Chapter 504: Court Debate

"Your subject believes we can build more Buddhist halls and let Mount Pudu Temple and Buddhist temples everywhere contribute their people and efforts to cultivate more talent for our Great Lan Dynasty!"

The Crown Prince's voice rang out within the great hall.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a minister stepped out from the ranks and said in a clear, loud voice:

"Your Majesty, your subject believes this matter is inappropriate!"

The Crown Prince turned his head to glance at the other person, his face devoid of any expression.

The one who had stepped out to oppose him was a Cabinet Minister:

"Lecture Halls are already responsible for talent cultivation in every region; wouldn't adding more Buddhist halls be a superfluous act, wasting manpower and resources for nothing?

Moreover, our dynasty has always honored Daoist studies; if we were to suddenly begin promoting Buddhist teachings, such a sudden change of course would inevitably breed resentment and increase internal friction for no reason!"

After hearing the other person's words, the Crown Prince did not rush to retort.

As the master of the Eastern Palace, he naturally had plenty of people in the court to speak on his behalf.

"Your Majesty."

Another minister walked out from the ranks, also a Cabinet Minister:

"Under the vast heaven, there is no land that is not the King's; within the four seas, all are subjects. Your subject believes that whether it is Buddhist studies or Daoist studies, regardless of which school of thought one holds, as long as one has the heart to serve the country, they should be given a fair opportunity."

"If that is the case."

The Cabinet Minister who had stepped out first turned to look at his colleague:

"Why not let Mount Pudu Temple and temples everywhere send people directly into the local Lecture Halls to serve as lecturers? Would that not also be serving the country?"

"Absurd! Even in civilian factories, when hiring people to work, one must pay sufficient wages. How can there be any logic in letting people contribute their efforts for nothing?"

"It is not as if the Lecture Halls do not pay the lecturers; all kinds of benefits can be provided preferentially. How can that be considered contributing for nothing?"

"You..."

The two Cabinet Ministers began to argue directly.

Before the two could reach a conclusion, more Cabinet Ministers joined the dispute one after another.

This was Li Fei's first time attending such a court session; he had originally thought it would be a very solemn occasion, where even if there were disputes, everyone would cite classics and argue in a polite and orderly manner.

Yet he had not expected that this meeting at the highest level of the nation would look no different in essence from a quarrel in a vegetable market.

He glanced at the Crown Prince and found the other person looking calm and not flustered in the slightest.

He looked very confident.

"Enough."

The Emperor above the imperial dais said softly.

His voice was not loud, yet it could be clearly heard by everyone.

Li Fei did not feel any fluctuation of internal energy, nor did he feel any fluctuation of mystical arts, and he could not help but click his tongue in wonder.

The great hall quickly quieted down, and all the ministers who had stepped out bowed and saluted, looking toward the Emperor.

"What does the Senior Grand Secretary think?"

The Emperor turned his head to look at the person at the very front of the civil official ranks.

It is worth mentioning that in this great hall, besides His Majesty the Emperor who was seated, four chairs were placed, and three other people were also seated.

The civil and military ministers stood in two ranks, civil on the left and military on the right.

Three chairs were placed at the front of the left rank, and one chair was placed at the front of the right rank.

One of the chairs was for the Crown Prince.

The people sitting on the remaining three chairs were respectively:

The current Senior Grand Secretary—Ye Ye Zean.

The current State Preceptor—Yun Shu.

The Grand Marshal of the Military Council—Wenren Zheng.

Among all the civil and military officials, only these four were qualified to sit during the court session; everyone else, including the Imperial Princes, could only stand.

Ye Ye Zean rose from his chair unhurriedly; he did not turn around, so Li Fei could not see what this legendary figure who had single-handedly created the 'Mingxin Reform' looked like, and could only hear the other person's voice:

"Your subject believes we should first ask if the Buddhist school is willing to serve the country, and then ask what they can do for the country."

