Do you have the strength to force me to join the Liangshan bandits?

Chapter 580 Wang Jin: This is the difference! [1st update]

If Cai Fu were merely the leader of Liangshan Marsh, he would have to bow down to express his sincerity.

There's no other reason than that he lacked social status; even if he occupied the 800-li Liangshan Marsh, he would still be just a bandit.

But now he is the King of Qi, and a legitimate and proper vassal king with troops and territory.

Theoretically, only Emperor Huizong of Song is worthy of his bowing and obeisance.

In fact, even Emperor Huizong of Song dared not accept it.

There was nothing he could do; his status and position were what they were, so Cai Fu bowed deeply to Zong Ze and Wang Jin.

Even so, Zong Ze and Wang Jin dared not accept it, and hurriedly rolled off the bed and knelt down on the ground:
"Your Majesty is too kind!"

Zong Ze said in a panic, "What happened today was an accident, and I have no complaints against Your Majesty!"

Wang Jin also said, "If it weren't for His Highness saving us today, we would have died at the hands of spies!"
"His Highness saved our lives, and we have not yet repaid that debt. How dare we accept such a great courtesy from Your Majesty?"

It's no wonder they were panicked; they were all former subjects of Emperor Huizong of Song, and had never seen such a scene of reversing the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.
Emperor Huizong of Song made many mistakes, but when did he ever apologize?
The ministers are always the ones who are wrong. Even if Emperor Huizong of Song was incompetent and foolish, he was still blinded by treacherous ministers.

The treacherous officials were wrong, not Emperor Huizong of Song.

However, Cai Fu not only took the initiative to admit his mistake, but also performed such a grand ceremony for them, which completely stunned Zong Ze and Wang Jin!
Zong Fang, standing next to him, was completely dumbfounded and could hardly believe his eyes!

Cai Fu quickly helped Zong Ze up with both hands: "Elder Zong, please get up!"

He then helped Wang Jin up, saying, "Even the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people!"
"Whoever is at fault must admit it! That's how it is in our Qi state!"
"Therefore, you must accept my bow!"

Even the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners...

Zong Ze and Wang Jin exchanged a glance, both deeply shocked:

This phrase is like "grass mud horse"—we've only ever heard people say it, but never actually seen anyone do it.

If it were truly the case that the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners, countless officials and civil servants of the Song Dynasty would have been beheaded!

Even Emperor Huizong of Song couldn't escape being stabbed at the crossroads!

But Cai Fu actually did it, even if it was just admitting his mistake and bowing to them on the ground...

That's already quite remarkable!

Cai Fu personally examined their injuries and consulted the doctor. Only after confirming that they were alright did he feel relieved.

Then Cai Fu asked them about the situation at the time, and Wang Jin gave Cai Fu a clue:
"Your Majesty, although Lian Xinlong's moves seem like those of a chivalrous hero, his true methods are those of a battlefield warrior!"

"I suspect he is a master soldier!"

"It makes sense."

Cai Fu nodded, and Zong Ze also provided a clue:
"Your Majesty, I blocked Lian Xinlong's blade. When Lian Xinlong saw it was me, he blurted out something incoherently—"

"So it was you?"
"But I have never met Lian Xinlong before, so I suspect he may have been prepared."

Cai Fu nodded encouragingly with a smile: "Go on."

Zong Ze boldly expressed his speculation:

"After I went down the mountain, I thought a lot. Lian Xinlong was the first to approach Dong Xian. It could be a coincidence, but it is also possible that Dong Xian was the prey he had chosen."

"Furthermore, considering that Lian Xinlong recognized me, I suspect that Lian Xinlong has a list in his possession."

"Those on the list are the people he wants to kill."

Seeing that Cai Fu was listening attentively and even nodded in agreement, Zong Ze felt reassured and spoke freely.

After all, no one was willing to listen to him say so much before. If he said too much, he would be silenced; if he said the right thing, he would be demoted. "Moreover, he was ruthless towards all of us. It is obvious that he came here to kill people."

