The Mysterious Ming Dynasty: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

Chapter 16 When Humanoid Stars Shine

Xu Wenjue turned around.

The descendants of the three pillars of Christianity, who are now the only ones remaining, are demanding an explanation.

Yang Tingyun's eldest son, Ruohan, stood up, his voice trembling with grief, "Third Master, we will never compromise with heretics!"

"And you all, we've painstakingly planned for decades, are you really willing to just watch all our hard work go to waste, Third Master?"

"Master Xu's decision to hand over Tianjin so easily raises questions about the government's stance. Shouldn't they provide an explanation for all the extravagant spending of manpower and resources?"

As Xu Guangqi's only son, how could Xu Ji remain uninvolved?

The destruction of Xu Guangqi's statue by Si Chen was not as simple as it seemed.

"Third Master," Xu Ji blocked his way, "the Duke made a promise back then."

The statues in Xujiahui were also affected.

Fortunately, it recovered after several blood sacrifices.

But once some ideals are broken, it's difficult to mend them.

Is a god who bleeds still a god?

Xu Wenjue spread his hands.

"Explanation? What explanation?"

"I'm already being lenient by not demanding an explanation from you."

"To put it nicely, it's called restarting the Investiture of the Gods, preparing for eternal life and carefree existence after death."

Xu Wenjue pointed and said, "To put it bluntly, you are a heretical cult! The Heavenly Official wanted to slay demons and eliminate evil spirits from the Six Heavens, but we petitioned to preserve you."

"Have there been few temples that have been branded as heretical by the Heavenly Officials over the years?"

Unable to withstand the grand ceremony performed by the deity Sichen, the divine position nearly shattered.

Everyone finally understood.

Such religious practices, involving incense and deities, transcend reality yet are also dependent on it.

Ultimately, it came down to a inferior approach.

Xu Wenjue looked impatient. Without the allure of immortality and godhood, Christianity had lost its value in uniting the people.

The three bowed deeply in worship.

Yang Tingyun's eldest son, Ruohan, held a sword to his neck, glaring angrily, with the air of someone ready to spill blood on the spot.

"In that scoundrel's eyes, there are hardly any truly righteous people in the world!"

"Only offerings are permitted to the gods of heaven and earth, ancestors, and heroic spirits."

"That's far too heartless."

"Third Master has given us a chance, and he has given the world a chance. The will of the people will be revealed to the world, and there will be a time when heroes unite to attack him."

Xu Wenjue took a deep breath and felt a wave of dizziness.

They've already gone this far, if I still disagree, then we'll never see each other again.

Xu Wenjue returned and sat down. With a wave of his sleeve, the silk woven with gold thread shimmered. He bent down to draw the cloud pattern on the cuff, his attitude casual.

The warriors, hidden in the darkness, then revealed themselves.

Gold-lacquered leather armor and helmet, adorned with taotie cloud patterns. This is a royal guard inherited from the Xianhan era, whose Taoist name is Tiger Warrior.

Tiger-like warriors, advancing with their tiger-like strength, are as fierce as tigers, as cunning and agile as monkeys and apes, as brave and fierce as leopards and dragons. Their blades are encircled by straight blades, and the guards are cast with tiger patterns.

The Tiger Warriors had already placed their hands on their ring-pommel swords, glaring angrily.

"You only have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"Rites are for regulating power, sacrifices are for exerting force."

"So there's no need to use some heretical excuse to fob me off."

Tiger Warrior's straight blade with a ring pommel gleamed brightly.

The three remained silent for a moment. They needed to offer enough leverage to persuade Xu Wenjue. "Third Master, please allow us a moment to discuss this."

Xu Wenjue acquiesced and simply closed his eyes.

Time passes little by little.

The gears of the clock were clicking.

"Third Master."

"We are willing to exchange a piece of information for an opportunity."

The three seemed to have made up their minds.

Xu Wenjue suppressed a laugh. These people wouldn't give up until they were completely cornered. "Speak," he said.

Xu Ji was the only son of Xu Guangqi, who was the head of the three pillars of Christianity.

"Third Master, we know the path to becoming an emperor."

"Aside from the 'Emperor' and the 'Dragon's Descendants,' the current emperor is particularly skilled in riding and archery, so one of them must be a martial artist. And the other six—were they all orchestrated by you?"

