Under the Jinyu Tower, silence had fallen, deep as the grave. Every Confucian scholar present sat frozen, their faces ashen and blank, seemingly devoid of response, murmuring only to themselves.

Those scholars who had merely echoed the prevailing sentiment, without voicing outright slander, showed glimmers of relief. In the Great Qian realm, words alone were not a capital crime. What they had uttered would not warrant formal conviction.

At worst, once their comments were known, their paths into officialdom would be irrevocably blocked.

The few who had dared to curse openly, however, were utterly crestfallen, their entire spirit and vitality having vanished in that brief span of time.

Conversely, the merchants and the wealthy were alight with excitement and overwhelming joy.

"The Sovereign... he actually won—"

"The Sovereign ascended the throne at fifteen, and in these ten years, has expanded the territory by tens of thousands of li. Moreover, he has established a vast foundation in the outer territories. Though he disdains governance, his military strategy is unparalleled. How could such an founding emperor be compared to that Yuan Chen Emperor of Great Shang, who only knows how to defend cities? How could he truly be the tyrant the Confucians claim him to be?"

"Haha! How laughable that those scholars actually believed the Sovereign built the Wine Pool Palace for mere indulgence! Our Sovereign is no Jie or Zhou—"

"I've long detested their disrespect! I wish the Sovereign would have them arrested and drawn and quartered."

Their conversation carried no restraint, heedless of the many seated Confucian scholars still in the hall, offering biting satire. But now the tables had turned. It was the latter who dared not speak their anger, each one profoundly dejected.

"Tsk, tsk, thank heavens I kept my own boy locked at home, forbidden to come out. That lad was misled by the Confucian school, actually believing the words of that Zhu Zi. Those Confucian academies are truly ruinous to one’s children—"

"Now that Great Qian has won, will they be able to occupy the Central Plains? That Jiangnan region has no natural defenses; they should be able to take it, right? The Five Continents of Jiangnan are notoriously prosperous."

In the southern corner, 'Yangming,' 'Wenwei,' and the third man stared at each other in stunned silence.

And Zongxi, too, looked utterly dazed, lost in thought.

The defeat of Great Shang was an almost unimaginable concept to him. The Central Plains Imperial Dynasty possessed a national strength ten times that of Qian. How could they have fallen so easily?

Yet, seeing the unanimous testimony now, it seemed there could be no falsehood.

"The entire eighty thousand elite troops annihilated before the Wine Pool Palace, within the Godfall Plain? It seems the world is truly about to descend into chaos."

'Yangming' poured a drink and sighed. He had anticipated that Yin Yu and the Three Teachings would plot to break the stalemate.

He had also guessed that Great Shang might make a move centered on the Wine Pool Palace, leaving them no choice but to enter the battlefield chosen by the Qian Kingdom. What he had failed to foresee was the magnitude of Great Shang’s catastrophic defeat.

Eighty thousand men—that was merely one twenty-second part of their eighteen million-strong army.

Yet, with this blow, Zong Shou had completely broken Great Shang’s backbone!

North of the Min River, although millions of troops remained, they were now merely meat upon the chopping block, powerless to reverse fate.

Having lost these elite border troops, the northern defenses of Great Shang would surely become critically strained. And domestically, chaos was certain to erupt everywhere.

"Is it only the world that is descending into chaos?"

'Wenwei' let out a bitter laugh, his brow perpetually furrowed. While the realm might indeed descend into great turmoil, within the Confucian school itself, disputes were bound to proliferate. The Confucian path already harbored countless factions. Previously, the Li School reigned supreme, held in check by Zhu Zi, forcing all collateral branches and factions within Confucianism to bow their heads and remain silent.

But after this massive upheaval, who knew how many would rise up to question the Sage Zhu Zi?

"Yangming, in your view, how credible is the assertion that the Sovereign of Great Qian is a Sage Monarch living among us?"

This point concerned him the most. If Zong Shou was truly a sovereign acknowledged by Heaven and Earth, then the predicament of the Confucian school would become infinitely worse.

'Zongxi' also pricked up his ears, equally curious about this matter.

"I cannot say for certain!"

Yangming shook his head. He had not witnessed it personally, and without definitive proof, how could he make a judgment? However—

"But if the Sovereign of Great Qian truly is a Sage Monarch, accompanied by a Qilin, then the Daoist Purple-Scale Flame Lancer Cavalry will certainly be utterly destroyed!"

"Oh?"

'Wenwei’s' eyes flickered, grasping the implication.

The kingly Sage Beast Qilin possessed a natural counter to the Black Flame Golden Scale Beasts utilized by the Confucian school.

Although the Purple-Scale Flame Lancer Cavalry was renowned throughout history as the pinnacle of Daoist soldiery, if they encountered a genuine Sage Monarch, they might not have the slightest power to resist.

The defeat of the Three Teachings, perhaps, stemmed from this very reason. Otherwise, why such a crushing loss?

"Most likely! If that is the case, is the governance enacted by the Sovereign of Qian truly the path of the Benevolent King? Approved by the Way of Heaven and the Way of Man—"

"How is that possible? It is clearly so absurd—"

Zongxi was distraught. The events of this day were utterly subversive to the ideals he held.

"He is a living Sage Monarch!"

'Yangming' gazed out the window with fixation. "The saying goes, a gentleman does not stand beneath a precarious wall. I plan to move my entire family to Donglin. In my estimation, Great Shang will not collapse immediately, but—"

This time, 'Wenwei' showed little surprise. Great Qian had achieved a monumental victory, established itself as the overlord of the Cloud Realm, enjoying strong national power and prosperous livelihoods. Conversely, Great Shang, after this defeat, was beset by storms. Even if it managed to maintain stability, it would not last long.

