Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 96 The Treasure of Yaodu, The Southern King's Way
In March of the 33rd year of the Tianli reign, in the capital city, the main canal flowed slowly, its waters trickling along the banks, leaving behind a trail of sawdust, dead fish, and scum.

Inside the capital, boats still come and go on the canal, but the guardian beasts that used to pull the boats in the water are no longer there. This is because two years ago, Da Yao needed to organize a naval force on the Bo River, so he conscripted all the water beasts in the capital.

Now, the boatmen pulling the boats on the river have been replaced by boat trackers, who work together on the banks, chanting slogans. With the world in chaos, many people have come to the capital to make a living, so there is no shortage of manpower. The capital, nourished by the energy of the world, is rich in resources, and fish and shrimp flow back into the river every year, making it a place where many refugees can find refuge.

But the order is gradually collapsing.

…Evil spirit dividing line…

Inside the Great Demon Suppression Bureau, a night-walking imperial censor wearing a silver-patterned mask was reviewing files on various strange cases that had occurred in the capital over the past few months. The bamboo slips were spread out, revealing bizarre events at every turn.

On January 22, 1933, fifteen people jumped into the river and committed suicide on Linsheng Golden Bridge.

On February 21, in Liujia Lane, a wife killed her husband. When the constables arrived, the woman, holding scissors, shouted that she had killed a cow.

And yesterday, an old man burned his grandson to death in his home.

These cases, which disregarded human ethics, were all quickly concluded in the courtroom.

However, cases closed during the day were unearthed again at night and sent to the Demon Suppression Division's files. These cases were so bizarre, and the sudden surge of them kept the Demon Suppression Division extremely busy.

The Legalist school of the Great Yao refers to the Imperial Censors, personally appointed by the Emperor, who supervised scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants by day and judged demons and monsters by night. —In times of peace and prosperity, ghosts and spirits were suppressed by the Imperial Censors according to the law, and the people were simple and honest.

In chaotic times, the balance of Yin and Yang is disrupted, and all sorts of strange and bizarre events occur frequently, which means that evil forces are at work.

Jia Qiayang, the Grand Night Censor, has arrived at the morgue. The coroner is already standing to one side, where the bodies of those convicted in strange cases, after being beheaded or executed, are kept. The room is filled with a smell that is both fragrant and foul.

The coroner lifted the shroud covering the bodies and explained: These madmen mutilated themselves in the street after their episodes, and even the constables couldn't restrain them. They died immediately after the episodes subsided. The autopsy revealed that their brains were filled with blue fluid. As for their bones, they appeared to be eaten away by worms.

Jia Qiayang waved his hand, signaling the coroner to stop talking. In the case records within the Demon Suppression Division, only one species matched these characteristics: the Nightmare Butterfly. This butterfly comes at night, drawn by people's resentful dreams, burrowing into their ears, nose, and other orifices, stealing their spirit. The sticky substance it produces incites evil thoughts in the brain. After its host dies, the butterfly returns to its mother body and spontaneously combusts, while the mother body, nourished by offerings, achieves a leap in vitality and spirit.

Jiaqia Yang said: We must find the Butterfly Mother.

Within this imposing building, members of the Demon Suppression Division, dressed in their ceremonial robes and carrying waist tokens and swords, emerged in pairs from the gates, dividing tasks to search for clues.

…three hundred paces away…

On the eaves of the capital region of Da Yao, a beautiful young woman picked up a crystal ball and watched the Demon Suppression Division take action.

This young woman, surnamed Li, was sixteen years old and a well-bred lady from a prominent family in Jiuyang County. However, due to the rampant bandits in Jiuyang County, she had no choice but to flee north with her family to escape the chaos. But her fate changed when she encountered a young immortal in a blue Taoist robe at night. This immortal gave her a chance, but after she and her family went north, they suffered a setback at their family's home in the capital and had to live under someone else's roof.

But she seized the opportunity at this time. A year ago, she was still a young woman engaged in knitting and embroidery, but now she is the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Curtain Sect.

A butterfly emerged from the night, landed on her shoulder, and then phosphorescent flames ignited on its wings, the smoke seeping into her clothes.

Immediately afterwards, a grain of rice emerged from her snow-white fingertip, followed by a caterpillar crawling out, and then in a moment it pupated into a new, dazzling butterfly, which gracefully took flight from her index finger into the sky. The butterfly was so beautiful, and her skin was as smooth as jade.

