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Chapter 1572 I was acting in self-defense!

The winter of the fourth year of the Longqing reign was very cold.

The heavy snow that fell last night had not stopped by noon the next day. However, there was not much snow left on the roads in the capital.

The capital city has a very well-established sanitation system, and a group of elderly people living alone or disabled veterans would come out to shovel snow before dawn.

Then they met up with their work partners and went to some breakfast stalls on the street. They had a bowl of hot mutton soup, some dry food, and a cup of hot wine.

Everyone ate and drank, chatted and boasted, and then another layer of snow fell. Afterwards, they leisurely went back to shoveling snow. After shoveling for a while, they gathered together again for a chat.

Moreover, they are not cold. There is a space on each street where temporary greenhouses made of wood and glass have been set up so that sanitation workers can rest and people who can't walk can also take a break.

Overall, under Wang Yan's governance, the city's operation and infrastructure have become quite modernized, although the technological content of things is relatively low. However, there's always someone to handle and resolve any issues...

As the administrative body responsible for the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty… oh, no, due to the strategic importance of managing Liaodong, the Nurgan Regional Military Commission was abolished and replaced by Jilin Province. The territory under its jurisdiction remained the original Nurgan Regional Military Commission's domain, only now it was under a different name, and a system of immigration and integration began to be implemented.

Jilin's name is a translation from Manchu, meaning "city by the river." Wang Yan didn't want to bother thinking of a new name, so he simply used the original. This area is also the birthplace of the Jurchen people, so it makes sense.

In fact, the Nurgan Regional Military Commission had long been abolished. After the Tumu Crisis, the Ming Dynasty began to consolidate its power, and the Nurgan Regional Military Commission existed in name only. It was during Wang Yan's tenure as Governor-General of Jiliao that the Nurgan Regional Military Commission was re-established, and its function was no longer merely to pacify, but to begin ruling over the Northeast region…

Furthermore, due to the defeat of the Tatars and the expulsion of the Oirats, the northern grasslands extending all the way to the Mongolian steppe were now under the actual rule of the Ming Dynasty. However, due to the vast territory and sparse population, most of the territory was concentrated in the southern grasslands. Geographically, this area roughly corresponds to the region from Hohhot to Hailar in later times. This region had pastures and fields, making it suitable for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry.

The province was naturally named after Mongolia. The Ming Dynasty acknowledged the Yuan Dynasty's rule, and as the birthplace of the Yuan Dynasty, inheriting the history of this land wasn't a big deal. After all, the Ming Dynasty had flattened the grasslands, and there were more than one Jingguan (a mound of corpses) on the grasslands. Wherever a settlement served as a regional center, there was usually a Jingguan nearby…

In addition, the area west of Hohhot, extending all the way to the Western Regions, was also governed, and the Anxi Province was established.

Therefore, according to this calculation, the Ming Dynasty now consists of two capitals and sixteen provinces.

As the new generation of weightlifting king of the Ming Dynasty, who shoulders the responsibilities of the two capitals and sixteen provinces, he naturally works diligently and devotes himself to the greater vision of the Ming Empire.

In the morning, Wang Yan met with Zhang Juzheng and others at the Wenyuan Pavilion. He casually criticized them until they had no temper left. After most things were done according to his wishes, Wang Yan returned to the Ministry of Revenue for lunch.

As everyone knows, Wang Yan loves good food and is always very generous. Since Wang Yan took office as the head of the Ministry of Revenue, the food at the Ministry has improved dramatically.

It snowed today, so the Ministry of Revenue's kitchen started slaughtering pigs and sheep early in the morning. When Wang Yan returned, he was just in time to eat the pig-slaughtering feast and gnaw on a leg of lamb.

While he was feasting, a eunuch came to find him, saying that Longqing wanted to talk to Wang Yan about some matters discussed in the cabinet that morning, and then have lunch together. Longqing often said that he liked eating with Wang Yan the most, because Wang Yan ate heartily, and watching him eat more made him want to eat more too.

As for discussing matters decided by the cabinet, that's common practice. Ultimately, the cabinet is an advisory body, only its power has been gradually increased. But even now, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs still acts as a check and balance on the cabinet.

It was common practice to have Wang Yan come over and explain things in detail so that Longqing could understand the reasoning behind it.

Wang Yan, of course, could not put on airs with Longqing. He immediately put down the half-eaten lamb leg, wiped his mouth and washed his hands, and left with the eunuch, heading towards the West Garden.

At Wang Yan's current status, he was permitted to ride horses and sedan chairs within the palace. It wasn't that he was particularly special, but rather that those in his position were generally over fifty, and most had some health issues. The Forbidden City was vast, and walking was truly difficult for these ministers. Therefore, at this level, the emperor made things convenient for them.

However, Wang Yan was too young and still very strong. Therefore, except for urgent audiences, Wang Yan never rode a horse or traveled by sedan chair...

