Chapter 530

In Jiangnan, within the Tiance Prefecture.

Noisy voices rang out; many were arguing over something, each holding firm to their own view and refusing to yield, all deliberating E Dingye's posthumous title—normally the responsibility of the Chi Emperor's lineage—but now, Qu Hanxiu, the Grand Confucian of the Central Plain's Ministry of Rites, had remained stranded in Jiangnan.

E Dingye had also been attacked by Qin Wang.

Thus, the task of assigning E Dingye's posthumous title fell to the Tiance Prefecture officials.

Regarding this matter of moderate importance, the Tiance Prefecture officials each held divergent opinions.

Some argued for the title 【Yang】, saying: "Abandons rites, alienates the masses."

Others suggested 【Li】, meaning: "Slaughtered the innocent."

Still others insisted it should be 【Kang】, meaning: "Defied Heaven, abused the people."

The debate raged on, for each believed their chosen title carried the greatest weight, and the others' choices were unworthy.

What kind of posthumous title is that?!

Mine is the only one worthy.

Just as the argument reached its peak, Master Yan Daiqing suddenly said: "Master Wen Qingyu, what do you think?"

The room fell silent; all eyes turned instinctively to the corner chair, where Master Wen Qingyu—returned from the frontlines to recuperate—sat lazily cradling a cup of flower tea, nibbling on a small pastry to accompany it. When Master Yan Daiqing asked him, Master Wen Qingyu paused to think.

He slowly placed a pastry into his mouth.

Chewed. Chewed.

With a gentle expression, he remarked casually:

"Then let it be 【Zhou】."

The Tiance Prefecture ministers, who had been fiercely arguing moments before, fell silent.

"Cruel to righteousness, harmful to virtue: Zhou."

All the world's evils are gathered in it.

Regardless of historical truth, this title had become an indelible mark—the singular, legendary epitome of loathing, a concentration of the most reviled qualities even among the worst posthumous titles.

The ministers fell silent, exchanged glances, and twitched their lips: "This… E Dingye committed many crimes, but in his later years he also displayed great valor; he hardly merits the title 【Zhou】."

"Oh."

Master Wen Qingyu said: "Then what about 【Jie】?"

The room grew even quieter.

The Tiance Prefecture literati had strained every effort to unearth the most vile posthumous titles from history—but these learned scholars, steeped in classics, could not match even a casual suggestion from Master Wen Qingyu.

Indeed, effort cannot rival talent.

Forget it. We shouldn't ask Master Wen Qingyu anymore.

"You rest now."

"Oh, alright."

"Call me if anything comes up."

The group tacitly excluded the one among Tiance Prefecture's many scholars who appeared most gentle, most sincere, and most harmless.

Later, E Dingye personally led troops to resist the Ying Kingdom, sacrificing himself as bait to create the perfect opportunity for the Central Plains to crush the steppe Turks; when departing Ducheng, he neither looted nor burned cities, and even took with him the three-hundred-year-old aristocratic clans.

Judging by his deeds in these later years, he might even deserve a decent posthumous title.

His actions simply did not warrant either of those two titles.

Just as the younger scholars of the Tiance Prefecture remained deadlocked, a knock came at the door—calm, unhurried. All turned to look; Master Yan Daiqing went to open it.

He saw an old man and was startled.

"Master Qu?"

Qu Hanxiu straightened his posture, strode in, and stroked his beard: "Youngsters, are you troubled by this posthumous title? Why didn't you come ask me?"

The Tiance Prefecture officials were not the type to look down on this old scholar; they knew him the foremost Confucian of the age, so they exchanged glances, rose, and invited him to sit and be served tea.

Even the flower tea and pastries Master Wen Qingyu had specially chosen were taken without ceremony by Master Yan Daiqing.

They were given instead to Qu Hanxiu.

Master Wen Qingyu sat in his chair, chin propped on one hand, smiling pleasantly.

So amiable.

Wei Xuancheng remained silent for a long while, stepped back half a pace without a sound.

