Chapter 696 – A Great Personage (2/2)

Seeing the Pope's face, Chen Changsheng felt rather sorrowful and sad, that this was unfair of both this great earth and the starry heavens above.

The Pope was younger than Shang Xingzhou by two years.

He was keenly aware that if his martial uncle had not encountered so many conflicts between his own demands and the situation of the world, and thus been unable to maintain a truly serene Dao heart, he would never have aged so quickly.

From the look on his face, the Pope knew what he was thinking. Smiling, he asked, ”Are you not thinking that good people do not live long?”

Chen Changsheng silently nodded.

”But I am not at all a good person. Of course, even if that statement is true, it is no reason for us to become bad people.”

Chen Changsheng was very pleased by these words. Opening wide his bright eyes, he seriously affirmed, ”Yes.”

The Pope wiped the beads of water from the Green Leaf. Taking the towel offered by Chen Changsheng to wipe his hands, he indicated that Chen Changsheng should sit. ”Your master has been very quiet over these past few days. Do you not think it strange?”

Both the Orthodox Academy's defiance of the decree and Wang Po's entering the capital were major events for the new government, but Shang Xingzhou had not once given his opinion on them, not even saying anything during the celebration of the confluence of the north and south.

Chen Changsheng clearly understood that this was not in accordance with his master's personality, but he was truly not concerned about it.

”In these past few days, he has been constantly attempting to get the Imperial Court to control the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets,” the Pope went on. ”It seems now that he's on the verge of success.”

No matter how little Chen Changsheng cared about these matters, he still couldn't help but be shocked by this statement.

The Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets was no ordinary organization, and possessed an unimaginable amount of resources and power. When the Divine Empress reigned, the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets could have been considered one of the strongest pillars of the Great Zhou Imperial Court. Now, with both the Divine Empress and the Elder of Heavenly Secrets dead, if Shang Xingzhou were able to keep the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets under the control of the Imperial Court, it would be a truly extraordinary feat.

The importance of this matter could not be overestimated.

The rebellion in Xuelao City had killed humanity's greatest foe in one thousand years, momentarily addressing the danger of the demons encroaching southward. Immediately after, he unhesitantly took over negotiations from Tianhai's government to dependably and prudently push the confluence of the north and south forward until both sides finally signed. If Shang Xingzhou was even able to settle the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets…

Even if he remained reading books in that little room in the Imperial Palace, not seeing people much, he would still be a god in the hearts of the people.

”To Senior Brother, this is not at all perfect.”

The Pope gazed at Chen Changsheng and said, ”You know what he wanted to do at the very start.”

Chen Changsheng knew.

To Shang Xingzhou, the ideal situation was nothing else than him once more possessing the authority of the Orthodoxy after the Pope died.

However, although he was a member of the Orthodoxy's legitimate line of succession, many events had happened in the past and he was also the Pope's senior brother, so from all sorts of angles, it was impossible for him to ascend to the throne of Pope.

Thus, after the night of the Mausoleum of Books, the first thing he did was push forward Mu Jiushi and attempt to replace Chen Changsheng, but he did not succeed.

It was precisely because he had failed to smoothly seize the Orthodoxy that he put so much of his mind into ensuring that the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets would fall into his hands.

The Pope suddenly said, ”Position is relative, as is importance.”

Chen Changsheng recalled that the phrase 'Position is relative' had been written in the first page of Wang Zhice's notebook.

”To create a balance between position and importance, thus preventing the entire world from dancing according to the whims of people like us, is what I have wanted to do throughout these past few years.”

The Pope looked him in the eyes and said, ”Only this way can the ordinary people living in this world live slightly more steady lives.”

Chen Changsheng understood.

In the later years of Emperor Xian, the Pope had supported the Divine Empress. This time, he had supported his master and the Chen Imperial Clan. Now, with his master and the Imperial Court at the peak of power, the Orthodoxy wanted to travel in the opposite direction, the further the better.

This was related to his feelings and his Dao, but it could also be said to have no relationship. This was an indiscriminate benevolence to the millions of people of the world, but in specific matters, it could often appear sticky and rough.

He also understood why his martial uncle was telling him these things.

These were teachings, a legacy, the current Pope instructing his successor.

”Understanding does not mean I can do it.”

Chen Changsheng thought of the storm over the Mausoleum of Books, the corpses by the road, the blood and fire in the capital, and fell into a daze.

”Perhaps I still haven't learned how to be a great personage.”

……