Xuanjing City, at the Scholar's Tower.
A crowd of scholars gathered together, watching the ancient books that had recently caused a worldwide sensation.
Since the appearance of these ancient books not long ago, the city's bookshops have been printing non-stop. Even so, the demand for these books far exceeds the supply. It was not until today that these scholars were finally able to purchase a few of these books. As a result, they called together a group of their friends to appreciate these treasures.
"Supreme goodness is like water, benefiting all things without competing with them. Amazing, simply amazing!"
"From the Dao comes one, from one comes two, from two come three, from three come all things. Such simple words, yet they convey an infinite mystery! This classic is truly extraordinary!"
"In my opinion, these three thousand words alone equal all the texts I've read before!"
"I feel the same way!"
"No, no, no, in my view, the sophistication of the Book of Changes surpasses that of the Dao De Jing. Although its language is difficult and obscure, each word is as invaluable as a pearl or a diamond, embodying the principles of heaven and earth."
"Indeed, as the heaven maintains its vigor through movement, a gentleman must endlessly strive to become stronger! This really speaks out our mind!"
The scholars were heatedly discussing the text, wholly engrossed in their conversations.
Right at that moment, one of them let out a deep sigh, "It is unthinkable that such ingenious and peerless text had been buried underground for thousands of years without anyone knowing. I truly lament whenever I think of this!"
This comment struck a chord with the others.
"Yes, our late teacher was an avid reader. If he could have read these classics, who knows how pleased he would have been."
"All the scholars in the world who did not get a chance to read these classics... how unfortunate!"
"But, are these truly texts written by our ancestors, lost due to war, and only the fragmented scrolls preserved in an ancient tomb? I noticed while reading Nan Hua and Analects, that the people and events therein are not found in historical records." One voice stood out among the crowd.
The room fell silent initially, then everyone started firmly agreeing.
"It must be so. There is no way these words could have been counterfeited by modern people. Our existing historical records only cover the last three thousand years in detail. It seems these classics must have been written before that."
"I heard that when the Ancient Studies Faction had an audience with our emperor, they said that during ancient times, there were a hundred schools of thought, each producing their classics. The quantity of these classics is as numerous as the stars in the sky. The books we are reading now are just an insignificant fraction of them."
This remark caused a commotion in the tavern.
"Could that really be the case?"
"Thinking about the many classic texts buried underground, unseen by the world, it breaks my heart and keeps me up at night!"
"I wonder what the rest of the classics would be like."
...
"But all these ancient books are hidden in various tombs. The drastic excavation of ancient tombs, advocated by the Ancient Studies Faction, is indeed against human ethics."
Many scholars wanted to voice their agreement initially, but their words faltered when they thought about the countless classic texts waiting to be unearthed.
"Didn't the leader of the Ancient Studies Faction explain? They are doing this for preservation; it's a salvage excavation, not an act of destruction."
"Exactly, I heard they approach each excavation site with caution, unlike the reckless tomb robbers who only seek gold and silver. They meticulously remove each item from the tomb, making sure they are well preserved. If any damage occurs, they have specialists to conduct repairs."
"Right, they shouldn't be simply categorised along with the grave robbers."
However, there were still many who held objections.
"That's merely a flattering claim! How are they different? Who among us doesn't have ancestors? If your family's ancestral tomb were to be dug up like this, how would you feel?"
"Such precedent must never be set, otherwise it will cause endless trouble. We must try to impede their actions."
"Precisely."
...
Some others did not voice their views, hoping to mediate the situation.
"The emperor and the ministers must have already made a judgement on this matter. There's no need for us to worry too much."
"Let's wait and see."
...
As the Dao De Jing circulated throughout the world, intense debates broke out everywhere in Da Xuan.
Similar scenes to the one at the Scholar's Tower today were occurring everywhere.
Li Fan knew that it would be impossible to change the minds of the people within a short period of time.
What is happening now is just the beginning.
But Li Fan wasn't worried at all.
In the current world, the people holding the power of speech are the scholars.
With countless classics as bait, Li Fan was assured that the scholars would eventually come around.
Moreover, Li Fan did not need their support. As long as they didn't openly oppose him, it was sufficient.
...
While subtly influencing the world, Li Fan was also gradually extending the influence of the Ancient Studies Faction in the secular world.
In the sixth year, the emperor suddenly fell seriously ill and was bedridden. All the imperial physicians were helpless. At that moment, the Ancient Studies Faction presented an elixir. They claimed the elixir was found in an ancient tomb, possibly left by a fairy, and capable of bringing back the dead. They suggested the emperor could try it to save his life.
The emperor initially ignored the suggestion, but as his condition worsened day by day, he took the elixir out of desperation.
To everyone's surprise, the elixir worked wonders. The emperor recovered in just a few days.
This led to great shock and gossip within the court.
The emperor even summoned the leader of the Ancient Studies Faction into the palace to discuss fairy tales. He did not hold court for several days.
Since then, the emperor firmly believed in the existence of fairies and secretly instructed his trusted aides in the military to cooperate with the Ancient Studies Faction in searching for traces of fairies in ancient tombs.
In the ninth year, the Ancient Studies Faction held an exhibition in Xuanjing City and invited the ministers and nobles to come and appreciate it.
Despite being exposed to a wide array of experiences, the ministers and nobles were all deeply captivated by the rare treasures displayed at the exhibition.
Afterwards, the Ancient Studies Faction lifted any restrictions. Ordinary people could view the exhibition as long as they purchased a ticket.
Xuanjing City was suddenly in an uproar.
A large number of people queued up, hoping to catch a glimpse of the treasures. The crowds were so extensive that they caused a traffic jam in the capital. Fortunately, the emperor ordered the guards to maintain order, preventing larger chaos.
The exhibition was so popular that it continued for more than half a month.
After that, the exhibition never stopped, but started to tour various places, opening in each location of Da Xuan.
In the eleventh year, Jianghuai Government cracked a serious tomb robbery case, arresting hundreds of the tomb robbing team members.
These criminals were rampantly excavating ancient tombs in the mountains, causing incalculable losses.
According to the law, these criminals should all be sentenced to death.
However, because so many people were involved covering a wide range of connections, Li Fan, the prefect of Jianghuai, dared not make a decision without consulting the emperor. He sent an urgent message to Xuanjing City, seeking the emperor's decision.
One of the ministers, on hearing the news, was filled with indignation and submitted a memorial to the emperor, urging immediate execution.
However, strangely enough, most of the ministers remained silent at this point.
The emperor also placed all the memorials aside without expressing his opinion.
One month passed before the emperor's decision finally arrived.
He did not sentence them to death but ordered them to be turned into slaves and brought to the capital.
Almost no minister submitted a complaint.
Looking at the imperial edict, Li Fan smiled and knew that the overall situation was set.