Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)
chapter-671

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

"What chance?"

"A chance for you to give up those meaningless and empty obsessions, to give no reason for anyone to kill you. Then you can remain in the Orthodox Academy, remain in the capital, and assist His Majesty."

"I don't understand."

"The Demon Empress spoke correctly on that night. Those princes are not to be trifled with and the Tianhai clan will not always act so well-behaved. Whether or not His Majesty can sit stably on the throne has always been a problem."

"Could it be that you do not trust in Teacher?"

"Principal Shang's loyalty does not require proof, but I would not mind if His Majesty could gain even more assistance."

Chen Changsheng had a rough understanding of Eunuch Lin's intentions.

Perhaps this truly was a chance for him and the Orthodox Academy, but he did not say anything.

Eunuch Lin advised, "Receive the decree, hand over Tianhai's body, make your stance known to the entire world, and remain at His Majesty's side."

After a long period of silence, Chen Changsheng asked, "Why should I do this?"

Eunuch Lin answered, "Because His Majesty requires your help."

After an even longer silence, Chen Changsheng asked, "Why do I need to help him?"

Eunuch Lin's expression gradually chilled. "Only this way can you take up the burden of affection between schoolmates, the righteousness between lord and minister."

"The affection between schoolmates…of course there's that."

Chen Changsheng stood up and rested his right hand on the windowsill, watching as the sights outside the window gradually turned somber. He asked somewhat slowly, "But what is this righteousness between lord and minister?"

Eunuch Lin harshly said, "As a person of the Great Zhou, do you dare say that you are not willing to consider yourself a minister?"

"Even if I am willing to become a minister, when did Senior want to be a monarch?"

He shook his head, continuing, "And my senior brother knows how to treat people, but how does he know to treat the ills of a country?"

Eunuch Lin believed that he had understood something and his voice became abnormally cold. "The Demon Empress was not your mother. You are nothing but a chess piece, so it's best if you wake up a little. Don't believe just because she saved you on the peak of the Mausoleum of Books that she had some sort of deep affection for you, that you should guard her grave out of some sort of filial piety."

Chen Changsheng replied, "On the chessboard, pieces are divided into black and red. If I'm the Empress's chess piece, how could I become your side's chess piece?"

The entire world knew that he was a chess piece, or fruit, that those who opposed Tianhai had painstakingly raised for many years.

Although the Tianhai Divine Empress had not killed him or eaten him, this fruit had still succeeded in sending the poison into her body.

This was probably what was meant by fate, or the Heavenly Dao, enigmatic and impossible to defeat.

Since he was his teacher's chess piece, he was naturally not the Divine Empress's chess piece, and so thorough investigations were not required.

This was a matter he had taken these three days to understand.

"So you believe that she is a good person and feel sorrow for her departure, and thus refuse to accept the decree? Or are you saying that too many people have died in the capital in these three days, going against your principles? Don't forget, the words 'able and virtuous' or 'benevolent and righteous' have never applied to her. If she had been the one to win this time, only more people would have died in the capital."

Eunuch Lin said, looking at him with a stern expression.

"Divine Empress was not any sort of good person, that's a given. On the peak of the Mausoleum of Books, she saved me only because she wanted to save me at that moment."

Chen Changsheng moved his gaze gradually upwards, ultimately resting it upon that barely visible mausoleum in the distance. After a pause, he continued, "I'm not going to deceive myself into thinking that this act was a symbol of the love between mother and son or some other great kindness…but in the end, she saved me, and at that moment, I could sense that her kindness then was real."

During this time, he was calm yet lonely. It was a very rare sight to see these two emotions simultaneously appearing on the figure of a youth.

After a very long time, he drew back his gaze and lowered his head. "Sir should be clearly aware that I won't trust a single person anymore."

Any person that experienced all that he had experienced would not hold any trust for this world.

"You can trust in me, just as many others have," Eunuch Lin looked at his back and said.

In Xining Village, Chen Changsheng had naturally not heard any of the rumors regarding this old eunuch, but after coming to the capital, he no longer lived such a solitary life. He had also heard the story regarding this man.

In the eyes of the common people, Eunuch Lin was a hero who most valued the ties of friendship, a most devoted scholar of the state, a gentleman who could never be bullied.

Back when Emperor Taizong was unable to decide on a successor, the Imperial Palace was an extremely dangerous place. As Emperor Xian's foster brother, he firmly decided to castrate himself and entered the palace to become a eunuch for the sake of safeguarding Emperor Xian. Afterwards, when Emperor Xian's illness worsened and the Divine Empress began to manage the empire, for the sake of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the common people, he suffered in silence by living in the palace until Emperor Xian's death.

Eunuch Lin had done many similar things throughout his life. His entire life was a legend, approaching perfection.

Today, he came with a decree to the Orthodox Academy. For the sake of the Great Zhou Dynasty, for the sake of the common people, for the sake of His Majesty, he wished to bring Chen Changsheng under control.

In order to bring Chen Changsheng under control, what Eunuch Lin had to do first was convince Chen Changsheng. In this world, there were always some things worthy of trust, and even worth struggling for.

