[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-356":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},2322178,4542,"Chapter 356: The Sky Withholds Its Scenery, the Golden Core","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-356",356,"\u003Cp>According to the Ministry of Rites’ planned southern tour route, the imperial carriage would stop at Jinghai, Cangzhou, Dezhou, Jinan, Xuzhou, Huai’an, Yangzhou, and several other major cities, remaining each place for up to seven or eight days, or as little as three or four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, if there were important government offices, princely mansions, temples, or altars, the Emperor would also pause briefly to inspect them, such as the grain storage depot in Tianjin or the Ministry of Revenue’s branch in Cangzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, Yanzhou Prefecture should have been included as well—the Salt Administration Office, the Lu Prince’s Mansion, the Kong Forest… surely at least half a day would be set aside for a casual greeting and a few words of conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the imperial carriage passed straight through Jining and left Shandong without stopping a single moment in Yanzhou Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the minor and major royal officials and bureaucrats of Yanzhou Prefecture failed to even catch a glimpse of the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No official in court could safely ignore such an exceptional treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over these days, no small number of officials were consumed by unease and self-reflection—what political signal did this send? What emotion did the Emperor conceal? What attitude did the central authority express?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It left every major office in a state of sleepless anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the Salt Administration Office, where Yin Shidan’s son Yin Gao had recently been dismissed from his post as Prefect of Jinan and even escorted to Nan Zhili for investigation, as if the matter would not be settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the office, everyone speculated whether Minister Yin had lost the Emperor’s favor and could no longer protect even his own son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with the Emperor passing by without entering, the officials confirmed this suspicion—every single person in the office walked on eggshells, heads bowed and tails tucked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet while all the senior officials had unprecedentedly tucked their tails, one man dared to defy them and come to the door to pull the tiger’s whiskers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant fulfilled his duty, treating all uninvited visitors equally, gently urging them to leave—but that little rascal immediately signaled his men to surround me! Swiped me twice across the face!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gatekeeper knelt below the main hall, tears streaming, clutching his face as he cried out to Yin Shidan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, even when you beat a dog, you should look at the master’s face—don’t ignore the monk, respect the Buddha, as the saying goes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t just my face being struck!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan sat upright behind his desk, paused his reading of official documents, and looked up at the man below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Viceroy’s gaze passed over the gatekeeper and swept toward the official standing silently at attention—the Clerk of the Records Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clerk Zhao understood and stepped forward to answer: “Your Excellency, when the commotion occurred at the gate, Commander Zhang took men to investigate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The man held proper credentials from the Five Military Directorates, drove Commander Zhang back, and still demanded to see Your Excellency by name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Salt Administration Office followed the same structure as the Grain Transport Office: besides counselors, deputy officials, the Records Office, and the Audit Office, it also maintained a Salt Guard, responsible for escorting, suppressing bandits, and quelling rebellions along the route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the Grain Transport Office maintained an entire central Salt Guard regiment, the Salt Administration Office had only a Left Battalion of the Salt Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though only one battalion, its daily defense duties were separate from local government forces, overseen solely by the Salt Guard Left Battalion’s Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan frowned upon hearing this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Five Military Directorates?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A department utterly unrelated to him—why come to him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither using official channels nor submitting formal visitation notices, only sneaky, underhanded conduct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intrigued, Yin Shidan asked: “Was he a civil official or a military officer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After its reorganization, the Five Military Directorates had gained elevated status and now included both civil and military personnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clerk Zhao bowed and replied: “Most likely a collateral branch of the Chengguo Prince’s household, perhaps even without any official rank.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it was a new institution, staffed by the most capable officials, and their conduct was naturally reliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then explained to Yin Shidan: “Commander Zhang learned that the man’s grandfather’s brother once held the princely title, but due to circumstances, all the family’s wealth and status were transferred to the grandfather, allowing this branch to rise to prominence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Counting through our dynasty, only the Chengguo Prince Zhu Xizhong transferred his title to Zhu Xixiao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Moreover, the man is around twenty years old, and those around him call him ‘Prince Zhu’—age and surname match perfectly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This analysis was sound and logical; based on lineage, no other case besides the Chengguo Prince’s household fit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pondered why someone from the Chengguo Prince’s household would seek him: “Why not enter the office…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Yin Shidan suddenly froze, as if struck by a thought, his words cutting off abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head, a hint of suspicion in his expression, toward the gatekeeper: “Repeat the man’s exact words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clerk Zhao, seeing this, realized the Minister had taken sudden interest and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gatekeeper, still unaware of the gravity, instinctively prepared to embellish further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That little rascal…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Halfway through, Yin Shidan swept his sleeve to cut him off, sternly commanding: “Tell it plainly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan’s years of authority, suddenly unleashed, made the gatekeeper shudder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man stammered for a moment, finally sensing his master’s mood, and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gatekeeper looked up at Yin Shidan, cautiously saying: “Your servant, the man spoke only a few words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First he asked, ‘Is this the Salt Administration Office?’ I answered, ‘Yes.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then he asked, ‘Is there an official named Yin Lao Ba Zi here? If so, summon him.’ I asked back, ‘Who are you, you scoundrel…’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Yin Shidan shot to his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Lao Ba Zi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Emperor Wuzong toured the south, he visited Zhenjiang incognito and summoned his minister Yang Yiqing, saying to the locals, “Is there a Yang Ma Zi named Yiqing here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was clearly a direct allusion to Emperor Wuzong’s original words!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan finally understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surname Zhu, once held a princely title, had wealth and status transferred to a brother—there was more than one such case in our dynasty!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s identity was now obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the others below exchange puzzled glances, Yin Shidan suppressed his thoughts and calmly ordered: “Wait outside the gate. I will change into everyday attire.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Yin Shidan turned and walked straight into the inner quarters, leaving the others behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rustling sound of changing clothes followed; only then did those below the hall regain their senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Salt Administration Office stood on Jining’s central axis, surrounded by bustling commerce, naturally offering many private venues for conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the Paper Mill Street adjacent to the office, it was a popular spot for common folk to indulge in gossip—storytellers held daily sessions, and listeners never left an empty seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dressed in scholar’s everyday robes, Yin Shidan emerged from the side gate and was led to a bookshop just a few hundred steps away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at the signboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly a commoner’s place!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan silently shook his head, signaled his attendants to wait outside, and stepped inside alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall was packed with patrons; the storyteller on stage was vividly recounting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...But when Shen Li executed Ge Cheng and left his corpse exposed before the Kong Forest, he deployed ten thousand Red Robe Guards, nine inner rings and nine outer rings, like eighteen layers of hell—when He Xinyin and Lu Guangwu came to rescue him, they were instantly surrounded!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Under the moon, the two stood back-to-back, facing ten thousand men!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone said, ‘You shouldn’t have come.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The master and disciple ignored them, crying aloud to heaven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng’s death had become a popular tale in Yanzhou Prefecture over the past few months, and today it was being told again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan had no interest in such tales; he lowered his head and headed straight for the third floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honored guest, please stop—today’s private rooms are all booked by nobles.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he reached the stairs, an old attendant blocked him, pointing helpfully to the staircase where several patrol officers in tiger-skin cloaks stood guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan followed his gaze, saw the tight security, and his expression relaxed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed past the attendant and walked forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendant, alarmed, hurried after him, ready to plead for this ignorant old scholar—but the scholar passed through without hindrance, leaving the attendant to stare helplessly, lips puckered in frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan ascended to the third floor, ignoring the patrol officers lining the corridor, took a deep breath, and stepped to the room’s door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The storyteller below continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Thus He Xinyin fought Shen Li alone, Lu Guangwu battled ten thousand men, each fighting 1,986 rounds! The air filled with killing aura, blood soaked every face!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Red Robe Guards trembled, dared not advance; the Provincial Governor begged for mercy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud-thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan knocked on the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, the storyteller slammed his wooden gavel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Under the moon, He Xinyin carried Ge Cheng’s corpse, retreating calmly through the crowd; Lu Guangwu held his sword behind, guarding their retreat—no one dared look up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only the defeated soldiers remained, scattered and broken.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As Zhang Physician recorded in his ‘Notes’: ‘At the Kong Forest gate, they rescued the man; that night, a wall collapsed—true heroes!’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the words ended, Yin Shidan clearly heard a familiar voice inside the room clap and exclaim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light spilled out, illuminating a young nobleman seated inside—wearing a simple, elegant scholar’s robe, right-lapped collar, scholar’s cap tied neatly, upright and severe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan stepped in and bowed deeply: “Your servant, Shidan, humbly asks after Your Majesty’s health.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man seated there—could he be anyone other than the Wanli Emperor, Zhu Yijun?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun immediately rose to greet him: “I am in disguise—no need for such formalities. Minister Yin, please rise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward and reached out to help Yin Shidan up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan’s gaze swept the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Familiar faces were many: Li Changchun, Director of the Prince’s Tutor Office, Left Assistant Tutor of the Right Spring Pavilion; Yu Shenxing, Director of the Prince’s Tutor Office, Right Assistant Tutor of the Right Spring Pavilion; Wei Chao, Senior Eunuch of the Directorate of Palace Affairs; Luo Sigong, Commander of the Five Military Directorates’ Elite Guard; Jiang Keqian, Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the proper officials were missing: the Five Classics Doctors of the Hanlin Academy—Yan Sishen, Meng Yanpu, and Kong Chenghou—had not accompanied the Emperor!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A month ago, the Five Classics Doctors from several noble lineages of the Sages were summoned to the imperial presence under the pretext of lecturing on the classics, and have not returned since.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone assumed they had simply followed the imperial court to instruct the Emperor along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the Emperor himself is here, who still needs someone to lecture on the classics?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Yin Gao had just been dismissed from his post as Prefect on some pretext—why, then, had the Emperor, in disguise, summoned him now? What was his true intent!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan had long navigated the treacherous currents of officialdom; his composure was flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suppressed his thoughts, rose stiffly, fixed his gaze on the Emperor, and said in an odd tone: “Your servant was just about to present to Your Majesty an anecdote from the ‘Zheng Jian’ chapter of the Shuoyuan—yet Your Majesty’s first words were of the White Dragon in fish form, making Your servant’s anxieties seem absurd.