Chapter 035: “Seek Common Ground While Reserving Differences”
Before Wei Wanlan had a chance to look at the manâs appearance, his ears were filled with the rapid-fire sound of the manâs words, crashing like a storm of bamboo being struck by rain:
“Since the implementation of the Yushi (Censorate) system, over a thousand corrupt officials have been arrested throughout the various regions in just over a month.”
“I admit this has greatly benefited the court and the common people.”
“But Iâve heard rumors: A person can attend court in the morning in front of the Regent, have their midday meal, and if they are still alive by evening, their entire family celebrates.”
“Is this really the kind of court we want?”
“Steal fifty taels and youâre killed. Steal five hundred taels and youâre killed. Whether itâs five thousand or fifty thousand taels, the result is still death.”
“Wouldnât this lead officials whoâve only taken five coins to realize theyâre doomed and then proceed to completely oppress the people, making things worse?”
“The prisons of the three judicial departments are filled to capacity, and Hanyuan Hall is filled with mourning ministers.”
“Kill a thousand today, two thousand tomorrow, and tens of thousands after thatâwho would dare become an official anymore? Who would serve the Wei Dynasty?”
“Since the Regent took power, all youâve relied on are these ruthless, iron-fisted methods. Why not just kill all the officials and replace them with soldiers from the loyal Su family? You wouldnât even need to establish laws anymore.”
“Itâd be just like todayâs suppression of Qin Zhenâs rebellion: you raise your arm, and the court responds in unison.”
“The court will become your one-man show. Whatever you say goes.”
The hall fell into stunned silence at these words.
Wei Wanlan: âŚ
What a fierce man!!!
Since being transported into this power-struggle narrative, Wei Wanlan had never seen anyone dare to speak to Su Jingzhi like this.
Even though the manâs speech was so fast that Wei Wanlan couldnât fully follow his logic, he was completely impressed by his tone and courage, as well as his ability to stay rational in front of the great villain.
Wei Wanlan was utterly in awe of this brave soul.
How come when this guy opens his mouth, he can spit out words like a machine gun, but when I face Su Jingzhi, all I can do is cry? The gap between people really shouldnât be this wide!
Wei Wanlan glanced at the brave man again.
The Regentâs voice sounded in his ear.
It was calm, neither rushed nor slow, but each word landed with the weight of a thousand pounds:
“What does it mean to use severe laws in times of chaos? How many times did the previous dynastyâs attempts to punish corruption amount to nothing more than a superficial effort?”
“Is stealing one coin not considered corruption?”
“You acknowledge that this benefits the court and the people, yet you vehemently oppose it. What are your true intentions?”
The brave man fell silent, albeit briefly.
In that short silence, Wei Wanlan realized the man had been stumped by Su Jingzhiâs words and was searching for a response.
Wei Wanlan had thought the Regent would become enraged and simply order the manâs execution.
But instead, the villain calmly reasoned with himâafter the man had said so much, Su Jingzhi had only responded with three sentences!!!
Then the brave soul found new words to counter the Regent, and the debate resumed, with both sides locked in a fierce verbal duel.
Wei Wanlan couldnât get a word in edgewise. He was entirely a passive observer.
The criteria for determining the winner were simple:
Whoever spoke less.
Whoever maintained a calmer expression.
Whoever left the other speechless first.
Wei Wanlanâs eyes darted back and forth, like a small owl caught between two predators.
Even the system, which was usually quick to interrupt, was now fully focused on processing the intense debate between the Regent and the brave man, not bothering to disturb Wei Wanlan.
As for Wei Wanlanâs simple brain, he was completely overwhelmed after just a few rounds. It felt like countless words were being hurled at him.
He scratched his head, feeling dazed and dizzy from the exchange.
Some people say one of the highlights of the Battle of Red Cliff was the “verbal sparring with scholars.” But here, with only two people, they were tossing around more historical references and examples than an entire street full of scholars could manage.
In the end, the debate reached no conclusion.
The Regentâs brows furrowed slightly, clearly unwilling to listen to the other manâs nonsense any longer.
The brave man, realizing that he hadnât won the argument and faced a vast power disparity, began to sense the looming threat to his life.
