"With this, the big plan can be realized!"
Pei Xuanjing looked at the martial arts technique books laid before him, each a secret passed down within various factions, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
From the time Pei Xuanjing had broadcasted the news to when these factions brought the martial arts techniques, it had been no more than half a month.
These people were clear, since the decision was made, there was no need to drag their feet. They decisively handed over the items to Pei Xuanjing without making any demands, only leaving their faction's mark.
Although these factions have held back some of their top secret martial studies techniques, in Pei Xuanjing's view, so long as his plan moves forward, facing the mighty trend, their chances of bringing these items out are a dead certainty.
Oddly enough, some smaller factions hesitated over this matter, holding back timidly.
But Pei Xuanjing paid no mind to this, their obstinacy in maintaining the status quo would result in them being swept up by the countless martial artists cultivating various divine skills, falling flat on the sandy beach.
After all, if Pei Xuanjing's plan progresses smoothly, these martial arts would strengthen all the martial artists in the world, increasing the intensity of internal competition. Most of these small factions would be unable to keep up with the surge of the times and get lost in the tide.
In the ensuing period, Pei Xuanjing went into a brief retreat. He researched the Golden Book and Jade Scroll's refining of the Tao Yun, while also studying these martial arts.
His current strength in the Way of Essence Refinement had already fully reached the Spirit Realm's Sixth Level. However, it seemed he had also reached a limit, he needed to study his blood qi and bloodline concentration further, wanting to solidify his foundation and not being in a rush nor able to breakthrough too soon.
After all, the incarnation split from his current strength had just attained a balance. If his physical body were to breakthrough again, the balance would be sure to be disrupted once more.
Futhermore, his progress in the Path of Qi Refinement and Refining Spirit had just broken through recently, requiring some more time to polish, waiting for his condition to reach its peak before attempting to condense his Golden Core.
According to Pei Xuanjing's speculation, this quickening of the Divine Dynasty's promotion had indeed facilitated the world's restoration, allowing their present combat power to reach the Spirit Realm's Sixth Level. However, it had also used up a considerable amount of accumulated Qi Luck. Hence, the pace of the world's rejuvenation had slowed down.
So, he still had enough time, not needing to rush into condensing his Golden Core, to research and extrapolate martial arts and refine Tao Yun.
This time, his seclusion did not last long, taking only three months' time before Pei Xuanjing emerged once again.
Of course, his emergence was not because he had refined the Tao Yun to completion in such a short amount of time, or that he had made significant gains or resolved his dilemmas.
It was because the Emperor of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty had already come out of seclusion. The long-anticipated Divine Investiture ceremony was finally about to be held.
"Is Master Pei planning to emulate Emperor Wuzong in setting up a Martial Academy?" Zhu Houji asked with a hint of brilliance flashing through his eyes.
His meeting with Pei Xuanjing was originally to discuss the specific number and divisions for the upcoming Divine Investitures, but he had suddenly heard that Pei Xuanjing wanted to establish a Taoist Academy.
Although the name of this academy was unfamiliar, after hearing Pei Xuanjing's explanation, his first reaction was to think of the Martial Academy established by Emperor Wuzong.
"Similar to the Martial Academy, except this Taoist Academy should be open to all martial artists in the world. Regardless of who they are, or what their background is, they can enter," Pei Xuanjing explained.
This was his intention. The Taoist Academy would recruit martial artists from across the world, and as long as they reached the Academy's standard, they could be admitted for study and receive instruction.
Zhu Houji pondered, then nodded, "Given Master Pei's ambition, how can I not support it?"
He wouldn't oppose Pei Xuanjing's plan. Leaving aside Pei Xuanjing's status and power, from his own perspective, the plan would greatly benefit him if successful.
As the ruler of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, at the inception of the Divine Dynasty, he needed countless talents to assist. Whether or not Pei Xuanjing succeeded, he would undoubtedly cultivate many powerful individuals.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Pei Xuanjing said.
Zhu Houji dismissed it with a shake of his head. "Master Pei is being too polite."
Putting this topic aside for now, Zhu Houji brought up the true purpose of today's meeting – about the matter of enfeoffment.
"Master Pei, what are your thoughts on the Divine Investiture?" Zhu Houji asked.
