The "Difficulties" of Local Government as Depicted in *The Great Yan Dynasty* (New Bounty Included) / Can Jiajing Really Become a God? The Consequences of His Elixir Addiction

"Hmm? What's wrong with you today? You look so listless?"

However, apart from Chen Qi and the three Sui sisters, no one knew what happened in the painting. When Talulah saw Chen Qi the next day, she found that Chen Qi seemed a little dazed, and his whole demeanor was very different from the day before.

In fact, Ling was furious in the painting yesterday. After finally subduing Nian, she almost used her servant [Peace and Tranquility] like a leather belt. But just as Ling was about to use a Feranmut family punishment on Nian, Chen Qi stepped in time to protect Nian and save her from physical pain.

After all, although Chen Qi didn't know when Nian's surging emotions started or why he felt nothing at all, since Nian had done this, he had to stand up for her. He couldn't allow anyone to hurt the person important to him under any pretext.

In the end, after much persuasion from Chen Qi, and even being mentally prepared for the order to use force to exert its authority, the order did not do so. Instead, it showed Chen Qi an extremely optimistic expression and earnestly instructed him:

"Thirteenth brother... never mind, I'll just call you Chen Qi, after all, that's what you were called from the beginning, isn't it?"

"Your older brother is right, I'm indeed not suited to be the older sister, but as the older sister, I know I should work for the benefit of my brothers and sisters. Now, with your help, we brothers and sisters have the opportunity to live a carefree and happy life. Your sister only has one request."

"You've seen what's going on with Nianmei and Ximei. As their older sister, I can't control them, but as their younger brother... no, I doubt they really treat you like a younger brother. It's probably only your older brothers who truly dote on you like a younger brother."

"I don't care what happens after that, but right here in the capital, there can be absolutely no movement. Your sister doesn't want your efforts to be in vain, and she certainly doesn't want our affairs to implicate you."

"Your two younger sisters can't control themselves, but you have to control yourself and them. In the future, if you can find a place that Great Yan can't reach, then everything is up to you!"

"As for my brother... I'll take care of it for you!"

Ling had essentially given up on the idea of getting Nian and Xi to listen to her. She had already scolded and warned them so many times, and they were still causing trouble. The only thing she could say was that dragging Chen Qi into the world of the painting had at least made them wary, but it was still like walking a tightrope!

Ling knew she couldn't control her two younger sisters, but she was sure Chen Qi would listen to her! And Chen Qi was certain she could hold her ground, because Ling had her trump card.

"Otherwise, I'll have to talk to your Talulah about this. Even if she's not a threat to you right now, but..."

"..."

Well, now that things have come to this, Chen Qi knows what to do. But Chen Qi also knows he can't keep this a secret for long, so he needs to find a suitable opportunity to tell Talulah.

As for Nian... After that day, Nian acted as if nothing had happened and became active again on set. The familiar laughter of this feisty girl, which had been absent from the crew for a long time, made everyone who had long been used to Nian's presence and had even missed her after a while feel much more relaxed.

On the contrary, Xi has once again returned to her familiar homebody mode, disappearing into the painting and not coming out yet... I wonder what she's thinking.

What exactly did Nian and Xi talk about in the end? Chen Qi looked at Nian, who was back at her post and supervising the filming, all smiles. He realized that even with his imagination, he had no idea what had happened between Nian and Xi... just like he couldn't understand why these two had feelings for him.

Last night, after Xi woke up and Chen Qi and Ling finally left the world of the painting, Xi, now calmer, gradually realized that Nian's behavior revealed various oddities.

It's not surprising that Nian could guess her thoughts, nor is it surprising that she foresaw her actions and Reforging her painting. However, Nian had never expressed her opinion before, so it was strange that she suddenly made up her mind about this matter. What's more, her sister also came, almost right on time!

It's like... someone notified your sister in advance?

"You did all of this? You orchestrated this whole thing, you stole Chen Qi, and then got yourself captured by your sister? What exactly are you trying to do?"

"... Heh, you figured it out already? Looks like when it comes to scripts alone, I'm really not as good as Chen Qi. I have to admit it."

