Chapter 853: Wearing Silk Is Elegant, Wearing Hemp Is Base

Feng Bao could understand the followers of the Joyful Sect, because he hated.

He hated his parents for giving birth to him but not raising him; when he was very young, they sold him into the palace, and before he even understood anything, he became a eunuch.

He hated his parents, and he hated his relatives and friends who offered no help when his family was at its most desperate, so even after gaining power, he never sought them out.

Once, someone sent him a letter through an intermediary, asking him to arrange a sinecure in the Southern Yamen for his distant nephew—a relative he had never contacted.

Feng Bao flew into rage, tore the letter to shreds, and had all those involved in delivering the message whipped forty times each, on the grounds of collusion between inside and outside, and he expelled the official who had taken silver to carry out the request.

That was merely the excuse—he hated his family.

Later, he stopped hating, because when His Majesty learned of this, he sent men to investigate Feng Bao's family and discovered that Feng Bao's parents, elder brother, and younger sister had either died of illness or starved to death; Feng Bao's entry into the palace had been paid for with the last of his family's silver, given to the intermediary.

That year, a great famine had broken out, followed by plague; Feng Bao was the only one in his family to survive.

The silver paid to buy him as a young eunuch had been entirely stolen by the intermediary.

He hated his colleagues—little eunuchs, eunuchs, palace servants—he hated them all; when he was very young, living in the corridor quarters, he was bullied, cursed at, beaten, denied food and water, hung upside down as punishment, subjected to every manner of humiliation.

He hated these fellow eunuchs—everyone was suffering, why torment each other?

Later, he stopped hating, because he had exacted revenge on every one who had once tormented him; he climbed step by step to the highest position, to the role of the Old Ancestor, and no one dared to bully him again—only he could bully others; who dared bully him?

He hated the ministers of the outer court, who always blamed eunuchs for the state's decline; eunuchs' domain was only the palace, a mere acre or two—how could they ruin the state? No matter how far their hands reached, the world beyond the palace walls was still governed by the ministers.

These ministers deceived their superiors and concealed the truth from the people, enriched themselves, formed cliques for private gain, and had ruined the empire into this state—and yet they blamed the eunuchs.

Later, he stopped hating, because as Director of the Office of Imperial Secretariat and Inner Chancellor, he had read too many books and seen too many things; the decay of the world was not caused by the emperor, nor by eunuchs, nor by imperial consorts, nor by ministers—but by problems of productive forces, production relations, and means of production.

When a state is strong, planning is easy; when weak and chaotic, strategy is hard.

When the dynasty was in decline, nothing succeeded easily—the more you did, the more you erred.

He had once hated heaven, hated earth, hated his parents, hated his relatives, hated his colleagues, hated the ministers, hated why heaven had turned its eyes away and made him so unfortunate—he was cynical, narrow-minded, jealous of talent and ability, just like these Joyful Sect followers.

Feng Bao could fully understand these sect members' thoughts, and why they so fervently embraced this story.

After joining and being baptized, the Joyful Sect followers severed every possible bond—just like the eunuch class.

Feng Bao could empathize with the Joyful Sect followers; he had once been one of them—having abandoned everything he possessed, having lost all emotional ties; without any anchor, he would have gone mad quickly, so the Joyful Sect followers constructed a lofty narrative of love, falling into this cycle.

These Joyful Sect followers were not seeking love, nor did they truly care about love—they cared only about themselves.

Feng Bao escaped because he read countless books and witnessed countless events; as Inner Chancellor assisting His Majesty in managing the empire's affairs, he gradually understood that the decay of the world was the root cause of most people's misfortune and tragedy—only by changing this terrible world could such misfortunes and tragedies be reduced, and he was doing exactly that.

But these Joyful Sect followers might spend their entire lives trapped in this logic of hating everything.

Because Joyful Sect followers neither read nor engage with the world; they force their own narrow perceptions onto every person on earth; in their eyes, all people are hateful—and why? Because I am unfortunate. They never consider that they themselves are wrong; only the world is wrong.