Hearing this, many ministers present looked at each other, discerning some clues.

"Good."

Only then did the Emperor turn his gaze toward Ming Qi:

"Ming Qi, Mount Pudu Temple is the holy land of the Buddhist school, and the millions of monks in the world all look to Mount Pudu Temple as their leader. You are the Buddha-son of Mount Pudu Temple; you tell Us, is the Buddhist school willing to serve the country?"

Ming Qi pressed his palms together and said very simply: "We are willing."

"Then what can you do?"

The Emperor asked again.

Ming Qi replied without hesitation: "Including Mount Pudu Temple, there are one hundred and eight temples; each temple has people who cultivate Buddhist dharma and can refine evil-suppressing weapons for the country to strengthen national power."

Hearing this, many ministers present changed their expressions.

Compared to the Crown Prince's proposal to build more Buddhist halls, this was what truly made people's hearts tremble!

Li Fei had already heard the Crown Prince mention this matter on the train and knew this was the other person's true purpose, so he did not feel surprised and just watched the show quietly.

"Good!"

The Emperor raised his volume, looking very satisfied.

He looked at Ye Ye Zean: "What does the Senior Grand Secretary think?"

Ye Ye Zean bowed to the Emperor with a calm expression:

"If this can truly be done, it is a fortunate event for the country; your subject believes it is feasible."

This Senior Grand Secretary had headed the Cabinet for forty-six years; once he nodded, many ministers in the Cabinet would give their support.

But there were still those who opposed.

"Your Majesty!"

A Cabinet Minister, who was also a Grand Secretary of the Zixu Hall, stepped out and said loudly:

"How can the vital military equipment of the state be lightly entrusted to others? Your subject believes this matter should be deliberated upon at length!"

"Your Majesty, your subject also believes this matter is inappropriate; if any problems arise, the consequences will be immeasurable!"

"Your Majesty..."

More than a dozen ministers stepped out one after another to oppose!

After no one else spoke, the Emperor looked at the other person sitting in a chair on the side of the civil officials:

"The matter of evil-suppressing weapons has always been the responsibility of the Zhengfa Pavilion; what does the State Preceptor think?"

Upon hearing this, Li Fei immediately looked forward with curious eyes.

The Zhengfa Pavilion was one of the Cabinet departments; logically, the head of the Zhengfa Pavilion was not qualified to sit on equal footing with the Senior Grand Secretary.

But the Zhengfa Pavilion held the vital military equipment of the state, and its status was special.

Moreover, this head of the Zhengfa Pavilion was also conferred the title of State Preceptor, and his status was lofty.

Most importantly, the other person was a True Monarch of the current age!

This was the second True Monarch Li Fei had seen with his own eyes, and also the second peak powerhouse.

Among the 'Five True Monarchs' spoken of by the world, one of them was actually the 'Buddha' of Mount Pudu Temple.

The other four True Monarchs each belonged to one of the three Daoist sects, and the last one was the current State Preceptor—Yun Shu.

Li Fei still could not see this person's appearance and could only see his back.

The other person's voice sounded quite young:

"The refining of evil-suppressing weapons has a history of over five hundred years. At the very beginning, only the Zhengfa Pavilion in Lanling City could refine them. Later, it gradually spread to the Zhengfa Courts in various regions, which also mastered the refining methods. As more and more people refined these weapons, we arrived at the tens of thousands of Imperial Guard troops our Great Lan Dynasty has today.

If more people can join the refining, it is nothing more than the continued expansion of the local Zhengfa Courts; your subject believes it is feasible."

What this State Preceptor said was very persuasive.

The refining of evil-suppressing weapons could only be done in one place at first, and only later did it slowly expand to the Zhengfa Courts across the country.

Since no problems had occurred for over five hundred years, what problem could there be in increasing the manpower now?

After listening, the Emperor remained calm and turned his head to look at the very front of the military official ranks:

"Wenren, what do you think?"

