The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

The sun gradually turned to the side, and the shadow of the window slowly climbed onto the imperial desk. Zhang Cheng glanced and saw a half piece of yellow silk sticking out from the pile of memorials. It was the urgent document from the Ministry of War that was rejected by the Imperial Household Department yesterday. His mind turned, and he suddenly started coughing violently. His hunched back shook with the cough, making the jade pendant jingle. When he looked up again, blood had seeped from the corners of his mouth, staining a few spots of deep red on the blue brick.

A glimmer of clarity flashed across the Wanli Emperor's muddled eyes. He stared at Zhang Cheng for a moment before speaking, "Send it to the Imperial Hospital... that's all." He waved his hand casually, but his cuffs with the gilded dragon pattern swept down the secret document on the desk:
"Let the Imperial Horse Administration contact Yunyan Pavilion regarding the matter of the fine iron."

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Zhang Cheng bit his cheek, then kowtowed to express his gratitude. When he put his forehead to the ground, he could feel the emperor's scrutiny on the back of his neck. He felt like a thorn in his back. Another secret letter hidden in his arms was getting hot at this moment - it was the petition signed by the eight major Shanxi merchants to expose Yunyan Pavilion's secret communication with Mongolia. But he held back, he felt that now was not the time.

Just as Zhang Cheng was about to report to Emperor Wanli about the million taels of silver from Yunyan Pavilion, a shrill voice from a walking eunuch came from the doorway: "Your Majesty, the Minister of Personnel Zhao Nanxing requests to see you."

"…What is he doing here?"

Emperor Wanli subconsciously wanted to wave his hand, but then he changed his mind and said calmly, "Let him in!"

"Yes!"

Wisps of white steam rose from the cracks of the blue bricks, entwining with the ambergris smoke curling up from the incense burner. Twelve copper-based enamel palace lanterns hung high between the beams, and the candlelight swayed violently in the whistling north wind, flickering and casting changing shadows on the screen painted with "Yangzheng Tushuo".

"Your Majesty, your humble servant Zhao Nanxing pays respects to you. Long live the emperor!"

Zhao Nanxing was wearing a scarlet robe, kneeling quietly on a scarlet prayer mat with river and sea patterns. He wore a three-beam imperial crown on his head, but the plain gold hairpin could not hold back his graying hair.

At this moment, Zhao Nanxing was holding a rosewood box in his arms. The dew condensed on the surface of the box gradually turned into a thin stream of water in the warm air of the warm room, and slowly seeped into his scarlet robe along the pattern of the crane patch on his robe.

Zhang Cheng stood behind the Panlong Pillar, tapping lightly with the armor on his fingers on the gilded cloud pattern on the pillar. After every three taps, a young eunuch would hurried forward and add a piece of silver bone charcoal to the charcoal basin. When the silver bone charcoal burned, it gave off a faint fragrance.

"Stand up, my dear, what brings you here?"

Emperor Wanli raised his eyes slightly and glanced at Zhao Nanxing: "I am not feeling well, my dear, it is better for you to be brief."

Zhao Nanxing stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the relief money allocated by the court has been withheld by corrupt officials, and the people are in dire straits."

"anything else?"

A hint of displeasure flashed across Wanli's eyes, and he yawned lacking interest.

"This is the complete version of the Tianjianlu compiled by this humble official. I hope Your Majesty will take a look at it."

Looking at the spiritless Emperor Wanli, Zhao Nanxing tried hard to suppress the turmoil in his heart, but his Adam's apple rolled unconsciously and he handed the wooden box in his hand to the eunuch beside him.

The eunuch glanced at Zhang Cheng behind the pillar and placed the wooden box on the table. The mechanism of the wooden box made a slight sound and the lid slowly opened. Between the dark brocade lining lay three volumes bound in yellow silk. The gold wire railings on the volumes gleamed in the candlelight and the ink characters on them seemed to carry a faint scent of pine smoke.

"It's Zhao Qing's house, you choose!"

Wanli did not take the book, but waved his hand casually, indicating that Zhao Nanxing should report himself.

"Your Majesty,... I believe that the Nine Ministers' plans must undergo a rigorous assessment for 360 days, and the assessment results must be strictly reviewed by the Six Departments to ensure fairness and justice. The performance evaluation of each of the Nine Ministers is related to the operation of the court and the stability of the people's livelihood. This review process is to prevent any possible omissions and injustices..."

Zhao Nanxing naturally knew what he had written by heart, and immediately bowed to Emperor Wanli and said respectfully:
"The officials of the prefectures and cities need to set up a three-column list of "money and grain, criminal law, and education". Money and grain are related to the livelihood of the people, criminal law is related to judicial justice, and education affects the social atmosphere. These three-column lists fully cover the responsibilities of the officials of the prefectures and cities, so that their policies and actions can be seen clearly...

