Wanli Ming Emperor

Chapter 249 Monks are fools, demons are ghosts.

There was no explanation, no excuse, no cover-up, only a declaration—so what if we hate northerners?
The main hall of the Ministry of Rites was silent for a moment.

He Luowen, who was sitting in the main seat, slowly put down the dossier.

As the teacup cooled, the tea leaves curled up and sank to the bottom.

People who speak without principles or bottom lines, always siding with their own region, are no different from uncivilized beasts.

However, Fang Liangshu was not a beast whose mind was suppressed.

On the contrary, Fang Liangshu, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the thirty-second year of the Jiajing reign, served in the Ministry of Justice, Yunnan, and Huguang. He held gatherings and lectures at the Wuhua Academy, spreading his teachings to scholars. He was known as "possessing profound knowledge and wisdom" in both official and scholarly circles.

This wise man openly uttered words that were as beastly as a beast.

It's not that he's lost his wisdom, it's just that he chooses to temporarily abandon reason—overly rational slogans can't incite fools, this pure venting is just right.

This is a microcosm of public opinion since the land survey.

Just as emperors have their ways of uniting the majority, bureaucrats and nobles who go against the tide of history also have their own ways of uniting the majority.

Those whose interests have been infringed upon actively collude with various secondary conflicts, blurring the lines between right and wrong and manipulating positions.

Emphasize the facts when they are in your favor, and emphasize the rules when they are in your favor. If you can't get involved in either, then just state your position directly and muddy the waters.

“I ignore crimes committed by Southerners, I question Southerners who break the law, and I protect Southerners who make mistakes.”

"Southern people have no homeland. Any argument that uses the nation and ethnicity to coerce Southern people into supporting the Qing Dynasty is either stupid or malicious."

"I am very happy to overthrow the imperial court together with my fellow townsmen from Jiangnan."

These are not fabricated words; they are slogans that He Luowen saw in newspapers and tabloids along the way, and there are references to them.

It was a scene of gruesome bloodshed!
What's even more chilling is that, no matter how dirty the methods, this approach is remarkably effective.

Various empty promises of redemption, such as "bearing the heavy burden of taxes from the world," "the northern border has been draining our resources for hundreds of years," and "fourfold oppression," have been presented to the people of Jiangnan, who are now being invited to redeem real money from the central government for tax reductions.

The phrase "adhering to the principle of combining leniency with severity, and treating Southerners' illegal and criminal cases differently" was used by both the Provincial Judicial Office and the Ministry of Justice in Nanjing, demonstrating compassion and kindness.

The phrase "be wary of public opinion amplifying individual cases of tax resistance, which could damage the image of people in Jiangnan" is used to justify the actions of hundreds of newspapers. Even if it is a crime or immoral act, it can be justified in making northerners kneel down and reflect on their actions.

If a classmate is from the North, he can immediately ruin their reputation; if merchants from the North come to compete for salt, grain, cloth, and silk, they can easily be imprisoned; even the bewildered common people have a pancake that says "the South is self-sufficient and taxes are reduced by half".

It's exactly the same as the usual partisan struggles to win over the people.

The ordinary people of Jiangnan truly benefited from this North-South rivalry.

The favors were bestowed from top to bottom, and the identity was repeatedly emphasized. The thoughts surged like lightning in an empty room, and a storm immediately arose—it seemed that the idea of ​​a minority oppressing the majority was indeed very attractive.

It's rare for someone to remain unaffected by the storms.

Quietly enjoying the benefits is already the most conservative attitude among the people of Jiangnan.

This is not a accusation against the people of Jiangnan, but rather a feeling of genuine pity.

The bureaucrats and nobles who went against the tide of history used their positions to practice "moral philosophy" against the tide of history. They used this dirty method to incite the darkness and ignorance in people's hearts. They did not hesitate to divide the country in order to oppose the path that Emperor Wanli was preparing to take. They were really insane.

But as the emperor said, political methods may not be right or wrong, but the paths they lead to are always clearly distinguishable in terms of superiority or inferiority.

The same applies to uniting the majority.

In terms of effectiveness, the methods employed by bureaucrats and nobles who go against the tide of history may not be inferior to the new policies implemented by the emperor over the years, and may even be more effective in an immediate way.

However, on the issue of roads, partisan strife that doesn't distinguish between right and wrong is nothing more than raucous barking that can't be brought to the table.

