Before accompanying Mao Xiaodong down the mountain to the Imperial Academy in the capital to “try their luck,” Chen Ping’an meticulously arranged the personnel within the academy. He wanted to prevent any unforeseen breaches, ensuring that no one could exploit the situation and turn their baiting strategy into a cunning diversion for the enemy.

First, he moved Pei Qian out of the guest house and into the courtyard where Xie Xie resided. Joining her was Shi Rou, to whom Chen Ping’an entrusted the golden Spirit Binding Cord.

Lin Shouyi had been spending his days cultivating in Cui Dongshan’s courtyard. With “Du Mao” now living there as well, Lin Shouyi, after discussing it with Chen Ping’an, simply and openly took up residence in the courtyard.

Chen Ping’an then instructed Zhu Lian and Yu Lu to secretly watch over Li Baoping and Li Huai.

Zhu Lian, a hunched old man who always smiled at women, and Yu Lu, a tall youth with a gentle smile on his face – who could imagine that they were both Golden Body Realm pure martial artists?

Li Baoping and Pei Qian would share Cui Dongshan’s main house at night. He was confident Cui Dongshan wouldn’t object, nor would he dare to.

Xie Xie and Lin Shouyi each occupied a side room, while Shi Rou, being an ethereal being, could act as a night watch. Li Huai would share a room with Lin Shouyi.

Zhu Lian wouldn’t live in the courtyard; he could sleep in the original guest house.

However, Yu Lu had to partner with Shi Rou, taking shifts guarding during the night.

Chen Ping’an didn’t fully trust Shi Rou to handle any unforeseen circumstances.

Yu Lu, on the other hand, had always been a source of reassurance.

As for Mao Xiaodong’s academy, the patrolling instructors had always been divided into literary and martial. For instance, the venerable scholar Dong Jing, who had shown a keen interest in Lin Shouyi, was a Golden Core cultivator proficient in thunder magic. Another, even more unassuming, was an unknown Nascent Soul earth immortal. Like Mao Xiaodong, he hailed from Great Li; he was the old man with the surname Liang who guarded the academy’s gates. In critical moments, he could replace Mao Xiaodong in overseeing the academy.

Finally, Chen Ping’an called Li Baoping aside and gave her the two items he had obtained from Li Baozhen: a jade pendant engraved with “Dragon Palace” and a True Form Talisman of the Day and Night Wandering Gods of the highest grade.

Li Baoping was puzzled.

Chen Ping’an didn’t hide anything. He roughly recounted the events that had transpired with Li Baozhen in Qingluan Kingdom. He ended by gently rubbing Li Baoping’s head and softly saying, “I won’t actively seek out your second brother in the future, and I’ll even try to avoid him. But if Li Baozhen is unrelenting, or feels he suffered unbearable humiliation at the Lion Garden, and conflict arises again in the future, I won’t show mercy. Of course, none of this has anything to do with you.”

Li Baoping was a little downcast, but her eyes remained bright. “Little Martial Uncle, you and my second brother should just follow the rules of the Jianghu, with clear distinctions of gratitude and grudges…”

Li Baoping paused and asked, “Little Martial Uncle, can I write a letter to my eldest brother and ask him to persuade my second brother to stop?”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment and nodded, “That’s feasible.”

Li Baoping was about to speak, intending to give the jade pendant and talisman to Chen Ping’an.

Her Little Martial Uncle had already told them about their current predicament before coming down the mountain.

Li Baoping wanted Little Martial Uncle to have more items to protect himself.

Chen Ping’an was already smiling, “At the Lion Garden, I joined forces with a very powerful female Daoist wielding a Dharma Blade, and together we captured an extremely rare demon, essentially a living treasure trove. The female Daoist took the demon for herself, but as compensation and reward, she gave me sixty-two Gu Yu coins. So, I want to borrow that True Form Talisman of the Day and Night Wandering Gods from you, not buy it, but borrow it, a bit like a pawn shop, only we’re reversing it. You pawn the talisman to me, and I give you these Gu Yu coins. Because this talisman is of extremely high grade, not the disposable kind, but reusable. As long as there’s enough Immortal Money to support it, those two Day and Night Wandering Gods can exist in the world indefinitely. Even if their spiritual energy and golden bodies are scattered, as long as the talisman maker has the skill to add the finishing touch to the talisman core, they can still command the two deities to appear. To be honest, sixty-two Gu Yu coins is a lot of money, but it’s still not quite enough to purchase this priceless talisman. So, I’m not buying the talisman…”

Having held it in for a long time, Li Baoping couldn’t help but say earnestly, “Little Martial Uncle, you’re being so formal with me, it makes me sad.”

