Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 157 The Snowstorm is Coming
The sky was terribly overcast, with leaden-gray clouds hanging low over the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, and a cold wind howled through it.

Wang Chengen tightened his robe, couldn't help but exhale a puff of white breath, and quickly rubbed his hands, which were a little stiff from the cold.

He stood beside a huge screen, which was taller than a person, with a thick wooden frame, wooden wheels at the bottom, and several layers of white paper.

Looking outwards, eighty such screens stretch outwards from the throne beneath the Huangji Gate, standing silently on both sides of the Danbi (Imperial Steps).

This spectacle was unlike anything he had ever witnessed since entering the palace.

Almost all the eunuchs from the Inner Study came out, working in pairs to be responsible for one screen.

Wang Chengen's partner was Fang Zhenghua, his most familiar grandfather, Fang Gong.

Their task was to work together to tear off the paper on the screen after hearing a specific signal, revealing the contents of the next layer.

To this end, they even set aside time outside of their studies to practice for several days.

"Boom-thump-thump-"

Three drumbeats sounded in succession, heavy and muffled, piercing through the cold morning mist.

This is the signal for the flag bearer to enter.

The Han generals, the red-helmeted generals, and the palace attendants, all clad in gleaming armor and marching in perfect unison, took their designated positions, setting a majestic framework for the upcoming grand court assembly.

Wang Chengen's gaze swept over the gleaming armor, but he suddenly caught Fang Zhenghua winking at him from the opposite side.

He followed Fang Zhenghua's gaze and looked for a while before noticing something amiss.

Facing them was a burly Han general, standing ramrod straight, but the armor on his back was covered in rust, which stood out starkly against the somber atmosphere of the procession.

He turned his head and looked around, only to find that all the Han generals around him seemed to be like that.

Their armor was either torn or their military boots were worn out, making them look quite destitute.

They didn't seem as glamorous as the eunuchs in the Inner Study.

……

Wang Chengen felt something was off.

Three months ago, he was lying in a dark room in the capital, weeping bitterly. How could he have known what a great general of the Han Dynasty should be like?

But... something just doesn't feel right.

Wang Chengen glanced at Fang Zhenghua and cautiously shook his head.

Fang Zhenghua rolled his eyes and stopped making faces.

The two stood with their hands at their sides, eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought.

A bell rang out from the Meridian Gate, signaling the entry of civil and military officials.

They entered in single file, dressed in court robes of varying ranks, arranged in order of civil officials to the east and military officials to the west.

However, when they stepped into the Huangji Gate Square and saw the eighty screens, a slight commotion immediately arose in the originally orderly queue.

The Grand Secretaries and Ministers walking in front seemed to know what was going on.

After all, they had already seen this during the third lecture.

While a five-sided screen is somewhat impressive compared to a screen with dozens of sides, it is still within the realm of common sense.

They quickly regained their composure and walked straight to their positions without looking to the side.

The lower- and middle-ranking officials following behind, however, did not have such good self-control.

Many of them had already heard rumors about the "Third Daily Lecture" through various channels. Now that they saw the scene from the story right in front of them, they were all surprised, whispering among themselves and pointing at the screen.

Is it...

Is there another official document on state affairs today?

Is Your Majesty finally going to answer the "question about people and land"?

How will his answer differ from the practices commonly discussed in Beijing today?
"Your Majesty, please ascend the throne—"

With a long, drawn-out greeting, Zhu Youjian, dressed in a dragon robe and wearing a winged crown, walked out from behind the door.

He glanced at the sea of ​​ministers below and took his seat.

"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

After a thunderous roar of kneeling obeisance, the courtiers rose.

The second grand court assembly since Emperor Yongchang ascended the throne has officially begun!
A loud announcement came from the Court of State Ceremonial:
"Reporting a matter—"

Prefect Xue Guoguan of Shuntian Prefecture coughed lightly.

After waiting for a moment, under the watchful eyes of countless astonished people, he stepped out of the queue, walked to the emperor's presence, and knelt down.

"Your subject, Xue Guoguan, Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, requests to report on the new policies in the capital, including the first phase of road construction."

His voice wasn't loud, but it caused a huge uproar in the otherwise quiet square.

The courtiers were immediately in an uproar.

The procedure for presenting matters at the Grand Court Assembly is a rule passed down from our ancestors.

There were strict rules regarding who came first and who came last, who was in charge and who was in charge, which reflected the order of the imperial court.

The Ministry of Personnel was in charge of the Ministry of Heaven, the Ministry of Rites was in charge of ceremonies, and then came the other ministries.

How can Shuntian Prefecture be the first to present its report at this grand court assembly?
Hou Xun, who had just arrived in the capital, keenly sensed something amiss.

