Chapter 133

This time, the new emperor ascended the throne and issued a general amnesty during the sacrifice to heaven.

Zhou Shubai ascended the throne as the youngest emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty and changed the reign title to Yuanqi. Due to the new emperor's young age, his father temporarily served as regent, with his mother assisting him. He abolished the centuries-old practice of selecting officials through patronage, opening up channels for public opinion and the imperial examination system. He also abolished the system of Three Dukes and Nine Ministers and replaced it with the system of Three Provinces and Six Ministries. He established a cabinet, rewarding officials based on their achievements.

In addition to Ye Jia, Yu was naturally also canonized as the Empress Dowager, and King Jing was posthumously canonized as Emperor Wencheng.

Because Zhou Jingchen hadn't ascended the throne, Yu's enthronement was somewhat forced. However, Great Yan was now under Zhou Jingchen's control, and those entrusted with important positions at court were his trusted aides. Those former officials had no right to weigh in. Zhou Jingchen retained some of these officials, considering their clean records during their tenures, to maintain stability in the new court.

In other words, Zhou Jingchen and his confidants were waiting for these people to make mistakes, which would give them a reason to replace them. Most people were living in fear and didn't dare to cross Zhou Jingchen's brow.

Ye Jia followed Zhou Jingchen in and out of the imperial study in the Golden Palace, and they discussed government affairs without hesitation. Even though some stubborn old ministers complained about this, Zhou Jingchen's attitude remained as arrogant as ever.

After following Zhou Jingchen and listening to court affairs for half a month, Ye Jia also roughly understood the current situation facing Dayan.

Although Zhou Ye reigned for less than eight years, the damage he inflicted on Great Yan during those eight years was immense. Great Yan was now in a period of deep poverty and weakness, its treasury empty, and vast tracts of farmland held by a handful of individuals. The common people were starving, their lives struggling. Talented individuals were neglected, and important positions within the imperial bureaucracy were occupied by those unworthy of their positions.

In short, in one sentence, everything needs to be rebuilt and the old system needs to be changed.

Zhou Jingchen had already made initial efforts, and had dealt with the most critical personnel with swift action. He had replaced key officials with qualified individuals, but it would take time for these individuals to become familiar with government affairs and truly function. Zhou Jingchen had stabilized the broader framework of the new court, incorporating fresh blood and bringing in more people to deliver practical work.

Dayan needed to recuperate and strive for political stability and social harmony. Consequently, changes to local officials and the land system were necessary. Inspecting local officials was a massive undertaking, and there was no convenient information system. Information couldn't be communicated, and control remained insufficient.

"What do you think?" Ye Jia leaned against Zhou Jingchen's desk and looked at the dark spots under his eyelids.

She finally understood why Zhou Jingchen was so exhausted. Listening to the civil servants bickering was truly exhausting. While these civil officials might not have done anything practical, those who held high positions were certainly not fools. It was just that they operated independently, each pursuing their own interests. To protect their vested interests, these officials quoted from classics and spoke eloquently.

While Zhou Jingchen was capable of suppressing the majority's opinions, certain etiquette and rules still needed to be observed. Furthermore, if these people's foundations were undermined, their unity would be a significant problem. The people of Dayan would suffer the most.

"Land reform is imperative," Zhou Jingchen exhaled. He'd done this before, and with experience, it wasn't as difficult. He was just a little anxious now, wanting to get rid of this mess as soon as possible and retire to the mountains with Ye Jia. "A country can't afford to let its people go hungry. There can be no compromise on the national economy and people's livelihood."

Ye Jia's thoughts were similar. Although she didn't have much patriotism, she did have a bit of the later generations' hatred of the rich. Those who bullied men and women and didn't get down to business didn't deserve to be supported by society. A country only had a prosperous population.

Zhou Jingchen had promoted land reform in his previous life, but he had never found a suitable method.

The cabinet has been arguing about this issue for half a year and has not yet come up with a reasonable proposal.

Ye Jia listened silently to court affairs for nearly three months, gaining a general understanding of Dayan's current social situation. It was similar to the historical Song Dynasty, resulting in a similar state of poverty and weakness. Thanks to her good memory, she still remembered the causes and solutions to this situation. The reasons for Dayan's current situation were similar to those of the Song Dynasty, and they could be used as reference and lessons.

