Chapter 538: Isn't This Acting a Bit Too Over-the-Top?

Desheng Tower in Nanjing.

This was an old tavern with some years behind it, and in recent days Desheng Tower had been fairly lively, mainly because quite a few people had gathered there to judge figures and comment on current affairs.

With all this commotion going on now, many people wanted to get news, and many others wanted to voice their own views at Desheng Tower, so a good crowd had gathered there.

Of course, most of them were scholars — ordinary folk couldn't even get in, let alone speak at Desheng Tower.

Whoever holds the power of discourse is the one who has the right to speak.

Just like a joke from a later age: some people were discussing democracy, and when someone pushed open the door and came in, one of them barked, "What are you doing in here? We're discussing democracy."

So Zhu Youxiao believed even more in another saying: the greater the firepower, the more democratic; the longer the range, the more freedom; the larger the caliber, the more justice; the thicker the armor, the more human rights; the bigger the tonnage, the more equality.

Sitting upstairs with a table of food and wine ordered, Zhu Youxiao drank his liquor while listening to the clamorous conversations in the tavern below.

"Extra! Extra!"

Hearing someone outside selling newspapers, the crowd below threw itself into chaos — plenty of people ran out to snatch up papers.

Those with status had their underlings do the grabbing while they listened from inside.

Soon, a newspaper was delivered up to Chen Hong's hands.

Though Zhu Youxiao hadn't given any order, the men below had still been prompt in bringing the paper up.

Taking the newspaper, Zhu Youxiao quickly flipped it open and scanned it.

Come to think of it, he hadn't looked at one of these things in a long while. In his previous life he'd read a few, but later on, as things got more and more intelligent, once people had phones they stopped even watching television, let alone reading newspapers. With the information explosion and all that messy news, so much of it couldn't be trusted anymore.

This newspaper, however, was very much to be trusted, because it was an official paper — one Zhu Youxiao had set up.

Though it was mostly used for propaganda, targeted and directed as it was, everything in it was true.

Flipping to the first page, it introduced Chen Sihai's life story. It recounted instances of Chen Sihai hating evil as an enemy from childhood, and included quite a few little anecdotes.

For example, when Chen Sihai was young he'd wanted to study medicine but had been persecuted by corrupt officials, and so he'd concluded that medicine couldn't cure corrupt officials, and had turned instead to letters, throwing himself into diligent study.

Later, not only did he pass the examinations and become an official, he also realized his ambitions. Once in office, he was all the more upright and strict, hating evil like an enemy, investigating cases without fear of hardship or danger — one could say he was very, very much a model for officials.

The first page also covered some of what Chen Sihai had done in presiding over this great Nanjing case.

Turning to the back, there was another section. What it covered was some of the corruption cases that had erupted in Nanjing this time — but what that other section actually wrote about was the corruption case of the Nanjing Minister of Revenue.

That Nanjing Minister of Revenue fellow's business was usury, and he used money from Nanjing's treasury to do it — you could call it robbing Peter to pay Paul, using treasury funds to lend at interest, then collecting the returns to pay it back, while the interest went into his own pocket — a case of killing two birds with one stone.

At the same time, this Minister of Revenue had also privately minted coinage, secretly casting molds that were officially sanctioned.

With crimes like these, being dragged out and beheaded would surprise no one at all.

Just then, as everyone finished reading the paper, an uproar suddenly broke out — curses erupted from all sides.

Zhu Youxiao looked over, then turned to Chen Hong with some hesitation and asked, "Those men are yours, aren't they? What's the matter — has your manpower gotten this bad?"

Chen Hong, standing at Zhu Youxiao's side, was also rather embarrassed.

Those men were indeed his. You had to understand that in Nanjing's current situation, basically no one dared to speak recklessly anymore. Even those who wanted to talk wouldn't dare gather so openly in a crowd to discuss current affairs — that was asking for death.

Though such a demand existed, at most people would just communicate privately and complain in secret.

Anyone who dared to open this kind of tavern and do this kind of thing naturally had backing.

Of course, even with the greatest backing, no one would go looking for this kind of trouble. After all, what Chen Hong did counted as his specialty, so one could well imagine how many hired shills were planted here.

These men's main job was to tout the righteousness of the court's action this time, to praise the Emperor's wisdom, to praise Chen Sihai, and incidentally to condemn those corrupt officials and those heartless rich merchants.

Then they'd tout what benefits this would bring — what the common people of the realm would gain, what officials would gain, what merchants would gain.

In short: after this great purge, everyone under heaven would benefit — let those others go die.

Today they'd started another performance, their expressions absolutely furious.

Zhu Youxiao saw the man over there with a savage face, trembling muscles, shaking body — that anger of his

Those in the know could tell he was angry; those not in the know would think he was having an epileptic fit.

