I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1095 Can revenge still be taken after nine lifetimes? Even a hundred lifetimes would be possible.
Zhu Yijun had been paying close attention to everything that happened to the Sun family. What happened to the Sun family was just a snapshot of the internal strife among the many powerful families in the Ming Dynasty. There were too many similar things happening in the past, present and future.

Sun Kehong chose to send his second son to prison and beheading for the sake of the continuation of the Sun family, paying such a high price for it. He also expelled his third and fourth sons to prevent the internal strife from escalating further.

Sun Kehong was so decisive, but the internal strife within the Sun family would not end. Even he himself knew that the internal strife would erupt and escalate again after his death.

The rise and fall of the most wealthy family in Songjiang Prefecture is also the rise and fall of many wealthy families in the Ming Dynasty. The reason why Zhu Yijun paid so much attention to this matter is simple: the basic principle of social operation is that if the monkeys at the top of the tree do not come down, the monkeys at the bottom cannot go up.

Sun Kehong led the Sun family to become the number one wealthy family. However, as internal strife began and escalated, the Sun family fell apart, and a new scoundrel took his place.

The emperor unconditionally favored the poor and laborers because the powerful and wealthy acted as exploiters in production, squeezing every last drop of profit from it. However, the emperor was also well aware of and acknowledged the importance of the powerful and wealthy because they acted as organizers in production and were important participants in the construction of social order.

Unconditional favoritism towards the poor and laborers is the result of class stance, class identity, and biased choices. Acknowledging the importance of the powerful and wealthy is due to the current practical needs, which require someone to act as the organizer of production.

The official factories dominated by the Ming Dynasty could not accommodate all the artisans in the country. More private workshops were needed to participate. Moreover, the official factories mainly maintained their productivity and competitiveness by absorbing artisans from private workshops. Without enough private workshops, there would be no strong enough official factories.

Wang Chonggu repeatedly emphasized this point during his lifetime: government factories also need competition, otherwise they will perish due to rigidity and bloat.

Regarding the position of general manager of Songjiang Ocean Trading Company, there are now two choices: one is Xing Yanqiu, who likes long-distance running. The reason why the business alliance owners would recommend him is because Xing Yanqiu doesn't know anything.

Harker, who is skilled in agriculture, will not be appointed as Minister of Agriculture; Humphrey, a young man who knows nothing about law, will be in charge of the Ministry of Justice; and if Xing Yanqiu, who has never been to sea, is made General Manager of Commerce, then Xing Yanqiu will have no choice but to obey the orders of these employers.

Because of his lack of experience, Xing Yanqiu was completely unable to effectively oppose the orders of his employers. Xing Yanqiu was a smart man, so he immediately went to pay his respects to Chen Jingyi. As long as Chen Jingyi was willing to give him personal instructions, he wouldn't die too badly if he became the general manager of the company.

The owners of the trading companies didn't actually like Chen Jingyi. He was too ruthless. As long as Sun Kehong was alive, they could keep him in check, but once Sun Kehong died, no one could control Chen Jingyi anymore. The disobedient Chen Jingyi made a mistake and left. This time, they needed to find someone more obedient to manage him.

The second candidate was Dai Shiheng, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of the seventeenth year of the Wanli reign. Dai Shiheng was from Fujian and was an extremely upright person. He served as an official for three years and was later transferred to be the magistrate of Xinjian County. He had a good reputation and was recommended by the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue to be the head of the commerce bureau.

The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue made it very clear that since everyone wanted to appoint an outsider as the head of commerce, the imperial court should just make the appointment directly.

After much deliberation, Zhu Yijun ultimately chose Xing Yanqiu over Dai Shiheng. This was not because Zhu Yijun had any issues with Dai Shiheng; rather, he appointed Dai Shiheng as the magistrate of Shanghai County, which was a sign of his high regard for him.

"The position of General Manager of the Merchant Guilds should be decided by the common people themselves." Zhu Yijun chose to respect the recommendation of the merchants' owners rather than have it granted by the imperial court.

The reason for this choice is actually simple: the scholar-officials of the Ming Dynasty did not know how to do business, let alone how to make money. Merchants are profit-driven and profit-seeking. If they had any sense of morality in commercial competition, they would have lost miserably.