At this moment, her pupils reflected one blue and one purple. The blue pupils reflected the immortal, filled with admiration. The purple pupils reflected the censor of the Demon Suppression Division, but were filled with amusement.

…the blue moon and the purple moon merged together…

After the night watchman finished his last watch, the rooster crowed at dawn.

During the day, the sixteen arched bridges spanning the river remain bustling with traffic and people, as if the previous cases had not affected the harmony under the emperor's nose.

The imperial censor also took off his mask and went to the restaurant to have a drink.

Jiaqiayang was a descendant of the Prince of Beijing, and a member of the same clan as the current emperor. He studied Legalism and acted with a burning passion to uphold the court.

Today he came to this restaurant by the Golden Bridge for someone. The sun was high in the sky when the Li family carriage passed by. A maidservant looked around, recounting her story to the person inside the carriage.

Jiaqia Yang glanced at the sedan chair, and although he only caught glimpses of the delicate hands of the person inside, he was content. This Miss Li was going to the temple to pray for blessings.

Jia Qiayang met Miss Li a year ago. At that time, Fuzhou was hit by war, and the Li family began to move north to avoid disaster. As an imperial inspector, he was ordered by the emperor to supervise the migration of this aristocratic family and to find out where to make friends.

It was then that he met Miss Li and fell instantly in love, losing his appetite and unable to eat or drink. Upon returning home, he asked his elders to propose marriage. However, his father refused—for no other reason than that although the Li family was still a prominent family in Fuzhou, they had fallen into decline.

As powerful figures within the imperial court, they would need to provide support if they were to form a marriage alliance with the Li family. However, how could they possibly provide such support? Given the state of affairs, Prince Bei Jing was well aware of the Emperor's intentions; this Li family daughter was only fit to marry a military man—well, she was there to win over a military man. Therefore, he had already arranged another marriage for Jia Qiayang.

Jiaqia Yang heard that the Li family was planning a marriage alliance with the Wu family, the general of Zhennan. After making numerous inquiries, he confirmed that Li Lihua was going to marry a Wu man. Jiaqia Yang was extremely depressed, feeling as if he had seen his beloved peony being chewed by a cow.

Although the world is about to descend into chaos, the common people of the capital still consider themselves to be under the emperor's nose. In this prevailing perception, those outside the barbarian borders are still considered inferior.

However, it seemed that Heaven had taken pity on them. Several months ago, the Emperor issued an edict ordering the Ministry of Works to open up a new city in the east of the city and relocate the noble families in the north who had suffered from the chaos of war to the capital. The Li family was among those named in the edict.

In this way, Jiaqiayang saw Miss Li again.

The sedan chair passed under the arched bridge. Jiaqia Yang put away his folding fan, and a thought came to his mind: to meet his beloved.

Just as Jiaqiayang chased after him, he didn't notice at all that a transparent butterfly had floated onto him from behind.

…The dividing line of a tragic love affair…

The perspective shifts to southern Xinjiang, where Yao Sangu is gazing intently out the window. Her lower abdomen is slightly protruding, but it's not noticeable unless you look closely; she simply appears somewhat plump.

A few days ago, Wu Fei returned to southern Xinjiang and visited her immediately, showing her exceptional concern and care. Faced with such concern, she couldn't help but feel touched, but then resentment followed.

Aunt Yao looked down at her belly, glaring at him with the look of someone looking at their nemesis. How so! She had deliberately drawn in this vital energy, originally intending to have a swift delivery, completing the birth within nine months—or, as the dark moon in the sky circumnavigates nine times.

However, something unexpected happened: the umbilical cord of the fetus seemed to be strengthened by a strange force, and no matter how she mobilized her magic power, the umbilical cord remained connected very firmly.

Nine months had passed, and there had been no birth. The fetus had not received the blessing from the "Great Dao" and awakened astonishing wisdom in the womb. Instead, it was like an ordinary fetus, sucking its fingers and toes. This "stupid" child, who wouldn't come out of her womb, disgusted her. For a moment, she wanted to cut open her own abdomen, pull out this stupid son, and personally instill the true principles of the Dao.

But! Every time she was about to take action, she softened her heart.

But then, something even more unexpected happened this month: her Dao power was weakening, and even under the bright moonlight, she found she couldn't absorb a single drop of moonlight. Yao Sangu: Have I been abandoned by the "Great Dao"? The thought crossed her mind, and she cried, her tears soaking her entire pillow.

