Immortal Travel of Longevity

"The foremost civil prime minister of the current dynasty?"

Ruyi paused. "Why haven't I heard of him...?"

The Fish Demon said, "After the Emperor bestowed a cup of poisoned wine upon Chancellor Liu, his name was rarely spoken of in this world."

Ping'an said, "Back then, Chancellor Liu sought reforms for the prosperity of the Human Dao. He was merely too hasty, which invited the disaster that claimed his life."

The Fish Demon said, "It wasn't haste; it was simply that Chancellor Liu had no time left. Supported by his Literary Qi, he realized early on that his lifespan was nearing its end. Inevitably, his strides became a bit too wide."

He sighed softly. "Although he managed to pacify the Imperial Court, ultimately, a ruler is a ruler and a subject is a subject. Overstepping those bounds led to such an end."

Liu Zhiyuan was only able to wield such massive influence in the Imperial Court because of Zhao Zhen's lax oversight during his reign. When Yan Ruchu ascended the throne, however, the situation changed. To say matters took a sudden turn for the worse would be no exaggeration.

Because Liu Zhiyuan held too much sway in the Imperial Court, Yan Ruchu harbored murderous intent toward him on his very first day on the throne.

Chen Changsheng said, "This Chen has heard of this prime minister several times before, but I never expected to learn of such history today."

"Furthermore, this little demon revealed himself to plead for the fish in The Lake. Could the Dragon Lord spare his life, considering how difficult it was for him to gain sentience? This little demon can offer a piece of treasured calligraphy infused with Literary Qi as compensation."

Mo Yuan glanced at the exhausted large fish on the bank. He paused and said, "I will listen to Mister Chen."

Chen Changsheng said, "Why look to me? You should decide such matters for yourself."

Mo Yuan paused and looked toward the Fish Demon.

"Truth be told, a piece of treasured calligraphy isn't worth a single hair to me. But since you are acquainted with the Mister and show respect to my Mister, I shall spare his life. However, you still have to hand over the treasured calligraphy."

The Fish Demon breathed a sigh of relief. He cupped his hands and bowed. "Thank you, Dragon Lord."

Mo Yuan removed the fishhook. The fish instantly thrashed a few times before swimming over to the Fish Demon's side.

The Fish Demon looked down and scolded, "Hurry back!"

The fish circled once, then dived back into The Lake.

Having learned its lesson, it likely wouldn't dare to bite things indiscriminately in the future.

The Fish Demon then raised his hand and brought out a piece of treasured calligraphy from his robes. It was penned by Chancellor Liu himself; the demon had found it later and kept it safely hidden on his person ever since.

"This is the treasured calligraphy. Please accept it, Dragon Lord."

Mo Yuan didn't hesitate, taking it into his hands for a look.

[I wish to see the people of the world suffer no hunger or cold. May their hearts be at peace, their words kind, and their lives not lost in vain. When peace reigns in all eight directions and the people of the world are secure, then I shall be at peace.]

It was a grand ambition.

But who knew if it was genuine.

Ping'an paused. "May I... take a look at this treasured calligraphy?"

Seeing his curiosity, Mo Yuan handed it over.

Ping'an accepted it with both hands, not daring to be careless.

He unrolled the treasured calligraphy. The handwriting was steady and well-balanced, and one could faintly perceive that lofty ambition within the strokes.

Ping'an let out a breath and said, "Historical records state that during Chancellor Liu's tenure, he repeatedly advised on the nation's agriculture, securing agricultural decrees to reduce and exempt taxes. He also inspected the four directions to uphold justice for the common people, establishing a drum of grievance at the Capital's Magistrate's Office so that countless unjust cases could be overturned."

"His lifelong deeds were just like this ink and brush."

The Fish Demon chimed in, "Chancellor Liu spent his life serving the nation and the people without a single misstep."

"It's a pity..."

Ping'an closed the scroll with a long sigh.

Some of the ideas Chancellor Liu proposed back then were unconventional and highly beneficial to the nation. Sadly, it came down to timing and fate; in the end, many were never realized.

Mo Yuan said, "How could a man like that not understand what he was doing? Perhaps he knew early on that this day would come, but he still went ahead and did it."

"Knowing it cannot be done and yet doing it anyway shows his resolve to burn his bridges. It's a pity the ways of the world didn't align with him."

Ruyi listened, a little confused. "That doesn't make sense. Put that way, Chancellor Liu was a good official. Even though he has passed away, people should still talk about him, shouldn't they? But I've never heard a single thing."

Ping'an smiled helplessly. "The Imperial Court issued an order forbidding any discussion of Chancellor Liu's affairs."

Ruyi furrowed her brows. "Why go that far?"

Chen Changsheng said, "Perhaps out of fear."

"Fear?" Ruyi was taken aback.

Chen Changsheng nodded. "Actually, the power Chancellor Liu accumulated wasn't truly fearsome. What was fearsome was his ideology. The impact of reform on the Imperial Court and even the entire world is monumental. His Majesty did not want another Liu Zhiyuan to appear, so he simply erased his numerous achievements, severing the path for those who might come after."

"Isn't this..."

Ruyi paused mid-sentence and said, "Wiping him out completely!"

Mo Yuan said, "That is indeed the logic of it."

Ruyi asked, "Is there no one to clear his name?"

The Fish Demon sighed. "It would be very difficult."

"Chancellor Liu was bestowed poisoned wine under the charge of treason. It's hard to find an opportunity for exoneration."

"Treason..."

Ruyi's heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth and asked, "Is His Majesty truly so heartless? What about everything this civil prime minister did before? Could he have forgotten it all?"

Ping'an gently rubbed Ruyi's back. "Sister, the Emperor also had no other choice."

Ruyi opened her mouth. She looked at Ping'an, asking with some worry, "With such a warning from the past, what about your future? What if you end up suffering the same fate?"

Ping'an shook his head. "I won't."

Ruyi's lips parted slightly. She wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat.

She had listened to so much.

Actually, she could understand. She understood why His Majesty struck so ruthlessly, and she understood the reasoning, but her heart simply couldn't accept it.

Why did such a good official, who served the nation and its people, end up with such a fate?

She worried that one day, Ping'an would face the same.

Ruyi fell silent. She didn't curse out loud anymore, simply remaining in silence.

Chen Changsheng reached out and patted Ruyi's hair in comfort, but didn't say a word.

For matters like these, Chen Changsheng couldn't offer any excuses either.

This was inherently a matter that was hard to swallow, yet logically made sense.

The reasoning was right, but also wrong.

How else could one explain it?

The Fish Demon said, "Young Lady, be at ease. Before Chancellor Liu departed, he told me frankly that he had been arrogant and unreasonable all his life, repeatedly testing the boundaries between ruler and subject. Though it was a gamble, he managed to achieve many things others wouldn't even dare to imagine. To have seen even two out of ten of his plans succeed was enough to satisfy him in this life."

Ruyi asked, "Leaving behind an infamous reputation—did he truly not care?"

The Fish Demon said, "Chancellor Liu never cared. His focus was not on fame."

Ruyi looked out over the surface of The Lake.

Sometimes, she genuinely found it hard to understand just what these officials were thinking.

"Ping'an."

"Sister."

"Are all you officials this stupid?"

Ping'an merely smiled upon hearing this and did not answer.

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