Pei Xuanjing replied with a smile, "I believe Your Majesty already has a conclusion in mind. Why not let me help you consider it?"
He knew that Zhu Houji was supposed to have his own thoughts on how to enfeoff the officials long ago. It's just that Pei Xuanjing having control of the sub-volume of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll had undoubtedly disrupted his plan, hence the need for discussions with Pei Xuanjing.
If Pei Xuanjing had originally wanted to make a deal with Zhu Houji to help enfeoff a portion of the Divine Positions, now that he'd gotten his hands on the Golden Book and Jade Scroll's sub-volume, and had the ability to enfeoff Divine Positions himself, his earlier thought could be set aside for the time being.
Zhu Houji chuckled, saying, "Since that's the case, I hope Master Pei will provide his guidance."
"Your Majesty is too polite."
"Master Pei must be aware of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll's abilities, to solidify different Divine Positions, holding different authorities and drawing different amounts of Qi Luck. I combined the grading of the imperial court with the Method of Accepting Orders of Dragon Tiger Mountain, and integrated them into a set of rules," Zhu Houji slowly outlined his thoughts.
According to him, the Divine Positions should be divided into nine grades, excluding the Emperor and Pei Xuanjing who holds control over the sub-volume. All other enfeoffed individuals would fall within these nine grades.
These nine grades rank from First-grade to Ninth-grade, with the highest being First-grade and the lowest Ninth-grade.
Officials in the imperial court would have their names entered into the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, but they wouldn't hold any Divine Positions nor have any privileges. Only those in an actual position of power would be able to exercise authority. Once their actual position is stripped away, their privileges would also be deprived. They would only retain a basic Divine Position. If they are removed from the court records, their Divine Position would disappear, and the Qi Luck bestowed by the Divine Dynasty would also dissipate…
Pei Xuanjing also more or less understood the other party's intention. This was similar to some systems in his previous world, which merely separated the grading system from the actual positions. If one merely held a nominal title, they wouldn't be able to wield any power. It was only when one held hardcore power that they could truly become gods.
"What are Master Pei's thoughts on my method?" A hint of a triumphant light gleamed in Zhu Houji's eyes.
He had not sought anyone's opinion on this method, it was entirely devised through his own wisdom. Though simple, it was very effective.
He wanted to see if this Master Pei had any superior opinions or could find any flaws.
Pei Xuanjing pondered for a moment, then spoke a sentence that made Zhu Houji slightly frown.
"The separation of divine position and authority is indeed a good idea." Pei Xuanjing nodded in approval.
He made a suggestion: "But these ninth-grade Enfeoffments can win over countless officials, but what about those junior officials?"
The so-called officials, both high ranking and junior ones, are not the same. Officials can be promoted, but many of those junior officials spend their entire lives stuck in one place. They carry out much of the important work of supporting the administration, and their roles are often passed down through generations.
This would have been acceptable before, as even if promoted, everyone was mortal, eventually facing death, so there was at least fairness in regard to life.
But now that the Divine Dynasty has risen, officials who receive the enfeoffment of divine position can gradually get promoted, gaining a long life, while those junior officials are left to spend their generations continuing their previous work, which could result in widespread discontent.
Although Pei Xuanjing knew that these junior officials at the bottom constituted the majority of the populace, and they held heir positions for generations, exploiting the system top-down and bottom-up, they were accomplices to the corrupt officials.
But undeniable is that countless such junior officials form the basis of the dynastic rule.
Hence, thoroughly excluding them may cause tremendous turmoil.
In Pei Xuanjing's view, it's better to give them a chance for advancement and thereby stabilize their positions.
"What Master Pei has pointed out is something I had not considered," said Zhu Houji, furrowing his brows and speaking slowly.
As an emperor who has control over the court, Zhu Houji didn't think about this before. After being reminded by Pei Xuanjing, he realized that this term "Officials" includes both high-ranking officials and junior ones.
Although there are many high-ranking officials in the court, many things still require the assistance of junior officials. Regardless of how capable official is, they can't manage everything by themselves.
He looked at Pei Xuanjing and asked, "Since Master Pei brought up this issue, surely, you must have some solution to it?"
Even though Pei Xuanjing had never held an official position, he believed that if someone could perceive and understand this issue, they must have some solution to it.
