Chapter 199: From the government to the underworld, Hai Rui is caught in the net again Qianqing Palace. Jiajing held a bowl of spiritual porridge in his hand, looked at the life in front of him, and said to Lu Fang: "Do you know now?" "This old guy Xu Jie won't give up so easily." "I was overthinking it." Hearing Jiajing say this, Lu Fang nodded with some shame. He really didn't expect that Xu Jie could do things so decisively, so cruelly, and even so boldly! When he was making the plan, he even dared to think about dragging his master into the water as well, to make a backup plan for his overall situation. It must be said that this cabinet deputy assistant was really too bold! However, when he came to his senses, he realized that Xu Jie's behavior was understandable, and he really had no way out! Either he and Li Chengwu would both suffer losses, and then wait for Yan Song to clean up the mess, and finally wait for the master to give birth to a prince and choose one to support. However, based on what he had done before, few people would follow him. What awaits the Xu family is nothing but a slow death. Therefore, what Yan Song said was absolutely right. He was trying to cut off the source of the trouble and fight a desperate battle! If he succeeds, he can continue to stay in the cabinet and protect the entire family from wind and rain, but if he fails, then there is actually no difference whether the Xu family perishes earlier or later.
It's worthwhile to try your best to fight for the last chance of survival! Lu Fang thought about it and decided that even if it was himself, he would choose to do so. As for the other members of the Xu family, Xu Fan was the Minister of Works and was in charge of the "Records of Immortal Craftsmen", so at least this generation of the Xu family would be safe. As for the other members of the Xu family, they will be defeated sooner or later. "Master," at this moment, Lv Fang suddenly seemed to have thought of something, looked at Jiajing, and asked tentatively, "This Xu Jie is so bold that he even wanted to drag the master into the game when he was planning. This is very disrespectful. Do you want to give him a warning?" After saying that, Lu Fang lowered his head again, as if he didn't dare to look at Jiajing. In fact, he has selfish motives. He believed that Xu Jie was a rare talent, and the Xian Dynasty needed more people for its development. It was a pity that such a mature and experienced minister was defeated because of the court party struggles. The most important thing is, based on his understanding of his master, his master is actually not very optimistic about Li Chengwu and others. The reason why the master did not favor Xu Jie and others was because in the master's view, if Xu Jie could not even defeat Li Chengwu and others, then there was no need for him to stay in the cabinet. In Lu Fang's opinion, Xu Jie should continue to stay in the court, devote himself to the court until his death, and squeeze out the last value from him until he is completely useless, and it will not be too late to leave then. "Oh," Jiajing didn't care about Lv Fang's little tricks, but his face was slightly relaxed, and he said: "Xu Jie is an old fox. Since he dared to drag me into the game, he didn't think of hiding it from me." "And I am also looking forward to what gift he has prepared for me. If this gift is not generous enough, then don't blame me for being ruthless. A cabinet vice minister is not something that cannot be abandoned." "My master is wise!" Hearing Jiajing say this, Lu Fang immediately flattered him. At the same time, he was also extremely curious. What exactly was the gift Xu Jie prepared for his master? If the gift was not generous enough, it would not be enough for him to pay the price of getting his master into the game. "It's getting late. Continue to arrange the twelve concubines to serve you tonight." After looking at the heavy snow outside the window and the gloomy sky that became darker as night fell, Jiajing spoke slowly. "Yes." Lu Fang bowed and walked out. The next day, two falcons flew out of the capital and headed for Ningbo and Nanjing respectively. At the same time, the Inspectorate also sent people from the capital. Time flies. On the fifth day of May in the fiftieth year of Jiajing, a month had passed and the team of envoys from various countries that had set out from Ningbo Prefecture also arrived in the capital smoothly. A banquet was held under the arrangement of the Ministry of Rites.
