Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"So it was that lowly slave who was instigating this!"

Shen Chuanfang cursed loudly.

He didn't hear anything else but Cao Wenheng mentioned "Master Li".

The title of "Master" was translated by the emperor from "Book of Zhou" and was specially granted to music officials.

Shen Chuanfang now hates this word the most, and even the masters in the temple dislike him because of it, and they start cursing when they hear it.

This performance made Cao Wenheng frown, and he felt sorry for Li Yuming:
"Master Li sent the message with good intentions, but you still insulted him."

"Is this the Shen family's upbringing? I've seen it all!"

Those who mock the Shen family are uneducated. No wonder they are becoming increasingly decadent.

Shen Yongmao felt a little embarrassed, knowing that it was wrong to curse in front of outsiders.

Just as he was about to stop it, he heard Shen Chuanfang yelling:
"If it wasn't that lowly slave, how could the news spread so quickly?"

"We in the Shen family don't know, so how do the students outside know?"

This was exactly what Shen Yongmao was wondering about, and he couldn't help but look at Cao Wenheng to hear his answer.

When Cao Wenheng heard Shen Chuanfang's doubts, his brows frowned even more.

Looking at Shen Yongmao, who seemed to be doubtful, he felt even more indignant towards Li Yuming and sighed:

"It seems that the Shen family really doesn't care about the affairs of the court. They don't even know how to pass on information now."

"After the establishment of the Privy Council last year, the court has included pigeon communications in official documents."

"Many people raise pigeons and use the pigeon nests at the post stations to transmit information."

"What happens in Beijing can be transmitted to Nanjing within five days at the latest. Some large businesses even send out hundreds of pigeons at a time to deliver important news."

"The provincial examination is such a big thing. How did the students in Jiangnan get the news so quickly?"

This resolved Shen Yongmao's doubts and made him realize that Li Yu probably had nothing to do with this matter.

At the same time, he also felt that after he was idled by the eunuch party, the Shen family really fell into decline. Even such an important matter had to be known only when it happened.

This made him sigh inwardly, and he stopped himself from cursing Shen Chuanfang, and bowed to Cao Wenheng and said:
"The governor arrived just in time and saved the Shen family from disaster. I would like to thank you for this."

"It's just a matter of paying taxes. Could it be that the Shen family is in arrears with taxes?"

"Could it be that Governor Cao wants to follow Xu Min's example and enslave the gentry?"

"In that case, Shen has no choice but to escort the grain to the imperial court!"

There was no unified transportation office before the Ming Dynasty, and most of the servants dispatched by the government were responsible for escorting taxes to certain places.

Shen Shixing threatened to personally escort the grain to Beijing, forcing Xu Minshi to back down and even be criticized.

Now Shen Yongmao used this trick again. Cao Wenheng laughed after hearing it, and stretched out his hand to invite him:
"Mr. Shen, please!"

"This will save me from the trouble, and the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue will not be in trouble either."

"Don't forget to also transport the money that Elder Shen owed. The emperor might be so pleased that he would list Elder Shen as a virtuous official in the Purple Pavilion."

"If the Shen family really does this, they will be a model of tax payment!"

Shen Yongmao was so angry that he almost fell backwards. He never thought that someone would be so disrespectful to the Shen family, and the emperor would dare to let an official do this.

Shen Chuanfang and other nephews of Shen Yongmao glared at Cao Wenheng. Since their Shen family had produced a university scholar, how could they have been treated like this by local officials?

Cao Wenheng faced their gazes with a calm demeanor.

After more than a year in Jiangnan, he had realized that it was impossible to collect taxes from the gentry without putting aside personal feelings. At that time, the court's punishment would fall on him, and he would have to bear all the consequences.

Therefore, he had been thinking about how to break the impasse, complete the land survey and the compilation of the Yellow Book, as well as the so-called tax-sharing system.

Although what happened today was tricky, it gave him an opportunity. Because he was right in rescuing the Shen family. When the news got out, the Shen family would have to thank him in front of outsiders.

Otherwise, if something like this happens to the Shen family again, no one will come to rescue them, lest they not get any benefit but be blamed instead.

Cao Wenheng, who grasped this point, was very calm. He even speculated on the relationship between Li Yu and the Shen family and tried to please this close minister of the emperor.

For him, it was shameful to try to please the eunuchs in the inner court, but his friendship with the music master Li Yu would become a good story when it spread out, and it could even be said that he was making a contribution to the reconstruction of ritual music.

The prosperity of Suzhou also made music flourish here. Kunqu Opera originated here, and many famous opera troupes in Jiangnan also came here.

It is very convenient for Cao Wenheng to do this kind of thing.

Thinking about his own affairs in this way, Cao Wenheng looked more calm and at ease.

When Shen Yongmao saw Cao Wenheng's expression, he immediately realized that the other party would not fall for his tricks. He even realized that the emperor was determined to levy taxes in Jiangnan and use the Shen family as a pretext.

This is exactly the same as when Hai Rui targeted the Xu family in Jiangnan. Even though Hai Rui was driven away from the post of Governor of Jiangnan, the Xu family did not end up well afterwards.

As long as the imperial court was determined, the gentry would be like meat on the chopping board. If they wanted to go against the imperial court's policies, they would only be asking for trouble.

Thinking of how Hai Rui was praised by the current emperor as a Purple Pavilion Meritorious Official and even became the City God of Suzhou and Songjiang Prefectures, Shen Yongmao looked at Cao Wenheng with a deeper gaze, thinking that this governor might be taking Hai Rui as an example.

So, he suppressed his anger, sat down with the help of his sons and nephews, and said to Cao Wenheng:
"If the governor wants to learn from Hai Gangfeng, isn't he worried about becoming Xu Minshi?"

"After Xu Gong passed away, his son lost all his wealth through illegal activities."

"Does Cao Gong not consider future generations?"

Faced with such a threat, Cao Wenheng bowed and said to the north:

"Your Majesty is wise and wise, so there is no need for you to worry."

"Also, I forgot to tell Lord Shen one thing. His Majesty has already listed Lord Xu as a wise official in the Purple Pavilion."

"Now Mr. Xu is the City God of Pucheng County, and his descendants are hereditary knights."

"Mr. Shen should think about how to include Elder Shen in the Purple Pavilion."

"Otherwise, if the students enter the Purple Pavilion but the teachers with higher positions do not, that would be really..."

Shaking his head, Cao Wenheng did not continue speaking, but the people of the Shen family knew that this was a naked sarcasm.

Shen Shixing was the Prime Minister, but he was not included in the list of Purple Pavilion's wise ministers. However, Xu Minshi, the student who collected taxes from him, was included. What would people who mentioned that incident think?
Shen Yongmao almost fainted when he thought of this. He couldn't help but wipe away his tears and sighed:

"Your Majesty, my father also had the merit of being crowned as the heir, why is he treated so harshly?"

It is a pity that the emperor is so mean and unfair to the Shen family.

Cao Wenheng could no longer listen to this, so he stood up and said solemnly:

"Guang Miao became the crown prince in the 29th year of the Wanli reign."

"Mr. Shen retired in the 19th year of the Wanli reign, so how could he have been the heir apparent?"

"If the crown prince had been decided earlier, why would there be a dispute over the country's foundation?"

"I advise Mr. Shen to recognize the situation and pay taxes early to set an example."

"Otherwise, I will have to withdraw temporarily and ask the official from the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue to come over."

He pretended to stand up and leave, leaving Shen Jia to face the students outside. (End of this chapter)