58: The new grand court assembly, the military merit system

New Wu Calendar, Year One, Lucky Moon, Fifteenth.

Wu Dynasty, Grand Court Assembly.

Bells rang, and officials streamed through the palace gates, heading to the new Imperial Palace.

Inside the Nine Dragon Hall.

Xia Xuan Half leaned on the imperial throne, holding Red Bell in his arms, utterly unrestrained.

To one side of the imperial throne, White Plain stood, holding a sword.

"May Your Majesty live for ten thousand years!"

Below, the assembled officials knelt and shouted.

"Rise," Xia Xuan's voice was indifferent.

The officials looked up, and seeing this scene, an old minister immediately rebuked him.

"Your Majesty, the court is a sacred place; how can you be so dissolute!"

Xia Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "How many Realms has this old man broken through?"

Red Bell glanced at him and smiled, "Your Majesty, his Realm is stable; he doesn't seem to have made a Breakthrough recently."

"Oh, then chop him," Xia Xuan turned his head and smiled, "Wu Zhong, drag him out."

"You, you, you, you, you... don't come over!"

The minister's expression froze. He had never expected the new Emperor to be so decisive.

Watching Wu Zhong approach, he stammered, his gaze sweeping rapidly across the hall, finally landing on Prime Minister.

"Prime Minister, we loyal ministers are to be beheaded for a single piece of advice. Can my colleagues truly sleep soundly serving such a tyrannical person? Is there still hope for the future of this Wu Dynasty?"

Prime Minister's expression was strange.

As far as he knew, two days ago, nearly ninety-nine percent of the Wu Dynasty's citizens had their Realms elevated by the great Opportunity of the Dao's resonant blessing.

Even those who had never cultivated underwent a cleansing of their meridians, embarking on the martial Dao, some even becoming Innate Realm Cultivators in one leap.

Those whose cultivation showed no change and who hadn't heard that voice were exceedingly few.

Their identities were questionable, so Prime Minister specifically investigated them.

He found that those who hadn't advanced their Realms were either new to the Wu Dynasty, or death row inmates in prison, complaining about their fate and about to be executed, and he even uncovered several spies from other countries.

The pattern among them was quite intriguing.

The minister who spoke out was clearly not the former two; the only possibility was the latter.

Prime Minister coughed, his hands tucked into his sleeves, pretending not to notice.

These past few days, Gu Qingxian had been nagging him constantly, telling him to observe and listen more, speak less, and not offend the new Emperor.

Prime Minister had participated in the entire palace coup and understood Xia Xuan's methods. Though stubborn, he would not seek death.

His attitude made several loyal ministers, who were preparing to speak up, hesitate.

"Now, no one speaks for me. When this Tyrant beheads you all in the future, who will speak for you!"

The minister wept profusely, his words stirring people's hearts. In the end, he completely gave up, pointing at Xia Xuan's nose and cursing, "With you, this Tyrant, in power, the Wu Dynasty will fall sooner or later!"

Xia Xuan's gaze turned cold: "Minister of Justice, I ask you, what kind of punishment does the Wu Dynasty inflict upon traitors?"

Prince Qi stepped forward and answered truthfully: "All traitors to the Wu Dynasty shall have their nine generations exterminated and be subjected to extreme punishments such as soul rending and slow slicing."

"Old fellow, do you understand?"

"Tyrant, you still want to tarnish my innocence! I have toiled for the Wu Dynasty for thirty years; how can my achievements be negated by a single word from you!" The advising minister's words were fierce but he was inwardly weak.

"You pretend to be confused when you understand perfectly. Do you really think I'm easy to fool? Guards, drag him out, execute him at the Meridian Gate, and add the crime of deceiving the Emperor."

A furious roar came from the imperial throne.

Wu Zhong, without a word, crippled the minister's cultivation and dragged him out of the main hall like a chick.

"You dog Tyrant, you...!"

"Ah!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream came from outside the hall. The minister tried to curse again but had his tongue immediately pulled out.

Inside the Nine Dragon Hall, the officials were silent as cicadas in winter.

"Is there any other beloved minister who thinks I am a Tyrant?"

"Your Majesty is wise and virtuous, discerning and clear-sighted; this is the fortune of the Wu Dynasty. That scoundrel deserved his death!"

The civil officials trembled in their hearts and shouted in unison.

[Killed a minister who died for his advice, tyrant points +30]

[Unjustly killed an advising minister, killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, causing fear among officials, endless resentment, tyrant points +999]

Although doing so would establish a Tyrant image in the hearts of the officials and even make the Wu Dynasty's citizens hesitant to serve in court, Xia Xuan didn't care.

The Wu Dynasty was founded on martial prowess, and in this chaotic world, martial arts were even more important.

And those loyal ministers who only knew how to use their mouths were not a loss no matter how many were killed.

What he wanted were capable ministers who knew the times, regardless of loyalty or treachery.

Moreover, the image of a bloodthirsty Tyrant would make it easier to constantly elicit emotions from his subjects, converting them into tyrant points.

He would shear the sheep for a long time.

"Today's Grand Court Assembly will primarily discuss the Wu Dynasty's military affairs."

"Prime Minister, read the new military merit system."

Xia Xuan announced indifferently.

Prime Minister bowed, took out a memorial from his sleeve, and read aloud:

"Effective immediately, all old reward and punishment systems in the Wu Dynasty army are abolished, and a twenty-rank military merit peerage system will be adopted."

"From now on, all Wu Dynasty soldiers, regardless of origin or official position, as long as they kill one elite enemy armored soldier in battle, can be promoted to a first-rank soldier peerage, rewarded with five hundred Origin Stones and three qing of fertile land..."

"The more enemies killed, the higher the military merit. The twentieth rank is Marquis, with a fief and the right to collect taxes."

"Military peerage can be passed from father to son. If the father dies in battle, his son inherits all rewards."

"Military punishments are also reformed. Five soldiers form a squad; those who flee in battle, all five are guilty of death. To be exempt, one must kill one enemy head."

"Additionally, nineteen types of punishments such as flogging, amputation, tattooing, nose cutting, and castration are established to deal with various wartime criminal behaviors."

"All of the above, whether imperial relatives or Noble Families' children, must comply. Those who harbor offenders shall be beheaded!"

Prime Minister greatly admired the twenty-rank military merit peerage system initially established by Xia Xuan.

This promotion method achieved near-absolute fairness, greatly encouraged the enterprising spirit of the common people, and could elevate the already martial Wu Dynasty's military strength by several levels.

But at the same time, this was also a challenge to the old system, a collective challenge to the Wu Dynasty's powerful elite!

The twenty-rank military merit peerage system was Xia Xuan's reference to the reform system of the Great Qin in Chinese history.

Generous rewards, strict punishments, and open to all martial artists nationwide.

This complete system, transcending contemporary thought and at the forefront, also touched the interests of almost all powerful figures throughout the Wu Dynasty.

For a time, the officials discussed animatedly, and the faces of both civil and military officials changed.