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

Chapter 1671 The Way to Break the Mold
Pang Qingyun rode atop a tall horse, his half-length hair meticulously combed back, his body swaying with the horse's gait, his sharp eyes scanning the surrounding crowd of onlookers pointing and whispering.

People are quick to accept new changes. There are no more masters like before, and there are not as many rules as before. At the same time, the new rulers are bound by the founding principles of the new dynasty. Although they have begun to enjoy wealth and honor, they have not yet begun to accept riding on the backs of others and taking pleasure in harming people.

More importantly, Wang Yan attached great importance to rectifying the prevailing atmosphere, and ideological construction was something he consistently practiced. At the same time, he showed no leniency towards so-called meritorious officials who had followed him into power, so-called military cliques, and so-called noble groups. Once he discovered any corrupt practices, he would take drastic measures.

He wouldn't do something like punishing someone without warning, but if someone still tries to cause trouble and create problems when rules have already been established, that's just courting death!

People are prone to taking advantage of others, and the common people, who have been shackled for too long, are no exception. Wang Yan opened a door, and they themselves tore it open and took it for granted.

It's like setting up a street stall. If one stall appears on a street today, does good business, and no one chases it away, then the next day two more stalls will appear, and if they do good business and no one chases them away, then the whole street will be full of them...

Therefore, the voices of the people are very loud in the capital now.

However, life has indeed improved considerably. After all, the capital is the most important city, so it naturally deserves to be more prosperous and beautiful, and a new dynasty should also have a new look. In addition, the large-scale construction itself is radiating and expanding outward from the capital, so the capital can now be described as a thriving city in all industries.

Because of the numerous construction projects and factories, which all required paid labor, the people had money in their pockets. As a result, all industries in the city prospered, and the taxes collected were substantial, which could then be invested in construction.

Most notably, in the past period, there have been no more muddy roads in Beijing after rain. The drainage system has been rebuilt, and the problem of water accumulation during heavy rains has been basically solved. Various dilapidated houses have been repaired, and some densely populated, dirty and disorderly areas have been demolished, with buildings being raised.

Expanding from a horizontal to a vertical orientation, we will utilize land more efficiently and transform Beijing into an even more magnificent and invincible metropolis.

Furthermore, due to the large-scale construction and development in the capital, which was already a hub for goods from all over the country, the city naturally had a greater throughput of various goods. Most importantly, if it weren't for Wang Yan's restrictions, grain prices would have been far lower than in other places; this was a result of supply exceeding demand.

At first, people frantically hoarded rice, driving up grain prices. But after a while, when prices dropped again, no one spent their money on grain anymore.

Originally, grain prices were supposed to drop further, but the government intervened and set a minimum price, which was even more expensive than grain elsewhere, since the people of the capital were wealthier.

With the current agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery productivity, it is impossible to feed the people. Therefore, we can only control the price of grain and other essential goods, as well as the price of labor.

At the same time, as the supply of goods gradually increases, the prices of various goods are constantly adjusted, making people's lives more comfortable and prosperous.

But even if things are like this now, it's still far better for the vast majority of people than before.

When people are living well, they have spirits, and with the new dynasty breaking the old rules, the people's spirit is quite like that of a great nation...

But Pang Qingyun didn't think that was a good idea.

He was a man accustomed to a life of poverty, having fought his way up from the bottom with swords and spears, all for the sake of making a name for himself. Although he was later promoted prematurely because he joined Wang Yan's faction, he still proved himself countless times before being promoted by Wang Yan.

At the same time, after being promoted, he proved himself worthy of his current position with one victory after another.

However, at this moment, the people were pointing and whispering at him so openly that he could hear them clearly, which made him feel that these people were disrespecting him. Even though some of the people knew about his achievements and even told those around them about them, he was certainly happy, but he didn't feel anything particularly special about it.

If I had to put it into words, it would be self-satisfaction.

He was not overly excited by the praise of the people, because he was not responsible to the people, but only to the source of his power.

This is something he learned from Lord Chen after he joined Wang Yan's service and was assigned to Lord Chen's office.

If he had understood this principle in his original destiny, he wouldn't have died. It was Lord Chen and others who lifted him up, but in the end, he became arrogant and left their ranks. He even foolishly asked Empress Dowager Cixi to exempt the taxes of Liangjiang, which was the source of their tax revenue, and he granted it.

