knife

Chapter 397 My Own Territory

He Zudao was very different from his father, He Qiku.

He Qiku was only rudimentary in literature, but he had achieved great success in martial arts and military strategy.

They are the kind of people whose skills are bestowed by heaven, those who are blessed with natural talent.

He Zudao inherited his father's talent, but his situation changed drastically because of his father's changes.

He was one of the few figures in the history of the Qin Dynasty who excelled in both civil and military affairs.

Wen passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi. Considering that the Qin Dynasty held the examination once every three years and only selected a little over three hundred people each time, you can imagine how difficult it was to pass the imperial examination.

When He Zudao entered the examination hall, the He family had not yet truly risen to prominence!

In martial arts training, his progress was even faster than his father's.

He Zudao also always considered himself a scholar-general.

When he took off his armor and put on Confucian robes, he exuded a strong sense of Confucian elegance from the inside out, and his every move was refined and cultured.

But when he picked up his greatsword, mounted his warhorse, and headed to the battlefield, he transformed into a veritable god of death from hell.

He switched between the two roles with ease, and even his subordinates didn't find it awkward at all; it seemed as if this was how he was supposed to be.

"Han Zheng is fine!" He Zudao, dressed in a blue cotton robe with his long hair casually tied back with a blue scarf, poured wine into Ke Wuji's cup, much like a schoolteacher. "The doctor has already examined him. With a few months of rest, he'll be fully recovered. I didn't realize Jiang Ping knew all this stuff; her technique is so skillful, she's proficient in everything from bone setting and applying medicine to bandaging."

“Jiang Ping’s status is far more prestigious than Han Zheng’s.” Ke Wuji asked with some concern, “Now Jiang Ping’s whereabouts are unknown?”

"It's alright!" He Zudao laughed. "To us, Han Zheng is more esteemed. Jiang Ping is merely a princess, relying only on the favor of the Empress Dowager of Southern Chu. Jiang Qian, on the other hand, is a purely political animal and won't cause us trouble because of Jiang Ping."

"In that case, I am relieved!" Ke Wuji nodded. "Then I will first toast the General. It has been more than half a year since we went to Jiangnan. Now the eight towns in Jiangnan are basically stable and the foundation has been established. With the General's strategic skills, he will naturally be able to make great strides in the future."

He Zudao laughed heartily, raised his cup and clinked it against Ke Wuji's: "Old Ke, I will never forget your contributions, no matter how great my future achievements are. If it weren't for your help in going to Jiangnan, I would have been trapped and died in the north by those people long ago."

Ke Wuji smiled, finished his wine, and remained silent.

“I know you’re very dissatisfied with what I’ve done lately.” He Zudao stood up again and refilled Ke Wuji’s cup. “I’m treating you to this meal today specifically to try and mediate the conflict between you and the Du and Huang families.”

Ke Wuji sighed, “General, we made a promise in the north that when we returned to the south, we would equalize wealth and status! Do the Du and Huang families truly want to submit to you? They are forced into this situation. You not only accepted them but also entrusted them with important responsibilities. This will make our brothers feel disheartened.”

He Zudao took a sip of wine and said, "I, He Zudao, come from a poor family. I have suffered enough from the contempt and disdain of the wealthy and powerful since I was a child. I think Elder Ke has heard my story from my youth! I want to wait for the noble and the lowly more than anyone else."

"If that's the case, why not just do it? Just thinking about it will never get us anywhere!" Ke Wuji said, dissatisfied.

"Old Ke, the biggest lesson I've learned over the years is that haste makes waste. Equalizing wealth and status was a slogan proposed by Li Jimin and He Qingqiu back then, but even they couldn't accomplish it. If we dare to do it so directly, I'm afraid we'll die without a burial place."

"General He, you've already done this in Hedong and Luoyang!" Ke Wuji reminded him, "Now that you've taken this path, there's no turning back. Your hands are stained with the blood of these powerful and noble families. No matter how you try to wash it off or express your goodwill to them, they will never forgive you. It's only a matter of time before they settle accounts with you."

“Of course I know that!” He Zudao laughed loudly. “So I can only succeed, not fail. But now I want to succeed, so I have to rely on their strength. Whether they are sincere or not, for now we are all in the same boat.”

"General, where is that pioneering spirit you had in Hedong and Hexi, that 'I am the best in the world' attitude?" Ke Wuji was very dissatisfied.

"To be honest, Elder Ke, at that time I had nothing, and I thought I was doomed. Kou Zhong and Wei Zhengdao had put me in a dead end, one that I couldn't untangle. Since there was no way out, I naturally had to go for broke." He Zudao sneered, "So killing was an option at that time. But later, Kou Zhong actually died, and you came looking for me. This gave me a way out in my desperate situation, and now that I've found a way out, I naturally want to make this path wider and smoother."

