Chen Huijie Embraces Hai Rui's Principles? The Monarch Who Was Scolded Until He Coughed Blood / Great Yan's Emperor: "My Health Is Failing, Brother. Rule in My Stead."

But regardless, at least for the common people... an official like Hai Rui deserves their praise because Hai Rui genuinely petitioned for the people. In this respect alone, he is far better than countless hypocritical officials who enrich themselves at the expense of the people.

However, not long after, in front of the camera, all that could be seen was servants slowly moving a chair and a small table to the front of Hai Rui's cell, and then a figure dressed in black robes appeared.

Although he was dressed in black robes and Hai Rui couldn't see the other person's face from a distance, at this moment, with the camera's lens, everyone could see that the man in black robes was none other than the Emperor Jiajing, played by Wei Yenwu!

"Jiajing wore a black robe to cover his face; this time, he wasn't interrogating Hai Rui in the manner of an emperor..."

At this moment, Jiajing's thoughts were quickly known to everyone. Wenyue, who was standing to the side, nodded and said, "It seems that Jiajing wants to compete with Hai Rui on an equal footing."

It's ironic, really. As an emperor, Jiajing didn't attend court for over twenty years, and despite being criticized countless times, he never repented. But at this point, Jiajing's competitive spirit actually drove him to compete with Hai Rui, and he disdained to use his imperial power to suppress Hai Rui.

This was clearly a debate based solely on reason, regardless of social status. Only by witnessing it firsthand could Jiajing determine whether Hai Rui was someone he could control.

"With so many people interrogating you, you won't be convinced. The Emperor instructed me to tell you in advance what these people are saying in response to you, so I can hear how you will reply."

At this moment, Jiajing concealed his identity and slowly spoke to Hai Rui. At this moment, Jiajing, the emperor of a country, had his back to the blazing sun of the prison, but not a single ray of light shone on him. He was still wearing a black robe, and although the sun was shining brightly behind him, he remained hidden in the darkness.

Hai Rui, a prisoner facing punishment, was in a dark and damp prison with only a sliver of light behind her. Yet, she basked in the sunlight with a clear conscience, staring directly into the darkness before her.

This scene is like a microcosm of the two characters in the drama. At this moment, after a brief introduction to Hai Rui, Jiajing asks his question:

"Among the wise rulers of our Great Yan Dynasty, who should be considered the foremost?"

"Emperor Wen of Yan should be the first to be mentioned." Hai Rui's immediate answer to Jiajing's question was not unexpected, as Hai Rui Jiajing already stated this in his memorial on Memorial on Public Order. However, he had more questions:

"Emperor Wen's wisdom and rule are praised by all generations. Yet, in your memorial to the Emperor, you quote the words of a madman under Emperor Wen's rule, demanding perfection and being overly critical. By belittling Emperor Wen of Yan, you are trying to belittle the current Emperor!"

"If you acknowledge Emperor Wen of Yan as a wise ruler, why criticize Emperor Wen for being complacent, apathetic, and neglecting his duties? Isn't this an allusion to... the current emperor?"

However, when Jiajing asked this question, the faces of the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty outside the screen changed. This was not a good question to answer. Emperor Wen of Yan was a recognized wise and virtuous ruler of the Great Yan. If it were not for Emperor Wen's more than 100 years of Heart Scripture, their late emperor might not have had the resources to rebel against the gods.

It can be said that the Great Yan can now stand proudly on the Terra thanks in no small part to Emperor Wen's governance. However, Hai Rui's words not only criticize Emperor Wen but are also seen as alluding to Emperor Jiajing. If he doesn't respond well, he may be accused of being "unfilial and disloyal."

However, when faced with such a pointed question, Hai Rui remained completely calm. Under Jiajing's watchful gaze, he simply replied:

This statement is not worth refuting.

"Is it not worth refuting, or is there no rebuttal?" Jiajing thought he had stumped Hai Rui, but Hai Rui replied bluntly, "They didn't understand my memorial, nor could they comprehend it, therefore it's not worth refuting."

This remark angered Jiajing so much that he laughed. He wanted to see just how capable Hai Rui really was, and insisted that Hai Rui answer.

However, faced with Jiajing's aggressive questioning, Hai Rui remained silent for a long time before concluding that the person in front of him was most likely a staunch supporter of Jiajing and probably knew nothing about his master's actions. Therefore, he finally spoke frankly.

