[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-336":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Wanli, the Enlightened Emperor",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2322158,4542,"Chapter 336: Greasing Lips, Dividing Tongues: Do Not Cross the River","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-336",336,"\u003Cp>“I have already answered Great Hero He’s question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Ge Cheng calmly sat on the threshold and said no more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he caught his breath, others immediately seized the opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Ge, you boldly voice the crime of killing an official to respond to outsiders’ doubts—Great Hero He, dare you not confront the suffering of countless destitute under the corrupt land survey?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He Xinyin, if you can’t reach an agreement, leave quickly—we might still spare your life!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ge Cheng openly took a stance against the government, the questioning in the crowd surged with fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several key figures pounced on He Xinyin with a barrage of accusations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Ge Cheng made no effort to defend He Xinyin, merely waiting silently for his response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin could no longer evade the issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze swept over the crowd: some leaned forward demanding answers, others whispered among themselves, some cowered with heads bowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, all eyes fixed upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin met those gazes without flinching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, it was as if he stood again before his first lecture years ago—discontent laced with hope, hope tinged with doubt, and doubt hiding boundless confusion over his own plight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin unconsciously tapped several times on the weathered carved railing beside the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Silence!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The authority of the teacher’s voice was deeply ingrained; one cry of “silence” silenced the entire crowd of commoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old man will respond—for General Ge and all the fellow villagers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This response was genuine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming Ge Cheng’s sincere intent to negotiate, He Xinyin resolved at once to abandon scheming and Confucian-rectifier tactics, and plainly lay out the true advantages and harms of the land survey to the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a good moment to pursue the Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The path of “winning the ruler to enact the Dao” had been shattered after he petitioned the Emperor—only to be rebuked by the Emperor, who arrogantly declared he could be a good ruler, but no one else could; “winning the ruler to enact the Dao”? There were no saviors to be found so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dao could not be imagined out of thin air; one could only follow the footsteps of the sages before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since “winning the ruler to enact the Dao” was blocked, one must pursue “awakening the people to enact the Dao”—this was the doctrine of the Taizhou School, though each disciple’s path differed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now was the perfect moment to put it into practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to see whether the commoners could truly discern right from wrong, weigh benefit against harm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to test whether, when he spoke not in lofty rhetoric but directly to their interests, they would still revere him as a classic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awaken the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enact the Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was less a negotiation than an unconventional enactment of the Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With countless thoughts swirling in his mind, He Xinyin gazed blankly into the distant sky and spoke slowly: “You all must be questioning me in your hearts: why do the wealthy abandon farming, why do merchants halt trade, why do artisans and peddlers have nowhere to turn, why are bonded servants and hidden households cast out, why do tenant farmers and small peasants face sudden rent hikes—isn’t all this caused by the court’s land survey and household registration?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scanned the crowd without pause: “Yes, it is!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he spoke, the crowd fell utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were stunned by the blunt cruelty of his words, bewildered by this great hero’s stance, and most of all, terrified by his unflinching admission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disappointed shaking of heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silent mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blank, confused expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we speak of right and wrong, this is not the court’s fault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin continued, expressionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are only a few million hectares of land in all the realm; the people, landlords, and court all eat from the same pot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You take more, I take less; you take less, I take more—conflict is inevitable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The court and landlords aren’t necessarily happier—only the commoners are weakest, so naturally, countless are driven to desperation, countless flee their land, countless are ruined by debt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words were plain, straightforward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To those caught in the midst of it, they stuck like bones in the throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One man stared at the scabs and frostbites on his fingers, suddenly recalling his sleepless nights of labor, only to be cruelly expelled when the workshop “cut costs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another saw before him the landlord’s haughty face as he raised rents, and in a daze, glimpsed his empty home, his drowned children—too weak to grow into laborers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These personal agonies, spoken of in He Xinyin’s cold tone, seemed trivial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like ants crushed beneath a cart’s wheel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man with the sallow nose sneered coldly: “Fine, then let’s first settle right and wrong!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The court has a duty to pacify the people, yet it greedily demands taxes, rushes to seize wealth, forces the land survey—and brings panic, ruin, and displacement upon the people! Isn’t that wrong?