Because the government offices didn't understand the ways of business, the Songjiang Prefectural Government became the major owner of the businesses instead of directly managing them. This caused the businesses to lose their autonomy and flexibility.

Today, Zhu Yijun has chosen to continue in this way, without making any changes.

Moreover, once Dai Shiheng becomes the head of the business, his career is over.

This wasn't the emperor trying to make things difficult for Dai Shiheng, but rather because he had become tainted with the stench of money, making further promotions difficult. A gentleman is ashamed to speak of profit; this is a moral condemnation, but there are also practical considerations. Once Dai Shiheng became the head of the business empire, he developed close relationships with these powerful figures.

Having close relationships and interactions with powerful figures is not only not detrimental to advancement, but it makes advancement impossible. Firstly, the emperor is prejudiced against these powerful figures, and secondly, the overall political climate in the court makes it difficult for officials who are close to them to be given important positions.

Secondly, the Anti-Corruption Bureau is constantly monitoring and investigating. Even one investigation is too much for the heart to bear, let alone several.

After several years of development, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has become more terrifying than the Gates of Hell.

Once someone is in jail, there's absolutely no news about them. No matter what they did, how serious it is, how they should be dealt with, who to ask for information, how to pull strings to get them out, or whether they're even alive—not a single piece of information gets out.

Compared to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Zhang Juzheng's performance evaluation system seemed extremely benevolent. Zhang Juzheng was merely putting a bridle on officials to make them work harder, but the Anti-Corruption Bureau was practically holding a knife to their throats.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau was established after Hai Rui returned to Beijing to take charge of anti-corruption efforts, and it was formally established after his death.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau once detained a corrupt official for four years without any news. Finally, the corruption case was fully investigated and the verdict was announced. Even the official felt a sense of relief.

The terrifying atmosphere was no less than that of the execution grounds.

People aren't as brave as they imagine. A simple chair of regret, without even torture, and a few words are all it takes for them to confess everything. Once they're on the radar of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, they'll never have a peaceful night's sleep again.

Once Dai Shiheng becomes the head of the business department, he will become a key figure in the anti-corruption bureau. This kind of life is unbearable for anyone.

Dai Shiheng was another important figure at the end of the Wanli era. For example, during the Jizhou Mutiny, when General Wang Bao massacred the southern soldiers left behind by Qi Jiguang, Dai Shiheng spoke out for these soldiers, believing that they were being framed. He was also a participant in the succession struggle and the case of the seditious book.

When Zhu Yijun saw this name, he was reminded of the absurdities of the Wanli Emperor.

In the 42nd year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, two major events occurred in the Ming Dynasty. The first was the death of Empress Dowager Li, and the second was the enfeoffment of Prince Fu. Both events were significant.

The Ming Dynasty was able to safely navigate the years of a young emperor and a suspicious state thanks to Empress Dowager Li, who played a crucial role in stabilizing the nation and driving away Gao Gong.

Empress Dowager Li passed away, and her coffin was laid to rest in Zhaoling, where she was buried with Emperor Muzong. However, Emperor Wanli did not personally oversee the funeral or send off the emperor. At the funeral, Dai Shiheng insisted on inviting Emperor Wanli, who was staying at home and neglecting his duties, to personally send him off.

The Emperor said: "The bond between mother and son is profound. Facing death is a momentous matter, yet we are forced to linger in the inner court, far from the main grounds. Now that the mausoleum is completed, we beseech Your Majesty to lead the procession to receive the spirit tablet, so as to offer some solace to the spirit of the Holy Mother and fulfill the hopes of your subjects."

This means that you, her own son, didn't even bother to send your mother off at her funeral. You're so stingy with your time and effort! What will your mother's spirit think of you? What will all the people and officials in the world think of you? Are you even human?!

Dai Shiheng ultimately failed to summon the Wanli Emperor, and there was no response whatsoever. Just like in the past few decades, when memorials were sent to the palace, they were like stones sinking into the sea, disappearing without a trace.

This complete silence is despairing; even if Emperor Wanli were furious, it would be better than reading the message and receiving no reply.

At that time, Emperor Wanli had been neglecting his duties for nearly 25 years. The state of the country was in such a state that anyone with eyes could see that the Ming Dynasty was doomed.

