The art of officialdom in the Great Yan Dynasty, where the people distrusted officials / Great Yan's true crisis? Officials driving the people to rebellion

Lee smiled. The ministers thought the drama had come to an end, that the emperor had invited Chen Qi only to give them some pointers, but they never expected it to be far from over!

But if the first episode is already so heavyweight, what else is there to come?! The ministers looked at each other in disbelief, unable to imagine that such a TV series could terrify them officials. If it were shown to the common people... wouldn't it be as destructive as Catastrophe?

However, no matter how unwilling the officials were, the second episode of "The Great Yan Dynasty 1566" was still broadcast in front of them...

On screen, Emperor Jiajing, played by Wei Yenwu, received good news: Prince Yu's Consort had given birth to a prince. Upon seeing the jade scepter delivered by a clerk from the Inspectorate, Emperor Jiajing immediately understood its meaning.

The next moment, Wei Yenwu took out a chestnut and a jujube from his sleeve and placed them beside Yu Zhang, which puzzled many officials. What did this mean?

"In folk parlance, this is called 'early establishment' (a play on words, implying early success)!" Lü Fang, played by Lee, explained Wei Yenwu's meaning with a joyful expression. Clearly, after seeing that Prince Yu had a son, Wei Yenwu had also decided to make Prince Yu the prince.

"Your Majesty, we are truly impressed! How did Your Majesty know that such a joyous occasion would occur today?"

"--Family affairs, national affairs, and affairs of the world—I cannot be ignorant of these matters."

At this moment, Wei Yenwu's short sentence successfully re-established the "divine" image of the Emperor Jiajing in the eyes of his ministers. All the officials who had watched the first episode knew that the Emperor Jiajing, played by Wei Yenwu, seemed to be negligent in his duties, but his knowing-it-all demeanor still inspired awe in them.

What kind of emperor is this...? He clearly doesn't care about state affairs, yet he seems to know everything. Did he install surveillance cameras on everyone?

With this in mind, many officials turned their gaze to their emperor. Looking at their diligent, honest, and responsible ruler, the officials couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, thinking to themselves:

"Thank goodness... we're serving this emperor. If we were serving the Emperor Jiajing from that TV series... we'd be scared to death one day."

Unbeknownst to the Emperor of Great Yan, the comparison between himself and the Emperor Jiajing inadvertently garnered more goodwill and trust from his officials. After all, compared to the emperor who was diligent and hardworking but only outwardly focused on his efforts, the emperor knew them inside and out, which made them feel more at ease...

What officials fear most is this kind of old, cunning emperor. In comparison, it's much easier to serve the current emperor wholeheartedly.

Chapter 278: The Way of Officials in the Great Yan Dynasty: Great Yan the People Don't Trust the Officials

"Fortunately, our Emperor isn't that Emperor Jiajing..."

"Yes, it's terrifying how quickly people can find out everything about you without you even noticing."

"It's better that His Majesty is so diligent; at least we all know that His Majesty knows our secrets."

The officials whispered amongst themselves, all agreeing that the current Emperor of Great Yan was indeed far superior to the Emperor Jiajing. After all, the officials had witnessed the current emperor's diligence. Although he was slightly inferior to the late emperor in military strategy, he was undoubtedly a wise ruler who could maintain the status quo.

The ministers still respected the Emperor of Great Yan. Moreover, although Great Yan was powerful, it was actually fraught with danger. Demons, Seaborn, Feranmut... were all sharp Blades hanging over the heads of the officials. Everyone understood that this was not the time for internal strife.

However, in the TV series, the Emperor Jiajing faced a Great Yan Dynasty that had resolved the enormous crisis posed by the "Feranmut." Although riddled with problems, a major internal crisis had been averted, and the sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of officials had completely disappeared. As a result, numerous problems began to surface...

"Born in hardship, die in comfort." The crisis of "year" gradually spread, making all officials tremble with fear and dare not be careless. The ministers were mindful of danger even in times of peace. The Grand Tutor looked at the Great Yan Great Yan on the screen, which was riddled with holes and full of worms. He was heartbroken and began to think about how to help Great Yan avoid such a future.

"Perhaps, is it necessary for 'Sui' to maintain its current relationship with Great Yan? For Great Yan, 'Sui' is a sword of Damocles hanging over our heads, but it is also a stepping stone for Great Yan to steadily rise?"

