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

Chapter 271 The Plan for the Sons of Noble Families to Transform the South

"Kill that corrupt official!"

"Good kill!"

"This is Hai Qingtian!"

In a threshing ground in a certain area of ​​southern China, cheers from the people could be heard continuously.

However, as the moon rose high in the sky, Zhu Yinghuai and the others finally had to end their performance for the day.

But the villagers still seemed reluctant to leave. They left in twos and threes, discussing the plot with each other, carrying the small stools they had brought.

"This Hai Qingtian is truly an incorruptible official!"

"Hey, you're younger and don't know, more than ten years ago, Hai Qingtian was quite successful in Jiangnan, but unfortunately he was harmed by villains."

I've heard that Hai Qingtian also thinks this lending law is good.

The people discussed it heatedly, but they didn't forget to give some reward money.

Although the Xishan Opera Troupe did not require any money, the people would still give something after watching the show, even if they were short of money.

It could be a few dry biscuits or a few coins.

More or less, these are all simple expressions of gratitude from the people to the opera troupe.

Before arriving in Jiangnan, Zhu Yinghuai and Zhang Yuanhao were completely unaware of the situation.

It turns out that even in the prosperous Jiangnan region, ordinary people could barely afford to eat a single meal.

During years of famine, countless people are still displaced, separated from their families, and suffer from hunger and thirst.

Not to mention being able to listen to a play or hear a storyteller recount those vernacular novels.

In the eyes of Zhu Yinghuai and Zhang Yuanhao, it was a perfectly ordinary matter.

In the rural areas of Jiangnan, however, it became the greatest joy for the people, and many even knelt and worshipped them as benefactors.

"My lord, this is what my mother asked me to give you."

A childish voice came from behind, and in the small, dark hands, there was a hard-boiled egg on each side.

Zhu Yinghuai, still covered in face paint, looked at the ragged little girl with some surprise.

He said with a smile on his face.

"No need, there's plenty of food in the opera troupe. You can keep this for yourself, little girl."

But the little girl looked very conflicted, standing there on the verge of tears.

"No, no, Mother said that if you receive a favor from someone, you must give something in return."

She forcefully shoved the things into Zhu Yinghuai's hands and said.

"This one is for Master Shiyuan, and this one is for Master Hairui."

Seeing that the little girl was about to cry, Zhu Yinghuai had no choice but to smile and take the egg, then raised his voice and shouted something.

"Thank you for your kind words, dear reader!"

This shout made the little girl smile, and she reluctantly prepared to leave.

Watching the little girl's cheerful departure, Zhang Yuanhao, who was standing to the side, finally sighed.

"The people in the countryside are much more sincere than the nobles and high officials in the capital. Compared to them, the capital seems like a filthy place."

When he said this, Zhang Yuanhao seemed to have forgotten his past deeds of frequenting the brothels in the capital.

Now, his complexion has a healthy tan, and he has grown taller; he is no longer the dissolute playboy he once was.

Zhu Yinghuai carefully put the two eggs into his pocket, seemingly with no intention of sharing, and said with a slight smile.

"Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles. If you don't go deep into the real world and just stay in your study all day, how can you truly understand the world around you?"

Now, when he speaks, he even sounds somewhat like his master, Zhang Yunxiu.

"I'm not entirely clear on the ins and outs of it."

Zhang Yuanhao, who wasn't well-read, scratched his head and said...

"I think the method of this play, 'Hai Gong's Judgment,' is really good. In the past, we tried to use crosstalk to convey the imperial decrees, but the effect was far less than what we have now."

These days, the people watching the play are all reciting Hai Gong's deeds fluently, and the implementation of the new policies described in them is incredibly effective.

“The people are holding back their anger,” Zhu Yinghuai said with a smile. “In Lord Hai’s cases, he kills corrupt officials and local gentry and merchants. The people are oppressed every day, so naturally they are holding back their anger. Having an outlet for their anger makes a big difference.”

Even in the past, newspapers were all about writing skills.

While the Wanli Xinbao newspaper achieved some success by using a popular and easy-to-understand approach that was close to the realities of people's lives, it was not without its merits.

However, there are countless Confucian scholars in the world, and it is not a long-term solution to spend all day studying how to write beautiful articles and playing with words with them.

Even though the Wanli Xinbao newspaper captured the general public, most illiterate people still needed the help of gentry and scholars to explain things to them.

The so-called "scholars and officials assisting the emperor in educating the people" meant that the gentry at the grassroots level in the countryside should assist the court in implementing its policies.

This is why it has always been difficult for dynastic reforms to be implemented.

It's impossible to think that you can strip the gentry and powerful of their interests and still rely on them to help you implement policies.

