[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-104":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Wanli, the Enlightened Emperor",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2321926,4542,"Chapter 104: Broken Roof, Decayed Beams, Drawing on All Sources","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-104",104,"\u003Cp>Personally reviewing the troops… Zhu Yijun fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not surprising Zhang Juzheng had this idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Grand Secretary is genuinely radical in military preparedness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On border issues, though he may propose policies of tribute and pacification according to circumstances, his inner conviction is: “Current defenses are somewhat adequate… yet I believe the barbarians are like beasts; unless struck hard, their threat will not cease…” — Though defense is now sufficient, if the enemy is not made to suffer, border troubles will never end!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the practical problems of “Our troops are few, food is insufficient, generals and commanders are inadequate,” Zhang Juzheng believed: “These three issues are not truly worrisome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most fundamental problem lies in the emperor’s resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the emperor can “firmly resolve and establish his will,” all other issues can be gradually improved through meticulous governance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the idea of reviewing troops, it’s even less surprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this is merely revisiting an old proposal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, Zhang Juzheng had already petitioned the late emperor in his “Memorial on Six Matters”: “Within and without the capital, defenses are weak… every year or every other year, during the winter agricultural slack, I humbly request Your Majesty personally inspect the troops.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng did not fear the emperor meddling in military authority; indeed, to strengthen military readiness, he actively requested the emperor’s personal inspection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just this alone reveals his sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng waited silently for the emperor’s reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun slowly shook his head: “Let us discuss this again during the winter agricultural slack.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He is barely over four feet tall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a small boy attempting to review a hundred thousand troops would only shatter the illusion some soldiers hold of him — the opposite of what’s intended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These ministers treat him with great respect because they see his character and decisiveness in his lectures and audience responses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But during a grand review, observed from afar, they will judge him solely by appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that’s not the main point — the real issue is that the Beijing garrison is so rotten there’s no need to win hearts or boost morale at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since the Tartars reached the capital’s outskirts in July of Jiajing 29, the garrison’s decay was laid bare before everyone’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing foreign invaders at the gates, fewer than fifty to sixty thousand troops were mustered; when ordered out, they wept and dared not advance, and all commanders exchanged horrified glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They then locked themselves behind their gates, letting the Tartars plunder the capital’s surroundings for eight days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is it so rotten?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, both the soldiers and the officers are rotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this incident, the Jiajing Emperor flew into a rage and ordered a reorganization of the Beijing garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Bangrui, then acting Minister of War, reported: “According to records, there are only slightly more than 140,000 on the rolls… yet those actually training in camp number no more than fifty to sixty thousand. The Ministry of Revenue pays the rations, but the Ministry of War has no authority to deploy them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On paper, 140,000 men; in reality, only fifty to sixty thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When demanding pay and grain, they claim full strength; when called to war, there are simply no men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Bangrui’s petition to dispatch six censors to audit the twelve garrison divisions was never implemented — he was dismissed before it could be carried out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knows the actual number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this level of embezzlement, how could there be any combat effectiveness?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, the Jiajing Emperor planned to reform the garrison, aiming to expand the regular troops to 120,000 and the reserve troops to 140,000, totaling 260,000.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Song countered: “The regular troops are already insufficient — how much less the reserves?” — directly declaring it unfeasible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jiajing Emperor, helpless, abandoned the grand blueprint of a 260,000-strong Beijing garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The following year, after the reform was completed, Marquis Fengcheng Li Xi reported: “The current Beijing garrison’s regular and reserve troops total only 120,000.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This became the new authorized strength: 120,000 men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the pretext of adding elite vanguards, elite guards, and strong recruits, the force was expanded to over 120,000, allowing a purge of fraudulent assignments and ghost payrolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conclusion reached: only 40,000 troops in the garrison were actually usable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t until Jiajing 38 that the emperor and Marquis Zhenyuan Gu Huan finally expanded the troops to 90,000 — the Beijing garrison’s thirty small battalions, each with “three thousand troops ready for campaign.