The Emperor and Chancellor Diverge; Wealth and Tools Unleash Power

Although Li Kun was the emperor, there were some things he had never tried. He only read memorials and battle reports every day, and was taught by many ministers and generals. He knew a little about military strategy. He might not be able to command, but as long as someone enlightened him, he could see the secrets behind it.

The events Qiu Yan wrote about were exactly like this, making Li Kun realize the risks of heading north to attack the enemy. However, as the emperor, he inevitably felt frustrated, and this feeling was immediately reflected in the Dragon Qi.

A dragon coils around the Imperial City, its head drooping over the Imperial Palace.

Now, the Dragon Qi within the dragon's head is shifting, with shadows of swords appearing, clearly gathering momentum to take shape, as if it were about to guide the Dragon Qi to change and surge downwards. However, the art of Military School has its limitations; it can change the Dragon Qi, but it is not enough to create tributaries. Something is still missing.

Strands of Dragon Qi descended, merging with Prosperity Capital Will and naturally connecting with Qiu Yan's will, constructing a Sand Battlefield in his mind and linking it with the thoughts of his soldiers.

Reflecting on these changes and discussing military strategy for the Northern Frontier, Qiu Yan did not stop writing and continued—

In the present situation, we must not rashly resort to force, because we lack sufficient resources and equipment.

These words immediately stirred something in Li Kun's heart, causing him to frown as he recalled Wang Fu's arguments about military systems.

Wang Fu Reform, people said that the emperor and his minister were of one mind, but in reality, the two also had differences. In Li Kun's view, Great Rui had been at a disadvantage in several battles with the northern Hu people, which was due to its accumulated weakness. Therefore, in his mind, the most urgent task was to strengthen the army.

This was also determined by his position. As emperor, he represented the entire Great Rui, but from the beginning of his reign, there were frequent wars on the borders and rebellions within the country. Apart from the troubles on the southwestern border, the other places were plagued by rebellions for several years. He suffered heavy losses and failed to quell the rebellions. Sometimes he had to compromise, either by issuing imperial edicts to appease the people or by ceding some land.

These lands were carefully selected because they were unsuitable for cultivation and not useful to the Great Rui. However, the emperor felt ashamed and indignant about them, which is why he was so eager to reform the government. He wanted to wait until the army was strong before he could wash away the shame, restore the former territories, and recreate the scene of the Celestial Dynasty Empire receiving tribute from all nations.

In contrast, Wang Fu held a different Principle. This leader of the New Law believed that "the most important policies of the country are agriculture and military affairs, with agriculture being the most urgent matter and not secondary to military affairs."

This leads to the view that finance is the foundation of everything, and if the financial situation of the dynasty can be changed, then the problem of military affairs can naturally be improved.

In his view, the main problem of Great Rui was not its weakness, but its poverty. The latter was the cause, and the former was the effect.

Wang Fu once said, "The kings of the past who rose to power knew that they should not neglect agriculture, and thus were able to unify the world." Therefore, the steps he took in implementing his New Law were to first focus on developing social productivity, improving the economy, and increasing social wealth. Once the country was prosperous, its military would naturally become strong.

This process was undoubtedly a long one, and it did not align with Li Kun's urgent goal of changing the weak situation. However, in the present world, the only person who was determined to reform the system, capable of holding the Central Pivot, and unafraid of attacks from other important officials was Wang Fu.

Li Kun had no choice but to follow Wang Fu's lead and implement reforms step by step. However, he still needed to exert influence, so even before the New Law such as the Market Exchange Law were officially implemented, he began to consider military reforms and urged Wang Fu to implement them as soon as possible, placing them on par with other New Law.

However, the emperor's idea was bound to be met with resistance. Both the New Party Old Party knew that Military School action should not be taken lightly, otherwise it would lead to chaos in the country. Therefore, few people agreed with him, and no one offered a practical solution.

If it weren't for the new members of the New Party who wanted to use the opportunity of military reform to extend their influence into the army, Li Kun's idea would never have been put forward, let alone put on the Palace Examination as an exam question.

The emperor may seem noble, with the power to decide life and death with a single word, but ultimately, the power of this position comes from the people under his rule. Once the entire court of officials unites, even the emperor can be rendered powerless.

The emperor interacted with officials, but it was the officials and clerks who truly governed the country.

No matter how respectful a subject may appear to the emperor in person, once interests are involved, a debate is inevitable. Sometimes, there are even instances where courtiers argue in front of the emperor.

In this situation, Li Kun raised this question in the Palace Examination. On the one hand, he wanted to find a breakthrough from the opposing forces in the court. On the other hand, he People's Wishes support, and build up momentum.

Of course, Li Kun also had some expectations, hoping to find some insightful opinions among the candidates.

When Li Kun saw Qiu Yan's predictions and analysis of the war in the Northern Frontier, Li Kun was only surprised. But when Qiu Yan talked about the military system and wrote down words that were clearly similar to Wang Fu's, Li Kun really took it to heart.

The emperor's changing expression did not escape the attention of those around him. Several high-ranking officials, following due etiquette, also came over and stood behind Li Kun, all casting their gazes over him. After reading what was written on the paper, their expressions varied.

"Qiu Yan actually opposes sending troops to the Northern Frontier and wants to initiate a decisive battle? It seems that the Privy Council also intends to do the same." Zhang Lian was taken aback, his gaze sweeping over Ma Yang and Wang Fu's faces without revealing his thoughts, wondering if the two had given him prior instructions. But noticing their surprised expressions, he was taken aback again.

