A New Face for All Under Heaven

A large group of people quickly poured into the cell.

Cheng Xin, with his keen eye, immediately recognized that many of them were from the Inner City Military Affairs Office, and even some were Yang Zhenyi's personal guards.

These people acted as if they were seeing their own ancestors; as soon as they entered, they didn't even wait for the jailer to unlock the iron locks.

One of the servants reached out and tore the iron chains to shreds.

The crowd filed in, surrounding the married couple, showering them with concern, admitting their mistakes, slapping them in the face, and trying to please them with smiles.

The little girl was too young to understand what they were saying; she only found it funny and amusing, and laughed incessantly.

Her brother, however, was cautious. He moved closer to their mother and put his arm around his sister.

Cheng Xin clearly sensed it as the family was ushered out.

A soldier from the Inner City Military Affairs Office placed a hand on his shoulder, and a warm, vibrating sensation dispelled the filth and stench from his prison uniform.

At the same time, someone touched the sachet on his belt and actually applied perfume powder to his clothes.

Cheng Xin frowned, then saw his Sunzi. Although he was very vigilant in protecting his sister, his skills were still too shallow to notice that several elderly men in official robes were already exerting their strength through the young man's body as they flicked their sleeves and pressed their palms.

It was as if the doctor had given the little girl a medicinal bath, acupuncture, and a meticulous massage, which actually gave the sallow-faced girl a rosy glow.

This behavior stems from an extreme fear that they might have even the slightest strange smell or appear too miserable.

But everyone moved away, leaving a large open space where a large flatbed cart was placed.

Yang Zhenyi, who was about 1.5 feet tall, was sitting in the carriage, holding a wooden basin in his arms, looking weak and powerless. Suddenly, a large amount of blood spurted into the basin.

His giant physique was astonishing.

Anyone who gets even slightly close can feel the heat emanating from the giant.

Cheng Xin knew that this was a sign of being seriously injured and unable to even control his body temperature.

A young man stood beside the cart, smiling, with a long sword hanging at his waist.

Cheng Xin felt he recognized the person as soon as he saw him, but the strange poison had affected his mental capacity, and he couldn't remember him for a moment.

"I heard you talking to your family in jail just now."

The young man chuckled, "Although you're old and poisoned, your mind is still quite sharp, and you know the art of conversation—you're much better than your grandfather in that respect."

A flash of lightning seemed to strike Cheng Xin's mind, instantly connecting certain memories.

"You are... Chu..."

The old man uttered a stunned sound, then suddenly knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Cheng Xin greets his great-uncle."

"Grand-uncle, I am indeed a little younger than your grandparents."

Chu Tianshu raised his hand to help him up, and a surge of internal energy flowed into his body.

Cheng Xin felt that his blood and energy, as well as his mind, were suddenly catalyzed and strengthened.

The two worked together to break through the barrier created by the rare poison of the Qingtang.

The comfort of regaining his power made him let out a soft hum.

The stone bricks on the ground were all pressed into even, spiderweb-like cracks by the slight vibrations of his feet.

It cracks, but doesn't sink.

Because after just one hum, Cheng Xin had already regained control of his strength.

"Grand Uncle, we haven't heard anything about you for so many years. Back then, Grandmother and the others all thought..."

Cheng Xin quickly asked, "Grand Uncle, did you come from the Great Tang this time?"

Chu Tianshu shook his head. "Over the years, I've been wandering around overseas, and sometimes I think of my old friends here."

"When I said goodbye, I never expected that so many years would pass before I returned."

As he spoke, he glanced in the direction of the royal palace.

"Back then, this place was called Nanzhao. Although Yimouxun was somewhat hesitant about his stance, to be honest, he did a better job than Zheng Tianchang."

Cheng Xin sighed, "Since my uncle was able to release me, Zheng Tianchang must either be dead or defeated?"

"Completely dead."

Chu Tianshu said, "He certainly deserves to die, but the affairs of this country cannot be left unattended. Whether others deserve to die, and what their sentences should be, all need to be carefully considered."

"I see you're clear-headed, have good skills, and are respected. It's decided, you'll be the leader."

After Cheng Xin, Cheng Xin said, "Grand Uncle, I have not yet attained the Plain King of the Undying. At this age, I am already quite old. Moreover, I have few relatives, and I am not particularly talented. If I were to ascend the throne, it would certainly not be a good thing."

Chu Tianshu glanced at Cheng Xin's family. They had also knelt down earlier, but now they stood up, all overjoyed at being released from prison.

Hearing the old man say that they had no great talent, the group didn't seem to react strangely, suggesting they were well-educated and quite content.

But from this perspective, they certainly lack the energy and courage to shoulder great responsibilities.

Chu Tianshu said, "It's alright if you don't ascend the throne. You can continue in your current position for now and create a new set of civil and military officials."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xin suddenly realized. "So, my great-uncle wants us to learn from the System of Valuing the Public Good of the Great Tang Dynasty."

