Li Jinbao understood this principle well. He had the old throne smashed to pieces and commissioned a new one. Shortly after, he officially ascended the throne as emperor. His very first order of business was to wipe out the remaining insurgent factions across the land. Simultaneously, he reduced taxes for the common people, granting them the time they desperately needed to recover and recuperate.
On another front, he launched a massive purge of corrupt officials and high-ranking nobles, for these individuals were the remnants of the previous regime. The state the former dynasty had fallen into—a state that ignored the lives of the people—was largely tied to these very officials. His approach was ruthless: the policy was that anyone found guilty of embezzling even two taels of silver would be immediately beheaded in public. In such extraordinary times, such extraordinary measures were necessary to suppress all dissent. Only in this way could he strike fear into the hearts of every official, making them understand a simple truth: if you hold this position, you must be an upright official. You must serve the people well. Those who failed to do so would face dismissal at best, and execution at worst.
This was a severe policy indeed, but the series of measures brought sudden peace to the entire Great Chu State. The people began to support the new emperor. As for the name of his dynasty, he changed it to the Great Xin Dynasty, and he became its founding emperor. The various insur…
Chapter 219