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

Chapter 1565 Entering the Cabinet
During our casual conversation, we arrived at the square of Yuxi Palace.

Chen Hong said, "I heard that Vice Minister Wang escorted the old ancestor and Huang Jin to Jirang?"

“Exactly.” Wang Yan nodded with a smile. “After I entered the capital in the fortieth year of Jiajing’s reign, I received much care from them. For the past fourteen years, we have served the late emperor with utmost loyalty. Now that they have retired and are keeping vigil for the late emperor, it is only right for me, their old friend, to see them off.”

Eunuch Chen is a man of deep feeling. Even though he's already in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial, he still addresses Eunuch Lü as "Grand Ancestor." It's truly a heartfelt sentiment. It's a pity Eunuch Lü doesn't know this, otherwise he would be quite pleased.

“Minister Wang, are you insulting me?” Chen Hong replied, mimicking Wang Yan’s earlier tone. “Although we are rootless, we are not without virtue. My ancestor is my adopted godfather, and he will be my godfather for life. Without his support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Even without your help, Minister Wang, I would never allow anyone to bully my ancestor.”

"That's the truth."

"However, Vice Minister Wang, I must say something to you. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, there are many affairs to attend to. As the head of the Ministry of Revenue, at such a crucial time, you abandoned a whole host of matters in the capital to send the old ancestor to Chaotian Temple to pick up Yang Jinshui, and then took them to Jirang, even staying overnight. The round trip wasted two days. It was really not right of you."

"We couldn't find him, and when we inquired, we learned that he had gone out of the city to pay respects to the late emperor. Our master is furious..."

Wang Yan chuckled and said, "Oh dear, then I must apologize to His Majesty. Let's go, let's go."

“Ah, there’s no need for that. I’ve already explained to the Emperor on your behalf, and the Emperor knows that you were promoted by the late Emperor and entrusted with important responsibilities over the years. Your relationship with the late Emperor is extraordinary, so it’s only natural for you to go and pay your respects. But you must never be so disregard for the bigger picture in the future. What do you say, Vice Minister Wang?”

"I said thank you for speaking well of me, Eunuch Chen. We should get closer from now on."

"That's it. Only when you and I work together can we serve our master, His Majesty, well, suppress those treacherous officials, and make our Great Ming Dynasty better."

After exchanging a few more words of laughter, the two walked across the square and entered the Yuxi Palace.

It had been quite a few years since Wang Yan had last visited this grand hall. After all, with ample funding over the years, the palace complex in the West Garden, viewed from Jingshan Hill behind it, had become quite impressive, with a sense of rows upon rows of buildings.

The feeling diminishes upon closer inspection, as the palaces are spaced far apart for fire prevention. Only from a distance can one truly appreciate their opulence and grandeur.

Stepping over the threshold and turning through the long corridor, they reached the second threshold. Wang Yan waited at the threshold, while Chen Hong went inside to announce their arrival.

A moment later, Chen Hong came out and gestured for him to enter, saying, "Please come in, Vice Minister Wang."

Wang Yan followed Chen Hong inside and met Longqing at the imperial desk at the back.

"Your subject, Wang Yan, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

After Wang Yan kowtowed, Longqing waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Wang Yan rose, cupped his hands in a respectful greeting, and then stood still, his hands tucked into his sleeves. He didn't look at Long Qing, but instead focused his gaze on the table before him. On the table lay a large pile of documents. Wang Yan's extraordinary eyesight allowed him to see them: the quarterly, semi-annual, and annual financial statements of the Ming Dynasty produced under his supervision in recent years, along with reports from the Inner Court simultaneously released by the Directorate of Ceremonial...

"I heard you went to Father Emperor's sacred land?"

"Indeed, we escorted Eunuch Lü and Eunuch Huang over, and then paid our respects to the late Emperor."

“You are a thoughtful person. No wonder Father Emperor gave you great power,” Longqing said. “When Father Emperor passed away, he also entrusted me to give you important responsibilities, saying that you are loyal to the emperor and the country and are willing to take on tasks. The greatest contribution to the prosperity and strength of our Great Ming Dynasty today is your contribution.”

"It was all the late emperor's strategic planning; I was merely carrying it out. How dare I claim credit for what is rightfully mine?"

"You don't need to be so modest. Everyone knows you risked your life for this. You've been killed at least forty times by now, haven't you?"

"Your Majesty, forty-seven times. The most recent time was when the late Emperor was on his deathbed. It seems that people did not want Your Majesty to give me important positions."

"I not only want to use you, but I also want you to join the cabinet." Looking at the humble Wang Yan, Longqing couldn't help but think of their first meeting at the Prince's residence.

At that time, he was still a minor prince whose succession was yet to be determined, and Wang Yan was just a small magistrate of Daxing County...

