Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 1235: Chapter 1145: The Female Prime Minister 83

The matter of reforming again, the Emperor had thought about it for a long time. We should say the Emperor never gave up on continuing the reform.

The trouble with the aristocratic families has persisted for several dynasties, especially during the previous dynasty when the problem was the worst. The emperors of the previous dynasty ultimately became puppets in the hands of the aristocratic families.

At that time, any aristocratic family could leverage the Emperor to command the nobility. Unfortunately, the so-called nobility were also aristocratic families. Each had their own hidden agendas, and even holding the Emperor’s decree was useless; they merely obeyed superficially.

The aristocratic families took turns controlling the Emperor, maintaining a certain degree of mutual understanding. But suddenly, one day, when one particular family was controlling the Emperor, the head of that family felt the Emperor was useless, yet occupying the supreme position, enjoying luxurious living and the worship of many, which was somewhat displeasing.

Therefore, the head of that family poisoned the Emperor and assumed the throne himself, breaking the balance. Naturally, the other families would not allow it, leading to a fierce battle.

The family that first broke the balance was attacked by all other families, ultimately being wiped out, but the balance was irreversibly broken. What followed was a century-long period of the darkest chaos.

Today, one family would support an imperial family member to sit on the throne, and tomorrow another would do the same, with none willing to submit to the other.

Today I say your Emperor is not qualified, and tomorrow you say my Emperor’s bloodline is too distant from the previous emperor’s. No one could persuade anyone else, leading to conflicts among the families.

At that time, each aristocratic family raised private troops. When they fought each other, the entire country fell into chaos, leaving the common people with no means of survival, even to the extent of favoring daughters over sons.

The reason is simple: any son, once painstakingly raised, would surely be drafted into military service, ultimately dying in some unknown place for some unknown cause, without even a chance to reclaim his remains.

This led to many common people, to avoid the heart-wrenching pain of raising a son only to have him forcibly taken and killed in battle, resorting to killing male infants upon birth to spare future grief.

This era truly turned into a time where giving birth to daughters was preferable as they could be married off, but giving birth to sons meant burying them like grass. Over time, struggling in such despair with no path forward, the people saw no other option than to rise up in revolt, not to overthrow anything but simply to find a way to live.

The entire world was plunged into chaos by the aristocratic families. Ultimately, it was Grand Ancestor of the current dynasty who was the most capable. The Grand Ancestor Emperor, coming from a poor family, led an army composed of commoners, defeating the aristocratic families.

The Grand Ancestor was an exceedingly strong and capable Emperor. Under his harsh suppression, the aristocratic families lost the right to raise private troops, and court officials were no longer all from aristocratic backgrounds, their power unable to oppress the Imperial Power.

The Grand Ancestor ennobled the founding ministers to counter the families and vigorously promoted people from poor families. But sadly, the aristocratic families had controlled the upper society for so long that nearly all officials came from these families.

Even as capable as the Grand Ancestor was, he needed officials to support him, and without using those from aristocratic backgrounds, there were simply not enough people from poor families available at the time.

With the Grand Ancestor’s prowess, if given ample time, he could have entirely crippled the aristocratic families.

Unfortunately, the Grand Ancestor sustained many serious injuries while conquering the realm, and after ascending the throne, he labored exhaustively to combat the menace of the families, ultimately leading to an untimely death before 60 due to his wounds and exhaustive efforts.

After the death of the Grand Ancestor, the subsequent emperors, though capable, were not quite his equal, allowing the families some respite.

Nonetheless, the emperors did not show weakness, preventing the families from regaining their former glory, significantly reducing the number of officials within the court.

Even so, the families continued to displease the emperor generation after generation, a testament to the tenacity of the aristocratic threat.

The present Emperor is arguably the most reminiscent of the Grand Ancestor. Any Holy Decree issued by the Emperor must be opposed by everyone if it affects the families and the officials’ power, just like during the previous reform.

Otherwise, any decree resolutely insisted upon by the Emperor must be carried out, with the aristocratic families merely dissenting on the surface, no longer able to outright refute the Emperor’s commands as in the previous dynasty, where orders from the aristocratic families held more sway than the Emperor’s.

In the Emperor’s heart, reform has always lingered. The failure of the first reform brought him greater patience, and he finally understood that reform needs to proceed gradually, not be accomplished in one fell swoop.

However, seeing the hardship of the common people living so close to the Capital City, who should have lived better than others, tested this patience greatly.

If those living close to the Capital City were suffering so much, how much worse must the lives be for those far from the Capital City, controlled almost entirely by aristocratic officials?

Without reform, how can the common people find a way to survive? Without reform, his realm will ultimately trail down the path of the previous dynasty! This is something the Emperor cannot allow.

With his eyes ablaze with fury, directed at the aristocratic families, he suddenly turned to look at General An: ”Beloved minister, I wish to reinitiate the reform. Would you be willing to support me?”

General An immediately bowed with utmost seriousness: ”Your Majesty’s desires are where my sword points; I am willing to follow Your Majesty forever, with no regrets even in death!”

The Emperor nodded with satisfaction, raising his hand to pat General An on the shoulder: ”I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me.”

His gaze then fell upon Yin Shuangshuang. A fleeting thought once dismissed as absurd suddenly became clear in the Emperor’s mind, driven by the plight of the common people, taking root and solidifying his resolve.

Looking at Yin Shuangshuang, the Emperor’s expression was the most earnest and solemn it had ever been.

”Though you are a woman, I can see you have great ambitions and possess wisdom and insight far beyond that of men. If I give you a chance, would you dare to join me in this reform, to find a way for the common people?”

Yin Shuangshuang’s response was to bow to the Emperor as a man: ”Willing to be Your Majesty’s Xu Zhongqing.”

Upon receiving Yin Shuangshuang’s response, the Emperor laughed heartily: ”Good, I knew you weren’t an ordinary woman, boldly doing what ordinary women dare not.

In the future reform, I will rely on you greatly for planning. Your unrivaled wisdom is my counsel.”

By directly changing his address, the Emperor recognized Yin Shuangshuang’s identity, marking the result Yin Shuangshuang had long sought for all her efforts.

”It is my desire, I dare not hope for it,” Yin Shuangshuang lightly replied, hiding her excitement at having finally achieved her aim and taken her first step in the political arena beneath her composed demeanor.