After making up his mind.
Xu Qingnian stayed in the inn to rest and did not go out.
She only occasionally called out to the junior to prepare some food.
He also instructed not to spread the news of his presence at the inn.
The pa*sionate readers outside the inn increased rather than decreased, perhaps hunger marketing is what it means.
The more invisible they are, the more they are sought after.
It was night.
Xu Qingnian took advantage of the thickening night and climbed out of the window once more.
He was leaving the Southern Region’s capital and going back to Ping’an County.
It would be some time before the government examinations were unveiled, and as he had already entered the rank, a round trip of ten days was perfectly sufficient.
Li Guangxin’s banquet was also to be set up after the unveiling of the results of the government exams.
Therefore, during this period of time, it was perfectly possible for him to make a trip back.
The purpose of going back was simple.
To make a copy of the book that Wu Yan had handed to him.
It was not too difficult, only a few things were needed, and it was available in Nan Yu Prefecture and also in Ping An County.
But the corresponding materials could definitely be found out if purchased in South Yufu, and it was not a bad thing to be cautious.
It would be better to go to Ping’an County.
Furthermore, the main thing is not this, but to solve the secret.
The small booklet that Wu Yan handed to himself, why did the words [Ping’an County] show up.
And what was the meaning of the phrase ‘The light of the bright moon on the Bright Moon Mountain, the karma is in the yin and yang’?
Where is the Bright Moon Mountain? Ping’an County has never heard of the name of this mountain.
What did the phrase ‘The Fate is in the yin and the yang’ mean?
Xu Qingnian had no clue about the Bright Moon Mountain.
But for the second phrase, Karma is self contained in yin and yang, Xu Qingnian had some understanding.
Either it was an artefact, a yin and a yang, or it was a foreign art, a yin and a yang.
The foreign art that Wu Yan cultivated was the Taiyin Pulse Condensation Art, and the one he came to Ping’an County for was the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art.
One yin and one yang, extremely compatible.
But two questions arose.
Firstly, how did Wu Yan know that there was a Golden Crow Body Tempering Art in Ping’an County.
Second, why would there be a Golden Crow Body Tempering Art in the tiny Ping’an County.
These two points had not occurred to Xu Qingnian before, but now after slowly unfolding the matter, many doubts had emerged.
What is a foreign art?
Something that was universally forbidden by the dynasty’s Immortal Sects, which only required a price to be paid to gain incredible power.
Such a thing could not reasonably be found in a small county like Ping’an, could it?
And how could Ping’an County have a collection of magic?
If these two points were not clearly explained, it would be somewhat difficult to reason on.
“No matter what, let’s go to Ping’an County first.”
The night was thick.
Xu Qingnian disappeared within the South Yufu, he had a warrant from Li Xin, leaving the South Yufu was not a difficult task.
As for whether Cheng Lidong would follow him.
Xu Qingnian could be sure that he would not follow him.
He had already explained to Li Xin to keep an eye on Cheng Lidong, and Li Xin’s father, Li Guangxin, was now completely on the same side as himself.
The emperor’s reward is due to whom, Li Guangxin could not possibly not know.
Therefore, Li Guangxin hopes that Cheng Lidong will not trouble Xu Qingnian.
Even if he was discovered, it would not be a big deal if he left the South Yufu, and no one would restrict his personal freedom.
But if Cheng Lidong disappeared, then don’t blame Li Guangxin for looking for him.
On balance, Cheng Lidong would not follow him.
Of course, if Cheng Lidong was willing to risk being sacked, it was not impossible for him to come over.
But even if Cheng Lidong came along, Xu Qingnian was not afraid.
Cheng Lidong would not dare to touch himself.
The court regards him as a good talent, and if anything happens to him, Li Guangxin will be the first to storm out, and if Cheng Lidong can’t produce evidence that he has been staying at the South Yufu, then he will definitely die.
Even if Cheng Lidong is not the one who is looking for trouble, he will still have to die.
Cheng Lidong is a man with ambition.
He definitely wouldn’t dare to act recklessly either.
Xu Qingnian liked this kind of person, who at least abided by the rules.
Midnight.
Xu Qingnian disappeared into the night.
Half a quarter of an hour later.
At the city gate, a figure stood on the city wall.
