National Division

Chapter 47 Xue Zhihua: Is this a sign that your Dao heart is wavering, and you've cursed until you vomit blood?
County government office, government office

Upon hearing these two sarcastic remarks, everyone in the government office was taken aback.

Shen Bin looked at the newcomer, feeling both surprised and delighted, but after a moment he was filled with worry.

Li Yan looked at the young man, and his eyes also lit up with joy.

"Who are you?" Magistrate Liu demanded.

Magistrate Lu was also somewhat puzzled. He turned to look at Pei Renjing beside him and asked, "Does Registrar Pei recognize this gentleman?"

Could he be an official from the imperial court traveling incognito? And how did he appear just now?
Pei, the registrar, happened to recognize Shen Xian, who often came to the county office. His expression turned strange, and he said, "Your Excellency, this is Shen Bin's son, Shen Xian, who is studying at Qingyang Temple."

Magistrate Lu frowned and said, "Shen Bin's son? Why isn't he studying at Qingyang Temple? What is he doing at the county office?"

Then, looking at the young man in brocade robes, he said coldly, "Are you here to plead for your father?"

At this moment, Magistrate Lu still regarded Shen Xian as an innocent young man. Although he was angry at Shen Xian's sarcastic remarks, his sense of superiority as a scion of a noble family made him hold back his anger for the time being.

Shen Xian said, "Lord Lu is so lenient towards an official who colludes with evil spirits and plots to harm court officials. Isn't this turning black into white? As fellow officials, they don't recognize Magistrate Liu's true colors. When things come to a head, they still protect each other. Isn't this collusion?"

Magistrate Lu frowned and said, "Do you have any objections to the official handling of this matter?"

Shen Xian said coldly, "Your Excellency, County Magistrate Liu has been protecting the Golden Scale Gang for many years, and the gang leader Xu Lin is even more depraved, plotting to murder a county lieutenant in order to achieve their goal of rebelling against the emperor."

Magistrate Lu said, "These words of yours are all fabricated. Do you have any evidence to back them up?"

Shen Xian said, "The confessions of the demons, Xu Lin and his sister, as well as the relevant ledgers collected from the Golden Scale Gang, which contain evidence of gold and silver being transported to the Liu family, are numerous and too many to count!"

Magistrate Liu said urgently, "You're talking nonsense, Your Honor! This must be Shen Bin's torture to extract a confession, fabricated evidence, and frame me. Please investigate thoroughly, Your Honor!"

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Lu frowned and said, "This matter cannot be based on your one-sided account; I will investigate it myself."

Shen Xian looked at him calmly and said, “Lord Lu, Magistrate Liu has colluded with gangs and murdered officials of the court. He has also colluded with evil spirits. He has no regard for the laws and regulations of the country. Now that the Empress is in court, she has long hated the evil spirits who are rampaging in the prefectures and counties. If she hears that any official in the county is colluding with evil spirits to murder his colleagues, she will exterminate his entire family.”

"Lord Lu, do not make a mistake!"

When Magistrate Liu heard that his entire family had been exterminated, he felt a wave of dizziness and a shortness of breath.

Because, based on the understanding of the Empress Dowager among the officials of the Great Jing Dynasty, this was... inevitable!
Even the royal family of Li Jing could kill countless people, let alone the life and death of a mere county magistrate.

They will definitely be made an example of!
Magistrate Lu was startled and remained silent for a long time.

Even if the person in front of me is just a little boy.

Because the Shen family of Lanxi stood behind them, they were not lowly people who could be manipulated at will.

Not to mention, the diva even encouraged informing on others.

Magistrate Lu pondered for a moment and said, "This matter... I will consider it before I decide what to do."

Shen Xian said, "Does Lord Lu intend to protect Magistrate Liu?"

It's unrealistic to think that this matter can be used to bring down Magistrate Lu, because Magistrate Lu comes from the Lu family of Fanyang, a prominent family, and the charge of treason simply doesn't apply to him.

However, while it may solve the problem of someone's inability to manage their subordinates, it also involves a higher-level struggle.

Magistrate Lu's face was gloomy, and he remained silent for a long while in the face of Shen Xian's aggressive gaze.

"Guards, seize Liu Jian and throw him into prison. Interrogate him thoroughly. If he is found to have colluded with evil spirits and committed treasonous acts, I will certainly impeach him and punish him severely!"

This statement both absolved him of responsibility and preserved a slim chance of survival for Magistrate Liu.

Shen Xian said, “Magistrate Lu, demons and evil spirits are rampant now. My father even used the blood essence of a Xiantian martial artist to draw talismans in order to eliminate them. You are a Taoist official, and I have heard that you possess supernatural powers. Why don’t you slay demons for the people?”

Since there are jade tablets for recording memories, these should be shown to the big shots in the capital. He needs to make his father more famous.

Magistrate Lu was stumped by the question and thought to himself, "This brat is so unreasonable!"

Just now, he sacrificed his pawn to save the king because of the greater good of the court and because he was wary of the Shen family of Lanxi.

