464: Chapter 464 A Necessary Step: Reform

Seeing the commoners' riot and uprising, the Emperor did not hesitate to dispatch a powerful army to suppress it. However, the situation this time was vastly different from before.

The weapons used by the revolting commoners were no longer traditional cold weapons like sabers, spears, swords, and halberds. Instead, just like the army of the Great Chaotian Empire, they were all armed with muskets.

Although the quality and quantity of the rebel army's muskets could not compare to those of the Great Chaotian Empire's army, they had clearly undergone a long period of preparation and planning.

Several days passed, and the Imperial army not only failed to suppress the rebels but also suffered heavy losses.

While the rebel army also suffered significant casualties, their numbers were not at all inferior to the Imperial army.

One must know that since the Great Chaotian Empire unified the various dynasties, the scale of the Imperial army had been drastically reduced, leaving only a million elite troops today.

A month passed in the blink of an eye, yet the army of the Great Chaotian Empire still failed to suppress the rebels, leaving the Emperor feeling anxious and uneasy.

Realizing the severity of the situation, he decided to personally consult Di Pingjian, hoping that this highly respected State Preceptor could provide some practical strategies to quell the rebellion.

Di Pingjian had dedicated her life to fighting for the survival and rights of commoners. She knew that the rebels' demands were not unreasonable; therefore, she would never suggest a bloody suppression that would harm them.

After careful consideration, Di Pingjian finally came up with a plan that could both resolve the current crisis and promote the long-term development of the country.

She explained her plan to the Emperor in detail: first, conduct a comprehensive reform of the existing political system, transforming the current imperial power system of the Great Chaotian Empire into a Parliamentary System.

Under the new system, the position of Chairman of the Parliament would be established, and it was stipulated that every Speaker must be a member of the Royal Family.

At the same time, one hundred distinguished Members of Parliament (MPs) would be established, with the positions evenly distributed among three different groups.

Among them, thirty seats would be held by Royal Disciples to ensure a certain level of royal influence in political decisions; another thirty seats would be held by elites from the civil and military officials, who would provide advice for the country based on their expertise and experience; finally, thirty seats would be held by commoner representatives to fully reflect the voice and interests of the people.

Furthermore, Di Pingjian suggested incorporating the rebel army into the military system of the Great Chaotian Empire, making them part of the nation's regular forces.

Control over this army would be handed to the Parliament; the army could only be mobilized with the consent of the Speaker or more than half of the MPs.

In this way, not only could the resentment of the rebel army be pacified, but they could also contribute to the stability and development of the nation.

Simultaneously, the implementation of the Parliamentary System would better balance the interests of all parties and promote long-term peace and stability for the country.

The Emperor was quite dissatisfied with the suggestions proposed by State Preceptor Di Pingjian.

After all, if political reforms were truly carried out, it would inevitably cause serious damage to the interests of the Royal Family and the nobility.

Although the Emperor was advanced in years, being over sixty, he had many sons—as many as several dozen.

In recent years, many ministers had begun suggesting he select a Crown Prince soon. At such a critical moment, if the imperial system were abolished in favor of a Parliamentary System, it was likely that no one in the court would agree.

Feeling helpless, the Emperor could only order more troops to be added, further increasing the intensity of the suppression against the rebel army.

However, regrettably, several cities had already fallen into the hands of the rebels.

If not forced by the situation, why would he have sought Di Pingjian's opinion?

It was well known that Di Pingjian had always stood on the side of the commoners. Ever since the Emperor last sent the army to bloodily suppress a commoner riot, an invisible high wall seemed to have risen between him and Di Pingjian.

Under such circumstances, how could Di Pingjian provide any advice that could truly and effectively suppress the rebels?

Fortunately, he had specifically dispatched the thirty thousand Martial Artists newly trained over the past decade. These Martial Artists possessed extraordinary strength, each with a physique invulnerable to blades and spears; for them, fighting a hundred enemies alone was an easy feat.

The Emperor secretly calculated that with the assistance of these powerful Martial Artists, the Imperial army would be able to smoothly quell the rebellious uprising.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, another three months passed. However, the development of events was completely contrary to the Emperor's expectations.

The Imperial army not only failed to suppress the rebels but also lost more cities in succession. The elite soldiers and generals suffered heavy losses, and even among the thirty thousand Martial Artists who were originally held in high regard, over a hundred had unfortunately perished.

This result was truly shocking. Why did the Imperial army suffer such a crushing defeat?

After a deep investigation, the reason was finally discovered.

