https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-669-A-Canal-All-Shores-in-Rebellion/12852605/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-671-The-Rebel-King-s-Enjoyment-the-Old-Snake-s-Sacrifice/12852607/
Chapter 670: Troubles from All Directions, the Seven Sons of Qi Mountain
Chapter 670: Troubles from All Directions, the Seven Sons of Qi Mountain
Qin Muye observed that the weakening of the national fortune surrounding him was only a thin layer. Ever since the laborers building the Grand Canal rebelled, this trend had already begun. Adding to this, the collaboration between foreign clans and the local gentry made the fall of various county offices seem like a mere formality. Essentially, as soon as the foreign clans arrived, their disciples and officials would immediately surrender.
It seemed as if the entire world was against Qin Muye.
However, this was just one of the reasons. Another reason was the invasion from the four directions by the barbarians, who chose the perfect timing to attack, directly killing and plundering.
Qin Muye was somewhat helpless in this situation. The spirits had saved them once, but not for long.
It wasn't that they couldn't save them; rather, he felt that saving them once was meaningless. He couldn't let them personally intervene, as that would go against their principles.
It would be better to let everything fall apart and then reconstruct a new system. Once all the disciples and officials of the foreign clans became rebels, it would be justified to eliminate them.
As the saying goes: "Bandits pass like a comb, soldiers pass like a rake, and officials pass like a razor."
Leaving aside the bandits, the army of the Great Qian was now useless. As for the officials, due to the influence of the foreign clans, they were utterly corrupt. There might be some honest officials, but they would be hidden in some obscure corner.
This was a perfect opportunity to openly and justly eliminate the influence of the clans. Otherwise, there would be no reason to directly kill them, which would lead to the collapse of the national fortune.
The national fortune was indeed weakening, but it was as if the worms had revealed themselves. Killing them now would not harm himself.
"Black Hand, are you sure you want to wait until they reach the capital before we resist? Isn't that a bit risky? What if it all falls apart?" Qin Muye felt that this plan was too dangerous.
"More than that, we need to wait until the clans open the city gates and surrender before we take action, solving everything at once," Black Hand added even more daringly.
"..." Qin Muye was speechless. This was not just waiting for them to reach the doorstep, but to let them into the living room.
But upon further reflection, it seemed that even if he wanted to send someone to suppress the rebellion, there was no one capable of doing so. The court was filled with foreigners and incompetents; there was no one capable of leading an army. Even if someone could, there might not be any troops to lead.
"This way, the Great Qian is indeed in chaos," Qin Muye realized that in the end, he would have to rely on the spirits to intervene. No matter what, he would choose the path that was beneficial for the mission.
Directly killing them wouldn't work, so he needed to change his approach.
"Isn't chaos better? Then the materials for the Primordial Dragon will be available," Black Hand was completely unconcerned.
Did the foreign clans really think they had won? They were just providing the materials Black Hand and others needed to create the Primordial Dragon, which they had no time to collect themselves.
"You have a point," Qin Muye agreed, then continued, "How is the selection of the Four Pillars of the Great Qian going?"
"The White Xu from the Mirror Office is still in training and is expected to be qualified in at least a month. His ten sworn brothers have already joined."
"The Iron Blood Army has been formed and is currently embedded within the rebel forces. They have already mastered the 'Myriad Armies Strategy' and are waiting for the right moment to counterattack the foreign clans."
"The Rootless Sect is more challenging due to the complex process, but a spokesperson has been chosen."
"The Bureau of Astronomy currently has no leads. As you know, the civilization in this world has been suppressed by the foreign clans, and many things need to be reorganized. The officials in the court are just there to pass the days, leading to disarray in the archives."
Black Hand briefly summarized the status of the Four Pillars and sent a data report to Qin Muye.
"It's not bad. The secondary protagonist auras of White Xu and Chen Liuhuan are working well, especially Chen Liuhuan, who has already taken power. He is the only one among the 108 rebel leaders who has control, and he is currently promoting the 'Military Fiend Art.' It is likely that the entire force will reach the 3rd level."
