"The mandate of Heaven is constant, and all things grow. All things are impermanent, like winter thunder and summer frost."
Lei Hun recalled the verse he had memorized since childhood and slowly took a step back. Behind the constant mandate of Heaven lies the impermanence of all things; if human effort reaches its limit, all things can replace the mandate of Heaven. Though man cannot conquer Heaven, he is equal to Heaven and Earth, for "Heaven hears as my people hear, Heaven sees as my people see!"
"As expected, you're here."
Upon hearing Li Jun's voice, Lei Hun's heart stirred. He was the one who had taught Li Jun the art of breathing and exhalation, and he was also the one who taught Li Jun to use the power of Prajna. Therefore, the fact that Li Jun could come to his side without his knowledge proved that Li Jun's power seemed to have increased again.
"What is it?" Lei Hun asked slowly.
Li Jun still couldn't quite figure out the person in front of him, whom Chu Qingfeng called the Sage of the Three Teachings, a person of extraordinary status among Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. This man, who rarely spoke and was sometimes easily agitated like an ordinary person, didn't seem like the Sage of the Three Teachings at all. On the contrary, he seemed more like an unfathomable martial arts master.
"Brother Lei, I have two requests."
Li Junqing cleared his throat and said, "Firstly, Ren Qian is seriously injured, and even the best doctor in the city is helpless. I wonder if Brother Lei could treat him?"
"Oh." Lei Hun paused, seemingly noncommittal, then asked, "And what about number two?"
“Lately, for some reason, I’ve had a persistent feeling of unease,” Li Jun said. “If anything unexpected happens, I hope you can look after me…”
"No need to say it." Lei Hun waved his hand slightly, stopping Li Jun from saying the name. After a while, he said, "If you are uneasy, you can tell your strategists and advisors. You can entrust your family to your friends. What does it have to do with me?"
"Ji Su's father is still alive, and she still cares about the Rong people. If anything happens to me, she will surely return to the grasslands."
But Sister Mo, she left Yue Ren Ridge for both of us, and even brought many of the younger members of the clan with her. If she were to return to Yue Ren Ridge, she would inevitably be ridiculed. Li Jun also raised his head, looking up at the sky like Lei Hun. For some reason, he couldn't confide these thoughts to Meng Yuan, but he could speak them freely to Lei Hun. However, I don't believe this damned heaven can do anything to me, and I don't know why I'm saying such nonsense to you. As for the second matter, let's pretend I never mentioned it. I wonder if Brother Lei could go and see Ren Qian right now?
When will your next battle be?
Lei Hun still didn't give a direct answer, seemingly testing Li Jun's patience.
"The people have been exhausted for the past two years. It will take at least three to five years, and I do not plan to launch a large-scale military campaign. If possible, I would like to streamline the army and give the soldiers who have been fighting for many years a chance to start a family." Li Jun expressed his thoughts. "It is said that Liu Guang has appointed Ximen Rang as prime minister in Chen and implemented new policies. I also want to implement new policies so that the people can have some peace and quiet."
“Oh, although you don’t believe in Heaven, you believe in the people.” Lei Hun turned his head. “Instead of entrusting Mo Rong to me, you should take good care of her yourself. I’ll accompany you to see Ren Qian now. Let’s go.”
Li Jun didn't take Lei Hun's somewhat incoherent words to heart. On a night like this, he had just felt a powerful pressure from the starry sky. Under the pressure of the night, it was perfectly normal for people to speak incoherently.
“Although destiny cannot be defied, if you can truly respect the people, then you will have the power to replace destiny.” Lei Hun did not say what was in his heart.
Chapter Six: Reincarnation
one,
Among the various kingdoms of Shenzhou, the Ling clan of Huai Kingdom has a relatively long history. Its first ruler, Emperor Gaozu of Huai, Ling Xing, established this great southern nation more than three hundred years ago. Subsequent rulers, whether wise or foolish, were generally quite popular, and the country was relatively wealthy. However, in the last hundred years, due to the constant wars among the various kingdoms of Shenzhou, where the strong annexed the weak and the powerful bullied the small, the kingdom gradually began to decline.
Especially the Heng Kingdom, originally located in the southeastern corner of Shenzhou, expanded its territory daily under the efforts of three generations of rulers. When Liu Guang became commander, he annihilated all the kingdoms of Southern Shenzhou in one fell swoop, even the capital of the Huai Kingdom became Liu Guang's spoils of war. If Ling Qi hadn't been disliked by his father from a young age and exiled to the western border, the Ling clan of Huai Kingdom would likely have been completely wiped out by Liu Guang. Even so, Ling Qi's ability to escape safely and formulate a grand plan for revenge came at a great cost. The woman he loved, his concubine who had shared joys and sorrows with him, also lost her life in the war.
But all the tragedy eventually passed, and the Huai Kingdom was reborn. Since Ling Qi openly raised his army, he not only recovered the Huai Kingdom's homeland but also seized several smaller kingdoms that Liu Guang had annexed. The Heng Kingdom's territory grew increasingly strained; although it still occupied nearly half of the southern part of Shenzhou, it was barely clinging to life. Meanwhile, in the newly acquired territories of the Huai Kingdom, the legend of Ling Qi slaying the white dragon and raising a righteous army had already spread far and wide. For the people caught in the war, the emergence of a hero, leading them to peace, was their only dream. And Ling Qi's experience and abilities perfectly matched their ideal of a hero.
For the people of Shenzhou, allowing them to control their own destiny is truly an incomprehensible thing.
