Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 544 Reform and Innovation
"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard..."

At the end of September in the eleventh year of Hongwu's reign, as Liu Lie returned to Luoyang, Nanzhao was also facing a precarious situation due to Gao Pian's machinations.

Under the Han army's "generous rewards," the barbarian tribes began to attack the Nanzhao immigrant caravans from the beginning of summer, keeping the Nanzhao army constantly on the run.

Gao Pian offered each Han Chinese captured from Nanzhao by the various barbarian tribes a high price: two iron pots or two shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain.

Fueled by generous rewards and past grievances, the various barbarian tribes launched frequent attacks on Nanzhao.

The Han Chinese immigrants were cherished and kept by the local barbarians, but the Wuman and Baiman people under the rule of Nanzhao were not so friendly.

The journey from Yangjumei City to Lishui City is over 900 li, and the route is through the Hengduan Mountains and dense primeval forests. With the troops under the command of the Lishui military governor, it would be difficult to protect all the people along the way.

Moreover, at this time, miasma was frequent, and even people who were used to the climate of Yongchang and Yangjumei City would inevitably fall ill and die when crossing the Ailao Mountains and Gaoligong Mountains.

Therefore, Yusei Takashi's plan to transfer his power was inevitably thwarted.

Inside the Wuhua Tower in Yangjumei City, Dong Cheng looked at the furious You Shilong and couldn't help but sigh.

"In the past few months, more than 20,000 people from Yongchang died or were injured on their way to Yaxi City due to epidemics and attacks by barbarian tribes. Of those who moved from Yangjumei City to Yaxi City, fewer than 90,000 survived..."

"In the former territory of the Six Zhao, there are still more than 200,000 people who have not yet been relocated. If the barbarians continue to attack our army, I'm afraid less than 150,000 people will be able to move to Yongchang and Lishui."

Nanzhao had already lost a lot of territory, and with the surrender of tribes such as Heichi, Tangmo, Liaozi, Heman, and Jinchi in the south to Gao Pian, Nanzhao's territory was reduced to only one-third of what it was before the war.

Yu Shilong felt a pang of despair, but he knew he couldn't truly give up. So he looked at Dong Cheng and hesitated before saying:

"I intend to send Longshun to Yaxi City. What do you think?"

“Very good.” Dong Cheng nodded without hesitation, but then worriedly added, “However, Wang’s youthful temperament might be…”

Long Shun was the son of You Shilong, but because You Shilong was away fighting for many years, he did not teach Long Shun enough, which led to Long Shun being very playful.

Without the assistance of wise ministers, this kind of personality could very well bring about the destruction of the Nanzhao Kingdom in the future.

However, apart from Long Shun, You Shilong's remaining children are all only teenagers and are obviously not capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities.

Thinking of this, You Shilong felt dejected, and Dong Cheng also said, "Your Majesty may go to Yongchang to take charge."

Upon hearing Dong Cheng's words, You Shilong knew that Dong Cheng was worried about his survival along with Yang Jumei City.

Yu Shilong did have this idea, but faced with his good-for-nothing sons, he ultimately nodded in agreement.
"Winter is just around the corner. If things go as expected, Gao Pian may launch an attack on Longhe City."

"If Longhe City and Shisang City are both captured, then I will go to Yongchang."

Shisang City is more than 300 li away from Yangjumei City, giving You Shilong enough time to retreat to Yongchang.

The distance from Tuodong to Yongchang is over 800 li, which happens to be the farthest distance the Han army could travel when it had sufficient food and labor.

According to You Shilong, Gao Pian would at most reach Yangjumei City and then continue to cultivate the mountain plains of the old Six Zhao Kingdoms in Yangjumei City.

These mountain plains, numbering over a dozen in total, amount to more than four million mu of arable land, and almost all of them have been developed.

Otherwise, Nanzhao would not have expanded in both the east and west directions.

Even though Yongchang, Lishui and other places now have hundreds of thousands of people and millions of acres of farmland, they are still not as rich as the essence of the Six Zhao Kingdom, which has been thoroughly developed.

Moreover, with You Shilong leading his people westward, Nanzhao will inevitably lack arable land and food. The only option will be to launch a war to the west and use the many city-states of Pyu, which have just begun to recover, as sustenance.

"Ugh……"

Yu Shilong sighed deeply, his spirits seemingly shattered by the news.

A few days later, the last people of Liuzhao were also forcibly relocated to Yongchang, but a considerable number of them chose to stay.

To evade capture, they hid in the mountains, forcing the already understrength Nanzhao to abandon them.

