novelAbuy Chapter 16 He who eliminates the calamities of the world shall enjoy the blessings of the world; he
Chapter 16 He who eliminates the calamities of the world shall enjoy the blessings of the world; he
When Wang Lu was called in, he was holding a doll and looked completely bewildered. He was even taken aback when he saw Zhao Kuangyin in Wang Jun's office.
Then, holding the tiger-headed doll in his glove, he opened the doll's mouth and said mischievously, "Grand Commandant Zhao, what brings you here?"
Wang Jun snatched the toy from his hand and threw it on the table, glaring fiercely at Wang Lu, and scolded him in a low voice, "You went to play with your sister Ling again?"
Wang Lu whispered, "Sister Ling is still just a kid, she should play with him. Why are you jealous?"
Wang Jun slapped Wang Lu on the back of the head: "I'll settle the score with you later, Grand Commandant Zhao is here."
"I saw it."
Then Wang Lu greeted Zhao Kuangyin with a sweet smile: "Greetings, Grand Commandant Zhao. You've gotten even fatter."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin laughed heartily, patted his large belly twice, and jokingly said, "Perhaps it's because I've become such a high-ranking official that I just eat all day and don't move."
"Then you'd better not just eat meat. Eat some vegetables too. Eating meat and vegetables together is good for your health."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin laughed even harder, finding this child named Wang Lu quite interesting.
"Your father said you can see through the general trend of the world and the hearts and minds of the people in politics?"
Wang Lu was taken aback, gave Wang Jun a subtle glare, and then laughed: "Don't listen to my dad's nonsense. I'm only twelve years old this year. What do I know about politics or the general trend?"
My dad always tells me these things; he's flattering me to you, hoping you'll get me a high-ranking official position someday.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin burst into laughter again. He didn't dwell on why it was so strange that he was trying to secure a high-ranking official position for his son, but instead asked with a smile:
"Why in the future? As the Commander of the Palace Guards of the Great Zhou, am I not high enough to make you a high-ranking official? Then why can you be one in the future?"
"Right now, even if we can't quite be called high-ranking officials, we're probably not far off. How can we possibly rise to the position you and your son are referring to in the future?"
As he spoke, Zhao Kuangyin's smile faded, gradually turning serious. His previous aura as a friendly, portly uncle vanished, his heavy eye bags narrowed slightly, and his entire demeanor changed as he asked:
"Half a year ago, you and your son already concluded that I, Zhao, was a usurper? In your eyes, am I, Zhao Kuangyin, a traitorous villain?"
Unlike Han Tong, Zhao Kuangyin didn't need to glare when he was angry to send chills down people's spines. Wang Jun was momentarily intimidated by his aura and quickly lowered his head, feeling extremely flustered.
Did I accidentally flatter someone and offend them?
Wang Lu was also startled, but he quickly recovered and was even able to respond naturally, saying, "When there is a holy ruler in the court, those who plot to usurp the throne can be called treacherous ministers and rebels."
When a mediocre ruler is in power, those who plot to usurp the throne can be called ambitious and ruthless; but when a foolish ruler is in power, those who rise up in rebellion can be called heroes, acting in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people.
"The world today is without a ruler. Since the An Lushan Rebellion, the people have suffered terribly, and the nation is in dire straits. What the people yearn for is a great ruler who can bring peace to the world, end the wars, establish order and discipline, and restore the world to its former glory."
Instead of a child who still needs his aunt to carry him to court, the people's hearts are uneasy, the world is unsettled, and if the world is unsettled, chaos and turmoil will inevitably arise. Once chaos and turmoil occur, the people will suffer terribly.
"The world is in chaos right now. So many emperors have come and gone in the last few decades. The Imperial Seal of the State is long gone, and even the replacement was stolen by the Khitans."
What talk of legitimacy and loyalty? Whoever can bring peace to the world is the true legitimate ruler.
"Those who eliminate calamities from the world should enjoy its blessings; those who save the world from peril should receive its peace. This is the only legitimate and justifiable principle in the world today."
Does the current emperor truly possess the ability to avert calamities and save the nation from peril? If not, he is unworthy to be emperor, nor is he worthy of legitimacy!
"In the vast Zhou Dynasty, only the Grand Commandant can eliminate calamities and save the world from peril. His merits are evident, the people are devoted to him, and the will of Heaven and Man has already been fulfilled. He should be the ruler of the world to bring peace to the four seas!"
