Chapter 13

Xuanjing City, Zhuangyuan Tower.

A group of scholars gathered together to view the ancient texts that had recently caused a stir across the land.

Since the ancient texts were discovered a few days ago, the city's bookshops had been printing them non-stop. Even so, the demand far exceeded the supply. These scholars had finally managed to buy a few volumes today, so they invited a group of friends to come and appreciate them together.

"Water benefits all things without contention. Marvelous, truly marvelous!"

"The Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two give birth to three, and three give birth to all things. A few words, and one feels the boundless profundity. This scripture is truly extraordinary!"

"In my view, these three thousand words surpass all the articles I have read before!"

"I feel the same!"

"Not at all, in my opinion, the profundity of the *I Ching* surpasses even the *Tao Te Ching*. Although the text is obscure and difficult, every word is a gem, as if it contains the ultimate truths of heaven and earth."

"Exactly, the heavens move vigorously, and the gentleman should strive unceasingly! It speaks to our hearts!"

The scholars discussed enthusiastically, completely engrossed.

At this moment, one of them suddenly sighed, "I never imagined that such exquisite and unparalleled texts would be buried underground for thousands of years without anyone knowing. Every time I think about it, I feel a deep pain in my heart!"

This remark also drew agreement from the others.

"Yes, our late teacher loved reading the most. If he could have read these scriptures, he would have been so pleased."

"All the scholars of the past who did not have the chance to read these scriptures were truly unfortunate!"

"But, are these scriptures really written by our ancestors and lost due to war, only to be preserved in fragments in ancient tombs? I noticed that the *Nanhua* and the *Analects* do not have any records of the people, events, and things mentioned in them in the historical books." A voice among the scholars sounded somewhat out of place.

The scholars fell silent for a moment, then decisively concluded.

"It must be so. Such texts could not have been forged by anyone today. The existing historical records only go back about three thousand years. Before that, there are almost no detailed records. These classics must have been produced during that time."

"I heard that when the Ancient Studies School met the emperor, they mentioned that in ancient times, there were a hundred schools of thought, and the classics they produced were as numerous as the stars in the sky. The few volumes we are reading now are just a tiny part of them."

This statement immediately caused a stir in the tower.

"Is that true!"

"To think that so many classic texts are still buried underground, unseen by the world, makes me heartbroken and unable to sleep at night!"

"I wonder what the other classics are like."

...

"But after all, these ancient texts are buried in various ancient tombs. The Ancient Studies School's proposal to excavate ancient tombs to find lost classics is truly against human ethics."

The scholars instinctively wanted to agree, but when they thought of the countless classic texts still waiting to be unearthed, their resolve wavered.

"Didn't the leader of the Ancient Studies School say that they are protecting and rescuing these texts, not destroying them?"

"That's right. I heard that when they excavate an ancient tomb, they don't destroy it like tomb robbers who only take gold and silver. Instead, they carefully remove all the items and properly preserve them. If anything is damaged, they have specialists to repair it."

"Indeed, we shouldn't simply equate them with tomb robbers."

However, many still held opposing views.

"But that's just a nice way of saying it. What's the difference? Who among us doesn't have ancestors? If your ancestors' tombs were excavated like this, how would you feel?"

"This precedent must not be set, or it will bring endless harm. We must do our best to dissuade it."

"Exactly."

...

Some remained silent, acting as mediators.

"The emperor and the ministers in the court have surely already made a judgment. We don't need to worry too much."

"Let's wait and see, let's wait and see."

...

As the *Tao Te Ching* spread across the land, intense debates erupted in various parts of the Great Xuan.

Scenes like those in the Zhuangyuan Tower today were countless.

Li Fan knew that it was impossible to change people's minds in a short time.

For now, it was just the beginning.

But Li Fan was not at all worried that things would not work out.

In the current world, the literati held the power of discourse.

With countless classics as bait, Li Fan was not afraid that these literati would not comply.

Moreover, Li Fan did not seek their support, only that they would not oppose him.

...

While secretly plotting to rule the world, Li Fan was also gradually increasing the influence of the Ancient Studies School in the secular world.

In the sixth year of the Anchong era, the emperor suddenly fell seriously ill and was bedridden. All the imperial physicians were at a loss. At this time, the Ancient Studies School presented a pill to the emperor, claiming that it was found in an ancient tomb, possibly left by immortals, and had the power to revive the dead and heal the flesh. Taking it might save the emperor.

The emperor initially ignored it, but as his condition worsened day by day, he decided to take the pill as a last resort.

To everyone's surprise, the pill was indeed effective. Within a few days, the emperor recovered completely.

The court and the country were shocked, and the ministers were in an uproar.

The emperor summoned the leader of the Ancient Studies School to the palace at night to inquire about the immortals, and did not attend court for several days.

From then on, the emperor firmly believed in the existence of immortals and secretly instructed his trusted military officials to cooperate with the Ancient Studies School to search for traces of immortals in ancient tombs.

In the ninth year of the Anchong era, the Ancient Studies School held an exhibition in Xuanjing City, inviting ministers and nobles to view it.

Although these people were wealthy and well-informed, they were all captivated by the rare treasures on display, lingering and unwilling to leave.

Afterward, the Ancient Studies School relaxed the restrictions, allowing ordinary people to enter by purchasing tickets.

Xuanjing City was instantly in an uproar.

Countless people queued up, eager to see the treasures. The number of people was so great that it caused traffic congestion in the capital. Fortunately, the emperor ordered the garrison to maintain order, preventing a larger disturbance.

The grand scene lasted for more than half a month.

After that, the exhibition did not stop but began to tour various regions of the Great Xuan.

In the eleventh year of the Anchong era, the Jianghuai Prefecture cracked a major tomb robbery case, capturing a gang of over a hundred tomb robbers.

This gang had been excavating ancient tombs in the deep mountains, causing immeasurable damage.

According to the law, they should all have been sentenced to death.

However, due to the large number of people involved and the wide-ranging implications, the Prefect of Jianghuai, Li Fan, did not dare to make a decision on his own and sent an urgent letter to the capital, asking the emperor to decide.

Some ministers were extremely indignant and petitioned for immediate execution.

However, strangely, most of the ministers remained silent.

The emperor also suppressed the memorials and did not make a statement.

It took a full month for the emperor's decree to finally arrive.

Instead of the death penalty, they were all sentenced to slavery and sent to the capital.

The ministers in the court almost did not oppose this decision.

Li Fan looked at the imperial decree and smiled, knowing that the tide had turned.