I'm Here-The Military Sima Nong Is the Boss!

"The second reason is the invasion of foreign religious beliefs!"

"Of the fifty-two temples, seven have animal Transformation, some with wings and others with scales."

"Although the Yin Spirit carvings of my Great Zhou have auspicious beast totems, they are all just embellishments. Only the barbarian tribes of the Southern Barbarians have this style."

"If this continues, and barbarians were to cross the Canglan River, it would undoubtedly lower the morale of the soldiers and civilians to resist."

Wei Xuancheng nodded slightly. Those seven temples were the ones that had to be demolished in this operation.

So why is it only being addressed now? Firstly, it hasn't been scaled up enough, and secondly, it's been overlooked because it's situated amidst mountains and rivers.

Previously, Wen Emperor did not rectify the situation, no one noticed any problems. Now that Emperor Jing intends to reform the system, people naturally discovered the issues.

"Thirdly, with a major war about to begin, for the sake of internal stability, all private temples should be shut down. If this is not done properly, it will not be enough to demonstrate the power of the thunderbolt. It will easily give those with ulterior motives hope that they will wait for the storm to pass before re-establishing the venerable gods and letting them rise from the Golden Body."

"In my humble opinion, all fifty-two temples should be demolished!"

Zhao Xing cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, indicating that he had finished speaking.

Wei Xuancheng returned the greeting with a cupped hand. "I will repeat your words to Lord Gong without missing a single one. Please wait here, Lord Zhao."

After saying this, Wei Xuancheng left the private room.

Seeing Wei Xuancheng leave, Long Xiao immediately gave Zhao Xing a thumbs up. "Kid, I didn't expect you to be so eloquent. You really fooled him."

Zhao Xing smiled slightly. "A keyboard warrior? Anyone can be one."

Emperor Jing of history did indeed use the Yin Spirit to control the knife during the New Splendor Era, handling both military and Yin Spirit simultaneously.

However, the latter was not as forceful, and its effect was not obvious.

As a juror, whatever I say, as long as it's generally in the right direction, doesn't skew my stance, and aligns with the court's policies, I should have no problem getting an A grade.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was known for its open-mindedness. For example, when an official took an exam, he answered "Sever Heaven and Earth" and nothing happened to him, which is enough to show that.

Outside the Tower Ship, a middle-aged man in a long robe stood on the deck, the robe adorned with black, white, and gold stripes, holding a statue of Bright King in his hands.

They were looking down at a magnificent, golden temple.

The main hall is thirteen zhang high, and the temple grounds cover five hundred mu of land, which is clearly a violation of building regulations.

The reason we didn't investigate in the past was because we didn't want to, and also because some people were covering it up.

But today, Gong Ming is going to demolish this temple that has been built for two hundred years.

Just as they were about to give orders, Wei Xuancheng came up from downstairs.

Gong Ming waited for a moment.

Wei Xuancheng was Wei Hong's younger brother, and he was also very intelligent and was well-liked by Gong Ming.

"Lord Gong, Zhao Xing, the Agricultural Official of Agriculture and Military Affairs, has already given his opinion."

"To go or to stay? Have you made any specific statements?" Gong Ming asked casually, not taking the matter to heart.

A genius among the Military Sima Nong may not necessarily understand the ways of the Priest.

Of course, in officialdom, it's all about mutual benefit. As long as this genius's answer isn't too outrageous, even if he just recites a few articles from the "Great Zhou Sacrifice Law," he'll still give him a good review.

If he's an idiot, giving random, annoying advice, then you can't blame him.

Zhao Xing said...

Wei Xuancheng repeated Zhao Xing's words in detail.

Gong Ming's eyes widened in surprise.

He did not expect that Zhao Xing would give the same answer for all fifty-two temples.

To everyone's surprise, Zhao Xing actually had something to say.

Especially the first point.

After listening, Gong Ming exclaimed, "As expected of the Agricultural Official in charge of money and grain, his calculations are truly... truly..."

