Chapter 16 On the Dao (Part 1): Discussing the General Trends of the World
This was the first time Zhu Youchuan had met He Qinglan.
The legendary goddess, dressed in a white shirt and jeans, sat lazily in a wooden rocking chair, her long, black hair tied in a braid that swayed back and forth with the up-and-down movement of the chair.
Her face was fair and bright, but her eyes, which were fixed on Zhu Youchuan, were as cold as a deep pool.
She was completely different from what Zhu Youchuan had imagined; she didn't seem like someone who could be easily fooled.
As Zhu Youchuan thought this, a warm smile appeared on his face. He bowed and said, "I am Zhu Youchuan, greetings to the Goddess."
He Qinglan said calmly, "Sit down."
Zhu Youchuan and Cheng Hui sat on either side.
Qiutang served tea.
Zhu Youchuan picked up his teacup and took a slow, deliberate sip.
The tea was refreshing and mellow, unlike any tea he had ever drunk before. He looked down in surprise and saw that there was only clear tea in the teacup, nothing else, not even tea leaves.
No wonder it tastes so good! It has the pure aroma of tea, giving you a feeling of returning to nature.
Zhu Youchuan hurriedly asked Qiu Tang, "How was this tea brewed?"
Qiu Tang answered methodically, "It's not boiled. It's made by processing fresh tea leaves through steps such as fixing, stir-frying, baking, sun-drying, steaming, rolling, and drying to obtain green tea, which is then brewed with boiling water." She paused, "Nothing else is boiled in it; it's just pure tea brewing."
Hearing a string of unfamiliar words, Zhu Youchuan couldn't help but sigh, "So that's how it is. It seems that getting good tea isn't easy."
He took another sip and exclaimed sincerely, "Delicious! I have never tasted such delicious tea before. You must teach me, young lady!"
Qiu Tang nodded, "Brewing tea is easy, but making tea is troublesome. However, everyone is discussing opening a separate teahouse, so you can buy tea directly from the teahouse."
Ever since the goddess taught Master Cheng this method of brewing tea, everyone has enjoyed brewing and drinking tea this way, including this woman surnamed Zhu. But she doesn't understand: Is tea really that delicious?
Zhu Youchuan smiled and said, "Okay. Thank you for your guidance."
Qiu Tang sat down next to He Qinglan.
Zhu Youchuan put down his teacup, looked at He Qinglan with a serious expression, and began to get to the point.
"Now the world is in chaos, and the country is fragmented. Of the twelve provinces of our Great Wei Dynasty, Xingzhou, Pingzhou, and Shengzhou in the north are still under the control of the court. However, the current affairs of the court are controlled by Prime Minister Lu Wei, and His Majesty is young and has no real power. Lu Wei's son is of mediocre talent, but he has a very capable son-in-law named Xue Rang, who holds the official position of Minister of Works and is Lu Wei's right-hand man."
"Ganzhou and Chuzhou in the east are in Lu Hong's hands. These two places are rich and populous. Lu Hong holds these two prefectures with a strong army and many talented people under his command. However, Lu Hong is a rather petty person. He cannot stand to hear honest advice and does not like others to deny him."
"Chaozhou in the southeast is in the hands of Luo Boyuan. Luo Boyuan is the leader of the most powerful rebel army. He is brave and good at fighting and is a fierce general. However, he is arrogant and his civil administration does not seem to be very good. But at present, there are many enemies and the conflicts have not yet erupted.
"Ningzhou in the south is in the hands of the Cao family. The Cao family has controlled Ningzhou for more than two hundred years. The current head of the family is Cao Ruheng, but the actual person in charge of Ningzhou is his wife Ye Hui. Madam Ye was born a woman but has the ambition of a man. She is a heroine with many ideas and strategies. Ningzhou is relatively stable under her rule, and the people of Ningzhou live better than the people of other states."
