Chapter 427

Inside the Yangxin Hall, Ye Zean roughly went over the relevant matters for the March 1st Lanxun Pavilion referendum.

The Emperor would not be present at that time, but Pavilion Masters from both the Inspection Pavilion and the Zhige Pavilion would be there.

In addition, the referendum ceremony that day would be personally hosted by Senior Grand Secretary Ye Zean.

After selecting the twenty-three members of the Lanxun Pavilion, the Grand Marshal of the Military Council, Wen Ren Zheng, would personally award the jade plaques symbolizing their status to these twenty-three people!

Hosted by the Senior Grand Secretary, with the God of War presiding, and the Pavilion Masters of the Inspection Pavilion and Zhige Pavilion present to witness, such a specification was already very high.

For many people in the Jianghu, March 1st could absolutely be considered the peak of their personal reputation!

After Ye Zean finished introducing, the Emperor sitting in the main seat put down the booklet in his hand.

He looked at Ye Zean:

"The Lanxun Pavilion is set up with twenty-three members and inspection groups, but no Pavilion Master?"

Ye Zean: "Your subject intends to leave the position of Pavilion Master vacant for now."

"Why?"

"Setting up the Lanxun Pavilion is to strengthen control over the Jianghu and local powerful families in various places. At the current stage, even if twenty-three members are selected, they may not truly be able to convince the public in their respective provinces, let alone looking at the whole country? Under such circumstances, selecting a Pavilion Master would just be for show."

"Then when do you think it is appropriate to select a Pavilion Master?"

"Your subject believes that when someone appears who can convince the entire Jianghu, then a Pavilion Master can be selected."

Hearing this, Li Fei, who was to the side, felt a stir in his heart.

He immediately recalled the first sentence Ye Zean said after meeting him that night:

"Have you ever thought about becoming the person who can decide Jianghu matters with a single word in the future?"

So this 'pie' was dropped here?

"Convince the entire Jianghu?"

The Emperor looked at Li Fei inadvertently, "This is not an easy task. What if there is never such a person?"

"Then the position of Lanxun Pavilion Master will just remain vacant."

Ye Zean said.

The Emperor looked at Wen Ren Zheng on the other side: "What does the Grand Marshal think?"

Even though Wen Ren Zheng restrained his aura, sitting there, he still looked like a towering mountain:

"Your subject believes the Senior Grand Secretary is right. If one cannot convince the public, forcibly selecting a Pavilion Master would just be a joke."

Mixed in this tone was the flavor of the battlefield, making Li Fei feel as if he heard the sound of iron horses and golden spears.

"Then let it be so for now."

The Emperor made the final decision.

Then he picked up another booklet on the table to the side, flipping through it while saying:

"Grand Marshal, speak about your memorial."

"Yes."

Wen Ren Zheng's expression was serious; even when reporting official business, it was as if he were going to battle, his tone murderous:

"According to the contribution point system for the Lanxun Pavilion set by the Senior Grand Secretary, taking Qi-Changing stage martial masters as an example, for every Qi-Changing early-stage martial master recommended by local participants to enter the army, they can obtain 100 contribution points; if they recommend a Qi-Changing mid-stage martial master to enter the army, they can obtain 200 contribution points. If an individual has special talent or combat power, contribution points can be increased based on specific circumstances. Your subject has written the relevant details in the memorial."

Hearing this, Li Fei couldn't help but suddenly realize.

No wonder Wen Ren Zheng would personally award jade plaques to the twenty-three members of the Lanxun Pavilion the day after tomorrow; it turned out the Lanxun Pavilion was also connected to the military!

Li Fei had been wondering if it was giving too much face for someone of Wen Ren Zheng's status to award jade plaques to a group of Martial Arts Grandmasters?

Now he understood.

It turned out that Ye Zean founding the Lanxun Pavilion actually had the intention of strengthening the military power of the Great Lan Dynasty!

Participants of the Lanxun Pavilion had a certain quota every year to exchange for cultivation resources from the imperial court.

