Chapter 1532: Prince Yu

Prince Yu's mansion.

Wang Yan was wearing a green plain robe, stepping on official boots, with a white jade hairpin inserted in his head, standing with his hands behind his back in front of the side door of Prince Yu's mansion.

"This little one is Feng Bao, I have seen Magistrate Wang, please follow this little one."

"Trouble the Eunuch." Wang Yan cupped his hands, and then got a silver note and stuffed it over.

Feng Bao said: "Magistrate Wang, don't be polite. The Old Ancestor is this little one's godfather, and this little one was sent by the Old Ancestor to the Prince's mansion to serve the Prince."

"I didn't expect such a fate, excuse me, excuse me." While speaking, Wang Yan changed to a silver note with a larger denomination, "Since we are our own people, take this silver to spend."

"Don't dare, don't dare. If the Old Ancestor knew that this little one took Magistrate Wang's silver, he would be furious."

"Take it and spend it." Wang Yan stuffed the silver note into his sleeve, "I think it's not easy for you in this Prince's mansion. After all, Prince Yu is a Prince, so you have to think carefully about everything. We who do things below have to be careful and cautious about everything. But you still have to do things for the Prince; how can you do things without silver? Spend it with peace of mind; I still have some silver."

"Then thank you, Magistrate Wang. What Magistrate Wang said truly makes this little one's heart warm."

"We are all working for the Royal Family, so shouldn't we sympathize with each other? We can't learn from Yan Song and Yan Shifan; damn it, they are too exclusive. If you don't listen to them, you will be excluded? They should be dealt with. It's just that the Emperor misses old feelings; if it were me, I should raid Yan Song's house. I'm afraid I could raid ten million. The country is difficult, and Yan Song has been the Chief Grand Secretary for twenty years. He has responsibility, and yet he can still be allowed to scrape a basin full of silver? Enjoy his old age?"

Listening to Wang Yan's words, Feng Bao was speechless and could only accompany him with a smiling face: "Magistrate Wang, be careful with your words. Since the Emperor has decided, why say so much?"

"I am just fighting for justice for the Emperor. The Emperor is too kind and misses old feelings. If I were Xu Jie, I would kill Yan Song!"

"Oh my, Magistrate Wang, stop talking. You are not letting this little one live. Let's hurry up and go; the Prince is waiting." Thus, Feng Bao's steps were hurried...

Arriving at the front hall for guests in the Prince's mansion, Wang Yan saluted Prince Yu, and after exchanging pleasantries, Prince Yu took Wang Yan to the dining room next door.

Prince Yu said very politely: "I heard long ago that Magistrate Wang likes to eat and drink well. Today, Magistrate Wang came to my mansion, so I had the cook make this table, not knowing if it suits your taste."

"The Prince is truly flattering this subordinate." Wang Yan fanned with his hand, breathed in the fragrance of the dishes, and gave a hum, "Just looking at the appearance and smelling the fragrance, I know it definitely won't be bad."

"Then sit down and eat. Today, I will drink a few cups with you. You truly did a big thing; I admire you very much."

"I don't dare to accept the Prince's admiration. It is all what this subordinate should do, but it is just to do my duty for our Great Ming, to do my best until my heart stops beating."

The two sat down, and Feng Bao served them wine.

"This subordinate came to the door rashly and disturbed the Prince's peace. First, I will punish myself with three cups to apologize to the Prince."

Prince Yu waved his hand and said: "I even wanted you to come; I was just afraid you wouldn't come. What crime is there? Come, come, come, let's drink together."

Thus, Wang Yan didn't insist on punishing himself with three cups, drank two cups of wine with Prince Yu, and after Prince Yu said "eat vegetables," Wang Yan ate big mouthfuls.

As everyone knows, when a leader invites you to dinner, it's not really to let you eat. Meeting Wang Yan, who truly ate, Prince Yu was also very confused.

Did he not look up to him, this Prince, or was it some other situation?

Prince Yu was stunned for a moment, and laughed very heartily: "It seems the cook in my mansion is very much to your taste, Magistrate Wang."

Wang Yan said: "The cook in the Prince's mansion is ranked in the whole world. This subordinate eating and drinking like this is mainly to be worthy of the Prince's hospitality. Otherwise, if you worked hard to prepare such a table of wine and dishes and spent a lot of silver, if it were wasted, wouldn't it be a waste of silver? I heard long ago that the Prince is diligent and thrifty, and I would never dare to waste it."

"Also, this subordinate interrogated cases for a long time today and was truly hungry when I came, so I had to eat and drink big mouthfuls. Prince, heaven and earth can testify, this subordinate has absolutely no intention of being slow or contemptuous. This subordinate is a practical person, young, and not well-versed in many rules. I only know that since the host has prepared such a rich banquet, I should eat more."

