After the Qin and Han dynasties, the conventional wisdom held that governing should prioritize light taxation and minimal intervention. The swift collapse of Qin and Sui served as a stark warning. Yet, observing the current Great Qian empire, one witnesses massive construction projects everywhere. But look at the people of Donglin; do they appear to suffer from oppressive burdens?"
Hearing this, ‘Wenwei’ was quite puzzled.
“It is strange, indeed. These past few years, the Great Qian has been extensively repairing roads and renovating cities everywhere. No other state strains its populace as much as Qian. But the common folk do not see it as hardship; rather, they embrace it with joy. Except for the vassal cities, all directly administered territories are flourishing spectacularly.”
He mused further, “Upon closer reflection, it must be related to the Great Qian’s abolition of corvée labor. All projects hire laborers and strong young men with hefty sums of gold. As for the high officials of the Qian court, they seem terrified that the national treasury’s funds will remain unused. However, I haven't quite grasped the underlying economic principles.”
“Merchants say that money breeds money.”
‘Yangming’ nodded, “Shouren hasn't fully clarified the details either. I can only vaguely surmise it relates to the circulation of currency and spirit stones. That’s why I invited Brother Nie to come to Great Qian together—to walk around and see things for ourselves.”
“But what practices is clearly going against the teachings of the Sages!”
The youth frowned, “For instance, abolishing the Imperial Examinations and establishing the Chamber of Deliberation—how can mistreating scholars like that be the act of a wise ruler?”
And so, the third chop with the hand landed squarely on the youth’s head.
“Zongxi, what the Sages said is not necessarily always correct. The Master taught, ‘In the company of three, there must be one who can be my teacher.’ Even Sages have things they do not know and make mistakes. Times change, and the principles of antiquity may not suit the present. One cannot simply curse and reject something out of ignorance or aversion. Has not the establishment of the Chamber of Deliberation, with its system of publicly elected officials, been a great boon to us scholars? For the ten thousand years of our Confucian lineage, many have pursued the governance of the Three Dynasties, yearning to restore the ancient Rites of Zhou. In reality, many also recognized the dangers of unchecked monarchical power, seeking to limit it. They sought to ‘govern the world without being governed by it.’ This led to Dong Sheng’s theory of Heavenly Induction. Yet, it only treated the symptoms, not the root cause—”
“The affairs of the world should belong to the world, not something a single ruler can claim as private property. Therefore, the world belongs to the world, not to one individual, even for myriad generations, it shall remain so.”
“Since this ruler of Great Qian has already limited his own imperial authority and placed himself within the bounds of ritual and law, he can be said to have fulfilled the desires of countless predecessors in our Confucian school. However, if the ruler has limited his own authority, by what means can the bureaucracy be kept in check?”
These few sentences plunged ‘Wenwei’ into deep thought. Even the youth, rubbing his head with a look of utter defiance, fell silent.
At the same moment, on the second floor of the Jin Yu Tower, a very different scene was unfolding. Several middle-aged men, dressed as scholars, were engaged in lively conversation, radiating joy.
“So, you’re saying His Majesty is preparing a surprise attack on the Wine Pool Palace?”
“Precisely! Catch the king by capturing the thieves. This time, the Three Teachings have joined forces to move eighty thousand troops several thousand miles, and they have also sealed off the outer regions. Zong Shou won't even be able to escape.”
“If the ruler is not discreet, he loses his ministers; if a minister is not discreet, he—are you not afraid of the news leaking? Giving that foolish ruler a chance to be wary?”
“It doesn't matter; this was two hours ago. We only learned of it after the Three Teachings and the Royal Army had already engaged. Perhaps the outcome at the Wine Pool Palace has already been decided by now.”
“Heh, the name Fallen God Plain truly lives up to its name!”
