The Dou Empire's Shocked Populace

Heaven Dou Imperial City, central plaza.

The sun was at its zenith, its rays beating down viciously upon the bluestone pavement.

The perimeter of the plaza was packed densely with people.

The commoners, merchants, and passersby of Heaven Dou City formed a massive, dark sea of humanity, blocking the entire street until not even a drop of water could trickle through.

No one knew exactly what had happened today.

But everyone had seen it.

Those noble lords, who were usually high and mighty and insufferably arrogant, had been dragged out of their estates by the Imperial Guard since yesterday, shoved into prisoner wagons, and locked away in death row.

The news had spread throughout the entire city as if it had grown wings.

"I heard those nobles have all been arrested!"

"Is that for real? Those are marquises and counts we're talking about!"

"What do you mean, real or not? I saw it with my own eyes! Last night at the Marquis Zhao Estate in the east of the city, dozens of prisoner wagons were hauling people away all night long!"

"I wonder what this is all about. Why would they suddenly move against these big shots?"

"Could it be that the Heaven Dou Emperor has finally opened his eyes?"

The crowd buzzed with discussion; some were excited, some expectant, and others skeptical.

But most felt a sense of grim satisfaction.

Among those nobles, whose hands weren't stained with blood?

Whose households didn't owe a debt of human lives?

They had long been overdue for retribution.

"Look! They're coming out!"

Someone shouted, and every gaze snapped toward the gates of the Imperial City.

The city gates creaked open.

Squads of the Imperial Guard filed out, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, a forest of blades and spears flashing with a chilling light.

Behind them came prisoner wagon after prisoner wagon.

One, two, three...

Dozens of wagons formed a long dragon, stretching from the Imperial City gate all the way to the center of the plaza.

The wagons were packed tight with people.

Men and women, old and young—there were at least a thousand of them.

Dukes, marquises, counts, viscounts, barons, and their families; not a single one was missing.

At this moment, these formerly high-and-mighty noble lords were disheveled and ragged, their hands shackled and their feet chained.

Wooden placards were thrust into their collars, with their names and crimes written in blood-red characters.

"Zhao Bairong—human trafficking, colluding with Evil Soul Masters—waist chop."

"Qian Wanguan—forcible seizure of civilian land, disregard for human life—death by a thousand cuts."

"Sun Demao—embezzlement of national treasury, accepting bribes—decapitation."

One wooden placard after another, line after line of blood-red text.

As the commoners looked at those placards, their eyes turned red.

"Zhao Bairong! That's that Marquis Zhao! My younger sister was snatched by his men! I never saw her alive again, and I never found her body!"

"That beast Qian Wanguan! My family's three acres of fertile land were seized by him! When my father went to reason with him, he had his legs broken, and he passed away just a few days later!"

"Heaven has eyes! They've finally met their retribution!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty, for seeking justice for us!"

A thunderous roar of cheers erupted from the crowd.

"Long live the Emperor!"

"Long live the Emperor!"

"Long live the Emperor!"

The cheers rose wave after wave, shaking the very street.

The prisoner wagons moved slowly through the streets toward the center of the plaza.

The commoners followed behind, gathering in ever-greater numbers, a dark tide surging toward the plaza.

In the center of the plaza, a tall platform had been erected at some point, built of bluestone.

It was three feet high and fifty yards wide, surrounded by fully armed Imperial Guards, their weapons standing like a forest, radiating a murderous aura.

The prisoner wagons stopped before the platform.

The Imperial Guards opened the wagons, dragged the nobles out one by one, hauled them onto the platform, and forced them to kneel in rows.

One row, two rows, three rows... dozens of rows, thousands of people, Neatly kneeling on the platform, a vast, dark sea of heads, like lambs waiting for the slaughter.

The commoners crowded around the platform, pressing closer and closer, standing on tiptoe to peer up at the stage.

"What kind of formation is this?"

"I don't know... but it doesn't look like the work of the Heaven Dou Emperor..."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Think about it, the Heaven Dou Emperor has been on the throne for so many years; when has he ever stood up for us common folk?"

"That's true... then what is actually going on here?"

"Don't be impatient, just watch and you'll see."

The crowd buzzed with discussion, everyone's gaze fixed on the top of the platform.

