I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

After the King of Jin was deposed as a commoner, the entire court was like a forest after a violent storm. Although it was temporarily calm, it was devastated and in urgent need of repair. The Crown Prince and Chen Jue knew that their mission was far from over. Dealing with the remnants of the King of Jin, reforming the government, and eliminating the accumulated problems, each task was like a dangerous peak to climb, and there was no room for slacking off.

The morning sun shone through the mottled clouds onto the glazed tiles of the East Palace, reflecting a colorful light. The prince sat in the study, frowning, with a pile of files in front of him, all of which were related to the remnants of the King of Jin. Chen Jue stood aside, looking solemn. He looked at the piles of documents and knew that the days ahead would be extremely difficult.

"Chen Jue, we must not be careless in cleaning up the remnants of the King of Jin this time. These people are like poisonous thorns hidden in the dark. If they are not completely removed, they will become a big problem in the future." The prince spoke in a serious tone, and his eyes revealed a firm determination. His fingers tapped lightly on the table, and each tap sounded like a warning bell.

"Your Highness, I understand. But the Prince of Jin has been operating for many years, and his cronies are spread throughout the court and the country. If we want to catch them all in one fell swoop, we must act cautiously so as not to alert the enemy." Chen Jue frowned slightly. He knew that this was an arduous task and he had to proceed step by step.

The prince nodded slightly, "You are right. We can start with those who have solid evidence and defeat them one by one. For those who are still in doubt, we can observe them secretly and deal with them when the time is right."

"Your Highness is wise. I think we can start the investigation from the officials in the six ministries who have close contacts with Prince Jin. These people have tampered with government affairs and gained a lot of benefits for Prince Jin." Chen Jue suggested, and he had already started to conceive a cleanup plan in his mind.

"Okay, let's start with the six ministries. You go and arrange the personnel, and make sure everything is foolproof." The prince ordered, and he stood up, walked to the window, and looked out of the palace, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. He knew that this action was not only to eliminate the remaining forces of the King of Jin, but also to restore the clarity of the court and get the court back on track.

Chen Jue took the order and went to various government offices to discuss countermeasures with officials from the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice and other relevant departments. They carefully analyzed each piece of evidence and formulated a detailed arrest plan. In this process, Chen Jue felt tremendous pressure, and every decision could affect the success or failure of the entire operation.

At the same time, the prince was not idle. He discussed the reform of government affairs with the ministers in the court. The atmosphere in the court was solemn. The ministers knew that this reform was imperative, but they were worried about affecting their own interests.

"My dear ministers, the rebellion of Prince Jin made me realize that there are many loopholes in the administration of our dynasty. I have gathered you all today to discuss how to reform in order to prevent such incidents from happening again." The emperor said majestically while sitting on the dragon throne.

The prince stepped forward and said, "Father, I think we should first rectify the administration of officials. The reason why the King of Jin was able to develop such a huge influence in the court is closely related to the corruption and clique-building of some officials. We should strengthen the assessment of officials and establish a strict supervision mechanism."

An old official stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, this is a good move, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to implement. How should the official assessment criteria be determined? How should the supervision mechanism operate? These all require careful consideration."

The prince looked at the old minister and said, "Your Excellency is right. We can conduct a comprehensive assessment of officials' performance, moral character, and integrity. We can set up special supervisory censors to regularly inspect officials in various places, and encourage the people to report corrupt officials. We will never tolerate or condone corrupt officials."

Another minister continued, "Your Highness, reforming the civil service is important, but the court's financial system also needs to be adjusted. When the King of Jin was in power, he plundered the people's wealth, which led to an empty treasury and a hard life for the people."

The prince nodded and said, "Your Excellency is right. In terms of finance, we must strengthen the management of taxation, investigate the land tax and business tax in various places, and put an end to tax evasion. At the same time, we must cut unnecessary expenses and use the funds for people's livelihood construction."

The ministers nodded and began to discuss enthusiastically. The prince felt relieved when he saw the ministers' active participation. He knew that the road to reform was difficult, but as long as everyone worked together, there was hope for success.

In the operation to deal with the remnants of the Prince of Jin, Chen Jue led the Dali Temple's personnel and quietly surrounded the residence of an official from the Six Ministries under the cover of night. This official was one of the important followers of the Prince of Jin, and he usually relied on the power of the Prince of Jin to commit crimes.

"Sir, everything is ready." A constable whispered to Chen Jue.

Chen Jue looked at the mansion in front of him and took a deep breath, "Action!"

The soldiers rushed into the mansion quickly. Suddenly, the lights in the mansion were bright, and shouting and fighting sounds were intertwined. The official was awakened from his sleep and was subdued by the soldiers before he could resist.

"You...how dare you! I am an official appointed by the imperial court!" the official shouted in horror.

Chen Jue stepped forward and looked at him coldly, "As a court official, you colluded with the King of Jin and committed numerous crimes. Today is your end."

During the interrogation, the officials initially tried to make excuses, but in the face of irrefutable evidence, they finally gave in and gave out information about other remnants.

As the remnants of the King of Jin were arrested one by one, the atmosphere in the court became increasingly tense. Those who were involved with the King of Jin were in a state of panic, while the upright ministers applauded.

When the Crown Prince heard the good news from Chen Jue in the East Palace, a smile appeared on his face. "Chen Jue really didn't disappoint me. Keep investigating. Don't let any fish slip through the net."

The crown prince was also working hard to reform the government. He personally participated in the formulation of a new official assessment system and repeatedly discussed every detail with his ministers.

"Your Highness, is this assessment standard too strict? Some officials may find it difficult to meet it," a minister expressed concern.

The prince pondered for a moment, "Sir, we are now in a critical period of reform, and we must be strict. Only in this way can we select officials who are truly capable and honest. For those officials who cannot meet the standards temporarily, we can give them some time and help to let them improve."

In the process of cleaning up the accumulated problems, the prince discovered that some local officials had engaged in corruption in water conservancy projects. These officials withheld project funds, causing the water conservancy facilities to become dilapidated, flooding during the rainy season, and the people suffered terribly.

"These corrupt officials are extremely evil!" The prince slammed the table in anger, "They must be severely punished, and the water conservancy facilities must be repaired as soon as possible to protect the lives and property of the people."

After dealing with the remnants of the Prince of Jin, Chen Jue also joined the action of reforming the government. He suggested to the crown prince: "Your Highness, we can set up schools in various places to cultivate more talents and inject fresh blood into the court. At the same time, we should strengthen the emphasis on cultural education and improve the quality of the people."

The prince's eyes lit up, "This is a great idea! Talent is the foundation of national development. We must allow more people to have the opportunity to receive education."

As time went by, the reform began to bear fruit. The atmosphere in the court gradually improved, and officials began to be honest and dedicated to their duties. The people also felt the changes in the court and were full of hope for the future.

At a court meeting, the emperor looked at the newly renovated court and said to the prince with satisfaction: "My son, you have done a good job this time. Under your leadership, the court is moving in a good direction."

The prince quickly bowed, "Father, this is what I should do. I will continue to work hard to make our dynasty more prosperous."

Chen Jue stood in the line of ministers, looking at the prince and the emperor, his heart filled with pride. He knew that although the journey was difficult, it was all worth it. They used wisdom and courage to create a new beginning for the court and the people.

In the days that followed, the prince and Chen Jue did not relax. They continued to deepen reforms, improve various systems, and deal with legacy issues.