New Policies! Decisively Cutting Down the Heaven Dou Empire!

The hall grew even quieter.

The nobles lowered their heads further, and cold sweat began to bead on the foreheads of some.

"Nobles carve out territories, kingdoms stand like a forest, and imperial decrees cannot even leave Heaven Dou City."

"The common people eat chaff and swallow vegetables, while you live in magnificent, gold-adorned mansions."

"The national treasury has only two and a half million Gold Soul Coins left, yet every one of you is dripping with wealth."

Yan Lingji stood up, her black and red dress trailing across the red carpet. The sound of her heels striking the stone floor echoed rhythmically, like blows against everyone's heart.

"An empire like this—if it does not perish, heaven itself will not tolerate it."

She stood upon the dais, looking down at the shivering figures from her position of authority.

"But since Imperial We have taken this seat, We will not let it continue to rot."

"Imperial We shall make it reborn."

"Imperial We want this continent to be rid of kingdoms, fiefdoms, and the joke that 'the vassal of my vassal is not my vassal'."

"Imperial We shall—"

Her voice paused, and a sharp, piercing light flashed through her peach-blossom eyes.

"Under the vast sky, all is the king's land. Within the borders of the earth, all are the king's subjects."

As these words landed, the hall erupted in an uproar.

The nobles jerked their heads up, eyes wide and round, their faces filled with disbelief.

Under the vast sky, all is the king's land?

Does this not mean reclaiming all kingdoms, duchies, and fiefdoms under direct rule?

Does this not mean digging up the very foundations of their noble status?

Several elderly nobles trembled, their lips moving as if to speak.

But the moment they opened their mouths, the restriction in their minds tightened violently.

The words at their lips were forced back down, leaving them red-faced and gasping.

They wanted to say "this is impossible," they wanted to say "this is ancestral law,"

They wanted to say "the empire has been this way for thousands of years"—but they could not speak.

Because their bodies would not obey them.

Yan Lingji watched the twisted expressions of the nobles, a cold sneer curling her lips.

"What? Do you have objections?"

No one dared to answer.

"Then We shall take your silence as consent."

She turned and walked back to the throne, sitting down once more as nine fox tails fanned out behind her, making her appear like a true Calamity Enchantress.

"Transmit Our decree."

Everyone in the hall knelt in unison.

Yan Lingji raised her eyes, her voice cold and clear.

"The first decree—reform the official system."

"Effective immediately, the Heaven Dou Empire shall implement the Three Departments and Six Ministries System."

"The Secretariat shall hold decision-making power, the Chancellery shall hold auditing power, and the Department of State Affairs shall hold executive power."

"Under the Department of State Affairs, six ministries shall be established: the Ministry of Personnel to manage official promotions and demotions, the Ministry of Revenue to manage finances and household registration, the Ministry of Rites to manage rituals and diplomacy, the Ministry of War to manage military affairs and national defense, the Ministry of Justice to manage law and prisons, and the Ministry of Works to manage engineering and construction."

A collective gasp swept through the hall.

Three Departments and Six Ministries?

What kind of system was this?

They had never heard of it before.

But just hearing the structure, they knew this was no simple adjustment; it was a complete overturning of the Heaven Dou Empire's centuries-old administrative system.

Yan Lingji ignored their shock and continued.

"The second decree—reform local administration."

Her voice turned icy.

"Effective immediately, the Heaven Dou Empire shall abolish kingdoms and revoke fiefdoms."

"The entire nation shall be divided into commanderies and counties, under the direct jurisdiction of the central government."

"The four great kingdoms and the one duchy shall all be converted into commanderies and counties."

"The original nobles shall relocate to Heaven Dou City; their titles shall be retained, and their stipends shall remain unchanged, but they shall no longer participate in political affairs."

As these words landed, the hall erupted into total chaos.

Abolish the kingdoms?

Revoke the fiefdoms?

Those kingdoms had existed for a thousand years!

Those dukedoms and marquisates had been passed down through generations of ancestors!

Now, they were to be abolished just like that?

Confiscated just like that?

An old marquis with graying hair trembled all over, his lips quivering, his eyes filled with sheer terror.