When the cabinet was once again arguing over the reform plan, Ye Jia spoke for the first time and proposed a reform direction.

——The tax rate is distributed according to the land area.

"Equally distribute the tax burden among landowners, collecting miscellaneous taxes per mu." This was a late-stage feudal land system reform. While it was a bit premature, Zhou Jingchen's military might was enough to deter others. Implementation was possible, Ye Jia said expressionlessly, "Allowing large landowners to pay their taxes in silver would also solve the problem of an empty treasury."

Ye Jia's words were like a boulder thrown into a deep pool, instantly igniting a fury. The high-ranking officials and nobles whose families owned vast tracts of fertile land were eager to stab Ye Jia to death on the spot for his frivolous proposal.

Even Zhou Jingchen was surprised. He paused, frowned and thought deeply, and actually felt that this approach was feasible.

Of course it's feasible, based on centuries of historical experience. However, for the current state of Great Yan, it's still a bit too radical. If this policy were implemented, it would be like directly cutting flesh from the powerful families and would inevitably be met with resistance.

A quarrel broke out in the cabinet over this matter, and then there was another shock in the court.

Fortunately, Zhou Jingchen wasn't a Zhou Ye. Although Great Yan hadn't changed dynasties, it wasn't nearly as bad. Unlike other emperors without Shiquan, Zhou Jingchen commanded a force of 200,000. With the power of the army, this policy could be implemented.

Not to mention how much money was collected in a short period of time after this measure was implemented, the national treasury was visibly filled.

However, thanks to the nine years of compulsory education, Ye Jia had learned some superficial historical knowledge, which made her more forward-looking than the average person. However, because Ye Jia's proposal was adopted, she has now become the target of public criticism.

The powerful and nobles of Yanjing regarded her as a thorn in their side, and no one dared to secretly despise her for her rural origin and short-sightedness. How could this be short-sighted? This was simply a vampire, a demon that was sucking their blood!

Ye Jia didn't care about being scolded. No matter how unscrupulous she was or how she didn't know how to take care of her child, she was still a mother who loved her child dearly. Since Zhou Jingchen had thrown the throne onto little Shubai, Ye Jia couldn't bear the thought of him inheriting a mess. Within her ability, she would naturally do her best to create a favorable environment for him.

Business matters had to be postponed temporarily in the face of national affairs, but fortunately, Ye Jia had also gathered a group of people under him.

The seal Old Master Yu had given her was truly a valuable gift. It was only as Ye Jia gradually became involved in government affairs that she understood the value of Tianxia Bookstore. Because of his influence and his status as the owner of Tianxia Bookstore, Ye Jia held a high reputation among the disadvantaged students. Many talented individuals, through Tianxia Bookstore's channels, joined Ye Jia's ranks.

By recruiting all kinds of talents, Ye Jia's industries were revitalized.

Lingdang and Qiuyue lived up to Ye Jia's expectations and grew rapidly in just six months of experience. They understood better than others that opportunities are hard to come by, and they worked tirelessly to enrich themselves so that they could quickly become independent.

The industries in the northwest were gradually handed over to Lingdang and Qiuyue, and Ye Jia's industries in Huizhou also gradually opened up the market.

The Zheng family's businesses in Huizhou originally belonged to the Zheng family, who made their fortunes in soy sauce and seafood. Later, they branched out into pearls and jade, and gradually expanded into jewelry and clothing. Because their in-laws were county magistrates, they even dabbled in illicit salt production. They owned two large saltworks, using seawater to make salt. Once these assets fell into Ye Jia's hands, something illegal became legal. Silver flowed into Ye Jia's coffers like water.

After making so much money, Ye Jia felt that he was rich enough to rival a country. At least much richer than Zhou Jingchen, a pauper.

Because of the land reform push, many people were secretly watching Ye Jia's every move. Unable to criticize Zhou Jingchen, they could only find trouble with Ye Jia and find faults to annoy him. The Imperial Censor submitted three memorials denouncing Ye Jia for illicit salt trafficking and the establishment of salt works. However, upon reaching the Imperial Study, Zhou Jingchen threw the memorials back with a scathing outburst of abuse.

"Prince Beining is supporting my family, so it must cost him some money." Zhou Jingchen was becoming more and more shameless, saying these words in public without blushing or beating his heart. Anyone could see that he was sincere.

