Chapter 1425: Great Compassion

The two of them were discussing this at length, and Ji Xiang and Shi Manqiang, standing nearby, began listening with blank expressions. But as they listened on, their faces lit up with excitement. Zhao Jin rarely spoke to them of such things, and they had never imagined that what filled their eldest brother's heart was not just the realm, not just the grasslands and the lands beyond the passes, but a world far larger and wider.

It was not that they had never thought about what they would do once the realm was pacified. They had heard those around them talk about it — nothing more than handing over military authority, enjoying peace and wealth, and living out idle days of arrogance, extravagance, and debauchery. But after so many years on bloody battlefields, the thought of being so idle always left them feeling unwilling.

Yet Shi Manqiang and Ji Xiang also knew that if they did not do that, they might truly end up unable to remain brothers, forced to meet with blades drawn. So whenever they occasionally thought of that time, they always felt it would probably be terribly dull. But what Zhao Jin had just said suddenly opened their minds — so the world was this vast, so they themselves could go this far.

It was not only they whose faces lit up with excitement — even Sun Dalin outside was full of stirred emotion. Zhao Jin's words had let them glimpse an entirely new world.

But Sun Chuanting had not finished either. He shook his head and added, "Even if all under Heaven were children of Huaxia, the children of Huaxia would still fight among themselves. From ancient times until now, have civil wars ever been few? Has the slaughter between one another ever been few?"

"When meat rots, it rots in one's own pot. Those who kill the children of Huaxia can only be the children of Huaxia themselves. We must never let the Tatar slaves and barbarians do it, and even less can we allow them to exploit our weakness after we slaughter one another. Only after the slaughter, when our children of Huaxia enter again, and so on, cycle after cycle." Zhao Jin's reply was very concise.

"That is the truth of it." Sun Chuanting let out a long sigh. After sighing, he looked at Zhao Jin again, nodded, and said, "From ancient times until now, every founding Taizu of a dynasty, by the time they won the realm and sat upon it, was already old and decrepit. Only Lord Zhao is young. The Mandate of Heaven truly rests with Lord Zhao!"

Age was an advantage. Zhao Jin was just past twenty. Given the dominance of the Zhao Army, how long could pacifying the realm even take? And everyone in the realm knew that Zhao Jin lived very simply, barely touching wine, women, or pleasure. Such a man was bound to live long. With enough time, he could naturally accomplish what predecessors could not do, or had no time to do.

From the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods to the Ming, the best case for a founding sovereign was to be in the prime of life. Then he would expend his energy putting the realm in order, and at most, the furthest step was merely driving out the Tatar slaves, after which he lacked the strength to do more.

But with Zhao Jin it was different. He had enough time. Of course, the problems and difficulties those founding sovereigns faced, Zhao Jin would face as well. But given the power and methods Zhao Jin commanded, these difficulties and problems were nothing much. And looking at the current Zhao Army, the power it wielded and the efficiency of its mobilization far exceeded previous dynasties. Anyone who saw even a little of how it worked would feel that Zhao Jin was unstoppable.

Many heroes who opened up new situations, when they first rose and grew strong, held a powerful force of civil and military talent in their hands. But as their territory expanded, although their strength did indeed grow, that elite force they commanded was constantly spread thin and diluted, because they had to use their own strength to control their territory. Once a dynamic balance was reached, expansion and strengthening would stop. They still had power, even greater power, but their efficiency and capacity for action were not necessarily as high as before.

Yet under the Zhao Army's system, this could not be seen. The Xuzhou system was like a monster — it swallowed up land and population, then transformed them into formidable financial and military strength, with not a trace of diminishing returns in sight.

When other powers expanded their military, differences in troop sources, limited finances, and varying commanding officers would always produce disparate armies, and the same went for occupied territory. Because of these differences, there were gaps, opportunities to exploit, room to maneuver, and thus diminishment. But the Zhao Army was different. Army after army expanded, territory grew, industries multiplied — yet all were as if cast from the same mold. That was where the terror lay.

Other heroes could see limits and endpoints, but with the Zhao Army, none could be seen. This was precisely why the core figures who held military power in the Great Ming made their decision so quickly.

It sounded almost miraculous, but in truth it was not strange at all. What Zhao Jin employed were concepts and systems ahead of this era, yet perfectly compatible with the conditions of this age. Under such circumstances, it was impossible not to swell, impossible not to grow mighty.

Zhao Jin had said a great deal just now. Sun Chuanting needed to digest it. Ji Xiang and Shi Manqiang were also pondering. Even Zhao Jin himself needed to digest it, for this was the first time he had articulated his philosophy — militarism, expansion, Huaxia supremacy. Some were ideas he had always held, while others had been drawn out in the course of his conversation with Sun Chuanting.

They remained quiet for a while. Outside, Sun Dalin arranged for someone to replace the tea with hot tea and also sent in a few plates of pastries. Sun Chuanting had not eaten anything since hurrying here.

After sipping a few mouthfuls of tea, Zhao Jin looked at the people in the room, looked at the pensive Sun Chuanting, and could not help but give a self-deprecating smile. Slowing his speech, he said, "Brother Sun, I am still young. No matter what I say, the gentlemen you represent will not decide immediately. They still need to wait for the outcome of that battle in Liaodong. Only when Chen Sheng's victory or defeat is clear will you truly make up your minds."

"Even if General Chen is defeated, the court has little chance. Still, I ask Lord Zhao's understanding — this is a matter of great importance. Even if everyone sees it clearly, they will still harbor a few vain hopes." Sun Chuanting's reply was very honest.

