Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 107 The pen is the sword, public opinion is the weapon.

In the Palace of Qianqing.

Inside the hall, sandalwood incense burned, its smoke curling upwards, creating a tranquil atmosphere.

Zhu Youjian sat behind his desk, holding a stack of drafts in his hand, but his brows furrowed more and more.

Before the imperial desk, Gao Shiming stood with his hands at his sides.

In the center of the main hall stood several scholars dressed in various styles, all silent and trembling, not daring to even breathe loudly.

They were the tabloid editors whom Zhu Youjian had Wang Tiqian "invite" from all corners of the capital.

The older of these people had gray hair and beards, and their faces were weathered; the middle-aged ones looked somewhat down on their luck, their faded scholar's robes patched with dirt; and the youngest one looked to be in his mid-thirties.

What they had in common was that they all stopped at the level of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) and never made it any further in their lives. They could only make a living by making up stories of gods and ghosts and romantic rumors in the marketplace.

Finally, Zhu Youjian couldn't help but shake his head and throw the manuscript paper in his hand onto the imperial desk.

The sound wasn't loud, but it made the scholars tremble.

"Ugh……"

A long sigh echoed in the empty hall.

"Novels aren't written like this."

As soon as he finished speaking, the scholars seemed to have heard a thunderclap, and they knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me! This humble subject is incompetent, this humble subject deserves to die!"

Seeing them trembling like leaves, Zhu Youjian felt a headache coming on.

He rubbed his temples and waved his hand helplessly.

"Get up, all of you. I did not say I would punish you."

The group stood up tremblingly, heads bowed, not even daring to glance at the dragon throne.

Looking at these top writers of novels in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Youjian had countless complaints to make, but for a moment he didn't know where to begin.

What he gave these people was a set topic for their assignment.

The core of the story is simple: a young man from a military household in Liaodong lost his family in the Liaoshen War and was taken as a slave by the Later Jin along with his relatives.

After enduring inhuman torture and oppression, the boy rose up in despair and eventually contacted righteous men in the heart of the Later Jin territory, killed his enemies, and escaped back to the Ming Dynasty.

What he wanted was a revenge story full of blood and tears, a heroic epic that could arouse readers' righteous indignation.

But what kind of bizarre and nonsensical things did these people hand over to him?

One story involves the protagonist summoning a black dragon in a moment of crisis, learning thirty-six transformations, and wreaking havoc everywhere... This is clearly just a reskinned version of the Monkey King from "Journey to the West".

Another book says that the protagonist is 10 feet tall and has a waist circumference of 10 feet. He is a square-shaped muscle giant who eats large chunks of meat and drinks large bowls of wine at any time. He can even ride a horse on his arm... Which mountain in "Water Margin" did this brute run out of?

The most outrageous one is the third book. The protagonist is normal, but the author spends a lot of ink describing the widow next door who was also kidnapped. She is described in such vivid detail that she forcibly controls him for ten minutes. I don't know which popular book she borrowed from.

These are not the most crucial factors.

The biggest problem is—it doesn't look good!

Of course, the main reason it's not good is probably the problem with the theme of the story.

But what he needs now is precisely a writer who can make such an unpleasant topic exciting and dramatic.

Unfortunately, all he has at hand right now are these few oddballs.

The literary style of the Ming Dynasty was flourishing in the south and declining in the north. He couldn't very well ask the top scholars in the Hanlin Academy to write novels for him, could he?

From the perspective of this era, this is nothing short of an insult.

He was, after all, a "sage ruler," and it was inappropriate for him to do such strange things.

Well, I dug this hole myself, so I have to fill it myself.

However, he was not a bestselling author in later generations, and his writing skills were extremely weak; he could only write proposals, not novels.

Let's treat a dead horse as a living horse doctor.

Zhu Youjian took a deep breath and decided to share all his experience of reading online novels over the past ten years.

"First of all, do you know what the 'Golden Three Chapters' are?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

The scholars looked at each other, their faces filled with bewilderment.