Suddenly, the brave man turned his head and threw a question at Wei Wanlan, who had been watching intently:
“âWhy didnât Your Majesty look directly at the ministers when they fainted?”
His tone was eight times sharper than before.
His gaze locked onto Wei Wanlanâs still-youthful face, questioning him so quickly that there was no time to think.
Caught completely off guard, Wei Wanlan straightened up, blinked, and answered honestly: “I⌠I was a little scared.”
“What are you doing!!!!”
404âs reaction nearly deafened Wei Wanlan with its roar:
“Both of them are incredibly smart. Iâm barely keeping up with the logic, and now youâve let yourself get tricked! The brave man has just manipulated you into opposing the Regent.”
Wei Wanlan quickly covered his ears with his dragon robe.
But this only made him appear even more frightened.
The once harmonious atmosphere of the court seemed to shatter with that one simple statement.
The mood in the hall became even more tense…
“What was all that hand-holding along the Dragon Tail Path, then? An act?”
“Mutual respect between the ruler and his ministers?”
“Looks like the little emperor is almost scared to death by the Regent! Itâs impressive he kept up the act for so long!”
“Exactly! The poor boy was resting peacefully in the palace, but now heâs dragged out by Su Jingzhi to face bloodshed every day. How could he not be scared?”
“And now that heâs blurted out the truth, the emperor doesnât support the Regentâs methods. Heâs as good as dead!”
In that instant, Wei Wanlan felt as though he could hear the thoughts of the court ministers.
But when he strained to listen, he heard nothing.
From the early morning assembly until now, the situation in Changâan, which had just stabilized, suddenly seemed to grow turbulent again.
Wei Wanlan sat on pins and needles, cold sweat running down his back, even his scalp, which had just been hot and feverish, now felt icy.
Su Jingzhiâs lips pressed together tightly, his posture even more rigid.
His gaze darkened, and his expression was inscrutable.
In his calm tone, there seemed to be a deeper, probing question:
“âDoes His Majesty also believe that what Iâve done is wrong?”
Wei Wanlan felt his face freeze.
404âs voice sounded dangerously in his ear:
“I told you on the first dayâthe Regent is a dictator in this power narrative. The author sacrificed even the romance plotline to establish this! His allure lies in his absolute authority to give or take life.”
“He despises political enemies the most! Host, if you answer incorrectly, it will be your death.”
âŚ
Wei Wanlan gulped, closing his eyes.
But Su Jingzhiâs gaze felt as though it pierced through his thin eyelids, forcing him to open them and directly answer the Regentâs question.
He was almost petrified with fear.
Yet he couldnât avoid finishing this round.
This was, after all, his first time attending a grand court assembly. He didnât want to die, didnât want to embarrass himself, and certainly didnât want the court to appear fractured at its core.
So, Wei Wanlan had no choice but to speak.
Stammering, he said:
“I⌠I think youâre⌠not entirely right.”
Su Jingzhi inhaled lightly.
Wei Wanlan, terrified, quickly tried to explain, his ears trembling:
“âBut I think this ministerâs point isnât entirely right either. You both agree that the Yushi system is beneficial, which means itâs a good law, something you both acknowledge. So why are you arguing?”
Since childhood, Wei Wanlan had been slow to anger and grew up in a loving environment. His empathy was strongâhe felt for animals, appreciated nature, and admired the people around him.
You could say he was a peaceful little dove.
So, when faced with the question of whether to side with the Regent or the brave man, Wei Wanlan decided that if he had to mediate, he wouldnât take sides. They should all just be friends.
He thought about it, recalling snippets of the brave manâs speech. From his throne, he carefully chose his words, making sure to smooth things over with the villain:
“I think this ministerâs objection isnât to the system itself. Maybe he doesnât even realize it, but he seems dissatisfied with the Regentâs temperament⌔
Wait! How could he say the villain has a bad temper?
Even if it were true, he couldnât say that out loud!
So he quickly softened his tone, treating Su Jingzhi like a large, temperamental dog that might explode if spoken to too harshly.
