Chapter 101: Chapter 96: Never Bully a Poor Youth, The Choice of the Celestial Master’s Mansion

Inside the Wang Family Mansion.

The main hall.

Chen Ke approached Wang He’fu and kowtowed.

He had changed into a brand-new white Confucian Shirt. Combined with his naturally handsome and dashing features, he now appeared even more dignified, possessing the air of a Qilin Child.

After being accepted as a Registered Disciple by the Wen Sheng, the Cabinet had granted him the position of Hanlin Academy Attendant Scholar.

Although a Hanlin Academy Attendant Scholar was only a Senior Fifth Grade position, he was already quite content.

Now, whenever he walked down the street, any scholar who saw his righteous aura would bow their head and address him as “Gentleman,” a complete reversal from their previous attitude of not even deigning to look his way.

Because of this, he had acquired many new identities.

Gentleman Chen Ke.

Chen Ke, Disciple of the Wen Sheng.

Chen Ke, the Hanlin Scholar.

But these were merely hollow titles.

He understood that none of this would have been possible without the Wang Family. The hereditary appointment he now held was one designated for a scion of the Wang Family.

In a sense, he could be considered one of the Wang Family’s own.

The Wang Family had shown him the grace of patronage, while His Highness had shown him the grace of recognition.

A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring.

This was a principle that he, Chen Ke, deeply believed in.

That was why he had to come to the Wang Family to pay his respects.

“Greetings, Lord Wang.”

“We are not in the Imperial Court. Why address me so formally, worthy nephew? There’s no need to be so reserved.” Wang He’fu chuckled.

Chen Ke nodded and quickly corrected himself. “The Prince is right.”

“Indeed, fortunes turn like the tide. You have truly leaped over the Dragon Gate; your future is limitless.”

As the Great Yan Prime Minister, Wang He’fu was dressed in casual attire at home. A Red Gold Fish Bag hung at his waist and a Jade Ring adorned his finger. He chuckled softly and waved his hand. A servant, quick to take the hint, immediately served tea to Chen Ke.

Chen Ke accepted the tea, his demeanor neither servile nor overbearing. “No matter how prominent I become, I will always be a Guest Scholar under His Highness.”

Hearing this, Wang He’fu nodded in satisfaction. He skimmed the foam from his tea with the lid and leaned in conspiratorially.

“Why don’t you quietly tell me who was the one who gave you that line, ’to shelter all the poor scholars of the world and make them joyful’? I am dying of curiosity.”

Chen Ke hesitated for a long moment before shaking his head. “I promised that person I would not tell anyone.”

Wang He’fu flashed the smile of a sly old fox. “I know. You don’t have to give me a name. Just tell me if it was someone close to you, someone you’ve met with recently.”

At this, Chen Ke finally gave a slow nod.

Seeing him nod, Wang He’fu was almost certain of his guess. He clicked his tongue. “To think, my own grandson possesses such literary talent.”

Chen Ke had a vague idea of how he’d guessed, but he remained silent, his heart as clear as a mirror.

Wang He’fu chuckled. “Originally, I had little confidence in the struggle for succession. But after seeing you, I’ve realized that without my even noticing, my grandson has gathered so much influence around him.”

“The struggle for succession?”

Chen Ke was taken aback when he heard this term. He asked in confusion,

“Isn’t His Highness guilty of a grave crime and confined to the Cold Palace for thirty years?”

’He shouldn’t have a chance, should he?’

Wang He’fu gave a meaningful smile. “If you haven’t witnessed it with your own eyes, how can you know that what you’ve heard is true? Or that what you scoff at is false?”

“Even what you witness with your own eyes can be difficult to discern as true or false. There are good deeds that hide malicious intent, just as there are disasters born from good intentions. It is hard to judge a person’s good or evil. In the end, it all depends on your own discernment and whether the outcome is good or bad.”

“For instance, you believe the Sixth Prince committed a grave crime, but did he really do it intentionally? Is that truly the fact of the matter?”

Hearing this, Chen Ke seemed on the verge of another epiphany. He sighed with emotion. “The Prince has truly taught me another lesson in the Wen Sheng’s stead.”