The cycle of nature repeats itself, and human affairs change. As old paths fade, will new ones emerge?

Is this new emperor going to announce his new policies at today's grand court assembly?

On the throne, Zhu Youjian seemed oblivious to the commotion below, and simply spoke in a calm tone.

"Play."

Xue Guoguan was already familiar with the process, so he calmly took out the question book from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

An official from the Court of State Ceremonial quickly stepped forward to take the document, turned around, and strode to the center of the steps. He then unfolded the document and began to read it aloud.

"Your subject, Xue Guoguan, Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, was ordered by the Emperor to oversee the road construction in the capital. Since receiving the order on September 4th, thanks to His Majesty's divine might and the diligent efforts of all officials, the first phase of the project has been completed..."

Just as the official from the Court of State Ceremonial spoke, a whip cracked simultaneously.

Wang Chengen and Fang Zhenghua perked up and, together with the other eunuchs behind the screen, tore off the first layer of paper from the screen in unison with a "whoosh"!
The second layer, already covered with writing, was revealed.

The official from the Court of State Ceremonial had a loud and clear voice with a pure accent, which carried far and wide.

Hou Xun was standing in the middle of the line.

He did not listen to the words of the memorial read aloud by the official of the Court of State Ceremonial.

His keen sense of smell told him that the key to everything lay in the screen.

He squinted, carefully examining the words on the screen not far away.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed so!

The text on the screen is not entirely consistent with the content of the memorial read aloud by the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial!
The text here contains no flowery language or elaborate embellishments, only clear and concise entries.

[Summary of the First Phase of the Beijing Road Construction Project]

[Amount Raised]: A total of 514,200 taels.

[Road Repair Area]: Xuanwumen Street and Chaoyangmen Street, totaling 1,293 zhang (approximately 665 meters). [Road Repair Standards]: Eight zhang (approximately 33 meters) of the road center will be paved with stone slabs, with a slight arch to facilitate drainage. One zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) on each side will be designated as pedestrian walkways, with trees planted to demarcate the sides.

[Road Construction Progress]: Starting from September 4th, it took 16 days to demolish illegal structures along the street. The overall road paving project began on September 20th and is expected to be completed before December 1st.

[Project Cost]: Preliminary estimate: approximately 288,133 taels. Of the donated silver, over 220,000 taels remain.

At the end of the fee, there is a line of very small print: (Note: The final fee is subject to review and calculation by the Directorate of Ceremonial, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, and the Secretariat after the completion of the project.)
Secretariat? What secretariat?

Putting that aside, this format seems even more different from the official documents he's been collecting in the capital these past few days!

The official documents on state affairs that have been passed down to this day still occasionally contain parallel prose.

This official document, however, is so straightforward and concise!
There was no "relying on the grace of Heaven," no "we, your subjects, are filled with fear," only cold numbers and clear entries.

The source of every penny, the planning of every step, and every time point are all written down clearly and plainly.

The officials from the Court of State Ceremonial quickly finished reading the report and stepped aside.

Zhu Youjian, sitting on his throne, looked at the somewhat crooked queue below and the officials craning their necks to look at the screen. His lips seemed to twitch slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Yes."

He only said one word.

Kneeling on the ground, Xue Guoguan seemed oblivious to the discussions among the officials behind him. He once again pulled a petition from his sleeve and held it high.

"Your Majesty, I request to present the new policies for the capital, including the second phase of road construction!"

The commotion among the courtiers grew even greater.

Why present one thing in two separate presentations? What kind of rule is this?
Zhu Youjian remained as sparing with words as ever, and nodded: "Present your report."

The official from the Court of State Ceremonial took the memorial again, cleared his throat, and began to read:
"After I took charge of the road repair project, the people of the capital were deeply grateful for Your Majesty's benevolence and praised it as a good policy. However, there is still a surplus in the funds raised in the first phase, while the number of starving people in the capital is increasing daily. I cannot bear to stand idly by. Therefore, I request Your Majesty's permission to use the surplus funds, along with further fundraising, to simultaneously initiate the second phase of road repairs in the capital..."

"Wow--"

Eighty eunuchs then turned the screen to the third page.

Hou Xun stared intently at the page and discovered that this page was different from the previous one.

There was much less text, and surprisingly, there were two more sketches on the right side that he had never seen before.

[Second Phase of Beijing Road Construction Project Plan]

[Road Repair Area]: The section from Fuchengmen to the Censorate, approximately 1,300 zhang. The section from Andingmen to Longfusi, approximately 1,200 zhang. Totaling 2,500 zhang.

[Road Construction Standards]: The regulations for main streets are the same as before. For side streets, a four-zhang (approximately 10 meters) stone slab is laid in the middle of the road, and the sidewalks on both sides are one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) in total.

