Chapter 1057

“This is what you deserve. Do you think I don’t truly know what you’re thinking in your heart?”

Sitting down, Xiao Ming took a sip of tea and gave Pang Yukun a cold look.

Pang Yukun laughed unnaturally. The issue of the distinction between the noble and the common was deliberately provoked by him, because he truly could not stand the actions of some of the old nobles.

Secondly, while acting for the public, he also had his own selfish motives, because the officials who followed Xiao Ming from the beginning all believed that these old nobles were enjoying ready-made benefits, and even so, they looked down on them in various ways. How could the officials from the former six prefectures tolerate this?

Before he went to the Imperial Study to make his accusation, many officials from the six prefectures were already dissatisfied and urged him to teach these old nobles a lesson. It was only then that he finally made up his mind to use the conflict between the noble and poor students as a starting point to accuse the old nobles led by Fei Pei and Duke Tang.

What he did not expect was that Xiao Ming would use this matter to make such a big deal out of it. However, even so, this was in line with their wishes. In the past, many officials from the six prefectures were jealous of Xiao Ming’s tolerance of the old nobles. Now, this thunderous method made them once again admire Xiao Ming completely.

“Your Majesty’s insight is like a torch. My humble thoughts can never be hidden from Your Majesty. But if we don’t deal with these wrongdoers, the common people will only blame Your Majesty for the humiliation of being bullied by the children of these old nobles, and they will think that Your Majesty is no longer the emperor who eliminated powerful families, distributed land, and cared for the common people of the world.”

“This is precisely why I want to introduce this government decree. Otherwise, why would I make such a big fuss? To me, the millions of people in the Empire are more important than those who eat from the Empire, take from the Empire, and yet harm the Empire.”

“Your Majesty is absolutely right. The world is for all. This was also what I wished for in the beginning,” Pang Yukun said happily. Although he had received many open and secret cold stares from the nobles on his way to the palace, he still felt very pleased. After all, they and the old nobles had never gotten along. On the contrary, through this incident, they could see that the Emperor’s original intention had not changed.

After laughing for a while, Pang Yukun’s expression became serious. He said, “Your Majesty, after this news was published in the newspaper, I heard that many nobles harbored resentment. There are even rumors in the streets that Your Majesty is too autocratic and that the imperial power needs to be restricted, like in the West, for the Empire to prosper for generations. Regarding such rebellious words, I have already sent people to investigate who the instigators are, and once I find out, I will submit a report to Your Majesty.”

“Dare to restrict the imperial power? How treacherous.” Qian Dafu said loudly. “Now that the Empire is rich, some people are becoming restless. It is time to teach them a good lesson.”

Xiao Ming’s eyebrows raised. He was not surprised, because he understood that at the same time the Merchant Parliament was rising, the ideas it held had already spread. Many people who were fooled still regarded the words of the Cao family father and son as dogma.

Secondly, with the development of science and culture, the people of the Empire’s view of the world had changed. The former belief of a round sky and a square earth had now become astronomy, and the existence of many countries with different cultures was also understood.

Therefore, many people’s thoughts were undergoing drastic changes. In this clash of civilizations, there would only be more and more different ideologies.

“There is no need to make a fuss about this. After all, in some people’s eyes, the moon in the West is still round. This is like some people who like to frequent brothels, always thinking that the wild flowers are more fragrant than the flowers at home.” Xiao Ming said calmly.

Pang Yukun’s old face flushed red. Although Xiao Ming’s words were vulgar, they were logical. “Things that you can’t have always seem to be good, but what might be good grass for them might be poison for the Empire.”

“Precisely. But I will not gamble with the Empire’s fate because of their naive ideas. Now, the European powers want nothing more than to destroy the Empire. As long as the Empire declines, they will pounce on it and leave nothing but bones. At that time, the Empire will probably suffer endless humiliation.” Xiao Ming said calmly.

He was very clear about the character of these old nobles. The so-called restriction of imperial power was for their own interests, not for the country or the people.

If such people were in charge of the Empire’s power, would the Empire have a good future? Perhaps some people would even betray the Empire’s core interests in exchange for some scraps from the West.

It was for this reason that he was determined to strengthen imperial power during his reign and to establish Xiao Yi as the Crown Prince. His purpose was to make some people stop their wild fantasies.

However, he also understood one thing: continuing to adopt the imperial succession policy might lead his unworthy descendants to harm the Empire.

Therefore, even if Xiao Yi was established as the Crown Prince, it did not mean that Xiao Yi could successfully become the next monarch.

To govern this country, he had to compete with outstanding officials in terms of governing ability. If he won, he could inherit the throne. If he lost, he would have to abdicate and pass the throne to a more worthy person.

In other words, the throne would no longer be the exclusive property of the Xiao family, but the title of the Empire’s highest executive.

“Your Majesty’s vision is always longer than mine.” Pang Yukun said with emotion. He asked, “Then how should we deal with these people? Should we just let them spread these absurd ideas?”

“Of course not. Not everyone can distinguish right from wrong, and the common people can also be easily used by people with ulterior motives. After catching the main culprit, you must first find out their identity, so as not to allow the remnants of the Merchant Parliament to take the opportunity to cause chaos in the country.”

After a pause, he continued, “In addition, Li Ran has been dismissed. This time, you must find a qualified person to be the chief official of the Ministry of News. The Ministry of News, in addition to controlling the content of the newspapers, must also take on a new mission.”

“Please enlighten me, Your Majesty.”

After a moment of thought, Xiao Ming said, “To promote New Confucianism and the Empire’s positive ideology.”

Pang Yukun was stunned for a moment. He said, “Wasn’t that Ge Yiren’s responsibility before?”

“This is different. Ge Yiren only used his identity as a great Confucian scholar, while the Ministry of News controls the newspapers, so the propaganda will be more powerful. Moreover, with the popularization of the telegraph, the content of the news can be transmitted to many cities overnight. On that day, the local branch of the newspaper can print it and spread it in a timely manner.” Xiao Ming said.

Pang Yukun nodded. He said, “The telegraph is indeed a good thing. It not only allows government decrees to reach the various provinces in a timely manner but also expands the influence of the newspapers. Now, the common people have a lot of trust in the newspapers. As long as we control the newspapers, it is tantamount to the court having a mouthpiece among the people, and the court’s orders can be transmitted to the people’s ears at any time.”

Xiao Ming, coming from the modern era, naturally understood the power of the media. He said, “This Ministry of News seems small, but in fact, its power is immense. Remember, the newspaper agency must be controlled by us, otherwise, if the enemy uses it, the consequences will be very serious.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Pang Yukun responded.

After picking up his teacup and thinking for a moment, Xiao Ming said again, “By the way, the Empire’s treasury is gradually becoming full. It is time to introduce some welfare policies to allow the common people to enjoy the Empire’s benefits. In this way, we can also win over the hearts of the people.”