I start by accepting Sun Wukong as my disciple and reshape the Journey to the West

Chapter 148 Utilitarianism

Yuchi Gong led the group to Xiang Liang's gate, with chests of gold and silver treasures and a gleaming imperial edict in his hand.

After Yuchi Gong explained his purpose, Xiang Liang naturally did not believe him: "My lord, although someone did borrow a treasury of gold and silver from me some time ago, in my humble opinion, things in dreams don't count. Please take the things back with you."

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Gong let out a hearty laugh: "Since you admit that you borrowed a treasury of gold and silver in your dream earlier, it is unreasonable for you to return it in reality now."

Sagara pointed to his residence: "If you were here, sir, and someone appeared in your dream saying that you have dozens of vaults of gold and silver stored in the underworld, would you lend them to me or not?"

Yuchi Gong: "There is a difference between Yin and Yang. The sage said that although you are just a poor man in the mortal world, you have accumulated virtue and done good deeds in the past, which are recorded in the underworld. Although they are all gold and silver, there are differences. To tell you the truth, if you were not willing to lend His Majesty a treasury of gold and silver, His Majesty would probably not be able to return to the mortal world. Therefore, please accept this gold and silver, sir. Moreover, His Majesty is waiting for you in the palace and wants to bestow an official title and rank upon you."

Yuchi Gong's words were utterly sincere. Xiang Liang tilted his head and looked at the endless line of people behind Yuchi Gong, as well as the dense array of gold and silver treasures.

"Your Majesty faced nine deaths and one life in the underworld, yet a deity appeared in my dream to pave the way for Your Majesty. This shows that Your Majesty is blessed with boundless fortune and extraordinary luck. I merely did some good deeds in the past, and yet I received such an opportunity. It would be a fantasy to anyone who heard it."

After a pause, Xiang Liang smiled bitterly: "But the general holds the imperial edict, which is an imperial decree. If I do not believe it, do not listen to it, and do not accept it, then I would be ungrateful. As the saying goes, no one gets rich without unexpected wealth. I will accept this gold and silver so that the general can go back and report. As for asking me to enter the palace to receive rewards, please ask the general to refuse on my behalf. Now that His Majesty is governing the country well, there are many capable people in the court. For an ordinary commoner like me to suddenly rise to the top is not a blessing but a disaster for me. Please ask the general to thank His Majesty on my behalf."

Yuchi Gong, who had risen to his current position, was certainly not a fool. He understood the deeper meaning behind Xiang Liang's words and immediately nodded: "Very well! I will certainly convey your words to His Majesty verbatim. In that case, I will not disturb you any longer."

Immediately, Yuchi Gong waved his hand, and the soldiers placed the boxes of gold and silver into Sagara's courtyard before leaving with their men.

On the old locust tree, Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun frowned slightly. He remembered clearly the conversation between Xiangliang and Him in the past. The person in front of him should not have accepted such windfall. What was the reason for this? Could it be that Xiangliang's image in the past was all an act?
Nine-Headed Lion was indeed considerate: "Master, should I summon him and ask him what's going on?"

The Savior of Suffering shook his head slightly: "No need. With a virtuous wife at home, one is spared from misfortune. We don't need to speak on this matter."

Not far away, Xiangliang's wife returned. Upon hearing the origin of the gold and silver treasures, she immediately said, "Husband, how could you be so foolish? How could the emperor's reward come out of thin air? The affairs of the underworld are too ethereal; we cannot accept such things."

Seeing his wife so anxious, Xiangliang immediately stepped forward and took her hand, saying, "My wife, don't be anxious. How could I not know that these things are more of a curse than a blessing? They are not mine, so I should not take a single thing. But now that the Emperor has bestowed them upon us, if we do not accept them, wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the Emperor? Would that do us any good?"

"Not to mention, according to General Yuchi, the court officials all know about the Emperor's return to life, and it will soon spread throughout the land. At that time, even if we do not agree, someone else will naturally take the title. It is better for us to accept it. After all, you know that before this, I did tell you about how someone borrowed a treasury of gold and silver from me in my dream."

“In the past, I only asked you to spread some news, saying that I received money from an immortal in a dream, simply because I did good deeds and accumulated merit, but I did not say who the money was lent to.”

"Now that General Yuchi has brought these things with gongs and drums, you can make the facts more solid and build a good reputation for His Majesty. Every drink and every bite is preordained. In this way, His Majesty's virtuous name will be passed down to the world. The immortals are willing to extend His Majesty's lifespan. Our good deeds and virtues will accumulate in the underworld and have a reflection in the mortal world. Isn't this a wonderful thing?"

