[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-53":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},2321875,4542,"Chapter 53: Sails Unharmed, Streets Empty","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-53",53,"\u003Cp>Li Chengming and Chen Yinzhao were unexpectedly called out, both momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao quickly recovered, stepping forward to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhi suddenly whispered: “Though I don’t know your identities, I still recognize the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Son of Heaven’s eyes and ears mustn’t hide when they’re needed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao glanced at his bodyguards behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t tell if the man had sharp eyes or had noticed something during check-in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke cautiously: “You’re mistaken, sir—we’re merely merchants.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man before him was clearly no old scholar; he adjusted his tone accordingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhi gripped his hand and whispered: “I’m heading to Beijing too. Don’t blame me if I speak up later and cost you His Majesty’s favor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao’s expression turned uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that the words carried much threat—after all, no one would be punished over such nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply couldn’t gauge this man’s background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such insight, and such speech, clearly meant he was no ordinary man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Chen Yinzhao still hesitating, Li Zhi explained: “Don’t worry—it’s no trouble. I just need you two as witnesses, so you won’t be beaten senseless by Wang Zhigao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao shot him a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upstairs was a Minister of Justice, a man even meritorious nobles avoided—he’d be mad to provoke him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked in a low voice: “Why not be straightforward, sir?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhi sighed: “I’m a juren by degree, Li Zhi, former Director of the Nanjing Ministry of Justice. Last month, I was appointed Director of the National Academy, and now I’m coming to Beijing to assume office.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director of the Ministry of Justice and Director of the National Academy were both sixth-rank posts—though promotion from Nanjing to Beijing was a step up, he was still a minor official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sixth-rank nobody trying to pressure him? Ridiculous!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fellow acted as if he feared no Minister of Justice—he’d almost been fooled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now reassured, he spoke calmly: “Then just go to your post, Director Li. Why linger here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?￠o\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his expression, Li Zhi understood his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately pulled out the tiger skin again: “I am indeed on my way to assume office, but I still have an unresolved case from my time in the Ministry of Justice—one that requires the Minister’s attention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he grew cryptic, whispering: “It concerns His Majesty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those final words instantly silenced Chen Yinzhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Great Ming was open-minded, no one dared speak ill of the Emperor before the Embroidered Uniform Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he said that, he probably couldn’t avoid this after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was caught between two difficult choices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men murmured among themselves; the page had long grown impatient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He restrained his temper and reminded: “Who are you? And why do you wish to see my master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhi hurried over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pointing at Chen Yinzhao and Li Chengming, he whispered urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he patted his chest and showed some kind of credential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the page nod hesitantly: “Follow me upstairs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhi pulled the two nobles behind him up the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The page then led the clerk into the room, asking the three to wait a moment while he announced them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing they had to wait behind a mere clerk, all three were displeased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did Chen Yinzhao have a chance to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He whispered: “Director Li, be clear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Li Zhi had lured them up and opened the door to Wang Zhigao, he no longer concealed anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke clearly: “I’ll be brief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Last month, His Majesty held his first Confucian lecture.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The lecturers naturally introduced various schools of Confucian thought—such as innate moral awareness, cultivation and verification, and so on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One lecturer happened to mention the theory of good and evil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His Majesty grew curious and asked: Is human nature inherently good, inherently evil, or neither good nor evil, as the School of Mind teaches?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The lecturers argued among themselves; His Majesty grew displeased.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At that moment, the Joseon Kingdom sent envoys to pay tribute and were summoned by His Majesty, who mentioned a wild man in their mountains—abandoned as a child, raised by nature.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His Majesty was delighted, declaring that doubts must be tested—let us see whether such a primordial being is good or evil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here he swallowed, pausing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming seized the opening to interject: “So what’s this got to do with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao also stared at Li Zhi, eyes full of confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhi shook his head: “Originally, it had nothing to do with me—but certain rotten men in Nanjing heard of it and rushed to curry favor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I had a case involving a mentally impaired prisoner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was about to close it and release him when I heard he’d been taken away by this Minister Wang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined with his earlier words, the two understood what “taken away” meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming asked: “A mentally impaired person and an uncivilized savage aren’t the same, are they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao, however, understood the motive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t the same, but it was still a gesture of flattery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His concern lay elsewhere: “If you’re here to retrieve the man, why drag us along? We decline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been fooled by the flag-waving earlier; now he realized there was no imperial involvement and prepared to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhi grabbed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d anticipated this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke slowly: “To be honest, this does involve you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His Majesty personally wrote to urge me to proceed. If I fetch the man and send him back, the round trip will waste time and keep His Majesty waiting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I need your men in the Embroidered Uniform Guard to escort him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao frowned. What was this man’s background? Why did His Majesty personally urge his arrival?