MLMD -Chapter 320 A Helpless Strategy

“Extra! Extra! The Ming Times! Fresh off the press, come and take a look!”

A boy of about fourteen or fifteen, carrying a dark green satchel, walked along the bustling Qinhuai River in Jinling. Today marked the seventh day since The Ming Times began circulation, and in just these few days, the newspaper had suddenly become a part of everyday life for the people of Jinling.

The first issue of The Ming Times had a print run of one thousand copies. Yue Yang had hired thirty newsboys, yet even after a full day, they hadn’t finished distributing them. By the third day, the thousand copies had been completely handed out by evening. By the seventh day, two thousand copies were gone before noon, snatched up by eager readers.

Today, Yue Yang sat in his courtyard receiving a man in his mid-thirties. The man was dressed in blue, looking rather haggard. Yue Yang’s newly married wife, Wang Yue, stood obediently behind him, massaging his back, while Yue Yang chatted with him. The man was Wang Yue’s father, Wang Qian, who had just been released from prison.

After spending over half a year behind bars, Wang Qian naturally looked weak and pale, which made Wang Yue tear up a little.

Taking a sip of tea, Wang Qian looked at Yue Yang with a serious expression. Despite Yue Yang’s status, he showed no fear and said solemnly, “Lord Yuehou, during my time in prison, I thought I might be killed by those eunuchs. I don’t fear death, but I’ve always worried about Yue’er. When I heard in prison that she had sold herself to a brothel, I was ready to die. I never expected that after my release, I would learn that she had come to you. I owe my freedom to your efforts, Lord Yuehou. I should thank you first, but there is something I must say before that. I hope you will agree.”

Yue Yang smiled. “Please speak, Lord Wang.”

Wang Qian said solemnly, “Yue’er’s mother died early. Over the years, I raised her with great care, as if she were my own life. I must ask you, will you treat Yue’er well for the rest of your life?”

“Father…” Wang Yue, standing behind him, grew anxious, tugging at Wang Qian’s sleeve to stop him, but he ignored her.

“Of course,” Yue Yang said earnestly. “Rest assured, Lord Wang. Since Yue’er is with me, I will care for her all her life. We will raise children and grow old together. No one will harm her.”

Seeing Yue Yang’s sincere expression, Wang Qian stroked his beard and nodded. Having served as an official for over ten years, he believed he had a decent eye for people. From Yue Yang’s demeanor, it was clear he genuinely cared for his daughter. He nodded and said, “In that case… why do you still call me Lord?”

Wang Qian’s meaning was clear. Yue Yang immediately stood, bowed deeply, and respectfully said, “Yue Yang pays respects to his father-in-law!”

“Good… good…” Wang Qian was both happy and a bit wistful. Happy that his daughter finally had a secure future, but bitter that his well-educated daughter had become a concubine of sorts. Stroking his beard, he said, “My dear son-in-law, now that we are family, I won’t bother with formalities. I hope you treat Yue’er well, so that even if I die, I can rest in peace.”

Hearing her father speak this way, Yue thought quickly and interrupted, “Father, today is a joyous day. Why speak such words? You were dismissed from office anyway. Soon you can accompany me back to Shanxi, and surely my husband can help arrange a position for you there.”

Wang Yue’s intentions were good; she thought it would be easy for her father to obtain an office through her husband, a marquis. But Wang Qian became angry, shouting, “What are you saying? Government appointments are granted by the emperor through the Ministry of Personnel. They cannot be privately given. Don’t mention it again!”

Wang Yue lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes. Yue Yang realized his father-in-law was stubborn—fine, if he didn’t want an official position, let it be.

Yue Yang thought for a moment and said, “Father-in-law, if you don’t want a position in Shanxi, how about becoming editor-in-chief of The Ming Times here in Jinling? That way, even if I return to Shanxi, you won’t be left unattended.”

“The Ming Times… what is that?”

Wang Qian, just released from prison, didn’t understand. Yue Yang explained the newspaper, its purpose, and his reasons for founding it. He said, “Father-in-law, I see that the court is corrupt and stagnant. Officials serve for wealth, fame, or promotion, rarely for the people. The court’s official voices and public opinion are dominated by the Donglin faction. That is why I created this newspaper—to expose shameless officials and show the world the true face of these so-called gentlemen.”

“How can you say that?” Wang Yue exclaimed, alarmed. Her father was also a scholar—wouldn’t Yue Yang be insulting him too?

Wang Qian frowned and said, displeased, “Son-in-law, your words are extreme. The Donglin faction has some scoundrels, yes, but many are genuinely concerned for the country and people. You cannot generalize!”

Yue Yang smiled lightly. “Father-in-law, you misunderstand. Those in the Donglin faction criticize government policies, demand honesty and integrity, reform bureaucratic ills, and oppose corruption. But in reality, they never propose any effective solutions. They excel at internal disputes but fail in governing the state or army. The only difference between them and the Qi, Chu, and Zhe factions, or the eunuchs, is that Donglin misleads the country, while their opponents harm it. Some even claim that anyone not like them is an enemy. How foolish is that!”

Wang Qian turned pale. “You… you do realize that if these remarks spread, you will have no place in Jiangnan!”

“What’s there to fear? I want to see who can stop me,” Yue Yang said dismissively.

Seeing Wang Qian fuming, Wang Yue quickly handed him a book. “Father, this is a book written by my husband, called The Travels of Lao Can, serialized in The Ming Times. Please read it and correct any mistakes if you find them.”

