A Pawn's Passage

To shoulder the burdens of the world truly sounded like empty grandstanding. Yet once one reached a certain position, it ceased to be empty rhetoric and became a question that must be confronted.

Fortunately, there was still ample time for Qi Xuansu to think it through slowly—at the very least, several decades.

At present, Qi Xuansu only had vague ideas and general notions, not yet forming a coherent system.

The arrival of this windstorm disrupted many plans.

Qi Xuansu had to preside over disaster relief efforts, postponing many tasks he had planned to undertake.

Matters on Great Sage Jiang’s side were also progressing poorly, as the windstorm had subtly altered conditions at sea. Both the Heavenly Empress’ Dragon Palace and Lin Lingsu’s Tongzhen Palace had shifted their trajectories, requiring recalculation.

The Zhongyuan Festival was fast approaching, which meant a month had already passed in Chen Shuhua’s major rebirth. Less than 20 days remained before the uncertainties would increase dramatically.

One matter followed another. After the windstorm ended, the Daoist Mansion had to convene meetings to assess merits and faults. With the Zhongyuan Festival approaching, it also had to organize the corresponding celebrations, all of which fell within the responsibilities of a Chief Deputy Mansion Master.

This was normal. A frontier authority could not spend every day handling cases, as constant internal strife would only undermine unity. Since Qi Xuansu had assumed the role of Chief Deputy Prefect, he had to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities.

This was Qi Xuansu’s first time as an organizer of the Zhongyuan Festival. He had previously been a participant or executor based on his superior’s orders.

Balancing everything required a different perspective. The Shangyuan Festival was joyous and festive because it was when the Heavenly Official bestowed blessings and lanterns were lit. The Zhongyuan Festival was a festival of spirits, when the Earthly Official granted absolution. Especially after a disaster, it had to remain solemn and dignified.

Fortunately, there were many seasoned officials who could follow established precedents.

Of course, these were all matters above the surface. Beneath it, undercurrents still surged.

Qi Xuansu sought to have the Ziwei Hall grant Chen Jianchou a fourth-rank Daoist Priest Kindred status. At the same time, others were intent on pinning a crime on him. What the crime was could be discussed later. The key was to establish guilt first, because once the guilty label was pinned, Chen Jianchou could not be granted a Daoist Priest Kindred status, as that would violate regulations.

Without a fourth-rank Daoist Priest Kindred status, the Beichen Hall’s local branch could handle the charges on its own without reporting it to the Daoist Mansion Council.

Thus, securing Chen Jianchou’s Daoist Priest Kindred status was by no means a simple affair.

The undercurrents were beginning to surface, and the struggle between the two factions was becoming increasingly overt.

It was like playing chess—move for move, counter for counter. There was no talk of long-term grand strategy anymore. This was close-quarters combat, where every strike was aimed straight at the vital points.

Of course, the veteran players on both sides had yet to make their moves. Once those old hands personally took to the field, it would become a fight to the death, and no one knew how many people would be dragged down with them.

At this point, the advantage of Qi Xuansu’s home base finally came into play. If someone else had handled it, the matter might have dragged on for quite some time. But Qi Xuansu personally went to see Yao Shu, the Chief Deputy Hall Master of Ziwei Hall. With Yao Shu giving instructions from above, once the official documents from the Poluo branch were submitted, the entire process was completed in less than two days. This was not only due to Qi Xuansu’s influence, but also because Chen Jianchou himself had delivered tangible results as someone personally praised by Sage Donghua.

When the Superintendent of the Ziwei Hall’s branch came to report the matter, Qi Xuansu finally let out a small breath of relief. This move should count as a win. Once the Ziwei Hall confirmed Chen Jianchou’s Daoist Priest Kindred status, Qi Xuansu could formally intervene in the name of the Daoist Mansion Council by following standard procedures and demanding a detailed report from the Beichen Hall’s local branch. If Wu Burong could not produce solid evidence, then Chen Jianchou would have to be released.

If, under such circumstances, Wu Burong still insisted on resisting, Qi Xuansu could invoke the special status of high-ranking Daoists to have the Beichen Hall’s main headquarters take over the case, with Li Zhuyu stepping in to assume responsibility. Once Li Zhuyu took charge, the matter would become much easier to handle.

Local branches were subject to dual leadership. In extreme situations, a branch’s Chief Superintendent could use the local Daoist Mansion as a shield to push back against the main headquarters, or vice versa, using the headquarters as a shield to push back against the local Daoist Mansion. However, one could not oppose both the Daoist Mansion Council and the main headquarters at the same time. Doing so would be tantamount to cutting oneself off from the Daoist Order entirely.

Beyond this, Qi Xuansu had additional contingencies. While Fengxian Hall and Beichen Hall often conducted joint investigations, the original intent behind establishing the Nine Halls was mutual restraint.

