The literary giants of the late Ming Dynasty began by copying books

Deng Zhimo said: "Only when I came to Suzhou did I realize that there are so many people writing novels here. The newspapers on the market are different from those in Fujian. Half of them write novels and poems. Our "Suzhou Xunbao" novels are written by No matter how good it is, it will never stand out in the market. The current sales volume of 800 copies has been accumulated by Jianyang's "The Case of Di Gong"."

Wang Wenlong nodded. In order to help "Suzhou Xunbao" expand the market, he wrote a new "The Case of Di Gong" specifically for Deng Zhimo. This novel was far more entertaining than the works serialized by other Suzhou newspapers, but it only brought down sales. Just eight hundred copies.

It seems that the sales volume that can be achieved by publishing new novels in the Suzhou market is just this. If you want to continue to open up the market, you need to update things.

Wang Wenlong thought for a moment and said: "If this is the case, we might as well put the main strength of Suzhou Xundao on reporting current affairs news."

Nowadays, in the Ming Dynasty, due to the promotion of wax block mimeograph technology, there are many types of newspapers. Just reporting some anecdotes on the streets or writing novels is no longer enough to increase popularity. Wang Wenlong knows that this means that the newspaper industry is developing from the newsprint stage to the next stage - —Current affairs newspapers and magazines are bound to appear.

He said: “Suzhou has many literati and a huge citizenry, so it is perfect for the development of current affairs newspapers and periodicals.”

"It's just troublesome to run such a newspaper." Deng Zhimo was a little unsure. He said: "Even if we talk about current affairs, it will inevitably attract criticism. We don't have a bottom team in Suzhou. I am from Jiangxi, and there are many editors of other newspapers and periodicals. He is also from Fujian and is not familiar with market news."

When Wang Wenlong heard this, he smiled and said: "I'm just going to make friends with the powerful because I'm afraid of attracting criticism. I'm going to Nanjing to take up my post in the Imperial College in two days. I can take this opportunity to make connections. The transportation in various places in the south of the Yangtze River is very convenient. Anyway, We always cling to a backer, and in the face of criticism, we just have to be shy and not afraid of being scolded."

"If Jianyang has made up his mind, I can't refute it." Deng Zhimo always had some resistance to changing "Suzhou Xunbao" into a current affairs news magazine.

Wang Wenlong smiled and said: "Then you talk to your colleagues and let everyone be prepared."

"I'll just get things done." Deng Zhimo said.

"This attitude is not good. When we switch to a current affairs news newspaper, we must also be first-class in Jiangnan. Just like the Xun newspaper in Fuzhou, it will be the number one name." Wang Wenlong said carefully, "We have left Fujian. , came to the center of public opinion in the world, and held the newspaper as a powerful tool in his hands, don’t you want to make trouble for him?”

"Is Jianyang so ambitious?" Deng Zhimo was quite surprised when he heard this.

Wang Wenlong said: "In fact, our newspaper does not need to take a particular position. It always stands with the citizens of Suzhou and works for the livelihood of the people. We will also be remembered in the history books in the future."

"Maybe." Deng Zhimo obviously did not dare to have such a grand dream.

Wang Wenlong also wanted to influence public opinion and have his own power.

At this time, the citizen class in Suzhou was considered the most mature citizen group in the entire Ming Dynasty. In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, Suzhou had actually become a handicraft city and the center of the silk weaving industry in the Ming Dynasty. "Weaving Industry", the entire northeastern half of Suzhou is full of factories operating in the silk weaving industry, and a large number of Suzhou people have become workers.

Many people in Suzhou were literate and had the ability to stage strikes and riots. During the Wanli period alone, there were several citizen movements recorded in history books. The tombstones of five Suzhou weavers called Xie and Ge Cheng resisted taxes and killed eunuchs. It all started in Suzhou.

……

The next day Wang Wenlong took Shen Yixiu with him to Nanjing.

The Four Archways in Nanjing are at the foot of Qintian Mountain and next to Xuanwu Lake. The flower boats on the lake are beautiful, and the star observatory on Qintian Mountain can be seen in the distance.

