Chapter 1092: Believe if you want, or love even more if you don't [Seeking monthly votes]
The cries of trapped beasts echoed across the ruins.
This mournful cry also stirred Wei Cheng's emotions; the life-giving fire in his eyes seemed to be battered by wind and rain, flickering incessantly. He opened his mouth slightly in astonishment, his mouth moving unnaturally several times. For a moment, a thousand words wanted to burst forth from his chest, but they all remained stuck in his throat, mingling into a sigh.
"If that's the case, just abandon him... Why betray him?"
This is the part that Wei Cheng finds most incomprehensible.
He thought he knew his uncle well enough, and that they had no secrets from each other, but now he realized that was just what he thought he knew.
They grew up together and share a deep bond.
They are nominally uncle and nephew, but in reality they are brothers or even father and son.
Wei Lou was mature beyond his years, far more precocious and sophisticated than Wei Cheng. During those turbulent days, he was like a brother and a father to him. They supported each other through the pain of losing their family and clan. That wasn't two or twenty years, it was two hundred!
Wei Lou smiled and said, "What do you think?"
Wei Cheng was speechless when asked the question, and said in frustration, "I don't know."
The uncle and nephew were separated by a prison cell.
For the first time, I had the illusion that the person in front of me was a stranger.
"I...may know..."
Shen Tang quietly joined the chat.
Wei Lou's eyes were bloodshot, his pupils like beads adrift on a sea of blood, and his mockery was almost overflowing.
His tone was dismissive: "You know? You understand?"
Mocking Wei Lou from his superior position, Shen Tang was filled with displeasure. However, she was a magnanimous person and disdained to kick a prisoner who had lost his ideals and beliefs while he was down: "You assisted the monarch in conquering the world. Judging by your deeds, not your intentions, regardless of your initial motivations, when the monarch's ambitions were successful, you were the most qualified veterans to enjoy the fruits of the war. If the monarch were to abdicate or retire at this time, with each new emperor comes a new court. The new ruler would want to build his own trusted faction, and inevitably, he would make a show of force and use the veterans to establish his authority... This would undoubtedly touch upon your most fundamental interests, even your lives. If I were you, I would also oppose it."
"No, my uncle is not a profit-driven person. He may oppose it, but he will never allow it to come to the point of fighting."
Wei Cheng couldn't help but interject, feeling that Shen Tang's answer was incomplete and too worldly. Stubborn as his uncle was, the monarch was not merely a monarch, but a pillar of strength, an embodiment of morality, a unique treasure, and the embodiment of everything poured into him!
Given its existence, why would anyone easily destroy it?
This answer underestimates your uncle.
Shen Tang glanced at him and said slowly, "Your falling out as uncle and nephew isn't quite complete. I haven't finished speaking yet, why are you so eager to protect me? Having your core interests touched is a secondary reason. I dare to guess that the main reason is fear of politics and religion."
Wei Cheng didn't get angry even after being rebuked.
His full attention was focused on the last two words.
"What?"
Shen Tang didn't repeat herself. After a moment's thought, she shook her head and denied what she had said before, using a more accurate description: "No, it's not theocracy, it should be 'theocracy.' Theocracy means that the ruler of a country and the leader of a religious sect are the same person, but Wei Lou, the information you received at the time was that the deity and the ruler of a country are the same person. Based on this reason, I think it's quite reasonable to betray and kill your master."
For some reason, she thought of those troublesome and unreliable people under her command.
If faced with a predicament similar to Wei Lou's, given their personalities, they would either die for their cause or commit regicide; they would never choose to give up and leave, because leaving would be tantamount to being a coward. They were all incredibly resolute; between ruler and subject, one had to die.
A single "reasonable" comment rendered Wei Cheng speechless.
He wanted to cover his head—no, to hug a skull—to calm himself down: "Why is it reasonable? What makes it reasonable?"
Does the woman surnamed Shen know what nonsense she's spouting?
The former ruler, betrayed and killed by his uncle, was the chosen high priest of the Gongxi clan, and the deity worshipped by the high priest was her. If the former ruler truly intended to hand over the Wu Kingdom, it would be to Shen Youli! And yet, Shen Youli stood before her uncle and offered a reasonable assessment?
I wonder what the late lord's spirit in heaven would think.
Shen Tang said, “I’m speaking from an outsider’s perspective, and it’s quite reasonable. The rulers of ordinary countries are all human, and their lifetime is only twenty or thirty years. The throne is passed down from generation to generation among their sons. Each ruler, whether wise, mediocre, or foolish, only lasts for twenty or thirty years. When dynasties change, new blood is injected. The way to choose a ruler is simply by looking at bloodlines.”
"If a country changes dynasties not because of a clear blood relationship between the old and new rulers, but because they believe in the same god and are chosen by the god as his representatives on earth, how big of a problem would that be? How are these people chosen? Are the divine pronouncements true or false? As the god's representatives, who can guarantee that the divine pronouncements they convey are divine pronouncements and not private pronouncements? Can the god tell everyone?"
"If God says you are guilty, are you really guilty?"
What are the standards for convicting you?
"If God asks you to give money and food to atone for your sins, will you do so?"
"Your uncle saw things on a more extreme level back then. From his perspective, the so-called 'god' wasn't content with finding a representative on earth; he wanted to directly take over secular countries. Who can guarantee that this god is righteous? Who can guarantee that this god is good? If the Wu Kingdom were truly handed over to this god, what would happen in the end? Mortals with a lifespan of only a hundred years, and gods with an endless lifespan—their lifespans alone are unequal. The latter's momentary extravagance and indulgence—how many generations would it take for the former to satisfy? Just thinking about it is a despair that can be seen from the end."
