Feng Yu Jiu Tian - Volume 16 - Chapter 1.2

Cursing at the implementation of the Grace Order could be considered Su Jin Chao’s expertise. It was as if a problem he had repeatedly practiced how to solve turned up on a big exam. He was ready to smoothly answer such a question.

“This so-called ‘equality’ the Grace Order wants is, after all is said done, meant to take all the wealth and rights of the nobles and hand them over to the lowly commoners. It is the power to snatch away generations of the nobility’s hard work and prestige. Xi Lei has stood for hundreds of years, and even the kings of past gave favour and showered the nobles with kindness. In return, the nobles have always been loyal and devoted to the royal family. It is thanks to this harmonious relationship between the king and his subjects that Xi Lei has become as magnificent as it is today. However, Rong Tian’s aspirations have become too hard to stomach. While his own officials are serving him faithfully within the palace, he is scheming to expel these people from the palace and let lowly peasants take over their positions. If it were not for my king, Rong Tong, finding out about this conspiracy, I am afraid Xi Lei would have already been turned upside down with its dignity becoming difficult to salvage.”

Su Jin Chao released all of his repressed thoughts and returned to a state of calm. He stood before Feng Ming’s seat as if he were in a superior position and looked down at him in reproach. “This order has shaken Xi Lei from its core, hurting generations of nobles that are loyal to the royal family and has caused my Xi Lei to fall apart and become divided. So I ask the young Lord, is this not enough reason to prove his betrayal towards Xi Lei?”

His words had gained plenty of approval from the audience.

Seated here today were those born to nobility. From birth till now, they had lived a life of luxury in a position of superiority. Their roles as officials were inevitable. They never had to worry about how to feed themselves or how to keep warm. Who among them would agree to their king wishing to implement an edict that would deny them of those benefits and make their life more difficult?

Feng Ming, since the moment he had issued the challenge to Su Jin Chao, since the latter had opened his mouth to curse at the Grace Order and Rong Tian, until he had arrived in front of his seat, had kept up the image of a well-behaved, enthusiastic student, harmless in appearance. Holding on to his good temper, he had listened to all of Su Jin Chao’s eloquent argument.

Looking at Su Jin Chao who was standing before him and questioning him aggressively, Feng Ming raised his head, blinked his eyes, and unhurriedly asked, “Assistant Su believes that when people are born, they are divided into 359 distinctions*, correct?”

[TLN : 人生来有就分三五九等 - people are divided into 359 and so on. See foot note coz it’s a long one.]

“Of course.”

“May I ask… who would you consider valuable and who useless?”

Su Jin Chao laughed sarcastically. “The most valuable would be the royal family. Second would be the nobles and their offspring. The inferior commoners are naturally the useless ones.”

Zi Yan, who was next to Feng Ming, could not help but feel angry listening to that sentence.

His family’s background was common. From a young age, he had been forced to join the army and had experienced surviving the horrors of eating rotten food just to stay alive. He had also been subjected to the nobles’ oppression. Xi Lei’s army worked under this system as well. For commoners, no matter how great their achievements or how brave they were entering enemy territory and slaughtering them, they would forever be oppressed and remain lowly soldiers. If a commanding officer wishes to drink, then they will drink with them, but at the same time, there was still the chance of being whipped if the superior calls for it. However, those children of nobility, no matter how timid or cowardly they were, once they join the army, they are given a higher ranking. When running into an enemy, they will shirk their duties and run away, but on an ordinary day, they remain inside the camp behaving in domineering and arrogant ways, abusing the lowly soldiers.

If not for Rong Tian’s interest and trust in him, taking him out of the barracks and secretly training him, Zi Yan feared he would still be suffering the lashings and become a waste under the hands of those pigs and dogs called nobles.

[TLN: 猪  狗  - pigs and dogs - despicable sinister person / curse words]

Acting all proud and complacent in front of him while spouting rubbish, one could see that this bastard was also a spoiled noble brat. He dared to behave this nonsensically in front of him, a commoner. He was really asking to be killed!

Even though Zi Yan was extremely angry, he was naturally a reserved person and would not show any fluctuations of emotions on his face. He raised his head and looked at Su Jin Chao who was standing proudly and arrogantly in front of Duke Ming. His hand was secretly holding on to the hilt of his sword, his fingers loosening and tightening their grip repeatedly.

He Di’s eyesight was incredibly good. Even though it seemed like his eyes were unrestrained in taking liberties at eyeing the beautiful body of the woman next to him, his eyes were actually observing Zi Yan’s every move and actions. Even the most trifling thing did not escape him.

“I, however, do not feel the same way.” Feng Ming spoke with a mild and gentle voice, a slight smile was on his face. “I believe that anyone can rise above the sky if they make enough effort to accomplish their dream. Humans are born equal and have no distinctions.”

With this sentence, the entire hall fell into an uproar.

“Humans are born equal and have no distinctions.” If these words were said in modern times, then there generally would not have been such a huge reaction. Even a kid in primary school could understand such a concept and would not bother much about it.

But in this ancient time period, the hierarchy was incredibly strict. His words could be seen as quite a revolutionizing statement.

* Footnote...............................

Read these to further understand the meaning of people are divided into 359 and so on – by Cocomice on douban

People, is indeed divided into three hundred fifty-nine and so this sentence without any discrimination in the composition of the genetic or biological genetic point of view it is undeniable fact

Someone can be born to live an aristocratic life with bright prospects for wealthy families, highly educated parents of various factors paving the way for his success

And some people are born to bear a lot of things _have no chance to realize their own ideals but also for the trivia of life and rush to the green and then finally wasted into a vulgar tacky people

Of course, people are divided into 359 and so on, but nine people can also become a successful person. The speed of that day depends on the degree of insistence for your dream.