Looking at the man beside him, his gaze was fixed straight ahead, grinding his back molars with force. If he used any more strength, he'd probably bite his teeth clean off.

Zhu Youxiao even suspected he might have already cracked his teeth.

This acting!

Zhu Youxiao truly didn't know how to judge it — "awkward" wasn't even the word for it.

Zhu Youxiao turned to Chen Hong and said, "Is this the kind of manpower you've always been using to handle affairs for Us?"

Though it might have some effect in ordinary times, if they were all like this, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but doubt that effect.

Chen Hong's heart was bitter indeed, and he hurriedly said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, it's not like that! Though we did bring some of our own men, we're still short-handed."

"After all, apart from Nanjing, other places need these men deployed as well. So this servant sent out one seasoned hand paired with a few newcomers. Clearly, there are more newcomers here."

"To cover more ground, this servant didn't keep too many hands in Nanjing — after all, the situation here is stable, and with Your Majesty in residence, every demon and monster dares not show its head."

"Other places are different — they need more veterans."

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao nodded.

That at least counted as an explanation.

After all, if the men sent out elsewhere were all veterans, things would indeed be easier to manage.

Nanjing really wasn't a place where people could easily stir up trouble — since he was here himself, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Office of Transmission were arresting people everywhere.

Still, such over-the-top acting really was getting hard to watch.

Just then, Zhu Youxiao was drawn to a young man.

He slapped the table, stood up, and said angrily, "We can't just sit here watching! We have to do something!"

Everyone present was startled by these words, and all turned to look at this man.

You had to understand that every day here, criticism was the main fare, and occasionally someone would indignantly say something. But as for actually going out and doing something — none of them had ever really thought about that.

After all, this was the Emperor's campaign; the ones handling it were the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Office of Transmission. Ordinary people couldn't easily stick their noses in, or they'd risk being implicated.

But this young man before them must have gotten carried away — he'd been swept off his feet!

Some people instinctively wanted to move farther away from him.

It's fine to say that here, but actually getting involved wouldn't be too wise.

This young man's gaze swept indifferently over everyone as he continued, "Even though we can't do much for the court, we should still contribute our share of effort. After all, with the Emperor taking charge, we must do our utmost to help."

"I think we should organize ourselves and go to various places to spread the word, telling the common people that someone is standing up for them now—that His Majesty has arrived in Nanjing. They should come forward and expose those lawless officials and merchants so they have nowhere to hide."

"These people can't write, and they live in hardship. We should help them. We can write petitions for them and help them fight their lawsuits."

Zhu Youxiao watched this young man, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.

Isn't what this young man wants to do essentially becoming a lawyer?

Could this movement actually give rise to such a profession?

Writing for those who cannot write, fighting lawsuits for those who don't understand the laws of the Great Ming. To put it plainly, people like this are indeed useful—they could perfect the Great Ming's legal system and allow ordinary folk or the poor to have the means to file lawsuits and seek justice.

Of course, it would also easily breed litigation sharks.

But does this matter have more benefits or more drawbacks?

Is it suited to the current environment of the Great Ming?

Zhu Youxiao would need to ponder this carefully.

Still, this young man before him was rather interesting—one could count him as someone who cares for the country and its people.

Zhu Youxiao glanced at his attire; this person should be a student of the Imperial Academy—specifically, a student of the Nanjing Imperial Academy.

Speaking of which, these people should soon be heading to the capital for the examinations, right?

Under the Great Ming's current educational system, any student who could gain admission to the Imperial Academy was qualified to sit for the imperial examinations in the capital. In plain terms, if you wanted to participate in the imperial examinations, you first had to pass the entrance exam for the Imperial Academy.

After this affair was over, Zhu Youxiao could continue spreading schools further down the ranks.

Right now, only the provincial capitals had Imperial Academies, which were similar to universities of later generations.

Next, what Zhu Youxiao wanted to popularize was middle school, high school, and primary school education—in plain terms, cultivating more literate people.

When the number of literate people reached a certain level, not everyone would think of taking the imperial examinations to become officials. In the future, his definition of the imperial examinations would be like the civil service exams of later generations—those who wanted to take it could charge at the single-plank bridge.

As for those who failed the exams, they could also go to work. Every trade and profession in the Great Ming was short on people right now, especially those who could read and write. Once he launched maritime trade in the future, such people would be even more scarce.

Of course, the Imperial Academy also had different subjects—what they studied was no longer the eight-legged essay. If they were released into society, they could live quite well too.

Beyond that, Zhu Youxiao's reforms were about to begin, and these people would also be arranged with good positions. In any case, they wouldn't be left without work, idling away their days.