they saw them.

"Lieutenant, you old man!"

"Your Highness, the County Magistrate!"

Zhu Zhiwen was certainly not a lieutenant, and Zhu Yunniang was not a county magistrate. In fact, the villagers weren't joking; it was just good-natured teasing.

The villagers had very mixed feelings about these members of the royal family who were once high and mighty but are now in a worse situation than them.

Amidst schadenfreude, there was also an indescribable sympathy.

These members of the Ming imperial family, no matter how poor or destitute, all had two things in common: they were literate and spoke Nanjing Mandarin.

Zhu Zhiwen made excuses to the villagers and returned to the Lieutenant's residence by the mulberry grove.

The Lieutenant's Office has only been around for a little over fifty years, but due to a lack of maintenance, it is already quite dilapidated.

The Lieutenant's residence was not large, only three acres. It was actually a medium-sized house with three rooms and three courtyards. It was not as spacious or exquisite as the large houses in the village, but the lintel was of the standard for a fifth-rank official.

Moreover, this dilapidated and neglected residence of the lieutenant was not owned by Zhu Zhiwen's family, but rather by two households. After his grandfather's death, his father and uncle, who had each started their own families, divided the household. His cousin's family lived on the east side, and his own family lived on the west side.

Just as Zhu Zhiwen was about to enter, Zhang, the village matchmaker, came out cursing and swearing:

"Happy! Do they really think their daughter is a princess? She's just a poor relative of the Rat King's mansion, with no connection whatsoever, and she's still being picky! Even the Liu family isn't willing, let's see where she marries in the future! She'll just stay in her parents' house as an old maid! Oh? Where is Na Guo willing to marry into the royal family!"

Seeing the Zhu Zhiwen siblings, the parties involved, Zhang Ao, realizing she had spoken out of turn, felt somewhat embarrassed. However, she spat out a piece of melon seed shell, treating it as an expression of her embarrassment, and quickly left.

Upon hearing the matchmaker's words, Zhu Yunniang's face immediately turned red with anger.

Zhu Zhiwen felt helpless upon hearing this.

Members of the lower-ranking royal families, despite their status, are finding marriage increasingly difficult, regardless of gender. Even among the lower-ranking royal women, a third remain unmarried. And even those who do marry are rarely from respectable families.

Why? Because although the women of lower-class clans were poor, their social status meant they couldn't be beaten or scolded after being married. A single instance of beating or scolding could result in exile three thousand miles away. Moreover, these women were restricted in their career choices and couldn't do many jobs.

Moreover, men who marry women from the imperial clan, even if they are from lower-ranking clans, are called "Yibin" and cannot participate in the imperial examinations!

If there were any other options, who would marry a princess? Even princesses and noblewomen don't have good families to marry into, let alone a princess from a lower social class.

If it's this difficult for lower-ranking clan women, it's even harder for lower-ranking clan men. It was better in the past, but for clans like Zhu Zhiwen's, which lacked official titles, half of them struggled to find wives!
It's not because they're poor. It's because they're not only poor, but also prohibited from engaging in this profession, making their lives less promising than those of ordinary people.

As soon as Zhu Zhiwen and Zhu Yunniang entered the overgrown courtyard on the west side, they heard their sister-in-law's exaggerated voice:
"Marrying into your family is the worst thing ever! I owed a debt to the Great Ancestor, and I've come to your family in this life to repay that debt!"

"He's supposed to be a sixth-rank military officer, a lieutenant in charge of the state, with a salary of two hundred shi of rice a year, but he only gets ten shi! And he can't do this! He can't do that! Is he going to starve to death? I told you to go to the clan chief to borrow rice, but you're afraid of losing face, so you refuse! Do you expect me, a woman, to go and borrow it?"

"Lend me a donkey, I want to ride it back to my parents' home!"

Immediately following, the deep voice of the eldest brother, Lieutenant Fengguo, came: "Wife, why don't we walk back to your parents' home? Where am I supposed to borrow a donkey for you? What will become of the dignity of the imperial family?"

"Dignity! Dignity!" The elder sister-in-law's voice was trembling with sobs. "Me, the wife of a lieutenant, a sixth-rank noblewoman, walking back to my parents' home with bound feet, is that dignity?"

"Lieutenant, you have quite the airs!"

...

P.S.: I've been writing too much about macro perspectives lately, so I'll occasionally switch to a micro perspective. Little Tiger will be back in Nanjing tomorrow. Thank you, goodnight.

(End of this chapter)