Chapter 52: What Defines a Prosperous Era? (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Changsun Sheng was back!

It was just that he had brought back to Luoyang a piece of news that could hardly be considered good.

When Zheng Yanqing arrived at the Thunderbolt Hall, the servants escorted him directly to the rear garden. Outside the garden, hundreds of armored guards stood on sentry duty. Even from afar, Zheng Yanqing could feel the heavy, oppressive aura of killing emanating from these soldiers.

"Master!"

As Zheng Yanqing stepped into the pavilion within the garden, he was surprised to see Fang Yanqian, the Magistrate of Henan, present as well.

He first offered his greetings to Changsun Sheng, then stepped forward to bow to Fang Yanqian. A gentle smile broke across his usually cold and stern face. Fang Yanqian gestured for Zheng Yanqing to take a seat. "Young Master Zheng, this should be our second meeting. It seems you have recovered quite well."

Zheng Yanqing hastily bowed and said, "After your junior nephew awoke, the servants mentioned that you had been expressing your concern, Uncle."

Changsun Sheng gave a cough, interrupting the exchange of pleasantries between Zheng Yanqing and Fang Yanqian.

"Yanqing, the reason I summoned you here today is that there is an important matter I wish to consult you about!"

Zheng Yanqing was startled. "I wonder what it is that Master wishes to ask?"

"You..." Changsun Sheng hesitated for a moment before speaking in a soft voice, "Do you truly believe that the White-Clad Maitreya sect has the potential to trigger disasters comparable to the rebellions of the Taiping Dao or Sun En during the Tianshi Dao?"

Sun En's Rebellion was an uprising that occurred during the late Eastern Jin dynasty.

Its nature was quite similar to Zhang Jiao's Taiping Dao Rebellion, and it was precisely Sun En's Rebellion that drained away the last remnants of vitality from the Sima Dynasty of the Eastern Jin. Afterwards, Liu Yu established the Song, which officially kicked off the chaotic era of confrontation between the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Zheng Yanqing was filled with puzzlement, unable to understand why Changsun Sheng and Fang Yanqian were seeking his opinion on this matter.

Yet upon reflection, it seemed understandable.

After all, the crackdown on the White-Clad Maitreya sect had been initiated by Zheng Yanqing himself.

In less than a month, more than thirty thousand Maitreya followers had been purged in the Heluo region, among whom were quite a few local powerful clans.

Perhaps Fang Yanqian had stepped on the interests of certain interest groups and was beginning to feel the pressure.

In the span of a fleeting second, countless thoughts flashed through Zheng Yanqing's mind.

In his impression, the turbulence of the Sui and the rise of the Tang—the dynastic transition—did not last very long, and he had never heard of any deeds concerning the White-Clad Maitreya. Presumably, in the midst of that warfare, the White-Clad Maitreya had not caused any significant impact; otherwise, historical texts would have recorded it.

If he had not been reunited with Duoduo, Zheng Yanqing might have resolved to hunt down the White-Clad Maitreya and eradicate them completely.

Because he indeed held very little affection for such cult organizations that were incapable of accomplishing anything yet proficient in ruining things.

But now, the matter involved Duoduo, and Zheng Yanqing was forced to make considerations on her behalf. Duoduo had already agreed to evacuate Luoyang; he needed to buy enough time and space for her withdrawal. Yet how could he find a way out of this?

The matter had been instigated by him, and previously he had also displayed an extreme level of attention toward the White-Clad Maitreya.

To suddenly overturn his previous actions would undoubtedly arouse the suspicions of Changsun Sheng and Fang Yanqian. However, if he did not overturn them, and Changsun Sheng and Fang Yanqian continued their thorough investigation, it might spell immense danger for Duoduo, which was deeply troublesome.

"Master, this student truly finds this question difficult to answer.

For I do not know what the current state of the White-Clad Maitreya is; if it possesses a scale like the Taiping Dao, where a single call brings a response from eight prefectures, it is indeed extremely dangerous. Therefore, if one asks about the consequences, one must look at the extent of its influence."

Changsun Sheng asked, "And if the influence is not large, what then?"

"This student believes that if the influence is not large, things will not be troublesome at all. After all, the empire of our Great Sui falls short by a hundred thousand miles compared to the situation in the late Han dynasty. The Taiping Dao was able to shake the Han royal house only because the Han house was decadent and already tottering on the verge of collapse. Whereas the empire of our Sui house is currently at its zenith... Once the Yongji Canal is opened, it will place both North and South entirely within our grasp.

If this is the case, this student believes we should prioritize guidance and relegate eradication to a secondary role.

