There Are No Faultless Fathers in the World: Great Yan Remains Unchanged Even After the Yan Faction Falls / Chen Qi: Stop Trying to Live Forever on Elixirs-Just Look at Jiajing Over There

However, just as the minister pointed out the official he wanted to impeach, the accused official turned ashen-faced, as if someone had forced a mouthful of wasabi into his mouth, and abruptly stood up, arguing back at the minister:

"Don't smear my reputation! I'm following Yan Faction? You're the one who's a Yan Faction!"

"Now that His Majesty has shown mercy, you're trying to curry favor and get away with it? Do you think you're so clean?"

And it all started from this point. All the officials had watched "The Great Yan Dynasty 1566". Although the Great Yan Emperor had not summoned the officials to watch it together for a long time afterward, the officials were still very clear that the crime of being a "Yan Faction" was not something they could bear.

Therefore, this signal is like a spark igniting a dry fire. Gradually, the verbal sparring between the two ministers began to escalate, with some defending the ministers and others attacking them, eventually leading to them taking sides.

So much so that, in less than ten minutes, the scene that the Emperor of Great Yan found all too familiar began. The ministers, finding the arguing unsatisfying, started rolling up their sleeves and getting into a physical fight.

In an instant, the main hall was in a mess. The old men were over a hundred years old, and the young men were probably in their forties or fifties, but now they were fighting each other without regard for rank or status. They were all using the charge of being "Yan Faction" to settle old scores with each other.

It should be said that, fortunately, almost all the officials in the capital of the Great Yan Dynasty have some kind of lineage to consider. Don't be fooled by the fact that many ministers are old and not very agile. When it comes to fighting, they all throw punches without any mercy. Some of them can even beat up young people.

If it weren't for the general consensus that Originium Arts weren't being used, the situation in this hall would probably be even worse... But the Great Yan Emperor didn't intend to stop it. Instead, he watched the scene with great interest, silently noting down the names of some of the officials who were facing off against him.

For the Emperor of Great Yan, this was a "show of all officials," and the information he could glean from this fight was far more useful than the fighting itself.

"Zuo Le has come to protect you!"

"* Lungmen vulgarity *! Leave them all here!"

However, at this moment, Zuo Le and Chen Huijie finally arrived at the scene. But when they drew their weapons and saw the civil and military officials fighting all over the ground, they immediately stopped in their tracks, looking around with a bewildered expression.

Clearly, the sight of the civil and military officials, who should have been bowing respectfully to the emperor, now acting like thugs and openly fighting in the main hall in front of the emperor, deeply shocked the two young officials. So much so that they didn't even notice when Chen Qi and Lin Yuxia arrived.

"Oh ho, I thought the fighting on the Great Yan side would be different from what I imagined, but it's pretty much the same." Chen Qi watched the scene of the officials wrestling together with great interest, which was actually quite similar to what he had seen in TV dramas in his previous life.

However, no sooner had Chen Qi finished speaking than a figure squeezed out from the crowd and grabbed both Chen Qi and Zuo Le by the shoulders. Only then did Zuo Le notice the newcomer and exclaim in surprise:

"Father? You--"

"Don't speak, hurry up, His Majesty and the others will be here soon."

Zuo Xuanliao's lips twitched slightly, and his face had several obvious bruises. However, he hadn't offended anyone or gotten into a fight. He had simply been accidentally caught up in the conflict and was accidentally injured by some bastards in the chaos.

Thinking of this, Zuo Xuanliao couldn't help but turn his gaze to Chen Qi beside him. As the person who most insisted on Chen Qi filming "The Great Yan Dynasty," Zuo Xuanliao, though affected, still couldn't help but smile and say admiringly to Chen Qi:

"Director Chen Qi, you truly live up to your reputation! Your drama, 'The Great Yan Dynasty,' will surely be widely circulated among the officials and the imperial palace of the Great Yan Dynasty. From now on, I'm afraid the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty will have to give you some face because of this drama."

This is a TV series where even the current emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty has to learn how to operate by copying the methods, and these methods have already proven to be quite effective. The officials of the Great Yan Dynasty are still unaware of the later plot, but when it is revealed in the future, they will discover that their emperor's operations were all learned from the Emperor Jiajing in this series.

Moreover, the current scene can be said to completely verify the plot of "The Great Yan Dynasty". This alone is enough to prove Chen Qi's insight into the officialdom of the Great Yan Dynasty and the depth of his analysis.

