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

Chapter 1549 He'd be unhappy if he actually told the truth.

The Prince Yu's residence, the prince said he would come without prior notice.

It was Feng Bao who came out to pick them up.

"I have met Wang Zhizhong."

"Eunuch Feng, it's been a long time." Wang Yan greeted him warmly, grabbed Feng Bao's hand, and slipped twenty large bills of one string of cash into Feng Bao's sleeve pocket.

He then shook his head regretfully and sighed, "These new banknotes are good, but they don't have the tangible weight of silver."

“In the past, it was just silver notes. Zhizhong is very generous. If he used silver, wouldn’t he ruin his health?” Feng Bao smiled ingratiatingly, showing his intimacy. He then bowed and stepped back, gesturing with his hand, “His Highness is already waiting for Zhizhong. He has ordered the chefs in the Prince’s mansion to hurry up and prepare the dishes. He wants to drink with Zhizhong until they are drunk. Please.”

Wang Yan followed Feng Bao into the Prince's Mansion, walking along the road chatting and laughing.

They hadn't gone far when they saw a child rush out, followed by eunuchs and maids.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" they called out in alarm.

They couldn't help but panic. They hadn't kept an eye on the young master and had offended the guests who had come to the Prince's residence; they would be punished later. No matter how high the young master was, he was now nothing more than a naughty child.

"Big brother, play with me." The little thing held Feng Bao's hand.

"Your Highness, this servant is greeting the Prince's guests. After we finish greeting the guests, I will play with you." Feng Bao almost squatted down so that the young master could be level with him.

Wang Yan was looking at the little thing with great interest, after all, this was the future Wanli Emperor.

Seeing that the young Wanli was looking over, Wang Yan smiled and bowed: "Wang Yan, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, greets the Crown Prince."

"You are Wang Yan?"

"Does the young master know me?"

"I've heard you're incredibly audacious..."

“Oh, Your Highness, what do you mean by being incredibly audacious? Wang Zhizhong is wholeheartedly devoted to the people and to our Great Ming Dynasty, risking his life for them.” Feng Bao quickly interrupted the young Wanli.

Wang Yan laughed heartily, took out two pieces of candy from his sleeve and handed them over: "Your Highness is right, I am indeed audacious. But Your Highness, you must understand, who am I doing all this for? When you have figured this out, then you can see. Have some candy, Your Highness, sweeten your mouth."

Seeing that the young Wanli was looking at him, Feng Bao took the candy and said, "This servant thanks the governor on behalf of the young master."

Wang Yan patted Feng Bao's arm: "Since the young master is so fond of you, his chief attendant, then I won't trouble you. Please ask this eunuch to take me to see the prince."

Watching Wang Yan leave with the little eunuch, the young Wanli unwrapped the candy and started eating it.

“My dear companion, Mother says that this Wang Yan is incredibly audacious, but I think he’s quite nice. He has a really handsome smile.”

Feng Bao breathed a sigh of relief: "Then, when the young master sees Wang Yan again, he should be more friendly to him. This is for serving the Emperor."

No matter how much they curse, slander, or attack, anyone with eyes can see who truly dedicated themselves to the Ming Dynasty and who truly served the emperor.

As a subject, Wang Yan's attitude was impeccable. In governing the region, Wang Yan was always acting in the best interests of the country and its people.

Although many scholars now look down on Wang Yan's wife's background and despise Wang Yan's blatant greed and lust, they all respect Wang Yan's genuine attitude of serving the country and the people.

Even a blind person can see the tremendous changes in Beijing over the past few years; this is an indelible and enormous achievement…

After a long separation, Prince Yu looked rather haggard, but his attitude towards Wang Yan was much warmer than when they last met.

Of course, the two had met before; they had seen each other at other events, but they hadn't interacted much.

"Wang Zhizhong, it's been a long time! What brings you to my residence today? Is there something you need?"

After exchanging greetings, Prince Yu asked the question directly.

Wang Yan bowed towards the direction of the palace and said, "Your Majesty heard that the Prince has caught a cold and is not getting better. Fortunately, I have some medical knowledge, so Your Majesty asked me to come and take a look at the Prince."

"It's really kind of you, Father Emperor, to worry about this. In that case, I'll trouble you to take a look."

After a short while, Wang Yan grasped Prince Yu's arm and took his pulse. He then asked in detail about many of the child's symptoms, reactions, and feelings. He then prepared a prescription and left a recipe.

"Your Highness, you should try to relax and not worry too much. When your mind is at ease, your body will feel more comfortable... Take the medicine I prescribed, eat the meals, and it would be best to have Eunuch Huang arrange for someone to come and teach Your Highness a health regimen. It's something I figured out; doing it twice every morning will make you feel refreshed and is very beneficial to your health..."

Prince Yu was only twenty-eight years old. Although his health was somewhat weak, he was still capable. His cold likely stemmed from the death of Prince Jing. Prince Jing died right after the New Year, and the news reached the capital before the Lantern Festival.

