My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 128 Simulation Success
Seeing the dark soy sauce in the vat, Zhu Yijun pinched his nose and asked Zhang Hong beside him:
"Zhang Daban, is this stuff really drinkable?"

Anyone who has ever been to a soy sauce factory knows the pungent smell of this fermented product, and now the smell in the kitchen of Donggong is almost the same.

Looking at the newly brewed soy sauce, Zhang Hong, trusting Su Ze, gritted his teeth, picked up the ladle, and put it directly into his mouth!
Zhang Hong smacked his lips, seemingly finding it no different from ordinary soy sauce.

It has a slightly milder umami flavor, but it is still salty, fresh, and refreshing, and there is no unpleasant taste when you eat it.

"How about it?"

Little Fatty Jun looked at Zhang Hong anxiously and asked:

"Your Highness, it's no different from regular soy sauce."

Upon hearing this, Little Fatty Jun started gesturing excitedly, saying:

"It's no different from regular soy sauce, but it uses cheap ingredients like rice bran. I remember there's a lot of old grain in the Imperial Warehouse, right? It can all be used to make soy sauce!"

"It can be made into soy sauce in seven days! What if we make dozens or even hundreds of more soy sauce jars?"

Zhu Yijun had already started to plan, and even though he wasn't good at math, it still made his eyes light up!

Among the necessities of life—firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea—soy sauce holds a very high status.

The people of the capital city had a relatively high standard of living, and this sauce sold particularly well.

Sauce can be eaten directly with rice or vegetables; sometimes, adding sauce to staple food is enough for a meal.

This is something that people urgently need.

Little Fatty Jun's eyes were already gleaming with excitement at the prospect of making soy sauce, which was cheap and quick to produce!

Soy sauce is feasible, and Zhu Yijun has also tested honeycomb briquettes and cottonseed soap. They are indeed beneficial to the people, just as Su Ze said.

Zhu Yijun hurriedly gave the instructions:

"Quickly, get a pot of soy sauce; I need to go to the palace to see my father!"
-
An hour later.

Newspaper office.

"Su Hanlin! Please help the Crown Prince!"

Zhang Hong pleaded with Su Ze.

Su Ze frowned as he listened to Zhang Hong recount what had happened after the Crown Prince entered the palace.

Zhu Yijun arrived at Yikun Palace excitedly, intending to present a treasure to his mother, Consort Li, but was directly scolded by Consort Li for neglecting his duties. Consort Li confiscated Zhu Yijun's soy sauce jar and punished him by sending him back to the East Palace to copy texts as a form of self-reflection.

Seeing the Crown Prince's dejected appearance, Zhang Hong had no choice but to go to the newspaper office again and beg Su Ze for help.

Su Ze was speechless. Consort Li was truly a model of "tiger parenting" for later generations, the epitome of harsh education, and the number one disappointing parent.

Of course, Su Ze also understood that this was all due to Consort Li's insecurity.

The ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty did not have the concept of a legitimate or illegitimate crown prince.

The succession system of the Ming Dynasty was written into the ancestral precepts by Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang learned from the chaotic imperial succession system of the Yuan Dynasty and established the following principles:

The principle of "establishing the eldest son as heir, not the most virtuous" was also stipulated, along with "establishing the eldest son if there is one, and establishing the eldest son if there is no son."

However, this does not mean that Zhu Yijun's position as crown prince is secure, since there is still an empress in the palace.

Moreover, the succession to the throne is invalid unless one ascends to the throne as emperor.

Consort Li came from a humble background and knew nothing about the politics of the outer court. All she could do was to make her son more outstanding.

In this respect, she is the same as mothers in later generations who hope their sons will become successful.

Su Ze said to Zhang Hong:

"Eunuch Zhang, please take this message back to the Crown Prince. I, Su, will submit a memorial to His Highness on his behalf."