The second thing was that the Prince of Fu, the most beloved son of Emperor Wanli, was about to be enfeoffed. In the 29th year of Wanli's reign, Emperor Wanli built a grand Prince of Fu's Mansion in Luoyang!

However, the enfeoffment of Prince Fu was delayed until 42 years later because Emperor Wanli still wanted to pass the throne to Prince Fu.

Emperor Wanli granted Prince Fu 20,000 hectares of land, totaling two million mu, and promised him various benefits such as horse inns, salt shops, charcoal factories, and bamboo factories. Dai Shiheng then submitted another memorial opposing this.

Dai Shiheng's words were really harsh and long. The gist was: The Ming Dynasty is already in such a state, yet you still give Prince Fu so much land. There's still so much land left in Henan; are you going to give it to Prince Fu? Entrusting the country to a ruler like you is truly a sin!

This finally angered the Wanli Emperor, who then responded.

Dai Shiheng was also involved in the succession dispute and the case of the seditious book. Emperor Wanli directly punished him by exiling him to the frontier. Three years later, Dai Shiheng died in exile.

The Han dynasty has never lacked loyal and upright officials who dared to expose wrongdoing and were unafraid of power. However, when the court was corrupt, all these loyal and upright officials were misplaced.

Just as Chen Zhun said, if all these loyal and upright people die, the Ming Dynasty will be finished. Besides, where are there so many loyal and upright people to withstand unlimited consumption?
For the dynasty, loyal and capable officials who can shoulder heavy responsibilities are a precious resource that can be renewed but is slow to develop.

Even Dai Shiheng could not be considered a truly upright and honest official. He was far inferior to people like Shen Li and Hai Rui. He participated in the struggle over the succession and the case of the seditious book because he wanted to advance his career and had his own purposes. He was a very courageous person.

It takes courage to point at the emperor and curse him as inhuman.

Zhu Yijun met with Dai Shiheng and explained to him why he was appointed as the magistrate of Shanghai County, rather than the head of the Ocean Merchant Guild. He explained that the affairs of Songjiang Prefecture were of great importance, and that Shanghai County held 80% of the power within Songjiang Prefecture.

This position is extremely important. The emperor will personally receive the officials appointed there, and at the same time, a number of officials from outside the capital will also be appointed, and the emperor will receive these officials one by one.

"Your Majesty, I kowtow in gratitude for Your Majesty's boundless grace!" Dai Shiheng was very excited. He bowed his head and said, "I am honored to serve Your Majesty. Even if I am transferred to the position of General of Commerce, I will have no regrets. I will receive Your Majesty's salary and serve Your Majesty faithfully to repay Your Majesty's inspiring heart."

"Get up and speak." This was the third time Zhu Yijun had asked Dai Shiheng to dispense with formalities. The man kowtowed as soon as he entered the room, so excited that he was unable to communicate steadily.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Dai Shiheng finally stood up. Six years had passed since he became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). This was the second time he had seen His Majesty the Emperor. The last time was during his palace examination.

Many successful candidates in the imperial examinations only get to see the emperor once in their lifetime, and some never even do. Before the Wanli Reforms, the emperor might not even personally attend the palace examinations.

"Sit down and have some tea first," Zhu Yijun urged Dai Shiheng to calm down. Otherwise, the audience could not proceed. In his emotional state, no matter how talented Dai Shiheng was, he would not be able to say anything coherent.

From Dai Shiheng's actions, behavior, and expressions, Zhu Yijun saw only one word: fanaticism.

This fervor was somewhat unfamiliar to Zhu Yijun, and he was even unsure how to deal with this emotion.

Those who grew up and passed the imperial examinations after the Wanli Reforms gradually stepped onto the stage of history. Their fervor for His Majesty was a fervor of sacrificing their lives to repay the Emperor's grace.

For Dai Shiheng at this moment, His Majesty is worthy of his unwavering loyalty.

This kind of fanaticism is far more terrifying than that of religious fanatics. Religious fanatics risk their lives for an unseen god, but the Ming emperor can not only see, but also speak and listen to sacred teachings.

"Have you calmed down?" Zhu Yijun asked with a smile after Dai Shiheng had finished drinking a cup of tea.