At the banquet, Fernando, the envoy of the Kingdom of Spain, naturally reported Hai Rui to the Ministry of Rites first. Unfortunately, the Minister of Rites just nodded to indicate that he knew, and there was no further news. Such an attitude certainly could not satisfy the envoys, especially the envoys from the Kingdom of Spain, which claimed to have formed the most powerful Holy Alliance Army in the European continent today, and even threatened to meet the emperor. The natural result was that he was scolded by the Minister of Rites, who was already impatient and even looked down on these foreign barbarians. The reason for the reprimand was almost exactly the same as Hai Rui's. Since he had set foot on the land of the Ming Dynasty, he had to abide by the laws of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty’s attitude was unexpectedly tough. When the Ottoman Empire's envoy, Muhammad, saw that he could not gain any advantage over the Ming Dynasty, he shut up silently and was no longer as arrogant as before! The "great Ottoman Empire" that was always on his lips was never mentioned again. Although he was very arrogant and claimed to be a holy warrior of the great Ottoman Empire, and now served as an envoy representing the Ottoman Empire to the Ming Dynasty, he always felt that he was superior to others. However, after being beaten up by Hai Rui in Ningbo Prefecture, he had faced the reality. At the same time, he also knew that the Ming Dynasty was not afraid of the Ottoman Empire at all. Although he was a holy warrior and had the highest sense of honor and self-esteem, he knew in his heart that if he caused trouble in the Ming Dynasty, he would most likely be killed. If he died on Ming territory, he believed that the empire would definitely not travel all the way east to attack Ming just for him. The honor belongs to the empire, but your life is your own! Moreover, as he observed along the way to the capital, he discovered that the Ming Empire, whether it was the streets or the public security, made him deeply realize that the Ming Empire might be even more powerful than he had imagined, and might not even be inferior to the great Ottoman Empire. As a result, the Ottoman envoy Muhammad was naturally very aware of the current situation and kept very quiet. The most embarrassed person during this period was Pedro, the envoy of the Kingdom of Portugal. After all, he was carrying the heavy trust of King Sebastian I during his visit to the Ming Dynasty. That is to seek "magical magic" from the mysterious capital of Ming Dynasty, or even bring back some medical skills from Ming Dynasty to treat the king's physical illness. But now things have become so embarrassing that it is difficult for him to speak up. How should he seek help from Ming Dynasty? The banquet was held in Huitong Hall to the west of the imperial city. At this time, after three rounds of wine, the banquet was very lively with singing and dancing, music and bells ringing in the hall. However, the envoys from various countries below were not looking happy. The Ottoman envoy Muhammad knew the current situation, the Spanish envoy Fernando was dissatisfied but the situation was stronger than him, so he could only swallow his anger, and the Portuguese envoy Pedro was embarrassed. As for Richard Winsom Hawkins of the Kingdom of England, Charles de Lorraine Montmorency of the Kingdom of France, Maximilian von Habsburg-Lorraine, the envoy of the Holy Roman Empire, and Ivan Romanov Petrovich, the envoy of Tsarist Russia, they all showed an indifferent attitude. They even appreciated the rituals and music of the Ming Dynasty with great interest. As for the previously popular "magic", although they were also very curious and wanted to take a look, they actually did not really believe that there were gods in this world. The important thing is, they have all seen the tough attitude of the Minister of Rites before. Even if they ask about matters related to "divine arts", they will not be told. Instead of doing this, why bother themselves? Anyway, their trip to the ancient empire of Ming was just a public trip assigned by the empire, and there was no practical overlap of interests. After all, apart from some business dealings, there was no other intersection between the Ming Dynasty and their empire. In short, the envoys from overseas countries came with high hopes but returned disappointed. Of course, these envoys also stayed in the capital for quite a while, during which time they were naturally attracted by the rich "immortal and god" culture among the people, and they also heard about the legends of immortals and gods from many sources. However, what they got were nothing more than stories excerpted from vernacular novels by the common people, or stories made up by wandering storytellers. Even many legends about immortals and gods were derived from a vernacular novel called "Journey to the West". Therefore, these envoys finally came to a conclusion, that is, the Ming Dynasty did not have any so-called "magic"! The so-called divine powers and miracles are nothing but the imaginations of the common people through some folk stories.
