Chapter 150 Conscription and Recruitment

"Oh, how about I treat you to two fried cakes for lunch, big ones, one for each penny?"

"It's not like my wife doesn't know how to make fried cakes of yours. I can make two of them for a penny. How can I eat your fried cakes? Well, unless I eat three!"

The owner of the fried cake stall gritted his teeth and was about to agree. The cost of fried cakes was not glutinous rice, but vegetable oil. Even though his fried cakes were made from 100-refined oil, the price of oil was still too high for rice.

Just as he was about to exit, he found that the newspaper seller was already surrounded by a group of people. While selling newspapers, he started talking about pictures.

Newspaper sellers also need performance and are uneducated. They can only explain it for free so that everyone can buy a copy and take a look.

"Two cents, two cents is not worth the loss. Look at the first picture. This is the picture of the beginning of His Majesty the Ming Emperor's sacrificial ceremony.

On the left and right sides is our Ming Dynasty’s strongest Imperial Army. Everyone in the Imperial Army is literate, and it is the holy motto to protect His Majesty and protect the people!”

"Chen Tuzi, it seems that you don't have to pay. Look, this little brother introduced himself."

"What about the fried cakes you promised?"

"Give me a piece of fried dough and I'll treat you to lard cake."

"make a deal."

The two quickly got along, then listened to the newspaper seller's explanation, looked at the pictures, and combined the content, they were secretly surprised and moved in various ways.

"You can also recruit soldiers, oh, with this kind of treatment, you don't have to change your household registration, food and accommodation are provided, and you can also learn to read.

I want the boys in my family to eat the imperial food, put on this handsome military uniform, and become the Emperor's personal soldier."

"Forget it, you're such a fat guy, you need to lose some oil when you go in.

And you are not afraid that he will ruin his uniform, and do you think what the newspaper seller said is true? Are those officials not corrupt?"

The fried cake boss was slightly unconvinced. These days, military households know all about the treatment. Even if they really have such good treatment, they will be taken advantage of and taken advantage of.

“Can words in black and white be false?

And you are optimistic, he is talking about His Majesty personally distributing military pay.

My boy is fat, how about your boy? Your boy is as skinny as a fried rice cake and can’t even put on any other clothes.”

The two resumed their bickering, but they were secretly competing in their hearts. The treatment from the Royal Army was too tempting.

"We sell newspapers. Even the illiterate can read the Royal News. Colorful paintings. Those who didn't see His Majesty's face clearly yesterday can read it today."

"Selling newspapers, the Ming Dynasty Royal News is recruiting scribes. Anyone who can read and write can submit articles to the Ming Dynasty News.

Small matters in daily life, essays, novels, and even major political affairs can be reviewed and published by His Majesty himself.

If the manuscript is excellent, you can also get editing fees! Come and take a look, have a look, anyone with ideals and ambitions can give it a try!"

A newspaper has six pages full of useful information.

For those who are illiterate, the newspaper seller will explain each picture while selling them, while for those who are literate, they will focus on their own content.

Because of yesterday's ceremony, Beijing and the Army are also discussing the general details of the ceremony.

The newspapers that suddenly appeared spread out, which continued to increase the popularity, and also allowed the mysterious army to show their almost exaggerated treatment.

Food and accommodation are included, money and military coupons are provided, free medical treatment for illness and injury, and priority is given to recruiting Army family members when opening factories.

In a bookshop, several scholars were copying the Yongle Dadian. Normally, these scholars would be in this bookshop, writing for others to support their families.

Recently, they received a big order from the Ministry of Rites. The clerks in charge of copying books in the Ministry of Rites paid them to copy the Yongle Grand Ceremony.

Labor outsourcing has been around since ancient times.

In the late Ming Dynasty, the number of scholars was already very large. Not counting the poor families in various places and the families of wealthy gentry, one adult among the hundreds of thousands of people in the capital was literate.

The ancients passed down their poems and books from family to family, and it is not an exaggeration for a son to fail to teach his father.

This is also the reason why Chongzhen had the confidence to slam the table in the first place. He had an army and no shortage of literate people. Would he be afraid of the thousands of people in the court who would give up?

However, with so many scholars, many can pass the scholar examination, but few can go further. Therefore, scholars are unable to achieve high or low levels.

Unwilling to change his identity, he has no way of making a living, and has no income, so he can only find some related businesses.

Copying books, taking outsourcing jobs, and barely relying on family support to continue studying, thinking that one day I would win the imperial examination.

"Han Shu, what are you looking at? You are so absorbed."

"Ah? I just went to buy fried cakes, and suddenly I saw someone selling newspapers on the street, so I bought one."

Han Shu looked down at the newspaper and walked through the door. He stumbled over the threshold when he entered the door. He was noticed by the classmates inside and raised his head to reply in embarrassment.

"Newspaper? What is it?"

"Hey, Han Shu, where's your fried cake?"

"It's broken. I haven't bought the fried cake yet. Forget it, I'll buy it after reading it.

This newspaper is a book and periodical that records a lot of content, articles, and drawings, but it is very big.

It is unbelievable that the handwriting can be printed so clearly and neatly, and the paintings can be so exquisite and lifelike.

