Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 56: The court is full of powerful ministers! Chu Shizhao's posthumous title!
[In September of the third year of Zhenping, you did not take the risk of launching another southern expedition against the separatist court where Wang Shouyi was.]

[Even though most of the troops did not engage in combat during the war with the Xiongnu, the mobilization still consumed the already limited finances of the Great Zhou Dynasty.]

[The Great Zhou Dynasty is now in a state of disrepair. Although you have made great achievements and shocked the nomadic peoples on the grassland, you have inevitably brought a great burden to the people. ]

[If the war continues, the people's support that we have worked so hard to build up will probably change again.]

[You believe that pacifying the south is a matter of time and there is no need to rush, so you begin to try to reform the system according to the current situation of the Great Zhou Dynasty.]

[You have appointed talented people, pardoned many of the rebels who had revolted in the north, and appointed people based on their merits, regardless of their backgrounds. In the imperial examinations, you have greatly increased the number of children from poor families.]

[In order to develop the economy, Chu Shizhao was different from the previous rulers of the Great Zhou Dynasty. He was a rare supreme ruler who did not discriminate against business. Moreover, Chu Shizhao not only did not discriminate, but also provided many convenient conditions for the development of business. However, at the same time, he increased the tax rate on merchants to promote the scarce economy.]

【Thus, under Chu Shizhao's advocacy, during the Zhenping period, the commercial economy in the north of the Great Zhou Dynasty made rapid and substantial progress. 】

[At the same time, after defeating the Xiongnu, Chu Shizhao established the Four Anxi Towns in the Western Regions, providing a stable social order and effective security for merchants traveling between the East and the West. This establishment opened up the closed communication space of the Great Zhou Dynasty, allowing many foreign species to enter the Central Plains, increasing commerciality and circulation, which led to more developed commerce during the Zhenping period.]

[After taking control of the military power of the Great Zhou, Chu Shizhao measured the land and dealt with the previous behavior of the noble families who deliberately evaded taxes and concealed their population with severe punishments. This led to a sharp increase in the population in the north and improved the economy of the Great Zhou Dynasty.]

[In December of the third year of Zhenping, Chu Shizhao watched the Great Zhou Dynasty gradually recover from danger, and more and more foreign races were willing to surrender to the Great Zhou Dynasty as a means of attachment. He could not help but sigh: "The king regards the four seas as one family, and all those within the territory are citizens of the Great Zhou."]

[“When barbarians enter China, they become Chinese; when Chinese enter barbarians, they become barbarians.”]

[This shocked Jiang Ping greatly, and made him even more willing to fight for Chu Shizhao.]

[In January of the fourth year of Zhenping, Chu Shiju was in a state of panic and expressed his desire to abdicate the throne. He also wrote to Chu Shizhao in person: "I am incompetent. If it weren't for my brother, the world would be lost. You should take the world for yourself."]

[However, after years of fighting in the south and the north, Chu Shizhao was also good at statecraft and wanted to eliminate the bad policies of the Zhou Dynasty one by one. This consumed so much energy that his body was already exhausted.]

[Chu Shizhao had long forgotten about the position of the Son of Heaven, but he was clearly aware that the current Great Zhou Dynasty had long been in a state of irreversible decline, and had already shown signs of corruption at its root.]

[He wants to use the remaining time to do something. ]

[As a Son of Heaven, as an emperor, this is something that cannot be done. Once it is done, the Zhou Dynasty will still have the possibility of collapse.]

【Suffer yourself, and let him bear the blame. 】

[The sage said: "Don't fight for one lifetime, fight for a hundred lifetimes."]

[Chu Shizhao does not want to fight for fame in this life only. ]

[What he wanted to do was undoubtedly to rebuild the foundation of the Great Zhou Dynasty, so Chu Shizhao had to offend too many old clans for this. However, for the generations that followed, this was definitely a huge opportunity, and also an opportunity for the Great Zhou Dynasty to revive.]

[In February of the fourth year of Zhenping, Chu Shizhao encountered great resistance from the aristocratic families on the road of reform, but Chu Shizhao did not give in. He clarified the law and discipline, punished evil and promoted good. He was not afraid of the powerful aristocrats and punished people according to the law.]

[The connections among officials in the court are complicated, and many aristocratic families are related by marriage, so once someone makes a mistake, another person will help cover it up. This is why the administration of the Zhou Dynasty was so dark.]

