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墨書 Inktalez
After spending nearly half a month in the southern frontier, Zhuge Liang was finally preparing to return to the capital.
Compared to when they first arrived, the number of people returning had noticeably increased. Meng Huo had been granted amnesty and was required to go to the capital to report and receive his title. Lady Zhurong, as Meng Huo's wife, naturally accompanied him. Additionally, Li Hong, an outsider, also joined the group. This was not because Li Hong felt compelled to follow Zhuge Liang, but rather for a sense of security.
The Shu Road was treacherous, more difficult than climbing to the heavens!
Centuries later, Li Bai would lament the hardships of the Shu Road, and Li Hong had no desire to experience it firsthand. In this era, there were no extensive road networks. To reach the capital of Shu Han was akin to scaling a mountain. Moreover, in these desolate times, peace within Shu Han was hardly guaranteed. Bandits roamed freely, and wild beasts lurked in the forests. If Li Hong were to travel alone, he would likely become a meal for some beast before he had gone very far.
Given this complex situation, Li Hong ultimately chose not to play the hero. With Zhuge Liang returning to the capital, he decided to join the journey.
Zhuge Liang did not inquire much about this stranger who had joined them. Since Li Hong had previously entered his tent without attempting an assassination, there was little for him to worry about. What concerned Zhuge Liang more was Ma Su.
For several days of marching, Ma Su had maintained an air of mystery. Even Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister, could not discern what Ma Su was up to. The cautious Zhuge Liang had resolved to find an opportunity to eliminate Ma Su.
With such a glaring presence in the army, Zhuge Liang found it hard to relax. After all, no one wanted a burly man barging in with military reports while they were engaged in private matters.
Even though Ma Su was exceptionally talented and had previously been favored by Zhuge Liang, repeated interruptions during intimate moments had begun to irritate him.
Ma Su was well aware of Zhuge Liang's wariness. Before receiving any warning from Li Hong, he did not believe that Zhuge Liang harbored intentions to kill him. However, after Zhuge Liang's repeated displays of murderous intent, Ma Su reluctantly acknowledged that Li Hong was right.
"Zhuge Er, since you harbor intentions against me, then I cannot let you live," Ma Su thought darkly.
In the following days, Ma Su frequently went out without informing Zhuge Liang of his whereabouts. Although Zhuge Liang felt uneasy about it, he still agreed to Ma Su's requests to leave. Secretly, however, he began sending people to keep an eye on Ma Su's movements. Ma Su was aware of this but paid it no mind.
Meanwhile, Li Hong acted as a strategist for Ma Su. Most of Ma Su's actions were likely suggestions from Li Hong. Ma Su trusted this strategist immensely and knew that Li Hong would not betray him; his advice was often backed by historical precedent.
For instance, he suggested engaging with the common people and listening to their voices. He also advised uniting all possible forces while maintaining the integrity of their ranks.
No matter how clever Ma Su was, his vision could only extend so far in this backward era. Faced with Li Hong's suggestions, he accepted them wholeheartedly as if they were treasures.
"Your Majesty is truly remarkable; such secret techniques for slaying dragons come so easily from your lips," Ma Su praised Li Hong during their march.
After receiving training from Li Hong, Ma Su had absorbed most of the essence of the Dragon-Slaying Technique. At the same time, he felt more confident about the upcoming uprising.
Li Hong smiled awkwardly, his mind filled with countless things he wanted to say. Wasn't the so-called Dragon-Slaying Technique just content from a middle school political textbook?
Of course, he understood Ma Su's shock. After all, for this era, those theories were still too advanced. This was only the distilled version of Li Hong's teachings; if Ma Su were to learn the complete content, he would probably go insane. After all, this Dragon-Slaying Technique was specifically designed to combat the decaying and backward feudal class.
Even if the overly sensitive parts were removed, this Dragon-Slaying Technique could still make a significant impact during the Three Kingdoms period.
"Once you establish your territory, you must learn to govern it. Managing a large nation is like cooking fresh food; rash actions and impatience are both unwise. Governing is like stir-frying bamboo shoots; it requires significant effort to bring out the flavor."
"You must insist on reform as the fundamental driving force for development and comprehensively deepen reforms."
Hearing this, Ma Su frowned and asked, "But this will touch many people's interests! Since ancient times, reformers have never had a good ending."
Li Hong knew that Ma Su was referring to Shang Yang. After all, everyone knew about Shang Yang's reforms, but few knew that Shang Jun was executed by being torn apart by chariots. This was the dark nature of ancient society; anyone who threatened the interests of the feudal class met a grim fate.
Li Hong had anticipated Ma Su's concerns and was already prepared with a solution.
"Don't worry; resistance to reform is inevitable. I have a plan that can help mitigate the crisis."
Ma Su bowed respectfully and said, "I hope Your Majesty will teach me so that I can bring an end to this chaotic era of war."
Li Hong stroked his chin and said appreciatively, "It's excellent that you have such thoughts. Regarding resistance to reform, let me share a piece of advice: If you understand it thoroughly, then you won't sit idly by. If you don't grasp it, then it's better to extinguish any thoughts of reform early on."
"I am all ears!" Ma Su replied earnestly.
"Reform is the driving force; development is the hard truth; stability outweighs everything." Li Hong shamelessly borrowed words from a certain sage.
"Development? Stability? Reform?"
Ma Su's eyes lit up with surprise as he said, "Your Majesty, I understand now. You mean that while implementing reforms, one must also bring benefits to the people? The reason why Shang Jun's reforms succeeded is that as the Qin State expanded, those oppressed by Shang Jun also reaped the rewards. A dull knife cutting flesh truly reflects the wisdom of a sage."
What? He understood it just like that? Li Hong thought in astonishment.
In fact, it proved that Li Hong had underestimated the wisdom of the ancients. Something as convoluted as the Dragon-Slaying Technique could be grasped with just a mention; Ma Su was indeed a clever person!
Ma Su continued, "With what the sage has said, I finally understand why Shang Jun was executed by being torn apart by chariots."
"Oh?"
Li Hong became interested and curiously asked, "Then tell me, why was Shang Jun executed in such a manner?"
"Shang Jun had prepared for both reform and development but overlooked the most crucial aspect: stability. The facts show that while the Qin State rose and everyone benefited from the reforms, this was only one side of the Qin State's progress. The real issues within the Qin State remained unresolved. Thus, when these issues erupted, human nature would blame Shang Jun for them. This is also why Shang Jun faced such a fate. His inability to maintain stability made him a scapegoat for Qin Xiaogong," Ma Su stated seriously.
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