Chapter 59: Chapter 58: The Reason Behind
Translator: 549690339
“Hehe?” Gu Ji chuckled as he looked at Pei Xuanjing, “Isn’t that the very reason for your visit?” With his experience, how could he not know the purpose of Pei Xuanjing’s visit today?
Without feeling uncomfortable at having his intentions exposed, Pei Xuanjing thickened face and laughed, “I’m hoping that Mr. Gu can give me some guidance.”
Gu Ji had always intended to provide some advice for him and did not delve into the matter, asking, “Do you know who is orchestrating the compilation of the ‘Martial Classics’?”
Pei Xuanjing was puzzled, “Isn’t it the emperor?”
“Hehe, yes and no!” Gu Ji took a sip of tea before replying: “On the surface, this appears to be the emperor’s idea, but in essence, it is being promoted by the noble officials behind the scenes. One can say that, this is not merely a power struggle between the imperial court and top powers, but also a battle between civil officials and nobles.”
“Could you please elaborate…” Pei Xuanjing took the initiative to refill Gu Ji’s tea.
Not hiding anything, Gu Ji explained the cause and reason…
After the founding of the Great Ming, the founders following the first emperor were ennobled as hereditary nobles to counterbalance the power of civil officials in the court.
Even though many nobles were purged in the late reign of the founding emperor, many still survived, thus began the noble lineage.
Later, many nobles were granted titles during the troubling years of rebellion and multiple northern expeditions led by Emperor Taizong, during which numerous men made great contributions and were ennobled.
Then during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign, the power of the nobles reached its peak, pressuring the civil officials to the point of suffocation in court.
But as the saying goes, prosperity leads to decline. When the famous Emperor Yingzong ascended to the throne, the catastrophic Tumu Fortress debacle caused near-total loss to the power accumulated by the nobles. The loss was so severe that even their descendants were nearly wiped out.
Gu Jl smirked sngnt1Y as ne mentioned Emperor Yingzong.
Now there was a carefree character, indifferent to squandering the inheritance left by his ancestors.
Using the opportunity offered by the Tumu Fortress debacle, the civil officials not only regained their footing but also infiltrated areas once dominated by the nobles, taking over many powers that originally belonged to them.
In the dark recesses of Gu Ji’s mind, there was a sneaking suspicion that some unspeakable high-ranking figures may have had a hand in the disaster, leading to the downfall of the nobles.
Of course, he did not mention any of these suspicions to Pei Xuanjing. After all, he was part of the civil official faction and wouldn’t expose their shortcomings.
Since then, the civil officials had thoroughly suppressed the nobles, leading to a reversal of their statuses.
Having been oppressed for many years, the nobles naturally would not admit defeat and sought to regain their rightful powers.
The present emperor enjoys martial arts and militancy which contrast starkly with his predecessors. He wishes to imitate Emperor Taizong’s deeds, commanding armies to sweep across MO Bei.
The nobles saw hope in his enthusiasm, and the compilation of the ‘Martial Classics’ is precisely a probe as well as the first step in their plan.
“So it turns out that the compilation of the ‘Martial Classics’ is a big trouble.” Pei Xuanjing said.
Gu Ji nodded, “Indeed. With the power of the court, why would there be a shortage of people to compile the ‘Martial Classics’? If it were that simple, why would they be unable to find anyone?”
Given the power of the Great Ming Empire, they could easily draw enough experts from the patronages of the royal families and various princes to compile the ‘Martial Classics’.
The reason why this issue has been made widely known is to deliberately stir up the situation and probe the reaction of civil officials.
Pei Xuanjing furrowed his brows. He felt that he had underestimated the complexity of this situation.
He initially believed this to be the court testing the power of various factions in the underworld. However, he had not expected it to also involve internal struggles within the court, not just between nobles and civil officials, but also the power struggle between the emperor and the civil official faction.
To tell the truth, Pei Xuanjing now somewhat regretted getting involved in this matter. As a third-grade martial artist, it was difficult for him to make a substantial impact in this struggle. If he had been of first-grade strength, his influence might have been weightier.
To put it bluntly, the losers of this struggle were likely to pay a heavy price. Being able to keep one’s head would be considered as getting off lightly.
“Do you regret getting involved in this?” Gu Ji seemed to have seen through Pei Xuanjing’s thoughts. Pei Xuanjing forced a smile, “Indeed I have some regrets, but unfortunately, there’s no way out now.”
He knew, from the moment he set foot in Tiandu, he was drawn in and there was no way out.
“Right, there is no way out for you now.” Gu Ji nodded in agreement.
If Pei Xuanjing tried to quit at this point, he would incur the wrath of the nobles. They would not tolerate anyone shaking the morale at this critical moment.
“Do you know what to do next?” Gu Ji asked.
Pei Xuanjing thought for a moment and said, “Keep a low profile and stay safe.”
This was the best strategy he could think of right now.
He had decided to lay low for the time being, just steadily accumulate Taoyun, and leverage life simulation to enhance his abilities. This would improve his ability to protect himself in this matter.
Gu Ji nodded, “That’s pretty good. But can you ensure you will keep a low profile without running into trouble?”
“Huh?”
Pei Xuanjing paused while lifting the teacup.
Indeed, things don’t always go as one wishes.
He might want to keep things low-key to avoid trouble, but it didn’t mean trouble would keep away from him.
“Hehe, Xuanjing. The first thing I should teach you about life in Tiandu is that, while it’s okay to be gentle, one should never be overly discreet.” Gu Ji solemnly told Pei Xuanjing with a serious expression.
It’s okay to be gentle, but not overly discreet? Pei Xuanjing was puzzled, “Could Mr. Gu please explain that?”
He never felt that he knew or understood everything.
Especially in Tiandu, where every kind of cunning and ambitious individual finds their way.
If we talk about Martial Arts, Gu Ji fell short compared to him.
However, In terms of personal dealings, strategies, and tactics, comparing him to these officials that have been weathered by bureaucracy for decades was like comparing heaven and earth.
Seeing that Pei Xuanjing was open to advice, Gu Ji nodded.
If the other party couldn’t listen, he would not mention this matter again, as that would be meaningless.
But now that Pei Xuanjing was willing to listen, he was more than willing to provide guidance..