140: Dawn Breaks (Part 3)

"Will you put on the shackles yourself, or shall this subordinate escort you?"

Mo Yingqi threw a pair of shackles on the ground, his red eyes burning as if with fire: "Grand Chancellor Zhou, everything is settled. Your pointless resistance only makes you look incredibly ridiculous."

Mo Yingqi truly wanted to laugh. Without military power, any so-called leverage was merely a temporary predicament. Military power was in The Emperor's hands. Zhou Chutian, apart from the useless City Patrol Command, had almost no one to use and no troops to deploy.

Deadly warriors? In a special dynasty like Daxing, which had excellent Imperial Guards and the Pacification Bureau internally, and the Shen Family Army Partridge Sky externally, no matter what you did, Zhou Chutian, you couldn't compete in terms of manpower.

Except for the early period of the Grand Ancestor, when the world was unsettled and some feudal lords with armies were eager to make a move, Daxing had never experienced another rebellion since.

There was no other reason than this: although the Grand Ancestor came from humble beginnings, he understood the principle of looking five steps ahead in chess. Everything in front of him, no matter how important, was merely a hundred days of blooming flowers, destined to wither after that time.

Guarding against people, using people—a monarch must achieve these balances and considerations. The Grand Ancestor had valued the Shen Family's loyalty, which was why he entrusted and gave confidence to the Shen Family ancestors during his reign.

The Shen Family did not let the Grand Ancestor down, serving with loyalty and diligence for generations, ensuring that successive Daxing emperors did not need to worry about the balance of military power.

Zhou Chutian was not without thoughts on how to divide the Shen Family's military power, but unexpectedly, he ended up forcing the late emperor to completely entrust the Shen Family. Furthermore, a meticulous arrangement was made for The Emperor to marry the Shen Family daughter, forming a loving union and elevating her to empress.

The Shen Family, from being a crucial minister protecting the nation, directly ascended to the ranks of Imperial Relatives. This made the Shen Family even more intimate with the imperial family, completely cutting off Zhou Chutian's retreat.

"Without military power, you are destined to be unable to threaten The Emperor. Even if your Disciples are spread across the land, they are still merely civil officials." Mo Yingqi occasionally twirled his japanese sword. "Even if you can check The Emperor in political affairs, as long as The Emperor frees up his hands, none of these will be a problem."

Actually, Mo Yingqi was very curious: this was such an obvious matter, so why did this most powerful minister, renowned throughout the land, seem completely unaware of it?

"Do you think what I'm doing is meaningless?" Zhou Chutian ignored the shackles on the ground, instead sitting down and even pouring himself a cup of wine. "To be honest, with my qualifications and status, if I had truly been loyal to The Emperor like Ning Wuya, or had retired early after gaining power, I would now have a peaceful end to my life."

"The Emperor is not a cruel person. His civil and military achievements, if I may be frank, are even more outstanding than the late emperor's. He pacified the Rebel Prince within a year, and even under my pressure, he managed court affairs in an orderly manner. He is also unconventional in his appointments. Especially when dealing with matters in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, Marquis Mo also saw it—do you think it was only Shen Xian alone? Ha, if The Emperor hadn't issued an imperial edict plaque and also made Shen Xian concurrently serve as Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, how could the matters in Jiangsu and Zhejiang have been so easily resolved?"

"For a monarch, even for his own in-laws, even knowing that Shen Xian is capable, it's not easy to achieve this. This is not just about knowing how to use people well, but also a kind of courage and self-confidence. In contrast, the late emperor lacked this quality."

"Oh no, it was the late emperor's caution and teachings. Otherwise, there wouldn't be The Emperor as he is today. That's the correct way to put it."

Mo Yingqi did not reply, only listening to his rambling as if to himself. It wasn't until he finished that Mo Yingqi suddenly scoffed: "Do you know, Grand Chancellor? Sometimes when I look at you, it's like looking at an old woman who knows she's wrong but refuses to admit her mistake, throwing a tantrum at her old man."

"Hahaha, Marquis Mo, don't try to provoke me in this way." Zhou Chutian seemed indifferent. "I, Zhou, have no regrets about reaching this point. Whatever I've done, good or bad, I stand by my choices, as long as I have no regrets towards myself!"

"Indeed, but you have let down the late emperor, the common people, and the officials, great and small, who recognized you as the leader of the Righteous Official." Mo Yingqi wasn't angry; his tone lacked any excitement, even carrying a relaxed smile. "But I guess you don't care, because to you, perhaps no one is truly human. You can even abandon your own son, I truly don't know what else you can't give up?"

"That's because he was stupid!"

