A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 271 Looking to the Future, Awaiting Ascension

Because there was no need for an emperor to exist.

As soon as these words were spoken, some people in the audience began to stir, wanting to express different opinions.

Guan Luoyang raised his hand, signaling them to be patient, and continued, "Let me finish explaining."

"Indeed, the existence of emperors has long been a tradition across the land. Whether they are virtuous, brave, cruel, or short-sighted, once they gain power, gather followers, and occupy territory, they will inevitably declare themselves kings or emperors, and will inevitably pursue absolute power and supreme authority."

"Frankly speaking, such a pursuit cannot be entirely called wrong. Without such ambition, how many more heroic deeds would there be in history?"

"No one doesn't want to have enough power to do what they want, and no one doesn't want to be respected by everyone. But the difference between humans and animals is that humans, while pursuing happiness, also know how to exercise restraint."

Guan Luoyang faced Fang La and said, "Minister Fang, if I were to sit on the emperor's throne, I'm sure you wouldn't object. But suppose I had a child, and for personal gain, a child were to sit on the emperor's throne after I'm gone, what would you think?"

Without hesitation, Fang La replied, "Naturally, we should teach him to be compassionate towards the people, to care for the common folk, and to carry on the current achievements in both civil and military affairs."

Guan Luoyang smiled: "What if I can't teach him well?"

Fang La frowned.

There are many interpretations of the word "bad," which can mean either a bad character or a lack of ability.

"If he lacks ability, we will assist him. Currently, various regions are continuously selecting talents to fill vacancies in local minor officials. There is also the imperial examination system, as well as the literacy campaign and female officials mentioned by His Majesty. In the future, there will surely be a wealth of talents."

Fang La said slowly, "But what if it's a matter of bad character, and one who repeatedly refuses to change despite repeated admonitions..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "At worst, we can rebel again."

Li Kaixian and other Confucian scholars and ministers subconsciously frowned.

If it were a founding hero of any dynasty, like Fang La, who uttered such words, he would probably be facing dire straits by now.

But those present were people whom Guan Luoyang deeply trusted, believing in their abilities, as well as their character and spirit.

Therefore, even ministers like Li Kaixian, who had been immersed in the poetry, literature, and etiquette of the Song Dynasty for a long time, only frowned slightly and did not really take it to heart.

As for Lu Da and his group, they didn't think there was anything wrong with what Fang La said.

Guan Luoyang clapped his hands and laughed, "You see, as long as the emperor's position exists, it's inevitable that the country will be ruled by hereditary monarchy. But as long as it's ruled by hereditary monarchy, there will always be incompetent and tyrannical rulers."

"Because they were born to enjoy a life of superiority, they felt they had the right to covet the throne. No matter how pure their nature was, they were inevitably changed by the environment in which they grew up."

"Throughout history, there have been more incompetent rulers than wise ones; this is simply the reason."

Li Kaixian stood up and said, "Does Your Majesty intend to revert to the ancient rites of benevolent rulers from three generations ago, using the abdication system? Will those who will govern the court from now on be chosen not based on bloodline, but solely on merit?"

"It's somewhat similar," Guan Luoyang pondered. "But as I said before, if the highest power—civil, military, and legal—is held by only one person, and one day that person doesn't know how to exercise restraint and wants to pass this power down to their descendants, will the other officials be able to resist?"

Zhang Wanxian seemed to sense something: "Does Your Majesty mean that after you ascend to heaven, the throne will be vacant, there will be no more emperors, and state affairs will be decided by the ministers through discussion?"

Guan Luoyang nodded: "Exactly."

Fang La asked, "But what if the ministers disagree and argue endlessly, failing to reach a consensus? Wouldn't that delay important state affairs?"

"In that case, the final result will be determined by majority rule."

Guan Luoyang stood up, walked to the central open space among the many seats around him, and with a wave of his sleeve, released twenty-eight divine weapons that floated into the air.

"Over the past fifty days, I have consulted the secret records of Longhu Mountain and the methods of imperial fortune, and have spent most of my time reforging these twenty-eight divine weapons."

The divine weapon from another world possesses the power to resonate with the fate of the nation, except that it represents the fate of the Han Dynasty in another world.

Now, under Guan Luoyang's influence, the potential of these twenty-eight divine weapons has been almost fully unleashed, their quality has improved significantly, and they are now firmly linked to the national fortune of this world's Divine Land.