As for the officials of the Ming Dynasty, their tough attitude towards "magic" was nothing more than their anger and humiliation because they were worried about being exposed by them. At this point, the envoys from various countries who felt that they had discovered the truth had less fear of the Ming Dynasty. This country might be really strong and a hegemon, but it might not be as strong as they imagined. Before leaving the Ming Dynasty, the envoys from various countries each took a copy of "Journey to the West" given by the Ministry of Rites as a report back. Especially Pedro, the envoy who had previously felt that he would mess up his mission to the Ming Dynasty and worried that he would be convicted of dereliction of duty when he returned, sat on the return ship, looking at the "Journey to the West", some medical books on sex, and some secret recipes prescribed by the imperial physician of the Ming Dynasty, and smiled with satisfaction. He felt that he had done a good job during his mission to the Ming Dynasty. The visits of various countries to the Ming Dynasty were just an insignificant episode for the Ming court. Not even a single official took this matter to heart, because at this moment, everyone's attention was on the final party struggle in the court. Because no matter who wins or loses between Qingliu and Li Chengwu, it will affect the future destiny of everyone. Yan Song and his son were still busy promoting the "Innovation" reform, and classes in the new Imperial College began early. In fact, it is called the New Imperial College, but it is still the previous Imperial College. However, the students in the previous Imperial College have been assigned to local government offices in the Ming Dynasty, and even to local treasuries. Since the Ming Dynasty's currency reform, prefectures and counties, large and small, have established Ming Dynasty silver vaults specifically under the government. Those who worked in the treasury were all civil servants of the imperial court. Although they had no rank, the payment of their salaries was under the unified management of the imperial court. Strictly speaking, the Ming Dynasty today actually has two treasuries. In addition to the Ministry of Revenue as the national treasury, there is also the Ming Silver Treasury. Of course, in terms of power and affiliation, the National Treasury is under the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ming Silver Treasury is under the Ministry of Revenue. Strictly speaking, the Ming Silver Treasury is also under the National Treasury. The civil servants of the treasury were the students sent from the Imperial Academy. The students of the Imperial Academy of the Ming Dynasty were mainly divided into four types: Jujian, Gongjian, Yinjian and Lijian. Among them, Jujian refers to the failed candidates who participated in the joint examination and were selected by the Hanlin Academy to study in the Imperial Academy. Although these students did not pass the imperial examination, they were still scholars and did not belong to ordinary civilians. Gongjian refers to outstanding students selected by local official schools, often called scholars, who study in the Imperial Academy. Among these tribute students, there were naturally many students from ordinary families. These students, through their own efforts and talents, gained the opportunity to enter the Imperial Academy. Then there is the third category of Yinjian, which refers to the children of officials of the third rank or above or the children of meritorious officials who are studying in the academy. Strictly speaking, they are the children of officials, not ordinary people. The last group is the regular students. This group of people refers to commoners who enter the Imperial Academy by paying grain or silver as a payment due to vacancies in the academy or due to changes in national policies or insufficient financial resources. Many of these students were ordinary commoners, who obtained the qualification to enter the Imperial College by donating money. In addition, students of the Imperial College, including those with juren status, could still take the imperial examinations and obtain official positions. Thanks to the implementation of Yan Shifan's policy of "inspiring thinking and innovation", these students who had been familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics and spent their entire lives studying classics in the cage of the eight-legged essay were sent to serve in local areas. Those who had the status of a juren were sent to the county to serve as a chief clerk, a teacher, a legal advisor, or a magistrate of a remote county. Some commoners also obtained official positions of eighth to ninth ranks. Even thanks to the promotion of Yan Shifan's reforms, many more positions were created in the Ming Dynasty. These positions range from seventh rank to ninth rank, and it is the time to recruit people, so you can take up the post immediately once you go there.
