Chapter 120 — The Trial at the Ancestral Court
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 3
Shen Mu asked with misgivings, "Does the Patriarch not have such a thought?
" The young Patriarch was silent for a moment, then sighed. "I do.
Keep your head on your shoulders for now, and go on. " Shen Mu continued, "As I observe the conduct of Emperor Yanfeng of Jingping, some of it agrees with our Sect's teachings. It all follows the Way of the Sage and is applied to the common people. If our Sect were to attach itself to the state of Jingping, instead of declining like the other sects, it could thrive and grow strong.
That is the first point. " He paused, then went on, "There are defects in Emperor Yanfeng's primary schools, grand academies, and the Grand Academy--grave defects. They may not show themselves in a short time, but in two or three hundred years they are certain to reveal themselves.
" The young Patriarch looked curious.
"What defects?
" Shen Mu said, "May I ask the Patriarch, how many of the students in the Grand Academy come from poor families?
" The young Patriarch smiled, clearly knowing what he was about to say.
"One in ten. " Shen Mu asked again, "In recent years, how many of Jingping's young officials have come from the Grand Academy?
" The young Patriarch said, "Seven or eight in ten came from the Grand Academy; the other old officials came from the various great sects, and some climbed up step by step. " "By my estimate, two hundred years from now, all officials under heaven will come from the Grand Academy, and among the Grand Academy's students, not one in a hundred will be of humble origin!
" Shen Mu saw the float sink, but did not hurry to raise the rod; he waited a while, then said, "Two hundred years from now, the poor will still be poor all their lives, and the rich will still be rich all their lives. Popular resentment will accumulate and inevitably erupt. The wealthy clans will seize the opportunity to rise up and overthrow the court. That will be the time for our Sect to unite all under heaven--a mighty tide that no one can resist, no one can stop. " He lifted his rod; a huge fish had taken the hook, but it had tremendous strength. With a snap, the line broke, and the huge fish plunged into the water and vanished.
The young Patriarch sneered, "You want to rebel and plunge our Sect into disloyalty. I'll have your head cut off!
" Shen Mu was silent for a moment, then said, "Patriarch, don't be silly.
" The young Patriarch was at a loss for words.
He too had a fish on the hook, but it was a small one, which he landed with a single flick of his rod. "All right, let's talk business. Two hundred years from now, you turn the Sect into another Jingping. Then what? A great war scours away the original great houses; then, two hundred years later, new great houses arise, and someone else will come to overthrow our Sect's rule. How do you break that cycle?
" Shen Mu was taken aback and shook his head. "I have not considered the affairs beyond two hundred years.
I ask the Patriarch for instruction. " The young Patriarch snapped off a willow branch, threaded the fish through it, and rose. "I too cannot see what lies two hundred years from now. Young Sect Master, for one so young to see two hundred years ahead already makes you a qualified Sect Master. You have passed.
My way of thinking is different from yours: I think about the doctrine of our Sect.
" Shen Mu's heart shook, and he looked at the old man with the face of youth. The young Patriarch said serenely, "The Way of the Sage is nothing other than the daily needs of the common people; whatever differs from this is heterodoxy! To act by following one's nature, purely and naturally, is called the Way. When Emperor Yanfeng of Jingping rose in power, I sensed his grand ambition. He came to ask me about the Way, and I gave him this saying from the Great Nurturing Nether Demon Scripture.