Zhang Hong was surprised that Su Ze agreed so quickly, and he hurriedly said gratefully:
"Thank you, Hanlin Su! Thank you, Hanlin Su!"

Su Ze dismissed Zhang Hong, sat down at his desk, and began drafting a memorial to the throne.

Su Ze began by reciting "The Great Learning," and wrote:

"There is a great way to make money: many produce it, few consume it; those who produce it work quickly, and those who use it use it comfortably."

“In the past, Emperor Wen of Han abolished the expense of the terrace, and Emperor Taizong of Tang reduced the tribute of hawks and hounds, all with the aim of saving money and benefiting the people. Now, the Crown Prince personally brews soy sauce, knowing that every grain of rice and every drop of water comes from the labor of the people; he researches coal soap, realizing that the benefits of industry and commerce can supplement taxes. This is not overstepping the bounds of craftsmen, but rather a deep understanding of the three things in the Book of Documents: ‘enlightening virtue, utilizing resources, and enriching the people’.”

“In the past, Sang Hongyang balanced the price and transported goods equally, and Liu Yan transported salt and iron. They all used practical knowledge to benefit the people. If the Crown Prince understands the circulation of money and grain, the fluctuation of market prices, knows the difficulty of the people’s every penny, and understands the hardships of the common people’s livelihood.”

After finishing the general outline, Su Ze went on to propose specific measures.

Simply put, it meant asking the emperor to send eunuchs from the Imperial Treasury to assist the crown prince in managing the accounts and to report back to the emperor in a timely manner.

Shops run by the Crown Prince are not allowed to be bought or sold under the guise of imperial merchants, in order to prevent anyone from using the Crown Prince's name to amass wealth and tarnish the imperial family's reputation.

Finally, Su Ze concluded with the word "filial piety":

"The Crown Prince personally oversees the kitchen, which is not only about understanding the path to profit, but also about filial piety by entertaining his parents with colorful clothes."

"Such a filial act, Your Majesty, please grant the Crown Prince's wish, to commend his filial piety and praise his will."

After Su Ze finished writing, he casually stuffed the memorial into the "Portable Ming Dynasty Imperial Court".

——[Simulation Start]——

A day later, the memorial entitled "Crown Prince Chen's Personal Conduct to Demonstrate Filial Piety" was sent to the cabinet, which approved it and sent it to the palace.

One day later, the emperor approved the memorial entitled "Crown Prince Chen's Personal Conduct to Demonstrate Filial Piety."

——[Simulation End]——

This simulation has passed and does not need to be forced to run.

[Simulation passed. This simulation will not consume a monthly simulation attempt.]

Su Ze was delighted. He had used the [Portable Ming Dynasty Court] to ensure everything went smoothly.

I thought that passing the simulation would also consume one simulation attempt, but I didn't expect the system to be so considerate. Passing the memorial directly doesn't reduce the simulation attempt, so I can use the system with more peace of mind in the future.

Come to think of it, the Longqing Emperor was not like Empress Dowager Li; he would definitely approve of such a thing as grooming a crown prince.

Of course, the emperor's quick agreement was also related to the crown prince's young age.

The six-year-old crown prince was unable to rebel, so the emperor naturally focused on cultivating an heir.

If someone helps a crown prince who has been in the position for thirty years to make money, they would probably be labeled a member of the crown prince's faction.

Su Ze carefully copied the memorial onto a document and then sent it to the Office of Transmission.
-
A day later, Zhang Hongxing rushed into Zhu Yijun's study and said to the chubby boy:
"Your Highness! His Majesty has granted your request and allocated thirty-two imperial properties to the Crown Prince's Palace!"

Little Fatty Jun, who was frowning and looking miserable because of the punishment of copying lines, immediately stood up and asked:

"But did Master Su submit a memorial to the throne?" Zhang Hong nodded vigorously, smiling as he asked.

"It was Su Hanlin's memorial to the emperor that made the emperor and empress change their minds."