And besides the fixed quota, members of the Lanxun Pavilion could also directly exchange contribution points for resources and manuals.

As for how to obtain contribution points, Ye Zean only mentioned one way just now: reporting illegal and disciplinary violations.

This was the main work of the Lanxun Pavilion, and Ye Zean linked it to contribution points, using benefits to entice people, thereby stimulating everyone's enthusiasm.

Those top-tier major factions might not look down on these cultivation resources provided by the imperial court, but these resources were still very tempting to other factions.

It could even be said that many factions were unable to rival those top-tier major factions precisely because of a lack of resources.

This move by the imperial court was equivalent to giving these factions a chance to change their fate!

And besides reporting illegal and disciplinary violations, Ye Zean also gave a second way to obtain contribution points, which was what Wen Ren Zheng was saying now—recommending martial artists to enter the army.

All along, the imperial court had three models for cultivating martial artists:

Cultivation by local Martial Arts Halls, cultivation by the twelve universities, and cultivation by the Military Council itself.

And besides the martial artists cultivated by the Military Council itself, the vast majority of martial artists from the first two methods would choose to enter the local Zhige Courtyards or the local City Guard armies.

Because these places had more benefits and life was easier.

As for the border armies, they were stationed in bitter and cold places, had no benefits to gain, life was difficult, and the danger was greater.

So not many people were willing to go.

Whenever there was a major war, the Military Council needed the Zhige Pavilion to temporarily conscript martial artists to fight with the army.

Under this model, the martial artists fighting with the army lacked training in peacetime and had no experience in cooperating with the army, so naturally, they were not as good as those martial artists who had been in the army for a long time.

Now that Ye Zean founded the Lanxun Pavilion, local Jianghu factions, powerful families, and clans could all recommend martial artists to enter the army in exchange for contribution points.

Besides being able to exchange for resources, contribution points also directly affected an individual's right to speak within the Lanxun Pavilion.

With this move, Ye Zean was clearly telling the entire Jianghu: whoever contributes the most to the imperial court, the imperial court is willing to support them as the Jianghu leader!

First, raising the status of Buddhism, letting Pudu Temple and the world's Buddhist art masters refine Sha Qi weapons for the imperial court.

Now, yielding benefits to the Jianghu, absorbing Jianghu factions into the army.

This series of actions could be described as interlocking.

This made Li Fei think of the Xintian Society.

The Xintian Society borrowed the case of assassinating the Emperor, wanting to stir up chaos in the Great Lan Dynasty, but now it looked like they were helping Ye Zean push his 'Lanxun Pavilion Plan.'

Without the shock to the court and the public brought by the three major cases, Ye Zean wouldn't have been able to push this plan so quickly and smoothly.

Thinking of this, Li Fei's admiration for this Senior Grand Secretary increased a bit more.

This move of borrowing strength to strike was indeed powerful.

Next, the Emperor chatted a few words about Wen Ren Zheng's memorial, consulted Ye Zean's opinion, and finally approved it as well.

Then Ye Zean and Wen Ren Zheng withdrew, leaving only Li Fei as the official in the Yangxin Hall.

"Li Fei."

The Emperor finally called Li Fei's name.

"Your subject is here."

Li Fei did not continue sitting but honestly stood up and bowed.

The Emperor looked at him and did not speak to let him sit down.

Li Fei suddenly felt a sense of being seen through, almost subconsciously triggering the Flying Sword Body, a layer of faint golden light shrouding the surface of his body.

The Emperor looked at this scene calmly, and only after a few seconds did he speak:

"Is this Bai Zihao's 'Refining the Body into a Weapon'?"

Li Fei restrained the golden light on his body, recovered from the sword state, and said truthfully:

"Yes, your subject is practicing the top-tier Flying Sword Body recorded in the manual."

"Has the Dao Foundation been balanced?"

"Yes."

"Using arts to refine martial arts, combining law and martial arts into one; such cultivation, even Lin Tianyi cannot do it. You have done very well."

