Chapter 893: Cutting the Ground from Under Their Feet
In the imperial palace, Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu had invited Yuchenzi, Linxuan Daozhu, Wang Muran, Si Yunxiang, and many others. Most of them were former members of the Heavenly Alliance, all young people, gathered to discuss how the Yan Kingdom should operate after this cataclysm.
At its founding, the Heavenly Alliance had only four members: Qin Mu, Linxuan, Wang Muran, and Xu Shenghua.
Later, when Qin Mu and the others were grilling fish at the Grand Academy, Ling Yuxiu, Si Yunxiang, Hu Ling’er, Monk Mingxin, Mu Qingdai, Long Yu, and others also joined. Qin Mu later even pulled the demon ape Zhan Kong into the alliance.
—As for Hu Ling’er, she loved excitement and joined the Heavenly Alliance just to make up the numbers. She didn’t take it seriously, and neither did Qin Mu or the others.
At the time, Xing Han and Yanfeng Emperor were also present, but they rather looked down on the alliance Qin Mu and the others had formed and didn’t join.
This gathering at the palace was missing Xu Shenghua, Hu Ling’er, Mingxin, and the demon ape hadn’t come either. However, there was one extra person: Yuchenzi.
Yuchenzi said, “The new Heavenly Map is extremely vast and very difficult to refine. Even if the Heavenly Court’s Daoist sect were to refine it, it would still take thirty to fifty years to complete. Moreover, since my Qingyun Heaven is the designer of the new Heavenly Map, we can naturally leave some tricks hidden within it. Although the new Heavenly Map is very dangerous, it’s not without a chance of survival. The most difficult part right now is the eight clauses in the Heavenly Court’s imperial decree.”
Ling Yuxiu said, “Actually, there are only seven. My father and State Preceptor Jiang are imprisoned in the great jail. We don’t need to consider them for now. Let’s focus on the first seven and come up with countermeasures. From now on, should the Yan Kingdom stop its reforms and changes, or continue? If we continue, how do we break through these seven clauses?”
Yuchenzi looked at Qin Mu. Qin Mu said, “Naturally, we continue forward. If we don’t, even just the annual imperial sacrifices to Heaven would be enough to destroy the foundation of Yan Kingdom’s existence.”
The crowd was puzzled.
Yuchenzi explained, “The powerful demigods in the Heavenly Court consume blood sacrifices. Every year, the emperor offers sacrifices to Heaven using young boys and girls as tribute. Offering children to the Heavenly Court as blood sacrifices is enough to sever the people’s hearts. The people dare not resent Heaven; they will only resent the Yan Kingdom.”
“That’s too vicious.”
Wang Muran frowned. “This one clause alone is enough to destroy the Yan Kingdom.”
Ling Yuxiu said, “That’s why we need to come up with countermeasures. The Heavenly Court wants to take away our Yan Kingdom’s right to mint currency. Saintess Xiang, how do we break that?”
Si Yunxiang thought for a moment, then smiled. “Will the Heavenly Court’s currency circulate within the Yan Kingdom, or throughout the entire Primordial Realm?”
Qin Mu said, “The Heavenly Court won’t create a special currency just for the Yan Kingdom. Now that the Heavenly Court has unified the Primordial Realm, naturally all factions will use one currency.”
Si Yunxiang clapped her hands and laughed. “If they were to design a special currency just for the Yan Kingdom, with the Heavenly Court controlling the minting rights, then the economy would collapse, and the Yan Kingdom would be doomed. But if all factions in the entire Primordial Realm use one currency, that’s actually not a bad thing!”
The crowd didn’t know much about this and asked for clarification.
“If the entire Primordial Realm uses one currency, the Heavenly Court will be leeching off the Primordial Realm. They only need to mint money to plunder the wealth of the Primordial Realm, but they also have to ensure that the currency can be used to buy and sell goods.”
Si Yunxiang smiled. “The people of Yan Kingdom are best at doing business. Through trade and commerce, they can earn more money from other parts of the Primordial Realm to sustain their own livelihoods. The Heavenly Court will leech off the entire Primordial Realm, plundering its resources, while we, through trade, will siphon resources from other factions in the Primordial Realm. Yanfeng Emperor once said that the Dafeng Coin should be used in all nations. He worked for many years to achieve that dream, and unifying the currency of the Primordial Realm has actually fulfilled his dream. It’s just that now there’s a Heavenly Lord above us.”
Qin Mu said, “You will be in charge of trade and commerce.”
Si Yunxiang said, “I need your fox spirit to help me.”
Qin Mu nodded. “The minting rights are the third clause. I’ll leave this matter to Si Yunxiang to plan and stabilize the people’s livelihood. The first clause is to burn all reform-related texts and prohibit reforms. We have backups of all the texts, so we don’t need to worry about that. The second clause is to restore the old system: rule through sects, with the common people and the sects revering all gods. This is a policy to stupefy and exhaust the people. How do we break it?”
