Chapter 1117: Annexing the High Kingdom (Part 4) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

“In this situation, the Lord should not intervene lightly.”

Over the years, Chu Yao has collected a great deal of information on the completion ceremonies of the scholar's path. Although each person's completion ceremony is unique, in-depth analysis can still reveal some patterns. In the initial planning stage of the completion ceremony, external assistance can be sought. People like Jiang Sheng and Mei Meng, who lay out the plan in the early stages and then close the net later, are typical examples. However, in the most important closing stage, the person must carry it out personally and cannot rely on others—Jiang Sheng must personally cut off the head of the ruler, and Mei Meng must personally kill the usurper.

It's considered a failure if someone else gets there first.

Otherwise, Ning Yan wouldn't have given up the opportunity to kill Zheng Qiao and avenge her deceased husband to Jiang Sheng. This opportunity was far more important to Jiang Sheng! This principle still applies today.

The completion ceremony required Ning Yan to cut off her own path to survival, to destroy before establishing, and to live through death. Therefore, [Zixu] and [Wuyou] had to be eliminated by her own hands, whether through sacrifice or execution. Because the Lord aided Ning Tunan, the ceremony failed.

“People have to survive! Wuyou is not Tunan. Even if Wuyou has Ning Yan’s complete memories and feelings, it is only a part of Tunan, not the real Tunan.”

This is akin to the digital immortality advocated at the end of a previous human civilization, attempting to copy all surviving human memories and emotions onto the network. As long as the mainframe could continue operating, humanity could be freed from the constraints of the physical body, achieving immortality and no longer fearing natural disasters, radiation, or zombie mutations. Initially, some genuinely believed this, only to discover that so-called digital immortality was merely a copy, not a digital migration of one's consciousness into the network world. What remained immortal was simply a mass of data.

In Shen Tang's view, Tu Nan's situation was similar.

She had also considered the worst-case scenario.

At worst, the ceremony would fail and the way of the literati would be ruined, but Ning Yan's talent could not be taken away, and she would still be his key minister! Tu Nan himself was also open-minded, so Shen Tang had no more worries and killed Wu You by proxy.

The atmosphere inside the tent was somewhat somber.

Ning Yan was quite popular in the court.

This popularity stems not only from her admirable character and conduct, but also from her other role as the dean of the academy.

The academy in Longwu County was the predecessor of the official school of Kang State. The children of officials in the court treated the teachers and lecturers of the official school with utmost respect, let alone Ning Yan, the headmaster. Hearing that Ning Yan's ceremony had failed, they couldn't help but feel sympathy and regret; they were in no mood to laugh.

Yes, they couldn't laugh, but Ning Yan had a bright smile.

After Shen Tang awoke, the physicians examined her pulse a second time and found that the third vital energy within her body had subsided. They prescribed some medicine to treat her chills and instructed the young apprentice to prepare it. Seeing that everything was alright, the officials prepared to take their leave. It was at this moment that Ning Yan arrived.

Shen Tang hurriedly had the soldiers bring Ning Yan in, and her colleagues also concealed their strange expressions, lest Ning Yan realize that she was being pitied.

Ning Yan has a strong sense of self-respect and cannot stand these things.

result--

"What's wrong, my ministers?"

Ning Yan walks with a brisk pace and powerful strides.

His aura was barely perceptible, making him appear like an ordinary person.

The others stammered, "Minister Ning, everyone knows about your situation. Please try to think positively. Even if you can't fight on the front lines, your realm is still vast and boundless!"

For ordinary people, it doesn't affect their ability to handle official duties. In other countries, literary talent is a basic requirement for entering officialdom, but in Kangguo, the ability to work is the essential quality. As a trusted minister of the emperor, even if she can't work 996*2, the emperor won't look down on her.

Among the crowd, only Luan Xin stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

He stared intently at Ning Yan's face, his eyes burning with desire.

It's better to get your colleagues to work harder than to work hard yourself; that's no joke!

Ning Yan immediately knew what everyone had misunderstood.

