Sheng Fu

Chapter 1137 Political Discussion (Initial)

In the early morning, a thin mist enveloped the entire capital.

Inside the study, Yuwen Jun groggily opened his eyes. He had slept very soundly. After gently rubbing his eyes, he realized that Jing Peiyao was standing opposite him, looking at him with affection.

"It's time to prepare for the morning court session," Jing Peiyao gently reminded him.

Jing Peiyao wore a black and gold long dress, exuding a dignified and noble demeanor.

Yuwen Jun then came to his senses, got up and stretched. A dazzling burst of chaotic imperial energy shone from his body, making him look brand new. The dust on his sleeves and back was gone.

“Actually, there’s still time to have breakfast. What do you think?” Jing Peiyao said softly.

Yuwen Jun shook his head and said, "Never mind, I don't have an appetite right now. Let's go to Hongyanlou for a good meal after the morning court session."

Jing Peiyao smiled faintly. Whenever Yuwen Jun was about to do something important, he would choose not to eat breakfast. A proper sense of hunger would make a person more energetic.

Before leaving, Yuwen Jun took a reluctant look at the black unicorn's former kennel, wondering where the banner Zhang Benchu ​​had given him had gone.

After pushing open the courtyard gate.

Then they saw all the members of the Enforcement Hall of Bailu Academy, as well as Li Xiunian, Kang Changzhi, the Second Elder, the First Elder and other key figures of Bailu Academy, all present.

Just as Yuwen Jun was about to speak, he saw everyone kneel down and bow in respect, saying, "Welcome, Your Highness Yuwen."

Yuwen Jun was slightly dazed; this scene was unexpected.

“They were all here when I arrived,” Jing Peiyao replied softly.

Yuwen Jun felt a warmth in his heart. Gu Yong was not there, but there were still many people in Bailu Academy, and these people also had great hopes for him.

"Greetings!" Yuwen Jun returned the greeting with utmost respect.

In their minds, Yuwen Jun was the Third Elder's prized student, while Jing Peiyao was the Dean's direct descendant.

Although they are still very young.

However, both of them came from Bailu Academy and were prominent figures of their time.

The couple exchanged a glance and then vanished from everyone's sight in an instant.

Upon seeing this, everyone from Bailu Academy smiled knowingly, feeling a sense of sudden enlightenment.

"This gloomy sky will eventually have to be torn apart by the young people themselves," Kang Changzhi said with a sigh.

……

The main entrance to the palace.

The couple traversed the void to arrive, and the captains of the imperial guards at the gate bowed deeply to welcome them into the palace.

Yuwen Jun and Jing Peiyao walked slowly.

“Although we have attended banquets together in the capital before, this is the first time we have participated in the morning court so solemnly,” Yuwen Jun suddenly said with a smile.

Jing Peiyao said, "Actually, I don't like attending court. People who attend court always give the impression of being very old."

Yuwen Jun grinned and said, "That's true. Today, you and I are the youngest people in the court."

The two walked with steady and light steps, when suddenly a shout came from behind them.

"Wait for me."

Yuwen Jun and Jing Peiyao turned around and realized that it was the Prime Minister who had arrived.

Qiu Qing was dressed in a purple official robe from the Prime Minister's residence, embroidered with a unicorn totem. In order to catch up with the two young people, she had to jog all the way, looking no different from an ordinary elder.

Yuwen Jun decisively teleported forward, grabbed Qiu Qing's left hand, and said, "What a coincidence! I thought that the Prime Minister, with his high position and great power, would enter the court amidst expectant and awe-inspiring gazes, but I didn't expect you to arrive so early."

Qiu Qing immediately laughed and said, "Don't talk nonsense. I've always been very modest and never dare to put on airs with others."

As they spoke, Jing Peiyao came to Qiu Qing's side, nodded slightly in greeting, and then took Qiu Qing's right hand.

With two young men flanking her on either side, Qiu Qing's face immediately lit up with joy.

However, the two had only taken a few steps when another voice came from behind.

"Wait for me!"

Turning around, I saw Pu Weiqing arriving, dressed in a dark gold official robe embroidered with python patterns.

Yuwen Jun, Qiu Qing, and Jing Peiyao were overjoyed.

Seeing this, Qiu Qing immediately said with an annoyed look, "You're not a high-ranking official in the court. How can a mere dean participate in the morning court session?"

Upon hearing this, the Dean scoffed and said, "Don't talk nonsense. My python robe is in no way inferior to your qilin robe. It may be slightly inferior, but we are both of the same rank."

