Outside Yongzhou City
On Purple Canopy Peak, countless rays of light, like a waterfall, cascaded down from the sky.
Since Su Yao descended the mountain, the Han Guang Inner Realm Crimson Book Illuminating Heaven Array has been operating day and night.
At the mountaintop, beneath a giant apricot tree, a Qingyang lay still, surrounded by swirling snowflakes.
At this moment, Qingyang's lips were slightly parted, and blue blood occasionally oozed out.
Beside it lay a cyan longsword. If Su Yao were here, he would naturally recognize it as the immortal sword "Ask Amid the Clouds" enshrined in the Ancestral Hall.
Suddenly, Qingyang seemed to sense something and looked towards the direction of Crimson Clouds Peak, where he saw a streak of white gold flying towards Purple Canopy Peak.
The Qingyang bleated, then straightened up and bit the sword with its mouth.
The sword trembled slightly, and blue blood began to flow from the Qingyang's mouth. The Qingyang's eyes were slightly red, but it still endured it and continued its arduous journey down the mountain.
Upon arriving at the ancestral hall on the back mountain, a large snake was coiled up, and a man and a woman were kneeling to the side.
The man was handsome, with a heroic air about him. He wore a simple white robe and had a golden longsword behind him.
The woman was dressed in a crimson palace gown, with a gentle expression. At first glance, she resembled a piece of warm, lustrous red jade, and a jade hairpin adorned her hair.
Seemingly sensing something, the two looked up in the direction of the Qingyang. When they saw the Qingyang's appearance, they were startled and got up to go towards Qingyang.
Upon approaching Qingyang, the man first respectfully greeted her:
"Zhang Ziting greets you, senior."
Seeing this, the woman beside her remained silent, only offering a slight bow.
Qingyang ignored the two and looked at the snake. Although he had a sword in his mouth, he still spoke:
"Wangchao... people from Zhu Household?"
The giant snake flicked its tongue, then nodded.
Qingyang then looked at the woman and said with difficulty:
"What... name?"
The woman lowered her head and said softly:
Zhu Xuejie.
The Qingyang nodded, then looked at the giant snake:
"Then you shall escort the two to Nanzhao."
The giant snake nodded, and with a swift movement, it swept the two away and disappeared before they could react.
Qingyang looked towards Mount Ziyi and prayed in his heart:
Little Yaozi, it's time to eradicate the demonic seed, practice the Secret Method, and break through to the Purple Mansion —that's the real priority.
Then he stepped into the Ancestral Hall, looked at the many jade tablets above, and said softly:
"Why make the Ask Amid the Clouds' technique so difficult to use...?"
After speaking, he remained silent for a long time before turning and leaving.
As I left the Ancestral Hall and passed the Hall of Reflection, a mix of emotions—disgust, pity, and heartache—was swirling in my eyes.
In the end, he left in silence, intending to head towards the summit of Purple Canopy Peak, but suddenly, Qingyang sensed a familiar aura appearing outside Yongzhou City.
His eyes blazed with fury, and he Ask Amid the Clouds radiated a great deal of light, and on the inner landscape of the Crimson Book Illuminating the Heavens Array, the light continued to grow stronger, poised to be unleashed.
On a hilltop outside Yongzhou City, two figures stood.
Looking at the city of Yongzhou before him, and then at Mianning beside him, Su Yao's suppressed emotions finally ignited:
"What does this mean, young master?"
He was struck by lightning, and when he awoke, he found himself outside Yongzhou City.
Mianning ignored Su Yao's dissatisfaction and instead chuckled softly:
Do you know for whom this journey Proclaiming Earth the south is being undertaken?
Su Yao frowned slightly and nervously looked around.
Mianning smiled upon seeing this:
"Please feel free to speak."
Su Yao then said:
"Our Daoist Gate has maintained ties with Jiankang since Chengzu, but this is merely a pretext..."
Mianning first nodded, then shook his head.
Seeing this, Su Yao pondered but couldn't figure it out. Just as he was about to ask, he heard Mianning say:
What is Taizu like in your eyes?
