My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 141 The Censor is Beaten
Chinese New Year!

The Su residence now only has Su Ze and Xu Wei, so there's naturally no festive atmosphere to speak of.

On New Year's Eve, the emperor bestowed dishes upon the cabinet and the six ministries, and Su Ze was certainly not of a high enough rank.

However, Little Fatty Jun had a change of heart and gave all the officials of the Imperial Household Department food.

Su Ze's food box was personally delivered by Zhang Hong.

Seeing the three "Imperial Dishes of the Eastern Palace"—mashed potatoes, shredded pork with potatoes, and French fries—Su Ze was both amused and exasperated. Well, well, little Fatty Jun has also learned to fob off his master.

Zhang Hong secretly took out a gold coin from his sleeve and handed it to Su Ze, saying, "Su Hanlin, this is a gold coin bestowed by His Highness."

Su Ze took a look and realized that these were gold coins that had been escorted to the capital from Dengzhou and Laizhou by fast horse on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month.
So he just gave away the gold coins bestowed by his father? Thinking back to the time Little Fatty Jun snatched the Winter Pearl from Empress Dowager Li, he's so filial.

It's a pity it's just a gold coin, not an ounce of gold.

Well, the cost-cutting measures have backfired on me.

However, Su Ze still felt warmed by his disciple's heartfelt intentions.

Zhang Hong, along with the other eunuchs, hurriedly walked toward the door of another lecturer from the Eastern Palace.

Apart from Su Ze, all other officials of the Imperial Household Department were given food as a gift, while only Huang Ji received silver from the Crown Prince.

In recent days, after the Crown Prince's Palace began to have a holiday, Zhang Hong was ordered to deliver the account books to Huang Ji's residence every day. Huang Ji had been checking the accounts day and night, and his cheeks had become sunken.

Seeing Huang Ji's excited state and his haggard body, Zhang Hong felt a pang of pity.

However, Huang Ji excitedly put the rewarded silver dollars on a plate, and then opened the account book that had been delivered that day.

"We absolutely cannot fail to repay the Crown Prince's great kindness!"

After saying this, Huang Ji worked even harder on the accounts, and the clattering sound of the abacus was heard even by Zhang Hong, who had just stepped outside.

Zhang Hong could only shake his head again, marveling at how much more refined the Crown Prince's skills in managing people had become.
-
During the following Spring Festival, Su Ze mainly visited relatives and friends.

The New Year customs of the Ming Dynasty had evolved to be similar to those of later generations. After the fifth day of the first lunar month, the streets of the capital became lively. From now until the Lantern Festival, the officials of Shuntian Prefecture would also be on holiday, so they would not drive away the vendors. The streets and alleys of the capital were full of various stalls.

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, people began making lanterns outside Zhengyang Gate.

The news that the emperor was going to hold the Lantern Festival this year spread quickly throughout the capital.

This was also a novel experience for the well-traveled people of the capital.

The late Emperor Jiajing was a rather homebody emperor and did not like these kinds of activities that involved the people in celebration, so the Lantern Festival was never held during his reign.

Since Emperor Longqing ascended the throne, the past two years have been blessed with favorable weather and abundant harvests.

With the Wokou raids in the southeast quelled and the unrest in the northwest somewhat subsided, the lives of the people in the capital were indeed somewhat better than before.

This Lantern Festival quickly became the hottest topic of conversation in the entire capital.

On the day before the Lantern Festival, lanterns were hung in many places in the capital, except for Zhengyang Gate.

The entire capital was decorated with lanterns, turning it into a sea of ​​lanterns.

On the Lantern Festival, Emperor Longqing ascended the palace again and enjoyed the lanterns with the people of the capital, bringing the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival to a climax.

As the Longqing Emperor ascended the palace wall, Feng Bao, who was waiting on Jingshan Hill, ordered fireworks to be set off.

The lanterns in the city and the fireworks rising from Jingshan Mountain echoed each other. Amidst the people's shouts of "Long live the Emperor!", the Longqing Emperor was so excited that his face flushed.

Crown Prince Zhu Yijun, standing behind Emperor Longqing, also greedily surveyed his surroundings.

The Lantern Festival is so interesting!

This lively lantern festival was firmly imprinted in Zhu Yijun's mind, and he finally understood why his father had been so determined to hold it.

If the Lantern Festival is so interesting, what about the Hundred Plays Festival?
Zhu Yijun looked at his father, the emperor, and became even more determined to manage the thirty-two shops well after the New Year and raise the money for the Hundred Plays Festival as soon as possible.

Among the crowd, Su Ze also looked at the lanterns on Zhengyang Gate.

The emperor ordered the Imperial Seal Office to pay for the construction of a giant lantern on Zhengyang Gate. The most skilled lantern makers were specially invited from Jinan Prefecture before the new year.

The stacked lanterns formed a mountain, over ten zhang high, which became known as Ao Mountain.

