Although the court nominally returned to imperial power with the downfall of the Huo clan, the political legacy of the Huo family — the group of high-ranking officials known as the 'Meritorious Officials of the Qilin Pavilion' — remained a tough nut to crack for Liu Bingyi. This group held the most crucial power in executing Han dynasty decrees. If he could not subdue them, his "personal campaign" would be vulnerable.
Zhang Anshi, a high-ranking official who had succeeded Huo Guang in holding key positions, was now walking cautiously through the palace corridors. He had once been Huo Guang's confidant, but now he was deeply mired in fear of being 'purged'. Around the corner, he saw Emperor Liu Bingyi of the Han dynasty sitting alone on the ground, drawing in the mud with a withered twig.
'Your Majesty...' Zhang Anshi knelt. Liu Bingyi looked up, startled, and a hint of unease flashed in his eyes before he gave a wry smile. 'Lord Zhang, I was thinking: if that cold pancake from back then were divided in two, who should get one half? Now that I'm emperor, why does this world feel hotter than that cold pancake?'
[System 3.0 notification: Activating 'Gentle Acting Skills – The Emperor's Arrival' mode.
Current strategy: Show weakness to appease him; bestow favours to solidify his loyalty.
Liu Bingyi dusted the dirt off his hands, took Zhang Anshi's hand warmly, and spoke with such sincerity that Zhang Anshi questioned his very existence:
'Lord Zhang, since the general left, I haven't been able to sleep at night. I'm afraid that the Han dynasty will fall apart under my leadership. Although the Huo family rebelled, I have never doubted your loyalty. Do you remember the two taels of silver you secretly sent me while I was in prison?' Zhang Anshi was startled; it was a long-buried memory, even unknown to Huo Guang himself. Looking into Liu Bingyi's seemingly clear yet unfathomably deep eyes, cold sweat instantly soaked his back. 'Your Majesty, this humble subject deserves death for causing you such suffering.'
[Ding! Detected a significant mental upheaval in core minister Zhang Anshi. Side quest [Reorganising the Cabinet] activated.
Current status: Zhang Anshi's loyalty has surged from 20% to 85% (entering the 'Sworn to Follow' preparatory state).
Unlock reward: [Records of Famous Ministers of the Qilin Pavilion].Function: The host can directly view the desires, weaknesses and potential loyalty of all key ministers. Liu Bingyi scanned the information in his mind:
Zhao Chongguo — a commander-type minister whose weakness is border security in his hometown and among his relatives;
Wei Xiang: Upright and incorruptible; his weakness is his obsession with reviving Han law. 'Once I understand what you want, you will be the sharpest sword in my hand,' thought Liu Bingyi with a cold laugh.
Liu Bingyi pulled a densely filled list of officials who had dealings with the Huo family from his sleeve. 'Lord Zhang, I want to burn this list.' In front of Zhang Anshi, he tossed the list into the incense burner beside him. 'I don't want a purge. I only hope that the backbone of the Han dynasty will not bend when fighting the Xiongnu. Can I trust them?" Zhang Anshi kowtowed, his forehead striking the stone slab with a loud thud. 'I guarantee it with my entire family's lives! The ministers of the 'Qilin Pavilion' will surely serve His Majesty to the death!' As Liu Bingyi walked out of the corridor, the shadow guard, Jin, who had been lurking in the shadows, slowly revealed himself.
'My lord, Zhang Anshi has already contacted Prime Minister Wei and Zhao Chongguo overnight. The remnants of the Huo family are now scrambling to write pledges of loyalty.'
Liu Bingyi put on his black and gold dragon robe again; the weakness in his eyes had vanished, replaced by an air of extreme calmness and ruthlessness. 'Huo Guang uses his power to suppress them, but I use their lives to control them. Tell Chang Hui that Zhang Anshi must have all the provisions, weapons and labourers ready within three days. The army will march north immediately!"
Although the imperial order to lead the expedition personally had been issued, Liu Bingyi knew that swords alone could not pacify the land. To ensure the Han Dynasty's eternal stability, the powerful clans' monopoly on knowledge had to be broken. These clans controlled expensive bamboo slips and silk scrolls, blocking the only path to social advancement for the poor and lower classes.
Inside the imperial carriage heading to Shuofang, Liu Bingyi closed his eyes and feigned sleep. His consciousness sank into the technology tree of 'System 3.0':
[System Notification: The host's public opinion value has exceeded ten million, unlocking the core technology mission—"The Flame of Civilisation".
Mission objective: Develop low-cost, high-strength paper to replace bamboo slips.
Reward: Obtain 'Cai Hou Paper – Preliminary Draft', which contains formulas for four materials: tree bark, hemp fibres, rags and fishing nets.
Looking at the densely packed chemical reaction equations and fibre processing diagrams in his mind's eye, Liu Bingyi smiled. 'Mu, this is yours.' Liu Bingyi and his entourage camped at a secluded manor during their march. Mu, the shadow guard with his keen perception of plant growth, became the most suitable 'papermaking official'.
Under the system's acceleration catalyst, the raw materials that would normally take months to decompose were transformed into snow-white pulp in just a few days. Liu Bingyi personally operated the paper-throwing screen. When the first sheet of paper, as thin as a cicada's wing and as white as snow, was scooped from the water, Lei, who was standing outside the door, was so startled that he nearly dropped his steel sword.
Meanwhile, in Chang'an, the powerful families who were still dreaming of 'the emperor leaving the capital and us taking power' suddenly received several strange messages: the silk that they had driven to exorbitant prices was now unsellable, and even the most ordinary bamboo slips were becoming unsaleable.
