Chapter 1256: The Cult Leader is Actually Myself (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"What good news?"
The fact that news could elicit a "good news" from the lord in the current situation speaks volumes about its value. Qin Li racked his brains but couldn't figure it out, yet the lord deliberately kept him in suspense, gesturing for him to guess. But he wasn't Gu Chi; how could he possibly guess? He could only play along with the other's little quirk to avoid spoiling the fun.
"Could it be that Uncle Qian has made some progress on his end?"
The floodgates were opened, and in one battle, the enemy was routed. Their elite troops either perished on the rivers or scattered in all directions. Qian Yong has been incredibly gleeful lately; his swagger practically leaps from his words, making one worry that he might become arrogant and complacent, ultimately leading to his downfall. Of course, Qin Li isn't worried about this happening. Qian Yong has people watching him closely.
Qian Yong is unreliable, but Ning Yan and the others are always reliable.
"Wait a minute, Gongsu, guess again?"
"Please forgive my ignorance, I really can't guess."
Qin Li chose to lie down and beg for mercy, directly asking Shen Tang for an answer.
Shen Tang said, "It's Shanxiao who's making a move."
Upon hearing the name "Shanxiao," Qin Li, a longtime friend of Cui Xiao, was strangely stunned for a moment, seemingly searching his mind for the name and its owner. Only when the two matched did Qin Li press his temples with a headache, a bitter smile creeping onto his face.
“Filial piety should indeed be filial piety.”
When he was guessing, he thought of everyone, but he couldn't think of Cui Xiao at all. This made Qin Li feel both shocked and ashamed. He could let go of the others, but he and Cui Xiao were close friends for many years, and the latter had been gone for so long—he had truly overlooked him!
Shen Tang understood the subtle change in Qin Li's expression for a moment.
She patted his arm reassuringly, her deliberately lowered voice betraying her guilt: "Actually, we're both pretty much the same. I don't know what Shanxiao did this time, I almost forgot about him too. Cough cough, when he comes back, we just won't let him know..."
Qin Li asked in confusion, "How did the Lord know...?"
Outsiders' perceptions of Choi Hyo are also ranked.
From weakest to strongest, they are: complete strangers, acquaintances, subordinates who are slightly more familiar than acquaintances, colleagues with whom they frequently interact, Qi Shan, a group of close friends and acquaintances led by Qin Li, and the Lord! Even the Lord subconsciously ignored Cui Xiao, which means that Cui Xiao's presence is almost as weak as air, nearly invisible! This has only happened once in many years!
According to Choi Hyo himself, he almost died silently.
Fortunately, he recovered and survived.
Is this another case of the same thing happening again?
Shen Tang said, "My avatar Wuyou overheard this at the Southwest Allied Army camp. This news is still classified and has been forcibly suppressed by the Southwest Allied countries—the Holy Son of the Eternal Life Sect, with Lu Kingdom as the center, has more than 300,000 followers responding to the call to punish evil on behalf of Heaven!"
This plan was never kept secret from Qin Li from the very beginning.
Even though Qin Li was mentally prepared, he was still taken aback by the speed and scale of this event. How long had it been since the Holy Son of the Eternal Life Sect appeared, yet he had already gathered more than 300,000 believers to respond? Or rather, how long had it been since Cui Xiao took that national seal from the Lord? If we start counting from then, has it been a month at most? In a flash, countless thoughts intertwined and swirled in Qin Li's mind.
Combining the timing of the two events, he vaguely understood something.
"More than 300,000 believers..." Qin Li forcibly suppressed the throbbing veins on his forehead. He was also glad that Wei Cheng and his nephew had long since given up their criminal activities and had been obediently serving their time in prison in Kang State for the past few years, instead of continuing to act as troublemakers. Otherwise, the number would have been even larger!
"I don't think it has much to do with the uncle and nephew."
"How can it not be a big deal?"
Qin Li hadn't expected to unconsciously blurt out his true feelings, and he couldn't agree with his lord's defense of Wei Cheng and his nephew.
The Eternal Life Cult was established by Wei Cheng on a whim.
The seductive doctrines were perfected by Wei Lou in his spare time.
If the Cult of Immortality did not exist, where would so many followers come from?
Shen Tang said, "This uncle and nephew are not the 'cause' of everything, so naturally we cannot blame them for all the 'effects' that have been borne. Most of the ordinary believers of the Eternal Life Sect joined the sect because they were so impoverished that they could not escape their predicament. So who caused their situation of being unable to live or die? The culprit who caused them to seek spiritual comfort in order to eke out a living is the 'cause'!"
"It's like commoners who can't survive have no choice but to pick up their hoes and rise up in rebellion, eventually causing turmoil. But you can't blame the barren land for not being able to grow food, you can't blame the heavens for sending down natural disasters, and you certainly can't blame the commoners for not working hard enough to cultivate and reclaim wasteland! You should blame the local government for not allowing the commoners enough farmland, blame the fertile farmland for becoming the private property of local gentry, blame the government for not storing water before the drought, blame the government for not building dikes to prevent floods before the drought and flood... Criticize the weak who have to use all their strength just to survive less, and criticize the strong who have the ability but do nothing more."
