Heaven Dou Imperial City, central square.
The sun blazed overhead, its harsh light beating down on the flagstones.
People crowded every inch of the square.
The citizens, vendors, and passersby of Heaven Dou City packed the streets in a dense mass, blocking them completely.
Nobody knew what exactly was happening today.
But everyone had seen it.
The noble lords who usually held themselves above everyone else, arrogant and untouchable, had been dragged from their estates by the Imperial Guards starting yesterday, shoved into prison carts, and locked in the death cells.
The news spread throughout the entire city as if it had grown wings.
"I heard all those nobles were arrested!"
"Is that true? Those were marquises and earls!"
"What do you mean, is it true? I saw it with my own eyes! Last night, dozens of prison carts hauled people away from Marquis Zhao Estate in the east of the city all night long!"
"I wonder what's going on. Why did they suddenly move against those bigwigs?"
"Could it be that Heaven Dou Emperor has finally seen the light?"
The crowd buzzed with discussion. Some were excited, some hopeful, and some still doubtful.
But most of them felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Which of those nobles hadn't had blood on their hands?
Whose household hadn't taken a life?
They'd deserved retribution long ago.
"Look! They're coming out!"
Someone shouted, and everyone's gaze swung toward the imperial gates.
The city gates slowly opened.
Squad after squad of Imperial Guards marched out, their armor glinting coldly in the sunlight, their ranks bristling with blades and spears.
Behind them came one prison cart after another.
One, two, three...
Dozens of prison carts stretched in a long line from the imperial gates to the center of the square.
The carts were crammed full of people.
Men and women, old and young—there were at least a thousand of them.
Dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, barons, and all their families. Not one had been spared.
The noble lords who had once held themselves above everyone else were now disheveled and dressed in rags. Shackles bound their hands, and iron chains locked their feet.
Wooden placards were stuck around their necks, bearing their names and crimes in blood-red characters.
"Zhao Bairong—human trafficking, collusion with Evil Soul Masters—waist cut in two."
"Qian Wanguan—seizing farmland, callously taking human life—death by a thousand cuts."
"Sun Demao—embezzling state funds, accepting bribes—beheading."
Placard after placard, line after line of blood-red writing.
The citizens stared at the placards, their eyes turning red.
"Zhao Bairong! That's Marquis Zhao! His men took my younger sister! She vanished without a trace!"
"That beast Qian Wanguan! He seized my family's three acres of good farmland! My father went to confront him, and his men beat his legs to pieces. He died a few days later!"
"Heaven has eyes! At last, they've gotten what they deserved!"
"Thank you, Emperor! Thank you for giving us justice!"
A deafening roar of cheers erupted from the crowd.
"Long live the Emperor!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
The cheers rose in wave after wave, shaking the entire street.
The prison carts rolled slowly down the street toward the center of the square.
The citizens followed behind them, gathering in ever greater numbers, a black tide surging toward the square.
At some point, a towering platform had been erected in the middle of the square, built of flagstones.
It stood three feet high and spanned fifty zhang. Imperial Guards in full armor surrounded it, their weapons bristling like a forest, their killing intent palpable.
The prison carts stopped in front of the platform.
The Imperial Guards opened the carts, dragged the nobles out one by one, and marched them onto the platform, forcing them to kneel in rows.
One row, two rows, three rows... dozens of rows, more than a thousand people.
They knelt in orderly lines across the platform, a dark mass like lambs waiting for the slaughter.
The citizens crowded around the platform, pressing closer and closer, rising onto their tiptoes to see.
"What's all this about?"
"I don't know... but it doesn't look like Heaven Dou Emperor's doing..."
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it. Has Heaven Dou Emperor ever stood up for ordinary people in all these years he's been emperor?"
"True... then what's going on?"
"Be patient. We'll find out soon enough."
The crowd buzzed with discussion, every eye fixed on the platform.
It stood empty, with nothing on it.
But everyone knew—
Something momentous was about to happen.
Just then, the imperial gates opened again.
A troop of Imperial Guards marched out in formation, their armor gleaming, their bearing formidable.
