"Quick! Go find the Renwu Book and find someone to engrave it immediately."
In a bookstore in the capital, the shopkeeper was busy giving orders.
"Shopkeeper, if you want to print it, you should also print it from Ming Pao, right?"
"That's the imperial edition! Who dares to print it privately? Besides, it's only renewed once every half month, so how can we print it? But now that His Majesty has made the announcement, scholars can't wait and will definitely come to Renwu Edition to read it!"
The shopkeeper of the bookstore has found a business opportunity, and the "Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms" must start to be marketed in the world.
This is a big tome, with twenty-four volumes in total. How much money can you make from one set? But since there are golden words, at least everyone in the world who wants to be an official will have one!
Be obedient...
Businessmen in the book and periodical industry in Beijing have been very uneasy in recent months, and the establishment of Ming Pao Bank has put great pressure on them. With the emergence of simplified characters and new styles of arrangement, I wonder if they will become strict rules.
As for the "Jiajing Dictionary", they have not yet been allowed to privately print it.
Who dares to take risks if he has something to do with the emperor?
Now, the emperor finally gave them a big opportunity. You don’t have to think about the imperial edition, but the Renwu edition, which has been around for a few years, can always be reprinted, right?
This shopkeeper is targeting scholars and people who want to be officials.
But there are still people who are targeting ordinary people.
Outside Chongwenmen, a new business district has been formed due to the development of Beijing city.
Because this gate is a gate for foreign merchants to sell goods into the city and collect taxes, it is also a very lively market just like a few miles east of Chaoyang Gate that has been planned as a light industrial park.
Here, there are many shops, hotels and teahouses.
Today, a sign was hung at the door of a teahouse: Meijia Menma faces the north and talks about the Three Kingdoms.
There was also a waiter shouting next to him: "Today, the shop specially invited Master Ma, a descendant of the Mei family, to tell a story. He is talking about the Three Kingdoms published by His Majesty in the Ming Pao. Your Majesty has a decree, and all the people in the world should read it. Those who can’t read can read books!”
The emperor's words are his decree. Since the emperor advocated it, how could teahouses, which usually cooperated with storytellers, miss this opportunity?
The teahouse is full of people. There is a bookcase, a piece of wood, a folding fan and a handkerchief on the table.
The storyteller looked to be in his forties. After opening the folding fan with a "swish" sound, Na Ma said to the north: "A piece of wood is a career, and a fan is a life. The rivers, lakes and seas are home, and you are not afraid of huge waves!" My friends in Huhai do not want to support me. If you want to be an art critic, ladies and gentlemen, Ma Chaobei, the third generation descendant of the Mei family, is polite. Today, I will talk to you about the Three Kingdoms again. Poetry is proof!”
"Crack!" Xingmu slapped the book, and it was time to open the book.
"The rolling water of the Yangtze River flows eastward..."
Na Ma Chaobei can make a living as a storyteller, and his articulation, tone and demeanor are both excellent. At this moment, he recited the poem "Linjiang Immortal", and then explained its meaning, and then said: "In Ming Bao, His Majesty said golden words, this story of the Three Kingdoms can be used to distinguish between loyalty and treachery, thinking about choices, observing Taoism, and knowing. Pros and cons, gain and loss. It doesn’t matter if you can’t recognize the words. From today on, I will talk about the Three Kingdoms. This time there is a famous story, called the banquet of Taoyuan heroes, the three sworn brothers, and the first one to kill the Yellow Turban hero for his meritorious service! Speaking of the general trend of the world, if we divide for a long time, we will unite, and if we unite for a long time, we will divide... "
In an era when entertainment life is scarce, plays are not always available to casual people, but most of these storytellers can be listened to several times.
And what is the creative lineup behind this imperial-censored version of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms"?
