Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 331 Who the hell isn't panicking?

That set of "performance evaluation methods" that was enough to overturn the entire officialdom was like an invisible mountain weighing heavily on the hearts of every official.

Inside and outside the hall, there was silence. Everyone was still processing the suffocating shock and disbelief, trying to figure out their future career paths and how to navigate these strict rules and regulations.

At this moment of utter silence, the emperor on his throne seemed to give them little time to breathe or savor the moment.

His cool voice rang out once again, without the slightest ripple, as if he were just saying something perfectly ordinary.

"Summon Song Yingxing, Chancellor of the Academy of Sciences, to an audience."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Chengen, the eunuch in charge of writing, immediately understood and channeled his inner energy into his throat, uttering a sharp, long, and resonant greeting that could penetrate the palace and echo throughout the square:

"Summon! Song Yingxing, Chancellor of the Academy of Sciences! To have an audience!"

That single call to duty was like a needle, precisely piercing the thick, frozen air.

The officials in the hall, who had just barely recovered from the shock of the "New Performance Evaluation System," were all taken aback upon hearing this.

Song Yingxing?
Who is this?
For a moment, countless faces, some old and some middle-aged, in the main hall showed bewilderment and confusion.

We looked at each other and saw the same question in each other's eyes.

In the imperial court, everyone should at least have heard of and know the names of officials of the fourth rank or above, if not be intimately familiar with them.

However, the name "Song Yingxing" is so unfamiliar to most people.

The Chancellor of the Academy of Sciences?
Oh, I remembered it.

It was the Imperial Academy of Sciences, newly established by the emperor despite opposition. A... a royal academy dedicated to the study of "investigating things to acquire knowledge."

Those who were slightly better informed, who paid close attention to the emperor's every move and kept an eye on any officials who made any moves in the bureaucracy, gradually began to form a vague outline in their minds.

This person seems to be from Jiangxi. He passed the provincial examination but failed the imperial examination repeatedly. Later, for some reason, he caught the emperor's eye and was exceptionally recruited, and placed in the position of "Jijiu" (a fourth-rank official).

But the problem is... so what?

A fourth-rank Imperial Academy official!

Although they were officially called "officials," in the eyes of these powerful figures who held positions such as Vice Minister of a Ministry or Censor-in-Chief of a Ministry of Justice, they were practically no different from ordinary clerks.

Normally, even when attending court, they could only stand far outside the hall and had no right to step into the threshold of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

On such a solemn occasion, after the emperor appointed the groundbreaking Minister of Personnel and promulgated the unprecedented new performance evaluation system, the second person he summoned was such an unknown "craftsman official".
What do you mean?
Some quick-witted people had already vaguely guessed what was going on, but the idea was so crazy that they couldn't believe it themselves.

Is it...

Could it be that Song Yingxing is about to rise to the top and become one of the Nine Ministers?

Even the transformation from a sparrow to a phoenix is ​​more exaggerated than this!
This is practically turning stone into gold, no, it's turning clay into officialdom!

Several censors who usually prided themselves on speaking frankly and daring to remonstrate, almost out of instinct after decades of immersion in officialdom, had a surge of righteous spirit in their hearts, ready to "rectify the country's name and set the record straight" as soon as they opened their mouths. They took a slight step forward and were about to step forward to present their memorial!
Where are the ancestral rules? Where are the fundamental principles of morality?
To appoint a craftsman who is ignorant of the classics as a high-ranking official is utterly ridiculous and makes us scholars lose face.

If this precedent is set, the nation will cease to exist!
However, that chilling instinct had barely surfaced when it was forcibly suppressed by another, more primal and intense will to survive!
They instinctively looked up and glanced at the young emperor sitting high on the dragon throne.

Zhu Youjian remained expressionless, his calm gaze sweeping over the officials below.

His expression seemed calm, yet it contained absolute authority.

That look seemed to say:
"My mind is made up. Who agrees? Who disagrees?"

It doesn't matter who agrees, because even if you don't agree in your hearts, you have to agree verbally anyway.

But... what if you object?
That icy gaze seemed to have passed over your head and landed on the Imperial Guard captain standing outside the hall.

Those silent words seemed to have already resounded clearly:
"Someone come here! This gentleman must be exhausted from his journey and his mind is not clear. Take him to the newly opened 'Awakening Tea House' in Huangming Andu Prefecture for a drink of tea and to clear his head!"

Who wouldn't panic at this point?!
What kind of place is Huangming Andu Prefecture?
Whether you can come out unscathed after entering that place depends entirely on the emperor's mood.

The lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds.

Therefore, even though he felt extremely uncomfortable and resentful, and felt utterly humiliated and disgraced, his survival instinct suppressed that momentary discomfort.

Every official who was tempted to act managed to suppress their surging emotions very well and promptly.

They lowered their heads again, lowered their eyes, and resumed their submissive demeanor, keeping their eyes downcast.

The entire hall fell into an eerie, submissive silence once again.

……

At that moment, outside the main hall, amidst the vast sea of ​​people in blue official robes, Song Yingxing was lost in thought.

He was still replaying the huge impact the new "examination and assessment law" had on him.

"Emperor's Road," "Institute of Science," "mineral reserves," "armory production"... these words were so familiar to him, and so...exciting!
Isn't this precisely the "practical application of knowledge" that he pursued throughout his life?

Isn't this exactly what he wanted to express in his book "Tiangong Kaiwu"?

To openly list these "ingenious skills and tricks" as the criteria for judging the merits of an official—what audacity that is!
What a... soulmate!

Just as he was feeling a surge of emotion, he suddenly heard a sharp announcement from inside the hall:

"Summon! Song Yingxing, Chancellor of the Academy of Sciences! To have an audience!"

