Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy

Chapter 144 Clues to the Qingzhou Cauldron
The letter of surrender that Kong Rong had Taishi Ci deliver to Ji Qiu specified two conditions.

Firstly, it is demanding that Confucius be treated well.

The standard for dealing with the Kong family should at least be the same as that for dealing with fifth-class households under Ji Qiu's jurisdiction.

Secondly, the people of Beihai City should be treated well.

The standard for dealing with the people of Beihai City should be at least the same as that for the fourth-class households under Ji Qiu's rule.

To be honest, Ji Qiu was somewhat surprised when he saw the letter of surrender.

Based on information gathered from various sources, Kong Rong appears to be someone who doesn't care about the lower classes or the outside world, spending his days indulging in frivolous banquets and living a life of debauchery.

However, judging from this letter of surrender, such an evaluation of Kong Rong is clearly incorrect.

He not only cared about understanding the outside world, but he cared about it even more than the average person.

In particular, his understanding of Ji Qiu's power was far greater than others imagined.

This rating standard for public goodwill within Ji Qiu's forces is something that not only external forces, but also many people within Ji Qiu's own forces, cannot access.

It's hard to imagine that such a person would be unaware of the actual situation in the Beihai Kingdom.

The so-called Popularity Rating Standard is a quantitative rating system created by Ji Qiu's faction to assess the friendliness of the powerful families, commoners, and ordinary people under his rule towards Ji Qiu's faction.

It is divided into five levels in total.

First-class households have the lowest rates, while fifth-class households have the highest.

Different treatment methods will be adopted when handling and placing different levels of cases.

For example, the lowest-ranking first-class households would have all their money and property plundered, leaving only one person who would be thrown into the Twelve Cities of Mount Tai to work and pay off their debts.

This is usually the method used when dealing with powerful clans that are hostile to Ji Qiu's power.

It's only slightly less effective than simply confiscating property and exterminating the entire clan.

However, for the highest-ranking fifth-class households, the method of redemption would be used to purchase their people and land.
They will allow the other party to continue to possess the wealth accumulated by their family over generations, and will also provide them with various forms of care when arranging for them to work in the twelve cities of Mount Tai.

This is usually the standard for dealing with the families of civil and military officials under Ji Qiu's command.

Ji Qiu's major policy was to liberate all slaves and for the government to reclaim all land.

This is something that even his civil and military officials cannot change!

Judging from the situation of the Kong family and the people of Beihai, Ji Qiu's treatment of them would certainly not have met the standards for fifth-class or fourth-class households.

Because they were adversaries, and had put up a stubborn resistance for quite some time.

Under normal circumstances, they would be treated as second-class households.

Even if they surrendered at this point, they would be given at most a third-class household, that would be the limit.

Kong Rong's demand for fourth-class and fifth-class households was truly excessive.

However, after careful consideration, Ji Qiu decided to agree to Kong Rong's conditions.

This means that Kong Rong must submit to him and be responsible for carrying out the subsequent relocation of the Kong family!

Kong Rong was a descendant of Confucius, a renowned Confucian scholar, and the head of the Kong family who had awakened the true blood of his ancestors.

He not only possesses extraordinary abilities, but also holds a lot of crucial information unknown to outsiders, making him someone Ji Qiu must win over.

Ji Qiu originally intended to place a dragon seed on him.

If Kong Rong could be persuaded to submit to him, then the dragon seed could be spared.

At the same time, the Kong family was different from other families.

These are descendants of Confucius, who not only possess Confucius's bloodline but also hold the right to worship Confucius.

Ji Qiu learned from Yu Ji that when the First Emperor established the Nine Provinces Barrier, it was not just the First Emperor alone.

Furthermore, many sages and wise men from various schools of thought offered their assistance.

Confucius, the sage of Confucianism; Sun Tzu, the sage of military strategy; Li Dan, the sage of Taoism; Xunzi, the sage of law; and Mozi, the sage of Mohism, all shed their physical forms and transformed into heroic spirits, merging into the barrier of the Nine Provinces to protect the Nine Provinces.

The source of power for these sages and heroes, besides the spiritual dragon energy they harvested as their doctrines spread across the land, was the faith generated by their descendants when worshipping their ancestors.

Confucianism is the most prominent school of thought in the world today.