This outspoken remark infuriated Jiajing, making him grind his teeth in anger.

"Emperor Wen of Yan did not respect the ancient sages, but only the principles of nature, governing by non-interference. Therefore, he had the shortcomings of being leisurely and unassuming, and neglected state affairs. However, I still consider Emperor Wen a wise ruler, because Emperor Wen had the virtues of being close to the people, being kind, forgiving, respectful, and frugal, and taking the people's hearts as his own, helping them to recuperate and thrive."

"But the current emperor... in every way thinks he is emulating Emperor Wen, and has not held court for twenty years, calling it 'governing by doing nothing'."

"The amendments to laws and the establishment of religious ceremonies are in reality extravagant construction projects. Officials are treated like household slaves, and the national treasury is treated like private property. By using one's position as second only to the emperor, one controls the hearts of the people, without taking any action to allow the people to rest and recuperate. As a result, the upper echelons are extravagant and the lower ranks are greedy, exhausting the people's wealth. The country is in disarray, and the people are suffering."

"To be frank... even with Emperor Wen of Yan's wisdom, there were still shortcomings in his governance."

"The current emperor... is far inferior to Emperor Wen of Yan."

Hai Rui's words can be summarized in one sentence. "Does the current emperor even dare to challenge Emperor Wen? He's far from it."

That one sentence caused Jiajing to feel his blood boil and his True Lung might to be uncontrollable. At that moment, everyone could feel Jiajing's indignation and the humiliation of having his veil lifted through the screen.

These are words that no monarch could accept. Let alone the Jiajing in the drama, even the Emperor of the Great Yan and Wei Yenwu themselves could not accept Hai Rui's words. This shows just how offensive Hai Rui's words were to a monarch.

"It's all thanks to Huijie's resilience... She's also considered an inheritor of the True Lung's blood, and only she could remain completely unfazed."

Faced with the subtle oppressive aura of the True Lung on both sides of the screen, Chen Qi could only hope that Chen Huijie could withstand the pressure. But what Chen Qi didn't know was that Chen Huijie was now practically playing herself; she remembered every single line of the script, and if she were to offer advice, she would definitely do the same thing as Hai Rui.

Now, like Wei Yenwu, she has almost merged with her role, and she still has much more to say to Hai Rui.

PS: Chapter 3 today! (Another 5,000-word chapter, ah, I'm exhausted again. I'd better hurry up and finish writing the final climax of the Great Yan Dynasty... I'm typing while completely exhausted...)

Volume 1: Chapter 330: Chen Huijie Incorporates Hai Rui's Ideas? The Monarch Who Was Scolded to the Point of Vomiting Blood

Chen Huijie has been playing Hai Rui for some time now, and she has indeed found that she and Hai Rui have many things in common, such as straightforwardness, unyielding strength in the face of power, and righteousness that is not afraid of evil.

But in Chen Huijie's heart, she knew very well that she was not as good as Chen Qi Hai Rui in the drama.

Chen Huijie's fearlessness in the face of power stems from the powerful forces behind her. In the Great Yan, aside from the emperor, how many people have a stronger background than Chen Huijie? Therefore, Chen Huijie is completely confident and fearless. When she was a senior police superintendent in Lungmen, Wei Yenwu also helped her many times.

And what about Hai Rui? In the drama, Hai Rui was born into a poor family and was raised by his mother. Hai Rui's personality, confidence, and education... all his conditions were inferior to Chen Huijie's.

But Hai Rui possessed a strength no less than hers, and even greater ambitions. Moreover, Hai Rui was not merely a straightforward official; the abilities displayed in the drama show that Hai Rui was extremely clear about the affairs of the court and the public. He was not simply driven by patriotic fervor, but rather he recognized everything, yet he still refused to associate with hypocrites simply because of the current situation.

Hai Rui lacked Chen Huijie's background, upbringing, and martial arts skills, yet he accomplished far greater things than Chen Huijie. Now, as Chen Huijie portrays this character, she feels an ever-growing admiration and a stronger desire to fully embody the role.

She refused to allow her own shortcomings to diminish the portrayal of "Hai Rui." This belief is what allows Chen Huijie to be fearless and unafraid of the stage.