"When His Majesty was in the Tenth Prince's Palace, he had already entered the four arts of 'qin' (musical instrument), 'qi' (chess), 'shu' (calligraphy), and 'hua' (painting). After entering the palace, he was taught the 'Qi-refining warrior' by the Jiajing Emperor to prolong his life, and he also used the 'Longxiang warrior' to protect himself. The last one is still unknown to this day. It is actually the 'holy warrior'."

"Hahaha, hahahahahaha~" Xu Wenjue laughed loudly, "Holy Warrior."

"You call an emperor a paladin? Ridiculous!"

"This is absolutely a huge joke."

The Tiger Warriors remained silent.

Perhaps sometimes, this world is just that absurd and unruly.

Xu Wenjue clapped his hands. "So this is how you deposed the emperor. That's quite something."

He suddenly noticed something amiss.

Over the years, countless loyal soldiers have perished.

It turns out that the emperor's path to enlightenment was of no benefit to the country, and the resulting spiritual energy was in the hands of the civil officials in charge of military affairs.

Using the phrase "receiving a salary without working" is actually a compliment to them.

Then let's drink the soldiers' blood.

Military strategists are like cattle and horses, eating grass, milking cows, and working tirelessly.

Normally, war is nourishment for military strategists, allowing them to grow stronger. However, during the Chongzhen era, a large number of warriors failed to advance and were wasted.

From Yang Hao onwards, including Wang Zaijin, Yuan Yingtai, Wang Huazhen, Xiong Tingbi, Wang Zhichen, Sun Chengzong, and Yuan Chonghuan, they all paid for their reputations with the blood and flesh of the soldiers of the Nine Border Garrisons.

Yuan Chonghuan, whom the Donglin Party recommended, was even more incompetent.

What was this guy's most famous quote again?

Give me troops, money, and grain; I alone can defend this place.

This means that as long as he is given enough troops and supplies, one person can guard Shanhaiguan.

What the hell is this nonsense?

Nonsensical talk, utter nonsense!

Give a pig enough money and food, and it can defend Shanhaiguan Pass.

Those who betrayed the hopes of the people by proclaiming they would pacify Liaodong in five years deserve to be killed even more.

He colluded with slave chieftains, murdered generals and officials, and fostered powerful military families. With his silver tongue, he controlled the central government with 100,000 troops.

Madness!

Soldiers shed their blood, but the final credit goes to civil officials. Who will fight to the death?

The root cause of the chaotic situation, where the imperial court failed to respond effectively and acted in a disorganized manner, lies in this.

Pop, pop, pop.

"In terms of insidious and viciousness, I am no match for you." Xu Wenjue clapped his hands and laughed, his face full of undisguised sarcasm.

The three immediately shook their heads; they couldn't bear such a huge burden. "We learned by chance that, besides Donglin, far too many other people were involved."

Everyone joined in, fueling the fire and adding to the chaos, ultimately leading to the complete downfall of the emperor.

"Then, what about the emperor's oath?" Xu Wenjue became even more interested.

Xu Guangqi's son, Xu Ji, looked serious.

"Upon assuming the throne, I made a grand vow—to become like Yao and Shun."

"When Wei Zhongxian was eliminated, I made a vow to reject the temptations of extravagance and frivolity, and to keep my mind as clear as a spring."

Xu Wenjue exclaimed with admiration, "Ah, you have indeed turned him into a good person, but not a good emperor."

Xu Ji frowned. "You should also know about this, my lord."

Even to dominate.

They just didn't tell Xu Wenjue.

Xu Wenjue nodded. "As the saying goes, things are accomplished in secrecy. If you hadn't been in dire straits today, you wouldn't have been exposed."

"Tell me, what do you want?"

Xu Ji raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. "Please, Third Master, introduce us to the Heavenly Official's disciples. We are willing to serve you, even unto death."

There's really no other way.

Xu Ji's family owned the Xujiahui estate for generations, and he had dozens of lives on his shoulders. Why should he make things difficult for himself?

Inviting them to a feast is out of the question, beheading them is also out of the question, so the only option is to send them to their doorstep as dogs.

If you can't beat them, join them; it's better than waiting to die.

No chills.

Xu Wenjue closed his eyes and pondered for a long time.

"A true man is one who can bend and stretch."

"I'll give it my best."