Pei Xuanjing smiled and said: "These are merely my humble opinions. If Your Majesty finds them useful, feel free to adopt; if not, you may disregard them as delusions."
"Please speak, Master Pei, I am all ears," Zhu Houji said with a light smile.
Pei Xuanjing nodded and voiced his thoughts.
His solution was straightforward: Confer divine positions equivalent to their duty positions. So these junior officials, like auxiliary gods, would be attached to the officials, just as the auxiliary gods are attached to the main god.
In his view, the Great Ming Divine Dynasty is like a large tree. The countless citizens are the roots, the emperor is the trunk, the officials are the branches, and the junior officials are the small twigs on the branches.
With such a system of enfeoffment, they could provide opportunities and hope to others, simultaneously allowing officials to keep junior officials under strict control and better execute orders.
Zhu Houji pondered for a moment upon hearing this. "Master Pei's words, they're like an enlightenment, a revelation to me."
Pei Xuanjing merely laughed without a word.
With the general outline of their strategy in place, the two of them began to discuss other detailed issues, exchanged their views, and further refined the emperor's method of separating divine positions.
For example, currently, whether they are the royal descendants, the honored noblemen, or the court officials of Great Ming, though they all possess divine positions, they can only function within the scope of the court, and their authority is simply borrowed.
Only officials of fourth-grade or above can refine the divine position for their personal use, while all others can only use the authority given by their official seals and Enfeoffments. Once they lose their position, they are left with only the Qi Luck from the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, without any real power at hand.
The two of them also estimated that in order to refine the divine position, the strength of the person should be at least fourth-grade realm or above, so that they will not consume too much Qi Luck.
The Divine Dynasty has just started, and if they enfeoff too many divine positions at once, it will consume too much Qi Luck, which would not be beneficial to the development of the Divine Dynasty.
At the Ministry of Rites Manor.
Among the six ministries, regardless of how the ranks fluctuate, the Ministry of Personnel, which holds the power of promotion for all officials, is undoubtedly the first among the six. Even the current Ministry of War, controlled by Wang Qiong, can only just keep up, barely surpassing it.
Let's not mention the Ministry of Works ranked at the bottom or the Ministry of Criminal Affairs which has a slight advantage over it, the third place among the six ministries should generally be the Ministry of Revenue, which manages finances, territories, etc.
However, after Yan Weizhong assumed the position of Minister of the Ministry of Rites, due to his status as the emperor's favorite, the status of the Ministry of Rites has risen rapidly, becoming almost as prominent as the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War.
Currently, this favorite of the emperor, who is about to be enfeoffed, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, has received countless pleas for meetings, but he has blocked everyone outside his door, paying them no heed.
"Father, why won't you meet anyone when so many people are seeking an audience?" A young Yan Deqiu asked in confusion.
He is currently studying at the Imperial Academy and hasn't officially entered politics, but having a father who is the Minister of the Ministry of Rites and being naturally smart, he is very interested and keen on what happens in the court.
During the rise of the Divine Dynasty, many officials have been bustling about, trying to lay out a good future for themselves.
This time, many people were submitting letters of respect, but why was his father keeping them outside at such a crucial moment?
"Ha-ha. You're too young," Yan Weizhong, who had only recently come of age, looked at his wise but still somewhat naive son and said with a sigh.
As an old fox who has weathered ups and downs in officialdom for decades, Yan Weizhong had a keen understanding of much of its intricacies. Even though his rank had fluctuated, this experience had made it so. Therefore, he knew better how to handle the current situation in the imperial court.
He asked his son, disapproving of his grievances, "Tell me, who now rules the world?"
Yan Deqiu frowned slightly and thought for a moment before saying: "Today, after the Great Ming became a Divine Dynasty, although the emperor controls it, Master Pei Xuanjing, who is considered the best in the world and has the support of the Taoist School behind him, manages the Golden Book and Jade Scroll supplement. I'm afraid even the emperor has to defer to him in that).
This is Yan Deqiu's perception, which is also the perception of many people.
The successful promotion of the Great Ming to the Divine Dynasty has significantly increased the strength of Great Ming. Especially the Emperor Zhu Houji, who stepped into the Spirit Realm by doing so, controls the Golden Book and the Jade Scroll, and possesses the Qi Luck of the Golden Dragon. He has become one of the most powerful people in the world.