Upon hearing this, the lady of the Xiang family's eyes lit up: "So, all this gold and silver treasure truly belongs to us?"

Finally understanding Xiangliang's thoughts, Madam Xiang knew that even if Xiangliang didn't take on this matter, someone else would. From the moment Yuchi Gong arrived with his men, there was absolutely no reason for these gold and silver to be returned.

“It belongs to us, but we can’t really stay.” Sagara shook his head.

Upon hearing this, the lady of the Xiang family pondered for a moment, then her shoulders slumped: "Yes, we can't really stay. Then how should my husband use this gold and silver for charity? Should we just give it to the homeless as we always have?"

"This amount of gold and silver is considerable. If I were to do good deeds and accumulate merit on my own, it would take some time, and it would also easily arouse envy, which is not advisable."

"So, what does my husband intend to do?"

……

Inside the government office, the county magistrate welcomed Xiang Liang in. After all, such a prominent figure had emerged from the local area, and as a local strongman, the magistrate naturally knew about him.

"Young Master Xiang is now famous far and wide. Everyone in the surrounding area knows that he has a connection with the Emperor and will have a bright future."

"Your words, Qingtian, have made me feel uneasy. General Yuchi arrived in such a hurry that I had already missed the opportunity to communicate with you. It is my fault. Now that I have received the reward, I have come directly to discuss with you how to distribute it."

Sagara's words were initially impeccable, but his later remarks caused the magistrate to stand up abruptly. At best, it showed that Sagara was sensible; at worst, it meant that Sagara was implying that he intended to embezzle these things.

"Young Master, what do you mean by that?"

Seeing that the magistrate was paying 100% attention, Sagara's smile widened.

"To be honest, those gold and silver treasures are a hot potato in my hands. I live in fear day and night. Although I know they were personally bestowed by the Emperor, and no young thief would be so foolish as to steal them, wealth emboldens the coward. If someone really has the heart to steal, I'm afraid my whole family's lives will be in danger."

"Since the Emperor is upright and honest, I am willing to hand over all my gold and silver treasures to him, so that he can take charge of everything, from repairing bridges and roads to building schools and providing relief to disaster victims. All these matters will be made public in the name of the Emperor and the Emperor. I wonder if the Emperor is willing?"

The county magistrate slowly sat back down, stroking his beard repeatedly. After a long while, his gaze toward Xiangliang held a hint of something inexplicable.

"These past few days, rumors have been circulating that the young master borrowed a treasury of gold and silver from an immortal in a dream, paving the way for the current emperor's return to life."

"I have accumulated some good karma in the past, and now His Majesty is willing to use my name to help the people here. If a just and upright official could act as a bridge to guide people toward goodness, that would be the best outcome."

Sagara readily agreed to the magistrate's request, which earned him repeated nods of approval.

“Every single one of these acts was a good deed and without fault, but I’m afraid not much of that gold and silver will be left,” the county magistrate added.

“Every single detail must be clearly recorded and made public, leaving nothing out,” Sagara replied.

"What can I gain? Let alone merit, I only care about what's in front of me."

Upon hearing the magistrate's question, Xiangliang simply rose and bowed, saying, "The people will remember the kindness of the magistrate, and I believe His Majesty will understand the magistrate's good deeds. On behalf of the people of this county, I thank the magistrate."

The county magistrate grunted in acknowledgment, and Xiangliang raised his eyes: "Then I shall take my leave."

After Sagara left, the clerk immediately stepped forward and said, "Sir, should we really do as Sagara says? Wouldn't that be overstepping our bounds? If we offend the Emperor, I'm afraid..." "This plan is risky, but if it succeeds, it will be like Sagara has given me a broad road to success. Give the order to immediately take men to Sagara's residence to inventory the treasures. Remember, you must do it personally. If anyone dares to embezzle, they will be executed without mercy. This matter must be clear and transparent, and not a single mistake is allowed."

"Yes!" The clerk hadn't expected the magistrate to be so decisive. "But shouldn't we reward Xiangliang further?"

"No need. His Majesty will reward you. Moreover, Xiangliang is no ordinary man. His demands are probably quite high. Remember to be on good terms with him."

"Yes!"

……

Inside the palace, Li Shimin saw the document presented by Yuchi Gong and immediately asked, "Are you sure he really doesn't want to serve in the court? Nor does he want to hold a nominal position?"