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after the Jiajing Emperor’s death and Gu Huan’s transfer, the Beijing garrison returned under the Ministry of War’s control during the Longqing era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The exact number of usable troops was now unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from troop shortages, the incompetence of officers was another major cause of the garrison’s decay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not that Ming officers were useless — rather, under the current system, the Beijing garrison naturally filtered out the capable and retained the incompetent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the garrison’s noble officers and capital guard commanders formed cliques and excluded outsiders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, the garrison had a rule: officers were selected only from noble families. Over time, this created an inbred pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From among a dozen noble families, how many truly capable men could emerge? The answer was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, in October of Longqing 1, the central government violated ancestral custom and summoned Qi Jiguang, Regional Commander of Fujian, to assist in military administration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet “the censors and remonstrators were divided, and the Ministry wavered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In plain terms: resistance was too great; they were forced to appoint him as Deputy Commander of the Divine Engine Division instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as deputy commander, he served only three months before being transferred — because Qi Jiguang reported that the garrison soldiers were mostly pampered sons of nobles, impossible to discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, the official salaries of military officers were low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regional Commanders in Xuanfu and Datong had hundreds of acres of land for personal income, earning thousands of taels annually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Beijing garrison had no such privilege.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the garrison’s “pay is the thinnest,” yet expenses for social obligations and gifts were “excessive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third, opportunities for merit-based promotion in the garrison were extremely rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Longqing 1, frontier commanders who served three years without fault could be promoted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, the garrison requested to adopt the same promotion rules as frontier troops, but the Ministry of War rejected it, citing “vast differences in hardship, danger, and comfort.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, a situation emerged where officers “valued the frontier, despised the capital,” viewing the Beijing garrison as a dead-end posting: “Once assigned here, one is effectively discarded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frontier commanders selected for transfer to the garrison often begged provincial governors to “retain them or fabricate excuses to avoid it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those already in camp — “flag bearers, staff officers, battalion and company commanders” — schemed desperately for transfer out; newly appointed deputy commanders of the garrison begged to remain in frontier posts, refusing internal transfer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frontier commanders refused to be transferred to the garrison; those forced to come were restless and discontented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many enlightened officials in the Ministry of War devised a solution — simply “assign the incompetent to the garrison: ‘Officer X failed his evaluation, transfer him to the garrison’; ‘Officer Y is unfit for frontier duty, assign him to the garrison.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short: those deemed unfit were sent to the garrison as punishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The garrison became a dumping ground for the cowardly and incompetent, hoping to leapfrog promotions — the neglect of military training was thus inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, the Beijing garrison is now utterly rotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These are foundational ailments — no grand review by Zhu Yijun could save it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than making a loud show and drawing attention, it’s better to wait until real progress is made, then hold a review.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the emperor’s expression, Zhang Juzheng knew he had a plan; he offered no further persuasion — the emperor cared far more about the garrison than the late emperor did; no need to press too hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then reminded: “Your Majesty, if you wish to reorganize the garrison, it would be best to consult the Ministry of War first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, when Gu Huan was appointed to oversee the garrison, it was done with the Ministry’s reluctant approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Gu Huan did not aggressively seize authority, which calmed the Ministry’s resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, if major moves are made, the Ministry will likely erupt again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was reminding the emperor: it’s better to negotiate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun nodded: “Your words, Grand Secretary, are wise and prudent. I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the court reached peace with the Right Wing of the Tartars, the seven frontier commands west of Xuanfu stabilized, but Ji Zhen and Liaodong still needed strict defense against the Left Wing tribes — the pressure on the capital was merely reduced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If tensions with the Ministry of War grow too severe, the overall situation may be damaged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group discussed other matters; Zhang Juzheng and Wang Guoguang then bowed and withdrew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun rose to see them off, then suddenly remembered something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He called out to Zhang Juzheng, who had already reached the palace gate, and hurried forward to escort him a short distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside Chengguang Palace, Zhu Yijun led the way and spoke: “Grand Secretary, there is one more sum of money I forgot to mention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng’s face darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exchanged a glance with Wang Guoguang; both wore expressions of helplessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun ignored their expressions and said seriously: “It is