Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 230 Luo Guanzhong verbally abused a great Confucian scholar to death! I have never seen such a shameless person!
"Hahaha."

Zhu Yuanzhang burst into hearty laughter, appearing very pleased with himself.

Luo Guanzhong was truly a talented man.

To even think of these things, no wonder you're a novelist, you can just make things up!
This is historically proven, and a fully-fledged talent is indeed useful.

At the same time, he was also very satisfied with the fact that his son, Biao'er, had to first find Luo Guanzhong and assign him this task after encountering such a situation.

My son is becoming more and more adept at handling things.

This perfectly met his expectations for the target, and his response this time was excellent.

Zhu Biao laughed along with him, but after laughing, his worries did not lessen.

The Daming Daily now wields considerable influence.

It was initially thought that with the completion of the serialization of Water Margin, and the lack of such a good story to support it, the influence of the Daming Daily would be reduced to some extent.

Even if Luo Guanzhong had prepared other novels, it would be difficult for them to reach the same level of quality and appeal as Water Margin.

But the result was far beyond Zhu Biao's expectations.

The Water Margin had just ended when Romance of the Three Kingdoms was published. Its quality was in no way inferior to Water Margin, and in fact, in some ways, it was even superior to Water Margin.

It is even more magnificent and grand, and the characters are portrayed vividly and incisively.

After the publication of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the sales of the Daming Daily actually reached a new level!
The influence of the Daming Daily also increased.

In addition, Luo Guanzhong's insightful views on this matter, as well as his captivating writing style, further enhanced the experience.

When the new issue of the Daming Daily is published, it will surely be a great success.

It had a wake-up call, waking up many people.

This has led many people to have different opinions on this matter, unlike what is happening now.

However, this matter is so big, and there are so many people with ulterior motives pushing things along behind the scenes.

Everyone was preparing to seize this opportunity to make a big splash. But with the fire already burning this far, it's clearly impossible to extinguish it with just this.

We need other methods to complement this.

"Biao'er, don't worry. Let's start the propaganda war first. There's no need to put out this fire so quickly. Let it burn for a while."

This is a good opportunity to let people know what toilet paper is, so that when production scales up in the future, people can accept toilet paper better and faster.

Many people have never actually seen or used toilet paper.

This is a good opportunity to let more people know about them.

Once they understand it and have tried it themselves, many wealthy people will accept it.

Zhu Yuanzhang was very confident about this matter.

Toilet paper replacing these things is an inevitable trend.

Even cloth, or even silk, is not as convenient and easy to use as toilet paper.

The fabric is generally quite rough and doesn't absorb water very well.

As for silk, it may be smooth, but when it comes to water absorption, it's even worse.

When it comes to how convenient toilet paper is, cloths and toilet sticks all have to give way to toilet paper.

Once public opinion is generated and the buzz is generated, it's easier to raise awareness in a short period of time and thus sell products more effectively.

Even negative publicity is still publicity; traffic is king.

Having lived in modern times for over a decade and witnessed all sorts of things, Zhu Yuanzhang was aware of these matters.

Since these people are the ones who insist on making trouble out of nothing and seizing this opportunity to find fault with me, it would be a pity not to take advantage of this opportunity to make a little use of it.

After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled.

"If the fire isn't burned for a longer time, how can we burn some people out, how can we identify who the real insects are, and thus deal with them?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's smile was somewhat cold.

These people have already gone this far; once the fire is started, putting it out isn't going to be that easy.

If we don't take this opportunity to do something, kill some people to sacrifice for the cause, and deal with some of the scoundrels, how can we justify what they've done?

Upon hearing his father's words, Zhu Biao knew that his father already had a plan in mind.

He did not try to stop them, because he also felt that these people had gone too far.

It definitely needs to be dealt with properly; killing some people would be better.

Some people simply won't listen to reason.

The more reasonable you are, the more arrogant he becomes, and the more he tries to outdo you.

Reasoning with people can only persuade some, and killing others will make many others behave.

As for whether doing so will cause too many negative effects or lead to even bigger troubles, it remains to be seen.

Zhu Biao is not worried.

He also saw through the true nature of these people; they were incapable of achieving anything significant or causing much trouble.

These intellectuals are good at stirring things up, but the more you take them seriously, the more arrogant they become.

As long as you have soldiers at your disposal, don't take them too seriously, and they won't amount to anything.

Of course, more importantly, we are in the right in this matter.

With the presence of the Daming Daily and talents like Luo Xueshi, these people cannot win in the battle of public opinion, nor can they turn the tide.

I wonder which people who don't want to live will lose their lives this time.

His only worry was that his teacher must not get involved in this matter.

If it were one's own teacher involved in this matter, it would be quite a difficult situation.

My own teacher... probably wouldn't get involved in this, right?
After all, teachers are very busy these days.

The Hongwu Zhengyun (洪武正韵), Pinyin (汉音), and simplified characters have been fully completed and are now being promoted.

Currently, the Hongwu Dictionary is being compiled.

This is a huge project that will require a lot of time and effort.