Qu Hanxiu took a bite of pastry, looked at the young men, and said: "I know you're unsure how to judge E Dingye. Ordinary emperors are generally labeled as foolish, enlightened, tyrannical, or mediocre."

"But E Dingye—youthful and martial, middle-aged and foolish, yet in his final decade became wise and decisive, radiating heroic valor, the closest to Chen Wu Di's spirit in three hundred years—his posthumous title is difficult to choose."

"I heard from Master Yan Chen that he chose for himself the title 【Li】."

Master Yan Daiqing's expression paused slightly.

Learning his father was unharmed had truly eased Master Yan Daiqing's heart.

To what extent? Even Master Wen Qingyu's repeated jests had left him in high spirits, not bothering to retaliate with fists—he had never been so untroubled before.

Yan Chen was now at the front, assisting Qin Wang in recovering other scholars.

Master Yan Daiqing said: "Then let it be—Chen Li Huang?"

Qu Hanxiu stroked his beard: "'Slaughtered the innocent' is 【Li】. His early reign was indeed foolish—fitting. But later he revealed heroic spirit. Thus, for such a man, a two-character posthumous title is needed."

"One character cannot capture his entire life."

Qu Hanxiu wrote several characters: "'Upholds righteousness, conceals faults' is 【Jian】; 'Compensates for past errors' is 【Gang】; 'Death with resolve fulfilled' is 【Ling】; 'Compensates for past errors' is 【Mi】. Combined with 【Li】, these can reveal his early folly and later heroism."

Fang Ziqiao pondered briefly: "Fair enough."

"But which character fits best?"

"Jian Li Di? Gang Li Di? Ling Li Di?"

"Each seems good, yet each feels just slightly lacking in resonance…"

Qu Hanxiu stroked his beard, just about to open his mouth and make his choice, when he heard a soft sound — fingers tapping on a table — and that sound arrived at just the right moment, drawing everyone's attention over.

The gentle Mr. Wen Qingyu smiled and said: "The character Ding — what do you think?"

"'Ding' means to rectify past faults, and it also fits his name and title perfectly; on the contrary, it is like a plain posthumous name."

Qu Hanxiu was dumbfounded.

Hmm???

This character, this character — how could it seem more fitting than the one he himself had chosen?

Wait a moment — this youngster, has he done serious study of the rites and laws?

Qu Hanxiu's eyes were full of suspicion and strangeness.

But he cultivates the rites and laws, and also studies the art of vertical and horizontal alliances, and even understands the great trends of military strategy — learning all these disparate things, but what on earth is this youngster after?

Studying the rites and laws, yet not entering the Ministry of Rites — what can he do with it?

The common point among these three…

Damn it, these three schools simply have no common point at all.

The Military school, the Vertical and Horizontal school, the Confucian Rites school.

What could they possibly have in common?

Use weapons to protect himself, use his mouth to protect himself, use the rites and laws of the world to protect himself? Don't be ridiculous… how could there be anyone who studies so much, just so that he can protect himself comprehensively — through the great trends, through factions, through public opinion?

Hmm? Wait…

What if there really is such a person?

A thought leapt into Qu Hanxiu's mind.

This great Confucian scholar of some eighty years looked at the gentle, harmless scholar over there, and the expression on his face froze little by little.

The Military school's grasp of great trends lets him adapt to chaotic times and see where safety lies; the art of vertical and horizontal alliances lets him gallop back and forth among the various powers; the rites and laws let him find gaps between etiquette and statutes, living with ease and room to spare, able to do anything while still conforming to the rites and laws, preserving himself…

On top of that, there is also Wu Gong of the Triple Heaven tier, a set of practical swordsmanship, an ultra-complex seventy-two-category Ma Fei San, a resistance to Ma Fei San comparable to a Fire Qilin's, a terrifying capacity for alcohol sufficient to single-handedly topple an entire combination of famous generals of Tiance Prefecture, lightness skill comparable to a galloping horse, and a full set of close-fitting soft armor.

