CH 108

Lin Yuan once thought about his central team, this group of people should be the mainstay of the new world. He could tolerate people’s selfishness, even if they had desires for power or money or any other desires within the moral standards, so long as they could fulfill their duties and responsibilities and could understand Lin Yuan’s ideas and implement them faithfully.

Under this premise, Lin Yuan felt that he was very tolerant.

Only now, he had doubts about his previous thinking, especially when looking at Zhao Youquan, he couldn’t help but want to drive this person out of the tent as soon as possible.

Because this person’s desire for power and status was so obvious on his face, so obvious that he could read it at a glance.

And what disappointed him was that most people were like this.

They had sufficient knowledge and broad vision. They had many things that ordinary people did not have. They were also smarter and more flexible than other scholars.

But their use of their own advantages was limited to achieving power.

Lin Yuan even felt that if one day he really established an imperial court, these people would form cliques and try their best to ostracize dissidents, as well as take a share of the power in his hands.

Zhao Youquan knelt on the ground, but quite a while passed and yet Lin Yuan did not speak for him to get up.

He was a little flustered, wondering whether he had said something wrong just now, and then he understood it in a moment.

He had acted out in his mind the scenes when he met Lin Yuan countless times. At the beginning he referred to himself as caomin, later it was this subordinate, and finally…..

He said aloud the last term of self reference.

The South Bodhisattva had not yet become emperor, yet he called himself this official…..

Zhao Youquan’s legs began to tremble.

But it was not a complete mistake. If the South Bodhisattva had the idea of ​​becoming the emperor, then he had just made a suitable flattery using this term of self reference.

And in Zhao Youquan’s view, it was impossible for Lin Yuan not to have the idea of ​​proclaiming himself the emperor. If he did not want to be emperor, then he would not have gone to this point. Wasn’t it safer to stay in Gaoyou and wait for the imperial court to recruit him over?

“From now on, you will be the head of the Publicity Department.”

This sentence came from above, and Zhao Youquan breathed a sigh of relief. He was promoted. This proved that he was right in bis gamble.

Zhao Youquan suppressed his fear and thanked in a loud voice full of spirit.

Lin Yuan: “You can go, go and do your job well.”

He had no real power in the Publicity Department. In order to get promoted, he would always think of ways to achieve actual results. If he made an effort in a good direction, the Publicity Department might usher in new changes.

Lin Yuan gave him this opportunity. If he grasped it, he might be able to occupy a place next to Lin Yuan in the future.

Zhao Youquan left the tent. He exhaled a large breath of relief outside the tent. After entering the tent, he didn’t even dare to breathe.

Before entering the tent, he could only be regarded as a minor official, and the kind that was not officially appointed. After leaving the tent, he became a real official.

At this time, Zhao Youquan had yet to realize that his new official position had no real power. After all, the Publicity Department was a new department. Most people only knew to show off their titles, but they didn’t know what powers they could enjoy.

Not long after Zhao Youquan left, Chen Baisong asked, “Young master still wants to use him.”

Lin Yuan smiled and said: “It’s actually not a bad thing to have such a person. If he can walk back onto the right path, he can also be a worthy talent, and he can naturally be used. At that time, it will save me my time by solving the problem at one fell swoop.”

Chen Baisong suddenly had no words. He thought of his military barracks. Not all people in the military were those who obeyed military orders. Some people had their own motives. Every time he saw such a person, Chen Baisong would directly deal with it by military law. But now, it seemed that his young master’s solution was also a good one. By keeping these people, one could find more of the same with unruly intentions.

It was more convenient than finding them one by one himself.

“Young master is right.” Chen Baisong felt that Lin Yuan was becoming more and more intelligent, even though he was a person who cried whenever something happened when they were children.

It had been a long time since he had seen the young master show a weak side, as if he had always been so strong. No matter what happened, he was always calm and steady, giving people a feeling that everything was in his control.

Lin Yuan turned his head and asked him, “Is there any news about Xu Shouhui? What happened to the people who were inserted over there?”

Chen Baisong had an expression of “If you hadn’t asked I really wouldn’t have remembered this.” He probably also realized that his expression was too obvious so he lowered his eyes and said, “I’ll go ask.”

Lin Yuan sighed.

Chen Baisong was a little nervous. He felt that Lin Yuan was disappointed in him, as if he had not done what he should have done, which made him feel a little ashamed.

“This person Xu Shouhui…..” Lin Yuan said with an expression of pity on his face, “Pitiful.”

Xu Shouhui was similar to Han Lin’er in that they were both emperors in name only but no real power. Han Lin’er was controlled by Liu Futong, while Xu Shouhui was controlled by Ni Wenjun.

But Han Lin’er was better off than Xu Shouhui. After all, Liu Futong had never thought of usurping the throne, and had always done his best to protect Han Lin’er.

Whereas Ni Wenjun wanted to pull Xu Shouhui down from his seat and replace him with himself at anytime.

Chen Baisong didn’t understand what was so pitiful about him. After all, Xu Shouhui was an emperor. Even if this emperor could only stay in a corner sized territory, there was still absolutely no shortage of luxuries he could enjoy. Chen Baisong looked at Lin Yuan and thought, “Simce young master said he is pitiful, then he is pitiful”.

Lin Yuan smiled and said: “Send someone to tell the people in Hanyang to make some effort on Ni Wenjun, and tell Ni Wenjun that if he wants to achieve his great cause, I am willing to lend troops to him.”

