Wanli Emperor Chapter 57 (Patreon)

Chapter 57: Beyond the Headlines of the Sun and Moon Morning Post

The capital city, on the twenty-ninth day of the tenth month, early morning.

Yu Youding and Shen Shixing had once again secured a spot at the mutton soup shop, taking their morning meal.

The two chatted idly.

Yu Youding looked at Shen Shixing's official robes and said with considerable envy, "Of the three of us from the same examination year, you and Yuanyu are already wearing third-rank scarlet robes."

With the new emperor's accession, a new court had formed. Shen Shixing had become Left Vice Minister of Personnel, and Wang Xijue the Left Vice Minister of Justice in the Southern Directly-Administered Region.

Yu Youding looked at his own mere from-the-fifth-rank green official robe of a Librarian of the Directorate of Imperial Classics and could not help feeling a pang of jealousy.

Shen Shixing, however, shook his head. "Bingzhong, you are too close to see clearly. To be so favored by the emperor, His Majesty has surely reserved a better post for you."

Yu Youding was taken aback and said with self-doubt, "Is that truly so?"

Shen Shixing smiled. "Simply observe your batch of daily lecturers."

"Setting aside Grand Secretary Gao and Minister Zhang, Ma Ziqiang has become Vice Minister of Rites, Tao Dalin has been promoted to Libationer of the Imperial College, and even that quiet fellow Chen Dong has been elevated to Vice Minister of the Grand Court of Revision and is about to accompany Hai Gangfeng to Lianghuai to earn merit."

【TN: Hai Gangfeng — Respectful nickname for Hai Rui, meaning "Unyielding Peak," praising his integrity】

"You, whom His Majesty personally calls 'Tanhua Yu,' how could you possibly be left behind?"

When Yu Youding heard this, it did seem to be the case.

But he remained worried that Shen Shixing was merely trying to comfort him, and his anxiety only deepened.

Shen Shixing let him stew in his own thoughts and leisurely drank his mutton soup.

Yu Youding pondered for a long time but could reach no conclusion. He simply shook his head, dismissed the matter from his mind, and raised another topic. "Speaking of Chen Dong, after this trip to Lianghuai with Hai Gangfeng, and after several more years of tempering, I fear he has a chance of becoming one of the Nine Ministers."

Chen Dong was now Vice Minister of the Grand Court of Revision. If he truly succeeded in the Lianghuai affair, a position as Minister of the Grand Court of Revision would not be beyond his reach in the future.

Shen Shixing thought of the news that had come from the palace the previous day, and a trace of yearning flashed in his eyes. "This time, His Majesty is truly serious. I heard he has mobilized the Capital Garrisons, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Governor-General of Grain Transport, the Vice Commander of Grain Transport, and even the newly appointed Nanjing Garrison Eunuch, who is leading men from the Directorate of the Imperial Stud to maintain control."

Such trust alone was enough to stir one's heart. He knew not what good fortune Chen Dong possessed to benefit from Hai Rui's reflected glory.

The two exchanged a look, and Yu Youding sighed once more.

Everyone said the emperor was sagely and benevolent, treating his ministers well. Why had this grace not yet fallen upon him?

Just then, from the street outside the mutton soup shop, came the sound of a hawker's cry: "Newspaper for sale! Newspaper for sale!"

"The latest issue of the Sun and Moon Morning Post!"

"First release from the Office of Transmission, His Majesty's insights from the imperial lecture!"

Shen Shixing stretched out his hand and called the young boy over.

He withdrew several copper coins from his robes. "Young brother, give me two copies."

He deftly exchanged money for goods, then handed a copy to Yu Youding.

This was not the first time Shen Shixing had purchased this newspaper. Any official with even modest political acumen would not miss a new issue.

Since the Earl of Ding'an had departed for Songjiang Prefecture, the forces in the court had been almost completely cleared out and replaced by the men of the current high officials.

Only a few isolated remnants of the former faction remained among students and old subordinates. Among the Nine Ministers, there were merely two: Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate Ge Shouli, and Right Vice Director of the Office of Transmission He Yongqing.

To stand firm in the court after losing Gao Gong's protection, everyone understood who was sheltering them.

Since they knew whose man He Yongqing was, they could naturally guess who stood behind the newspaper.

Therefore, this Sun and Moon Morning Post, distributed along with the court gazette by the Office of Transmission, had become a legitimate channel for court ministers to glimpse the sagely heart.

Both men, well-versed in these matters, began to browse.

As if by unspoken agreement, both saw the main headline of this issue—"From the Experience of Discerning the Theory of Good and Evil, Understanding the Attitude and Method for Studying the Classics."

The new newspaper was always written in such vernacular language. The two were not surprised. Who could blame them, when the Privy Purse was wealthy and there was no need to conserve paper?

But the content of the headline immediately put them on alert.

Yu Youding frowned and asked, "Is this to be the final word on the matter of the previous imperial lecture?"