Thinking this, the Grand Tutor turned his gaze back to the screen. At that moment, amidst the swirling snow, he saw a figure kneeling on the ground inside the Directorate of Ceremonial. Without a doubt, it was Feng Bao, who had previously bypassed the Directorate of Ceremonial to report the auspicious omen to the Emperor Jiajing, thus angering a group of officials in the Directorate of Directorate of Ceremonial.

Realizing his mistake and understanding that if he couldn't overcome this hurdle, he would not only never have the chance to enter the Directorate of Ceremonial again, but would also become an abandoned pawn in the palace with no one to rely on, and might even die a violent death, Feng Bao knelt in the heavy snow until now to prove his loyalty.

Seeing Feng Bao's resilience, Lü Fang, played by Lee, gained confidence in his godson's character. After dismissing the other officials from the Directorate of Ceremonial of Ceremonial, he immediately ordered his subordinates to carry the frozen Feng Bao into the Directorate of Ceremonial.

After being rubbed with snow by several minor officials and warmed by the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed), Feng Bao, played by A, finally woke up. The first thing he did upon waking was to kowtow to Lee with a sob in his voice to apologize.

"... You've been with me for so many years, I've taught you every day. Even a cow will learn to throw a rope after being taught three times. Look at your arrogant attitude." Lee looked at Ah, who was bowing deeply to him, and spoke with a reproachful tone, giving his favored godson a true lesson:

"In your eagerness to climb the ranks, you killed Zhou Yunyi on the 29th, and today you're rushing to report this auspicious omen?"

"I don't hold it against you, but how can so many people in the palace not harbor resentment?"

"And then there are Zhou Yunyi's many colleagues, and Prince Yu... If you're going to seek death, this isn't the way you're doing it."

Lee's words caused the officials watching from outside the screen to fall silent, especially the many minor officials who were waiting outside or responsible for cleaning. They couldn't help but empathize with what they saw.

Surviving in the palace, where isn't there intrigue and backstabbing everywhere? It's not Yes, Minister and the emperor; aren't lowly officials like them no different? Who would want to spend their whole life cleaning and scrubbing toilets in the palace? Who isn't doing their best to climb the ranks? They don't even have the backing and power of Feng Bao in the TV series.

Even Feng Bao faced such difficulties; one wrong step could lead to total ruin. For minor officials like them, making a mistake could mean the end of their lives.

Even in this prosperous era of the Great Yan Dynasty, with His Majesty being an enlightened ruler, it is unlikely that these lowly figures at the bottom of the system will die a violent death. However, life in the palace is still like walking on thin ice.

With such feelings in mind, many of the lower-level officials slowed down their work slightly. Fortunately, the surrounding officials were all focused on the screen and had no time to pay attention to this little bit of slacking off.

On screen, Feng Bao committed a major taboo. Even if Lü Fang, played by Lee, didn't mind, the others in the Directorate of Ceremonial wouldn't tolerate him. Lee offered his solution: to have Feng Bao leave the palace and work at the Prince Yu's Residence.

All officials knew that moving from the palace to a prince's residence meant leaving the center of power. It was like an official serving in the capital being transferred to a local post; even if his rank was higher, it was a demotion in disguise.

Feng Bao understood this principle, and disheartened, he knew he had no future. However, at this moment, Lü Fang, played by Lee, the old minister who was closest to the emperor in the story, earnestly imparted his wisdom on how to conduct himself in the world to A Zhen.

"Let me teach you two more sentences, remember them. One is what we civil officials say: 'Think thrice before becoming an official.'"

What does "think thrice" mean? It means "think about danger, think about retreat, and think about change."

"Knowing the danger allows you to avoid it. This is called being prepared for danger."

"Hiding away so that no one notices you anymore, that's called retreating."

"Stepping down gives you an opportunity to observe and reflect. Where did you go wrong? What should you do next? That's what it means to adapt."

Lee's words echoed slowly in the hall. Unconsciously, many officials nodded silently. Some of the younger officials even took out their pens and notebooks and began to silently record these details.

These are all knowledge for officials! Generally speaking, to be an official in the palace and to understand these principles, if you don't have a teacher, no one will kindly teach you so much. You have to figure it out yourself, but this process is often accompanied by danger. To understand a principle, you often have to take risks!

Just like the early "Yes, Prime Minister," which prompted all the civil servants and politicians in Victoria to take notes, Chen Qi's "The Great Yan Dynasty 1566" has lost its comedic elements and depicts the true ways of being an official.

For example, what Lee said now was pointing out a clear path for those officials who had previously admitted their mistakes. Naturally, those officials who admitted their mistakes would not let this opportunity pass, and they all listened very attentively.