There were quite a few people like this, and as the winter temperature dropped more and more, the sight of snakes, insects and rodents gradually decreased, and the battle naturally broke out in early October.

"Boom!"

On the second day of the tenth month, after the Han army had rested and reorganized, Gao Pian, together with Li Yangchun's troops, left behind more than 10,000 soldiers and then launched a new campaign against Nanzhao with 50,000 soldiers and 100,000 laborers.

Two hundred cannons roared east of Longhe City, their heavy iron shells shattering the mountain town and sending rocks flying everywhere.

The nearly 10,000 Nanzhao troops inside the city could only cower and not come out, and Gao Pian and Li Yangchun also chose to take on this tough nut to crack.

"The imperial court will transport three million shi of grain from the rear, which should be able to deliver at least three hundred thousand shi to Kunming."

"Our army has been engaged in military reclamation in Yunnan and other places. We have now accumulated more than 200,000 shi of grain, which can at least support our army to recover the former Six Zhao territories. At that time, You Shilong will surely flee to Yongchang."

"Therefore, our army needs to reclaim land in Yangjumei City and then send troops to recover the many Han territories east of Gaoligong Mountain in the winter of next year."

Inside the Han army camp east of Longhe City, listening to the cannon fire outside, Gao Pian shared his insights with Li Yangchun, Wang Jian, Ge Congzhou, Zhang Guiba, and others.

Li Yangchun was not in high spirits, and the others also looked solemn.

The reason they did this was because Deng Yan, the Duke of Langzhong, had died of malaria half a month earlier, at the age of thirty-eight.

At this age, he should be in his prime as a general, but because Deng Yan contracted malaria after attacking Tonghai from Annam, he could only rest there forever.

The plan to attack Tonghai from two directions was devised by Li Yangchun. Naturally, he was not in high spirits at the moment, and his mind was full of thoughts about how to explain to Deng Yan's parents, wife and children.

The Han army suffered a great loss, and Li Yangchun could only leave Liu Song and Zhang Guihou to guard Tonghai, while he himself led Ge Congzhou, Zhang Guiba, Pang Shigu and others north to join Gao Pian.

"This matter is entirely up to King Gao to decide..."

Li Yangchun had no particular insight into Gao Pian's plan; at this moment, he was only thinking about how to return to his tent and write a letter to Deng Yan's wife, children, and elderly parents to explain.

"If that's the case, then let's use this strategy to deal with the Southern Barbarians."

Gao Pian understood the pain of losing a close friend and a great general. He did not keep them around for long, but simply nodded and dismissed them.

With the departure of his generals, Gao Pian resumed command of the Han army, and the Han army's westward advance was by no means slow.

On October 22, Longhe City was recaptured. On October 25, Shisang City was attacked. On November 12, Shisang City was recaptured. You Shilong led his army west to Yongchang and burned Yangjumei City.

On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, Gao Pian led his army to join forces with Zhang Wu at Yangjumei City. Their troops then divided to recapture Jianchuan, Yinsheng, and other places, killing 20,000 barbarian soldiers, and all the barbarians surrendered.

"Good. With Yangjumei City recovered, we should be able to recover Yongchang and other areas east of Gaoligong Mountain by next winter. Two years is enough time to recover everything east of Gaoligong Mountain."

As the last month of the lunar calendar approached, news of victories from the southwest continued to arrive in Luoyang. Liu Jilong, inside the Zhenguan Hall, was filled with mixed emotions. Only after understanding that the Han army had recovered the territory east of Yongchang did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"By imperial decree, Deng Yan, the Duke of Yichang and the Assistant Commander of the Lingnan Military Command, is posthumously granted the title of Prince of Nanhai, and his son Deng Long is granted the title of Duke of Dingguo, with the hereditary title reduced."

Deng Yan was among Liu Jilong's first students at Linzhou University. He was unremarkable while at the university, but later made great contributions to the recovery of Qilu, Jianghuai, and Lingnan, and was granted the title of Duke of Yichang.

Liu Jilong had originally planned to promote him to Duke after the battle, but he contracted malaria and died young, leaving behind three sons: Deng Long, Deng Yu, and Deng Yue.

The current practice of posthumously granting him the title of Prince and allowing his eldest son, Deng Long, to inherit the title of Duke of Dingguo can be considered a form of compensation.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong sighed deeply, then continued with the imperial edict:

"Gao Pian, the Prince of Bohai, was appointed Grand Commandant and granted an additional 3,000 households as his fief. Li Yangchun, the Duke of Yue, was promoted to Prince of Lintao. Zhang Wu, the Prince of Bachuan, was appointed Grand Protector and his fief was increased by 1,000 households."

