After five years of teaching support, Daming became an empire on which the sun never sets.

Chapter 245 You need to be a scholar to join

"Is there someone from overseas who wants to join me as a member of the Ming Dynasty?" Zhu Yuanzhang was a little surprised when he heard the words, "This is something that has never happened before."

"That's right." Liu Zhongzhi said, "I remember that during the reign of Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, there was an overseas man named Marco Polo who came to China from Yitaili to live in China for more than ten years, but he never proposed to join the Yuan nationality."

"Throughout China's thousands of years of history, there are many precedents where Hu people and Han people lived together and gradually naturalized over time. But this is the first time a Westerner has asked to join the Central Plains dynasty."

"This also proves that my Ming Dynasty is prosperous and prosperous, which makes Westerners envious."

"How many people are there asking to join?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

"About two hundred people!"

"Two hundred people, so many!" Zhu Yuanzhang was surprised.

"Most of them are relatives of overseas merchants." Liu Zhongzhi said, "Since His Majesty encouraged overseas business, coupled with the efforts of Shangshu Shen Wansan, there have been an endless stream of overseas merchants who have come to Yingtianfu to do business."

"In the streets and alleys, you can see some blond and blue-eyed Westerners at any time, haunting the common people, and they are particularly eye-catching."

"The merchant ships docked in the port of Jinling are all over the river."

"According to the statistics of Yingtian Fu Yin, so far, tens of thousands of people from the West have visited Yingtian."

"Mmm, yes." Zhu Yuanzhang nodded upon hearing this.He is well aware of the current prosperity of Yingtian Mansion, and he has visited it himself.

When he and Empress Ma appeared in Jinling Port together, a group of overseas businessmen with blond hair and blue eyes, together with Ming officials and common people, bowed down to them, and the scene was extremely spectacular.

Prosperity alone is secondary, and the most important thing is the prosperity of commerce, which has increased huge tax revenues for the imperial court.

The tax money paid by the Ministry of Commerce in the last month is worth all the tax revenue of the imperial court in the past year.

In the past, the main sources of revenue for the imperial court were daily necessities such as salt, iron, and tea, but today the imperial court receives most of its revenue from commercial taxes.Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang has decreed to reduce the price of official salt, so that the lives of ordinary people will be better.

The goods sold by those overseas merchants are mainly handicrafts.Special products from overseas countries were shipped to Daming for sale, and tea, porcelain, silk, and perfume were shipped back to their countries from Daming.

Daming's perfume is now more popular than porcelain and silk.

"After the relatives of these merchants came to Daming, they experienced the prosperity and advanced civilization of our Ming Dynasty. They were attracted by my long-standing Chinese culture and Chinese cuisine, so they planned to stay and stay in Daming forever." Liu Zhong asked.

"Your Majesty, please give them the Ming nationality and allow them to live in Yingtian Mansion permanently?"

"Do you have any opinions on this matter?" Zhu Yuanzhang did not answer, but asked his opinion first.

"I think we can give them Ming nationality." Liu Zhongzhi thought for a while and said, "My Ming Dynasty is a kingdom of heaven, so it should be all inclusive. Isn't there many Hu people who have been naturalized in history?"

"In addition, by communicating more with overseas countries, we can also better understand the customs and habits of overseas countries, which is conducive to our Chinese nation to learn from the strengths of other families."

"En." Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly when he heard the words.

"In addition, the minister also suggested that those overseas people who have obtained Ming nationality should be given more preferential treatment and care." Liu Zhongzhi said, "After all, we are a country of etiquette, and we must treat foreigners with courtesy."

"They are not familiar with our language and habits, and they should be given some care in life."

"What kind of preferential treatment do you plan to give them?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked lightly after hearing the words, his tone changed.

"For example, when buying real estate, give them an appropriate price discount." Liu Zhongzhi did not notice Zhu Yuanzhang's unfriendly tone, and continued, "When their lives are inconvenient, let the people give them appropriate help."

"In your opinion, people from overseas should be superior to ordinary people when they come to Yingtian?" Zhu Yuanzhang said coldly.

Liu Zhongzhi was startled when he heard the words. When he looked up, he saw that Emperor Zhu's face was already darkened, and he couldn't help sweating, and said: "My lord, I don't have this intention. I just said that I should give them some money." take care of."

"Those overseas people want to join Daming because they admire me, Daming. They are not used to living in Daming, so they don't have to join." Zhu Yuanzhang said, "My Ming Dynasty does not lack a few of them from overseas."

"You still want to give them a discount for buying a house? Do you still want the common people to take care of their lives?"

"I, the common people of the Ming Dynasty, do not have such a discount, why should I give it to some outsiders?"

"Those overseas people are all blond and blue-eyed, with strange shapes and long hair. They are barbarians at a glance."

Zhu Yuanzhang was born as an authentic farmer, and he didn't have much structure.In my bones and in my blood, I have that kind of simplicity, the complex of the Han nationality, and I feel that the Han people are always nobler than the Hu people.

The reason why he did not allow Princess Daming to make marriages with foreigners was not because he felt that making marriages would be degrading to the state of the Ming Dynasty, but because he felt that those foreigners were unworthy.

In fact, many married princesses are not real royal princesses, but daughters of the clan.But even if it was the daughter of the clan, Emperor Zhu still felt that Zanpu Shanyu from those foreign countries was not worthy to marry.

Marriage is sometimes not humiliating, because many marriages are given by the emperor to foreigners.For example, Tang Taizong bestowed a marriage to Princess Wencheng of Songtsan Gampo, which was like a gift.

In his bones, Emperor Zhu looked down on Hu people, let alone people from overseas.

When he looked at foreigners, he was always a little condescending.

Moreover, his aesthetics are a bit 'backward', and he thinks that overseas people are ugly, hairy, like uncivilized savages.

"Chen, minister..." After being reprimanded by Emperor Zhu, Liu Zhongzhi was terrified and didn't know what to do.I know I may be wrong, but I don't know where I am wrong.

"Those overseas people can be given Ming nationality, but they can't be allowed to be higher than our Ming people in any place." Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Even they have to meet certain conditions before they can join Daming."

"I'm dignified, is it so easy to join?"

"Excuse me, Your Majesty, what kind of conditions do you need?" Liu Zhong asked.

"Give them one year to learn our language and culture." Zhu Yuanzhang said, "After one year, let the Imperial Academy send people to take an exam on them. Those whose Chinese culture does not meet the status of scholars will be expelled."

Fame as a scholar?Liu Zhongzhi was startled when he heard the words, it was very difficult.

"In addition, they are required to have certain assets, and those with less than one million taels of silver cannot join."

"I'm not a shantang, and I don't take in those overseas beggars."

"Of course, exceptions can be made for some overseas people with special talents. But whether their talents are valuable or not must be strictly examined by the Ministry of Rites."

"Minister, obey the order!" Liu Zhongzhi wiped the sweat from his forehead and said in command.

Exited the Royal Study Room.

(End of this chapter)