The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun

Page 407

"You said last time that you cared about the people you saved, and I admire your actions. However, I still maintain my opinion that what you did was useless to the Ming Dynasty and to the people of the Ming Dynasty. How vast is the Ming Dynasty? How many millions of people are there in the Ming Dynasty? How much can you do? How long can you do it? How long can you live? A few years? A few decades? Or a hundred years? What will happen after you die? The world will still be the same."

Zhu Houzhao spoke very quickly without pausing at all. He pointedly said that everything Jiang Ning had done was in vain and asked Jiang Ning a series of questions. He was not worried that Jiang Ning would be so angry that he would kill him. If the other party was so easily provoked, it would prove that the other party was a person who could not amount to anything.

Jiang Ning looked at Zhu Houzhao without saying a word.

Zhu Houzhao looked at him without showing any weakness. Although Zhu Houzhao had no martial arts skills, he was not afraid at all.

After a while.

Jiang Ning laughed.

"You're right, I can't change much, I can only do what I can."

Jiang Ning knew what Zhu Houzhao was saying; he had always understood it. He did not evade or refute Zhu Houzhao's point of view, but rather readily admitted it.

Jiang Ning never denied this; he could not completely eradicate evil.

Zhu Houzhao laughed.

"But someone will always do it."

Jiang Ning also came to the lakeside and watched the fish swimming in the lake.

"If you can't do it, then don't do it; if you can't change it, then don't change it?"

Hearing Jiang Ning's words, Zhu Houzhao chuckled softly, thinking that Jiang Ning's words were too naive.

"Brother Jiang, you are very naive."

Zhu Houzhao directly said that Jiang Ning's idea was naive.

“I’ll say it again: how much can you accomplish by yourself? I believe that you’ve traveled to so many places and killed so many people, including many nobles and royalty.”

Zhu Houzhao bluntly stated, "Why did you kill them? Wasn't it because they committed all sorts of evil deeds and oppressed the people in the area, and the government was unable to stand up for the common people, so you angrily took action and killed them?"

Jiang Ning neither spoke nor denied it.

Zhu Houzhao continued, “Have you ever thought about why this phenomenon occurs? Why do they dare to oppress the people with impunity and why can’t the government do anything about them? It’s because they are princes, officials, and nobles. They naturally have privileges, and the government has to curry favor with them and be on good terms with them. So it doesn’t matter if they oppress the people, or commit rape and plunder. Someone will naturally help them deal with it. Commoners dare not retaliate when they are oppressed. Why? Because the laws of the Ming Dynasty cannot govern them.”

At this point, Zhu Houzhao gave a cold laugh.

However, his sneer was not directed at Jiang Ning.

"Our Great Ming Dynasty has been enacted since the founding of the dynasty by Emperor Taizu. These gentry enjoy the preferential treatment of the court, but they are doing things that harm the Great Ming. Corruption is rampant in the court, and outside the court they are oppressing the people, plundering their wealth, seizing their land, and driving them to the brink of despair. To this day, there are countless people like them who are still living freely in the Great Ming Dynasty, but the Great Ming Law has no way to deal with them."

After speaking at length, Zhu Houzhao felt a little tired, paused for a moment, and then continued.

"Moreover, the laws of the Ming Dynasty not only cannot govern them, but also those Jianghu people."

Zhu Houzhao understood very well that the Ming Dynasty law was meant to bind ordinary people, and it was only effective against ordinary people. It was useless against those江湖人 (jianghu people, people of the martial arts world) and the powerful and wealthy class of the Ming Dynasty.

Because ordinary people cannot bear the consequences of violating the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the laws of the Ming Dynasty are not to be violated. However, the court cannot do anything about those martial arts practitioners who violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty, because they have martial arts skills and can fly over rooftops and walls, ignoring the government's arrest.

Meanwhile, the princes and nobles used the privileges afforded to them by their class to make the laws of the Ming Dynasty ineffective against them.

"Those martial arts practitioners use their martial arts to fight against the laws of the Ming Dynasty, while those princes and nobles use their power to override the laws of the Ming Dynasty. To me, there is no difference between the two types of people."

Zhu Houzhao unknowingly referred to himself as "朕" (Zhen, the imperial "I") again, indicating that he now truly hated those princes and nobles.

"So, Brother Jiang, you must understand."

Zhu Houzhao looked at Jiang Ning.

"Everything you've done is just scraping the surface, not touching the root cause. What if you kill one person? What if you kill ten, a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand? They're just numbers, they don't help the world at all. You killed Xu Heqing, you killed Hu Anyu, but there's more than one Xu Heqing in the world, and more than one Hu Anyu."

"Xu Heqing?"

Jiang Ning was somewhat surprised to hear Zhu Houzhao mention Xu Heqing.

