The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

When Yuan Wu said this, no one answered his question immediately.

This is because the officials and generals present knew very well that this issue was by no means as simple as it seemed on the surface. It already involved the level of final standing. If there was any delay in speaking, it would probably lead to huge trouble.

The sound of the copper clock in the hall suddenly became clear, and the blue brick floor reflected the flickering gold of the candlelight. Yuan Wu asked this question lightly, but the general kneeling at the steps knew that his guilt had been temporarily forgiven, and he knocked his forehead heavily on the cold brick surface, and the scales of his armor made a harsh sound.

"Your Majesty." Chief Censor Chen Huan suddenly stepped out, his scarlet robe billowing like blood in the candlelight: "I heard that a total of 437 houses were destroyed in the seven counties of the capital, but..."

He deliberately dragged out the last word, startling the crows perched on the beams: "All the villages are reporting that the people are living in peace and security as usual, and even have spare money to buy oxen and iron plows."

The head of the Zhengwu Division, Li Muzhi, suddenly coughed, cutting off the conversation. The old minister's purple gold fish bag hit the palace pillar, and the clinking sound was accompanied by a hoarse remonstrance: "I think that the rebels' distributing of wealth is actually a treacherous scheme to buy people's hearts! Those copper coins..."

"Those copper coins could allow thousands of households to purchase farm tools and household items, and send their children to county schools, so they could learn literature and martial arts."

The flickering candlelight illuminated half of Yuanwu's face, and the bamboo slips piled on the desk suddenly moved without any wind:
"And their extra oxen and farmland will eventually fall under my rule, and the taxes they generate will flow into my treasury. They will eventually become armor for soldiers at the border and become the common wealth of our Great Qin."

He paused for a moment, and his eyes slowly swept over everyone in the hall, finally landing on the old face of Li Muzhi from the Zhengwu Division:
"Mr. Li, do you think that I should punish these people for 'accepting bribes'? Don't you want your soldiers to have enough food and clothing, and to have bright weapons and armor?"

The old man, who had made great contributions in the past and held a high prestige in the army, trembled all over, and finally bowed his head, his wide sleeves falling to cover his clenched fists:

"I dare not...but the villain's whereabouts are shady, and his plan must be great. I am afraid that raising a tiger will cause trouble. If this trend continues, there may be unrest among the people."

"My dear minister, you worry too much. I know how to control my people."

Yuan Wu tapped the secret letter that had been opened on the imperial desk at some point. The wax on the edge of the letter glowed coldly under the candlelight. "Have you all read the letter of advice that Lord Xu sent in an expedited manner using a nine-feathered golden eagle?"

Du Heng, deputy director of the Civil Affairs Department, took a half step forward holding his ivory tablet. The embroidered geese on his official uniform had darkened due to his cold sweat.
"No matter how evil the traitor's intentions are, in my opinion, his advice is indeed a policy that benefits the country and the people. If it can be implemented, it will surely make our Great Qin more prosperous and strong, and it will also show your Majesty's broad mind of accepting good advice and embracing all rivers."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly changed, and many officials secretly exchanged glances, understanding each other tacitly.

They all knew very well that what Du Heng said at this moment was actually exactly what they were thinking in their hearts - the content of that feudal proposal letter did indeed point directly to the many ills of the current Qin Dynasty and put forward many practical reform plans.

However, these words spoken by Du Heng had a very different meaning. The Civil Affairs Department was in charge of the household registration, land, taxes and other major livelihood issues in the country. The attitude of the deputy chief undoubtedly represented the position of half of the Civil Affairs Department, and even a large part of the court officials.

"Oh? Mr. Du, what do you think is the merit of this traitor's advice?"

Yuan Wu raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he was quite interested in this topic. The copper stoves with coiled dragons at the four corners of the hall emitted wisps of green smoke, and the sandalwood mixed with the cold fragrance of wintersweets in the ice-crack porcelain bottles formed an invisible net in the hall.

"Your Majesty," Du Heng took a deep breath, calmed his mind and said, "In the past, I have seen the miasma forest in Lingnan. The local natives used 'lightning talismans' to burn the wasteland and reclaim the land. The yield per mu was twice that of the Central Plains." He added tremblingly, "What the villain said about 'cultivating productivity' may not be a lie."

