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

Chapter 256: The First Emperor to Advance Rule from the Third Generation and Below! I Will Rule Through Non-Action!

"It is said that the Great Immortal Deer Power sat on the embroidered stool and watched for a long time. The two of them were evenly matched on the high platform."

"The Great Sage flew lightly to the cabinet, crawled under its leg, and saw a crack in the board."

"Then the Taoist priest cried out three times, but before the head could be seen, it collapsed to the ground. The crowd looked and saw that it was a headless, yellow-haired tiger."

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Zhang Yunxiu vividly explained "Journey to the West" to the Wanli Emperor.

In fact, Wu Cheng'en's version of "Journey to the West" was already completed as early as the beginning of the Wanli era.

However, the true spread of "Journey to the West" in history did not begin until the Shidetang edition of the Wanli era.

Zhang Yunxiu obviously wouldn't be foolish enough to wait for the Shidetang edition. If the Wanli Xinbao wanted to spread throughout the Ming Dynasty, popular vernacular novels would be indispensable.

He's very busy these days; he can't possibly spend all his time in his study writing stories, can he?

Therefore, a special team was sent to places like Shanyang in Huai'an Prefecture to search for Wu Cheng'en and find this story. It has recently been serialized up to chapter 46 and is extremely popular both in and out of the capital, as well as in the northern and southern regions of Zhili.

This passage describes the scene where the master and his disciples visit Chechi Kingdom and battle the three demons, which is extremely exciting.

The Wanli Emperor, with his chubby face, listened intently and hurriedly inquired.

"What happened next? What happened next? Tell me quickly! You, Zhang Shiyuan, always know how to keep people in suspense."

Zhang Yunxiu scratched his head and said, "Your Majesty, I forgot. The Journey to the West is rich in content and has a wonderful story. When you are watching it, you are immersed in it, but it is difficult to remember it afterward."

It wasn't that he couldn't remember, but given the emperor's personality, if he continued talking, he probably wouldn't stop until he heard all the stories.

"You, Zhang Shiyuan, usually have a photographic memory, but today you're acting like this."

Emperor Wanli grumbled and cursed, but he wasn't really angry. He shifted his position and said...

"Is the hardcover edition of that storybook coming out anytime soon? I'm eagerly waiting to read it. Tell the bookstores to expedite it."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured," Zhang Yunxiu said with a smile. "The entire capital relies on 'Journey to the West' for its livelihood. How can I slack off?"
Wu Ruzhong's manuscripts are rather disorganized, and it will indeed take some time before they can be bound and published.

"Alright, alright, I'll make do with this for now and find some other stories to read."

Emperor Wanli smacked his lips, seemingly having just finished eating something delicious and still wanting more. After thinking for a moment, he frowned and asked.

"Speaking of which, why does this King of Chechi seem so familiar? I feel like I've seen him somewhere before?"

"Ah~"

Zhang Yunxiu's expression froze instantly.

He almost forgot that during the Wanli era, literati were incredibly daring in their writing, even openly including a plot about the Chechi Kingdom that reflected the Jiajing Emperor.

It is true that officials will not investigate if the people do not complain, but it is different when it comes to the Wanli Emperor. Isn't this tantamount to scolding the grandfather in front of the grandson?

"Your Majesty is exceptionally intelligent; you guessed correctly on the first try!"

Although he felt a little flustered inside, Zhang Yunxiu remained completely natural on the surface, letting out a sigh and shaking his head with a smile.

"The King of Chechi Kingdom is a reflection of Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji!"

"Emperor Huizong of Song?" Emperor Wanli's eyebrows furrowed tightly, as if he could hardly believe it.

“Exactly!” Zhang Yunxiu said with great certainty. “In the past, Emperor Huizong of Song called himself the ‘Emperor of the Daoist Sect’ and built the Shenxiao Palace throughout the country to worship the ‘Emperor of Longevity’. He even converted Buddhist temples into Taoist temples and renamed monks and nuns as ‘virtuous men’. Isn’t he exactly the same as the King of Chechi Kingdom?”

"It's really true!"

Emperor Wanli thought about it and realized that it was indeed as the other party said, and it seemed to be a reflection of Emperor Huizong of Song.

Thinking of this, he felt much relieved and also somewhat fortunate.

