Chapter 541: Seek the Many, Not the Few

Chapter 541: The Many Do Not Seek the Few

“In the sixth month of the twelfth year of Jiaqi, the administrative offices of Liaodong’s various prefectures and counties fell victim to a ferocious raid by brigands, the devastation appalling. Investigation revealed that the locale of Wusucangwei’s Sanshany Temple bore grave suspicion. By imperial edict of the Grand Secretariat, a select cadre shall be drawn from the New Eastern Forest Party to form an inspection unit, to take immediate residence at the site for a thorough inquiry. Should any volunteer wish to join the expedition, they may register with the Celestial Officials’ Realm and present themselves to the Ministry of Personnel.”

“Thus, this shall be the principal content to be published tomorrow in the New Eastern Forest Party’s internal bulletin.”

In the vast, dim hall, a cabinet member named Gaosheng murmured the drafted bulletin to its close, the pale yellow glow of the case‑paper screen casting a harsh light upon his furrowed brow, his visage grave.

“Grand Secretary, the clamor over this locale is deafening.”

Gaosheng added softly.

“Such a baseless accusation leveled upon one’s head would incite outrage in anyone.”

Towering cabinets, extending to the vaulted ceiling, rose like walls, their intersecting passages weaving a labyrinthine maze within the hall.

Zhang Fengyue’s voice drifted from some unseen corner of the maze: “Our present endeavor is to gather a cohort to be pressed down, and those who are gathered shall be permitted to vent their scorn.”

Gaosheng’s countenance remained clouded with worry: “I am concerned that the Han transmission of the Buddhist lineage harbors ulterior motives.”

“The objective is set; henceforth each shall display their ingenuity.”

Zhang Fengyue spoke lightly: “They possess their own calculations, plainly evident; moreover, the internal sentiment of the Buddhist sect is not as uniformly hostile as it appears, else this black pot would not have been hung upon Sanshany Temple. This time the sect merely scapegoated the weakest faction; even if Sanshany were to be utterly razed, the whole sect would not suffer grievous injury.”

“Why then do they act thus?” Gaosheng queried, bewildered.

To Gaosheng, Zhang’s scheme seemed a simple exertion of pressure, seeking to exploit the shoddy pretext of investigating Liaodong to thrust forward the New Policies.

Yet the course of events unfolded unexpectedly smoothly; the Buddhist sect actually selected a substitute scapegoat.

Moreover, from his knowledge, the affair had not stirred great turbulence within the sect, nor had any news of a Bodhisattva’s nirvana emerged from Ling Shan.

The sect presented a meek, self‑abnegating façade, as if the aggressors of Liaodong were indeed them.

The situation was uncanny, leaving Gaosheng momentarily at a loss.

“Since the world divided its martial arts and the three teachings were established, we have each withdrawn to our own realms to cultivate, a span of years now. In secret, what have we all done, what fortunes have we amassed, perhaps even we cannot discern.”

“If the Buddhist houses seek to trip me, they will surely test the waters first; even if a single spear cannot pierce the depths, at least they will compel us to reveal something solid, so that later when we clash we shall have certainty in our hearts.”

Zhang Fengyue remarked calmly: “Indeed, this is merely a macro view; in the minutiae, Sanshany Temple is fated to meet this calamity.”

“Why?”

Gaosheng, having shifted his seat forward a few inches, stood as if rooted in a horse stance, his silvered hair and advanced age presenting an extreme humility.

“They were once shattered by the Martial Lineage’s wrath, daring to study the near‑extinct ancient Daoist school, pursuing the path of flesh and spirit union. In recent years, many have been seized by them for breeding, they believing their deeds concealed, yet all know that beneath Sanshany Temple’s altar lie piles of bones.”

“But they forget that even the Jade Capital cannot accommodate a Daoist lineage of glorious martial achievement; how could Ling Shan contain them? Carving a new path is no obstacle, yet first they must become mainstream, else they are doomed to be branded as outsiders. Having not learned to walk, they aspire to run, and their fate is a shattering crash. Thus, even without the Liaodong affair, the benevolent bodhisattvas of Ling Shan shall someday wield other blades against them.”

“As you say, the Liaodong affair grows ever more enigmatic.”

Gaosheng questioned: “Who, in the end, stirs the storm from behind?”

Within the intersecting maze, no voices echoed this time.

Gaosheng instantly realized he had asked an improper question, and swiftly raised his case‑paper, shifting the topic: “Grand Secretary, must we truly conscript personnel from the New Eastern Forest Party to the locale? I fear the aristocratic houses may lack anyone willing to touch Sanshany Temple’s taint.”

Thus I intend to appoint Suiyuan as Deputy Inspector, to lead the expedition personally into the field.

Zhang Fengyue smiled: “My own son stands at the forefront; if they still lack courage to follow, then I shall not blame myself for eating the meat while they go without broth.”

At that point, regardless of concealment or genuine folly, Gaosheng seemed to grasp the whole scheme’s thread.

Yet his heart harbored no fraction of being drawn into Zhang’s inner circle, nor any pride in having solved the puzzle; instead, a deep dread pervaded.

From the inception of the New Policy, each step taken by Zhang Fengyue was unpretentious, lacking intricate stratagems or inscrutable hidden plans, yet each time he precisely seized the interests of most within the maze, coaxing them willingly into the current, even when the situation stalled, prompting them to act.

The restructuring of the criminal quarters proceeds similarly; the current relocation of the locale follows the same pattern.

