Chapter 427: The First Public Vote

Inside the Yangxin Hall, Ye Ye Zean roughly explained the relevant matters for the Lanxun Pavilion public vote on March 1st.

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

Besides that, the public vote ceremony that day would be hosted personally by Grand Secretary Ye Ye Zean.

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

Hosted by the Grand Secretary, presided over by the God of War, and witnessed by the Pavilion Masters of the Inspection Pavilion and Zhige Pavilion, such a standard was already very high.

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

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

He looked at Ye Ye Zean:

"The Lanxun Pavilion is set up with twenty-three members and a patrol group, but no Pavilion Master?"

Ye Ye Zean: "This 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 clans. At the current stage, even if twenty-three members are selected, they may not necessarily be able to truly convince the public within 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?"

"This 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 remembered the first sentence Ye Ye Zean said to him after they met that night:

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

So this 'pie' was meant for him?

"Convince the entire Jianghu?"

The Emperor glanced at Li Fei inadvertently, "This is no easy task. What if there is never such a person?"

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

Ye Ye Zean said.

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

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

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

This tone was mixed with the flavor of iron and blood from the battlefield, making Li Fei feel as if he heard the sound of golden spears and iron horses.

"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 and said while flipping through it:

"Grand Marshal, speak about your memorial."

"Yes."

Wen Wen Ren Zheng's expression was serious; even when reporting official business, it was like going into battle to kill the enemy, his tone murderous:

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

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

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

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

Now he understood.

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

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

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

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

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

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

It could even be said that many forces were unable to compare with those top-tier forces precisely because of a lack of resources.

The imperial court's move was no different from giving these forces a chance to change their destiny!

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

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

Cultivation in local Jiangwutang, cultivation in 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 local Zhige Courtyards or enter local City Guard armies.

Because these places had more 'oil and water' and life was easier.

As for the border armies, they guarded bitter and cold places, had no 'oil and water' to scrape, 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 Ye Zean created the Lanxun Pavilion, local Jianghu forces, powerful clans, and noble families 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.

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

First, they raised the status of Buddhism, letting Mount Pudu Temple and the world's Buddhist sorcerers refine evil weapons for the imperial court.

Now they are letting profits go to the Jianghu, absorbing Jianghu forces into the army.

This series of actions could be described as interlocking.

This made Li Fei think of the Zhang Xintian Society.

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

If it weren't for the shock to the court and the public brought by the Three Major Cases, Ye Ye Zean wouldn't have been able to push this plan so quickly and smoothly.

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

This move of borrowing strength to strike was truly powerful.

Next, the Emperor chatted a few words about Wen Wen Ren Zheng's memorial and sought Ye Ye Zean's opinion, and in the end, it was also passed.

Then Ye Ye Zean and Wen 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.

"This subject is here."

Li Fei did not continue sitting but stood up honestly 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 activating the Flying Sword Body, and a layer of faint golden light shrouded the surface of his body.

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

"Is this Bai 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, this 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—such cultivation, even Lin Lin Tianyi could not do it; you have done very well."

The Emperor's tone softened.

Hearing this, Li Fei also relaxed and bowed:

"I am fortunate not to have failed the mission, and I hope I have not disappointed Your Majesty."

The Emperor did not comment on this, only said:

"Sit."

After Li Fei sat down, he continued:

"Regarding last night's matter, I already know. Did Lou Lou Hongtao inform you of the inside story?"

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

"What is your opinion?"

"This subject does not understand state and military affairs; this subject only knows that someone was secretly trying to harm me."

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

"Regarding the trade with the Western Continent, blocking is not as good as dredging, which is why the Military Council and the Inspection Pavilion intervened.

But once the trade begins, many things are no longer under control. You just happened to catch someone trading top-tier Dao Foundations and peerless-level martial arts with the Western Continent this time; little do you know that others might have already traded them long ago."

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

In fact, after listening to what Lou Lou Hongtao said in the early hours of today, he had already figured it out:

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

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

If they punished some small forces, that would be one thing, but which of the forces that can produce top-tier Dao Foundations is simple?

If they really wanted to escalate the matter and punish them heavily for treason, weren't they 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 state and military affairs; what he cared about was that someone was secretly plotting to harm him.

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

The Emperor asked in a cold tone.

Li Fei immediately felt a terrifying, suffocating pressure!

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

But this time, Li Fei felt that 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 Being was appreciation and grace, importance and admiration, and he had never felt the anger of the Son of Heaven.

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

"This subject knows his mistake."

The Emperor looked at this young man who was still trying to keep his back straight under his terrifying pressure, and suddenly understood the mentality of the Taizu Emperor.

In the past, Taizu was talented and strategic, his cultivation reaching the peak of a Martial Saint.

In the end, he swept across the world and unified the Eastern Continent; besides personal martial strength, 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 contradicting Taizu.

Taizu was sometimes very annoyed by these people, but he still reused them and ultimately appreciated them more.

Now the Emperor had similar feelings for 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 managed to speak:

"Your Majesty hopes that this subject can eliminate violence and stop war, and bring peace to the world."

"Not bad, bring peace to the world!"

The Emperor finally smiled on his face, "It seems you are not completely ignorant."

After speaking, he walked straight out of the great hall and actually left directly.

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

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

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

"Marquis Jing'an."

"Eunuch Feng."

"This is the information His Majesty specially ordered people to prepare 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 exhorted:

"This information can only be read in this hall; after reading it, I will have people come to collect it."

"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 great hall, only Li Fei was left.

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 surprised after one glance.

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

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

All the information he could find was only a few scattered sentences, only knowing that in the end, ten thousand Tianlan Iron Cavalry defeated the 120,000 Western Allied Forces outside Lanling City.

No other information was known.

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

January 4th, 27th year of Emperor Hongguang, 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 total number of invading Western Allied Forces was 160,000, nearly 20,000 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.

Besides that, there were heavy machine guns, mortars, howitzers, and airplanes!

The Great Lan Dynasty occupied the Central Plains of the Eastern Continent and had border armies deployed in the east, south, and north, but only the west had none, because the west bordered 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 had never had the idea of an expedition to the Western Continent.

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

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

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

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

At that time, the Great Lan Dynasty was still in the era of cold weapons; even if there were martial artists, Body-Breaking stage martial artists would be in danger of their lives facing the shooting of a dozen guns in an open area.

Only Qi-Transformation mid-stage martial artists who had practiced strength could barely block the shooting of bullets, but many still could not block the close-range shooting of rifle bullets.

What's more, the Allied Forces' weapons were not just pistols and rifles, but also heavy machine guns and cannons, and even bombers!

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

Even if there were Martial Arts Grandmasters taking Dao Foundation martial artists to carry out assassinations, trying to assassinate the Allied Forces' commanders, these people did not take any advantage when encountering the Transcendentals of the Western Continent, and they were at a disadvantage in numbers.

And among the Western Allied Forces, there were many Marquis-level experts comparable to Martial Arts Grandmasters, and above them were Duke-level experts comparable to Great Grandmasters and several Princes!

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

In just one month, the 160,000 Western Allied Forces captured a province with less than 1,000 casualties of their own...

PS: I'm feeling unwell today, so I can only update a little less; I'll try to update more tomorrow.

(End of chapter)