Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 225: Spring of Hope

After Yu Xiangdou arrived in Beijing, all the things Zhu Changluo had envisioned for "playing" in the next three years were ready.

Now the storytellers of Kuai Tan Xuan have a professional team of storytellers.

It’s just that Yu Xiangdou himself was a little confused.

After accompanying the emperor to listen to a storyteller in the Qianqing Palace, Yu Xiangdou learned that there were the Empress and others behind the curtain.

The spring breeze of February was blowing gently. When the storyteller Shen Qinghong finished his story, a delicate voice rang out from behind the throne of the Qianqing Palace: "I will take my leave..."

Of course Yu Xiangdou kept his head down the whole time and didn't dare to peek at all.

After a while, Zhu Changluo smiled and said, "Look, how popular it is. Yu Xiangdou, this is the same as those miscellaneous books you compiled, isn't it?"

"Your Majesty is right." Yu Xiangdou looked at Shen Qinghong and praised, "Master Shen said it very well, very vividly."

"Qin Boyan, let's talk about Xuan. Did you tell Editor Yu about it on the way?"

"I have already said something." The eunuch Qin Boyan, who had been on a long mission, bent over.

"How about it, is this not a problem for you?"

Seeing the emperor looking at him, Yu Xiangdou hesitated for a moment, then said in embarrassment: "I am so overwhelmed by your grace. If I just concentrate on doing this job for your majesty, it will naturally not be a problem. But your majesty has also granted me an official position, and the Ministry of Finance..."

"The important thing is the concept." Zhu Changluo understood what he meant. "In fact, many people have this literary talent, but they just don't treat it as something that can be put on the stage. Now I promote you to the Jing Bureau of the Zhanshi Mansion, specializing in editing and proofreading miscellaneous books and reviewing miscellaneous books submitted for publication throughout the country. With your vision, you should know that this is actually a good thing."

What Qin Boyan said to Yu Xiangdou about being in charge of publishing books in the world was of course an exaggeration.

What virtue and ability did Yu Xiangdou have? He was only in charge of the most unserious books in the past, such as vernacular novels, miscellaneous notes, etc. The more prestigious poetry and prose books and even books on classics and learning were naturally in charge of people with greater talent and learning.

The Economic Bureau has not only one editor, but also a chief editor above it.

Now that the emperor said so, Yu Xiangdou simply replied, "Indeed. As long as the court approves it, it will naturally become famous in the capital. Moreover, Your Majesty also likes to read and listen to storytelling. I'm afraid that Your Majesty has read all the books approved by the Ministry of Finance, and they will naturally sell better among the people. In the end, I can be appointed an official because of this, and miscellaneous books will be accepted by the court, and more people may make a living from it."

After that, he paused and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, do you mean that I can recruit folk writers like in the past and compile more works? I can print and sell them, and I can also let Master Shen and others tell them to Your Majesty?"

"I'm not just here to relieve boredom."

Zhu Changluo looked at him meaningfully.

Qin Boyan only said that there was also a Kuaitanxuan, which was a joint venture of three generations of uncles-in-law.

But of course, the business layout and purpose of Kuai Tan Xuan could only be explained to Yu Xiangdou by the emperor himself.

Yu Xiangdou himself is a businessman, he is a bookseller.

Now, Zhu Changluo gave him an official status and some power. What the Miscellaneous Books Reviewing Office in the Sijing Bureau really needs to do is to develop the popular culture and entertainment industry.

Just start with miscellaneous books.

So Yu Xiangdou heard a huge plan from the emperor: on the surface, it was a fast talk shop that integrated wine shops, teahouses, and theaters, but in reality, it was a place for several types of people: storytellers, opera troupes, folk artists...

"When it becomes popular, in addition to the purely entertaining programs, I will only ask them to add two types of programs. One is to read the court newspaper that is about to be printed, and explain the court's policies to the illiterate people; the other is to ask you to organize people to compile some entertaining and educational novels. For example, the "The Cases of the Honest and Fair Judges of the Ming Dynasty" you compiled before is very suitable for storytelling, and you can even let the opera troupe modify it and perform it. At least, the people will hear and see more, and if they are bullied by local officials again, they may remember how to file a complaint."

Yu Xiangdou was terrified when he heard this: "Your Majesty, this is not a good idea..."

"There's nothing wrong with that. Of course, ignorant people are easy to discipline, but officials have it easy. They don't have the burden of governing the place diligently, nor do they have to think of ways to do a good job. There is progress only when there is a spur." Zhu Changluo looked at him, "I know you are smart and you already understand what I am doing. What do you think? Do you dare to help me do this well?"

"...This is truly a heavy burden." Although Yu Xiangdou's scalp was tingling, he still knelt down and said, "Your Majesty has summoned me, how dare I disobey your orders?"

"Get up." Zhu Changluo walked over and pulled him up. "State affairs are complicated, and this is just one of them. You display your talents, and I will provide you with a platform. I don't want the good policies of the court to be misinterpreted by local people, and I don't want most of my people to be ignorant and foolish."

Arriving at the gate of the Palace of Heavenly Purity and looking at the construction site ahead, Zhu Changluo said slowly with his hands behind his back, "Storytellers travel around, and the wonderful stories they tell are seeds. They can't stay in one place forever, and there are always children who want to learn a few more words and look for miscellaneous books to relieve boredom. Most of them naturally don't have the opportunity to take the imperial examinations or become officials, but even if they can only recognize a few words, it is useful. This will take ten, twenty, fifty, or even a hundred years to do."

