How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

Chapter 71 Thunderclap in the Golden Palace

Below them are the nine ministers and the various vice ministers.

Although the total number of people is less than fifty, they are the ones who decide the course of the Great Yu Dynasty, the giant ship that stands at the very top of the pyramid.

Today's assembly is not a grand court assembly, but a small one.

Only officials of the third rank and above are allowed to attend the small court assembly.

In other words, everyone standing here today is at least a third-rank official.

"My beloved ministers, the border affairs of the four borders were already discussed at yesterday's court meeting. Just carry them out as ordered yesterday. There are no specific topics today. If you have anything to say, please speak up. If not, the court is adjourned!" His Majesty said.

As soon as the words were spoken, the two vice ministers stepped forward at the same time.

He Fang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Li Zhongze, Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

The two men knelt down simultaneously: "Your Majesty, we have something to report!"

"My two beloved ministers, speak!" His Majesty said.

He Fang began, “Your Majesty, yesterday I received an urgent report from Lingnan that rioters had caused chaos in my hometown of Qishan, killing my parents, brothers and more than forty other relatives. This is truly appalling. I—I—” He choked up and could not speak.

His Majesty was greatly alarmed!

The entire hall was filled with astonishment!

Murders happen every day in this world, but who dares to touch the family members of high-ranking officials?

Today, He Fang spoke and announced that more than forty of his parents and close relatives had died. With just one sentence, everyone present turned pale. Such a tragedy was unheard of!

Li Zhongze said, "Your Majesty! My ancestral home is also in Qishan County, Lingnan. My elder brother, Li Yuancang, was also killed. After investigation by Chen Zhang, the prefect of Lingnan Prefecture, it was found that this was caused by the Qishan County Magistrate, Zhou Liangsheng, who allowed his son to commit the murder. The father and son regarded Qishan as their own territory, and they ran rampant throughout the county. No one dared to provoke them. They mobilized the villagers, made weapons, and in one night, killed nearly a hundred people, including myself and Lord He's family, as well as thousands of innocent civilians. I believe this is rebellion and treason. Only by executing nine generations of their families can the people's anger be appeased!"

"And there's another matter—" He Fang looked up, tears streaming down his face, his voice shifting from a sob to indignation: "Prefect Chen Zhang of Lingnan personally came to Qishan County to investigate this major case. Zhou Liangsheng's son, Zhou Wenju, led villagers to block their way and even launched a fierce attack on Prefect Chen, resulting in the deaths of over seven hundred of Prefect Chen's constables and soldiers. Your Majesty, this is nothing short of rebellion!"

"Outrageous!" The Minister of War stepped forward. "A mere county magistrate dares to so recklessly slaughter his subjects, and even dares to draw his sword against his superior! Your Majesty, I request permission to send troops to quell this!"

The Minister of Rites stepped forward and declared, "This old minister seconds it!"

The Minister of Personnel stepped forward: "Officials appointed by the court bear the responsibility of protecting the territory and ensuring the safety of the people. How can the magistrate of Qishan County dare to rebel and cause chaos? We beg Your Majesty to issue an edict to immediately dismiss him from his post, escort him to the capital, and exterminate his entire family!"

"This old minister seconds the motion!"

"This old minister seconds the motion!"

"In my opinion, the Lingnan region was originally a place of exile for disloyal officials. These disloyal officials have always harbored rebellious intentions. If this trend is not stopped, the court will cease to pay homage. Such a trend must be eradicated immediately!" This person was none other than Deng Yuzhou, a first-rank official.

In an instant, half of the fifty-odd people in the hall seconded the motion.

They may not all have been close friends of these two vice ministers in officialdom, but they all shared empathy in the face of such heinous acts against high-ranking officials of the court, which had no bottom line.

As a high-ranking official of the imperial court, if even his own relatives cannot be protected, which official can accept this?

How dare the son of a county magistrate attack his father's superior? Where is the order in officialdom?

From a moral, rational, and legal standpoint, these are all unforgivable crimes.

