Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 283 The Interaction Between Heaven and Man, Taking Precautions (Seeking Votes)

"Fugui, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"

In recent years, winters in Dazhao have become increasingly cold and long, with snow disasters, floods, locust plagues, and other natural and man-made calamities occurring one after another, several times a year across the country.

This is just a common rat infestation. Even if it corresponds to the theory of divine intervention, it doesn't seem particularly strange, does it?

Shen Yueye has been staying in Yingzhou for some time, helping Wang Cheng handle the myriad post-war affairs of the territory as the princess and her inner attendant. She is not very familiar with the current situation in Da Zhao.

"Senior sister, this is a big problem!"

This time, something truly earth-shattering is about to happen in the Great Zhao.

As Wang Cheng chewed over the news he had heard from the refugees, his increasingly keen political sense immediately made him realize that things might not be so simple.

The Five-Colored Rat Demon is no simple creature! Shi Lin's interpretation is even more complex!
As is well known, the establishment of each dynasty throughout history was essentially a grand religious ritual.

By using auspicious objects such as the Hetu Luoshu, the Imperial Seal of the State, the Chixiao Sword, and the One-Eyed Stone Man, along with its own official system in accordance with celestial phenomena, the nation, as a replica of the universe, is infused with Daoist energy, making it a truly existing entity.

The so-called interaction between Heaven and humanity is a Confucian concept: the emperor's power comes from "the Mandate of Heaven," which is closely linked to "virtue."

The choice of Heaven is not arbitrary, but based on the virtue of the emperor and the dynasty. Only those who are virtuous, who understand and respect virtue, can obtain and retain the Mandate of Heaven, and thus be able to rule over all people.

Specific requirements include: being benevolent to the people, being diligent in governance and accepting advice, abiding by etiquette and laws, and having high moral character, etc.

If an emperor becomes immoral, tyrannical, licentious, or wicked, he may lose the "Mandate of Heaven," leading to natural disasters, popular uprisings, or even the change of dynasties!
For example: blood rain falling from the sky; Mars guarding the heart constellation, which is considered an extremely ominous celestial phenomenon; a broom star passing through, bringing bad luck that lasts for three days; ghostly soldiers passing through, leaving no one, livestock, or even chickens or ducks alive.
The most typical example is in the fourth year of the Xiaokang era, when thousands of ghost coffins and upright-walking river floaters swam upstream like a school of fish, leaping over the Dragon Gate. That night, all the boatmen and corpse retrievers who were stranded in the river perished.
The fourth year of Xiaokang happened to be the year that Emperor Xiaokang, the eldest son of Emperor Taizu, passed away.

The natural disaster that struck Zhuohe, where the Han family and the One-Eyed Stone Man had risen to prominence, was seen by the great Confucian scholars of the time as a warning that the Han family was trying to defy fate!
Thus, the concept of the Mandate of Heaven was further extended, with the legitimacy of the next dynasty based on their virtue, which allowed them to replace the Mandate of Heaven of the previous dynasty.

So who decides whether someone is virtuous or not?
Naturally, it was the Confucian scholars who controlled the pen!
The scholar-officials in the court, especially the literati of the literati, who were mostly great scholars, often used the standards of "the Way of Heaven" and "benevolent governance" to judge the emperor's behavior as interpreters and practitioners of Confucianism.

They also used explanations of natural disasters and celestial phenomena to warn the emperor against acting arbitrarily.

The Duke Yansheng, a title bestowed upon descendants of the Kong family, was continuously extended throughout successive dynasties.

Because they represented the orthodox lineage of Confucianism, the Duke Yansheng had a certain right to interpret the transfer of the Mandate of Heaven in each dynastic change.

Of course.

As everyone knows, no matter who invades, as long as they hold the reins of power, the Duke of Yansheng will not do anything to spoil the mood.

We will readily acknowledge the shift in destiny, and we are professionally certified. You are the new true Son of Heaven of China!

People say that even if the barbarians came, the Duke of Yansheng would probably still come out and respectfully kneel to welcome the royal army.

It's not that all descendants of the Confucius family lacked backbone; it's just that there were too many of them, and those with backbone couldn't become the Duke Yansheng.

Wang Cheng gave his senior sister a general explanation of the turbulent and unpredictable situation in the court:
"Therefore, under normal circumstances, there is no problem with the interpretations of the Five-Colored Rat Demon and Shilin."

