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

Chapter 1533 Expansion
Historically, Zhang Juzheng was still in the Prince Yu's residence at this time, but in the drama, he has already entered the cabinet and has been dismissed. Yan Song has left, and Li Chunfang has entered the cabinet. Zhang Juzheng, who was originally the principal of the Ministry of War, has been reassigned to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, in charge of the Ministry's affairs.

He didn't touch his chopsticks or drink alcohol, but Wang Yan didn't care and ate and drank heartily without any hesitation.

In fact, Wang Yan doesn't need to stand on ceremony with anyone anymore. His position is very clear: a legitimate member of the Imperial Party, and an absolute money-making expert. Even the Yan Party hasn't accomplished as much as he has in the last eight days.

No matter how things change, he will always have a place in the court. Besides, he is currently favored, and Jiajing is clearly backing him up and asking him to do things. He also has enemies everywhere, so why should he care about anyone's opinion?

Seeing that Zhang Juzheng had no interest in eating and drinking, Wang Yan took the initiative to ask, "May I ask what brings you here, Your Excellency?"

“Since the government office has made money, as the head of the Ministry of Revenue, I naturally have to come and take a look.”

Zhang Juzheng said, "Wang Yan, I know you are a man who cares for the country and its people. Observing your actions, you have never mistreated the people, nor have you ever taken anything from them. On the contrary, you have gone to great lengths to find ways to improve their lives. In Chun'an, you even openly defied your superiors' orders just to preserve the vitality of the people of Chun'an. You also built red brick houses for the people of Chun'an, provided medical care, and taught them how to raise silkworms and reel silk..."

Today, the empire is in grave danger, beset by the Tatars in the north, Japanese pirates in the south, and plagued by natural disasters throughout the land, leading to popular uprisings. The Ming dynasty is like a leaky ship; water has already flooded the hull. Some are bailing water out, some are patching things up, and others are widening the leaks…

The situation is truly critical; anyone with eyes can see that we don't have much time left. Wang Yan, you're a smart and sensible person..."

Wang Yan waved his hand, interrupting him: "Your Excellency, if you want money, then you want money. Don't talk about such important matters. Those are not things that a mere sixth-rank county magistrate like myself can consider. Hai Rui is a man who overthinks things. I once advised him that one should not concern oneself with matters outside one's official position."

This money was earned by my life. Your Excellency, with your many profound principles, your deep concern for the country and its people, and your foresight in understanding the nation's ills, why don't you earn this money yourself?

These words were so direct and blunt that even Zhang Juzheng found them hard to bear. He was indeed an official, and being thick-skinned was a basic quality. But Wang Yan's words were practically a denial of him as a person; they were incredibly hurtful.

Seeing that his expression was not good, Wang Yan smiled and took a sip of rice wine.

"Your Excellency, you've been through so much in your official career, why are you so agitated over just a few words? When I was in Chun'an, I truly witnessed the true colors of these officials. From top to bottom, everyone was doing everything they could to make money, and colluding with local tycoons to oppress and exploit the people."

"Your Excellency, could you please tell me what percentage of the silver I received today actually reached the people? Are you bailing water out, patching a hole, or widening a leak?"

Wang Yan chuckled and said, “Your Excellency says I’m working for the country and the people, but you’re wrong. I just don’t like bullying ordinary people; I prefer bullying those who bully them. It’s all about making money. How much money do ordinary people have? Of course, we’ll take from whoever has money.”

"What ambition!" Zhang Juzheng praised. He had to admit that Wang Yan had really done just that.

Wang Yan waved his hand again: "I am not an unreasonable person. It is good if even a penny of the silver can reach the hands of the people. Since the Minister has come here in person, it would be a shame to let him make a wasted trip. Give the Ministry of Revenue one million taels of silver."

"Really?" Zhang Juzheng was so excited he could hardly sit still; his eyes widened in disbelief.

Wang Yan had been so dismissive of him that he thought there was no hope left. But after talking for a while, Wang Yan changed his tune and offered to give him money.

