Tiger Guards

Chapter 592 The Way of the King and the Way of the Tyrant
Zhao Ji rested for another seven or eight days until he was fully recovered before he went to see Zhao Yan.

In Jinyang Lake, north of Jinyang City, Zhao Yan was fishing at the dock.

An old servant, holding an umbrella, noticed Zhao Ji approaching and bowed slightly. Zhao Ji simply nodded in response.

Zhao Ji sat down in an empty seat, with Gao Yanglong, a tall and strong man, following behind him carrying an umbrella to hold it for him.

Seeing a spare fishing rod nearby, Zhao Ji picked it up, weighed it in his hand, and shook it. He noticed that the rod was tough and seemed to be made of bamboo strips bonded together and compressed, making it a composite material, similar to the manufacturing process of a lance.

He then checked the rope and hook, and finding them secure, he baited the hook with half an earthworm and cast it out.

At this moment, Zhao Yan glanced at Zhao Ji. The old man couldn't see clearly, so he picked up a polished gold-framed crystal lens and placed it in his left eye socket. Seeing that Zhao Ji looked healthy, he smiled and said, "I thought Yuan Si wouldn't come to see me."

"Now that I've finished dealing with national affairs and the matters of strengthening the clan, it's only natural that I should come to pay my respects to my grandfather."

Zhao Ji really enjoyed being with the old man. Perhaps it was because the old man was getting on in years and had become more open-minded, so he wouldn't try to control or scheme against him.

In other words, there is no tobacco available now. If there were, Zhao Ji would love to light one for the old man.

Although this stuff is bad for your health, you can get used to smoking it and feel quite comfortable, and it can also liven up the atmosphere.

Zhao Yan just smiled and looked at the water: "So, Yuan Si has had a hard time these past few days?"

"Don't dare."

Zhao Ji went to look at the old man's fish basket, pursed his lips, and continued, "I always feel like I have a lot of energy but nowhere to use it because I'm preoccupied with affairs of state."

During his time back, aside from two simple banquets, he spent the rest of his time staying in the courtyard working hard to expand the clan.

Besides Zhen Mi and Lü Qi, there were also some women from the old man's old friends in Langya, including some newlywed women who had been widowed early.

Although she was said to be a widow, she was not necessarily older than Zhao Ji.

During this period, even Cai Yan had to take turns to have a chance to see Zhao Ji.

He was so busy that Zhao Ji was somewhat unaware of the passage of time.

But he was preoccupied with affairs of the court, and without a better pretext to raise troops, his anxiety was of no use.

Fortunately, the change in his social status was so drastic that these women actively flattered and pleased him, which made him happy and reduced the anxiety of waiting for a good opportunity.

After hearing Zhao Ji's reply, Zhao Yancai said, "Yuan Si has been orphaned since childhood, and now this old man only worries about one thing."

"Please tell me, Grandfather."

Zhao Yan turned to look at Zhao Ji's face and smiled: "I'm afraid Yuan Si will be so caught up in romantic feelings that he'll be schemed against by a woman. In this world, besides swords and money, tender words and sweet talk are no less capable of swaying people."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji remained silent.

Zhao Yan continued, “You don’t love gold and jade, nor do you love fine horses or rare treasures; this is the magnanimity of a king. In fact, I would rather you love material things, otherwise, if you are obsessed with one person, you will be controlled by that person. You also know that if the situation does not change drastically, the world will be yours. Besides this old man, who else can advise you?”

"Yes, Grandfather's advice is reasonable."

Zhao Ji slightly raised his chin to look at Jinyang Lake, and couldn't help but squint as he fell into reminiscence. After a moment, he said, "I understand my grandfather's worries."

Not only should he not trust the care and love of women, but he should also not place too much faith in the camaraderie and brotherhood of the past.

Now that things have come to this point, if we don't want to make a mess of things, we have to be ruthless.

Only by being ruthless and maintaining a safe distance can you keep the people from the past.

Too many people study themselves, so one must not only be ruthless but also adaptable, and not become a machine that can be predicted and exploited.

Previously, we flexibly changed our base of operations, and we must maintain this flexibility in the future.

Anyone who hinders this flexibility should be expelled or executed.

There was no need to kill someone to show the old man his resolve now, and Zhao Ji's expression didn't even change much.

Zhao Yan turned his head to observe again, unsure how much Zhao Ji could absorb.

Now that things have come to this, even if Zhao Ji suffers a loss, how much can he really lose? In the end, he will still be able to retaliate.