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This phrasing revealed the man’s habitual speech, sparking murmurs among the commoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does that mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It means the court’s gone mad for money—a decree to seize wealth came down, and it ruined us all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many in the crowd nodded vigorously in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, He Xinyin sighed inwardly at the court’s crumbling credibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned back and asked: “Greedily demanding taxes, rushing to seize wealth? Did your master teach you to say this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the word “master,” the man’s bravado faltered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regaining himself, he masked his unease with anger: “He Xinyin, don’t change the subject!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin shook his head and ignored him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to the commoners and spoke earnestly: “Let me speak plainly for the court: the claim that it greedily demands taxes and rushes to seize wealth is sheer nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fellow villagers, the court’s original intent in conducting the land survey is also to pacify the people!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he spoke, the crowd below erupted in shock and hisses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had assumed his answer would stop at “no new taxes”—never did they expect such an absurd claim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their expressions varied, but all shared one thing: almost none believed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pacify the people?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court always collected taxes—this had been true for millennia—but this was the first time anyone claimed collecting taxes was for the commoners’ own good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scoffing from the key figures behind him rang out without restraint: “Liang Ruyuan, have you truly become the court’s hound? How can you say such things?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin had anticipated this and paid it no mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression, as solemn as in a classroom, continued: “Have any of you heard of Qiu Jun?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin seemed truly about to deliver a long-winded defense of the court; the commoners exchanged bewildered glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question was oddly out of place, met only with blank stares.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet one of Ge Cheng’s key figures, unable to resist showing off, stepped forward with pretentious dignity: “I know—he served four reigns: Jingtai, Tianshun, Chenghua, and Hongzhi; died while serving as Minister of Revenue and Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall; posthumously honored as Grand Tutor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bestowed by imperial decree as a renowned Confucian scholar; scholars erected temples in his honor, calling him the patriarch of literary ministers; even among commoners, his reputation was supreme.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Showing off was poor form, but answering with explanation was the mark of the best student in any classroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin nodded in rare approval: “Precisely him. In his lifetime, he wrote a book called The Expanded Meaning of the Great Learning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will donate several copies to the public school for you to copy and borrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Expanded Meaning of the Great Learning is Qiu Jun’s commentary on Confucian classics; in it, he discusses the origin of the land survey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gentle, instructive tone now felt like a classroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng involuntarily sat cross-legged to listen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some commoners whispered to their more literate neighbors: “What’s he talking about? Why bring up a book?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one asked clearly didn’t understand, but waved his hand condescendingly: “Just name-dropping—makes it seem like this was the court’s old idea, not He Xinyin’s own fabrication. The masters always use this old trick to deceive us—it’s nothing important.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned forward to mockingly shout: “The origin of the land survey? Isn’t it just the court seizing wealth?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such voices echoed endlessly through the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin tapped the carved railing before him and corrected: “Seizing wealth is merely an external manifestation of the origin—like the fruit’s skin. The core of the land survey is land equalization.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the crowd was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meaning of “land equalization” was known to nearly everyone—not merely because Ming literacy was decent, but because the phrase itself carried immense weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To speak it openly, even in rebellion, could easily rally ten thousand followers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet despite its weight, what did it have to do with the land survey?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is He Lao Ye speaking nonsense? These are two unrelated things!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The land survey was always for tax collection—no one had ever heard of distributing land to poor peasants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not literal land equalization.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin paused, as if organizing his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone knows: whether the Three Sovereigns, Tang, or Song, every dynasty’s land system boils down to four words—equalize land, pacify the people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then continued: “Here, ‘equalize’ does not mean divide equally. According to Qiu Jun’s interpretation, ‘equalize’ means each receives his due.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Different statuses receive different shares: the emperor rules, you clean latrines—your respective shares of wealth naturally differ.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet each status’s ‘due’ must have limits: commoners must not starve; the emperor must not build lavish palaces; the Grand Secretary may live in silk and jade, and the people will accept it—but to own two hundred thousand hectares of land is to become a monster hated by gods and men.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That is ‘each receives his due!’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Land is the foremost form of wealth, and must be equalized first—pacifying the people begins with equalizing land.