Chengxian Street, where the Nanjing Guozijian is located, is lined with locust trees. From Qintian Mountain in the north of the street to the south, there is a long forest of steles, full of inscriptions by famous scholars. You can see the "Guozixue" archway in the distance. There are many shops on both sides of the street, all selling these scholar's utensils. Almost all the people walking on the street are Confucian scholars wearing big headscarves and servants.

Wang Wenlong walked into the Imperial College and asked Shen Yixiu to wait in a sedan chair outside. His official documents had been sent to the Imperial College.

Wang Wenlong originally thought that the appointment process of a new official would be complicated, so he asked Shen Jing, but found that the appointment ceremony for his assistant coach was actually very simple.

That is to say, just register your name, and then get in touch with the colleagues present. The official uniform must be customized by yourself. As for the process of awarding seals that other officials have to go through, I'm sorry, Guozi's assistant does not have seals. If you really want it, Wang Wenlong could carve one himself, but there would be no place to cover it.

If you go in and click on the button, he, the Guozi assistant coach, will officially take office.

After coming out of the Imperial College, Wang Wenlong turned around and entered Ye Xianggao's house.

This is the business of today.

Because he submitted the post a few days ago, Ye Xianggao was already waiting at home today. When Wang Wenlong and Shen Yixiu entered the room, Ye Xianggao was rolling up his sleeves and doing some painting.

When he saw Wang Wenlong and his wife coming in, he quickly smiled and said: "Wang Jianyang, I have heard your name for a long time, and finally meet you!"

He spoke Mandarin with a Fuqing accent, which made Wang Wenlong feel very friendly.

Wang Wenlong and Shen Yixiu also hurriedly greeted him, "I've met Uncle Ye."

Wang Wenlong and Ye Chengxue were good friends, and they were friends, so they naturally called Ye Xianggao uncle. Ye Xianggao was quite happy when he heard this and nodded repeatedly.

Ye Xianggao was a second-class Jinshi and a leader of the Donglin Party. If Shen hadn't blocked him, he would have been almost included in the cabinet after Zhao Zhigao took sick leave two years ago. The conflict between Ye Xianggao and Shen Guanyuan dates back to the old Huangli. In the eleventh year of Wanli, Ye Xianggao ranked second in the South Ranking of Jinshi. This ranking could directly enter the Hanlin Academy. At that time, Shen Yiguan planned to promote Wu Longzheng, a native of Quanzhou in the same department, to the Hanlin Academy. In the future, he will become his teammate and wants to squeeze Ye Xianggao out.

As a result, Ye Xianggao was favored by other examiners, and was finally recommended to Chief Assistant Shen Shixing. Shen Shixing demanded that Ye Xianggao be admitted, but Shen Yiguan could only hold his nose and admit it.

But after that, Ye Xianggao was noticed by Shen Guanyi. In the 26th year of Wanli, Ye Xianggao was recommended to be a lecturer in the East Palace. When the list was reported to the cabinet, Shen Yiguan shouted directly: "How can a Fujianese be a lecturer?"

Although Ye Xianggao was eventually promoted to be an official in the East Palace, only one year later, he was fired by Shen Yiguan and transferred to Nanjing for idle use.

Now Ye Xianggao has been an idle official in Nanjing for five years, and Shen has always been the chief assistant of the cabinet. Ye Xianggao's days in Nanjing seem to be far away, but no one dares to despise him.

Ye Xianggao has been friends with the Donglin Party since he became a lecturer in the East Palace, and has developed a large network of contacts in Nanjing. Anyone with a discerning eye knows that as long as Shen Yiguan leaves, Ye Xianggao will definitely have a bright future.

After Wang Wenlong and Shen Yixiu greeted Ye Xianggao, they saw Ye Xianggao painting a detailed picture of flowers and birds. They put down their pens and Ye Xianggao raised his head and asked:

"Jianyang, can you write and ink?"