"For example, the traitor mentioned in the letter that the wasteland reclamation order could be changed to a tiered tax reduction, with 50% of the newly reclaimed land exempted in the first year and 30% in the second year. This would prevent the powerful from taking advantage of the opportunity to enclose land, while also ensuring that farmers can continue to farm... More importantly, the letter also lists the areas that can be developed for the proposed reclamation."

"Also, the idea of ​​converting some military arrays for civilian use is quite clever. For example, the granary can be improved using the principle of the 'Nine Palaces Locking Formation' to prevent it from rotting for ten years. And to maintain the formation, only a few low-level practitioners of the second level of Qi Refining are needed. If this is promoted nationwide, our Great Qin will no longer need to open granaries for spring famine!"

"Master Du is wrong."

Zhou Yannian, the military councilor, suddenly stepped out and bowed: "These suggestions may seem grand, but they actually hide evil intentions. For example, the one you mentioned above, the land registers in the border counties are already in a mess. If we implement a new law, how can we ensure that the people below will not pretend to obey and secretly disobey, and enrich themselves?"

"What's more, tax cuts will inevitably reduce the revenue of the national treasury. What benefit will it bring to the country and the people?"

"Besides, this military talisman array has been converted to civilian use," he said, his wide sleeves fluttering in the wind, the jade pendant on his waist clanging against each other, "how can such secrets be leaked to the civilian population? If they are obtained by spies from the enemy country, wouldn't that be aiding the enemy? Isn't this destroying the Great Wall and disregarding the safety of the country?"

"Lord Zhou, your words are a bit alarmist, aren't they?" Du Heng twisted his beard and said disapprovingly, "These talisman formations are not unique to our Great Qin. Moreover, the talisman formations proposed by the traitor in the letter for civilian use are all basic formations. Even if they are spread out, it will not cause any harm."

"As for the chaos in the land register, it is not something that can be sorted out overnight. However, the implementation of the new law will force the counties to re-measure the land and check the household registration. Isn't this killing two birds with one stone?"

"How ridiculous! You are the deputy director of the Civil Affairs Department and have been in charge of this position for many years. How could you not know that if you want to implement this order, it will take three years just to re-measure the land?"

Zhou Yannian made an impassioned speech, each sentence hitting Du Heng's sore spot:

"How can we make up for the manpower and material resources consumed during this period? Do we need to ask the Military Affairs Department to send soldiers?"

Before he finished speaking, another official from the Engineering Department hurriedly said, "Sir Zhou may not know that this is a different time. I have already calculated that if the practitioners of the second and third realms perform the 'land measurement technique' in conjunction with the new Thousand-pound Rule of the Engineering Department, the 700,000 mu of wasteland in the three counties of Longxi can be cleared in a month."

"Yes, the 'Land Measurement Technique' is one of the methods mentioned in the letter."

Du Heng clapped his hands and smiled, as if he had it all figured out. "In addition, there is also a technique called 'rammed earth technique', which is also very commendable. Whether it is building roads and embankments, constructing water conservancy projects, or building houses and palaces, it can greatly save manpower and work hours."

"Just counting the road maintenance alone, the annual maintenance cost of the Tongguan to Changluo section alone can save at least 120,000 gold!"

"One hundred and twenty thousand gold? Is that a lot?" Zhou Yannian glanced at Li Mu and continued, "Don't forget, the construction of this road cost more than tens of millions of gold! Moreover, such an evil road may not have any consequences. What if the road suddenly collapses?"

The candle flame suddenly burst into a spark, Yuan Wu raised his hand to intercept the flying sparks, and the orange-red spot condensed into a fluttering red bird in his palm: "What do you think, Master Mo?"

Mo Shoucheng, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes, and the quarrel in the hall immediately stopped.

The old man stroked his long white beard, his eyes fixed on a certain part of the secret letter on the imperial desk: "This old minister is curious about the seventh article - 'Practice for civilian use'. It is suggested that Taoist temples be set up in various places to teach basic breathing techniques. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

The Vermilion Bird at Yuanwu's fingertips suddenly spread its wings and flew half a circle around the palace beam. The scattered sparks burned a burn mark on the shoulder of the counselor. The minister gritted his teeth and dared not cry out in pain. He heard the emperor say in a deep voice:

"You should all know that the rebels included a modified version of the Small Zhou Tian Dao Yin Technique in the slips of paper they distributed to the people."