He wanted to stand up and object, wanted to cry out, "This will sever the very roots of the Empire!"

But his body refused to obey him, leaving him kneeling helplessly on the spot.

Yan Lingji cast a glance at him, the corners of her lips curling upward.

"Each commandery shall establish three officials: a Governor, a Commandant, and a Censor. These three powers shall be separated and mutually check one another.

Furthermore, a position of Inspector shall be established, reporting directly to the Imperial Court, to co-sign all official documents with the Governor.

In other words, any order issued by a Governor shall be invalid without the Inspector's signature."

The faces of the nobles in the hall had turned as pale as paper.

Separation of powers?

An Inspector?

This meant that in any given commandery, no single person could hold absolute authority.

The Governor managed administration, the Commandant managed the military, the Censor managed oversight, and the Inspector supervised the Governor.

With four people watching one another, no one would dare to act recklessly.

This system...

It was ruthless.

"The third decree—reform the official selection system."

Yan Lingji's voice continued, unhurried and steady.

"Effective immediately, the hereditary nobility system is abolished.

Existing noble titles shall be converted into lifetime honorary titles, not to be passed down to descendants.

The Empire shall establish an Imperial Examination system to select officials. All scholars under heaven, regardless of status or wealth, upon reaching the age of fourteen, may register to participate in the Imperial Examination.

The examination shall be divided into civil and military tracks; those who pass shall be granted official posts.

The top three candidates of the Palace Examination shall be personally honored by Imperial We."

Abolish heredity?

Not passed to descendants?

Imperial Examination?

Regardless of status or wealth, anyone who passes an exam can become an official?

This—

Was this not digging up the very roots of the nobility?

What was the privilege of the nobility?

It was heredity!

It was the fact that a son could inherit his father's title and status without having to exert any effort!

Now, you tell me that heredity is abolished, and if a son wants to be an official, he must compete in exams alongside the mud-legged peasants?

The expressions of the young noble scions could no longer be described as merely "ugly."

It was despair.

It was the despair of watching everything they were born with being burned to ashes by a single fire.

"The fourth decree—reform the legal system."

Yan Lingji's voice grew even colder.

"Effective immediately, the Heaven Dou Empire New Code shall apply uniformly across the entire territory.

All old noble laws, lordly laws, and kingdom laws are hereby abolished.

Each commandery shall establish a Court of Justice, where judges shall preside independently, free from the interference of local officials.

Nobles who break the law shall be punished the same as commoners.

No person shall be convicted or punished without due legal process."

"Nobles are strictly prohibited from establishing private courts. Violators shall be charged with 'usurpation,' stripped of all titles, executed by waist-chopping, and have their family assets confiscated."

Some in the hall began to tremble.

It was not an ordinary tremor, but an uncontrollable shaking that seemed to seep out from the very marrow of their bones.

Unified laws?

Nobles and commoners punished equally for crimes?

No private courts allowed?

What did this mean?

It meant that the "seigneurial jurisdiction" they had enjoyed for hundreds of years was completely gone!

It meant they could no longer kill or imprison whoever they pleased within their own territories!

"The fifth decree—establish oversight and secret services."

A cold glint flashed in the peach-blossom eyes of Yan Lingji.

"Establish the Censorate to oversee all officials.

The Grand Censor shall report directly to Imperial We, and Censors shall be stationed in every commandery.

Censors are granted the power of 'impeachment by hearsay'—they may report and impeach upon hearing rumors, without needing conclusive evidence.

Additionally, establish the Net, reporting directly to Imperial We, to secretly monitor the words and deeds of all officials.

The Net shall not be subordinate to any government office; it is responsible only to Imperial We."

Censors? Impeachment by hearsay?

And what was this—the Net?

What kind of thing was that?

But from the description alone, they knew it was an omnipresent eye hidden in the shadows, from which no one could escape.

Everyone's spine turned cold.

This meant that every word they spoke and every action they took from now on could be watched by a member of the "Net" hidden in the dark, and then reported directly to the Empress. They wouldn't even have a chance to defend themselves.

