Chapter 99: Reincarnation of Queen Wa (Part 1) Update
On Yanjing Street.
Almost all the people went out to the streets, bringing the elderly and children with them, and passing on news of border affairs to each other.
"The imperial court has been campaigning against the Western Rong for three years, each time deploying a million-strong army, even recruiting troops from all three-six counties within the Great Thirty-six Prefectures, only to return in disgrace each time! Little did they know that the young Marquis of Xiguan, with only a few tens of thousands of soldiers, had already defeated Wang Khan's army with a single strike! He even convinced the other tribes to submit and submit to his will, willing to allow him to redefine the boundaries between the Eight Tribes and the Great Periphery!"
"Who says it isn't? This time, the Eight Tribes have completely submitted to the Great Zhou. This war has finally come to an end!"
"Back when the Holy Ancestor founded the country, the border between the eight tribes and the Holy Ancestor was controlled by the Holy Ancestor's martial arts, and the eight tribes were able to submit obediently. When it came to our young Marquis of Xiguan, he simply offered to retreat several hundred miles and let the young Marquis determine the border!"
"The young Marquis of Xiguan established his authority with one battle, and these eight tribes are completely terrified from the bottom of their hearts."
"My brother and his family moved to the Western Capital two years ago and settled there. This year, they even wrote to me, praising the wonderful Western Capital and asking me to give up Yanjing, the so-called capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and move to the Western Capital. I was a little hesitant before this. After all, the court suddenly said that the young Marquis of Xiguan was a woman and was deceiving the emperor... Now I've made up my mind and will leave next month!"
"Now, what does it matter whether we are men or women? We just need to see if we can live a stable and promising life when we go there!"
"Let's go together! It's not just in Yanjing. I've heard from the monks at Hanshan Temple about all sorts of strange stories about Xiguan. Buddhist temples in every county of the Great Zhou, as well as the family and friends who fled to Xiguan, are all talking about this! I'm incredibly fascinated and believe it. If you want to go, let's go together!"
"A man who knows the current situation is a hero. In today's situation, the Western Capital is strong, but Yanjing is on the verge of chaos. It is better for us ordinary people to seek profit and avoid disaster as soon as possible!"
"Xidu, Xidu, what a dreamlike fairyland it will be, a place of divine elegance and grace, I can't wait!"
There are all kinds of discussions about the current situation on the streets.
After some time, the second prince Liu Ziyan, following the order of the Emperor of Yanjing, went to Xiguan to strip him of his title and question the 250,000-strong army of the young marquis of Xiguan, but they surrendered without a fight.
Liu Ziyan himself was also detained in the Xiguan Marquis Mansion and was not allowed to return to Beijing.
An army of 250,000 surrendered without a fight in just one day...
When this news came back, the people and the court were once again ignited.
The young Marquis of Xiguan is so powerful! The worries that the people once had, that the young Marquis of Xiguan might be punished by the emperor, seem to be completely put aside.
As a result, the Xiguan described in letters from friends and relatives, as well as in rumors on the streets, became more and more attractive.
County governors in various places, including Yanjing, all felt this wave of public sentiment.
Everyone was on high alert and patrolled the countryside and the city walls to prevent escapees.
In the past, if it was just a few people fleeing, it might have been more or less understandable. But once it became a large-scale exodus, like fleeing famine, no local official could be held accountable.
The loss of registered households means a massive loss of both the population subject to taxation and taxes.
Who can bear such a loss!
Soon, the court in Yanjing was forced to pay attention to this trend among the people.
However, in the midst of chaos, Liu Jian, after the court officials reported the movements of the people inside and outside Yanjing, thought for a moment and then issued an extremely strict martial law order to Yanjing and the entire Great Zhou.
Additional troops were stationed at several major gates of Yanjing to strictly investigate people who left the capital with their families.
Citizens registered in various places are not allowed to leave their registered places without permission.
