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

Chapter 1529 Fire!
Under Master Wang's guidance, the Wang father and son successfully cooked delicious mutton soup and baked shiny, flaky flatbread.

There were more than 300 people in the yamen, whether they were officials with official positions or unofficial lackeys, each holding a large bowl, slurping and drinking until they were covered in sweat.

The seven elderly and young people who had been arrested nervously ate their bread and drank their meat soup quickly, holding their bowls. After they finished eating, they squatted there obediently.

Wang Yan threw a sheep bone at a hanger-on who was squatting not far from the common people.

"Don't you have any common sense? Can't you see that the victims and witnesses have finished eating?"

Seeing the hanger-on get up to add more broth and serve them some flatbread, the gaunt, aggrieved man quickly said, "Sir, we're full, we're all full."

"Eat what I tell you to eat. You can't eat too much meat after not eating it for so long, but you can still have a bowl of meat soup. Eat with peace of mind. Would I, the dignified magistrate of Daxing County, harm you?"

Wang Yan waved his hand, and then the idler got up to add meat soup and take some flatbread for them. The people who said they weren't hungry started eating heartily again, finding it very delicious.

At this moment, two eunuchs walked in first, followed by Lü Fang walking in with his hands behind his back under everyone's gaze.

At this moment, Wang Yan jumped up from the stool and went straight to greet him: "Oh my, Eunuch Lü, what brings you here? Have you had lunch? The freshly cooked mutton soup is the best for nourishing the body and warming the heart. Would you like a bowl, Eunuch?"

As they were talking, Wang Yan kicked Zhang Kun, the clerk beside him, and ordered him to personally serve Lü Fang mutton soup.

"No rush, let's take care of business first and then have some soup." Lü Fang nodded with a smile, raised her hand to gesture for him to stop, and then said, "His Majesty's imperial edict!"

So everyone in the government office knelt down.

Lü Fang said, "Your Majesty, one must be methodical in doing things and leave room for maneuver in dealing with people. I understand that you are loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and that you are sincere in your work, however..."

How could Jiajing possibly have spoken in such detail? It was Lü Fang who devised this seemingly reprimanding but actually protective statement. And to say it in front of so many people in the government office—what did this mean? It meant His Majesty was supporting Wang Yan.

After the imperial edict was read, everyone shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and then got up to continue eating.

Lü Fang took the meat soup, glanced at the seven people squatting by the wall, and asked, "Are those the aggrieved parties?"

"That's right, it hasn't been heard yet. We'll hear it after we finish eating."

"Where is the second son of Grand Secretary Xu?"

"That's it."

Following Wang Yan's gaze, they saw a young master with a bruised and swollen face squatting there, drinking mutton soup and eating tendon cakes.

Wang Yan laughed and said, "This kid was disobedient, so I taught him a lesson."

"That was a lesson taught by Grand Secretary Xu, not something you have the right to instruct him on."

"You don't know, Eunuch Lü, this brat knows perfectly well that I even beat Yan Shifan, yet he still dares to talk tough to me. Does he think he's more powerful than Yan Shifan? Or does he think Grand Secretary Xu is more powerful than Grand Secretary Yan? I am, after all, the magistrate of Daxing County, appointed by His Majesty himself. He's just a commoner, a spoiled brat who lives a life of idleness, yet he dares to disregard me? Is this looking down on me? This is looking down on His Majesty!"

Wang Yan spoke frankly, "Anyway, when I decided to go and arrest him, I had already offended Grand Secretary Xu, so I'm not afraid of offending him even more. I'm just going to beat up this foul-mouthed guy."

Now that it was just the two of them sitting at the table, it was easier for them to talk, so Wang Yan didn't hold back.

"If you continue to act so lawlessly, you'll cause trouble sooner or later."

"With His Majesty's protection, I act uprightly and sit honestly, so I fear no one. Besides, if I can't control the situation, how can I earn money for His Majesty?"

Lu Fang shook his head with amusement. He liked this kind of spirit. Once he decided to serve His Majesty, he was not afraid of offending anyone.

After taking a sip of mutton soup and eating a piece of chewy pancake, Lü Fang expressed her appreciation, then said, "Is this 'killing the chicken to scare the monkey' tactic just to collect more cleaning fees?"

“Exactly.” Wang Yan nodded in agreement. “We’ll deal with this Second Young Master Xu today, post notices tomorrow, and start collecting fees the day after. Anyone who doesn’t pay will be prosecuted. There are a lot of wrongful convictions; we’ll make sure they’re all dead.”

"That's too simplistic," Lü Fang shook her head. "If you confront them head-on, you'll only end up hurting yourself."

“You’re wrong, Eunuch Lü. If we don’t stand firm, nothing will get done. His Majesty is considering the entire nation, and a single move can have far-reaching consequences. This humble servant is only concerned with Daxing, this small corner of the land. Anyone who dares to oppose His Majesty and prevent him from making money will be severely punished by this humble servant, so that even if they have money, they won’t live to enjoy it. The only consequence of risking one’s life for wealth is losing both one’s life and one’s fortune.”

