Chapter 1510: Holy Lord and Wise Monarch

"The Emperor, the old man, has it hard. The officials below always do bad things in the Emperor's name. Take this 'Replacing Rice with Mulberry' for example; the Emperor just wants to build a palace, how much silver can it cost? How did so much deficit come about?"

"Isn't it all because these people fished it into their own homes? They hide fields and population, and they don't pay taxes. Every year they act more excessively than the year before. The imperial court's income is less every year. In the final analysis, it is all on them. As a result, they still make the Emperor bear the bad name. Bah!"

West Garden, Yuxi Palace, afternoon.

Lü Fang served Jiajing after washing his feet and let his godson read the secret report sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"This Wang Yan actually managed Chun'an like an iron bucket, and even captured Zhu Qi alive?" Jiajing expressed surprise at Wang Yan's ability.

"Master, Wang Yan replaced all the officials in Chun'an. Those who didn't listen to him were all raided, and the wealthy families in Chun'an were also suppressed by him, not daring to make any moves. When the people were bullied, he really solved it for them. The promise to build houses is also in progress. He really researched new bricks that are cheap and usable. Zhu Qi failed your trust, Master. When he returns, this servant will definitely punish him."

"Forget it, Zhu Qi didn't want to hurt the people, otherwise how could he have been captured alive? He is still capable." Jiajing said with a smile, "This Wang Yan is also something, actually researching new bricks..."

"What's more rare is that he knows the hardships of you, Master, the Ten Thousand Years Emperor." Lü Fang said at the right time, "He is just a tiny ninth-rank registrar, yet he can see things so clearly and understand your difficulties, Master. In all the years I have followed you, Master, he is the first."

Jiajing snorted again: "Don't praise him so much. This boy is also really bold, actually daring to gather local braves to confront the province and capture the officers of the Riverway Yamen. He even said it was because Zhu Qi was there that he did so. I think even if Zhu Qi wasn't there, he would dare to do it. It's simply lawless."

"Master, there is a reason for everything. Zheng Bichang and He Maocai actually colluded with Japanese pirates, wanting to pin the crime on the people of Chun'an, embezzled the public funds for the Xin'an River repair, and destroyed the dikes and flooded the fields. They all had a share in it."

"Seeing that the matter was exposed, they actually sent an eight-hundred-li urgent report to falsely accuse Wang Yan of colluding with and shielding Japanese pirates and confronting the province. If Zhu Qi hadn't happened to be there, you would have been kept in the dark, Master. These people are truly without a lord or father, and their crimes are heinous!"

"Don't move them for now. Even if 'Replacing Rice with Mulberry' cannot be fully achieved, it can at least let the imperial court collect more silver..."

"Master, you endure for the sake of the country. These rebellious officials are truly hateful!"

Jiajing let out a long sigh, holding a red brick burned by Wang Yan, turning it over and over to look at it: "This is a sensible one, but he doesn't know much. He insists on not letting the people sell their fields and wants to dig up the Xin'an River corruption case. Now it's good, he even dragged Zheng Bichang and He Maocai out. Is he going to drag Yan Shifan and Yan Song into it too?"

"Prince Yu, Gao Gong, and the others obstructed it in every way and sent several people to Zhejiang, but all of them combined didn't do as much as Wang Yan alone. They said they weren't opposing 'Replacing Rice with Mulberry', but opposing the 'Replacing Rice with Mulberry' implemented by the people below. Isn't that still opposing? Isn't that still affecting the state's grand plan?"

He said this for a while, and without waiting for Lü Fang to agree, he continued: "However, what he said is not unreasonable. I approved their 'Replacing Rice with Mulberry', but I didn't approve them to 'Replace Rice with Mulberry' like this."

"Wang Yan can see clearly, think clearly, and has a heart of loyalty to the lord and country, as well as a heart for the hardships of the people. He hasn't read the books of sages in vain."

Jiajing laughed and scolded: "Didn't I just say it? He stands up for the people, but in reality, he is just finding an excuse to extort the wealthy and share the money with the people. Is he thinking of the hardships of the people? He is thinking of the money and grain of the wealthy families!"

"It's all taking silver, but Wang Yan doesn't snatch food from the people's mouths, and he has gained the reputation of a clean and good official among the people."

"What's the use of the people saying he's good? It's just because Chun'an suffered a disaster. If it were normal times, in the mouths of the gentry and wealthy, Chun'an would probably already be in misery."

Jiajing, as an emperor, of course, didn't become one for nothing. Many things he saw clearly, but because of his own limitations and various other reasons, he couldn't solve them.

Or perhaps he didn't think much about solving them. After all, to solve problems, there must be fierce struggles, involving too many things and people, and the damage to the current stable situation would be quite serious. Of course, he was also compromising, doing his wise and martial Daoist Lord in the palace...

Speaking of which, Jiajing also had it hard. He had been set on fire several times, struck by lightning several times, and murdered by palace maids. He was probably in the late stages of paranoid delusion...

