Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

In March, Beijing was already starting to warm up.

People are coming out of their homes again and becoming active.

There are many events this month, most of which are hosted by the Queen.

Empress Zhou reappeared in public after giving birth to her second son.

Following last year's silkworm-raising ceremony, this year's ceremony was even more grand.

The subsequent fashion festival attracted even more people.

Many candidates who were taking the imperial examinations came to the lantern market to watch the excitement.

They don't usually see these things when they're in their local area.

Zhang Pu was one of them. Although he had seen it in the capital last year, he came to see it again this year along with many other candidates.

I thought this year's fashion festival would be no different from last year's, but I didn't expect that just the opening ceremony would be so different from last year's.

The first costume show performer to appear was dressed in the imperial robes of a Han Dynasty emperor, walking down a T-shaped platform to the accompaniment of majestic music.

This person must have practiced countless times offstage. Now, walking on the stage, he truly exudes a majestic and awe-inspiring presence.

The ignorant masses, upon first meeting him, almost mistook him for an emperor and couldn't help but kneel down.

It wasn't until the host on stage loudly introduced it that we realized it was an actor showcasing a Han Dynasty imperial crown.

Even scholars like Zhang Pu were stunned by this scene. One scholar couldn't help but say:
"This man walks with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, and his vision is extraordinary; he is unlikely to be subservient to anyone."

"Your Majesty... How could Your Majesty allow someone like this to perform while wearing imperial robes?"

"What if the ignorant masses take it seriously? Wouldn't that lead to unrest?"

He shook his head, clearly strongly opposed to it.

Zhang Pu didn't entirely agree with this either, but in front of everyone, he had to support the current emperor's actions. He laughed and said:

"Brother, you are overthinking this!"

"This person is just an actor, what harm could he possibly cause?"

"There are so many actors playing emperors on stage, who would take him seriously!"

They thought it was no big deal, just a fashion show.

However, he also had his doubts, thinking that these clothes were too realistic.

If someone were to actually rebel, they could simply use these garments as crowns.

Amid the argument, another actress dressed in a queen's gown emerged from behind.

Empress Zhou and the group of noble ladies around her led the way in clapping and applauding.

The argument ended immediately.

If even the Empress doesn't care, what can they say?
No matter how authentic these costumes may be, they are still just Han Dynasty attire, which has become history and does not violate the laws of the imperial court.

Subsequently, costumes of Han Dynasty nobles, officials, soldiers, Confucian scholars, and commoners were exhibited, winning applause from the crowd.

Many people even excitedly stated: This is the true origin of Han Chinese clothing and attire.

Even Zhang Pu, upon seeing Han Dynasty officials in their official robes and hats, couldn't help but yearn for the imposing presence of Han officials. He even inwardly sighed:

"His Majesty truly values ​​the distinction between the Chinese and the barbarians."

"Showing Hanfu today is about setting things right."

Some understood the emperor's purpose: to remind people not to forget the source when making clothing.

In the future, the clothing of the Ming Dynasty will inevitably be more influenced by the clothing of the Han Dynasty, and will be clearly distinguished from that of the barbarians.

He wrote down these thoughts in an article and published it in Ming Pao.

Scholars and intellectuals also discussed the grandeur of the Han dynasty and the distinction between Chinese and barbarians, and very few people questioned the actors wearing imperial robes.

Zhang Pu was well aware of the reasons behind this:

Besides its own guidance, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Public Opinion Division has been manipulating public opinion.

However, directly intervening was too crude, so the emperor established a news award to influence the press.

The emperor had mentioned this matter when he entered the capital, and after more than a month of preparation, it finally entered the implementation stage.
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On March 6, just after the fashion festival ended, the Daming Newspaper Association and other organizations jointly held a news award ceremony.

The newly established National Assembly Oversight Committee is responsible for overseeing the award, and the Metropolitan Prosecutor's Office also provides oversight to ensure that the journalism award is fair, impartial, and in accordance with the law.

Chen Zilong and other practitioners who gained prominence in newspapers last year received awards such as the Serialized Literature Award. Ai Nanying, who proposed the concept of the distinction between Chinese and barbarians, and the editor of the *Datong Daily* responsible for this topic, jointly received the News Feature Award in recognition of their contributions to this subject.

Of particular note was that Ai Nanying and Zhang Yao were jointly awarded the Public Service Award and were granted the title of Yuanshi (a scholar-official rank) by the Emperor.

