I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 288 Appealing to Both the Refined and the Popular, Public Opinion Reigns Supreme! Comprehensive Reforms Are About to Begin

Chongjiao Ward, north of the capital city.

On Jixian Street, a large group of people were fighting.

From a distance, it looked like a brawl, but in reality, the five Confucian scholars were covering their heads and being beaten. The Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism followers who supported them stayed far away and dared not participate at all.

The merchants beat them up.

This is because these Confucian scholars, while criticizing Shen Nian, also dismissed supernatural tales and other light novels as worthless.

It should be noted that, thanks to the current advancements in book printing technology, various historical romances, heroic legends, supernatural tales, and tales of talented scholars and beautiful women, as well as novels, vernacular stories, illustrated books, and dramas, have become an indispensable part of people's lives.

These owners of teahouses, brothels, and entertainment venues relied on books, stories, and plays of this kind to attract customers.

If these Confucian scholars escalate the matter and the imperial court bans a large number of such books on the grounds of "going against Confucian culture," their lives will become difficult.

soon.

Soldiers from the Five Cities Garrison and yamen runners from Shuntian Prefecture arrived and separated all the people fighting.

Seeing that the soldiers were protecting him, a Confucian scholar whose face was bruised and swollen straightened his chest, pointed at the group of people who had beaten him, and shouted: "Vulgar! Ignorant! Nowadays, the people's morals are deteriorating. Instead of reading the classics of sages, they are indulging in a bunch of idle books that promote illusion and lust. You people who only know money also bear an inescapable responsibility!"

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhu of Qingfeng Brothel clenched his fists and prepared to rush forward.

The head constable of the Shuntian Prefecture yamen quickly stopped Manager Zhu and then shouted, "If you dare to fight again, you will all be arrested and thrown into the yamen jail!"

No one was seriously injured in the fight. If it could be stopped and calmed down, the constables would not want to take this group to the jail and cause them trouble during the holidays.

Manager Zhu paused for a moment and looked at the five scholars.

"The story of Journey to the West has been passed down from the Tang Dynasty to the present day. Buddha didn't mind, and the Jade Emperor didn't use celestial phenomena to warn us. Yet you make a mountain out of a molehill. Your hearts are smaller than a pinhole. You claim it misleads the people and desecrates religion. It's utterly absurd!"

"Do we, the common people, violate the Ming Dynasty law by listening to interesting stories to relax after meals? Do we affect the new policies of the court? We pay commercial taxes to the court on time, we promote the circulation of silver through business, and we bring happiness to many people. What contributions have you made to the court?"

"Are you criticizing Minister Shen by using Journey to the West to promote Confucian classics? Are you doing it for the sake of the moral character of all scholars? No! You want to gain fame by stepping on Minister Shen, for your own selfish interests. Even a seven-year-old child knows that Confucian classics are for study, while idle books on the street are for entertainment. The two are not contradictory at all. Yet you are trying to have your cake and eat it too. Have you never read idle books, never been to teahouses or brothels to listen to idle stories?"

"Rotten scholars! A bunch of selfish, self-serving, and morally bankrupt rotten scholars!" Manager Zhu suddenly raised his voice, looked around, and said, "Do you all agree with what I said?"

"Correct!"

"Rotten scholar! Rotten scholar! Rotten scholar! Rotten scholar!" the surrounding onlookers shouted in unison.

Most of the people standing here are ordinary citizens.

Even among scholars, most are not averse to popular books. Although these books may not be elegant, they serve as tools for relaxation and entertainment, and there is nothing wrong with them coexisting with Confucian classics.

Shen Nian did nothing wrong by advocating a leisurely book during his annual leave. To say that he undermined the scholar-official class and misled readers was clearly far-fetched and too extreme.

Using the term "corrupt scholar" to insult intellectuals is like calling an ordinary person a complete fool.

Extremely lethal!

The five Confucian scholars were speechless and did not know how to defend themselves.

At this moment, Sun Xiaoyu, the female manager of Yu Cui Lou, loudly proclaimed, "From today onwards, Yu Cui Lou will no longer entertain such hypocritical literati. Those who oppose idle books from the marketplace, please do not come to Yu Cui Lou!"

"The same applies to the Hero Teahouse!"

"The Qingfeng Brothel is the same!"

……

Several shopkeepers echoed this sentiment, clearly determined to fight these nitpicking Confucian scholars to the bitter end.

Seeing that the five scholars would likely be beaten again if they dared to argue back, the head constable of Shuntian Prefecture immediately said, "As long as you do not violate the Great Ming Code, you can do it. If you scholars continue to talk nonsense and slander officials of the court, I will arrest you and throw you into the prefectural jail!"

The yamen runners were almost all readers of idle books from the marketplace and had a great dislike for these pedantic scholars who had no official rank but were self-satisfied.

Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, the foreman immediately said, "Disperse! Everyone disperse! It's the New Year, don't make trouble for yourselves!"

……

Soon, everyone dispersed.

In a teahouse not far away, Zhang Taizheng frowned deeply.