He simply didn't want Zhao Ji to live too stressful a life. Being busy wouldn't accumulate much fatigue; only constant expectation and disappointment would wear Zhao Ji down. So, he gave him a heads-up, telling Zhao Ji to kill when necessary.

Rather than disappointing and hurting yourself, it's better to take someone else's life.

If more people die, then others will naturally learn how to do things.

Seeing the hesitation in Zhao Ji's eyes, Zhao Yan smiled instead: "Yuan Si often laughs at Lü Bu's pedantry, but now Yuan Si has the power of King Wu of Zhou. Although the emperor is not like Jie and Zhou... were Jie and Zhou really so foolish and tyrannical?"

Zhao Ji listened and slowly nodded: "Grandson understands. The way of the king is very restrictive. The way of the king and the way of the hegemon are used together... It seems flexible, but if the way of the king cannot be consistent from beginning to end, what kind of way of the king is it? The Han emperor used the way of the hegemon. Only when the way of the hegemon could not be done did he use the name of the way of the king to slowly make his plans."

"It seems that Yuan Si is indeed intelligent."

Zhao Yan could not possibly have any deep-seated loyalty to the court he had served for nearly forty years.

He gazed at the shimmering Jin Yang Lake to the north: "Yuan Si's heart remains loyal and filial. In the current situation, if he wins, he will have mouthpieces to cheer him on; if he loses, he will be doomed, no different from Dong Zhuo."

His reason for this judgment was that the women he arranged for Zhao Ji were two per day, taking turns to serve him.

Zhao Ji did not object, but he wanted Zhen Mi and Lü Qi to stay by his side... This disappointed Zhao Yan, who would have preferred Zhao Ji to be more ruthless and greedy.

Everything had already been selected and arranged, and they were all at his disposal... Zhao Ji was actually quite content with that, which made the old man feel gratified but also somewhat disappointed and dissatisfied.

If Zhao Ji wants to rule the world and protect his clan, then there should be no morality, ethics, law, or consensus under heaven to restrain him!

In other words, Zhao Ji kept both Zhen Mi and Lü Qi by his side at the same time, and if he favored one of them, then the other had to be eliminated.

This world is not lacking in people, not lacking in wise men, not lacking in brave men, and not lacking in beautiful women.

Zhao Yan didn't know how to teach Zhao Ji either, but he had served as an advisor for a period of time, so he naturally knew how the ministers and scholars in the palace taught the emperor.

Naturally, the goal is for the emperor to be a morally upright person and someone who respects teachers and values ​​morality.

However, some people, in order to gain the emperor's trust, would dismantle the teachings of others, betray the collective, and beg the emperor for official titles and ranks.

Given his advanced age and the hardships he has endured in his life, Zhao Yan has developed a somewhat cynical attitude.

He naturally understood that Zhao Ji also wanted to become a highly respected state official, gaining recognition in his time and leaving a mark on history for posterity.

But too many grand principles ultimately cannot withstand the rule of the victor and the vanquished, nor can they withstand the coldness of human relationships once people are gone.

Therefore, the royal road that made Zhao Ji hesitate was destined to be a dead end!

Now that we've reached this point, we must abandon all moral shackles. Only by achieving final victory can we talk about morality and right and wrong.

The grandfather and grandson remained silent for a long time until Zhao Ji's fishhook was bitten.

Zhao Ji shook the fishing rod and pulled the fish out of the water.

He showed no interest in the fish he had caught, tossing the fishing rod aside as well: "I know, there will be a brutal battle this winter, even larger than the campaign against Dong Zhuo. I hope you take care of yourself, Grandfather. Only with you in charge of Jinyang can I focus on defeating the enemy."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan turned to look at Zhao Ji: "We must not harm the Han emperor. As long as he is alive, the heroes of the Liu family will not be able to establish their own kingdoms."

"Yes, grandson understands."

Zhao Ji turned to the side, cupped his hands in greeting, and couldn't help but smile.

Liu Xie was good in this respect; like Chongzhen, he was selfish to the core.

They regard the world as their own, not the world of their clan... Since things are like this, why should members of the royal family risk their lives?

He had previously proposed establishing imperial clansmen and outstanding figures to form vassal states, his original intention being to create new prefectures and kingdoms, like stars surrounding the moon.

When faced with war, it can be like the Shinra Tensei (Shinra's Great Conquest).

Ironically, the emperor refused, and the news spread, further dampening the spirits of the imperial family and powerful figures.

Now that things have come to this, what am I afraid of?
Zhao Ji pondered this question, and then it dawned on him: he feared that the forces of the Liu clan would completely withdraw and not confront him, but instead establish a division of the country along the Yangtze River!

(End of this chapter)