I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 916: You are unlucky to meet Zhang Siwei!

Shen Yiquan's voice echoed in the hall.

"Today, the Spiritual Civilization Construction Committee, the Ministry of Rites and the Taichang Temple held an enlarged meeting of the Opera Association in response to the Emperor's "Imperial Edict on the New Stage of Construction of Ming Spiritual Civilization" issued on December 26 in the "Huang Ming Dynasty Newspaper".

Opera is an indispensable part of Ming Dynasty literature and art.

Opera workers are also an important part of the Ming Dynasty's literary and artistic workers. You shoulder the important task of promoting education, praising truth, goodness and beauty and other spiritual civilization.

The Committee for the Construction of Spiritual Civilization, feeling the current state of the construction of spiritual civilization in the Ming Dynasty, needed to clarify and adjust some historical issues, so it convened this enlarged meeting and invited representatives of many local operas in Beijing.

According to statistics from the Propaganda Office of the Spiritual Civilization Committee, there are a total of 192 opera performing artists attending the meeting today, including troupe owners, managers and actors, all of whom are present.

It represents 62 opera troupes in Beijing, as well as 11 local operas such as Kunqu Opera, Hui Opera, Huangmei Opera, and Henan Gaodiao Opera. I dare not say that there is no talent left, but it is enough to represent the opera industry of Ming Dynasty in the broadest sense.

There are also 64 drama script writers, some of whom are members of the Literary Association of the Federation of Literature and Art.

Shen Yikuan is a good speaker, he speaks fluently and his meaning is very clear.

His previous strong Ningbo accent was corrected and he now speaks pure Beijing Mandarin, with only one or two words from the Ningbo accent mixed in occasionally.

"They have made important contributions to opera work, and they are also Ming Dynasty opera workers, and even Ming Dynasty literary and artistic workers.
Okay, now let Zhang Siwei, the advisory scholar and director of the Spiritual Civilization Construction Committee, give an important speech. Welcome everyone! "

After saying that, Shen Yikuan was the first to applaud, and everyone followed suit, with applause breaking out from both on and off the stage.

Yu Qiaolian, Dong Li, and other talented people including Tang Xianzu in the audience were all listening to Shen Yikuan's words.

However, the officials on the rostrum could hear the sharpness and murderous intent that could not be concealed.

Especially Pan Sheng.

After receiving the official letter from the Propaganda Department of the Spiritual Civilization Construction Committee, the Minister of Rites did not want to come, so he sent Wu Guolun, the Right Vice Minister who was in charge of the Cultural Department, and Tu Long, a doctor in the Art Bureau of the Cultural Department, to handle the task.

For a so-called enlarged meeting of a drama association, it was enough to have a vice minister in charge of departmental affairs, which gave Zhang Siwei a lot of face.

However, Zhang Juzheng somehow learned about the enlarged meeting of the Chinese Opera Association and sent his confidant to tell Pan Sheng a few words.

After hearing what Zhang Juzheng said, Pan Sheng thought about it and finally decided to come in person.

In order not to appear abrupt, he also invited Wang Qi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and in charge of the Ministry of Education, to come.

Educational work is also within the coordination scope of the Committee for Spiritual Civilization Construction.

The Opera Association is definitely about opera work, which of course also includes opera education.

The head of the Education Department, who is in charge of the country's basic, higher and vocational education, came to listen to the work of opera education, showing that he attached great importance to it.

Zhang Siwei was very happy to see Pan Sheng coming with two assistant ministers to show his support. He felt that old Pan was giving him face, so he became very friendly towards Pan Sheng and called him "senior" affectionately.

Pan Sheng was an old Jinshi who passed the imperial examination in the 20th year of Jiajing, four subjects earlier than Zhang Siwei, who passed the imperial examination in the 32nd year of Jiajing. He was a well-deserved senior.

Sitting down and listening to Shen Yikuan's opening remarks, Pan Sheng keenly noticed that Zhang Siwei was going to make a big move.

