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

Chapter 1539 Reunion with Hu Zongxian

Imprisonment.

It was still damp and smelly, there were still many people wailing and crying out for justice, and there were still many people lying there with lifeless eyes like corpses.

Hu Zongxian was the only one sitting upright.

He sat on the stone bed, imposing and dignified, using the light filtering through a small window that peeked out from the ground to read a book called The Doctrine of the Mean.

Of course, the main reason he was able to do this was that he wasn't tortured and his body suffered no damage whatsoever. It wasn't to the point of talking about willpower or spirit.

"Your Excellency is in high spirits! You're already in prison, yet you're still leisurely reading the classics?"

Putting down his book, Hu Zongxian looked at Wang Yan, who was smiling and bowing outside the prison cell, and stood up to greet him as well.

He stepped closer and said, "That's precisely why we need to read the classics. Otherwise, I have nothing else to do. Qi Dazhu gave me these books, and he told me a lot about you."

"Dazhuang is a thoughtful person. What does the Minister think?"

"Having fallen to such a state, how dare you still hold the title of Minister?" Hu Zongxian shook his head and sighed. "I cannot judge what you have done, nor should I. Whether something is good or bad depends on three factors: His Majesty's opinion, the opinions of the powerful and wealthy, and the opinions of the common people."

You sent His Majesty millions of taels of silver, which is known throughout the land. How could His Majesty not be satisfied? You also created a cleaning fee, hiring orphans and widows to sweep the streets and alleys, clearing out local ruffians and eliminating hooligans, expanding shelters, so that there is not a single beggar left on the streets of Daxing. You also hired people to work without issuing labor service or charging them wages. How could the people not be satisfied with you?
Choosing even two out of three options is difficult enough; where can one find something perfect? ​​But if you offend the powerful and wealthy, your situation will likely be dire. You might escape an assassination attempt, but you can't escape being ostracized.

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "I'm not afraid of being ostracized. Even if they don't ostracize me, I won't tolerate them. I don't care about anything else, as long as I can squeeze money out of them. Minister, how many of these three reasons apply to you?"

"I'm not satisfied with any of them!"

Hu Zongxian shook his head and couldn't help but let out a long sigh, "I'm afraid we won't make it through this."

"It's that old bastard Xu Jie who wants you dead, not His Majesty. His Majesty is the most sentimental. That old dog Yan Song has gone home to enjoy his life. When you have an audience with His Majesty to plead your case, you should tell him about the past. His Majesty is kind-hearted and will spare your life. Then, give away all your wealth and teach honestly, and your life will be saved."

"It's not that easy. I might escape this time, but I can't escape next time..."

Hu Zongxian was silent for a moment. “Don’t laugh at me, but I don’t want to die like this either. I took the imperial examination and became an official to fulfill my ambitions. Although His Majesty, the powerful and the people are dissatisfied with me, I have done my part in the six years of fighting against the Japanese pirates, capturing Wang Zhi, killing Xu Hai and quelling the pirate threat. I have made some small contributions to the country.”

“It’s only natural for a person not to want to die, but it will be difficult for you, Minister, to seize power,” Wang Yan said. “Unless Yan Song dies and Xu Jie steps down, it’s impossible.”

“I understand. I’m only over fifty. I’ve taken the medicine you prescribed and practiced the health exercises you taught me. I can afford to wait.”

Hu Zongxian said he could wait, but his eyes were fixed on Wang Yan.

Wang Yan said, "Minister, you are a man..."

"I embezzled military funds..." Hu Zongxian himself revealed his own mistake, offering no rebuttal to the reasons for his impeachment, nor could he refute them, because he had indeed embezzled...

Wang Yan waved his hand: "We previously collected over five million taels of silver in fines for fire hazards, cleaning fees, and penalty interest. Two million taels were given to His Majesty. At that time, I took one hundred thousand taels in front of the Imperial Guards, the same ones who escorted you to the capital this time, Zhu Qi."

Being an official means facing many things beyond your control. You have to consider everyone, from top to bottom, and sometimes you simply have to take things. If you don't, everyone else will, and how will you maintain your position? Your Majesty understands the difficulties faced by those below. Don't go too far; it's all minor.

Besides the 100,000 taels of silver, my meals and drinks at the yamen are also paid for with public funds. I eat several meals a day, each with wine and meat. The house I live in was confiscated, and the people working there are yamen runners and hangers-on from the yamen; they all work for me.”

Hu Zongxian nodded: "When the time comes, just mention my name, Hu Zongxian, out of consideration for our past relationship."

This cannot be said to be Hu Zongxian grasping at straws in desperation; rather, Wang Yan's position in the current court is indeed very strong. He can raise money for the emperor, help the people earn money, and even provide a sum of money to the central government represented by the cabinet. His governance in the regions can indeed bring prosperity to the local areas, which is the reason why Wang Yan can stand firm.

