Chapter 68 (068) I Invite You.

The missions took months or even a year to travel back and forth, but a fast horse could deliver a message much faster. The tribute envoys from the Turks and Tibet were all under control, but Zhao Jialing did not completely cut off the communication between the missions and the merchants from the Central Asian countries. He even allowed the Sogdians to bring the news back—after all, after staging such a scene, Tibet and the Turks had to be informed, right?

About a month later, news arrived from the Turkic side. The Turkic Khan vehemently denied colluding with Tibet to invade the border of Dayong, claiming to be on friendly terms with Dayong. In addition to sending horses, the Khan also offered to send Prince Ashina Tumen and Princess Ashina Bilian as hostages. Just as Xie Lanzhao had guessed, it was unlikely that war would break out in the north or southwest at this time.

Zhao Jialing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although Da Yong was not afraid of war, she did not want to start a war on the border. The messenger brought back good news, but what pleased Zhao Jialing even more was that the main quest "All Nations Pay Homage" had completed its achievement—"All Nations Pay Homage to the Emperor." The system's reward was a map of the world! It not only included Da Yong's territory, but also all the small countries that had historical ties with Da Yong, and even included islands at sea. In addition to the terrain, it also marked various mineral resources. Even though she knew the system had extraordinary abilities, Zhao Jialing was still thoroughly shocked.

"Host, you can zoom in and out to see it." The Wise Ruler System cheerfully explained its usage to Zhao Jialing. "System products are always top-notch, and can be tailored to every single village."

"Can only I see this?" Zhao Jialing asked.

Her eyes flickered. She could naturally depict the terrain as accurately as possible, but that would take forever. This map was invaluable. She could understand about 60-70% of the territory within the Great Yong, but her understanding of the surrounding vassal states mostly came from the descriptions of local customs and traditions given by their envoys, which were then compiled into maps and presented by the Court of State Ceremonial. But how accurate could those descriptions be? Only a very few officials were truly familiar with the roads and distances within the vassal states. And among the vassal states, they would spare no expense to spy on and bribe larger states, while ignoring smaller ones. In reality, they had very little understanding of the situation beyond their borders.

The original image can only be viewed by the host, but the system can provide a copy, drawn at a scale of 1:3.5 million.

Fearing Zhao Jialing might not understand, he further explained: "The size of these two books roughly corresponds to the map of Henan Province. It can only be detailed down to the county level; mountains and rivers will be marked on the map."

[That's enough.] Zhao Jialing thought to himself.

After instructing the system to prepare the copy, she fell silent, revealing a thoughtful expression.

Having lived in the palace for so long, she hadn't even explored all of Chang'an, let alone seen the landscapes and scenery of the world. The world she perceived was merely the imperial court, a picture hanging in her study. Within the image provided by the system, as she zoomed in and out, her thoughts seemed to soar, extending to thousands of miles away.

Not to mention the land, even in the sea, there were islands scattered like stars, inhabited by people she had never known before? The word "world" suddenly became real, and her heart surged like the waves of the sea, followed by a heavy burden and an indescribable sense of mission.

After a long while, Zhao Jialing said, "Summon the prime minister to the Yanying Hall for a meeting."

The rubbing provided by the system was on her desk, bound in a long scroll. Zhao Jialing only slightly unrolled a corner before closing it again. She decided to put overseas matters aside for now; there were large "blind spots" within the country, and even the records in the national history might not be accurate.

When the ministers arrived at Yan Ying Hall, Emperor Jialing had already ordered the long scroll to be unfurled and laid flat on the long table. Unlike the main hall, Yan Ying Hall was less formal, and ministers were usually offered seats and tea when summoned. However, the layout had been slightly different recently; the tables and chairs had been moved. The ministers who held the position of Vice Chancellor immediately noticed the scroll, their expressions changing drastically, greatly shocked and horrified.

This dynasty forbids the private possession of maps and albums, let alone maps as clear as this. Some people haven't even carefully looked at ordinary maps! Understanding mountains and rivers comes either from firsthand experience or from books. But rivers meander, with numerous tributaries, and to which they flow? Who, besides those who have dedicated their lives to this pursuit, can answer all these questions?

Such a divine object must have been obtained by His Majesty from the gods; truly, Heaven blesses the Great Yong!

