"Do you young scholars understand the principle in this?"
The scholars: "...."
That afternoon, the State Preceptor personally disseminated "The Simultaneous Fall of Two Heads"—this unmatched magnificent essay shocked the entire imperial capital. A large group of students from humble backgrounds were selected by the State Preceptor to appear before the Emperor in Changshou Palace and were then appointed to various governnt offices.
This was the tacit agreent between the State Preceptor and Emperor Jingjia, only by which this matter could be advanced so smoothly.
For only one interest group can replace and overco another interest group.
On the seventh day, the State Preceptor once again entertained the ministers.
On the eighth day, the Emperor began to spread an exceedingly detailed rumor.
To offer a toast to the State Preceptor, if done inadequately, one really could end up having their legs broken by the Great National Teacher himself, and after the beating, you'd still have to stand up and toast again.
On the ninth day, with the support of the Emperor, the State Preceptor himself took the position of a school principal and began teaching at the martial arts academy.
...
Three months later.
The State Preceptor visited the Imperial Academy again, bringing two more heads.
One head was bald with nine noticeable scars from the monk's vows.
The other had its hair and beard all unkept, eyes wide open, as if refusing to rest in death.
With "The Simultaneous Fall of Two Heads," the renowned writing from three months ago, today's imperial capital was extraordinarily lively.
"Everyone, just look. Yesterday, two great cultivators ca out of their retreat to insult this poor Daoist, saying that this national teacher was acting against heaven's will, doing everything in reverse. Then, suddenly, their heads fell off."
"Of course, that's not important...."
"True knowledge cos from practice; today this national teacher presents a question to you all."
On the long street, with the city's main thoroughfares deserted, the Daoist led the students from the Imperial Academy, and in front of everyone, he rolled the two heads down Chang'an Street at the sa ti.
Klonk klonk.
After the headed cultivator with unkept hair stopped rolling, the bald-headed one with the scars rolled forward an additional ten-plus ters before coming to a halt.
"Look everyone, why did that master's head roll farther than the other one?"
"You are all great talents, so please take this topic and draft a proclamation on behalf of this poor Daoist to all the sects in the world!"
With the State Preceptor's question spreading far and wide, the major cultivator sects trembled in horror and dared not make a rash move.
After the Great National Teacher's rise to power, the commoners of the imperial capital, following a brief initial chaos, suddenly discovered that their lives had actually improved.
Because the hoodlums, gangsters, corrupt officials, and other bloodsuckers who used to oppress them were sent by the Great National Teacher either to mine or, after exploding into gold coins, to mine as well.
The Great National Teacher lectured again at the Imperial Academy, essentially advising against indiscriminate killing, stating that even trash and waste could be reused and exploited to their utmost limits.
Those who mimic them might want to ask the Great National Teacher whether his knife is sharp or not.
After a "manual clearing" of various professions in the empire, a vast number of positions were vacated, and the ancient Daymoon Empire suddenly revived with new vigor.
A vitality where everyone had a purpose and free flow from top to bottom.
A year later.
The forr Chief Secretary of the Cabinet, who was disheartened and spending his days on his several-hundred-thousand-acre estate, was drinking at the Guoxiang Building when the door was suddenly kicked open by soone.
The person who entered was shockingly a mber of the royal guards.
The aged Chief Secretary Yan was taken aback: "I am here to study 'The Book of Songs,' what do you want to do?"
"The Great National Teacher has a decree, seize him!"
"Chief Secretary Yan, you've committed cris of corruption and miscarriage of justice."
...
Three years later.
Inside a tavern in the imperial capital, there was a buzz of discussion.
"The Great National Teacher is really ruthless; today you don't toast to him, tomorrow he'll use you as his toast."
"It's not enough that they exhud and mutilated the corpses of Chief Secretary Li and old Chief Secretary Yan, but now they've even flattened their tombs!"
"Alas, offending the Great National Teacher, it's already rcy if you end up without your bones crushed and ashes scattered!"
anwhile, inside Changshou Palace.
A middle-aged emperor was briefing his seven- or eight-year-old grandson, before the Crown Prince.
"Imperial child, do you know what the Great National Teacher said during his last secret talk with three years ago?"
"The National Teacher said that in ancient tis, the Dahan Empire achieved great feats with talents from just one county, proving that talents are cultivated through experience."
"Nothing is irreplaceable."
"If one batch doesn't work out, change to another."
"The National Teacher also said that the mark of a mature man is the courage to say 'change to another batch.'
At that mont, within the White Tiger Hall, the Great National Teacher was slapping the table and looking around.
"This poor Daoist may not lead troops, but I can raise money and provisions for you. If you lose the battle, you lose your heads; if you win, glory and riches await, and I, the national teacher, will personally plead for your rit."
"It's getting cold; clear out that wild forest in the north."
"If you still lose, just bite off your own 'things' and end it!"
Once the military officers resolutely took their orders, the Daoist went to a tall building, climbing step by step, wordlessly ascending.
In the past few years, he survived countless assassination attempts by cultivators, weathered innurable human calamities, his actions led to countless decapitations and both acclaim and defamation across the land, with so hailing him as the living Buddha of ten thousand families, while others wished they could devour his flesh.
"However, what does that matter? The human calamities have mostly dissipated under the various ans of this poor Daoist."
"This poor Daoist is rather curious to see if the hearts of the billions in the Daymoon Empire can rival the will of heaven."
"Acting against heaven, amid endless calamity, can this poor Daoist use the heavenly, earthly, and human tribulations to temper my Pure Yang energy, elevating it to an inconceivable realm?"
"Fellow Daoist, do you think it's possible or not?"
Suddenly, the Daoist stretched out his hand, reaching into the void to grasp sothing, and a still-beating heart appeared in his palm out of nowhere.
"Your Cihang Sword Sect prides itself on following the will of heaven and responding to the people, yet you have beco ever weaker."
"No... it's... it's that you, the National Teacher, have beco too strong, but by acting against heaven, you will surely be destroyed in both body and spirit!" A woman cultivator in white, holding her chest, collapsed powerlessly.
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