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

Chapter 1653 Do you understand or not?

"The water used for brewing tea is the most important thing. I've heard that those who are particular about it use the freshest water that's brought in from far away..."

In the training grounds, over 1,800 newly recruited soldiers and those undergoing promotion training were undergoing exercises. After the training, these recruits would leave with the officers who were being promoted and disperse to various locations.

These people were gathered in Huoshan, and everyone had firearms. They seemed numerous, but they were not conspicuous when dispersed...

Wang Yan sat in a chair, watching the people on the training ground undergo various military exercises. Beside him were Liao Jingfeng, who was tending to the stove to boil water and make tea, chatting away, and Liao Xuan, who was helping out.

Seeing Wang Yan smiling but not replying, Liao Xuan secretly tugged at her father's sleeve: "Dad, please stop talking, it seems like Grandpa doesn't like to hear it."

Before Liao Jingfeng could say anything, Wang Yan said with a smile, "Old Liao hasn't finished speaking yet, how am I supposed to respond?"

"Oh dear, that's my fault. People tend to go on and on as they get older. It's been quite a journey for my daughter and me to survive and reach Huoshan. You are a living bodhisattva who saves us from suffering. With you by my side, I can't help but want to talk more."

"Old Liao, you're quite the talker, and your words are quite witty," Wang Yan laughed. "But if the tea isn't good, nothing I say will make a difference."

"Don't worry, it's because I, Lao Liao, am good at making tea that I've been able to live such a peaceful life for so many years and raise my daughter to this age. If it weren't for the Taiping Rebellion, we would actually be living a pretty good life."

"Grandpa, don't listen to my dad's nonsense. He lost money gambling and was even going to pawn the pot. We're barely scraping by."

"Hey, how can you expose your own father's shortcomings like that?"

"I can't let you fool me. You just said I'm a living bodhisattva who saves people from suffering."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Xiao Liao is right, Lao Liao. You see, your own daughter is the most considerate and thoughtful of you. I'm just afraid you'll make too many promises and end up not enjoying the tea."

"The little girl doesn't recognize the true god. How could she know that you, sir, are a living bodhisattva who doesn't care at all whether it tastes good or not?"

"Then tell me, what do I care about?"

"The old man has the country and the world in his heart, and he wants us poor people to live like human beings."

"Do you feel like a human being now?"

"It's not just similar, it's practically human!"

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "Human strength has its limits."

"A large population means no poverty. I hear that many of these people are from Sichuan, and there are also many people speaking with the Guanzhong accent. Grandpa is doing well now. This is almost half of China. If we build more muskets and cannons, unify China, and drive the foreigners out, then Grandpa will be long live, long live, long live."

"You can still recognize the dialects from Sichuan and Guanzhong?"

"Huizhou is a famous tea-producing area, and the tea merchants' association is located there. Every year, merchants from other places flock here to discuss business, and I can hear some of the local dialects."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile, without saying anything.

At this time, Guanzhong and Bashu were indeed among the most stable regions, at least in general, and there were no large-scale rebellions within their borders. But in reality, Guanzhong had swordsmen and mountain bandits, and Bashu also had foreigners and other bandits.

But to say that things are much better here is an understatement. After all, with the war raging in the south, taxes couldn't be collected, and the Liangjiang region was a major tax-producing area. Without taxes from here, the revenue would naturally have to be transferred elsewhere. In times like these, no one is better off; no one can escape the vortex of war.

It's clear that Wang Yan is eyeing the western frontier; he's already been infiltrating the Guanzhong and Bashu regions for some time now. He's recruiting locals from these areas while also sending people from other places to organize and lead operations there.

He has now gained considerable influence, his personnel are multiplying, and he is constantly encroaching on local power. Even though his manpower is growing rapidly, he is still maintaining stability, so who can say anything? The Qing court's control over local areas is weakening significantly, while the power of Han Chinese officials is increasing dramatically, and the central government's control over local areas is also weakening.

The forces represented by Wang Yan, including Huoshan and Shunfeng Escort Agency, are destabilizing factors, but they are only factors. After all, they haven't rebelled yet, and they're even bribing officials at various levels. Everyone is cooperating quite well...

"Don't you want to go back to your hometown in Huizhou?"

Old Liao shook his head: "My daughter and I depend on each other for survival. Wherever we are, that's home. To be honest, sir, I've heard many people say they want to return to their roots, but tell me, if you could return home, why would you need to leave? Even if you could go back, who would dare to?"

I heard from those who came in that the Heavenly Kingdom and the Imperial Court are both on the same side. Today, this place belongs to the Heavenly Kingdom. They'll find all the Manchu bannermen, officials, and wealthy families here and kill them all, then assign people to do their jobs. Tomorrow, when this place is conquered by the Imperial Court, they'll drag out another batch of people who worked for the Heavenly Kingdom and kill them. Some will even be massacred to prevent the Heavenly Kingdom from increasing its military strength and to avoid wasting food.

