The Path of the Sage

Governor Dong's expression was quite peculiar. He said, "To discuss your merits and rewards, the officials started debating in the Golden Palace from 7:30 in the morning, and it wasn't until an hour ago that they concluded. Even Grand Academician Li couldn't get any news during this time, let alone us."

"An entire day?" Fang Yun asked.

Governor Dong laughed helplessly, "Don't even mention it. Both sides were arguing fiercely. Even when the Empress Dowager asked them to break for lunch, they wouldn't. The guards couldn’t stop them from continuing their debate. The Empress Dowager couldn't just let the officials starve, so they had lunch right there in the Golden Palace, eating and arguing simultaneously."

Fang Yun blinked and chuckled, "That scene must have been quite unique. I can't even imagine it."

"Indeed, it's unimaginable. In my memory, there have been times when the court argued all day, but they would usually have lunch in a side hall. Having the officials eating and arguing in the Golden Palace, such an event is truly unprecedented. This will surely become a joke among the Ten Nations." Governor Dong said.

Fang Yun chuckled internally and asked, "Was it a dispute between the Minister of Literature and the Left Chancellor again?"

"Of course. The Minister of Literature wanted to grant you the hereditary title of Prefecture Duke of the Material State, allowing you to recruit a powerful private army for your protection. The Left Chancellor firmly opposed it. The Empress Dowager remained silent. As for the Nation's monarch, he ate, slept, and even wet the royal seat once."

"How did they resolve it in the end?"

"By evening, the Empress Dowager suddenly became furious. She first reprimanded the Minister of Literature, then the Left Chancellor, scolding all the officials fiercely. Then she announced her support for the Left Chancellor's proposition – not to grant you the rank of Prefecture Duke but only a sixth-rank County Duke. Just when the Left Chancellor and his faction thought they had won, the Empress Dowager changed her stance, praising your great merits, setting you as the backbone of the Nation, a role model for students, a paragon for scholars, and a leader for literati. She then instructed the Book of Documents to draft the imperial decree. Finally, she left holding the Nation's monarch, saying it was time to change his diaper."

Fang Yun, trying to visualize the scene, managed to say, "Isn’t the Nation’s monarch three years old? Why does he still need diapers?"

"Three nominal years. But you're right. Perhaps there’s some health concern with the royal."

Fang Yun noticed that Governor Dong spoke of the Nation’s monarch with the same respect he had for a senior official.

"The Book of Documents is a good person, and I've advised you about him. However, the imperial decree carries the fate of One Kingdom and is of great importance. It needs to pass through the cabinet, and since the Left Chancellor is the head of the cabinet, how did he agree so quickly?"

"Left Chancellor is a master of political tactics. Since the Empress Dowager spoke as such, he had to compromise. Otherwise, he risked the Empress Dowager flipping the table in anger. The key is that the Prominent Families of Jing Kingdom were all supporting you. Today, the momentum was with you," Governor Dong stated.

Fang Yun nodded.

"Moreover, I suspect the Left Chancellor has completed his military arrangements and saw no need to conflict at this time. I didn't expect the Empress Dowager to convey the imperial decree and the official seal through the Holy Temple, likely to reassure you," Governor Dong continued.

Fang Yun knew the Holy Temple could transmit small items, but doing so would consume a vast amount of talent energy. Typically, it wasn’t worth it, and even the Holy Academy rarely used it.

"If I ever get the chance, I'll personally thank the Empress Dowager," Fang Yun said.

"That's a good sentiment. The Empress Dowager has been very generous towards you. Granting you a title is just a basic reward. Soon, the rewards from the capital will come, and this time, there might be Treasures of Literature. Now, I must be going," Governor Dong stated.

"Why the rush? Stay a while longer. Wait for the rain to stop," Fang Yun politely tried to retain him.

"No need. Commander Zhang has left. Commander Lu will soon take office, and these are not peaceful times for Jade Sea City," Governor Dong said before taking his leave.

After seeing off Governor Dong, Fang Yun returned to his room to read.

Nunu, having played enough, entered Fang Yun's study. With a light shake, she shook off the water on her, then lay on the ground, squinting and listening to Fang Yun recite the scriptures of All the Saints.

Although Fang Yun was preparing for the state examination, since he had mastered the doctrines and discussions, he no longer engaged in intensive practice. He only wrote one essay each day and had it corrected by the Presented Scholar Pang from next door.

Considering his need to complete the talent martial demonstration, Fang Yun was only reading military strategies at this moment.

Whenever he felt tired from reading, he'd practice some calligraphy, then close his eyes to contemplate how to complete the talent martial demonstration.

Fang Yun greatly valued this "Deceiving the Heavens and Crossing the Seas" strategy. Not just because it was a valuable tactic, but also because it was his first time attempting such a talent martial demonstration. If he failed, it would inevitably cast a shadow over his confidence, diminishing the effectiveness of the "Thirty-Six Strategies".

If one were to complete the performances of talent based on all thirty-six strategies, it would not only signify mastery over these tactics, but also signify that the entire military book has integrated into The Path of the Saints, enhancing its power continuously.

Fang Yun decided to ponder for three days before attempting the talent performance.

The next day, Fang Yun continued his study of military strategy. But starting from the morning, countless individuals sent over gifts, covering almost all the influential figures in Jade Sea City.

Some brought small items worth a couple of silver coins, while others sent gifts valued at a hundred or even several hundred silver coins.

If it were just the local families of Jade Sea City, it wouldn’t have been such a big deal.

