Chapter 43: Chapter Forty-Three: The Six Directions Share One Wind, the Nine Provinces Are One Thread

Taiji Hall.

The qin’s melody was soft and lingering.

The Empress lifted a strand of hair from her forehead, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on Dou Changsheng.

After a long silence, she slowly spoke: “The Great Jin possesses all under heaven.”

“For a moment, I cannot find anything most suitable for you.”

“What is your opinion, Prince of Yan?”

Yu Yun drained the wine in his cup in one gulp, set the cup down, and spoke calmly: “Your Majesty already knows the answer.”

“I dare not speak presumptuously.”

“But if Your Majesty insists I speak plainly—”

“I cannot remain silent.”

“Our Great Jin has stood for centuries, striking north against the Hu Ren, defeating the Chen Dynasty to the south, its strength immense, the foremost of the four states, the greatest nation under heaven.”

“But in recent years, Liang has known peace, its martial spirit decayed—it has reached a point where change is unavoidable.”

“It is time for Liang to feel the cold northern wind.”

“Let Dou Changsheng lead, and bring northerners into Liang’s bureaucracy.”

The Empress cut him off before he finished: “Your general’s idea is good, but too naive.”

“Liang has always resented the north; a sudden grand move will only stir resentment, and must be handled slowly—like boiling a frog in warm water.”

Yu Yun sighed: “The steppe’s Wolf Lord is a once-in-a-generation genius.”

“His troops are elite, his grain stores full, his wings fully grown.”

“He commands hundreds of thousands of iron cavalry, aided by the Polar Great Sage and the Grand Shaman of the Shaman Sect—two warriors ranked among the top ten on the Earth List.”

“He will surely launch a southern campaign.”

“The Great Jin has little time left—we must use strong medicine now.”

“If we cannot unite all forces, the Great Jin will surely fall.”

Yu Yun paused, then continued: “I have crossed the northern passes six times, penetrating deep into the steppe, seeking to kill the Wolf Lord before his wings were full.”

“But he always avoided me, until he swept through the northern tribes, personally journeyed to the Polar Regions, invited the Great Sage into his court—and only then did he dare lead his troops south, and only then did we meet face to face.”

“At that moment, I knew I was no match for him.”

“This Wolf Lord is fierce and cruel, but what is most rare is his patience.”

“He will never strike without absolute certainty.”

“Every major battle comes only after the enemy shows fatigue, reveals a weakness—then he strikes with full force and breaks them in one blow.”

“When the Wolf Lord raises his army, it will be because he believes he can crush the Great Jin and seize Shenzhou.”

“I tolerate Your Majesty because the Wolf Lord’s threat does not merely endanger the north or the Great Jin—it endangers all of Shenzhou.”

“The Great Jin alone cannot stand against him. I must travel to Xi Qin and Dong Qi, uniting the strength of three nations to crush the Hu Ren, shatter the steppe’s momentum, and reduce them to scattered dust, no longer a threat.”

The qin’s melody abruptly ceased. Chen Qingyao, who had been silent, looked at Yu Yun and shook his head: “The logic is sound.”

“Xi Qin and Dong Qi are not lacking in wise strategists—they see it clearly too.”

“But General Yu’s mission will be in vain.”

“Until the blade falls on their own heads, they will not feel the pain.”

“The Great Jin borders the Hu Ren directly; when they march south, we are the first to bear the blow.”

“Xi Qin and Dong Qi, seeing this, will not aid us because we are all Huaxia—they will rejoice in our misfortune, even exploit our weakness.”

“The deposed Emperor’s mind is too full of schemes; seeing the Great Jin’s collapse looming, he still seeks to consolidate power and incite conflict between generals and ministers.”

“To survive this calamity, we must stand together in the same boat.”

“Seeking aid from outsiders is too difficult—but purging corrupt officials, reforming the bureaucracy, repairing the passes, and training new armies—we can do these.”

Chen Qingyao’s gaze slowly shifted, finally settling on Dou Changsheng, and he spoke slowly: “You have achieved a monumental feat, saving the Great Jin, rescuing the four regions, over fifty prefectures, and hundreds of millions of commoners.”

