pappabearbooks #378 - Born divine, born a saint! He went straight to the capital and committed the heinous act of c
#378 - Born divine, born a saint! He went straight to the capital and committed the heinous act of c
It was precisely because of this understanding that Lin Ruhai knew that any one of Luo Fu's 16,000 'hundred-men-enemies' could be placed in the current Daqing army and would be, at the very least, a good hand at charging into battle. If they understood a bit of military strategy, each one could be considered worthy of being a chiliarch or even a deputy general.
In single combat, they could truly be considered 'hundred-men-enemies'.
In a head-on confrontation, if their military equipment was complete, they could even contend against a million-strong army.
He asked himself, could the current Daqing, which had been established for a hundred years and whose various problems were gradually emerging, withstand such an opponent?
After much thought, Lin Ruhai only had one answer in his heart.
Daqing was finished.
Now, it only depended on what Lin Ruhai himself chose.
In the rear residence of the Prefect's Yamen.
Lin Daiyu, who had been forcibly kept behind by Luo Fu's maids and servants, was filled with worry when she suddenly saw her father walking towards her with a conflicted expression.
Her heart was first filled with joy, but then Lin Daiyu discovered an even greater surprise.
At this moment, the father in front of her was no longer the previous ghostly form, but a true flesh-and-blood body.
"Father."
Lin Daiyu's voice reached his ears.
Lin Ruhai forced a smile and glanced at the maids and servants around him.
In the next moment, these maids and servants understood and left the backyard, leaving the space to Lin Ruhai and his daughter.
"Good girl."
Lin Ruhai smiled bitterly, as if he couldn't understand, and said, "How can there be such a thing in the world? Daqing has only been established for a hundred years, how could a hero and giant like Luo Tian Daoren appear?"
Lin Daiyu was first stunned, but then quickly realized that her father, who had previously been earnestly persuading Luo Fu, had suddenly undergone such a big change, Luo Fu must have made him aware of something.
"Could it be Xuanmen Taoist techniques?"
Like Lin Ruhai, Lin Daiyu subconsciously linked the power under Luo Fu to Xuanmen Taoist techniques.
And as everyone knows, even the most magical Xuanmen Taoist techniques are vulnerable in the face of a true military formation's baleful aura.
Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Lin Ruhai said, "Good girl, your father was previously in a ghostly form and saw clearly that the soldiers under Luo Tian Daoren each exuded a fiery aura of vitality and masculinity, even like small suns, emitting a scorching and terrifying aura. If it hadn't been for Luo Tian Daoren's protection before, your father's ghostly form would have been instantly shattered by the terrifying aura of vitality and masculinity."
Lin Daiyu was just like Lin Ruhai before, and while being shocked, she blurted out, "Father, how many soldiers and horses does Luo Tian Daoren have under his command?"
"According to what Luo Tian Daoren said, he has 16,000 'hundred-men-enemies' under his command. From what I saw, although it's not exact, it's not far off. Even a million-strong army may not be able to stop him at all."
"Is Father willing to be a loyal martyr who dies for his country, or does he want to be a meritorious official of the new dynasty?"
Lin Daiyu hit the nail on the head and directly asked the key to Lin Ruhai's current worries.
"Father…"
Even in front of his daughter, Lin Ruhai was a little ashamed at this moment.
To be a loyal martyr who dies for his country would indeed make his name go down in history and would be admired by the scholar-officials, but if Lin Ruhai really became a loyal martyr who died for his country, what would happen to his good girl?
But if he were to be a meritorious official of the new dynasty, not to mention anything else, just based on Luo Fu's reaction when he saw Lin Daiyu before, at the very least, he could become a consort of the new dynasty.
And with Luo Fu's cultivation, which even Marquis Lingyou had to call 'Great Emperor', plus his age, which was only a few years older than his own good girl, he would probably become the youngest founder in history, and at the same time, his time in power would probably be unparalleled throughout the ages.
Under such circumstances, it is not difficult to understand why Lin Ruhai would have such a tangled state of mind.
You must know that Lin Ruhai is not an orphan. Not to mention his distant relatives, just the fact that his ancestors had been marquises for five generations was enough to make him a behemoth.
