The Great Seminary

Chapter 323 Changes in Situation
Time flies, and the great war finally broke out.

In mid-May, Song Guokui, the Prince of Ming, officially ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor.

Taking the phrase "renowned for its majestic mountains and rivers, its rank reflected in the Taiyang Mountains" from the Tianhe Jing, the reign title "Longtai" was established.

The following day, the traitorous Prince Zhen, along with many other long-dead rebel officials and their families, were executed in his temporary residence, their bodies used as offerings to the flag. The emperor then personally led his army on a campaign.

Among them, the most prestigious family and the largest number of clansmen were the Zhang family of Pingyang.

Apart from Zhang Jiuqing, a "national talent" personally approved by the late emperor who escaped the disaster, almost no one else escaped.

All the clan property in Pingyang Town was confiscated and brought to public ownership.

However, no one ever mentioned the Crown Prince of the Ming-Song foreign kingdom of Shishi, the general of the Longhu Army, who relied on the nine cities of Tiangong in the East Inner Sea to support his soldiers.

This was because after Prince Kui ascended the throne, Prince Zhen immediately retaliated by accepting the title of "Regent Prince" of the Ming Dynasty.

He decreed that the crown prince of the Stone Corpse Kingdom should ascend the throne as the ruler of the Stone Corpse Kingdom, and restored the former territory of the 'Mysterious Ganoderma Mountain Range' in the desolate wilderness of the Stone Corpse Kingdom.

Then someone remembered that this Cai Yang Shizhong was also a descendant of the Zhang family of Pingyang, according to his father's generation.
Following closely behind, several fleets from the True Dragon Kingdom frequently patrolled the coast of the Eastern Guangdong Province.

Emperor Longtai also issued an edict, saying reluctantly,

'Ceyang Shizhong is favored by the late emperor and can inherit the state of the foreign country and safeguard the old territory...'

He was also granted the title of ruler of the Giant Corpse Kingdom and his homeland in the Xuanzhi Mountains.

Furthermore, he was given Pingyang Town as a private fief.

However, compared to the 'Regent', he added many more conditions rather unpleasantly.

"I, having received the Mandate of Heaven, reign over the Ming and Song dynasties. From this day forward, you shall faithfully serve and forever be of one heart and mind..."

Since we have established friendly relations with the foreign tribes along the coast, we must not allow them to cause trouble, and we should make every effort to appease and pacify them. This is why you should respectfully understand my intentions…

"When storms rage, it's hard to distinguish jade from stone; once obedience is firmly established, all actions are waived, so as to prevent future conflicts..."

Regardless, the position of someone as the ruler of a foreign state under the Ming-Song dynasty was undeniably secured...

In the blink of an eye, the crow wind receded, and the ape wind arose.

The sweltering heat of summer enveloped the entire Yuanluan Ocean.

The Xuanzhi Mountain Range in the Eastern Continent of the Ming and Song Dynasties is planning to rename Zhihai Town, which was originally a 'town', to 'New Capital'. Although the name seems to be thriving, its future is uncertain.

The reality is that people's livelihoods are deteriorating day by day, and people are leaving all the time, but not coming.

In the dock area, the scorching sun hung high in the sky, making people's throats feel like they were on fire.

Ding Chengqi, who had just taken office as the third-rank Prefect of the Capital of Shishi Kingdom, felt a chill in his heart.

But Zhang Gui, the king of the Stone Corpse Kingdom standing next to him, remained calm and composed.

Gazing at the vast, rippling sea, I thought to myself:

"After more than 20 days of self-adjustment, I have finally regained a stable mindset."

The time may seem long, but the ancient sage Confucius once left behind the profound saying, "Food and sex are human nature."

I was a perfectly healthy person, and all I had were the two most basic needs: food and sex. Suddenly, I lost my food.

In a sense, the degree of subconscious trauma is not much different from that of a eunuch who has lost his 'color'.

It's already quite remarkable that they've recovered their mental health so quickly.

Seeing that the king was once again lost in thought, Ding Chengqi sighed inwardly.

"Your Majesty, war is imminent."

Although we are hidden in the mountains and only accessible by sea, we are still inevitably affected, and the economy is declining day by day…”

"You'll succeed, don't worry."