Wang Muran said, “Among these seven clauses, is there any prohibition against establishing elementary schools, academies, or the Grand Academy?”
Ling Yuxiu said, “There isn’t, but the elementary schools, academies, and the Grand Academy everywhere have been destroyed by those Heavenly Gods, and the books have been burned.”
Wang Muran smiled. “Then rebuild them! Don’t use the names ‘elementary school,’ ‘academy,’ or ‘Grand Academy.’ Change the names to things like ‘Yujing Sect,’ ‘Tiansheng Sect,’ ‘Daoist Branch Temple,’ and so on. Make the names lean toward sects. Elementary schools, academies, and the Grand Academy are essentially no different from sects anyway.”
Qin Mu said, “Do it that way. The fourth clause prohibits the manufacture of heavy divine artifacts. For now, we won’t make them. No need to worry about it. The fifth clause prohibits unauthorized changes to divine techniques and Dao methods. Only a few people have the ability to change divine techniques and Dao methods, so we don’t need to worry about that either. The sixth clause is the sacrifice to Heaven. This one is truly insidious. How do we break it?”
Yuchenzi thought for a moment. “I have some connections in the Heavenly Court’s Daoist sect. Perhaps I can ask some influential figures from the Heavenly Court’s Daoist sect to step in and change the items offered in the sacrifice. At the very least, we can’t have the emperor offering humans as livestock.”
Qin Mu said, “I’ll leave that to you, Senior Brother Yuchen. The seventh clause is to destroy all ingenious and clever inventions. That’s not a big deal either. After this catastrophe, most of the good things among the people have already been lost.”
He looked around and smiled. “Now, let’s start thinking about how to counterattack.”
Everyone was startled.
Counterattack?
What nonsense was he talking about?
How could they counterattack?
Qin Mu said, “I’ve had an immature idea these past few days. I’ve been walking around the capital, and I noticed that many Heavenly Court heavenly soldiers and generals have been breaking into the homes of wealthy families in the capital, looting so-called ingenious and clever inventions. The Heavenly Court’s gods seem to really like these things. Since that’s the case, we’ll manufacture them for free, only accepting Heavenly Court currency, and make the prices as low as possible. Our Yan Kingdom has no shortage of skilled craftsmen. Let them manufacture everyday items for the people, which will preserve the skills of these craftsmen.”
The crowd still didn’t quite understand.
Qin Mu continued, “Senior Brother Yuchen, can you use your connections in the Heavenly Court’s Daoist sect to have some of the Heavenly Court’s divine artifacts manufactured by the Yan Kingdom?”
Yuchenzi frowned. “You want the Yan Kingdom to manufacture the new Heavenly Map? Impossible! The Heavenly Court will never hand over the new Heavenly Map to the Yan Kingdom for forging! Such divine artifacts can only be manufactured by the Heavenly Court’s Zaofu Palace! The Zaofu Palace is where the most important divine artifacts are made! Almost all of the Heavenly Court’s heavy artifacts are forged there, and security is extremely tight! Workers there have their identities verified daily using the Book of Life and Death!”
Qin Mu smiled. “What I mean is, the Yan Kingdom should first manufacture some everyday items for the Heavenly Court, like ice chests, windmills, and such. Then, manufacture weapons like divine armor, divine robes, warships, and formation diagrams needed by the Heavenly Court’s armies. The Heavenly Court can use their minted currency to directly buy the treasures we manufacture from the Yan Kingdom.”
Yuchenzi was stunned.
The crowd frowned deeply, still not quite understanding.
“Such a good deal, the Heavenly Court would naturally be willing. But…”
Yuchenzi hesitated. “The craftsmen of the Yan Kingdom work hard to forge treasures, only to exchange them for the Heavenly Court’s minted currency. That seems…”
Qin Mu said, “As long as the currency can circulate in the Primordial Realm, we don’t need to worry about how much money we make. Can you do it?”
Yuchenzi said decisively, “I can!”
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief. “Then, how long will it take for the Yan Kingdom’s manufacturing plants to drive the Heavenly Court’s manufacturing plants out of business, leaving only the Zaofu Palace to forge heavy divine artifacts?”
Yuchenzi’s heart shook violently. He laughed. “You’re cutting the ground from under their feet, severing the root of the Heavenly Court’s livelihood and economy! The Heavenly Court’s factions are diverse. If they have access to nearly free divine weapons and tools, their manufacturing plants won’t last long before being replaced by the Yan Kingdom! By then, manufacturing plants capable of forging divine weapons and tools will be everywhere in the Yan Kingdom, while the Heavenly Court will have no manufacturing plants left!”
