As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 437 Are you enjoying freedom, or a slave to freedom?
“Mingchen…”

"After unifying the archipelago, I felt a sense of relief for a while. I love music, so I used my own researched magic to impersonate various artists and perform on different islands of the archipelago."

"I was quite happy during that time."

Outside, a tense war raged, yet at this very moment, facing the vast and boundless sea, two men capable of changing the course of history sat side by side, reminiscing about the past.

"Let me tell you, I still remember that when I was singing, a girl gave me a seashell and wanted to marry me... Haha..."

When talking about happy things, the beautiful woman raised her eyebrows, her eyes shimmered with a faint light, and she couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips into a gentle smile.

Unlike that unpredictable and eccentric leader who was always smiling insincerely.

The laughter at this moment truly belongs to Hong Ling Shuang herself, to the most authentic Hong Ling Shuang.

She's so beautiful!
Mingchen took in her expression and couldn't help but smile along with her.

Just then, Hong Ling Shuang suddenly changed the subject.

"But...this world is just too big!"

"The archipelago is not the whole story; on the other side of the vast ocean lies a continent thousands of times larger than the archipelago."

Hong Ling Shuang's smile vanished, and in the blink of an eye, she changed her demeanor completely, her bright eyes suddenly sharpening. Her delicate face seemed to have become somewhat obsessive.

She clutched her chest and asked Mingchen, "Mingchen, do you know how I feel?"

"The feeling of being locked in that alms bowl has returned to me all over again!"

"I felt tense again, I felt restrained again! I had to do something!"

"Now, the archipelago is my alms bowl. This feeling has become even stronger after learning that hundreds of years ago, the kings of the archipelago and the mainland made a pact not to set foot on the mainland for a thousand years."

“We are like prisoners expelled from the mainland. I feel like I and my Jinglan Alliance are trapped on the islands.”

"What happened on the mainland? How many people are there? How many resources? How strong is the mainland's army? Are there cultivators even stronger than me?"

These questions have been lingering in my mind.

"I'm nervous, I'm worried... In the future, a great ruler will unify the world, cross the sea, and lead a million-strong army to completely destroy my country, imprison me, and make me lose everything!"

She shook her head and clenched her fists: "This is not freedom!"

"I am still imprisoned!"

She pressed Mingchen, seemingly seeking understanding from his eyes: "Can you understand? Can you understand?"

Hong Ling Shuang is not actually a mentally sound person.

Everything she experienced in her childhood completely changed her mental state.

The Alliance Leader's entire life has been spent paying the price for the fear and tension that imprisoned him in the alms bowl.

Her desires were very strong, and human desires are never truly satisfied.

She needs to constantly express herself and receive attention in order to feel a sense of purpose. This applies to both conquering others and musical performances.

She needs to be in control, she needs to be supreme, and she needs no one to threaten her.

Once she learns of something beyond her control, she will try every means to devour and expand it... until everything is back under her control. She calls this sense of security 'freedom'.

Her talent and wisdom provided a safety net, enabling her to continuously realize her ever-expanding ambitions.

She always succeeds, which is why she has become who she is today.

Mingchen thought for a moment, looked into her eyes, and nodded, saying, "Okay."

Hong Ling Shuang was skeptical of this smooth-talking guy's answer: "Really?"

"Of course!"

Although he was overwhelmed by the pressures of a life of wealth, he did not experience any setbacks in his childhood.

However, Mingchen has a broad enough perspective. Having experienced the era of information explosion and met all kinds of people, he can sense some of Hong Ling Shuang's psychology.

Hong Ling Shuang shook her head noncommittally and continued, "Therefore, I kept sending people across the sea to gather intelligence, and then landed at the right time! Then I conquered this place and turned the entire continent into my Jing Lan Alliance!"

She raised her head, looking at the vast sea in the distance, and her voice seemed to rise a few decibels: "True freedom is when no one is my equal!"

A sudden gust of wind arose, as if in response to her words, and the waves of the sea seemed to become even more turbulent.

Everyone has their own definition of 'freedom', and Mingchen has no intention of judging Hong Ling Shuang's freedom.