The crucial issue is that the sovereign and first-rank alchemist has gathered the five sacred flowers of the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, and is currently refining a "Five Organs Returning to Truth Pill".

Doesn't this directly contradict the concept of calamity or anomaly?

"According to You Zhende, Guishan Academy cannot sit idly by and watch an immortal ruler be born. They will definitely stop him before the elixir is refined or before the ruler swallows it!"
Although we have always suspected that Emperor Shaozhi, with his shrewdness, might not be the first to test the medicine himself, Guishan Publishing House clearly dared not gamble.

The emphasis placed on the interaction between Heaven and humanity, the five-colored rat demon, and the existence of a corrupt official in the country by the literati indicates that they intend to play the trump card of "the court's moral failings."

They even used Yan Jiexi and his son, two notorious corrupt officials known throughout the country, as a bridge to directly target the ruler of the state.

This time it's no longer a matter of my son colluding with the Japanese, but rather that Emperor Shaozhi is also corrupt!

Shen Yueye also realized the problem, her eyes lit up, and she and Wang Cheng said in unison:

"The talisman that the Guishan Academy possesses, which counters the spirit of the altar master!"

Given that such a crucial event occurred at a critical juncture, it's no wonder they had ulterior motives.

If the guess is correct, the prerequisite for the activation of that talisman that restrains the emperor is most likely to be to accuse the emperor of "immorality" by claiming that the disaster was caused by a divine connection between heaven and man.

"We've had many speculations before: the poisoned wine cup Dong Zhuo used to kill the young Emperor Liu Bian; the golden spear Cheng Ji used to assassinate Cao Mao, the Duke of Gaogui, in the street; and the jade belt Yuwen Huaji used to strangle Emperor Yang Guang of Sui."
None of these have this requirement, so they can all be ruled out.

Now that Guishan Bookstore hastily launched a full-scale operation, it has exposed some information, which has significantly narrowed down the scope of this talismanic object.

Those knowledgeable living ghosts and spirits in the court may have already guessed what it is.

Unfortunately, this was an open conspiracy, and even if the ruler knew about it, there was no way to counter it, because he was indeed a foolish and incompetent ruler.

Shen Yueye seemed to be deep in thought:
"It seems the conflict between the two sides is about to come out into the open. What should we do?"

Wang Cheng finished his bowl of braised noodles, soup and all, and sighed contentedly.

Let's wait and see!
For now, the ruler of the state is still someone we can rely on, as there is no direct conflict of interest. If he were to die, the impact would be too severe.

If Zhenhaiwei has the resources, they will lend a hand; if not, they will sit back and watch the fight unfold.

When I first gave him the two Five Temples Divine Treasure Flowers, I only wanted him to refine one into a finished product so that my master could test it. If it could really cure all diseases, we could refine a few ourselves.

Let's also experiment to see if there's another possibility for 'cultivating both body and spirit'? And can the side effects of immortal dregs be eliminated after refining the elixir?
If he ultimately loses, we don't know what the new emperor's attitude towards us will be, so the risks are indeed somewhat unpredictable.

But there's no need for us to get ourselves involved because of that old Taoist priest.

Shen Yueye nodded as well.

Even without the title of "Lord of the State," he was still a first-rank official standing at the pinnacle of human power. Even an ordinary third-rank living ghost or deity could perish if drawn into such a struggle for supreme power.

It's really not their place to worry about it.

He tossed down twenty Yongle Tongbao coins as payment, grabbed Wang Cheng's hand, and stood up. The two had just stepped out of the small restaurant.

"There's a rat! A huge rat!"

"That's the Five-Colored Rat Demon! I'll never forget what it looked like, even in death. They secretly ate all our family's stored food, and that's how my father starved to death!"

Looking up, they discovered that a [Evil Spirit - Five-Colored Rat Demon] was hiding on one of the ships, and it had sailed across the sea with the refugees to Pinghu Port.

It looks like a rat bigger than a cat, with five-colored fur on its back. It has just bitten through a rice bag on the dock and is now feasting on it.

The five-colored mouse fur on its body even grew into writing:
"Big rat, big rat, don't eat my millet!"

I've been with you since I was three, yet you never care for me. I'm leaving you to go to that happy land. Happy land, happy land, where I can find my place.

