Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 110 Pure numbers, pure strength, pure dominance!
In the current Great Zhou Dynasty, people's morale in various places is around 30 or 40, which means rebellion or uprising may occur at any time.

Under this public sentiment, Chu Shizhao had little room for reform because public opinion did not support it.

However, Chu Shizhao has already achieved the initial control of power.

However, how to carry out personnel transfers next is Chu Shizhao’s biggest headache.

Among the many examples of palace coups in the Tang Dynasty, it is actually difficult to find one as thrilling as Chu Shizhao's.

Apart from being a member of the royal family, Chu Shizhao was completely an armed coup, a military coup. He did not have a deep-rooted absolute position in the court.

This also means that as long as Chu Shizhao uses the wrong person, he will be in an irretrievable situation.

It's even more terrifying than playing Werewolf.

The werewolf in Werewolf is the one that can be confirmed to be a werewolf under the veil.

In the court of the Great Zhou Dynasty, court officials could defect at any time. It did not mean that they would be loyal officials just because they were loyal officials. Such things could change through certain events.

Li Jin had followed Chu Shizhao and had been a loyal minister, but could Li Jin always be a loyal minister?
Under various conditions, Li Jin will also become an ambitious person. This is not set in stone and depends entirely on the conditions provided by the events he experiences.

In other words, there are no clear loyal ministers, nor can there be clear treacherous ministers. It all depends on how Chu Shizhao positions them and how he judges whether these people can be loyal to him.

In the court, Chu Shizhao could ensure that there were no more than three ministers who were his own.

Guo Qian, Yang Fang, and Huan Sheng.

In order to keep his position as the commander of the Wude Division, Guo Qian helped Chu Shizhao gain further advantages in the palace coup under semi-coercion.

But he no longer had a choice.

If Chu Shizhao were to be overthrown by the ministers next, these three people would be the first to be liquidated.

As vested interests, since they have enjoyed the fruits of victory, they have to pay a certain price, and the price is that the four of them are a common interest group.

If Chu Shizhao was finished, the three of them would be buried with him, so Chu Shizhao could use these three people without worry.

However, [Guo Qian]'s ability is really limited. Let him be the commander of the Wude Division, which is obviously an important position in an intelligence agency, but it can produce the effect that you can't get any gossip through the grapevine.

Chu Shizhao is not yet able to replace Guo Qian, so he can only let him stay in this position, otherwise there will be no one else to use.

In contrast, Huan Sheng became the absolute core minister of Chu Shizhao this time.

Regardless of whether Huan Jie swore allegiance to Chu Shizhao or not, Chu Shizhao could use Liang Province as an absolute deterrent to intimidate his ministers.

Because Huanjie is Huansheng's younger brother.

Chu Shizhao can use this information gap to scare others.

What's more, the current court is intimidated by Chu Shizhao's military force. What do you use to intimidate the court? It's best not to lose this thing. Once it's lost, everyone will blame you.

First give Huan Sheng a higher position.

[In February of the 30th year of Yongjin, you asked the ministers in the court to thoroughly investigate the red pill case. Huan Sheng found that the red pills in the palace were made of a variety of tonic substances. They were indeed effective in nourishing the body and strengthening the body. However, the Yongjin Emperor was weak, and it would be harmful if he rashly took the tonic. He believed that the East Palace was trying to murder the Yongjin Emperor by borrowing a knife.]

[Huan Sheng also looted 500 sets of armor from Wang's house, and his intention to rebel was obvious.]

[So, you characterized the Red Pill Case as evidence that Donggong Chu Shixu and Wang Shi conspired to overthrow the imperial power and poison Emperor Yongjin.]

[In March of the 30th year of Yongjin, you revealed your actions, saying that this was "revenge for your father", and that Wang Shi was actually "inciting foreign relatives to disrupt politics", and that Chu Shixu of the Eastern Palace would do anything to gain the throne.]

【Huan Sheng had the merit of restoring order, so Chu Shizhao promoted him to be the prime minister and Shangshu Zuo Pushe.】

【But in the court, an official stood up. 】

[This man's surname is Dong, and his name is Fei. During the court meeting, he took off his official hat and said bluntly: "Your Highness executed the Crown Prince for killing Your Majesty. This is to restore order and to practice filial piety. You are even willing to bear the infamy of killing your brother. But why did Your Highness kill your other two brothers?"]