"Exactly, exactly. What Magistrate Wang said is right; you should eat more. If the cook in my mansion sees you eating so happily, he would also be extremely happy."

"Speaking of the cook, this subordinate will tell the Prince about the cook in the Daxing County Yamen. His name is Wang Da..."

Wang Yan put the changes in Daxing during this period on Wang Da, who cooked in the county yamen.

Originally, Wang Da wanted to give his position to his eldest son, but Wang Yan came. Not only did he not let him leave, but he also let him manage the kitchen, expanding from just him alone to more than thirty men and women.

Originally, his family's relatives were bullied and had nowhere to complain. After telling the Magistrate, those local ruffians were grabbed into prison, and even died after fighting with people in prison.

The salary that originally barely supported the family increased many times. The second son, who had difficulty getting married, directly found a girl he liked, and no longer missed a good marriage due to conditions. The youngest son, who was not yet an adult, was remembered by the matchmaker, and she was about to start introducing a marriage for the youngest son.

As for the girls in the family, that goes without saying. Boys are easy to marry, so how could girls be hard to marry?

All kinds of changes were said, which were the direct feedback of every policy implemented by Wang Yan...

Prince Yu nodded repeatedly; he was very clear about these things.

Now the most concerned thing in the entire Great Ming is Wang Yan's various actions in Daxing. It is really because Wang Yan is too capable of making trouble, and the things he makes are all big things, and he can succeed and get silver.

Prince Yu couldn't help but pay attention; he even dreamed that Wang Yan would send him two million taels of silver...

But he didn't show it, but asked very seriously: "I heard from Master Zhang that you want to measure fields and check households. Why is there no action now, but instead you grabbed the insignificant local ruffians?"

"Prince, your words are wrong." Wang Yan gnawed on a bear paw, "It is precisely the insignificant local ruffians who are the most important. They are often involved with powerful families, doing dirty work for big families, lending high-interest loans, and all kinds of evil deeds.

Measuring fields and checking households is no less than collecting cleaning fees, and it even hurts their roots. How can they endure it? When collecting cleaning fees, there were many actions, and even several assassinations of this subordinate. If it were truly measuring fields and checking households, how could it be smooth?"

"They let these local ruffians release rumors, incite people's hearts, and make the commoners gather to resist. How should we act then? Does the Prince think otherwise? You must know that commoners are mostly obedient people, accepting their fate. As long as they don't starve to death and have a turning point, they won't make trouble. But once they are incited, they will form a snowballing trend. Once there are hundreds of people, they will develop into thousands. Even if this is the capital and there is the Capital Battalion to suppress, we must consider these extreme situations. Otherwise, if it truly happens, even if it is suppressed, how will history record it? How will those officials who love to write private wild history record it? Where does this put the Emperor?"

Prince Yu's eyes widened; he couldn't control his expression. He couldn't help but substitute his father's perspective, and then listening to Wang Yan's thoughtful words and his heart of loyalty to the monarch and love for the country, he was already excited...

"It turns out to be like this..." Prince Yu muttered to himself.

"It is precisely like this!" Wang Yan said firmly, "The ability of powerful families is just to incite commoners to make trouble and rebel. They just bully the commoners for not understanding anything and fool the commoners. As long as they can't be fooled, the matter of measuring fields and checking households will be done."

"So you let the Ministry of Works plan construction, don't conscript corvée labor, and pay silver to the commoners who work, to settle the people's hearts."

"The Prince's wisdom is extraordinary; this subordinate's thoughts were all seen through by the Prince." Wang Yan flattered.

"What do you intend to do after measuring fields and checking households?"

"Prince, after measuring fields and checking households, Daxing will be greatly governed. Doing more is nothing more than engaging in construction. Doing more is reform, which is not something a small sixth-rank official like this subordinate, who is a Juren, can do. When taking office, Department Head Guo of the Ministry of Personnel asked this subordinate if I had the heart for reform; this subordinate was truly terrified."

"If you were allowed to be the master, what would you do?" Prince Yu wanted to hear the words Wang Yan hid; he spoke very domineeringly, as if he could truly be the master.

"Eunuch Feng, pour wine for the Prince!"

Feng Bao, who was serving, very sensibly picked up the wine pot and poured wine for Prince Yu. Wang Yan toasted, and bypassed these words, these words that sounded like Prince Yu was in a hurry to take the throne.

Prince Yu also knew he had gone too far, honestly drank a few cups of wine with Wang Yan, and said some useless nonsense. But he was very satisfied with Wang Yan in his heart.