It's incredibly impactful; he used data as the basis for his statement, quantifying the harm caused by the Wild God!

As for the second and third points, although they were not particularly surprising, they were still in accordance with etiquette, which added to the persuasiveness of his judgment.

"Lord Gong, how should we reply?" Wei Xuancheng asked.

Gong Ming, "I will report this to the Military Realm and have the Grade A assessed."

He wasn't the sole decision-maker, and since Zhao Xing answered well and he had no vested interest in the matter, he was naturally happy to give him a Grade A.

"Yes." Wei Xuancheng prepared to take his leave.

"There's no rush, Xuancheng. You should take your men and proceed," Gong Ming said.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Boom!"

The sky changed drastically, and dark Dark Clouds enveloped the area around Yan Guang Temple.

Wei Xuancheng rushed into the temple with a group of priests.

Gong Ming watched quietly from above as everything below unfolded.

The people he sent out were not of high rank; this was intentional on his part.

"I'd like to see who will actually step in to stop me."

Below is Yan Guang Temple.

When the Priest sealed off the temple and sent people into the main hall, they were unsurprisingly intercepted.

A middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes came out.

His name is Yan Kuan. He is the cousin of the current head of the Yan Family and one of the people in power in the Yan Family.

"My name is Yan Kuan. Gentlemen, why is the temple suddenly sealed off?" Yan Kuan asked, bowing in confusion.

"Without official recognition from the imperial court, how can it be called a temple?" Wei Xuancheng looked at Yan Kuan, whose expression was now serious, a far cry from the gentle, welcoming demeanor he had displayed on the Tower Ship. "We have come today to overthrow this licentious cult!"

After hearing Zhao Xing's words, Wei Xuancheng looked at Yan Kuan as if he were seeing a string of numbers.

I also saw countless ignorant faces, whose blood was being drawn without their knowledge.

Yan Kuan had a good reputation in the county town, but in Wei Xuancheng's eyes at this moment, he was like a human-shaped bloodsucker!

Yan Kuan's expression changed slightly. "My lords, the Yan Guang Temple has a long history. It was built spontaneously by the common people and has remained so for two hundred years. The deity of this temple has been revered by the people since the beginning of time and has performed miracles many times over the past two hundred years. I dare not say that he has done great merits, but he is certainly not worthy of being judged as a licentious cult."

"Gentlemen, there must be some misunderstanding. Please come with me to the back hall to rest for a moment, and allow me to introduce myself..."

"There's no need to waste time!" Wei Xuancheng interrupted. "If you want to inform any high-ranking official, go ahead and do it now. But the temple, I must smash it first!"

Yan Kuan the officials were unmoved by either soft or hard tactics, Yan Kuan's expression immediately turned cold. "Could you please tell me your name, and who ordered the demolition?"

"I am Wei Xuancheng of Anping Prefecture, merely Seventh Grade Priest of the Hall of Heaven's Mandate," Wei Xuancheng said, staring at Yan Kuan. "As for which official gave the order, if you have the ability, you can investigate. Now, take action!"

Wei Xuancheng was already extremely impatient with Yan Kuan and couldn't be bothered to say anything more.

He immediately gave the order to take action.

Yan Kuan originally wanted to use the name of the person behind him to buy time, but when he heard Wei Xuancheng's name and that he was from the prefectural city, his heart sank.

Wei Xuancheng is nothing special, but his elder brother Wei Hong is Priest of the Upper Fourth Rank!

No matter how many connections I try to pull, can I ever surpass Wei Hong?

Judge Cui is only a lower-ranking Fourth Grade official!

When Yan Kuan saw Wei Xuancheng bring out the Judicial Divine Statue and enter the main hall, he immediately collapsed to the ground.

In this way, not only will the temple be destroyed, but the Yin Spirit Yan Guang will also be captured.

"Our ancestor is gone!"