It was Cheng Lidong’s figure.
Under the moonlight, Cheng Lidong looked at Xu Qingnian, who had disappeared into the night, and fell into deep thought.
He had been secretly following Xu Qingnian ever since she left the courtyard, and although he could not see her every move, he still knew her whereabouts.
But now that Xu Qingnian had left the Nan Yu Mansion, he was torn for a full half an hour.
In that half an hour, he had thought about many things.
If he continued to follow Xu Qingnian, he would definitely be dismissed by Li Guangxin.
In fact, it did not matter if he was dismissed, if there was something to be gained, even if he did not become an official.
But the question was, would Xu Qingnian cooperate with him?
The answer is no.
Can one use strong-arm tactics?
Yes.
But if you do, you won’t end up in a good position either.
Xu Qingnian’s fame is too great. In just a month’s time, he has transformed from a mole on the ground to a giant.
If he dared to touch Xu Qingnian, I was afraid that he would immediately become a felon of the court, and a felon of felons, and that the literati of the world would not spare him.
At that time, even if they got something, what could they do?
Will he spend his life on the run from the chase?
And how long could one escape?
But to just let Xu Qingnian go unchecked?
Taking a deep breath.
Cheng Lidong shook his head, there was no way he could let Xu Qingnian go unchecked, he was bound to get the Martial Emperor’s Relic Treasure.
But it was time for a different tactic.
And at that very moment.
The Great Wei Palace.
Deep within the imperial palace.
Inside the Hall of the Raising Heart.
A voice rang out.
“Your Majesty, the absolute article has been delivered.”
A pleasant voice rang out.
An article appeared in the Great Hall.
“Present it.”
The Great Wei Empress’ voice was very calm.
The article that was soon laid on the floor, windless, floated in front of her.
On the dragon chair.
The Empress of Great Wei did not show any excitement about this supreme article, instead she was calm.
There is no other reason than that there are only two kinds of articles in the world, the intention and the national foundation, if it is the intention, then there is nothing more to say, the Great Wei does not need spiritual food now.
If it is the intention, then there is nothing more to say.
So she didn’t have any hope for this article.
But it was still important to read it.
It is hard to find an essay that can be recognised by heaven and earth, and as the Emperor, it is impossible for her to ignore the fact that Wei has produced a miraculous talent.
Whether it was to her liking or not was secondary.
The main thing is whether it is useful or not.
Thinking of this, the empress waved her hand, her beautiful eyes fell on the article and began to read it carefully.
This was the respect due to a superb article.
[The Great Wei An Guo Policy]
The first time I saw the first emperor, I was in the middle of seven northern expeditions, but people’s livelihoods were withered and starvation was widespread.
Just one glance.
The empress’ gaze could not be retracted.
She watched it carefully, taking more care with each word, without glancing at it.
Time pa*sed little by little.
This Empress of Great Wei, her expression gradually changed.
From calm at the beginning, to astonishment at the back, and then to shock at the end.
The empress’s gaze was fixed dead on this supreme article.
She had not expected that this supreme article would be so sharp, writing out the entirety of the Great Wei Dynasty’s current dilemma.
It was simply unbelievable.
There were some old foxes who understood what was going on in the imperial court, but for the world’s readers, if they hadn’t been involved in it, it would be difficult to know a thing or two at all.
For example, Wei is short of money, but why is there a shortage of money and what are the reasons for it?
How many people know? Without being in the court, there is no way to know, and even some of the officials do not realise what the crisis in the Great Wei is.
But this article has written out all the problems of Wei at the moment.
Not only has it been written, but it is also the kind of article that hits the nail on the head.
She could not avoid it even if she wanted to.
But what really shocked her was not the questions raised.
Who can’t ask questions when the court is full of civil servants?
What really shocked her was the problem-solving.
The answer to the problem is found in this An Guo policy, and the answer is even more refreshing.
The Great Wei Money Bank.
Gather the people’s money for their benefit.
The arguments are even more shocking to this female emperor.
For example, the construction of roads in rich villages.
As the emperor of the Great Wei, she could not fail to understand that only economic trade could facilitate the circulation of silver and silver could create tax revenue.
And all sorts of trade could not be done without transport, no matter how cheap something was, it would become expensive through transport.
