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

Chapter 247 Demotion and Promotion

"Okay, okay, okay!"

When your article was presented to "God Zhao Gou," this monarch, who had been troubled by dissenting voices in the court, suddenly perked up like parched crops receiving rain after a long drought, his eyes shining as he exclaimed "Excellent!" three times!

[I knew I hadn't made a mistake in choosing this person. This novel sentence structure, this moving advice, this undisguised loyalty...]

[My family is moved to tears! Yue Fei never wrote a memorial like this to me in his entire life!]

"Zhou Hui... Zhou Hui..."

Touched by your loyalty, Zhao Gou couldn't help but repeat your pen name over and over again... Your deliberately self-proclaimed pen name, coupled with the familiar flattery and smugness in the text, immediately gave him a sense of déjà vu: So alike! Absolutely identical!

Even though that person had been executed by Yue Fei and others two hundred years ago, Zhao Gou would still think of him: although he was indeed a surrenderist, his sycophancy towards the emperor was beyond doubt!

That perfectly timed flattery, that euphoric sense of accomplishment, that intuitive understanding of the emperor's intentions... Zhao Gou hadn't experienced this in two hundred years.

"Having seen the vast ocean, other waters seem insignificant; having beheld the clouds of Wushan, other clouds are not worth seeing..." Although He has never lacked sycophantic ministers, none of them could match the abilities of that man back then. There are always some people in this world who only learn to cherish something after they've lost it...

[But now, your pen name and articles give Him a sense of familiarity, like an old friend returning, which inevitably moves Him and creates a natural affinity towards you.]

[So, with this filter in mind, after much deliberation, He finally made up His mind: He must keep you by His side!]

This time, no matter how loudly Han Shizhong and the others shout, He will definitely protect you...

【…】

[In the 216th year of the Shaoxing era, with the help of the government's propaganda, your pro-war article directly shook the entire nation!]

The day you achieve fame, the entire Song Dynasty will be calling your name…

[Pah! Is that a call to action? That's a rant!]

[Damn it, back then Qin Hui was all about sycophancy and flattery, and now we have a "Zhou Hui"... Do all treacherous villains have the same name?]

While criticizing him, people couldn't help but wonder: what exactly is this "Zhou Hui" trying to do?

[The Emperor has now extended his influence, first ordering Yue Fei to launch a northern expedition against the Jin Dynasty, then dismissing him for disobeying orders, and subsequently purging the pro-peace faction in Xiangyang… This proves that the Emperor intends to continue the northern expedition!]

[And then you jump out again: Judging from your writing, you clearly support the Emperor's Northern Expedition strategy! You don't just support the Northern Expedition; you even want the Emperor to suppress the appeasement faction, thereby promoting autocracy, advocating benevolent education, and ultimately creating a god-emperor cult...]

Honestly, your remarks might not seem like much to the common people, since they've always been raised with a strong sense of loyalty to the emperor. Not only are they loyal, but they're also enthusiastic about launching a northern expedition to achieve military success… after all, they don't understand the complexities of the north.

However, to the pro-peace officials, your words are nothing short of treacherous and wicked!

The common people may not know, but surely they do? A northern expedition is utterly futile, a futile act of throwing an egg against a rock. Aside from satisfying the officials' personal needs, it offers absolutely no benefit… and not only no benefit, but also a waste of manpower and resources, and unnecessary casualties!

Therefore, your advocacy for war is clearly detrimental to the peace and stability of the Song Dynasty.

Under these circumstances, many indignant pro-peace advocates chose to petition the emperor, requesting that he issue an edict to punish you...

[With this great trend sweeping forward, you naturally couldn't let go of such a golden opportunity to make a name for yourself. So you immediately donned the guise of a "disciple of Yue Fei" and wrote a vehemently pro-peace article, vehemently criticizing your own hypocritical persona in the process!]

[You even angrily stated in the article: Such treacherous villains should be dealt with like Qin Hui, by having government soldiers behead them with a single stroke...] [And once your pro-peace article was published, it immediately resonated with a group of pro-peace advocates. Coupled with your reputation as a "disciple of Yue Fei," which naturally attracted the favor and followers of the pro-peace faction, writers from all over the country quoted your article to express their political leanings.]

[Even some officials mentioned your name and articles when submitting memorials to the emperor... In this way, your positive image benefited from this wave of attention, leaving a very positive impression on the pro-peace faction... Once the political situation reverses, you will soon be pushed into the position the pro-peace faction desires!]

In short, you're profiting from both sides, you're winning so much you're sick of it...

[But precisely because you became famous under the guise of "Yue Fei's disciple," and because you openly opposed war this time, you left a very bad impression on Zhao Gou!]

And so, the iron fist came down!

In the 216th year of the Shaoxing era, the imperial court, citing your overstepping of authority in remonstrating with the government, stripped you of your "Commander" position, which you had barely settled into...

[This year has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows for you. You were promoted to "Commander" for your contributions in the Northern Expedition, only to be stripped of your rank and reduced to a commoner in the blink of an eye!]

And so, at the age of thirty-one, you were forced to leave the army...

【…】

On the day you left the army camp with your belongings, your old comrades and subordinates were reluctant to part with you. After all, you were a famous figure; you were everyone's favorite "good captain" and "good instructor," and also the most respected disciple of Marshal Yue... With all these accolades combined, you were already half a sun in their hearts!

[Especially since the reason you left the army was the classic case of demotion by the imperial court. It was precisely because you expressed your righteous demands to the court that you were harmed by a tyrannical emperor and treacherous officials... This buff is practically maxed out!]

Therefore, their faces were filled with reluctance and indignation... but they were all just soldiers, unable to offer any real help.

The only thing they can really help with is that you can use your face to recruit people from the military camp in the future. Whatever your request, they will do their best to help you...

But what kind of help would you need from these ordinary people?

So you smiled indifferently, then shouldered your belongings and slowly walked towards your home in Xiangcheng...

Yes, you don't care.

This unexpected disaster didn't make you resentful or blame others, because this was exactly what you wanted: what was the point of painstakingly cultivating a pro-peace persona? Wasn't it just to be ostracized by the pro-war faction?

Only those who have been persecuted by hostile political forces can be considered to have the most legitimate and upright credentials of their own faction!

Although you've suffered a loss now, once the peace faction regains control of the government, you'll definitely recoup your losses with interest...

Besides, you've only had one account demoted; your other account is currently enjoying a meteoric rise!

[So, you'd only been home a few days when Zhao Gou brought you a reward...]

"The Emperor is very pleased with your article!"

The visitor first praised you a few times, then asked a meaningful question.

"Old Zhou, do you have any interest in Princess Shang?"

……

(End of this chapter)