[Road Construction Progress]: Demolition of illegal structures is expected to begin on October 1st, and the entire project is expected to be completed before December 15th.

[Estimated Amount]: Approximately 410,000 taels.

[Required Support]: We earnestly request His Majesty's permission to once again solicit donations from wealthy merchants and gentry in the capital. Those who donate more than 10,000 taels of silver will have their names inscribed on stone and one of their sons may be granted the position of Imperial Secretary.

Below, as usual, is a line of small print: (Note: Any surplus will be transferred to the third phase of funding. If there is a shortfall, the construction work on the Andingmen section will be reduced accordingly.)
Hou Xun carefully pondered the sentence, feeling that there was a hidden meaning in the second part, but he couldn't quite make it out for the time being.

The practice of buying official positions with donated silver has precedents in our dynasty and is not unusual.

This time, to have one's name engraved on a stone tablet in the capital, a place of great prestige, will surely attract a great number of merchants and gentry.

But he always felt that this memorial was not just a simple matter of donating an official position.

But I just couldn't figure it out for a while.

He shook his head and turned his gaze to the two sketches.

The first picture is easy to understand; it's a map of the capital city, clearly marking the routes of the first and second phases of the project with red and blue lines, making it easy to see at a glance.

(See attached image; the blue line represents the new road, and the red line represents the previous road.)
The second picture, however, is quite strange.

Several horizontal lines of varying lengths are drawn on it, with words such as "Demolish illegal buildings", "Pave stone slabs", and "Plant trees" below the lines, and corresponding dates such as "September", "October", and "November" above.

Hou Xun stared at the picture, pondering it for a long time, and gradually a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

He understood!

This...this is actually a method for showing project progress! Compared to lengthy text descriptions, these charts are a hundred times more intuitive!
It seems that this is yet another ingenious idea from the young monarch who sits atop the nine heavens, following the so-called tables, line charts, histograms, and pie charts.

(The attached image is actually a Gantt chart, a routine procedure for Chief Prosecutor Chu.)
Hou Xun was filled with mixed emotions.

Is it possible that living deep within the palace, without any guidance, allows one to possess such a pure and innocent heart, unbound by worldly rules?

On the throne, Zhu Youjian nodded slightly again and said, "Yes."

This time, he didn't pause, but continued speaking:

"Xue Guoguan is dedicated to his work. The road construction project is related to the face of the capital and the livelihood of the people. It is truly the most important matter of the new policies in the capital."

"It is truly remarkable that so many people were mobilized, funds were raised, materials were purchased, and manpower was arranged. With so many things to do, the first and second phases were planned in an orderly manner within just ten days."

"Therefore, the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Ministry of Personnel shall record this in their files, and add a red line for Xue Guoguan."

Upon hearing this, the entire Huangji Gate Square fell silent for a moment.

Immediately, an unseen commotion, like a smoldering fire on the grassland, gradually spread through the ranks of the officials!
Add red!

More red text!

The ministers exchanged glances, their eyes filled with doubt, speculation, and a hint of barely concealed...desire.

Since the new emperor ascended the throne, Zhang Ruitu has been given ten green belts and has been stripped of his official rank and removed from the register.

Li Jing, the governor of Shandong, appeared to be unharmed despite his white and green robes, but everyone felt that his future was bleak.

And what about the "add red" option?

What reward will be given for adding a red ribbon?

No one knows to this day!

This new emperor keeps adding things like this, but never explains the meaning behind adding red or green.

What would you gain if you added ten red lines?
Will he grant his wife and children a position of privilege? Or will he be directly promoted to the cabinet?
No one knows.

But everyone knows that the new emperor's repeated mentions of adding red ribbons are certainly not unfounded, given his behavior since ascending the throne!
This unknown brings immense room for imagination and unprecedented excitement.

If benefits are directed to one source, the people's hearts will be united; if rewards and punishments are clearly defined, all officials will strive to emulate them.

Hou Xun couldn't help but sigh softly.

The emperor didn't even need to spend real money; with just these mysterious "red" and "green" additives, he put an invisible rein around everyone's necks and simultaneously hung a carrot in front of them that they could see but couldn't reach.

Whether he goes left or right is entirely up to him.

However... this kind of gameplay cannot last too long.

But it is unknown when the new ruler will reveal the use of red and green. Surely he won't keep playing this trick of adding to the void forever?

The clamor among the courtiers seemed to be gradually escalating.

In the queue, the official in charge of etiquette's expression changed repeatedly, but he ultimately did not utter a word of reprimand.

Before attending court today, they had already received the emperor's decree: during today's court assembly, as long as there was no excessive behavior such as offending the imperial carriage or fighting in the court, no offense of misconduct would be investigated.

However, suddenly, someone in the queue coughed softly...

(End of this chapter)