It was empty up there, nothing at all.

But everyone knew.

Something major was about to happen.

Just then, the gates of the Imperial City opened once more.

A squad of the Imperial Guard marched out, their armor gleaming, their momentum like a rainbow.

Behind them, an aged figure slowly emerged—the Heaven Dou Emperor, Xuelan.

He wore a crumpled dragon robe, his old face flushed red, his entire body trembling, his legs feeling as if he were walking on cotton; every step he took seemed like an act of torture.

Following behind him were several civil officials, holding yellow silk scrolls and imperial edicts.

When the commoners saw the Heaven Dou Emperor walk out, they instantly erupted.

"The Emperor! It's the Emperor!"

"Long live the Emperor!"

"Your Majesty, please uphold justice for us!"

The cheers rang out again, even more fervent than before.

Hearing these sounds, Xuelan trembled even more violently.

His face was deathly pale, his lips quivering, his eyes filled with terror and humiliation.

These commoners were thanking him.

But they did not know that none of this was his doing, nor could he have done it.

He didn't even know whether tomorrow or disaster would arrive first, or if his own old life could be preserved.

But he could not say it.

Because his body did not obey him.

In his mind, that restriction was like an invisible chain, firmly locking every one of his thoughts and every one of his movements.

He could only walk forward.

Walk onto the platform, stand before those kneeling nobles, turn around, and face the cheering masses.

The commander of the Imperial Guard raised a hand and let out a sharp shout: "Silence!"

The voice, amplified by soul power, exploded like thunder, shaking the entire street.

The cheering came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone stared blankly at the aged figure on the platform.

The Heaven Dou Emperor stood on the stage, his old face flushed, his body shaking.

With trembling hands, he took a scroll of yellow silk from his sleeve, unfurled it, and with quivering lips, spoke in a hoarse voice, as if he were using every ounce of his strength.

"This Lonely One... is of shallow virtue and meager talent... lacking in governance... causing the nation's power to decline... and the people to suffer..."

His voice was intermittent, as if someone were gripping his throat.

"The nobles run rampant... the people are in distress... This Lonely One... This Lonely One cannot shirk the blame..."

As the commoners listened, complex expressions flashed in their eyes.

Some had reddened eyes, some gritted their teeth, and some sobbed in low voices.

"Today... today..." Xuelan's voice grew lower and lower, as if squeezed through his teeth, "Today, I abdicate the throne... to the Empress Yan Lingji..."

As these words landed, the square instantly exploded into chaos.

Abdication? An Empress? Yan Lingji?

Who is this?

How could there possibly be a woman who claims the title of Emperor in this world?

Everyone looked at each other, their faces filled with disbelief.

"What does this mean? The Great Emperor is abdicating?"

"An Empress? What Empress?"

"Who is Yan Lingji? I've never heard of her..."

"What on earth is going on?"

The sound of discussion surged like a tide, a buzzing drone filling the air.

Xuelan paid no heed to these voices. He no longer had the strength to care.

Having finished reading the edict, he felt as though he had been hollowed out; he collapsed to the ground, trembling all over, old tears streaming down his face.

The Commander of the Imperial Guard stepped forward, took the edict, and held it high.

"Silence!"

With another sharp shout, the square fell quiet once more.

The Commander unfurled another scroll of yellow silk, his voice booming and carrying across the entire square.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Empress decrees—"

Everyone's breath hitched for a moment.

The Empress decrees? Is this the new Emperor's edict?

"The old Heaven Dou Dynasty was divided by nobles and fractured by kingdoms, becoming too unwieldy to manage. The people suffered, and the nation's power waned day by day. We, having received the Mandate of Heaven, shall sweep away the filth, reform the institutions, and revitalize the Empire."

The Commander's voice echoed across the square, every word striking like a hammer on an anvil, striking at the heart of everyone present.

"First, reform the official system. Establish the Three Departments and Six Ministries. The Secretariat shall decide policy, the Chancellery shall audit, and the Department of State Affairs shall execute. The Six Ministries shall manage the various affairs of state."

"Second, reform local administration. Abolish kingdoms, revoke fiefdoms, and establish commanderies and counties across the nation, all under direct central control. Each commandery shall have a Governor, a Commandant, and a Censor, with power divided among the three. Additionally, an Assistant Prefect shall be appointed to co-sign all official documents with the Governor."