“For example, Duke Liu Song, Wang Jian, and many other meritorious officials, those with titles should be granted additional titles, and those without titles should be granted titles. The Crown Prince should be instructed to draft a plan.”

After Liu Jilong gave his instructions, Ximen Jun quickly agreed, and Liu Jilong also got up and started walking around the hall to stretch his body.

While he was warming up, he pondered how the next big man should proceed until he heard footsteps coming from outside the hall a quarter of an hour later. Only then did he slowly look up.

"Thousand years old..."

May His Majesty live ten thousand years!

Liu Lie led Guo Chongtao, Yan Keqiu, and several eunuchs carrying wooden trays and documents into the hall.

Upon seeing Liu Jilong, the group bowed and greeted him. Liu Jilong nodded and asked, "Has the matter in Gyeonggi Province been resolved?"

"Reporting to Father, it has been dealt with, and these are the results."

Liu Lie turned to the side, revealing the dozens of documents, and hesitated before saying, "But those fifteen meritorious officials in the capital region, your son..."

Clearly, he was very careful in dealing with the Duke of Xiguo, Cuoben, and others, after all, these people had fought alongside Liu Jilong.

In response, Liu Jilong looked at him and said, "The emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people. We should deal with it according to the 'Great Han Law'."

“Yes…” Liu Lie nodded upon hearing this, then took out the document from the wooden tray held by the eunuch and presented it to Liu Jilong with both hands.

He had already made two preparations: if his father wanted to handle it himself, he would take this book with him.

If your father asks you to handle it, then you should present this booklet to him.

Liu Jilong did not make any statement, but simply took the document from him and began to read it in front of him.

The document lists fifteen noble families, categorized into three classes based on their crimes.

All fifteen noble families had, without exception, concealed their land holdings and evaded taxes. The basis for dividing them into three classes was whether there had been any murders or acts of oppression in addition to these acts.

The Duke of Ying, Wang Sifeng, had his son, Wang Huaien, allow his servants to commit three murders; the Duke of Qi, Liu Yingyan, had his son, Liu Kuai, commit one murder; and the Duke of Xi, Cuoben, had his son, Qinde, allow his servants to forcibly seize more than 700 mu of farmland from the people…

According to the "Great Han Law", the Duke of Ying, Wang Sifeng, was demoted to the rank of Earl of a County, and his son, Wang Huaien, and the servant who committed the murder were executed.

Liu Yingyan, the Duke of Qi, was demoted to the rank of County Duke, and his son Liu Kuai was executed. Meanwhile, Cuoben, the Duke of Xi, was demoted to the rank of Commandery Duke, and his son Qinde was exiled...

Apart from these, for the other twelve noble families, the nobles who directly committed the crime would have their titles stripped, and if their sons committed the crime, the nobles would have their titles reduced, and their sons would be executed or exiled in accordance with the "Great Han Law".

Faced with the contents of the document, Liu Jilong remained silent. He did not think the punishments were too severe; in fact, he felt they were somewhat lenient.

The Great Han Code, compiled in the first year of the Hongwu reign, abolished many forms of corporal punishment and the punishment of slaves, while strengthening the punishment for corruption and official misconduct.

Because of the large number of documents, Liu Jilong did not personally review them. Only today did he learn that nobles could use their titles to atone for their crimes.

"Father?"

Liu Lie asked cautiously, clearly worried that he had punished her too harshly.

Liu Jilong looked up at him, opened his mouth, and originally wanted to ask him to punish him severely, but when he recalled the scenes of Cuo Ben, Liu Yingyan, Wang Sifeng and others following him in battle, he ultimately did not say it.

"So dealing with people isn't an easy thing after all..."

Liu Jilong sighed bitterly to himself, and finally handed the document back to Liu Lie with a sigh: "Let's proceed as is."

In fact, according to the "Eight Deliberations" and "Request for Reduction of Redemption" in the Tang Code, the Great Han Code was already considered an improvement. At least in the Tang Code, the sons of noble families who committed crimes could use official positions and redemption to reduce their death penalty to exile or demotion.

However, under the "Great Han Law", apart from nobles who could use their titles to offset their crimes, other officials and the sons of nobles could only be punished according to the law.

That is why Liu Kuai and others under the Great Han Law had to die, which is why Liu Lie was so cautious.

After all, according to the Tang Code, Liu Kuai and others could have paid money to reduce their crimes, and their father would not have had to be demoted.