What is the purpose of studying? Isn't it to take the imperial examination, get a government position, and bring honor to the family? The most important thing is that even if you study hard for more than ten years and finally take the imperial examination, you may not necessarily get an official position. There were many successful candidates in the Ming Dynasty, so many people seized the opportunity! Some people with a long-term vision realized that with the rapid increase in the court's population, there would be more juren who would not have official positions in the future, and at this time they would despise minor officials of the eighth or ninth rank. In the future, I'm afraid that even a successful candidate can only be a ninth-rank constable. Of course, students who do not want to become officials can continue to stay in the Imperial College and learn new knowledge. For example, completely abandoning the previous eight-legged essay and Confucianism, learning the thoughts of various schools of thought, and even mastering the doctrines of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. For example, there were special courses for numerology, carpentry, business, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, medicine, divination, astrology, and astronomy. The doctors were famous carpenters or big merchants in the Ming Dynasty. It can be said that these were considered as not doing their job properly in the eyes of the students of the Imperial College in the past, which made it difficult for some of the people who chose to stay to accept, so they could only ask the Imperial College for approval to become officials. Yan Shifan didn't care about this. In order to allow the Hundred Schools of Thought to play a leading role in the Ming Dynasty, thereby expanding its influence and bringing about gradual changes, the "Ming Miscellaneous Newspaper" was vigorously promoted. In short, starting from the 49th year of Jiajing, Yan Shifan has not reduced his efforts in promoting the new policy of "inspiring thinking and innovation". They even used the "Da Ming Miscellaneous News" to announce that anyone from any walk of life, as long as they made a name for themselves, could take part in the imperial examination at the beginning of the year in the 52nd year of Jiajing, and everyone would be guaranteed to become an official! Throughout the Ming Dynasty, people were skeptical at first, but with the instigation of various people with ulterior motives, rumors continued to spread, and the hearts of the people from all walks of life became completely active. From the end of the 48th year of Jiajing, when the dispute among the three religions ended, to the fiftieth year of Jiajing, a period of one and a half years, the situation in the government was turbulent and the fighting was fierce, and the world was also very lively. The great Yuan Dynasty scholar Wu Cheng wrote in "Collected Explanations of the 72 Seasonal Changes" that heat can be divided into small and large. The small heat at the beginning of the month and the large heat in the middle of the month. Now the heat is still small. In the fiftieth year of Jiajing’s reign, on the first day of June, it was Minor Heat. Ten thousand tiles are like fire dragons, and the sun's chariot does not move while the sweat melts. The entire city of Nanjing was like a huge kiln, and the scorching sun was baking the entire earth like charcoal fire. At this time, the bustling and bustling city of Nanjing was filled with stuffiness and the annoying sound of cicadas. Heat and irritability linger in everyone's heart. The peddlers and hawkers were all sweating profusely, and their weak hawking voices could be heard everywhere under the city gates, in the corners of the walls, and at the entrances of the alleys. At this time, the largest restaurant in Nanjing, Yunjin Restaurant, was still bustling with people. The doors and windows of the restaurant were wide open, trying to let the breeze in, but even so, the heat was still rolling in the building, and the aroma of wine and sweat intertwined to form a unique scent. The storytelling venue is located on the second floor of Yunjin Building. In the center of the spacious hall, there is a mahogany table covered with a red silk cloth, and a gong is placed in the middle. Behind the table stood a thin middle-aged man in his fifties, holding a folding fan. The storyteller Zhang Daoxian was wearing a green shirt with a black silk ribbon tied around his waist. He had a faint smile on his face and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle, as if he could see through people's hearts. The tables and chairs around were filled with people, some were talking in low voices, some were drinking tea and wine, and others were listening attentively. The waiters in the restaurant carried plates and moved around, serving tea and wine, moving flexibly among the crowd with light steps, and from time to time they would make strange shouts. "Ding!" Zhang Daoxian gently knocked on the gong. The sound was crisp and pleasant, instantly attracting everyone's attention. After everyone's eyes were turned towards him, he cleared his throat and said, "As you all know, there are traces of immortals and miracles in my Ming Dynasty. Today, Zhang will tell you a legend of immortals and gods!" For more than a year, the two most exciting things in the Ming Dynasty were: the first was that the court suspended the imperial examination in the 49th year of Jiajing, and at the same time promoted the theories of a hundred schools of thought. In addition, people from all walks of life and many industry representatives were recruited to teach in the Imperial College.
