Simulates history, but Chongzhen is the Divine Emperor at the beginning

Chapter 245 I want both aliases!
Waiting is always unsettling...

Ever since you launched your literary offensive against Zhao Gou, who was disguised as a "pure deer man," you've been anxiously awaiting his reaction.

Although you think you're safe as a "disciple of Yue Fei," he's still an emperor, and a true god on earth with absolute divine power. If he really turns on you, you're truly finished!

Therefore, you are very worried about His next reaction...

How will He react to that sharp article? Will He simply shut up and kill you outright? Or will He find a pretext to strip you of your public image, perhaps even locking you up in a dark room to keep Yue Fei company? Or… will He continue to write articles to argue with you?

After much thought, you feel there's a high chance He'll continue his online battle with you, so you're eagerly anticipating his new article, almost like waiting for a pen pal's reply...

[But what puzzles you is that for the next two weeks you didn't receive a reply from "Pure Deer Man." He not only didn't continue arguing with you, but he didn't even make the slightest gesture, as if nothing had ever happened.]

【…】

"What on earth is He doing?!"

Growing increasingly impatient as you waited, you found yourself grabbing your hair at your desk again...

[Damn it! What's with not replying after reading? We're not even dating, why are you playing these tricks?!]

At this moment, even though you've never lived in modern times, you still feel a conflicted feeling, like you're in an online romance...

"No! We can't wait any longer!"

[With eyes red from waiting, you grit your teeth and say: Time is money, data is life!]

[You were never a big shot to begin with. The reason you have your current fame is entirely due to your deliberate attempts to piggyback on the popularity of Yue Fei and your publicity stunt of playing two roles. In a sense, this popularity is your political lifeline.]

[However, traffic, if not deliberately hyped, will quickly fade away until everyone completely forgets about you... At that point, the fame you painstakingly built up will be gone, and your political life will come to an end!]

This is something you absolutely cannot tolerate!

[Now, it seems "God Zhao Gou" doesn't want to play along with your hype anymore, so much so that your reputation has disappeared for half a month... If this continues, you'll just become nothing more than a nobody on the street.]

[So, after much thought, you decided to continue playing both roles and generate buzz for yourself!]

[Therefore, you quickly wrote a groundbreaking article, and using the power of the Western Paradise to conceal your face and figure, you then headed straight for the various printing shops in Xiangyang, as before, preparing to continue publishing and hyping the article...]

[What you wouldn't expect is that when you arrive at a printing shop, before you can even ask them to start printing, someone suddenly approaches you!]

What will surprise you most is that this person, just like you, has concealed their face and body...

Just as you were about to become wary, the man suddenly spoke up: "Brother, would you mind having a private chat?"

You immediately frowned...

【…】

Not long after, you were sitting together in a private room at a restaurant.

Being cautious, you first inquired about this person's background, but they avoided answering and even asked you questions in return...

[From political leanings to personal knowledge, from Song-Jin strategy to views on the political situation.]

He asked you a series of strange questions, questions that no normal person would ask... At first, you were a little confused, but as you listened, a sudden realization dawned on you: this person might be sent by the government!

[And His purpose in sending this person... After a moment's thought, you gradually form a bold guess: Could it be... He's here to offer amnesty?!]

[After all, although you intend to enter politics as a proponent of peace, the current strategy of the Southern Song Dynasty clearly leans towards the pro-war faction. This is because "Divine Zhao Gou," the largest proponent of war, has just removed Yue Fei from office and carried out a major reshuffle in the Xiangyang army, clearly preparing for another northern expedition.]

Under such national policy, your advocacy for war, disguised as a counter-revolutionary, is actually more likely to gain favor with the government...

Therefore, it's quite normal for the government to want to recruit you... If you agree, you'll gain the opportunity to enter officialdom, transitioning from the literary world to the political arena, and you'll at least become an official in the future.

However, you are unwilling to accept this offer of amnesty!

The reason is simple: the "pro-war rebel" persona is merely a facade you wear. You can't possibly abandon the hard-won, positive identity of a pro-peace advocate to spend the rest of your life under this false facade.

Furthermore, the pro-war faction had no future. Although Zhao Gou himself was a pro-war advocate, high-ranking officials representing the peace faction, such as Han Shizhong, still held positions at the top of the court. As long as Zhao Gou didn't remove them from power, the Southern Song Dynasty would remain under the rule of the peace faction!

[Would Zhao Gou remove them all? Given the political changes over the past two hundred years, if Zhao Gou could remove them, he would have done so long ago! But Han Shizhong and his ilk still hold sway in the court, which proves that Zhao Gou, for various reasons, cannot remove them. Even Yue Fei was only imprisoned and not killed...]

Therefore, even if this person wanted to recruit you, you wouldn't agree!

So, instead of answering his questions, you apologized and got up to leave...

Just as you clearly showed your disinterest, the person whose appearance and figure were concealed suddenly said, "Does Your Excellency really have no desire to serve the Emperor?"

【Um? ! 】

You suddenly pause: The government?

Seeing your hesitation, the man stopped pretending and spoke frankly: "His Majesty has carefully read all your previous articles advocating war... especially your debate with Yue Fei's disciple, which he found particularly enjoyable!"

"Therefore, I have been ordered to come here to offer you amnesty by imperial decree... As long as you are willing to act as the emperor's mouthpiece, you will rise rapidly in your official career!"

You were completely stunned...

[No matter how much you plan, you never expected Zhao Gou to personally issue an order to offer you amnesty!]

[If this were accepted into the imperial court, its value would far surpass that of ordinary government-sponsored recruitment; it could even be said that Jian is favored by the emperor and has a limitless future...]

In that instant, you admitted that your heart had been moved.

[But you hesitate: you've finally managed to cultivate a positive image as a proponent of war, and with the popularity of being "Yue Fei's disciple," your future looks bright... Under these circumstances, is it really necessary for you to abandon it and enter politics under a negative persona?]

This is a difficult choice...

Why must we make choices?

Just then, the Prime Minister suddenly laughed and said, "Why can't we have both?"

【Um? 】

……

(End of this chapter)