The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

The sixth day of the second month, 3:15 am.

Outside the Wenhua Hall, the night had not yet faded and a few sparse stars were still hanging in the sky.

The cold wind howled, and the fine snow fell in a rustling manner, piling up into a thin layer on the bluestone road. The copper bells on the eaves were jingled by the wind, and the sound echoed in the silent palace, adding a bit of chill.

The frost on the gilded algae well had not yet melted, and it glowed coldly in the dim light. The twelve red-lacquered dragon-carved doors of the hall were half open, and the draft carried the fine snow straight in, swirling on the lapis lazuli floor tiles. Thirty-six bronze crane lamps stood on both sides of the hall, and the flames swayed in the wind, illuminating the hall, but the dancing light and shadow could not dispel the chill in the air.

Yi Huawei sat upright on the Panlong throne, his black crown with twelve chapters hanging on the gold bricks. The nine-tassel jade ornaments swayed slightly with his movements, forming a blurry curtain in front of his eyes, covering the cold light in his eyes. On the imperial desk, the "Zhaowu New Deal Memorial" was spread out, the ink was not dry yet.

Following the eunuch's sharp call of "morning court", all the officials filed in. Their court boots made a neat and dull sound on the floor tiles. The ministers, dressed in official uniforms of various colors, lined up in order, with different expressions.

Ye Xianggao stepped out. After a few days, his figure became thinner and thinner, and his wide sleeves swayed with his movements.

"Your Majesty, do you know that 70% to 80% of the farmland in Zhejiang is in the hands of the gentry?"

Ye Xiang held up his ivory tablet, and his thick Shaoxing accent echoed in the hall: "If the Qingzhang order is implemented, there will be a civil uprising in Jiangnan!"

When he got excited, his saliva splashed on the face of Li Daiwen, the Minister of Revenue standing next to him.

Li Daiwen, the leader of the Zhejiang Party, stood still at this moment. His eyes drooped slightly, but the muscles under his eyelids twitched uncontrollably. His family owned 3,000 acres of hidden land in Huzhou. Once the land survey order was implemented, it would inevitably affect his interests.

"Master Prime Minister, be careful with your words!"

Huang Kezun, the Minister of Justice, suddenly stepped out. He was wearing a scarlet robe with the Xiezhi pattern on the patch rising and falling with his breathing. "The Great Ming Code states: 'Those who conceal 100 mu of land will be exiled.' Your Majesty is merciful and has granted a reduction in punishment for those who surrender themselves..."

"Kindness?" Ye Xianggao turned around abruptly, pointing his bony finger at the throne:

"How can the exemptions for the gentry set by our great grandfather be allowed to..."

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound of jade breaking suddenly rang out, interrupting Ye Xianggao's words. The mutton-fat jade paperweight that Yi Huawei had been playing with between his fingers had now broken into several pieces, and the broken jade splashed onto the altar. The guards beside him heard the sound and unconsciously pressed the hilt of the sword. The cloth armor made a slight sound, and the scabbard had already drawn out a three-inch cold light.

"Master Ye."

Looking at Ye Xianggao, Yi Huawei spoke calmly with an icy voice: "In the 39th year of Wanli, the Yellow River changed its course, and Kaifeng Prefecture surveyed and found 120,000 acres of hidden land - 30,000 acres of which were registered in the name of your son-in-law."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into deathly silence.

All the ministers held their breath and looked at Qian Shisheng, the Minister of Works. Qian Shisheng's face turned pale in an instant. In panic, his imperial crown suddenly tilted. He reached out to fix it, but his movements seemed extremely stiff.

At this time, Zhao Nanxing took a step forward and broke the suffocating silence: "Your Majesty is wise! The gentry have been hiding their land for a long time, which not only reduces the court's taxes, but also increases the burden on the people. The implementation of the new policy is indeed a move that benefits the country and the people."

After saying this, he looked up at the new emperor sitting on the dragon throne, was startled for a moment, and suddenly his eyes widened.

Isn't this... the young man who debated with me some time ago? ?

"Haha~"

Seeing Zhao Nanxing's astonished eyes, Yi Huawei nodded without comment, then waved his hand:

"My dear ministers, do you have any more memorials?"