It is outrageous to say that when Zhu Houcong wanted to start the "Ming Pao", he had already asked the Department of Literature and Art of Huangming University to prepare the matter. The people in charge were headed by Wen Zhengming and Zhu Zhishan, plus other poets who had no interest in official positions and were obsessed with poetry, poetry, calligraphy and painting.
Zhu Houcong, the imperial critic, criticized value-oriented and more popular story structures. Lin Xiyuan's annotation is more about expression and textual research.
It is no exaggeration to say that this was created by Hanlin bachelors and famous talents.
We cannot say that it is necessarily more exciting than the most widely circulated version in Zhu Houcong's memory, but after all, it stands on the shoulders of the 240-chapter first edition.
What's more, the song "Linjiang Immortal" exploded.
Gong Yongqing's eyes were full of enthusiasm for the No. 1 Scholar Curie established by Tongyi Bureau: "Only based on this word, His Majesty's talent will be famous throughout the ages! Now, who else is blaming that the new learning did not come from Your Majesty?"
"Who would slander these things? Brother Gong must not talk nonsense!"
"... Calculate the average score and rank..."
Different people pay different attention to the content in the same newspaper, and everyone has different thoughts at this moment.
Although the admission scope has been expanded, the grading rules have been changed, which means that the effectiveness of some "mentors" and "seniors" that some people visit in advance will be greatly reduced.
"This is naturally more fair!" Gong Yongqing was very leisurely, because he was very confident in himself after making sure that the exam syllabus had not been changed and no new characters were tested, "Everyone, I have been singing harmonies for many days, but can I come up with such a masterpiece? Your Majesty is a scholar. This man is as talented as ever, and can be called an emperor throughout the ages!"
It's not that others disagree with this poem, but there are still few people who can praise it like Gong Yongqing.
But Gong Yongqing is handsome, he is full of enthusiasm and high-spirited at the moment, and he is indeed very chic.
"When I read this poem, and then read it for the first time, I became very inspired by poetry. Please comment on it..."
Gong Yongqing looked at the smiling shopkeeper and employees of Zhuangyuanju not far away, cleared his throat, and began to read the same song "Linjiang Immortal" that he spent a lot of time writing yesterday.
This station is managed by His Majesty's newly-appointed Uncle Cheng. The shopkeeper looks at the young officials all day long as if they are choosing something, fearing that they have other important responsibilities.
Gong Yongqing's talent shocked Fujian, and he was full of confidence in this high school subject.
But now there are five hundred on the official list, one with twenty-four. If you want to rise as fast as Zhang Fujing, the shortcut is to be the consort!
It's a pity that Lin Xiyuan has not been able to see anyone. According to his family members, it has been more than three months and he has been staying in the Ming Pao editorial office almost every night.
Gong Yongqing only felt that it was a great grace. The Ming Pao editorial department is within the palace walls! Although it is the former dynasty, how trustworthy is it?
At this time in the palace, Zhu Houcong was looking at the content arrangement outline for the next issue sent by Lin Xiyuan.
He looked at the emperor with a strange expression.
If he hadn't verified it with Dean Wen and the others, he would have thought that so-and-so was probably responsible for the song "Linjiang Immortal".
So if Your Majesty has this poetic talent, why does he never show it on weekdays?
But Zhu Houcong was the emperor, so he didn't need to explain anything to anyone.
One of the weird things about Lin Xiyuan was that the emperor was carefully looking at the manuscript that he sent to the imperial village with Jin Kaila and took more than ten days to write.
That article was timely and would be published on February 15th, imparting the farming experience of the devotees from the Agricultural College of Huangming University, and the retting techniques of Na Jin Ke La and other dung merchants in the capital.
The emperor, who had just shocked the world's scholars with a wonderful poem, was now carefully studying how to farm and fertilize.
Is he trying to faintly convey a tendency with his actual performance?
It’s not that I don’t have literary talents, I just care more about practical matters.