However, when facing Xi, who had already seen through her "script," Nian showed the same cheerfulness as always. She seemed to have swept away all the gloom in her heart, and there were no more hidden worries in her heart.

"Why did you do this? What benefit do you get from it?" Xi suppressed her anger and patiently asked Nian. This time, Nian didn't hide anything and answered frankly:

"... The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, right? Your sister repeatedly warned us not to do anything impulsive. If either of us is the first to speak up, she'll definitely give us a good beating, right?"

"It's kind of dramatic to say, but even after your sister warned you, you've only gotten worse. Today you were even planning to confess to that guy. If I hadn't stopped you, you probably would have done everything with him."

"If your sister finds out, she'll give you a good beating. Rather than wait until things get out of control, I'm thinking I should be the one to stick my neck out."

"I'll do it first, but not completely. Then your sister will see it and beat me up. If you do it again in the future, she'll definitely blame me and say I corrupted you. She'll beat you less, won't she?"

At this point, a self-deprecating smile appeared on Nian's face. He couldn't help but sigh at what Ling had said to Chen Qi earlier:

"But I didn't expect that your sister didn't care about those worldly things at all—hahaha, if your sister had explained it to us back then, I wouldn't have been so worried."

... But were these all the truths Nian told? Would she really do something so outrageous to Chen Qi just to take the blame for Xi? Xi knew her sister quite well. Nian was very outspoken and friendly, but all of this was just a mask for her loneliness.

Undoubtedly, Xi's actions made Nian feel flustered, so much so that in her desperation, she made this "swearing" act in front of Xi and Ling. Although she might be severely punished afterward, in her view, all of this at least confirmed one thing, which was her feelings for Chen Qi.

In the end, not only did nothing wrong, but Nian made Chen Qi realize earlier than Xi that she had deep feelings for him, not just simple admiration as a confidante, but also a feeling of wanting to be with him forever.

After figuring all this out, Xi was both angry and annoyed, but she didn't know how to confront Nian, especially after Ling revealed her and Nian's feelings to Chen Qi. She didn't know how to face Chen Qi anymore, so she simply went back to her reclusive, defensive mode.

Xi remained secluded for several months, while Chen Qi and the others continued filming "The Great Yan Dynasty 1566" in full swing.

After receiving guidance from Hu Zongxian, Gao Hanwen suddenly realized his mistake and transformed from Yan Shifan into a staunch member of the anti- Yan Faction. The two newly appointed county magistrates, Hai Rui and Wang Yongji, also stood with Gao Hanwen and firmly opposed the Yan Faction's conspiracy to "buy disaster victims' farmland at low prices."

The actions of these three men undoubtedly angered Zheng Michang and He Maocai in Zhe City. However, not long after, Zheng Michang, played by Liang Xun, deduced from the limited information available that "the court is in chaos."

"They were holding swords up there, but they were all slashing towards Zhe City!"

"Hu Zongxian had long seen that the court's conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields in Zhe City was a dead end, which is why he used a self-inflicted injury ruse, risking offending the Grand Secretaries and the Junior Grand Secretary, all to escape unscathed!"

"Now look what's happened. The imperial court fell for his trick, dismissing him as governor of Zhe City, and I took over the governorship, while you were promoted to provincial treasurer. We're all foolishly holding onto a treasure... And now, there's no going back."

However, He Maocai, played by Ning Ciqiu, didn't seem to understand these meanings, and Zheng Michang, played by Liang Xun, seeing that she still didn't understand, directly stated the matter plainly:

"How can you still not understand? The court is in debt, and the burden falls entirely on the Grand Secretaries and the Junior Grand Secretary. If they can make up the deficit, the Grand Secretaries and the Junior Grand Secretary can continue serving for a few more years—but if they can't, the Emperor will kick them to the curb!"

"Right now, Prince Yu and the people behind him are trying every means to prevent the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields in Zhe City from succeeding, all in order to bring down the Grand Secretary and the Junior Grand Secretary."

"When the time comes... the first to suffer won't be anyone else, it will be me, and you too."

If the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields failed, the first to suffer would undoubtedly be the local government officials responsible for implementing the policy. Hu Zongxian escaped punishment, and they happily took on the task, only to find that the policy was destined to fail, and they essentially became the ones who sacrificed themselves.