Chen Ping’an patiently explained, “I’m not being formal with you, or your eldest brother, but I need to be formal with the entire Li family of Fortune Street. After you pawn the talisman to Little Martial Uncle’s temporary pawn shop, you can have Headmaster Mao send the Gu Yu coins to Dragon Spring County. Your grandfather is now a native Nascent Soul immortal of our hometown, so he probably doesn’t lack various magical treasures. After all, when it comes to picking up bargains, the four great surnames and ten great clans of the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven are the most skilled. But your grandfather certainly needs as much Immortal Money as possible right now. Although he could sell the family’s prized treasures to exchange for money, and he wouldn’t have trouble selling them, generally speaking, cultivators are reluctant to sell spiritual implements and treasures unless they don’t align with their own Dao.”

Li Baoping beamed. “So Little Martial Uncle is still thinking of me. I misunderstood Little Martial Uncle, how rude, how guilty!”

Li Baoping began to cup her hands and bow to Chen Ping’an in apology, acting very much like an adult.

After Li Baoping straightened up, Chen Ping’an reached out and pinched her cheeks, playfully teasing, “I’ll take advantage of the fact that Little Baoping hasn’t grown up yet and pinch her while I can.”

Li Baoping stood still, her bright eyes smiling into crescent moons.

Finally, Chen Ping’an watched Li Baoping run off.

At the academy’s mountain gate, Mao Xiaodong had been waiting for a long time.

The two left the academy, walked along the street, and turned into Bai Mao Street. Only then did Chen Ping’an secretly hand the talisman to Mao Xiaodong.

Mao Xiaodong glanced at it and tucked it into his sleeve.

The tall, elderly man used mind-ripple to ask Chen Ping’an, “I’ve never seen this talisman before, and the material is strange. Can you explain?”

Chen Ping’an then used the pure martial artist’s sound transmission to reply, “It’s an ancient talisman from a ‘Compendium of True Immortal Scripts’, called the True Form Talisman of the Day and Night Wandering Gods. The essence lies in the words ‘True Form’. The book says it can connect to the deity’s actual body, not the usual Daoist talisman school’s method of commanding gods by relying on a bit of spiritual light from the talisman core to summon a divine form, which is more similar in appearance than in spirit. This talisman is more similar in spirit and is said to contain a divine nature.”

Afterward, Chen Ping’an explained in detail the techniques and precautions for controlling the talisman.

Mao Xiaodong became increasingly astonished as he listened, “Where did such a valuable talisman come from?”

Chen Ping’an glossed over the private grudges with Li Baozhen, only saying that someone had entrusted him to deliver it to Li Baoping as a protective charm.
Mao Xiaodong asked with a smile, “You’re just handing it over to me like this?”

Chen Ping’an said, “In the hands of the Mountain Master, it will be put to good use. I am a martial artist using talismans, and I don’t have the proper method. I haven’t learned the most authentic techniques from that *Dan Shu Zhen Ji* (True Traces of the Elixir Book), so it’s easy to damage the talisman’s core essence. Any talisman that I ‘open the mountain and activate the spirit’ will end up like draining a pond to catch all the fish.”

Mao Xiaodong said something strange, “Well, I’ve experienced it firsthand.”

Chen Ping’an was a little puzzled.

Mao Xiaodong didn’t explain it.

As expected of the Junior Brother that Cui Dongshan called a “fortune bringer,” he really gives gifts and distributes wealth to everyone he meets?

As they walked along White Mao Street, Chen Ping’an asked, “Little Treasure Bottle has skipped so many classes for this Junior Uncle, isn’t the Mountain Master worried about her studies?”

