Hyper-Dimensional Player

Chapter 797 - 66: Reopening the Mortal World (Part 3)

"Inside is sealed with demonic martial arts techniques, including the Hehuan Secret Scripture, along with skill manuals collected by successive emperors of the Southern Han. The Sunflower Manual Your Majesty seeks is also among them."

So many eunuchs, and those with powerful martial arts must have exceptional techniques.

Duncan nodded in satisfaction and said to the person beside him, "Copy all of it once, and send it to Lu Shanjun, Fu Jianhan, Miss Sun, and others."

The main hall of the imperial city was roughly thus, while other side halls may contain strange skills; all used by eunuchs, including Chen Yanshou to flatter Liu Chang, who was personally broad and overweight, often fond of using some devices. The southwestern side of the imperial city was a pill room specifically for Liu Chang to concoct stimulating medicines.

One word: dismantle!

Duncan preserved the main body of the palace unchanged, but moved all other rare treasures, replacing them with money and grain for other uses.

Dusk fell.

Lu Qiongxi and others carefully served all the way, and after checking the sky, they humbly bowed their heads, saying, "Your Majesty."

"In the palace, some palace personnel also practice strange skills, which can help Your Majesty comprehend the Yin Yang Secret Scripture."

"Would you like to keep someone for the night?"

She had even arranged the officialdom in advance, selecting several beautiful palace figures, leaving a few with strange techniques, solely to please the man before her.

Duncan pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Soon, a eunuch lit the palace lamps, drew down the curtains, and Lu Qiongxi signaled the left and right to withdraw, personally leading several beautiful palace figures into the side hall. Meanwhile, a eunuch cleaned the hot spring pool, sprinkling fresh flowers therein. Luminous pearls emitted a faint glow, walls glittering brilliantly, while dozens of palace maids prepared at the hot spring poolside, others in thin garments gently entered the pool to test the water temperature, and other eunuchs withdrew completely. In one corner of the side hall, there were as many as eight palace maids solely to attend to incense burning.

When Liu Chang sought pleasure, often many dozen palace maids attended beside him, any slight mistake meant collective punishment.

Dog days.

Palace's punishment employed blunt knife to cut flesh directly.

At this time, Duncan was somewhat taken aback and could only say that the decadent sovereigns of the Central Plains dynasties played far more extravagantly than their Western counterparts.

The next day, in the drizzle.

The entire Xingwang Mansion seemed to welcome spring rains early, as countless civilians flocked to the streets, celebrating the arrival of the new year.

Countless worldly appearances.

Duncan as emperor was skilled, issuing several decrees to rectify everything related to Southern Han.

Southern Han's laws were harsh, and Duncan issued a decree to abolish punishments like nose piercing, tongue cutting, dismemberment, roasting, and steaming, though still requiring severe edicts for troubled times. However, he refused to derive pleasure from suffering, opting for a straightforward approach, retaining only the Waist Cut punishment.

He abolished eunuch participation in governance, restoring the regular bureaucratic system.

He prepared a new round of imperial examinations.

In this era, educated people were relatively scarce, so Duncan, before enlightening the masses, still had to rely on the scholar-official class.

Subsequently, he established a new monitoring system, drawing from ancient prosperous eras' experiences, setting up independent oversight organizations to supervise officials, constrain power, and even secretly form his own intel agency.

Economically, Duncan reduced taxes, substantially lowering heavy taxes from Southern Han, enforcing 'Thirty-to-one' policies of light labor and taxation.

Lingnan's land was naturally fertile, so as long as advanced agricultural technologies were promoted, grain yield could be greatly increased.

This matter was continuously pursued, now universally widespread across Southern Han.

Duncan then formally issued a decree to 'Open the Seas', utilizing coastal advantages, encouraging maritime trade development to increase national treasury revenues.

As for other small matters, like Lingnan's developed smelting and abundant water resources, there's no need for detailed explanation. After all, speaking of farming, Duncan counts as a semi-professional keeper. Mastery over major directions poses no problem.

If willing, Duncan, having previously ignited an industrial revolution in Britannia, could directly leap into futuristic technologies.

Of course.

The first thing to do now is recasting coins. The lead coins here are of too poor quality, though coin casting lacks copper, and copper mining is too slow. It's rather that Buddhism has numerous copper pagodas.

Mining by oneself cannot match the speed of appropriating swiftly!

Buddhism prefers solicitation.

Duncan felt that soliciting some copper from them shouldn't be a problem, seeing as Buddhism is wealthy beyond measure.

That Liu Chang, for enjoyment upon ascending the throne, scraped every inch, while Southern Han's Buddhism couldn't squeeze much wealth. Discussing the wealthiest Buddhism under heaven, it undoubtedly was Southern Tang's monasteries, reportedly hosting eighteen thousand pagodas, many cast in copper.

Precisely.

Duncan may utilize it temporarily, incidentally accumulating merit for the Buddha; sitting idly at Vulture Peak daily doesn't generate merit.

No thanks needed.

Between Duncan and Shakyamuni, they share commonality. It's a mere hand's turn, replacing Shakyamuni in minding disciples.

Settle it thus.

Though Southern Tang's Buddhism is richest, Southern Han's Buddhist and Daoist sects also needed contributing, squeezing for some oil and water, Duncan having countless hungry citizens reliant on the Buddha's and Daoist's gold powder to exchange for money and food.

Ultimately, Duncan did not dismantle Liu Chang's palace but only removed those rare treasures.

Significantly money and grain were still lacking.

Exactly.

Today's weather is optimal, everything is auspicious; it's the ideal day for house cleaning and clan annihilation.

Duncan casually selected several quota, all officials whom Liu Chang promoted, and didn't rarely pocket grease water, thereby confiscating their properties entirely to cover treasury deficits.

With Liu Chang's promoted officials, Duncan might kill them all without injuring the innocent.

But some had to remain in position; though certain talents committed minor faults, their crimes weren't death-worthy, at most sending monitors closely, and if repeated, cleared collectively—just in time with an excuse to clean them entirely.

Duncan presently cannot eliminate too many willingly surrendered people.

It was also this day.

A long-absent No Abstention Monk appeared, dragging his disabled body to Xingwang Mansion for Duncan's audience today.

Incorrect, he is currently No Abstention Master.

Buddhist High Monk.

Concerning why No Abstention Monk's status in Buddhism skyrocketed, it speaks for itself.

.........