I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 284 A Masterpiece at the Bookstall! A 600,000-Word Masterpiece by Sheyang Shanren
Inside the Wenhua Hall.

When the young Wanli Emperor saw the final figures presented in the national land increase total settlement document, he couldn't help but open his mouth in astonishment.

"1828542 hectares?"

It should be noted that the total cultivated land area of ​​the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty in the fifth year of the Longqing reign was 4677750 hectares.

The proportion of new additions is as high as nearly 40%.

This shows just how serious the problem of concealing farmland was in the Ming Dynasty.

Based on the average value of 33 taels of silver per thousand mu of farmland, the newly added farmland could bring the imperial court an additional 6 million taels of silver in land tax revenue.

Even after deducting tax-exempt fields, low-tax fields in remote areas, school fields, temple fields, etc., it can still increase the court's revenue by at least five million taels of silver per year.

An extra five million taels of silver each year is enough to do many things.

"The land survey has been completed on schedule in two years, and all of you should be rewarded!" the young Wanli Emperor said excitedly.

at this time.

The eunuch Fang Ping reported to the young Wanli Emperor that Liu Sijie, Shen Nian, and other officials from the Ministry of Revenue were carrying wooden plaques indicating increased land quotas and were walking from the Daming Gate to the Meridian Gate, intending to present all the plaques to him.

Yin Zhengmao blushed and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, this is my arrangement. Although it may seem a bit boastful, it is to inform all officials as soon as possible so that all civil and military officials can celebrate the New Year in peace!"

A bright smile appeared on the face of the young Wanli Emperor.

"This is not about showing off. The Ministry of Revenue deserves much credit for the achievements of the new policies, and it should be made known to all officials and the people in this way!"

Emperor Wanli looked at the eunuch Fang Ping and said, "Order Liu Zuotang and Shen Youtang to bring in the wooden plaque. The rest of the officials of the Ministry of Revenue shall wait outside the Meridian Gate. I will reward them handsomely later!"

"Yes!" Fang Ping quickly ran towards the door.

After a while.

Liu Sijie and Shen Nian arrived at the Wenhua Hall carrying a large wooden plaque and a small wooden plaque.

Emperor Wanli looked at everyone and said, "These past two years, you have all worked hard on the land survey! This merit should be included in the performance evaluation, and all meritorious officials should be specially promoted and rewarded. The Ministry of Personnel will conduct a unified assessment after the New Year. Since it is the end of the year, I should also reward you generously. I will draw up a list of rewards later, and everyone, including the officials of the Ministry of Revenue, will receive a share!"

The Jingwu Guards would also receive commendations and rewards, but these were internal rewards from the young Wanli Emperor to the Jingwu Academy.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" all the officials bowed in unison.

Next, many officials in the Ministry of Revenue will be given special promotion opportunities and will be highly valued by the imperial court.

Immediately, the young Wanli Emperor looked at Zhang Juzheng.

"Your Excellency, the land survey has been completed. Next year, the most important matters for the court will be the implementation of the Single Whip Law and the enforcement of the Sea Opening Silver Decree. At that time, the burden on all of you will still be very heavy. I suggest that after tomorrow's grand court assembly, all officials in the capital, except for those on duty, should rest until after the Lantern Festival. No one should be busy with official business in advance, including the three Grand Secretaries. What do you think, Your Excellency?"

According to the annual leave system, officials in the capital city had a holiday from the first day of the first lunar month to the twentieth day of the first lunar month, totaling twenty days.

Local officials usually start their holiday early, on the 25th day of the first lunar month.

However, after the young Wanli Emperor ascended the throne...

The cabinet usually begins its work on the sixth day of the first lunar month and only takes a day off on the Lantern Festival.

The cabinet's actions forced lower-level officials to arrive at their offices earlier than usual.

Emperor Wanli clearly sensed that Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, and some ministers were far less energetic than before, so he wanted to take this opportunity to force everyone to rest.

