I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 227 A bustling border market! Shen Maoxue, the top scholar who dug his own nest.
Inside the Fengxian Hall, only the young Wanli Emperor and Shen Nian were present.

"Ugh!"

The young Wanli Emperor sighed deeply and plopped down on the ground. Not far away, directly opposite, were the ancestral tablets of the Zhu family.

He only dared to be so casual in front of Shen Nian, who was responsible for recording events before the emperor.

If Zhang Juzheng were here.

He would be reprimanded even if he sat on the throne and didn't sit up straight, let alone sit on the ground.

At that moment, he felt extremely wronged.

The officials in the outer court urged him to work diligently to govern the country, while the Empress Dowager in the inner court wanted him to have many children, completely disregarding his joys and sorrows.

"Shen Qing, I, the emperor, am truly not free in any way. I am already exhausted from governing during the day. Who would have thought that I would have to listen to the Empress, or Consort Zhao, or Consort Yi lecturing me on all kinds of etiquette and rules, and nagging me in front of me at night? This is completely different from the married life I imagined. They... they... are so boring!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian knew that her guess was correct.

Under the guidance of Empress Dowager Li, Empress Wang, Consort Liu, and Consort Yang established a direct relationship between themselves and the young Wanli Emperor.

The young Wanli Emperor felt no sense of marital bliss as he had previously experienced in various "talented scholars and beautiful women" novels, and a sense of disappointment arose within him.

In addition, he was forced to have sex with the Duke of Zhou every night. For the first three months, it was still novel, but as time went on, he began to get tired of it, wanted to sleep alone, and wanted freedom.

The coercion from Empress Dowager Li and Zhang Juzheng only intensified his rebellious spirit.

"Shen Qing, you must understand me. Do you think I've done anything wrong?"

At this moment, the young Wanli Emperor desperately needed comfort, and in his eyes, the only one who could comfort him, whether in the inner or outer court, was Shen Nian.

Shen Nian paused for a moment, straightened his chest, and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, I believe you are not wrong, but your way of refusing to admit your mistake is wrong. You should still apologize to the Empress Dowager."

Upon hearing this convoluted answer, the young Wanli Emperor couldn't help but stare at Shen Nian with wide eyes.

"Then... what do you think is the right way for me to refuse to admit my mistake? If you can't answer, we'll all kneel together today until nightfall, until your answer satisfies me!" the young Wanli said angrily.

Shen Nian bowed slightly.

“Your Majesty, I know you have it tough, but it is childish of you to hide in the Fengxian Hall and sulk after something happens. You are now married and no longer an eleven or twelve-year-old child. This approach does not solve the problem, but exacerbates the conflict!”

"Then... then what should I do?"

"In this matter, the Empress Dowager and Grand Secretary Zhang were certainly too anxious about the issue of the imperial succession and reprimanded His Majesty, but the real fault still lies with His Majesty!"

"You've gone around in circles, aren't you still trying to say that I...I...was wrong!"

"Your Majesty, your mistake is not that you slept alone and stole a moment of leisure, but that you had the ability to avoid this conflict but failed to do so."

"Empress Wang, Consort Liu, and Consort Yang have spent eight months with His Majesty, yet His Majesty has not only failed to mold them into the people he desires, but has also ensured their continued obedience to the Empress Dowager. Has His Majesty not communicated with them enough? Even among commoners, when there are conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, the son is always the one to blame. Your Majesty has read so many books; you should understand the proper way for husbands and wives to get along. Why can't you make Empress Wang, Consort Liu, and Consort Yang act according to His Majesty's wishes and become more interesting?"

"Continue!" The young Wanli Emperor took these words to heart.

"It is a great taboo for the emperor to have no son, as Your Majesty should be well aware of. The best way to resolve this is to have a son. In this way, the Empress Dowager and the court will focus their attention on the crown prince, and Your Majesty will have more and more freedom!"

"This is the right way for His Majesty to gain his freedom. Kneeling before the ancestors and throwing a tantrum, refusing to see anyone, will only make everyone think that His Majesty is very childish!"

……

The young Wanli Emperor's brows immediately relaxed.

He felt he had the ability to make Empress Wang, Consort Liu, and Consort Yang interesting and obedient to him.

After pondering for a moment, he said, "You're right, I was wrong. I should apologize to the Empress Dowager. My freedom and happiness must be earned by myself!"

After figuring things out, the young Wanli Emperor suddenly became happy.

A sixteen-year-old's face is like the weather in early summer, sometimes pouring rain, sometimes clear blue skies, changing in an instant.

Shen Nian added, "Your Majesty, I will not reveal a single word of what we just discussed. In addition, I will tell Grand Secretary Zhang to ask the cabinet to allocate more of Your Majesty's free time!"

"Good, good, good, Shen Qing understands me best!" Little Wanli said "good" three times in a row.

A satisfied smile appeared on Shen Nian's face.

The education of the young Wanli Emperor must be handled with a proper balance of strictness and leniency; otherwise, if he becomes complacent, many troubles will arise in the court.