"The sixth decree—reform the military system."

The voice of Yan Lingji rose a notch.

"Effective immediately, military power is centralized.

The 'Heavenly Strategy Army' shall be formed based on the original Heaven Dou Imperial Guard, reporting directly to Imperial We, and stationed in Heaven Dou City and other strategic locations.

All private armed forces of nobles and lords must be disbanded or integrated into the imperial army within a set time limit.

Those who refuse to comply shall be charged with 'treason.'

Local garrisons shall have a 'Garrison Commander' in each commandery responsible for local defense, but military power belongs to the central government; Garrison Commanders have no authority to mobilize troops."

Centralize military power?

All private noble armies disbanded?

Garrison Commanders have no authority to mobilize troops?

What did this mean?

It meant that the private armies, the guards, and the armed forces they had raised for hundreds of years—those that answered only to them—would all have to be surrendered!

Without private armies, what could they use to oppose the central government?

What could they use to protect their own territories?

"The seventh decree—fiscal reform."

The voice of Yan Lingji remained steady and unhurried.

"All wealth and taxes under heaven shall be managed uniformly by the central government.

Transport Commissioners shall be established in each commandery, reporting directly to the Ministry of Revenue, responsible for the collection and transport of local wealth and taxes.

Commanderies and counties are forbidden from withholding fiscal revenue; violators shall be charged with corruption.

Any official who levies unauthorized taxes or sets up checkpoints for extortion shall be executed.

Local government officials and their relatives are strictly forbidden from engaging in commercial activities; violators shall be dismissed and investigated."

Withholding fiscal revenue? Unauthorized taxes?

Was this not taking away the local purse strings as well?

Without military power, without financial power, without judicial power—

What could a Commandery Governor even do?

Were they not just empty shells?

"The eighth decree—establish the twenty-rank military merit title system."

The voice of Yan Lingji delivered the final blow.

"Effective immediately, the Empire shall establish a system of twenty ranks of military merit."

"All who pass the Imperial Examination shall be granted low-ranking titles."

"Those who achieve military merit or demonstrate outstanding political performance shall be promoted according to their contributions."

"Titles shall be awarded for merit and punished for crimes; none shall be granted without achievement."

"All titles held by the old nobility are hereby abolished and replaced with the new ranks. These new titles shall not be hereditary, with the sole exception of the Marquis rank, which may be passed down for one generation."

Twenty ranks of military merit?

Not hereditary?

Everyone was stunned.

This meant that the dukedoms, marquisates, and earldoms passed down by their ancestors were all rendered void.

From now on, titles would no longer be inherited through bloodlines, but earned through merit.

Your son wants to be a duke?

Fine, let him take the Imperial Examination and earn military merit himself.

Can't pass the exam? Can't earn merit?

Then he can go be a commoner.

A deathly silence filled the hall.

Yan Lingji sat upon the Imperial Throne, looking down at the pale-faced, trembling nobles, her peach-blossom eyes filled with mockery.

She enjoyed this feeling.

Not the enjoyment of power itself, but the enjoyment of the raw, undisguised fear seeping from the very bones of these people.

They wanted to resist, but they could not.

They wanted to speak, but they could not.

They wanted to curse her, to damn her, to unite and overthrow her—but they were powerless to do so.

Because their bodies would not obey them.

Deep within their seas of consciousness, that restriction acted like an invisible chain, locking them firmly in place.

This is the power of the Master.

Yan Lingji sighed silently in her heart.

Without the Master, no matter how strong she was, she would only ever be an assassin, or at best, a bandit queen.

How could she be sitting on this golden throne, overlooking the entire Empire, as she was now?

A long time passed.

Someone in the hall finally spoke.

A young noble.

The son of a former Earl of the Heaven Dou Empire.

His body shook, his lips quivering.

"Th-this is..."

He wanted to say, "This is a change of the heavens."

But the words died in his throat.

Because he saw the look in Yan Lingji's eyes.

That gaze did not look at them as people; it looked at them as a flock of lambs waiting for the slaughter.

A change of the heavens?

The heavens had already changed.