After all, the Jiajing Emperor, a figure so profound and frightening, was created by Chen Qi, the creator of this story. If the creator himself didn't possess even deeper insights, how could he have so perfectly controlled the characters under his command?

Therefore, this alone was enough to make the officials "fear" Chen Qi. The feeling that the other party already knew everything about their messy affairs, and even had a script written about them, was really quite unpleasant...

PS: Chapter 3 today! (The two-day college entrance exam is over. I wish all the test takers the best of luck and hope they achieve their desired results. Now that the exam is over, please subscribe to my book! (The real secret is yet to come!) Cute)

Volume 1: Chapter 318: There is no such thing as an infallible ruler or father; even the most severe punishments cannot change the Great Yan.

"Hehe, Director Chen Qi, did you enjoy the show?"

An hour later, the chaotic morning court session of the Great Yan Emperor finally came to an end. However, the Great Yan Emperor himself was now surrounded by Wei Yenwu and others, sharing in this long-awaited drama of the Great Yan officialdom.

"Is this really okay? Officials of the Great Yan fighting each other in the court... Isn't that a scandal?" Chen Huijie was the first to break the silence. Clearly, the shock of the fight between the officials had not yet subsided, and she subconsciously asked this question.

However, upon hearing this, Wei Yenwu and the Great Yan Emperor exchanged a smile. In the end, it was Wei Yenwu who took the initiative to dispel the concerns of Chen Huijie and the other young people, saying:

"Don't worry, there are no outsiders in the palace, so there's no way the news could leak to the common people."

"Moreover, it's not uncommon for ministers of our Great Yan to fight each other. During the reign of the late emperor, civil and military officials often came to blows over a single decision. Everyone had their reasons, and it was not uncommon for them to start fighting over a mere disagreement."

As he spoke, Wei Yenwu seemed to recall his days in the palace, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face as he said:

"Little Chen, Little Lin, don't think that all the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty are serious and easy-going people. The more capable a person is, the bigger their temper will be, and the less tolerant they will be of being questioned."

"How I miss the court during the reign of the late emperor. Although the officials argued endlessly, it was all for the sake of the Great Yan's country and its people. But now, Great Yan is still beset by internal and external troubles, yet the officials have been blinded by the appearance of a 'prosperous age' and have begun to squander their wealth."

At this point, Wei Yenwu shook his head and said with great emotion a line spoken by the Emperor Jiajing in the drama, "Big rats, big rats, don't eat my millet."

Wei Yenwu's words caused the Great Yan Emperor to fall silent for a moment. His silence on the matter of Wei Yenwu succeeding to the throne only made his elder brother more wary. He had finally managed to pull Wei Yanwu back to the starting line; he couldn't afford to lose the second time.

However, despite this, the issues raised by Wei Yenwu are indeed worthy of attention. Regardless of who ascends the throne, they must address the hidden problems within the current officialdom of the Great Yan Dynasty. The Great Yan emperor certainly does not want a repeat of the Great Yan 1566 in reality, nor does he want the emergence of the Yan Faction and a situation that even the exceptionally talented Jiajing could not salvage.

The Great Yan must change. It cannot rashly wage another great war against "Sui" and the Feranmut, but it also cannot perish in silence. What method can be used to revitalize the Great Yan, which is still salvageable?

Thinking of this, the Emperor of Great Yan couldn't help but turn his gaze to Chen Qi not far away. With a slight shift of his gaze, he also saw Chen Qi's four brothers and sisters, "Sui," not far away.

Perhaps... "Sui" shouldn't disappear from the Great Yan. The Great Yan can't wage war against them, but the threat of Sui must exist. A tense, constantly fraught, but never explosive, state of unease is what the Great Yan needs most right now?

But what should be done? The Emperor of Great Yan still had no answer to this question. It wasn't until his gaze swept back and forth between Chen Qi and the two "Sui" (years) who seemed to have a close relationship with Chen Qi that a vague idea began to surface in his mind...

"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's get ready to start filming."

Seeing that everyone had finished their conversation, Chen Qi resumed organizing the filming of episode 35 of "The Great Yan Dynasty." After the downfall of Yan Jing, Hai Rui, who hadn't participated in these previous episodes, was finally about to begin his "counterattack" against Jiajing.

"Huijie, it's your performance time now. And Wei Yenwu, your makeup is going to be a huge project, so you'd better do your best."

"Ah, and Ling and Huang, you two have quite a few scenes to come, especially Ling. You need to remember to portray Zhao Zhenji's attitude well."

