Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Early in the morning, Ren Baqian sat in front of the bonfire and fully utilized his prowess by roasting two lambs at the sa ti. These lambs were of fairly small build, but they had very nimble movents. They were considered pretty rare ga animals because they were able to crush the skulls of ferocious beasts with just their hooves.
The ordinary soldiers had been eating babeasts over the last two days. Those beasts could be found in packs everywhere. They had the appearance of rabbits, but the behavior of wolves. Their at was a little rough, and they didn’t exactly taste good.
In the olden days, there were so generals who loved their soldiers so much that they ate and lived together. However, both Ren Baqian and the empress weren’t generals, so they naturally wouldn’t compromise themselves.
A thin and slightly hunchbacked elder who wore a green top was walking over unhurriedly from afar.
This elder had a head of white hair while his body emitted an air of defeat. His movents were slow as well, seemingly like a log.
When they noticed that soone was approaching, both the students, who were in the midst of preparing breakfast, and a few soldiers imdiately went on the alert.
“An enemy!”
All of the soldiers successively drew out their weapons.
“I’m not here to pick a fight. I just want to have a few words with you,” this elder said.
“Shi Gan!” Ren Baqian called out to Shi Gan to take over the breakfast roasting. After he cleaned off the soot from his hands and nodded at the empress, he walked toward the elder.
Qingyun Sword. Ren Baqian had never expected him to actually arrive just to have a few words. Furthermore, he was alone.
However, Ren Baqian could sohow guess what he wanted to ask.
Ren Baqian stopped several ters in front of Qingyun Sword and looked at him. His current outlook was entirely different from when they had first t.
Even though his hair had still been white and his age was roughly evident back then, he looked as if he was in the pink of health. After all, even if a Spirit Wheel expert was 100 years old, it shouldn’t be a problem for him to live for another 40 years or so. In addition, his condition would only begin to rapidly deteriorate about a year before his ti was up.
However, looking at him now, his entire body seed defeated and appeared about 20 years older than it was before.
“You didn’t expect this, did you?” Qingyun Sword questioned.
Ren Baqian nodded very honestly. He had indeed never expected for this to happen.
“Neither did I,” Qingyun Sword replied drearily.
Everything was indeed beyond expectation. Qingyun Sword had neither expected that Ren Baqian was an undercover agent nor that the envoy from Great Xia was actually in cahoots with Ren Baqian and had revealed information to him.
When he ca to know of this piece of news, he was at a loss for quite so ti. He didn’t know what was wrong with this world.
All that talk about providing support and starting a revolt; it all seed like a joke.
Issues between nations and what happened at the imperial ancestral temple, all of it didn’t seem to be sothing that people of the society could comprehend.
All they had were bodies full of hot blood, but they were acting like fools. They did things that many people thought were foolish.
“I want to ask you sothing, and I want you to speak the truth.” Qingyun Sword spoke after standing there for so ti.
“They all call the cute and honest husband!” Ren Baqian replied very genuinely.
Qingyun Sword looked at him profoundly.
Cute and honest… Cute and honest… He had been deceived by this man!
“If we were defeated, how would you treat all the living beings in this land?” Qingyun Sword asked unhurriedly. This was his purpose for visiting. Assassinating the empress was a very grave matter indeed.
If it were to succeed, they would be able to launch a counterattack if they could withstand the retaliation from the Protectorate of the South.
However, if they were to fail, rolling heads would likely be the outco of what the aboriginals would do since this had been their habit all the while.
All living beings in Tianjing Basin would be like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
As a result, Qingyun Sword’s purpose for coming was to try to persuade Ren Baqian to let the innocent civilians off. This was the only thing he could do at the mont—to plan for everything after their defeat due to their blindness and impulse.
He used to harbor thoughts about victory, but all of that was already gone.
Even Great Xia’s envoy was in cahoots with the aboriginals. Were all those things that he and his n had done a farce in the eyes of the others? Qingyun Sword didn’t know.
Su Qing’s betrayal had dealt a huge blow to him.
“I’ve said it before, but all of you were actually too rushed…” Ren Baqian said as his eyes darted around before he found a rock and sat down.
“This is my purpose for coming. Actually, you all and the aboriginals aren’t coexisting in a state of irreconcilable adversaries. It’s not that this land can’t accommodate both ethnic groups living together.
Of course, the aboriginals don’t have enough ntal capacity, and this resulted in your people not having a good ans of settlent over the years. As for you all, those who have survived from 70 years ago can’t live in peace either. As such, the relationship between both parties beca worse over the last few decades.