Guan Luoyang said, "Now, these twenty-eight divine weapons will reflect the will of the people of the land. When the country is peaceful and prosperous, those who possess the divine weapons will cultivate at an astonishing speed. Once the people's hearts are in turmoil and the country's fortunes decline, the divine weapons will immediately show ominous signs to warn their possessors."

"If they repeatedly fail to correct their ways, these twenty-eight divine weapons will work together to guide those with aspirations to kill the wicked and restore order to the nation's destiny."

"Tonight, I will distribute these twenty-eight divine weapons."

As soon as he finished speaking, a crescent shovel wrapped in a golden dragon flew towards Lu Da on its own. It was originally a weapon given to him, which he had collected and refined before returning it to him.

Han Shizhong obtained a black sword that flashed with lightning, Zhang Wanxian obtained a jade seal, Fang La obtained a feather fan, Lin Lingsu obtained a long banner, and Li Kaixian obtained an ancient zither.

The remaining weapons, such as swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, forks, whips, maces, hammers, claws, iron chains, and precious mirrors, were also distributed by Guan Luoyang to those he deemed suitable.

"These twenty-eight divine weapons correspond to different aspects of the nation's destiny. Some are more focused on the success or failure of military affairs and the recruitment of new soldiers, some on weather conditions, disaster relief and increased production, some on fiscal revenue and taxation, and the regulation of the national treasury, while others focus on popularizing education and eliminating the dross and retaining the essence, and so on."

"You can all come to your own understanding. From now on, the person who possesses these twenty-eight divine weapons will be the first-level governing minister, and the positions represented by the others present will be the second-level political participants."

Everyone stroked the divine weapons, feeling their smooth texture and a sense that they could glimpse the vast hearts of the people.

As Qiong inch by inch caressed the emerald bracelet on her wrist, she felt the nation's destiny—gentle, enduring, and peaceful, soft yet strong, compassionate yet not cowardly, full of feminine charm.

She seemed to see in them the future that all women in the world hoped for. Although most of them were content to be good wives and mothers, living peaceful and happy lives, some yearned to hunt and fish in the mountains and forests, to roam freely and boldly, to study literature and martial arts, and to conquer battlefields.

Especially many young children, their expectations are vibrant and full of possibilities, and they are never lacking in ambition to stand shoulder to shoulder with men.

"it is good."

She gazed at the jade ring, and spoke the word "good" with tenderness and lingering emotion.

Shi Sheng held a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand, scratching his cheek somewhat at a loss. Although he had been working hard to learn to read recently, and although with his cultivation level he could almost remember everything he saw, he could already recognize many characters.

However, the bamboo slips contain things related to the fate of the nation. If they were ancient texts for sacrificial rites to Heaven, they would certainly be full of classical allusions and beautiful language, so don't expect to understand them very well.

However, when he tried to open the bamboo scroll, he immediately sensed it.

There are no specific and detailed words in it, but rather hazy images, the farmers' fate, praying that the seeds will not be infested by insects, that the rivers will not run dry, that the heavens will not bring great drought, floods, or blizzards, and that they envy the fertile land and the methods of breeding.

Shi Sheng smiled knowingly, then his smile turned to one of surprise.

Many children from farming families across the country have now gone to literacy classes. It turns out that even the most unruly boys among them have big and serious dreams.

I admire the learned and cultured gentlemen, and I admire the brilliant strategists, generals, and upright officials in the stories.

Shi Sheng, who was born into a farming family, was not unaware that there were farm children who harbored such dreams, but he never imagined that there would be so many such children.

Perhaps there were so many before, but back then they didn't have the opportunity to pursue or realize them.

Now, however, some people care about their thoughts.

Shi Sheng took a deep breath, feeling a slight warmth in his eyes, and carefully rolled up the bamboo slip little by little.

The responsibility of governing a country is something that is originally intangible and ethereal, but the moment they obtained these divine weapons, they seemed to materialize into a real weight, making them feel the heaviness of it and arousing their heroic spirit.

In an instant, many people looked dazed, their emotions turbulent, unable to calm down.

Guan Luoyang smiled as he observed their expressions. After a long while, he picked up a cup of wine and said, "Gentlemen, with this cup of wine, I pledge an unbreakable and irrevocable covenant with you, entrusting you with the weighty affairs of the world and the expectations for a prosperous future."

He paused, gazing at the shimmering liquid in his cup, then suddenly burst into laughter, raising his cup to the moon, "I wish heroes to be like the bright moon, uncorrupted by the passing years."

More than a hundred people stood up together, readily agreed, and drank the wine together.

That night, the heroes in the garden reveled to their hearts' content, and only gradually dispersed at dawn.

