I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 205 Craftsmen as the Main Force, Imperial Academy Students as Secondary Support! Shen Dadan's Finishing Touch

Night falls in the front hall of the Imperial College.

The young Wanli Emperor sat at the very top, with Feng Bao and Shi Qing standing on either side.

The three Grand Secretaries, Guo Chaobin, Minister of Works, Li Youzi, Vice Minister of Works, Wang Xijue, Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, and Shen Nian, Academician of the Hanlin Academy, stood to the side.

Outside the hall.

The main decision-makers who arranged for more than a hundred craftsmen to live in the servants' courtyard, Liu Li, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Works' Water Management Office, and Xu An, the head chef of the Imperial Academy, knelt outside, their bodies covered in cold sweat.

The two were terrified.

The reason is that their current crime is not merely the improper arrangement of accommodations for the artisans who came to Beijing, but also suspected of going against the imperial decree.

Emperor Wanli (the young emperor) issued an imperial edict.

The Ministry of Works was instructed to treat these artisans according to the same standards of clothing, food, housing, and transportation as lower-ranking officials in the capital.

The lowest-ranking clerk in the capital.

The accommodations, even if not six-person rooms, were at least large communal sleeping areas, and it was absolutely impossible for someone to lie in the courtyard and be responsible for cleaning the outhouse; the food, even if there were no meat or vegetables, was definitely oily and juicy, and would never be just steamed buns with pickled vegetables.

Going against orders is enough to sentence them to exile or even death.

inside the hall.

Li Youzi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, bowed to the young Wanli Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, the Minister of the Imperial Academy and I have arranged new accommodations for the craftsmen. Starting tonight, they will be able to live in the Imperial Academy students' dormitories and have the same three meals a day as the students. I have failed in my duty, and I beg Your Majesty's punishment!"

"Your Majesty, I am also guilty of oversight, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me!" Wang Xijue, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, also bowed and said.

The young Wanli Emperor looked at the two men with a gloomy expression.

"So, this matter is resolved? If it weren't for Shen Shijiang accidentally discovering that they were living in the courtyard, I probably would never have known that this was how you carried out my orders!"

"Your Majesty, I have failed to carry out the imperial decree properly and am guilty. Please punish me severely!" Li Youzi and Wang Xijue knelt on the ground at the same time.

Emperor Wanli glared and said, "Severe punishment? How can I severely punish you? Will my severe punishment make the Yellow River calm? Will it ensure smooth water transport? Will it stop the court from spending large sums of money on river management?"

Upon hearing this, all the officials in the hall bowed their heads and clasped their hands in greeting.

Liu Li and Xu An, who were outside the hall, pressed their heads tightly to the ground, not daring to move an inch.

The reason why the young Wanli Emperor spoke was like swallowing gunpowder.

The reason was that he was deeply moved by his conversation with the craftsmen, and the usual excuses of Li Youzi and Wang Xijue, who only claimed to have "oversight failures," displeased the young Wanli Emperor.

The charge of negligence is basically just an excuse to shirk responsibility.

The young Wanli Emperor also realized that his tone was too harsh, so he paused for a moment and looked down.

"Today I had a great conversation with the artisans. Although they were almost all commoners, their inventions were very useful for river management. River management cannot be solved by the governor-general of the canal and a group of river and canal officials. It also requires the inventions and experience of these river and canal workers."

"The problem I have concluded from this matter is that because of their status as artisans, they are looked down upon and dare not speak out, and even fewer people value their inventions and experience. To improve the success rate of river management, we must first raise the status of these artisans, so that the officials in charge of river management will regard them as citizens of the Ming Dynasty, not slaves of the government!"

"I know that all artisans are currently of low status. Raising their status or, as Shen Shijiang suggested, incorporating them into the common people's register cannot be achieved immediately. However, for the sake of river management, we must first raise the status of these river management artisans!"

……

"What I want is for my ministers to come up with good plans to 'raise the status of river management artisans and let more people know their value through the Anlan Conference,' rather than demanding self-punishment for making mistakes!"

"I hope that when you make mistakes in the future, your first thought will not be 'I am guilty,' but how to rectify the mistake and how to solve the problem!"

