Yin-Yang Opening and Closing, Words That Turn a Nation

This grand hall was already filled with a certain idea, originating from Zhang Qin, which influenced the thoughts of the ruler of the Liang Kingdom. Then, Qiu Yan's words brought forth a second idea.

Now that all the ministers are present, their thoughts are also revealed. Most of them are aimless and scattered thoughts, but some, after Qiu Yan appeared, have aligned with Zhang Qin's thoughts, subtly targeting Qiu Yan and spreading malice.

However, the greatest source of malice was not the courtiers, but the ruler of the Liang Kingdom!

"Grand Minister of Agriculture, you said you had a way to quell the chaos in the country, and I gave you two days. Now the rebels have attacked our lines several times, causing many casualties. But I heard that you haven't made any preparations in these two days, and have just been planting some flowers and plants at home. Why is that?"

When the King of the Liang Kingdom saw Qiu Yan, he spoke directly before the other party could finish bowing, seemingly inquiring but actually with a hint of reproach.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over the high-ranking officials in the hall. He sensed the various auras of power emanating from each of them, each with their own domain. When these auras were combined, they faintly formed the phantom image of the Liang Kingdom above.

Such an illusory image is difficult for those who have not cultivated the Nature Dao to see. However, at this moment, besides Qiu Yan, there is another person in this hall whose gaze is fixed on this illusory image.

That person was Zhang Qin, who was among the assembled officials.

This person knelt motionless, his aura sync with that of the other ministers, controlling the consciousness within the hall. Qiu Yan understood that this meant they were in a defensive alliance.

"This Zhang Qin comes from abroad and influences the Liang ruler with his words, subtly embodying the principles of Yin-Yang Opening and Closing. However, his aura is out of place with his surroundings, suggesting he may not be from this world. If so, what is his purpose in stirring up trouble in the Liang Kingdom? Is it simply to bewilder the world, or does he seek to gain something from it?"

Two days ago, during the audience in the palace, Zhang Qin secretly orchestrated the proceedings. Such a situation could not go unnoticed by Qiu Yan, so after returning, Qiu Yan gathered intelligence and pondered the man's background.

"What can one gain from a Liang Kingdom, or rather, a world similar to the Spring and Autumn Annals period?"

Qiu Yan's thoughts raced through his mind, but he could not ignore the question from the King of the Liang Kingdom. In places without explicit laws, the words of the monarch and nobles were the law. Their thoughts and ideas could determine the life and death of a person and influence the governance of a country.

These are precisely the fertile ground that gave rise to the strategists of the Diplomat School.

One person, with exaggerated language, eloquent speech, metaphorical analogies, or endless boasting, pushes their own views to the extreme. Under the overwhelming linguistic offensive, the listener's logic and judgment are easily confused. This is exactly what is meant by "the one involved is confused."

Ordinary people, when influenced by the words of others, may act impulsively, and the consequences may at most affect one's family or region. However, when a monarch is not bound by laws and regulations, the influence of others' words can have no limit.

A single word can make or break a nation; this saying reflects the trajectory of an era.

For example, right now, the King of the Liang Kingdom harbors murderous intent. If things go wrong, even the Nine Ministers could be beheaded. This murderous intent didn't come suddenly, but someone is definitely adding fuel to the fire.

After glancing at Zhang Qin, Qiu Yan stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your Majesty is wise. What appears to be mere gardening and planting actually holds the key to resolving the domestic unrest."

The words spoken by Qiu Yan caused the King of the Liang Kingdom to pause slightly, his curiosity piqued by Qiu Yan. Instantly, a crack appeared in the malice that filled the hall.

However, Qiu Yan dared not let his guard down, waiting for Zhang Qin and his accomplices to make their move while he devised a countermeasure.

But to everyone's surprise, Zhang Qin just smiled and remained silent, and neither he nor his accomplices made a sound.

The King of the Liang Kingdom's curiosity was piqued, and since no one was taking advantage of his misfortune, although his anger hadn't subsided, he patiently pressed on, "What's the key? Tell me."

Qiu Yan replied, "I beg Your Majesty's permission to have my belongings brought over so that we can clarify the matter."

Upon hearing this, the King of the Liang Kingdom showed an impatient expression, but his curiosity only grew stronger.

Qiu Yan seized the opportunity and said, "Your Majesty has already given me two days, so why should I waste a little more time?"

Sure enough, things went smoothly from there. After a thorough inspection by the guards, several large vats were moved to the hall. As soon as the vats were placed on the ground, they covered the floor with dirt and dust.

"Grand Minister of Agriculture, what are you doing?" Liang Kingdom frowned, instinctively feeling disgusted by the soil, as if it had tainted his palace.

"Your Majesty, the flowers and trees I have planted these past two days have yielded results right here." Before the King of the Liang Kingdom could react, Qiu Yan lifted the cloth covering the mouth of the vat. Immediately, murmurs arose again in the hall, and many ministers stood up to look inside, their faces showing surprise.

The vats were all quite large, each requiring a strong man to move. Once opened, from the Liang Kingdom's perspective, one could get a general idea of what was inside.

The contents of these large vats are all similar: the lower half is filled with soil, while the upper half is planted with saplings and rice.

However, the seedlings in the different jars were slightly different; some were lush and some had withered. As for the rice, each stalk stood upright, the grains were plump, and the plants were full of vitality. Even a minister who knew nothing about farming could feel the strong vitality in them.