However, Pei Xuanjing was able to kill a strong man at the sixth level of the Spirit Realm all by himself, which left many people in shock.
Up to now, some people who love sensationalism have divided the world's strong men into two grades: Pei Xuanjing alone in one, and the rest in another.
Such a statement is heard all over the world. But hardly any strong people refute it. Instead, they seem to accept it.
That's how powerful Pei Xuanjing has become.
Having heard his son's words, Yan Weizhong showed a smile that was hard to understand on his face. "Your answer is both right and wrong."
Obviously, he wasn't entirely convinced by this answer; he had his own judgement.
Seeing his father speaking in this manner, a few traces of resistance surfaced on Yan Deqiu's face. He said, "If that's the case, please instruct me further, Father."
In response to the resistance on his son's face, Yan Weizhong didn't mind it in the slightest. In a serious tone, he said, "You said that National Tutor Pei Xuanjing is recognized as the best in the world, which is true. However, it isn't up to him to make the final decisions."
With a hint of sternness, he said: "Keep this in mind, my son. The one who has the final say in this world should be the Emperor. Regardless of what others think or how they view it, from my perspective, the only one who should have the final say in this world is the Emperor."
In this world, the one who should have the final say ought to be the Emperor, and only the Emperor.
This is Yan Weizhong's understanding, and it is a rule he has always upheld.
No matter what others say or think, Yan Weizhong owes his position today to the Emperor's favor. He could seek to gain some benefits and make plans, but he mustn't waver at all when it comes to significant matters of right and wrong. His loyalty lies solely with the Emperor.
It is the Emperor who granted him everything he has today. If he were to betray the Emperor one day, then the Emperor could just as effortlessly take it all away.
Thus, the only way for him to hold onto everything he has is to remain loyal to the Emperor, with no room for wavering on this point.
Listening to his father's words, Yan Deqiu's expression turned serious, instantly understanding his father's meaning.
They are officials of the Great Ming, servants of the Emperor. While Pei Xuanjing is mighty and deserving of their respect and reverence, they must not forget their roles.
Yan Weizhong warned his son: "Right now, as the Emperor hasn't stated his stance on this matter, it is difficult for anyone to discern what the Emperor thinks. However, since the Emperor hasn't spoken, we must not decide anything on our own."
As his subjects, there are some matters they could actively speak up about, but there are also matters they absolutely should not meddle with on their own.
Now that the Divine Dynasty is ascending, and the Emperor holds the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, his golden words could confer divine positions. But how many divine positions there are and how they should be conferred is something only the Emperor can decide. If the Emperor asks for their input, they can share their thoughts. However, if the Emperor has no intention of consulting them, no matter how many thoughts they have, they must suppress them and avoid letting any of them show.
Yan Deqiu fell into silence, understanding his father's concerns. His father's position was also somewhat awkward now. Although he was favored by the Emperor, there were still several individuals above him in the current court situation.
Setting aside the Prime Minister, who had shown slight favor towards his father before, even the current position and authority of Wang Qiong, the Minister of the Ministry of War, were not something that could be easily shaken. If they provoke criticism at this moment, they might fall into a disadvantageous situation.
While the father and son were talking, a messenger from the palace came bearing an imperial edict, announcing that the Emperor had summoned them.
Seeing this, Yan Deqiu instantly understood, fearing that the Emperor was likely ready to lay his cards on the table. He turned his gaze towards his father.
Yan Weizhong slowly stood up and walked towards the back hall. It was clear that he was going to change his clothes and enter the palace. However, his voice trailed behind him: "Remember, no one is allowed to enter the mansion."
What they did not know was that not only had Yan Weizhong, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, been summoned by the Emperor, but several other high-ranking officials and nobility had also received the Emperor's summons.
After returning to the Imperial City from Pei Xuanjing's residence, Zhu Houji remained silent, contemplating the discussions he had had with Pei Xuanjing.
As the two of them each held the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, representing the imperial court of the Great Ming and the large forces of the Taoist School, they had reached a compromise after some heated discussions and debates, ultimately deciding on all the relevant matters regarding the consecration of the divine positions.