All the civil and military officials in the hall were puzzled. It was just an ordinary practice technique, something that even those second-rate practices looked down upon. What was there to mention?

Could it be that, because of his long period of seclusion and cultivation, His Majesty has developed the idea of ​​"why not eat meat porridge", and feels that those common people who can't even read can also embark on the path of cultivation through this?
Or do you think that the rebels are deliberately humiliating the imperial court, using such a crude method to mock the lack of people in the Great Qin?

"It seems that you all still lack that bit of insight and knowledge."

Yuan Wu looked around with a smile on his face, and finally fixed his gaze on Mo Shoucheng, who usually just watched the scenery on the corner tower and rarely entered the palace to discuss matters: "Master Mo, you should understand what I mean, right?"

“It looks crude, but it is actually exquisite and its value is immeasurable!”

Mo Shoucheng took a deep breath and said with emotion: "Because, if this technique is called 'Health Preservation and Body Training Technique', even ordinary people with no qualifications may be able to cultivate a sense of Qi and step into the threshold of cultivation."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

Cultivating Qi is not the same concept as strengthening the body or practicing weapons.

The former means being qualified to become a true practitioner. If one spends enough time slowly honing his skills, he can at best reach the peak of the second realm. The latter, on the other hand, is merely a warrior in the mundane world.

"This...how is this possible?!"

Zhou Yannian said in a lost voice: "Even if a child of the right age is born into a wealthy family, has good talent, has been given good medicine and trained carefully since childhood, and one of his parents is a cultivator, it is not necessarily certain that he can embark on the path of cultivation. How can those peasants do it?"

Even though he came from an old aristocratic family, in the past when Changling had not yet undergone reform and his family was at its peak, if we count all the branches of the Zhou family, there were many members who were unable to practice for various reasons and could only become bargaining chips for family marriages or exchange of interests, or even ended up being abandoned.

However, the common people who have been farming for generations, due to the lack of innate resources and insufficient acquired training, often find it difficult to even touch the word "cultivation", let alone truly embark on the path of cultivation.

But now, Mo Shoucheng actually said that the skills spread by the traitor could enable ordinary people to cultivate qi and become practitioners?
If this is true, wouldn't it completely shake the foundations of the aristocratic families and even put them in danger of collapse?

"Why, Zhou Qing, do you think that Master Mo and I would deceive you on such an important matter?"

Yuan Wu snorted softly, and his fingertips flapped like a red bird, and suddenly slipped into Zhou Yannian's sleeve. Zhou Yannian felt as if his entire right arm was burned by fire, but he couldn't break free. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, but he had to endure the pain and bowed down: "Your Majesty... I dare not."

"Since you don't dare, then shut up and listen carefully."

Yuanwu waved his hand, and Zhou Yannian felt the burning sensation disappear instantly, but the sleeve of his right arm had turned to ashes, revealing his arm which was covered with blisters. The pain made him gasp, but he did not dare to complain at all.

"The mysteriousness of this 'Health Preservation and Body Training Secret' lies in its ability to use simple breathing and body movements to warm and strengthen a person's spirit, gradually improve physical fitness, and organize and widen the meridians during breathing."

“Although the progress is slow, it is steady and you can produce the Qi feeling naturally without taking any auxiliary medicine.”

Mo Shoucheng stroked his long beard and explained slowly: "Of course, due to the limitations of talent, everyone's progress will be different. Most people may only be able to stop at the Tongxuan and Refining Qi realms throughout their lives, but even so, it is enough to prolong their lifespan and strengthen their bodies."

"If it is used in the army, it can greatly improve the physical fitness and endurance of the soldiers. If it is used in the civilian population, it can reduce the suffering of the people from illness and pain, add a few more years to their lifespans. It can also train more practitioners for our dynasty and continuously enhance the national strength."

