Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 121 To know the way through the mountains, ask the woodcutter.

"Huh?! This... how is this possible?!"

Ni Yuanlu's exclamation was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, making the other four people's hearts jump.

Everyone stopped in their tracks and unfolded the booklets in their hands.

Under the dim light of the lanterns under the corridor, everyone's eyes fell on their respective books.

The booklet contained very little information, just a few words.

First, investigate the population growth rate in the capital region, including the number of children per couple, the number of infants who die young, and the number of children who survive to adulthood. A single piece of evidence is insufficient; given the million-strong population of the capital, data from at least ten thousand couples should be collected, if not all.

Second, we must not harass the people. This is not the time to conduct a land and population survey, and we must not cause large-scale panic.

Third, Ni, Wu, and Qi need not answer the questions from the Hanlin Academy's daily lectures anymore; they should simply present this report as their policy proposal.

Fourth, if this question is answered well, it will be presented at the third daily lecture in ten days. Luo Yangxing and Zhang Zhiji will attend together at that time.

Below these four points, there are two lines of smaller print notes.

Firstly: The answer to this question lies within the question itself; think about it carefully.

Secondly: For any needs in terms of manpower, authority, or assistance, one can seek help from Ma Wenke, a court attendant in the Directorate of Ceremonial.

……

The complex emotions of confusion, sadness, and excitement that had just arisen in everyone were completely replaced by a strong sense of anxiety at this moment.

Ten days?

A survey of fertility data from 10,000 couples!
And they're not even allowed to harass the public?

This is simply a fantasy!

The group exchanged glances, each seeing the shock and apprehension in the other's eyes.

Furthermore, who is this Ma Wenke?

"My lords... my lords."

Everyone looked up at the sound and saw a young eunuch who looked to be no more than twenty years old standing under the eaves, with a perfectly appropriate smile on his face, quietly watching them.

Seeing everyone's attention focused on him, the young eunuch stepped forward unhurriedly, cupped his hands in greeting, and introduced himself: "I am Ma Wenke, a court attendant from the Directorate of Ceremonial."

"His Majesty has instructed me to assist you all throughout the process. If you need anything, please just ask."

He paused, a hint of curiosity in his eyes, and asked, "Gentlemen, when do you plan to hold this first meeting?"

The five of them exchanged another glance and reached a consensus almost instantly.

When? Right now, of course!

Ni Yuanlu, the most impatient of them all, spoke up immediately: "The imperial decree is urgent, and there is no time to lose, so now is the time!"

Ma Wenke was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but then nodded and smiled, “Alright. However… it is already close to dusk, and the palace gates will soon be locked. Staying in the palace any longer would be inconvenient. In my opinion, it would be better to find a quiet place outside the palace.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Zhiji immediately replied, "If you don't mind, come to my house. My house is quite spacious and quiet, and most importantly, it's close by, right next to the palace wall."

Ma Wenke glanced at the other four people, and seeing that none of them had any objections, he smiled and nodded: "Then I will trouble Young Master Zhang."

He seemed quite familiar with the place: "I am very familiar with the Duke of England's garden. In the past, when I accompanied His Majesty to inspect the Yongwei Camp every day, I could always see the pavilions of your mansion."

Having said that, he turned to the side and gestured for them to follow him: "Gentlemen, please come with me."

……

The group followed Ma Wenke silently into the deep night.

This was the first time Qi Xinxiao had left the Forbidden City at night.

The majestic palaces and pavilions that stood solemnly during the day were now transformed into huge shadows slumbering in the darkness, with only the towering palace walls and corner towers outlining their cold silhouettes under the moonlight.

Passing through Di'anmen, the hustle and bustle of the outside world had long since subsided, and it was pitch black all around, as if even the air was a few degrees colder than inside the palace.

Only a few lights were still on at the Yongwei Camp on the west side.

If you walk any further, you will be completely plunged into darkness.

Wealthy families have long since closed their doors and gone to bed, and ordinary people would certainly not light lamps and waste oil and wax at such a time.

Using lanterns carried by Zhang Zhiji's servants, the group trudged across a stone bridge, their steps uneven.

Beneath the bridge lies the flowing water of Shichahai, where moonlight spills onto the surface, creating shimmering ripples.

The autumn wind is now extremely cold, carrying moisture as it brushes against your face, yet it is also refreshing and invigorating.

A few clear chirps of insects drifted from afar, making the surrounding silence seem even more pronounced.

The serene and expansive scenery caused everyone's tense nerves to relax a little, and their pace slowed down.

Just then, Zhang Zhiji, who had been walking at the front, stopped, turned around, and smiled, saying, "We've arrived."

As everyone looked up, they saw a tall building standing prominently behind a dense grove of trees, its windows brightly lit and warm light shining through the windows.

As they rounded the screen wall, a sharp-eyed servant came forward, bowing and saying, "Young master is back."

Zhang Zhiji casually waved his hand and ordered, "Prepare hot water so these gentlemen can wash up and change."

Soon, several maids came forward and led everyone to the guest rooms.