"We must treat and respect all people who are useful to the court and to the people of the world. You are not good at managing rivers, but you are good at managing people. I hope that next time something similar happens, I will hear a brilliant plan!"

……

After listening to this statement by the young Wanli Emperor.

Shen Nian looked delighted, feeling that he had successfully reformed the young Wanli Emperor.

This is the real solution to the problem, and this is the right direction for being an emperor.

At this time.

Seeing the confident smile on Shen Nian's face, Emperor Wanli couldn't help but ask, "Minister Shen, do you have a good plan?"

Shen Nian bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I am still thinking about it."

At this moment, Shen Nian already had a strategy in mind, but he was not going to say it now.

He realized that during Zhang Juzheng's time in power, all the officials had developed a dependency on him, and they didn't need to think about anything; they just had to do what Zhang Juzheng wanted.

After Zhang Juzheng left, most of the officials simply followed the established procedures.

Following Shen Nian's continuous outstanding performance, officials, including the three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, have developed a dependence on him.

This is not a good thing for the Ming Dynasty.

Shen Nian is still young. If the Ming Dynasty needs him to devise strategies for everything, he will most likely die young.

Zhang Juzheng already had this tendency.

Emperor Wanli thought for a moment, then looked at Minister of Works Guo Chaobin and Vice Minister of Works Li Youzi, and said: "Minister Guo and Vice Minister Li, the three Grand Secretaries are busy, and Vice Minister Shen has also been busy with the Anlan Conference recently. The Ministry of Works should take the lead in formulating this plan."

"Whether the Ministry of Works is the last of the Six Ministries is not decided by me, nor by the civil and military officials, but by the head of the Ministry of Works!"

Hear the last sentence.

Guo Chaobin and Li Youzi straightened their backs instantly and became more energetic.

In the Ming Dynasty, the Ministry of Personnel was always the most prestigious among the Six Ministries, followed by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites, then the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice, and finally the Ministry of Works.

However, with the Minister of Revenue, Yin Zhengmao, and the Minister of Rites, Ma Ziqiang, joining the cabinet, all three ministries are vying for first place, while the Ministry of Works remains firmly in last place, maintaining a very stable position.

Of course, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology does not recognize this ranking.

The term "the last of the six ministries" was a complete insult to the Ministry of Works.

They also want to improve!

"Your subject obeys!" Guo Chaobin and Li Youzi bowed simultaneously.

Both men were competitive and wanted to stand at the front of the court during the assembly, especially Li Youzi, who had high hopes of entering the cabinet.

A smile appeared on Shen Nian's face.

The young Wanli Emperor learned all of his "cleverness" and even surpassed his master in some ways.

"The most important thing for a ruler is to motivate his officials, not to incite internal power struggles!"

This is Shen Nian's original statement when educating the young Wanli Emperor.

After speaking, the young Wanli Emperor prepared to return to the palace.

He walked to the door and saw Liu Li, the chief clerk of the Water Conservancy Department of the Ministry of Works, and Xu An, the head chef of the Imperial Academy. He stopped and said, "Let's give each of them forty strokes of the cane!"

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!" The two kowtowed repeatedly to the stone ground.

This punishment is already considered lenient for this offense.

……

A moment later, at the gate of the Imperial College.

After the young Wanli Emperor departed, the three Grand Secretaries left, and Wang Xijue returned to prison.

Only Guo Chaobin, Li Youzi, and Shen Nian remained outside the carriage.

Minister of Works Guo Chaobin looked at Li Youzi and said, "Yuanshu, summon all the officials, including the clerks, assistant clerks, and principal clerks in the Ministry of Works, to return to their offices and think about a solution. We'll work through the night!"

"Yes, Minister!" Li Youzi cupped her hands slightly, nodded to Shen Nian, and then boarded the carriage.

At this moment, Guo Chaobin looked at Shen Nian.

"Ziheng, let us devise a strategy and then show it to you. The craftsmen are not valued, and the tools for river control have not been discovered. This is indeed a shortcoming of the Ministry of Works!"

"Just call me when the time comes, Minister Guo!" Shen Nian said with a smile.

……

This night.

All the officials in the Ministry of Works stayed up all night.