Jade Sea City is the commercial center of the Jing Kingdom, with various major families of Jing Kingdom having their establishments there. Moreover, there are merchants and shops from other nations, all of whom came to present their gifts.

The number of people presenting gifts was so large that the street in front of Fang Yun's house was blocked, forcing the crowd to slowly make way.

Thousands of gifts, big and small, had to be placed in the courtyard due to their sheer number, forming four small mountains of items.

The gatekeeper continuously recorded the names of these individuals. As favors need to be reciprocated, once any of the gift-givers have any celebrations, the Fang Prefecture would surely return the gesture.

Looking at the bustling scene at the entrance, Fang Yun felt a headache coming. Dealing with it would take the entire day, so he simply stayed inside and read.

By nightfall, Yang Yuhuan and others estimated the total value of the gifts to be more than 30,000 silver coins. Even a prestigious family wouldn’t earn that much in a year. Just the ceramics alone could fill an entire study room.

Fang Yun didn't intervene, continuing to study military tactics and contemplating how to complete the talent performance.

After three days, when Fang Yun felt the time was right, he spread a fresh sheet of paper and began writing.

When he wrote the last period of the "Deceptive Ocean Strategy", everything before Fang Yun's eyes turned dark.

When Fang Yun opened his eyes, it was the same as the first talent performance scenario. He was a critically injured general, unable to use his talents, and had to deceive the barbarian tribe, making them believe that his forces were strong and well-supplied, so they wouldn't dare to pursue, allowing him a calm retreat.

Since it was his second entry, Fang Yun was quite familiar with the whole camp but did not let his guard down. He once again consulted with his military advisors and was faced with the same challenge: using the Deceptive Ocean Strategy to hide the fact that Jing's army lacked provisions and morale.

Upon learning that nothing had changed, Fang Yun immediately issued detailed commands, guiding the officers almost personally.

The first step was to make the barbarian tribe believe that Jing's army was well supplied with provisions.

The barbarian's Hawk Demons flew in the sky, capable of observing part of Fang Yun's camp, while the Jing's army immediately dispatched their own Hawk Demons to engage in combat.

Within this camp, there were ten large granaries. Outside the granaries were Ox Carts for transporting grain. Many soldiers entered the granaries.

Inside, the granaries were almost empty, with very little grain. But these soldiers, using tools, dug up the soil underneath, filled it into cloth bags, sprinkled some grain on top, making it look as though the bags were full of grain.

The first batch of fake grains was brought out, occasionally spilling some on the ground, but no one cared.

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The enemy's Hawk Demons saw everything from the sky.

After loading the fake grain onto the Ox Carts, they returned to the granaries.

Unlike the previous time when all bags were filled with soil, this time two men carried out a bag genuinely filled with grain.

During their second grain transport, there was no difference initially. But after walking a few steps, the two men "suddenly slipped", and a bag of millet fell to the ground, scattering its contents everywhere.

The two men casually cleaned up, leaving grains scattered everywhere, and departed with the partially filled bag, seemingly indifferent to the loss.

During the transportation process, the grain officer calculated the grain quantity using chips. The number quickly reached a very high figure, enough to feed the large army for five days.

Throughout the transportation, various deliberate wastes and carelessness took place, all of which showcased the abundance of provisions in the camp.

Meanwhile, Jing's Hawk Demons periodically flew out to prevent the enemy Hawk Demons from scouting, just as usual.

After all the grain was transported, one of the enemy Hawk Demons returned to the barbarian camp.

Fang Yun gave a faint smile. This tactic was derived from the famous general Tan Daoji's "Chanting Beans to Measure Sand", but that was done at night and was meant to deceive enemy spies. However, Fang Yun's method of "Using Soil as Rice" was to be done in broad daylight, under the watchful eyes of the Demon Barbarian's sky-scouting eagles, making it even more challenging.

During the grain falsification process, Fang Yun also selected some of the stronger soldiers. He had them eat more in the tents and then put on their heavy armor. They continuously moved around the camp, maintaining order.

Another group of soldiers were made to gather and train intensely, their bodies dripping with sweat. The rest were also instructed to act as if they were full of vigor.

From the Demon Barbarian's sky-scouting eagles' perspective, not only did the Jing Kingdom's army have plenty of provisions, but their morale was also extremely high. They seemed in no hurry to retreat, showing no fear of the barbarians.

The tactic of deceiving the heavens may seem simple, but in reality, it required attention to numerous details. Any slight mistake could be picked up by the discerning eyes of the enemy. Especially on the battlefield between humans and Demon Barbarians, implementing such strategies and maintaining attention to detail was extremely challenging.

Thus, as Fang Yun and his generals prepared for their standoff, the Jing army packed up to leave the camp. They set it aflame without a second thought, mainly to cover up the traces of their digging.

Their retreat was standard, neither fast nor slow, leading a small team of Demon Barbarians to tail them. By midday, the scouting team and their sky-scouting eagles, growing impatient, finally retreated.

Fang Yun heaved a sigh of relief. The entire tactic could make a strong army appear weak or a weak one appear strong. As long as the opponent was deceived to achieve one's objectives, it was a successful execution of the 'deceiving the heavens' tactic.

Fang Yun initially thought that the retreat would mark the end of his talent display, but nothing changed. He was continually carried forward by his guards.

"The talent display hasn't concluded? That's strange. Could it be that this tactic is so unique that the test has to continue? Or is the talent display even more challenging than I initially thought?"

Fang Yun was puzzled. At this point, there wasn't much he could do, so he simply continued with the troops.

By noon, Fang Yun's predicament intensified. They were running low on provisions, and he feared the soldiers might rebel.

...(To be continued...)