The Key Is Here

"Dragon Quelling Mountain..."

The Princess's eyes flickered with remembrance, but she said nothing more.

Zhou Renjing waited a moment, sighed softly, then flicked his sleeve and said, "Please allow me to offer my humble suggestions first." He spoke without any fawning or arrogance.

Young Marquis Lu narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, This fellow certainly knows how to seize an opportunity to show his worth. He didn't stop him, merely watching from the sidelines.

All the cultivators present held their breath, eager to hear what brilliant plan this man would propose.

Zhou Renjing smiled slightly, confident, and slowly began, "The difficulty in resettlement stems from the corruption of human hearts and the rampant hostility. We must use the resplendent righteous path to cleanse the demonic influence and reshape their souls! I have three strategies that will solve this problem once and for all!"

He raised three fingers.

"Firstly, I request that Your Highness the Princess choose a vast area and set up a grand formation spanning a thousand miles. Draw upon the pure and righteous energy of the Nine Heavens. All sinful subjects who enter the formation will be continuously cleansed by this righteous energy, causing their hostility, ferocity, and rebelliousness to naturally dissipate! In just five years, they will surely become one hundred thousand obedient citizens."

The crowd was stunned, each showing a thoughtful expression.

Zhou Renjing continued, "Secondly, at the core of the grand formation, build an academy named 'Fellow Cultivation.' Invite great sages from far and wide to lecture on the Holy Emperor's benevolence, the Immortal Dynasty's laws, and the principles of human relationships, so that the sinful subjects can cultivate their minds, temper their natures, and distinguish right from wrong."

The evaluators in the corner listened, dumbfounded.

It can be done this way too?

Lord Dingbo and Lord Zhengshuang frowned slightly.

Zhou Renjing then presented his final strategy: "Thirdly, within the academy, establish rules. Those who can recite scriptures ten thousand times will receive a minor merit; those who write one hundred good essays will receive a moderate merit; those who can draw righteous energy into their bodies and surrender their minds and bodies will receive a major merit! If their merits are sufficient, they can have their criminal status removed and become good citizens of the Immortal Dynasty! They can shed their criminal status and be promoted to good citizens of the Immortal Dynasty! The outstanding ones can even be promoted to assistant instructors in the Fellow Cultivation Institute and be bathed in holy light forever!"

The entire hall erupted in an uproar!

Zhou Renjing finally bowed deeply to Princess Xiyao, his voice earnest, "These three strategies are the resplendent righteous path. With a five-year period, why worry about people not returning to the fold?"

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Young Marquis Lu laughed heartily, snapping his folding fan shut with a "pa." "Brother Zhou's strategy perfectly aligns with the Holy Emperor's sacred decree to educate all regions! The Fellow Cultivation Institute is also pioneering a path unprecedented in history!" He turned to Princess Xiyao, "What do you think, Princess?"

Princess Xiyao frowned, lost in thought.

Lord Dingbo said gravely, "The thousand-mile grand formation will incur immense costs, likely depleting the accumulated wealth of the fief for a hundred years, not to mention the expenses for maintaining the formation's operation and inviting great sages. Furthermore, the grievances between the various factions have been accumulating for a long time. I fear rivers of blood will flow before the academy walls are even built. Besides, how can mere scripture recitation and essay writing resolve deep-seated hatred?"

"Lord Dingbo, your words are mistaken!" Zhou Renjing calmly retorted. "Your Lordship only sees the immediate expenses, but not the merits for all generations. Although the initial investment is large, once a system is established, the consumption will naturally decrease." He turned to the Princess and bowed respectfully, "The Holy Emperor values education the most. If Your Highness pioneers this path of enlightenment, you will surely gain the Holy Emperor's favor and stand out among all the princes and princesses, earning unparalleled prestige!"

Upon hearing this, Lord Dingbo showed hesitation.