Chen Qi then assigned roles to each character. Everyone knew that the plot of the Great Yan Dynasty would soon reach a new climax, and given Chen Qi's tendency to create more dramatic moments as the story progressed, the subsequent plot would inevitably create an even bigger wave!

In episode 34, the Yan Faction had completely collapsed. And as Chen Huijie said, the collapse of the Yan Faction did not have much impact on the Great Yan.

Although Yan Song and Yan Shifan were both dismissed, most of the officials in Yan Faction remained in office, and the corruption and embezzlement continued unabated. Even in the 44th year of the Jiajing, the Great Yan in the drama was still plagued by frequent disasters, the national treasury remained empty, and taxes and corvée labor were increasingly heavy. Even after the Jiajing Emperor ordered the execution of Yan Shifan, nothing changed.

The reason for all this was that Jiajing met with Yan Song again the day after the Yan Faction fell. When Yan Song arrived at the Palace of Jade Splendor, Yan Song Rat King, who played Yan Song, looked more than ten years older, but even so, he still tried his best to salvage the situation.

The downfall of the Yan Faction was a foregone conclusion, but even with the Yan Faction gone, the Yan Family still needed Yan Song's protection. As long as the Yan Family could be protected, they might have a chance to make a comeback in the future. Therefore, what Yan Song needed to do was to express his loyalty to Jiajing once again.

"Your humble servant is guilty, and the guilt lies solely with this old minister. All the ministers are guilty, but the guilt lies with Yan Shifan, Yan Maoqing, Luo Longwen, and those other greedy and insatiable individuals."

"Some people are destined to be punished by Heaven, while others... we earnestly hope that Your Majesty will protect them."

Yan Song had compiled a list, and dragging his aged body, he personally delivered it to Jiajing, continuing his slow and deliberate explanation:

"I, a sinner, have held power for twenty years, and many people have had to rely on my connections, but I don't have that many cronies."

"Some people, these disgraced officials, are serving the Emperor as his loyal subjects; they bear the weight of the Great Yan Dynasty's safety and its heavy responsibilities."

"Some of them also bear the emperor's duties, and many things depend on them to do, and only they can do them."

Yan Song did this for two reasons. First, to express his loyalty to Jiajing and save his own life and that of Yan Shifan. Second, to preserve his connections in the court as much as possible in preparation for his possible return to politics in the future.

In the imperial court, personal connections are always the most important resource, and the only one that doesn't lose its value upon retirement. Although Yan Song isn't retired now, but rather dismissed for committing a serious crime, he still holds the secrets of so many members of the Yan Faction. If he were to return in the future, it would essentially be just a matter of a word from Jiajing.

Moreover, Yan Song believed that the chances were not small. Jiajing would not sit idly by and watch the Clear Stream Faction become too powerful. Yan Faction's party was greedy for money, and the Qingliu Party Purists for fame. Jiajing needed someone to take the blame, just like how Jiajing Yan Song's words had shifted all the blame onto Yan Faction.

The saying "There is no such thing as a bad ruler" is most fitting for the Jiajing, and it was the effect Jiajing always wanted to achieve—that the emperor was not at fault, and that all the fault lay with treacherous officials. Even Hai Rui was deceived by this, which shows how effective it was.

Unfortunately, Jiajing was certain that he would not allow Yan Song to return to the court. And Jiajing's subsequent actions further confirmed this.

"I heard you wanted to offer a plaque for Six Hearts House this morning, but the manager absolutely refused. Is that true?"

"... Your Majesty, yes, that's true."

Yan Song felt a chill run down his spine, and once again felt a pang of unease about Jiajing's intelligence work. It turned out that this morning, "Six Hearts House," famous for its pickled vegetables, would send pickled vegetables as a gesture of goodwill on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, as was its custom. When Six Hearts House Yan Song was still the Grand Secretary, the manager of Yan Song always asked him to write a plaque for him, but Yan Song had always refused.

Now that the Yan Faction has fallen, the manager of Six Hearts House doesn't even dare to mention the matter of inscribing the plaque. And Jiajing now knows about what happened this morning... Yan Song has also vaguely realized that the downfall of the Yan Faction was not unjust.

"It's only human nature."

"I do not like this kind of common practice!"

However, Jiajing treated this seemingly trivial matter with extraordinary seriousness, even instructing Lü Fang, played by Lee, to prepare pen and ink and immediately have Yan Song inscribe a plaque.

Everyone was puzzled as to why the Jiajing Emperor would go to such lengths just to inscribe a plaque for a pickle shop in the capital. However, the truth was finally revealed after Yan Song finished writing the three characters "Six Hearts House".