Unexpectedly, this brat pressed on relentlessly.

Magistrate Lu arrogantly declared, "I am a Taoist priest, detached from worldly affairs. Exorcising demons and evil spirits is a matter for the county officials to handle; why should I interfere?" Shen Xian asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Now, demons and evil spirits are rampant in the county, and the county's military forces are limited and almost unable to subdue them. Magistrate Lu, as the local official in charge of the people's welfare, and possessing Taoist magic, why do you stand idly by and watch the people wail in the wilderness?" He coldly replied, "Since you eat the emperor's food, why are you not loyal to the emperor?"

This is why he disliked Qingyang Temple and Magistrate Lu, among others. If you ran away into the mountains and became a wild man, he would respectfully call you a hermit immortal.

But the former enjoys incense offerings and seeks fame, while the latter is a local official who holds a position but does nothing. Is that acceptable?

It's just that the former receives indirect worship, while the latter receives direct worship, which is somewhat hateful.

At this moment, Pei Renjing looked at the young man and thought to himself, "That's a very insightful question."

If you eat the king's food, why not be loyal to the king?
Faced with such accusations, Magistrate Lu dared not be negligent and retorted, "You are also a disciple of Taoist sages, well-versed in Taoist scriptures. Do you not know that governing a large country is like cooking a small fish, requiring personal involvement in everything? Even if I had three heads and six arms, how could I possibly be in two places at once?"

"Singing and dancing, discussing metaphysics, seeking immortality and refining elixirs—you can find time for all of that." Shen Xian sneered, then retorted, "But when it comes to loyalty to the emperor and love for the people, and eliminating evil spirits, you can't find time for any of that?!"

Xue Zhihua, who was secretly listening to these words, felt extremely satisfied and thought to herself, "Well said!"
If these words were to reach the ears of the Empress, she would surely regard him as a lifelong confidant.

When the Empress saw the article denouncing the rebellion written by Luo Shijie, a staff member of Prince Qing, she read it and then stopped. She was impressed by the beautiful writing and sharp words. She smiled and said to the Prime Minister beside her, "It is the Prime Minister's fault that such a talented person has not served the court."

This shows how much the Empress valued and cherished talent.

Magistrate Lu's face turned from pale to red, and he said angrily, "You...you, you're talking nonsense!"

But he was speechless when asked the question.

Shen Bin stared blankly at the boy, thinking to himself that he had never expected his son to be so eloquent.

In fact, prominent families valued philosophical discussions and considered quick thinking to be the highest virtue.

This is also why Magistrate Lu's few words just now left Shen Bin speechless.

But unexpectedly, Magistrate Lu encountered Shen Xian and was now like a greenhorn.

Magistrate Lu said in a deep voice, "Those in positions of power should govern. You are just a little kid, even if you come from an official family, how dare you speak so presumptuously about politics? Do you really think I can't punish you?"

It can be said that Magistrate Lu had already broken down and was now trying to use his status to intimidate people.

Shen Xian said, "Those who know where the roof leaks are those under the eaves; those who know where the government fails are those in the fields. Since Lord Lu said that he should do his job in his position, why doesn't Magistrate Lu, who is in his position, do his job in his position?"

Magistrate Lu was speechless for a moment.

Shen Xian said, "Since you are so devoted to the Dao and seek immortality and freedom, why not resign and leave? That way you won't be despised by the people and achieve nothing in the path of immortality!"

At this moment, Magistrate Lu's face suddenly turned ashen, and his body trembled slightly.

"I wonder what realm of immortality Magistrate Lu is at? Hmm... Have you reached Danxia yet?" Shen Xian sighed and said, "At middle age, one has wasted years, achieving nothing in officialdom or the path of cultivation. What is the point of all this?"

County Magistrate Lu: “…”

Upon hearing this, the county government office fell into a deathly silence, a silence that was deafening.

Magistrate Lu's defenses were completely breached, and his Dao heart was on the verge of collapse.

Thinking back on all these years as an official in Guhe County, he was always stuck at the peak of the second realm, unable to break through the bottleneck. Now he was being scolded by a mere child. How could a scion of a prestigious family have fallen to such a state?

Magistrate Lu's face turned red and white, and he was so angry that he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Your Excellency!" The surrounding clerks were startled and panicked.

Xue Zhihua, who was secretly observing, was stunned and stared blankly at the young man who had angrily rebuked Magistrate Lu, her mind somewhat shaken.

Is this a sign that one's resolve has wavered, causing them to cough up blood in anger?
No, it should be that Magistrate Lu has been stuck in the second realm for many years, and recently he has been eager for quick success and instant benefits, so he has been harboring a lot of resentment.

Today's events should serve as a starting point.

However, the writing was indeed sharp. When asking what realm someone's cultivation level was, it was almost as if the person was an old, useless piece of trash who had wasted his life.

Recalling what happened at Qingyang Temple, now that I think about it, the abbot of Qingyang Temple is indeed steadfast in his Daoist heart, as firm as a rock, and truly worthy of being in the fourth realm of immortality.

(End of this chapter)