Song Yunyang walked slowly behind Chen Zhennan with light but firm steps.

Her eyes were full of concern and affection. She gently squatted down and hugged Chen Zhennan tightly from behind, as if she were protecting the most precious treasure in the world.

"Zhennan, don't blame yourself."

Song Yunyang's voice was gentle yet firm, like a spring breeze brushing across Chen Zhennan's somewhat chaotic heart.

"This is by no means your fault alone. Now that you are the emperor, you should take the wishes of the people of the thirteen states as your guide and make careful plans. Do not dwell on past regrets. Remember, the well-being of millions of people rests on your shoulders."

Chen Zhennan slightly raised his head, his eyes showing a hint of fatigue, but even more so, determination.

Nodding, Chen Zhennan said in a deep voice, "I know what to do. I will not let them sacrifice in vain. I will use their sacrifice to wash away all the injustices in this world."

The next day, Chen Zhennan began working on the planning for the thirteen states of customs.

He worked tirelessly day and night, immersing himself in the lives of ordinary people to understand their needs. He knew that only by truly connecting with the people could he formulate policies that were in line with reality.

Under his meticulous planning, the thirteen states of the Customs District underwent a dramatic transformation in just one month.

The tense atmosphere of fear and unease that pervaded the war-torn past has vanished without a trace, like dark clouds scattered by a gust of wind.

Instead, a peaceful scene unfolded, with laughter filling the streets and alleys, and people living in peace and contentment, their faces beaming with happiness.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the Great Wu territory.

The people who were struggling in poverty were filled with longing when they heard about the wonderful life in the thirteen states of the Customs District.

Like seeing a ray of light in the darkness, many people, disregarding the long journey, packed their bags and migrated with their families to the Thirteen States of the Customs.

Chen Zhennan stood on the city wall of Qingzhou, looking at the endless stream of people coming to the city, feeling both gratified and worried.

He knew that with the increasing number of people, how to resettle these people had become an urgent problem to be solved.

It seems it's time to play our trump card.

Chen Zhennan summoned his officials and demanded that they conduct a detailed survey of Qingzhou's farmland and population as soon as possible, as this was related to the livelihoods of the people and could not be taken lightly.

The officials under his command obeyed the order and left without daring to slack off in the slightest.

After careful statistics, the people who originally lived in Qingzhou were all successfully allocated farmland. They were overjoyed and grateful to Chen Zhennan.

However, the people who came from within the Great Wu territory could only watch helplessly, because there was no extra land to allocate to them.

Chen Zhennan knew that these people had left their homes to come here, and if he let them starve to death on the streets, how could he live with himself?

Fortunately, there was still a lot of money and grain that had been raised for disaster relief, so he immediately ordered the granaries to be opened and the grain distributed to help these landless people.

This incident was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, quickly creating ripples that spread at an astonishing speed. Upon learning of this, the people of Dawu couldn't help but give Chen Zhennan a thumbs up.

"This Chen Zhennan is truly kind-hearted."

"Yes, he treats the people so well, which is a world of difference compared to our Great Wu court."

...

At this moment, inside the Great Wu Imperial Palace, Wu Yunyin was sitting in the magnificent hall. Upon hearing this, she was furious.

Her already arrogant face became even more distorted as she roared, "These unruly people dare to praise Chen Zhennan! They have no respect for the law!"

Therefore, she emphasized the so-called "Consciousness Act," which aimed to forcibly control people's thoughts.

But the people have their own judgment, and they still openly and secretly admire and respect Chen Zhennan.

This enraged Wu Yunyin, who ordered a massive arrest of the common people and scholars who praised Chen Zhennan. Panic gripped the Great Wu territory, and prisons were overflowing.

The arrested civilians were furious. They shouted in the prison, "What wrong have we done? We only spoke a few words of justice, and we are being persecuted like this!"

The scholars were even more indignant. They had thought they could use their knowledge to advise the country, but they never expected to be thrown into prison for speaking the truth.

Originally, the people within the Great Wu territory simply envied the people of the Thirteen States of Customs, but as more and more people who praised Chen Zhennan were arrested, their anger was ignited.

"How can we sit idly by and do nothing about Wu Yunyin's incompetence and tyranny?"

"Yes, His Majesty Chen Zhennan is so wise, why can't we divide the land equally like the thirteen prefectures of the Customs District?"

Some people mustered up their courage and asked the imperial court to redistribute the land in the same way as Chen Zhennan.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yunyin sneered, "Hmph, these ant-like commoners dare to challenge my authority."

Without hesitation, Wu Yunyin ordered that these people be arrested and beheaded.

As bloodied heads rolled down the streets, the people's envy of the thirteen prefectures of the customs district completely transformed into hatred for the Great Wu Dynasty.

They cursed Wu Yunyin's tyrannical rule with gritted teeth, their hearts filled with longing for the Thirteen States of the Customs, where not only was there a prosperous life, but also a wise and virtuous monarch.

A sense of oppression and anger permeated the entire Great Wu territory, and a storm seemed to be brewing.

Under Wu Yunyin's iron-fisted suppression, it was thought that the voices of opposition would gradually disappear, but unexpectedly, the number of people praising Chen Zhennan increased like mushrooms after rain.

When Wu Yunyin heard the news, her face turned ashen. She couldn't understand why her suppression had backfired.

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