Of course, this is on the premise that Wang Yan can deal with all kinds of plots against him.

But in reality, not all the powerful and influential people wanted to kill Wang Yan. Otherwise, if they were truly united, there wouldn't be all the trouble they're going through with Wang Yan now. They would have been taking turns ruling the Forbidden City long ago.

As long as Wang Yan continues to live, his position will never be low, and no one can stop him from rising to power.

The logic is simple: he can make money for the emperor, and he can also be the emperor's weapon, extending the emperor's power. Just like the emperors who have served Wang Yan in the past, they are all proficient in the tactic of 'releasing imperial pronouncements'.

Hu Zongxian is currently in dire straits. He is appealing to his old acquaintance and friend, who once stood by him on the issue of converting rice paddies to mulberry fields, hoping that one day he can lend a helping hand.

This is a very important point. Even if Wang Yan mentions it to the emperor in the future, it will be a great help.

It seems like the mourning period system, where you return home to observe three years of mourning after a loved one dies. After three years, who will know who you are? And how can you be reinstated? You still need someone in the court.

Hu Zongxian observed five years of mourning for his parents. Without Yan Song's help, where would he have gotten his position? And where would he have later risen to the position of Minister of War and Governor-General of Zhejiang and Zhili, in charge of the anti-Japanese war?

The mourning period for parents was practically a major loophole in the ancient officialdom, but Zhang Juzheng broke this loophole by directly revoking the mourning period...

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Minister, you are exceptionally capable and dedicated. It is not your fault that you have suffered this calamity. Although I am only after making money, I also want our Great Ming to become stronger and more prosperous. Only when the Great Ming is doing well can I do well and make more money. If I am still alive and have not lost the Emperor's favor, I will definitely help you to be reinstated."

“If you can say that, then you won’t die, and you won’t lose the Emperor’s favor.” Hu Zongxian waved his hand. “The Imperial Prison is not a good place. You’ve already done more than enough by taking responsibility to come and see me. Go now.”

"Take care, Your Excellency." Wang Yan cupped his hands in a respectful greeting, then turned and left...

Now that Hu Zongxian has fallen from grace, although he is peacefully reading in this prison, he no longer possesses the profound and imposing demeanor he had in Zhejiang. He appears calm on the surface, but in reality, his mind is probably racing, desperately trying to figure out how to escape this time.

Ultimately, it all depends on Jiajing's attitude...

"Did you go see Hu Zongxian?" In the West Garden, at the construction site, Jiajing stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the busy people and craftsmen in front of him with great satisfaction.

"Your Majesty, I have seen him," Wang Yan said. "This humble servant advised him to reminisce with Your Majesty about the past. Your Majesty is sentimental; you didn't even kill that old dog Yan Song, so you certainly won't want to kill Minister Hu. Once Yan Song is dead and Xu Jie becomes the Grand Secretary, Hu Zongxian can be reinstated. He's only over fifty; waiting ten or eight years won't be a big deal."

Hu Zongxian said that if such an opportunity arises in the future, he would like to have his name recited to His Majesty…

Wang Yan spoke his mind, recounting his conversation with Hu Zongxian in its entirety.

What do you think of Hu Zongxian?

"Minister Hu has made a contribution. He has quelled the Japanese pirates, which has reduced the losses suffered by our Great Ming Dynasty and allowed the people of the southeast to live in peace without having to worry about being killed or robbed at any time."

On the other hand, I, a lowly official, have also heard of the memorial impeaching Hu Zongxian. His crimes included embezzling military funds, excessive taxation, and extravagance and womanizing—each a serious offense.

Hu Zongxian's impeachment was entirely justified; he himself was indeed incompetent.

Jiajing glanced at Wang Yan: "You've said everything. Now tell me, how should we deal with Hu Zongxian?"

"How dare I..."

"I told you to speak!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Wang Yan replied with a cupped hand. "In my opinion, the key to Hu Zongxian's fate lies in whether Xu Jie and the others are willing to spare his life. Otherwise, even if Your Majesty spares Hu Zongxian's life this time out of consideration for past relationships, Hu Zongxian will surely be put on some kind of execution charge next time."

Jiajing didn't speak this time, but he could clearly see that Xu Jie wanted to kill Hu Zongxian.

"You want to protect Hu Zongxian?"

"How could your humble servant possibly protect him, Your Majesty..."

Wang Yan spoke with great grievance, "But Minister Hu had rendered great service to the country, and he was killed right after the Japanese pirates were quelled. What will others think? What will generals like Qi Jiguang think? Xu Jie, that old bastard, did something unethical. If we're talking about corruption, who hasn't? This humble servant even took 100,000 taels of silver to raise pigs, chickens, ducks, and geese, waiting to eat meat."

