I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 203 Craftsmen as Lowly Class? A Slap from Shen Nian, a Hanlin Academician
April 4th.

The story of Yin Zhengmao forcibly taking over the temple fields spread throughout the streets of the capital.

Many Buddhist believers have accused Yin Zhengmao of forcibly taking over the land bestowed by the imperial family, thus desecrating the purity of Buddhism and ruining the merits of the Empress Dowager.

Most of these believers came from families that had annexed other families.

However, because the two monks were afraid of death and dared not immolate themselves, and because the court officials did not take any action, they only gossiped and the public opinion they caused was not significant.

The reason why the court officials remained silent was because everyone knew that the young Wanli Emperor was dealing with this matter.

If the young Wanli Emperor were to issue an imperial edict.

Once it is confirmed that the land belonging to Jietai Temple was not acquired through land consolidation, memorials impeaching Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian will inevitably fall like snowflakes onto the desk of the Office of Transmission.

If it is confirmed that the land belonging to Jietai Temple was acquired through land consolidation.

Then the merits of Empress Dowager Li's temple construction and Buddhist worship in recent years will be damaged, and the reputation of Buddhism will be further reduced.

Other temples in the Western Hills of the capital.

Unlike Jietai Temple, no one hung a portrait of Zhu Yuanzhang in the temple fields, and no monks voiced any resistance. However, monks were already on guard day and night next to the temple fields.

The prosperity of Buddhist temples stems from the incense offerings of believers.

Temples neither dare to nor will they oppose the government's policies, but they can manipulate some believers to resist.

Yin Zhengmao disdained to explain himself in the face of public criticism and curses.

In his view, these temple fields, whether or not they were granted as rewards, should be seized to ensure the fairness of land surveying throughout the country.

……

April 7th, near noon.

While the officials and clerks in the capital were watching to see what measures the court would take regarding the temple lands of the various temples in the Western Hills.

News suddenly spread from the Buddhist Registry—

Abbot Huiqi of Wanshou Temple earnestly requested the imperial court to conduct a survey of the temple's lands. He stated that after the survey, Wanshou Temple would retain no more than 500 mu of land as a reward, and no more than 1,000 mu of land for its own use. The self-owned land would be subject to taxes and grain payments, while the remaining land would be donated to the public.

Wanshou Temple is not as prestigious as Jietai Temple.

However, it is the most orthodox royal temple at present, and it is more representative of the temples in Xishan.

Just when many people were wondering why Wanshou Temple did this.

In half a day.

The remaining twelve temples in Xishan, including Biyun Temple, Jietai Temple, Yiguang Temple, Chang'an Temple, and Tanzhe Temple, also reported to the Buddhist Registry, requesting the court to conduct a survey of their temple lands. Their statements were exactly the same as those of Wanshou Temple.

This is the best possible outcome, and one that many people never expected.

In the eyes of the officials in the capital.

The enlightenment of the monks in the temples of Xishan is not that high at all.

Shen Nian was both surprised and delighted when she found out.

He knew He Xinyin had the ability to persuade the abbots and head monks of the various temples, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

With these thirteen famous temples in the capital setting an example, no other temples in the country would dare to find excuses to refuse to lease temple land.

……

The next day.

Shen Nian learned through a local tabloid that He Xinyin and the eminent monks of the Xishan Temples had been discussing Buddhism for the past two days.

There are many Buddhist practices.

Some believe in the concept of "enlightening the mind and seeing one's true nature," pursue sudden enlightenment of the mind and nature, and emphasize cause and effect.

It combines with Confucianism, emphasizing that filial piety is equivalent to Buddha-nature.

Some followers of the philosophy of mind who switch to Buddhism propose that conscience is Buddha-nature.

……

These were all absorbed by Buddhism and became part of Buddhist practice.

He Xinyin put forward a new proposition: it is better to understand all beings and help all beings than to understand oneself and help oneself. He proposed that doing good is Buddha-nature and advocated the idea of ​​doing good in the world.

His propositions convinced many eminent monks.

Shen Nian had no idea exactly how he had been persuaded.

But no one was surprised that this disciple of Wang Yangming, the top scholar in Jiangxi Province, and a master lecturer in the hearts of countless scholars, could achieve this.

……

April 10th, near dusk.

Kuluo Temple, on the outskirts of Beijing, in the back mountain.

Standing on a high point, He Xinyin gazed towards the imperial palace in the capital and murmured, "What is the point of engaging with the world? What is the point of withdrawing from it? Only by unifying knowledge and action can one find the right understanding. The Buddha should save the world, not escape it. Perhaps, this is the path I must take!"

After saying that, He Xinyin laughed loudly and walked forward.

This was the first time he had laughed so unrestrainedly since he shaved his head and became a monk, as if his wild, fierce, chivalrous, and unethical soul had been released once again.

He understood.

This is the Buddhism he wants to cultivate, this is the life he wants.

……

April th.

All the government offices in the capital were busy in an orderly manner.