"And all this can be done with a simple technique that anyone can quickly master." The candlelight cast a swaying shadow in the hall, and Mo Shoucheng's old voice echoed between the beams. The old man's skinny fingers drew talismans in the void, and the light blue true energy condensed into a few lines of seal characters, which were the items in the secret letter about the popularization of basic practice.

"Did Du Qing calculate it?" Yuan Wu suddenly spoke, his voice like broken jade thrown on ice, startling the copper bells on the eaves and trembling slightly: "If we follow this seventh rule to spread the breathing technique, how many more cultivators can we have in ten years... no, three years?"

Du Heng's ivory tablet trembled in his palm, and then he bowed and said, "If we take males over fourteen years old as the basis,

"Everyone over the age of fourteen." Mo Shoucheng suddenly interrupted, and the old man's dry branch-like fingers drew in the air. The digital floating hall condensed by the true essence emitted a light that allowed everyone to see clearly: "No matter whether male or female, old or young, as long as they can still work."

Du Heng's Adam's apple rolled, and his voice suddenly became hoarse: "If this method really does not require additional resources, then... perhaps there will be nearly ten million more Tongxuan realm cultivators. In three years, there should be fifty or sixty thousand Qi Refining cultivators. If combined with the military formation..."

Zhou Yannian, the military councilor, suddenly stumbled back, causing sparks to fly from the copper furnace behind him. This number caused the temperature in the hall to rise sharply, and the inner shirts of the generals under their armor were already soaked.

"Fifty thousand Qi-refining cultivators." Yuan Wu chewed on this number and suddenly chuckled, "It's equivalent to three Hengshan Shenzang armies."

"But...if peddlers and hawkers can all practice martial arts and magic, where are the moral principles? Where are the etiquette and laws? Last month, tenant farmers in Yunzhong County gathered to protest against rent. If it continues..."

A high-ranking official from the Zhengwu Division, who was standing at the head of Yan Xiang, suddenly stood up and said, "It is said that in the past, Emperor You also tried to spread the "Qi Training Art". What was the result? In just three months, the "Spark Rebellion" occurred!"

"Those who have learned a little bit of cultivation dare to defy the king's law! If this is really implemented, wouldn't our Great Qin be in chaos?"

"Lord Meng is afraid that the people of Guizhou will no longer be bullied by others, right?"

Du Heng suddenly sneered. This usually smooth official from the Civil Affairs Department seemed like a different person at this moment: "The third volume of the secret letter clearly states that 'the cultivation of civilian use must be coordinated with the new land policy'. It is recommended to link the reclamation of wasteland with tax reduction to curb the annexation of powerful people..."

Yuan Wu suddenly raised his hand and the quarrel stopped abruptly.

His eyes suddenly fell on a certain part of the secret letter, where a strange diagram was outlined in cinnabar, and the lines were undulating like sword marks.

"Master Mo, explain this 'production function'."

A gleam of brilliance flashed in the old man's eyes. "This graph uses the input of true essence as the horizontal axis and the output of material as the vertical axis. In common perception, the two should be straight lines—" The green light on his fingertips turned into a curve. "But the secret letter points out that when the cultivation technology breaks through the critical point..." The curve suddenly rose sharply, "The output will increase tenfold!"

"What Master Mo said really points out the essence of this letter! This picture..." At the front of the court procession, Prime Minister Li, who had a gentle tone and gave people the feeling that it was easy to confide in and make friends with him, but who actually held all the power, also spoke up and expressed his own opinions.

His voice echoed in the hall, with a hint of solemnity and awe: "It means that when the power of cultivation is truly integrated into the people's livelihood, the national strength of Daqin will undergo earth-shaking changes."

Prime Minister Li slowly turned around, facing the ministers, and continued, "Your Majesty, gentlemen, I think that this 'production function' is not groundless. Imagine if the people of our Great Qin could all learn the basic breathing technique, be healthy and strong, then they could endure more hard work when farming, and the harvest would naturally double. Craftsmen could also use their true essence to help them create things, and they would get twice the result with half the effort. The tools they made would be more sophisticated and durable. As for merchants, they could resist bandits on the road with their cultivation, and the turnover of goods would also be faster, and the prosperity of commerce would be just around the corner."

"And these are just the initial effects."

