Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

His Majesty acted so decisively upon his return, and his seemingly courteous but actually cautious attitude towards the northern delegation has already revealed an unusual signal.

"As for the selection of the Grand Canal Governor..." Qin Ming paused, and the four people immediately pricked up their ears. This matter had been a source of concern for everyone. "I have a plan in mind. We'll discuss it after tomorrow's court meeting."

"Yes." The four did not dare to ask more questions.

"Also," Qin Ming's voice deepened, "I hereby order: From this day forward, the 'Bronze Box' will be reopened. It will be set up outside the palace gates, allowing military and civilian officials to submit letters and express their opinions directly to the emperor. Anyone who wishes to speak out about the gains and losses of government affairs, the benefits and disadvantages of the military and civilians, or the injustices endured, may submit a sealed letter. It will be collected directly by... the Shadow Guards and presented to me for my personal review. Anyone who obstructs this submission or retaliates will be charged with treason!"

Bronze box! All four of them were horrified! This was established by the previous Empress Wu Zetian to open up channels for public opinion, but it had also become a powerful tool for the spread of whistleblowing. His Majesty's reinstatement of this system was self-evident—he intended to bypass the layers of bureaucracy and directly hear the voices of the lowest ranks, even... encouraging whistleblowing! This undoubtedly cast a heavy stone into the already tense atmosphere of the court!

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty obeys!" The four men suppressed their inner shock and responded in unison, though cold sweat already seeped out from their backs. They knew that His Majesty's return would bring more than just the glory of victory; it would also bring a deeper scrutiny and storm to the very fabric of the empire.

"Step back." Qin Ming waved his hand.

As if granted amnesty, the four bowed and exited the courtyard. Each glanced at the other, seeing the solemnity and uneasiness in the other's eyes. The skies of the capital, after tomorrow, would likely never see peace again.

Qin Ming stood alone by the window, gazing out at the darkening night and the faint outline of the lights of the capital in the distance. Tomorrow, he would return to the palace, the symbol of supreme power. There lay a mountain of government affairs, ministers with divergent motives, lurking crises, and unfinished ambitions.

His return was not the end, but the beginning of another, more complex, and more secretive war. This time, his battlefield was within the nine-story palace, in the seemingly peaceful court, and in the vast web woven by power, lies, and loyalty.

He took a deep breath of the cool night air, his eyes gleaming coldly.

The next morning, the imperial carriage slowly entered the capital's Chengtian Gate amidst a simple and solemn ceremony. There was no bustling bustle of the streets, no elaborate and lengthy celebrations. Instead, civil and military officials stood in respectful greeting, their ranks arranged on either side of the imperial road, bowing their heads in greeting, while the imperial guards, in their gleaming armor, offered a silent salute. A dark black dragon flag swept past the towering palace gates. Qin Ming sat upright on the carriage, his gaze calmly sweeping across the familiar imperial capital, yet seemingly separated by an invisible barrier. A carefully suppressed awe and silence filled the air.

Upon entering the palace, without even changing out of his dusty travel clothes, Qin Ming headed straight for the western warm room of the Taiji Hall—the core of his daily government affairs. On the imperial desk, memorials and documents piled like a mountain, meticulously arranged and categorized, yet still possessing a stifling mass.

Without a moment's pause, he dismissed all his attendants, leaving only two trusted clerks by his side, and then buried himself in the vast expanse of paperwork. He lifted and lowered his red pen, moving it efficiently and ruthlessly like the most sophisticated machinery.

Military reports from the western border, events in the northern border, grain transport in the southern border, civil uprisings across the country, official appointments and dismissals, fiscal revenues and expenditures, imperial examinations, criminal justice reviews... the pulse of the empire flowed through his fingertips in its most primitive form. He read each report with remarkable speed, yet instantly grasped the key points. His comments were concise and precise, whether approving or refuting, investigating or handling, never dragging his feet.

"The oxen needed for the Liangzhou military settlements are to be allocated from the Beiting Protectorate nearby. Spring plowing must not be delayed."

"The Ministry of Personnel will nominate three more candidates for the position of Governor of the Grand Canal. They must have experience in local grain transport administration and submit their recommendations tomorrow."

"The Jiangnan Imperial Examination cheating case, the chief and deputy examiners were immediately arrested and handed over to the three courts for a joint trial and thorough investigation."

"The location requested by the Hunxie tribe in the northern border for trade is denied. It will be established in Suzhou instead, with its size limited and strictly supervised by the Anxi Protectorate."

In between reviewing documents, he would occasionally look up and briefly ask a few questions to the official on duty at the Privy Council or the official at the Ministry of Revenue standing beside him. His questions were all to the point, making the officials sweat profusely and dare not hide anything or be perfunctory.

All afternoon, the only sounds in the warm room were the rustling of papers and the rustling of red brushes, along with the emperor's occasional low but clear instructions. By the time the palace lanterns were lit and the eunuchs carefully lit them, the towering pile of memorials had visibly shrunk.

However, Qin Ming showed no sign of fatigue. Instead, his deep eyes shone even brighter under the lamplight. He put down his red brush, rubbed his brow, and suddenly asked, "How many days has the bronze box been set up?"

Ying Qi, standing by, emerged from the shadows. "Your Majesty, it's been three days. We've received over three hundred secret letters. We've screened them, eliminating baseless accusations and trivial matters. We've found... seventy-two letters, involving twenty-eight officials from thirteen prefectures and counties. Most of the cases involve corruption, wrongful imprisonment, and harsh policies."

"Give it to me." Qin Ming stretched out his hand.

Ying Qi presented a heavy iron box. Qin Ming opened it, revealing a thick stack of sealed letters. He picked up a few at random and quickly scanned them. The handwriting varied, some neat, some sloppy, some even stained with blood. The contents were shocking: a county governor forcibly collected "suppression funds" and enriched himself; a county magistrate disregarded human life and tortured people into confessing; a grain transport official colluded with wealthy merchants to resell government grain; and even... a border army general falsely reported the number of troops and withheld military pay...

The more he looked, the calmer Qin Ming's expression became, a calm that made one's heart palpitate. The air in the warm room seemed to freeze.

"Very good." He closed the blood-lettered letter, his voice unrecognizable as either emotion or anger. "Ying Qi, I order you to personally lead your men, armed with my warrant, to these prefectures and counties to conduct thorough investigations and verification. If it's true..." He paused, a cold glint in his eyes. "Those below the fourth rank may be arrested on the spot and rigorously interrogated. Those above the fourth rank with irrefutable evidence must be reported to me for final decision."

"Yes!" Ying Qi bowed and accepted the order, then retreated silently into the shadows again.

Qin Ming pushed the iron box aside and returned his gaze to the imperial desk. He knew these seventy-two letters were just the tip of the iceberg. Reopening the bronze box would be like dropping a boulder into a still lake, inevitably stirring up waves and drawing out more sediment. And this was exactly what he wanted.

The next day, there will be a large court meeting.

Inside the Huangji Hall, all officials stood in awe, the atmosphere more solemn than usual. This was the Emperor's first grand court session since his return from the Western Expedition, and no one dared to neglect it in the slightest.

Qin Ming sat high on the dragon throne, his dark robe accentuating his stern expression. He didn't exchange pleasantries and got straight to business.

First of all, it was a reward for the heroes of the Western Expedition.