"But you, with people supporting you from both sides, aren't you ashamed of yourself at your age?"

Qiu Qing pouted and said, "What do I have to be embarrassed about? You've taken advantage of them so many times. Your Bailu Academy always uses their achievements to glorify itself. Don't think I don't know."

Pu Weiqing was immediately enraged, his beard bristling and eyes wide with fury. He said angrily, "You can't insult someone by revealing their weaknesses! If you keep doing this, I'm going to lose my temper."

Qiu Qing sneered, "Do you really think you still have the nerve to turn your back on me?"

Upon hearing this, Pu Weiqing fell silent, unsure of how to respond.

Seeing the two bickering, Yuwen Jun burst into hearty laughter.

Pu Weiqing quickly seized the opportunity to add, "See? The young people are all laughing."

Qiu Qing then changed the subject, saying, "You shouldn't have come today."

Pu Weiqing feigned smugness and said, "But I still came."

Qiu Qing replied, "You still have time to leave now."

Pu Weiqing smiled and said, "Bailu Academy is still the orthodox human race. No matter when or where, Nanling Academy will always be inferior to Bailu Academy."

"This truth has been deliberately forgotten by many people. Today, I want to make all living beings realize again that Bailu Academy is superior to Nanling Academy."

"The vision and attitude of the students of Bailu Academy are one of the directions of the general trend of the human race."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Qing said demurely, "You've been hiding your true intentions well, pulling this trick out of the blue all of a sudden."

Pu Weiqing laughed and said, "This is a very simple principle. Because it is too simple, it is often overlooked. I am just bringing it up again."

As he spoke, Pu Weiqing patted the Prime Minister's shoulder with a slight force.

The python and the qilin were originally ranked together in the imperial court.

At this moment, Qiu Qing released Yuwen Jun and Jing Peiyao's hands, and then took Pu Weiqing's hand.

Before I knew it, I had crossed the Imperial Square, entered the long corridor, and passed through three more corridors before arriving at the entrance of the Golden Palace, where a familiar face was standing.

When the Imperial Advisor Li Hongshan saw the two old men and the two young men arrive, he smiled and bowed, saying, "The four of you have finally arrived. I no longer need to wait at the door."

"The only people worthy of my personal welcome are the four of you."

Qiu Qing glanced at Li Hongshan and tentatively asked in a soft voice, "If the others come and don't see the Grand Preceptor, wouldn't that disappoint them?"

Li Hongshan sneered and said, "They can come or not, it's best if they don't come today."

A burst of laughter erupted at the entrance of the Golden Palace.

"Well said, well said," Yuwen Jun exclaimed in praise.

Then, the five of them entered the Golden Palace together.

Inside the main hall, the aura of crape myrtle surged, creating a sacred and solemn atmosphere.

Apart from the officials on duty maintaining order at the scene, only five people, including Yuwen Jun, have arrived so far.

Li Hongshan then led Yuwen Jun and the other three to the left front of the main hall, where four spacious and comfortable chairs were already prepared.

“Everyone else stands to attend court, but you can sit here today. His Majesty hasn’t arrived yet, so let’s have a cup of tea first,” Li Hongshan said tactfully.

The group took their seats one after another, with Lord Qiuqing sitting at the front, followed closely by Pu Weiqing, and then Yuwen Jun and Jing Peiyao.

Li Hongshan personally poured tea and water for the group, and said with a smile, "It's a pity that I have to stand by His Majesty's side later to await orders, otherwise I would like to sit with you all and have a good drink of tea in this Golden Palace."

Yuwen Jun jokingly said, "Then you can try sitting with us and drinking tea instead of standing next to His Majesty."

Li Hongshan repeatedly clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Your Highness, please be careful with your words, Your Highness, please be careful with your words..."

Just as Yuwen Jun was about to burst into laughter, footsteps sounded at the entrance of the main hall.

Minister of Personnel Qi Yunliang walked at the front, but his expression was somewhat unnatural, because behind him were Bai Xiaowei, Shen Jun, and Gu Yue.

At least in terms of this positioning, it seems that the Minister of Personnel is leading three supreme masters to court. It's unclear whether this was intentional on Bai Xiaowei's part, meant to scare people.

Upon entering the main hall, Qi Yunliang saw several more important figures and could only pretend to be calm and composed as he bowed and greeted them.

Unfortunately, there were too many powerful experts present, which put the Minister of Personnel under considerable pressure.

Bai Xiaowei also took the initiative to bow and greet Qiu Qing and Pu Weiqing, saying, "Greetings, Your Excellencies."