His voice suddenly rose, his eyes flashing with fanaticism: "When the power of the true essence is deeply integrated with the people's livelihood and reaches the so-called 'critical point', the surge in output will far exceed our imagination today! 'People's strength is the strength of the country, and cultivation should not be used solely for war', this is true!"

Hearing Li Xiang's passionate speech, Yuan Wu tapped the armrests of the dragon throne with his knuckles and glanced at the ministers who had different expressions.

He could see the hesitation in the eyes of the military generals, the fanaticism on the faces of the engineering officials, and the tense backs of the important officials of the aristocratic families.

That secret letter was like a meteorite dropped into a deep pool, stirring up the silt that had been deposited for hundreds of years.

"Your Majesty!" Zhou Yannian stepped out again, kowtowed heavily, despite the burning pain in his arm: "This is a policy that will shake the foundation of the country! If everyone can practice cultivation, who would be willing to farm peacefully? If all craftsmen learn to forge runes, how can military equipment be manufactured..."

"Master Zhou is worrying too much."

After being silent for a long time, Hengshan Xu Hou suddenly spoke. This general who came from a poor family pulled out a brand new piece of paper from the interlayer of his armor: "This is what I found when I was returning from my second inspection of the disaster-stricken villages."

There was a strange machine drawn on the paper, and runes could be vaguely seen flowing between the gears.

"The 'Rune Loom' mentioned in the fifth volume of the secret letter is driven by the most basic spirit gathering array."

Xu Hou's voice was like thunder: "I ordered the craftsmen in the army to try to weave a hundred rolls of plain brocade in half an hour."

He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the shocked official from the Ministry of Industry and Manufacturing. "How many skilled weavers in the government-run weaving workshop can this be worth?"

"This person... is actually a genius in the art of weapons? First he offered me the 'Health Preservation and Body Training Secret', and then he gave me this exquisite talisman drawing..." Mo Shoucheng said very bluntly: "I am wondering, can such a person who has made great contributions to the Qin Dynasty really be classified as a traditional 'traitor'?"

As one of the wisest men in Changling, he knew that it was meaningless to think about the distant future. The blood feud between Bashan Sword Field and Yuan Wu and Zheng Xiu might continue for who knows how many years until the two sides finally decided the winner.

By that time, I would probably have already died of old age.

However, from a long-term perspective, Mo Shoucheng, who has guarded the "city" all his life, does not want to see the unpredictable fate of a dynasty that is already so powerful and where the people live and work in peace and contentment. If a conflict really arises in the future, it is best not to involve too many people.

However, the attitude revealed by Zhao Qing now can't help but make people think that the other party who seems to represent Bashan Sword Field wants to temporarily put aside the grievances of the past and seek to solve this problem in a gentle and appeasement way, or in other words, without involving other people extensively?
Considering that the "remnants" of Bashan were originally Qin people, and most of them had devoted their blood and energy to the prosperity of the Qin Dynasty and had made countless sacrifices to build a prosperous world, how could they be willing to easily do something destructive?

After throwing a stone ball to vent his anger, it is not impossible for him to compromise - after all, the "grindstone sword technique" seen in the morning does not seem to be the artistic conception of that person back then, and there are many differences.

Although the suspicion of secretly setting a trap cannot be ruled out, if Yuan Wu also develops some intention of "reconciliation" because of this, he can try to promote the restoration of the reputation of Wang Jingmeng and others.

At the very least, he could reduce some of the persecution and oppression against those affected, so that his and Lord Xu's secret funding could be made public.

Thinking of this, Mo Shoucheng also felt somewhat guilty. No matter in the past or now, he had always believed that Wang Jingmeng and other talents were the righteous side. However, for the sake of the overall situation and order of Daqin, the most he could do was not to help either side and watch the civil strife and killing.

But today, in order to maintain the stability and prosperity of the Great Qin, I have to beg for some insignificant, alms-like respect and status from the greatest enemy of the other party for the person who should have been rewarded and protected by the court...

If I were to replace him and change my perspective, this would probably be a new kind of humiliation! For Yuan Wu, his words would not receive any good response.

Mo Shoucheng's words were like a heavy hammer hitting the blue bricks in the hall, and cracks spread along the reflections of the ministers.