After saying that, Wang Lu simply knelt down and kowtowed to Zhao Kuangyin.
Based on historical trends, the Chenqiao Mutiny has less than half a month left. If nothing unexpected happens, it should already be in the planning stage, so there's no point in pretending anymore.
"Those who eliminate calamities from the world should enjoy its blessings; those who save the world from peril should receive its peace?"
Zhao Kuangyin pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "That's a good point."
Wang Lu thought to himself: "How could it not be good? This is a famous line from Li Fang, the future prime minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, in the Taiping Yulan. It was used to justify the Chenqiao Mutiny and to provide legitimacy for your Zhao family."
Now that things had come to this, and since they were in a secluded room with no outsiders, Zhao Kuangyin stopped pretending and simply spoke frankly:
"What you say makes some sense. Given the current situation, talking about loyalty to the emperor would only make me seem hypocritical."
What I am worried about is that once we take this step, if things fail in the future, we will not be able to get even a commoner. Therefore, when the time comes, I am uneasy. Do you and your son know the will of Heaven?
"It wouldn't be difficult for me to become the ruler of this world, but can I hold that position for long? Am I the kind of person the young master speaks of, capable of truly eliminating calamities and saving the world from peril? I'm just a rough man, what do you think, young master?"
Wang Lu simply stopped pretending and said, "I believe that the Grand Commandant is certainly capable."
How do you know?
"Firstly, the Grand Commandant is highly respected, wise, and martial..."
Zhao Kuangyin interrupted, "Stop with these flattering words. We hear them all the time. Say something new."
"Secondly, the general trend of the world is such that, as the saying goes, times create heroes. The current state of the world has reached a point where a great hero, destined by heaven, should emerge to end this chaotic era."
The saying goes, "If Heaven bestows something and you don't take it, you'll suffer the consequences." If this heroic Grand Commandant hadn't taken the position, and someone else had been in power, they would most likely have become a great hero as well.
Zhao Kuangyin became even more interested upon hearing this and said, "How can you tell that the time has come for a great hero to emerge and end this chaotic era?"
"Grand Commandant, the late Emperor has been gone for almost half a year. If you continue to hesitate, this time will only drag on longer. Since the fall of the Tang Dynasty, when has the empire ever been vacant for so long without anyone vying for it?"
"Although the late emperor was not Emperor Taizu's biological son, he could still be considered a successor to the throne. The current emperor is also a successor to the late emperor. Since the fall of the Tang Dynasty, when has there ever been a truly smooth succession of father to son?"
"Before the late emperor passed away, he intended to leave the empire to the Prince of Wei. However, half a year has passed, and the Prince of Wei still refuses to lead his troops into the capital. He is clearly hiding. Since the fall of the Tang Dynasty, has such a thing ever happened?"
"The people of the world are already tired of the military men buying and selling the emperor. Even the military men themselves are tired of this endless cycle of changing hands."
Therefore, even if the entire country were given to the King of Wei for free, he would not take it. The country remained vacant for half a year, and none of the dozens of regional military governors even considered going to the capital.
"The Empress Dowager has almost completely replaced all the high-ranking generals in the army for the sake of the Grand Commandant. Those who were at odds with the Grand Commandant were all transferred within six months, and those who were on good terms with him were all put in key positions within six months. It's clear that she intends to force this position on you. Haven't you been hesitating until now?"
"Moreover, in the past fifty years, the world has actually been in the hands of two groups of people. One group consists of bandits who rose to power alongside figures like Huang Chao and Gao Xianzhi, and the other group is the Shatuo people, led by Li Keyong and his Thirteen Bodyguards."
These Grand Commandants of the land are either becoming barbarian or thieving. Although the Shatuo people have adopted Han names, speak Han language, and wear Han clothing, they still retain some of the barbarian nature of the grasslands.
Bandits and their ilk are cruel by nature. They were only rebelling because they couldn't survive. How much knowledge could they possibly have? What do they know about civilization?
Today, there are not many of the older generation of Shatuo people and Han people who have become like barbarians or bandits. The new generation, like the Grand Commandant, who grew up in Kaifeng, know the rules and etiquette, and respect civil officials, have become the true backbone of the army.
Therefore, the land already possesses the fertile ground for establishing true principles and order; it is merely waiting for someone capable of doing so, and you, Grand Commandant, are perfectly positioned for that moment.