Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 408: A fancy sedan can only be carried by everyone!
The fifteenth day of the first month.

Nothing has happened in the court recently.

While the world was calm, Liu Sanwu was so shocked when he heard Xia Zhibai's thoughts that he pulled out his beard.

Liu Sanwu looked at Xia Zhibai, unable to hide the panic in his pupils, and said at a loss: "Xia Xueshi, things must be done in secrecy, and military and national affairs cannot be discussed with outsiders. What are you thinking? Why do you suddenly want to announce the court's major policies to the public?"

Liu Sanwu was worried.

After the last incident, his relationship with Xia Zhibai had eased a lot. After listening to some of Xia Zhibai's words, he even had a new understanding of Xia Zhibai and began to cooperate with Xia Zhibai to do things. However, what Xia Zhibai said this time really made him a little uneasy.

too crazy.

He actually wanted to make some of the court's affairs public.

This is not just the first or second time. He even wants to publish a newspaper in the name of Hanlin Academy to announce some policies set by the court every week. This is "confidential". How can the affairs of the court be made public so easily?

If Your Majesty knew this, what would He think?
If the officials knew about this, how would they feel?
He did not even need to think about it. He would certainly be criticized by all officials, and the memorials impeaching Xia Zhibai would continue like snowflakes. This idea was too crazy. Even though he knew how audacious Xia Zhibai was, he still gasped when he heard this idea.

Xia Zhibai moved a chair for Liu Sanwu and asked him to sit down first. He said, "This matter is not that troublesome. It is true that things should be done in secrecy, but many policies of the court should be announced. However, in the past, they were only passed on to local officials through the mouths of officials, which undoubtedly gave local officials room to deceive their superiors and conceal the truth."

"We, the Hanlin scholars, eat your salary and help you solve your problems."

"If these policies that should be truthfully communicated to the people are communicated in detail and practically through the writings of literati, wouldn't it greatly reduce the space for local officials to commit fraud? Isn't this a good thing for the world?"

"We, the Hanlin scholars, have lofty ambitions and should make plans for the world."

"As for those important matters, they will not be announced, but some policy changes related to local people and some new policies can be told to the people in advance so that they can be mentally prepared. In my opinion, this is what we literati should do."

Xia Zhibai was not discouraged.

He knew that his proposal to open a newspaper would have a great impact on Liu Sanwu, but in his opinion, the time was ripe. There has never been a shortage of people who are good at writing, but there are too many writers who confuse right and wrong and confuse the public. If these black sheep are not driven out of the public opinion field, the world's atmosphere will not improve.

If the court does not occupy the high ground of public opinion, it will be occupied by others.

This should not be allowed.

Liu Sanwu stared at Xia Zhibai in a daze, and felt his scalp tingling.

Their Hanlin scholars are there to reserve talents and write biographies, not to be mouthpieces. Moreover, to a certain extent, this is already an overstepping of authority and a seizure of the rights of some officials. Wouldn't this make the Hanlin Academy the target of public criticism?

Liu Sanwu shook his head and advised, "I know you have good intentions, but there are some things that cannot be taken for granted. The court has always had its own set of rules for the promulgation of policies. How can we arbitrarily change them? And if we do this, aren't we making enemies for ourselves? If the officials in charge of related matters become dissatisfied, won't that cause disputes in the court? This is absolutely not allowed."

"Master Xia, listen to my advice and don't do anything you shouldn't do."

"We are just Imperial Academy scholars. We just need to do our own job well. If we interfere in other matters, we will not only fail to be appreciated by the court, but may also bring disaster to ourselves."

Liu Sanwu tried to persuade him earnestly.

He still didn't want Xia Zhibai to harm him because of a momentary impulse. "Master Liu, I have considered all the concerns you mentioned, but isn't it what scholars like us seek in our lifetime to speak for the world? Isn't it our responsibility to take the world as our own? Your Majesty has been in power for 20 years. In these 20 years, how many major corruption cases have occurred in the world? Has Your Majesty killed fewer people?"

"In order to correct the bad habits in the world, Your Majesty promulgated books such as the Great Edict and the Sequel to the Great Edict."

"Many of these books have prefaces written by the Master, in which he wrote profoundly: 'This is the foundation of the upper and lower classes, the most precious treasure of the subjects, and it must be distributed throughout the world, and every family must have it. Those who dare not respect it and refuse to keep it are not the people I govern and educate. I will not be in vain if I migrate and educate them to return.'"

"Master, you wrote it clearly in the book, but why do you suddenly become hesitant when it comes to doing practical things?"

"Is this the style of a scholar?"

"But Master can also see that the Great Edict issued by Your Majesty has had little effect."

"The main reason is that the policies promulgated by the imperial court have long been distorted after being passed down through layers of government. Local officials use their power to cover up everything in their local areas, and even arbitrarily distort the facts. The people are unaware and can only endure it."

"The court can't just ignore what's going on!"

"Otherwise, if we allow local officials to continue to act recklessly, the Ming Dynasty will sooner or later follow in the footsteps of the Yuan Dynasty. As a minister of the Ming Dynasty, you should share the country's worries and solve its problems."

"Although I also know that the existence of newspapers will offend a large number of officials, but if they are truly honest and selfless, they will not have too many complaints about this. Only those who have taken private actions will be uneasy, fearing that the people will know the truth and they will no longer be able to exploit and oppress the people easily."

“It also puts them at risk.”

Liu Sanwu smiled bitterly.

How could he not know this truth?

But some things just need to be thought about; actually implementing them is bound to be difficult.

Not many people in the world care about the "facts" or the "truth". Most people only care about the "edict" issued by the court. As long as the court issues an "edict", the final right of interpretation lies in the hands of local officials. Xia Zhibai's interference has directly put him on the opposite side of the vast majority of officials in the world.

If the water is clear, there will be no fish.

How could the officials allow Xia Zhibai to be the only honest official?

He didn't understand this principle before, but after staying in the court for a long time, he gradually realized this principle of being an official.

Live in harmony with the world, share the rain and dew equally, and everyone carries the colorful sedan chair.

If a person is at war with the majority of people, he is destined to go nowhere.

The reason why he had such a grudge against Xia Zhibai before was because everything Xia Zhibai did made it seem that Xia Zhibai was the only capable one, but he stepped on them all. How could Liu Sanwu, who thought he had understood the principles of being an official at the time, bear the anger in his heart?

Now the summer white begins again.

(End of this chapter)