Zhou Yannian slumped on the ground, his official hat tilted to reveal his graying temples. He stared at his burned right arm and suddenly laughed nervously, "Wizard? When the rebels attacked my naval port and destroyed my warships this morning, why didn't Lord Mo say this?"

"Lord Zhou, be careful with your words." Li Xiang turned his head and glanced at him coldly. The cold light reflected by the green jade tablet swept across the old minister's tearful face: "Your Majesty is wise and will distinguish between loyalty and treachery."

"I observed the celestial phenomena at night and found that a foreign star in the Purple Palace offended the master." In the corner of the hall, an old historian from the observatory slowly raised his head and said in a voice like an autumn leaf brushing against a blue brick: "However, its light is gradually fading, and it seems to be returning."

Sure enough, after hearing Mo Shoucheng's bold remarks that clearly aimed to "exonerate" the remnants of Bashan, Yuan Wu suddenly chuckled, with the chill of metallic friction in his laughter. All the ministers knelt down in unison, for they knew that this was a sign of the emperor's anger.

At this time, in the silence of the ministers who bowed their heads and dared not answer, a man in his fifties with a gaunt face and a long, exquisite beard walked into the hall as if nothing had happened and simply bowed:

"I just tried the 'Health Preservation and Body Training Technique' and found that this method is the antidote to the 'water poison' - when the Qi Sea True Yuan circulates around the body, the rooted alien true energy actually melts away like snow meeting the warm sun."

The man who could act so calmly in front of Yuanwu who was in a bad mood was naturally Xu Fu, the head of the Ministry of Rites, the commander of the "UFO" fleet of the Qin Dynasty, and the companion and practitioner who grew up with Yuanwu.

He was originally one of Yuanwu's most trusted confidants.

"Oh? That's a good thing!" Yuan Wu was silent for a long time. The gilded dragon candle cast a shadow on his brow, making the emperor's face look more like a bronze mask. Then, he suddenly said, "Xu Fu, I want to ask you, does the other party want a prosperous world or a chaotic world?"

"A prosperous era is like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, and a chaotic era is like a spark igniting a prairie fire." Xu Fu took a half step forward, his wide robe sleeves fluttering gently in the night breeze, vaguely revealing the jade pill bottle and glass test tube in his left hand: "But I think this person wants a chaotic era in a prosperous era."

Suddenly, a cool breeze blew through the hall, dispersing the mist formed by sandalwood.

Without waiting for Xu Fu to organize his words and give a more appropriate answer, Yuan Wu's eyes penetrated through the numerous barriers and looked directly at the slanting moon at the corner of the palace's eaves. He then asked a new question: "Do you know why I personally ploughed the three ridges during the Spring Festival?"

Without waiting for the ministers to respond, he swept the memorial with his bright yellow dragon-patterned sleeves: "Because I know that what grows in the fields is not only millet and wheat, but also the hearts of the people. Now someone wants to sow new seeds for me..."

He suddenly grabbed the secret letter and threw it to the ground. The piece of paper ignited without wind and turned into thousands of red plums. "Pass on my decree. From now on, Taoist temples will be set up in the seven counties of Guanzhong. Every ten-day holiday, the common people will be taught the "Health Preservation and Body Training Secret". Anyone who learns this secret must register with the county governor's office."

"Instruct the Construction Department to select twenty types of civilian talisman arrays, and the Military Department to set up a civilian cultivation department. The required talismans will be jointly developed by both parties, and a labor regulation for cultivators will be drawn up. The Civil Affairs Department will recalculate the land tax and set up an education department..."

"As for those towns and villages that got rich..." Yuan Wu's fingertips changed the star pattern again, transforming into the Di Tu He in the twenty-eight constellations: "Order the Hengshan Army to double the distribution of farm tools and grain in the name of 'repair compensation'. Also, announce to the world that the emperor sympathizes with his people and has granted great grace."

Mo Shoucheng's white eyebrows trembled slightly, and suddenly he caught a glimpse of a blue-tailed magpie curled up in the shadow of the palace wall outside the palace. The bird's eyes flashed with a faint light that did not seem alive, and its claws were holding half a piece of paper with a suggestion letter printed on it.

"Retreat."

...(End of chapter)