Another half month passed, a few days before the harvest festival.
News from many areas far from Luoyang gradually reached the city through the mouths of merchants.
For example, a great craftsman from Qin was burned to death, the Prince of Zhao was poisoned, the Grand Tutor of Qi was stabbed eighty-one times in the night, and the King of Wei was burned beyond recognition but luckily survived, often waking up in the middle of the night with screams of fear.
Such events were not uncommon.
What was rather strange was that all these incidents only happened in states other than Chu and Zhou, and were generally limited to being burned, poisoned, or stabbed.
With such obvious correspondences,
Who could not guess who was responsible?
Furthermore, according to insiders, these individuals who were dead or severely injured were the masterminds behind the scenes, as revealed by Empress Dowager Xi Yun through her interrogation of the assassins.
They were essentially the ones who dispatched the assassins to carry out their deeds.
And they met their end in the very manner they intended for others.
It could be considered a perfect case of karma.
Now, not only were the surviving nobles who directly ordered the attacks in the various states in a state of panic, but the feudal lords who had indirectly or directly issued the orders were equally so.
After all, the King of Wei was a prime example.
How could they not be worried?
Therefore, even though there was still a month left until the tributary date set by Ding Yun's decree, the feudal lords with guilty consciences and shaky nerves had all brought their guards and left their respective capitals, heading towards Luoyang.
This was both to demonstrate their attitude.
To show their submission and their pledge to never cause trouble again.
And also out of fear of being assassinated in their own capitals.
Most importantly, they privately believed that once they arrived in Luoyang, Madame Xi Yun would not dare to act directly in Luoyang. If she were to act in Luoyang, it would make Luoyang seem too dangerous and fraught with peril.
No one knew how Madame Xi Yun managed to pry the assassins' mouths open to obtain accurate information, nor how she silently dealt with those masterminds.
But precisely because no one knew.
It only further highlighted Madame Xi Yun's terrifying and inscrutable nature, instilling fear in those who were aware.
Thus, assassins in Luoyang city virtually vanished instantly.
The masterminds were willing to pay double or triple the price, desperately pleading with the assassins not to carry out their missions, as they now understood clearly that if an assassination failed, it was likely they, the employers, who would die, not the assassins.
Who could bear that!
The primary reason they hired assassins, besides their own lack of capability, was to conceal themselves and avoid exposure.
And Ding Yun was able to achieve this entirely through the products from the Myriad Realms Takeout software, the children's toy store, and the pharmacy in the interstellar world. For example, invisibility cloaks used for hide-and-seek, which could only block visual sight but not machine scanning; personal flying devices for children; and mutated giant insect repellents.
With secret personnel cooperating with various toys and medications.
Carrying out assassinations was relatively easy.
As for prying open the assassins' mouths, that was even simpler for Ding Yun, who could directly read memories. Prying open a few assassins' mouths was a piece of cake.
Those individuals who plotted against Ding Yun.
Had truly chosen the wrong opponent.
...
From the day the autumn equinox ended, the various feudal lords began to arrive in Luoyang one after another. Even the King of Wei hastily abdicated to his eldest son, sending his son to represent him, fearing that if he didn't come, even his remaining breath would be lost, and he would truly have to meet the Empress of the Earth.
It was only after they personally arrived in Luoyang.
And witnessed the bustling scenes of Luoyang city with their own eyes.
That they had to acknowledge the changing times. Luoyang city was now far more prosperous than their own state capitals, which they had nurtured for centuries. These prosperous scenes, the clamor of the marketplace, pierced their hearts like thorns, shattering the pride they had harbored for years.
Beyond that, there was a pervasive sense of powerlessness.
Among them, the ruler of Qi suffered the most.
After all, the ruler of Qi had spared no effort in recruiting talent over the years, building the Jixia Academy and granting official positions to those with talent but no noble status, and so on. Yet, despite all these efforts, Qi's comprehensive national strength still could not compare to that of Zhou.
It was a world of difference.
How could he not suffer?
However, regardless of whether these feudal lords were surprised, delighted, or fearful and worried, Ding Yun arranged for them to reside in the Feudal Lords' Courtyard as planned.
And informed them to stay there for now, and that the latest tributary ceremony would only begin once everyone had arrived.
It had been many years since the great feudal lords had come to pay tribute. Let alone them arriving in person, even the frequency of sending tribute had decreased. Perhaps on a rare day, or when they were feeling particularly pleased in a certain year, they would send a small token.
To put it bluntly, the ministers in the Zhou court now had no idea what a tributary ceremony looked like and had to research it from ancient texts.
Moreover, the designated date had not yet arrived, and it was their own timidity and fear of death that made them arrive early, so it was only natural for them to wait.
Another half month later, three days before the final deadline set by Ding Yun, all the feudal lords had arrived, and then, of course, came the tributary ceremony.
Whether it was exactly the same as the ceremony over a hundred years ago was debatable, but it was replicated by the Grand Tutor and Grand Tutor based on the ancient texts recorded in the Zhou State's archives. It was likely that even if it wasn't identical, it would be about eighty to ninety percent similar, roughly the same. Moreover, it had been over a hundred years since their Zhou state had held a tributary ceremony, which also meant that the other feudal states had not participated in one for over a hundred years.
It was estimated that they were not very familiar with it.
It would be fine to muddle through.
After all the feudal lords had performed the grand ceremony to King Jing of Zhou and presented their respective tribute items, King Jing of Zhou, following Ding Yun's prior instructions, cleared his throat and said:
"Considering that your lands are now vast and your capitals are too far from Luoyang, it would be quite a burden on the people and costly to maintain this annually. Therefore, the tributary ceremony where all feudal lords gather in person will be held once every ten years. Normally, you can send a prince or minister with the tribute items. Oh, and if I were to abdicate or pass away, the tributary ceremony in the year of the new emperor's accession, you must all personally attend and present your gifts.
In addition, the Empress Dowager wishes to establish an Imperial Academy.
It will teach astronomy, geography, and artisan skills, explaining the principles behind all the goods sold in Luoyang. Considering that you have all adhered to etiquette and arrived on time, each of your states will be granted a quota of one hundred people. You will each be given a textbook and an examination paper later. You will take them back to teach and assess your own people. All those who wish to study at the Imperial Academy must pass the examination without cheating.
The Empress Dowager dislikes foolish people.
She dislikes clever people who think they are too smart even more.
Next spring, remember to report here on time."