Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 243 The Three Victories of the Jiangnan Aristocracy?
Dusk is getting darker.

Wang Xijue and Wang Shizhen returned to the mansion reeking of alcohol.

Settling down in the lobby, gazing at the flickering kerosene lamp, I realized that it seems this entire country has become inseparable from the changes brought about by the Western Hills.

From newspapers that provide factual information to affordable and high-quality briquettes, and various glass products.

Even if powerful families wanted to avoid Zhang Shiyuan's influence on the world, they were powerless, as if swept into a torrent.

But the Jiangnan gentry have been entrenched in this place for many years, so how could they easily be slaughtered by others?
In the lobby, amidst the wafting sandalwood incense, Wang Xijue explained to his old friend in a deep voice.

"Firstly, it's about forming an alliance. Right now, all the officials in the capital, big and small, are intimidated by Zhang Jiangling's power and misled by Zhang Shiyuan. In this 'catastrophe,' everyone is in danger. Don't be fooled by their flattery on the surface; many of them harbor resentment behind the scenes."

If Master Xu were to raise his arm and call upon his disciples and former subordinates, and we were to reconnect with our old colleagues, we would surely receive a resounding response!
This is a victory!

Sitting opposite him, Wang Shizhen, slightly tipsy, nodded with satisfaction: "The Zhang family father and son have been perverse and corrupt, bewitching the emperor. They have long been despised by the world, they just need a pretext."

He narrowed his eyes.

"With the support of the Shanxi merchants and the Prince of Lu leading the charge, we are indeed invincible."

In fact, most people in ancient times believed that Zhang Yunxiu's actions were similar to Wang Mang's reforms, which were bound to cause chaos in the world.

You say he always manages to turn bad luck into good?

It's just that the time hasn't come yet.

Wang Xijue thought for a moment and said, "It's not just that. People love legends about gods and ghosts. We just need to send out some sorcerers and storytellers to spread the story of the Heavenly Spinning Machine as a monster."

If it were not a demon, how could it possess such wondrous powers? Using it would shorten one's lifespan.

The most ignorant people in the countryside believe in this doctrine!
These are the two victories!

As he spoke, Wang Xijue could already imagine that in the future, people would storm the governor's office, shouting things like "the Heavenly Weaving Machine" had taken his child's life.

That should be enough for Hai Rui and his men to have a good drink.

Wang Shizhen nodded and said, "The capital is not a unified entity. The emperor is obsessed with unorthodox practices and neglects state affairs all day long, which has long caused public resentment."

We, in alliance with Shanxi merchants and insightful officials at court, will launch an offensive in the *Jingji Daily*, directly attacking the Jiangnan Textile Bureau for disrupting market transactions, Zhang Shiyuan for embezzling funds under the guise of disaster relief, and the Zhang family for their tyrannical power and rebellious intentions. We will make Zhang Jiangling suffer greatly!

The above is the method of "proclaiming policies" mentioned by Xu Jie.

These two men had served as officials in the imperial court and had once claimed to be serving the country and its people.

At this moment, as they substituted tea for wine and exchanged toasts, the expressions on their faces during the conversation somehow appeared somewhat sinister.
The two gradually refined their writing style based on Xu Jie's strategy, and used this as a basis for their arrangements.

In early autumn, the chirping of insects outside becomes increasingly mournful and hoarse.

When the conversation turned to this last plan, Wang Xijue lowered his voice and said, "Isn't Xu Gong's proposed strategy of joint aid a bit too much?"

They all knew in their hearts that this aid was from somewhere else—nothing more than people at sea.

Since the Jiajing era, Japanese pirates have repeatedly invaded and plundered various places in Jiangnan.

Why were they able to be invincible and penetrate deep into enemy territory?

How many of those Japanese pirates were actually Japanese?
Why are the powerful and influential families unaffected every time?
The reasons behind this are naturally intriguing.

Wang Xijue and Wang Shizhen didn't say it aloud, but they both knew the truth.

The threat of Japanese pirates was nothing more than a card to be played in the struggle against the imperial court.

If there were no threat from Japanese pirates and the seas were calm, what reason would there be to suppress or prevent the imperial court from fully opening up maritime trade?

