The Sinful Woman's Golden Branch: The Jade-Faced Yama is Actually Me (Chapter 33...)

The Secretariat had no choice but to speak out this time, because it was a story about why His Majesty had rebelled.

Unless it was truly authorized by the emperor, what happened in Mi, Lai, and Qing prefectures was no different from a mutiny.

If the emperor does something like this, and word gets out, won't everyone think you've rebelled?

Li Siyin remained unmoved. Who said that an emperor couldn't rebel?

Back when she was a princess, Ye Xiqing had taught her earnestly that if others said she was rebelling, it was because she hadn't rebelled. If she really rebelled, they wouldn't dare to say it.

Now that I've finally become emperor, I can legally rebel. What would it be like if I didn't?

Li Siyin calmly looked at the people from the Secretariat and asked, "What are your opinions?"

The Secretariat was the core of the prime minister's staff, assisting the emperor in handling state affairs. It wielded considerable power, and naturally, when a new emperor ascended the throne, the Secretariat would take advantage of the new emperor's unstable foundation to demonstrate its authority.

Previously, it was Li Wenyuan who gradually replaced all the people in the Secretariat with his own people, thus gaining control over all the court officials.

Li Siyin coldly raised his head: "Are you all senile? Which came first, the emperor or the Secretariat? Do I need your opinions on my orders? If you don't want to do it, then don't!"

The old men of the Secretariat: ...

Is this something an emperor should say?

We've already tolerated you enough by making you a princess emperor, yet you still dare to do such a rebellious thing!

The first fierce debate among the courtiers against the new emperor began, but Li Siyin still said the same thing: If you don't want to do it, then don't do it.

An old man, accustomed to a life of luxury and pampered privilege, had never suffered such humiliation. He immediately resigned, declaring he was quitting! "Look at what you're going to do to this country with your reckless behavior!"

Li Siyin looked at the seal that she had retrieved without any effort, and thought, "What a good thing!"

He instructed Yunniang beside him: "Put these seals away, and you prepare an edict to affix the seal."

Zhao Yingying and Cui Xiaoyu, who had accompanied Li Siyin since she was a princess, were sent to local areas. Yunniang, whom Li Wenyuan sent to help her manage the princess's estate, became her new personal maid.

Yunniang held a pile of seals in disbelief: "Let me come here?"

Li Siyin replied matter-of-factly, “Of course, you are all my closest confidants. You should help me share the burden of state affairs and learn some ways to govern the country in the future, so as not to disappoint me.”

Upon hearing this, the maids beside him were overjoyed and knelt down to express their gratitude.

When Li Siyin was about to draft the imperial edict, she had to affix the seals at each level. Her maids were so excited that they would grab one seal from each other, and the task was completed in no time.

I really don't know who can be threatened by resigning from an official post. If you don't want to do it, there are plenty of people who will, and even if someone does want to do it, she might not let them.

However, these people only helped her draft the imperial edict; Li Siyin intended to reserve the position of prime minister for Shangguan Lanyi.

She wouldn't let the power of the Secretariat continue like this, but it was also important to have a capable prime minister to help her handle the complex political affairs.

Therefore, she will establish both an internal affairs team and a foreign affairs team to jointly govern the country.

The palace maids, led by Yunniang, formed her internal affairs team, while the prime minister, led by Shangguan Lanyi, formed her external affairs team. The two sides cooperated, discussed, and supervised each other, with her ultimately making the final decision.

A mere prime minister, yet he dares to exercise power over her?

If court officials want to exercise power over the emperor, they either need to stage a coup or threaten to resign, but the current court officials simply do not have that ability.

After the old prime minister was dismissed without hesitation, his friends immediately gathered together and called on him to resign en masse tomorrow, go on strike, paralyze government affairs, and teach the new emperor a lesson!

Upon receiving the resignation letter, Li Siyin looked at the people below and asked, "Besides you, who else is there?"

The person who submitted his resignation passionately declared, "The entire court is filled with people who cannot tolerate His Majesty's outrageous behavior!"

Li Siyin glanced at him, then at the space behind him; there was no one there.

After a moment of silence, he instructed Yunniang, "Then bring his seal over."

The person whose seal had been taken away slowly looked behind him—

Wait...didn't we agree on this...?

Those who were passionately arguing with him last night now silently lower their heads, not daring to look him in the eye.

Workers' strikes are effective, but strikes by officials are useless!

The minister, who had been tricked by his companion, stared in disbelief as his seal was taken away.