[In the court, there was a censor who relied on his power to oppress the innocent people in his hometown, plunder wealth, and occupy land, committing all kinds of evil.]

[Chu Shizhao immediately caught him and whipped him to death, then displayed his body in a busy street as a warning to evildoers.]

[They also let Dou Li, who was once a rebel, manage the public security of Chang'an, and Huan Sheng was appointed as Jingzhao Yin. Within more than 30 days, the two of them, one inside and one outside, put many so-called Guanzhong nobles in Chang'an into the Tianlao.]

[Since Chu Shizhao held military power, many aristocratic families who opposed him dared not speak out and could only allow Chu Shizhao to carry out drastic reforms.]

[Afterwards, Chu Shizhao introduced the performance evaluation system, which strictly determined the promotion and dismissal of officials based on their performance, effectively improving the administrative quality of officials at all levels of the Zhou Dynasty.]

【A new situation of "talents are put to good use and officials are responsible for their duties" is taking shape. 】

[The customs and public security in the north of the Great Zhou Dynasty also changed. The corruption of bribery and arbitrary behavior gradually disappeared, and the trend of maintaining integrity, knowing shame, and encouraging industry and learning became more popular.]

[In May of the fourth year of Zhenping, the "empty seal case" broke out in the Great Zhou. In many administrative places, officials of the Great Zhou would stamp their seals on documents in advance, and then fill in the specific content when needed. This practice is very likely to allow some people to profit from it, and there is a possibility of partiality and bending the law. Therefore, Chu Shizhao took the opportunity to punish corrupt officials and once again suppressed the powerful aristocratic families in the north. ]

[In June of the fourth year of Zhenping, the number of officials involved in the Empty Seal Case reached 20,000. Chu Shizhao did not show mercy and executed them all. As a result, a huge vacuum of power appeared in the Great Zhou Dynasty for a while, and almost half of the court fell into a state of "paralysis". Chu Shizhao alone made all the decisions on all matters, which made his body more and more exhausted.]

[In July of the fourth year of Zhenping, these vacant positions were gradually filled with the influx of children from poor families, and most of these new generations of scholars had certain ideals.]

[Some people want to go further, so they spare no effort to seize opportunities and show their abilities. ]

[Some people want to fulfill the ideals in the sage's book, appease the people, and give them a chance to recuperate.]

[Those ministers who survived the disaster thought that the entire country would collapse under Chu Shizhao's almost irrational butcher knife, but they did not expect that with the help of Chu Shizhao and his few staff members, they could hold on until now.]

[In August of the fourth year of Zhenping, Chu Shizhao carried out the largest personnel transfer, placing all the officials close to him in important positions in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and he returned to Lu County. He looked at Chu Jiyue who was getting older and just patted him on the shoulder. ]

[Chu Jiyue didn't understand why his father did this.]

[He also seldom spends time with his father, and has always been taken care of by his mother.]

[At this moment, Chu Shizhao's gaze made him feel an invisible pressure on him. ]

[Chu Shizhao knew very well that any sudden throne would only be more stressful than the legitimate throne.]

[If Chu Jiyue did not do well, he would be cursed for eternity. As for Chu Shizhao, he had already done enough for Chu Jiyue in this life.]

[He suppressed the aristocratic families to prevent Chu Jiyue from having a difficult road in the future, while Chu Shizhao blocked those difficult roads in advance.]

[In the future, whether Chu Jiyue shows favors to these big families or employs people from these big families, they will be grateful to Chu Jiyue, because Chu Shizhao, the evil man, has done evil enough.]

[“A king never rules people by status, but by achievements. When you understand this principle in the future, even if you are not a saint, you will be able to rule the world.”]

[In September of the fourth year of Zhenping, Chu Shizhao left himself a little time to spend with Chu Jiyue.]

[The marriage between him and Huan Yi was a purely political one. Chu Shizhao actually did not have deep feelings for Huan Yi.]

[However, over the years, Huan Yi has been virtuous and polite, and has never lost her status as the Princess of Jin. She has done what a wife should do.]

[“Following me must be very hard.” Chu Shizhao said with deep emotion: “In my life, I have let down many people, and you are one of them.”]

[“I’ve never really liked you.”]

[“It’s just that you’re really nice to me.”]