In the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the candlelight on the gilded dragon pillar flickered. Yi Huawei sat on the nine-dragon gold-lacquered throne, and the nine-tassel jade algae on his twelve-chapter-patterned crown swayed slightly with his movements. His fingertips tapped unconsciously on the imperial desk, and the gilded armor collided with the red sandalwood, making a monotonous and rhythmic sound.

The morning court had been going on for half an hour, and the ministers were reporting on local affairs in turn.

At this moment, Yang Lian, the Imperial Secretary, suddenly stepped out of the line. His quail-patched robe was stained with wet snow. He walked forward step by step and went straight to the center of the hall. He reached into his bosom and pulled out a blood-stained memorial. His voice was loud and clear:
"Your Majesty, please understand! The annual quota of Yangzhou salt permits is 300,000, but the actual number of issued salt permits is 500,000. The extra 200,000 salt permits for tea tributes were all handled by the Salt Transport Commissioner's Office and eventually deposited in the private vault of Minister Li of the Ministry of Revenue in Tongzhou."

Yang Lian's voice was like a blunt knife scraping through bone: "The salt merchant's signed confession and the copy of the account book are here, Your Majesty, please take a look."

Yi Huawei's gilded armor stopped three inches above the rosewood table. He noticed a faint blood fingerprint on the memorial, right on the words "Li Daiwen's private seal". The Minister of Revenue under the red steps was wiping his forehead repeatedly with his sleeves, and the back of his brocade official uniform was already soaked.

As soon as this statement came out, the whole court was in an uproar.

Li Daiwen's face turned pale instantly, and beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead. He subconsciously glanced at the shadow of the palace pillar. The East Factory Admiral Qiu Chengyun was standing quietly in a python robe. The flying fish embroidered with gold thread on the python robe seemed to be grinning, exuding a chilling aura. Li Daiwen was horrified. This secret account had been locked in the secret cabinet of the Ministry of Revenue. How could it be...

"Li Qing."

Yi Huawei suddenly spoke up, his armor knocking against the table with a thumping sound: "What is buried under the blue bricks in the Tongzhou warehouse?"

Li Daiwen slammed his knees on the floor tiles, making a dull sound. His forehead pressed against the ground, and his official hat tilted to reveal his graying temples. "I deserve to die! But Wang Yongguang took advantage of the opportunity of being the Minister to privately carve the official seal. I did..."

"boom!"

Qiu Chengyun slammed the scabbard to the ground, making a loud noise. Then, the sound of iron chains being dragged could be heard from outside the hall.

Four Jinyiwei dragged two bloody men across the threshold, leaving a winding dark red trail in the middle of the imperial road. Duke of Ying, Zhang Weixian, stood on the left side of the Danbi with his sword in hand, and suddenly stepped heavily on the ground with his iron boots, shaking several civil servants all over.

"Look up." Yi Huawei's voice was soft.

When the chief salt merchant Zhou Ruchang was pulled up by his hair, his right eye had become a bloody hole. Three teeth were missing from his open mouth, and the remaining teeth were covered with cracks. When the Jinyiwei tore open his tattered silk shirt, revealing the criss-crossing iron marks on his chest and abdomen, suppressed retching sounds were heard from the Imperial Censorate.

"Minister Wang is quite tough,"

Qiu Chengyun suddenly sneered and poked the knee of another bloody man with his scabbard. Wang Yongguang, who was already in shock, twitched in pain, revealing his ten fingers with their nails pulled out - each fingertip was pierced with a steel needle as thin as an ox hair.

"The imperial prison's punishment of using a comb is as famous as it is said to be."

Yi Huawei suddenly threw the teacup at Li Daiwen, and the scalding hot tea splashed red marks on the Shangshu's face:

"Wang Yongguang confessed after being tortured for twelve hours. How long do you think he can last?"

"I deserve death for my crime!"

Li Daiwen's lips began to turn purple. He glanced at Ye Xianggao, only to find that the Prime Minister was staring at his sleeve - half of a secret letter was exposed there. It was the instruction to "destroy the account to save the position" written by Ye Xianggao three days ago.