He said, "What do you think of your promotion to Minister of Revenue and Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion?"

Wang Yan took a step back and promptly kowtowed.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great trust and will serve you with all my might. Long live the Emperor!"

"Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Longqing said, "I have reviewed the accounts. In the years since you took charge of the Ministry of Revenue, the annual revenue of our Great Ming Dynasty has increased significantly. We also allocate more than four million taels of silver to the Imperial Treasury every year..."

Wang Yan interrupted Longqing: "It's almost the end of the year. The Ministry of Revenue and the Royal Bank are all reviewing their accounts, and all the other ministries and departments are also reviewing their accounts and making budgets for next year's expenditures. It's not advisable to touch the national treasury at the moment. If I remember correctly, I allocated three million taels of silver to the Imperial Treasury in the first half of the year. Adding the income of the inner court itself, there should be more than five million taels of silver by now."

After the late emperor's health declined, he ceased undertaking any major projects. This year's inner court expenditures will be at most three million taels of silver, and there should still be three million taels remaining. This is enough for Your Majesty to use until next year. Your Majesty should use this money first, and once the accounts are settled and plans are made, the Ministry of Revenue will allocate more silver next year. If the inner treasury's cash reserves fall below three million taels, then Your Majesty should take charge of the inner court…”

Chen Hong said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. I have been disciplining the servants below recently, teaching them the rules, letting them know who their masters are, and what they can and cannot take. You need not trouble yourself with these matters, Grand Secretary Wang."

"Oh dear, Eunuch Chen is swearing again. He hasn't even officially joined the cabinet yet!"

"Since the master has spoken, it's only a matter of time, Elder Wang."

Wang Yan smiled and cupped his hands in thanks to Emperor Longqing: "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty. I will certainly do my utmost to serve you."

"I still believe in you. Even my father said that you are the one who cares most about the Ming Dynasty, even more so than he, the emperor."

"I am also serving the late Emperor and Your Majesty. The late Emperor and Your Majesty are the Ming Dynasty, and I am naturally serving the Ming Dynasty as well."

Longqing smiled, nodded in satisfaction, and then said, "Hu Zongxian has been the Governor-General of Jiliao for more than three years now. What are your thoughts on his arrangements?"

"I have no particular thoughts. We are all Your Majesty's subjects, and how to arrange things is entirely up to Your Majesty. However, I must say that Hu Zongxian is not young, already sixty-three years old, and it is not appropriate for him to go out to live with you."

“If you have any ideas, just say them. Be direct. Everyone says you’re the most direct person, so why are you being so long-winded now?” Longqing seemed a little disgusted. He said, “Let him come back to take charge of the Ministry of War. Both of you are good at military affairs and can win battles. The Jiliao border army is well managed and is now a strong army of our Great Ming. Zhang Juzheng and others intend to reform the army. You two should discuss it first.”

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Seeing that Longqing hummed in agreement and began to drink his tea, Wang Yan sensibly bowed and left... Prince Yu changed after becoming Longqing.

After dealing with some issues of understanding, he actually came directly to Wang Yan to ask for money. Clearly, he was planning something big. Similarly, seeing how easily his father got money from Wang Yan, he wanted even more. Perhaps how to spend the money was something he had been considering and planning for a long time.

The Longqing Emperor in history was like this, undergoing a significant change before and after ascending the throne. Perhaps the pressure from the Jiajing Emperor was too great; the saying "two dragons cannot meet" meant he felt no paternal affection for his father, Jiajing, only fear of great terror. This made him feel repressed.

At the same time, his desire for power led him to pretend to be a good person and hide his true self. And this repression further distorted his thinking.

Now that Jiajing is dead and he has ascended the throne, the transfer of power has been smooth, and his insecurity has subsided. With no one to oppress him and no great terror to fear, his many hidden desires have begun to surface…

So much so that he dared to directly ask Wang Yan for money.

A smooth transition of power does not mean he truly holds power. Nor does his power originate from his title of 'emperor'.

Jiajing could take money from the national treasury to spend, and the cabinet rarely made a sound, so Longqing thought he could do the same?

Of course, since Wang Yan was a member of the Emperor's faction, he did not refuse Longqing's request and was still willing to give him money.

The new paper money has been issued for ten years and has been fully promoted throughout the Ming Dynasty. It is also widely accepted by the surrounding foreign tribes and has a very strong position.

In the past three years, the Ming Dynasty has completed tax reforms, including nationwide land surveys, levies on commercial taxes, and exemptions from corvée labor, significantly alleviating the burden on the people and unleashing their potential. With the positive economic development and the advancement of maritime exploration, the Ming Dynasty will be in a long-term period of economic growth.

Under such circumstances, as long as a healthy recycling mechanism is guaranteed, paper money can be printed at will. How much can the emperor spend? If he wants to spend ten million, Wang Yan would dare to print it for him.

