Chapter 488 - 435: Scholars Are Good for Nothing (Part 2)

Chapter 488: Chapter 435: Scholars Are Good for Nothing (Part 2)

Li Huan had even gone to listen to one of the lectures himself.

On the surface, there was nothing wrong with it.

It was all just Confucian principles—the proper relationships between ruler and subject, father and son. It taught the academy students to be loyal to the Court, to value etiquette and law, and to defend Confucian principles even unto death.

In the past, there would have been nothing wrong with these words.

But now, they were a huge problem.

Everyone knew the Imperial City had been thrown into utter chaos. Just the day before, news had reached Ling Province that the Third Prince, Li Wei, had committed patricide and fratricide.

This was nothing short of an open call for these students to denounce the Third Prince.

’His intentions are treasonous!’

Li Huan finally understood the deeper meaning behind Situ Nan’s actions that day.

In truth, Situ Nan had never expected to persuade Bai Yuan. His real purpose in coming to Ling Province was to use his status as a Grand Scholar to incite the students of Ling Province, and even the entire Northern Territory.

These students might seem lowly and without influence, but they were connected to the flow of providence.

Once these students began to spread Situ Nan’s doctrines, the illiterate common folk would be unable to resist such brainwashing.

When that time came, Shuofang would surely be plunged into turmoil, and the heavens would echo with cries of rebellion.

The providence that had been bestowed upon Bai Yuan would all be transferred to the Li Royal Race. With the Third Prince as the target of denunciation, the one who stood to gain the most was, of course, the Eldest Prince.

No wonder the Eldest Prince had sent Situ Nan to the Northern Territory.

The status of a Grand Scholar was more useful than a thousand armies.

...

「Inside the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office.」

"This man must be killed!"

Li Huan reported all of Situ Nan’s activities to Bai Yuan.

Of course, killing Situ Nan would be unwise, but he had to at least be expelled from Shuofang.

Bai Yuan shook his head faintly. "It’s useless."

Kill one Situ Nan, and another Shangguan Nan or Linghu nan would appear. There was no end to them. The key issue was that the teachings of the Confucian Saints were too deeply ingrained in people’s hearts, and the influence of the Li Royal Race was still strong.

Li Huan was unwilling to accept this. "Are we just going to let him continue?"

If they allowed Situ Nan to keep spreading his seditious lies, Shuofang, the only peaceful corner of Xuan Yang, would descend into chaos from within before any external enemies even arrived.

Once the Eldest Prince obtained Shuofang’s providence, it would be equivalent to him owning Shuofang.

The scheme was so obvious it might as well have slapped Li Huan in the face.

"Of course not."

...

Suddenly, dozens of demons infiltrated the once-peaceful Shuofang, and several academic societies were smashed to pieces.

The Demon-slaying Bureau investigated for days but could find no trace of them.

For a time, panic spread among the people.

The number of people on the streets dwindled significantly.

The academic societies were almost completely empty.

It was said that these demons seemed to have a particular fondness for academic societies, specifically targeting academies.

Situ Nan had originally planned to continue his lecture tour in other prefectures of Ling Province, but he found there was no one to lecture to. Unless he was willing to go door-to-door to teach each student individually, his plan had to be temporarily suspended.

But just as he was preparing to travel to Yu State to continue his lectures, he unexpectedly encountered a great demon.

And it was a Tier Eight Great Demon.

Situ Nan fought the great demon but was ultimately defeated, forced to retreat to Yan Province. Just like that, the Eldest Prince’s plan was put on hold.

"Wonderful, simply wonderful!"

Inside the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office, Li Huan felt an unprecedented sense of relief and exhilaration.

"Now that the pedant Situ Nan is gone, the very air feels fresher."

Bai Yuan offered a faint smile.

Naturally, this was all his doing.

The demons that had suddenly appeared in Ling Province to destroy the academic societies were, of course, ones he had deliberately released. The great demon that had repelled Situ Nan was also him in disguise.

Those scholars, when it came down to it, were just too comfortable.

He had managed Shuofang so peacefully that it had given rise to all this trouble.

The best way to solve one problem is to create a bigger one. Now that the students couldn’t even guarantee their own safety, there was no question of them promoting Confucian studies.

When faced with a choice between their lives and their principles, most people would choose the former without hesitation.

Those willing to become martyrs were few and far between.

If there were any in Ling Province, Bai Yuan wouldn’t mind obliging them.

Without the scholars shouting from the rooftops, the ordinary people couldn’t care less. To them, the affairs of the Central Plains were just topics for idle gossip after a meal. If you actually asked them to contribute, they’d probably be more concerned about the wheat in their fields.