"Is this even a lie?" Wang Yan laughed. "This is extra income. An extra million is an extra million, and it should be able to cover some of the deficit. As for more silver, Minister, don't even think about it, and don't even think about it in the cabinet. As long as I'm in this position, I won't let you take the silver away."

I imagine the adults are already aware that we received over five million this time. Two million was given to His Majesty as a tribute, one million was given to the Ministry of Revenue, and the remaining two million will be used for construction to improve the lives of the people of Daxing.

Another point is that the major construction projects still require funding from the imperial court. We cannot withhold funding simply because we have this sum of money. That would be wrong. Whoever insists on withholding funding will be personally summoned to their doorstep to request that superiors also collect funds from the homes of powerful and wealthy families. This is a very simple matter; please, Your Excellency, convey this message to everyone upon your return.”

“That makes sense.” Zhang Juzheng nodded, then added, “However, it’s just that our Great Ming is indeed beset by internal and external troubles. Many of the major projects we’ve undertaken are optional. In previous years, we definitely wouldn’t have undertaken them.”

However, now that Daxing has received this windfall, and will have monthly income from now on, the imperial court can allocate funds, but the amount of that allocation is indeed debatable. Furthermore, regarding the monthly income from now on, is it...?

Wang Yan, holding a chicken claw and spitting out bones, said, "Minister, why don't you go to Wanping and collect the cleaning fees? After you've collected them, we can talk about profit sharing."

Zhang Juzheng understood Wang Yan's meaning. Currently, it seemed that only Wang Yan, while in office, could collect the sanitation fees. If Wang Yan were even a little further from the capital, the newly appointed county magistrates would be unable to collect the sanitation fees.

There's a saying: "For every policy, there's a countermeasure." Currently, the sanitation fee is only implemented in Chun'an and Daxing, and hasn't become a national policy. Moreover, there are many loopholes: If they lose money, will they pay? What if they bribe the tax collectors and pay less? What if the county government office catches fire?
Only Wang Yan wasn't worried about these issues, because he truly had the power to deal with whoever caused trouble. Losing money was no excuse for not paying cleaning fees; in the capital, there was no such thing as losing money in business. Don't want to pay cleaning fees? Then quit!

It's that simple and crude.

Seeing that Zhang Juzheng was speechless after being rebuked, Wang Yan continued, "How about this, from now on, for all the major construction projects we undertake, the Ministry of Works will send craftsmen free of charge and allocate 20% of the cost."

Zhang Juzheng immediately tried to deny it, but he was there to ask for money, not to spend it.

However, Wang Yan interrupted him again: "Fifteen percent, don't haggle, Your Excellency. The people of Daxing are still people, and they should receive the funding they deserve. We have foreign capital and want to undertake large-scale construction projects. The court is only allocating fifteen percent, which is already quite generous."

Furthermore, Your Excellency, are you aware that from now on I will be employing people with money, not conscripting them for labor? With money in their hands, merchants will earn more… In short, the taxes collected from Daxing will only increase in the future. This year, I think it will be at least 50% more.”

"This explanation of the flow of money and goods is excellent."

Zhang Juzheng seemed to be deep in thought, then asked curiously, "What are your plans for the next step?"

"Does Your Excellency know that a fire destroyed all of Daxing's account books, documents, files, and land and household registration documents? Since all the documents are destroyed, it is only natural that they must be re-registered and recorded!"

Zhang Juzheng's eyes widened suddenly. He understood. Wang Yan wanted to conduct a land survey and population census, and this was happening right in the capital, a city teeming with powerful figures. Who knew what state the lands surrounding the capital had become after being annexed, and who knew which powerful figures were involved—perhaps imperial relatives, nobles, ministers, or even palace eunuchs…

Even Zhang Juzheng had to admit that Wang Yan's madness was impressive...

"This is what it means to get things done."

