Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 384 - 237 Battle and Peace_4

Chapter 384: Chapter 237 Battle and Peace_4

Other officials in the court who either advocated for war or for peace also spoke up, each expressing their own viewpoints.

Chuge listened to these people’s arguments while stealthily observing the emperor’s attitude.

The pro-war faction’s views were actually nothing special, just the typical thoughts any normal person might have.

But the pro-peace faction’s views were quite peculiar, influenced by the unique historical background and way of thinking at the time, requiring a different mindset to interpret.

The pro-peace faction believed that they were definitely no match in battle and that if a war broke out, both sides would suffer heavy casualties. If the Jin became enraged, the terms of any subsequent negotiations would no longer be as favorable as they were currently.

It’s like when two people are about to fight; if one person approaches with kind words and a big red envelope, the other might just back down. But if they actually come to blows, regardless of who wins or loses, making peace at that point won’t be as simple as giving a red envelope—there will undoubtedly be medical expenses and various compensations to pay.

For the Qi Dynasty, giving money wasn’t a particularly shameful act; after all, paying an annual tribute had become routine and had indeed secured peace for Qi, even outliving the previous enemy state.

Any amount of annual tribute could eventually be recouped through border trade.

At first blush, there seemed to be some logic in it.

In fact, this argument of the pro-peace faction had always been popular in the Qi Dynasty, and even many emperors thought this way and strongly supported it. Otherwise, the pro-peace faction wouldn’t have been able to stand toe-to-toe with the pro-war faction in the court and garner so much support.

Chuge sighed silently.

From the perspective of later generations, it had been proven that the pro-peace faction’s arguments were complete nonsense.

There were two key points.

First, a fight between two individuals is completely different from a conflict between two countries. A brawl may be interrupted by external forces and it’s unlikely that one person would completely kill the other; but for countries at war, annihilating the enemy might be a more desirable option.

For the Jin, their greed knew no bounds; they would never be satisfied as soon as the fight began.

The fact that the Qi Dynasty had outlasted an enemy state with annual tribute in the past didn’t mean it would work again this time. And if it did, it likely wouldn’t the next time.

So ultimately, buying peace with annual tribute was just the wisdom of the time—in reality, it was nothing more than "why worry about a flood after I’m gone?"

The second truth was that what can’t be taken back on the battlefield can’t be taken back at the negotiation table.

In reality, there were no two options of war or peace, just one: war.

Peace was the final plan determined by the outcome of war.

If you couldn’t win on the battlefield, then the pro-peace faction would just have to accept all the demands proposed by the other side, expecting these pro-peace folks to bargain with the Jin using righteousness, morality, and generous rhetoric? That was wishful thinking.

But such simple logic was understood by only a minority of Qi emperors.

Or perhaps they understood it in their hearts, but much like the ancient strategists offering their lords high, middle, and low strategies, the best strategy was outside of their abilities from the start, hence it was never truly an option.

Mobilizing military preparations and resisting the Jin was simply too hard, while selling out for security seemed much easier.

It wouldn’t bother them, as they could always continue to rule like emperors in the prosperous lands beyond the Yangtze River.

Chuge covertly studied Emperor Yingzong of Qi and noted that he favored Tang Qin with his gaze, while he looked upon Li Boxi with fear or a kind of hostile aversion.

However, this complex sentiment was obviously not only about whether to support war or peace; there were other elements mixed in.

Other players might not notice this point, but Chuge was very clear.

At that moment in the court, there was another invisible but powerful conflict buried deep—between Emperor Yingzong, the son, and his runaway father, Emperor Qihui.

This conflict was also a crucial factor that contributed to the Jingping Incident.

While this clue had not yet become apparent, it was definitely a deep-rooted motive for Emperor Yingzong’s series of actions in the future.