Originally, Qu Hanxiu, this great Confucian scholar of more than eighty years, had also come through wind and rain, carved out his own path under heaven; during the reign of the Scarlet Emperor, he had seen every kind of chaotic officialdom there was — what manner of person had he not yet met?

Damn it, this particular type, he truly never had.

What manner of strange and wonderful great talents of the world does the Qin Wang have under his banner?

A distinguished great Confucian scholar and renowned gentleman of the Central Province looked at Wen Qingyu as though he had seen a ghost.

He could not figure it out no matter how he thought.

A peerless great talent of the world — how could he be so single-mindedly drilling himself into the art of self-preservation, utterly unable to drill his way out?

Qu Hanxiu watched as that gentle, harmless Mr. tapped the table.

Wen Qingyu said nothing.

So Yan Daiqing raised his brows, and once again carried away the tea and refreshments from Qu Hanxiu's table.

And set them back down on Wen Qingyu's table.

Mr. Wen Qingyu was quite pleased.

Qu Hanxiu: "…………"

He seemed to have seen through Mr. Wen Qingyu's disposition; to show that he understood something, just as he had done with Nan Hanwen, after today's matter he privately sought out Wen Qingyu, unhurriedly laid it bare, saying, "Your good friend Yan Daiqing is your soft spot and weakness."

Just as he had previously laid bare the matter with Nan Hanwen, saying that the Qin Wang was not in Jiangnan.

Enough to seize the initiative and intimidate the other party.

Only, unlike the reaction of Nan Hanwen, a fine talent of a region spanning a thousand li.

Mr. Wen Qingyu merely showed surprise, smiled, and shook his head.

He gave no answer, and departed at his ease.

Qu Hanxiu was puzzled, and expressed incomprehension at Mr. Wen Qingyu's reaction.

Could it be that this was a denial?

That Yan Daiqing, this closest of friends, was not his weakness and soft spot?

Or was there perhaps some other reason behind it?

Some day later, old Master Qu Hanxiu, on one of his walks outside, was put into a Ma Fei San-drugged sack and beaten, yet did not know who had done it.

While Qu Hanxiu was applying medicine to his bruised and swollen face, he suddenly understood.

A soft spot is a soft spot; a weakness is a weakness.

So long as one puts the opponent who would strike at the soft spot and weakness into a sack and doses him with Ma Fei San before he can act, then the weakness is no longer a weakness, and the soft spot is no longer a soft spot.

Clean and decisive, efficient and brutal.

No talk of rites and laws — talk of swordsmanship.

This is the way of the Western Regions hemp-bandit gangs.

A renowned gentleman, a great Confucian, a strategist, a swordsman, a wandering knight-errant, a hemp-bandit, a scholar, the self-styled lowest-ranking clerk of Tiance Prefecture — identity upon identity, yet all one man.

Qu Hanxiu was dumbfounded for a long while; in the end, this old man who had been bound all his life by the rites and laws of old seemed to have seen a true fine talent and beautiful jade, a splendor he had never before beheld, and so, in utmost delight, he burst into loud laughter:

"Act as one wishes yet not overstep the bounds? Act as one wishes yet not overstep the bounds!"

"Hahahaha, what a wild youth!"

"As for his talent, that remains to be seen; but if one speaks of the most carefree and unrestrained within Tiance Prefecture, it is none other than Wen He, Wen Qingyu."

"Hiss… apply the medicine, take stock."

"It hurts!"

"This youngster doesn't know the proper measure of his own strength."

"The young strategists of Jiangnan truly have no manners at all."

"Hmm? Does this mean that the upright Yan Daiqing, his closest friend, truly counts as his weakness? This youngster — otherwise, shall this old man give him a little nudge?"

Qu Hanxiu rubbed his hands together thoughtfully.

One day, he was again stuffed into a sack and beaten.

He lay in bed for three days.

After that, he never spoke of it again.

This matter was also recorded in the *Biographies of Notable Persons*, compiled by Sa Atandi in her old age. After much thought, she placed it—with a touch of jest and teasing—in the sixth chapter, "On Magnanimity."

