Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 208 - 186 Narrow Path Meeting_2

Chapter 208: Chapter 186 Narrow Path Meeting_2

"From as large as a nation, these ’impurities’ and ’omens’ will inevitably concentrate on the emperor, to be borne by him.

"After all, in the final analysis, the emperor is the one who ultimately makes decisions, the one to give the final approval. And to approve means to assume responsibility, it means that whenever there’s an issue, you’re the ultimate person to blame."

Lu Heng thought for a moment, "Hmm, that does make sense.

"But, what does this have to do with Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s instance?"

Chu Heng continued, "So this statement nicely explains the imperial role of Emperor Taizu of Sheng.

"In the end, he was the one to make decisions.

"If I, as a student of history, looked at Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s reign from a bystander’s perspective, I could certainly offer many plausible reasons.

"For instance, on some matters his measures were too harsh, leading to the unjust execution of people; in other matters he was too cautious and conservative, making some compromises...

"Are these assessments correct? In most cases, they are. After all, I come later, and a successor criticizing with the benefit of hindsight, if unable to spot the errors of predecessors, would be quite inept.

"But when I played the role of Emperor Taizu of Sheng, the mists of history shrouded me once more, and I realized I couldn’t do better than he did. In many cases, I found myself compelled to copy his correct answers.

"Perhaps we, centuries later, have seen much more history, have witnessed many things that predecessors couldn’t even dream of, such as the concepts of natural rights, equality and freedom, and the spirit of rule of law... Certainly, we are looking down from the peak of human progress at the mid-slopes of the past.

"However, the economic base determines the superstructure, the mode of production determines the relations of production. Under the productive forces of ancient times, it was impossible to instantly elevate the relations of production to a later level; thus, these concepts could not simply be applied to that world.

"Therefore, under the productive conditions of those times, there would always be an emperor; forcibly eliminating the emperor would only lead to greater disasters. Similarly, the emperor’s work could only be done within that framework, and it was hard to step outside it...

"As emperors go, some led to uprisings and made the people’s lives unbearable, while others ended times of chaos, bringing decades of peace and prosperity to the common folk, and allowing the productive forces of society to develop smoothly.

"Taking on the nation’s stains while also striving to achieve as much as possible within one’s limits, that’s already high praise for an emperor, isn’t it?"

Chu Heng nodded, "Hmm, well said.

"Come on, let’s go see the other two!"

...

Meanwhile, within Chuzhou City, Yun Ying had once again arrived at the training grounds.

Among the seven hundred men before him, he had to select thirty. The outcome of this selection would determine the ultimate success or failure of the role he played as the Rebel Army.

Yun Ying took a deep breath and announced his carefully considered choices.

"Wu Yun, Gu Zaicheng, Zheng Huan..."

This scenario was completely different from the last.

Previously, Yun Ying had simply pointed to those who had left an impression on him, saying "you, and you, and you," as he recruited them.

But this time, Yun Ying confidently uttered thirty different names.

During this game, he didn’t just focus on blindly fighting and killing; instead, he took the time to observe these men, trying to unearth their talents.

Some had firmness and stability, suited for leading soldiers in battle; others had deep foresight and cunning, fit to serve as important advisers and strategists; some were adept in mathematics, capable of overseeing logistics and resources...

Once he had set his gaze upon them, Yun Ying realized that each of these men was flesh and blood, not just tools for fighting battles.

Yun Ying wasn’t sure whether the thirty men he’d chosen could form the fundamental team to support Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s quest for supremacy. He just tried his best to feel their hearts, discover their talents, and affirm them adequately.

Soon, the selection of thirty men was complete.

Yun Ying led them out of Chuzhou City.

And finally, the system notification appeared before his eyes.

[Role of Rebel Army successfully completed!]

[Evaluation: Through ages past, countless rebel armies have walked this land. Yet only one has managed to accomplish the grand mission of "driving out the barbarians, rebuilding Huaxia, establishing standards and ordinances, and relieving the people."]

Before Yun Ying could even reflect, he heard two voices start a discussion beside him.

"Hey, the Rebel Army’s commentary seems to have changed style."

"Yes, it’s pretty straightforward."

"It seems that the Rebel Army role is probably the easiest to pass... as long as you can successfully lead a team and identify the talents within, you’ve essentially passed."

"That’s not exactly correct; it’s a bit like putting the cart before the horse. The key is that in the midst of it all, it’s actually very hard to recognize this point."

Yun Ying was startled, almost thinking he had seen a ghost.

Turning his head, he saw that Chu Heng and Lu Heng had already appeared by his side, commenting on the situation.

"You guys... how did you get here?" Yun Ying was somewhat bewildered.