The Blood Scripture That Bewitched Jiajing?

Now everyone can see that Jiajing has once again decided to overthrow Yan, and this time he is even more determined than he was in the Zhe City case.

The series of cases in Zhe City solidified Jiajing's resolve to overthrow Yan Song. However, although Yan Song could no longer control his subordinates, Yan Song was old and still managed to intimidate them. In addition, there was the decisive battle between Hu Zongxian and Seaborn in Zhe City. At that time, overthrowing Yan Song would not solve the problem of the empty treasury, and the subsequent consequences would be too great, so he had to give up.

But now, the war in the southeast has come to an end. In the previous episodes, Hu Zongxian also claimed to be ill and returned to his hometown to recuperate after winning this battle. He obviously sensed from this turmoil that the Yan Faction was about to fall and that he was caught in the middle between the Yan Faction and the emperor. This time, he chose to stay out of it.

All obstacles preventing Jiajing from overthrowing Yan Hui have been removed; now only Jiajing's own will remains. And Lü Fang, played by Lee, clearly sees this, silently adding fuel to the fire:

"Your Majesty is wise; this old minister still has a matter to report."

"Zhu Qi and his men from the Imperial Guards have been secretly following Yan Maoqing's fleet. They said that Yan Maoqing had three more ships before he delivered the silver to the capital."

"--To put it bluntly, they also transported away several million?" Jiajing knew, of course, that these people in the middle ranks of Yan Faction had skimmed off several layers of the salt tax revenue. It was impossible for them to send the money directly to Yan Shifan and his cronies without taking a cut.

At this moment, the words of Lü Fang, played by Lee, became the final straw that sealed the fate of Yan Faction. He slowly turned away from his kneeling position, following Wei Yenwu's movements, and said:

"Our people in Southern Zhili also reported that Yan Maoqing collected at least five million taels of tax during this salt inspection. In addition to the three million three hundred thousand taels reported, he must have concealed at least two million taels."

"One ship sailed towards Grand Secretary Yan Maoqing's own hometown. And a third ship, disguised as a merchant ship, sailed back to the capital a month ago."

"... Now, even if Yan Song truly knew nothing about it, he can't clear his name no matter what he does."

Lee's words made Ling sigh. Everyone, from God's perspective, knew that Yan Song, played by Rat King, was completely unaware of the embezzlement by his subordinates. Even Yan Shifan might not know that Yan Maoqing's actions were entirely out of a desire to curry favor.

Just like when Yan Maoqing salt inspection tour, he specially spent 200,000 to buy Yan Song a theatrical troupe. Now, it's not just Yan Song who is old and frail and no longer has the energy to properly control his subordinates; even his son, Yan Shifan, has completely lost control of the behavior of his subordinates.

This is an extremely dangerous sign. The Yan Faction is now out of control, and an out-of-control Yan Faction is of no use to Jiajing. What's more, the Yan Faction has now committed a major taboo.

"Jiajing was an emperor who cared about both money and reputation. Leaving aside the embezzlement by those mid-level officials of the Yan Faction, in Jiajing's view, the Yan Faction embezzled two million, but only gave Jiajing one million to his private treasury..."

The Emperor of Great Yan wore a cold smile. He couldn't help but think of the current salt tax in Great Yan. He was now waiting for the Grand Tutor and the Ministry of Revenue to discuss the salt tax terms. If something similar to "manipulation" occurred in Great Yan, he wouldn't let the matter drag on until it reached the point where Jiajing was in charge.

In his vast and Great Yan Nation, a single salt inspection typically only yields one million taels of silver? Does that mean the other nine million are simply wasted? How can the national treasury be adequately stocked like that?

Now, the Emperor of Great Yan began to feel sorry for Jiajing. He finally understood why Jiajing, a man of extraordinary talent, had hesitated to take action against Yan Faction —if he killed all of Yan Xishan's Yan Faction, how would Great Yan fill the void left by them?

Killing ministers is one thing, but if a large number of middle-level cadres are lost, paralyzing the national system, that would be the real crisis.

"It's really tough on him..." Wenyue murmured to herself, perhaps because of Xi's words earlier, which had stirred her sympathy for Wei Yenwu's portrayal of Jiajing. Seeing him so troubled, she thought to herself:

"For one person to fight against such a group of ministers, even against the officials of an entire country... Looking at it this way, his obsession with becoming Feranmut, his attempt to become a god, is actually the only way he can reverse the situation in the court and among the people."