Wang Wenlong said: "I dare not hide it from my uncle. My nephew's calligraphy is quite vulgar, but my wife's writing is better than mine in many aspects."

Ye Xianggao was very surprised. He looked at Shen Yixiu, who was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and then handed the pen to Shen Yixiu and said, "Please give it a try."

Shen Yixiu smiled, picked up the thin pen and wrote a poem beside Ye Xianggao's painting.

"What a wonderful woman," Ye Xianggao praised Shen Yixiu's poems and words repeatedly, "Good writing style and good calligraphy. I really envy Jianyang to have such a good wife."

"This is also my blessing." Wang Wenlong said with a smile.

Ye Xianggao called his servant: "Take this painting to Chengxian Street and ask the Hu family to frame it. It will be done carefully."

He turned to Wang Wenlong and said, "This painting will be given to the couple in Jianyang."

Wang Wenlong said quickly: "Thank you, Uncle Ye."

After putting away the paintings, Ye Xianggao, Wang Wenlong and Shen Yixiu went to the side to have tea together.

After chatting for a while, Wang Wenlong asked: "I want to run a current affairs newspaper in Suzhou now. Although I don't talk about important court affairs, I am always afraid of violating some taboos. I wonder what Uncle Ye would suggest?"

Ye Xianggao drank tea and said with a smile: "I am just an idle official in Nanjing now, how can I speak?"

He was being humble. As the boss of Donglin, Ye Xianggao was very powerful in the field of public opinion, but in his position, there was no need to speak up for the little trouble that Wang Wenlong would cause by running a newspaper.

It wasn't that Ye Xianggao didn't want to help. He thought about it and said, "How about I contact Li Daofu for you. He has real power in Jiangnan. I think he can keep your newspaper safe."

Wang Wenlong knew that Li Daofu introduced by Ye Xianggao was Li Sancai, who was later hailed as the "party leader" by the Donglin Party. Of course, his status in the Donglin Party was lower than that of Gu Xiancheng, who was controlling behind him, but he could not stand up to this guy. Can jump.

Li Sancai is now the governor of Fengyang. This position is not high, but his other identity is really powerful - the censor of Youqiandu, in charge of water transportation.

From Xuzhou to Yangzhou, the entire Huaihe River and part of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal were under Li Sancai's charge.

Li Sancai used this power to "pacify the Huai River for thirteen years and make friends all over the world."

Later, Li Sancai ranked first in the "Donglin Point General Record" written by the eunuch party. The so-called "Marshal of the Founding of the Mountain, King of Tota, Li Sancai of the Ministry of Revenue", even Ye Xianggao could only be ranked second. Be a "Tian Kuixing and timely rain".

On the one hand, Li Sancai helped the Donglin Party, but on the other hand, he was able to make money for himself. He was a truly corrupt official. Later, during the struggle between the Donglin Party and this party, Li Sancai was also the one who was most exposed. Liu Guangfu, the imperial censor, participated in Li Sancai's misappropriation of imperial wood to build a private residence, demolished his house, and actually copied more than 200,000 imperial wood, which could be used to renovate the Forbidden City.

It wasn't until the restoration of society during the Chongzhen period that descendants went to Fengyang to inquire about his reputation, and they had to tactfully say in their notes that Li Sancai was very talented, but he was too hard at making money. By then, Li Sancai had been dead for more than ten years. It can be seen that Feng Yang The local gentry in Yang had a deep impression on Governor Li.

Even so, when Li Sancai was attacked by the Zhejiang Party later, the Donglin Party still went all out to rescue him. Gu Xiancheng said in his letter that "the three talents are the most honest and indifferent", "diligence in study and practice, and tireless" and "even compared to Confucius" .

So let alone how disgusting it was when the Eunuch Party later compared Wei Zhongxian to Confucius. The Eunuch Party was so shameless that they only dared to send a supervisor to write a letter praising Wei Zhongxian for his virtues as Confucius. The Donglin Party directly sent party leader Gu Xiancheng to confer Li Sancai as Confucius. Compared with The eunuchs also want to be abstract.

(End of this chapter)