Ye Jia: "..." He was about to scold these officials who had nothing to do but couldn't help but twitched his lips.

The nobles and important officials: "..."

If the nobles of Yanjing were to suffer a very difficult life because of this couple, they were still not as bad as the Gu family. The Gu family was now in a very embarrassing situation, and they were even worse than rats crossing the street.

The Gu family's patriarch had served in officialdom for decades, and while he hadn't committed any major offenses, his actions were certainly not clean. Having produced a queen, Gu Mingyue, the family was naturally bound to the previous dynasty. But in reality, the Gu family never enjoyed the glory of being a foreign relative. In fact, due to Gu Mingyue's malicious suppression, the family lived like a joke.

Now Gu Mingyue has run away with Zhou Ye, and the Gu family has been left behind again, becoming a prey to be slaughtered.

Zhou Jingchen was busy with other matters and hadn't dealt with the Gu family yet. But that didn't mean the Gu family had a good life. All the nobles in Yanjing knew about the Gu family's past misdeeds, whether they were trying to curry favor or were maliciously trying to embarrass them.

Only the Gu family knew the torment they had endured during this time, living in fear day and night. They regretted it bitterly. They regretted not steadfastly following Zhou Jingchen, but switching sides at the last minute to side with Zhou Ye. They gained nothing, and instead suffered losses from both sides. If they had played their cards right to win over Zhou Jingchen, the Gu family would have been a completely different place.

Not to mention that the Gu family was in a constant state of panic, Gu Mingxi was also regretting it.

She always only reminisces about the past when things reach a point of no return, regretting not making the right choices. In fact, Zhou Jingchen's first act upon arriving in Yanjing was to deal with the imperial harem. He sent all three thousand beauties to temples outside the capital to observe vegetarianism and Buddhist practices. Those who couldn't fit in the temples were sent to the imperial mausoleum to guard the body.

As Zhou Ye's former favorite concubine, Gu Mingxi was naturally sent to Huaqing Temple.

Ye Jia no longer had any impression of this supporting actress. With more on her plate, she focused her energy on the most important things. Besides keeping an eye on the government affairs at court, she also had to attend to her business. She even found time to hold her children and talk to Yu. She ignored Gu Mingxi, who had been forced to become a nun, and was actually more concerned about Zhou Ye's two children.

In the original novel, there was no such eldest son. This eldest son was strangled to death by Gu Mingyue herself to show her loyalty to Zhou Jingchen. Later, it was this infant who ascended the throne with Zhou Jingchen's help.

Ye Jia didn't know whether it would have any impact on the original plot. These two children are still alive now. Will they pose a threat to Xiao Shubai in the future?

According to historical practice, the most appropriate way to treat orphans of previous dynasties was naturally to dispose of them. Only by cutting the grass at its roots could future chaos be avoided. After all, Zhou Ye was not dead, and he had taken with him nearly 15,000 imperial guards. Dayan also had Zhou Ye's supporters. Zhou Ye's son was also a member of the Zhou royal family. It was not impossible for someone with ulterior motives to use this as an opportunity to once again raise the national flag of Zhou Jingchen. But killing a child who was only three years old and could not yet speak, who was merely unconscious, was too cruel.

Ye Jia frowned and kicked Zhou Jingchen, who was reading the memorials beside him: "What are you going to do with Zhou Ye's two children?"

"Hmm?" Zhou Jingchen didn't take his eyes off the memorial, trying to do two things at once.

"These two children might become a hidden danger to Shubai in the future." Ye Jia was also reviewing memorials. Really, other couples would enjoy the pleasures of the boudoir and the pleasures of the bed late at night, while they sat side by side, reviewing memorials.

"What are your plans, Jia Niang?" Zhou Jingchen put down his pen and looked up at Ye Jia beside him. Over the years, Ye Jia's complexion had shed its youthful innocence, becoming more vibrant and full of life. Her eyebrows were elongated, her hair was long and dark, and her skin was as white as if made of jade. Her demeanor had calmed down, and she became even more captivating.

A strand of hair fell down and slid into the collar. Zhou Jingchen's eyes flashed, and then darkened.

Ye Jia was completely unaware as he quickly wrote on the memorial: "How much silver would Zhou Ye be willing to give in exchange for these two sons?"

Forgive her for being money-minded, but if she can get money, why kill her for nothing?