Such a reward was the envy of everyone present, as it meant they had the opportunity to enter officialdom.

Many journalists felt the emperor's high regard for them. They were all eager to win the award next year.

However, what was surprising was that when Zhang Yao gave his acceptance speech, he stated in front of everyone:

"Although this award was given to me, it is actually to recognize the many people who fight for the rights of employees."

"As a beneficiary, Mr. Zhang will serve the public more diligently and do his best in the newspaper industry in the future."

"I hope you will all remember the eight words bestowed by His Majesty: 'public opinion supervision, the voice of the masses,' and speak out for the people of the Ming Dynasty."

This statement clearly surprised everyone; no one expected that this young scholar would explicitly state that he would not enter officialdom and would continue to work in the newspaper industry.

Even those who felt it didn't deserve the award began to look at it with respect:

Regardless of his specific achievements, Zhang Yao's determination shows that he deserves the Public Service Award.

Watching this scene, Zhang Pu felt both gratified and somewhat regretful:
To Zhang Yao's relief, he made up his mind to stay in the press and fulfilled the emperor's request.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yao's public pronouncements cut off his future prospects, and he never had another chance to enter officialdom.

This resolute attitude impressed him greatly, making him realize that Zhang Yao could achieve great things even in officialdom.

Just as he was thinking this, Zhang Pu saw Fang Zhuangli, who had previously served as the Left Censor-in-Chief and was now in charge of the supervisory committee, walk onto the stage and say:
"Public opinion supervision, the voice of the people, this is the Emperor's requirement for the press, and also the expectation of the supervisory committee."

"What does the oversight committee do? It represents the people and oversees officials and legislators."

“Their voices are too weak on their own; they need you to speak for them.”

"You must stand on the side of the people and never forget where the right to supervise public opinion comes from."

"At the same time, we must monitor ourselves and never forget our mission."

After giving a long lecture to those working in the newspaper industry, Fang Zhuangli then said to Zhang Yao:

"You were among the first to receive the Public Service Award and were also praised by the Emperor."

"Mr. Fang has invited you to participate in the preparation of the supervisory committee. Would you be willing?"

Zhang Yao was overjoyed upon hearing this, never expecting to have such a great opportunity.

Although positions in Congress are not theoretically officials and do not have any official rank, the chairpersons of the various committees are considered to be on par with the Nine Ministers.

He has now joined the oversight committee, and once he becomes a member of parliament, he will have the opportunity to compete for the position of oversight committee director.

How could he not feel joy, as if a ray of hope had appeared after a period of darkness?
While fulfilling the emperor's orders, there are also opportunities for advancement.

He responded with great delight:
"Mr. Fang's kindness is beyond my ability to refuse!"

“From now on, Mr. Zhang will definitely contribute his share to the supervisory committee.”

Fang Zhuangli stroked his beard and smiled, offering Zhang Yao a few words of encouragement.

Then another eunuch was summoned, and the box in his hand was opened. He said:
"This is a gold pen made by the Imperial Household Department at the Emperor's order, and I bestow it upon you today."

"I hope you can use your pen to pierce people's hearts and exert a power no less than that of a gun."

“Mr. Ai, you also have one. Those who receive the Public Service Award are all bestowed with a golden pen by the emperor.”

He then invited Ai Nanying to the stage, took out two gold-plated dip pens, and handed them to the two of them, introducing them as follows:
"This is a dip pen that the Emperor ordered Dong Gong and the court craftsmen to develop together. It is very convenient for writing."

"News emphasizes timeliness, which is more convenient for you than a calligraphy brush."

Following the emperor's orders, Fang Zhuangli advertised the dip pen, then took out a badge with a calligraphy brush pattern printed in the center and said:

"This is the Golden Pen Medal, which His Majesty specially established for the press."

"Anyone who wins a journalism award is eligible to wear this medal and will be granted a rank of at least the ninth grade."

"Those who just received awards, please come up on stage to receive your medals."

Distribute these gilded medals to them and pin them on your chest yourself.

Chen Zilong and the others thought that receiving an award certificate would be the end of it, but they didn't expect to get a badge as well.

One by one, they happily went on stage to receive their awards and pinned the medals to their chests.

After they stepped off the stage, they all stood tall and proud, like cranes among chickens.

Many journalists have once again been inspired to strive for awards next year. (End of Chapter)