"Let me teach you that phrase the military officers used to say, 'Put yourself in a desperate situation, and you will survive.'" Lee patiently explained why he had arranged for him to go to Prince Yu's Residence, away from the center of power, and began:

"Judging by the fate of our Great Yan, the throne will eventually belong to Prince Yu. When that day comes, people like you and me, who are loyal to the current emperor, will inevitably be feared by Prince Yu. That will be the real death."

"I am now acting on His Majesty's orders to send you to Prince Yu's Residence as a trusted confidant of the imperial grandson. You must keep a low profile and truly make Prince Yu and the people in his household see you in a new light."

"If the day ever comes when Prince Yu enters the palace... your old father's life will depend on you."

Lee's words finally revealed all his thoughts. Now that it's impossible for Feng Bao, played by A, to please the Emperor Jiajing, the solution is to get on the good side of the future emperor as soon as possible. This way, he might have the chance to rise through the ranks by contributing to the emperor's rise to power.

As for Lü Fang, played by Lee, he is completely bound to the Emperor Jiajing in this life. It is impossible for him to be loyal to anyone else, let alone seamlessly connect with Prince Yu. That would be suicidal. Therefore, if he wants to retire safely in the future, he can only rely on his godson.

In just a few lines, Lee revealed the best course of action he could take when facing a crisis as an official.

It could also be said that Lü Fang, played by Lee, is now practicing the same things he told A Ting. It seems that even he, who is closest to the emperor, has to consider his way out.

"How pathetic... the Great Yan of later generations was filled with beasts who had no ruler and no father."

Even the Emperor of the Great Yan felt sorrowful about this, and he discerned another layer of meaning in it. That is, Prince Yu, as the heir to the throne, also had a crisis of trust with his father, the Emperor Jiajing, to the point that when Prince Yu ascended the throne, his trusted confidants in the Directorate of Directorate of Ceremonial had to consider their way out.

It is said that the transfer of power inevitably involves bloodshed and tears, as is the case in Ursus, where almost every change of imperial power is accompanied by a bloodbath. However, the situation in the Great Yan is quite special. Because the race is a long-lived species, the emperor and princes often have a very deep bond, and the princes have enough time to be nurtured and ensure their success.

This meant that the emperor did not necessarily have to die before handing over the throne to his son. In this way, the former emperor and his ministers had enough time to gradually transfer the center of power to the next emperor.

Now that such a scene has unfolded, and all of this is happening to the descendants of the Great Yan, even the Great Yan Emperor couldn't help but feel sorry for them. Subjects don't trust their monarch, and even princes don't trust their own fathers... This Emperor Jiajing truly makes him feel both sorry and ridiculous.

Leaving aside his role as emperor, let's just talk about his father, the Emperor Jiajing, who can be described as a complete failure.

"Grand Tutor, will my son in the future also be so wary of me and these old ministers I have left behind?"

"... No, Your Majesty. As long as Your Majesty and your ministers are united in heart and mind, and work together for the people of Great Yan, setting a good example for future generations, Great Yan will certainly not be like this in the future."

The Grand Tutor also understood that teaching by example was the best way to educate one's descendants. Virtues such as morality, loyalty, and filial piety could only be upheld and believed in by generations of effort.

Back in the drama, the Emperor of Great Yan, who plays Prince Yu, soon reappears. Interestingly, he and Wei Yenwu were brothers, but in this drama, the Emperor of Great Yan plays the son of the Emperor Jiajing.

At this moment, Prince Yu was also discussing the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields with the Purists faction. Prince Yu's status as a prince was basically secure, but the problem of the Yan Faction still required their attention. As for the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields, the Purists faction, without exception, felt that the Yan Faction would definitely take some action.

"You mean they'll take this opportunity to seize the land from the mulberry farmers?"

"It's entirely possible." At this moment, Tan Lun, one of Prince Yu's confidants, also promptly explained, "His Majesty has issued an edict that no additional taxes can be levied on farmland converted into mulberry fields, but the yield of one mu of mulberry field is more than 50% higher than that of one mu of farmland."

"Furthermore, with the mulberry fields in their hands, from planting mulberry trees and raising silkworms to weaving silk fabrics, countless middlemen and intermediaries are eliminated, making the profits unimaginable."

Ultimately, after discussion, the group decided to send Tan Lun to Zhe City to consult with Hu Zongxian, the Zhe City's top official. Although Hu Zongxian had been promoted by Yan Song, Tan Lun believed that Hu Zongxian, given his character, would know what was more important.