After all, if this story truly reflects the events of his grandfather, the Jiajing Emperor, should he ban it or not?

It's really hard to give up on banning it.

When Emperor Wanli was in a much better mood, he couldn't help but talk about Emperor Huizong of Song.

"When I read history books in the past, I always felt regretful when I read about the Yuan You Restoration. However, after Emperor Zhezong assumed power, he worked hard to govern the country and restored the new policies of Shaosheng, and the country's situation improved."

He was tough on foreign enemies, showing the spirit of the Han people. He swept away the decline of the Song Dynasty, defeated the Western Xia and conquered Qinghai. He was a rare wise ruler in the Song Dynasty.

Unfortunately, Emperor Zhezong died too young, leaving Emperor Huizong, Zhao Ji, to rule and ultimately leading to the downfall of the Northern Song Dynasty. It is truly a tragic and lamentable situation.

Emperor Wanli could easily dabble in these historical events, and he could only grit his teeth at the thought of Emperor Huizong of Song.

Zhang Yunxiu glanced at the fat emperor with a surprised expression, his face showing a strange look.

At this moment, just as at that moment.

In the past, didn't Emperor Zhezong of Song also ascend the throne at a young age and then implement new policies?

He was somewhat similar to the Wanli Emperor, but unfortunately, this fat emperor lived longer than Emperor Zhezong of Song, yet his methods and abilities were far inferior to Zhezong's.

Of course, Zhang Yunxiu still had to give Emperor Wanli some encouragement for "happy education" on the surface, he said with a smile.

"Your Majesty is wise. The regrets of Emperor Zhezong of Song will not be repeated in our Great Ming. Today, the Wanli Emperor's reforms are in full swing and have already reversed the decline. The Great Ming will usher in a new era of revival!"

At this point, Emperor Wanli smiled and patted his chubby belly as he spoke.

"The new policies have been quite effective. Those upright gentlemen of the past have been lecturing me every day to be diligent in government, to be frugal, and to reflect on myself."

But now I see that I was so wrong!

The Wanli Emperor paced among the bookshelves, glancing in the direction of the history books, and let out a sigh.

"Among those rulers after the Three Dynasties who are called wise rulers, Emperor Wen of Han is the most worthy of praise. Emperor Wen ruled the world by non-action. Non-action does not mean inaction, but rather less corvée labor, less punishment and less intervention."

There are inherent laws and principles governing this world. I only need to focus on my own affairs and refrain from excessive interference, and the path to national revival will be achieved!

What the hell!

Zhang Yunxiu's eyes widened, almost thinking that the fat emperor's body had been replaced. Was this still the same Wanli Emperor?

But thinking about it, it's understandable.

Emperor Wanli was subjected to strong Confucian education from a young age, which instilled in him a rebellious mentality. In addition, he was a lazy person by nature, and the principle of "governing by inaction" made it possible for him to justify his "slackness".

Most importantly, since the emergence of Zhang Yunxiu and his son Zhang Juzheng, they jointly initiated a vigorous reform in the Ming Dynasty.

Emperor Wanli discovered that he didn't need to interfere much; simply providing some support was enough for the Ming Dynasty to flourish, and the people praised him daily.

Conversely, if one believes in the ideas of the literati, not only will the country not recover, but it will become increasingly decadent, and the emperor himself will even be scolded every day.

Even a fool could figure out which choice to make.

Zhang Yunxiu's expression changed. Unintentionally, he had managed to get the Wanli Emperor to "unlock" the delegation of power ahead of schedule.

He naturally didn't hold back his praise.

"Your Majesty's wisdom is so profound, it is a blessing for the nation and for all the people under heaven!"

The Wanli Emperor awkwardly touched his chin and said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Shiyuan, you don't need to flatter me too much. I have learned a lot these days. Who in the world can be wise in every situation and succeed in everything?"

If you want things to succeed, you need to do what your Xishan workshop and Renmin Medical Clinic do: pool your wisdom and efforts, and know how to use people effectively.

He patted Zhang Yunxiu on the shoulder and said happily.

"I am the emperor, and I don't have many close friends. You, Zhang Shiyuan, are the only one. Fortunately, you are always considerate of me, which makes me trust you."

Emperor Wanli thought for a moment, then said with great certainty.

"I trust both you and the Grand Secretary."

(End of this chapter)