And at this moment, the many notable figures of Tiance Prefecture, after a round of discussion, had finally settled on the posthumous title for Chen Dingye. The Juan Sect drafted it, and in the end, in the name of the Chen Emperor, it read: Last Ruler of Chen, Emperor Dingli of Chen.

After the Juan Sect finished drafting it, it was presented to the Qin Wang, who was on the front lines within Chen territory, pacifying the common folk. The Qin Wang read it, his expression calm and serene, and merely asked the one who had brought the Juan Sect: "The Red Emperor still lives—how can Chen presume to call itself emperor?"

"Both Chen and Ying should be kingdoms."

Thus the title was demoted to Chen Dingli Wang.

Later, on another day, when the Chen Emperor's posthumous title came up again, the Qin Wang was silent for a long while. He took up his sword, slashed it horizontally across the Juan Sect of the posthumous title, and said coolly: "Chen Dingye committed all manner of atrocities for the sake of an emperor's throne and a name after death."

"He brought harm to my parents, imprisoned Marshal Yue, and drove out the Divine Martial Wang."

"A parent's death must be avenged. Though he is dead and buried as a monarch in the imperial tomb, I cannot bring myself to desecrate his corpse, but neither do I intend to let him have his wish. The affairs of the world were never meant to follow his heart."

The Qin Wang gripped that imperial sword, his expression indifferent and imperious.

"Life and death are matters of great weight; reputation is weighty as well."

"But—"

"His life, his death, his name after death—I shall sever them all with a single sword."

The many notable figures' expressions tightened slightly as they watched the Qin Wang's back, more composed than in his younger years, and heard him say coolly:

"... If later generations say I am not magnanimous enough, so be it. Chen Dingye committed too many evils in pursuit of his own name and righteousness. The path of benevolence and righteousness is called 'king'—this character, for the first half of his life, he did not deserve."

"But he took up his sword to guard the border, broke the Turkic grasslands, and his merit was especially great."

"His ambition reached the masses—he may be called 'Gong' (Lord)."

The Qin Wang took up his sword and severed away the throne that Chen Dingye had pursued through any means in the first half of his life.

His life ended in death; his name after death was stripped away.

The world called Chen Dingye "the Last Ruler," Dingli Gong.

【In the beginning, the sovereign considered himself a prince of the fief, and knew he should not be the one to ascend. So he constantly feigned virtue and polished his conduct to fish for empty renown, while harboring schemes to seize the succession. The ministers who held power, he won their hearts and befriended them. When imperial envoys came to his residence, regardless of rank, he bent to their every expression and lavished them with generous gifts. The maids and servants who came and went, none failed to praise his benevolence and filial piety.】

【After ascending the throne, his lands surpassed the Three Dynasties, his might shook the eight corners of the world; the Chanyu kowtowed, and Yuishang sent tribute through repeated translation. The waters of the Chize spring overflowed within the capital; the red, rotting grain piled up beyond the frontier. Trusting in his wealth and strength, he gave rein to insatiable desire.】

【………………None would consider the coming chaos, fluttering the wings of a mayfly, exhausting themselves in the long night's pleasures. The earth crumbled, the fish rotted—evil ran its full course.】

【Under all of heaven, none were not his enemies; those at his side were all warring states.】

In the end, he came to regret and understand. He led his army in person, took up arms to repel the enemy state, fought against Ying, and shattered the Turkic horde. His demeanor was calm and composed, no less than the spirit of the Divine Martial Wang. And so, with the dignity of ten thousand chariots, he died by the blade—his body perished, his state destroyed.

—————— *History of Chen · Annals of Duke Dingli*

Year Tianqi 18 · Spring, Fourth Month.

The many generals of the Fire Qilin army had long since returned with the Qin Wang to the Jiangzhou area. After personally reviewing the assessments of Chen Dingye's posthumous title from the various Mr. s in the rear, the Qin Wang consented to the title "Dingli."

In his leisure, he also personally went to review the case files of crimes. The many palace maids and eunuchs within the imperial palace were each examined one by one and then assigned accordingly. Only on this visit did the Qin Wang see the many great eunuchs and great palace maids bound up.

