Chapter 22

When Ying Yue woke up, loud noises came from outside. Among them, Zhao Kuo’s voice was the clearest. His loud tone dominated the noise.

Curious, Ying Yue, still in her clothes, got up and followed the sound.

As she approached, Zhao Kuo’s words became clearer. His voice was full of disbelief: “What the heck? How can you regress the more you live?”

“Heaven and man are connected, and the king’s power is granted by God? Does anyone really believe this?”

When Ying Yue arrived, she heard Zhao Kuo’s incredulous remarks. She saw him questioning Jia Xu: “No, aren’t you later generations supposed to follow Confucianism?” 

He reasoned that since Confucianism had been promoted after Huo Qubing’s time, Jia Xu’s era must have abolished other philosophies in favor of Confucianism.

Zhao Kuo continued, “If I remember right, your Confucian ancestors said, ‘Respect ghosts and gods but keep them at a distance,’ right? ^[1]refers to a Confucian teaching advocating practical governance over superstition.

He pressed on, quoting more teachings: “The Master doesn’t discuss strange phenomena, supernatural powers, or demons. If you can’t serve people, how can you serve ghosts? That’s Confucian thought, right?”

To Zhao Kuo, who believed in self-reliance and minimal superstition, it was incomprehensible that thinking would regress centuries back in just a few decades or centuries.

His frustration was evident as he almost glared at Jia Xu. Yet Jia Xu remained calm and replied, “This is simply a method to consolidate the monarch’s power.”

Hearing this, Zhao Kuo, who could never outargue a scholar, turned to Bai Qi for support. Looking at the general leaning against the wall, he shouted, “Say something!”

When Bai Qi heard Zhao Kuo calling him, this time he did not ignore him.

The brave young man raised his eyelids but did not argue back like Zhao Kuo had. Instead, he agreed with Jia Xu’s words, saying, “He is not wrong.”

Although Bai Qi did not know what happened in later generations, he understood that from their Warring States Period to the earlier Spring and Autumn Period, the Zhou royal family had declined. They gradually lost their status as the common rulers of the world. The resulting chaos saw vassal states growing ambitious and fighting for dominance.

In such a turbulent time, promoting the theory of divine right of kings ^[2]a belief that monarchs derive their authority from a divine source. was impractical. Anyone suggesting it would risk persecution by the powerful rulers of the era. Instead, this period witnessed the rise of various schools of thought, where philosophies clashed, leading people to rely less on belief in ghosts and gods and more on tangible ideas.

Jia Xu had mentioned earlier that later on, the Qin Emperor would achieve unification of the country. After this unification, reinstating the Mandate of Heaven ^[3]a belief that a ruler’s authority is granted by heaven, often to justify their rule. to strengthen royal power would make sense.

Zhao Kuo was visibly frustrated by Bai Qi’s response. Deciding not to argue further, he went outside to find Huo Qubing, who was roasting a fat rabbit caught at the foot of the mountain for dinner. As Zhao Kuo headed out, he ran into Ying Yue.

The boy, feeling upset, stepped back, puffed his cheeks like a sulky child, and ran to a corner to sulk. There, he pretended to be a mushroom—quiet and ignored.

Seeing Zhao Kuo’s odd behavior, Ying Yue, who had just woken up, looked confused. She asked, “What happened?”

Jia Xu looked at her and calmly replied, “It’s nothing serious. I just shared an idea with the generals.”

Ying Yue asked curiously, “What idea?”

Jia Xu explained, “The emperor receives his mandate from heaven, and the rest of the world receives its mandate from the emperor. The ruler who receives the mandate is the will of heaven. ^[4]A phrase describing a ruler’s authority as divinely sanctioned.”

“My plan is to deify you, calling you the daughter of destiny. This will create momentum and gain public support in the future.”

Ying Yue frowned slightly and asked, “Why would anyone believe that I am divine?”

Jia Xu smiled knowingly. “There is a reason. Do you remember the cotton seed card you have?”

Ying Yue nodded.