"For a fleeting moment, I actually thought the Yan Faction genuinely wanted to replenish the national treasury." Seeing this, the Emperor of Great Yan couldn't help but sneer and said calmly:

"Yes, the profits from silkworm farming are far greater than those from farming. If they take the opportunity to secretly convert more mulberry fields, or even annex the mulberry fields of local people, they will not only meet their targets but also line their own pockets. Especially since there are no middlemen taking a cut, the profits will definitely be high."

"Very well, I want to see how they deceive their superiors and flatter their subordinates, and how they ruin perfectly good national policies."

The Emperor of Great Yan was so angry that he laughed. Although he participated in the second episode, he only had a few scenes. The rest were filmed by Chen Qi and his group in Gouwu. Therefore, this was the first time he had seen the complete filming of the second episode.

Now he was also very curious about the future level of local governance in the Great Yan. When he watched "Yes, Prime Minister" before, he had heard Chen Qi write more than once in the script that local governments were full of idiots. He was confident that the local officials of the Great Yan could do a good job, but after investigation, he still found a lot of corrupt officials.

The Great Yan depicted in the TV series is riddled with problems, its social order collapsed, and Zhe City has become the domain of Yan Faction's advisors. The Great Yan emperor wants to see just how far the Great Yan can push its people in the future.

As the Great Yan Emperor thought this, lines of text soon appeared on the screen, and Chen Qi's voiceover slowly began to play:

"Zhang Juzheng's words unfortunately came true; the government's policy of converting rice paddies to mulberry fields brought disaster to the people of Zhe City as soon as it was implemented."

As soon as the narration ended, the camera quickly moved to Zhe City, where the scene that appeared truly stunned the Emperor of Great Yan and his officials, who even doubted their own eyes.

In a field planted with countless rice seedlings, a group of Great Yan soldiers were blocking a group of people who were shouting themselves hoarse. On the other side, a group of civil and engineering masters dressed as the Celestial Masters' Manor were using Originium Arts to cover up all the rice seedlings!

This is a shocking scene of forced land seizure! The people who were unwilling to convert their farmland into mulberry fields were forcibly taken by the government. The method of this forced seizure was to cover up all the farmland, leaving the people with no other choice but to convert their farmland into mulberry fields.

As they watched the scene unfold, with each seedling covered by Originium Arts and beyond any hope of recovery, the officials in the hall fell silent, followed by a surge of anger rising from the depths of their hearts!

Such a scene would be enough to enrage any official with a conscience, and for some officials of humble origins, the Grand Tutor, and even the Emperor of Great Yan himself, one can only imagine the immense shock it would cause.

The imperial court is likely to launch another massive purge. If what Chen Qi filmed is indeed verified, the wrath of the True Lung will be something not to be trifled with...

Chapter 279: The Real Crisis of the Great Yan? A Scene of Officials Forcing the People to Revolt

"You beast! You have utterly disgraced the people of Great Yan!"

"How can a local official treat the people like this? How can he face his ancestors?!"

"How could such a beast be appointed as a prefect? Does our Great Yan have no capable and loyal officials? How can such a beast be allowed to enjoy a salary!"

It should be said that, due to various reasons, although the economy of Terra has developed rapidly, its political development has not reached the level of "chaos" that Chen Qi originally lived in. In Terra, even the so-called politicians are mostly quite "pure".

Otherwise, how could Chen Qi's "Yes, Prime Minister," which contains knowledge so readily available among civil servants in the original world that it could be openly discussed in coffee shops, be considered "advanced knowledge" in Victoria?

Similarly, many phenomena and knowledge in the Great Yan Dynasty, although they may have occurred in the Great Yan, were basically never systematically organized in such detail. Even if they were passed on, it was basically one-on-one and would never be passed on to outsiders.

The level of ugliness that officials could reach was also unimaginable to the officials of the Great Yan. Even though the Great Yan had been secretly accumulating strength since the time when the Feranmut still existed, and had gone through several prosperous and wise rulers, it was still difficult to avoid the emergence of corrupt officials.

However, this scene has refreshed the understanding of how hateful these "parasites" are among the officials of the Great Yan, as well as the emperor himself.

"Your Majesty! I request to impeach Ma Ningyuan, the Prefect of Zhe City! He has oppressed the people, committed heinous crimes, and driven them to rebellion; he should be executed!"

Upon witnessing this scene, a minister of humble origins could not contain his anger. He abruptly stood up and angrily addressed the Emperor of Great Yan, his indignant demeanor suggesting that if the Emperor disagreed, he would personally go to Zhe City to find someone to fight.

