Pedals Me

Inside the small courtyard.

As Lin Luoyu poured a cup of tea for Li Junzi, her gaze carefully observed every subtle change on Li Junzi's face.

However, the greatest change was not merely in Li Junzi's appearance, but rather her seemingly completely different state of mind.

Even though the new policies Li Junzi had painstakingly prepared to implement were suppressed by various factions, and she herself was thoroughly exiled to this remote courtyard, there was not the slightest hint of annoyance or sorrow on her face.

With a gentle smile on her face and a cup of hot tea in her hands, Li Junzi asked,

"Have you all been doing well?"

Cui Hao chimed in with a playful laugh, "Everything is great. Senior Sister has already become a Nascent Soul ancestor."

The joy in Li Junzi's eyes was unconcealed, and she said happily,

"Oh? I didn't expect Luoyu's talent for immortal cultivation to be even greater than her talent for Confucian cultivation. It is a good thing I didn't stop you back then."

Lin Luoyu glanced at Cui Hao, and finally followed suit and joked,

"I am a genius, after all. If I can become an ancestor in immortal cultivation, I would definitely become a Sub-Sage if I practiced Confucianism."

Li Junzi nodded in agreement,

"Of course, Luoyu is a great genius."

Gently rubbing his hot teacup, Cui Hao raised an eyebrow and looked at his senior sister.

Seeing this, Lin Luoyu naturally understood; Cui Hao was asking whether he should speak about the next matter or leave it to her.

Li Junzi wanted to forge a new path of development. Although Chu Xingchen did not provide direct help to Li Junzi, he had expended effort to keep an eye on her, occasionally blocking some pressure from the cultivation world.

Lin Luoyu would also read the intelligence reports sent back during her breaks from cultivation.

Over the past dozen years, Li Junzi had attempted to implement her new policies three times. Initially, she could rely on her status as a Great Confucian to start the implementation, but once it touched upon the interests of certain groups, she would face fierce opposition.

Li Junzi called her new policy the Great Learning, and its ultimate goal was the decentralization of knowledge.

Regardless of whether one's status was noble or lowly, rich or poor, as long as one had a desire to learn, they could enter a state-funded academy to study. Although food was not provided, tuition was waived. Even if the initial education seemed unrefined, the beginning of all things is always difficult.

Upon graduation, the students who completed their studies at the academy were required to stay for three years to teach the newly enrolled students; otherwise, they could not enter officialdom.

This was the main core of the new policy; there was nothing complicated about it.

After all, major policies that can be implemented on a large scale basically have to meet certain conditions—such as a simple process, clear results, and correct orientation.

The most core condition of true reform is simplicity.

Li Junzi was not the only one who understood this principle; the prominent aristocratic families did as well.

In the cultivation world, cultivation base is an unquestionable power.

But in the mortal realm, knowledge truly is power.

Knowledge is not just words; it is the summary and understanding of things by countless intelligent people. It is experience, the path forward, and the answer.

To monopolize knowledge is to monopolize the answers—after all, many things are so simple that one only needs to learn to copy them.

Knowledge is an undoubted advantage and power, and it is through this that the prominent aristocratic families can even stand above dynastic changes.

Dynasties will change due to natural disasters and man-made calamities, but knowledge will not.

The prominent aristocratic families understand this principle better than anyone else.

Li Junzi's desire to implement the Great Learning was equivalent to stripping the foundation of the prominent aristocratic families to share with the world.

The prominent aristocratic families could even accept Li Junzi stripping them of their wealth, but they could never accept the implementation of the new policy.

Cutting off someone's source of wealth is akin to killing their parents, but cutting off the thousand-year foundation of the prominent aristocratic families is equivalent to digging up their graves, exhuming their corpses, and scattering their ashes.

Naturally, the prominent aristocratic families would spare no effort in joining forces to fight against Li Junzi's new policy.

For this, the prominent aristocratic families would even pay any price, even if it meant the destruction of the dynasty, the devastation of the people, or suffering heavy losses themselves.

The prominent aristocratic families even demonstrated this stance: either annihilate the aristocratic families entirely, or stop the new policy.

The monarch naturally could not lead the empire to destruction for the sake of the new policy.

Everything was like a dead knot, and a tacit understanding passed silently between the monarch and the prominent aristocratic families.

The accumulation of a thousand years of monopolizing knowledge had long turned into a hundred thousand towering mountains.

The prominent aristocratic families did not even need to specifically attack Li Junzi; simply altering orders from above as they were passed down was enough to turn a good thing into a disaster.

The failure of the new policy did not only damage Li Junzi the most, but also the monarch who implemented it.

Politics is about prestige, about success and failure, and even a monarch has limits.

Failing three times was enough to make the monarchs of other countries flinch, and it also served as an explanation to Li Junzi and Mount Junzi.

This was Li Junzi's current situation. To put it nicely, she was given gold and allowed to return home; to put it harshly, she was forced out of office.

Even with the prestige of Mount Junzi, the current Li Junzi could only continue to summarize her experiences in this small courtyard.

If things continued at this pace, Li Junzi's path to becoming a Sub-Sage would be almost entirely bleak, with no dawn in sight.

Lin Luoyu pondered for a moment and decided to speak up herself,

"Sir, Master is also concerned about your pioneering path."

"I know. Your Master must have helped me a lot in secret," Li Junzi said with a light chuckle, holding her hot tea. "Even though my new policy was attacked, no one dared to attack me personally. Next time I have some free time, I will go see your Master to thank him for his help."

Lin Luoyu continued,

"Aside from coming to see you, Sir, we also came to ask if you need any help."

Li Junzi did not look surprised, nor did she show any resistance. Instead, she asked with some curiosity,

"Are you planning to help me implement the new policy? Sect Leader Chu must have thought of a new method for me?"

Lin Luoyu did not beat around the bush and said directly,

"Although Master does not know what your ultimate goal is, Sir, if you only want to implement the new policy, Master can help."

Li Junzi thought for a moment and asked straightforwardly,

"It shouldn't be relying on the power of immortals, right?"

Lin Luoyu answered truthfully,

"Naturally, we will need to borrow some of it. Master has already made arrangements before I came, but there will be no direct interference from cultivators. Master said that to achieve great things, besides having a firm mind and effective methods, one also needs the right time and place."

"Master intends to create such an opportunity for you, Sir, but there will only be this one chance."

Li Junzi sighed softly. "Immortals are immortals after all. They are indeed more astute than I am when looking at problems. To achieve great things... one indeed needs the right time and place, but that is a principle I have only recently come to understand."

"However, causing the world to change simply to make me a Sub-Sage is not what I want."

"Perhaps I simply lack the aptitude of a Sub-Sage. I don't have that transcendent resolve in my heart... I am not that ruthless."

Lin Luoyu shook her head gently, her expression extremely serious as she said,

"Sir, what if, what if your achievement of becoming a Sub-Sage is for the sake of saving the common people?"

Li Junzi looked a bit puzzled.

Lin Luoyu continued,

"The world is about to fall into chaos. The Eighteen Immortal Sects of the Central Province are already preparing for a great tribulation of heaven and earth. A Sub-Sage can calm the restless hearts of the common people."

"Master said that the immortals of the world wish to join hands with you, Sir, to save the world from collapse."

"The Buddhist sects are willing to serve as a stepping stone to help you, Sir, achieve the status of a Sub-Sage."