For the sake of his daughter, for the sake of his family, and for the sake of himself, he could not simply become a loyal martyr who died for his country; after all, it is easy to die, but making the right choice while alive is the real problem that makes people tangled.
"Does Father think that this Luo Tian Daoren can really become the founder of a dynasty?"
Lin Daiyu lowered her eyes, looking somewhat tangled.
Mentioning this, Lin Ruhai frowned and said, "This is also what your father can't understand. This Luo Tian Daoren, although he is not old, is so… so…"
Unable to think of a suitable word to describe Luo Fu, Lin Ruhai simply sighed and said, "If he is not an innate saint, a sage descended into the world, then he must be a monstrous evildoer in troubled times, a heretic devil who brings disaster to the country."
The father and daughter were silent at the same time.
After a while, Lin Daiyu suddenly seemed to react and reminded him, "Father, Luo Tian Daoren easily took Yangzhou and obtained Yangzhou's wealth. Next, he will inevitably act vigorously and forge ahead. Father still needs to make a decision early."
How could Lin Ruhai not know this?
Just as he was in a dilemma, Lin Daiyu then said, "Second Brother Lian seems to know the background of this Luo Tian Daoren. Since Father finds it difficult to decide, why not ask Second Brother Lian first?"
His eyes suddenly lit up, and Lin Ruhai immediately stood up and said, "If it weren't for Good Girl's reminder, your father would have almost forgotten that there is still Lian Er."
Seeing that Lin Ruhai couldn't wait to go find Jia Lian, Lin Daiyu suddenly said again, "How long can Father accompany your daughter after being resurrected again?"
Lin Ruhai was struck by lightning.
Just now, Lin Ruhai had been entangled in whether he should be a loyal martyr who would go down in history, or simply take a gamble and follow Luo Fu to win a meritorious service in the founding of a new dynasty.
But Lin Daiyu's sudden reminder made Lin Ruhai suddenly react.
The choice of being a loyal martyr who dies for his country was never in his choices from the beginning.
Don't forget that the reason why Jia Lian and Lin Daiyu traveled thousands of miles from the Rongguo Mansion in the capital to Yangzhou City was entirely because the previous Lin Ruhai was already terminally ill and would not live long.
Even without Luo Fu's sudden appearance, Lin Ruhai would probably have died in his position as the Salt Inspector.
In an instant, he understood that he only had one choice left.
But Lin Ruhai still nodded to Lin Daiyu after turning around and went straight to Jia Lian's residence.
Although he had lost the choice of being a loyal martyr who died for his country, Lin Ruhai still wanted to go to Jia Lian to inquire about Luo Fu's background, so as to find out what Luo Fu's origins were.
Although he had previously learned from Jia Lian that Luo Fu had once had the title of a Xiucai, to be honest, Luo Fu could not be considered a Daqing subject.
Don't underestimate this point. The reason why there is a saying that 'the right to rule belongs only to the Han and Ming dynasties' is because almost all the other dynasties were former officials of the previous dynasty.
And the Han and Ming dynasties, although Liu Bang was previously the head of a Qin dynasty pavilion, the position of pavilion head was just a small official, not even an official. In later times, the so-called pavilion head was at most a clerk.
It can be said that the Han dynasty almost did not enjoy the benefits of the Qin dynasty.
The same is true for the Ming dynasty. After the uprising, Zhu Yuanzhang did have the right to submit to the Yuan dynasty under duress, and even wrote nauseating memorials, but that was just an expedient measure.
Like the Han dynasty, the Ming Taizu's family fortune was all earned by his own efforts, not granted by the Yuan dynasty.
From this point of view, only the Han and Ming dynasties can be said to have rightfully seized the world.
Most of the other dynasties had the suspicion of being ungrateful.
And if Luo Fu had only been a Xiucai before, but was able to seize the world, from the perspective of Lin Ruhai, a scholar-official, his acquisition of the country was no less righteous than that of the Han and Ming dynasties.