"Your Majesty, I believe we should transfer Hai Rui to Songjiang Prefecture. Once he arrives, within three months he'll surely uncover a whole host of scandalous affairs involving Xu Jie's family, any one of which would be enough to get him killed."

Emperor Jiajing was both amused and exasperated: "You beat Xu Jie's son black and blue. Xu Jie just became the Grand Secretary and you're already causing him trouble. He hasn't even dealt with you yet, and you're already trying to sow discord between him and Xu Jie?"

"It was only a matter of time, Your Majesty. That old scoundrel Xu Jie is too cunning. He hasn't retaliated against me because Your Majesty still needs me; otherwise, I would have been dead eight hundred times over. This time, during the land survey, they found his name in Daxing—tens of thousands of acres of land and thousands of people. How many acres of his land are exempt from taxes?"

"okay."

Jiajing waved his hand impatiently. He didn't know these things, but he could imagine them.

"Didn't you also investigate Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries? They were all given to you by me. Do you want to investigate me too?"

"Oh dear, Your Majesty, this entire Ming Dynasty belongs to you. Isn't this an insult to your humble servant? Your humble servant cannot stand these treacherous officials who use Your Majesty's name to commit dirty and illegal acts, ruining Your Majesty's reputation and causing the people to misunderstand Your Majesty."

Just like last year when rice paddies were converted to mulberry fields, Yan Shifan, Zheng Bichang, He Maocai, and all those others—I wish I could have them all sliced ​​to death. They were unworthy of being a subject, wouldn't you say, Eunuch Lü?"

Upon hearing that she was mentioned, Lü Fang, who had been quietly serving her, chimed in, "Master, Magistrate Wang thinks of you all the time. He truly hates Yan Song and Yan Shifan, and he still can't forget them."

“He’s eyeing Yan Song’s family’s money,” Jiajing said with a smile.

"Your Majesty is wise beyond measure. Yan Song served as Grand Secretary for twenty years, and his wealth is at least tens of millions of taels of silver. That's about the same amount of silver that our Great Ming's annual tax revenue would amount to. If Yan Song is removed, the nation will be in a much better position, and Your Majesty's Forbidden City can be properly restored."

"Alright, stop thinking about Yan Song. I've ordered him to retire and live out his days in peace, and he'll stay home until he's old. He did embezzle some money, but he also made contributions."

"Then I will write him a letter later, asking him to produce three million taels of silver."

Jiajing glanced at him sideways, and Eunuch Lü exclaimed, "Magistrate Wang, just let Yan Song off the hook. Stop keeping an eye on him. He's served for twenty years, weathering storms with His Majesty. It's not that easy for him."

"Then let's compromise and make him come up with 1.5 million taels of silver. When he entered the palace, I saw that the palace gates were old and really needed a good renovation. Your Majesty, it's not that I'm being relentless towards Yan Song, it's just that he took too much. Was it something he was entitled to take?"

"Alright then." Jiajing waved his hand. "At least we've had a good relationship between the emperor and his ministers for twenty years, a good beginning and a good end. Tell me about your land clearing and population control."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wang Yan responded and recounted the entire story of the Qingtian census, along with his thoughts. Most importantly, he presented the actual data from this census and compared it with records from previous years, thus making Jiajing understand the severity of the problem.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue's statistics from the 40th year of the Jiajing reign show that Daxing had a population of 360,000. This time, my investigation, including all tenants and servants, shows a population of 520,000. 160,000 people, each subject to poll tax, miscellaneous taxes, land tax, and labor service fees, etc., at two qian of silver, would amount to 32,000 taels of silver per year. Over the past hundred years, the population has been declining year by year. How much benefit have people at all levels actually gained from this?"
......"

Jiajing wasn't stupid; he already knew about these things, just not with such detailed data. Now, after hearing Wang Yan personally recount a whole bunch of data… he didn't react in any particular way.

"Sima Qian once said, 'The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for profit.' Hiding fields and land means there is even greater profit to be made. Otherwise, why would the common people offer tribute or send goods under false pretenses? Why would those powerful and wealthy families you mentioned help hide them? And why would scholars take the imperial examinations and dream of becoming officials?"

My Great Ming Dynasty is declining. I, the cabinet, and all the officials are nothing more than patchers, mending and mending..."

"Your Majesty is mending, but I see that others are tearing open the walls. They all talk about benevolence and morality, about serving the country and its people, but what they do in private is all for their own families and descendants. No one thinks that only when our Great Ming is strong can they make more money. They all only want to undermine the Great Ming and live their own riches."

The extravagant Jiajing Emperor, who spent millions of taels of silver annually on official projects, breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart was also filled with bitterness. "Ah, someone understands my hardships..."

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!