He pleased neither side, yet naively believed that others wouldn't target him, and that reaching the position of Governor-General of Liangjiang would bring him prestige. Little did he know that the higher the level of political struggle, the simpler and more straightforward it often is…

But now that he's working under Wang Yan, his disregard for the common people means he's fallen behind, which will limit his path to advancement. Of course, if he can continue to pretend honestly, there won't be any problem.

They entered the city in style and arrived at the bestowed residence. They took a bath and washed up, changed into new clothes, ate some food, and waited patiently until evening.

A palace servant led him into the palace. In the afterglow of the setting sun, the palace servant, as if welcoming every newcomer to the palace, acted as a guide, leading him on a general tour of the palace, telling stories from ancient times to the present, about some of the palace's legends.

After this whirlwind tour, it was almost time, and Pang Qingyun followed the palace staff to the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

At this moment, a table of food and wine had already been prepared in the hall, and the person serving the food had just left, the timing was just right.

"Pang Qingyun pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

Upon entering, Pang Qingyun immediately performed a grand salute, demonstrating his loyalty!
Wang Yan walked over from behind the desk and sat down at the dining table: "Get up and sit down. It's a new dynasty now, and there are no grand ceremonies except for the celebrations."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Pang Qingyun sat down at the table, his buttocks only touching half of it, his legs in a horse stance, his back straight, sitting quite upright.

Wang Yan, holding the wine pot, poured him a drink with a smile: "You did a great job. The battle with that warship was satisfying, and you've come back after such a long journey. You deserve all the credit and hard work. I'll toast you."

"I dare not claim credit; it is all thanks to Your Majesty's trust and promotion, and Your Majesty's strategic planning is unparalleled."

Pang Qingyun humbly raised his wine cup and clinked it against Wang Yan's, then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

And so, Wang Yan and Pang Qingyun drank three cups in a row.

Wang Yan fully affirmed Pang Qingyun's contributions and praised him, using similar euphemistic language to what he had said to Shi Dakai. He said Pang Qingyun's achievements deserved a Duke of the highest rank, but due to various reasons, he could only be granted the title of County Marquis. The difference was indeed quite large, but Pang Qingyun was actually satisfied.

After all, he was just a lowly battalion commander who surrendered before. Back then, he was nothing, and he was burdened with the infamy of betraying his own men and showing no compassion for his subordinates. It was Wang Yan who did not judge heroes by success or failure, giving him the opportunity to demonstrate his talents, and then rewarding him for his merits, allowing him to grow quickly, which led to where he is today.

However, he wasn't an original shareholder of Huoshan. His achievements were indeed impressive, but only because he was in that position, not because his presence was essential. Therefore, while his achievements still appeared impressive, they couldn't overshadow others; being granted a marquisate would be considered quite good.

Everyone who is proud of their military achievements should not think about how awesome they are, but rather about the molten iron rolling in the factories billowing with thick smoke behind them, which are production lines for military achievements.

After all, looking at Wang Yan's conquest of the empire, he never fought a single brilliant battle. He simply relied on superior firepower—more guns and cannons—to steadily and methodically advance, eventually routing the Manchus. Eventually, it wasn't even a war anymore; the Manchu territories were practically welcoming the royal army. Before the army even arrived, they had already prepared themselves and were waiting…

Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, the titles of nobility in the new dynasty were extremely valuable. Even for the founding military elites, the conferment of titles was a very serious matter, carrying immense weight. Even honorary titles that could previously be bought with money were now exceptionally precious, and not just anyone could obtain them.

As the saying goes, scarcity increases value, so even if it was just a county magistrate position, Pang Qingyun was already quite satisfied. Moreover, he was still very young, and he knew that Wang Yan had a tough style, so he would have plenty of opportunities to prove himself in the future.

He was not disappointed, because his opportunity had come.

Wang Yan said, "You've been traveling along the coast, and you've heard about how our merchant ships have been plundered by pirates overseas, haven't you?"

"I've heard. Foreign warships are patrolling the ocean; it was them who did it." Pang Qingyun said through gritted teeth, his emotions rising. "Your Majesty, we must build warships as soon as possible, establish a navy, and march on their homeland to plunder their silver and sleep with their women..."

