A Pawn's Passage

There was a saying that tactics need not be new so long as they worked.

The Daoist Order had used this particular stratagem more than once, tracing back even to the Holy Xuan Era. It was no secret, and many understood the routine. However, when caught within it, it was never so easy to discern. Even if they could discern it, they might not be able to resist.

It was like the ancient “Order of Enfeoffment Sharing,” hailed as an unbeatable open strategy. But in truth, the key was not the decree itself but the immense strength of the centralized court.

To be precise, it was the unceasing efforts of four generations, from the White Emperor to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, that had slowly pushed past the feudal lords’ limits. It was like wearing down stone with drops of water until they achieved an impossible feat.

In fact, the First Emperor imposed the commandery system, shattering the feudal authority that had stood since ancient times and centralizing power by force. Though it was eventually undone due to backlash, the foundation was laid. At the start of his reign, the White Emperor had to compromise, adopting a mixed system of commanderies and kingdoms. Emperor Wen split the State of Qi into six. Emperor Jing quelled the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms. Along the way came reforms to officialdom and curbs on meritorious officials. With the prestige of foreign war victories during the reign of Emperor Wu, the Order of Enfeoffment Sharing could finally be enforced.

This was not simply the lingering momentum of six generations’ toil. It was a vast transformation spanning two dynasties. The Order of Enfeoffment Sharing was just the final step. It seemed crucial, but without all the prior effort, it could not be implemented at all.

During this process, the Confucian School rose and ultimately defeated the Daoists to become the rulers of the realm. From then on, the Daoists were cast to the fringes, devoting themselves to rebellion after rebellion, like the Zhengyi Sect’s secession in Shuzhou, or the Taiping Sect’s Yellow Turban Uprising. Only a thousand years later did the Daoists at last defeat the Confucians and reclaim supremacy over the realm.

Thus, the Order of Enfeoffment Sharing was never truly an unbeatable open strategy.

Had it been during the late Wei Dynasty, if the court had issued a decree forcing the Qin, Li, Zhang, and other great families to divide their estates, calling it an “unbeatable open strategy,” those families would not have even glanced at the edict.

In the Central Plains, there was once a king with a rare vision. But in the end, he touched the core interests of the elites and had starved to death.

The Daoist Order faced a similar dilemma. The Holy Xuan sought to replace the three major sects with the Nine Halls, strengthening central authority. This was essentially a variant of the Order of Enfeoffment Sharing. With unmatched military and political achievements, the Holy Xuan held incomparable prestige and absolute power within the sect Daoist Order by supplanting the Confucians and defeating the Buddhists. Thus, he could press the reform and forcibly establish the Nine Halls, reclaiming power from the three major sects and redistributing it to the Nine Halls.

But due to certain reasons, the Holy Xuan never fully succeeded. His work was only half done.

As for the remaining half, none of the subsequent Grand Masters could advance it even slightly. Some had no wish to, but even those who did likely would not have held their position securely if they tried. The sole exception was the fifth-generation Grand Master, who used the Zixiao Palace to his advantage and further centralized authority. He was the second Grand Master after the Holy Xuan to replace all three Deputy Grand Masters at once.

However, the fifth-generation Grand Master focused too much on personal authority, caring only for others to submit to him while neglecting reform and institutional building. In the end, he failed to complete the Holy Xuan’s unfinished work and left hidden dangers. After his ascension, the three sects mounted a full counterattack. His successor could not take up the mantle, so the sixth-generation Grand Master rose to power instead.

When the sixth-generation Grand Master first assumed power, the three sects, led by the three Deputy Grand Masters, had reached the height of their infighting as well as their power, almost comparable to when the Holy Xuan had first consolidated the Daoist Order. Naturally, at this moment, the three sects sought to shake the authority of the Nine Halls, dismantle the Zixiao Palace system left by the fifth-generation Grand Master, and marginalize the Grand Master lineage.

The sixth-generation Grand Master sought to preserve the system left by the Holy Xuan. So upon taking power, he clashed violently with the three Deputy Grand Masters who had supported him to this position, attempting to emulate the fifth-generation Grand Master by replacing them. But the three Deputy Grand Masters were no ordinary figures. They joined forces to sideline the Grand Master and ultimately dissolved Zixiao Palace’s power.

When the sixth-generation Grand Master ascended, the three Deputy Grand Masters simply chose not to appoint a new Grand Master. Instead, they would rule in rotation as the Acting Grand Master, thus came the position of the Great Sage Lunzhi.

Without a Grand Master, the Daoist Order could not stay united, and the trend toward the three sects splitting apart had already begun to show.

Thus, Zhang Yuelu was not radical. In this context, she actually seemed more like a moderate reformer, seeking to maintain the framework of the Daoist Order while patching its flaws. If true radicals had taken power, there would already be three separate Daoist governments.

It was only as the three Deputy Grand Masters neared ascension that the election of the seventh-generation Grand Master had to be raised, along with the preliminary identification of candidates for the eighth-generation Grand Master. This was why the three Daoist heirs were so young and not even an Immortal.

