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

Chapter 285 Wang Qingtian

After Liu Cheng changed the taxation method, although the tax supervisors still exploited the people, the degree was greatly reduced, and they did not provoke the poor people too much. Of course, it would not last too long. It would take more than a year or two for the alliance to be reunited. But at least in a short period of time, ordinary people felt that their lives had become better.

The people were quite happy about this, thinking that Wang Wenlong's "Suzhou Xunbao" had done a great thing for the people.

A report written by the "Suzhou Xunbao" on current affairs news was able to stir up public opinion in the entire Suzhou city, and forced the tax supervisors and eunuchs to make compromises, instantly letting the wise people in Suzhou know the power of such public tools.

After that, Wang Wenlong also struck while the iron was hot and directly created a current affairs section on the fourth page of the "Suzhou Xunbao", with each issue devoted to reporting on things that Suzhou people were concerned about.

Most things are not as exciting as shocking eunuchs, but reports such as reports of flooding in a certain street and the current situation of almshouses in the city still aroused people's applause.

And because the "Suzhou Xunbao" is very loud, the things reported can often be dealt with in a timely manner, which is more effective than reporting it directly to the official.

So after a few issues, many ordinary people asked people to write letters to the "Suzhou Xunbao" to reflect the problems around them, and wrote petitions to the yamen to sue people, which was called "public petitions". These phenomena of writing petitions to the "Suzhou Xunbao" It is called "writing a report".

It is recorded in the notes of a contemporary: "The current affairs newspaper is the first of the "Suzhou Xunbao". Wang Jianyang set up a sign to voice the injustices of the people. His voice spread widely, and every article he published was discussed in the streets. Everyone was honest and honest in Suzhou. Among the people, those who are comparable to Di Gong in the Tang Dynasty, Bao Gong in the Song Dynasty, and Hai Gong in this dynasty are called 'Wang Qingtian'..."

Many Suzhou officials hated and feared Wang Wenlong, but every time the "Suzhou Xunbao" came out, they would rush to buy it first, for fear that the reports in this issue would involve the work under their jurisdiction. I get scared every time I read the newspaper.

Wang Wenlong's "Suzhou Xundao" mentioned the Donglin Party and the Zhejiang Party. The more combative it was, the less people had to take it seriously. Many people hated Wang Wenlong, but there was nothing they could do about him.

Wang Wenlong was not short of money. After arriving in Suzhou, he bought a small courtyard next to the editorial office.

The most expensive thing in ancient times was land. Farmland that could be used for farming did require some money, but the price of a house for living in was not high. Even in Suzhou, where land is at a premium, Wang Wenlong could afford the price of an ordinary yard.

The people in Suzhou are richer than the people in Fuzhou. A strong laborer can buy a thick copy of "Suzhou Xun Bao" for half a day's wages. Schools and factories directly place long-term orders. In just over a month, "Suzhou Xun Bao" The sales volume exceeded 2,000 copies. Many booksellers from Hangzhou and Nanjing came to apply for agency. Instead of buying "Suzhou Xundao" and reselling it elsewhere, they were printing agents. "Suzhou Xundao" was already preparing to be published in Nanjing and Hangzhou. Create another printing point each.

Shen Yixiu sat aside to help Wang Wenlong polish his latest manuscript. She read the article slowly with a fine pen:

It is almost evening in the Wang family in Suzhou, but Wang Wenlong is still busy in the study.

Newspapers can be widely sold in Jiangnan, and the cost of advertising in newspapers has also been rising continuously. The income of each issue of "Suzhou Xunbao" has now exceeded one hundred taels. In just a few months, the profit has exceeded that of "Suzhou Xunbao", which was founded in Fuzhou. "Xun Bao".

"Many efforts have been made to build a breakwater on the West Lake, but why is it still overflowing? Insufficient capacity? Inefficient? Limited coverage?... The author came to a river bank where a dike was built last year and saw that many residents had given up on their original plans. Their residences were moved to a few miles away from the embankment. Many of the original houses were sunken into the country, collapsed in the mud, and many people abandoned their fields..."

