I stole divine power in Daxia

Chapter 460: Suspicion between the Emperor and His Ministers
Many Confucian officials present instinctively did not want to get involved, because if Dong Xingshu wrote on it, he would be trying to help Zhou Tieyi take advantage of the situation.

But they couldn't avoid this topic.

First of all, the person who submitted "The Strategy of the Response of Heaven, Sage and People to the Three Talents" was Ke Anran, a Confucian. Because Dong Xingshu recalled Ke Anran back to Tianjing, in the eyes of most middle and lower class and even some upper class Confucian scholars, this was a reconciliation between Dong Xingshu, the leader of Confucianism, and the young Confucian genius. At the same time, the acceptance of "The Strategy of the Response of Heaven, Sage and People to the Three Talents" by the emperor also indicated that Confucianism put forward the concept of a new Confucianism to confront Zhou Tieyi's "theory of human desires".

This is just like Zhou Tieyi's disparagement of Mei Juncang. Even though Dong Xingshu and Ke Anran did not get along, under the influence of the vast majority of Confucian scholars at this time, the two of them were in danger of each other and had turned their fake play into reality. Dong Xingshu could not announce it to outsiders. He just wanted to use Ke Anran to withstand the pressure from Zhou Tieyi and secretly cultivate Wang Mingyi and others.

At the same time, Ke Anran needed a large number of people to inherit his academic tradition. While Zhou Tieyi was away from Beijing, he had given lectures at the Taixue Academy several times and gathered a group of famous Confucian scholars. Dong Xingshu could not stop this.

Therefore, the current "New Confucianism" is not the ancient Chinese literature movement based on the "New Learning" newspaper initiated by Wang Mingyi and Zhang San. In the eyes of the older generation of Confucian scholars, this movement is only based on "skills" and has not yet risen to the level of "Tao".

On the contrary, Ke Anran, who controls the newspaper department, has the strength of the third rank and is now the confidant of the Emperor of Great Xia, is not only powerful but also more powerful in means. This "The Strategy of the Induction of the Three Talents of Heaven, Saint and People" can already be regarded as Taoism. Confucianism does not necessarily need to confront the imperial power, but can be combined with the imperial power. The key point is the three talents of Heaven, Saint and People!
But success is due to the three talents of Heaven, Saint and People, and failure is also due to the three talents of Heaven, Saint and People.

Since the Three Talents can help the Great Xia Saint to achieve enlightenment, they can naturally form new shackles as well.

The eyes of all the frowning people present suddenly lit up. They finally understood why Dong Xingshu was hesitant. Although this was to help Zhou Tieyi take advantage of the fire, if successful, then Ke Anran's Tianshengmin Sancai would have the means to restrict the Emperor of Daxia!
The emperor is unkind, and heaven has sent down disasters as a warning!

Tang Anshi, the Minister of Education, was one of the people who understood Dong Xingshu's ideas best. He said softly, "It's really a twist and turn, but we all ended up in the same place. I didn't expect that the final perfection of the "Heavenly Saint and the People's Three Talents Response Strategy" would fall on Zhou Tieyi."

The people beside him echoed, "Perhaps Ke Anran has figured it out, but he is not Zhou Tieyi after all, so he can only wait for Zhou Tieyi to take this step. No wonder he didn't pursue Zhou Tieyi relentlessly before. Otherwise, if anyone else told this method, it would really be a dead end. Only when Zhou Tieyi told it, there is still a glimmer of hope."

Although the Confucians present had many calculations for Confucian interests, they all had ideals, otherwise they would not have supported Mei Qingchen kneeling at the Meridian Gate.

They were not afraid of the emperor's wrath then, and naturally they have no reason to be afraid now.

Seeing that everyone had thought it through, Dong Xingshu looked around and said, "Of course I have to put my name on it, otherwise that kid and the Legalists will look down on us Confucians. But I still don't know how to do it."

Dong Xingshu first looked at Wang Jizhen of the Xiangbu tribe. The other party said today that the emperor had already anticipated that the emperor and his ministers would be in trouble by the end of the year, so had he made any other preparations?

Wang Jizhen shook his head slightly, indicating that he didn't know what the emperor was thinking.

Dong Xingshu smiled and said, "Ji Zhen just said that when a sage makes a hexagram, it reveals the secrets of heaven. Since the hexagram of water and fire is already a foregone conclusion, why should we be upset anymore?"

In fact, he had already guessed the outcome when he heard about Wang Jizhen's three hexagrams, but he couldn't tell others the key points in order to avoid disrupting the plan of the Emperor and the Empress, which would make them unpopular both inside and outside the Confucian community.

Dong Xingshu picked up the pen and wrote his name.

Many people present did not understand the meaning of Dong Xingshu's last sentence. They looked embarrassed and hesitated for a while, "Do we need to tell Ke Anran about this first?"

If I had told Ke Anran in advance, at least Ke Anran would have been mentally prepared.

