Spring of the eighth year of Zhaoning. The heavy snows began to melt, and all living things welcomed the spring.
In an ordinary small village of Eastern Jin, the populace was now divided into two starkly distinct camps. Many villagers left early and returned late, their faces ruddy and their frames growing noticeably robust and fleshed out—a rare sight in Eastern Jin's countryside, where people were typically as skinny as reeds.
Other villagers merely strolled to the fields around midday to do some basic chores before heading back home to eat vegetarian fare and chant scriptures. Yet come lunchtime, the aroma of meat drifted everywhere across the village. Once lunch was over, those invigorated farmers plunged right back into the fields, toiling until twilight before they were willing to return home. When the two sorts crossed paths on the road, they acted like complete strangers, as if determined to have nothing to do with each other until the day they died.
At this moment, Wei Yuan stood aloft in the air, gazing out over the lands of Eastern Jin. On the grand map within his mindscape world, the territory marked for the Pure Land had dwindled substantially, and temples had decreased by thirty percent.
On that same map, the color patches representing the physical constitution of Eastern Jin's populace had steadily deepened. In many places, the overall physique of ordinary mortals had risen by twenty percent, and the number of Body Casting cultivators had surged dramatically as well.
Wei Yuan knew that his foundation was laid. What remained was the slow, steady work of attrition, nibbling away bit by bit.
Across all of Eastern Jin, the Pure Land had cultivated deep roots for over a thousand years, commanding a vast multitude of devout followers. Wei Yuan harbored no hopes of converting them. Yet among youths under twenty, more than eighty percent had become devotees of the Three Realms Dao lineage.
At this rate, in several decades—once successive generations of youths grew up and raised families, while batch after batch of elders passed away—Eastern Jin would inevitably see the Three Realms Dao lineage reign supreme.
Of course, this came with a prerequisite: Wei Yuan had to continually supply industrial instant meat. In truth, this kind of instant meat had its drawbacks—chiefly, once people's lives improved, it would swiftly lose its appeal. In Qingming today, for instance, virtually no one wanted to eat such stuff; had Wei Yuan not specifically demanded cheap industrial meat, it might never have seen the light of day.
Yet Qingming had long since prepared countermeasures. When promoting the Three Realms Dao lineage within Qingming nowadays, the daily incentive for ordinary believers was eggs. Eggs suited young and old alike, appealing equally to rich and poor.
Having reviewed the present situation in Eastern Jin, Wei Yuan judged that the time was ripe, and thus initiated the third step.
***
At this time, the atmosphere in Eastern Jin's imperial court was bizarre. The military nobility's side was cloaked in dark storm clouds, whereas the high-ranking civilian officials basked in clear skies, each beaming with joy. Like a mountain of flesh, the Grand Pillar General stepped forward with a thunderous stomp and roared furiously, "Qingming has pushed us too far! For our grand Jin to hold an imperial examination, we actually need Qingming's permission? What kind of creature does Wei Yuan think he is? He has no imperial blood and belongs to no prominent clan, yet now he wants to take a shit on our heads?"
A handsome, suave scholar stepped forward from the ranks and spoke up immediately: "Senior General Liu judges scholars by their pedigree—what a shallow view! 'Heroes care not where they come from'—even commoners in the street understand this truth.
"Furthermore, our Great Jin is holding joint examinations with Qingming to select talents. Why can't that be a wonderful thing? Must our Jin talents flow exclusively to Qingming? Could Qingming's talents not come to Great Jin as well? Senior General Liu, do you look down on Great Jin, or do you look down on His Majesty?"
The Grand Pillar General was enraged and barked, "What kind of creature are you? A mere third-rank nobody! When I was braving life and death on the battlefield, your mother hadn't even weaned you yet! Don't think I don't know that you lot have taken plenty of benefits from Qingming—that's why you're defending Qingming at every turn! Keep babbling your nonsense, and I'll chop your head off the moment we leave the palace!"
Perched upon the throne, King Xuan of Jin seemed drowsy and muddled, appearing completely oblivious to the fierce quarrel below.
The young civilian official was entirely fearless. Taking a step forward instead, he replied coldly, "As a subject, one must uphold loyalty and offer remonstrance, giving one's life before resting! If the Grand General does not wish me to speak, you are welcome to execute me right here in court! Otherwise, I will say whatever ought to be said!"
"You..." The Grand General clearly had not expected the young official to be so brazen, and was so incensed he nearly charged forward to strike him. Yet although this official was young and not high-ranking, he was nonetheless a dharma idol cultivator; if blows were traded, taking him down would be no simple matter.
The young official sneered, "His Majesty still sits above, yet the Grand General threatens to execute a minister right here in court without even seeking His Majesty's word. If I didn't know your sister was merely a Noble Consort, I would have thought His Majesty's own blood flowed in your veins!"
"Silence!" Left Prime Minister Wang He, standing at the head of the civil officials, gave a soft cough. The young official immediately curbed his momentum and retreated silently into the ranks.
Only now did the King of Jin seem to awaken. Opening his rheumy, clouded eyes, he looked around and said, "What on earth is going on this time? Why are you quarreling like this? Minister Wang, explain it once more. I didn't catch it."
Wang He stepped forward and reported, "This year marks our Great Jin's triennial imperial examination to select scholars, and everything was originally arranged in accordance with past precedent. However, Qingming suddenly proposed that because they are constructing floating roads in the south for Great Jin—a massive endeavor facing a shortage of talents—the admission quota for Great Jin's capital examination this year should be doubled, and Qingming will select scholars alongside Great Jin. Accepted candidates may go to Qingming if they wish, or remain in Great Jin if they prefer. That is the matter at hand."
A military general muttered under his breath, "Then won't they all run off to Qingming?"
