Chapter 510 - Chapter 510: Chapter 458: Struggle for the Divine Position, the Emperor’s Calculations

Chapter 510: Chapter 458: Struggle for the Divine Position, the Emperor’s Calculations

After explaining everything, Pei Xuanjing threw out an approximate figure and let the parties deliberate. They would report back to him once they had reached a decision.

The major forces in the alliance were always on guard against each other, constantly shifting between being allies and enemies. The complexity of their relationships was sometimes so intricate that not even they could make sense of it, let alone Pei Xuanjing.

That’s why, after simply demanding that a guaranteed number of Divine Positions be given to the forces that provided him with skill manuals, he washed his hands of how the remaining positions would be divided. That was for them to debate. He would not get involved.

Of course, he did not forget to inform them of his plan to establish a Taoist Academy. Whether or not they were willing to send their experts to serve as instructors, Pei Xuanjing was not overly concerned for now.

In his view, as long as he could successfully set up the Taoist Academy, these people would eventually want to donate their skills and willingly join the academy as instructors.

“Brother Pei, are you just going to drop this?” Zhao Baiyang frowned and voiced his concern.

Before he had come, he had mentally prepared various strategies and countermeasures, thinking about how to persuade Pei Xuanjing.

But Pei Xuanjing’s sudden hands-off approach nullified many of his previous plans.

Not just him, the rest of the decision-makers from the various forces were also taken aback. They had prepared numerous countermeasures, but never considered such an outcome.

Pei Xuanjing smiled and said, “No matter what decisions I make, there will be dissatisfaction. It’s better for you to discuss it amongst yourselves. As long as you can reach an agreement, it’s fine.”

He did not have the time to waste on them. If not for the fact that he had previously accepted their skills, he would not have appeared and would have let them figure it out on their own.

Now, his requirements were not high. As long as each force could reach the minimum, whatever was left over, they could fight for themselves. As long as no one died, they could even brawl for it.

After repeated inquiries, Pei Xuanjing’s answer remained the same. They had no choice but to accept his proposal.

Thus, a huge argument ensued. Each party was fighting fiercely to secure more Divine Positions, and the alliances and feuds that were previously hidden were now out in the open.

Even the normally reserved Buddhism School had dropped its composure to join in.

After all, these Divine Positions were significant. Not only were they benefits, they also represented prestige, something the Buddhism School could not afford to lose.

As one of the world’s major religions, the Buddhism School could not afford to have too few Divine Positions. Otherwise, its reputation would suffer. Especially how ordinary people and martial artists would see them. Without prestige, how can the Buddhism School flourish and attract more followers?

Pei Xuanjing sat high in the main seat, with his eyes slightly closed, ignoring the debates and leaving them to sort it out themselves.

Of course, what he didn’t know was that at this moment inside the Wenhua Hall, Zhu Houji, the emperor of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, was in a similar situation.

After Zhu Houji finished speaking about the enfeoffment of the Divine Position, he let the important figures of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty present in the hall express their opinions.

These esteemed figures, who were seen as powerful figures by the common people and ordinary martial artists, were now arguing with each other just like common people in a marketplace.

Zhu Houji, as the emperor of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, held the supreme position in the empire. These people were all his subjects, loyal to him, but it did not mean they were united. They had their own fights and struggles amongst each other.

In fact, many of the conflicts and factional struggles among them were results that the emperor himself had allowed to happen. After all, if these people were truly united, he would not be sitting as comfortably in his position as he was.

Now that the emperor had established the approximate guidelines, the question of how Divine Positions should be distributed, among civil officials, noble officials, and royal relatives, was a topic with many opinions.

After all, the interest this time far exceeded anything in the past, and wasn’t all their previous hard work for this day?

Civil officials, nobles, and royal relatives fought fiercely, arguing their importance, all trying to secure more Divine Positions for their side.

Although everyone who was allowed into the Wenhua Hall for the meeting held an extraordinary status and was guaranteed a Divine Position, they were not only representing themselves there. They were also representing the countless supporters they had behind them.

If they couldn’t gain benefits for their countless supporters, they would eventually be abandoned.

At this moment, the previous factional strife among civil officials, the new and old disputes among nobles, and the bloodline disputes among royal relatives were all set aside. They all abandoned previous internal disagreements, aiming to gain more Divine Positions for their alliance.

After all, internal disputes were their own business. The most important thing was to secure the Divine Positions and keep the “meat” in their own pots.

In the face of these arguments, Zhu Houji, even as the emperor, couldn’t intervene too much. After all, this was the outcome he had brought about. He couldn’t blatantly take sides.

Moreover, if it weren’t for the fact that he had already set aside a portion of the Divine Positions for the Factory Guard and the Inner Court, the debate would’ve become even more intense.

Lin Qingyi, the commander of the Brocade Guards, and the directors of the Two Factories stood silently to one side, afraid of drawing attention and inadvertently getting dragged into the dispute.

After all, as servants of the Emperor, they had already gained significant advantages. If they appeared ungrateful, they risked losing more than they gained.

Zhu Houji appeared to be watching these arguments, but in reality, his thoughts had drifted. He was pondering another question: “The Incense Fire God Refining Skill, which relies on gathering the power of faith and incense to enhance strength, would suit the countless citizens of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty. If he could gather all this incense and fire divine power, his strength would certainly increase, and so would the strength of the court.”

The Incense Fire God Refining Skill was a skill that Pei Xuanjing obtained from Mr. Wu which was the best fit for the current Great Ming Divine Dynasty.

Besides Qi Luck, the worship of Divine Positions also involved the power of incense and fire.

As the emperor of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, he naturally had the power of faith and incense from countless citizens. Holding this power in his hands, if bestowed on officials with Divine Positions, could strengthen Divine Positions whilst reducing the consumption of Qi Luck. This would undoubtedly enhance one’s strength.

Three days later, the Emperor called for the Great Morning Meeting, granted positions to all officials, and rewarded all those who had contributed to the campaign against the remnants of the Former Yuan.

The grand awarding ceremony also completely disseminated the much-anticipated regulation regarding the Divine Position Enfeoffment.