Zhou Jingchen couldn't help but smile. He frowned and thought for a moment, then quietly moved closer to Ye Jia. He pinched Ye Jia's belt, which fell at his side, and twisted it around his fingers, playing with it. He smiled briefly, "Maybe he doesn't want to pay."

"Huh?" This time it was Ye Jia's turn to be surprised.

She suddenly raised her head and saw the sarcastic curve on Zhou Jingchen's lips. She blinked, "Isn't this the child he and Gu Mingyue had? It's said that Zhou Ye would risk his life for Gu Mingyue?"

Zhou Jingchen's eyes were half bright and half dim, the light shining on his cheeks making them look as clear and elegant as an immortal. "Maybe I recognized the wrong person?"

Ye Jia: “!!!!”

"Wrong person?" Ye Jia was dumbfounded. She thought reporting the wrong daughter was cheesy enough, but was there such a melodrama?

"Who did you recognize wrongly?"

Zhou Jingchen smiled slyly, and with a fierce tug, Ye Jia's skirt ripped apart in an instant. That was the way palace attire was; once the belt came undone, the skirt slid down like water. Ye Jia's eyes widened, and he whispered into her ear about the entanglement between Lin Zeyu and Gu Mingyue. Ye Jia held his hand, speechless, as if her head had been struck by lightning.

No wonder Zhou Jingchen had insisted on buying Lin Zeyu in the first place. It turned out there was a reason behind this... Wait, how did Zhou Jingchen know about Gu Mingyue and Lin Zeyu's relationship? When he was exiled, Gu Mingyue hadn't become the queen's favorite concubine yet, right?

Ye Jia suddenly realized that something was wrong and grabbed Zhou Jingchen's hair that had fallen into her clothes: "Explain it to me clearly."

Zhou Jingchen didn't cry out in pain even when her hair was pulled. He lowered his head and pecked her collarbone: "What did you say?"

"Don't play dumb." Ye Jia was sometimes not very perceptive, but sometimes she was extraordinarily perceptive. "When the incident happened in Prince Jing's Mansion, Gu Mingyue hadn't even become a favorite concubine yet. Gu Mingyue was just a nobody back then. How did you notice Lin Zeyu?"

"Why couldn't I notice it?" Zhou Jingchen didn't deny it. He tilted his head and smiled frankly.

"Don't play it safe."

The two looked at each other, and Zhou Jingchen still smiled: "As expected, you are my Jia Niang. I still can't fool you."

Just as Ye Jia hadn't concealed the fact that she wasn't the original owner, Zhou Jingchen also planned to reveal his true feelings. Although not revealing the truth wouldn't affect his relationship with Ye Jia, Zhou Jingchen thought about it and decided to tell Ye Jia.

"I am the one who was reborn."

Ye Jia: “!!!”

"Rebirth?"

"Um."

"Oh my god," Ye Jia thought. Zhou Jingchen had been reborn. After all, his actions in this life were pretty much the same as described in the book. While he'd made some advance arrangements, there weren't many unusual things... Oh no, he'd predicted the drought in Lingnan and asked her to stockpile food. Zhou Jingchen had already hinted at this, but she hadn't taken it seriously.

"But you..." Ye Jia was about to ask how you could be reborn, but then he thought, if Gu Mingxi can do it, why can't Zhou Jingchen?

Thinking of Gu Mingxi, that's when Ye Jia finally remembered Gu Mingxi. She didn't know why she felt a little jealous, so jealous that she couldn't help but sarcastically say, "Don't you have any regrets in this life? For example, rekindling your relationship with someone you didn't get to be with in your previous life..."

Zhou Jingchen loved seeing her like this. It was rare to see her jealous, and she smiled with such joy.

He put his arm around Ye Jia's waist and kept laughing, laughing, laughing until Ye Jia's hair stood on end. Only then did he restrain his impudent expression with a look of joy. He lowered his head and pressed his lips against Ye Jia's, saying solemnly: "To have you in my life again, what else could I ask for?"

"...Now that you have a treasure chest, what more could you ask for?" Ye Jia didn't want to see him too proud, so she teased him.

"Yes," Zhou Jingchen laughed again, his shoulders shaking as he spoke word by word, "I'm going to tie myself to you like this. I'll be living off you in this life and in the next."

Ye Jia: "...Go away, I'll find someone more handsome in my next life."