MLMD -Chapter 198 All Confiscated

November 26, 1634 (Chongzhen 7th Year)

By this time, Hunyuan Prefecture had entered the coldest season of the year. Temperatures had dropped to minus four degrees Celsius, prompting many people to wrap themselves head to toe in thick clothing.

In previous years, the streets at this time would have been almost deserted, with hardly any pedestrians. But this year was different. News had spread that the local government of Hunyuan was distributing porridge, and migrants from surrounding areas swarmed in. These were not only people from within Shanxi Province—many from Shaanxi had also come. This wave of migrants, which had started at the end of October and continued through November, brought nearly a hundred thousand people into Hunyuan Prefecture in under two months.

The sudden arrival of so many migrants posed a tremendous administrative challenge. Officialdom in the Ming dynasty was sparse. Hunyuan, with nearly two hundred thousand residents, had fewer than twenty formally appointed officials. The rest of the government staff were locally hired assistants, numbering only a few hundred. They could barely manage the prefecture under normal circumstances, but faced with more than a hundred thousand migrants, the shortage of personnel became painfully obvious.

After last month’s unrest caused by unruly troops demanding pay, the marketplace in Dashi Lane had briefly stagnated, but prosperity soon returned.

Today, outside a tavern opposite Dashi Lane, a group of people gathered around a posted notice, discussing it. A scholar wearing a square headscarf and a blue robe read the notice aloud, word by word:

“Now that migrants have flooded into Hunyuan Prefecture, to settle them and allow the common people to live in peace, Commander Yue of Shanxi is recruiting a group of literate individuals to serve as clerks or assistants. Generous compensation is offered, which is listed as follows: for positions of Clerk, Chief Clerk, Scribe, or Officer, monthly pay is five dan of rice and six taels of silver; for positions of Minor Officer, Assistant Supervisor, Capital Clerk, Local Clerk, Subordinate Clerk, or General Clerk, monthly pay is four dan of rice and five taels of silver; for assistants, monthly pay is three dan of rice and four taels of silver…”

Inside the tavern, five or six scholars with dusty, travel-worn faces sat at the window seats, watching the crowd gathered around the notice with complicated expressions.

One of them, a square-faced scholar with a somewhat dark complexion, turned to a companion with a worried look. “Brother Sanshi, are you really going to decide to stay in Hunyuan Prefecture as a low-ranking clerk?”

“What’s wrong with that?” The other, a round-faced, gentle-looking scholar raised his cup and downed the wine in one gulp with a glug. Then he refilled his cup from the jug and smiled, saying, “Listen—once selected as a clerk, we’ll receive at least four dan of rice and five taels of silver monthly. That’s already higher than the salary of a seventh-rank county magistrate. What more could I want? And the requirements are low. All that’s needed is literacy and basic knowledge of practical studies. I even hold the title of Xiucai, so taking a minor clerk position shouldn’t be a problem.”

“But your future will be ruined!” the square-faced scholar exclaimed, snatching the cup from his friend. “Brother Sanshi, you are the most talented among us. You should focus on your studies, wait for next year’s provincial exam. Once you become a Juren, you can sit for the imperial examination in the capital. If you succeed, you’ll be a proper Jinshi official! Why throw all that away for a bit of meager profit?”

“The provincial exam… the imperial exam? Ha…” The round-faced scholar bitterly snatched his cup back and smiled ruefully. “You know my situation, Brother Youdao. Six years, two attempts, and I’ve failed both times. I simply can’t wait any longer. My mother has been bedridden for years. Our household relies entirely on my wife’s sewing to get by. I can’t continue like this. A grown man unable to support his family, having to rely on a woman—Brother Youdao, I just can’t hold on anymore!”

The others remained silent. In this era, the saying went: All occupations are lowly; only study is noble. Scholars occupied the highest social status. Yet who understood the difficulty of supporting a scholar? In the feudal era, supporting a full-time scholar required the accumulated wealth of at least five generations of prosperous farmers. To put it simply, a “poor family” didn’t mean truly destitute—it at least had a proper walled courtyard, not a flimsy fence.