for future land surveying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was not a sensitive topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since becoming Grand Secretary, Zhang Juzheng’s goals were openly displayed before all officials — precisely to attract capable men to gather around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Land surveying, though to be done after the Performance Evaluation Law, everyone knew it was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the emperor’s words, Zhang Juzheng paused, then showed a look of deep emotion — the emperor’s reasons for requesting funds were far more legitimate than the late emperor’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Guoguang cast him a concerned look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun posed a question: “Grand Secretary, should land surveying be handled locally, or should central officials be dispatched to assist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Assist” meant supervision and re-measurement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this was a serious matter, Zhang Juzheng’s expression grew serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking, he answered seriously: “Naturally, the Ministry of Revenue should dispatch each of its clerical divisions to assist the localities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If localities reported whatever they wished, what point would surveying serve?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun nodded and turned to Wang Guoguang: “Minister Wang, are all clerks in the clerical divisions proficient in arithmetic?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Guoguang sighed: “Your Majesty, the imperial examinations already consume immense effort; officials who can also handle arithmetic are exceedingly rare.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But clerks — most of them are skilled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Juzheng understood the emperor’s intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitated: “Are you suggesting we train a new batch of officials proficient in arithmetic?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun shook his head and smiled: “Not just officials—even eunuchs and the Embroidered Uniform Guard must be trained in this. More eyes on land surveying is a good thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved his hand: “Never mind how much silver this will cost—I’ll take the two of you to see something remarkable!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng shook his head: “Your Majesty, the Grand Secretariat still has several matters to deliberate. I truly have no time today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun pouted but did not press him, gesturing for him to return to the Grand Secretariat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Zhang Juzheng left, Zhu Yijun said to Wang Guoguang: “Minister Wang, wait a moment—I’ll change into casual robes, then we’ll go to the New Academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The New Academy stood just outside Donghuamen, beside the Imperial Ancestral Temple, adjacent to the National University.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, its scale was much smaller.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the National University, which occupied thirty mu and had three courtyards, the New Academy was less than half that size.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, Zhu Heng had said it would be completed by November, but Zhu Yijun later allocated more silver, expanded the grounds to ten mu, and sent Zhu the Minister back to work for another two months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only finished at the end of last month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun informed the two imperial consorts, changed into casual robes, then set out with Wang Guoguang through Donghuamen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had secretly secured the route and the New Academy in advance for safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun ordered his attendants to keep their distance, walking and talking with Wang Guoguang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Guoguang asked curiously: “Your Majesty, why hasn’t the New Academy been named yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, a name should have been chosen before completion—otherwise, how could a plaque be hung?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even now, the Emperor still referred to it simply as the “New Academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun smiled: “I haven’t thought of a suitable one yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his heart, he believed names should carry meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he now forced a name like “Academy of Science,” it would lose that deeper significance and feel artificial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to wait for the right moment, and the right name will appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two chatted idly, and soon arrived at the New Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The academy’s main gate faced south, with three bays wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four lacquered, carved wooden pillars supported the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plaque above and the couplets on either side were blank, making the entrance seem humble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the east and west outside the gate stood brick screen walls, each inscribed with the characters “Seek Truth” and “Pursue the Dao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun stepped on the blue stone tiles, gazing at the two small saplings before the gate, and shook his head: “Minister Zhu really knows how to cut corners.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached out and touched the saplings: “I wonder when they’ll grow into towering trees.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he led Wang Guoguang inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Jiang Keqian stepped ahead to scout the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty!” Just then, Vice Headmaster Li Youzi rushed out, visibly alarmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun gestured for him not to bow: “Where is Cheng Dawei?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Youzi hurriedly replied: “Your Majesty, Cheng Dawei is currently teaching the students. I’ll go call him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun stopped him: “No need—I’ll go myself. I’d like to listen in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Emperor was walking farther, everyone naturally followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Wang Guoguang have a moment to greet Li Youzi: “Vice Minister Li, why aren’t you on duty at the Court of Judicial Review?