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Ling Shuang, if you were to conquer the continent, what would you do then?"

Hong Ling Shuang raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "How about it?"

"No way."

Just like after the islands were unified!

It's just that the territory is a bit larger.

Hong Ling Shuang knew, of course, that the rule of the mainland and the archipelago was not the same, but she believed that her brain and her subordinates could always give her a solution.

"Do you really think that the management model of White Spirit City can be promoted to the entire continent?"

"Why not? How will we know if we don't try?"

"No! That will only lead to division!"

Mingchen smiled and asked, "Ling Shuang, how do you think your governing abilities compare to Xiao Xinyue and Qin Lou?"

Hong Ling Shuang shrugged: "Pretty much."

"Then let me tell you, apart from this personal expedition, the Northern Emperor has basically never left the palace."

"Our Majesty is similar; she doesn't leave the palace unless absolutely necessary, and she is extremely busy, often not resting until midnight."

"After unifying the world, there will only be more things to do, not fewer. Do you think... that's freedom?"

They have different perspectives on the issue.

Hong Lingshuang believes that the most noble people are the freest and are not bound by any rules.

But in Mingchen's view, a monarch who is bound by the country, the people, and history is precisely the least free person in the world.

This is actually another invisible prison.

He was willing to go in as a king, spending his entire life locked in the palace, fighting wits and courage with his ministers.

Of course, irresponsible people are another matter.

Hong Ling Shuang frowned upon hearing this: "Okay..."

Just as he was about to speak, Mingchen interrupted him again: "The country is so vast. If you entrust it to others to manage, you also need to manage them. You can't just shirk your responsibilities. Everyone is watching you. Every time you slack off or indulge yourself... there will be a price to pay!"

Mingchen knew what this lazy girl was thinking.

Because they are the same kind of people.

"Being a king here is not easy. Dancing on the edge of a knife is certainly possible, but one failure could mean losing more than just your men."

Hong Ling Shuang lowered her eyes upon hearing this.

She knew Mingchen was referring to the chaos in the Zhuyou Gang, where the nagging old man she trusted like family died in the turmoil.

That same night, she poured out her heart to Mingchen for the first time.

Mingchen looked into Hong Ling Shuang's eyes and said quite seriously, "Ling Shuang, you are the most intelligent, the most talented, and the most capable. But apart from our Emperor, I would rather help the Northern Emperor than help you."

"You're missing something very important."

Hong Ling Shuang is intelligent, resourceful, visionary, and courageous... She possesses all the personal qualities of a wise leader.

However, she was too selfish.

She was self-centered and driven by ambition. Her purpose in setting sail to conquer the continent was out of fear of being ruled in the future; she wanted to pursue her freedom and realize her burgeoning ambition and desires.

This is actually quite normal, and there's nothing wrong with it.

Mingchen himself is very selfish and has no sense of responsibility.

Therefore, he always thought that Hong Ling Shuang was very similar to him.

Few of the heroes and great figures who made contributions in history were good people.

It's difficult to judge whether Emperor Qin Shi Huang's unification of the six kingdoms was truly driven by personal desires such as consolidating his Qin dynasty, ensuring the continuation of the Ying clan for generations, or by grand ambitions such as unifying the world and sparing the people from the suffering of war.

Mingchen had never met those heroes and great men, so he had neither the ability nor the right to comment.

But he saw it in this era.

Xiao Xinyue, Qin Lou, and even Wang Huai all possess extraordinary leadership qualities; they all have a strong sense of responsibility for the world, even to the point of sacrificing their lives.

Something is better than nothing.

People always need a bit of romanticism.

Therefore, Mingchen's limited sense of responsibility made him more willing to help these guys who seemed passionate and eager to achieve great things together.

"You're so cruel!"

Hong Ling Shuang was not angry when she heard this; she could accept her failure with composure.

Naturally, she also had the magnanimity to tolerate Mingchen saying these things.

She just gave Mingchen a reproachful look and brought up the joke from earlier.

Mingchen shrugged and asked her again, "Tell me, if you conquer the continent and everything is stable, but you discover that there is a more expansive land beyond the continent, and even more powerful people, what would you do then?"