Is the benefit that such spineless dogs offer to the Southerners truly without any cost, a once-in-a-lifetime gain?
Before the second year of the Wanli reign, Neo-Confucianism had not yet been established. Later followers of Yangming taught people to abandon their official robes, morality, and material possessions, and to follow their hearts as they pleased, which was very carefree. Why was there such a despairing atmosphere of the end times permeating the literati at that time?

Because everyone knows that what goes around comes around.

Just like the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun that the Song Dynasty abandoned, it may have felt easy at the time, but how did it repay its debts later?

The central ministers of the former Song Dynasty were all old and decrepit, completely oblivious to the emerging crisis in the intellectual climate.

Fortunately, this dynasty is different.

This time, He Luowen, as the vanguard of the imperial procession, went after Shi Guan, Lin Shao, Fang Liangshu, and others, wasn't that for this very reason?
A breeze blew through the hall, and everyone inside felt a slight chill of the winter solstice.

Instead of letting the matter drop as he had done before and moving on to make trouble for the next colleague, He Luowen began to carefully review Fang Liangshu's case file.

The crowd subtly observed He Luowen out of the corner of their eyes, frequently exchanging glances.

This Vice Minister of Rites seems to be angry?
Surely we shouldn't be punished for our words?
When Grand Secretary Jiao Fang was in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, he openly clamored that the provinces south of the Yangtze River were "inherently of bad character" and even wanted to kill Grand Secretary Peng Hua outside the Meridian Gate. At that time, Jiao Fang was not punished.

Fang Liangshu stood with his head held high in the main hall.

The room remained silent for a long time, with only the sound of turning the pages of files remaining.

After an unknown amount of time, Vice Minister He finally closed Fang Liangshu's file, his expression clearing.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

He Luowen slowly raised his head, looked at everyone, and finally landed on Fang Liangshu: "What is Fang, the Provincial Supervisor, planning to govern the country? To divide the land and establish separate territories? To have the North and South each act as emperors?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the officials in the hall looked up abruptly.

They were all dumbfounded, staring blankly at He Luowen.

The land was divided, and the north and south were each other's emperors!

Does a mere Vice Minister of Rites dare to slap such a label on someone?!
Fang Liangshu was the first to react, and flew into a rage: "You brat, you've gone too far!"

Shi Guan and Lin Shao exchanged a glance, then stood up solemnly one after the other.

“He Luowen, this is the main hall of the Ministry of Rites, not the Northern Garrison Command. You are bringing the eunuch faction’s ways to the outer court.”

"As fellow officials in the same court, even if there are differing opinions, how can one coerce a colleague with words as sharp as tigers and wolves? I hope Vice Minister He will be careful with his words!"

This is the main hall of the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing, not He Luowen's home turf.

The people in the hall stood up one after another to show their support for Fang Liangshu.

"I heard that back then in the Wenhua Hall, Yin Zhengmao of the Ministry of War, Xu Guo of the Ministry of Justice, and others admitted to the claim of being from the same hometown in front of His Majesty. Why didn't Vice Minister He criticize them for splitting up the territory at that time?"

"Minister He, be careful not to let your words cause trouble. If the idea of ​​dividing the land and establishing new territories really spreads among the people, some people might actually use it as a pretext to spread rumors. At that time, Minister He might become a traitor to the country."

The crowd below reacted extremely strongly.

You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want.

Jiangnan bears the heavy burden of taxes from all over the country; is it not a land of merit? Yet, it has suffered from four kinds of oppression for hundreds of years; is it not a vulnerable group?
In this way, wouldn't it be in line with Confucian morality for the imperial court to give appropriate consideration in its policies?

On the contrary, He Luowen has been accused of splitting up the territory, making it clear who has ulterior motives!
Faced with the uproar, He Luowen smiled, not at all surprised.

He leaned back in his armchair, looking relaxed and at ease: "His Majesty ordered me to go to Nanjing first and personally give instructions to two places."

"Its purpose is to rectify social customs, and its means is to encourage open discussion and debate."

When the crowd heard him mention the emperor, they assumed he was just using his position to intimidate them, and their expressions darkened.

He Luowen ignored the expressions of the people below the hall, paused, and continued, "Let's talk about this great debate."