The land survey in the capital city proceeded smoothly, and land surveying across the country was also carried out in an orderly manner.

And this moment.

River workers, canal workers, blacksmiths, and carpenters from various places came to the capital with their inventions or river management strategies written by local scholars, as well as letters of recommendation from local government offices.

They were then arranged by the Ministry of Works to rest in the rest area of ​​the Ministry of Works' clerks or at the post station.

at the same time.

Fifty-six memorials on river management from officials in various regions skilled in river management were all presented to Emperor Wanli's desk.

……

In the afternoon, the Cabinet was on duty.

The three Grand Secretaries, Wang Guoguang, Minister of Personnel, Guo Chaobin, Minister of Works, Li Youzi, Vice Minister of Works, and Shen Nian, were all reviewing fifty-six memorials on river management from all over the country.

These memorials.

The entire river management plan was formulated with a budget of one million taels of silver, and most of the officials involved were qualified to become the Governor-General of the Grand Canal.

This afternoon.

The task of everyone was to discuss and decide on the candidate for Governor-General of the River Transport, so that they could report to the court at the regular morning meeting the next day.

Shen Nian, who has a basic understanding of river transport, is here because the Anlan Conference was his idea, and he needs to fill in the details.

The Anlan Conference is scheduled to be held on May 18th as planned.

Whoosh! Swish!
On the desk, pages were being turned.

Lü Diaoyang and the others read the river management plan with serious expressions.

With a budget of one million taels of silver, all those in charge bear responsibility. If, as usual, all talk and no action is taken and the funds are wasted, they will all be nailed to the pillar of shame for river management.

It's almost dusk.

Everyone had finished reading through all fifty-six memorials on river management.

Lu Diaoyang stroked his beard, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

Before reviewing the documents, he was worried that it would be difficult to choose a candidate for the Governor-General of the River Transport. If the selection process took one or two months, just like last year, then this year might be another year of disaster.

But after reading the list, he had already decided on his choice and was certain that everyone would be as he had chosen.

"Cough cough!"

Lü Diaoyang looked at everyone.

"The fifty-six memorials on river management are of varying quality. Some have excellent strategies, while others are clearly cobbled together for the purpose of promotion. I'm sure everyone can see that."

"Next, everyone write down a candidate for the position of Governor-General of the River Transport. I want to see if everyone has the same person in mind." Upon hearing this,

Shen Nian and the others smiled, and everyone had decided on their chosen person.

Immediately, everyone gathered around a table, wrote down the names of the people they recommended on slips of paper, and then pushed the slips to the center of the table almost simultaneously.

Everyone peeked out and couldn't help but laugh.

The person chosen on the note was Pan Jixun, the governor of Jiangxi.

It wasn't that everyone favored Pan Jixun, but rather that Pan Jixun's memorial on river management was exceptionally excellent.

Pan Jixun's memorial on river management was titled "Memorial on the Strategies for River Management".

It is the river management strategy with the most words, the most illustrations, and the most detailed explanations among the fifty-six memorials.

He still advocates the river management concept of "building dikes to dredge silt, restoring the original course, using dikes to confine water, and using water to wash away sand".

In the memorial to the throne.

He wrote a series of specific measures, such as "blocking breaches to guide the flow, building remote dikes to prevent overflows, and constructing flood-reducing dams to discharge floodwaters."

This includes the management of expenditures of one million taels of silver, on-site management of river and canal workers, detailed responsibilities of local officials, incentive measures for effective river management, compensation policies for grassroots river and canal workers, specific measures for work-for-relief programs and grain requisition during disasters, and methods for dealing with various rumors and misinformation...

It was meticulous in every aspect, down to the very tip of the hair.

Anyone who saw this memorial believed that he would make full use of the one million taels of silver and spend it all wisely.

The only drawback is—

Based on his methods, one million taels of silver would most likely not be enough.

However, if the river disasters could be eradicated, so that the people would be free from drought and floods, and the canal transport would be smooth, the imperial court would be willing to spend not only one million taels of silver, but even five million taels.

"Very well, the cabinet will recommend Pan Jixun, the governor of Jiangxi, tomorrow!"

Lu Diaoyang continued, "In addition, the Ministry of Works should select five to eight officials from these memorials on river management who share similar views with Governor Pan and can assist him in river management. They can then be invited to participate in the Anlan Conference!"

Hear this.

Li Youzi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, spoke up: "Grand Secretary Lü, are five to eight enough? This Anlan Conference is the best opportunity to discuss river management. Should we select a few more people?"

Lü Diaoyang shook his head.

"In the past, the imperial court's efforts to manage rivers have always failed because there were too many decision-makers and too few implementers. This time, the management of rivers will be entirely led by the Governor-General of the River Transport, with everyone else playing a supporting role!"

"River management is different from other debates. What we lack are doers, not talkers, not a bunch of ideas colliding and blending, but resolutely implementing a policy and carrying it through to the end. Too many people will only lead to chaos!"

