Chapter 373: Zhu Zhuqing Is Unsuitable for Being Emperor
Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
******
Soul masters have always been proud, and managing them is not an easy task. Even though Zhu Zhuqing is powerful enough to publicly subdue them, she cannot prevent them from causing trouble behind the scenes.
The success of the Spirit Hall can be considered fortunate.
After all, most of the soul masters who joined the Spirit Hall still have faith, such as the glory of the angels.
Though this statement lacks specific details, it at least provided some cohesion for managing so many people in the Spirit Hall. Subsequently, the Spirit Hall began promoting the motto "Establishing martial arts for heaven and earth, forging souls for all beings," and continually enriched its meaning: labor creates value (wealth), reflection and experience accumulation, cultural enrichment, and wisdom, among other things.
They then began recruiting talents from various industries, conducting research pragmatically, cultivating high-yield crops, mining, building roads, establishing spirit guide factories, providing employment opportunities, and setting up spirit enlightenment academies.
Moreover, funds requested from the two great empires were required to be publicly accounted for by each major branch, with every individual allowed to supervise and report on the expenditures.
Although darkness was not eradicated but rather hidden deeper, for the vast majority of people on the continent, the Spirit Hall's actions were far more just and fair than those of the two great empires.
At least, the Spirit Hall was continuously improving.
And the two great empires?
Zhu Zhuqing realized that the high-level networks of interests within the two great empires were deeply entrenched and changing them would not be a simple task.
One would either need to start everything from scratch or gradually influence the change, like boiling a frog in warm water, waiting for the older generation to die off while the new generation has not fully taken over their positions, wealth, and interests, influencing them one generation at a time.
The latter option was directly dismissed by Zhu Zhuqing!
It would take too long!
She preferred a swift solution, believing that a quick end is better than a prolonged pain; rooting it out completely was simpler.
"Power can make soul masters submit outwardly; but how can we make them submit inwardly?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.
"What do you think is the essence of politics?" Tang San inquired.
"Interests?" Zhu Zhuqing recalled the high officials and nobles of the Star Luo Empire, having much interaction with them and also hearing from Zhu Zhuyun that the connections between various officials and families were deeply intertwined, an invisible web of power and wealth that was hard to remove.
Don't you see the families of the Star Luo Empire obstructing the research of weapon-type spirit devices both openly and secretly?
Do they know that attack-capable spirit devices could make the empire stronger?
Yes, they do.
But this would harm their immediate interests.
Though some families can see the long-term perspective, human nature is selfish. When spirit devices develop significantly, these families, which were built on spirit abilities, would become less significant. Their status in the future would inevitably decline, and even an ordinary soul master with a talent for spirit devices might one day overshadow them.
How could they tolerate that?
Furthermore, most of these families were optimistic, believing that the Tiandou Empire and the Spirit Hall would not wage an unjust war against the Star Luo Empire.
After all, wars on the continent always need a pretext to justify them, no matter how absurd that reason might be. Wars cannot be started without cause; otherwise, it would be akin to madness.
This is the consensus on the continent.
But the essence of war is ultimately for profit.
"No," Tang San shook his head, "the essence of politics is singular: to increase the number of friends and decrease the number of enemies."
A spark of realization flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes: "So, the goal is to eliminate enemies and keep friends, right?"
"That is the least favorable option. The most ideal option is to turn enemies into friends, with you being the leading force in that process," Tang San said with a faint smile. "Within a family, there are always those who do not align with the mainstream ideology. You can find those who share your vision and build your own faction."
Building a faction requires confidence.
And Zhu Zhuqing certainly has that!
It is her formidable strength!
Of course, strength alone is not enough; she also needs to be well-rounded in other areas. Therefore, Tang San previously advised her to understand economics, management, and education.
He didn't expect her to master everything, but at the very least, she should be able to handle relevant issues without being easily misled or deceived.
"I have no interest in putting on a false front with those people," Zhu Zhuqing said, her brow furrowed, clearly disinterested in playing along with pretenses. She generally maintained a cold demeanor towards others unless she knew them well.
"That's why I said you need to find like-minded people," Tang San replied with a smile, though he inwardly sighed. With Zhu Zhuqing's temperament, she was unlikely to make a good emperor.
A person in that position can be authoritative, muddled, or even ruthless.
But they cannot be someone with an aloof, icy demeanor.
An emperor who speaks very little…
Is a tragedy for an empire.
Even those emperors who are articulate and clear in their speech have their words meticulously analyzed by their ministers, who search for hidden meanings.
An emperor who says little would likely drive their subjects to "madness."
Zhu Zhuqing pondered for a moment and nodded: "Indeed, if someone shares similar thoughts and has the courage to act, we should get along well."
"Let's not dwell on this," Xiao Wu, uninterested in such matters, took Zhu Zhuqing's hand and asked, "How long will you be staying out this time? Has your family made any demands? Why not visit Spirit City for a while?"
"That sounds good." The thought of spending more time with Tang San excited Zhu Zhuqing, and she quickly agreed—after all, the situation in the Star Luo Empire would remain the same, and she could propose her involvement in the empire's affairs when she returned.
On the way to Spirit City, while staying at an inn, Zhu Zhuqing noticed that Xiao Wu and Tang San shared a room. A hint of melancholy crossed her face as she thought, "Xiao Wu is in close proximity to Tang San."
Noticing Zhu Zhuqing's expression, Lan Yinzi pulled her aside and said, "You like Tang San, don't you? Don't deny it; I can see it."
"You're quite the romantic yourself," Zhu Zhuqing remarked with a peculiar look at Lan Yinzi. "Lan Yinzi, aren't you about the same age as me? Calling me 'little girl' seems a bit much."
"Cough, actually, I'm quite old," Lan Yinzi said, pretending to be mature, though her youthful face did not lend much credibility.
Zhu Zhuqing thought she was joking and didn't take it seriously. She asked, "When did Xiao Wu and Tang San start sharing a room? Do they live together in Spirit City as well?"
If they do, she felt it would be challenging to win Tang San from Xiao Wu, considering Xiao Wu is Tang San's adopted sister and they have known each other since childhood… it seemed she had little chance. Would it be possible to have two women serve one man? If it were Xiao Wu, it might not be out of the question.
At that moment, she completely forgot her earlier disdain for Dai Mubai...
(End of Chapter)