The mean Confucians don't even do that; the mean Confucians lie with their eyes open—they know what they say is wrong, what they do is wrong, and they know the harm they cause—but they refuse to change, which is entirely different from these followers misled by the Joyful Sect.

The Dinghai Educational Reform could effectively curb the spread of such evil cults—at least in theory.

The sudden heavy snow on the sixth day completely ruined the capital's festive mood, because once snow fell, the towering Aoshan lantern displays would be canceled; the snow after the New Year came quickly and melted fast; by the ninth day of the first lunar month, the snow had entirely vanished, and just in time for the tail end of the festival, the Aoshan lantern displays were brought out again, bringing a final burst of revelry—so the year was not wasted.

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, Shen Shen Shixing submitted a memorial that once again stirred heated debate throughout the capital.

Because Shen Shen Shixing proposed a theory that unsettled many: based on the Han-Yi distinction, he put forth the theory of Great Ming centrality.

This clashed sharply with the humble culture deeply popular in the Great Ming; humility was one of Confucianism's core virtues, yet Shen Shen Shixing's Great Ming centrality was simply too hard to accept—the literati were in an uproar, and soon all manner of voices reached Zhang Zhang Juzheng's ears.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng had no choice but to summon Shen Shen Shixing and ask what he intended.

"Yaoquan, the Celestial Empire is already enough—must it be Great Ming centrality? You know very well that the Great Ming has missed opportunities due to arrogance, such as the seas; the Great Ming is vast, and if arrogance returns, it may harm the Emperor Wanli Reforms." Zhang Zhang Juzheng expressed his displeasure to Shen Shen Shixing.

The Celestial Empire was already arrogant enough—now Shen Shen Shixing added centrality.

"Master, the Celestial Empire is a status, but Great Ming centrality is a theory. I do not mean that the Great Ming is currently the center of the world, and we should look down on anyone; I mean the Great Ming must always be the center of the world, forever." Shen Shen Shixing spoke with absolute certainty.

"You gave the Emperor Wanli Reforms a good start, and what I intend to do is keep the centers of world trade, economy, finance, culture, technology, education, military power—all of them—in the Great Ming."

"This is the purpose of my memorial: the Great Ming must become the world's center to remain the Celestial Empire forever."

"Songjiang Prefecture is already the undisputed center of world trade, but it is not enough—we must make the Great Ming the absolute center in every respect."

The theory of sustained world centrality was the core of Shen Shen Shixing's memorial—to ensure the Great Ming remained great forever.

He merely listed a few examples proving the Great Ming was already the rightful Celestial Empire; it seemed arrogant, but his intent was sustainable.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng reread Shen Shen Shixing's memorial carefully; it resembled flattery, listing a long array of Emperor Wanli Reform achievements to prove the Great Ming was the Celestial Empire—it was easy to conclude Shen Shen Shixing had been blinded by his current victories.

Shen Shen Shixing had already grown arrogant; the Great Ming had suffered great losses from this arrogance—twice, with blood and tears.

The first was during the Yongle era, when the empire was invincible; by Emperor Xuande and During Zhengtong, arrogance set in, literature was glorified while military preparedness declined, horses were turned loose on the southern hills, defenses grew lax, and the Tumu Crisis nearly cost the emperor his life; had it not been for Emperor Jing and Yu Qian's heroic intervention, the Great Ming might have become the Eastern Jin or Southern Song.

The second occurred after Emperor Wu's great victory at Yanzhou; the steppe tribes dared not invade southward, and once again literature was glorified while military preparedness declined—even the reforms of the early Emperor Jiajing era ignored military matters, culminating in Altan Khan's siege of the capital and the Japanese pirates raids in the southeast.

The Great Ming had suffered two great losses from arrogance; Shen Shen Shixing's seemingly arrogant remarks naturally found no favor.

"Explain in detail," Zhang Zhang Juzheng said, frowning.