Mao Xiaodong said, “Li Baoping is the one who has learned the most correctly in our academy. As for learning, there are so many books of sages and philosophers in the Shan Ya Academy’s library. Reading is a very interesting thing, but if you are not sincere and enlightened, the words in the books are delicate and arrogant. Those words will not grow legs on their own and move from the books to the readers’ bellies. Li Baoping is very good, the principles elucidated in the books are not just small things, they have grown legs and lived in her belly, and then gone to her heart. In the end, these words returned to heaven and earth, and sprang from her heart, grew wings, and went to the old man pushing the charcoal cart, landed on her chessboard where she watches chess silently, to the place where she persuades two naughty children to stop fighting, ran to the body of the old woman she helps… They all seem like trivial matters, but they are actually very remarkable. Isn’t this what our Confucian sages have been pursuing? The three immortalities of reading – words, deeds, and virtue – later generations often covet those three, but they don’t know that ‘establishment’ is the fundamental. How can one truly establish oneself and stand firm? There is much to learn.”

Mao Xiaodong put his hands behind his back, and looked up at the sky of the capital, “Chen Ping’an, you have missed a lot of beautiful scenery. I secretly follow Little Treasure Bottle every time she goes out to play. This Great Sui capital, after the appearance of such a lively girl in red, feels like… it has come alive.”

Mao Xiaodong spoke quite emotionally. Chen Ping’an was simply happy, glad that Little Treasure Bottle had gained so much in her studies at the academy.

Mao Xiaodong suddenly said, “Now that you are reading books from both the Confucian and Legalist schools, I must remind you of a few things. If you learn Confucianism in a scattered and imprecise way, you can easily become muddled, as if you can find the principles you want from books for everything, so it confuses people, especially when encountering those major issues of right and wrong, it will make people feel lost. But you should also pay attention to why, throughout history, has no ruler of any country been willing to openly advocate, to solely respect the Legalist school?”

Before Chen Ping’an could speak, Mao Xiaodong waved his hand and said, “You underestimate the magnanimity of the Confucian sages too much, and you also underestimate the strength of the Legalist sages.”

Mao Xiaodong sighed softly, “Do you know how the sages view the level of a certain school of thought?”

Chen Ping’an laughed, “I definitely don’t know that.”

He subconsciously took down his wine gourd. These heartfelt words from the Mountain Master were excellent to savor with wine, allowing Chen Ping’an to recall them endlessly.

Mao Xiaodong reached out and pointed to the crowd on the bustling street, pointing a few times casually, and smiled, “To give an example, Confucianism makes people close, Legalism makes people distance themselves.”

Chen Ping’an was thoughtful.

Mao Xiaodong said, “These are just some of my thoughts, not necessarily correct. If you find them useful, take them, chew on them as a side dish with your wine. If you think they are useless, just throw them aside, it doesn’t matter. There are so many golden words in books, but the world doesn’t seem to cherish and understand them. My half-bucket of water knowledge is really nothing.”

Chen Ping’an drank his wine, without saying anything.

Mao Xiaodong was silent for a moment, looking at the bustling capital street, and inexplicably remembered a certain rascal’s casual remark, “What often drives history forward is some wonderful mistakes, some extreme ideas, and a few inevitable coincidences.”

Mao Xiaodong’s thoughts drifted away. When he came back to his senses, he still hadn’t waited for Chen Ping’an to speak. The old man turned his head in surprise and said, “Shouldn’t you say a few polite words now, like ‘Mountain Master’s knowledge is excellent, one shouldn’t belittle oneself’?”

Chen Ping’an was speechless.

Teacher Qi, Sword Immortal Zuo You, Cui Chan.

And the tall old man beside him.

Chen Ping’an always felt that the disciples taught by the old Gentleman of Literature were too different.

But on second thought, Cui Dongshan and Pei Qian, “under” his own wing, seemed to be in a similar situation.

If possible, adding Cao Qinglang from Lotus Flower Blessed Land in the future, everyone would be different.

He remembered a passage in an elementary textbook, “A hundred flowers blooming makes spring.”

It made sense.

In the twilight, Chen Ping’an and Mao Xiaodong had not yet returned to the academy.

At Cui Dongshan’s courtyard, it was crowded for the first time.

Li Baoping, Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, Xie Xie.