A casually brushed excavation of a dam gives rise to a torrent’s mighty surge; when one senses the wrongness, they are already entwined and cannot extricate themselves, forced to surrender to the inexorable flow forward, unassailable.

The multitude does not seek the few; perhaps this is the true essence of “Shuyi.”

Gaosheng thought inwardly.

Those so‑called lofty officials, in the eyes of the empire’s chief minister, were no different from common folk, merely slightly sturdier individuals among the masses.

As Gaosheng stood dazed, a figure gradually entered his sight.

Zhang Fengyue, clad in a crimson official robe, approached the cabinet bearing the characters “Nanzhili”, and brushed away dust from the golden beam machine upon it.

“I have heard the capital of Jinling stirs with great vigor; do tell, what events have transpired?”

Gaosheng, reining in his tangled thoughts, concisely stated: “The two sons of Liu Jinxun were slain; the perpetrators were a band of ronin who had fled the Japanese sector, led by a lone martial lineage’s Li Jun.”

“A deputy of the six ministries, a provincial official stationed at a border city who orders killing at will; Su Ce truly left behind a cadre of troublesome marauders.”

Gaosheng scoffed: “Even the most ferocious bandit remains a bandit, inconsequential. If the Grand Secretary wishes to rid himself of these fleas, I shall attend to them at once.”

“Li Jun is no flea.”

Zhang Fengyue shook his head: “Su Ce will name him ‘Xin Zhu’; it is no random arrow. The character ‘Xin’ signifies a spark that can set the plains ablaze; this Li Jun is not to be underestimated.”

“Shall we then leave him unattended?”

“What should concern us is not we, but those celestial Buddhas perched above. On the contrary, it is precisely to let this ‘Xin Zhu’ test their waters, perhaps yielding unexpected gains.”

“I am wary that the aristocratic houses may voice discontent, the rabbit dies and the fox mourns.”

“Then let Liu Jinxun come to the capital; the elder shall personally soothe him.”

Gaosheng was startled, unable to fathom for a moment what Zhang meant by “soothe.”

Does the Grand Secretary intend to strike while the well is deep, to crush the Liu household in one fell swoop?

“Grand Secretary, Liu Jinxun has merely lost two sons; the foundation of the Liu house has not suffered grave harm. Presently, the relocation of the barbarian zones is of great importance; to act upon the Liu house now, is it not somewhat untimely?”

Gaosheng spoke earnestly, his words a direct counsel, appearing as a loyal and devoted confidant of ulterior designs.

“You worry excessively, Grand Father; I am not so obtuse as to be unable to discern right from wrong; I have a matter of great importance to entrust to Liu Jinxun.”

Zhang Fengyue, with hands clasped behind his back, smiled: “Regarding the investigation of Sanshany Temple, though Suiyuan serves as the vanguard, he is still young; to contend with those who have renounced their humanity to pursue Buddhist doctrine, and to extract humanity from the Buddha, he lacks some fire. Therefore I shall appoint Liu Jinxun as the chief inspector, his presence alone sufficient to deter those who would stir the waters for profit.”

“One might suppose, given Liu Jinxun’s nature, he may not consent to come to the capital.”

“If his sons had not perished, he would surely decline this task; but now, he will certainly accept, and will exert his utmost effort to see it through.”

Zhang Fengyue’s voice was steady, his gaze sharp, as if he had penetrated Liu Jinxun’s very essence from the capital of Jinling inward.

Now Liu Jinxun has lost the initiative, his capacity for maneuvering exhausted.

This time Gaosheng ceased further questioning and turned to recount the events unfolding in Jinling.

“In the same day, a rebellion erupted among some of the Minggu’s spirits within the institute; the insurgent spirits seized the entire middle courtyard in a single night. The director, Mo Guhuang, and the vice‑director, Liu Xianzhou, fell in battle; the whereabouts of Shu Ye and Peng Ze remain unknown.”

Gaosheng’s demeanor was solemn; he solemnly declared: “The remaining Minggu casualties exceed a hundred; the missing are numerous, predominantly the heads of each research group within the middle courtyard, along with their research outcomes, data, and vast equipment. The material carriers of the Minggu realm and the production lines of the Mo Jia have been confiscated, leaving the middle courtyard essentially an empty shell.”

“When the rebellion erupted, the entire Shanhua Ward was sealed off. By the time I received word and dispatched rescuers, the insurgent spirits had already fled. Upon probing the memories of many, it was determined that a group called the ‘Minggu Warrior Clan’ was pulling the strings, and…”

Gaosheng’s twin ivory brows twitched downward, his nostrils flaring as he emitted a cold snort.

“The denizens of Tianque are also among them; without them, Mo Guhuang would likely not have perished so easily.”

Zhang Fengyue sighed deeply: “Tianque, a name long unseen. It appears they have at last grown restless. Yet this is favorable; if they remain steadfast, I would actually harbor some caution, whereas their movement would be less worrisome. By the way, who among the Five Pillars has been mobilized?”

“At present, only Zhou Yuan and Zhao Mengze can be confirmed.”

“Two outsiders.”

The figure stood motionless, a mask of disbelief etched upon his brow, while whispers of impending strife coiled within his veins. Another voice, sharp as a blade, murmured of alliances forged in shadow, yet still the path remained unclear. The old man’s words echoed through the halls, a warning etched in silence, yet the weight of unspoken truths pressed upon him like a storm. His gaze lingered on the remnants of ambition, each fragment a chisel marking the contours of fate. The air thickened, heavy with the unspoken, as if the very walls held breath, awaiting the reckoning that lay ahead.