Xu Heqing was the former third-rank official whom Jiang Ning killed on his first trip down the mountain. At that time, Jiang Ning had just obtained the Innate Skill from the Ancient Tomb and stayed in Chang'an for one night. He happened to witness Xu Heqing's son forcibly taking a woman and saying in front of him that he would not let any runaway woman go. That's why Jiang Ning went to the Xu family and destroyed them. Originally, this matter had already passed for several years, but Zhu Houzhao brought it up again.

If Zhu Houzhao hadn't brought it up now, Jiang Ning would probably have forgotten about it.

Seeing Jiang Ning's surprised look, Zhu Houzhao smiled slightly.

“Brother Jiang, although you did not reveal your identity when you wiped out Xu Heqing’s entire family, there will always be some clues if you want to investigate. This is not troublesome for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”

Jiang Ning smiled and nodded slightly.

Actually, he wasn't surprised at all, nor did he panic after the news broke.

“In fact, Brother Jiang, you know in your heart that no matter how many people you kill, you can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. If you want to reform this world, stop the people from being oppressed, and let them live, killing indiscriminately is not the way.”

Zhu Houzhao looked at Jiang Ning, his eyes shining.

"There's a saying in officialdom: 'Those not in a position shouldn't meddle in its affairs.' Although you're a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world) with a great reputation, in reality, you're just one person. I, on the other hand, am the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty. This position allows for far more than what you're currently doing. Therefore, if you want to eradicate these..."

Zhu Houzhao's emotions grew increasingly agitated, and before he could finish speaking, Jiang Ning burst into laughter.

"So, according to you, the only way for me to completely eradicate these people is to rebel and become emperor?"

Zhu Houzhao's excitement vanished instantly, and he gave an awkward laugh, seemingly a little embarrassed.

"That's not necessary."

Chapter 548: Success Doesn't Have to Be Mine

Jiang Ning's words truly stumped Zhu Houzhao.

Seeing Zhu Houzhao's embarrassed expression, Jiang Ning laughed.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Seeing Jiang Ning's expression, Zhu Houzhao knew he was joking and said helplessly.

"You can't make jokes like that. I won't hold it against you, but if other people hear it, you'll be in big trouble."

"hehe."

Jiang Ning chuckled.

"I know what you mean, you want me to do things for you?"

Jiang Ning's words made Zhu Houzhao pause for a moment before nodding.

"good."

Zhu Houzhao did not feign an explanation, but said, "I have only recently ascended the throne, and there are all sorts of factions vying for power in the court. They are all busy fighting for power and profit. As the emperor, I do not have much power in my hands, and I urgently need to employ people."

Zhu Houzhao looked intently at Jiang Ning: "Brother Jiang, your martial arts are so high, and your abilities are so great. Since you have such lofty ambitions, why not serve the court? Why not serve me? There is a saying among the people: 'One who has mastered both literary and martial arts should serve the emperor.' Since you have such skills, why waste them on the conflicts of the martial world? Why not use them to express your ideals and abilities in the court and bring blessings to the people of the world?"

Zhu Houzhao spoke with great emotion and his eyes were very bright. This young emperor was full of passion and energy, and he wanted to dedicate himself to changing the country.

"The Ming Dynasty is sick now, very sick. Too many parasites are crawling on it, sucking its blood, making it weak and unable to protect its people. I want to heal it, but my strength alone is not enough. I need more people to heal it with me and make it regain its vitality. Brother Jiang, I need your help. This is not an order from the emperor, but a friend who shares your ideals asking for your help. Brother Jiang, help me! Help the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Houzhao was a man of great emotion, and his words were very persuasive. If anyone else had heard that the emperor valued him so much, they would have been deeply moved by now.

Jiang Ning laughed. He glanced at Zhu Houzhao, then turned to look at the lake.

"I'm just a江湖人 (jianghu person) who only knows how to fight and kill. You want my help? What can I do for you? Or rather, what do you want me to do for you? Kill someone?"

Jiang Ning did not believe that Zhu Houzhao wanted to give him an important position because he had a strong ability to govern the country. In Zhu Houzhao's eyes, he was just a Jianghu person who only knew how to fight and kill. So what did Zhu Houzhao want him to do by giving him an important position?

It's nothing more than using him to eliminate dissidents and get rid of those disobedient officials. To put it bluntly, they want to use him as a tool to seize power.

Zhu Houzhao's passion was dampened by Jiang Ning's words, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him.

Zhu Houzhao had no answer to Jiang Ning's question.

To be honest, that's exactly what he was thinking.

There was no way around it; Jiang Ning's superb martial arts skills were simply too suitable for him to be an assassin. Especially after Zhu Houzhao made up his mind about a certain matter, he felt that Jiang Ning was the right person for him. He had even decided that if Jiang Ning really agreed to work for him, he would have Jiang Ning assassinate those officials and ministers.

However, now that Jiang Ning has brought the matter to light, he doesn't know how to respond.