[“Did they commit some intolerable mistake, or do you have other plans, Your Highness?”]

[“I have read the public security memorial you submitted before, and the contents of it made me burst into tears. Therefore, I would like to point out some things that I, as a minister, think are wrong.”]

【“This is how you correct the way of a gentleman.”】

Huan Sheng said calmly, "You mean, His Highness killed his three brothers just to secure the throne?"

[Dong Fei stood up and asked, "Isn't it?"]

[“The murder of Your Majesty by the Eastern Palace was only the fault of the Eastern Palace. What fault did the King of Qin and the King of Lu have?”]

Huan Sheng replied calmly, "When the East Palace presented the Red Pill, only His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin personally advised Your Majesty to take it with caution, but the Princes of Qin and Lu supported it."

[“Secondly, the King of Qin and the King of Lu are both the younger brothers of the Crown Prince. The Wang family’s relatives caused chaos in politics and their three clans were exterminated. The King of Qin and the King of Lu were among these three clans. It is only right that they should be executed.”]

[“Even if the two of them did not take the initiative to do anything about the Eastern Palace, as people who knew about it, they were unwilling to reveal the truth to Your Majesty. How disloyal and unfilial they are.”]

[“You know one thing but not the other. This is the incompetence of a subject.”]

[“What’s more, after your majesty passed away, the Crown Prince succeeded to the throne, and the King of Qin and the King of Lu were both beneficiaries.”]

[“Do you want His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin to sit back and watch a villain like this who killed the king take the throne, and wait for the fall of the Great Zhou?”]

【Dong Fei was speechless.】

[“Your Highness, you are avenging your father for the sake of the country’s safety, and you are not afraid of losing your reputation. This is the righteousness.” Huan Sheng turned around and said, “Your Highness, people like you who cannot distinguish right from wrong should be expelled from the court.”]

【Chu Shizhao just smiled and said, "No problem."】

[“Now that the country has just been settled and the court is not at peace, only people like you who dare to speak out can benefit the court. I know that I am not talented enough, so I need the full support of my ministers.”]

[“Using copper as a mirror, one can correct one’s attire; using the past as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of things; using people as a mirror, one can understand gains and losses.” Chu Shizhao said, “I am not the kind of person who is unwilling to accept good advice from wise men.”]

[“If all the censors in the world could speak out and point out the bad policies, our dynasty would be prosperous in no time.”]

[Chu Shizhao did not blame Dong Fei for his slip of the tongue, but Huan Sheng's words also made Dong Fei fall into deep thought.]

[At the court meeting, Chu Shizhao continued calmly: "The inscriptionless stele I erected outside Chang'an represents my attitude, my intention, and my aspiration."]

[“Rather than punishing the ministers lightly, it is better to let you watch the court change little by little.”]

[Dong Fei knelt on the ground. Chu Shizhao's few words made Dong Fei admire Chu Shizhao's magnanimity and tolerance.]

[Now that I think about it, the advice he just gave was quite aggressive and meant to embarrass Chu Shizhao.]

[But most of them are groundless accusations, judging others by one's own standards. If Chu Shizhao is really a tyrannical ruler who will do anything to secure the throne, he has pointed out the other party's pain points but has not charged him with any crime. This only proves that Chu Shizhao is magnanimous.]

[Because Chu Shizhao doesn't think this kind of thing is a stain, and is willing to let others comment on these things. ]

[In April of the 30th year of the Yongjin reign, Huan Sheng persuaded Chu Shizhao to ascend the throne and become emperor on the grounds that the world cannot be without a ruler and the country cannot be without a monarch for a day.]

【Chu Shizhao declined politely, saying that since his father had just passed away, he should handle the funeral of Emperor Yongjin as soon as possible.】

[In May of the 30th year of the Yongjin reign, Lu En, who lived in Fanyang, died of illness in a state of panic. After resigning, he returned home at the order of Emperor Yongjin. Lu En was originally a man of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace. Now Chu Shizhao, who was not on good terms with him, was able to control the court. He felt that a disaster was imminent and was afraid and uneasy, so he became ill. Lu En's son Lu Yi was worried that the court would hold him accountable for abandoning Datong, so he conspired with Fanyang Jiedushi Ma Su'an.]

