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

The second day of February.

At the exact time of Yin, the Forbidden City was shrouded in thick darkness. Only the lanterns on both sides of the palace road emitted a dim light, casting swaying shadows on the blue brick ground.

The eunuch on duty wrapped himself tightly in a black cotton robe, holding a gong and walking quickly, the sound of which echoed between the silent palace walls. The ice in front of the seventy-two copper vats had been chiseled away, revealing the dark well water, with white ice chips around the well mouths.

Outside Fengtian Gate, eight hundred ceremonial officials lined up on both sides of the imperial road, wearing black gauze hats with gold decoration, red silk clothes, and holding gilded trays. The three ritual objects in the tray, Yugui, Xuanbi, and Cangcong, were placed according to the "round sky and square earth" rule, with Yugui facing east, Xuanbi facing north, and Cangcong guarding the south.

Each ceremonial officer straightened his back, holding the tray steadily with both hands, his arm muscles tensed, and sweat slid down his cheeks, leaving dark marks on his red robes.

The head of the Ministry of Works held the "Emperor's Rituals of the Ming Dynasty" in his hand, and the white air he exhaled condensed into white mist in front of his eyes. He squinted his eyes and carefully checked the position of the sacrificial vessel. Suddenly, his face changed: "The head of the jade scepter is offset by half an inch! Adjust it quickly!" Two clerks immediately rushed forward, one took a ruler to measure, and the other carefully adjusted the angle of the jade scepter. Their fingers were frozen red, but they dared not slack off at all - according to the old system of Hongwu, the jade scepter must face the morning star on the day of enthronement, and the slightest deviation would be a serious crime.

In front of the steps of the Qianqing Palace, twenty-four ceremonial officials from the Honglu Temple were rehearsing the ceremonial. The old ceremonial official in the lead had white hair and beard, and was dressed in a dark purple official uniform. He held an elm ruler and had a sharp gaze. He stared at the actions of the young ceremonial officer and suddenly shouted, "Stop!"

The old ceremonial officer walked quickly to a ceremonial attendant and tapped him hard on the foot with a ruler: "When you turn around while holding the imperial edict, you must take your right foot first. Stop after every three steps. If you take a wrong step, it is disrespectful! Do it again!"

"Yes!"

Cold sweat broke out on the young ceremonial assistant's forehead. He quickly took a few steps back and started the rehearsal again.

At the exact time of Mao, the square in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple was already busy. The nine-story white marble steps were sprinkled with coarse salt to prevent slipping, and the salt grains shone in the morning light.

Before the skylight completely broke through the clouds, Yi Huawei stood at the white marble steps of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the hem of his black crown brushing the coarse salt in front of the steps. Twelve tassels hung from the front and back crown plates, each tassel strung with twelve green jade beads, and as he raised his hand to adjust the crown, the beads collided and made a clear sound.

This set of twelve-chapter crown and robe weighs more than 30 kilograms. The top is embroidered with six chapters: sun, moon, stars, mountain, dragon, and Chinese insect. The dragon pattern outlined by gold thread is waving its claws, and the oriental pearl embedded in the claws shines coldly in the morning light; the lower garment is embroidered with six chapters: Zong Yi, algae, fire, powder rice, Fu, and Fu. The flame pattern embroidered with red silk thread spreads from the waist to the hem, and each flame is carefully outlined with peacock feathers. The jade belt plate at the waist is carved with Taotie patterns. The twelve jade plates are connected with gold buckles, and the sound of metal and stone is made when walking.

Yi Huawei's Adam's apple rolled, and when he raised his hand to support the crown, his wide sleeves slipped down, revealing his forearms. He straightened his back, his shoulder blades rising and falling slightly under the heavy clothes, and as the crown tassels swayed, his tightly pursed thin lips and blue jaw were exposed.

Zhou Daodeng, the Minister of Rites, was wearing a scarlet official uniform and kneeling to present the black sacrificial text. The sacrificial text was copied on a piece of rice paper with gold threads, and the four corners were pressed with jade weights of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise.

