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

Chapter 271: Love Yourself or Love the Song Dynasty?

"I can do anything..."

Hearing these words, which seemed to contain immense determination, Zhao Gou couldn't help but sigh deeply.

"You...you're always thinking about other people..."

[Very well, since you've asked so sincerely, I'll mercifully tell you!]

Zhao Gou couldn't help but smile faintly, then slowly said, "I said before that there were only two ways for me to regain my divine power."

"One option is to proceed with the original plan of a northern expedition, using the invasion of the Jin state as a means to obtain divine power... Since the Grand Tutor is unwilling to choose this path, then so be it. After all, the Grand Tutor is the most trusted and capable minister I value most."

"As for the second path... that's naturally still about insubordination, using it to gain divine power!"

[You: ...What are you doing here?!]

You stare blankly at "God Zhao Gou," expecting him to utter some profound and insightful statement, but after all that, it's just the same old "insubordination" rhetoric... What's the difference between that and saying nothing at all?

[Zhao Gou: Of course there are differences!]

"No matter how things change, the principle remains the same. Since I cannot alter the workings of the power of lust, I can only follow its course..."

As Zhao Gou earnestly explained, you gradually understood His meaning: In short, the power of lust originally arose from human desires, but since He could not find anyone of higher status than Him, He could only transfer "human lust" to "national lust," essentially exploiting a bug.

Now that you don't want Him to exploit this bug, He naturally has no choice but to return to the basics and shift the focus from "nation-to-nation" to "person-to-person"... Therefore, this so-called other path is actually about finding someone of higher status to allow Him to invade!

[But then you're confused: the reason it shifted to "the lust between nations" was because they couldn't find anyone of higher status than Him, but now they want to shift back.]

In other words, you need to find someone nobler than Him, the God-Emperor of Lust... But such a person simply doesn't exist in this world!

[You pondered for a moment, bewildered, but still couldn't figure out the answer. So you turned your gaze back to His face, hoping He could explain it to you more clearly... But upon closer inspection, you were horrified to discover that He was also looking at you, and with an extremely strange gaze...]

[Gordon!]

Your heart skipped a beat: Could this person be me?!

Thinking about it this way, you suddenly panicked, and all sorts of memories came flooding back...

[You've always found it strange that Zhao Gou treated you with such favor, even though you were at most an "envoy of the Heavenly Venerable," that your treatment far exceeded what one would expect at that level!]

[Your reforms were too hasty, which provoked the Hanzhong Mutiny. Zhao Gou issued an edict of self-reproach to take the blame for you, while at the same time assigning you brilliant generals like Yue Fei as your subordinates, fearing that you would fail in suppressing the rebellion...]

[Your border strongholds, which had already been under heavy attack by the Jin army, were devastated by their southward advance, causing the whole country to vent its anger on you. It was Zhao Gou who issued an edict of self-reproach to take the blame for you, and even comforted you to continue the reforms...]

[You were driven to the banks of the Yangtze River by the Jin army, and Zhao Gou comforted you while simultaneously issuing an edict of self-reproach to take the blame...]

One thing after another, whenever you encountered a problem you couldn't handle, it was Zhao Gou who would step in and take the blame for you... This level of favor could truly be described as "the Emperor's favor can never be repaid!"

[This favor even surpasses the proper level between ruler and subject, reaching a bizarre level even higher than that between ruler and subject...] [Thinking this, you can't help but feel terrified: No way! No way! Could it be that the Emperor Zhao really... has his eye on you?!]

That's truly disgusting...

However, just as you were sweating profusely with fear, Zhao Gou raised an eyebrow... Seeing your expression, he seemed to guess what you were thinking, and then burst into laughter!

But He didn't say much, only intrigued, telling you to go back and think about the answer first, and then come back to explain to Him when you've figured it out... So you hurriedly bowed to Him, and then turned and ran away almost as if your life depended on it, even jogging, for fear that if you stayed too long you'd be taken to a brothel...

【…】

As you sat alone in the quiet room of the Grand Tutor's mansion, you finally let out a long sigh of relief, gradually calming down...

The problem is serious! Seriously serious than you ever imagined!

You are certain that you are a person of great integrity and vision, and you aspire to be like your father, who repeatedly sacrificed himself for the people! In short, you are not afraid of death, and if you were truly asked to use your life to protect the people, you believe you would not hesitate much!

[Isn't this what the protagonist is here to do?]

But the current situation is beyond your expectations, because while you may not have to sacrifice your life right now, there's a very high chance you'll have to sacrifice something else... something more important to you than life itself!

After all, life can be restarted, but psychological trauma cannot... You really don't want to suffer that fate.

However, on the other hand, the Southern Song Dynasty is currently suffering repeated ravages from the Jin army. Under these successive blows, the Southern Song has actually reached a state of extreme poverty and weakness. If the problem with the Jin army is not resolved in time, then self-destruction on the spot is definitely not a joke!

[If the Southern Song Dynasty were to collapse, the Jin army, without Zhao Gou's resistance, would truly occupy Jiangnan, thus completely unifying the North and South and ruling indefinitely. The people of the land would never again be able to overthrow the Jin emperor, who was an equal power to Zhao Gou...]

Therefore, in a sense, your current choice determines the future of the Southern Song Dynasty and the entire world! If you fail to preserve the flame of resistance against the Jin Dynasty, then this "Jin-Song world" will forever be out of balance... But if you preserve this flame, then you may lose something irreplaceable...

So how should I choose?

During this difficult time, you can't help but feel lost...

【…】

[Ding! Standing at a crossroads in history, you want to protect the lives and property of the people, but you also want to uphold your own dignity. However, life is often like trying to have your cake and eat it too; you can't have both. So, you ultimately have to make your own choice... You choose: (?)]

[A: Sacrificing your own family for the greater good! The Prime Minister was willing to risk his life to protect the people, so why are you unwilling to make even this "small" sacrifice when it's your turn? It's obvious you don't love the Song Dynasty!]

B: I want everything, big or small! Who cares about anything else? My reasoning is paramount! Forget all that cheesy, hook-like literature, get lost!

The world can be saved little by little after reincarnation, but your dignity will truly be gone after reincarnation... Therefore, for the sake of your last shred of dignity, use the power of the Western Paradise against the god Zhao Gou!

……

(End of this chapter)