After personally going to Jia Lian and learning from Jia Lian that Luo Fu was indeed only a Xiucai before, and that his Luo family was even a former official of the previous dynasty, and even suffered a fate of family ruin and death due to the oppression of the four major families, and even his parents died as a result, Lin Ruhai was filled with mixed feelings for a time.
On the one hand, Lin Ruhai, because of his wife, can be said to have a deep relationship with the four major families.
But on the other hand, if Luo Fu's previous experience meant that he could really seize the world, his reputation would almost have the potential to surpass the Han and Ming dynasties.
A Xiucai, but because of the oppression of the imperial court, he eventually raised the flag of rebellion and overthrew the old dynasty. More importantly, their family was, generations ago, a former official of the previous dynasty.
This is simply a perfect fit, even surpassing many of the principles in the Confucian classics.
After understanding Luo Fu's background, Lin Ruhai's last bit of concern disappeared.
As a former official of the dynasty, he himself died in office, and now he has the opportunity to be resurrected, partly because of the entrustment of Marquis Lingyou, the City God of Yangzhou, and partly because of Luo Fu's supernatural powers.
It can be said that from the moment of his death, Lin Ruhai had already fulfilled his duty as a loyal official.
Assisting Luo Fu and founding a new dynasty almost requires no psychological burden.
Of course, as a scholar-official, Lin Ruhai only needs a reason that can justify himself on this issue. The more logically self-consistent the reason, the more acceptable it will be.
After leaving Jia Lian, Lin Ruhai almost couldn't wait to find Luo Fu and chose to follow Luo Fu.
Not only that, he even began to make plans for Luo Fu in front of Luo Fu.
In those years, Lin Ruhai's ancestors also became marquises of Daqing as strategists.
Now Lin Ruhai is just following the example of his ancestors.
Even while making plans for Luo Fu, Lin Ruhai also began to contact the Lin family, intending to pull the entire Lin family onto Luo Fu's chariot.
As for the Jia family and the four major families, after learning about Luo Fu's experience from Jia Lian, Lin Ruhai understood that the four major families had completely no chance of turning over.
As the Tanhua appointed by the current Holy Emperor and the Salt Inspector, Lin Ruhai knew very well the current emperor's disgust for the powerful and wealthy.
And the four major families can be said to have run into the muzzle of a gun.
Even if Luo Fu's efforts ultimately fail, the Four Great Families, as the culprits who forced a formidable figure like Luo Fu to rebel, would be shown mercy by the Emperor if they weren't completely wiped out. It would be out of consideration for past relationships.
If Luo Fu truly establishes a new dynasty, the Four Great Families would still face the same fate of utter annihilation.
Perhaps when Luo Fu establishes a new dynasty, to show his benevolence, he might spare one or two descendants of the Four Great Families, but these people would almost certainly end up as 'small fire starters' in the palace.
What does 'entering the palace as a small fire starter' mean? Simply put, because they are young, killing them directly would slightly damage his image of benevolence and sagacity, so they would be castrated and sent to the palace as eunuchs.
The fate of the Jia family and the Four Great Families is already sealed. Even if I become a meritorious official in Luo Fu's new dynasty, at most, I can only leave a thread of incense for the Jia family through marriage.
As for others, Lin Ruhai is now eager to get on Luo Fu's ship, so how could he deliberately disgust Luo Fu in this matter?
Moreover, he wants to marry his daughter to Luo Fu.
Faced with Lin Ruhai's understanding, Luo Fu naturally didn't mind showing off his respect for talent.
Not only did he personally acknowledge Lin Ruhai's status as a strategist in front of his Cao Gang core members, but he even bestowed upon Lin Ruhai a true Yuan Energy Seed that could rejuvenate him.
This book is updated most recently on ##!!UPDATE!
Upon obtaining the Yuan Energy Seed, Lin Ruhai instantly felt the continuous strengthening of his physique and bloodline. While surprised, he became even more optimistic about Luo Fu's success.
Of course, Lin Ruhai didn't know that once he consumed the Yuan Energy Seed, while gaining great benefits, he would also become a loyal follower of Luo Fu in a subtle and gradual way.
Lin Ruhai's joining not only gave Luo Fu a good start in his plot to seize the Twelve Beauties of Jinling, but more importantly, it filled Luo Fu's biggest weakness: strong military force but a lack of civil officials and strategists.