His hands trembled slightly, and his forehead pressed against the ground: "Your Majesty, please take a look."

Yi Huawei reached out to take the sacrificial text, quickly scanned the words, and nodded after confirming that it was correct.

"rise--"

The chief official of the Honglu Temple shouted, his voice penetrating the morning mist. Three thousand imperial guards moved at the sound and lined up in an orderly manner on both sides of the nine-tassel dragon flag.

The Big Dipper embroidered with gold thread on the dragon flag fluttered in the wind, and the flag fluttered as if there were flowing starlight. Yi Huawei held the sacrificial text in both hands and slowly climbed the steps. Every seven steps, the ceremonial officer struck the gong, and the sound was as deep as thunder, startling the copper bells on the eaves.

As he moved forward step by step, Yi Huawei could feel countless eyes falling on him, with expectation, awe, and also scrutiny hidden in the dark.

Finally, he reached the shrine of Taizu, and the Minister of the Ministry of Rites presented him with a gilded flint. Yi Huawei took a deep breath, took three sticks of agarwood, and lit them with the bronze Panchi lamp. Three straight streams of green smoke rose up. This was a special "wind-fixing incense" made by the Ministry of Rites, with iron filings in the core. No matter which direction the wind blew, the smoke would not dissipate at all.

"kneel--"

The voice of the ceremonial officer sounded again. The princes of the royal family, civil and military officials, and other officials knelt in order of their rank: the prince was in the front, wearing a robe with four dragon patches, and the jade belt around his waist shone with a warm luster in the morning light; the cabinet ministers were next, wearing official uniforms embroidered with crane patches; the officials below the fifth rank in green robes knelt to the edge of the square, kneeling in a dense mass. When they kowtowed three times, the top beads of the crowns of the three thousand people touched the ground at the same time, making a neat clashing sound, like hailstones hitting gold bricks.

Yi Huawei sat on the Nine Dragon Chair, watching the six cabinet ministers wearing dragon robes and jade belts, slowly entering the hall holding the imperial seal, imperial edicts, and imperial seals. The new Prime Minister Ye Xianggao walked in front, holding a red sandalwood box, and the hem of his dragon robe swept across the gold brick floor, making a slight friction sound.

The surface of the wooden box was engraved with Taotie patterns, and there were three mechanisms hidden in the secret compartment. Yi Huawei knew that the imperial seal in the box was wrapped in five layers of bright yellow silk: the outermost layer was embroidered with cloud and dragon patterns, and the dragon scales outlined by gold thread glowed coldly under the palace lanterns; the second layer was woven with twelve chapter patterns, and each pattern corresponded to a different meaning; the third layer was depicted with the Big Dipper, and silver threads were winding on the silk; the fourth layer was filled with sacrificial texts, and the handwriting was as neat as a knife carving; the innermost layer was plain silk, on which was printed the blood talisman of the founding emperor.

"Kneel down and accept the treasure——"

The voice of the ceremonial officer of the Honglu Temple suddenly rose. Yi Huawei stood up and left his seat, performing the three bows and three concessions ceremony according to the ancestral system. He bowed first to the east, and after seven steps, his toes just touched the edge of the dragon relief in front of the hall; he bowed second to the west, and when he turned around, the crown tassels were stable without any collision sound; he bowed last to the south, lowered his eyes to look at the officials bowing below, and saw beads of sweat oozing from Ye Xianggao's forehead.

When Ye Xiang knelt and presented the wooden box, according to the etiquette, the new emperor should support the bottom of the box with his left hand, touch the cover with his right hand, and read aloud the four words "received the mandate from heaven". But Yi Huawei suddenly turned to face the military officers and took off the rhinoceros belt with a dragon pattern around his waist: "Duke Ying, check the box."

Zhang Weixian stepped out of the queue, holding a special copper key, and inserted it into the secret hole of the wooden box. The mechanism made a slight sound, and the five layers of silk automatically fell off one by one, revealing the true appearance of the jade seal with a dragon button.