Everyone around Li Siyin was very happy. There weren't enough stamps to play with before, but now there are more!

The new emperor had just taken the throne when she told everyone that she wouldn't tolerate anyone and that anyone who wanted to resign should do so immediately, as she had many others lining up to take her place. She told them to get out of there.

At the gates of Luoyang, many great poets walked away dejectedly, wondering how many popular poems they would compose on this trip and be passed down to posterity.

The people of Luoyang couldn't care less about them, because they were also going to have their land divided!

Following the land allocation process of Dengzhou, the mother household was established, the good household was restored, and the land was redistributed.

However, the population in the capital is dense, unlike the sparsely populated border states. There may not even be enough permanent land to distribute, let alone allotted land. Therefore, the land laws must be different from those elsewhere.

Everyone had to register their household again, the population was counted, and the land was divided equally.

Households with daughters inheriting the family property receive a larger share, while those without daughters receive a smaller share. Newborn girls also participate in the land distribution, and their taxes are levied at the same rate as adults. If a young girl dies, her land is reclaimed and returned to the government for exile.

It was actually easier to redistribute land in the capital than in the border states, because the border states were mostly outside the emperor's control and were dominated by local clans, while the capital was entirely under the emperor's control.

When the emperor in the capital wanted to redeem land, the landowners didn't dare to say a word and simply handed over their land. After all, if you didn't let her redeem it, she would confiscate your property.

The same applies to officials; local officials are difficult to deal with, while officials in the capital are very easy to manage.

Before long, a major reshuffle of officials took place in the court, as there were too many people eager to become officials.

The capital city is wealthy, has a large population, and its people generally have a high level of education.

In Dengzhou, it was difficult to find literate women at first, whereas in the capital there were plenty.

Not to mention the daughters, wives, and concubines of high-ranking officials and noble families, or the most talented courtesans in the brothels, even ordinary merchant families could often raise several literate daughters.

That's the advantage of being first to market. Dengzhou was short of people. Anyone who could read could become an official. It was an official position that only tested ability, not knowledge. Even if you couldn't read, it didn't matter. You could learn on the job.

You can't do that in Beijing. There's competition in Beijing. If you don't know how to do it, there are plenty of people who do.

Under Li Siyin's new regulations, everyone was restored to their former status, and everyone had the freedom to divorce, whether they were mistresses or concubines.

The government is recruiting female officials; anyone with talent can take the exam. Who wouldn't want to go? Who wants to serve a smelly old man? Once we're ashore, we'll get a divorce!

For a time, the competition was fierce, and there were simply not enough official positions. Li Siyin then looked at the remaining male officials and asked, "Would you like to maintain your dignity yourselves, or would you like me to do it for you?"

According to common sense, the capital is full of high-ranking officials who control the entire country, so we should proceed slowly and methodically.

Ye Xiqing and Li Siyin, however, demonstrated to everyone what it means to get things done in one step.

By the time Shangguan Lanyi returned with the coffin, Luoyang had become the second Dengzhou.

Shangguan Lanyi looked at her female colleagues and thought, "Huh?"

She's a rather cautious person; now that the princess is the empress, she can't do that anymore...

Ye Xiqing, however, stated expressionlessly that what they were carrying out was not a gentle reform. Any compromise with the past would allow them to be permeated by it; any reform would be a radical transformation.

As for why she loves to laugh, she doesn't dare to laugh in front of outsiders during the national mourning period. Although she has always been very informal with Li Siyin, there are limits to everything. Her mother has just passed away, and it would be inappropriate for her to laugh.

Shangguan Lanyi: ...

What if the people in that area realize something is wrong and stage a mass rebellion...?

Ye Xiqing calmly replied, "Go ahead and do it."

Having completed the land reform in the four major prefectures of Beijing, Milarepa, and Qingzhou, Li Siyin now has nothing to fear from anyone.

After Luo Jing completed her reforms, the people of Luo Jing didn't want her to die; after Miledengqing completed her reforms, the people of Miledengqing didn't want her to die.

The wishes of the people of Lok Kyoto protected her life, and the wishes of the people of Miladen Tsing ensured her continuous supply of troops.

As for people in other places, you'd better rebel for me. If you don't rebel, I'll have to spend money to buy back your land. If you do rebel, I'll confiscate your property!

Three years later, the national mourning period ended, and the people of the whole country were overjoyed, laughing and cheering. His Majesty's royal army had liberated Nankang!