Yu Youding had, naturally, also witnessed the debate on the theory of good and evil during the imperial lecture.

The goodness or evil of human nature was a matter that had remained unsettled for a thousand years. How could a single imperial lecture produce a definitive result?

Yet the emperor had insisted on reaching a conclusion.

This was like poking a hornet's nest.

What were the orthodox schools of thought today? Naturally, the uncrowned king was the School of Mind.

But even within the School of Mind, there was no consensus on this view. Some believed that good and evil were innate, expressed from the heart. Others believed that good and evil were acquired and required cultivation. There were even those who believed that there was no good or evil in the world, and one could act as one pleased.

Once the debate was stirred up, it was not so easily quelled.

Especially when the emperor, at the imperial lecture, had performed as if determined to get to the bottom of things.

For this matter, the arguments had already continued for over a month.

Shen Shixing shook his head, his expression complex. "It is not so much the final word as it is leaving no room for discussion."

This essay of the emperor's was not particularly brilliant. When great scholars debated the classics, they could argue any position convincingly, no matter how impossible. What did they care for clear evidence and concrete examples?

But the emperor's current approach possessed one undeniable advantage—his voice carried far and wide.

The right to publish was not something that an ordinary bookstore or academy could possess, but for the emperor, who controlled the Office of Transmission, it was as simple as eating and drinking.

Full coverage of the Northern Directly-Administered Region was no trivial matter. This was still restrained; it had not been copied and sent throughout the empire along with the court gazette.

This was merely a test. If the court ministers' reaction was insufficient, he would probably print more copies and send them to the two capitals and thirteen provinces for everyone to see.

And this new newspaper was written entirely in the vernacular. The reach of its voice was limited only by the number of literate people in the empire.

Wide reach, a large audience, and concrete evidence to support it—in the eyes of common people, this naturally carried more persuasive power than abstract scholarly speculation.

This was not a debate of the classics; it was using power to overwhelm people.

Yu Youding also spoke up, "This emperor truly must turn everything into a grand cause. He wants to harness the influence of the School of Mind, yet he has brought Gaozi into it."

In an era that revered antiquity, invoking a philosopher to support one’s stance required no further justification regarding its impact.

This very posture of utilizing the six classics to reflect upon himself suggests that the emperor is poised to become a great master of Confucianism in the future.

But Shen Shixing disagreed with these words. Instead, he said with a bitter smile, "What the emperor fights for is not some theory of good and evil. He cares nothing for these things."

"As they say, the old drunkard's heart is not in the wine, but in the landscape between the mountains and water."

"What this sagely one wants is to redefine what is 'correct.'"

He heavily poked the newspaper—at the final sentence: "In all matters of debate, proof must come first."

In academic debate, there has never been a referee.

But with the emperor's current actions, it was hard not to think in that direction.

Shen Shixing unconsciously poked it six or seven times, until he had pierced a hole, only then stopping with resentment.

Yu Youding also perceived the underlying meaning.

He exclaimed in admiration, "This emperor—could he be aiming to unite sage and king as one?"

【TN: Sage and King as one — Political ideal where the ruler embodies both supreme political authority (King) and ultimate moral and intellectual authority (Sage)】

It was one thing for the source of power to belong to the emperor, but did he want to bring the source of classical learning under his control as well?

This was somewhat fantastical.

Shen Shixing's expression was grave. "It should not reach that extent. I think he may want to stir up disputes among the various schools of thought, to act as judge."

What a judge holds as his opinion is not important. What matters is possessing the power of judgment, which naturally allows one to bring the various classics and schools of thought under control.

Yu Youding frowned. "How can you tell?"

Shen Shixing murmured, "He says he will follow 'clear proof,' but whether he recognizes this 'clear proof' or not—is that not still for His Majesty to decide?"

"This is borrowing the wind of various factions' debates to achieve his own Way."

"Previously, I was puzzled. In the eighth month, why did His Majesty have the inner court officials grow a pile of ‘decaying grass’ in the palace and have the Grand Secretaries observe it one by one?"

[TN: Decaying grass — In this context, it refers to a specific observation related to the theory of spontaneous generation.]

Yu Youding looked at Shen Shixing with confusion, waiting for him to continue.

But Shen Shixing fell silent.

He could not help but ask, "I also know of this matter. The Grand Secretaries were tight-lipped afterward. Is there some story behind it?"

Shen Shixing had his own speculations, but he did not wish to voice them. He only conjectured, "Perhaps, after today's matter has stirred up debate, in the next issue, the matter of the ‘decaying grass’ will appear in the newspaper."

When the two had spoken to this point, they had little more to say and looked at each other in silence.

Shen Shixing did not want to speak, as he was also somewhat uncertain of this emperor's intentions.

Yu Youding, on the other hand, did not particularly care. There had long been no so-called community of scholars. Even if the emperor intended to integrate classical studies, success was unlikely.

The two finished their breakfast and, each with their own thoughts, proceeded to the Imperial City together.

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