At this point, a new question arises: why was the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields destined to fail? And if the conversion couldn't be implemented, why did Yan Shifan send Gao Hanwen down to cause trouble?

Liang Xun's character, Zheng Michang, has already seen this very clearly. Gao Hanwen's purpose in coming down here is to play a supervisory role, to make them convert rice paddies into mulberry fields, but not to let them do the "low-price purchase of disaster victims' land" thing, so that they can save face and keep things in check.

"They want us to do the work of cutting flesh to heal wounds, and they even have to send a doctor to watch over us. They want us to make up for the deficit, and they have to make sure our faces are covered in burns—to put it bluntly, they want us to bleed more."

"They bought the land and converted it to mulberry fields, yet they still expect the people to stay out of trouble. Then, after making a profit, they hand over every single penny. They want the horse to run, but they don't want it to eat grass."

"--Let them put on a virtuous facade, we'll be the prostitutes! At worst, we'll just not take a share of the profits!"

Ning Ciqiu's character, He Maocai, has now come to her senses. She knows that getting through this ordeal is the priority. At worst, they won't get any money this time. As long as they act as "good officials" this time, they'll still have a chance to make money next time.

However, Zheng Michang, played by Liang Xun, scoffed at her naive idea, saying, "I'd accept being a prostitute if I could! But now I'm afraid I can't even be a prostitute..."

"But if we don't share the money, shouldn't those people in the palace and the court share it?"

"Furthermore, if things were done the way Gao Hanwen and those two magistrates did, with prices of thirty shi per mu or fifty shi per mu, Shen Yishi wouldn't have spent so much money to buy land."

The problem now is that the huge profit margin that was originally meant to cover the deficit was in the low-price acquisition of disaster-stricken fields. Everyone was eyeing this opportunity to make a quick buck, including Yan Song and his Yan Song, who planned to manipulate the price difference to replenish the national treasury.

If this policy were implemented according to Gao Hanwen's method, it would definitely not generate much revenue in the short term. However, the officials in the palace and the court were all thinking about making a profit from this policy, as the national treasury needed replenishment, and therefore they required immediate results!

The situation is that even if the local officials don't take kickbacks from this, the kickbacks that the people in the imperial court want cannot be reduced in the slightest. So where does this kickback come from? They have to bleed money out of their own pockets to make up for the deficit!

Implementing national policies means not getting a single penny, and even losing all the wealth accumulated through embezzlement. This is the method of "wanting both substance and appearance."

More importantly, they didn't even have that backup plan, because even Shen Yishi, the richest man in Zhe City, couldn't afford to buy so much land at 30 shi per mu. He couldn't even implement the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields, let alone the deal with the imperial court for 500,000 bolts of silk.

"When the investigation begins, the fact that the dikes were destroyed and the fields flooded will be exposed."

"To clear their own names, the Junior Grand Secretary and the Weaving Bureau will try to shift the blame onto you and me."

"Just wait, Old He, the prison van is ready for us."

Liang Xun's character, Zheng Michang, resigned himself to his fate. His explanation made everyone watching the performance feel the invisible pressure on these two officials—in such a hopeless situation, they could hardly even save their own lives, let alone profit from it.

In desperation, and desperate to save his own life, He Maocai, played by Ning Ciqiu, finally reached his breaking point. Since everyone was going to die, they would all die together. If the court wanted to touch them, they should be prepared to be stained with a mark that could never be washed away.

It is said that people often unleash amazing abilities in order to survive. In this respect, He Maocai, played by Ning Ciqiu, is also like this, and she thought of a risky move.

"--Colluding with the Church of the Deep!"

"... Old He, have you gone mad? Colluding with the Church of the Deep is a crime punishable by the extermination of an entire family!"

"Sigh, it's not that we colluded with the Church of the Deep, it's that we let them collude."

He Maocai's idea was to use the previous incident involving Qi Dazhu, played by Huai Tianpei Qi Dazhu, as a pretext. In order to lower land prices, the two had previously stipulated that the people of the disaster-stricken county were not allowed to buy grain privately, but only government grain.