If Hai Rui was not afraid of imperial power, what did Chen Huijie have to fear? Therefore, Chen Huijie accepted the True Lung's might released by Wei Yenwu without changing her expression.

What Chen Huijie didn't notice was that, amidst her confrontation with Wei Yenwu, a power within her, making her feel feverish, was quietly awakening... This made Chen Huijie even more fearless, and she spoke each word clearly:

"The Great Yan Dynasty has tens of thousands of officials, yet not a single one dares to speak to the Emperor. If I remain silent, future generations will record this in the annals of history."

"Please convey my words to those officials who wish to refute me. They remain silent, but I speak alone; how can this be considered an insinuation?"

"When I speak out, all the officials refute me. Do they want the Emperor to be remembered with infamy for all eternity?"

However, at this moment, Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, had completely enraged Jiajing. And at this moment, Wei Yenwu, who played Jiajing, himself showed signs of being provoked by Chen Huijie's earlier lines.

Wei Yanwu has also played the role of Jiajing for a long time. Although Jiajing, the emperor, can be said to be quite explosive even if we look at the emperors of the Great Yan Dynasty, over the course of more than a year of filming, Wei Yanwu did not call him "I" so much in vain.

Although Wei Yenwu has never filmed a scene in the main hall or worn a dragon robe, the more convincingly he portrays the emperor, the stronger the imperial aura becomes to him. Coupled with the subtle influence of his younger brother, Wei Yenwu may not possess the physical attributes of an emperor, but the imperial aura has become innate.

As for Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, even if the emperor knew she was right, he would never allow such a disrespectful subject to challenge his imperial authority! This was the emperor's bottom line!

Slightly angry, Wei Yenwu practically spat out a sentence through gritted teeth:

"Are you the only loyal, good, and virtuous minister?"

"... I am merely an honest official."

"A loyal minister who has no father or ruler?!"

However, Wei Yenwu's angry outburst, delivered exactly as scripted, whether due to its overly realistic performance or the overflow of True Lung power, deeply stung Chen Huijie's rarely known vulnerability.

On camera, Chen Huijie's eyes, usually filled with determination and resolve, were now brimming with tears, revealing a heartbreaking vulnerability for the first time. This scene prompted the officials of the Great Yan court in the lounge to spontaneously praise her.

"Lady Chen's acting skills are truly remarkable; she held her own against Duke Wei in their scenes together."

"Yes, I thought that Duke Wei's portrayal of Emperor Jiajing was already superb, but I didn't expect Lady Chen to be able to keep up with the performance."

"That wounded look in his eyes... sigh, he really brought out that rare vulnerability in Hai Rui."

However, while the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty were filled with emotion, very few were fully aware of Chen Huijie's background. Only some of the older ministers could understand the heartbreak in Chen Huijie's eyes and what the cause was.

"Director Chen Qi, your line really hurt Little Chen's feelings."

Now, even Madam Wen Yue, sitting not far from Chen Qi, couldn't hide her sadness when she heard Wei Yenwu actually shout out that line on camera, and saw Chen Huijie's heartbreaking gaze. With a hint of reproach, she said to Chen Qi beside her:

"You probably didn't just give this role to Little Chen because of that one line, did you? If so, even if I'm your aunt, I have to punish you."

"How could that be... I really felt that only Huijie could capture the essence of Hai Rui, that's why I decided to choose her. Only she can handle this role." Chen Qi, facing Wenyue beside him and even Talulah's suspicious gaze, couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed... He was indeed considering not pursuing the matter further.

Chen Qi initially cast Chen Huijie as Hai Rui simply because he felt she could handle the scenes opposite Wei Yenwu. After all, Wei Yenwu's True Lung was very pure, and how could an ordinary person possibly handle acting opposite him? Just this one scene alone would probably scare them out of their wits.

After much deliberation, Chen Qi realized that only Chen Huijie and Talulah could handle the roles and withstand the pressure from Wei Yenwu. However, Talulah did not have the appearance of Yan, so only Chen Huijie was suitable for the role.

However, this line... Chen Qi really didn't consider it at the time. This line could really make Chen Huijie feel very sad, because on a family level, Chen Huijie could truly empathize with Hai Rui.

Hai Rui lost his father at a young age, and Chen Huijie lost her mother at a young age, and has no memory of her biological father. For her, Wei Yenwu Wenyue are her parents, but such an excuse can only provide some comfort, but it cannot change the fact that this is Chen Huijie's scar.