"It's just that his 'heart' isn't right."

"It's not that the characters are bad, it's that the name is bad—why is it called Six Hearts House?"

"Your Majesty," Yan Song answered Jiajing's question honestly, "This shop is run by six brothers surnamed Zhao, hence the name Six Hearts House." At this moment, Jiajing finally revealed his true intentions, saying calmly:

"Six people means six different minds, that's not good."

"People's hearts are like water, and their movements are like smoke. My Great Yan has a population of sixty million, right? If we follow their logic, that's sixty million hearts. Is that right?"

As he spoke, Jiajing didn't forget to wander over to Xu Jie, who was playing the role of the Grand Tutor, and deliberately uttered the words "Isn't that right?" in front of Xu Jie, making his intention to give guidance quite obvious.

"Grand Secretary Yan, I have a suggestion for you: add a stroke to the character 'heart' and change it to 'must'."

"Unification of the six kingdoms, unity of purpose among all under heaven."

This was Jiajing's true purpose. He was not only warning Yan Song, but also the Clear Stream Faction represented by Xu Jie, not to think that just because he, Jiajing, had fallen from power over Jiajing, he could not deal with them. In the end, you are still his servants, and you must all be of one mind with me Jiajing.

This "Six Musts House" was meant to warn the people of the world about Jiajing's attitude of "overthrowing Yan Song but not Yan Song," and that all the people of the Great Yan Dynasty must be equally loyal to Jiajing.

This was a form of intimidation, a display of imperial power over officials and the people. Jiajing wanted to tell everyone that the Great Yan Jiajing still ruled by him alone. He could crush Yan Song, who was considered incredibly powerful by others, as easily as crushing an ant. Then, who would dare to oppose him, Jiajing?

However, Jiajing could not have imagined that the plaque he left to warn the world would be shattered by the arrival of one person. This person's arrival would not only break the fear that the people and officials had of him, but would also shatter Jiajing's own final madness, causing him to finally awaken to the truth at the end of his life.

Two episodes later, Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, finally reappears on screen, and this time, she will bring a stunning performance to the Great Yan that belongs to her and to the character of Hai Rui.

PS: First chapter today!

Volume 1: Chapter 319: Chen Qi: Stop trying to achieve immortality by taking elixirs, look at the distant Jiajing!

"Now it's finally completely finished... I suffered a lot to help you film this show. After this drama is released, who knows how the people of Great Yan will criticize me. Chen Qi, you have to take responsibility for my reputation."

Lin Yuxia watched the 34-episode series featuring her character Yan Shifan, who was exiled in the end but secretly returned to his hometown, where he remained powerful and recruited many advisors. Two years later, he was impeached and executed. Lin Yuxia couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

Lin Yuxia didn't feel sorry for Yan Shifan. If it were her personality, she would think it was too easy for such a treacherous official like Yan Shifan to die like that. But when she thought about how she was the one playing the role, and how she had heard the Rat King and Madam Wen Yue say more than once that her personality was similar to Yan Shifan's but opposite sides, she felt sorry for him.

Given all these hints, and the possibility that the script contained Chen Qi's "futuristic vision," it would be impossible for Lin Yuxia not to have any reservations.

Hearing Lin Yuxia's words, Chen Qi, who was supervising the filming with Nian and Talulah, found it quite amusing, but still gave Lin Yuxia a guarantee, saying:

"Don't worry, didn't the Emperor of Great Yan say that he will make a special announcement to the world when this drama airs in Great Yan?"

"Furthermore, after each episode airs, I will also specifically broadcast the character introductions and achievements of the actors who appeared in the show, so you don't need to worry about your reputation at all."

As he spoke, Chen Qi suddenly thought of something else and turned to Lin Yuxia, teasingly saying:

"Besides, I think the people of Great Yan won't criticize you. To be honest, your portrayal of Yan Shifan is quite uniquely endearing."

"Pleasant to like?" Lin Yuxia tilted her head, looking as if she couldn't understand Chen Qi's words. Who would like corrupt officials?

Fortunately, Chen Qi quickly offered an explanation, saying to Lin Yuxia, "Generally speaking, characters who have more depth and offer the audience more than one-dimensional experiences are naturally likable. Because the public is familiar with the character, they have that prerequisite. Unless the character is inherently repulsive from the moment they appear, they generally won't feel too much aversion."

