Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

After signing the contract with the Li Kingdom, Shen Lang stayed in the Li Kingdom for another seven days.

During these seven days, Shen Lang had no free time. First, he drafted the operational plan related to the colonial economy into a document and distributed it to the head of the family who was attending the meeting that day.

Of course, there was another point, which Shen Lang practically gave to these family heads:

"Remember this: you can recruit local Li people to work for you and manage your estates, and you can also exploit their labor to the fullest extent."

However, their treatment must be higher than what they would receive locally; the most basic requirement is that their entire family must be able to have enough to eat.

"As long as they don't rebel or resist, don't shoot them without reason. Within the exclusive zone, everyone is protected by Chu law. Do you all understand?"

The heads of these overseas Chinese families were puzzled by Shen Lang's request, but they still nodded in agreement.

But ultimately, not many people took this matter to heart; what they were thinking about was how to torture them to avenge the centuries of suffering they had endured.

Shen Lang didn't think much about this idea. He figured he could just convey the message, and whether they listened or not was up to them.

After dealing with the colonial affairs, Shen Lang distributed all the ships docked in the various ports of Cape City to the overseas Chinese merchants and disbanded a large number of Lebanese army troops.

From then on, the Lebanese navy, which had dominated Southeast Asia for two hundred years, was effectively defunct.

The fate of the Lebanese nation was thus abruptly cut short, leaving it with no possibility of ever rising again.

The news quickly reached all levels of society in Lebanon, but it elicited different reactions.

Taking advantage of the situation, warlords in various regions who were already dissatisfied with Nguyen Ha Lai issued edicts declaring their independence from the rule of the Le royal family.

Other generals issued orders to defend the king, vowing to march into Cape of Hope, ostensibly to uphold the dignity of the Lebanese state.

For a time, the shadow of civil war loomed over the land of Lebanon, with the prospect of a spectacular scene of rivers of blood flowing out at any moment.

However, the rebellion ultimately amounted to more bark than bite, and after the initial rhetoric, nothing came of it.

Upon witnessing the formidable fighting power of the Chu army, the privileged class immediately changed their mindset, actively supporting the interests of Chu expatriates within the territory of Li, and even joining the colonies in oppressing and exploiting their own citizens.

For them, self-interest always comes first; any talk of national sentiment is utter nonsense.

Whoever is strong is their ally; whoever provides the benefits is their mother. This is the way for the powerful and wealthy without any troops to survive.

As for your face, you can't exchange it for money; once it's gone, it's gone.

With the support of the local nobles, the lives of the originally destitute overseas Chinese underwent a dramatic 180° change.

They jumped from the lowest social class to the privileged class, becoming the most distinguished group in the Li Kingdom.

Finally, there's the attitude at the grassroots level, which can be summed up in two words: abstract.

When the Chu army stormed into the city, not a single person in the city thought of resisting; all they wanted was to escape this dangerous place.

But now that the war between Chu and Li has ended, upon hearing that the Li court and people had actually signed such an astonishingly treasonous treaty, their patriotic sentiments surged instantly.

Instigated by certain individuals, they all took to the streets, gathered in front of the palace, loudly denounced Nguyen for betraying the country, and strongly demanded that Nguyen Ha Lai abdicate.

Sitting in the desolate palace, listening to the angry roars of the people outside, Nguyen Ha Lai was furious.

This time, Nguyen Ha Lai did not back down.

"If I can't deal with the Chu people, surely I can deal with you lowly people?"

Therefore, he decisively ordered troops to be sent to suppress the rebellion.

In an instant, the entire streets of Cape of Hope were filled with the joyful camaraderie of soldiers and civilians, creating a truly magnificent scene.

If there were a camera, one would surely see a refugee covered in blood accusing Lebanon of being undemocratic and claiming that he was fighting for Ziyou.

The riots lasted for more than ten days without any sign of abating. On the contrary, they intensified and escalated to looting, vandalism, and destruction, completely disrupting public order.

Later, some people manipulated public opinion, claiming that the overseas Chinese had occupied their land and caused them humiliation.

So the natives immediately turned their guns on the colonial area and concessions.

However, the moment the gunshot rang out, this group of natives, whose "patriotism" was running high, immediately scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing in all directions as if their lives depended on it.

Later on, these natives actually came up with new tricks.

Tens of thousands of them used their life savings to purchase several jade tablets for commemoration from the people of the Divine Water Palace, which later ended up in the Chu Kingdom.

The contents of the photographic jade tablet are quite explosive:

A middle-aged man in tattered clothes sat on a bench, his head down, his hands clasped under his chin as if deep in thought, with a dilapidated backdrop behind him.

Then he slowly raised his head, revealing a fierce look in his eyes at the screen. After that, his eyes closed slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, but he didn't say a word.

This abstract record almost broke the defenses of the entire Jingwei Division, which was virtually omnipotent in intelligence gathering.

Because they had no idea what it meant, even Jiang Shangxian himself studied it for three days without sleep, and still couldn't figure it out.

However, these are all things for later.

At this very moment, the naval forces are already on their way back to the Chu homeland.

"Everyone says that when the emperor personally leads an expedition, it is such a magnificent and heroic act, but why do I always feel that this imperial expedition is just like taking a ride?"

Standing at the stern, Jiang Mengxuan looked at the azure sea and sky and couldn't help but complain to Shen Lang.

Shen Lang replied with a smile, "The difference in national strength is obvious; the two are not even in the same league. That's why you seem so relaxed."

If the two sides were evenly matched, the outcome might have been quite different.

Jiang Mengxuan smiled slightly: "This time we have taken control of the South Seas and brought back six million taels of gold. I plan to expand the navy and build more battleships to better control the situation in the South Seas."

Shen Lang: "Future wealth is destined to come from the ocean. Xuan'er is not wrong to think so. By the way, after I go back this time, I plan to conduct an experiment on the reform of the official system."

Jiang Mengxuan frowned: "How do we conduct the experiment?"

"Let's use military academy students as an experiment, conduct a comprehensive assessment, and as long as the graded scores are above the passing mark..."

These are reserve officials for the imperial court, who can be directly appointed to fill vacancies in the court or local government if such a system proves feasible.

"Then, a few years later, I plan to implement a comprehensive education reform throughout the entire State of Chu."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan's eyes lit up: "In that case, the recommendation system of aristocratic families will be completely useless."

"The recommendation system itself has too many drawbacks, as the number of positions is determined entirely by the personal relationship between the recommending official and the person seeking the position."

No one can guarantee the character and ability of those who obtain official positions. To be honest, this is not even as good as the imperial examination system currently in place in Wuzhao.

Jiang Mengxuan wholeheartedly agreed: "Ah Lang, you're right. The late emperor did intend to abolish the recommendation system, but firstly, the powerful families wielded too much influence in the court..."

Secondly, no suitable alternative could be found, which is why it has been unable to be implemented. Now, the time is indeed ripe, and perhaps we can try to make a change.

Shen Lang: "However, this matter needs to be handled step by step. After we get back, I'll discuss it with Ye Mo first, and get all the unemployed noble children involved as well."

I'll set the questions, and I'll publish the books. Let them experience firsthand the future direction of the new official system. If it can be resolved peacefully, nobody wants bloodshed.

Jiang Mengxuan gave him a trusting look: "Okay, just do it with confidence. I'll support you if you encounter any difficulties. Ah Lang, I believe in whatever you do."

The battleship slowly approached the coastline of the Chu Kingdom.

When Shen Lang decided to launch a new round of reforms to the officialdom abroad, the Song state, under the leadership of Ye Fan and Zhao Huan, the two brilliant strategists, also began a vigorous reform movement.