53: Chapter 53 The Imperial Era Begins

Main Body issued twenty-six major reform decrees within a single day.

In later history books, the history of the Empire before this day was referred to as the "Founding Era." During the Founding Era, everything developed in a wild, uncivilized manner, with only a wordy tome of "Imperial Truth" serving as a vague guideline for development.

After this day came the relatively standardized "Era of Imperial Rule."

...

That evening, Sophia was shopping at the dockside free trade market.

Her husband was in a good mood today, so Sophia decided to buy two bottles of high-end wine to share with him at home.

Sophia figured that if the wine smuggled from the Ducalia Territory was sold out, those well-reviewed moonshine spirits brewed by the clones would also be acceptable.

Today, however, was a little different.

The smugglers and bootleggers had all been detained by the Hive City enforcers, squatting over there and listening to a lecture.

"Are they going to beat people up again?" Sophia quickly crouched behind a nearby stone lion. When those guys started beating people, they went crazy and didn't care who you were.

"Tobacco, alcohol, betel nuts, picture books... starting this morning, all of these belong to His Majesty!"

"This measure benefits the imperial court above and you all below. We hope everyone will cooperate!"

The various vendors buzzed with whispered discussions, mostly finding it strange that they hadn't been beaten today, without giving much thought to the other matters.

"Ah, there are people from the palace here. No wonder they're so polite and civilized today."

Sophia, after all, worked part-time as a cook in the imperial palace, so she could recognize the effeminate temperament of the Attendant Cheng Yus at a glance.

Soon, the lecture ended. The vendors changed into the uniform clothing issued by the palace and no longer had to sneakily peddle these mildly addictive goods.

Now they were sold openly, with prices increased by an average of four hundred percent under an imperial monopoly. The vendors went from self-employed bosses bearing their own profits and losses to wage-earners earning commissions per piece. They lost some windfall profits but gained stability... and the benefit of not getting beaten up.

Meanwhile, smuggling had become... a capital offense.

Sophia could only bring herself to buy one bottle of wine. Goods from the Ducalia Territory were now subject to an additional two thousand percent turnover tax, so even the Duke's household didn't dare to drink too much.

As she left, she brushed past a young clone pushing a wheelchair.

The woman in the wheelchair looked a bit familiar, but Sophia's mind was slow and she couldn't place her. Since she couldn't remember, she stopped trying and just headed home to cuddle with her husband.

Seraphie was currently in a period of mental recovery. Joybringer Cheng Yu had stuffed too much knowledge and memory into her brain, causing her to be unable to remember who she actually was most of the time.

Occasionally, she would recall that she was a high-ranking official of some country, but she was quickly amused by her own thoughts.

"An incompetent master like me, who needs my disciple's help even for basic daily needs, being an official? How could I do a good job? It must be my hysteria acting up again."

Speaking of which, she was really lucky. She was practically half-crippled, yet her disciple was still willing to take care of her. What... what was he after?

"Master, storybooks have also gone up in price."

Although Overachiever Cheng Yu said this, he still bought two of the latest bestselling romance novels to read to Seraphie when they got back.

The authors of these books had often never been in a relationship, staying up late to write while sleeping alone.

However, it was precisely because these clones had never experienced a real romance that the love stories they wrote were exceptionally touching and unconventional.

"Disciple, why are you so good to your master? I... have nothing left to teach you."

Seraphie blushed. She wanted to hear the words she hoped for, yet she was afraid of being disappointed by the result.

Overachiever Cheng Yu crouched on the ground, in the exact same spot where Sophia had just squatted... He also wanted to see what the Duchess had been looking at from here.

He gently kissed the back of Seraphie's hand with great politeness and restraint. This was already the most intimate contact they had shared in all the time they had known each other.

"Master, let's go back. Your disciple's income is meager, and the prices here have increased so much that I can hardly afford anything."

Overachiever Cheng Yu blushed, and Seraphie's face turned even redder than his. "Mhm..."

"Prepare weapons and armor to seize the opportune moment!"

Just as the two were about to turn and leave, their attention was drawn to a recruitment booth that had just been set up nearby.

A massive portrait of Main Body had been erected, and the passing clones stopped one after another to salute it.

Outsiders without official titles did not even have the right to salute; they could only lower their heads and pass quickly. Having not sworn allegiance, they were not permitted to look directly at the Emperor.

In this portrait, Main Body extended his index finger, making an Uncle Sam-style "I WANT YOU!" gesture.

"It seems we are going to war abroad again." Overachiever Cheng Yu pushed Seraphie away. "And it's on quite a large scale."

"You... you won't go... right?" Seraphie grabbed his hand.

"Alright, alright," Overachiever Cheng Yu said with a smile... *Why would I go? I'm already in active service, Master.*

"Are you familiar with this place, Master?"

Overachiever Cheng Yu asked Seraphie the same question every time they arrived at a new place.

This was because he suspected she still hadn't disclosed everything from last time. After all, as a former senior assistant to a Grand Inquisitor, she had to possess some secret technique to protect her memories.

"No, why? Have we been here before?"

Seraphie felt aggrieved and deeply pained for her disciple; her memories were already shattered and chaotic.

Perhaps these places held beautiful memories of her and her disciple, yet she could not recall them at all.

Her mind was completely filled with bizarre, grotesque things, causing her to forget the most important matters instead.

"No, no. Master, let me take you somewhere else to get some fresh air. The air quality here is too poor."

"Mhm... alright, whatever you say." Seraphie's face blushed as red as blood.

...

"Extra, extra! Treasury bonds will be issued next week, with compound interest discounts for pre-orders today!"

"Young man, give me a newspaper."

"Sure thing!"

Retainer Cheng Yu jogged over to deliver the newspaper to Clone No. 3, who was once the heavily paralyzed Hive City smuggling boss, Old Blind Cheng Yu.

Now he was no longer paralyzed or blind. With a biological spine from the Dark Mechanicum installed, and high-tech cybernetic eyes flashing green, he looked more like a Necron wrapped in human skin.

Even all of his teeth had been extracted and replaced with smart dentures, the price of which... could arm three Chapters.

"Boys, times have changed, and we must change with them." Old Blind Cheng Yu... Smart Dentures Cheng Yu spoke without even needing to open his mouth.

"Please guide us, Third Brother!" The Gangster Cheng Yus bowed their heads in unison to listen to his instructions.

"Jie jie jie, I wouldn't dare call it guidance. I'm just helping the brothers earn a living."

Under the service of Victoria Dukaria, Smart Dentures Cheng Yu put on a set of extremely expensive and luxurious aristocratic attire.

This was the new policy of the Emperor. Clones who had survived for more than six months were now eligible to purchase aristocratic status.

Of course, they could only buy honorary status, which allowed them to attend court sessions and become familiar faces in front of the Emperor; offices with real power were not for sale.

Smart Dentures Cheng Yu made a lavish move, directly purchasing three Baronies—one for himself and one for each of his two trusted henchmen.