He laughed and said, "You all know? That's great! I'll find an opportunity to host a banquet for you all to celebrate. This is a great joy in life, so my ministers and officials should not come empty-handed."

Everyone was confused by her smile.

My mind went blank for a second, but then I realized what was going on.

"Could it be...could it be that it's done?"

Ning Yan nodded and said, "It's done."

Chu Yao looked at Shen Tang in confusion: "But my lord..."

Ning Yan shared her guess.

"Perhaps it's because the Lord's situation is different from mine."

She completely entrusted her life to her lord in exchange for the literary energy to solidify her literary heart; in return, her life was pledged to her lord. In a sense, Shen Tang's life was Ning Yan's life; the two were inextricably linked. Ning Yan's summoning of Shen Tang for help at the critical moment of life and death wasn't considered cheating in the ritual. Ning Yan initially thought she had failed, but a careful examination of her dantian revealed a wonderful surprise!

Everyone: "Is that even possible?"

Ning Yan replied, "Yes."

Everyone: "Why didn't this happen before...?"

He stopped abruptly.

Throughout the many years of chaos on the mainland, how many scholars have truly achieved the ideals of the literati? How many of them were coerced into entrusting their lives to their lords? How many needed their lords' help to achieve this? Given the frequent wars and the constant loss of historical documents, it is understandable that the outside world is unaware of this.

Overall, Ning Yan turned misfortune into a blessing in disguise this time.

Once they understood this, everyone smiled.

They all stepped forward to congratulate Ning Yan on achieving her wish, some with a hint of envy in their eyes. The path of the scholar was complete; countless aspiring scholars could never even reach the threshold in their entire lives—it was the pinnacle of the scholarly pursuit. Most of the blessings were sincere; even some old-fashioned individuals, like those from Qinghe, changed their attitude and thanked Ning Yan in return. Hearing this, Shen Tang secretly gave Chu Yao a wink.

One person's plan is short-sighted, two people's plans are long-sighted.

If someone could play for him, Chu Yao's difficulty level would be significantly lower.

Chu Yao understood immediately and nodded with a smile.

"This is indeed a joyous occasion. There's no better time than today, so let's hold a banquet to celebrate Tu Nan's good fortune!" Shen Tang was visibly delighted, and added at the end, "The completion of this ceremony is of great significance. If any of you have any ideas, please don't be as hasty and reckless as Tu Nan. If you encounter any difficulties, please feel free to tell me!"

Preparing in advance will prevent you from being caught off guard.

If it weren't for this accident, no one would have noticed when Ning Yan was replaced by Wu You. Just thinking about it makes me break out in a cold sweat.

When she said that, some people actually stood up.

Shen Tang's eyes lit up: "Justice? You're pregnant?"

Wow, this is truly double happiness!

Everyone vaguely felt that there was something strange about what he said, but Luan Xin was slow to react and did not investigate further. Before speaking, he glanced at Ning Yan and said slowly and gently, "I have some clues, and I need the assistance of all my ministers."

The ministers, brimming with enthusiasm, exclaimed, "What you say goes!"

Luan Xin is the Minister of Personnel!

If he could make him owe him a favor, the Ministry of Personnel's annual assessment would be less difficult, and he could build good relationships. Even if he didn't need the favor himself, his descendants might be able to use it in the future.

Shen Tang also looked at Luan Xin with eager eyes, urging him on.

"Justice, whatever you say, will be done, no matter how difficult!"

Luan Xin then recounted his successful completion of the ceremony.

He said slowly and casually, "...First, gather ninety-nine already perfected Paths of the Scholar; second, gather nine supreme Paths of the Scholar. All of you ministers are outstanding individuals, surely you will not disappoint me?"

Everyone: "...???"

For a moment, the scene was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Few know the true nature of Luan Xin's scholarly ways; most only know that his methods could control rain. Although he held the position of Minister of Personnel, he frequently traveled to bring rain, earning him the reputation of a rain god among the common people. If there were rain clouds next door in a drought-stricken area, he would go there to pull out rain clouds; if there weren't, he would create rain clouds on the spot. People generally felt his expertise was better suited to the Imperial Observatory, and that placing him in the Ministry of Personnel was rather absurd.