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For a thousand years, the court has been equalizing land…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin omitted overly complex details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not discuss specific land systems—commoners had no knowledge of them, and a lengthy explanation of the well-field system or equal-field system would be to confuse ends with means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the court’s pacification of the people, it was regarded as a prerequisite; to discuss motives entailed engaging with Daoist scholarship and the very nature of the court—namely, that the world had fallen into an unsolvable self-contradiction, fractured into irreconcilable opposites yet powerless to escape them, and that, to secure mutual survival and ease conflict, such strife must be contained within the bounds of order—these words were far too profound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, He Xinyin simply omitted all of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t ask about land systems—just know the court wants equal land distribution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t ask why—the court is good, inherently benevolent toward the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guiding principle of its land policy, for a thousand years, has been “equal land distribution”!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As He Xinyin spoke at length, the common folk listened intently, occasionally whispering to one another, asking for clarification on what they didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the end, what does land surveying have to do with equal land? Even if the court divides it among us, won’t it all be seized back anyway!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With questions and answers, this peasant uprising’s negotiation increasingly resembled He Xinyin’s open-air lecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The familiar scene made He Xinyin feel right at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin shook his head and patiently explained: “That’s an outdated practice. Even if the court gave you land, it would eventually be seized again. The court only restrains consolidation—it will never equally divide land.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who asked fell silent, disheartened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin shifted tone: “From the Song to our own dynasty, though we abandoned land redistribution, we did not abandon oversight—we found a more fundamental solution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His speech was slow, almost syllable by syllable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Years of teaching had ingrained in He Xinyin the art of guiding seekers from simple to profound, step by step; at key moments, he would pause, giving listeners time to reflect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even those with no scholarly background could grasp half of it, intuiting four or five parts out of ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The key? What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin nodded slightly: “That is, equalizing tax and labor burdens, so all under heaven know their proper place!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused again for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when the crowd began to look bewildered, scratching their heads, did He Xinyin speak again, slowly explaining: “As the ‘Supplement to the Expanded Meaning of the Great Learning’ says…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those who understood the fundamentals of governance once lamented the benefits of equal land distribution, yet recognized its impossibility to restore… so they turned instead to land surveys and tax audits, aiming to equalize the burden of land taxes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Equalizing tax burdens, though less direct than equal land distribution, ensures those with more land pay more tax, those with less pay less, and the revenue is used for border garrisons, famine relief, and water conservancy—benefiting all under heaven. Is this not also a kind of ‘equality’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This was not the original intent of the Three Dynasties’ equal land system—it is the failure of equal land, yet a direct strike at the core, and thus a necessary compromise: equal taxation as a substitute for equal land.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which is precisely what the Ministry of Revenue now proclaims: ‘The empire’s wealth must first be allocated through tax adjustment!’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, He Xinyin omitted the historical context, offering only the simple conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, this evolution spanned thousands of years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It began with the well-field system of the Three Sovereigns, when small states and few people divided land equally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the Eastern Zhou onward, struggles among nobles over estates and land increased, causing the well-field system to undergo major transformation during the Spring and Autumn period, until it finally collapsed—land was no longer state-distributed, but became private property.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the Han dynasty’s name-field system, private land consolidation intensified; Shi Dan proposed limiting land ownership to curb consolidation, yet with minimal effect—then Wang Mang introduced the “Wang Tian system,” attempting to restore the public land model of the well-field system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of it was for “equal land.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Mang rose and fell swiftly; the Later Han restored the name-field system, which evolved through Wei and Jin until a land-ownership decree openly legitimized landlords’ possession of land—scholar-official descendants claimed land according to rank, even the emperor dared not touch aristocratic estates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Land consolidation reached its highest peak in recorded history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Extreme excess invites reversal: over three centuries between Sui and Tang, the equal land system revived—land became public property, no longer tradable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until mid-Tang, the equal land system collapsed again; Yang Yan proposed the Two-Tax System, and the struggle over land tenure gradually shifted toward land taxation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court and landlords, ideal and reality, clashed endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in our own dynasty, the idea of equal land occasionally resurged—but no matter the original intent, it always ended up shifting from the ideal of equal land to the reality of equal taxation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was precisely this thousand-year evolution that enabled the Ministry of Revenue to boldly declare today: “Tax adjustment and allocation!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, these overly obscure historical developments need not be explained to the common folk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My fellow villagers, if we judge right from wrong, is the court’s original intent truly wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With passionate rhetoric, clarifying benefits and harms, distinguishing friend from foe—He Xinyin was a fine teacher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially certain fixed terms carried unparalleled influence among the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Equal land”—just two simple characters—still struck with immense force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Ge Cheng, who prided himself on championing justice, felt his confidence waver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Equal land? Equal tax? Adjusting the empire’s wealth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first glance, these arguments sounded perfectly righteous; land surveying carried an air of solemn justice—while we, the suffering common folk, were merely the mantis trying to stop a cart, laughably insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is that truly so?