The palace hall happened to fall dead silent at that moment, making his murmur ring out with startling clarity for all to hear. Startled by his own voice, the general hurriedly shut his mouth tight.
The King of Jin's expression shifted slightly. "Will they all go to Qingming? How many could possibly remain?"
Wang He hesitated for a moment before answering, "The examination papers of this capital trial are currently being rechecked, and the qualifying candidates are indicating their desired destination. Please wait a moment, Your Majesty; the results will be ready shortly."
The King of Jin pondered for a bit, then said, "Wei Yuan supplying armaments and building floating roads before—that, We could understand. But why this now? Could there be someone of breathtaking talent among this year's candidates that stirred Wei Yuan's desire to poach them?"
A rough-hewn general spoke up, "Your Majesty, we cannot open this door! If we do, won't all our talents flee to Qingming?"
A civil official stepped out from behind Wang He and sneered, "What is General Fan implying? That anyone who goes to Qingming is a talent, while those who stay in Great Jin are all good-for-nothing gluttons? By your logic, Prime Minister Wang, Senior Pillar General Liu, myself Xu Qian, and you bearded Fan—indeed, all the civil and military officials standing in this hall—are all useless trash?"
General Fan flushed red with anxiety. But when it came to eloquence, how could he match these scholars who tossed words around daily and had even pursued specialized studies in sophistry and logic in Qingming?
Wang He coughed softly once more, and Xu Qian immediately returned to his place in line without another word.
Wang He's voice was gentle as he spoke: "Among those standing behind this minister, talents gather like clouds. And behind Senior Pillar General Liu, there are also many valiant figures among the generals. In recent years, because the war against Qingming went poorly back then, these generals have suffered no shortage of criticism. Yet this minister still remembers that after war broke out with Qingming, the familiar faces I once knew diminished by a full twenty percent.
"Our Great Jin's military generals also have those who do not fear death. The reason I resolutely advocated for peace back then was truly because Qingming's vessels were sturdy and their cannons fierce. Under the guns of floating vessels filling the sky, no matter how many ordinary soldiers charged, they were merely marching to pointless deaths. Yet in those few battles, many of Great Jin's generals proved to be heroes who perished at the front!"
Senior Pillar General Liu's eyes suddenly reddened, and moisture welled in the eyes of many generals.
Wang He continued, "Water has no constant shape, and the world has no constant state. Qingming proposed selecting scholars jointly this time, and I argued firmly in favor of accepting it precisely because this serves as a sifting gate. It can filter out those who merely possess talent but whose hearts do not belong to Great Jin, sending them off to Qingming. Those who remain might not be the most brilliant, but they are the ones truly willing to lay down their lives for our realm.
"This minister believes: when the heart pursues the clear moon, water naturally settles in the hollows!
"Those who harbor disloyal hearts, no matter how talented, will never serve Great Jin. But those whose hearts are tied to Great Jin, even if their talent is mediocre, will become pillars of state if they forge ahead year after year!"
The cloudiness in the King of Jin's eyes vanished for a fleeting moment, only to return to normal immediately after. He said slowly, "Since Minister Wang puts it that way, let it be done. How many candidates are we accepting in total this time?"
The supervising eunuch beside him answered, "In previous years, eighty presented scholars were admitted; this year, it is one hundred and eighty."
The King of Jin mused, "Then how many do you ministers think will remain in Great Jin?"
Wang He stated, "At least ninety!"
The King of Jin finally nodded, then dismissed the court.
When leaving the court, Wang He was the last to depart the hall. Just as he stepped past the palace doors, the palace steward called out to him. The old supervising eunuch whispered, "His Majesty means that this matter concerns the dignity of the court. The Prime Minister must ensure that at least ninety remain in Great Jin."
Wang He replied, "Rest assured, Eunuch. I have already laid plans. Taking a multi-pronged approach, we will certainly uphold Great Jin's dignity."
The old chief steward still wore a worried frown and sighed, "Lately, His Majesty has been troubled by the state of affairs, unable to eat or sleep well. The Prime Minister must find a solution."
Wang He pondered briefly, then said, "I have just selected a batch of fine maidens and handsome young boys to replenish the inner palace. In two days, I shall submit a confidential memorial to His Majesty."
The old chief steward finally broke into a broad smile. "Great Jin having Minister Wang is truly Heaven's blessing!"
After passing the palace gates, Wang He boarded his carriage and lit an incense burner. The scent of sandalwood permeated the carriage interior. Within the curling incense smoke, a figure manifested, its facial features indistinct. Wang He bowed down inside the carriage, making a deep prostration.
The smoke-formed figure spoke with a human voice, which was remarkably Wei Yuan's: "Is the matter settled?"
Wang He answered, "His Majesty demands that at least ninety remain in Eastern Jin. That leaves more than enough room to place our seventy."
The smoky figure was quite pleased and said, "There is no need to force it. Whoever wishes to remain in Eastern Jin, let them all stay. As for how to handle them, you know what to do."
Wang He said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, Realm Lord. We need only pick out a few scapegoats, plant some evidence, and interrogate them until they are branded as spies sent by other nations. That will allow us to catch the lot in one net. Afterward, we can keep a few around as window dressing, placing them in aloof, prestigious posts where they will never receive real appointments for the rest of their lives.
"With these seventy placed in key positions, combined with the clean-stream faction officials who have joined us one after another recently, the court's governance will fall entirely into my hands!"
The smoky figure asked, "With great power in hand, you haven't forgotten the great undertaking, have you?"
Wang He bowed his head and said, "I would never dare forget! Within three years, Eastern Jin will surely gain a million more in Body Casting and ten thousand in Dao Foundation."
The smoky figure nodded slightly. "Very good. The more new cultivators there are, the more secure your Bodhisattva status will be."
Chapter 1326