Yan Kuan collapsed to the ground.

In the sky, inside the Tower Ship.

Zhao Xing waited and waited, but Wei Xuancheng did not return, so he began to have doubts.

However, he sensed the drastic change in the weather outside and seemed to understand something, so he sat back down and waited patiently.

Half an hour later, Wei Xuancheng returned.

However, his face now had a colder, more sinister air about him.

It looks like there was just a battle.

"Lord Zhao, I apologize for keeping you waiting. I was demolishing the temple earlier, which delayed the time," Wei Xuancheng said.

"I wouldn't dare, Lord Wei's matter is important." Zhao Xing quickly stood up.

"Lord Gong has just responded to Lord Zhao's suggestion, and I believe it won't be long before Lord Zhao receives the message from the Earth Mirror."

"If Lord Zhao is willing, he can leave now and does not need to travel with us from station to station."

Seeing that Wei Xuancheng looked exhausted, Zhao Xing immediately stood up and said, "In that case, I will take my leave of you gentlemen."

Wei Xuancheng cupped his hands and said, "Although we have only met once, we feel like old friends. If you don't mind, let's call each other brothers."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Then I'll take the liberty of addressing you as Brother Xuancheng." Zhao Xing seized the opportunity to climb the social ladder, as befriending this big shot could only bring benefits and no harm at the moment.

Wei Xuancheng smiled and said, "Now that we both have official duties to attend to, we can't get together often. If Brother Zhao ever comes to Anping Prefecture in the future, please be sure to visit my residence for tea and a good chat."

Priest were subject to many rules at certain times, including not being allowed to drink alcohol. What would it look like if someone went to worship the gods drunk? That's why Wei Xuancheng only mentioned drinking tea, but not alcohol.

"It's a deal!" Zhao Xing cupped his hands in farewell, then went out to say goodbye to Gong Ming and thank the other Priest of the temple.

After completing the procedures, they retrieved the Arrowfish Flying Boat from the Tower Ship and flew away with Long Xiao.

Before they even left Anping Prefecture, the Military Realm sent a message from the Earth Mirror.

The Second Ring Mission evaluation is: Grade A).

"Now that we have Grade A, those fifty-two temples seem to be in grave danger," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

It's certain that everything will be demolished.

Should we kill those Yin Spirit?

I reckon even if I don't kill him, I'll have to be forced back to my original form, and my two hundred years of cultivation will be wiped out.

If it is discovered that someone is using the power of the Yin Spirit to seek personal gain or commit illegal acts, killing the Yin Spirit is not enough; one must also kill the person.

Under the general trend of pacifying the barbarians, all unstable factors must be eliminated. No matter what kind of king or noble you are, you must keep a low profile at this time.

"Judging from the first two missions, Emperor Jing's determination to conquer the barbarians is stronger than ever before. After all, he intends to surpass his grandfather's achievements in this battle."

"In the past, we will no longer engage in such ruthless practices. Those who deserve to be killed will be killed, and those who deserve to be rewarded will be rewarded."

"In this early stage, both the military and the government will see a new batch of people take office."

"My Nine Ring Mission is one such channel," Zhao Xing pondered.

If we go back ten years, given Emperor Jing's temperament, would the Military Realm have issued such a mission?

Even after completing the training, it's impossible to directly appoint someone as a Seventh Grade official.

That's why some people look forward to war.

Because fighting wars can lead to promotions and wealth!

"The Third Ring Mission should require crossing the river."

Two rounds of missions are enough for a reserve Agricultural Official to sense the direction of the policy. If they still can't sense it, then they are fools and no matter how many more rounds of missions they take, they should just go back to being cannon fodder.

"Buzz~"

A tremor ran through the Earth Mirror, and soon the third mission arrived.