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right Vice Minister Chen Dong had been sent to Nan Zhili; logically, he should be overwhelmed, yet the Left Vice Minister had time to come to the New Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Youzi bowed toward the imperial palace: “The Empress Dowager entrusted me to keep an eye on Prince Lu and Princess Yongning when they leave the palace. As Vice Headmaster, it is my duty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun turned and looked at him: “Are my younger brother and sister attending class today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Lu, Zhu Yilou, and Princess Yongning, Zhu Yaoying, had reached the age for early education.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had since been given tutors to teach them inside the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, Zhu Yijun suggested they could attend lectures at the New Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, girls couldn’t leave the inner quarters to attend classes, but the New Academy had just opened, hadn’t begun enrollment, and was still isolated—relatively safe. Moreover, Empress Dowager Li, of humble origins, was less rigid and approved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Emperor and Empress’s favor, others had petitioned twice and received no response, so no one mentioned it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Youzi bowed low: “The academy holds classes on the third, sixth, and ninth of each month. Prince Lu and the Princess attend on the third.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lecture hall was in the central hall of the academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall was surrounded by covered corridors, beyond which a pond encircled it. The hall had a double-eaved, four-cornered conical roof covered in yellow glazed tiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun glanced around; the surroundings were decent—apparently the Ministry of Works hadn’t embezzled too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his body, listening to the sounds inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group followed the Emperor, mimicking him, straining to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, voices could be heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, if you divide fifty-six taels of silver into seven parts, what is fifty-six divided by seven?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eight!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eight!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A simple question sparked a chorus of answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun also heard Li Chengming’s voice inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The students at the New Academy were much like those at the Capital Military Academy—young noblemen sent by aristocrats trying to read the Emperor’s intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were only about a hundred in total, staggered into different classes; a dozen or so showing up each day was already good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Guoguang cast a questioning glance at Li Youzi, as if to say: Is something this simple worth opening a new academy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Youzi had no idea—he pretended not to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone waited a while longer until the voices inside gradually faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Keqian pushed open the door, entered first to clear the room, preventing a rush of students from startling the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the door opened, Wang Guoguang saw a polished stone slab hanging in the center of the classroom, marked with charcoal strokes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A jumble of strange symbols stared back at him, leaving him utterly baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the Emperor had arrived, those without privilege were ushered out through side doors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Zhu Yilou, Zhu Yaoying, and Li Chengming stepped forward to bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder Brother, Your Imperial Majesty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun ordered attendants to take Prince Lu away to play, then pulled Zhu Yaoying into the classroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming, seeing he wasn’t called, silently followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Dawei hurriedly bowed: “Your Majesty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since arriving in the capital, he had received the Emperor’s favor and remained at the New Academy to teach and serve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, he worked on his own research and the Emperor’s assigned tasks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only this class, composed entirely of nobility, required him to teach in person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun nodded gently: “Cheng Binqu, no need for formalities. I hear your manuscript is complete?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This task had been assigned months ago; two drafts had been submitted, both unsatisfactory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he suspected it was nearly done, so he brought Minister Wang Guoguang along to review it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Cheng Dawei apologized, turned, and picked up a book from the instructor’s desk, excitedly saying: “Please, Your Majesty, correct it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The promise of authoring a book was one no one could refuse—especially when it was the Emperor’s word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun did not take it, smiling and shaking his head: “I’m the one overseeing this book—reading it myself would be meaningless. It must be understandable to others to pass.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Wang Guoguang: “Minister Wang, would you care to read it for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Guoguang now understood exactly what the Emperor had brought him to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With curiosity, he accepted the book with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he held it, he saw the large characters on the cover: “Mathematics: Beginner’s Guide, Volume One.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3141,"2026-06-20T16:31:33.303Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ae41f9d083746ad1d7f4955d43af8f2ef412f678a712e55c8ffa32790b9dd82f","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-105","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-103",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]