Zhou Chutian suddenly became agitated, red streaks appearing in his eyes: "My son actually told me that my ideas were wrong? Hahaha, what a joke! If a monarch doesn't try to unify power, suppress the common people, eliminate all possibility of rebellion, seek welfare for the people, widely open port trade, delegate power to outsiders, and even monitor officials by coercing them with the Pacification Bureau, this is inherently a sign of national collapse!"

"So, what happened to your son back then, you did it?" The smile on Mo Yingqi's face suddenly vanished. "Heh, no wonder you and Lord Zhang are cut from the same cloth; both have that affliction of not feeling comfortable unless you harm your own son, right?"

"A useless chess piece, even if it's my son, I won't keep him." Zhou Chutian's emotions suddenly calmed down again. "I never believe I was wrong anywhere. If one wants to govern the world, one must understand the importance of power. The monarch is above all, the ruler of a nation. The common people just need to not starve to death; ignorant people are always the easiest to control."

"I am certainly aware that those who rebel in this world are always farmers, but I will not let them rebel. Marquis Mo, with all due respect, no matter how much I disagree with The Emperor and the late emperor, I understand the principle of 'people are the foundation' better than you!"

The door was suddenly pushed open. A Flying Fish Guard, his face streaked with blood, carrying a xiuchun saber, walked in: "Reporting to Marquis, the Zhou Residence has been completely suppressed, but..."

"There's no need to worry about that Daoist; someone will handle it." Mo Yingqi said without turning his head. "Oh, and was the chef killed?"

"Ah, this... no, he wasn't."

The Flying Fish Guard was a bit bewildered by Mo Yingqi's question. Why ask about the chef when there were so many other people? Mo Yingqi nodded, then pointed at the table: "Find a few servants who weren't killed, clear away these dishes, and tell the chef to make two bowls of Plain Noodles."

"Marquis, shouldn't we immediately apprehend the criminal?"

"Ah, don't put it that way. After all, The Emperor hasn't issued an edict yet; he's still the Grand Secretary of the current court." Mo Yingqi sheathed his saber and sat down casually opposite Zhou Chutian. "Don't drink the wine. Tell the chef to make large bowls of noodles, wide ones, and preferably with extra shredded meat."

The Flying Fish Guard wanted to say more, but Mo Yingqi nodded at him, so he said nothing further, only continuing his report: "The Imperial Guards have now set up their fire-lances. That Daoist is currently being attacked by seven suddenly appearing Daoists. Should we... open fire?"

"Wait until those seven can't hold on anymore," Mo Yingqi said, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his face. "Oh, right, don't worry about the lives of those seven Daoists. If they can't make it, just kill them all together."

"Hahaha, Marquis Mo has truly learned now." Zhou Chutian couldn't help but laugh. "The School Disciples came to help you block the Daoist master, and now you want to discard them after they've served their purpose?"

"Without them, that Daoist would still die." Mo Yingqi was indifferent. "This Daoist has been in your residence for so many years, and they were not unaware. The School has not cleansed its ranks all these years, allowing the Daoist to harm people and take lives. So, to this subordinate... they are equally guilty."

"What a 'same crime.' Marquis Mo, overcorrection will inevitably lead to resentment."

"It doesn't matter, as long as the goal is achieved. In some aspects, you, Grand Chancellor, are far more ruthless than I am."

The door opened again, and several servants timidly entered, clearing away the dishes from the table and wiping it clean with a cloth.

"Marquis Mo is truly generous, using my chef at my home to treat me to noodles." Zhou Chutian watched his house servants being escorted away by the Flying Fish Guards before slowly speaking. "I just can't understand, Marquis Mo, what trick are you playing?"

"When I left the Northern Territory, my master made me a bowl of noodles." Mo Yingqi waved his hand, and a few Imperial Guards who had just remained brought tea and placed it on the table, then bowed and withdrew. "He told me that when leaving, one should eat dumplings according to the Northern Territory custom, but he hoped I would be safe, so he made me a bowl of noodles as if I had already returned victorious from revenge."

"Grand Chancellor, you are different. After all, your current outcome cannot be changed no matter what. So, you have reached the end, and naturally, this subordinate must let you eat a bowl of noodles, mustn't I?"

As Mo Yingqi spoke, he filled a teacup and pushed it towards Zhou Chutian: "You said something wrong. Even if you truly had boundless influence and a hidden trump card, today I must fulfill my promise."

"Hahahaha, alright, Marquis Mo, but I think I've made myself very clear, haven't I?" Zhou Chutian picked up the tea and drank it in one gulp, not even minding that it was still hot. "Someone as smart as you should understand that I, Zhou, was never defeated by you, nor by The Two Highnesses, nor by The Emperor."