Among all the heroes and spirits, Confucius's power was the strongest.

A large part of Confucius's power came from the sacrificial rites performed by the Confucius family.

Therefore, the Kong family is not just a simple aristocratic clan, but a family that is related to the barrier of the Nine Provinces and the safety of the Nine Provinces.

In dealing with the issues of this family, we should have been different from dealing with other families.

This was the main reason why Ji Qiu had given Kong Rong several opportunities in the past, hoping that he would surrender.

Ji Qiu chuckled and said, "Mr. Wenju, you are too kind. I will not go back on my promise."

"I have fulfilled my promise, and I hope that Mr. Wenju will do the same!"

"Your Excellency can rest assured, as long as you keep your promise, I am willing to serve you!" Kong Rong said.

Ji Qiu laughed loudly, "That's wonderful! It's truly my great fortune to have Mr. Wenju's assistance!"

She then took Kong Rong's arm and walked with him into Beihai City.

……

That night, in the study of the Prime Minister's residence in Beihai.

The Prime Minister's residence has now changed hands and become Ji Qiu's office.

Kong Rong wisely moved out and found another place to live.

However, at this time, Kong Rong was still in the Prime Minister's residence, having a private conversation with Ji Qiu.

"Mr. Wenju, I would like to know information about the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great and the Qingzhou Tripod. Could you please enlighten me?" Ji Qiu asked directly.

He had long coveted the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great.

This is another important piece of news that he wants to win over Kong Rong.

His initial interest in the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great stemmed from Jia Xu's report that the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great could condense the Mandate of Heaven.

At the time, his purpose in wanting to obtain the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great was very simple: to use them to condense the Mandate of Heaven.

The view on the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great is also very simple: it is considered to be a powerful dragon artifact.

But as the situation developed, he discovered that the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great were not as simple as he had imagined.

The purpose of Yu the Great casting the Nine Tripods was to suppress the demon race.

The Qin Emperor's construction of the Nine Provinces Barrier was also based on the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great.

How could the Nine Tripods, which were regarded as treasures by both Yu the Great, one of the Five Emperors, and Qin Shi Huang, simply possess the ability to condense the mandate of heaven?
This undoubtedly intensified his interest in the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great.

Kong Rong glanced at Ji Qiu and said calmly, "Your Excellency wants to know about the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great and the Qingzhou Tripod, it seems you also want to obtain the Qingzhou Tripod to condense the Mandate of Heaven."

"As expected, nothing can be hidden from Mr. Wenju," Ji Qiu chuckled.

Kong Rong shook his head and said, "It's not that nothing can be hidden from me, but that there are just too many people who think that way."

The magistrate is not the first person to want the Qingzhou Cauldron, nor will he be the last.

In fact, there are quite a few people in the world today who know about the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great and the Qingzhou Tripod.

I am just one of them.

But it's useless for us to know, because it doesn't change anything at all.

"What does this mean? Please explain in detail, Mr. Wenju," Ji Qiu asked immediately.

Kong Rong said, "After the First Emperor established the Nine Tripods as the foundation for the Nine Provinces Boundary, eight of the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great turned into nothingness and merged with the Nine Provinces Boundary."

The only thing that still exists in the world is the Qingzhou Cauldron, which is also the biggest flaw in the Nine Provinces Barrier!

The Nine Provinces Barrier is now showing signs of collapse, and the root of the problem lies with the Azure Cauldron!

"The reason why the Nine Provinces Barrier is about to collapse is the Azure Cauldron? Isn't it because the Heavenly Court supports the independence of various powerful families and clans, which depletes the human resources of the Nine Provinces?" Ji Qiu asked in astonishment.

Kong Rong glanced at Ji Qiu with a meaningful look and chuckled, "Your Excellency actually knows about the Heavenly Court's support for the powerful clans of the Nine Provinces. It seems you are indeed of extraordinary origin and know quite a few secrets."

"You flatter me. I only learned of this information by chance. I thought it was top secret, but I didn't know that Mr. Wenju already knew it all!" Ji Qiu returned a meaningful look.

However, Kong Rong did not continue this topic. Instead, he sighed and said, "The decrease in the total amount of dragon energy of the human race in the Nine Provinces is indeed the culprit for the weakening of the Nine Provinces barrier."