As it turned out, more than ten thousand Martial Artists had somehow emerged within the rebel army as well!

The strength of these Martial Artists was also not to be underestimated, which was why the Imperial court could never break through the rebel defense lines no matter how many troops they sent.

Initially, when the Emperor heard that the Martial Dao Cultivation Technique, the Star Overlord Technique, had been leaked, his heart tightened.

He secretly thought that this technique was the exclusive Secret Manual practiced by the Martial Artists he had meticulously trained; logically speaking, it should not have been easily spread.

Could it be that one of these Martial Artists had betrayed him and leaked the technique to the rebels?

Or perhaps they had secretly colluded with the rebels and reached some sort of deal?

The more the Emperor thought about it, the more he felt the matter was not simple, so he ordered a thorough investigation of all the Martial Artists.

He dispatched his most capable subordinates to conduct repeated interrogations and investigations of these Martial Artists.

However, after many rounds of questioning, these Martial Artists all insisted they had absolutely not leaked the technique and had never had any contact with the rebels.

Faced with this result, the Emperor fell into deep thought.

Since there was no problem with the Martial Artists, who exactly was the person who leaked the Martial Dao Cultivation Technique?

While the Emperor was completely baffled, one shocking piece of news after another came from the Imperial army suppressing the rebels.

It was originally thought that the Imperial army could easily suppress the rebels, but the reality was quite the opposite.

In the battles against the rebel army, the Imperial army suffered successive crushing defeats, and there were even some gruesome combat scenes.

Even more unexpectedly, some individuals appeared in the rebel army who were even stronger than the Martial Artists the Emperor had personally trained.

These sudden changes made a suspicion in the Emperor's heart grow even more certain—the one who leaked the Star Overlord Technique was very likely the State Preceptor, Di Pingjian!

The Emperor recalled that Di Pingjian always seemed somewhat mysterious when handling affairs for the commoners. Could she have used those opportunities to skillfully evade the secret agents he had arranged and pass the Martial Dao Cultivation Technique to the leader of the rebels?

As time passed, more and more evidence pointed toward Di Pingjian.

The Emperor finally confirmed his suspicion, and the fire of rage within him began to burn fiercely.

Once the Emperor was certain that Di Pingjian had leaked the technique to the rebels, his dissatisfaction erupted like a volcano.

However, he did not question State Preceptor Di Pingjian about why she did so as people expected; instead, he decisively had her confined to a Forbidden Courtyard.

Although life in the Forbidden Courtyard didn't change much for State Preceptor Di Pingjian—she could still enjoy the same luxury as before—her freedom was ruthlessly stripped away by the Emperor.

The Emperor believed this was the punishment Di Pingjian deserved, as her actions had brought immense losses to the country.

However, the defeats of the Great Chaotian Empire did not subside because of the punishment of the State Preceptor.

On the contrary, he watched helplessly as his army retreated step by step on the battlefield, with defeats mounting and losses becoming more severe.

What pained him even more was that even those heroic Martial Artists were falling day by day, making the Emperor's heart ache as if it were being pierced by a knife.

Although the individual combat strength of the rebels was relatively weak, their numbers were vast, exceeding the Imperial army several times over. This gave the rebels a certain advantage on the battlefield. Furthermore, there were over ten thousand Martial Artists among the rebels, whose presence further weakened the threat of the Imperial Martial Artists to the rebel army.

As time went on, the original advantage of the Imperial army gradually diminished. Seeing the situation turning sour, the Emperor's anxiety grew daily. After careful consideration, the Emperor finally made up his mind to adopt Di Pingjian's original suggestion and implement political reforms.

In the imperial court, the Emperor announced the implementation of political reforms in front of all the ministers, changing the imperial system to a republic and establishing a Parliamentary Chamber. However, this decision triggered strong opposition from almost everyone in the court. Whether they were princes, civil officials, or military generals, they all believed such political reform was inappropriate.

Some civil officials even suggested that the Emperor lift the confinement of the State Preceptor, firmly believing that she must have a strategy to suppress the rebels.

However, the Emperor flatly refused this suggestion. Wasn't this Di Pingjian's own proposal? He still believed in Di Pingjian and was convinced that political reform was the key to solving the current predicament.

When the Emperor heard Di Pingjian's name, he flew into a rage and directly ordered the execution of the political reforms. The various princes and ministers dared not talk back or oppose him any further; in the Great Chaotian Empire, the Emperor held all military power, and no one dared to defy an imperial decree.