The atmosphere grew considerably more relaxed at this point. Zhao Jin merely nodded and said, "I do not wish this realm to fall into too much chaos, but chaos would greatly benefit Xuzhou. If you wish to see less bloodshed, then grasp the opportunity yourselves!"

"Lord Zhao, please rest assured. If it were not for this, the various gentlemen at court would not have sent me to discuss these matters. Would it not be better to simply follow Heaven's will!" Sun Chuanting answered with great solemnity.

Everyone knew that this discussion was only to reach an intention. The details of such peace talks and submission were countless and complex, requiring the relevant parties to come and hammer them out one by one. Of course, anyone could also imagine that there would be changes of one kind or another ahead, requiring adaptive handling as circumstances shifted.

At this point, they ought to exchange some casual talk, then host a banquet, or perhaps discuss Sun Chuanting's future arrangements — that would be the conventional course. But Sun Chuanting also knew that Zhao Jin never did things by convention.

Zhao Jin was silent for a moment, then said in a muffled voice, "Brother Sun, you and I both know that killing cannot be avoided. And many will have to die, and much blood will have to be spilled. My system is unprecedented. Most of those who currently hold power are fundamentally incompatible with my system. Even if intimidated by force into bowing their heads for a time, they will still cause trouble in the future. Unless the killing is thorough, the realm will not know peace."

Sun Chuanting wanted to refute this, but as he opened his mouth he hesitated, and finally let out a sigh. He knew that what Zhao Jin said was the truth.

Zhao Jin smiled and said leisurely, "Between you and me, there is no need for too much whitewash or concealment. Though times are hard everywhere in the realm right now, they have not yet reached the point of being unbearable. For Xuzhou to step in and take over at this moment is actually a bit early. People will still remember the good of the old days, and the moment anything fails to satisfy them in the future, they will immediately rise in revolt. If we wait until the court continues its reckless misrule, until everyone is suffering in torment, then when Xuzhou arrives, it will be what all hearts yearn for. At that time, there will surely be far less slaughter and entanglement than now, and everyone will feel that our Zhao Army has rescued the people from fire and water."

"Lord Zhao's heart, it seems, holds great compassion," Sun Chuanting replied.

"It is hardly great compassion. I am simply too lazy to keep dragging this out. From my rise until now, every step has been taken too steadily, yet now I suddenly feel that time is not enough. I will not live forever, yet there are still so many territories under Heaven waiting for me to conquer, so many things to be done that have not yet been done. So I must be more urgent, faster — even if it is rushed, I can no longer afford to care." Zhao Jin spoke with deep feeling.

This time it was Sun Chuanting who remained silent for a long while. Then he spoke: "To accomplish great things, one must first rectify names and positions. If the altars of state change hands and Lord Zhao ascends to the great position, with name and position established, more people under Heaven will submit, and those who would act recklessly will at least be fewer. Once they are tamed by Lord Zhao's system, they will have far fewer wild ambitions and will not dare to risk great peril. A few less deaths is always a good thing."

Zhao Jin smiled and nodded. With words reaching this point, they had finally achieved a consensus, having spoken of the worst possible outcome. Since both could accept that, then everything else could naturally proceed.

"Mister Sun, what do you think of my eldest brother?" At this moment, with a conclusion reached, Ji Xiang could not help but ask.

This question was less a discussion than an expectation of praise from the other party. To praise Zhao Jin was to praise the entire group that was the Zhao Army, and they themselves would feel honored by association.

Sun Chuanting glanced at Zhao Jin and saw the wry, helpless smile on his face. Only then did he gain a deeper understanding of the bond between Zhao Jin and his brothers. In such a setting, Ji Xiang actually dared to interject like this. Yet the little thought behind it did match their age — young men just past twenty always wish to hear others' praise, especially praise from someone of weight.

Though the matter was amusing, Sun Chuanting did indeed have some things to say.

"In my heart, I previously regarded Lord Zhao as Cao Cao — a treacherous hero of a chaotic age, a great villain who usurped the Han. Naturally, we were irreconcilably opposed."

At this moment and in this setting, for Sun Chuanting to still dare speak like this instantly dispelled the sense of closeness that had grown considerably. Shi Manqiang and Ji Xiang both glared at him angrily. They had not read much, but they often listened to and watched the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in storytelling performances. Although Zhao Jin was quite fond of the figure of Cao Cao, in the common view, comparing someone to Cao Cao was hardly a compliment.

"But when Lord Zhao sent General Chen across the sea on a northern campaign to recover the Liao lands, it made me think of something else. That Cao Cao who usurped the Han — why did he overawe the Xiongnu? Why did he personally lead a great army on a rapid strike to annihilate the Wuhuan? If one does not confine oneself to a single family or a single surname, but looks across all of Huaxia, then that Cao Cao was a true hero of great vision. Had there been no Mengde in that time, the realm would have been shattered and ruined, like a hell on earth. Had there been no Mengde, the tragedy of the Five Barbarians ravaging Huaxia might have come a century earlier. And at that time, the vitality of our Huaxia Han people was so grievously wounded that I fear even a southern crossing to partial peace would have been impossible — the bloodline and legitimacy of the Han might well have been severed. Is what Lord Zhao is doing not the same? Since the Zhu family cannot guard this Huaxia realm, then it should be replaced by someone who can."

Heading home for the New Year holiday. Updates will resume by the eighth day of the first lunar month at the latest.