He did not expect that the public opinion he had spent a lot of money to create would not only fail to expand and attract the attention of court officials, but would instead be suppressed by a group of businessmen.

"Shen Nian also... also... spent money?" Zhang Taizheng murmured.

At that moment, he did not realize that the premise for amplifying and intensifying public opinion was that the public was indignant and opposed to a certain thing.

The public opinion he sought to create was exactly the opposite of the current public sentiment.

……

That afternoon.

Nearly a hundred merchants in the capital who run teahouses, brothels, brothels, and inns reached a consensus: to refuse entry to those who "resist idle reading in the marketplace."

Since you are resisting, it is perfectly reasonable to prevent you from entering.

These businessmen, after conducting research, discovered that only a minority of people were resisting popular books, which is why they dared to "refuse customers" in this way.

This move alarmed many scholars and intellectuals.

They are the main consumers in these situations, and fearing being blacklisted due to being mistakenly killed, they immediately began writing poems and articles, and talking loudly on the streets to oppose the extreme words of those pedantic scholars.

Early the next morning.

Tabloids were flying everywhere on the streets.

The articles were all in support of Shen Nian's down-to-earth approach and opposed to pitting Confucian classics against popular books.

In an instant, those pedantic scholars who had yesterday spoken so eloquently and thought they represented justice became rats that everyone wanted to beat.

Some people have even dug up information about certain corrupt scholars who frequented brothels, listened to obscene music, and collected erotic novels such as "The Unofficial Biography of Zhao Feiyan," "The Story of Ruyi Jun," and "Collection of Erotic Love," which are so scandalous that they dare not sell or circulate them during the day.

These Confucian scholars became the biggest joke of the year, and as a result, some teahouses, brothels, and entertainment venues have seen their business boom.

After learning about this series of events, Shen Nian simply smiled calmly.

Given his current status and position, such slander is not enough to destroy him; the people will speak up for him.

……

It was the twelfth day of the first lunar month, near dusk.

In the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Wanli also heard about Shen Nian buying out the manuscript, and he also felt that those pedantic scholars were being unreasonable.

Today, several popular books are still placed by Xiao Wanli's bedside, including novels like "Water Margin" that tell stories of peasant uprisings.

Under Shen Nian's tutelage, the young Wanli Emperor believed that it was not a big deal for ordinary people to read "Water Margin." He argued that the reason the people rebelled against the court was because the court was not popular, and that he, the current emperor, was still very popular.
In addition, these popular books can not only increase the literacy rate of ordinary people, but also promote commerce. As long as they do not promote content that opposes the imperial court or the new policies, they do not need to be banned.

In the future Ming Dynasty, spring will come when all flowers bloom.

After thinking for a moment, the young Wanli Emperor said to the eunuch beside him, "Spread out the paper and grind the ink!"

After a while.

The young Wanli Emperor, holding a wolf-hair brush, wrote four large characters on a piece of Xuan paper: "Appreciated by both the refined and the common." He then ordered, "After mounting this calligraphy, I will present it to Scholar Shen. Furthermore, I will spread the news of my bestowal of this calligraphy so that all officials and the people may know."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

In the eyes of the young Wanli Emperor, this was a great opportunity to win the hearts of the people and demonstrate his virtuous character.

In addition, having these four characters in place can also prevent some ignorant officials from impeaching Shen Nian after the Lantern Festival because of this matter.

……

Soon, news of the young Wanli Emperor gifting Shen Nian the four characters "雅俗合赏" (meaning "appreciated by both the refined and the common") spread among the people.

These four words reveal the young Wanli Emperor's attitude towards Journey to the West and popular folk books, directly silencing those corrupt scholars who were still whispering amongst themselves.

Criticizing officials might be harmless, but questioning the emperor's decisions will get you summoned to the imperial prison by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

……

The thirteenth day of the first lunar month, in the afternoon.

Shi Qing, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, quickly approached the young Wanli Emperor.

"Your Majesty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's secret investigation has revealed that the villains who beat up Zhang Taizheng, the second son of Duke Fengpan, were actually Zhang Taizheng's two guards. After they finished beating him and changed clothes, their faces were seen by two civilians, and then they returned to Zhang Taizheng's side. It should be a ruse."

"Furthermore, the tabloids in the capital criticizing Scholar Shen, as well as the Confucian scholars criticizing him in the streets, were all orchestrated behind the scenes by Zhang Taizheng with his own money. For this, he even borrowed money from Fengpan Gong's former students and friends!"

Shen Nian earnestly requested the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate the source of the tabloid's content. The young Wanli Emperor was aware of this and also felt there was a problem, so he ordered Shi Qing to investigate personally.

"This Zhang Taizheng is really asking for trouble! He actually used such methods to ruin Shen Qing's reputation. How...how did this kind of person pass the imperial examination? He's a disgrace to the court!"

The young Wanli Emperor rose from his throne.

"After collecting all the evidence of Zhang Taizheng's framing of Scholar Shen, hand it over to the Ministry of Justice so that they can punish him according to the law. Also, send a copy of the evidence to Lord Fengpan so that he can properly discipline his son!"