As for the reason... well, it's quite a coincidence. This part was filmed by Chen Qi and his group in Gouwu, and coincidentally, the prefect of Zhe City in Gouwu has the same name as the prefect in "The Great Yan Dynasty," both named Ma Ningyuan. And because of this, Chen Qi immediately brought this prefect to film the movie, since his role wasn't very big.

However, unlike the TV series, Ma Ningyuan, the prefect of Zhe City, was a truly good official. When he heard that this scene was going to be filmed, he would rather Chen Qi kill him than appear on camera. In the end, it was only after the Emperor of Zhe City Great Yan issued an edict guaranteeing that his reputation would not be ruined that he reluctantly agreed.

"My dear minister, please do not be agitated. This is merely filming, and it was permitted by me. Moreover, this scene was agreed upon by the local people, and Ma Ningyuan paid double the compensation and remuneration. I can testify to that."

The Emperor of Great Yan also offered an explanation for the scene on behalf of the Prefect of Zhe City, but even so, he could not hide his anger. The thought that the behavior in the TV series might be happening somewhere in Great Yan made his True Lung aura leak out uncontrollably.

In particular, the Emperor of Great Yan knew that Chen Qi dared to film this way because there was a high probability that someone had actually done it before. This was similar to many of Chen Qi's previous critical works... He felt his blood pressure was about to explode.

Regardless of reality, in the TV series, Ma Ningyuan quickly arrested several civilians who were resisting the government's tyranny. He asked one of the particularly burly men, "Who was that person who just said 'rebellion'? What's his name?"

"Qi Dazhu!"

The actor playing Qi Dazhu was none other than Huai Tianpei, who had come from afar. Chen Qi immediately chose him for this important role, and it was truly fortunate that Huai Tianpei could refrain from intervening when he saw the play.

"What do you do for a living?" Ma Ningyuan continued to ask, and Huai Tianpei immediately replied, "I'm a local mulberry farmer!"

"Mulberry farmers? Why are mulberry farmers leading rice farmers to cause trouble?"

"I feel indignant!"

Huai Tianpei's rebuke was particularly forceful. Most common people don't know how to reason, but officials are the most skilled at it. When he shouted this, it was destined that he would be treated as a "rebellious person".

Ma Ningyuan raised an eyebrow, immediately having an idea. He then turned to Huai Tianpei and questioned, "What kind of leader are you under Wang Zhi?"

"What Wang Zhi?" Huai Tianpei was also taken aback. Faced with this name he didn't recognize at all, any answer he could give would be wrong. Confused, he shouted, "I don't know Wang Zhi!"

"--Wang Zhi, leader of the Church of the Deep!" At this moment, seeing that Huai Tianpei, the peasant, had indeed fallen into the trap, Ma Ningyuan smiled slyly and finally revealed the identity of this fabricated name, directly labeling Huai Tianpei as a "Deep Sea Cultists".

"Converting rice paddies to mulberry fields is a national policy!" Prefect Ma Ningyuan, facing the people, was also extremely indignant. Looking at this group of farmers who "didn't understand the consequences," he said sternly:

"It benefits the nation and you all! I just don't understand why this wonderful thing can't be implemented? And today there's even a mob protesting!"

"Now I understand, it turns out that Deep Sea Cultists are instigating this! Keep planting seedlings! Anyone who dares to obstruct them, arrest them one by one, and take them to the yamen along with these Deep Sea Cultists!"

Ma Ningyuan waved his hand and dragged away several troublemakers on charges of being members of the Deep Sea Cultists, making it seem as if he would arrest any other Deep Sea Cultists who dared to cause trouble. Just then, a burly man in full armor arrived at the scene with several soldiers and immediately stopped the behavior.

The newcomer was none other than Qi Jiguang, the famous anti-Japanese general from Chen Qi's world. However, in Terra, he became a general fighting against the Higashi's Seaborn and the Church of the Deep, and the actor playing him was none other than his elder brother, Chongyue himself.

When Ma Ningyuan Chongyue arrive, he was somewhat nervous, but remembering that he was a soldier transferred by the Ministry of War, he spoke to Chongyue without any hesitation, "General Qi, you happened to be away when the troops were transferred, but I left you the Ministry's troop transfer order."

However, Chongyue completely ignored Ma Ningyuan and waited for a soldier leader to come to him. A rare rage flashed in Chongyue's eyes as he stared at the leader and asked: