Chapter 249: A Little Kindness Can Offset Great Hatred

Chapter 249: A Little Grace Can Offset Ten Thousand Grievances

"The Honghu Plan to relocate the Southwest Branch from the Sinner District to Chongqing Prefecture was intentionally leaked to King Qin by the New Donglin Party. Even Ding Huan's easy return to the imperial homeland was accomplished under their tacit consent."

Upon hearing these words, Yang Bai Ze did not reveal any sign of shock.

On the contrary, he had long since discerned the clues from a series of subtle hints.

Though Honghu was the most powerful rebel organization in the empire, their survival space within the imperial homeland was actually quite limited.

For the so-called "homeland"—the two capitals and thirteen provinces—had long been divided and exhausted by the Three Teachings and the Nine Schools. As the base of this sequence, there was little room left for them to maneuver.

Their primary survival soil lay in the various Sinner Districts beyond the imperial homeland.

The so-called base referred to the main direction of genetic transformation and sequence promotion among the people within their jurisdiction, aligning with the dominant sequence forces controlling the area.

Take Chengdu Prefecture as an example—it was the core territory of the Daoist sect in the empire's southwest. Over the years, through the subtle influence and deliberate cultivation of Daoist thought, the people living there had become Daoist sequence initiates, making it the ideal choice for changing one's identity.

Thus, when choosing a sequence, they would most likely opt to become Daoist initiates.

Likewise, their genes, through generations of evolution, were more suited to this sequence.

The remaining minority, due to various reasons, became other sequences, but under the influence of social perceptions formed over time, they did not favor their promoted sequence and thus deliberately cultivated the next generation to become Daoist initiates through methods like artificial Dao bases.

As for those ordinary people who could not break the lock to advance in rank, most lived in companies established by the Daoist sect's major Dao Observatories, working as diligent and progressive "labor slaves."

Under such circumstances, if Honghu members entered the imperial homeland recklessly, they might be assimilated before they could stir up others.

Even if they were not assimilated, the risk of exposure would greatly increase.

Pei Xingjian was not a member of the New Donglin Party, and the reason he was promoted to become the Prefect of Chongqing was precisely due to his remarkable "political achievements" in Chengdu County over the years.

The Confucian sequence's Shrine of the Master in Chengdu County's borders was his doing.

Of course, this was also inextricably linked to the Qingcheng Group, whose indifference to selling their ancestors' fields was well-known.

After all, not everyone could distinguish between "eternal glory" and "seize the day," weighing which was lighter or heavier.

"How could Ding Huan so easily fall into the trap?"

Yang Bai Ze was surprised by this "Honghu Hidden King's" naivety.

"Because this was the best opportunity for Ding Huan to complete his ritual, advance to the rank of Horizontal and Vertical Five Xi Chief. If he missed this chance, his position as Hidden King would not be secure."

"Though the New Donglin Party only regarded Honghu as a hen laying eggs for them, a mere sixth-rank initiate could not claim kingship within it merely by connections; one must also possess genuine ability."

Pei Xingjian spoke with disdain: "Yet he does not realize that whether he succeeds or fails, he cannot leave the imperial homeland alive."

"Why would King Qin do such a thing?"

Yang Bai Ze furrowed his brow. "A noble imperial prince, even if now reduced to a caged bird, would not use himself as bait to curry favor with the New Donglin Party and seek merit, would he?"

"The descendants of the Longwu Emperor indeed have not fallen to such a state."

Pei Xingjian's face now showed no trace of contempt or disdain, but instead solemnity: "King Qin chose to use himself as bait to lure and kill Ding Huan because the New Donglin Party promised him that, after eliminating this Honghu Hidden King, they would relocate his fief from Chongqing Prefecture to the An Nan Sinner District."

"Relocate the fief?"

Yang Bai Ze exclaimed in shock: "How could that be possible?"

"In the eyes of someone in despair, even a faint glimmer of hope would not be overlooked."

Pei Xingjian slowly replied: "King Qin was not a fool; on the contrary, he was an ambitious prince. That was why he stepped into the New Donglin Party's scheme without hesitation."

"As long as he could relocate his fief to An Nan, away from the imperial homeland, he would have the chance to recruit troops and accumulate strength, biding his time for decades, perhaps even seizing the opportunity to swallow the other states."

At this point, both the old and the young fell into a long silence.

Their expressions were complex, as if sighing and mourning.

After a long while, Yang Bai Ze's eyes grew colder as he continued: "King Qin could only die at Ding Huan's hands."

"Only in this way could this chaos be brought to a perfect close."

"Only then could the New Donglin Party, under the guise of eradicating Honghu rebels, extend their hand into Chongqing Prefecture with legitimacy. And the morally compromised Daoist sequence could find no excuse to block them."

"After all, if the Daoist sequence continued to claim Chongqing Prefecture as their base, how many people would have to die to atone for the fact that a noble imperial prince died on their territory?"

"So your meaning is, even if Li Jun this variable does not appear, they would still find other ways to kill King Qin. Once the goal is achieved, there would be no need to harshly punish Li Jun?"

Yang Bai Ze shook his head and sneered: "The people of the New Donglin Party do not have such a kind heart."

"The real variable is not Li Jun, but Yan Baihuang."

Pei Xingjian spoke solemnly: "They did not expect Yan Baihuang to willingly offer his consciousness, becoming the guardian of the Great Ming Code. This matter has had a great impact within the Huangliang Code realm. Whether high officials in the court or litigation experts in the folk, all regard Yan Baihuang as the backbone of the empire."

"Moreover, the Legalist sequence people are most particular about rules. Now, within the three Legalist offices, there are traitors who have defected to Honghu. The Legalist sequence would inevitably fall into a purge."

"Therefore, at this juncture, if someone moves against Li Jun, they would become the scapegoat for the three Legalist offices to divert internal conflicts, thus facing the wrath of the entire Legalist sequence."

Yang Bai Ze finally glimpsed the key to the matter, murmuring: "Moreover, Li Jun still holds part of the authority of the *Zhizhi Code* left by Yan Baihuang. Unless someone kills the guardian Yan Baihuang within the Huangliang Code realm, these authorities can only be obtained from Li Jun."

It turned out that the one truly protecting Li Jun was the late Chongqing Prefecture's Jinyiwei Baihu.

Yang Bai Ze inhaled a slightly icy breath of dawn, yet still felt his whole body burning hot.

Ten years of drinking ice, hard to cool the blood.

This faint glimmer of light was precisely the reason he continued to persist in this world where profit came first.

Even if he could not blend with the light, at least he would not be swept away by the current.

"Teacher, do you think Li Jun would be willing to go to the Wo Sinner District?"

Yang Bai Ze's voice carried some worry.

"On this point, the people of the New Donglin Party were surprisingly clever for once."

Pei Xingjian sighed: "After the court implemented the 'civilization' policy, treating the people of the Sinner Districts as equals to those in the imperial homeland, the number of initiates in the Sinner Districts surged rapidly. These people, having gained power beyond ordinary mortals, naturally saw their ambitions and desires grow unchecked."

"But when they discovered that the doors of the upper echelons of the empire remained closed to them, some ambitious individuals naturally turned to join rebel groups like Honghu."

"In the long run, this would undoubtedly affect the long-term stability of the Sinner Districts. Hence, the New Donglin Party now intends to expand the scale of 'civilization,' granting more privileges and conveniences to the sinners. This move aims to uproot the rebels' foundation and will inevitably provoke their fierce resistance."

"At this time, someone must face Honghu's counterattack. The responsibility of the Xuanfu Office in the Wo Sinner District, bathed in sunlight, and the Jinyiwei operating in the shadows, naturally falls upon them."

"Moreover, for someone like Li Jun, a wild warrior as helpless as an ant, a little grace can offset ten thousand grievances. The old grudge between him and the Buddhist and Daoist sects stemmed from sequence positions, but his enmity with Honghu was a fresh grievance before his eyes."

"Therefore, he would not put down the embroidered spring blade, nor would he let Honghu go."

With these words, there was nothing more to say.

Pei Xingjian looked up at the sun rising on the horizon, then at his student who hesitated to speak.

"Enough. It is time for us to take up our posts."

"Yes, Teacher."

Yang Bai Ze swallowed the words on his lips and bowed.

The old and the young walked out of the Chengdu County Yamen, bathed in the crimson glow of the rising sun.

Just as Pei Xingjian stepped over the high threshold of the county office, the plain-colored long robe on his body suddenly transformed into a bright crimson official uniform. Two cranes on his chest intertwined their necks in song, circling endlessly around the beams.