You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

"Fire a small amount of money as a token gesture, then release them and let bygones be bygones."

"Which council member suggested this?"

"The meaning of 'above'"

The city lord was initially worried about leaving loose ends if he didn't clean things up properly, but upon hearing this, his expression turned serious, clearly indicating that the high priest had taken notice. He was both pleased and worried.

He could use this to demonstrate his decisive support for the Great Qian Dynasty, but a poor performance would be disastrous. Chapter 108: The Tithe Will Always Exist (6K)

too difficult.

Upon receiving the order to punish, the city lord understood that it was not as simple as just following orders.

Even if no explicit order has been issued yet, the crackdown will begin in Longshanpo. Who knows how many people will be implicated in this crackdown? Many of those he promoted back then will be affected.

At this point, there's no time to worry about anything else.

As long as one remains uninvolved, that's good enough. Successfully preserving one's political life amidst major events that shake the government and the country is a sign of skill.

The difficulty in this world lies in the fact that we are all intertwined with each other.

"well

He knew perfectly well that some people were inevitably connected to him, or even related by blood, but how could he not help or take care of them when he was in the thick of it? Faced with the pressure from the High Priest, he could only obey completely and dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction.

In particular, it includes a rather severe punishment: expulsion from the church.

Signed by the Great Prophet himself.

From a cultural perspective, the Tiandao Sect's ruling signifies that believers must distance themselves from sinners, resulting in social death, and everyone must draw a line between themselves and the sinner.

Even more serious is the supernatural significance, since the lack of sectarian protection could easily lead to contamination.

Even after death, they won't find peace.

The various punishments were no less severe than the end of a political life, striking at both the secular world and the faith. Expulsion from the church was particularly harsh and represented the High Priest's wrath.

After all, the Great Prophet may have signed the document, but the actual leader of the sect is Feng Tianyin.

"Take them away."

The city lord relayed the order, and his garrison troops immediately sprang into action.

Even the priests who witnessed it together looked surprised, thinking to themselves that they had really offended some important figures. They never expected that she, a mere sub-district priest appointed to a local area, would witness the extension of the great figures' authority above the temple and easily overwhelm this second largest city-state in the northern part of the plain.

They took the tax collectors and their entourage from the prison and escorted them to the capital, traveling day and night.

News of such a major move spread quickly.

Even Xia He received another follow-up notification: "We choose to punish severely as a warning." This was the final choice.

Very decisive.

Feng Tianyin's decisions are never hesitant or indecisive; she always makes swift and decisive moves.

She made up her mind to sort out Daqian's tax system.

Xia He deeply agreed, after all, she received personal tax text messages every month. For a political entity, this was an important source of nourishment, an indispensable function, and a rigorous system.

Despite the numerous technological limitations of the classical era, we must still do our best.

"The leadership agenda has taken effect, hasn't it?"

Moreover, Feng Tianyin, who possesses the necessary authority, can do even more. With the release of a series of decrees for self-inspection, the tax farmers in various city-states have indeed become more restrained, after all, the high priest's deterrent power is strong enough.

Nobody wants to face such severe punishment; having finally entered officialdom, they might as well behave themselves.

The city-states gradually became the lowest point in the political ecology of the Daqian-controlled area.

That's not surprising.

The initial design of the feudal states was intended for them to develop extensively, without any expectation that they would fully catch up with the advanced technology of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Xia He could tell that the temple's higher-ups' will was limited to tax reform. There was no need to start a major case, and it was also to maintain the gap between the city-state and the Great Qian Dynasty. In any case, it was not entirely their own core territory.

"This puts the city-state in a difficult position, pleasing neither side."

"However, this period was specifically for expanding by taking advantage of the benefits of the feudal system."

"It is estimated that the enfeoffment of the Great Qian Dynasty will not stop until the Southern Blessed Plain is completely occupied."

It is a long-term national policy.

Even in the next round, Xia He will not make major adjustments, because the basic framework suitable for the early development of the classical era has been established.

Having laid a solid foundation so far, I can even be a hands-off player, quickly passing rounds to increase efficiency... However, considering how cute the little AI is, it's okay to meet it more often during the intervals between rounds.

Feng Tianyin needs to grow up now; is this considered her childhood?

Childhood needs companionship.

She will still be playing the game seriously for the time being, which is why she is paying attention to the pop-up issue.

Xia He then turned her attention to the trial. As the saying goes, major cases reveal politics, and the culprits of this serious tax resistance incident were naturally to be dealt with swiftly and severely.

"They've already established a judicial system?"

I just realized that the Daqian Court has judges, lawyers, and juries...

It's obvious that Feng Tianyin is bringing up some achievements from later generations in advance. Everyone is doing it in a very professional manner, probably having been in practice for decades. It has increased the cost of litigation but made the process clearer.