The biggest news recently is that two of Zhang Juzheng's disciples, Fu Yingzhen and Liu Tai, submitted memorials to impeach their mentor, accusing him of abusing his power, engaging in corruption and corruption for personal gain, which caused an uproar in the court and the country.

But not long after, the Censorate announced the results of the investigation.

Fu Yingzhen and Liu Taijin were found by the inspection team of the Censorate to have committed corruption and bribery, respectively. The evidence was irrefutable, so they began the investigation procedure.

The two men ran to Zhang Juzheng and begged their teacher to lend them a hand, but Zhang Juzheng sternly refused.

In anger, he began to have evil thoughts, fabricated stories, and submitted a memorial to impeach Zhang Juzheng in an attempt to attract attention.

Now the two have been charged with an even more serious crime and have been removed from their posts pending further investigation.

When the results were announced, there was an uproar in the government and the opposition.

The Censorate is investigating you, and you want your mentor to protect you?
Do you know who is in charge of the Censorate?
Hai Rui, Hai Gangfeng!

Even the Emperor Sejong dared to scold him, so even Prime Minister Zhang Xiang couldn't do anything about him.

Because of you two little bastards who broke the law, Zhang Xiang was asked to confront Hai Gangfeng. Are you two still asleep?
Zhang Xiang is just your teacher, not your biological father.

No, even if he is your biological father, he would sacrifice his own family for the sake of justice when faced with such a thing!
Public opinion in the court and the country suddenly leaned towards Zhang Juzheng, thinking that he had met the wrong person and was implicated by his students.

However, those who know the inside story know that things are not that simple.

Fu Yingzhen and Liu Tai were desperate. In addition to committing crimes to protect themselves, there were people behind them who instigated and encouraged them, and even gave them guarantees.

Now that the Gordian knot has been cut so swiftly, it must be the emperor who has taken action.

He is still as resolute as ever.

Hit the vital point with one blow, quick and clean.

In addition, the emperor negotiated with several bigwigs.

At the time of the change of power, the emperor negotiated with several bigwigs, and what they discussed must have been the next personnel affairs, and Zhang Siwei must have received some kind of promise.

Otherwise, things would not have been able to pass so peacefully, there would definitely be follow-up.

Judging from Zhang Siwei's arrangements and signs for today's meeting, he has put all his focus on responding to the emperor's test.

That’s right, Pan Sheng has figured out the purpose of Zhang Siwei’s next series of actions.

If you pass the test, you will reach the top in one step. If you fail the test, you will be subject to a joint settlement of old and new accounts.

But Pan Sheng couldn’t understand why the emperor took a fancy to Zhang Siwei!
Just as I was thinking about it, Zhang Siwei next to me spoke.

He said calmly: "You are all outstanding literary and artistic workers in the Ming Dynasty, and have made great contributions to the construction of the spiritual civilization of the Ming Dynasty.

I need to learn from you.

This meeting is for me to communicate with you and learn from you." Zhang Siwei said modestly and changed the topic.

"Speaking of learning, I will tell you a lesson I learned.

As we all know, the emperor would often organize history classes for the members of the Advisory Bureau in Beijing, and would also make some insightful comments in class that would clear up the confusion, inspire deep thoughts, and enlighten the ministers.

I have the honor to attend classes with my colleagues and listen to the emperor’s comments.

I remember once when talking about the Two Jin Dynasties and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the emperor mentioned that that was the time when the aristocratic families rose to prominence.

The court was dominated by powerful clans, most of whom were aristocratic families. They colluded with each other and monopolized power and resources.

There is no country or people in his heart, only his own interests.

This eventually led to the Five Barbarians' Invasion of China, and the Central Plains was filled with the smell of blood and gore.

The emperor asked us at that time, "Does the Ming Dynasty have any aristocratic families?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Qiaolian, Dong Li and other "opera workers" in the audience were confused.

Director Zhang, is what you said beyond the scope for us?

We don’t understand at all!
At that time, officials such as Pan Sheng and Yang Lingde on the stage understood completely that Zhang Siwei was just using opera workers to set the stage for his big show.