At the same time, the imperial court also vigorously promoted it, and people from all walks of life and all professions could take part in the imperial examinations in the 52nd year of Jiajing. Therefore, with the court's unremitting publicity, everyone was looking forward to the imperial examination in the 52nd year of Jiajing. Many people from all walks of life are eager to make a name for themselves, or even get an official position in the court. The second thing, naturally, was the most sensational thing. There were immortals in the Ming Dynasty, and even in the imperial palace. The "Ming Dynasty Immortal Palace" and "Ming Dynasty Immortal Martial Arts Division" established by the imperial court were for the purpose of cultivating immortals. As a result, throughout the Ming Dynasty, people were extremely enthusiastic about legends about immortals and gods. This naturally supported many fortune tellers, storytellers, and even people who made a living by writing vernacular stories. As a culmination of legends about immortals and gods, "Journey to the West" is regarded as a source of inspiration by many storytellers. Hearing that the storyteller was going to tell legends about immortals and gods today, everyone was naturally very enthusiastic. Everyone in Nanjing knew that Zhang Daoxian had unique insights into legends about immortals and gods, and the stories he told were even more fascinating. "However," Zhang Daoxian suppressed his hand, suppressed the thunderous applause, and said, "But before that, Zhang needs to tell you about the second thing, which is the imperial examination in two years!" As the most famous storyteller in Nanjing, Zhang Daoxian naturally has some official background. One of his duties is to help the court promote the national policy of "inspiration and innovation" to the people! "Ding!" Zhang Daoxian struck the gong again, and then said, "I'm sure you all know that in the fifty-second year of Jiajing, which is the year after next, the imperial court will reopen the imperial examination." "This imperial examination is not easy..." Zhang Daoxian spoke in his unique hoarse voice, with his hands on the table, half of his body leaning out, and looking around at everyone. "As the saying goes, there are three religions and nine classes, five elements and eight works!" "I have mentioned this a lot in my previous books. So here comes the question: do you know what professions this sentence refers to?" Everyone was stunned when they heard Zhang Daoxian's words. A few scholars knew what he meant, but their voices were drowned out by the discussions. "Ding!" As the gong sounded, everyone quieted down. After drawing everyone's attention back, Zhang Daoxian spoke: "The three religions are Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism." "You are all familiar with the dispute between the three religions two years ago, right?" As soon as the voice fell, there was a murmur in the crowd, some echoed, some expected. Zhang Daoxian smiled slightly and continued: "Let's not talk about the three religions. Today we will talk about the nine schools, five elements, and eight works..." As Zhang Daoxian spoke, everyone suddenly understood. "The nine classes are further divided into upper, middle, and lower classes." "First of all, it's the upper nine classes. As the saying goes: first-class saints, second-class immortals, third-class prime ministers, fourth-class officials, fifth-class farmers, sixth-class merchants, seventh-class workers, eighth-class guests, and ninth-class cooks." At this point, Zhang Daoxian waved his hand, then bowed to everyone and said: "Let me tell you, you will all be fair in judging whether the ranking is correct or not!" After hearing what he said, many people who were not very satisfied with the ranking smiled knowingly. "Then there are the middle nine. First-rate scholars, second-rate doctors, third-rate painters, fourth-rate leather workers, fifth-rate musicians, and sixth-rate goldsmiths." "First-rate high platform, second-rate blowing, third-rate juggling, fourth-rate pushing, fifth-rate pool, sixth-rate back rubbing, seventh-rate cultivation, eighth-rate matching, ninth-rate prostitution, these are the lower nine classes, and the last is the five elements and eight works..." As Zhang Daoxian continued his narration, everyone suddenly came to a realization, and many of them even secretly tried to find a place for themselves among all kinds of people. Looking at the reactions of the people below, a smile flashed across Zhang Daoxian's eyes. If nothing unexpected happened, he would tell everyone all this through big and small stories about immortals and gods in the next six months. Yes, these are the commands above. If someone has been paying close attention to "Da Ming Za Bao", he or she will find that the three religions, nine classes, five elements and eight works are mentioned over and over again, and some short stories are also compiled mainly based on these professions.
