Chapter 1493: 1493: Men Can Also Conquer the World by Conquering Women

Chapter 1493: Chapter 1493: Men Can Also Conquer the World by Conquering Women

Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin, Ouyang Feifei naturally couldn’t hear what Yang Xiaodong and Wang Qing were saying behind them.

If they had heard it, they would have been mortified.

The Terracotta Warriors Museum was packed with visitors, especially Pit No. 1, which was simply a sea of people.

Having seen the Terracotta Warriors on television many times before, seeing them in person felt less overwhelming.

“Qin Shi Huang really had a grandiose style. Even after death, he still had so many burial accompaniments,” Luo Yuqing couldn’t help but marvel during the tour. “The underground around the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor holds too many secrets.”

“The first emperor in history, having a lavish burial after his death is somewhat reasonable,” Luo Ziling chuckled. “If he didn’t go all out, we wouldn’t have this wonder now, hailed as the eighth miracle of humanity.”

“But constructing the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor cost tens of thousands of lives!” Yang Qingyin interjected.

“During the Warring States period, even more lives were lost due to years of continuous warfare,” Luo Ziling smiled faintly. “General Bai Qi alone buried 400,000 Zhao soldiers alive in a single instance! Back then, lives were as cheap as grass and ants, utterly worthless.”

“One general’s triumph stands on a thousand corpses,” Luo Yuqing sighed again. “There’s a poem that says it well: ‘Alas, the bones along the Wuding River are still the dream lovers in boudoirs of spring.’ Why did people in the past love war so much?”

“To plunder wealth and women, to seize more land—that’s why wars happened,” Luo Ziling replied with a laugh. “Where there are interests, there will be conflicts. It’s the same for us now, just that the scale is smaller and doesn’t descend to life-and-death struggles.”

“I hate war,” Luo Yuqing leaned on the railing, staring at the military formation in front. “If only the world could be peaceful forever!”

“That would be a communist society,” Luo Ziling stood beside her, also gazing at the majestic Terracotta Warriors formation. “But don’t you feel that without battles, the entire world would lose a lot of its flavor?”

Hearing this, Yang Qingyin couldn’t help but retort, “What flavor is there to war? Bloodshed and sacrifice—how tragic. Haven’t you seen how the famous Song Dynasty lyricist Li Qingzhao suffered terribly because of war?”

“I also think war is bad—bloodshed, sacrifice, environmental destruction, material damages—but sometimes, war is unavoidable,” Luo Ziling said earnestly, looking at Yang Qingyin. “Take the era of Li Qingzhao for example. Because the ruling class eliminated resistance and despised war, it led to the downfall of the nation and household tragedies. Not just Li Qingzhao—Song nobles, princesses, and concubines all ended miserably.”

After hearing this, Yang Qingyin and Luo Yuqing fell silent, unable to reply.

“Attack is the best defense,” Luo Ziling continued sharing his thoughts. “In the history of Huaxia, eras enthusiastic about warfare were often times when the nation was affluent and the people were robust. Take Emperor Wu of Han’s time, or the times of Zhenguan, Kaiyuan, and Yongle Eras. Particularly during Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong’s Zhenguan era—Huaxia’s military force was practically synonymous with invincibility. Wei Qing and Huo Qubing led forces to sweep through the Gobi Desert, sealing the wolf at Mount Langjuxi, while Dou Xian later engraved the stone tablets at Yanshan. ‘Whoever offends the Powerful Han, even from afar, shall be eradicated.’ Without their illustrious achievements, there wouldn’t have been the prestige of the Great Han Empire, and perhaps not even the name Han ethnicity.”

“During Zhenguan, wars were even more frequent, and many brilliant generals emerged during that period: Li Jin, Li Shiji, Li Daozong, Su Dingfang, Pei Xingjian, and others. They led troops to conquer, rarely suffering defeat. From Li Jin’s campaign against the Tujue in Zhenguan’s third year to Xue Rengui’s loss at Great Feichuan, Tang armies consistently triumphed. From east and west Tianshan to the north and south of the Gobi Desert, all were under the control of the Tang forces. Foreign tribes submitted, and envoys from all over came to pay tribute. ‘The nine heavens opened palace halls, millions of nations bowed crowned heads to imperial robes.’ Yesterday, at the Daming Palace ruins, we could feel the prosperity of the Great Tang then. In Li Bai’s poem ‘Hu No Men,’ he captured the essence of Han warriors in that era: ‘Hu no men, Han’s ways thrive.’ Alas, now our Huaxia no longer has that kind of iron-blooded spirit or ambition.”

At this point, Ouyang Feifei interjected, “Among these famous emperors, who do you admire the most?”

Without hesitation, Luo Ziling replied, “The emperor I admire most is Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin. Second is Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che. Then Qin Shi Huang, who unified Huaxia. Lastly, Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, who personally led campaigns to the Northern Desert multiple times.”

“Why not Genghis Khan, Emperor Kangxi, or Emperor Qianlong?” Ouyang Feifei asked again.

“Them? Heh,” Luo Ziling merely scoffed with disdain and didn’t elaborate.

“Luo Ziling, there’s something I don’t understand. You admire these illustrious emperors with remarkable martial achievements. I bet you also respect generals like Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, Li Jin, and Su Dingfang who expanded Huaxia’s borders for the nation. So I wonder, why are you content with your current situation?” Ouyang Feifei asked sharply.

“What do you mean?” Luo Ziling looked at Ouyang Feifei warily. “Are you hoping I’ll be like my father—join the army, lead troops into battle, and conquer the world?”

“You’ve misunderstood,” Ouyang Feifei shook her head. “In this day and age, even if you wanted to be like Wei Qing or Huo Qubing, you wouldn’t have the chance. Our nation hasn’t fought a war in decades. Hoping to emulate those illustrious generals and build a career by expanding the territory is unrealistic.”

“Then what are you trying to say?” Luo Ziling seemed confused.

Yang Qingyin and Luo Yuqing were also stunned, staring at the composed Ouyang Feifei, unsure of her intentions.

Ouyang Feifei didn’t shy away, fixing her gaze on Luo Ziling. “Men can achieve great things without necessarily enlisting in the military. Success can come in any field. Your Great Grandfather and grandfather are examples, and even your mother too. But I’ve noticed you don’t seem interested in doing any of this. You even have the mindset of being content with small successes. Isn’t that right?”

Hearing Ouyang Feifei’s words, Luo Ziling was a bit taken aback. He quickly understood her implied meaning.

“I see. You think I’m unwilling to stand up and take responsibility, letting my mom handle everything instead. Regarding Qingniao Media, I even let Yuqing run it, while I hide away like a coward, making you think I’m someone without drive or ambition?”

Ouyang Feifei didn’t deny it but gazed at Luo Ziling meaningfully.

“You think too highly of me,” Luo Ziling said with a bitter smile. “I didn’t even attend primary school and grew up in a small mountain village, completely unfamiliar with the outside world. How could I compare with you all? You’re people capable of great things, while I’ll just quietly follow behind you.”

Seeing Luo Ziling reject her point, Ouyang Feifei couldn’t help but ask again, “Don’t you think men ought to be stronger than women?”

“Men can also conquer the world by conquering women,” Luo Ziling quipped before darting off. As he ran away, he added, “You strong women, I’m happy to embrace it, so don’t be shy.”

His statements left the women who had been standing around him exchanging bewildered glances for quite a while.