Upon hearing this good news, Xiao Pangjun put down his pen and paced excitedly back and forth in the study.

Zhang Hong added:
"But His Majesty also said that Your Highness should prioritize your studies and should not use this as an excuse to leave the palace for leisure."

Little Fatty Jun's face fell again.

He wanted to manage the imperial property in order to take the opportunity to leave the Eastern Palace, but his father blocked this loophole. So what fun is there in managing the imperial property?
Are they really all organizing these variety shows just to make money?

Seeing the Crown Prince's face suddenly turn ugly, Zhang Hong said again:
"Your Highness, please do not worry. Your servant has already been to the Hanlin Academy. Hanlin Su has already devised a 'game' for Your Highness."

"game?"

Upon hearing about the game, Xiao Pangjun's face lit up with anticipation. Zhang Hong immediately explained the "game" designed by Su Ze, and Xiao Pangjun's face grew brighter and brighter. Finally, he grinned and said:
"Master Su is truly a genius! He has such a fun, or rather, educational, way of doing things!"

"Hurry up and do as Master Su says, let me play!"
-
December 11th.

Huang Ji, the lecturer of the Eastern Palace, stepped into the Eastern Palace.

After reporting to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Huang Ji greeted his superior and then habitually picked up a newspaper.

The Crown Prince's Palace subscribed to many copies of the "New Yuefu News," unlike other departments where several people had to share one copy. Every time a new issue came out, the officials would place the newspaper on each official's desk.

Huang Ji heard that officials from the Six Ministries and the Censorate had to fight over the limited number of newspapers every day, which was considered one of the perks of working in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Huang Ji reads the newspaper in page order, starting with the front page's official news.

With the year-end approaching, the most important matter for the imperial court recently is the upcoming capital inspection.

For Huang Ji, the inspection tour in Beijing was also a major event.

The Beijing Inspection was conducted on officials in the capital. The fate of officials of the fourth rank and above was decided by the emperor himself, while the fate of officials of the fourth rank and below was discussed jointly by the Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate, and finally decided by the Grand Secretariat.

For officials like Huang Ji, the Beijing inspection was a major test.

Although the Beijing Inspection Tour will not begin until after the Lunar New Year next year, preparations will begin at the end of this year.

The first step is the consultation process.

The so-called consultation refers to the process by which the Ministry of Personnel obtains evaluations of officials or their merits and demerits from the censors of the Six Ministries and the Censorate before conducting an assessment, and then uses this information to assess the officials in the capital.

The essential document for consultation was the inquiry form. "The inquiry form was used by the Ministry of Personnel to investigate and consult public opinion to determine whether an official was virtuous or not. Court officials would then write down what they had heard and submit it to the inspectors. The matter was usually verified." The inquiry form was a survey form listing the names of the officials to be examined. After reviewing it, the censors would fill in the facts about the officials they had heard about and then report back to the Ministry of Personnel.

The results of the consultations largely constituted the basis for the Beijing Inspection's decision-making.

In addition to consultations, there are also evaluations.

In contrast to consultation, evaluation was a top-down process, in which the official in charge of the government office to which the official being evaluated made an assessment and gave an evaluation.

Consultations and evaluations together determined the official's assessment, which was then compiled into a file by the Ministry of Personnel as the basis for the final evaluation.

Once these preparations are completed, the Beijing inspection tour will officially begin in February or March of the following year.

The formal inspection in Beijing was also divided into two parts.

Officials of the fourth rank and above were required to submit a memorial to "report their own situation," which was similar to a work summary report. These memorials would be reviewed by the cabinet and then sent to the emperor's desk, where the emperor would decide on the final outcome for these officials.

Officials of the fourth rank or below were subject to a "court trial".

At this time, all officials had to go to their respective offices and, under the watchful eyes of their department heads and Censorate officials, explain their work and accept accountability from their superiors.

