Chapter 219 — The Strike of the Heavenly Anomaly

Shen Mu said, "This minister once saw in the army treasures of the sort called fire gourds. The soldiers store their true fire in a fire gourd day by day, and when the great battle comes they release the fire from the gourd. When the Imperial Hospital failed in refining medicine and drugged the whole of the Imperial Academy into a stupor, it was the former Grand Libationer who took the drug away with a gourd and so rescued the Academy. This minister wonders — might this dark cloud also be gathered into a gourd or some such numinous treasure?"

Emperor Yanfeng looked to the Generalissimo of Heavenly Strategy. "What does General Shen think? Is it feasible?"

The Generalissimo of Heavenly Strategy was surnamed Shen, given name Jian; he was chief of the military officers and head of the Shen clan, a great clan of the capital. He stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, what the Cavalier Attendant says is feasible. But the army does not have fire gourds in such numbers. The army's fire gourds are made of wisteria gourds, issued to the Vermilion Bird Army in every region. Throughout the kingdom there are one million fire gourds in all. One million fire gourds could gather the dark clouds of a single province, but the kingdom has so many provinces — the army's fire gourds alone cannot do it."

Shen Mu said, "The army's gourds are few, but every region has officials and great clans who cultivate arts, and among the court officials strong men stand thick as a forest. Let Your Majesty issue a decree commanding the divine-power wielders of every region to make treasures and gather up the dark clouds overhead. With so many divine-power wielders in the kingdom, where the county magistrates, the assistant prefects, the prefects are all men of power, each answering for his own jurisdiction, and with the army's strong men going to every region to make good what is lacking, I think the dark clouds can be cleared away, seven or eight parts in ten."

Emperor Yanfeng mused. "To muster the divine-power wielders of the whole kingdom to clear the clouds — that has its difficulties. Some wandering divine-power wielders of the jianghu will not obey the court's word..."

"Therefore Your Majesty must act in person, and be an example to the realm."

Shen Mu said, "If Your Majesty leaves the capital and goes in person to each province to gather up the dark clouds, the people will follow like shadows."

The assembled civil and military ministers looked at one another. The Emperor leaving the capital, going in person from place to place to gather up the dark clouds? The great disorder had only just been put down; the remnants of those sects and schools would surely seize the chance to assassinate him.

The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping had gone out to the Waste and returned with his feathers clipped; on the road he had been ambushed. An emperor leaving the capital would invite assassins of every kind, and more besides!

As the others were about to speak, Emperor Yanfeng's eyes lit up and he smiled. "Agreed. Beloved Minister Shen, have you yet other means against this snow disaster?"

"The snow disaster has already come; this minister can do nothing about it."

Shen Mu said, "But this minister has heard a saying: the Way of the sages is nothing other than the daily use of the common folk. There are so many divine-power wielders in the realm. If the sun comes out and the great snow melts, then let these divine-power wielders go down into the fields themselves and, for the people of every region, clear away the frozen-dead crops and replant them; next year there may still be some harvest. When the rice puts out its ears and there is no wind, then ask the divine-power wielders to send wind. When weeds grow thick, ask the divine-power wielders to pull weeds; when an insect plague breaks out, ask them to kill the insects; when frost falls from the sky, ask them to drive off the frost with fire."

"Your Majesty, these are words of the demonic path!"

A civil official trembled with rage from head to foot and stepped out. "Your Majesty, the Cavalier Attendant's mouth utters words of the demonic path, ruining the nation and the people; he should be executed!"

Emperor Yanfeng smiled. "That saying is altogether correct. Why should it be a word of the demonic path? It is no ruining of the nation and the people, but good counsel for governing the state and saving the people. Your office is stripped from you; go home and reflect well on yourself. Beloved Minister Shen, have you other good counsel?"

Shen Mu mused. "Your Majesty might also have the Bureau of Celestial Observation watch the weather in every region. In a year of flood, gather the rain clouds into a gourd or some such numinous treasure. In a year when the hurricane rages, gather the hurricane into a numinous treasure; the tornado, the hail, the thunder and lightning, all can be gathered up and kept for use. If a year of drought comes, the great rain can be released; if war is opened with a foreign land, the hail, the snow and ice, the thunder and lightning, the tornado, can be released — the sky's phenomena commanded, and turned upon the enemy state. This year's snow disaster has all but destroyed the national fortune of so splendid a power as Jingping. If such arts of heavenly phenomenon were used against an enemy state, what state could bear it?"

"Your Majesty, to command the sky's phenomena is to defy Heaven's Way; these are words of the demonic path!"

Another civil official stepped out and knocked his head again and again on the ground, knocking his brow bloody, and cried in a harsh voice, "Words of the demonic path in very truth! This is to destroy our nation's line! Your Majesty, I beg you, put this demonic sorcerer to death at once!"

"Your office is stripped."

Emperor Yanfeng waved a hand, smiling. "You cannot offer a plan, and yet you talk nonsense and slander the Cavalier Attendant. The monthly stipend I give you is not small; what use is keeping you? It is this snow, this cloud, that will destroy my nation's line! Attendants, drag him out. Cavalier Attendant, knowing is easy, doing is hard; for this relief work, you will come with me."

Shen Mu hesitated, troubled. "This minister still must go home for the New Year... This minister will recommend a few men, who perhaps can help Your Majesty."

Emperor Yanfeng laughed aloud, and it seemed to him that the dark cloud pressing on his heart had lifted too. He waved a hand. "Approved. I am in need of men just now; if the men you recommend are truly useful, I will not stint you."

The Duke of Wei was shaken inwardly: "The Dark Demon Cult is about to enter the court... Though, looked at another way, I am the Dark Demon Cult's Cult-Protecting Heavenly King; I entered the court long ago. This young cult master is truly a schemer. The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping has not been at court these days, and he seizes the chance to plant his people. If the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping were gone a few years, I fear even the Emperor would be a man of his Dark Demon Cult! Where on earth has the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping gone? Roaming the hills and waters with his lady wife so long, and when a matter this great comes up, he does not return..."