At his direction, Fengxian Hall had already begun a covert investigation into Wu Burong, especially her relationship with Guo Yongyan. Once this was substantiated, Qi Xuansu could not only remove Wu Burong but also repay in kind by taking down Wang Jiaohe’s secretary as well. After all, courtesy demanded reciprocity.

At its core, the true aim of this affair was to strike at Qi Xuansu by striking at Chen Jianchou. By branding Chen Jianchou as a cult demon, they could drag Qi Xuansu, who had employed him, into the same mire. If they could ultimately prove that Qi Xuansu was connected to secret societies, then in a matter of this nature, Sage Donghua would find it difficult to speak on Qi Xuansu’s behalf, paving the way to bring Qi Xuansu down.

Perhaps Qi Xuansu could still preserve himself, merely moving elsewhere to continue as a second-rank Taiyi Daoist. But once Qi Xuansu left, the situation would change completely. An utter reversal might well occur.

Of course, Qi Xuansu did have ties to secret societies. But this was an unspoken rule within the Daoist Order. There always had to be someone to handle dirty work, and secret societies were undoubtedly the best choice. As long as one was not caught redhanded, it was as if it never existed. None of the three sides were clean. Each held leverage over the others, so under normal circumstances, no one would make an issue of such matters.

Even when Qi Xuansu apprehended Li Tianzhen, he did not bring the matter into the open. Instead, he contacted the Li family in private and had Sage Qingwei take him back. The crucial point was that Li Tianzhen had struck first, and Qi Xuansu’s actions were purely in retaliation. In the end, Wu Guangbi was injured, while Li Tianzhen merely left Poluo in an awkward state but was physically unharmed. Under such circumstances, the Li family had little they could legitimately complain about.

Still, matters like this could never be discussed openly. Wang Jiaohe, having been driven into a corner, had begun to make an issue of precisely these kinds of things.

Qi Xuansu naturally had to respond with caution, ensuring he did not entangle himself. Once the Ziwei Hall reached a conclusion, Qi Xuansu went to see Great Sage Jiang and requested that he convene a Daoist Mansion Council in his capacity as the Mansion Master.

Great Sage Jiang agreed to the request, which signaled his support for Qi Xuansu.

This Daoist Mansion Council involved Deputy Mansion Masters, Branch Managers, Spirit Guards, and Chief Superintendents. After Great Sage Lan went into seclusion, Qi Xuansu had used this very council to seize the initiative and was merely repeating the same tactic this time. Although Ke Qingqing believed Qi Xuansu could hold the advantage in a council with only the Deputy Mansion Masters, he chose not to take the risk and opted for the more secure large council instead, held in the grand hall of the Sheji Palace.

Although this Daoist Mansion Council was convened in the name of Great Sage Jiang, it was in fact Qi Xuansu who presided over it.

Once the assembly formally began, Great Sage Jiang offered a few perfunctory remarks before yielding the floor to Qi Xuansu.

To the surprise of many, Qi Xuansu did not directly address Chen Jianchou’s issue. Instead, he only talked about rules.

Qi Xuansu said. “Without rules, the world descends into chaos. Every dynastic transition brings turmoil precisely because the old rules are broken while new ones have yet to be established. These include regulations, laws, and procedures. The Confucian School set rules for the world, and so did the Daoist Order. We each perform our duties within the framework of Daoist rules, which have strictly defined what each of us should and should not do, and how things ought to be done. There can be no dereliction of duty, nor any overstepping of authority.

“Some of you here today may have thought I’d talk about my secretary, Chen Jianchou, during this council, expecting me to state my position. But today, I do not wish to discuss Chen Jianchou. He is neither a Deputy Mansion Master nor the sovereign of the Yu Kingdom. He’s not of sufficient standing to be discussed at a large council such as this. Even if he were guilty of the gravest crimes, his case could be handed over to the Deputy Mansion Masters to deliberate. This is what it means for each office to perform its proper function.

“Instead, I wish to speak about certain issues reflected by the events surrounding Chen Jianchou. Only by rectifying the people’s morality can the world be brought to order. When the people are not upright, customs and conduct inevitably become corrupt. To rectify morality, rules are indispensable. This is precisely what I have been emphasizing—adhere to rules and follow procedures. One cannot simply act as one pleases. Even the Mansion Masters and I, as the Chief Deputy, must ensure that our decisions conform to rules and procedures.

“Of course, I am aware that extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary measures. But has Chen Jianchou’s matter truly reached the point where such exceptional measures are warranted? In my personal view, it has not.”

Qi Xuansu paused slightly and swept his gaze across the crowd.

The main hall was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

“It seems everyone here is in agreement.” Qi Xuansu deepened his voice. “Since it has not reached the point where extraordinary measures are warranted, then we must proceed according to the rules. Whether Chen Jianchou is guilty or not is for the Beichen Hall and the Fengxian Hall to determine. This is not within the scope of today’s discussion. What we must discuss is why this case was not reported to the Daoist Mansion. That is a procedural error.”