The so-called 'blocking is inferior to dredging'—taking advantage of the time before the White-Clad Maitreya gathers any climate to guide them early on can allow them to naturally dissolve."

If the momentum of the White-Clad Maitreya were akin to that of the Taiping Dao, Zheng Yanqing would find it useless even if he wanted to stop it.

However, if it were merely in its embryonic form, then guidance would be far more effective than forceful suppression. After all, sometimes the consequences of forceful suppression would breed even greater resentment. Zheng Yanqing did not know whether Duoduo could persuade Husky, but one thing he understood clearly: even if Husky refused to leave, Duoduo would heed his words and withdraw from Luoyang, this place of right and wrong.

What he needed to do right now was to buy time for Duoduo.

As for what the outcome of the White-Clad Maitreya would be? Zheng Yanqing had never given it thought, nor would he consider it on behalf of the White-Clad Maitreya. He only needed to worry about Duoduo alone, and that would be quite enough...

Fang Yanqian nodded. "Although the momentum of the White-Clad Maitreya has not yet materialized, its hazards are nonetheless worrisome.

Yet Young Master Zheng is correct; blocking is inferior to dredging... If we simply resort to forceful suppression, it might produce results contrary to our intentions. Grand General, it seems Young Master Zheng's considerations are much the same as yours and mine. It would be better to follow what was discussed earlier: slow things down, prioritize pacification, and supplement it with military force. In this way, I imagine we can swiftly restore the prosperity of Luoyang, and His Majesty will not place the blame upon us."

Hark. Why did this matter become entangled with Yang Guang once more?

Zheng Yanqing could not help but feel puzzled, lifting his head to look toward Changsun Sheng.

Only to see Changsun Sheng nod. "Since that is the case, I shall give my full cooperation to Magistrate Fang to quell the Maitreya rebellion as swiftly as possible."

"Then I shall return immediately to oversee the arrangements and will no longer disturb you!"

"Safe journey, Magistrate Fang!"

Fang Yanqian rose and walked outward. As he passed by Yanqing, he paused in his footsteps and patted Zheng Yanqing on the crown of his head.

"Young Master Zheng, I heard people say that a few days ago, you knocked someone into the Luo River?"

"Ah..."

"Do not be nervous; I am not here to reprimand you." Fang Yanqian said with a solemn expression, "It is simply that you are brimming with talent and are currently revered by many of the refined scholars in literary circles. Therefore, in the future, you must be careful of your own words and deeds so as not to leave behind handles for others to grasp.

You must be aware that many people take you as their role model. Every move you make will be watched by the world..."

Though he claimed he was not reprimanding him, Zheng Yanqing still felt a shudder run through his heart.

This Black-faced Fang was always an iron-faced, selfless individual who acknowledged no personal ties. He was actually using a different method to warn Zheng Yanqing not to do things that violated the law. Because his reputation and status dictated that he would receive far greater scrutiny.

Yanqing hastily bowed in assent, timidly sending Fang Yanqian off.

"Who did you have a conflict with?"

As soon as Fang Yanqian departed, Changsun Sheng immediately asked with curiosity.

Zheng Yanqing replied, "In truth, I did not have a conflict with anyone... A few days ago, Auntie Pei took me on a boat ride along the river, and unexpectedly we ran into her former husband, Li Dewu, on the water. That Li Dewu spewed all manner of foul and filthy words, and even slandered myself and Auntie Pei. This student could not restrain himself for a moment, so I went over and gave him a beating. It was he who tumbled off the boat by himself; it has no great connection to this student."

"Li Dewu, is it!"

Changsun Sheng nodded. "The Auntie Pei you spoke of must be Pei Shuying. Ah, that Li Dewu—I have never been able to look upon him with favor either. Back when he was serving in the Eastern Palace, relying on being able to churn out a few verses of poetry, he won the favor of Sister Shuying. The fellow's moral character... Still, you must be somewhat careful. He is a petty person, and if you are not careful, he will bring trouble upon you."

Trouble?

Zheng Yanqing let out a cold snort internally.

Since Changsun Sheng himself described him as a petty person, there was even less reason to let him off.

It seemed that upon returning, he needed to urge Shen Guang to accelerate his actions...

"Grand Scholar Xue... has departed!"

Changsun Sheng gazed at the lotus leaves in the pond, suddenly uttering a sentence out of nowhere.

"Ah?"

"His Majesty's western tour this time yielded quite good results overall. However, Grand Scholar Xue... was ordered by His Majesty to die."

"For what reason?"

Changsun Sheng glanced at Zheng Yanqing and gave a bitter smile. "To speak of it, the death of Grand Scholar Xue has some connection to you."

