At the same time, in Taiyuan, Shanxi.
Inside the grand hall of the Jin Prince's residence, Zhu Shenxuan, the thirteenth-generation Prince of Jin, was receiving an important guest, and judging from the way the servants stood straighter than usual and even the tea seemed to be poured more carefully, this was clearly not just any casual visit.
The guest sitting across from him was Wu Shen, a man whose name had, over the past few years, spread across Shanxi like wildfire, not the destructive kind, but the kind that brings warmth, light, and a very uncomfortable level of comparison for everyone else.
A few years ago, Shanxi had been a wasteland gnawed apart by drought, the kind of place where even hope felt like an expensive luxury, yet somehow, under Wu Shen's management and with a relentless rain of silver that could only be described as violent economic intervention, the province had begun to breathe again.
Industries restarted, markets reopened, people stopped looking at each other like competitors for survival, and for a brief moment, it almost felt like the place had been patched back together by sheer force of will and money.
Of course, the smarter landowners and gentry had not been impressed so easily.
They had watched quietly from the sidelines, arms folded, calculating in their heads with the cold precision of people who had seen too many short-lived miracles, wondering how long one million taels could possibly last if you were throwing it around like Wu Shen did, hiring labor, funding reconstruction, feeding mouths, stimulating trade, all at once.
It should have collapsed.
It should have run dry.
It should have turned into a grand, embarrassing failure.
Instead, the one million taels not only failed to disappear, it multiplied.
Wu Shen went from "Wu the Million" to "Wu the Ten Million," and if the trend continued, nobody doubted he would eventually become something even more ridiculous.
Only then did the gentry realize that Wu Shen was not fighting alone.
There was something behind him.
Something that occasionally descended, attached itself to that gold-thread embroidery on his chest like a spirit borrowing a vessel, and then casually dropped down "heavenly goods" as if material abundance itself had decided to take sides.
After that realization, resistance became a joke.
The Jin Prince and the local elites did what any sensible people would do when confronted with a force they could neither resist nor fully understand.
They knelt.
They hugged the thickest thigh they could find.
And that thigh belonged to Dao Xuan Tianzun.
That was years ago.
Now, Zhu Shenxuan had long since become a devout believer, so devout that he had even returned most of his lands to the people at low prices, keeping only a handful of shops in Taiyuan for himself, living a quiet, cautious life with one very clear guiding principle.
Stay low.
Stay very low.
Be so low that history itself forgets you exist.
Across from him, Wu Shen put down his teacup and spoke calmly, but with a tone that carried unmistakable intent.
"Your Highness, this is not the time to lie flat anymore. You need to step forward."
The Jin Prince immediately looked like a rabbit that had just heard the word "stew."
"I do not dare."
Wu Shen blinked once, then leaned forward slightly.
"What is there to not dare? Tianzun allows rebellion. Look at Zhu Yujian and Zhu Youzhong, both have already responded to the call and risen. You, as the Prince of Jin, how can you fall behind?"
Zhu Shenxuan shook his head so hard it looked like it might detach from his body.
"I am just a useless prince. All I want is to drift through life quietly. Do you know how many generations the Jin lineage has lasted? Thirteen. Since the third-generation prince, Zhu Jihuang, got caught in a rebellion and lost everything, our family learned a lesson that has lasted ten generations."
He raised a finger, as if delivering a profound truth.
"Low profile is king. Only by staying low can the title survive. Otherwise, one wrong step, and the entire line gets erased."
Wu Shen stared at him for a long moment, then let out a breath that was half sigh, half suppressed laughter.
"The times have changed. Tianzun said you can rebel, so just rebel. You will not lose your title, and you will not die."
Zhu Shenxuan shook his head again, even more firmly.
"It is not that I disobey Tianzun. It is precisely because I respect Tianzun that I refuse. Tianzun has clearly said that no one will be forced to do anything."
That was the core difference.
Dao Xuan Tianzun did not command like a traditional ruler.
He did not coerce.
He did not punish dissent.
He respected choice.
Most people willingly acted, but for the rare few who chose not to, there would be no retaliation, no hidden knives, no quiet retribution.
That, more than anything else, made him fundamentally different from a system built on single-man rule.
Wu Shen rubbed his forehead.
"Fine. Then we have a problem. The emperor has already ordered Xing Honglang to attack Luoyang, and the village committee believes the best move right now is to create chaos in Shanxi, forcing her to turn back. The ideal candidate for rebellion… is you."
Zhu Shenxuan almost jumped out of his chair.
"No. Absolutely not. Please spare me. I only want to remain low, low, and even lower. Ideally, I would prefer if the history books never mention me at all."
Wu Shen paused, then tried a different angle.
"Do you have a son? Let him do it. I will publicly support him, declare him the figurehead, and once Xing Honglang turns back to suppress the rebellion, the imperial authority will be torn apart even further."
Zhu Shenxuan looked at him with genuine confusion.