If the Anlan Conference is not well organized, they will bear the primary responsibility. In addition, spurred by the young Wanli Emperor's remark about being "the tail of the six ministries," they also want to use this opportunity of hosting the Anlan Conference to stand tall.

The officials in the capital, upon learning of the events at the Imperial Academy and the overnight stay with officials from the Ministry of Works, couldn't help but feel tense.

In this atmosphere.

In the following days, apart from Shen Nian, probably no official dared to leave the office early or on time. They also began to think about how to offer suggestions to the court on river management.

……

The next day, afternoon.

There were nearly two hours left until the two-day deadline set by Emperor Wanli.

In the back hall of the Ministry of Works.

Minister of Works Guo Chaobin, Vice Minister of Works Li Youzi, and more than ten other officials from the Ministry of Works all had dark circles under their eyes.

And this moment.

Guo Chaobin and Li Youzi were reading the memorial they had just drafted together.

This memorial proposed three strategies to elevate the status of river management artisans and to leverage the Anlan Conference to demonstrate their value to the common people.

Firstly, a substantial reward will be given to those who invent tools for river management.

The Ministry of Works intends to select 100 artisans from the nearly 2,000 artisans who have invented river-controlling tools with high practical value, and to award them with 100 taels, 50 taels, 20 taels, or 10 taels of silver, depending on the established rank.

You need to know.

These craftsmen generally earned between three and five taels of silver a year. Even if they received ten taels of silver, it would be equivalent to two years' worth of their income, which would be enough to motivate more river-controlling craftsmen to make inventions and creations.

Secondly, the Ministry of Works wanted to move the Anlan Conference, originally scheduled for May 18, to May 10.

The reason for advancing the event is to give the river-controlling craftsmen more opportunities to showcase their inventions, thereby increasing the public's understanding of these craftsmen. In this world, everyone respects those who are capable and can bring them benefits.

Thirdly, the Ministry of Works plans to organize an artisan exhibition every year in the middle of the year. Such exhibitions will allow artisans from all handicraft industries to participate, and the rewards will be higher, with the aim of promoting the enthusiasm of artisans throughout the Ming Dynasty for invention and creation.

The third policy was designed to allow artisans to be registered as civilians, a policy endorsed by the young Wanli Emperor.

Once announced to the world, it will surely excite all the artisans and rapidly elevate their status.

Guo Chaobin and Li Youzi were particularly satisfied with the third plan because it benefited the people, the court, and the Ministry of Works, and it also demonstrated a broad perspective.

Seeing that Guo Chaobin and Li Youzi's serious faces finally broke into smiles, a senior official from the Ministry of Works couldn't help but say, "Minister, this plan can be sent to the Grand Secretariat and even to His Majesty!"

"Yes! Yes! His Majesty and the three Grand Secretaries will surely be very satisfied after seeing it," someone echoed.

Guo Chaobin closed the memorial and said, "Please ask Shen Shijiang to come here. Only if he says it's acceptable can it be considered acceptable!"

Immediately, a senior official from the Ministry of Works personally went to the Hanlin Academy.

The Hanlin Academy is located 800 meters east of the Ministry of Works.

About fifteen minutes.

Shen Nian appeared in the back office of the Ministry of Works, picked up the memorial drafted by the officials of the Ministry of Works, and began to read it carefully.

this moment.

All the officials in the Ministry of Works were very nervous, including Guo Chaobin, the Minister of Works, and Li Youzi, the Left Vice Minister of Works.

If Shen Nian shakes his head and says it's not acceptable after reading it, they will definitely listen to Shen Nian's opinion and rewrite it.

Currently, none of the three cabinet ministers may possess this ability.

But Shen Nian possesses it.

This respect and voice that Shen Nian earned by repeatedly offering advice and suggestions to the imperial court.

After a while.

Shen Nian frowned slightly after reading the memorial.

His frown immediately made all the officials in the inner court anxious.

Immediately, Shen Nian smiled and said to Guo Chaobin and Li Youzi, "Minister Guo, Vice Minister Li, I think... I think this plan is excellent. However..."

Shen Nian's word "however" made the officials of the Ministry of Works, who were just about to breathe a sigh of relief, hold their breath back.

"However, I suggest that the second strategy be slightly adjusted."

