If you die, I will be able to inherit your cultivation.

Zhou Ming brought the revised laws into the palace.

Su Mingyue was reviewing memorials in the Qian Yuan Hall. When she saw him enter, she put down her cinnabar pen, took the law book, and read it through from beginning to end.

Inside the hall, only the rustling of paper turning and the tinkling of copper bells under the eaves in the distance, blown by the wind, could be heard.

After a long while, she closed the booklet, nodded, and that was considered her approval.

He looked up at Zhou Ming, his gaze solemn and profound: "Zhou Ming, the promulgation of the new law will inevitably face considerable resistance. You must be prepared."

Zhou Ming smiled calmly upon hearing this.

"As long as His Majesty supports me, there will be no obstacles for me. It's just a matter of a few more people dying."

Su Mingyue looked at him and gave him a deep look as he casually uttered those words.

That look contained scrutiny, relief, and a very faint unease.

It wasn't that he was uneasy about Zhou Ming, but rather about the bloodshed that would follow.

In the past few days, she has been mobilizing troops and has already laid out contingency plans to deal with the counterattack of aristocratic families throughout Youzhou, making preparations for the worst.

But she also knew that whether the new law could ultimately take root did not depend on how many troops she deployed.

As for whether Zhou Ming's knife is sharp enough.

"Since you have decided to implement the new laws, I will definitely support you. You can rest assured about that."

"Alright then, I will now grant you five thousand troops to promote the new laws, and if necessary, you may also mobilize some troops outside the cities."

Su Mingyue sat behind the dragon desk, her hands folded on the newly closed law book, her gaze calm as she looked at Zhou Ming.

Her voice carried a resolute weight, as if she were reassuring Zhou Ming, or making a solemn pledge to herself.

"I have only one request: to implement the new laws as soon as possible."

She paused, then looked up at Zhou Ming. In her phoenix eyes, there was no hesitation, only a resolute determination that, though suppressed to its extreme, appeared unusually calm:

"You shall make the proposal for tomorrow's morning court session. Be prepared."

Zhou Ming stood up from his chair, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed deeply.

His movements were unhurried, a faint smile on his face, and his tone composed:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not fight a battle I am not confident of winning."

Seeing his confident demeanor, Su Mingyue nodded slightly and waved her hand, "Okay, go and prepare."

Early the next morning, inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The deep, resonant sound of the bell echoed from the bell tower, and civil and military officials filed in, lining up on both sides according to their rank.

Su Mingyue sat upright on the dragon throne, her black armor and silver spear still in place, and the long sword stuck in the imperial steps in front of the throne gleamed with a cold light in the morning sun.

The officials kowtowed and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

However, everyone's eyes were intentionally or unintentionally drawn to the position of the newly appointed Minister of Justice.

It's been several days now, and apart from appointing Zhou Ming as Minister of Justice, none of the civil and military officials in the court have been given any new positions.

Not only are the general public without positions, but even the newly appointed Minister of Justice has not attended a single morning court session so far, and his position has been vacant for several days.

Zhou Ming arrived late, accompanied by two guards, only after the kowtow ceremony was completed.

He stepped over the high threshold of the Hall of Supreme Harmony at a leisurely pace.

The old dark blue robe stood out conspicuously among the brand-new court robes in the hall, yet it commanded respect.

The two guards each carried a stack of books about half their height, the books neatly bound together with hemp twine.

The guard placed the book on the gold-brick floor in the center of the hall, clasped his hands in a salute, and turned to leave.

Zhou Ming walked to the front of the imperial steps, clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed deeply, and said in a clear and powerful voice: "Your Majesty, the new laws have been revised. I humbly request that they be implemented as soon as possible."

Su Mingyue sat upright on the dragon throne, her face still showing the same calm and composed expression.

She slightly turned her head and nodded to Chunlan beside her: "Yes. Distribute the new laws and let the officials see them."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it drowned out all the rustling sounds of fabrics in the hall.

"Let's put aside all other matters at today's court assembly and discuss this grand plan for strengthening the nation."

"Now the Minister of Justice has proposed a new law to strengthen the country. This is a major national plan and requires the concerted efforts of everyone."

Chunlan led a group of palace maids out of the side hall and distributed the new law booklets brought by Zhou Ming to the civil and military officials one by one.

The booklet still smelled of fresh ink, and the cover was neatly printed with the four characters "Da Ming Xin Lü" (The New Laws of the Ming Dynasty).

Some people took it with both hands, some picked it up with one hand, and some people's brows were already furrowed before they even opened their eyes.

However, just as the law was being issued, an elderly minister with gray hair staggered out of the queue.

He held the booklet, which he had only flipped through less than halfway, in both hands and knelt down on the steps of the imperial palace with a thud.

His voice trembled, and his eyes reddened, as if he were holding a burning hot iron:

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty...This is absolutely unacceptable! This...this is tantamount to undermining our very foundation! We beg Your Majesty to reconsider!"

"Your Majesty, I second that proposal! I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!" Another old minister knelt down.

"We second your opinion! Your Majesty, please reconsider!" As if they had agreed beforehand, a large number of people knelt down in a rush.

Gray heads rose and fell on the gold-brick floor, and the thunderous shouts of "Your Majesty, please reconsider!" echoed throughout the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Su Mingyue sat upright on the dragon throne, calmly looking at the civil and military officials kneeling at her feet, without saying a word.

Her expression was exactly the same as when she stood on Wolf Hill overlooking the mountains covered in white bones.

It wasn't indifference, but a restraint that went far beyond anger and sympathy, a much deeper and more complex kind of restraint.

She was waiting, waiting for Zhou Ming to speak.

Zhou Ming did indeed speak.

His voice, however, was unhurried: "My lords, in the current state of the world, only new laws can strengthen the nation."

"First, reward agriculture to enrich the country; second, reward military merit to strengthen the army; third, unify the system of authority to govern; fourth, change customs and habits to rectify the people."

Before Zhou Ming could finish speaking, a middle-aged man dressed in a purple court robe stepped out of the train.

This man is named Gongsun Gu, the current head of the Gongsun family. The Gongsun family has been operating in Youzhou for generations and is an old and prestigious family among old families.

He walked to the center of the main hall, bowed to the steps, and then turned to face Zhou Ming.

His tone was very polite, but the doubt and disdain in his eyes were undisguised:

"Lord Zhou, the new dynasty has just been established, and it is far too early to revise the new laws now."

"The laws currently used by the Ming Dynasty are inherited from the old laws of the Great Xia Dynasty, which have long formed a profound and stable tradition."

"If you want to implement the new laws, you must first point out the deep-seated problems of the old laws of the Great Xia Dynasty; otherwise, it will be difficult to win the hearts and minds of all the civil and military officials."

Gongsun Gu's question was extremely tricky, essentially kicking the ball back to Zhou Ming's feet.

If you want to change the law, then first prove what's wrong with the old law.

If you can't prove it, don't blame people for not giving you face.

But Gongsun Gu never expected that this seemingly sharp question would give Zhou Ming an excellent opportunity to explain the essence of the new law in public.