Cheng Yao did not continue speaking but took out the long sword that he had obtained at the Royal Yuya Villa for several million silver dollars. He drew out the long sword and looked at the sharp blade and continued speaking:
"According to the intelligence I've received, Wei State began selling weapons to the Canglan Empire and Japan several months ago. If Wei State hadn't had new weapons, it would have been impossible for it to sell so many weapons and armor. This shows that Wei State must have been so confident because of its new weapons, and even after selling all its old weapons and armor, it still had enough strength to defend itself.
There was also a war between the State of Wei and the Canglan Empire. No large-scale war occurred at all. The most casualties in the conflict between the State of Wei and the Canglan Empire were officials and aristocratic families in the Canglan Empire who did not obey the leadership of the Canglan Empress.
Therefore, based on these circumstances, Cheng can conclude that the war between Wei and the Canglan Empire is just a show for the other countries on Shengwu Continent. Wei and the Canglan Empire are not enemies at all, but allies.
Chu Zhenglin didn't expect that Cheng Yao knew about the private transactions between the Wei court and the Canglan Empress Liu Mengli. Although Chu Zhenglin also knew that such a thing could not be hidden from everyone, he didn't expect that the first person to see through the relationship between Wei and the Canglan Empire was the Confucian scholar Cheng Yao.
Chu Zhenglin said, "Isn't Cheng Daru overthinking it? If our Wei Kingdom sold all its weapons and armor to the Canglan Empire, and now the Canglan Empire has declared war on our Wei Kingdom, wouldn't that mean our Wei Kingdom is aiding the enemy? Does Cheng Daru think our current emperor is such a fool?
Of course, Wei's sale of weapons to Wa was entirely out of humanitarian considerations. After all, Wa had been invaded by other countries on Shengwu Continent this year. We, Wei, had also been invaded by the Xiongnu, and we felt the same way about Wa's plight.
Cheng Yao shook his head, not believing a word Chu Zhenglin said. Wei State must have had a bigger agenda by hiding its intentions.
Cheng Yao said, “Although your explanation seems reasonable, Prince Chu, I believe more in the intelligence I received and what I saw in Kaifeng City.
I don’t know what exactly Wei’s plan was for Japan, or what Wei wanted to gain from Japan that would allow the Emperor of Wei to tolerate Japan’s provocation in the enthronement of Prince Teng, and still assist Japan with such dedication.
However, Cheng is 100% certain of the transaction between Wei and the Canglan Empire. Prince Chu also knows that Cheng is a great scholar from the Julu Academy, whose Confucian scholars are spread across every corner of the Shengwu Continent. It just so happens that the official in charge of the Canglan Empire's trade with Wei is a student of Julu Academy. Cheng naturally trusts his student's intelligence even more.
Chu Zhenglin's eyes turned cold, and he said in a cold tone, "Mr. Cheng should be thankful that Julu Academy and the State of Wei have just signed an agreement. From now on, Julu Academy will be part of the State of Wei. Otherwise, I will never allow anyone who knows about this to continue living in this world."
Cheng Yao remained calm and responded, "It is because of the agreement signed with the State of Wei that I dare to speak out about these things. Furthermore, I am the only one in Julu Academy who knows about this matter. I am speaking out about it now so that I can have a frank exchange with the prince and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings in the future."
After all, since the Wei State has done things so secretly, there must be a huge conspiracy. Cheng also knows the seriousness of this matter being leaked, so if the prince hadn't mentioned this matter, Cheng would never have mentioned it on his own initiative.
Seeing that Cheng Yao was so frank and not prepared to investigate further, Chu Zhenglin thought, after all, even if he killed Cheng Yao today, who knows if Cheng Yao has prepared a backup plan, since the other party has already taken Julu Academy to join the Wei State, and the development of the Wei State really needs the support of Julu Academy.
Chu Zhenglin took a deep breath and said slowly, "I don't have the authority to tell Cheng Daru about the inside story, but I want to say that Cheng Daru's guesses are basically correct. It is absolutely wise for Cheng Daru to take Julu Academy to join the Wei Kingdom today.
And as Cheng Daru just said, if Julu Academy had not been brought to Wei today, the Wei court would not have been able to accept Julu Academy in a few months. By that time, the first batch of students from Wei's five universities would have graduated. They had received a unique educational system, and their thoughts had been profoundly shaped.
Even if Wei still lacked scholars and talent, it would have more than enough to last for a while. The five universities could continuously train new students, and Wei would no longer be short of talent in a few years. If Julu Academy wanted to join them, it would only bring disadvantages to Wei.
I think by then, Your Majesty will no longer need external forces like the Julu Academy. After all, cultivating your own talents is more reliable. External forces are bound to have ulterior motives, and the future of Wei depends on cultivating capable and practical talents, not those Confucian scholars who only talk nonsense.
Cheng Yao also knew that Chu Zhenglin was not trying to intimidate him. Chu Zhenglin's words were highly similar to the conclusion he had drawn. The State of Wei indeed had the ambition to unify the Shengwu Continent and was also determined to reduce the influence of Confucianism in the country.
Cheng Yao said, "Your Highness, what you have said to me is enough. As for what will happen in the future, I will naturally know when the time comes. Now I will answer your other question.
As for how Cheng got the great scholars in Julu Academy to agree to surrender to the State of Wei, Cheng actually had another identity: the son of the dean of Julu Academy. This identity naturally enabled him to gain the support of some great scholars and students in Julu Academy.
Of course, the main factor that determined Julu Academy's allegiance to the Wei Kingdom wasn't this identity, but Cheng's master-level martial arts prowess. In the past, I also had a prejudice against martial artists, believing them to be rough and tumble people who knew only how to fight and kill, and who had no value in contributing to the rule of the country.
Only after I climbed Mount Chuitai and witnessed the Wei Kingdom's peerless martial arts, and witnessed the true power of warriors, did I realize how wrong I was. I was completely wrong. At any given time, the civil and military aspects of a power complement each other. Confucianism can help rulers stabilize the people's hearts, while martial arts are the cornerstone of maintaining national security.
After I figured this out, I took this longsword and approached the great scholars of Julu Academy. Although they possessed profound Confucian attainments, they were no match for my Grandmaster-level strength. Cheng didn't make things difficult for them; those who were willing to follow me to Wei stayed, while those who were unwilling to come to Wei were allowed to leave on their own.
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