She began to feel resentment, resentful that she had let Wu Fei release his essence, and resentful that Wu Fei was nowhere to be found at that moment!
…The system glanced at it: You'll suffer for this in the future…

Outside the door, Xuan Chong (Wu Fei) was asking the doctor questions.

The physician looked at Xuan Chong and said, "General, your lady's pulse is good, and the fetus is healthy, but..."

Xuan Chong: "Just what?"

The doctor said, "The baby in the lady's womb is only three months along according to the pulse. If I hadn't examined the pulse seven months ago, I would never have imagined this situation!"

Xuan Chong was also dumbfounded, but then he tipped the doctor.

After the doctor left, Wu Fei muttered to himself, "Could it be that she's been pregnant for three years and six months (Nezha's gestation period), and will give birth to a ball?"

System: "Your heir is coming online, please don't worry."

Xuan Chong: "Huh?"

Then Xuan Chong asked, "Can I use credit points to speed this up with one click?"

After a long silence, the system responded: "Your thinking is wrong and needs to be corrected, but this is not a physical education class, so I cannot educate you. I have already applied to become a physical education teacher."

Although he didn't know why, Xuan Chong roughly sensed that he had made a mistake, and quickly said, "No, no, no."

…The files are being recorded…

In April of 1933, Wu Fei, who had rushed to southern Xinjiang to oversee land reclamation, was diligently working the land. Wu Fei was completely unconcerned about his reputation in the north. As a keyboard warrior, one only needs to consider the IP address and the stance. If they are not on the same IP address or in the same location, they can freely and unrestrainedly hurl insults. However, back in his hometown, Wu Fei's actions were all in accordance with the virtues of filial piety and respect for elders under the traditional Chinese rites and laws.

In Fenxing City, Wu Fei established the Village Elders' Association, which was specifically for receiving guidance from respected elders in the area.

The Legalist system promoted by Wu Fei left room for the rule of man as a buffer. Some rigid legal areas were left for some people who advocated the rule of man to comment on the advantages and disadvantages of the rule of law. This commentary ensured that the "law" could serve the basic needs of production and military affairs as much as possible.

At this moment, Wu Fei was politely greeting four people, who were representative figures among the distinguished guests from the south. Wu Fei also knew why they had come: they had come to plead for someone.

Since these four sages were all honest people who were willing to stay in the southern border and personally cultivate the land, meaning their IP and stance were correct, Wu Fei had no choice but to treat them with respect and courtesy.

The leader of the four sages began by saying: "Benevolent governance, the way of the king," and then proceeded to use classical Chinese phrases to praise "the general as a person of great virtue and fortune," leaving Wu Fei with no choice but to nod in response.

…Get straight to the point…

In the past six months, a large number of people who came south from Zhenzhou could not endure the hardships of southern Xinjiang and thus prepared to flee north.

However, the only road leading north from the entire southern Xinjiang region is the main road at Yongji Pass; the rest are all mountain paths! Moreover, they were unfamiliar with the area, making their escape north extremely difficult.

And what about Southern Xinjiang? There are bad people there too. —The interest groups that Wu Fei supported along the way were all driven by profit; only profit-driven groups could thrive in the treacherous environment of Southern Xinjiang.

So, when the people from Zhenzhou didn't know which way to go, they encountered some people who claimed they could help them smuggle themselves back north. Wu Fei: These silly kids from Zhenzhou don't even think about why this place should help them.

So, these locals led the people of Zhenzhou directly onto the mountain road, and then informed the local militia in the villages and towns of Lingnan halfway there. When the people of Zhenzhou were put into iron cages by the arriving farmers, they saw their guide standing righteously in front of the government troops, reporting the capture of runaway slaves. They were furious and cursed the wicked people of this poor and remote place.

Wu Fei was also greatly shocked when he heard this. First, he tricked the people of Zhenzhou into fleeing, and then he ripped off the passengers on the way and captured them with a clear conscience.

These people from Zhenzhou belonged to the "military ranks," and according to military law, desertion meant being demoted to slavery. —Wu Fei, recalling the eagerness of the southern merchants within his group to lift the ban on slave hunting, immediately suspected them.

