196: Chapter 196 Wu Dynasty's New Policies

And this iron rule, like a potent shot of adrenaline, was injected into the hearts of scholars across the land who had become stagnant and silent under the monopoly of the old aristocratic families!

Their long-extinguished hope and enthusiasm were reignited at this moment, bursting forth with unprecedented, dazzling brilliance.

For a time, teahouses, taverns, and every street corner were buzzing with discussions about this unprecedented grand awarding ceremony.

Countless scholars from humble backgrounds were moved to tears. They seemed to see a brand new, fair, and infinitely hopeful Golden Age slowly opening its doors to them—as long as one was willing to work hard and possessed talent, one could rise above the rest, bring honor to one's family, and realize one's life ambitions!

That grand and solemn coronation ceremony, along with the awarding ceremony that shook the entire world, struck like two brilliant thunderclaps, exploding in everyone's hearts!

It not only announced the birth of a brand new Wu Dynasty, full of infinite hope and possibility, but also established an unshakable, sacred belief in everyone's hearts—

Their new Emperor, Martial God Gao Feng, was a true, wise ruler of great talent and vision, one who recruited talent without being bound by convention!

However, just as everyone was immersed in the immense joy of the dynastic change and infinite longing for a beautiful future,

Gao Feng, the young monarch who had just ascended to the Peak of power, did not choose to put away his weapons, release his horses to the mountains, rest with the people, and enjoy the hard-won peaceful and prosperous times like the founding emperors of history.

He launched an unprecedented, sweeping, and terrifying reform across the territory of the Wu Dynasty, with a near-manic, swift, and decisive attitude, that was enough to overturn the entire era!

He wanted to completely shatter this old world, which was already rotten, riddled with holes, and deeply entrenched, in the most thorough and resolute way!

Then, using his own will, he would create a brand new, vibrant, and ideal new world!

He named this great reform, destined to be recorded in history, the “Wu Dynasty New Policy”!

The first article of the New Policy, like a peerless divine weapon quenched in cold ice and possessing unparalleled sharpness, whistled through the air as it struck mercilessly at the core, fundamental interests of the old aristocratic families and local tyrants who had been entrenched locally, sucking the lifeblood of the people like bone-deep gangrene for centuries!

“Spread the poll tax into the land tax; officials and gentry must pay taxes; never increase levies!”

These short twelve characters, spread through the nationwide gazette System, reached every corner of the world at the fastest speed.

The terrifying energy contained within was enough to make any scholar-official immersed in the privileges of the old era tremble with fear and turn pale!

This was not just a tax reform; it was clearly a declaration of a bloodless war against the entire privileged class!

It meant that the privileged class, who once could rely on their fame and status to peaceably exempt themselves from all taxes and cleverly shift the heavy burdens they should have borne onto the landless or land-poor impoverished people, would cease to exist from this day forward!

Whether it was the newly ennobled princes and nobles with great power, or the peddlers and laborers working hard in the fields, as long as you owned an inch of land under your name, you had to pay the due taxes to the state based on the acreage of the land!

Everyone is equal! No exceptions!

Once this order was issued, the world was in an uproar!

Those old aristocratic families and local tyrants, who had just managed to save their lives in the bloody transition of dynasties by playing both sides, instantly exploded in outrage!

They could hardly believe their eyes, repeatedly reading the gazette stamped with the bright red imperial seal, as if trying to find proof that this was a joke in the lines of text.

They could not accept that their innate, sacred, and inviolable privileges, inherited for hundreds of years, had been ruthlessly stripped away by this young new Emperor in such a crude and uncompromising manner!

This was more painful and humiliating than cutting a piece of flesh from them, or even killing them!

“Mad! This yellow-mouthed child is simply mad!”

“This act is no different from digging up our Foundation and cutting off our Legacy! We will not stand with him!”

Angry roars and vicious curses resounded deep within countless mansions with carved beams and painted rafters, heavily guarded.

They began to secretly connect, using intricate networks of marriage, fellow townsmen, and teacher-student relationships to quickly form mutual defense alliances.

They began to incite public opinion, having the scholars under their wings write heartbreaking articles, accusing the new Emperor of violating the ancient teaching of “sharing the world with the scholar-officials,” calling it “competing with the people for profit,” and the beginning of “tyranny.”

They used their deep-rooted and massive influence in the local areas to openly resist the implementation of the New Policy, and even secretly organized local militias and servants to obstruct and beat the tax officials sent by the imperial court to measure land and verify tax amounts, under the guise of “defending against bandits.”

However, they soon despaired to discover that what they were facing this time was not the weak and incompetent Great Qian Dynasty court, which they could manipulate at will and negotiate with through public pressure and court games.

But a brand new, iron-blooded, highly centralized military Empire that possessed terrifying executive power with absolute force as its backing!