“No…” Dai Shiheng was sitting on the edge of the stool, not even fully seated. As soon as he heard His Majesty’s question, he immediately answered, still very agitated.

"Then let's have another cup of tea." Zhu Yijun told Dai Shiheng to calm down a bit. He took a moment to read two memorials and gave them his comments.

Zhu Yijun waited until Dai Shiheng had drunk another cup of tea before asking again, "Have you calmed down?"

"No." Dai Shiheng answered the question truthfully, still very agitated.

"I have two eyes and one mouth, what's so strange about that? Why are you so agitated?" Zhu Yijun finally didn't give Dai Shiheng any time to calm down and asked directly.

Dai Shiheng stammered, but finally condensed all his words into one sentence, and loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty... the Ming Dynasty has been restored!" Although the emperor never admitted it, twenty-three years after the Wanli Reforms, the Ming Dynasty's national strength had already surpassed that of the Yongle era. After all, Zhu Di had established a thousand-household garrison in the Red Sea, something the emperor had not yet accomplished.

But the scholar-officials of the Ming Dynasty were very certain. For example, Dai Shiheng could see that the Ming Dynasty was truly experiencing a revival. In fact, even the common people were getting a taste of this revival. Although the taste wasn't much, at least the Dinghai school system, the salary reduction office, the imperial highways, and so on were all being built little by little.

To make the Ming Dynasty great again includes every single person in the Ming Dynasty. His Majesty keeps his word and has never forgotten that he said he would include the poor and laborers.

Ye Xianggao is a typical example of such fanaticism. When the emperor ordered him to go to Jilin, he went there without hesitation and braved the wind and snow. Moreover, he worked hard without complaint. In a place where many officials avoided, Ye Xianggao did not complain at all.

In short, the Ming Dynasty truly experienced a revival, rather than dying in shame.

Can people living in an era of great change foresee the decline of a nation? The answer is yes, because it is a pain that cuts to their very skin, a pain that truly pierces their very being.

The decline of a nation is as painful as being cut by a knife; those living in this era feel this pain and the threat of death even more acutely.

Since the Japanese pirate raids and invasions during the Jiajing era, countless patriots have been on the verge of despair. Many even believed that the Ming Dynasty was already dead, and that this behemoth would only fall some time later.

Dai Shiheng looked at the mountain of memorials piled on the table. His Majesty's desk was a bit messy, but that was good! The messiness was reassuring!
Whose study is always so tidy? That's only because they never read!
"You're drinking tea while I'm reading two memorials because I have to inspect the troops this afternoon. Never mind, the more I explain, the more confusing it becomes." Zhu Yijun realized that it would have been better if he hadn't explained; as soon as he did, Dai Shiheng's expression changed, so he quickly stopped talking.

He was really busy in the afternoon. In addition to inspecting the troops, he also had to go to the completion of the fourth phase of the Songjiang Shipyard and the groundbreaking ceremony for the fifth phase.

He doesn't feel that he's that busy. He does the same things every day for over twenty years. With so much experience, he can handle everything with ease. He really doesn't feel that he's that busy.

Given Dai Shiheng's condition, it was clear that smooth communication was impossible. Zhu Yijun dismissed Dai Shiheng and finished processing the memorials for the day, handing them over to the cabinet ministers and officials of the Six Ministries who had accompanied him south.

Zhu Yijun was busy all day, and the next day he met with Dai Shiheng. Dai Shiheng was finally less agitated, but he had very dark circles under his eyes and a lot of bloodshot eyes. It seemed that Dai Shiheng had not slept well last night.

Dai Shiheng's spirits shifted from excitement to slight exhilaration. Being a quick-witted person, he answered fluently, explaining his understanding of Shanghai County in detail. In particular, he had his own ideas about some of Shanghai County's plans, such as dredging ditches, building bridges and wharves.

Zhu Yijun initially thought Dai Shiheng's fanaticism was an isolated phenomenon. However, after meeting a group of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and appointing them to various places as officials, he discovered that many Jinshi from the Wanli era, especially after the fifteenth year of Wanli, were more or less fanatical, and some were even more terrifying than Dai Shiheng.

In the fifteenth year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, the Ming Dynasty began implementing the Dinghai Education System. In the same year, the Ming Dynasty achieved a series of great victories on the Korean battlefield, driving the Japanese pirates back into the sea and preventing them from landing.