Regardless of stance or position, if you are an official, you must stand up and condemn this unscrupulous behavior!

Just as the atmosphere in the hall was reaching its peak, a man stepped forward and knelt down: "Your Majesty, this humble subject—this humble subject has some doubts!"

All eyes fell upon this man, who was none other than Lin Xiangdao, the Minister of Works.

Upon seeing it was him, the noisy clamor and condemnation in the main hall suddenly fell completely silent.

Dozens of eyes were fixed on his back, their expressions extremely complex.

Lin Xiangdao is a very special person.

What makes it special?

He and Zhou Liangsheng were "the same age". What does "the same age" mean?

They were both Jinshi graduates in the same year.

"Classmate", "Fellow villager", "Same year" —

Both were synonyms for "closeness" during the imperial examination era. Moreover, before Zhou Liangsheng was involved in the Yantai case, when he was a third-rank official in the capital, Lin Xiangdao was also a third-rank official, and the two had a very special relationship.

The Vice Minister of Works' heart was pounding.

Will my boss do something stupid today?

As long as he pleads for Zhou Liangsheng, his "fellow student," he'll be finished!

If he's finished, I'll have a chance to become the Minister of Works.

"What doubts do you have, Minister Lin?" His Majesty asked calmly. "Rise and speak freely."

"Yes!" Lin Xiangdao slowly stood up: "What the two vice ministers have said is truly shocking. If it is indeed the Zhou family father and son who have rebelled, then I believe it is entirely justified to execute the entire Zhou family. However, I have a huge doubt about this matter that I cannot let go of, and I wonder if the two vice ministers can provide an answer."

"Please speak, Your Excellency!" Li Zhongze said.

"As far as I know, your elder brother, Li Yuncang, is the sect leader of the Cangshan Sect, with a cultivation level of Dao Flower Realm. He has over a hundred Dao Hearts and Dao Mountains under his command, and countless Dao Altars and Dao Roots. Yet you claim that the Zhou father and son led the villagers of Hexi Valley to annihilate the Cangshan Sect? May I ask how they managed to do that?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall felt a jolt in their hearts.

Yes----

This is a huge vulnerability.

That doesn't make any sense.

Ordinary villagers are just ordinary people, while the sect leader of Cangshan Sect is at the Dao Flower Realm, and has a bunch of Dao Heart and Dao Mountain experts under his command.

Anyone you pick out would be a god above the heads of ordinary villagers.

How can a group of ants kill a god?

And it wasn't just one deity, but a whole group of deities!

Li Zhongze's heart sank. He hadn't wanted to delve into this matter, but that scoundrel Lin Xiangdao had seized upon it. With His Majesty present, he could only explain: "Prefect Chen Zhangyan of Lingnan explained that Zhou Liangsheng's son, Zhou Wenju, had crafted a divine weapon called a 'spear' using the Mohist art of weaponry. This spear has a firing rate ten times faster than a bow and arrow, and ten times greater destructive power. Even an ordinary person wielding this spear can contend with a cultivator."

"Lord Li's words defy my common sense!" Lin Xiangdao said. "As the Minister of Works, I have dealt with the Mohists the most. I am familiar with all the weapons the Mohists use on the battlefield. How could there ever be a gun like the one Lord Li is talking about? If such a gun existed, the Mohists' principle of stopping war and non-aggression would probably not require Mohist disciples to risk their lives, would it?"

Logically, this statement immediately gained maximum credibility.

At least, it is ten times more credible than what Li Zhongze and He Fang casually said.

You said that the young master of the Zhou family made the gun using the Mohist art of weaponry.

But as the Minister of Works, it is my duty to manufacture weapons of war. I didn't even know that the Mohists had such a weapon. The Mohists themselves never used such a weapon, yet it was made by an ordinary disciple. Do you think that's possible?

He Fang's forehead veins bulged: "Lord Lin shows no pity for the tragic deaths of his colleagues' families, yet goes to great lengths to exonerate his fellow 'criminal' fellow graduate. May I ask what your true intentions are?"

This statement is utterly blunt.