Great Yan's Emperor: Just Destroy It Already. I Can't Carry This Dynasty Anymore / The Second Half of *The Great Yan Dynasty*: What Led to the Southern Salt Inspection Tour?

The three men who had just left the Grand Secretariat not only failed to accomplish anything but also engaged in a war of words on the only path to leaving the Grand Secretariat. The one who started the fight was undoubtedly Yan Shifan, played by Lin Yuxia.

"You pulled me off my horse, and I thought you two had been rewarded with a ride in the imperial palace in a two-person palanquin."

Faced with Yan Shifan's attack, Gao Gong, played by Celestial Master Bai, is a hot-tempered character, showing no mercy and immediately retaliating:

"A person has two legs, both for walking. Does the Junior Grand Secretary's legs mean he can't even walk without the sedan chair?"

This may sound like just a sarcastic remark, but it's actually a huge attack on the character Yan Shifan, played by Lin Yuxia. Historically, Yan Shifan was blind and lame. Chen Qi didn't replicate his blindness in the drama for fear of obscuring Lin Yuxia's performance, but his lameness was subtly portrayed throughout the series.

Gao Gong's counterattack thoroughly enraged Yan Shifan, who, now out of the Grand Secretariat, further fueled the flames against the Clear Stream Faction:

"Gao Suqing! You left home young and returned old. If you're someone who's willing to walk, you should understand today that you can leave."

"If you're still trying to linger and wait for the position of Grand Secretariat Secretary, let me tell you today. Xu Jie hasn't even sat in that chair yet, and even if he Old Xu, he won't pass it on to you."

"He has another student in Jiangnan, Zhao Zhenji, who is waiting for you, and you also have another of his students, Zhang Juzheng, waiting beside you."

Gao Gong, played by Celestial Master Bai, turned pale upon hearing these words. He had just stepped down from the Grand Secretariat and was naturally in a bad mood. Now, with Yan Shifan's provocation, he immediately shouted:

"I, Gao Gong, have no father who is the Grand Secretary, and I have never wanted to be the Grand Secretary!"

Having said that, Gao Gong angrily turned and left. But no matter what, Yan Shifan's instigation had indeed enraged Gao Gong. With Gao Gong gone, only Zhang Juzheng, played by Wenyue, was left to face his wrath alone.

Yan Shifan's first words to Zhang Juzheng were a warning to the youngest and least experienced "prodigy" in the Grand Secretariat, subtly telling him not to be too clever for his own good, lest he bring disaster upon himself.

However, Zhang Juzheng, played by Wenyue, did not fly into a rage like Gao Gong; instead, he consistently responded with measured and calm retorts.

"As the ancients said, death is inevitable for everyone, but its Mount Tai or lighter than a feather. If I can die for my country, I, Zhang, will accept it with equanimity."

"You dare to speak so presumptuously about the country?!"

As expected, Zhang Juzheng's words thoroughly enraged Yan Shifan. He had used similar phrases in his conversation with Hu Zongxian, a scene that caused the Great Yan Emperor to shake his head and mutter:

"This child is beyond redemption... Yan Song taught him this way, but he just won't change. Who is this self-righteous fool? If the Yan Faction is to fall in the future, it will inevitably fall on Yan Shifan."

Lin Yuxia's character, Yan Shifan, is unaware of the Great Yan Emperor's assessment. If we were to cut off the beginning and end of this scene and only look at this part, he would actually display a certain fierce loyalty, angrily rebuking:

"The national treasury is empty, and we are trying to find ways to make up for the deficit, but you are trying to undermine it. When have you ever thought about the country? When have you ever thought about my Great Yan Dynasty?!"

"The Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, and even the Palace are all waiting for money. At the beginning of the year, you were one of those asking for funds. We finally managed to negotiate a deal with Western merchants for 500,000 bolts of silk, but you sent two reckless individuals to obstruct it."

"Zhang Taiyue, put your hand on your heart and think about it. You used others as pawns just to bring us down. Where did all that Neo- School of Principle, the School of Mind, and even your teachers go?!"

However, even at this point, Zhang Juzheng, played by Wenyue, still refuted her words with reason and evidence. In the end, Yan Shifan, unable to bear it any longer and having nothing more to say, stormed off, pointing at Zhang Juzheng and cursing as he left:

"Go ahead and stir! Go ahead and stir! Just keep stirring!"