……

Shen Yixiu helped Wang Wenlong finish correcting the manuscript, rubbed his wrists, and asked Wang Wenlong: "Does it really mean anything that your husband wrote this manuscript? It is impossible for the government to allocate more funds to build embankments, and the people also know that the government will not care."

Wang Wenlong explained: "Maybe the government doesn't care, but the people's sufferings must always be able to be told. And the officialdom is not monolithic. Some people don't do things, and naturally there are people who do. How many people are watching a position. With this article, these people who have abandoned their own responsibilities Officials who don't care can also be charged with a crime, which can make them somewhat vigilant."

"In this case, this is also a matter of establishing a destiny for the people." Shen Yixiu said happily. Wang Wenlong was not so optimistic. He said: "I received a letter from Mr. Xu here. I plan to return to Fujian in a few days to help."

Shen Yixiu didn't understand: "My husband is now an official in the Imperial College and runs the "Suzhou Xun Bao". Seeing that his power is getting stronger and stronger, why not stay in Suzhou first and make the newspaper better and better?"

“I still want to be able to do something practical.”

Wang Wenlong, who has experienced later generations, is not naive enough to think that the so-called public opinion supervision of newspapers is such a sacred tool.

Whether public opinion supervision can be effective depends on the national situation.

For example, during the Wanli period, Suzhou could still do some things, and local officials would respond to some of the people's livelihood issues reported in the Suzhou Xunbao.

But if we look back at the end of the Ming Dynasty, there were already too many problems in the world, and one or two more reports would not have any other effect besides providing fuel for party struggles.

——There is a limit to what the media can do. Wang Wenlong, who has been educated by later generations, knows that it is impossible to change the world through public opinion without mastering the means of production.

His "Suzhou Xundao" is now powerful only because it is protected by the Donglin Party and the Zhejiang Party. But once the current situation changes, the direction in which the "Suzhou Xundao" can report will definitely be greatly limited, even if If you force the report, there will not be so much public opinion to follow and help.

"Suzhou Xundao" has achieved this level, which is already good. If it wants to develop further, it will have to wait for its own strength to expand.

Thinking of this, Wang Wenlong picked up the letter he just received again.

It was sent by Xu Xueju from Zhangzhou.

The letter expressed in an excited tone that Shen Yourong had gone to sea, but the fleet encountered strong waves in Penghu and many ships were damaged.

What makes Wang Wenlong feel even more unhappy is that the support on Damuan Island for the Ming Dynasty's officers and soldiers in suppressing Japanese pirates is far less than it was in history.

Wang Wenlong wanted to go back to Fujian for a visit, so he made up his mind. He spent two days arranging the affairs of "Suzhou Xunbao", and then directly said that he was not in good health and went to Nanjing Imperial College to ask for sick leave.

In other periods of the Ming Dynasty, the regulations for officials to ask for leave were still very strict. If the sick leave exceeded three months, they usually had to drag their sick bodies to their superiors to ask for extension instructions. If they did not get approval from the superior department, they would even be dismissed from office. Civil and military officials who have not returned to their posts after the holidays have to go to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War to explain the situation and make arrangements after recovery. They are even often demoted and dealt with.

However, during the Wanli period, few people implemented the strict regulations on officials taking leave. No one said anything when former chief minister Zhao Zhigao took four years of leave.

The original job of the Guozi Teaching Assistant was to teach the students of the Imperial College, but now there are not many Imperial students who come to study regularly. It doesn't matter whether the Guozi Teaching Assistant is on duty or not.

Compared with other Guozi teaching assistants, Wang Wenlong went to the Imperial College this year and spent more than half a month to complete the lecture on chronology, which was already a worthy salary. Hearing that Wang Wenlong was going to take leave to go home, Ye Xianggao approved it without a second thought and asked Wang Wenlong to come along. Help him bring some books and ink to Ye Chengxue in Fuzhou.

(End of this chapter)