"Moreover, your portrayal of Yan Shifan in our 'Great Yan Dynasty' was quite outstanding, with many memorable lines. People always have a better impression of characters who are more down-to-earth."

"So believe me, you don't need to worry about being scolded at all. It's just that you might need some time to adjust to the fact that everyone thinks your surname is 'Yan'."

"... It doesn't sound too bad."

Chen Qi's explanation reassured Lin Yuxia considerably. Of course, this was mainly due to the joint guarantee from Chen Qi and the Emperor; otherwise, even if the Rat King had come to persuade her, Lin Yuxia wouldn't have felt at ease so quickly.

Soon, Lin Yuxia's attention was focused back on the filming set. Chen Huijie, dressed in coarse cloth, was now in front of the camera. Her character, Hai Rui, had finally become the head of the Ministry of Revenue in the forty-fourth year of the Jiajing reign after many twists and turns, and was transferred to the capital.

However, Hai Rui's trip to Beijing this time was clearly premeditated. When she passed by "Six Musts House," a shop whose plaque was personally inscribed by Yan Song at the behest of Emperor Jiajing, she naturally and resolutely went inside. Under the pretext of buying pickles, she took the opportunity to ask the owner a few questions:

"Your shop used to be called 'Six Hearts House,' and business was always very good. But ever since you changed your name to 'Six Musts House,' no one dares to come and buy anything. Shopkeeper, why did you change the character 'xin' (heart) to 'bi' (must)?"

Clearly, Hai Rui was feigning ignorance. She already knew everything that was happening in the capital, and her primary purpose for coming here was precisely for this one word, "Must." She even knew that there were people in the palace specifically monitoring everything, yet she still asked the pale-faced boss:

"Along the way, I've heard some rumors. They say that adding a stroke inside the character for 'heart' is like sticking a knife into the heart, so business will naturally suffer. What do you think, shopkeeper?"

Chen Huijie, who plays Hai Rui, immediately asks the most crucial question, the one no one dares to ask. Her performance in the drama elicited a chuckle from Wenyue, who couldn't help but remark:

"Little Chen is really the same on and off screen. If she were in Lungmen, as a senior superintendent, and noticed a once-thriving shop suddenly becoming deserted, she definitely wouldn't be able to resist going up and asking around."

"She'll worry that some gangsters or thugs might cause trouble, but knowing Little Chen's personality, she'll definitely openly challenge them. She's someone who can't tolerate any nonsense." As she spoke, Wenyue nodded to herself, still holding Wei Yenwu's pipe in her hand. After casually taking a puff and exhaling a cloud of smoke, she murmured:

"Little Chen should learn from Hai Rui... learn to argue her case. We can't protect Little Chen forever; sooner or later she'll shed this identity and learn to make her own way in the world."

In the drama, Chen Huijie's portrayal of Hai Rui truly exudes a completely different temperament from the actress who plays him. As a senior police superintendent, Chen Huijie is domineering and akin to the top leader of the Lungmen, naturally unchallenged. However, the Hai Rui she portrays lacks real strength, yet through reasoned argument, she achieves an effect far superior to Chen Huijie defeating dozens of people.

Hai Rui understood even better how to "reach the ears of the emperor" and how to solve problems in the most effortless and irrefutable way. Now, she was determined to unravel the mystery of the "Six Musts House".

"Let me add a footnote to this word 'must' for you, to rectify people's hearts and quell rumors, and your business will naturally improve..."

"Bring it to him." An official from the Directorate of Directorate of Ceremonial, who had been squatting at Six Musts House to observe the people's reaction and to gauge public sentiment for Jiajing, immediately gave the order. The shopkeeper, naturally not daring to offend him, had no choice but to obediently fetch paper and pen.

Chen Huijie, who plays Hai Rui, quickly wrote down the twenty-four-character footnote, "The place of origin must be genuine, the season must be right, the melons and vegetables must be fresh, the sweet sauce must be mellow, the serving vessel must be clean, and the spring water must be fragrant."

"This is the true meaning behind the name change of Six Hearts House to Six Musts House." A satisfied Hai Rui, seeing the shopkeeper's somewhat apprehensive yet delighted expression, smiled easily and said:

"Shopkeeper, make a separate sign for these six items and hang it up. If business isn't good, just come to me!"

"Great... this is truly killing two birds with one stone." On the screen, Chongyue, watching this scene, made no attempt to hide her praise for Chen Huijie's portrayal of Hai Rui. The other three sisters were used to this, as it wasn't the first time Chongyue had praised the character of "Hai Rui."