Chapter 613: Each Has Their Choice

Chapter 613: Each Makes Their Choice

"Yizheng, be cautious in your words!"

In the vast Buddha hall, Liu Jinxun waved his sleeve to dismiss his attendants, his gaze calm as he looked at the furious Zhang Siyuan.

"The Cabinet must have its reasons for acting this way. Since orders have come from above, we just need to follow them."

"What reasons could they have? Aren't they just sitting on the mountain watching the tigers fight, waiting to be the oriole behind?"

Zhang Siyuan made no effort to hide the scorn in his eyes. He strode to the door of the hall and raised his hand to point into the distance.

It was just past noon, but the sky was already a murky gray, dark clouds pressing down as wind and snow howled without cease.

Beneath the thick clouds, the city of Nagqu showed no signs of damage, yet it was enveloped in an almost palpable atmosphere of mourning.

In front of every household, memorial prayer flags hung. Grieving Tibetan commoners knelt by the roadside, hands clasped in prayer as they chanted sutras for the departed.

The news of the Nagqu monk’s reincarnation had spread throughout the city, and to them, it was as if the sky had fallen.

"Lord Liu, take a good look. The sky is still dark!"

Zhang Siyuan’s words were unusually vehement.

"For the public good, the chief culprit has yet to be eliminated. Sangyan Buddha Lord Lin Jiepo still sits serenely on her Sumeru throne. For the private good, the poison of this frontier land still lingers, and these people continue to suffer under the oppression of the local Buddhist order. If we leave now, what was the point of our coming here?"

"Yizheng, the sky is dark because it’s about to clear!"

Liu Jinxun frowned and said in a low voice, "Now that the Nagqu Golden Temple has fallen, we have made clear the stance and intent of the court and the New Donglin Party. The rest will naturally be handled by others. The outcome of Sangyan Temple’s destruction will not change. As for the Tibetan commoners..."

Liu Jinxun paused, then sighed heavily. "Their problems were not formed in a day or a month, nor can they be changed in a day or an hour. No one has the power to help them leap across a thousand years in a single step. So even if you are unwilling to leave, staying here will change nothing."

Zhang Siyuan retorted, "Is that the court’s excuse for abandoning them?"

"The court..."

Liu Jinxun hesitated, his eyes wavering, but finally resolved to speak plainly.

"Yizheng, ever since Emperor Yizong established the Orders, the Great Ming Empire has turned onto an unprecedented path. Everywhere among the people are those who possess the skills to slay dragons and hold dragon-slaying blades. There is no precedent for governing the nation."

"Today it’s just the two of us, so I’ll speak presumptuously: Can the court as it stands still be called a court? Within the Confucian Order, everyone avoids the truth, unwilling to speak openly, but everyone knows it in their hearts. Without the constraints of ritual, the court would have long ceased to exist!"

"We all understand that the true direction of the empire should be its division into a Confucian state, a Buddhist state, and a Daoist state, each based on its Order, returning to the era of the Spring and Autumn rivalries and the Hundred Schools of Thought!"

Liu Jinxun said earnestly, "Now we can only do our part and leave the rest to fate. But no matter where the empire’s fate leads, one thing will never change: governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish—it must be done slowly and gently, without any haste. The same applies to this frontier land."

"Your Excellency, I am deeply grateful for your instruction. But!"

Zhang Siyuan’s expression was solemn, his words resounding.

"If it must be done slowly, then there must be action—a plan. Whether fast or slow, there must be a beginning. Now that we are here, we should be preparing to change this place. Not to stir up chaos and then choose to walk away!"

Zhang Siyuan pointed at the kneeling Tibetan commoners, speaking deliberately, "We can leave, but can they?"

"Without breaking, there can be no establishment."

Liu Jinxun spoke slowly, his gaze meaningful.

Zhang Siyuan was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "We have broken it, my lord, but can it truly be established again?"

At these words, Liu Jinxun was left speechless.

Indeed, after the fall of Sangyan Temple, the frontier was bound to descend into violent chaos.

For the New Donglin Party, which commanded a vast base and had no shortage of fresh blood, the most advantageous choice was to stand by and do nothing.

