[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-372":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},2322194,4542,"Chapter 372: Clouds Fly, Rain Ends; Stars Extinguish, Light Depart","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-372",372,"\u003Cp>The weather in the north always turns cold sooner; Beijing was already draped in silver by the eleventh month, while Nanzhili only finally experienced a sharp drop in temperature on the second day of the twelfth month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first snow of northern Jiang and the official boats dispatched from Jiangnan simultaneously traveled upstream along the still ice-free Xuzhou Canal, witnessing the canal’s final winter through Xuzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both drifted together to the wharf outside Xuzhou city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously arriving was Grand Secretary Shen Shixing, wrapped in a sable fur, who descended the deck amid a crowd of attendants, weary from travel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Yingqi, Vice Minister of Revenue, and Luo Zun, Acting Censor-in-Chief, who had been waiting for a long time, hurried forward to greet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his colleagues could even pay their formal respects,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing struck first, his tone sharp: “What is going on? Sun Jigao acted recklessly and carelessly—why are you all pretending not to hear?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did Emperor Xiaozong fail through gentleness? Can such nonsense be fabricated in official writings!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A series of sharp, rising questions, accompanied by two streams of steam exhaled from his nostrils, made Shen’s displeasure unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Yingqi silently turned his head away, feigning disinterest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he too was a Lecturer in the Hanlin Academy, responsible for reviewing and proofreading Hanlin documents, he was currently inspecting accounts at the water-side warehouse—his hands were full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zun, with nowhere to hide, looked slightly defiant: “Grand Secretary Shen, this is not Sun Jigao’s fabrication—it was the Emperor’s own words—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish, a chill struck him, forcing him to snap his mouth shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up to find Shen Shixing glaring at him, eyes icy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meaning was clear: even if it truly came from the Emperor’s mouth, no one was to spread it recklessly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Fan Yingqi cleared his throat, attempting to defuse the tension: “Grand Secretary Shen, please forgive us. Sun Jigao did not intend to praise or condemn Emperor Xiaozong—he merely organized the gains and losses along the dynasty’s governing trajectory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His implication: the Emperor wasn’t targeting anyone—he had commented on the merits and faults of both Taizu and Shizong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why is Xiaozong the only one who cannot be mentioned?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing was furious: “How can they be the same!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that Grand Secretary Shen was unreasonable—he was invoking the classics of Mind Learning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth was simply the way things were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taizu’s merits and faults were split, a verdict settled by scholars and ministers across more than a dozen reigns; the notion of his stern governance was plainly recorded in the state history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shizong’s judgments were arbitrary, based solely on personal likes and dislikes—a universal consensus, even acknowledged in the Shizong Veritable Records with the phrase “every household clean,” meant as both praise and reproach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xiaozong was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaozong was the moral paragon, the virtuous ruler who cultivated silence and self-discipline, the golden statue erected by the united efforts of court ministers—more directly, he was the shared expectation of scholar-officials toward the Zhu family, the model every future emperor must emulate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did it mean when the Emperor declared Xiaozong’s governance was too gentle?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you yourself don’t wish to learn from Xiaozong, don’t say it aloud—aren’t you stirring up conflict?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People like Fan Yingqi and Luo Zun were only focused on their immediate gains, utterly failing to consider the broader implications from the standpoint of senior ministers and to advise the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, they allowed the Emperor to act capriciously, stood idly by as Sun Jigao spoke nonsense, and permitted these insults against Xiaozong to be printed and circulated nationwide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not one of them was trustworthy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It fell to the Grand Secretariat to return from Nanjing just to clean up the Emperor’s mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Shen Shixing grew more agitated and waved his hand: “Enough. I shall go to Huai’an myself to confront the Emperor. You, meanwhile, detail the remaining matters in Xuzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Yingqi and Luo Zun exchanged a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They now understood why this Grand Secretary appeared so irritable, like a powder keg ready to explode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The incident had already happened—why summon Shen Shixing to Xuzhou only to clean up the mess? Is this how one treats a Grand Secretary?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s clear they only wanted his seal—the one stamped “Imperial Traveling Grand Secretariat”—to sign off on the documents!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this continues, everyone will mock him as the “Three-Edict Minister”—only takes the Emperor’s decree, receives the Emperor’s decree, obeys the Emperor’s decree—no opinion of his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Shen Shixing’s patience allows such treatment; look at Wang Xijue, who fell ill on the spot and refused to come?