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Chapter 1573 Return
The earth-shattering changes made the powerful and wealthy in the capital feel insecure.

Although it was already known that the conflict between Longqing and Wang Yan was irreconcilable, and people even considered the possibility that the emperor would kill Wang Yan, no one expected that the sure-killing plan against Wang Yan would be turned around by Wang Yan himself.

In an instant, a great terror enveloped the capital. In a daze, many people even felt the oppressive atmosphere of the time of the founding emperor…

People all viewed Wang Yan as a traitor, since his ability to turn the tables suggested he had been prepared all along. And if he had been prepared, it meant he had harbored rebellious intentions all along.

A group of treacherous officials who had lost their lives to undermine the Ming Dynasty, secretly seize power, and lead the empire to its decline, considered Wang Yan, who was forced to defend himself, to be a treacherous official.

Without a doubt, this is a huge joke...

Therefore, Wang Yan convened a grand court assembly of Beijing officials in the Forbidden City and announced Emperor Longqing's edict in front of thousands of people, promoting Wang Yan to Grand Tutor and concurrently Prime Minister, in charge of all military and political affairs of the Ming Dynasty.

The title of Prime Minister was naturally bestowed upon Wang Yan himself. It ranked above the cabinet but below the emperor, nominally equivalent to the former prime minister, but in terms of actual power, it was incomparable. After all, Wang Yan was merely not the emperor; he exercised the full powers and responsibilities of an emperor…

Wang Yan didn't even give Longqing a reason to recuperate, he didn't even mention it, and simply and decisively confined the royal family to the deep palace.

On the spot, some people cursed Wang Yan as a traitor and a villain, hurling insults at him mercilessly. Even more extreme, one person committed suicide in court, determined to completely ruin Wang Yan's reputation.

Wang Yan didn't care. He let these people get what they wanted, and let those who had previously sided with him and opposed him also receive the rewards of siding with him.

If you lose by taking sides, you shouldn't complain. Unfortunately, many people can't do that. Most only accept success and what's in their own interest; otherwise, they'll whine and complain endlessly, saying the most vicious things in the world, as if someone owes them something.

After the meeting confirmed the legality and compliance of the procedures, Wang Yan began a major purge.

Eliminating a group in court first demonstrates a stance. Those in power were promoted by those below, so naturally they must be uprooted. From the central government to local authorities, every department, down to the lowest-ranking clerks, must be implicated.

At this point, there is no question of innocence or right and wrong. After all, even from Wang Yan's position, he couldn't discern whether each person involved was at fault or whether they should be dealt with.

He wanted to expand the operation, and naturally, his subordinates wanted to do the same, as did their subordinates. How did it expand? By targeting anyone who had a grudge against him. Using official business for retaliation—such things were countless, and many people were wrongly accused.

However, there was no other way; Wang Yan had to stabilize the situation in the entire Ming Dynasty and suppress those who opposed him in the shortest possible time.

Within the civil service, the methods were relatively lenient. Even though many were indeed wrongly accused, they generally didn't suffer any serious punishment, only being dismissed from their posts and investigated, and forced to endure a period of hardship. Once Wang Yan stabilizes the situation, these matters will definitely be brought up again. After all, once the opposing political forces are dealt with, it's inevitable that one will have to turn against one's own people next.

The purges within the military, however, were far less gentle.

After all, they were men with troops under their command, and it was unforgivable for them to cause trouble with their soldiers. Using their troops to coerce the king's words, or to attempt to create division and separatism, was even more unforgivable.

The focus of the crackdown was on the troops in the Northwest and Southwest, who fought several major battles and caused considerable damage. Of course, Wang Yan did not disappoint those who were courting death; his entire family contributed to the construction of the Ming Empire.

The army and navy in Jiliao and the south had long been infiltrated and controlled by Wang Yan. It wasn't just the military; the major powers in Jiliao and the south all relied on Wang Yan for their livelihood, forming a highly interconnected community of interests.

In addition to the original wealthy families, there are also a large number of newly emerging bourgeoisie. These people are a huge force that has risen rapidly and grown stronger with the help of economic development and market prosperity in recent years. They are a force that cannot be ignored.

These people are already disrupting the original production and distribution structure of the Ming Dynasty and are beginning to seek greater influence, confronting the original powerful families.

However, under Wang Yan's control, the competition among them can be considered healthy.

In short, the economically developed areas have long been under Wang Yan's control. The general public also knows that they are living a good life because of Wang Yan, so of course they cannot oppose him.

