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Chapter 1538 Has Its Own Place
Yu Xi Palace.

Jiajing squinted slightly: "Armor, crossbows, muskets, you've used them all?"

Lü Fang nodded solemnly: "That's right, Master. This servant has already sent Huang Jin to investigate."

Huang Jin is the head of the Imperial Eunuch, and he can also mobilize the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In other words, the entire Imperial Eunuch and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have been mobilized.

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly and find out the truth, turn the place upside down!"

Jiajing's tone was harsh; suppressing his anger, he asked instead, "How is Wang Yan?"

"Thanks to His Majesty's protection, I am unharmed."

"Completely unharmed?" Jiajing was no longer angry, but quite surprised.

"Master, on the way to the capital, Wang Yan defeated Zhu Qi and the others. Four or five of them couldn't beat Wang Yan alone. Yan said that Wang Yan is born with superhuman strength and has super martial arts skills. He has no rivals in the world."

Now it seems he's an unparalleled warrior. I heard that he, alone with just a long spear, wielded it with impenetrable skill. Those assassins who attacked him were either wounded if they were grazed or killed if they were hit directly... There were twenty-eight in total, including four musketeers. Wang Yan killed thirteen of them, including the musketeers who were pinned to the ground by his spear. The remaining fifteen were all seriously injured and incapacitated.

This servant remembers that when Wang Yan was the registrar of Chun'an, he personally led the local militia to fight against the Japanese pirates. At the time, this servant thought he was taking the heads of his own men. Now, thinking back, it seems that Wang Yan probably gave all the heads to his men, letting them accumulate military merits, collect rewards, and live a good life.”

Lü Fang talked a lot, as if she were telling a story, as if she wanted to explain clearly how Wang Yan used his skills to kill each of the armored soldiers who attacked.

Jiajing understood that this was a way to distract him and put his mind at ease. But the matter was indeed very intriguing.

He couldn't help but laugh: "I didn't expect this kid to be so capable. It wouldn't be a bad idea to send him to the front lines to take charge of military affairs someday."

"His Majesty is the best at recognizing and employing people. Wang Yan has never disappointed His Majesty. Although he always causes a great commotion, he knows his limits and knows when to advance and retreat, so as not to cause His Majesty any greater trouble. If he were to go to the border army, I believe he would definitely be able to make military achievements for His Majesty and expand the territory."

"I was just saying it casually. He's only twenty years old. If I put him in charge of military affairs, those treacherous officials will tear down my palace. Let's focus on managing Daxing well and see if his theories on the circulation of wealth are truly effective and can make my people rich and our businesses prosperous."

"Once the clearing of fields and checking of households is settled, it will probably be the off-season for farming. At that time, the people will all come out to work, and by the autumn harvest, we will be able to see the initial results."

"Okay, okay..."

Jiajing nodded in satisfaction, then turned his attention to the matter of repairing the palace, no longer angry about the incident where someone used armor, crossbows, and muskets to assassinate Wang Yan.

This matter must have a result; it's only a matter of time. Even if the emperor himself doesn't want a result, his loyal ministers will still have to give him one.

This was a serious transgression: keeping private slaves and assassins, hoarding armor and weapons, and even acquiring firearms. If Jiajing didn't want any consequences, he could have followed the clues and expanded the investigation further, creating a major upheaval that the officials could not tolerate.

They didn't want to cause such a huge upheaval; they would have given up on themselves without Jiajing going crazy.

The assassination attempt had already crossed the line and broken the rules. Not only did they fail to kill the target, but they also exposed the victim's weakness. What else is there to say?
Therefore, Jiajing was not worried at all, nor did he intend to expand the investigation. He simply wanted to find the mastermind, kill him, and deal with the military personnel. He couldn't possibly follow the clues all the way through, because based on Jiajing's rich experience, the investigation would eventually lead back to the border troops.

If both civil and military affairs are involved, then this matter can no longer be resolved...

In the main hall of the Daxing County Government Office, a sumptuous feast was laid out once again.

In response to Huang Jin's question, Wang Yan chuckled and said, "Eunuch Huang, although I was attacked and killed, I don't care who the mastermind is."

"Why?" Huang Jin asked curiously.

"Those who want my life could be members of the imperial family, relatives of the emperor, nobles, civil and military officials, or many merchants. In short, they are all people who have suffered significant losses due to the cleaning fees and the clearing of fields and checking households."

So the goal is obvious, isn't it? As long as I don't die, I'll keep making them pay up, and that'll get my money back, right? As for which family will be wiped out, that doesn't really matter. The more frantic they are, the less they can do anything to me, and the more agonizing it will be for me.

