Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 197: The Expelled Genius
Liu Kingdom, Imperial Capital, Jingzhou. The name of Jingzhou comes from the abbreviation of “to break through rough roads and thorny fields to establish a new state.” It is a testament to the early days of the Legalist philosophy.
Now, under the governance of Legalist thought, the vast Liu Kingdom has become more powerful than ever before, and it seems to have an endless future ahead.
When the three ironclad ships of Chang Lin arrived at the shores of Liu Kingdom, a discussion was taking place in the court of Liu Kingdom. The representative of the kingdom’s youth, known as a genius, Gongsun Wushang, was speaking passionately.
“Your Majesty, the current Liu Kingdom may seem prosperous, but in reality, it hides great dangers.”
The Grand Tutor of Liu Kingdom immediately disagreed, “The current Liu Kingdom is excellent, there are no issues. We have governed the country for over three thousand years; if there were problems, could we have lasted this long?”
The Grand Tutor’s words received immediate support from many. Indeed, if there were problems, how could Liu Kingdom have developed peacefully for over three thousand years? The fact that it hasn’t faced any problems in all this time only means one thing — there is no problem at all!
What does it mean to withstand the test of time? This is what it means!
Gongsun Wushang spoke with conviction, “Your Majesty, perhaps there were no problems in the past, but now there is one. That is, the ideas of industrializing the country, which have come from the north, have brought about new changes. If we cannot absorb and make use of these new ideas…”
“Shut up!” Before Gongsun Wushang could finish, the Grand Commandant of Liu Kingdom spoke, “Are you advocating for those merchants? Do you know the fundamental strategy of Liu Kingdom?”
“If you don’t, let me tell you: We govern the country with law as the foundation, uniting the entire country firmly and concentrating the nation’s fortune in the hands of His Majesty alone.”
“You want to industrialize the country; that would lead to the fragmentation of Liu Kingdom.”
Gongsun Wushang angrily turned to face the Grand Commandant, “Your Excellency, what you’re saying is flawed. Do we not have merchants in our country now? Moreover, although we have governed with strict laws in the past, there has been much discontent within the country. Now, unrest is brewing, and the people are filled with complaints. More and more people want to escape from forced labor.”
“After more than three thousand years of accumulation, the people…”
“Are you speaking for the common people?” The Chancellor also spoke up. At this point, the three officials in the court of Liu Kingdom collectively opposed Gongsun Wushang’s words, and this conclusion was nearly set.
Gongsun Wushang looked around and suddenly raised his head to look at the emperor, “Your Majesty, Liu Kingdom has reached the point where reform is necessary, or else the country will be in danger!”
“Alarmist!” The Chancellor’s tone was stern. “How much can a few common people do? In terms of cultivation, they are no match for soldiers. Even if a hundred thousand people rebel, we could send a thousand Foundation Establishment experts and wipe them out! These lowly people are of no concern. Anyone who dares to cause trouble should be killed! Once enough are killed, no one will dare to rebel!”
The Grand Tutor immediately agreed, “That’s right! Anyone who dares to rebel should be suppressed. For serious rebellions, we should exterminate the three clans, or even the nine clans. We don’t need to care about the lives of the common people. Cultivators are the foundation. As long as we can gather all the cultivators and assign them official positions, we can firmly control Liu Kingdom. The common people are insignificant!”
The Grand Commandant sneered, “Liu Kingdom has a million-strong army and a hundred thousand Foundation Establishment experts. Who dares to rebel!”
Gongsun Wushang, however, was furious, “Dare I ask, Grand Commandant, are you governing the army according to the law?”
“Of course!” The Grand Commandant answered without hesitation. There was no other possible response.
Gongsun Wushang suddenly sneered, “Dare I ask, Grand Commandant, how many people in the army are in the late stage of Foundation Establishment? How many are in the middle stage or the early stage? How many are about to reach Foundation Establishment? How many are injured or disabled? How many are elderly or weak? What is the real number of soldiers in each unit? How many positions are empty?”
The Grand Commandant’s expression changed. The next moment, he became enraged, “Good! Gongsun Wushang, not only are you speaking for the lowly common people and merchants, but you’re also probing into the country’s secrets. What are your intentions? Speak!”
Gongsun Wushang’s eyes widened, and his anger finally boiled over, “Liu Yuntao, you’re slandering me!”
However, at this moment, both the Chancellor and the Grand Tutor stood on the side of the Grand Commandant, and they jointly submitted a petition: “Your Majesty, Gongsun Wushang is merely a man of empty reputation, with suspicious motives. I request that Gongsun Wushang be stripped of all his titles, demoted to a commoner, and exiled from the country.”
The surrounding ministers all shouted in unison: “We agree.”
The situation had escalated to this point, and the Emperor could only sigh.
Gongsun Wushang was dumbfounded. He never imagined that by offering advice to the state, the result would be so tragic. Soon, guards arrived and roughly pulled away his identity tokens, including the jade crown on his head. They even pulled out a considerable amount of his hair, causing blood to immediately blur his vision.
At this moment, a Golden Elixir stage expert rushed in from the east. “Your Majesty, there is a large ship approaching from the sea, said to be coming from the northern Great Xia Kingdom, claiming to want to engage in trade with us.”
“From the sea? A large ship? Great Xia Kingdom?” Emperor Liu of the Liu Kingdom was puzzled. “Didn’t we hear that the Great Xia Kingdom was on the verge of breaking apart? Does the current Great Xia Kingdom still have the ability to trade?”
The Chancellor, always well-informed, responded, “Your Majesty, it might be from Anyang in Great Xia. I heard they recently built an armored ship, which is likely the one approaching. Perhaps we should indeed try to communicate with Anyang. I’ve heard they have many valuable items.”
Emperor Liu nodded. “Then let’s meet them.”
It was over 500 miles from the sea to the capital of Liu Kingdom. By evening, General Chang Lin, with only a small group of people, arrived in Jingzhou and entered the palace.
After some formalities, the Chancellor was permitted to approach and inquire, but as soon as he spoke, his words left General Chang Lin stunned. “You are the general? Only at the initial stage of Golden Elixir? Has the Great Xia Kingdom fallen so low? Our generals here are at least at the late stage of Golden Elixir.”
“Does the Great Xia Kingdom truly have the ability and qualifications to trade with Liu Kingdom? Or are you here to submit to us?”
General Chang Lin was momentarily stunned, then sighed after a long pause, “Chancellor, you’re joking. I’m just a small general, with only three ships and less than 500 men under my command.”
“Alright, then. Since you’re here to trade, what do you wish to sell? And what do you want to acquire from us?”
This time, General Chang Lin was no longer stunned. “We have many things to sell, from ordinary industrial goods to military supplies. If we have it, we’re willing to sell it. What we want to acquire is simple—markets. To be exact, we came here to make a profit.”
The Chancellor pressed on: “You come to make a profit, but why should we trade with you?”
“We have many valuable goods. Weapons and armor that are much cheaper than market prices but of better quality, stainless steel that won’t rust, large clocks that can keep time, crystal-clear glass mirrors, dazzling colored lights, and even cannons that can rival a full-force attack from a Golden Elixir expert, as well as a large supply of Sea Soul Silk.”
“By trading with us, Liu Kingdom’s military power would grow immensely.”
“Since this is trade, it must be a win-win situation.”
“Additionally, we invite representatives from Liu Kingdom to participate in the second Industrial Expo.”