Chapter 717 - The Secret of Founding the Nation
Chapter 717 of "Red Heart Patrols the Sky" begins the action: The vast sky stretched endlessly above.This place was already far from the Qing River.Zhuang Gaoxian... Discover the next part!
The vast sky stretched endlessly above.This place was already far from the Qing River.
Zhuang Gaoxian turned back, just as Du Ruhui stepped forward.
âWhy did the national advisor stop me just now?â he asked in a calm voice.
âThe country has just won a new battle and expanded its borders.
However, at the same time, General Duan was deposed, General He died in battle, and Dong Ah met with misfortune.
Zhuang Country still very much needs Song Hengjiang,â Du Ruhui said.
âBy blood, since he is Your Majestyâs grand uncle, Zhuang Country needs him even more.
Such military prowess should not die at Your Majestyâs hand.â
He noticed that when he mentioned âgrand uncle,â Zhuang Gaoxian furrowed his brow.
A king like Zhuang Gaoxian, who rarely showed his emotions, wouldnât easily reveal his feelings.
The only reason Du Ruhui noticed it was to deliberately tell himâbe mindful of your words, the king does not like to hear such talk again.
Du Ruhuiâs intelligence was more than capable of understanding this point, but his expression remained calmânot wanting to hear it doesnât mean he shouldnât.
Sometimes what matters isnât the reality or the kingâs mood, but whether itâs beneficial for Zhuang Countryâs stability.
Of course, Zhuang Gaoxian understood this as well.
Therefore, he paused briefly, then changed the subject, âBut the issue of him raising a demon is, after all, a hidden danger.â
No matter how he treated others, he always maintained respect for Du Ruhui.
When he was still the Crown Prince, Du Ruhui was his teacher.
When he was secluding himself to recuperate from his injuries, it was Du Ruhui who single-handedly supported the state.
Throughout his achievement as a True Man and the campaigns against Yong Country, Du Ruhui played the most crucial role.
This respect was utterly deserved.
âIf Your Majesty were invincible, even if you cultivated demons, who would dare to eliminate the demon and uphold the Taoist way?
Any explanation would be taken as the truth.
Conversely, if Your Majesty were weak, anyone could accuse you of being possessed by a demon, and who would then prove your innocence?
At the end of the day, it comes down to strength on these matters.â
Du Ruhui retorted, âIs it wise to cut off oneâs arm and diminish oneâs own power to avoid a potential future risk?â
Before today, before learning the secret, he wouldnât have agreed to take a risk for Song Hengjiang.
But after he learned that Song Hengjiangâs sister was Zhuang Gaoxianâs grandmother, and that Song Hengjiang was Zhuang Gaoxianâs blood relative, many past doubts about Song Hengjiangâs actions were explained.
Especially the fact that Song Hengjiang risked cultivating a demon to keep Song Wanxi alive, knowing well that after becoming possessed he would no longer be human.
He still dared to take this enormous risk for the sake of their blood kinship, which was deep and significant.
This blood kinship was likely to extend to Zhuang Gaoxian as well.
As of now, Song Hengjiangâs reliability had greatly increased.
Therefore, the strategy towards the Qingjiang Aquatic Clan naturally needed corresponding adjustments.
He had always taught Zhuang Gaoxian that a ruler should have no personal inclinations but prioritize the interests of the state above all else.
A reliable Song Hengjiang was certainly worth some risk.
And this risk might not be as significant as imagined.
The Demon Grotto beneath the water had already been concealed for two hundred and eighteen years.
With his and Zhuang Gaoxianâs cover, it would only become more hidden.
Zhuang Gaoxian fell into a brief silence, then admitted his fault directly, âThe national advisor is right, I was somewhat out of line.â
After a pause, he asked, âThe Valley Yiyi that Song Hengjiang spoke of, what is her origin?
There is no detailed historical record.
She came from a humble background.
How dared she harm the sister of the Qingjiang Aquatic Clanâs leader and the queen of Taizu?â
He looked down at the mountains and rivers beneath his feet, the realm of Zhuang Country which was now solely his, âReflecting on Taizuâs founding tales, it seems there are many hidden secrets.â
It was clear that Du Ruhui had already given it much thought, and immediately bowed in response, âIf this old minister is not mistaken⌠she must be related to the Bone Tao, or even, she was the Bone Taoâs Holy Maiden back then!â
âThe Bone Tao?â Zhuang Gaoxian was evidently surprised by this speculation.
How could there be a saintess of the Bone Tao in the harem of Taizu Zhuang Chenggan?
âThe historical records of that year contained some errors and omissions; many truths have been buried.