He also wanted to take a break.

The reason he said he would rest until the Lantern Festival was because after the Lantern Festival, the various government offices needed to make preparations in advance in order to maintain the normal operation of official business after the court resumed.

Zhang Juzheng bowed and said, "Your Majesty is considerate of your officials, and I have no objection!"

"I have no objection!" the others echoed in unison.

……

About fifteen minutes later, the special New Year's gifts for the young Wanli Emperor began to arrive.

As a reward to Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, he was given ten bottles of Zhuyeqing wine, eighty taels of silver, ten cakes of tea, and ten boxes of pastries.

The cabinet ministers Yin Zhengmao and Shen Shixing were rewarded with eight bottles of Zhuyeqing wine, sixty taels of silver, eight cakes of tea, and eight boxes of pastries.

The Ministry of Revenue's Left Vice Minister Liu Sijie and Right Vice Minister Shen Nian were rewarded with six bottles of Zhuyeqing wine, fifty taels of silver, six cakes of tea, and six boxes of pastries.

……

All officials in the Ministry of Revenue received rewards.

Even the lowest-ranking clerk in the Ministry of Revenue could at least receive a bottle of Zhuyeqing wine and a box of pastries.

Regardless of whether the wine or the snacks are good or not.

When the clerks received the imperial gifts, they could almost always sit at the head table during the family reunion dinner at the New Year. If they offered wine and snacks to their parents or in-laws, they would be praised for years to come.

Of course, some people also exchanged it for silver in private.

This was permitted privately by the imperial court.

Adding the words "Imperial Gift" to an item can increase its value by at least five times.

Officials and clerks in many government offices in the capital were very envious of the treatment offered by the Ministry of Revenue. And this was just the beginning. After the New Year, many more officials in the Ministry of Revenue would be promoted or receive special privileges such as "hereditary privileges."

……

The following day was the first day of the first month of the eighth year of the Wanli reign.

Fourth watch.

Civil and military officials lined up and arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the annual New Year's Day court assembly was about to begin.

In previous years, Zhang Juzheng would recount the remarkable achievements of the court's new policies, and the young Wanli Emperor would conclude by reciting Zhang Juzheng's words of vision for the future.

But this time, the young Wanli Emperor had full authority to speak.

The young Wanli Emperor spoke of the orderly implementation of the Examination and Assessment Law, the success of river and canal management, the timely completion of the national land survey, and the upcoming implementation of the Sea Opening and Silver Diversion Edict and the Single Whip Law. He even spoke with great ambition and confidence about the court's goal of creating an unprecedented golden age where everyone in the country could have enough to eat.

After he finished speaking, all the officials shouted "Long live the Emperor!" The scene was very grand.

……

After the New Year's Day court assembly ended, it was nearly noon, and the next event was the lunch banquet.

At the luncheon.

Officials were far more motivated than last year, and officials from the Ministry of Revenue were highly sought after, with officials from other government departments constantly offering them toasts.

After declaring, "Before the Lantern Festival, no political affairs shall be discussed, and all officials shall rest well," the young Wanli Emperor left the banquet.

After that, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue were almost immediately surrounded.

Currently, the luncheon of the New Year's Day Grand Court Assembly has evolved into an occasion where civil and military officials in the capital can be most open and say whatever they want.

Some officials with strained relationships even resolve their personal conflicts over drinks. If they fail to do so, they will avoid going to the government office for a long time to avoid the awkwardness of meeting each other.

Over the past two years, Yin Zhengmao and Liu Sijie, who had been under immense pressure, got completely drunk in less than an hour and had to be carried home.

Shen Nian persisted until the end, but she was also quite drunk. When she got home, she went straight to bed.

When he woke up, it was already late at night, and his children were all asleep.

Gu Yue'er served him and soon brought him a bowl of soup noodles. Drinking a bowl of soup noodles after getting drunk is the most comforting thing.

At this moment, Shen Nian felt incredibly happy.