"Master, why is silk so expensive in the West? Compared to quinine, which saves lives, can silk save lives? Clearly not—but silk can be priced the same as quinine. Do these Westerners buy silk?"

Shen Shen Shixing shook his head: "No—they buy status, they buy identity! Wearing silk is elegant; wearing hemp is base!"

"So the more expensive silk becomes, the more they buy—it is an expression of longing for the Celestial Empire; without this longing, without this emotion, it would not be worth nearly so much."

"Silk produced locally in Spain, though inferior in craftsmanship, is still silk—yet its price is worlds apart from that of Great Ming silk."

As one of the Great Ming's global commodities, silk carried enormous added value; the West's obsession with silk sustained the lavish livelihoods of tens of thousands of weavers in the silk bureaus; the embroidery workers of the Songjiang Silk Bureau earned more than the sugar refiners in Guangzhou Prefecture, because silk carried such a high premium.

And this premium was the emotional value of longing for the Celestial Empire, the pursuit of civilized life.

"Tea is the same. Great Ming tea truly tastes better, but why do the Westerners drink it? It is longing, it is emotion." Shen Shen Shixing continued: "Another example, Master—the Guojiao liquor's flavor is not particularly good; how good can a sweet potato liquor be? Liquor is a matter of personal taste—why is Guojiao so wildly popular? Because it is sold only in the imperial estate—that is the reason."

"Buying Guojiao is buying an emotion."

The Shenzhou wine of Songjiang tasted excellent, but its price and quantity could not compare to the imperial Guojiao—it was far inferior; the research on microbial strains at Songjiang University was no weaker than Beijing's; back then, Shen Shen Shixing had wondered why Shenzhou wine could never outsell Guojiao.

Later, he found the answer: emotion, longing.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment and said: "Guojiao is entirely different from silk and tea; in official circles, exchanging gifts, drinking anything else is inappropriate—it spread from the bureaucracy to every corner of the Great Ming. Once, Li Li Yashi said that the imperial estate's Guojiao was no different from indulgence certificates; for that remark, Li Li Yashi was imprisoned by His Majesty for a full month."

"The last time His Majesty was angry was when Li Li Yashi called tax receipts indulgence certificates."

Maintaining the 'friendly nations in awe' feedback mechanism still requires some cost—if His Majesty is petty, Li Li Yashi would need ten thousand heads to be cut off.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng immediately said: "At first, Guojiao was never an indulgence certificate; His Majesty brewed it to promote sweet potatoes and to provide the navy with strong liquor; using staple grains for liquor was too extravagant, so sweet potatoes were distilled into high-proof liquor for maritime use."

"Selling it in the imperial estate was due to the emptiness of the imperial and state treasuries; later, it became this way."

When Guojiao production was low, it was certainly not an indulgence certificate; but once production increased, that tendency clearly emerged—the key was that His Majesty could not stop selling; reducing supply only drove prices higher, making the liquor more valuable and more coveted.

So the imperial estate's solution was to accelerate research on fermentation strains to improve Guojiao's taste, to justify its price and sales volume.

Over the past two years, Guojiao's flavor had become excellent, matching the finest wines on the market; combined with the imperial brand's unassailable prestige and the absence of counterfeits, its popularity was unsurprising.

"Master, my point is that people can be tamed." Shen Shen Shixing leaned sideways, his eyes blazing.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng immediately rebuked sharply: "Don't speak nonsense! Only you and I are here in this Zhao Wenchang Pavilion of the Quanzhou Society—if anyone else heard you, the literati would be calling for your head!"

Shen Shen Shixing glanced at Luo Luo Sigong, who stepped back into the shadows, signaling the two to continue—as if he were not there.

Luo Luo Sigong was not eavesdropping intentionally; His Majesty had ordered him to protect Zhang Zhang Juzheng—what if Shen Shen Shixing tried to assassinate him? He could not be careless! He was rigidly obedient—he followed His Majesty's orders without the slightest deviation.

Of course, Luo Luo Sigong kept his mouth shut; he would only report to His Majesty, never to others.

