Chapter 1559: Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue

"Aiyo, isn't this the famous Master Hai? It's truly been a long time."

Tongzhou Wharf, Wang Yan smiled and greeted Hai Rui and his family.

"Aiyo, isn't this the powerful Wang Da Qing Tian (Great Blue Sky/Honest Official)? Should this subordinate kowtow to you?" Hai Rui also learned to speak in a strange, sarcastic tone.

"Forget it, let's go quickly. The weather is strange and hot, and your family's health isn't very good. If you get sick from the heat, it won't be good."

"Everyone is practicing the body-nourishing method you taught; I feel quite good."

Wang Yan shook his head: "Your feeling good is useless. I can tell at a glance that you haven't eaten anything good these past few years. If you don't eat well, your body won't be good. You're also interesting. I've made so much silver these past few years, and His Majesty is benevolent; all the officials of our Great Ming have had their salaries increased. You're already a Tongzhi (Prefectural Administrator), and your monthly salary isn't low, so why are you still so frugal? You're still looking malnourished."

"There are many poor people. When I meet them, I always have to help. Aiya, don't talk about the government's silver; that all has its place." Hai Rui grinned, his dark face telling of his many storms and snows.

"There are many poor people; how can one person's strength save them? There are so many great families; you can find a reason to get quite a bit of silver, and who would dare to trouble you? You should let these great families who scrape the people's wealth help the people. To talk about the right path, it must be local development, letting the people earn more silver than before."

"If life is really hard, you should also use the government's system to solve it, instead of you, Master Hai, showing kindness, starving yourself, and letting your family suffer with you."

"Alright, you won't listen even if I tell you. Let's go eat and drink first. We'll enter the capital tomorrow." Wang Yan waved his hand, then laughed loudly, "Speaking of which, it's also interesting. You go out to be an official for a few years, live a hard life, and then you can be in the same place as me, live a good life, eat until you're chubby, and then go to the locality to live a hard life again."

"Who told you, Master Wang, that you can now be called a powerful great family? How much can I eat?"

"Aiyo, Master Hai doesn't dislike me for being greedy for money now?"

"Everyone in the world knows that you, Master Wang, are greedy for money just to raise meat, so that the people of our Great Ming can afford to eat meat. The silver you earn is naturally clean and white. Let me tell you, it won't do if there's less meat today!"

Hai Rui was already very accustomed to Wang Yan's style and also understood Wang Yan's pursuit very well. Except for being greedy for money and lustful, Wang Yan was simply a saint. The two had known each other for many years and could be considered like-minded, so Hai Rui didn't feel uncomfortable.

Truth be told, Hai Rui had handled government affairs for so many years and had asked Wang Yan for advice many times. For example, when he went to govern the locality, he wanted to act like Wang Yan. After all, he had seen it with his own eyes several times and had a deeper understanding of the inside story.

However, it looked easy but was difficult to do. When he actually executed it in the locality, he was also in a mess, handling things in a panic. The assessment of local labor prices, price stability, the stability of the people—all these things pressed on his head, making it truly difficult for him to handle.

He had to write to Wang Yan, find the problems, and ask for solutions. In these years, under Wang Yan's guidance, the local governance could also be said to be flourishing.

After all, it was executed according to the template of Shuntian Prefecture. Even if he couldn't achieve full success, as long as he could achieve thirty percent, he could greatly alleviate local contradictions and let the people catch a big breath...

Because Tongzhou had a wharf, and with the rapid development of shipping in recent years, it naturally prospered around the wharf.

There were tens of thousands of laborers here, some working as porters, some engaging in construction. They wanted to marry and have children, and they needed clothing, food, housing, and transportation, so the town naturally began to expand, and commerce naturally began to enrich.

Even because this was the first stop for all kinds of goods to arrive, shrewd merchants gathered here to buy and sell goods, naturally forming a huge delivery market. At the same time, all kinds of goods were sold here, becoming a big supermarket. The prosperity of the big supermarket was no worse than the capital thirty kilometers away.

Because the goods arriving in the capital were already starting secondary sales, Tongzhou was doing primary distribution, which was merchant-to-merchant, toB, not toC.

All kinds of consumption places naturally followed, restaurants, hotels, brothels, etc. —everything one could think of was basically there, which could be said to be quite complete.

In the private room on the second floor of the restaurant, Hai Rui looked at the prosperity outside and listened to the noise in his ears, couldn't help but sigh.

"In just a few short years, it has become what it is today. It really feels like the sea has turned into mulberry fields; you are truly amazing."