“You deserve great reward.”

“The Three Origins united can contend with heaven.”

“To transcend the ordinary and enter the Earth List, your main scripture, the Three Origins Return to Qi Scripture, requires cultivation of two origins.”

“I possess a calligraphy scroll by the Old Man of Three Mountains.”

“The Old Man of Three Mountains is a master on the Heaven List; even a single character holds his essence, spirit, and vitality. Daily study can strengthen your essence, qi, and spirit, and one day will nurture divine intent, allowing you to reach the Master realm.”

“This is a supreme treasure, a favorite of the late Emperor, entrusted to me in his final moments.”

“Now I bestow it upon you.”

“On it, I have inscribed my own insights and commentary, crafting a supreme technique—written on the reverse side.”

Chen Qingyao clapped his hands. A maid, eyes downcast, head bowed, stepped forward with tiny, careful steps, holding the treasure in both hands, and arrived beside Chen Qingyao, who solemnly grasped it with both hands.

He slowly unfurled it before Dou Changsheng.

A scroll, bearing only two characters.

Loyalty to the Monarch.

The characters were bold, vigorous, and fluid.

Dou Changsheng knew little of calligraphy and could not judge its skill, but the moment he saw the first character, his heart sank halfway.

This was a trap.

The Three Origins Return to Qi Scripture cultivates three paths: Love, Loyalty, Courage.

A character of Courage would suit me perfectly; Love I could accept—but it is Loyalty.

The intent is obvious.

Dou Changsheng fell silent, wanting to say: Can I swap it?

But he knew he could not.

Dou Changsheng extended both hands, solemnly received it, bowed, and withdrew.

This place could not be stayed in.

A max-level expert bullying a kindergarten child—who could endure this?

Chen Qingyao watched Dou Changsheng depart, his figure vanishing, then waved his hand to dismiss the maid, and turned to Yu Yun and the Empress: “Whether it is Dou Changsheng or Wang Tianhe—”

“They both lack this character.”

“Yet it is unavoidable for the Three Origins Return to Qi Scripture.”

“They will inevitably study this scroll in the future.”

“The Wang clan of Xiangzhou has stood for a thousand years, unmoved—not because they are flawless, but precisely because they have grave flaws: they are not feared by those in power, but easily controlled by them, so every dynasty has tolerated them.”

“As long as they do not rebel, it is not a grave crime.”

This was an open strategy—flawless.

Unless Wang Tianhe has no desire to advance further—but that is impossible; his rank as ninth on the Earth List proves his talent and insight, granting him the capacity to advance further—why would he stop?

“One scroll: the Great King cannot resist it, the Lesser King cannot escape it, and Dou Changsheng certainly cannot flee.”

“The Breaker-of-Enemies Captain shall be promoted and enfeoffed.”

“The affairs of the north still require the General’s personal presence to hold the line.”

“Quell the unrest swiftly, integrate northern forces, prevent Hu Ren from marching south, and guard against Xi Qin and Dong Qi exploiting the chaos of Your Majesty’s ascension.”

“Though the deposed Emperor’s fall caused little turmoil, it still stirred a great uproar, severely damaging the Great Jin’s dignity and prestige.”

“Of two evils, we chose the lesser—we had no choice.”

Yu Yun rose instantly and strode toward the exit, his discontentful voice trailing behind: “The deed is done—why pretend here?”

“And the Prince of Beiyang must not die.”

“He is the late Emperor’s only bloodline.”

“We cannot let the late Emperor’s lineage end, leaving no one to offer sacrifices each year.”

The Empress spoke sternly: “The Prince of Beiyang’s title shall be hereditary forever, as long as the Great Jin endures.”

“Moreover—”

“My goal is—”

“The Six Directions share one wind; the Nine Provinces are one thread!”

“When my merit is complete, I am willing to return power to the former Emperor’s line and install the Prince of Beiyang’s heir as Emperor!”

“I swear publicly: if I break this vow, all under heaven shall rise against me!”

“I hope the General lends me his strength!”

“To complete the great unification.”