Chapter 946: The Plan to Unify the Hundred Schools Begins

"This is merely fate, like how the Xuanyuan Cauldron emerged due to the will of Heaven. When the time is right, it will naturally appear," Chen Xi said with a smile.

"Fate, huh?" Jian Yong looked at Chen Xi wistfully. He didn’t say anything further. Was everything really so coincidental? Was it all due to fate? The more accurately he grasped his literary thoughts, the more it felt as if everything had already been predestined by Chen Xi.

"Yes, the will of Heaven!" Chen Xi nodded firmly.

"Alright, I believe you." Jian Yong smiled. Sometimes, it's best not to seek out the truth too deeply—it benefits everyone that way.

After assigning all the tasks, Liu Bei, along with his group, returned to Ye City, while the generals led their troops to clear out the bandits in Ji Province. The civil officials, on the other hand, gathered in small groups, discussing how to handle their respective administrative duties, as governing a country was no simpler than planning military strategies.

"Wenru, are you sure no one will notice the flaw in the object you made this time?" Chen Xi asked with some concern.

"Rest assured, these petty tricks of mine are quite refined. It would be very difficult for anyone to surpass what I’ve done," Li You replied calmly. He had crafted an artifact representing the unification of the Hundred Schools according to Chen Xi’s request.

"But I feel like Xianhe has already noticed something," Chen Xi said, still uneasy.

"It doesn’t matter if he notices; the key is whether others accept it. As long as the world acknowledges this thing—even if it's fake—it will become real!" Li You sneered. "Do you think Xianhe would reveal his suspicions to anyone else?"

"No, but I’m worried others might figure out the problem from the artifact itself," Chen Xi said, rubbing his temples.

"You don’t have to worry about that. The artifact is indeed a five-thousand-year-old oracle bone, and it genuinely contains divination symbols. I just added a few strokes. Oh, and the turtle shell is naturally black and white!" Li You smiled, finding the coincidence amusing. In truth, they had stumbled upon this object by sheer luck.

"That’s too convenient, don’t you think?" Chen Xi was slightly dumbfounded, feeling that the situation was almost too perfect.

"Alright, no more jokes. Yes, it’s a coincidence, but you could also call it fate. On a practical level, we dug up tens of thousands of early writings and divination symbols. Finding one or two extraordinary pieces is perfectly normal," Li You explained with a laugh.

"Why so many?" Chen Xi was startled at first but then gave Li You a puzzled look. This was supposedly from 5,000 years ago—how could there be so much?

"True, there are only a handful from 5,000 years ago, but artifacts from the Yu dynasty over 3,000 years ago, and the Shang dynasty from 2,000 years ago, also exist, so you get the idea." Li You smiled, fully aware of the immense value of these relics.

"You didn’t damage any of them, did you?" Chen Xi nodded, realizing it made sense. If there had been such an advanced civilization 5,000 years ago, it would have been recorded in history long ago.

"The scholars who helped excavate the site were so excited that they would never harm such priceless treasures. If anything, private hoarding is more likely," Li You said, shaking his head. "But even hoarding won’t affect much. The quantity is sufficient, and everything has been documented. They won’t be able to take anything away. Right now, the artifacts are being carefully preserved and studied around the clock."

"Did anyone notice the modifications you made?" Chen Xi asked cautiously.

"I didn’t make any modifications—Master Kong Cheng discovered them himself," Li You said, giving Chen Xi a sidelong glance as if denying any involvement.

"Oh, I didn’t do anything either," Chen Xi nodded, playing along. "What did Master Kong Cheng think?"

"He perfectly explained the concept of 'All Schools Originating from One,' and his explanation was even more comprehensive than what we had prepared," Li You replied expressionlessly.

"Given that it was excavated by a large group of people, including renowned scholars like Wang Yan, Bing Genju, Guan Youan, and Zhao Binqing, their scrutiny left no room for error. The theory of 'All Schools from One Source' is now flawless," Li You added, watching Chen Xi with curiosity, wondering how such an idea had even crossed his mind.

"How flawless are we talking about?" Chen Xi frowned. He needed a clear answer. What if some genius emerged from nowhere, not questioning the authenticity of the artifact but instead refuting the entire theory? That would spell disaster.

"Even the likes of Cai Shizhong and Lu Zhonglang could find no fault in it. The foundation of your original design already unified the philosophical framework, and their input has only made it even more perfect," Li You said with admiration, wondering how Chen Xi could come up with such an idea.

"Heh." Chen Xi chuckled, not elaborating further. The idea wasn’t something that could just be thought up casually, but replicating it was simple. Now that even esteemed scholars like Cai Yong and Lu Zhi couldn’t find any flaws, it meant that the prehistoric, pre-literate history of this world had essentially been rewritten.

Li You glanced at Chen Xi but didn’t ask any more questions. Genius like his wasn’t something to joke about—it seemed he really had come up with this idea.

With the certainty that the "All Schools from One Source" concept had been solidified, Chen Xi finally felt at ease. This was the first step toward China’s journey into the world. The Huaxia civilization had never claimed bloodline superiority; its legacy was always one of culture.

The conflict between Mohism and Yangism had persisted until Yangism disappeared into history. The rivalry between Confucianism and Mohism continued until Mohism was eradicated. However, cultural ties were far stronger than bloodlines. No matter the changes, the ultimate bond would remain unbroken. Conquest or counter-conquest, it would always return to being one family in the end.

Using a millennia-old civilization’s culture, combined with a level of inclusivity far beyond historical norms, they would slowly dye the entire world the same color. Supported by the mightiest civilization with unparalleled military strength, their journey beyond the Central Plains to the world beyond was just beginning!

Conquering the world wasn’t just about military strength. Sometimes, the slow, subtle invasion of culture could turn people into "one of us" before they even realized it. Especially in China, where the emphasis was on cultural rather than bloodline inheritance, successfully civilizing outsiders had always been the highest ideal of any scholar.

Fighting constantly was too discordant; assimilation was the true path forward. Military conquest, unless it annihilated everything, would eventually face backlash. An entire nation bathed in blood wasn’t something Chen Xi desired.

As a nation wielding the strongest military might of the era, draped in the robes of sages, adorned with the mantle of civilizing the world, and shining with the aura of truth and beauty, they now had the foundation to spread their influence across the globe.

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