"Governing a country diligently requires immense effort, and its altruistic nature outweighs its self-interest. God is to man as man is to ant. Would man exhaust himself building an anthill? Enjoyment is different; it's entirely self-serving, requiring only taking. Not only are human and divine lifespans unequal, but their power is also unequal. Humans cannot restrain God, nor can they guarantee that God will consistently be altruistic and selfless."
"A young child might tear off a dragonfly's wing out of curiosity, or flood an anthill for fun. Dragonflies and ants are not equals to children. Do children realize how cruel they are? Can you guarantee that God wouldn't treat people like that?"
"Children do not perceive cruelty, nor do gods."
"Rather than waiting for things to get out of control and gambling on God's conscience and restraint, it's better to nip all crises in the bud. The choice of the King of Wu Kingdom deviates from Wei Lou's original intention and cannot give him the vision he truly pursues. Going against the grain, he will naturally take action."
"This is still based on the premise that God is a real God."
"What if God is not God?"
"Whether it's a true god, a false god, or even a charlatan masquerading as a god, for a country desperately needing stability and basic sustenance, who can say that it's not a disaster or misfortune? Who bestowed this so-called 'god' title upon them?" Organizations like the Pantheon, which swindle and deceive under the guise of being descendants of gods, only strengthened Wei Lou's conviction after he came into contact with them and discovered their true nature. If there truly were a god, the Pantheon should have been destroyed long ago. Their millennia-long history of evil deeds is the greatest denial of "gods." "If a commoner breaks the law, what the victim needs most is a clear law to determine his sentence and ensure he receives the punishment he deserves."
Too lenient a sentence is unfair to the victim.
Excessive force is also unfair to the perpetrator.
The most important thing is a clear standard of execution, which God does not conform to.
This alone was enough to make Wei Louxia decide to kill his master.
Wei Cheng remained silent for a long time, unable to answer.
When faced with a question he couldn't answer, he habitually looked at his uncle, who always had the answer. But in that single glance, he noticed an endless complexity flickering in his uncle's eyes. Outsiders might not understand, but how could he, who had known his uncle for over two hundred years, not understand?
Shen Tang looked up and stared directly at Wei Lou: "Is that so?"
Wei Lou: "..."
Even in his emotionally unstable state, his once upright and proud spirit seemed to have been completely drained of strength. He turned his head away, avoiding Shen Tang's gaze. His disheveled movements were just like the trapped beast he was in.
Wei Cheng: "..."
At this moment, Gong Xiqiu's voice rang out at an inopportune time.
"Isn't Mama insulting herself?"
"...If you don't speak, I won't pretend you're mute."
Gong Xichou pouted and was forced to mute his microphone.
“Actually, none of the things you’re worried about will happen.” Ji Moqiu listened quietly to the whole conversation, and then explained the misunderstanding to Wei Lou in the most sincere tone, “Her Highness doesn’t really like believers. She has always been spontaneous and does whatever she pleases. The high priests of all generations are servants of the gods, followers, not just believers. She is not quite the same as the gods you are familiar with, and the high priests are not quite the same either.”
As the high priest, Ji Moqiu was very puzzled by the actions of the Wu Kingdom's ruler. If this was true, the high priest had gone mad! Ah, no, no, no, the Wu Kingdom's ruler was just a candidate who had failed to be chosen.
Oh, no wonder you were not selected back then.
If he doesn't lose, then who will?
Ji Moqiu was tongue-tied and didn't know where to begin. Fortunately, Wei Lou, having been firmly controlled by Shen Tang for quite some time, had to be very patient: "Believe it or not... she'll favor you even more."
His Highness's fondness for strong personalities has directly resulted in every high priest and their candidates being treacherous. To the high priest, God is simply a figure standing there, granting them divine power; to His Highness, the high priest is merely a lovable, temperamental little person. Whether this little person is affectionate or angry and leaves, God will not be angered or punish them.
The little one doesn't need offerings.
Just being there made her happy.
She doesn't need too many little ones; she can't take care of them all.
"...I don't know where this misunderstanding came from, but I still want to say something on behalf of Your Highness: she is really not the evil god you think she is. The problem you are worried about—the infringement of interests and the collapse of morality—lies with the King of Wu, not with Your Highness! Even if Your Highness had awakened back then, Wu Kingdom was just a mess that 'the little girl she once liked' had recklessly dumped on her!"
She wouldn't set rules for the little ones, nor would she require them to remember what she said, or to follow a set of standards and conform to the rules. As long as the little ones lived happily there, each with their own temperament, that was a beautiful sight.
But the little one must not cause her any trouble.
His Highness is not some other unfortunate child who is forced to become someone else's parent.
Although—
His Highness is currently cleaning up the mess the little one made.
Wei Cheng stammered and stammered, unable to utter a single word.
Wei Lou sneered and concluded: "An evil god!"
Ji Moqiu: "..."
(〃'▽'〃)
(｀ω)
If Tang Mei were a proper goddess, Wei Lou's worries would be reasonable.
Xianggu has two cats at home. They live in the living room, kitchen (the kitchen has been almost never used since it was renovated), dining room, and balcony. Except for the bedroom and study, which they can't go to, the rest of the house is their territory.
Mushroom and the dogs are like roommates. I love it when they come over to rub against me and be affectionate. I also find it cute when they throw a tantrum and ignore me. I would like them even more if I could scoop less litter, they shed less fur, and I didn't need to trim their nails or clean their ears (for both internal and external deer).
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