Given their ruthless habit of taking lives at the drop of a hat, they're bound to cause trouble every day. Ultimately, it's all about exploiting the people. As long as I live and continue to serve the people, they'll eventually find a way to take advantage of me. Then, my life will be out of their hands.

Huang Jin laughed: "You see things clearly and think things through. It's a waste of His Majesty's good intentions in getting you so angry and wanting to seek justice for you."

“Ah, Your Excellency, you are mistaken,” Wang Yan said, waving his hand. “I have said all this so that Your Excellency and His Majesty may know that I have no complaints whatsoever. I would not mind losing my life if I were to serve His Majesty. If it were not for His Majesty, how could I be enjoying such sumptuous food and wine three times a day?”
Your Majesty's favor towards me is something I am well aware of. However, I cannot take this favor for granted and disregard the greater good. These rebels are utterly ruthless and not so easily investigated. Officials protect each other; these treacherous ministers are all in cahoots. If they unite against Your Majesty, even Your Majesty will find it difficult to deal with them easily, thus jeopardizing the peace of our Great Ming Dynasty.

Everyone says that forbearance is for the sake of the country, and Your Majesty has it tough. For the sake of the entire nation, how can such a small matter be considered a major or minor issue? It was your humble servant who pushed them too far; they weren't truly rebelling. Raising the issue decisively and then letting it go gently is the best choice at this time. We, as your subjects, cannot put Your Majesty in a difficult position.”

"Maybe we just find you pleasing to the eye? That's a good thing, a good thing!"

Huang Jin raised his wine glass. "I've been serving for decades, and I've seen and heard a lot, but I've never met a subject like you who is so devoted to His Majesty and solves his problems. Don't worry, I'll definitely tell His Majesty everything you say so that he knows your good intentions."

"You're right about this attack; that's what I was thinking too. We can't let it escalate and disturb His Majesty's good mood. After I've interrogated them, I'll kill a few to vent your anger."

"In my humble opinion, letting them die too easily is not good either. It would be better to send them to work alongside those criminals until they die. That would be a fraction of the crimes they committed. Besides, whether they get their revenge or not is not important, Eunuch Huang. The main thing is to confiscate their property and use their wealth to build palaces for His Majesty."

"I've heard that Your Majesty's virtue is as vast as the ocean, and that you've paid generous wages to the artisans and commoners who worked there, allowing them to live a good life. This humble subject truly wishes Your Majesty would build palaces throughout the entire Ming Dynasty and pay wages to all the people. Then our Ming Dynasty would surely be a paradise on earth, and the people would all pray for Your Majesty to live ten thousand years!" Huang Jin laughed heartily, saying that there was no need for the people's prayers; "Long live the Emperor!" was already a wish for His Majesty to live ten thousand years.

After exchanging toasts with Wang Yan, the banquet ended, and then he went to investigate the case...

It won't escalate if it doesn't become a big deal, but this is no small matter; it will likely involve at least a thousand or eight hundred people before it's over.

Wang Yan certainly didn't say anything nice to Huang Jin; he genuinely didn't care who was behind it all. After all, too many people wanted him dead; some had simply taken action, and no one was more deserving of death than anyone else.

However, it is wrong to be assassinated for no reason and not retaliate.

So Wang Yan ate and drank and pondered for a while, and then summoned Ma Defu.

"Old Ma, hire some decent young men temporarily to help out and do the household registration and population statistics in the city."

"Master, wasn't it said that the statistics for the city would be compiled at the end?"

"I haven't finished yet." Wang Yan glanced at him. "When investigating people, we must count them one by one, and we must be clear about them all. In the process of investigating people, it is even more important to investigate the wealthy families in the east of the city. Investigate the servants of the wealthy families as well, how many people each family has, and not a single one can be missed. It is not okay for outsiders to enter the inner quarters. You can find women and have them investigate in the inner quarters. Give them the same wages."

"We'll post the notice soon, informing them that we're going to check all the households. Wealthy families with servants must pay 'major construction expenses' for their servants; those who evade taxes will be fined 1,000 taels of silver and sentenced to three months of labor reform. As for the specific amount, we'll figure that out later. Let's find out who's responsible first and then spread the word."

Ma Defu let out a long sigh: "Master, stop now. Fire hazard fines, sanitation fees, clearing fields and checking households, and now there's another major construction expense... We've already been attacked so many times, and this time they've even deployed armored soldiers and used muskets..."

“Old Ma, don’t worry about your business. As long as I’m alive, you’ll be fine. Even if I die, you’ll be the one who was forced into it by me. Even if someone retaliates, at worst you’ll just have to go back to your hometown. You won’t die, and you can still live a wealthy life.”