Lord Zhengshuang, the old man in the gray robe, pondered for a moment and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou's strategy is indeed grand in scope. Although the cost is not small, with the assistance of the grand formation and great sages, even if it cannot enlighten one hundred thousand people, it should be able to manage thirty thousand." His voice was slightly low and hoarse.

"Lord Zhengshuang indeed has extraordinary insight!" Young Marquis Lu laughed loudly, then looked at the Princess. "Sister Xiyao, this Marquis is willing to lend his full support. The Lu family has three Spirit Mines, and my father is also on good terms with the great sages of Wenyuan Pavilion! As long as you accept my offer of a Dao Companion, one hundred thousand Spirit Marrow will be delivered to Tingfeng City tomorrow! Inviting great sages in the future will also not be difficult."

Hearing this, some of the evaluators were indignant, while others were envious.

That was one hundred thousand Spirit Marrow, enough to support a medium-sized sect for a hundred years!

Princess Xiyao's veil fluttered slightly, her gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Chen Qing.

"Chen Xu, do you have any suggestions?"

"Hmm?"

Young Marquis Lu frowned, snapping his folding fan shut and sizing up Chen Qing. "You?"

All eyes instantly focused.

Chen Qing faced them calmly, his mind as clear as a mirror.

The current situation was delicate. This Young Marquis Lu was aggressive and very unpleasant. Zhou Renjing's strategy, though seemingly grand, harbored hidden dangers. If implemented as stated, Princess Xiyao would inevitably fall under the Lu family's control.

If even the Princess became a vassal of the Lu Manor, he would be even worse off. Considering Young Marquis Lu's attitude towards him just now, returning to the Mysterious Prison might be the best option. How could he then gain benefits in his dreams?

Since that was the case...

Chen Qing took a step forward and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou's strategy, while noble in intent, is extremely costly and has many variables."

"Oh?" Lord Zhengshuang glanced at him. "Do you truly have any good strategies? This is a test of governance, not cultivation talent." He then glanced at Princess Xiyao again.

"Presumptuous!" Young Marquis Lu sneered. "Brother Zhou's strategy is already the best of the best. How dare you, an unknown person, judge it so carelessly?"

Chen Qing, neither humble nor arrogant, said without fear, "Whether a strategy is good or not depends not on eloquent words, but on its feasibility."

Meeting everyone's gaze, he stepped forward and said to Princess Xiyao, "These one hundred thousand people were captured for rebellion. It is unrealistic to expect no further unrest. Therefore, regardless of the strategy, preparations must be made to manage chaos. Suppress when necessary, quell when necessary. Do not fear chaos. If you are hesitant because of it, success is impossible. Under this premise, the key to breaking the deadlock lies in decentralizing power and dispersing influence, transforming strength into the nation!"

"Dispersing?" Young Marquis Lu raised his eyebrows. "Isn't that just scattering them everywhere and burying the seeds of future trouble?"

Chen Qing shook his head. "It is to divide their power, disperse their influence, and transform their strength!"

Then, without waiting for anyone else to ask, he voluntarily said, "There are three main points."

"Firstly, divide and balance. The cultivator leaders among the sinful subjects will be strictly monitored. Capable artisans will be assigned to their respective uses. As for the elderly, weak, women, and children, they will be settled separately. Treat them according to their status, causing them to restrain each other and sow discord among themselves. If there is any rebellion, they can be dealt with according to their status, and reporting them will be encouraged."

"Secondly, break up the groups and send them to newly developed territories, areas with miasma, or newly opened Spirit Fields and mining areas. Each location will have no more than a thousand people, mixed with soldiers and civilians. With troops stationed nearby, regular soldiers can supervise the sinful prisoners, and good citizens can transform evil thoughts, allowing them to reclaim and colonize, and pass down their teachings while serving their sentence."

"Thirdly, one hundred thousand sinful subjects are one hundred thousand laborers. They can build roads, construct cities, open mines, reclaim wasteland, dredge rivers, and strengthen border defenses!"