Zhu Youjian sighed and continued, "The so-called 'golden three chapters' mean that the beginning of the story must be captivating."

"The beginning must be fraught with danger! The reader's heart must be on the edge of their seat right from the start!"

He waved the manuscript paper in his hand, his tone tinged with disappointment.

"Look at what you've written! You start with hundreds of words of background information and biographical details. Who has the patience to read that? This kind of writing is just waste paper!"

"Listen!" Zhu Youjian emphasized, "I want you to clearly describe the first crisis the protagonist faces in one hundred words!"

"For example, Liaoyang City falls, and the protagonist is about to be killed! Or, the protagonist is surrounded by Jin scouts while on the run! In short, a crisis is imminent!"

He paused, looking at the somewhat confused expressions on the faces of those below him, and softened his tone.

"A story should be both logical and unexpected. First, there must be the danger of pulling back from the brink, then there can be the joy of escaping from a desperate situation. Without crisis, how can there be a turning point?"

"When there is a crisis, readers will be curious about how the protagonist will survive. What you need to write next is how the protagonist solves this crisis."

“But…” Zhu Youjian changed the subject, “It’s not enough to just resolve the crisis. You also need to write what the protagonist gained by resolving the crisis.”

"Is it safer now? Have we acquired weapons? Or have we received more important information?"

"You need to let the readers see the protagonist's growth, even if it's just a little bit! Do you understand?"

This time, the scholars below responded sparsely with a single "Understood."

Zhu Youjian didn't care whether they truly understood or not, and continued, "Then, one crisis after another will accumulate. After a few small crises, an even bigger crisis will come."

"As the protagonist escapes danger time and time again, he grows and comes into contact with people of increasingly higher status, thus being drawn into a larger vortex."

"The climax of the story only comes at the very end! The protagonist has accumulated enough power to cooperate with the Ming army from within and without, slaughtering all the Later Jin soldiers who had persecuted him and avenging this blood feud!"

"This is the story I wanted! Do you understand?!"

This time, perhaps sensing the solemnity in the emperor's tone, the scholars finally answered in unison, "This humble subject...understands!"

Zhu Youjian waved his hand wearily: "Go down. Rewrite it as I said. If you can't write it well, then keep writing!"

"According to the order!"

The crowd felt as if they had been granted a pardon, bowed and took their leave hastily, as if a fierce tiger was chasing them.

Soon, the hall returned to silence.

Zhu Youjian leaned back on the dragon throne, rubbing his aching temples.

Why not just write "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" directly? Why not adapt "The Legend of the Condor Heroes"?
On the one hand, he was just a half-baked reader, and his memory of the plot was fragmented. If he were to truly recreate it, he would probably have to devote all his energy to it—but he didn't have that kind of time!
On the other hand, and more importantly, literature is meant to serve politics!

He is now the emperor, not some commoner who needs to make money by writing books.

While writing Jin Yong's martial arts novels may have been a sensation, it would have increased the number of heroes and chivalrous individuals under his command by an order of magnitude.

At that time, sects like the Huashan Sect and Hengshan Sect will emerge, and the White Lotus Sect will transform itself again, claiming to be the orthodox lineage of the Ming Cult...

That would be digging your own grave, asking for trouble!
That's why what he needs is not some artistic treasure that can be passed down to future generations, but a "custom-made document" that can be used to his advantage and serve his political demands right now!
Packaged in the style of later "feel-good" novels, it may seem like a story of swift justice and revenge, but in reality, it aims to deeply etch the brutality and barbarity of the Later Jin dynasty and the suffering of the Han people in Liaodong into the hearts of every reader.

In this way, the morale on the Liaodong front and the resistance to the Liaodong military pay in Jiangnan, Zhejiang and other regions may be improved.

Even if the improvement is minimal, what about the cost? It's just supporting a dozen or so down-on-their-luck intellectuals.

This price-performance ratio is incredibly high, why not take advantage of it?
But... these intellectuals are really a bit incompetent.

Since his time travel, everyone he has come into contact with has been one of the most outstanding talents in the Ming Dynasty.