"You're spineless. You think you can just sleep with women after you've been beaten up?"

Wang Yan looked displeased, took a sip of wine and ate his food, "Just yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed a new treaty with the foreigners..."

After listening to Wang Yan's explanation of the treaty's contents, Pang Qingyun said, "It's still unfavorable to us, but it's much better than ceding territory and paying reparations in the past..."

His words were filled with a sense of helplessness, and he was speaking from the heart. He had led the two battles where he distinguished himself against the foreigners: one was the crushing defeat of 20,000 foreign troops in Hengyang, and the other was the sinking of a warship in Hong Kong. He held a significant psychological advantage over the foreigners, but he also knew that the current dynasty had many shortcomings.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "So we need to retaliate."

"Hasn't the treaty already been signed..."

Pang Qingyun said something that was very out of character for him, but it was understandable. Once a person becomes successful, they start to care about their reputation, they start to deny their true self, they start to embellish their past, and they start to act like a decent person.

"The treaty exists to be torn up. Pang Qingyun, be ruthless to yourself, and even more ruthless to others, especially the foreign devils. We cannot be soft on them at all. Signing the treaty will not prevent us from taking action at the same time."

Pang Qingyun then stood up quickly, bowed, and said, "Please give your orders, Your Majesty."

“Sit down. We’re all from humble backgrounds, why should we have so many rules?” After he sat down again, Wang Yan said, “Take a month off, rest well in the capital, and then discuss with the staff officers of the military how to manage the Southeast Asia.”

"Nanyang?"

"Our main problem is food shortage. We've heard that Southeast Asia is suitable for farming, with three harvests a year. You can harvest just by throwing in a handful of seeds. If we standardize our planting methods and send people to study the best varieties suitable for planting there, we can solve part of our food shortage. It's worth a shot."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly do my best and conquer the entire Southeast Asia!"

Wang Yan glanced at him and shook his head: "Nanyang has always been our vassal state, and its legal system is legitimate. What's the point of conquering it? You see, the foreigners only think about plundering our wealth and treasures, but they don't think about completely conquering us. We should learn from them in this regard. We should scare Nanyang and make the people of Nanyang make sacrifices for our people."

We should support the local forces to rule them; let them do what they're supposed to do, even if it means having a son without an anus. We're bringing them hope and civilization. If we actually conquer and rule them, they're so far away, can we really control them? We only want what's theirs.”

Pang Qingyun's eyes widened; Wang Yan's straightforward words gave him a new perspective.

Despite having already fought against foreigners, his vision hadn't extended to this area. In contrast, veteran officials like Lord Chen would never even consider conquering Southeast Asia. Because conquering it would only cause worry, nothing more…

Amid his shock, Wang Yan continued, "There's another reason as well. I've heard there's a Strait of Malacca there, a necessary passage for travelers..."

With Wang Yan's will in place, the empire began to operate efficiently.

Logistics supplies were dispatched to the south, and a suitable force was selected from among the many reorganized troops to fight in the south at this time. The supplies along the way were arranged, and a plan for conquering Southeast Asia was formulated based on the map.

At the same time, various professional talents should be prepared to accompany the army to carry out breeding, guide local people in farming, develop agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, find mineral veins, and also have civil officials go there to manage the influence of their representatives, etc.

After dealing with all these matters, Pang Qingyun rested in the capital for a while and participated in some factional activities before leaving the capital and heading south.

Just a few days later, the foreigners who received the news started making a fuss again. They strongly condemned Wang Yan for breaking the agreement, accused the empire of launching an unjust war, and clamored to see Wang Yan.

In reality, the two sides signed a normal trade treaty, which only addressed issues of ports and tariffs, but not the Southeast Asian region. Those landmasses are all connected; who could stop me if I attacked?

Their condemnations went unheeded, and seeing the king was a pipe dream; they couldn't stop the war from starting.

A few months later, Pang Qingyun led his vanguard into South Vietnam. However, the colonial movement that the foreigners had imagined did not materialize. Instead, he continued southward relentlessly, carving out a safe route across the peninsula and reaching the Strait of Malacca.
Artillery was deployed...

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　　(End of this chapter)