The first point was the distribution of the divine positions' authority in the imperial court, which would be as they had discussed: only officials above the Fourth-grade could refine divine positions, while officials fifth-grade and below could only control the authority through official seals if they held actual positions, although they could enjoy the benefits of Qi Luck.
As for the quota of divine positions to be consecrated next, the Great Ming court would hold a third, while the remaining third would be under Pei Xuanjing's control for consecration, including the shares for all the factions in the martial world. However, the number of high-grade divine positions under Pei Xuanjing's consecration could only be a fifth of what the Great Ming court had.
The two of them classified the nine ranks of divine positions drawn up by Zhu Houji into novice, intermediate, and high according to the three stages of martial arts cultivation. To ensure the stability of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty's court, even though Pei Xuanjing held a third of the divine positions, most of them were intermediate and low-grade divine positions, with fewer high-grade ones.
Naturally, among the divine positions consecrated by Pei Xuanjing, most could only control some authority over states, mountains, and rivers across the world.
The two of them merely established a rough count. The specific details still needed discussions between both parties, but those were not issues that the two of them needed to debate.
Both Pei Xuanjing and Zhu Houji were quite satisfied with this outcome, understanding that it was only a beginning. As the Great Ming Divine Dynasty progressed and the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi was restored, their strength would grow, and this distribution would certainly change. The how and when would depend on their respective strategies.
"Your Majesty, we have reached the Wenhua Hall."
An inner eunuch reminded Zhu Houji.
"Have they all arrived?" Zhu Houji asked.
"All Cabinet elders are here," the eunuch answered.
"Hmm!" Zhu Houji nodded.
As he entered the Wenhua Hall, all the cabinet elders stood up to greet him.
"Your Ministers pay respects to Your Majesty!"
"Sit, everyone!" Zhu Houji said lightly. After taking his throne, he looked at the senior officials of the Great Ming present and went straight to the point: "I have summoned you here today, I presume you all know why!"
The summoned today were mostly the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, six ministers, some representative nobles, and a few representatives of the royal family.
Only Prince of Xiang, Zhu Yousong, was not present again, as he had been injured on the day of the sacrificial ceremony and was still in seclusion.
Still, each of these people were cunning old foxes. How could they not guess the Emperor's intentions?
Of course, even when the Emperor spoke, these old foxes would not foolishly claim they had completely guessed his thoughts.
After all, the present Emperor was not easily fooled. His mind was unpredictable and no one dared to speak hastily.
Seeing no one answer, Xia Yan, the Grand Secretary of the Wuying Palace, and the head of state, took the initiative to speak: "Your Majesty, are you referring to the enfeoffment of divine positions?"
As the head of the government, others could play dumb, but he had to speak; such was the responsibility of a cabinet minister.
Zhu Houji nodded, "Correct."
The greatest matters of a nation lie in sacrifices and warfare. Now that the Divine Dynasty has been newly established, this matter can no longer be postponed.
He looked around at these old foxes, a slight smile on his lips, and asked, "Minister Yan, does the Ministry of Rites have a plan regarding the enfeoffment?"
A thought flashed through Yan Weizhong's mind, he raised his head to meet the Emperor's gaze, feigning difficulty: "Your Majesty, the issue of enfeoffing divine positions is of great importance. It should be decided solely by Your Majesty. Your Ministers do not dare to act rashly."
If it were any other matter, the Cabinet and the six ministries would be able to present corresponding regulations and plans. But the matter of divine positions was different.
Not to mention that the enfeoffment of divine positions was controlled by the Emperor, who could easily remove people from the list if he wished. Besides, they had no preserved systems of the Divine Dynasty from the last few thousand years to refer to, even well-read individuals like Yan Weizhong couldn't find anything similar.
Moreover, with Yan Weizhong's character, how could he voluntarily get involved in this matter at this time?
Even though the Emperor was asking, it was just a formality. Whoever took it seriously would embarrass both themselves and the Emperor, leaving no one a way out.
A satisfied look flashed in Zhu Houji's eyes, saying, "In that case, I will speak my thoughts, and ask you all to deliberate."
"Your Ministers will heed Your Majesty's teachings."
The many ministers and nobles in the hall focused themselves, their expressions solemn. After all, the upcoming matters were also of great importance to them.