Chapter 009: Cousins

"Wang, woof woof, how could a little girl like you know the vastness of this world? That waterfall is indeed not in the Ming Dynasty, but overseas, in a place referred to as America by the red-haired people, cascading down from a height of three hundred zhang; that is the true sight of water flowing down three thousand feet!"

Yang Xin exclaimed in astonishment

Yang Xin turned his head to search and suddenly spotted a scholar beside him holding a folding fan. Without any hesitation, he snatched it away and then elegantly opened it with a swift motion

Then there is Huang Zhen's ship

However, there truly exists a waterfall that cascades straight down three thousand feet, but unfortunately, it is not in the Ming Dynasty

Noble nephew

This is a politician

Huang Ying waved to her

Then, under the astonished gaze of the scholar, he hurriedly stuffed something into the other person's hand. It was only then that Miss Wang realized what had happened and couldn't help but burst into laughter, her somewhat childish smile blooming radiantly. The scholar, who had just been about to lose his temper, immediately changed to a warm smile upon seeing her expression, seizing the opportunity to say something. Meanwhile, a servant from the Wang family quickly extended his hand in front of him, while another servant pointed to the lantern of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War on the boat.

Miss Wang beside looked down upon it

However, the majority of the cargo from civilian ships and official transport is located in Zhangjiawan

Indeed, in this era, becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination is the dream of everyone

The latter looked at him in shock, clearly taken aback by Yang Xin's sudden appearance, especially in such a manner that seemed as if he had changed bodies, which left him somewhat bewildered

Uh, shouldn't your character be silly and cute instead

Uh ? ! ''

"Nonsense, how can you know if you are not in the Ming Dynasty?"

The scholar hesitated

Huang Zhen similarly nodded with profound significance

Old man, please!

No discussion on one's background at https://www.hetushu.com

He said proudly

Where did you just touch her

Zhangjiawan City was clearly built during the reign of Emperor Sejong and Jiajing, so where does the notion of a thousand years come from

This brother seems unfamiliar

Yang Xin calmly pointed at Huang Ying and said

Yang Xin made a gesture of invitation

In order to ensure that all transportation is smooth during the nine-month navigation period each year, there are numerous docks of various sizes extending north from here to Tongzhou North

Even if he no longer serves as the Prime Minister, his former students and officials can still ensure the interests of the Fang family

At the head of the Zhangwan Canal, a thousand years of history unfolds, where ancient fortifications stand amidst the rich remnants of the past!

South of Liangshui River Estuary

Yang Xin patted Huang Ying on the shoulder

Miss Wang said ominously

Of course

Immediately, she raised her cold brows and asked with a murderous intent

This is the monopoly of politics and aristocratic families

... ...

The little girl behind him continued to look bewildered; she must have recognized Yang Xin, after all, his frenzied singing had left a deep impression on her, and he was also her savior. Although there were some changes now, if one looked closely, she would still be able to identify him. However, his and the old butler's blatant lies once again astonished this little girl, who often displayed a hint of foolish cuteness.

Yang Xin said

The following morning

Have you been to Lushan?

Yang Xin is showing off

In front of them, there are those who hold dual identities as both juren and jiansheng, known as jujian; there are also those with connections above, referred to as yinjian; and there are local talents known as gongjian.

Then his ship also circled around Yang Xin

Purchasing a sample monitor only costs three hundred taels

Miss Wang emerged immediately thereafter

The old butler said with a smile that seemed neither here nor there

Miss Wang said disdainfully

Although the system is indeed flawed, money cannot buy the title of "xiucai" (a degree holder). What can be purchased with money is only the status of "jiansheng" (a student of the lowest rank), which is the least respected type of jiansheng. It still depends on opportunities, specifically during times when the country needs disaster relief or when the court is facing serious difficulties, at which point the door for talented individuals from the populace to donate for the status of jiansheng may be opened. This type of jiansheng is different from the regular juren (degree holders) entering the Guozijian (Imperial Academy), the gongsheng (students recommended by the government) entering the Guozijian, or those who enter the Guozijian through ancestral merit; it can be considered the lowest tier, one that even legitimate xiucai can look down upon. It merely bypasses the narrow bridge of obtaining the xiucai title through the three levels of examinations at the county government, allowing direct participation in the provincial examination. However, failing the provincial examination is still of no use. Theoretically, jiansheng can indeed become officials, but the practical difficulty is immense, as there are a multitude of jinshi (successful candidates) waiting for assignments, and even more juren below them waiting in line.

Yang Xin warmly waved to the old butler

Can Li Zicheng be compared to Hong Tianwang

Due to the significant narrowing of the upstream river channel, the downstream section has a widened river surface with the confluence of Liangshui River and Xiao Taihou River

However, even in this regard, the Ming Dynasty, which was as obstinate as a wooden block, still had ways to obtain the title of Xiucai. While it is indeed impossible to buy it outright, one could achieve it through bribery. By offering five hundred taels to the provincial examination official, there was no hurdle in passing the imperial examination.

Yang Xin said

Zhangjiawan was the most important民船 dock at the northern end of the Grand Canal during this era, and even until the mid-Qing Dynasty. It was during the Jiaqing period that the northern Grand Canal was redirected eastward due to flooding, ultimately forming the modern northern Grand Canal, which moved the shipping route away from Zhangjiawan city, leading to the transformation of northern Tongzhou into the most important dock.

Li Zicheng

The old butler smiled knowingly and said

Her esteemed name is Wang Wanqing

For the merchants and travelers of the folk community, this is the endpoint of the canal journey

The latter nodded, and the boat beneath his feet sailed past Yang Xin. Yang Xin raised his head and revealed a radiant smile to Miss Wang, who haughtily snorted in response, and their boat thus circled around Yang Xin.

