A few days later, amidst the public's gaze in the capital of Xining Province, Xiao Jun and his entire family were executed at the Caishikou.
Along with them, more than a hundred officials from Xining Province were executed as well.
At the same time, Fang Yuan declared to the world that the Northern Town Pacification Office (Beizhenfu) would be officially rebuilt, granting it the power to inspect and capture without the need for judicial departments.
Thus, a nationwide purge began.
For the next period, the entire bureaucracy of the Xia Kingdom underwent a massive overhaul. From the provinces to the counties, every day saw old nobles and corrupt officials sent to the executioner's block, and the continuous flow of blood even soaked the bluestone streets of Caishikou.
The reason why the former Yan Kingdom had become so corrupt and decayed was due to the emperor's inaction, the unchecked greed of the powerful, and the rampancy of evil forces.
But Fang Yuan, now in power, clearly had no concerns about such things. With his absolute power, the word "compromise" did not exist in his lexicon.
"Your Majesty, the Minister of the Three Divisions has presented a petition for pardon..."
"Execute."
"The Chief Administrator of the Court offers all his family wealth in exchange for..."
"Execute."
For all the pleas of officials, Fang Yuan had only one response: In the face of the empire's accumulated corruption, only an iron-fisted approach could set things right.
...
Under Fang Yuan's iron-handed rule, the Xia Kingdom's old problems were eradicated, and the national power flourished. The once common children's rhyme, "The law of equal land distribution will incur divine punishment," was replaced with, "The division of land brings the sound of drums, and granaries full of rice."
Everything seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Reform, whether in ancient or modern times, is always a difficult issue. Yet in Fang Yuan's hands, it was easily solved, and in a short amount of time.
Because his mighty power was enough to sweep everything aside.
Inside the newly constructed imperial palace, Fang Yuan sat high on the dragon throne, flipping through official memorials.
High-ranking ministers such as Gao Shang, Mo Tianxing, and Jiang Tao stood on either side of the grand hall.
"The internal reforms and purges can be considered complete for now," Fang Yuan's voice was calm. "Next, we must look at the entire world."
Fang Yuan's gaze slowly shifted to the map on the table. It was time to unify the Eastern Continent.
"The northern ice fields are already settled. The western countries are small and insignificant; they won't require my personal intervention. Mo Tianxing, Gao Shang, and the others are more than enough... The only challenge lies with the southeastern nations."
"Han, Baekje, and Quyu—these nations have some historical foundation, and there might be hidden ancient monsters among them."
"Haha, I'll go myself and deal with them. With my strength, I can conquer them one by one in no time."
With this thought, Fang Yuan made a decision: "Pass my order. Tomorrow morning, I will personally lead the imperial procession to the southeastern countries, and Baekje will be the first stop!"
"Your Majesty, your command will be followed!" The ministers below all knelt in unison, answering in a loud voice.
Three days later, on a clear morning, a magnificent flying ship, over a hundred meters long with a dragon head and phoenix tail, lifted off from the capital.
With Fang Yuan's status now, traveling by his own means would be too humble; as the emperor of the Xia Kingdom, his prestige needed to be displayed fully.
This time, he had no need to conceal his whereabouts, unlike his trip to the northern ice fields. He chose to openly head for the southeastern countries.
Before departure, he even specially sent people to inform the southeastern nations of his arrival, truly considerate.
Of course, Fang Yuan didn't care what the southeastern nations thought. He even hoped they would unite and resist him.
Only then would the conquest be interesting; otherwise, it would be too boring.
...
In the royal temple of Baekje, where the spirits of past kings and queens were honored, a young man dressed in simple robes and with a sturdy build stood, offering incense before the ancestral tablets.
This man was the current king of Baekje—Kim Jeon, who had only ascended to the throne just over a month ago.
Behind him stood seven or eight powerful figures, each with a cultivation level no lower than the Seventh Realm, all of whom were capable of standing alone in the outside world.
"Father, son has been unfilial. I haven't been able to avenge you. Now, the emperor of the Xia Kingdom has dared to come to our doorstep. I will not allow him to continue trampling on the dignity of Baekje!"
Kim Jeon's voice was filled with grief and anger. After Fang Yuan killed the previous king of Baekje, he dared to come directly to Baekje and even informed them beforehand!
This was an immense humiliation to Baekje, and how could the people tolerate it?
At this point, Kim Jeon turned to look at the ministers behind him, his voice hoarse yet full of strength: "The strength of our enemy needs no further mention."
"But what of that? The backbone of the Baekje people will never bend, and our spirit will never be shattered!"
"We will never bow to a mighty enemy!"
Kim Jeon's passionate speech immediately ignited the blood of the people in the room. Everyone responded in unison:
"Indeed, we'd rather be shattered jade than live as whole tiles!"
"That Xia emperor has gone too far! Today, we must show him that we Baekje people are not cowards!"
"Right, we will fight him!"
...
"Nonsense, absolute nonsense!" At this moment, someone poured cold water on the blood-fueled rhetoric of the ministers.
It was Kim Jeon's uncle, the Duke of Yu, the prince of Baekje.
"You are all seeking your own deaths!" The Duke of Yu's eyes widened with anger as he glared at the ministers, scolding loudly, "You've all seen the terrifying strength of Fang Yuan. Now, what we should do is seek peace!"
"Just like the Ice Fields, we should become a vassal state of the Xia Kingdom. That is our only chance to survive!"
"Uncle, are you telling me that after Fang Yuan killed my father, I should lead Baekje to become his dog?" Kim Jeon spoke with red eyes.
"Who cares what the people think?" The Duke of Yu coldly replied, "Right now, the most important thing is to save our lives."
"Moreover, what's wrong with becoming the Xia Kingdom's dog? Even a powerful nation like the Ice Fields obediently became a dog, didn't they?!"
"Our goal now is to endure. Only by preserving our lives can we wait for the right opportunity and slowly strategize!"
Just as the arguments reached a peak, a guard hurried in to report: "Your Majesty, the emperor of the Xia Kingdom's flying ship has reached our skies!"
The moment these words were spoken, everyone's expression changed dramatically. The Duke of Yu immediately made a decision: "Enough! Jeon, even though you are now the king, you must listen to your uncle!"
"All that was said before is invalid. Go out immediately and receive the Xia emperor with the highest honors. Make sure to convey our intention to seek peace!"
Kim Jeon clenched his fists, his face filled with unwillingness. After a long time, he finally sighed and reluctantly gave in: "Fine, everything will follow Uncle's arrangements..."
Although his outward appearance showed deep reluctance, in his heart, Kim Jeon secretly rejoiced...
Ever since he heard the Xia emperor was coming to Baekje, Kim Jeon had already decided to surrender.
After all, how could he have the courage to confront a terrifying monster like Fang Yuan?
Avenging his father? Don't be ridiculous. If it weren't for that old man monopolizing the throne, how could Kim Jeon have taken so long to ascend?
The earlier passionate speech was merely to maintain his image as an upright ruler!
Kim Jeon had already planned the next steps. When the Xia emperor arrived, he would first pretend to be strong, but in the end, under pressure, he would reluctantly submit.
This way, he could show his integrity while also ensuring his life was spared, maintaining his position as the emperor of Baekje—truly a win-win situation!