The world of film and television begins with the God of Medicine.

Chapter 1564 A Man of Refined Taste

In the winter of the fifty-fourth year of the Jiajing reign, Zhu Houcong died in Wanshou Palace. His temple name was Shizong, and his posthumous title was Qintian Lüdao Yingyi Shengshen Xuanwen Guangwu Hongren Daxiao Su Emperor.

The temple name and posthumous title remained unchanged.

Even if Wang Yan altered history, greatly elevating his imperial achievements and securing him a significant place in history, the temple name and posthumous title were enough to definitively conclude his legacy.

Emperor Shizong is a very positive temple name, meaning that the imperial lineage begins from here, and the world is founded from here, which is quite fitting. On the other hand, a temple name is the temple name of the emperor's ancestral temple, and it is the ancestor worshipped by later generations. No one would give their ancestor a bad temple name.

As for the posthumous title, Qintian Lüdao refers to the legitimacy of Jiajing's succession, Yingyi Shengsheng means brave and wise, Xuanwen Guangwu naturally refers to his civil and military achievements, and Hongren Daxiao means benevolence and filial piety. Filial piety is always a good quality, and emperors often add posthumous titles for filial piety. Moreover, Jiajing also had the Great Rites Controversy.

"Su" is a complimentary posthumous title. It signifies uprightness and integrity, decisiveness and resolve, and self-discipline and effective governance. While Jiajing certainly didn't quite achieve all of these, it was still reasonably good.

The original posthumous title was somewhat lacking for Jiajing. However, for the current Jiajing, it was rather ordinary, not too low, but not exceptionally high either.

As a staunch supporter of the emperor, Wang Yan offered numerous effusive compliments to Jiajing during the discussion on his temple name and posthumous title. He engaged in a fierce debate with the scholars, but ultimately, due to his lack of support and the desire to end the mess as quickly as possible, Prince Yu decided to finalize the temple name and posthumous title accordingly.

After the Jiajing Emperor was buried, Prince Yu ascended the throne, and a series of events, including personnel changes and power struggles, unfolded with the new emperor's ascension. One by one, those close to Prince Yu entered the historical stage, while many of Wang Yan's old acquaintances left.

"Eunuch Lü, Eunuch Huang, His Majesty is not intolerant of people. It would be much better for him to retire in the palace. Why suffer outside the capital?"

Wang Yan walked slowly with Lü Fang and Huang Jin, his hands behind his back.

Lü Fang was approaching seventy, and Huang Jin was approaching sixty. There were many things to do in the period before Jiajing died. After Jiajing died, the two lost their power. In this short period of time, they had already aged considerably and had a strong sense of being old and dying.

Lu Fang waved her hand: "A new emperor brings a new court. We two are no longer useful. The palace is not a kind place. We are old. We have served our master all our lives, so we might as well go and keep him company at his funeral. As for you, it's really kind of you to see us off. You'll be in for a lot of trouble later."

Huang Jin snorted: "That dog Chen Hong is so petty and holds grudges. His Majesty is so foolish, how can he employ such a villain?"

Chen Hong had already established a connection with Prince Yu, and now that Jiajing had died, Chen Hong naturally rose to power, becoming the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the head of the inner court.

Therefore, Chen Hong began to actively suppress Lü Fang's old subordinates. This is just the beginning, and he is only dealing with people in the capital. Later, all the eunuchs who were sent out to guard the city will also have to undergo a major reshuffle.

This is why Emperor Longqing appointed Chen Hong to a higher position; it was because Chen Hong was capable of handling the matter well.

Clearly, Lü Fang understood this principle.

"You, watch your mouth. Now that we've left the palace, those who care about our past will give us some face, but those who don't will deliberately make things difficult for us. What can you do?"

"They dare!" Huang Jin cursed. "A bunch of heartless bastards, they don't even respect the rules anymore? They're dealing with us today, but they'll be in even worse shape tomorrow."

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "What Eunuch Huang said makes sense. Besides, I'm here for you. We've known each other for many years, and you've helped me a lot. Now that you two are leaving the capital, I will definitely take good care of you. If you need anything in the future, just come to me, and I will do my best to help."

These are not empty words. It seems His Majesty still needs me. Since I still hold power, I can get things done. You two know my character best; I always keep my word.

Before Lü Fang could speak, Huang Jin waved his hands repeatedly: "Let's forget it. It's fine if my ancestors and I suffer some difficulties; we can still live to old age. But if you offend His Majesty because of us, you'll be dead without a burial place."

“He’s right. You’ve had a tough time all these years. You should be careful. We two old folks can’t cause you any trouble. Otherwise, if we’re really affected, we won’t have the face to face His Majesty when we die.”

“It was all given to us by the Zhu family, so it’s only right and proper to take it.” Wang Yan said with a smile. “No matter what, as long as you employ me, I will definitely work diligently for the Ming Dynasty.”