However, this also allowed Chen Huijie to portray the emotions in this scene perfectly. After suppressing her pain and swallowing her bitterness, Wei Yenwu, who was looking at Chen Huijie in front of the camera, belatedly realized that he had said the wrong thing.

But Wei Yenwu showed no sign of backing down. He forced back his pain and met Chen Huijie's gaze. At that moment, it was as if time and space had intersected... as if on a certain day, in a certain time and space, Wei Yenwu had truly become the emperor, and Chen Huijie had stood on the opposite side of him, in front of the minister who would cause him pain if he killed him, but posed a great threat if he did not.

"Your Excellency... could you please relay my words to the Emperor?" After a long while, Chen Huijie finally came to her senses and said to Jiajing with a trembling voice:

"... I lost my father when I was four years old. My mother remained a widow and raised me alone. When I became an official, my mother would earnestly teach me, 'Although you have no father, since you receive the emperor's salary, the emperor is your father.'"

As Chen Huijie uttered the final words, "You are my father," everyone present trembled slightly at her tone. Now, deeply moved, Chen Huijie continued:

"In fact, it's not just me, Hai Rui, who regards the emperor as a father; all the people under heaven regard the emperor as a father."

"... Unfortunately, the current emperor does not regard the people as his subjects. Since he has heavily relied on the Yan Faction, officials dispatched from the twenty-four departments of the palace to all levels of government, from the imperial court to the provinces, prefectures, cities, and counties, have all treated the people as fish and meat."

"His Majesty dwells deep within the Western Garden, devoted to cultivation. When has he ever noticed the suffering of the common people? When has he ever thought of... tens of millions of people, though they have a ruler, they have no father; though they have officials, they are like thieves. The two capitals and thirteen provinces are all like infants waiting to die of hunger and cold, like fish on a chopping board waiting to be slaughtered."

"Does your father... know?"

"--Cough cough cough cough!!"

However, just as Chen Huijie finished speaking these words that moved the officials and weighed heavily on the audience, unexpectedly, Wei Jiajing, who played the Wei Yenwu in the drama, was trembling and leaning weakly against his chair. Off-screen, the Great Yan Emperor suddenly clutched his chest and coughed violently.

This sudden, violent cough startled the officials, who immediately surrounded him. The Grand Tutor, in particular, immediately supported the coughing Emperor of Great Yan beside him and asked with concern:

"Your Majesty? What's wrong? Summon the imperial physician! Quickly!"

"No need—I just suddenly feel tired..."

The Emperor of Great Yan turned deathly pale, his body drenched in cold sweat as if he had been severely injured.

However, in reality, given the strength of the Great Yan Emperor, it was impossible for anyone to secretly harm him. The Great Yan Emperor was simply affected by what Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, had said. As the Great Yan Emperor, hearing the words of his outspoken ministers describing the Great Yan as so wretched and the people as so suffering, and thinking about everything he had done, he felt a sharp pain in his heart, yet he didn't know who to vent his anger on.

The glorious Great Yan, painstakingly built up by so many generations of rulers... has fallen into such a state after his death. How could this not cause the Great Yan Emperor immense grief and indignation?

Why did the Great Yan become what it is depicted in the drama? Was it entirely because of Jiajing?

Perhaps Jiajing was the real main reason, but in the drama, why did so many hidden flaws of the Great Yan suddenly erupt after his and Wei Yenwu's deaths? Or was it simply because he had been on the throne for too long and hadn't noticed anything?

Just as Hai Rui said in the drama... residing in the Western Garden, he devoted himself to cultivation—wasn't he the same? Residing in the palace, he devoted himself to the affairs of the country, but did he ever see the common people or hear about their lives?

Can someone like this truly be considered a wise and benevolent ruler?

These words kept flashing through the Emperor of Great Yan's mind, but Hai Rui's words completely shattered his confidence... He felt that he might be a major reason for Great Yan's eventual decline, just like in the drama, and that he... might have sown the seeds of disaster for his descendants.

At that very moment, Jiajing, played by Wei Yenwu in the drama, was so heartbroken by Hai Rui's words that a trickle of blood gushed from his nostrils, showing that he was truly so angry that he was bleeding from all seven orifices.

Upon seeing this, Chen Huijie immediately realized what was happening, her previous seriousness vanished, and she shouted:

"Help! Someone, come quick!"