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reason requires reflection—especially this speech, which contained many points needing understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only Ge Cheng, but those who understood the common folk frowned in thought; those who didn’t asked their neighbors for explanations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m so confused—does this mean the court’s short on cash, so it takes silver from the rich and gives us a little share, all to even things out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it means they’ll tax us less—that’s considered ‘equal.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha, then shouldn’t we bow down and thank the court for its kindness?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and they say the money collected is ultimately used for us—that’s also ‘equal.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sounds like they won’t embezzle anything…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One thing at a time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In normal times, such words would have drawn endless praise—but today’s audience was no longer simple students listening to a lecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moral arguments seemed unable to move the common folk, whose livelihoods were directly at stake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suspicion murmured through the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then someone suddenly pushed through the crowd, stepped forward, and shouted loudly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master He, if you get the workshops to rehire me, I’ll believe the court has good intentions!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the markets reopen, I’ll believe!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many common folk empathized and immediately echoed his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master He, you say the land survey is for our sake—we want to believe it, but when the survey came, I still couldn’t survive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an insurmountable barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if you believe the court’s intent is noble and Tianxia -minded, what about me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cost of grand policy? The agony of an era?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin understood this well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he himself was pressured to pay imperial timber taxes, he gathered his retainers and killed the enforcers—exactly this same mindset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin felt a flood of emotion, yet his face remained cold: “Indeed, I am very curious myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those who abandon farming are scholar-gentry; those who raise rents are landlords; those who expel hidden households are powerful clans; those who fire laborers are wealthy merchants…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These chaotic conditions—the Provincial Governor’s office has its own calculations. Don’t you common folk consider them too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why, when the land survey arrives, do these people force you to the brink of death?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, He Xinyin turned sharply, fixing his gaze on several of Ge Cheng’s core followers—almost face-to-face, demanding: Who is sabotaging this? Whom should we blame?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They grew visibly uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker faltered, shrinking his neck: “The masters say the court raised taxes, so they have no choice but to fill the gap…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cause might be guessed, but it wasn’t important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too much clarity would ruin your ability to keep eating at your master’s table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin nodded, as if deeply understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed with feeling: “So you allow yourself to be stirred, bargaining with the court.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this because you believe the court listens to reason—or because you think it dares not punish the masses?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the court acts on discretion, it exceeds the Great Ming Code by far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how large the protests appear, whether they are peasant unrest or outright rebellion depends entirely on the governor’s whim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The usual outcome: common folk return home, the ringleaders die or are imprisoned—just as Ge Cheng himself said, if someone powerful protects you, you’ll be out of prison in a few years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, abandoning farming and closing markets became routine ways to express discontent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been for this critical juncture in state policy, and the presence of Shen Li—a man of rigid principle—there would have been no consequences at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence, these common folk remain oblivious to the gravity of their actions, still bargaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These piercing words struck the crowd, and their expressions shifted rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man opened his mouth to reply: “I…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But He Xinyin gave him no chance to speak—he leaned forward suddenly, glaring fiercely: “If you dare defy the court’s grand policy, why do you meekly accept your master’s rent hikes!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice nearly roared; the crowd gasped in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man trembled violently, stumbling backward several steps!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin finished speaking, then whirled to face Ge Cheng: “Ge General, didn’t you just challenge me to debate right and wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know this well—tell me, why are you furious at the land survey meant to save the empire, yet blind to the scholar-gentry who sabotage it!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question jolted Ge Cheng upright from the threshold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing He Xinyin’s fierce gaze, Ge Cheng opened his mouth, then closed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitated long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Ge Cheng sighed sadly, ashamedly turning away: “Master He, forgive me—I and my fellow villagers simply lack the strength…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, Ge Cheng revealed his helplessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man bold enough to defy rebellion trembled before the cruelty of the scholar-gentry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why do you roar at the court, yet bow your head to the scholar-gentry?