Lü Fang didn't say anything more about it. Wang Yan was simply courting death, but since the matter was in Jiajing's interest, it was good enough that he said one more word.

"Will no more forced labor be conscripted for major construction projects in the future?"

"Yes." Wang Yan nodded and said, "It's basically about paying the Ministry of Works to have their master craftsmen do the planning, and then the local people can do the work during their off-season to earn money. They spend the money, and the government collects the taxes from them. Everyone makes money and lives a good life."

"I understand that principle. What kind of fortification do you want to build?"

"Let's repair the roads first. Many roads are full of potholes. We should repair them both inside and outside the city to give it a fresh look. Next, we should improve the water conservancy system to solve the water problem for the people outside the city to farm and for the people inside the city to drink. And most importantly, we need to clean up the environment."

Wang Yan said, “Eunuch Lü, do you think that I am just using this as a pretext to collect cleaning fees? Not at all. Cleanliness is a very important matter. In my observation, the cleaner the environment, the fewer diseases people get and the longer they live. I call this environmental cleanliness ‘hygiene’ in the name of morality.”

Lao Tzu said: "Can one embrace the principle of health preservation? Can one avoid losing it? Can one know good and bad fortune without divination? ... The ancient Song dynasty scholar Wang Pang said, 'Health preservation is about preserving one's life. If one can preserve one's life, then life will continue. Therefore, it is called the principle of health preservation...'"

Wang Yan went on and on, explaining the reasons for naming it "Sanitary".

Then he said, "Not only that, I also plan to organize midwives to learn from each other's experiences and improve the success rate of deliveries. At the same time, we will summarize the various things that need to be paid attention to in the growth of infants to increase their survival rate. In addition, we will build clinics to gather doctors to treat the people, and we will also train doctors to improve their medical skills... the elderly living alone... orphans... those who bully and monopolize the market..."

After discussing future development plans, Wang Yan said, "The foundation for achieving these things is having money. If the cleaning fees can be collected in full, Daxing will be well-governed, and our Great Ming capital will become even more magnificent. Your Majesty's heavenly virtue will be manifested in Daxing, and the people will surely praise and pray for Your Majesty, wishing that Your Majesty enjoys eternal bliss and lives as long as the heavens."

So Lü Fang stopped talking and ate heartily the mutton soup and tendon pancakes. Despite being over fifty years old, she ate two large bowls, sweating profusely, and exclaimed how satisfying it was.

Then, satisfied, he left with the young eunuch to relay Wang Yan's words to Jiajing...

Wang Yan then arrived at the front hall of the yamen, where the county magistrate sat in court.

The clerk had already brought over a small red clay stove, and the tea in the pot was already boiling. The clerk was by his side, pouring the water into a covered bowl and continuing to add water to the pot.

Below the hall, the Second Young Master Xu stood there with a bruised and swollen face, while on the other side stood seven commoners who looked very uneasy and did not dare to raise their heads.

With a snap, the gavel struck.

Wang Yan's calm voice rang out: "Second Young Master, the facts of whipping the common people are clear. Do you admit it or not?"

"Can I deny it?"

"Paws!"

As soon as he finished speaking, one of his lackeys stepped forward and slapped him twice across the face.

The effect was remarkable. Previously, when Wang Yan ordered people to beat up Young Master Xu, no one had even lifted a finger. But after he personally took the lead, ate a meal of mutton soup and flatbread with everyone, and then Lu Fang came to deliver Jiajing's imperial edict, now someone dared to slap Young Master Xu on his orders.

Wang Yan nodded in satisfaction: "What's your name?" "Reporting to Your Excellency, my name is Song Jun."

"From today onwards, you will be the head of the squad."

"Thank you, sir. This humble servant..."

Wang Yan waved his hand: "Alright, no matter how many loyal words you say, they are not as good as these two mouths. Do a good job, and I will see it all and remember it."

"Yes, sir."

Having won over the hearts of the people so easily, Wang Yan looked at the aggrieved but stammering Xu Er Gongzi and asked, "I will ask you one more time: the facts of whipping the people are clear, do you admit it or not?"

"I agree!" Young Master Xu nodded hastily.

"See? Isn't this quite reasonable? You have to get slapped twice before you'll know to answer whatever you're asked?"

Wang Yan looked disgusted. "Since you've admitted it, and the matter isn't too serious, considering this is the first time, I'll forgive you and just fine you some money to settle it. As an apology, are you willing?"

"willing!"

"Apologize!"

Young Master Xu immediately knelt down.

Wang Yan glared: "Damn it, who are you kneeling to? Do you need to kneel for such a small thing? Bow to them!"

Young Master Xu quickly got up, turned around and bowed to the people, bowing deeply, and also sensibly apologized.

The people were even more uneasy, not daring to move, wanting to say it was okay but not daring to.

Fortunately, the apology was quick, just a few words.

While the Second Young Master Xu was racking his brains for words of apology, Wang Yan struck the gavel again: "Alright, you weren't that sincere. Just lowering your head is enough. Now let's talk about the fine and compensation."