As Chen Qi said before, becoming a god or immortal seemed incredibly absurd in Chen Qi's original world, but in the Great Yan of Terra, combined with the environment of the Jiajing, it became a dream that was not so ethereal.

Now, the reputation of this Terra version of Jiajing seems to be even better than in the original world... Of course, only Chen Qi knows the truth behind all of this.

"Great... three boats, sailing south and north."

"This river in my Great Yan Dynasty seems to have been built for them!"

Even the mild-mannered Emperor of Great Yan was furious, let alone Wei Yenwu. Wei Yenwu's temper was far more unruly than his younger brother's, and just thinking about it made him so angry he was practically fuming.

In his haste, Wei Yenwu grabbed the terms and conditions that Yan Maoqing had brought him. Looking at the signature on them, he unconsciously forgot his role and trembled slightly with anger, his voice even becoming hoarse.

"Yan Maoqing —Smoke rising from his lips!"

"And what did they say in their memorial—'To relieve the emperor's worries, I dare not shirk my duties'?!"

"They even said they'd discussed it with Yan Shifan and would allocate one million taels for me to build the Palace of Longevity?!"

Finally, with Wei Yenwu's own words, his tone grew louder and louder, and the flames in his heart surged even more. Accompanied by the might of a True Lung, the roar of the dragon resounded throughout the palace!

"My money!!"

Under the dragon's might, at this moment, in the "Yan Residence" some distance from the film set, Yan Song, played by the Rat King, who was almost asleep while listening to the opera, reflexively sat up from his recliner upon feeling this True Lung's might.

However, everyone knew that he was awakened by the power of the True Lung, but when the camera focused on him, the Rat King's conditioned reflex made it seem as if the old man suddenly came to his senses and noticed that something was wrong.

If the reported 3.3 million is the full amount, where did Yan Maoqing get the 200,000 to buy the opera troupe? -- This is the most profound message his actions will convey to the audience.

"They take two million! I get one million! And I'm expected to thank them?!"

Wei Yenwu's dragon roar resounded throughout the entire Great Yan Imperial Palace at this moment. After such an attack, whether it was due to Wei Yenwu advanced age or the aftereffects of excessive smoking, Wei's vision went black and he staggered back several steps.

Fortunately, the Lee beside him managed to break free from the suppression of the dragon's might in time. It immediately supported Wei Yenwu's body, touched Wei Yenwu's chest to help him catch his breath, and hurriedly said:

"Your Majesty, please do not harm your health. Otherwise, this old minister will have the Imperial Guards and the people from the Court of Judicial Review surround their house."

Lee's words calmed Wei Yenwu, who was on the verge of losing his temper. After regaining control of his emotions, Wei Yenwu immediately reverted to the composure he displayed while portraying Jiajing, and murmured:

"It's time to close the net... but it's not time to raid their property yet."

Let them make one last big profit, let them enjoy a truly happy, comfortable, and fulfilling New Year!

Wei Yenwu practically spat out the last sentence through gritted teeth. Even Chongyue couldn't help but sigh at this display of imperial rage, remarking calmly:

"This shows they hate them to the core. They're afraid they'll transfer their embezzled funds, so they're looking for an opportunity to catch them red-handed, leaving the entire court speechless."

"This Emperor Jiajing... is truly terrifying. As a human being, he never acts impulsively. His joys, sorrows, anger, and grief are all completely suppressed by reason, waiting for the opportune moment to strike."

"Although I know he can't become Feranmut, the thought of someone like him becoming a god... it's truly chilling."

Chongyue now has to admit that, as one of the fragments of "Sui," he has witnessed many emperors, including wise rulers, virtuous rulers, and tyrants... but this is the first time he has seen an emperor as "eccentric" as Jiajing.

He was someone to be feared, whether for his talent, his imperial strategies, or his absolutely rational judgment. He was like a machine that never made a mistake, calculating every step perfectly. Those who were schemed against by him often died without understanding how they were abandoned.

Just then, the Imperial Guard suddenly appeared beside the Emperor of Great Yan. After bowing, the guard handed the Great Yan a thick document and said in a respectful but not arrogant manner:

"Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor and the Minister have compiled nearly five years' worth of salt tax data and related revenue figures. Please review them."

As soon as the Imperial Guard finished speaking, the Emperor of Great Yan disregarded everyone else, tore open the parchment, and began to examine it. However, after comparing it piece by piece, everyone could see that the Great Yan's already gloomy expression turned ashen, before softening and revealing the same cold smile as the Jiajing in the drama before his anger.

