I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 305 Someone Saw the Shortcut to Zhongnan

In the Zuifeng Tower in the capital, the lights are on and the atmosphere is bustling with wine and women, a scene of decadence and revelry every night.

Zhang Siwei got out of the sedan chair and looked up at Zuifeng Tower, calculating secretly in his mind. His face was uncertain. Under the swaying light, his face was red, white, and yellow, which looked a little weird.

"Mr. Feng Pan!"

Someone was calling him from behind, and Zhang Siwei's face subconsciously changed into a smile. Then he turned around and saw Wang Shizhen coming out of the sedan chair behind him.

"Lord Fengzhou! What a coincidence, you and I arrived almost at the same time." Zhang Siwei walked forward with a smile.

"Lord Feng Pan is hosting a banquet for all the wise men today. I dare not neglect it. I hurried and hurried, but I am still one step late."

"I just got here too. There's a traffic jam on the road."

"Yes, the road was full of preaching teams doing some fundraising, making Wansheng shoes and Jingzhong jackets. There were so many people gathered that the road was blocked. The sedan bearers had to go around in circles before they could get there."

As they talked, they walked inside hand in hand.

After entering the front hall, the waiter saw that it was a regular customer and quickly took him to the reserved private room on the fourth floor.
"The Taichang Temple has made a big splash this time."

"It's unbelievable. Lord Zhuo Wu has been arguing with others recently. How can he still have the energy to take care of such matters?"

"Doesn't Lord Fengzhou know?"

"Know what?" Wang Shizhen asked curiously.

"The Taichang Temple has changed a lot in recent days, especially during the Northern Expedition and the Southern Expedition, it has become very popular. It is definitely because a new force has joined."

"Who?"

Wang Shizhen asked hurriedly.

He knew that Zhang Siwei had a wide range of friends, was good at networking, and was the best-informed person in Beijing.

"Mr. Zhuo Wu recently had a fellow villager come to his school and was highly regarded. He personally went to the Western Garden to recommend him to the Crown Prince as the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Rites, to help him manage the affairs of the Ministry of Rites.

His Highness agreed, but only appointed that person as the Taichang Temple Secretary, in charge of temple affairs. "

"Fellow townsman? Mr. Zhuo Wu is from Quanzhou, Fujian. Which of his fellow townsmen is so amazing that he could become a disciple of Mr. Zhuo Wu and the prince?"

Zhang Siwei asked back with a smile: "Mr. Fengzhou is the prince's lecturer and often lectures in the Western Garden. Haven't you heard of him?"

Wang Shizhen replied angrily: "Mr. Feng Pan is still the prince's guest, and also my superior! Others may not know the inside story, but don't you know it?
The Eastern Palace's lectures on imperial court had long been in name only!
Wei Weiguan (Wei Xueceng) was appointed as the governor of Liaodong, and Wang Yuanyu (Wang Xijue) was appointed as the chief secretary of the governor, and they went to Liaodong together.

Ye Mengxiong went to western Liaoning and served as the governor-general of western Liaoning. Mei Guozhen went to the northwest and served as an assistant to Fang Xingzhi (Fang Fengshi), the governor-general of Gansu and Ningxia.

You and I entered the Jingyi Pavilion and were ordered to compile the "Record of the Sacred Instructions of Emperor Shizong". How long has it been since you and I entered the Xiyuan?"

Zhang Siwei sighed, "Yes, the six lecturers of the Eastern Palace told stories to the prince in the Western Garden for more than half a year, and then they ran around and were busy with their own things.

Even Wang Taihan, who had waited so long for him to come to the capital, originally wanted to spend more time with him and listen to his ideas, but he was suddenly appointed as the Junior Minister of Rites and the Ming Dynasty's Birthday Envoy, and was sent to the Tumed tribe.

There are so many worldly affairs, and we are always helpless! "

Wang Shizhen stared at him and asked, "Mr. Fengpan, stop talking nonsense here. You haven't mentioned which fellow villager of Mr. Zhuo Wu became his disciple.

Zhang Siwei took a look and whispered a name: "Cai Chunmao, Cai Huaqiu."

"A son-in-law wins the championship?" Wang Shizhen was shocked.

"Stop yelling like that."

"Is Cai Huaqiu the first place winner in the imperial examination and a disciple of Mr. Zhuo Wu?"

The first place in the imperial examination was chosen by a juren as his disciple. No other jinshi could do it, only this son-in-law who was the first place winner could do it.

Zhang Siwei said disapprovingly: "Cai Huiyuan became a disciple of Mr. Zhuo Wu. I don't know how well he has learned Li's new school, but now he is making great progress and is known as the No. 1 Roaring Sky Dog in the Taichang Temple!"

Wang Shizhen rolled his eyes at Zhang Siwei and told me not to sneer at others. Look at what you say, it's even worse than what I say!
"What the Taichang Temple has been doing these days, was all done by Cai Huaqiu?"

"At the beginning, it was still Li Shaoqing who was in charge, but later on, Cai Huaqiu took over. After finding that he was doing a really good job, Li Shaoqing simply let him take charge."

