Chapter 804: Ten Thousand Ages, One Principle Hard to Uphold; the Steel Seal of Thought Tramples All

The next day at dawn.

The main gate of the Main Hall of the General Office was pushed open from inside by two Beiwei Dead Guards; the heavy iron‑clad wooden door rolled over the copper rail on the threshold, emitting a deep, muffled hum.

Inside the hall, sixteen copper floor lamps had already been lit early by Hongye, and the light illuminated the black lacquered long table that could seat twenty, revealing every fine detail.

Zhang Wenqian arrived first.

He wore a neatly tailored Deputy Governor's official robe, his back as straight as if measured with a ruler; after taking the first seat at the left end of the long table, he placed his hands together on his knees, his gaze fixed on the steaming tea cup on the table, and said nothing.

Gao Jiong arrived second, standing firmly at the first position on the right end, without taking a seat.

Gu Yuci entered, the crisp clatter of his armor echoing, gave a slight nod to Zhang Wenqian, and sat at the second seat on the left.

When Lu Ming's figure appeared at the doorway, the doorframes on either side seemed shortened; his nearly two‑meter height blocked most of the light above the lintel. His tower‑like body moved to the second seat on the right, and as he sat, the solid wooden chair leg emitted a squeak that made one's teeth itch.

Ye Zhuxi entered last; her dashing figure cast a slender silhouette in the light. She casually leaned her long spear against the weapon rack in the corner, then sat beside Lu Ming.

Six people.

The civil side includes Zhang Wenqian; the martial side includes Gu Yuci, Lu Ming, Ye Zhuxi; the hidden side includes Gao Jiong.

Add the Hongye who always stands in the shadows outside the door.

Chen Yan entered last.

Today he wore a dark‑colored narrow‑sleeved ordinary robe, without a sword or Great Cloak, only the White Jade Pendant hanging from the blue silk belt at his waist swayed slightly with his steps.

He took the principal seat at the head of the table and tapped his finger on the tabletop.

"Everyone is present; let's discuss business."

Zhang Wenqian spoke first.

"State Pillar, the report from Qinggui County via Chu Ci says the White Feather Letter‑instigated refugee unrest has been forcibly suppressed by him with mere words; the panic across six counties and over thirty villages is subsiding."

His voice paused for a beat.

"But subsiding is not the same as disappearing; the rumor seeds have already been sown, and as long as someone waters them again, a new round of uprising can sprout at any time."

Chen Yan leaned back in his chair, his finger tracing a slow arc on the armrest.

"You're right; killing a person is easy, killing what's in the mind is hard."

Gu Yuci added.

"Shuyi in the army also faces a similar situation; among the newly formed Refugee Cavalry, some still keep their loyalty to the State Pillar only in words—shouting allegiance outwardly while their hearts still follow Qi State's old aristocratic hierarchy."

Lu Ming's normally simple face rarely showed a hint of impatience.

"These people have eaten our food yet still think of Qi State's pot; if you ask me, just pull them out and give them a beating, they'll behave."

Ye Zhuxi glanced at him.

"One beating controls a day; when not beaten, they think the same. Can you beat them every day?"

Lu Ming scratched the back of his head and said nothing.

Chen Yan listened to their conversation, the curve of his mouth shifting slightly.

His finger stopped.

"I, the Duke, have summoned you today to resolve this issue."

He pulled out a dozen or so Bamboo Silk Scrolls filled with tiny, fly‑head script from his sleeve, spreading them one by one across the table, covering roughly half its surface.

Zhang Wenqian, sitting closest, glanced down at the scrolls; his pupils contracted rapidly in the light.

Chen Yan's finger tapped the first line on the first scroll.

"Three Principles Five Constants."

His voice was light, yet each word sounded as if hammered into the tabletop one by one.

Zhang Wenqian leaned forward a couple of inches, his eyes fixed on the characters on the scroll.

Chen Yan continued.

"First principle: the ruler is the principle for the minister. In the context of Xiazhou, the State Pillar is the principle for officials; my command is heavenly law, and opposing the State Pillar is rebelling against the Way of Heaven."

Gao Jiong's brow twitched.

"Second principle: the father is the principle for the son. I am the provider for the people of Xiazhou; the people respect me as they would a father, and I nurture them as a parent would a child."

Gu Yuci pressed his finger on his knee.

