If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1214 Let the Ancients Experience the Charm of Modern Journalism

After discussing the use of money to implement benevolent governance, Grand Tutor Yu added, "Are you aware of the case of the public trial in Xianyang of the Celestial Master for breaking his promise?"

Emperor Huhai immediately nodded excitedly and said, "Father, we know! This afternoon, several celestial masters from the Imperial Observatory flew here."

They sent a large number of notices, which the yamen runners posted at the city gates of Xingyang and the surrounding counties.

Father, your methods are truly ruthless. Ahem, what I mean is that we should be ruthless and merciless towards those traitors.

Not only did their father tarnish their reputation, but their teachers and friends were also put on the wanted list.

Hahaha, the palace eunuchs and maids, after seeing the list, all exclaimed in surprise, "So this is the kind of person Ma Gu Niang is!" and "The Jade Emperor's third prince doesn't seem to be any better than the princes of the mortal world!"

This is truly gratifying!

—The eunuchs and palace maids exclaimed that the "treacherous Golden Spear Prince" was no different from a prince in the human world, and you were still laughing happily? Do you even understand the image you have in their eyes?

Grand Tutor Yu inwardly scoffed, but outwardly solemnly said, "I did this to open up a second battlefield—the battlefield of public opinion—not simply a battle of egos."

The Qin Dynasty has lost its Mandate of Heaven, a fact now known to most Qi cultivators with some skill.

This means that ambitious and powerful figures either don't enter the tribulation, or if they do, they will likely stand on the opposite side of the Qin Dynasty.

Many immortals have already become, or are about to become, our enemies.

Facing their unparalleled supernatural abilities and shrewd calculations, it was utterly impossible to defeat them in one fell swoop on the battlefield.

We need to use our brains, leverage our strengths, and find the master's weaknesses.

What are the advantages of the imperial court and the weaknesses of the immortal?
It's definitely not supernatural power.

Li Si seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "Grand Tutor, are you referring to the battlefield of public opinion? We are the imperial court, the legitimate ruler of China. In the battlefield of public opinion, the imperial court naturally occupies the highest moral ground."

Grand Tutor Yu nodded slightly and said, "That's right, we are 'officials,' and Chen Sheng and his group are 'thieves.'"

As long as the imperial court does not act perversely, its words will naturally be imbued with the 'principle of humanity'.

Ordinary people are more likely to trust government announcements than the claims of thieves.

When Chen Sheng rebelled, what banner did he raise?
Heh heh, they impersonated Xiang Yan, a former general of the Chu state, and dared not openly say—I, Chen Sheng, want to be king and rebel against the Qin Dynasty.

Fortunately, our King Zhao (Fusu) is still alive.

Otherwise, they would definitely impersonate Fusu's subordinates, steal the righteousness of the Qin Dynasty, and rebel against the Qin Dynasty.

Why would they impersonate Xiang Yan or even Fusu's subordinates, instead of daring to call themselves "local rioters"?

At this moment, Feng Quji understood and said, "They need morality; only morality can win the hearts of the people."

Only by winning the hearts of the people and gaining their support could Chen Sheng be a 'king' rather than a 'bandit leader'.

As a commoner from the countryside, he lacked cultural depth.

If the descendants of the royal families of the six states of Shandong were to rise up, they would likely raise the banner of restoring their former kingdoms directly.

Grand Tutor Yu smiled and said, "In one or two major battles, 'morality' may not have a significant effect."

However, when it comes to vying for destiny, it becomes essential to uphold morality.

It's not that having morality guarantees a mandate from heaven or the ability to protect the world. Rather, it's that without morality, one will inevitably lose the mandate from heaven and the world.

Of course, the most fundamental way to win moral righteousness is to protect the world and benefit all living beings.

Although the imperial court naturally holds the moral high ground, it can still lose its power of public opinion if it acts recklessly and causes widespread suffering. The rebels, with their slogan "Fight the wicked and punish the tyrannical Qin," immediately seized the moral high ground.

Therefore, especially at times like these, we must not limit our focus to a particular rebel group or a particular battlefield.

We should take advantage of the fact that the court is still the legitimate successor and do our best to practice benevolence and righteousness.

Now that the Qin Dynasty has little time left, implementing benevolent policies would be like patching up a leaky river—too late.

Better late than never.

If benevolent governance is implemented, it will likely have some effect.

With a somewhat helpless sigh, Grand Tutor Yu rallied his spirits and continued, "The most direct and clever way to win moral support is to wage a war of public opinion."

Ten years of benevolent governance, working diligently and practically, allowed the people of the world to feel the benevolence and righteousness of the Qin Dynasty.

Then, through public opinion, let the world know that our enemies have no morality.

This is the will of the people, the destiny bestowed upon us.

Imperial Censor Feng Jie asked, "This time, Chen Sheng started the uprising under the guise of Xiang Yan."

Should we expose his true colors?

For example, they posted notices informing the people of Chen County that Xiang Yan was long dead and that Chen Sheng was lying.

Grand Tutor Yu shook his head and said, "Of course we need to wage a propaganda war, but this level of propaganda has no power."

