Chapter 376: I Have a Way to Keep You from Getting Transferred
Chapter 371 of "The Great Ming in the Box" opens with: Liang Shixian led Feng Jun away. Beside the golden giant statue of the Deity was... See what unfolds next!
Liang Shixian led Feng Jun away. Beside the golden giant statue of the Deity was a secluded path flanked by woods. Following the curved flagstone trail through the forest, the two men unexpectedly circled around to the back of the Deityâs colossal statue.Here lay a small pond teeming with swarms of tadpoles swimming. By the pond stood a small stone table with four small stone stools.
The two men sat down here.
The servants dispersed far away, guarding the perimeter.
Liang Shixian glanced around and said, âWe neednât worry about eavesdroppers here. With the Golden Statue of the Deity beside us, no one dares anything untoward. Brother Feng, whatever you wish to say, speak freely.â
Feng Jun glanced at the Deityâs statue, whose back was like a small mountain, and couldnât help feeling awestruck. Collecting himself, he whispered, âBrother Liang, we both attended lectures at the Donglin Academy. I trust your character, which is why I dare ask something so bold. If I cause offense in any way, I beg your indulgenceâŚâ
Liang Shixian: âWhat exactly is it?â
Feng Jun: âA few days ago, Bai Yuzhu, a senior general under Wang Jiayin, led over ten thousand roaming bandits to attack Qiachuan Port in my Heyang County. I was utterly overwhelmed. Then, the lord of Bai Family Fortress from your county, Bai Yuan, brought his militia to my aidâŚâ
Liang Shixian: âI know of this Bai Yuan. A refined gentleman, proficient in both culture and martial skills. I entrusted all of Chengcheng Countyâs militia to him. What happened at Qiachuan Port?â
Feng Jun: âHe somehow deployed five hundred firearm soldiers, three hundred cavalry troops, and several hundred soldiers throwing strange bombs. Moreover, every single one wore armor. It practically amounted to rebellion.â
Listening here, Li Daoxuan briefly smiled, his lips curling upward faintly: So thatâs what you came to discuss. Well, I knew the Gaojia Village Militia would attract official attention sooner or later. Letâs see how this develops.
Liang Shixian: âHmm?â
Seeing his odd expression, clearly unaware, Feng Jun echoed, âHmm? Brother Liang didnât know?â
Liang Shixian shook his head: âI knew about some armor, and I knew about a few firearms, but five hundred firearms and over a thousand sets of armor? This is the first Iâve heard of it.â
At this point, Liang Shixian suddenly thought of something and asked quickly, âWere these men from Gaojia Village?â
Feng Jun: âYes! They called themselves the Gaojia Village Militia!â
Liang Shixian vaguely understood something: âThe Li FamilyâŚfunded by the Li FamilyâŚNo, not the Li FamilyâŚfunded by the Deity.â
He pointed to the giant statue beside them: âThey are the Deityâs troops.â
âHuh?â Feng Jun was stunned: âWhat? The Deityâs troops? Isnât the Deity a god? How can he possibly have troops?â
Liang Shixian: âAlthough the Deity is a god, he is one who actively manifests his presence. He directly intervenes to reward the good and punish the wicked. He frequently bestows grain and various divine artifacts upon mortalsâŚâ
Feng Jun jolted as he remembered something. Once, traveling via Gaojia Village on his way to Xiâan to deliver Fan Shanyueâs head, he had ridden on that peculiar little train. Could that be one of the so-called divine artifacts?
âThe DeityâŚis truly divine?â
âNonsense!â Liang Shixian said, âIs he a real god or a fake one? Think about it yourself. Besides a god, who could enable that small, ordinary Gaojia Village to produce five hundred firearms and over a thousand sets of armor?â
Feng Jun thought carefully. Wasnât that true?
How much wealth could a single village possibly possess?
Forget five hundred firearms â even five wouldnât be feasible.
Feng Jun felt himself half-convinced. He had witnessed the Deity âinviteâ the Four Sea Dragon Kings to bring rain. Accepting that was relatively easy. But accepting the existence of the Deity was one thing;accepting those five hundred firearms and over a thousand sets of armor was quite another matter.
Feng Jun whispered, âBrother Liang, although these things belong to a deity, possessing so much fundamentally alters their purpose! That Li Family in Gaojia Village, armed with firearms and armor, is more formidable than that bandit chief Wang Jiayin. Doesnât that give them the means to rebel and cause chaos? What if they follow the banditsâ example and start a rebellion? What then?â
Liang Shixian: âRebellion? ThatâŚBrother Feng, youâre overthinking this. How could a god rebel against mortals? A lofty deity, rebelling to become Emperor? Though we call him âEmperor,â he is also called the âSon of Heaven.â If a god became the âSon of Heaven,â wouldnât that demote him to the status of a son?â
Feng Jun: ââŚâ
This reasoning did seem plausible.
Feng Jun was somewhat bewildered.
Frowning in thought for a moment, Feng Jun lowered his voice again: âBrother Liang, while a god may not vie for the throne, once these divine artifacts fall into mortal hands, who can guarantee the mortals wonât harbor treacherous ambitions? What if, among these mortals in Gaojia VillageâBai Yuan, Instructor He, Instructor Zaoâjust one develops treacherous intentions? What if he attempts to use these god-given weapons to launch a rebellion? What should we do then?â
Liang Shixian: âMen do things;Heaven watches them. Raise your head three feet, and there is a god. Since these are bestowed by the Deity, naturally the Deity oversees them. If a mortal harbors treacherous thoughts, the Deity will inevitably mete out punishment.â
Feng Jun: âThatâs hard to say! Even immortals take naps. Lord Lao Tzuâs Azure Buffalo once escaped to the mortal realm to wreak havoc.â
Liang Shixian: âHmm?â
This reasoning also made sense!
Indeed, not only Liang Shixian found it reasonable, but even Li Daoxuan found it so.
As his field of vision expanded wider and wider, he truly found it impossible to manage so many villages and towns. Even the three major areasâGaojia Village, Chengcheng County Town, and Heyang County Townâweary him constantly shifting his focus. As for places like Fengyuan Town, Bai Family Fortress, or Quangou Village, how long had it been since he last observed them?
Adding to this, just recently, he had been contemplating needing someone to help him âenforce orderâ. Feng Jun bringing this up now did make him pay greater attention.
Feng Jun: âWe cannot control the Deity, but we absolutely must govern these mortals under his command. Master Liang, Gaojia Village is under the jurisdiction of your Chengcheng County. I cannot overstep boundaries to handle this;it relies entirely on you to think of a solution.â
Liang Shixian revealed an awkward smile: âBrother Feng, this matterâŚIâm afraid I cannot manage it anymore.â
Feng Jun: âWhy not?â
Liang Shixian let out a long sigh: âMy term of office has reached its three-year end.â
âAh?â Feng Jun understood: âItâs been three years already for you, Brother LiangâŚAlas, only a bit over a year for meâŚâ
Liang Shixian: âMy burning incense and striking the bell earlier was my way of reporting this to the Dao Xuan Deity. I shall shortly depart to travel to the capital. After submitting my official report, I will await reassignment.â
Seeing the pain and regret on Liang Shixianâs face told Feng Jun he was reluctant to leave. Feng Junâs eyes darted, and he whispered, âBrother Liang, I have a way to ensure you arenât transferred.â
Liang Shixian was greatly astonished: âHmm? How is that possible? An officialâs term is three years;it is mandatory to be reassigned upon completion. How could there possibly be a way to avoid it?â