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first he thought him a powerful figure; later, hearing his rank, he assumed him a nobody.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, hearing this, he was uncertain again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming, not thinking deeply, retorted: “Let His Majesty wait—that’s your problem, not ours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The logic held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Zhi grinned, pulled off his Confucian cap, revealing a bald head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From beneath it, he pulled a slip of paper bearing six characters: “Long admired, I await your arrival.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved it casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grinned: “The bald don’t fear the capped. I’m sticking to you now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao and Li Chengming’s expressions changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They exchanged a glance—both had seen the Emperor’s private seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone so favored by His Majesty, regardless of rank, was not to be trifled with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They immediately realized this man could not be ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Li Zhi promised not to offend Minister Wang and merely serve as a witness, the two reluctantly agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming suddenly asked curiously: “Are you a monk who returned to lay life?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The body and hair are gifts from one’s parents—Confucians never treat their hair this way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why he couldn’t help asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhi waved it off: “One day my scalp itched terribly, and I was tired of combing it—so I shaved it all off, keeping only my sideburns.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t carefree—it was heretical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen and Li kept glancing at his bald head, silently marveling at this mad scholar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming couldn’t resist: “The Classic of Filial Piety says, ‘The body, hair, and skin are received from one’s parents…’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhi looked at him strangely: “Confucius barking, and later Confucians echoing him—I can understand that. But you’re a nobleman—why are you parroting it too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he spoke, both men were startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao instinctively flinched, quickly scanning the surroundings for listeners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing everyone was far away, he exhaled in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tugged Li Chengming, signaling him not to speak to this man again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was terrified—he’d never met anyone so reckless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this remark spread, Confucians might debate it internally—but any outsider caught in the fallout would be vilified mercilessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, the three fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, the page emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He addressed the three: “My master invites you in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao and Li Chengming had risen early, slipped quietly out of the official inn, and headed for the dock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were acting so furtively precisely to avoid Li Zhi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had claimed yesterday he meant no offense, yet after meeting the Minister of Justice, his tone had grown no more courteous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It left the two of them sitting on pins and needles, forced to feign calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, they had merely satisfied Li Zhi’s wishes, even sending the Embroidered Uniform Guard to escort him back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But instead of being grateful, he had now clung to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept insisting on late-night candlelit talks and sharing a bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes he probed them about the Emperor, other times he preached his own interpretations of the classics, driving them to desperate lengths to evade him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they decided to leave early this morning, to avoid being trapped again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two hurried like fugitives, striding swiftly to the dock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boat was already moored; they paid the fare and boarded the vessel bound for Beizhili.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After selecting their cabin upstairs, Chen Yinzhao warned: “We don’t know if the Director of the National Academy and Minister Wang are on this same ship—better keep to our room and avoid moving about, lest we run into them again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming nodded vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He admitted with a shudder: “No wonder my father said one must travel to gain experience—these people are all far from simple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao shook his head: “Even a lowly clerk surprised me—let alone the rest. We’d do best to stay out of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From what I see, Li Zhi’s affair with Wang Zhigao may have deeper currents beneath.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked, puzzled: “What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao’s expression was unreadable: “Yesterday, I sent someone to inquire at the Provincial Military Command. Li Zhi isn’t just some wild scholar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At twelve, he wrote an essay denouncing Confucius himself, and since then has repeatedly spoken disrespectfully, calling Confucius nothing but a barking dog.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After passing the provincial exam, he served as a tutor in Huixian, Henan, then as a Doctor at the Nanjing National Academy, openly promoting his heterodox doctrines.