My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 433 - 304: Spring Returns to Zhongnan, Xu Qing Does Not Allow the Nation

Chapter 433: Chapter 304: Spring Returns to Zhongnan, Xu Qing Does Not Allow the Nation

In March at Zhongnan Mountain, willow catkins flew about, and the flowers were splendidly clustered.

In the mountains, nurtured by the ethereal beauty of Zhongnan, the realm had experienced upheavals due to the conflicts between the top two factions within the country last year but had gradually stabilized.

Last spring.

The new Family Head of the Lanxi Lin family, returning from Siqi Academy, challenged the then State Preceptor of Zhongnan Country during the Emperor’s spring sacrificial rites.

For many of the country’s people, that scene is still vividly etched in their minds.

The struggle that ensued for over half a year was brought to a definitive conclusion after a nationally watched debate between Confucianism and Daoism.

The Chongxu Temple, which had stood as the Supreme Emperor of Zhongnan Country for thousands of years, spectacularly fell from power.

The great fire on Taibai Mountain burned for three days and nights, yet failed to consume all the remnants of the temple.

The new Family Head of the Lanxi Lin family took the helm, assisting the Emperor in governing Zhongnan.

And the new political reforms that had been hindered by the State Preceptor’s forces were steadily implemented.

However, for many of the country’s people, all this felt both close at hand and yet distant.

Now another early spring has arrived.

Last year’s turmoil and bloody conflicts seemed to have been buried and cleansed by the winter snow.

However, that mysterious gentleman who passed through Zhongnan and aided the Lanxi Lin family in participating in the debate between Confucianism and Daoism, winning the overwhelmingly significant third debate—

—is still frequently discussed with relish by the people of Zhongnan Country.

After Lin Wenruo took the helm, although many old grievances were not pursued,

new grudges were swiftly and ruthlessly punished, with no mercy shown.

Thus, although he did not block the channels of speech inside and outside the court, or tighten the public’s scope of expression,

most citizens still dared not discuss matters that might touch on sensitive topics.

Power transitions and reforms inevitably bring conflicts and contradictions, and the new Prime Minister, Minister Lin, seemed to be of a cold and decisive nature—

yet the people loved to engage in intellectual discussion.

Thus, last year’s events were hotly discussed everywhere, invariably centered on that Mister Zhao who had hurried through Zhongnan and left only his silhouette behind.

And this was permitted by Lin Wenruo, without consequence.

The ballad titled ’What’s There in Zhongnan?’ celebrating Mister Zhao,

was still passionately sung and cherished by the women of Zhongnan, who admired the talented man.

Now, anyone who often visited the outskirts of Luojing City was almost familiar with this mountain ballad, commonly able to recite a few lines.

The debate between Confucianism and Daoism that took place back then.

Unfolded right before the watchful eyes of a hundred thousand people from Zhongnan and various hermits.

The third intellectual debate, involving Mister Zhao with his jade pendant, and a Daoist gentleman over the philosophy of ’action versus inaction,’—

is widely recognized by the people today as the most fascinating and profound debate in Zhongnan Country in nearly a century.

Afterward, during the days following the departure of that gentleman, the hand-copied scripts of this debate spread like wildfire within Luojing City, eagerly replicated by the local scholars and literati.

The young Family Head of the Lanxi Lin family, Lin Wenruo, jokingly said that Ziyu brother made paper expensive in Luojing.

It even led to the creation of a phrase, ’Paper Becomes Dear in Luojing,’

regarded as a refined matter and widely acclaimed in the literary circles of several surrounding countries.

For the people of Luojing who witnessed and lived through these grand events, there was even more they could recount to future generations.

That day, the streets of Luojing were empty as the women of Zhongnan competed in throwing their sachets.

And later, when parting, both the Emperor and the people lined the road to see him off.

The ten-mile-long pavilion was packed to the brim, an unprecedented spectacle.

These grand scenes still linger in their hearts.

Today, fireworks fill Luojing City.

Spring has arrived once more.

Following tradition, the Emperor of Zhongnan Country held another spring sacrificial ceremony in the East Suburb.

Only, it lacked the presence of that towering Confucian scholar who held sway over the country.

Last year, it was he who, standing on the stage as a mere Imperial Censor,

suddenly challenged the then State Preceptor, his father-in-law.

The road from Luojing to Lanxi also lacked the ten-mile-long bridal procession of last year’s date.

Today, no one gets married...

The present Taibai Mountain still maintains its ritual fires.

The fierce fire that burned for several days that one day had consumed the Chongxu Temple and its thousand-year history in flames.

However, thereafter, the Lanxi Lin family did not completely drive out or annihilate all the Daoist priests.

Nor did they disperse them all.

Instead, they designated several specific places to maintain the ritual fires of the Daoist temples and relocated the Daoist priests there to gather.

Everything remained the same, except that all privileges and the name of the Chongxu Temple were abolished.

Just like the treatment of Daoist priests in surrounding countries’ temples.

Today’s Taibai Mountain is just like this, with new Daoist temples and new priests.

Old places inhabited by new people.

In this moment,

on a secluded path behind Taibai Mountain, the figure of a towering Confucian scholar appeared.

This was precisely the path Zhao Rong took that day to retrieve the furnace.

The towering Confucian scholar, dressed in white, walked up the stone steps at a leisurely pace, ascending the mountain.

His hands were empty; he was completely alone.

Shortly after.

It was the same patch of the Osmanthus Forest behind Taibai Mountain.

Lin Wenruo stepped into it once more.

His expression calm, he confidently walked straight to a special osmanthus tree tied with a red ribbon.

The winter had just passed, and most of the branches of the osmanthus trees were bare.

However, at this time, this osmanthus tree tied with a red ribbon was sprouting buds, and new leaves were emerging.

Lin Wenruo stared at the buds, momentarily lost in thought, silent.

At a certain moment, he rubbed his face, turned around, and cast a glance at the wild geese flying north across the sky.

Lin Wenruo raised his hand, reached into his sleeve, and prepared to take out something.