Li Fei could clearly feel that His Majesty the Emperor had different attitudes toward the three 'Pillars of the State'.

He was most respectful toward the Senior Grand Secretary and relatively relaxed toward the State Preceptor.

Only when calling the Grand Marshal of the Military Council did his tone reveal a sense of casualness.

It sounded more like he was calling a close friend.

Wenren Zheng, who was sitting in the chair, stood up.

Among the hundreds of people in the great hall, he was the only one wearing a saber in the palace!

Li Fei also looked at this person.

As for legends, this man was in no way inferior to the Senior Grand Secretary Ye Ye Zean!

Eighteen years ago, the Western Allied Forces fought all the way to the gates of Lanling City, and the Great Lan Dynasty was in imminent danger. In the end, it was this Grand Marshal of the Military Council who led the Great Lan Dynasty's strongest Heavenly Blue Iron Cavalry to crush the more than one hundred thousand allied troops outside Lanling City, winning in a single battle!

As the Grand Marshal of the Military Council, Wenren Zheng was the head of the military officials, in charge of the nation's troops, and had the strongest Imperial Guard army of the Great Lan Dynasty under his command.

Besides that, he was also a Human Martial Saint!

Of the 'Five True Monarchs', Li Fei had already seen two.

Of the 'Seven Martial Saints', this was the first one he had seen, and also the first person he had seen who had reached the absolute peak of the martial path!

It was a pity that he could still only see a back.

"Your Majesty, as a soldier, I only consider how to strengthen the nation's military power and how to eliminate the nation's enemies. Therefore, since Your Majesty asks for my opinion, I believe this matter is feasible!"

Wenren Zheng's voice sounded as if it were being hacked by blades and axes, every word slamming heavily into people's hearts.

Being able to command the national military forces while also holding the strongest Imperial Guard Army in his hands, he was naturally the monarch's most trusted confidant.

His opinion always represented the Emperor's opinion!

Only at this moment did many people realize that this series of measures was not just the Crown Prince "tossing about" on his own.

"Do you ministers have any other opinions?"

The Emperor looked at the people in the imperial court and asked.

"."

The great hall was silent, and no one else stood up to object.

The Chief Grand Secretary, the State Preceptor, and the Grand Marshal of the Military—these three "pillars of the nation" rarely held a unified opinion on one matter.

So when these three all nodded, there would be no other "noise" in the imperial court!

"Since that is the case, Ming Qi."

The Emperor looked at Ming Qi again:

"If the Buddhist school serves the country, rewards and punishments must be clear. For every fifty sets of evil-suppressing weapons that Mount Pudu Temple and temples across the land refine and maintain for the imperial court, the imperial court shall build one more temple."

Over a hundred years ago, Emperor Wencheng intended to eradicate Buddhism; it was never implemented, but it was decreed that the number of temples nationwide could not exceed one hundred and eight.

This restriction has been maintained until now.

Now, the Emperor has spoken with golden words, giving the Buddhist school a chance to break this restriction!

"This humble monk, on behalf of Mount Pudu Temple and the millions of monks in the world, thanks Your Majesty for your immense grace."

Ming Qi pressed his palms together and bowed in salute.

A smile appeared on the Emperor's face, and he looked very satisfied.

He looked at the Crown Prince:

"Crown Prince, your inspection of the southwest this time was well-performed, and there has been much praise from all regions. You also handled the matter of Mount Pudu Temple very well. My heart is greatly comforted; you should be heavily rewarded."

The current Son of Heaven has always been generous to his subjects, but he is famously strict with his own children. The number of times he has publicly praised them and said he would reward them heavily like this can be counted on one's fingers.

The Crown Prince was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed in salute:

"Sharing the worries of the Imperial Father is this son's duty; I dare not speak of rewards. However, during this Martial Dao Exchange Tournament, I once publicly stated that I would bring the tournament champion to see the Emperor and personally recommend talent to the Imperial Father.

