Chapter 329: Black and White Buy Peace

Compared to the Imperial Palace in Tai’an City, which seemed like a celestial palace with nine layers of heaven, Beimang’s imperial city was truly like a child’s playhouse, unable to withstand a few leisurely strolls by nimble-footed eunuchs. Grand Eunuch Sun Dingsheng always felt a touch of regret when he stood at a higher vantage point overlooking the palace. His status was roughly equivalent to that of Eunuch Han Diaosi, but eunuchs were not favored in the Beimang royal court. There were only a little over three thousand of them in the entire palace, fewer than in the Southern Court, which greatly annoyed Sun Dingsheng. The Empress’s change of itinerary, canceling her imperial tour to the Southern Court, further exasperated Sun Dingsheng, who had finally managed to leave the palace for a breath of fresh air. However, as he secretly waited at the palace gate today, he saw an old scholar carrying a satchel and a man with a sword on his back. Recognizing their identities, he couldn’t help but gasp. He then felt an immense honor descend upon him, his smile growing more respectful and sincere. Without daring to utter another word, he silently led the two into the palace. Unexpectedly, the distinguished guest warmly initiated conversation, “Chief Steward Sun, how is your health?”

Sun Dingsheng was flattered. He had only met the old man once, over a decade ago, when he was merely a novice in the crucial inner workings of the eunuch system. Moreover, Beimang eunuchs held no real power, so how could he dare hope that this venerable old man would remember his face, let alone his surname? Sun Dingsheng, who had been cautiously leading the way, maintaining only a half-step’s distance, immediately bowed even lower and chuckled softly, “To answer Taiping Ling, I am well. My life belongs to His Majesty, so I wouldn’t dare fall ill without cause. Taiping Ling also looks well; this truly is Beimang’s great fortune.”

The old scholar laughed heartily, “Chief Steward Sun, I’ll take your auspicious words.”

Sun Dingsheng, still bowing, led the way, chuckling, “Oh, I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.”

The old scholar ended the pleasantries there. With his hands tucked into his sleeves, he squinted at the somewhat unfamiliar imperial city. He ascended the steps, passed through the Vermilion Gate, and descended another set of stairs to reach the jade plaza outside the main hall. The rise and fall of the terrain mirrored the ups and downs of life. The old scholar glanced back at his junior, who was five paces behind, and said with a hint of guilt, “I’m sorry you couldn’t compete against Deng Ta’a in swordplay.” The middle-aged swordsman shook his head, hesitated for a moment, and replied, “Sir, you have nine questions. I have only one: to seek the Way.”

“To seek the Way of the Sword?”

“To seek the Way.”

“Removing a single character changes everything by a myriad miles. Well said. Deng Ta’a underestimated you.”

The middle-aged man carrying the sword, Huang Qing, had long been famous in the Beimang royal court. His title, “Sword Qi Proximity,” was truly well-deserved. Li Mibi, a powerful minister deeply trusted by the Empress, whose hands almost controlled all the bloody executioners of the dynasty’s dark forces, had been repeatedly ambushed and assassinated by the Sword Manor Lord over the past decade. Some imperial nobles jokingly remarked that Zhuwang’s continuous improvement over the years owed thanks to Sword Qi Proximity’s knack for finding weaknesses. Sword Qi Proximity was a very uninteresting man: uninteresting in appearance, uninteresting in character. His ordinary name had long been replaced by his title. Besides practicing swordplay, he had no other interests; he avoided women, power, and witty repartee, engaging only with sword qi. Yet, Li Mibi held this sworn enemy, who was incorrigible and had even enraged the Empress, in high regard. He said that Sword Qi Proximity’s sword qi only ever showed sixty to seventy percent of its true power, because he only allowed himself to retreat after achieving his goal, without any interest in killing or dying. Li Chungang had once said in his youth that Beimang had no swordsmen. Deng Ta’a, after achieving the Sword Immortal realm, also declared that Beimang indeed had no swordsmen. Beimang had initially expected the Sword Manor Lord to intercept the Peach Blossom Sword God, if not defeat Deng Ta’a, then at least make him retract that statement. However, Sword Qi Proximity disappointed everyone by never appearing. It seemed that in his eyes, escorting the old scholar north into the palace was more important than anything else.

Sun Dingsheng slightly quickened his pace.

In front of the Beimang Royal Court’s main hall, there were nine steps of white jade. A cold-faced woman stood tall at the top of the steps. Dressed in bright yellow, she wore a dragon robe.

The old scholar chuckled, “We’ll be there soon.”

About to have an audience with the Empress, and stand face-to-face with the most powerful woman in the world, the old man still had the leisure to turn and ask, “Huang Qing, after today, take a trip to the Liyang Dynasty. Beimang can’t be the only one to know of Li Chungang and Deng Ta’a; Liyang should also know that Huang Qing wields a sword.”

