I am a commoner, but I will lead the empress to unify the world

The empress nodded and said,

"It's like this. I know you don't want to be selected as a man, but you were forced to come here by Wan'er. I also know you don't want to marry me, so you just want to leave. You even hid behind someone when I handed you the Ruyi.

But now that the matter is done, you should stop thinking about running away. It doesn't cost much to support one more person.

But if you run away or die, it will bring shame to me.

The most important thing is that the ministers will ask me to hold another selection of men to find husbands, and by then another thousand young and strong men will die.

I deeply detest this system, but I have only recently ascended the throne and my foundation is not stable. I cannot abolish the old system of the previous emperor, otherwise I will be accused of being unfilial.

Therefore, for the sake of those innocent people, Master Shen will remain in my harem."

Do you want to stay here and be a eunuch? You don’t allow me to find a concubine, so my sister-in-law’s soft and fragrant body is still more fragrant.

Shen Changgong would never think that the emperor would sleep with him just after they met. Women are generally more reserved. She chose him out of helplessness, not because she liked him.

"Okay, I'll be your shield, as long as my family is safe."

Shen Changgong temporarily retreated and tried to find a way to escape later.

The Queen nodded and continued,

"This morning, I saw you on the training ground. You were very quick-witted and eloquent, able to put the blame on Prince Rong. You also knew a lot about the laws of Great Yan. I think you are a man of great learning.

I have nothing to do today, so I will come and test you."

Shen Changgong smiled and said,

"Your Majesty, I am a poor scholar, unlearned and unlearned. I have no knowledge of poetry or literature, and I am not good at writing. I have never done anything good in my life, and I only love killing and setting fires. If you want to test me on literature, I'm afraid you have found the wrong person."

"Poetry and songs are just pretentious and have no use in governing a country. Why am I testing you on this? I want to test your strategy for governing a country.

"Now in my Great Yan, there are many vassal kings, powerful people are wielding power, and the royal family is becoming increasingly weak. A loyal minister bullied a woman of mine, and soon after ascending the throne, he became more and more arrogant and domineering. Master Shen, do you have a good plan to save my Great Yan?"

After hearing what the empress said, Shen Changgong said without hesitation,

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid you can only speak these words to me. This court is full of powerful people, both civil and military. If you ask them, it would be like asking someone how to kill himself."

"That's right. Since you're a commoner, I saw you getting along with the powerful today, so I asked you."

"Then please think about it for a moment."

Shen Changgong vaguely felt that this was an opportunity.

This empress also has a problem with the powerful and wealthy. Perhaps there is no need for her to rise up in rebellion herself or take the risk of assassination. With the help of the empress, she can kill all those damned powerful and wealthy people.

He kept thinking in his mind, looking for historical allusions to find a way out of the predicament.

As a killer, you often have to disguise yourself in many ways to get close to your target and look for opportunities. It's not enough to just be able to kill people.

So he knows a little about astronomy, geography, history, literature, and art appreciation.

He pondered for a full stick of incense, perfecting the plan in his mind.

This is a grand strategy.

He raised his head, looked at the empress seriously, and said,

"Your Majesty, I have a plan that will allow Great Yan to quickly complete the centralization of power, fill the treasury, and strengthen the military."

"Oh? What's the good plan?"

The empress disagreed and asked casually.

"However, this plan of mine will damage the interests of all the nobles and vassal kings, and it is too cruel. If it fails, I will die."

"The struggle between the emperor and his ministers is inherently a struggle for power and profit. If I want to seize power from them and consolidate my position, I will inevitably damage their interests. You don't need to repeat this."

Hearing this, Shen Changgong nodded, looked at Gongsun Wan'er again, and said,

"Is the chief steward a powerful person? If so, please step aside. You are not fit to listen to my words."

"I have to protect His Majesty. You are too dangerous."

Gongsun Wan'er said expressionlessly.

After all, Shen Changgong is a master and can kill people with one move.

The Queen said,

"You don't have to worry. Wan'er no longer has any family, nor is she a powerful person. On the contrary, she has a blood feud with the powerful. You can just tell her directly."

"Then I am relieved. Chief Steward, go close the door and have all the maids and guards outside leave."

Hearing this, Gongsun Wan'er looked at the empress. After the empress nodded, she went to carry out the order and closed the door tightly.

Shen Changgong said slowly,

"Your Majesty, I have a brilliant plan to save the country. It consists of four steps and can eliminate all the vassal kings and powerful people in Dayan."

"wipe out?"

The empress frowned upon hearing this and said,

"I only want to seize power, not to eliminate all the powerful and wealthy. I know you don't get along with the powerful and wealthy, but there's no need to eliminate all of them."

"Your Majesty, power is profit and life to the rich and powerful. If you want to seize their power, it would be like stealing their money and killing them!

If you want their life, they will want your life. It is a life-and-death struggle.

These powerful people are like maggots attached to the bones, sucking the blood of the people, the country and the court. If they are not destroyed, how can the country be prosperous?!

You can either take drastic action to eliminate them and revitalize the empire, or do nothing and just enjoy yourself while the country continues to rot."

Shen Changgong's words shocked the empress a little, but when she thought about it carefully, she found that there was some truth in them.

Gongsun Wan'er frowned and said,

"Your Majesty, please do not listen to his alarmist rhetoric. He is just a military man who knows how to kill people. He has no idea how to govern a country. He only knows how to kill, kill, and kill, and he will only harm this country."

The empress raised her hand to stop her and said,

"Tell me first what kind of strategy it is, and I'll see if it's feasible."

Shen Changgong nodded and said,

"My strategy consists of four steps."

"The first step: seizing military power."

"Step Two: Implementing Extended Favor."

"Step Three: Incite Civil Unrest."

"Step 4: Horse steps on the door valve!"

Each of these four steps gave the empress a great shock.

She re-examined the commoner in front of her and felt as if she had chosen a prodigy.

Of course, whether it is a genius or just empty talk depends on the specifics of the strategy.

Shen Changgong did not pause and continued,

"First, your majesty, I would like to ask how many troops are there near the capital, who controls them, and how many troops can your majesty directly control?"

"There are 200,000 central troops outside the capital, 150,000 of which are controlled by 15 powerful families. Each family has a general who controls the troops.

The remaining 50,000 generals and soldiers were left to me by the late emperor, and they are loyal to me.

In addition, the capital's 10,000 garrison troops, 10,000 imperial guards, and 5,000 public security troops also obey my orders."

Shen Changgong nodded and said,

"That's enough. The first step is to take back all the military power of the Central Army. Gather evidence of the crimes of those fifteen powerful families, suppress some, and appease others. First, take away the military power of the suppressed group, and then take away the military power of the other group."