Chapter 418: Chapter 360: The Nine Tripods of the World, The Six Officials of Heaven and Earth
The Mandate of Heaven, the Qiankun Treasure Mirror.
This cultivation technique is named Qiankun Treasure Mirror, and only a Heaven-ordained Emperor can practice it.
This technique was first practiced by Ji Fa, and later kings also learned it.
King Zhao of Zhou failed to learn it, which led to his defeat and death.
However, apart from Ji Fa, no one else had the Mandate of Heaven’s blessing for the Qiankun Treasure Mirror.
Song Lin, by compiling punishments, advanced the course of history to some extent, thereby receiving the Mandate of Heaven’s favor.
Song Lin touched the searingly hot Emperor Seal on his brow.
Perhaps part of it was due to this Emperor Seal.
Back then, the Heavenly Emperor had promised him the position of an Emperor. If he wasn’t mistaken, it was now.
Practicing this technique requires the Nine Tripods. He doesn’t need to search for them; they are right here.
This cultivation technique is divided into nine layers.
It divides the world into the Nine States, each guarded by a tripod.
Each time a state is conquered, the Mandate of Heaven can be accumulated for further cultivation.
The first layer requires one tripod, the second layer requires two tripods, and so on.
The Qiankun Treasure Mirror only provides the Mandate of Heaven for cultivation; the techniques are entirely up to individual comprehension.
Song Lin flickered and arrived at the ancestral forbidden grounds.
The ancestral hall burned with prospering incense, worshipping the forefathers.
In front were nine treasure tripods. Looking at the gray and dull tripods, Song Lin felt speechless. At the very least, they should activate one in the Central Plains, right? Yet not a single one was activated.
Has the Emperor of Zhou’s authority lost influence even in the Central Plains?
"Looks like it’s time for a thorough reform."
Song Lin pondered for three days and nights.
Finally, he came to a conclusion.
"Zhuxia!"
Zhuxia is fundamentally a feudal system where the Zhou Emperor resides at the center, and the vassals guard the four sides.
Unlike Qin Zheng’s centralized unification, Zhuxia represents a cultural unification.
Qin Zheng’s unification requires centralization, suppressing everything as much as possible, wearing down and dumbing down the people, while funneling benefits through a single channel to elevate the populace along his prescribed path.
Such dynasties only develop briefly under external pressure, and upon stabilization, they begin exploring new methods to control the populace.
Chuxia is comparatively easier to understand. It partitions vassals to guard the land, using the Mandate of Heaven as a bond and culture as the foundation.
The rise and fall of the world need not be dictated by one family or surname.
The Zhou Emperor, too, won’t cause rivers of blood across the land in a fit of rage.
The advantage of this method is simpler governance and potentially unlimited territorial expansion.
The old Nine States during Dayu’s era were actually quite small.
Song Lin envisioned a new Nine States potentially encompassing lakes and seas, so the Chuxia method was feasible.
"Considering the circumstances of this realm, this approach should be optimal."
Song Lin thought to himself.
It must be noted that this world includes many abnormal beings. The descendants of Yinn Shang truly possess Mystic Bird bloodlines and genuinely practice Mystic Bird Divine Skills.
Abnormal beings are similar everywhere.
The strong are numerous, and heroes from all tribes emerge in great numbers, each unwilling to yield to others.
If forcibly integrated into a system, imposing superior authorities upon them would likely turn the world upside down.
If you suppress one tribe, another may rise opportunistically or collude to rebel.
A feudal system would be simpler. The Zhou Emperor holds the Nine Tripods and the strongest power, with the Mandate of Heaven on his side.
He could delegate territories to vassals and demand their obligations. If they refuse, he could rally all vassals to chastise them.
At this, Song Lin summoned Jun Ya, Bo Tong, and Marquis Lvu.
The first to arrive was Jun Ya, a one-hundred-and-eighty-year-old elder from West Zhou’s hereditary ministers. His aged face retained a slight redness.
Next were the three-eyed Bo Tong and Minister of Justice Marquis Lvu.
Lastly, a middle-aged man with three wisps of long beard arrived, dressed in vassals’ attire and walking with solid steps.
A memory immediately surfaced in Song Lin’s mind—Marquis Jii Gong Mufu.
Jii is the name of a country, and Gong signifies a Duke.
Jii Bo died with King Zhao at the Han River, and Mufu inherited the throne of Jii Country.
As a descendant of Zhou Gong, the Jii Country vassals are renowned for their loyalty and earnest advice.
"I wish to recreate the ancient Nine States and restore the glory of the Central Plains."
Indeed, Marquis Jii Gong Mufu assumed Song Lin was following King Zhao’s path and advised, "This is unwise. Soldiers are the tools of the state and must not be used recklessly. Arbitrary use instills fear, and misuse leads to widespread disregard."
"Hmph, right now, there is no warfare, yet which border vassal willingly comes to pay their respects?"
Marquis Lvu retorted.