"Maozhou and Liangzhou in the central region are in the hands of Sun Yannan. Sun Yannan comes from a noble family, is a young genius, and is respectful to scholars. He can be considered a great ruler of his generation. Many strategists and generals are willing to assist him in his quest for the world. Zhu Yunze, the eldest son of the direct line of the Lanling Zhu clan, also serves under him. At present, he should be the most promising one..."
"Qingzhou and Jinzhou in the west are still governed by governors appointed by the imperial court. On the surface, they belong to the imperial court, but what the two governors think in private is unknown."
Cheng Hui's hand, holding the teacup, paused in mid-air as he listened intently to Zhu Youchuan's detailed account of the current state of affairs in the world.
He couldn't help but sigh, "In this way, all parties will have to fight to the bitter end until someone is able to overpower all the others and ascend to the highest position."
Zhu Youchuan said, "The world, after a long period of unity, will inevitably divide, and after a long period of division, will inevitably unite. This has always been the case, and there will always be a victor. Today, the victor could be A or B, C or D, or even you, Goddess."
Cheng Hui: "!!!"
He resisted the urge to facepalm: You really are here to be the goddess's strategist!
Qiu Tang: "???"
Does this mean that the goddess is leading us humans in rebellion?
Zhu Youchuan ignored their reactions and confidently offered his suggestion to He Qinglan:
"If the goddess desires the world, she must first take Jinzhou." Which power doesn't have a province in its hands?
"Use Jinzhou as a base to attack the various barbarian tribes in the southwest and seize the entire southwest region. Although the southwest region is not as prosperous as the east and southeast, it has a rugged terrain, high mountains and dense forests, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."
"This is also to guard against the possibility that someone might join forces with the southwestern barbarians to launch a surprise attack from the rear, leaving us vulnerable to attacks from both sides."
"After that, we can unite with other states and overthrow the court in the name of 'purging the court of corrupt officials'; or we can unite with the Cao family in the south, Luo Boyuan in the southeast, and Lu Hong in the east to defeat Sun Yannan, the strongest of them all, and divide up his Maozhou and Liangzhou."
"Goddess, you have inexhaustible food and countless loyal people. I believe any power would be happy to cooperate with you."
He Qinglan listened to him without expression, then slowly asked, "What about the Northwest?"
Zhu Youchuan was stunned. "The Northwest?"
Just as Cheng Hui was marveling at how well-prepared this kid was, he was also taken aback: Northwest?
Both of them were puzzled.
Zhu Youchuan asked, "Why did you mention the Northwest? The Northwest is vast and sparsely populated, and in every respect..."
He Qinglan interrupted him, "Strategic depth."
Zhu Youchuan: "..."
A thoughtful expression appeared on his face as he mentally repeated the four words: strategic depth.
Cheng Hui frowned. "Strategic...depth?"
He Qinglan did not explain it to them in detail.
Her gaze lightly swept over Qiutang, and the little girl stared back at her blankly.
He Qinglan smiled faintly.
Zhu Youchuan snapped out of his daze, realizing that the goddess had managed to steer the conversation away like that. He composed himself and asked He Qinglan again, "What does the goddess think of my remarks just now?"
He Qinglan remained calm and composed, saying, "I think it's nothing special."
Zhu Youchuan: "..."
This goddess is indeed not easy to please.
He asked, "May I ask, where did I say something wrong?"
He Qinglan met his gaze. “The current political, economic, and cultural center is in the north. The north has warhorses and iron mines, which makes it easier to train cavalry. The southwest region, on the other hand, is mostly mountainous, hilly, and tribal, with limited arable land and population, and its economy is underdeveloped.”
"Furthermore, the climate in the southwest region is hot and humid, and there are many disease-carrying insects. Improvement and development cannot be achieved in just one or two years."
Her voice was cold and clear, "You speak so easily, but have you ever visited the homelands of these barbarian tribes?"
Zhu Youchuan: "..."
He awkwardly touched his nose. "Does the goddess have no interest in the world?"
He Qinglan said, "I want to tell you that if you intend to stay, be practical and do something useful, don't just make empty promises." I'm not buying it.
Cheng Hui took a sip of tea.