The county assistants implemented a system of daily record keeping, ten-day bookkeeping, and monthly reporting. They recorded what they did every day, compiled it into a book every ten days, and reported it to their superiors every month. Such detailed records made the work track of county assistants clear and traceable, making it easier for their superiors to supervise and manage them...

The words and deeds of these grassroots officials directly affect the people's perception of the court. Allowing the people to participate in the supervision of them can effectively restrain their behavior and ensure the integrity of grassroots governance.

Each of the thirteen prefectures had twelve copper boxes, which served as the eyes and ears of the imperial court, collecting information from all sides. The keys were stored in the three judicial offices, which not only ensured the security of information, but also formed a situation of checks and balances to avoid abuse of power.

The Imperial Censorate could file a case based on rumors, but it had to be verified within ten days. This system gave the Imperial Censorate greater supervisory power, but also placed extremely high demands on their efficiency, so that they could discover potential problems in a timely manner without letting rumors disrupt the government.

If a superior fails to detect corruption by his subordinates, the proportion of the stolen money to be recovered will increase in turn. This measure will surely bind superiors and subordinates closely together, prompting superiors to supervise their subordinates more attentively and curb the trend of corruption at the root..."

Looking up at Emperor Wanli, Zhao Nanxing saw that he had closed his eyes and looked expressionless as if he was asleep. He raised his voice slightly:

"Outstanding officials are awarded "Flying Fish Notes". Holding this note, they can present their work to higher levels. This is not only an honor, but also opens up a fast promotion channel for those officials with real talents and outstanding political achievements, motivating them to work harder for the court. Those who are negligent in their duties are given "Gall Wood Cards" and are required to correct their mistakes within three months. This will always remind those who are negligent in their duties to reflect on their behavior and actively correct it, otherwise they will face more severe punishment...,
Those who are inferior in the grand plan will not be allowed to enter the Imperial College for three generations. This rule not only affects the official's own career, but also the future of his descendants, forcing officials to be cautious in performing their duties and not dare to slack off in the slightest..."

Listening to Zhao Nanxing's words carelessly, Emperor Wanli leaned lazily in the rosewood armchair, his cloak with a gilded dragon pattern slipped off half of his shoulders. He wore a jade ring on his four fingers, tapping the book box of "Female Training" from time to time, which was left by Concubine Zheng in the morning.

When his eyes swept over the words "joint punishment", he couldn't help but let out a sneer: "Mr. Zhao wants me to be the Hongwu Emperor?"

"Wei Chen doesn't dare!"

Zhao Nanxing's back instantly straightened when he heard this, and his sleeves were already soaked with cold sweat. He took a deep breath and mustered up his courage and said:

"I heard that Yan Fenyi embezzled 5 million during the Jiajing period, and his followers are still around today..."

Before he could finish his words, Zhang Cheng suddenly started coughing violently. The armor on his fingers scratched across the copper-based cloisonné charcoal basin, making a sharp and piercing sound, interrupting Zhao Nanxing's words.

Staring at the words "civilians sign" in the green label, his throat rolled unconsciously. He knew that once this measure was implemented, it would affect the interests of countless clerks.

Hanlin scholar Gu Tianjun stood behind the pillar, writing quickly on the paper with a brush in his hand. His eyes fell on the word "joint punishment", and his expression was solemn.

Emperor Wanli suddenly leaned forward, and the twelve jade algae tassels swept across the pile of memorials with his movements, making a jingling sound. His fingertips touched the flying fish paper sample, and the cinnabar used to make the elixir last night still remained in the cracks of his fingernails. He said coldly: "The extraordinary person surpassed the level? Can he surpass the Silijian?"

The warm room suddenly fell into an eerie silence, with only the crackling of the charcoal fire to be heard. The north wind grew stronger, whistling through the windows, and rushing into the warm room with snow particles, instantly extinguishing the two palace lanterns.

The blue-labeled album on the table was blown away by the strong wind, revealing the name of the Suzhou prefect. And this Suzhou prefect was the in-law of Zhang Cheng's godson. Seeing this, Zhang Cheng closed the window, moved his toes slightly under his python robe, and pushed the charcoal basin a few inches towards the imperial table without leaving any trace.

"His Majesty!"

Zhao Nanxing suddenly slammed his head against the ground, his forehead hitting the blue bricks heavily, making a dull sound: "New Year's Day is coming soon. If I don't use this method, I will fail the exam next year..."

Emperor Wanli was originally listening patiently, but after hearing this, his impatience became more and more obvious, and his brows were tightly knitted into the shape of a "川". He raised his hand and interrupted Zhao Nanxing's words, with a bit of displeasure in his voice: "Well, can't you report some good news to me? Either the people are displaced or they are in dire straits. I have heard these things so many times that my ears are almost calloused!"

