Chapter 907: Internal Affairs and Victory
While the battle in Ise raged on, Sage Qingwei had already completed his inspection and returned to the Xiujing command camp.
His responsibility as the Sage Commander was in the overarching strategy. The specifics of battlefield command were left to the professionals since there was no need for him to interfere. Unless absolutely necessary, he would not even inquire about it.
This was both a great display of trust and a testament to his boldness.
Naturally, Sage Qingwei returned to Xiujing to address some matters regarding internal governance.
After all, suppressing Fenglin’s rebellion by force was only the beginning. What came afterward—the governance—was just as crucial.
The Daoist Order’s dominion stretched even broader than that of the Great Xuan Court. Its principle had always been to rule without direct governance and let professional bureaucrats handle court affairs. Daoist priests, who were unfamiliar with civil administration, would not interfere.
Structurally, the Daoist Order sat at the top, beneath which were several courts. The largest was the Great Xuan Court, which was the core region and the pillar of the Daoist Order. It was regarded as the foundation and could not be compared on equal terms with the other “lesser” courts, including Borneo, East Shakya, Liaobei, the Western Region, the Grasslands, and Fenglin, among others.
Each had its own minor kingdoms and courts that paid homage to the Daoist Order. These local courts also underwent dynastic changes, and new rulers would often seek investiture from the Daoist Order as soon as they ascended to secure legitimacy. They also paid tribute to Great Xuan Court and entered its tributary system. However, the Great Xuan Court would not meddle in the internal governance of these autonomous regions.
For Fenglin, this role was held by Chancellor Toyotomi’s Office.
Thus, Sage Qingwei’s task was to pave the way for the Chancellor’s Office to ensure smoother governance of Fenglin in the future.
Led by Shen Yuqing, Yagyu Sosei entered Sage Qingwei’s central command tent.
Like Katsura Yoshiyuki, Yagyu Sosei was also a Kengo. However, the former had a tragic death, with his remains scattered on the Ise battlefield. The latter, who had befriended Sage Qingwei, now strode openly into Xiujing’s command camp as an honored guest.