Chapter 359: Foolish and Stupid People

Chapter 359: The Reckless and the Foolish

Yang Baize gazed upon the street before him, now reduced to a wasteland of ruin. Charred wreckage lay scattered everywhere, amidst the ash left in the wake of the blaze and snowdrifts speckled black and white. It all covered the ground like the weeping, blistered skin of a severe burn, making passage nearly impossible.

Beside him, mechanical vehicles clanked and rumbled. The Xuanwei Commission garrison, which had been utterly invisible throughout the night, had finally put down their firearms to operate various engineering constructs for the rescue efforts.

A multitude of "Huang Nu," biological hounds bred and modified by the Agricultural Order, alongside "Qing Cao," mechanical canines forged by the Mohist Order, dispersed in all directions. They kept their heads low, searching for the heat signatures and scents of any potential survivors.

Whenever they raised an alerting bark, men wearing single-horn badges would step forward to dig. Each man bore a strip of white cloth, an inch wide, wrapped around his right arm, their solemn expressions heavy with grief.

They were all members of the Kakutani Gumi.

"We underestimated the ruthlessness of Honghu after all," Yang Baize sighed deeply. Setting fire to an entire city was a horror he had only read about in the imperial historical records during his studies within the Yellow Millet Dreamscape. He had never imagined he would witness it with his own eyes in reality.

"These frenzied, soulless villains should be utterly eradicated!" Yang Baize clenched his fists so tightly his fingernails dug into his palms. On either side of his official cap, the two symmetrical wings of his black gauze hat trembled in tandem with his shaking body.

"The Confucian Order has never taken Honghu's savagery lightly. Yet for all these years, no matter how we hunted and cornered them, the results have been meager. We have never been able to pull them out by the roots."

The speaker was an elderly clerk, clad in an inconspicuous grey Ming robe covered in black ash.

By the time Yang Baize had dealt with the Honghu spies inside the Xuanwei Commission yamen and rushed to this spot, this old clerk named Xu Zhun had already organized the men to extinguish the flames and systematically begin the rescue.

"Old Xu, you only just arrived in Inuyama City today, and yet I welcome you with such a scene of devastation. I am truly ashamed." Yang Baize cupped his hands and bowed to the old clerk, his face filled with remorse.

"There is no need for this, Lord Tongzhi. This is merely my duty." Xu Zhun did not accept Yang Baize's bow, stepping aside to avoid it. "Lord Pei had me rush here from Chongqing Prefecture precisely because he knew how treacherous the Yamato District is. He worried you would find yourself in an awkward position with no one to rely on. As it happens, this old man still possesses some small measure of use."

"You are already at an age where you could retire from office, yet you have been made to leave your homeland and travel thousands of miles to the Yamato District. My heart truly bears a heavy guilt. You must accept this gesture." Yang Baize shifted his stance and bowed deeply to Xu Zhun once more.

This time, Xu Zhun did not dodge, accepting Yang Baize's respect with open grace.

"An old warhorse in the stable still longs to gallop a thousand miles. Compared to retiring to my home village, drowning myself in the Yellow Millet Dreamscape to eat and wait for death, I would rather do my part for the New Policy in the Yamato District before my genes lock up again and I degenerate into a senile, ignorant old man. That way, this life will not have been in vain."

"My mentor indeed possesses great foresight," Yang Baize said with a self-deprecating smile. "If the Western Suburbs Guard Office hadn't sounded the alarm early this time and secretly dispatched the Jinyiwei to investigate the four Yamato District directors, I probably wouldn't even have doubted their loyalty. Had that been the case, I fear I would have been reduced to ashes along with that great fire."

"Those who are not of our kin will always have a different heart. Even within the imperial heartland, there are plenty of people who steal glances and share trysts with Honghu, let alone these resentful Yamato people. However, Lord Tongzhi, you need not underestimate yourself. The progress and vigor with which you have pushed the New Policy are obvious to everyone across the entire District of Sinners."

