Because Ding Yun's actions were so swift, and the overall flow of information in this world was relatively slow, the entire incident only gradually spread throughout the land nearly a week later.
Needless to say, all those with ulterior motives and discontent were instantly drenched in a cold sweat.
The remaining officials and nobles in the capital were so terrified by the news that they didn't know where to gather to discuss matters. Sometimes, they would wake up in the middle of the night, feeling as though they were being monitored, that someone was watching them.
It couldn't be helped; the news that arrived was too horrifying.
So terrifying it sent shivers down their spines.
It made them restless, unable to eat or sleep.
As for the new Emperor’s subordinates who could fly through the air and leap over walls, they already knew, so it was nothing surprising, or rather, they had seen too much to be surprised.
But flying to a place and apprehending the local officials, some minor clerks, and even local gentry, then gathering the common people for a public trial, and while they were shouting for justice, directly replaying their transgressions against the imperial decree during this period.
Even their private, ugly faces and criminal acts.
This was truly terrifying.
Setting aside how these so-called videos were produced, the mere fact that the other party could accurately know what they had done and said in private, and even be able to replicate it perfectly, was a thousand times more terrifying than the Imperial Guard of the previous dynasty.
The most crucial point was that these videos not only contained content from higher-ranking officials but also from officials of the eighth and ninth ranks, and even from clerks and bailiffs without any rank. This was truly chilling to the bone.
Anyone who received this news could not imagine how many spies the new Emperor actually had monitoring the entire country.
At the same time, they were even more afraid.
That they themselves might also be under surveillance.
Did that mean all their secret negotiations and private curses were known to the new Emperor? Was the reason they hadn't acted yet because she wasn't ready, or was she planning to save it all up for a reckoning?
These were things that couldn't be thought about too deeply, for the more they thought, the more frightened, the more terrified, and the more sleepless they became.
For a time, the prices of tranquilizing and calming medicinal herbs across the entire capital, and even the entire land, were soaring. In the end, even the prices of calming incense rose.
Not to mention the soul-calming talismans sold by the Taoist temples.
In addition, many people developed a habit of not daring to speak and a tendency towards suspicion. They looked at everyone around them and felt that they were not good people, that they were spies sent specifically to watch them. It was quite torturous, especially when they scared themselves.
This made them all very listless.
Their dark circles were as heavy as a panda's.
Ding Yun offered no explanation. Ah, she just wanted to scare them. People needed a sense of awe, so they wouldn't dare to act recklessly. To always know what they were doing was equivalent to having a god watching over them. If they could engrave this into their souls in the future and dare not act rashly.
Then, even if they couldn't become peerless good officials,
At least they wouldn't become wicked or corrupt officials.
Officials, nobles, and aristocratic families felt tormented by this, wanting to curse but not daring to, wanting to cause trouble but feeling eyes watching them everywhere, so they didn't dare.
But for the common people, it was a different feeling.
They didn't care at all, nor did they understand if spies were watching them. They only knew that their lives were getting better and better. Whether they were reclaiming wasteland or farming their own land, they no longer had to pay taxes.
Furthermore, they no longer had to pay the head tax.
Not only did their lives have hope, but if they happened to have more children, they no longer had to worry about not being able to support them, or about increased taxes and insufficient food, forcing them to abandon or sell their children. They could keep them and raise them themselves.
For most of the common people at this time.
They were still busy trying to survive every day.
Who had the time to care about surveillance or not?
Even if some people were secretly spreading the word, hoping to let more people know about this and resist it, their propaganda channels were too poor, and they didn't dare to do it too openly. At the same time, ordinary people truly didn't care, and even felt it was fine or even good.
For example, if someone said that whatever they did from now on might be seen by the Emperor, were they afraid?
Ordinary people would naturally respond.
What's there to be afraid of? This is a good thing. The Emperor can see me, that's truly a blessing from heaven.
If the Emperor could really see.
And what if one day there was a disaster, wouldn't he be able to provide disaster relief earlier and save us? This is definitely a good thing.
The two sides' thinking was not aligned at all.
How could they be incited?
For those who already had a certain status, a certain ability, or whose interests were harmed and were very dissatisfied, when they learned that the Emperor above might be constantly monitoring them, it was natural to feel fear and even resentment.
But for the most ordinary common people, those who could be ruined by a natural disaster, if there was a leader above constantly paying attention to them, how could that be a bad thing? It was clearly a great blessing.
Because for them, having high officials and the Emperor constantly paying attention to them was like their prayers being heard by the gods when they prayed to deities.
Although they didn't expect every wish to be granted.
But what if there was a major disaster, and the people above heard about it, and even a little bit of help from their fingers could save them? This was not being monitored; this was finding a backer.
Therefore, even though those officials and nobles, and even many local aristocratic families and gentry, were very dissatisfied, it was still of no use. Coupled with the strict enforcement by the legal robots assigned by Ding Yun, who continuously promoted Ding Yun's policies and suppressed local gentry forces, and so on.
Slowly, they no longer had time to worry about these things. Because they were already so busy dealing with the legal robots who served as local officials, exhausting countless brain cells and many losing their lives. The current loss of profit was clearly more serious and urgent to resolve than the unknown surveillance that might fall upon them one day.
For a time, everywhere was filled with foolish and failed attempts.
They didn't know that those who descended from above were robots, so they naturally treated those robots like humans, starting to think of hosting banquets, offering silver, bribery, sending beautiful women, and other miscellaneous tactics to corrupt them, hoping to move the legal robots.
Hoping they would collude with them.
And not be so strict and rigorous in their actions.
Especially regarding land measurement, tax reforms, and the like, where they were cutting into their flesh with every move. Everyone should make money harmoniously.
Of course, this was the moderate faction.
The less moderate ones resorted to direct assassination.
As for the results, those who bribed were all arrested. No matter what they bribed with, they were arrested for bribery and served their jail time accordingly. As for those who assassinated, they received the death penalty and their property was confiscated.