Chapter 369: Finish Him

Xu Zhiyuan's gaze was firm, as if looking toward the distance, as if seeing the future through the passage of time.

This gave those who followed him a sense of conviction; this feeling was just like the legendary "Han Dynasty succubus."

"We will not be oxen or horses, we will not be slaves." One voice rose, and then countless waves of voices surged up.

All distracting thoughts, other concerns, and other ideas—it was not that they were gone, but they had been briefly submerged; until the next time for doubt, just follow the action.

Many people knelt on one knee to pledge their loyalty, and Xu Zhiyuan helped them up: "I do not want to be emperor, and you should not kneel either. We are like-minded friends. Just as the common people do not need a 'Blue Sky' official, the path we are walking is a brand-new path. Whether it can be traversed, whether it can break the three-hundred-year curse of the end of successive dynasties, depends on you and me. I am prepared to remain steadfast; what about you? Do you want to be enfeoffed as kings and ministers, become dragons and phoenixes among men, divide into ranks of three, six, and nine, and then have your descendants say, 'I shall just enjoy my blessings'?"

A group of people dared not look up at him, so he could only sigh: "If you have no ideas, then follow me for now. Whether we can succeed is another matter, let alone the future."

"When the Great Dao is practiced, the world is for all."

The Nanchang Prefect's essay was refuted by an article not long after.

Xu Zhiyuan used exactly this title; one essay spread to the four seas, and the four seas were filled with ambition.

Of course, in the eyes of many who considered themselves clever, this was a joke.

Yet how many benevolent and righteous people, how many generous and tragic figures, kept their ideals, knowing it could not be done yet doing it anyway.

It is like the sun, its fervent power is so near, wanting to draw close, yet it is so far away. The Qian hexagram and the Li hexagram, the gentleman's fellowship—all yearn for the meaning of a bright and brilliant light.

The filth and wretchedness of the past, the dimness and lack of light of days gone by, can all be disregarded, because the future that everyone shares now is bright and brilliant.

To curse the dragon is to curse the dragon; it is not just the dragon being cursed, but also the emperor. I curse you, so what? In this era, this is truly a thunderclap of thought, a matter the common people talk about with relish. Everyone wants to curse the emperor, but they dare not. You lead the charge; you are a true hero.

……

Upon seeing Xu Zhiyuan's magnificent essay, the Nanchang Prefect felt his vision go black. He held the article for a long time and sighed: "He has his Dao, and I also have my Dao. Since I was not born for his Dao, I can only die for my own. If a prosperous age of Qian and Li is truly attained in the future, do not forget to offer sacrifices to me."

Having said this, he cut his own throat at the city gate, and his subordinates opened the city gates to welcome Lord Xu inside.

Thus, the insurgent army took Nanchang Prefecture without a drop of blood, seizing the transportation hub of the entire Jiangnan West Circuit and the center of the province.

Seeing this situation, Xu Jia was also puzzled, but then felt something was wrong, so he followed up with a Thousand Mile Sound Transmission to Father Xu: "I know that your writing, Father, is now vastly different from before, but I have never heard of political power coming from the tip of a pen. Only that which is carved out with real blades and guns is firm. Jiangnan West Circuit is our home and native place, and the hearts of the people are indeed with us, but if blood must be shed, it must be shed."

How could Xu Zhiyuan not know this situation? He said: "I am almost being forced to wear the yellow robe. I have repeated for these past few days that I have no intention of declaring myself emperor, so they say I can take the title of general, or even be called Duke, Marquis, or Count, advancing step by step to the top." "These people are hedging their bets and will defect at any moment, but most can be trusted for a time. One cannot fail to hold power, nor can one fail to give them power. It is fine to give them deputy positions, but never give them the power of personnel promotion."

………

On the other side, in Nanchang Prefecture, there were various great families: the Luo family, the Xiong family, the Wan family, and the Xu family.

Although it was a bit cliché, these were truly the "Four Great Families" in the real sense.

The prominent members of the Four Great Families had all come out, with the Wan family at the head, as the clan of the great surname of Nanchang Prefecture.

At this time, in the Wan family ancestral hall, the lights were bright. There were thirty-six chairs. The Four Great Families, each with nine clan elders, sat in their places with gloomy and solemn expressions. The surrounding area was packed with clansmen, but there were no women or children—only strong, able-bodied men.

A brazier burned brightly, and crackling sparks popped out of the basin.

In the center was a box with a hole in it, just big enough for a person to reach their hand inside to grab something.

"This Xu Zhiyuan is lawless and wants to dig up our roots. The Nanchang Prefect was incompetent; he asked us for so much money, men, and supplies, trained three thousand naval troops and twenty thousand infantry, yet died without a fight. It is simply a huge joke. Now that this Xu Zhiyuan has entered the city, according to custom, he will inevitably hold a grand meeting first, to judge grievances and investigate cases, finding an excuse to equalize our fields and split our ancestral laws. None of us know what our future situation will be."

"Those collateral branches and illegitimate sons are all rubbing their palms, thinking they have gained so much benefit, not realizing how much support and help we have given them in daily life. We gather together and can still get ahead; if we are divided and scattered, that will be the day we never get ahead again. This Equal Field decree is an open conspiracy; there is no solution. If you and I oppose it, it will not take many days before the clan loses its cohesion. If we equalize the fields, the ancestral laws will inevitably collapse."

"I have summoned you all today because you are the direct descendants of the direct line. No matter which branch or house, you are all here today. Draw lots to choose the men to assassinate this scoundrel Xu Zhiyuan. We will provide for your parents, wives, and children. In the genealogy, we will open a separate branch for you; within the clan, we will open a separate house; and from the clan's assets, we will grant five hundred acres of farmland and twenty shops."

When the clan elder said this, everyone's breathing became rapid.

The Xu family elder said: "It is a pity; Xu Zhiyuan is still a member of our Xu clan. Originally of the Heavenly Master's bloodline, yet he is so inflexible that he actually carries out reforms from within his own hometown."

"You are hedging your bets, afraid of offending either side," the Xiong family elder sneered. "There is also that monster who practices cultivation, who has manifested his spirit and holiness several times. Who doesn't know that back then, the family of Heavenly Master Xu ascended to heaven by pulling up their entire household? Only a servant was left behind, who went out to buy rice, was not taken up, changed his surname to Xu, and claimed to be a direct descendant of Heavenly Master Xu."

"Hmph, do not speak of these empty things. If we talk about ancestors, who doesn't have a good background? The previous Great Heng Dynasty had the surname Xiong; our Xiong family is of royal blood, the legacy of the Heavenly Emperor. There is no need to argue. This time, he has dug up our roots. First, cultivation—is cultivation something ordinary families can touch? Our few great families work hard to cultivate a few Human Immortal cultivators. He makes it look so easy. The second is the sacrifices; that Xiao Longwang receives sacrifices and protects us with favorable weather. We control the power of sacrifice, and this is another matter. Now that it is broken, the third matter is these fields and properties, and these tenant farmers and household servants—all of them are to be stripped away."

"He calls it nicely, 'The world is for all,' 'hoping children become adults,' 'slaying all dragons and snakes.' Is this possible? The transformation of dragons and snakes is taken from Zhuangzi; the transformation of dragons and snakes, between the wood and the wild goose—these are all in a single thought. If he eliminates us, he will naturally create a new batch. The Great Ning Dynasty may truly be finished, but he must not be allowed to sit on the throne."

"Take advantage of the fact that he has not yet made his mark, and there is no sign of wind and clouds sweeping across the world, and finish him off."

(End of chapter)