People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 546 Our Limits Are Only Others’ Starting Points

After Wang Dahai finished speaking, the first people who were shocked were not the ordinary people, but the scholars who were waiting here to listen to Wang Dahai and others' words.

Scholars never dreamed that there would be such an opportunity.

Because they were also scholars, although they were certainly not as knowledgeable as those in the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, there is no intention to discriminate against them at all, because it is a very simple truth.

Both their books and much of their study time were actually influenced by the Central Plains dynasties.

This is not discrimination against them, but because since the rise of the Central Plains dynasty, it has been discovered that there are so many countries in the south and their cultures are so barren.

Therefore, through the cultural exchanges between the two countries, the Central Plains culture was spread here intentionally or unintentionally.

It is also because of this that the people and scholars here all accept culture from the Central Plains.

Because of this foundation, the people here are actually more receptive to Central Plains culture.

Especially the scholars here, each of them once fantasized about being baptized by the Central Plains culture one day.

It is a very good thing to be able to broaden your horizons under the influence of Central Plains culture.

The kings here had also had such ideas, but far away from the mountains and the vast ocean, they had no chance at all.

We can only occasionally receive second-hand culture from those Southeast Asian countries.

But they didn't expect that Wang Dahai would tell them here.

If you really want to change your destiny, then you have to acquire knowledge like the scholars of the Central Plains culture, read books and practice etiquette, and take the imperial examinations. After taking the imperial examinations, you can become an official.

If this can be achieved, the readers here will be more motivated.

Because they once wanted to change their own destiny with their knowledge, and also wanted to change the destiny of the country through their own ideas about the country.

Because they understand very well that the purpose of studying is to be able to use their knowledge to change their country one day.

It can enable ordinary people to feel the power of knowledge.

They even have an ambition in their hearts, which is to make the country a better place through their own governance.

He was able to have his name recorded in the history books, not just those upper nobles who did evil things there, but he was able to have his name engraved forever in those books.

The most hateful thing is that the people who did these things were actually me and others.

Since they have no chance to become officials, they can only become staff members.

The role of a staff is to serve as a mouthpiece for others.

Although those dirty things were seen, they could not be recorded in detail in history books.

Their crimes cannot be recorded in history books.

We can only beautify them.

It's like someone gives you a pile of shit, but you tell yourself to describe it as a flower.

And people can't smell the stench of shit.

Only the students here can understand this kind of pain.

But what can be done?

Because of their identities, they can never enter the ruling class, can never express their opinions, and no one will ever know how painful they are now.

So after hearing what Wang Dahai said, a scholar asked a question.

“If this is really possible, it would be a wonderful thing.

But we are also worried that even if we learn the Central Plains culture, we will study for the imperial examinations.

But what can we, ordinary scholars with no one to rely on and no background, use to compete with those whose families don’t need to farm or make a living?
Not only do we need to work to feed ourselves, but we also need to take care of our wives, children and the elderly.

In this environment, how can we compete with those who are rich and don’t have to worry about these things? "

As soon as these words came out, they hit the most headache-inducing point for all scholars, or ordinary scholars.

Because it is impossible for them to concentrate on studying without making a living.

Because their wives, children and the elderly are waiting for them to fill their stomachs.

The reason why they have to compromise and serve as advisers to those rich people is that they have to describe that piece of shit for them.

It is because I have to take that little bit of money back to support my wife, children and the elderly. This is the reality.

If this reality cannot be changed, then what good will it be even if we have such a good imperial examination system and even if such a good learning culture is introduced?

In the end, it still benefits the wealthy class, who have money and time.

They even have enough money to hire excellent private school teachers to teach them personally.

This is better than studying by yourself in a study.

On the one hand, scholars actually hate the lives of rich people.

On the other hand, I envy them.

What they envy is not the luxurious life, but the fact that rich people can live in peace and quiet without having to worry about other things.

And there are people who interpret those classics word by word for them.

This is much faster than burying yourself in a study and trying to sort out what is useful and what is useless from the vast sea of ​​knowledge.

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately resonated with the ordinary readers below.

Even they started talking one by one at this time.

"That's right. All of us ordinary scholars need to worry about the old and the young at home, and whether we can have a full meal tomorrow.

While these noble gentlemen were eating and drinking their fill and then studying in their warm study, we could only interpret their books word by word by the light of a tiny candle.

To be honest, we work as hard and diligently as they do, and even our talents are no less than theirs.

But we just don’t have the time to study seriously, and we don’t even have anyone to answer our questions.

So sometimes we are just worse than them.

Sometimes we have to admit that their knowledge, insights, and even their understanding of classics are much higher than ours.”

As soon as these words came out, the scholars below were immediately in an uproar.

Although they are all proud and arrogant, no one wants to bow their heads or think that others are better than themselves.

But one thing we have to admit is that having someone interpret for them and make choices for them is much better than fighting alone.

After all, the power of one person is limited.

After all, one's own strength is still inferior to that of others. That is why, even though they hate it in their hearts, those rich people envy their environment.

This is where the contradiction lies, and where they are particularly unwilling to accept it.