This was the first seal verification procedure since the Xuande reign. Yi Huawei stretched out his hand to hold the jade seal, the dragon button felt cold in his palm, and the eight characters "Received the Mandate from Heaven, Long Lived and Prospered" on the seal surface were slightly uncomfortable.

3:30 pm, Fengtian Temple Square.

Three thousand officials, dressed in court robes according to their ranks, lined up in nine layers of square formations. The official of the Honglu Temple stood on the red steps, holding a red lacquered wooden whip more than a meter long. Twelve copper bells were tied to the end of the whip, and as he moved, the bell tongues collided with each other, making crisp sounds. When the wooden whip was thrown heavily to the ground, nine clean whip sounds tore through the cold wind, startling the copper bells on the eaves to ring.

"Mountain—Hu——"

The jingzan official stretched out his voice. The civil officials at the east end all knelt on the ground with their sleeves swung, and the bird patterns on their robes rose and fell with their movements. From the cranes of the first rank, the pheasants of the second rank, the peacocks of the third rank, to the quails of the ninth rank, each bird was embroidered vividly.

"Long live--"

The armor of the military officers on the west side clanged. The blades of the general's chain mail collided like the sound of golden swords, the fish scale armor of the lieutenant general glowed coldly, and the leather armor of the lieutenant was still stained with dust from the previous day's drill. Yi Huawei narrowed his eyes slightly and noticed that the wrist guards of the generals in the front row were wrapped with cloth strips, which was a folk method to prevent the armor from rubbing against the skin.

During the three kneelings and nine kowtows, Yi Huawei sat upright on the Nine Dragon Chair, letting the pendants of the crown sway slightly, and counting the number of times the officials kowtowed.

"Emperor Taizu founded the country with military force and established his rule over the world. Now I am inheriting the legacy of my ancestors and I must stop war with military force and make the way of heaven known."

After a pause, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory immediately knelt down and presented the "Qianxiang Selection of Auspicious Days". On the green jade plate were three pieces of gold-sprinkled paper: the first piece of paper was inscribed with "Zhaowu", the second piece of paper was inscribed with "Chengping", and the last piece of paper was inscribed with "Jingkang".

Yi Huawei's eyes twitched, and he picked up the red brush, with the tip of the brush hovering above the two characters "Zhaowu". The tip of the brush fell and circled the two characters "Zhaowu" heavily, and the tip of the brush was so strong that it penetrated the back of the paper: "Wu is not about exhausting the army, but about showing the way of heaven. From today on, the reign will be changed to Zhaowu."

As soon as the words fell, there was silence in the square at first, and then, thunderous cheers of "Long live" rang out.

At three quarters past noon, thirty-six Jinyiwei dressed in Feiyu uniforms, with embroidered spring swords on their waists shining coldly, lined up neatly on both sides of the Danbi.

Nine yellow silk edicts were carried out by a group of eight people. The first edict was 33 feet long and required four people to hold it up front and back. The gilded copper shaft with cloud patterns hanging at the end shone in the sun. The last edict was 5 feet square and rolled into a tube, which was held in one hand by the Jinyiwei.

Minister of Rites Zhou Daodeng unfolded the first edict, and the yellow silk fluttered slightly in the wind. When his eyes swept over the edict, Zhou Daodeng shuddered all over and looked at Yi Huawei on the dragon throne. He met those dark eyes, lowered his head, cleared his throat, and began to read the order to rectify the guards:
"The Emperor, in accordance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: All military garrisons that falsely report more than 30% of their troops will be dismissed from their posts and sent to serve as soldiers. The unreported salaries will be collected three times as much, half of which will be used as food and fodder for the frontier troops, and the other half will be stored in the granary. All military households that have fled will be personally investigated by the Qianhusuo. Local officials who conceal and fail to report the incident will be punished with the same crime!"

The sound of the imperial edict echoed in the square, and the faces of some of the military officers suddenly changed. Chen Datong, the commander of Xuanfu Guard, had his Adam's apple rolling up and down, thinking of the two thousand soldiers that his guard had falsely reported. His colleagues beside him quietly moved half a step to the side, keeping a distance.

