Seeing Kong Yuqi's slightly stunned expression, the middle-aged man who was called Xu Ye didn't say much, lowered his head and sipped tea, but the old man muttered softly: "The Kong family first descended to break through, and when it was defeated, it was the first to lead the "First Entry Table" in Manchuria, and there is no integrity at all. ”

Although the old man's words were light, Kong Yuqi heard them clearly, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed and annoyed, but he was very well cultivated, and his face did not show the slightest anger.

"The third master's words are biased." The middle-aged man smiled slightly: "All the families have their own way of survival, the Confucian family can survive the change of dynasties, stand tall, inherit through the ages, and have their own principles of life, how can they be blindly demanding, secretly thinking that the Confucian family can be passed down from generation to generation and continue to this day, which is the greatest blessing for the world's scholars, why be strict in everything?" ”

Hearing this, Kong Yuqi suddenly felt comfortable all over, and he was also impressed by this middle-aged man, he could have such insight and mind, this son will definitely be promising, and the world's scholars should be able to be so generous, not only the blessing of the country, but also the blessing of the Confucian Mansion. I would like to hear about it. ”

The man glanced at Kong Yuqi and said with a smile: "The old gentleman is very interested." After a slight pause, he said eloquently: "Since Emperor Shunzhi Ye of the Shizuzhang and Emperor Kangxi of the Emperor went to Qufu to hold the inspection and interpretation ceremony, the courtesy and respect received by the Confucian family has surpassed that of the previous Ming Dynasty. ”

Kong Yuqi nodded secretly when he listened, and the Qing Dynasty followed the previous Ming. For the Confucian family, it has always been a matter of support. If you don't do anything, you can't go out, what's the benefit of raising your status? Raising the flag may be a great glory for other families, but the Kong family is a tasteless chicken rib, if you provoke infamy, it will be more than worth the loss.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help frowning slightly, how could he make Zhenwu give up his promotion to the Kong family? That's a tricky thing to do! For the sake of elevation. Disturbing Zhenwu three times and twice will inevitably cause him to be disgusted, this matter can not be rushed, but must also be induced well, let Zhenwu take the initiative to mention it.

Although the inner city of Beijing is busy, the running media are mainly concentrated in the south and north urban areas, and although the running media can also be seen from time to time in the east and west urban areas, most of them are in and out of the lower class banner people's homes in the narrow alleys of the small streets. Most of the people who can't wait to be busy asking for a marriage are petty officials like Beijing, as well as wealthy businessmen and gentry. What they covet is just to raise their nationality and enter the flag, giving their children and grandchildren a chance to be born and enter the office, and the target of the proposal is naturally the poor family of the low-level flag people, which can be described as hungry and hungry.

Middle-class officials and wealthy businessmen still have to pay attention to the right people, not only considering interests, but also considering face, how can they rashly come to the door to propose marriage, and most of the people living in the east and west of the inner city are high-ranking officials and nobles of the DPRK and China. It was even quieter here, unaffected at all, and all the Manchu and Han nobles knew in their hearts that Zhenwu vigorously promoted the unity of the Manchus and Hans, and the purpose of advocating the Manchu-Han marriage was to eliminate the dispute between the Manchus and the Hans, but the Manchus and the Han had been estranged for a long time, and it was not possible to shake hands and make peace with an edict advocating the Manchu-Han marriage. Married to each other?

A group of Manmeng officials and nobles are not concerned about marriage now, they care about the result of the draft girl, which is a major event related to the rise and fall of their family, as for the marriage, they have to wait until the draft girl ends, they will not consider it, for them, marriage is not an idle matter, it is also a game, and it must be weighed and considered carefully.

Changchun Garden, Ningju, front hall.

Bao Fu was uneasy outside the hall, after Zhenwu returned to Changchun Garden, Gao Jinxi and a few other little eunuchs were waiting for him to wash and change clothes, which made him very worried, he knew that Zhenwu was not satisfied with the eunuchs who introduced the draft girl, but this matter really had nothing to do with him, he just received some filial piety, this is a regular filial piety, those eunuchs are mostly the chief eunuchs in the palace, he didn't interfere indiscriminately, if Zhenwu is angry with him, it is really unjust.

I was thinking about it in my heart, and suddenly I heard Zhenwu instructed: "Bao Fuquan, present the secret fold sent yesterday." ”

Listening to this command, Bao Fu was overjoyed, and hurriedly bowed down to answer a sentence, and hurried to the side hall to hold the dense folding box, he knew Zhenwu's temperament, if he really wanted to attack him, he would not give him a chance to approach at all.