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course it’s about picking on the weak and bullying the strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It may sound ridiculous, but only Ge Cheng himself knew how difficult it was to rally thousands of followers today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To speak bluntly, only a government that bears the nation’s disgrace can become the target of widespread hatred; under the guidance of those with intent, people gather easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if it were wealthy households instead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each village has its own landlord; each hamlet has its own gentry. The destitute who resent the powerful cannot unite with the laborers who hate the big merchants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Ge Cheng had the ability to gather a crowd and demand justice from landlords, why not simply take the magistrate’s seat himself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even granting, for the sake of argument, that he could rally people through a gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem is, whether it’s expelling hidden households, dismissing laborers, or raising rents for tenants—these have been methods of managing one’s own property for a thousand years. Who could possibly object?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can you force wealthy merchants to hire workers? Can you forcibly set land rents for landlords? Surely you wouldn’t demand they re-buy servants they’ve already dismissed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the government has the power to bear this responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doesn’t Ge Cheng see how the gentry and wealthy families are stoking the flames? Doesn’t he know the Zhang family of Taicang is using him to manipulate the situation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course he knows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the destitute are starving right before his eyes, and the only entity left to negotiate with is this government, which holds stability as its supreme principle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words might have been unkind, but once spoken, He Xinyin’s face flushed crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slammed his palm down, shattering the carved railing before him, and roared: “Nonsense!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was furious beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wood chips rained down; everyone stared in shock, several key figures instinctively stepping back half a step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin looked at his own hand, which had struck out unconsciously, clenched it into a fist, and pulled it behind his back. Quickly, he suppressed his anger under the puzzled gazes of the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ability? Hah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin forced down his temper and growled: “General Ge, you may underestimate yourself, but how dare you belittle the people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since arriving in Yanzhou, I was ordered to visit Zou County, Teng County, and other places, to investigate hidden households and register them, speaking with many villagers about their daily lives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My conversations with the Kong family’s tenants left the deepest impression on me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They say the Kong family is insatiable, relying on their thousand-year-old lineage and ducal status to control the county office, setting exorbitant rents, arbitrarily imposing new levies, and sending one branch after another without end.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet though we are the lowly, we are not mindless beasts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When rents rise to the point of starvation, do we simply accept it willingly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In Weizhuang, Sishui County, a royal estate with over twenty hectares of land owned by the Kong household, they resisted year after year. A few years ago, they rose up, beat the Kong household’s overseer Jiang Shuyong severely, and drove him to his death from rage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Kong household could no longer control them, so they petitioned the court, calling them ‘stubborn, deceitful, and habitually defiant,’ and the rent was halved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In Teng County, tenants organized a rebellion during the Longqing era. After a locust plague struck, they gathered together, ‘jointly seized the official granaries,’ and at night stole back every last grain of harvest from the Kong family, leaving nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They didn’t just stop there—they had Song Xingli draft a sworn oath, and it became a tradition during famines.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t even count all these incidents!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Ge, you keep saying I look down on the destitute—how about you, then?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You say they lack ability? This is the greatest ability! The innate ability of the destitute!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The destitute have morality; the destitute understand right and wrong. Whoever gives injustice, they take back by force. Whoever blocks their path, they demand justice from!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Ge, using the destitute to oppose good governance is trampling on the people’s conscience!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his arms, shouting, spittle flying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng, standing at the front, felt his thoughts grow increasingly muddled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze swept over the crowd in the courtyard; his expression grew more lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng opened his mouth to argue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once he spoke, he didn’t know where to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought land surveying was greedy exploitation, ignoring the people’s suffering—but now He Xinyin tells me the court is equalizing tax burdens across the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought allying with the wealthy to bargain with the court was heroic—but now He Xinyin’s questions wake me: my actions are no different from aiding a tyrant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought I stood up for the destitute, a true hero—but now He Xinyin tells me the destitute themselves are the heroes, and I’ve led them astray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what, then, have I been struggling for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin had no time to listen to Ge Cheng’s excuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was utterly absorbed, nearly screaming: “...Fight for your lives!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before I left, Provincial Governor Shen Li promised me: your current hardships will be resolved within days—the markets will reopen, the fields will be tilled again, workshops will hire workers, and hidden households will be resettled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t the government’s charity—it’s what you yourselves have earned!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not just before the court, but even without me, even without General Ge, even facing your landlords—you must still fight for your lives!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t always wait for others to give you a way out. Don’t always chase profit and avoid harm, or be manipulated. The destitute have their own sense of right and wrong! They must walk their own path!