Gao Feng had long anticipated the enormous resistance the New Policy would encounter. He hadn't even brought this policy to the court for discussion because he knew it would only devolve into an endless, hypocritical, and compromising debate, ultimately wasting precious time.

For these deeply entrenched interest groups, any verbal persuasion was pale and powerless; only absolute power could make them face reality.

He did not have the slightest hesitation, and directly dispatched the most elite and terrifying special agency under his command—the “New Policy Inspection Team,” composed of “Tianwang” secret agents and elites from the Panshi Army military police.

Every member of these inspection teams held fanatical loyalty to Martial God Gao Feng. They were granted privileges that transcended the local administrative System and descended upon the areas with the fiercest resistance and most stubborn opposition with the force of a thunderbolt!

Jiangnan, a land of prosperity and wealth since ancient times, was also the region where the influence of the old aristocratic families was most deeply rooted.

The Chen family of Suzhou was the leader of the Jiangnan scholar circle, with a Legacy spanning five hundred years, and their students and former subordinates were spread across every prefecture in Jiangnan.

At this moment, in the elegant hall of the Chen family mansion named “Tingyu Pavilion,” the atmosphere was as heavy as the silence before a storm.

The head of the family, Chen Wanshan, an old man over seventy with white hair and beard, known for his high virtue in the Jiangnan scholar circle, was forcefully slamming his celadon teacup onto the floor, emitting a crisp shattering sound.

He scanned the dozen or so most influential gentry and local tyrants from various parts of Jiangnan present, his voice trembling slightly with anger: “The Martial God's move, named the New Policy, is actually an act of enmity against us Jiangnan scholars, intending to uproot our centuries-old Foundation! We must not sit and wait for death, or stretch our necks to be slaughtered!”

His words were full of incitement and immediately drew a chorus of agreement.

“Master Chen is absolutely right! We scholars, after ten years of cold study, finally obtained our titles and enjoying some preferential treatment from the imperial court is only natural. Now, to have to pay taxes together with those mud-covered lowly people, where is our dignity? How can we bear this!” a newly promoted scholar said with heartbreak.

“Tomorrow, I will mobilize all the shops in the city that have business dealings with my Wang family to go on strike together! Then I will organize the tenant farmers to go to the prefectural government office to cry and complain, saying that the New Policy has made us unable to continue, and we can only dismiss the tenant farmers. I don't believe that a mere young boy would dare to risk the condemnation of the world and make an enemy of the millions of scholars in Jiangnan!” a wealthy merchant said viciously.

Chen Wanshan nodded with satisfaction, a glimmer of craftiness flashing in his eyes, and was about to continue arranging the next step of action.

However, before his voice had faded, the vermilion gate of the mansion, made of a single piece of Phoebe zhennan wood and weighing thousands of catties, was smashed open by an incomparable force!

In the horrified gaze of all the Chen family guards, hundreds of “Tianwang” secret agents, dressed in mysterious black tight-fitting combat gear, wearing cold and ferocious bronze masks, and wearing standard sabers at their waists, moved like ghosts emerging from Hell, silently crossing the collapsed gate and instantly surrounding the entire conference hall in a precise and efficient tactical formation.

The thick Killing Intent and cold aura emanating from them instantly dropped the warm air in the hall to the freezing point.

The leading inspection team officer, as burly as an iron tower, held no saber but instead held a black scroll with gold trim. He stepped into the hall step by step, each step seemingly treading on the hearts of all the gentry present.

He ignored the angry and shocked questioning of Chen Wanshan and the others, directly unfolded the scroll, and read out in a cold, metallic voice devoid of any human emotion:

“Jiangnan, the Suzhou Chen clan, as a model of the scholar circle, does not think of sharing the worries of the country, but instead colludes with local officials, openly resists taxes, and incites riots, intending to rebel! By the Emperor's holy decree: Execute the whole family, confiscate the property, to serve as a warning to others!”

“Central Plains, the Xingyang Wang clan, acting in compliance but secretly opposing, privately hoarding weapons and armor, secretly connecting with local tyrants, intending to act unlawfully! By the Emperor's holy decree: Exterminate their three clans, to correct the national law!”

“...”

The cold sentence, like the Grim Reaper's sickle, was swung simultaneously across the country. The heads of the aristocratic families and local tyrants who had once been domineering and arrogant were hung high on the most prominent city walls of each prefecture.

The bright red blood flowed down the mottled wall bricks, solidifying into dark black traces under the sunlight, as if announcing to the entire world the complete end of an old era.

Gao Feng used this most bloody and direct method to demonstrate to the entire world his unquestionable, iron-clad determination to push forward his new policies!

