Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 720 Turbulent Waves
The fire in Jinling City burned for ten days. During those ten days, everyone witnessed the "destruction of the Jia family." The answer to the imperial examination question "How to revitalize the Jia family" has now been given a concrete manifestation.

The Jia family could not be revived, because the Jia family of the Great Wei Dynasty had been burned to the ground.

The corpses hanging from trees and roadside poles have been taken down and hastily buried in the mass grave outside the city. Those who once threw firecrackers at An Muxi's body are now in a worse state than An Muxi.

Anmuxi has statues, inscriptions, biographies, and even books written about him, but those who tried to desecrate his corpse didn't even have a tattered straw mat.

The former splendor and prosperity vanished overnight, and after the curfew and martial law were lifted in Nanjing, everything returned to normal.

However, the dynasty could only remain silent at this moment, because the head of the aristocratic army commander was neatly placed in front of the eldest son of the regent, and behind these dozens of people stood Xia Daosheng, dressed in plain white clothes with an expressionless face.

"The Twelfth Route Army disobeyed the Emperor's orders and went to the capital without permission. I have secretly executed their commander, and his head is displayed here for Your Highness to examine."

The eldest prince sat there, his hands and feet ice-cold, not daring to move. He tried to ask his confidants and teachers for help, but they were as obedient as tamed puppies in front of Xia Daosheng, not even daring to raise their heads.

About half of the officials behind him remained, standing there with their heads bowed, silent. Only a cough from the Imperial Guard general outside the hall broke the silence.

Xia Lin didn't say anything more, but turned and walked out of the hall. As he passed the assembled officials, he inadvertently raised his head slightly. When his gaze swept over them, their faces were filled with fear and unease.

As for why less than half of the civil and military officials were present, and why those who didn't come didn't, nobody knows. They probably just didn't like going to work...

Outside the palace gates, the air was still filled with the smell of blood and burnt food, but the vendors along the moat were already ringing their bells and calling out their wares.

"Sweet rice balls, fresh sweet rice balls, eight coins for a small bowl, ten coins for a large bowl!"

An old woman washing clothes by the river disdainfully pushed aside a floating corpse with a wooden stick she was using to beat the clothes. She said a few words to the people around her before starting to wash her clothes in the steaming river.

"Please come in, sir. Today, everything at Zuixianlou is half price. The owner said that the weather in Dawei has cleared up, and he wants to be happy too."

Xia Lin smiled and waved his hand, refusing the waiter's offer. He went straight to the porridge shop on the street corner. The owner was still the same, but his son wasn't there today. His business was booming, with customers coming and going.

"Two bowls of sweet porridge for twelve coins, four large steamed buns for eight coins, a truly great deal."

Xia Lin sat down. Old Zhang and Ma Zhou were already sitting at the table. They had already eaten half of their meal. When they saw Xia Lin arrive, Old Zhang raised his hand and said, "Old man, another steamer of buns and a bowl of mixed grain porridge."

"Here it comes."

Steaming hot buns were soon placed in front of Xia Lin. He picked one up, took a bite, and looked up to see a cart carrying corpses passing by in the market not far ahead. A section of ornate sleeve, stained with blood, was visible under the tattered straw mat, looking rather eerie.

"It's strange," Old Zhang said, his words sharp and sarcastic. "When we heard about exchanging children to eat, we felt a pang of sorrow, but seeing these corpses laid out in the marketplace today, it all seems insignificant."

Just then, the owner, who had just brought over the mixed grain porridge, heard him and, seeing it was a regular customer, chuckled, "Sir, that's different. When I was a child, I also suffered from famine. My brother and I hid behind those wealthy people's houses, waiting for their leftover swill to be brought out. In those years of great famine, there was still half a fish left in the swill. A bucket of swill could feed a dozen of us for several days. They, on the other hand, live a comfortable life, not eating anything that isn't tender, not touching anything that isn't fat. What a waste!"

"Hey!" Old Zhang slammed his hand on the table. "What kind of swill restaurant would leave you with half a fish? Take me to try it next time."

"Sir, you jest. How could someone of your stature eat swill?"

“Don’t tell me,” Old Zhang pointed at Xia Lin, “the two of us really did survive by eating swill back then.”

"I always remember you taking the last meatball."

The unrest in Jinling City hasn't completely subsided yet, but as the saying goes, in a battle between officials, whoever loses is a traitor. It seems the outcome is already decided, and the traitor has been identified.

They were plotting a rebellion! They launched a rebellion with fifteen armies, taking advantage of the emperor's illness. Fortunately, the people and soldiers of the Great Wei were united and fought bravely to protect their homes and the rebels, ultimately saving Jinling City.