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The destitute’s path must be walked by themselves!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awakening the people to walk their path is a painful thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His devotion to “regarding the state as one’s home” bound He Xinyin’s joys and sorrows to the nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His compassion for “regarding others as oneself” made him feel the people’s suffering as his own pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is common for good governance to fail and for the people to remain unenlightened—this is the root of the pain in awakening the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, He Xinyin spoke passionately, his voice ringing loud, emotion bursting from his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He longed for the people’s choice; he yearned for their understanding; he dreamed that the people could discern right from wrong, as Wang Yangming said: the people can “awaken.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is the land survey right? Who is obstructing the destitute’s suffering? Can Shen Li’s promise of peace and prosperity for the destitute be trusted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin had said all he needed to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether they believed him or not—now it was up to these bewildered destitute before him to decide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My fellow villagers, awakening the people to walk their path...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin murmured to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he wearily opened his mouth to finish his final words,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a large hand, like a fan, pressed onto his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin instinctively turned his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There stood Ge Cheng, expressionless, shaking his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master He, that’s enough. Let us close the doors and discuss among ourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin stared at Ge Cheng, mouth open to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng squeezed He Xinyin’s shoulder, his gaze earnest and sincere: “Master He, please understand our ignorance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words struck He Xinyin—he trembled, suddenly snapping back to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked around: the destitute before him wore expressions of utter bewilderment and confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did He Xinyin realize—he had become too immersed, speaking too much, too vaguely, until finally, few could understand him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of helplessness surged into his mind; he looked at Ge Cheng with desperate hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Ge Cheng nodded without hesitation: “I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin exhaled deeply, relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was just about to explain in plain terms to my followers, so we can reach a decision. Please wait outside the temple, Master He.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng repeated it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, He Xinyin did not hesitate—he bowed deeply, thanking him repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned away, stumbling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As He Xinyin walked toward the temple gate, the destitute in the courtyard parted automatically to let him pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng looked down, watching He Xinyin leave the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when the man’s figure vanished completely did Ge Cheng press both palms to his face, fingers curling and relaxing several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The followers gathered again. Ge Cheng met their puzzled stares, paused, then said: “Master He’s point is this: the court’s good policy this time—if we provoke it further, we’ll truly anger them. So his meaning is...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That we should divide the rich’s wealth for half a day, then lay down our arms and return to being honest farmers!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waiting for results is often agonizing and dull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when the result is unexpected, it’s even more terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When He Xinyin stood by the Sishui River, arms crossed, eagerly awaiting Ge Cheng’s surrender with proper etiquette, only to see several groups pouring out of the temple, shouting and rushing past—he was utterly stunned, words failing to capture his shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, is Ge Cheng leading his men to flee?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Guangwu, watching the dust clouds rising outside the temple, cried out to warn his teacher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin stared in disbelief—how could this happen?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng had clearly wavered, seemed ready to defect and lay down arms—how could this be the outcome?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he truly incorrigible, determined to seize a mountain and wait until Shen Li’s army arrived before repenting?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin didn’t pause—he moved to advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Guangwu immediately blocked his path: “Master, the rebels’ intentions are unpredictable. Allow me to guard you closely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, to show sincerity, you went alone—but now, with chaos unfolding, you cannot sit safely in the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin hesitated, then nodded firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Guangwu immediately obeyed, escorting He Xinyin against the tide of people toward the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the master and disciples arrived at the temple gate, there was no expected betrayal—instead, someone came out to greet them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Great Hero He, my elder brother asks you to enter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, He Xinyin frowned and exchanged a glance with his disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two grew even more confused about Ge Cheng’s intentions and could only follow their guide warily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire group walked in silence, climbing the steps without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when they stepped through the temple gate did they see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene before them horrified them all!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood splattered across the temple walls; thick, black blood streamed down the steps from the main hall, leaving one bloody footprint after another on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corpses and severed limbs lay scattered everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a few heads, eyes wide with rage, were neatly arranged inside the main hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the bandit leader named Ge Cheng sat slumped across the threshold of the main hall, his clothes disheveled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin’s face darkened, torn between hesitation and accusation: “General Ge, what is this…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng lifted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing He Xinyin had returned, he looked delighted: “Great Hero He!