In the end, only five people remained: Zhang Wanxian, Fang La, Lin Lingsu, Lu Da, and Han Shizhong.

Guan Luoyang gave each of them a book: "Besides what I said last night, I have many more ideas."

"However, some of these are just fragments I heard before, which may not be complete, and some may not be suitable for this era. So I've compiled them into five parts and am giving them to you."

"With your cultivation and temperament, you are the least likely to be changed by the years. Perhaps in twenty or thirty years, when the world is peaceful enough, you can discern some ideas and try to improve and put them into practice."

The group solemnly accepted the books.

Guan Luoyang added, "Don't put too much pressure on yourselves. Even if you have exceptional cultivation, you are not gods or demons. This kind of great undertaking cannot be completed in one generation. Focus on nurturing outstanding younger generations. With more and more people involved, it will be easier to create the situation we desire."

A slight smile appeared on Han Shizhong's somber face as he said, "They seem quite leisurely. I will spend the rest of my life basically on the land that originally belonged to the Liao Kingdom, trying to assimilate the people there."

"You have worked hard, but such achievements are enough to stand out in history."

Guan Luoyang patted him on the shoulder and said, "From now on, I will basically focus all my efforts on catalyzing the divine armor to resolve the hidden dangers of your military strength."

"In addition, you should replace the Nine Earths Extinction Scripture with the new technique I derived, the Azure Sky Guiding Exercise, as soon as possible. After I leave, you should urge the soldiers to use the guiding exercise to refine the red-clothed figure."

In fact, Guan Luoyang had repeatedly reminded him of this matter a while ago.

Combat Life Fibers are predators that roam the space, not some merciful bodhisattva who would cut off his own flesh to feed an eagle.

When Luoyang was around, the amount of combat life fibers contained in those red-clad figures was not large, so it was not a problem.

However, if these red-clad figures are passed down as family heirlooms after Guan Luoyang leaves, who knows what kind of trouble they might cause?

Han Shizhong and the others readily agreed, after all, in their understanding, combat life fiber was a kind of Gu, and Gu naturally made people feel wary.

Lin Lingsu sighed and said, "You will ascend to heaven in forty-four days. If there were no time limit for ascension, we wouldn't have to rush so many things."

"I also want to see how far the immortal cultivation method will evolve after the advantages of your cultivation method have been fully integrated."

Guan Luoyang sighed, drawing out the last syllable, and said, "Anyway, I've kept all the books. Transforming an entire system isn't as easy as modifying one or two cultivation techniques. You guys can take your time with this kind of hard work."

He cleared his throat, then adopted a trusting and sincere tone, "I believe in your wisdom!"

Lu Da held a book in one hand and a wine jar in the other, reading and drinking at the same time. When he saw that they had finished chatting, he said with a smile, "Your Majesty, Chieftain, Brother Guan, the banquet is over, but there is still a lot of wine left in the garden. Why don't I take it all away?"

Fang La laughed heartily, "That won't do! At least the jar on my table must be mine. After His Majesty's passing, there will be no more imperial wine bestowed upon the land. This jar of wine is truly a precious memento!"

Zhang Wanxian shook his head, opened his sleeve, and had already put a pot of wine inside: "One pot is enough for this humble Taoist."

Seeing their playful expressions, Han Shizhong said in a low voice, "Hongyu works hard in the army. If we could give her some fine wine, it would surely bring a smile to her face."

He accepted two jars, saying, "Your Majesty, on the day you ascend to heaven, I should already be in Yanyun. At that time, my wife and I will be in the tent, using this wine to bid you farewell."

Lin Lingsu also accepted two jars, saying, "Fang La is right, this wine is indeed of extraordinary significance. I've been increasingly realizing lately that I'm still young, and that corpse dissection was simply too foolish. Perhaps we'll meet again in the Upper Realm someday, and then we can drink this wine together to celebrate."

Fang La and Zhang Wanxian both exclaimed in unison, "That's exactly right!"

Lu Da opened his mouth.

I should have kept quiet and quietly taken the wine.

Heaven help me, who knew these decent people would try to steal his wine today?

Could it be that I, too, should consider whether I can ascend to that place and then share these jars of wine with them?

Guan Luoyang smiled with his hands behind his back.

These people all have important responsibilities, and by the time he ascends to immortality, it will indeed be impossible to gather so many people together.

However, he is scheduled to ascend to immortality in forty-four days, but the time limit for this mission is still seventy-four days away from completion.

I wonder what will happen after ascension?

(End of this chapter)