The two nodded slightly, and when Yuwen Jun saw the three of them appear at the same time, he secretly transmitted his voice to Pu Weiqing and Qiu Qing beside him: "These three will be the core of the cabinet."

"The cabinet will also be established today, and all three members are Wuji powerhouses."

Pu Weiqing's heart sank. Qiu Qing, who was standing to the side, also looked at Bai Xiaowei, Shen Jun, and Gu Yue with great appreciation.

Footsteps could be heard one after another at the entrance of the main hall.

Xie Yiming, Fu Cheng, Yang Yu, Ji Jian, and other civil and military officials took the stage one after another.

The once empty hall gradually became crowded.

In the past, before His Majesty arrived at the morning court, officials would whisper among themselves, discussing current affairs or other inappropriate matters.

Today, although there are many people in the Golden Palace, it is unusually deserted.

Ji Jian, Yang Yu, and the others also pretended to remain silent and did not communicate with those around them.

Yuwen Jun, Qiu Qing, and the others also leisurely drank their tea.

The political situation in the court is clear at a glance.

Xie Yiming and Fu Cheng stood side by side, their expressions not relaxed but still relatively natural. Xie Yiming whispered, "We'll give our suggestions later, and we'll decide based on the circumstances."

"Dean, Prime Minister Bai Xiaowei, Shen Jun, and Gu Yue are all experts of the Wuji realm. We must be careful."

"Although Ji Jian is a Wuji expert, he cannot stand alone."

“In terms of momentum, we have already gained the upper hand.” Fu Cheng was also aware of this, and replied softly with his head down, “Understood. The two of us will only do practical things, and we can just add some embellishment to the verbal battles.”

Xie Yiming smiled knowingly and said, "The Northern King is indeed quick-witted and understands things immediately."

Fu Cheng smiled without saying a word, but a hint of murderous intent towards Yang Yu, Han Jing, and the others flashed deep in his eyes.

Suddenly, a surge of holy light erupted within the main hall.

Li Hongshan stood in front of the throne and shouted, "His Majesty has arrived!"

Then, amidst much anticipation, His Majesty the Emperor appeared in full regalia, with the Emperor's Sword at his waist, and sat steadily on the supreme throne.

"Long live your majesty!"

"Long live your majesty!"

"Long live your majesty!"

The courtiers kowtowed in welcome, while Yuwen Jun, Pu Weiqing, Qiu Qing, and Jing Peiyao stood up and bowed in greeting.

The Emperor's eyes were deep and burning, like a raging sea under the blazing sun.

"Rise!" the Emperor said thoughtfully.

The officials rose one after another, and Li Hongshan shouted, "The morning court session begins!"

A solemn silence fell over the hall. Just as Yuwen Jun was about to step forward to present the petition written in blood by tens of thousands of people, the Emperor spoke first. He looked at Yuwen Jun and, feigning ignorance of the details, asked in a deep voice, "Minister Yuwen, I heard that you presided over a North-South meeting a few days ago. I wonder what the outcome was?"

Seeing that His Majesty had taken the initiative to speak, Yuwen Jun came to the front of the hall, cupped his hands and replied loudly: "Your Majesty, the North-South talks went smoothly. Afterwards, the Shuanglong Prefecture will be established to build a new North-South trade network. The North-South river is an inevitable trend."

"However, the wave of new policies is intensifying."

"On a whim, I asked heroes and common people from all walks of life if they were willing to support the implementation of the new policy. Both the common people and the heroes readily agreed and left behind a petition written in blood by ten thousand people. Today I bring this petition to Your Majesty for your perusal."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor's lips curled up slightly as he said, "Is this really the case? Let me see it immediately."

Then Yuwen Jun opened the spatial artifact and immediately felt golden light emanating from the hall. Upon seeing this, Li Hongshan quickly waved his sleeve and shrunk the ten-thousand-foot-long golden paper to a diameter of nine feet.

Upon seeing the densely packed, blood-red characters, His Majesty the Human Emperor frowned slightly and said with deep emotion, "The new policies were devised by you, my esteemed minister, in the Divine Realm. Now, in the three city-states of Frostmoon City, Taicang City, and Vast Expanse City, both human and divine people live in harmony, with stable order and enlightened politics. Although the territory is small, trade is gradually showing signs of prosperity. I have read the details of the new policies, and I greatly admire them."

Yuwen Jun felt a surge of secret pleasure, not expecting His Majesty to make the point so clear.

"Given the current situation, the new policy is truly a great plan that benefits the country and its people. I beseech Your Majesty to implement the new policy to fulfill the wishes of all the people!" Yuwen Jun bowed deeply and shouted.

