All those present, including Liang Xiao, were profoundly shaken by the contents of the letter, their hearts churning with disbelief.
Liang Xiao himself could barely breathe.
A Great Liang Emperor who expanded territory, a loyal official of Great Gan who sacrificed his life for the nation, yet they harbored a desire to overthrow imperial rule?
He had considered then that perhaps Mu Cheng intended to break imperial conventions and implement a system like constitutional monarchy.
But he had never imagined that the person who had spurred Mu Cheng’s resolve to abandon imperial rule and hold firm to his beliefs for decades was his own father, Liang Anguo, who died for his country!
"Are kings and generals born to their stations?"
In ancient times, dynasties were overthrown, often for the simple reason of changing who sat on the throne.
Liang Anguo, however, aimed to bury both imperial rule and the bureaucratic system, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine, even ten, generations!
If this matter had been exposed, no matter how benevolent and magnanimous the Emperor of Great Gan had been in that era, he would have been unable to withstand the pressure from aristocratic families and clans, nor could he have protected the Liang family!
Liang Xiao could understand why Mu Cheng had been hesitant and fearful until now before finally deciding to confide in him.
Mu Cheng, of course, did not know that his "Little Shuangzi" was an Empress, nor that he, Liang Xiao, was the unique Marquis of Anguo, the consort of Great Gan, and seemingly the most steadfast supporter of Great Gan's imperial power in the eyes of the world.
This Great Liang Emperor, beloved by his people, was about to witness firsthand Liang Xiao's ability and charisma to command public obedience.
The thoughts of these two men transcended their era by centuries!
Alas, what a pity…
After a long silence, Qin Feng's sigh echoed in the imperial bedchamber, accompanied by a bitter smile. "Your humble son truly cannot comprehend the thoughts of Your Majesty and the Northern King, but I am willing to support it with my life, even if the end result is utter annihilation!"
Mu Cheng looked at Qin Feng with satisfaction. Seeing Liang Xiao's stunned expression, he then offered a wry smile and explained.
"Later, the Empress and I, Li Pin, silently guarded this secret, awaiting the opportune moment to find a suitable system, to overthrow all aristocratic families and clans, and then share the empire with the people. But Li Pin fell ill and later gave birth to Zhirou for me, then passed away. I lost a resolute comrade who supported me!"
"Subsequently, I received the dire news of Anguo's demise. From then on, I was utterly alone. I feared my ideas would implicate any of my relatives or friends, or even turn them against me. Since that time, I have secretly sworn to achieve our vision by any means necessary, even crossing the river to the north and vying for dominance over the central plains! Later, I discovered several of my concubines were committing adultery, and I had them executed one by one. I even suspected that these sons were not my own, as they bore no resemblance to me. But that no longer mattered, for I only wished to realize our vision."
"Initially, I heard you were an untalented dandy, which filled me with melancholy. Then, I heard of the barbarian invasion and immediately sent for you to come to Great Liang, ensuring your family's prosperity. Later, your fame grew; I was first pleased, then envious of you and the Emperor of Great Gan, and then immensely pleased again. Until I heard of your successful prevention of smallpox, the promotion of land reclamation, and your authority over the surrounding barbarians through the system of "Tan Ding Ru Mu"... I did not live to see Anguo, but I have found you. I have lingered in this world for decades, perhaps precisely to meet you and your father."
Under Liang Xiao's astonished gaze, Mu Cheng slowly stepped forward, clasped Liang Xiao's hand, and spoke with sincerity.
"Today, I am convinced that no one in this world possesses greater ability, cares more for the populace, or can command their sincere admiration more than you. Therefore, I can grant your every reasonable request, provided you design a feasible system for me, one that allows the people to truly share in governing this empire, and prevents them from being exploited by imperial rule and bureaucracy in the future. I entrust Great Liang and its people to you…"
Liang Xiao tightly grasped Mu Cheng's hands in return, suppressing the sorrow in his heart, and said with a trembling voice, "I deeply wish to help you, and I have indeed conceived several plans, but…"
Qin Feng, Zhirou, and Su Wanqing's pupils constricted.
Could he truly devise a solution?
"How could it be impossible?" Mu Cheng asked, unwilling to accept it. He suddenly knelt before Liang Xiao and kowtowed. "This bow is for the people of Great Liang. I beg you to pity their suffering and guide me!"
