Jiajing Grows Ever More Suspicious and Brutal; Is Ling About to Have Her Moment? / Jiajing's Rare Vulnerability and the Zhao Zhenji-Style Officials Hated by the Great Yan Emperor

Throughout the entire series of "The Great Yan Dynasty," Chongyue has witnessed many hypocrites, but his most admired characters are Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, who is upright and incorruptible, and Wang Yongji, played by Huang. Both of these characters have positive images and are ambitious and determined.

Compared to Wang Yongji, who was more tactful and knew how to be flexible while Protection principles, Chongyue naturally admired Hai Rui more for his idealism and upright character. He murmured to himself:

"These twenty-four characters dissolved the blade that Jiajing had planted in the hearts of Yan Faction and the people. The wounded blade has now become a flower that soothes the soul, reminding me of the scene in 'Kung Fu Hustle' where the hidden weapon transforms into a lotus flower."

"... But her current actions are undoubtedly a slap in the face to Jiajing, aren't they?" Xi asked softly, "Jiajing is so sensitive, would he allow someone to do this?"

"That depends on the condition of Emperor Jiajing." Chongyue nodded. His second biggest curiosity now was how far Jiajing, with the Heart Scripture's assistance, was from becoming a "god" after three years, according to the drama.

"Cut! That's a good shot. Huijie — Wei Yenwu, get ready, it'll be your turn soon!"

However, Chen Huijie finished filming one scene, and Chen Qi and the others immediately began to move their equipment, intending to go to the Western Garden where Wei Yenwu was to film the next scene.

Upon hearing about Wei Yenwu's scenes, Wenyue and the Emperor of Great Yan immediately became more serious, especially Wenyue, who was most concerned about Wei Yenwu's upcoming scenes, because Chen Qi had told her that the most difficult part of playing the Emperor Jiajing was in the next few scenes.

Upon hearing this, and with Chen Qi saying that Wei Yenwu's makeup would be a major contributor, she had a premonition that something was wrong and was very curious about what state Wei Yenwu's portrayal of Jiajing was in.

"Ready, set—action!"

As Chen Qi finished speaking, the screen resumed filming, and the first shot focused on Lü Fang, played by Lee, helping Jiajing, played by Wei Yenwu, wipe his body. As the camera moved, everyone gradually saw Wei Yenwu's full appearance.

"Clatter."

However, in just one scene, the pipe that Wei Yenwu cherished so much slipped from Wenyue's hand and fell directly to the ground. Wenyue didn't even bother to pick it up... After all, Wei Yenwu's current appearance was simply too horrifying.

Although only three years have passed in the timeline of the drama, Wei Yenwu seems to have aged ten years. His white hair is very noticeable, and his face is also slightly pale, making him look somewhat sickly.

But what is even more striking is undoubtedly his more extensive dragon scales—previously, in order to fit the Terra version of Jiajing's character, Chen Qi had applied a lot of dragon scales to Wei Yenwu's body to visually represent the consequences of taking elixirs. Now, in the later stages, the aftereffects of Jiajing taking elixirs are even more obvious.

Now, Jiajing's hands, wrapped in a Daoist robe, were covered with several dragon scales, and on his neck, there were even more conspicuous scales piercing out from his flesh, making him look extremely ferocious and terrifying.

"... It's just a matter of a fire on the east side and a wind blowing on the west side; the sky won't fall down."

"Tell me whatever is bothering you; I enjoy listening."

These transformations, which seemed to bring Jiajing closer to Feranmut, did not make Jiajing more energetic. He even spoke with a hint of weakness, but his imperial might remained undiminished, and his condition was more like that of a sick dragon.

"This is the first time I've ever seen anything like it." Even Chongyue couldn't help but swallow hard when he saw this scene. He really hadn't expected that a person's obsession could be so deep and persistent.

"Judging from the current state of the Emperor Jiajing... it's likely that the blood of the Feranmut has already taken up a large portion of his body. If it weren't for the Heart Scripture's assistance, he would probably have died long ago. It's amazing that he's managed to hold on until today."

"But he's at his last gasp." Ling's expression turned serious as she stared at the Jiajing, played by Wei Yenwu, on the screen. The thought of the emperor dying made her breathe a sigh of relief... She was genuinely afraid that Chen Qi would write an ending where Jiajing successfully became a god.

"Director Chen Qi's portrayal is also a warning to the world... As human beings, we should not aspire to become gods. Even the Jiajing could not withstand it, let alone other mortals."

