Chapter 10 Be honest with each other After finalizing the next government strategy with Jia Xu, Tian Ze was in a good mood. As soon as I walked out of the Government Affairs Hall, I saw Guan Yu who was training guards. A sparrow may be small, but it has all the organs. Although Tian Ze has few guards under his command, he has many good generals. After half of the 200 guards were allocated to Han Dang, the remaining 100 were divided among Guan Yu, Gao Shun, Ma Teng, Yu Jin and Le Jin, each with 20. It’s a little shabby, but it’s good enough for the people now. After all, they are all just civilians now, and even Guan Yu is responsible for a murder. In the eyes of the world, they are just a group of peasants with a little courage. Moreover, they have not experienced so much now and have not yet grown to the heights they will later reach. If they had not been born in troubled times, they would probably have been mediocre in their lives and at most would have been a sergeant or centurion in the army. The seven generals under his command were all loyal to Tian Ze because of his kindness. Only Guan Yu, who was familiar with Zuo Zhuan and had a great respect for the Han Dynasty, had a little resentment in his heart. It can be seen from the fact that the dot representing it on the small map is still light green.
Although Tian Ze knew that Guan Yu would never betray him given his character, if he did not get rid of this grudge, he was afraid that the other party would not be as open-hearted to him as he was to Liu Bei in history. Standing aside, Tian Ze was thinking about how to solve the matter while quietly watching Guan Yu teaching these guards seriously. These guards were carefully selected by Tian Ze. To Guan Yu, they were not just soldiers, but the backbone of the army in the future. Each of them is literate and has extraordinary fighting ability, so naturally they need to be cultivated with care. As the martial saint who later terrorized China, Guan Yu was a rookie at that time and still a little immature. I just followed the military strategy step by step, combined with my own feelings to explore and explain. Sometimes when I heard the guards' questions that were difficult to answer, I would constantly reflect and ponder. Tian Ze never hesitates to train the generals under his command. Even the "Six Strategies", "Sun Bin's Art of War" and "Sima Fa" which were treasured by the clan were lent to them for study without reservation, which helped them get rid of the wild path and avoid many detours. For Guan Yu and others, this was like a rebirth. You know, in this era, the inheritance of knowledge is more important than anything else! These are all precious military books that can be passed down from generation to generation, and some of their contents have even been lost. Although they are not qualified to pass it on, if they can gain some insights from it and form their own experience, they can leave more for future generations. Finally, when the guards were resting, Tian Ze walked up and handed the water bottle to Guan Yu. "Yun Chang, how do you feel?" Guan Yu took the kettle and said with shame: "I am short-sighted. The military book you taught me is much more profound than Zuo Zhuan. I have only mastered the basics of Sima Fa. I have failed you." Tian Ze patted Guan Yu on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Yun Chang, you don't have to underestimate yourself. It has been such a short time since you got the military book, and it is good that you can learn something from it. If you can understand it all at the beginning, I am afraid you would have been appointed as a general by now." You know, these three military books can almost be said to be the pinnacle of military books, and some first-class families don't even have them. If it were not for the Tian family's heritage, it would not have been possible to preserve it, and it would have been extremely difficult to comprehend it. Being comforted by Tian Ze, the guilt in his heart became even worse. He secretly made up his mind to study hard all night long during these days and train his guards into elite troops as soon as possible. "Yun Chang, I want to talk to you about something."