Plus Pei Qian and Shi Rou.

Lin Shouyi and Xie Xie sat at the two ends of the Green Firmament Crossing green bamboo corridor, each practicing their breathing techniques.

Shi Rou, feeling restrained, felt that there was no place for her in the academy, especially in this courtyard, she was even more uneasy.

Regarding the backgrounds of Li Huai and the others, or their cultivation levels, Chen Ping’an had mentioned some intermittently.

Li Baoping’s second brother, Li Baozhen, was someone Shi Rou had seen, an extremely scheming and ruthless person.

Li Huai’s father was said to be a tenth-realm martial artist, who had almost beaten the Great Li Prince Song Changjing to death, and had even single-handedly climbed the mountain and demolished the ancestral hall of the Tongye Sect.

Chen Ping’an hadn’t mentioned Yu Lu’s identity, but Shi Rou already knew that this tall scholar, who wasn’t very old, was a pure martial artist of the eighth realm.

Xie Xie’s current identity was said to be Cui Dongshan’s maid, and Shi Rou only knew that Xie Xie had once been a cultivation genius of a great dynasty.

Shi Rou stood near the courtyard gate, intentionally or unintentionally distancing herself from everyone.

Shi Rou knew that these people had come to Great Sui to study for the first time, and Chen Ping’an had been “in charge” all the way. According to what she had overheard Chen Ping’an and Pei Qian and Zhu Lian chatting about, Chen Ping’an was only a second or third-realm martial artist at that time?

Why did these people, who would be the pride of heaven in any great dynasty, seem to think it was natural, even a matter of course, to accept the arrangements of Chen Ping’an, a newcomer to the academy?
Li Bao Ping was copying books in Cui Dongshan’s small study.

Pei Qian and Li Huai were sprawled on the green bamboo floor at the entrance of the main room, having brought out Cui Dongshan’s beloved Go board and jars, starting a game of Five-in-a-Row.

The rules were the kind that Cui Dongshan used to坑 (pit, trick) Pei Qian terribly.

Yu Lu sat cross-legged between the two. Pei Qian and Li Huai had agreed that each person had three chances to ask Yu Lu for help with their moves.

Straddling two boats, serving as a dog-headed strategist (a derogatory term for a strategist), Yu Lu was even more focused than the often-bickering Pei Qian and Li Huai.

Shi Rou felt like an outsider.

Yet she was clearly the owner of a deceased immortal’s remains, with great potential on the path of cultivation, her future achievements possibly surpassing everyone in the courtyard.

If she were in any Sect-level mountain gate in Bao Ping Continent, wouldn’t they be worshipping her?

But here, everyone was polite to her, but only to that extent, a politeness that revealed undisguised alienation and indifference.

Shi Rou couldn’t understand it.

The Cai family had finally seen off their unwelcome ancestral figure as if sending away a plague.

From Cai Jing, the patriarch, to the cook in the kitchen, everyone felt relieved.

Perhaps the only ones slightly disappointed were the pretty maids who had had the chance to serve that handsome deity.

Cui Dongshan left the Prefecture City, not heading straight for the capital, but instead residing in a grand Daoist temple located in the capital’s vicinity.

An elderly Daoist, who presided over rituals and initiated people into the Dao within the temple, and was therefore addressed with the honorific “Master” on the Daoist register, paid a visit under the guise of debating Daoist mysteries.

Wei Xian knew very well that the old Daoist must be a spy for the Great Li Dynasty planted within the territory of the Great Sui Dynasty.

This was not surprising at all. Cui Dongshan, when he had nothing to do, had even shown Wei Xian a list of dormant spies and agents from the Great Sui Dynasty still hiding in various locations in the Great Li Dynasty, encompassing all walks of life. Naturally, there were even more spies who had not yet been discovered. Many of the names on the list were circled in red ink. Cui Dongshan said that these were the kind who specialized in selling intelligence, double agents who were the most interesting, who betrayed everyone for money, and that dealing with them was rather invigorating.

However, what surprised Wei Xian was that although the old Daoist was undoubtedly a Great Li spy, after concisely delivering a piece of intelligence, he actually sat on a meditation cushion with Cui Dongshan and began to discuss the Dao and chat about the world.