The military and the people are of one mind!
Now, their remaining forces are naturally considered traitors and rebels who need to be completely eliminated. The three major camps of Jinling City have intervened and begun searching for these people's remaining forces.

But what's interesting is that their collapse led to a short-term recovery of Jinling City. Grain prices returned to normal overnight, and merchants and caravans resumed normal trade and lending. So, naturally, someone has to take the blame. Who? Of course, it's those people from the mass grave.

“This one city is not enough.” Xia Lin clicked his tongue. “It’s not fatal enough for them. We need to find a way to sweep them across the whole country.”

"It's a bit difficult, it might take quite a while."

“It’s alright, let’s implement it along with the scholars going to the countryside.” Xia Lin shook his head helplessly: “Actually, I didn’t intend to go this far at first.”

"They're not planning to leave you any way out. If you lose this time, you know what will happen to you."

"I can't possibly lose." Xia Lin pointed outside: "I have 300,000 troops waiting outside. Why should I avoid their sharp edge?"

"Yes, yes, you're amazing, you're amazing."

They chatted there, but those around them just smiled knowingly. These past few days, those scholars had been pointing fingers at the country's affairs. Today's 300,000 was considered a modest amount. Yesterday, someone said they would send a million soldiers to fight the Tang Dynasty to the death. A few days ago, someone even said they could use talisman water to summon heavenly soldiers and generals.

Anyway, that's how it is. Ever since those people left Jinling City, everyone has become genuinely happy.

And today, Emperor Jingtai's letter to his subjects was also released. In the letter, he sincerely thanked the soldiers and civilians of Nanjing for their determination and actions in protecting their homeland and resisting the enemy. The feeling of being suddenly awakened from a deathbed was bursting out between the lines. Under such circumstances, Emperor Jingtai exempted the entire capital region from taxes for a whole year.

Well, now some people might ask, "Gyeonggi Province and Jiangnan Province are the main sources of tax revenue for the Great Wei Dynasty. If he exempts these provinces from taxes, will the court really go bankrupt? Will the water conservancy projects still be repaired? Will the roads still be paved?"
The riverbed still needs to be dredged, houses still need to be built, roads still need to be paved, and mountains still need to be cleared. But regardless of this year, or even the next five or ten years, ordinary people won't need to pay anything...

As for where the money came from, I don't know, I'm not sure, don't ask, anyway, it's enough.

As for why it's just tax exemption and not direct cash handouts to the people, well... tax exemption is practically cash handouts! If we just hand out cash directly, prices will skyrocket, and the financial system will collapse. What then? Just because someone else has too much money, they build a new Xianyang, so why shouldn't we build a new Ye here?
After eating and drinking their fill, the three arrived at the still-sealed area, which was guarded by city defense soldiers. However, when they entered, the soldiers had to stand at attention and salute.

The scene inside was completely different from the outside. Just one street away, outside, traffic was bustling, people were gradually resuming their lives, shops were reopening, and children were chasing dogs all over the street—a vibrant and lively scene. But inside, corpses of different ages and genders were piled up haphazardly. The once tranquil pond was now stained dark red, with countless unprocessed bodies floating on the surface, flesh and entrails scattered everywhere. The once ornate houses were now ruins, and the high walls that once separated castes had been torn down, covered with blood from unknown individuals.

Back then, the ground was covered in snow, so it wasn't noticeable, but now, walking on it leaves you covered in dark red mud, and when the temperature rises slightly, it emits a nauseating, fishy stench.

Soldiers and conscripted workers were working all around, but they were chatting and laughing as they worked, as if the dead bodies scattered all over the ground were not of the same kind.

That makes sense, the men have never treated them like human beings. Now it seems like this is just retribution, but how can they possibly empathize with retribution?

You have to understand that in the past, people like them would have been beaten black and blue by the servants and thugs kept by these wealthy and powerful families if they had just walked into this street.

Now, they shovel the flesh of these old men and women from the ground like garbage, load it onto manure trucks, and bury it in the fields outside the city.

They would even discuss how the burial site would surely yield a good harvest next year.

Xia Lin stepped forward and paused in front of a still intact bronze lion: "Ah, this is the Duke of Qi's mansion. I remember him."

"In the ninth year of the Hongbao era, the Duke of Qi secretly believed in alchemy and bought more than one hundred boys and girls through the black market, taking their hearts and livers to refine elixirs." Xia Lin turned his head and muttered, "If one takes it, he will die instantly. His son will inherit the position without fail."

As he walked, he recounted the deeds of each household in great detail, talking the whole way. When he reached the end of the street, he suddenly turned around and asked Ma Zhou, "Zhou'er, do you know how much effort I put into collecting enough heads?"