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He preached gender equality, denounced falsehood and sought truth, and attacked his colleagues, saying, ‘They speak of morality but seek only to steal,’ and ‘They care not a single li for others.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He even dared to claim the Sage-Kings were wrong, loudly proclaiming, ‘Heaven establishes rulers for the sake of the people,’ and openly declared, ‘The highest governance is silent; the highest teaching is wordless,’ to imply the court governs too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Such a man was personally summoned to the capital by His Majesty—do you think Wang Zhigao has no ulterior motive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming suddenly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned in thought: “Brother Chen, are you suggesting Minister Wang intends to manipulate Li Zhi, to probe his true intentions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder Li Zhi was received so easily—Wang Zhigao was waiting for him all along.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao gave no direct answer, instead said something unrelated: “Wang Zhigao is also from Chu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Chengming still didn’t grasp it, he fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some things need only be hinted at.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Zhigao was from Chu—he was surely promoted to the capital by Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Li Zhi, a heretic, was personally invited by the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s hard not to suspect: is the Emperor’s scholarly leanings making the court’s old Confucians wary? Are they using Li Zhi to test what the Emperor truly thinks?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems… the Emperor’s lectures have seen much happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two then turned to other matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, shouts rose from the deck above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sailors were pulling ropes in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the great ship slowly pulled away from shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving Jining’s southern city inn, the journey sped up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passing twenty-two minor and major ferry points—Dong’an’s Anshan Ferry, Eastern Depot’s Chongwu Ferry, Dezhou’s Ande Ferry, Cangzhou’s Zhuanhe Ferry, Tianjin’s Yangqing Ferry—finally disembarking at Tongzhou, they would reach the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a fast vessel; most ferry points were skipped, so it moved quicker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would reach the capital in roughly ten days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the next five or six days, all remained calm, no further incidents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two grew less cautious, occasionally leaving their cabin to walk the deck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the seventh day, the ship docked at Jinghai’s Fengxin Ferry and took on more passengers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Jinghai County, under Tianjin Guard—the capital loomed clearly ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At noon, Li Chengming went to find Chen Yinzhao to disembark and rest—he had become seasick again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knocked on Chen Yinzhao’s door and found his brother still lying on his bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He approached, puzzled, only to see Chen Yinzhao absorbed in reading a small newspaper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming called out: “Brother, come on, let’s disembark and get something good to eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao waved him off: “Wait a moment—I need to finish this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming grew even more puzzled: “Brother, what are you doing? Why are you reading gossip sheets?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides official bulletins, the people also had small newspapers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they mostly carried lewd content, unfit to behold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wondered if his brother, having traveled so long, had grown depraved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao, distracted: “It’s not gossip—it’s a novel serialized in it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tossed the previous issues to Li Chengming and returned to his reading with delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming automatically took them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The top read “Riyue Zao Bao”—the paper was mediocre quality, but the woodblock printing was superb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The handwriting clearly belonged to a seasoned master craftsman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The layout was elegant, with ornate borders carved around the edges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The date at the top, and the official seal in the lower right corner, bore the Tongzheng Office’s stamp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most strikingly, every word was written in plain vernacular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming marveled: What extravagance—wasting paper like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His curiosity flared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shut the door, sat at the table, and picked up an issue at random.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead story: Former Director of the Palace Secretariat, Feng Bao, had been raided by the Shuntian Prefecture constables, who seized twenty thousand taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Feng Bao had fallen from power; his home being ransacked was expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paper also carried political news: official appointments and new edicts—all in plain vernacular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he saw no novel, as Chen Yinzhao had claimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flipped to the next issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grand Secretariat ordered Shuntian Prefecture to re-raid Feng Bao’s home, checking for hidden assets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shuntian searched again—and found another forty thousand taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming clicked his tongue. Same old game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This issue began the novel Chen Yinzhao had mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The headline: five bold characters—“Baihua Xiyouji.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Author unknown; annotated by Huayang Dongtian Master, Shirang Sanren; translated by Banlu Jushi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming blinked. Wasn’t this the same story told by storytellers in taverns?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d turned it into a novel?