Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

The future of the empire seems to be sailing on a foggy sea full of reefs and whirlpools.

"Pass on the order." Qin Ming suddenly spoke, his voice breaking the silence of the evening.

"Instruct the Privy Council to select capable scouts to infiltrate the northern border and thoroughly investigate the source of the rumors and the whereabouts of the cavalry. If there is any evidence, they will be eliminated immediately. No further instructions are needed."

"Order the Censorate to dispatch additional inspectors to Jiangnan, Jingchu, and Shuzhong to conduct open and covert investigations, focusing on investigating those who are lip-service to the new policies, deceiving their superiors and subordinates, and mistreating the people. Grant them the power to make arbitrary decisions on the spot, and to execute them first and report to the emperor later!"

"Issue to all prefectures and counties: Reiterate that the original intention of the 'Performance Evaluation Law' is to ensure the safety of the people, enrich the country, and strengthen the military, not to oppress the people. Anyone found to have misinterpreted the imperial will and oppressed the people will be executed without mercy! However, those who sincerely serve their duties, even with minor flaws, may be recorded and not prosecuted for now, to see how they perform their duties."

The last decree was slightly more moderate, intended to give those officials who actually did the work but were under tremendous pressure a chance to breathe, and to avoid pushing them completely to the opposite side.

Ying Qi bowed and accepted the order, then quietly retreated.

Qin Ming's iron fist in purging oppressive officials was like a sudden winter rain, briefly cleansing the court of corruption, but it also plunged the empire into a cold, stagnant silence. Driven by fear, the new policies were implemented with difficulty, their efficiency concealed by countless frightened eyes and suppressed breaths. Gazing from the observatory, Qin Ming saw the undercurrents surging beneath the peaceful scene. He knew that killing and intimidation alone could not eradicate entrenched abuses, nor win true submission and the hearts of the people.

A few days later, a carefully planned imperial conference was held in a side hall of the Purple Palace. Only a handful of key officials attended, including the Prime Minister, the Privy Councilor, the Minister of Revenue, the Minister of Works, and the newly appointed Chief Censor. The atmosphere remained solemn, but compared to the dead silence of previous grand court meetings, it felt more pragmatic and focused.

Qin Ming did not sit on the high throne, but sat with everyone around a huge map of the northern border. The map depicted mountains, rivers, counties, and passes in exquisite detail. Different colors of cinnabar were used to mark the progress of the new policy, potential points of civil unrest, unusual movements on the border, and key nodes of the grain transport system.

"Forced taxation in Jiangnan has sparked popular unrest, forced labor in Longxi has resulted in casualties among civilians, and the Central Plains has framed the gentry... These aren't the fault of the New Deal, but rather flaws in its implementation, the resurgence of old ills under the New Deal." Qin Ming spoke directly and calmly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "I seek to cure the poison by scraping the bone, not to drain the marrow from it. Everyone, do you have any good plans that can preserve the effectiveness of the New Deal while sparing the people from suffering?"

Several important officials looked at each other in bewilderment. His Majesty's words, a rare admission of deviations in the implementation of the new policy and a search for remedies, relaxed their tense nerves a little.

The Prime Minister pondered for a moment and spoke first, "Your Majesty is wise. I believe that the most urgent tasks are, first, to clarify rewards and punishments, and second, to address the people's concerns. Regarding local officials, in addition to severely punishing those who harm the people, we must also reward those who truly care for the people, work diligently, and skillfully implement the new policies, setting an example. Furthermore, perhaps special imperial envoys could be dispatched to tour the country, specifically to address public grievances, verify the effectiveness of the new policies, and promptly correct any deviations in implementation."

The Minister of Revenue added, "The indicators of the 'Performance Evaluation System' could be slightly adjusted, reducing some of the overly urgent items that could easily lead to harsh policies, and adding softer assessments such as 'civilian peace' and 'public opinion', which would be secretly assessed by the inspectors of the Metropolitan Censorate."