Before Lin Ruhai, the Lin family, although having been marquises for five generations, had an ancestor who was ennobled as a strategist. In other words, the Lin family has always been a scholarly family, and there were quite a few bookworms among them.
Although there were not many people with official titles, what is valued in a chaotic world is not flowery writing.
When Lin Ruhai learned of Luo Fu's plans, he felt even more that the current dynasty was indeed unfortunate.
Luo Fu, this natural saint, a sage descended into the world, not only possesses the incredible power of Bloodline Yuan Energy, but also created an invincible army of more than sixteen thousand 'one-against-hundred' soldiers in a short period.
Moreover, he has a clear understanding of how to seize the world.
First capture Yangzhou, take its wealth, and then descend upon Jinling.
As an ancient capital of thousands of years, Jinling has special significance.
Once Jinling can be taken, then in a short period, even if Jiangnan cannot be pacified with a single proclamation, it will not require much effort.
Especially with sixteen thousand 'one-against-hundred' soldiers, even if scattered, they are still invincible.
While dividing the country with the north along the Yangtze River, he can quickly pacify Jiangnan. Once Jiangnan is stable, then with the power Luo Fu possesses, taking the world will be as easy as taking something out of a pocket.
Although Lin Ruhai couldn't find fault with the overall strategy, he made almost all the necessary preparations for Luo Fu and the Luo Tian Army in its specific implementation.
With the invincible Luo Tian Army in hand, conquering cities and territories is easy, but to stabilize Jiangnan, a civil official like Lin Ruhai is needed to carry out a certain degree of exchange of interests.
After Lin Ruhai joined Luo Fu's forces,
he immediately contacted those Lin family members who might not be good at the imperial examinations but had enough talent to join Luo Fu's Luo Tian Army.
At the same time, he also chose to marry his daughter to Luo Fu at the first opportunity.
On the one hand, it was to consolidate his position and status; on the other hand, although Luo Fu is young, as the leader of a force seeking to seize the world, he must have a stable inner court to stabilize people's hearts.
The age of the founder is small, so there is no problem with the heir in a short time, but the inner court must be there. Otherwise, how can people's hearts be stabilized?
Originally determined to win the Twelve Beauties of Jinling, Luo Fu certainly wouldn't pretend to refuse.
Although Lin Daiyu is too young to share a bed, Lin Ruhai and Luo Fu still tacitly decided that once Nanjing is taken, Luo Fu, while conquering cities and territories, also needs to raise a clear banner, formally declare himself king and take control, and the wedding will be a matter of course.
At worst, Lin Daiyu can be named queen first, and the time for sharing a bed can be postponed.
While Luo Fu officially took Lin Daiyu, the first of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling,
outside Yangzhou City,
in an inn,
"Disaster, disaster, something bad has happened, mother, sister."
A young man in a brocade robe, slightly plump, hurriedly came to the backyard of the inn.
"Brother, why are you in such a hurry?"
A young girl with a prosperous and peaceful face, although not very old, has already shown some of the beauty of a peerless generation, and greeted the hurried man with a look of surprise.
"Sister, Yangzhou City has been occupied by bandits from who knows where."
The young man looked panicked.
This pair of siblings is none other than the Xue family, who not long ago, because they beat a licentiate, Feng Yuan, to death in Jinling, had to move their entire family to the capital.
The young man is officially Xue Pan, known as the 'Dull Tyrant', and the young girl is Xue Baochai, who is similar to Lin Daiyu.
Following behind Xue Baochai, a pretty girl with a vermilion mole on her forehead, who was frightened by Xue Pan's words and whose face was a little pale, is Xiangling, who caused the conflict between Xue Pan and Feng Yuan!
"You wretch, don't talk nonsense."
Madam Xue, who came out a step late, quickly dissuaded, "This is a matter of beheading. How could Yangzhou, such an important town, be occupied by bandits?"
"Mother."
Xue Pan was sweating profusely, and said, "How dare I talk nonsense? I met a few people who escaped from Yangzhou before I learned this news. Now even the Grand Canal has been blocked. I heard that the Luo Tian Army, which occupied Yangzhou, is preparing to go north along the river, directly taking the capital, and committing the rebellious act of changing the dynasty. We must not go north at this time."