So Wang Yan tucked his hands into his sleeves and shuffled along on the snow, the crunching sound quite comfortable.

The wind and snow seemed to have gotten even stronger.

Upon entering the West Garden and arriving at the gate of the Yuxi Palace, Wang Yan stopped and looked up at the plaque above the gate. This plaque, handwritten by the Jiajing Emperor, had been hung there since the completion of the Yuxi Palace, and could be considered a witness to a major historical turning point in the Ming Dynasty.

"Grand Secretary Wang, the wind and snow are heavy, please go inside quickly, His Majesty is waiting for you," the little eunuch urged.

Wang Yan glanced at him and stepped into Yu Xi Palace.

After entering, he had only taken a few steps in the square when he heard a dense sound of footsteps and the rustling of armor plates. Hundreds of armored soldiers appeared in the square, and another hundred or so ran in through the back gate.

These armored soldiers, armed with muskets, shields, spears, and other weapons, stared intently at Wang Yan.

Some were even trembling, whether from fear or excitement, it was hard to tell...

The glass windows in Yuxi Palace have long been replaced with larger ones, instead of the old small ones. They are replaced twice a year, when it gets cold and when it gets hot.

At this very moment, inside the glass, Feng Bao stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Wang Yan, who was surrounded in the arena, with a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth, as if he had already won.

Wang Yan had experienced similar situations several times before. However, he usually preferred to take the initiative. Being passive like this was relatively rare for him.

He offered the emperor the greatest goodwill, hoping the emperor could reconcile with himself and forgive himself instead of deliberately seeking trouble. But unfortunately, the emperor was a power monster. When he felt the loss of power and the lack of authority, he always wanted to kill his most outspoken subordinates to consolidate his power again.

The emperor wouldn't care how many good deeds his subordinates did or how much help they gave him. A person with humanity cannot be emperor. Once he becomes emperor, he loses all humanity.

Of course, if you think about it from the emperor's perspective, there's actually no problem. It's a dynastic system, a centralized system of power.

Although Wang Yan increased the imperial court's revenue several times over and propelled the Ming Empire to even greater heights every day, he also reaped considerable benefits from this wealth. He enjoyed immense prestige among the people, wielded considerable power within the court, and possessed extraordinary influence within the army—all of which he achieved through the money he spent.

He made everyone rich, improved the lives of ordinary people, made soldiers feel more secure in battle, made being a soldier a glorious thing, helped merchants expand, boosted market prosperity, and made the Ming Dynasty invincible.

Since the death of Emperor Jiajing, Wang Yan gradually began to seize power, demonstrating his formidable strength and danger. So much so that even the emperor and the cabinet combined could not bring him down.

How could the emperor possibly believe in his innocence in such a situation?

To convince Longqing of his innocence, he had to obey Longqing's every word and be ordered to step down. But stepping down meant certain death. He didn't want to die; why should he die?
However, he could no longer gain Longqing's trust, and this led to a conflict. If Longqing continued to target him, and he continued to resist, then the conflict would become irreconcilable.

So in the end, we've come to this point, to this simple and straightforward solution.

This is truly the most sophisticated form of political struggle.

Feng Bao, dressed in a scarlet official robe with his hands tucked into his sleeves, walked out of the Yu Xi Palace and into the wind and snow.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and get started!" His words were filled with boundless smugness.

He should be proud of himself.

Having come to this point, there was no chance of Wang Yan surviving. Thinking back to how Wang Yan had thrashed him at the construction site, Feng Bao dreamt of revenge even in his sleep!

Now that he had finally succeeded, he felt a great sense of satisfaction. As soon as Feng Bao finished speaking, the armored soldiers began to move.

However, the actions did not go quite as Feng Bao had anticipated.

Indeed, some armored soldiers charged toward Wang Yan, but before they could take more than a few steps, someone next to them stabbed them in the gaps of their armor with a knife.

"Kill!"

The armored soldiers shouted, and amidst the immense shock and angry cries of some of them, they began to kill each other.

One of the armored soldiers took a moment to fire a whistling arrow, and then whistling arrows sounded from a distance, using the sound of the arrows to transmit the message.

Feng Bao stared at the scene in disbelief, his mouth agape, completely overwhelmed by shock...

For Wang Yan, this kind of comeback from the brink of defeat wasn't satisfying at all. After all, he had the entire map open, with X-ray vision.

He watched as Longqing, Zhang Juzheng, Feng Bao, and others painstakingly planned and meticulously executed their plans, gradually leading to the situation they had reached today.

This wasn't a comeback; victory was inevitable from the start.

Wang Yan dodged the oncoming blade to the side, caught it with his bare hands, and swiftly and decisively snatched the armored soldier's helmet with his longsword. With a swift stroke across the exposed neck, he ended the soldier's life.