"Your Majesty said that the conflict between the North and the South has been long-lasting, involves many people, and involves many ideas. To say that they are all wrong would make the central government seem stubborn and self-willed. To say that they are all right would not be in line with the facts. Even Your Majesty, who is naturally wise and has divine literary and martial prowess, is in a dilemma."

"Therefore, after much discussion among the emperor and his ministers, they decided to hold a grand debate."

"Let each of us lay out our own positions and strategies, and let the world judge who is right and who is wrong, who is just limited in their thinking, and who is just trying to stir up trouble."

"Therefore, my colleagues have misunderstood me greatly. I was not reprimanding Supervisor Fang, but rather respectfully seeking his advice."

At this point, He Luowen looked around at his colleagues below the hall again, and finally his gaze fell on Fang Liangshu.

He Luowen smiled and said, "Provincial Supervisor Fang speaks with such certainty, so the path must be clear. I, for one, truly do not know what Provincial Supervisor Fang's strategy for governing the country is."

Upon hearing this self-designation, the expressions on the faces of the people below the hall became even more interesting.

What is 丬匕?

The name "丬匕" means that Fang Liangshu wished he could slaughter all the Northerners. Although he could not do it, he wanted to split the character "北" (Northern) in two in terms of address, turning it into "丬匕".

Fang Liangshu was certainly not that naive, but he was particularly effective at inciting his fellow villagers.

Unexpectedly, He Luowen not only heard it, but also shamelessly used it to refer to himself.

He Luowen didn't care at all and leaned back in his chair leisurely.

The outline and key points of governance are essential; governance cannot be based solely on stances, but must also have strategies or, in other words, political demands.

The North-South conflict cannot be all about means and no means. It can’t just be about spreading hatred towards Northerners and resistance to the central government.
With such a large-scale commotion, what is the common demand of officials and people in Jiangnan?

The real purpose can't be to exterminate all the northerners and turn them all into daggers, can it?
Therefore, He Luowen first used the idea of ​​dividing the land and territory to block Fang Liangshu's way of remaining silent, and then questioned him—since Fang Tixue's position was clear, he probably had nothing to hide in terms of his demands.

Upon seeing this, Lin Shao immediately realized He Luowen's tactics.

He quickly coughed lightly and spoke first before Fang Liangshu could, saying, "Minister He, why ask a question you already know the answer to? We have already said it before."

"The people of Jiangnan are suffering too much. Although the land in the world has both barren and fertile areas, it is only natural that taxes are not evenly distributed."

"But there's no reason to hold onto something just because you've got a hold on one spot!"

"Taxes were increased starting from the Hongwu era, and continued through the Yongle, Hongzhi, Zhengde, and Jiajing reigns!"

"That's not all. Since the survey, the central government has been focused on Jiangnan. If the survey yields 10%, it's said to be concealed. If it increases to 20%, it's still because the officials are unwilling to work hard. Even Governor Sun, who had a 30% higher survey, was dismissed."

"Now that His Majesty is on his southern tour, he seems determined to squeeze every last drop of water out of Jiangnan. The people and soldiers of Jiangnan are all wailing in despair, wondering when this will ever end!"

"The people are dissatisfied with the heavy taxes, so the court will naturally try to resolve the issue by showing leniency in other areas."

"Previously, the Nanjing Ministry of Justice issued a document stating that Southerners occupy an important position in the distribution of taxes, and that the three judicial departments should adhere to the principle of combining leniency with severity in criminal law when handling cases of Southerners' illegal and criminal activities, and treat Southerners' illegal and criminal cases differently. This was not because the Nanjing Ministry of Justice discriminated against Northerners, but rather a last resort to appease the people of the South!"

"So that Vice Minister He may know..."

"If the land survey continues unabated, the enmity between the North and the South will only grow stronger!"

In his last sentence, Lin Shao was filled with righteous indignation and spoke with absolute certainty.

He Luowen glanced at the Lin manager who had interrupted him.

Why did he ignore this person before?
It is precisely because these people are different from Fang Liangshu that Lin Shao's political demands are self-evident. He simply wants to stop the land survey and is willing to abuse his power to harm the people.

There is no point in arguing with extreme rookies because they are completely unreasonable.

He Luowen didn't answer, but looked directly at Fang Liangshu and gave him a meaningful look.

Fang Liangshu may seem to speak in extreme ways, but he actually has the potential to heal and save lives.

