Chapter 1301: St. York
This time, Qi Xuansu did not take a flying ship to the northern part of the New Continent. Instead, he chose a steam-powered ship.
He did not board the ship under his public identity but adopted another.
Unlike the Western Continent, which had been developed and administered by the Holy Court for over a thousand years, the Northern New Continent was still relatively new. Whether in terms of population or organizational cohesion, the Holy Court’s rule over the Northern New Continent remained lax. The various states were almost like independent fiefdoms. Aside from jointly acknowledging the authority of the Holy Court, they even had conflicts among themselves. It was precisely for this reason that the Holy Court ultimately lost the Southern New Continent.
After all, the population was too small, and the size of the New Continent was even larger than the Western Continent. Even though the Holy Court continuously transported immigrants and slaves there, the land remained sparsely populated. At the same time, they had to suppress the frequent uprisings of the natives, stretching their resources thin.
This was not something that could be solved by a few apostles. Perhaps when God intervened, they could defeat local ancient gods or topple an empire. But God alone could not establish effective governance. People were required for that.
For these various reasons, the Holy Court’s influence in the Northern New Continent could not reach the level of pervasive control it enjoyed in the Western Continent. As long as Qi Xuansu did not create too much disturbance and remained careful to conceal his movements, nothing serious would happen to him in the Northern New Continent.
Qi Xuansu wanted to personally see what the Northern New Continent under the Holy Court’s rule truly looked like so he could adjust the strategies for the Southern New Continent based on the actual situation.
Beichen Hall naturally had reports on all these matters, and the compiled documents could fill an entire room. Yet hearing about something a hundred times was not as effective as seeing it once. If reading documents alone were enough to understand reality, the Daoist Order would not need to conduct inspections and investigations.
Deceiving higher-ups, concealing the truth, and falsifying data seemed to be skills that people everywhere could master without instruction. The wind disaster in Poluo had left a deep impression on Qi Xuansu. The numbers reported from below were all false—many were mere estimates or references. In the end, no one truly knew the real figures.
Besides that, there was another reason. Before Qi Xuansu departed, the Imperial Preceptor personally summoned him.
The Imperial Preceptor did not comment on specific affairs but instead spoke about some more abstract matters.
The Imperial Preceptor believed that oftentimes, policies that appeared correct might not necessarily gain the recognition or response of the majority. Thus, a leader must remain vigilant while guiding others forward. One must also frequently look back to ensure that one’s followers do not fall too far behind.