Wang Qian took the book, intending to scold a little, but eventually held back. He started reading—and soon became engrossed. When he read,

“Corrupt officials are detestable, and everyone knows it. Honest officials are even worse, yet few recognize it. Corrupt officials know their own faults and dare not act openly, while honest officials think themselves above reproach. Obstinate and self-willed, they kill in small matters and ruin the country in large ones. I have witnessed this countless times.”

He was struck—the words cut straight to the heart of bureaucratic corruption. Reading further, he saw a passage about an official named Yuxian:

“Whether he is wronged or not, he will not be content if spared. One cannot even secure one’s own future. As the saying goes, ‘When cutting grass, remove the roots.’”

Wang Qian’s hands trembled. The passages exposed the true ugliness of certain officials. He wanted to argue, but after much thought, he had nothing to say. He could only slump in his chair, shaking his head with a bitter smile, and finally said, “Very well, I’ll give it a try… though you’ve certainly put me through the wringer!”

Indeed, in just seven days, The Ming Times had stirred a craze in Jinling. Although the submitted articles by scholars were mediocre, the serialized stories The Scholars’ Outing and The Travels of Lao Can caused a huge uproar. Many officials, seeing how these novels stabbed straight at their corruption, were furious and demanded the newspaper be shut down.

In a hall of a mansion on the busiest street in Jinling, Qian Neng sat at the main seat, flanked by ten or so men—merchants in long robes on one side, officials in uniform on the other. Despite their differing roles, their expressions were similar.

One official, with an egret embroidered on his chest badge, said, “Sir Qian, this Ming Times openly defies the court, criticizing government policies, and is causing a great stir among the people. Many discuss The Travels of Lao Can, claiming that corrupt officials are detestable and honest ones even more so. Storytellers in teahouses spread these words as jokes. If unchecked, the whole of Ming will know soon.”

Qian Neng glanced at him but remained silent. The official, Zhang Wen, vice-magistrate of Jinling and a member of the Donglin faction, was most affected by The Travels of Lao Can, as the Donglin prided themselves on integrity. The phrase “Corrupt officials are detestable, honest officials even worse” was like a dagger to their hearts.

Seeing Qian Neng silent, a middle-aged merchant added, “Sir Qian, we also heard that Lord Yuehou not only publishes these inflammatory remarks, but a shipment of refined salt has already left Tianjin for Jinling in two days. What should we do then?”

“Indeed, Sir Qian. Ever since this Lord Yuehou arrived, he’s caused so much trouble. If he stays in Jinling, we will never have peace!” the officials and merchants complained.

Annoyed, Qian Neng snapped, “So what do you want me to do? Send soldiers to raid his inn and confiscate The Ming Times? Arrest him? Seize his salt? Tell me!”

They fell silent. If Yue Yang were ordinary, there were countless ways to remove him. But he wasn’t ordinary—he was a marquis with an armed force. His inn alone housed 500 fully armed troops. Moving against him without the emperor’s order would be suicide.

The immigrant salt merchants pleaded, “Sir Qian, if nothing else, can we petition the emperor to have Lord Yuehou leave?”

“Petition the emperor?” Qian Neng sneered. “You are the owner of Baolai Shun Salt Shop, yes? How much tax did you pay last year? If I recall, all Jinling salt merchants paid less than five hundred taels. Five hundred! And Lord Yue Yang paid over three hundred thousand taels last year alone. Tell me, if you were the emperor, who would you favor?”

The merchants were dumbfounded. Thirty thousand taels versus five hundred taels—anyone not brain-dead knew the answer. Yet some were still unwilling to accept it; in Ming, paying taxes made you a fool in others’ eyes.

The officials weren’t done. Zhang Wen said, “Sir Qian, I do not care about his private salt dealings; that is the salt commissioner’s concern. But his public insults of court officials cannot be ignored. Will you not intervene?”

“Intervene my foot!” Qian Neng finally lost his temper, pointing at Zhang Wen. “You scholars are always talking about reason and debate. If he can publish something to scold you, why not scold back? He can start The Ming Times, you can start The Jinling Times. Why bother me with such trivial matters?”

Though said in anger, Qian Neng’s words inspired some officials. If Yue Yang could run a newspaper, why couldn’t they?

“Exactly!” Zhang Wen slapped his thigh. “Let’s not forget—running a newspaper costs money. Roughly estimating, the cost of carving, paying staff, and distribution is at least fifteen wen per copy. Yet these papers are free. The more he distributes, the bigger his loss. Doing this for ten days is possible, but long-term, even a gold mountain couldn’t sustain him. We have nothing to fear.”

“Yes!” everyone realized. Yue Yang’s newspaper was just a loss-making venture for now. They could easily replicate it.

But they soon ran into a problem. With movable type still immature, official printing used carved blocks, far slower and more expensive than Yue Yang’s newspaper. The Ming Times released daily, whereas their Jinling Times could only be biweekly, far behind in timeliness.

Another week passed. After over half a month of promotion, The Ming Times was ingrained in daily life. Yue Yang then began charging. Daily circulation had reached five thousand copies, spreading even to neighboring regions. Some merchants even took copies to Jiangnan and the capital. Yue Yang was now spending over two hundred taels of silver daily, totaling over six thousand per month—a significant sum.

Initially, many resisted paying, even at fifteen wen per copy. On the first day of charges, sales plummeted to under eight hundred. Yue Yang was unfazed, smiling as he reassured his three wives and father-in-law: “Don’t worry. They will regret it soon.”

And he was right. Those who refused to pay quickly found themselves restless, desperate for the next installment of The Scholars’ Outing and The Travels of Lao Can. The feeling drove them almost mad.

By the next day, when newsboys went out, sales surged like a tide, leaving those who had wanted to see Yue Yang fail utterly astonished.