Chapter 2042 - 2040: Did I Break the World? (TV Motherboard Completely Fried)

For Fang Zheng, the emperor career was indeed something he was doing for the first time—it’s kind of a given, considering most people wouldn’t have the capability to be emperor twice.

And as for Fang Zheng, well... being emperor is really not a job for a human.

Too many things to handle!

In terms of policy, Fang Zheng drew from some things he remembered from the future and made improvements based on his own ideas. For example, the civil service exam system, which was a crucial mechanism to break the aristocratic monopoly, was something Fang Zheng certainly wouldn’t overlook. But unlike the ancient system, Fang Zheng specially divided it into two categories: literature and science.

Of course, this came with its own problems, because the traditional civil service exams were all literature-based, and after passing these exams, graduates could become officials or teachers, whereas science graduates obviously didn’t get these benefits. But Fang Zheng also prepared to ensure employment for science students. First, after the new dynasty began, to guarantee compulsory education for all, Fang Zheng naturally established multiple schools, from primary to high school to university, and those science students, after graduating, could choose to become teachers, delve into basic scientific research, or work in state-owned enterprises.

On the commercial layer, Fang Zheng decided to emulate the early domestic policies after liberation, implementing a completely state-controlled economic policy, leaving only essential goods to the private sector, while the rest was controlled by state-owned workshops and chambers of commerce.

In the political realm, Fang Zheng also referenced joining organizations during his school days, establishing a public council system. Anyone could apply to join the council, but they had to pass political assessments and ideological education as well, and only those who joined the council were qualified to become government officials.

Additionally, Fang Zheng announced land nationalization, and without state permission, no one was allowed to privately buy or sell land.

By the way, this policy caused a small problem.

As time passed, many practitioners started establishing various sects like in Martial Hero novels. If it were in the original Martial Hero World, of course, being far from the emperor’s reach, they’d act like local tyrants. But now it’s different, with land nationalization, if the Mount Hua Sect wants to establish a sect at Mount Hua, they must get state approval. Setting up a sect without permission is an illegal organization and illegal construction—hey, that old nun over there, don’t run, I’m talking about your Emei Sect!

What? No money? No money then use the Sword of Heaven to offset the debt!

Actually, Fang Zheng has always been curious as to how those sects in Martial Hero novels maintain their livelihood. Naturally, those of the wicked ways have their methods, but where do those prestigious sects get their money? Not to mention issues like land deeds and taxes, you have such a big sect, occupying such a large mountain, with hundreds of disciples under it, all needing food and drink, where does the money come from?

You say tuition? Unless every disciple is a second-generation rich kid, who can afford such a "noble school"? Especially knowing that in ancient times, few could afford private tutoring, and even those were on a walk-in basis, bringing meals back and forth, with private tutors barely getting by from the students’ tuition, let alone thinking of earning.

And such sect schools are practically boarding schools, hardly going home for years. Who can afford such a school generally?

Thus, Fang Zheng is very curious, wanting to know how sects in this world solve these "economic problems."

Besides, there’s culture, education, healthcare... Fang Zheng now realizes that being an emperor at the founding of a country is truly not a job meant for humans.

Luckily, he himself isn’t human.

Ironically, diplomacy requires the least of Fang Zheng’s attention; after establishing the Han Dynasty, the biggest external problem was the Huns. To deal with the Huns, Fang Zheng showed no mercy, directly running to the prairie and playing a tune of "Prairie Cavalry," wiping out more than half of the Huns and handing the rest over to Xiang Yu, letting him use every means to kill as many of these damned bastards as he could. To kill as many as possible until domestic economic construction stabilizes and it’s finally over.

Oh, speaking of Xiang Yu here. After surrendering to Fang Zheng and becoming his general, Xiang Yu initially felt contemptuous of Fang Zheng’s inventions like armoured vehicles, hot air balloon assaults, cannons, and landmines, considering them treacherous and insidious, not the true way of warfare.

At the time, Xiang Yu told Fang Zheng that he would rather jump down and die by the Wujing River than use these divine ghostly things from Fang Zheng.

In the end, saying such things usually ends with two words: "Seriously tempting."

Right now, Xiang Yu is like he got new toys, playing with them zealously, too bad there’s no war left in the Central Plains, so he’s also cheerfully taking these new toys to the prairie to find opponents.

Besides these, something really unexpected happened in this world for Fang Zheng.