To wait until these fighting hyenas had determined a victor on this plateau, and only then step in to claim their share.

But by then, how many people would still be alive here?

How much suffering would these Tibetan commoners have to endure before that day came?

"Yizheng, the Grand Secretary has his reasons for issuing such orders. This is not something we can influence. Do you understand?"

After a long silence, Liu Jinxun finally spoke, his voice resigned.

"He has his considerations, and I have my choice." Zhang Siyuan replied without hesitation.

"Yizheng!"

Liu Jinxun emphasized, "You are first an official of the Great Ming Empire, and only then a member of the Confucian Order. Don’t mistake your identity!"

Zhang Siyuan smiled. "My lord, you said it yourself: the court is now just a formality. Since that is the case, I might as well give up this office. Being a teacher and educator sounds just fine to me."

"If you do not hold public authority, how will you save the frontier?!"

Liu Jinxun had not expected Zhang Siyuan to say such a thing. He glared, his brows knit in anger, and shouted sternly.

Zhang Siyuan replied calmly, "Without public authority, I still have a public heart. If I cannot save a whole region or city, it is enough to save one village, one person."

"Nonsense!"

Liu Jinxun fumed, "Do you know who has come to this frontier?! The White Horse Buddha Shiyi, the Great Zhao Buddha Longsheng, the three leading figures of Han Buddhism, the Celestial Master Zhang Chongcheng of Mount Longhu, and people from the Yin-Yang Order’s Eastern Palace and the Agriculture Order’s Altar of the Land. Sangyan Land is destined to become a scorched battlefield. If you stay here, not to mention who you might save, you yourself will be in great danger. Do you understand?"

"Quite a crowd, isn't it? I wonder how they intend to divide up Lin Jiepo among so many?"

Zhang Siyuan said lightly, "But I really don't think any of them would dare to touch Zhang Fengyue's son."

"You—"

His brazen, frivolous manner left Liu Jinxun momentarily speechless.

Liu Jinxun would rather Zhang Siyuan were truly a frivolous good-for-nothing than see him use Zhang Fengyue’s name to do such dangerous things.

In the past, that tiger skin had been invincible, but now it might not protect him; on the contrary, it could bring disaster upon him.

"These men, if they get blood in their eyes, would be capable of anything. A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. Yizheng, why must you do this?"

"Uncle Liu, do not worry. The name 'Zhang Fengyue' should still be enough to hold them in check."

Zhang Siyuan no longer addressed him as "Your Excellency" but used a more familiar term.

He clasped his hands and made a disciple’s salute in the manner of the Confucian Order.

"There is the small family beneath the greater situation, and individual lives beneath the nation’s fate. My father looks far ahead. I cannot compare to him; I see only the trivial matters before my eyes. But if these small matters are left undone, my conscience will be uneasy."

Liu Jinxun shook his head. "The Grand Secretary will not agree to this."

"Do you not think he expected me to do this?"

Zhang Siyuan cupped his hands and bowed, speaking softly. "Since he did not order you to forcibly take me away from the frontier, it means he has tacitly allowed it and will not find fault with you over this."

At these words, Liu Jinxun was left without a response. A wry, self-mocking smile crossed his face. He said no more, turned, and walked toward the exit.

Just as he was about to step out, Liu Jinxun paused but did not turn back.

"No matter what happens, Yizheng, you must first protect your own life. Young men like you are rare in our Confucian Order."

With that, Liu Jinxun did not linger. He boarded the carriage that had been waiting for a long time and left the city.

In the now empty Nagqu Golden Temple, only Zhang Siyuan remained, his expression complex as he watched the departing procession.

What kind of man was Liu Jinxun?

Before entering the frontier, Zhang Siyuan had heard of the events in Nanjing.

He had thought the man was a typical clan patriarch—proud, arrogant, and ruthlessly cruel.

For the sake of his family’s continuation, he would stop at nothing, even treating his own son like a sacrificial insect to cultivate a worthy heir.

After being utterly humiliated by Li Jun, he still chose to endure without striking back. After exposing some underhanded tricks, he decisively and willingly surrendered to his own father, securing his family's standing.

