The Great Ming in the Box-Chapter 79: I Am a Weak Person
Bai Yuan was not a native of Gaojia Village, and he had no desire to involve himself too deeply in Wang Er’s affairs. After all, he needed to maintain a clear boundary with rebels. Seizing the opportunity while Gao Chuwu was speaking rashly, he grabbed Gao Chuwu’s arm, dragged him out of the courtyard, and slipped away himself, washing his hands of the matter.
Wang Er: “I am forever grateful for Gaojia Village’s repeated aid. I, Wang Er, owe you far too much. The greater my debt, the more I must refuse to burden you. Brothers… carry me away…”
These last words were directed at the men from Wangjia Village.
Thirty-Two approached Gao Yiye and whispered, “If the Deity is willing to protect Wang Er, he could stay in our village without issue. No matter how powerful the imperial court may be, how could it ever rival a god? But we do not know the Deity’s will. Should we speak up and ask Wang Er to stay?”
Gao Yiye shook her head at Thirty-Two: “The Deity has not yet issued any divine decree.”
Li Daoxuan was reflecting on a deeper question: “Should I decide this matter, or leave it to the people in the miniature world?”
He was an unshakable authority in the eyes of Gaojia Village’s residents. With a single word, the villagers would obey without question and follow his every instruction.
Before this, he had never hesitated to guide them in various matters, hoping to spare them unnecessary hardship.
But Wang Er’s situation was different.
Gaojia Village had saved Wang Er’s life, yet he showed no joy. Instead, his face was etched with worry and an urgent desire to leave, terrified of bringing disaster to the village.
For this righteous hero, his own life seemed unimportant. He held convictions far exceeding his survival—he craved not protection in the palm of another’s hand but to stand tall and shield others instead.
He needed a larger stage to perform more deeds of valor, a goal impossible to achieve merely by hiding within Gaojia Village under Li Daoxuan’s protection.
Though Li Daoxuan reflected that centuries of accumulated knowledge and perspective separated him from those in the miniature world, he did not feel entitled to dictate another’s life path.
In the miniature world, Thirty-Two remained hesitant: “Sister Yiye… could you perhaps… ask the Deity?”
But as soon as these words left his mouth, he abruptly slapped his own face with a sharp “crack”: “Fool! How dare we trouble His Eminence with the trivial struggles of the mortal realm? His immense grace in protecting this land with divine power is already beyond generosity.”
Pacing restlessly, he searched for Bai Yuan’s opinion—only to realize Bai Yuan hadn’t returned after dragging Gao Chuwu away and was long gone, avoiding involvement.
Just then, Li Daoxuan spoke: “Yiye, tell Wang Er: if he chooses to stay, I will ensure his protection. But if he wishes to leave, I respect his decision for his own life.”
Gao Yiye rushed with pride, promptly straightening her posture and announcing solemnly: “Brother Wang, the Deity has spoken…”
After listening quietly to Gao Yiye’s message, Wang Er’s expression turned peculiar. He lifted his head to the sky. At a height of over sixty zhang, only a low cloud was visible—with no sign of any being overhead: “The Deity? Who—?”
Thirty-Two answered: “Dao Xuan Deity, the god who protects this land. Everything we gave you earlier came from His blessing.”
Wang Er stared blankly. Unable to rise for a formal bow due to his injuries, he cupped his hands weakly toward the heavens: “I thank the Deity for his kindness… but… still… let me go.”
Knew it! Li Daoxuan thought.
Thirty-Two frowned in distress: “You are not a wicked man. Your rebellion arose only because officials stole your seed grain—justifiable cause! Someone like you deserves peace… why refuse the Deity’s goodwill?”
Wang Er gave a bitter smile: “Yet my own men committed murder and arson, slaughtering women and children. They even attacked Gaojia Village and tried to kill me as well. How dare I call myself a good man before you? How could I be worthy of sheltering within your village under the Deity’s protection?”
Silence blanketed the crowd at these heavy words.
Thirty-Two murmured: “This world has gone astray… the imperial court is flawed, yet the rebels are as well… but where exactly lies the root of this corruption? I… I am unable to comprehend such matters…”
Wang Er said, “That Third Lady wished to help me moves me deeply.” He turned and roared at the Wangjia Village men: “What are you waiting for? Lift me—now! The longer we remain in Gaojia Village, the greater trouble we invite upon this place!”
Casting timid glances at the sky, the men from Wangjia Village lifted the stretcher. Saluting deeply toward Thirty-Two and Gao Yiye, they departed.
Li Daoxuan did not intervene.
Thirty-Two also offered no resistance.
The villagers lining the path remained silent, watching somberly. Gao Chuwu took half a step forward, only to be pulled back firmly by the Village Chief.
Seeing the villagers’ reactions, Li Daoxuan understood: most wished Wang Er to leave. Ultimately, they were law-abiding commoners. When Wang Er first rallied his uprising, he’d invited people from Wangjia, Zhuangjia, and Zhengjia Villages to join him. But none accepted and later followed Thirty-Two’s lead to Gaojia Village instead.
From that day forth, both their bodies and souls had diverged from Wang Er’s path.
As that quote from the movie Hero Unknown implied: they too were “weak people, unable to adapt to this era of titanic upheavals.”
Yet weakness in itself is no sin—as long as it does not lead to disloyalty. And if they could remain peaceful, what harm was there in being weak?
Li Daoxuan permitted his little inhabitants their peaceful weakness! For in the ordinary world, he accepted that he, too, was no fearless hero.
Wang Er eventually passed through the outer gates of Gaojia Fortress. Crossing the northern slope, he saw the “labor offenders” pausing to watch him with shamed eyes as they chopped wood.
But Wang Er did not reproach them. Without a word, he vanished into the forest alongside his men from Wangjia Village.
“Now that they’ve left… will they have food?” Gao Yiye asked anxiously.
“They will!” Bai Yuan suddenly reappeared: “When we rescued him earlier, several carts of grain remained in that cave. With more than half of Wang Er’s forces gone, those supplies will feed his group in the mountains for over a year!”
Gao Yiye finally relaxed.
Watching this, Li Daoxuan also felt little reason to linger. He stretched his arms and stood up from the miniature world—staring at it intensely for long spells was utterly exhausting. He ought to move about a little, he thought—perhaps perform a set of calisthenics?
Just then, his phone rang. “Sir, this is Shunfeng Delivery. We have a package requiring personal receipt at your location.”
“Oh?” Only then did Li Daoxuan recall—some sales manager from Ningyang Toy Company had phoned at dawn to arrange delivery of toy samples for his video reviews. The day’s events within the miniature world had proven so utterly engrossing that he’d forgotten all about it.
“Alright, deliver it to my door. I’m home right now.”
.
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Chapter 79: I Am a Weak Person
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