What is the difference between raising a person and raising a dog? Anyone who asks such a question will be condemned by all, met with scorn and fury—because the first reaction is that humans are humans, animals are animals, utterly distinct in dignity and worth.

But a person is the sum of all relations; a person is a product of their environment.

Do the Japanese not understand the danger of the Joyful Sect? The Japanese know very well—some Japanese have been tricked into becoming human sacrifices; their families suffer terribly—but in Japanese society, no one dares publicly criticize the Joyful Sect, because everyone around believes; one must conform. This is why Toyotomi Hideyoshi had to request the Emperor's decree.

When the Great Ming Emperor orders suppression, the shogunate must obey; after all, the Great Ming's cannons and muskets stood at Kyoto's gates, even burning the city—thus, Hideyoshi could unite the victims of the Joyful Sect and turn their weapons against the sect itself.

The method of taming people is simple: subtle, gradual influence—people are tamed by their environment.

"I fully understand your meaning," Zhang Zhang Juzheng said. He now clearly grasped Shen Shen Shixing's plan: to ensure the Great Ming remained the world's center, to cultivate the doctrine of Great Ming centrality, to maintain the Celestial Empire's status, and thus tame the barbarians from afar.

The Emperor of Great Ming demanded a ban, and as the shogunate, they could only comply, for Great Ming's cannons and arquebuses had already blocked the gates of the capital and even burned it down; with this, Toyotomi Hideyoshi could unite the victims of the Sukyo Sect and turn their guns against the Sukyo Sect.

Whoever questions it opposes progress, opposes freedom, opposes civilization!

The Great Ming's way of life is the universal standard; every action of the Great Ming must be carefully observed by the barbarians of the West.

This was Shen Shen Shixing's intention and design.

After the Great Ming opened its seas, near regions saw the rise of the Joyful Sect, distant regions saw the rise of the Great Light Sect—both sects' emergence proved the inherent disciplining power of the Celestial Empire.

One can only say that after Songjiang achieved a commodity economy, the struggle had become extremely severe—so severe that even a kind-hearted man like Shen Shen Shixing had grown sharp and ruthless in the struggle.

"The greatest problem I faced in Songjiang was that some wealthy merchants and magnates always felt unsafe staying in the Great Ming, and went to great lengths to leave," Shen Shen Shixing said, bringing up another challenge he encountered in Songjiang.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng frowned: "The profit tax has already exceeded seventy percent—would they still rather flee than pay?"

Shen Shen Shixing shook his head: "They convert their silver into goods in the interior, then sail along the Pacific route to the rich silver mines of the Viceroyalty of Peru, exchange them for silver, and transfer that silver to their large estates in the South Seas."

"They choose the South Seas—seemingly dangerous but actually safe—because their lives remain tied to the Great Ming."

"This behavior is entirely legal; they pay sufficient taxes upon leaving."

The South Seas seemed dangerous, as it lay within the direct influence of the Great Ming court, and they might still be stripped of their property.

But in truth, it was utterly safe; as long as taxes were paid, the viceroyalty would protect their interests, for these men brought real gold and silver, which became the foundation of the Hanxiang Town industries in the viceroyalty.

Moreover, due to the viceroyalty's military deterrence, ordinary barbarians dared not touch them.

As long as it was not a tax, opium, or rebellion issue, the Great Ming court had no grounds to pursue them.

Fleeing was entirely rational; in Zhejiang, land redistribution had stripped the powerful local gentry bare; in the southern court, the powerful gentry who opposed the dissolution of the southern court were imprisoned and taxed by the Emperor—each of these incidents accelerated the departure of wealthy merchants and powerful gentry.

Shen Shen Shixing continued: "Therefore, to construct the Great Ming centrality doctrine, even if these people leave, they cannot sever their countless ties to the Great Ming; their silver will ultimately flow slowly back to the Great Ming, just as Western silver does."

Spain and Portugal were mocked by Western nations as tribute states; gold and silver—the symbols of wealth—flowed endlessly into the Great Ming, while ship after ship of goods sailed toward the West; even Philip II could not bring himself to cut off trade with the Great Ming, so his decisions were often passive.

