Colonial Era: From Remnants to European Dominator

Li Yuanli didn't quite understand what family and country meant, or what the world meant. He only vaguely knew that Jinshan Prefecture was his family and country, and his whole life was connected with it.

But the teacher named Ouyang Shen told him that the Central Plains were the true home and country. Now the Central Plains were in chaos, occupied by the Qing dynasty for nearly a hundred years. The people were illiterate, the women had bound feet, and everyone was working like cattle and horses for those Manchus, never able to find peace for generations.

He still remembers the unprecedented sorrow and heartache that Ouyang Shen felt when he recounted the famine years when "people ate each other," "bandits rose up everywhere," and "officials were unable to help."

The term "relief" doesn't mean there was no real relief, but rather a lack of capacity. After all, local finances were mostly controlled by gentry and wealthy households, or even within the Manchu cities, limiting the local capacity to cope with disasters. As for the Qing central government's relief efforts, that's laughable. Any mention of Qing dynasty disaster relief in historical records should be questioned. After all, a court that used most of its revenue to support its bannermen could hardly offer any real relief.

That's why, whenever Ouyang Shen talked about the Qing Dynasty, he often used terms like "demon dynasty" and "barbarian country" to describe it. But to Li Yuanli, these were just words of sympathy. As for him risking everything in Jinshan Prefecture for the sake of his so-called compatriots in the Central Plains, even if he had the right, he wouldn't do it.

Just like the southerners and northerners in history, Li Yuanli, who was born in Jinshan in the Western Regions, had a feeling that the so-called Central Plains was more about this place. But his true belonging was still Jinshan, the three townships and three villages in this prefecture. He could even feel a sense of kinship with the Turks on the grasslands at times.

This reaction was observed by Ouyang Shen, and it pained him deeply. He searched through historical records, but could only conclude one thing:

"The Northern and Southern Dynasties, I didn't understand it at first, but now I feel a deep pain and tears!"

Therefore, his scheme against the eldest son of the Li family was ultimately a miscalculation.

--------

Inside the room, the air was filled with the fragrance of incense. Several maids dressed in emerald green were showering Salika with compliments as she tried on her new clothes.

"My lady has such a beautiful figure; this dress looks like it was made of wood on you."

"Perhaps the young master will be even happier to see him."

Hearing the flattery around her, Salika simply smiled faintly, her elegant dress billowing as she danced. Her exotic features and phoenix-like figure captivated the surrounding maids, who exclaimed how beautiful she was.

Inside, the flattering voices in Turkic abruptly ceased with the sound of a door being pushed open. Several maids were the first to react, stepping forward and curtsying in greeting.

"Greetings, young master."

"My lord----"

Salika stepped forward, lifted her dress, and gracefully danced a whirling dance often performed by Turkic women. Her face flushed, she smiled at her beloved husband, revealing half a tooth, and softly asked:

"Is it beautiful?"

Li Yuanheng took off his outer robe, accepted the tea handed to him by the maid, and looked at her carefully. Salika's face flushed. If she were on the grassland, she would never have felt so shy. However, she had been surrounded by Han people for a long time. Although Jinshan women are naturally more open than women in the Central Plains, the morality influenced by those around them is still higher than that of grassland people.

In order to fit into this environment, Salika's demeanor is becoming more and more like that of a noblewoman from the Li family. The only difference is that she eats mutton. Otherwise, if it weren't for her appearance, she would definitely be called a "noblewoman".

"With Runniang's appearance, if she gives birth to a boy, he will naturally be exceptionally handsome; if she gives birth to a girl, she will be stunningly beautiful and extraordinary."

The "Runniang" that Li Yuanheng mentioned was actually the nickname he gave Salika, because she was born in a leap month, hence the name Runniang.

"Does the young master prefer a boy or a girl? In my opinion, a boy is better. If a girl is born, she can't fight in battles or kill anyone; she can only stay at home and give birth—"

"Runniang won't kill people??"

"And what about that precious sword that came with the dowry? Could it be that the jewels on it were just for decoration?"

"My lord----"

Salika's eyebrows twitched, she stomped her foot, first with a coquettish tone, then picked up the embroidery on the bed:

"My lord, look how well this embroidery is done! I studied it with my mother for a long time!"

Salika held her head high, waiting for her husband's praise, but he first glanced at the flock of kingfishers flying around the white thorns, then shook his head, causing Salika's expectant eyes to dim instantly, and even her posture became somewhat angry.

Before she could catch her breath, Li Yuanheng strode forward and, in front of all the maids, picked her up, forehead to forehead, so they could smell each other's scent. Li Yuanheng whispered something in Salika's ear, and she immediately blushed, gently shooing him away:

"It's still daytime. If you have official business to attend to, please go back quickly and don't delay."

The maids stood to one side, unable to leave or mention the incident, and could only lower their heads and remain silent, as if nothing had happened.

