Many children, many blessings; a stunningly beautiful wife is given to you right from the start.

"Alright, court is adjourned."

Lin Mo stood up and walked straight out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The officials breathed a sigh of relief and knelt down in unison.

"Congratulations to Your Majesty!"

The threshold of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was a bit high, and Lin Mo grimaced as he stepped over it.

These ministers do nothing but complain about being poor and report on trivial matters all day long.

Being an emperor is even more tiring than being a beast of burden in my previous life.

He strolled back to the Imperial Study.

Lin Mo slumped onto the large dragon throne, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a big gulp.

Zhao Wu knelt on one knee and raised a heavy iron box above his head with both hands.

His armor still smelled of undried blood.

"Your Majesty, all three hundred assassins of Luofeng Manor have been executed. These are the account books and secret letters seized from the manor's secret chamber."

Zhao Wu kept his head down, not daring to even breathe loudly.

The image of over three hundred heads falling to the ground yesterday is still replaying in his mind.

That's terrifying.

Lin Mo raised his hand.

The iron box flew into the air and landed steadily on the desk.

pat.

Lin Mo unlocked the latch and opened the top ledger.

Lin Mo chuckled after flipping through a couple of pages.

The Wang family, the Cui family, the Li family, the Zheng family...

All the top-tier families in Beijing are listed above.

Each of them sent tens of thousands of taels of silver and thousands of kilograms of refined iron to Luofeng Manor.

There were even various prohibited crossbows and armor.

Good guy.

This shows they are determined to support the remnants of the Xia family and cause trouble for the Great Qian Dynasty.

Lin Mo threw the account book back into the box.

"Zhao Wu".

"Your subordinate is here!"

Zhao Wu felt a shiver run through his body.

Lin Mo tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table.

"What is the reputation of these aristocratic families in the capital?"

Zhao Wu hesitated for a moment before reporting the truth.

"Your Majesty, these powerful families are deeply entrenched and control more than 70% of the shops and land in the capital. They are usually arrogant and domineering, and have done a lot of things like bullying men and women."

"They forcibly seized farmland, forced women into prostitution, and even rode horses recklessly in the streets, injuring people. Even the Prefect of the Capital dared not intervene, and the people dared not speak out against their anger."

Lin Mo nodded.

Isn't this just a ready-made ATM and experience pack?

Just when the national treasury was worried about not having enough money to pay salaries, these money-giving children jumped out on their own.

If we don't thoroughly investigate them, we'll be doing this ledger a disservice.

"Issue my decree."

Lin Mo picked up the vermilion pen and quickly wrote several large characters on the paper.

"Mobilize 10,000 imperial guards and surround all the mansions of these noble families listed in the register."

Zhao Wu looked up, his face full of shock.

"His Majesty!"

Zhao Wu was so anxious that he moved his knees forward two inches.

"These families have a great many protégés and former officials both in and out of the court; half of the officials in the court have some connection with them."

"If we directly deploy the army, it might cause turmoil in the court..."

According to the rules of past dynasties, any attempt to harm these top-tier families must be made gradually.

Find incriminating evidence, eliminate cronies, and divide and win over opponents.

Why would you send a large army to besiege them?

If pushed too far, the powerful families might join forces in rebellion, and the capital will surely descend into chaos!

Lin Mo sneered.

"Turbulence? The Great Qian Empire was built by me, not by these parasites."

"Treason and collusion with the enemy, plotting rebellion. Aren't these eight words enough to warrant the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan?"

Zhao Wu swallowed hard.

"That's enough... that's enough."

"Then let's get it done."

Lin Mo tossed the written imperial edict to Zhao Wu.

"Men will be beheaded, women will be sent to the brothel, and all their property will be confiscated. Anyone who dares to resist will be killed on the spot without asking for permission."

Zhao Wu accepted the imperial edict with both hands, his hands trembling.

This new emperor is too ruthless.

They won't play any political games with you; they'll just use force to suppress you.

"This humble general obeys the order!"

