National Division

Chapter 64 The Empress Dowager's Party's Merit Increases Skyrocketed! (Seeking monthly votes and continued reading!)
Taichu Palace, rear hall of Qianyuan Hall

The Empress looked at Shen Xian and said apologetically, "Sir, you have just entered the court and there is no time to worry about the uproar. It is not advisable to hastily assume a high position so as not to become the target of public criticism. In the future, you can be granted the title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin and participate in state affairs."

"I have yet to achieve anything, but to be able to serve before the Emperor and realize my ambitions is something I truly desire." Shen Xian cupped his hands in greeting, his voice calm and undisturbed by personal gain or loss: "The court has its own rules and regulations; titles and honors cannot be bestowed indiscriminately. A ruler should ensure that when bestowing favors, he does not reward unjustly out of joy, and when imposing punishments, he does not punish unjustly out of anger. Your Majesty's way of rewarding and punishing truly reflects the qualities of a wise ruler!"

At this time, the Great Jing Dynasty still retained some of the Spring and Autumn Period's tradition of treating scholars well.

However, the Empress was not one to bestow rewards indiscriminately; she granted the rank of fifth-grade or higher scholar to the Hongwen Academy, demonstrating a keen understanding of imperial strategy.

He can advance or retreat as needed. If he demonstrates the talent of a prime minister in governing the world, then the position of a high-ranking official in the Secretariat and Chancellery will naturally be more than just a pipe dream.

If all he has is the ability to talk big, then serving the emperor as a refined and noble courtier is already the limit.

Shen Xian's expression, or rather, his inner openness, was also noticed by the Empress and Murong Yue.

In particular, his admonition that "if one is pleased, one should reward excessively; if one is angry, one should punish indiscriminately" incorporated the Legalist school's principles of power, tactics, and influence into the relationship between ruler and subject.

Indeed, he possesses the demeanor of a national hero.

The Empress asked in surprise, "Sir, do you possess martial arts skills?"

Shen Xian said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, my martial arts cultivation is at the fifth level of the Acquired Realm."

The Empress pondered for a moment and then instructed, "It will be very difficult to protect oneself. Xue girl, take Mr. Shen into the Qilin Pavilion later. Mr. Shen can take any martial arts techniques and pills he wants in the pavilion."

It's not surprising. A person's mental energy is limited. If one spends all day studying strategies for governing a country, it would be almost impossible to achieve anything in the martial arts or immortal arts as well.

Shen Xian cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have not rendered any service, how can I possibly deserve such a generous treatment from you?"

Now he can use any elixirs and divine weapons he wants, and of course he won't be so foolish as to take them and resell them.

The Empress smiled and said, "I have no shortage of military generals under my command. With just one order, countless heroes and talents can be used to serve me and drive me forward. The only thing I lack is a capable prime minister to assist me."

That's more like it. If she had no desires, how could she control him? The young man possesses the talent to govern the country and stabilize the nation, but without the resources, he would find it difficult to achieve anything in martial arts or immortality.

Shen Xian said, "How dare I not devote myself to the Empress Dowager until my dying breath?"

Such a generous boss is indeed worth working for.

The Empress said, "Xue girl, you will protect him from now on."

Xue Zhi's painting of hands clasped in front of her should be correct.

The Empress said, “Sir, it’s getting late. Why don’t we have a meal together? I still have some questions that I would like to ask you.”

Shen Xian quickly thanked him.

Afterwards, the Imperial Advisor Murong Yue and Xue Zhihua reminisced, while Shen Xian went to the side hall with the Empress.

The eunuch Gao Yanfu instructed the eunuchs to prepare food.

The Empress said, “Sir, in the ‘The Wealth of Nations’ memorial, the method of the two taxes is a matter of great importance, involving a wide range of people from top to bottom. It still needs to be carefully considered.”

Shen Xian nodded in agreement, saying, "The most important thing in governing is to have the right people. It is not suitable to implement the two-tax system now."

"Mr. Shen is a wise and experienced strategist who plans for the country step by step," the Empress praised.

The young man before me was well-versed in the art of governance, prioritizing tasks and acting with the experience of a seasoned official.

Shen Xian's face remained calm, but a strange feeling lingered in his heart.

As the mind sank into the spiritual realm, the panel provided by the millstone underwent a significant change.

The faction section clearly states: Great Jinghou Party.

The attribute panel has an additional column: official rank, from the fifth rank, senior official, and cavalry general.

Merit Points section...

Hmm, wait, how many digits is this again?

The merit has suddenly surged to 103,800.

The price skyrocketed from over four thousand to one hundred and thirty-eight thousand...

Ah, this.

Let alone the first and second realms, I'm afraid you've already accumulated enough resources for the immortal path and martial arts path for the third realm.

"This is the true value of assisting the emperor, a meteoric rise to power, and this is just the beginning," Shen Xian thought to himself. It truly is a case of mastering both literary and martial arts to serve the emperor.

Sure enough, news from the Yin-Yang Millstone also arrived. The "Policy on Public Security" and "The Wealth of Nations" were presented to the Heavenly Empress, representing great merit to humanity. However, since the two policies had not yet been fully implemented, only a portion of the merit had been distributed. In other words, as the policies were implemented, a continuous stream of merit would be accumulated.

It truly proves the saying: "Being in public office is a good way to cultivate oneself."

Shen Xian was having lunch with the Empress, occasionally answering her questions, such as simplified Chinese characters, pinyin literacy, and other details like newspaper printing and the organizational structure of the Demon Slayer Bureau.

