As the cultivators scrutinized the numerous cases Wei Yuan provided, their tempers flared hotter with every passing page.
Eventually, Xiaoyu slammed the table hard and fumed, "Such people make a point of committing a petty malice every single day without fail—talk about true perseverance! Their deeds might be pardonable, but their hearts deserve death!"
At these words, all the cultivators nodded in deep agreement. Only Xu Wenwu stared blankly at Xiaoyu, failing to understand what he meant.
Only then did Xiaoyu remember that this man had come from beyond the heavens, so he explained, "I mean those fellows who, the moment they get a tiny taste of authority, dedicate every single day without rest to making life difficult for others. Although each wrongdoing they commit is petty, their hearts have long rotted through. Killing them wouldn't be wrongful in the least! Once people like that get a chance to climb higher, who knows how much wicked harm they will inflict."
Xu Wenwu had a sudden realization. "Ah, unruly scoundrels rising to power!"
Xiaoyu scoffed. "Rise to power? They're a hundred and eight thousand li away from that! They don't even hold official rank."
Xu Wenwu retorted, "It's precisely the off-payroll folks who love throwing their weight around."
Feng Chutang pondered for a moment, then said, "To speak candidly, it isn't certain whether these people are truly that wicked. In my view, most people harbor a desire to hold privileges and show off before others. This is human nature; suppressing it is futile.
"Even if the law declares all people equal, many will still rack their brains to find reasons to look down on others. For instance, people from Qingming look down on those from Yizhou; within Qingming, Yong'an City looks down on the outskirts; Yong'an and Fengqi look down on each other; and even inside Yong'an, the Eight Inner Cities look down on the suburbs, while the Eight Inner Cities themselves are further divided into upper and lower tiers.
"Since this is human nature, channeling it is better than blocking it. Why don't we explicitly define which fields carry privileges? In truth, that would also encourage the common folk to develop in those directions."
Hearing this, the minds of the gathered cultivators immediately opened up. Wang Hu was the first to propose that since they were enlightening the populace, they might as well grant privileges to scholars graduating from advanced academies.
Xu Henshui suggested that those serving in the military risked life and limb, so beyond generous pay and handsome compensation for casualties, they ought to enjoy daily privileges as well.
Everyone chattered at once, quickly putting forth a barrage of suggestions, each with its own merit.
After holding back for a long while, Xu Wenwu blurted out, "Can handsome men and pretty women get privileges too?"
Bao Yun gave a faint smile. "They are already born with more than enough privileges; there is no need to grant more."
Once everyone had said their piece, Wei Yuan cleared his throat to end the discussion, stating, "Then let us settle it this way. First, cultivators will hold privileges according to their realm; second, those with military merit will hold privileges; third, those blessed with Dao Court status will hold privileges. We will establish these three rules first."
Wang Hu was somewhat puzzled. "Why don't scholars have privileges?"
Wei Yuan chuckled. "That is the blade I use to cut down others; why would I turn it upon myself?"
"Huh?" Wang Hu looked bewildered, inadvertently showing a trace of simplemindedness. Fortunately, Wei Yuan did not notice.
Wei Yuan explained, "Traditionally, one studies to understand principles, whereas in our Qingming, studying is primarily to master practical knowledge such as mathematics.
"If an enlightened person who understands principles seeks privileges for themselves, how can they still be considered enlightened?
"Furthermore, the day will eventually come when advanced academies become universal, and the vast majority of people will have graduated from them. Once they constitute the majority, where would the privilege be? Wouldn't that simply become tyranny?"
Hearing this, the crowd ceased to argue.
Afterward, Wei Yuan amended the administrative statutes for every level of government across Qingming. A principal change was drastically curtailing the discretionary power of low-ranking clerks; whenever a difficult matter arose, it had to be reported up to the Splendor of the Many Realms to be resolved there.
At the same time, Wei Yuan significantly elevated the importance of administrative procedures, correspondingly increasing the penalties for violating them. If an official failed to act in accordance with regulations, even if the eventual outcome was beneficial, they would still face punishment.