Yuchi Gong hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, is this true? He accepted gold and silver treasures, but said that becoming an official in the court would be a disaster rather than a blessing. Please forgive him, Your Majesty."

"Hmm, he's a sensible man. How does he handle all that gold and silver?"

Yuchi Gong immediately presented another memorial: "Your Majesty, please take a look yourself."

Seeing Yuchi Gong's strange expression, Li Shimin's curiosity was piqued. He immediately unfolded the document and looked at the information on it, his eyes lighting up repeatedly.

"Have you sent anyone to continue spreading this story?"

"Of course! And the effect is quite good. It is said that starting from the local area, it has spread and the local atmosphere has improved a lot. Countless people have started to do good deeds, but the purpose is a bit too strong."

Yuchi Gong smiled wryly. Since that day, after receiving instructions from her husband, the Xiang family's wife had made the rumor more complete, adding many details. In particular, the immortal's description of Xiang Liang being a very wealthy and noble family in the underworld was so vivid that even Yuchi Gong began to believe it.

Furthermore, with the local magistrate and Sagara beginning to publicly disclose the whereabouts of the silver, everyone understood even more clearly how much the current emperor had bestowed upon them, and for a time, acts of charity flourished.

Some local gentry even opened soup kitchens to feed the disaster victims. Some even took the initiative to raise the wages of farmers. It was a scene of prosperity. To put it more seriously, the gentry even began to donate silver to assist the county magistrate in doing good deeds, just to gain fame.

Upon hearing these things, Li Shimin's smile remained unchanged: "I didn't expect this Xiang Liang to be such a remarkable person. He accepted gold and silver treasures and did so many things. Although these gentry's good deeds were somewhat deliberate, whether intentional or unintentional, they were still doing good, which is much better than doing evil."

Li Shimin's words made Yuchi Gong nod repeatedly: "It will ultimately benefit the people, but I don't know how long this trend will last. I'm afraid that once those people don't see any good results, they will give up."

"Let it last as long as it can, even if it's just a temporary act of goodwill. When this trend starts to fade, let's add fuel to the fire and make sure it spreads for even longer."

"Does Your Majesty have any thoughts?" Yuchi Gong immediately stepped forward and listened attentively.

"You decide for yourself when this trend will dissipate. When you feel it has no effect, build a temple for Sagara and make him the abbot. Name it Sagara-ji. This will surely make this trend last longer."

"Your Majesty's move is truly brilliant! I will take care of it immediately!"

"Wait, do you think Sagara and the Sage could have a relationship?"

……

"Nine Spirits, do you think Xiang Liang is the person chosen by Fellow Daoist Xuan Tian?" The Heavenly Venerable of Salvation from Suffering also had this question, after all, every step Xiang Liang has taken has exceeded His expectations.

“The ambition of this Sagara now is completely different from what I saw back then. If this person was chosen by the Sage, then the Sage’s judgment is terrible.” Nine Spirits’ answer was highly subjective, and his words were full of disappointment in Sagara.

You know, when they first met Sagara, he was very firm in his words: "I will not take a single thing that is not his." But what about now?

Nine-Headed Lion could see how utilitarian Sagara was in every step he took, and how blatant his flattery was.

From the moment he accepted the gold and silver treasures, Sagara's plan became clear: to use His Majesty's reputation to perform good deeds, and then to have the county officials list out the details of the treasures, thus making everyone understand how real his actions were.

Although Sagara still lives in that dilapidated house, his fortune has completely changed. While fortune may be somewhat ethereal, his aura has definitely undergone a transformation.

Elegant and grand.

At this moment, Sagara was no longer the rustic country bumpkin he once was. Now, every move he made exuded nobility, and he even possessed a certain imposing presence.

Anyone with a bit of power in the surrounding area has come here to visit Sagara.

As a result, even Sagara's friends and family dare not approach him now, since soldiers guard his house.

Although the house remained the same, the status had become significantly different.

The wife of the Xiang family was pacing back and forth in the room. Her family's gold and silver treasures were increasing so much that she was starting to panic.

But Xiangliang was even more composed than before. He accepted all the gold and silver treasures and handed them over to the county magistrate, asking him to make a public announcement.

“Husband, if we continue like this, we might lose our lives! After all, we don’t have the titles of those immortals and gods. Sooner or later, the gentry and the adults will find out that something is wrong.”

"My wife, don't panic. What are you afraid of? Didn't those people say they didn't ask for anything, only fame? Haven't I given them all?"

"My lord, what about you? What are you asking for?"

(End of this chapter)