The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

"Guo Jing, I heard that when you were in the desert, you had a very good relationship with the Khan who took you and your mother in, and you even got engaged to his daughter and became sworn brothers with his son?" Chu Luren interrupted, asking a seemingly unrelated question.

“That’s right. The Khan is a very good person. Thanks to his care, my mother probably wouldn’t have been able to raise me.” Guo Jing nodded upon hearing this.

"What if that tribe is summoned by Kublai Khan to attack the Song Dynasty?" Chu Luren hypothesized a scenario.

"No, the Khan's tribes are not under Kublai Khan's control."

I meant 'if'.

"I will certainly assist Hero Guo in defending Xiangyang to the death, and I will never allow anyone to harm the people of the Song Dynasty!" Guo Jing said firmly.

"What if you had the chance to kill him face to face?" Chu Luren pushed the hypothetical scenario to the most perplexing direction.

"This..." Guo Jing was a straightforward person, and he really put himself in the other person's shoes, so he didn't answer immediately.

Seeing that Yang Kang remained silent and conflicted, Chu Luren turned to Yang Kang and said, "If I were you, even if I wouldn't kill him, I wouldn't continue to associate with him. Otherwise, your mother's spirit in heaven wouldn't rest in peace. If one day... Guo Jing, or another hero, manages to kill him, then you can prepare his body for burial and observe mourning!"

Of course, while Wu Sangui was alive, it was easy to be the heir of the Prince of Pingxi, indulging in a life of pleasure and debauchery. But after Wu Sangui died, it would be very difficult to observe mourning for a traitor and villain. I wonder if you would still be willing to do so then…”

Chapter 324 Fast-Forwarded "History"

Forcing someone with already low moral standards to become a morally perfect person who always puts others first is not only unrealistic, but will also push them to the opposite extreme...

Chu Luren would certainly not make the same mistake in his educational methods as Qiu Chuji!

Of course, Chu Luren's original intention was not to "educate" Yang Kang, but to use his special status to pretend to complete the mission given to him by Wu Sangui, while also making him an inside agent to understand Wu Sangui's plans, especially the situation of people in Lin'an who wanted to cooperate with Wu Sangui.

To use Yang Kang as an inside agent, one must first make him genuinely believe that helping Wu Sangui is wrong.

For Yang Kang, simply being "wrong" is not enough to restrain him. After all, he is not Guo Jing and would never do anything "wrong". There is still a crucial step to take – at least make him feel that being an inside agent will not significantly harm his personal interests!

Chu Luren's suggestion not only pointed Yang Kang in the right direction, but also deliberately elevated the difficulty and nobility of "preparing Wu Sangui's body for burial and observing mourning," thus satisfying Yang Kang's emotional needs...

"Thank you for your guidance, Grandmaster Uncle. I, Yang Kang, am deeply grateful!" Yang Kang said with a firm expression.

Of course, his "firmness" is just for show; the most important thing is to "observe the results."

However, at least for now, Chu Luren believes that as long as there is no major difference in "interests" in the future, Yang Kang should not take the initiative to recognize a traitor as his father again—if the difference in interests is too great, then there is always the possibility of him rebelling back.

From an academic perspective, Yang Kang's "moral principles" are extremely weak...

"I will kill him! Then I will repay him with my own life!" Guo Jing suddenly said.

Yang Kang looked at this guy who was several beats slow to react with disdain...

Seeing this, Guo Jing blushed and said, "However, I understand Brother Yang's difficulties, so I won't force you."

"Go check on your master. There are many ponds in the village. Don't fall in," Chu Luren interrupted.

"Huh? My master wouldn't..." Guo Jing was taken aback, not understanding that Chu Luren meant to send him away.

"I'm going to teach Yang Kang the 'Nine Yin Divine Claw,' do you want to watch too?" Chu Luren said sternly.

"No, no, how could I peek! Brother Yang, you must study hard, or your master will break your hand." After instructing Yang Kang, Guo Jing left first.

Of course, Chu Luren didn't actually care whether the "Nine Yin Divine Claw" technique was passed on to outsiders; he just wanted to get rid of him...

Yang Kang clearly understood Chu Luren's meaning. After Guo Jing left, he took the initiative to say to Chu Luren, "Grandmaster Uncle, Wu... Wu Sangui sent me to the Song capital to see Prime Minister Shi Miyuan. He instructed me that if 'the Qing emperor's secret envoy enters the capital, we should treat each other as brothers,' I must disrupt this matter."