"How do I adjust it? Ziheng, please explain in detail!" Guo Chaobin asked eagerly.

Shen Nian said, “I agree that the Anlan Conference has been brought forward, giving artisans more opportunities to showcase their skills. However, many of these artisans are practically uneducated and cannot speak Mandarin fluently, making their expression unclear. Such abilities are difficult to cultivate in a short period of time.”

Upon hearing this, all the officials of the Ministry of Works nodded earnestly.

Most of the people in the capital were eloquent and persuasive. If they were to talk to these artisans who could not express themselves clearly, it might undermine the artisans' confidence.

Shen Nian continued, "I suggest that each artisan at the exhibition booth be paired with a student from the Imperial Academy to assist with the explanations. However, the artisan should take the lead in the arrangement, with the student assisting. In this way, not only can the explanations be clear, but the world can also see the importance the court places on the artisans!"

This idea was something Shen Nian had been brewing in her mind for two days.

"In terms of positioning, artisans are the main force, and students of the Imperial Academy are the secondary force."

All the officials in the Ministry of Works silently recited these words, marveling at Shen Nian's audacity.

Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—scholars were the most prominent of the four classes, and students of the Imperial Academy were typical scholars, with over 80% of them later becoming officials.

Placing them next to the artisans would indeed elevate the artisans' status.

But the students would probably be unwilling.

Guo Chaobin thought for a moment and said, "Ziheng, this...this is the finishing touch, it should be done this way, it should be done this way! As for how to persuade the students, I will think of a way!"

Shen Nian smiled and said, "Minister Guo, I believe that Chancellor Wang will not refuse. If the Imperial Academy refuses to do this, we Hanlin officials will serve as assistants to the craftsmen, and I will speak on their behalf."

Upon hearing this, Guo Chaobin couldn't help but laugh.

If a group of Hanlin officials stood next to the artisans and explained things, it would be a unique sight in the Ming Dynasty.

However, the imperial court would never agree to this.

Shen Nian said this so that the students of the Imperial Academy would hear it, and they would absolutely not dare to refuse.

Beside her, Li Youzi picked up a brush, preparing to write another copy and add Shen Nian's supplementary suggestions.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Shen Nian's addition was the finishing touch, and could even be described as: turning a snake into a dragon.

at this time.

Liu Li, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Works' Water Conservancy Department who was flogged forty times yesterday, stepped forward.

He first bowed to Shen Nian, and then said, "Lecturer Shen, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should?"

"Speak!" Guo Chaobin said in a deep voice.

Liu Li was startled and quickly said, "According to the etiquette system of our Great Ming Dynasty, everything has its own rules and regulations. The status of students of the Imperial Academy is far higher than that of artisans. If we do this, won't some officials think that this is a violation of the rules and that the lowly are being treated as superior?"

Liu Li did not allow the artisans to live in the student dormitories because he was worried that the dormitories would be out of line and that the lowly would be treated as superior.

Upon hearing this, some officials frowned slightly, as they shared this concern.

The system of rites and etiquette must not be broken.

Shen Nian smiled slightly and said, "At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, many rules and regulations were established, including specific rules for clothing, housing, and titles. However, nowadays, even non-scholarly families dare to use double-eaved roofs and beast-shaped ridges when building houses, just like government offices; servants and scoundrels who have suddenly become rich dare to wear fine silks and satins and parade around in the market; and there are even street thieves who give themselves nicknames before they even reach adulthood..."

“My mention of these instances of disordered etiquette is not meant to encourage its destruction, but rather to highlight the importance of distinguishing between what is more important during this period of reform and change. We cannot be harsh on the common people while being lenient on ourselves. If we talk about etiquette and rules, which official in the government can claim to have never transgressed them? Moreover, these artisans are honored guests invited by His Majesty, and they deserve such treatment for the sake of river management!”

……

"Been taught a lesson!"

Liu Li bowed deeply to Shen Nian and retreated to the back.

At this moment, he was completely convinced by Shen Nian and understood where he had gone wrong.

Guo Chaobin and Li Youzi were also shaken when they heard Liu Li's words, but they were instantly relieved after Shen Nian finished speaking.

Li Youzi dipped her brush in ink, picked it up, and began to write quickly.

(End of this chapter)