"This is outrageous! How dare they! I was wondering why the salt tax has been decreasing by tens of thousands every year, never returning to the level of my father's reign. This is an insult to my leniency..."

"--Gentlemen, please excuse me, I have official business to attend to."

The Emperor of Great Yan did not linger and immediately got up and left the scene. Meanwhile, Chen Qi, whose filming had temporarily ended, waited until the Great Yan had left before informing the supervisors, Talulah and Nian Dao, via walkie-talkie:

"After filming these two episodes, we'll send them to the monarchs of various countries. I believe they'll be quite interested in matters concerning their own finances."

P. S.: This is the first chapter for all readers today. Those of you taking the college entrance exam, please stay focused and don't let the novel distract you! Don't let "my money" fill your mind during the exam! Wishing all test takers the best of luck! (Seriously)

Volume 1: Chapter 313: The Blood Scripture That Bewitched Jiajing?

Half a month later, Chen Qi delivered the latest two episodes of "The Great Yan Dynasty" to the monarchs of various countries as agreed. The monarchs, who had just finished watching a grand drama in Zhe City, looked on with great anticipation at the two new episodes delivered by Chen Qi.

However, this time, the two new episodes that Chen Qi sent seemed to have a butterfly effect within the past two weeks. After watching the two episodes, leaders of various countries have made a series of big news announcements.

The first piece of news came from Kazimierz: Grand Knight Commander Ioleta, leading the Silvermane Knights, cracked a case involving the bribery of knights to fix matches in exchange for promotions, once again quelling the resurgence of merchant interference in Kazimierz.

The second news story that followed was about Victoria, where a purge of civil servants for corruption and bribery led to the arrest of more than 70 senior civil servants, and remarkably, the evidence was conclusive.

These two cases caused turmoil in the officialdom of both countries, with officials feeling uneasy, wondering if the "surprise inspection" was truly a surprise, and if their leaders were planning to make an example of them to achieve some political success.

After all, both Victoria and Kazimierz were special cases. Victoria had only recently been rebuilt and was in dire need of reconstruction. It was only with the resumption of Steam Knight production and a series of reforms that it regained some national strength. It was not feasible to plunder the people or the merchants.

Kazimierz had already plundered all the merchants there, leaving nothing left to loot. So, the large-scale purge of officials now could only be a way to boost his political achievements and replenish the national treasury; there was no other possibility.

What alarmed officials from both countries was not this, but the fact that the evidence was "conclusive." As Chen Qi said in "Yes, Prime Minister," "the core of a security investigation is finding nothing." But this time, all the officials involved in the case who were arrested in both countries were caught red-handed, leaving no room for rebuttal.

This is no longer just a serious undertaking; it's preparation for a once-in-a-century overhaul. Therefore, officials from both countries have been extremely cautious lately, and many of their smaller actions have been halted.

But what others didn't know was that Theresis and others in Londinium were very clear about the reason behind the actions of the two countries during this period. Undoubtedly, it was the salt tax incident in "The Great Yan Dynasty" sent by Chen Qi. Just like the Great Yan Emperor, they followed the clues and found the source, thus cleaning up the internal situation.

"I'm rather surprised. 'The Great Yan Dynasty' originated from the Great Yan, and the new emperor of Ursus was one of the most enthusiastic learners, but this time neither the Great Yan nor Ursus has made any move."

Theresis sat with her sister, having just finished watching the thirty-two episodes Chen Qi had sent them. They were well aware of the reasons behind Victoria and Kazimierz's current actions.

When Theresia heard her brother's question, she immediately replied:

"The Emperor of Great Yan must have received a hint from Director Chen Qi. After all, in the drama, the Emperor Jiajing didn't immediately oust Yan, but chose to appease the Yan Faction first. The Emperor of Great Yan should be using a similar method, intending to investigate to the end."

"As for the new emperor of Ursus... he's probably making preparations as well. After all, this is the first major case he's undertaking since taking power, and it might involve a massive reshuffling of power. If he doesn't have the support of the military, it could easily escalate into an armed coup."

Theresia quickly offered her assessment, and Theresis, while changing the videotape, nodded, involuntarily glancing up at Theresia, whose eyes now seemed much clearer, and remarked with considerable emotion:

"I didn't expect... your soul to recover so quickly. Now, you can basically see your own appearance every half day."