Di Pingjian's life hadn't changed much compared to before; however, she had lost her ability to help the commoners. All of this was because she had been confined by the Emperor for two months, preventing her from moving freely.

On this day, as Di Pingjian went to collect her lunch as usual, she happened to hear the eunuchs delivering the food talking in low voices. The topic of their conversation caught her attention—the Emperor was about to carry out reforms, and these reforms might lead to eunuchs like them being expelled from the palace.

Di Pingjian saw that the faces of the two eunuchs were filled with worry; although they didn't dare to openly complain about the Emperor, their words revealed anxiety about the future. Moreover, they mentioned that everyone in the court opposed the Emperor's reforms, but it seemed the Emperor had not changed his mind because of it.

Hearing this, Di Pingjian was anxious and worried.

She knew the potential impact of the reforms, which concerned not only the fate of the eunuchs but also the stability of the entire country.

Most importantly, the Emperor might be in danger; if that happened, it would be truly difficult for the reforms to proceed, and the rights of the commoners would never be realized.

Thus, she unhesitatingly decided to request an audience with the Emperor, hoping to ensure the execution of the reform plan.

Fortunately, she still had one chance to see the Emperor this month.

However, Di Pingjian was worried that the Emperor would refuse to see her, given that she was currently under confinement.

To ensure she could see the Emperor, Di Pingjian suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of a brilliant idea. She straightened her back and said to the two eunuchs with a serious expression:

"My seeking the Emperor this time concerns his safety! This matter is of the utmost urgency and cannot be delayed for a moment. You must report to the Emperor immediately and tell him he must come to see me!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the two eunuchs changed. They knew Di Pingjian's status and position well and dared not be the least bit negligent.

One of the eunuchs hurriedly bowed and said, "Yes, State Preceptor! We will go and report to the Emperor immediately. Please wait a moment, State Preceptor."

The other eunuch followed suit, saying, "Rest assured, State Preceptor, we will definitely convey your words to the Emperor exactly as they were said."

After saying that, the two eunuchs hurried away, their footsteps appearing somewhat panicked.

Even though Di Pingjian was currently confined by the Emperor, no one in the Great Chaotian Empire dared to be disrespectful to her.

This was not only because of Di Pingjian's own status as the State Preceptor but also because she was like a god-like existence in everyone's eyes. Her every word and action were closely watched and revered by all.

Moreover, everyone knew in their hearts that without the State Preceptor's help, the Emperor would likely have found it difficult to unify the various human dynasties.

It was precisely because of the State Preceptor's existence that the Great Chaotian Empire could grow and strengthen so rapidly.

Not only that, but the State Preceptor was also a kind-hearted and benevolent person who loved the people like her own children. She was passionate about helping commoners, which was one of her favorite things to do.

Therefore, everyone in the Great Chaotian Empire, whether high-ranking officials or commoners, held heartfelt respect and admiration for the State Preceptor.

Even those eunuchs of low status were no exception.

It was said that when the State Preceptor was first confined, more than half of the civil and military officials in the court actually stood up to plead for her.

However, the Emperor's mind was made up, and the pleas of the crowd ultimately failed to change the situation.

After receiving the Emperor's summons...

Di Pingjian walked into the palace with a solemn expression. She did not see the Emperor, as he was behind a curtain. She bowed respectfully toward the curtain and then said, "Your Majesty, I have come this time to remind you of an extremely important matter."

Seeing this, the Emperor's heart tightened, but his expression remained cold as he said, "What is it? Speak quickly, and then withdraw."

Di Pingjian took a deep breath and continued, "Your Majesty, regarding your decision on political reform, almost all the ministers in the court have expressed their opposition. They have raised many doubts and strong objections to your reform plan."

Di Pingjian sighed and continued, "Your Majesty, reforms often touch upon the vested interests of some people; naturally, they will do their utmost to oppose them."

The Emperor did not respond. Di Pingjian hesitated slightly and then continued, "Your Majesty, I believe you should strengthen your personal security. After all, the act of reform might cause dissatisfaction in some, and someone might even take a risk and come to assassinate you."

The Emperor was startled upon hearing this.

Although he was skeptical of Di Pingjian's words, considering his own safety, he still decided to take some measures.

Thus, he ordered the secret recall of several thousand Martial Artists from the front lines to strengthen the security forces of the imperial palace.

However, in his heart, the Emperor still felt it was unlikely that someone would assassinate him. He felt that as the sovereign of a nation, he naturally had many guards protecting him, so there shouldn't be much danger.

Nevertheless, just in case, he would still follow Di Pingjian's suggestion and strengthen the security work.

...