He did not take any real action, but simply spread hate speech about the North and South, criticized the court for being unjust, and praised the morality of scholars. Even if he wanted the official schools to be self-governing, he seemed more like a fool who was dissatisfied with the court than a bad person with ulterior motives.

Upon seeing He Luowen's provocative gaze, Fang Liangshu hesitated for a moment before finally pushing Lin Shao aside and speaking loudly: "I have no strategy, I only ask for justice!"

"The taxes levied on the six counties are unfair to Shexian; the taxes levied on the north and south are also unfair to the people of Jiangnan!"

He Luowen was stunned for a moment before he remembered that Fang Liangshu was from Shexian County.

He pondered for a moment, then pressed on, "Where exactly is the injustice that Supervisor Fang is referring to?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Liangshu couldn't help but sneer repeatedly: "I am sixty-six years old this year, and I am not afraid to teach you, young man."

"Where is the injustice? It's the unfairness of the social status!"

"The taxes levied on Huizhou Prefecture by Shexian County are actually the sum of those levied on the other five counties. Whose credit is it that Huizhou Prefecture is so prosperous today? It's a pity that the dispute at Wenhua Hall only resulted in a 'fair and impartial' resolution."

"How much of the current dynasty's tax revenue comes from Jiangnan? If there were no Jiangnan in the world, countless of you scoundrels would starve to death! Now, not only do you not know how to repay the favor, but you shamelessly incite His Majesty to openly suppress Jiangnan and divide up the tax power of Southern Zhili!"

"This is outrageous!!"

Fang Liangshu, relying on his seniority, practically pointed his finger at He Luowen and started cursing.

Everyone stole glances at He Luowen's face, only to find him expressionless, which made them break out in a cold sweat for Fang Liangshu.

Little did anyone know, He Luowen was letting out a long sigh of relief at that moment.

What a display of regionalism!

This is what I want!

The bureaucrats and powerful figures who go against the tide of history have actively joined forces with regionalism in an attempt to resist the land survey. Can the central government simply condemn them all?
Of course not.

The lessons of past mistakes are still fresh in our minds; meticulous analysis is the right approach.

Why did the emperor need to engage in lengthy debates?

The purpose is to separate out the ignorant masses who are dragged into the bureaucratic elites who are going against the tide of history!

A monk is still a fool, but a demon is a disaster for a ghost.

Only by thoroughly explaining the principles to the ignorant masses can the naked, anti-historical bureaucrats and nobles be exposed, allowing the emperor to unleash his killing spree!

Thinking of this, He Luowen suppressed his emotions, stared at Fang Liangshu, and said coldly, "What an outrageous statement!"

"In that case, following His Majesty's teaching of speaking out and debating, I, the Supervisor, would like to join me in writing an article about today's matter and explaining our reasoning."

"Let the world discuss who is so unreasonable."

Fang Liangshu was easily provoked. Upon hearing this, he grabbed the hat and threw it violently onto the table!
"Good young man! I'll write it down for you to read later!"

He Luowen shook his head upon hearing this.

He turned his head and looked at the vanguard officer beside him, Zhou Ziyi, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy.

Zhou Ziyi silently fetched paper and pen.

While Zhou Ziyi was elaborating, He Luowen explained to the crowd below the court: "There's no need to wait any longer. Since this is a rectification campaign ordered by imperial decree, the meeting must reach a conclusion. I will now present the conclusion to my colleagues and publish it in the newspaper for the public to discuss."

Zhou Ziyi had already prepared the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

As the writer, polishing is Zhou Ziyi's duty.

The affirmation preceding the criticism, as well as the description of the phenomenon, are essential components and must be completed even before He Luowen speaks.

He wrote.

In the implementation of the new policies over the past eight years, southern officials have played a significant role, but generally speaking, they lacked a pragmatic spirit and sufficient theoretical understanding, resulting in a lack of depth and thoroughness in their governance. In particular, many officials in the Jiangnan region only knew how to recite slogans such as "tax independence" and "opposition to four forms of oppression," without ever considering the actual situation…

He Luowen waited quietly for Zhou Ziyi to start.

Just as Zhou Ziyi finished writing, He Luowen had also sorted out his thoughts.

“Jiangnan regionalism has always prided itself on its abundant commerce, and therefore regards the prosperity of a region as superior in culture and education, and even harbors a secret prejudice against racial differences.”