Jia Xu continued, “That’s it. Cotton does not yet exist in this world. The cotton seeds you possess can save people from suffering in winter. They are evidence of destiny.”

Jia Xu had previously verified that the concept of divine right existed in this world. With this understanding, he concluded that deifying Ying Yue would be a brilliant strategy. When she explained the potential of cotton, she had said her card represented ten kilograms of cotton seeds with a yield of 400 kilograms per mu ^[5]a unit of land measurement equal to approximately 666 square meters.. This detail solidified Jia Xu’s plan to make her seem extraordinary.

He explained that in barren borderlands like Yongzhou, seeds capable of producing such yields would be seen as miraculous. It was a strong first step toward establishing her as a leader.

After hearing Jia Xu’s reasoning, Ying Yue nodded thoughtfully. “I think I understand,” she said.

Zhao Kuo, who had been sulking in the corner, suddenly exclaimed, “Wait, are you really going to do this?”

He felt excluded and isolated, especially when he noticed Bai Qi, a fellow historical figure, accepting the plan so easily. Zhao Kuo glanced at Bai Qi with a mixture of grief and indignation. Why could Bai Qi, someone from an even earlier era, understand all this better than him?

Feeling disheartened, Zhao Kuo decided to focus on something else. He thought about finding an excuse to kill more Hu people to give his sister another chance to draw a card. He recalled that Bai Qi had already killed ten Hu people in the mountain stronghold. If he could find more, it might trigger another opportunity for Ying Yue to summon someone. Hopefully, someone from his era—anyone but Lian Po ^[6]a renowned general of Zhao during the Warring States Period. Seeing Lian Po would be a social death for him.

Meanwhile, Ying Yue noticed it was noon and turned to Jia Xu. “Did you come up with all this while I was asleep?”

Jia Xu nodded. “Yes.”

Ying Yue smiled. “How amazing! You always say you have no talent, Wen He.”

Jia Xu hesitated, realizing Ying Yue had not yet seen his status as an SSR Just as he was about to explain, Zhao Kuo’s loud voice interrupted him.

“When did you become so smart, Wen He? Didn’t you always say you were stupid?” Zhao Kuo exclaimed in disbelief.

Jia Xu: “…”

Jia Xu decided not to discuss the matter openly. Instead, he made up his mind to maintain his low-key persona in front of Zhao Kuo and then subtly outsmart him.

A while later, Zhao Kuo felt a chill down his neck, making him reflexively shrink back.

He asked Ying Yue, “Sister, do you feel cold all of a sudden?”

“Ah?” Ying Yue shook her head. “No, I feel quite warm.”

It was late March, and Yongzhou’s temperature was steadily rising. 

Ying Yue couldn’t understand why Zhao Kuo felt cold—perhaps it was a unique trait of martial artists?

This thought led her to glance at Bai Qi, who was leaning against the wall. She asked, “Bai Qi, are you cold?”

“…,” Bai Qi stayed silent momentarily and gave Zhao Kuo a peculiar look before replying, “Don’t pay attention to him.”

Bai Qi often found it strange that Ying Yue would compare him with Zhao Kuo, just because both were military figures.

Truthfully, Bai Qi didn’t dislike Zhao Kuo for any specific reason, but Zhao Kuo’s odd behavior made him wary of being associated with him.

After Zhao Kuo’s encounter with Jia Xu left him shivering, Ying Yue seemed to recall something. Turning to Bai Qi again, she asked, “Bai Qi, have you rested?”

The previous night, Bai Qi had been out late. Now, seeing him right after waking up, Ying Yue was worried about his condition.

Bai Qi gave a small nod to affirm.

In truth, he had barely rested, only managing a brief nap. But for someone experienced in warfare, sleepless nights were a norm.

Ying Yue wasn’t convinced by his answer. She widened her eyes and attempted to spot dark circles under his eyes but found none.

Refusing to give up, the petite girl walked up to the tall young man and tugged at his sleeve, leading him firmly toward his room without a word.

Though helpless, Bai Qi didn’t resist and allowed her to guide him to his room’s door.

Ying Yue smiled at him sweetly and said, “Good afternoon.”

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