A Pawn's Passage

“Daoist Qi Xuansu, please sit.” Sage Qingwei said, using a very formal form of address that made Qi Xuansu somewhat nervous.

As one of Qi Xuansu’s former superiors, Sage Qingwei was perfectly entitled to address Qi Xuansu by his full name. Most people had experienced something similar. When parents called out their full name, it usually meant something unpleasant was about to happen.

Qi Xuansu replied solemnly, “Yes, Sage Qingwei.”

Then, he took a seat in the chair opposite the Omniscient Sage.

Sage Qingwei was itself an honorific, though it was used so often that people sometimes mistook it for a personal name. Qi Xuansu certainly could not address him as Li Wugou or Brother Zhi Qing, as that would be far too presumptuous.

Sage Qingwei did not exchange pleasantries and went straight to the point. “You don’t quite understand why I asked you to come today, do you?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I have some guesses, Sage Qingwei.”

Sage Qingwei asked, “Have you heard some rumors?”

Qi Xuansu fell silent. Sage Qingwei did not urge him, allowing him to think about how to answer.

In the brief silence, only the sounds of turning pages and brush touching the paper could be heard as Sage Qingwei continued reviewing official documents.

Qi Xuansu finally decided to answer honestly, “Sage Qingwei, I have indeed heard some rumors, though I cannot confirm whether they are true.”

“Tell me exactly what you’ve heard. You don’t need to say who told you,” Sage Qingwei said, his gaze still fixed on the documents before him.

Qi Xuansu answered, “Yes, sir. I heard that you intend to appoint me as the Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master.”

Sage Qingwei asked, “What do you think about this matter?”

“Everything will depend on the Golden Tower Council’s final decision,” Qi Xuansu replied.

Sage Qingwei probed further, “What is your view on the situation in the New Continent?”

Qi Xuansu said, “The situation is not optimistic. Although the Holy Court is arrogant, one must admit that its overall strength clearly surpasses the Tawantin Empire. If the Holy Court disregards the cost of war and launches a full-scale campaign, the Tawantin Empire would find it very difficult to resist.”

“Anything else?”

Qi Xuansu added, “The development of the Daoist Order has reached a bottleneck. Seeking solutions internally or externally are both possible directions. If we seek outward, then the focus should be the New Continent.”

“Anything else?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Sage Qingwei, that is all for now.”

This time, it was Sage Qingwei who fell silent. Qi Xuansu glanced up and saw the Omniscient Sage writing something with a vermilion brush dipped in cinnabar, then closed the document and set it aside, clearly preparing to focus on their conversation.

Qi Xuansu immediately lowered his gaze again, straightened his posture, and focused all his attention. Sage Qingwei was not like Sage Cihang or Sage Donghua. The latter two were close elders with whom he could be more relaxed. Sage Qingwei was different, and there was even a past grudge between them, so Qi Xuansu had to treat the meeting with great seriousness.

Sage Qingwei nodded approvingly. “It is good that you have such thoughts. Seeking outward and seeking inward are conflicting approaches, so you must ultimately choose one. Seeking outward has an advantage that inward reform cannot match. It does not harm internal harmony; instead, it can unite the people and lift morale to the greatest extent. What books have you been reading recently?”

Qi Xuansu answered, “I am rereading the Complete Works of the Holy Xuan.”

Sage Qingwei suggested, “When reading, don’t interpret things in isolation. You should study the later commentaries as well, like the latter half of the Annotations on the Holy Xuan. Many of the fifth-generation Grand Master’s views appear to advocate inward reform, but their ultimate direction is outward expansion. Every matter has two extremes, and going too far toward either leads to mistakes. Only by holding both ends and taking the middle path can errors be minimized.”

Qi Xuansu keenly noticed that Sage Qingwei’s views were not entirely the same as the Imperial Preceptor’s. They seemed somewhat more moderate. He simply replied, “I understand.”

Sage Qingwei said, “Let’s talk about you. Some people are too extreme. They insist on labeling you with a faction. You belong to the Quanzhen Sect, as Sage Donghua’s direct line. You are also the son-in-law of the Zhang family and Sage Cihang. I have been wondering whether it was possible to avoid looking from either extreme and instead view you objectively from the center, not labeling you with any faction, but simply seeing you as a fellow Daoist.”

Qi Xuansu said, “I’m flattered for you to view me this way, Sage Qingwei. I have always been a simple Daoist priest. Back then, the Holy Xuan repeatedly emphasized the need to break the opposition between lineages, eliminate factionalism, and transform the entire Daoist Order into a unified whole.”

Sage Qingwei nodded. “It’s good that you think this way and carry forward the Holy Xuan’s spirit.”

“You flatter me, Sage,” Qi Xuansu said humbly.

“I very much agree with one of your statements, that the Daoist Order’s development has reached a bottleneck. The real issue lies not within ourselves, but outside. In the past, the Daoist Order was small in scale, but now, we have grown. The same amount of resources is no longer sufficient. Reducing waste, cracking down on internal corruption, and restraining powerful families are correct moves. But we cannot always think only of tightening our belts because there is only so much we can save. We must seek new land, clear new fields, and grow more grain. That is the true key to solving the problem.”

