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

Chapter 353 The Ming Dynasty's Version of "Mooncake Gambling"? Your Majesty, you need them to make money!
Zhang Juzheng was clearly more skilled at using the telescope. After some investigation, he found a fat man moving "at high speed" in the crowd.

Given Emperor Wanli's physique, finding him wouldn't be difficult.

He said with a hint of helplessness.

"His Majesty is standing on wheels; if you can find them, then there must be a ghost."

The fact that Emperor Wanli was wearing a "cart wheel" was already common knowledge in the court. Although some censors and officials had some reservations, saying that this behavior was "not befitting of a ruler," it did not cause any major upheavals in the current political situation.

After all, the emperor has done far more absurd things, so what's one or two more?
To be honest, if it weren't for Zhang Juzheng keeping an eye on things, many civil officials would have really hoped that Emperor Wanli would just kill himself.

If the emperor had killed himself, there wouldn't have been so many ups and downs in the court, and the Ming Dynasty could have returned to its original rules and trajectory.

Shen Shixing was getting anxious, and he sighed helplessly.

"The Ministry of Rites has long prepared the regulations. Today, on the Lantern Festival, outside the Daming Gate, is the time when all nations come to pay homage, officials pay tribute, and the emperor, his subjects, and the people celebrate this grand occasion together."

The Ministry of Rites has made a series of plans for this day, and if they can be implemented, it will surely be a magnificent achievement.

But when the time came, His Majesty acted willfully and fled, saying he wanted to guess some riddles. What kind of behavior is this for a dignified monarch?
Does His Majesty intend to solve all the riddles and reward himself accordingly?

Shen Shixing had been holding back his bitterness, and now he poured it all out like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

Even his words carried a hint of blaming the emperor. Wanli was no longer just an incompetent ruler; his absurdity was even comparable to that of his great-grandfather, Emperor Wuzong of Ming, Zhu Houzhao.

All that's missing is setting up a "Leopard House," taking a secret trip to Jiangnan, and even personally leading an expedition against the Mongols.

Seeing that Zhang Juzheng had no reaction, Shen Shixing couldn't help but say something reproachfully.

“How can the Emperor sit idly by? We, who hold positions in the court, should serve as a mirror for the Emperor. If we see any faults, we should speak out and correct them. This is the way of a subject.”

These days, it seems that Your Majesty has gradually become less strict in your teachings. Without your guidance and restraint, Your Majesty has become increasingly willful in your actions.

Even now, with Xishan in charge, the court has relieved the tax burden, and the world has the development of scientific productivity, if the emperor loses his reverence and the government lacks support!

The students are deeply worried that if this continues, the foundation of the nation will be shaken, and the country will be in jeopardy!

Shen Shixing is currently in a state of inner turmoil. On the one hand, he is trying hard to adapt to the changes in the Ming Dynasty, whether it is the prevalence of economic theories or scientific development. On the other hand, he still holds the traditional Confucian values ​​and is increasingly dissatisfied with the various actions of Emperor Wanli.

It's one thing for Zhang Yunxiu to make a fuss, since he can indeed come up with things that benefit the country and its people, but you, Wanli, are the emperor of a country. How can you follow along with his nonsense?

Zhang Juzheng slowly turned his head, glanced at Shen Shixing, and said in a low voice.

"After the New Year, Ru Mo will be forty-seven years old. He's almost at the age of fifty, and he's aged a lot these days."

Shen Shixing paused for a moment, then cupped his hands in greeting.

"With the government taking the lead, I am merely assisting."

Zhang Juzheng shook his head and sighed to himself.

"Ru Mo, you're getting old, what should I do now?"

His wrinkles deepened as he leaned back in his chair, looking down at the bustling crowd below.

“I am fifty-seven years old, and I am about to turn sixty. Ru Mo blames me for losing my heart to advise His Majesty, and I understand.”

But I have a question for Rumo.

Zhang Juzheng turned to Shen Shixing and said quietly, "Now that I can't even discipline my own son, how can I possibly advise the emperor?"

Shen Shixing was surprised that Zhang Juzheng would say such a thing; it sounded more like the heartbreaking words of an old father.

Zhang Juzheng continued to explain, "His Majesty has grown up, and there is a distinction between ruler and subject. As the regent and chief minister, I should naturally let go and say many things that cannot or are inconvenient to say."

Shen Shixing was somewhat surprised: "The Enfu family didn't say that before."

It should be noted that at this time last year, Zhang Juzheng was very worried about the Wanli Emperor's condition and often thought about how to "correct the emperor's mistakes".

But in just one year, Zhang Juzheng's state of mind seemed to have undergone a dramatic change.

Zhang Juzheng glanced at the other person and said, "What else can we do?"

Shen Shixing was momentarily speechless. How could he not know Zhang Juzheng's concerns? This was indeed a difficult question to answer.

As the emperor grew older, he became like a fully grown tiger, no longer able to be controlled as before.