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the superior in a foul mood, no one dared provoke him further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both men bowed deeply, offering their invitation: “We have prepared all documents and archives. Grand Secretary Shen, weary from travel—please board the carriage for review.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A proper scene requires more than people standing around talking—it needs staging, movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subordinates stepped aside along the path Luo Zun indicated, revealing a carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing snorted, showing no courtesy—he swept his sleeves behind his back and stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Yingqi and Luo Zun exchanged a glance with the driver, then followed him in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, it was instantly warmer; the twin streams of steam from Shen’s nostrils vanished, and his expression softened. The carriage had padded seats on either side, a small carved yellow rosewood table, and on it, documents, scrolls, tea sets, and snacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing sat alone on one side and carefully withdrew a large seal from his robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor’s southern tour meant he carried his imperial seal; the Grand Secretariat had likewise cast a temporary seal, inscribed “Imperial Traveling Grand Secretariat Seal,” with nine-fold vertical strokes, a straight bar as handle, and small regular script on the side: “Made by the Ministry of Rites, 9th day, 2nd month, 18th year of Jiajing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After carefully verifying the seal impression was intact, Shen placed it on the ink pad, ignored the tea and snacks, and directly moved the documents before him, preparing to become an emotionless stamping machine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Primarily personnel appointments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xuzhou bureaucracy had been shaken; to ensure daily operations, numerous officials had to be temporarily reassigned to fill vacancies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anticipating this before the southern tour, the Emperor brought along a cohort of former jinshi and current shujishi, leaving batches of them at each stop like laying eggs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need for close scrutiny—Shen Shixing swiftly endorsed each document.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until a document on constructing the national highway caught his eye—he slowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at Fan Yingqi, questioning with mild displeasure: “Twenty thousand laborers recruited? Wasn’t the court’s earlier decision to use corvée labor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The highway construction was not the Emperor’s whim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It followed successful trials of cement roads thirty li south of the capital, one hundred thirty li to Tongzhou, four hundred li to Xuan-Da, and after cost analysis and maintenance projections, the Wenhua Hall collectively approved the plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Politically, the north-south divide was intensifying; strengthening transportation and promoting material and cultural exchange between regions was an inevitable path toward unifying the empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Economically, the south, with its abundant grain, saw farmers increasingly cultivating cotton and mulberry trees, breaking free from subsistence farming, and giving rise to economic structures centered on cash crops and handicraft industries like textiles and glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With southern production expanding, markets in the north had to be opened—but the current patchwork, dilapidated, low-capacity official roads could no longer meet north-south traffic demands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This three-zhang-wide, cement-paved highway, linking north and south, was a natural response to the era’s political and economic needs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing, as one of its original architects, knew every detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the original Wenhua Hall deliberation, the ministers had agreed to conscript corvée labor—how had it suddenly become paid recruitment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only had the plan changed, but they’d ambushed him to get his signature?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Yingqi, Vice Minister of Revenue, had prepared the cost estimate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the Grand Secretary’s accusation, he remained calm, replying with unshakable confidence: “Grand Secretary Shen, this time it truly was the Emperor’s own decree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After inspecting both banks, the Emperor deeply felt the hardship of corvée laborers and insisted on replacing labor with recruitment—effectively a work-for-relief policy, returning benefits to the impoverished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ministry of Revenue also believes this is the inevitable trend, and has approved it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Yingqi’s “inevitable trend” referred to the Ming state’s two-century effort to shift from labor conscription to state-funded silver recruitment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While part of this stemmed from the Ministry’s inability to control corvée but its ability to handle silver levies, the deeper motive was national and popular benefit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In September of Jiajing’s first year, Nanjing Censor Tan Lu petitioned Shizong: “Poor families near rivers labor year-round without rest—order river officials to uniformly levy silver and hire laborers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, Gui E implemented the Single Whip Law in Jiangnan counties, directly ordering: “All corvée labor shall be converted to silver levies and hired labor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paying laborers prevented officials from exploiting the poor and exempting the rich, relieved impoverished households of corvée burdens, absorbed idle ruffians into productive work, and enhanced social stability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, these hired workers, motivated by profit, would simply walk away if wages were insufficient, making it harder for corrupt officials to embezzle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A triple win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing understood this logic—but he also understood why such a beneficial policy had always stalled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scrutinized Fan Yingqi, pressing: “When Jinan struggled to collect thirty thousand taels, how can you now expect hundreds of thousands? Will you truly collect the silver?