Upon hearing this, the hall fell into complete silence; you could hear a pin drop.

The emperor was also deep in thought when suddenly, Wang Heng quickly stepped forward, knelt in the center of the hall, kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have objections to the new policies."

When the Emperor saw Wang Heng rushing forward first, a hint of disdain flashed in the depths of his eyes. It seemed that Wang Changsheng's title of Righteous King had been wasted.

"Please speak freely, my dear minister," the Emperor readily agreed.

Wang Heng then raised his head and said with a serious expression, "In my opinion, the new policy can only be implemented in the land of the gods, and absolutely cannot be implemented in the territory of the human race."

"Our human race has existed for countless years to achieve this flourishing state of both literature and martial arts. If the new policies are implemented now, it will inevitably lead to instability and the rise of those with treacherous ambitions."

"Moreover, the new policy itself is of illegitimate origin and cannot be considered the legitimate successor of the human race."

"Humans have always respected orthodoxy. If we resort to unorthodox methods, it will be even more difficult to win people's hearts, leading to widespread panic and resentment. I urge Your Majesty to consider this carefully."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor remained calm and asked, "In my opinion, the implementation of the new policies is indeed a good thing. However, I wonder what your opinion is on the orthodox approach?"

Wang Heng raised his head again, stared deeply at Yuwen Jun, and then said with grief and indignation, "As far as I know, the new policy was formulated by the soul sorcerers under Yuwen Jun's command, taking into account the current situation of the three city-states of the Divine Realm."

"Those who practice soul magic are demon cultivators."

"When did it become the business of demonic cultivators to interfere in the affairs of our great human race?"

"Once the new policies are implemented, many loyal ministers will inevitably be hampered and unable to attend to national affairs. Is there any suspicion that those who practice soul magic are using the new policies to deliberately disrupt the politics of our human race?"

“Those who are not of our race will surely have different intentions. I hope Your Majesty will see this clearly.”

Upon hearing Wang Heng's words, Yuwen Jun truly wanted to annihilate him with a single blow.

The Emperor immediately frowned slightly and looked at Yuwen Jun, asking, "Is what Minister Wang said true?"

"Was this new policy truly the work of demon cultivators?"

Yuwen Jun had anticipated this turn of events and said, "No, this new policy was my creation. I personally formulated it to stabilize the situation in the three city-states of the Divine Realm, but to dampen the morale of the Divine Realm army, I deliberately attributed the credit for this new policy to the soul magicians under my command."

"As we all know, the gods and demons have been at odds for a long time."

"In the land of the gods, the demons govern, which can also disrupt the morale and spirit of the people of the divine realm."

"Your Majesty, please give me a clear warning."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor feigned sudden realization and replied in a deep voice, "So that's how it is. Your military strategy is truly becoming more and more refined, with every move having a specific purpose."

"However, regarding the claim of being a Soul Master, I hope you will clarify the facts, so as not to cause dissatisfaction among the ministers."

Wang Heng, kneeling on the ground, had a livid face. He sensed that His Majesty was intentionally taking sides today, but it wasn't that obvious.

Yuwen Jun smiled knowingly and said, "To be honest, soul techniques are not unique to the demon race."

"My dragon race also has methods for cultivating soul techniques."

"If you ask who the witness is, then it is naturally His Majesty Emperor Ling."

"As everyone knows, I have frequent contact with His Majesty Emperor Ling, and we trust each other. If this statement is false, then it is because His Majesty Emperor Ling is ignorant."

There was no other way but to let Emperor Ling take the blame for this small mishap...

Wang Heng immediately raised his head and angrily rebuked, "But the new policies are ultimately not from the orthodox hand of the human race. You are the young master of the dragon race. What virtue do you have to establish new policies for my human race?"

Yuwen Jun gave Wang Heng a meaningful look.

Seeing this, Wang Heng sneered, "What, Your Highness, are you in the wrong and want to make a move?"

At that moment, Pu Weiqing stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, it is true that Yuwen Jun is the young master of the Dragon Clan, but he is also the head of the Eight Gu of our human race and the direct descendant of Gu Yong."

"As the head of the Eight Consultations, he formulated new policies, which is not considered overstepping his bounds."

"Could it be that someone believes the prestige and talent of the head of the Eight Guards are insufficient to participate in important political affairs?"

