Chapter 185: The Mad Dance Of Traitorous Ministers And Rebels
Tian You Calendar 3rd year, 10th month. In this half year, four mid-tier sects have already been devoured. Additionally, the sect masters of six sects have calculated that they cannot escape the calamity, and have all begun preparations to relocate their orthodox lineage.
The old sect masters began screening disciples with potential, having them take the sect’s classics and leave, while they themselves stayed at the sect’s mountain gate for the final suppression.
For example, when Wangheng Sect’s disciples tearfully begged their master to leave together, Wangheng Sect’s sect master and elders used fly whisks to send these disciples down the mountain. And a leisurely voice sounded in these disciples’ ears: “Enter the mortal world. In the great tribulation, a thread of vitality lies in the mortal world.”
This sect master knew that he and his people were the final auspicious qi suppression “object.” If they harbored any intent to leave, the mountains and rivers where the sect was located would immediately fracture and fly apart! Only by harboring a will to die and vowing to stay in the mountains to the death could they delay the fate of the mountain gate being devoured by heavenly demonic evils!
As the pillars of the family of an immortal sect, they might view the common people under heaven as mere grass dogs; but for their own orthodox lineage, they still retained a final strand of affection—loyal to their master’s sect above, protective of disciples below, mutual aid among fellow sect members. In this great tribulation, they revealed their final true temperament toward the most trustworthy people on their immortal path.
In this way, Wangheng Sect and other sects’ mountain gates were destroyed. Their disciples were all forced into the mortal world to seek enlightened lords to assist; evidently, due to the entanglement of “immortal family sentiments,” the Wu Family’s military master was clearly not within the scope of enlightened lords.
…System: Stirrer of human affairs…
Da Yao, Divine Capital. Just three years into the Tian You Calendar, natural disasters and man-made calamities continued unceasingly, all reflecting one thing: “The monarch has lost virtue, hence the resonance between heaven and man.”
Many factions in the imperial court had begun to be dissatisfied with Emperor Ling’s neglect of court affairs. On the 4th of the 10th month, Emperor Ling was forced to attend court to govern, and immediately Sitian Cheng stepped forward to petition: “Your Majesty, you should perform the enclosure and zen ceremony on the mountains and rivers to stabilize them!” Sitian Cheng was not a position with real power, but in these times when the Way of Heaven was inconstant, the ministers responded.
Note: This operation was to have the Da Yao Emperor use his “received heaven’s mandate” to anchor the mountains and rivers and state altars.
Evidently, with immortal sects being overturned, the noble families with myriad ties to the immortal sects felt a headache. Noble families and clans everywhere needed Da Yao’s Your Majesty to backstop their hometowns’ mountains and rivers, as well as the enshrined deities.
The current collapse of mountains and rivers was irreversible, but by having their hometowns’ spiritual mountains additionally enshrined, they could rest easy. (The idea of reinforcing only one’s own regional dam when the flood peak passes.)
As for Emperor Ling’s own auspicious qi depletion and lifespan reduction? No one cared; now the noble families even hoped Emperor Ling would just kick the bucket, then replace him with the next in line heir.
Emperor Ling was extremely panicked by this forced palace, and just as he panickedly summoned Su Wang, Consort Li gave him an idea.
Emperor Ling dispatched an eunuch to notify these ministers demanding the enclosure and zen: Enclosing and zening mountains and rivers also requires an order; please have the ministers draft a list.
With this imperial decree issued, those formerly united famous ministers began quarreling internally.
After the ministers withdrew, Su Wang hurried over to apologize: “Your Majesty, this minister arrived late to rescue you.”
Emperor Ling looked at him: “If you’re late next time, you won’t need to come at all.”
After Su Wang withdrew, a trace of ruthlessness appeared in his eyes. As a close minister falling out of favor with Emperor Ling, thoughts of replacing the emperor surged in his mind.
Su Wang: Help Your Majesty accomplish a few more things.
…A flying butterfly drifts over the wall…
Yao Capital, Su Wang blocked the head of all Sitian Cheng under heaven, Mo Yan.