"I don't deny it, because everything you're doing now is self-destructive." Mo Yingqi shrugged. "You knew from the beginning that this so-called rebellion was destined to fail. Even if you did nothing but rely on your Disciples as capital, The Emperor would eventually replace them one by one."

"Just as we just discussed, you don't have military power, and anything else you say is meaningless. To seize power, to control court affairs, the most important thing is to have military power in hand. Cao Cao could command the feudal lords by holding the Son of Heaven hostage; firstly, the Han dynasty's rule was already a mere formality, and secondly, he held heavy troops, and all the military generals in the court were his subordinates."

"But although you hold the highest position among officials, you alone lack military power. Your people cannot infiltrate the Ministry of War, let alone the Shen Family Army, Border Army, and others fighting on the frontiers. From the very beginning of this struggle between monarch and minister, you knew you were the loser."

This was also what Mo Yingqi found amusing: a destined-to-lose struggle, and the opponent even knew this, yet Zhou Chutian still insisted on continuing.

You can't twist an arm against a thigh. If The Emperor were a child emperor, or weak and untalented, then so be it. But he wasn't. The Emperor was talented and virtuous, having been tempered by the late emperor and the Struggle for succession among the seven sons. In just over a year, The Emperor, with his hands free, had pressured this Grand Chancellor to the point of breathlessness.

"I naturally knew, and even on that day, I boasted to Marquis Mo that the person who would kill me was long gone; such words were merely arrogant bluster." Zhou Chutian poured himself another cup of tea. "I, Zhou, assisted the late emperor for decades, protecting him from the dragon's side. Now that I've fallen to this state, I don't regret it. I only regret that honest advice is harsh to the ear, and no one is willing to listen, much less understand."

"What honest advice? Even your son thought your theories were inappropriate." Mo Yingqi was so amused by his words that he laughed. "Grand Chancellor Zhou, time always moves forward, and so do people's hearts."

"Ha, Marquis Mo, those with different paths cannot conspire together. You can't persuade me, and I can't persuade you." Zhou Chutian clearly wasn't willing, nor did he deign to discuss this topic with Mo Yingqi. "The victor is king, the loser is bandit. I, Zhou, know that everything is just a matter of time, but I have, after all, held the highest position among officials for many years. To make me willingly accept death is impossible."

As he spoke, the door was pushed open for the third time, and servants placed two steaming bowls of Plain Noodles on the table. Mo Yingqi didn't stand on ceremony; he picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a few strands of noodles, blew on them, and ate them.

"I have to say, the chef at the Grand Chancellor's residence is truly skilled." Mo Yingqi couldn't help but nod. "These noodles are excellent. May I ask where you found this master chef?"

"Near the Yellow River. That year there was a great flood, and he fled to the capital. My residence happened to need a chef, and this man was also bold enough to come inquire." Zhou Chutian didn't eat, only frowning as he looked at Yingqi. "This man's skill is indeed good; he's been in my residence for many years, and I'm afraid he's no less skilled than the chefs in the Imperial Kitchen."

"Oh, I remember that during the great Yellow River flood, you also caused trouble for the late emperor, didn't you?" Mo Yingqi asked without lifting his head. "Aren't you afraid that this chef's family starved to death or drowned, and he might seek revenge on you, the Grand Secretary who did nothing?"

"Ha, a chef who can't even read, what does he understand?" Zhou Chutian sneered. "How many people in the world want to kill me, Zhou? Yet I, Zhou, am still sitting here, eating with Marquis Mo? Moreover, Marquis Mo, you are mistaken. I was not competing with the late emperor, merely weighing the pros and cons."

"What pros and cons?"

"At that time, the national treasury was abundant, and the speed of allocating grain from various provinces was also extremely fast. But these common people, you cannot spoil them. What's the big deal if a few people die? Only when they are most desperate can they see who is the ruler of the world!" Zhou Chutian said almost unequivocally. "A monarch stabilizes the world, but also needs to understand how to control the world. People are cheap bones; if you don't slap them a few times and then give them some sweetness, they will only grow more greedy!"

"But I heard that during the Yellow River flood, your subordinates not only delayed the distribution of disaster relief funds and grain but also secretly embezzled them, leading to the starvation of disaster victims?"

Mo Yingqi suddenly looked up, a smile on his face, but his eyes were like knives as he stared at him: "Grand Chancellor Zhou, so your 'weighing the pros and cons' means playing with the lives of the common people when they could have been rescued, and then letting your subordinates embezzle these disaster relief funds?"

"What do you mean by 'necessary'? Must the land be barren for thousands of miles, with corpses strewn everywhere, before you consider it a major event? Or even then, it's still not a major event?"