"This is all thanks to Director Chen Qi... although I don't know why either." Theresia smiled shyly, but her words were perfectly reasonable. Even though she now knew that Chen Qi was a "Feranmut," she still didn't know how Chen Qi had resurrected her soul.

But her words implied a change in meaning. Theresis didn't say much, after all, he had already exchanged opinions with Theresia on this matter. He hadn't misjudged his sister; Theresia had "righteously" chosen to sacrifice herself to find the most reliable "protector" for their race.

Feeling unusually uncomfortable under her brother's subtle gaze, Theresia quickly changed the subject and asked:

"Speaking of which, Brother Wang, I saw you discussing the foundation project for the Mobile City with the eight dukes a while ago. What was the conclusion?"

"Everything went smoothly. The eight dukes agreed to let us copy the relevant information on the construction of the Mobile City, and the foundation for our new city, which will serve as the capital, is already under construction. If all goes well, we might be able to come to Kazdel to see our restoration ceremony before Director Chen Qi leaves the Great Yan."

"Moreover, this time, Victoria and Great Yan, the two great powers on the east and west sides, will protect our Kazdel's restoration. Director Chen Qi is that shield. This time, the Sarkaz race will finally have a home of our own."

Theresis had naturally taken care of everything, including the Shattered Tower, the Aerial Fleet, and so on, all of which needed to be moved from Londinium to the new capital. At that time, all they could leave Londinium with were the residential areas, some of the industrial areas that originally belonged to Victoria, and the main palace itself; everything else would have to be moved away.

Of course, these things will have to be discussed later. Right now, what the siblings are most interested in is the latest episode of Chen Qi's "The Great Yan Dynasty".

In the previous episodes, Jiajing had already made up his mind to overthrow Yan, but in order not to alarm Yan Faction, he chose a series of appeasement policies. Among them, the execution of Qi Dazhu, played by Huai Tianpei, also became a decision made by Jiajing to appease Yan Faction.

Both Yan Song and Yan Shifan wanted to implicate the Clear Stream Faction around Prince Yu by solidifying Qi Dazhu's suspicion of colluding with the Church of the Deep. However, Jiajing scoffed at this, even saying, "Does Yan Shifan mean that my son also colluded with the Church of the Deep?!"

Ultimately, in order to appease Yan Faction, he agreed to the plan to execute Qi Dazhu before the end of the year. However, the Purists would never want Yan Faction's group to succeed, and at this moment, Gao Hanwen, played by Zuo Le, who had been cleared of suspicion and returned to the Hanlin Academy, provided assistance.

In the previous episodes, Gao Hanwen initially ignored Yun Niang, who had used her "honey trap" on him, but over time he developed feelings for her. After Yun Niang left, Gao Hanwen felt empty inside and actually chased after Yun Niang back, wanting to marry her.

This incident has become irrefutable evidence for Yan's Yan Faction to attack Gao Hanwen, accusing Gao Hanwen of "taking a prostitute as his wife and having an affair with Seaborn." Now, Gao Hanwen is forced into a corner, and this incident in Zhe City has made him determined to stand on the side of the Purists and protect Qi Dazhu.

As long as Qi Dazhu can be saved, then the Yan Faction will not be able to connect with the Clear Stream Faction through Hai Rui, Gao Hanwen and Yun Niang will also be able to save their lives.

The key to saving Qi Dazhu was a part of the dowry Shen Yishi left for Yun Niang —a Blood Scripture by a Feranmut!

"This is a Blood Scripture by Shuo, one of the 'Sui' of that year. Before coming here, I had already compared it with the inscriptions and handwriting left by Shuo. It is indeed the two Blood Scripture that Shuo wrote when he separated from his original body and took the name Chongyue."

Everyone knows that Jiajing was obsessed with becoming Feranmut, but after the great battle with "Sui", all the Feranmut of the Great Yan were wiped out, and "Sui" was once again completely destroyed. However, it is only a matter of time before these immortal Feranmut are resurrected, and they are very difficult to kill.

The Blood Scripture left behind by Chongyue is undoubtedly the cultivation method that Jiajing, who wants to become a "god," needs most. With the assistance of this Heart Scripture and the addition of elixirs, theoretically, Jiajing's path to godhood should be unobstructed.

"Could it be that Jiajing could truly become a god?" Even Theresis couldn't help but wonder. Could it be that in the end, Great Yan Great Yan Dynasty was destroyed by Jiajing, who, after becoming a god, descended into madness?