Behind them, an aged figure slowly emerged—Heaven Dou Emperor, Xuelan.
He wore a crumpled dragon robe. His old face was flushed, his entire body trembling, and his legs seemed to sink into cotton with every step, as if each one were a punishment.
Several civil officials followed behind him, carrying yellow silk and an imperial edict.
When the citizens saw Heaven Dou Emperor emerge, the crowd erupted.
"Emperor! It's the Emperor!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
"Emperor, give us justice!"
The cheers rang out again, even more fervent than before.
At the sound, Xuelan began trembling even harder.
His face had gone deathly pale. His lips quivered, and his eyes brimmed with fear and humiliation.
These citizens were thanking him.
But they didn't know that he hadn't done any of this. He couldn't have done it.
He didn't even know whether tomorrow or disaster would come first, or if he would live to see another day.
But he couldn't say so.
His body was no longer under his control.
In his mind, that restriction was an invisible chain, binding every thought and every movement.
All he could do was move forward.
He climbed onto the platform and stood before the kneeling nobles. Then he turned to face the cheering citizens.
The commander of the Imperial Guards raised a hand and shouted, "Silence!"
Amplified by Soul Power, his voice crashed like thunder, shaking the whole street.
The cheering stopped abruptly.
Everyone stared blankly at the aged figure on the platform.
Heaven Dou Emperor stood there, his old face flushed and his body trembling.
With shaking hands, he drew a roll of yellow silk from his sleeve and unfolded it. His lips quivered, and his voice came out hoarse, as if he were forcing every word out with all his strength.
"I... I am of little virtue and talent... I have governed poorly... causing the nation's strength to decline day by day... and the people's lives to fall into hardship..."
His voice came in fits and starts, as if someone were choking him.
"The nobles have run rampant... the people have suffered... I... I cannot escape the blame..."
The citizens listened, complex emotions flickering in their eyes.
Some had tears in their eyes, some gritted their teeth, and some sobbed quietly.
"Today... today..." Xuelan's voice grew quieter and quieter, as if he were squeezing the words through clenched teeth. "Today, I will... abdicate the throne... in favor of Empress Yan Lingji..."
The words hit the ground, and the square erupted.
Abdicate? Empress? Yan Lingji?
Who was that?
How could a woman possibly become emperor in this world?
Everyone exchanged bewildered looks, their faces full of disbelief.
"What does that mean? Is the Emperor stepping down?"
"Empress? What empress?"
"Who's Yan Lingji? I've never heard of her..."
"What on earth is going on?"
Discussion swelled like a tide, a steady hum filling the square.
Xuelan paid no attention to the voices. He no longer had the strength to care.
When he finished reading the edict, he collapsed as if every last ounce of strength had been drained from him, trembling on the ground as tears streamed down his aged face.
The commander of the Imperial Guards stepped forward, took the edict, and raised it high.
"Silence!"
Another sharp shout rang out, and the square fell silent once more.
The commander unfolded another roll of yellow silk. His voice rang out across the square.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Empress decrees—"
Everyone held their breath for a moment.
An edict from the Empress? Was this the new ruler's decree?
"The old Heaven Dou dynasty is divided among nobles, with kingdoms carved apart and entrenched beyond the reach of control. The people suffer, and the nation's strength wanes day by day.
"I have received the Mandate of Heaven. I shall purge corruption, establish new institutions, and reform the empire."
The commander's voice echoed through the square, every word like a hammer striking an anvil, pounding into every heart.
"First, reform the government. Establish the Three Departments and Six Ministries. The Secretariat shall formulate policy, the Chancellery shall review it, and the Department of State Affairs shall carry it out. The Six Ministries shall each manage their respective affairs."
"Second, reform local administration.
"Abolish the kingdoms and revoke the fiefs. Establish commanderies and counties throughout the realm, all directly subordinate to the central government.
"Each commandery shall have a commandery governor, a commandery commandant, and a commandery inspector, each holding separate authority. An Assistant Prefect shall also be appointed to countersign documents with the commandery governor."