As long as the people don't unite in rebellion and create a significant momentum, the ruling class won't be able to accomplish much. The biggest thing they might do is gather together, argue, and spread alarmist rumors, making it seem as if the Ming Dynasty is truly doomed.

But in reality, it's just that their lives are difficult; the lives of ordinary people are quite good.

Otherwise, the powerful families wouldn't just be making empty threats; they would be inciting rebellions in certain regions to achieve their desired results...

More than a year passed, and in the summer of the sixth year of the Longqing reign, Wang Yan finally ended this great purge, allowing the Ming Dynasty to return to a stable path.

Everyone tacitly accepted the existence of the Ming Empire, which was led by Wang Yan, and obeyed his orders.

Emperor Longqing's activities only extended from the end of the year to the beginning of spring. The most important matters of state were sacrifices and warfare. At the end of the year, sacrifices were offered to Heaven and ancestors, and in the beginning of spring, grand ceremonies were held to pray for favorable weather and abundant harvests.

On such an important occasion, it would be quite inappropriate for the emperor not to appear; legitimacy is always important. After all, Wang Yan did not ascend the throne himself, and the nominal emperor of the Ming Dynasty should still be given full respect.

For the rest of his time, Longqing slept with women in the palace and enjoyed good food and drink every day. However, he did not recover his health; instead, he became increasingly weak.

The main problem was that Longqing was too narrow-minded and couldn't let go of the matter, remaining depressed all the time. Even sleeping with women was only a passing phase; later, he lost interest. He spent all his time thinking about his previous struggle with Wang Yan, feeling sorry for his ancestors and future generations.

Being stuck in the past every day will inevitably lead to loss of appetite and gradual weight loss. This, in turn, weakens the immune system, causing a host of health problems, and ultimately, the person's life begins its countdown.

This is a heart ailment that is difficult to cure with medicine, and even Wang Yan cannot save it.

In comparison, the young Wanli Emperor was much better off; he ate and drank well every day. Wang Yan also selected concubines for him and sent him many women, so the young Wanli Emperor lived a very happy life.

Perhaps it's because the young Wanli Emperor had never been an emperor before and had never grasped such immense power. Although he could imagine it, it was vastly different from actually sitting in that position, so his sense of loss was naturally much smaller.

As for the restrictions on his activities, as the crown prince, the young Wanli Emperor's activities were already quite limited on a daily basis, and he couldn't run around freely. Although he had some psychological resistance—after all, I can stay home, but you can't stop me from going out—the young Wanli Emperor was still relatively comfortable.

As for the other high-ranking officials involved, Feng Bao was still working, while Zhang Juzheng and others were confined to the capital. Wang Yan wanted them to watch how the Ming Dynasty was improving.

After all, as the reforms progressed, more and more people became literate. Newspapers also carried more and more information, intended to help the people understand the central government's policies and gain an overall understanding of the Ming Dynasty.

On this basis, newspapers can then be used to enrich the public's spiritual and entertainment needs. Something like a storytelling session could be published to keep people entertained...

In the height of summer, the scorching sun beats down on the earth, making people feel quite uncomfortable.

Sweating profusely, Hai Rui arrived at the Wenhua Hall and saw Wang Yan dressed in a light robe, drinking chilled wine and casually flipping through memorials.

“You don’t even observe basic manners. If you don’t set a good example, what will happen to the people below you…” “Look who’s copying me?” Wang Yan waved his hand. “If I can’t observe them, do you think they dare? If they dare, then I’ve been in power for nothing.”

Seeing that Hai Rui was about to start criticizing, Wang Yan continued, "Besides, haven't we also had people researching new official robes? There's one for summer, one for winter, and one for spring and autumn. It's not hot or cold, so everyone can relax. It's just that the design can't be finalized yet, and the Ministry of Rites is in an uproar. I estimate that after this year's debate, it will be settled by next year."

So Hai Rui fell silent. He greatly admired this aspect of Wang Yan's approach: making everyone else comfortable in order to make himself comfortable. Although he was a rigid person, that didn't stop him from appreciating Wang Yan's flexibility...

He asked, "What do you want me to do here?"

"The previous purge created many unjust cases, for which you have often scolded me. I told you long ago that it was a temporary measure, something we had to do. Now that the situation is settled, it is time for a counterattack and retribution. Many traitors have used this as a pretext to harm many innocent people, and these parasites must be investigated and punished."

"You are in charge of the Censorate, and I trust you completely with this matter. Your main task going forward is to thoroughly investigate all cases from the past year, ensuring that no innocent person is wronged, and even more importantly, that no malicious person escapes justice. Those who tarnish the court's reputation and pursue their own schemes must be made to pay the price."