The Privy Councilor, however, was more concerned about the northern border. "General Meng Zhi's report on the rumors and cavalry in the north must be addressed. However, a large-scale military suppression would only exacerbate public resentment. Perhaps a two-pronged approach could be adopted. On the one hand, a small, elite force could be dispatched to secretly eliminate the bandits. On the other hand, the imperial court could issue an imperial decree to reduce taxes in the northern border for three years, encourage land reclamation, and select local sons of good families to serve as imperial guards in the capital. This would demonstrate Your Majesty's conciliatory and appeasement intentions and dismantle Hua Yunhong's remaining influence."

The Minister of Works also suggested, "Can we change the 'forced conscription' for major projects like the canal transport and river works to 'recruited labor'? By appropriately increasing wages and rations, and clarifying the duration of the work, so that the laborers can earn something rather than just fulfill a duty, this may reduce resistance."

Everyone chatted, gradually putting aside their initial fears and beginning to offer genuine suggestions for the long-term stability of the empire. Qin Ming listened intently, occasionally asking questions or nodding in agreement.

Finally, he made a decision after considering the opinions of all parties:

"According to the Prime Minister's proposal, 'Inspectorate Imperial Commissioners' will be established. They will be composed of officials from the Censorate, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Revenue. They will be sent to various places to supervise the implementation of the new policies, handle public grievances, and have the power to immediately dismiss officials who harm the people and commend virtuous and good people."

"Approved the Ministry of Revenue's request, the 'Performance Evaluation Law' will be revised to include an assessment of public safety and public opinion. The specific details will be reviewed and submitted within three days."

"As agreed by the Privy Council, regarding the northern border, we will use both suppression and appeasement. I order Meng Zhi to select elite warriors to form a 'Fox Hunting Battalion' to eliminate banditry and investigate the source of the rumors. At the same time, I propose to reduce taxes in the northern border and recruit strong border men to serve as guards in the capital as a token of my favor."

"As requested by the Ministry of Works, effective immediately, all major court projects will be primarily funded by conscripts, with generous wages and strict scrutiny of any deductions. Forced conscription requires the approval of the Privy Council and me. Violators will be charged with corruption."

A series of directives, combining both firmness and flexibility, injected more flexibility and appeasement while maintaining the core of the new policy, attempting to find a difficult balance between the iron-blooded order and the respite of people's livelihood.

After the meeting, the ministers took their leave, their expressions less fearful and more solemn and full of responsibility.

Qin Ming remained alone in the hall, his gaze once again fixed on the enormous map. He knew that whether these measures would be effective would take time to test; the empire's chronic illnesses would not be cured overnight. But at least, this was a start, a shift from blindly high-pressure tactics to more refined regulation and guidance.

……

However, the empire's troubles never come alone. Just as Qin Ming was adjusting his strategy and trying to ease internal conflicts, urgent military intelligence from the northwest, like a sharp whistle, shattered the brief peace!

The urgent military report from 800 miles away went straight to the Privy Council and was then quickly presented to the emperor!

"Your Majesty! Urgent news from Xiliang! The Qiang leader, Wudun, has seized upon the fact that our army is being dispatched eastward to quell civil unrest and the northern border is unstable. He has gathered 50,000 cavalrymen from various tribes, bypassed the Longshan defenses, and launched a surprise attack on Liangzhou! The Liangzhou commander has been killed in action, and the prefecture is in imminent danger! The Qiang troops have divided their forces to plunder Longyou and are heading straight for Guanzhong!"

"What?!" Even Qin Ming's pupils suddenly contracted when he heard the bad news!

Xiliang! The western gateway to the empire! If Liangzhou is lost, Longyou will be unprotected, and the Qiang cavalry will be able to march straight in, threatening the Guanzhong Plain, the heartland of the empire!

He understood instantly. The rumors in the north, the unrest within the borders, were probably all related to this large-scale invasion by the Qiang people of Xiliang! It was very likely that the remaining forces of Hua Yunhong had colluded with the Qiang people, coercing them internally and externally!

"What a good trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain and take advantage of the fire to rob!" Qin Ming's eyes flashed with cold light, and the conciliatory strategy just agreed upon was instantly thrown out of his mind. A cold murderous aura filled his body again!