If one day in the future the Nine Provinces Barrier completely collapses, it will inevitably be because the total amount of dragon energy of the Nine Provinces people is completely unable to supply the existence of the Nine Provinces Barrier.

However, as things stand, although many chaotic things have occurred in Kyushu, there is still enough dragon energy to supply the Kyushu barrier, so the Kyushu barrier is not going to have any major problems.

But why is it that within the Nine Provinces, there is a sense that the Nine Provinces Barrier has a loophole?

Why did this vulnerability appear in Qingzhou?

This is the problem with the Qingzhou Cauldron!

"So what exactly is wrong with the Qingzhou Cauldron?" Ji Qiu asked.

Kong Rong said, "That's a long story, it has to start from the time of the First Emperor."

The First Emperor used nine tripods to build the Nine Provinces Barrier, but the area covered by this barrier was not limited to the ancient Nine Provinces.

After all, after the First Emperor unified the nine provinces, the area he controlled was not limited to the ancient nine provinces.

In fact, the range of the Kyushu Barrier can be freely adjusted.

The location where the First Emperor buried the Nine Tripods is the area that the Nine Provinces Barrier can cover!
However, Emperor Qin Shi Huang originally buried the Nine Tripods according to the boundaries of the Qin Dynasty, but some problems arose when burying one of the Nine Tripods, the Qingzhou Tripod.

"What's the problem?" Ji Qiu asked.

Kong Rong said: "At that time, the border of the Great Qin in the direction of Qingzhou was in Donglai County. According to the First Emperor's original intention, the Qingzhou Ding was to be buried in Donglai County."

However, the Imperial Advisor Xu Fu suggested burying the Qingzhou Cauldron on Chuyun Island.

In this way, the entire vast sea area between Qingzhou and Izumo Island can be encompassed within the Kyushu Barrier.

The First Emperor accepted Xu Fu's suggestion and sent several thousand elite Qin soldiers and three thousand talented young boys and girls to accompany Xu Fu and the Qingzhou Cauldron to Chuyun Island to bury and guard the Qingzhou Cauldron.

However, after Xu Fu set sail, there was no further news of him, and the Qingzhou Ding was lost overseas.

Without the Azure Cauldron, the Nine Provinces Barrier is inherently incomplete. Not only does it consume a significantly larger amount of dragon energy, but it also loses its ability to expand outwards.

Both the Former and Later Han dynasties defeated the Xiongnu, expanding the influence of the human race across the Nine Provinces into the depths of the grasslands and the Western Regions.

If the Kyushu Barrier had been in perfect condition at the time, its boundaries could have been expanded to the Great Plains and the Western Regions.

In this way, these two lands can be completely controlled by the Kyushu human race.

Unfortunately, because the Kyushu barrier cannot be expanded, these two places are destined to become a burden for the Kyushu human race.

With the decline of the Han Dynasty, it was ultimately gained and then lost again.

"So the Qingzhou Cauldron was just lost like that? Didn't the First Emperor ever go looking for it?" Ji Qiu asked incredulously.

Kong Rong smiled wryly and said, "Of course we have looked for it. It wasn't just the First Emperor who looked for it; after the fall of Qin, the previous emperors of the Han Dynasty also went to sea many times to search for the Qingzhou Cauldron."

But all their efforts were in vain!
My lord, do you know that the seas beyond Qingzhou are teeming with demons?

These are not the demonic beasts within the Nine Provinces that have activated their demonic bloodlines, but true demons, ancient great demons!

These great demons are born in the sea, and their strength in the sea surpasses that of even a first-rank scholar.

With their obstruction, the Kyushu fleet was simply unable to set sail!

"So, if we want to get the Qingzhou Cauldron, we have to go overseas to find it."

"But overseas, where can we find the Qingzhou Cauldron?" Ji Qiu asked, frowning.

He wasn't worried about the great demon blocking his way; just because the Han fleet couldn't go to sea didn't mean his fleet couldn't.

Once he brings a few large destroyers from the modern era over, he won't care what ancient demons you are, if you dare to stand in his way, he'll crush you into dust!
Even without considering the issue of modern destroyers, going to sea would not be difficult for him.

Sometimes, with an empty door in hand, one can acquire the whole world.