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvée was one thing—officials targeted the poor, who were easiest to exploit; annual service was already burdensome, and adding road construction barely changed that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But silver recruitment was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You must actually extract silver from wealthy households before hiring laborers—the difficulty was incomparably greater than corvée.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In April of Longqing’s second year, Jining attempted to levy silver to hire canal workers—but by Longqing’s fourth year, they’d collected only seven thousand taels and had to abandon the plan, reverting to corvée.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thirty thousand taels were hard enough; now you want to hire twenty thousand laborers, twenty taels per person annually—that’s four hundred thousand taels per year!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xuzhou to Nanjing section is only the first phase, taking five years—full connectivity will take at least ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where will such a massive sum come from? Can it truly be collected?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zun and Fan Yingqi both laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Yingqi, energized, vouched for the plan: “Grand Secretary Shen, just in Xuzhou alone, we’ve already raised three hundred seventy-six thousand two hundred taels—enough for a full year’s recruitment!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t say silver can’t be collected—these people are now begging for opportunities to donate!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is what Grand Secretary Shen doesn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each situation must be analyzed individually—without profit, raising silver is impossibly hard; but when it benefits the community and commerce, it’s different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Local gentry and wealthy families have always competed to fund road construction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, the Zhongxu Mail Road, built in one year over three hundred fifty li, also used silver recruitment—how much did the state treasury contribute?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hundred taels of silver, one hundred shi of rice—that’s all!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did the rest come from? From the gentry and commoners of Mahu Prefecture, competing to donate money and labor!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting aside the forced redemption mindset of the Wangs, consider this highway: three zhang wide, cement-paved, connecting the two capitals—there’s only one logic: wealthy families pay to have the road pass by their gates, not the other way around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ask the local gentry of Xuzhou: would they willingly pool a million taels to bring the canal back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing glanced skeptically at Fan Yingqi, then at Luo Zun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After long hesitation, he gritted his teeth and signed the document.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing looked again, uncertain, then handed the signed document to Fan Yingqi and swiftly opened the next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there enough cement?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After endorsing several more memorials, Shen suddenly remembered something, paused, and looked up at Fan Yingqi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ministry of Public Works has always had standard specifications for road construction materials: the quantities of crushed stone, sand, soil, and lime, and whether they are sufficient, everyone knows well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But improved soil—namely cement—Shen Shixing was not entirely sure about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its raw material is volcanic ash, largely dependent on imports; moreover, Ryukyu claims its collection is difficult and output limited. Whether it will be enough for large-scale use is truly uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not quite enough—the main river authorities still need a great deal for paving the Jia River, so His Majesty gave the formula to Wang and others, ordering Xuzhou’s commoners to establish their own kilns and burn artificial cement.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Yingqi’s expression remained calm as he revealed a new development.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing blinked: “Artificial cement—can it be used for paving roads?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had paid some attention to the situation of artificial cement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Years ago, the imperial court accidentally discovered that volcanic ash could be fired into cement, and the Ministry of Public Works seized the opportunity, demanding volcanic ash from Ryukyu as one of its tribute items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As tribute, naturally, it had to be carefully selected to avoid inferior substitutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since selection was required, there had to be a quality standard—what factors exactly affected the quality of the fired cement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After repeated comparisons, craftsmen found that the clay content in limestone deposits varied greatly, producing cement of drastically different quality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this discovery, the Ministry’s craftsmen began to wonder: wasn’t cement’s raw material just limestone and clay? If so, could they adjust the proportions and fire artificial cement from limestone and clay?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cost of verifying this doubt was low; immediately, craftsmen eager for silver rewards began experimenting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The results were mixed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The good news: using two parts limestone to one part clay, they indeed produced cement!