If the imperial court opens up maritime trade, wouldn't the hundreds or thousands of taels of silver earned from this trade all go to the imperial court?
The court's desire to compete with the people for profit is not benevolent governance!
Of course, while the Jiangnan gentry shared the burdens of the Ming Dynasty, they would not sacrifice themselves.

They would not have resorted to the Japanese pirates unless they were in dire straits.

After all, this is a heinous crime of treason that could lead to the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan. No matter how well it is done, who can guarantee that no one will find any evidence against it?
However, Zhang Yunxiu's "loan method" truly stung the nerves of the Jiangnan gentry. When Xu Jie finally arrived, having suffered repeated losses at the hands of a mere youth, how could he not be driven to desperation?
Wang Shizhen's expression was uncertain as he lowered his voice and spoke to his old friend.

"We must lay out multiple layers of backup plans, preferably without leaving a trace."

There's no need for a major conflict; we absolutely mustn't expose any weaknesses.

He wrote a letter instructing the Japanese to take advantage of the chaos to burn down the looms of the Jiangnan Textile Bureau and attack several farmers who had benefited from his new policies.

This will send those ignorant country folk fleeing in terror; let's see who else can implement that 'loan' method!

The two men, including Xu Jie, were nearly two hundred years old and had extensive experience in the ups and downs of officialdom. Their arrangements were extremely meticulous.

The moon had climbed high in the sky, and the outside world was gradually brightening. Through the slightly yellowed glass window, light fell on the table in front of the two of them.

Wang Shizhen couldn't help but sigh: "I hope Brother Yuanyu knows that this pair of crystal-clear glass windows, which are divided into left and right panels, cost me a full 50,000 taels of silver to purchase from the Portuguese."

When I get tired of reading at my desk on weekdays, I can look out the window at the flowers and plants in the courtyard, enjoy the flowers, the wind, the rain, the snow, and the bright moon.

"That fifty thousand taels of silver was absolutely well spent."

He was speaking with a hidden meaning, his face filled with resentment.

"If this thing is used properly, isn't it a thousand times, ten thousand times better than the glass from the Western Hills? That unfilial son!"

Last time, the eldest son, Wang Shiqi, purchased a set of glazed statues of Confucian sages in Xishan for a large sum of money, thinking he had gotten a bargain.

Wang Shizhen even thought of using this opportunity to curry favor with Xu Jie, but unexpectedly, he made things worse and almost angered Xu Jie to death.

It can be said that Wang Shizhen is now furious whenever he sees the glass statue.

"Ugh--"

Wang Xijue was well aware of his old friend's suffering; he had spent hundreds of thousands of taels of silver only to be brought back to be mistreated.

Now his reputation has even plummeted, and anyone would be irreconcilably opposed to Zhang Shiyuan.

But he still tried to comfort her.

"Brother Yuanmei (Wang Shizhen's courtesy name) need not worry too much. Money is just an external thing; you can earn it back if you lose it."

Your son is still young, and it's understandable that he might do some foolish things. As long as he can sincerely repent and correct his mistakes, there's still room for redemption.

Wang Shizhen, on the other hand, looked like he was sighing.

“My son has been pampered by his wife since childhood and is spoiled by her. He always acts without thinking.”

Keeping him in the capital keeps me constantly on edge; it would be better to have him return to Jiangnan so he can focus on his studies and settle down.”

Wang Xijue nodded slightly and said, "If it can allow your son to focus on his studies and prepare for the autumn examination, it wouldn't be a bad thing."

He seemed quite at ease, after all, his eldest son, Wang Heng, was studying peacefully in the capital and hadn't caused any trouble.

Wang Heng even oversaw Wang Shiqi's affairs in the capital, displaying a maturity beyond his years.

Wang Xijue had high expectations for this son.

As they were talking, Wang Shizhen's gaze fell on a copy of the "Wanli Xinbao" on the table, and he couldn't help but grit his teeth again.

"I've heard that Zhang Shiyuan has recently made some kind of trouble in the capital, claiming that he wants to establish some new science to correct the fallacies of the school of mind in the world. It's simply the biggest joke in the world."

He slammed his hand on the table.

"These young brats, who don't even have the title of a scholar, are already trying to establish a school of thought?"

(End of this chapter)