"Master, the Ten Thousand Years Emperor has a heart for all directions, and nothing can escape your eyes." Lü Fang's skill in bootlicking was deep in his bones. Being capable, knowing current events, and speaking well were the keys to his rise.

"Alright, what else is there? Say it."

Jiajing had been with Lü Fang for decades and knew him better than anyone. He knew Lü Fang still had something he hadn't said.

Lü Fang pondered for a moment, and when Jiajing was about to lose patience, he finally let out a long sigh and said it.

"Master, Yang Jinshui of the Jiang Nan Weaving Bureau sent an eight-hundred-li urgent report. A silk merchant working for the Weaving Bureau is using the Weaving Bureau's signboard to buy fields in Chun'an..."

Jiajing's eyes suddenly widened, his gaze fierce, as if he wanted to eat someone...

This is easy to understand. Although Jiajing didn't care about the lives of the people—for example, Zheng Bichang and others destroyed dikes and flooded fields, causing hundreds of thousands of people along the Xin'an River to suffer, Chun'an county was flooded, and Jiande was half-flooded—it was light to Jiajing and could hardly shake his Daoist heart in the slightest.

This is also understandable. After all, he had long been desensitized. Droughts, floods, heavy snow, locust plagues, earthquakes, typhoons, and so on—disasters often involved hundreds of thousands or millions of people, and there would be four or five such incidents throughout the year. And Jiajing had been emperor for forty years; he had seen too much.

However, even if he didn't care, he still wanted the good reputation of a holy lord and wise monarch.

When Chun'an and Jiande were suffering from disasters, the Jiang Nan Weaving Bureau, representing the tentacles of the imperial palace, sent people to buy up good fields at low prices. What did that look like? Was he, the dignified Emperor of Great Ming, actually so shameless? How would people criticize him, and how would history record it?

Seeing Jiajing like this, Lü Fang comforted him: "Master, you must not be anxious or angry. Zhu Qi is in Chun'an, and there is also Wang Yan, this sensible one. They certainly won't cause any chaos and ruin the palace's reputation. Calculating the time, at the latest in four days, Zhu Qi's secret report will arrive."

"Give Zhu Qi the power to act as he sees fit, and let Zhu Qi investigate the matter clearly! Go call Yan Song! Call Yan Song! I want to see what he has to say!"

The wind and rain in the capital had not yet blown to Zhejiang, nor to Chun'an.

However, Chun'an was now the center of the storm, and it did not need the wind and rain of the capital to blow.

After angrily questioning Shen Yishi and spraying him, seeing the banner "Acting on Imperial Decree to Provide Disaster Relief" on the boat, Hai Rui was a bit confused.

"Acting on Imperial Decree to Provide Disaster Relief?"

Hai Rui's head was full of question marks. He looked at Tian Youlu, looked at Wang Yan, and then looked at Zhu Qi, who was silent on the side, wanting to find some empathy.

Shen Yishi said loudly: "That's right! It is acting on imperial decree to provide disaster relief! The Emperor, mindful of the people's hardships, let the Weaving Bureau lend grain to the disaster-stricken people. When the mulberry seedlings are planted and there is a harvest, the grain will be returned. In this way, the people have overcome this difficulty, the imperial court has completed 'Replacing Rice with Mulberry', and the business with foreign merchants can proceed smoothly. The imperial court can earn silver, which can be called everyone is happy."

"Fellow villagers, have you all heard? The Emperor has issued a decree to lend us grain, let us switch to planting mulberry seedlings, and raise silkworms and reel silk from now on. Not only have we overcome this year's flood, but we will also earn more than planting grain in the future. Such great grace from the Emperor, we must kowtow to thank the Emperor. Everyone follow me and perform the great ceremony towards the north!"

Wang Yan spoke to the onlookers and the local braves maintaining order in a loud voice, and then led everyone, including Hai Rui and others, to perform the great ceremony of five bows and three kowtows directly towards the north.

With him doing this, others naturally could not stand, so Shen Yishi and the others all knelt down and performed the great ceremony together.

After this, Wang Yan walked up and enthusiastically held Shen Yishi's arm.

"No wonder Mr. Shen didn't go to the yamen but insisted on us coming to see him. It turns out to be such a great good thing. The Emperor is wise, and Mr. Shen has worked hard in handling this. The wine and food are all prepared. Let's go, Mr. Shen, you must let us entertain you well to express our feelings."

"Then Shen will respectfully obey." Shen Yishi smiled indifferently, and then took his men to follow Wang Yan and the others to the county yamen.

It was still the middle hall for discussions. Ever since Hai Rui was unwilling to eat with Wang Yan, Wang Yan had never eaten in the middle hall again, only enjoying it in his own small courtyard.

Today was to entertain the people from the Weaving Bureau. Although Hai Rui was still unhappy, the wine and food were finally placed in the middle hall. Of course, the main reason was that the money for the wine and food did not come from the yamen's public account, but was all the tribute from local wealthy families. If he used the yamen's money to be so extravagant, Hai Rui would really explode.