Under the terrifying deterrence of the butcher's knife and blood, those old forces that were originally restless and harboring lucky chances finally woke up from their dream of privilege and recognized the reality.

They discovered in terror that the will of this new Emperor could not be defied; they retracted their fangs and arrogance, choosing the most humiliating yet wisest path—compromise.

And just as this bloody suppression was in full swing, Gao Feng also began his thorough reshaping of the entire national power structure.

He abolished the previous Dynasty's Cabinet System, which had long existed in name only, was inefficient, and prone to breeding factions, and established a brand-new, more efficient, and more centralized Three Departments and Six Ministries System!

The Secretariat was responsible for decision-making and drafting imperial edicts; the Chancellery was responsible for deliberation and returning memorials; the Department of State Affairs was responsible for execution and commanding the Six Ministries!

The three departments cooperated and checked each other, subdividing ministerial power to institutionally prevent the birth of powerful officials, while the final power of decision-making remained firmly in the hands of him, the Emperor!

The Six Ministries under the Department of State Affairs—Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Works—were like six powerful arms of him, the Emperor, conveying his will precisely and efficiently to every corner of this vast Empire!

To inject a continuous stream of fresh blood into this brand-new power structure, Gao Feng completely broke the "Filial Piety and Integrity Recommendation" and the "Nine-Rank System" that had been monopolized by the old aristocratic clans for centuries, and vigorously promoted the "Panshi University" model, which had already achieved great success in the Northern Territory, throughout the entire country!

He ordered that in every province, every prefecture, and even every county of the Wu Dynasty, corresponding public schools funded entirely by the imperial court with all tuition fees waived must be established!

Regardless of whether you are a descendant of royalty and nobility or the son of a common peddler, as long as you have talent and are willing to work hard, you have the opportunity to enter "Panshi University," representing the highest institution of learning in the Wu Dynasty, for advanced studies through the layered, absolutely fair and just imperial examination!

In the university, they learn not only classical texts and essays, but also mathematics, the investigation of things, law, military strategy, engineering, and other practical subjects. Ultimately, through strict graduation assessments, they become the pillars of this newborn Dynasty!

This move was tantamount to pulling the firewood from under the cauldron, completely severing the most fundamental Foundation upon which those old aristocratic clans relied for survival and their Legacy!

They could no longer monopolize the ladder to the Peak of power by monopolizing the right to interpret and disseminate knowledge!

A brand-new Golden Age, full of infinite vitality and possibilities, one that truly belonged to the commoners of the world, finally descended with a roar under the iron fist of Gao Feng!

And those who stood out from hundreds of thousands of candidates in the first "Wu Dynasty Imperial Examination," such as the top scholar Zhang Bo, the runner-up Zhu Zhengyu, and the third-place winner Yao Ping'an, were promoted by Gao Feng to important positions, becoming his most capable vanguard generals in pushing forward the new policies!

These young people, full of ideals and aspirations, carrying the supreme trust of His Majesty the Emperor and the burning passion capable of changing the world, were cast like a single spark into every corner of this vast Empire.

They engaged in thrilling, smoke-less, yet equally life-or-death political games with those old forces that were still secretly resisting the new policies!

In Jiangnan, within the Suzhou Prefectural Office, the newly appointed Prefect, the twenty-two-year-old top scholar Zhang Bo, was currently facing the greatest challenge since taking office; his office was tightly surrounded by a group of local gentry.

An elderly local gentleman, who appeared virtuous and respected with white hair and beard, said to the young Prefect sitting in the main seat, his face thin but his gaze sharp, with great distress: "Lord Zhang! You are also a scholar by background; you must deeply understand the bitterness of ten years of hard study. We gentry educate the region for the imperial court and maintain the local community, enjoying slight preferential treatment; this has been the rule for generations. Now, with His Majesty's new policies, requiring us to pay grain taxes alongside those illiterate peasants... this... this is not only making us lose face, but it is also chilling the hearts of scholars across the world! What you are doing is cutting off the livelihood of all the gentry in Jiangnan!"

Another gentleman, dressed in luxurious silk with a bloated figure and looking like a wealthy merchant, hurriedly chimed in, his face full of fawning smiles: "Lord Zhang, although His Majesty has ordered that officials and gentry must pay grain taxes together, there must be room for flexibility in all things, right? We also know the court is in difficulty, and we are willing... willing to donate half of our family assets as military funds to repay the holy grace! We only ask Lord Zhang to raise your hand and be a little accommodating regarding the taxes on the land under our names. Don't worry, heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know; it will never bring any trouble to you."

Zhang Bo listened quietly, looking at these old foxes before him who appeared "sincere" but whose eyes were filled with greed, calculation, and threats. On his face, which was slightly pale from long-term hard study, a cold sneer slowly appeared.