If the roads could be built, the cost of transport would be greatly reduced, the price of buying would still be cheaper, and the sellers would reduce the cost of transport, reducing the price of it and selling it at a lower profit, so that there would be a lot of people buying and selling.
And for Wei, every sale was a tax.
But the question arises, who will build the roads?
Will the people pay for the roads themselves?
If they were so aware, Wei would have been unified long ago.
So the only way to build a road was for the court to allocate funds.
It cost tens of thousands of taels of silver to build an official road.
However, when the official road was open, the transport costs were reduced and the people did make a profit.
But a big question came up, how long would it take for the local area to collect 10,000 taels of tax?
And after the local magistrates have the silver, they can’t be living in misery, can they?
The various supporting expenses were several thousand taels of silver, and because of this, the previous emperor killed a number of corrupt officials.
But this is not the problem, the real problem is.
The real problem is that the pilot test can be done, but it is not possible to spread it nationwide.
There is no other reason.
There was no money.
One county could build a road for 10,000 taels of silver.
Ten counties would be 100,000 taels of silver.
How can we have so much money and silver?
And that’s just to build the roads. It’s not possible to take the treasury clean just to build the roads, is it?
This is obviously not possible.
But this article mentioned two points that forced the Empress of Great Wei to be shocked.
The money was taken from the people and used for the people. The people’s money was deposited in the Great Wei money bank, which lent the silver to the various prefectures to develop trade.
If the local officials were corrupt, they would be executed on the spot, and if the people took advantage of the situation, they would be severely punished, and would not be allowed to enter the imperial examinations, business or the military for three generations.
These two points were the finishing touches.
It is true that the treasury of the Great Wei had no money.
But the establishment of a money bank allowed the people to dutifully deposit their silver and then use the money to build up Great Wei.
If the local county government did not pay back the money when it was due, they would be investigated thoroughly and killed for corruption. If the people earned silver but could not pay the taxes, they would not be allowed to enter the military for three generations.
This was a harsh enough punishment.
The punishment was harsh enough.
It was a bit harsh.
But it was an extraordinary law for an extraordinary time.
Perhaps this will lead to some injustice, but for a dynasty to sacrifice a small group of people for the majority, it is worth it.
“Good!”
A startled voice rang out.
The woman kneeling in the Hall of the Nurtured Heart could not help but reveal her astonishment.
The Hall of the Raised Heart.
As a good word rang out.
For a moment, the women in the hall could not help but reveal their shock.
The empress on the dragon chair was not as simple as she thought, to be more precise, as her maid, Li Wan’er could not understand the empress’ nature.
Sometimes she thought that the empress was very talkative and seemed to have no heart.
At other times, however, the empress was as deep as the sea and could see through everything with a single glance, so she had to be careful in all aspects when serving the emperor.
She had never heard of the empress looking like this before, no matter what.
For a moment, Li Wan’er was a little curious.
“Great Wei has really produced a genius for the ages.”
Exclaims rang out again.
It was the Empress’s voice.
This kind of appreciation caused Li Wan’er’s expression to change once again.
It was true that exceptional writings were rare, but that did not mean that there were none in Wei.
What kind of article was it that could make the Empress praise it so much? And what exactly had been written in the article?
She did not know.
But she would like to know.
The most remarkable article was presented to His Majesty first, and then the great scholars read it, but only after His Majesty had finished reading it.
Otherwise it would be a great disrespect.
“Pa*s on my decree.”
“The most outstanding articles are sealed in the Palace of Literature, and may not be read without my approval.”
The Empress’s voice rang out, giving a decree.
“Obey the decree.”
This was the third time Li Wan’er had been shocked.
It was only logical that after His Majesty had read the supreme article, the great scholars of the Palace of Literature should have read it one after another, but what was unexpected was that it was ordered that no one would be allowed to read it?
What exactly was written in this article?
Who is this Xu Qingnian?
Who was this person that His Majesty thought so highly of?
Doubts appeared in her mind, but Li Wan’er knew one thing very well.
This Xu Qingnian was someone she could make close friends with.
It was true that she was a lady-in-waiting, but she also needed to secure her position, and many people in the court respected her because she was the person closest to His Majesty.