"I only hope that the world will not make the same mistake in the future..." At this moment, the Emperor of Great Yan looked at his brother's "miserable state." Even though he knew it was a makeup effect, he couldn't help but feel sad. But at the same time, a firm idea rose in his heart.

The Great Yan cannot exist without Feranmut, and these Feranmut must be eradicated, but not all of them can be eradicated. Only with the existence of "gods" like these Feranmut can mortals achieve the feat of challenging gods. If there are no gods... sooner or later someone will want to become the only god.

The Great Yan does not need the rule of gods, but it does need the existence of "gods" to establish a pinnacle of power for its people.

It seems that the Great Yan needs to rethink its relationship with "Sui" and other Feranmut... The Great Yan Emperor thought to himself, and he began to consider how to maintain a relationship between Great Yan and the Feranmut that is "constantly on the verge of a breakout."

PS: Second chapter today! (Finally finished writing it, thank you everyone for your continued support, ah, so tired, need to rest for a bit...)

Volume 1: Chapter 320: The Increasingly Suspicious and Tyrannical Jiajing, and His Imminent Glory?

"In the drama, Emperor Jiajing only reigned for forty-four years. According to the age of those with the blood of the True Lung, he should have been in his prime at this time, but he looked very old and frail, like a half-beast, half-human."

"But more importantly, there's Jiajing's mental state. Director Chen Qi said that the essence of Jiajing now lies in his madness... Clearly, the Feranmut side is beginning to backfire on him, and Jiajing will increasingly lose control of his rationality."

However, this hasn't been revealed yet. Chongyue also fixed his gaze on Wei Yenwu in front of the camera. For Feranmut like Chongyue, this was a unique experience. He was eager to know how a monarch, feared by the people and officials, and even regarded as a "god," would behave as he was gradually consumed by power, strength, and bestiality.

This provides Chongyue with a good reference point: if a "kingdom ruled by Feranmut" truly exists, how would this being at the pinnacle rule the human world?

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has compiled a list of the confiscated assets of corrupt officials such as Yan Shifan, Luo Longwen, and Yan Maoqing." Xu Jie, played by the Grand Tutor, had finally completed his mission of investigating the assets of the Yan Faction and now revealed the "traceable" assets of the Yan Faction to Jiajing, played by Wei Yenwu.

"There are a total of over 370,000 taels of gold, over 6.4 million taels of silver, and other antiques and curiosities valued at nearly 3 million taels."

"Quite a lot of money was embezzled." Upon hearing this figure, the Emperor of Great Yan couldn't help but sneer. Because of the farce at the morning court session, he hadn't yet presented the list of officials with conclusive evidence, intending to have them plead guilty themselves and see if he could implicate any other officials he didn't know about.

Of course, even if no one pleaded guilty, the Emperor of Great Yan knew who should be killed. He had witnessed the great melee in the main hall, and thankfully, although all the officials had personal grudges against each other, there was no evidence of factionalism or favoritism. This was evident from the fact that the battle in the main hall was mostly 1v1 or 1vN.

Therefore, the people the Great Yan Emperor wanted to kill were quite evenly distributed. He wanted to maintain the current state of the court, and as the emperor, he could not lead the way in encouraging his ministers to form factions. Thus, from the Three Departments and Six Ministries down to the local level, there were basically one or two people who could be singled out and killed.

"However, the confiscated and recovered assets certainly weren't that much. All things considered, it's at least thirteen million taels of silver, right?"

"Thirteen million... This money can be used for good purposes and should be enough to replenish the national treasury." Lin Yuxia, who had already finished filming, thought this with a touch of naivety. Although she didn't think the Clear Stream Faction were good people, at least they still had some sense of shame and reputation, so this money should be used for good purposes.

At this moment, Jiajing, in front of the camera, also revealed a faint smile, seemingly smiling because the national treasury was full. However, in reality, he was only thinking that if he used all of the more than ten million taels of silver for alchemy and cultivation, he could definitely become a god.

However, Xu Jie's next words made Jiajing's face darken again. Because Xu Jie had already planned how to use the money.

"I request that the Ministry of War be allocated 3.6 million taels of silver, of which 1.6 million taels be given to Yu Dayou and Qi Jiguang's troops for military supplies to resist Seaborn, and 2 million taels be allocated to Jade Gate for defense supplies in the north."

"... Granted." Three million six hundred thousand was still acceptable to Jiajing, leaving him with nearly ten million. Moreover, national defense was indeed a top priority, and Jiajing knew that it could not be taken lightly.