The moment those words were uttered, the faces of everyone in the hall turned ashen.

Zhou Ziyi ignored the unpleasant looks on his colleagues' faces, silently taking notes and adding vernacular annotations to make it easier for the new newspaper to be published.

Jiangnan regionalism often presents itself as a form of economic superiority, abstracting regional economic prosperity into an implicit argument of cultural or even racial superiority.

"This argument, while seemingly praising the nation's leading position in economics and education, actually undermines the national identity. It is a product of the late Yangming school, which has led to a mindset that is detached from the greater good of the nation. What it harbors in its heart is not the struggle for power, but the shirking of responsibility."

Zhou Ziyi recalled the emperor's phrasing habits in his mind, and his pen continued to flow without pause.

Such arguments, seemingly expressing economic and cultural advantages, actually weaken the national community. They represent a trend of thought influenced by the followers of Yangming, which separates itself from national interests. Their purpose is not to fight for power, but to eliminate responsibility.

“Jiangnan has benefited from the preferential policies of the imperial court and enjoyed the dividends of lenient government orders. It is rich in resources and culturally prosperous. However, at this time, the delusional idea of ​​‘I support the world’ has arisen and is growing more and more rampant.” The officials below the hall felt like they were sitting on pins and needles.

Fang Liangshu simply snorted coldly and stormed off!

Zhou Ziyi ignored it and wrote down more and more smoothly.

With the preferential treatment of resources and policies from the imperial court, Jiangnan gained material benefits, which spurred cultural development. However, against this backdrop, the idea that "I support the whole world" arose in Jiangnan and became rampant.

“He frequently criticized the land survey and expressed his resentment over tax reforms, even directly criticizing the northern provinces. He also sought to weaken the authority of the capital, abolish the control over taxes, and even fabricated a plan to manage finances on his own.”

"The unified territory has become a superfluous structure; the equal distribution of taxes has become a bloodsucking scheme; the idea of ​​the world as one family has gradually faded into a mere collusion between the important provinces of the south and the scattered regions of the north. Ultimately, this is because the heart of the nation and the people has been lost."

The officials in the Ministry of Rites could no longer sit still. They gave a perfunctory bow and then got up to take their leave.

After several of Zhou Ziyi's colleagues left, he felt that his field of vision had broadened considerably.

He remembered more and more quickly.

This trend of thought often manifests as strong dissatisfaction with land surveys and tax adjustments, and may even evolve into a denigration of the northern provinces, followed by demands to weaken Beijing's central authority, abolish unified taxation, and even fantasize about fiscal independence.

The unification of the country was reconstructed as a burden, the redistribution of taxes was deconstructed as a form of exploitation, and the unity of the nation was gradually dissolved into a temporary partnership between superior southern provinces and inefficient northern units. The root cause of this was the imbalance in the national identity system.

"This is a theory that undermines the very foundation of the nation!"

He Luowen completed the final assessment.

Unfortunately, the officials below the hall had already left one after another, while Lin Shao, Shi Guan and others stayed until the very end. After hearing the last sentence, they silently bowed and took their leave.

Only He Luowen and Zhou Ziyi remained sitting opposite each other in the main hall of the Ministry of Rites.

After Zhou Ziyi finished writing the last sentence, no further words were heard.

Just as he was about to put away his pen and ink, he subconsciously looked up and glanced at the deserted and empty main hall of the Ministry of Rites.

Suddenly struck by a flash of inspiration, Zhou Ziyi and He Luowen exchanged a glance.

He Luowen nodded, and Zhou Ziyi understood and began to write.

"These officials are only fifty paces away from making a mistake!"

……

"What is the 'Rouk Error'?"

Wu Zidong, the Right Vice Minister of the Nanjing Court of Imperial Sacrifices, stared blankly at the manuscript sent by the Ministry of Rites requesting its publication, speechless with bewilderment.

The Three Virtues, as one of the Nine Categories of Governance, include gentleness, integrity, and firmness.

Integrity points to the "constant way," that is, establishing unified moral and standards of right and wrong.

Gunker pointed to "major chaos," suggesting that authoritarian measures were needed to quickly stabilize the situation.

The word "soft" refers to "exhaustion," suggesting a need for leniency and light taxes, and for treating the common people and officials with kindness.