Even an inconspicuous passerby in the Bureau of Personnel was a genuine Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) who had fought his way through countless battles. The group of Xiucai (scholars who failed even the Juren examination) before him were truly the most "low-class" people he had ever encountered.

I don't know how long it will take to hone my skills before I can be used effectively.

Zhu Youjian sighed again in his heart. He turned his head and looked at Gao Shiming, who had been silent all along.

"Gao Banban" (高伴伴).

"The servant is here."

"Do you understand why I am doing what I am doing today?"

Gao Shiming bowed, pondered for a moment, and then cautiously replied, "Your Majesty intends to... use these stories to boost the morale of Liaodong? To let the soldiers know the brutality under the rule of the Later Jin, so that they can fight with greater courage and determination."

Zhu Youjian nodded, finally feeling a little better.

Although Gao Shiming didn't guess completely right, he wasn't stupid; he was just limited by his perspective and mindset.

"Gao Banban's words are not entirely accurate, but they are not far off."

Zhu Youjian stood up, walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at the high autumn sky outside the hall.

"Novels are very popular among the people of the Ming Dynasty today. However, what circulates in the market are mostly historical fiction, folk tales, and stories of gods and ghosts, but very few are as insightful as these that directly address current events."

"I intend to implement new policies, and I will use this novel to create a trend among the people, making my new policies an inevitable trend!"

His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power.

"What you see today is the story of Liaodong. Tomorrow, it could be the story of land surveying, the story of punishing corruption, or... the story of reforming the salt permit system!"

He paused, but ultimately didn't say it. It could also be... the story of a severe drought in Shaanxi, where people exchanged children to eat, and help came from all directions.

Zhu Youjian changed the subject, looking intently at Gao Shiming.

"In short, the surface of this matter lies in Liaodong; the essence of it lies in my desire to control public opinion and discourse!"

"The pen is the sword, and public opinion is the weapon. My new policies are not merely a battle in the court, but a battle for the hearts and minds of the people. The will of the people is the trend of the times; without this, it is impossible to reform the world."

"So, Gao Banban might understand?"

Gao Shiming was deeply shocked. He finally understood what profound schemes were hidden behind the emperor's seemingly irresponsible actions.

He solemnly replied, "Your Majesty, I understand!"

Chief Prosecutor Zhu You sighed and said:
"Keep a close eye on these scholars and make sure they write the story according to my requirements."

"In addition, you can send people to the countryside, especially to Jiangnan, to find some writers who are good at writing novels to come to the capital. The assessment criteria shall be as I just said."

"Those who can write good articles according to my requirements will be rewarded with extra money and monthly tickets. Those who cannot write will be dismissed. We need to weed out a group of good writers as soon as possible."

"As you command!" Gao Shiming replied, then, as if remembering something, added, "Your Majesty, when you read the official gazette last time, the Princess Consort mentioned the Master of Mohanzhai (Feng Menglong), the Master of Jikongguan (Ling Mengchu), and Lu Renlong. I have since confirmed that they are indeed all in Southern Zhili. Should they all be summoned to the capital?"

A hint of approval flashed in Zhu Youjian's eyes.

This is the Ming Dynasty's top-notch secretaries. Even if they can't answer a question once, they will catch up on their studies within a few days.

"Yes, send a fast horse to fetch them. Make sure they arrive in Beijing before those Donglin Party members!"

Zhu Youjian turned around and walked back to his desk, tearing off a blank sheet of Xuan paper.

"The novel is just one aspect of this prevailing opinion; it is far from sufficient."

"From now on, in addition to the official gazette issued by the Office of Transmission, I will establish a new gazette."

Zhu Youjian picked up his imperial brush, dipped it in thick ink, and wrote four powerful characters on the Xuan paper.

"—Da Ming Times"

He simply drew a few squares on the paper, pointed to the first module and said: "First of all, this is still the same as the official gazette, where memorials are published, but not all of them are published. Only the most important and influential ones that do not involve military secrets are published."

