Chapter 1545: Changing Fate

"I hear you are running a fleet together with Hu Zongxian?"

After eating for a while and drinking a few cups of wine, Hai Rui asked this.

There is no such thing as a wall that doesn't let the wind through. Once Zhao Zhenji had learned the news earlier, it meant that the upper echelons already knew everything. Now that an official of Hai Rui's rank had heard of it, it meant the scope of the rumors was already very wide, and it also meant that trouble was brewing...

Without waiting for Wang Yan to answer, Hai Rui continued to ask, "When I first arrived in the capital, you went to Tongzhou to meet a ship. Was that to receive the goods Hu Zongxian was sending to His Majesty?"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "What else have you heard?"

Hai Rui shook his head, and Wang Yongji took over the conversation: "Ziyan, I have heard some things. Before the new year, Generals Yu Dayou and Qi Jiguang came to the Shuntian Prefecture office to see you. Some say that the two generals have also participated in the fleet you and Hu Zongxian are running."

"We are all our own people. Since it has already spread to this extent, there is no harm in telling you about it."

Wang Yan said, "This matter was facilitated by me because I wanted overseas products, Hu Zongxian wanted to save his life, and His Majesty wanted silver. After this was agreed upon, the Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard raided several wealthy families in Zhejiang and seized their seagoing ships. Qi Jiguang selected some new recruits to train as sailors and naval forces, and we also transferred weapons from various sources to arm them. After that, we began maritime trade with the Nanyang."

"Yu Dayou participated after he was transferred to become the Guangdong Regional Commander. His Majesty ordered him to train the naval forces, which was precisely to supervise the construction of seagoing ships and expand the naval strength. The two of them came to see me together to listen to my opinions and coordinate with Hu Zongxian on this year's development arrangements."

Hai Rui asked: "Then the current fleet..."

"More than three thousand people, over a thousand troops—enough to run rampant in the Nanyang. We fear no one. The goal I set for the fleet is to expand to three thousand troops this year."

Wang Yan looked with a smile at the two men, who were somewhat stunned by understanding such secret details, "So, do you understand now?"

"Understand what?" Wang Yongji still hadn't quite reacted.

Hai Rui's mind was quite sharp now; he said: "It is someone deliberately releasing the wind to stir up momentum."

"Those wealthy families along the coast?" Hearing this, Wang Yongji finally understood.

"Xu Jie, Yuan Wei, Yan Ne, Li Chunfang..."

Wang Yan recited a long list of names, all people from the southern coastal regions, and said, "Regardless of whether these people participated or not, none of them are innocent."

Hai Rui seemed to have gained new insight: "Is that how you distinguish them?"

"I have always distinguished them this way. Where is the need to distinguish them one by one? That is too tiring. All officials from the Southeast can be counted as the pushers of this incident. Whether they are innocent or not, there is no need to dwell on that."

"This is factional strife!"

Wang Yan found it strange: "Hasn't it always been like this? South and North, East and West, the capital and the provinces—when has there not been factional fighting? There is only so much grain grown in the fields; everyone wants to eat more. If we don't fight or struggle, what are we to do? Should we eat from the same pot and all go hungry together?"

"Not to mention the distant past, just take this Shuntian Prefecture. Didn't I also snatch money from the hands of the powerful and wealthy, which is why the common people have had it much easier? Is this not factional strife? It is just that no one is forming a faction with me, and no one is helping me; it is just me fighting them alone. Isn't it all the same? If we really want to talk about it, my co-conspirator is His Majesty."

Remembering Zhao Zhenji's words, Wang Yan added, "I am a member of His Majesty's faction."

Hai Rui was speechless. He discovered that all the grand principles were on Wang Yan's side; no matter what Wang Yan said, he had a point.

Wang Yongji asked curiously: "Then how will you respond?"

Wang Yan shook his head: "Brother Runlian, you are completely wrong. It is not how I respond; it is how His Majesty responds! Who are they targeting? Who doesn't know I am His Majesty's pawn? They are targeting His Majesty! A bunch of rebellious subjects!"

Jiajing glanced at the indignant Wang Yan, and Lu Fang said: "Say what you are asked to say. Tell us how they will make their move."

Asking how they would make their move, the answer hoped for was, of course, how to respond. This is the benefit of being a superior—passing the pressure downward...

Wang Yan appeared to ponder for a while before speaking: "Your Majesty, the subject believes it is nothing more than the Japanese pirates making more noise. They were already not much of a threat; how much worse can they get? Surely the common people of the Southeast won't all become Japanese pirates? At most, there will be a few more civil uprisings, which won't create much momentum."

"The subject believes we should permit Yu Dayou, Qi Jiguang, Liu Xian, and others to recruit new soldiers and expand their forces to deal with the Japanese pirate chaos. We should also dispatch forty thousand troops from the Capital Battalion—ten thousand to garrison Shandong and thirty thousand to garrison Nanjing. This way, we can ensure the Central Plains remains stable while also threatening the Southeast."

