"I don't know either," Su Bai replied casually. His words disappointed everyone, but he immediately added, "Let's see what price Brother Li can offer first."
Everyone burst into laughter. Su Bai's words made it almost unbelievable that this person was Wen Caixiu, a talented scholar of the time.
"Brother Su, what you're thinking is joy and happiness, and what you're ashamed of is bowing and scraping. I have the same thought," Li Jun said slowly. "To be honest, after I obtained Qinggui, one person after another urged me to declare myself king. I felt a little happy, but I was more afraid."
"What makes me happy is that I am just a warrior who has achieved what I have today without the favor of heaven or the support of noble people. This is all thanks to the help of many ordinary people. What I fear is that if I were to establish myself as king, all those who helped me would have to kneel before me, kowtow to me, and call me their subject or slave. This is not my intention. If I were to gain the world but lose those who could stand on equal footing with me, I would be too lonely."
The crowd listened in stunned silence as Li Jun poured out his heart. For the sake of wealth and glory, countless fathers and sons had turned against each other, and countless people had suffered bloodshed and disregarded all shame. Yet, Li Jun had calmly rejected them with the reason that "it would be too lonely." This left the crowd astonished.
"That's too lonely!" Su Bai laughed loudly, "Throughout history, every emperor has been called a 'tyrant,' and they all called themselves 'lonely ones.' It turns out it's because they were too lonely!"
Everyone burst into laughter after their initial shock. The sacred and inviolable things of the past were easily stripped of their sacred aura by Su Bai and Li Jun.
“Wei Zhan once warned me by citing the stories of ancient emperors who slaughtered their meritorious officials and generals after achieving great things. I am also more sinister than honest in my personality, so whenever things don't go my way, I tend to have evil thoughts.” Li Jun gave a bitter smile. Exposing himself to others is inherently painful. Since Lu Xiang's death, he hadn't planned to trust anyone again, but as his wedding date approached, he unconsciously opened his heart again.
"Therefore, I also fear that if I were to become a king, I might harm people's lives based on my own likes and dislikes. I read in history books that most of the cruel and ruthless emperors of the past were intelligent and talented. The reason they left a bad name in history was simply because they were too lonely, with no one to restrain them and nothing to restrain them. Therefore, it is not that I am not interested in becoming a king, but that I am truly afraid."
“Then I won’t become king,” Su Bai said with a smile. “However, if I don’t become king, those who want to join you for wealth and glory will leave you. Among them are many talented people. This matter will indeed put you in a dilemma.”
“That’s not difficult.” Feng Jiutian finally picked up a peanut and put it in his mouth, saying, “Those emperors became tyrants not because of their personal problems, but because of the system. The excessive concentration of power in one person’s hands is the reason why they became tyrants and traitors. Commander Li can have the title of king but not the power. By modifying the system, he can both appease those who want glory and wealth and curb the ambitions of those who rely on their talents. The key is to prevent one person’s power from becoming too great and losing balance. Only balance can last.”
“It’s easier said than done, but once Brother Li has tasted the wonders of power, I fear he will find it hard to relinquish it. Moreover, even if Brother Li alone is willing to give up power, what about the others? Things without a foundation will eventually disappear. When Brother Li relinquishes power, it will mean the disappearance of this flexible system and the breakdown of this balance.” Su Bai said bluntly, “Brother Li admits that he is not as good as the Khan of the Four Seas, but once the Khan of the Four Seas died, his world-shaking achievements vanished into thin air. I worry that Brother Li’s achievements will suffer the same fate.”
Section 03
The guards entered the tent and added a few pieces of charcoal to the large brazier. The new charcoal crackled and popped as it was gradually ignited by the surrounding fire, joining the blazing inferno.
The calm on Feng Jiutian's face slowly faded. He and Li Jun exchanged a glance, and joy flashed in their eyes.
"Brother Su's words make sense, but I wonder what good plan you have?"
Su Bai smiled and said, "Education. If there is no foundation, cultivate a foundation; if there is no tradition, create a tradition."
Feng Jiutian clapped his hands and said, "That's right, that's exactly what I've been waiting for, Brother Su. Are you willing to take on this great responsibility, Brother Su?"
Su Bai was taken aback. Such an important matter should have been decided by Li Jun, but Li Jun smiled without saying a word, clearly indicating that Feng Jiutian's suggestion suited his wishes.
"It seems I've come up with a plan that will only cause me trouble." Su Bai raised an eyebrow: "Did Brother Feng and Brother Li already discuss what I've mentioned?"
Li Jun laughed heartily and reached out to pull Su Bai back to the table: "I have discussed this with Mr. Feng more than once. To be frank, it would be easier for me to raise an army and sweep across the world than to educate the people. Although Mr. Feng has long had a plan, he has not found the right person. Today, Brother Su's opinion coincides with Mr. Feng's, and he is the best candidate to carry out this educational path!"
Su Bai thought for a moment and said, "I wonder where Brother Li would like me to begin?"
“Since ancient times, the three prefectures of southern Jiangsu have been wild and difficult to govern. The people are brave and fierce, and the powerful and tyrannical local lords dominate the villages,” Feng Jiutian said. “If we can start from these three prefectures and educate the people in all directions, so that they can experience the benefits of this balance, then even after you and me, this art of balance will continue.”