"Accommodating?" Zhang Bo sneered. His voice was not loud, but it clearly spread throughout the entire hall. He suddenly slammed the gavel, letting out an angry shout filled with endless majesty!

"Old Master Wang! Are you instructing this official on how to deceive the Emperor and defy the holy will?!"

This angry shout was like a thunderclap on flat ground, causing the hearts of all the gentry present to tremble.

Zhang Bo stood up abruptly, his gaze like a knife, sweeping across every shocked face: "The holy edict of Your Majesty is the iron law of this world! It is the magnificent heavenly might hanging over everyone's heads! It is even the Foundation upon which our Wu Dynasty was established! Anyone who dares to defy it is an enemy of our Wu Dynasty! An enemy of His Majesty! An enemy of all the people of the world!"

"This official takes into account your advanced age and the fact that this is your first offense, so I will not hold it against you today! But if I ever hear of anyone daring to engage in small tricks behind my back, colluding to resist, or using threats and inducements, do not blame this official's law for not being lenient! The bloodstains on the city walls that have not yet dried are the warning for you all!"

Zhang Bo's words were like heavy hammers, striking hard at the hearts of that group of gentry, shattering all their fantasies completely!

Looking at this young man before them who was impervious to persuasion, whose eyes burned with the flames of idealism, and who radiated an awe-inspiring righteousness, they finally realized in despair that this era had truly changed.

That era where they, the gentry, could act recklessly and summon wind and rain had gone and would never return following the fall of the Great Qian Dynasty.

In addition to carrying out sweeping reforms in politics and the economy, Gao Feng also promoted his "industrialization" ideology, which was ahead of its time, throughout the entire territory of the Wu Dynasty with unprecedented force!

He vigorously developed industry and commerce, established a "Patent Law," and encouraged all inventions and creations beneficial to the national economy and people's livelihood with heavy rewards and titles.

He ordered the construction of the "Imperial Ultimate Thoroughfare," which was wide enough for eight horse-drawn carriages to travel side by side and extended in all directions, and with the most uncompromising stance, unified the weights and measures, currency, and writing throughout the country!

Factories full of vitality sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain in the major cities of the Wu Dynasty!

The sky-high chimneys spewed billowing thick smoke, and the deafening roar of steam engines replaced the evening drums and morning bells, becoming the most melodious and impassioned symphony of this era!

The wide and flat Imperial Ultimate Thoroughfares were like the Bloodline of this vast Empire, tightly connecting the various regions that were originally closed off and isolated.

The industrial products produced continuously, which were of good quality and inexpensive, and the rich raw Materials gathered from all directions, circulated at an unprecedented speed within this vast commercial network, creating astonishing wealth.

The entire Wu Dynasty seemed to have turned into a huge and vibrant construction site, radiating an unprecedented and intoxicating vitality!

However, just as the entire Wu Dynasty was undergoing earth-shaking changes in the midst of this vigorous wave of reform, a discordant voice quietly came from the distant Southwest, shrouded in heavy mountains and mist.

The former Crown Prince Ji Cheng, who had long since fled to the Shu region, with the support of the King of Shu and the remnants of the previous Dynasty who still held unrealistic fantasies about the Great Qian Dynasty, publicly refused to accept the amnesty of the new Dynasty and refused to surrender!

He utilized the steep terrain of the Shu region, which was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the one hundred thousand Shu troops who had long been thoroughly brainwashed and foolishly loyal to the previous Dynasty, to form a so-called "Restoration Army," occupying the Jianmen Heavenly Pass, which had been known since ancient times as "one man guards the pass, ten thousand cannot open it," intending to resist to the end by relying on the natural barrier!

When the news arrived, the court and the public were shocked!

Countless military generals who had just received titles and glory at the conferring ceremony, like sharks smelling blood, took the initiative to request to lead the army to flatten the Shu region, completely grinding those rebels who did not know life from death into dust, and adding another brilliant stroke to their own record of merits!

However, Gao Feng sat calmly on the Dragon throne, his fingers gently tapping the armrest, rejecting their suggestions that seemed passionate but were full of the opinions of reckless men.

He knew deeply that "the difficulty of the road to Shu is harder than ascending to heaven" was not an empty statement, and a direct assault was the worst strategy.

Even if he could win, it would inevitably come at an extremely heavy price, which did not conform to the principle of maximizing cost-effectiveness that he consistently pursued.

His gaze passed over the crowd of murderous military generals and turned to the one who had been standing at the end of the civil officials, an inconspicuous man, the newly appointed Vice Minister of Works—Gao Lin.

This man was the runner-up of the first "Wu Dynasty Imperial Examination" and the most outstanding graduate of the Civil Engineering Department of "Panshi University," possessing a Genius-like understanding and a nearly obsessive love for various engineering machinery and construction technology.