As time passed, the last trace of instinctive suspicion that came with being an emperor vanished from the Empress's mind regarding the young man before her.

I did have my suspicions that the two policy essays were written by someone else, but someone else could never have written such specific policy details.

Only the person in charge could plan so comprehensively and meticulously.

At this moment, the eunuch presented several bottles of wine.

The Empress put down her ivory chopsticks and smiled, "This is the Hundred Flowers Immortal Wine of the Shangqing lineage. Mr. Shen can drink a few cups; it will greatly benefit both martial arts and immortality."

Shen Xian composed himself and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. This humble subject offers Your Majesty a cup of wine, wishing Your Majesty continued success in both civil and military affairs, surpassing all previous dynasties."

As he spoke, he raised his wine cup and offered a toast to the Empress.

Previously, it could only be said that he had just entered the imperial court and was only good at planning, but his dragon-slaying skills had not yet been fully displayed.

As the Hundred Flowers Immortal Wine entered his stomach and time passed, he felt a surge of warmth. Shen Xian's expression changed slightly, and an imperceptible flush rose on his cheeks.

He thought to himself, "This celestial wine truly has incredible nourishing power."

"The Hundred Flowers Immortal Wine can enhance cultivation in both the first and second realms of Immortal Martial Arts," the Empress explained, her phoenix eyes beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows showing interest as she watched the young man recover from the effects of the medicine.

Only now could this supreme ruler of the world regain the feeling that the young man before her was merely her subject.

In fact, Shen Xian himself did not realize that, or rather, that people from later generations, due to their extraordinary insight that surpassed that of their predecessors, had reached a transcendent level in national policy and governance.

Even an unintentional display of arrogance can clash with the self-centered nature of an emperor.

The emperor both admired and feared those who detached themselves from worldly affairs, who regarded fame and fortune as worthless.

Only the realms of martial arts and immortality allowed this empress to find a sense of superiority as a ruler governing her subjects.

This emotion was so subtle that even the diva herself was unaware of it.

Shen Xian calmed the internal energy coursing through his eight extraordinary meridians, feeling that his cultivation level could break through to the sixth level of the acquired realm in an instant.

Given time, one could even reach the peak of the day after tomorrow in one go.

The Empress smiled and said, "Martial arts cultivation, while emphasizing innate talent, also requires resources. Mr. Shen, you can take these Hundred Flower Immortal Wines back and enjoy them at your leisure."

"Your Majesty, I thank you very much." Shen Xian rose from his seat and bowed, expressing his sincere gratitude.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Preceptor Murong Yue was talking with Xue Zhihua. The two of them walked along the vermilion-columned corridor to the Taoist Palace located on the west side of the Qian Yuan Hall and sat down.

Grand Preceptor Murong Yue looked at Xue Zhihua, who was sitting opposite her sipping fragrant tea, her gaze softening slightly, and a faint smile appeared on her cool and elegant face: "You seem to have become much more composed during this trip."

Xue Zhihua chuckled and said, "Having witnessed a demon-slaying and evil-eliminating event, my cultivation has improved. Master, this Mr. Shen possesses strategies for governing the country and ensuring its peace, and even more so, he has a sincere and devoted heart."

Murong Yue nodded slightly: "This Mr. Shen has the wisdom to govern the country and bring peace to the nation, but he is still a bit too young. I wonder what kind of changes his sudden rise to a high position will bring to the court."

Thinking back to that young man, his words had actually helped her break through her bottleneck; it was truly strange and wonderful.

He clearly possessed no spiritual energy, only martial arts cultivation.

Xue Zhihua asked, "What is Master worried about?"

With a wave of her hand, Murong Yue created a soundproof barrier with her spiritual energy. She parted her pink lips slightly and said, "Since the Empress quelled the rebellion in Tanzhou, she has already seized great power and is gradually developing the ambition to become Empress."

Xue Zhihua frowned, her tone tinged with worry: "Will the entire court object? And what do the Taiqing and Yuqing families think?"

The fact that the female protagonist has become empress is bound to cause a huge uproar, and even lead to a rebellion throughout the land.

Murong Yue picked up the teapot and poured herself a cup: "The Empress has gained the approval of the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast and has been in charge of the country for many years. She is protected by the luck of humanity. Even if a True Immortal of the Ninth Realm descends to earth, he cannot be insulted in the slightest. Moreover, the Sect Leader believes that the westward shift of Ziwei should be a revolution led by a female protagonist. However, the Yuqing lineage does not see it that way. The Yuqing lineage believes that Li Jing's fate has not yet run out. It is enough for his heirs to choose another wise ruler. There is no need to make a big fuss and start a war. The two sects are now arguing over this."

Xue Zhihua thought for a moment, then a look of confusion appeared in her clear eyes: "Where is Master?"

Murong Yue sighed and said, "I have discussed this with Zhang Jianzheng of the Heluo Sect. Both sides may not be wrong. It is not too late to wait. The mandate of heaven is probably in the hands of the Empress. Perhaps it is only a temporary change of the sun and moon, but it is enough to change the world. This is probably why the Eight Views Palace has been sitting idly by."

The Eight Views Palace refers to the Taiqing lineage, which seems to have ignored the Empress's rule, the chaos caused by demons and evil spirits, and even the arrival of Buddhist monks from the east, completely turning a blind eye.

(End of this chapter)