In terms of standing, the current three Deputy Grand Masters were second only to the three original Deputy Grand Masters who had presided over the Daoist Order’s revival—Li Daoxu, Zhang Jingxiu, and Emperor Gaozu, corresponding to the Li, Zhang, and Qin families.

At that time, when the Daoist Order was first consolidated, the Grand Master was only a figurehead without real authority, unable to command respect. Thus, there were only the three Deputy Grand Masters, while the fledgling Holy Xuan was merely the fourth-ranking figure in the Daoist Order, much like Qi Xuansu now, who was markedly distinct from the other three as the fourth prodigy.

After the Li and Zhang patriarchs ascended, Emperor Gaozu turned his focus to contending for imperial rule and gradually withdrew from Daoist affairs. That was when the Holy Xuan took full control of the Daoist Order, ultimately becoming the first Grand Master and leading the Daoists to defeat the Confucians.

Many worried that the mighty Daoist Order would end with the three Deputy Grand Masters. The reason the sixth-generation Grand Master was sidelined was that the three Deputy Grand Masters were too powerful.

One’s strength determined whether strategies should be open or kept hidden. With enough strength, one could employ upright and open strategies. Without power, one must scheme to bet small for a big payoff.

Now that the Daoist Order was strong enough and riding the momentum of great victories, it could openly employ such strategies. Even if a few sharp-eyed people discerned the stakes, it mattered little to the overall situation.

While implementing the new policies in Fenglin, Sage Qingwei also kept a close watch on foreign affairs.

After all, they could not afford to be careless when it came to the Westerners. Were it not for the vast distance between the East and the West, the Holy Court would be the Daoist Order’s greatest enemy.

For this reason, Great Sage Zhang Qihan of the Fenglin Daoist Mansion personally went to the Satsuma domain, demanding that they hand over the Westerners they were hiding.

Confronted by the imposing Zhang Qihan, the Satsuma domain bowed humbly. After all, the Tenmon Sect and the royal family had been defeated by the mighty Daoist army. A small territory like Satsuma dared not resist openly.

They explained that Brown, White, and the others had already fled Fenglin the moment Ise-jingu fell. Satsuma had only maintained some business dealings with the West Shakya Company and dared not plot anything untoward.

Since there was no concrete evidence, and Satsuma was remote, the Daoists truly had no time to deal with it immediately, as they had other more pressing matters, like land redistribution, new policies, and reforms of the royal family and nobility. Thus, the Daoists could only issue a warning and shelve the matter, leaving it for later.

Sage Qingwei oversaw the entire situation, making sure everything was orderly. The fruitful results drew the attention of every member of the Golden Tower Council. But this was expected since he was a contender for Grand Master. If he could not manage even a small nation like Fenglin, how could he lead the Daoist Order or preside over the entire Eastern Continent?

Beyond this, there was also the matter of Izanagi-no-Mikoto.

This was the true priority, as the secret of death and resurrection lay beneath Mount Fuyo. It was something that stirred the hearts of all within the Golden Tower Council.

When the Imperial Preceptor departed Fenglin, he had held a private conversation with Sage Qingwei.

The Imperial Preceptor was quite satisfied with Sage Qingwei’s performance. “You have done well.”

Sage Qingwei was no longer an arrogant youth. “You flatter me, Imperial Preceptor. I have a fair idea of how I’ve done. With the resources I can command, I can only say I have met expectations but sadly have yet to exceed them.”

The Imperial Preceptor said, “Well, what’s important is maintaining stability, which is no small feat. We dare not ask for more at this time. Moreover, you’re not yet sixty, so you still have ample time, unlike us decrepit old men, whose days in this world are steadily reducing.”

Sage Qingwei remained silent at this.

The Imperial Preceptor continued, “At the end of the day, Fenglin’s affairs are not those of the Central Plains, so they do not touch our foundation. Even if things are done a bit excessively here, so long as the fire does not spread to the Central Plains, it won’t do much harm. So you need not always handle everything yourself. Try letting go and delegate them to others. Take this opportunity to train Yong Yan and get him to face real world affairs sooner. That is the true Daoist way. Those methods the Beichen Hall uses to discipline people will never stand in the open, especially not for a Grand Master.”

Sage Qingwei nodded in assent.

The Imperial Preceptor finally touched on the main topic. “There is one more thing. Those Westerners can be left aside for now, and Fenglin’s land reform can also be delayed. But this must be done properly.”

Sage Qingwei had a fair idea of what it was. “Is it the matter of Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Yomi-no-Kuni?”

The Imperial Preceptor’s tone lost all the gentleness he had shown the female Daoists. Now, it was stern and commanding. “This concerns death and rebirth, which reminds me of the Great Witches’ Elixir of Immortality. This may be tied to surviving the first heavenly tribulation, so there’s no need to hold back. You must seize this chance and secure it.”

Sage Qingwei answered solemnly, “Yes, sir.”

The Imperial Preceptor warned him. “Remember—this is of utmost importance.”