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

Chapter 327 This is the Way of the Sage! My silver is on sale?
Yuan Wenwei knew that following Li Zhi would not lead to anything good.

When the old man arrived at the market, all he saw and heard was how eagerly the vendors were to participate in the Xishan promotional event, which made him extremely resentful.

To verify the concept of "unity of knowledge and action," he turned around and took out all his savings of over one hundred taels of silver to buy the shop.

Yuan Wenwei was heartbroken. That was the money the two of them had saved up to live on in the capital, and the old man handed it over without batting an eye.

Let's take it over then. We were originally selling it at half price. The goods in this shop aren't unsellable. With small profits and quick turnover, we can still break even.

But Li Zhi was different. He offered discounts of up to 90% off when others offered half price, practically aiming to lose money!

Li Zhi, with a beaming smile, handed the monkey-head hat to the child.

“Madam, take this hat. If you give me two more coins, I’ll give you a pair of gloves as a gift.”

But the woman seemed quite flattered by this, and she waved her hands repeatedly.

"No, no, absolutely not! Sir, this is too cheap. It should cost at least twenty coins."

Although the woman was not very wealthy, she was still aware of market prices.

Normally, a child's felt hat like this would cost at least thirty coins on Qipan Street. The hat on this stall is clearly made of thicker materials and better workmanship. The products from Xishan are renowned, so five coins is simply a pipe dream.

But Li Zhi seemed to be talking nonsense: "No, no, this is a promotion. This is the unity of knowledge and action. If you accept it, you are helping this old man. If you don't accept it, you are harming this old man."

If everyone were like you, would this sales event even be worthwhile? This is a matter that affects the economy of our Great Ming Dynasty, and you absolutely cannot refuse.

The woman was stunned. Did the Ming Dynasty perish because she didn't buy the felt hat?

She didn't know how to argue with this strange old man, but seeing that her child liked him very much, she carefully took out twenty coins from her bosom and handed them to Li Zhi.

"Sir, please take it. I really dare not buy it for five coins."

The woman threw down twenty coins and tried to escape Li Zhi's clutches with the young child.

Today's big sale is...

Just as Li Zhi was about to speak, he saw the woman turn and walk away. He immediately became anxious, grabbed a pair of cotton gloves, and rushed over to say something.

"Madam, please wait a moment~"

He chased after the child for a few steps, stuffed the glove into the child's hand, and said with a smile and a shake of his head.

"Five coins is indeed a bit too little, but according to the rules of the promotional event, this felt hat should be sold at half price. Yours is still a bit too much."

I noticed that the child's hands were swollen from the cold. It's almost the end of the year, so wearing these gloves will keep him warm.

It wouldn't be good if their hands got frostbite; the child is at the age where they need to learn to read and write.

"Old man."

The woman tried to refuse, but Li Zhi waved his hand and said no.

"It is what I, an old man, give to the child."

The woman sighed, having no reason to refuse any longer, and quickly pulled the child to bow to Li Zhi.

"Chun'er, quickly thank this old gentleman; he is a very kind person."

The child, clutching a felt hat and gloves, looked timid, yet still raised both hands and respectfully bowed to Li Zhi.

"Thank you, sir. May you enjoy good health and longevity!"

Upon seeing this scene, Li Zhi was overjoyed and quickly stepped forward, raising his hand to say something.

"Oh dear~ No need for formalities~ What a good child~"

Even in the dead of winter, Li Zhi's radiant smile seemed far more cheerful than when he had refuted a few pedantic scholars.

He held the child's hand and said.

"Can I start reading now?"

Seeing that the other party meant no harm, the woman smiled and said...

“The children will begin their education tomorrow, when spring begins. My husband has hired workers from Xishan. The men in the workshop said that the children can be sent to Peiwen Academy in Xishan to study, and there will be no tuition fee.”

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi's smile faded slightly, and he asked inquiringly.

"What does this lady think of West Mountain?"

"That would be wonderful, of course," the woman said with a happy smile. "In the past, my husband worked odd jobs outside, building timber and repairing tiles for others. He only earned about thirty coins a day, and it was already a miracle if he didn't go hungry."

A few days ago, Xishan said he was going to set up a construction workshop and specifically recruit all kinds of experienced craftsmen.

My husband has some skills, and luckily, he caught the eye of the men, so he can start working in the spring.

The woman hadn't read many books, but she was clearly very familiar with the rules and regulations of Xishan, having read them countless times.