Even Zhang Juzheng, who initially intended to control the emperor, inadvertently found himself on the opposite side of the emperor.

If it weren't for Zhang Yunxiu's sudden emergence, Zhang Juzheng's relationship with the emperor would have become increasingly strained.

The title of Imperial Tutor was both Zhang Juzheng's reliance and his constraint.

At first, Zhang Juzheng had no choice. He hoped for the revival of the Ming Dynasty, so he had to seek a wise ruler through Confucianism.

But things are very different now. Many ministers in the court can sense that the emperor's "governing by doing nothing" seems to be much better than "doing something".

With the Western Hills in place, the emperor had far fewer troubles, and the court received more taxes. Even though he was sometimes absurd, he was generally able to avoid causing any major chaos.

Zhang Juzheng sat up slightly and said, "His Majesty is a playful person. The Lantern Festival is not a formal event, so there's no need to be so formal. Let him have some fun."

Clearly, he had completely relinquished control over the emperor, and as long as the emperor didn't do anything that would anger both heaven and man, he would let him do as he pleased.

He seemed more like an elderly person who was too old to discipline their children, except that there were two children.

Shen Shixing sighed and didn't continue. He then thought of Zhang Yunxiu.

"Speaking of which, Xishan spent a total of six or seven hundred thousand taels of silver this time. Will they be able to make it back?"

Xishan is extremely important now; all the ministers in the court are keeping a close eye on it.

"I don't know if I can make it back."

Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but chuckle as he spoke.

"He's really enjoying selling things."

As he spoke, Zhang Juzheng took out his telescope and pointed in a certain direction.

Shen Shixing looked puzzled, raised his telescope and looked in that direction, and was immediately startled.

Good heavens! On the wide street to the left of Chessboard Street, several booths have been set up at some point. These booths are neatly divided like a chessboard, with different signs hanging in each area.

There are all sorts of names like "auction venue," "promotion venue," and "lucky draw venue."

"What is this?"

Shen Shixing was dumbfounded. He could understand the auction hall and the promotion hall. The auction was nothing more than the Xishan Auction House, with all kinds of antiques, curios and glass products. The promotion hall was nothing more than the promotion meeting a few days ago. But what was this "Lucky Hall"?
Zhang Juzheng looked puzzled and it took him a long time to finally utter a sentence.

"Bo Bing" (a traditional dice game).

"Gambling?" Shen Shixing was startled. Zhang Juzheng's smile was somewhat stiff: "I suppose it's to earn some money."

"Shiyuan, isn't it a bit inappropriate for us to openly run a gambling den in broad daylight?"

The Wanli Emperor wandered around the chessboard street market and soon found Zhang Yunxiu's side. Looking at the crowds at the "Good Fortune Market", he couldn't help but feel a little worried.

The hall was bustling with activity, with many young men in fine clothes gathered together, grabbing dice and throwing them into a bowl. These people seemed to be obsessed with throwing dice, not caring about the price of ten taels of silver each time, determined to roll out the "top scholar" or "five sons passing the imperial examination".

Because the venue was too noisy, Zhang Yunxiu had difficulty understanding what the Wanli Emperor was saying, and he explained with a smile.

"Your Majesty need not worry. The success of this game depends on how you organize it. If you approach it with a gambling mentality, it is no different from gambling. But if you approach it with a playful attitude, it is indeed a good form of entertainment."

He pointed to the ordinary meeting place across the way and said, "That place is much more elegant. You only need to guess the riddles to get a chance to play the mooncake gambling game with your waist token. Ordinary people can also participate. The rewards range from briquettes to soap, and finally to glass, and there's even a big fat pig!"
"So, this wouldn't count as gambling, right?"

The Wanli Emperor squinted and said, "Why are all the gifts sent from the Western Hills?"

Zhang Yunli said matter-of-factly, "Your Majesty, Xishan has cost hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. If we don't spend money on advertising, how can we recoup our investment?"

The Wanli Emperor pointed to the sales area, the auction area, and the "Lucky Market" next to it, and couldn't help but point out the truth.

"These are the things you use to make money, aren't they?"

Zhang Yunxiu spread his hands and said, "Your Majesty, it's easy to exploit the people's money, but it undermines the foundation of our Great Ming. There are plenty of idle and dissolute young men in the capital. If we don't make money off them, who will we make money off?"

Although he felt somewhat guilty, Emperor Wanli was relieved to see that those who had been tricked were mostly spoiled young men.

The money comes from the people; these people have received the country's favor, so what's wrong with contributing a little to the development of the Ming Dynasty?
On a whim, the Wanli Emperor also took a few rounds.

It's no wonder that "Bo Bing" was so popular among high-ranking officials and nobles, with various combinations of dice such as "Zhuangyuan" (top scholar), "Bangyan" (second-place scholar), "Tanhua" (third-place scholar), "Jinshi" (successful candidate in the imperial examination), "Juren" (successful candidate in the provincial examination), and "Xiucai" (successful candidate in the county-level examination).