One student even said directly: "I used to be very dissatisfied with the wealthy families in our village. I felt that they could only survive by collecting such high rent from us.

So I was quite dissatisfied with the young master of his family. I felt that it was impossible for a person with such good sense and vision to be as knowledgeable as me.

But one day he suddenly came to me to discuss academic matters and asked me about some things he didn't understand.

I originally thought I could interpret it for him, but after listening to his interpretation of that classic quote, I realized how ignorant I was.

I had to lower my head.

I hate his family very much. Apart from being better than me in studying, he has a bad character. He bullies the weak and widows in our village. He has done a lot of these things.

But this kind of person is more knowledgeable than me. Isn't it infuriating?

I have high moral character. I cannot say that I am a completely good person, but I do not steal or rob. I work diligently. I farm and I copy books for others in exchange for a little money to supplement my family income.

I think I have done well enough and I feel I am worthy of my identity as a scholar.

Even from the perspective of Central Plains culture, I am considered a gentleman.

But why should I lose to someone like that?

I later found out that his family had actually invited an old gentleman from the provincial capital, who had once studied with scholars from the Central Plains in Southeast Asia, to teach him and interpret the teachings of sages for him word by word.

You tell me, how can I defeat him?
He has money, free time, and someone to teach him. He is better than me in every way."

Speaking of this, the scholar was full of dissatisfaction.

It can be seen how much he was bothered by the fact that the youngest son of a wealthy family in the village was more knowledgeable than him.

Can't blame him.

Because this is really infuriating.

The youngest son of that wealthy family is a person of such low character.

However, because someone taught him personally and interpreted the classics word for him, the youngest son of the wealthy family was more knowledgeable than him.

What a despairing reality this is.

This also makes many scholars realize that studying is not something that can make you better than others just by being diligent.

Others have already asked many experts to interpret things for them without your knowledge.

Asking many knowledgeable people to explain them to you is much better than studying alone in a study.

What you don’t understand, you just don’t understand. If no one helps you to understand, you will never understand.

But if there is an expert by your side, he can explain the things you don’t understand to you clearly and make you understand everything.

This is the helpless reality that those who study have to accept.

From this we can see that what is lacking in Sanfuqi is not just a wise ruling class, but also a welfare system that cares for the people and ordinary people from top to bottom.

Without such a system, as the scholar said, what would be the use even if there was such a good imperial examination system?
In the end, those who benefit are those who are rich and have free time.

Although the final result will be slower in time, power will eventually be concentrated in the hands of the former nobles.

Wang Dahai and Captain Liu next to him looked at each other and neither of them realized that they had actually looked down on the scholars here at the beginning.

But I didn't expect that he would have such insight and pointed out that even if the imperial examination system was reformed, what would happen?

If there is no system to take care of ordinary scholars, the ones who will benefit in the end will be the rich and idle classes, the so-called aristocratic families.

Wang Dahai and Liu Baihu both came from the Ming Dynasty, and they are more knowledgeable than ordinary people.

I also understand why Chen Han wanted to carry out reforms, which was to break the reality where power was concentrated in the hands of the gentry class.

If there is no good institutional planning, such a gentry class will be formed in Sanfuqi in the future.

He originally thought that the people here would not be able to see this, but he did not expect that the answers from the people here would be unexpected.

Although these scholars may not be as good as those in the Central Plains dynasties in terms of learning.

But in terms of thinking, they are not inferior to anyone.

What they lack is someone to explain the classics to them, and what they lack is the depth of knowledge, but not the breadth of thinking.

This surprised both Wang Dahai and Liu Baihu very much.

To be honest, if the Ming Dynasty did not really want to colonize and assimilate this place into its territory, and therefore came up with the imperial examination system, he would still admire the scholars here.

It is actually quite difficult and admirable that they can have such a breadth of thinking in a very tough environment where it is difficult to succeed.

After this scholar spoke, the scholars below spoke even more freely.

“It’s not just about those who have money and can hire someone to teach them.

More importantly, they have access to much more knowledge than we do.

They have money and can bring all kinds of knowledge from overseas to Srivijaya.

But they will not pass on this knowledge to the lower classes.

They would only digest it internally, and even spread knowledge between families through marriage, using knowledge as a gift.

It’s as if they invented another kind of writing, and even if we come into contact with it, we won’t be able to understand it.

That's the scariest thing about them.

In order to prevent the loss of power in their hands and to consolidate their own rights, they have formed an invisible barrier around them.

With this barrier, we will never be able to get in, and they will never fall from the altar.

And whether such a barrier will be formed again in the future, I think it is possible.

Even with the imperial examination system, I think if those former aristocrats were allowed to become officials.

They can still use the power in their hands to arrange marriages, but the bride price will no longer be knowledge, but power, which they can exchange and infiltrate each other.

They can still form circles of impenetrable webs within their circle as they did before.

When this bowl of water falls on us, ordinary people like us, those scholars without any background, will have to work hard to study.

Even if we become an official through the imperial examination system, we can only stay on the surface and can never climb up.

Because that net has formed a limit above our heads, the limit we can see may just be the starting point for others. "

……

(End of this chapter)