Mo Yan looked at the black-clothed assassins surging forward around him, and said to Su Wang: “It seems the rumors are true. You all are bewitching His Majesty, intending to—”
Su Wang didn’t give him a chance to continue; the wooden puppet in his hand shattered in mid-air the four spirits summoned by Sitian Cheng as close attendants, then pierced this opponent with a short spear, while saying to him in a tone of “what a pity”: “You wanted His Majesty to perform enclosure and zen, so he does it. Why did you have to bewitch the court ministers?”
Mo Yan spat blood from his mouth and cursed: “Those who do much unrighteousness will die by their own hands. What you do today will surely bring retribution tomorrow!” (Blood choked his throat; he could no longer shout loudly.)
Su Wang watched this Sitian Cheng die, and after a long while, suddenly flew into a rage: “My actions? And who am I doing all this for again, hahaha.”
Su Wang allied with Consort Li to support Prince Ji; in the end, this was making a wedding dress for others. Yet he was the one bearing everything, manipulated like a puppet. Just like the many puppets in the “Missing One Gate” magic he obtained—truly karmic retribution.
…Shadows on the wall begin to dance chaotically…
Sitian Cheng Mo Yan’s death caused an uproar in the imperial court.
Mo Yan was no loyal minister. His so-called advice for Emperor Ling to perform enclosure and zen was a bad idea. But his words protected the interests of the great noble clans, so now he was being lionized as a loyal minister.
The respectable ministers in the capital directly brought swords to court, and had servants wear armor outside their own doors; using this transgression to protest against Su Wang and Emperor Ling.
All Sitian Cheng now clearly understood that Emperor Ling himself was not fully fused with heaven’s mandate, and having Emperor Ling perform enclosure and zen, using heaven’s mandate to guarantee those mountains and rivers “named by immortals,” protected Da Yao’s great noble clans backed by immortal mountains. With these famous mountains guaranteed by heaven’s mandate, these great noble clans’ feng shui and auspicious qi were also stabilized accordingly. As for heaven’s mandate becoming turbulent as a result?
These noble families had already secretly mobilized family resources, cultivating local clan militias in the localities, beginning preparations to survive the chaotic times. Similar to after the Yellow Turban chaos at the end of Eastern Han Dynasty, when the court’s forces collapsed, everywhere began vigorously organizing militias.
The noble families’ hearts had already flown outside the imperial court—how could they be loyal to death to the Yao house?
The ministers: Though Mo Yan was no good, a person like him couldn’t die. Mo Yan’s existence guaranteed the local noble families’ remaining obedience to the Da Yao royal court.
What is power? It is others having needs of oneself. Power is tied to responsibility, but power does not mean fully fulfilling responsibility; those who wield power often only fulfill part of it, ensuring those who have needs of them do not give up, thereby guaranteeing power.
Now Emperor Ling’s heaven’s mandate was insufficient to enclose and zen dozens of famous mountains. But by expressing the “intent” to perform enclosure and zen, the various local noble families could continue centering on the imperial court, consolidating the court’s now scant authority.
Worth mentioning is that due to Emperor Ling’s long residence in the rear palace, the Da Yao imperial court no longer discussed “conquest” matters, and noble families everywhere had secretly negotiated cooperation plans with local prefects for protecting borders and pacifying the people.
The imperial court had already lost military power to unify under heaven; the Da Yao imperial court now only retained rights to sacrifice to heaven and bestow famous artifacts to localities.
Mo Yan was the agent for local noble families demanding famous artifacts from the imperial court.
And now, the representative speaking for the noble families had kicked the bucket inside Yao Capital? The nature of this was very serious. This was the Yao house’s inner eunuch forces declaring war on the great noble clans.
The noble families, originally somewhat at odds internally over how to divide the Yao house’s last bit of prestige, now faced with table-flipping, directly stopped talking.
…Chaotic times…
Tian You Calendar 3rd year, 10th month 10th day: With Heluo’s various prefectures trampled by troops from all sides, local immortal mountains’ spiritual veins about to be severed; the already mixed bag of numerous sect disciples began spreading seditious rumors, massive refugees fleeing into mountains to become bandits—great chaos under heaven imminent.
Local taxes began to decrease, contradictions converging upward; court ministers began to be dissatisfied with the eunuchs around Emperor Ling, and thus even more intense court struggles began.
On the 15th of the 10th month, ten ministers in the court intended to dispatch assassins to kill Su Wang, but were detected by Su Wang; these ten ministers were waist-chopped and abandoned in the east market, but when it came to exterminating their three clans, these ministers’ families had long fled.