"Organizing propaganda teams to go to the streets, painting slogans on walls everywhere, organizing learning activities at every turn, requiring government offices to submit learning reports, these things, were all done by Cai Huaqiu?"

"It's all him, and more!"

"Ah, what else did you do?"

"Mr. Fengzhou doesn't know? The streets are buzzing with commotion, don't you know?" "These days, I have been entrusted by Taihan to help him sort out some documents, and I rarely leave the house after the court is over. If Mr. Fengpan hadn't invited me today, I would not have come out."

"He submitted a memorial in the name of the Taichang Temple to rectify the news newspapers in various places. The Imperial Ming Dynasty Newspaper published by the Tongzhengshisi was the official official newspaper. All the imperial edicts and decrees of the court were first published here, and other newspapers were reprinted from it.

The publication of newspaper news requires a license approved by the Taichang Temple. Twelve newspapers, including Shuntian Zhengbao, Minsheng Bao, Shangbao, Nanjing Zhengbao, and Wansheng Bao, have been temporarily designated as approved newspapers.

"Oh, you need a license to publish a newspaper?"

"Correct."

As the two were talking, they came to the door of the private room. The waiter pushed the door open and moved aside.

"Please take a seat, sirs. What kind of tea would you like?"

"Autumn tea, Xinyang Maojian, please."

"Okay! My two lords, would you like to order food now?"

"There are still guests who have not arrived. Please wait a moment."

"Okay, I'll go make tea for the two masters now."

Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen walked into the private room together, walked around, opened the window, and saw that the lights outside were bright as stars. The noisy sound was as prosperous as daytime.

This is the capital of the Ming Dynasty at night.

"Since the first year of the Longqing reign, an imperial decree was issued from the Western Garden to extend the curfew to midnight, and the nights in the capital have become more and more lively," Zhang Siwei sighed.

"If the curfew is not lifted, it will help to spend money!" Wang Shizhen joked, "The emperor and his officials live in the capital, and the wealth of the world flows here, so it will naturally be prosperous day and night, and it cannot be stopped.

Rather than letting everyone commit theft and prostitution in secret under curfew, it is better to let you go and spend your money as you please."

Zhang Siwei asked with a smile: "Is this rumor coming from Xiyuan again?"

"People in Taifu Temple say this is called stimulating the economy. Money in your hands is just a dead thing. It has to be used so that it can flow and carry goods, and the cycle can continue."

Zhang Siwei stroked his beard and said, "Now the country is vigorously implementing new policies, and industry and commerce are booming. The country is strong and the people are rich, but various doctrines are rampant, some of which are obscene and heretical, misleading people and shaking the foundation of the holy religion."

Wang Shizhen glanced at him, sighed and said, "Before Wang Taihan went on a diplomatic mission to Monan, he lived in the capital for some time. He traveled around to investigate, and one day he told me that he believed that in the near future, there would be a great upheaval in the country! The capital, the court, and the underworld would all be affected."

"Isn't Wang Taihan exaggerating?"

"Feng Pan, your heart is as clear as a mirror, but you dare not say it, and you don't want to say it."

Zhang Siwei remained silent.

Wang Shizhen waved his hand, "Okay, if Feng Pan doesn't want to talk about it, we won't talk about it. Just now we talked about Cai Huaqiu entering the Taichang Temple and doing many strange things. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, I can't finish talking about it until tomorrow morning. I will tell you a few of them."

"Feng Pan, please speak."

"He wrote in a memorial that temples, altars and graves are where ghosts offer sacrifices to ancestors. The Taimiao is the Mingtang of the emperor. Temples are courts with laws and regulations. Zhi is the official residence.

Unexpectedly, it was misused by the Buddhist sect and Taoists, who called it a temple. Since then, the people have lost sight of its solemnity and majesty, and have been confused. Please issue an imperial decree to change the name of Taoism to "guan", and the name of Buddhism to "zha". Other nunneries and halls should not be used as temples anymore, which is derogatory to the majesty. "

"Ah, he has to take care of this too. Has Xiyuan been approved?"

"Approved. I will also transfer the affairs of the Taoist Monk Department to the Taichang Temple for handling together."

"This Cai Huaqiu, he used to be so prudent and respectful, how come he suddenly became so reckless and heretical?" Wang Shizhen shook his head.

Zhang Siwei glanced around the capital city in the night, looked towards Xiyuan, reached out to close the window, and shut out the noise.

"Who knows? No one knows whether these things were his own will or someone else's will."

Wang Shizhen was stunned for a moment, "Feng Pan, are you saying that Cai Huaqiu was willing to take the lead and bravely take the lead, and that he was following Xiyuan's intention?"

"Fengzhou, I didn't say that." Zhang Siwei replied with a smile, "Since the meeting of officials above the sixth rank at the Imperial Academy, many officials have changed."

Wang Shizhen nodded: "Yes, someone has seen the Zhongnan shortcut."

Zhang Siwei turned his head to look at the entrance of the private room and deliberately asked, "Hey, why haven't they arrived yet? Could they be stuck in traffic?"

(End of this chapter)