"Third principle: whatever I give you, you accept as it is. Land allocation is a grace, tax exemption is a grace, granting you a livelihood is an even greater grace; receiving grace obliges you to repay it, and repayment is absolute obedience."

He moved his finger from the first scroll to the second.

"The Five Constants: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness."

He pointed to each of the five characters in turn.

"The benevolent practice the State Pillar's humane governance; the people must not betray benevolence. The righteous receive the State Pillar's land‑allocation righteousness and must repay it with loyalty. The courteous revere the State Pillar as they would the heavens. The wise discern rumors from truth. The trustworthy trust the State Pillar's words as they trust the sun and moon."

Zhang Wenqian's breathing grew shallow and rapid; his fingers on his knee clenched and released repeatedly.

"State Pillar, this set of…"

His voice trembled with a forcefully restrained excitement.

"Shuyi has never seen such a rigorous doctrine of principles in any classic; this is not a law but a root system that makes loyalty grow outward from the very pores of the bone."

Chen Yan did not reply, moving his finger to the third scroll.

"Reason alone is insufficient; it must be paired with a blade."

He scratched a line beside the written characters on the scroll with his fingernail.

"I, the Duke, will compile a new legal commentary, using the Three Principles Five Constants as the skeleton and the current statutes of the Da Zhou Law as the flesh."

He turned his head toward Zhang Wenqian.

"Among them, a new clause will be added, designated as the Ten Evils' Chief."

Zhang Wenqian's body tightened like a stretched string.

"Spreading rumors to confuse the masses, inciting refugees, betraying the State Pillar's grace—regardless of rank, all involved shall be subjected to extreme punishment, their property confiscated, and the Triple Family Joint Liability shall apply."

The moment those words fell, the air in Zheng Hall felt as if someone had splashed a ladle of ice water.

Lu Ming's normally simple, broad face rarely showed a hint of solemnity; he turned his head to glance at Ye Zhuxi, whose gaze fell on the Bamboo Silk Scroll, his lips unmoving.

Zhang Wenqian was silent for three breaths, his voice dropping another half tone.

"Minister, the Triple Family Joint Liability—might it be too heavy?"

Chen Yan lifted his gaze from the Bamboo Silk Scroll and fixed it on Zhang Wenqian's face.

"Old Zhang, you think it's heavy."

Zhang Wenqian's lips moved slightly.

"Shuyi believes that while the joint liability law can indeed deter the petty, if applied improperly it can easily harm innocent neighboring clans and spark a new wave of panic."

Chen Yan leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest twice.

"You make a valid point, but you've omitted an account."

He reached for the already‑cooled tea cup on the table, lifted its lid for a glance, then set it back down.

"The White Feather Letter can spread across more than thirty villages in a single night, not because of one or two people, but because of an entire top‑to‑bottom transmission chain, each link of which is shielded by their families, their clans, their neighbors."

His finger paused on the armrest for a beat.

"If you don't move the three clans, you can only cut the vines exposed above ground; the roots buried underground remain out of reach."

Zhang Wenqian's fingers slowly released from his knee.

"Shuyi understands."

Chen Yan stood, walked to the table covered with Bamboo Silk Scrolls, restacked the dozen‑plus scrolls in order, placed both hands on the tabletop, and surveyed everyone seated.

"These items aren't meant to be written on paper for scholars to read."

His voice lowered another half tone, carrying a weight that made the listener's spine tingle.

"I, the Duke, will have every wall in every village of Xiazhou painted with these characters; every child, from the moment they first speak, must be able to recite them; every Liuren, on the day they receive a Field Deed, must kneel before the Pillar Rank Seat and swear loyalty."

He pushed the stacked Bamboo Silk Scrolls toward Zhang Wenqian.

"Old Zhang, within three days compile this set of regulations into formal statutes, dispatch them to every county, and also select the ten most eloquent among the newly promoted humble‑origin officials to form a Traveling Preaching Squad, sending them to each village to read, explain, and engrave them into every mind."

Zhang Wenqian lifted the Bamboo Silk Scrolls with both hands, his voice trembling in a way he could not fully restrain.

"Minister, if this law succeeds, no one in Xiazhou will dare entertain a second thought within a hundred years."

Chen Yan's mouth corner lifted half a degree.

"A hundred years is not enough."

He turned, strode toward the entrance of Zheng Hall, and paused a step on the threshold.

"What I, the Duke, seek is ten thousand generations of ease."

The wind from outside surged in, causing the lights inside Zheng Hall to flicker in unison.