"Third, reform the selection of officials. Abolish hereditary titles; existing noble titles shall be converted to lifetime honors, not to be passed down to descendants. Establish the Imperial Examination to select scholars. All scholars in the realm, regardless of status or wealth, may register upon reaching the age of fourteen. Those who pass the examination shall be granted official posts."

"Fourth, reform the legal system. The Heaven Dou Empire New Code shall apply uniformly across the nation; all old noble laws and lordly statutes are hereby abolished. Establish a Court of Justice in every commandery, with judges presiding independently. Nobles who break the law shall be punished the same as commoners. Those who establish private tribunals shall be executed by waist-chopping and have their assets confiscated."

"Fifth, establish oversight and intelligence agencies. Establish the Censorate to monitor all officials, with a Censor appointed to each commandery, empowered to 'report based on hearsay.' Furthermore, establish the Net, reporting directly to Us, to secretly monitor the words and deeds of all officials."

"Sixth, reform the military system. Centralize military power and form the 'Heavenly Strategy Army' under Our direct command. All private noble armies must be disbanded or integrated into the Imperial military within a set deadline. Local garrisons shall be led by a Garrison Commander, but they shall hold no authority to mobilize troops."

"Seventh, fiscal reform. All wealth and taxes of the realm shall be managed centrally by the state, with a Transport Commissioner appointed in each commandery reporting directly to the Ministry of Revenue. Commanderies and counties shall not withhold fiscal revenue. Officials who impose unauthorized taxes shall be executed."

"Eighth, establish twenty ranks of military merit titles. Those who pass the palace examination shall be granted low-ranking titles, and those who distinguish themselves shall be promoted according to their merit. All existing titles of the old nobility are abolished and replaced with new ones. New titles shall not be hereditary, save for the Marquis of Thoroughness, which may be passed down for one generation."

Eight decrees, delivered in one breath.

A deathly silence descended upon the square.

Everyone felt as if their throats had been constricted; not a single word could be uttered.

Abolish kingdoms? Revoke fiefdoms?

Abolish heredity? Establish the Imperial Examination?

Unify the law? Centralize military power?

Centralize fiscal power? Reform titles?

They understood every single word, but when strung together, they could no longer comprehend the meaning.

This was not some minor patch-up job.

This was tearing down the entire foundation of the Heaven Dou Empire's thousands-year-old system to rebuild it from scratch.

"What... what does all this mean?" an old farmer asked, his voice trembling.

Beside him, a literate scholar swallowed hard, his own voice shaking:

"It means... from today on, there are no more kingdoms in the Heaven Dou Empire, no more fiefdoms, and no more hereditary nobles.

Everyone is under the central government's jurisdiction, all officials must pass examinations, all laws apply equally, and even nobles will be beheaded if they break the law."

"Then... are the nobles willing to accept this?"

The scholar glanced at the nobles kneeling on the platform, his lips quivering: "Those who aren't willing... I reckon... are all kneeling right there."

He truly could not have imagined that the Heaven Dou Empire would usher in an Empress, let alone one who would strike with such ruthless precision.

She was hacking away at the very roots upon which the Heaven Dou Empire was founded.

Was that Empress not afraid of the empire falling into chaos?

The farmer nodded as if he half-understood, then his eyes suddenly turned red: "Then... then will no one be able to steal my family's land anymore?"

The scholar fell silent for a moment, then nodded heavily: "Yes. No one will dare to steal it again."

The farmer dropped to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his face: "Long live the Empress... Long live the Empress..."

One, two, three... more and more people knelt, more and more people began to shout.

"Long live the Empress!"

"Long live the Empress!"

"Long live the Empress for ten thousand years!"

The waves of sound rose higher and higher, shaking the entire imperial capital to its core.

[A new month has arrived, dear readers. Could this struggling author receive your favor with some free tickets?

Feel free to suggest which heroines you'd like to see next—for instance, heroines from Douluo Dalu II are fine, since it's just time travel anyway.

Perhaps Qian Renxue born earlier to be in the same generation as Bibi Dong, or the little angel Ye Guyi, and so on.]