In order to control the people who left the country and migrated to the greatest extent possible, the government also learned from the ancient method of creating a trend of informing on others among the people and issued the "Gao Min Order".
Encourage all citizens to supervise each other and expose and report registered residents who leave their registered places without permission.
Once the accusation was successful, the head of the accused's family would be beheaded in public, his entire family would be sold into slavery, and all his property would be confiscated.
The person who makes the accusation can obtain half of the property of the person being accused.
In an instant, the atmosphere in Yanjing changed drastically. Under the strict investigation of the government, the beheading platform was drenched in blood for several days.
Those faces that once flashed with the flames of hope were once again filled with gloom and anger under the cruel reality that was approaching.
In and outside Yanjing, eight out of ten markets were closed, and the materials necessary for daily life could only be purchased through private barter or by paying high prices with gold and silver coins.
In a nutshell, many families that were not well-off to begin with have been hit even harder.
Those who suddenly became rich by informing on their neighbors would not live long. They soon discovered that a list of informers had been circulating among the people, listing them one by one. Whenever they wanted to buy something or do something for the people, they would be met with cold stares and rejection.
Even if someone is willing to sacrifice his own flesh and blood and offer a high price, no one is willing to exchange the goods with him.
What’s worse, even when they go to the Buddhist temple to worship Buddha, they will be kicked out and turned away!
How can I reason with this?
The denunciation order only stipulated that fugitives should be reported, but no one cared about the fact that they were being ostracized!
It’s not that the government really doesn’t want to intervene, but because they are already busy enough with their own affairs.
In the court, the prince and the emperor were at loggerheads, and the prince demanded that the emperor issue a public edict to confess his sins.
The grand court meeting had been suspended for several days. The emperor, though confined to the palace, refused to confess his guilt to the people of Great Zhou and the civil and military officials. In the northwest, the young Marquis of Xiguan shone like a star in the night sky, attracting countless people willing to pursue him. In the southeast, the rebellious Prince of Yiyang, threatening to force the emperor to abdicate, had formed his own faction, separatist faction, and no longer obeyed the imperial court's orders.
In this situation, who would care about the lives of so many people?
Liu Jian was stationed in the imperial palace, and Qin Feng, who was in Yanjing, was the commander. He deployed the troops of the inner and outer courts of the imperial guard in layers, surrounding the entire palace like an iron barrel.
The prince had already left the palace and established his own residence, and two guards from the imperial guards stood behind him at this time.
In addition, Chi Zhan led the remaining troops of the central army in the capital, and they also guarded the Prince's Mansion tightly.
The whole city was filled with anxiety, waiting for the battle between the two.
Although Liu Ziling was in the Crown Prince's residence, the gates remained open, receiving reports and visits from court officials. Having already publicly engaged in a tug-of-war with his father, Liu Ziling, in his capacity as Crown Prince, accepted all documents and state affairs that came his way.
He reviewed local documents and discussed matters with court officials, just like a small court.
Although Chu Bozhan was the prime minister, he was unable to leave his house because the prince surrounded him, and he was unable to organize the court officials to effectively fight against the prince.
Liu Jian in the palace knew that he was forced to be confined in the inner city of the palace. If this continued, he was afraid that sooner or later the power of the world would be completely taken away by his good prince!
Prince's Mansion.
Liu Ziling's Prince Secretary had just sent off the ministers who had come to discuss matters when he addressed the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, regarding the report submitted today by the Censor regarding the severe harm done to the people by the whistleblower, should we, in the name of the Crown Prince as Regent, formally rescind this decree? Furthermore, in this critical situation, our military forces are limited. Shouldn't they be used where it counts? Why divert them to deal with the whistleblower, allowing those snitches to gain power?"
After Liu Ziling heard what he said, he picked up a letter from the memorials on the desk.
“You’re talking about this one.”
The Crown Prince's Secretary took the memorial, glanced at it briefly, and nodded, "That is exactly what the Censor has suggested."
