The world of film and television begins with the God of Medicine.

Chapter 1528 Oh no, the palace is about to catch fire again!
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

"You son of a bitch! Can't you watch where you're going?!"

On the main street, the henchmen of the Daxing government office, like tigers clearing the way, wielded batons and shouted at and shoved those who blocked their path.

Wang Yan, dressed in an official robe, jogged up behind him and kicked one of his henchmen so hard he fell face-first into the mud.

"Damn it, even I, your master, don't bully people like that, so why are you acting all high and mighty? That old man looks quite old, and you slapped him? Don't leave, beat him up first."

"Yes, sir."

The hangers-on didn't hesitate. After all these years of being thugs, they'd never seen a big shot like him. He had connections, was young, and was willing to joke around with them.

Along the way, Wang Yan only talked to a few people around him about his family and about personally leading troops to kill Japanese pirates in Chun'an, and he had already won the loyalty of these hangers-on.

Before anything even happened, the lackey who was working for Wang Yan got a beating.

While the man was being beaten and screaming, Wang Yan walked up to the old man and said, "Old man, were you frightened? It's alright, don't be afraid. Here's a dime, buy a pot of wine to calm your nerves. Who am I? The newly appointed magistrate of Daxing County. Yes, I can handle some matters in the east of the city, and I can handle all matters outside the city. If you are bullied in the future, come to the yamen and I'll deal with them."

What is this? This is called establishing credibility at the city gate, a political show.

He first beat up a sycophant in the street, someone that ordinary people would never dare to mess with, and then the county magistrate himself personally delivered a flying kick. He also paid out of his own pocket to buy wine for the harassed old man as compensation, which made people feel good about him.

Regardless of whether it's true or false, the people are willing to watch. As the story spreads, they're also willing to listen to the excitement. And when they encounter problems in the future, they'll go to him with suspicion yet still have to hold onto hope, expecting that Wang Yan is truly an upright and just official.

So, in the coming period of time, as long as Wang Yan truly acts as a ruler for the people, then as the news spreads and spreads, he will naturally become a truly upright and just official.

This only refers to the handling of issues between ordinary people and the powerful; it doesn't even mention how Wang Yan's subsequent policies significantly improved the lives of ordinary people.

The only consequence of his actions in the street is that the censors will impeach him and find fault with him.

But clearly, he'll be fine. Anyone who objects should first pay Jiajing a protection fee of one million taels of silver annually before they speak...

After casually showing off his skills in the street, Wang Yan then led his sycophants to the West City.

This time, the sycophants who cleared the way behaved themselves, only shouting loudly and cursing a few times when they got angry, but no one dared to go up and punch or kick them.

They ostentatiously made their way to the western part of the city. Xu Jie's residence wasn't inside the imperial city, but outside, as was Yan Song's. The main reason was population growth and class stratification. Those living inside the imperial city were all nobles and imperial relatives. Good houses in good locations were extremely scarce; without killing a number of people, it wouldn't be easy to make room.

"This is Grand Secretary Yan's residence? It's truly magnificent!"

Some of the hangers-on looked at Yan Song's mansion, whose gates were tightly shut, and sighed.

"Yes, we have to thank you, sir. Otherwise, we would never have dared to come here."

"Alright, no matter how big the courtyard is, that old man Yan Song can only live in one room. No matter how grand the mansion is, he still fell into ruin, didn't he? That son of a bitch Yan Shifan is in prison. How many more days can he live in this mansion? Let's go, there's nothing to see. Let's go take a look at Grand Secretary Xu's house instead, that's where he's really in power."

Wang Yan said, "If Grand Secretary Xu's family doesn't cooperate, I'll take you to Grand Secretary Xu's house for a visit."

"Then let's forget it, sir. We've already offended enough by arresting Young Master Xu. If he continues to act recklessly at Grand Secretary Xu's house, we'll all be in trouble."

"I'm the one who led the way, what are you afraid of?"