Regardless of whether moving it out in advance is good or bad, it certainly fits some of the typical logic and patterns of the little android Feng Tianyin:

Make the unfamiliar area familiar and then deal with it.

It is essentially an AI mindset.

Constructing legal procedures that are both in line with the present and more advanced in the Great Qian Dynasty is a kind of "innovative thinking" that is difficult for her to do. Perhaps she could try a different approach. Let it grow in the form of a future era first, and then adapt it to the current context. Thus, the scene in Xia He's eyes was created.

It was practically a massive cosplay event; the professional knowledge was lacking, but the procedures were impeccable.

In a sense, the Great Qian Dynasty was also a system of "divine rule". Fortunately, the High Priest had excellent personal morality, otherwise it might have turned into the result of the meticulous cultivation of those "African benevolent rulers".

No wonder the judiciary can be listed separately in Daqian, because there are indeed professional institutions that follow procedures and the rule of law.

Xia He skipped the tedious and drawn-out trial.

As expected, the court swiftly announced its criticism of the tax official:

"Disloyal and dishonest to the organization, providing false information and covering up the facts, being two-faced and deceitful, embezzling public funds, possessing a large amount of unexplained wealth, and involved in cases involving large sums of money..."

That's just right.

She often underestimated the transformative effect Feng Tianyin alone could have on the ecological atmosphere of the Great Qian Dynasty.

The high priest's work is so conspicuously a form of information pollution that it stitches together various pieces of information from later generations, making it both laughable and pathetic.

However, the underlying color of the earlier version is correct.

Xia He guessed that Feng Tianyin probably firmly believed that even if it was just doing superficial work, some of the core essence inside could be perceived by those with exceptional talent, and would subtly change everyone.

That's the right thing to do.

She is more pragmatic than anyone else when it comes to getting things done, is impartial and performance-oriented, yet possesses the most steadfast idealism and always believes in a bright future.

If it were a world of cultivation, this Dao heart could dominate for eternity.

Coming back to her senses, Xia He murmured, "The trial also has religious implications, doesn't it?"

The Heavenly Dao Sect also participated in a decree of extermination.

Through Feng Tianyin's years of management, it seems to her, with her perspective from a later time, that the politics of the Great Qian Dynasty are actually inclined towards political parties and platforms, which have profoundly influenced the politics of the Great Qian Dynasty. This is also the ingenious design of Gegentana, which is to combine it with secular affairs.

"I disagree, I want to appeal."

"That's your right, do as you please, but the outcome won't change."

Xia He curiously turned her gaze to the temple, and sure enough, the group from the Imperial Study were also discussing the case.

She can leave the rest to Feng Tianyin without any problem.

"Your Majesty, the trial is over."

Li Zhengxuan reported with dark circles under his eyes, after all, he had personally supervised so many people and complicated matters involved.

Although I don't have the same energy as before, I must give it my all.

Attitude is very important.

Feng Tianyin, sitting at the desk, accepted the verdict and nodded. These tax officials who caused the trouble were finished for life. Those involved were also severely punished, but only the ringleaders were exterminated, while the rest were let off the hook.

She had no interest in orchestrating a purge; the current case followed the established procedures and the outcome she had envisioned.

"The so-called case is never the key point."

"Everyone needs to understand that the tax-farming work in Daqian cannot be interfered with without authorization."

The high priest's authoritative voice caused everyone to nod in response—

"You're right."

Even the temple's high-ranking officials present did not expect things to go so smoothly. They had thought there would be concealment, cover-ups, and implicating others, and were even prepared to wipe out the entire Lianlong Mountain City Lord's Mansion.

As a result, they obediently cooperated at Feng Tianyin's command, and their reports were very honest, without daring to falsify anything.

Therefore, the punishment should be limited to issuing a record of negligence.

What's behind this is truly terrifying.

It is likely that the High Priest has meticulous control over all aspects of the Great Qian Dynasty, possesses boundless authority, and her orders are orders. Anything she wants to promote will not involve any exchange of benefits or losses in execution, and she opens the door to convenience.

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Feng Tianyin raised her head, sensing that the other person's expression was hesitant to speak, which was not difficult to analyze.

Li Zhengxuan immediately bowed and apologized: "I am also partly to blame for this incident. Perhaps the attention I received was insufficient. Therefore, I hope you will grant me permission to reduce the workload of some departments."

Silence reigned.

Being busy is proof of power; being busy is good, because only by being busy can one gain status.

Conversely, Li Zhengxuan's use of this excuse to reduce his workload suggests he's preparing for retirement.

Unlike the two generals who had some hidden injuries that were difficult to heal and resigned due to the exhaustion of the southern expedition, he could have paved the way in advance to gradually retire behind the scenes.

"What does the foolishness of those remote, mountain-high city-states going their own way have to do with you? It's not a mistake. But I understand your hard work... Have you been feeling tired lately?"

Yes, sir.