This point is where the Ming Dynasty falls short compared to our Qing Dynasty

Example monitoring

Huang Ying steered the boat, following two large vessels as they squeezed into the designated civil ship dock between the Liangshui River estuary and the Xiao Taihou River estuary. The official lantern at the bow of the old steward's boat was quite effective, as the civil ships ahead hurriedly avoided them. Those who dared not to yield were quickly urged aside by the soldiers on the guiding official boats. Thus, these two vessels navigated through countless sailboats, promptly lowered their sails, and were gradually brought to the dock by the sailors using long poles. The shore was the southern gate of Zhangjiawan City, where numerous merchants had transformed this peninsula, formed by the parallel flow of the Xiao Taihou River and the Liangshui River, into a bustling commercial area known as Changdian. A main road ran north through this commercial area, leading directly to the Tongyun Bridge over the Xiao Taihou River, with the northern end of the bridge being the southern gate of Zhangjiawan City, where the official passenger terminal was located. The Tongyun Bridge was flanked on both sides by terminals, but it was currently congested with boats.

Zhangjiawan City

It is even less likely to be an example.

Alright, don't be melancholic anymore. One of these days, I will go find the little sister He Xiang, and then let her family’s young lady skin me alive. Who knows, if I serve her well and cheerfully, I might be able to give your younger brother an opportunity to become my apprentice

In our Great Qing, from academic titles to official positions, everything is clearly priced, with no deception towards the young or the old. There is nothing that cannot be donated; it is just that the position of a scholar is not valued, and it still retains a semblance of dignity. As long as one has silver, one can rise from the position of a student to higher ranks. Officials like Li Wei, who are regional governors, serve as examples. In the end, they managed to survive the White Lotus Rebellion and the Taiping Army by selling official titles, enduring the exploitation of foreign powers. If Chongzhen had been willing to lower his pride and sell official titles extensively at the end of the Ming Dynasty, while also allowing local gentry to organize militia, perhaps he would not have had to ascend Coal Mountain.

What do you call me

Miss Wang tilted her head in confusion and said

At this time, the canal had been refreshed by a strong southeast wind, and the coolies had all been sent back. Moreover, there were no other coolies visible along the towpath by the canal. All the cargo ships and passenger vessels were racing forward, rushing towards the destination of this long voyage. In the river channel, which was only a few hundred meters wide, thousands of sails were competing for flow, and this was not an exaggeration; within Yang Xin's line of sight, there were all kinds of sailboats, crowded and stretching along the canal, and saying there were a thousand ships was truly not an exaggeration. These sailboats passed over him, sailing past the mouth of the Liangshui River behind him. The vast majority of the civilian ships directly docked at the west bank pier, the passenger ships entered the Xiao Taihou River, while the official vessels continued forward, crossing the mouth of the Xiao Taihou River and crowding at the pier along the bank. Heavy cargo was unloaded and transported by laborers to the city in the west.

A city with a circumference of 6 miles, even surpassing that of most county towns

The Wang family's ship will not continue to sail north

This is the main artery of the entire empire

Sister Huang!

With a lament reminiscent of the Ming Dynasty, having spent several thousand taels of silver only to end up with nothing, I return home unable to even face my wife

It is merely rhetoric; Li Bai still describes the waterfall as flowing straight down three thousand feet, while the Lushan Waterfall is only a few dozen zhang. Where does the three thousand feet come from

I am her cousin

Miss Wang gritted her teeth and said

However, it is evident that the Huang family cannot produce five hundred taels of silver. With her father's intellect, if he could rely on bribery to ensure his son passes the examination and becomes a scholar, he would certainly not hesitate to spend this amount. The fact that he did not do so indicates a lack of funds; after all, bribery also requires connections, and as an ordinary commoner, such connections also necessitate a substantial sum of money. Is Fang Congzhe's brother truly dedicated to educating people? That is a joke; he is merely a money box for collecting fees. Studying under him essentially guarantees that one will shine wherever they go to take exams. Given this, it is only natural that everyone rushes to offer silver to seek his mentorship. Similarly, all those who passed the examinations under his brother's tutelage carry the mark of the Fang family faction. With Fang Congzhe being continuously promoted by the Chief Minister, a political group centered around him thus came into existence within the court.

The latter shot him a glare

Old Capital!

At this time, the canal still runs closely along the eastern side of Zhangjiawan City

Although she does not understand the meaning of "silly and cute," she certainly understands the word "silly"

However, a scholar can indeed purchase it

Yang Xin said

Ah, cousins!

The vast majority of cargo ships that cannot secure a berth at the docks must continue upstream, where there are two additional docks. The Zhangjiawan area has three clusters of docks: upper, middle, and lower. Beyond Zhangjiawan, there are even more docks leading to Tongzhou. On the Grand Canal, tens of thousands of cargo ships and countless civilian vessels transport at least 4 million shi of grain each year, along with goods ranging from timber to silk, from tea to porcelain, almost every type of cargo that can be transported. The economy is heavily weighted towards the south and lightly towards the north, while the imperial capital is located in the north. As a result, this city relies almost entirely on this canal that stretches for thousands of miles, which maximally balances the economy between the north and south and maintains the empire's control over the north.

Throw him into the river

Regardless of whether they are farmers, merchants, military generals, or certain ambiguous figures, a smuggler who does not aspire to be a top scholar is not a good citizen. The title of scholar is very sacred, and someone like Yang Xin, who casually speaks of buying a scholar, is simply crude and unrefined