But Xu Jie's words were far from over. The problems of the Great Yan Dynasty were not limited to national defense. For example, the salaries of officials in the Three Departments and Six Ministries, as well as various local officials, were still owed, and in many provinces, the arrears had been over a year. Putting aside everything else, these long-overdue salaries had to be paid in full.

Upon hearing this, Jiajing's face darkened. However, with an ice pack covering his forehead, he kept his eyes closed and controlled his expression. His tone was sarcastic as he suddenly said:

"Let's divide it up. Which provinces and ministries still owe salaries? Tell us, and we'll settle this matter by distributing this small amount of money."

The sarcasm and irony in Jiajing 'Jiajing tone were palpable, even to the naive Xi, let alone Wenyue and the others.

However, Xu Jie, played by the Grand Tutor, clearly understood, but pretended not to hear it—he didn't want to offend Jiajing, nor did he want to suffer the same fate as Yan Song, becoming a scapegoat for Jiajing and losing himself in the process. Now that he had secured his position as Grand Tutor, he was more concerned with self-preservation.

Therefore, he had to avoid offending either the Jiajing or the common people in order to ensure that he could remain in his position as Grand Secretariat Secretary for a long time.

"Your Majesty, I obey your decree. The situation regarding unpaid salaries in other provinces and various ministries in the two capitals is somewhat better. We have discussed and will find ways to gradually make up for the arrears through other channels."

"Then you decide." Jiajing's tone was full of impatience. He did not react to Xu Jie's feigned ignorance for the time being. After all, the Yan Faction was no longer there to take the blame for him. The Purists faction was all the rage, and he could indeed feel that power was slipping through his fingers.

Jiajing was anxious, so he reminded Xu Jie several times, but Xu Jie's feigned ignorance and impartiality only made Jiajing extremely annoyed.

"--The soldiers have received their share of the money, and the officials have received theirs. Shouldn't it be time to distribute it to my people?"

As Jiajing had predicted, the matter was far from over. Xu Jie, who played the Grand Tutor, then reported on the disasters: severe drought and floods. However, the most troublesome issue was the excessive taxation.

Even the two counties right at the foot of the capital saw their taxes triple in the past year. People fled and became displaced, and money is needed to encourage them to return to farming so that they can settle down.

Jiajing's expression grew increasingly grim, and Lü Fang, played by Lee, naturally understood Jiajing's thoughts, thus remaining silent.

"This is really... a headache."

Even just watching from the screen, the Emperor of Great Yan felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of problems. He knew that Grand Tutor Great Yan Tutor was already being lenient with the situation in the drama, and the actual situation was likely even worse. If funds were to be allocated, they would only increase, not decrease.

But the Emperor of Great Yan was also puzzled. How could so many things have Kung Fu Hustle in just a few years in the story? Natural Catastrophe were happening everywhere, with a major Catastrophe every year on average. Even if the living environment of this land was already harsh, it was still abnormal for accidents to occur so frequently.

The Emperor of Great Yan pondered for a long time, but found no answer. He could only attribute all the blame to Heaven in his heart...

On camera, Jiajing had long since reached his limit, and when faced with issues concerning national defense, officials, and people's livelihood, this emperor finally made his statement—that all of these things had to give way to Jiajing.

"Go ahead and dial, dial them all."

"It's just that my residence is a bit dilapidated, and that the people in the palace wear old clothes—they'd all have to beg for food on the streets."

If these words had come from the mouth of the Great Yan Emperor or Wenyue, no one would have acted this way; they would have only evoked a sense of bitterness. But since they came from Jiajing's mouth, no one would dare to do the same, precisely because the sarcasm in Jiajing's words was utterly undisguised.

Having said all this, this was already the highest warning Jiajing had given him—if things continued like this, Jiajing would only get a little over two million, while the 13 million from the confiscated property would only Purists him two million. In Jiajing's eyes, the Purists faction was even more ruthless than the Yan Faction.

To put it bluntly, Jiajing felt he hadn't received enough money. While this was his reasoning, he completely failed to consider that these expenses were absolutely necessary.

"He's becoming increasingly greedy." Chongyue immediately saw Jiajing's problem. Perhaps because Wei Yenwu's acting was so superb, Chongyue subconsciously overlooked the fact that Wei Yenwu was acting, and couldn't help but frown as he said:

"Sure enough, his mind is now at a disadvantage due to his physical weakness, as he struggles against the blood of the Feranmut... This makes him feel even closer to the Feranmut, and makes it even harder for him to hide his greed."