"The real culprit should issue a statement of self-reproach!"
Shen Tang's ideas were completely contrary to the mainstream, she knew that, but she went her own way. After all, she was the ruler of the country, and a ruler with both civil and military achievements. Those who disagreed with her and wanted to make a living under her rule had to follow her rules.
And her rule is—
When subordinates make mistakes, superiors reflect on their actions; when governance is chaotic, the government re-examines its policies. Why not focus on the capable and investigate the weak? The weak are weak because they have inherent shortcomings; what can they possibly find by pointing out their flaws?
Shen Tang's logic is also impeccable.
The civil and military officials, excluding the elders, felt this was inappropriate. They had studied diligently and achieved great deeds, all for the sake of one day gaining high positions and power, becoming superior to others. In Kangguo, not only did this system not apply, but they were also forced to take the blame for those below them.
When subordinates make mistakes, they reflect on their actions.
Listen to this! Is there any justice or law in this?
However, since Shen Tang held military power, no one dared to object.
Qin Li agreed with his lord's later words, but still disagreed with the assessment that Wei Cheng and his nephew were not closely related. Even without them, there would have been others, but only they had taken the lead.
Even if they weren't the "cause," they were still accomplices!
This was, after all, a trivial matter that did not involve principles, and Qin Li did not argue with his lord. However, his impression of Wei Cheng and his nephew was reduced by three points! He sighed, "Indeed, if the southwestern states had not treated their subjects so harshly, so many people would not have been driven to desperation."
The worse the governance, the more people will be driven to desperation.
The more people there are, the more attractive the cult of immortality becomes.
The fertile ground for the expansion of the Eternal Life Cult is also much wider.
"Thirty thousand or so are just the believers who received the news recently. Once the first batch of believers can gain a foothold and establish themselves, believers throughout the southwest will respond. That's when things will really get interesting." Recalling the expressions on the faces of the Allied forces she had seen through her illusion, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve upwards. Science proves that smiles don't disappear; they just transfer from their faces to hers.
Qin Li also had concerns.
"No matter how many believers there are, they are all ordinary people and it is unlikely that they will become a force to be reckoned with. If various countries send troops to suppress them, it will be effective in no time."
There are very few successful cases of peasant uprisings.
Those born into poverty, upon achieving even a little success, are easily blinded by wealth and status, indulging in a life of pleasure and debauchery, becoming ruthless and cruel, and prematurely losing their original aspirations. As the Lord often says, this is the essence—"He who slays the dragon becomes the dragon himself!"
Of course, his lord was an exception.
"Whether or not we can suppress it is no longer important..."
The more people responded, the more fields were left to lie fallow, making the already strained supply lines of the Southwest Allied Army even more difficult to maintain. Shen Tang's night raid before the war caused one of their granaries to sprout and mold, which was like adding insult to injury!
That's enough to give this group a good drink.
Shen Tang could see things clearly, but there were always some people who couldn't.
These weren't just one person, they were a group!
"Damn it, who spread these rumors to undermine morale?"
When news of the Eternal Life Cult's raid on their homeland reached them, many Allied leaders questioned its veracity, and the people of Lu were enraged, rising up in fury. They immediately thought of the culprit, Shen Tang.
This news must have come from Kangguo!
The intention is very clear: to mess with their mentality!
"Investigate! Send people to find out the truth!"
Unexpectedly, a voice came from the corner.
"If the news is false, doesn't that mean all the vanguard scouts have been bribed and infiltrated? If so, what are you all still fighting here for?"
The speaker was Gongyang Yongye, who usually disliked getting involved.
He was, after all, a Marquis of the Nineteenth Rank, and no one dared to be disrespectful to his face. Even the people of Lu, who were in a state of panic, suppressed their anger.
He appealed to both emotion and reason: "Lord Gongyang, you are wise. What season is it now? Spring plowing has long passed, and the harvest will come in a while. Even if the common people rebel, they will survive until after the harvest. How could they be incited by traitors of the Eternal Life Cult now?"
Gongyang Yongye first nodded in agreement: "What you said makes sense. The timing is wrong, but—General, have you considered the possibility that the fields to be harvested soon have little to do with them?"
If it's not your own land, you won't feel bad about ruining it.
The Lu family members were frantic with worry.
He blurted out, "How could it not be related?"
Gongyang Yongye looked into the other person's eyes with a half-smile; those eyes held no joy or sorrow, but rather an almost indifferent color.
He countered, "Really? Is it related?"
Those five short words, however few, struck me like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
Many people present were stunned into silence, a strange sense of guilt and lingering fear creeping into their hearts. They only needed to respond with the words "involved," but some tried to speak only to find their mouths felt like they were filled with molten lead, unable to open them at all.