Qi Dazhu was quite prestigious in the disaster-stricken county, so they devised a plan to get Qi Dazhu to go to the Church of the Deep in the Higashi to buy grain, so that the Great Yan soldiers could catch them red-handed.

When the time comes, the charge of colluding with the Church of the Deep will be pinned on him, and he will be beheaded at noon. Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, will have to personally oversee the execution. If he orders the execution, it will be the final straw that breaks the back of the people in the disaster-stricken county, forcing them to rebel. Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, is certainly aware of this consequence.

In order not to incite the people to revolt, Chen Huijie had no choice but to compromise. In order not to be accused of the same crime of "harboring traitors", she would have to implement their method of "purchasing disaster victims' farmland at low prices" and provide them with cover.

In the end, Zheng Michang, played by Liang Xun, nodded with lingering fear after some deliberation, agreeing to this treacherous move, and cautiously instructed:

"The collusion with the Church of the Deep must be carried out cleanly; do not leave any evidence against us."

In response, He Maocai, played by Ning Ciqiu, was very confident and laughed:

"I've been handling criminal cases for over a decade, so you don't need to worry about that."

"... They forced me into this."

Finally, Liang Xun's line finalized the plan, and the starting point for this eventual upheaval that would unleash tremendous changes in Zhe City was put into practice at that moment.

P. S.: This is the third chapter today! With that, all the owed chapters for bounties have been paid off! (Yay!)

Also, regarding the new bounty, I originally planned to keep it running for a while, but then I thought, this book has received so much support from everyone so far, if I open another bounty, it'll be endless, and then it'll look like I'm scamming people (laughs).

In that case, everyone should vote a lot today! Throw out your extra monthly tickets, swords, and votes (of course, I really welcome gold chests, just whispering). No matter how the data turns out, I will keep updating three times a day until the end~

Everyone, the bounty has started! Please vote and support me, and subscribe as well. Your support is my biggest motivation. Thank you!

Volume 1: Chapter 303: Could Jiajing Really Become a God? The Consequences of Jiajing Taking Elixirs

"You... how did you come up with so many ideas? It's like you witnessed a power struggle in the bureaucracy, with everyone involved brimming with schemes."

Now, the filming of "The Great Yan Dynasty 1566" has been going on for several months. As promised, the videotapes of episode after episode have been sent to Ursus, Victoria, Syracuse and other countries. As for how much of the essence they can grasp, that has nothing to do with Chen Qi.

As the plot unfolds, Zheng Michang and He Maocai's plan progresses step by step. They first join forces with Shen Yishi, played by the Emperor, to set up a honey trap for Gao Hanwen, played by Zuo Le, taking advantage of his weakness of "a scholar who loves elegance but not money" and successfully making him fall into the trap.

"If it weren't for my portrayal of Wang Yongji, that tearful speech of gratitude might have actually allowed them to succeed." Huang nodded, recalling the scenes filmed last month, which were still vivid in his mind.

However, Zheng and He's conspiracy against Hai Rui did not stop, and everything was proceeding as they had predicted. But they miscalculated three things.

First, there's the stupidity of He Maocai, played by Ning Ciqiu. This official, who claims to have worked in criminal investigation for over a decade, makes a huge mistake when framing Qi Dazhu —the people arrested by the soldiers in the middle of the night are reported to Zhe City by the morning. It's a journey of over 200 li, which wouldn't be that fast even by land-based boat.

This single mistake gave Hai Rui leverage, allowing him to determine that it was a miscarriage of justice.

Secondly, there is Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie. Hai Rui is not just a virtuous and upright official in the simple sense; he is also someone who is extremely proficient in the laws of the Great Yan and even more adept at finding loopholes in the words of his enemies.

Speak with the law and argue based on reason. In the Great Yan, the law represented the court, the emperor, and ancestral precepts, especially since the Emperor Jiajing was an extremely proud monarch who "dared not be the first in the world" and had connections to the highest levels of power.

What's more, even though Hai Rui was only a seventh-rank county magistrate, because he was recommended by Prince Yu's men and he actually had the means to reach the emperor's ears, it was even more difficult for anyone to argue with him.