In these three years, not nothing major has happened. When the Rong and Hu tribes in the north and the Yi and Di tribes in the west heard that the emperor of Dayu had died, they immediately abandoned all martial virtue and took advantage of Dayu's period of national mourning to plunder and invade the south.

When the gentry in the south heard that Li Siyin was going to divide their land, they also recruited soldiers and horses, and, under the banner of Li Siyin, a woman in power, corrupting the court, killing the tyrannical emperor, and supporting the legitimate dynasty, they formed an army to rebel.

At that time, we were surrounded by enemies on three sides, and everyone was laughing at us for our foolishness. If we served you, you would be the emperor; if we didn't serve you, you would be nothing!

Li Siyin was surrounded by enemies on three sides, and the Dengzhou pirates were also on the verge of making a move. But she showed everyone what it meant to be a divine emperor descended from the heavens, a divine monarch!

The most common threat to the borders of Dayu was the northern Rong and Hu tribes. Li Siyin and her women had already made preparations when they were in Dengzhou, training their troops and recruiting Hu women to serve as soldiers and generals.

One of them was the Hu general, Bhikkhu Wukozhen, whom Li Siyin brought to the capital after seizing the throne.

She was tall and well-versed in the customs of the northern nomadic tribes. After special training and selection, her military skills were exceptional, and she was highly adept at resisting the invasion of the northern nomadic tribes.

Tu Si Niang and Lakshmi were transferred to the western border to deal with the western barbarians and to distribute land and pacify the people.

If you think that it's only good to distribute land during times of peace, you're wrong. Wartime is actually the best time to distribute land.

During times of war, anything can happen. Vacant land is immediately distributed as a reward to encourage fighting!

In normal times, when war breaks out, people would flee with their families, but upon hearing about the land redistribution, even an eighty-year-old woman would want to take a kitchen knife and go to the battlefield.

The militia of the western frontier had never been so cohesive, leaving the barbarians completely bewildered.

They originally came here because they saw the Rong and Hu tribes in the north rising up in force and wanted to take advantage of the situation. The soldiers were all barbarian nobles who wanted to gain military merit. However, they were overwhelmed by the Yong and Liang soldiers and civilians who were full of enthusiasm.

In this way, not only were foreign enemies repelled and the two prefectures of Yong and Liang reorganized, but the Longyou Road was also opened up. The land here was also more suitable for growing cotton, which was also the reason why Lakshmi was sent here.

Following the usual practice of reporting households and distributing land, and distributing the rewarded land for military merit, Lakshmi began to organize the residents of Yongliang to try intercropping wheat and cotton.

If things develop smoothly, this place will become one of the major cotton-producing areas in the future. Cotton, an excellent material for keeping warm, is an extremely important resource for Dayu. In the future, when resources are plentiful, it can also be used to make menstrual belts.

The border troubles of Yongliangdeng were basically resolved thanks to the local people's enthusiasm for fighting back. The firearms that were not used during the palace coup were all used against the strong and well-equipped Rong and Hu troops on the Qingzhou border, and they could not hold out.

As for the rebellion in the south, I really don't want to talk about it.

Seeing the new emperor's overwhelming momentum, the major clans in the south immediately contributed money and manpower to support the rebellion of several nearby armies.

The commander of the largest army was delighted. "The emperor's throne rotates, and this year it's his turn!"

Instigated by a group of subordinates and people sent by powerful families, he decided to rebel, using the banner of supporting the ascension of the King of Lingnan, even though he did not know the King of Lingnan.

But when people get proud, they easily become arrogant. He completely disregarded the woman in the capital, the emperor, and was already dreaming of trampling her under his feet.

After conquering a territory, they would burn, kill, and plunder everywhere, and kidnap a group of women for their own pleasure.

Among them was a woman named Ma Sangu, who was originally an embroiderer. She was overjoyed to embroider dragon robes for the emperor and become a courtier, but unexpectedly met with a sudden disaster.

She usually sews and sews, but she is not a gentle person. Her hopes, which were so close at hand, were completely destroyed. How could she not hate it!

She flattered and fawned over the traitorous general, then, taking advantage of his drunkenness, stole his knife and stabbed him in the head!

The woman who had been abducted with her stared at her in shock, but Ma Sangu's eyes were bloodshot: "They don't treat us like human beings, so why don't we kill them like chickens!"

"His Majesty's royal army will arrive soon to quell the rebellion. They won't be able to roam freely for long. If we break out, when His Majesty's royal army arrives, we will be credited for killing the traitors!"