Dong Xingshu turned his head and looked at the candlelight for a while. "Since he has chosen this path, he should have been prepared. If he can't even pass this level, it means that this path is not feasible for him!"

It was night, and there was a heavy wind and snow.

Ke Anran, who was lost in thought in the house, suddenly opened his eyes. His eyes shone with light, illuminating the shadows in the house and revealing two figures.

It was Dong Xingshu’s son Dong Xiu De and a disciple of the thief family.

Ke smiled sadly and said, "You don't have the habit of breaking into other people's houses at night. This is not what a gentleman does."

Seeing his friend making fun of him, Dong Xiu De was a little annoyed and said, "You are still laughing when disaster is imminent!"

When Ke Anran saw Dong Xiu De breaking into his house at night, he understood that he had something important to tell him. After all, he had been back in Beijing for so long, but this good friend was still distant from him because of Dong Xingshu's authority. And today he actually broke in at night. It must be something important that concerned his life, and Dong Xingshu was unwilling to tell him.

Ke got up sadly, took out a pot of wine from the wine cabinet beside the bed, and slowly took out the silver charcoal from the clay stove. While warming the wine, he said, "It's a pity that there is no food tonight..."

Just as he finished speaking, the wind and snow outside suddenly came like a big hand, breaking the ice of the pool in front of Ke Anran's water room and pulling out a golden dragon fish from it. This dragon fish was of excellent quality, already a fourth-grade one, and what was even more rare was that it had the talent to gather luck.

It is a rare item bestowed by the Emperor of Daxia after Ke Anran presented the "Strategy of the Three Talents of Heaven, Saint and People" to him.

Even if such a treasure was placed in the Sansi Mansion, it would be kept with great care. But now that it was fished out by Ke Anran, the wind and snow were as sharp as knives. The dragon fish struggled desperately, but soon became a delicacy on the chopping board. The dragon fish, which was finely cut into fish shapes, was sent into the house through the window that Ke Anran opened.

On the crystal clear ice plate, every piece of fish meat is as red as blood, like a rose blooming in the cold wind.

Dong Xiu De was horrified and stood up. "It's such a critical moment, how could you do such an unwise thing!"

Ke Anran took out three sets of bowls and chopsticks and invited the thief's retainer who brought Dong Xiu De with him to sit together. At the same time, he touched the wine pot to see how warm it was.

"How is it unwise?"

Dong Xiu De said angrily, "I risked my life to save you, and you still want to test me! This dragon fish is a gift from the emperor. Killing it is unlucky. Secondly, it is the foundation of your courtyard's feng shui. Killing it will ruin your luck!"

Ke smiled sadly and said, "Then can this dragon fish save my life?"

Dong Xiu De opened his mouth. Indeed, the storm that Ke Anran had to face was far beyond the ability of a fourth-grade dragon fish to save the situation. Even if this dragon fish had extraordinary talent, it would be of no help at this moment.

Ke continued sadly, "This dragon fish cannot save my life, but my brother and this gentleman are willing to risk their father's life and the power of heaven to tell me that a disaster is coming, so I should treat you two with this dragon fish."

After hearing this, the thief next to him stood up with conviction, clasped his fists to Ke Anran and said, "I heard before that Marquis Zhou getting drunk at the Golden Tower was already a top-notch romantic affair in Da Xia. Today, Mr. Ke treated me and the young master with dragon fish, which is not inferior in any way." Ke Anran waved his hand. The wine was almost warmed up, so he poured a glass of wine for the two of them and himself, and motioned Dong Xiu De to drink first.

After drinking a cup of warm wine and eating the plump dragon fish, Dong Xiu De regained his spirit and energy from the delicious food. He shook his head and sighed, "That's why I wanted to be friends with you. Unfortunately, my father..."

Having said that, he sighed again.

Ke picked up the wine glass and took a sip himself. He asked, "What's the matter that made you risk your life to come here at night?"

Dong Xiu De replied as briefly as possible, "Zhou Tieyi submitted a letter to the Moshi case file, following the example of Mei Qingchen, to accuse the emperor, but the reason is not 'rule by ruth, minister by minister, father by father, son by son', but the 'Three Talents Response Strategy' you proposed!"

Ke Anran's hand holding the wine glass stopped in mid-air, and he put it down after a long time.

He stared at the snow outside the window. "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. This is an unchanging truth. I should have said this myself, but I would have offended the majesty of heaven. It's a good thing that he said it for me."

"This is not a good thing, a disaster is about to happen!"

Ke shook his head sadly, and after a moment's silence, he said, "When His Majesty reads this memorial, he will naturally be furious, but what will happen after he is furious?"

Dong Xiu De was speechless for a moment. This memorial implicated Zhou Tieyi, a "treacherous minister" who controlled the divine power, the economic lifeline of the court, and the military affairs on the front line. It also implicated the Si Lu, Si Min and even the various schools of thought who wanted to restrict the imperial power. Even Ke Anran, a "own man" who was just promoted by the emperor, was implicated.