Hai Rui nodded: "You can't stop me from doing this."

"How about you name yourself Hai Gangfeng, like Hai Bijia?"

Just as Hai Rui was about to speak, someone rushed in from outside in a panic.

"Oh no! Oh no! Grand Tutor, His Majesty has passed away!"

"what?"

Hai Rui suddenly stood up, looked at the person who had made the announcement, and finally glared at Wang Yan with his bull-like eyes.

"Alright, I'm being magnanimous by not arguing with you. If you glare at me again, I'll get angry."

Wang Yan shook his head speechlessly, "If I wanted to kill him, I would have done it last year. Why wait until now? Do I look like someone who cares about reputation? As for the impact of killing him, what difference does it make whether he lives or dies? Those who oppose me will still oppose me, and those who rebel will still rebel."

I know his health; he's just overthinking things, his anxiety has made him ill, and he can't get over this hurdle in his heart. Think about it, he was a perfectly good emperor, he couldn't defeat me, and I imprisoned him in the palace. Although I didn't change the dynasty, do you think my rebellious sons wouldn't have usurped the throne?
"Hey, don't talk nonsense about returning power to the people. If we really did, my whole family would definitely die, and your whole family would die too. You can rest assured about that."

Hai Rui sighed deeply, but ultimately said nothing.

Wang Yan stood up, stretched, and said to the messenger, "Go, gather people to hold a funeral for His Majesty and plan the ascension of the new emperor."

"Yes." The subordinate acknowledged the order and left.

Wang Yan also put on his outer garment and went to the West Garden with Hai Rui, where they saw the deceased Longqing and the dazed young Wanli.

The young Wanli Emperor must have been stunned, after all, he used to have his father around, but from now on he would be facing the emperor's words all by himself.

After examining Longqing's body for a while, they confirmed that he had died of a heart attack, thus averting a major trouble.

In fact, Longqing caused Wang Yan a lot of trouble, and even brought up the matter of the imperial edict in the belt, but it didn't cause much of a stir and was all suppressed.

Wang Yan waited there for a while. Ministers, imperial physicians, and even the coroner from the yamen all came. Everyone witnessed Longqing's death and, after confirming that there were no problems, they began to follow the procedures.

Construction of the Longqing Emperor's mausoleum began as soon as he ascended the throne, and Wang Yan would certainly not skimp on expenses in this regard. After all, he was looking for places to spend money, and such a massive project as an imperial mausoleum, which would take many years to complete, was simply too good to pass up. Therefore, the Longqing Emperor's mausoleum was prepared well in advance.

After a flurry of activity, the funeral procession finally departed the capital in a grand procession, and Wang Yan led his ministers to the imperial mausoleum.

“You don’t need to glare at me, it’s not like I killed him.” Wang Yan glanced at Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng said irritably, "If it weren't for..."

"Old Zhang, why are you talking nonsense like this? What gives you the right to kill me? Is it wrong for me not to want to die? There's no point in arguing with someone you don't understand."

Wang Yan waved his hand and strolled over to the two old people standing there.

"Eunuch Lü, Eunuch Huang."

These two were none other than Lü Fang and Huang Jin. The old eunuch was really living a long life. Lü Fang was almost eighty, and Huang Jin was over sixty.

They really did benefit from Wang Yan's care, which improved their treatment here. They didn't have to work, had nothing to worry about, and were quite carefree. The most important thing was that they were carefree; otherwise, they would have ended up like Emperor Longqing and wouldn't have lived so long.

"Tell me, what kind of mess is this? Ugh..."

Lu Fang said tremblingly, "Wang Yan, how am I supposed to go down and explain this to His Majesty..."

"You don't need to explain. This is my own son; he can explain it himself."

Huang Jin said something fair: "You've had it tough too, doing so much, and you're heartbroken to receive this result."

"Eunuch Huang sees things clearly."

"Then what about the throne..." Huang Jin pressed on.

"I thought Eunuch Huang was really considerate of me, but it turns out he still cares about the Zhu family." Wang Yan laughed heartily. "To be honest, I don't really care about this empire. You all know that back then I just wanted to make money, but I was forced to stand up for the people, and that's how I ended up where I am today. Besides, now that I'm the Prime Minister, I'm no different from the Emperor; it's just a title."

Therefore, I can say with certainty that I will not usurp the throne. But my children and grandchildren are a different story..."

Seeing Wang Yan looking up into the distance, Lü Fang and Huang Jin followed his gaze.

At the front of the line, a young man was chatting and laughing with Hu Zongxian, and he vaguely resembled Wang Yan from back then...

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