Zhu Yinghuai let out a cold laugh and said, "There are countless scholars in the world, but how many of them come from humble backgrounds? Ordinary people can't even afford to eat, so how can they have the energy to study?"

If this continues, it will become like the Jiangnan region, where the poor get poorer and the rich get richer.

The powerful clans of Jiangnan have deep-rooted connections, and now they dare to defy the imperial court. This is only possible in the current dynasty. If this were during the Hongwu or Yongle reigns, a large army would have been dispatched to wipe out these petty villains.

Zhu Yinghuai may seem absurd, but he has always loved reading. In the past, he rarely participated in politics simply because of his status.

His various experiences in Jiangnan made him deeply realize what it truly means to "have no right to speak without practice."

“Hey~ These corrupt gentry and merchants are even more greedy than us nobles.” Zhang Yuanhao spoke more bluntly, “Our fathers shed blood and made contributions for the court, yet we still dare not be so presumptuous. These people only exploit the common people, yet they are still not satisfied. Instead, they deceive their superiors and cover up their wrongdoings!”

In recent days, Zhang Yuanhao has been traveling around with the opera troupe, and has been able to see the situation of the common people clearly.

Zhang Yuanhao was indeed somewhat dissolute in his daily life, to the point that he would attend the brothel during the day, the brothel in the afternoon, and then go home to rest briefly before returning to the brothel in the evening.

However, he prided himself on being a person with a conscience and would not deliberately oppress ordinary people. In fact, when he encountered women from the brothels with less favorable backgrounds, Zhang Yuanhao would lend a helping hand and give them more money.

However, after arriving in Jiangnan, they truly discovered that this group of gentry, who considered themselves to be of high moral character and talked about Confucianism and Mencius all day long, were actually the most despicable people.

The new policies and decrees issued by the imperial court were well-intentioned, but through their collusion with local officials, they became tools for the continued exploitation of the people. People were forced to sell their children; those who were chosen by the gentry to become concubines or servants were considered to have a better ending.

The people of Jiangnan, subjected to various schemes by gentry and merchants, lost their fortunes and became homeless, eventually becoming refugees searching for a living. Of those who survived, less than one in ten remained.

Hiding in the capital, one naturally cannot see these things.

Even the nobles and high-ranking officials in the capital, though possessing some conscience, were exposed to nothing but false reports submitted by local officials, gentry, and merchants.

The livelihoods of ordinary people are naturally shrouded in mystery.

The Xishan Theater is filled with people from all walks of life, including many from noble families.

This "Going South to the South" charity performance was not only meant to bring joy to the people of Jiangnan and spread the imperial decrees, but also to provide a spiritual baptism for the sons of noble families.

They began to understand what the world was really like and what the lives of ordinary people were really like.

"If this trip hadn't been so urgent, I would have definitely gone to various places to see for myself how these corrupt officials in Jiangnan oppressed the people of my Great Ming!"

Zhu Yinghuai gritted his teeth. He had witnessed too much evil in human nature along the way, to the point that he felt utterly disgusted by the mention of those gentry and merchants.

"No rush, no rush," Zhang Yuanhao said with a smile. "I have already sent someone to record everything I have seen and heard on this trip. We will compile it into a book and present it to His Majesty and Master when we return to the capital!"

Zhu Yinghuai nodded and said, "This is the proper course of action."

Their purpose in coming out this time was not only to publicize government policies to the people of Jiangnan, but also for some "imperial envoys" to conduct secret investigations for the emperor.

By this time, it was already late at night. The group had packed up and planned to head to the next town under the cover of night, rest the next morning, and continue working in the evening.

With the travel permit issued by the cabinet, the journey was naturally smooth.

Just as they were about to set off, a thin boy ran up from behind and hurriedly informed Zhu Yinghuai.

"Reporting to the Dean, we just received a letter."

As he spoke, he handed a beautifully framed letter to Zhu Yinghuai, who sat atop his tall horse and frowned slightly as he spoke.

"What does it say?"

The boy scratched his head somewhat awkwardly, "The dean hasn't taught us yet, and we don't know how."

Zhu Yinghuai was rather helpless.

The boy's name was Chen Hong. He was an orphan he had rescued a few days ago when he passed through a fishing village. When he was found, Chen Hong was already on the verge of death.

He was quick-witted and showed considerable talent in the arts of drama and crosstalk.

Zhu Yinghuai then kept him by his side as an apprentice, which could be considered as giving him a way to make a living.

Unfortunately, this boy had suffered hardship since childhood and did not know many words.