He glanced at Gao Shiming and continued, "I heard you mention last time that civil and military officials dislike the hierarchical system of memorials, and there have been controversies and reversals over the years regarding tightening the confidentiality of memorials."

"In that case, let's leave this tough issue alone for now and instead set up a new 'secret' level within the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Grand Secretariat, in addition to the existing A, B, C, and D levels."

"After this law has been implemented for some time, we will gradually narrow the scope of the official gazette issued by the Office of Transmission."

Gao Shiming nodded repeatedly and praised, "Your Majesty governs the country in a way that is neither too fast nor too slow, but rather like a gentle rain nourishing the earth. You truly have the countenance of a sage ruler."

Zhu Youjian then pointed to the second module.

"This space is used to serialize the commissioned novels written by literary figures. They are required to write at least 200,000 words for each story. Ten thousand words are published in each issue to keep the readers in suspense."

"As long as they are interested in the story, they will naturally keep reading, and this newspaper can continue to influence the wind."

Then comes the third module.

"Here, the daily prices of rice, flour, oil, salt, cloth, and other commodities in the capital are published, and Wang Tiqian is asked to report them every day."

"In this way, merchants from all over the country will compete to buy and circulate the newspaper in order to keep track of the market, which will allow the newspaper to spread further and wider."

Finally, he pointed to the fourth square, which was the most conspicuous and centrally located.

Zhu Youjian took a deep breath and said, word by word, "This place is specifically for publishing my imperial edicts!"

"But the chosen decree will certainly be about investigating corruption in a certain place, rectifying local bullies, and comforting disaster victims in a certain place!"

"It is imperative to let all the people of the world know that the various chaotic phenomena in the Ming Dynasty were not my intention. I am also deeply pained by them and am doing my best to reverse them!"

"My voice is meant to reach the people, not just be heard in the court. This report is my mouth and my eyes and ears, so that all the people may know my heart and also know the suffering of the people."

He turned his head, staring intently at Gao Shiming, and asked seriously, "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Gao Shiming remained silent.

He lowered his head, his body trembling slightly, as if he was digesting the emperor's shocking remarks.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head, and a strange light flickered in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, I dare to ask a question in order to do this matter better."

"speak."

Gao Shiming took a deep breath and asked in an unprecedentedly solemn tone:
"Your Majesty is in one place with all the people of this world, while the officials and scholars are in another place, is that right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Qianqing Palace was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Zhu Youjian was stunned.

He looked at the white-haired eunuch before him, a hint of surprise and emotion flashing in his eyes. In the end, all his emotions turned into an uncontrollable burst of laughter.

"Haha...hahahaha!"

Laughter echoed through the palace, filled with relief and a sense of peace.

After a long while, he stopped laughing, patted Gao Shiming on the shoulder, but did not answer his question directly.

"Alright, I'm relieved to leave this matter to you. Get the first draft ready for me to see as soon as possible."

Gao Shiming nodded, accepted the order, and withdrew. He turned out of the palace gate and headed straight for the side hall, intending to supervise the down-on-their-luck scholars as they wrote.

……

Inside the Qianqing Hall, Zhu Youjian still smiled as he watched Gao Shiming's departing figure.

Perhaps, the Grand Master of Ceremonial, who resided deep within the palace, was the first "comrade" he encountered on his long journey.

Even if it takes Gao Banban himself a long time to understand what my true ambition is.

But that's enough!
Zhu Youjian rubbed his face, shaking off the distracting thoughts in his mind, and picked up a book from the corner of his desk.

—"The Record of Teachings and Learning" is a collection of Wang Yangming's teachings, compiled and published by his disciples.

These past few days, whenever he had free time, he would study the Four Books and Five Classics diligently. When he didn't understand something, he would ask Gao Banban for help, and Gao Banban was able to answer all of them.

From today onwards, his reading schedule has progressed to the philosophy of Wang Yangming.

After all, how can one change the world without going around the towering mountain of Confucianism?

And on the mountain of Confucianism today, aren't Cheng Yi, Zhu Xi, and Yangming the two towering trees?
Start chewing!
(End of this chapter)