Speaking slowly and gently, he continued:
“If the Regent could be a bit more consistent and transparent in his punishments… Even if the punishments are severe, perhaps he wouldnât be so opposed to the Yushi system now.”
Throughout this speech, Su Jingzhiâs gaze remained fixed on Wei Wanlan.
Wei Wanlan couldnât read his expression, and his nerves were about to snap.
To make things worse, Xin Buyi, the brave man, nodded thoughtfully and then stepped forward to ask, cupping his hands:
“Your Majesty, please enlighten us further.”
He wanted Wei Wanlan to elaborate.
Wei Wanlanâs face flushed red, his throat tightening: System, help! I canât explain this any further!
404, having listened intently for a while, finally caught up and organized Wei Wanlanâs scattered thoughts.
It guided its host to repeat after it:
“Both sides should seek common ground while reserving differences. The issue lies in the sentencing standards.”
“The punishments can be strict, but the sentencing standards must be clearly defined. Only then can the system operate smoothly, without causing panic or leading to rebellions.”
“You are all wise ministers and should understand the meaning behind my words.”
“Seek common ground while reserving differences?”
When those four words were spoken, the entire court was stunned.
The phrase was concise, powerful, and capable of resolving most disputes.
Wei Wanlan was equally shocked. He had learned that phrase before, but why hadnât he used it earlier?
The ministers couldnât help but look at the emperor with newfound respect. The emperor, who had seemed naive and inexperienced, now appeared to possess a depth of wisdom far beyond what they had imagined.
Su Jingzhiâs posture straightened even more, and he let out a faint hum, repeating the phrase slowly:
“âŚSeek common ground while reserving differences.”
But that hum sent a shiver down Wei Wanlanâs spine.
He could only continue trying to smooth over the villainâs fur.
His small brain worked hard:
“Yes, yes, seek common ground while reserving differences.”
“I know the Regent is excellent at governing, and Iâve said before that I support you. You just want to scare people so they wonât make mistakes, right?”
“But sometimes, even those of us who havenât made mistakes⌠we still feel a teensy, tiny bit of fear. Please, donât kill people too easily.”
Wei Wanlan made a small, delicate gesture with his fingers, his ears drooping.
To the Wei Dynastyâs ministers, the emperorâs initial words had seemed like a sincere attempt to reason with the Regent.
But those last two sentences… They were more like a child throwing a tantrum, pleading with the Regent for leniency.
No one knew how the Regent would respond to this rebellious behavior. After all, the Regent despised political enemies the most. All eyes turned to the emperor, then back to Su Jingzhi, as Hanyuan Hall fell into a brief silence.
After a few moments passed, Su Jingzhi finally spoke, addressing the brave man and the court:
“From today forward, the sentencing standards for corrupt officials exposed by the Yushi system will be clearly defined. The specifics will be decided by the three judicial departments. Xiao Shiren of the Secretariat will draft a decree on behalf of the emperor, publicizing these standards for all to know. After a three-year trial period, this system will be written into the laws of the Wei Dynasty.”
“Regent, you are wise!!!”
The ministers praised in unison, and the brave man cupped his hands in respect. They all exhaled deeply in relief.
But what was even more astonishing: the little emperor had actually managed to persuade the Regent to make a concession.
If before, the ministers had shown respect to the emperor out of deference to the Regent, now, hearing the emperorâs brilliant “seek common ground while reserving differences” speech, which deftly resolved the conflict between the Regent and his opposition, they couldnât help but feel their hearts race.
Their gazes grew even more complex.
âThe emperor of Wei, though outwardly naive, was skilled at using softness to overcome hardness, able to bide his time and endure. He was definitely not to be underestimated.
The ministers bowed again: “Long live the emperor!!!”
Ding.
“Host has gained significant prestige in the court. The grand assembly has ended successfully. Youâve earned the system reward of one dayâs rest.”
Wei Wanlanâs nerves finally started to settle. Hearing the systemâs notification, he couldnât believe it, his ears twitching in excitement as he exclaimed:
“Nice!”
Recommended Reads
![[Esports] I Started an Online Romance with a Big Shot After Retiring](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/esports.jpg)