Not to mention overseas, even outer space can't stop him!
So the key is not how to go overseas, but how to find the Qingzhou Ding overseas!
Kong Rong glanced at him in surprise, wondering what trump card he had that allowed him to ignore the powerful demons blocking his way overseas and begin to ponder how to find the Qingzhou Cauldron.

However, he still answered, "If you want to find the Qingzhou Cauldron, you certainly can't just search for it randomly in the vast sea."

However, if Your Excellency could occupy the entire territory of Qingzhou, and with the assistance of the Imperial Seal, you would be able to sense the approximate location of the Qingzhou Cauldron, thus providing a clear direction for its search.

"The imperial seal?"

Ji Qiu was taken aback, not knowing what this matter had to do with the Imperial Seal of the State.

Kong Rong explained: "In fact, the Imperial Seal of the State is also an important component of the barrier of the Nine Provinces."

Otherwise, Your Excellency, where do you think the Imperial Seal of the State has the ability to draw spiritual dragon energy from the seals of the governors of the realm?

The Imperial Seal can not only sense the location of the Qingzhou Cauldron, but also summon the other nine cauldrons from the Nine Provinces Barrier.

However, the prerequisite is that you must occupy the entire territory of the state corresponding to the Nine Cauldrons!
At the same time, the Imperial Seal of the State is also the key to adjusting the scope of the Nine Provinces Barrier.

If Your Excellency can retrieve the Qingzhou Cauldron, the Nine Provinces Barrier can be restored to its complete state.

Then the Imperial Seal of the State can be used to expand or shrink the area of ​​the Nine Provinces Barrier!

However, for the envoy, even just obtaining the Imperial Seal of the State must have been extremely difficult.

This item was originally kept in the Luoyang Imperial Palace, but later, when Dong Zhuo seized control of the government, it naturally fell into his hands.

However, I heard that when Dong Zhuo burned Luoyang and moved the capital to Chang'an, he inadvertently lost the Imperial Seal of the State and the official seal of the governor of the country.

From then on, this treasure disappeared without a trace.

Now, we don't even have a direction to look for!

"..." Ji Qiu.

If you knew that the Imperial Seal of the State had already fallen into my hands, what would you think?

But to be fair, Dong Zhuo was quite cunning.

Although Ji Qiu had long since taken away the Imperial Seal and the official seal of the governor of the realm, Dong Zhuo, in order to maintain his legitimacy, always claimed that the Imperial Seal and the official seal of the governor of the realm had not been lost and had always been kept in the palace.

It wasn't until he completely lost faith in unifying the country, burned Luoyang, and returned to Chang'an that he announced to the world that the Imperial Seal of the State and the official seals of the governors of the country had been lost.

This inadvertently helped Ji Qiu absorb a large portion of the firepower.

After all, more and more people now know that he has the ability to travel freely to various places and move people's property at will.

If the feudal lords of the land knew that the Imperial Seal and the Prefect's Seal were lost during the most chaotic period in Luoyang, it would be hard not to suspect him.

"So for me, as long as I conquer the entire territory of Qingzhou, I can sense the location of the Qingzhou Cauldron and then retrieve it?"

"Hehe, this is truly a case of good fortune coming from all directions!" Ji Qiu chuckled to himself.

Having obtained information about the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great and the whereabouts of the Qingzhou Tripod from Kong Rong, the most important part of Ji Qiu's secret conversation with Kong Rong came to an end.

Ji Qiu then learned more about Kong Rong's abilities.

First of all, Kong Rong was a scholar of a very high rank, a first-rank official!
Looking at the entire world of Dragon Aura Three Kingdoms, he is the scholar who stands at the very pinnacle.

Secondly, Kong Rong's innate secret technique was moral cultivation.

This was also Confucius's innate secret technique.

Kong Rong was born with the true blood of his ancestors, so he awakened the same innate secret arts as his ancestor Confucius.

The purpose of this secret technique is to influence, resonate with, and assimilate others through one's own words, actions, and moral character.

Specifically, anyone who comes into contact with him will be unconsciously influenced by him, and their character will be transformed in his direction!

No wonder he always held banquets and engaged in intellectual discussions with various renowned figures.

People only thought he enjoyed these things, but they didn't know that he was using this method to guide those scholars who were good at philosophical discussions, and wanted to improve their moral standards.

In Kong Rong's traditional view, as long as the moral standards of the famous scholars from aristocratic families improved, the world would naturally be at peace.