'His Majesty sent back a stack of... "White paper" from the frontier?" A powerful elder trembled as he unfolded a sample. The handwriting was fluid and the ink didn't bleed. What's more, it weighed less than one percent of bamboo slips. This so-called 'paper' was even cheaper than hemp cloth.
[System Feedback: Aristocratic Clan Panic Value +40%]
[Unlock Title: Master of Literature and Education.
(Host's influence among scholars increases.)
Liu Bingyi didn't rush to promote it throughout the entire Han Empire. Instead, he used the newly created white paper to write hundreds of secret letters and distribute them to disgruntled military officers and scholar-officials from humble backgrounds. The letters contained battle orders as well as the following sentence: 'I wish to ensure that every poor scholar in the land has access to education and official positions. This paper is your ladder.'
This tactic was more effective than any military threat. Civil and military officials who had previously wavered in their loyalty to the emperor instantly became extremely devoted after seeing this 'white paper' that could secure their future. Just as Liu Bingyi was about to enter Shuofang, he ordered the construction of the first "Royal Paper Mill" of the Han Dynasty.
"Tell Zhang Anshi that when I return from the desert, I want to see all official documents in Chang'an replaced with this white paper," he instructed. Looking back towards Chang'an, Liu Bingyi's eyes flashed with a cold light. "The aristocratic families have lived for centuries by monopolising knowledge. Now, I will use this paper to bury them.'
[Ding] Battle Report: Technology Tree Illuminated
- Han Dynasty papermaking technology appeared decades ahead of schedule.Talent Attraction
- Young people from humble backgrounds began to gather in the Northern Army, increasing the host's administrative efficiency by 200%.Economic Blow
- The traditional writing material market faced collapse, and the financial resources of the aristocratic families were cut in half.
Although the biting northern winds had already seeped into the dark alleys of Chang'an, the turmoil in the imperial harem had not subsided despite the emperor's personal intervention. In an attempt to quash any remaining hope of the Huo clan's power and to neutralise the restless aristocratic families once and for all, Liu Bingyi decided to bestow the title of Jieyu upon Huo Chengjun on the eve of his departure for the campaign — a move that shocked the court and the public alike.
On the eve of issuing the imperial decree, Liu Bingyi sat on a soft couch in the Jiaofang Palace, holding Xu Pingjun's hand. His eyes held no imperial majesty, only a deep sense of helplessness and calculation.
'Pingjun, the red silk in this palace is for killing,' Liu Bingyi whispered. Xu Pingjun gently stroked the back of his hand; her smile was somewhat forced, yet radiated magnanimity. "Bingyi, you did it for the sake of the world. I believe in you, and I believe in that old sword. But Miss Huo is also a woman of misfortune; you mustn't break her heart completely.'
[System 3.0 Notification: Activating 'Ultimate Game Theory: Emotional Mirror' mode.
Current task: Gain Huo Chengjun's absolute trust without betraying your true feelings.
[Phantom Whispers] (The host can accurately sense the other party's emotional fluctuations).
On the day Huo Chengjun entered the palace, there was no grand coronation ceremony; only a light pink veil. She knelt on the cold floor of the Xuan Shi Hall, her former pride having been transformed into precarious humility following the downfall of the Huo family.
Liu Bingyi slowly walked towards her. He did not look down on her, but bent down personally to help her up, his fingertips cool to the touch. When his fingers touched Huo Chengjun's wrist, Phantom Whispers returned a violent tremor and despair.
'Chengjun, do you hate me?' Liu Bingyi's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, yet it caused Huo Chengjun to abruptly raise her head, her eyes brimming with tears. 'I killed your entire family, but I spared you.'
Liu Bingyi gently wiped away her tears. His eyes revealed a captivating contradiction: three parts pity, three parts deep affection and four parts the pain of having no other choice. 'Everyone in this world forces me to be a tyrant, but only you remind me of my childhood self: the Bingyi brother who would be happy for half a day over a little trinket.'
Hearing him call her "Bingyi brother" completely shattered Huo Chengjun's last line of defence. She had expected to be humiliated upon entering the palace, but instead she was met with a poison called 'Understanding Only'.
[System Feedback: Huo Chengjun's Loyalty (Alienated Version) Soars to 95%]
Note: This loyalty includes extreme love and dependence. Huo Chengjun will become the host's most useful 'weapon' among the old ministers.
While speaking sweetly to her in the Xuan Shi Hall, Liu Bingyi secretly sent various 'secret letters' and 'trinkets' to the Jiao Fang Palace via his shadow guard, Shui.
To Huo Chengjun, he gave jewellery symbolising power, implying that she was his only 'soulmate' in the palace.
To Xu Pingjun, he gave letters from the battlefield and a wooden carving he had made himself, telling her that his 'heart' had never wavered. This psychological game across eras maintained a strange balance in the harem.
Huo Chengjun began actively reporting to Liu Bingyi on the private properties of the remaining Huo family members hidden in the suburbs of the capital, hoping to gain the emperor's favour.
Late one night, Liu Bingyi stood on the city wall and Huo Chengjun tied his cloak around his neck herself.
'Your Majesty, I will wait for you in the palace. If anyone causes trouble while the army is away, I will risk my life defending the Xuan Shi Hall." Huo Chengjun's eyes revealed a morbid determination.
Liu Bingyi stroked her cheek, then mounted his horse. As he turned around, his eyes became icy cold. "Jin, keep an eye on her. If she harbours any other thoughts, kill her. If she remains obedient, grant her a lifetime of wealth and honour.'