As Zhao Jialing ascended the throne, she took in the expressions of her ministers. It was only natural that she was shocked; if they remained completely unmoved, she would suspect they were spies even the system couldn't detect. Her calm gaze swept over the ministers, and Zhao Jialing said, "A few days ago, I dreamt of a divine being bestowing upon me a map. Yesterday, someone appeared in the palace, saying they were an envoy secretly dispatched by the late emperor to survey the mountains and rivers, and had spent ten years creating this map to present to me." Calling the system a divine being was also quite true.

The ministers all knew that the "system deity" existed, so they did not inquire further and immediately said, "Your Majesty is respectful to the gods and devout in your sacrifices. Your virtuous character and auspicious signs bring divine and human blessings. This is a boundless blessing for the nation."

Zhao Jialing chuckled and continued, “You gentlemen know a great deal about the lands of Jingluo, Hedong, Hebei, and Jiangnan. But you always refer to Jiannan, Qianzhong, Lingnan, and even Jiangxi as uncivilized barbarian lands. Yet, the millions of people in the Nine Provinces, even the mountain barbarians, are still subjects of our dynasty. All the county magistrates in the empire are in charge of promoting good morals. I hope that the barbarian chieftains of the remote regions will come to submit as soon as possible.”

The ministers replied in unison, "We obey the decree." Among them, Xiang Yanyi, the Minister of Revenue, looked the most solemn. The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of the population and taxes of the empire, but the figures were all reported from below, and many were vague and difficult to reconcile. Various prefectures and counties frequently added, abolished, or renamed themselves; this was manageable for one reign, but over several reigns, the accumulated issues became unclear, and over time, it became a messy account.

"Mountains and marshes belong to the ruler. The map shows mountains and marshes containing gold, silver, iron, and copper, which must be under government control; private mining is prohibited," Zhao Jialing added. This highlights the issue of mountain and river management. The territory is covered in forests, making it impossible to assign personnel to guard every single mountain and marsh, especially those deep in the mountains. The court mostly turned a blind eye to people profiting from the mountains and marshes. In the early stages, it even allowed private mining, with the government collecting taxes, until Emperor Renzong's reign when private mining was prohibited.

However, "bans" are never truly effective. Even when private mining was permitted, powerful clans would conceal the truth and evade taxes. Even after a complete ban, they wouldn't stop. By colluding with officials and deceiving their superiors, they could reap huge profits—who would know?

The imperial court had always been aware of this phenomenon, but struggled to find a way to investigate. Now, the location marked on the map is clear, and envoys can be dispatched to verify it. It all comes down to secrecy. Once the court has control of crucial intelligence channels, what's the point of struggling?

Local powerful families and scholars had extensive networks of marriage and social connections, and the practice of recommending officials for official positions was prevalent in the past. Once they rose to prominence, it was perfectly normal for them to pull strings with their relatives and friends. Zhao Jialing understood this and was using this opportunity to give them a warning. If they still didn't stop, it wouldn't be as simple as just a few words.

Some things don't need to be explicitly stated; the ministers can understand them. Those who pass the imperial examinations in this dynasty are mostly officials and scholars. Leaving aside the powerful and influential families, even poor families can still achieve great things through connections. While officials hold positions in the court, their children and relatives manage farms and even clear forests in their hometowns. Being so far from Chang'an, no one knows whether their relatives and friends are using their names to break the law.

Furthermore, if the gods bestowed upon Your Majesty a map of the world, revealing the locations of mineral deposits, would they also reveal the true ownership of these mines? Once this thought arose, no matter how innocent one may be, one could not help but tremble.

The ministers received their orders and withdrew, but Xie Lanzhao, the Grand Secretary, was kept behind by Zhao Jialing as was customary. The other ministers also wanted to shamelessly linger and listen in, but they feared it was merely a private matter, and their presence would be quite intrusive. After the other ministers reluctantly left, Xie Lanzhao asked, "Powerful clans desire to monopolize the mountains and marshes. The profits from this are considerable, and I'm afraid they won't easily relinquish their rights."

"It's good that they can find it. What I was worried about before was not being able to find evidence and running around in a mess," Zhao Jialing said. "I was also worried that they were too timid."

Xie Lanzhao's expression turned solemn: "What does Your Majesty mean?"

Zhao Jialing said, "The granaries are full, yet there are still fugitives. Many refugees seek refuge with powerful and influential families, and are concealed by them, not recorded in the registers. If any powerful family breaks the law, perhaps this opportunity can be used to recount the population of each county." She paused, looked at Xie Lanzhao, and then joked, "The Xie family has been officials for generations, with close relatives in Chang'an. But their relatives are either officials in other prefectures or running businesses in their hometowns. Could they also be hiding people like these wealthy families?"