All three methods are considered profound teachings of sages; I have never heard that Rouke is a mistake, it is simply contrary to the principles of Heaven!

Dai Xun, the Chancellor of the Nanjing Imperial Academy, who was standing by the window with binoculars, gazing into the distance, did not turn his head upon hearing this, but simply chuckled and said, "Wu Tongzheng is completely oblivious to the nature of the world."

"This is the essay question for the imperial examination in February."

"It points out that we are now in a peaceful era, and that governance should be based on 'uprightness'."

“If anyone adopts radical policies, covets Gangk, and dares to use harsh punishments, wouldn’t that imply that the world is already in chaos? Taking too big a step would be to repeat Gangk’s mistake.”

"If anyone is conservative in their administration, yearns for the 'Rouke' approach, and resists change, does that mean they believe the world doesn't need improvement? By hindering progress, they are committing the 'Rouke' mistake."

“Fang Liangshu’s instigation of regionalism naturally hinders the progress of the world.”

Of course, regionalism is fifty steps away from being wrong, and this characterization is probably much better than that of Lin Shao and others who resisted the land survey.

Upon hearing this, Wu Zitong felt a deep sorrow welling up within him.

Is it not enough to just assess general affairs? Now they're even going after ideological issues?
Overwhelmed with emotion, Wu Zitong's tone became noticeably melancholic: "Should we just print them out directly?"

The Nanjing Gazette was in the hands of the Nanjing Office of Transmission, while newspapers such as the Imperial Academy Gazette and the Donglin Academy Gazette were decided by the literati through discussion and were somewhat dependent on the Imperial Academy's approval.

Dai Xun remained noncommittal: "The emperor wants to create momentum."

The emperor certainly wanted to create momentum.

When public opinion is overwhelmingly against the emperor, the emperor has no chance to make a neutral decision.

He Luowen, as a vanguard, arrived in Nanjing ahead of time and made a lot of noise in order to make his voice heard from the other side and create a scene of evenly matched strength.

This is a power tactic commonly used by emperors throughout history: to make impartial judgments.

Only when the forces are evenly matched, and only when there is uproar, can the emperor's demise be a natural consequence.

Wu Zidong was stunned for a moment, then realized: "What Headmaster Dai means is..."

Dai Xun continued the question from before: "Of course it must be printed and issued, after all, the vanguard officer is acting on imperial orders."

"However, this is the responsibility of the Office of Transmission, and there are established procedures. Just have the subordinates follow the procedures."

"In addition, we must also handle individual articles that are likely to trigger major public opinion events with caution."

The first lesson for an official is to avoid being criticized.

Although he was unwilling to comply with the emperor's wishes and to promote He Luowen in the North-South conflict, this fellow was, after all, the imperial envoy's advance officer, and he could not outwardly disobey him.

This was a matter within the jurisdiction of the Office of Transmission, and naturally had nothing to do with the Imperial Academy Journal or the Donglin Journal. Therefore, apart from the Imperial Gazette, no other newspapers had any responsibility to publish related information.

As for the simple statement of "handling matters prudently," those in the Office of Transmission naturally understand what to do.

Since the matter is to be handled with caution, it would be better to print fewer copies of He Luowen's article, given its strong language, while Fang Liangshu's article carries little risk and can be printed in large quantities—all of which are governed by established rules.

Wu Zitong was well aware of this, but he kept it to himself; he was going to outwardly comply while inwardly defying him.

Although he didn't want to say anything, given the current style of the central government, Wu Zitong was really uneasy.

After nodding to show that he would stand together, he couldn't help but sigh: "We're probably only thirty steps away from making a mistake like Rookie's."

Upon hearing this, Dai Xun burst out laughing.

He put down his binoculars and pointed out the window in the direction he had been looking into the distance: "Thirty paces?"

"The garrisons and imperial guards on Fugui Mountain, Fuzhou Mountain, and Zhong Mountain were all replaced yesterday by three large camps of the Beijing Garrison and two guards of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Who are they guarding against?"

"The Forbidden City has six gates, and the inner city has eighteen gates. Now they even dare to stop and inspect my carriage."

"Before the emperor's southern tour, the cabinet had already instructed you and me, and Li Chunfang even named names, ordering all newspapers in the southern region, especially you and me, to conduct self-examination and self-correction."