Wei Xian nearly fell asleep listening.

After the old Daoist left, Cui Dongshan pointed to the cushion opposite him and said, “Take advantage of the warmth and sit down quickly.”

Although Wei Xian sat down, he did not sit on the cushion, but simply sat on the floor.

Cui Dongshan retrieved a small, antique desk from his sleeve, upon which were arranged writing tools and paper, and began to write, head down, on a piece of exquisite stationery that was likely made in the imperial palace.

Wei Xian asked, “Why did Mr. Cui suddenly change his mind, leave the Cai family, and rush towards the capital, only to stop here?”

This was a question that Wei Xian had been pondering without success.

Cui Dongshan did not look up, nor did he give an answer, but instead asked a completely unrelated question, “Do you think the human heart is complex?”

Wei Xian nodded and said, “Naturally.”

Cui Dongshan was once a recognized calligraphy master in the Central Earth Divine Continent, his writing flowing like clouds and water. Even from afar, Wei Xian found it pleasing to the eye.

Cui Dongshan continued to write his analysis of the collected intelligence, and slowly said, “The human heart seems unpredictable. But in reality, it is not as complex as you imagine. People all cherish life and fear death, that is human nature, even the nature of all sentient beings. What sets us apart from beasts is that we also have deep affection for our offspring, romantic love, the continuation of our ancestral line, and the rise and fall of our family and nation. Right? The more outstanding a person is, the more obvious a certain emotion will become.”

Wei Xian thought for a moment, “That is true, but there are also more people who are balanced with ambiguous mixtures.”

Cui Dongshan stopped writing, placed the brush on the porcelain brush rest, shook his wrist, and ridiculed, “What balance? That’s just confusion. Their hearts waver, going with the flow. They see beautiful women and become lustful, they see money and fame and want it all. Wanting is fine, but they are afraid of overestimating their abilities. Liu Qingfeng, Li Baozhen, Wei Li, Wu Yuan, these four are clever, but they also have such shortcomings and problems.”

“Wu Yuan, the magistrate of Dragon Spring County, inwardly approves of my theories of statecraft and is even nominally my disciple, but he received favors from the Lady who practices asceticism in the Changchun Palace in his early years, and believes that everything he has today was bestowed by the Lady. Therefore, he wavers between private恩 (gratitude, favor) and national affairs, living a conflicted life.”

“What Li Baozhen seeks is not surprising, nor is it as in line with Confucian orthodoxy as Wu Yuan. He simply wants to achieve meritorious service and, one day, rise to the rank of a top official. But he is 大智若愚 (great wisdom appears foolish), and Li Baozhen doesn’t understand it yet. Right now, he only knows how to play dumb. But so-called clever people are worth shit, worthless.”

“Wei Li of Huangting Kingdom, relatively speaking, is the most pure Confucian among the four. What he values most is the country, the land, and the common people. But his perspective is still small. He has seen the customs of a country and a hundred years, but has not yet become accustomed to looking at the land of a continent and a thousand-year plan.”

“Liu Qingfeng, the county magistrate of the small Azure Luan Kingdom, is the one I am most optimistic about among the four. It’s just a pity that he doesn’t have the qualifications for cultivation, and has a lifespan of only a hundred years at most. It’s truly… is it Heaven’s jealousy of talent?”

Hearing this, Wei Xian was somewhat surprised.

Mr. Cui was actually willing to describe someone else as “talent”?

Wei Xian had actually been chewing over Cui Dongshan’s theory of the human heart.

Cui Dongshan grabbed a stack of intelligence reports that were classified as low-level from the desk and threw them to Wei Xian. “These are the latest unsuccessful poems by scholars who failed the imperial examinations in both the Great Li and Great Sui Dynasties. It’s one of the ways I use to relieve boredom when I’m idle.”

After Wei Xian caught them, Cui Dongshan said, “You probably want to ask me about the method of judging the depth and direction of the human heart. It seems feasible, but in reality, the affairs of the world are difficult to predict, and the human heart fluctuates. Perhaps an unexpected event will cause many temporary changes. It is still extremely troublesome and difficult to be accurate, so it cannot be considered true learning, right?”

Wei Xian nodded, not denying it.