My teacher has a lot of responsibilities there, so he probably can't leave.

I have no interest in getting involved in this matter.

Furthermore, ever since Father Emperor brought up matters such as the Hongwu Dictionary, the Hongwu Encyclopedia, and libraries...

Even their own teachers have quieted down a lot and are no longer involved in many things.

He had previously offered some advice regarding the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but he no longer does.

When the Emperor established the Engineering Academy, the teachers also didn't say much about such matters.

He acted as if he knew nothing about it, focusing solely on compiling the Hongwu Dictionary.

Even when Jin Wenzheng and his ilk stirred up trouble at the Imperial Academy some time ago, their own teachers were not involved.

In this matter, my teacher will definitely not get involved, just like before.

That would be better, so I wouldn't have to make things difficult for myself...

……

"Brother Huang, this matter... won't... encounter any unexpected problems, will it?"

Someone looked at the person next to him and asked, appearing somewhat surprised and doubtful. You could tell that he was a little flustered and lacked confidence.

"Don't worry, what could possibly go wrong?"

Huang Zicheng shook his head, his face full of indifference.

This time, the emperor has acted perversely and done so many unpopular things.

Having angered so many righteous people, I wonder how many are holding their breath in resentment.

The bigger the commotion, the better; it will be more advantageous for us.

The emperor is increasingly disrespectful of Confucianism, and things are getting more and more outrageous. How should we, the scholars, rise up and fight back?

Tell the emperor what he can and cannot do.

Only then will the emperor calm down!

Besides, this time we're not lying; the emperor genuinely handled this matter very poorly.

They even brought out toilet paper!

That's paper! It's used for writing classic texts, yet he had someone else wipe his bottom.

How excessive are these actions?

This is intolerable!

Huang Zicheng is not old, he looks to be under twenty, and he was indignant when he said this.

After saying that, he lowered his voice and whispered in the man's ear, "So many people are working on this, we are just the most inconspicuous ones."

He hasn't made a name for himself yet, even if he did anger the emperor and the emperor became unreasonable.

"There are tall people to take the lead; it's not our turn."

Huang Zicheng looked somewhat sly when he said this.

This is his way of doing things, and it's why he's so fearless in this matter... This isn't just Huang Zicheng's thought, but also the thought of many ordinary people involved in this matter.

Even though the emperor has demonstrated through his actions more than once that the principle of "the law does not punish the masses" is not very effective for him.

However, many people still prioritize these things when faced with similar situations.

I always felt that having a large group of people could give me courage.

Hearing Huang Zicheng's words, the worry on the faces of those who were with Huang Zicheng lessened considerably.

I also think Huang Zicheng's words make a lot of sense; that's exactly how things are.

As a result, all the worries in my heart disappeared, and I became full of confidence.

I feel that this trip to the capital was quite worthwhile, as I broadened my horizons and saw a lot of new things.

It is a great honor to be able to participate in such a prosperous era and contribute to Confucianism.

"Newspapers for sale!"

"Newspapers for sale!"

"The latest issue of the Da Ming Daily!"

"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale!"

A series of shouts rang out, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

Scholars flocked to buy them.

On the one hand, the Daming Daily was very important and had been regarded as the mouthpiece of the imperial court.

Many of the court's policies, as well as the promotion and dismissal of officials, can be seen in this.

It is the best channel for many people to understand the government and care about the current situation.

Moreover, at this crucial and sensitive juncture, how could one not buy a newspaper to read?

On the other hand, regardless of how despicable and shameless Luo Guanzhong was in his flattery of the emperor.

But his novels are truly captivating.

Some people also showed disdain and contempt on their faces.

Sure enough!

I knew the imperial court wouldn't stand idly by in the face of something like this.

They will definitely publish additional issues of the Daming Daily and use it as a weapon against us.

Looking at it now, it is indeed the case.

Let him see what's written in this newspaper.

This is a matter of right being right and wrong being wrong!

To disregard the hardships of students' studies, to disregard the great principles of sages, and to use toilet paper instead of paper for reading and writing is utterly rebellious!
It goes against the way of sages and saints, and there is no denying it!
Even the emperor, even the Ming Daily, cannot distort the truth and make the dead appear alive!
Some people are better suited to finding flaws in this Ming Pao newspaper and then launching targeted rebuttals.

The court's actions serve to create momentum for them!

With this in mind, many people didn't even read the later parts of the novel, but instead read the very beginning first.

On the first page, bold, large characters were prominently displayed.

"Does toilet paper go against the way of the sages? Wrong! It is precisely to uphold the way of the sages!"

Just seeing this headline immediately changed many people's expressions, and they started cursing.

You scoundrel!
They can truly distort the truth and confuse right and wrong; they are utterly shameless!

It's unbelievable that such words could be written and printed so grandly in the Daming Daily, circulating throughout the world!

Luo Guanzhong was truly a sycophant, utterly shameless!

While some people were vehemently criticizing it, others were sneering.

Good! Good! This time their chance has come.

That bastard Luo Guanzhong spouted nonsense and said such things.

They have absolutely no shame!