【Huan Yi said nothing, but suddenly smiled softly, stretched out his hand and put it on your neck, "But I admire His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin."】

[“Because I love you, I have never regretted my choice.”]

[“Perhaps, His Royal Highness Prince Jin has always thought that I was the matchmaker for his parents, so he has been working diligently. However, I think at this point, I should be more frank.”]

[“If there is still a chance, I still want to be the Princess of Jin, His Royal Highness.”]

Chu Shizhao said without further ado, "Ji Yue will depend on you and your uncle."

[Hearing this, Huan Yi nodded with some surprise and some joy. ]

[“Dou Li is loyal and brave but lacks wisdom. If you want to use him, you must use him wisely.”]

[“Yang Zhuting is loyal and righteous, but he is also honest and upright. If he is made a provincial governor, he can manage the area well and will not betray the court.”]

[“Although Jiang Ping is from a foreign race, he is capable of fighting and has many strategies. Moreover, he has no one to rely on in the central court and can only rely on the power of the royal family. Therefore, there is no need to be shy about using him to do something unacceptable.”]

[“Li Jin is indecisive, but brave in battle and extremely powerful in command. A general who is good at fighting may not have great achievements, but he is a general who is good at fighting. However, he is cautious by nature and will not easily take sides. It is best to let him guard the border.”]

[“He can be a very good general and a very good soldier, and a solid barrier for the Great Zhou.”]

[“Also, my uncle, although he is sometimes arrogant, he is not fussy about details and knows what to do and when to do it. Sometimes he takes people by surprise but can get unexpected results.”]

[“He has the wisdom to weigh the internal and external affairs of the government and the people in the court for the reform plan, but he is a relative of the emperor and wants to reform the government, so he is bound to be in trouble.”][“Duan Qi is seeking temporary peace. Although he is wise and brave, he cares too much about his reputation. If you ask him to do something difficult, he probably won’t help you. But it is good news that he can be defeated.”]

Chu Shizhao moved his lips and said, "Everyone has his own strengths. If you want to use his strengths, you must accept his weaknesses."

【“Never discard a person because of his shortcomings.”】

[“Now it seems that the court is really full of fierce ministers.”]

[In March of the fifth year of Zhenping, Chu Shizhao fought for a long time on the battlefield, traveling thousands of miles from north to south, and then defeated the Xiongnu in the desert. He then made decisions on his own, carried out reforms, and ruled the country for several years. Over ten years, he spent his time on restoring order, and he died on his way back to Chang'an in the north.]

[After Chu Shizhao's death, most people in the north were saddened, and the people in Lu County, Cangzhou, and Fanyang were the most shocked.]

【"King Shi Zhao of Jin was a lenient man, and the people admired him. All the people in the northern regions were saddened and resentful, and the streets were filled with tears, as if they had lost a relative."】

【And on March 7, the sky was covered with auspicious snow. 】

[Dou Li, Yang Zhuting, Jiang Ping, Huan Sheng, and many other officials who served under Chu Shizhao went to Chang'an to mourn.]

[In the auspicious snow, they dressed in official robes and rushed to the place where Chu Shizhao's coffin was. Among them, Yang Zhuting and Huan Sheng were the first, Dou Li was in the middle, and Jiang Ping was the last.]

[Huan Yi and Chu Shizhao's eldest son Chu Jiyue also stood here. ]

[As Huansheng cried bitterly, his eyes were red. Without any hesitation, he immediately knelt on the ground and shouted, "Your Highness, please ascend the throne——"]

[Chu Jiyue is not only the offspring of Huan Sheng Enzhu, but also the offspring of his own sister. This time, he will not hesitate to be a knife for Chu Shizhao, his sister, or his nephew.]

[After Huansheng took the lead, the others no longer hesitated and knelt on the ground at the same time, "Please, His Royal Highness, ascend the throne——"]

[Li Jin and Duan Qi, who did not rush to Chang'an, tacitly agreed to this "palace coup".]

[The historical books also call it the "Dongzhou Gate Incident."]

[Chu Jiyue completed this political coup almost without bloodshed and gained the support of the entire Chu Shizhao faction. This also meant that the common people did not suffer from wars caused by the struggle for imperial power and were spared.]

[In April of the fifth year of Zhenping, Chu Jiyue officially succeeded to the throne of the Great Zhou Dynasty and became the fourteenth emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.]

