Iron Dynasty Chapter 1054

Ge’s Mansion.

Ge Yiren hurled the newspaper to the ground and stomped it furiously multiple times.

He figured Wang Chengye’s demise yesterday would force Xiao Ming to rethink the damage from this government decree, yet Xiao Ming remained utterly determined, formally issuing the decree that very morning.

“Elder Ge, take a look? The Emperor is obviously blocking everyone’s path to survival.” Next to Ge Yiren sat a middle-aged man around forty, sipping his morning tea, a sarcastic smirk playing on his face right then.

Ge Yiren shot a sidelong glance at the man. He was an old acquaintance from the south, once a renowned great Confucian scholar there. But once the Empire adopted New Confucianism, his standing had crashed dramatically.

Eventually, when he hit rock bottom, he arrived in Qingzhou claiming he wished to learn New Confucianism from him. Thus, Ge Yiren sheltered him and even set up a classroom where he could lecture on New Confucianism.

“So what of it? The world belongs to him. His word is law. Who would dare defy him?” Ge Yiren spat out in fury.

Though part of the Cabinet, he ranked as the grand secretary with the least prestige and zero actual authority.

His colleagues wielded immense influence over industry, economy, and state matters, whereas he merely oversaw Confucian classrooms across the realm, tasked with dismantling the Confucianism he’d devoted his life to and pushing New Confucianism instead.

Most crucially, the further he spread New Confucianism, the clearer it became: his own position kept sinking lower and lower.

In bygone days, great Confucian scholars commanded immense respect. Emperors through the ages eagerly recruited them as officials and avoided offending them.

Courtiers never dared act arrogant before him. Even outside officialdom, such scholars wielded huge sway over the court.

Yet New Confucianism changed everything—it was mere scholarly theory now, stripped of any sway over politics or governance. It paled far beside the old Confucian rule of the state.

That’s when Ge Yiren, who’d assumed it was just a rebrand of the same ideas, grasped he’d tumbled into a pitfall Xiao Ming had cunningly laid.

“That’s the peril of unchecked imperial authority,” Ren He drawled lazily.

Ge Yiren’s brows furrowed. “What exactly do you mean?”

Sipping his tea lightly, Ren He replied, “In my lean years, I brokered deals between Western traders and our own merchants. I picked up some insights on their monarchies. Sure, they have kings too, but those rulers can’t just follow every fleeting fancy.”

Ge Yiren grew instantly alert. “Why does that ring such a bell?”

“It should— the Merchant Parliament spouted the exact same line. They called for curbing the Emperor’s authority, only to get crushed by Xiao Ming. What a pity,” Ren He chuckled.

“How dare you!” Ge Yiren nearly leaped up like a stepped-on cat. The Merchant Parliament was outright heresy; anything tied to it spelled doom. “Ren He, I took pity on your fall and housed you, fed you. I never dreamed you’d plot against me.”

Ren He dropped his grin then too. Rising, he confronted Ge Yiren squarely. “Brother Ge, enough with the probing. If I meant you harm, why wait? I could’ve sent a secret report exposing the forbidden teachings in your Confucian classroom.”

Ge Yiren’s face shifted, then he forced a grin. “Just a jest, merely a jest.”

Ren He resumed his seat. “We go way back. How could I miss what’s brewing in your mind? With this decree rolling out, your Ge clan will likely fade from court circles bit by bit.”

Pausing briefly, he added, “Over the years, the Emperor’s rolled out plenty of such decrees. They’ve no doubt fortified the Empire, but at the expense of folks like us. Now, after conquests north and south yielding vast domains, we still reap no gains from those territories. Doesn’t that irk you, Brother Ge?”

Ge Yiren’s gaze turned profound. “Even if I resent it, what can I do? Every official’s hailing him as an emperor for the ages.”

“A true emperor for the ages wouldn’t act so rashly. Only by limiting imperial power can we safeguard our stakes,” Ren He pressed.

“Limit imperial power?” Ge Yiren burst into laughter. “You jest. Who in the Empire could check the Emperor?”

Ren He sneered. “Do you think it’s yours to seize? Expect the Emperor to clip his own wings? Ever wonder how Western parliaments arose?”

Ge Yiren paused, taken aback. Thanks to the Empire’s overseas wars, everyone knew the West’s ways by now.

The global landscape was common knowledge these days.

“The world isn’t solely the West. And under this Emperor, our Empire outshines them. How do you account for that?” Ge Yiren countered.

“Technology—that’s why. Were the West armed with our tech, the Empire wouldn’t hold much edge over those European powers today,” Ren He urged, fanning the flames.

Suddenly, Ge Yiren laughed heartily. “Why push the Europeans so hard? Sure, the Emperor’s decree stings many interests, but I, Ge Yiren, won’t betray the realm.”

Ren He eyed him astonished, then smiled. “Brother Ge, you’re pulling my leg. I’m an Empire man too—how could I stoop so low? I just grieve for the Empire’s myriad nobles. This decree’s passage means tough times ahead for you all.”

At that, Ge Yiren’s temper soured instantly. Xiao Ming had essentially driven him to retire in disgrace, mirroring Wang Chengye’s fate and costing him all dignity.

Mulling it over, he found Ren He’s points hitting home. “This decree will surely rile the nobles greatly. Yet the Emperor’s prestige looms too vast—no one can halt it, none dare speak out.”

Seeing Ge Yiren soften, Ren He pushed on. “No haste, Brother Ge. The Empire’s populace is awakening now; a subtle nudge could yield huge results. Your sway in Confucian classrooms is vast. Keep spreading New Confucianism. My recent studies show this very New Confucianism, key to Xiao Ming’s triumphs, can backfire on him. We bide our time. Then, rallying the nobles, we’ll curb imperial power, forcing his every decree to win noble majority approval first.”

“Really now?” Ge Yiren, who’d skimmed New Confucianism lightly, felt a spark of intrigue at Ren He’s claim.

“Absolutely certain. Doubt me? I’ll break it down step by step. But first, Brother Ge, stay the course. Urge the nobles to avoid clashing with the Emperor at all costs,” Ren He concluded.