It doesn’t matter whether the people in the audience understood what he said or not, because Zhang Siwei was not speaking to them anyway.

As long as the emperor and some other people hear it, it's enough.

"The emperor said categorically, yes! The Ming Dynasty had aristocratic families, but they evolved after hundreds of years and changed into a tortoise shell. They are called aristocratic families.

These aristocratic families monopolized cultural and educational resources, controlled knowledge, and secretly manipulated the imperial examinations, which were the channels for selecting talents and appointing officials in the dynasty.

They would teach the secrets of the imperial examinations to those who listened to them and were willing to work as their dogs. Then the government and the people would work together to recruit them as Jinshi, and then bind them together through various relationships such as teacher-student relationship, same subject, same year, and same hometown.

Get promoted, get rich, and take charge of state affairs.

They could then annex large tracts of land, collude with pirates and soldiers, engage in smuggling by sea and land, and enrich themselves. Not only that, they also concealed land and people and evaded taxes.

These people occupied a large amount of land resources in the Ming Dynasty and earned the most wealth, but they passed the responsibilities they should have borne on to ordinary people.

These people are selfish, their own interests far outweigh the interests of the court, the country and the people. These aristocratic families, like the aristocratic families in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, are all parasites of the country and blood-sucking worms of the country!"

Zhang Siwei's voice was loud and powerful, like metal and stone, and the indignation in his words filled the entire venue.

What everyone saw was a loyal minister who embodied justice and righteousness and was as upright and incorruptible as Hai Qingtian.

Pan Sheng couldn't help but turn his head to look at Zhang Siwei who was speaking passionately next to him.

hallucinations!

It's all an illusion!
Zhang Siwei, the glass bead, is acting again.

But the acting is damn good!

No wonder the emperor took a liking to him, there is indeed a reason.

Zhang Siwei continued his impassioned speech, "During the Wanli New Deal, the emperor saw through the true nature of these termites and vampires at a glance and ordered the eradication of these pests of the dynasty.

Under the wise leadership of the Emperor, and with the full efforts of Prime Minister Zhang, former Prime Minister Dazhou, and current Prime Minister Gangfeng, these aristocratic families that had brought harm to the country and the people were eliminated one by one.

The world is bright and clear, the sun and the moon are shining, and the emperor has such great courage to clear the obstacles on the road to the Ming Dynasty's progress, leading the officials, the common people, the army and the people, and leading the Ming Dynasty into a new era! "

When Zhang Siwei got excited, his heart was pounding, his face turned red, and his chest kept heaving.

His eyes were red and tears welled up in his sockets.

Everyone in the audience saw that Director Zhang was singing praises for this new era and felt happy to be living in it.

His love for the Ming Dynasty, his support for this era, and his sincerity to His Majesty the Emperor moved Yu Qiaolian, Dong Li and others in the audience.

I don't know who took the lead, but more than 200 people in the audience stood up and applauded enthusiastically.

The applause lasted for more than a minute in the venue before it slowly died down.

Zhang Siwei also calmed down and became serious.

“However, we never expected that not long after the aristocratic families were eradicated, the Committee for the Construction of Spiritual Civilization discovered that some of the remaining forces in the local area had begun to revive.

These people have changed their appearance, put on clothes, and dressed like advanced elements of the new era, but they are still the same at heart.

They are arrogant, monopolize resources, manipulate culture, and are selfish.

Moreover, in the past two years, they could no longer hide and began to show their true colors!

They are the literary clique!

A group of literary cliques who monopolize culture, manipulate public opinion, mix in private goods, and have ill intentions! "

When these words were spoken, the people in the audience were just shocked and confused, and did not realize the seriousness of this statement.

The officials on the rostrum were stunned.

Zhang Siwei finally showed his sharp fangs.

Pan Sheng finally understood who Zhang Siwei was going to sacrifice as a stepping stone for his advancement.

Ugh!
It’s your bad luck to meet Zhang Siwei!

(End of this chapter)