Hong Ling Shuang paused upon hearing this.

"Putting everything else aside, as far as I know, what about the gods who live on the boundary between matter and illusion, and those who exist in faith?"

"Should we continue to repeat the same story?"

is it?

Absolutely!

"And then what?"

"This world is too big, the universe is vast and boundless, and can never reach its limits."

"You need to acknowledge that there will always be a more powerful force at the zenith."

The first time leaving the sea and stepping onto land, the first time leaving the archipelago and setting foot on the mainland...

Each time, Hong Ling Shuang broke free from her 'cage' to pursue new 'freedom,' which required unimaginable courage.

But is this really what she truly thinks?

Or... is it simply being pressured and urged on by suppressed tension and burgeoning ambition?

It's good for people to keep moving forward and making progress, but there's no need to constantly push yourself.

There's nothing wrong with stopping occasionally to enjoy the scenery and savor the time.

Hong Ling Shuang's 'freedom' trapped her in her own cage.

Mingchen looked at the silent Hong Ling Shuang and asked softly, "Ling Shuang, what was the happiest moment of your journey?"

"Is it to unify the archipelago? Is it to land on the mainland? Or... to sing and play music freely in front of people, and to fulfill everyone's aspirations?"

"I know everyone has a different definition of freedom, but I believe pure freedom doesn't exist. There are no limits to the universe, and all living beings will always be subject to limitations. I think you should take a good look at yourself and see what your freedom truly is. Are you enjoying freedom, or..."

"Slaves in pursuit of freedom."

When you're alone, many things are shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see them clearly.

However, these things that are overlooked and ambiguous are quite clear from the perspective of others.

Mingchen's words struck a chord with Hong Ling Shuang.

"Whoa whoa whoa~"

The vast sea crashes against the shore wave after wave.

Hong Ling Shuang stared intently, her eyes somewhat dazed.

She is a very intelligent person; she can understand the whole meaning without Mingchen explaining it to her.

After a while, she looked up, smiled and shook her head at Mingchen: "You are a natural persuader. No wonder you can succeed in negotiating with anyone."

Mingchen's mouth!

They can indeed talk about anything under the sun.

"but……"

"Going ashore, unifying the archipelago, and ruling the Jinglan Alliance—these are all things I want to do, and these are all things that make me happy."

“I am a slave to the pursuit of desires, but I also enjoy freedom in the process, and there is no conflict between the two.”

Mingchen shrugged indifferently: "That's good then."

In that instant, it was unclear what Hong Ling Shuang thought of or realized.

However, it is true that she seems to have changed somewhat.

His smile became even more unrestrained and open, like a fish that had broken free of its net and was swimming freely in the vast ocean.

Hong Ling Shuang smiled at him: "You're amazing, you really have changed me!"

"Perhaps I am not the hero who will unify the world, but I will not be sad about it."

"but……"

She suddenly changed the subject, winking mischievously, "You don't seem to have convinced me!"

"I'm very grateful to you for helping me resolve my obsession, and I really like you! But I am me, and the Jinglan Alliance is the Jinglan Alliance. You couldn't persuade me to help you~"

"I'll just watch you two fight quietly. Who wins or loses is none of my business with the Jinglan Alliance. Peaceful development is all that matters. Why should I make my army fight for you?"

Mingchen: ...

So this cunning woman is quite difficult to deal with.

"Well, all my talking was for nothing, huh!"

"Cuckoo~"

Like Mingchen, Hong Lingshuang likes to hide her true self beneath her playful demeanor.

She smiled, her eyes narrowed, concealing the calm demeanor she had displayed when analyzing her past: "Tell me, what benefits would I gain if I were to send troops?"

"Let's be realistic, and let's not talk about those vague and unrealistic ideas, or about me personally!"

A cunning woman.

What she meant was that, personally, she had actually been persuaded by Mingchen.

The Jinglan Alliance was doomed to lose anyway, so she wouldn't be disappointed.

However, she now has the power to change the situation.

She needed Mingchen to give her a promise, to tell her about the benefits the Jinglan Alliance could gain after participating in the war.

(End of this chapter)