Chapter 681: Yue Fei Monitors Emperor Taizu

Chat group.

Kasumigaoka Uta: "So, Himekami-san had a falling-out with her family?"

Shishio Himekami: "That's right. From today on, I'm no longer a young lady!"

Hu Yifei: "Himekami-san doesn't need to worry—your value is immeasurable; your father will only increase your allowance, never cut it."

Lin Daiyu: "It doesn't really matter. Even just checking in, whether in ancient or modern times, can make you rich quickly. Though the Shishio family is wealthy, that money means nothing to Himekami."

Koma: "Yeah. Who in the group is short on money?"

Shishio Himekami: "You're all right. It's just that seeing my family's true nature all at once was painful."

Zhang Sanfeng: "Great families have always been like this—interest comes first."

Zhu Yuanzhang: "Whether merchant or noble, no one escapes the word 'profit.' As a child of a great family, Miss Shishio should've known long ago; otherwise, you wouldn't have insisted before that human relationships are purely about profit."

Zhu Yuanzhang: "You've only just now encountered your family's reality. Compared to your earlier imagination, the real family is colder."

Su Xiao: "Speaking of this, I've had a question buried in my heart for a long time. Someone once said—children of noble families, having received benefits from their clan, should sacrifice for it. What do you think?"

Wang Chao: "This idea is basically a variant of the ancient Three Bonds and Five Constants. The father is the son's master; children must not oppose their parents! If told to sacrifice, you sacrifice—that's the ethical code!"

Hu Yifei: "It's truly tragic—to be in a great family, your life isn't your own."

Zhu Youjian: "But being in a great family also means luxurious clothes and wealth—something ordinary people can't reach. If you enjoy it, you naturally bear corresponding responsibilities."

Koma: "That does sound reasonable."

Miyamizu Miko: "There's some truth to it, but hearing this makes me feel awful."

Zhang Taixuan: "No, that's an ancient idea. As modern people, don't you understand one thing—everyone should be an independent, autonomous being, not forced to sacrifice. If you've received family favors, you can repay them in other ways; it's not that you won't repay. There are countless ways to show gratitude—why choose only self-sacrifice?"

Lin Daiyu: "Exactly. We've all fallen into a linguistic trap—obsessing over whether to sacrifice, forgetting that family debt and self-sacrifice aren't inherently linked. Self-sacrifice can count as repayment; other methods can too."

Yao Yue: "This approach was doomed in ancient times, because filial piety was the ultimate weapon—no one could resist. If your parents ordered you to do something, you had to obey; otherwise, the mere accusation of 'filial impiety' would leave you with no way out."

Lin Daiyu: "Right. So this question can only be discussed by people in Hu Yifei's or Su Xiao's era. For us ancients, even discussing this would earn us finger-pointing."

Zhao Kuangyin: "After the Three Bonds and Five Constants became mainstream, society was indeed like this—even emperors were bound by this framework. Change could only come through the progress of the age."

Yue Fei: "Your Majesty, I've received twelve golden plaques already. If you don't come soon, His Majesty Gaozong will accuse me of rebellion!"

Zhu Yuanzhang: "Damn, Zhao Kuangyin, you still haven't moved?"

Zhao Kuangyin: "It's only been a short while! @Yue Fei, hold on—my troops are almost ready. I'll arrive tomorrow."

Su Xiao: "You're not lending troops?"

Zhao Kuangyin: "With the Daoist Lord's support, my strength has reached true qi level. Yue Fei's problem can be solved by me alone."

Yue Fei: "Actually, my martial strength isn't lacking—but without Your Majesty's name, I dare not act rashly."

Koma: "General Yue could now crush the whole world—why hesitate?"

Yue Fei: "If I could, I wouldn't want to use force against my own country's people."

Zhu Wushi: "Yue Fei, you're overly rigid. With such power, why care so much? If it were me, the throne would change hands—today it'd be my turn!"

Zhu Youjian: "Damn, you're exactly as Su Xiao said—ninety-nine pounds of rebellious bone in a hundred-pound body. @Zhu Yuanzhang, Ancestor, should we deal with him?"

Zhu Wushi: "..."