Zhu Houcong didn't know what he was thinking about. After reading it, he nodded repeatedly: "Very good! Maozhen, this manuscript is very important! Over at the Engineering College, after joining forces with Ming Pao Bank, the new printing press created another user-friendly The improved version of the gear should be put into practical use next, and if there is insufficient collection, we can continue to improve it. In addition to being published in Ming Pao, 20,000 copies of this article will be printed separately. There are more than a thousand counties in the Ming Dynasty, and this time we must do it Distribute some to each county. After copying, each township must ask the head of the township to read the manuscript!"
Lin Xiyuan was a little shocked.
They just reported it openly, so of course they didn't do it, they just printed it out.
But the emperor's emphasis on this matter was higher than he expected.
There is no emperor who does not persuade farmers, but His Majesty's way of persuading farmers is not to go to the imperial manor to show off, but in this way.
"I understand. I will tell the president to make arrangements."
Zhu Houcong smiled and nodded: "Thank you for your hard work. Everything is difficult at the beginning. Starting from March, Mingbao Bank will not be so short of manpower. This year, there will be 500 on the main list and 1,000 on the deputy list. There are still so many worries about three years from now." No matter how difficult it is to pass the examination syllabus, you will try your best to find an official position this year. No matter what the Mingbao Xing is, there is still a rank. If you recruit some more candidates or even deputy candidates, you can feel more relaxed. "
"...I am young, but I can still bear it."
"You have worked hard day and night over the past few months, and you have contributed a lot." Zhu Houcong looked at him, "In this news about the awards for those who have contributed to the trial implementation of the new law, add a note about yourself."
Lin Xiyuan couldn't help but raise his head and look at the emperor in astonishment.
Zhu Houcong looked at him deeply: "This "Ming Pao" is also an important aspect of the new law. If you work hard, there will be a day in the future where you can stand in the court or even sit in the National Policy Hall. Huang Jin."
"My slave is here."
"Lin Xiyuan has made great contributions to the publication of "Ming Pao". He was promoted to the fourth rank and was awarded the title of Zhongyi Dafu. He was rewarded with 200 silver."
Lin Xiyuan was shocked, his eyes immediately became moist, and he knelt down: "I thank your Majesty for your grace. Long live your Majesty! Long live your Majesty!"
If you are in the fourth rank and are still serving as officials, you can wear red robes.
But the emperor also told him that if he continued to work hard, he might not be able to stand in the court or even sit in the palace of national policy one day.
After hearing the emperor asking him to get up, Lin Xiyuan looked at the emperor again, his eyes bright.
Just when he was kneeling, Lin Xiyuan realized something: the personnel selection of these eighteen companies was not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel.
This means that although there is no official position, in the eighteen companies, the rank will climb faster. After the Imperial Study Room, more "fast lanes" appeared in the Ming Dynasty.
The emperor wanted to include the news that he had been promoted and rewarded in the list of those who had contributed to the trial implementation of the new law, in order to send a signal to the outside world: instead of becoming an official, working in these eighteen companies would also be a contribution to the new law.
In addition to government offices, these eighteen enterprises bear the same important practical purpose in His Majesty's mind.
The emperor wanted to use him as an example to encourage the candidates who would take part in the examination soon. Both those who won and those who failed did not have to focus only on the official positions that would appear with the implementation of the new law.
In February, some special people also arrived in the capital one after another.
These people divided into two directions after arriving in the capital.
Some people went to the west, where the Baiyun Temple was originally called Changchun Temple. It was the dojo built by Genghis Khan for the real Qiu Chuji, the ancestral palace of the Quanzhen Longmen Sect. After its decline in the late Yuan Dynasty and its reconstruction in the early Ming Dynasty, it was renamed Baiyunguan. This Baiyun Temple is actually the largest Taoist sect in the north.
The Dongyue Temple in the east was built by Kublai Khan. Is that the credit of Zhang Zongyan, the 36th generation of Longhushan Zhengdao Celestial Master?