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what a minister thought inwardly, when he saw the Emperor in disguise, he must offer counsel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When King Wu of Wu wished to drink with the common folk, Wu Zixu dissuaded him by telling the story of the White Dragon transformed into a fish, shot dead by a fisherman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Emperor had read these anecdotes so well, why had he not learned from them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun smiled helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he gestured for Wei Chao to offer Yin Shidan a seat, then softly explained: “Minister Yin, it is not that I have taken a whim for amusement and acted so recklessly—it is truly out of necessity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have long dwelled deep within the palace, my vision narrow. Now that I have finally stepped out, I wish to see the true state of the people and affairs of the realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet the people treat me as a plague, fleeing from me at every turn, refusing to let me observe them closely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Earlier, when I inspected the Tianjin branch of the Ministry of Revenue—even though it was a spur-of-the-moment decision—I was still too late. Dozens had conspired to kill themselves; by the time I arrived, their blood was still warm.” “Minister Yin, the principles are well known to both of us—but I am no peaceful sovereign. How can I act if I bind my own hands?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike officials, the Emperor’s status carried immense ritual significance—and thus, the constraints of ritual upon him were equally unignorable. Under such strictures on every movement and posture, even a simple glimpse of the Great Ming realm became arduous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In extraordinary times, one must learn from the ancestral methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Yin Shidan fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Changchun, Director of the Palace Library and Left Assistant Lecturer of the Right Spring Pavilion, interjected: “Master, do not be angry; His Majesty’s disguise this time was not like that of the Martial Emperor—he did not ride alone on horseback but was accompanied by only two attendants.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Instead, he was guarded by elite troops from the Five Military Directorates, and upon arriving in each location, he still assumed control of local defenses under the pretext of inspecting military readiness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wherever he traveled, he remained strictly within the imperial entourage’s perimeter, and even his food and drink were taken from the imperial supply.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His safety is assured.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point in the Emperor’s southern tour, advance scouts investigating local conditions and imperial guards inspecting military readiness were entirely normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan glanced at Li Changchun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That title “Master” was not given lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Changchun was a jinshi of Longqing 2, ranked first in the Second Class and selected as a Palace Scholar; the one who tutored that cohort of Palace Scholars was none other than Yin Shidan himself, then Director of the Palace Library, Minister of Rites, and Hanlin Academician—this was merely a sliver of the old guard’s hidden influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the ladder offered by his student, Yin Shidan gracefully ended his counsel: “If that is so, since I am no longer in office, I shall not speak further—only may Your Majesty cherish your health.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He met the Emperor’s gaze and finally asked the real question: “May I ask, Your Majesty, why have you come in disguise to Yanzhou? Whatever it is, I swear I will speak truthfully!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words and gestures were precise, making one feel his intentions were pure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun did not answer directly. Instead, he took out fruit cakes, ate two himself, and offered two to Yin Shidan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after the food had been swallowed did he speak slowly: “I first went to Qufu, listening to the common folk’s views on the early-year unrest and the land survey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Implicitly, he had already completed his inspections—he had only come to Jining last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Yin Shidan inwardly sighed: was this not a sign of the Emperor’s distrust?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much of this secret inspection was aimed at him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though their tone was light, beneath their words lay a subtle, almost imperceptible tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan remained alert inwardly, but outwardly spoke only to the matter: “The people are ignorant; they cannot possibly understand the court’s sincere intentions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asking such a question, he knew full well, would yield no real answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had already rioted en masse—could they possibly have no grievances against the court?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like deliberately seeking trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun made no comment: “Indeed, the locals harbor strong complaints against the Field Inspection Office—and even the court.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The play downstairs, portraying Shen Li as the villain, was precisely such resentment made manifest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shen’s response at the time was flawless,” Yin Shidan spoke up in Shen Li’s defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun smiled. Yin Shidan’s words made it sound as if the Emperor, to appease public opinion, might punish Shen Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not evade it: “The people’s discontent is natural. I, too, have a clear conscience.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have already ordered Li Changchun to instruct the Qufu County Office to compile this incident into official records and enter it into the county annals—let right and wrong stand as they are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppressing riots, six blows per breath—how could any court avoid such things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he was certain he had not erred, he had no fear of showing it to the realm: if he suppressed rebellion for the sake of state affairs, he was resolute; if he later changed and crushed the people’s voice for personal desire, he deserved eternal infamy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Yin Shidan could not help but stare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I also visited He Xinyin’s charitable estate, by chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor’s speech now carried a natural Shandong inflection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan had heard of He Xinyin founding a school and establishing charitable estates in Shandong, but had paid it little mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he had never imagined the Emperor would care so deeply as to visit in person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Shidan showed no reaction: “I have heard that Master Fushan’s teachings grow ever more refined, as if reaching a hundred feet up a bamboo pole, yet still climbing higher.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhu Yijun could not help but sneer.\u003C\u002Fp>",2948,"2026-06-20T16:31:35.124Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","922fd3508e3c7e119243f82a9ce0f8f35907fd8a8377c886d0f9349043d2ac8a","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-357","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-355",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]