"I believe that the people are deeply resentful of the corruption case, and I fear that if we delay, there will be rebellion!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Ziling raised his head slightly and looked at him. "The Chancellor's concerns are correct. However, has the Chancellor ever considered that if the order to revoke the levy of fines is withdrawn now, the people's grievances can be properly released, but what will happen to Yanjing and the counties throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty?"
The Crown Prince's Secretary pondered for a moment, "Your Majesty issued the decree to stop the trend of people fleeing the country. If the decree were changed, I'm afraid it would trigger a massive wave of desertion."
Liu Ziling: "That's right. This is also why, not only will I not lift this ban, but I will actually enforce it on the people."
"If they escape from the register, they will lose the people. If they lose the registered people, what they lose is not just the numbers on the household register, but the actual tax-paying population and the foundation of our Great Zhou's financial strength!"
The Crown Prince's Secretary sighed deeply, "Your Highness is right to worry! For the long-term benefit of a country, the loss of people is unbearable. Even if we ask the people to endure this pain temporarily, once Your Highness stabilizes the political situation, you will naturally return them to a peaceful world!"
After hearing what he said, Liu Ziling obviously did not think only of this.
He said, "More importantly, these fugitives want to go somewhere, which is why I cannot allow them to leave."
The Crown Prince's Secretary immediately understood: "Xiguan Commandery, Young Marquis of Xiguan."
Liu Ziling nodded. "Ziye is already a true overlord who cannot be ignored. If I were to use this opportunity to wrestle with my father and allow a large influx of civilians into Xiguan, it would only make it even more difficult for me to pacify Xiguan in the future. How could I let this happen?"
When the Prince's Secretary heard this, he nodded repeatedly.
Xiguan was undoubtedly the prince's biggest concern after he took over the throne.
He said, "Your Highness is concerned only with the stability of the nation, while Censor Fu is only concerned with speaking up for the people who have suffered a temporary injustice. I, your Highness, am only concerned with the current situation. Ultimately, my vision is far too short! Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
Liu Ziling waved his hand calmly: "It's not entirely inappropriate for you to bring this up."
He said slowly, "Although I do not wish to allow the people to come and go freely, I cannot help but consider whether this will lead to unexpected events. I should appease the people in advance."
"Go, issue a proclamation, open the Crown Prince's private treasury, and distribute rice and cloth to the people in and around Yanjing who are struggling to make a living due to the allegations of the Min Ling Order. Also, arrange for medical treatment and medicine for them. Then, instruct the provincial governors to provide relief to the families of those accused."
Upon hearing this, the Prince's Secretary's eyes lit up.
"Your Highness is wise! I will do it right away!"
·
It happened that at this time, the folk songs that were popular in the Great Zhou Dynasty were introduced into the city of Yanjing.
The children of the common people who were unable to leave their homes played in the streets, each singing:
"The northwest sky is high, Nuwa comes, and the yellow earth gives birth to a golden phoenix.
A purple light flashed across the sky, and my daughter ascended the throne and sat on the dragon platform.
The children are also addicted to role-playing. Every time, a girl is chosen, wearing a straw wreath on her head and a piece of grass hanging from her butt as a snake's tail. Surrounded by a group of children, she sits on a higher stone or wooden stake and accepts their kneeling worship.
Adults also know what their children are playing.
In the past, these songs and games might have seemed a little dangerous.
But this time, everyone seemed to clearly understand the possible meaning behind this ballad, and tacitly allowed the children to be wild and noisy.
Nuwa was reincarnated and her daughter ascended the throne.
The young Marquis of Xiguan was originally a girl, and this was only made public in the Yanjing court this year.
Even a fool can figure out what the meaning of this is!
People didn't dare discuss this openly in front of the imperial court or local officials, but they all secretly encouraged and promoted the spread of this folk song in their wandering areas.
Queen Nuwa has been reincarnated, so is the world of the Great Zhou finally going to change?
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