My subjects are too rebellious!

As the Wu Dynasty grew stronger, taxes and labor service became uneven, officials were lazy, water conservancy projects fell into disrepair, and people's lives became difficult.

All kinds of problems emerged.

All of this is due to the officials’ laziness.

Therefore, Zhang Baigui and Wang Anshi were the first to introduce the performance evaluation system.

Only by breaking the old bureaucratic system and eliminating those officials who are in office but do nothing and are corrupt and abuse their power can new vitality be injected into the Wu Dynasty.

They personally participated in the formulation of detailed assessment standards, taking into account political achievements, improvements in people's livelihood, tax completion and other aspects, and strived to be fair and just.

The road to reform is full of thorns, and only thundering measures can clear the obstacles.

Therefore, during the implementation of the performance evaluation system, he personally supervised the process to ensure that every policy was implemented without fail.

For those officials who failed the assessment, no matter how strong their background or how prominent their status, Wang Anshi would ruthlessly dismiss them from their posts and investigate them, and would never tolerate them.

What's more, with Qin Chuan endorsing them, what do they have to fear?

For a time, the court of the Wu Dynasty was in turmoil, and a large number of officials lost their former power and status due to the implementation of the performance evaluation system.

They may be unable to complete the assessment tasks because of their mediocre political performance.

Or they may be reported and exposed by the people for corruption.

Or it may be because of dereliction of duty, which leads to people’s hardship.

The fate of these officials has also put those officials who are still taking advantage of the situation in their posts under unprecedented pressure.

However, it was this strict assessment and severe punishment that boosted the official atmosphere of the Wu Dynasty.

Those officials who were truly capable and responsible began to emerge. They actively devoted themselves to the reform cause and contributed their strength to the development of the Wu Dynasty.

However, as history has proven countless times, any profound reform will inevitably touch the sensitive nerves of vested interests and trigger fierce confrontation.

During the Wu Dynasty's implementation of the Kaocheng System, despite the emperor's firm support, the reform still encountered strong resistance from conservatives.

These conservatives are mainly composed of bureaucrats, gentry and their interest groups who have long occupied high positions and wielded great power.

They enjoy the privileges and benefits brought by the old system and feel deeply uneasy about the principles of fairness, transparency and efficiency advocated by the performance evaluation system.

In their view, the implementation of the performance evaluation system is tantamount to a comprehensive liquidation of their vested interests and a subversion of the power structure they have established over a long period of time.

And behind all these people, there is one place that they all point to.

Qufu.

This place carries a thousand-year-old cultural heritage and is regarded as a holy place in the hearts of scholars all over the world.

The descendants of that family seemed to stand on the side of the conservatives, using their influence in academia and even among the public to campaign against the implementation of the Performance Evaluation System.

Therefore, conservatives have stepped forward and used various means to obstruct the implementation of the performance evaluation system.

They spread rumors and confused the public, trying to portray the Kaocheng Law as a catastrophic policy mistake.

They colluded with local forces, incited public sentiment and created unrest.

Faced with strong opposition from the conservatives, Zhang Baigui and Wang Anshi knew that this would be a tough battle.

.......

Among the carved beams and painted buildings of the Qianqing Palace, Qin Chuan, Zhang Baigui, Wang Anshi and Heshen sat around.

Qin Chuan was the first to speak: "I want to severely punish the family in Qufu. Those who cause trouble will be brought to justice, and those who obey will be tolerated."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly changed.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Baigui and Wang Anshi looked at each other, but neither of them expressed their opinion immediately.

Although the two had different thoughts in their minds, they tacitly chose to remain silent and wait and see how the situation would develop.

Zhang Baigui thought to himself that the road to reform was full of thorns and he had to proceed step by step and not act rashly.

However, Wang Anshi was worried that this move would intensify conflicts and be detrimental to the overall situation.

However, He Shen heard this and was impatient to persuade him: "Your Majesty, this is wrong! The family in Qufu is a role model for scholars all over the world and the root of Confucian culture. If you act rashly, you will surely be criticized by scholars all over the world, and the road to reform may be blocked. I hope Your Majesty will think twice before acting!"

Qin Chuan frowned when he heard Heshen's words.

He knew very well that what Heshen said was true. The Qufu family held an extraordinary status in the hearts of scholars. If he acted rashly, the consequences would be unpredictable.

But now the area is so vast that if the changes are not updated in time, it will be difficult to manage!

"I have made up my mind to overcome hardness with softness, divide and disintegrate their power, severely punish those who cause trouble, and guide those who are obedient so that they can become a force for reform."

Zhang Baigui and Wang Anshi both nodded in agreement when they heard this.

Wang Anshi said: "Yes, we must be extremely cautious about the matter of Qufu. As ministers, we should focus on the overall situation and not lose sight of the big picture because of small matters."

......

However, as the emperor of the Wu Dynasty, Qin Chuan knew that the reform was imminent and had to be carried out.

Besides, is such a vast territory going to have to wait for a bunch of parasites like you?

ridiculous.

He did not hesitate because of the dissuasion of Heshen and others, but instead became more determined.

So, after discussing with several people, Qin Chuan did not delay for a moment and immediately summoned the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"I have made up my mind. Reform cannot be delayed. All bureaucrats, gentry and vested interests who obstruct reform and oppose it must be severely punished!"

"I obey your command!" Long Yi bowed respectfully.

Then, just as he was about to turn around and leave, he paused and asked, "What about that one?"

Qin Chuan thought for a moment and said directly: "Those who obey will stay, and those who disobey will be severely punished!"

Long Yi took the order and quickly mobilized his troops.

......

Long Yang led hundreds of elite Jinyiwei soldiers and trampled the tranquility of Qufu with their iron hooves.

Go straight to the mansion.

The people of that family did not seem to take the majesty of the court and Long Yang's arrival seriously. Relying on the family's thousand-year glory and status, facing the encirclement of the Jinyiwei, they not only did not show any fear, but were extremely arrogant.

"Humph, you, a mere Jinyiwei, dare to come and act wildly in this palace? You are nothing but dogs around the emperor!"

An elder of the family, with white hair and beard, but in good spirits, stood in front of the mansion gate, pointing at Long Yang, his tone full of contempt and disdain.

"How can you touch the Holy Son's family casually? My family has been Confucian scholars for generations, and is a role model for scholars all over the world. If you dare to act rashly, you will surely incur the indignation of the world!"

Another young man from that family was even more arrogant. He introduced himself and his words were full of pride in his family's identity and contempt for Long Yang.

When Long Yang heard this, his face darkened.

Long Yang suppressed his anger, coldly glanced at the people in that family, and said in a deep voice: "You people in that family, relying on your status, despise the king's law, and obstruct the reform, are already unforgivable. Today, I, Long Yang, came here by order to bring you to justice. No matter who you are, no matter what forces are behind you, you will all be treated equally in front of the king's law!"