"Alright then." Zhu Yinghuai sighed, took the envelope, and couldn't help but lecture him. "Write a hundred more big characters tomorrow. If you want to become a star, you absolutely cannot do without hard work."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master."

The young man named Chen Hong shrank back, but he cherished the hard-won opportunity and kept the instructions in mind.

"What letter?" Zhang Yuanhao, riding beside him, noticed that Zhu Yinghuai was staring at him in a daze and couldn't help but feel curious.

Zhu Yinghuai, having regained his composure, handed the letter to Zhang Yuanhao and said, "It is a letter from Xu Bangrui, the Duke of Wei, inviting us to Yingtian for a meeting."

"The Duke of Wei?" Zhang Yuanhao was taken aback. "Why would he invite us? We are meritorious officials of the Jingnan Campaign, and we have absolutely no connection with him, a founding father of the state."

Since the Jingnan Rebellion during the Yongle reign, the newly appointed meritorious officials who participated in the rebellion have always been distant from the old meritorious officials who were the founders of the dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang wiped out most of the founding nobles, leaving only the lineage of the Duke of Wei, who remained somewhat prominent.

However, the Duke of Wei's lineage had been stationed in Yingtian for generations, and had no real connection with the nobles in the capital, let alone reminisce with these meritorious officials who had contributed to the Jingnan Campaign.

Moreover, Zhu Yinghuai and Zhang Yuanhao are both juniors, so isn't it a bit too strange that the Duke of Wei would send a special letter to invite them?
Zhu Yinghuai frowned: "It must be about the new policies."

"New policy?" Zhang Yuanhao asked, puzzled.

Zhu Yinghuai looked around and said in a low voice.

"Come with me."

The two rode their horses to a secluded spot, where Zhu Yinghuai then explained.

"Don't you know? The Duke of Wei's lineage has guarded Nanjing for generations. They not only enjoy wealth and honor, but also have deep roots in Jiangnan for a hundred years. They have done a lot of things such as annexing the land of ordinary people and seizing the land of the garrison."

Zhang Yuanhao exclaimed angrily, "The Duke of Wei's mansion has become so arrogant!"

Zhu Yinghuai's eyes were deep and thoughtful: "If the court wants the Duke of Wei's lineage to guard the important land of Jiangnan, it must give them certain benefits. Otherwise, when the land was surveyed a few years ago, the Grand Secretary would not have shown any mercy."

When Zhang Juzheng began implementing his new policies, some of the greatest supporters were nobles who had received the emperor's favor for generations and shared the nation's fate. The support of Zhang Rong, the Duke of Ying, is the best proof of this.

But when they arrived in Nanjing, the situation was quite different. The court wanted to curb the power of the Jiangnan gentry, so it was impossible not to pay attention to the Duke of Wei's mansion. Between two evils, they had to choose the lesser one and give the Duke of Wei some leniency.

This is also a helpless move.

"Now..." Zhang Yuanhao frowned, trying to figure out some clues, but he couldn't come up with anything.

"Whether it was the Single Whip Law or the land survey, the Duke of Wei's mansion still made some concessions and relinquished some land."

Zhu Yinghuai appeared to be a playboy, but in reality, he had done a lot of research on the implementation of the imperial decrees.

"However," his eyes sharpened, "this time, Master's implementation of that 'loan' method has probably really hurt the Duke of Wei's mansion. The Duke of Wei's mansion has always kept a low profile and doesn't get involved much in court politics, so naturally they don't dare to openly oppose it."

"So, knowing that you and I have come to this Jiangnan region, he has conceived a plan to use us to speak with our master?" Zhang Yuanhao said, having finally understood.

Zhu Yinghuai narrowed his eyes: "That's possible, or it's possible that the Duke of Wei is trying to turn the two of us against this 'loan' method."

"Absolutely impossible!"

Zhang Yuanhao said very firmly.

"I, Zhang Yuanhao, value loyalty above all else. I am loyal to His Majesty and to my mentor, Zhang Shiyuan. What is the Duke of Wei's mansion compared to that?"

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Zhang Yuanhao omitted the "parent" element from the traditional Chinese family hierarchy of ruler, parent, and teacher.

Zhu Yinghuai shook his head and said, "This matter needs to be considered carefully. We can send a fast horse to inform our master and then make a decision."

“There are undercurrents!” Zhang Yuanhao shook his head helplessly. “I can’t figure out so many tricks even if I rack my brains. The affairs of the court are really not smooth.”

Zhu Yinghuai smiled helplessly: "So you'd better stay with your master and stay in the Xishan Theater."

For these sons of noble families, the path to the imperial court was difficult, and the military career was arduous. The Xishan Theater, on the contrary, became a good place where they could settle down and do their work.

(End of this chapter)