Seeing this situation, Gaius decisively acted. He used spies to preemptively turn some of the capital's Guardians, and at the same time ordered the elite troops hidden in the capital to launch a surprise attack.
This coup evolved into fierce fighting in the capital. Gaius's troops, relying on the absolute firepower advantage of automatic machine guns and artillery, quickly routed the Empress's family's forces.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, the Grand General kidnapped the young emperor and the Empress Dowager, fleeing west of the Wei River with his remaining forces, attempting to negotiate with Gaius using geographical advantage.
Gaius sent an envoy, proposing a temporary truce with the Empress's family to maintain the nominal unity of the court, and proposed the "Three Noes Agreement." Finally, at the persuasion of court officials, he eventually made a "vow by the Wei River" with the Grand General.
Not to pursue the Empress's family's rebellion, to maintain the court's dignity;
Not to strip the Empress's family of their existing fiefs, but to restrict their military power;
The young emperor and the Empress Dowager must return to the capital to ensure national order.
However, after the Grand General and the imperial family returned to the capital, on a dark and windy night, Gaius's personal guards secretly surrounded the Grand General's residence and all the residences of his family.
At a command, all members of the Empress's family, their advisors, and loyal subordinates were executed. The Grand General himself was brought to the execution ground and publicly beheaded.
Gaius announced to the young emperor and the court that the Grand General had intended to rebel, with irrefutable evidence. To ensure national stability, action had to be taken. The young emperor was young, and the Empress Dowager had long been dissatisfied with the Empress's family's autocratic rule, so she could only tacitly accept this outcome.
The downfall of the Empress's family was just the first step in Gaius's consolidation of power. Next, he turned his attention to those imperial relatives who outwardly professed loyalty to the imperial family but secretly fought for their own self-interest.
Through a series of purges, Gaius completely eliminated all imperial relatives who could potentially threaten the young emperor. He publicly declared it was to "rectify the discipline and eliminate the root of disaster," successfully shifting responsibility to the Empress's family and rebellious officials.
From then on, Gaius held sole power and began political reforms and the creation of a new order.
First was the abolition of old systems:
Reform of the gentry system: Gaius dissolved the privileges of the old gentry forces, establishing a new dual system of "imperial examinations" and "recommendation" to select officials based on ability and contribution, completely breaking hereditary monopolies.
Centralization of power: He abolished the system of regional military commissioners, dividing the country into directly administered regions managed by centrally dispatched officials, while the new army was stationed throughout the regions to ensure local stability.
Then, he focused on technological and economic development:
Industrial Revolution: Gaius established large factories and a mechanized agricultural system, bringing about earth-shaking changes in Seres Star's productivity.
Scientific Education: He established a "Science Museum," based on Mohist thought, combining invention with education to cultivate a new generation of technical talents. In just five short years, he even launched an orbital space station into outer space, achieving a hundred years of human technological development in five years.
Military Upgrade: Based on automatic machine guns, tanks, and airplanes, he further expanded the scale of the new army, making the nation the planet's foremost military power.
Artificial Intelligence: With Gaius's vigorous investment in technology, computers began to become widespread on this planet. Gaius personally wrote an artificial intelligence, using programming books from ancient artifact books on the planet, to assist in the planet's production and management.
After purging the Empress's family and imperial relatives, Gaius became the de facto supreme ruler of Seres Star. He continued to control national affairs in the name of protecting the young emperor. However, as his authority deepened, the gentry and court officials, at his instruction, successively requested him to ascend the throne and become emperor.
Finally, under the "support of the people," Gaius announced his ascension to the throne, establishing the "Taihe Dynasty," with the governing philosophy of "ritual law and technology parallel, benevolent governance and strength coexisting."
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