Upon seeing this, some ministers were puzzled. They were well aware of the rice crop disaster in the country and knew that there were almost no intact rice paddies left in the entire Liang Kingdom. They couldn't understand where Qiu Yan had transplanted this rice from, yet it was thriving.

Looking at the several large vats, the King of the Liang Kingdom became increasingly puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "Grand Minister of Agriculture, why were these things brought to the palace?"

Qiu Yan pointed to several large vats. "Your Majesty, the lodging of the Principle Rice in the country is severe, so I have asked someone to transplant some in hopes of finding a solution."

"I am aware of the matter of the surrender," the King of the Liang Kingdom nodded, somewhat dismissively, "Those rebels used this as an excuse to rebel..."

At this point, his face showed resentment. "It's not like the harvest failed! After the harvest, we can still eat, right? They've been plotting rebellion for a long time, they're just using this as an excuse. Grand Minister of Agriculture, you're putting the cart before the horse!"

At this point, his anger grew even stronger. "The Rice Policy is a good thing! I implemented it for the sake of granaries, didn't I? What does a temporary predicament matter? The common people have limited vision and can't see the deeper meaning, so they've started making trouble. How can even you, a high-ranking official in charge of granaries and the Grand Minister of Agriculture, not be able to tell the difference? You truly disappoint me. The more chaotic the times, the more determined we must be to quell the current situation and secure the foundation for future generations!"

When the King of the Liang Kingdom spoke, he revealed a hint of masculinity and the air of a powerful ruler, but his words made many ministers secretly shake their heads.

Although lodging does not mean a total crop failure, farmers harvest grain not only for their own use but also to pay taxes and to obtain necessities through selling and bartering. Now that the harvest has been halved, but the court has not reduced taxes, many families have realized the crisis and have taken desperate measures.

However, no one came forward to explain, because some ministers had previously advised against it in the name of Agricultural Foundation, but they were all imprisoned by the Liang Kingdom who was determined to become a powerful ruler. The former Grand Minister of Agriculture was one of them.

Furthermore, this "Agricultural Foundation" approach is Legalist School doctrine. Although the principles are sound, it was rejected by many rulers who Ritual Reverence and emphasized "distinguishing between the noble and the lowly."

"It seems this newly appointed Minister of Agriculture also wants to offer advice, but unfortunately it will be in vain, and he might even lose his life." Many ministers sighed inwardly, "Zhang Qin's silver tongue has long since clouded the king's judgment; he's no longer willing to listen to advice."

The ruler of the Liang Kingdom was misled by Zhang Qin, who believed that by suppressing the domestic rebellion, implementing the Rice Policy, and finally achieving a bumper harvest, he could leave a significant mark on history.

Qiu Yan had learned some of these things over the past two days.

"This Lord Liang is quite similar to Emperor Hui of Jin of Jin in my previous life. When the Great Jin Dynasty suffered a famine, people even resorted to cannibalism. When Emperor Hui heard about this, he only asked, 'Why don't they eat meat porridge?' He had never been in contact with ordinary people, had never worked, was lazy, and didn't know the difference between the five grains. How could he make the right judgment?"

Since there's no rice to eat, why not have some meat porridge?

This statement may seem absurd, but it is not unbelievable. Just like Qiu Yan's previous life, as the division of labor in society becomes more refined, the requirements for professional knowledge in various industries become higher and higher, and the more jokes are made. To put it bluntly, it is an outsider leading an insider.

For Emperor Hui, he was offering his solutions based on his life experience. In an era without the internet or newspapers, people could only understand what was around them. For the emperor, the inner palace was the whole world.

"A reduction in grain production, besides decreasing the income of ordinary people, also leads to economic problems due to reduced circulation, enough to destroy a country. But these things cannot be told to the Liang ruler, because he wouldn't understand. Instead, he might be misunderstood as mocking his shallow knowledge, which could lead to his death. If you want to advise this person, you must use another method."

Thinking this, Qiu Yan felt the chilling aura surrounding him fluctuate, threatening to boil over.

"These chilling auras are filled with regret and remorse, and they are directed at Rice Policy. That is why my soul entered this body. By unraveling these auras and then revealing the principles of Principle Rice, the matter will be accomplished!"

On the other side, Zhang Qin remained seated, looking at Qiu Yan with a cold glint in his eyes.

"This person is also a descendant, able to Soul Entry into the Scholar Forest before the debate, he must have some insight. The lingering thoughts surrounding him indicate he was a scholar who offered his writings, leaving a trace in the Scholar Forest and was thus guided here. Such an identity makes it easy to break the deadlock. If he can't even turn the tide over a small country, I'll be greatly disappointed. However, I have no time to waste; I must quickly obtain the Sage Spirit of the Agricultural School's School. If this person cannot persuade Lord Liang..."

As soon as Zhang Qin had a thought, the consciousness filling the hall also changed, with undercurrents surging, like the prelude to a storm, brewing faintly.

At this moment, Qiu Yan spoke up, "Your Majesty, to accomplish great things, one should not be concerned with temporary gains and losses. Your decision to promote the Principle Rice is decisive, can protect the borders and keep the people safe, and is a benevolent policy. Once both are achieved, it will be a beautiful story in the history books in the future."