Unfortunately, although the Ming Dynasty was now unprecedentedly prosperous and even official schools had begun to become popular, the time was too short and the number of literate people was very limited. The most direct way of transmission was still word of mouth. Well, just like the "Great Edict" of the Hongwu Dynasty, many criminal laws were compiled through classic case files and announced to the subjects. Inside the Yunjin Tower, everyone was talking and making a lot of noise. Zhang Daoxian was not idle at all and kept explaining things to everyone. Gradually, a storytelling event has become a conference to publicize and explain the court's national policies. "Boom!" Suddenly, a muffled thunder sounded between heaven and earth, followed by a cool breeze rising from the ground. The sound of muffled thunder startled everyone in the restaurant. Cool breeze blew in through the doors and windows, and soon the dry ground was quickly wetted by raindrops as big as beans. Soon the entire city of Nanjing was shrouded in rain. The cool air dispelled the stuffiness, and the people in the restaurant gradually reduced their enthusiasm for the court's national policies and began to clamor to listen to storytelling. Seeing that the effect had been achieved today, Zhang Daoxian did not force it. He would not expect to make everyone remember it in one go. In future stories, he will focus on national policies, and strive to influence the people silently and gradually. He also believed that throughout the Ming Dynasty, in the two capitals, thirteen provinces, and counties large and small, as long as there were people, there would be storytellers like him, or scholars who made a living by writing vernacular novels. The court's national policies were spread to the people through stories about immortals and gods, and then passed on by word of mouth among the people. While Zhang Daoxian was distracted, he didn't know that at this moment in a corner of the lobby of Yunjin Building, near the window, there were two middle-aged men sitting, also discussing the implementation of national policies. "Brother Gangfeng, it seems that the implementation of the young cabinet minister's national policy is going smoothly." The middle-aged man in a gray gown with a slightly thin figure who spoke looked at the middle-aged man with a square face opposite him and spoke. These two people were none other than Hai Rui and his good friend Wang Yongji. "Although government schools have been established, and even some villages have government-run schools, it has only been less than three years, and there are still too few people in our dynasty who can read." "Only by spreading the word of mouth and arousing the interest of the people can the national policy be promoted, and more people will abandon the cage of eight-legged essays and choose to try the new path of imperial examinations..." "Young cabinet minister Yan Shifan's move shows that he is well aware of the people's wishes!" Hai Rui nodded as he spoke, raised his hand to pick up the wine glass on the table out of habit, and then suddenly stopped. He was used to drinking spiritual wine and spiritual tea, and eating meals made from spiritual rice, spiritual vegetables, and spiritual birds. After all, these mundane things were difficult for him to swallow. "Haha," Hai Rui shook his head and laughed, mocking himself, "I have also become out of touch with the world." Hearing Hai Rui's words, Wang Yongji smiled and said, "Then I must remember this well. Lord Hai, who always speaks for the people and puts the people first, has also started to act high and mighty..." Hai Rui could naturally tell that his friend was just joking. He was not a person who despised mortal grains, but habit could change a person, especially since his current cultivation had reached the second level of Qi training, making him a true immortal cultivator. The body is nourished by spiritual energy, and the meals we eat daily are also spiritual resources. If we rashly consume ordinary grains, some impurities will inevitably form in the body, which will take time to excrete. Looking at the delicious dishes on the table, Hai Rui was somewhat absent-minded. "Brother Gangfeng, don't mind. There is a difference between immortals and mortals after all. You and I need to get used to it," Wang Yongji said to comfort him. "When our Ming Dynasty truly enters the Immortal Dynasty, this immortal cultivation restaurant will also appear. Even an old capital like Nanjing will become a real immortal cultivation city." "I hope that day will come soon." Hai Rui nodded and said.
He was never a person who was sad about the passing of time. He knew the difference between immortals and mortals, and he was prepared from the moment he embarked on the path of cultivating immortals. "Soon, when the court struggle is over..." Wang Yongji said, paused, and then said firmly: "It will not be more than two years at the latest, in the imperial examination in the 52nd year of Jiajing, let's see the result!" "As long as the imperial examination papers are passed and the national policy implementation and acceptance meet the standards, the court will officially announce it to the public and usher in the Immortal Dynasty!" "All the clues that Songjiang Prefecture has found point to Nanjing," Hai Rui said as he looked at the storyteller on the second floor platform, then at his good friend Wang Yongji. "Have you discovered that the clues were left behind deliberately by someone in order to lead me to Nanjing?" "Indeed," Wang Yongji nodded and said, "As soon as we arrived at Songjiang Prefecture, someone delivered the account books." "The flow of account books is related to merchants, officials, all walks of life, and all kinds of people in Nanjing!" "It's very similar to what happened in Dinghai County back then. They also set up a trap in advance and woven a net waiting for you to come and investigate..." As he spoke, Wang Yongji seemed to have thought of something and looked at Hai Rui and said: "Could it be...Lord Xu?" "..." (End of this chapter)