The requirement is simple: as long as this money is actually spent, whether it's for procurement, hiring labor, or even if it's embezzled by subordinates, they will eventually spend it. As long as it's spent, it will become the wealth of the people and accumulate into the wealth of the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, he wouldn't give that much; there would still be restrictions. Even Emperor Jiajing had a limit to how much money he wanted and how much he spent. What did Emperor Longqing have? He certainly didn't have the same abilities as Emperor Jiajing.

As for Longqing's desire to indulge in extravagance and debauchery and start courting death, let him court death. Even if he is sent away by the civil officials, Wang Yan will not stop him.

To reiterate, he had already solidified his position and found his niche during the Jiajing era, becoming indispensable and irreplaceable. Therefore, Jiajing's usefulness to him had diminished, and the same applies to the current Longqing Emperor.

Wang Yan no longer cares who is emperor; it doesn't matter who it is. With him here, the imperial power can no longer be extended, and now he has the ability to usurp imperial authority.

The number of civil and military officials, nobles, and imperial relatives who pledged allegiance to him was countless. In addition, there was the emerging capitalist class he had cultivated, as well as the Jiliao border army and the southeastern navy, all of whom obeyed his orders.

Even though Xu Jie and others had been making personnel changes in these places to eliminate his influence, they were still unable to do so.

The logic is simple: following Wang Yan will make you rich...

Now, Wang Yan has become a scourge threatening imperial power.

However, many people, including Zhang Juzheng, did not realize that Wang Yan had unknowingly gained such a great influence.

They were blinded by the stereotypes surrounding Jiajing's long-standing protection of Wang Yan, Wang Yan acting on Jiajing's behalf, and Wang Yan being a lone minister surrounded by enemies. Habitual thinking controlled their minds.

They haven't truly grasped the seriousness of the problem.

But it doesn't matter, because Wang Yan is a loyal minister...

After leaving Yuxi Palace, Wang Yan went directly to the Cabinet to report for duty.

The personnel in the cabinet had changed. Xu Jie had stepped down, Gao Gong was the Grand Secretary, and there were also Zhang Juzheng, Chen Yiqin, and Wang Yan, making up the entirety of the new cabinet. Among them, Chen Yiqin was the second Grand Secretary, Zhang Juzheng the third, and Wang Yan the last.

But once you get to this point, it's hard to say who's in charge and who's secondary. The real competition isn't in the cabinet, but outside of it. It's in the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, in the provincial administration commissioners, in the military… it's all about the power of each faction. The greater the power, the greater the influence, and the more things can be accomplished within the cabinet…

It is worth mentioning the high arch.

In the original history, Gao Gong had been sent back to his hometown long ago, then recalled to the court, served for a few years, and was then ousted by Zhang Juzheng. He died less than two years later.

But things are different now. Because of Wang Yan, the Ming Dynasty is developing well. Also because of Wang Yan, the political factions are very clear. After Yan Song, Jiajing basically did not make any changes to the cabinet. Everyone did a good job.

Of course, the main reason was that with Wang Yan in charge, Jiajing never had to worry about money, and he didn't need to find solutions in the cabinet...

As the country has developed well, the cabinet has more responsibilities. As the saying goes, power is the best aphrodisiac for men. Gao Gong eats and drinks well and is in high spirits. He is not depressed about being unsuccessful, so his lifespan is naturally longer. He is still clear-headed and sharp-eyed at the moment.

"Have you met His Majesty?"

Upon seeing Wang Yan step in, Zhang Juzheng struck up a conversation.

"I've met him, and he's let me join the cabinet. From now on, we'll be working together in the same pot."

"Vulgar," Gao Gong said. "You're supposed to be a civil official, don't be so crude."

"Old man, you think I'm not going to scold you anymore? I'm a cabinet minister now, are you trying to lecture me?"

"Wang Yan!" Chen Yiqin walked over and patted Wang Yan's arm, telling Wang Yan to stop cursing.

Zhang Juzheng then reassured Gao Gong, saying in a very polite manner that Wang Yan had a dog-like face and that it was not worth getting angry with him.

"Fine, you say I have a dog's face? Old Zhang, you're so vulgar. Old Gao, you teach him a lesson."

"Stop with the empty words," Chen Yiqin said. "We are all officials in the same court, all working for the Ming Dynasty. If we fight amongst ourselves, how can the Ming Dynasty prosper?"

"That makes sense. Let's get down to business."

Wang Yan said in a serious tone, "After all, I have just joined the cabinet, so I have to show some results. Xu Jie, that old man, is gone. I miss him very much. I heard that the investigation of the fields and households in Songjiang Prefecture was not thorough enough, and the investigation of Xu Jie's family was unclear. It would be good to investigate this matter."

"Wang Yan!"

Zhang Juzheng shouted...

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