Chapter 671 – A Friend (1/2)
Chapter 671 – A Friend
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.”