Chapter 1152: The Old and the New, the Ebb and Flow of Tides

Emperor Shunzhi had restored Great Jing.

He reclaimed the stolen dynastic title, returning it to the character 'Jing'.

Learning from the failures of the Great Xiang emperors, his first major act upon taking the throne was to centralize imperial power.

He also made an unprecedented decision.

He abolished the Prime Minister system!

After the death of Emperor Shuncheng—his royal uncle, Yan Ruchu—the throne had changed hands five times in less than a decade. In each of these imperial transitions, the shadow of prime ministerial power had always loomed.

Yan Nantian took this lesson to heart. With resolute decisiveness, he abolished the Prime Minister system.

But the path to removing the Prime Minister was not an easy one.

During that time, a fierce covert struggle swept through Shangjing City. Many lost their lives, and Yan Nantian's hands were stained with a great deal of blood.

Fortunately, the goal was achieved. Even though everyone knew this was His Majesty's doing, no one dared to utter a word about it.

For the first time in centuries, the power of the emperor reached its absolute peak.

Yet human strength has its limits. Having abolished both the Prime Minister and the Central Secretariat, Emperor Shunzhi had to handle everything personally and soon found himself overwhelmingly exhausted. He would spend entire days in the Imperial Study reviewing memorials. The Imperial Kitchen would deliver his meals, but he would be so busy that the food grew cold, had to be reheated, and grew cold again in an endless cycle.

Shunzhi realized this couldn't go on forever. Thus, the role of Grand Scholar of the Palace Halls came into being.

With scholars holding titles from the palace halls, the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet emerged.

These cabinet secretaries helped him manage state affairs, but even the highest-ranking among them only held a regular fifth rank. In reality, they possessed no true executive power.

Finally, this transition of power reached its conclusion.

In that moment, the era of the Prime Minister officially became a thing of the past.

Following the restoration of Great Jing, the status of the Jing people was elevated.

Emperor Shunzhi heavily favored the Jing people. Nearly eighty percent of the high-ranking court officials were of Jing descent. This inevitably invited criticism, but no one dared speak it aloud. The emperor's favor lay with them, and with the Jing faction holding immense power, anyone who submitted a memorial of complaint today might turn up dead in their home tomorrow.

Such overt and covert struggles were simply too numerous to count.

Emperor Shunzhi found this rather headache-inducing. His mastery of imperial statecraft paled in comparison to his skill in leading armies and fighting wars; consequently, he suffered many silent losses in these hidden political battles.

Only now did he realize that as an emperor, simply having the power to make decisions was far from enough. The methods of a sovereign were far more crucial.

"Royal Uncle, oh Royal Uncle..."

Emperor Shunzhi let out a long sigh. Gazing up at the bright moon, he muttered, "How on earth did you play those officials for fools? Back when you sent someone here, why didn't you have them teach your nephew while they were at it...?"

He was tired—the kind of exhaustion that came from the spirit being willing but the flesh being weak.

At the same time, he completely understood the vast gap between himself and his royal uncle.

His uncle had usurped the throne silently and navigated the court with effortless grace. Even after death, he had set up a massive, far-reaching chessboard—accumulating power over time, aiding him both openly and in secret, and ultimately pushing him onto the throne to restore Great Jing. Such profound schemes marked him as a figure unparalleled throughout history.

Before these matters were fully settled, another issue surfaced.

It was the long-delayed investiture of the celestial officials.

During the war for the realm, many extraordinary individuals and demons had played pivotal roles.

Back then, Yan Nantian had promised them the positions of celestial officials.

Now it was time to honor that promise.

This matter was delayed all the way until the spring of the second year of the Shunzhi era.

On that day, amid a babel of voices, Emperor Shunzhi ascended the sacrificial altar and raised his cup of wine to the heavens.

He made a proclamation to the realm.

As the minister of rites chanted the decree, the conferred celestial officials were named one by one. Temples were to be established for them in the Mortal World to receive incense and worship.

However, a few additional clauses had been added to the imperial decree.

This was another lesson learned from when his royal uncle had appointed celestial officials.

"Those who hold an office must bear its burdens, and celestial officials are no exception. As a regional celestial official, partaking of the sovereign's salary and receiving the incense of the common people, you must take the people as your foundation. You are to protect the cities and domains without fail."

"Those of improper conduct who fail to fulfill the duties of a celestial official shall be stripped of their title and cast down..."

These rules firmly bound the position of celestial official to the Human Dao.

The minister of rites conferred titles upon thirty-six celestial officials in total, but in the end, only twenty-seven accepted. The remaining nine refused the position. They knew full well that accepting this decree meant taking on heavy responsibilities. Preferring the freedom of being unburdened, they vaguely sensed that this was not a good path for them, and so they simply declined.

Emperor Shunzhi did not make things difficult for them over this. Instead, he asked what other rewards they desired, granting any requests that fell within reason.

Moreover, there was another matter of utmost importance.

"Since ancient times, the Dao models itself on nature, giving rise to Spiritual Energy; it is the purest and most profound law between heaven and earth. We hold it in awe and reverence. Thus, We issue this edict to proclaim to the world:"

"From this day forth, with Quanshan Daoism at its head, We confer upon Daoism the title of State Religion. The Daoist methods are profound, containing the path of heaven and earth's creation. May the common people of the realm all receive its grace, comprehend its mysteries, cultivate their character, and share longevity with heaven and earth."

During the war for the realm, Qingxian Temple had stood on the opposing side. Because of this, it lost its longstanding orthodox position in Daoism.

In the time to come, Daoism would look to Quanshan as its supreme authority.

Additionally, Quanshan's Sanyuan True Man and several other elders also received investiture.

Sanyuan True Man was titled the 'Three Primal Pure Void Nine Profound Great True Man', receiving the blessing of incense.

After so many years, Quanshan had finally become the orthodox sect.

...

After this battle, Daoist Wuwei shed his Daoist robes and returned to the temple on Green Mountain.

After being away for several years, he felt a different kind of attachment to this Daoist temple.

This temple had once represented an entire era, but now that era had reached its end.

Emperor Shunzhi had tried to recruit him, but Daoist Wuwei refused. As far as he was concerned, he had no face left to stay, nor did he have any further interest in worldly affairs. Emperor Shunzhi was slightly angered by this; he stripped him of his titles, confiscated his Daoist garb, and sent him back to Qingshan City.

By the time he returned, the hair at his temples had turned white, but his expression was completely serene.

It was as if the shackles on his body had been completely cast off, and his heart had finally found peace.

"Senior Brother, the karma is settled..."

He knelt before the memorial tablet, sitting there for an entire night. Aside from a few scattered murmurs, he spent the rest of the time chanting sutras to ease the soul's passage.

Later, Daoist Xuanzhen offered him the position of Grand Elder, but Daoist Wuwei refused that as well.

After enduring so much, Daoist Wuwei had completely let go of the mortal world. Once he finished mourning his Senior Brother, he entrusted everything in the temple to Daoist Xuanzhen. Then, he descended the mountain and set off to wander the world.

This time, he blindfolded his eyes with a strip of cloth to look at the realm anew.

He believed that perhaps this way, he would be able to see things much more clearly.

Meanwhile, after Qingxian Temple lost its orthodox status, its incense offerings fell far short of what they once were. The visiting pilgrims dwindled, and fewer and fewer people traveled from afar to pay their respects.

Gradually.

The name of Qingxian Temple faded from the mortal world. Only among the peaks of Green Mountain did many still remember it.

The old was replaced by the new; the tides ebbed and flowed.

The wheels of history rolled ever forward.