"Offer good treatments and invite them to do some work."
"Quite a number of people came, including a good many potters and blacksmiths."
"It’s a pity to use the power of the Mo School and the Murong Family for mundane affairs."
"At that time, Lord will directly take them by boat, these people can also help with transporting purchased goods, which reduces some expenses. They can also fill the shortage in Jiangnan, achieving two things at once and saving some money."
"Hmm? Why are you both looking at me like that?"
Ling Pingyang hesitated a moment and said, "Has the aristocratic family agreed to give money so readily?"
"How did you convince so many craftsmen?"
Wen He smiled and said:
He naturally said, "As a gentle and righteous man, I am indeed capable of persuading others."
Seeing their skeptical looks, he remained composed, paused for a moment, and softly replied, "Because the power players in Central State are fierce as tigers, even an invitation as fleeting as a dream’s illusion makes them struggle to survive."
"I haven’t done anything, I’ve merely followed the flow of public sentiment."
"What’s powerful isn’t the strategy, but the momentum."
"It’s also what Lord needs to do."
Wen He calmly bowed and then said, "All lords and noble families wield power, but our Lord should use benevolence; while other lords are tyrannical, only our Lord is harmonious. Other lords stand above the people, nourishing themselves with the blood of the people, but our Lord walks with them."
"Such is the rule of changing public sentiment."
"In the long run, the people of the world will flock to us. This is the strategy contributed by Wen He, a third force beyond ’righteousness’ and ’military power,’ invisible to the eye yet real and vast."
"It’s where the heart of the people lies."
"Common people are aware of public sentiment, but how to go along with it or against it, they do not understand. How to benefit by going along with it, and how to stir things up by going against it; most of the noble families and officials have only a superficial understanding of these."
"The direction of public sentiment is precisely one of the variables in the world."
"Those who go against this change will perish, those who follow this public sentiment will rise."
In the moonlight, the strategist slightly lifted his gaze, his eyes tranquil and peaceful, giving his plain face an indescribable serenity, and said, "I hope Lord can use the people as his force and move according to the world."
Li Guanyi and Ling Pingyang looked at the young strategist before them, who had articulated a crucial aspect of overall strategy from a minor matter, and Li Guanyi suddenly became curious about the understated strategist’s vision of the world and the true face behind his renowned surface as the foremost in strategic self-interest.
Among all the strategists he had encountered, Breaking Army strategized with military power, aggressive as fire; Wen Lingjun occupied the great momentum with orthodox righteousness, and the person in front of him was the third, a top-tier strategist with strategic-level vision.
With public sentiment as the spearhead, going with the flow, unleashing a tidal wave of turbulence.
With deep strategies in his heart, standing on the highest mental state of a strategist, strategizing at a level concerning the whole world, yet covering himself with self-oriented tactics.
Was this also a part of self-strategizing?
"Just because of the oppression and heavy taxation in Central State, I just gave a little hope, and they all came."
Wen He remained silent, he calmly said:
"That’s our fortune."
"But it’s a great misfortune for the world, and yet we have to proceed on this misfortune to ascend in the world, seeing this, there’s compassion in my heart, but even though there is compassion, we must still firmly implement self-beneficial actions, that is the great way of the Central Plains world."
"I, the Emperor of Central Plains, embody both kingliness and hegemony."
"Being merely lenient is far from the great way!"
Ling Pingyang was startled.
He followed the Lord knowing that Lord would inevitably achieve greatness beyond measure.
But in his view of the Lord, similar to the pinnacle represented by Taiping Duke talking of the world, it was only at this moment that the calm and unassuming young man uttered the word "Emperor."
In the ears of Ling Pingyang, it was like a thunderclap out of a clear sky.
Wen He’s expression remained unchanged, as if nothing had happened, and he said:
"In the Jiangnan Eighteen States, aristocratic families must have control over craftsmen and scholars; they think by controlling these people, our Lord’s progress in Jiangnan will be hindered, but the world is vast, with our Lord’s reputation and authority, we can overlook them and follow our own path."
"They will discover that our Lord has taken actions beyond their expectations."
"When people realize that things are moving beyond their predictions, they will make foolish actions, they will make mistakes, and once mistakes are made and caught, they will panic, they will become flustered, they will frantically try to rectify, but often, it is irreparable."
In the moonlight and candlelight, the Confucian Strategist revealed a warm smile:
"Ah, just thinking about the various foolish mistakes they will make fills me with pleasant anticipation."
"Just like when I was young, pouring boiling water into an anthill and waiting to poke the ants to death one by one as they crawled out."
"When they make mistakes, give the minor aristocratic families the illusion that they can become major ones, give the major families a desire that their glory can still be maintained, and give the illegitimate children who have left aristocratic families an illusion of starting their own."
Wen He’s fingers interlocked with each other, creating what seemed like a chessboard before him, with his fingers appearing to drop strings, each pulling on a puppet, and these puppets were the aristocratic families.
"The dilemma in Jiangnan will be resolved."
"And without deploying weapons, there will be no damage to heaven’s harmony."
Mr. Wen He’s expression was warm.
Is this guy doing this on purpose?
It’s still worthwhile to keep this person around.