Now that Liu Jilong had given his approval, Liu Lie felt relieved, but Liu Jilong's words soon made him anxious again.

"Yunnan will be completely pacified in two years at the latest, and the matter of the capital and the inspection can no longer be delayed."

"This year, more than 2,000 students from Linzhou University will return to Luoyang as they graduate."

"Deploy these people well; I await your news..."

Liu Jilong's words sent chills down the spines of Liu Lie and the people behind him. After all, they had just dealt with fifteen nobles and hundreds of officials of rank, and they were still racking their brains about how to clean up the mess. Now the emperor was going to give them an even more offensive task.

This time it's not just limited to one local area, but involves facing all the provinces and all the meritorious officials and bureaucrats...

Thinking of this, Liu Lie could only grit his teeth and say, "Your subject will certainly not keep Father waiting."

"Go down."

After giving his instructions, Liu Jilong turned and continued walking towards Jintai, while Liu Lie had the eunuchs put down all the documents before leaving Zhenguan Hall with Guo Chongtao and Yan Keqiu.

On the way back to the East Palace, Liu Lie, Guo Chongtao, and Yan Keqiu all had solemn expressions.

The imperial decree they had just received in the palace now felt like a huge boulder, making it hard for them to breathe. They even ignored the officials along the way who bowed to them.

Two quarters of an hour later, as they returned to the East Palace, Zhao Guangfeng, who had been waiting in front of the hall, immediately noticed something was amiss.

Seeing the solemn expressions on the three men's faces, his heart sank. He quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Liu Lie, his tone gentle yet carrying a barely perceptible worry:
"Your Highness, is His Majesty dissatisfied with the handling of the Gyeonggi Province?"

“Father is not dissatisfied, it’s just…” Liu Lie shook his head in response, and walked towards the main hall of the East Palace without stopping, gesturing for Zhao Guangfeng to enter the hall for a detailed discussion.

At his signal, the three followed him into the hall, and Zhang Chengye, seeing that something was wrong, immediately dismissed his attendants.

As Zhang Chengye personally closed the palace door, the four of them finally felt safe. However, Liu Lie did not immediately sit in the main seat, but instead paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, seemingly deep in thought.

After a moment, Liu Lie stopped, his voice heavy with indescribable weariness: "Father... wants us to inspect all the provinces and regions, just as we inspect the capital region."

"Or perhaps, it will be even more stringent than it was back in the capital region..."

One sentence, like ice water poured into boiling oil, instantly caused an uproar in the hall.

Zhao Guangfeng's usually calm face suddenly changed color, and he gasped as he instantly realized how troublesome the matter was.

This trip to Gyeonggi Province has already offended all the nobles in Guanzhong to the death. Now, His Majesty not only has not stopped it, but wants to spread this prairie fire throughout the world.

This is no longer just scraping the bone to remove poison; it's practically an attempt to overthrow and rebuild the entire officialdom!
The network of interests and relationships involved is intricate and deeply entrenched.

This job is not about offending people, but about making enemies of most of the vested interests in the world.

If he could, Zhao Guangfeng really wanted to persuade Liu Lie not to take on this task, but it was the emperor's decree and there was no way to resist it.

Moreover, for Liu Lie, this matter is both an unprecedented crisis and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Only by handling this matter flawlessly and perfectly can the Crown Prince's position be truly secured, and only then can these former officials of the Eastern Palace finally see the light of day and take control of the central government.

Thinking of this, Zhao Guangfeng suppressed his fear and regained his usual calm, though his brows were still slightly furrowed.

"Your Highness." Guo Chongtao had been thinking about many things on the way, and given his impatient nature, he spoke first:
"Although this matter is difficult, it is something we must do, and it is also a move that will greatly benefit our great Han Dynasty!"

"Although the country has only been established for eleven years, since the Tang Dynasty, the court has long been accustomed to corruption, and the local governments have not paid attention to the land grabbing by nobles and powerful families."

"Your Highness also saw during this trip to Gyeonggi Province that those commoner officials appointed by His Majesty in the past were no less corrupt and bribery-taking than the former officials of the Tang Dynasty."

“While punishing only the capital region can serve as a warning to others, there are still places in the local governments where corruption and malpractice can be hidden.”

"If we can now investigate and deal with these corrupt officials, it will also benefit Your Highness's future governance of the country."

"Furthermore, if the capital can inspect the entire country, the court can obtain a huge amount of land and grain to enrich the national treasury."

"Those criminals and redundant officials can also be sent to Liaodong, Daning, Yunnan and other places to strengthen the borders and help Your Majesty's policy of expanding the frontier succeed."