No, in the past, Genghis Khan competed with Jin for the northern Central Plains area, and Quanzhen Taoism had great influence in the north. Kublai Khan wanted to stabilize the south of the Yangtze River, and Zhengyi Yiyi had greater influence in the south.
In the capital, Quanzhen Taoism and Zhengdao are facing each other from east to west, and now the "masters" of the sect are gathering together.
Without him, His Majesty is just looking for him.
The Taoist priests did not know that the emperor was looking for them in order to cooperate with another kind of Taoist priests to do something.
At this moment, these master Taoist priests who "have no care for the world" are using their limited political wisdom to think about the emperor's purpose of finding them.
There is no doubt that the new law is about to be implemented across the country, and it is time for Ming Dynasty to use all means to prevent chaos. In their view, there had just been a rebellion the year before last. Now that a prime minister has been appointed, how will the emperor, who is entrusted with orders from heaven, suppress the chief ministers of the cabinet whose power has soared?
Thousands of years of history have given them the experience of military service and sacrifice.
Jingying, Your Majesty has practiced. But for sacrificial rituals, Your Majesty must have a reliable force outside the Ministry of Rites.
"You must be good at alchemy. If you do this, my Zhengdao will definitely surpass Quanzhen Dao this time!"
In the Dongyue Temple, the supervisor here looked at his abbot excitedly, he was more vulgar. .
Yes, in fact, the word abbot is an honorific title for the host of the Taoist Ten Directions Jungle Taoist Temple. Later, abbot, abbot, etc. were used by both families.
There are many Taoist alchemy names, which can be roughly divided into internal refining and external refining. The internal alchemy techniques include qi movement, guidance, inner contemplation, external elixir, bigu, fangzhong, etc.; the external alchemy techniques include talismans, forbidden spells, divination, prayers, fasting, etc.
Both factions have their differences.
Quanzhen Taoism focuses on the practice of "inner elixirs" and does not rely on external elixirs. They asked not to get married, not to eat meat, to grow their hair and beards, to wear Taoist robes every day, to live in meditation and practice, to understand their hearts and nature, and to become immortals. In fact, it is greatly influenced by Zen Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism.
The Zhengyi Dao is inherited from the ancient Fangxian Taoism and Huanglao Taoism, and is also influenced by Confucianism, Mohism, and folk martial arts. It can not only practice Taoism at home, but also eat meat and get married. famous.
Thinking about this "opportunity" here, the supervisor of Dongyue Temple feels that in the future everyone in the north will also believe in Zhengyi!
At this time, the abbot of Dongyue Temple asked a man in his forties or fifties who looked like a fairy: "Brother Shao Dao, you came from Longhu Mountain, do you have any instructions from the Heavenly Master?"
The person he was questioning was actually in his sixties, but he still had a rosy complexion and black hair, and he was indeed very good-looking.
This man's name is Shao Yuanjie.
"Let nature take its course." Shao Yuanjie bowed to show respect, "The Heavenly Master sent the poor Taoist man to the capital and only said two words: Qiandi."
The abbot's eyes lit up: "Brother Shao Dao was in and out of the Qian Mansion in the past and was honored by Emperor Xingxian. Do you think you have met your Majesty?"
Shao Yuanjie smiled and said: "Your Majesty was still a young child at that time, how could he remember Pindao?"
The prison guard became even more excited: "It's finally a frontier!"
Shao Yuanjie maintains his image, but he is actually very enthusiastic in his heart. He looked at a young man next to him, and then said to the abbot: "This time, I also invited fellow Taoist Taoist to accompany me. Taoist Taoist has been practicing at Wanyu Mountain in Luotian, and his alchemy skills are even better than Pindao's."
The one he recommended was Tao Zhongwen, who was much younger and had just turned forty.
Compared with Shao Yuanjie, a direct descendant of Longhu Mountain, Tao Zhongwen seemed like a "loose cultivator". Hearing this, he quickly humbled himself, and then bowed and asked each Taoist brother one by one about their "immortal nature."