Qi Xinxiao, who came from the countryside, had never seen such a scene before. He was at a loss for words and appeared somewhat reserved.

Zhang Zhiji saw this and patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "Brother Junqiu, make yourself at home, no need to be polite."

After everyone had finished washing up and changed into clean casual clothes, they were led into the main hall.

The room was warm as spring, with the underfloor heating burning just right.

The antique shelves were filled with all kinds of precious objects, creating a scene of wealth and luxury. However, in the center of the hall, there was only a single character "静" (quiet) hanging on the wall, without even a signature, making it look like it wasn't written by a famous artist.

As soon as everyone took their seats, a tall, vigorous old man emerged from the back hall; it was none other than Duke Zhang Weixian of England.

“Father.” Zhang Zhiji quickly stood up and bowed.

The other four men also stood up, cupped their hands, and said, "Greetings, Duke of England."

Zhang Weixian's gaze swept over everyone, and his smile widened.

With a favorite of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a capable member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and three promising Hanlin Academy officials, his son was finally no longer just hanging out with those good-for-nothing poor scholars in the Imperial Academy.

He was extremely satisfied. After exchanging a few pleasantries with everyone, he smiled and found an excuse to leave. Before leaving, he kindly instructed his servants to treat the group of young people well, leaving them all alone.

Zhang Zhiji immediately said, "No need to serve food yet. Just prepare some snacks and tea and bring them to my study. We have important matters to discuss."

The servant bowed, accepted the order, and left.

……

Inside Zhang Zhiji's study, the steam from fragrant tea rose gently, but the group remained silent, each pondering the difficult problem.

In the end, it was Ni Yuanlu who was the first to break the silence.

"Gentlemen, how should we proceed with this matter? The safest way to investigate would be to mobilize the Five City Garrison Commands and coordinate with the local militia to conduct a thorough search. However, His Majesty has clearly stated that the people should not be disturbed, so this approach is obviously not feasible."

Zhang Zhiji nodded in agreement: "Indeed, without the help of the government, it would be a pipe dream for just a few of us to investigate 10,000 couples in just ten days."

A moment of silence fell over everyone again.

After a moment, Qi Xinxiao, who had been quietly pondering, suddenly spoke up: "If the Yellow Register is unreliable, what about the local county gazetteers? Do you know if there are any county gazetteers of Wanping and Daxing for reference?" "In my hometown, the number of people recorded in the county gazetteer is often more accurate than the Yellow Register of the government."

Luo Yangxing shook his head, his voice low: "I happen to know about this matter. There were no county annals for Wanping and Daxing counties before. The Wanping County Annals were only first compiled during the Wanli period, but the population recorded in them was also the old number, which had not been increased or decreased for decades."

Everyone was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

It's a bit of an exaggeration for someone like you, a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to know this.

Zhang Zhiji asked, "How did you know, Brother Taihe?"

Luo Yangxing explained, "The person who compiled this county gazetteer was a fellow townsman from Huguang. We had contact during the Wanli era and discussed this matter."

The clues went cold again, and the study fell silent once more.

After a long while, Zhang Zhiji suddenly slapped his thigh, his eyes lighting up: "Family tree! How could I have forgotten the family tree!"

He suddenly stood up and paced around the room, speaking rapidly: "The family genealogy contains detailed records of the marriages, funerals, births, and deaths of family members. Isn't that exactly what we need?"

"There are many noble and aristocratic families in the capital. It would not be difficult to compile a list of 10,000 couples by adding up the genealogies of all the families!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke: "I can steal...borrow and take a look at my family's genealogy tonight."

"As for the other nobles... they all have their lineage records kept, which are managed by the Five Military Commands. Tomorrow I will explain His Majesty's task to my father, and obtaining them should not be difficult!"

This idea was like a ray of light, instantly broadening everyone's thinking.

Qi Xinxiao's eyes flashed, and he added, "That's right! There's also the Imperial Genealogy! The Imperial Family has a large and numerous population. If we can consult the genealogy, it can serve as an important reference!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhiji hesitated: "The Imperial Genealogy is managed by the Imperial Clan Court, and the current head of the court is the Imperial Son-in-Law Hou, whose son is also studying at the Imperial Academy. I have always been at odds with that fellow, so I'm afraid it's not appropriate for me to speak up..."

Ma Wenke, who had been listening quietly, suddenly laughed: "Young Master Zhang, there is no need to worry. If this item is truly needed, I will report it to His Majesty and will certainly not cause any trouble for you gentlemen. However... whether this method itself is feasible is something you gentlemen should carefully consider."

Just then, Wu Kongjia, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly raised his head and said softly, "That's not right."

He looked at the crowd and said, "The increase or decrease in the population of the imperial clans is of no use as a reference."

"Before the Tianqi era, there were no limits on the stipends for members of the imperial clan. They could receive stipends simply by having a son. Therefore, members of the imperial clan in various regions all considered it their best to have as many children as possible. Historical records show that there were princes who had a hundred sons. This was driven by the pursuit of profit and status, and was not the norm."

