Beginning of Cultivation
Chapter 49: Document analysis

Chapter 49: Document analysis

The volume of documents they required was substantial, so a significant amount of time was needed for preparation. Chu Wu had ordered their preparation the previous day, but it was not until the afternoon that the documents were finally delivered.

At this time, the person delivering the documents had already arrived at the gate of Chu Wu’s residence, and he said to the guards:

"Please inform Sir Chu Wu that the items he requested have been prepared."

The guards nodded and hurried inside to relay the message. Chu Wu had given them a day off, so they only rested for one day before returning to their guard duties the following day. Chu Wu was not bothered by their presence because, with them around, there was always someone to relay messages to should someone come looking for him.

The guards went directly to the front of Chu Wu’s cultivation house. Having spent over twenty years there, the household staff knew to look for him there if needed.

They harbored no doubts since, after all, Chu Wu was getting older and it was reasonable for him to seek a quiet place to spend his twilight years.

"Sir Chu Wu, someone outside has delivered the items you requested." a soldier respectfully reported at the door.

Chu Wu, who could hear from inside, had chosen a spot near the entrance for his cultivate, and he had left the door open so that sound could travel inside.

He left the door open without worry because his staff knew better than to pry into his affairs.

Hearing the sound, Chu Wu paused his cultivation and ascended from his practice spot, he said:

"I am aware. Have the items brought to the front of this house. I will take what I need from there." Chu Wu instructed.

"Yes, sir." the soldier responded and promptly departed.

Inside the cultivation room, the others noticed Chu Wu’s departure and realized that the documents they needed had finally arrived.

"Ah, the documents have been brought? That didn’t take too long. Let’s go out and see how many they are." Jun Wu Xiao said as he too left the cultivation area.

The rest paused their cultivation and followed him.

Seeing that everyone had gathered, Chu Wu said:

"Our required documents have arrived. Shall we review them outdoors, or bring them inside the house?"

"There’s no need for that hassle. We can just read them outside since we only have a few more days before we must travel to the royal palace." Dao San Qian suggested.

The others nodded in agreement, understanding that the purpose of their review was to uncover reasons, not for entertainment, so they read as quickly as possible.

"Very well, then let’s read outside. I’ve already ordered the documents to be brought here, they should arrive shortly." Chu Wu stated.

Soon after, everyone went outside and saw a cart carrying several large boxes. The sight somewhat surprised them. Jun Wu Xiao remarked:

"Wow, I haven’t seen this many documents in my entire life."

"True, but it’s not impossible to finish them in a few days." Yue Guang added.

"Then let’s divide them among ourselves and after reading, share our thoughts to see if we can deduce the reasons. If we truly find a reason, we could use it to further advance humanity." Chu Wu proposed.

Everyone nodded and began to read the documents with exceptional speed. Jun Wu Xiao and Yue Guang, in particular, were flipping through the documents so rapidly that to an outsider, it would appear they were playing rather than reading.

A few days passed, and the large pile of documents had been thoroughly examined by the group. Now it was time for everyone to share their insights. Chu Wu spoke first:

"From what I see, the biggest difference between now and the past is peace. The world used to be divided into many kingdoms, constantly at war. Here a battle, there a battle, ultimately leaving no place where people could truly live and work in peace. But ever since the unification, the people within the kingdom have been able to forget the fears of war."

Everyone nodded, this was indeed the most significant and evident difference, but it was not something that could be delved into further. After all, the world was already unified. So what more could be done? A second unification was out of the question.

"However, this isn’t very useful." Sheng Yuan commented.

"Ah, you’re not wrong. This can’t be further exploited. If anyone has any other ideas, speak up." Chu Wu acknowledged.

Seeing that everyone remained silent, Yue Guang spoke up:

"Then let me continue. Have you noticed that the officials today are very different from those in the past? Today’s officials are selected based on their patriotism and compassion for the people, and of course, talent is indispensable, otherwise being an official would be pointless. Moreover, just because a father is an official doesn’t mean his son is automatically qualified to be one.

This is a stark contrast to the old days when if a father held an office, even the least capable son would hold a lesser office, and corruption was rampant everywhere. The people were exploited miserably, to the point where they didn’t have enough food to eat, and starvation was not uncommon. How could a society possibly develop under such conditions?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Though Sheng Yuan, Zhu Ji Feng, and Yan Meng Long were relatively young and born in better times, they had heard about those days.

The three from the Kunlun Mountains had a different experience. They had witnessed these issues firsthand. After all, having once captured an emperor, they certainly understood these matters deeply.

"You’re not wrong. His Majesty and I began changing the selection system for officials a long time ago. By now, it has borne fruit; the people deeply value their current leaders instead of fearing the officials as they used to." Chu Wu nodded in agreement, having been involved in this reform himself, he understood it well.

"But this issue is already very well-handled. The food supply is stable year after year, only increasing unless a natural disaster occurs, which is rare. It’s hard for people to lack of food nowadays. As for the selection system of officials, it has also been greatly perfected, almost guaranteeing no mistakes in choosing leaders. So, do any of you have other ideas?" Chu Wu continued.

"What you say is also correct. The two points discussed so far are without fault, but these issues have essentially been very well handled already. Even if we want to improve them further, it would be incredibly difficult, and the impact would not be significant enough to make a clear difference." Dao San Qian said.

The others did not disagree. After all, improving something that was already very good by just a little would not have a significant impact. So, they began to think again.

After all, it was only morning now, and they did not have to leave for the royal palace until tomorrow noon, giving them more time to analyze the issue further.