Wang Yan waved his hand lazily and headed directly towards Xu Jie's residence, which wasn't far away.

Compared to Yan Song's mansion, Xu Jie's mansion was somewhat inferior, but it was still quite impressive.

Wang Yan led dozens of men to block the entrance of the Xu residence, making the Xu family's gatekeepers nervous.

"Who are you? Do you know where this is? How dare you cause trouble here?" The gatekeeper was trying to stall for time with a show of bravado, but in reality, he had already sent someone to inform the person in charge.

Wang Yan stepped forward politely: "I am the newly appointed magistrate of Daxing County. Your second son, Xu, has been galloping wildly in my territory, whipping the people. The people have complained to the yamen, and as the magistrate, I must uphold justice for the people. Please, I would like to trouble you to have your second son come out and accompany me."

"You, a mere county magistrate, dare to come to Grand Secretary Xu's residence to arrest the second young master?"

“狗日的，你一个看门的门房，还看不起老子堂堂正六品的命官？”王言乜了一眼身边的帮闲们，啧了一声，“愣着干什么呢？给我揍他。他是看不起我吗？是看不起我大明朝廷，看不起我大明皇帝陛下。有此家奴，看来徐阁老究竟如何，还未可知啊。”

A moment later, a man who looked to be in his fifties or nearly sixties came out with a group of people.

After glancing at the beaten gatekeeper, the man stepped forward with a smile and bowed to Wang Yan, saying, "I am the steward of the Xu family. May I ask what brings you here, sir? Why did you order your men to beat up my gatekeeper?"

"Alright. Let the doorman explain himself."

Wang Yan waved his hand, and the hangers-on stopped what they were doing. The gatekeeper, spitting blood, repeated what Wang Yan had said earlier with his toothless mouth.

"I never expected it to be Magistrate Wang in person. My apologies, my apologies! My servant is so foul-mouthed, he deserves a beating!" Steward Xu said. "My second young master was indeed at fault in this matter. Could you perhaps offer some compensation?"

"Why didn't you compensate then? Why did you beat people then?" Wang Yan snorted and said, "You must compensate, and not less. You must compensate not only the beaten people, but also pay the fines. But the people must come back to the yamen with me to apologize to the people in person, otherwise, wouldn't I have made this trip for nothing?"

"Magistrate Wang, you should know to leave yourself a way out..."

"Are you trying to scare me? I'm giving you one last chance. Bring the person out here right now, or I'll personally come to your residence to arrest him. Then it will be even more difficult to see him again."

Steward Xu let out a slight sigh of relief, then turned to his subordinates and instructed, "Go and invite the second young master out. Go and tell the master everything that happened."

Wang Yan didn't care. They've already come to our door; do you think we can just let things slide?

A moment later, the second young master of the Xu family came out cursing and swearing: "You are Wang Yan?"

"Exactly."

"The one who beat Yan Shifan?"

"Really."

The second young master of the Xu family snorted coldly: "Don't think I'm afraid of you, you surnamed Wang..."

"Come on, slap him!"

The hangers-on looked at each other, but not one of them made a move.

The second young master of the Xu family said smugly, "Slap me? You have quite the airs of an official. I'm just a lowly county magistrate... Ah..."

As the second young master cried out in pain, Wang Yan went up and slapped him twice, then kicked him away.

"Tie him up and gag him. If we're talking about bravado, you're miles behind Yan Shifan. When the Yan faction was in power, even your father, Grand Secretary Xu, had to smile obsequiously at Yan Shifan. And you're still putting on an act? If he dares to move or make a sound, beat him up. I'll take responsibility if anything happens. I'm leaving."

With a wave of his hand, Wang Yan dismissed the large group of people and sent them back to the yamen (government office)...

In the Yuxi Palace, Jiajing frowned: "He's going to arrest Xu Jie's second son?"