Xu Zhun smiled faintly. "When I left Chongqing Prefecture, I heard that quite a few grand figures in the New Donglin Party looked upon you with great favor and wished to bring you under their banner. If Lord Pei hadn't brandished his blade and declared he would take the life of anyone who dared poach his subordinate, I expect your brain-computer spiritual aperture would already be bursting with connection requests from the Yellow Millet Dreamscape."

"Seeing a situation where profit can be made, they immediately can't wait to place their bets," Yang Baize said disdainfully. "Those great clans and noble houses within the New Donglin Party remain as shameless as ever."

"If they possessed any shame, the New Donglin Party's reputation within the Empire wouldn't be as foul as it is today," Xu Zhun remarked casually. "Once the New Policy is smoothly implemented in the Yamato District and it falls completely under the rule of the Confucian Order, on the day the Old Chief retires with honor, I fear our own Confucian Order will see no small storm of blood and blades."

"To live in this world is to live for two words: fame and wealth. Whether it is the position of Grand Secretary of the Empire, which allows one's name to be carved into history, or that grand ritual to ascend to the rank of Confucian Second, both are more than enough to make those people slaughter one another."

Yang Baize nodded, then suddenly laughed. "But none of that has anything to do with us anymore. When the sky falls, the tall ones will prop it up. We had best think about how to sweep our own small plot of land clean first."

"Your Lordship speaks with reason." Xu Zhun turned his gaze toward the Kakutani Gumi, who were busy searching for survivors among the ruins, and asked, "Are these the people Your Lordship intends to use to replace the four directors in managing Inuyama City?"

"Indeed. Although it has been many years since the Yamato District returned to the Empire, in the eyes of these sinners, we are still outsiders after all. We must leave some buffer space between us so certain things can be executed more smoothly."

Turning to official business, Yang Baize's expression became solemn. "The Kakutani Gumi performed well during this attack. Though their current strength is still somewhat lacking, with a bit of support and grooming, they can be put to use."

Xu Zhun understood perfectly. "I understand. Once the rescue is over, I will arrange for them to take over the subsequent post-disaster reconstruction work. As for the funding..."

"On that point, I have already come to an agreement with Xie Bi'an, the Total Banner of the Jinyiwei's Second Office in Inuyama City. He will provide us with leverage over the major corporations and workshops in Inuyama City. When the time comes, Old Xu, you can arrange for the Kakutani Gumi to pay them a visit and collect the funds."

Yang Baize spoke coldly, "Inuyama City belongs to everyone, so naturally, everyone should contribute to its rebuilding."

"That is indeed the logic," Xu Zhun lamented. "It is a pity the Four Great Corporations have already withdrawn from Inuyama City. Otherwise, we could have scraped a tremendous amount of grease from them by seizing this opportunity. By then, we wouldn't just be rebuilding; we could probably even plug the financial deficit for implementing the New Policy."

"There are pros and cons to both. Though Inuyama City may become the poorest major city in the entire Yamato District because of this, it is still preferable not to have those people poking around here to act as eyes against us."

"Then regarding the New Policy, shall we continue to press forward according to the original plan?"

"Of course we continue, though the details must be adjusted slightly."

Yang Baize instructed, "The students of the Confucian Temple who were killed or injured in this attack must be granted uniform pensions. As for the other students, tell the Garrison Bureau to cease their interrogations. We must strive to complete the reconstruction of the Confucian Temple within a month. We must display the magnanimity of our Xuanwei Commission; we cannot allow Honghu to shatter their courage."

"The construction progress of the elementary private schools cannot be slowed down either. At the same time, suspend the export of all young and able-bodied laborers. Shift them instead to local employment, absorbing them into the reconstruction work of Inuyama City."

Within Xu Zhun's slightly trembling eyes, a sharp light flickered continuously. "If we execute it this way, the expenses will be no small matter."