“Very well, Brother Feng, you will plan a policy of balance with Brother Li, and I will implement a policy of balance in the local areas.” Su Bai drank the cup of wine that Li Jun had poured for him in one gulp. “Force can pacify the world, but governing the world requires culture.”
Seeing that Su Bai readily agreed to take on the administration of the three prefectures in southern Jiangsu, Li Jun was overjoyed. He then asked Ren Qian, "Brother Ren, do you have any good strategies for me?"
Ren Qian smiled and said, "Why should the commander be so humble towards me? Brother Su's talent is unparalleled, and the commander can treat him as an 'elder brother'. I, Ren Qian, am just a minor official in Hun County, and I am currently unemployed at home. If the commander treats me as an 'elder brother' as well, it would show that the commander cannot recognize talent."
"Haha, everyone here is my right-hand man in official matters, but in private, they are all my good teachers and friends. Mr. Feng and Mr. Wei are older, so I address them as 'Mr.' Brother Ren and Brother Su are only ten years older than me, so it is appropriate for me to address them as 'Brother.' To be honest, I don't quite understand the balance of power that Mr. Feng and Brother Su were talking about just now. I only know that balance is equality to a certain extent, which means that Brother Ren and I are equals. If Brother Ren doesn't let me address you as 'Brother,' then you are looking down on me."
Li Jun's half-serious, half-joking words made Ren Qian smile. He stroked his beard and said, "Since it is the commander's great kindness, this is the only way. I believe that the Peace Army has five problems today. If these five problems are not eliminated, the foundation of the Peace Army will be unstable."
"The first threat lies within. Yuzhou has been under my command for several years, and the people are at peace, making it a solid foundation. However, the three southern prefectures of Qinggui in Su State have long suffered from accumulated problems. The Peace Army has just acquired these territories, and everything is in ruins. At the slightest disturbance, I fear there will be a change of allegiance. Moreover, between these two places and Yuzhou lies the Qionglu Grassland. The Rong people are greedy, and if they are bribed and instigated, it is hard to guarantee they won't rebel. The second threat lies in the west. Liu Guang is a military genius. After coming to Chen State from Heng State, he has unleashed his power and within three years has become the de facto ruler of Chen State. Although he has recently retired, he will not let this go easily. Ma Jiyou of Hong State is probably no match for him, and Ling Qi of Huai State is said to be very young, so he will likely struggle to contend with Liu Guang. Once Liu Guang has eliminated all the forces that are holding him back, he will surely..." They will return with renewed vigor. The third threat lies in the north. Our Great Su Kingdom has been established for a long time, and the hearts of the people still remain with us. Although we have suffered heavy losses this time, we still have the strength to fight again. Moreover, our Great Su Kingdom has always had dealings with Lan Kingdom and Hong Kingdom. If someone were to offer these two countries great benefits and borrow a large army from them to attack Qinggui, I think the Peace Army would face another fierce battle. The fourth threat lies in the east. The Japanese pirates from the Eastern Sea harass us year after year, not only harming the Peace Army's financial resources and overseas trade, but also plundering coastal counties. Moreover, the Japanese pirates are cunning and ruthless. Although the harassment is currently sporadic, it is undermining the Peace Army's foundation. The fifth threat lies with the commander himself. Commanding Dingyu Prefecture, pacifying Lianfa, making peace with the Rongyi, and conquering Qinggui, he has been undefeated in recent years. Although there have been minor setbacks, he has always managed to turn danger into safety. This arrogance is inevitable.
If Su Bai's opinion just now was from a long-term perspective, considering the long-term implications, then Ren Qian's words addressed the pressing issues facing the Peace Army. By looking beyond the seemingly favorable situation and pointing directly to the underlying anxieties, Ren Qian's insight was indeed unique.
"The first concern is the newly acquired territory. Brother Su Bai has gone to the newly acquired territory to educate and reform it. Although it will not be successful in a day, it is at least the right remedy. Commander Li's wedding will be a marriage alliance with the Rong people, so there is no need to worry for the time being. Although Liu Guang is strong, he is getting old and his energy is declining. Sooner or later, he will be captured by the commander. Therefore, this second concern can be addressed by being careful not to give him any opportunity. The third concern is that His Majesty of Su is wise, but the treacherous minister Wu Shu is in power. At the beginning of this year, His Majesty took personal control of the government and issued an edict of self-reproach, determined to revitalize the country and diligently manage state affairs. He will not easily resort to war. Therefore, as long as the tribute and gifts are paid as before, His Majesty will not be furious. Only the fourth and fifth concerns, I do not know if Commander Li has already come up with a solution."
Li Jun listened intently, then bowed and personally poured Ren Qian a full cup of wine, saying, "Brother Ren, you are generous with your talent; please enlighten me."
Ren Qian took a small sip of the wine and said, "What do you think of the commander's opinion on this fifth affliction?"