"It disrupted Hu Zongxian's frontline operations, causing him to run out of supplies and suffer defeats! It threw the southeast into chaos, ultimately leading to the downfall of the Great Yan Dynasty!"

"I'll just die with you all."

Lin Yuxia's portrayal of Yan Shifan, with his deafening voice, clearly reached everyone's ears. Upon hearing the line "The Great Yan Dynasty is gone," the Great Yan Emperor couldn't help but tremble, his expression suddenly froze, and he didn't know what to say.

From a purely national perspective, Yan Shifan's words were correct, but the national treasury had to be replenished with the blood and flesh of the common people. This dilemma left the Emperor of the Great Yan with no other options.

In an instant, the Emperor of Great Yan felt a wave of fatigue belatedly wash over him, and he couldn't help but lie down in an almost limp position.

Clearly, Chen Qi's line had once again shattered the Great Yan Emperor's composure, and Great Yan Emperor himself was unaware of how many times this had happened, muttering to himself involuntarily:

"No wonder so many monarchs were afraid of him... Who wouldn't be afraid of something like this once it's written down?"

PS: This is the third chapter today! (This is a long chapter of 5,000 words, sob sob, I'm so tired, please subscribe and support me! cute)

Volume 1: Chapter 309: Emperor of Great Yan: Destroy it, hurry up, I can't carry this Great Yan!

The Emperor of Great Yan hadn't watched Chen Qi's "The Great Yan Great Yan Dynasty" for several months. For him, watching the show now was, in a sense, even more painful than watching the Imperial Censor's deathbed remonstrance.

As the ruler of the Great Yan Kingdom, he could only watch helplessly as the Great Yan, riddled with problems, was portrayed in the drama. He felt even more distressed now that many of the satirical phenomena in the drama were being verified by him.

He pondered repeatedly whether he was unsuitable to be emperor. Could it be that the mere fact that he was "old" could cause the Great Yan, a nation ruled by so many wise emperors, to become like this after an unprecedented war?

In the eyes of the Emperor of Great Yan, the reason why Great Yan was in such a state of decline in the drama was ultimately due to Jiajing. It was this troublesome emperor who forced his ministers to hone their fighting skills to the extreme.

These Grand Secretariat members are all pillars of the nation; if they had used their abilities for the right purposes, each of them could have been a high-ranking official. Yet, they devoted most of their energy to factional struggles. In the end, who truly considered the people and the Great Yan?

If the monarch is incompetent, even the most talented ministers can only barely maintain the country. If no one can change the monarch's will, then even the most capable ministers cannot do anything for the Great Yan.

The subsequent plot seemed to confirm the Great Yan Emperor's thoughts. Jiajing had already decided that Zheng and He were doomed to die, and he also sent Zhao Zhenji, played by Ling, to take up the post of governor of Zhe City with an imperial edict. However, from the beginning, Zhao Zhenji had no intention of thoroughly investigating the matter. On the contrary, Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, was determined to cause a great uproar.

When Chen Huijie plays Hai Rui, he collects the testimonies of Zheng and He one by one, asking more and more questions without fear of causing a scene. Even Yang Jinshui is driven crazy. When Zhao Zhenji is not in a hurry, we can understand the character traits of Zhao Zhenji.

"I've heard Director Chen Qi mention to Ling more than once that Zhao Zhenji has a nickname, 'Non-stick Pan,' and now that I see it, it's true."

The Emperor of Great Yan's lips twitched slightly, immediately understanding the predicament Zhao Zhenji, played by Ling, was in, and said:

"Ultimately, Zhao Zhenji was driven by a strong sense of self-interest this time. He knew from the beginning that the case in Zhe City should be investigated, but not thoroughly. The important thing was not the result, but 'what result Jiajing wanted.'"

"Initially, we supported Yang Jinshui because we felt Yang Jinshui represented the palace's stance. Even when Yang Jinshui was driven mad, we didn't care and just waited for Jiajing's clear attitude."

"Hai Rui, who intended to thoroughly investigate everything, was the stone in her hand, a test to ensure that everything she did in the end would satisfy Jiajing."

Therefore, when Hai Rui wanted to cause a major upheaval, Zhao Zhenji initially didn't stop him, and Yang Jinshui had to feign madness, which he was even more happy to see—because if he didn't do this, how could he be sure that Jiajing and the palace knew just how chaotic the situation in Zhe City was? How could he be sure of Jiajing's decree?