"What should we do?"
Madam Xue was immediately frightened by Xue Pan's confident words.
Although Xue Baochai was also surprised that such a disaster had occurred in the current dynasty, she forcibly calmed down and persuaded Madam Xue, "Mother, brother is right. If it is really such a chaotic bandit, we must set off immediately and return to Jinling. Wait until the situation is clear before making a decision!"
At this moment, Xue Baochai's heart was in a mess. After all, their trip to the capital was on the one hand to avoid disaster, and on the other hand to allow Xue Baochai to enter the capital for selection.
But who could have imagined that, just over a hundred years after the founding of the country, and clearly without any warning before, it turned out that such a powerful force had emerged in the blink of an eye. Not only did it occupy the important town of Yangzhou in an instant, but it even planned to take the capital directly, doing the work of changing the dynasty.
Although Xue Baochai was smart, under such a huge change, her wisdom could not come up with any feasible plan at all.
The only idea was to return to Jinling first and then make plans.
With both her children saying so, Madam Xue had no idea and could only nod repeatedly in confusion.
The Xue family, who were originally preparing to enter the capital, didn't even pass through Yangzhou, because of Luo Fu's sudden emergence, they had to give up their previous plan.
The Xue family went slowly when they entered the capital, but when Yangzhou produced a chaotic hero like Luo Fu, the speed of their return was much faster.
Of course, this is also related to the fact that the Xue family was quite worried about entering the capital.
If they were in Jinling, the Xue family would be the undisputed local power, but once they entered the capital, they would be relying on others.
The three members of the Xue family were worried, and the servants were even more unbearable.
Now that they knew that there was a chaotic hero like Luo Fu on their way to the capital, these people were returning to Jinling as if they were running for their lives.
They didn't know that because of their appearance, Xue Baochai and her family couldn't wait to return to Jinling before they even arrived in Yangzhou.
In Yangzhou City,
Luo Fu was integrating Yangzhou's resources and his forces.
In the backyard of the Zhifu Yamen, Lin Ruhai also told Lin Daiyu of his decision.
Clearly, it was a major event related to her life's happiness, but at this moment, Lin Daiyu was shy and worried.
After all, Luo Fu has only just started his career, and only occupies Yangzhou. Although she knows that Luo Fu's army is strong and powerful, seizing the world and changing the dynasty were previously only records in history books in Lin Daiyu's eyes.
Now, not only is her father going to participate in it personally, but she is even going to become the queen of a rebel king.
Of course, if Luo Fu can really seize the world and change the dynasty, then she will be the mother of a country. Even if she doesn't have much ambition, which boudoir girl can't enjoy that supreme and noble position?
"Father, can he... can he really succeed?"
Lin Daiyu asked with some worry.
Lin Ruhai was full of confidence. On the one hand, he understood what Luo Fu's sixteen thousand 'one-against-hundred' soldiers meant. You must know that among the sixteen thousand people, there were already more than three thousand armored troops.
After capturing Yangzhou, he obtained Yangzhou's military equipment, and even gathered the few archers that were previously available.
Three thousand armored 'one-against-hundred' soldiers, plus sixteen thousand elite soldiers, and three thousand sharpshooters who could shoot through Yang at a hundred paces.
Even if Luo Fu failed to complete the feat of changing the dynasty, it would be a sure thing to divide the world with Daqing by occupying Jiangnan.
More importantly, Lin Ruhai knew very well that Daqing had already shown signs of decline. If there was no existence like Luo Fu, who was like a natural saint and a sage descended into the world, with the current ambitions, he might not be able to become the master of rejuvenation.
Unfortunately, Luo Fu's appearance made Daqing only a short-lived dynasty.
After receiving Lin Ruhai's affirmative answer, the depression in Lin Daiyu's heart instantly dissipated.
As for the ignorant feelings she once had with Jia Baoyu in the Rongguo Mansion, they were instantly forgotten by Lin Daiyu after learning that she was already engaged to Luo Fu.