The bottom layer is decorated with lanterns depicting the Yellow River's nine bends, with children carrying rabbit lanterns as they pass through; the middle layer features the Penglai Fairy Island, with sandalwood carvings of immortals attending a banquet at the Jade Pool; and at the top stands a golden-scaled turtle head, its mouth holding a luminous pearl that illuminates a hundred paces away.

Candle tears drip into the Golden Water River, staining the golden waves like broken scales. Carp lanterns hang above the palace, and as the evening breeze passes, their tails sway gently, as if about to transform into dragons.

Such a grand man-made landscape was awe-inspiring, not to mention the people of the Ming Dynasty, even Su Ze, a time traveler, was greatly impressed.

Just then, someone in the crowd shouted:
"A golden age! This is a golden age!"

The term "prosperous age" quickly spread among the crowds watching the lanterns, and as the people's voices echoed, they began to reach the ears of the emperor in the palace.

However, the palace was a bit far from the crowd, so the emperor summoned his personal eunuch, Li Fang, and asked him to find out what the crowd was saying.

A moment later, Li Fang excitedly walked up to the palace and knelt before the Longqing Emperor, saying:

"Your Majesty, the people celebrate this prosperous age!"

The concubines, eunuchs, and palace maids present quickly bowed to the emperor in unison.

"Celebrating this prosperous age!"

The Longqing Emperor's face flushed red. He was so excited that he almost danced with joy, wanting to say something, but in the end he only said:

"What a prosperous age! What a prosperous age!"
-
The sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

Longquanyi, outside the capital.

The postmaster, Zhou Yusheng, woke up early. He had taken his family to the city to see the lanterns yesterday. Although he only saw the lanterns at Zhengyang Gate from afar, Zhou Yusheng was also infected by the atmosphere of shouting "prosperous age" all around him. After returning to the post station last night, he was unable to fall asleep for a long time.

Although he was exhausted and sleepy, Zhou Yusheng could only crawl out of the cold, iron-like quilt.

In theory, all government offices in the capital should open on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, but less popular offices could delay their opening until the twentieth day.

However, Longquanyi is not even a government office, and it doesn't even close during holidays.

Longquanyi was the first stop after leaving the capital and also the largest post station in the surrounding area, with a hundred guest rooms. Although it was called a post station, it was actually more lively than many villages and markets.

The first thing Zhou Yusheng did after getting up was to urge the cooks to boil water. All the guests in the hundred-room guesthouse needed hot water to wash up in the morning, and if they were negligent, they would probably be scolded again.

Zhou Yusheng personally helped pour the well water into the large pot. As he watched the steaming water rise, the magnificent scene from yesterday gradually faded from his mind.

Even in a prosperous era, ordinary people still live their lives the same way.

Zhou Yusheng's daily work consisted of serving the hundreds of people at the post station.

Those who could stay at the post station all held official credentials, and as for those who could travel to and from the capital, who knew what their background was?

Officials are not to be offended. Although according to the laws of the dynasty, the post stations are only required to provide food, lodging and horses for officials and their immediate family members, regulations are regulations. Can you not serve those officials with their guards and servants? Soldiers are also not to be offended. Longquan Post Station is clearly the last stop before entering the city, but those soldiers who deliver military intelligence must change to better horses here before entering the capital. If they are slightly off, they will be accused of delaying military operations, which is not something that Zhou Yusheng, a mere post station chief, can bear.

There were also people who held official documents but did not hold official positions, and they could not be offended.

To obtain a tally, one must have connections with officials. But who knows whose connections they are, or whose relatives, retainers, or advisors they are?
Zhou Yusheng was someone you couldn't offend, either above or below. He joked with his family that even if a dog was brought to the post station with a tally, he would treat it like his own father.

Just then, the kitchen staff arrived at the gate of the post station, and someone had already arrived outside.

Zhou Yusheng quickly tidied himself up and then rushed to the front of the post station.

Zhou Yusheng personally received all guests who stayed at Longquanyi Inn; this was a rule he, as the innkeeper, had established.

There was no other way; once you entered a post station, the station would provide you with free food and you could also transfer to mules or horses. So many rogues in the capital would buy or even forge official documents to freeload at the post stations.

Only Zhou Yusheng, the postmaster, could stop such a person.

The last time Zhou Yusheng was sick, other couriers went to receive guests, and a group of ruffians from the capital sneaked in. It took Zhou Yusheng a lot of effort to drive them away.

The inn was under very tight budget, so every penny saved was precious.

Upon arriving at the entrance, Zhou Yusheng met two young scholars.

Seeing that the two men were holding official documents from the Censorate, Zhou Yusheng was certain that they were indeed officials on official business and welcomed them into the post station.

The most common type of official document that Zhou Yusheng saw was issued by the Ministry of War, followed by the Censorate and other nine ministries.

In addition, there are also some local governor-general's offices, which should not be neglected either.

The courier led the two men's horses to the stable, where Zhou Yusheng offered them hot tea and asked ingratiatingly:

"Would you two gentlemen like to stay overnight?"

Wang Renzhong began by saying:
"We won't stay today; we'll sit for a while and then continue our journey."