Next, he will enter a period of rest that lasts for more than ten days, during which he will not discuss politics.

……

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Shen Nian, along with her son Shen Yanche and daughter Shen Zhiyi, began to pay New Year's visits.

Besides visiting Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, Shen Shixing, Wang Xijue and others, his custom with other familiar Hanlin officials and Ministry of Revenue officials was to have a meal together, which was considered a New Year's greeting and did not require further visits.

The fewer the rules, the more freedom.

On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Shen Nian finished all her social obligations.

From then on, he spent his days comfortably with his family, and would think about matters of state after the Lantern Festival.

……

The eighth day of the Lunar New Year, in the afternoon.

Because of the cold weather and the fact that they had been out shopping for half a day, Shen's mother, Gu Yue'er, and Shen Nian's children chose to return home to rest.

Shen Nian was not tired yet and prepared to go with Aji to the City God Temple Book Market in the west of the city.

Shen Nian was neither greedy for money nor lustful. He did not like listening to operas or playing with flowers and birds. His only hobby was collecting books. His greatest interest was treasuring old and rare books.

The City God Temple Book Market was the most bustling book market in the capital.

Normally it is open on the 1st, 15th and 25th of each month, but during the Lunar New Year, it is open continuously from the 1st to the 15th of the month.

It contains not only various books, but also antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and other cultural artifacts.

……

Half an hour later.

Shen Nian and Aji appeared in the bustling City God Temple Book Market.

Two plainclothes guards followed behind, responsible for protecting Shen Nian's safety. Because the imperial examinations were held in March, the City God Temple book market was particularly crowded with scholars and intellectuals.

Shen Nian wore a pale white robe that was neither new nor old. Because of his fair and delicate features, he looked like a young man in his twenties who was about to take the imperial examination this year when he walked among the group of scholars.

The streets in front of the City God Temple and the front courtyard inside the temple are filled with booksellers, their shouts echoing everywhere.

"Come and see! This book is a summary of the new policies and reforms of the imperial court, and it definitely contains questions that will be on this year's imperial examinations!"

"The complete edition of 'Wanli Minjian' from the seventh year of the Wanli reign is only one tael of silver! Only one tael of silver! Only two copies left! Only two copies left!"

"I am the only one in the entire book market to have a copy of the collected works of Scholar Shen Nian. There are only two copies left. Buy them quickly, or you will regret it for a year!"

……

The booksellers were enthusiastically hawking their wares, which drew Shen Nian's attention.

Shen Nian flipped through the pages and found that the so-called compilation of the new policies and reforms of the imperial court was nothing more than a compilation of the official documents of the new policies of the imperial court; the Wanli People's Mirror was a privately printed book by a small workshop; as for the manuscript of Shen Nian's collection of writings, there were almost no articles by Shen Nian, and they were all articles published in small newspapers.

Shen Nian picked up a copy of "Collected Works of Scholar Shen" and asked the stall owner, "Stadium owner, is the content of this collection authentic?"

"It's guaranteed to be genuine! Let me tell you, I got this through special channels. There are only a handful left in the entire capital. This year, Scholar Shen might be one of the examiners. If you take the exam, to quote Scholar Shen, your ranking will definitely be high. There are only five left. If you don't want it now and come back to me, it will be gone!"

The stall owner's expression was sincere.

"How much is one copy?" Shen Nian asked.

"It was originally priced at 500 coins per book, but since you seem to have a special connection with this book, I'll make it 300 coins per book!"

"Give me all five!" Shen Nian said with a smile.

"Alright, now other students won't be able to see this book. I wish you the best of luck in becoming the top scholar this year!" The stall owner quickly wrapped up the five books.

Looking at Shen Nian's appearance, he subconsciously assumed that she was a candidate for the imperial examination this year.

Shen Nian bought this pirated book.