Emperor Wanli leaned back in his chair, his eyes passing over Zhao Nanxing, as if he was thinking about something. After a moment, he spoke again: "Okay, you don't have to say anything more. This year's military examination will be hosted by you. You should do your best to select talents for the country. This is the most important thing at the moment. You don't have to worry about other things."

Zhao Nanxing felt nervous when he heard this. But seeing the sullen face of Emperor Wanli, which left no room for doubt, he knew that it would be useless to say more. With no other choice, he could only bow his hands and accept the order: "...I obey your order!"

Emperor Wanli waved his hand, with a hint of fatigue in his tone: "Okay, you can leave now!"

Zhao Nanxing leaned forward and kowtowed again: "Long live the emperor!"

Then he slowly stood up and walked backwards out of the hall.

Zhang Cheng stood quietly by the side, his eyes moving back and forth between Emperor Wanli and the young eunuch not far away. He first coughed lightly to attract the young eunuch's attention, and then winked at the young eunuch. The young eunuch understood, stepped forward quickly, and held up the wooden box on the table with both hands steadily. He stepped aside lightly and disappeared into the shadows in the hall.

"Your Majesty, let Zhao Nanxing preside over the martial arts examination..."

Zhang Cheng bent down slightly, leaned forward, folded his hands in front of him, and smiled humbly. He lowered his voice and asked tentatively, "Is there something wrong?"

Emperor Wanli heard this without even raising his head, and simply said, "Zhao Nanxing is upright and honest, and is praised as a virtuous person both inside and outside the country. What's wrong with that?"

Zhang Cheng still had a smile on his face, but a hint of imperceptible anxiety flashed in his eyes. He took a small step forward and said with a smile, "Zhao Nanxing doesn't know martial arts at all, how can he preside over the martial arts exam?"

As he spoke, he shook his head slightly, a worried look on his face.

Emperor Wanli picked up the teacup and took a sip. After the tea went down his throat, he slowly spoke: "Although Zhao Nanxing doesn't know martial arts, he is proficient in martial arts in the world."

Zhang Chengcha's heart tightened, but he mustered up the courage to continue, "Zhao Nanxing and his gang are recruiting friends..."

Seeing Wanli's face change, he lowered his head slightly, with an embarrassment on his face: "Zhao Nanxing and Gu Xiancheng set up a Donglin Academy in Wuxi, and they are also called Donglin people. They often gather thousands of students in the academy to discuss the past and the present, lecture on politics, and make alarmist remarks. The so-called criticism of current ills is actually criticizing the emperor. The literati in the world respond to the call. If these people become powerful, it will be a great disaster for the Ming Dynasty."

Having said that, Zhang Cheng raised his head slightly and carefully observed the expression of Emperor Wanli.

Emperor Wanli listened to Zhang Cheng's words with a calm expression on his face, showing no emotion at all. He sat quietly on the dragon chair, tapping the armrests rhythmically with his fingers.

Seeing this, Zhang Cheng became more and more uneasy, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on his forehead.

After a while, Emperor Wanli slowly raised his head and looked at Zhang Cheng's face. After a moment of silence, he said, "I know!"

"The Emperor asked Zhao Nanxing to preside over the martial arts examination..."

Seeing that Emperor Wanli was not angry, Zhang Cheng became bolder and bowed again, saying, "Wouldn't it be like adding wings to a tiger to recruit all the talents in the world under his command?"

When Emperor Wanli heard this, he frowned, a trace of displeasure appeared on his face, and he looked at Zhang Cheng: "Then what do you think we should do?"

Zhang Cheng was secretly delighted when he saw that the time had come, but his face remained expressionless. He narrowed his eyes, rolled his eyeballs quickly, and said, "The emperor can send an imperial envoy to supervise the military examination together."

After saying this, he straightened his body slightly and waited for Emperor Wanli's response.

After hearing this, Emperor Wanli thought for a moment, sighed softly, and nodded: "Well... go and do it! Do you have a candidate?"

As he spoke, he leaned back in his chair and his eyes fell on Zhang Cheng again.

Zhang Cheng bowed quickly, his face full of smiles: "I recommend the Right Censor-in-Chief Cui Laiyi to go to Luoyang to supervise the military examination. He is loyal to the emperor and can..."

"Okay, I got it!"

Before Zhang Cheng could finish, Emperor Wanli waved his hand, with a hint of impatience in his tone: "You should leave too!"

Zhang Cheng was slightly stunned, but he quickly reacted, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please read and approve it personally."

Emperor Wanli didn't even look at it, he just stood up and walked towards the back hall: "Hey~, can't you approve it for me?"

The sound gradually faded away and disappeared into the depths of the hall.

"Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"

Zhang Cheng knelt on the ground for a long time without moving. After a long while, he slowly stood up. The smile on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by a gloomy face. Looking at the direction where Emperor Wanli left, a trace of complex emotions flashed in his eyes. Then he tidied his court clothes, turned around and strode out of the Qianqing Palace.

(End of this chapter)