Counterattack System appeared when I'm already At The Mahayana Realm - Chapter 215
Chapter 215: Chapter 214: The Human Emperor is No Better Than the Emperor of Heaven
Translator: 549690339
Speaking of Dong Zhongshu, one must inevitably mention the predecessor of the Great Wei Dynasty, the Great Han Dynasty.
After founding Confucianism, Dong Zhongshu, not content with the status quo, desired to expand its influence. He contacted the Han Emperor of the time, stating that the founding of the Great Han, following the Han ancestral emperor’s slaying of the White Serpent, was in accordance with the will of heaven. He proposed that it should be called Heavenly Han and shouldn’t be confined to a single state. Its territory should span all of the Nine Provinces.
At that time, the Great Han was thriving, showing signs of surpassing the Great Zhou. It was ranked first among the Nine Provinces. Furthermore, the
Han Emperor himself was a Sky Indulgence Cultivator who had reached the
Transcendence Tribulation Stage. He was suDerior to the Zhou Emoeror of that time.
These factors fueled the ambition of the Han Emperor to conquer the Nine Provinces.
However, the path to immortality had not been severed. Every power had an Immortal behind them. The ancestors of the Great Han were only one among these many Immortals.
In such circumstances, a valid theory was needed to establish the legitimate status of the Great Han, such that the Dynasty could justifiably exert its power. Dong Zhongshu’s Theory of Tien Ren Gam Ming suited the intentions of the Han Emperor perfectly.
Regardless of the Immortals, the Heavens stood with the Han after all.
The Han Emperor had already decided. He would not utterly destroy those forces that had Immortals behind them but chose to preserve their heritage and lineage. All he demanded from those forces was recognition of the Great Han’s status.
By leaving a way out for them, the Immortals would turn a blind eye, and they would not interfere in the affairs of the Lower Realm to make trouble for the Great Han.
In the end, the Great Han failed. It hadn’t succeeded in abolishing all states to render the Han supreme.
However, the strength and prowess of the Great Han were laid bare for all to see, eliciting the envy of other forces. Despite defeat, the Great Han emerged from the ordeal with honor.
The defeat in this war that spanned the Nine Provinces did not undermine the foundations of the Great Han. The establishment of the Great Wei Dynasty was not a result of this conflict either.
This war helped spread Confucian ideals, establishing Confucianism’s status and elevating it to a significant force across the Nine Provinces. Its influence was far-reaching enough to rival Buddhism.
Therefore, Dong Zhongshu had attained his objectives.
Jiang Li suspected that Dong Wuwei wanted to regain the glory of his ancestors.
What a wishful thinker.
“Dong Wuwei, you knew that the Imperial Palace would recruit Commanders, but you weren’t sure whether it would be decades or centuries from now. Hence, you made early preparations, awaiting my arrival.”
“Firstly, you left Confucianism, declaring your neutrality—a prerequisite for joining the Imperial Palace. Of course, I believe that you genuinely want to leave Confucianism, seeing as it is now controlled by Dong Zhongren.”
“I…” Dong Wuwei wanted to defend himself, but Jiang Li interrupted him.
“To become a commander, one must possess upright character and refrain from theft. While other Body Integration Realm cultivators might find this challenging, it’s relatively easy for you, as these attributes form the basis for all Confucian disciples.”
Although all five commanders have little flaws, their overall character is still acceptable.
The quality of Body Integration Realm cultivators in the Nine Provinces varies.
Some people strive to become powerful in order to not be oppressed by the mighty.
Some people pursue power to oppress the weak.
Others, unwilling to be oppressed, acquire power and then compromise their initial intentions to live off ill-gotten gains, joining hands with other power wielders to oppress the weak.
The latter two types are unacceptable to the Imperial Palace. As for the dauntless alliance of Great Sui, they belong to the latter two categories.
“But you thought mere moral uprightness wouldn’t suffice, that you weren’t competitive enough to outdo other potential commanders. Hence, you chose to live in seclusion here, educating students to prove that you are a respected and admired scholar.”
This isn’t hard to deduce. Dong Wuwei. who aims to restore the glorv of his ancestors, wouldn’t sulk in a corner and become a school teacher here after losing a competition against Dong Zhongren, would he?