Take this scholar, known as Sanshi—his full name was Wu Qing. His family had been relatively well-off. Six years ago, when his father passed, he inherited a hundred acres of fertile land. Yet six years later, that hundred acres had dwindled to five meager acres, barely enough to feed the family. This revealed just how heavy the household expenses had been. So when he said, “I just can’t hold on,” every surrounding scholar felt it deeply.

A younger scholar sighed. “Brother Sanshi speaks what I’ve been thinking! Ten years of study, what did we hope for but to honor our family? Now even passing the provincial exam is difficult, let alone making the top of the imperial list. Better to take a steady post, at least so our families needn’t worry.”

A quiet murmur followed, eyes glistening with emotion. In this world, wealth was scarce. Thus, when Sanshi spoke, his companions understood immediately.

Seeing the two taking the lead, the other scholars nodded. “Brother Youdao, we think the same. Rather than wait for such a distant hope, better to work steadily. Moreover, in our journey, we’ve seen starvation across Ming. Even if we succeed in the imperial exam, what then? We’d still have to wait patiently in the capital for a post. It’s better to help Commander Yue settle the migrants here. We can earn a living and apply what we’ve learned, fulfilling our ambitions.”

The leading scholar was silent for a long time, then sighed, “Since that’s the case, I’ll stop persuading you. May we all fulfill our ambitions here, and when we part in the future, may our wishes be granted. Today, I bid farewell.”

“Brother Youdao, take care on your journey!”

“Be well!”

These scholars were just a small reflection of Hunyuan at the time. As migrant settlement work continued, the need for local officials grew. Yue Yang had no choice but to openly post notices recruiting minor clerks. Not only local literati but also itinerant and destitute scholars joined, contributing to Hunyuan’s construction. A grand project of migrant resettlement had begun.

Though the year-end approached, outside Hunyuan, the scene was bustling. Thousands of migrants, led by local officials, began intensive land reclamation in the south and north of the city. Where oxen were lacking, manpower pulled carts; where water was scarce, wells were dug. Yue Yang even brought over two drilling machines from Wulizhai. Amid the ceaseless roar, fresh wells began producing clean water.

Carts carrying grain and farming tools flowed continuously from Wulizhai. With ten thousand migrants now having hope for a living, their collective strength was astonishing. Anyone passing outside Hunyuan would see Wulizhai full of busy migrants: some building houses, some repairing canals, others renovating roads—a lively and industrious scene.

Some rejoiced at this sight, but many merchants in Hunyuan were displeased, harboring resentment toward Yue Yang.

Outside Hunyuan, dozens of large carts approached the city from the Datong direction. The leading cart carried a flag with a large character “方” (Fang). At the city gate, soldiers stopped them.

“Hold! Vehicles entering the city must be inspected!”

A sharp-looking middle-aged man leapt from the lead cart, bowing with a smile. “Captain, these carts belong to the Fang family. On Master Fang’s orders, we are heading to Datong to procure New Year goods. These are for our own use, not for sale. We ask you to allow us passage.”

The sergeant sneered. “The Fang family? So what? Should the Fang family not be inspected?”

The man hurriedly replied, “Captain… our carts have always been exempt from inspection. For years, it’s been this way!”

The sergeant said flatly, “That was in previous years. The rules have changed. I don’t care if you’re Fang, Yuan, or Bian—every vehicle must be inspected. If you want to bypass inspection, produce an official document from the Commandant Yue’s office. Without it, no exceptions.”

The man went silent. An official document from the Commandant’s office? He couldn’t possibly have one.

Seeing him at a loss, the sergeant waved. “Men, inspect the vehicles immediately!”

“Yes, sir!”

Four soldiers jumped onto the carts and began the inspection. Soon a report came: “Captain, these carts are full of cloth and spices!”

The sergeant chuckled. “Not bad… Looks like the Fang family is doing well this year—thirty carts of cloth and spices. You must have quite a large family!”

But the smile vanished immediately. His face turned cold. “All vehicles will be taxed in full. Otherwise, everything will be confiscated…”