Thanks to her familiarity with the laws of the Great Yan and her own outstanding abilities, Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, managed to withstand round after round of conspiracies and tricks, ultimately protecting Qi Dazhu and his group, and thwarting the schemes of Zheng and He.

Third, and crucially, they overlooked the determination of Gao Hanwen, Hai Rui, and Wang Yongji —their unwavering commitment to the people. Furthermore, their actions had slowly driven Shen Yishi, played by the Emperor, to a dead end.

Shen Yishi gradually realized that converting rice paddies to mulberry fields was impossible to implement, and since the court could not plunder the people, it would inevitably plunder the merchants. As someone who had participated in destroying the dikes and flooding the fields, he would inevitably be implicated and go to hell with Zheng and He.

With no other option, Shen Yishi made a decision: to purchase the disaster-stricken farmland of the victims in the name of the Weaving Bureau.

"Isn't this just a complete waste of time?" Chen Huijie, after taking a short break, frowned deeply when she saw Shen Yishi's actions in the drama and asked:

"The Imperial Weaving Bureau is an enterprise established by the imperial court, essentially a state-owned enterprise. How could Shen Yishi buy disaster-stricken farmland in the name of a state-owned enterprise? And at a discounted price at that?"

"Isn't this tantamount to telling all the people of Zhe City that the Emperor Jiajing is going to squeeze a huge sum of money out of them? This is tarnishing the Emperor's reputation. Does Shen Yishi have a death wish?"

"You'll find out later." Chen Qi didn't immediately tell Chen Huijie, Lin Yuxia, and the others what happened next, but confidently said instead:

"Don't worry, I won't make such a basic mistake. I won't let the usually clever character in this drama be confused for even a moment. The Emperor's character, Shen Yishi, still has a significant role."

"However, we're not filming this part right now—Uncle, I'm counting on you guys for the rest!"

In front of the camera, Wei Yenwu, who plays the Emperor Jiajing, had already prepared his scenes. However, this particular scene revealed the absurdity of the Jiajing.

All the turmoil in Zhe City had no effect on Jiajing in the drama. Emperor Jiajing was currently busy on his path to becoming Feranmut. After consuming the elixir, he was feeling the wind to the rhythm of a group of musicians, attempting to ride the clouds like a giant Feranmut and achieve the ability to fly.

In Chen Qi's original world, the scene of Jiajing cultivating Daoism was nothing short of a pipe dream. But now, on the Terra, and with Wei Yenwu playing the role, Jiajing's ideal of becoming Feranmut doesn't seem entirely Mr. Nothing.

Chen Qi deeply despised the practice of Daoist cultivation and consuming elixirs, as exemplified by Jiajing. However, to serve as a warning to those on the Terra who might consider taking elixirs after watching his drama, he made extensive preparations for this project.

For example, when Jiajing is riding the clouds, Wei Yenwu can briefly achieve a similar effect to flying by using his lightness skill, just as if the Emperor Jiajing in the drama really felt the power of the wind.

Chen Qi's plan was to first give those with "ulterior motives" a little hope, and then, in the end, when the Emperor Jiajing in the drama overdoses on drugs, his health deteriorates day by day, and he dies young (compared to the lifespan of Terra Mythical Race), the dangers of the elixir would be further highlighted.

When the time comes, if some people on the Terra protect their king and try to become Feranmut or powerful individual soldiers by taking drugs, they can use the Emperor Jiajing from "The Great Yan Dynasty" as a reference.

Emperor Jiajing mobilized the entire nation's resources and emptied the Great Yan's treasury, yet even the tenacious vitality of Mythical Race failed, and it died a tragic death. Do you think you have any chance of succeeding?

Regardless, Wei Yenwu's portrayal of Jiajing cultivating immortality undeniably possesses a certain ethereal and otherworldly quality. Even the servants, already sweltering with excitement, couldn't help but mutter amongst themselves:

"Good heavens, last year it didn't snow all December, and this year it hasn't blown a single breeze all summer. This is going to be a time of reckoning."

"That is to say, our Emperor, in his divine form, wears only thin clothes even in the dead of winter, with all the doors and windows open; and wears only cotton clothes even in the sweltering heat, with all the doors and windows closed."

"Our ancestor was also a demigod; only he could keep His Majesty company through all this."