On the one hand, he wanted to see if the interpretation of his new policies by the tabloids was accurate; on the other hand, he felt that if the other party had deceived him, fewer candidates would be fooled; and on yet another hand, Shen Nian was just having fun, buying his fake collection of essays was also a kind of refined pleasure.

Then, Aji took the books and walked with Shen Nian toward another bookstall.

After Shen Nian walked away, the stall owner took out five copies of "Collected Works of Scholar Shen" from a box next to him, and then said loudly with a sincere expression, "Collected Works of Scholar Shen, only five copies left, only five copies left, buy them quickly!"

……

Half an hour later.

A bamboo book box appeared on Aji's back, containing more than ten books.

Some books were bargains that Shen Nian found, and he could make money by selling them; others, Shen Nian knew were fake, but he found them interesting, so he bought them anyway.

He thoroughly enjoyed the pure pleasure of browsing for books.

at this time.

Shen Nian suddenly saw a young scholar in a blue robe throwing a book at the stall owner's face in front of a book stall not far away.

"Wow!"

"boom!"

The books slammed heavily into the middle-aged stall owner's face.

"Don't push your luck. I'm taking this handwritten manuscript. How much?" the young scholar said, holding up a book in his other hand.

The middle-aged stall owner said with a troubled expression, "Young master, this manuscript is not for sale. If you like the content, we can talk about whether it can be published as a book. If not, we can only wait for the next destined person!"

"Publish it as a book? A novel manuscript is just a trivial matter, something to pass the time when I'm bored. I just find the content interesting and flip through it when I'm about to go to the toilet. You actually think about publishing it? That's just wishful thinking. Here are two hundred coins, that should be enough!"

Having said that, the young scholar in the blue robe threw down two hundred coins, picked up the manuscript, and prepared to leave.

Just then, a scholar in a blue robe walked over and said loudly, "Forced buying and selling is probably not appropriate!"

The scholar in the green robe walked up to the scholar in the blue robe and bowed slightly.

“Brother, many writers aspire to write books, but lack the funds for printing. Therefore, they often place their handwritten manuscripts on bookstalls, hoping that a wealthy person will buy the manuscripts and help them publish them. If you cannot help them publish, you should put the manuscripts down to avoid ruining a writer’s dream of publishing a book!”

"Hmph! What's it to you?" The scholar in blue robes snorted coldly and was about to leave quickly.

Swish!
The scholar in the blue robe quickly stepped in front of him, glaring and saying, "Put down the manuscript!"

"In the book market, there are many who use handwritten manuscripts to gain favor with influential people for publication. They don't sell the manuscripts alone. Don't you understand this principle?" A bystander questioned the scholar in blue robes.

In recent years, the writing of novels by folk literati in the Ming Dynasty has been very popular.

However, most of them did not have the money to print them, so they left some of their handwritten manuscripts on bookstalls, waiting to be discovered by some booksellers.

Once these people discover a handwritten manuscript that they like and believe has the potential to become a bestseller, they will buy it out at a high price and then publish and sell it as a book.

Many novels currently available on the streets are printed and distributed in this form.

The scholar in the blue robe blushed, feeling utterly humiliated, yet unwilling to admit his mistake or compromise.

He took a step closer to the scholar in the blue robe in front of him, then lowered his voice and said, "I am Zhang Taizheng, a candidate for the imperial examination this year, and my father is Fengpan!"

The scholar in blue robes was none other than Zhang Siwei, the retired Duke of Fengpan, who was the second son of Zhang Siwei.

Although Zhang Siwei had retired from officialdom, his reputation remained, and his students and old friends in the capital were still around. Zhang Taizheng revealed his identity, hoping that the latter would step back and let him leave quickly.

Upon hearing Zhang Taizheng introduce himself, the scholar in the blue robe couldn't help but sneer.

"Who do we have here? It's the second son of Lord Fengpan. Even if Lord Fengpan were still in the cabinet, let alone now that he's retired, you should put down the manuscript and apologize to the bookseller!" The scholar in the blue robe spoke very loudly, showing no fear of making a big fuss about the matter.