"Furthermore, Jing Peiyao is one of the Eight Worthies, an outstanding talent of our human race. The two are also husband and wife. According to the principles of social order and etiquette, Yuwen Jun is naturally qualified to participate in the major affairs of the human race. This is a fact known to all under heaven."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor nodded vigorously and said, "Minister Pu is absolutely right."

Then, the Emperor looked at Wang Heng, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said, "Do you have anything else to say?"

Wang Heng was speechless for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

At the same time, Ji Jian stepped forward, kowtowed, and replied, "Your subject has something to report."

The Emperor frowned slightly, this time for real.

"Please speak freely, my dear minister," the Emperor replied calmly.

Ji Jian's eyes shone brightly. He ignored Yuwen Jun standing to the side and slowly said, "The new policies certainly have their merits and advantages, but they also have their drawbacks."

"The old policies have been in place for a long time. If we rashly change them, it will inevitably affect many areas."

"Firstly, implementing the new policies will inevitably lead to the replacement of a large number of officials."

“Some things that were legal under the old regime will not be legal under the new regime. However, there are too many officials involved. If they are forcibly replaced, the human order will collapse in an instant.”

"Secondly, under the old policy, whether it was electing officials or promoting soldiers, it was acceptable to the public. People had realized that only talented people from good backgrounds could be put in power to silence the public."

"It's not that we, as officials, only recognize birth and not talent, but rather that most people from humble backgrounds recognize birth and not talent. Although this may seem illogical, such a situation is all too common."

"Thirdly, with the implementation of the new policies, a large number of talented individuals will emerge one after another, and future outstanding talents will spring up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain."

"However, to implement such new policies, a lot of human and financial resources need to be invested, such as making education accessible to everyone and abolishing slavery. Such expenses can only be borne by the national treasury."

"The prospects are good, but in reality, progress is very difficult."

"His Highness Yuwen built Hengchang Academy to benefit the people of the north and south. However, most children in ordinary families are still unable to study or cultivate themselves due to insufficient family wealth and the current era of great strife. Therefore, the benefits can only be extended to a portion of the people."

"Even if the new policy is implemented first, if these provisions of the new policy cannot be fulfilled, it will result in some people having books to read and food to eat, while others will still have nothing."

"Although the situation is like this now, we, the officials, are doing our best to calm the situation."

"But the new policy is a righteous and aboveboard move. If there is no response after it is righteous and aboveboard, both the common people and the powerful will feel indignant. Indignation may lead to chaos."

"I believe that although the new policies are good, the timing is not right and they are not in line with the current situation of our human race."

Silence fell over the main hall.

No matter how wonderful the vision, without money, nothing can be accomplished.

No matter how good the new policy is, if the national conditions do not allow it, what can be done?

The Emperor's expression gradually turned serious. Ji Jian did not stop the new policy, but merely explained the implications.

Just when everyone was at a loss, Bai Xiaowei stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I also have some heartfelt words to say," Bai Xiaowei said, bowing his head.

A fierce light immediately flashed in the Emperor's eyes, and he said with great interest, "Speak, tell me everything you know."

Bai Xiaowei then slowly said, "The problem of official corruption has never been effectively resolved. In my humble opinion, implementing new policies can crack down on corrupt officials."

"It is often said that no official is not corrupt."

"A few years ago, I discovered that the magistrate of a prosperous county had embezzled 200,000 taels of gold, while the county's annual tax revenue was less than 20,000 taels of gold."

"The difference in amounts is so vast."

"Moreover, most officials are corrupt. Whether it is falsifying accounts or protecting each other, the matter is eventually dropped. In my humble opinion, if we can capture corrupt officials on a large scale and seize their ill-gotten gains, and combine this with the treasure of the Purple Gold Alliance, we can support the implementation of the new policies. Although I am not talented, I humbly request Your Majesty to approve the implementation of the new policies and establish a cabinet."

"Your humble servant requests to be the head of the cabinet, to investigate and punish corrupt officials throughout the country, so as to strengthen the national treasury, reassure the people, and restore order to the court."

"We can't let the whole world think that promotion and wealth go hand in hand. This is an unhealthy trend that needs to be dealt with decisively. Otherwise, if this continues, will humanity still have any faith? Without the support of faith, won't the nation's fortunes gradually wither away?"

"We can't always rely on a few individuals with integrity in a particular era to uphold the backbone of the nation."

"How many people like Fuyao and Gu Yong are there?"

Bai Xiaowei's words were calm, yet they possessed the sharp power of a sword, resonating throughout the entire hall.

If the practice of corruption is not eradicated, the country will always have parasites.

Not to mention how serious the damage caused by tooth decay is, some people's toothaches can be excruciating.