I had anticipated this fierce battle between Emperor Longtai and Emperor Yingri, and I already had a plan.

Zhang Gui snapped out of his daze and said with a smile:

"From this day forward, we, the 'Stone Corpses,' proclaim to the world..."
'Living between mountains and seas, with commerce as its foundation, ceasing hostilities and establishing no military forces, it will forever remain a central hub for peaceful trade.'

Pingyang Town on land was returned to the Ming-Song Kingdom.

The three islands of Tianjing, Tianqiao, and Tianhui in the sea are given to the True Dragon Kingdom. We only want the 'Xuanzhi Mountain Range,' which no one else wants.

The town of Zhihai was renamed "Hapok Heian-kyo", and the Ryūko Shogunate was renamed "Eiwa-gyo".

Let's just wait and see how things unfold.

Ding Chengqi was dumbfounded upon hearing this.

At first, they thought the king might have really gone mad, but upon closer examination, they realized that Zhang Gui's words contained a profound "way of advancing and retreating".

Even if a small country or region has a valid reason, it's really hard to give up too much at once!

"Your Majesty understands the principle of 'advancing as a form of retreat'."

However, Pingyang Town was actually equivalent to a 'central county' in the most prosperous province of the Ming and Song dynasties.

Although Tianjing, Tianqiao, and Tianhui Islands are located at sea, they are also the territory of three counties.

"If we give them away, our Stone Corpse Kingdom will have nothing left!"

"How can it be nothing? Old Ding, don't we have a new 30,000-mile-long mountain waiting to be developed, and an old natural harbor that needs to be revitalized?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gui encouraged him gently:

Chengqi, I know you're reluctant to let go, but it's a matter of time and circumstances.

For the past two years, we have focused solely on maritime operations because we fear war on the eastern mainland.

But now, unintentionally, taking advantage of the subtle changes in the situation, they are using the military might of the true dragon kingdom as a pretext.

Surprisingly, the Ming and Song dynasties restored the status of the Stone Corpse Kingdom, and even granted it territory again, giving it control over the ancestral land of the Stone Corpse, the Xuanzhi Mountains.

Moreover, since both Emperor Longtai and Prince Zhen granted fiefdoms, the danger of war was temporarily averted.

This seemingly brilliant approach of "having good fortune on all sides" is actually excessive and violates the principle of "things reaching their extreme will reverse," leading to a path of "death."
So it's not that we have to give up, but that we have to give up in order to survive for a long time.

Small countries with small populations should never try to take advantage of large countries.

Even if you manage to take advantage of something by chance, remember to give it back double.

Even small countries and states possess things that only large countries look down upon or cannot afford to have, allowing them to occupy them with peace of mind and composure.

Do you understand now?

"Your Majesty, I understand." Ding Chengqi nodded dejectedly.

"What will happen to our common people on Tianjing, Tianqiao, and Tianhui Islands, Your Majesty?"

"Those who are willing to come back can come back; those who are not willing to come back can stay and be settled by the True Dragon Kingdom."

In any case, during times of great strife, the easiest people to recruit are refugees.

Furthermore, the families of our Dragon Tiger Shogunate soldiers and officers cannot return.

After all, it's safer at sea.

Moreover, by giving away the three islands of Tianjing, Tianqiao, and Tianhui to the True Dragon Kingdom for nothing, it owes us a huge favor, and we should at least give it a chance to repay it.

Zhang Gui waved his hand and said.

Ding Chengqi said "Yes," hesitated for a moment, and then suddenly asked:

"Your Majesty, there is something I must say: what exactly is your position in the True Dragon Kingdom?"

"His position is not low, but he only gives orders and doesn't concern himself with worldly affairs."

“Those are the unranked court officials and advisors who served the king in the historical records,” Ding Chengqi said, glancing at Zhang Gui’s expression. “Or perhaps someone like the Grand Preceptor…”

Zhang Gui smiled faintly and interrupted, seemingly unrelated to the question,
"I do indeed often walk around the Noble Palace of the True Dragon Kingdom."

Alright, do as I instruct you this afternoon.

"You have a ton of things to do, so don't get distracted."

He then patted himself on the shoulder, feeling relieved, as the "representative of cattle and horses" in the Eastern Continent.

An encouraging smile appeared on his face.

(End of this chapter)