Song Yingxing was suddenly jolted, as if an invisible force had pierced through him from head to toe.

He looked up in disbelief, gazing blankly around.

His colleagues, those officials who had been huddled with him in the crowd, all cast surprised, envious, or inquisitive glances at him, and unconsciously took a step back, creating a small clearing around him.

What do you mean?
calls me?

Song Yingxing's mind went blank. Judging from the commotion just now, it seemed that Li Banghua had been appointed Minister of Personnel, and next... should be the appointment of ministers of the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Justice, and other ministries.

But...but why does the Emperor want me to go in?
Are you asking about matters related to the Institute of Science and Technology?

No, this is not the time to discuss specific matters.
A crazy idea flashed through his mind like lightning, making him feel suffocated for a moment.

No way……

Song Yingxing's breathing suddenly became rapid.

He felt his legs go weak and his steps falter. He was almost pushed along by the gazes of the crowd as he staggered toward the tall and majestic entrance of the Imperial Palace.

He walked a short distance of only a few dozen steps as if he were trekking through the clouds.

The gold bricks reflected the light inside the hall, making it somewhat dazzling.

The imperial guards standing at the palace gate had stern faces and exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.

Song Yingxing took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, before taking a step and crossing the high threshold.

Stepping inside felt like entering another world.

This is the heart of the Ming Dynasty!
This is the central hub of power in the world!
The tall, coiled dragon-shaped golden pillars support the magnificent caisson ceiling.

On the throne, the emperor sat with his hands clasped in front of him. His figure was somewhat blurred in the smoke from the incense burner, yet he exuded an aura of majesty that made people dare not look directly at him.

Below the steps stood civil and military officials dressed in robes of various colors, their faces, once renowned for their prominence, now serving as the backdrop to this grand spectacle.

Despite the dizziness, Song Yingxing walked through a passage cleared by the officials to the center of the main hall.

The gazes around him felt like tangible thorns, piercing his body.

Song Yingxing dared not raise his head or look around. He simply walked quickly to the designated spot, lifted the hem of his official robe, and knelt down obediently, slamming his forehead heavily onto the hard gold brick.

"Your subject... Song Yingxing, Chancellor of the Academy of Sciences, pays his respects to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

At this moment, a myriad of thoughts surged into my mind.

He recalled every encounter he had with the young emperor over the past few months.

Whether in face-to-face conversations in the palace or in correspondence delivered through the official gazette, the emperor never seemed to have said a harsh word to him.

When he presented his drawings and ideas for improving waterwheels and increasing iron smelting efficiency, he was not reprimanded for "neglecting his duties," but rather—

"Excellent! I'll give you the money and the men; go ahead and do it!"

When he worriedly suggested that the research at the Academy of Sciences might touch a nerve with some people and attract criticism, the emperor simply replied:
"I am your greatest support. Anyone who disagrees, let them come to me."

All they gave was encouragement, support, and unconditional trust!
With this thought, the fear in Song Yingxing's heart was gradually replaced by a warm current.

A scholar dies for a confidant!

He felt a surge of heat rush to his head, wishing he could forever press his head against that gold brick to show his loyalty!
Then, he heard the voice that would change his life, slowly rising above him:

"Song Yingxing, I have read your book 'Tiangong Kaiwu' and know that you have unique insights into the study of things. I also know that you have spent half your life traveling around, investigating farmers and workers, and you are deeply aware of the hardships of the people and the difficulties of all trades."

"The current Ministry of Works, though nominally in charge of all engineering projects in the country, is in reality stagnant and bound by old rules, offering little benefit to the nation or its people."

I hereby appoint you as the new Minister of Works!

"I don't want you to become a conformist bureaucrat. I want you to turn everything you've written in that book, everything you've learned in your life, into reality!"

"I want you to undertake a project that will benefit the Ming Dynasty for generations to come! Do you dare to shoulder this heavy responsibility?"

Minister of Works!

These four words resounded like a great bell in Song Yingxing's mind!
However, this time, the expected uproar did not erupt.

The entire hall remained deathly silent.

He experienced the miracle of Sun Chuanting, who was dismissed from his post and awaiting punishment, being directly promoted to the governor of Shaanxi, giving him control over the military and political affairs of the region.

This echoes the recent myth of Lu Xiang-sheng, a young and inexperienced governor of Guangdong who commanded 30,000 troops and wielded immense power.

Now, another craftsman official, Song Yingxing, who is ignorant of classical texts, has risen to the top in one fell swoop and become the Minister of Works...

Although it was still incredibly unexpected and absurd, the fragile mental resilience of these courtiers had been forcibly strengthened by the emperor's unconventional actions over the past year!

They've become... somewhat numb.

It doesn't make sense?

What is the norm in front of this emperor?
What he did was a new principle!
Moreover, the biggest problem is that none of the people appointed by the emperor have been proven to be useless so far!
Even the most critical and demanding veteran officials, when they privately and calmly examined the performance of these new elites, had to reluctantly admit:

Sun Chuanting in Shaanxi trained troops, suppressed bandits, and established agricultural settlements. In just a few months, he managed to improve the dire situation.

Man Gui, the commander of the Northern Frontier, was strict in his military discipline, and he trained the troops in the Xuanda Border Region to be fierce and powerful, so that the Mongol tribes dared not covet even a fraction of the Great Wall.

Hong Chengchou, Lu Xiangshan, Xiong Mingyu...

Could they really have done what these people did?
Honestly, the answer is—not necessarily.

It's even impossible.

This young emperor seems to truly possess a pair of discerning eyes that can see through people's hearts and understand their true nature!

He always manages to find the most suitable people from the most inconspicuous corners and then place them in the positions where they can shine the brightest.

This ability to recognize talent and to employ people is beyond their comprehension; it's almost supernatural!

(End of this chapter)