A wily old fox seasoned by the vicissitudes of officialdom—Zhang Siyuan had never held a good opinion of him.

But now, Zhang Siyuan felt he wasn't so contemptible after all.

Perhaps it was precisely because of men like them that the Confucian Sequence had been able to surge to the top of the Three Doctrines, towering over all other sequences, right after the 'Partition of the Realm by Force.'

After a long pause, Zhang Siyuan finally averted his gaze, sitting on the threshold of the Golden Temple, listening to the mournful songs the barbarians in the city dared to sing at last, now that these Ming men had left.

"The distant Buddha has taken away warmth and light. Bereft of guidance, our eyes are blinded by the blizzard. We can no longer see the Buddha's radiance on the Spirit Mountain, nor hear the sutras that absolve sinners."

"Without the sun, the barley cannot bear fruit. Without the rain and dew, how can the galsang flowers bloom? We drift like wild grass, unable to take root in the soil. We are wandering souls, unable to find a home on this plateau."

As long as the songs lasted, Zhang Siyuan sat there.

Not until night fell, and the howling of beasts drowned out the singing, did he finally meet the one he had been waiting for.

Yuan Mingfei looked at this man, who had sat before the temple gate for who knows how long, his body now covered in snow, and asked softly, "Are you Zhang Siyuan?"

Zhang Siyuan shook off the snow. "Genuine article, no refunds."

"You knew I was coming?"

"That wasn't hard to guess. But I didn't expect you to come alone."

Zhang Siyuan gazed at the solitary Yuan Mingfei with slight surprise. "According to New Donglin intelligence, you should be with that old-school Daoist, Chen Qisheng, by now."

"He has already gone to Guangzhou Prefecture."

Zhang Siyuan raised an eyebrow. "So you already know what happened in Xin'an? Why didn't you go?"

"The people from Sheji are even more formidable than we imagined."

Yuan Mingfei nodded calmly. "I'm just an ordinary Third-Sequence Buddhist. Going would only make me a burden."

Her composure at this moment caught Zhang Siyuan off guard. He couldn't help asking, "Aren't you worried about Li Jun's safety?"

Yuan Mingfei countered, "Would worrying help?"

Zhang Siyuan opened his mouth, but after a long moment could only smile bitterly and concede, "It really wouldn't."

"So instead of fretting uselessly, it's better to find a way to deal with these people."

Zhang Siyuan blurted out, "Do you have a plan?"

Yuan Mingfei did not answer. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Zhang Siyuan and asked a question he hadn't anticipated.

"Does the New Donglin Party have any part in this?"

A chill ran through Zhang Siyuan's heart. "If I said no—at least, not me personally—would you believe me?"

"Yes."

Zhang Siyuan, who had expected to argue, was taken aback by her decisive response, momentarily unsure of her intent.

Collecting himself, Zhang Siyuan said, "I don't know what your plan is, but I must warn you: Xin'an is now shrouded by the Sacrificial Field, a dead city. Even Li Jun is trapped inside. Chen Qisheng, for all his old-school Daoist arts, would only be throwing away his life. Call him back. I can save Li Jun."

"How?"

Zhang Siyuan scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed, as if his plan was somewhat unworthy of mention.

"It's not complicated—I'll go to Xin'an myself. If I willingly jump into the Sacrificial Field, my old man can't just stand by and watch me get devoured by Sheji, can he?"

"The sons of the Confucian Sequence aren't worth much."

Yuan Mingfei shook her head, uttering a remark that made Zhang Siyuan's face flush red.

Zhang Siyuan gritted his teeth and retorted, "You can't generalize! I'm his only son!"

"And how sure are you that your father will intervene?"

Zhang Siyuan hesitated, then ventured, "Half? At least half, I'd say."

"What if Sheji only traps you in the field without harming you? What then?"

Zhang Siyuan was left speechless. Somewhat exasperated, he demanded, "Then what will you do? What's your plan?"

"Enter the Sangyan Buddha Land."

Yuan Mingfei finally gave her answer.

"What?"

Zhang Siyuan thought he had misheard. Bewildered, he asked, "Li Jun is in Xin'an, not in Sangyan Buddha Land. What connection is there?"