Upon hearing the news that Wang Yan had readily given one million taels of silver and that a land survey and household registration would be conducted, Prince Yu clapped his hands in excitement and exclaimed in admiration.

Xu Jie slowly replied, "You do get things done, but your words are a bit too blunt."

Gao Gong snorted, "Is he wrong? Of all the magistrates of Daxing County, which one of them has collected more than five million taels of silver? They risked their lives to earn that silver, and we're just going to say some righteous words and expect them to hand it over? That would be too shameless."

But he saw through everything, yet he still gave the court one million taels of silver. That's what it means to have the world in your heart. Showing mercy? Grand Secretary Xu, what mercy did he show? What mercy was there to show? He gave His Majesty two million taels, plus the royal monopoly on cement and white glazed tiles he created, he earned His Majesty three million taels of silver this year.

"From now on, the monthly cleaning fees will amount to hundreds of thousands of taels. He'll give His Majesty another 40%, which is at least another million taels of silver. That makes a total of four million taels. Last year, our Great Ming's annual revenue was equivalent to sixteen million taels of silver, and he alone secured four million taels in cash for His Majesty. What face does he have left for us?"

“Grand Secretary Gao, there’s no need to belittle yourself. You’re all working tirelessly for the Ming Dynasty. Wang Yan is just a young man who’s fearless and acts on impulse, which is definitely not the right path,” Zhang Juzheng said, trying to defend Xu Jie. Xu Jie replied, “Not all of him is working tirelessly for the Ming Dynasty. I just found out that he gave His Majesty two million taels of silver and took one hundred thousand taels for himself. He did it openly and honestly in front of Zhu Qi. He wasn’t lying when he said he wanted to take money from the rich.”

"That 100,000 taels is a bit too much," Prince Yu snorted, clearly not pleased.

Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng, who were standing nearby, all looked at Prince Yu...

Those who lack ability are all greedy, taking only tens of thousands of taels at a time. Wang Yan, who is capable, brought back five million taels of silver and openly took one hundred thousand taels. Is that considered a lot? Is he even speaking human language?
Xu Jie, a super landowner in Shanghai; Zhang Juzheng, a landowner with tens of thousands of acres of property; and Gao Gong, a landowner from Henan who came from an official family—none of them had less than 100,000 taels of silver, and some even had many times more.

They looked at Prince Yu and thought, "Why does he suddenly seem somewhat unlike a ruler?"

……

"Wang Yan is a man of principle."

Regarding Wang Yan's decision to give the Ministry of Revenue one million taels of silver, Jiajing expressed his approval, saying, "Although the food is cooked separately, it should still be distributed evenly."

“Wang Yan has always been the most worry-free person for the master,” Lü Fang said, going along with the conversation.

"You have the nerve to say that? If you really made things easier for me, would I be here in seclusion?" Jiajing said with amusement. "Well, at least it turned out well. With this sum of money, things are going well in the palace this year, and I don't have to put up with Xu Jie and his ilk anymore. It's just a pity that it's only such a large sum; from now on, it'll only be 100,000 taels of silver a month..."

"Don't worry, Master. Wang Yan said that the taxes Daxing will pay this year will be at least 50% more. Moreover, I heard that Wang Yan is going to do something big next."

Lü Fang, of course, couldn't wait for Jiajing to press him for answers. He continued, "The Daxing County government office caught fire, and all the documents were destroyed. Wang Yan wants to re-measure the land and households, and register them. If this is done successfully, even if there are 100,000 mu of additional land, that's over two million taels of silver. And the taxes paid by the additional households will be another huge sum of money..."

Jiajing was taken aback for a moment, then looked somewhat displeased: "He said he wanted to make things easier for me, but I think he's not letting me leave the pass..."

"Don't worry, Master. He's already taken care of the cleaning fees. There shouldn't be any problem with surveying the fields and registering the households. It should be done in two or three months."

Lü Fang said with a smile, "To be honest, they were the ones who handed Wang Yan the knife. If the county government hadn't caught fire, it wouldn't have been easy for him to clear the land and investigate the households."

