He XinYin led the three of them to sit at a stone table beneath a cypress tree and had tea brought over.
Zhu Mo, having witnessed the miraculous effect just moments before, exclaimed excitedly, "Mr. He, you were truly like the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng just now. Your discourse actually enabled common laborers to grasp the holy teachings. It's truly unfathomable."
He XinYin smiled and replied, "My teacher Xin Zhai once told me that when Master Yangming was alive, that was when thousands attained enlightenment and countless hearts were moved with compassion. How could we, his later disciples, possibly compare?"
Zhu Mo mused that this lecture should be popularized immediately. Ideally, it should be taught in private schools, and even introduced to children from a young age. Only then could the shackles be broken, allowing people's hearts to return to their natural, true conscience. At that point, the populace would possess sound judgment and would not be manipulated by corrupt factions.
Thus, he said, "Mr. He, I was thinking, perhaps we could compile a primer? We should teach the vibrant Mind Learning from the very beginning of education, so as not to mislead the world from the moment they learn to read."
Hmm, hmm.
The three of them nodded in unison.
He XinYin smiled and said, "I have a primer in Jiangxi as well. After I revise it, how about I submit it for the review of Scholar Zhu and the two esteemed talents?"
Excellent!
The three of them exclaimed their approval in unison.
At this moment, Zhu Mo remembered that he was the Imperial Supervisor of Academic Cases, and the one hundred and twenty academies that Zhang Juzheng had shut down still had no follow-up. Since a blueprint was now available, he decided to proceed. He then said, "Shujian, Zhuo Wu, Mr. He's words have reminded me of something...
You two should confer and review the one hundred and twenty academies that Grand Tutor Zhang Taiyue sealed. Those with issues should not be reopened, and those without problems should have their principals replaced... From now on, all of them will follow the model of Wansong Academy, with minor lectures every three days and major lectures every ten days, all expounding on Mr. He's Mind Learning.
Mr. He, this will fall to you. So many academies need new principals; we are short by fifty or sixty people. Your friends and disciples must do their utmost!"
He XinYin happily accepted the task and replied, "No problem! I will write to them shortly and have them come to Wansong to observe. When the primer is ready, they will be dispatched to the other academies to distribute it to every private school, starting the instruction from the very beginning!"
Hmm, hmm.
Good.
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Wonderful!
Zhu Mo felt that most of the recent news had been bad, and this day was exceptionally uplifting. He couldn't help but sigh, "To achieve great things requires meticulous attention to detail. Today, I finally understand the importance of a clear outline; otherwise, everything becomes a tangled mess..."
And while he was contemplating this,
An yamen runner hurried over, shouting, "Scholar Zhu, something has happened! Something has happened!"
...
Indeed.
The Qinu and the Grand Workshop had finally clashed.
More than a month had passed, and the first batch of Qinu had completed their first month of work at the Grand Workshop. However, over twenty workshops had failed to pay the full wages, with some only providing meals and withholding the rest.
The Qinu rioted, even surrounding the Hangzhou Prefect's yamen. The current Prefect of Hangzhou was Xu Xuemo. This man was hot-tempered and cursed vehemently, nearly leading to a physical confrontation on the spot. It was only when Zhang Juzheng rushed over that the situation was defused.
He immediately dispatched someone to find Zhu Mo, and this yamen runner had come here.
Zhu Mo inwardly cursed his bad luck, sensing that the matter was likely not so simple. He immediately instructed Lü Kun and Li Zhi to return to the Ciren Shrine, while he himself summoned a fast horse and raced to Guanyin Temple.
Wu Ming had gone out on an errand, and Wu Liang smilingly welcomed him.
Zhu Mo felt that every moment counted and said, "Wu Liang, investigate whether there are any hidden forces behind the Qinu and workshop owners who caused the disturbance today."
Wu Liang, out of professional habit, understood immediately and replied, "I understand. I will mainly look into the retainers of those few prominent families."
Hmm, hmm.
Zhu Mo felt somewhat reassured and then returned to the Ciren Shrine.
At this moment,
Zhang Juzheng had already dealt with the situation but deeply felt that if things continued like this, these Qinu would inevitably cause trouble again. He was quite vexed.