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bad news: its quality was far worse than natural cement, especially unable to withstand soaking—the river authorities wouldn’t even glance at it. Fan Yingqi nodded, confirming: “Though inferior to volcanic ash cement by a notch, it’s still much better than three-part soil—perfect for corners and edges.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it could be used depended on where it was used; river authorities dismissed it, but for road construction, it was acceptable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least it could serve as second-rate cement to ease pressure on volcanic ash supply—volcanic ash was hard to find, but limestone mines were everywhere. Luo Zun added casually: “Some Ministry craftsmen suspect it’s because the kiln temperature is far too low compared to volcanic heat, so the firing is incomplete.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Otherwise, there’s no reason why cement made from the same materials should be so much worse than volcanic ash cement.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His Majesty has approved the Ministry’s dispatch of cement-burning craftsmen to Huguang, to use the improved high furnaces from Anshan Steelworks and attempt high-temperature firing. Perhaps good news will come after the New Year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confucianism has undergone several major transformations and is now almost unrecognizable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ming officials have always leaned toward practicality in their attitude toward ingenious devices and tricks; under the Emperor’s further transformation, they have subtly begun to admire them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Shen Shixing, though personally fond of ingenious devices, was too worn out from daily labor to care about specific details—he simply wanted to take and use whatever worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Report these several modifications together to the ministries in Beijing. For now, let the road construction matter stand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving this instruction, Shen Shixing continued reading documents, bowing his head as Fan Yingqi and Luo Zun respectfully watched him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes he remained silent, drafting edicts; sometimes he pressed for further details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage rolled over cobblestones, gliding calmly through the city gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because they had entered the city, a clamor reached the carriage, growing louder. Curious, Shen Shixing reached out and pulled aside the curtain to look outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned half his head out and saw a crowd gathered at the Vegetable Market Gate ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several figures in prison garb, wearing tall hats, knelt on a platform; officials from the Censorate loomed above, apparently interrogating them. The gathered crowd surged angrily, pointing and shouting curses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could examine closely, Shen Shixing felt a sudden force yank him back into the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned and turned to look behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Yingqi quickly withdrew his small hand, smiling awkwardly: “Your Excellency, forgive me. His Majesty recently received a warning from Heaven, cautioning us that we should not observe matters that disgrace scholarly dignity too closely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew the Emperor did not believe in ghosts or gods—this was clearly an excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real reason was hard to state, but Fan Yingqi guessed the Emperor feared that officials, seeing such public trials, might feel sympathy for the condemned and thus lose morale, which is why he refused to let court ministers witness the details of the public executions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed, one must not look too closely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing murmured to himself, slowly pulling his head back into the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor’s refusal to let them look closely was indeed well-considered—even Shen Shixing, who knew every detail of the Xuzhou cases, felt a chill at the sight of scholars stripped of dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was not arrogant, but even he, a loyal pillar of the new faction who followed the Emperor’s every move, felt this way—how would other ministers react?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is why, when the Emperor’s treatise on Emperor Xiaozong’s gentle governance was published, Nanjing erupted in uproar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor did not hate Xiaozong, nor did scholars necessarily hold deep affection for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xiaozong’s existence was not about himself—he was a political symbol, suspended high above, representing “leniency toward scholars.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some things are best done without saying; now the Emperor not only mistreated scholars but publicly tried them before the people and publicly criticized Xiaozong before the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was too extreme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing leaned back in the carriage, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried not to listen to the buzzing around him and asked softly: “How is the Censorate’s case proceeding?