"My lord, please speak." Tian Ze gazed at the beautiful sunset on the horizon with a deep gaze. "Yun Chang, what do you think is more important in this world? The people? The country? Or the emperor?" “……” Guan Yu stroked his beard gently, frowning. "Mencius once said that the people are the most important, the country is second, and the king is the least important. What do you think of this, Yunchang?" Tian Ze asked. "This... makes a lot of sense." "From Zhuojun to Liaodong, we have seen all the counties and refugees along the way. Now, looking at Changxing Island today, what do you think?" There was a trace of loneliness and anger in Guan Yu's eyes. "My Lord, what do you want to say?" Tian Ze sighed softly and sat down on the ground leaning against a big tree. He felt that the sunset in the distance was soft and beautiful, but also a little sad. "Yun Chang, you know all about me and what I have done. You may have guessed some of my thoughts. Today, I will talk to you openly." Guan Yu stood beside Tian Ze, his eyes slightly closed, his face full of complex expressions. "The barbarians are rampant, the court is incompetent, corrupt officials, and powerful families are causing trouble everywhere. Yunchang, you have been persecuted and fled to Youzhou, so you should have the deepest understanding of these things." "I have traveled around the world for many years and have seen countless tragedies. Everywhere there are people starving and leaving their homes. This world should not be like this." "I have saved many people. Most of the people who followed me to this island were saved by me, but these people are only a small part of them." "There are too many sufferings in this world. Even if I see them, I can't do anything. No matter how much I help, it will only be a drop in the bucket." "I have also sought help and advice from some officials and gentry, but in their eyes, the lives of these refugees are insignificant." "From then on, I realized that if I wanted to change the world, I had to be strong enough." Tian Ze clenched his fists. This is not hypocritical, but Tian Ze's true thoughts. There are more than one way to gain fortune, namely, to fight for hegemony. Tian Ze also thought about accumulating virtue and doing good deeds, governing the world, avoiding chaos, and following the path of a saint. But when he got to know this era in depth, he knew that this was impossible. This path is a dead end, and the best outcome is probably exile and seclusion. At this moment, Guan Yu felt the same way as Tian Ze said. In fact, he had some hatred towards the government and the local gentry. If it weren't for Tian Ze, he would still be wanted by the government and live in hiding. But his loyalty to the Han Dynasty had been unwavering since childhood, which was why he was always conflicted. "In today's world, most of the land is owned by wealthy families, and the common people have no land to farm. Over time, the common people will have no way to make a living, and trouble will surely arise." "Even if the imperial court could suppress it, it would still cause powerful people to rise up everywhere, and the whole country would be in chaos, recreating the situation of warlords competing for supremacy at the end of the Qin Dynasty." Guan Yu could not help but say: "My lord, if you advise the court to restrict the nobles and gentry, and then build good farmland like you did, these problems may be solved."
Tian Ze smiled bitterly: "How is the court, Yunchang, don't you know? Since Emperor Guangwu, most emperors have succeeded to the throne at a young age, and the imperial relatives have controlled the government, fighting with the eunuchs for their own interests. The officials in the court are all from aristocratic families, and they value family interests more than the country." "What's the point of submitting a petition to the emperor? Will the officials in the court agree? They are representatives of the aristocratic families." “This is a dead end!” "What do you want to do, my lord?" Guan Yu asked in a deep voice. "If you are poor, you should take care of yourself; if you are rich, you should help the world. If I were the county magistrate of Wen County, I would recruit refugees and protect the people. If I were the governor of Liaodong, I would fight against the barbarians and prosper the area. If I were the general who conquered the north, I would cleanse the northern border and stabilize the world." Tian Ze said. "I am planning here not to rebel, but to leave a way out for myself. Only by becoming stronger can we better realize our ambitions." Tian Ze knew Guan Yu’s worries and doubts, so he spoke directly to him. "Not having a sword in your hand is not the same as having a sword but not using it!" To be fair, what Tian Ze did was not a rebellion against the Han Dynasty or an act of independence. If the chaotic times did not come, he would not be a bad idea to become the General of the Northern Expedition. After all, the people's hearts and reputation are not only acquired by emperors, but also by sages. Tian Ze will not take the initiative to stir up chaos for his own selfish interests, but he will not try to stop the chaos from coming. He will only take advantage of the situation and do nothing. It is too difficult to cure a tree whose roots are rotten, so it is better to plant a healthy sapling. "I know that you, Yunchang, are very loyal and righteous, but I hope that we can be honest with each other." "As long as the Han Dynasty doesn't let me down, I will not let it down either. If the Han Dynasty can be supported, I will do my best to do it; if the Han Dynasty cannot be supported, I will put the people of the world first." Tian Ze said solemnly. "Yun Chang, I open my heart to you today because I want to tell you that I am grateful to the Han Dynasty. It is undeniable that I have the desire to protect myself, but I have no intention of rebellion. But if I have to choose between the Han Dynasty and the people, I will choose the latter." Tian Ze is not a saint, but his path to cultivation requires spiritual energy, which forces him to act like a saint. "I don't want to deceive you, nor do I want to force you. If you, Yunchang, feel that I am not your wise leader, you can leave at any time. I will not stop you, but I hope you will keep your mouth shut about what happened on the island." Tian Ze said solemnly. "My lord!" Guan Yu knelt on one knee on the ground, his eyes full of emotion. "Although I am just a warrior, I also know the meaning of loyalty and righteousness. Today, my lord's words have enlightened me and made me feel ashamed. As the saying goes, a bird that chooses a tree will find a good tree, and a minister who chooses a master will find a wise master. This is what I wish for in my life. From now on, I will obey your orders and have no second thoughts!" Tian Ze quickly stood up and helped Guan Yu up: "Yun Chang, get up quickly. I know Yun Chang, I will never let you down in this life!" (End of this chapter)