Chapter 447: Chapter 448: Cohesion

His actions baffled everyone, so they curiously sent people to inquire.

The stories were the same: tales of the soldiers’ hardships. The suffering they endured, the exhaustion they faced—it was all to protect Lu City, to safeguard its people.

At first, no one paid much mind. But the more they learned, the more they realized how hard-won their peaceful lives were.

If not for these men standing guard, the pirates would have skinned them alive.

Just as the people were moved, Mr. Gu changed his tune again. He and his men began recounting the atrocities and crimes of the pirates.

They spoke of the disasters that had befallen the surrounding villages and the dangers their own parents and brothers faced.

In short, every misfortune stemmed from these invaders.

If not for their greed, for their desire to reap without sowing, none of this would have ever happened.

They even wove these accounts into short stories that circulated endlessly throughout Lu City.

By now, who in Lu City still remembered the corrupt officials? The people had already been discontent with the pirates, but now their hearts and minds were filled with nothing but hatred.

Now, the mere mention of the topic united everyone in righteous fury. Even the old ladies who normally disliked cursing could now spew vitriol for three days and three nights straight.

By the time the third snow fell, some citizens had started making shoe soles for the soldiers.

Others carried steaming pots of soup to the city walls, ensuring the men had something hot to drink on the snowy nights.

The change was subtle, but it was slowly inspiring everyone.

The soldiers who benefited from this kindness had faces beaming with the joy of being recognized.

They no longer wore long faces as before. Sometimes, if they saw a citizen in trouble, they would even lend a helping hand.

It was a positive transformation. The old term for them, "soldier-bandits," slowly faded from memory. Before anyone knew it, the idea that "the army and the people are one family" had taken root in their minds.

Having solidified this unity, Gu Wenheng presented Zhou Shixiong with a plan he had personally drafted when the general came to see him. It could be called a counterattack plan.

"This..." Zhou Shixiong sucked in a cold breath. "Isn’t this a bit too cruel?"

Gu Wenheng replied, "We may be a nation of etiquette, but when dealing with invaders, excessive kindness is a form of indulgence."

’Zhou Shixiong had captured many bandits before. The civil servants always advocated for preferential treatment of prisoners. This brother of mine,’ he thought, ’seems a bit different.’

Gu Wenheng narrowed his eyes. "Those not of our kind are sure to have different hearts. What’s more, they kill and plunder within our borders. Why should we tolerate it again and again?"

"With people so base to their very bones, only when you beat them until it hurts, until they’re terrified, will they learn to restrain themselves."

Zhou Shixiong looked at him with a complicated expression. "Brother Gu, you should have been born into a family of military generals. Being a damned civil servant is truly a waste of your talents."

’Those civil servants sit high in their halls, spouting nothing but etiquette and benevolence. They should be dragged to the front lines and told to go reform those pirates themselves.’

He had executed prisoners of war before, but those civil servants actually impeached him for it, calling him brutal. In the end, all he got was a lengthy reprimand. Just thinking about it made him feel wronged.

Gu Wenheng said, "I am a man of flesh and blood, after all. The people here are all citizens of our Rong Dynasty. I only know to repay kindness with kindness, and vengeance with vengeance."

"Our one-sided tolerance will only make them push their luck even further."

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Gu Wenheng gave Zhou Shixiong a meaningful look. At the very least, he thoroughly disapproved of the policy of treating prisoners leniently.

Zhou Shixiong sighed. "My hands are tied. This border city may seem to be under my control, but there are too many spies from the Capital. If I make any major moves, those people in the court will raise hell again."

Otherwise, with those petty Japanese, even if he couldn’t grind them into dust, he could certainly beat them into submission.

Gu Wenheng already had a plan in mind. Dismissing the attendants, the two of them stayed in the study for the better part of the day, not emerging until dusk.

* * *

At court today, everyone was still squabbling back and forth over petty interests.

Hua Shunming watched them quietly, then suddenly broke into a grin. "My dear ministers, you are all so concerned for the nation and its people. However, your way of doing things is far too slow. We have decided to hold a special imperial examination in the spring to help lighten your burdens."

"You must not, Holy Emperor!" Chen Zishu was the first to react. "We have only just selected a batch of Advanced Scholars. They haven’t had time to settle in yet. The quality of scholars selected this way will inevitably be uneven."

"I second the motion."

"I second the motion."

"We are merely informing you. A Holy Decree will be issued to proclaim this to the world later." Hua Shunming leaned forward, his eyes fixed on them. He crooked a finger and called to the eunuch at his side. "Le San."

"A Holy Decree is proclaimed. Kneel." Le San recited the entire edict. By the time he finished, the ministers kneeling in the throne room had all gone limp.

Before, when they sent the primary daughters from their manors into the palace, everyone was happy to see it happen.

But sending their primary daughters into the palace this time was a completely different matter.

The Emperor claimed the harem had too few children, so he was selecting beautiful and intelligent primary daughters from various manors to be his adopted daughters.

This Holy Decree looked like a great honor, but in the eyes of these ministers, it was a road of no return.

In recent years, natural disasters and man-made calamities had given the foreign tribes on the borders an opportunity, and they had been making small moves ever since. If the new emperor’s Imperial Palace hadn’t lacked a Princess, one would have likely already been sent off in a political marriage to stabilize the court.

Now, the Emperor’s claim about the scarcity of children was clearly just an excuse. He wanted to use their primary daughters as substitute Princesses for political marriages.

But the Holy Decree had already been issued. For all they knew, the palace eunuchs were already on their way to their respective manors at this very moment.

They wanted to object, but how could they possibly voice the words on the tips of their tongues?

The Royal Family’s Princesses could be sacrificed for the country, so were they, officials who enjoyed the court’s salary, unwilling to part with even a single daughter from their manors?

Some of the quicker-witted ones realized the Holy Emperor was taking revenge on them. Back when he was still a Prince, he had an older sister who was sent away for a political marriage at their suggestion.

Hua Shunming looked down at the officials, who were cowering like quails, and grinned at the heavens. "My dear ministers, are you not going to accept the decree and give thanks?"

"Long live the Emperor! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

This was perhaps the last act of defiance those officials could muster.

Hua Shunming stood, flicked his sleeves, and left. "Go back and prepare yourselves."

This time, he did not head for the study but went directly to the Empress’s chambers.

Empress Zhou was in the middle of teaching the concubines how to manage their breathing while exercising. "This won’t do. You’re already out of breath after just two laps. That’s because you haven’t mastered the technique. If you learn how to control your breathing and practice every day, running four or five laps will be no problem at all."

The concubines below had already lost the will to live. They hung their heads, staring at the tops of their shoes. These plain, dusty cloth shoes were their daily companions.

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