"A secret envoy? A brotherly nation?" Chu Luren was taken aback upon hearing this, then looked around, intending to call Huang Rong over.

What is the Qing court up to?

Why would Emperor Kangxi send an envoy in a secret mission? And why would he request permission from a brotherly nation…? What was his true purpose?

“Wu Sangui… said that the Qing emperor wanted to take the opportunity to seize the throne and at the same time suppress Ao Bai, which would be detrimental to the Song Dynasty.” Yang Kang was still not used to calling him “Wu Sangui” directly.

"Hmm." Chu Luren looked inscrutable, then nodded. He inquired about the recent situation of the Qing court from Yang Kang, and after remembering it, he began to teach him the "Nine Yin Divine Claw" and the corresponding internal energy.

The Chu Lu people didn't really think much of the "Nine Yin Divine Claws" alone. The main reason they didn't teach Yang Kang the complete "Nine Yin Manual" was that they didn't trust him.

Finally, Chu Luren couldn't help but sigh, "After all, he raised you for seventeen years. What kind of talk is it for you to call him by his name? It's just to prevent you from aiding and abetting evil and to draw a clear line between your interests, not to make you disown your family."

"Thank you, Grandmaster Uncle." Yang Kang said, moved by the words.

Chu Luren also realized that Yang Kang was very uncomfortable with this, and that setting high standards and strict requirements would only encourage him to "go back to the old ways".

On the contrary, if the people of Chu lowered their standards, Yang Kang would be able to gradually and easily sway towards their side...

After instructing Yang Kang to practice his skills diligently, Chu Luren hurriedly went to find Huang Rong and told her what Yang Kang had told him earlier, asking her for advice.

Huang Rong did not disappoint Chu Luren. After some thought, although there were still some unclear points, she had figured out the key to it!

“I understand! It must be that the Qing court wavered on the issue of posthumous title... In the early years, when Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty had just passed away, there was a dispute over the posthumous title of 'Gao' and 'Zhang'. In the end, Aobai’s faction won a great victory, and only then did he, as the regent, begin to abuse his power and rule arbitrarily.”

Now that Kangxi has brought up the "brotherly lands" again and even sent a secret envoy, it is likely just a rehash of old matters. And since he is doing this behind Aobai's back... there must be a major change within the Qing court! Although Wu Sangui works for the Manchus, he is not in the central government and probably doesn't know the full story! Huang Rong has roughly figured out the core of this matter.

The dynastic progress of the Great Jianghu is subtle, making the Chu Lu people feel both familiar and very unfamiliar, with a clear sense of "fast forward".

Seventeen years ago, when Wu Sangui led the Qing army into the pass, the Northern Dynasty had indeed already suffered internal uprisings, its capital had fallen, and its ruler had died...

It was indeed Zhao Gou who crossed the Yangtze River to re-establish the Song Dynasty. He was nominally the grandfather of Shenhou. However, Zhao Gou was probably terrified when he fled for his life. He was unable to lift his head and had no son. Later, he adopted the son of his cousin, who was Shenhou's father.

Within just five or six years, a series of events unfolded: Marshal Yue's Northern Expedition initially achieved great success, then suffered setbacks, and finally he was unjustly killed by a treacherous minister and a foolish emperor. What was somewhat satisfying was that Qin Hui, the villain in this vast world, died suddenly the year after Marshal Yue's death, which was better than the original historical account of him living for more than a decade, which was so unsettling. A year later, Zhao Gou also passed away...

Ten years ago, Shenhou's father ascended the throne. He was at least a man who wanted to launch a northern expedition. He changed Qin Hui's posthumous title from the praiseworthy "Zhongxian" to the humiliating "Miuchou," and exonerated Yue Fei.

Unfortunately, he was not only ambitious but also incompetent and lacked capable generals. Moreover, the new emperor died just three years later, and not only did he become a figure of indifference, but the Song court also returned to a defensive posture because the Mongols were already approaching Xiangyang. The court officials, led by Shi Miyuan, restored Qin Hui's posthumous title.

The Marquis's elder brother only reigned for three or four years before passing away three years ago, and now the current emperor has ascended the throne.