"Wu Tongzheng, you and I are not just thirty steps away from Rouke's mistake, we're already on the list!"

"I'm afraid it won't be long before the Imperial Guards, armed with swords, are officially ordered to take over the official gazette under the cover of rain!"

As Dai Xun spoke, he approached Wu Zidong.

He patted Wu Zitong on the shoulder: "Wu Tongzheng, while you're still in office, do something."

Wu Zitong fell silent.

After a long silence, he said in a hoarse voice, "Haven't we already conducted a self-examination and rectification?"

Upon hearing this, Dai Xun sneered repeatedly: "Even if Li Chunfang is old and senile, the emperor is not a fool. Does he really think it's so easy to get away with this?"

"I heard from the Ministry of Justice that they are preparing to release those criminals who were 'banned from reporting crimes'."

The central government felt that the southern newspapers contained many errors and had serious problems, and demanded that the Southern Zhili Ministry rectify them on its own.

But it's impossible that Dai Xun and Wu Zitong actually listened to such words.

What's the difference between investigating and disciplining Jiangnan Newspaper Group and cutting oneself off from the literary world?
Since that's the case, we certainly can't blame the Confucian scholars who run the newspaper—back then, Huizhou Prefecture dared to publish a "Statement from the Central Government that There Are No Powerful Officials in This Prefecture," so what could these high-ranking officials in Southern Zhili not dare to do in secret?

But the central leadership also needs to be informed.

Fortunately, it wasn't just officials and scholars who were spreading the denunciations.

There are also quite a few troublemakers who cause trouble for the government. Every now and then they say that this prefect is corrupt or that official is oppressing the people. If they don't get an explanation, they spread grievances and tabloids everywhere, attacking the officials behind their backs. It's really annoying.

Dai Xun and Wu Zidong took the opportunity to conduct a self-examination and self-correction, claiming that they were acting on orders from the central government, and arrested these troublemakers who spread the accusations, sending them all to the Ministry of Justice.

They accomplished their task and vented their anger at the same time, achieving two goals at once.

Unfortunately, Li Chunfang did not acknowledge it.

Upon hearing this, Wu Zitong became even more agitated: "On what grounds should they be released? They are spreading rumors; shouldn't they be investigated and punished?"

Since the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, public opinion has developed a mature set of methods for its application, whether among scholars or the general public.

Take, for example, the troublemakers and the government.

At first, when the common people encountered injustice, they would expose the shortcomings of the officials in the petitions. The government was afraid of causing trouble, so they would admit defeat and surrender at the slightest sign of trouble, and would bring out the Ming Dynasty Law, which was just a piece of toilet paper, to seriously handle the cases.

More than a decade later, the government discovered that the few notices and tabloids were nothing to cause any real trouble.

The government finally realized what was happening, so they decided to play dead and not respond to any issues, big or small, as if that were their final response.

The troublemakers immediately realized this wouldn't do!

So they came up with a new trick: since the government was pretending to be dead, they would respond on behalf of the government.

If a constable rapes a woman, the scoundrels will spread the word that it was the county magistrate who raped her; if a local ruffian beats up an innocent person, the scoundrels will spread the word that the person's backer is probably the county magistrate.

The magistrate thought this wouldn't do. Only the constables would take the blame for him, not the other way around. Although he had done his share of bad things, he couldn't just admit to doing things he didn't do.

So the county magistrate immediately ordered the county government to issue a notice, stating the name of the criminal, the details of the case, and that people should not believe or spread rumors, and that people should not throw eggs at the wrong enemy.

As time went on, the officials discussed it and realized that this approach wouldn't work either.

We can't always give a reason to troublemakers, can we? If this continues, who's really in charge?

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to come up with a solution.

On the contrary, the emperor's decree to conduct a self-examination and self-correction this time is very enlightening.

Yes, spreading rumors and fabricating stories is simply violating the law!

Therefore, let's put aside the matter of our government fabricating rumors for now and first investigate and punish these troublemakers.

Seize this opportunity to deliver a swift and decisive blow to those troublemakers.

It can be said that it kills two birds with one stone!
Dai Xun shook his head: "Li Chunfang said that in cases of public opinion disputes, rumors caused by the lack of official announcements should be exempted from punishment for the people."

"Let's focus our energy on self-examination and self-correction on official newspapers and newspapers in Shilin."