Spain's treasure ships plundering the New World for years could not match the value of one cargo ship.

To make the Great Ming the true center of the world, these merchants may flee overseas, but their silver will eventually return to the Great Ming in various ways; if the Great Ming ceases to be the true center, their silver will flow to wherever they believe the promised land to be.

"I am not in Zhejiang or Songjiang—I cannot personally feel these changes—but you have convinced me. I accept your proposal. You need not worry about Wang Ci; I will explain the situation clearly to him." Zhang Zhang Juzheng reread the memorial, confirming Shen Shen Shixing's stance.

Spain and Portugal were mocked by the Western nations as tributary states; silver and gold, symbols of wealth, flowed continuously into the Great Ming, while ship after ship of goods headed westward. Even Felipe wished to halt this, yet he could not afford to abandon trade with the Great Ming, leaving him passive in many decisions.

A Spanish treasure ship's plunder in the New World for years could not match the value of a single cargo vessel.

To make the Great Ming the true center of the world, these merchants who ventured overseas may leave their persons, but their silver will eventually return to the Great Ming in one form or another; should the Great Ming cease to be the true center of the world, their silver will flow toward whatever shore they deem worthy.

"I am not in Zhejiang, nor in Songjiang Prefecture—I cannot personally feel these changes. You have convinced me; I accept your position. As for Wang Ci, do not worry—I will clearly explain the situation to him." Zhang Zhang Juzheng reread the memorial, confirming Shen Shen Shixing's stance.

Shen Shen Shixing returned to the capital to become a Grand Secretary; his proposal may become the state policy for years, even decades to come, and Zhang Zhang Juzheng's approval is crucial.

This is a matter of great importance.

Shen Shen Shixing said with hesitation: "I am not worried about Wang Ci; he is a practical man and can be persuaded. But Shen Li is an upright, incorruptible minister. Since Hence Hai Rui's departure, Shen Li has been the foremost of the pure stream, and it will be difficult to persuade him."

In Shen Shen Shixing's eyes, Shen Li and Hence Hai Rui were of the same kind—hard to sway, unwilling to compromise. The argument of Great Ming centrism would easily be opposed by upright ministers, for from any angle, it sounded like flattery; if His Majesty grew arrogant and inflated by such centrism, imitating Tang Xuanzong, then heaven would collapse and earth would crack.

Shen Shen Shixing believed His Majesty would not be seduced by such floral splendor, for flattery had never won His Majesty's approval—only reprimands.

"Hah! You've just returned and don't yet understand the changes in the capital. The Ministry of Rites has recently promoted the 'Great Ming Invincible Doctrine,' which is remarkably similar to your 'Great Ming Centrism.' People change—even the Grand Secretary has changed. In short, the pure stream has expelled him from their ranks." Zhang Zhang Juzheng was already extremely restrained before his student.

This was absurd: Shen Li, so upright and incorruptible, was no longer considered part of the pure stream.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng did not understand the changes in the Southern Southern Yamen or Songjiang Prefecture; Shen Shen Shixing did not understand the changes in the capital. The former second-most incorruptible of the pure stream, Shen Li, was now regarded by the pure stream as a sycophant seated at the same table as Wan Wan Shihe. Shen Li himself did not care—he devoted himself wholeheartedly to his duties.

"The Grand Secretary is no longer of the pure stream?!" Shen Shen Shixing was utterly shocked, nearly leaping to his feet. Hence Hai Rui and Shen Li had an excellent relationship; if Hence Hai Rui endorsed him, Shen Li's moral character was beyond reproach.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's face was equally troubled. He shook his head: "Though astonishing, this is the reality. Yaoquan, tell me—what standard does the pure stream use to judge who is pure? Must one oppose His Majesty to be considered pure?"

Zhang Zhang Juzheng despised the pure stream—this was well known. Otherwise, Yang Wei would not have probed Zhang Zhang Juzheng's stance when Hence Hai Rui died.