There are two key points to consider when waging a war of public opinion, and you must pay attention to them.

First and foremost, never spread rumors. If rumors are exposed, the government will lose credibility.

Ideally, you should be able to force the other party to spread rumors and resort to trickery.

Secondly, while ensuring the content is truthful, try to use sensational methods in your publicity.

For example, in the public trial of the sworn-breaking Taoist priest, I implicated many great gods and immortals.

Obviously, I did it on purpose, to create a sensation.

But did I lie?

Wasn't Ma Gu Niang the master of Zhong Yuan Gong? Wasn't Geng Sang Zi a close friend of Zhuangzi?

As long as it's true, exaggerate it as much as possible, using literary 'techniques' to shock the world.

For example, regarding Chen Sheng's use of Xiang Yan's name, simply stating that Xiang Yan was already dead would be meaningless.

Many people in the Chu region knew that Xiang Yan was dead. They could also understand that Chen Sheng used Xiang Yan's reputation to start his rebellion.

But if we post a notice—Chen Sheng declaring that Xiang Yan, a former general of Chu, is leading them in rebellion—the court will be shocked and enraged.

Feng Jie hesitated and said, "It sounds a bit strange. If the people who know that Xiang Yan is dead see this notice and hear that the court is shocked, they might misunderstand something."

"What misunderstanding?" Grand Tutor Yu asked.

"Is it a misunderstanding that Xiang Yan has been resurrected? Or is it a misunderstanding that Xiang Yan's ghost is leading a group of ghost soldiers in rebellion? Or is it a misunderstanding that Chen Sheng has a stroke and is talking nonsense?"

"Well, none of this is good news. Could this be the Grand Tutor's purpose?" Feng Jie asked with a strange expression.

Grand Tutor Yu said, "To deal with an enemy, you must keep a close eye on him. If he makes even the slightest clear mistake, immediately announce it to the whole world."

Then, when promoting propaganda for the enemy, while maintaining the truth, try to increase the damage as much as possible, making their reputation worse or their situation more difficult.

In short, the content is authentic, but the techniques used are extreme.

Grand Tutor Yu then launched into a long and eloquent lecture, imparting the theories of "modern journalism" to this group of ancient people, allowing them to experience the "charm" of journalism countless millennia in advance.

Li Si pondered for a moment and said, "Grand Tutor's tactics of public opinion warfare are not difficult to learn."

After we've done it again and again, before the rebels even realize what's happening, the powerful figures behind them will surely notice.

Then they will use their own methods against them.

As the Grand Tutor said, the Qin Dynasty is merely patching up a leak in the middle of a river; we seem to have even more stains on our bodies.” Grand Tutor Yu said, “If the imperial court issues an order, the government offices of each prefecture and county will immediately arrange for officials to post notices at city gates, street corners, and intersections outside the city. Can the rebels do that?”

We have many flaws, which is why we must promote and publicize ten years of benevolent governance.

“Chen Sheng and his followers could post notices in their own jurisdiction. They could also spread their message in dreams, just like spreading prophecies,” Li Si said.

Xiao Yu said, "Although the imperial court has the advantage in the war of public opinion, it does not mean that others are completely unable to resist."

If they want to post on their own turf, let's have a public showdown with them.

The Fox Dream Secret Technique is more of a weakness than a clever trick.

If they actually use the Fox Dream Technique, we will immediately post notices explaining in detail that telepathic communication in dreams is a fox demon's evil magic. We will label any enemies who use this evil magic as demons or monsters.

Don't be afraid to exaggerate if it's true.

King Lieyang said, "If we lose on the battlefield, simply posting notices won't be of much use."

Li Si said, "If we can seize the moral high ground, even small efforts can be of some use."

At least the Grand Tutor's theory is indeed correct.

Anyway, we won't waste much time and energy.

The hardship of traveling back and forth was borne by the magistrates and their servants in each prefecture and county.

The imperial court has supported them for hundreds of years; it's time for them to contribute their strength to the mandate of heaven for the Qin Dynasty.

Grand Tutor Yu looked at King Lieyang and asked, "Was Chen Sheng's massacre of the city due to the difficult war and heavy casualties?"

King Lieyang nodded and said, "Li Huan, the county magistrate of Chengfu County, is born with superhuman strength and is skilled in training soldiers. He is also upright, loyal and brave, and has a good reputation in the local area."

Upon discovering that Chen Sheng had not gone north to Pengcheng but instead headed west to Chenjun, he immediately conscripted eight thousand elite soldiers from the vicinity.

They planned to take advantage of the Wo River's terrain and wait for the enemy to attack from a safe distance.

His plan was very successful. In just one major battle, he scattered the 30,000 rebel troops personally led by Wu Guang, beheaded 5,000, and captured 8,000.

Wu Guang almost died on the spot, but was rescued by a celestial master.

After this battle, Chen Sheng's forces were almost completely decimated.

"How did Li Huan lose?" Grand Tutor Yu asked.