He smiled kindly and changed the subject, "Young Master Zhu comes from the Zhu family of Lanling and is exceptionally talented. Why did you choose to come to Yunhe?"
With the world in chaos, this is the perfect time for talents like Zhu Youchuan to shine. He has a good family background and ability, and in principle, he should be accepted wherever he goes.
It's truly baffling that he would come to Yunhe County to meet the goddess.
Zhu Youchuan said, "Although my surname is Zhu, I am not a direct descendant of the Lanling Zhu clan, but merely a member of a collateral branch."
"and……"
The young man took out a fan made of golden bamboo from his pocket, opened it with a "snap," and shook it pretentiously. "Master Cheng, if I may ask, what is your 'Dao'?"
"The Way"? Cheng Hui was stunned.
After a moment, the old man laughed loudly, “My way is to cultivate one’s own virtue when poor, and to benefit all under heaven when successful.”
And he truly practiced it.
I hope that, within my own power, more people can benefit from the goddess's grace and survive in this chaotic world.
Zhu Youchuan turned to look at He Qinglan, "What about the Goddess's Dao?"
He Qinglan calmly said, "Those who obey me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish."
Zhu Youchuan choked.
Cheng Hui was also taken aback, never expecting to hear such a reply from the goddess who had benefited all living beings.
After all, since he met He Qinglan, he felt that she was a kind and easy-going person. She was very good to them, the common people, and she would listen to the suggestions made by everyone in the "temporary office". She didn't seem like a domineering or dictatorial person...
Well, does the goddess seem so easy to talk to because they've always gone along with her, tried every means to please her, and never disobeyed her?
He Qinglan glanced at Zhu Youchuan.
Zhu Youchuan received the message and smiled reservedly: "My path is 'law'."
"I hope that the monarch I follow can govern the country by law, govern officials by law, and govern the people by law."
The so-called "law does not favor the noble" and "punishment does not spare high officials, and rewards do not overlook even the common people."
“There are many heroes in the world, but I believe they cannot inspire me to follow my path.” Zhu Youchuan looked at He Qinglan with burning eyes. “That’s why I came to you. I want to see a different future.”
A different future?
What kind of future?
Cheng Hui's gaze shifted from Zhu Youchuan to He Qinglan's face, secretly anticipating the goddess's answer.
He Qinglan lived up to expectations, "Law?"
She recalled two sentences from her memory and recited them: "The state is the product of irreconcilable class contradictions, and the law is a tool used by the ruling class to maintain its ruling position and implement its class will through state power." [1]
A note from the author:
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1. [1] A famous quote I learned from a political textbook in junior high school, which comes from Marxism.
2. I've been watching and commenting on the new Three Kingdoms series these past few days, and while writing this chapter, the image of "four generations of high-ranking officials" kept replaying in my mind [crying emoji].
3. [Rebel 101 Chat Group]
The young emperor (cursing Lu Wei day and night to a terrible death): Thank you for still calling me Your Majesty.
Lu Wei (the reincarnation of Zhou Gong): I tried to save the collapsing edifice, but the world slandered and defamed me. However, no matter how many people misunderstand me, I am still me.
We'll wipe out you traitors sooner or later!
Xue Rang (whoever wants to be the male lead in this romance novel can be): Author, does my father-in-law genuinely believe he is a loyal minister?
P.S.: Don't copy lines from TV dramas.
Lu Hong (the Wise Ruler): He is petty and cannot stand hearing others say unpleasant things. Author, do you think this is me or yourself?
Luo Boyuan (If I can't survive, I'll rebel against him): You Zhu family brat, are you being sarcastic? I should just become Huang Chao and crush all of you powerful clans!
Ye Hui (With great power comes great responsibility): Zhu, a newcomer, has also picked up those bad habits of making grand pronouncements and empty promises. That's how Zhu Er fooled me back then.
Sun Yannan (I am the vanguard of the Qing Emperor's side): Zhu Da also fooled me in the same way, and I happily accepted the offer!
He Qinglan (Food is the most important thing for the people): Speechless.jpg
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