Riding a horse recklessly on a busy thoroughfare outside the city, disrupting traffic order and disturbing the lives of ordinary people. This is the first offense, punishable by a fine of one hundred taels of silver. Whipping the people, abusing one's power to bully others, failing to apologize on the spot, daring to flee, ignoring official orders, insulting government officials, and showing contempt for imperial authority. This is the second offense, punishable by a fine of one thousand taels of silver.

The victim is scarred on the face, traumatized in the heart, and in a state of panic. Furthermore, there is a fee for writing the complaint. Therefore, compensation should be paid for medicine, nutrition, mental distress, and the cost of the complaint, totaling thirty taels.

The six of us have caused trouble for my yamen, yet we risked our lives to come and testify. This is commendable and our spirit is praiseworthy. We should not let them make this trip for nothing; each of us should be given five taels of silver as a token of our concern.

"So, in total, it amounts to 1,160 taels. And since you've eaten quite a bit of meat at the yamen, that needs to be added as well, making it a round 1,200 taels of silver. Any objections?"

"No, no." Young Master Xu quickly turned his head and looked at Steward Xu outside for help.

This was a bailout offer; 1200 taels of silver—Wang Yan was practically robbing them—but he dared not voice any objections. Wang Yan was utterly insane; who knew what kind of trouble he'd cause if he objected? He'd already lost face; he couldn't afford to cause any more trouble…

So Steward Xu cooperated and walked in, taking out a silver note from his sleeve.

Wang Yan immediately ordered the officials to fetch the cash. After they returned, he distributed the silver to the people and then sent them away. He even specially assigned officials to protect them on their way home, fearing that others might covet their silver and cause trouble.

In the main hall, looking at the piles of silver on the table, Wang Yan chuckled and said to the officials, "Look at this, this silver didn't come easy at all. I made 1,100 taels today and even had a meal of meat. What a wonderful thing! Go, have Wang Da make me a few stir-fries. I'm going to have a couple of drinks tonight."

Wang Yan's gaze fell on the registrar Song Liangxin. "Registrar Song, please bring over all the accounts of the yamen for the past five years. I need to check the accounts."

Song Liangxin was a little insecure at this point, but he had no chance to speak, so he had to go out and arrange for people to move the accounts.

Wang Yan then looked at County Magistrate Yan Minghui: "You are in charge of all the county's taxes. Magistrate Yan, write a notice that starting the day after tomorrow, all merchants in the East City must pay a cleaning fee of 1/20 of the tax amount each month. Arrange for someone to notify every merchant tomorrow."

"Master, the person who sets up the stall..."

"Businessmen, businessmen with houses and property, we'll talk about the street vendors later, let's deal with these difficult ones first. Also, tomorrow you arrange for someone to collect statistics on the elderly living alone in our county, and let them do the street cleaning from now on."

"Then collect taxes... collect cleaning fees..."

"I will personally lead the household registration department to collect it. Just make sure you are properly informed."

So the next morning, almost everyone in the government office went out to post notices and notify each household.

This news immediately caused a huge uproar. Before noon, memorials impeaching Wang Yan had already flooded the palace like snowflakes.

However, after renaming Liuxinju to Liubiju yesterday and seeing Yan Song off, Jiajing announced that he would be going into seclusion for quiet cultivation. These memorials are piled up there, and no one is going to look at them.

Inside the cabinet, Xu Jie remained silent. The hot-tempered Gao Gong vehemently berated Wang Yan for being unruly and lawless, yet he made no further move…

The commotion was quite loud, yet it didn't seem to have much real impact. There was no unrest in the court, and although there was some buzzing in the lower levels, things were generally still under control.

Whether it's controllable or not, the officials from Daxing have sent the news of the upcoming cleaning fee to every business in the eastern part of the city, ensuring it's implemented thoroughly. Anyone who dares to say they didn't hear it will be in big trouble.

During this process, officials and merchants in the East and West districts became active.

If statistics were available, there was a slight increase in pedestrian traffic on the street that day, with a noticeable increase in business for teahouses, restaurants, and taverns, and a significant increase in the number of horse-drawn carriages and sedan chairs on the street...

Clearly, they are all discussing countermeasures in earnest.

We must address this issue; otherwise, if this precedent is set, wouldn't the whole world have to pay for cleaning services? How much would everyone lose? This is certainly unacceptable.

Wang Yan was no stranger to this situation. Trying to get money out of someone's pocket was really difficult; it was expected that there would be a backlash, and it would be strange if there wasn't.

He remained calm, sipping his tea in the main hall of the yamen while reviewing the yamen's accounts from the past five years.

After having dinner served by Wang Da and his son, and reviewing the accounts for a while, he went back to his residence behind the yamen to sleep.

Around midnight, the yamen (government office) suddenly started banging gongs and drums and shouting.

"The fire is coming!"

"The fire is coming!"

"Fire! The master's yard is on fire too!"

"Master!"

"Master!"

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