But accompanying the king is like accompanying a tiger, and it is possible that one day she will be abandoned by His Majesty.
Emperors are merciless.
It is not just a matter of words, so if someone can please His Majesty, she will more or less pay attention to them.
The fact that Xu Qingnian was so appreciated by the empress was proof that the empress appreciated Xu Qingnian, and looking at this, it was definitely not a simple appreciation.
So this Xu Qingnian, she needed to make deep friends.
“Your Majesty, since you like this article so much, why don’t you just send this Xu Qingnian directly to the capital?”
Li Wan’er spoke up and said so.
“En, declare my decree that Xu Qingnian tops the list of the Great Wei Provincial Examination, declare him to enter the capital.”
The empress gave the decree.
Just for a moment, before Li Wan’er could respond.
The Empress’s voice rang out again.
“No.”
“Do not declare him into the capital.”
“Pa*s on my decree, Xu Qingnian is the first in the provincial examinations, but only because his essay is excellent and his intention is virtuous, but the Great Wei already has Zhu Sheng’s intention, and although his essay is good, it is not practical.”
“In order to avoid a dispute over the intention and shake the foundation of the country, these essays should be sealed for the time being, and should only be read when the country is at peace.”
Her voice rang out.
It seemed extremely serious.
But these words caused Li Wan’er to frown a little.
She had not read the article presented to her, nor did she dare to read it, but from the way the empress had acted just now, she could tell that it was definitely not an essay of intent.
Her Majesty would not have been so pleased with it.
And the sudden change of tone left her puzzled.
Protection?
Li Wan’er instantly perceived the empress’ meaning.
She was protecting Xu Qingnian.
It seemed like a suppression, two lightly spoken words that belittled Xu Qingnian’s article.
But in reality, she was protecting Xu Qingnian.
But why was she protecting Xu Qingnian?
What exactly had been written in this article? Could it make His Majesty change his mind?
Li Wan’er was pondering, she could not think of an answer.
However, the Great Wei Empress’ voice slowly rang out.
“Don’t think too much about things that have nothing to do with you.”
The simple words immediately made Li Wan’er’s face turn white.
“Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”
Li Wan’er lowered her head and pressed her head to the ground.
“Go.”
Still two faint words, at that moment Li Wan’er did not allow for any hesitation and directly got up to leave.
When Li Wan’er had left.
On the dragon chair.
The Empress of Great Wei’s gaze once again fell on the article.
Although the article was good, there were many points that needed to be discussed in detail, and she knew perfectly well that Xu Qingnian was a great talent.
It was even said to be too much to her liking.
She could not wait to meet him today, but she knew better than to summon Xu Qingnian.
There was no other reason.
Nowadays, there are dark currents in the imperial court, and they are fighting to the death.
But that doesn’t mean that it will necessarily be accepted by the ministers, even if it is a superb article, those who should not be convinced will still not be convinced.
If you reappoint Xu Qingnian directly and implement the money bank in a bold way, you can be a*sured that something big will happen.
And Xu Qingnian will also be unlucky, very unlucky.
Once a person like Xu Qingnian, who has no roots, offends someone, it is not a small matter.
Of course one could completely protect Xu Qingnian, as long as one didn’t nod, naturally no one would dare to touch him.
But the question is.
Is Xu Qingnian worthy of his own protection?
Just because of an An Guo policy?
If Xu Qingnian’s enemies were the entire dynasty, would an An Guo Ce be worthy of being protected with all one’s might?
The interests.
Power and conspiracy.
The checks and balances.
Who can guarantee that Xu Qingnian will be willing to follow his own heart?
And how can one guarantee that Xu Qingnian is not a corrupter?
There are many unstable factors in every matter.
And as a qualified emperor, one must not be in a hurry. One must be patient and look at the situation and weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.
That is why she did not rush to summon Xu Qingnian to the capital.
Instead, she put forward the peaceful policy of developing the economy as an essay on the foundations of the state.
In this way, to the literati of the world, Xu Qingnian’s reputation was a little higher.
But for the court officials, the danger was much less.
To them, an article of establishment would not affect them at all, whereas if it was an article that was sufficient to change the foundation of the state, it would be no small matter.
“Xu Qingnian.”
“I look forward to meeting you.”
The soft voice rang out.