"Furthermore, if this matter succeeds, Your Highness's prestige will be at its zenith, and your position as heir apparent will be as solid as a rock!"

Faced with Guo Chongtao's words, Liu Lie and the others all nodded in agreement, and Yan Keqiu even added:
"What Guo Gong said is a well-intentioned strategy, which is indeed correct, but its drawbacks are also obvious."

"If we were to conduct a thorough investigation of the entire country this time, we would be offending all the nobles and powerful figures in the land to the point of death."

“Even if we are acting under orders and enforcing the law impartially, these nobles and powerful families will still hold us responsible for cutting off their path to wealth and ruining their families.”

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the crackling of charcoal fire in the bronze incense burner with animal-shaped handles.

As for the powerful and noble families, they naturally wouldn't dare to lay a hand on Liu Lie, but the situation was less certain about those who were helping him...

Faced with Yan Keqiu's words, Zhao Guangfeng combined what the two had said, thought for a moment, and then gently broke the silence: "The advantages and disadvantages are clear. However, in my opinion, these disadvantages are not unsolvable."

He looked at Liu Lie and bowed to him, saying, "As long as Your Highness can successfully inherit the throne, all the grudges of today will be wiped out in time."

"No matter how capable the nobles and powerful families are, they dare not settle scores with His Highness, who has inherited the throne, while His Highness can protect us."

"As long as Your Highness firmly holds the support of a few princes such as the Zhang and Cao families, even if the generals are impetuous, they will not dare to raise an army to rebel."

"Therefore, the most important thing right now is not to worry about the future, but to do this 'offending people' job in a way that no one can criticize and that will completely satisfy His Majesty."

His words, like the sun breaking through the clouds, laid bare the core of the problem before everyone.

As long as the emperor is satisfied with this assignment, Liu Lie will surely inherit the throne in the future, and those meritorious officials will just be clowns.

Thinking of this, Liu Lie glanced at his three trusted advisors and finally nodded heavily: "What Mr. Zhao said is exactly what I think."

"What Aye wants is a result, a clear and just world, and the hundreds of thousands of criminals needed to strengthen the border."

"Gentlemen, please tell me, how should we begin this matter of inspecting the entire realm?"

In response to Liu Lie's words, Guo Chongtao immediately stated: "It is already the twelfth lunar month. In another half month, tens of thousands of students from the Imperial Academy and local government schools will have completed their studies and be ready to serve as candidates for official positions."

"These people are young and ambitious, and have not yet been corrupted by officialdom; they are like a sharp knife."

"In my opinion, Your Highness may follow His Majesty's previous advice and select those who are ambitious and come from poor families to join the capital inspection team."

"Furthermore, the more than two thousand students who are about to graduate from Linzhou are more proficient in criminal law and finance, and they are more experienced in using these skills than the newcomers!"

“Exactly.” Yan Keqiu nodded, echoing Guo Chongtao’s words, and added, “Manpower can solve the problem, but the strategy needs to be adjusted.”

“The standards in Gyeonggi Province are too lenient. If Your Majesty wants to achieve the scale required, the standards for implicating criminals must be relaxed so that more criminals can be implicated.”

His voice was calm, yet he spoke the most scathing words, but no one seemed to find anything wrong with it. Zhao Guangfeng even added:

"That being said, the law must be made public so that everyone knows why someone has committed a crime, rather than being done behind closed doors. This is called open murder, which makes people accept it wholeheartedly."

"Furthermore, now that the judgment in Gyeonggi Province has been handed down, let's start building momentum by having newspapers in various regions select typical cases and judgments investigated by His Highness, publish them in a booklet, and put them in the newspapers to show that the court is not abusing its power to punish, but that there is a law to follow and that crimes will be punished."

The three of them talked back and forth, and a clear and ruthless strategy gradually took shape.

By relaxing standards to broaden the scope of the crackdown, using both newly appointed and corrupt officials as henchmen, and issuing clear laws and decrees as a banner, the emperor ultimately achieved his two major goals: "population" and "land."

As Liu Lie listened to his three subordinates refine the details one by one, his originally solemn expression gradually relaxed. Finally, he smiled and nodded, saying, "Then we will follow your plan, gentlemen. However, we will still need to trouble you all to make the trip."

"Mr. Guo, please draft the regulations for recruiting students and former officials from Linzhou immediately."

"Mr. Yan, you shall preside over the officials to select articles from the Great Han Code and draft the 'Regulations for Sentencing in All Circuits of the Capital,' so as to clarify the standards."

