Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 630 People are panicked
An imperial edict, which was originally intended to strictly investigate a certain person, has already caused widespread fear even before the investigation has begun.

For a time, whether inside or outside Jinling City, everyone who still bore the name of the Great Wei was on edge. All officials of the seventh rank and above were investigated. In short, the entire country was investigated from the county magistrate level down, and no one could escape.

Keep in mind that Shang Yang only dealt with a few people back then, but this time the emperor himself issued a decree, using the most ruthless methods to trace the line downwards. Who could possibly get away with it?
This is a complete table-flipping, a classic table-flipping, but the problem is that there's nothing wrong with it because the matter is so big, and there seems to be no room for compromise.

The most terrifying thing was not the internal investigation, but also the external investigation. The spies of the Great Wei came out in droves, collecting all kinds of evidence regardless of cost.

Good or bad, they take it all back, it doesn't care. This thing is so tough that you'll die if you touch it, and get hurt if you rub it. There's no way anyone can survive such a beating.

The imperial court naturally encountered resistance as well. Some people said that such a large-scale mobilization might affect people's livelihoods, and tried to suppress the violent nature of the imperial edict by emphasizing the importance of people's livelihoods.

But it was useless, because the imperial edict was very serious. If it was not investigated, it would definitely shake the foundation of the country. Things that involve the foundation of the country cannot be wrong in the slightest. Anyone who obstructs it is a traitor. If you become a traitor now, the price will be too high. You might even be the first one to be used as a warning to others.

The various noble families were angry, because it was obvious that this was aimed at them again. But being angry was useless now. Raise an army? The Po Lu Army was already sharpening its swords and waiting for someone to send troops.

Mobilizing the people? That won't work either. This time, the work is being overseen by the Dali Temple, and the progress will be announced daily. Every move is open and transparent, bringing out the most severe Legalist approach from the pre-Qin period, showing absolutely no mercy.

"They've overturned the table! What are we going to do now? Who in the world can withstand such an investigation?"

The Gao family members knelt before Gao Shilian, their faces bitter, and said, "Those spies from the Investigation Bureau are simply outrageous. They broke into our Gao family's general accounting office, took away the account books, and wouldn't let us go with them. It's outrageous! Elder... you must do us justice!"

Gao Shilian simply leaned back in his recliner, eyes closed and silent. More and more people from the branch family were coming down to him, but he remained as still as if he were dead.

At this moment, a young man in his late twenties or early thirties stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Uncle, everything has been taken care of."

"Hmm." Only then did Gao Shilian's brows slowly relax: "Have all the parts that needed to be cut off been cut off?"

"Yes, everything has been taken care of. Currently, the Gao family has no connection with any other family. The Gao family is a family that values ​​farming and studying, firmly believes in Confucianism and Mencius, and cultivates the family with righteousness and establishes the family with virtue."

"Auxiliary machine, you did a great job. You can go now." Gao Shilian waved his hand. "Go and rest for a few days. We'll see what happens next."

"Yes, Uncle."

This man was none other than Changsun Wuji, who had rushed back from Chang'an. At this moment, Gao Shilian needed a very capable assistant to handle the current situation.

As for the bunch of crying and wailing creatures in front of him, he didn't really care. Sometimes, painfully cutting off some unnecessary things is crucial for the survival of the entire family.

Those who are crying and wailing in front of him are the ones who will be abandoned. Gao Shilian's call for Changsun Wuji to come out and say the four words "passing down the family tradition of farming and reading" already shows his attitude.

Everyone present was shrewd; upon hearing this, they knew they were likely doomed. The Gao family was known for its tradition of farming and scholarship; how could they possibly associate with such trivial matters? These people were nothing more than distant relatives using the Gao family name to swindle and deceive.

This is Gao Shilian's attitude.

"Grandpa...Grandpa, you can't abandon us, Grandpa!"

Faced with these cries of agony, Gao Shilian's cold and resolute expression was just like that of his ex-wife when she made up her mind to divorce him and started finding fault with him for no reason.

Before long, Gao Shilian's guards came and cleared them all out, leaving only Gao Shilian in the large room.

At this moment, Gao Yunmeng, who had been listening to the commotion in the side room, came out with a clattering sound as she leaned on her cane. She sat down with her hands on the table and carefully watched the expression on her grandfather's face.

"Why does Yunmeng look at me like that?"

"I was watching Ah Zu's expression. In Yun Meng's eyes, Ah Zu always had a kind smile on his face and was very caring towards Yun Meng, as if Ah Zu would pluck the stars from the sky for her if she wanted them. But today, Ah Zu's face was stern, as if those people were not members of the Gao family."

Gao Shilian was taken aback, but then a smile appeared on his face. He picked up the small teapot called Zisha from Danyang County, took a sip, and gently placed the teapot on the table before saying, "Bigger isn't necessarily better. Too big and it's easy to break off. Rather than break off the head, it's better to cut off the tail. It's all about survival."