The matter of people’s hearts and minds sounded profound, but in practice, it often came down to such trivial, mundane concerns.

Bai Yuan’s method treated the symptoms, not the root cause.

But he didn’t need to treat the root cause.

He just had to wait for the chaotic situation in the Central Plains to produce a result. After that, even if Situ Nan used his status as a Grand Scholar to shout until he was blue in the face, no one would listen.

All he needed to do now was wait.

However, judging by the current state of Xuan Yang, the Third Prince, supported by Xuankong Temple, didn’t have much of an advantage. The other princes, while verbally denouncing him, were secretly carving out their own kingdoms.

Wasn’t the Eldest Prince Li Kang doing just that, holding a large swath of the northern Central Plains firmly in his grasp?

Thinking of this, Bai Yuan suddenly asked, "By the way, where is Li Dai now?"

Li Huan shook his head. "I don’t know."

In this whole conflict, the strangest figure had to be Li Dai.

Li Dai, along with Bai Yuan and a few others, was ranked on the Latent Dragon List and hailed by the Li Royal Race as the genius most likely to break through to become a Divinity Grandmaster in five hundred years. If not for the unforeseen circumstances, the new Emperor should have been chosen from between him and the Sixth Prince.

Even after Li Chengyuan was killed, many people still supported the Fifth Prince.

In particular, the Jiangnan Scholarly Race, represented by Grand Protector Yan Shao’an, held him in very high regard.

Yet, at this critical moment, Li Dai had vanished.

This led to the vast region of Jiangnan propping up the most overlooked Fourth Prince, a truly shocking turn of events.

Bai Yuan frowned slightly. He felt that Li Dai’s sudden disappearance wasn’t so simple.

It wasn’t just the major grandmasters and clans. The Grand Tutor Liang Yuan Kang, one of the three highest officials, had also switched his support to the Eldest Prince, Li Kang. Clearly, the Third Prince Li Wei’s attack on the Imperial Palace with Xuankong Temple did not have the approval of the Profound Sun Grand Protector or the Grand Tutor.

As for the third Divine Communication Grandmaster, Xu Dingchun, he had chosen to retreat to Ximo and not participate in the Xuan Yang conflict.

When you looked at it, the attitudes of the three of them were surprisingly consistent.

Master Xu Dingchun had retreated to Ximo, Dong Wanjun had retreated to the Northern Plains, and Bai Yuan was burying his head in the sand, focused only on managing the four provinces of Shuofang.

However, such a situation was destined not to last for long.

In the eyes of ambitious individuals, the three of them were like tigers, lying in wait. If they were not either won over or eliminated, many people would likely lose sleep.

...

「Jiangzhou.」

In a secluded, quiet valley.

Profound Sun Grand Protector Yan Shao’an gazed at a handsome young man.

"How is it?"

"It’s going, but I’m afraid I’ll need some more time."

The young man was none other than the Fifth Prince, Li Dai, who had been missing for some time. On the day Xuankong Temple led three great experts to besiege and kill Emperor Li Chengyuan, Li Dai had received a tip from other ancestors within the Li Royal Race and had left the Capital City long before.

A few other princes had done the same.

Those men were now immensely grateful for the choice they had made. No one could have predicted that the Third Prince, Li Wei, would openly lead the monks of Xuankong Temple to attack their own Imperial Race. The Sixth Prince was killed, and many young, promising members of the Li Royal Race had also died.

Evidently, the Third Prince intended to wipe out all his competitors in one fell swoop.

At this moment, Li Dai was as calm and composed as ever, as if nothing in the world could faze him.

"Mr. Yan, must we contend for the throne?"

Li Dai suddenly asked.

Yan Shao’an glanced at Li Dai. "I know your temperament, but some things are not for you to choose. In this world, even if you become Emperor, you cannot always do as you please."

"I have been taught."

When Emperor Li Chengyuan was still alive, even though he favored the Sixth Prince more, Li Dai was still raised almost to the standard of a Crown Prince.

This matter was something that was almost beyond even Li Chengyuan’s control.

Grand Protector Yan Shao’an had served as Li Dai’s teacher, so their relationship had always been good.

This arrangement wasn’t entirely proper, but at the time, Li Chengyuan was at his peak and believed he could control the situation. He just hadn’t anticipated the subsequent shattering of the nation’s providence.

Ever since Emperor Li Chengyuan went missing, Yan Shao’an had been hiding Li Dai in Jiangzhou. Living here with them were nearly half of the Li Family Members.

The reason they had not made a move for so long was that they were engaged in something perhaps even more important—re-gathering the nation’s providence!