"Yes, Master. I was also shocked when I heard it, so I came to inform you right away." Huang Jin recounted the story of Xu Jie's second son whipping the people, as well as what Wang Yan had said after taking office today, and his talk about making money.

Lü Fangxian laughed first: "Your Majesty, he's making an example of someone." "Well, he's quite bold. First he attacked Yan Shifan, and now he's arrested Xu Jie's son. He's a smart man, can't he see that Xu Jie is the Grand Secretary? Why does he have to cause trouble for Xu Jie at this time?" Jiajing was speechless. Wang Yan really dared to do it.

Huang Jin said, "It's all thanks to His Majesty's protection that this brat has become so audacious."

“Your Majesty, Huang Jin is right.” Lü Fang smiled. “In the end, it is Wang Yan who knows that His Majesty will not blame him for such a small matter. Grand Secretary Xu is a person who understands the bigger picture and can tolerate right and wrong. He certainly will not hold a grudge against Wang Yan over such a small matter. Besides, Grand Secretary Xu is indeed in the wrong in this matter.”

Once Wang Yan had dealt with Xu Ge Lao's second son, he had established a firm foothold, and could then investigate any other family with impunity. With this prestige, he could do whatever he wanted. For one thing, if he could just collect all the sanitation fees he'd collected in the East City, it would amount to well over a million taels of silver a year.

Lü Fang understood Jiajing best, and the conversation eventually turned to money.

Jiajing also thought of this and nodded in satisfaction: "This is not an easy task. I heard that Guo Pu asked him if he had any intention of reforming the laws?"

"Yes, Master." Huang Jin replied. He was a factory worker, so this was his business.

"In your opinion, does he have any intention of reforming the system?"

Lu Fang pondered for a moment and said, "Judging from the king's words and actions, everything is within the rules. Occasionally, he may overstep his authority, but it is not a big deal. Whether he wants to reform the law, I can't say, but he is definitely solving problems. When he discovers a problem, he tries to find a solution within his authority. He is a down-to-earth person who truly cares about the people."

"This is truly the first time I've ever heard of an official who keeps talking about making money, yet he's considered an honest official and a good official in the eyes of the people."

Huang Jin said, "Wang Yan said, how much money do poor people have? It's shameless to try to squeeze money out of them. If you want to make money, make money from the rich."

"Your words have reminded me. I reckon after this, he'll be building up prisons and forcing people to submit..." Jiajing muttered to himself.

This is a huge matter; his palace might catch fire again...

But this involves millions of taels of silver, and he loves silver the most...

Neither Lü Fang nor Huang Jin disturbed Jiajing's thoughts. Huang Jin went out briefly along the way, then returned to wait quietly.

After a long while, Jiajing finally came to his senses: "What is it?"

If it weren't for something else, either Lü Fang or Huang Jin would have to leave by now. They both have a lot to do, and they take turns serving him.

Huang Jin said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Xu has come to apologize."

"They've been arrested?" Jiajing asked.

Huang Jin nodded: "Not only were they arrested, they were also beaten. Wang Yan first sent a letter to Grand Secretary Xu's residence..."

After hearing Huang Jin's words, Jiajing made no comment, but simply waved his hand and said, "Let Xu Jie in."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Huang Jin ran off to fetch someone.

Shortly after, Xu Jie, aged fifty-nine, strode in and immediately kowtowed.

"Your subject Xu Jie has failed in educating his son and managing his household properly, and has come to apologize to Your Majesty."

Jiajing seemed to know nothing: "What crime have I committed?"

Xu Jie then recounted how his second son had ridden wildly outside the city and whipped the common people. He also talked about how the gatekeeper of his household had spoken rudely and looked down on officials of the court, saying that he would definitely cooperate with Wang Yan's plan.

"Is this really true?" Jiajing said. "This Wang Yan is a troublemaker. I never expected that on his first day in office, he would offend you, Grand Secretary Xu."

"Your Majesty, I beg..." Xu Jie kowtowed directly.

