CHAPTER 62: 59 CHAPTERS NORTHERN ZHOU

Jin Mingxuan actually lacked not someone to chat with, but a listener. The coachman, merely a servant with limited knowledge, would not understand even if Jin Mingxuan condescended to explain; it was no different from playing the lute to a cow.

Qing Yu, his future classmate, was different, however; he operated on the same wavelength as Jin Mingxuan, which made conversation feel natural, not like talking to a duck while being a chicken.

Thus, Jin Mingxuan let loose, venting the thoughts that had weighed on his mind all this way.

Meanwhile, Qing Yu, leaning against the comfortable backrest and soothing the lingering pain, silently pondered their destination, the Northern Zhou Capital City, Mountain River Academy.

The Mountain River Academy was located within the Divine Capital of Northern Zhou.

Northern Zhou was another dynasty on the land of the Nine Provinces, apart from Daqian, a continuation of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Three hundred years prior, in the last years of Great Zhou, the reigning dynasty was beset by natural disasters and man-made calamities.

With a negligent Emperor focused only on wine and pleasure, unconcerned with the suffering of the world; and greedy, flattering officials exploiting the people to fund their extravagances, the whole Wang Dynasty was on the verge of collapse.

Yet, it refused to fall. Rebels and opportunist warlords were decisively crushed.

All this was possible because of the Great Zhou’s stabilizing force, the Grandmaster Ji Muqing of the Confucian sect.

This Grandmaster, originating from the Confucian school, was the head of the Benevolence Lineage of the dual Confucian lineages.

The Confucian school’s dual lineages of Benevolence and Righteousness were passed down from the Great Master Confucius and the Second Saint Meng Zi; the Benevolence Lineage focused on teaching, while the Righteousness Lineage focused on Protecting Dao.

Confucian Divine Skill emphasized moral integrity over physical constitution. The Benevolence Lineage possessed "Peaceful World," as Confucianism stresses self-cultivation, family harmony, governance, and world peace. Cultivators need not practice year-round; simply by benefiting the populace, when they reached corresponding stages, their martial arts would also ascend to the corresponding realms. Therefore, many disciples of the Confucian Benevolence Lineage entered the court to serve as officials.

The realm of governance reflected in martial arts also showed how far one was from achieving world peace.

At that time, Grandmaster Ji Muqing, immensely powerful in Great Zhou, oversaw all in place of the absent Emperor, without fear of fostering a treacherous official with overarching influence.

This was also influenced by Ji Muqing’s Confucian origin; Confucian Divine Skill values moral integrity, where low levels might harbor hypocrites, but at advanced stages, any malevolent intent not only leads to decrease in martial prowess but also risks a backlash of Inner Strength, resulting in death. After all, a hypocrite can deceive others but not oneself.

Confucian martial arts were indeed rigorous, emphasizing reputation over life and death.

With such a capable and loyal minister, which Emperor could resist utilizing him?

Yet, it was this very Grandmaster who was least likely to rebel that did so.

At the time, Ji Muqing had reached the governmental realm. The Emperor’s delegation of authority provided him immense room to apply his talents. Should he manage the country well, he could ascend smoothly to the realm of "Peaceful World," achieving the rarely attained supreme status of the Benevolence Lineage.

With his abilities, this should have been a certainty if not for incompetent allies.

The official environment in Great Zhou was already rotten; even those who practiced Confucian martial arts fell prey to corruption. Although Ji Muqing managed the nation’s major affairs, he couldn’t easily dismiss officials, especially influential court ministers, since he wasn’t the Emperor. Those corrupt officials clung to the Emperor to secure their positions.

After numerous failed attempts to offer advice, Ji Muqing entertained a radical thought.

I can I up, no can no bibi.

Following Qing Yu’s interpretation, this was Ji Muqing’s thought process at the time.

Adhering to the principle of "if I can, I act," Ji Muqing rebelled.

The rebellion was successful, or rather, it was a coup. Ji Muqing, at fifty-six, famed from youth and an official for over thirty years with disciples and former officials spread across the world, garnered support even from the corrupt Confucian officials.

Moreover, Ji Muqing rebelled not for personal gain but for the people’s welfare. "Peaceful World" Divine Skill did not backlash. Instead, after ascending to the Purple Extreme, it propelled Ji Muqing into the Divine Communication Realm, significantly extending his life and rejuvenating him.

However, without enduring the harsh trials of a war, tearing down the old and rebuilding, achieving a new order was difficult.

This was similar to the history of the Sui Dynasty in Qing Yu’s past life. The founder Emperor Yang Jian of Sui usurped his nephew’s throne. Though he secured the empire, lingering issues from the previous dynasty went unresolved. After Yang Jian’s death, his troublemaking successor, Emperor Yang, saw these problems escalate and ultimately lead to the dynasty’s fall in just two generations.

Great Zhou faced a similar scenario. The head of the Righteousness Lineage, Meng Shanhe, viewed Ji Muqing’s ascent as a violation of the Confucian path, branding him disloyal.

With the loyalty of Great Zhou’s populace undissipated, Meng Shanhe supported the surviving members of the Zhou Royal Family along with loyal officials, establishing Northern Zhou in Yan Province and Yun Province.

Meng Shanhe founded the Mountain River Academy.

"Meng Brother, Meng Brother..." a palm waved energetically before Qing Yu’s eyes.

"Apologies, I was just contemplating life after reaching the academy and missed..." Qing Yu, snapping back to reality, hastily responded.

"Right? Right? I was saying, once at the academy, we must visit Tianyue Square..." Jin Mingxuan, excited at the mention of the academy, continued.

"What..." Qing Yu wore a blank expression.

Jin Mingxuan began to passionately outline his plans upon arriving at the academy.

From his words, Qing Yu discerned the nature of Tianyue Square.

Artists and scholars have always been inseparable since ancient times.

Though Meng Shanhe supported the establishment of Northern Zhou, he steered clear of politics, believing that meddling too much would lead him down Ji Muqing’s path. Thus, he focused on educating at the Mountain River Academy.

Mountain River Academy steered clear of political entanglements, attracting scholars from across the Daqian Realm. Although studying there did not smooth one’s official path in Daqian, it did not entirely block their prospects either, failing to deter some from pursuing their academic aspirations.

With an increase in scholars came an increase in artists, leading to the establishment of venues catering to their expressive needs. Tianyue Square, renowned among many artists within the Divine Capital, thus emerged.

Therefore, Tianyue Square was also known as "Tianle Square." Its allure was considered heavenly, a rarity for the mortal world to encounter.

Time silently passed, and the speed of the double-horsed carriage was much faster than Qing Yu’s previous donkey ride. Soon, the Northern Zhou Capital City, the location of Mountain River Academy in the Divine Capital, was already in sight.