Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

He Niu Martial Arts Academy.

Late in the evening, as 11 p.m. approached.

The dormitories were silent, with only a few oil lamps casting a dim, yellow glow.

Chen Shouheng pushed open the door to his room.

The day’s events had left him utterly drained, both in body and Heart Spirit. All he wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep.

On the desk by the window, an oil lamp was still lit.

The dim, yellow light stretched the shadow of Song Zilian, who was hunched over, writing furiously.

Hearing the door open, Song Zilian looked up. His face showed surprise when he saw it was Chen Shouheng. "Shouheng? You’re back?"

He put down his brush and looked him up and down. Noticing Chen Shouheng’s troubled expression, he asked with concern, "Why do you look so worn out? You were gone for over ten days. Did something major happen?"

Chen Shouheng shook his head, forcing a tired smile. "Thank you for your concern, Zilian. I’m fine. I just got caught up in some trivial matters that delayed me."

He had no intention of discussing what had happened, much less burdening his classmate with his troubles.

He walked to his bedside, set down his simple travel bag, and asked, as if casually, "Zilian, do you know anything about Master Zhang Luyan’s background?"

Song Zilian was taken aback, confused. "Shouheng, why the sudden interest in Master Zhang?"

Though puzzled, he thought for a moment before answering. "Master Zhang... he isn’t from our Jiangzhou. I heard he comes from a Northern Humble Family. In his early years, he didn’t practice martial arts. He pursued the proper path of the Imperial Examination and even became an Advanced Scholar. After that, he was assigned a post outside the capital and once served as an Assistant Councillor in the Governor’s Mansion of Siping County."

He paused, then continued, "Later, it’s said he married a young lady from the Cao Family. After that, through some unknown opportunity, he actually began to follow the Martial Dao and broke through to the Spirit Realm. From then on, you could say his career in both officialdom and martial arts flourished.

"He was first promoted to Si Ping Governor, then transferred to become the Governor of Huaiyang. He was later called to the Capital City and served successively as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, holding great power and authority. I heard that he was later implicated in a dispute over court etiquette, became disheartened, and resigned from his post to live in seclusion, coming to teach at our Martial Arts Academy."

After finishing his explanation, Song Zilian’s curiosity grew. "Shouheng, why are you asking about all this?"

’The Cao Family.’

With his back to Song Zilian, a glint of malice flashed in Chen Shouheng’s eyes. He quickly masked it, his tone flat. "It’s nothing. I just heard someone mention it while I was in Jiangzhou City and got curious, so I thought I’d ask."

Song Zilian came to his own conclusion, a look of realization dawning on his face. "Oh, I see. The Jiangzhou Governor is very close with the Cao Family. You must have met someone from the Cao Family at the Governor’s Mansion and heard about it then, right?

"I also heard that Master Zhang’s reason for coming to our Martial Arts Academy is related to the Cao Family. The story goes that his wife wanted to stay at the Cao Mansion, but Master Zhang refused, and that’s why he came here."

Seeing Chen Shouheng nod, he didn’t press the matter further and picked up his brush again, preparing to continue writing.

Seeing this, Chen Shouheng couldn’t help but ask, "Zilian, it’s so late. What are you still writing?"

Song Zilian slapped his forehead and laughed. "Look at me, I almost forgot to tell you. You’re from Mirror Mountain, so you’re the perfect person to ask about this."

He put down his brush, his expression turning more serious. "Five days ago, the Dean suddenly assigned a topic. All students of the six halls of the Martial Arts Academy are required to write a discourse on the national policy of ’Replacing Rice with Mulberry,’ discussing its pros and cons, and whether it should be promoted throughout Jiangzhou next.

"We have ten days to submit our essays. I’ve been racking my brain over it. Your hometown was one of the first counties to implement this policy. Quick, tell me, what is the situation in Mirror Mountain really like? Are the people benefiting more, or are they suffering more?"

"Replacing Rice with Mulberry?"

Chen Shouheng was stunned. Instantly, all the chaotic scenes from Mirror Mountain and Lishui counties over the past few years flooded his mind.