In fact, as soon as he had heard the news of Great Qian's victory, this very thought had taken root in his mind: temporarily relocating to Donglin to escape the turbulent era.

"If possible, it would be best to seek office in Great Qian. We must observe the economic principles of this nation; from the outside, it is always like gazing at flowers through a mist—we cannot grasp the core. Only by taking office ourselves, holding a degree of authority, can we truly investigate the foundations."

Zongxi was startled, urgently saying, "But the Sovereign of Great Shang personally declared he would burn the books and bury the scholars alive, intent on destroying our Confucianism!"

'Yangming' did not reply, only exchanging a knowing smile with 'Wenwei.' How could they not know that the Sovereign of Great Qian was dissatisfied only with the current Confucian dogma and Zhu Zi?

They believed that they were not the only ones within the Confucian circle to recognize this.

Zongxi was about to speak again when another earth-shaking cheer erupted outside the Jinyu Tower: "The Sovereign's great victory! Five great Edicts are being proclaimed to the world—"

"Farmers planting land actually don't have to pay tax, but will receive subsidies instead? This—this is truly an unprecedented marvel in a thousand years!"

"Speaking of which, the agricultural tax in our Great Qian is minimal; instead, the commercial, industrial, and hunting taxes account for ninety percent. Waiving it is no great matter!"

"Establishing pensions for the workers and farmers of the realm? Ensuring the people of Great Qian will be cared for in old age, without fear of eternal destitution? His Majesty is truly a Sage Monarch!"

"The Edict to Exterminate the Demonic Path? These demonic practitioners certainly deserve to die! If my cultivation weren't so low, only at the second rank, I would gladly kill a few demonic heretics with my own hands!"

"Abolishing the Three Legal Bureaus and establishing a Department of Justice instead, no longer subordinate to the Cabinet, only supervised by the Council Hall. After today, is the King subject to the law? The monarch who breaks the law is treated the same as a commoner? I don't understand this; it’s so strange. The Sovereign is a wise ruler rarely seen in ten thousand generations; why the need for this?"

"Completely abolishing corporal punishment? Excellent! Truly excellent! The Sovereign’s benevolence is unmatched! But why couldn't my nephew meet such a Sage Monarch sooner? He took only three guan of money from someone else, and three fingers were severed. Now, even with regret, the severed limbs cannot be regrown—"

"Banning the trading of arable land across the realm, with the government purchasing it and distributing it to the landless? Is this necessary? Farming doesn't make money now. I've long wanted to sell some of our family's land. I wonder how much the government will subsidize?"

'Yangming' and 'Wenwei’s' eyes flashed with sharp light. In a single movement, they disappeared out of the Jinyu Tower.

The location where the notices were posted was not far—a bluestone wall two hundred zhang away.

By now, that spot was swarming with people, packed densely, who knew how many there were.

Fortunately, both men possessed the ability of levitation. Their spiritual eyes could perceive a thousand li, so looking from afar, they had already absorbed the entire content of the edicts.

'Wenwei' immediately gasped, "With these edicts issued, the hearts of all under Heaven will turn to Great Qian! If they can implement this, the Sovereign of Qian will indeed be worthy of the title of a living Sage Monarch!"

Yangming looked around. "Officials and gentry paying grain taxes uniformly; equal division of land. This policy has certainly offended all the powerful families of the realm. Strange, observing the situation here, these people show no signs of resistance."

Among this crowd were wealthy individuals and even officials. Though some were filled with righteous indignation or dissatisfaction, the vast majority appeared indifferent, taking it in stride.

Evidently, Zong Shou's edict had not truly struck at their vital points.

Was it related to the policy prioritizing commerce? Yangming mused.

When profit from trade far exceeded that from farming, or even when farming resulted in losses, for these people, keeping the land held no necessity.

In truth, both Donglin and the Southern Wind and Cloud Road currently had vast land but sparse populations.

Countless lands remained available for development. Zong Shou's policy was likely preparation for entering the Central Cloud Continent.

Establishing fundamental national policies first, and then entering later, would certainly invite resistance from the powerful aristocratic families of the Central Plains. But that was far better than having national policy held hostage by these powerful clans later on.

His vision was far-reaching!

He grew ever more curious about the Sovereign of Great Qian. It was a pity that his own reputation was too humble for him to secure an audience—

Shaking his head, Yangming turned to the final edict. Beside him, an unrestrained, loud laugh rang out.

"The King subject to the law? What Xun Zi wished for, what Han Zi sought throughout his life, was personally realized by a disciple of the Common People Dao! I wonder what those two would think if they knew? The descendant of Xi Zi, who advocated for equality among men, now sees his master acclaimed as a living Sage Monarch. Has Heaven truly opened its eyes?"

The laughter echoed for several li, drawing the attention of everyone present.

Even Yangming and Wenwei, filled with curiosity, turned their heads.

They saw a middle-aged nobleman, dressed as a scholar yet utterly disheveled, walking toward the distance.

"Summoning scholars from across the world to debate the Confucian Masters! To assess the merits of Confucianism, critique its flaws! To examine its teachings! How ruthless, but I like it! Truly worthy of being a luminous and wise ruler, far surpassing that Qin Shi Huang!"

Yangming fell silent. Zong Shou’s edict was indeed brutal, intending to dissect the Confucian school for all to see. Wenwei frowned and started to step forward, but Yangming held him back with an outstretched hand.

"That man seems to be of the Legalist lineage, of the Han Zi school!"