This was precisely where the ideological differences among the Three Sects lay.

Qi Xuansu naturally could not judge whether this viewpoint was right or wrong. Moreover, his view overlapped considerably with it, so he could only nod in acknowledgement.

Sage Qingwei continued, “For this very reason, we cannot confine ourselves to the small patch of land at our doorstep. We must look toward a broader horizon. The New Continent across the ocean is an extremely important place and may determine the Daoist Order’s fortunes over the next hundred years. Whether we remain at the height of our power or gradually decline depends on how we manage it. In this matter, the use of personnel must be both cautious and bold. We must consider the overall situation and cannot discard capable people merely because of factional prejudice. Take Chen Shuhua’s case as an example. Although she deserved death for her actions, the matter should also prompt reflection. Besides strengthening the supervisory system, should we also improve the system of personnel appointments? Only by addressing both aspects can we prevent such incidents from happening again.”

The Beichen Hall led the supervisory system, while the Ziwei Hall led the system of personnel appointments.

Qi Xuansu could speak certain correct principles, such as Holy Xuan’s spirit of breaking down the opposition among the Three Sects because even the Three Deputy Grand Masters could not say that the Holy Xuan’s teachings were wrong. However, implementing it was another matter altogether.

But Qi Xuansu could not casually express an opinion when it came to specific matters.

Qi Xuansu came up with a tactful solution and shifted the topic. “Sage Qingwei may not concern himself with factional divisions, but...”

He deliberately showed a hesitant expression.

Sage Qingwei urged, “Say whatever you wish. There’s no need to hold back.”

“Yes, Sage Qingwei. Perhaps I am judging a gentleman from a petty man’s view. Back in Fenglin, we had some disagreements between us within Izanagi’s divine kingdom. Your magnanimity means you would naturally not take offense, but...”

Sage Qingwei fell silent.

Qi Xuansu said softly, “It was my fault. Please criticize me, Sage.”

Sage Qingwei said, “You did nothing wrong. Having disagreements is normal. After all, the Daoist Order is not the Confucian School. We do not practice patriarchal authority or one-man rule. Whatever you wish to say can be spoken openly.”

“I’m sorry, Sage Qingwei. That was not what I meant.” Qi Xuansu lowered his head.

Sage Qingwei scoffed. “You probably did mean exactly that.”

Qi Xuansu put on an anxious and flustered look.

Sage Qingwei spoke slowly. “The Confucian School has been a good teacher for us. The mistakes they made should serve as lessons for us so that we do not repeat them. The Confucian Sage once said that a father hides his son’s wrongdoing, and a son should do vice versa to preserve familial ethics. This ethics does not mean honesty or frankness, but rather straightforwardness. It is essentially the principle of mutual concealment among relatives. Later, the Confucian School went even further. Ministers could not point out the mistakes of their sovereign, and subordinates could not point out the mistakes of their superiors. Concealment piled upon concealment. Though appearances remained harmonious, truth and justice disappeared entirely, and people easily fell into moral dilemmas.

“This is no longer appropriate for the times. At the very least, it must be improved. The Daoist Order does not oppose relatives concealing each other’s faults, nor does it oppose refusing to conceal them. We do not morally condemn those who refuse to conceal, nor do we morally praise those who do. We maintain a neutral stance.

“However, between ruler and minister, or superior and subordinate, concealment is not appropriate. Therefore, the Daoist Order advocates criticism and self-criticism, allowing subordinates to point out the mistakes of their superiors rather than practicing mutual concealment. You may engage in self-criticism now or even criticize me for the past. Both are reasonable and acceptable.”

As one of the Three Daoist Heirs, Sage Qingwei possessed considerable theoretical sophistication. He was not simply throwing out vague platitudes. Rather, he built his reasoning step by step, almost persuading Qi Xuansu. If these ideas were not merely words but could truly be implemented, Qi Xuansu might genuinely accept them.

Qi Xuansu rose to his feet. “I will heed your instructions, Sage Qingwei.”

Sage Qingwei raised his hand to signal Qi Xuansu to sit and continue speaking.

Unlike Sage Cihang or Sage Donghua, Sage Qingwei was neither domineering nor restrained. It fell somewhere between the two. His arm was slightly bent, and his palm was gently tilted, the gesture appearing natural.

“Regarding the rumor you heard, I do indeed have the idea of appointing you as the Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master. First, your qualifications and abilities are entirely sufficient, as evident from your performance in the Poluo Daoist Mansion over these past years. Second, we cooperated quite well back in Fenglin. I find it easy to work with you. Donghuang once said that it is important to use people to their strengths. We may indeed have our differences, but when it comes to major matters of the Daoist Order, we must learn to temporarily set those differences aside and work together, placing the Daoist Order and the greater good above all else.”

Qi Xuansu was about to speak when Sage Qingwei raised his hand to stop him. “You do not need to give me an answer immediately. Go back and think it over first. When you have considered it carefully, then give me your reply. I will fully respect your thoughts and opinions.”