We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?

Chapter 614: Regardless, We of the Confucian Academy Owe Him an Explanation

Xiao Mo gazed at those two lines of ink-written text before him, his expression growing ever more distant.

He took another step forward but the words before him dissolved entirely.

By the time Xiao Mo came back to himself, he found himself once more in reality.

"It's fine, no rush. Even once the next scenario opens, I won't have much leisure to attend to it anyway."

Xiao Mo settled his own mind.

For the moment, Xiao Mo felt he needed to focus on handling matters in reality first.

Since Yan Shan'ao's death, there had been far too much for him to attend to.

The following morning, Xiao Mo woke early.

Once Sili had dressed him in his dragon robe, Xiao Mo went to attend the morning court session.

Ever since Xiao Mo had begun attending morning court, the officials throughout the Zhou Kingdom's government had all conducted themselves with the utmost propriety, not daring to act out of line in the slightest.

As for the officials they had recommended, after discussing the matter with the Ministry of Personnel and others, Xiao Mo had every selected candidate summoned into the palace for a personal audience.

Xiao Mo wanted to vet each one himself.

Xiao Mo held a thorough conversation with every official.

Whoever proved genuinely capable, Xiao Mo made sure not to let their talents go to waste.

As for those officials who had remained loyal to the Zhou imperial house all along, that went without saying.

Every loyal official who had been exiled to various corners of the kingdom was recalled to the palace by Xiao Mo, and placed into suitable positions.

For those officials who possessed loyalty but not particular ability, Xiao Mo could only grant them honorary titles without real duties, allowing them to retire peacefully.

Beyond this, if a "suitable position" had not yet become vacant, Xiao Mo would simply remove whoever currently occupied it.

By now, the court officials held no objection whatsoever to Xiao Mo's decisions, nor did they dare voice any.

After all, most of them had had murky, ambiguous dealings with Yan Shan'ao, ones that could not withstand close scrutiny.

At worst, they were merely demoted.

As for those members of the Yan faction thrown into prison, they had lost their very lives.

Speaking of those Yan faction members held in the imperial prison.

Xiao Mo had the newly appointed Minister of Justice, Cui Zhengyuan, intensify the interrogations.

The officials of the Ministry of Justice had not a single day of rest, working in continuous rotating shifts.

There were, indeed, a few who had been wronged, whose crimes did not truly warrant such severe punishment but the great majority of the Yan faction's crimes over the years were, without question, entirely genuine!

The Ministry of Justice found gathering evidence remarkably easy.

Mainly because these corrupt officials, having grown so accustomed to arrogance under Yan Shan'ao's protection, had not even bothered concealing much of what they had done.

Those members of the Yan faction whose crimes were conclusively proven were either exiled to the frontier or executed outright, with the lightest sentence being stripped of office and imprisoned, likely for the rest of their lives.

As for those military officers of the Yan faction who held command over troops, some, upon hearing of Yan Shan'ao's death, chose to rebel outright, without a moment's hesitation but not all military command rested in the Yan faction's hands.

Those generals to whom Xiao Mo had sent secret messages by sword, upon receiving the confidential letters, struck them entirely by surprise.

Afterward, Xiao Mo issued a decree, “Those who surrender military command will have their past actions forgiven entirely, those who help suppress the rebels will be granted rank and title."

No small number of generals who had originally hesitated turned their blades around at once, striking against their former "friends."

Within two months, the rebellion throughout the Zhou Kingdom had been largely quelled, with whatever remained posing no real threat.

It could only be said that Great Zhou's fortune had not yet run its course.

The previous emperor had, indeed, left Xiao Mo no small number of loyal officials and contingencies and it helped, too, that the previous emperor had been a fine ruler, with most of the common people still holding fond memories of the House of Zhou, their hearts inclined toward the imperial house.

Otherwise, Xiao Mo felt certain that everything afterward would not have gone so smoothly and it was precisely once Xiao Mo took personal charge of court affairs that he issued decree after decree.

Their core aim was to reduce taxation, survey and measure farmland, verify household registrations, and intensify the punishment of corruption.

Beyond this, Xiao Mo also planned to nationalize all land throughout Great Zhou.

Houses could still be bought and sold, and various buildings could be constructed upon them but everyone would hold only long-term leasehold rights, never actual ownership of the land itself!

And ordinary farmland belonging to the common people could not be bought or sold at all, only "leased."

Only, this lease fee would simply be the annual tax, and the common people would need pay no additional taxes beyond it but this touched upon the interests of far too many officials, aristocratic clans, and local gentry, its impact far greater than even the execution of Yan Shan'ao and so such a matter could not be accomplished all at once, but only gradually, over time.

At present, Xiao Mo was discussing the matter with the Chancellor and the two ministers of the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Works.

The current Chancellor still bore the surname Yan.

Only, it was Yan Zhen.

When Xiao Mo had chosen Yan Zhen as Chancellor, he had faced no small opposition from the court officials.

Mainly because Yan Zhen's daughter, Yan Ruxue, had entered the palace as a consort, and moreover, was said to be extraordinarily favored. They worried that another Yan Shan'ao might eventually emerge.