"His mind has been corrupted. This Jiajing can no longer be considered a ruler; he is merely someone who retains the memories of a 'ruler' but already considers himself a 'god.'"

Chongyue also explained Jiajing's behavior using the Terra's explanation. Chen Qi, listening nearby, couldn't help but twitch his lips... He hadn't considered so many reasonable explanations when he wrote the script.

However, Chongyue's explanation gave Chen Qi an idea—how to make the drama "The Great Yan Dynasty" more acceptable to the general public?

To fully understand "The Great Yan Dynasty," viewers need to meet certain standards. Given the current state of political awareness on the Terra, even the monarchs require considerable time to decipher. Is there any way to make this work more accessible to the general public?

"Perhaps I could invite Chongyue to record a program similar to 'Lecture Room'? After 'The Great Yan Dynasty' airs, I could have Chongyue analyze each chapter and every detail in his own way?"

The moment this idea popped into Chen Qi's mind, he felt it was feasible. The principle was similar to "Let the Bullets Fly." Most people couldn't understand the movie the first time they watched it; they just felt confused. But with appreciation, interpretation, and understanding of the background, the value of the movie gradually became apparent several years after its release.

Good works with depth need someone to help interpret them so that more people can see them. Chen Qi never intended for his self-produced dramas to be anything like "royal specials." He wanted more people to understand them—after all, that's how you increase your reputation, and the bulk of your reputation always comes from countless unknown ordinary people.

"Then let's wait until 'The Great Yan Dynasty' is finished filming before discussing this with Chongyue." Chen Qi silently made this decision in his mind, then turned his attention back to the big screen.

Now, although from the outside it seems that Jiajing is not far from becoming a god, and Jiajing himself is numbing himself that he is not sick, his physical weakness is an undeniable fact, which makes Jiajing even more anxious.

Now that the Purists faction holds absolute power, he was already worried that Purists would usurp his imperial authority. His current illness made Jiajing even more suspicious than before. Staring at Lü Fang and Xu Jie before him, he shouted sternly:

"Do you really think I'm sick?"

"I am not ill!"

Jiajing's shout echoed throughout the palace. He even got up from his reclining chair and returned to his altar to meditate, but he still couldn't stop the cold sweat from pouring down his face and his body from trembling uncontrollably.

Only after taking a pill did Jiajing's condition seem to finally improve; however, along with it, the dragon scales on his body seemed to be spreading again...

"Let me tell you... sixty is a hurdle; once you cross it, you might just achieve immortality."

However, even after Jiajing's condition temporarily stabilized, his paranoia did not lessen in the slightest. He now realized that with the Clear Stream Faction dominating and the Yan Faction gone, he needed a force to counter the Yan Faction in order to consolidate his power.

Soon, the group began discussing Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, and what he had done at Six Musts House. Now, due to his weakened health, Jiajing was beginning to doubt everything around him and was wary of any attempt to challenge his authority.

Now, the only person he can rely on is the Directorate of Ceremonial of Ceremonial, who is loyal to him. However, Lü Fang, played by Lee, is not suitable for confrontation. Therefore, only by letting a ruthless person take power can he establish his imperial authority.

Soon, Jiajing found a suitable candidate, casting Lin Qingyan as Chen Hong, and began preparations for the transfer of power.

"... Looks like Lee is almost done filming too." Wenyue, having clearly seen through Jiajing's methods in the drama, couldn't help but sigh.

"Jiajing intended to prevent someone he trusted from doing something that was destined to end badly, so he replaced him with Chen Hong, a vindictive, greedy, and suitable blade, in order to use this deadly weapon to its fullest extent."

"And Chen Hong, played by Lin Qingyan... is destined for a tragic end. Jiajing probably foresaw her fate long ago. Director Chen Qi, am I right?"

"Absolutely right, worthy of Madam Wen Yue." Chen Qi watched the performance with great satisfaction and called for a stop. He then answered Wenyue while arranging the subsequent filming schedule.

The next scene will be the one where Lü Fang, played by Lee, escapes unscathed. The last scene of Yang Jinshui, played by Mr. Nothing, has already been filmed, so it can just be edited out.

What Chen Qi valued even more was another scene, a "highlight moment" for his character Zhao Zhenji, and a scene that directly laid the foundation for Zhao Zhenji's entry into the Grand Secretariat.

"To be honest, I really don't like this role..." However, when Ling learned that it was her turn to act next, she unusually expressed her dislike for the character she was playing.