Chu Tianshu asked in confusion, "Your System of Valuing the Public Good?"

"Exactly."

Cheng Xin explained, "Sixty-seven years ago, there was a mutiny in three towns of the Great Tang, and various places were restless, with war raging everywhere."

"It was rumored that Donglai Bozu was trapped in the snowy plains. After his return, he joined forces with loyal ministers and generals from various regions, but it still took more than a year to completely quell the rebellion. This turmoil almost rebuilt the Great Tang."

"After that, some ministers suggested that the most important thing is impartiality, mentioning a proverb from the pre-Qin period that said the world does not belong to one person, but to all people."

"After much discussion, it was decided that the emperor shall no longer dismiss ministers of the third rank or above for personal reasons, nor shall he act on rumors or promote them lightly; promotions shall be based on actual achievements."

Cheng Xin was very excited when he said this.

"Back then, we also wanted to implement this method in Nanzhao, but Zheng Tianchang cited a counterexample and refuted me. Now that I think about it, he already harbored malicious intentions at that time."

Chu Tianshu asked curiously, "What example did he give back then?"

"If one wants to implement benevolent governance, it is never as effective as having a wise ruler make decisions alone as much as having many ministers deliberate on matters."

Cheng Xin recalled the past, "Moreover, in the present Great Tang, among the ministers of state, there are not only those from humble backgrounds, but also sons of commoners who, through layers of selection at the Imperial Academy and the Military Academy, have risen to their positions based on their merits..."

These ministers each had their own biases, and infighting became increasingly frequent.

The emperor himself still retained some power over the personnel appointments of officials below the third rank, and also had his own decrees to implement.

If it weren't for Hai Donglai's deterrent, allowing them only to discuss the matter but forbidding them from taking any major action, the Great Tang would likely have been in turmoil again.

When Zheng Tianchang cited this example, he jokingly remarked, "What's the difference between Hai Donglai's actions and a true emperor controlling his ministers?"

Cheng Xin was thus persuaded by him and helped him ascend the throne.

"You've really made great strides in the last hundred years."

Chu Tianshu's expression was somewhat subtle.

The template of a supremely wise ruler and virtuous ministers is indeed the most efficient way to govern, but it is also the most prone to problems.

The Great Tang had a lot to say about this.

In the first half of Li Longji's life, everyone said he was a wise ruler, and although Li Linfu had a bad reputation, he was also a well-known political expert.

Looking ahead to the second half of my life... I'll get my tongue dirty if I say too much.

I've encountered this kind of thing before, and most importantly, it coincided with a revolution in martial arts worldwide.

It's not too surprising that the Great Tang has become what it is today.

"Many of the countries that are now very large are actually using this kind of method."

Cheng Xin added, "Because the strongest expert in their country may not be good at governing, nor may they be willing to be a king."

"If the sole ruler is not strong enough and is suddenly killed by someone, it could easily cause unrest. It would be better to have the ministers share power from the beginning."

"If one or two people suddenly die, it's not a big problem; everyone will have plenty of time to react."

Chu Tianshu hadn't thought of that just now.

However, it is surprising that such a reason would drive changes in the system.

In the past hundred years, how many monarchs have been killed by masters?

No wonder.

Chu Tianshu thought to himself: No wonder the palace guards, when they saw the king being killed by a suddenly appearing expert, had the blindly loyal ones block the way, set fires everywhere, and escape with the prince. The whole process was so practiced.

It turns out that there have been many precedents in other countries.

"Since you have someone to learn from, then go for it."

Chu Tianshu patted Cheng Xin on the shoulder and said again.

Do you know where the Zheng family's martial arts manual is hidden? I want to go see it.

Cheng Xin shook his head.

Yang Zhenyi suddenly said, "I know."

Chu Tianshu turned his head to look at him. "You'd be so proactive?"

"Not all members of my Yang family deserve to die. I hope that when you settle accounts, you will spare some of your bloodline."

Yang Zhenyi was panting, and the blood in the wooden basin in front of him churned and surged with his breath.

"If that's the case, then I'm willing to cooperate in everything. I can even proactively find evidence of crimes committed by many people in the court."

Chu Tianshu sized him up for a few moments, but didn't agree. He just chuckled and said, "If he really shouldn't die, then once the investigation is complete, he naturally won't die."

Yang Zhenyi fell silent for a moment, whether he was choked up or relieved.

"The Zheng family had an old tree that died in the same year as Zheng Hui, but his family has never been willing to get rid of it."

Yang Zhenyi said, "Two years ago, Zheng Tianchang remembered this matter and felt that the tree was quite mysterious, so he moved it into the palace and had it carved into a set of small figures representing boxing techniques, so that he could study the Fist Intent."

"These miniature statues become even more lifelike when wet, so they were placed at the bottom of the West Brightness Pool in the Imperial Garden."

(End of this chapter)