"Everyone knows that Xishan is good. But if you work for others and rent land from the lords to grow grain, you can't earn much money in a year. In years of disaster, you even lose money."

But after arriving in Xishan, they received their wages on time every month, and Master Zhang also provided them with food and lodging, and the children were able to go to school.

Is there any better place in the world than West Mountain?

The woman's words left Li Zhi somewhat bewildered.

Realizing she had spoken out of turn, the woman gave a slight bow and said, "Sir, you must also be from Xishan. It seems that, as the rumors say, everyone in Xishan is very kind."

Chun'er, quickly bow to the old gentleman.

The child bowed respectfully again: "Sir, you are truly a kind person!"

After saying this, the woman took her leave with the young child.

Even after returning to his stall, Li Zhi remained in a daze, seemingly still immersed in the social interaction he had just experienced, unable to extricate himself from it.

Yuan Wenwei leaned back in his recliner, shaking his head and saying, "Sir, you are truly a great philanthropist!"

He sighed heavily.

"It's a pity that others receive the good, but we suffer the pain."

Yuan Wenwei could already imagine the two of them, penniless after New Year's Day, eating pancakes and attending the Lantern Festival in a miserable state.

What kind of karma is this?!
“You don’t understand,” Li Zhi said, shaking his head. “This is the way of science, the way of the sages.”

Yuan Wenwei, however, was not optimistic: "I don't understand the way of the sages. I only know that we are going to lose everything in this shop today."

What benefit can this promotional event bring besides providing relief to the people?

With vendors selling at such low prices, how can they possibly make a profit?
"That economic stuff... Beijing's already sluggish economy, this kind of upheaval is like a strong dose of medicine, it's likely to cause chaos."

In the eyes of a traditional Confucian scholar like Yuan Wenwei, this promotional event was utterly worthless.

Confucianism emphasizes moderation, balance, and impartiality. Zhang Yunxiu's economic policies proposed at court a few days ago seemed relatively sound, but he quickly reverted to his old ways. Is the Ming Dynasty some kind of plaything in Zhang Yunxiu's hands?
"That seems to be the case."

For a moment, even Li Zhi was at a loss for words.

But his eyes remained firm as he spoke.

"The way of science is to unite knowledge and action and to thoroughly investigate the truth. We may not know the reasons behind it, but that is the purpose of our visit today."

By understanding the thoughts and feelings of vendors and witnessing the joys and sorrows of ordinary people, how can the path of science not be successfully followed?

"Science~ Science~" Yuan Wenwei said with a somewhat reproachful look, "The people of the Ming Dynasty are not yet well-fed and clothed, but you and I, master and disciple, are going to starve to death first."

Li Zhi, however, gave an irrelevant answer and continued speaking.

"Just wait and see, and wait to be remembered in history alongside your master!"

I intend to write a book about this scientific way.

We will study this carefully and learn all of Zhang Shiyuan's knowledge, so that he can see how powerful I am in the future!
"At that point, will he have no choice but to accept me as his disciple, whether he wants to or not?"

Yuan Wenwei's face stiffened for a moment, then he sighed helplessly, took off his felt hat and covered his face, tilted his head, and refused to pay attention to this "madman".

After several days of preparation, the Xishan Sales Promotion Conference was held as scheduled.

The news spread like wildfire, and even people from many prefectures and counties surrounding the capital came to visit.

In ancient times, there were few entertainment options, and it was the end of the year, so people were not only looking for cheap deals, but also had to come to join in the fun.

On New Year's Eve, the western mountains were bathed in sunshine. Even though there were piles of snow on the roadside, it still brought a long-lost warmth.

The square in front of Xishan Theater was packed with people early in the morning, with people moving between various exhibitions and a dazzling array of goods.

"Papa papa ~"

A loud burst of firecrackers rang out.

Yu Xiangdou was on stage, beating gongs and drums, dressed in bright red clothes, looking very happy.

"Dear fellow villagers, today marks the official opening of the Xishan Sales Promotion Conference. We hope that those of you with money will support us financially, and those without money will simply show your presence. We're sure you won't have a wasted trip!"

As Zhang Yunxiu intended, the promotional event didn't involve much fanfare; it was just a matter of banging drums and shouting a couple of slogans.

After all, for the locals who come here, all those complicated procedures are useless; what they want is cheap and affordable goods.

Many people hadn't even bought any New Year's goods before, waiting to come and buy them today.

Such a grand occasion naturally wouldn't be complete without a performance.