In fact, precisely because the aboriginals don’t have as much ntal capacity, you all could do better.
In my opinion, you guys are more useful toward aspects such as the economy, culture, scientific research, etc.
Both parties actually complent one another.
The aboriginals have military strength, but no brains. You guys have no military strength and no brains… but, have a little more brain power compared to the aboriginals.”
From afar, the empress picked up a piece of rock, and it screeched through the air as she sent it flying toward them.
Qingyun Sword stretched out his hand and grabbed ahold of it. He glanced toward the empress and said to Ren Baqian, “Your standing among the aboriginals is much higher than what I had expected.”
If he were to be blunt and comnt about the aboriginals not having enough ntal capacity in front of Qi Zixiao, he reckoned that he would probably be buried by now.
However, Qi Zixiao couldn’t even bear to throw the rock at Ren Baqian to warn him, but instead threw it at Qingyun Sword. Even though such an action felt a bit like a girl throwing a tantrum, he could tell where Ren Baqian stood in the heart of Qi Zixiao.
“Please continue, I’m all ears,” Qingyun Sword added. Previously, when he first saw the empress, Ren Baqian seed to have said sothing similar. However, everyone was unwilling and nobody could accept what he said back then. Even if they listened, they still wouldn’t have believed him.
Currently, Qingyun Sword already knew the what the outco would be. With an open mind, he was able to calm down and listen properly.
This matter was itself a very lantable thing.
“My purpose for coming is to resolve this issue and let you guys walk away.
First, let out a small group of steady minded people to run businesses or do other tasks. Allow them to interact with the aboriginals while allowing the aboriginals to get to know you all better. This will also allow all of you to get to know the aboriginals better. Through such interactions, both parties can understand each other better and treat each other relatively fairly instead of being completely prejudicial.
Once this first step is accomplished, more of your people will be let out progressively.
Of course, this will require so ti. However, as ti passes, all of you will be able to coexist with the aboriginals under the sa sky.
When that happens, my objective will be t and so will yours.”
“Are you serious?” Qingyun Sword’s voice shuddered slightly.
This was sothing that many people had been looking forward to over the last few decades. Could it really be accomplished so easily now?
“There isn’t a need for to lie. Your vision is too limited—it’s as if you’re looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.
What I see is far greater than what your see. I also know about the needs of various types of talents far better than you.
The future Dayao won’t be a good-for-nothing nation that only knows fighting. It will be the center of this world. A nation that far exceeds all others of this era in aspects like economy, culture, education, etc.
I need talents, a large quantity of talents from all aspects like education, economics, research, project planning, and manufacturing. Only with a large amount of talented individuals will we be able to achieve what Her Majesty and I have envisioned.
Even in Tianjing Basin, I will spread education extensively and allow every child to be able to attend classes. This is so that they will grow to beco the talents that I need before allocating them to positions that can bring out their expertise.
This way, after 10, 20, or 30 years, there may even be officials from Tianjing Basin entering the imperial court.”
Qingyun Sword remained silent for a good while after listening to what Ren Baqian said.
He was in slight disbelief.
If the aboriginals were to coexist peacefully with everyone from Tianjing Basin like what Ren Baqian ntioned, it was sothing that would probably take decades to achieve.
The sole fact that children from Tianjing Basin could go to school and attain knowledge was already enough to make it hard for Qingyun Sword to believe. This was sothing that the past generations were unable to achieve. It was impossible even for the populous and affluent Great Xia.
As for the other things that Ren Baqian said, they completely made no sense to him.
From the looks of it, it seed that Qi Zixiao and the person in front of him had a majestic plan that embodied many elents. However, he didn’t know what the plan was nor could he imagine what it would be like.
Let Dayao beco the center of this world?
It sounded like the words of sheer fantasy.
However, looking at how Ren Baqian was glowing with vigor, it seed as if that was what he planned to do.
Most importantly, seeing that the other party indeed had no intentions of exterminating his people, Qingyun Sword had attained peace of mind.
Since that was the case, there was no need to say everything that he had planned before.
“Just surrender! Given your status, strength, and position in Tianjing Basin, you can shorten the process of pacifying Tianjing Basin by so much more. The more ti saved, the less blood shed. Also, you too could live on to witness if this world will evolve to what I said it will,” Ren Baqian persuaded.
Reviews
All reviews (0)