"It has a connection to me?"

Zheng Yanqing was astonished and bewildered, a blank expression covering his face.

He had never even spoken a word to Xue Daoheng. During the chrysanthemum battle, Xue Shou had merely pointed him out for a brief moment, but there had been no excessive contact.

Changsun Sheng gently rubbed his cheeks. "You were ambushed at White Bird Temple, and subsequently that matter concerning the White-Clad Maitreya was dragged into the light. When Grand Scholar Xue heard about this, he seemed to harbor some dissatisfaction with the state of affairs. Therefore, in private, he once remarked: 'If Lord Gao Ying were still here, how could things have come to this?'

I know not how, but these words reached the ears of His Majesty.

Upon hearing them, His Majesty flew into a great rage. He believed that Grand Scholar Xue was slandering the imperial court and harbored ill intent toward him, and thus subjected him to a severe execution."

Zheng Yanqing was left speechless.

He truly did not know what to say in response.

That remark by Xue Daoheng, rather than being spoken on Yanqing's behalf, was better viewed as an expression of dissatisfaction with Yang Guang's execution of Gao Ying in the past. The so-called crime of discussing state affairs at will... how similar was this charge to the charges leveled against Gao Ying and Heruo Bi previously? His encounter with an assassination attempt at White Bird Temple merely provided Xue Daoheng with an opportunity to air his grievances. As for Yang Guang? The desire to kill Xue Daoheng was likely something he had harbored for a long time.

Zheng Yanqing knew that Xue Daoheng was destined to die, but he had never expected that Xue Daoheng's death would become entangled with him.

Was this not a case of "I did not kill Bo Ren, yet Bo Ren died because of me"?

"Do you know why I asked you those questions just now?"

"This student does not know."

"His Majesty is about to return to Chang'an, and has planned to summon the chieftains of various nations in Luoyang starting from the twelfth lunar month. Yet at this time, Magistrate Fang is making massive arrests of the White-Clad Maitreya in Luoyang, which has already made Luoyang considerably desolate. Therefore, His Majesty is very displeased and has sent an imperial envoy to reprimand Magistrate Fang.

Magistrate Fang is also in a difficult position.

From his perspective, if the White-Clad Maitreya is not eradicated, it could potentially brew into a massive rebellion like the Taiping Dao. Yet at the same time, His Majesty is unwilling to admit this. You may not know, but this time His Majesty gathered the chieftains of various nations in Zhangye and acquired the title of 'Heavenly Khagan', and he is currently brimming with pride and self-satisfaction. If those chieftains were to discover that the imperial capital region is desolate, would not his face be disgraced?

Therefore, His Majesty has issued an order to halt the suppression of the White-Clad Maitreya, and demanded that Magistrate Fang restore the prosperity of Luoyang as swiftly as possible, and begin preparations to welcome the chieftains of various nations in Luoyang next year... Yanqing, judging by the intentions of the imperial envoy, His Majesty seems to harbor some dissatisfaction toward you."

"Dissatisfaction toward me?"

Zheng Yanqing's heart skipped a beat, and he looked toward Changsun Sheng in alarm.

Changsun Sheng smiled bitterly. "He believes that the so-called 'Taiping Treatise' that you and Xue Shou composed back then is fundamentally an absurd and preposterous piece of nonsense... However, you need not worry too much; the Empress actually spoke a few words in your defense, so there will not be any major trouble."

Empress Xiao pleaded on my behalf?

Zheng Yanqing grew even more bewildered...

He had never even laid eyes on Empress Xiao; why on earth would this Empress intercede for him?

Changsun Sheng stated, "In short, you must be cautious in your words and deeds from now on and be careful in all things. The previous lessons of Lord Gao Ying and Grand Scholar Xue are examples you should engrave deeply in your heart. Starting tomorrow, you shall resume your studies. Moreover, you should walk about the marketplace less often."

Zheng Yanqing bowed in compliance.

Changsun Sheng pulled him closer once more, inquiring about his studies for a short while before finally allowing him to take his leave.

After Yanqing departed, however, Changsun Sheng remained with a furrowed brow and a heavy heart. Ever since Yang Guang executed Gao Ying and Heruo Bi, he had vaguely sensed a change in Yang Guang. He had become no longer as receptive to advice as before, had grown somewhat self-satisfied, and had begun to turn arrogant. This was by no means a good phenomenon, yet Changsun Sheng was completely powerless against it.

He stood beside the lotus pond, gazing at the lotus leaves floating upon the water for a long time, while a faint, ominous premonition stirred within his heart...

If this continued, where would the empire of the Great Sui head?

Changsun Sheng was truly worried!