The Emperor's tone softened.

Hearing this, Li Fei also relaxed and bowed:

"Fortunately, I did not fail the mission; I hope I have not disappointed Your Majesty."

The Emperor did not comment on this, only saying:

"Sit."

After Li Fei sat down, he continued:

"I already know about last night's incident. Did Lou Hongtao tell you the inside story?"

Li Fei: "Pavilion Master Lou told your subject about the Military Council and the Inspection Pavilion secretly trading martial arts manuals and resources with Western nations."

"What is your opinion?"

"Your subject does not understand major military and national affairs; your subject only knows that someone is secretly trying to harm your subject."

Hearing this, the Emperor's gaze on Li Fei became heavier:

"Trading with the Western Continent is better blocked than diverted, which is why the Military Council and the Inspection Pavilion intervened.

But once the trade begins, many things are no longer under control. You happened to catch someone trading top-tier Dao Foundations and peerless martial arts with the Western Continent this time, not knowing that others might have already traded them long ago."

Li Fei remained silent; he understood the Emperor's meaning.

In fact, he had already figured it out after listening to the inside stories Lou Hongtao told him early this morning:

Since the Military Council and the Inspection Pavilion had already personally entered the fray, how could they hide it from everyone? If the imperial court's own shadow was not straight, how could it strictly require others to be?"

Since the imperial court itself was trading with the Western Continent, it was difficult to be fair in this matter.

If it were just punishing some small factions, that would be fine, but which of the factions that could produce a top-tier Dao Foundation was simple?

If one really wanted to raise it to the level of treason and punish them severely, were they not afraid that others would directly drag the Military Council and the Inspection Pavilion into the water?

At that time, the biggest loss would definitely be the imperial court.

So Li Fei just said he didn't understand major military and national affairs; what he cared about was that someone was secretly plotting against him.

"You are a high official of the imperial court, the Marquis Jing'an personally conferred by me. You don't care about major military and national affairs, but only care about personal safety?"

The Emperor asked in a cold tone.

Li Fei immediately felt a terrifying, suffocating pressure!

His Flying Sword Body was triggered, directly entering the Sword State: Golden Body and Jade Marrow, stimulating the strongest defensive power, a layer of faint golden light appearing on his body surface again.

But this time, Li Fei felt his proud Sword State was like a piece of white paper, which could be torn apart at any time!

This was the first time he had intuitively felt the power of the Son of Heaven.

Vast, majestic, high and above, full of dignity!

Previously, what he felt from this Nine-Five Supreme was appreciation and favor, was value and admiration, and he had never felt the wrath of the Son of Heaven.

He withstood this terrifying pressure, stood up from his seat bit by bit, and struggled to stand straight:

"Your subject knows his mistake."

The Emperor looked at the young man in front of him who was still trying to keep his back straight under his terrifying pressure, and suddenly understood the mindset of the Founding Emperor.

In the past, the Founding Emperor had great talent and strategy, with cultivation reaching the peak of the Martial Saint realm.

Eventually, he swept across the six directions and unified the Eastern Continent; besides personal martial power, the fierce generals under his command also made great contributions.

At that time, there were several fierce generals who could be described as unruly, often clashing with the Founding Emperor.

The Founding Emperor was sometimes very annoyed by these people, but he still reused them, and in the end, there was still more appreciation.

Now, the Emperor had similar feelings toward Li Fei.

He put away the pressure:

"Do you know why I conferred you as Marquis Jing'an?"

The pressure suddenly disappeared, and Li Fei almost couldn't stand steady.

His body swayed, and he barely managed to speak:

"Your Majesty hopes your subject can eliminate violence and stop fighting, bringing peace to the world."

"Not bad, bring peace to the world!"

The Emperor finally revealed a smile on his face, "It seems you don't understand nothing."

After speaking, he walked straight out of the hall, actually leaving directly.

Li Fei stood stunned in place, not understanding what this meant.

A few seconds later, Feng Cheng led a eunuch into the hall.

