Chapter 203: Heading to the Draconic Palace
After Elder Ku's summons, a group of elders from the Ascended division stepped forward and prepared to accompany him to the Eastern Sea Draconic Palace. At the same time, a huge toad spirit flew toward Taiqing Island.
"You're leaving Taiqing Island?" Elder Ku asked curiously.
"Everyone on the Isle of Xiao has already moved. I'll return once you're back, Master," Xiao Nanfeng replied.
Elder Ku nodded. He knew that Xiao Nanfeng was still worried about becoming a target.
Xiao Nanfeng leapt up onto Croak's head. "Croak, let's go!"
Man and spirit flew toward the Isle of Xiao, packed up the formations there, then vanished over the horizon.
Croak flew very quickly. Within a day, he arrived at the entrance to the undying realm.
That day, within the governor's manor of the city of Shuntian, Ye Dafu and his group gave Xiao Nanfeng their reports.
"General Ye Dafu has taken the capital of Yan and claimed the kingdom of Yan!"
"General Ye Sanshui has taken the capital of Qi and claimed the kingdom of Qi!"
"Your Majesty, King Xiao, we congratulate you on uniting the humans' domain."
The officials of Xiao Nanfeng's court bowed down to him.
Xiao Nanfeng nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. Prepare a banquet and await the return of the troops."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Now that the generals have conquered all the cities of the humans' domain, I'll be counting on everyone present to take over management and governance duties," Xiao Nanfeng continued.
"We shall do our best, Your Majesty!"
The officials were particularly buoyed by the news; some even began addressing Xiao Nanfeng as Your Majesty.
To be precise, Xiao Nanfeng wasn't yet a king; he was, at the moment, just a nobleman of the divine empire of Great Wei. Everyone was aware that the divine empire of Great Wei was no longer extant, however, and were anticipating that Xiao Nanfeng would establish a kingdom in fact and rule as king.
However, Xiao Nanfeng had always demurred.
After the officials were dismissed, they sought out Zheng Qian to have him bring this matter to Xiao Nanfeng. After all, once Xiao Nanfeng became a king, they would become officials of court in practice as well.
Zheng Qian brought up the matter while he and Xiao Nanfeng were walking toward a military drill ground outside the city.
"King Xiao, many officials have asked me to request that you initiate a founding ceremony to claim your kingdom in fact."
"It's not yet time. I'm still missing a seal that can control and manipulate fortune," Xiao Nanfeng replied.
"Oh?"
"I expect I'll be able to acquire the materials to make one shortly. Before that, govern the domain well."
There were plenty of treasures in the Eastern Sea Draconic Palace, and likely materials that would allow him to forge a seal as well.
Zheng Qian nodded solemnly.
"We shall abolish the institution of slavery in the humans' domain. It's a boon for all those in power, of course, but hell for the slaves. Emancipate them all. Register their identities, give them each a plot of fertile land, their freedom, their respect, and a future," Xiao Nanfeng commanded.
Zheng Qian nodded, sighing. "King Xiao, you will surely win the heart of the people."
"At the cost of a lot of work on your part," Xiao Nanfeng replied.
"To work on behalf of the people is a worthwhile cause, though I expect it may not proceed smoothly considering the political power these slaveowners possess," Zheng Qian replied, smiling.
"It's best to make such changes while the humans' domain itself is changing hands. Transfer everything to a new legal system; if any dare protest, punish them thoroughly. I don't expect much resistance, but I want you to carefully peruse the legal treatises I gave you and implement the policies within as quickly as possible."
"King Xiao, I'm amazed by the code of law that you've written. It is truly a work of rigor and exquisite detail. I've read it all, three times over, and am newly amazed each time," Zheng Qian sighed.
Xiao Nanfeng smiled. "Some of the more technical details still need to be ironed out, but it should suffice for the time being."
The tome The Imperial Court of Heaven which Emperor Wei had given him mentioned how he was meant to harvest fortune from empire. Fortune was the people's hearts made tangible. The recognition and acceptance of the people was the simplest and most direct source of an empire's fortune.
Xiao Nanfeng had referred to various codes of law back on Earth when designing a set for his nascent kingdom. He intended to preserve the rights of the citizenry as much as possible.
As he conversed with Zheng Qian, the two of them reached the drill ground.
Over the last few months, Croak and Warble had been ferrying the people from the Isle of Xiao over to the undying realm.
The students of the Xiao Academy had just undergone another rigorous examination, from which a thousand scholars had graduated.
"We greet the principal!" Everyone bowed down.
Xiao Nanfeng looked toward the thousand scholars. "Has Mr. Zheng already explained what all of you will be doing next?"
"Yes, Principal!" the scholars replied in excitement.
"You're luckier than many former officials of the two kingdoms, and will directly be placed in positions of power. That said, being an official is no trifling affair. In what follows, you will face a bitter war of administration against those who seek to subvert your authority," Xiao Nanfeng warned.
"We aren't afraid, Principal!" the scholars shouted.
"Then I await your performance."
"Yes, Principal!"
Xiao Nanfeng continued speaking with the scholars for some time, then personally bequeathed each scholar with a certificate of appointment to government office.
"They don't know how much unrest this new code of law is going to cause," Zheng Qian murmured, smiling.
"They've been warned," Xiao Nanfeng replied. "The first batch of scholars is acclimatizing to their roles already. These officials are like the rising sun, invigorating this decaying empire and restoring its lifeblood."
"King Xiao, you expect great things of them, I see."
"They're my students, after all. I look forward to their future."
These scholars would remain forever loyal to Xiao Nanfeng, and he intended to cultivate them with care.
That evening, after working for an entire day, Xiao Nanfeng returned to his residence. He opened a set of undying heavenly doors.
On the other side, Xiao Nanfeng's main body stepped through the doors.
He kept the doors again as his avatar undressed. Its body had decayed to a serious extent.
As his main body guarded his avatar, his avatar retrieved the last length of red rope and transferred the red moon into it. The discarded body quickly decayed into a cloud of black smoke that dispersed through the air.
The avatar, now in a pristine body, tidied up, opened the undying heavenly doors, and walked out.
In what followed, Xiao Nanfeng intended to govern the undying realm with his main body. Though he had received invaluable guidance from Emperor Wei's inheritance, the Imperial Court of Heaven, he would have to understand, study, and intuit these principles in practice for himself.
After his avatar departed, Xiao Nanfeng's main body stored the undying heavenly doors.
Outside the undying realm, Xiao Nanfeng's clone hopped onto Croak's head.
"Croak, lead me to the Eastern Sea Draconic Palace," Xiao Nanfeng commanded.
Croak leapt into the air and flew toward the Eastern Sea. The location of the draconic palace had been exposed to all the sects nearby, and Xiao Nanfeng was naturally aware of its location. In just two days, they arrived at a patch of thick fog over the surface of the sea.
"We're here. Let me off here," Xiao Nanfeng said.
Croak flew toward the fog with Xiao Nanfeng, who unloaded a skiff and stepped onto it. He waved goodbye to Croak and put on a veiled bamboo hat that would hide his appearance. He didn't want to expose himself.
Steering the skiff, he sailed toward the fog, knowing that the entrance to the palace was almost in reach.
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