Clang! Clang!
A whole column of Imperial Guards stormed in, grand and orderly, with an aura of cold-blooded killing intent.
The hall fell silent in an instant.
Lin Ming said, “I’m a very democratic man. Anyone else have an opinion? Speak up if you do!”
“I do! I object!”
One local official immediately raised his hand. The next second, a butcher’s blade came slicing down.
The man was cut in half on the spot. Blood splattered everywhere.
“You really dared to give an opinion?” Lin Ming smirked as he casually wiped the bloody blade with a handkerchief. “Anyone else?”
“No, no! We have absolutely no objections!”
“We fully support the proposal of the Imperial Envoy!”
Everyone at the scene was clearly terrified by the ruthless display. Their words tumbled out incoherently, faces pale.
Lin Ming raised his brows, “So it’s unanimous? Good!”
“From now on, the policy of shared grain taxation by officials and gentry will be implemented in the Heyu region!”
The moment Lin Ming forcibly implemented the policy of “officials and gentry paying taxes equally,” it caused a massive uproar across the Empire.
…
“My lord! We have a huge problem!”
Back at the official residence, local officials from Luoyang rushed in like facing a life-or-death crisis, stammering, “The scholars in Heyu heard about the new tax policy and are up in arms! They’re planning protests in the streets and even boycotting this year’s imperial exams!”
“If this situation escalates, we might literally lose our heads!”
Among them, Sima Ying, the Eastern Capital’s Commissioner, was the most anxious. He came from a humble background and had climbed the ranks solely through his own efforts. Without any backing in the court, he was far more worried than those with connections.
“How many are causing trouble?” Lin Ming asked calmly.
“In Luoyang alone, there are already thousands of students. The uproar is massive. They’re threatening to write blood letters to report you directly to the Emperor!” Sima Ying looked utterly hopeless.
“My lord, perhaps we should delay the enforcement of this policy. The decree was issued too hastily, and the disaster situation is critical. I’m afraid I’ll lose my life!”
Lin Ming said, “As long as I’m here, your head stays where it is.”
“Then what does my lord plan to do?” Sima Ying asked, confused.
“Send someone to reason with them. Explain things clearly and sincerely.”
Lin Ming added, “I’m best at persuading people with virtue. I’ve already sent in the most experienced group when it comes to dealing with commoners—they’ll talk things through properly.”
Out on the streets, the officials were completely at a loss.
Suddenly, on the rooftops nearby, a dark mass of men in straw hats appeared. Blades hung at their waists, their aura cold and fierce.
“Unseen Ones!”
The officers’ eyes bulged in terror. Some even collapsed to the ground, shaking, “Good heavens! Did we step out without checking the calendar today?”
The number one group in the martial world, the Unseen Ones, didn’t just strike fear among the Jianghu factions—they wielded heavy influence in the court as well.
Local officials throughout history had always been wary of this group.
“Violence is the best reasoning.”
Shangguan Xue led the group, her expression cold and detached. She made a gesture.
“Strike with control. Break legs or arms, but no killing.”
In Chang’an, the news hit like an earthquake.
Even Empress Ye Qinghuan never expected Lin Ming to go this far!
“Enraging all the scholars in the Empire? Beating up intellectuals? If this spreads, I’ll go down in history as a tyrant!” Ye Qinghuan was so furious it felt like her lungs would explode.
“Issue a decree! Summon Lin Ming back immediately!”
This matter was too serious.
One wrong step, and it wouldn’t just be the throne—her entire Empire would be shaken!
Meanwhile, Lin Ming couldn’t care less about the Empress’s so-called imperial decree.
After violently beating the protesting scholars, he went door to door collecting taxes.
Before long, he had gathered an enormous sum.
“Damn it! Turns out in this era, it’s not the rich merchants or landlords who have the most money—it’s the officials!”
Lin Ming couldn’t help but curse aloud.
All that talk about reading Confucian classics, about being noble scholars—they were nothing but pretentious parasites, utterly useless to the nation!
“These people enjoy wealth and status, spouting nothing but pompous nonsense. But when the empire’s in crisis, they can’t utter a single useful word. If foreign invaders come, they’ll be the first to lead them in.”
Lin Ming sneered coldly, “If we don’t tax them, who should we tax?”
No one could stop his determination to reform!
But this initial crackdown quickly provoked an even bigger backlash.
“My lord! We’re doomed, completely doomed!”
Sima Ying ran in, drenched in cold sweat and limping, gasping for breath, “The beaten scholars went to the Confucius Temple and carried out Confucius’ spirit tablet onto the street for protest!”
“Now, even the Unseen Ones don’t dare act recklessly!”
Lin Ming’s heart sank. Since ancient times, in a feudal Empire, nothing trumped the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues.
Confucius was the very embodiment of the entire ritual and legal system.
With the scholars parading Confucius’ spirit tablet, even Jianghu forces would hesitate to interfere—doing so would provoke the wrath of the entire Empire. Read the latest chapters at novelping . com.
“What a brilliant move!” Lin Ming clapped and laughed, “I really underestimated this bunch!”
“And just now, Her Majesty issued three consecutive gold-plate decrees demanding your return to the capital,” Sima Ying said with a trembling voice. “Perhaps we should yield. Although I admire your boldness, some things simply go against the heavens…”
“My rules are the rules. Even if the heavens come down, I’ll tax the heavens!” Lin Ming tilted his head up, flashing a cunning grin.
“And who said I don’t have a solution?”
“Sima Ying, send someone immediately to fetch a spirit tablet… There’s one person who can suppress Confucius himself.”
“Who?” Sima Ying was completely baffled.
Was there really someone holier than Confucius?
Even if the Jade Emperor himself came down, it wouldn’t help!
“Shuliang He,” Lin Ming said meaningfully. “No matter how great Confucius is, he’s still not greater than his father, right?”
Since they brought out Confucius, he’d bring out Confucius’ father—Shuliang He. Fight fire with fire!
Use Confucian ethics to beat these pretentious, book-loving hypocrites at their own game!
This move from Lin Ming? An absolute masterstroke!
Sima Ying’s eyes lit up. “My lord, you’re truly a living Zhuge Liang! I admire you from the bottom of my heart!”
Over a month passed, and the taxation progress skyrocketed. Incredibly, they raised 5 million taels of silver for the court!
Even Ye Qinghuan was stunned by the amount.
But despite the results, Lin Ming had now offended the entire Empire’s scholars.
She absolutely didn’t want to go down in history as a tyrant hated by generations.
Yet even after issuing twelve consecutive gold medallions, she still couldn’t get him to return.
Even Li Qiushui was now acting defiant, only pretending to follow her orders.
Just what kind of spell had Lin Ming cast over there?
Empress Ye Qinghuan clenched her jaw and issued her final decree:
“Effective immediately, Lin Ming is stripped of his position as Imperial Envoy. He is to return to the capital without delay!”
This was her last notice.
The moment the decree was issued, Lin Ming lost his authority as Imperial Envoy and could no longer command a single soldier in Heyu.
Even the accompanying Imperial Guards were no longer obliged to follow his orders.
But Lin Ming wasn’t without military power. The Lin family had 30,000 Black Cavalry troops.
That was what Ye Qinghuan feared the most—that Lin Ming might mobilize his private army into Heyu. If that happened, he could carve out a domain in central China and stand against the court.
“If Lin Ming truly rebels… what will I do?” Ye Qinghuan stood alone in the palace, sighing deeply.
“I can’t possibly use black silk to trick him into coming back… That would just destroy the dignity of the sovereign…”