The Ministry of Personnel is a place with work all year round, and Luan Xin is known for his slow pace. It's unclear whether the Emperor's arrangement is a test of Luan Xin's mentality or a torture for the officials being evaluated. As a drought nemesis, Luan Xin enjoys extremely high prestige among the people. Apart from a few exceptions, no one dares to oppose him.

Let him be placed in the Ministry of Personnel; the Emperor must have a reason for it!

However, judging from Luan Xin's abilities in the Way of the Scholar, why would his completion ritual be so outrageous? They didn't know how Luan Xin was collecting the data; they were only concerned with the absurd numbers behind it!

The Way of the Ninety-Nine Perfected Scholars?

Nine Ways of the Ultimate Scholar?

Putting aside what the latter thing is, the former is just too outrageous! Ninety-nine of them—even if Luan Gongyi dug up graves, he probably couldn't gather that many. And Luan Xin actually wants them to put in some effort?

"But isn't this Minister Luan's perfect ceremony?"

Why should others be the ones putting in the effort?

Luan Xin replied, "Naturally, it's because I trust my colleagues."

Everyone: "..."

The path of a scholar requires perfect timing, favorable location, and harmonious relationships; Ning Yan is a prime example—not a single factor can be lacking. Luan Gongyi believes in them, haha, but they themselves don't even believe in themselves.

Someone muttered under their breath, "Isn't that asking too much of people?"

Whether it's difficult or not, the big boss Shen Tang doesn't care.

Although she was the head of a feudal society, she had the demeanor of a capitalist who wanted to hang streetlights on people. Her first words were to issue targets and quotas; she only cared about results. Seeing that everyone's enthusiasm was waning, she turned around and made grand promises, each one generous and filling enough to make you burp.

Shen Tang arranged a banquet to celebrate that evening, and everyone left in turn.

Ning Yan and Luan Xin stayed until the end.

Seeing that the two of them hadn't left, Chu Yao also stopped.

Shen Tang understood immediately, knowing that they had something to say in private.

"There are no outsiders here, so please speak your mind."

Ning Yan hesitated, allowing Luan Xin to speak first.

"Justice, why are you looking at me like that?" Shen Tang noticed that Luan Xin's gaze was strange, comparable to seeing a man give birth on the spot in the street, revealing a sense of horror, and she looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Is there anything unusual about my lord?"

Shen Tang looked bewildered: "Something's wrong? Your nose isn't running anymore?"

I woke up feeling like both my nostrils were clear!

"No—" Luan Xin's expression was so conflicted it could be tied in a knot, "I saw it in you, I saw it—"

Shen Tang tilted her head and asked, "What did you see?"

Ning Yan: "They must have seen the [pure fabrication]."

Startled, Shen Tang hurriedly touched the mirror, looked closely at herself, and breathed a sigh of relief: "That scared me to death. I thought I had a face all over my body like Wei Cheng."

Luan Xin said, "This is the way of the 'purely fictitious' literati."

Chen Tang was so startled that she dropped the mirror: "Huh?"

Chu Yao was so shocked that his hands trembled.

The four of them got together for a short meeting.

The conclusion reached, however, is chilling.

People like Chu Yao and Ning Yan, who entrust their lives to the ruler, will have their literary energy, preserved in their Danfu (a place name in China for those who serve the ruler) evolve into a rudimentary form of the "Way of the Scholar" once their scholarly path has further developed. Calling it the "Way of the Scholar" isn't entirely accurate; more precisely, it means acquiring a portion of the abilities of the Way of the Scholar.

"The proper order of ruler and subject, father and son... Only now do I understand the true meaning of these words." Shen Tang came back to her senses and realized that her forehead was covered in cold sweat. She had always approached things with the mindset of running a company, where the relationship between ruler and subject was one of equality. She was the boss, and the subjects were the employees. The company's business was to feed as many people as possible, expand its scale, go public, and then acquire other companies.