After all, judging from the current plot, Jiajing will only become more arrogant after becoming a god. His status as the only "god" of the Great Yan will make him even more cruel than the Witch King.

The Great Yan in the drama appears to be on the verge of collapse, as if a storm is brewing. This leads Theresis to wonder: what will be the ultimate fate of the Great Yan? Will it be absurd, tragic, or utterly destroyed?

Regardless, Theresis patiently watched on, and in the new episode, Prince Yu's Consort, along with her son, the Blood Scripture, and the Daoist robe she had embroidered, went to present gifts to Jiajing.

The Daoist robe, embroidered by hand, was happily accepted by Jiajing. But when he saw the Blood Scripture, a fanatical look appeared in Jiajing eyes for the first time. As he turned to the first page of the dark red Blood Scripture, tinged with gold, he asked, unable to hide his ecstatic joy and disbelief:

How did you obtain it?

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I dare not speak."

Upon hearing this, Jiajing's expression changed again, realizing that there was something fishy about how this Blood Scripture been obtained. Only after Lü Fang dismissed all the bystanders did he manage to calm down somewhat and say to the Prince Yu's Consort:

"Just say it, no matter how you got it, it's a huge achievement!"

"... Father, this letter of the true scripture was delivered to the manor by Qi Dazhu's wife."

Since the purpose was to exonerate Qi Dazhu, the blame naturally had to be placed on Qi Dazhu and others. Qi Dazhu's wife was someone he met on the front lines fighting against Seaborn and the Church of the Deep. During this time Qi Dazhu was detained and interrogated at the Pacification Office, and his wife had come all the way to the capital, pleading for him in front of the Pacification Office until today.

The story told by Prince Yu's Consort can be described as a complete mythological novel. It says that Qi Dazhu's wife was chaste and virtuous, and had been waiting for her husband through months of wind and snow. Her actions moved a mysterious person.

"Who is it? What does it look like?" Jiajing was not so easily fooled and quickly continued to ask. At this moment, Prince Yu's Consort gave the most standard answer—guess for yourself.

Prince Yu's Consort did not describe his appearance in detail, because if she did, it would arouse Jiajing's suspicion. She only said that it was too dark and Qi Dazhu's wife could not see clearly. She could only vaguely see a man with dragon horns, who, although dressed in rags, had a righteous and awe-inspiring aura.

"Chongyue..." Sure enough, upon hearing this description, Jiajing immediately thought of what Chongyue looked like when he transformed into a human. Since he had guessed it himself, he naturally believed this explanation to some extent.

Finally, Prince Yu's Consort offered a fatalistic remark, saying that the man who resembled "Shuo" was moved by Qi Dazhu's wife's sincerity. He sensed something through the gate of the Pacification Office and said something like, "Your husband's fate is secure; he is not destined to die." He then sent out this Blood Scripture.

This seemingly absurd statement was like a thunderbolt to Jiajing, who had been aspiring to become Feranmut for twenty years.

As Chen Qi said, in his world, Jiajing's belief in Zhang Sanfeng's divine intervention could only be attributed to the result of twenty years of Daoist cultivation leading to madness. But in Terra, while the story is also somewhat far-fetched, it has a certain degree of credibility.

After all, Feranmut cannot die, and more than forty years have passed since the great war of "Year". The resurgence of a fragment of "Year" does not seem so difficult to accept.

After all, Jiajing had already obtained the Blood Scripture, and with the Prince Yu's Consort's words, he was even more convinced that the Feranmut had awakened.

"The Feranmut have reappeared... They really aren't so easy to kill."

At this moment, upon hearing that traces of Feranmut had reappeared in the Great Yan, Jiajing was not at all nervous; on the contrary, he was overjoyed. On a whim, he said to Lü Fang beside him:

"Shuo has reappeared; send more people to search for him."

"Wait, what time is it?" Jiajing suddenly called out to Lü Fang again, asking for the time. After receiving the reply "noon," he completely lost his composure for the first time, and said decisively:

"Go to the imperial prison immediately! Spare his life..."

At this moment, although Jiajing's expression was very calm, the madness in his eyes surpassed even his divinity, sending a chill down everyone's spine... They couldn't help but hope that such a terrifying figure would never become some kind of "god".

Otherwise, it won't just be the Great Yan that suffers; the entire Terra will be harmed by this madman...