Liang Xiao quickly helped Mu Cheng up and, after a moment of reflection, explained in terms Mu Cheng could understand.
"The first option is to retain the monarchy while establishing fundamental laws that cannot be easily changed, thereby limiting the monarch's power. A parliament would then be established, whose members would be elected by the people through a one-person, one-vote system. The head of government, elected by the parliament, would be responsible for organizing the government and serving as the true center of national power, managing the country. From then on, the monarch would only serve as the nominal head of state, responsible for ceremonial activities. This is a relatively mild transition…"
Mu Cheng's eyes lit up, a hint of understanding dawning. "I understand what you mean. Haste makes waste, and excess is as bad as deficiency. No reform can be achieved overnight, correct?"
Liang Xiao nodded gravely and continued his explanation.
"The second option is to abandon imperial rule and also establish a parliament. The composition and leadership of national governing bodies, including the parliament, would be elected by the people through a one-person, one-vote system, with set terms of office and restrictions on re-election to prevent dictatorship. Local officials would also be elected by the people through a one-person, one-vote system, serving only the populace. Whether it be the parliament, leaders, or local officials, if they perform poorly, the people would have the right to convene and vote to remove them."
Mu Cheng was both surprised and delighted. "Good! Excellent…"
"The third option, the one you have dreamed of… is to abandon imperial rule. All land would be nationalized. From then on, the entire nation would function as a collective, with the state owning and controlling the majority of wealth, land, and output. All management and distribution would be based on the interests of the people, allowing all citizens to hold power and elect virtuous individuals to govern the nation, prohibiting any organization or individual from interfering or disrupting. This would then be gradually followed by free education, ensuring everyone has food to eat and can read, and is no longer oppressed by emperors, bureaucrats, or merchants…"
As Liang Xiao spoke the last words, he could barely continue, his heart filled with sorrow.
Mu Cheng, however, was overjoyed. "The third option! Is it impossible to implement? Or must it transition from the first to the second, and then from the second to the third?"
Liang Xiao shook his head and sighed. "None of these three, not even the first, can be implemented, because neither country possesses an environment conducive to the birth of these three systems…"
Mu Cheng said urgently, "How is that possible? If I temporarily retain the monarchy and establish a parliament, allowing the aristocratic families to form the first parliament, wouldn't that work?"
Liang Xiao explained, "How could those aristocratic families sincerely serve the people, and how would they allow their power to be simultaneously constrained by both the monarch and the populace? And that is not the most critical reason. The distance between the east and west of Great Liang exceeds three thousand li, and its north-south extent is over two thousand li. The dissemination and adjustment of decrees, and the selection of virtuous individuals by the populace, would take months or even half a year to be sent to the center for compilation…"
"As for the third option, it would mean challenging the very existence of aristocratic families, landlords, and officials nationwide. They would absolutely refuse to relinquish land and wealth, and would resist until they overthrew you, even at the risk of execution. Furthermore, the current Great Liang is unable to centrally distribute grain, hence all three plans are currently unfeasible."
Transportation was a significant limitation. No country with a territory as vast as Great Liang could have birthed a constitutional monarchy where decrees could still be implemented and adjusted in a timely manner.
And here, even aristocratic families had not been eliminated; it was impossible to ascend to constitutional monarchy in one leap.
Mu Cheng murmured, "Impossible…"
Seeing Liang Xiao nod helplessly, Mu Cheng felt as if struck by lightning. He stumbled back several steps, collapsing to the ground, and began to cough up blood.
He dared not shed tears when his Empress and son were poisoned.
He could not weep under the pressure of the aristocratic families.
Upon hearing the dire news of Liang Anguo, he had to brace himself and persevere.
Only on this day, with Liang Anguo's grand ambition turning to dust and the inability to liberate the people who had suffered oppression for thousands of years, did he finally break down sobbing, crying like a child.
"In the end, I have lost."
In his utter despair, someone took his hands and helped him up.
It was everyone, who had walked over tearfully. Mu Cheng's gaze met Liang Xiao's determined eyes.
That resolute gaze rekindled a glimmer of hope in his darkness.
"Under the torrent of the times, all beings are but ants, yet it cannot stop the wheels of history from rolling forward. You have not lost to anyone; it is simply that this era is not worthy of you."