Douluo Continent: Gretchen at the start, empowered by the Star God.

Chapter 149 Strengthening Centralized Power

With the first implementation of the imperial examination system, Lang Lei realized that Douluo Continent was about to usher in a new era, an era where heroes were judged not by their Soul Master level, but by their talent and learning.

While strength may still be the primary factor, Lang Lei's actions undoubtedly provide a way for ordinary people and Soul Masters with less talent to reach a higher status.

In a short time, Lang Lei's popularity among the people soared, and the cult of personality reached its peak.

Almost everyone has spoken at length about national politics, considering themselves learned but with nowhere to put their ambitions to use, and Langley has given them that opportunity.

Since Lang Lei needed talent for governing the country and military commanders, he only set up two subjects in the imperial examination: policy essays and military strategy, which was sufficient.

As a witness to and promoter of this great change, Lang Lei felt a great responsibility, but with his personal strength, he faced almost no resistance.

The imperial examination system was not only the main way to select officials, but also the key to the future development of the empire.

Langley understood this well. Although Langley later intended to develop the empire into a republic, nothing can be accomplished overnight.

This revolutionary idea was ahead of its time in the Douluo Continent for at least a thousand years. Even for him, it would be difficult to change people's minds in a short period of time.

The Soul Master cultivation system is a natural barrier.

Therefore, in preparing for the imperial examination, Lang Lei strived to ensure rigor and fairness in every aspect. From setting the examination content to selecting examiners, from arranging the examination venue to maintaining examination discipline, every step was carefully designed and repeatedly considered by Lang Lei. He even consulted with Alicia and Xier to ensure that every candidate could showcase their talents in a fair environment.

To better prevent trouble from nobles, Lang Lei specially set up the Imperial Examination Service Center and the Dengwen Drum. It not only provided comprehensive pre-exam guidance and services, but also, in case of emergencies, one only needed to strike the Dengwen Drum, which was located every five kilometers, and then report the matter.

The Dengwen Drum itself is composed of Lang Lei's first soul skill, and no one on the Douluo Continent can destroy it. In addition, there are many of them, so it is impossible for the powerful families to watch them all.

With Lang Lei personally overseeing the situation, no one dared to openly prevent others from striking the Dengwen Drum.

Because of Lang Lei's performance, the nobles in various places did not dare to make any moves, so not many people beat the Dengwen Drum. With the help of Xuan Bing, Li Huo and Lan Ying, it took almost no time.

Lang Lei understood that for many candidates, the imperial examination was not only an opportunity to change their fate, but also a test of their self-worth. During the preparation process, Lang Lei adopted a series of specific measures to ensure the smooth implementation of the imperial examination system.

First, Langlei assembled a professional team to oversee the development and updating of the exam content, ensuring that the questions comprehensively and fairly assess the candidates' abilities and knowledge.

Secondly, Langlei rigorously selects its examiners to ensure that all examiners possess high professional ethics and rich evaluation experience.

In addition, Lang Lei visited each examination room to conduct a comprehensive safety and facility inspection to ensure a safe and comfortable examination environment.

To prevent cheating and ensure the fairness of the exam, all candidates will undergo strict entry checks.

Because of Lang Lei's frequent appearances, a saying even circulated among the people: "The Star Luo Empire prospered because of the imperial examination; the path of the imperial examination was accompanied by the Holy Emperor."

Langley understood that a powerful empire needed a solid talent pool as its foundation. Therefore, he vigorously promoted the imperial examination system, selecting talented officials through examinations.

In his previous life, he was also a student and understood that this system could effectively break the monopoly of official positions by aristocratic families, giving more people of ordinary backgrounds but with great talent the opportunity to enter the empire's bureaucratic system.

Furthermore, the implementation of the imperial examination system not only improved the overall quality of officials but also enhanced the empire's governance capabilities. At the same time, this system effectively alleviated social conflicts, providing a guarantee for the empire's long-term stability and security.

Lang Lei believed that there shouldn't be any problems...

Of course, reforms cannot rely solely on the imperial examination system. Once the preparations for the imperial examination were nearly complete, Lang Lei began to work on centralizing power.

In strengthening central authority, Langley took a much tougher approach, employing a series of decisive measures.

He first reformed the local administrative system, abolishing all the original duchies. Anyone who dared to disobey or outwardly defy him would be met with a direct attack from Lang Lei.

First, the power of local officials was weakened, and power was divided up again and again, which also provided more job opportunities. Then, more administrative power was brought back to the central government.

This effectively prevented the expansion of local power and ensured the uniformity and smooth flow of government orders. To further consolidate centralized power, Langley also established a rigorous oversight system to supervise local officials and prevent them from abusing their power.

As for military reforms...

Langley knew that a strong army was an important guarantee for maintaining the unity and stability of the empire.

After all, he knows perfectly well how he got his position. Moreover, the maintenance of various new systems in the Star Luo Empire now largely depends on his personal military strength, which is unacceptable.

Therefore, he vigorously reorganized the army, improving soldiers' treatment and training levels. To ensure the army's loyalty, Langley also implemented a merit-based system, rewarding soldiers and generals based on their military achievements. This not only boosted the army's morale but also enhanced its combat effectiveness.

At the same time, the practice of turning beans into soldiers was also implemented. From time to time, Lang Lei would fill in some bean soldiers into the army to ensure that he could have absolute control over each army.

In terms of the economy, Langley implemented a series of policies that were conducive to the development of agriculture and commerce.

Food is the most important thing for people...

One is their rice bowl, the other is their wallet; of course, they should be taken seriously.

Lang Lei first encouraged farmers to reclaim wasteland to improve agricultural production efficiency, while also reducing taxes to alleviate the burden on farmers.

In the business field, Lang Lei doesn't actually know much, so he can only put it aside for now and wait until suitable talent is selected before carrying out the reform.

In just three months, the Star Luo Empire has achieved remarkable success in politics, economy, and military affairs.

The strengthening of centralized power ensured unified imperial decrees and stable social order; the implementation of the imperial examination system selected a large number of outstanding talents for the empire; military reforms improved the empire's defense capabilities; and economic policies promoted the empire's prosperity and development.

Furthermore, many civilians from the Heavenly Dou Empire began to immigrate to the Star Luo Empire after hearing about the policies here.

Lang Lei, of course, accepted all offers without hesitation.

He would love for his country to have more people.

Not enough space?

It's about reclaiming land from the sea!

His abilities are just for show...

"This is really a headache..." Lang Lei sat on the throne, feeling a throbbing pain in his temples.

He now understood why most emperors in history had short lifespans; the workload was truly terrifying...

Just then, a pair of soft hands began to massage his temples. When he turned around, it was Alicia.

"Thanks, Airi."

"It seems Xiao Du aspires to be a wise ruler."

"Stop teasing me, Ellie."