Upon hearing that the two were not staying at the inn, the innkeeper Zhou Yusheng breathed a sigh of relief. Rooms at Longquan Inn were in short supply, and these two were holding official documents from the Censorate. He would have to make room for at least two clean rooms, which would require a lot of persuasion from him.

Just then, two men dressed as stewards came out from the accommodations and berated Zhou Yusheng:

"Why hasn't the water for washing up been brought yet!"

"I'm coming!"

Zhou Yusheng hurriedly went to fetch the water basin and served the two stewards away. Wang Renzhong then summoned Zhou Yusheng to his side.

"What are your orders, esteemed guests?"

Wang Renzhong said:
"We are the Supervising Censors of Shandong Circuit. How many official documents do you have here that are for those going to Shandong? Show me the postal register."

Wang Renzhong revealed his official seal, and Zhou Yusheng dared not be negligent any longer, so he quickly brought over the postal register himself.

The tally was not just a pass; each tally also recorded the starting point and the destination, and was stamped by the post stations along the way. It was originally a one-time thing.

Of course, the tally has been abused now, but Longquanyi was, after all, a post station near the capital, and it could still block some obviously irregular tallies.

Therefore, Zhou Yusheng's travel log was quite comprehensive, as it recorded the destinations of all the guests who checked in.

Shen Zao frowned and said:

"These are all going to Shandong? So many?"

Zhou Yusheng quickly said:
“There are many people coming and going from Shandong these days, and quite a few newly appointed scholars are going to Shandong to take up their posts.”

Shen Zao said:

"Nonsense! The newly appointed scholars set off before the new year, how could it have been delayed until now?!"

Reprimanded by Shen Zao, Zhou Yusheng quickly said:
"Imperial Envoy, please calm down. I am not talking nonsense. The new officials left before the New Year, but their families and servants usually do not set off until after the New Year."

Shen Zao frowned again and said:

"When an official takes office, the Ministry of Personnel issues a certificate of appointment. But where do these officials' family members get their own certificates of appointment?"

Zhou Yusheng quickly said:
"They are all family members of officials, so how could they not have official credentials? The two people the two imperial envoys just saw are family members of Magistrate Shen, who took office in Gaomi before the New Year. They both had official credentials from the Censorate."

Wang Renzhong and Shen Zao exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement in each other's eyes.

The magistrate of Gaomi County was Shen Sixiao, who was my classmate from the same year.

Although they didn't know how Shen Sixiao had offended Su Ze, Wang Renzhong and Shen Zao both knew that Su Ze didn't have a good impression of this classmate.

Shen Sixiao's family and servants were using the post stations improperly, which was a good opportunity for me to use them to establish my authority and thoroughly eliminate the problem of Shandong Circuit officials misusing official documents!
Wang Renzhong and Shen Zao immediately stood up and walked towards the rooms of the two stewards.
-
"Brother Su! Something terrible has happened!"

The newspaper office also opened on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. Su Ze had just finished cleaning his desk when Shen Yiguan rushed in.

"Shen Zao and Wang Renzhong were beaten in Longquanyi!"

Su Ze stood up in surprise. After listening to Shen Yiguan's explanation, Su Ze said with a strange expression:

"These two of us, born in the same year, went there without anyone accompanying us?"

Shen Yiguan also covered his face and said:
"These two entered officialdom at the same time, and they must have read too many vernacular novels."

Su Ze and Shen Yiguan were both speechless, but Luo Wanhua asked with some confusion:

"A high-ranking censor from the Censorate was actually beaten by a few servants at a post station? Is there no law in this world?!"

Shen Yiguan was almost rolling his eyes, but he still said to Luo Wanhua:

"Hey, Brother Yifu, you don't actually think that as long as Brother Shen and Brother Wang reveal their identities as imperial censors, those people will kneel on the ground and surrender without a fight, do you?"

Luo Wanhua looked at Shen Yiguan with clear eyes and asked, "Isn't that right?"

Shen Yiguan said:
"How could that be? That's just a scene from a storybook or play! These two gentlemen are lucky. Longquanyi is a post station on the outskirts of the capital. If it were in a more remote place, they probably would have lost their lives."

"this!"

Zhang Wei and Wang Jiaping also came over.

Shen Yiguan said:
"Even if they are imperial censors, who would recognize them in this desolate wilderness?"

Shen Yiguan said helplessly:
"Those two gentlemen are also wrong. Since they are going to Longquanyi to inspect the post stations, why don't they ask the Grand Inspector for soldiers? They could have brought a few hangers-on to support them. There is no reason for them to go alone."

Seeing that Luo Wanhua still didn't understand, Su Ze explained:

“During the Chenghua era, a Hanlin scholar returned home in mourning and got into a fight with a commander at the post station over a horse, and was then beaten to death.”

But after Shen Yiguan finished speaking, his eyes lit up as he looked at Su Ze and said excitedly:

"Brother Su! Now is the perfect time to submit a memorial to the throne!"

(End of this chapter)