Zhu Mo entered the room and asked, "Brother Taiyue, how did you handle it?"
Zhang Juzheng replied, "I had the Hangzhou Prefect advance their wages for this month, but there is still no prospect for next month..."
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Zhu Mo guessed that people like Xu Yang would not act without seeing benefits. Without seeing money come in, they would not be willing to spend first, which was why this incident had occurred. He sighed, "These people are truly troublesome. They demand that the Imperial Textile Bureau purchase their silk, and then they expect the Hangzhou Prefect to advance their wages. This is simply unbelievable..."
Zhang Juzheng also smiled wryly,
"They have been spoiled by people like the Yan family for too long. Originally, after weaving the silk, they would secretly transport it to Shuangyu Island, Lixing Port, and Yuegang. The Yan family's men, after receiving their share, would get whatever they wanted, and the yamen would revolve around them. These people are accustomed to such comfort.
Now, with the Imperial Textile Bureau collecting it, they earn much less and are inherently unwilling. Furthermore, they can no longer buy land, nor can they become enslaved to pay off debts, and they have to pay out so much in wages for nothing, naturally, they are reluctant. They claimed that the employee system is unworkable, and I pushed back on the spot..."
Hmm, hmm.
Zhu Mo felt a surge of anger and snorted,
"Brother Taiyue, I think Xu Yang and these people, if they want to do business, they should do it, and if not, then not. Who has the time to indulge their tantrums? Since ancient times, doing business requires investing capital first, not always relying on empty hands to reap rewards!"
Zhang Juzheng, having been pressed by numerous workshop owners, was also very annoyed. He had only just calmed down and said slowly,
"Indeed... Zixuan, I believe we still need to establish the silk trading depots. This will dispel their thoughts of smuggling. If they want to do business, they should, and if not, we have so many smaller workshops, and we won't be short of goods. It's just that these newly released Qinu cannot be settled immediately. How are we indebted to these people?"
Zhu Mo said,
"The employee system is a strategy for long-term stability and peace. We cannot abandon it because of such minor issues... Currently, the foreign goods are due to be delivered. Although there is a slight shortfall, it is not because of them. Those smaller workshops can catch up with their work..."
Zhang Juzheng also expressed his worries, saying, "Yes, next month we will deliver the first batch of goods, and then deal with it. The matter of these Qinu will be handled sooner or later, but there is no need to rush."
Zhu Mo pondered for a moment, feeling that it might not be suitable for all these Qinu to engage in labor. Ultimately, it would still be "distributing land based on headcount" to give them a stable livelihood and a steadfast heart. However, the land was either in the hands of large gentry or affiliated with imperial estates. Releasing it would inevitably cause a major upheaval.
Not to mention, Zhang Juzheng had stated not to touch the donated land for the time being.
This made matters difficult.
But since the situation had come to this, he had to issue a warning. He stated directly, "Brother Taiyue, I've thought about it. These Qinu still need to be allocated land based on headcount... The donated land must be cleared..."
Zhang Juzheng guessed that he would think this way. He was reluctant to get involved in this area, but the situation forced him to face it squarely. He sighed,
"Well, after the goods are delivered, we will proceed!"
...
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That night, upon returning to the courier station,
Wu Liang had been waiting for a while. As soon as Zhu Mo entered, he leaned in and whispered,
"Young Master Zhu, I've found out. The leading workshop owner is named Xu Yang, the cousin of the pirate Xu Hai, and he has always been involved in smuggling. The leading Qinu is named Yan Fugui. He was originally a bonded servant of the Dong family in Nanxun. Last time he was involved in a lawsuit, Dong Fen was executed, and after Young Master Zhu abolished the system of Qinu, these people became displaced and came to Hangzhou..."
Oh...
Zhu Mo finally had some solid information—
As expected, there were some hidden connections.
What new variables would these intertwined hidden connections create?
It should be known that
He had clashed with the Yan family for several rounds. Reflecting on the internal and external situations at this moment, he vaguely felt that a net was being woven in the shadows, and a thunderous blow was likely not far off.
"Wu Liang, please keep a close watch on the remnants of the Yan faction I mentioned last time... I worry they might cause trouble..."
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"I understand."