"It's truly fate that our master promoted you," Lü Fang said with a sigh.

Looking at Wang Yan, who was thirty-four years old but showed almost no signs of change, he vaguely saw the young man kneeling in the Yu Xi Palace from years ago. The scene from that time was still vivid in his mind.

"Time flies, fourteen years have passed in the blink of an eye," he exclaimed once again.

"How short is the day, how easily a hundred years of suffering are filled." Wang Yan also felt a bit melancholy.

Time is truly his closest companion. It has given him so much, and taken so much away...

Looking at the steps in front of her and then at the Taoist temple at the end of them, Lü Fang said, "Is this your first time visiting Chaotian Temple?"

"Yes, that Master Lan is a reasonable person. When I was the magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture, he was the most cooperative. He even took the initiative to persuade other Taoist temples and monasteries, saving me a lot of trouble."

"The Blue Immortal is afraid you'll turn him into a lousy immortal." Huang Jin snorted. "Immortal, my foot! If he really had supernatural powers, would Master have ascended to heaven?"

Lü Fang shook her head and took the lead, slowly climbing the steps. Huang Jin quickly went over to support her, still grumbling under his breath.

The death of Jiajing saddened Huang Jin, who became displeased with everything and complained about everything.

Of course, he wasn't stupid. Only Lü Fang and Wang Yan were there; they were his own people. Even if he insulted the emperor, it wasn't a big deal, after all, the emperor wasn't truly omniscient…

There must be outsiders among them. Putting aside everything else, just considering the title of "King of Endurance" that is famous for his royal pronouncements, he has dozens of guards around him. Some are retired warriors from the Ji-Liao border army who serve as his bodyguards, and some are guards arranged by the Imperial Guard. They are scattered in various places.

In addition, there was his status and position, as well as the many things he had done in the past. Even if Jiajing were still alive, if Wang Yan came to Chaotian Temple, everyone in the temple would have to come out to greet him.

So, following a short distance behind them were the people from Chaotian Temple. Even the elderly and frail Lan Shenxian was being carried in a chair.

This is power...

They leisurely arrived at the entrance of the Taoist temple. Led by the abbot, Wang Yan and the others went inside, turning left and right, until they encountered a... madman...

The madman was skin and bones, wearing only a thin shirt, running in circles in the cold wind, muttering all sorts of strange and incomprehensible words. What was this "Emperor of Longevity," what was this "Emperor of Loyalty and Filial Piety," what was this "Yang Jinshui," what was this "Zheng Bichang," what was this "He Maocai"... Lü Fang silently watched the madman for a while, then said, "Speaking of which, you know this person too."

"You can tell from the names he read out that he must be Eunuch Yang, the chief eunuch of the Jiangnan Arsenal, when rice paddies were converted to mulberry fields."

"Good memory, it's him." Lü Fang nodded with a smile.

"It's not that I have a good memory, it's just that the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields was a major turning point in my life." Wang Yan said with his hands behind his back, his face full of melancholy. "I never intended to be a good judge for the people, I just wanted to make money comfortably and live a good life. Who would have thought that the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields would turn me into the good judge in the eyes of the people."

Lü Fang and Huang Jin both laughed heartily. They knew better than anyone how much silver Wang Yan had embezzled and how luxurious his life was. They believed that what Wang Yan said was absolutely true.

Wang Yan showed no embarrassment whatsoever. He turned to the abbot waiting beside him and instructed, "How can you be so oblivious? Hurry up and get him washed and dressed in warm clothes. Eunuch Lü will take him to keep vigil for the late emperor."

The abbot quickly ordered people to do the work and asked someone to make tea for Wang Yan and the other two, but the guards stopped them and made them fetch water instead, using their own tea leaves.

Lu Fang and Huang Jin were impressed, saying they were no less capable than Jiajing's bodyguards...

But in reality, it's still far from perfect. It's just a matter of paying attention to places that can't be seen; there's no other special protection. Wang Yan strolled down the street, and although there were many guards around, he would also walk into the crowds. He went to investigate, personally interacting and chatting with local officials and onlookers.

After drinking tea for a while, Yang Jinshui washed up, changed into a thicker set of clothes, and followed Wang Yan and the others out of the Taoist temple in a daze.

"Alright, it's been fourteen years, what can't we get over? Let's go keep vigil for His Majesty." Lü Fang patted Yang Jinshui on the shoulder. "From now on, you don't need to pretend to be crazy anymore."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Jinshui, who had been spouting nonsense, stopped abruptly, then tears welled up in his eyes, and he sobbed…

Wang Yan said with a smile, "Eunuch Lü, Eunuch Huang, you really have to admit, Eunuch Yang is no ordinary person. If it were anyone else, it's hard to say whether they could live for more than ten years. Even if they did live, after pretending to be crazy for more than ten years, they would probably become truly crazy."