Noble Families setting traps, the Government Office cooperating, manipulating the price of grain and Mulberry Seedlings, land annexation, posing as Roving Bandits to plunder wealthy households...

An irrepressible wave of resentment and indignation surged up from the bottom of his heart.

He said in a heavy voice, "Zilian, you ask me what the situation is like? I’ll tell you the reality of it."

He took a deep breath and recounted all the strange and terrible things that had happened in Mirror Mountain over the years. It was impossible to keep the indignation out of his voice.

The more Song Zilian listened, the graver his expression became. His brush had long since stopped moving.

He muttered to himself in disbelief, "How could it be like this? If... if this policy is really implemented across all of Jiangzhou, with the power and methods of those great clans, would the common people of Jiangzhou even have a way to survive? Wouldn’t it lead to chaos throughout the land?"

Just moments ago, he had been writing in his essay about the wonders of the mulberry tree—how its leaves could feed silkworms, its berries could be eaten or used in medicine, and even its branches had medicinal properties...

The beautiful picture he had painted of the people’s income doubling after the policy’s implementation was now shattered by Chen Shouheng’s words.

He chewed on the end of his brush, his brow deeply furrowed. He was completely lost in thought, seemingly not even hearing the rest of what Chen Shouheng was saying.

Seeing him like this, Chen Shouheng didn’t disturb him further.

He tidied up his luggage, blew out the lamp on his side of the room, and lay down in his clothes.

But when he closed his eyes, the day’s encounters and the images of Mirror Mountain’s displaced people churned in his mind, causing him to toss and turn, unable to fall asleep.

After a long time, he suddenly sat up and relit the oil lamp.

He walked to the desk, spread out a sheet of paper, ground the ink, and picked up his brush.

His heart was in turmoil. He wanted to write down the tragic plight of the people of Mirror Mountain and Lishui—how five or six out of every ten had been displaced, their fields and homes seized, left to suffer from hunger and cold—and to condemn the poisonous influence of this policy.

"The shift from rice to mulberry was not for the people’s benefit, but a feast for the powerful. The lands of Mirror Mountain and Lishui were once known as a land of fish and rice. Since the policy was enacted, clerks and magnates have colluded to suppress land prices and inflate the cost of seedlings. They even orchestrated famines to push the people to their deaths. With no other choice, the people sold their homes and fields, abandoned their ancestral lands, and were left to perish in ditches. Five or six of every ten homes are now empty. The rich own vast, contiguous fields, while the poor haven’t enough land to stand on. The harms of this policy are profound indeed..."

His brushstrokes were sharp, the words filled with grief and indignation. In a little over a hundred words, there were already blood and tears.

Having written this far, Chen Shouheng felt a great sense of release, as if he had finally vented the feelings pent up in his chest.

However, the catharsis lasted only for a moment.

The tip of his brush froze. He had a sudden realization.

’That old scoundrel, Zhang Luyan, will definitely want to get rid of me as soon as possible.’

’If I submit this, and this essay criticizing national policy is passed on to the Court, I probably won’t even know how I died.’

’Wait!’

’Why did the Dean suddenly have all the students discuss this policy?’

’Is he just trying to hear different opinions? Or... is there some other motive?’

’Could he even be trying to use the brushes of us young students to criticize current affairs and test the political winds?’

’Are the great ministers in the Court truly unaware of the tragic situation in Mirror Mountain and Lishui?’

’Or do they know but pretend not to, simply because implementing this policy greatly benefits the Court’s tax revenue?’

His thoughts were a tangled mess, but eventually, they returned to the most fundamental question.

Was ’Replacing Rice with Mulberry’ ultimately a good thing or a bad thing?

He remembered something his father had once told him: where you stand depends on where you sit.

From the perspective of the common people, this policy was undoubtedly a malicious one.

’But what about from my own family’s perspective?’

Not only had his family not suffered, but they had seized the opportunity to acquire more than nine hundred acres of prime farmland, expanding their family’s wealth more than tenfold.

He recalled how in his youth, he had to be careful about spending even tens of taels of silver.