Huang Qing nodded, stopping almost simultaneously with Grand Eunuch Sun Dingsheng, moving no further.

The old man continued forward, not bowing or kneeling to Her Imperial Majesty. The Empress, renowned for her extraordinary talent and grand strategy, did not question his conduct, but she also did not descend the steps, not even a single step.

The old scholar looked up and met her gaze.

The Empress’s face showed signs of age, but her eyes and brows still hinted at the stunning beauty she must have been in her youth. No one stood by her side to assist or serve; she stood alone on the steps, coldly observing Taiping Ling, who had left Beimang in a huff years ago. After a long silence, she finally broke into a smile and said, “Everything in the palace has been arranged according to your wishes. Shall we begin?”

The old scholar wasted no time. He stepped onto the first stair, took off his satchel, and with a wave of his hand— Nearly two hundred palace maids and eunuchs, carrying silk scrolls like paintings, entered in an orderly procession. They knelt on both sides of the plaza to lay down the silk paintings, then walked backward with heads bowed, each unfurling a long banner. Without exception, all banners met back-to-back in the center of the plaza.

The Empress’s eyes suddenly narrowed as she looked at the plaza. A hundred silks formed a colossal map. It depicted the territories of both Beimang and Liyang dynasties, meticulously detailed to include every military outpost, every major river, and every grand mountain range. “The entire world lies at my feet.” The Empress instinctively took her first step, descending to the eighth step. Standing high allowed for a far view, but her ambition, from her very first day in the palace, was never merely to observe.

The splendid landscapes of both dynasties were grand and magnificent.

The geographical outline of the Beimang Dynasty was rendered in white characters on a black background, while the Liyang Dynasty’s territory was outlined in black characters on a white background. It was like a chessboard, a game of wei-chi, with black and white pieces standing in opposition.

The Empress smiled faintly, “Taiping Ling has always been skilled at wei-chi. Are you going to conduct a strategic simulation for me today? Do you wish for me to walk upon this land with you?”

The old scholar did not reply. After the meticulous, sweating palace officials and eunuchs quietly withdrew from the plaza, he opened his satchel, took out a bamboo stick and several pieces of charcoal, and sat down squarely. Looking up, he said, “Your Majesty need not descend the steps for now. Today, permit me to first discuss the propitious timing, advantageous terrain, and harmonious human relations. Tomorrow, I will elaborate on the geography, governance, military strength, and customs I have observed in the Central Plains over the years. On the third day, we will discuss the borders between our two dynasties, merely addressing immediate concerns. On the fourth day, we will delve into our dynasty’s specific affairs and how to win the hearts of scholars and common people. On the fifth day, we will discuss how to annihilate Beiliang, occupy Western Shu, and annex Nanzhao. On the sixth day, the spearhead will point directly at Tai’an City, ultimately pacifying the entire realm. On the seventh day, we will discuss how to govern the empire.” Even though the Empress had weathered many storms and upheavals, she was momentarily stunned upon hearing such audacious words, which could be described as having the ambition to devour the world like a tiger.

She descended another step, following Taiping Ling’s example and sitting on the ground.

The old man first set aside the charcoal he would later use for finishing touches. He rested his hands on the bamboo staff, which he had long used for climbing mountains and wading through rivers, and which was now smooth and clean from frequent handling. Looking at the plaza, he said calmly, “Huang Longshi once said that the general trend of the world is that what has been divided for a long time must unite, and what has been united for a long time must divide. This deeply resonates with me. When the Spring and Autumn period was first settled, the Liyang Dynasty, having conquered eight states, launched a northern expedition against our dynasty with an overwhelming momentum of successive victories. It seemed unstoppable, yet they did not realize that after a single surge of effort, human strength has its limits. Liyang’s weary army marched north, and although Beimang was waiting fully rested, Your Majesty had only just ascended the throne, and the court was unstable. Yet, you risked your own safety to achieve a difficult stalemate, neither a victory nor a defeat. In truth, the timing was still on Liyang’s side then. However, Beimang’s geographical conditions differed greatly from the Central Plains, causing forty thousand armored soldiers to suffer from acclimatization issues. Additionally, Liyang’s late Emperor had long been wary of Xu Xiao of Beiliang, fearing that the Beiliang iron cavalry would act like a tiger devouring a wolf. After eliminating Beimang, Xu Xiao, who couldn’t achieve a North-South division of rule back then, would be able to do so now. After all, Beimang values martial prowess over literary pursuits. If Beiliang were to occupy the fertile Helu Corridor, which is sufficient for self-sustenance, and then incorporate the entire northern territory, such a North-South confrontation would be stable. Thus, Liyang’s late Emperor issued a secret decree, forcing Xu Xiao to retreat and sign a treaty with Beimang despite the favorable situation. This was not a brilliant move, nor was it a foolish one. This created the current three-way standoff between Liyang, Beiliang, and Beimang. This is the first principle I wish to explain to Your Majesty: propitious timing ultimately falls short of advantageous terrain, and advantageous terrain in turn falls short of harmonious human relations.”