"Have them leave—"

Seeing that she couldn't persuade him otherwise, Salika could only continue to beg for mercy.

"Ha ha----"

Laughter came from beside her ear. Salika lowered her head, her face flushed, and said nothing more. She just tightened her grip on Hu's waist, as if she wanted to tear his flesh off.

"Go and take care of the mistress."

"yes----"

The maids felt as if they had been granted a pardon and quickly ran out. However, once outside, their pace noticeably slowed down, and they began to listen intently.

"Why is there still no sound?"

The maid with her hair in two buns, who had only been of marriageable age for a year, still looked curiously at the open door behind her from time to time, even after she came out.

"bump!!"

The door closed, and the maids stared at each other, hesitated for a moment, then grabbed one of them by the neck who was trying to eavesdrop. It was like a den of demons; they couldn't let her stay any longer.

Inside the house, several conversations could be heard intermittently:

"Don't pull my hair, I'm not a horse."

"I'm used to it----"

"snort!!"

Suddenly, a flustered footstep sounded outside the door. As the footsteps receded into the distance, the two people inside looked at each other and finally burst out laughing.

-------

Outside the house, kingfishers herald the arrival of spring. Strong men wield hoes and plows, while children stand on the ridges of the fields, playing and frolicking, either splashing in the mud or gathering in groups of four or five to catch the field mice that only emerge from their burrows this month.

The children's rhymes reached the houses, and only the words "nest after nest" teasing the field mice could be faintly heard.

Cross-legged sitting is a sitting posture that often appears in Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries. It is different from the kneeling sitting posture of the Han Dynasty and has more Taoist charm than the chair.

For the past few days, Li Yuanli has been sitting like this, having learned it all from Mr. Ouyang opposite him. At first, he wasn't quite used to it, since apart from the futon in the ancestral hall, he almost always sat on a chair. Those chairs were made of fine wood from Jinshan, which was very cool to sit on in the summer and warm and comfortable to wear with animal clothing in the winter, far better than this cross-legged posture.

What books did you read today?

"I have read all four books thoroughly, but I still feel that I only partially understand them, so I have come to ask you for guidance."

Li Yuanli crossed his hands and stood with his arms in front of his chest, performing the disciple's salute.

Ouyang Shen looked at his respectful disciple and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. After all, Erlang was not Dalang. Given the current state of the Li family, it was unlikely that he could rely on this son to fulfill his great wish of pacifying the world and driving out the barbarian demons.

But in the end, I did accept him. Although it was a chance encounter and I used him, he was still my disciple, and I had to teach him no matter what.

"The books of sages can be read and used as a reference for all things in the world, but they must never be used in practice."

"If we were to use it, it would be utterly useless."

"It can only be used to restrain myself."

"Constraints—" Li Yuanli lowered his head in thought, constantly comparing the profound principles in the book with his experiences over the years. After a long period of contemplation, he finally spoke:

"But if we only restrain ourselves and not others, wouldn't the world descend into chaos?"

Ouyang Shen met those yearning eyes, sighed inwardly, and then answered:

"Everything in the world has its own principle. Confucius traveled to various states, which is why he wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals and advocated the Zhou rites. What are the constraints in your eyes, and what is the world in the eyes of others?"

"If we rely solely on etiquette and morality to restrain people, everyone will be full of benevolence and righteousness. However, things will go too far and back, and things will break down if we go too far. The Ming and Song dynasties serve as a cautionary tale."

"The student is confused and hopes the teacher can enlighten him."

Li Yuanli performed the disciple's salute again, this time with a purer look in his eyes, revealing only a thirst for knowledge and an understanding of "restraint."

Ouyang Shen wiped the scattered chestnut shells on the small table. They were chestnuts stored by the Li family last year. These things are still a rare commodity in Jinshan. They were seeds brought by foreign merchants a few years ago and were only planted in wealthy families in Jinshan City, so they are not yet widely available.

However, I heard it will be available soon. After all, this plant is cold-resistant and drought-resistant, has a considerable yield, and can be ground into powder to make chestnut cakes or roasted into chestnuts. It can also be eaten as a snack. It is perfect for Jinshan, where only one crop can be grown per year.

After wiping himself down, Ouyang Shen placed his hands on his lap, crossed his sleeves, and wore a solemn expression. With the square scarf on his head, anyone from the Ming Dynasty who passed through this place would have to address him as "Scholar".

"Let me ask you, in which dynasty were the books *Jin Ping Mei* and *The Romance of the Western Chamber* written?"

"Ming, it should be the Ming Dynasty."

Li Yuanli's stammering reply clearly indicated that when he was reading the two books, he only paid attention to some embarrassing details.

Ouyang Shen said "Indeed," and then continued:

"Tang Yin's calligraphy and painting were unparalleled in the Ming Dynasty, but do you know where his paintings of beauties were often used?"

"The student does not know."

