Chapter 194: The Great Ship of Great Xia Has Set Sail

Chapter 194: Chapter 194: The Great Ship of Great Xia Has Set Sail

Between 7 and 9 p.m., Lan Bing, Che Dagui, and Liu Yicai all rushed to Celestial Heart Hall.

Signs of fatigue were clearly visible on them.

It wasn’t just them; the Empress, Jin Chuhong, also came to Celestial Heart Hall.

Chu Fan got straight to the point, recounting everything he had seen and heard in Yunzhou City.

Jin Chuhong was the first to speak. "Lord Chu, we anticipated what you’ve described. To be honest, however, we took too large a step in unifying the Eastern Domain. Even if we could predict many of these issues, we lacked the ability to prepare for them in advance."

"Even though Shuoyue began diligently training reserve officials three years ago, three years is ultimately too short a time. The Shuoyue Kingdom was too small back then, and its population base wasn’t large enough. As for the officials from the former Vassal States, we can’t possibly let them remain in their posts without an assessment. And what about the few Sovereigns who were forced to surrender? How could they be willing? It’s only natural that they would leave a mess behind for us. Furthermore, transitioning from a kingdom with only three or five County Cities to a great Empire spanning the entire Eastern Domain means the old laws must be drastically revised. For the past ten thousand years, the Eastern Domain has been a patchwork of Vassal States, each with vastly different customs, cultures, and beliefs. Creating new legislation for all of them can’t be done overnight."

"Also, every region has its Noble Families and prominent local clans with thousand-year-long legacies. Great Xia’s unification was meant to shatter all old systems and establish new rules, which makes these people a major obstacle as well. If we are too ruthless in dealing with them, we’ll sow the seeds of future disaster. When that crisis erupts, it will be a huge problem. That’s why we must handle this matter with caution."

Hearing this, Chu Fan fell into a contemplative silence, inwardly shocked.

’I thought I had considered a lot, but it still wasn’t enough...’

Che Dagui then spoke up. "Lord Chu, Your Majesty has only mentioned a fraction of it. There is actually an even greater matter at hand."

"What is it?"

"Lord Chu, the first month of the year is almost over. In a little more than a month, the spring planting will begin across the land. If we can’t stabilize the situation in the Eastern Domain within a month, it could affect the spring planting for a vast number of people. Grain is the foundation of a kingdom and the number one priority for the common folk. If the spring planting is delayed and the autumn harvest suffers, it could lead to widespread famine. The price the Empire would have to pay then would be astronomical."

Chu Fan’s brow furrowed deeply. He asked, "Do you have any good solutions?"

Jing’an said, "That’s why Lan Bing and I have dispatched all our disciples at the Heartbeat Realm and above to every County. Our goal is to maintain public order and ensure the spring planting isn’t delayed. But relying on just our two Second-tier Sects is ultimately not enough."

"Hasn’t Bufan communicated with you? For example, among the Counties of the former Vassal States, there must be some officials with decent reputations. We can let them temporarily remain in their posts. Great Xia can then assess them annually and reassign them later. That would solve the immediate crisis," Chu Fan said.

"We considered what you’ve suggested, My Lord. However, most of those officials are loyal to their former Sovereigns. There are some who genuinely dedicate themselves to the people they govern, but not many."

"Give me a timeline. How long will it take to vet all the officials from the former Vassal States in the Eastern Domain and dispatch them to their new posts in every County?" Chu Fan asked.

"One year!" Jing’an said.

"No. Six months at most. That’s all the time I can give you," Chu Fan stated.

Jin Chuhong considered this seriously for a moment before saying, "Six months should be enough. We can sort things out more slowly after that. But what do we do for these next six months?"

"All Sects!" Chu Fan stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and said these two words.

Before they could ask, he continued, "I will contact all the Sects in the Eastern Domain and have them send people to every County, even down to the villages, to set up a basic framework and stabilize the situation. Che Dagui, you will ensure all necessary supplies follow them. Liu Yicai, your auction house will temporarily serve as the Court’s liaison point; I want daily summaries of the public welfare situation from every County. Jing’an and Lan Bing, for the time being, you two will assist the Empress in overseeing the entire operation. After six months, once the officials have been dispatched everywhere, you can return to your normal duties."

"Also, we can make use of the original armies from the Vassal States. The Court will establish a Public Security Bureau. We will break up those armies, incorporate the soldiers into the new structure, issue them salaries, and assign them to the various Counties, where their main responsibility will be local law enforcement."

"As for the laws and regulations for all the various trades and industries, I don’t understand those things. Empress, you should take charge of that. Enact a general outline as soon as possible to establish a broad framework. The details can be filled in gradually."

"Many things can be done slowly, but we must pay attention to priorities. One person’s considerations will always have blind spots. When issues arise, we should all gather to discuss them."

The group spent the entire night in a side hall of Celestial Heart Hall, discussing the establishment of public welfare systems for the Eastern Domain. At midnight, Ji Bufan also joined them.

Chu Fan immediately had Ji Bufan convey his message to the various Sects of the Eastern Domain. Of course, those Sects weren’t going to treat Chu Fan’s words as gospel. To that end, Chu Fan promised each Sect a bowl of Drunken Immortal Brew. He also pledged that over the next six months, their contributions would be recorded in the form of points, which would then be used as a reference when distributing the realm’s cultivation resources.

And so, on the second day, the Sects all began to mobilize.

No one knew just how important that night was for the Eastern Domain, not even the few people present in that room.

The outcome of their discussions that night not only allowed the Eastern Domain to stabilize quickly and avoid greater turmoil, but it also had a profound and far-reaching impact on the very foundation of the Great Xia Kingdom.

When dawn broke, everyone except Chu Fan left to continue their work.

Chu Fan had Jing’an stay behind. He took out a Ming Jue Jade and a Jade Bottle of Drunken Immortal Brew and handed them to him.

"This is what I promised your wife from the beginning. As the Empress, her future work will likely be even more demanding. It won’t be possible without a powerful physique. But Great Xia has only just been established, and there are countless matters to attend to. Great Xia needs her, and the Eastern Domain needs her, so her Cultivation will likely have to be postponed for a few years. I’m giving this to you first. Wait until all of the Great Xia Kingdom’s affairs are in order, then have her begin her Cultivation."

"Rest assured, the Cultivation Technique within this Ming Jue Jade comes from the Divine Realm. Although she will be starting her Cultivation a bit late, with the Empress’s intelligence, her future achievements will be anything but low."

Jing’an was overjoyed to hear this and immediately moved to kneel in thanks, but Chu Fan stopped him.

"In this world, aside from Yun Xi—no, I should say my trust in the eight of you is not one bit less than my trust in Yun Xi. Believe me, our future is not limited to this small corner of the Eastern Domain. If possible, I want to take all of you to see the Divine Realm with me!"

"My Lord, for treating me with such kindness, how could Jing’an not pledge his life in service!" Jing’an said, his voice filled with emotion.

"Go on, get back to work," Chu Fan said with a wave of his hand.

Jing’an departed.

While everyone else was busy, Chu Fan, ironically, became the most idle one.

He strolled alone to the residence Jing’an had arranged for him within Celestial Heart Hall. There, he found Yun Xi teaching Ni Cailing the Sword.

She was still practicing the Basic Thirteen Techniques.

Yun Xi had also read the book Sword Dao Inheritance, so she knew exactly how important the Basic Thirteen Techniques were.

Yun Xi might have appeared gentle, but when it came to teaching her disciple, she was extremely strict.

Just as Chu Fan returned to the courtyard, he saw that the little girl, Ni Cailing, still had tear stains on her cheeks.