It is not that Zai Chun has never seen people selling their ancestry for glory. In the early years, those dirty Han officials in the court would risk their lives to get in if they had an opportunity to raise the flag. Nor was it the case of abandoning their ancestral surnames. Never had.
Although the prestige of the imperial court has declined in recent years, the wings of the local Han officials have become a bit stiff. Raising the flag does not seem very attractive, but it is only for officials of third rank or above, and the rest of the minor officials If you guys can encounter such an opportunity, you still have to sharpen your head and dig in.
The benefits of raising the flag are too many to explain, and there are too many Han people who strive for this ideal. However, people who abandon their ancestors still have a sense of shame, and after receiving the benefits of raising the flag, they do not say anything about it. of one’s own ethnic group.
At worst, they don't say anything and just avoid the topic. On the surface, they enjoy the benefits of being a bannerman, but behind the scenes, they might still be worshiping their ancestors.
But Liu Dadao is different. First of all, he acknowledges his Han ancestry. At the same time, he is extremely happy to be able to break away from this group. He even goes back like a vicious dog to bite the Han group hard.
Zai Chun could hear the true meaning in his words. This was not an act. It seemed that Liu Dadao's family must have a story.
Sure enough, there was a story. Liu Dadao explained the matter clearly in a few words. After listening to Liu Dadao's story, Zai Chun suddenly had a doubt about the nationalist ideas he had learned before.
No one knows Liu Dadao's real name, and even his original surname is unknown. After raising the flag, he can use the surname Yehenala, but out of taboo against his master, his family has always used the surname Liu.
Liu Dadao's ancestral home is Liaodong, and he belongs to the line of Han people outside the Pass. He has lived outside Shanhaiguan for generations. When the Ming Dynasty was strong, his family was very proud of their identity. At that time, the Han people were the spokespersons of higher civilization outside the Pass.
Liu Dadao's ancestors lived a very comfortable life by selling some goods inside and outside the Great Wall.
But after the decline of the Ming Dynasty and the rise of the Jurchens, and several wars between the two sides resulted in bloody feuds, the identity of the Han people became a curse outside the customs.
Liu Dadao's family was all captured by the Jurchens and made into slaves. Finally, they were rewarded to the Yehenala family. Their family's original land and industry suddenly became the property of the Yehenala family.
This change in status made them very painful. They were originally landlords but now they have become tenants. What's even worse is that the industry their master asked them to manage was originally something they had accumulated over a hundred years.
Seeing that the property that originally belonged to you has become someone else's, and you have to beg for food in front of your master with a smiling face, this must be an unpleasant feeling.
Naturally, there were some unbearable people in the family, and the relatives of the two branches began to plan to flee into the pass. However, at the critical moment, Liu Dadao's ancestor was cautious or timid, so he did not join the escape.
Unexpectedly, this decision saved their tribe from annihilation.
"Master! How do you know how evil the Ming Dynasty's border troops are? The Guan Ning cavalry and the local defense troops detained the two clansmen who fled south... a total of 68 people, including men, women, old and young. Their property was looted, and finally they were forced to shave their hair and change their clothes..."
"They want to kill good people and take credit! They used these more than 60 people to pretend to be the Jurchens they killed, and then went to collect the reward..."
"When my ancestors heard the news, they vomited half a liter of blood, and then swore revenge..." Liu Dadao said angrily, "But revenge is not that easy. The other party is the Ming Dynasty's border army and Guan Ning's cavalry. We just have a little money. How can we fight with other landowners?"
"The only way is to hope that the master will avenge us. Our small family cannot fight against the Ming Dynasty's frontier army, but our Eight Banners can. We will make good money for the master, run errands well, and personally go around and talk to those Shanxi businessmen." Go smuggling..."
"We will smuggle whatever supplies the master lacks for the war. We will prepare whatever supplies the master lacks. If people want money, give them money... Just one word, revenge!"
"Don't mention it, someone actually asked us if our consciences were safe? I gave his grandmother a leg up... Later we realized that in life, you have to take refuge in a master. If you don't have a master to protect you, you won't be able to live. Go down..."
"Humans, from the moment you come to this world, you must be prepared to face the evil world of the five turbidities. Who can guarantee that you will not encounter bandits, hooligans, bullies, and corrupt officials in this life? This is the era of cannibalism by individuals. , A big man killing a small man is like crushing an ant..."
"Living is difficult... So, if you want to live a good life and not be bullied or even bully others, you must have a backer! But who would be so arrogant and willing to be your backer? If you don't have a backer, will they take care of you? Yes? Take care of you?"
"Go ahead and dream! That's why my family's ancestral precepts are passed down from generation to generation. Only by following the master can you have food, not be bullied, and only then can you go out and bully others!"
"Nation? What is a nation? Can we eat or drink? What Xiao Letian said is bullshit... How can we unite as one? There is no benefit, just because we are all Han people, we will take care of each other? I don't believe it... "
"Master, don't listen to Xiao Letian's deception, he is just a charlatan! I don't believe it anymore. If you don't give benefits, why would others fight for your interests? Why..."
A series of whys shook the budding nationalist thoughts in Zai Chun's heart. At that moment, the little emperor's faith was shaken.
Originally, he also wanted to copy Xiao Letian's nationalist ideas among the Manchus, hoping to use ideas, a free thing, to replace or reduce the heavy burden of paying the Eight Banners.
I originally thought that the spirit of nationalism was the best way to solve the cohesion of the Eight Banners, but today when Liu Dadao interfered, Zai Chun was completely confused, and his belief began to waver.
After swallowing his saliva, Zai Chun asked subconsciously, "So what if one day, the Han people become more powerful? Are you planning to change your master again?"
Liu Dadao seemed to have thought about this problem for a long time. He smiled bitterly, "Your Majesty, people must remember to eat and fight! Our ancestors have lived outside the customs for generations. During the Northern Song Dynasty, they were the Han people who lived in foreign lands..."
"Liao, Jin, Yuan... our family has all experienced it. To be honest, the so-called Han people are nothing. Under the banner of Han people, we have to ask us to do this and that, otherwise we will forget our ancestors and we will be scolded to death. They’re going to kill us!”
"And what happens when we Han people who live outside the country are in trouble? No one cares about us. They can only be indifferent and laugh at jokes. They may even bite us back and drink our flesh and blood for themselves..."
"If it's such a nation...I don't want it!"
