The prince is more stable

Chapter 946 Confiscating Property and Arresting People
The land deeds for more than 100,000 hectares of farmland have been handed over, but 20,000 hectares are still short.

Essentially, this was a high-level robbery within the palace.

The emperor robbed the empress dowager.

The concepts of "reason" and "law" do not apply to these two people; theoretically, the law serves them.

Because you own too much land, I'm taking it from you. If you're not happy, come and fight.

Zhao Xiaoqian and Empress Dowager Xiang were both well aware of their roles, but they worked together to make the robbery seem peaceful and even managed to smile and chat.

Zhao Xiaoqian wanted to kill people to establish his authority, while the Empress Dowager wanted to buy her own life. Land was the money to buy her life; it was that simple.

Empress Dowager Xiang sensed something amiss from Zhao Xiaoqian's tone.

She managed to save her life because she was sensible and cooperative.

She retained her position as Empress Dowager; she remained the most esteemed Empress Dowager in the harem, and the Emperor still had to bow and greet her when he saw her.

However, more than 20,000 hectares of farmland have not yet been delivered, so this matter is not over yet.

Empress Dowager Xiang knew that Zhao Xiaoqian would eventually target her family.

Since you are unwilling to give me land, I will send you on your way.

"Is the Empress Dowager reluctant? Is she unwilling to part with it?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked with a smile, staring at the Empress Dowager's changing expressions.

Empress Dowager Xiang forced a smile: "But for the sake of the common people, I am willing to put righteousness before family. Your Majesty's actions are not wrong, and I have no regrets."

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked: "Your Majesty really doesn't blame me? Those two are Your Majesty's cousins."

Empress Dowager Xiang gritted her teeth: "They dared to block the Emperor's path, they deserve it, they were destined to be punished."

Zhao Xiaoqian let out a breath.

It must be admitted that this woman is very smart. Once she sees the situation clearly, she is more clear-headed and ruthless than anyone else.

A woman who can become Empress Dowager cannot be a fool.

Perhaps her interference in politics a few days ago and her face-to-face argument with him was her only misjudgment.

She was acting in her own self-interest at the time, but after being severely punished by Zhao Hao, she finally came to her senses.

Compared to one's own life, personal gain is truly insignificant.

Now she has no say in the court or the palace. Under such circumstances, she has no choice but to appear weak and live a life of ignominy.

After Zhao Xiaoqian ascended the throne, he firmly grasped both the power of the court and the military power of the country. This was the reason and the source of his confidence to challenge the interests of powerful and influential people, including the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager Xiang has gone from having a condescending attitude towards Zhao Xiaoqian at the beginning of his reign to gradually developing a sense of awe towards him in just a few months.

Strength determines everything. When someone discovers that their life or death is determined by someone else's single thought, even the most arrogant and domineering person will become docile and obedient.

The lives of the two uncles were thus sacrificed without hesitation by Empress Dowager Xiang.

Despite feeling humiliated and harboring some resentment, Empress Dowager Xiang ultimately made the right and rational choice.

After a few words, the two had finished discussing their business.

Both of them relaxed considerably and began chatting and laughing again.

"I have heard that the Empress Dowager likes Ru ware porcelain, so I have issued an edict ordering the local area to send more Ru ware to the palace. It will be sent to the Qingshou Hall, and I hope the Empress Dowager will accept it with pleasure," Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile.

The Empress Dowager was overjoyed and said, "I heard that the Empress is more than two months pregnant, so I had someone buy some top-quality century-old ginseng, he shou wu, gastrodia elata, etc. I will have a palace maid send them to the Empress later. Although they are top-quality tonics, they should be examined by the imperial physician before use, and the dosage should be appropriate."

Zhao Xiaoqian cupped his hands in thanks: "On behalf of the Empress, I thank the Empress Dowager for her kind intentions."

The two looked at each other and smiled, their smiles filled with sincerity and goodwill; they were not mother and son, but their bond was stronger than that of mother and son.

If a historian were present at this moment, he would surely be moved to tears and write furiously in the annals, "The Emperor and the Empress Dowager share a deep and abiding affection; the imperial family is harmonious, and the nation is at peace. This is an auspicious sign."

…………

While the civil and military officials were still busy with the campaign against the Western Xia, another shocking piece of news came from the court.

In order to support the new policies of the emperor and the upcoming implementation of the equal land tax law, Empress Dowager Xiang voluntarily handed over 100,000 hectares of land owned by her maternal relatives to the court for resettling displaced farmers.

This news can be seen as the first shot fired in Zhao Xiaoqian's attempt to implement the Fangtian Equal Tax Law.

After officials across the country digested this shocking news, people finally realized that the Fangtian Equal Tax Law was finally going to be implemented, and no amount of opposition from anyone could change that.

Even the Empress Dowager personally handed over her land holdings. Who in the world was more stubborn than the Empress Dowager and dared to openly oppose her?
The situation caused an uproar both inside and outside the court. Many officials cursed loudly in their residences, but dared not utter a sound at the court meeting.

Of course, there were also those who were bold enough to openly submit memorials under the banner of "ancestral system" and "harming the country," fiercely opposing the government's implementation of the anti-equal land tax law.

This time, the Council of State's approach to these audacious memorials from court officials was different from usual.

Zhang Dun, Cai Bian, and others were surprisingly consistent in their attitude; they chose to remain silent and ignored the memorial.

But Cai Jing, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, took action. He summoned the Minister of Personnel and gave him a list of officials who had submitted memorials opposing the Equal Land Tax Law. Cai Jing instructed the Minister of Personnel to dismiss all of these officials from their posts.