In history, Ni Wenjun wanted to kill Xu Shouhui to usurp the throne, but he was defeated after the incident so he could only defect to Chen Youliang. Only then Chen Youliang had a place in this history and replaced Ni Wenjun as the new authority of the Tian Wan regime.

But what if Ni Wenjun succeeded? What if he successfully usurped the throne? And by relying on Lin Yuan’s soldiers, and when the time came and Lin Yuan wanted to attack him, it would be easier than others.

Even if Ni Wenjun knew that Lin Yuan was plotting wrongdoing, with the huge benefits placed in front of him, he would never refuse.

Ni Wenjun was a gambler, and the gambler was always shortsighted and cared only about what was in front of his eyes.

If he wanted to be the emperor then Lin Yuan would give him a helping hand.

Lin Yuan looked at Chen Baisong: “Do you understand?”

Chen Baisong had a lot of experience in fighting battles and wars, but he had not much talent in politics. He asked earnestly, “Why do you want to help him? Tian Wan has nothing to do with us. We are already being merciful by not waging war against them.”

Lin Yuan was taken aback, and finally understood Chen Baisong’s brain circuit.

Chen Baisong’s thinking was easy to understand. It was nothing more than: Lending troops to defeat Xu Shouhui—>Ni Wenjun becomes the emperor—>there is no benefit for them.

Why do things that were not of any benefit?

Lin Yuan could only do his best to be a teacher. He explained from another perspective: “Why is it that Xu Shouhui can sit firmly on the throne? He has no real power in his hands, but Ni Wenjun still did not dare to make a move. What is the reason?”

Chen Baisong said: “He is the emperor.”

The emperor represented everything. He was the ruler determined by the heavens. Even if the people below knew that he could not make important decisions, they were still willing to support him, just like with the reputation of a business.

“That’s why Ni Wenjun taking the throne is not a righteous act in the eyes of the people.” Lin Yuan said again, “Once he overthrows Xu Shouhui, the people’s hearts will naturally be unstable and turbulent. At that time, isn’t it easier for us to launch an attack on them?”

Chen Baisong pondered deeply, and after a long time, he said, “Then why not just take advantage of the chaos and simply capture Hanyang?”

This time it was Lin Yuan’s turn to pause.

He looked at Chen Baisong a little dazedly, and suddenly became excited. He grabbed Chen Baisong’s big callused hand and said excitedly: “In ancient times, there was a wise word from the teacher, but now there is a wise word from Baisong!”

He cared too much about Chen Youliang, to the extent that it blinded his reason.

That’s right, it had been a long time since he was too weak in power. In these troubled times, he already had enough capital to take part in the fight.

He had a million strong army, sufficient reserves of grain and grass, and sophisticated weapons and ammunition. Why couldn’t he just enter the fray and compete with them head-on?

He didn’t even need to lend troops to Ni Wenjun, he only needed to get involved when Ni Wenjun and Xu Shouhui were fighting each other, and in this way he could take advantage of the fisherman’s profit. (TN: from idiom ‘sandpiper and clam war together and the fisherman catches both’)

It was only April now, and Ni Wenjun would start his rebellion in September, so he still had time.

Lin Yuan looked at Chen Baisong, his gaze having never been so enthusiastic.

Chen Baisong’s heart beated fiercely from the other’s gaze. He didn’t know which of his words managed to have such a powerful effect.

Lin Yuan’s face was flushed red, which made him lose his previous calm and self-contained image. He now appeared as excited as a boy who caught sight of his sweetheart. His heartbeat also gradually lost its original steady frequency. He said to Chen Baisong, “I was wrong.”

Chen Baisong looked stunned.

Lin Yuan laughed: “I underestimate myself too much.”

Chen Baisong calmed down and conveyed a question mark with his expression.

Lin Yuan was so excited that it was difficult to hold it in himself, jumping to his feet in his excitement. His young master had stood up so naturally, Chen Baisong could not continue to sit, and could only stand up as well.

Lin Yuan hugged Chen Baisong. He needed someone to share his feelings at this time. His hot breaths exhaled on Chen Baisong’s ears, his voice sounding suppressed in his attempt to restrain his excitement, practically speaking incoherently.

“You are right.” Lin Yuan hugged Chen Baisong tightly, “Why am I so stupid? Why should I follow the established path? I can change direction, I can take another path, the butterfly wings have already flapped, so why should I follow the path before the wings have flapped?”

Chen Baisong: “…..”

He really didn’t understand a word of what his young master said.

Lin Yuan released his hold and took a deep breath. He had a sudden and hearty smile on his face, as if the previous haze had been swept away.

“I have to go for a walk and get some air.” Lin Yuan said to Chen Baisong without looking back as he left the tent.

Standing outside the tent, he felt his ambitions burning, as if thousands of miles of picturesque rivers and mountains were right in front of his eyes.

It was time to invite Song Shizhao and Luo Ben to come over. He still had time to make adequate preparations and not allow Ni Wenjun and Xu Shouhui a chance to react.

Inside the tent, only Chen Baisong stood alone with a dazed expression. He touched his ear. The ear that Lin Yuan was facing when he was speaking was now red and hot, as if it had been burned by fire. He drank a cup of cold tea and sat back on the chair, but the heat in his ears had not subsided at all.

Chen Baisong sat for a while, then stood up.

Not only did his ears fail to recover, but his fingertips were also red now. He looked out of the tent and felt that he should also go for a walk and get some air.

It would be best if it was some cold air.