The eunuch following him held a wooden box in his hands, which looked somewhat heavy.

"Marquis Jing'an."

"Eunuch Feng."

"This is the information His Majesty specially ordered to be prepared for you."

"What information is it?"

"First-class secrets of the Military Council."

"Ah?"

Li Fei was stunned, not expecting this answer.

Feng Cheng took the wooden box from the eunuch, personally handed it to Li Fei, and instructed:

"These materials can only be read in this hall. After reading, I will have someone come to collect them."

"Good, thank you, Eunuch Feng."

Li Fei thanked him.

"Then I won't disturb Marquis Jing'an."

Feng Cheng left with the eunuch.

Inside the hall, only Li Fei remained.

Li Fei sat back in his original seat and opened the wooden box.

Inside were several booklets without covers, as well as some letters.

Li Fei picked up the booklet on top, flipped it open, and was somewhat surprised.

This booklet recorded the war in the 27th year of Hongguang, when the Seven-Nation Alliance attacked the Great Lan Dynasty!

Regarding that war in the past, Li Fei had not found detailed records in middle school, the Martial Arts Hall, or the Martial Arts University.

All the information he could find were just sporadic sentences, only knowing that in the end, ten thousand Tianlan Iron Cavalry defeated the twelve thousand Western Alliance army outside Lanling City.

He knew nothing of the other information.

Now, the book in Li Fei's hand recorded in detail the entire process of that war from beginning to end:

27th year of Hongguang, January 4th, the Great Lan Dynasty had just finished the New Year festival.

A large number of ships suddenly landed on the west coast, and teams of soldiers holding firearms disembarked.

The invading Western Alliance army totaled sixteen thousand, nearly twenty thousand of whom were Transcendentals!

For this battle, the seven Western nations each sent at least one-fifth of their Transcendentals, which could be described as sending out all their elites.

In addition, there were heavy machine guns, mortars, howitzers, and airplanes!

The Great Lan Dynasty occupied the Central Plains of the Eastern Continent, with border armies deployed in the east, south, and north, but only the west had none, because the west faced the sea.

At that time, although the Western Continent had been discovered and the two continents had been trading with each other for several years, the Great Lan Dynasty never had the idea of launching an expedition to the Western Continent.

It wasn't because the Great Lan Dynasty at that time had no ambition, but because the Great Lan Dynasty's navigation technology was still in a very primitive stage and could not support a transoceanic expedition.

Similarly, the Great Lan Dynasty, which did not understand the technological level of the Western Continent at that time, judged others by itself, thinking that the Western Continent could not possibly attack.

So there were no border armies deployed in the west, and no border defense line.

When the Western Alliance army landed, they encountered almost no resistance and easily captured several coastal cities.

The Great Lan Dynasty at that time was still in the Cold Weapon Era; even with martial artists, Body-Breaking stage martial artists would be in danger of losing their lives facing the gunfire of a dozen guns in an open area.

Only Qi-Changing mid-stage martial artists who had practiced strength could barely block gunfire, but many still couldn't block the close-range fire of rifles.

Not to mention that the Alliance army's weapons were not just pistols and rifles, but also heavy machine guns and cannons, and even bombers!

Under these circumstances, the defense line organized in the west of the Great Lan Dynasty collapsed at the first touch!

Even with Martial Arts Grandmasters taking Dao Foundation stage martial artists to carry out assassinations, wanting to assassinate the Alliance army's commanders, these people didn't gain any advantage when encountering the Western Continent's Transcendentals, and they were at a disadvantage in numbers.

And among the Western Alliance army, there were many Marquis-level experts who could rival Martial Arts Grandmasters, and above them were Duke-level experts who could rival Great Grandmasters, and several Princes!

So all the martial artists who went to assassinate died in battle, and no one succeeded.

In just one month, the sixteen thousand Western Alliance army, with less than a thousand casualties of their own, captured an entire province...

PS: Feeling unwell today, can only update a little; will try to update more tomorrow.

(End of chapter)