A cold glint flashed in Zhao Gao's eyes; he sensed his mission had begun.
I used to help the Emperor with some miscellaneous tasks, and now these bastards have jumped out on their own. If I don't take care of them, I'll be letting down the Emperor who has nurtured me.
They were courting death, and the Emperor spared their lives—that was already an incredible thing. Now they actually wanted to go even further; it was simply insatiable greed.
He whispered, "Master, should I go and arrange things for them? I'll make sure they're all properly dressed!"
Forehead!
Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Wang Yue's eyes as he glared at Zhao Gao, thinking, "This guy's stealing my job!"
Zhao Gao wasn't afraid of him at all and didn't back down at all. He said, "I'm working for the emperor, so I can naturally take on this kind of killing."
"No need, Net can handle this small matter!"
Seeing the two arguing, a smile flashed in Lin Yi's eyes, but he did not agree to Zhao Gao's request. This was a small matter, and he didn't need his palace staff to handle it; the Net (Net of Heaven) could take care of it themselves.
Anyway, the Net has been guarding them all along; we just need to kill them while we're at it.
"This servant understands."
Zhao Gao nodded and withdrew.
"Hmph, they're just resisting the policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials!"
Lin Yi ignored him. The core of the matter was his own policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials, which had weakened the power of many people in the chieftain tribes, so naturally some people would be dissatisfied.
It's important to know that Sima Yi was no pushover. After taking control of the Shannan Area Command, he began implementing the policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials, while significantly weakening the influence of the chieftains and even directly disbanding these tribes.
As a result, they lost power and benefits, so it's natural that they felt resentful and would engage in some petty actions.
This A Mao was nothing but a troublemaker, a suicidal individual, and deserved to die. If it weren't for the desire to preserve some population, not many of those people would have survived.
However, this reform of the chieftain system was not limited to the southern chieftains. The newly conquered Jackal Kingdom, the Western Regions, and the Northern Region Barbarians were all undergoing comprehensive reforms, and the scale of these reforms was astonishing.
It's normal for this to cause dissatisfaction among some forces; we can just suppress it.
"Hmph, daring to obstruct the inevitable trend, they truly don't know their own mortality. If necessary, what's wrong with annihilating these tribes!" Zhang Juzheng's eyes flashed with cold light, his face filled with murderous intent.
He wouldn't dare kill a chicken normally, but now that these people were obstructing his orders, he was filled with murderous intent and wished he could wipe them all out.
Reform the local administration system!
This was proposed and optimized by the Emperor himself, and it has risen to the level of national policy. How can we tolerate these people sabotaging it?
Its significance is far-reaching. Not only can it further consolidate the rule of the Great Liang over the local areas, but it can also carry out a major reshuffle in these places, completely weakening the original influence and then marking them with the Great Liang's mark.
This is precisely because it touched upon the interests of some tribal leaders, which is why some people were dissatisfied.
Any reason given is futile; it's just courting death.
If something is obstructing the general trend, then it must be completely eradicated.
Holy crap!
Ban Chao and the others were startled, and even Wang Yue looked on with a strange expression. This scholar exuded such murderous intent.
This is like they're going to wipe out several tribes in a bloodbath; that's way too ruthless.
That's a ruthless person!
"Hahaha!"
Seeing the surprise in everyone's eyes, Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh. They had underestimated Zhang Juzheng.
The reason I didn't let Xun Yu and others carry out the reforms, but instead let Zhang Juzheng do it, is simply because this man had great courage; anyone who dared to obstruct the implementation of his decrees would be eliminated completely.
This Confucian scholar may be kind in ordinary times, but when his beliefs are violated, his killing spree is absolutely terrifying.
There's a saying that goes, "A scholar doesn't kill people, but if he does, he'll kill an entire city."
If it requires the destruction of a city to implement a law, they will not hesitate; that's the kind of courage needed for change.
No destruction, no construction!
This is why Zhang Juzheng is remembered in history; he was a man of great courage and decisiveness, perhaps even surpassing Xun Yu in this regard. This guy would never hesitate to kill.
He smiled and said, " Shuda, I'll leave this matter to you to continue implementing. As for the other reforms, discuss them with Xun Yu and the others, and then present them to me in the end!"
"Your subject understands!"
Zhang Juzheng nodded and accepted the task.
Being able to promote the improvement of the Great Liang system would be an unprecedented honor, and it is his bounden duty.
"Yes, I trust you with my peace of mind!"
Lin Yi nodded slightly, then slowly stood up and stretched.
I haven't moved around in a long time, and my body is a bit stiff.
As darkness fell outside, it was almost time for the banquet to begin. Tonight was a big night, and naturally, everyone should share in the joy.
He laughed and said, "Let's go, the Chengtian Gate is about to open, and as the emperor, I should at least greet the people!"
We promised to share joy with the people, so we can't go back on our word.
The Chengtian Gate tower was now adorned with red lanterns, creating a joyous and festive atmosphere.
"Welcome, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
When Lin Yi arrived, the entire crowd immediately knelt on the ground.
The common people were filled with excitement as they watched the emperor standing on the city wall looking down at them. The emperor had actually come! Although he was on the city wall, he was still very close.
Lin Yi slowly walked to the front, looked at the people below, and said loudly, "My people, now the Great Liang weather and abundant harvests, and the country is peaceful and prosperous. We have also reclaimed the Western Regions."
This is my honor, but I know that it includes the merits of the soldiers of Great Liang, as well as yours.
Therefore, today I have decided to share the joy with the people and drink with you all!
He raised a glass of wine and downed it in one gulp.
Long live the Emperor!
Drink this cup to the brim!
The people below erupted in cheers. The emperor had actually shared the credit with them, the common folk—something they had never expected.
However, the fact that the emperor himself offered the toast is enough for them to boast about for a hundred years.
The people were beaming with pride, their fervent demeanor making the faces of some foreign envoys on the sidelines extremely grim. Such Great Liang was truly terrifying.
Abucha of the Frostwest Empire, in particular, turned ashen-faced. "They've stolen our Frostwest Empire's territory! And they dare to claim back their own land? This is outrageous!"
He couldn't help but mutter, "Such Great Liang is definitely not a good thing for my Frostwest Empire; the future will likely be fraught with disasters!"
"Oh, sir, don't worry about it. People from the country are coming soon. There's nothing we can do about this!" Cha'er sighed after taking a sip of his drink.
Now that Great Liang has won a great victory, it is natural for them to be happy; this is the glory of victory!