For the current Great Ming, it wouldn't be difficult to completely eliminate the Bangzi. If the armies under the Left Army Command simply positioned themselves by the river and the North Sea Fleet cooperated to blockade the sea, the Bangzi would be completely finished.
The key was that even if he disregarded the Bangzi who had always loyally wished to recognize Great Ming as their father, Zhu Jinsong still had to consider the Great Ming citizens residing in Bangzi territory.
Back when the Jianlu entered the passes, many Great Ming citizens had fled to Bangzi territory. As time passed, these people took root and flourished there.
Zhu Jinsong could not possibly round up all of them as laborers.
Therefore, after some consideration, Zhu Jinsong said to Zeng Cheng, "Elder Grand Secretary Zeng, do you recall how I refused when Holbah and the Grand Secretary Diderot wanted to join Great Ming nationality?"
Zeng Cheng nodded and replied, "Your subject remembers. At that time, His Majesty said that to join the Great Ming treasury, in addition to abandoning their original nationality, they must be able to read and write Chinese characters normally, be able to recite the Analects, and be familiar with the Book of Rites."
Zhu Jinsong grunted and said, "That's right, those are the requirements."
"The reason those Bangzi are causing trouble is that Great Ming household registration is too easy for them to obtain, so they do not cherish it."
"Since that is the case, let us first create a Chinese language proficiency test—except for those who can provide family genealogies and clan records to prove their ancestors migrated from Great Ming to Bangzi territory, all other Bangzi will only be given temporary naturalization status. Only by passing the Chinese language proficiency test can they obtain genuine Great Ming household registration."
Zeng Cheng was stunned at that moment.
Frankly, Zeng Cheng also felt that those Bangzi were somewhat unappreciative. Just as His Majesty said, the Bangzi were like wild boars unable to appreciate fine grains; even if they were all chopped up, they wouldn't deserve pity.
However, to require the Bangzi to pass a Chinese language proficiency test to obtain Great Ming household registration, Zeng Cheng couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for the Bangzi.
Let alone the Bangzi, even among Great Ming citizens, how many could read and write Chinese characters without any obstacles? How many could recite the Analects completely? How many still understood the true Book of Rites?
Even thinking with his heels, Zeng Cheng could guess what the standard for normal reading and writing of Chinese characters would be: 垸垹垺垺垻娢娤娧娨娩娪娫娬娭咄嗟蹀躞耄耋饕餮囹圄蘡薁觊觎龃龉狖轭鼯轩其靁虺虺腌臢孑孓陟罚臧否龙行龘龘沆瀣一气.
Come, try to normally read and write these characters, characters that would make ninety-nine out of a hundred Xiucai confused, and ninety-eight out of a hundred Juren confused.
As for the Analects, the standard would be even simpler.
For example, explain the sentence "The ruler is fond of lust, and I examine myself three times daily."
Is it difficult?
Not difficult. This is the difficulty level of the exams for Xiucai during the Great Qing era.
Not difficult?
The sentence before this comes from "Mencius: King Hui of Liang, Part II," and the sentence after is from the Analects. Taken literally, it means: because I like young women, I reflect on myself three times every day.
However, if you dared to answer it that way, failing the exam would be a minor issue; slandering the sage would be a major problem!
The entry point to this question is not about being lustful or not, but about self-examination. However, the preceding phrase about lust cannot be ignored!
Of course, understanding the mystery of this sentence is only the first step in answering the question.
The second step is to answer in the style of the Eight-legged Essay.
The Eight-legged Essay requires writing in the tone of Confucius and Mencius, which is called speaking for the sages and the worthies. Furthermore, the Eight-legged Essay absolutely does not allow free expression; the length of sentences, the simplicity or complexity of characters, and the highness or lowness of tones must all conform to established patterns. The four couplets must have parallel structure and adhere to tonal rules. No allusions to romantic scenery are allowed to desecrate the sages, and even allusions after Confucius and Mencius are not permitted!
With these requirements laid out, try answering the question.
Not to mention those Bangzi, even if all the Xiucai from the Great Qing era were gathered, most of them would be bewildered.
For example, the great scholar Pu Songling, who today would likely be a platinum author on Qidian, was not good at writing Eight-legged Essays. As a result, he repeatedly failed the examinations until he became a Gongsheng at the age of seventy-one. He taught at a private school until he was old and eventually died at home.
And the Book of Rites, it describes how many steps there are from proposal to marriage, right?
So the question is: for each step in these processes, how many people are required to participate? What kind of people are required to participate? What does each person do? What are the requirements and restrictions?
Come, this simple question, you answer it.