“It’s all for survival,” Lu Fang sighed. “It’s also my fault. I should have asked His Majesty for forgiveness long ago, but I never found the opportunity to speak up. You are a divine physician, so I’ll have to trouble you to take a look at him and prescribe some medicine to help him recover.”

"It's all fine, let's go now."

The group left the Taoist temple and rushed to the imperial mausoleum in the suburbs.

This place is guarded year-round, responsible for maintaining the surrounding environment, protecting the imperial tomb, and preventing outsiders from disturbing it. There are soldiers, eunuchs, and a considerable number of people here.

Wang Yan escorted Lü Fang and the others to their destination, carefully examined their working environment, and spoke with the relevant personnel and staff. He then decided on the spot to allocate funds to improve their living conditions and raise their wages.

After this, Wang Yan paid homage to Emperor Jiajing and stayed overnight. The next day, he bid farewell to Lü Fang and the others and headed back to the capital.

His trip out of Beijing this time was solely to see Lü Fang off.

To be honest, Lü Fang and Huang Jin were his political allies. They were all members of the Emperor's Party and had developed a deep camaraderie by cooperating with each other over the years to compete with Xu Jie and others.

On the other hand, Wang Yan also wanted to show that he was a man of deep affection and loyalty.

If he hadn't come to deliver them, Lü Fang, Huang Jin, and Yang Jinshui wouldn't have had a good life here. He wouldn't make things too difficult for them, but they definitely wouldn't have gotten away with it. Chen Hong really didn't have much magnanimity; having been suppressed for many years, he still harbored resentment towards Lü Fang. Even knowing that he too would face this day, he still couldn't help but make things difficult for Lü Fang and the others.

But Wang Yan's personal visit made all the difference. Moreover, he promised on the spot to allocate funds to the imperial mausoleum to improve everyone's welfare. It was a simple and direct show of support for Lü Fang, ensuring she could continue to live as an ancestor and enjoy her later years in peace.

As for Lü Fang and Huang Jin, they are destined never to be reinstated and have absolutely no chance of regaining power. If Wang Yan can achieve this with such people, then what about the others?

Moreover, there is a very clear example: Hu Zongxian. This former third-in-command of Yan's faction was almost killed because Yan's faction lost power and he was suppressed by Xu Jie and others. He was saved by Wang Yan, making it difficult for Xu Jie and others to take action.

He found another opportunity for Hu Zongxian to make great contributions, which led to his reinstatement after Yan Song's death. He started as the Vice Minister of Rites and concurrently the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, and later served as the Governor-General of Jiliao, leading the war to destroy the Tatars and drive out the Oirats.

This fully demonstrates Wang Yan's reliability; he is an absolutely good leader and a good ally. He puts those who have already pledged allegiance at ease, and makes those who haven't yet done so envious.

After fourteen years of operation, Wang Yan is now a powerful figure in the political arena, no longer the same person Jiajing ridiculed as someone who couldn't even become the Grand Secretary...

Back in the capital, before he could even rest, he was summoned to the palace by palace officials.

The Longqing Emperor ascended to the stage of history, and if it weren't for Wang Yan, he would have died long ago. Unfortunately, he didn't know that Wang Yan had allowed the Jiajing Emperor to live nine more years. Influenced by this, Longqing became obedient, cautious in his words and actions, avoiding trouble and settling down with Xu Jie and others. Furthermore, the Jiajing Emperor often had Wang Yan treat his health, allowing him to live a comfortable life to this day, having fathered several sons…

Wang Yan entered the palace and went to the West Garden, where he saw Chen Hong and his men waiting there.

"Oh my, isn't this Eunuch Chen? With the new emperor on the throne, you must be very busy. What brings you here?"

Chen Hong laughed and said, "I'm just waiting for you, Vice Minister Wang. The late emperor valued you highly, and the current emperor also trusts you. As the newly appointed Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, I naturally want to be closer to you. We haven't spoken for a long time, so I'm just waiting for you today so we can go see the emperor together."

"Eunuch Chen, you're too kind. We're not strangers at all. The sweet potato and potato project was all thanks to you, Eunuch Chen. The scholars who are doing research still remember you with gratitude."

"Haha, isn't this all your idea? I'm just following your orders."

"Hey, why are you cursing, Eunuch Chen? What do you mean by obeying my orders? It's because you, Eunuch Chen, care about the people and the Ming Dynasty and are willing to do your part."

"Vice Minister Wang speaks so pleasantly, it makes one feel comfortable. Let's talk as we walk, we dare not keep the master waiting, please..."

Behind the red walls, Wang Yan strolled in, hands behind his back, chatting casually with Chen Hong...

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