Ma Zhou smiled and said, "You were prepared from the very beginning of planning the Jinling New City, weren't you? To gather enough people to build a city."

"Hahaha, a city."

Xia Lin picked up a broken jade hairpin from the ground, then turned around and nailed it hard to the tree trunk: "I gave them a chance."

This phrase had appeared countless times in Xia Lin's mouth, simply because he was truly resentful. He had clearly given them so many chances; if they were willing to change and be flexible, it wouldn't be impossible to talk. Why did they have to escalate to this point?

“Let’s tear this place down.” Xia Lin looked around. “Keep the houses that are still usable and turn this whole area into a school. From elementary education to officialdom, I want to see 150,000 people studying here every year.”

"You really care about education."

Ma Zhou's words made Xia Lin pause. He didn't turn around, but simply raised his chin and looked at the white clouds in the sky: "Food can solve the current problems, but only education can solve the problems of the future. Do you know why this riot was able to rise and fall so quickly without triggering a chain reaction?"

"Why? That's perfect. I've been thinking about it for three days and three nights and I still can't figure it out. How can those rioters actually obey orders? You're amazing, Master Xia."

Xia Lin laughed heartily: "Zhou'er, an uncultured riot is just a riot, but a cultured riot is a revolution. It's not that the mob is obedient, but that those who are obedient are guiding the mob. The people are like a tide, and you need to make channels for them; without channels, they will overflow."

At that very moment, Emperor Jingtai was sitting in a sauna in Fuliang, his head resting on the smooth thighs of a beautiful young woman, indulging in lychees from Lingnan, while a charming woman was trimming his nails with a small file beside him.

Lying next to him was his third brother, who was leaning against the wall, looking down at the latest edition of the Jinling Times, occasionally letting out a sigh.

"Brother, do you think that with our extravagant lifestyle, we might end up being executed too?"

"First, don't use my title when we're on vacation. Just call me Big Brother. Second, this extravagance isn't from the people's hard-earned money; it's from selling my old house here—it's investment income. Finally, I haven't bullied anyone or forced anyone to buy or sell anything. This is a respectable place. I've worked hard all my life; what's wrong with spending money to enjoy myself? Ladies, do you welcome me?"

"We are so happy to have Your Majesty! He is the best guest we sisters have ever had!" the girls said with silvery smiles.

One of the women said, "We were originally courtesans. After escaping here, we didn't have any other skills, only how to serve people. But here, we've actually found our lives to be much more stable."

"Hey, little sister. If someone wanted to have sex with you, would you be willing?"

“It won’t work here, that’s right…” The women chuckled. “If you really hit it off, it’s not impossible, but then it’s not about money. It’s consensual, so it’s not a dirty thing.”

"Yes, yes, yes, that's good." Emperor Jingtai nodded hastily: "Then I'll treat my sisters to a late-night snack tonight."

"Your Majesty truly..."

The women's voices were so soft and seductive. You have to understand that they were serving the emperor. To be favored by the emperor, even if it was just a fleeting affair, was an opportunity that was hard to come by.

"Brother Emperor!"

"Don't use your official title when you're on vacation!" Emperor Jingtai sat up. "Spit it out!"

The Third Prince sighed and waved for the frivolous women to leave. Once only he and Emperor Jingtai remained in the room, he spoke, "Brother, I have some concerns."

"What's there to worry about?"

"You say, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, Xia Daosheng could order them to hand over their commander's head with a single word. He wiped out all the branches of the Five Clans and Seven Families in Jinling. If one day he wanted to become emperor..."

"I think you've gotten a little dizzy from steaming here." Emperor Jingtai shook his head and laughed, looking at his younger brother and thinking that he was still not mature enough: "If he wanted to be emperor, I would hand over the imperial seal with both hands, and he could still ensure that you and I would live in peace and stability, and that our descendants would be healthy and prosperous. But he doesn't want to be emperor. He fucking wants me to be a good emperor, you know? He's forcing me to walk the path of a famous emperor throughout the ages."

"And then?"

"And then..." Emperor Jingtai picked up a water gourd and poured a ladle of water onto the scalding stone. Amidst the white mist filling the room and the sizzling sound, he said, "And then... and then... I don't know either. Anyway, let's just go with the flow. Aren't we both being pushed around by others our whole lives? Let's take it one step at a time. If all else fails, I'll quit, appoint a crown prince to pass the throne to him, and let Daosheng torment my stupid son. I'll open a grand restaurant with you here, the grandest restaurant in the world, where we can eat the best food every day and even seduce the owner of the restaurant next door."

"Your Majesty... your ambition is truly lofty."

"Don't use your job title when you're on vacation! I'm saying it again."

(End of this chapter)