"No matter how amazing I am, one person can't accomplish so many things. Truth be told, it was driven by people's greed. The powerful and great families want to earn more, the people want to live better, and the imperial court wants to be stronger and doesn't want the powerful and great families to be too lawless."

"I, on the other hand, found such a balance, letting the great families earn money, letting the people live better, letting the imperial court be stronger, and suppressing the great families. With the continuous growth of wealth, many things were naturally accomplished."

"It's like the initial market was for trading, gradually there were resident people, and then small towns appeared, communicating the trade of nearby villages. In order to protect themselves, guard against wild beasts and enemies, they went from tying fences to building walls, and finally became cities."

"What our Great Ming is experiencing now is also such a process. As people want to earn more, people will naturally produce novel things and expand their territory, etc. What should we officials do? It is to watch this process, always correct mistakes, and ensure stable development."

"You have so many reasons." Hai Rui couldn't help but complain.

"These are all my honest words; you just learn them."

The two chatted and drank around the prosperity of the human world outside. After three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, they began to talk about business.

"This time, letting me return to the capital, what position are you arranging for me?"

Hai Rui wasn't stupid; how could he not know that it was Wang Yan who transferred him back. However, he didn't complain that Wang Yan didn't notify him in advance, because notifying him wouldn't have been of any use, just making him unable to sleep, so it was better not to say, just a transfer order to let him enter the capital.

"Take my place, be the Shuntian Prefecture Administrator, acting on behalf of Shuntian Prefecture affairs. I didn't tell you before because I was afraid you wouldn't be able to sleep."

"I really couldn't sleep."

Hai Rui's surprised ox eyes widened, "Does His Majesty really let me be in charge of Shuntian Prefecture?"

"Of course." Under Hai Rui's suspicious gaze, Wang Yan laughed and said, "However, it must be my strong recommendation. Old Hai, you still don't understand. His Majesty actually doesn't care who is in charge of Shuntian Prefecture; His Majesty wants Shuntian Prefecture to maintain its current appearance, the powerful and great families to be honest, the people to live and work in peace, let this capital have the greatness of the empire, and at the same time ensure that the annual tribute is not less than two million taels of silver."

"This is also my demand. I can't watch the good situation I fought for with my life be ruined by others. You can be considered my person, and also a reliable person. I am also at ease handing Shuntian Prefecture to you."

"As for whether you can do this job well, you don't have to worry. I am also staying in the capital this time; sometimes I will intervene directly."

"You are staying in the capital? I am in charge of Shuntian Prefecture, then what about the Tatars, and Vice Minister Hu..."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Look, you got it right at once. Vice Minister Hu will take over the Tatar side. He and Qi Jiguang are old partners. They have fought for more than two years, and the Tatars have long been beaten to waste. It's just that we have always disagreed with their request for peace; otherwise, where would this war take so long? It would have been finished in half a year."

"The Tatars requested peace?"

Wang Yan nodded.

"His Majesty didn't agree, and Xu Jie and the others didn't agree?"

Wang Yan continued to nod.

"Why?" Hai Rui didn't understand.

"Because fighting can earn money." Wang Yan explained patiently, "From the start of the war until now, the statistically..."

What Wang Yan told Hai Rui was exactly the previous expansion of domestic demand and stimulation of the economy. At the same time, with the victory of the war, with the gradual expansion of territory, population, and land were all increasing, and Wang Yan's previously formulated plan for immigration and actual governance also began, driving the development here, letting these grassland people have money, then the Great Ming's products would naturally spread over, which was another consumption cycle.

In addition, there was Liaodong. Although there was no hard battle, it was also a soft knife slowly cutting the Three Guards of Doyan and the Jurchens, also starting to immigrate to Liaodong and engaging in construction.

As for Korea, it was purely dumping goods to them. After so many years, Korea had long been circulating treasure notes; they were creating wealth for the Great Ming.

Coupled with the war constantly consuming all kinds of supplies, etc., the Great Ming's various rough manufacturing industries had developed rapidly in these years, and big factories and small workshops had sprung up like mushrooms.

The people, regardless of men and women, were all busy. Professional workers without land also appeared on a large scale. New thoughts were also surging on the land of the Great Ming. After all, thoughts had to match social development, and the two promoted each other. This also led to various debates among the intellectual group, and many novel viewpoints appeared.