Clearly, it was this legend about corrupt officials and the hatred of the people that possessed many rats, thus forming this gluttonous evil spirit.

call out--!
Without Wang Cheng needing to make a move, a long sword wrapped in lightning shot out like a powerful arrow, pinning the victim to the ground in a flash.

A pretty young girl dressed in plain clothes, who was guarding Wang Cheng and the other person, stepped forward and drew the famous sword [Raikiri], which had been passed down through generations of the Tachibana family.

The one who made the move was none other than the yokai, Raikiri, Tachibana Yukichiyo.

Unlike dragons, which are known for their long lifespan, the reggae are monsters.

Their powerful explosiveness and physical attributes allow them to grow rapidly within a few short years of adulthood, and then burn themselves out within a lifespan similar to that of humans.

This samurai and steel rock ninja is quite talented and is not far from reaching the fifth rank.

"Lord."

Sheathing his sword, he returned behind them and transformed back into a shadow guard.

Wang Cheng nodded to his retainer, then looked at the five-colored rat demon's corpse gradually disappearing in the sunlight, his heart heavy.

"Ignoring the power struggles at the top, for the common people, these five-colored rat demons that devour everything are a catastrophic disaster."

The top leaders are currently engaged in fierce infighting, and no one has the mind to truly solve this rat infestation.

Although we do not intervene in the power struggles of those in power, we can still do something for the people of Dazhao, even if it's just to minimize their losses.

Upon returning to the palace, he immediately finished writing a letter to Queen Elizabeth.

Among the high-yield crops of this era, corn was introduced to Da Zhao about thirty years ago, but it has not been widely promoted and applied. It is only used as a unique food or ornamental plant in some places.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are nowhere to be seen yet.

If the Great Zhao Kingdom obtained these high-yield crops, even if they were only promoted in one prefecture or region, it would save countless lives and bring immeasurable merit.

It just so happens that Wang Cheng's natal star is the Azure Dragon of the East, and he has some innate special skills that he has not yet used.

Put the letter into an envelope and take out a relic that was sent along with the Britannian envoy: the head maid's bell.

Use it to summon a beautiful head maid dressed in a black and white maid dress, silk stockings, and high heels. The accompanying instructions state that she can provide meticulous service to the bell's owner, and the owner can order her to do anything.

However, if you choose physical pleasure, you will have your soul taken away after just one night.

"It's really hard to assess this treasure's abilities."

Wang Cheng, as an evil spirit [King Jinghai, who patrols the sea on behalf of Heaven] and also a [Water Balance Commandant] with the power to mint soul coins, had never seen such an inefficient way of harvesting souls!
"Eastern Franco could kill tens of millions of people in the New World without batting an eye, yet he was so conservative when it came to cultivation."

Taking away a soul and having to pay such an astonishing price for a night of passion—I've never even heard of such a thing before.

However, it is very useful as a messenger, as it can cross the eastern and western continents in an instant through some kind of psychic means.

Watching the figure disappear into the distance after bowing and carrying the letter, Wang Cheng thought to himself:

"The Hinayana path to victory is about winning for oneself; the Mahayana path to victory is about winning together, but ultimately it is still about winning for me."

The trap set for Her Majesty the Queen wasn't too big; it was simply a matter of helping her develop her national power while using her to instigate a capitalist revolution in Western countries.

Using the official title of "Water Balance Commandant," give this world a powerful push and accelerate its development.

Wang Cheng refused to believe that with such "great achievements" to his name, he would be able to consolidate supreme economic power when he was promoted to the third rank.

There are only two ways to be promoted to the upper three ranks:
To make significant contributions to one's official career, ideally influencing a country or even the world; or to obtain an official position and attract a large number of believers to offer their worship, using the power of incense offerings as fuel for advancement.

He is now a fifth-rank official, and breaking through the remaining three orifices is just around the corner. It would be too late to plan for it after he is promoted to the fourth rank. It is just right to prepare for the future now.

Promoting high-yield crops can be done with Sister Axiao, as it ensures favorable weather and abundant harvests.

He himself led the primitive accumulation of capital.

As for the assassin fox sister whose Dharma position is currently being integrated, creating a Sarajevo cough during the chaos should be no problem for her.

(End of this chapter)