The other prime ministers in the Council of State Council did not say anything about Cai Jing's ruthless methods. Although Cai Jing's actions were somewhat presumptuous, even Zhang Dun remained silent, which could be regarded as tacit approval of Cai Jing's use of ruthless methods.

This was the first time the Council of State Affairs had responded directly to the memorials submitted by the ministers. Regardless of what the prime ministers thought, this time they ultimately stood on the side of the emperor.

After several decrees of dismissal were issued, the officials' anxieties finally subsided.

They now understand that the implementation of the Fangtian Equal Tax Law is unstoppable.

The emperor has made up his mind to resolutely implement the equal land tax system, even at the cost of offending the interests of officials and powerful families across the land. The land in the country is about to undergo a complete reshuffling.

At the same time, a cavalry troop galloped towards a luxurious mansion twenty miles north of Bianjing city.

The cavalry consisted of nearly a thousand men, all of whom were armored and armed with firearms and swords, galloping at full speed with a menacing air.

The leader was a young civil official, about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with handsome features and a stern face. He wore only a low-ranking green official robe, and the light in his eyes was like the stars in the night sky, shining brightly, as if they contained the world and the universe.

The civil official, accompanied by a thousand-strong cavalry, arrived outside this luxurious mansion.

"Dismount!" the cavalry commander shouted.

The thousand soldiers dismounted in unison, their right hands resting on the hilts of their swords at their waists, their gazes coldly fixed on the tightly closed gates of the mansion.

There were strong guards on duty outside the mansion. Seeing that the cavalry looked menacing, they knew that the visitors were up to no good. The guards hurriedly ran inside to inform their master.

The young civil official stood outside the door, silently watching the tightly closed gate, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

After a long while, seeing that the gate was still tightly closed and no one came out to answer, the civil official did not wait any longer. He took a deep breath and shouted, "The Censorate has verified that Xiang Bingyi, the Military Governor of Fenghua Army and Grand Master of Xuande, has committed many illegal acts."

"By imperial decree, the Censorate, together with the Palace Guards, shall search and confiscate Xiang Bingyi's residence, seize all his property and land, and bring the entire household to the Imperial City Guard for strict interrogation!"

"Palace Infantry Commander, break down the gate and seize the man!"

A thousand soldiers shouted in unison, and amidst a chaotic clanging of armor, the gates of the Xiang residence were kicked down by countless soldiers.

Finally, someone responded.

The side gate of the Xiang residence opened, and an elderly man dressed in a purple official robe rushed out. This man was Xiang Bingyi, one of the Empress Dowager's cousins.

"Stop! I am a member of the imperial family, a relative of the emperor. How dare you be so disrespectful! I will report this to the Emperor and you will be severely punished!"

As the side door opened, a large group of strong guards emerged from behind Xiang Bingyi, each wielding weapons such as broadswords and spears, and some even wearing the standard fish-scale armor of the imperial army.

The leading civil official narrowed his eyes, his gaze quickly passing through Xiang Bingyi and sweeping over the guards behind him who were wearing fish-scale armor, before revealing a cold smile.

"Very well! They dared to hoard weapons and armor, gather a crowd to resist arrest, and plot treason. Their crime is doubled!"

Xiang Bingyi was startled and quickly turned around. He found that there were indeed several people wearing armor behind him. He was immediately horrified and kicked the guards hard.

"You bastards! Who told you to come out wearing armor? Are you trying to kill me?"

Xiang Bingyi, who had been so confident and self-assured, was now pale-faced and filled with fear and despair.

According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, neither powerful officials nor ordinary people were allowed to privately collect or manufacture armor; violators would be punished for treason.

Short weapons are permissible, and sometimes the government even turns a blind eye to long weapons, but armor is the biggest taboo, and private ownership of it is absolutely forbidden.

The guards of Xiang Bingyi's family must have gone mad, or perhaps they were ignorant of the law. They thought that wearing armor to resist arrest and the law was impressive, but they never expected that they would send their master to his doom.

"I don't know these people, I've never seen them before!" Xiang Bingyi immediately distanced himself from them.

The leading civil official of the Censorate smiled faintly: "Whether you know them or not, and what your plans are, you can go to the Imperial City Bureau's Ice Well Office to explain. I am only responsible for arresting them."

"Take down everyone present! Anyone who resists arrest will be killed on the spot!"

A thousand soldiers swarmed forward, and before Xiang Bingyi and the guards behind him could even pick up their weapons to fight back, they were tackled to the ground and swiftly bound.

The matter was not over yet; the Censorate not only wanted to arrest the person, but also to confiscate their property.

Hundreds of soldiers stormed into the Xiang residence, where screams of panic erupted from men and women, who cursed and begged for mercy.

Despite their invocation of Empress Dowager Xiang's name, the civil officials and soldiers remained unmoved.

Soon, Xiang Bingyi's residence was cleared by the soldiers of the Palace Guard. The young civil official walked into the residence and went straight to the storeroom. The storeroom, which had been forcibly opened, was filled with a dazzling golden light. Inside were piles of gold leaves, silver coins, copper coins, and all kinds of rare gems, pearls, corals, rhinoceros horns, and so on.

This is simply a huge treasure trove; any one item in it could provide enough for ordinary people to live comfortably for ten years.

An official from the Inspectorate stood outside the warehouse, looking at the mountains of gold and silver, and took a deep breath.

"As expected of a powerful relative of the emperor, their reputation is well-deserved!" the official murmured.

"Seize everything, record it, and deposit it into the national treasury. Not a single copper coin can be missing!"

(End of this chapter)