After thinking for a moment, Emperor Wanli added, "Let's set the date for sentencing after the Lantern Festival, so as not to affect everyone's New Year celebrations. Also, inform Scholar Shen of this matter immediately and tell him that if any rumors of criticism against him surface, I will absolutely not allow him to suffer any injustice!"

"Yes!" Shi Qing replied, cupping his hands in greeting.

Zhang Taizheng's crime of "directing and staging his own act to tarnish the reputation of a third-rank official" will at least result in the following punishment: disqualification from this year's imperial examination, the abolition of his degree as a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination), and demotion to commoner status, with a three-year ban from participating in the imperial examination.

This means that Zhang Taizheng's path to officialdom has been cut off.

……

An hour later.

Shen Nian learned about all of Zhang Taizheng's conspiracies and the young Wanli Emperor's decision to punish him.

Shen Nian expected that Zhang Taizheng would follow in his father's footsteps and spend money to slander her, but she did not expect that Zhang Taizheng would come up with a self-destructive trick.

"Alas! The son of Lord Fengpan has truly surpassed his master, becoming even more despicable. Now he has ruined his career, and he deserves it!" Shen Nian sighed.

……

In the blink of an eye, it's the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

After dinner, Shen Nian's family went out to see the lantern market.

The capital city during the Lantern Festival is more lively than the capital city on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The streets are bustling with traffic and lights are everywhere.

There were lantern sellers, riddle solvers, magicians, and lantern boat vendors—you name it, they had it.

The mischievous Shen Yanche is like a fish diving into the water; if you don't hold his hand tightly, he can disappear without a trace in the blink of an eye.

……

Meanwhile, at this moment, at the Jingwu Academy on the outskirts of Beijing.

All the returning Jingwu students are enjoying the Lantern Festival feast bestowed upon them by Emperor Wanli.

Thanks to the participation of the Jingwuwei (a military unit), the national land survey was completed on schedule.

The young Wanli Emperor's face was radiant.

On New Year's Day, he ordered that their families be generously rewarded, ensuring that their parents, wives, and children could all have a prosperous year.

The elite guards all understood that only after accomplishing this task could they truly be considered the emperor's personal guards. The court would then dedicate all its resources to training them, making them elite generals of the Ming Dynasty and heroes in the hearts of the people.

……

It was close to midnight when Shen Nian and his family finally returned home.

Shen Yanche was fast asleep, nestled on Shen Nian's back. Their little daughter, Shen Zhiyi, was waving her tiny hands in Gu Yue'er's arms, her bright, clear eyes sparkling.

Half an hour later, Shen Nian coaxed her youngest daughter to sleep, washed up, and, once she was more awake, went to the study.

He put the completed "Journey to the West" and the preface he had written into a wooden box, and the next day he would order someone to send the manuscript to Qiantang for printing.

Having experienced the criticism from pedantic scholars and the widespread opposition from the common people, Shen Nian firmly believed that this book would be a bestseller once it was published.

He decided to print 5,000 sets at once to distribute the book nationwide, which led to Tianxia Bookstore reprinting it.

Once this book spreads, it will inevitably spawn a series of storybooks and dramas, and these art forms will enable more artisans at the bottom of society to make a living.

Entertainment and cultural activities are also an important way to promote the prosperity of commerce and trade.

After thinking it over, Shen Nian sat down in a chair and let out a long sigh.

Starting tomorrow, he will settle down.

In the coming year, both the implementation of the policy of opening up the sea to attract silver and the implementation of the Single Whip Law will be more difficult than the national land survey, and there will be more problems to be faced.

Only by facing it with full energy can we do all of this well.

After thinking about what she needed to do first after going to the yamen on the 20th of the first lunar month, Shen Nian returned to her bedroom and went to sleep.

……

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, from the third watch to the fifth watch.

Lights began to illuminate the study rooms of Zhang Juzheng's residence, Yin Zhengmao's residence, Shen Shixing's residence, as well as the residences of Wang Guoguang, Pan Sheng, and Yan Qing, ministers of the Ministry of Rites.

Although the official duties would not begin until the 20th of the first lunar month, all court affairs would officially commence.

However, the following year will be filled with complex affairs and is very likely to be the year of the most rapid development and the greatest changes in the entire Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, these responsible high-ranking officials got up early and resumed their normal work schedules when they went to the government office.

at the same time.

Just as dawn was breaking, the young Wanli Emperor suddenly woke up.

Shen Nian once told him that the nationwide land survey was not the beginning of the Ming Dynasty's comprehensive reforms; the Single Whip Law was.

Whether the Single Whip Law can be strictly implemented to prevent land consolidation from rebounding and to ensure the equal development of agriculture and commerce depends on whether the pressure can be withstood in the first year.

The coming year could be his busiest since he ascended the throne, or it could be the year he takes the biggest step toward ruling in his own right. He must make the most of it.

This year, the Ming Dynasty is about to turn a new page.

(End of this chapter)