"Now, let's start with you. I know you have a quick mind, so think of more ways. When a storyteller travels around, why not bring one or two more things with him? For example, a scroll with three or five words on it. People who listen to the storytelling may be able to recognize those three or five words from now on."

"Yu Xiangdou, what do you think would happen if all the people in the Ming Dynasty could read and write?" He turned his head and looked at Yu Xiangdou. "If there comes a day like that, your merits and virtues will be comparable to saints in my eyes. You will truly be worthy of the name 'admiration'!"

Everyone is literate? If nothing else, then the booksellers will really make a fortune.

Of course, this is Yu Xiangdou’s habitual thinking, and he thought of this immediately.

Then he thought about what the emperor said and felt his blood boiling.

"I understand! Every dynasty has hoped for the prosperity of culture and education. Your Majesty is not sticking to one pattern. It does not mean that every citizen in the world can become a talented person who can govern the country and learn profound knowledge. But if everyone can recognize some words, there will always be more talented people. In addition, if the people are not ignorant, it will be easier for the court to make unified policies."

"It's difficult to do it as it is." Zhu Changluo said with a smile, "I'll be thankful if I don't stray too far. In my mind, literate people are more useful than censors. As for the government and the court finding it more difficult to control the people, that's even better. If things were so easy to do, why would I and all the officials be able to live a life of luxury and comfort so easily?"

"…Your Majesty is truly a sage king, with a broad mind, which I have never heard of before."

"You are also good at bidding for horses!" Zhu Changluo laughed, "I admire your straightforwardness without much experience in officialdom. Kuaitanxuan can provide the money for any people you want to recruit. If you want to open Santai Pavilion and Shuangfengtang in Beijing, that's fine too. Let the uncles-in-law invest in them. Three years later, the first step for Kuaitanxuan is to open all the prefectures in Daming."

Yu Xiangdou's eyes lit up: "Now that I have an official position, can I still do business?"

"I have given you permission to do it. If you do it well, in the future, just like Changminghao, the court will have its own specialized official merchants. Some of the court-exclusive businesses have their heads both as officials and merchants."

"I understand! Then I can open a bookstore next to each Kuai Tan Xuan, specializing in selling miscellaneous books. Whatever books or plays are mentioned in the book, they will all be sold in the bookstore."

Shen Qinghong was stunned: "Your Majesty, what's the point of us saying please listen to the next analysis?"

"Master Shen, telling a story has its own fun, and reading a book has its own fun, they complement each other."

"Editor Yu is right!" Zhu Changluo agreed. "Don't worry, this Kuai Tan Xuan will have no shortage of customers. With Editor Yu helping you, the area around this Kuai Tan Xuan will surely become a popular place. If not, how can I use Kuai Tan Xuan to publicize the court's decrees in their original form?"

How difficult is it?

With the financial resources of the emperor and his uncles, the help of the Changminghao system, Zhu Changluo's ideas and Yu Xiangdou's marketing talent, it is easy to create a bustling cultural, entertainment and commercial district in every prefecture and even county.

Storytelling and opera are meant to attract people, and then business will follow.

It will actually be more difficult for the huge group of storytellers in the future to be willing to go to the countryside: when they go to the countryside, will they ask for tips from the poor people?

In the city, they are either employed as restaurant owners or set up stalls on the streets in busy places with a lot of people coming and going, and their basic income is guaranteed.

Fortunately, for Zhu Changluo, even if each county is only equipped with one person to do this, the overall cost is not high.

The difficulty lies in how to ensure that they really do it with their heart.

After Yu Xiangdou left, Zhu Changluo asked Shen Qinghong: "Have the people sent to various places by the guild discussed the problem of how to send people to the countryside?"

"…I am a simple-minded commoner and I still can't think of a good solution. The uncles of the emperor are willing to open shops and hire people to run them. It is easy for guilds to be set up in various places. It is rare for our industry to receive such grace from Your Majesty. But we used to make a living. Going to the countryside is not only hard, but also difficult to make a living. Your Majesty attaches great importance to this matter, and the people who go there must be good hands and have great speaking skills..."

"Let's set up all the guilds in various places first, and open Kuai Tan Xuan first." Zhu Changluo was not in a hurry, "This business is easy to do, there will always be more people. With more apprentices, the masters will not have to work so hard. I will think of a way in the future."

This kind of thing would probably have to be done with subsidies, but even if the subsidies were given, whether the thing was done or not was more important to Zhu Changluo.

So this involves issues of supervision and inspection.

At the beginning of the third year of Taichang, grain ships had been crossing the Huai River one after another, carrying huge amounts of silver from the south of the Yangtze River.

The reconstruction of the Forbidden City is in full swing: there is no shortage of money, so what is difficult to do?
The layout of one room and four courtyards was beginning to take shape, the Ministry of Works was adding a Qingli Division, and many government offices were adding official positions.

There was a "precedent" for strict preferential treatment and exemption last year, and it is simply being implemented "as usual" starting this year.

There are no more sharp and urgent conflicts starting this year. Last year and the year before were too painful, and this year I seem to have to get used to it.

The year of the provincial examination, the year of the special examination, the year of the military examination and the palace examination, the spring of this year is filled with hope.

Zhu Changluo slowed down and spent a lot of time satisfying his "hobby": listening to storytelling and discussing all kinds of strange issues with the professors and students in Baijiayuan and the master craftsmen and Taoists on Wansui Mountain.

The Ming Dynasty seemed to have finally calmed down.

(End of this chapter)