Upon inquiry, General Fan Qing answered in a low voice: "Your Majesty, these palace maids and eunuchs appear to have no problems on the surface, but the gold, silver, and property registered under their personal names far exceed the norm. This humble general has already examined them carefully, cross-checking through interrogation."

"They are all responsible for bringing common folk in from outside to serve as palace maids and eunuchs. In principle, the number of palace maids and eunuchs in the palace stays at a baseline—there is no need for too many."

"Yet every year they bring in a sufficient number."

"The Chen imperial palace did not expand, yet the number of palace maids and eunuchs increased every year. This humble general surmises that each year a new batch of palace maids and eunuchs entered, and each year a batch of palace maids and eunuchs died."

"These great palace maids and great eunuchs were the ones pocketing the profits in between."

"They took the compensation meant for palace maids who died by accident—paid out by Chen—and stuffed it into their own pockets. It was a trade in human lives with no capital."

After these words were spoken, General Fan Qing produced many case files and lists, pointing out that every year nearly a great many palace maids and eunuchs died. The faces of those great palace maids and great eunuchs went pale one by one, and they all knelt and kowtowed together.

"We're wronged! Wronged!"

"We know nothing! These, these matters were all handled by the Grand Eunuch of Court Etiquette! We, we are just runners below! We know nothing—we only followed orders, bringing people in each year!"

Li Guanyi flipped through these registers, asked the eunuch's name, and then suddenly fell silent. The Qin Wang's eyes lowered as he looked at that great eunuch, and suddenly asked: "Do you know a woman named Qian Qian?"

The great eunuch was bewildered.

Li Guanyi said calmly: "She is a friend of mine whom I never met."

The great eunuch seemed to grasp at a lifeline, saying: "I-is that so? Then perhaps it was this servant who brought her into the palace! Where, where might this friend of yours be?!"

"Is she in the laundry workshop, or in which consort's palace?"

He racked his brains.

The Qin Wang said coolly: "She was beaten to death. After she died, fifty guan of money was sent to her brother, and only one hundred and thirty-five coins remained."

"The letter written to her brother bore your name."

The color drained from the great eunuch's face bit by bit; his legs went weak and he was about to kneel and kowtow. Li Guanyi said coolly: "Fan Qing, interrogate him thoroughly. When you return, write a letter to the Thirteenth Master and have him come from Lingyin Temple in Jiangnan."

"Go through the case files—those who practice the harvesting of living beings and the breaking and mutilation of limbs, those who traffic in people."

The Qin Wang turned, set down that register, and said coolly:

"Death by a thousand cuts."

The faces of all present went pale. Fan Qing bowed and said: "Yes, sir!"

Fan Qing led his men to take these people away. Li Guanyi looked at that case file—dense, crowded characters recording the men and women brought into the palace over the years. He saw the name Qian Qian.

Suddenly he thought of ten years ago, after he had begun martial training, on the way to see Yaoguang, when he personally killed that old border soldier, and those yellowed family letters, one after another. Now, as the Qin Wang, Li Guanyi lowered his eyes and murmured softly:

"Today, the lady's maid Qian Qian has died. According to the regulations, compensation of fifty guan is to be paid."

"Because no one oversaw it, five guan for her burial, five guan for disrupting palace affairs, thirty guan in various deductions, five guan for forwarding through the relay station, three guan and seven mo for sealing the letter, stamping it, and sending it, plus other miscellaneous fees—leaving one hundred and thirty-five wen, to be forwarded to her brother Qian Zheng, to make clear the righteous virtue..."

That letter, and those one hundred and thirty-five coins.

Were like brand after brand upon him.

From the wilderness ten years ago to now, it all burned at Li Guanyi; he looked at those Juanjuanjuan Sect scrolls, looked at those names, was silent for a long while, then gently set the scroll on the table, and Qin Wang's eyes lowered.

He could not lose.

He had to win.