Immediately after came rumors: The Yu family guarding the southeast for the court sheltered these court ministers. Subsequently the court sent people to urge the Yu family, but unexpectedly, the Yu family general directly admitted it, then claimed: “This is treacherous officials harming the loyal and good.”
The result was Su Wang flying into a humiliated rage, declaring Yu Prefecture in the southeast as rebels. However, Cai Prefecture happened to be close to the court; after the Cai Prefecture prefect built good relations with surrounding prefectures, he immediately marched to aid the king against traitors.
After learning of this, Xuan Chong flipped through historical records and sighed: From a military strategy perspective, directly challenging the old power center under the banner of aiding the king is often not done by the then strongest military force, but by the group closest to the hegemonic center, because geographically close, it’s easy to counterbite.
Because when Xuan Chong was checking records, he inexplicably flipped to 22nd century materials that didn’t exist in his previous life.
Namely, after the confrontation across the Tai Ta Ocean against White Eagle’s decline, the first to take its life was not the opponent across the great ocean, but the Latin-speaking group to the south.
After confirming the possible historical trajectory, a “situation map” development of the Da Yao world immediately appeared in Xuan Chong’s mind.
Among them, in the first wave of chaos of heroes contending for supremacy, the vassal lords who could reach Yao Capital in three days’ horse ride would all be passively drawn into this turmoil.
After these vassal lords’ forces were worn down, if Da Yao’s Emperor Ling line hadn’t been cut off by accident, then it would be the even more peripheral and more substantial warlords taking the stage.
“Next ten years, twenty years.” Xuan Chong calculated, his gaze involuntarily turning to the northeast corner. His big brother Wu Hengyu was there—would he not hold back and make the first move?
…Final assistance to good big brother…
End of Tian You Calendar 3rd year, heavy snow flying in the North. Wu Hengyu was in Bo Prefecture adapting to the local climate. He had a headache from being away from home.
And just then, “specialty products” were sent from the old home in the south. The escort of the specialty products was a Wu family blood relative, not a water faction member—evidently not trusting outsiders.
Wu Hengyu was very curious what Wu Fei had sent; he glanced at Xuan Chong’s handwritten letter and suddenly sat up.
What Xuan Chong sent was Prince Bo’s descendant. This 16-year-old boy, after arriving timidly with eyes downcast, secretly sized up the various generals of the former Eastern Market Army.—But no one noticed for now.
After Emperor Shu pacified Xingzhou that year, he enfeoffed Prince Bo’s descendant as King Xu Si in Lingnan. (Chapter 140)
Emperor Shu had thought back then that this Prince Bo line might never return for a lifetime.
But Emperor Shu never imagined that he couldn’t hand over power peacefully when transferring it. And of course he didn’t imagine that Emperor Ling, who could be called a wise king during his reign, after ascending would be bound tightly to a group of petty eunuchs, forced into foolishness.
Wu Hengyu was quite clear on the value of this “great gift” sent by “Wu Fei.” Once exposed to the world, “Wu Fei” would be solidly rebelling— a great crime.
Of course Wu Hengyu wouldn’t stupidly say “King Xu Si” was sent by Wu Fei.
Wu Fei was also afraid he “wouldn’t think it through,” so he plainly stated in the letter that King Xu Si had run out from under his own hand.
In Huangyu City, Wu Hengyu leaned on a tiger skin backrest, eyeing the secret letters sent by various vassal lords on the table before him—these letters all invited Wu Hengyu and his forces to join them in entering the capital to aid the king and suppress thieves.
The owners of these letters even denigrated other vassal lords to each other. And they all promised Wu Hengyu that once successful, they would share court power as brothers—evidently, the force in Wu Hengyu’s hands was a hot cake in the eyes of all vassal lords; once entering the capital, they could control deposing and enthroning, steadily suppressing all sides.
Before Xuan Chong’s gift arrived, Wu Hengyu had exactly this intention.
After all, his subordinate soldiers and generals, whether Yao Capital faction or the earliest outer surname disciples he brought, were all very speculative; if there was a chance to return to the capital, none would pass it up.
