Knowing His Crime

Prince Pingyuan said he would abolish the system of servile people.

No one present understood what he meant.

The two High Officials in charge, Yu Yunqiu and Ao Shuangqian, exchanged a glance, trying to figure out what abolishing the servile system meant.

They would no longer be called servile people?

Then what should they be called?

Or would servile people no longer be freely bought and sold?

Was this newly appointed city lord planning to raise taxes?

Li Qi had guessed they might not understand, so he had "Three-Headed Qiao Yi" at his side explain specifically:

"High Officials, Scholarly People, and Common People, submit your registers of servile people to His Highness the Prince. From this day onward, all servile people shall receive the status of Common People. They may stay or leave as they please; none may interfere.

"From now on, all affairs of Xiao City shall be handled by Prince Pingyuan. Those with objections may seek Prince Pingyuan's ruling."

That made it clear.

All the High Officials and Scholarly People were stunned.

The Common People were frightened as well. They also kept servile people in their homes, though not many. Apart from some wealthy merchants and magnates, most Common People had only three to five servile people in their households.

A Scholarly Person's household might have more than ten servile people. A somewhat prosperous Scholarly Person might have over a hundred.

There was no need to mention the High Officials. Men of Yu Yunqiu's and Ao Shuangqian's standing had too many servile people in their homes to count. Without them, they did not even know how they would live, much less dare imagine what Xiao City would become.

Even more shocked than they were was Qiao Yi.

Qiao Yi wanted to rush downstairs, and Nian Shangyou could barely