National Division

Chapter 37 Responding to Heaven's Will with People's Hearts... (Please continue reading, please vote with monthly tickets!)

Inside the carriage—

Meeting Shen Xian's gaze, Xue Zhihua sighed and said, "Empress Dowager is also in a difficult situation now. Demons and evil spirits are rampant in the prefectures and counties, and many of them are deliberately tolerated by the Taiqing and Yuqing families."

As Shen Xian pondered Xue Zhihua's words, a variety of speculations arose in his mind.

After what happened before, he finally understood why Magistrate Lu hadn't been in charge of things before; the root of the problem lay in the imperial court.

"Why not rectify official corruption and strengthen the military to intimidate all sides?" Shen Xian asked.

Xue Zhihua shook her head and said, "The situation in the court is complicated. Not everyone supports the Empress Dowager. And behind the case of Prince Qing's usurpation, there are people from the three religions stirring up trouble and colluding."

There's one more thing left unsaid: the Empress Dowager, being a woman, is ruling the country illegitimately, and the Li Jing royal family isn't entirely convinced of her authority.

Xue Zhihua smiled, looking at that excessively young face, and suddenly became interested, asking, "If you were the Empress, well, the Empress's prime minister, what would you do?"

“If it were me…” Shen Xian paused for a moment, remained silent for a while, and then said, “I would help the Empress win the hearts of the people, gather the wishes of all living beings in the Nine Provinces, use the hearts of the people to prove the will of Heaven, and use the way of humanity to control the way of immortality.”

When a monarch governs a country to the fullest, bringing peace and prosperity, even spirits and deities will be deterred. In such a state, even a living Buddha would not be allowed to reincarnate without the emperor's approval!
Xue Zhihua agreed, saying, "Well said, 'Use human hearts to respond to the will of Heaven, and use human principles to control the path of immortality.'"

He looked at the boy opposite him with a strange gaze and said, "I heard two immortal masters talk about the second part of the sentence, but the second part is slightly different by one word."

Shen Xian had already become accustomed to such things; one could only say that one should never underestimate the ruling elite of any era.

There are highly capable people in the upper echelons of the empire.

"What's different about the unknown?" Shen Xian asked.

"Respond to the will of Heaven with the heart of humanity, and prove the way of immortality with the way of humanity," Xue Zhihua said softly.

Shen Xian said, "The proof is indeed true."

It can only be said that this is indeed a highly accomplished immortal, whose stance is that of a human emperor, while his stance is that of an immortal.

Xue Zhihua thought for a moment and asked, "Although the greatest truths are the simplest, governing a country is inevitably a matter of generalization. How should we proceed?"

Shen Xian thought for a moment and said, "To govern a country, one must first govern its officials. The key to good governance lies in finding the right people."

It's a broad overview; mainly because it's a complete set of strategies for governing the country, and he couldn't possibly explain it all to Xue Zhihua in one go.

"The Empress seems to have said something similar." Xue Zhihua smiled, her gaze towards the young man opposite her growing more appreciative. She said in a clear voice, "They appointed Zhang, Cai, Xu, Yao, and other people from humble backgrounds as prime ministers, and Zhou and Lai, two clerks, to head the Court of Judicial Review. But the results were meager. Instead, corruption became rampant, and cruel officials were rampant."

Shen Xian was momentarily at a loss, thinking to himself, "The Empress is indeed extraordinary."

Xue Zhihua wrote: "The Empress Dowager set up a copper box in the capital to distribute favors, solicit remonstrances, redress grievances, and communicate with the divine, in order to broaden the channels of communication and recruit virtuous and talented people. However, false accusations became rampant, and treacherous officials gathered before the emperor. The resentment and slander in the capital were rampant."

This daughter of the Duke of Xue was acquainted with noble ladies such as the Eldest Princess and the Grand Chancellor Gu Nanzhu, and thus knew a great deal about these court secrets.

After hearing this, Shen Xian remained speechless for a long time.

This reminded him of someone: Wu Zetian.

"After a while, the Empress may issue another edict, allowing officials of the ninth rank and above, as well as commoners, to recommend themselves to the court. If you're interested, you can give it a try," Xue Zhihua said, glancing at Shen Xian with a meaningful look.

Shen Xian pondered for a moment and said, "That was indeed my intention."

"In recent years, the Empress has actually been deceived quite a bit and has become more discerning about those who recommend themselves to the court. Several prime ministers also believe that this has greatly damaged the court's system and have criticized it extensively." Xue Zhihua's jade-like face seemed to show a hint of amusement as she said, "Without real talent and learning, one cannot get by."

Shen Xian said, "Then I'll give it a try."

As a person from a later era, he was well-versed in the five thousand years of Chinese history. He possessed a complete set of strategies for enriching the country and strengthening its military, and could even write a book on governance, titled "Shen Muzhi Discusses Governance."

In fact, submitting memorials or letters to the emperor to gain favor was a common practice in ancient history.