King Jing died suddenly, without causing a great uproar; an eerie silence fell over the court.

Now only Prince Yu is left as a son...

Listening attentively to Wang Yan's instructions, and having the prescriptions and recipes written by Wang Yan put away, Prince Yu said, "Wang Zhizhong, please wait a moment. I have already had food prepared. It is noon now, let's have a couple of drinks together before you go. Speaking of which, I feel more comfortable eating with you, and I eat more."

"I am stupid and honest; I will eat when I am told to eat and drink when I am told to drink."

“Wang Zhizhong, it’s not good to be too modest. If you were stupid and clumsy, how could Shuntian Prefecture have become what it is today in just three years? Last year there was a severe drought and a poor harvest, and in the winter there was a snow disaster. Yet no one in Shuntian Prefecture died from cold or hunger. It’s all thanks to you.”

“It’s possible that some people are freezing or starving to death down there, but the people down there are keeping it a secret.” Wang Yan laughed. “But overall, I have done my duty and have not let Your Majesty down. I have done my best to make the people’s lives better.”

"You are a capable minister who can govern a peaceful world." Prince Yu gave you high praise. He sighed, "You have not had it easy either. In order to do some practical things, you have been attacked and slandered one after another in recent years. You are truly rare."

"Everything I do is for the betterment and prosperity of my Great Ming. As long as I live, I will do my part for the prosperity of my Great Ming. I can't manage things far away, so I will start in Shuntian Prefecture and the surrounding areas and do what I can."

Prince Yu nodded with a smile, not feeling that Wang Yan had taken too much silver.

Because comparisons are always the best policy. Wang Yan gave Jiajing eight million taels of silver, so is taking four hundred thousand taels for himself a lot? Besides, according to investigations, Wang Yan used all his silver to feed meat.

All of Wang Yan's businesses revolve around meat consumption, including breeding, transportation, slaughtering, veterinary medicine, and herbal medicine. To date, he has built a complete industrial chain in Shuntian Prefecture and Hangzhou.

He didn't actually spend much himself; his biggest expenses were food, drink, and supporting women...

On the other hand, Wang Yan was truly capable, bringing order to Shuntian Prefecture and allowing Jiajing to vent his anger by attacking people everywhere. After so many years, Prince Yu had come to understand the important role Wang Yan played.

To put it bluntly, he now felt that Wang Yan was more loyal and more useful than all the people in his palace, and even more so than Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and others who supported him.

Of course, this is from the perspective of the entire Ming Dynasty, from the emperor's position...

As Wang Yan was chatting with Prince Yu, a young eunuch came to announce that Xu, Gao, and Zhang had all arrived. Before Prince Yu could even look over, Wang Yan had already sensibly stood up to take his leave: "Since the three of you have come, I will take my leave now. I will come to the Prince's residence to beg for food another day."

"It's alright, you can stay. We're officials in the same court, so there's no need to be so distant."

Since Prince Yu said so, Wang Yan naturally couldn't say anything more and immediately sat back down.

After chatting for another two minutes, Xu, Gao, and Zhang entered one after another. Wang Yan also stood up and said, "Wang Yan greets Grand Secretary Xu, Grand Secretary Gao, and Minister Zhang."

The three nodded politely. Xu Jie smiled and said as if he were joking, "I heard you have a lot of opinions about me. I thought you were going to call me an old man directly."

"Old thing!"

"Uh……"

Seeing Xu Jie's embarrassed expression, Wang Yan smiled and said, "Look at you, Grand Secretary Xu, you're not happy even if I call you. You're just a petty and vindictive person, why are you pretending to be magnanimous?"

“Wang Yan!” Zhang Juzheng shouted.

"Stop talking nonsense." Prince Yu also looked over with displeasure.

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "Grand Secretary Xu was joking with me, so I was joking with Grand Secretary Xu too. The old man isn't really holding a grudge, is he? Huh?"

"Wang Yan, you have too many misunderstandings about me."

"Don't act like you're old and incompetent." Wang Yan glanced at him and said calmly, "I have said on many occasions that whoever has the ability should solve the problem."

I've heard you always say that things should be done slowly and deliberately, because one small action can have far-reaching consequences, and you dare not act rashly. In that case, Grand Secretary Xu, there's no need to force it across the entire country. First, collect the sanitation fees from Songjiang Prefecture, conduct a thorough investigation of the fields and population, and collect taxes according to regulations. Then, promote the new paper money.

As the current Grand Secretary, Xu is in charge of all national affairs. He should set an example for all officials and encourage powerful and wealthy families to offer their money voluntarily.

"By then, our Great Ming Dynasty will be prosperous and strong, driving out the northern barbarians and sweeping away the eastern pirates. Peace will reign throughout the land, the people will live in contentment, and all officials will be honest and upright, achieving a state of perfect harmony. What does Grand Secretary Xu think?"

Xu Jie remained silent. Wang Yan had spoken so directly; how could he possibly respond?

Zhang Juzheng shouted, "Wang Yan, why be so aggressive? It's all for the sake of the Ming Dynasty..."