Wu Zitong's expression shifted between light and dark.

After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "No, I'll go and reply to Li Chunfang later, saying that this matter should be handled from the bottom up, starting with the difficult and then moving to the easy, proceeding step by step."

Dai Xun had no objection to this.
He softly echoed, "I will later have the students of Shilin jointly submit a remonstrance to the Ministry of Justice regarding this matter."

Upon hearing this, Wu Zitong added fiercely, "The article must also be written. It will say that these troublemakers are spreading rumors and causing trouble, smearing high-ranking officials of the court, just to incite conflict between officials and the people and to divide the country. Their crimes are heinous!"

As for the accusations that the government failed to issue notices and ignored public opinion?

That's not true. It's just that the investigation took time, and the bad guys took advantage of that.

Wu Zitong gritted his teeth and finished speaking before he could calm himself down.

Dai Xun's voice was barely audible: "Popular sentiment is the best way to deal with the emperor; we must never hand over public opinion to others."

Even if you mold it into a cohesive and taboo-inducing entity, you still can't conduct self-examination and self-correction!
Wu Zitong turned to look at Dai Xun.

He happened to meet Dai Xun's somewhat helpless gaze.

The two exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.

"The emperor traveled by water, so why hasn't he fallen into the water yet?"

"The weather is dry and the land is parched; the imperial camp should be on fire by now."

……

"Ah!"

In Jining City, Yanzhou Prefecture, a young man not yet twenty, dressed in a straight-cut Taoist robe, suddenly sneezed.

Groups of three or five people quickly surrounded them from behind.

"Young master, it's cold on the winter solstice, would you like to put on another layer of clothing?"

"Sir, it's chilly on the street, it's better to take a carriage."

The young man was dressed in simple, elegant clothes, but the materials were of high quality and the style was dignified, clearly indicating that he came from a wealthy and noble family.

Surrounded by a dozen followers, he was extremely annoyed. He glared at them angrily before finally getting some peace and quiet.

Fortunately, this place is the long riverside street (now Tax Street-South Gate Street) leading to the Salt Administration Office, and as one of the main axes of the city, it is spacious enough to accommodate a group of people with a large entourage.

Of course, this kind of thing is somewhat eye-catching.

The gatekeeper outside the Salt Administration Office came up from afar and stopped the group.

"This is a restricted area of ​​the government office; unauthorized personnel are not permitted to enter!"

Places like county government offices and provincial judicial offices did not prohibit the coming and going of ordinary people; in fact, they even had special reception areas.

But the Salt Administration Office was different. It was a crucial place for issuing salt tickets. To prevent counterfeiting, not even a mosquito was allowed to fly in and peek, let alone a casual visitor!
Especially since the emperor's entourage had just traveled downstream from Jining, leaving Shandong.

He didn't even stop in Jining Prefecture to give guidance to the Salt Administration. The officials all felt they had fallen out of favor and wore long faces.

If the atmosphere in the government office is not good, then it is even more important not to let shady characters get close and make noise, lest they spoil the mood of the officials.

Unexpectedly, after being stopped, the young man did not leave immediately. Instead, he pointed to the plaque of the government office in the distance and asked, "Is this the Salt Administration Office?"

The gatekeeper frowned and sized up the group.

Out of goodwill, I replied perfunctorily, "It's the Salt Administration Office."

Upon hearing this, the young man smiled and said, "There's a man named Old Scarface Yin at the Salt Administration Office. If he's there now, please call him here for me. I'll wait for him here."

The doorman was taken aback. Old Scarface Yin?
It took him a while to come to his senses. Wasn't that the Governor's nickname?!

Yin Shidan's scar was inflicted by the Marquis of Ding'an, Gao Gong. Apart from the Marquis of Ding'an, few people dared to call Yin Shidan by his nickname.

The doorman almost laughed out of anger.

Who is Yin Shidan? He was the former Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, and now he is a highly influential official, the Salt Commissioner, Junior Guardian and Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. He is a very powerful figure with connections to the heavens. How come just any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to use his nickname in such a contemptuous way?

If it weren't for the age discrepancy, the gatekeeper might have had some doubts about himself, wondering if he would only have such audacity if Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng were in his presence.

After looking him up and down, the doorman lost his last bit of patience.

He craned his neck, looking down at him condescendingly and demanding, "Who the hell are you?"

(End of this chapter)