Chapter 1588: Chapter 1526: Whoever Has the Strongest Fist Leads
Ah Jiu noticed Wufu was not very enthusiastic, and felt a pang in his heart, asking, "Are you unhappy?"
"Hmm?" Wufu looked at him, somewhat puzzled.
Ah Jiu pursed his lips slightly and said, "Beiyan intends to unify Nanyue, continuing the legacy of a great nation from hundreds of years ago. This has always been the grand ambition of every generation of Emperor, so..."
"Ah Jiu, Iâve told you Iâm not from here!" Wufu interrupted him, saying, "Whether a country falls depends on the ruling powers. Invasion might be wrong, but if you donât grow stronger and get invaded, who can you blame? If youâre strong, who dares invade you? Who can defeat you!"
Ah Jiu felt relieved, "I thought you were unhappy."
"I have no opinion on which country unifies; itâs all about who has the stronger fist. Thatâs inevitable." Wufu said, "I just feel for the common people; when war breaks out, itâs not the nobles and powerful people who suffer, but the common folk. I prefer seeing peace."
In war, common people become displaced, homes shatter; this is the most distressing.
"Wufu, you have a soft heart. Throughout history, kingdoms were built on piles of bones; only with good rulers can a true era of prosperity exist." Ah Jiu held her hand, saying, "Nanyueâs governance is corrupt; take this hunting trip, for instance â youâve seen the luxury of it. And the Empress Dowagerâs birthday, officials everywhere search for treasures to offer, and itâs the weaker common people who suffer."
"Would Beiyan eliminate such extravagance? Ah Jiu, in such times, people are destined to be divided into classes." Wufu looked bewildered, saying, "Even in the future, itâll be the same â classes, disparities between rich and poor."
"I wonât say Beiyan doesnât have extravagance, but it certainly wonât be worse than Nanyue. Imperial Brother, no matter what, he actually does have ambitions and is a good Emperor for the people." Ah Jiu sighed softly.
Wufu remained silent; she didnât know much about Emperor Yan, but listening to Ah Jiuâs tone, it seemed somewhat complicated.
"Enough, itâs too early to talk about this now. The path of fate is already set in its chart." Wufu shrugged, saying, "The trends of the world cannot be shifted by human will; thatâs the truth. Whatâs destined to come, no one can change its outcome!"
Ah Jiu squeezed her hand, asking, "Do you have no wars there?"
Wufu was taken aback for a moment and said, "We do, but not like this. Wars only occur in small countries. As for big countries, who would dare!"
Thinking of those great nations in the future, those advanced weapons, who would dare invade?
It goes back to that saying: Strong countries have their own confidence, a strong army makes a strong nation.
"A strong army makes a strong nation; strong countries must have strong armies; only with a strong army can a nation be secure." Ah Jiu repeated the words she unconsciously said, clapping his hands, eyes shining brightly, "What you said makes a lot of sense."
"In some countries over there, theyâre very democratic. Do you know what democracy means? It means if you, the Emperor, donât do well, the people will remove you and elect someone else. Who becomes the leader is decided by voting." Wufu continued.
Ah Jiu was stunned, "Thereâs such a thing?"
Wufu nodded, smiling, "Over there, weâre much more advanced than here; there are things that fly in the sky, covering a thousand miles in a day, and things that run on the ground and swim in the water..."
Ah Jiu listened quietly, unable to resist painting a picture of that world in his mind â what kind of world must it be for people to fly in the sky?