A decree soon spread throughout Kyoto.
Zhu Sheng Wen Gong was the first to receive the decree, and all the great scholars were waiting for His Majesty to read the chapter.
Yet when the decree fell, it led to a wave of confusion.
No one would have thought that this was an essay of intent, let alone that His Majesty would seal it and forbid its disclosure.
His Majesty’s decree was more important than anything else, and these great scholars could not read it, even if they were reluctant to do so.
This was a courtesy of the ruler and his subjects, and it would be a grave sin to transgress it.
“An essay of intent! How can someone in this world produce an essay of intent?”
“This is a masterpiece. Could it be that another sage is about to emerge from the world?”
“Zhu Sheng’s intention is the basis of all writers in the world, and now there is a new one.
“No, the meaning of Zhu Sheng has been studied by many Confucians and Taoists over the past five hundred years, and has been constantly simplified and modified, so no matter how much it is interpreted, it cannot produce a masterpiece.”
“Then why is that?”
“To be recognised by heaven and earth, or to be a supreme essay, could it be that he has a new intention?”
Inside the Palace of Literature, the great scholars gathered together, they frowned, after all, when they learnt that this supreme essay was a chapter of intention, they were naturally filled with curiosity.
The reason for their curiosity was that, with Zhu Sheng’s intention, it was impossible for a new intention to appear under the sky.
There are essays of intent every year, but it is almost impossible for them to be recognised by heaven and earth as a masterpiece.
If there is one, it means that the new idea is not weaker than Zhu Sheng’s idea, or even …… surpa*ses the Zhu Sheng Li Yi.
“This is even more unlikely, the Vermilion Saint’s intent is the best intent of the ancient and modern worlds, and it is unlikely that a new intent will appear in the next ten thousand years, unless the nature of man changes and the god of things changes.”
“En, Zhu Sheng is the fifth generation of saints, and it has only been five hundred years since then, so how could there be a new intention?
“But since Your Majesty has spoken so, we should not think too much about it and do as Your Majesty says.”
Many great scholars spoke up and denied it outright.
But without having read the article, they didn’t dare to be completely sure of anything, except that the faith in the saints in their hearts made them think that this was a tactic of His Majesty.
As for what the means was, they couldn’t care less.
Anyway, there was no new standpoint.
Of course there was nothing, and what was said was still said, and what His Majesty said, they did.
When the time is ripe, the truth will come out.
“I hope that, as we suspect, this is just something else on His Majesty’s mind, and if there is really another intention, it will be a good thing for the world, and not a good thing.”
“The battle over the establishment of the will is better than the battle over the foundation of the country for us literati, and affects not one country, but the whole world.
Some people spoke out, full of emotion.
They hoped that there were other reasons for this, and that it was not a stand-up piece.
Otherwise, it would lead to real trouble.
After all, when a new stance emerges, it is no less, if not more, in the eyes of the literati than the battle for the state capital.
Nowadays, 90% of the literati in the world believe in Zhu Sheng’s ideology.
The sudden emergence of a new ideology that overturned Zhu Sheng’s ideology would be a huge problem, and the disunity of the literati would have more than a little impact.
And so it was.
As soon as the dawn arrived.
The imperial decree spread throughout the whole of Great Wei, and all the counties and provinces were the first to be notified.
And this decree instantly exploded among the literati.
In contrast to the calm contemplation of the Confucians, the literati of the world were not so calm.
The literati of the world were not so calm.
All at once, various versions of the rumour spread.
Some claimed that Xu Qingnian had honoured Zhu Sheng, perfectly interpreting his meaning and showing more respect to Xu Qingnian.
However, others claimed that Xu Qingnian had interpreted a new meaning, had self-perceptions, and had the qualifications of a saint, causing countless literati to be curious and shocked.
This is all well and good, but there are also some who say that Xu Qingnian defied Zhu Sheng, created a new meaning, overturned Zhu Sheng’s meaning, disrespected the sages and was arrogant and arrogant.
However, there were not many people in this section.
All in all, Xu Qingnian was really famous this time around.
Many people were already speculating what kind of article Xu Qingnian would write.
Now the court has given the answer.
It was an essay of intent.
It was like a stone falling into an ancient pond.
The only difference is.
This stone.
It is a meteorite.