"Most of them were copied into romantic scenes between the bedchamber by some rotten and pretentious articles. Many of those illustrations were based on Tang Yin's paintings of beauties."

"ah----"

Although Li Yuanli had seen the illustrations, he had never thought much about them. Hearing them today, he felt a sense of novelty and became curious about the Ming Dynasty, a dynasty that had perished.

"If we examine the fall of the Ming Dynasty further, where are those scholar-officials who kept saying they would expel the barbarians and preserve the Ming Dynasty forever? There were only a handful of them at that time."

"Those like Qian Qianyi are the ones who left behind the eternal joke of 'the water is too cold'."

"Therefore, etiquette and law should only be used to regulate, not rushed, otherwise only shameless people will be raised!"

Every word from Ouyang Shen was like a heavy hammer striking a piece of cotton in Li Yuanli's heart, but instead of dissipating, it became even more solid.

"Is this evidence of the Ming Dynasty's downfall?"

"Yes and no, ultimately their time is running out. It's just that the Jurchens beyond the Great Wall benefit from this, which is a sin for all scholars in the world!!"

Ouyang Shen's face showed resentment, to the point that his tone of voice changed:

"After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, it should have been Li Zicheng's Shun Dynasty, or some other powerful warlord from the north or south, but it should never have been that barbarian bandit!!"

"The scholars of the world are guilty, guilty for all time, guilty in all directions!!"

"Scholars----" Li Yuanli grew up in Jinshan Prefecture, where he saw mostly Turks from the grasslands, or the three most elegant young men from the city, or officials working in the prefecture. The most cultured people were either in the academy or in the prefectural and rural offices, and they were all descendants of farmers who had only been around for three or four generations, or even just one generation. Their knowledge might not even be as good as that of the scholars of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was only because Jinshan Prefecture was short of teachers that there was only one academy and a few rural private schools under its jurisdiction. The number of talented people produced was not large, and most of them specialized in military affairs and were rooted in the camp.

Therefore, not to mention scholars, even the truly respectable literati can be counted on one's fingers.

However, there were quite a few capable people. The people from the academy either did odd jobs in the government office or went to the countryside to encourage farming and sericulture, and to build bridges and canals. Most of them were doing manual labor.

It is precisely because of this that the Han people of Jinshan Prefecture have been able to establish themselves for decades despite being surrounded by Turks.

Ouyang Shen saw through Li Yuanli's thoughts, feeling both relieved and disappointed, unsure of his exact feelings. He suddenly grabbed the other's hand, his eyes earnest, even pleading, and said:

"Jinshan Prefecture is the only place where the Han people can settle down in this vast world. Since your great-grandfather Li, we have maintained good relations with the Dzungar Khanate on the outside and governed the people and the army on the inside. We have won the favor and the power of the Turkic tribes. Your elder brother Yuanheng is in charge of the army on the outside and the government on the inside. If he can work hard to govern, he may have the demeanor of an emperor."

"The aura of an emperor!!" Li Yuanli's breathing suddenly became rapid, and he exclaimed in fright:

"My Li family only wishes to establish a stable foothold in the Western Regions and dares not ask for more. Even my elder brother would not dare to have such an improper thought. Sir, please do not frighten Yuanli."

Ouyang Shen grew anxious at this moment, gripping Li Yuanli's hand even tighter:

"The Han dynasty has been gone for nearly a century, and the beauty of the right-fastening robe is almost extinct. Today, the Dzungar Khanate and the Qing dynasty have been locked in a stalemate for three generations. A great war is imminent. Jinshan is located on the western border. If it can seize the opportunity to rise, it will be no match for the Liao and Jin dynasties, nor for the Mongols."

"With the Liao, Jin, and Mongol harbingers nearby, if we can register the people and swallow up the hundreds of thousands of Turks in the surrounding area within three to five years, then with the barbarity of the steppe soldiers, the advantage of the Jinshan armored soldiers, and the ferocity of cannons and muskets, we can wage war and pacify the people. After governing for a dozen years, taking advantage of the self-destruction of the two nomadic states, we can send troops to the west or south. There is a great chance of success. Even if things don't go well, we can still create a situation similar to the Northern and Southern Dynasties."

"Several generations later, there is no doubt that a new emperor like Emperor Wen of Sui or Emperor Taizong of Tang could emerge."

Ouyang Shen's idea was dangerous, extremely dangerous, at least in Li Yuanli's view. He even vaguely felt that his elder brother was right: this man could be a teacher, but not someone to be relied upon. Otherwise, he might be led astray by Ouyang Shen's fanatical anti-Qing and pro-Han rhetoric.

In the following days, every time Li Yuanli came, he only talked about cultural studies and never mentioned the matter of Han clothing and etiquette, which greatly disappointed Ouyang Shen. However, in order to achieve his goal of coming to Jinshan, he had no choice but to teach and influence him at the same time, hoping that one day he could influence the other party and then change the mind of that Li Dalang.