"White Xu's secondary protagonist aura is not as noticeable, but it is more evident in his studies. While it may not have much effect now, it will be useful in maintaining order once things settle down."
Black Hand then commented on White Xu and Chen Liuhuan. White Xu was the Grand Marshal of the Mirror Office, and Chen Liuhuan was the General of the Iron Blood Army. Both were designated due to their secondary protagonist auras.
The secondary protagonist aura is a derivative of the main protagonist aura, essentially a supporting role that will have a significant connection to the main protagonist. Currently, since the main protagonist aura is still with Qin Muye and hasn't been given away, it is developing freely.
"Have you selected the adoptive candidates? Who are they?" Qin Muye quickly shifted the topic.
"Already chosen. The seventh son of King Qi Mountain, whose physical constitution and talent are excellent. There’s no need to worry about his future martial path in terms of innate conditions." Black Hand sent another set of documents.
King Qi Mountain was a member of the royal family, similar to Liu Bei and Liu Zhang. His seventh son was only about a month old, born to a maidservant. The child’s birthmother was thrown into a well and killed by the main wife because she gave birth to a male child. The child is now being raised by a wet nurse. King Qi Mountain, for his part, turns a blind eye to this. He has plenty of sons, and a bastard son has little value.
"Formal adoption won’t work. We’ll have the rebels help us with this." Qin Muye said.
King Qi Mountain was not a good person. He had survived this long not because of his abilities, but because he was a waste. Otherwise, the foreign clans would have dealt with him long ago.
"It’s already arranged. It will be done within three days at most." Black Hand said.
Qin Muye couldn’t just secretly bring the child over; he needed a legal basis. He could adopt King Qi Mountain’s son, but he couldn’t just pick an unknown infant and claim it as the heir.
This wasn’t for show; it was to align with the national fortune. Otherwise, there would be no need for such complications.
Therefore, he needed the entire Qi Mountain family to be eliminated by the rebels to avoid any future disputes.
To prevent something like the Great Ritual Debate of a certain Daoist emperor from happening again, Qin Muye had to take preemptive action.
As long as the child had no connection to King Qi Mountain from the beginning and was guided during his education, both legally and emotionally, these unnecessary troubles could be avoided.
This was why Qin Muye chose an infant rather than an adult.
"Have Chen Liuhuan quickly take control of the other rebel forces. He needs at least 50,000 troops to drive out the barbarians."
The four forces of the Man, Yi, Rong, and Di were also part of the foreign clans, and they seemed to be carrying out targeted massacres since their invasion.
"Yes, but shouldn’t we consider recruiting some of these talented individuals? After all, they do have some renown." Black Hand asked.
"No need. We stand at different levels, so our perspectives differ. Most of their talents are in the Eight-part Essays and poetry. How many of them have any practical experience?"
"What we need are people skilled in administration and governance, not a bunch of poets who only know about the arts."
Qin Muye wasn’t looking down on poets; it’s just that the empire didn’t need these so-called talents right now. What good was composing poetry if they couldn’t measure land for the Great Qian? No matter how beautifully written, the Eight-part Essays were just essays, not practical skills.
In fact, this generation had been spoiled by the foreign clans.
Much of what these scholars spent their lives studying was of little use to the Great Qian.
"Even if we provide on-the-job training, why not choose more malleable children?"
"Choosing a group of talent whose minds are already set would not benefit us much and could even cause losses."
Qin Muye understood the cost.
How many of these well-known individuals would be willing to sit in a classroom and relearn, knowing that they would start from the bottom if they did well?
They might even criticize the Great Qian for its lack of virtue, forcing them to learn the skills of commoners.
On the other hand, children were different. At least, Qin Muye needed talents from the common people, not the poor scholars.
The nobility, the poor scholars, and the common people were always three distinct classes. Poor scholars were not the same as common people who read books.
It was true that poor scholars rarely produced nobility, but they were not without scholars.
"Yes, we will reconsider this matter to ensure there are no issues." Black Hand had no major objections. Qin Muye’s policy was stable but time-consuming, while using existing scholars could quickly fill personnel gaps but might lead to instability.
(End of Chapter)
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