King Lieyang said angrily, "The immortals have made their move, at least ten immortals! They have no shame and sneak into our camp under the cover of night."

Li Huan used military tactics and formations to kill eight people in succession before finally dying from exhaustion.

Chen Sheng suffered heavy losses and his hatred was hard to quell. He not only wiped out the entire Chen family in Chengfu County, but also wanted to hunt down the eight thousand Chengfu followers who had followed Chen Huan, as well as their families.

They got carried away with the killing and couldn't stop, eventually massacring the entire city.

Upon entering Chen County, Shan Xin, the magistrate of Xinyang County, led local heroes in resistance, ultimately killing two of Chen Sheng's generals, after which Xinyang was massacred.

The first massacre of the city was probably not part of Chen Sheng's plan, because the process was very rushed and many people escaped.

The second massacre was when Chen Sheng, having tasted the sweetness of the experience, became even more savvy.

After the massacre of the city, even those other counties that didn't surrender immediately lost the will to resist.

Grand Tutor Yu remained silent for a long while before saying, "Public opinion can also be useful on the battlefield. You should identify the immortals who took the initiative to attack the Qin army, and then spread the word that they, as immortals, shamelessly ambushed Qin officers."

They could also learn from the public trial in Xianyang and directly pin the blame for the massacre of the two cities and the deaths of countless people on them.

They compiled a list of their senior masters and even all the deities in their network of connections, posted it at the city gate, and announced it to the world.

The reason they dared to kill so recklessly and willingly using Taoist magic was that all the consequences and sins would ultimately be borne by Chen Sheng's 'Zhang Chu'.

When the karma and karmic burdens on their bodies can no longer be cleansed by the dynasty's fortune, they will panic, become afraid, and may even meet a tragic end.

King Lieyang asked doubtfully, "Isn't it common sense that the dynasty's fortune cleanses sins?"

Grand Tutor Yu shook his head and said, "This is the natural law of the Great Dao of Destiny, not an unchangeable truth."

In the Pangu world, there is no Dao that cannot be restrained.

Even the Great Path of Fortune has its flaws and can be restrained.

At least I'm certain that if you follow my "law of public opinion," you can largely restrain the "cleansing of sins by fate."

'Cause and effect' is very mysterious.

When someone kills another person, the killer only has karmic ties with the victim; but when the news of someone's murder spreads, everyone in the world hates the killer, and the killer forms karmic ties with everyone in the world.

I wrote books to vindicate the treacherous celestial masters, so that even ten thousand years from now, they will still be despised and condemned by the world.

Even if they pledge allegiance to the true dragon, how difficult and costly would it be for the true dragon to absolve them of their sins, to silence the gossip of the world, and even to silence the voices of millions in the future?

Li Si's eyes flickered slightly, and he said, "If what the Grand Tutor said is true, the power of public opinion, when used to its fullest extent, can even make immortals wary. In that case, we must increase our investment in the war of public opinion."

Previously, the imperial court did not have a Grand Councilor specifically responsible for this matter.

We now need to appoint at least three Grand Councilors specifically for this major propaganda campaign.

He looked around at the Grand Councilors present and hesitated before saying, "I know all of your abilities."

You are not suited for this task.

I'm afraid we'll have to select a few talented individuals from outside, from the common people, or even promote three Grand Councilors beyond their usual ranks.

Earlier, Grand Tutor Yu instructed us to recruit talented individuals widely and not leave any virtuous and capable people from the countryside to the rebels.

We've recruited a lot of talent in recent months; it's time to give them a chance to shine.

Grand Tutor Yu said, "Why not add a new government office in addition to the Nine Ministers?"

The new government office can be crammed with hundreds or even thousands of "remnants of rural wisdom," who will be specifically tasked with waging a propaganda war.

The Imperial Guardian said, "There is no need to set up a new office. The court already has the Sima Mansion, which is responsible for intelligence and counter-espionage."

Although the current Sima Ling (military governor) is somewhat corrupt, if three Grand Councilors were appointed to revitalize the administration, the Zhongche Sima Mansion should be able to regain its vitality.

Grand Tutor Yu shook his head and said, "We can arrange for new people to rebuild the Sima Mansion, but a new government office must also be established."

The two have quite different functions. The official rank of 'Sima Ling' is not low, but his reputation is not good.

The new government is only responsible for waging a war of public opinion, standing in the sunlight, not lying, not smearing, and not spreading rumors.

It can attract more talented individuals who also value honor.

As long as someone has enough fame, even if their talent is somewhat lacking, they can be placed in a new government office and even given military merit titles.

Posting notices on the city walls is propaganda; engaging in lively discussions among scholars is also propaganda.

After a slight hesitation, Grand Tutor Yu added, "The war of public opinion is very important, but you should not put the cart before the horse."

Remember, practicing benevolence and righteousness is fundamental.

Those truly capable individuals should be entrusted with the task of implementing a ten-year policy of benevolent governance and overseeing disaster relief efforts.

Claims are important, but journalism doesn't require great talent; all you need is basic literary skills and enough shamelessness and utter lack of moral boundaries.

(End of this chapter)