"Bang!"

However, as soon as Chen Huijie finished speaking, all the guards suddenly rushed out, and it wasn't until Lord Shi from the Directorate of Ceremonial of Ceremonial, who had been talking to Hai Rui earlier, appeared that Hai Rui suddenly realized that the person he had just scolded so badly that his nose was bleeding was actually Jiajing.

"--I, the Emperor, offer you eight words."

At this moment, Jiajing, trembling uncontrollably from the scolding, his voice hoarse and his expression dazed, uttered his eight-character assessment of Hai Rui, squeezing out the words through gritted teeth:

"Without father or ruler, abandoning country and family."

After saying this, Jiajing's body went limp, and he and his chair were carried away by a group of guards. Only Hai Rui remained, bowing deeply to Jiajing... to express her final apology.

Hai Rui won the debate, but it was a Pyrrhic victory. Jiajing's words essentially meant that Hai Rui had not only lost his biological father, but also that he had completely offended the dignity of Jiajing, the emperor, and thoroughly confirmed his disrespect for the emperor. Clearly, both "loyalty and filial piety" had been rejected by Jiajing.

PS: First chapter today!

Volume 1: Chapter 331: Emperor of Great Yan: My health is failing, elder brother, please oversee the country for me.

Chen Qi's day-long performance finally came to an end. The debate between Hai Rui, Zhao Zhenji, and Jiajing ended with Zhao Zhenji's reputation ruined and Jiajing suffering a stroke and falling into a coma. Hai Rui emerged victorious.

Ultimately, the story of Jiajing directly ordering all officials to convict Hai Rui, forcing Zhao Zhenji's Chen Hong on exposing Hai Rui's accomplices, which led to his alienation from everyone, is another story.

Now, Chen Qi has an even more important and troublesome problem to deal with—the suddenly ailing Emperor of Great Yan.

"What? After watching my show, Wei Yenwu is fine, but His Majesty the Emperor is in trouble first?"

When Chen Qi received this news from Liang Xun, he felt his head buzzing. Ever since he had caused Victoria's downfall with "Yes, Prime Minister," Chen Qi had once again experienced a lack of brain capacity.

Well, Wei Yenwu isn't entirely unscathed. Although his scene with Chen Huijie was acting, it still touched a Chen Huijie had always wanted to avoid. Especially since this incident had already caused Wei Yenwu heartache, saying these things to his niece must have been a huge psychological burden for Wei Yenwu.

Before the performance, Wei Yenwu had prepared a blood bag for himself, intending to puncture the blood bags in his teeth and nose if the performance didn't go well. However, after being scolded by Chen Huijie, he almost spat out blood, so he decided he didn't need the blood bag anymore.

Now, Wei Yenwu, supported by Wenyue and Chen Huijie, went to see the imperial physician for a check-up, and should be fine. However, the sudden illness of the Great Yan Emperor did make Chen Qi quite nervous. He didn't want to create a scene in Great Yan the Emperor died of high blood pressure from watching a drama.

At that time, let alone whether Nian and Xi can be pardoned by the Great Yan, I'm afraid that I and everyone in the crew will be accused of "maliciously plotting to harm the King of Great Yan" and will be hunted down by the entire Great Yan nation.

As for "The Great Yan Dynasty 1566"... it will definitely be judged as the root of all chaos. Not to mention airing it, it will definitely be banned and destroyed in the Great Yan. Moreover, having offended the Great Yan, I'm afraid there are few countries on the Terra that would dare to protect them anymore—not even Theresis would dare.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario Chen Qi had feared did not occur. The Emperor of Great Yan was ill, but not completely. The imperial physicians quickly arrived at a conclusion:

"Everyone, there's no need to worry. His Majesty has been overworked and exhausted lately, and the shock he experienced caused him to collapse. In addition, the repeated use of the True Lung's power has left him physically weak, which is why he has an irregular heartbeat."

"The ailment is not serious, but Your Majesty needs to rest for a period of time. You must not overexert yourself, otherwise many complications may take advantage of your weakened state and harm Your Majesty's health."

At the Imperial Medical Academy, the imperial physicians promptly reported the diagnosis to Chen Qi and the Grand Tutor, among others. Talulah and Chen Huijie, who appeared somewhat anxious, immediately responded: