Way of Overlord
Chapter 302: Advice to the Ruler

Chapter 302: Advice to the Ruler

A few nights after Aeryon leave his tribe, there was someone that is furiously writing in his tent.

This man is none other than Jayeux. With only the lantern and candles around to accompany him, he is writing something on the leather

When the candle light sway back and forth it reveals the solemn expression on his face.

He sometimes look back at what he had written and then pause for a moment. And then he would continue writing.

There is an unusual determination in his eyes and each time he writes this determination that is reflected in his eyes become even more determined.

[ It is virtuous for the rulers to keep faith, to live with integrity and not with tricks ,schemes and plots. In the ancient book, it is said "Wise ministers do not fawn upon their leader to the extent that will corrupt his virtues. They also do not fawn upon the masses just to gain their favor. Neither will they benefit themselves at the expense of the public interests, nor do they hinder the enforcement of laws for the fear of powerful adversaries.

They are wise enough to recognize the crafty and the evil. They conform to morality and justice, and their integrity prevents them from forming factions to advance their personal interests."

Once Duke of a certain region asked a wise man: "Of all the misfortunes that can befall a nation, which one is the greatest?" the wise man replied:

"When a high-ranking official would rather covet wealth and power than to provide sensible counsel, and a low-ranking official would rather refrain from speaking the truth than to offend his superiors, and thus the leader cannot hear the voice of the people. This is the greatest misfortune that can befall a nation."

This is integrity. It is praiseworthy. And every one under the heavens admits how praiseworthy it is for a monarch, a ruler, a prince to keep faith]

Jayeux paused for a moment from writing and he leans back a little his face slightly distance from the leather skin.

He thought for a second and he seems to hesitate.

"The path of my lord is the path of an overlord. But he is trying to be benevolent. And at the same time firm"

He sighed

"But the people of the Steppe is rough. They view kindness as weakness. Those who could not wield the weapon and slaughter those who harm them, those who could not fight and kill for their loved ones, these are weak people. The monarch wanted to be benevolent but the people has no resources to be benevolent. What the Steppe needs is not a benevolent ruler but a mighty ruler"

He sighed for a moment.

Jayeux had meet the Kan.

Under the suggestion of his teacher, he finally have his audience with the Kan

He trusted his teacher and his teacher trusted his talent

He met the Kan and the Kan ask him question, tested him and prod him here and there. This is the process of evaluation that the Kan took against him

And as the Kan evaluates him, he also evaluates the Kan.

The Kan is not his wise lord. This is what he concluded

But he is of course impressed by Aeryon.

This is a truly a man destined for great things.

He could sense that Aeryon also treats his soldiers with the same kind of brashness expected of him but there is also benevolent in his method of treating the soldiers.

This kind of benevolence could not even be considered benevolent if it is put in the eyes of those pedantic scholars of Yan but in the Steppe this benevolence that Aeryon extended to defeated tribe is already considered a great grace of saving their life.

But kindness could not rule the army and even more so for someone who has such a great ambition of unifying the world.

This is the kindness of a woman and the Kan should kill it.

Then one might ask, was his way the right way?

Nobody could tell until this is implemented in the real world. But Jayeux instinctively knows when he spoke his plans with the Kan.

The Kan and him does not share the same path.

Their destination is the same but as for the way to reach that destination, it is different

Jayeux is a smart and bright young man and he has his own pride.

He could not accept it. And so, he is here writing.....writing his farewell advice.

Writing his Way, and hope that the Kan sees it and understand his talents.

Maybe the Kan would even be moved and understand his heart

But whether the Kan understand or not, whether he employs it or not, whether he uses it or not, Jayeux had made his decision.

Tonight, after finished writing this, he would make another decision that would surely change his life.

"The Kan is a wise lord. But he is not MY wise lord"

And he could not help but sighed at this.

"The Way is different so there is no need people with different Ways to conspire with each other or we will negate each other" this is the conclusion he arrived at.

Then he started writing again, this time his eyes become even more determined

[But, history has taught that those rulers who have done great things, have held good faith of little account, relies on schemes and plots, knows how to circumvent the intellect of men by craftiness of the mind and in the need have overcome those who have relied on their words

In Yan history, there is such cases. Xiang Yu Hongmen Banquet let the cunning Yan Gaozu to survive, defeated the Southern Zhao, and rule the world

This is an example of a kindness of a woman. In the end, Xiang Yu dies in Gaixia and the world is won by Yan Gaozu

And how about the conduct of this wise king touted by those scholars, Yan Gaozu?

He promises his generals that he would share the world with them, seal them as kings and they would live together and prosper together. But after the war against Xun ended, Yan is established, none of those kings ended up with a good death

Han Xin was deceived, and killed. And many more were killed. The troops of the Yan at that time values integrity, values word of faith, values righteousness, yet Yan Gaozu himself is a person who breaks his words.

Yet, he won the world and praise as a great king.

Hence, those who do great things.....do not keep faith. There are two ways of striving for master, of contesting, the one by the law, the other by force.

The first method is proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second.

Therefore, it is necessary for a ruler to understand how to avail himself of the beast and the man. It is necessary for a ruler to know how to make use of both natures, and that one without the other is not durable.

A ruler, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves.

Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion do not understand what they are about.

Therefore, a wise lord cannot, nor ought he to, keep faith when such observance may be turned against him, and when the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer.

If men were entirely good this precept would not hold, but because they are evil, and will not keep faith with you, you too are not bound to observe it with them. Nor will there ever be wanting to a ruler legitimate reasons to excuse this non-observance.

Of this endless examples that could be given, showing how many treaties and engagements have been made void and of no effect through the faithlessness of princes, kings and emperors; and he who has known best how to employ the fox has succeeded best.

But it is necessary to know well how to disguise this characteristic, and to be a great pretender and dissembler; and men are so simple, and so subject to present necessities, that he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.

Therefore, it is unnecessary for a ruler to have all the good qualities that is written in the books of integrity, but it is very necessary to appear to have them.

To have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite.

And you have to understand this, that a ruler, especially a new one, cannot observe all those things for which men are esteemed, being often forced, in order to maintain the state, to act contrary to fidelity, friendship, humanity, and religion.

It is necessary for him to have a mind ready to turn itself accordingly as the winds and variations of fortune force it, yet, as I have written above, not to diverge from the good if he can avoid doing so, but, if compelled, then to know how to set about it.]

Jayeux put down his writing tools for a while. He look at what he had written and consider whether to erase it but then he shook his head.

This kind of article if it is spread out, in Yan he would surely be called a devil.

And in a way the worldview contained in his advice appears to mirror Xunzi. But there is also difference.

A way of ruling the world. No, not the way of ruling the world but the way of the princes. This is his Way. And maybe someday he would refine his thought even further.

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