Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 684 – True Person

Eating when hungry, sleeping when tired, treating the sick, burying the dead—these were unalterable principles of the heavens and earth.

What were the principles of the heavens and earth? They were the greatest principles in the world.

Chen Changsheng’s voice was spread along the autumn breeze, casting the surrounding crowd into silence.

Xu Shiji had no words to respond. Before these sorts of principles, anything he said was lacking in principle.

Chen Changsheng walked into the fields to the side of the official road, his clothes glistening with starlight that even the elegant sunlight could not conceal.

Xu Shiji’s expression slightly chilled. “You wish to attack me?”

This question was both a threat and not a threat, and even more like a warning or notice.

It had nothing to do with strength or authority. Chen Changsheng had heard those unspoken words loud and clear.

I am Xu Yourong’s father; are you sure you want to attack me?

Before the battle of the Bridge of Helplessness, whenever Chen Changsheng thought of Xu Yourong, he would occasionally feel some sympathy or pity, because Xu Yourong had a father like Xu Shiji.

This time, he felt that Xu Shiji was the pitiful one. Of course, the pity here was of a different variety, a pity that made one feel somewhat weary.

He paid no attention and walked into the field.

Su Moyu acted according to Chen Changsheng’s intentions and brought Madam Xue to the official road to wait.

Many gazes fell upon Xu Shiji.

The troops and officials of the City Gate Department gripped their swords and spears, clueless as to what to do.

Xu Shiji knew that there was nothing he could do.

The crossbow bolt that had blinded Tianhai Sheng of the Ministry of Justice had clearly come from a divine crossbow. Although the bailiffs of the Ministry of Justice and the cavalry of the City Gate Department had still not found the crossbowman, he was very sure that the Orthodoxy cavalry were nearby. Moreover, deep within the alleys near the city gate, he could faintly make out the figures of several cardinals.

Very quickly, several cardinals arrived on the scene, followed closely by many priests of the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education.

The priests ignored the gaze of Xu Shiji and the changes in expression of the personnel from the City Gate Department and the Ministry of Justice as they began to administer treatment to the injured soldiers of the Cong Province Army.

There would naturally be people to take care of the matter in the fields as well.

Chen Changsheng returned to the official road.

Only now did Madam Xue truly confirm his identity. Still somewhat astonished and deeply moved, she sincerely said, “Thank you, Your Eminence, for your grace.”

Chen Changsheng replied, “Madam, there’s no need for your thanks. I didn’t know of this matter, I just happened to see it while passing by.”

Madam Xue said, “I am only worried that this matter will affect Your Eminence.”

Chen Changsheng replied, “There’s no harm.”

Xu Shiji had been on the side this entire time, watching with a cold stare. He realized that Chen Changsheng and Madam Xue were complete strangers, finally confirming that there truly had been no friendly relationship between him and the Xue Estate. However, this fact served only to increase Xu Shiji’s confusion.

To defy an imperial decree and run counter to one’s own teacher for the sake of a corpse, was this worth it?

He looked at Chen Changsheng and said suspiciously, “I don’t believe that you did this out of so-called principle.”

Chen Changsheng replied, “I’m not Wang Po who does everything for the sake of straightness. I made this choice because it naturally posed some benefit to me.”

Xu Shiji revealed a mocking smile as he thought, just as expected.

“I cultivate the Dao of following my heart. No matter what matter I encounter, I must always act according to my heart, or else my cultivation will be greatly affected.”

What did it mean to follow one’s heart?

If he saw the green hills and found them charming, then it was okay.

If he saw the green hills and found them displeasing, he would remove them.

If the road forward was fair and straight, that was okay.

If he saw injustice on the road, it would naturally be time to unsheathe his blade.

If the scenery was bright and beautiful, he would appreciate it.

If all before him was filthy smoke and disease, how could he remain silent?

Su Moyu sighed in praise. To follow one’s heart in such a way, just how was it different from Wang Po’s path of the blade?

Xu Shiji asked his final question. “Could you really not be afraid?”

Chen Changsheng did not answer this question. Turning around, he walked back into the capital.

Four days ago, he had carried the Tianhai Divine Empress’s body down from the Mausoleum of Books and buried it in the Hundred Herb Garden.

He had even done this, so what need was there to worry about Xue Xingchuan?

……

……

The bodies of the high-ranking officers were all buried. A few more graves appeared on the outskirts of the capital, but nothing at all occurred within the capital.

This surprised many people. After all, the Imperial Court’s will had been so unyielding in the past four days as to seem particularly cruel. Everyone believed that the Orthodox Academy and Chen Changsheng would assuredly face a storm, even if the Li Palace once more displayed without hesitation its intent to protect them.

In the autumn winds and rains, what came to the Orthodox Academy was not the soldiers of the Imperial Court, but Madam Xue.

In the spring, the Orthodox Academy’s conference hall had been repaired, so it was there that Chen Changsheng met Madam Xue.

Madam Xue once more expressed her sincere gratitude, and Chen Changsheng once more expressed that there was no need.

Madam Xue commented, “Truthfully, my late husband was always very curious about Your Eminence.”

Chen Changsheng was somewhat confused. “Divine General Xue mentioned me when he was at home?”

Just as was said yesterday, he was not friends with the Xue clan, and they could even be thought of as strangers. He did not understand why Xue Xingchuan would have mentioned him in his own home. Of course, he might discuss matters of the court with his wife, the worries of the Divine Empress, but curiosity…that was more in the realm of the personal, having nothing to do with those rumors regarding Crown Prince Zhaoming.

Madam Xue looked at him and said, “He said that Your Eminence was only the second true person that he had met in his entire life.”

After he came the capital from Xining, the people of the world had many evaluations of Chen Changsheng: overflowing with talent, composed and early-matured, serene as the spring breeze.

He did not know that before Xue Xingchuan, some people had already used ‘true person’ to describe him.

Madam Xue continued, “My late husband did not understand—Your Eminence was clearly the one who had cut off his younger brother’s arm, yet whenever he met Your Eminence in the palace or elsewhere, you were always able to remain so calm.”

Chen Changsheng understood that this was referring to that period when he was escorting Su Li back south and used his just-learned Intellectual Sword to cut off Divine General Xue He’s arm in the wilderness.

Afterwards, he had met Xue Xingchuan quite a few times. Logically speaking, he should have been remorseful, or vigilant, or at least displayed some difference in emotion, but he had not.

He never even mentioned this matter to Xue Xingchuan, acted as if it had never taken place.

“At the time, Xue He said to me that since I didn’t kill him, he would remember my kindness.”

Chen Changsheng thought, then continued, “They are brothers, and I didn’t want Divine General Xue to remember this kindness, so I did not mention it.”

Madam Xue sighed with great emotion.

Back then, in the wilderness, Xue He had said, “You did not kill me, only cut off my arm, so I will remember your kindness.”

Backstabbing was the most common occurrence in the world, so if a normal person were to hear these words, they would assuredly not treat them as true.

Yet Chen Changsheng had treated them as being true.

Xue Xingchuan had thought this fact over for a very long time before finally concluding that Chen Changsheng was so calm and never mentioned the matter because he probably treated those words as true.

On that same night, he sighed with emotion to his wife and praised, “Chen Changsheng, a true person.”