Yang Baize said decisively, "Old Xu, you need not worry. I will find a way to resolve the issue of the treasury notes."

"My Lord, those who possess the qualifications and capability to run enterprises all have masters behind them who have entered the Orders. If we scrape too harshly from them, I fear it will give Honghu another opportunity to exploit."

Xu Zhun frowned slightly, assuming Yang Baize still intended to take his blade to Inuyama City's enterprises and workshops.

This was indeed a channel for wealth, but if the methods were too ruthless and drove these people to desperation, they would inevitably defect to Honghu.

When that time came, not only would the money elude them, but they would also plant numerous hidden dangers.

Though this Lord Tongzhi possessed extraordinary talent, he was still too young after all...

Xu Zhun sighed inwardly. Just as he was about to continue advising Yang Baize, he saw the latter burst into laughter.

"Old Xu, rest assured. I still understand the principle that going too far is as bad as falling short." Yang Baize shook his head. "I will not engage in such folly as killing the goose to get the golden egg."

"Then where does Your Lordship intend to begin?"

"Don't those grand clans and noble houses of the imperial heartland wish to draw me into their fold?" Yang Baize smiled. "To put it plainly, they do not value me, a man of an outside surname. They have their eyes on this small territory and population in my hands. As long as they can provide the funds, I will permit them to open their subsidiary industries here."

"Those people are all old foxes refined through a hundred crucible trials, with hearts as deep as the sea and schemes as profound as the abyss. Permitting them to enter Inuyama City... I fear we may be inviting wolves into our house."

"When one is starving, who cares whether it is a tiger or a wolf that arrives? Since we cannot bear to slaughter the sheep we raised ourselves, let us slaughter these tigers and wolves to fill our bellies."

Yang Baize raised an eyebrow and spoke to the old clerk, stressing every word: "To battle with them—now that is where the boundless joy lies!"

Xu Zhun's face stiffened upon hearing this, and he subconsciously raised his eyes to stare at the young face before him.

The absolute confidence and chilling intent to kill that filled those features caused this old clerk, who had drifted through the sea of officialdom for many years, to lose himself in a trance for a moment.

In his vision, two faces with completely different features but an identical aura slowly overlapped, becoming indistinguishable from one another.

Pei Xingjian, Yang Baize.

This master and disciple, old and young, were truly cut from the same cloth.

"Do you know this Daoist Order cultivator?"

Chen Qisheng sat upon the steps at the entrance of the guard office, holding a square jade token the size of a thumb between his fingers, rubbing it back and forth gently.

Contained within the jade token was a portion of masterless Yellow Millet authority.

According to the intelligence provided by the 'Information Department' of Mount Longhu, the previous owner of this authority was precisely a missing Daoist Order cultivator named Sun Qianyuan.

The permission is now in an ownerless state, and Sun Qianyuan is likely already dead.

Zou Si-jiu stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe, and nodded at the mention of this.

"I infiltrated Hei Long Capital's underground stripping facility by posing as a priest, entering Sun Qianyuan's Yellow Lotus dream as a guide, a celestial demon. There, I had contact with him."

"Oh? So, after drinking, he spoke the truth, and in his dream, he saw the true self. What kind of person is he?"

"A scoundrel, or a fool."

Zou Si-jiu smirked, "Even at the moment of his death, he was still thinking about how to become an immortal."

"He was indeed a scoundrel, somewhat similar to me, Tao."

Chen Qisheng scratched his nose, "What does 'fool' mean?"

"All his life, he dared not eat or drink, living a frugal existence. Others would have locked up the Yellow Lotus Cave and enjoyed it alone, nurturing their own divine consciousness. But he, on the other hand, didn't even dare to use it for himself; he took it all out to make money, thinking he could save more treasure to buy permission."

Zou Si-jiu sneered, "What else could you call Sun Qianyuan's inverted approach but a fool?"