When the second edict to survey land was read out, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue were on edge.

"…The land area in the whole country must be measured again at the end of each year. The fish-scale map must clearly record the boundaries, water veins, and fertility. Anyone who hides more than 100 acres of land will have his land confiscated and his family will be exiled to Qiongzhou. Those who report the incident will be rewarded with 10 acres of land. Officials who accept bribes and shield the cover-up will be hanged!" Zhou Daodeng's voice was steady, but it made many officials feel a chill down their spines.

When the imperial edict ordering the military examination was unrolled, there was a commotion coming from the direction of the Ministry of War.

"Each province has a military academy. Those who are familiar with the "New Book of Effectiveness" and "Records of Military Training" are exempt from examination. Children of frontier troops are given one stone of rice per month. Anyone with a hereditary position of more than a thousand households must pass the examination of the military academy before they can inherit..."

The announcement of the Trade Tax Order caused an even greater shock.

"Each Maritime Customs Office will take 30% of the total, and foreign goods entering the mainland must be inspected. Anyone who smuggles more than 100 catties of sumac or more than 50 catties of pepper will have their goods confiscated and will be sent to the border. Private ships must be branded with the 'Zhaowu' seal, and those without the seal will be considered to be collaborating with the Japanese..."

The official in charge of the Maritime Customs turned pale, and those in the coastal smuggling interest chain were on pins and needles.

The content of the Xingwen Educational Order caused the Hanlin scholars to whisper among themselves.

"Each prefecture and county school will add two subjects, arithmetic and water conservancy. Anyone who has achieved the title of scholar or above must be proficient in the Nine Chapters of Arithmetic before being allowed to take the provincial examination. Students in academies are not allowed to discuss state affairs without authorization. Those who violate this rule will be expelled..."

Wen Zhenmeng, a Hanlin editor from Donglin Academy, looked livid. The six words "no arbitrary discussion of state affairs" were clearly aimed at their usual habit of "judging people and satirizing state affairs".

When the prison order was read out, officials from the Ministry of Justice took notes carefully.

"All death sentences must be tried by the three judicial departments, and the list of names of people to be executed in autumn must be presented to the emperor for review. Serious prisoners in the imperial prison will be provided with two liters of thick porridge every day, and sick prisoners will be transferred to the nursing prison. Cruel officials who abuse finger-torsion and brain-hooks will be dismissed from office and never reappointed..."

Li Zhizao, the Minister of Justice, breathed a sigh of relief. This decree would allow him to bear less infamy.

The content of the order to save money and love the people made the officials of the Guanglu Temple look at each other in bewilderment.

"The annual contribution of the Guanglu Temple will be reduced by 30%, and the Imperial Household Department will stop making dragon beds and phoenix chariots. New rules will be set for the expenses of royal family weddings and funerals: the betrothal gifts of the princes shall not exceed 5,000 taels, and those who violate the rules will be fined..."

When they heard about the cuts in royal expenses, many officials secretly observed the expressions of the royal family.

Zhu Changhao, the Prince of Rui, crushed the jade pendant on his waist. The jade headpiece for the eighth concubine he was going to marry next month cost him eight thousand taels.

However, Yang Lian, the Imperial Censor of the Ministry of Revenue, fell to the ground and shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!" Last year, he was punished to kneel at the Fengtian Gate for three hours because he impeached Prince Fu for spending one million taels on repairing a garden.

"Officials who accept bribes of more than 60 taels shall be hanged! If a slave is allowed to commit crimes, the master and the servant shall be guilty. Anyone who reports corruption will be rewarded with 100 taels of silver if the facts are proven, and those who make false accusations will be punished..."

Huo Weihua, the Vice Minister of Works, suddenly had a violent cough. He had just received two boxes of silver from the Shanxi Mining Supervisor three days ago, exactly five thousand taels.

Zuo Guangdou, the censor of the Censorate, strode out and said, "I request a thorough investigation of the river engineering silver accounts of the Ministry of Works!" He had already prepared a memorial to impeach Huo Weihua in his sleeve, just waiting for this imperial edict.