A group of people sat down, yielding to each other. After a few cups of wine, except for Hai Rui, who did not give face and sat there with a long face, everyone else was very happy.

Finally, Hai Rui could not hold back. He asked directly: "Mr. Shen, Mr. Shen is omnipotent. I think you know more about the previous matters in the province than I, Hai Rui. Why have I never heard of such an arrangement?"

Shen Yishi understood that this was talking about Gao Hanwen. Previously, Gao Hanwen did not agree to buy fields at a low price, so he set a trap to force him to write a document admitting to molesting women, leaving a handle, and forcing him to agree to the regulations proposed by Zheng Bichang and others.

Although Hai Rui did not know the details, he knew that Gao Hanwen had met Shen Yishi, and then his attitude changed greatly, so he did not have a good face for Shen Yishi.

Shen Yishi smiled and said: "Magistrate Hai has not heard of it, but it does not mean it does not exist. Isn't it now? I brought grain to help the people of Chun'an get through this year. Could it be that I am wrong?"

"You said acting on imperial decree, where is the decree?" Hai Rui pursued.

"Shen is just a merchant working for the Weaving Bureau. If Magistrate Hai wants the decree, you have to go to the Weaving Bureau and ask Eunuch Yang Jinshui."

Wang Yan smiled and said: "Our Lord is upright in character, with the nickname 'Gangfeng', seeking truth and completeness in everything, not intentionally targeting Mr. Shen. Mr. Shen, please do not blame him."

"Not at all, not at all. Previously in Hangzhou, I had long heard of Magistrate Hai's uprightness. Today I have finally experienced it, hahaha."

Hai Rui's face was not good, but he did not flare up again, snorted, and turned the page.

After drinking a few more cups, under Zhu Qi's gaze, Wang Yan smiled and said: "Does Mr. Shen know how many things happened because of buying fields at a low price?"

"Shen understands. Registrar Wang and Magistrate Hai mean the same thing. Do you think, Registrar Wang, that the Emperor could not have issued a decree to provide disaster relief?"

Shen Yishi's words made it impossible for anyone to answer. To say impossible is to question the Emperor. To say possible, then why hasn't the Emperor provided disaster relief for more than a month? This is also a questioning of the Emperor.

He directly took out the big bug of ancient society and gave a two-headed block.

Wang Yan shook his head: "Seventh Master, you see, Mr. Shen is not cooperating. If you ask like this, you definitely won't get an answer. You should come and chat with him."

Zhu Qi sighed, stood up, and showed the badge of the Northern Suppressing Division: "Mr. Shen, please."

Shen Yishi was already bewildered, sitting there looking at this one and then that one, and then let out a long sigh: "I should thank you all for letting Shen eat and drink his fill."

"Mr. Shen, don't worry, it's just asking about the specific process. You can lie to anyone in this world, but you cannot lie to the Emperor." Zhu Qi said sonorously, and took Shen Yishi to an empty room in the county yamen for interrogation...

Seeing Shen Yishi and his men being taken away, only the three people in charge of the county were left at the dinner table. Hai Rui asked: "Registrar Wang, what is your view on this matter?"

"Great."

Wang Yan took a sip of wine and said with a smile, "I have said before that the best way for 'Replacing Rice with Mulberry' is for the imperial court to lend grain to the people, let the people catch their breath, and let the people switch to planting mulberry seedlings. It is a good way to kill two birds with one stone."

"Now that the Emperor is willing to lend us grain, that couldn't be better. Brother Tian, what are you stunned for? Go, post a notice, let the people come to register to borrow grain, and go back to hurry up and plant mulberry seedlings."

"Third Lord, I'm going right now." Tian Youlu put down his chopsticks and ran away.

Hai Rui glared at Wang Yan: "You are playing dumb! It is clearly that Shen Yishi who faked the imperial decree and privately lent the grain for buying fields to the people."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Of course he faked the imperial decree. It might be that Zheng Bichang, He Maocai, and that Yang Jinshui forced him too hard. Even this time, using the Weaving Bureau's signboard was also forced by them. Shen Yishi is a smart man. He knows that once this signboard is hung, he will surely die."

"In order to find a way to live, or to protect his family, he thought of this method, directly providing disaster relief with the grain, and also falsely using the Emperor's name. This excuse is good; no one can say anything. Even the Emperor, the old man, is the same."

"My Lord, these things are not important to us. What is important is that our people are saved, and 'Replacing Rice with Mulberry' can also be completed. Next, we will focus on the people planting fields, raising silkworms, and reeling silk, and also build houses for the people. Then everything will be fine."

Hai Rui snorted and said nothing more. Under normal circumstances, he was unwilling to debate with Wang Yan, because Wang Yan had more principles than him.

He knew that he was pursuing ideals, while Wang Yan was engaged in practical application, but that did not prevent him from being very unaccustomed to some of Wang Yan's behaviors...

?? Daily thanks to the good brothers who tipped, voted for monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and read silently! ===== CHAPTER 1511 =====