Cui Dongshan smiled and pointed to his head, “Going up the mountain to cultivate, in addition to longevity, this will also become more灵光 (bright, intelligent).”

Cui Dongshan then flicked his wrist and scattered a handful of fairy money on the desk, “The several major classifications of the human heart that I mentioned earlier can be supplemented by the counting techniques of the strategists among the hundred schools of thought. Determine them from one to ten, and you will find that the so-called fluctuations of the human heart will not affect the final result.”

Before Wei Xian could speak, Cui Dongshan smiled, “One to ten is still not accurate enough, so what if it could be done from one to a hundred?”
Wei Xian sighed, “This method of the strategists has always been regarded as a minor path in the Great Bright World, not promoted only by merchants whose reputation is never good? Can you still use it so freely, sir? Could it be that besides Confucianism and Legalism, you are also one of the advocates of the School of Strategists?”

Cui Dongshan sneered, “Is the School of Strategists worthy of my advocacy?”

Cui Dongshan stood up. “I want to explore everything, even the division between gods and humans, the three souls and six spirits, the most minute details of the world. The little School of Strategists, with its paper-pushing skills, is not even worth a fart.”

Wei Xian held the stack of papers filled with the failed poems of scholars from both countries, speechless.

Cui Dongshan went around a hundred and eight thousand miles, finally returning to the question Wei Xian had initially asked, “I know everything inside and out about the academy. The only variable now is that scholar Zhao, who is so weak he couldn’t even truss a chicken.”

Wei Xian asked in confusion, “An elderly scholar, a Confucian sage sitting in a small world of an academy, facing each other, can the former still cause waves? Besides, according to Mr. Cui, Mao Xiaodong is not a rigid pedant, so how could there be any mistakes? Furthermore, according to your explanation, the Emperor of the Great Sui would never dare to harm Li Baoping and Li Huai unless he was courting death.”

Cui Dongshan stared straight at Wei Xian, looking disgusted. “Think carefully, I reminded you before, look at the problem from a higher position.”

Wei Xian’s heart shook.

Cui Dongshan rubbed his cheeks and sneered, “The Emperor of the Great Sui cares about the longevity of his dynasty, but would the person behind the scenes care about the life-and-death struggle, the destruction of both the Great Li and the Great Sui? If assassinating one or two people could determine the trend of an entire continent, would you, Wei Xian, be tempted? The disciples of the merchants would be happy to see it succeed. War is a way to make money off the dead; the profits are much larger. As for… the experts of the strategists, who like to be secretive and hide behind the scenes, they would like it even more!”

Wei Xian’s mood was agitated, and his hands were trembling slightly.

This was the world the founding emperor of the Southern Garden Kingdom truly yearned for!

Great chaos and great contention!

Whether they were on the mountains or below, emperors and generals, immortals and deities, all would be swept into the torrent of the general trend, all pawns beyond their control.

But Cui Dongshan seemed to remember something sad. He wiped his face and said with a sigh, “Look, I have so much ability and knowledge, but what am I doing now? Just a trivial matter, scraping for meager profits like taking meat off a mosquito leg. That old turtle is happily scheming for the entire Jade Bottle Continent, and I can only guard his home and stare at the Great Sui, doing a ritual in a snail shell. The family business is too small, so I can only mess around like this. And I still have to worry that if I handle things poorly, I’ll be expelled from the master’s sect…”

Cui Dongshan clenched his fist and heavily struck his chest. “Old Wei, my heart aches.”

Then Wei Xian looked at the white-robed youth rolling on the ground in the house, and then looked down at the failed poems in his hand, which were said to reveal true nature.

He wasn’t heartbroken, just tired.

The Great Sui’s Gao family treated scholars with generosity, which was a tradition since the founding of the country.

Not to mention the new Number One Scholar like Zhang Dai. Although he was still in the Hanlin Academy for the time being, he already had a three-courtyard residence with ten rooms in the capital, paid for by the Ministry of Revenue.

That evening, Zhang Dai was strolling in the empty mansion. After feeding the few red carp in the large vat, he went to the study to play Go alone.

Zhang Dai was from a poor family in the countryside. His examination essays in the county and provincial exams were commendable, but not particularly brilliant. It was only in the imperial exam that he became famous and leaped over the dragon gate.