He certainly couldn't expect everyone around Longqing to be loyal to him; he could only achieve a portion. After all, at this point, only a fool would remain determined to follow him. Ultimately, imperial power was the only truly invincible force.

Of course, Wang Yan also had reasons that compelled them to be loyal. On one hand, there was money; on the other hand, there was leverage over them. With this carrot and stick approach, everyone was tightly united.

While there are certainly fervent followers who are driven by ideals and beliefs, they are extremely rare. Such individuals are not readily apparent; they are only revealed through trials and tribulations.

Therefore, of the nearly three hundred armored soldiers present, only half were his men. Even now, he had to personally wield his sword and cut down the enemy, all to minimize their deaths—they were all meritorious officials, destined for future wealth and honor…

While the fighting raged in the Jade Palace, as the signal arrows were sent, the gates of the Forbidden City were brought under control, followed by the Imperial City and then the outer city gates.

The city's yamen runners, firearms, and hangers-on, as well as the Five City Garrison Command which had been purged, were urgently mobilized. The street-cleaning drums sounded, and the entire capital city entered a state of martial law.

Even as martial law was declared, numerous burly men emerged from various parts of the capital, moving against the flow of people. They quickly assembled, opened armories, and armed themselves...

As the fierce fighting ended, the once pristine Yuxi Palace was now a scene of carnage. The snow-covered ground was littered with blood, severed limbs, and bits of flesh. Some lay gasping for breath, others cried out in pain, and still others gasped for air.

Of course, there was also leakage of feces and urine due to incontinence, which had an unpleasant, fishy stench. Fortunately, it was a winter day with howling, cold winds, so the smell was much milder...

Wang Yan's body was covered in blood, making his already bright red robe even more crimson.

Wang Yan casually tossed the knife aside, walked up to the dazed Feng Bao, and wiped the blood from his hands with his clothes.

"What about Your Majesty?"

"just kill me!"

Wang Yan looked at him strangely: "Do you think you can survive? Alright, the Forbidden City isn't that big. If you don't tell me, I won't be able to find His Majesty."

"Traitorous scoundrel! Wang Yan, you will die a horrible death!" Feng Bao shouted hoarsely.

"If I let you kill me, does that mean I'm not a traitor? That I'll get a good death? Eunuch Feng, you're really shameless. You're allowed to kill me, but I'm not allowed to kill you? What kind of logic is that? Have some dignity for yourself. Hurry up, where is His Majesty?"

Seeing the eager soldiers behind Wang Yan, Feng Bao wisely gave his answer.

"Wanshou Palace".

So Wang Yan had someone keep an eye on Feng Bao and took the able-bodied soldiers to Wanshou Palace, where he met the Longqing Emperor, Zhang Juzheng, Chen Yiqin, the young Wanli Emperor, and other eunuchs trusted by the Longqing Emperor.

Upon seeing Wang Yan, Long Qing and the others showed no surprise, but sat there with grim expressions.

Because the signal arrow was unexpected, they knew their plan had been exposed when they heard it. Considering Wang Yan's actions, their operation was most likely a failure.

The young Wanli Emperor was still young, impatient, and afraid of death.

"How dare you speak so boldly! Do you intend to commit regicide?"

"Look at you, Old Zhang, it's all your fault for not teaching him properly. He has no sense of occasion and talks nonsense. If I really push him too far and he commits regicide, would you be happy? Your Highness?"

Seeing Wang Yan staring at him with murderous intent, Xiao Wanli trembled, lowered his head, and dared not look Wang Yan in the eye.

After scaring the child, Wang Yan looked at Long Qing, who remained silent.

"Your Majesty, things have come to this point, and there is no room for maneuver. I will not waste any more words. From today onwards, Your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince shall enjoy yourselves in this palace."

"Wang Yan!" Zhang Juzheng roared, "You must..."

"Alright, Lao Zhang, it's all about the victors and the vanquished. What's the point of saying all that high-sounding stuff at a time like this? Don't worry, you'll all live. If you want to be a loyal subject, you can stay in the palace and keep His Majesty company."

At this moment, a series of footsteps sounded, and Qi Dazhu led a group of Imperial Guards in.

With Wang Yan's support, Qi Dazhu rose to the rank of commander of the Northern Garrison, leading a portion of the elite guards and becoming a formidable figure with a reputation.

"Your Excellency, are you alright?" Qi Dazhu asked with concern.

"It's nothing." Wang Yan patted Qi Dazhu on the shoulder. "Keep an eye on His Majesty and the others. Don't be disrespectful to them. Once I've stabilized the situation, we can have a proper drink."

Without uttering a single unnecessary word, Wang Yan left Wanshou Palace decisively.

The blood on his feet melted in the warmth of the Wanshou Palace, so that when he walked out in his official boots, each step left a bloody footprint...

Longqing watched Wang Yan's retreating figure, then pulled his coat tighter around himself. This winter was truly cold...

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