Yi Huawei's mouth curled up into a cold smile: "Minister Li, there was a sudden interrogation in the prison last night. Minister Wang said that every tea tribute was approved by you."

Li Daiwen collapsed on the ground, his face ashen, unable to speak anymore.

At this moment, Ye Xianggao suddenly started coughing violently. He bent over, with his hands on his knees, and the old phlegm stuck in his throat, making a hissing sound like a bellows. He reached into his sleeve with a trembling hand and fumbled for the medicine bottle.

Seeing this, Yi Huawei raised his hand and said, "Please take a seat."

Two young eunuchs hurriedly brought a red sandalwood armchair. Just as Ye Xianggao was about to sit down, Yi Huawei's voice rang out again:
"The elder's phlegm disease is caused by stagnation of lung meridians. I recommend a good doctor - bring him here!"

The yellow silk curtain at the side of the hall was lifted, and an old man in plain clothes walked out slowly. When Ye Xianggao saw the old man's face, his pupils suddenly shrank. This was clearly the quack doctor he secretly kept in Tongzhou! Usually, this doctor treated him exclusively, and no one outside knew about it.

Yi Huawei picked up the Jun kiln teacup and took a sip. The mist blurred his eyebrows:
"Liu Sanzhi, tell me about Elder Ye's illness."

The doctor prostrated himself on the ground, speaking in a steady voice: "The elder has been coughing up blood at dawn every day, and needs to use Wu Shi San to calm his cough. This medicine is harmful to the body if taken for a long time..."

"That's enough!" Ye Xianggao stood up suddenly and overturned the medicine bottle. Porcelain pieces flew everywhere, cutting his palm. Blood dripped down. He glared at Yi Huawei: "Your Majesty, are you going to force me to death?"

Yi Huawei put down the teacup and stood up. The cold wind blew snowflakes in from the palace gate, and the nine-tassel jade ornaments clashed with each other. He walked down the steps slowly, and his twelve-chapter patterned crown cloak shone coldly under the light.

"In the seventeenth year of the Wanli reign,"

Yi Huawei spoke slowly, his voice low and clear: "The second son of Ye Gelao seized 700 acres of farmland and forced six farmers to death."

A roll of confidential documents was thrown heavily in front of Ye Xianggao, and the paper slid half a foot on the blue brick floor.

Ye Xianggao's body was shaking violently, his skinny fingers tightly gripping the armrest of the armchair. He opened his mouth, but only a few muddy sounds came out. The cabinet ministers standing behind him took a half step back, their eyes dodging.

"In the 13th year of the Wanli reign,"

Yi Huawei paused, then reached out and picked up the second secret file: "Li Shangshu embezzled 50,000 taels of Jizhou military pay to build a separate residence."

The secret file was thrown out again and hit Li Daiwen's curled knees. Li Daiwen sat on the ground, his forehead against the blue brick, his shoulders twitching constantly.

"In the 22nd year of the Wanli reign, Minister Qian accepted 300 mink skins from Shanxi merchants and issued salt permits privately..."

With every word Yi Huawei said, secret files fell in front of the corresponding officials. The civil and military officials in the court dared not make a sound, and the only sound in the hall was the muffled sound of papers falling to the ground.

When talking about "Minister Wang buying and selling official titles and ranks with the White Lotus Sect", Wang Yongguang, who was lying on the ground, suddenly jumped up.

"Dark Lord!"

With a loud shout, he pushed the ground with his left foot, drew a short blade from his sleeve with his right hand, and threw himself towards the throne in a bow shape.

"Escort!"

Duke of England Zhang Weixian shouted loudly and drew his sword. A cold light flashed, and the sword went straight to Wang Yongguang's back.

Almost at the same time, Yi Huawei waved his sleeves. Three tea needles shot out from his sleeves and pierced Wang Yongguang's right wrist, left knee and throat respectively. Wang Yongguang's body froze in the air, and the short blade fell to the ground with a clang. The next second, he fell into the charcoal basin beside him as if his bones and muscles were pulled out, and sparks flew everywhere.