Of all professions, only studying is noble. While spoiled young men might utter phrases like "pedantic scholar," they couldn't help but feign a refined taste in their hearts. Even many scholars and graduates would be tempted by auspicious omens like "five sons passing the imperial examination," "six cups of red wine," or "the top scholar wearing a golden flower."

"May all five sons pass the imperial examination!"

Emperor Wanli shouted and threw out six dice. The dice rolled in the porcelain bowl, but no "four" was found, and he was immediately dissatisfied.

"Shiyuan, your 'four points' is really unlucky. I can't get it no matter how I roll it."

Zhang Yunxiu explained, “Your Majesty, this ‘four’ is not that ‘four’. Four points are square and located at the center of the six points, which perfectly conforms to the Doctrine of the Mean. ‘Four’ is not ‘death’ but rather resembles ‘scholar’. The so-called ‘scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants’ means that all people in the world have the ambition to ‘pass the imperial examination and join the ranks of scholars’. The number ‘four’ symbolizes the aspiration of a student who has gone from a child to the top scholar, with the ambition to rise to the top.”

He rattled off a bunch of reasons and logic, leaving the Wanli Emperor completely bewildered.

Emperor Wanli looked up at the other people around him and found that there were quite a few familiar faces among them.

It wasn't just the sons of nobles; there were also several people wearing masks and completely covered up, who were throwing dice wildly among them.

"Isn't that Imperial Censor Liu?"

Emperor Wanli squinted, his gaze sharp as a hawk's.

Well, these censors, these upright officials, they talk about benevolence and morality, but they're all good at pretending to be poor, as if they really are pure and detached from worldly desires.

But then he turned around and spent money like water, throwing dice for ten taels at a time without blinking, and in a short while, he had spent several hundred taels of silver.

"You dog-like creature, how dare you impeach me!"

Emperor Wanli rolled up his sleeves, eager to step forward and expose Censor Liu, catching him red-handed.

Although this person is masked, he constantly contradicts me in court. Even if he were reduced to ashes, the emperor would recognize him.

But he hadn't taken more than a few steps when Zhang Yunxiu stopped him.

"Why are you stopping me? I'll skin him alive!" Emperor Wanli was furious. He hated these hypocritical people the most, and these kinds of people loved to use benevolence and morality to pressure him.

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and advised, "Why doesn't Your Majesty turn a blind eye?"

The Wanli Emperor was furious: "Shiyuan, you wouldn't have accepted this brat's money, would you? Such a treacherous minister should be killed!"

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and explained, "Your Majesty, in this world, the only person who can bribe me is Your Majesty."

Emperor Wanli thought about it and found it quite reasonable. Given Zhang Yunxiu's ability to make money, the only person in the world who could bestow favors upon him was himself.

He squinted and asked, "Why is that?"

Zhang Yunxiu explained with a smile, "It's all for the money. Your Majesty, think about it, why did we open this Hongyunchang? It's to make money!"

Ordinary people wouldn't spend ten taels of silver to play this game. If we want to make money, we must get these nobles, playboys, and civil and military officials involved.

If Your Majesty were to rush out rashly, you could indeed expose him, but it would also silence the others.

Everyone's run away, where are we going to earn money now?

Emperor Wanli paused for a moment, then immediately nodded and said.

"Shiyuan, you've thought of everything. I almost missed out on a lot of money!"

Nothing is more important than money!
But he was still furious.

"So, Imperial Censor Liu will let him go?"

Zhang Yunxiu smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, with my Embroidered Uniform Guard here, this man's crimes will surely come to light in a few days!"

Emperor Wanli nodded in satisfaction, patting his belly as he spoke.

"I trust you to handle things."

He squinted and looked at the center of the Hongyun venue.

"The prize money for this ten-tael riddle game must be quite different from that of a regular riddle game, right?"

In ordinary lantern riddle games, the prizes for "Bo Bing" are nothing more than everyday items, or at most glassware.

Could these things alone have driven the nobles and officials to such a frenzy?

Zhang Yunxiu said, "Your Majesty has a good eye. Our ten-tael silver venue is naturally very different. Look at the bronze statue on the display stand in the center of the venue. It is no ordinary bronze vessel. It is a Western Han Dynasty bronze rhinoceros-shaped vessel with gold and silver cloud patterns. Even if you have silver, you can't buy it."

Emperor Wanli raised his gilded telescope and looked in that direction, and was immediately startled.

No one in the world knew more about treasures than the Wanli Emperor. He recognized at a glance that it was a Western Han dynasty style, even used for temple sacrifices and court ceremonies.

Although this object lacks dragon and phoenix patterns, it is incredibly realistic. The rhinoceros on it stands with its head held high, and the gold and silver cloud patterns are particularly magnificent and exquisite.

No wonder it attracts so many people.

But Emperor Wanli's face immediately darkened.

"This thing is no ordinary item. Zhang Shiyuan, you have quite the nerve to dare to possess such a valuable item."

(End of this chapter)