Anyway, Zeng Cheng felt he certainly couldn't answer it. Perhaps even the great scholars in the Ministry of Rites might not know the correct answer.
As long as His Majesty presented these questions, it was estimated that out of a hundred thousand Bangzi, if one Bangzi could answer correctly, it would be considered good. The remaining Bangzi would never be able to answer correctly in their lifetime.
Moreover, that one Bangzi who could answer correctly would undoubtedly be a bookworm who only knew how to study—who among normal people would dedicate their energy to such studies?
Just as Zeng Cheng was secretly pitying the future fate of the Bangzi, Zhu Jinsong continued, "Since it is a proficiency test, there must be a distinction between high and low."
"In my opinion, let's set the elementary Chinese language test at five hundred commonly used Chinese characters. Later, have the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Poverty collaborate to select five hundred of the most commonly used characters, and also pick some relatively simple county school level texts as reading comprehension questions."
"We must let those Bangzi see some hope, shouldn't we?"
"As for the advanced test, we must increase the difficulty for them, for example, three thousand commonly used characters, plus questions from the Four Books and Five Classics."
"Those who pass the elementary test, although they still cannot obtain Great Ming household registration, will receive a naturalization certificate, considering them half Great Ming citizens. Except for the inability to enjoy benefits such as land allocation and free education, their treatment will be the same as Great Ming citizens."
Upon hearing the words "cannot enjoy land allocation, cannot enjoy free education for children, etc.," Zeng Cheng thought that what Great Ming citizens could enjoy was only these things. If these benefits were removed, what would be left?
Zhu Jinsong continued, "Those who pass the advanced Chinese language test can successfully obtain Great Ming household registration and enjoy benefits such as land allocation and free education for their children, exactly the same as Great Ming citizens."
"Of course, this matter of levels is just what I've said. Later, you can discuss it with the two ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Poverty to create a set of regulations."
After Zeng Cheng bowed and agreed, Zhu Jinsong went directly to the Five Army Command.
The high officials of the Five Army Command had been relatively idle recently.
Strictly speaking, Great Ming was currently engaged in warfare on two fronts.
To the north, the armies under the Rear Army Command were driving Qianlong's eighth prince towards Siberia.
To the west, the armies under the Right Army Command were pursuing Qianlong's fifteenth prince, the newly enthroned Jiaqing Emperor Aixinjueluo Yongyan, towards the Ottoman Empire.
Normally, fighting on two fronts would impose significant financial pressure on any country.
Yet, Great Ming did not care about this pressure.
The eighty million taels of silver that Heshen had accumulated for Qianlong, even if split equally between Zhu Jinsong and the Great Ming treasury, the treasury would receive forty million taels of silver. Even with Great Ming undertaking extensive infrastructure projects, forty million taels of silver could not be spent in a short period.
Therefore, without any pressure, the high officials of the Five Army Command were relatively idle, spending their days with the latest military reports, indulging in the fantasy of warfare on sand tables.
It wasn't until Zhu Jinsong arrived at the Five Army Command and brought news of the Bangzi becoming restless.
Zhu Sanshun, the head of the Rear Army Command, and Liu Erniu, the head of the Left Army Command, were immediately excited.
Zhu Sanshun said with a fawning face, "That Qianlong's eighth son was too weak. Our Rear Army Command only deployed the Fifth Army, and those little Jianlu fled in panic with the Jianlu. Therefore, the Tenth Army and the Fifteenth Army under our Rear Army Command are still idle."
Liu Erniu glared at Zhu Sanshun and retorted, "Are you shameless? Are you shameless? The defensive direction of your Rear Army Command is the north. The territory of the Bangzi should clearly be fought by our Left Army Command!"
After criticizing Zhu Sanshun, Liu Erniu then said to Zhu Jinsong, "Your Majesty, your subject is willing to submit a military pledge: our Left Army Command's Third Army and the North Sea Fleet can cooperate in combat, pacify the entire Bangzi territory within half a month, and send all laborers to the Ministry of Works within one month. If we fail, I will offer my head!"
Zhu Jinsong glared at Liu Erniu with annoyance and scolded, "What do I want your dog head for? To use as a chamber pot? If you speak such nonsensical words again, see if I don't beat you."
"I came this time to inform you of this matter. When it's time for your Left Army Command to fight, I will certainly let you fight. For now, your Left Army Command should obediently stay put!"
After Liu Erniu was scolded into silence, Zhu Jinsong continued, "Besides the matter concerning the Bangzi, I have another very important matter to tell you—I plan to grant enfeoffments to the second and third sons first."
Upon hearing Zhu Jinsong say this, all the high officials present were stunned.
Liu Erniu directly expressed his opposition, "Your Majesty, your subject opposes enfeoffment!"