A lone horse galloped into the county town of Chengcheng County.
The rider rushed straight toward the magistrate's yamen. He jumped off the horse before it had fully stopped and ran inside while shouting excitedly.
"My lord! Great news! Wonderful news!"
The county magistrate, Liang Shixian, who had already held this position for eleven years, stepped out with a smile.
"What is it? Why are you shouting like that?"
The rider was one of his household servants. His face was full of excitement.
"My lord, you have been promoted!"
Liang Shixian was shocked.
"What kind of good news is that?"
"When the court tried to transfer me before, I went through great effort to stay here. I even asked people in the Donglin faction to help me plead my case so I could remain in this county."
"I have no desire to leave the territory liberated by Dao Xuan Tianzun."
The servant scratched his head.
"Times have changed, my lord."
"Officials under Dao Xuan Tianzun are now constantly being sent out to different regions to help bring more land under Tianzun's control."
"You were one of the earliest officials to join the Dao Xuan Tianzun faith. It makes sense that you should contribute more now."
Liang Shixian nodded slowly.
That did make sense.
"Chengcheng is already very stable. Even if I leave and the court sends another magistrate, they will not be able to harm the place anymore."
"It might indeed be time for me to go out and manage another region for Tianzun."
He rubbed his chin.
"So where have I been promoted to?"
"Which prefecture? Which province?"
"Sichuan or Huguang?"
"Prefect or governor?"
The servant replied proudly.
"Assistant Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture."
Liang Shixian froze.
"What? Assistant Prefect of Shuntian?"
The well read Liang Shixian immediately activated the massive archive of knowledge inside his brain.
All the official positions of the Ming bureaucracy.
Their responsibilities.
Their promotion paths.
All of it flashed through his mind like a spinning lantern.
Then the information settled.
Assistant Prefect of Shuntian.
Fourth rank official.
Deputy to the Prefect.
Also responsible for overseeing education.
The position did not look particularly powerful on the surface.
But it was famous for one reason.
This post was usually used as a stepping stone for future provincial governors or viceroys.
As long as the official spent some time there without causing problems, promotion to a position like provincial governor was very likely.
Liang Shixian looked baffled.
"What exactly did I do that the court would consider promoting me to governor someday?"
The servant laughed.
"You did nothing."
"But one of your old friends has recently risen in the political world."
"He wants to help you."
Liang Shixian blinked.
"My old friend?"
"Who?"
The servant answered.
"He Fengsheng."
Liang Shixian once again began mentally reviewing all the people he had known throughout his life.
Friends.
Scholars.
Fellow students from his time attending lectures at the famous Donglin Academy.
Faces flashed past in his mind.
Then suddenly the memory locked onto one.
He Fengsheng.
Courtesy name Keyao.
A native of Jiangxia, in what is now Wuchang.
He had passed the imperial examination in 1616 during the Wanli era and served as a Hanlin editor.
During the Tianqi period he served as a palace attendant but was dismissed because he refused to flatter the powerful eunuch Wei Zhongxian.
At the beginning of the Chongzhen reign he was restored to office.
He was gradually promoted to Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Wen Yuan Pavilion, eventually entering the imperial cabinet.
Liang Shixian rubbed his forehead.
Their relationship had never been extremely close.
They had simply drunk wine together at an academy gathering many years ago and gotten along well.
And now, after so many years, that man had suddenly promoted him to such an important position.
The whole situation felt strange.
Liang Shixian asked.
"Ever since Dao Xuan Tianzun manifested miracles, I have not paid much attention to court politics."
"What exactly has been happening recently?"
The servant quickly explained.
"Not long ago, Wen Tiren and Qian Qianyi were fighting each other politically."
"Wen Tiren resigned due to illness."
"Qian Qianyi was stripped of office and sent home."
"So the position of Chief Grand Secretary became vacant."
"The emperor hates factional struggles. He believed He Fengsheng belonged to no faction at all."
"So he appointed him as the new Chief Grand Secretary."
Liang Shixian burst out laughing.
"So that is how it happened?"
"The emperor made a mistake."
"He Fengsheng actually leans toward the Donglin faction."
Years ago Liang Shixian himself would never have admitted that the Donglin group was a political faction.
He used to believe that honorable men formed friendships but not factions.
He once thought he was simply a scholar who had friends at the Donglin Academy.
But after years of learning inside the territory of Dao Xuan Tianzun, his perspective had changed.
Now he clearly understood what the Donglin faction really was.
And he even felt somewhat embarrassed that he had once been part of it.
Unfortunately people outside did not know this.
His old acquaintances still believed he was one of them.
Liang Shixian sighed.
"The emperor could not find a suitable candidate for Chief Grand Secretary."
"So he chose someone who seemed politically neutral."
"But He Fengsheng is actually connected to the Donglin faction."
"So now he is promoting his own people."
"And I happened to come to mind."
"He plans to place me in the position of Assistant Prefect of Shuntian for a while."
"After that he can send me out as a provincial governor and gain a loyal ally."
Liang Shixian let out a long sigh.
"The imperial court truly is beyond saving."
The servant asked cautiously.
"My lord... will you accept this post?"
"Or decline it?"
Liang Shixian suddenly winked mischievously.
"Of course I will go."
"We will head to the capital, build a few factories, and establish a school."
"Let us scare the emperor a little for fun."
The servant burst out laughing.
Liang Shixian informed the village committee of Gao Family Village about the situation and asked them to handle any problems with the new magistrate who would replace him.
He then selected several administrative staff assigned by Gao Family Village.
Along with them came more than a dozen special security soldiers, all disguised as clerks and household servants.
With this group he set out for the capital.
It was now November of the eleventh year of the reign of Chongzhen Emperor.
The year was 1638.
Historically this period should have been a time of disaster for the Ming Empire.
Internal rebellions were tearing the country apart.
Bandit forces led by figures like Li Zicheng, also known as Chuang Wang, ravaged the land.
Outside the borders, the Manchu armies repeatedly invaded.
The empire should have been in chaos.
But because of the intervention of Li Dao Xuan, the situation had changed dramatically.
As Liang Shixian traveled through the Central Plains, he saw wide roads and prosperous villages.
The people lived peacefully.
The scenery of the homeland looked vibrant and hopeful.
His mood improved as he traveled.
However, once he left the Central Plains and entered the region of Beizhili, everything changed abruptly.
This region was not part of the territory controlled by Dao Xuan Tianzun.
It had also been repeatedly raided by Manchu forces.
Several invasions had carried off hundreds of thousands of captives.
Both commerce and agriculture had suffered enormous damage.
At one small town Liang Shixian encountered tightly shut gates.
When he tried to enter, someone shouted from above the gate.
"Are you a subject of the Ming?"
"Or a follower of Chuang Wang?"
Liang Shixian laughed.
"I belong to the Dao Xuan Tianzun faith."
The town gate immediately opened.
"Oh! Dao Xuan Tianzun!"
It turned out the illustrated booklet Dao Xuan Tianzun Subdues Demons had already reached this region.
The townspeople welcomed him warmly and treated him to a generous meal before he continued his journey.
Eventually he reached the capital.
At the city gate he saw someone waiting.
His old friend.
He Fengsheng.
The last time they met ten years ago, He Fengsheng had been a thin and refined middle aged scholar.
Now he looked completely different.
He had gained weight.
His figure had gone out of shape.
His belly stuck out proudly.
And his hairline had retreated into a perfect scholar's peninsula.
As soon as he saw Liang Shixian, He Fengsheng broke into a greasy smile.
"Brother Liang."
"It has been a long time."