"A foolish king, a foolish king, you are going against all the scholars and noble families in the world, this is the path to your own destruction!"
"Have you gone mad?"
"Your Majesty, absolutely not!"
"I beg Your Majesty to quickly retract your decree, lest you ruin yourself. This is no longer something Your Majesty can decide!"
"If Your Majesty remains stubborn, the entire realm will rebel!"
Ding Yun, seated on the dragon throne, looked up. Nearly all the civil and military officials in court supported him. This was because they were all beneficiaries, and which beneficiary willingly gave up their own interests without cause?
However, Ding Yun did not immediately get angry. He didn't even do anything else. He simply sat on the dragon throne and watched them quietly. This lasted for half an hour before the officials' voices slightly subsided.
Because their pleas received no response, it no longer felt like a debate.
Instead, it felt like clowns performing for Ding Yun.
"Have you said enough?
Do you want me to bring you stools, so you can sit here and talk for three days and three nights without stopping?"
When the noise from the officials below quieted enough for her to be heard, Ding Yun asked calmly.
Without giving them a chance to react, she continued:
"The three decrees I have issued are not for discussion with you, but merely notifications. And these decrees do not require your approval because, at the same time I am issuing them here, they have already been read out simultaneously at the post stations across the realm.
By now, the decrees should have spread throughout the land.
Therefore, your opposition here is futile."
As soon as Ding Yun spoke, the officials below, who had been murmuring and whispering, fell silent.
They truly did not expect Ding Yun to pull such a move. They also did not expect that she, who had been inactive for three years, had been playing the fool all along. This was not the benevolent ruler they had hoped for, but a ruler who intended to cause upheaval and achieve fame with one decisive action.
"Your Majesty has truly hidden your depth.
It seems you wish to emulate King Zhuang of Chu. However, even King Zhuang of Chu would not dare to implement reforms this drastically, offending millions of scholars across the land.
This old minister is old and dare not be the first in the realm.
I shall retire today!"
The Left Prime Minister genuinely believed that Ding Yun was not lying. If she said the decrees had been broadcast throughout the realm, it was highly likely to be true. But precisely because of this, he was certain there was no room for compromise.
The new emperor's actions would inevitably lead to rebellion throughout the realm.
He could not help the new emperor execute the decrees.
Therefore, he could only choose to resign. After all, this so-called Empress of the World would likely not hold onto the dragon throne for long. Why bother with further admonishments? He might as well leave and enjoy his retirement.
With that, the Left Prime Minister removed his official insignia and threw it aside, then turned to leave. Many other officials who reacted promptly quickly followed suit. In an instant, most of the civil and military officials chose to resign and wished to leave.
However, their resignation was not so simple. It wasn't that Ding Yun necessarily needed them to do their jobs, but that Ding Yun had already thoroughly investigated all the officials in court. She knew which of them had treated lives carelessly, which had handled cases incorrectly, and which had accepted bribes, along with other illegal and criminal acts.
Even the illegal and criminal acts of their family members were clearly understood by Ding Yun. She had tolerated them until now, only because her preparations were not yet complete.
Now that they were about to fall out, there was no need to be polite. Naturally, it was time for a reckoning.
"Did I permit you to leave?
Guards, arrest them all! Everyone else, please be patient. The people sent to raid your homes will be back soon, so please wait a while longer. If evidence of your crimes is found, then you will not be allowed to leave. If nothing is found.
Then, if you wish to leave, I will not stop you."
Ding Yun, who had been fully prepared, finally stood up and gave orders to the long-waiting guards.
Subsequently, guards swarmed in from outside.
They controlled all the civil and military officials and nobles.
The people sent to raid their homes were also arranged by Ding Yun beforehand. As soon as they entered the palace to submit their petitions, they were dispatched. Judging by the time, they should be returning soon.
What followed was, needless to say, the officials falling into a panic. Some, with muddled minds, continued to curse the foolish king. While those with clear minds, even if they still didn't believe Ding Yun could succeed, began to worry about their own safety. Because even if she failed, it didn't matter.
As long as she was ruthless and vicious enough, she could still destroy them first. They might not live to see her fail.
Whether she could defeat the noble families and whether they would see the next sunrise were not directly related.
Those officials who understood this point.
Some clearly backed down.
Although they still had no intention of helping Ding Yun, they quickly began to speak appeasement, thinking, at least let's survive this ordeal first. We can flee Chang'an later.
However, Ding Yun ignored them. She waited a while longer until the raiders returned, and then immediately proceeded to the next step: using the evidence to escort all those officials to the marketplace for judgment.
Because she considered that others might not have the courage to do it, Ding Yun personally handled this matter.
She personally presided over the trial of those officials in the marketplace, in front of numerous citizens. Those who deserved to die were executed on the spot. Those who did not deserve to die were also immediately subjected to punishment or exile. This trial lasted from morning until night, and then from the next morning until night.
Only then did it conclude.
More than ninety percent of the civil and military officials were eliminated. Of course, "eliminated" here did not refer only to those who were executed, but to the total number of officials who were to be punished, killed, or exiled.
The departure of these officials did not affect the stability of the court. Because the day after the trial of those officials, Ding Yun used her own people to fill their vacant positions. Lower-ranking positions, such as sixth and seventh-grade officials, were directly filled. For higher-ranking positions, such as first, second, and third-grade ministers, temporary appointments were made.
After she completed all the tasks she intended to undertake, their positions would be made permanent or demoted based on their performance.
Of course, clearing the court was only the beginning.
Next were the noble families scattered throughout the realm,
which were the true trouble and a malignant tumor.
...
The matters mentioned above all took place in Chang'an. Outside of Chang'an, when other places received the three decrees issued by Ding Yun, the reaction was no less significant than in Chang'an.
