Empire Conquest
Chapter 214 - 210 Principal’s Guidance

Chapter 214: Chapter 210 Principal’s Guidance

Although he had long since retired to his homeland, according to tradition, Zhu Shijian still enjoyed the treatment of an Imperial Navy Commander-in-chief. His residence in the Imperial Capital was in a suburban Commander’s estate.

There were several official residences provided for the Commanders-in-chief of the Navy; there was no issue of not having enough space to live in.

Besides, Liu Changxun was usually too busy to even consider living in the suburbs.

When Bai Zhizhan arrived, it was already evening.

The estate was vast. Besides the main building, there were several bungalows, but there weren’t many people living here, making it seem quite deserted and even somewhat desolate.

Was this really what the twilight years of an Imperial Navy Commander-in-chief looked like?

Bai Zhizhan was filled with countless emotions.

In the past twenty years, Zhu Shijian could be said to have had limitless glory and was even considered the foremost figure in the Imperial Navy after Chen Bingxun.

It had only been half a month since Zhu Shijian stepped down.

The difference between before and after could only be described as the fickleness of the world.

Perhaps Bai Zhizhan was overthinking it; after all, Zhu Shijian was already over eighty years old, and what he had always longed for was precisely this kind of tranquil life.

Zhu Shijian was in the study; the only light that was on in the entire main building was the one in the study.

"Principal!"

"Have you arrived?"

As he said this, Zhu Shijian waved his hand, motioning for Bai Zhizhan to come over to him.

Closing the door, Bai Zhizhan hung his coat on a chair by the entrance before he walked over.

In truth, he felt a bit embarrassed. After all, since returning to the Imperial Capital, he had not immediately come to visit Zhu Shijian, even though Liu Xiangzhen, who was so busy, had found time to come.

Moreover, he had gotten completely drunk just the evening before last.

But on a personal level, the person Bai Zhizhan owed the most to for his achievements today was Zhu Shijian.

A book was resting on Zhu Shijian’s thigh; it was a foreign original.

However, he had his hand on the book, and Bai Zhizhan could not see the title.

"Changxun mentioned yesterday your campaign in West East Ocean," Zhu Shijian said.

"It was all due to the Principal’s excellent guidance."

"The battle was fought by you, what does it have to do with me? Besides, as the saying goes, ’A master leads the way, but practice is up to the individual.’ If you were not capable, no amount of teaching would make a difference," Zhu Shijian said, waving his hand. "It’s a bit embarrassing, but I’m probably the only Commander-in-chief in the history of the Imperial Navy who has never seen battle."

Bai Zhizhan did not continue the conversation and instead pulled up a chair to sit next to Zhu Shijian.

Zhu Shijian also placed the book on a small table next to him.

It was indeed a foreign-language edition of "Sea Power Theory," a mandatory course at the Imperial Naval Academy. Any outstanding naval officer could recite it from memory.

"Changxun also told me he was worried that you might misunderstand," Zhu Shijian said.

"There’s nothing to misunderstand about whose merit it was..."

"He was not wrong, actually."

When Zhu Shijian’s gaze shifted back to him, Bai Zhizhan closed his mouth. The "misunderstanding" Zhu Shijian was talking about wasn’t about who should be credited, but had another implication.

"I won’t elaborate further, you will come to understand in time," Zhu Shijian said as he grasped Bai Zhizhan’s hand and gently patted it a few times. "When Changxun was young, he was very much like Xiangzhen, overlooked because of being born into a side branch of the family. Even after he worked hard to gain admission to the Naval Officer Academy, it was merely as a companion in studies for the Crown Prince. Unlike him, Xiangzhen did not catch the right opportunities and was buried in obscurity for decades."

"Principal..."

"However, compared to him, Liu Xiangzhen still lacked a bit of backbone. Back then, Changxun preferred exile over collusion and corruption, and he never lost sight of right and wrong due to his background. Otherwise, he would not have struggled at the grassroots level for decades. In any case, the last person you should misunderstand is him."

Bai Zhizhan remained silent because Zhu Shijian’s words made him feel like he was being petty and narrow-minded.