Like the continued existence of the Great Zhou Dynasty for one thousand years, like the bright future of humanity, like the supreme glory of the Chen Imperial clan, like His Majesty's imperial throne.

The library was very quiet.

"I don't trust you."

There was no contemplation or hesitation. Chen Changsheng's answer was very direct and firm.

In his view, those things called righteous causes and loyalty had no use whatsoever.

Eunuch Lin narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why?"

Chen Changsheng replied, "Because, earlier, you used our relatives to threaten us."

Eunuch Lin expressionlessly replied, "I used the lives of their relatives to open the gate of the Orthodox Academy. There was no slaughter, no death; is that not the best result?"

Chen Changsheng asked, "As long as you reach your goal, the methods you use to reach it don't matter?"

"Yes, as long as you never forget your original intentions in the process."

Eunuch Lin proudly declared, "I use my entire life as proof that I've done it."

Chen Changsheng continued no longer on this subject. He asked, "If I firmly refuse the decree, what will happen?"

"At the Li Palace, Principal Shang said to me that this academy was too small. If destroyed, it would not be too much trouble to build it again."

Eunuch Lin's voice became somewhat lofty, like that of an immortal, and also like the weeping of a ghost from the Netherworld.

"So this was your original intention."

Chen Changsheng paused, then noted, "I'm very regretful that one of my friends left."

Eunuch Lin asked, "Even if that friend of yours were here, what could they change?"

Chen Changsheng shook his head, saying, "Of course, he wouldn't be able to change anything, but I'm not good at speaking. If he were here, perhaps he would be able to speak clearly on my behalf."

Eunuch Lin asked, "If your friend were here, what would he say?"

Chen Changsheng was quiet for a very long time, imagining what his friend would probably say if he encountered such a situation.

Afterwards, he turned and looked into Eunuch Lin's eyes.

"In these past few years, the princes of the Chen clan in the provinces and counties have acted tyrannically, devastating the common people, but have you ever said anything about it?

"The Divine Empress used Zhou Tong, Cheng Jun and other such evil ministers and was naturally not a good person. Now, your side also uses Zhou Tong, and will use him again, so how can your side be considered good people?

"That year, for the sake of the thrill from dying for your fabricated cause, you castrated yourself and entered the palace. Did you ever imagine what your parents might think? What His Majesty thought?"

Eunuch Lin suddenly became stern as he shouted, "I and His Majesty…"

Not waiting for him to finish, Chen Changsheng continued, "His Majesty loved you as a brother, but you were only willing to be a minister, or a slave, making His Majesty even more lonely and grief-stricken. Just where was the affection?"

Furious, Eunuch Lin roared, "We were originally lord and minister, so naturally lord and minister…"

Chen Changsheng still did not allow him to finish, calmly and firmly continuing.

"I don't care how you regarded your relationship with Emperor Xian, but it certainly won't be the relationship I have with Senior Brother.

"Senior is not willing to consider himself a lord, so I naturally can't consider myself a minister.

"Moreover, I've always been the future Pope, not a minister."

.……

……

.……

……

Eunuch Lin smiled in his fury, jeering, "You still think that you're the future Pope? Truly ridiculous to the extreme."

"If that friend of mine were still here, he would definitely say…this isn't a matter you have the right to ask about. Just what thing do you count as?"

Chen Changsheng's voice was still calm, containing no ridicule. It was like the repetition of a machine, an imitation.

Including when he spoke about 'right' and 'what thing'.

He was studying his friend's way of speaking.

When this sort of speaking style was paired with such composure, it carried a destructive power that exceeded the imagination.

It was still like those words that friend of his had said three years ago in the Plum Garden Inn.

Eunuch Lin's breathing became somewhat coarse.

At present, many people were breathing faster. Outside the Orthodox Academy, the black-armored heavy cavalry were preparing to charge. Those warhorses covered in heavy armor also began to take heavier breaths.

Soon after, perhaps because he had surpassed rage, Eunuch Lin became much calmer.

He looked at Chen Changsheng and expressionlessly said, "I regard you with importance because of your status in the Orthodoxy and the small name you have made for yourself in these three years, but not because of your person. You think that a bunch of children like you can reverse the momentum of the human world, resist the surging wave of the Heavenly Dao? No, you will just cause many people to die for your stupid decision."

Chen Changsheng asked, "And that innocent blood will never stain your hands and you will forever remain clean, right?"

Eunuch Lin proudly declared, "That is because I have righteousness at hand."

Chen Changsheng thought of how three years ago, during the Ivy Festival, those people who wanted Xu Yourong to marry Qiushan Jun for the sake of righteousness had asked him to annul his engagement with her.

He said, "I was wrong."

Eunuch Lin indifferently noted, "It's too late to recognize your error."

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "I'm saying that if my friend were here, he would not say all those words I said to you just now."

Arching his brows, Eunuch Lin asked, "Is that so?"

Chen Changsheng replied, "He would probably just say two words."

Eunuch Lin's eyes narrowed as he flatly said, "What two words."

Chen Changsheng replied, "F**k you."