A stage was also set up in the center of the square, where actors from the Xishan Theater took turns performing.

From crosstalk to storytelling, from song and dance to drama, all kinds of programs are emerging one after another, making it dazzling.

Where have the people of the Ming Dynasty ever seen such a spectacle? Not only are there cheap goods, but there is also a free show to watch.
Even well-traveled young masters, who usually only listen to storytelling and watch plays, could not see so many things at once. Besides, a large crowd makes it lively, but the atmosphere here is quite different.

For a moment, commoners in plain clothes and richly dressed gentry and young masters were simultaneously crowded together in the crowd, watching the performance on stage and cheering in waves, a stark contrast to their usual clear distinction.

This joyous scene made the already crowded theater entrance even more lively, with a continuous stream of people coming to visit.

"This scene can only be compared to the Lantern Festival during the reign of Emperor Chengzu."

An elderly scholar in the crowd couldn't help but sigh.

"Is there still a show to watch?"

After disguising himself, Emperor Wanli looked like the simple-minded son of a noble family. His eyes lit up when he saw the stage in the center of the square.

"What's going on here today?"

Zhang Cheng, dressed as a servant, quickly went forward to investigate and then returned to report.

"Your Majesty, the two plays performed just now were 'The Eight Immortals Celebrating Longevity' and 'Heavenly Palace Bestowing Blessings'."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Wanli was somewhat disappointed.

"The Eight Immortals Celebrate Longevity" and "Heavenly Palace Bestows Blessings" are almost essential folk songs for festivals nowadays. Neither of them has a specific plot; they are simply a series of gods taking turns to appear, saying auspicious words, and bestowing blessings upon the audience.

Emperor Wanli, who spent his days watching plays, was naturally not interested, but the common people found it extremely novel and packed the stage with people.

Upon witnessing this scene, even the Wanli Emperor couldn't help but sigh.

"It has to be Shiyuan! Others go to great lengths, but he can gather so many people with just a little effort. There seem to be tens of thousands of people today. I have never seen such a lively scene before."

Zhang Cheng lowered his voice and said, "Commander Zhang is naturally capable because he relies on His Majesty's favor, but he has some flaws. He always likes to act recklessly. The prices of goods from Xishan are already quite favorable. If they were priced according to the usual rates, we would have made a lot more money today, but he just does it anyway."

He seemed hesitant to speak.

When Consort Zheng dressed as an ordinary woman, her beauty was greatly diminished without makeup, but her inherent charm remained undiminished. Leaning against Emperor Wanli, she spoke.

"Your Majesty, that's all from the palace's private treasury!"

Emperor Wanli remained silent, his gaze falling on many of the stalls in Xishan. Compared to ordinary vendors, the goods from Xishan were much more popular, and people came and went in an endless stream to buy them.

But every time people happily took away their goods, one truckload of goods was brought in and then taken away, and the mountain of goods vanished in an instant.

In this situation, Emperor Wanli felt as if his heart was bleeding.

He could disregard his reputation, after all, the literati and officials of the Qingliu faction had already privately denounced him as a tyrant like Jie and Zhou.

He could also be indifferent to power, after all, power, though addictive, is also very troublesome. Every day there are many official duties to deal with, how can it compare to the fun of reading novels and reading erotic pictures?

He could disregard beauty, after all, no matter how graceful a woman is in real life, how could she compare to the fairies in erotic paintings? The taste of Chang'e was ten thousand times more exciting than that of Consort Zheng.
But what Emperor Wanli could not part with was this silver!

Silver was extremely important. Emperor Wanli had been controlled since childhood and lived in poverty his whole life. He finally managed to earn some silver!
Thinking of this, the Wanli Emperor could no longer contain himself and frowned as he spoke.

"How dare you, Zhang Shiyuan, embezzle my money like this! This is intolerable!"

Zhang Cheng lowered his head, a sudden surge of joy rising in his heart, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips, but on the surface he quickly offered his advice.

"Your Majesty, you must not be angry! Zhang Zhang has rendered great service and meritorious service. This matter is of utmost importance. You must not rashly stop him!"

Consort Zheng feigned nonchalance and said, "What's done is done. The promotional event has already started, and there's no turning back. I think it would be better to summon Chief Guard Zhang."

Just as the two were subtly trying to trip up Zhang Yunxiu, Emperor Wanli suddenly changed the subject.

"Who said I was going to stop this promotional event?"

His chubby face looked quite strange.

"What nonsense are you two spouting?"

(End of this chapter)