"Do not argue. I am not engaging in warfare now. The time for it will come later. Restoring the Nine States of Zhuxia cannot be achieved through violence alone. I have decided to reform the system."
Mufu’s advice was quite reasonable; currently, Great Zhou’s strength was weak.
West Six Divisions combined with Yinn Eight Divisions totaled merely over thirty thousand soldiers, while the Hu Ben Army guarding the royal palace had only about one thousand men.
Surrounding vassal states like Quanrong, Jingchu, Beidi, and Eastern Yi had alliances or standalone forces equivalent to Thousand Chariot Countries.
Given seventy-five men per chariot, they numbered at least seventy-five thousand.
This doesn’t consider normal civilians or their strong abnormal beings.
There hasn’t been widespread chaos because they cannot discern the true strength and influence of Great Zhou.
If vassals fail to convene, relying solely on Zongzhou would expose Zhou’s vulnerability, potentially triggering an early Spring and Autumn Warring States Period.
Mufu’s caution wasn’t cowardice; he genuinely saw the reality for what it was.
"Outer forces abound, and internal governance fails. I intend to adopt Zhou Gong’s rites and implement a six-official system for handling state affairs."
In essence, this was a prototype of the six ministries: Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of War, Ministry of Rites, etc.
First, establish the framework, then develop productive capacity.
Though the Four Barbarians and vassals have abnormal beings, Great Zhou isn’t lacking; its opponent merely possesses broader manpower and territory.
"Jun Ya will be Minister of Heaven, assisting the Emperor in managing the nation (Ministry of Personnel)."
"Bo Tong will be Minister of Land, administering state education and maintaining national stability (Ministry of Revenue)."
"Mufu will be Spring Official, managing state rituals and coordinating national affairs (Ministry of Rites)."
"Marquis Lvu will be Summer Official Sima, overseeing state defense and military organization (Ministry of War)."
"For the remaining two ministries, are there any suitable recommendations?"
"I recommend Bo Jiong and Zao Fu."
The former is associated with internal administration, while the latter is skilled in horse breeding.
"Approved."
Song Lin wasn’t stingy in granting high positions to minor vassals or scholars. Most of these individuals were descendants of the Imperial Family, lacking actual power but could be easily allied.
There were dozens of such small countries. Together, they might muster forces totaling around thirty thousand soldiers.
By the end of Year Three of the Mu Emperor’s reign.
The Emperor announced the six officials system.
In the fifth year of Mu Emperor’s reign.
The capital relocated to Haojing, with the new residence named Longevity Palace.
In front of the Longevity Palace.
This palace was built on exceedingly high terrain, featuring ninety-nine levels of staircases. The edifice was constructed entirely from white marble and limestone mixed with rice slurry, inspired by Song Lin’s guidance from later palace architecture.
It emphasized grandeur and magnificence.
The Emperor sat in the Longevity Palace, overlooking the common people from a lofty vantage point.
Upon the palace’s completion, rumors spread of a phoenix bird circling for three days. Ministers and vassals dared not lift their heads, with some vassals trembling as they prostrated themselves.
After summoning the vassals, Song Lin headed to the hunting grounds behind the palace.
"Roar!!"
As soon as he arrived, he heard a tiger’s roar.
A towering man, standing three zhang high and clad in golden armor, was wrestling a two-headed rhinoceros.
Boom!
The man sank his waist and hurled the rhinoceros into the sky at an incredible height.
Then, he grabbed a long halberd nearby and threw it at the airborne rhinoceros.
Bam!
The immense force pierced through its body, reducing it to rubble.
"Oh?" Song Lin was slightly surprised.
The previous roar came from the man, seemingly resembling a mutant beast’s roar, likely a tiger.
The yellow hair on the man’s head resembled tiger fur, standing stiffly like iron.
Noticing Song Lin, the man immediately approached to pay respects.
"Hu Ben Clan greets the Emperor."
This man was none other than the leader of the Hu Ben Army, Zhongshan.
"How many people are in the Hu Ben Army?"
"We have twenty Hu Ben armored soldiers and fourteen hundred foot soldiers."
"What kind of soldiers are they?"
"Primarily Luo River Zhou people, individuals who can rip apart tigers and leopards with their bare hands and drive chariots unaided."
"Can you expand recruitment?"
"Emperor, while possible, there’s a shortage of food and weapons."
The nearby Summer Official Sima Marquis Lvu approached, chuckling with concern.
"I see."
Song Lin couldn’t help but rub his forehead.
Indeed, food, weapons, clothes, and other forms of production were lagging far behind.
Great Zhou didn’t lack manpower. The urgent priority was researching ways to elevate all aspects of productivity.
This was precisely Song Lin’s expertise—later-era advancements in farming, animal husbandry, textiles, irrigation, and various tool manufacturing practically came second nature to him.
No need to close the gap of thousands of years; reaching the level of the Warring States Period would suffice for expansion.
"Summon Zao Fu (Winter Official Minister of Works) here. I’ll teach him a few things."
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