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zun immediately leaned forward to explain: “Your Excellency, we are heading to the Ministry of Revenue’s branch office—all case files and memorials are there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xuzhou River Authority has now been absorbed by the Ministry of Public Works and serves as a temporary office for road construction; the Ministry of Revenue’s branch is jointly occupied by the Censorate and the Ministry of Revenue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zun fell silent, but seeing Shen Shixing’s puzzled expression, he awkwardly added: “The Assistant Censor-in-Chief forbids us from carrying documents or case files privately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this regard, the Censorate paled beside the Ministry of Revenue—both the Left and Right Censor-in-Chief were rigid and unyielding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ministry of Revenue had already drafted all its documents; the Censorate could only watch helplessly—how inefficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing was slightly dissatisfied too—he wanted to finish quickly and hurry to speak with the Emperor about serious matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head and settled for less: “Just give me the general outline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zun paused, recalling: “The Prefect of Xuzhou, Wu Zhipeng, shall be hanged; the Director of the River Authority, Li Minqing, shall be beheaded; the Director of the River Storage Branch, Yu Deye, shall be slowly sliced; the Vice-Prefect of Xuzhou, Qin Bangyan, shall be beheaded; the Deputy Commander of Xuzhou’s Military Preparedness, Chang Sansheng, is suspected of murdering Zhang Zhan—the case is still under investigation—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Luo Zun recited the names like a household inventory, Shen Shixing involuntarily shuddered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not help interrupting: “Do the people of Xuzhou really have such a taste for killing!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dense list of official names sent a chill down his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, Luo Zun spoke slowly: “Your Excellency misunderstands. The people of Xuzhou are not unreasonable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unless utterly heinous, the commoners almost never wish to kill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing was deeply puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Fan Yingqi interjected, nodding in agreement: “Your Excellency is unaware.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For example, recently, Censor Chen Sixian discovered that the County Magistrate of Peixian, Xiao Jiucheng, embezzled over eight thousand seven hundred taels—by law, he deserves a hundred executions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet during the public trial, the people of Xuzhou cried out: ‘Embezzlement under ten thousand taels? He’s a model official!’ They pleaded with the Censorate to restore Xiao Jiucheng to his post.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Xiao Jiucheng forbade Peixian’s people from eating dog meat, he rarely meddled unnecessarily; moreover, as Zhang Zhan’s former subordinate, he at least publicly cooperated with Zhang Zhan’s river management, regardless of his true feelings—his reputation among commoners was not bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people grumbled daily, but when it came to demanding death, they all pleaded for mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when questioned about Xiao Jiucheng’s embezzlement, they covered for him: one claimed he took two catties of dog meat as a bribe; another said he secretly packed wine from banquets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, Chen Wude yielded to public opinion: he confiscated Xiao Jiucheng’s illicit gains, forced him to eat several catties of dog meat, and reinstated him to his post as penance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For embezzlement that does not shock the public, for bribery that harms no one, for corruption that still delivers results—the people readily plead for mercy, so long as the officials admit guilt and reform.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scholars always claimed the commoners could not distinguish good from bad officials, that they would eat anyone’s blood buns—but the truth was otherwise. Fan Yingqi at least spoke up for the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The common folk resented corrupt officials, yes, but they did not go mad and kill anyone they saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many county residents even sought out Chen Wude themselves, arguing that executing officials for embezzling eighty taels was too harsh, and begged the Censorate to show mercy within the bounds of human feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current principle for public trials is a three-point agreement between the Censorate and the people: no punishment for under a thousand taels; no execution for under ten thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for those who murder, seize land, rape women, and mutilate victims—should such beasts be kept alive for the New Year?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zun looked at Shen Shixing with earnest eyes and asked seriously: “The people show such compassion toward officials—how can Your Excellency call them bloodthirsty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing had no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, he spoke again: “So the names you listed are those utterly heinous, those who must die?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the tradition of leniency toward scholar-officials since Emperor Xiaozong’s reign, none of these men would have been executed—but then again, from this perspective, is this not proof of Xiaozong’s gentle governance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This difference in perspective is precisely the divide between scholars and commoners—and the very reason the Grand Secretariat must tread with extreme caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zun could not see the issue from Shen Shixing’s height; he focused only on the specific cases. Thinking of certain utterly heinous acts, his mood darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lost his appetite for conversation, merely nodding slightly in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shixing did not take offense, sighing softly: “No wonder you all pretended not to hear Sun Jigao’s essay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zun had already answered this question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Yingqi fell silent for a moment, then could no longer hold back. He raised his head, fixed Shen Shixing with a direct gaze, and spoke plainly: “His Majesty once said—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Politics is bloody war; war is bloody politics.”\u003C\u002Fp>",3839,"2026-06-20T16:31:35.124Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fcf86014f7efa6c013b61c55b2c6263a4d07d50eeb7139b2cfad28f4f6e559e8","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-373","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-371",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]