The short-lived reigns of two consecutive emperors, coupled with the expansion of the bureaucratic class, led to the rise of eunuchs in the court, who have now become increasingly powerful and difficult to control.

When the Qing Dynasty entered the pass, the emperor was Shunzhi. After occupying the capital, he also set about going south to destroy the Song Dynasty. However, Zhao Gou was not good at anything else, but he was good at escaping. He searched the mountains and the seas and was not caught. In the end, he fled south and his fate was not over. He agreed to divide the country along the Yangtze River.

After Marshal Yue Fei's Northern Expedition, he recovered the Huainan region and even took advantage of the Shunzhi Emperor's death to approach the heart of the Central Plains. Unfortunately, Wu Sangui was willing to be a lackey of the Qing Dynasty when it was at its weakest...

The Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty was always aggressive in his foreign policy and used ruthless methods, but he actively appointed Han officials domestically, which even made some Manchu nobles dissatisfied.

With the support and "instigation" of a group of Han officials, Shunzhi ascended the throne again after entering the pass—a rare emperor who ascended the throne twice, even though his imperial power had never been usurped... He had ascended the throne once before outside the pass, but then ascended it again after entering the pass.

The goal was to establish a "legacy." The Han officials who surrendered to the Qing dynasty did not want to be infamous, and they also wanted to band together to fight for power in the Qing court. Therefore, they hoped that the Qing court's historical positioning would be "to avenge the previous emperor and observe mourning for him, and thus enjoy the throne."

However, the Manchu nobles obviously did not think that way. They preferred a historical perspective of "conquering the Central Plains with golden spears and iron horses, unifying the Han people for ten thousand years," enjoying the fruits of victory as conquerors.

Emperor Shunzhi disliked the bloated aristocracy and wanted to gradually delegate authority, so he favored the former, heavily relied on Han officials, and even went to the tomb of the last emperor of the previous dynasty to weep and call him "brother"—the course of history and the great Jianghu (江湖, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) are strikingly similar in this respect.

Of course, Chu Luren disdained this, seeing it as nothing more than self-consolation among Han officials at court, and the desire to seize power from the Manchu nobility while Shunzhi was in power... Shunzhi was not Fu Jian, and his actions could not establish the persona of "friendly to Han people".

After the death of Emperor Shunzhi, a group of Han officials put a lot of effort into his posthumous title, wanting to give him the title "Gao" (高) – according to the rules of the Central Plains dynasties, usually only the founding emperor was given the title "Gao".

It was all for the sake of legitimacy. If Shunzhi was recognized as the founding emperor, then the Qing Dynasty and the Later Jin Dynasty would be considered to be of the same lineage but not the same, thus defining the dynasty as a continuation of the Central Plains dynasty.

However, this matter failed due to Ao Bai's meddling. Moreover, in order to completely destroy the matter, Ao Bai directly decided on the posthumous titles for Nurhaci and Huang Taiji, one being "Gao" and the other "Wen," while only giving Shunzhi the title "Zhang."

In this way, no matter how much the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors relied on Han officials, it did not change the fact that the Qing Dynasty essentially considered itself a frontier regime.

Throughout history, the way the Manchu emperors positioned Oboi's posthumous reputation changed several times. Basically, each change reflected the emperor's strategy of using court officials to restrain the nobles or using the nobles to suppress the court officials.

At this time, Ao Bai was extremely popular among the Manchu nobles, and with Emperor Kangxi being young, this regent minister had already gained immense power.

In the larger world of martial arts, the process is generally the same, only it's "fast-forwarded" a bit.

Huang Rong specifically mentioned the controversy over posthumous titles, clearly indicating that she believed Kangxi wanted to bring up the old issue again—that being friendly with the Southern Dynasties was not the main reason, but rather to use it to clarify the legitimacy of his rule over the Central Plains!

Once we acknowledge this brotherly relationship, we are all "good sons" of the previous dynasty. You govern your south, and I will govern my north. No one should bring up anything about expelling the barbarians or claiming the legitimacy of the Chinese calendar...

Wu Sangui did not want to see this happen—if the "brotherly state" was established, his position would be very awkward. At this time, the policy towards Aobai was most supported by the Manchu nobles, followed by the Three Feudatories led by Wu Sangui!