Although people in the Taoist sect say they are indifferent to fame and wealth, this is still a matter of fact.
When it comes to dealing directly with the emperor's needs, how many people can suppress their inner demons?
"I hope that Brother Shao and Taoist Tao will each use the art of Zhaijiao and the art of Waidan to promote my name as a righteous Taoist."
Shao Yuanjie and Tao Zhongwen were looking forward to it. Jin Gaola, who had just returned to Beijing from Huangzhuang to "cooperate with research", did not forget his main business and first paid attention to his own manure business.
The news has gotten out, and indeed, many powerful and powerful families have arranged for their servants to come over to "negotiate" business.
The Jin family is growing rapidly.
"Did you ask around and ask which family members are interested in this business?"
"……No."
Being a noble relative is nothing more than trying to please the emperor. It would be shameful to ask them to come forward to form this "manure enterprise".
Jin Kaila was very worried.
"Brother Jin, someone is coming from the palace."
The clan brother hurriedly ran in, excited and nervous at the same time.
This is not called leaping up a branch to become a phoenix, this is burying it at the root to become a royal family. Jin Kela entered the palace and now he can always keep in touch with His Majesty.
It was just a little eunuch who came over, but everyone was honored.
"...Nineteenth day of the lunar month?" Jin Gaela confirmed in astonishment.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing, the common people obey the order."
After Jin Kaila enthusiastically sent away the eunuch who had summoned him, his younger brother complained to him: "Brother, why are you still so confused? Why don't you go find Fang Xiucai to teach you the etiquette of your Majesty's meeting!"
"...You know nothing."
Jin Kaila was just surprised that the emperor wanted to summon him on this day.
After all, this is the day when the first exam will be held.
The No. 1 Scholar's residence is closest to Gongyuan, and those who are willing to spend money to live here begin to gear up and look forward to it.
Dongyue Temple and Baiyun Temple, as well as some other Taoist temples in the capital, also received news from Dao Lu Si: He entered the palace on the ninth day of the lunar month and was summoned by His Majesty.
Jin Kaila knew that the emperor wanted to ask practical questions this time: what the emperor wanted was "compound fertilizer" that was easy to produce, easy to transport, low in price, and large in quantity. This word was said by the emperor when he sent someone to explain the offerings of the Agricultural College and the Jin Kaila.
He had been thinking and asking for advice for so long, but he actually didn't understand the real reason why his own fertilizer was useful and easy to use. After all, it was just a trial.
What should I say?
On the early morning of the ninth day of the first lunar month, there was a lot of excitement outside the Gongyuan. Yang Shen stood inside the gate of the Gongyuan and said in a deep voice: "Open the door."
The former number one scholar began to serve as the examiner, welcoming the candidates of the new subject to take the examination.
In the past few days, the emperor summoned him alone three times, and the holy family members were always the same.
Many years later, Yang Shen still couldn't figure out why the emperor tolerated his behavior like Wei Zheng. He lost some, but he also retained some of the passion that he had when His Majesty spoke generously during his first court meeting.
But now, Yang Shen is just doing the first thing after returning to Beijing.
After spending several years in Guangdong, he has personally felt the importance of officials' integrity and talent to local political affairs.
As the son of Yang Tinghe, the leader of the New Party, and as His Majesty said that "the Ming Dynasty has raised scholars for hundreds of years, there will always be those who are loyal and loyal to death", Yang Shen has no hesitation in selecting talents for the New Party!
To the west of the Forbidden City, Shao Yuanjie and others watched in astonishment as the Chief of Ceremonies Bingbi, the imperial eunuch, and Huang Jin, who was closest to the emperor, enthusiastically joked to a dark-faced man: "Jin Daozun, why are you still tanned after the winter? "
They were shocked: Where is this fellow Taoist? How dare you honor me?
(End of chapter)