"If he came here to kill, he would only have one goal: to ruin the World's Greatest Heroes Tournament."

"Who benefits from this mess? First, the Liao Dynasty; second, the Jin Dynasty."

Wang Jin was stunned by Zong Ze's analysis, but Cai Fu was overjoyed:
Why is the Jin Dynasty second?

"Although the Song Dynasty is going to attack the Liao Dynasty this time, the Liao Dynasty is already weak and is no longer the Song Dynasty's primary enemy."

Zong Ze sat cross-legged on the bed, speaking eloquently:

"In my humble opinion, the Jin Kingdom is the most powerful enemy of the Song Dynasty in the future!"
"As long as the Liao Kingdom existed, the Jin Kingdom would have formed an alliance with the Song Dynasty!"
"After destroying the Liao Kingdom, the Jin Kingdom, with its wolfish ambitions, will surely turn its attention to the Song Dynasty!"
"Therefore, before destroying the Liao Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty certainly did not want to see the Song Dynasty become powerful."

From the Jin Dynasty's perspective, what they most wanted to see was for the Song Dynasty to help them destroy the Liao Dynasty, even at the cost of heavy losses.

"This way, they can take advantage of the situation to march south and seize the Central Plains after they have destroyed the Liao Kingdom!"

Cai Fu deliberately provokes him: "So, does that mean the Song Dynasty shouldn't have allied with the Jin Dynasty?"

"Absolutely not!"

Zong Ze spoke decisively, completely ignoring Zong Fang's forceful coughing beside him:
"The Song Dynasty should form an alliance with the Liao Dynasty to jointly curb the rise of the Jin Dynasty..."

"Go outside and cough!"

Disliking that Zong Fang was disturbing his advice to the King of Qi, Zong Ze glared at Zong Fang irritably.

Zong Fang was coughing so hard he felt like his lungs were going to burst, but to his surprise, Zong Ze told him to go outside and cough.

Zong Fang had no choice but to slink out of the military tent, looking up at the sky and sighing:
Father, loose lips sink ships!
Have you forgotten why you, a top scholar, only received the title of "granted the title of Jinshi" in the imperial examination?
So many years have passed, and you're over sixty now, yet you still speak so rudely...

Zong Ze completely failed to grasp his son's good intentions and continued talking incessantly to Cai Fu:
"The right thing to do is to unite with Liao to destroy Jin!"

"If we unite with Liao to destroy Jin, Liao will be the main force, and our army will only be auxiliary!"
"After destroying the Jin Dynasty, the Liao Dynasty will also be severely weakened. This is the best opportunity for the Song Dynasty to take over the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun!"
"Obtaining the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun will fundamentally alter the balance of power between the Song and Liao dynasties!"

"it is good!"

Cai Fuqing couldn't help but cheer loudly for Zong Ze, grasped Zong Ze's hands, and said excitedly:

"Elder Zong is indeed a man of great talent, capable of assisting a king!"

"I wonder if Elder Zong would be willing to serve as an official in the State of Qi?"

Zong Ze was also very excited. As the saying goes, a scholar will die for one who understands him. He discovered that the King of Qi was his true friend!

If it were Emperor Huizong of Song, he wouldn't have had the patience to listen to all this; he would have had him thrown out long ago.

However, Zong Ze still managed to restrain himself:

"That is indeed my wish, but I have already participated in the Greatest Hero in the World Tournament."

"A person should see things through to the end. I should fight my way into the finals and rightfully serve Your Majesty!"

Ugh--

Wang Jin, watching from the side, felt anxious for Zong Ze:
You refused Lin Chong's invitation on behalf of Prince Qi!

Now that the King of Qi has personally invited you, are you still refusing?
Are you stupid?
But Wang Jin admired Zong Ze even more, for he truly deserved the title of "a talent fit to assist a king" bestowed upon him by the King of Qi!

If it were in his shoes, and Lin Chong had made the request on behalf of Prince Qi, Wang Jin would have agreed...

This is the gap!

(End of this chapter)