The results of the court hearings would be compiled into a book by the Ministry of Personnel and then submitted to the emperor for a decision.

After the capital inspection is completed, there is a final "review of outstanding cases." Before the final decision on the punishment of the inspected officials is made, the Ministry of Personnel and the Six Ministries and the Censorate confirm the results, and the emperor officially affixes his seal, thus concluding the capital inspection.

For most officials in the capital, the annual review of officials in the capital was a major event that determined their future. The first news item in the Yuefu Xinbao was the news that the review of officials in the capital had begun.

Huang Ji summarized his official career and found no major faults, but he dared not be careless. Although the capital inspection was a personnel assessment, any assessment was inseparable from political struggle.

Huang Ji then turned to the second page. In the "Voices from the Streets" section, a new row had been added to the price index table, and the newspaper had even provided a "thoughtful" explanation.

The newly added price index is for "sauce". According to the newspaper, sauce is also a daily necessity for ordinary people, and its price fluctuations are related to people's livelihoods, so it should be included as an index for price monitoring.

Huang Ji was a proper scholar-official who had always kept his distance from the kitchen, but he continued watching without a care.

The "Stories from the Streets" section tells the story of a soy sauce vendor who received a divine recipe in a dream, enabling him to make a fortune by producing a cheap soy sauce.

Huang Ji smiled. This kind of story is what ordinary people love most. Who doesn't love the myth of getting rich overnight?

Huang Ji only glanced at the third edition of the eight-legged essay.

He was also a member of the Hanlin Academy, but he was long past the age of paying attention to the rigid, formulaic style of writing.

Huang Ji read the fourth edition of Journey to the West very carefully.

It wasn't that Huang Ji liked it, but rather that he had been putting his heart into it ever since the Crown Prince bestowed the sachet upon him.

Hearing that the Crown Prince was very fond of Journey to the West, Huang Ji also incorporated some content related to Journey to the West into his lesson preparation.

As expected, the Crown Prince became noticeably more attentive during the daily lectures, and even took the initiative to ask Yin Shidan to let Huang Ji give more lectures.

Moreover, "Journey to the West" is truly a remarkable work. It is ingenious and beautiful, yet not vulgar, and it contains many profound truths. I wonder who could have written such a work.

According to popular belief in the capital, these were books that Su Ze obtained from the home of Grand Secretary Li Chunfang.

However, the language used in this article is contemporary and does not resemble an ancient book. There are also rumors that it was written by Chief Minister Li.

Huang Ji quickly shook his head. He simply couldn't imagine the current Grand Secretary writing "Journey to the West" in the cabinet. He was more inclined to believe that it was written by a friend of Grand Secretary Li and published under the guise of collecting books.

The fifth edition is the "Investigation of Things and Extension of Knowledge" section, and the article was written by Su Ze. The issue discussed this time is "carbon poisoning".

Winter has begun in the capital, and every year there are families who die from carbon monoxide poisoning. Su Ze's article points out that carbon monoxide poisoning is a toxic gas produced by the smoldering of coal.

Su Ze smoldered coal in a sealed room and conducted experiments on mice, both of which showed symptoms of anthracite poisoning.

Su Ze's solution was to vent the exhaust fumes from the heating system outdoors, and he even designed a new charcoal stove in the newspaper.

If you don't have the means, you can only keep the room well-ventilated when burning charcoal for heating by placing the charcoal stove near doors and windows.

Upon reading this, Huang Ji quickly wrote it down. It wasn't just ordinary people who suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning; every year, officials also died from it.

Su Ze's previous articles have all been verified, and Huang Ji decided to go home and take a good look at the charcoal stove for heating, and whether he should build a new charcoal stove according to Su Ze's method.

Just as Huang Ji was about to continue reading the sixth edition and the supplement, Zhang Hong came to the office of the Imperial Household Department and said:

"Huang Hanlin, it's time for your daily lecture."

(End of this chapter)