The next day, dawn was just breaking.
As the first rays of sunlight pierced the clouds and shone upon the towering palace roofs, deep, sonorous bells rang across the entire Capital City.
Dong—! Dong—! Dong—!
Nine tolls signaled the emperor's death.
Immediately afterward, twelve louder drumbeats resounded in every direction.
Twelve drumbeats proclaimed the accession of a new emperor.
In a single night, power had changed hands. The whole Great Sui was about to undergo a sea change.
Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, civil and military officials had already filled the hall, lined up on either side according to their rank.
Every one of them looked solemn. But on closer inspection, their eyes concealed all sorts of thoughts.
Shock, confusion, fear, watchfulness—and even... anticipation.
What had happened in the palace last night had already spread, to varying degrees, through all kinds of channels.
The Third Prince and the Ninth Prince had both died in the struggle for the throne, yet the person who ultimately took the seat had been someone else entirely.
It was Lin Hanzhou, the useless prince everyone had always ignored!
The outcome had surpassed everyone's expectations.
How had he managed it? What kind of support did he have behind him?
Where would Great Sui go after he ascended the throne?
Countless questions swirled in the minds of every official.
Amid this complicated, oppressive atmosphere, a eunuch's shrill voice rang out from beyond the hall.
"The new emperor has arrived—!"
As the words fell, all the officials immediately bowed and cried out in unison.
"Long live Your Majesty! Long live! Long, long live!"
To the officials' shouts, Lin Hanzhou entered the hall, clad in a brand-new golden dragon robe and surrounded by attendants.
The nine golden dragons embroidered on his robe looked lifelike beneath the morning light, as if they might soar into the sky at any moment.
His steps were steady and sure. Not a trace of nervousness or unease showed on his youthful face.
As he slowly took his seat on the dragon throne, the symbol of supreme power, an aura of absolute dominion seemed to envelop the entire hall.
The officials, each harboring their own thoughts moments before, could not help but bow their heads lower as soon as they felt that presence.
They suddenly realized that this new emperor was surely far from as simple as they had imagined.
"Rise, my ministers."
Lin Hanzhou spoke calmly. His voice was clear, yet carried an unquestionable authority that reached every corner of the hall.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The civil and military officials straightened, but none dared raise their eyes to look directly at the figure on the dragon throne.
By custom, after a new emperor ascended the throne, the next step should have been for the Minister of Rites to read the late emperor's edict, followed by a series of cumbersome ceremonies.
But Lin Hanzhou did not follow convention at all.
He spoke directly, dispensing with all the formalities and uttering his first words to shock the entire court.
"Today, as I ascend the throne, I intend to enact three new policies and proclaim them to the realm."
At this, the assembled officials froze.
On the first day of a new emperor's reign, he should have been reassuring the people and stabilizing the court.
Instead, he was going straight into new policies? Wasn't that... a little too hasty?
Before they could react, Lin Hanzhou spoke again. His words crashed into everyone's ears like thunder from a clear sky.
"First: From this day forth, all land throughout Great Sui shall be reclaimed as state property!"
"The court will then redistribute it to the people by household, so every farmer has land to till."
"Anyone who seizes, hides, or sells land privately will, once discovered, have their entire family executed!"
Boom—!
The Hall of Supreme Harmony erupted!
All land reclaimed as state property?!
That was tantamount to striking at the very roots of every noble clan and powerful household!
The foundation of the Great Sui Dynasty was private ownership of land, and the greatest landowners were the great clans, entrenched like a tangled web.
This decree was tantamount to declaring war on the entire ruling class of Great Sui!
"Your Majesty, you absolutely must not!"
An elderly minister with white hair and beard trembled as he stepped out of line and fell to his knees, weeping bitterly.
"Land is the cornerstone of our realm! The laws of our ancestors must not be changed! This will plunge the land into chaos and shake the very foundations of the state! Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
At once, dozens more officials followed him to their knees. The vast majority came from noble clans and powerful households.
Seated on the dragon throne, Lin Hanzhou watched the mass of kneeling officials below without expression and paid them no heed.
Instead, in that same icy voice, he announced his second decree.
"Second: Establish official schools throughout every prefecture and county. All may attend, rich or poor; no one shall be excluded from education."
"Every subject of Great Sui who has reached the age of seven may enroll for free, with all expenses covered by the court!"
If the first decree had struck at the roots of the noble clans, then the second cut off their inheritance.
For thousands of years, knowledge had been monopolized by a small class of powerful elites.
By controlling education, they controlled the source of talent, ensuring their Lineages could hold power at court for generations without end.
And now, the new emperor actually intended to have those dirt-legged peasants study alongside their children?
How could that be allowed?
"Absurd! Utterly absurd!"
"How can the sages' teachings be freely imparted to the ears of commoners? This disgraces all that is cultured and will surely corrupt the literary customs of Great Sui. Your Majesty, withdraw your decree!"
Another official leaped forward, roaring in righteous indignation.
Opposition rose in wave after wave. The whole hall was as chaotic as a marketplace.
Yet Lin Hanzhou remained unmoved, his icy gaze sweeping across the hall.
Then he announced the third decree, the deadliest of all.
"Third: Reform the imperial examinations. From this day forth, abolish the old system. No regard for family rank, no restrictions on one's background—appoint officials by ability alone!"
"I will personally set the examination subjects."
The moment this third new rule fell, the entire court finally erupted into an uproar!
Every decree was like a sharp blade driven straight into the hearts of the noble clans and powerful households.
He intended to sever the last path by which they controlled the bureaucracy through the imperial examinations!
"Your Majesty! I oppose this!"
"I second the objection! This is like destroying our own Great Wall!"
"How can the laws of our ancestors be changed on a whim? Your Majesty has only just ascended the throne. You must not act so rashly!"
Opposition surged in like a tide.
This time, those who stood against him were not only officials from noble clans, but even some conservative ministers from humble backgrounds.
They believed their young new emperor was far too radical, far too reckless!
Even if reforms like these were truly to be implemented, they needed to be introduced gradually. He absolutely must not pursue quick results with such impatience.
The entire Hall of Supreme Harmony descended into unprecedented chaos and uproar.
On the dragon throne, Lin Hanzhou watched the outraged officials below with icy detachment. Deep in his eyes, a thread of cold murderous intent surfaced.
This was exactly the effect he wanted.
He wanted everyone who opposed him to reveal themselves today, all at once.
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