Immediately, everyone nodded in agreement.

……

The following morning, the morning court session was held.

After the young Wanli Emperor finished dealing with daily affairs with his officials, the main topic of discussion was the selection of the Grand Canal Governor.

At last.

Emperor Wanli appointed Pan Jixun as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works and concurrently the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, overseeing the Yellow River and the Grand Canal, and commanding all military and political affairs around them. He also ordered him to return to the capital immediately to participate in the Anlan Conference.

Next.

The Anlan Conference will surely produce many capable river management experts, who will be selected by Pan Jixun.

Also.

The Ministry of Works also drafted a list of six local officials who shared Pan Jixun's ideas and invited them to come to Beijing immediately.

……

April 20th.

More and more people with skills in river management, such as canal workers, river workers, blacksmiths, and carpenters, flocked to the capital. Many of these craftsmen carried with them some unique tools they had invented.

It quickly became a scenic spot in the capital.

These past few days, Shen Nian, the proposer of the Anlan Conference, has been extremely busy.

Shen Nian proposed that the Anlan Conference be made into a conference open to all citizens.

He plans to display all the tools invented by the artisans outside Chessboard Street.

On the one hand, it helps people understand river management; on the other hand, it stimulates their creativity and inventiveness.

The current Ming Dynasty.

Too many people read books, too few practice.

He wanted to let more people understand inventions and the contributions these people made to the Ming Dynasty, so that many people would no longer regard these inventions, which were unrelated to reading, as mere tricks and frivolous skills.

Because Shen Nian has many ideas and suggestions, all three cabinet ministers trust him.

Li Youzi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works in charge of this matter, summoned Shen Nian for everything. In the blink of an eye, Shen Nian almost became an official of the Ministry of Works.

Shen Nian, on the other hand, was busy and happy.

……

Another day, afternoon.

Shen Nian left the Ministry of Works' council hall and prepared to return to the Hanlin Academy.

As soon as he passed the flower hall, he heard several clerks from the Ministry of Works discussing the artisans who were coming to the capital.

"Alas! Because of the river management project, these poor and lowly families have also risen up. Their food is even better than ours. They are all illiterate commoners who can only do blacksmithing and wood carving. The court treats them as honored guests. It's really unbelievable!"

"Dog meat can't be served at banquets. These lowly people are quite interesting. They refuse to wear the cloth shoes given to them and insist on wearing straw sandals. They lick the rice they are given cleaner than dogs. What's even more ridiculous is that, because they are illiterate, when asked to sign something, they can only draw circles!"

"And there's more! There have been too many lowly households these past two days, and not enough beds. Our Steward Liu had no choice but to arrange for them to stay at the Imperial Academy. But obviously, the rooms at the Imperial Academy can't be made smelly and dirty by them, so we made them sleep in the courtyard. Because the courtyard is small, even the area in front of the outhouse was crowded with people. I thought they were unwilling, but to my surprise, they kept kowtowing to me, saying that they were giving me the opportunity to be immersed in the fragrance of books!"

"Hahahaha..." The clerks couldn't help but burst into laughter.

At this moment, Shen Nian's face turned ashen.

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, artisans have always been regarded as lowly, and were considered as inferior households along with entertainers, salt merchants, etc., with a status far lower than the six classes of people (scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, soldiers, and monks).

Furthermore, the descendants of artisans must inherit the status of artisans for generations and are not allowed to change professions or leave their household registration at will. Except for a few special channels, they are not eligible to participate in the imperial examinations.

this moment.

Shen Nian suddenly understood why the efforts to control the river always failed.

To a large extent.

The local officials and clerks looked down on these artisans and completely ignored their inventions and creations.

These are the people who most desire peace and tranquility for the great river.

Because many of their relatives lost their lives due to the river floods, and because they were people who had learned countless survival skills from the river floods.

The current Ming Dynasty.

If industry is to develop, artisans must no longer be regarded as people of low social status.

Shen Nian took a deep breath and walked to the five clerks in front of him.

These five people all belonged to the Water Conservancy Bureau of the Ministry of Works.

They all knew Shen Nian, and were quite surprised to see her suddenly appear. They quickly bowed and greeted her.

"Greetings, Scholar Shen!"

The lower-level clerks addressed Shen Nian as "Scholar."

"Stand up, straighten your back, and raise your head!" Shen Nian said coldly.

The five clerks, unaware of why Shen Nian spoke to them in such a tone, immediately did as Shen Nian instructed.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
Without saying a word, Shen Nian slapped each of them hard across the face, then said coldly, "Those who are useless to the country and the people, and who only know how to be parasites, are the lowly people!"

After saying that, Shen Nian strode away.

He wanted to go to the Imperial College to see who had arranged for the artisans to lie in the courtyard and next to the outhouse.

Even Li Youzi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, or Wang Xijue, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

Shen Nian also wanted to fight him.

This move is tantamount to undermining the Anlan Conference and slapping the court in the face.

(End of this chapter)