Ch. 222An Extraneous Chapter: Reform
After ascending the throne, Xu Cheng'an imposed land and civil-service reforms despite fierce aristocratic resistance, then became a god and continued ruling without taking a consort. The chapter leaves the succession unresolved as ministers repeatedly urged him to name a Crown Prince.
- Xu Cheng'an began his reign by abolishing aristocratic land ownership and distributing nationalized land according to population and household size.
- When Earl Wang rebelled in Star Luo City, Xu Cheng'an went there alone and persuaded the Earl and the other rebels to surrender without using force.
- Xu Cheng'an completed land reform after three years and replaced hereditary official selection with empire-wide civil service examinations.
- At twenty-six, Xu Cheng'an broke through level one hundred and became a god as golden light rained over Ming Capital.
- Ten years later, Xu Cheng'an still had no empress, consorts, or children, and ministers pressed him to choose a Crown Prince.