After becoming the Number One Scholar and moving into this mansion, the only change was that Zhang Dai hired a coachman and a carriage. Apart from that, Zhang Dai didn’t have many banquets or social gatherings. It was hard to imagine that this young man in his early twenties was the new literary star of the Great Sui. It was even harder to imagine that he would appear at the Cai family’s residence, speak out generously, and finally leave in the same carriage with Miao Ren, the Dragon Bull General, who was a descendant of a founding meritorious official.

All of this, whether Cai Feng or Miao Ren, thought was reasonable. Zhang Dai had a very valuable Number One Scholar status. He was one of the four spiritual beings of the Great Sui, whose name had spread throughout the court. His status was humble but clean. He had a passion, so he was easily controlled. They felt that this person was willing to take the lead for the sake of the country.

Zhang Dai heard a knock on the door, stopped playing Go, and said, “Come in.”

It was the old coachman who was staying in the residence.

The old man stood at the entrance of the dimly lit study and slowly said, “Mao Xiaodong has left the academy with a young man named Chen Pingan.”

“Aren’t they shouting to kill the literary demon Mao Xiaodong? Just let them go kill him.”

Zhang Dai said expressionlessly, “Let the inside agents in the academy find an excuse to let Zhao Shi and the White Deer leave the academy together. Find a secluded place, knock them unconscious, and hide them. After controlling the White Deer, remember not to arouse suspicion from Liang Rensi, the Yuan Ying cultivator guarding the gate. As long as you successfully enter the academy, act decisively. One must die, two would be even better.”

The old man nodded.

Zhang Dai hesitated for a moment. “I will leave the Great Sui capital tonight.”

The old man smiled, “If you succeed in this matter, you will have a bright future when you return to the Central Divine Continent.”

Zhang Dai remained noncommittal.

After the old man left,

Zhang Dai put down the Go manual and looked down at the chessboard.

Strategic planning in all directions.

Southeast of the Jade Bottle Continent, on the edge of the Green Luan Kingdom’s capital, in an obscure private residence.

A young man, one of the leaders of the Green Ripple Pavilion spies of the Great Li, had a gloomy face.

The people in the hall had different identities, all of them were masters of the pen in the officialdom and literary circles of the Green Luan Kingdom, and of course, they were also confidants who had been won over by the Great Li Dynasty.

Li Baozhen looked at the ground, spinning a teacup that he had not taken a sip of.

The people trembled with fear.

The reason they gathered here was to do one thing.

To use their pens to drag Liu Jingting, the literary leader and leader of the Green Luan Kingdom, the old vice minister who had retired to the Lion Garden, into the mud, so that this person would never recover and would no longer be able to form a cohesive force for those who had fled south. The Green Luan Kingdom still needed a flourishing literary world, but it did not need a prominent Liu Jingting.

As long as Liu Jingting’s reputation was ruined, those noble families would disintegrate.
The Great Li Dynasty would be pleased to witness such a spectacle. Even the Emperor of Qingluan might see the benefits and drawbacks, preventing him from being controlled by those clueless outsiders. These individuals, ignorant of local customs, would constantly interfere in Qingluan’s court affairs, endlessly criticizing everything. In such a scenario, the Tang Dynasty Emperor could then collude with Great Li, dividing the spoils and respectively wining over the influential clans and powerful families.

However, the dozen or so individuals present tonight had mobilized all their family influence and power to vehemently attack Liu Jingting. They had scrutinized every one of the old Vice-Minister Liu’s articles, poems, and official documents, searching for loopholes in every word and phrase.

Unexpectedly, not only were their efforts ineffective, but they also provoked the widespread indignation of Qingluan’s literati. Even some court officials who previously disagreed with Liu Jingting’s political views, as well as many prominent scholars from various regions, felt it was going too far and began to speak out in Liu Jingting’s defense. Especially the noble families who had fled south, were in an uproar, rallying support for Liu Jingting. Consequently, rumors began to spread throughout the capital that Liu Jingting was about to return to the central government, ascending to the position of Minister of Rites.