"My son is also part of the Jin lineage. He was raised with the same philosophy. You did not even know whether I had a son or not, that is how low-profile he is. And now you want him to rebel?"
Wu Shen opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
For a brief moment, logic itself seemed to betray him.
"…That makes an uncomfortable amount of sense."
He sighed.
"Then what, I go find the Prince of Dai or the Prince of Shen? Their influence is not enough."
Zhu Shenxuan suddenly leaned forward, eyes lighting up slightly, as if he had just remembered something important.
"There is someone."
Wu Shen raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Zhu Shenxuan spoke slowly, almost reverently.
"A man settled in Puzhou. His reputation is immense. Everyone knows his story. It is tragic, inspiring, unforgettable. If he raises the banner, the people of Shanxi will follow him without hesitation."
Wu Shen frowned.
"Someone that famous, and I do not know him?"
Zhu Shenxuan's expression turned solemn.
"Puzhou's Chen Qianhu."
Wu Shen froze.
"…"
Zhu Shenxuan suddenly burst into song, voice filled with emotional sincerity.
"I may be ugly, but I am gentle."
Wu Shen's expression collapsed completely.
"…You have got to be kidding me."
Zhu Shenxuan's eyes even grew misty.
"Even I want to follow him. By the way, do you have his autograph? I am willing to pay a high price."
Wu Shen stood up.
Turned around.
And ran.
"I do not have it. Get lost."
He shouted while running, though technically he was the one leaving.
Outside the residence, he stopped, stood still for a long moment, then finally pulled out a brush and wrote a letter.
A few days later.
Chen Qianhu returned to Puzhou overnight, bringing with him six hundred frontier soldiers.
He raised his banner.
"The emperor is misguided, single-man rule will lead to ruin. I will set things right and contribute my part to governing the realm."
The reaction was immediate.
Explosive.
The people of Shanxi surged toward him like a tide.
Because he was Chen Qianhu.
The man everyone once misunderstood.
The man who looked cold but carried burning warmth inside.
The man people felt they owed.
"Chen Qianhu is a good man!"
"Chen Qianhu is right!"
"If nobles can rule, why not a so-called villain actor?"
"We support Chen Qianhu!"
Voices rose, overlapping, chaotic, passionate.
Behind the scenes, Wu Shen stepped forward and announced a massive financial backing, one that would make any traditional army envious.
The Prince of Dai declared support.
The Prince of Shen declared support.
And somewhere in the background, the ever-consistent Zhu Shenxuan remained perfectly, professionally invisible, only mentioning in passing that he was still interested in acquiring Chen Qianhu's autograph.
Meanwhile, on the road to Luoyang, Xing Honglang received the news.
She did not hesitate.
"Forget Zhu Youzhong. We are not suppressing that rebellion anymore. Turn back to Shanxi. Support Chen Qianhu."
Fun Facts: Why Chinese Culture Loves Strategy & Schemes:
1. It all starts with The Art of War
Long before modern strategy books existed, China already had The Art of War by Sun Tzu, a text that basically says:
"The best victory is the one you win without fighting."
This idea shaped an entire mindset where outsmarting someone is more admirable than overpowering them.
2. Strategy is entertainment, not just survival
In China, strategy isn't just for war, it's literally a form of daily entertainment.
Games like Go are insanely popular, and unlike chess, Go is less about killing pieces and more about long-term positioning, influence, and subtle control.
That reflects how people think:
Not "how do I win now?"
But "how do I shape the situation so winning becomes inevitable?"
3. 2000+ years of political chess
China's long imperial history means constant power struggles, court intrigue, and survival under authority.
From eras like the Warring States period, people learned that:
Being strong is risky
Being smart is safer
Being predictable is deadly
So naturally, scheming became a survival skill.
4. The legendary "36 Stratagems"
There's even a whole collection called Thirty-Six Stratagems, basically a handbook of clever tricks like:
"Hide a knife behind a smile"
"Loot a burning house"
"Make a sound in the east, strike in the west"
These aren't just military ideas, they show up in business, politics, and even everyday life.
5. Confucianism encourages subtle thinking
Philosophies like Confucianism emphasize harmony, hierarchy, and indirect communication.
Instead of saying things directly, people often:
Hint
Suggest
Maneuver socially
Which naturally builds a culture of reading between the lines and thinking several steps ahead.
6. Outsmarting = high IQ flex
In many Chinese stories, the hero is not the strongest fighter, but the smartest one.
Characters like Zhuge Liang became iconic not because of brute force, but because of:
Psychological warfare
Long-term planning
Turning weak positions into winning ones
So culturally, being strategic is seen as cool, elegant, and superior.
7. "Face" culture makes direct conflict risky
The concept of "face" (reputation and dignity) means people often avoid open confrontation.
Instead of direct clashes, they prefer:
Indirect moves
Behind-the-scenes influence
Quiet repositioning
Which again reinforces a scheme-first, conflict-later mindset.