[After Chu Jiyue succeeded to the throne, under great pressure from his mother, Queen Huan Yi, he immediately posthumously conferred the title of emperor on Chu Shizhao.]

[Due to Chu Shizhao's great achievements during his lifetime and his contribution to the great Zhou Dynasty, this posthumous title is extremely difficult to determine, but it must be determined based on facts and etiquette. ]

【So Chu Shizhao's posthumous title was proposed as Emperor Zhaolie of Zhou, and his temple name was Shizong.】

[When Chu Jiyue took over the Great Zhou Dynasty, its national strength had already flourished due to Chu Shizhao's reforms, changes, and appointment of talented people.]

【Huan Yi had long understood that Chu Shizhao had no intention of marching south to attack Wang Shouyi. He was accumulating sufficient strength for Chu Jiyue to unify the world.】

[In this way, Chu Jiyue can inherit the throne more naturally and be recognized by everyone. ]

【Thinking of this, Huan Yi, who was conquering Wang Shouyi in the south, determined that this was what the new dynasty must achieve! 】

Chu Shizhao looked at the gray screen and the words on it. He just wanted to say that Huan Yi was really thinking too much.

Chu Shizhao wanted to defeat Wang Shouyi.

But he was really dragged down by the mess in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

If he were an insurgent, it would be easier to fight him.

It's smooth sailing all the way, all the old forces are gone, and they can just be replaced by new ones.

The problem is. Chu Shizhao is from the royal family.

Then I can only be a repairman, patching here and patching there. Chu Shizhao has to take care of this side and Chu Shizhao also has to take care of that side.

Anyone who comes will be exhausted to death by you.

However, the good news is that through this simulation, Chu Shizhao has a newer understanding of the current situation.

The version of the situation has been updated again.

【Congratulations on completing this simulation. 】

[You have obtained the experience card x1 for the biography of "Fenglangjuxu·Chu Shizhao". (Using this experience card, you can immediately experience the heyday of this highlight moment.)]

Chu Shizhao had wondered before what the use of the skins in "The Emperor's Growth Plan" was. He couldn't really treat it as a skin-changing game and change his own skin.

Now that I see it, it seems to be quite useful.

Although Chu Shizhao had the memory of the simulation, it was vague and he only knew roughly what happened. The details of leading the troops and the process of learning martial arts were mostly cursory, just like going over all the events of a person's life before he died.

Therefore, the more important function of simulation and deduction is to obtain information, have a predictive judgment, and know what to do in advance.

It’s different now. With a biography experience card of "Fenglangjuxu·Chu Shizhao", you can directly gain extremely strong combat effectiveness.

Soon, an interface indicating the official end of the simulation appeared on Chu Shizhao's screen, which was almost full of historical entries and information.

"If we unify the south and defeat Wang Shouyi, then he will have his own page in history books, and even his family tree will have its own page."

Chu Shizhao felt a little regretful when he thought of this. Perhaps he could have tried to attack the separatist court in the south at that time?

However, Chu Shizhao thought again that his condition at that time, according to the extremely realistic settings of the simulation, was that he died on the way to attack Wang Shouyi. That would be even more abstract. Who knows, it might lead to some chaotic situation, and the Great Zhou Dynasty would be directly in civil strife.

The final layout he made a year before his death perfectly avoided the civil strife of a palace coup, which was actually a good thing.

Since Chu Shizhao did not make any arrangements for his son, it was highly likely that Chu Shizhao's subordinates would support his son to succeed the throne.

These people might just start killing people right away.

Who would care so much?

What is worrying Chu Shizhao now is that most of the ministers he left for Chu Jiyue are very ambitious.

This is why Chu Shizhao said that the court was full of powerful ministers.

Whether he can handle it or not depends on himself.

Chu Shizhao couldn't bear it, there was nothing he could do.

However, Chu Shizhao looked at the ongoing simulation and suddenly realized that the situation did not seem as bad as he had imagined?
This adopted princess of his has always been low-key.

Why do I suddenly feel like a different person?

After Chu Jiyue succeeded to the throne, he immediately subdued Chu Shizhao's brave generals.

Everything was done exactly as Chu Shizhao had planned.

This means
Have you comprehended the instruction manual of "Group of Sages" he gave?

There is only one update today, 5200 words.

I'm in a rush tomorrow, so the update might be late.

(End of this chapter)