He paced back and forth. “The Heavenly Court governs the Four Extremes, the Xuan Du, the Primordial Realm, the Netherworld, the Dark Capital, the Southern Heaven, the Northern Heaven, the Eastern Heaven, the Western Heaven, along with thirty-six Heavenly Palaces and seventy-two Precious Halls, and countless heavens and realms! If the Yan Kingdom can supply the Heavenly Court’s daily needs and military equipment, the industries of all those heavens and realms will gradually hollow out, leaving them with no money to use. At that point, their livelihoods will wither, and they will inevitably rebel.”
Qin Mu asked, “I only need to know how many years it will take.”
Yuchenzi said boldly, “At most a hundred years!”
Qin Mu thought for a moment. “A hundred years is enough. Can you use free divine weapons and tools to exchange for the emperor not using young boys and girls as blood sacrifices in the Heaven worship ceremony?”
Yuchenzi thought for a moment. “I can try.”
“As for the other details, you all are more skilled than I am. How to settle the people, how to rebuild their homes and livelihoods, reclaim farmland, plant crops, and get through the current famine—the civil officials in the court are well-versed in these matters. Consult them. My several elders are masters of swordsmanship, formations, forging, medicine, calligraphy, painting, and various other arts. Feel free to seek their guidance.”
Qin Mu stood up and bowed. “Then, I entrust the Yan Kingdom to all of you!”
Everyone was startled and quickly returned the bow. Linxuan Daozhu said, “Chief, why are you saying this? Aren’t you staying in the Yan Kingdom? You are now the Yan Kingdom’s State Preceptor, and you also have the identity of Mu Heavenly Lord. Countless eyes are on you. Your current condition seems a bit off. It’s better not to go wandering around.”
Qin Mu straightened up, feeling a bit dizzy. He smiled. “If I stay in the Yan Kingdom, the Heavenly Court will keep a close watch here. They’re not watching the Yan Kingdom; they’re watching me, Mu Heavenly Lord. As the Yan Kingdom’s State Preceptor, if I wander around, the Yan Kingdom will have a chance to breathe and gain some time. Don’t say any more.”
Si Yunxiang looked at Ling Yuxiu. Ling Yuxiu’s expression was complicated. “State Preceptor, when you leave the capital, when will you return?”
Qin Mu said, “When I come back, I will come find you. As for when I will return, I have no plans yet.”
“Will you return on this day next year?”
Ling Yuxiu looked at him and said softly, “I know your body isn’t well. Come back this time next year, so I know you’re still alive.”
Qin Mu laughed heartily and nodded firmly. “This day next year, I will return!”
He turned and walked out. When he reached the palace gate, he woke up Dragon Qilin, and together they headed toward the State Preceptor’s residence.
“Is Chief Qin’s condition dangerous?” Wang Muran watched him walk away and asked quietly.
“He has no soul.”
Yuchenzi said in a low voice. “I have never seen a person without a soul who could still live.”
“Could the Chief be planning to hide in a corner and die quietly?”
Si Yunxiang suddenly grew worried. Her eyes reddened, and she said softly, “I’m afraid he’s worried we’ll be sad, so he’ll hide and die slowly. Even if someone finds his corpse, no one will know he was Mu Heavenly Lord, Chief Qin, the Yan Kingdom’s State Preceptor…”
Ling Yuxiu shook her head. “He will return. On this day one year from now, he will meet us here again!”
In the capital, there were two State Preceptor residences. One was the residence of the previous Yan Kingdom State Preceptor, Jiang Baigui. The other was Qin Mu’s villa here. In the villa stood a Primordial Tree, lush and green.
Qin Mu came to the Primordial Tree and stroked its trunk. Suddenly, Gongsun Yan, wearing a green dress, came around from behind the tree, carrying a small watering can. She smiled. “Little brother, you’re back? Yan’er, your young master is back!”
From the bird’s nest in the tree canopy, Yan’er poked her head out, and then the plump green sparrow flew down and landed on Qin Mu’s shoulder. She chirped, “This bird’s nest is really comfortable. I don’t even want to get up. Young master, are you planning to go out?”
Qin Mu nodded and smiled. “Sister Yan’er, since the nest here is comfortable, why don’t you stay here? You can also look after the Yan Kingdom.”
Yan’er hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “The Empress told me to follow you. I can’t stay. Besides, Yan’er is even better at taking care of people than I am. She’s been taking such good care of me. That phoenix nest has everything. She prepared all kinds of fruits for me, and even bugs to eat! I’ve never met anyone more considerate than me. I’ve gotten fat.”
Dragon Qilin poked his head out from behind Qin Mu, about to speak, when the round green sparrow glared at him and said fiercely, “Fat Dragon, shut up!”
Dragon Qilin dared not speak.
Gongsun Yan looked troubled. “I want to go with you too, but I’m rooted here…”
Qin Mu said gently, “Then stay here. This is also my root. I will come back.”
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