At a time like this, where is home anymore? Is home still home? Sir, you are an important person, when do you think this war will end?

“Great men are not gods and cannot know everything. However, since the Heavenly Kingdom has been established and its capital has been set up, it will take at least ten or eight years to determine the winner.”

"I heard someone say that there is a master who gives five loaves of bread and two fish to those who attend his lectures. Tens of thousands of people eat together, and after they finish eating, they keep popping up. They can never finish eating! Sir, do you think this is true?"

"Could it be true?"

Before Wang Yan could speak, Liao Xuan pouted and said, "Grandpa, they're all senile. If that thing is really that powerful, why doesn't the Heavenly Kingdom unify the world? Anyway, no matter who's good or bad, the surviving people will always have a good life after unifying the world. Only they would believe that. Alright, Dad, stop talking now. The water's boiled, hurry up and make some tea."

Old Liao snorted irritably, sighed that a son is no longer under his father's control, and then began to make tea for Wang Yan.

Under the anxious and expectant gazes of her father and daughter, Wang Yan drank the tea, savoring it as it swished around in her mouth.

"A rich orchid fragrance, mellow taste, and endless aftertaste." He nodded in satisfaction, sipping his tea. "After drinking tea for several years, I consider myself a connoisseur. Compared to the original Guapian tea, this one definitely has a better flavor. Perhaps you could study it further and improve the tea-frying process."

"You think too highly of me. It's just that this pot has been around for a long time and has absorbed some of the flavor. My tea-frying skills have been passed down from generation to generation. As for asking me to improve the process, I don't have that kind of ability."

"In the past, tea leaves were simply sun-dried. It wasn't until after the Song Dynasty that large-scale tea frying began. Old Liao, you're an expert. There's a proper way to sun-dry tea, isn't there? The experience here has been passed down from generation to generation. Just try to add some other things to recreate the flavor of your iron wok. It's all about experimenting."

Wang Yan waved his hand, "Alright, Lao Liao, you can think about these things when you have nothing to do. I'll have someone arrange a manager position for you later, to oversee the tea business. As for Miss Liao, I need someone to serve you tea and water, so you can stay with me. You can also learn to read and write in your spare time. You're so eloquent; you might be able to do something great in the future. Here, women can do things too."

“We know, thank you, sir,” Liao Qi said, “but…”

"Don't refuse or say you're not up to the task. I've always believed that anyone can be emperor, given the opportunity and with a sound mind. Look at my subordinates; many of them couldn't even write their own names before, but aren't they doing a great job now?"

"Don't worry about it. Given the current situation, the tea is already in a bad state; how much more can we lose? On the contrary, if you achieve something during this time that improves the tea, you'll be able to command a higher price later. As for Miss Liao, I know your concerns, Old Liao. Even if I wanted her to be my wife, she'd have to agree, right? Do you think I'm unreasonable?" "My father is just overthinking things, sir, please don't take it to heart," Liao Xuan quickly reassured him.

Are you and your daughter literate?

"I've learned some things recently..."

“You still need to learn. You don’t need to do anything else. Focus on learning to read and write. Only in this way can you do more things. The same goes for Lao Liao. Only by learning to read and write can you systematically memorize the tea-making skills and pass them on.”

……

Outside, war raged fiercely. Meanwhile, Huoshan was undergoing massive construction, a veritable construction boom. Huoshan had lost its beauty, so progress was inevitable. Although at that time, apart from the powerful, no one cared about the environment or landscape, Huoshan precisely abandoned these things to pave the way for industrial development.

The lower reaches of the Pihe River, which flows through Huoshan, are filled with wastewater discharges from steel and chemical industries. The environmental damage caused by the rampant industrial development is enormous, and the already murky river water becomes even more polluted at this time...

The air in Huoshan itself is no longer fresh. Due to limited treatment capabilities, various substandard gases are emitted, creating a smell that is often described as "advanced."

The good news is that Wang Yan, the chieftain, also breathes the same air as the common people...

“I remember just over a year ago, this place was a beautiful, idyllic paradise. How come it has changed so much in just over a year… Last time I came, I didn’t really notice anything, except that there were more refugees and the county was a bit more chaotic. I never imagined that now even breathing is difficult.”

Wang Yan took a deep breath: "If you went to those foreign countries, I think the smell wouldn't be any worse. Everyone says foreigners are advanced, and they even defeated the Qing Dynasty without any chance of fighting back. Do you still find it unpleasant to smell now?"