"At the same time, with a large army stationed in Nanjing, we can take advantage of the military might to collect 'cleaning fees' in Yingtian Prefecture, carry out land and household registration, and promote the new treasure notes. The soldiers of the Capital Battalion are used to spending new treasure notes in the capital, so it won't be a problem when they get there. With flowers blooming in both prefectures, echoing each other, we can directly promote these three things throughout the Central Plains."

"Once we have taken the Central Plains, we can clean up the entire Great Ming. This magnificent landscape will be radiant again, and the country will be prosperous and strong. We won't even have to wait until the entire Great Ming is cleaned up; subduing the Central Plains will be enough to wipe out the Anda tribes in the North. By then, it will be a great era of peace under heaven. Your Majesty's achievements will be such that even the Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, Qin Emperor, Han Wu, Tang Zong, and Song Zu will not be one ten-thousandth of Your Majesty's."

Jiajing wanted a solution, and he gave him a solution. According to the current situation, it was indeed a relatively good time. By taking advantage of this chaos in the Southeast, many things could be solved.

As for withdrawing the Capital Battalion and leaving the capital empty, that was not an issue. As long as there were enough weapons, Wang Yan could pull out one hundred thousand troops in Shuntian Prefecture within a week.

Moreover, even if forty thousand were withdrawn, the three major battalions would still have one hundred thousand troops. Even if we subtract those who eat empty rations, there would still be at least sixty thousand. At this time, the Great Ming regime is stable, and the people are not very restless; it is absolutely impossible to cause a major riot.

If the powerful and wealthy want to rebel, it's not something they can just do; they have to consider the actual situation. In Shuntian Prefecture, no matter how much they talk, not many commoners will rebel with them, and that's even considering the possibility of there being fools. Any commoner with a normal brain would not follow them in rebellion.

After all, at this time, it is already the hardest time in their lives, including what their ancestors passed down by word of mouth; it is already the best life they have ever lived. In all the prosperous eras of the past, they did not have it as good as they do now...

Jiajing snorted: "A mere Assistant Prefect, having managed Shuntian Prefecture for a few days, dares to talk wildly about military affairs?"

Wang Yan knelt down directly: "Your Majesty knows the subject; the subject is straightforward and young. When I encounter things, I just want to meet them head-on. The current situation is stable, which is just right for internal military action. No matter what, it is impossible for the whole world to rebel. With the army in hand, can they really turn the world upside down?"

"Shuntian Prefecture is fine, but other places are not." Jiajing sat cross-legged on the Daoist platform, his voice still full of vigor, "Moving an army costs silver. It flows out like water, and you can't even hear a sound. If the Southeast is really in chaos, how can the country be stable?"

"Your Majesty's words are extremely correct. Your Majesty sees the ten thousand directions of the world, while the subject only sees what is before his eyes." Wang Yan flexibly changed his tone, "Since that is the case, Your Majesty, in the subject's opinion, it is better to first let Yu Dayou and the others expand their forces and prepare for war, meeting changes with constancy. Those rebellious subjects might be able to stir up some waves, but they cannot capsize the treasure ship of our Great Ming."

"As for the expenses of expanding the army... I imagine the Cabinet, the Ministry of War, and others will not agree to this expenditure. The subject will share the burden for Your Majesty; we can stop some projects in Shuntian Prefecture and take out one million taels of silver to support it. However, for this sum of silver, the subject believes it is better to issue treasure notes."

"We can open the Imperial Bank there and undertake the business of exchanging gold, silver, and copper, just like we did in Daxing at the beginning. Slowly, the common people will get used to using the new treasure notes."

"Does the bank have that much gold, silver, and copper now?" Jiajing asked the key to the problem.

Jiajing was a very smart man. He had already figured out the various problems with the new treasure notes. He knew that once the Imperial Bank was subjected to a run and could not exchange cash, gold, silver, or copper coins, the new treasure notes would collapse, and the whole situation would completely fall apart. Just like the treasure notes of the past, panic would spread, and the Great Ming would encounter a major money famine, the consequences of which would be quite terrifying.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Your Majesty, the money in the bank is very sufficient. Because of the deposit interest, people are willing to bring copper coins to deposit."

"Are they still willing to bring copper coins now? They have also earned new treasure notes for several years. Isn't depositing treasure notes just as profitable?" Jiajing was somewhat surprised.

But immediately he reacted, "It is because more and more people are accepting treasure notes, and business turnover is convenient. Merchants outside Shuntian Prefecture also recognize them, and the treasure notes in their hands are not enough."

"Nothing escapes the Master's eyes." Lu Fang offered smooth flattery.

"Your Majesty is divinely wise; that is exactly it. The subject intends to control the quantity of treasure notes issued to keep them strong. Moreover, before the new year, I released the wind that a copper mine had been discovered in Shanxi with vast reserves. At the same time, the bank began to target privately minted counterfeit coins. Influenced by this, copper coins have recently begun to appreciate."

"Shanxi? A copper mine?" Jiajing frowned.

Lu Fang said: "Returning to the Master, this is something Wang Yan did long ago. The Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard also participated. After searching for two years, they found a copper mine in the Zhongtiao Mountains of Shanxi."