Under the blessing of the specially modified version of the Staff Monk Thirteen's 【"Do You Put It Down"】 【"Does It Burn"】 Ta Xin Tong, these palace maids and eunuchs quickly confessed—it was a custom that had gradually begun several generations of Emperors before Chen Dingye.

They bought people cheaply from all over the land, mostly children of fourteen or fifteen, still tender and young, then brought them into the palace; after a period of time, they would think of ways to harm these people.

There were several methods.

Moon in Water—seizing them when off guard, shoving them straight into water, into a well.

This method was rather crude.

A slightly better method was called Bones in the Coffin—simply not giving them food or drink, only a tiny bit to eat, then arranging heavy physical labor, all-night work; after about ten days, they would be worked to death, starved to death, and nothing would show.

People would simply assume the person had a weak constitution to begin with—poor families, after all, it was a common thing.

A weak body, overworked on top of it, and so they died.

Basically impossible to tell anything.

Still, it couldn't truly be called foolproof—if someone with a careful mind investigated the arrangements and diet of that period, problems could still be spotted, and at that point one would have to set aside some silver to silence others.

The most refined method was called Cotton-Wrapped Rotten Floss—a layer of cotton cloth quilt was laid over the person, then a staff or club was swung to beat them fiercely; on the surface there was almost no injury, but the five viscera and six bowels and the deeper flesh and blood were all beaten to pulp, and within a few days they would cough up blood and die.

After death, nothing could be seen on the surface.

As if they had simply fallen to a sudden illness.

Fan Qing's eyes nearly split from their sockets; suppressing the killing intent in his heart, he asked—weren't they afraid of a coroner's examination?

Those chief eunuchs and chief palace maids answered woodenly: "This appearance looks like a violent illness struck them down; the palace was afraid of trouble, so they hastily covered it up—where would a coroner come from? Besides, they're all poor folk, no money to hire a coroner to investigate."

The chaos and monstrousness of Chen's reign could be glimpsed from this point on.

It was merely a false veneer of peace.

These chief palace maids and chief eunuchs were all dealt with; the gold and silver they had accumulated over the years was quite a substantial amount. Qin Wang, following the registry, searched the whole realm, and after making up the full sum, handed every last bit over to these people's families.

But this step was also very difficult—many of them had been kidnapped and sold during the chaotic times to begin with.

Even those who had families, a small portion had already perished long ago.

Qin Wang's resolve to swallow up the realm grew heavier.

General Yue Qianfeng, meanwhile, while recuperating from his wounds, cheerfully got his hands on the new Divine General Ranking, and excitedly opened it up—today, this old Yue can finally count as a true top-ten level Divine General.

Truly unmatched in his generation, his name to be inscribed in the annals of history!

Hmph, hmph.

Let's see who still dares to say this old Yue is just a gatekeeper for the top ten.

Who—who dares say it!

He first admired the Divine General Ranking for a while, feeling that this Divine General Ranking was truly a Divine General Ranking—tsk tsk tsk, look at this scroll, look at this writing, look at this texture and weight—one word: satisfying!

After admiring it properly.

Then he slowly opened it, a smile on his lips as he looked—and then merely glanced once. Yue Qianfeng's expression slowly froze. This Divine General, who had traversed battlefields across the realm without falling, was as if struck by an unprecedented Primordial Spirit attack.

In the lands south of the river, the silver-haired Whale-Fishing Guest cursed and swore that he didn't care.

Whether it was Li Guanyi, or whatever great trends of the realm.

He didn't care about any of it.

Who cares? Who the hell cares about him?

Easier said than done.

But he still got his hands on the latest version of the Divine General Ranking at the first opportunity, and also glanced once—and then this Array Champion, who had been cursing and swearing that he cared about nothing, had his expression freeze. Every gaze converged on the Divine General Ranking.

The ancient, unadorned ranking slowly unfurled.

Top of the list: Qin Wang Li Guanyi.

His honorific title was simply six great characters, plain and unadorned—

Divine General Under Heaven.

?? Day one of controlling my schedule, power panda-man. jpg

? Begging for monthly tickets, friends~