"The naval reforms were my idea, and Changxun was the most enthusiastic supporter, while He Yongxing always opposed them. Even when I was present, he was passive. You’ll surely understand the intricate relationships involved. I’m telling you this not to suggest you should side with or oppose anyone." Zhu Shijian tightly gripped Bai Zhizhan’s hand, his eyes lingering on him for quite a while before he said, "Even more than a decade ago, when we made the decision and began to formulate the war plans, we harbored no illusions!"

Bai Zhizhan furrowed his brows; Zhu Shijian’s last statement was far from simple.

"If I remember correctly, I told you from the beginning that our number one opponent is always ourselves, not the enemies beyond our borders," Zhu Shijian’s thinking was clearly making leaps, with a sense of saying whatever came to mind. "During Marshal Chen Bingxun’s era, we were very weak, far more so than before the last great war erupted. But united in our hatred of the enemy, from the Holy Emperor down, we devoted all our efforts to defeating many Great Powers amassing the everlasting foundation of the Empire. Unfortunately, after Marshal Chen Bingxun, the Imperial Navy has become disjointed."

"There’s the Principal..."

"Me? Do you really think I can compare to Marshal Chen Bingxun? Even if everyone says I’m the top man in the Imperial Navy after Chen Bingxun, in front of Marshal Chen Bingxun, I’m only this tall." Zhu Shijian held his hand a certain distance above Bai Zhizhan to show the disparity, like a dwarf in front of a giant. "We of this generation cannot stand shoulder to shoulder with giants, not only in terms of strength but also in lacking the essential conditions needed to reach the pinnacle."

With Zhu Shijian having said so much, Bai Zhizhan could only silently sigh.

It seemed that the Principal now resembled an old steed resting in the stable.

Had he been several decades younger, Zhu Shijian might have personally led troops into battle.

"You’re different from me, fortunate in that you have both ability and good luck, and you’ve encountered an era that creates heroes."

"Principal..."

"You are someone I personally selected and nurtured. I believe in your abilities. You just need to remember that the most dangerous enemies often lie close at hand."

"So you’re saying, I can trust the Commander-in-chief?" Bai Zhizhan didn’t beat around the bush and brought the conversation back.

Zhu Shijian nodded and said, "He may be the only person in the headquarters you can trust, but you must keep control of your fate in your own hands. Having trustworthy people is naturally ideal. However, at certain times, trusting someone doesn’t mean entrusting everything to them. In some situations, entrusting significant responsibilities due to trust can harm both oneself and others, with unpredictable consequences."

What did the Principal mean by that?

Bai Zhizhan furrowed his brow.

According to Zhu Shijian, Liu Changxun was more trustworthy, but he also cautioned Bai Zhizhan not to place complete trust in Liu Changxun, to retain some reservations.

If one could trust him, why still keep reservations?

Was this a hint, or was there another reason?

After pondering for a while, Bai Zhizhan couldn’t figure it out.

Maybe it was just overthinking.

Perhaps the Principle’s words were just a wish for Bai Zhizhan to become more mature, to understand that the world didn’t operate in absolutes, and that not everything was either white or black.

In other words: don’t be too straightforward.

By the time Bai Zhizhan figured it out, Zhu Shijian had already fallen asleep!

Not wanting to linger, Bai Zhizhan hurriedly called in the secretary, brought a thick blanket, and covered Zhu Shijian with it.

It was winter, and even though there was heating in the room, the temperature wasn’t high, and it was easy to catch a cold.

As he left, Bai Zhizhan was exceedingly careful, fearful of making a sound.

During his tenure as the Navy Commander, Zhu Shijian was always troubled by insomnia due to an irregular sleep schedule and found it hard to have a restful night’s sleep.

It seemed that he had improved a lot after retirement.

Perhaps with fewer worries, he slept more peacefully.

Stepping out of the official residence, Bai Zhizhan had completely understood.

Zhu Shijian was telling him that he could utilize Liu Changxun, but not to entrust too much, as there would be plenty of trouble ahead on his path.

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