"This..." Xiao Moer hesitated.
It is very cost-effective to exchange the lives of thousands of people for the lives of tens of thousands of people, but watching them die is a hurdle in my heart that I cannot get over.
Bei Yutang whispered, "If it were my mother, I would do it even if it hurt. Do you know why?"
Xiao Moer didn't say anything, but looked at her.
"War means death. You can't bear to kill those thousands of people now, because if you can't bear it, more soldiers and more people will die. Even your people will become slaves. Those thousands of people who died died for a greater good. As a commander, even if you can't bear it, you have to do it."
"There's another type. They're willing to sacrifice those around them at any time to achieve their goals and for their own benefit. This is especially true for the major families living in Kyoto. For profit, for power, they'll sacrifice anything. Family, friendship, even love, can be abandoned."
Xiao Moer thought of Hua Ziyun's identity and couldn't help but ask, "What about the royal family?"
"The royal family." Bei Yutang gazed into the distance, his expression seeming to be reminiscing about something. He said in a calm and indifferent voice, "The emperor is ruthless, and the imperial family has no family affection."
"There's no family affection in the imperial family." Little Mo'er repeated this sentence in a low voice, "And Ziyun..."
"Mo'er, everyone has their own destiny. You can't control others. Just remember, everything you do must be done with a clear conscience. Mother hopes you'll be a kind and sensible child, but she also doesn't want her son to be an indecisive and pushy person. Sometimes kindness hurts more than cruelty."
"If you ever become a disciple of the emperor, or a minister, I want you to remember one thing."
Bei Yutang knew that with Xiao Moer's talent, he would one day become an important official in the court.
She didn't want him to follow the Bei family's path and didn't want him to regret it for the rest of his life.
"What's the matter?" Xiao Moer asked.
"Be loyal to your king, but don't be blindly loyal."
Xiao Moer looked at his mother. When his mother said the last words, he could feel the deep sadness in her.
"Okay." Xiao Moer replied.
The two of them lay on the roof, looking at the starry sky and the chirping of insects, like a quiet song in the night.
Zhou Mansion
Zhou Zhifu's sister came hurriedly and burst into tears when she saw Zhou Zhifu.
"Brother, what did Xiufeng do wrong that you arrested him? I know Xiufeng can be a bit naughty sometimes, but he's also a sensible kid. Just tell me what he did wrong, and I'll let him go. How will he live his life in the future if you arrest him with such fanfare?"
Magistrate Zhou looked at his sister and realized that he still didn't know how cruel his son was.
He dares to frame someone for murder at such a young age. What will he become when he grows up?
"It wasn't me who wanted to arrest Xiufeng, but the governor's order. He committed a capital crime." Magistrate Zhou said coldly.
"What did you say? Death penalty?" Zhou Yunjun's eyes widened. "He just killed a beggar. The beggar is dead, and that's it. Are you asking my son to pay for that beggar's life?"
Magistrate Zhou looked at her in disbelief. "What are you talking about? What do you mean by dead is dead? A beggar's life is also a life."
"How can a beggar's life compare to my son's life?"
"Get out of here!" Magistrate Zhou said angrily.
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