Although she knew His Majesty meant no reproach, Xie Lanzhao's heart still skipped a beat, sounding an alarm bell. Although they weren't in Chang'an and didn't see each other often, they still exchanged letters and gifts every year. "Your Majesty—"

Before Xie Lanzhao could finish her apology, Zhao Jialing interrupted her and said with a smile, "After the family is divided, we will not share the same blessings or misfortunes. I know this principle."

Xie Lanzhao remained silent.

Zhao Jialing continued, "I could see these pictures often, but after that dream, I truly felt the weight of the world and the wealth of all under heaven. The people of the nine provinces are all my responsibility."

Xie Lanzhao looked surprised. Since last year, His Majesty had been moving towards becoming a wise and diligent ruler, and could be considered to have been very responsible. But hearing His Majesty utter the word "responsibility" still touched a chord in her heart, leaving a lingering resonance. Although he could be childish and sometimes mischievous, it was precisely these genuine traits that made His Majesty all the more precious.

"I cannot walk this path alone. As the ancient saying goes, 'Ministers are the backbone of the state, the people's hope.' Governing the world also depends on the efforts of my ministers. Therefore—" After a brief silence, the topic took a sharp turn, "Would you like to accompany me to see Mingde Academy?"

She had planned to take a trip earlier, but the affairs of the outer vassal states were not yet resolved, which delayed her for more than a month. She had already decided that if it was just a private trip, she would not return to the palace.

"Your Majesty's will be obeyed," Xie Lanzhao replied without hesitation.

The establishment of Mingde Academy is a major policy initiative following His Majesty's ascension to the throne. As the prime minister, it is her duty to do so; and privately, she has no reason to refuse.

"I hope you won't disappoint me," Zhao Jialing said. Reforms have always existed, but few have succeeded. They involve the vested interests of certain individuals, and the time spent in court debates far exceeds the time spent on actual implementation. Success means widespread adoption; failure means the prime minister takes the blame.

"These things cannot be accomplished overnight; they cannot be rushed." Xie Lanzhao's tone was calm and nonchalant, as if she did not care about the serious consequences of failure.

"I know," Zhao Jialing sighed softly. "I also want to achieve something. Weapons and firearms cannot be shown to others easily, and running a business in the market is suspected of competing with the people for profit. Only literature and moral character can be an achievement. If Mingde Academy does well, I will have something to say to the late Emperor during the family memorial service."

Xie Lanzhao's eyelids twitched when she heard "the late emperor." Did His Majesty still have such filial piety? She still remembered His Majesty's shocking words about "riding the late emperor to court." Her way of showing filial piety was to let the late emperor and all the princes and grandsons have a peaceful reunion in the afterlife.

Amid Xie Lanzhao's silence, Zhao Jialing murmured again, "Hmm, it would be great if we didn't have students like those at the Imperial Academy who were frequently expelled for disciplinary violations." That would be truly incompetent. Zhao Jialing could still remember the embarrassment of the court officials when they were studying in the imperial court. Incompetent descendants not only proved the failure of the Imperial Academy, but also made them ashamed and start to doubt their own lives.

Xie Lanzhao: "...Your Majesty doesn't need to lower your expectations so much." The elementary school class is another matter, but the students in the other subjects all entered through examinations; at least intelligence isn't a rare commodity among them. Besides, doesn't Du Wenyu, the Mingde Scholar and Supervising Secretary, submit a memorial every ten days?

Zhao Jialing curled his lip and said, "Isn't this all because of the incompetence of the Imperial Academy?" Look at the scholars of the Imperial Academy, they all claim to be knowledgeable about the past and have brilliant articles in their minds, but what kind of garbage are they teaching? It's utter nonsense.

Xie Lanzhao: "Now they are all focused on their studies." The existence of Mingde Academy has indeed made the students of the Imperial Academy feel a sense of crisis. Moreover, in the future, inheriting a title will require an examination. As for those whose families do not have a title to inherit, those who can enter the Imperial Academy will still have to rely on family connections. This path to advancement is controlled by them. Even if they want to be playboys, their elders will not allow it.

"For these people, knowledge is secondary; their character cannot be base," Zhao Jialing sighed, then added, "Enough of this. After the inspection of Mingde Academy, I wish to sleep side by side with you." As he finished speaking, Zhao Jialing gazed intently at Xie Lanzhao, his eyes filled with eager anticipation. She had reflected on her previous defeat for a month, rehearsing the same scenario countless times in her mind. When they met again, she was certain she wouldn't be utterly defeated.