The old emperor only desires immortality; you must not rebel.

The civil and military officials of the imperial court have been extremely busy these past few days.

Of course, they weren't busy with government affairs, but rather with liquidating assets so they could pay taxes to the Holy Emperor.

Whether it's a tax on favors or a tax on the dead, at least one must be paid.

They feared they had miscalculated and would be punished by the Holy Emperor.

Inside the palace, after three whole days of sleeping together in the same quilt, the Holy Emperor finally got out of bed.

"A tyrannical ruler!"

"What a complete tyrant!"

The Holy Emperor looked at his reflection in the mirror and utterly scorned it.

Even with this superhuman physique, it couldn't withstand such intense pressure.

This time, Lu Cheng was not wearing court robes, but rather the clothes of an ordinary wealthy man.

Clearly, the Holy Emperor is about to leave the palace again!

He continued his low-key, incognito visit, but of course, when necessary, he could also stage a "royal armor" combination and deliver a devastating blow to those who dared to challenge the majesty of the Holy Emperor.

Let's go!

After getting dressed, Lu Cheng nodded in satisfaction.

……

Since the Holy Emperor returned to the capital, the people of the city have noticed that the entire city has become quite different.

When did this change begin?

They couldn't remember the exact time, but it should be counted from after the Xie family was raided and their entire household was exterminated.

A large group of refugees who had gathered outside the city were suddenly declared by the officials to have land, which was said to be a gift from the Holy Emperor.

At first they didn't believe it, but when they received the land deed, they realized it wasn't a dream.

Not long after, officials came again to distribute grain and clothing, claiming it was a reward from the emperor.

Are refugees still human?

Those who have lost their land, houses, and relatives are no longer even considered human.

Even seven- or eight-year-old children know this, and the Holy Emperor treats them as human beings.

Some poor tenants who had been oppressed by landlords and gentry also received land.

The tenants who used to farm for the Xie family were suddenly told that the land they cultivated now belonged to the Holy Emperor, but they could have the right to use it.

The tenants, who were barely literate, didn't know what the right to use was, but the corrupt officials told them that as long as they paid the emperor enough, the rest would be theirs.

Upon hearing this news, all the tenants cheered.

The simple tenant farmers' lifelong dream is nothing more than owning a piece of land of their own.

As for the Emperor's favor tax, even if it were 40%, it would be something they wouldn't even dare to dream of.

They wished they could pay more taxes to the Holy Emperor.

The people who once loudly cursed the tyrannical emperor and the dog emperor are now beginning to get used to the title of "Sage Emperor".

Meanwhile, the emperor's ministers, who had once hailed him as a "sage ruler" and "sage emperor," began to privately curse him as a "dog emperor" and a "tyrant."

Many scholars of the Qingliu faction began to meticulously list the emperor's crimes within the academy.

Daqing has academies, which were once the cradle for training officials in Daqing.

Students who graduated from academies could at least obtain the status of "Juren" (a degree in the imperial examination system).

The former headmaster of the academy was none other than the former prime minister, Xiao Linfeng.

Since Xiao Linfeng's family was raided and his clan exterminated, the status of the entire academy has plummeted and is no longer what it used to be.

……

Having left the palace, the Holy Emperor strolled to the entrance of the academy.

"A tyrannical ruler!"

"This is clearly competing with the people for profit!"

"The way to govern the people has always been the same throughout history; whether it was the Southern Chu, the Northern Qi, or the Western Jin, it was always the same!"

"This is the beginning of national ruin!"

A heated argument came from inside the academy.

The Holy Emperor paused at the entrance and looked up at the academy with great interest.

Inside the academy, the scholars were clearly divided into two groups.

One group of people were dressed in luxurious clothes and had an extraordinary air about them; they were all wealthy and noble. The other group of people were dressed in faded student clothes.

The students of the academy were divided into two groups: one group consisted of the sons of high-ranking officials, nobles, gentry, and landlords in the capital, while the other group consisted of those who had passed the imperial examinations and obtained the title of Xiucai through their own efforts.

Upon hearing the disrespectful words from inside the academy, Eunuch Wei, who was following behind, looked uneasy and cautiously glanced up at the Holy Emperor.

What a group of audacious scoundrels!

"Your Majesty, should we kill them?"

As the emperor's top henchman, Qin Xiong was not good with words. He could only flatten the wheels of the carriage and invite his entire clan to accompany the crown prince.

Those who disrespect the emperor shall die!

Lu Cheng looked up and waved his hand, smiling faintly, "I'm not someone who can't stand hearing bad things."

"I want to hear it!"

With that, Lu Cheng walked into the academy.

At this time, the argument between the two factions within the academy became increasingly intense.

Lu Cheng listened from the side and roughly understood the point of the argument between the two groups.

First, taxes; second, land!

In the past, doctors were exempt from taxes. No matter what kind of tax it was, as long as one passed the imperial examination, one could be exempt from taxes.

If a family produces a scholar who has passed the imperial examination, then as long as the land is registered under the scholar's name, it can be exempted from land tax.

But now they're being told that the licentiates are no longer exempt from taxes and have to pay back taxes from twenty years ago—this is clearly profiting at the expense of the people.

As for the scholars from poor backgrounds, they strongly agreed.

"If there weren't treacherous officials in the court, how could His Majesty have acted this way!"

"It's all the fault of that treacherous minister Lu Wenzhou. If it weren't for his slanderous words, His Majesty wouldn't have acted this way."

No one dared to openly criticize the Holy Emperor, but the newly appointed Prime Minister Lu Wenzhou was clearly an exception.

This is also a common tactic used by the gentry and the elite.

The leading scholar, dressed in blue, spoke sharply and forcefully: "The imperial court should govern the country together with the scholar-officials; how can it deprive the powerful and wealthy of their benefits!"

"Your Majesty is undermining the very foundation of our Great Qing!"

As students of the "pure stream" school, the more fiercely they criticize the corrupt emperor, the more famous they become.

Only by becoming famous can one better serve the country!

"snort!"

"It is clear that you spoke out against it because His Majesty threatened your interests."

"asshole!"

"Beat them!"

Soon, the two groups went from arguing to using the most basic and primitive method—fighting!

"Beat him!"

"Kill that son of a bitch!"

"Come on, who's afraid of who!"

"I'm your father!"

The two groups clashed, tearing at each other's clothes, punching each other hard in the nose, and resorting to despicable tactics.

"stop!"

Just then, a low, cold shout came from afar.

"Stop it, all of you!"

Upon hearing the words, both groups stopped fighting, but neither was willing to give up.

"Fighting in the academy, what kind of behavior is this!"

An old man came running up angrily, sternly rebuking, "Have you forgotten the academy's rules?"

His gaze swept over the group of poorly dressed students, pointing to one of the younger ones, and he angrily shouted, "Qi Yue, it's you again!"

"You have repeatedly led trouble, what do you take the academy's rules for?"

Despite his worn-out clothes, his eyes were bright and he still stood out from the crowd with his extraordinary presence.

"Having repeatedly violated the academy's rules and discussed state affairs, this is utterly rebellious. From this day forward, you are no longer a student of the academy!"

"And you all!"

The old man pointed at the group of students behind Qi Yue and sneered, "You bunch of poor scholars should have left the academy long ago!"

The accompanying eunuch, Cao, carefully observed the Holy Emperor's expression. When he saw an evil smile appear on the Holy Emperor's face, he immediately knew something was wrong.

Oh no, the Holy Emperor is about to get angry!