Su Yao didn't hesitate much, naturally knowing that the Taizu mentioned by Mianning was Qing Taizu, so he immediately replied:
"Our Taizu Emperor Gao, was originally a commoner from Huaixi, rising from humble origins. Seeing the world in utter chaos and the people suffering, he first entered a Buddhist monastery to seek peace of mind. Later, he Li Fire the monastery to study the changes of Yin and Yang and entered the Daoist path of 'Li Huo' to observe the mechanisms of order and chaos. At that time, the four directions were divided, the north and south were separate, and shamans, Daoists, demons, and humans each served their own masters, without any unified authority. Rites and music were in decline, and wars were endless. Taizu then took up his three-foot sword, swept away the dust of the six directions, cleansed the filth of the eight wastelands, and ended the nearly one hundred thousand years of chaos since the end of the Zhou Dynasty, bringing the four seas under one rule and all people back to their homeland."
He paused, his tone becoming increasingly solemn:
"However, the achievements of Taizu were not limited to military exploits. In the late Zhou Dynasty, the rites and music collapsed, the emperor was a mere figurehead, the feudal lords were divided, and the Human Dao Attainment Position was usurped by the Qin Emperor, who seized the Emperor Position and made it the sole possession of one person, turning the world into the private property of one family and all the people into their private property. Taizu Emperor Gao restored order to the world, from the transformation of the Li Fire into the Emperor Position, and then re-established the Emperor Position as the Human Dao Attainment Position. He further divided the roles of emperor, vassal king, civil and military officials, and common people, so that there was a hierarchy, order of rank, and everyone could live in their proper place and have their own position to occupy, without overstepping their bounds. This was not merely the private property of one family, but truly the public property of all the people of the world."
"Furthermore, with rites and music as the guiding principles, the order of human relations was re-established; with laws and regulations as the standard, the ills of division were eliminated. In the past, the customs of the North and South were different, and various tribes lived together, each with its own ruler, and they were not subordinate to each other. Taizu implemented the policy of replacing native chieftains with appointed officials, and transformed the barbarians into Chinese, so that the people of all directions gradually adopted the same rites and teachings, and gradually came under unity. From then on, the North and South were united, and all the Chinese were of one mind, and all were children of our Qing Dynasty."
"Although Taizu rose from humble beginnings, he had a deep appreciation for the teachings of Daoism, Confucianism, and other schools of thought. He respected and employed Mysterious Gate, ensuring the continuation of its lineage and allowing the disciples of the Three Pure Ones to each follow their own teachings. He extracted the essence of Confucianism to educate the common people. As for the other schools of thought, he embraced them all, preventing any single school from dominating. He once told his ministers: 'Governing the world is like building a great mansion; Mysterious Gate is the beam, Confucianism is the pillar, and the other schools of thought are the supports; none can be lacking.' Thus, he employed Daoism, Confucianism, and other schools of thought without mutual criticism, allowing all the talented people of the world to find their place."
"He pacified the world through military force, yet brought peace through civil administration. He changed the Zhou system to the Qing system, taking Human Dao Attainment Position, rites, music, and laws as the framework, and the common people as the foundation. This ensured that the ruler knew what to uphold, the ministers knew what to fear, and the people knew where to turn. From then on, there were no more usurping ministers, no more warlords vying for power, and no more rulers who monopolized authority."
Su Yao paused slightly, his gaze drifting towards the distant city of Yongzhou:
Taizu once said, "I was originally a commoner, and I deeply understand the hardships of the people." After ascending the throne, he reduced taxes and levies, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, restored ancestral sacrifices, and restored proper clothing and customs. At that time, the world was at peace, the borders were safe, the people knew nothing of war, and the scholars knew the importance of learning. The prosperity of the reigns of the former kings was no more than this.
Su Yao withdrew his gaze, his voice calm yet weighty:
"Although I have been a monk since childhood, taking refuge under the Three Pure Ones, I know that the turmoil between the Mysterious Gate and the imperial court is far from over, and the rift between them runs deep. However, matters have public and private aspects, and people have good and evil. Even if they are at odds, we cannot abandon our mission because of people. The Taizu Emperor Gao rebuilt the Human Dao Attainment Position and established a hierarchy, so that the emperor is not necessarily supreme, the minister is not necessarily a slave, and the common people are not necessarily livestock. This is an immutable principle for all ages. All discerning people in the world, whether Daoist, Buddhist, Confucian, or secular, should admire it. As a disciple entering the Mysterious Gate, I will not forget the Taizu's achievements; as a disciple cultivating the Rainbow Clouds, I will not forget the Taizu's virtues."
"Therefore, I believe that our Taizu Emperor Gao was not merely a ruler of one generation, but a great sage who rebuilt the Human Dao Attainment Position. The foundation for the Qing Dynasty for ten thousand generations was laid by the Taizu. I speak these words with a public heart, not to flatter the emperor, nor to curry favor with those in power."