Now, his annual expenses easily reached tens of thousands of taels.

Just now, on a single whim, he had lost three hundred thousand taels.

If not for this policy, how could the Chen Family possibly have withstood such a blow?

How could they have achieved their current status?

Back then, when his grandfather spent four thousand taels to buy a Courtesan’s freedom, it had nearly bankrupted the family.

If things were still like that, he feared he wouldn’t even be able to scrape together enough money for his annual Cultivation expenses.

Thinking of this, a chill spread through Chen Shouheng’s heart.

He was silent for a long time. Finally, he picked up the sheet of paper he had just written on, the ink still wet, and lit it with the flame of the oil lamp.

The paper curled, blackened, and turned to ash. The unspoken outrage dissipated along with it.

Then, he picked up his brush again.

When the ink touched the paper, completely different words flowed from his hand.

The tone became laudatory, enumerating the many benefits the policy brought.

"The Court’s implementation of ’Replacing Rice with Mulberry’ is truly a farsighted and benevolent policy that benefits all people. Taking Mirror Mountain as an example, the initial mulberry fields have yielded remarkable results. When the people plant mulberries, the yield per acre is more than thirty percent greater than that of rice. The mulberry leaves feed silkworms, producing raw silk that is soft and lustrous, doubling its value. The berries are delicious, and the branches can be used in medicine, both of which can be sold for profit. The people’s income has increased through multiple channels because of this. Moreover, the silk weaving industry is booming, requiring a large workforce for reeling and weaving, which has created countless jobs for women and children. Households earn more in wages, and their lives are becoming increasingly prosperous. For the Court, as the output of the mulberry fields increases, the tax silver naturally rises as well. Based on realistic estimates, the tax per acre can increase to three taels or even more. In the future, if weaving workshops are widely established, they can absorb idle labor, bring prosperity to the region, and greatly increase the Court’s commercial tax revenue. This is a win-win Great Dao for enriching the people and strengthening the nation, which clearly demonstrates the Court’s wisdom and its benevolence toward all living beings..."

He wrote with a flourish, painting a prosperous scene of the world after replacing rice with mulberry. Although he felt an occasional pang of guilt in his heart, his brush did not stop.

Unconsciously, a small iron ball in the hourglass fell with a crisp DING.

Beside him, Song Zilian stood up, yawned, and said to Chen Shouheng, who was still writing furiously, "Shouheng, it’s my turn to ring the bell tonight. I’m heading out."

Without looking up, Chen Shouheng just grunted in acknowledgment. "Alright."

After Song Zilian left, he wrote for about another hour before finishing the laudatory essay of several thousand words.

He dropped his brush and looked at the paper covered in ink. He let out a long breath, but felt little relief in his heart.

He blew out the flickering lamp and collapsed onto the bed in his clothes.

Exhausted in body and mind, he soon fell into a deep sleep.

But in his dreams, he could faintly hear the cries of people wailing from hunger and cold.

...

「Lingxi.」

A travel-worn Chen Li returned to his home in Lingxi.

Before he could even take a sip of hot tea, his second son, Chen Shouye, hurried over with Shu Qi and Bai San, their expressions grave.

A few days ago, Shouyue had returned and informed Chen Li that Li Jinru’s pregnancy was difficult, and she often couldn’t sleep through the night.

So, Chen Li had simply told Shouye to close his medical clinic and bring Li Jinru home to rest.

"Father."

Seeing Chen Li, Chen Shouye’s voice was tinged with urgency and unease. "Something has happened at home."

Chen Li’s brow furrowed slightly. "What is it?" he said in a deep voice. "Speak slowly."

Chen Shouye composed himself and said, "Three nights ago, Master Bai San discovered an unknown expert Spying on our courtyard. Their movements were suspicious. So, I, along with Master Shu Qi and Master Bai San, set an ambush to capture them.

"But we didn’t expect them to be so strong. Both were experts at the Meridian Passage, the first level of the Spirit Realm. The three of us together thought it was a sure thing, and we did manage to injure them during the fight, but... in the end, they still managed to escape."