After a while.

The young Wanli Emperor went to Cining Palace to sincerely apologize to Empress Dowager Li, saying that he had been temperamental and would never disobey the Empress Dowager again. He promised to do his utmost to prioritize the continuation of the imperial family line.

Empress Dowager Li scolded the young Wanli Emperor, but she also doted on him, and the relationship between mother and son quickly returned to normal.

at the same time.

Emperor Wanli also sent Feng Bao to the cabinet to demonstrate his attitude and show that he would never do such a reckless thing again.

Shen Nian also returned to the cabinet and kindly reminded Zhang Juzheng that the young Wanli Emperor was under too much pressure and that he should be more lenient in his control over the young Wanli Emperor in the future, so that he would have the time and energy to have children.

As for their speech in the Fengxian Hall, it was said that they chose to keep it a secret at the request of the young Wanli Emperor.

With Shen Nian's involvement, the matter ended happily, and the young Wanli Emperor began to try out a new lifestyle in the harem.

Shen Nian hoped that he would become more mature and steady after this incident, otherwise he would often neglect his duties and be stubborn in this way. Shen Nian's advice was not always satisfactory to him.

Shen Nian's ideal career path was to ensure that everyone in the world could have enough to eat, rather than to be a patch-up artist trying to fix the various flaws of the Wanli Emperor.

……

On the seventh day of the eleventh lunar month, the weather grew increasingly cold.

Liaodong, Kaiyuan City.

The Xin'anguan Market primarily serves the trade of the three guards of Mongolia: Doyan, Taining, and Fuyu.

Crowded.

A large open space was filled with stalls and vendors.

There were Han Chinese, Jurchens, and Mongols from various tribes. The goods sold included horses, ginseng, sable fur, timber, grain, cloth, silk, and tea.

After the trade envoy Shen Maoxue arrived at the border, he merged the official market and the civilian market, integrating the various border markets into a large comprehensive market.

Furthermore, the number of trading days was changed from once a month to three times a month, with a market every five days.

Due to the severe winter cold, heavy snow could close the roads, and the market might not be able to open until after the New Year. Therefore, the market scheduled for the 15th of this month has been moved to the 6th of the new year and will last for three days.

Today is the second day, and it is also the busiest day of the market, with the widest variety of goods.

Near noon.

Inside a wooden shed serving mutton soup in the market's food area.

A refined middle-aged man, about forty years old, dressed in a snow-white mink coat and with a fair complexion, skillfully cut freshly cooked lamb with a small knife.

His movements were skillful and elegant; he would take a couple of bites of meat, then sip a mouthful of steaming mutton soup, his facial expression one of pure enjoyment.

Beside him stood more than ten soldiers holding long swords as guards.

This person was none other than Shen Maoxue, the top scholar in the imperial examination of the fifth year of the Wanli reign, and the current trade commissioner of the northern border.

"Comfortable!"

Shen Maoxue finished the last sip of mutton soup, let out a burp, and then couldn't help but sigh.

He was having a wonderful time in the North.

Only those who trade on the border truly understand the strength of the Ming Dynasty. In the nine border regions of the Ming Dynasty, almost all goods sold in markets open to foreign trade are priced by the Ming government.

In the past two years, Zhang Xueyan, the governor of Liaodong, and Li Chengliang, the general of Liaodong, have driven down the prices of horses, cattle, sheep, salt, and timber of various Mongol and Tatar tribes to the lowest possible level because of the Mongol tribes' invasion of the market, killing and robbing goods.

Even so, the Ming Dynasty's grain, tea, silk, and other supplies were still in short supply for them.

Currently, Shen Maoxue controls the dates of the border trade and has the right to sell and price many commodities.

He could cancel today's market with just a word.

Next, if a heavy snowfall arrives, many Mongols or Jurchens who have not been able to buy food will freeze and starve to death.

Foreign tribes lived in harsh conditions and lacked daily necessities, so they needed markets even more than the Ming Dynasty.

Because Shen Maoxue was in charge of all trade in the northern border of the Ming Dynasty, many foreign merchants bribed him.

Gold and silver jewelry, ginseng and sable fur, exotic beauties, and some merchants even gave Shen Maoxue their wives, concubines and daughters.

The Liaodong governor Zhang Xueyan and Liaodong general Li Chengliang also valued Shen Maoxue highly and fulfilled almost all of his requests.

Shen Maoxue lacks self-control.

In the North, you can get whatever you want and enjoy all the blessings of life.

Fortunately, Shen Maoxue only cared about the country and border trade.

After eating and drinking his fill, Shen Maoxue, dressed in a pure white mink coat, strolled around the market accompanied by more than ten soldiers.

He usually keeps a very low profile, often going on patrol in plain clothes, and even when it's cold, he wears a cotton coat.

Today, however, he is ostentatiously wearing a mink coat.

They were not corrupted by bribes from foreign merchants, but rather they were using themselves to build their own nest.

Three days ago, he learned through his spies that the Tuman tribe was planning to plunder the market and threatened to kill Shen Maoxue.