"Mr. Zhao, the task of guiding public opinion and publishing the newspapers will be entrusted to you. In addition, after Mr. Lu has properly resolved the matters in the capital region, he should immediately lead the various inspection teams of the capital region to await orders and enter the Jiannan Province inspection."

Upon hearing Liu Lie's arrangement, the three bowed in unison: "Your subjects obey!"

Liu Lie looked at them and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting: "I entrust my future and the fate of the Han Dynasty entirely to the three of you gentlemen."

Guo Chongtao, Yan Keqiu, and Zhao Guangfeng quickly bowed in return, and then left the East Palace under Liu Lie's watchful gaze.

"Crackling..."

The chill of the twelfth lunar month had not yet completely faded, but the festive atmosphere of the New Year was replaced by another, more intense emotion.

At the beginning of the twelfth year of the Hongwu reign, the streets and alleys of Luoyang, the capital city, were no longer filled with the jubilation of the New Year, but rather with a suppressed buzzing whisper.

Since Liu Jilong overcame all opposition and established official schools in various prefectures and counties throughout the country in the third year of the Hongwu reign, nine years have passed.

Children from ordinary families, even if they cannot study for ten years to achieve fame and success like children from wealthy families, can still be sent to study for two or three years, learn a few hundred commonly used characters, write their own names, and understand government notices.

These small acts of education, for the nation, have enlightened the people, and for the people, have opened a window to the ways of the world.

It was precisely because of the promotion of official schools throughout the country that the newspapers published by the imperial court could be understood by ordinary people, adding a sight that they could not see before.

This newspaper had not shown any power before, but with the arrival of the twelfth year of Hongwu's reign, the first issue of the New Year's newspaper contained astonishing content.

The front pages of both the National Gazette and the Kyungpo newspaper prominently featured the headline "Results of the Gyeonggi Province Investigation Revealed to the World," followed by a dense list of cases and judgments...

In the newspapers, the time, place, people involved, and amount of embezzled funds in all cases of official corruption and the murder of meritorious officials were clearly and plainly recorded.

In addition, there was another astonishing figure at the end of this matter: the total amount of money and grain confiscated during this inspection in the capital was more than 5 million strings of cash, more than 700,000 shi of grain and fodder, more than 1.7 million mu of farmland, and more than 1,000 boxes of antiques and treasures...

The literate people, upon receiving the newspaper, immediately began to tell it to the illiterate people around them.

Each time they read out a line, an uncontrollable gasp and curse erupted from the surrounding crowd.

Discussions, curses, and complaints gathered and fermented in every teahouse, tavern, and street corner of Luoyang.

The silence that usually allowed people to passively accept their fate was ignited at this moment by the black and white words on the newspaper.

They cursed the corrupt officials who were like parasites, hated the nobles who fawned over them, and complained about all the injustices they had suffered.

Amidst the suppressed clamor of the crowd, Prime Minister Cui Shu's carriage slowly made its way back to his residence.

Although the car windows were closed, they could not block out the clear, gritting voices outside.

Cui Shu leaned against the soft cushion made of coarse cotton cloth. Although his eyes were closed, the sounds from outside could penetrate into his ears without any obstruction.

"Damn it, even if I sold tea my whole life, I couldn't sell as much as the scraps of these corrupt officials."

"His Highness the Crown Prince is truly brilliant! Well done! All these scourges should be arrested!"

"I wonder when we'll be able to find out about Luoyang..."

The sounds coming from outside the window made Cui Shu's fingertips tremble slightly.

He had also heard about what was happening at the Eastern Palace. Recently, many graduates from Linzhou had been summoned to Luoyang and given official positions in the Censorate, the Six Ministries, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Ministry of Justice.

All these actions seem to be telling Cui Shu that the so-called capital inspection is not over, and that His Majesty's ambitions are not so small.

Today, listening to the sounds outside the window, Cui Shu finally understood.

His Majesty is indeed not prepared to stop the capital inspection just like that, and the Crown Prince is about to spread this fire in the capital region to other places.

Thinking of this, Cui Shu gradually became uneasy, so upon returning to his residence, he immediately summoned the steward and gave him instructions:
“Tell the younger members of the clan to read the newspapers more often and to be careful in their actions lately.”

"If anything happens, even I, an old man, cannot protect them."

After explaining everything, Cui Shu began to carefully and cautiously attend court sessions as usual, and he was not alone in doing so.

The fates of Cuo Ben, Liu Yingyan, Wang Sifeng, and others are still fresh in our minds, and none of them want to become the next model of meritorious officials.

However, some things are not as easy as they want them to be. If a deeply rooted family loses even one root, the entire tree will collapse.