Zhang Taizheng was so angry that his face turned ashen. He never expected to run into such a reckless person.

When onlookers heard that someone had a conflict with the second son of Fengpan Gong, they all gathered around.

This kind of excitement is what the people of the capital love to see most.

The scholar in the blue robe looked at Zhang Taizheng and said loudly, "Second Young Master, I am also a candidate for the imperial examination this year. My name is Wei Yunzhong!"

"He...he is Wei Yunzhong?" someone in the crowd exclaimed in surprise.

"Wei Yunzhong?" Shen Nian felt a sense of familiarity upon hearing this name. After thinking about it carefully, she recalled a phrase.

"If Wei Yunzhong were not the best, there would be no drum to celebrate his achievement."

This means that if Wei Yunzhong is not first, then the government will not need to beat the drum to announce the top person on the list, implying that Wei Yunzhong will definitely be the top person.

These words came from Wang Shizhen, a leading figure in the literary world, three years ago.

Before Wei Yunzhong took the provincial examination, he predicted that Wei would become the top scholar. After the results were announced, Wei Yunzhong indeed became the top scholar in the provincial examination.

This year, Wei Yunzhong is also a top contender for the top scorer.

The conflict between two recent graduates, one the son of a former cabinet minister and the other a top contender for the top score, is naturally a spectacle for the audience.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Zhang Taizheng immediately held up the manuscript in his hand and looked at the stall owner, saying, "How much do you want to buy this manuscript and help it be published?"

"If at least one thousand copies are printed, the cost of buying out the manuscript is two hundred taels of silver!"

"What? Two hundred taels of silver? Are you out of your mind?" Zhang Taizheng exclaimed, his eyes wide.

Wei Yunzhong was taken aback when he heard the buyout price of "two hundred taels".

At that time, a county magistrate's annual salary was only forty-five taels of silver, and the annual living expenses for an average urban resident's family were about twenty taels.

Two hundred taels of silver was an astronomical price.

It should be noted that the two hundred taels of silver was only the price for buying out the manuscript. After signing the agreement, more than a thousand copies had to be printed. The profit or loss after the sale of these thousand books was borne by the buyer of the manuscript and had nothing to do with the owner of the manuscript.

The stall owner explained, "The handwritten manuscript in your hand is only a sample. The manuscript contains about 600,000 words and was written by an old friend of mine who devoted half his life to it. It is worth two hundred taels of silver. If you do not wish to buy it outright, then put it down!"

Zhang Taizheng's eyes darted around, and he looked at Wei Yunzhong.

"Wei Yunzhong, don't you think you're in the right? Why don't you buy out this handwritten manuscript?"

Wei Yunzhong snorted coldly.

"Don't provoke me! If you don't want to buy it, just leave the manuscript where it is and apologize to the stall owner. Otherwise, you won't be leaving today!"

Zhang Taizheng glanced at the manuscript in his hand and exclaimed, "This kind of toilet novel is not for me!"

After saying that, Zhang Taizheng threw the manuscript away and then turned and left.

"Shameless!"

Wei Yunzhong rushed over, grabbed Zhang Taizheng's arm, and said, "Apologize to the stall owner!"

Zhang Taizheng was furious and turned around to punch Wei Yunzhong. Wei Yunzhong dodged the punch and they started fighting.

At that moment, the handwritten manuscript landed right in front of Shen Nian's feet.

Shen Nian was very curious about what kind of manuscript could be as long as 600,000 words and cost 200 taels of silver to buy out.

He opened the cover and saw a line of text: Journey to the West, written by Sheyang Shanren.

"This is... a work by Mr. Wu?" Shen Nian asked with delight.

He clearly remembered that ten years after Old Master Wu's death, a bookstore printed the handwritten copy of "Journey to the West" because it was widely circulated among the people, and it quickly became a bestseller in the Ming Dynasty.

The original version contained over 600,000 words.

(End of this chapter)