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Chapter 1222: Chapter 1080: Ignition
As for retaliating against that group of insignificant Juren, would it have any negative repercussions for them? Naturally, it would not.
Given their status and position, even if all those Juren were killed, it wouldn’t matter much.
Of course, if one were to really act so blatantly, the resulting commotion would be too great. It might provoke dissatisfaction among the commoners, thereby affecting the dynasty’s fortune.
Hence, these people planned to wait until the incident had calmed down, and then find some ’justifiable reason’ to deal with them.
But that is for the future. What needs to be done now is to quickly pacify the Juren and the masses, so that the dynasty’s fortune can recover. The army is currently fighting on the front lines, and the dynasty’s future hinges on it—it absolutely cannot be affected in the slightest!
"Banish that fool from the capital, strip him of his ranks, and let him stay in his ancestral land for several years." Liu Bairui’s cold, piercing gaze swept over the officials, silencing any who might dare to plead on his behalf.
"The royal examination will be retaken! During this period, all of you better behave. If anyone stirs up trouble again and impacts the dynasty’s expansion, don’t blame me for disregarding familial ties!"
This just happened to be an opportunity for him to promote some of his own people and gain even more power.
"Understood!"
The officials obediently complied. This matter also concerned their vested interests, so no one voiced any objections.
...
"Quick response. But some events won’t unfold according to your wishes."
Li Zhirui, upon learning about the royal examination’s retake, let a cryptic smile creep across his lips.
On the surface, the Li family had only dispatched him, but after Li Zhirui set out, the Dark Department also began its operation, constructing a rather extensive intelligence network.
However, due to the suppression from the Human Dao Law Net, in order to avoid exposure, most of the Dark Department’s members stayed in small border towns or villages. The ones truly gathering intelligence were lowly individuals from all walks of life.
Though these people had humble origins and lacked access to upper-level information, their sheer numbers and ability to evade notice made them valuable.
Besides, Li Zhirui didn’t need much high-level information for now. In this regard, he was still laying his plans.
The news of Liu family descendants cheating in the royal examination was disseminated swiftly across the surrounding regions of the capital through these individuals under Li Zhirui’s command.
Knock knock—
A knock at the door interrupted Li Zhirui’s thoughts. Instantly regaining composure, his demeanor shifted; he became a gentle, refined Confucian scholar and said softly, "Come in."
"Sir!"
"You’ve come to discuss the retaking of the royal examination, haven’t you?"
"Nothing escapes you, Sir."
"No need to worry. Aside from being stricter, I don’t think this retake will differ much."
Li Zhirui quickly sent them away and walked alone into a secret chamber. He looked at the scarred man before him and asked with a smile, "Have you arranged everything I asked for?"
"I’ve already set up several iron needles, each three zhang long, on the rooftops near the Imperial Academy."
The scarred man slightly lowered his head, asking hesitantly, "Sir, will such actions really negatively impact the Dafeng Dynasty?"
"Of course. Doesn’t the Liu family propagate the theory of ’Heavenly Empathy’ to legitimize their rule? When the ’Heavenly Emperor’ strikes down with thunder and fire, those brainwashed commoners and scholars will inevitably harbor some doubt and suspicion toward the Dafeng Dynasty. And that will be enough."
"Sir, what’s the point of this? It won’t overthrow the Liu dynasty!" the scarred man, Cao Da, said anxiously.
Speaking of this man, Cao Da, his background was rather clichéd: much like the fabricated origin story Li Zhirui once invented for himself under the alias Zhang Gangfeng. After offending a Liu family descendant, Cao Da’s family of eight was massacred entirely, leaving him with a sea of blood-level hatred for the Liu family.
Thus, when the Dark Department was recruiting informants, and they contacted Cao Da, he responded with extraordinary enthusiasm. Despite being an illiterate farmer, he displayed considerable talent in intelligence gathering and was thus sent to assist Li Zhirui.
"Don’t be impatient. Overthrowing a dynasty that has endured for over a century and is currently at its peak is not a simple task."
Li Zhirui reassured him, saying, "Once the Imperial Academy catches fire, spread the rumor immediately: that the Liu dynasty has lost its virtue, and that the Heavenly Emperor has issued punishment. Spread it as quickly as you can, and ensure that as many commoners as possible hear it."
"And remind everyone to act cautiously. Do not expose yourselves! The dynasty has Legalist cultivators. Although they’re not as influential as the Confucians, they’re still skilled. If they intervene to investigate, it’s highly likely they’ll uncover clues and discover our existence!"
Li Zhirui felt frustrated as well. After obtaining the complete Human Dao methods, he had spent some time studying them, but he had not delved deeply into their intricacies.
For now, being able to minimize the suppression of his cultivation by the Human Dao Law Net was his greatest achievement.
Moreover, Li Zhirui could not take action himself, for doing so would leave behind obvious traces of a cultivator. If that were to happen, the Dafeng Dynasty would undoubtedly suspect the involvement of nearby Immortal Dao influences acting in the shadows.
This was why Li Zhirui refrained from deploying cultivators from his family and instead relied on establishing a mortal intelligence network.
"Rest assured, Sir. I will certainly convey your message!" Cao Da nodded and slipped out of the secret chamber without a sound.
With the Human Dao methods in his possession, Li Zhirui also had access to the cultivation techniques of Confucian, Legalist, Military, and Ink factions. To counter the Dafeng Dynasty, he selected certain methods to pass on to mortals.
Among them, Military, Legalist, and Ink cultivation were emphasized, while the currently flourishing Confucian cultivation in the Dafeng Dynasty was rarely used.
After all, compared to Confucian cultivation, the other methods were less dependent on Human Dao fortune.
For those operating in the shadows, absorbing fortune recklessly would only make themselves easy targets for capture.