【Lu Yi believes that the court is not stable now. Chu Shizhao's succession to the throne has not yet reached the point of a general trend. The Zhou Dynasty is corrupt and its military strength is exhausted. If we raise an army in Fanyang and attack Chang'an all the way, there may be a reason.】

[He persuaded Ma Su'an to work together for the great cause. Ma Su'an was moved and soon agreed to Lu Yi's plan. The two began to operate in Fanyang, ready to act when the time came. ] [In June of the 30th year of Yongjin, Dong Fei made a suggestion and proposed "Ten Things to Say" to Chu Shizhao, pointing out the malpractices of the court since the reign of Emperor Yongjin. ]

[Among these ten things, they include not being greedy for border achievements, opening up channels for people to express their opinions, rewarding upright ministers, not allowing the royal family to monopolize power, not allowing eunuchs to monopolize power, etc.]

[The so-called "not being greedy for border achievements" means to persuade Chu Shizhao not to mobilize troops and start wars when the court is empty. ]

[Most of the advice given later had substantive starting points, and Chu Shizhao accepted them one by one.]

[In the following period, Chu Shizhao rectified the administration of officials and released and rehabilitated many officials who had been wrongly convicted during the reign of Emperor Yongjin. At that time, a serious locust plague occurred in the Great Zhou Dynasty, causing serious damage to crops.]

[Chu Shizhao asked Dong Fei to try to manage agriculture and kill locusts and provide disaster relief. Although Dong Fei did not have such talent, he had a heart that wanted to contribute to the country.]

[During this period, Chu Shizhao persuaded Dong Fei and told him that if he wanted to truly treat the locust plague, he must go to the countryside to investigate the situation of the locust plague in various places and do it himself. The so-called saintly books on worldly affairs are for people to read, not for doing things. Only by being down-to-earth can the problem be truly solved.]

[Dong Fei agreed with this and ordered all counties to go all out to eliminate the locusts and reward those who made contributions. With the mutual support and policy promotion between Chu Shizhao and Dong Fei, the locust plague was quickly put out, which warmed up the people's hearts in the Great Zhou Dynasty.]

[In September of the 30th year of the Yongjin Emperor, Chu Shizhao did not easily transfer the old officials of the Yongjin Emperor in order to appease the ministers. He appeased a large number of ministers, which gradually stabilized the court. The officials began to accept a brand new monarch like Chu Shizhao.]

[In October of the 30th year of Yongjin, Chu Shizhao secretly arranged personnel arrangements and advocated fair selection of talents and employment according to their abilities. He valued people's character and ability more than their background. During this period, new talents began to emerge in the court.]

[Guo You and Wen Yu successively served in the court. ]

[In December of the 30th year of the Yongjin Emperor, Chu Shizhao began to streamline the organization and cut redundant officials. He dismissed many useless officials since the Yongjin Emperor's reign. Most of these officials were from aristocratic families with strong backgrounds, but they were "second-generation ancestors" and not only did they not assist the court, but most of them just ate their salaries and were passive in responding to affairs.]

【Chu Shizhao's actions not only improved efficiency, but also saved government expenditures. This was followed by the introduction of the 'Kaocheng Law'. Once this law was introduced, the administrative efficiency of the court was improved, and officials began to actively handle various affairs inside and outside the court. 】

[After using the "Performance Assessment Law", the Great Zhou Dynasty will increase public opinion by 2 points every year until the tenth year after using the "Performance Assessment Law", when this policy loses its effect.]

[In the 31st year of Yongjin, the second year of Chu Shizhao's acting as envoy to the throne, the political situation of the Great Zhou Dynasty changed greatly, and Chu Shizhao's control over the court also increased year by year. However, many rash changes in policies made the aristocratic families begin to feel dissatisfied with Chu Shizhao.]

[Previously, Chu Shizhao did not make large-scale personnel changes or layoffs in order to maintain stability, but now Chu Shizhao is trying to clean up the bureaucracy, so layoffs are inevitable.]

[If no fundamental changes can be made in the administration of officials, the Great Zhou Dynasty will remain the Great Zhou Dynasty of the past.]

[In May of the 31st year of Yongjin, you implemented benevolent policies for the people, kept the palace thrifty, and the treasury became increasingly full. You only had one set of court clothes to wear throughout the year.]

In July of the 31st year of Yongjin, Huan Sheng again persuaded Chu Shizhao to ascend the throne and become emperor, but Chu Shizhao still refused. In the same month, Chu Shizhao started water conservancy projects and decided to survey the land of the whole country and check the household registration. He ordered a large-scale inspection, in which county officials checked the age and physical appearance of the people registered in the household registration.