Furthermore, Huang Rong deduced from the fact that Kangxi had actually sent a "secret envoy" that there was likely a major upheaval in the Qing court...

However, Wu Sangui may not have been aware of these things, and even if he were, he might not have told Wu Kang.

The reason Wu Sangui used to persuade the Southern Dynasty was ostensibly that the Qing army was secretly moving and had the intention of launching a surprise attack, but secretly... he wanted to pave the way with gold and silver, and also his secret relationship with Shi Miyuan, in order to interfere with the Song court's decision-making!

Chapter 325 Wang Yuyan's Request

"Divine Marquis? What does this have to do with him?" Huang Rong frowned for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.

Then Huang Rong couldn't help but ask, "Why do you think that the Marquis wants Wu Kang to come to the capital?"

Chu Luren thought for a moment, then said, "Jiang Biehe... and my intuition!"

Although Chu Luren only mentioned Jiang Biehe's name, Huang Rong understood what Chu Luren meant.

Huang Rong thought for a moment after hearing this, then shook her head and said, "I don't know. It seems that the Dragon Guard Manor is only assisting the Song court in controlling the martial arts world and keeping the eunuchs in check... And even if we consider his purpose as usurping the throne, joining forces with Wu Sangui is not a good choice, is it?"

In the end, Huang Rong still couldn't figure out what Jiang Biehe's purpose was if he really was the Iron-Blooded Marquis behind him!

“However, if Jiang Biehe is indeed conspiring with someone in the court, Yang Kang… no, Wu Kang will likely face considerable difficulty in his infiltration this time!” Huang Rong reminded Chu Luren.

Indeed, even if Jiang Biehe didn't know the details, he could at least see that a rift had appeared between Wu Kang and his son.

Huang Rong's use of "Wu Kang" was also a reminder to the Chu Lu people—if they still wanted him to go to Lin'an as an inside man, then the name "Yang Kang" could not be used yet!

Chu Luren was completely bewildered, utterly unable to comprehend what Zhao Wushi was trying to do, and even his suspicions about him began to waver.

However, Chu Luren immediately banished this wavering from his mind—he couldn't be fooled by this old man!

Seeing Chu Luren's worry, Huang Rong's eyes lit up and she said, "If you're so worried, why don't you let Yunluo go back to the capital too... I'll go with her!"

“Hmm? No, I know you’re clever and resourceful, but the capital is full of the Marquis’s spies. It would be easy for him to make anyone disappear. Besides, given the previous arranged marriage, Yunluo wouldn’t dare to go back.” Chu Luren shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this.

Although worried about the Marquis's conspiracy, Chu Luren did not want to put Huang Rong and Yun Luo in danger.

"So what if there are spies all over the capital? If high martial arts skills are enough to take action, why hasn't the Divine Marquis ascended the throne yet? To run away from Lin'an just to escape a marriage that hasn't even been announced yet, it was already a lack of consideration on your part, both you and Yunluo." Huang Rong rolled her eyes.

Huang Rong spoke with great confidence, but Chu Luren was still worried.

"It's settled then. Aren't you going to Fuzhou to meet up with the people from Huashan? I don't feel comfortable with the climate there, so Yunluo and I will go to Lin'an first to wait for you... Don't worry, we won't let your friend be forced into a marriage." Huang Rong made the decision on her own.

In the original work, Huang Rong was much smarter than Guo Jing, but she was very dependent on Guo Jing. Now... she doesn't seem to be dependent on Chu Luren at all.

However, Chu Luren planned to ask Yunluo herself before deciding whether to return—if Yunluo didn't go back, then Yang... Wu Kang should face his own life and challenges on his own!

No matter how intelligent Huang Rong was, she still needed rice to cook.

In Lin'an and the imperial court, the reputation of the Eastern Heretic might not be of much use, and her own martial arts skills were even less impressive. She still needed to borrow the honor of being a "princess" to be able to use them.

After that, Chu Luren did not meet with Wu Kang again, nor did he tell him in advance that Huang Rong and Yunluo might go to "provide support".

Instead, they stayed at Guiyun Manor for two more days, until Jiang Biehe took his leave, and then Chu Luren also left with Huang Rong!

As for the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan and Mei Chaofeng, they all left after spending the night there. Mei Chaofeng even left without saying goodbye, and Wu Kang also left with Guo Jing.