Slapping away Wang Yan's hand that was lifting her chin, Su Zixuan said, "It doesn't smell bad at all, it smells wonderful!"

Wang Yan casually pulled Su Zixuan down to sit, but before he could speak, a young girl walked in carrying tea. Seeing Wang Yan and Su Zixuan's intimacy, she gasped and turned to run away, nearly knocking over the teacup. Who else could it be but Liao Xuan?

It was Wang Yan who spoke up in time, calming Liao Xuan down and preventing the two Yongle-era covered bowls from shattering on the ground.

Seeing Liao Xuan place the covered bowl on the table with lingering fear, Su Zixuan hugged Wang Yan's neck and giggled, "Is this your little wife?"

"How wonderful."

"You filthy man, where do you place me?"

"Pretentious." Wang Yan pinched Su Zixuan's butt, then looked at Liao Xuan, whose face was flushed red. "Go on with your work, I need to teach her a lesson."

Amidst Su Zixuan's lewd laughter, Liao Xuan hurriedly ran out, and sensibly closed the door behind her...

Ambitious people often suppress their true nature and control their emotions. Over time, their emotions become empty, and their true nature is distorted, leading to certain psychological problems. These problems are not usually noticeable, but when they feel safe and relaxed, they begin to indulge themselves.

Su Zixuan was like that. Before they had a deep conversation, her teasing of Wang Yan might have been a test or a playful flirtation. But after they really talked, it was a release. The contrast was quite great. She was flirtatious but not unrestrained.

All in all, very smooth.

"Then what am I?" After their lovemaking, Su Zixuan asked a question that was not in line with her status.

"With such a vast palace and six courtyards, there's still no place for you?"

"You really want to be the emperor?"

"Even if I don't become emperor, as long as I have territory, who can control me?"

“You’re right.” Su Zixuan was speechless. “You’ve been making a lot of moves lately.”

"Tell me what action to take."

Su Zixuan gently patted the restless Wang Yan: "Are you testing me? You've sold a thousand guns to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Manchus in the past two months, and you've kept at least two thousand for yourself. Also, after the war with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom last year, you sent your brother Zhao Erhu to Sichuan, and he's caused quite a stir there. Isn't that enough?"

Wang Yan shook his head and sighed softly, "I've already told the second brother to keep a low profile and make a fortune quietly."

"What you mean by 'silently' is that they gathered more than two thousand people, each armed with firearms, and wiped out the largest band of mountain bandits over there. They then brazenly entered Chengdu and dragged out and killed all the officials and powerful families behind those bandits. You probably don't know how furious the emperor was."

“You got the order wrong. They first looted the city, then went out of the city and ran to that group of bandits.”

"so what?"

"So it was the bandits who did it, not us. I am a first-rank general, the commander of the Anhui Army, an official appointed by the imperial court. It's impossible for me to do such a thing, don't you know that?"

"And what did the people in Hunan and Hubei say? You provided information to the Heavenly Kingdom and betrayed the Hunan Army. Lord Jiang was so angry that he couldn't get out of bed for half a month and said he wanted to kill you."

"He suffered a defeat on the battlefield and then tried to pin the blame on me. That son of a bitch, and he's supposed to be a Grand Councilor..."

Seeing Wang Yan's cynical and rebellious look, which even a dog would shake its head at, Su Zixuan was speechless: "I work for the Heavenly Kingdom, and I'm right next to the Heavenly King. Although there's no evidence, you did betray the Xiang Army, causing them heavy losses. And you're still pretending with me? Saying you don't care about fame, but when you do things, you leave no trace whatsoever."

"Maintaining caution and striving for perfection while preparing for the worst is the foundation of doing things, and it also helps to train the abilities of your subordinates. Obviously, things in Hunan and Hubei were handled well. But I was disappointed with the second son. He lacks creativity and simply and directly replicates my way of doing things without adapting his strategies to the local situation. But it doesn't matter. The emperor is just angry. What else can he do?"

"What about Hunan and Hubei? As far as I know, your cooperation with Lord Jiang has always been quite good."

"Because they've been doing quite well lately and haven't been very respectful to Shunfeng Escort Agency, I can only make Lord Jiang and the others realize their own shortcomings."

As they spoke, Wang Yan rummaged through the blue-and-white porcelain jar on the ground and found a letter signed 'Jiang'. He handed it to Su Zixuan and said, "I didn't know that Lord Jiang wanted to kill me. In the letter, he spoke very sincerely and earnestly, regarding me as the only hero he had ever met."

After reading the letter, Su Zixuan was speechless, unsure of what to say. The depravity of these important figures kept pushing her boundaries.

"As the saying goes, a smile can dispel old grudges, and a laugh can erase all enmity. Lord Jiang is a wise man..."

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