When dealing with intelligent people, you don't have to worry about them not understanding, but because they are so intelligent, there's no way to hide anything from them or take advantage of them.

"good."

Zhu Houzhao remained calm.

"That's exactly what I think, but the Ming Dynasty really needs radical reform. There are some things that have to be done. I want to reform, I want to establish a better system. Only in this way can the Ming Dynasty rise again, protect its people, and allow the people of the Ming Dynasty to live under a new system, so that the world can be at peace."

Jiang Ning smiled.

"I do not deny that I do want to eliminate all evil in the world, but I also cannot deny that evil in the world can never be completely eliminated."

Jiang Ning admitted that he could not completely eradicate all evil in the world, because it could never be eradicated, whether in the past, present, or future. Evil could never be eradicated, and it would not change with the progress of mankind, because it resided in people's hearts.

Humans are not static; they are complex, diverse, and changeable. At some point in time, at some stage, or after encountering a major change in their environment, people will undergo new transformations. Perhaps a person was a good person for decades, but after experiencing a major change, they become completely corrupted, turning into a sinister and cruel individual who indiscriminately kills innocent people and ultimately becomes evil.

Zhu Houzhao was taken aback.

"You want me to help you, but history always repeats itself. Even the best system will eventually become outdated, and people will eventually die. Throughout history, there are countless examples of dynasties dying and their policies collapsing. After I die, no one will do what I did. Similarly, after you die, your descendants may not continue what you did. Even if your descendants wanted to, you were born in the palace, and you should understand that."

Hearing Jiang Ning's words, Zhu Houzhao's heart sank.

After learning about Jiang Ning, he became very interested in him and hoped to win Jiang Ning over to work for him. However, he understood that someone like Jiang Ning would not submit to anyone unless he was completely persuaded. Therefore, Zhu Houzhao said many sharp things today in order to suppress Jiang Ning's thoughts, make Jiang Ning believe in his ideas and abilities, and make Jiang Ning work hard for what he wanted to do and become his right-hand man.

But Zhu Houzhao now understands that this is impossible, because the other party did not refute him and understood his point of view, but Jiangning remains the same.

He had just thought Jiang Ning's ideas were naive, but now he realized that Jiang Ning was not naive at all. The other party understood a lot, and his thinking was not limited. It was just that the other party believed that even the best system could decay, and even the best system could have people who were oppressed. Therefore, the other party preferred to use his own sword to carve out a bright and just world, because that was more in line with his expectations.

Thinking of this, Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

He understood that Jiang Ning would not be of any use to him.

"However, I don't reject your point of view, and I can help you."

Jiang Ning turned to look at Zhu Houzhao with a smile on his face.

"Although I still think your idea of ​​a world in harmony is very abstract, if such a day really comes in the future, I think I would be very willing to light up the darkness for that day, even if I don't live to see it. Success doesn't have to be achieved by me."

Hearing Jiang Ning's words, Zhu Houzhao looked at Jiang Ning without saying a word.

After a while.

"Haha, hahaha, hahahaha."

Zhu Houzhao laughed heartily.

He had always found the other person interesting, and now he felt even more so.

"However, I still will not be a tool for you to kill."

"of course."

If Jiang Ning had agreed to his request before, Zhu Houzhao would have only treated Jiang Ning as a tool, an assassin. But now that Zhu Houzhao truly considers Jiang Ning a fellow traveler, he will not treat Jiang Ning as a tool.

Jiang Ning did not speak again.

Zhu Houzhao looked at him and suddenly asked curiously.

"Brother Jiang, people in the martial arts world call you Ning Yama. I've heard you're currently the third-best martial artist on the righteous path, with very high skills. I'd like to see just how high they are. Could you let me witness it?"

Zhu Houzhao was really curious; he was very curious about just how powerful these martial arts masters were.

"You want to see it?"

Jiang Ning was surprised. "How do you intend to see it?"

Upon noticing that Jiang Ning's gaze was off, Zhu Houzhao waved his hands repeatedly.

"I don't mean to fight you. Don't you martial artists practice something called internal energy? Yes, internal energy. Can you show me how strong your internal energy is?"

"can."

Jiang Ning thought for a moment, nodded, and then drew the Zhenwu Sword from his waist.

He did not remove his sword when he entered the palace, and the eunuch who led him in did not say anything about not being allowed to carry a sword.

Upon seeing Jiang Ning draw his sword, the surrounding guards were greatly alarmed and tried to rush forward to protect the emperor, but Zhu Houzhao waved them away.

Jiang Ning poured his inner energy into the Zhenwu Sword, and the sword instantly emitted a chilling aura.

Jiang Ning glanced at the lake, then raised his sword and swung it. An enormous sword aura shot out from the sword, striking the center of the lake. The lake seemed to be cleaved in two, exploding into sprays of water that reached several meters high.

Zhu Houzhao was dumbfounded.

Chapter 549: True Martial Arts