"Third, reform the system for selecting officials.
"Abolish hereditary noble titles. Existing noble titles shall become lifetime honors and shall not pass to one's children.
"Establish the Imperial Examination to select talent. All scholars in the realm, regardless of rank or wealth, may register once they reach the age of fourteen. Those who pass the examinations shall be appointed to office."
"Fourth, reform the legal system. The Heaven Dou Empire New Code shall apply uniformly throughout the realm. The old laws for nobles and lords shall all be abolished.
"Each commandery shall establish a Court of Justice, and judges shall adjudicate independently.
"Nobles who break the law shall be punished as commoners.
"Anyone who sets up a private torture chamber shall be sliced in two and have their estate confiscated."
"Fifth, establish oversight and a secret service.
"Establish the Censorate to oversee all officials. Each commandery shall appoint a censor, who may 'submit reports based on hearsay.'
"Also establish the Net, which shall report directly to me and secretly monitor the words and actions of all officials."
"Sixth, reform the military system.
"Return military authority to the central government and form the Heavenly Strategy Army, directly under my command.
"All private noble armies must be disbanded within the deadline or incorporated into the imperial army.
"Each region shall have a Garrison Commander, but he shall have no authority to move troops."
"Seventh, reform the finances.
"All taxes and revenues throughout the realm shall be managed centrally. Each commandery shall appoint a Transport Commissioner under the Ministry of Revenue.
"Commanderies and counties shall not withhold tax revenue.
"Any official who imposes taxes without authorization shall be executed."
"Eighth, establish the Twenty-Rank Military Merit System.
"Those who pass the Imperial Examination's palace exam shall receive a low-ranking title, and those who render meritorious service shall be promoted according to their achievements.
"All old noble titles are abolished and replaced with new ones. New titles cannot be inherited, with the sole exception of the Marquis of Thoroughness, which may be passed down for one generation."
The eight decrees were delivered in one breath.
A deathly silence fell over the square.
Everyone felt as though a hand had clamped around their throat. Not a single person could speak.
Abolish the kingdoms? Revoke the fiefs?
Abolish hereditary titles? Establish the Imperial Examination?
Unify the laws? Return military authority to the central government?
Centralize the finances? Change the noble titles?
They understood every word, but put together, the words made no sense to them.
This wasn't about patching things up.
It was about tearing down and rebuilding every institution the Heaven Dou Empire had maintained for thousands of years.
"What... what does all this mean?" an old farmer asked, his voice trembling.
Beside him, a scholar who could read swallowed hard, his voice quavering:
"It means... from today on, the Heaven Dou Empire will have no more kingdoms, no more fiefs, no more hereditary nobles.
Everyone will answer to the central government, every official will have to pass an exam, and the law will be the same for all. Even nobles who break the law will be beheaded."
"Then... then will the nobles agree to this?"
The scholar glanced at the nobles kneeling on the platform and gave a slight quiver of his lips. "Those who didn't agree... I suppose... are all kneeling there."
He simply couldn't have imagined that the Heaven Dou Empire would welcome an empress—and that she would strike so ruthlessly.
She was cutting away the very foundations on which the Heaven Dou Empire had been built.
Wasn't the empress afraid the empire would fall into turmoil?
The old farmer nodded, as if he understood, then suddenly his eyes reddened. "Then... then does that mean no one will take my family's land anymore?"
The scholar fell silent for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Yes. No one will dare take it."
The old farmer dropped to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his weathered face. "Long live the empress... Long live the empress..."
One, two, three... More and more people fell to their knees, and more and more voices rang out.
"Long live the empress!"
"Long live the empress!"
"Long, long live the empress!"
The waves of cheers swelled higher and higher, shaking the entire imperial city.
[Great readers, a new month has begun. Could this struggling author earn your favor and a few free votes?
If there are other heroines you'd like to see later, feel free to suggest them. For example, any heroine from Douluo II would do. It's just time travel, after all.
Qian Renxue was born early and was of the same generation as Bibi Dong, along with little angel Ye Guyi and the others.]
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