"Can revenge still be taken after nine generations? Even after a hundred generations, it is possible. The way of the king is restored, the king is respected and the barbarians are expelled. Even a feud of ten generations can be avenged." Zhu Yijun said with heartfelt emotion after meeting this group of officials.

This is a story from the Gongyang Commentary.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Xiang of Qi destroyed the State of Ji to avenge the death of his ninth-generation ancestor, Duke Ai of Qi, who was slandered by the Marquis of Ji.

This matter sparked a wide discussion at the time. According to the prevailing belief, feuds would disappear after five generations, meaning that no matter what the grudge was, it could not be pursued after five generations.

But soon, Gongyang Gao uttered this famous saying that has resonated throughout history: "Even a feud spanning ten generations can be avenged."

Personal grudges should indeed be set aside after five generations, but national hatred can be postponed indefinitely, and can be pursued across hundreds, thousands, and even hundreds of generations to settle this blood debt, because national hatred is not a personal grudge, but the dignity of the nation and the foundation upon which the nation is built.

Looking at the practices of successive dynasties since the Spring and Autumn Period, we can see that the concept of great revenge has never been eliminated; it is an undercurrent that cannot be ignored throughout the long river of history.

"Confucianism has been advocating benevolence, kindness, and gentleness towards distant peoples for two thousand years, yet this concept of great revenge still prevails." Zhu Yijun also marveled.

The fervor of newly appointed scholars like Dai Shiheng reveals that Confucianism failed to properly discipline people, and even its later transformation into a religion failed to achieve the same goal.

Pacifying distant peoples? After decades of appeasement, we've only produced one: Dayan Khan who invaded the border, and another: Anda Khan. The idea that pacifying distant peoples is correct is something that the literati and officials loudly proclaim, but what they really think can be seen in the attitudes of scholars like Dai Shiheng.

After the emperor truly avenged the national humiliation, he immediately gained widespread support, and even the scholar-officials who were most fond of criticizing the emperor were now filled with fervor.

The correct slogans should still be shouted, but when it comes to putting them into practice, actions will express the true attitude. Zhu Yijun recalled Ye Xianggao's veiled criticism of Ling Yunyi, who had glossed over all the killings Ling Yunyi had committed.

Just because Ling Yunyi destroyed the Japanese pirates and avenged Ye Xianggao's family, Ye Xianggao dared to do such a taboo thing.

Zhu Yijun adjusted the soft rattan chair slightly to a more comfortable position, opened Li Yashi's "On China," and began to read it carefully. Zhu Yijun had read this book countless times, and he felt that this guy was just a barbarian in disguise.

The theme of Chapter Fourteen is: Starting with the idea that lust is the root of all evil, we will discuss the construction of the dynasty.

The word "淫" (yin) in the phrase "万恶于首" (wan è yún shǒu shǒu, meaning "of all evils") has never meant lewdness or depravity, but rather excess.

However, most people in the Ming Dynasty misinterpreted the metaphor, and even some scholars did not fully understand its original meaning. It was not about lewdness, but rather an emphasis on the principle that everything should not be excessive, otherwise it would inevitably lead to decline and ruin.

For example, the "lust" in "enjoying pleasure without being licentious, and grieving without being overly distressed" means that one can pursue happiness but should never pursue indulgence, emphasizing the restraint of emotional expression.

This is the fundamental characteristic of the Ming people: restraint and self-control over their desires.

It is perfectly normal for people to have desires. If a person had no desires, he would not be a human being, but a stone. However, the people of the Ming Dynasty were able to control their desires and not indulge themselves excessively.

This cultural foundation forms the basis of the debate between the Chinese and the barbarians. The people of the Ming Dynasty never pursued animalistic or instinctive pleasures, nor did they indulge their desires. In contrast, a barbarian could not use their reason to restrain their animalistic nature and indulge their instincts.

This is the fundamental difference between the Chinese and the barbarians; almost all differences arise from differences in 'restraint'.

The animalistic behavior often exhibited by barbarians stems from their inability to control their inner pursuit of instinctual and animalistic pleasures.

Zhu Yijun made a note here: This explains why colonists inevitably tend to localize.