For thousands of years, their fate has always been decided by emperors and generals. Their greatest wish was simply for one or two wise rulers and virtuous ministers to emerge.
Guo Yunfei understood this well. He initially followed Peng Yuanchen because Peng Yuanchen was considered a hero in this chaotic world. Although he couldn't be said to love the people like his own children, he was still very kind compared to other prominent figures from wealthy and powerful families. Later, he followed Li Jun, not only because Li Jun treated Peng Yuanchen's family members with great kindness, but also because he saw Li Jun's attitude towards the people.
Walking through the streets of Anjing, the new capital of Huai Kingdom, Guo Yunfei couldn't help but be moved by the smiles on the faces of the people. Although the war was still ongoing, the people were still poor, and everything was not going well, Guo Yunfei saw in the eyes of the people in this city something that people in other countries could not see.
"Hope." This feeling slowly welled up in Guo Yunfei's heart. He had only seen this kind of gaze when he walked the streets of Kuanglan City. But in Luoying under Liu Guang's rule, he could see the hidden worries deep in the hearts of the people behind their seemingly calm eyes.
"Sister-in-law, excuse me," Guo Yunfei said to a woman sweeping the floor nearby, "I'm a little thirsty, could you give me some water?"
The woman was dressed in coarse cloth, looking extremely simple. Even the house behind her was just an ordinary family's dwelling. Hearing Guo Yunfei's plea, the woman stopped, nodded slightly to Guo Yunfei, but did not say anything before going into the house.
Guo Yunfei stood quietly at the doorway, his eyes darting around as he surveyed the furnishings inside. Apart from a plate of elegant daffodils on the altar in the main hall, the house had little else to offer. Several tools were neatly arranged in the corner, suggesting the male head of the household was a carpenter. Only the daffodils in the shallow water hinted at the homeowner's leisurely lifestyle.
After drinking the water, Guo Yunfei thanked the woman repeatedly, feeling a surge of emotion. Unlike the bustling crowds of Kuanglan City, who rushed about in pursuit of profit, the people here, though living in poverty, still retained their pursuit of beauty. No wonder such a nation could rise from the ashes. If Li Jun were to confront Ling Qi, he feared Li Jun would not gain the upper hand in winning the hearts of the people.
"Sir, is your surname Guo?" Two burly men who were talking and laughing in hushed tones suddenly squeezed in as they passed Guo Yunfei, holding him firmly in place. One of them asked.
Guo Yunfei was taken aback, but quickly calmed down. He couldn't deny that the other party had been prepared.
"My surname is Guo, but I don't know if I am the person you are looking for."
“There’s no mistake. If it’s Mr. Guo from Yuzhou, then we haven’t made a mistake.” Seeing that Guo Yunfei didn’t react, the two men released him and bowed, saying, “The guards of His Majesty the Prince of Huai greet Mr. Guo.”
Guo Yunfei was even more astonished, and a look of surprise appeared on his face, but he didn't ask why the other party knew him. It seemed that Ling Qi had conducted a detailed investigation into the Peace Army, just as Li Jun had ordered Zhuo Tian to conduct a detailed investigation into Ling Qi's case.
But the fact that the investigation was so detailed that even the guards recognized him shows that this young Prince Ling Qi of Huai is truly unfathomable.
"By order of my king, we invite Mr. Guo."
Guo Yunfei straightened his clothes, now dressed as a businessman, but he didn't care about that now, as he really longed to see Ling Qi.
Ling Qi had only moved the capital of Huai Kingdom from the old capital to the new capital, Ancheng, and renamed Ancheng Anjing within the last two years. Precisely because of this, the palace in Anjing was relatively simple, its simplicity giving it a bright and clean feel. Guo Yunfei didn't look around, but the scenery before him still led him to conclude that Ling Qi was the kind of person who knew how to obtain the greatest enjoyment in the simplest way.
"Ringling..."
The wind carried a soft tinkling sound. Guo Yunfei glanced at it quickly and saw that all kinds of wind chimes were adorning the eaves of the palace buildings. The wind chimes made a crisp and melodious sound as the breeze blew, echoing each other like a girl's soft laughter or birdsong in an empty valley.
Guo Yunfei was quite surprised. In the southern part of Shenzhou, such ornaments were generally used in ordinary people's homes, but they were rarely seen in the solemn and dignified palace. It seemed that Ling Qi had a preference for them.
Passing through layer upon layer of palace gates, Guo Yunfei could not see many guards, but he felt the ever-present vigilant gazes. The two burly men were clearly not just ordinary guards; they had led this stranger, Guo Yunfei, into the palace with ease using only a waist token, without even conducting a body search.
"We've arrived, Mr. Guo, please wait a moment." After arriving at a side hall, a burly man led Guo Yunfei to a stop, while another whispered something to the black-clad warrior in front of the hall. The black-clad warrior glanced at Guo Yunfei and then turned and went into the hall.
After a moment, the black-clad warrior came out and nodded to the burly man. Guo Yunfei's curiosity about Ling Qi had reached its peak, and he couldn't help but straighten his clothes again, waiting for the burly man's greeting.
Upon entering the softly lit hall, a tall man dressed in blue silk robes stood before a pale gold screen, holding an amber jade pendant in his hand, a faint smile on his handsome face.
Upon entering the room, Guo Yunfei's gaze was immediately drawn to the man, as if all the light in the hall was focused on him. The man simply smiled faintly and remained silent, yet he exuded a far more oppressive aura than anyone else in anger. The phrase "authoritative without anger" was perfectly aptly applied to him.