"So, you've started to accept those who used to look down on you!" Ke Wuji said.

"To achieve great things, inclusiveness is essential!" He Zudao looked at the person opposite him, his tone firm. "Moreover, equalizing wealth and status doesn't necessarily mean killing everyone and dividing up all their land and money. Don't you think so?" "That's roughly the idea!" Ke Wuji said. "The other day, I met someone and talked to him about economics. He laughed at my narrow-mindedness. I said that the amount of wealth in the world is fixed, so how can more people have wealth if we don't kill these people? He said that the amount of wealth in the world is not fixed, but that we can create more wealth, making the pie bigger and bigger, so that more and more people can participate in sharing it. That's the right way. We even had a debate about it."

“This person is very insightful. Could you introduce me to him, Elder Ke?” He Zudao’s eyes lit up. “Now is the time when we need talented people. We must not let any gems go to waste!”

“We only met once, and we didn’t get along. I wanted to beat him up, so he ran away!” Ke Wuji said.

He Zudao laughed loudly: "Old Ke is still true to his nature."

Ke Wuji snorted and said, "Since the General has personally hosted a banquet today to mediate between those people, I cannot refuse to give the General face. However, I also have a request for the General today."

"Between you and me, why should we talk about asking for anything?" He Zudao said with a smile.

Ke Wuji sneered inwardly. Yes, there's no need to ask for anything, but you haven't agreed yet. You still need to hear what I have to say before you decide whether you can agree.
"I beg the General to spare He Yiming!" Ke Wuji said.

A strange light flashed in He Zudao's eyes: "This person is quite perceptive, actually coming to Elder Ke? He has ulterior motives, plotting to frame me, and he has also offended Han Tan and the Empress Dowager of Southern Chu. Are you sure you want to plead for him?"

"General, I also want to grow stronger now!" Ke Wuji said, "The Du and Huang families are very opportunistic. If I don't grow stronger, I'm afraid my position will become further and further away from yours. Moreover, General, it's undeniable that my background is something you're somewhat wary of. Now I don't want to hide anymore; I want to be out in the open. Can you accept us openly and honestly?"

"What is there to be afraid of?" He Zudao tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp. "Isn't it just the Demonic Sect? What the world cannot tolerate, I, He Zudao, will tolerate. Isn't it just He Yiming? Since he has submitted to you, he is now my subordinate. As for Han Tan, I will handle that! His son is still alive, isn't he?"

"Thank you, General!" Ke Wuji cupped his hands and said, "I dare not speak for other places, but in the eight towns under your jurisdiction, my disciples will certainly respect you, serve you with all our might, and go through fire and water without hesitation."

"Old Ke, you flatter me!" He Zudao laughed loudly, "Come on, let's drink, let's drink!"

"There's another thing I'd like to ask the General: Is Linghu Zhishu hiding in your residence?" Ke Wuji asked with a smile.

"Is Elder Ke's senses really that sharp?" He Zudao asked, a look of surprise on his face. "I thought this matter was very secretive."

“When he came, some of us saw him. I was looking for him, but he disappeared without a trace. Only the Great General has the ability to hide him and prevent us from finding him!” Ke Wuji: “What’s the point of talking to the Linghu clan? Now that he’s here, the Du and Huang families will probably find their master immediately and rush to curry favor.”

“He came to see me, but it was for something else!” He Zudao shook his head and said.

"May I ask if I may hear it?"

“He believes that Li Dachui has taken over Shu County and will inevitably come to Jiangnan to cause trouble next!” He Zu said, “This man was defeated by Li Dachui in Shu County, outside the pass. He was resentful, so he came to Jiangnan, hoping to join forces with me to kill Li Dachui.”

Ke Wuji was startled. Linghu Zhishu, that troublemaker, was truly a persistent ghost. However, this guy was indeed quite capable. He was here specifically to ruin the young master's affairs, so we couldn't let our guard down.

"What kind of person is the General? Does he need this incompetent and troublesome person to help him? Doesn't he even know his own limitations?"

"It's always a kind gesture!" He Zudao laughed. "Besides, he has Linghu Ye's trust quite a bit, so it's not a bad thing to get to know him. In the future, I might have to run into Linghu Ye sooner or later, so it's good to get to know him better beforehand. This person has come to my door, how can I refuse him?"

"General, don't be fooled by him!"

"You can rest assured about that!"

"General, I'm going to Ning County next. Since He Yiming is going to surrender to us, Ning County should be properly reorganized. It's adjacent to Zhang Quanyi's territory, but it's also the front line of our expansion."

"It seems that Old Ke is now eager to have his own territory."

"I just hope that in the future, when the Great General holds court, I will still be under his command, just as I am now, with the first chair on the left still reserved for me."

(End of this chapter)