If they insist on making a strong defense here, then they can use this as a springboard to press their advantage, refute such nonsense, and set the record straight!
As expected, the emperor was pushed to the limit. He was frightened by the huge flaw he had created and the commotion he and his men had made, and lost his composure, making one foolish move after another.

Then they can make a big deal out of this, seize on this absurd paradox, refute it thoroughly, and uphold justice.

Press your advantage, expose Luo Guanzhong's true colors, and bring him down and discredit him!

At the same time, the industrial university established by the emperor, as well as many fallacies and heresies, should also be overthrown and denounced!
A tremendous victory!

With that in mind, I quickly read on.

We need to see how Luo Guanzhong forcefully defended himself and uttered such absurd remarks.

As a result, after looking down for a while, many people's expressions couldn't help but change.

Gone is the joy of easily finding numerous flaws, refutating them vehemently, and achieving victory.

"The powerful, wealthy merchants and big spenders use cloth as toilet paper, because they can turn a blind eye to it."
Even worse, some people keep beautiful maids to use as toilet paper. Why do so many people who have studied the classics remain silent about this?
"Your Majesty's actions today stem from your unwillingness to allow such tragedies to occur again, to trample upon the most basic human dignity!"

"Many scholars talk about the world and the common people all the time, so why can't they speak up for the people?"
They dared not utter a single word of dissent against these people, yet they dared to criticize the imperial court.

It is because the imperial court is benevolent, while those high-ranking officials and noble families do not follow any principles.

Will I be targeted by powerful figures because of this?

"Your Majesty is merciful and cannot bear to see countless people without clothes on one side, while so many people are wasting fine cloth in this way."

So toilet paper was invented to replace cloth, silk, and the things that were trampled on and used as toilet paper!

So many people who read the classics are barking and howling as if His Majesty has committed some heinous and treasonous act.

What are their true intentions in launching such scathing attacks against the ruler and father?

Could it be that, in the eyes of these many people who read the classics, take the world as their responsibility, and care about the common people, the paper they use to write is more important than clothing for the people and allowing them to live with dignity?

Moreover, since the establishment of the university, the price of paper used for reading and writing has actually decreased slightly compared to before.

Why are they all so blind and speechless? Why are they keeping quiet about this and turning a blind eye?
Using the guise of public service to pursue private gain!

They should just strip off their Confucian facades and stop mentioning the classics and the way of the sages!

A pack of spineless dogs, daring to spout nonsense here? I have never seen such shameless people!

The article is sharp in its language; just a few excerpts, taken out of context, are enough to send shivers down the spines of many.
It was as if a great bell was ringing in my ears...

"You scoundrel! You scoundrel!"

"How could this be? How dare you do this!"

Those who dismissed it with disdain, intending to find fault with this article in the Da Ming Daily and then vehemently refute it, were furious upon seeing this.

I want to say something, express my feelings, or retaliate with insults.

But when he opened his mouth, he couldn't utter a single coherent and useful word.

With wide eyes and trembling hands, after a while, he suddenly screamed, vomited blood, collapsed to the ground, and fell unconscious.

Those around him, flustered by the sudden turn of events, tried to help someone up but stepped on their foot, leaving the person motionless.

In a panic, someone reached out to check his breathing, only to find that he had already died.

This is a highly respected person who came out of seclusion to the capital specifically to have a debate with the emperor on this matter.

And so, he died before even achieving his goal...

"Brother Huang, let's read the novel first, let's read the novel first."

Look at the previous parts after you've seen this one.

Upon learning of Liu Bei's whereabouts, Guan Yu resigned his post and returned the gold, taking only a small number of followers to escort his sister-in-law to meet Liu Bei.

How perilous is this situation?

How could Cao Cao let him go and allow him to leave?

Next, how Guan Yu should deal with the situation, and whether he can successfully meet Liu Bei, are all questions that have been left unanswered.

It's so frustrating!

Now that the newspaper has published the answer, it's the perfect time to clear up the doubts. How could anyone resist?
Huang Zicheng originally intended to read the front page first, but after his friend said that, his mind wavered.

He pretended to hesitate for a moment, then followed his suggestion and turned to the back, and the two of them read the novel together.

Just when you think Guan Yu can leave smoothly after passing through checkpoints and defeating generals, riding alone for a thousand miles, you realize that he has great generals like Zhang Liao and Zhang Wenyuan behind him, leading troops.

My heart jumped into my throat again.

I wanted to continue reading, but found that it was already over.

After fiercely criticizing Luo Guanzhong for being an inhuman son, thus whetting people's appetites, they flipped to the front to see the front page.

Upon seeing it, he was also shocked and speechless for a long time.

Their actions were based on a sense of righteousness, which is why they could act with such confidence.

As a result, Luo Guanzhong refuted the emperor without hesitation, successfully placing the emperor on a higher moral ground.

What he said actually made a lot of sense, and I was stunned on the spot.

How can this be resolved?
While countless people were being fiercely criticized by Luo Guanzhong's article, Song Lian came to request an audience with Zhu Yuanzhang...

(End of this chapter)