No one can completely control another person, let alone an entire family.

Therefore, after more than half a month of building momentum, Liu Lie seized the opportunity to find Liu Jilong.

"This is the 'Regulations for Sentencing in All Circuits of the Empire' drafted by your son and several gentlemen. Please take a look, Father."

Inside the Zhenguan Hall, Liu Lie handed over his memorial, which was then passed on to Liu Jilong by Ximen Junsui.

After reviewing the contents and noticing that the sentence was significantly harsher than the last one, Liu Jilong nodded and asked, "How is the selection of the person going?"

"One thousand four hundred and fifty-two officials and four thousand seven hundred and fifty-two clerks have been arranged and can be dispatched to inspect the entire country at any time, but..."

Liu Lie paused, looked at Liu Jilong, and then carefully said, "I request that Father issue the fish tally and flags for the six armies of the Northern Army. Your son plans to have Guo Chongtao, Lu Zhi, Yan Keqiu, Zhao Guangfeng, and others inspect the various circuits."

"This inspection began in five regions: Hexi, Guannei, Hedong, Dongji, and Hebei, with all the tribes heading south."

After Liu Lie finished speaking, Liu Jilong nodded without hesitation and looked at Ximen Junsui: "Give the flags and fish tallies of the six armies of the Northern Army to the Crown Prince."

"This servant obeys..." Ximen Jun then agreed and sent someone to deliver the fish tally and flag to the East Palace.

Seeing that the military power of the Six Armies of the Northern Army was in his hands, Liu Lie couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After all, the Six Armies of the Northern Army numbered 30,000, which was enough to protect more than 6,000 officials and inspectors in the capital.

"I've heard that the Crown Princess is pregnant?"

Seeing Liu Lie's tense demeanor, Liu Jilong tried to strike up a conversation, but Liu Lie remained tense.

She is already two months pregnant, and will probably give birth when I return in triumph.

Liu Lie spoke in a businesslike manner, which gradually made Liu Jilong feel a sense of estrangement.

Perhaps it was because he had been in close contact with Liu Jilong, or perhaps it was because he had grown older and understood the difference between ruler and subject, but in any case, Liu Lie now felt a sense of fear towards Liu Jilong.

This sense of fear is not the fear a son has of his father, but the fear a subject has of his ruler.

Liu Jilong guessed the reason for this sense of alienation, feeling both disappointed and relieved.

He didn't know what to say, so he remained silent until Liu Lie took his leave, at which point he nodded slightly in response.

Under these circumstances, Liu Jilong continued to silently handle government affairs, but soon a palace attendant quickly entered the hall and whispered a few words in Ximen Junsui's ear.

Ximen Junsui's expression changed drastically, and he looked at Liu Jilong with some difficulty. But Liu Jilong seemed to have eyes in the back of his head and spoke directly when Ximen Junsui hesitated: "What is it?"

Seeing that Liu Jilong had asked, Ximen Jun cautiously stepped forward and said in a careful tone, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Taiyuan and the Prince of Jinchang passed away two hours ago..."

"..." Liu Jilong paused, ink dripping onto the memorial. He was stunned for a moment before putting down the brush, his voice trembling slightly.

"Has Gao Jinda also passed away...?"

Gao Jinda, the old minister who gave up his wealth and status within the Guiyi Army and followed me to Lanzhou to create peace in the Hexi Corridor and the Han Dynasty, finally reached the time of his passing.

Wang Shi had been critically ill two years ago, so Liu Jilong was prepared for his death, but Gao Jinda's death was truly unexpected.

After a moment of contemplation, Liu Jilong, perhaps unsure of his own feelings, simply sighed and then spoke:

"Gao Jinda was posthumously granted the title of Prince Su, and Wang Shi was granted the title of Prince Bing. His son Gao Shu inherited the title of Prince of Jinchang, and Wang She inherited the title of Prince of Taiyuan."

"Gao Jinda was posthumously honored as Wenzheng, and Wang Shi as Wencheng. Both were buried with the rites due to princes, and Gao Jinda was buried in the imperial mausoleum."

"Yes." Ximen Jun then cautiously agreed, while unsure how to comfort Liu Jilong.

In his view, given the relationship between Liu Jilong and Gao Jinda, he must be feeling extremely sad at this moment.

To his surprise, Liu Jilong did not remain in a daze for long. After sitting for half a cup of tea, he picked up the brush on the table again and continued to deal with those tedious and complicated memorials.