“Therefore, not all principles in this world are correct.”

“So, as long as a principle allows the common people of the world to live well and brings peace to the era, it is a good principle?”

Hearing this, Wang He’fu smiled in gratification. “Your natural aptitude is indeed very high. It is acceptable for you to understand it that way.”

In his view, the so-called grave crimes were all a matter of fine lines.

Whether something was black or white was decided by the Cabinet, and by the greater Momentum of the world.

’As long as I remain in the Imperial Court for even a day, there will be a chance to overturn this case.’

Wang He’fu stroked his beard and smiled. “It wasn’t until I saw you that I began to have some ideas. Perhaps it is still too early, but sooner or later, there will be a chance to realize them.”

Chen Ke asked for instructions, “What should I do?”

“You don’t need to do anything. Just focus on your studies. The Literary Saint Lineage is vast and righteous; your future official career will be exceptionally smooth.”

“I understand.”

…

As Chen Ke left the Wang Family Mansion, he was still pondering their earlier conversation.

’Since good and evil are matters of one’s own judgment, there’s no need for pedantic adherence to old rules. Whether a so-called true principle can become a principle at all depends on my own heart.’

’Doesn’t that mean that as long as one’s nature is self-sufficient, anyone can become a dragon? That everyone can become their own saint?’

’After all, my heart is the principle itself.’

Chen Ke’s eyes widened, and he clapped his hands together as if he had grasped something ethereal and illusory.

But if he were to try and describe it, it felt immensely vast and magnificent.

He needed to return to the Hanlin Academy to properly sort through his thoughts.

With this in mind, his pace quickened. It was only when he was passing the Thunder Pool Daoist Academy that he saw two familiar figures.

One was dressed in green, the other in white. Both wore long, flowing skirts and conical hats.

“Greetings, Immortal Sisters.”

He stepped forward to greet them.

The woman in green tapped her head as she remembered him, then chuckled. “I remember you. You’re that poor, pedantic little Confucian Scholar from the City God Temple.”

“Qing’Er, do not be rude to the gentleman!”

After chiding her companion, the woman in white gauze spoke to Chen Ke with great courtesy. “You must be a disciple of the Literary Saint Lineage. I am Yu Linglong of the Linglong Sect. I have long admired your great name, sir.”

She could sense that his aura was righteous, melodious, and enduring.

He was clearly no longer that minor Confucian Scholar from before, but a Gentleman.

The news of the Wen Sheng’s new disciple had caused a huge stir throughout the Imperial Capital; there was practically no one who hadn’t heard of him.

Chen Ke hadn’t expected the woman in white to be so polite and felt a little awkward. He still returned the pleasantries. “I am indeed a disciple under the Wen Sheng, but only a Registered Disciple. There is no need for you two to be so courteous. I see you have just come from the Daoist Academy?”

“We have.”

Yu Linglong nodded slightly.

“We just finished offering incense in the sacrificial hall.”

Chen Ke understood.

The Immortal Influences within the Great Yan Dynasty constantly dealt with the Dynasty Government Office. They used various methods to trade for beautiful lands rich in Spiritual Qi—places with clear waters and verdant mountains. They would then develop these into Blessed Lands, such as Cloud Sea Islands, Aerial Pavilions, and realms of Immortal Peaks and Seas. There, they would recruit disciples, ensuring their grace would last for centuries.

The basic condition for lasting for centuries was a continuous stream of worship. This “incense” relied on two things: recruiting talented individuals and maintaining influence within the Dynasty.

Therefore, most Dynasties would exploit this to turn a profit. They would issue a special currency called Divine Copper for the buying and selling of mountains. Some of these hidden mountains contained Blessed Land Cave Heavens left behind by the ancients.

The Dynasty needed these Immortal Influences to cultivate enough talent for its own use, so it wouldn’t exploit them too harshly. A delicate balance existed between them.

The same principle applied to the Mountain and Water Deities. They needed these Human Divine Mansions to guard their territories and prevent them from being seized by villains.