However, a closer investigation revealed a deeper underlying conflict. The people who migrated from Lingnan were originally slaves who acquired land through struggle. They resented that the newcomers from Zhenzhou were allocated houses and riverside locations according to the standards for the upper class. Fueled by this resentment, the locals plotted against the equally restless Zhenzhou migrants.

Wu Fei couldn't help but sigh: In any region, people with a sense of regional identity have a concept of belonging and interests as "locals." Any administrative force that forcibly provides preferential support to another group of outsiders is "taking away their cake and eating it too."

Because of Wu Fei's immense prestige, the merchants and farmers throughout the southern border region now implicitly acknowledge him as their "master." However, even among lackeys, there are different ranks.

The people of Lingnan tacitly allowed Wu Fei to transfer all the land to his own name and to take 90% of the slaves as his own, but they could not stand Wu Fei's preferential treatment of these new northern migrants.

…For the sake of unity, it is still necessary to debate with those who disagree internally…

Returning to the present, Wu Fei looked at the four sages of Zhenzhou. They had come to persuade Wu Fei to implement benevolent governance and release those who had been "deceived" and fled north from Zhenzhou.

After listening to their demands, Wu Fei took a sip of tea. He already had a clear line in mind: first, the benefits for these relocated residents of Zhenzhou must not be reduced; second, fleeing would inevitably result in slavery, which was the law.

After setting down his teacup, Wu Fei cupped his hands in greeting to the four sages: "Gentlemen, you have asked me to implement benevolent governance. May I ask if benevolent governance can change the unruly customs of this place? You have already witnessed the unruly nature of these people. If any of you have a way to make the people here stop cheating and ripping off others, live peacefully, and not resist the government's governance, please teach me."

The group of wise guests looked at each other. Their original advice to Wu Fei was to give the people of Zhenzhou a break, but they never seemed to have considered using "education" to cleanse the locals of their barbarity.

However, such double standards, using benevolence and righteousness as a pretext to show favoritism, do not conform to the teachings of the sages.

One of the scholars said, “General, you are mistaken. Our people of Da Yao have long been influenced by the king's rule and can naturally be educated; this place is filled with the stench of blood and filth, and the people fear power but do not cherish virtue. We should use tyrannical rule!”

Wu Fei stared at him, waiting for him to finish before saying, "The people of Da Yao have long been influenced by the king's teachings, so there's no need for a teacher to enlighten me. I myself am a member of Da Yao. The land and property granted to the migrants from Zhenzhou by the General's Mansion are all superior to what the local villagers initially possess. I believe that the northerners are more likely than us southern barbarians to have a stable livelihood and a stable mind. However, there are still some northerners who are cunning and deceitful, wanting to abandon me! To abandon the cause of education in Lingnan! Since the kingly way is different, don't blame me for being domineering and aggressive."

Wu Fei stopped the four scholars from continuing their persuasion: "Since you masters want me to implement benevolent governance, then you must help me educate the people of this land, teaching them sericulture and farming. A tyrannical attack on disobedient people only results in rebellion. The way of the king is impartial; the people lack stability, and those unwilling to build stable property are unworthy of his rule. The laws of the Southern Frontier are strict; those who abandon their land and property will be enslaved. You need not persuade me further, nor should you worry too much. There is a chance to escape slavery; as long as one achieves merit in the army, one can also attain high rank."

The masters of the Great Path were still quoting classics and asking Wu Fei to be flexible, but they no longer dared to use the mainstream classics. Instead, they used obscure texts to persuade Wu Fei to be lenient, which put them at a disadvantage.

Wu Fei: "The reason why the way of the king is the way of the king is because the people believe that the way of the king is fair. Why do you teachers always argue with me and teach me to take the wrong path that goes against the majority?"

After the meaningless chanting of scriptures, the four sages tried to persuade him for a long time with earnest words, almost to the point of despair.

Wu Fei presented his prepared compromise: "As long as these Zhenzhou people marry local women, they will legally be considered settled here. They only need to engage in trade and will not be subject to slavery for the time being. Once they establish themselves here, have children, and contribute to agriculture and sericulture, they can return to their hometown! (Those high-ranking officials who received the Burning Elixir and became human servants, as well as the chieftains, are very willing to marry their daughters to the Da Yao people.)"
Wu Fei bowed repeatedly to the Master, saying, "I wish to act fairly; please help me."

The teachers initially wanted to say something more, but Wu Fei's "courtesy" left them speechless.

(End of this chapter)