Ximen Jun didn't know what to say. He had read the works of Emperor Xuanzong and Emperor Yizong of the Former Tang Dynasty since he was a child. In terms of diligence in government, even if the two of them were combined, they probably couldn't match Liu Jilong.

If the two men had been so diligent in their duties, the Tang Dynasty might not have been replaced.

Thinking of this, Ximen Jun quickly cleared his mind of this dangerous idea and retreated to await Liu Jilong's instructions.

Liu Jilong glanced at him sideways, saw him standing there, and then, as if thinking of something, said to him:

"Go sit down below the platform, you don't need to stand all the time."

These words were so direct that Ximen Jun didn't know how to respond. After a long pause, he quickly returned the greeting, then stepped down from the golden platform and sat down to rest.

Although standing for several hours every day had become a habit for him, he still felt an indescribable sense of relaxation now that he could sit down.

He didn't consider himself a good person, but it seemed that following Liu Jilong for so long had changed his character.

He didn't know why he had changed so much, but when he saw Liu Jilong engrossed in his work, he gradually found the answer in his heart.

As he pondered, Liu Lie, who had returned to the Eastern Palace, also saw Guo Chongtao and others surrounding the flags and fish-shaped tallies.

"We have obtained the flag and fish tally. The 30,000 troops of the Northern Army are enough to protect the 6,000 officials during the various provincial inspections."

"It's time for the fire of the Jingchao incident to be fully ignited."

Liu Lie walked into the hall. Upon hearing his voice, Guo Chongtao and the others turned around and bowed to him, but he gestured that they did not need to.

After he finished speaking, Yan Keqiu nodded and said, "Now that the troops and officials are all in place, it is indeed time to take action."

Guo Chongtao and Zhao Guangfeng nodded upon hearing this, and Liu Lie then said, "Among all the provinces, the most difficult to investigate are Dongji and Longyou."

"I will personally go to Longyou. After I have completed the task, I will return to Dongji and then go to Hebei."

"The Guannei Circuit will be handled by Mr. Lu, the Hedong Circuit by Mr. Yan, and the Hebei Circuit and Dongji Circuit by Mr. Zhao and Mr. Guo."

Liu Lie had already figured out the personalities of the four gentlemen under his command. Although everyone knew that inspecting the entire country was a recipe for disaster, the fire in Longxi was not one that ordinary people dared to wade through.

He had to personally deal with Longyou, then assist Guo Chongtao in dealing with the meritorious officials and bureaucrats in the eastern capital region, and finally Hebei.

Logically speaking, he shouldn't need to go to Hebei, but he remembered his father saying that he hoped he could visit Daning and Liaodong.

There are not many people living in Daning and Liaodong now, so he was placed in Hebei Province for the capital inspection, which also gave him the opportunity to check on the situation in Daning and Liaodong.

"Your Highness is wise..."

The three were very satisfied with this arrangement, and Liu Lie nodded and said, "If that's the case, then let's start after the spring boudoir ends this year!"

"Yes!!"

With the matter of the capital and various circuits settled, Liu Lie and Yan Keqiu and others got busy.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Annam, the garrison troops of the Tuntian Zhechong Prefecture were continuously cutting down trees and clearing land for farming to the south.

The children collecting seafood on the beach also faintly heard the horn sound and couldn't help but look up.

Where did the bugle call come from?

Dozens of children searched the beach in confusion, and finally a thin, bony child spotted the black dot in the sea.

"Look! Look, there's a ship on the sea!"

"Boat?!"

All the children looked towards the sea, and sure enough, there were black dots moving on the water. So they all started waving at the black dots.

"Hey!!"

The children waved continuously, and the black dot in the distance grew larger with each wave until the outline of a ship appeared in their sight.

The commotion on the beach attracted the soldiers who were clearing land. They all came to the beach with their weapons, fearing that it was pirates rather than a merchant ship.

As they watched with concern, the ship gradually came into focus, its flags fluttering in the sea breeze.

The words "Great Han" on the banners were particularly eye-catching, and the garrisoned soldiers were also surprised, never expecting that there would be imperial ships in such a remote place.

"I'm back... I'm finally back..."

"Hey!!"

As the flags of the ships came into view of the garrison, the flags of the "Great Han" from the garrison village also came into view of the people on the deck.

At that moment, hundreds of sailors dressed in tattered battle coats ran to the bow of the ship. Looking at the group of people on the beach and the flags in the village, they couldn't help but shout loudly.

On the 24th day of the first month of the twelfth year of the Hongwu reign, the fleet that had been sent to explore the Eastern Ocean four years ago finally returned to the territory of the Han Dynasty...

(End of this chapter)