Chapter 58: The Great Ming Daily

"Selling papers? What kind of paper?"
"It must be similar to the imperial court's *Di Bao* (official gazette)."
"Are you kidding me? It has all the latest news from the imperial court. Who on earth made this? Are they looking to die?"
"Don't be so foolish. Didn't you see the bailiffs ignoring it? It must have been put together by some high-ranking official in the court, or perhaps by the court itself."
"Latest news from the court? Can this even be trusted? It couldn't just be made up!"
"You lot are far too hesitant. It's only three cash coins; just buy one and see for yourself."
Full of curiosity, a man stepped forward and shouted loudly, "Kid, come here, give me three copies of whatever that is!"
A moment later, the man had three copies of what the child called a newspaper in his hands. Unfolding them, four large characters came into view: *The Great Ming Daily*.
The opening page provided an explanation of *The Great Ming Daily*, followed by an article with the headline: *The Emperor's Inspection of the White-Pole Troops Speech – I Have a Dream*.
"Two hundred and sixty years ago, the Founding Emperor raised his troops amidst the chaos of war, marching from south to north to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty and establish the Great Ming."
……
After reading a few lines, the crowd was left somewhat speechless.
One of them said dismissively, "Is that it? It's not even as well-written as what I could write. It's clearly just nonsense to fool people..."
"Shut your mouth! If you want to read, shut up. If not, get lost!"
The man holding the newspaper yelled angrily and then went back to reading.
As he read on, he began to voice the words aloud. Soon, his voice grew louder and louder, his eyes brimming with excitement.
The people around him quieted down as well, listening intently.
"I have a dream that one day, within the borders of the Great Ming, peace will prevail, and the common people will live and work in contentment. The young will be nurtured, the students will be taught, the laborers will be rewarded, the sick will be treated, the elderly will be cared for, the homeless will be sheltered, and the vulnerable will be supported."
……
"In short, I want every single person in this Great Ming to be like a dragon, to be like a noble gentleman! May the nation know no affliction, and the world follow the Dao!"
……
When he finished reading, the surrounding crowd fell completely silent, their eyes filled with yearning and longing.
Scenes like this were playing out across every street and alley in the city of Beijing.
"Splendid! Truly splendid! It's so wonderfully written. Now I believe it; this must have been written by His Majesty himself. Who else apart from His Majesty possesses such audacity and resolve?"
"Indeed, I truly hope that day arrives."
"Such burning passion! I must buy a few copies to take home for my children, so they can read it every single day."
"Kid, come here, give me a hundred copies!"
The child selling newspapers was surrounded three layers deep, with everyone scrambling to get their hands on a copy.

Standing on the outer edge of the crowd, Sun Chengzong held a copy of *The Great Ming Daily*, his gaze heavy and solemn.
Though he did not know who had produced this daily paper, he was certain that the article must have come directly from the Emperor's own hand.
If such a piece had been written by a civil or military official, it would simply be courting disaster for themselves.
While marveling at the Emperor's dominance and boldness, he also lamented the Emperor's youth and headstrong idealism.
With the Great Ming's current national strength, plagued by factional strife, a rotting political court, and an empty treasury, merely preserving itself was already a formidable challenge. How could one even speak of trampling the Jiannu underfoot, or pacifying regions like Siam and Tibet?
If this article were to reach the ears of these enemies, would it not provoke their fury and incite them to raise arms in attack? And how would the Great Ming handle itself then?
And yet, this article was undoubtedly capable of boosting the morale of the common people of the Great Ming.
"A bunch of fools! This is all just daydreaming. With our Great Ming's national strength, can any of this ever be realized? Isn't this just utter idiocy?"
A sharp, caustic voice shattered the peace among the citizens scrambling for newspapers.
"You, you..."
Sun Chengzong, who had been deep in thought, looked at the young man dressed as a scholar, his expression instantly turning ice-cold.
He murmured quietly to Fang Yong, "Remember that man's face for me. Notify the Imperial Academy: he is not permitted to take the imperial examinations for three years. If he already holds an official rank, he shall not be appointed to a provincial post for three years. If anyone from the Ministry of Personnel asks, tell them I said so. The charge is disrupting the peace of the people."
Fang Yong nodded.
Clang... Clang...
Before anyone could retort, the sound of gongs reverberated through the street.