“A nation’s reliance is not on natural barriers, but on the hearts of its people. ‘Hearts of the people’ is not as simple as ‘public sentiment’; common folk have always followed the general trend, and while they are important, one must not be blindly led by them. The scholars of the Spring and Autumn period who sought refuge in Beimang represent both fortune and misfortune for Beimang, a matter that must be carefully observed.”

“Your old servant has traveled through the various states of the Central Plains and has committed to memory two thousand six hundred and forty-three individuals of diverse backgrounds. I shall speak of them one by one, each with a brief sketch, and I request Your Majesty to have a female official record them.”

“One farmer can cultivate thirty mu of land, yielding two or three *shi* of rice per mu, with two *shi* being the average. One *shi* per mu is given to the landlord. A family of five, with each person consuming one *sheng* per day, would consume eighteen *shi* annually, leaving approximately twelve *shi* remaining. In addition, expenses for clothing, weddings, funerals, sacrifices, and dealing with birth, old age, sickness, and death all require funds. In the event of drought, flood, or locust plagues, they would be hard-pressed. What your old servant speaks of here are conditions in regions like the Suzhou-Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou basin and Western Shu, which are imperial granaries. In other areas, it is not uncommon for families to be established but not raise children, or for large numbers of rootless vagrants to exist. The Liyang Dynasty’s so-called ‘peace and prosperity’ has a significant degree of exaggeration.”

“The Liyang Dynasty already shows signs of officials not being feudal but clerks being feudal. Officials are not allowed to be appointed from their local areas, but clerks are different; they serve as local clerks for generations. Within a hundred years, local tyrants will be ubiquitous. Zhang Julu’s urgency and his many hasty policies stem from this unavoidable crisis.”

“I shall select three types of merchants—sea merchants, salt merchants, and tea merchants—to explain Liyang’s finances and taxation to Your Majesty.”

“The Liyang Dynasty has recently established the position of Attendant of the Imperial Daily Life, whose duty is to record military, state, and political affairs, sealing and dispatching them monthly as a ‘Record of Current Affairs’. These records are categorized into twenty-one types: Imperial Lineage, Empresses and Concubines, Five Categories of Rites, Carriages and Attire, Daoism and Buddhism, Auspicious Omens and Anomalies, Barbarian Tributaries, and so on. I shall explain each one in detail, and Your Majesty will then be able to infer autumn from a single leaf, and from twenty-one leaves, comprehend Liyang.”

“Longhu Mountain is complacent in its security. Your Majesty should seize this opportunity to order the Imperial Preceptor to begin compiling a myriad volumes of the Daoist Canon, thereby allowing the Daode Sect to become the preeminent leader of Daoism in the world.”

“Regarding the conflict between the Red and Yellow Sects in the Western Regions, Your Majesty must not merely be a spectator. While our dynasty’s suppression of Buddhism can eliminate the great Buddhas of Zen, it should establish the lesser Buddhas of Esoteric Buddhism.”

Taiping Ling, the old scholar, recounted affairs of the world, no matter how minute, speaking calmly and continuously. During the day, after the first day sitting on the steps, the Empress descended and walked slowly behind the old man, her feet treading upon the splendid map. At night, he continued to speak without pause. Lanterns hung high, their lights shining as brightly as day. No one else was allowed on the plaza, and Her Imperial Majesty personally held a lamp to illuminate for the old man. On yet another day, they ate and dined casually, sometimes squatting or sitting on the silk map. The Empress even hung a cloth pouch, filled with warm water and food; if the old man felt thirsty or hungry, he didn’t need to speak, he merely reached out to her. Taiping Ling, who drew and marked circles on the ground for each new region, had used countless pieces of charcoal. His hands and fingers were stained black, and each time he quickly washed them, the water in the basin turned completely dark.

The Empress’s dragon robe, with its wide sleeves and long hem, eventually became cumbersome. She simply took some silk thread and tied it tightly to facilitate movement, completely disregarding imperial decorum or etiquette.

On the fifth night of their candlelit conversation, the Empress showed no signs of weariness; her spirits remained vibrant.

After seven days, all his vast knowledge had been imparted. The old man stepped off the largest map under heaven and stood at the bottom of the steps. The Empress took his hand. With their backs to the slightly wrinkled splendid map of the empire, they ascended the steps together. Calmly, she said, “May you be my Imperial Mentor.”