Also because of the overall good development, the people's lives were relaxed, and the feeling of "good days are coming" was gradually passed on to more people. Living costs decreased, surpluses increased, so the people's originally strong idea of having children was put into action. In these years, the population also began to grow explosively, all trying hard to have children and expand their families.

All in all, the seeds Wang Yan planted in the previous few years, when it came to attacking the Tatars, deterring the four barbarians, and showing the strength of the Great Ming Empire, finally blossomed and bore fruit, forming an unstoppable momentum...

"I didn't expect it to be such a truth."

The Jiajing Emperor nodded with a smile, "You have worked hard. This battle was fought well. According to the truth you said, I really hope it can be fought forever. It's a pity that the Tatars are not durable; they will be completely defeated in less than three years."

The Jiajing Emperor, Xu Jie, and others didn't agree to the Tatars' begging for peace, not because they understood the truths Wang Yan said. After all, they were all smart people, and they naturally had many ideas, but they couldn't be as systematic as Wang Yan said. They simply discovered through various statistical data that this war was making the Great Ming richer the more it was fought, so naturally, it couldn't be negotiated; whoever wanted to negotiate would be dealt with...

Speaking of which, the various statistical data they looked at also came from Wang Yan. After all, Wang Yan had always shouldered the heavy responsibility of being in charge of the Imperial Bank, and various statistical indicators were proposed by him, and he had many people counting data in various places. As a result, after a few years of development, the Imperial Bank was even larger than the Ministry of Revenue.

Another interesting point was the problem of being an official. Wang Yan, a Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination), had to spend silver to be an official, but because the Yamen had expanded in recent years, it was truly easy for Juren to be officials. Unless they wanted to go to a good Yamen, they didn't have to spend silver at all. Everywhere was using people; if they wanted to be officials, they could go.

Wang Yan laughed: "Your Majesty need not worry. There are still the Oirats. I heard there is a Mughal in the southwest of our Great Ming, Japanese pirates in the east, and those chieftains in the southwest also need to be dealt with. Just mobilize the army to advance slowly. Sooner or later, we will fight until the universe is invincible and the four seas are peaceful."

"You just have too much killing intent." The Jiajing Emperor stood with his hands behind his back, shaking his head with a smile, truly like a kind old man, "I was just saying it casually. Why, are the lives of the soldiers not lives? They are all good sons of our Great Ming; it is always good to die fewer."

"Your Majesty is benevolent. The soldiers on the front line know that Your Majesty is thinking of them at all times, and they will definitely fight even more fiercely."

"What's the use of me thinking of them? It's the real truth to give enough military pay. Fight slowly; Hu Zongxian taking over your position also makes me feel at ease; there won't be any mistakes."

"Vice Minister Hu is mature and prudent, and he has long been familiar with Qi Jiguang, cooperating seamlessly. Managing Liaodong and the grasslands will definitely be worry-free."

The Jiajing Emperor looked at Wang Yan: "What are your plans next?"

"Everything is arranged by Your Majesty. This subordinate is a brick of the Great Ming; wherever Your Majesty puts me, this subordinate will go. For thirteen years, it has always been like this." Wang Yan cupped his hands sincerely.

The Jiajing Emperor was very satisfied with Wang Yan's attitude: "Thirteen years, you are also past the age of thirty, and I am also old..."

"Your Majesty's immortal cultivation..."

"Alright, you are a divine doctor, and you still can't see my body? Seeking immortality and asking for the Dao is ultimately empty..."

Wang Yan cupped his hands and lowered his head, not taking the words at all.

Lu Fang said: "Your Majesty, practice a little more, and you will definitely succeed."

"Eunuch Lu's words are reasonable." Wang Yan agreed sensibly.

"It should be practiced, so why do you need to persuade me?" The Jiajing Emperor flicked his sleeves, turning to say, "Go to the Ministry of Revenue, be the Left Vice Minister, and be in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. You are the best at making money, so you can also be the housekeeper for the Great Ming."

"The housekeeper is Your Majesty; this subordinate is Your Majesty's accountant." Wang Yan sighed, "Your Majesty, does the palace need to be repaired? I see that a few palaces have been burned again; this must be cleaned up quickly and rebuilt."

"You and Lu Fang discuss it..."

The Jiajing Emperor waved his hand, and Wang Yan sensibly walked away...

?? Daily thanks to the good brothers who tip, vote for monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and silently read the book for their strong support! ===== CHAPTER 1560 =====

The Jiajing Emperor waved his hand, and Wang Yan sensibly walked away...

?? Daily thanks to the great brothers who tip, vote with monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and silently read the book for their strong support!