Therefore, he needed to obtain the clearest imperial decree from Jiajing to ensure that his actions would align with Jiajing's wishes. Only in this way could he rise through the ranks and have the opportunity to enter the Grand Secretariat —this was the Great Yan Emperor's understanding of Zhao Zhenji.

"He has the talent of a prime minister, but he didn't put his best effort into getting things done. He was only thinking about figuring out the emperor's will and pleasing him, while shirking all other responsibilities."

"Only someone like him can enter the Grand Secretariat, but with his unwillingness to take on great responsibility, he'll never be the prime minister."

The Emperor of Great Yan also held a contemptuous attitude towards people like Zhao Zhenji, played by Ling. And just as he said, after the news of Yang Jinshui's madness and the confession that Hai Rui had painstakingly obtained were sent to the palace, Jiajing issued another imperial edict to the people of Zhe City. Upon receiving this edict, Zhao Zhenji was bewildered.

"Although the Weaving Bureau and the Maritime Trade Office were under the jurisdiction of the inner court, they were in fact also the keys to the national treasury."

"My personal attire consists of no more than eight sets throughout the four seasons, alternating between dry and wet clothes. These are reserved for princes, envoys, officials, and soldiers; and used sparingly for salaries, military and national needs. I am constantly mindful of the nation's difficulties and the hardships faced by the people."

The Emperor of Jiajing and Wei Yanwu no longer wanted to comment on the shameless nonsense about his diligence, frugality, and love for the people in the Great Yan. However, the key point was that at the end of the edict, even though Yang Jinshui and others were reprimanded, Yang Jinshui was only ordered to return to the palace for questioning. The Wei Yenwu did not specify how to deal with or punish him.

This left Zhao Zhenji completely baffled as to what Jiajing meant. During the subsequent interrogation of Zheng and He, he immediately became hesitant and fearful. However, Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, was eager to cause a scene after reading the imperial edict.

"This Hai Rui... in the end, still harbored illusions about Jiajing."

The Emperor of Great Yan shook his head. On screen, Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, was moved to tears for the first time after reading the imperial edict. She, who had always had a clear understanding of the Great Yan Dynasty and its officials, couldn't help but sigh with emotion:

"This imperial edict was a good thing, making her the Jiajing. She was simply blinded by treacherous officials. If she were to see Jiajing's true colors afterward, how desolate she would feel..."

For the Emperor of Great Yan, both Chen Huijie and the character Hai Rui she portrays represent the young people of Great Yan who are righteous, passionate about the court, and eager to serve their country. However, the Great Yan in the current drama is destined to chill the hearts of these young people, which he finds truly unbearable.

But no matter how much one lamentes in reality, Hai Rui in the story becomes even more confident after receiving the imperial edict. In particular, Zheng Michang He, played by Liang Xun and Ning Ciqiu, understands everything and his own fate when he sees Yang Jinshui's mad appearance.

But once you understand everything, you gain the confidence to be fearless. Since you're going to die anyway, you might as well bring a few more people to join them!

"So much silk and the money from selling it were sent to the palace every year and every month. Does that mean we'd just answer any question we were asked and implicate anyone we were dragged into?!"

"Old He, no one's going to save us... Not for ourselves, but for our families, we have to save ourselves!"

After hearing Zheng Michang's words, played by Liang Xun, He Maocai, played by Ning Ciqiu, became completely fearless. He emotionally grabbed Liang Xun beside him and said in a tearful voice:

"Old Zheng, for the past few years, I've always looked down on you... Today, I admire no one but you! I'm completely convinced!"

Ask away! I'll tell you anything you dare to ask!

However, even with both of them so reckless and Zhao Zhenji, Tan Lun, and others still hoping to avoid implicating the palace and the emperor, Hai Rui still painstakingly collected confessions and evidence that could have escalated the matter to the point of shaking the court and the public. But in the end, he could not change the fact that Jiajing did not want Yan to fall.

The memorials that Hai Rui had painstakingly collected, which had even greater implications, were burned in the presence of Xu Jie and Yan Song by Jiajing. In the end, the only result was the execution of Zheng and He. Jiajing did not touch Yang Jinshui, who had feigned madness, or Yan Song's Yan Faction.

Even the enormous sums of money involved in the case were not mentioned at all by the imperial court. A case that was enough to shake the entire court was ultimately resolved by punishing two minor officials, under the guise of "minor officials with huge corruption."

