If we look down from the night sky, you will find a strange phenomenon. Naha, which was originally brightly lit, suddenly started to get brighter after one o'clock in the morning, with the Prime Minister's Palace as the center.
Lanterns and torches lit up as the notices were posted. More and more people opened their doors and lit the lights, and walked onto the streets, gathering people into the street.
"Let's go, let's go together! The Prime Minister issued the Chinese Code. From now on, we are all members of the Chinese... No, it seems that the Chinese still have to apply. I don't know which yamen door handles this errand?"
"Chinese? What Chinese, are there any benefits?"
"Nonsense, how could the Prime Minister's decree be of no benefit? From now on, only members of the Chinese ethnic group can join the army and serve as officials, and children can enjoy free education in schools..."
"Not only that! Among the Chinese, as long as you have merit, you may be promoted, no matter what your status is! Today you are a civilian. As long as you have served in the military and have no criminal record, you can apply to become a citizen..."
"When you become a citizen, you are qualified to be an official...and as long as you work hard and strive to accumulate more merits, you may even be knighted!"
"Yes, that's right! Folks, you heard it right. From today on, the Chinese clan will be divided into six ranks and eighteen ranks. Anyone who has made meritorious service to the Chinese clan may be knighted..."
The crowd completely exploded, and the noisy voice echoed through the sky. Now more families woke up from their sleep. They opened the windows and looked down in confusion, not knowing what was written on the notice board at the street entrance.
Almost every street entrance was crowded with people. Literate young people stood on wooden boxes and read loudly announcements to the people present, especially the college students, who were wearing neat school uniforms and their faces were flushed with excitement.
"Chinese! Will you no longer call yourself Han or Tang people from now on?" a Japanese immigrant in the crowd asked in a low voice.
The college student on the box had very sharp ears and explained loudly, "Mr. Dorje! You are wrong! The Chinese are not the Chinese of us Han people or the Chinese, the Chinese belong to you too!"
"The announcement is very clear. As long as you can speak Chinese, write Chinese characters, and are willing to accept the constraints of the Chinese code and the constraints of the Chinese morals! You can apply to be a Chinese... As long as you become a Chinese Member, you can also enjoy the privilege of being knighted!"
"Wait! There's a new announcement coming..." Before the shocked expressions on the faces of the Fusang people faded away, the college student pointed at the prime minister's guards in the distance and shouted.
At this time, the street was crowded with people, and the guards were covered in sweat. When he saw a college student in front of him giving a lecture, he shouted, "The latest Prime Minister's order! Last night, the Chinese were the first The list of the first batch of nobles has been released, I’ll throw it to you, you can help put it on the bulletin board... I still have to run to the next intersection!”
A thick roll of notices was thrown into the crowd, and was passed to the edge of the notice board amid the pushing of countless heads and hands. When the college student opened the notice, his eyes suddenly lit up and his hands shook with excitement.
"It's been knighted! The first batch of titles has been released! I didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it..." The college student yelled at Duoji, the Fuso businessman who had just asked the question, "Did you know? You Fuso people are on this list of knights." ! Captain Bato, Nohira Tai and Hyoitaro have been named earls..."
The number of immigrants from Fuso in Ryukyu is very large. They are the third largest ethnic group after the Han people and the indigenous people. When they heard the news that their own people had also received the title, they all burst into tears of excitement.
"The pride of our Ryukyu Fuso people, Commander Nohira and Commander Hyoutaro have been knighted? Amaterasu bless us...Long live the Prime Minister!"
The roar of "Banzai" rang out from almost all intersections, and hundreds of thousands of people in Naha woke up completely.
At this moment, bursts of explosions suddenly came from the direction of the Prime Minister's Mansion, and bright fireworks soared into the sky, exploding into beautiful fireworks in the night sky.
The children jumped up excitedly. The most anticipated fireworks show finally started. They had been looking forward to this moment for a long time!
All taverns, teahouses, and theaters were open for business, and bonfires were lit in empty small squares and large streets. People gathered together to drink wine and discuss various details of the Chinese code.
Maybe the simple people don't understand how many details there are in the Chinese code, let alone the profound meaning of the code issued by the prime minister, but they can use the simplest values to evaluate this code.
It is only natural that the four peoples, peasants, farmers, and merchants are equal. The number of farmers and traditional officials in Ryukyu is very small, while craftsmen and merchants account for nearly 70%. Xiao Letian liberated the third and fourth classes of the four people and abolished the past unfair system, which naturally won the support of everyone.
No one opposed the Three People's System at all. The people of that era were very simple. Most people believed in the idea of getting more for more work and being diligent and thrifty in running the household. You said that you can’t even speak Chinese and don’t understand Chinese customs, so you want to become a commoner?
As for the difference between civilians and citizens, the common people think more clearly: "Civilians, we are law-abiding people, just live a good life and make money... But if you want to be an official, why do you have to change your identity as a citizen?" !”
"The Prime Minister said that's right! You have to let good people be officials when you are in office, right? If ruffians, thieves and gangsters become officials, will we people still have a good life? So the Prime Minister wants to create a citizen, just to kill those bastards Everyone is sent out!"
"What kind of place is the New Army? It's a place where people are taught rules. After three years of hard training in the New Army, mud can be turned into refined steel! Then we will check whether you have a criminal record and whether there are any immoral people among your neighbors. Rumors... in the end, it is only right that educated, sensible, and well-behaved people become citizens and then select officials among these people!"
Look, are these people really stupid? Is this what the Confucian businessmen of the past dynasties called the ignorant common people? Maybe they can't sing many beautiful poems, but this doesn't mean they don't have moral wisdom in their hearts.
As for the system of six nobility and eighteen ranks, no one objects to it! The 19th century was originally a society dominated by class. People's hearts did not reject the privileges of aristocrats. As long as those aristocrats came from the right way and did not prey on the common people and bully men and women, then the common people would not only not resent them, but would worship them from the bottom of their hearts. them.
Just like the names of Boss Mi, Shopkeeper Niu and others written on the yellow list, who wouldn't be convinced? When the French invaded Ryukyu, Boss Mi was the first to donate his family property. All the granaries of the Mi family were returned to the public and distributed with the consent of the government.
During that war, who among the Ryukyu soldiers and civilians had not eaten rice boss’s food? It is precisely because of the efforts of Boss Mi and other businessmen that the chaotic people's hearts are stabilized and the people have the courage to continue to resist.
As for Shopkeeper Niu of Sihai Merchant, that is even more outrageous. The Prime Minister ordered Sihai Merchant to adjust grains in Asia. Many people in the Niu family were almost tired and vomiting blood. They were transporting grains from Southeast Asia and North America to Sijiu City!
Not to mention stabilizing prices in the capital, they even lowered prices in Zhili Province by 10%.
Why can't such a businessman be knighted?
"Justice! The Prime Minister is indeed fair! My life has not been in vain. I finally met a fair day!"