"As long as I enter Sangyan Temple, I may have a chance to save him."

"How? Do you think that by entering Sangyan Temple you'll instantly attain Buddhahood, advance to Second Sequence, and hold a blade to the necks of those Sheji people, forcing them to spit Li Jun out?"

Zhang Siyuan said testily, "I just don't get it. Why do you all insist on doing what's clearly impossible? Aren't you afraid of death?"

"Without him, I would have died long ago in Chongqing Prefecture. Chen Qisheng would have lost his life in the Japanese territories."

Yuan Mingfei paused, her expression turning serious. "If any one of us were trapped in Xin'an today, he would do the same."

"This Martial Sequence's power of assimilation is even more insidious than our Confucian Sequence's seal."

Zhang Siyuan sighed, looking at the resolute Yuan Mingfei. "The Sangyan Buddha Land is extremely dangerous now. It's full of people trying to become Buddhas and patriarchs. If you go in now, you might not even leave a trace behind. You know that, don't you?"

"Regarding the matter of the Naqu Golden Temple, you owe Li Jun a favor. He may not care about it, but under these circumstances, I have no choice but to be shameless and call in that favor."

Ignoring his words, Yuan Mingfei clasped her hands and bowed deeply to him.

"I want to ask you to accompany me into the Sangyan Buddha Land, to help me ascend Sangyan Divine Mountain and meet the Sangyan Buddha, Linjiapo."

The moment she finished speaking, before she could fully lower her arms, someone caught hold of them.

"If I accepted this bow, and that brute Li Jun found out, I don't know how many times he'd try to cut me down. Sister Yuan, please don't doom me."

Somehow, Zhang Siyuan, who had been sitting at the temple gate moments before, had appeared beside Yuan Mingfei.

After helping her up, he stepped back with a smile before speaking again.

"Bringing me along might only make it more dangerous. I don't need to tell you why. I can't guarantee I'll get you up the mountain."

Yuan Mingfei said gravely, "It's fine. If danger arises, you may leave at once without worrying about me."

Zhang Siyuan smiled noncommittally. "Then I'll accompany you, Sister Yuan, on this trip."

"Thank you!" Yuan Mingfei let out a sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted.

Zhang Siyuan waved his hand. "You're too polite. Old Li and I aren't just casual acquaintances. Strictly speaking, we're on the same side. Too many formalities just spoil the friendship."

Yuan Mingfei nodded. "Li Jun has a good eye for people. He said—"

"What did he say?"

Zhang Siyuan perked up instantly and pressed eagerly.

"He said you're a fool."

"Why would he insult me for no reason?"

Zhang Siyuan's expression froze. Pointing at his own nose, he demanded, "Be fair—am I a fool? Am I?"

"Of course you're not."

Yuan Mingfei changed the subject. "But hasn't anyone ever told you that your acting is terrible?" "Huh?"

"You guessed from the very beginning that I intended to enter the Sangyan Buddhist Land, didn't you? Otherwise you wouldn't be waiting for me here."

Yuan Mingfei asked calmly, "Since you knew all along, why did you play along with me?"

Having been seen through, Zhang Siyuan laughed heartily, not a trace of embarrassment on his face.

"There's no knowing what's in a person's heart. I'm not clever enough to read anyone's mind. If you hadn't had the idea of entering the Sangyan Buddhist Land yourself, and I let something slip that planted the notion in your head, Li Jun would have beaten me to death."

Yuan Mingfei pressed on, "So you don't feel the least bit curious about why I'm so certain this will save Li Jun?"

"Not at all. You must have your reasons for doing this."

Zhang Siyuan replied frankly, "My part is simply to give you whatever help I can, to offer a timely hand and repay Li Jun's kindness, so we can all look each other in the eye in the future."

"So you think he won't die either?"

Zhang Siyuan smiled. "As the saying goes, a weed never dies. Someone like him won't come to such an easy end."

"Then let's go."

Yuan Mingfei raised her eyes and looked beyond the flying eaves atop the Nequ Golden Temple, gazing into the distant pitch‑black sky where a storm was gathering.

"Into the Sangyan Buddhist Land."