Yi Huawei just gestured for Qiu Chengyun to present it, but did not read it immediately. He waved his hand, signaling Zhou Daodeng to continue.

The Dongchang guards quietly observed the reactions of the officials and secretly took note of any suspicious people.

Zhou Daodeng coughed lightly and continued to read: "… Set up a new Zhaowu army of 30,000 men, recruiting sons of good families to serve as them. Equip them with 3,000 bird guns and 200 tiger squat cannons. Governor General Zhang Weixian, Duke of Ying, will conduct the training, and the Five Military Commandery shall not interfere…"

Several commanders of the Five Military Commanderies had gloomy faces, as this was clearly intended to weaken their military power.

Duke Yingguo Zhang Weixian suddenly felt himself trembling all over. Since the Yongle reign, no military official had been able to command 30,000 new troops alone.

Suddenly, someone in the military department fainted. It was Yao Zongwen, a key figure in the Zhejiang Party. His clan controlled the purchase of old military weapons, and this imperial edict cut off their annual income of 200,000 taels.

When the last Zhaowu Enke Order was read out, there was a slight commotion in the square.

"This year, a special Zhaowu Enke was opened. In addition to the regular Jinshi exam, three more categories were added: mathematics, engineering, and agriculture. Students, craftsmen, and children from good families all over the country can take the exam. Those who pass the exam will be given a real job, and those who excel will enter the Hanlin Academy directly.

Another decree:

Each prefecture and county recommended people who were knowledgeable in water conservancy and firearms, regardless of their achievements, and after examination they were awarded the ninth rank;
The military examination was held in the same venue as the civil examination, and the subjects were policy essays, archery and horsemanship;
Old students over eighty years old were given five pieces of silk and three shi of rice.

Admire this! "

Zhou Daodeng's hands were shaking violently as he held the imperial edict, and the silk thread at the end of the imperial edict swept the teacup on the table. This old minister who had presided over seven imperial examinations had never seen an imperial examination that put artisans and students on the same level - let alone letting warriors and scholars compete on the same stage.

Zhang Pu, the director of the Imperial College, suddenly fell to the ground and shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!" He came from a humble family, and his uncle was a craftsman at the Suzhou Weaving Bureau.

Cui Chengxiu, the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, sneered: "Letting blacksmiths rank together with scholars? How shameless!"

He was from northern Zhili, and his family controlled the quota for recommending students to Hejian Prefecture. This imperial edict was equivalent to cutting off the Cui family's financial resources.

The ten edicts were read out, and the sun was setting. When Yi Huawei stood up, the golden threads of the twelve-chapter patterned crown shone faintly in the setting sun.

"Retreat—"

Before the singing of the Imperial Household Department ended, Huo Weihua, the Minister of Works, suddenly stumbled. He had accepted a huge bribe during the land survey, and his legs were so weak that he could hardly stand.

The guards from the East Factory immediately rushed over like a tide. Before Chen Datong, the commander of Xuanfu Guard, could react, two guards held his arms. The governor of Zhejiang tried to escape, but was held back by the embroidered spring sword. The crowns of the three men fell off the gold bricks, revealing their hair buns that were already soaked with cold sweat.

Seeing this scene, all the officials who had not yet left the hall looked at each other in silence.

In the twilight, the long silk of the imperial edict was carefully rolled up and stored in the iron cabinets in the Six Departments Corridor. Each iron cabinet was equipped with three copper locks, which were respectively managed by the Six Departments' Secretaries, the Cabinet Scholars and the Eunuchs of the Imperial Household.

That night, three hundred fast horses rushed out from the thirteen gates of the capital, each carrying a copy of the imperial edict and galloping to all parts of the country.

The next morning, copies of all ten imperial edicts were posted on the streets of the capital. People were discussing the new policies in teahouses and taverns. Some praised the new policies for benefiting the country and the people, while others worried that they would affect vested interests. In the various government offices, officials began to plan how to deal with the upcoming changes.

The prelude to the Zhaowu era was officially opened with a series of imperial edicts.

(End of this chapter)