Jiajing Chengming

Zhu Houcong knew that many officials went to see Lin Jun off.

Zhu Houcong was quite happy about this.

He knew that the goal of opening the sea that he had agreed upon with Wang Qiong and others in the past had been achieved.

If we want these big coastal households to willingly accept the opening of the sea, we must first strictly ban the sea and let these big coastal households take the initiative to call for the opening of the sea.

Now that many officials have gone to see Lin Jun off, it shows that the mainstream opinion within the bureaucracy has begun to change on whether to open or close the sea.

But since Zhu Houcong now wanted to support the anti-sea faction, he was more concerned about the situation of Yang Yiqing, Wang Ao and other anti-sea faction members.

Especially Wang Ao, who is always sick now.

Zhu Houcong cared very much about whether Wang Ao could continue to gain the support of the bureaucrats.

"Are there still very few officials who visit Lord Zhenze?"

Zhu Houcong therefore asked about Qin Wen from the East Factory.

Qin Wen replied, "Except for those whom Lord Zhenze did not want to see, basically, few of the upright officials he wanted to see went."

"This shows that we haven't done a good job of observing customs and rectifying social practices."

"If Yan Song was still in office as the governor of the capital, this wouldn't have happened."

Zhu Houcong frowned and spoke.

Qin Wen could only agree with a smile: "Your Majesty is right."

The current envoy of observing customs and rectifying social practices in the capital is Wang Ao’s son-in-law Xu Jin.

Zhu Houcong guessed that Xu Jin might not be willing to use public funds for personal gain, and used the funds allocated by the court for observing customs and rectifying social practices to build momentum for his father-in-law.

Therefore, Zhu Houcong instructed Qin Wen: "Let the Yumin Newspaper and Wenbao call on the ministers to visit Wang Ao!"

"The hypocrites in the court who only dare to deceive the true gentlemen and dare not offend the true villains, who only want to pretend to be upright and honest but not to be truly upright and honest, will not go to see Wang Ao, but those among the middle and lower-level bureaucrats who support the court's current efforts to improve the situation of poor officials and govern with clean officials should be willing to go and see."

"This will also help to clear up public opinion and prevent those who care about the opinions of scholars and people from really thinking that doing a few things that are loyal to the emperor and benefit the country but offend the bureaucrats will end up with no one to praise you!"

Qin Wen agreed and left.

At present, the reform of civil service is still ongoing. The Ministry of Rites, Ministry of War, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Punishment, Ministry of Works and the Censorate have all completed the transformation of civil servants into officials, and a number of minor officials have been added.

At the same time, Zhu Houcong also set quotas for these departments.

The officials of these yamen also began to have their own public houses to live in and public canteens to use.

Many of the middle and lower-level officials in these yamen were naturally very excited about this, and felt that they had encountered a good time when the emperor cared about them.

Of course, these officials also knew that the emperor could treat them so well because the court's annual income increased greatly and the treasury was full by controlling maritime trade and developing new silver mines abroad, so they could receive such good treatment.

Therefore, when the Yumin Newspaper and Wenbao were ordered to call on people to visit Wang Ao, the reason was that cabinet minister Wang Ao had made many contributions to strengthening the maritime ban, establishing the imperial merchant system, and reforming the civil service system. He even directly exposed at the court meeting that the censor Wang Mao was pretending to be a loyal minister and speaking for the traitor Guo Nan, but was actually a favored minister who bribed him and had connections with the powerful and wealthy. After the emperor finally made up his mind to reform and clarify the civil service system, many middle and lower-level officials expressed that they should visit Wang Ao. They could not let such an upright and loyal person feel abandoned by all officials, nor could they let the style of scholars continue to be controlled by unrighteous people.

In short, Zhu Houcong's reforms have indeed made the poor scholars among the middle and lower-level officials have a new view of the government.

"Wei Liangbi, the director of the Ministry of Personnel, has sent a letter to Lord Zhenze. Please let me know."

"The head of the Ministry of Rites, Ding Rukui, has sent a letter to Lord Zhenze. Please let me know."

"Fu Hanchen, a Jinshi (Jinshi) who is a minister of state, has come to visit Lord Zhenze with a letter. Please let me know."

"The newly-appointed Jinshi Tang Shunzhi has written a letter to Lord Zhenze, please let me know."

"The newly-appointed Jinshi Ge Shouli has sent a letter to Lord Zhenze, please let me know."