However, the attitudes towards the three decrees varied greatly.
Ordinary citizens, as long as they understood them, were mostly cheering and approving. This was because the three decrees, in summary, only brought them benefits and no harm, essentially not infringing upon their interests.
For example, families with less than ten mu of land per person.
They had to pay considerable taxes in the past. Now, these taxes were abolished. Who wouldn't be happy? The head tax was also abolished. As for the subsequent increases in commercial taxes, luxury taxes, and tariffs, in their view, these had nothing to do with them. They could neither afford luxury goods nor engage in business.
Therefore, it was naturally of no concern to them.
The decree to abolish the recommendation system and replace it with the imperial examination system also undoubtedly excited many. This was because those recommended under the recommendation system were basically children of noble families. Commoners had no chance to participate, unless their abilities were exceptionally high and they were willing to become lackeys of the noble families.
Only then might they have a chance to be recommended.
Now, although competition based on ability was still not necessarily fair.
It was at least better than before.
At the very least, it gave them hope.
How could those from commoner backgrounds not be overjoyed? Even if the abolition of official privileges and future tax exemptions might harm their future interests, they were not yet officials and did not have too many concerns for the moment, so the overall majority supported it.
Those who were truly infuriated.
Were only those noble families.
The reason why the noble families could become noble families was not because of how much money they had. Many merchants possessed assets comparable to theirs. The core reason why they could stand tall and remain unyielding was their control over the channels for recommending and promoting officials.
Whether someone could become an official, or was qualified to become an official, depended on them. After becoming an official, their cooperation was necessary for governing the region and achieving merits for promotion. If an official disobeyed them, they had numerous ways to cause chaos in that official's jurisdiction and thus have the official dismissed.
In addition, the large number of private troops, hidden populations, and countless servants they controlled were also their core means of establishing themselves, protecting their family's safety, and safeguarding their assets. Otherwise, in case of major unrest, they would not be able to protect their assets.
Furthermore, the tax-exempt hidden fields.
Were also their core means of accumulating wealth.
It was the combination of power, wealth, and military strength that created their unyielding status as noble families.
And the three decrees issued by Ding Yun.
Precisely targeted these three points.
The imperial examination system was to break their control over official recommendations and promotions. Abolishing various privileges and tax exemptions, as well as investigating land, were aimed at reducing their financial income. Finally, abolishing the system of servitude and prohibiting the maintenance of too many private troops was an attack on their military might.
If these three measures could be truly implemented, the noble families would disappear before long, or even if they did not disappear, their power would at least be greatly reduced, and they would no longer dare to claim they could arbitrarily change dynasties and decide the throne.
And those noble families were clearly not stupid. Therefore, they quickly understood Ding Yun's malicious intentions, which were even more arrogant than the actions of the last emperor of the previous dynasty.
The last emperor of the previous dynasty only wanted to weaken their power.
But Du Gu Luan wanted to destroy them.
Even the last emperor of the previous dynasty, who only wanted to weaken their power, was killed and overthrown by them. How could Du Gu Luan, who wanted to destroy them completely, fare any better? Thus, the noble families quickly convened and, after deliberation, united.
They united to stir up public opinion, control prices.
And contacted all the private troops they could mobilize and their own children who controlled some of the tiger tally, and raised an army together.
They intended to lead their troops straight to Chang'an.
As long as Chang'an was controlled, and the Du Gu family was eliminated, then the problems in other places would be insignificant. They were confident they could prevent trouble in those areas.
As for who would be the new emperor.
That could be discussed later.
After taking Chang'an, they would negotiate.
However, Ding Yun had been watching them all along. As they began to make their moves, Ding Yun immediately used the original radio stations that had been distributed to enter the era of radio communication with major post stations across the country. She ordered them to mobilize troops to attack the hidden grain and supply locations of those noble families that had been investigated years ago, and to begin a comprehensive sweep plan.
For large noble families, Ding Yun mobilized the post station staff in their vicinity and hired farmers who obeyed her orders, to jointly launch the offensive.
As for smaller noble families.
Ding Yun deployed the hidden agents she had planted years ago, disguised as bandits and outlaws in the mountains, to attack the small noble families.
With the help of new gunpowder weapons.
How could those noble families, who at best had slightly thicker armor, knew how to use incendiary oil, or had thick fortress walls and small moats around their ancestral homes, possibly be a match?
In less than a month, all the noble families in the realm, during this specific period chosen by Ding Yun when there were almost no major natural disasters anywhere in the world, were basically wiped out. The remaining ones were either those in the surrounding areas with exceptionally good reputations and who had indeed done nothing, or those who surrendered quickly and were not particularly formidable.
As for the members of the noble families who were captured.
Ding Yun did not annihilate them completely. She only executed those who had indeed committed crimes worthy of death. The rest were exiled to the relatively desolate Lingnan, and even further to the Nanyang region, where they were to reclaim wasteland and undergo transformation. This was not only a transformation for themselves but also for those desolate regions, making them habitable.
And with Ding Yun's operation concluded.
Those who obstructed her reforms had basically disappeared.
Among the remaining people, even if some harbored dissatisfaction or reluctance, they no longer dared to say anything or cause trouble. After all, no matter how capable they were, could they compare to the noble families? Since even the noble families had completely fallen, how could they fare any better?
Therefore, they could only remain silent and accept.
At this point, Ding Yun officially began her truly drastic reforms. The three decrees she had previously issued were merely the broad framework, specifically designed to provoke the noble families into action. Now that the noble families had been completely cleared out, she naturally had to begin to implement comprehensive reforms in detail, in accordance with the various directives and side quests from the "Eternal Emperor System."
From the official system to taxation, from the military system to the personnel system, from the imperial family to the nobility, from household registration to population, a comprehensive reform was initiated.