“I must congratulate Brother Yu. For orchestrating the closure of all academies in the Donglin Cloud Land this time, and compelling the scholars of Donglin to resign their posts from the Great Qian court. With such merit, you could become a high official in the court, or remain renowned locally. With Brother Yu’s twenty years of experience managing the Linhai Academy, securing a teaching post at the White Deer Cave Academy is practically guaranteed.”
“Indeed. Which instructor at the White Deer Cave Academy is not a contemporary master scholar, one whose name will not be recorded in history?”
The man seated highest, his face ruddy, waved his hand slightly, “These are still uncertain matters; what’s the use of discussing them now? However, if that day truly comes, Yu Ting will certainly not forget any of you. With Donglin incorporated into the King’s domain, reliance on local scholars will be essential. Yu Ting will certainly strive earnestly on your behalf before all you virtuous men!”
He then smiled toward another middle-aged man in the corner, “Besides, how can my prospects compare to those of Brother Wang Wei? Being favored by the great minister Yang in court, rising rapidly in the future, and commanding an entire province would not be out of the question.”
Wang Wei smiled self-importantly and remained silent, holding his cup, while the others offered congratulations, their words tinged with a degree of emotion.
“It is lamentable that we finally have a chance to rise. Under that foolish ruler, we truly lived like dogs.”
“It is a blessing that Master Zhu was so enlightened as to declare him an enemy of Confucianism and instigate the Royal Army to subjugate him. Otherwise, who knows what the future would have held.”
“That foolish ruler deserves to die! Every monarch and city lord before the Great Qian respected and revered us. Their defeat and ruin today are entirely deserved!”
As they spoke, a subtle shift occurred in everyone’s minds, and they all turned to look outside the tower. They saw a magnificent stream of golden light flying toward them from the distant horizon.
It originated from the west, the direction of the Central Cloud Land, descending toward the direction of Qiantian Mountain City.
“Is that… a Decree of Flashing Gold?”
The scholars present were all momentarily stunned, gazing at the brilliant, shining golden talisman.
The Decree of Flashing Gold was a type of communication talisman, but it did not encrypt or conceal its internal message; any cultivator who saw it could probe it with their spiritual sense.
In ancient dynasties, whenever a great victory or joyous event occurred, this talisman would be used to proclaim the triumph to the world, letting the subjects know.
“Is that foolish ruler trying to play tricks with a rapid proclamation of victory?”
One of them sneered, with a tone of jest. But the expressions of those beside him gradually grew cold.
Several spiritual senses probed upward toward the high-flying talisman. As their senses made contact with the Decree of Flashing Gold, everyone’s body trembled slightly, their faces turning deathly pale.
“The Sovereign personally led the Royal Army and achieved a crushing victory over the eighty-thousand-strong army of the Great Shang at Fallen God Plain! Slaying the enemy’s General who Conquered the South, Fei Yin, and capturing more than twenty high-ranking officials of the fourth rank and above. Over two hundred thousand surrendered, and the spoils of war, armor and weaponry, were countless. Unfortunately, the Emperor of the Great Shang managed to flee alone—what kind of joke is this?”
Yu Ting staggered, pressing a hand to his forehead, nearly fainting on the spot.
How could this be? Hadn’t they been told that although the Wine Pool Palace had heavy troops, the Three Teachings and the Royal Army were certain of victory? Even if Zong Shou managed to escape by luck, they could secure significant provisions to sustain the Southern Border campaign.
Why was it a total defeat, with the entire army annihilated? Did that mean the over four hundred thousand Daoist soldiers were all gone? No! How formidable were the Dao Sect’s Purple Qilin Flame Lancer Cavalry, and the Demon Gate’s Heavenly Demon War Cavalry and Primordial Demon Spirit Cavalry? Even if defeated, they could surely escape. Zong Shou must have fabricated this victory report just to stabilize morale.
“This must be Zong Shou’s method of faking a victory to stabilize the hearts of the Donglin people! This foolish ruler, facing imminent death, dares to pull a stunt like this—”
Yu Ting hadn’t spoken, but Wang Wei gritted his teeth and voiced the sentiment for him.