Qi Xinxiao immediately realized what was going on and replied, "That's right. Besides, the new jade register after Tianqi is still being compiled. Even if we wanted to investigate the growth rate of the Zonglu after it was restricted, there's no way to find out right now!"

Wu Kongjia nodded and continued, "Therefore, the growth of the imperial family's population is an anomaly and cannot be used as a reference for ordinary people's families."

"By the same token, the same applies to the families of nobles. Although nobles are not as wealthy as members of the imperial family, they are still well-off and their reproductive rate is bound to be much higher than that of ordinary people."

"To infer the number of common people from the number of nobles would be vastly different from what Your Majesty seeks, and is not the reality you are looking for."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, instantly calming the crowd who had just become excited.

Zhang Zhiji slumped down and sighed, "Brother Yuanhui is absolutely right. We were mistaken."

Ni Yuanlu immediately panicked: "What should we do? The baojia system is unusable, there's no record in the county annals, and genealogies and imperial genealogies are all unreliable... What other options are there?!"

The atmosphere in the study became extremely tense once again.

Ma Wenke looked at them, his face still bearing that inscrutable smile, his hand unconsciously reaching into his sleeve, as if he was about to speak.

Just then, Luo Yangxing, who had been silent for a while, suddenly stood up!
His eyes gleamed as he scanned the crowd, and he said, word by word, "I've got it!"

"Go find a midwife!"

Everyone was stunned at first.

Midwife?

Immediately, everyone's eyes lit up!

Yes! Midwife!
"Brilliant!" Zhang Zhiji clapped his hands in admiration. "Brother Taihe's plan is truly ingenious, unconventional, yet it hits the nail on the head!"

Ni Yuanlu chimed in, “Exactly! The number of midwives in the capital is ultimately limited, perhaps a hundred, but certainly not a thousand. By capturing just a few, we can grasp the whole picture from a single clue—truly an excellent lead!”

Qi Xinxiao even thought of the details: "I wonder if the midwives in the capital can read? In my hometown, some midwives are literate and they usually keep a ledger to record the surnames, addresses, red envelopes they receive, the baby's birth date and time, etc., so as to do long-term business!"

Wu Kongjia calmly asked the last question: "Then, under whose jurisdiction do midwives belong?"

One sentence left everyone speechless again.

Midwives belong to the lowest class. Even if these Hanlin officials and sons of nobles had childbirth, it was their servants and elders who would take care of it. They would never pay attention to such things on a daily basis.

For a moment, no one could answer.

Just then, Ma Wenke coughed softly.

"cough."

Everyone turned to look at him.

Ma Wenke said with a smile, "It is under the jurisdiction of Tianfu."

Everyone was stunned and amazed upon hearing this—how could a eunuch living deep in the palace know so much about the ins and outs of such a commoner's office?

Looking at the expressions on their faces, Ma Wenke's smile deepened, and he said:
"His Majesty has prepared an imperial edict and three brocade pouches for everyone."

"However, I was specifically instructed that I should only speak if you gentlemen come up with this method yourselves."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

The five men quickly rose from their seats, straightened their clothes, and bowed and knelt in the direction of the palace.

Ma Wenke's smile vanished instantly, his expression turned solemn, and he also cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the south. Then, clearing his throat, he imitated Zhu Youjian's tone and said in a deep voice:

"If the affairs of the world are to be reformed, the key lies not in the high halls of power, but in the remote countryside; not in the debates on the classics, but in the actual work of the officials."

"The fact that you all came up with this method of midwifery shows that you are all capable people who are dedicated to practical matters."

"I hope that in your future actions you will always keep this in mind, observe more from below and avoid aiming too high."

"Your Majesty, we obey!" the five replied in unison.

Ma Wenke then straightened up, took out a small brocade pouch from his sleeve, and handed it over.

Ni Yuanlu was anxious, so she snatched it and opened it impatiently. Inside was indeed a slip of paper with two big characters written on it: Midwife.

"What about the other two brocade pouches?" Ni Yuanlu pressed.

Ma Wenke shook his head: "His Majesty has already stated his position. If none of you have thought of this before..."

"Then the first pouch can be opened on the second day; the second pouch on the third day; and the third pouch on the seventh day."

Having said that, he waved his hand and laughed, "The imperial decree has been delivered, and the first secret package has been opened. Gentlemen, please continue."

The group exchanged glances, their heavy hearts instantly lifted, replaced by an unprecedented surge of excitement.

"The matter of birth is already clear, but what about death? People are not all born without dying; only by experiencing both birth and death can one achieve true growth!"

"How about finding a coffin shop? And those coroners who specialize in preparing bodies for burial!"

"That's not appropriate! In the capital, for poor families, even a straw mat after death is a luxury, let alone a coffin!"

"..."

September 10th, the seventh year of the Tianqi reign (1627), night.

Inside Zhang Zhiji's study at the Duke of England's residence, the lights were on.

(End of this chapter)