“Minister Zhang, why don’t you collect the sanitation fees in Jingzhou, clear the fields and check the population, and then promote the new paper money?” Wang Yan said with a smile. “Whether it is for the Ming Dynasty or for yourselves, you gentlemen know best. I have been attacked more than a dozen times, and you have turned a deaf ear. When the Imperial Guards arrest people, you jump out and say that you are implicating others. People are not at ease.”

"Damn it, you only feel uneasy when you've done something wrong. I sleep soundly every night. You didn't say you felt uneasy when you were killing me, but now that it's their turn, you're feeling uneasy? You three, what can I do for you? Are you at peace now?"

Gao Gong looked left and right, then snorted in dissatisfaction: "I'm perfectly fine, do you have something to say or not?"

Wang Yan laughed heartily, then turned and bowed to Prince Yu: "Your Highness, you saw it all from the beginning, so it's not my fault. That old man insisted on pretending to be magnanimous. I actually called him 'old man,' and he gave me a hard time. How utterly pointless and hypocritical! I'll take my leave now, otherwise I'd be in deep trouble if Grand Secretary Xu angered him to death. This is a pillar who has devoted himself to the Ming Dynasty, and he can't fall..."

Prince Yu looked furious, his liver aching from Wang Yan's anger. He had no patience for pleasantries and waved his hand repeatedly, urging Wang Yan to leave quickly.

So Wang Yan politely took his leave...

"Your Excellency..."

Before Prince Yu could offer any comfort, Xu Jie smiled and shook his head: "Wang Yan is only twenty-five years old, yet he has experienced extraordinary things. It is only natural that he has a bit of a temper and is straightforward. How can this old minister hold a grudge against him?"

"Your Excellency's magnanimity is truly admirable."

After a couple of words of praise, the matter was considered closed, and the important business was brought up.

Zhang Juzheng's words were earth-shattering: "His Majesty sent Eunuch Lü today to deliver a message that he will be going into seclusion to pray for blessings and to calculate an auspicious date for moving to the Wanshou Palace..."

"Another seclusion?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Prince Yu realized he had misspoke and changed his words, saying, "Your words came from the palace. You saw the Emperor first, and then came to treat me on the Emperor's orders. It must be related to him."

Xu Jie nodded: "This old minister thinks so too. Recently, the matter of Hu Zongxian managing the fleet for maritime trade has been widely known. Today, someone even submitted a memorial to the throne to impeach him, saying that Wang Yan is the real leader of the fleet and that Wang Yan should be investigated."

Prince Yu now understood why Wang Yan had directly attacked Xu Jie; it was because Wang Yan was about to cause trouble again, and he certainly wouldn't give these southerners a friendly look.

"What do the three masters think?"

Gao Gong looked on with a sorrowful expression: "The Japanese pirates are going to cause chaos again. How many years have we been fighting them? We finally managed to defeat them, and now they're causing trouble again..."

Zhang Juzheng said, "This time, the big players in the southeast have gone too far. Even though Wang Yan and Hu Zongxian run a fleet, it hasn't affected their business. They just had to make things escalate to this point."

This is blatant lying; their support for Wang Yan is written all over their faces.

Was he a reformist? He didn't know if Wang Yan's actions were good or right, but he knew that the development of wealthy households had to be curbed. The wealthy households in the southeast had indeed gone too far; for as long as the Japanese pirates caused trouble, they also made their fortunes.

According to information obtained from various sources, Hu Zongxian's fleet now numbers over three thousand men, with more than a thousand soldiers, enough to roam freely at sea. Furthermore, Wang Yan is having the imperial guards search for information on treasure ships, intending to rebuild them.

All these actions demonstrate that Wang Yan intends to expand his fleet and blockade the seas. His ambitions towards the powerful states of the southeast are no longer concealed.

Zhang Juzheng supported Wang Yan in this matter because he saw the benefits Wang Yan would bring by building a fleet of ships. For over a century, wealthy merchants in the southeast had been smuggling, yet it hadn't improved the lives of the people there. After two years of Wang Yan's smuggling, grain prices in Shuntian Prefecture stabilized. It was clear who was doing the good and who was doing the bad.

Gao Gong also held opposing views. He was from the northern inland and didn't have much involvement with maritime merchants.

Only Xu Jie's attitude remained unclear.

The four discussed it for a while, and just then the food prepared for Wang Yan was ready, so Prince Yu ate with them.

"This is still the food and wine prepared for Wang Yan," Prince Yu said with amusement.

"This old minister should eat more today," Xu Jie replied jokingly, seemingly very magnanimous.

Just then, Feng Bao walked in.

They didn't hide anything and reported the news directly.

"My lord, I just received news that after leaving the palace, Wang Yan went to the Royal Bank headquarters and ordered the selection of suitable people to open branches in Fujian and Guangdong. He also ordered the printing of an additional one million strings of cash."

Everyone suddenly looked up and stared intently at Feng Bao.

Feng Bao was quite uncomfortable being watched like this...

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!