Chapter 419: National Fortune Flourishing

Within three days, Wei Yuan had advanced another hundred li or so, capturing over 100 villages and towns as well as several small cities of the Shamans. Only then did he finally return to Qingming.

Throughout this campaign, Wei Yuan’s main force remained at around 30,000 troops, but the supply personnel operating in the rear exceeded 100,000. They had cumulatively reinforced the front lines with over 10,000 soldiers.

The Shamans had deployed a total force of 400,000 troops and ultimately suffered nearly 200,000 casualties. Over 1,000 villages were destroyed, more than ten small cities had fallen, and the major city of Rainmaple was razed. The Shaman civilians suffered over a million casualties, with another 2 million displaced and forced to flee to the depths of the Shaman realm.

Wei Yuan’s forces had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties in total. Fortunately, the combined total of those killed or crippled in action was only slightly over 3,000, with the rest sustaining only minor injuries. By constantly replenishing his ranks while fighting, Wei Yuan ensured that his army’s army aura would never run out, and they always performed up to a certain level of combat effectiveness.

Six Great Warlocks were also slain during this campaign, and Wei Yuan had distributed hundreds of Heaven Merits to everyone. However, the bulk of his personal gain came from the single spear thrust he had delivered to Frostspeech—a strike that was worth a whopping 1,000 Heaven Merits.

Wei Yuan had captured Rainmaple City with virtually no losses, and since his main force had arrived in time, he had a full two days to relocate.

A vast quantity of useful items was seized from Rainmaple City, including immortal silver, medicinal herbs, martial equipment, various materials, and even a Blood Yingluo capable of extending one’s lifespan by 300 years. After delivering the supplies, the supply troops had hauled all this loot to Qingming on their way back.

As for the items that were useless to the humans but vital to the Shamans—such as bait for pond fishes and various types of Shaman grain—Wei Yuan had burned them all to the ground.

Finally, Wei Yuan blew up the four gates and several sections of the city walls of Rainmaple City, as well as demolished all the important buildings within the city as well. Unfortunately, the city was flooded everywhere. Otherwise, a single massive fire could have consumed the entire city.

In the days following the defeat of Frostspeech, Wei Yuan had also captured three villages and towns that produced human sacrifices.

The environments of these settlements had been altered to resemble the human realm. It was so that the humans living within could survive and repopulate. Every year, the adult men and women were screened once. The outstanding ones were retained as breeding stock to produce more offspring, while the ordinary ones were taken away as sacrificial offerings for various rituals.

The people in these three villages had long grown accustomed to this way of life. Cut off from the outside world, they didn’t even know that the human realm lay just 1,000 li away. They even worshipped the Shamans, and when Wei Yuan’s forces appeared, many of them actually fought alongside the Shamans.

Wei Yuan secured a total of 40,000 people from the three villages and escorted them all back to the human realm.

By this point, the Shaman civilians belonging to the Kingdom of Rain within a 300-li radius of the Realm of Qingming had been nearly wiped out, and all major strongholds between 300 to 600 li had been eradicated. Although the foundations of Rainmaple City remained, Wei Yuan adopted Trueman Chu He’s strategy and scattered poison in the Shamans’ most fertile paddy fields, ensuring that fish production would be horrifically low for at least three to five years.

There were also five or six towns belonging to the Wild Ancestor Tribe within the battle zone. Wei Yuan drove the townspeople away and then destroyed the towns to ensure they would never return to the territory of the Kingdom of Rain.

Wei Yuan’s western expedition, which swept through a whole corner of the Shaman realm, had immediately sent shockwaves throughout the court and the realm of Western Jin. Even those who had past grievances with Wei Yuan found themselves living in constant fear. Rumor had it that King Wei had been drinking himself into a stupor at home for several days in a row and had even beaten several maids and servants to death over trivial matters.

That day, after the morning court session ended, the King of Jin did not return to his palace. Instead, he went straight to the Council of State to discuss what rewards should be bestowed upon Wei Yuan.

The King of Jin took his seat at the head of the table, a rare smile on his face, and said, “Wei Yuan has launched an assault against the Shamans and returned victorious, enhancing the prestige of our Great Jin. He must be rewarded. Have you discussed an appropriate reward yet?”

Lü Zhongzhi, Commander-in-chief of the Nine Gates, reported, “Military Commissioner Wei commands a well-trained army and possesses ample provisions. However, the court has only granted him the manpower quota of four towns, forcing him to rely on civilian volunteers for a large number of soldiers and valiant generals. This minister suggests granting him another four towns’ worth of quota, bringing the total to eight towns with a quota of forty thousand troops. Four chief commanders[1] should be appointed, and one should be conferred the title of General, who must come to the capital to receive his investiture.”