Yan Lingji withdrew her gaze, leaning back against the throne as her fingers began to tap lightly against the armrest.

Tap, tap, tap.

The crisp sound echoed through the vast hall, beat by beat, like a funeral knell.

"My beloved subjects."

She spoke, her voice carrying a hint of lazy amusement.

"What do you think of these decrees of Ours?"

No one dared to answer.

"No answer? Then that means you all agree."

Yan Lingji chuckled softly.

"Since you all agree, then issue the order."

From this day forth, the Heaven Dou Empire shall change its era name, establish new systems, and implement reforms.

All decrees issued by Imperial We must be obeyed uniformly by every province, prefecture, and county.

Those who resist, those who delay, and those who feign compliance while acting in opposition—

Her voice paused, and a cold light flashed through her peach-blossom eyes.

"Shall be executed without mercy."

As the word "execute" landed, the temperature in the hall seemed to plummet by several degrees.

The nobles trembled all over, their foreheads pressed against the floor, shivering in terror.

They knew—this Empress was not joking.

She was truly capable of killing.

Moreover, her methods of killing were more ruthless than any emperor they had ever seen.

She had killed her way to the top.

From Heaven Dou City to the Sunset Forest, from the Sunset Forest to the Duke's Mansion, and from the Duke's Mansion to the Imperial Palace.

Beneath her throne lay a carpet of corpses.

With such an Empress, who would dare to defy her?

Yan Lingji swept a glance over the people kneeling on the ground, the corners of her lips curling slightly.

"That is all. You may withdraw. Attend to your respective duties and handle the matters you are responsible for."

The nobles, as if granted a reprieve from death, scrambled out of the hall in a panic.

The moment the palace doors closed, Yan Lingji let out a long breath and leaned back against the throne, her nine fox tails swaying gently behind her.

"Master—"

She spoke in her mind, her voice carrying a hint of coquetry.

"How did this concubine perform just now?"

"Not bad."

Jiang Ce's voice carried a trace of a smile.

"Though, that line 'executed without mercy' wasn't ruthless enough."

"Still not ruthless enough?" Yan Lingji pouted. "This concubine felt as though her killing intent was about to blow the roof off the hall."

"Practice it again next time."

Jiang Ce paused.

"However, once these decrees are sent out, the real beginning will start. The counties below, those nobles who haven't been controlled, the remnants of the kingdoms—they will try every possible way to delay, resist, and feign compliance."

"Then I'll just kill them."

Yan Lingji smiled, her peach-blossom eyes filled with coldness.

"What this concubine excels at most is killing."

Jiang Ce laughed as well.

"Then kill. Kill until everyone obeys."

Yan Lingji leaned against the throne, gazing at the carvings on the ceiling, the candlelight reflecting in her peach-blossom eyes.

"Under the vast heaven, there is no land that is not the King's. Within the borders of the land, there is no one who is not the King's subject."

She murmured these two lines, a curve forming at the corners of her lips.

Interesting.

Truly interesting.

In the past, she was merely an assassin from Baiyue, selling her life for the Crown Prince, killing and burning without a thought for tomorrow.

Now—

She is the Empress of the Heaven Dou Empire.

She wants everyone on this continent to remember her name.

Yan Lingji.

The Calamity Enchantress.

And also the one who single-handedly forged a new empire—

The Empress.

Of course, she had self-awareness.

This Empress was nothing more than a plaything for her master to toy with at his whim.

But, so what?

She was, after all, a demoness.

Being toyed with by Master is only natural.

Master's tentacles are just wonderful.

At this thought, Phantom Dragon Impact was activated.

"Hoh-hoh... Master..."

"Little demon, I shall satisfy you."

"Yes, Master."

The commotion from Yan Lingji startled Xiaomeng, who was nearby, and she moved to leave without a word.

Suddenly, her expression shifted, and she clutched her lower abdomen, collapsing to the ground.

"My dear Xiaomeng, where are you going?"

A cackling, sinister laugh rang out.

[Dear readers, please click on the latest chapters and hit the update reminder button every day. Any free tickets would be greatly appreciated! Only with positive feedback can this humble author continue writing.]