The precarious situation of the human race in Kyushu will naturally be alleviated or even improved.

In a sense, he is also changing the world in his own way.

However, judging from the results, it cannot be said that it was completely useless, but it was close to being useless.

After all, most of the prominent scholars who were qualified to have a philosophical discussion and drink with Kong Rong at the banquet were of very high rank and were not easily influenced by Kong Rong.

Even if someone is truly influenced by him, they cannot truly change the world.

In Ji Qiu's view, Kong Rong should have focused on improving the character of those from poor families and ordinary people rather than trying to improve the character of those aristocratic scholars.

This is the foundation of the world!

Kong Rong's Dehua Secret Technique is at the first-grade intermediate level, but he possesses the true blood of the Ancestral Spirit, which can double the power of the secret technique.

Therefore, the effect of his secret technique is indeed quite powerful.

If applied to ordinary people, it could improve the moral character of a large number of people in a short period of time.

Thirdly, Kong Rong mastered the secret techniques of the Analects, one of the seven classics in the Xiping Stone Classics!
The seven Confucian classics recorded on the Xiping Stone Classics are all very powerful Confucian secret techniques.

However, it requires extremely rare talent to master.

Therefore, even though it was placed right outside the Thousand Gold Hall, allowing students from all over the world to copy it at will, and without requiring special cultivation resources, very few people were still able to master it.

Ji Qiu promoted nationwide literacy and education campaigns under his leadership, and the Seven Classics were also a key focus of the promotion.

However, very few people actually mastered the Seven Classics Secret Technique.

Unexpectedly, Kong Rong actually mastered the secret techniques of the Analects, one of the Seven Classics!
The seven secret arts are all incredibly powerful, and each one is not a simple, single secret art.

Rather, it is a complete system of secret techniques, like the Taiping Yaoshu.

Take this Confucian Analects secret technique as an example.

It includes six secret techniques.

One is the secret technique of social influence, such as "friends coming from afar".

Its effect is that actively using this secret technique in social situations can release a field of affinity.

People within a certain range will inexplicably feel close to the performer, and their wariness towards the performer will be greatly reduced.

Specifically, the likelihood of strangers initiating conversations increases by 60%, and those who initially held negative views of the performer tend to soften their attitudes, with a 30% chance of becoming neutral.

Secondly, there are secret techniques related to social influence, such as remaining unperturbed even when others are unaware of one's actions.

The effect is that when faced with misunderstandings or accusations from others, using this secret technique can instantly calm and stabilize one's aura.

Not only will they not be swayed by negative emotions, but they can also influence those around them.

The emotional intensity of those around them will decrease by 50%, the accusations will gradually subside, and there is a 20% chance that the accusers will calmly reflect on their behavior.

Thirdly, there are personal growth techniques, which should be learned and practiced regularly.

The effect is that, after application, it can enhance the brain's ability to absorb, understand, and remember knowledge in a short period of time.

The efficiency of learning new knowledge increases by 70%, the retention of new knowledge is improved by 50%, and the ability to integrate and apply previously learned knowledge is enhanced.

Fourthly, there are secret techniques for personal growth, such as self-reflection three times a day.

The effect is that the first time it is used each day, a "Mirror of Self-Reflection" will be generated in the mind.

It can automatically review the previous day's behavior and speech, accurately analyze at least three strengths and three weaknesses, and provide suggestions for improvement.

With consistent use, one's personal cultivation index increases by 15% per month, and interpersonal harmony improves by 20%.

Fifthly, the secrets of leadership and influence, governing with virtue.

The effect is that when a team leader performs this secret technique, they can establish a high level of prestige within the team.

Team members' trust in their leaders increased by 60%, their work enthusiasm increased by 50%, and team cohesion was enhanced.

Members will spontaneously hold themselves to higher standards and take the initiative to undertake work tasks, resulting in a 35% increase in overall team efficiency.

Sixth, the secrets of leadership and influence, teaching according to aptitude.

The effect is that when a leader is facing team members, they can instantly perceive each member's strengths, weaknesses, personality traits, and potential abilities.

Based on this information, work tasks and development plans are tailored for members, which increases the rate at which members can leverage their strengths at work by 70%, accelerates personal growth by 40%, and improves the overall effectiveness of the team.

(End of this chapter)