And it’s only two cents a piece. As mentioned above, you can also sign your own articles and poems, and you can also make money. Good! Good!”

Hearing Han Shu's words, people who didn't notice Han Shu's stumble looked over and wanted to know what newspaper made Han Shu so fascinated.

Han Shu's friend Huan Ran came over and looked at Han Shu from left to right. Others also stood up and prepared to come over.

After a few glances, Huan Ran suddenly ran out the door.

"I'll buy one too."

"Brother Hu, remember to bring me two pennies worth of fried cakes. Brother Hu, do you hear that?"

Seeing Huan Ran running away, Han Shu clapped his hands angrily, now he was hungry.

"Brother Han, what is the content of this newspaper? How can An Ran run so fast? Is there anyone's unique article?"

"Brother Han, come and have a look with us. If there is a peerless article, I will buy one for two cents and I will bring you fried cakes."

Several people gathered around and looked at the newspaper in Han Shu's hand. Han Shu could only spread it out, but this way he would not look good.

When he was getting irritated, a sound of hawking suddenly came from outside the door, and the newspaper seller actually followed Huan Ran, hawking as he walked.

The bookstore was full of scholars. When the newspaper seller heard that Huan Ran said he was from the bookstore, he immediately realized that he would not let go of a place like this where he could quickly make money.

Everyone inside was squeezing and shouting at each other. Suddenly they heard shouts outside the door and ran out in a swarm.

For two pennies, some people were hesitant about it because their daily budget was limited, and some people just bought four or five portions, which is like ordering takeout for meals.

In just a short while, the newspaper seller sold more than thirty copies, and he grinned happily. Three pennies was a lot, and he could have a drink and cut half a catty of meat.

This is just over thirty copies, but he still has hundreds of copies. If he sells well, he can go back to Jinyiwei to get them, and he can continue to sell them in the future. This is a perfect life.

Each of the scholars held a newspaper in their hands and began to quickly read the contents of the newspaper.

"Why is the content on the first page so vulgar? Who wrote this newspaper? It is all vernacular and has no character."

"Is this your Majesty? Your Majesty is so handsome and extraordinary."

"Everyone, the content on the second page is interesting. This article is "Ode to Your Majesty's Mighty and Mighty Saint" written by Master Fan. Tsk tsk tsk tsk. Flattery, flattery! Bah."

"Chen Gui, don't try to slander me. What's wrong with Doctor Fan's article?

Isn’t Prince Zhong a subject of His Majesty?”

"Huan Ran, don't think that I don't know. Your mother is from the Fan family. Don't lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong for the sake of your own family. You're a scholar in vain!"

Hearing Chen Gui's retort, Huan Ran was so angry that he couldn't speak. Fan Fucui was indeed a distant relative of his family. Which of these idle scholars in the capital was not related to him?

"Chen Gui, you should read the fourth page. It is written by the great scholar Chen Yan. He praises the frontier troops of the Ming Dynasty. Hahahahaha. He praises military households. It's hilarious."

The sudden last hit made Chen Gui's face turn green.

After reading the entire newspaper, a group of people discussed with each other, and suddenly they were surprised to find that this newspaper was not written by a single faction, but had signatures from each faction.

"Actually, I'm more interested in the call for papers on the last page than who produced this newspaper."

"This is an opportunity. Everyone, think about it. If you write a good article, you can let His Majesty see it.

If Your Majesty approves it, he will sign it with your name and your identity. Tsk tsk tsk, this will be spread throughout the world."

"But this newspaper will also add farming, farming, and some physiological knowledge, these lowly contents. I don't want my article to be dirty."

Hearing this, two scholars hesitated. Although they were poor, they had no money, no literary talent, and their families were in dire straits.

But they have the "character" of literati.

"You are not afraid of me, but if my article can be seen by His Majesty, so what if it is put together with those farming things?

Besides, our manuscript area is on the second page, not on the first and third pages.

The most important thing is that one article costs ten taels of silver. If you write one article a month, doesn’t it mean that you can work hard for nothing?”

"That makes sense. Brother Hu, I read you right. You really have an idea."

"But I like it, hahaha, Brother Hu is right, what's wrong with flattery? Does it matter if you have money to flatter?

This gives me the opportunity to write articles. Don’t we write enough every day? If your majesty can see my writing style, it will be developed."

Chen Gui, who had been dismissive just now, changed his attitude after reading the newspaper. Newspapers are famous things.

"That's right, that's right. What a great opportunity this is. I will be a farmhouse minister in the morning and ascend to the emperor's palace in the evening. This is simply reality."

Noise filled the entire bookstore. They no longer wanted to earn extra money from copying Yongle Dadian books. They just wanted to submit the manuscript as soon as possible and get back ten taels of silver as soon as possible.

Only three or four people did not join them, silently looking at the content on the back of the call for papers page.

Recruitment inspiration, this is something that other readers don’t bother to read after reading the title, and they just skip the promotional pictures.

Han Shu didn't dare to be interested at first. After all, who among the scholars would be willing to take the initiative to become a military householder? Being a supervisor or governor would be fine.

But after reading the first page of the newspaper, which included the investiture ceremony, various photos taken by the Royal Army, the promotion of the Royal Army's internal night school, and the ceremony, my senses changed a lot.
Chapter completed!