The King of Jin’s expression remained unchanged as he asked, “What does the rest of my esteemed ministers have to say about this?”

The Left Counselor said, “Following this battle, Qingming’s expansion will be difficult to contain. As a measure of appeasement, the commanderies of Ningxi, Anzhao, and one other commandery may be placed under the jurisdiction of the Military Commissioner of Western Pacification. It is enough to have just Bianning in Outer Jin.”

Xu Gong, the Minister of Revenue, immediately stepped forward and said, “This must not be done under any circumstances! Our Great Jin has now reestablished a foothold in the western regions, and the several commanderies housing refugees are growing in numbers. It won’t be long before they become fertile lands. To transfer these three commanderies to the military commissioner at this time would be tantamount to handing over three gold mines without a fight. The treasury of our Great Jin is currently depleted, and we are in urgent need of new sources of tax revenue, are we not?”

The King of Jin neither agreed nor disagreed. Instead, he turned his head and asked, “What do you think, Quangong?”

The ministers all tensed inwardly as they secretly speculated on the meaning behind the King of Jin’s question.

When the King of Jin presided over court deliberations, Liu Quangong had always been at his side. Only when the general director was absent would Zhao Tong step in. However, Liu Quangong had always merely served as an attendant and had never been qualified to participate in court deliberations... until now.

Although the Council of State was not as formal as the royal court, it was in fact the place where matters of the state and the military were decided. Logically speaking, Liu Quangong could not possibly have a say here, but now the King of Jin was suddenly asking for his opinion. Naturally, the officials could not help but speculate. Typically, when the King of Jin heavily relied on the Eunuch Clique, it meant that he was planning to purge someone.

Liu Quangong himself seemed unprepared for the sudden question. After pausing in surprise for a moment, he replied, “The troops under the Military Commissioner of Western Pacification are already among the finest under the heavens and are nearly unstoppable. This old servant believes that rewards and honors should be based on tangible achievements; only then can he be made to feel grateful and devoted to the state.

“The state treasury is empty at the moment, and it is probably going to take at least a decade before the western regions could replenish it. If we really are aiming to replenish the treasury immediately, the most feasible method is still to conscript soldiers from western Ning Province and levy taxes and grain from southern Gan Province.”

Western Ning Province was the Xu Clan’s stronghold, whereas the commanderies in southern Gan Province fell within the Lü Clan’s sphere of influence.

Xu Gong, the Minister of Revenue, immediately retorted, “Such a move would undermine the very foundations of the noble clans! It must not be done under any circumstances. Moreover, once a precedent is set, the consequences will be endless! His Holiness rules the realm in partnership with the noble clans and the scholar-officials[2]! To weaken the noble clans is tantamount to undermining the very foundation of the state—this is the rhetoric of a nation on the brink of collapse! In this minister’s view, General Director Liu lacks an understanding of the art of governance and would do well to refrain from making rash comments on state affairs!”

The statement had been spoken with extreme bluntness, and the King of Jin’s face darkened instantly. As for Liu Quangong, he kept his head bowed and his eyes downcast, offering no rebuttal.

Lü Zhongzhi, reading the room, interjected, “If the rewards are insufficient, the Military Commissioner of Western Pacification may well harbor resentment. Bandits are rampant in the western regions, and not long ago, they had even breached Hanyang Pass. Without the Military Commissioner of Western Pacification to keep them in check, further disturbances are likely to arise. Moreover, since Minister Wei has recently become an Avatar, the court ought to show its appreciation both in spirit and in practice.”

But Xu Gong snorted and said, “All Wei Yuan relies on is his firearms. They are not difficult to make; if he can produce them, our Great Jin can just as easily do so! We need only manufacture more firearms and organize them into an army to resolve the bandit menace in the western regions on the spot. The Realm of Qingming has not existed for even two years yet; if our Great Jin mobilizes the full strength of the nation, we can form an equally elite force in just half a year. What is there to fear about him?”

The smile had already vanished from the King of Jin’s face, but Xu Gong seemed oblivious and continued to speak eloquently.

The King of Jin interrupted Xu Gong and said, “This lone one is weary. Let us discuss this matter tomorrow.”

With that, the King of Jin rose from his seat and walked straight out of the Council of State.

The officials maintained their usual composure, as if nothing had happened.

Before returning to his palace, the King of Jin looked up at the sky. The sight of the tall sky and thin clouds lifted his mood considerably, and he ordered his carriage to be taken to the Vajra Zen Monastery.

At noon, the King of Jin sat facing the cyan-eyed woman. Between them burned a bronze incense burner adorned with an eight-legged beast’s motif, from which wispy cyan smoke drifted and slowly dissipated.