This measure was initially met with some skepticism, but Wei Yuan promptly produced a massive collection of case studies. The evidence proved that unless a procedure possessed a major flaw, the vast majority of procedural violations were merely attempts by a handful of people to pursue selfish gains; instances of truly seeking the public good were vanishingly rare.
Therefore, Wei Yuan simply sealed off that loophole entirely. If someone genuinely wished to benefit the people, there were plenty of proper channels available—was it possible that not a single one was workable?
When all was calculated in the end, three fundamental legal codes and dozens of administrative statutes were overhauled, with over seven hundred distinct revisions.
Even though the cultivators were all high-level figures capable of handling multiple tasks simultaneously, discussing each item one by one still left them thoroughly exhausted.
Wei Yuan, on the other hand, was delighted. He smiled and said, "It seems the time Qingming can serve as a beacon has been extended once again."
Sun Yu suddenly spoke up, "If you value even this bit of public welfare so highly, then there is another matter on my end. Shouldn't it also be placed on the agenda?"
"What is it?"
With a wave of Sun Yu's hand, an image of a human body appeared before the crowd, displaying the flowing blood vessels within. He then said, "Recently, I discovered a strange ailment. Afflicted patients often suffer from symptoms such as dizziness, chest tightness, and irritability. In severe cases, they die abruptly, mostly due to heart failure or ruptured blood vessels in the brain. If you trace the root cause, much of it is due to an excess of fat in the blood."
Wei Yuan remained silent for a moment before asking, "How can it be treated?"
Sun Yu replied, "Treatment is troublesome, but prevention is simple."
"And how should it be prevented?"
"Eat less, move more. If one can achieve Body Casting, the ailment will vanish on its own."
Wei Yuan and the other cultivators fell into a collective silence.
Only when Sun Yu formally raised this condition did Wei Yuan abruptly realize that Qingming had already progressed from a stage where everyone had meat to eat to a new stage where many people needed to lose weight.
How should history books record such an unprecedented golden age? Throughout the ages, none of the wise rulers and virtuous sovereigns of history had ever managed to bring their people to the point of needing to diet.
Reflecting carefully, Wei Yuan still could not bring himself to trust the character of contemporary scholars.
To ensure future generations would have a clear, accurate grasp of historical truth, Wei Yuan decided to activate the Development Bureau's special procedure, commissioning people in advance to write the histories of all the various states and set the proper tone for posterity.
Beginning with the rectification of officialdom, Wei Yuan subsequently rolled out hundreds of major and minor reforms one after another. Amid these gradual adjustments and mending, the tenth year of Zhaoning arrived before anyone knew it.
As patch after patch was applied, Qingming's administration transformed completely. For the first time, it reversed the historical cycle of using vicious clerks to suppress an unruly populace, replacing it instead with strict, impartial law to govern them.
The enforcement of law and the adjudication of cases by officials were centralized through the Splendor of the Many Realms. Whenever a magistrate's judgment showed a marked deviation from the ruling rendered by the Splendor of the Many Realms, they were required to submit detailed justifications, and the verdict could only be executed once reviewed and approved by officials three ranks higher. This single regulation alone reduced arbitrary penalties by ninety percent.
As for the reason behind this decision, Wei Yuan had once remarked, "Rather than trusting that the bureaucracy has no personal grudges and only a conscience, I'd sooner believe that yours truly would never show off before men."
Over the past year, Qingming had launched no massive campaigns, nor had it deployed troops abroad on a grand scale. Instead, it had devoted itself to mending and refining from within, unraveling deep-seated ailments one by one. The common folk discovered that life was gradually becoming simpler and easier. Regarding matters of personal concern, anything that was permissible could be resolved without currying favor with connections, while anything impermissible could not be resolved even if one did.
Those who desired special privileges needed only to cultivate diligently. A Dao Foundation cultivator held greater rights than a mortal, and a Dharma Idol cultivator's authority superseded that of a Dao Foundation cultivator. The rules were clear, and the path of upward mobility was unobstructed.
Thus, Qingming was like a blossoming young maiden; no dramatic shifts could be seen day to day, yet gradually she glowed with vibrant radiance. Just like the spring rain slipping into the night, it nourished all things in silence.
Chapter 1348