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bared a row of gleaming white teeth and smiled sincerely: “What can I do? Every time I try to reach an agreement, someone objects—so I simply settle it by force.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single sentence, thick with murderous intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin, who had come to demand justice, was momentarily silenced by the stench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned, scanning the faces of the dozens of heads in the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though stained with blood, he clearly recognized them—all the key figures from just moments ago were here!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing He Xinyin’s shock, Ge Cheng’s smile didn’t fade: “Didn’t Governor Shen plan to execute some as a warning? Great Hero He, you can take these back as proof.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin was left speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But behind him, his disciple Lu Guangwu blurted out: “How could you know?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng waved his hand dismissively: “I don’t know where they got the news—they used it to threaten me just now, so I used them instead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did he look up, staring at Lu Guangwu’s face for a long while before exclaiming in delight: “Could this be the invincible Lu himself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Guangwu felt uneasy under his gaze and stepped back half a pace, offering a perfunctory bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ge Cheng immediately rose and bowed deeply, formally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Guangwu was He Xinyin’s true disciple of the Four Gates Society, traveling the land each year with thousands in gold, secretly seeking extraordinary talents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spent his days among the martial underworld; though his fame didn’t rival He Xinyin’s, his legend was far more colorful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially his personal martial prowess, widely recounted: during the Jiajing era, Lu Guangwu challenged the Zhaqing Temple, defeating seventy-three monks in single combat over several days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when the court once issued a public call for martial talent, this “Invincible Lu” emerged as the second-best in the land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet He Xinyin gave Ge Cheng no warmth, stepping between them and demanding sharply: “Didn’t you mean to disband your men? Then why did I just see several of your squads, holding banana leaves, charging off with shouts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you trying to use these heads as a bribe, manipulate me to pacify the court, and buy yourself time to flee into the mountains and become a bandit?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, He Xinyin had lost all trust in Ge Cheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This didn’t just ruin the court’s plans—it ruined his own Dao!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If after all his earnest appeals, the people still so easily fell under others’ sway, how could he not doubt “Awakening the People and Practicing the Dao”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, Great Hero He, don’t rush.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to He Xinyin’s urgency, Ge Cheng’s demeanor was utterly relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured for He Xinyin to find a seat, then plopped himself down into the pool of blood inside the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve truly taken your teachings to heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since the court’s land survey policy aims to equalize taxes and save the nation, I will no longer oppose it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin opened his mouth to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng waved him off: “You said the common people must earn their own survival—I was deeply inspired.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The court may clean up the mess, but it won’t satisfy everyone—there are too many layers of officials, and I can’t trust any of them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court’s empty promises cannot be trusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in corrupt courts, nationwide graft, baseless accusations, and fabricated cases are commonplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in proper courts, there’s still empty talk, double-dealing, and refusal to honor past debts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the top intends well, the bottom still twists the execution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, He Xinyin sensed Ge Cheng’s true intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rather than wait for the court to fix things, why not use this moment to gather people and act?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng looked at He Xinyin and grinned: “So I sent them to plunder the storehouses of the wealthy for half a day—then they’ll return to being law-abiding citizens.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urgent problems demand urgent solutions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin suddenly had no words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he couldn’t judge this act at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good? Bad?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin couldn’t decide, so he set it aside: “Then you may explain yourself to Governor Shen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he walked toward Ge Cheng, ready to lead his men back to the county yamen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ge Cheng shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin frowned in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I go back to the county yamen with Great Hero He, I fear I’ll be dead soon,” Ge Cheng said, looking up, still smiling. “Aren’t the counties of Yanzhou in need of my head to instill fear and restore order quickly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the hall fell utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause, He Xinyin spoke slowly: “Governor Shen will decide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today, meeting Great Hero He, I realize that to make a name in the martial world, one must study.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Great Hero He, above, is a great Confucian scholar who debates with the emperor; below, a martial hero who teaches the common people. I barely know a few characters, spend my days breaking laws with violence, and pride myself on knowing right from wrong—yet still end up used like a tool by scholars.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The common people cheer for me, a minor hero—but when it comes to speaking for the people, I’m nothing compared to a single scroll of yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seeing this gap with my own eyes, I’ve lived a life without regret.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet before I die, I have one question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was calm, yet carried unyielding resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin stared at Ge Cheng’s determined expression, his heart filled with mixed emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should Ge Cheng die?