Perhaps because he instilled "Immortal Hero" attributes into this world, the martial artists here have grown more powerful, Fang Zheng even saw several talents capable of doing huge explosive damage with a single Dragon Subduing Palm like those in Martial Hero dramas.

It’s safe to say, this world has completely started evolving into a high martial world!

Besides sighing, Fang Zheng doesn’t have many other options.

Screw it, let’s treat it as playing Civilization Martial Hero Edition.

Fang Zheng got so absorbed in Civilization games that he didn’t expect to be lauded outside as a sage emperor through history.

No wonder, considering from other ministers’ view, Fang Zheng as emperor neither indulges in luxury nor overspends, even his current palace is just a minor remodeling of the original building, which doesn’t match his status as a founding emperor, and his meals are likewise nothing extravagant. Furthermore, working until two, three, or four in the early morning without sleeping... Although many knew Fang Zheng is a Celestial Being reincarnation, this truly frightened them.

Yet, for Fang Zheng, he feels quite helpless, as the entertainment of this era doesn’t pique his interest at all. He’s even bored enough to consider designing a Magic Card (Immortal Hero Edition), his aesthetics differ too much from the contemporary courtesans’ singing talents, to be honest, it’d be better listening to himself play "Evenings in Suburban Moscow."

As for the imperial harem... sigh... how to say...

Out of a slight personal interest, Fang Zheng didn’t abolish polygamy but he had to shut down all brothels... knowing when he signed this decree, his heart was bleeding!

The only enjoyment in this era for him was spending money in the Red Mansion for some carefree intimate time with attractive girls, and now he had to shut that down?

But he had to, considering the nature of brothels is exploitation of women and a major source of human trafficking, while liberating women is a fundamental national policy...

If I had known, I wouldn’t have become this emperor.

Of course, this thought for Fang Zheng is more of a fleeting fancy. Although each Red Mansion girl wears a smile, who doesn’t have a haunting past. When nothing can be done, fine, but since there is a way, there’s certainly a need to change this predicament.

As for those ministers petitioning Fang Zheng to marry and bear a child to inherit the dynasty, Fang Zheng silently sends back refusals. Joking aside, even if your grandson’s grandson dies, I wouldn’t abdicate, let alone produce an heir, that’d be worse than Charles.

Concerning a thousand years later... if everything goes according to Fang Zheng’s vision, then they could successfully transition to republicanism, rendering heirs unnecessary.

Thus, Fang Zheng forces himself to be engrossed in Civilization, while engaging deftly with the technology tree, cultural branches, and unlocking new technological branches, finally when Fang Zheng could breathe easy and relax, he was surprised to find a century had passed...

And this world’s technology tree was completely skewed by Fang Zheng.

Fang Zheng couldn’t have imagined, due to his subconscious traversing and climbing the tech tree, that he inadvertently opened a new era beyond his belief.

That is—the Steam High Martial Era!

With a transmigrator who worships "science and technology is the primary productive force" as the True God, how could Fang Zheng not develop steam engines?

Generators can’t be made now, but steam power is possible.

After all, steampunk is indeed a man’s romance.

Of course, Fang Zheng swore his original purpose of using steam power was pure, just to unlock the technology tree for airplanes, trains, and cars—once achieved, even if he’s not around, as long as successors don’t mess up, this world’s Huaxia Civilization wouldn’t face century-old humiliations like before, since industrialization is the foundation of modern civilization.

The Huns next door are still eating grass, and here they’re already deploying armored tanks... isn’t this feeling simply marvellous?

In the end... Fang Zheng has to admit, he underestimated the people’s imagination...

They actually developed—Steam Martial Arts!

That’s right, Steam Martial Arts!

In fact, in ancient times, there were basics in many scientific theories, just later they faded out due to the veneration of Confucianism and dominance of scholars. Li Bai indeed was a poet-immortal, but even if he wrote a hundred poems, they wouldn’t make fields yield a hundred more pounds, right?

But now, due to Fang Zheng’s division between literature and science subjects, and his construction of various specialized universities similar to those in the future, many fields originally lost due to certain reasons in this era were preserved and even advanced further. For instance, someone now has researched artificial hands and legs to replace lost limbs, there’s even a dedicated university studying yin-yang, five elements, and feng shui...

To be honest, Fang Zheng truly wanted to disapprove such universities citing "promotion of feudal superstition," but unfortunately these things actually exist in this world...

Thus, when Fang Zheng stands atop the King’s City, looking down at the illuminated towns below, and the clanking sounds of the city-bounding trains along with zeppelins roaring across the skies, he always feels...

He might have broken this world.