This outcome was unacceptable to Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, and it also made her completely disillusioned with the imperial court.

At this time, Zhao Zhenji, played by Ling, recommends Hai Rui and Wang Yongji the position of prefect, and the first thing he asks them to do is to raise military supplies for Hu Zongxian to fight against Seaborn.

"It's autumn now. Let the people suffer a little more. It's a matter of national importance, and the people will understand."

"--So much embezzled money, why aren't they confiscating it? Are they just going to make the people suffer?!"

In the end, Hai Rui was utterly disillusioned and only wanted to resign and return home. When Tan Lun tried to persuade him to stay, Hai Rui's only reply was a single sentence that now deeply wounded the Emperor of the Great Yan and Wei Yenwu:

"Does my Great Yan Dynasty still have any sharp swords?! Even the sharpest sword in your hands is nothing more than a rusty knife!"

Please stop suppressing my resignation!

Having experienced so much, Hai Rui finally saw through the true colors of Yan Faction and the Purists faction. Yan Faction was evil, but the Purists only wanted to overthrow Yan and did not really care about the people. Hai Rui did not want to help either side in this struggle between the two factions. Her sharp sword could no longer find anyone to wield it.

"Call..."

The entire series, spanning over ten episodes, was watched in one go by both the Emperor of Great Yan and Wei Yenwu. The Emperor of Great Yan rubbed his eyes, feeling extremely tired, but even more so, his heart was weary.

"In the end, the Yan Faction did not fall. Even with Hai Rui's exceptional talent, he ultimately failed to shake anything..."

"That's not necessarily true." At that moment, seeing his younger brother looking utterly dejected, Wei Yenwu blew smoke into his face. Seeing his non-smoking brother coughing from the smoke, he then said:

"That kid Chen Qi said that the Yan Faction won't be down for long. Don't you want to see how the Yan Faction finally falls?"

"Even such a major case couldn't bring down the Yan Faction, so how else could it fall?" Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Great Yan immediately sat up from his seat and asked in return with a puzzled expression.

After all, Hai Rui had an exceptionally good opportunity this time. The two main culprits being interrogated were fearless and had already created a huge mess, but Jiajing alone stopped them. If he didn't want to bring down Yan, no one could make Yan Faction fall.

Now that the case is over, the Yan Faction is no longer involved, and it's almost impossible to reopen old grievances unless the Yan Faction reveals a huge flaw in the process, which would solidify Jiajing's resolve to overthrow Yan.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yenwu smiled slightly, shook his head mysteriously, and then said:

"It seems His Majesty hasn't looked closely enough. Yan Song also mentioned that converting rice paddies to mulberry fields won't be profitable for the time being, and they plan to send a man named Yan Maoqing south to inspect the salt production and replenish the national treasury."

"Perfect timing. I'm about to perform. If Your Majesty doesn't mind, please come with me. Then you'll see exactly how to deal with Yan."

"Take me there immediately!"

Upon hearing Wei Yenwu's words and the keywords "salt inspection" and "overthrow of Yan," the Emperor of Great Yan's previously dim eyes lit up, because these were two topics that he was extremely interested in.

Salt tax was a very important source of revenue for the Great Yan Dynasty. According to Wei Yenwu, the Yan Faction seemed to have made a huge mistake in the salt inspection, which made Jiajing determined to overthrow the Yan Party.

The Emperor of Great Yan was eager to know if Chen Qi's script would provide him with any clues regarding salt taxes. If Chen Qi could offer him valuable insights, just as he had done with his thorough investigation into collusion between local government officials and businessmen, then it would be another significant contribution to Great Yan!

PS: First chapter today!

Volume 1: Chapter 310: The latter half of "The Great Yan Dynasty," the cause of the southern salt inspection?

"Wei Yenwu, you've finally arrived. Without you, I really don't know how to act this scene."

"Ah, and Your Majesty, judging from your expression, you must have already watched the filming of the recent episodes of 'The Great Yan Dynasty.' I hope it didn't make you feel too bad."

When Wei Yenwu and the Emperor of Great Yan arrived at the Western Garden where Chen Qi was to film, the sky had already completely darkened. They had been watching the reshoots from noon until nightfall, but fortunately, Wei Yenwu had already made an appointment with Chen Qi that he would definitely come to film today, so Chen Qi and everyone in the crew had been waiting until now.