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He read the first chapter: “The Spiritual Root Nurtures Its Source; Mind and Nature Cultivate the Great Dao.” Hmph—a disciple of Mind Learning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He settled in, reading slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had begun with indifference, but soon became utterly absorbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he reached “The Four Seas and Thousand Mountains Bow in Submission,” he couldn’t help applauding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he read “The Heavenly Court appoints him as Stable Master,” he sneered at the heavens—how petty, how lacking in magnanimity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unaware, hours passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he finally looked up, evening was near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Li Chengming realize he had finished the entire issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered to himself: “Six chapters in two months!? That’s simply unnatural.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He set down the paper and rubbed his aching eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up to see Chen Yinzhao glaring at him in exasperation: “Brother, how can you be so wasteful? I called you to eat and you ignored me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, his stomach growled loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to it: “See? You’ve made me wait so long I’m starving.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, come on—let’s disembark and get something to eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming wasn’t thinking about food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t help asking: “Where do these small newspapers come from? Why are they all in plain speech? Why print novels on them? Isn’t that a waste of paper?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, his unspoken meaning was: who runs this paper? I must bind this author to my household and demand daily updates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao led him ashore, his expression odd: “Didn’t you see the Tongzheng Office seal at the bottom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming paused in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just saw it, but got so absorbed I forgot about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But… is the Tongzheng Office not only issuing official bulletins, but now also publishing tabloids?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming nodded: “Just now I saw it was all plain speech, rather vulgar, and I forgot about it for a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two disembarked and went to find something to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sailor reminded them the boat would depart at night, urging them to return quickly; the two bowed in thanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After disembarking, Li Chengming added casually: “The Tongzheng Office has official bulletins—why bother with these tabloids, especially in plain speech? Doesn’t that demean scholarly dignity?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his mind, every Confucian scholar wished to speak in convoluted, obscure language, savoring every character, hoping no one could understand—so he could cite classics and lecture from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao was unsure: “Perhaps… it’s meant for the common folk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If so, the problem is grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the common folk should have the right to read is a question with no open debate, yet one that is deadly in secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two chatted idly, half-heartedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the crowd surged, pressing toward one direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many cried out in alarm and ran forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curiosity stirred in both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hurried forward and stopped a passerby: “Brother, what’s happening ahead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s face glowed with ecstatic joy; though suddenly grabbed, he didn’t mind—instead, his expression turned fervent: “Sea Qingtian… Sea Qingtian has been reinstated! He’s now entering the capital to meet His Majesty and is passing through here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he wrenched free and sprinted ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, the street where the two stood was empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even street vendors hastily packed up their stalls, shouldering their goods to rush toward the commotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming stared in awe: “This is what they call ‘empty streets’? Hai Rui truly commands such popular devotion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who calls him “Sea Qingtian” knows who he is without needing his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To have prestige among the local populace and among scholars is one thing—but how could the common folk of Tianjin even know Hai Rui?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He handed Li Chengming the folded tabloid he’d held earlier: “Told you not to just read novels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chengming took the tabloid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at his senior, then slowly unfolded it, turning to the passage he’d ignored before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He skipped the novel and immediately seized the key point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paper didn’t just carry news of Hai Rui’s reinstatement—it detailed his past, even included a plain-language excerpt from his “Memorial on State Affairs”!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his mouth, unable to hide his shock: “They’re… they’re using the Shizong Emperor as a pawn?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did Hai Rui’s clean reputation come from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It came from when the Shizong Emperor ignored the realm, and Hai Rui, with sincere devotion, submitted his “Memorial on State Affairs” to advise him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that memorial, he declared: “The realm has long deemed Your Majesty unjust,” and “Jiajing, Jiajing—every household is empty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He risked his life to speak truth to power, voicing the suffering of the people—such deeds naturally won the whole realm’s approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention how he sent away his wife and children and placed his own coffin at home—such acts embodied the highest scholar-official spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether among scholars or commoners, none failed to praise him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, published in this tabloid, it instantly stirred admiration across an entire county, drawing crowds to line the streets in welcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yinzhao could not suppress his awe: “A thread stretched a thousand li.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To go this far, someone must have placed a tremendous burden upon this Sea Qingtian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled Li Chengming toward the commotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in his heart, he thought: the court is about to grow lively.\u003C\u002Fp>",3323,"2026-06-20T16:31:33.303Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fb98c6fed65a5b167a0235e334838941e92daee3909c8f90c996691f44af5831","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-54","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-52",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]