His teachings aim to prove to Jiang Li that he is an honorable teacher.
“Of course, actions speak louder than intentions. Regardless of your intentions, you have indeed mentored several excellent students, a fact that no one can deny.”
“But for the sake of showing your loyalty to me, you forbid your son from cultivating. You sacrificed your son’s future for the chance of someone ordinary to become a cultivator!”
“You want to follow in the footsteps of Yi Ya?”
In ancient times, a monarch jokingly told a chef named Yi Ya that he had grown tired of mundane delicacies but hadn’t tasted a baby yet. So Yi Ya cooked his three-year-old son to serve the monarch. Impressed by his devotion, the monarch trusted Yi Ya even more.
“I intended to increase the number of cultivators but never said those with better talents should give their opportunities to those with less!”
“In your eyes, those with greater talent should yield to those with less, right!
Being your son is the most unfortunate thing in his life! ”
“You forbid your son from cultivating, yet I see you haven’t given up your own cultivation to transfer it to someone else!”
Jiang Li was furious. While others allowed their sons to begin cultivation at eight, Dong Wuwei prevented his son from cultivating at the same age. He had ruined his son’s life!
An eighteen-year-old at the fifth level of Qi Cultivation, just like Jiang Li when he first crossed over here.
Could it be assumed that everyone could rise to the top starting from scratch?
Dong Wuwei was quiet, with nothing to say in his defense. Every word from Jiang Li was factual.
In order to promote his ideologies, he had to get closer to Jiang Li. The closest position to Jiang Li was the Commander’s.
The Imperial Palace would inevitably need to replace its commanders sooner or later. He had made advanced preparations, modelling himself as an upright, model citizen who idolized the Human Emperor, hoping to win a few brownie points with Jiang Li.
Now it seemed like his carefully crafted image was too overpowering, inadvertently arousing Jiang Li’s displeasure.
Dong Wuwei quickly said, “The issue about my son is my mistake, and I can change it. But my loyalty to you is true.”
“As the Human Emperor, the strongest in the Nine Provinces, don’t you harbor ambitions of reigning over everything? The Doctrine of Three Duties and the Heaven Man Theory I’ve propagated are all for preparations of your dominance over the world.”
Jiang Li sneered, “Dominance over the world? For whom? Is it to make the Nine
Provinces stronger or to satisfy my selfish desires?”
“Cultivators need to struggle, so the Imperial Palace chose to let the forces in the Nine Provinces compete amongst themselves, developing each other.”
“Even during the times of the Heavenly Demons, there weren’t plans to unify the Nine Provinces. Not to mention now when the Heavenly Demons are no longer a threat, and the Nine Provinces are free from external turmoil. The provinces will become lax. With the pressure from other powers, there’s still motivation to move forward. To unify the Nine Provinces now would like turning it into stagnant waters.”
“And the Doctrine of Three Duties, is any of the three duties right?”
“The sovereign should rule over his subjects. Is the monarch’s command absolute? If a monarch makes a mistake, is it always his subject’s fault? Do you think every monarch is a saint incapable of making mistakes?”
“A father should rule over his son. You are a prime example of this. Following your commands, your son’s life has been ruined!”
“Husbands should rule over their wives. Discrimination against female cultivators? Since both are cultivators, should the wife view her husband as her lord? Has the husband’s face grown so large that a woman can’t live without a man? Ask the women from the Red Dust Pure Land or the Buddhist nuns; see if any of them agree with your views!”
“Your Heaven Man Theory is even more absurd. The Human Emperor is the leader of humanity, yet in your mouth, he has become Heaven’s son. Do you think a ‘Son of Heaven’ is superior to a ‘Human Emperor’? How can a Human Emperor be inferior to a Son of Heaven!”
“Loyalty towards me? Doing it all for my sake? Ridiculous! All of it is clearly for your own benefit!”
After Yi Ya cooked his son, a courtier told the monarch that because Yi Ya didn’t even love his son, he certainly couldn’t love his monarch.
The monarch didn’t take this seriously.
In the end, Yi Ya indeed revolted..