Now that he had obtained this Prince Bo line, everything was stabilized. Prince Bo’s enfeoffment was in Bo Prefecture; though after trials and tribulations, there were still massive old retainers—these old ministers might not be loyal to King Xu Si, but they would tend to use the “Prince Bo” line’s claim to impact Da Yao’s highest power.
In the first stage of ambitionists clashing, they wouldn’t rush to purge the dynasty’s imperial descendants, but use imperial descendants as “property deeds,” proclaiming legitimacy. Previously Wu Hengyu’s subordinates were restless because Bo Prefecture had long been in warfare, basically without outer relatives closely tied to Emperor Shu’s descendants.
So previously, though Bo Prefecture was militarily strong, it couldn’t grab the property deed. It had to cooperate with vassal lords from other regions.
Now Xuan Chong had sent the most matching property deed for Wu Hengyu’s subordinate forces; Emperor Ling’s ascension had legal issues. This Prince Bo line could claim extremely high “legitimacy content.”
Of course, exposing this card prematurely would make all sides wary. Wu Hengyu only revealed this matter to a few most trusted people.
…Power gears turning…
After discussing with his internal group, Wu Hengyu returned to the family secret chamber, grabbed Wu Hong’s hand, and asked: “He’s in the south, and reportedly fell out with my sect.”
Wu Hong was embarrassed, because Wu Hengyu also came from Qinghua Sect, so he repeatedly explained for Xuan Chong: “Our family’s military master did it for the common people under heaven out of necessity.”
Wu Hengyu stared at him, sighed, and said to this Wu family disciple: “Go back and tell him to take good care of himself.”
Wu Hengyu roughly guessed why Wu Fei sent such a good card over—he couldn’t use it himself.
Wu Hong replied: “General Yu, the military master said he probably won’t go north again in this lifetime; you’re different from him—you aspire to all directions, bound to make a great career in this world!”
Wu Hengyu’s hand slightly tightened! Evidently he heard that Wu Fei was drawing a clear line with him, ensuring the west Wu family’s offending sects didn’t affect Wu Hengyu’s venture here. But this separation into two places made Wu Hengyu sad. In just a few short years, his father was gone, and his good little brother (Wu Fei) was also trapped in the south.
At this time, Wu Hengyu wasn’t annoyed that Wu Fei had seized the family military master position upon returning home.
Yu Li had once pointed out to him that Wu Fei taking over Wu Hanluan’s matters upon returning would inevitably fall out with the world’s sects.
Sure enough, in this half year he directly offended the world’s sects, to preserve the Wu family’s foundation in Chong Land, making those self-proclaimed prestigious sects suffer such great losses.
Wu Hengyu looked at Wu Hong, waiting for him to say more.
After hesitating, Wu Hong said: “The military master said, you are heaven-granted divine valor, but heaven’s mandate is inconstant; if one day, you, you, encounter great calamity in battle, don’t charge forward alone bravely—you can return home to regroup.” (Wu Hengyu was too proud; the phrase “whole army annihilated” couldn’t be said.)
Hearing this, Wu Hengyu laughed heartily, then patted the trembling Wu Hong: “Tell him, if one day I ascend the golden platform, when setting the banquet, I’ll leave a seat for him.”
End of Tian You Calendar 3rd year, Zhao Cheng was appointed Great General of Hao State, entering the hall with sword and shoes on. He did two things internally.
First: Betroth his just four-year-old daughter to the eight-year-old new king as queen. Grasping the ritual law of the state lord’s heirs succeeding the country in his own hands.
Second: Vet the officials coming from the east, selecting talented individuals from their clans into the army, thus handling merit-based military allocation centered on himself.
If not for considering Pu E, he would go further and demand the new Hao state lord enfeoff him as duke.
Zhao Cheng also left forces in the court to guard against Pu E; in his previous life, he died at a woman’s bamboo troops’ hands—this life he was enlightened, wouldn’t underestimate women.
In the bronze great hall, after arranging his old tax subordinates well, Zhao Cheng began sending people to rectify important tax collection, food and grass stockpiling, civilian governance, and other work.
At the North Pole, Pu E looked at Zhao Cheng whose loyalty had dropped below ten percent, sighed: “History’s ladder is like this; when a shrewd one in a role position begins exploiting others’ trust, then shrewd ones appearing in another role position will, based on the precedent of the former’s ‘dishonesty,’ start preemptively guarding.”