The King of Jin said, “Lately, This lone one felt that the nation’s fortune is on the rise. Is it a mistake of my perception?”

The Military Commissioner of Western Pacification just achieved a great victory in his western campaign, in which he vanquished five hundred li worth of Shamans. Of course the nation’s fortune would improve. One-tenth of Western Jin’s national fortune currently rests upon him. Naturally, his strength is equivalent to the nation’s strength. However, this is common sense. You already know this, so why ask me, Your Majesty?”

The King of Jin said, “Ever since placing the national fortune on his shoulders, I’ve finally been able to put one worry to rest. Looking back, it turned out to be a very crucial move. Anyway, now that he’s returned victorious, I wished to bestow some rewards, only to be met with united opposition from the Lü and Xu Clans. They either refused outright or offered nothing but empty promises! Hmph, there is one fellow today who even dared to say that this lone one is sharing the realm with the scholar-officials!”

“The kingdom is like the body, the noble clans are like the bones, and the cultivators are the flesh and blood—hasn’t this been the way of things since ancient times?”

The King of Jin let out a thick grunt before answering, “That may be so, but those two clans clearly do not hold me in any regard! This lone one simply cannot bear this insult!”

The cyan-eyed woman replied, “The crux of this matter ultimately lies with Lü Changhe.”

The King of Jin suddenly sighed and said, “This lone one knows that, but there is no solution to that matter.”

“Not necessarily. The times are always changing; who knows, a turning point might come one day.”

The King of Jin shook his head, unconvinced. It was no wonder he felt disheartened. With an Immortal Lord looming over him like a mountain, even he, the King of Jin, felt crushed until he could hardly breathe.

Suddenly, the woman’s eyes suddenly snapped open, and the cyan light within them seemed to come alive. From the incense burner came a loud bang, and flames suddenly shot out of the incense holes, filling the room with a fragrant aroma in an instant!

The King of Jin, sensing something, suddenly turned his head to look outside the hall. There, in the lotus pond beyond the hall, a misty vapor was rising. The vapor kept shifting until the shape of a multi-headed auspicious beast appeared.

In the center of the lotus pond, a water lotus[3] suddenly bloomed—it was a purple lotus! After the flower opened, a stream of purple qi emerged from its center, taking the form of a dragon. It circled the pond three times before vanishing.

The King of Jin’s eyes sparkled. Although he already had his suspicions, he still found it hard to believe and had to ask, “What... what does this portend?”

The cyan-eyed woman smiled faintly and said, “You have forgotten once again, your Majesty: this mountain safeguards the national fortune of Western Jin, and this lotus pond of virtuous achievement is a manifestation of that national fortune. The birth of a purple lotus of Heaven and Earth, and the transformation of fortune into a true dragon—they both portend the great prosperity of Western Jin’s national fortune!”

“I knew it! I knew it!” The King of Jin could no longer contain his excitement. He rose and rushed to the edge of the lotus pond, gazing intently at the purple lotus.

The cyan-eyed woman approached him and said, “When a nation’s fortune flourishes, there must be a manifestation. Your Majesty, I implore you to pay close attention to all recent events around you—matters of state, or even affairs of the world.”

A thought struck the King of Jin, and he suddenly asked, “Could this be related to Wei Yuan?”

The cyan-eyed woman shook her head. “Wei Yuan’s western campaign against the Shamans took place ten days ago. By then, the national fortune had already manifested accordingly, and you should already have sensed it. Therefore, this current manifestation likely has nothing to do with Wei Yuan—unless he has undertaken some other action. However, a rise in the nation’s fortune of this magnitude is but a hair’s breadth away from the descent of a sage from the heavens. Even if Wei Yuan were to sweep away the Shamans for another three thousand li, he could not have achieved such a feat.”

The King of Jin nodded, feeling both anticipation and unease.

The cyan-eyed woman said, “Your Majesty’s mind is unsettled; now is not the right time for cultivation. You should return to your palace first.”

“Very well. This lone one may as well take this opportunity to find out what has happened.”

Just then, a figure flew in at an astonishing speed. It was none other than Zhao Tong. He must have come bearing urgent news, because he had flown directly over to the temple, not even bothering with a carriage or a horse.

As soon as he saw the King of Jin, Zhao Tong reported, “Your Holiness,the First Consort has just given birth to a son. Both mother and child are safe and well!”

1. Author... please don’t typo in a novel where every single goddamn term is secretly important... T_T ☜

2. The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats (Chinese: 士大夫; pinyin: shì dàfū), were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class. ☜

3. It’s actually a water lily, and water lilies are not lotuses, but this is Chinese and they use the same character, so I’m going to translate it this way. This is an alternate universe anyway, it could be a lotus here. ☜