Jiajing nodded; this was not a big deal. He didn't even ask about the reserves, because the point was not how much the reserves were, but that there was this copper mine and that the reserves were 'very large'. That was enough.

The price of copper dropped, and there were no copper coins, still at a one-to-one exchange with the new treasure notes. But at the same time, they were cracking down on privately minted copper coins, so the privately minted ones didn't count as money, and the value of copper coins naturally rose. So what about the copper blocks in the hands of the wealthy that didn't count as money, and the large amount of privately minted copper coins?

Privately minted copper coins can of course pass for genuine ones, but the material ratio is wrong. The common people can't distinguish between true and false, so they don't want copper coins, they only want treasure notes...

Of course, this takes some time, but no matter what, Wang Yan will eventually use treasure notes to exchange for more copper. He will then mint coins and send them to Fujian and Guangdong, and play the game again when he gets there.

This thing can't be prevented even if you want to. After all, the law is in Wang Yan's hands, and the troops are in the hands of Yu Dayou and the others. Whoever dares to make trouble and not accept the loss, that is really going to lose their head.

Only the common people have no losses; after all, they don't have much savings. Those in Shuntian Prefecture have long since deposited them in the bank to earn interest, so they don't have many copper coins in their hands...

With this matter settled, Jiajing thought for a moment and said: "I hear Prince Yu has caught a cold recently. You should go and see him."

"Yes, Your Majesty, the subject will go now."

Wang Yan bowed and took his leave, turning to exit the Yuxi Palace.

Lu Fang came out to see him off again, and Wang Yan said: "Eunuch, rest assured, the subordinate understands the rules. Remember that manager of the Prince's mansion named Feng Bao? He is your godson. If there is anything, I will tell him directly, ensuring you are informed at the first opportunity."

"That is exactly what I meant." Lu Fang sighed, "In these troubled times, you must also be cautious and careful in everything."

"Many thanks for your concern, Eunuch. The subordinate has been assassinated more than ten times; I am already numb to it." Wang Yan laughed loudly, "If they want to kill me, they are still far from it. If secret schemes can't kill me, they only have rebellion left, and they will definitely die before me."

"Don't say such unlucky things." Lu Fang laughed happily, "Let me tell you a piece of good news that will make you happy when you hear it."

"Eunuch, please speak."

"Yan Shifan returned to his hometown without permission, arrogant and domineering, harming the innocent, and even has the intention of gathering a crowd to rebel..."

Wang Yan laughed loudly: "This is seeking his own death. That old dog Yan Song probably won't live much longer either. When the time comes, I will send people to act as bandits and rob all the silver from their family."

"Nonsense! His Majesty remembers the good in Yan Song and Yan Shifan. Truth be told, after twenty years of trials and tribulations, Yan Song hasn't had it easy either. You should stop obsessing over their family's silver."

So Wang Yan changed the subject: "Eunuch, the Longevity Palace is repaired, right? When will His Majesty move there?"

"Actually, I am planning to go into seclusion today to calculate an auspicious day." Lu Fang responded with a smile.

Wang Yan nodded knowingly. This was to take him, Wang Mou, out again to attract firepower...

Jiajing and Wang Yan had developed a tacit understanding; whenever an issue arose, he would go into seclusion, and Wang Yan would naturally go out and find trouble for others. It remained the same principle: anyone capable of causing Jiajing frustration was already entangled in the capital. Dealing with one would pull out a whole string of them.

Wang Yan is the Assistant Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, acting as the head of Shuntian Prefecture, and all of them are within his strike range. He calls Yan Song an old dog, but in fact, he, Wang Mou, is also a dog; whoever goes against Jiajing, he has to bite.

Now that chaos is about to rise, Jiajing's seclusion is just the right time. If the matter ends quickly, he will seclude himself for ten days or half a month; if the matter is long-term, he can seclude himself for half a year, it doesn't matter; anyway, he doesn't attend court.

If you really want to talk about it, Jiajing is really lucky to have Wang Yan. Otherwise, in the original drama, he would already be old and dying at this time. Unlike now, he is still full of spirit and in very good health.

He practices physical fitness exercises all day and eats according to the recipe Wang Yan opened for him; he is very healthy.

If you have to say something, it's that Jiajing's alchemy is not very good. Up to now, the elixir has been iterated several times, and the various heavy metal poisons are gone. It mainly highlights health care and has a certain hallucinogenic property, making people feel energetic and healthy after eating it.

This actually still causes harm to Jiajing, but it is remedied by Wang Yan. Taking medicine on one side and detoxifying on the other, it can barely be considered a balance. Coupled with the fact that he has spent money happily for the past two years without being constrained, there are not many annoying things. With a quiet heart and a clear spirit, the body is naturally in a relatively good state.

According to the current situation, Wang Yan estimates that Jiajing can live for another ten or eight years...

?? Daily thanks to the good brothers who reward, vote for monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and silently read the book for their strong support! ===== CHAPTER 1546 =====