Some foreigners came to the Ming Dynasty and became like the people of the Ming Dynasty; some left the Ming Dynasty and went to other countries, and gradually became foreigners.

Your appearance reflects your inner state, and even your physical appearance can change.

Li Yashi's statement, starting with the idea that lust is the root of all evil, dissected the fundamental nature of the Ming people, resolved the basic issue of the distinction between Chinese and barbarians, and emphasized that the Ming people should not act like animals but like human beings, while also criticizing the excessive indulgence and pursuit of desires.

For example, Wang Qian killed 13,000 people, more than 2,000 of whom were Han Chinese. Wang Qian never concealed his actions and believed that they deserved to die.

"Entering the barbarians, becoming barbarians" clearly means that these people left the Ming Dynasty, began to indulge their desires, and ultimately turned themselves into barbarians.

"I regret it a little. I shouldn't have let him go back to Taixi." Zhu Yijun really regretted it and even planned to bring him back.

While stealing fire for the West was a noble act, it posed a significant danger to Li Yashi himself. Although the process expanded the influence of the Ming Dynasty, the foreseeable fate of Li Yashi still caused the emperor considerable concern.

Zhang Hong said in a low voice, "Li Yashi wants to go back on his own. You can't keep someone who wants to leave. How about I send a few of my men to kidnap him?"

"Forget it, I'm afraid he's gone mad." Zhu Yijun ultimately did not allow power to run rampant and respected Li Yashi's personal choice.

Li Yashi spoke of the essence of this culture of restraint, which was actually formed by long historical lessons: any excessive indulgence would result in the downfall of a nation.

He quoted a story from the Legalist text "Signs of Destruction": "Those who love palaces, pavilions, ponds, carriages, clothing, and toys, who are fond of neglecting the people and squandering wealth, are destined to perish."

Based on the fundamental principle of restraint, the people of the Ming Dynasty had a strong sense of crisis deep in their hearts, which was specifically manifested in being prepared for danger even in times of peace.

Over thousands of years, countless calamities, including cruel famines, civil unrest, turmoil, war, and plagues, have been tested and proven by the continuous trial and error of our predecessors, ultimately forging the inextinguishable sacred flame of civilization and the immortal tree of the world.

A pair of scissors called survival is constantly pruning those branches that hinder progress and survival, allowing the tree of the world to grow continuously.

What Li Yashi wanted to guide was this inextinguishable sacred fire, which caused the sun and moon to shine again after being dark, because the sacred fire never ceased.

The cultural essence and civilized life that the Ming Dynasty embodied were the result of five thousand years of rigorous selection, which is also the fundamental reason why this vast land was able to maintain its stability for hundreds of years.

Similarly, this is also the main reason for Li Yashi's pessimism: the scissors called survival are universal, and the living conditions are similar, but the Westerners do not learn from their mistakes and do not pay attention to historical records, causing the messy branches that appeared in the past to grow back repeatedly.

In this chapter, the final part of Riya Shi discusses the inherent nature of all living beings.

The Ming Dynasty viewed foreign countries and small states around the world as if they were makeshift troupes. This was not arrogance on the part of the Ming Dynasty, but a fact, because the court reflected the character of its people.

Li Yashi did not believe that he could bring the sacred flame back to the West if he returned. He believed that he was bound to fail. He grew up in the West and knew the West's environment too well. The West's people were inherently incapable of accepting the restraint of the Ming Dynasty's wisdom.

A tree without roots or water without a source cannot last long, no matter what.

It would be an impossible task to persuade Westerners not to pursue animalistic, instinctive pleasures.

Regardless of the circumstances, he went back, and that's the outcome. Zhu Yijun should respect his choice.

Similarly, letting go of personal grudges from five generations is also a manifestation of restraint. However, the concept of great revenge proves that sometimes, we must learn to let go and exercise restraint.

The Ming Dynasty's fundamental nature was indeed restraint, but when it was truly driven to a point of shame and national humiliation, that was the time to abandon restraint.

Restraint is the underlying principle, and so is revenge. These are not contradictory or conflicting; they are simply different choices under different circumstances.

"Tsk tsk, good news keeps coming from Jiaozhi." Zhu Yijun opened a report of victory. Luo Shangzhi had won another battle, this time capturing the Mohist chieftain.

(End of this chapter)