……

Therefore, when the doormen of Wang Ao's house saw a large number of officials in blue robes rushing to the door of their house, holding invitations to pay their respects, they were stunned for a moment.

They never thought that so many officials and scholars would come to visit their master.

There was even a doorman who fell to the ground and then crawled inside to report.

Wang Ao and Xu Jin soon found out about this. Wang Ao even asked Xu Jin angrily, "Did you use the public funds from the Ministry of Customs to encourage them to come visit me?"

Xu Jin quickly spread his hands and said, "Mr. Yue, you are wise. How could I do such a thing? Besides, it is impossible for me to mobilize so many people. You can hear the clamor outside. It seems that there are more than a thousand people. This is not something that money can achieve."

Wang Ao thought about it and no longer suspected that Xu Jin was using public funds for personal purposes. He just nodded and said, "Then let them in."

"Yes!"

Soon, Wang Ao saw many officials filling the entire courtyard like a floodgate. The moment the corner gate was opened, the officials filled the entire courtyard.

Moreover, most of these officials are young, simple and energetic.

When Wang Ao, who is already in his seventies, saw these people, he was reminded of himself when he had just won the third place in the imperial examination. The older he got, the more he liked to see these young people full of vigor and vitality.

So, at this moment, Wang Ao couldn't help but grin, and his face became a little redder.

"Lord Zhenze!"

Wei Liangbi and the others all bowed and called out, with reverence in their eyes.

Wang Ao also smiled and asked, "Why are you all here today?"

"I should have come earlier, but I was so focused on reforming the system that I forgot."

"Yes, this is indeed our negligence. If it weren't for the call from the scribes in the newspaper, I'm afraid we wouldn't have thought of this."

"That's right. Please forgive us, Lord Zhenze. We didn't pretend to be not flattering the rich and powerful and to leave a reputation of being noble and aloof by not coming to visit Lord Zhenze. Moreover, Lord Zhenze is a senior and virtuous elder in the world. Coming to see Lord Zhenze can't be considered as being in the door of the rich and powerful. We just really forgot."

……

These middle and lower-level officials and the scholars answered one after another.

"newspaper?"

Wang Ao turned around and glanced at Xu Jin.

Xu Jin immediately ordered someone to bring the latest newspaper.

Soon, Wang Ao learned the reason through the newspaper.

Moreover, Wang Ao also guessed that this was the kindness from the emperor.

"Your Majesty's kindness and generosity can truly be passed down for three generations!"

"How fortunate I, King Zhenze, am to have met such a holy and benevolent ruler."

Therefore, after these middle and lower-level officials and scholars who came to visit him left, Wang Ao couldn't help but shed tears and sigh.

For Wang Ao, what he cared about most was his reputation after death. Now Zhu Houcong let him know in this way that the atmosphere in the literati circle had gradually changed, and the younger generation would not stop supporting him because of this. This also meant that his reputation after death would not be bad. After all, this world belongs to the young.

The fact that so many middle and lower-level officials and scholars responded to the call and took the initiative to visit Wang Ao was soon known to the court officials in the outer court who were dissatisfied with Wang Ao.

Huang Wan looked gloomily at the many young officials who came out of Wang Ao's residence one after another, and said to Lin Xiyuan:

"It is obvious that the court's annual revenue has increased greatly by monopolizing the maritime trade, and after His Majesty used this to treat new officials generously, the opinions of scholars have begun to change. This new generation of scholars and officials no longer think that there is anything wrong with Wang Zhenze."

"The country has truly seen the emergence of a sage ruler who can change the world's political trends!"

"But why can't I be happy?"

"Is it because you are too selfish, or have you already gotten used to the old turbid atmosphere and are afraid of a truly peaceful and harmonious society?"

Lin Xiyuan also sighed and asked with a frown.

Huang Wan couldn't help but smile bitterly after hearing this: "I feel the same way. Perhaps we are just like the blind who suddenly regained their sight. We are not used to the suddenly bright world, right?"

Lin Xiyuan nodded, then frowned and asked Huang Wan: "Do you think His Majesty will open the sea in the future?"

"I guess so?"

"Your Majesty himself said that he wanted to enrich the people. Moreover, judging from what he has done in the past, he really wants to be a sage and benevolent ruler like Yao and Shun! Otherwise, Your Majesty would not have embarrassed the ministers who did not really want him to be a sage and benevolent ruler. From Yang Xindu to Jiang Quanzhou, and then to Xie Yuyao, who was not embarrassed by him?" (End of this chapter)