Li Baozhen raised his head and chuckled, “Everyone, don’t be nervous. This matter was poorly handled; we started off on the wrong foot and suffered a significant setback. I, Li Baozhen, will be the first to bear the brunt, and then it will be your turn. If the Imperial Advisor is understanding, perhaps he will find our actions excusable, reshuffle the board, and give us another chance.”

These “words of comfort” only made everyone feel a chill run down their spines.

They were utterly terrified.

Inside the hall, the candlelight flickered.

Li Baozhen was, of course, furious at the incompetence of the crowd!

Just then, two figures appeared at the entrance of the hall, one entering while the other remained outside.

Looking at the Confucian scholar who entered the hall, Li Baozhen felt helpless. He had hoped to bypass this person and accomplish the matter flawlessly, but he never imagined it would come to this.

The man spoke slowly, his voice not loud, “Gentlemen, you have already accomplished half of the task. There are three small steps left to take.”

“First, cease the smear campaign against Liu Jingting. Turn around and lavish praise upon the old Vice-Minister. This step has three sub-steps. First, you and your associates should release some fair and impartial articles, providing a definitive conclusion to this matter, striving to make your arguments persuasive. Second, begin hiring another group of people to deify Liu Jingting, using the most flowery and extravagant language possible, exaggerating Liu Jingting’s virtues and literary achievements to the point where he could be enshrined in the Temple of Literature after his death. Third, create another set of articles, attacking all the officials and celebrities who defended Liu Jingting, indiscriminately. Use the most vicious language possible, but be mindful that the overarching theme should portray everyone as mere flunkies and sycophants of Liu Jingting.”

Initially, upon hearing the man’s first sentence, the people in the hall sneered inwardly, full of unspoken criticisms.

But the more they heard, the more they found the strategy… novel!

The man continued, “Second, after waiting for some time, redirect your attacks, focusing solely on Liu Jingting. This requires some finesse. All articles, principles, and foundations should be rooted in phrases like ‘although’ and ‘even if.’ For example, ‘Although Liu Jingting’s character has flaws, his merits outweigh them, and his disciples have achieved great things.’ Then, you can list them one by one, the envy-inducing official positions being the true intention. Or, ‘Even if Liu Jingting’s political achievements are mediocre, he is still considered incorruptible, aside from that famed Lion Garden.'”

The man explained, “Why do this? Because to onlookers, these articles appear to be calm and reasonable, even defending Liu Jingting. Many neutral individuals who initially abstained from this literary battle will unconsciously begin to accept these presupposed facts. Combined with the subsequent hidden barbs disguised as defenses, it will be like adding frost to snow.”

The people in the hall exchanged glances.

The man smiled faintly, “Third, focus on his private life. For example, hire someone to write stories, not caring about the quality of the writing, only the sensationalism. Such as Liu Jingting’s affair in a nunnery on a stormy night, or an old man sleeping with his daughter-in-law, or the Lion Garden and the beautiful maidservant’s romance. Also, create some catchy doggerel, turn them into storytelling material, and have storytellers and江湖 figures spread them far and wide.”

Seeing the shocked and puzzled expressions on everyone’s faces, the man patiently explained, “Don’t think it’s useless. Unsuccessful scholars without official titles love to read this kind of stuff, and the common people who don’t care about the truth love to hear it. Among the literati, repeated falsehoods become truth. In the marketplace, a swarm of mosquitoes can sound like thunder.”

Finally, the man smiled, took out a piece of paper, walked up to Li Baozhen, and handed it to him, looking around, “You may not be familiar with the process and cost of printing a pornographic book, or how much to pay those storytellers. I have written down all these trivial matters on the paper, so you won’t be taken advantage of. Furthermore, many small merchants in the marketplace, though low in status, are quite cunning and clever, each with their own way of doing things. If you let them gain a great advantage in money, they might even look down on you.”

The man bid farewell and left.

Near the doorway, he suddenly turned around and smiled, “Only with your valuable contributions can I have the opportunity to show off my insignificant skills here. I hope it can be of some help.”

Everyone stared blankly as the man departed.

Li Baozhen’s mouth was dry, clutching the paper tightly in his hand.

The others felt their scalps tingle.

For that man was named Liu Qingfeng.

The eldest son of none other than Liu Jingting.