From the very beginning, this was a situation that no one could escape. No matter how angry the Emperor of Daxia was, as long as he wanted to continue practicing Taoism, he needed to solve this practical problem. This was a flaw in the Taoist tradition he chose.

Since you have to bear the merits of the saints and people of heaven, you must also bear the faults of the saints and people of heaven.

The next day, as soon as the palace gate opened, Ke Anran entered the palace. Just like the emperor favored Zhou Tieyi in the past, Ke Anran was now even more favored.

In the Xuanfa Hall, Emperor Daxia, who had already moved here, heard the eunuch's report. As soon as the day broke, Ke Anran requested a meeting. He opened his eyes, and the sunlight in his eyes flickered, as if he was looking for a balance point.

"Let him in."

Ke entered the Xuanfa Hall sadly and bowed first, saying, "I apologize for my crime."

But before he could bow down completely, the surrounding clouds lifted up and supported Ke Anran. The Great Xia Emperor smiled, contrary to his usual behavior. "First, Mei Qingchen pleaded guilty, then Zhou Tieyi pleaded guilty, and now even you plead guilty. This year, my Great Xia Dynasty's loyal ministers have been guilty one after another, which shows that I am not good at governing."

Although Ke Anran had been mentally prepared yesterday, when the Emperor of Daxia said this, he sighed lightly. As expected, the Emperor of Daxia had already anticipated that Zhou Tieyi would continue to make a fuss about the Moshi case, and he had already prepared a solution, so he made the three hexagrams. However, he did not realize that the hexagrams would manifest so quickly.

"sit."

The Great Xia Emperor pointed to the cushion in front of him. Ke Anran bowed again and sat on it.

"You rushed here this morning. Did Zhou Tieyi cause any trouble again?"

Ke Anran told him everything that happened yesterday, including the fact that Dong Xiu De came to find him overnight without telling Dong Xingshu and informed him of the news.

Su Xibi, who was serving beside him, held his breath. This was only one step away from forcing the emperor to abdicate. No wonder Zhou Tieyi wrote on it "There is another crime that I dare not speak out directly", because this crime was deceiving the emperor.

After hearing this, His Majesty the Great Xia did not get angry, but instead ordered Su Xibi, "Go and call the Queen, Feng Zikuan."

After Su Xibi left, the Great Xia Emperor asked, "Do you think this is a conspiracy or an open conspiracy?"

Ke bowed his hands sadly and said, "He did not move the military power of Tianjing. The written document was signed by Si Lu and Simin, but there was no signature of the right general."

If this is an attempt to force the emperor to abdicate, and they want to use the emperor's misconduct as a warning from heaven, requiring the emperor to abdicate and give way to a wise man, then Zhou Tieyi should have contacted the Right General's Mansion closely at this time.

This kind of thing happens frequently in Zhou Tieyi's world, so the emperor is extremely suspicious of his subjects having secret relationships. Once discovered, he will kill them without mercy, because if the world does not belong to him, then the emperor has nothing to do with whether the world is good or not.

But it is different in this world. Since the founding of the country by the Five Emperors of the human race, the emperor is not only the owner of the world, but also the unquestionable strongest man in the world.

From the Five Emperors to the Holy Emperor and then to the previous emperors of Daxia, the emperor who holds absolute power in the capital is not afraid of any conspiracy or intrigue.

On the contrary, it was this generation of the Great Xia Emperor who had to face this problem that no previous imperial power had ever faced, precisely because he wanted to practice Taoism and achieve immortality.

The Great Xia Emperor continued to smile and said, "So this is an open conspiracy. This matter has been under everyone's eyes since the beginning of the plan. There is no possibility of conspiracy at all. That's why Dong Xingshu and Qingkong Gui wrote it. They are worried that there will be no restrictions after I become a saint, but the Confucian and Legalist schools keep saying that the Saint Emperor era is the time when the world is governed by peace."

"Now I am more and more curious about what the Holy Emperor was like back then, and why he fell."

Ke Anran held his breath slightly. He didn't expect that the Emperor of Daxia not only thought about the current situation, but also thought about what would happen after he became a saint.

Everyone knows that the Holy Emperor lived for more than 500 years, which is a natural lifespan for ordinary people, but for a saint, this lifespan is still too short.

Confucian saints and Buddhas entered Nirvana not because their life spans came to an end, but because they fell from their saintly positions.

The Confucian saint, Buddha, fell from the throne because he had to deal with the threat of Shinto, but what about the Holy Emperor?

In the era he lived in, the world had already been unified, the human race had flourished, and the Great Yan Dynasty had existed for 500 years. Why did the Holy Emperor fall overnight, leading to the collapse of the entire Great Yan Dynasty and the beginning of a 500-year period of chaos of the Five Dynasties of the North and the South?
Perhaps only the most confidential people in Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism know the reason for this matter. Even the Emperor of Daxia has no way of knowing it.

(End of this chapter)