Li Si submitted a memorial advising against expelling foreign guests, which led to his being highly valued by the King of Qin.

Jia Yi's memorial on maintaining order and security brought him fame throughout the country.

Tang Dynasty poets often wrote poems to noblemen to recommend themselves, or wrote letters to prime ministers and high-ranking officials to gain opportunities for official positions.

Even Li Bai, who was known for his unrestrained and unconventional lifestyle, once wrote "Letter to Han Jingzhou".

In this era similar to the Wei, Jin, Sui, and Tang dynasties, one could gain fame and prominence through such essays and letters. However, by the time the imperial examination system was fully established in the Ming and Qing dynasties, this non-orthodox path to officialdom became ineffective.

However, the few fortunate prime ministers from humble backgrounds truly exemplified the saying that those who got on the train first had their doors welded shut.

After Xue Zhihua finished speaking, she said softly, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. What kind of delicious food does your Guhe County have? Take me to see it later."

Although she could gradually abstain from grains after entering the third realm of immortality, [Danxia], Xue Zhihua still had a craving for food. Shen Xian smiled, suppressing some of the turmoil in his heart, and said, "Guhe's noodles are quite good; I guarantee Miss Xue will be satisfied."

Xue Zhihua smiled and said, "Alright, we should have arrived. Let's go take a look at the mansion."

Shen Xian got off first, and before he could even lift the carriage curtain, the beautiful woman had already alighted from the carriage herself.

Shen Xian said, "This area is adjacent to Guhe River and Qingyuan Mountain. It is a place of outstanding natural beauty and many wealthy merchants in the county have set up businesses here."

Xue Zhihua focused her spiritual energy in her eyes and praised, "A place where dragons coil and tigers crouch, nestled against mountains and beside water, brimming with spiritual energy, and shrouded in mist, is indeed a wonderful place."

Shen Xian asked, "How big should we buy? According to the regulations for a princess?"

Xue Zhihua thought for a moment and said, "Princess Qing and her daughter are both criminals, so it's best not to be too ostentatious. A seventh-rank residence is enough."

Once the case of Prince Qing is completely resolved, and a year or two has passed and the storm has died down, Princess Qing and her daughter will likely return to the capital and will not stay in Guhe County for long.

Shen Xian nodded and said, "Then I'll go ask Fang Ya later."

As the son of a county magistrate, he spent his days practicing martial arts and became acquainted with many people from all walks of life in the county.

Xue Zhihua said, "I will go with you."

It's not just about traveling and exploring, but also about experiencing the everyday life and local atmosphere.

Shen Xian tactfully suggested, "Miss Xue's attire might cause unnecessary trouble."

Xue Zhihua's glamorous and eye-catching appearance drew attention.

Xue Zhihua smiled and said, "I can hide myself. There are no more than a handful of people in the entire county who can detect me."

Shen Xian said, "It's good that Miss Xue knows what's going on."

Then, without further delay, Shen Xian had Ah Xin and the steward drive the carriage back, while he and Xue Zhihua headed towards the real estate agency.

At this moment, the real estate brokerage was bustling with activity, a sea of ​​people, and the sounds of haggling filled the air.

As Shen Xian entered, an acquaintance greeted him with a broad smile, saying, "Greetings, Young Master Shen! I was just saying the magpies were chirping at the door; it turns out it's Young Master Shen!"

As he spoke, he led Shen Xian to a side room to stay in.

Shen Xian said, "Old Zhou, it's been a while since I've seen you. How is your aunt?"

The broker laughed and said, "Thanks to Master Shen, he's in good health. Last time I was saying that Master Shen wasn't going to the shop anymore."

The man's wife ran a women's clothing store. When Shen Xian was wandering around with his maid, he went into the store and beat up some members of the Golden Scale Gang.

"Come here, I want to buy a house."

The broker surnamed Zhou said, "Then I'll pick out two good ones for young Master Shen."

Shen Xian relayed Xue Zhihua's previous request and said, "Take me there to take a look first."

After hearing this, the broker surnamed Zhou laughed and said, "There's quite a place on the east side of the valley river, young master Shen, I'll take you there to have a look."

Shen Xian nodded and said, "Lead the way."

Just then, a booming voice rang out, "Young Master Shen, it's been a few days since we last met. I've missed you terribly."

Shen Xian turned his head and was taken aback.

As the man spoke, the brokers around him quickly made way for him.

The reason was that although the man was only in his early twenties, he had a slightly dark complexion, a broad back and a thick waist, and walked with an imposing presence. What was particularly impressive was that he had a pig-slaughtering knife hanging from his waist in a cowhide bag, and several attendants following him.

Shen Xian clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, "Who do we have here that's making my ears ring? It's Brother Zhang."

According to my memory, the man who came was named Zhang Kui, and he was the third leader of the Sihai Gang.

I don’t know if it’s because people named Kui are all a bit darker, but Zhang Kui’s skin is indeed a bit darker than the average person.

……

……

(End of this chapter)