Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

Time flew by in a flash, and five years passed in the blink of an eye.

In those five years, the former lands of Great Liang underwent a world-shaking transformation.

Chen Ye governed from Luojing, reforming the administration. He replaced the old, duplicitous bureaucrats who only feigned compliance and promoted a large batch of capable and energetic individuals from Lower-Class Families.

At the same time, Chen Ye dispatched his forces on several occasions, completely wiping out the last few organized armed rebellions within Great Liang.

During this time, Chen Ye survived countless assassination attempts. But after becoming a National Guardian Dragon General, even the top masters of the Martial World were nothing special in his eyes. As a result, not only did he emerge unscathed, but he also struck back with an iron fist, wiping out all these so-called masters and the Sects that supported them.

A few Martial World Sects that had been plotting rebellion were utterly razed, becoming nothing more than a memory.

This sent a shockwave of terror through all the Martial World People in Great Liang.

After all, among the razed Sects was a Major Sect with a legacy stretching back several hundred years, yet it too failed to escape annihilation.

For a time, the Great Liang Martial World fell silent. Some of the more timid Sects simply went into seclusion, no longer daring to emerge.

However, some self-proclaimed champions of justice in the Martial World voiced their dissent, believing this would inevitably cause public order to collapse.

Without them to act as champions of justice, they argued, local tyrants would surely run rampant.

But the results were far from what they had expected.

This was because Chen Ye commissioned irrigation projects, encouraged farming and silk production, and lowered taxes. He distributed the land seized from the great Noble Families to the Refugees, giving them a foundation upon which to build a life.

Under this series of measures, both firm and gentle, the former lands of Great Liang began to thrive. A hundred projects were initiated, and prosperity returned to the land.

Although remnants of the previous dynasty still clung to life in forgotten corners, they had already lost the support of the common people.

Now, whenever the common folk discovered any sign of these remnants, their first instinct was not to shelter them, but to report them to the authorities immediately.

This left the nobles of the old dynasty completely baffled. They would even curse the commoners as traitors, never once stopping to think how they themselves had once exploited these very people to the bone, leaving them with no way to survive.

Furthermore, Chen Ye had established and strictly enforced a detailed code of law.

As a result, not only were there no more tyrants, but even the number of thieves decreased. ’After all, who would risk everything to do evil when they can live a good life through honest means?’

Thus, without these so-called champions of the Martial World, the lives of the common people actually improved day by day.

In truth, Chen Ye didn’t feel he had done anything particularly remarkable.

’His strategy was largely the same as when he was emperor in his past life: suppress local powers, curb the consolidation of land, and distribute the profits to the masses at the bottom.’

’But it was a simple truth that many could never grasp, let alone achieve, in a lifetime.’

By this point, Chen Ye had completely secured his position as the Governor of Great Liang. His prestige was at its zenith, and among the common folk, he was respectfully addressed as King Liang.

But the Court’s suspicion also grew by the day. After all, an Alien Monarch commanding his own army on the border, one who had thoroughly won the hearts of the people, was like a sword hanging over their heads.

Fortunately, the Meng Family worked tirelessly to smooth things over at Court. Coupled with the fact that the taxes and grain Chen Ye submitted each year far exceeded the quota, the Emperor’s suspicions were temporarily suppressed.

But no one could have predicted that on this very day, a world-shaking piece of news would arrive from the Capital City.

The Emperor of Great Yong, who had just turned fifty, had suddenly passed away!

When Chen Ye received the secret report, rushed back from the Capital by a spy traveling day and night, he immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

The death of the Emperor of Great Yong was simply too strange.

The night before, he had chosen to spend the night with a new and favored Consort. In the morning, after drinking a bowl of Ginseng and Deer Antler Soup with Bird’s Nest, he was struck by sudden abdominal pain. By the time the Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Hospital arrived, the Emperor was already unconscious in bed with his jaw clenched shut. No medicine had any effect, and he passed away just after noon.

His death was so sudden that there hadn’t even been time to name a Crown Prince.