He paused, then cupped his hands towards Princess Xiyao. "Princess, you can request the court to grant you the authority to pardon sins. Then, announce that those who have worked for three years without wrongdoing can have their sentences reduced and their status removed. Those who have made outstanding contributions can be granted land and become citizens! However, the mineral products and spirit grains obtained in the process should all go to the national treasury. Because of this, the expenses for supervision, relocation, and settlement should also be borne by the national treasury. This task is assigned by the Immortal Dynasty; they cannot just give the task without providing corresponding support and assistance, can they?"

In a few simple sentences, Chen Qing laid out his proposal. It was all content from his past life's debates with others online, emphasizing checks and balances, and using labor as a form of relief. However, this Immortal Dynasty seemed quite ancient, and with the rise of the human path being relatively recent, it might not have experienced the intricate power struggles of human dynasties. They focused on the supernatural and neglected tactics and influence. The cultivators likely hadn't even considered this direction.

But upon careful thought, it was normal. If one could overcome challenges with brute force, who would bother with complicated strategies?

However, when resources are limited and authority is constrained, these clever schemes can offer an alternative path.

Compared to Zhou Renjing's strategy, the most crucial aspect was... saving money!

Save money, save resources, save special effects!

As his words fell, the playful expression on Young Marquis Lu's face had long since vanished, replaced by solemnity and deep thought.

Zhou Renjing's brows were tightly furrowed, his gaze repeatedly scrutinizing Chen Qing, as if seeing him for the first time.

Deep within Princess Xiyao's clear, cold eyes, it was as if an ice lake had suddenly shattered, ripples spreading across its surface.

Lord Dingbo and Lord Zhengshuang beside her exchanged a look of shock.

"Well said, to divide power, disperse influence, and transform strength!"

After a moment, Young Marquis Lu broke the silence: "This strategy is clear and well-organized, deeply understanding the principles of checks and balances, and of driving and controlling. But the problem remains the same: will the rebellious cultivators, the descendants of convicted criminals, and the foreign races who view our human race as enemies, willingly become beasts of burden for mere freedom from servitude and a small plot of land? Moreover, what about after three years, or five years?"

"All people fear death and pursue profit," Chen Qing, who had been prepared, immediately replied. "Who among those who seek the Dao would be willing to be a mine slave? And those who are capable, how could they not try to save themselves? When I was in the Mysterious Prison, although my cultivation was suppressed, I was still unwilling to remain in confinement and thought of escaping. Those around me were the same, and these criminals are no different. This is human nature."

"Mind your words!" Lord Dingbo immediately interjected, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, warning, "What Lord Chen says is an analogy; it must not be spread carelessly!"

Chen Qing understood and changed his tone: "As the saying goes, 'when besieging a city, leave a gap.' They originally felt they had no way out and were holding onto a single breath to fight. But if they know that a chance to survive still exists, and that a path for advancement remains open, some will naturally waver!"

Lord Zhengshuang suddenly said, "I fear only a few will waver."

Chen Qing replied, "Even if there is only one, we must give them special commendation and publicize it widely. Then, send people to secretly compare how much benefit those who surrender receive, and how miserable those who stubbornly resist are. We can even help those who surrender to establish families and careers. Once they have a home, property, and children, they will have weaknesses, and who would then risk everything?"

Hearing this, everyone found the idea ingenious yet secretly trembled, realizing how meticulously this person grasped human psychology. He was truly a deeply calculating individual!

If Chen Qing knew what they were thinking, he would probably cry out in injustice. What were his meager schemes compared to the online cultivators of his past life, who could expound on such matters with ease? In essence, he was a sincere person.

"There is indeed reason to it," Young Marquis Lu's expression was now solemn.

"As expected of someone who led troops to conquer the Western Desolate Continent!" Lord Dingbo stroked his beard and smiled. "My Princess does have talented subordinates. It was I who recruited this person. I saw at a glance in the Mysterious Prison that this young friend was no ordinary individual!"