The Great Yan Dynasty’s ennoblement of Mountain and Water Deities and the establishment of temples for these divine mansions were not matters the Court could decide unilaterally. Those who received such titles generally fell into three categories.

First were powerful Demon Fiends causing trouble in the mountains and rivers. The Court would attempt to pacify them. If negotiations were successful, they could become an asset. A temple might be built for a Demon Flood Dragon or a Spirit Monster, who would then bring rain to a region. The Dragon King Temples and Earth God Temples were examples of this.

Second were local paragons of virtue, great figures whose praises were sung for a thousand miles. In life, they had gathered the will and faith of the people and received the recognition of a region’s destiny. The Court would posthumously ennoble them, build temples, and record them in the local gazettes, representing an official status and a name in the annals of history. As long as people remembered them, they could exist for a very long time. The City God Temple, Wenchang Pavilion, and Golden Body Temples were examples.

Third were beings born naturally as spirits, nurtured within a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land. They were so powerful they could command the Momentum of heaven and earth in a region and control its Destiny even without the Court’s approval. The Water God of a great river is one such example.

…

「Inside the Thunder Pool Daoist Academy」

“Greetings, Vice Mountain Master.”

“Mm.”

Xu Changqing, dressed in a white Daoist Robe, gave a lazy acknowledgment. With the air of someone fabulously wealthy, he waved a large sleeve, tossing out countless bags of Copper Coins. He carried a large basket full of small clay figurines, some gold, some silver, and entered the ancestral hall.

He stood before one of the votive statues, a flash of disgust in his eyes.

’Practicing Yin Yang Replenishment and relying on Pills… and they still dream of pursuing the Path of Longevity? Why would the Five Elements Daoist Temple choose the Fourth Prince?’

He was charged with representing the Dao Alliance in the Capital City to investigate and select a candidate to support.

Half a year had passed, but he still hadn’t found a suitable candidate and had not made a rash decision.

Many Sects had urged him to choose the Fourth Prince, who had been keeping a low profile.

But he just couldn’t bring himself to approve of the man.

He had simply not placed any of the votive figurines, dragging the matter out until now.

But now, the Taoist Sect was pressing him more and more urgently, saying that they had observed an anomaly in the Celestial Mandate and that he must make a choice quickly.

It was really getting on his nerves.

Having been forced to choose the Fourth Prince again, he brought his basket of figurines to the section representing the Fourth Prince’s lineage, unable to suppress a shudder of revulsion.

Currently, the Second Prince, Eighth Prince, and Seventh Prince had the most supporters, and thus the most figurines—as numerous as pine trees covering a mountain. But their sections were basically full, and the return in worship was now minimal.

The blame lay with their Taoist Sect for failing once before and then procrastinating for so long.

The Eldest Prince and the Third Prince also had many supporters at first, but now many of their figurines were broken.

Xu Changqing methodically placed the clay figurines one by one in the Fourth Prince’s section. It too filled up quickly; after all, not every Sect had the resources to participate in this struggle.

He slowly scanned his surroundings. He noticed a single stone figurine that, despite being alone, was radiating a brilliant light, its divine essence so vivid it seemed alive. It had clearly begun to take on a substantial form.

He glanced at the small seal script on the plaque above it, a look of surprise on his face.

“The Sixth Prince’s lineage?”

’Didn’t Master Purple Sun already perform a divination? Hasn’t his fortune supposedly dissipated?’

’It must be the influence of the Champion Marquis’s Martial Fortune and the Confucian Temple’s literary fortune.’

He pondered for a moment, then formed a hand seal for a Taoist Technique and began to divine the past.

“It’s not that? How strange.”

He narrowed his eyes and continued his calculations, trying to divine the future, but he couldn’t see a thing.

Gradually, a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead.

’Is my Dao Practice too shallow? Is my own Great Dao insufficient for this divination?’

’Seriously?’

He let out a slow breath and stopped the divination, fearing a backlash from tampering with celestial secrets.

In the end, he couldn’t resist. He took out one of the Taoist Sect’s many stone figurines—the exquisitely carved golden statue from the Celestial Master’s Mansion—and placed it in front of the simple, lone statue.

…

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