As soon as the Emperor of Great Yan arrived, Liang Xun and Ning Ciqiu, who had already finished their battle, immediately appeared before him and knelt down without hesitation, bowing deeply and speaking in unison with utmost sincerity:

"Your Majesty, we made many outrageous remarks in the play. Although it was written according to the script, we still cannot escape the crime of slandering the court. We beg Your Majesty to punish us!"

After filming, Liang Xun and Ning Ciqiu knew very well that after the broadcast of "The Great Yan Dynasty 1566", the two characters they played would probably be cursed to death by the people and officials. Liang Xun, in particular, was the most hated by the officials because although his character Zheng Michang was relatively calm in the drama, he was actually more hated by the officials.

All of this stemmed from a line he uttered during an interrogation in the drama. "The robes of civil officials are woven with birds, the robes of military officials are embroidered with beasts. Wearing these robes, aren't we all... hypocrites?"

Liang Xun still remembers it vividly. When he was playing the Imperial Guard leader "Zhu Qi," who was playing himself, the way he smashed a cup at him after delivering that line almost killed him. If Wei Yenwu, who was watching the scene, hadn't intervened in time, he would still be staying in the Imperial Medical Academy.

However, this reaction made Liang Xun realize that once the drama aired, his line had insulted all the civil and military officials of the Great Yan court, and he would probably find it difficult to have a smooth career in the court in the future.

However, Liang Xun and Ning Ciqiu were already aware of this when they starred in "The Great Yan Dynasty". They knew that even if they were not misunderstood by the officials, they would inevitably be "misunderstood" by the people. But in order to make this work that could be remembered for generations and serve as a mirror for future generations, they were willing to make such a sacrifice.

However, their willingness to sacrifice did not mean they would not try to gain forgiveness. Now, before the Emperor of Great Yan, both of them pleaded guilty, hoping only to receive the Great Yan's forgiveness so that they could wash away their "infamy".

"... Not at all. You are the heroes of the Great Yan. I should represent all the officials and the people to thank you for your contributions, which have allowed both me and the people to see the true colors of some corrupt officials."

The Emperor of Great Yan, of course, would not make things difficult for these two loyal ministers. He actually bent down and helped them up. Before the two could even express their gratitude with trepidation, the Emperor of Great Yan gave them the best reward and compensation.

"Not only will I not punish you, I will reward you—and not just you. Everyone who made sacrifices in this drama will be honored by my decree when the drama airs, to let the people know that you are not only not criminals in the drama, but meritorious and virtuous officials of my Great Yan."

"Liang Xun, you have performed exceptionally well this time. The Grand Tutor also showed me your achievements in Shangshu, and I am quite satisfied. It's a pity that your talents are only being used as a prefect in a local area."

"You have rendered meritorious service this time, so I will promote you to the Ministry of Revenue. Although it is not as high as Ning Ciqiu's Ministry of Rites as Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, it is still a third-rank official position. This can be considered as compensation for your great sacrifice in terms of reputation this time. Another prefect will take care of things in Shangshu for you. From now on, you will stay in the palace to perform your duties."

"Your Majesty, I am but a piece of worthless talent, yet I have received such divine favor... I thank you!"

Liang Xun was also somewhat surprised that he had been promoted directly after merely putting on a show. He wanted to decline, but when his gaze fell on Ning Ciqiu beside him, he swallowed his words and accepted the transfer order with a bit of unease.

The Emperor of Great Yan then turned his gaze to Ning Ciqiu, who was standing to the side, and said with a smile:

"Ning Ciqiu, you are now the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites of Rites, a second-rank official. The Minister of Ministry of Rites is getting old, and you were the first person he recommended to me."

"But I can't very well let you immediately take over as Ministry of Rites... How about this, you have a relationship with Liang Xun, and Liang Xun is new to the Ministry of Revenue and is still unfamiliar with the coordination of the Six Ministries. The original Left Vice Minister of Ministry of Revenue has gone home to observe mourning, so I will let you temporarily serve as the Left Vice Minister of Ministry of Revenue."

"From now on, you must help Liang Xun familiarize himself with the structure and operation of the Six Ministries. As the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, you will have frequent communication with the other five ministries. I am waiting for you to train me to become a good Ministry of Revenue."

"I also believe that you will not abuse your power for personal gain while concurrently handling the affairs of two ministries. From now on, you two will supervise each other, cooperate closely, and do so for my sake and for the sake of the Great Yan."

"--Thank you, Your Majesty!"