Zhao Wu turned and left the imperial study, his steps hurried.

The imperial study fell silent.

Lin Mo looked at Lu Zhi, who had been standing to the side as a background figure.

"Lu Zhi".

"Your subject is here."

Lu Zhi stepped forward and bowed.

Lin Mo pushed the account book that Zhao Wu had just brought to the table.

"With the downfall of powerful families, a large number of positions in the court will definitely be vacant, and the shops and land under their names will also cause turmoil."

Lin Mo leaned back in his chair.

"I've entrusted the task of killing to Zhao Wu; now, I'm leaving the cleanup to you."

"Do you have any way to ensure that the court and the people remain in order?"

Lu Zhi stepped forward, picked up the account book, and glanced at it.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He originally thought Lin Mo just wanted to give these aristocratic families a warning.

Unexpectedly, he flipped the table.

However, Lu Zhi was, after all, a seasoned veteran of the officialdom.

After a brief moment of shock, his eyes quickly sharpened.

"Your Majesty, I have three strategies: superior, middle, and inferior."

"Stop talking nonsense and get to the most effective method."

Lu Zhi closed the ledger.

"The root cause of the chaos caused by powerful families lies in their monopoly on the path to officialdom and land."

"Since Your Majesty intends to confiscate property, the confiscated land should be distributed directly to the landless people in the capital and surrounding areas."

"As for the shops, they will be sold by the Ministry of Revenue, and the proceeds will be deposited into the national treasury."

"When the people benefit, they will naturally appreciate His Majesty's kindness. Even if powerful families want to incite a popular uprising, no one will follow them."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.

Hit the local tyrants and divide the fields.

This trick works.

"continue."

"As for the vacancies in the imperial court..."

Lu Zhi paused for a moment.

"His Majesty previously decreed the establishment of free schools, a move that has won the hearts of impoverished students across the land."

"I suggest that a special imperial examination be held immediately to promote talented individuals from humble backgrounds to fill the vacancies."

"These poor scholars have no power base; they can only rely on His Majesty. If they rise to power, the court will naturally be stable."

"Those officials who are terrified by the downfall of powerful families will also do their best to keep their positions."

Lin Mo smiled.

This Lu Zhi, who usually seems timid and submissive, is actually quite cunning when it matters.

"What about public opinion?" Lin Mo asked.

"There are quite a few literati and scholars under the names of these aristocratic families. They will definitely try to smear me among the people, saying that I am a tyrant who kills innocent people indiscriminately."

Lu Zhi's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Your Majesty is overthinking it."

"I will arrange for people to make 10,000 copies of the secret letters from these aristocratic families that funded the assassins of Luofeng Manor, and post them all over the streets and alleys of the capital, so that the whole world can see their ugly faces."

"Hire a few more storytellers to tell stories in teahouses and restaurants every day about how they preyed on the people and colluded with the enemy to betray the country."

"In less than three days, these powerful families will become rats in the street. Anyone who dares to speak up for them will be an accomplice, and the people's spittle will drown them."

Not bad.

To kill someone is to destroy their spirit.

To completely ruin the reputation of the aristocratic families, ensuring they can never recover.

Lin Mo pointed at Lu Zhi.

"Do as you say: register the land holdings, promote those from poor families, and control public opinion. You will personally oversee these three matters."

"If you handle it well, the position of Minister of Revenue will be yours."

Lu Zhi bent his knees and knelt heavily on the ground.

"Your subject is willing to give his life, even unto death!"

Lu Zhi bowed and withdrew.

The door to the Imperial Study was closed again.

Lin Mo sat down in the chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

So far, everything has gone smoothly.

Lu Zhi oversaw the court affairs, while Zhao Wu and the Imperial Guards held military power.

Hidden female guards also monitor the area around the clock.

The Qianlong dynasty has been initially stabilized.

However, in this perilous world, one's own strength is the only true measure of success.

Lin Mo opened the system space.

An ancient array diagram, exuding an aura, floated silently in the center of the space.