After all, Zhao Zhenji, an official who didn't want to be infamous but would constantly complain about "making the people suffer" in order to please the emperor and get promoted sooner, was truly despicable to Ling. But it was a pity that he had agreed to Chen Qi's request too quickly and hadn't gotten to know the character properly. Now it was too late to back out.

"Then let's see what kind of outrageous things Zhao Zhenji will do for his own purposes."

PS: Chapter 3 today! (Another 4k-word chapter, sob sob, please subscribe and support me! Orz, I'm so tired I can't move anymore...)

Volume 1: Chapter 321: Jiajing's Unusual Vulnerability, Zhao Zhenji Officials Hated by the Great Yan Emperor

Subsequent developments unfolded exactly as Wenyue had predicted. Jiajing needed an organization that could counter the Purists, and this organization had previously been the Yan Faction. Now that the Yan Faction had fallen, the Directorate of Ceremonial became the only option.

Previously, the Directorate of Ceremonial of Ceremonial, under Lü Fang's leadership, served at most as a buffer between the Yan Faction and the Purists, reminding both sides of the limits of their actions and safeguarding the emperor's interests. But now, Jiajing needed the Directorate of Ceremonial to become a Blades capable of deterring and even killing, so Lü Fang, who had followed him for so many years, was clearly unsuitable for this task.

Therefore, Jiajing handed over the power of the Directorate of Ceremonial of Ceremonial to Chen Hong, played by Lin Qingyan, who was capable of killing. Lü Fang, played by Lee, and her godson Yang Jinshui were eventually exiled to guard the imperial tombs and died peacefully.

Before Lü Fang left, Jiajing specially changed into the Daoist robe that Prince Yu's Consort had personally embroidered for him, sending off this dear relative who had taken care of him for half his life in the most dignified way. This was also one of the few times in the entire series that Jiajing showed genuine emotion.

"You've followed me for most of your life... this will guarantee you peace for the rest of your days."

Jiajing handed a talisman he had drawn to Lü Fang, but just as Lü Fang was about to accept it with both hands, he couldn't help but slightly pull the talisman back.

In the end, however, Jiajing's rationality prevailed over his emotions, and he silently handed the talisman to Lü Fang. This act of giving and receiving, however brief, was enough to express all the bitterness and reluctance he felt at that moment.

Only at this moment, in everyone's eyes, Jiajing seemed no longer a god, no longer an emperor, but just a child who had lost his father and mother at a young age and had no one to rely on.

"To have served Your Majesty for half my life... this old minister... is content."

This parting with Lü Fang was forever. He had taken care of Jiajing for half his life. Although Lü Fang was called a subject, he knew in his heart that he was just a servant of the emperor. But Jiajing's feelings for him were as deep as those for family.

Lü Fang accepted the talisman with tears in her eyes, and bowed deeply to Jiajing one last time. This bow was an expression of her overwhelming sorrow; she prostrated herself completely, bidding a final farewell to the emperor she had watched grow up.

Jiajing also cried, but he did not show it on his face. His eyes were filled with tears, and he could not bear to look directly at the person in the eye. He could only turn his head slightly to hide the last bit of weakness he had as a human being.

Such a moving performance touched everyone, regardless of their previous opinions of Jiajing.

There were no earth-shattering crying scenes, nor any extremely cheesy lines, but Jiajing's every move, Lü Fang's prostration, and one small gesture after another, vividly revealed the feelings between the emperor and his subjects, master and servant, and even the father-son and grandfather-grandson relationship.

Ultimately... no matter how the world views him, his tyranny and paranoia were, in a way, born out of necessity.

Wenyue was ultimately quite sentimental. Whether it was because Jiajing was played by her husband, or Chen Qi had unintentionally set up the background, portraying Jiajing as her and Wei Yenwu's child, and thus extending that affection, she couldn't help but sigh as she watched Wei Yenwu Jiajing the drama, how he appeared so lonely and curled up with tears in his eyes after Lü Fang's departure.

"I once heard someone say... lucky people are healed by their childhood throughout their lives, while unlucky people spend their whole lives healing from their childhood. Wasn't Jiajing the same?"

"His parents died early, and he had no one in the entire court who trusted him. If he weren't tyrannical, suspicious, and possessed such extraordinary talent, how could he have had the right to wield such influence in the court? He probably wouldn't even know how he died..."

"Unfortunately, ordinary children are prone to suspicion and worry, which at most adds a few troubles. But being born into an imperial family, no matter how unfortunate one may be, one cannot escape the label of a tyrant."