"Brother Ren is absolutely right. Although I have suffered a few minor defeats in the past few years, I have mostly managed to turn the tide and become increasingly confident. Moreover, whenever I think of Liu Guang, who is on par with Marshal Lu, I feel immense pressure. I am eager to have the strength to contend with him, so I inevitably take risks when formulating strategies, as evidenced by this northern expedition. If I hadn't won by a narrow margin in the end, I'm afraid I would have continued fighting."
Li Jun sighed and gave a slight bitter smile. He was still young and full of vigor, and this shortcoming was unavoidable. Looking at Ren Qian, he continued, "In this battle, I almost lost everything, losing Mr. Feng and Ji Su. Even now, thinking about it still makes me shudder. Moreover, after so many battles, my troops are exhausted, and I intend to avoid war for one to two years. But I worry that Liu Guang will use this time to continue to grow stronger, while I am stuck here doing nothing. Therefore, I am quite hesitant."
“This is related to the fourth problem I mentioned, the Japanese pirates,” Ren Qian said. “The commander does not need to personally lead the expedition, nor does he need to mobilize the main force of the Peace Army. He only needs to order the navy to fight, and he can achieve several goals at once.”
"Oh?" Everyone asked in surprise. Although Li Jun hesitated, he was already inclined to recuperate and rebuild. However, Ren Qian proposed to fight against the Japanese pirates, which made them feel a little surprised.
"I heard from the foreign captain that the Japanese have been plagued by internal strife for the past few hundred years. There are more than a hundred large and small factions fighting over the six islands of Japan, but in recent years there has been a trend of unification."
Ren Qian smiled at Wei Zhan's words: "It's even better that Mr. Wei has also noticed the movements of the Japanese. As Mr. Wei said, the Japanese are inherently cruel and warlike. Although they have a nominal overlord, the local families all call themselves shoguns and daimyo, and they fight each other endlessly. In the past twenty years, a Japanese pirate named Kiyota Yoshikichi has used the overlord to command the other lords and has controlled four of the six islands of the Japanese. This man is very ambitious. If we wait any longer and let him unify the Japanese, then I'm afraid the Japanese threat on the Chinese mainland will no longer be so scattered."
Everyone was taken aback. Their information about the Japanese was all from the barbarians, the Japanese's mortal enemies, and was therefore rather one-sided. For thousands of years, the Japanese had been constantly harassing the eastern coast of China, causing the Japanese scourge that terrified the people, but they had never heard of the Japanese being more than just plunderers.
"Could it be... that the Japanese are planning a major invasion of our land?" Jiang Tang asked.
"The Japanese pirates not only wanted to invade, but also to exterminate all the tribes of Shenzhou and occupy its land forever. The Japanese originally held the tribes of Shenzhou in great awe and had been sending envoys to the powerful nations of Shenzhou to establish friendly relations. When the Khan of the Four Seas sent envoys to demand their submission, they refused, so the Khan dispatched an army of 500,000 to attack the Japanese. Unfortunately, Sun Lou was already dead, and the Japanese were not accustomed to water. The army encountered a great wind that the Japanese called 'divine wind,' and the vast majority of the 500,000 soldiers became the victims of the sea. The Japanese won without a fight and believed they had the help of the gods, and from then on they began to harass Shenzhou. However, they were quite self-aware and knew that it was impossible to swallow Shenzhou whole, so they adopted a piecemeal approach to harass it. If it weren't for the internal strife and infighting that later broke out among the Japanese, I'm afraid Shenzhou would have really perished."
Ren Qian recounted the secret history spanning a thousand years in detail, and Li Jun's brows furrowed tightly. He was well aware of the dangers of such harassment; he himself had lost his home due to harassment by a small group of mercenaries. Moreover, for a peaceful army that relied on trade, if the sea was not safe, it meant that their lifeline was being controlled by others.
“If the Japanese chieftain Kiyota Yoshikichi were to unify Japan, the Japanese would surely launch a large-scale invasion. Therefore, a battle against the Japanese pirates is of utmost urgency.” Ren Qian cupped his hands to Li Jun and said, “To be honest, I came here to see the commander. Congratulating the commander on his wedding is secondary; the more important thing is to persuade the commander to attack the Japanese pirates.”
Li Jun pondered for a moment, about to answer, when he suddenly felt a tightness on his foot, as if someone had stepped on him. He turned his head to look, and everyone else was staring at him, seemingly waiting for his answer. Only Feng Jiutian raised his wine cup and slowly drank half of what was inside.
"What Brother Ren has said is of great importance, and it is not something I can decide alone." Li Jun understood and said, "Brother Ren is coming to my wedding anyway, so how about I give you an answer in a few days?"
Ren Qian glanced at Li Jun's face and smiled, "This matter is indeed not something that can be decided in a short time. It is absolutely right for the commander to think it over repeatedly."
After drinking and enjoying themselves, Li Jun ordered his men to settle Ren Qian in properly before returning to his tent, where Feng Jiutian was stroking his beard and smiling, waiting for him.
"Sir, you just told me not to speak too definitively, didn't you?" Li Jun asked.
"Indeed, given the importance of governing the people, I fear we will have to reach a decision right here. I worry that whether we decide to attack the Japanese or refuse to attack, Ren Qian will not be of any use to me."