Now that I have brought two 'Firsts in History,' if the Imperial Father wishes to reward, I am willing to ask for rewards on behalf of these two peerless prodigies!"

Hearing this, the expressions of those present varied.

Many people secretly admired the Crown Prince's brilliance; this method of winning people over was simply maxed out!

Standing in the front row, the two Imperial Princes who were also qualified to participate in the court session:

The First Imperial Prince sneered, and the Third Imperial Prince smiled.

"You have achieved merit yourself, yet you ask for rewards for others?"

The Emperor looked at the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince remained bowed: "Discovering talent for the nation is also this son's duty. These two are peerless prodigies and also the nation's prodigies. I ask for rewards for them in the hope that they may bathe in imperial grace and, in the future, likewise serve the nation and share the Imperial Father's worries!"

As he spoke, he turned around and first pointed at Li Fei:

"Imperial Father, this Li Fei from Wuan University broke through to the Dao Foundation realm at 18, breaking the history of Martial Dao records!"

Then he pointed to Ming Qi: "This Master Ming Qi became a Martial Dao Master at 26, also breaking the history of Martial Dao records!"

Finally, he turned around to face the Emperor again: "The breakthrough of these two proves that under the Imperial Father's rule, our Great Lan Dynasty's Martial Dao is flourishing, far surpassing the past! This is Heaven's mandate and a symbol of the Imperial Father's benevolence and might; is this not a fortunate event? Therefore, I brought the two back to the Imperial Capital because I wanted to congratulate the Imperial Father in person!"

Now the First Imperial Prince stopped smiling, and the Third Imperial Prince also slowly restrained his smile.

"Hahahaha!"

Above the imperial dais, the Emperor laughed heartily, a rare sight.

The ministers also felt they had gained some insight.

They had seen plenty of people flattering the Emperor, but this was the first time they had seen someone bring two "Firsts in History" to flatter him.

It must be admitted that such flattery is unprecedented and can also be considered a "First in History"!

"Good, you two are indeed peerless prodigies. Breaking Martial Dao records is a fortunate event for the nation, and with the Crown Prince requesting rewards for you both based on his great merit, I cannot be stingy."

The Emperor smiled as he looked at Li Fei and Ming Qi, preparing to bestow heavy rewards!

"Imperial Father!"

Just at this moment, a voice suddenly rang out.

The First Imperial Prince, wearing a four-clawed eight-python robe, stepped out.

Compared to the Crown Prince, the First Imperial Prince's physique was more robust, and there was a distinct aura of a martial artist about him.

Li Fei felt that this First Imperial Prince should be a Dao Foundation realm martial artist, and he must have killed quite a few people!

As the Crown Prince said, it is actually very difficult for royal children to become Martial Dao powerhouses because their status dictates that it is hard for them to experience life-and-death tempering.

Therefore, for this First Imperial Prince to be able to become a Dao Foundation realm powerhouse, he was already an "anomaly" among the Imperial Princes.

"The Imperial Father wishes to heavily reward the nation's prodigies, and I also feel it is appropriate, but if this prodigy is a follower of rebels, harbors evil intentions, and defies the law, I fear he cannot be considered a prodigy of the nation, and may even become a great scourge to the nation in the future!"

The First Imperial Prince's voice was loud and echoed in the great hall.

The ministers could not help but stir upon hearing this.

A follower of rebels, a scourge to the nation—these were no small matters!

"Oh?"

The Emperor's expression changed as he looked at the First Imperial Prince, "Qin Zihong, who are you saying is a follower of rebels and a scourge to the nation?"

The First Imperial Prince's surname was Qin, and his given name was Qin Zihong.

He turned around, met Li Fei's calm gaze, revealed a murderous smile, and raised his finger to point at Li Fei:

"This person is the follower of rebels, the scourge to the nation!"

PS: This chapter was written on the high-speed rail, very painful,,,,

(End of chapter)