"Master, I'm not worried about myself..."

Wang Yan waved his hand: "There's no need to worry about me. Old Ma, you're over forty years old, and you've seen a lot in the officialdom. How could you not understand my situation? Ever since I disobeyed orders and targeted wealthy families in Chun'an to get through the flood, I've had no way out."

If it weren't for His Majesty's protection, I would have surely died in Chun'an. Zheng Bichang, He Maocai, and their backers Yan Shifan and Yan Song were all no good. As the saying goes, "If you don't advance, you'll fall," so I had no choice but to go down this path to the bitter end. Going against those powerful and influential families was what I was determined to do for the rest of my life.

The Yan faction and the Qingliu faction in the court, now Xu Jie has formed another power base, and there are also Prince Yu and Prince Jing—none of these concern me. I am a member of the Emperor's faction, dedicated to serving His Majesty and delivering his money. If I do my job well, I will naturally be worry-free, and no trouble will affect me. If I do not do my job well, forgetting my place and His Majesty's favor, then all will be over, and that will be the end of it.

Ultimately, to live well and achieve great things, one must find their own foothold and consistently execute it. Take Hu Zongxian, for example. Recently, the court has been impeaching him for embezzling military funds and excessively levying taxes, each charge threatening his life.

Why? Because Hu Zongxian was Yan Song's man, and because Hu Zongxian refused to overthrow Yan Song, and because Hu Zongxian was the banner of Yan Song's faction, Xu Jie wanted to kill Hu Zongxian.

To be honest, who hasn't embezzled military funds? Who hasn't levied excessive taxes? Have I not levied excessive taxes? Can I change this fact by fabricating pretexts? Why are the memorials impeaching me drowning out my talent, while I'm still here drinking and eating meat? Because I'm His Majesty's man, because I've earned five million taels of silver.

When Hu Zongxian asked me about his situation, I said my heart was like ashes, and my body like a boat adrift. I never imagined that in just six months, he would be a prisoner. Speaking of which, I should visit him when he arrives at the imperial prison.

After listening to Wang Yan's heartfelt words, Ma Defu said nothing more and simply went out to take care of his business.

Wang Yan knew better than anyone what he was facing and what the future held, yet he still persisted. What more could he say?

Ma Defu had already been quite considerate, offering repeated advice beforehand; such honesty was rare. And Ma Defu had genuinely given the money to the commoner who had been whipped by Xu Jie's second son…

Of course, this is also why he has survived until now without being kicked out by Wang Yan to find a pretext to kill him.

Meanwhile, Huang Jin was conducting a thorough investigation into the issues of armored soldiers and firearms, and a large-scale clearing and population check was being carried out in the villages within the Daxing area. A population check was also being conducted in the eastern part of the city.

The notice blatantly stated that families with servants would have to pay more money, the amount to be determined. It further stated that any increase or decrease in the number of servants in a household must be registered with the government; failure to do so would be treated as harboring a person, resulting in fines and labor reform. Those who intentionally concealed such activity would be fined and sentenced to labor reform; those who reported such acts would receive money, and if the servants were servants, their household registration, housing, and livelihood would be provided.

This series of combined measures caused turmoil within wealthy families. To maintain order, they not only had to pay money to the government, but also to pay their servants even more.

Otherwise, if someone has a moment of despair and goes to the county government office to find Wang Yan, saying all sorts of nonsense, who knows what the consequences will be?
After all, servants in the past had no human rights; their lives and deaths were ignored. Now, Wang Yan is known for his decisive actions, and he'll seize any opportunity to squeeze money out of them…

As a result, the capital city suddenly became bustling with activity. Those who needed to get things done had to find out who was in charge, those who were guilty had to find a way to solve the problem, and those in power had to find a way to maintain stability.

On the other hand, they must continue to impeach Wang Yan for his lawlessness and excessive taxation. This is their only means at present, and they must make their stance clear.

You can't kill them, you can't scold them, and you can't fight back.

After all, within the jurisdiction of Daxing, Wang Yan represented the legitimate authority of the government. He expanded his ranks with yamen runners, hangers-on, and firemen, creating a force of over a thousand strong men. Enforcing the law within Daxing was unrestricted; if ten or eight people from any household came out to resist, they would be labeled as rebels.

The powerful and wealthy families in Dongcheng, no matter how high their official rank or how powerful their background, all had to submit to a burly man who could fill their entire house.

Jiajing Emperor didn't manage affairs, Xu Jie was cunning but seemed to offend no one, sitting in the position of Grand Secretary like a dead man, and the other cabinet ministers were all talk and no action.

All the methods that had previously worked so well were useless against Wang Yan...

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