The reason why the Tuman tribe harbored such resentment towards Shen Maoxue.

This was because Shen Maoxue's first order upon arriving at the border was to refuse to trade with the Tuman tribe this year, with the decision to be made next year depending on the situation.

The Tuman people are the tribe in Liaodong who most enjoy "zero-yuan purchases".

Their proposition was to constantly harass the Ming Dynasty, forcing it to negotiate peace and agree to their policy of paying tribute.

However, Li Chengliang proved too capable and did not allow them to gain any advantage.

After the Zhang and Wang families lost power, the Tuman tribe suffered from a shortage of iron and food, yet the Ming Dynasty refused to sell them even iron pots and iron farm tools.

Now, Shen Maoxue is imposing strong sanctions on them in trade, which has resulted in the Tuman tribe being unable to exchange cattle and horses for food, and other tribes have also begun to isolate them.

It was already the winter month.

There is a very high chance of heavy snow in the next few days.

The Tuman tribe was short of food, so they planned to plunder and kill Shen Maoxue to instill fear in the Ming Dynasty and thus force them to negotiate peace.

Shen Maoxue had thoroughly studied their methods of looting.

They would simply disguise themselves as merchant caravans, infiltrate the border markets, plunder, and then leave through the weakly defended military settlements or areas surrounding the border markets.

The current market covers a very wide area.

Shen Maoxue didn't know where they would attack, so he decided to use himself as bait to give them a good beating.

now.

The market was surrounded by Ming Dynasty border troops, with firearms and weapons hidden among the goods. In addition, thousands of soldiers were hidden outside the market.

These soldiers were dispatched by Li Chengliang and are currently under the command of Shen Maoxue.

……

As dusk approached, it was the perfect moment for the Tu Man tribe to launch their surprise attack, in Shen Maoxue's eyes.

Shen Maoxue deliberately went to an area where grain was sold and chatted with several grain merchants from the Ming Dynasty.

A moment later, the sky began to darken.

Just when Shen Maoxue thought the Tu Man tribe might not exist today.

Suddenly, a soldier next to him pounced on Shen Maoxue and pinned him down. Immediately afterward, Shen Maoxue heard a "whoosh" as a long arrow pierced the sack in front of him.

The merchants were then tackled as well.

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
Immediately afterwards, a dense rain of long arrows came from different directions.

"That man in the fur coat is the Ming Dynasty's trade envoy! Kill him!" someone shouted in Mongolian.

Immediately, at least a hundred people surged towards Shen Maoxue from all around him, including a group of people who came from the horse market with horse-drawn carts attached to their horses, clearly intending to rob the grain.

“We have a quarter of an hour!” someone shouted in Mongolian.

Their plan was to rob grain and kill people. After they finished, it would be dark, and the Ming soldiers would not have arrived yet. Once they disappeared into the night, it would be easier to escape the Ming defense zone.

Shen Maoxue quickly took off his mink coat, threw it aside, and then hid in a safe place under a cloth shed.

The baiting was successful.

Just as the Tuman tribe was about to plunder the grain and rush towards Shen Maoxue, the hidden Ming soldiers took out their weapons and formed an encirclement.

Meanwhile, the Ming Dynasty merchants and merchants from other tribes, who had experienced similar events many times, were now involved.

They all hid nearby, lying on the ground, which was the best way to save their lives.

boom! boom! boom!
Muskets and arrows were fired simultaneously.

The Tuman tribesmen were like targets, constantly being hit.

Before long, they stopped resisting and began to scatter and flee, but the Ming soldiers had already surrounded them all, and they had no way to escape.

The battle lasted for almost half an hour, and nearly three hundred Tuman people were killed.

The bodies of these people will be placed outside the city gate tower to intimidate the local barbarians and make them realize the price of plundering the Ming Dynasty. They will then be cremated together three days later.

Gradually, darkness fell, and the market dispersed.

A commander of a thousand men approached Shen Maoxue, bowed, and said, "Congratulations to the Trade Envoy on achieving such military merit!"

Shen Maoxue smiled modestly and said, "This is all thanks to everyone! Everyone's hard work! Quickly pack up and the market will continue tomorrow. Tell the grain merchants to supply more grain. The common people are innocent."

"Yes!" the commander replied, bowing.

If Shen Maoxue's contemporaries, such as Lü Xingzhou, Zhang Sixiu, and Tang Xianzu, knew that this Confucian scholar was not only a master businessman but also a military leader, they would be absolutely astonished.

At this moment, Shen Maoxue was also deeply moved.

He never imagined his career would be so extraordinary. He thought he would be writing in the Hanlin Academy until his retirement, but he never expected to be deeply involved in the business field.

But he felt that this was the path he wanted to take.

He was the first trade envoy to the northern border of the Ming Dynasty, and he also wanted to be the most outstanding trade envoy in the history of the Ming Dynasty, and even become a scholar-official who was both literate and military, like Wang Shouren and Yin Zhengmao.

(End of this chapter)