"Alright, I'm not blaming you. You're busy with state affairs every day, where would you find the time to take care of your family? These things are unavoidable. On the contrary, it's this Wang Yan who doesn't appreciate Grand Secretary Xu's hard work in planning for the country and keeps harping on this trivial matter. It's wrong to whip the people, a fine would have been enough, why make such a big fuss and even go to Grand Secretary Xu's residence?"

Jiajing looked at Lü Fang and said, "Lü Fang, go to his place this afternoon and reprimand him. He's been too outrageous."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty! I will immediately send someone to the Daxing County government office to pay the fine and have my two sons apologize and compensate the people."

"Huang Jin, go and inform Grand Secretary Xu on his behalf." Jiajing dismissed Huang Jin and then turned to discuss this year's arrangements with Xu Jie.

After all, the deficit from last year hasn't been covered, and now a new deficit has emerged. We still need to carefully consider how to raise the funds...

When Wang Yan swaggered back to the yamen with his entourage, the yamen was already bustling with activity.

Because the distance from the yamen to Xu Jie's residence was not short, it would take the group about half an hour to walk there, and nearly two hours to walk back. This was certainly enough time for the yamen to make the purchases.

Right now, the people in the government office are busy slaughtering sheep and making flatbreads, while Wang Da and his son are setting up a large pot and have already started simmering mutton soup. Freshly slaughtered and cooked, it's really delicious.

Seeing that Wang Yan had indeed brought back Xu Jie's second son, everyone was speechless. Even Ma Defu, who had been the first to be mentioned, was trembling. Why? This new magistrate was truly courting death.

He wasn't stupid to rise to such a position. Wang Yan's dealing with Xu Jie's second son was just the beginning. Otherwise, what's the big deal about whipping the common people a few times?
Now, even something as trivial as whipping the common people has been brought back by Wang Yan personally going to their door. Those powerful and influential people who bully and oppress the people should really think about their attitude next.

After all, the treasury of the Daxing government office was piled high with petitions from people who had nowhere to turn. Were those petitions? No, they were bullets used by Wang Yan to investigate powerful and influential people. With this pretext, it would be perfectly legitimate to expand the investigation further.

Small matters are turned into big matters, and big matters are turned into confiscation of property...

Clerk Zhang Kun greeted him with a smile: "Your Honor, the aggrieved party and witnesses have been brought along."

Wang Yan looked behind him and saw seven people, some old and some young, standing there timidly, not daring to look into Master Wang's eyes.

"What are you afraid of?"

Wang Yan said, "Master, I'm here to stand up for you. Why does it seem like I'm the one who whipped you? Raise your heads!"

"My lord, I will not sue anymore! I will not sue anymore!" A gaunt man with scars on his face said this.

"I've already arrested him, and you're still not going to file a complaint? How can that be acceptable?"

Wang Yan turned around, his dagger-like gaze landing on Xu Er Gongzi's head. "Was it him glaring at you that scared you? You son of a bitch, glare at me again and I'll see if you dare to defy me."

Wang Yan walked over and slapped him twice.

He then gently patted his face. "Second Young Master, let me tell you, if you plan to go back and cause trouble for them, even if I lose this official position, I'll still make sure you're ashes. Remember, if anything happens to those people, it's your doing. See if I can kill you. Do you understand?"

Young Master Xu became obedient, nodding repeatedly with a soft "woof woof," completely convinced.

He's just a spoiled brat; he has no resilience or good character whatsoever. A few slaps and his eyes will clear. Just like Hu Zongxian's son, neither of them has ever been bullied; they'll be bullied a little and then be fine…

"Alright, let's rest first, and then we'll solve the case after we finish eating. Don't worry, everyone will have meat to eat."

Wang Yan patted the shoulders of the victimized people and walked over to instruct the Wang father and son on how to make mutton soup, emphasizing that they mustn't waste the meat...

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