The kidnapped woman, already disoriented, found her anchor upon hearing this. Gathering her courage, she grabbed any weapon she could get her hands on, and carrying the traitor's head, she actually managed to break out.

While brandishing her head in protest, Ma Sangu shouted, "The rebels are opposing His Majesty! It is His Majesty who wants to distribute land to us commoners, yet you still help them rebel against His Majesty! Do you have any conscience?!"

"Who doesn't have a mother and sisters? If they gain power, they will also rape and humiliate your mothers and sisters, and kill your brothers and sisters. Such evil deeds will not be protected by Heaven!"

"If you kill us today, we will become vengeful ghosts and make you keep us company!"

The rebels who were gathered were mostly just refugees trying to make a living. Now that their commander was dead and they were leaderless, they were completely disoriented after hearing what she said and dared not draw their swords.

The onlookers felt only fear and no goodwill towards this army that enjoyed killing and looting. They silently parted to let them leave the city.

These women, carrying the head of the traitor, used a combination of pitiful behavior and intimidation to seize knives and horses, and fled to become outlaws!

Just as the southern aristocratic families were plotting a rebellion, their biggest leader was beheaded by a group of women. The major aristocratic families were practically ready to curse them out!

But no amount of cursing can change the fact that before they could even get off to a successful start, the rebels were leaderless and their morale was hit like never before, while the royal army had already arrived.

Despite being surrounded by enemies, Li Siyin still went all out, sending out all the capable people available. The only one left to quell the rebellion in the south was Ye Xiqing.

Although Ye Xiqing was physically weak, he was not incapable of leading troops. A motley crew was not a threat to begin with, and now that they were in internal chaos, they would collapse with a single blow.

Once the city occupied by the rebels is recovered, Ye Xiqing will go to pick up Ma Sangu and the others who have become outlaws.

By imperial decree, Ma Sangu is appointed as the Grand General Who Punishes the Rebellion and leads the royal army to quell the rebellion!

Ma Sangu had imagined that one day she would receive a reward from the Emperor in the capital for her embroidery skills, but she never expected that the reward would actually come in this way.

Human affairs are unpredictable; who can know what the future holds? Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably: "This humble woman thanks Your Majesty for your divine grace!"

With Ma Sangu joining the cause, Ye Xiqing's suppression of the rebellion went even more smoothly.

Once the rebellion is completely quelled, she will turn her attention to the powerful clans that supported the rebellion; they will be executed according to their family genealogies.

The fierce rebellion in the south failed to cause a major upheaval, but instead resulted in the completely innocent commoners of Lingnan being demoted a little further south, to Yazhou.

You have to let people try everything. Once someone has tried it, they'll know that rebellion isn't so easy, and they'll behave themselves.

After the rebels' fate was revealed, buying back the land became acceptable, as did buying it back with debt...

Governing such matters is truly troublesome. Ye Xiqing enjoys killing but dislikes handling these delicate tasks. After quelling the rebellion, she instructed Li Siyin to send people from the capital to handle the aftermath, and then she returned home.

When Shangguan Lanyi first declared war on the world, she was very worried.

But once everything had settled down, Shangguan Lanyi realized how wise her decision had been. Even though they were fighting on all sides, it wasn't too difficult. Once they won, the world would be completely theirs!

Nowadays, there are very few people in the entire Dayu who dare not to regard Li Siyin as the emperor. She is too terrifying, even more terrifying than her mother.

Whether she wanted to reinstate the land system, promote shamanism, reform the written language, or allow men and women to participate in the imperial examinations together, no one questioned her.

Su Nanyan was originally in love with her cousin, but for some reason, he was unwilling to marry her. As she got older, she had no choice but to marry someone she didn't like at all.

The man treated her very well, but he was not the one she loved. After the court allowed women to take the imperial examinations and divorce at will, she immediately broke off all ties with him and went to the capital, citing her desire to focus on her official career.

She was known for her talent and quick learning ability. She soon mastered simplified Chinese characters, ranked first in her high school, and was appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy.

While exchanging pleasantries with her colleagues, she couldn't help but recall an old story: her cousin was involved in the major case of the Prince of Nankang's rebellion. She wondered what became of him in the end, and thought it would be nice to secretly offer a cup of wine in remembrance.

I asked my aunt and cousin before, but they never answered. Now I'm asking someone else. Maybe they can find out?

After so many years, few people remember the former "Jade-faced Yama Pei Shaoqing".

However, some elderly people in Beijing still know about the incident, as it occurred there.

"He's not dead."