[However, in Jingzhao, the aristocratic families headed by the Wei family were dissatisfied with Chu Shizhao's autocratic system and conspired to rebel and stage a political coup.]

[Some people have already begun to secretly contact Lu Yi in Fanyang, hoping to coordinate internally and externally, and then select a prince of the Great Zhou from the royal family to support the young lord to ascend the throne.]

[Huan Sheng noticed the changes in the court officials in recent days, and he told Chu Shizhao that something was wrong. ]

【So Chu Shizhao began to ask the ministers about their opinions on current affairs at court meetings, intentionally or unintentionally. Many people thought that what Chu Shizhao did was right.】

[Almost no one dared to object.]

[This made Chu Shizhao even more certain that there was something wrong. He deliberately let down his guard and tried to win over some people from noble families, but not from famous families. Finally, a man named Zhong Chi couldn't help but reveal some of the information he knew to Chu Shizhao.]

In August of the 31st year of Yongjin, Chu Shizhao suddenly dispatched the army of the three prefectures and issued an imperial edict to sentence 13 ministers to partiality and pervert the law, 9 ministers to form cliques for personal gain, 23 ministers to embezzle the people's land, etc. A total of 45 ministers were imprisoned and executed immediately.

[Many people have clear evidence of guilt, but Chu Shizhao has not taken action yet. Now Chu Shizhao is not sure who is behind it, but at least Chu Shizhao is sure that some people are rebelling because they are dissatisfied with the policies he has implemented. ]

【Then the problem must lie with those whose interests are harmed. 】

[In September of the 31st year of Yongjin, the ministers who were imprisoned confessed one crime after another, and one minister even pointed out that Wei had evil intentions in order to avoid his own death penalty.]

Chu Shizhao immediately ordered the execution of the Wei clan, the confiscation of their land, and the addition of their property to the state treasury.

[The lightning-fast move in an instant shocked everyone inside and outside the government, and shocked the world.]

[This time, Chu Shizhao showed no mercy and killed nearly a hundred corrupt officials in Jingzhao in one go, implicated and executed several noble families, and the number of people who were harmed by him reached as high as 40,000.]

Chu Shizhao has experienced so many simulations and deductions. He is indeed merciful and soft-hearted. He can give many chances to the ministers whom he values ​​and trusts.

However, no matter what, Chu Shizhao was once the supreme ruler of the world and a true emperor.

How could Chu Shizhao not know when to kill decisively?

Furthermore, Chu Shizhao had endured for long enough for the sake of stability in the court, and this massacre was not a sudden impulse of Chu Shizhao.

He left behind a lot of evidence of his ministers' crimes.

Unfortunately, Chu Shizhao did not live in the same dynasty as Song Ci, nor was he one of the Southern Song emperors who did not punish scholars and officials.

How could the crimes committed by the criminals be burned to ashes and treated as if nothing had happened?

Since you want to rebel, I will take all of you away.

It is better to be a tyrant in the hearts of you scholars than to be a wise ruler in the hearts of you scholars.

Whether you are a wise ruler or not depends on your achievements and the reputation of the people.

Chu Shizhao never regretted killing these people, and even felt a sense of satisfaction from "kill, kill, kill" and "explosion, explosion, explosion".

You want me to die?
I'll kill you all in one go.

I will do what my father dare not do.

I will kill those whom my father dare not kill.

A court like the current Great Zhou Dynasty must use this highest level of force to achieve truly miraculous results.

Huan Yi, who had been staring at the screen, was also feeling great.

This is the experience that Chu Shizhao brought to Huan Yi!

Pure numbers, pure strength, pure dominance.

If it were anyone else, who would dare to act as brazenly as Chu Shizhao?

Huan Yi discovered that his elder brother Huan Sheng and Chu Shizhao were a perfect match for each other as king and minister.

One dares to fight, the other dares to fight.

These two people are the Mangzi combination.

When combined, it's full power.

This is so tough.

If she had the support of a monarch like Chu Shizhao, Huan Yi felt that her elder brother's dream of reform and strengthening the country would surely succeed.

This kind of reform would shake the foundation of the country. It would be impossible to accomplish without a monarch who is capable and dares to do things.

But the Great Zhou Dynasty produced a man named Chu Shizhao who was more daring than anyone else to risk his life.

This kind of lord, I love him so much!

(End of this chapter)