Gongyang Yongye calmly added insult to injury.
"I remember many years ago, the southwest region was mountainous with abundant water and little arable land. Cultivation was difficult, and floods were frequent during hurricane season, making it even harder for crops to survive. In the past few decades, the situation has improved slightly, but the amount of land that ordinary people can cultivate is decreasing."
Calling them commoners is an understatement; they're more like homeless hooligans.
In order to survive, he had to work as a tenant farmer to ensure basic living while also spending his energy cultivating his own land.
Cultivating a dozen or so acres of land might require the efforts of an entire family and a generation, while plundering it only takes a few days and a little thought. How can the speed at which a family unit cultivates land compare to the speed at which a local powerful clan harvests it?
Farmland has nothing to do with ordinary people.
The same applies to the products of the land.
Gongyang Yongye spoke the truth, but to some, it hurt more than being pricked by a silver needle heated by candlelight, as if their skin had been torn off and stomped on. If an ordinary person had said that, they would have been dead eight hundred times over. But this man could make them die eight hundred times over on the spot, so they could only swallow their resentment and bitterness. Some even felt heartbroken, confused, and deeply wronged!
Honestly, they were not the kind of scoundrels.
They never drove anyone to the brink of despair.
It's only natural for them to rent out their land to farmers and take a percentage of the produce. What land in the world is given away for free? This is rent! As for how much tax is paid or how much grain is left over, what does that have to do with them?
Can't afford to live?
I should reflect on whether I've been lazy and not working hard enough!
The more effort you put in, the more reward you will receive.
Even a three-year-old knows this principle, yet the scoundrels don't?
Seeing this, Gongyang Yongye said no more.
The rebellion of the Cult of Immortality—whether it concerns anyone else or not is irrelevant to him. If these despicable bastards hadn't left people no way out, who would have dared to rebel?
Luo Yuan looked at everyone's expressions and remained silent.
As mentioned before, many high-ranking members of the Eternal Life Cult come from prominent local families. They joined the cult not because they believed in its doctrines, but simply because it would be easier to manage their "followers." They found that managing these followers was much simpler than deceiving ordinary people.
Tenant believers have to pay far more than just the autumn and summer taxes and rent.
As believers, we also have to make offerings.
These profits naturally didn't end up in the hands of the Eternal Life Cult leader; they were all collected by various local so-called "offers" under various pretexts. These "offers," stripped of their facades, were essentially the same group of people. With pressure layered upon layer, even in good years, there wasn't enough left for sustenance.
Do these people really not know?
Or do you know it, but don't care?
As long as they're alive and haven't starved to death, there's no need to worry.
Regardless of whether the news is true or false, the culprit is either the Eternal Life Cult or Shen Youli! In short, it cannot be either of them.
Qi Cang was fishing and didn't come, so he received the news a little later.
He clicked his tongue: "These days repeat themselves year after year, year after year. Why didn't they rebel earlier or later, but suddenly now?"
He didn't believe that Kang Guo wasn't involved.
Chen Wuyou Tang glanced at his empty fish basket and casually replied, "Perhaps no one told them they were already standing on the edge of a cliff? Someone shouted, and they all saw their predicament. One more step back and they would truly be smashed to pieces."
Either way, we're going to die. What's the point of having nothing to lose if we're barefoot?
Qi Cang said, "This person who spoke up is despicable."
"Immoral?"
Qi Cang looked at her meaningfully and sneered, "How can it not be immoral? The main forces of the allied forces of the southwestern countries are tied up here. How many people can be transferred from the country to quell the rebellion? If the rebellion cannot be quelled quickly, the fields will be abandoned and no one will harvest them. I don't know how many people will starve to death this year. With so much karma, I don't know if the people behind it can bear it."
Little did they know, Qi Cang's worries were also the Holy Son's worries.
She was worried even before the uprising actually started.
If it fails, the number of victims could reach a million!
The thought that so many people would be indirectly killed because of her troubles filled her with unease. These believers continued in their dazed state, at least clinging to life; what if they became conscious and actually died?
"Your Highness, there is no need for hesitation; simply follow in the footsteps of the true god," Cui Xiao said calmly. "God will send down timely rain."
Do they want to drag this battle out until winter?
(**)
Boundless and Swordsman are truly great inventions; I even got the anniversary pendant by soloing!
PS: (I spent over sixty weeks AFK farming last week without success, but today I got it on my first try while AFK farming and reading fanfiction. I guess some old players shouldn't be too obsessed.)
PPS: The hellish joke of the previous chapter was that neither Zhai Le, who proposed it, nor Tang Mei, who agreed, intended to keep their promises completely. It was as if they were tacitly agreeing that in the first half we would emulate Emperor Guangwu, trusting each other without question, but in the second half everyone would betray us like Sima Yi, each relying on their own abilities.
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