Richest Man: Divine-Grade Reconstruct System Chapter 1000 - 960: The Emperor
Previously on Richest Man: Divine-Grade Reconstruct System...
A thud echoed as someone, unsure who, was the first to fall to their knees, their voice choked with tears, shouting praises: "Heaven has eyes! Heaven pities us! Long live Prince You! Long live Prince You!"
This exclamation ignited the square, transforming it into an ocean of wails. Everyone involuntarily knelt, their voices joining in the chorus of "Long live Prince You!" From that moment, the cry of "Long live our Emperor!" was prematurely brought forth.
Lin Yi himself hadn't anticipated such an overwhelming reaction; he hadn't expected the populace to be quite so exhilarated.
While he had a budget and certain expectations in mind, and knew that his words would evoke strong emotions, he hadn't foreseen the people becoming so ecstatic that they would spontaneously erupt with that golden phrase, directly proclaiming "Long live Emperor." This was somewhat unexpected for him.
Upon reflection, it was actually understandable. Witnessing the people's heartfelt tears, Lin Yi grasped that their lives were indeed exceedingly difficult.
This was especially true in the Dayou Kingdom, where the former conflicts between Prince You and Prince Ning had caused considerable strife.
The implementation of many national policies had been hampered, resulting in a chaotic situation at the lower levels.
The consequence of this mess was the suffering of the common folk.
The tax burden had escalated to a point where ten percent was collected as forty percent – a rarity in historical records. Typically, a higher tax rate often foretold peasant uprisings.
Lin Yi dared to assert that had he not assumed control of this Dayou Kingdom, a group of rebels would inevitably have emerged sooner rather than later.
Of course, they wouldn't be termed rebels, but rather participants in an uprising.
Should such an event truly occur, the Dayou Kingdom would undoubtedly fall; this was an unstoppable trend, particularly exacerbated by the contention between two factions, which offered no favorable outcome.
Similar to the previous state, while Prince You and Prince Ning fiercely competed for influence and control over speech, the leaders at the lower levels also commanded significant military power, each backed by different forces.
Exploiting such circumstances, they could amass troops. It wouldn't take long, as soon as enough strength was accumulated, for them, if others didn't rise up, to lead an uprising themselves.
Naturally, these hypothetical scenarios haven't materialized, so there's no need for further discussion; today's events speak for themselves.
Listening to the cries of "Long live" from below, Lin Yi felt deeply moved.
In his view, the common people were, in fact, the easiest to satisfy. Although he had currently revised the national policy to a ten-in-one tax, this was not his ultimate goal. His aspiration was not merely a ten-in-one tax, but no taxes at all.
Of course, the absence of taxes didn't imply absolutely no financial contributions, but rather the elimination of agricultural taxes.
However, this was not something achievable overnight; he would endeavor to accomplish this as swiftly as possible.
Following Lin Yi's announcement of the establishment of the Dayou Daily Newspaper, countless swift horses immediately galloped out of the Capital City. Their destination: every provincial capital and county within the Dayou Kingdom, tasked with delivering all newspapers printed that day.
This necessitates mentioning the source of the paper for these newspapers.
Naturally, it was the product of research undertaken by the Ministry of Works, an initiative ordered by Lin Yi a few days prior.
At this juncture, although the papermaking technology had not yet materialized, with Lin Yi present and possessing the knowledge of papermaking, its development was as simple as lifting a finger.
It took a mere two days before the finished products began to emerge.
The papermaking technology had advanced by a millennium, arriving in this world.
It was foreseeable that once these newspapers reached various regions, the shock they would generate would be immense.
After all, in the context of current society and the prevailing dynasty, the newspaper's content served not merely as a disseminator of information.
It functioned more akin to a decree from above, a tool for reinforcing the court's authority.
As it stood, true authority hadn't permeated the countryside. Even if decrees issued from the capital were impeccably crafted, they would be obstructed upon reaching the lower echelons. The populace at the grassroots level recognized only the authority of aristocratic families; who cared about the royal court?
Precisely for this reason, Lin Yi was eager to distribute this newspaper first, securing absolute sovereignty being the paramount benefit.
Naturally, this newspaper would inevitably face resistance from local gentry and aristocratic families; they would undoubtedly employ every possible means to obstruct its distribution.
However, Lin Yi had devised countermeasures. Each newspaper delivery person was not dispatched alone but in teams of ten.
These individuals were all soldiers. Should any small team fail to return, and an issue arise, a larger team would be dispatched to investigate.
If this subsequent team also failed to return, then an entire army would be deployed.
While these esteemed and noble clans wielded absolute influence over commoners, they undoubtedly felt intimidated when confronted by the military. After all, no one would be foolish enough to pick a fight with the entire Dayou Kingdom; their ambitions were limited to being local autocrats at best. They weren't so foolish as to place themselves in Lin Yi's path, awaiting his blade. Could even the most formidable families defy the imperial authority? Following the coronation ceremony, the time eventually arrived for the banquet with the ministers. Within the resplendent Royal Palace, lights blazed, and tables overflowed with exquisite dishes. However, these delicacies held little allure for Lin Yi, much like the food he had previously encountered; in his estimation, it was a gross misuse of ingredients. Furthermore, a plan was already forming in his mind. He intended to gather all the chefs from the Imperial Kitchen at his leisure in the future and conduct a meeting to impart some fundamental culinary techniques. After all, he couldn't be expected to cook for every meal himself, could he? Now that he had ascended to the position of ruler of the Dayou Kingdom, his future responsibilities would undoubtedly be demanding, so why waste precious time in the kitchen? Yet, one significant matter must be noted: during the enthronement ceremony today, Lin Yi unequivocally decreed his title. Consequently, from this moment forward, he was to be addressed as Emperor. His former title of Wang was officially rescinded. Moreover, he would no longer refer to himself as 'lonely' but as 'I'. The underlying reason for this alteration was Lin Yi's intention to convey a clear message to all. [To be continued...]