It made no sense for the pure stream to expel Shen Li—he was not even corrupt.

Before Wang Qian went to Songjiang Prefecture as Prefect, he compiled "The Elegant and Scandalous Tales of Pure Stream Scholars." How many of those who claimed to be pure stream were actually upright? They kept numerous concubines, even established a concubine quarter in Xitucheng—filthy and corrupt.

The concubine quarter was where the pure stream scholars and famed Confucians kept their concubines. One ward in Xitucheng housed nothing but these women—utterly disgraceful to scholarship.

"I do not know," Shen Shen Shixing said, feeling strange. If not for Hence Hai Rui's efforts to salvage some dignity for these pure stream scholars, their reputation would have been utterly ruined long ago. Opposing His Majesty is not purity—it is rebellion.

Shen Shen Shixing's memorial caused a great uproar. Zhu Zhu Yijun did not issue a swift ruling as was customary.

Instead, he waited for court ministers to fully debate before deciding whether to implement it. Zhu Zhu Yijun never expected that the first to arrive would be Minister of Rites Shen Li.

"Your Majesty, may Your Majesty's health be well," Shen Li bowed respectfully.

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled and asked: "Rise. Are you here to oppose the Great Ming Centrism? Though it seems slightly improper, if we can establish a broad consensus overseas that Great Ming is the center of the world, I believe it is necessary—and indeed, it is fact."

To avoid the arrogance crisis caused by centrism, Zhu Zhu Yijun specifically clarified that this framework was based on fact and applied only overseas—not within the heartland of Great Ming.

"Not at all," Shen Li shook his head. "I fully endorse the Great Ming Centrism. Great Ming's maritime expansion is in full swing, and Secretary Shen's remarks hit the nail on the head. The court has never considered what rites and laws to apply overseas."

"A narrative in which every word and deed, every posture and movement, is rooted in Great Ming is indeed a sound approach."

"I have observed that China was the first to develop history, and then fully utilized these experiences and patterns."

"Oh?" Zhu Zhu Yijun raised an eyebrow. So Shen Li had come to supplement evidence for the Great Ming Centrism.

"The Minister is the earliest historical text. Its first volume, the Yu Shu, includes the 'Canon of Yao,' 'Canon of Shun,' and 'The Maxims of Great Yu,'" Shen Li explained why China was the first to have history and how it had fully leveraged these experiences and patterns.

For the Minister was, at its core, a historical record documenting the classics, edicts, admonitions, proclamations, oaths, and commands of the Yu, Zi Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties.

"Moreover, we now have oracle bone and tortoise shell inscriptions that can corroborate events before the Zhou," Shen Li told His Majesty: this was verifiable fact—not fabrication, not later forced interpretation, but mutually confirmable truth.

Whether it was Ming's Ming Yingxue or Centrism, neither had ever crossed one line: "Practice is one; truth is eight." This was also the new rite the Ministry of Rites had long sought to establish: every discussion must be grounded in fact, not pretense.

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled warmly: "Grand Secretary, you speak with great reason."

"Your Majesty, pretense breeds arrogance; truth does not," Shen Li emphasized again. This was the fundamental law; all else sprouted from these two words. Pretense leads to glossing over decay, covering up problems, official collusion, delusion—and it will be proven false.

Once pretense is exposed, it invites severe backlash.

Shen Li continued: "The West's pride in its Age of Exploration could never have succeeded without the compass. Even today, the needle chart remains one of the most useful maritime maps. And the compass was invented even earlier—tracing back beyond the Three Dynasties, to the Yellow Emperor's south-pointing chariot."

"The world's first geography text is the 'Tribute of Yu' from the Minister, describing the rise of the Nine Provinces."

"And now, even more precise world maps and globes exist within Great Ming."

The key to constructing the Great Ming Centrism lies in discussing past and present, arguing from every angle: China pioneered this path, carried it forward, and still leads the world today. Only thus can a Great Ming Centrism grounded in fact be built.