But that was just her idea.

There has never been equality between ruler and subject; exploitation has always been the norm.

She didn't know if the rulers who had used various methods to fight their subjects and force them to their deaths were aware of this hidden secret, but she knew it couldn't be revealed. If it were, it could very well trigger a crisis of trust. This crisis of trust wouldn't just occur in Kang Kingdom; it would spread to other parts of the continent, intensifying the already bloody political struggles and making life even more miserable for the common people.

She made up her mind in no time.

"Pretend you know nothing about this matter."

Luan Xin and the others bowed and accepted.

Shen Tang rubbed her temples, enduring the hidden headache.

Ning Yan said, "Let's put this matter aside for now. What abilities does the Lord's [Falsehood] possess? Can it bring the dead back to life?"

Shen Tang was still dazed. He closed his eyes and carefully sensed the faint call. Luan Xin replied in his ear: "There shouldn't be. In this situation, the lord cannot obtain the core ability of the scholar's way."

To obtain the core would be far too overpowered.

Ning Yan: "What is that?"

"It seems to allow the avatar of literary energy to operate remotely for extended periods." Shen Tang scratched her head. This ability, besides allowing her to seamlessly switch between 007*3, seemed to have no other use. It felt a bit like winning the lottery jackpot, only to find that the jackpot was worth hundreds of thousands.

Shen Tang was not disappointed; on the contrary, she was relieved.

"That's good, as long as it's not a core competency. Otherwise, countless people would take the risk, and the struggle for the national seal would be many times more intense." Fighting for the national seal, becoming the ruler, coercing scholars, and benefiting oneself—it's a whole assembly line.

Currently, we only know that the Literary Scholar has this hidden Easter egg. If the Martial Warrior also has it... Shen Tang was too scared to even think about it.

This world is likely to be riddled with holes.

Shen Tang had originally planned to proceed step by step, using the Gao Kingdom delegation to stir up some trouble and trick them into playing some schemes, both overt and covert. However, things didn't go as planned. Before nightfall, someone arrived from the capital, Fengluo.

"Why is Shao Mei here?"

Shen Tang was a little worried when she saw that the person who came was Liao Jia.

"Shaomei, is there something wrong with Fengluo?"

Liao Jia was travel-worn and looked far from his usual neat appearance; even the flowers in his hair ornament were not fresh. He said with unusual seriousness, "Everything is stable in Fengluo. I have important matters to attend to and must request leave..."

Shen Tang asked, "What important matter is it?"

Liao Jia only talked about unrelated things, and asked, "Has the ceremony for the completion of Mei Jinghe's scholarly way not started yet?"

"Is your important matter related to this???"

Liao Jia nodded: "This concerns my successful completion of the ceremony."

After much thought, this is the only fat sheep I can find.

He couldn't possibly take action against his colleagues.

Shen Tang: "..."

|ω`)

The completion of the ritual for Liao Jia would be rather detrimental.

P.S.: From April 28th to May 7th, monthly tickets will be doubled! Please vote!

PPS: Just a random rant. There was a post in the book review section that pointed out the pain point of female empress novels, or rather, novels about becoming emperor and fighting for supremacy. It's a point that I've been thinking about too.

The protagonist is positioned as a ruler, capable of conquering vast territories in the early stages. However, in the mid-to-late game, the perspective becomes restricted, transforming from a free-roaming NPC to a stationary NPC with limited movement. Plot progression becomes limited to conquering territory and acquiring other characters. (This is a common problem in the later stages of the Empress's Livestream strategy guide.)

The limited scope of activity means that the protagonist cannot participate in certain storylines. If the character were positioned as a civil or military official, the limitations would be much less. (But Mushroom doesn't like this role; having a superior always above him is so annoying.)

Originally, Ning Yan's completion ceremony was supposed to be delayed a bit, but it was brought out early to make up for this limitation and allow Tang Mei's range of activities to expand within the established framework _(:з」∠)_ Liao Jia's appearance also began to address some of the foreshadowing from the southwest.