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

Zhou Ming turned around to face Meng Xi, his gaze piercing:

"Lord Meng is right, we must not change our ways unless we reap a hundredfold benefit. But have you calculated how much 'profit' the Ming Dynasty currently possesses?"

Zhou Ming held up one finger. "Youzhou is sparsely populated with vast land and barren farmland, while other prefectures and counties have limited land and large populations, and not enough food to eat. This is the first advantage."

He held up a second finger, "The people of Youzhou are brave in private fights but cowardly in public battles. Private fights are rampant, but they crumble at the first contact on the battlefield. This is the second advantage."

He held up his third finger. "The old aristocracy inherited their titles, receiving rewards without merit. Talented commoners couldn't enter the court, and capable soldiers couldn't be promoted. This is the third advantage."

He held up his fourth finger, "Laws change frequently, officials act independently, and the people don't know who to listen to. This is the fourth problem."

He slowly withdrew his finger and said in a deep voice, "If these four 'benefits' are not eliminated, even if you and I follow the old rites of a hundred generations and uphold the ancient laws of ten thousand years, the Ming Dynasty will not be able to leave Youzhou."

There is no single way to govern a world, nor is there a single way to make a country prosperous. Those who oppose the past are not necessarily wrong, and those who follow the rites are not necessarily right.

Meng Xi was stunned by Zhou Ming's words. His lips moved several times, wanting to refute, but he found that every point Zhou Ming listed was indeed a chronic problem of the Ming Dynasty.

His face flushed red, and in his haste, he blurted out, "Even if there are to be reforms, it's not up to a lowly servant like you to interfere! You, Zhou Ming, a servant by birth, dare to come to the court and act like a great scholar?"

This statement is no longer about politics; it's about attacking someone's heart.

The heads of these powerful families stopped pretending. They seemed to be criticizing Zhou Ming for his lowly birth, but in reality, they were subtly mocking Su Mingyue for her poor judgment of character, her reliance on servants, and her neglect of the aristocratic families.

The air in the hall seemed to freeze, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Zhou Ming, waiting to see how he would deal with this blatant personal attack.

Zhou Ming laughed.

The smile was faint and gentle, yet it carried a chill that seeped from the very core of Meng Xi's being, sending a shiver down his spine.

He spoke slowly, his tone as calm as if he were talking about something completely unrelated to himself:

"Lord Meng is right. I was born a servant and it was only through the appreciation of the young lady that I was able to take up the post of Minister of Justice."

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across the faces of every conservative old minister present.

"Therefore, I will be the one to implement this new law."

"The reason you gentlemen are cursing me, Zhou Ming, today is simply because you are afraid of losing your vested interests, afraid that your incompetent nephews and nieces will no longer be able to hold office, and afraid that truly capable people will rise above you."

After speaking, Zhou Ming turned around, facing Su Mingyue on the steps, and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resounding determination:

"Your Majesty, if you employ me, I will surely transform the Ming Dynasty."

"If you don't need me, I can go back to the Marquis's residence and work as my steward; that would be quite peaceful."

"But if you wish to leave Youzhou and contend for the world, Your Majesty, please remember these words today."

The hall fell silent once more. It wasn't that no one wanted to speak, but rather that no one dared to open their mouths at this moment.

Zhou Ming's words were so absolute that there was absolutely no room for negotiation.

Either use me, or get rid of me.

He completely tied his political life to this new law, and also cornered all those who opposed the new law.

Zheng Yaoming and Meng Xi exchanged glances, all seeing a deep unease in each other's eyes.

Su Mingyue slowly stood up.

The black armor gleamed coldly in the morning light, and the long sword stuck in front of the dragon throne was still trembling.

Her gaze slowly swept over His Majesty Dan, then over Zhou Ming's calm and composed face.

His gaze swept over Zheng Yaoming's ashen, distorted old face, and over every civil and military official in the hall who held their breath in concentration.

Then she spoke, her voice not loud, but it drowned out all the breathing in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"I will use you."

These three words, spoken lightly, struck like a thunderbolt.

Su Mingyue spoke with such composure and certainty, as if she were not simply responding to Zhou Ming's request with a single sentence.

Instead, she was announcing an arrangement that she had already written on her schedule.

This was not a compromise after hesitation, nor was it a helpless act of being coerced by Zhou Ming.

This was the direction she had already set in her mind the moment she decided to ascend the throne.

Zheng Yaoming's expression changed drastically, and he abruptly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Your Majesty, please reconsider..."

Su Mingyue turned her gaze to him, but only glanced at him.

His gaze was calm as still water, without anger, without murderous intent, and not even a trace of emotion could be seen.

But this extremely calm and quiet glance was like an invisible wall suddenly rising up, blocking all the words Zheng Yaoming hadn't yet uttered.

He opened his mouth, but his voice broke into a few broken breaths in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Zhou Ming turned around and faced Zheng Yaoming and the old, livid-faced conservative officials:

"Rest assured, everyone, the reform is not about wiping out your entire families. As long as you are willing to change your ways and start anew, your titles and lands, hehe... you can take them on the battlefield, you'll have them all."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yaoming's face turned from pale to black, and his lips moved violently for a long time before finally uttering only a cold snort of uncontrollable anger.

He suddenly turned around, flicking his sleeves, and the hem of his robe swung through the air in a sharp arc.

The emperor and the powerful families were supposed to rule the country together, but now they are trying to undermine the foundations of the powerful families.

They also wanted to give up all their titles and lands on the battlefield and risk their lives to save them.

What's the difference between this and directly forcing aristocratic families to sever their own lifelines?

Without stopping, he strode towards the entrance of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, each step heavy and deliberate, as if he were crushing gold bricks.

Meng Xi's face turned ashen. He exchanged a glance with Zheng Yaoming, then stepped out of the train and followed Zheng Yaoming away.

Then came Gongsun Gu, then Bai Chengsheng, and then one after another, the heads of aristocratic families and their subordinate officials.

Footsteps rose and fell, and the court robes cast long shadows in the morning light at the palace gate, which eventually disappeared into the blinding white light outside the gate.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony was soon mostly empty, with only a few civil and military officials remaining, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Those who remained were led by an official surnamed Feng who was standing in the front row.

The official who once rebuked Zhou Ming in the Qian Yuan Hall, saying that "not performing the rites of kneeling is tantamount to treason," was named Feng Wei.

At this moment, his brows were furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly, his lips moved several times, and his face was filled with hesitation and struggle.

The officials behind him also wore varying degrees of apprehension on their faces.

Staying means standing on the side of Xinlu, and from then on, completely breaking ties with those aristocratic families who turned their backs on them.

But they didn't have the confidence to follow along.

After a moment, Feng Wei took a deep breath, turned his head slightly to exchange glances with his colleagues, and then focused his gaze on Zhou Ming.

His jaw clenched, the muscles in his cheeks bulged slightly, then slowly relaxed, as if he had finally made a difficult decision.

He raised his head and looked at Su Mingyue on the steps of the imperial palace.

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

She met Feng Wei's gaze and asked, "Minister Feng, what do you gentlemen think?"