But Xiao Mo did not share this concern.

These officials simply did not understand the true circumstances.

Could he himself possibly not know?

Yan Ruxue's cultivation level was unfathomably deep, and had she truly wanted this small Zhou Kingdom for herself, it would have been effortless, requiring none of these roundabout schemes.

And besides, Yan Zhen was not Yan Shan'ao.

Otherwise, when Yan Shan'ao had once offered Yan Zhen the position of Minister of Personnel, Yan Zhen would surely have accepted long ago, rather than maintaining a clear line of separation from Yan Shan'ao throughout and once Yan Zhen became Chancellor, he, too, promoted candidates based purely on talent.

He did not suppress his political rivals, nor did he avoid appointing capable members of the Yan clan out of excessive caution regarding perception.

He paid no attention to background or seniority.

So long as someone possessed genuine ability and drive, and the position suited them, they were appointed!

Once Yan Zhen became Chancellor, he found himself busy every single day, hardly able to sit still.

Xiao Mo had heard from Yan Ruxue that her father often worked through the entire night on state affairs, running ceaselessly between the six ministries yet he never seemed to tire, as though possessing endless reserves of energy.

He seemed, in fact, even more vigorous than during his years of idling away his time before.

Hearing this, Xiao Mo could only smile, feeling that his father-in-law, at just past forty, was in precisely the prime of his working years.

In sum, under Xiao Mo's example of thrift and diligent governance.

Those above set the example, and those below followed suit.

For a time, the extravagant excesses that had once pervaded the court gradually transformed, the entire atmosphere refreshed anew.

The whole of the Zhou Kingdom even took on the air of "good governance and harmony among the people, a clear and enlightened age," a sign of true flourishing!

As for the news that the Lord of the Four Seas intended to visit the Zhou Kingdom, Xiao Mo did not conceal it, instead discussing it openly with his officials during morning court.

Upon hearing this news, the officials at court found themselves, for a moment, wondering whether they had misheard.

The Four Seas coming to visit the Zhou Kingdom?

Why on earth would that be?

They simply could not fathom it but looking at that letter, they knew it was true.

The Ministry of Rites, for its part, had already begun urgently drafting protocols for receiving such visitors.

After all, this was the Four Seas, a single stray wave from which could wipe the Zhou Kingdom from existence entirely.

Though no one knew exactly what purpose lay behind this diplomatic mission, one thing was certain, they absolutely could not afford to offend the other party.

Before long, this news had spread throughout the entire Zhou Kingdom.

To most common people, the term "Four Seas" felt entirely unfamiliar, they had never even heard of it before.

Some of the Zhou Kingdom's common folk even found the name "Four Seas" rather strange, not realizing that it referred, in fact, to the entirety of the world's oceanic realm.

At last, the Zhou Kingdom's Ministry of Rites, together with the Four Seas envoys who had arrived ahead of the main delegation, settled upon an auspicious date.

The Four Seas envoy procession, already underway, would slow its pace, arriving in the Zhou Kingdom after the conclusion of the spring civil service examination.

The reason for scheduling it after the examination was twofold.

First, the spring examination held great importance for any dynasty, and its date could not easily be changed. The Ministry of Rites could not manage both the examination and the reception of the Four Seas envoys simultaneously.

Second, this particular spring examination was the very first held under Xiao Mo's personal governance, carrying no small significance and the Zhou Kingdom's scholars participating in this examination were, every one of them, brimming with vigor and ambition.

After all, with so many officials at court having recently fallen from power, the Zhou Kingdom now stood in dire need of capable talent and so, to most scholars' minds, if they performed well this time, they stood a strong chance of being appointed to important positions!

Not to mention that, in the mere two months since His Majesty had taken personal charge of governance, he had already shown, at every turn, the bearing of a truly sagely ruler.

What ambitious scholar would not wish to serve such a sagely sovereign, leaving his own name etched in the annals of history?

Before long, the day of the examination arrived.

Within an ordinary, even somewhat run-down courtyard in the capital.

A man named Jin Yuan rose early that morning.

The moment Jin Yuan stepped out of his room, he found his wife, Ji Yue, had already prepared breakfast.

"You're up, husband. Come, eat breakfast."

Ji Yue ladled a bowl of hot porridge for her husband, smiling gently.

"All right."

Jin Yuan stepped forward, drinking the hot porridge his wife had prepared.

"You've truly worked hard these past years, wife." Looking at his wife, a flicker of self-reproach and guilt passed through Jin Yuan's eyes.

His own wife had been born into a fine, distinguished family, and after eloping with him, had rarely known a single day of comfort since.

His wife had even sold off every last piece of the jewelry she had brought with her, simply to fund his continued studies.

Those delicate hands, which had never once performed household chores before, now worked at housework and needlework every single day to help support the family, their skin grown somewhat rough by now.

After finishing breakfast, Ji Yue cleared away the dishes, then accompanied her husband out of the house.

The two of them walked together along the capital's Green Dragon Street, heading toward the examination hall.