“Eighty thousand elites of the Great Shang, forty thousand Daoist soldiers—how could that be easily swallowed by him, even if facing four million enemies?”
“That’s exactly it! What this victory report claims is simply too exaggerated!”
The others exchanged glances, shaking their heads with wry smiles. However, the lightness in their expressions had vanished.
Moments later, a booming sound echoed from outside the tower, followed by bursts of cheering.
Those present had some cultivation and could clearly hear the noise from several dozen zhang away.
“Our Great Qian has won! They truly won! The elites of the Great Shang were almost entirely wiped out, with only ten thousand demonic cavalry escaping!”
“His Majesty building the Wine Pool Palace was not for pleasure, but to lure the enemy! This time, they nearly trapped all the Daoist soldiers of the Great Shang in one net!”
“I knew His Majesty couldn't possibly be that muddle-headed.”
“Is it true or false? I find what the Decree of Flashing Gold says quite incredible, almost fantastical.”
“The news comes from inside the Duke of Zhen’s manor. I heard the Duke laughed heartily upon hearing it, took ten jars of fine wine, invited all his friends, and prepared to get thoroughly drunk!”
“The news from Duke Hao’s manor is the same. Our Great Qian has won a great victory and has already entered the Central Plains!”
“After today, the Cloud Realm will recognize the supremacy of our Great Qian!”
“My intelligence comes from the martial arts school of the Cold Mountain Sect in the Sword Sect. I hear that the dojos of the Sword Sect factions in the city have already posted notices, planning to widely open their gates to recruit disciples!”
“The Cang Sheng Dao Academy is also preparing to expand its student intake—”
Sentence after sentence reached their ears, causing the atmosphere in that private room to grow increasingly heavy. If only the Great Qian were proclaiming this, it would be a solo performance. But with the Sword Sect and Cang Sheng Dao confirming it too—
Looking at one another, the scholars saw only their counterparts turning ashen-faced, tinged with stark fear, their hearts seized by apprehension. Could the victory report actually be true?
“There’s more! I heard that when His Majesty defeated the enemy, a Fire Qilin accompanied him, its powerful aura piercing the heavens, blending the roars of dragons and phoenixes.”
“A Qilin accompanying him? Dragons and phoenixes mingling? That sounds like something only attributed to the Three Sovereigns of ancient legend—”
“The teachers at the Cang Sheng Academy also said this. They called it the aura of a Sage King! His Majesty is the true living Sage Sovereign!”
Hearing this, Yu Ting’s expression finally eased slightly. He shook his head, “Ridiculous! A Qilin? A Sage King? Even if they were to fabricate something, they didn’t need to exaggerate so wildly.”
At that moment, one person in the room was clutching a paper crane that had flown in unnoticed, his face shifting from pale to ashen, with traces of blood appearing at the corner of his lips.
Yu Ting raised an eyebrow, slightly curious, “Brother Li, what is the matter?”
The young lord surnamed Li finally raised his head, sweeping his gaze over the assembled company with eyes as dull as dead ashes.
“It is a message talisman sent by my master. He participated in the formation of that restricted aerial domain array and personally witnessed that battle. He said the Daoist soldiers of the Three Teachings are annihilated. The army of the Great Shang is utterly destroyed! His Majesty was accompanied by a Qilin, possessed the white aura of a Sage King, and was blessed by heaven and earth. He is not a foolish ruler, nor an enemy of Confucianism, but the living Sage King! Master Zhu made a grave error this time; he is a sinner of our Confucian school—”
Their hearts nearly stopped beating; the men in the room were almost petrified.
“Silence! How dare you slander a Sage—”
This sentence lodged in Yu Ting’s throat, unable to escape. The teacher of this young man was merely a scholar of minor renown in the Confucian school. What gave him such confidence to dare question a Sage of the Middle Ages? (To be continued)