However, this old official has gleaned some insights from the research of historical materials, and today, after listening to the words of the Lord of the Qing River, they have been mutually validated, and I have roughly understood a lot.â
Looking at Zhuang Gaoxian, Du Ruhui almost said outright that the founder of Zhuang Country, Taizu Zhuang Chenggan, had revised the histories and obscured the true facts.
Since ancient times, the historianâs pen has been like iron; any sovereignâs interference with the records is an indelible stain.
âOur dynastyâs Taizu had three great achievements.
First, he resisted Han Yin and established the ancestral temples of Zhuang Country.
Second, he rectified the source and eradicated the heretical Bone Path.
Third, he allied with Jinguo and merged with the Taoist Sect, stabilizing Zhuang Countryâs government and laying the foundation for long-term peace and order.â
The so-called alliance with Jinguo and joining the Taoist Sect was merely a beautified statement.
In reality, it meant submission to Jinguo, becoming part of its system of vassal countries, and obtaining political and resource support from Jinguo.
Of course, under the circumstances at the time, this was undoubtedly a very clever move.
Taizu Zhuang Chenggan had a broad vision and was not trapped by the situation at hand.
Breaking free from Qin Yongâs interference and the quagmire of the Western Territory, he brought Jinguo into play and extricated himself from the predicament in one fell swoop, a truly ingenious move.
For the government of Zhuang Country, it could undoubtedly be called a great achievement.
âBut after the incident in Maple Forest City Region, our dynasty destroyed the Bone Tao again.
In my spare time, I couldnât help but ponder a question, the Bone Tao of today, raised by the old demons like Ouyang Lie and Lu Yan over hundreds of years, when exactly did the Bone Tao that Taizu once eradicated rise again?â
Du Ruhui said in a low voice, âThe history books do not record it.â
Without changing his expression, Zhuang Gaoxian concealed the storm in his heart.
The implication of Du Ruhui was all too clear; how could he not understand?
This Senior Minister of Zhuang Country today suspected that, back when Zhuang Chenggan founded the country, among the powers he relied on, the Bone Tao was present.
Perhaps the Bone Tao was even one of the main forces supporting Zhuang Chengganâs rise to power!
On one hand, Zhuang Chenggan swore brotherhood with Song Hengjiang, sharing blood as a pledge, and made Song Hengjiangâs sister, Song Wanxi, the Queen, changing her name to Xi Wan to avoid the impact of a sovereign marrying someone from the Water Race.
On the other hand, he took the Bone Taoâs saintess Valley Yiyi as a concubine, and took advantage of the power of the Bone Tao.
With the support of the Qingjiang Aquatic Clan and the Bone Tao, Zhuang Chenggan was able to face the immense pressure from Yong Country and successfully establish his nation.
Valley Yiyiâs plot against Song Wanxi should not be seen as merely a simple emotional entanglement; itâs more likely a struggle for interests between the Bone Tao and the Qingjiang Aquatic Clan.
And Zhuang Chenggan chose the Qingjiang Aquatic Clan, killed Valley Yiyi by his own hand, and eradicated the Bone Tao within his domain.
The subsequent low profile of the Bone Tao within Zhuang Region and Song Hengjiang becoming the master of the eight hundred li of Qing River, known as the Water Lord, sitting alongside Zhuang Chenggan, are the outcomes of such a struggle.
Moreover, the eradication of the Bone Tao also paved the way for Zhuang Chenggan to connect with the Taoist Sect, creating opportunities.
The Bone Tao, a cult that proclaimed itself as the orthodox of the Taoist Sect, was exactly what the Taoist Sect most abhorred!
Including the fact that Taizu, being a true man of his time, passed away only a few decades after establishing the countryâthe history books recorded that he died of severe injuries, but now it seems very likely that it was related to the Bone Taoâs revengeâŚ
All these breathtaking past events lie hidden within the misty history.
With a slight combing through, they turn into a splendid and thrilling drama.
Regrettably, the characters on the stage of that year have all vanished, and now, there remains only a demon-possessed Song Wanxi, and a lingering Song Hengjiang.
This is the cruelty of time, as well as its greatness!
ps: Iâm taking a leave.
Last week, a good brother got married, and I was a groomsman.
I couldnât write for two days, but thankfully there were a few chapters in reserve, and I barely managed to get by.
Iâm to be a groomsman again for the National Day, and itâs something I canât push off.
Right at the end of volume four, which requires careful consideration and is especially time-consuming to write, I canât get by without taking leave.
Therefore, there will be no updates tomorrow or the day after.
Thereâs no need for you all to wait.
Wishing you a happy National Day.
Updates will resume on October 2nd.