Chapter 329: with translation of chapter title

Zhao Si

Lin Six

In that case, the Heavenly Court under the transcendent worldview would have no basis for existence……

However, under the mundane worldview, class rule actually gains a certain basis for existence……

Power comes from force; in the transcendent world, power stems from the individual strength of the strong, whereas in the ordinary world, power derives from collective force.

The concrete manifestation of the latter is one group oppressing another, i. e., class oppression……

Thinking this through, Zhao Si couldn't help but wear a strange expression: "It seems Lin Liu could indeed create a new Heavenly Court regime based on class oppression, but then he'd probably die because of it……"

As the saying goes, where there is oppression, there is resistance.

Damn it! Class oppression inevitably leads to class struggle…… Once Lin Liu starts it, his fate is practically sealed! But if he doesn't do it, he can only follow the old path of Xiao Heizi here—either slack off, or be forced by the ministers to step down, and finally be removed.

General's City

Zhao Si had also considered other methods, such as having them work three-day shifts, five-day shifts, and so on—you work a few days, I work a few days……

But upon careful thought, these methods simply won't work, because real-world shift systems are based on wages; wages are a necessity, and without pay workers would starve, so driven by interest, workers can accept rotating shifts.

But on Lin Liu's side, it's a bunch of immortals; he simply cannot offer essential wages, so the officials gain no benefit from working—they only lose time and energy, pure cost-bearing beasts of burden! Would such beasts of burden feel better for working fewer days?

Obviously not; a beast of burden is a beast of burden—one day a beast of burden, a lifetime a beast of burden—the problem remains fundamentally unsolved……

Although it's quite inhumane, for now it seems we can only do this……

Holy Lord Majesty

the Heavenly Court

The specific method is to establish a ruling bloc of true gods with you at its core; then the bloc need not toil as oxen and horses, but only oppress other true gods outside the bloc, making them toil as oxen and horses……

It doesn't matter if individual strength cannot suppress the masses; just unite the people's strength to suppress another faction……

The essence of class lies herein; the rest depends entirely on your insight……

……

【A strategy from "another self" surged into your mind, and you digested it for a moment……】

【You began to stare blankly……】

【You began to hesitate……】

【You began to grit your teeth……】

【Actually, you initially refused, but the more you thought about it, the more profound it seemed, as if a supreme truth of the Great Dao lay hidden within……】

【"Done!"】

【Faced with the Heavenly Emperor's bewildered expression, you grit your teeth fiercely: "Let's form a faction and strike another faction!"】

【The Heavenly Emperor's wisdom needs no further mention; merely hearing your brief description, he subconsciously began to calculate, and the result was…… possible!】

【"Done!"】

【Two ruthless slave‑owners hit it off immediately on the issue of oppressing ox‑and‑horse slaves!】

【……】

【In the first year of the New Calendar, while establishing the new dynasty, you also issued many welfare policies that the Heavenly Court had previously cut or abolished.】

【Such high‑welfare benevolent governance naturally drew nationwide jubilation, with everyone shouting, "The general's kindness is endless!"】

【But no matter how loudly they shouted, it was merely verbal sentiment, whereas the Heavenly Court's officials truly could never repay the general's kindness……】

【Having steeled your resolve, you immediately set to work!】

【In the second year of the New Calendar, you and the eight banner chiefs, including the monkey, reorganized the Eight Banners, removing all commoners from the banners, which caused the banner descendants to wail endlessly: "Since my ancestors followed the Holy Sovereign through the pass, my labor has already been finished… why must I leave the banner?!"】

【Faced with their protests, you turned a deaf ear, waved an iron fist, and those banner descendants who had lived off their ancestors' merit for generations scurried away!】【This move delighted the other commoners, who cheered: "Well done! No loss! I've long despised these parasites!"】

【You merely smiled at this, then incorporated your over eight hundred subordinate true gods into the vacant banners, uniformly placing them under the eight banner chiefs, thus forming a tight and powerful ruling class.】

【Thereafter, you widely recruited civilian cultivators to serve as heavenly officials; those cultivators who coveted registers and incense rejoiced, signing up en masse, and soon you had enlisted thousands of oxen and horses… no, heavenly officials!】

【These ox‑and‑horse heavenly officials didn't even realize they were oxen and horses, and foolishly rejoiced: "Fortunately the Holy Sovereign expanded recruitment this time; otherwise we wouldn't get to eat the imperial grain……"】

【From now on, having eaten the imperial grain, with harvests guaranteed despite drought or flood, their future looks bright!】

【Thus, you and the Eight Banners gained stability and leisure; as long as you wait for the oxen and horses to cultivate into true gods and then manage their labor well, you can live carefree.】

【The cultivator‑officials obtained registers and incense; with future diligent striving, they will surely one day become true gods, and immortality is no dream!】

【And the common folk also obtained the long‑coveted high welfare……】

【Everyone has a bright future……】

……

In the General's City.

Li Ziliang sat at home, hearing the great‑great‑great……grandson excitedly tell him about the new dynasty's refined governance:

……Old fogey, you Heavenly Court really raked it in! Unlike our great new dynasty, which has everything and everything is good!

This time we recruited several thousand heavenly officials all at once; with more manpower, our great new dynasty will surely prosper!

The general's kindness is endless!

Heh! Hearing the youth's excited words, Li Ziliang smirked: 'Still prospering… you brat just wait and see; Lin Liu will surely play himself to death!'

As a former member of the Heavenly Court, Li Ziliang knew the Court's difficulties all too well: doesn't the Heavenly Emperor want to keep handing out welfare?

That's simply because they can't afford it!

After all, welfare is built on the heavenly officials toiling as oxen and horses; the harder they work, the happier the common folk.

Perhaps many are willing, like Li Ziliang, to serve humanity selflessly for 120 years, treating it as charity, an act of love.

But no normal person wants to forever power love; charity has limits, and love can be exhausted.

Likewise, if Lin Liu wants the gods to toil as oxen and horses, their future outcome is practically sealed……

In short: Lin Liu already has a path to his own death!

But...

Li Ziliang hesitated again:

"He recruited several thousand at once, dumping all the work on the newcomers, while his Eight Banners main force of eight hundred seemed to have grown idle..."

This operation somehow feels familiar.

Li Ziliang suddenly recalled when he used to be the Great Shun Taizu Emperor: back then, the high officials and nobles and imperial clans in the court seemed to just take the benefits and do nothing, or if they did manage things, they only managed to keep the subordinates in line, at most doing some idle administrative work.

Actually governing the localities still depends on the mid- and low-level officials elsewhere—they're the oxen and horses doing the legwork; the superiors just move their lips while the underlings run their legs ragged....

"Could it be..."

"After all, having once been an emperor, Li Ziliang gradually began to grasp the implication, and the disdain on his face gradually turned into astonishment: if he continues like this, as long as he keeps his main force in a position of relative advantage and then improves the upward channels, letting the underlings truly join the exploitative group."

Thus completing a positive cycle... it might not be impossible to maintain rule long-term....

Surely it can't really work, can it?

Li Ziliang was feeling a bit unsure....

(End of chapter)