Holding the dense folding box into the hall, Bao Fuquan did not dare to peek at Zhenwu's face, and directly put the box on the imperial case, then bowed and stood aside, seeing this situation, Gao Jinxi and a few other little eunuchs hurriedly bowed down and retreated, Zhenwu casually looked at a few secret folding boxes, and saw that there was no Jiangnan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and no Zhao Shenqiao, so he put it aside, glanced at Bao Fuquan, and said in a deep voice: "What's the matter with those eunuchs?" ”

Bao Fuquan had already prepared, and as soon as he heard this, he immediately knelt down, kowtowed, and said: "Back to the emperor, the eunuchs have always been the leaders of the palaces, and the eunuchs are experienced, and the servants don't know why there is such a big leak in this draft girl." ”

Hearing him bite the words of each palace heavily, Zhenwu's face couldn't help but be a little ugly, could it be that the queen and the concubines were making trouble behind? After groaning slightly, he asked, "This has always been the case with draft girls?" ”

Although Bao Fuquan has never been a eunuch, but in his position, he is tired of being in the palace, he really doesn't know much, and after a little groaning, he replied: "Back to the emperor, the draft girls have always been heavy-minded, moral, and secondary, and the gap between women from poor families and wealthy families is extremely obvious, which is due to the consideration of the peace of the harem." ”

Hearing this, Zhenwu's face softened slightly, there is some truth in this, but it is also biased, those from a poor family may not be knowledgeable, and everyone's children may not be all good, don't you hear that the golden phoenix flew out of the chicken nest? After a slight sigh, he said: "Look at the show girl again, you arrange some competent people to observe carefully, everyone has a love for beauty, and I am no exception." ”

As soon as he heard this, Bao Fuquan was very happy, this is a fat shortage, the process of the draft girl is complicated and cumbersome, even after leaving the brand, it is not immediately into the palace, it has to go through many re-looks, the emperor leaves the brand, the same is true, after repeated re-reading, the last assessment - 'stay in the palace accommodation', and finally be able to enter the palace, are produced in the show girls who stay in the palace.

This layer of assessment is a great opportunity for eunuchs to take advantage of the benefits, although they dare not make a big deal as before, but the filial piety in the part is also a large amount, which is really unexpected, but Bao Fuquan did not dare to show a little joy, and hurriedly bowed down and said: "Meow, the slave obeys the order, and must be diligent and careful." ”

Zhenwu nodded and said: "In addition, some of the rules of the draft girl should also be changed, the daughter born of the princess who marries will not participate in the selection, the age of the show girl is set at the age of fourteen to seventeen, and those who participate in the selection and are not selected into the palace within a year, regardless of whether they leave a sign or a name, are allowed to marry freely, which is a permanent example, and this draft girl is no exception." ”

Even draft girls have to innovate? Bao Fuquan couldn't help but be slightly stunned, hesitated slightly, and then kowtowed: "Oh, the slave will go to announce the decree immediately." After speaking, he bowed down and stood up, waiting for Zhenwu to write, this holy decree is aimed at draft girls, and it is an eternal example, so it is naturally impossible to pass on the oracle.

Zhenwu glanced at him, knowing why he hesitated, eunuchs were not allowed to interfere in politics, and he didn't bother to explain, all the women of the Eight Banners must participate in the selection before they can get married, he increased the age of the show girl by one year, which is tantamount to increasing the age of the show girl by one year, in fact, according to his original intention, he wanted to set the age of the show girl at fifteen to eighteen years old, however, early marriage has been a common phenomenon in these years, and rashly postponing the age of two years will not cause follow-up, and may even complain.

Early marriage is not a good phenomenon, fourteen or five-year-old women give birth to children is a very terrible thing, purely desperate, I don't know how many women died in difficult childbirth, this is a great loss for the Qing Dynasty, he must set an example and delay the age of marriage for women.

Population is too precious for the Qing Dynasty, compared to Europe, the biggest advantage of the Qing Dynasty is the population, overseas expansion, no population to fill the occupied territory, it is very likely to make wedding dresses for others, this kind of wasted thing, he doesn't want to do, overseas expansion of the territory, must let the Han people account for the vast majority, otherwise it is meaningless.

Groaning slightly, Zhen Wucai said: "The selection of the show girls of the three banners is only in these few days, and their age also follows the example of the show girls of the eight banners, and they can't do anything if they are too young." As he spoke, he took up his pen and wrote down this holy decree, and after using the seal, he raised his head and said, "Send someone to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Household Affairs to announce the decree immediately." ”

"Wow." Bao Fuquan hurriedly bowed and answered.

After decades of draft girls, a system has already been formed, no one expected that Zhenwu made such a big change for the first draft girl, once this edict spread, it was immediately mixed, and the woman in the family was just thirteen years old naturally felt quite disappointed, after all, the opportunity for this draft girl is really good, three years later, the chance of promotion is far away, and furthermore, the age of the show girl is increased by one year, which directly affects the age of the children of the Eight Banners, and there are naturally many people who complain.

But most people still praise this change, according to the convention, the selection of the named show girl, in the registration period (generally five years) is not allowed to marry privately, if the long time is not repeated, and the registration period has passed, then, such a woman has to never marry.

This change of Zhenwu can be described as a great act of kindness.