"Listen up, fathers, mothers, and fellow townsmen! Wei Zhongxian has been executed by His Majesty. Starting today, members of the eunuch faction will be purged. Anyone who dares to harbor them will be treated as an accomplice! If anyone has inside information, report it immediately to the nearest yamen; concealment will not be tolerated!"
Two personnel from the Five-City Patrol Commandery stopped every hundred paces or so to shout the announcement before posting two notices on a nearby wall. There were nearly a hundred such teams across the entire city.
Those who heard the news were initially incredulous, but once the realization dawned on them, they rushed toward the notices in droves.
Of the two notices, one listed the Ten Great Crimes of Wei Zhongxian, while the other detailed the methods for dealing with the remnants of the eunuch faction.
Several scholars began reading aloud and explaining the contents of the imperial edict copied onto the wall, and instantly, the roar of discussion shook the heavens.
"Colluding with emperors, scorning empresses, playing with military power, defying ancestors and founding sovereigns, stripping feudal lords of their domains, lacking virtue, abusing titles, covering up border failures, bleeding the people dry, and pulling strings through connections—who compiled these Ten Great Crimes? It is utterly precise!"
"Wonderful! That eunuch dog has finally been killed!"
"Heaven has eyes! These treacherous ministers should have died long ago. His Majesty is truly wise!"
"Hahaha, this is so satisfying! Those scoundrels killed so many loyal and upright men, and today they finally meet their end. As the saying goes, retribution may be delayed, but its time has come!"
"Being blown up by a cannon was letting him off too light! He should have been hacked to pieces and executed by slow slicing!"
"Haha, that turtle's egg from earlier was still doubting His Majesty, but now that His Majesty has eradicated the eunuch faction, he will have the energy to set the court straight. This is hope!"
"Exactly! With a population of two hundred million in our Great Ming, should we fear those few million Jiannu? A single mouthful of spit from each of us could drown them!"
"Where is that turtle's egg? This old man is going to teach him a proper lesson today! I suspect he's one of the eunuch faction's men—let's report him to the authorities!"
……
The roar of discussion soared straight into the clouds.
When Sun Chengzong, standing on the outer edge, heard the news of Wei Zhongxian's death, it felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck his mind, leaving him utterly dumbfounded.
*Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?*
If not for the fact that this news was being proclaimed by bailiffs and accompanied by official imperial notices, he would have thought it was a joke.
Factional strife had lasted for decades, from the Wanli era all the way to Tianqi. How many capable ministers and brave generals had been persecuted and forced to resign in seclusion?
The court politics had rotted to such an extent that even the petty Jiannu dared to attack the Great Ming Empire.
Now that the eunuch faction had been suppressed, the remaining Donglin and Zhe factions were no longer worth worrying about. The Great Ming finally had a chance to catch its breath. Given time to recover and recuperate, what danger could the mere Jiannu pose?
"Grand Secretary Sun! Grand Secretary Sun! Why are you still lingering here? His Majesty is waiting for you!"
A Jinyiwei guard came galloping up on horseback. He was the one Wang Chen'en had dispatched to the city gate, but having arrived late, Sun Chengzong had already entered the city. He had tracked him back by following the street.
"Lead the way! I am entering the palace immediately!"
Roused from his shock, Sun Chengzong mounted his horse at once and whipped the reins.
The commotion naturally startled the citizens who were still discussing how Wei Zhongxian had died, but when they turned back, all they could see were the receding figures of a few horses.
Someone asked doubtfully, "Did I just hear that Jinyiwei call him Grand Secretary Sun? Which Grand Secretary Sun?"
"You fool! Throughout the entire court, who else could be addressed as Grand Secretary Sun besides Sun Chengzong?"
The crowd was suddenly struck with a jolt, their eyes gleaming with excitement.
Who was Sun Chengzong?
The tutor to the late emperor, the former Senior Grand Secretary, the Viceroy of Ji-Liao, the architect and executor of the Ning-Jin defensive line, and the creator of the hundred and ten thousand-strong army in Liaodong.
The Ning-Jin defense line was precisely what had held back two successive chieftains of the Jiannu!
To summon him back at a time like this—he must be entering the Grand Secretariat!
With this grand master presiding over state affairs, coupled with His Majesty's valor, decisiveness, and immense boldness, alongside fierce generals like Qin Liangyu, the future was truly full of promise.
Half an hour later, a dust-covered and limping Sun Chengzong walked into the Eastern Warm Pavilion.
"Your subject, Sun Chengzong, pays respects to Your Majesty!"