[Third Ring Mission: Taking Office in Cloud City]

Location: Yuncheng Nine Heavens Responding Origin Prefecture, Wangnan County, Jiutian Yingyuan Cloud City County

[Military Realm intelligence: Cloud City County is bordered by the Lan River to the east, with the Zhi River and Zhi River flowing through it, and the Phoenix Cry Mountain Range to the south. The flood season is approaching. You have been temporarily appointed as the Ministry of Agriculture Capital Water Controller of the Cloud City Agricultural Supervisory Office. Please proceed to the Cloud City Agriculture Office immediately to assume your post and make preparations for a successful harvest during the flood season.]

If the flood causes severe damage to Cloud City, your mission will end in the Third Ring Road, and you will be reassigned.

"Big work is coming!"

Zhao Xing's spirits lifted immediately when he saw the Third Ring Mission.

Because he checked the size of the Cloud City Agriculture Office, and this place was Commandery-level County!

It was not as large as a prefecture in the interior, but much larger than a county.

Its administrative rank is higher than that of a county but lower than that of a prefecture; this rank is usually found only in war zones and the heartland of the capital.

Since floods are a major natural disaster, the Director of Waterways Magistrate is the highest-ranking official in the Agricultural Supervisorate, holding the rank of the Lower Seventh Rank, Junior.

Although it's a temporary appointment, if he does a good job, becoming a permanent employee would be a matter of course, and even a promotion wouldn't be impossible.

Because of the status of the Agricultural Supervisorate in Commandery-level County, the chief official could also be Regular Seventh Rank.

The Nine Heavens Responding Origin Prefecture is already in a state of war preparedness, so his position as Military Sima Nong wields considerable power at this time.

If there were no higher-ranking Agriculture Official in the surrounding counties, he could even command the Agricultural Official in the other counties to act together.

Because flood control cannot be accomplished by a single county, cities along the river basin must work together to achieve effective control.

"Lower Seventh Rank, Junior, that's a high enough Qidian."

"The rank of the County Office magistrate is likely lower than mine, or at the same level."

"That way, he can't order me around, or at least he doesn't have to worry about holding me back."

Zhao Xing's efforts in the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven have paid off, and the Grade A evaluations in the first two levels have also played a role. Now, Zhao Xing's Qidian is inherently higher than others.

"What's wrong? Why are you so happy?" Long Xiao asked. After he coaxed Aotian Meow to sleep, he came out and saw Zhao Xing grinning foolishly.

"Long Xiao, now I'm only two levels below you," Zhao Xing said with a smile.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Long Xiao asked. "I, Valiant Commandant, am Official Seventh Rank, Upper official, while you've already Lower Seventh Rank, Junior?"

"That's right," Zhao Xing said. "I am but a humble man, appointed by the Military Realm to temporarily serve Waterways Magistrate of Cloud City County."

"Even the head of the county's Agricultural Supervisorate shouldn't be at most Eighth Grade official, right?" Long Xiao asked, puzzled. "How come you're only Seventh Grade?"

"Because Cloud City is Commandery-level County, its status is higher."

"I see." Long Xiao suddenly realized. "But it's hard to say whether this is good or bad. Every position comes with its own pressure. Most of the Commandery-level County in Nine Heavens Responding Origin Prefecture are directly facing attacks from barbarians, and are harassed by foreign tribes from time to time."

"Harassment? I was more worried they wouldn't come!" Zhao Xing scoffed. "Thirty years of hard training have finally come in handy today!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Including your time as a clerk, you've only been studying for two and a half years at most."

"One year of training at Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven is equivalent to thirty years of training for others!" Zhao Xing laughed.

"Don't get too cocky. There might be some idiots who will hold you back, like this Cloud City County. Isn't he only Seventh Grade?"

Zhao Xing smiled but remained silent.

If I'm the Military Sima Nong, then I'm the top Military Sima Nong in Cloud City! A county magistrate? If he obeys, fine; he'll share some of the credit. If he disobeys? He'll offend Old Master Zhao, then he'll be eating shit!

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