He even couldn't help but reflect on himself. It turns out that Wang Yan taking one hundred thousand taels is not much; no wonder his father was so satisfied. This is the loyal minister of Great Ming...

Prince Yu learned his lesson and didn't talk to Wang Yan about the future, but talked about the various things of changing rice to mulberry before, fully affirming the key role Wang Yan played in it, and expressing his hatred for the Yan party's disaster to the country and the people.

Thus, a banquet where the host and guest were happy ended, and Wang Yan left the Prince's mansion swaying, and Prince Yu personally sent him out the door.

Watching Wang Yan leave on horseback with his followers, Prince Yu looked at Feng Bao: "Tell me, what's going on."

Feng Bao dismissed the people around: "Master, this little one has heard about Magistrate Wang's expansion of the shelter... The house next door was bought by the Noble Consort's family..."

Hearing the Noble Consort's family, Prince Yu understood what was going on. He also understood why Feng Bao had to rudely interrupt his questioning.

If he asked, Wang Yan would have to answer. If he said in front of him that Noble Consort Li's family was not a good thing, where would he, the dignified Prince Yu, the future successor of the empire, put his face? It really had to be Feng Bao interrupting, giving him a step down, and handling the matter himself.

Wang Yan's fierce record had already proven that this was a person absolutely loyal to the Emperor. He, who might not be the successor, had already given Wang Yan enough face.

Prince Yu didn't believe Noble Consort Li's family was clean. Looking at Wang Yan's methods of dealing with people, dealing with Noble Consort Li's family was simply too easy...

"Master, this little one has asked."

In the Yuxi Palace, Lü Fang told the Jiajing Emperor the details of what he knew from Feng Bao and other channels, from beginning to end.

"Wang Yan has a heart; in order not to cause trouble, he went around such a big circle." The Jiajing Emperor gave affirmation and asked, "What did Prince Yu say?"

"Prince Yu... in the end, Prince Yu reprimanded Li Fei, and the next day Li Fei's family sent the house to the Daxing County Yamen for the expansion of the shelter."

"Still understands reason."

The Jiajing Emperor laughed, "Ever since Wang Yan became the Daxing Magistrate, I haven't had any annoying things. Recently, after taking the medicine he prescribed and practicing the health-preserving skills he taught, I feel my body is much more refreshed."

"Master, in this servant's view, Wang Yan is the greatest auspicious sign of our Great Ming, more auspicious than the true and false auspicious signs sent by those ministers."

"What true and false? They are all fake! But what you said about Wang Yan is not bad. He is a true auspicious sign, sent by heaven to me, letting me live a peaceful life."

"It is Master, Your Majesty's successful immortal cultivation, interacting with heaven and earth, that heaven sent a capable minister to govern the world for Master, Your Majesty."

"Capable minister to govern the world? Hahaha..."

The Jiajing Emperor laughed heartily, his laughter full of energy, clearly in good health.

After laughing, he waved his hand, "Let the people of the Capital Battalion listen to his orders. Since I thought of this, I must take precautions. The palace must also pay more attention. I haven't lived enough yet; otherwise, what immortal am I cultivating, and what Dao am I asking?"

"Yes, Master."

Lü Fang responded, and a new storm gradually rolled up...

?? Daily thanks to the good brothers who tipped, voted for monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and silently read the book for their strong support! ===== CHAPTER 1533 =====

"Still a reasonable person."

Jiajing laughed heartily, "Ever since Wang Yan became the Magistrate of Daxing, I haven't had a single worrying matter. In recent days, after taking the medicine he prescribed and practicing the health-cultivation techniques he taught, I feel my body is much more refreshed."

"Master, in this servant's view, Wang Yan is the greatest auspicious omen of our Great Ming, more auspicious than all those real or fake omens sent up by the ministers."

"What real or fake? They are all fake! But what you said about Wang Yan is correct; he is a true auspicious omen, sent to me by Heaven, allowing me to live a few days of peace."

"It is because the Master, the Long-lived Emperor, has achieved success in Daoist cultivation and is in harmony with Heaven and Earth, so Heaven has sent a capable minister to govern the world for the Long-lived Emperor."

"A capable minister to govern the world? Hahaha..."

Jiajing laughed amusedly, his voice full of vigor, clearly indicating he was in excellent health.

After laughing, he waved his hand, "Let the people of the Capital Battalion listen to his orders. Since I've thought of this, I must be prepared. The palace should also be more vigilant. I haven't lived enough yet; otherwise, why would I cultivate immortality and seek the Dao?"

"Yes, Master."

Lu Fang responded, and a new storm was gradually brewing again...

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