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By law, he deserved a hundred deaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then again, among martial folk, killing a few tax officials, stirring a few uprisings—what’s that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ge Cheng himself said, if he truly entered the yamen, the Three Judicial Offices would likely spare his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Ge Cheng himself didn’t want to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the people of Yanzhou’s counties truly needed his head—the head of the “originator”—to instill fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps, after a bloody clash that cost his friends’ lives, he owed them his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps he’d been entrusted by a friend, and now, having turned coat, he could not face them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There could be many reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing He Xinyin was certain of was that he could only bring back Ge Cheng’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One sat, one stood, their backs to the main hall’s entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carved Buddha watched from above, silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dappled light, the disciples trailing behind, the attendants on either side, the neatly arranged heads—all became background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene was strange, yet harmonious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, He Xinyin turned his back: “Ask, General.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cheng wiped his temple, slowly rising: “Great Hero He, you spoke of ‘Awakening the People and Practicing the Dao.’ I’ve seen it several times at the Taizhou School—what does it mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped before He Xinyin, gazing at him with earnest inquiry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin sighed, forced to meet Ge Cheng’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two locked gazes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, under Ge Cheng’s expectant stare, He Xinyin sighed deeply, filled with regret: “I understood it when I studied as a youth. Decades later, I no longer understand—I only hope to grasp even a little before I die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This answer left Ge Cheng deeply disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chewed his lips, shook his head, said nothing more, walked straight to the Buddha statue, bowed three times, then took up a long blade from the incense stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, He Xinyin seemed unable to watch, silently stepping away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he crossed the threshold, Ge Cheng’s voice came again: “Great Hero He, I can’t bring myself to do it! Help me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin paused, sighed, and gestured to Lu Guangwu beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter bowed and turned back into the hall, gently closing the door behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin pushed aside a severed limb hanging from the carved railing, leaned against it, and slowly closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temple exhaled a mist of Buddhist aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clouds rolled and drifted across the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Si River flowed day and night without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crisp sound, and a streak of crimson appeared silently on the palace door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint sigh drifted from outside the hall; no one knew what he was thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wrote until Ge Cheng’s death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin’s eyes had grown hazy, his voice choked with sobs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Congwu was likewise moved, hesitated a moment, then offered comfort: “Master Lu’s swordplay has reached perfection—he cuts through iron as if it were mud. He felt no pain at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a poor consolation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, He Xinyin could no longer hold himself back; he merely waved his hand, covered his face, and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please, Zhonghao, clean up the aftermath.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One sentence, one student, left alone in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Congwu sighed. This teacher was truly a child of the Jianghu, a man of deep feeling—he himself felt little sorrow, only regret. How could ordinary people possibly wade into the murky waters of political struggle?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head. To fulfill his master’s command, he had no choice but to reread the entire text.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more he read, the more his emotions swelled; he developed a profound dread of the affairs of state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze fell upon the place where the pen had stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sitting motionless for a long while, Feng Congwu picked up his brush again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He composed a poem in tribute:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do not cross the river!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The river’s depths are bottomless, home to dragons and giant turtles, their fangs sharp as spears, licking the shore, watching passersby with hungry eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why do you wish to cross this river?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Have you not seen the tranquil winds and sunny skies, the calm waters where wild ducks and geese bathe among green reeds and white water lilies, fishing boats and lotus barges swaying gently? Yet suddenly, thunder and rain strike—the waves surge like mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do not cross the river!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancients struck wood before peering into a well—do not waste your seven-foot frame. Are not broad roads far enough? Are not the green mountains lofty and grand? Riding horses and carts may be hard, yet still better than the capricious storms of fate. Yi Yi drowned in the Wu River, Qu Yuan in the Miluo—both died for loyalty and righteousness, their names unblemished through a thousand autumns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is your purpose now in crossing this river?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You, with disheveled hair and masked face, have become a demon. Your wife pulls at your robe—why do you roar at her? Your death is not worthy of pity; only the lute’s song is mourned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alas!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do not cross the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",7007,"2026-06-20T16:31:35.124Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","dfaa4226b23d0c2bf4fdb3a75fb47636516bc5b8ef514200465f5c8442ffd91d","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-337","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-335",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]