"So you can get through this peacefully like this?" Gao Yunmeng's face was full of curiosity: "Just how powerful is he that he can make these families that have dominated the world for thousands of years cut off their tails?" "This is just the beginning." Gao Shilian shook his head and smiled: "Before, it was just a little punishment, just flesh and blood wounds, but now he wants to remove the bones."

"Then... what will he do?"

Gao Shilian unconsciously fiddled with the smooth, oily teapot, his eyes somewhat glazed over. After a long while, he said, "If it were me during this Qingming Festival campaign, I would have the names of those who committed the crimes inscribed on steles. Then, I would designate a place in the city to place these steles, laying bare the backgrounds and deeds of the offenders in every detail before everyone's eyes."

"What... what does this mean? The matter has already been handled."

“Yunmeng,” Gao Shilian leaned forward slightly, a sudden glint of light flashing in his dim eyes. “Tell me, whose name appears most often on this inscription?”

“I…” Gao Yunmeng suddenly sat up straight: “A scion of a prominent family!”

"Then tell me, with this inscription right in front of you, and you having connections with those in power, what should you do if you want to become an official?"

"Ah! The road closure marker!" Gao Yunmeng suddenly understood: "Unless they voluntarily break away from the aristocratic families and change their names. But if they do change their names, they won't know each other anymore within a few years. Aristocratic families naturally consider themselves as aristocrats; if they are no longer in the same family, they will naturally disperse..."

"Is it powerful?" Gao Shilian looked up and sighed, "This is what it means to dismantle bones. You can't kill all the noble families in the world, but you can make them cut themselves off from heaven and earth. And this is just the beginning."

"This is just the beginning? This is already digging to the root of the problem."

"Is that so?" Gao Shilian tapped the table heavily. "If it were me, I would take this opportunity to introduce an unprecedented examination system, allowing more people from the lowest ranks to rise. Village elders have their way, and scholars have their way. Once you reach the middle ranks, the two or even more ways will merge, like a battle between trapped beasts. If you can fight your way out, you can become an official. If you can't, you will forever be confined to that tiny piece of land."

"Even someone as great as Azu is like this?"

“That’s right, the battles of the future will be far more brutal than those of now, because while there will be more roads, there will also be more people, making those roads narrower and forcing everyone to tear each other apart. If I can bite others for the sake of my nephews and nieces, then others can bite me for the sake of their nephews and nieces.” Gao Shilian smiled sheepishly at this moment: “I’m old, like a decrepit old dog, my teeth are no longer as sharp as they used to be, I can’t bite anymore. But if others bite me, it will be a piece of cake. If this succeeds, the Gao family can settle down and focus on scholarship, and not get involved in the court and commerce anymore. You are all too naive and cannot withstand the storms.”

Gao Yunmeng was still somewhat confused. She asked urgently, "Can't we just unite like we did back then and force the higher-ups to give the order?"

"Back then? What year was back then? My child, things are different now. I've only just witnessed how formidable that fellow is."

"I don't understand, please explain in detail, Grandfather."

Gao Shilian was at a loss with his granddaughter. If it were anyone else, he would have just told them to figure it out themselves and said nothing more. But since his granddaughter was asking so many questions, he didn't even think twice before saying, "Throughout history, there have been new policies and reforms in every dynasty. No dynasty lacked people who were eager to govern, but almost none of them succeeded. Do you know why?"

"I don't know... I've been wondering for a long time too. Although Shang Yang's reforms created the Qin Dynasty, Emperor Wu of Han minted coins to create the powerful Han Dynasty, and Emperor Wu of our dynasty implemented the equal-field system to create the prosperous Wei Dynasty, they all ultimately failed."

"Yes, they all failed. That's because they always operate from the top down. I've figured it out. This method can't be applied to people like you and me. It has to be applied to those peddlers, farmers, and weavers. Only they can defeat this thousand-year-old family."

"Can……"

Gao Yunmeng wanted to speak, but Gao Shilian waved his hand and said, "Don't ask anymore. You won't understand. When you have time, go out and see this world. In the past, we always said that dynasties last for hundreds of years and families last for thousands of years. Dynasties are like rotting grass, and families are like towering trees. But when we say these words, we always forget that no matter how big the tree is, its roots are always in the soil."

Now, the roots in the mud have left the tree and sprouted new buds. How long do you think this tree can live?

Although these words sounded casual, they instantly shattered Gao Yunmeng's spirit.

She sat there blankly for a long time, then suddenly got up and started rummaging through the bookshelf. In the end, she found the hardcover "Dream of the Red Chamber," a book she had previously considered a lighthearted read, but now it became the guide that led her through her confusion.

"Azu, look here!"

"It is known that such a large family cannot be destroyed in a short time if attacked from the outside... It must first destroy itself from within before it can be utterly defeated!"

After reading the text aloud, Gao Shilian clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Excellent! So he's been planning this for years! I used to be arrogant, thinking a book written by a mere child could have any merit. Now I really have to take a good look. Yes, yes, haven't I been committing suicide?!"

(End of this chapter)