“There’s never a moment of peace.” Jiajing shook his head. “I hope he can succeed this time.”

“We’ve already clashed once. As long as Wang Yan lives, this matter can be accomplished. Now, the people in Daxing County have complete faith in Wang Yan.”

"He always takes the lead in doing everything, and then he gets paid afterward. Who wouldn't respect him?"

Lu Fang said, "When he distributes money to his subordinates, it is all done in the name of His Majesty. The people who receive the money kowtow in the direction of His Majesty to express their gratitude."

Jiajing nodded in approval, pleased with Wang Yan's consistent attitude. He was indeed ruthless in his actions, but he accomplished his goals without causing trouble, constantly providing him with financial support – truly a considerate and good minister.

I thought that after Yan Song left, Xu Jie would be useless and have to endure two years of hardship. Unexpectedly, things got even better...

After the money was distributed and the celebration was held, it was time to get back to work.

The entire household affairs department was mobilized to check the accounts of various shops. At the same time, Wang Yan also announced a reduction in cleaning fees for grain shops and other essential goods, allowing grain sellers to make a profit.

Wang Yan certainly wanted to ensure the stability of people's livelihoods, but initially, all he wanted was submission. Only after everyone yielded could he then study the specific details of how each industry should charge its own fees.

On the other hand, Zhu Qi and his men acted swiftly, raiding more than a dozen households. These included imperial relatives, nobles, and high-ranking officials. This was clearly at Jiajing's behest; even the Emperor himself couldn't prevent Jiajing from spending his money.

Wang Yan was also allocated a large house and had a place to live.

These are all secondary matters.

The main issue is land. Just investigating these dozen or so companies revealed they'd illegally acquired over 14,000 mu (approximately 933 hectares) of land. Of course, this only refers to the farmland they've illegally acquired. In reality, they also own considerable land in other prosperous areas, primarily in their ancestral homes.

All of this land was designated by Wang Yan as official land for the Daxing County government, to be rented to the people for cultivation, with a 10% rent collected. During times of disaster, no rent was required; this was clearly stated in the written contracts.

The people in the Daxing County government office who had just received their share of the silver were even happier.

This year we had so much snow, the land is incredibly bountiful, it's sure to be a great harvest. When the harvest comes, everyone in the government office will get a substantial share.

Even if everyone only gets a little bit, it's still extra silver, something that didn't exist before, but something that will be plentiful in the future. It's free money, who wouldn't be satisfied?

Of course, human greed dictates that satisfaction is temporary. Once it becomes a habit, it becomes taken for granted, and the desire for more money arises. It's impossible to say that this money was never actually there in the first place…

The idea that the output of tens of thousands of acres of land could be used to power a few hundred people in the government office is just wishful thinking on their part.

How could Wang Yan possibly allow such a thing to happen?

After his proposal to the cabinet to annex the military command in the eastern part of the city failed, Wang Yan expanded the fire armor to five hundred men and set up strongholds in various parts of the eastern city. They patrolled to check for fire hazards and also helped to arrest criminals and maintain public order.

In addition, they recruited hangers-on, expanding the yamen runners to two hundred men and the hangers-on to five hundred. Their functions were the same as those of the Five City Garrison Command.

Furthermore, under Wang Yan's leadership, a team integrating numerous functions such as bailiffs, public security police, urban management officers, and market supervision and management officers was formed.

In addition to the original staff, some of the new recruits were from respectable families in the city, and some were from respectable families outside the city.

No one knew what Wang Yan was up to, but everyone had a bad feeling about it.

As a result, the censors, officials, nobles, and relatives whose family businesses had been fined or charged cleaning fees, as well as the Five Cities Garrison Command that had been stripped of its functions, and the Ministry of War, the superior authority of the Garrison Command, all began to attack Wang Yan.

At this time, the great Jiajing Emperor was still in seclusion...

I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the kind readers who have given me generous support through tips, monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and those who have been reading quietly!