Chapter 773: 313. As if the Celestial Master Himself Has Come (Chapter Merged into One)_3

The Empress then asked another question, more focused on Lei Jun’s views on Confucian Rationalism.

"Orderly yet cold, rigid yet stable, it favors centralization of power," Lei Jun said briefly. "The Principle Constants of Monarch and Ministers are ingrained deep into the heart and marrow. Down to the individual, there’s a possibility for replacement, but as an entire system, the hierarchical positions are fixed, and any changes would only occur internally. One could say Confucian Cultivators have the chance to share the country’s fate and fortunes with the ruler, sharing both its tranquility and its perils. On the flip side, it also means that all the outstanding talents of the world serve at the beck and call of the sovereign, forming a larger and more solid collective that suppresses all beings between heaven and earth."

All trades are inferior, only studying is noble.

Only studying certain texts is truly noble.

All the wise and talented enter the sovereign’s fold.

What happens to those who don’t?

Quite simple, if you don’t enter, you stay below.

There might be exceptions, but in general, the system is already vast and robust. And it’s likely to become more so with time. Only when the lands are in turmoil and the nation’s luck wanes might there be a chance to break it. But after breaking it, there’s a possibility that it might just start over with new people," Lei Jun said. "Thus, the cycle repeats."

This is a kind of stability as well.

The Empress’s tone revealed neither like nor dislike for this ritual system, but she shifted to ask about another matter, "What about the Foreign Lands connected to places like Great Black Mountain and Changjie Island originally?"

Lei Jun replied, "It should not be the same place as the so-called Mortal World of the Ming Dynasty. Those Foreign Lands have been trampled by iron hooves, their mountains and rivers shattered, seemingly detaching and peeling away from the original Mortal World. And from what Senior Sister Xu of our sect witnessed, the Ming Dynasty’s Mortal World is currently stable and intact. Looking back at least a hundred years, there have been no major damages. As for earlier times, it is difficult to ascertain."

At this, Chu Yu interjected, "The Solitary Eagle Khanate that caused the chaos in the Northwest before might not originate from the same world as the so-called Ming Dynasty."

Lei Jun gave a slight nod.

Beyond Great Tang and Great Ming, it’s entirely possible that another completely different Mortal World exists. However, it’s unknown whether the key moments in its historical changes also occurred around the end of the Han Dynasty period. It’s also unknown if the passage of time in that Mortal World diverges from that of the Great Tang Realm, and if so, by how much the difference might be.

"The Mortal World of the Solitary Eagle Khanate is most likely connected to the damaged Human Realm Heaven and Earth that you and the Xu Family saw after entering the Void Gate of Great Black Mountain and Changjie Island," the Empress said calmly, gazing at the lake surface.

Lei Jun thought that the time and history there must be different from the Great Tang Realm on this side. The history of the Mortal World of the Solitary Eagle Khanate is possibly longer than that of the Great Tang Realm, but shorter than that of the Great Ming Mortal Realm. The current historical period there likely corresponds to the time of the Liang and Qian Dynasties, which preceded the Great Ming in that world. However, these are just Lei Jun’s speculations at the moment, pending confirmation.

Reining in his wandering thoughts, Lei Jun looked at the Empress, who continued to face the lake and fish without turning around, and felt a sudden urge to laugh.

He couldn’t help but think of a meme: With her back to the multitude, she decisively shapes centuries alone.

Fortunately, the Empress reeled her line in shortly after, then stood up, casually placing the fishing rod to the side.

She turned around, her eyes bright and emotionless. "What about Sumi? How do you see it?" she asked.

Lei Jun replied, "Unfathomable."

That was his genuine view.

Even though he was at odds with Western Region Buddhism, Lei Jun in no way underestimated them. Jiasheng Upper Master and Master Renzhu, two great masters of the Ninth Heavenly Layer, dared to venture into the Southern Wilderness to hunt serpents, leaving their monastery’s foundation so exposed. Lei Jun thought it unlikely they were merely bluffing with an empty fort strategy. They must have other assurances. Moreover, this is just the layout of Western Region Buddhism on the Great Tang Realm’s side of the Mortal World. What lies inside Sumi remains a mystery.

When the Xumi Vajra Sect first appeared, Lei Jun wondered about their population base for selecting disciples. After hearing from Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen that the people within Sumi might not come from a single place, and then learning about the existence of other Mortal Worlds beyond Great Tang, his previous doubts were clarified. Or rather, the population problem that restricted Sumi Buddhism in training disciples no longer existed. The return of Sumi to the Mortal World might not be limited to just the Great Tang side. Instead, there might be different Void Gateways, each connecting to different Mortal Worlds like Great Tang, Great Ming, and so on. However, the opening times of these Void Gateways might differ due to the varying years and historical periods in each place. On the Great Tang side, Sumi only reconnected with this Mortal World about fourteen or fifteen years ago. But in the ’neighborhood,’ Sumi may have returned much earlier. And the development of the Hand Seal Lineage of Western Region Buddhism might be better there, with greater influence. Sumi, in turn, would have gained an ample population and resources, securing further opportunities for advancement. Lei Jun even suspected that the Mortal World of the Solitary Eagle Khanate, where Western Region Buddhism was influential, might even be heavily supported by them. Thus, when the Solitary Eagle Khanate appeared during the battle in the Northwest, Western Region Buddhism, to some extent, avoided them to prevent an awkward situation. However, the people from the Solitary Eagle Khanate caused a stir in Great Tang for quite some time; news about them must have spread somewhat, right? Logically, it should be hard to conceal. Aren’t Jiasheng Upper Master and Master Renzhu just deceiving themselves?

Many thoughts flashed through Lei Jun’s mind.

The Empress then changed the subject, "Are the Xu Family and the Tang Family both investigating the Mortal Tao Country?"

Lei Jun replied, "Yes, unfortunately, there’s still no definitive news on Huang Xuanpu and the others."

The Empress said, "Pass them a message: Huang Xuanpu might be related to Penglai."