The smell of burning quickly spread. Several young officials turned their heads away, and some raised their hands to cover their mouths and noses. Ye Xianggao stared at the twitching figure in the charcoal basin, his Adam's apple rolling up and down, and his face was pale.

"Drag it out."

Yi Huawei looked down at the sparks on his cuffs and gently brushed them off with his fingertips.

"Yang Lian."

"Chen is here!"

Yang Lian took a half step forward, straightened his back, and clasped his hands together.

"I have ordered you to survey the land and grant the imperial sword to those below the third rank to be executed first and report to the emperor later."

Yi Huawei gestured with his hand, and the eunuch stepped forward holding the imperial sword. The copper rings on the scabbard collided, making a crackling sound.

Yang Lian knelt on one knee and took the imperial sword with both hands: "I obey your order!"

"British Duke."

Yi Huawei turned to Zhang Weixian.

"The old minister is here!"

Zhang Weixian stood up with the sword in hand, his white hair swaying slightly as he moved.
"Lead the Shenji Battalion to Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Anyone who obstructs the land reclamation—"

Yi Huawei put his right hand on his chest and said coldly: "Kill."

When the word "kill" came out, nine bells suddenly rang outside the palace. The morning light penetrated the clouds and shone on the sword of Taizu behind the throne. The Beidou jade pendant hanging from the sword tassel glowed dark red in the sunlight, like a solidified blood bead.

Ye Xianggao sat slumped in his armchair, watching Yang Lian retreat with his sword in hand. His fingers unconsciously stroked the armrests, his eyes empty. Other officials were whispering to each other, some with terrified expressions, others in deep thought.

The entire hall was filled with a tense and depressing atmosphere, with only the occasional explosion from the charcoal basin breaking the suffocating silence.

"Retreat."

As Yi Huawei finished speaking, the nine-tassel jade ornaments on the Twelve-Chapter Patterned Crown swayed slightly. In the shadow of the falling beads, a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth, and then disappeared in the swaying of the crown tassels in an instant.

.........

At noon, the snow finally stopped.

Yang Lian walked out of Fengtian Gate holding the Imperial Sword. Seventy-two blue-robed scholars were already waiting at the bottom of the steps. The leading scholar stepped forward and handed over a scroll of maps with both hands: "Brother Yang, the secret registers of farmland in the 108 counties in Jiangnan have been drawn by our senior brothers."

Yang Lian took the map and felt a brown spot on the corner. He did not ask where the spot came from, but carefully put the map away. Ten years ago, they still remembered the scene of discussing state governance all night in Huashan Academy. At that time, they were all full of passion and eager to realize their ambitions one day.

“I’ll need your help on this trip south.” Yang Lian clasped his fists and saluted.

"Just follow Brother Yang's orders!"

Everyone responded in unison.

Watching the group of scholars leave, Yang Lian clenched the Shangfang sword in his hand. He knew that the road ahead would not be smooth, but as long as he could complete the mission of measuring the land, everything would be worth it.

On the palace wall, Yi Huawei stood with his hands behind his back, watching Yang Lian's motorcade go farther and farther away.

Qiu Chengyun appeared quietly behind him and asked, "Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that Yang Lian will become too powerful?"

Yi Huawei turned around and glanced at the streets of the capital outside the palace wall: "Becoming powerful? The "Equal Land Distribution Strategy" in his sleeve was written by me ten years ago."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Qiu Chengyun bowed his head and said respectfully.

Yi Huawei stretched out his hand to catch a falling snowflake, watching it melt in his palm: "Anyone who has made contributions to the land reclamation will be granted the status of a Jinshi - this is the real killer."

An imperial edict tied the future of countless poor scholars to the land survey. Even if the local tyrants wanted to stop it, they would first ask whether these scholars who were eager to change their fate agreed.

The corners of Yi Huawei's mouth rose again, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

"Pass the order down, and ask the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the imperial examination."

Yi Huawei turned and walked towards the palace: "Let everyone in the world know that if you follow me, you will have a bright future."

Qiu Chengyun bowed and accepted the order, then left quickly. Yi Huawei stood in the shadow of the palace wall, watching the sun gradually sinking in the distance. He had already laid out this chess game for many years.

(End of this chapter)