After all, the Emperor of Great Yong was only fifty years old. While not exactly in the prime of his life, he had maintained his health well and was far from the age where naming a Crown Prince was an urgent necessity.

As a result, the political landscape of Great Yong was now treacherous and unpredictable. The few Princes with a claim to the throne had all entered the fray, already fighting tooth and nail right in front of their father’s coffin.

The intelligence was remarkably detailed, even highlighting the Princes most likely to inherit the throne: the Fourth Prince, the Seventh Prince, and the Ninth Prince.

This was thanks to Chen Ye having spent the last five years planting spies throughout the bureaucracy of the Great Yong Capital City. ’After all, I can’t rely on the Meng Family forever. I need my own sources of information.’

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Ye ordered someone to summon Wang Xing.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Wang Xing dropped to his knees the moment he entered the hall, prostrating on the floor in a show of utmost respect.

This was because Chen Ye’s imposing aura grew with each passing day. Sometimes, a mere glance from him was enough to shake one’s Heart Spirit, making it impossible to meet his gaze.

Chen Ye handed the secret report to Wang Xing. After reading it, Wang Xing’s expression changed dramatically.

"Your Highness, when did this happen?"

"It has been no more than two days since the event," Chen Ye said.

"Then, Your Highness, your intention is..." Wang Xing asked cautiously, trying to fathom Chen Ye’s meaning.

"Although the old Emperor was deeply suspicious of me, he was ultimately magnanimous enough to tolerate my presence, so we coexisted peacefully as ruler and subject. But now that he has passed away and his successor is unknown, we too must make our plans," Chen Ye said calmly.

Hearing this, Wang Xing’s eyes lit up. He gritted his teeth and said, "I understand, Your Highness. I’ll go make preparations at once. We’ll turn on them and revolt."

Chen Ye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Who said I’m going to revolt?"

"Huh?" Wang Xing was taken aback. "Didn’t you just say we need to make our plans?"

Chen Ye shook his head. "When I said we need to make plans, I didn’t mean we should revolt right now. The situation is still unclear. It’s best we wait and observe for now. We can make our final decision after they’ve fought it out and a winner has emerged."

Chen Ye knew that with Great Liang’s current strength, a rebellion wasn’t out of the question, but only if they were fully prepared.

’Especially the Meng Family.’

’The attitude of that family, which has produced famous generals for generations, would directly determine the outcome.’

’If they remain loyal to Great Yong, and if a man of Meng Yi’s prestige were to come out of retirement and take command, it would be an arduous battle.’

"However, we still need to be prepared, to avoid being caught off guard when the time comes." Chen Ye’s tone shifted as he added this meaningful statement.

"I understand!" Wang Xing finally grasped Chen Ye’s meaning and departed in high spirits.

Meanwhile, a grim and somber atmosphere had fallen over the Great Yong Capital City. The old Emperor had been dead for five days, but a new one had yet to be chosen, and the various factions of officials argued endlessly during Court sessions.

Furthermore, troop movements around the Capital were growing more frequent. Many people understood that a great upheaval was at hand.

Sure enough, on the evening of the sixth day, the Yulin Guard suddenly surrounded the grand hall where the late Emperor’s coffin lay. Then, the Fourth Prince, surrounded by his supporters, walked inside.

What happened inside, no outsider could know. In any case, when the Fourth Prince emerged, he was already the new Emperor of Great Yong.

The news spread like wildfire, and Chen Ye, of course, was among the first to learn of it.

He looked at the two secret reports in his hands—one from his own spies, the other from the Meng Family.

Their contents were largely identical, but the report from the Meng Family included a few lines of commentary on the Fourth Prince.

Deeply calculating and wildly ambitious. He is not a kind man. Be extremely careful.

After reading the reports, Chen Ye’s expression remained neutral. He simply rose and walked to a window in the great hall, gazing out at the bleak, windswept rain as he sank into thought.

It was now deep autumn. The wind was bone-chilling. Indeed, it was time to add another layer of clothing.