Xu Jin had previously supervised military operations in one region and knew a great deal about Military School matters. After reading Qiu Yan's words and thinking about them carefully, he found them reasonable and was secretly amazed.

Then, when the group saw Qiu Yan's words "wealth and tools," their expressions changed drastically, especially Wang Fu, whose heartstrings twitched and he focused his attention to read them.

Next, Qiu Yan spoke frankly about the New Law, saying that if it was simply for strengthening the military, then as the New Law developed, it would likely gradually become ineffective, turning from financial management to wealth accumulation, and ultimately all for the purpose of strengthening the military.

"Oh?"

With Li Kun present and situated in the examination hall, although there were some disagreements among the ministers, they hadn't yet erupted. However, a hint of coldness could still be seen in Zhang Lian's eyes. He let out a soft "hmm," then glanced at Wang Fu with a mocking expression.

In fact, not long after the reform began, Zhang Lian said that Wang Fu was just seeking fame and fortune. The so-called reform, which seemed to be for the benefit of the people and the country, actually only benefited the people as a side benefit. The real intention was to fill the national treasury, which was tantamount to competing with the people for profit. It was just to force interest groups to give up some of their profits to the people, so that the people could temporarily benefit and increase public People's Wishes and support for the reform.

Therefore, his glance was a mockery of Wang Fu, implying that Qiu Yan had also seen through this.

Wang Fu did not respond to Zhang Lian's mockery. He frowned as he looked at the exam paper, pondering what the "tools" in the phrase "wealth and tools" represented.

"Could it refer to weapons or armor?" The same question arose in the minds of Ma Yang and Xu Jin.

As for Li Kun, his brows were furrowed, and the conflicting emotions in his eyes grew stronger. Some of these emotions were directed at Qiu Yan, while others were directed at the military administration. This reform of the military system was something that he, the emperor, had been pushing behind the scenes. However, after reading Qiu Yan's article, his worries were amplified. So he wondered if there might be a turning point in that "system".

Next, Qiu Yan didn't keep them waiting any longer. His pen moved swiftly, forming characters and sentences.

"Only with wealth can one cultivate tools, which can be divided into tools of the people's hearts and tools of military formation."

After that one sentence, several hundred words flowed out in one go, expressing the thoughts in his heart.

It turns out that the "weapon of the people's hearts" refers to establishing a concept in the hearts of the people. The specific method is not to forcibly promote it through policies and laws, but through recruitment, logistics, and other aspects, as well as advocating some seemingly simple slogans among the people, in order to achieve the goal.

It even mentions military training and discipline, but makes no mention of specific military strategies and tactics.

Then, the military equipment became easier to understand, referring to the weapons used on the Sand Battlefield. Qiu Yan also mentioned several fresh ideas and many new approaches, which greatly inspired Li Kun and Xu Jin.

Li Kun already had a few vague ideas, but after listening, they became clearer, and his mood eased somewhat. "This Qiu Yan is not a person who only talks the talk; his essay already shows the shadow of a general on the Sand Battlefield. He is a rare talent for leadership. However, there are still hidden dangers regarding his cultivation of Divine Ability, so we cannot let him off easily. But with such talent and his Literary Staining of Examination Papers, we cannot treat him too poorly. Hmm, we should give him a good ranking and then observe him for a while..."

As he pondered, he realized he understood what Qiu Yan had said and was about to step away from the table.

However, before leaving, he glanced at the exam paper one last time, and what caught his eye was a sentence that Qiu Yan had just written—

"With both wealth and tools, one can unleash the Great Rui."

"Hmm?" Upon reading this sentence, Li Kun's heart skipped a beat, he paused, stopped in his tracks, and couldn't help but read on!

Qiu Yan with lightning speed, clearly having already prepared the text in his mind; without the slightest hesitation, the concluding lines landed seamlessly on the paper.

"The Central Plains are vast and rich in resources, with dynasties that have lasted for thousands of years. Great Rui, having inherited the legacy of its predecessors, has enjoyed decades of peace and prosperity, a land of abundant resources and outstanding people. In contrast, the surrounding regions are mostly impoverished. The annual revenue of those other countries is less than that of Great Rui's single fiscal expenditure. This is common knowledge throughout the world. Why then is the Celestial Dynasty often weak when facing the barbarians? It is because it lacks a law that can connect the upper and lower levels and unite the strength of the entire nation!"

"Connecting the entire nation, uniting the whole country? Does that mean mobilizing the entire nation's army?" Li Kun's breathing quickened suddenly, and the deepest question in his heart resurfaced.

"Indeed, our Great Rui is far stronger than other nations, with a large and powerful army. Why then do we still suffer defeats in battles, and in recent years have we lost even more soldiers and generals, leading to the decline of our territory?"

At the same time, the instant Qiu Yan wrote these sentences on the paper, his mind went blank for a moment, and his thoughts surged forth, merging with the Prosperity Capital Will. Though the city danced, it seemed to soar into the sky as if riding the clouds and mist, and went straight into the Dragon Qi.

Immediately following, a strange array of characters rapidly appeared around the Military School- themed scene, intertwined and arranged as if to form some kind of pattern.

As the pattern became clearer, the scene within the Dragon Qi shattered, and soldiers separated from their armor and weapons. The soldiers remained still, while the armor and weapons changed, becoming more resilient and sharper. Various logistical methods were also revealed, joining the army and evolving its Military Momentum.

ps:

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