Along the single main street leading to the examination hall, the small vendors and stalls had already been cleared away.

Soldiers of the imperial guard stood along both sides of the street, maintaining order.

"Wife, I'm off, then."

Standing before the gate of the examination hall, Jin Yuan said to his wife.

"Mm."

Ji Yue straightened her husband's collar, smiling.

"Since arriving in the capital, I heard a legend, that many, many years ago, in the Qi Kingdom, that renowned and illustrious Minister once sat for the provincial examination right here, at this very spot, and his wife, too, stood outside this examination hall, seeing her beloved off to the examination."

"Today, I follow in that lady's footsteps, seeing you off here as well, husband."

"How could I possibly compare to that famous Minister." Jin Yuan shook his head with a smile. "But wife, these past years have truly been hard on you. Rest assured, from this day forward, I will never let you suffer again."

"Being with you, husband, has never been suffering to me at all." Ji Yue smiled gently, her eyes full of tenderness. "Go on in now, husband, don't miss your appointed time. I'll be waiting for you to come out."

"All right."

Jin Yuan released his wife's delicate hand, turning to walk toward the examination hall.

After passing inspection, Jin Yuan arrived at his assigned examination cell.

The Zhou Kingdom's spring examination required a full three days to complete.

Throughout these three days, every need, eating, drinking, and otherwise, had to be attended to within this small, confined room.

Once every candidate had settled in, soldiers distributed the examination papers one by one.

When the appointed time arrived, at the sound of the bell, all candidates were permitted to unseal their papers.

"Begin writing!"

As the Vice Minister of Rites' voice, amplified by a magical artifact, carried throughout the entire examination hall, countless "carp hoping to become dragons" took up their brushes at once.

…

At the border city of the Zhou Kingdom's territory.

A man dressed in the blue robes of a Confucian scholar, yet carrying a long sword in hand, crossed through the city gates, stepping onto Zhou Kingdom soil.

Following behind him was a delicate, refined-looking woman, dressed in an elegant, unadorned long gown, resembling a young lady of a distinguished family.

Wang Yue raised her head, looking left and right.

Though she had already encountered no small number of human kingdoms since arriving in the Ten Thousand Laws Realm yet the moment Wang Yue recalled that this was the very territory ruled by that reincarnated sage, she felt that everything here, the common people, every brick and tile, every blade of grass and tree, felt entirely different somehow.

"Waiter, bring us four of your finest local dishes. And a pot of tea, and a pot of wine, to start."

The man sat with his wife in the inn, speaking to the waiter.

"Right away, sir!"

The waiter answered, hurrying off.

Before long, the tea and wine were brought out.

"Did you hear? Yan Shan'ao is dead!"

"Yan Shan'ao? Which Yan Shan'ao?"

"Come on, which Yan Shan'ao else could it be? The former Chancellor of our Zhou dynasty!"

"Dead?"

"That's right! Dead! His Majesty killed him with his own hands!"

"I heard that too. Yan Shan'ao and his entire faction have been wiped out. His Majesty now holds full power personally."

"I also heard that our current emperor is a truly wise ruler. My brother-in-law, who works in the city, says that next month, all the excessive taxes and levies are going to be abolished entirely!"

"Really?"

"That's wonderful!"

As the man sipped his wine, the other patrons in the tavern chattered back and forth, most of them discussing the news currently spreading from the capital.

He, too, listened attentively but before long, an elderly scholar approached the man's table.

This elderly scholar showed no particular courtesy, simply seating himself beside the man, picking up the wine jug on the table, and pouring himself a bowl.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, the wine at this small border kingdom's tavern is surprisingly strong, isn't it?" the elderly scholar remarked, pouring himself another cup.

Wang Yue glanced at the elderly gentleman, her eyes filled with surprise, and hurried to her feet, bowing to him, “Wang Yue pays her respects to Elder Shang..."

"Miss Wang, there's no need for such formality. Please, sit, sit." Shang Qi smiled, waving for Wang Yue to sit back down, then turned to look at the man. "So, Luo Yang, you rascal, when did you get back?"

Looking at this former Dean of White Deer Academy, Shang Jiuli's father, Luo Yang could not help but smile, “Not long ago. Took quite a roundabout journey before I finally made it to the Zhou Kingdom."

"Here to see that fellow Xiao Mo?" Shang Qi asked.

"Mm." Luo Yang nodded. "My junior brother got married. As his senior brother, I owed him a wedding gift, though I'm arriving rather late with it."

"And you, Dean?" Luo Yang asked. "I heard you became the Vice Dean of the Confucian Academy. Have you come to see junior brother as well?"

"Indeed. The Dean of the Confucian Academy wishes to bring Xiao Mo back to the Academy, and I, being shameless enough, was the one the Dean sent." As he spoke, Shang Qi let out a heavy sigh. "Regardless of everything else, we of the Confucian Academy owe him an explanation."

"An explanation?"

Luo Yang raised his head, looking directly into Shang Qi's eyes.

"But does the Confucian Academy, let alone the entire Ten Thousand Laws Realm, even have the standing to offer junior brother any explanation at all?"