World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 897 - 422: Kill Jian Ze! Assassinate the King!

Chapter 897: 422: Kill Jian Ze! Assassinate the King!

After reading the secret letter, Suo Lun couldn’t help but smile!

He once told Zhi Yan that he wanted to make use of Jian Ze, it all depended on whether he knew how to behave.

When Zhi Li ran away, neither Jian Yong nor Jian Ning fled; instead, they proactively surrendered to Suo Lun. Not only that, Jian Yong even went to Tianlang Pass to persuade Jian Ze to surrender, and Suo Lun agreed.

He didn’t expect such an outcome.

Jian Ze actually demanded that he, Suo Lun, personally recruit him and do so with a three-time polite visit.

Suo Lun let out a series of silent laughs, Jian Ning hurriedly put down his chopsticks, stood up, and bowed deeply.

Suo Lun said, "When Zhi Li recruited your uncle Jian Ze, did he stand outside his courtyard for three days?"

Jian Ning’s voice trembled as he replied, "Yes!"

Suo Lun said, "Zhi Li really was modest in valuing the virtuous, earnestly seeking the wise, do you think Zhi Li was a wise ruler?"

Instantly frightened, Jian Ning immediately knelt down and said, "Zhi Li is a muddled fool, nowhere close to Lord Suo Lun by one in ten thousand!"

Suo Lun then said, "Is being modest in valuing the virtuous a quality and posture a wise ruler should have?"

Jian Ning kowtowed and said, "Not necessarily, so-called modesty in valuing the virtuous is often a trait of hypocritical rulers."

"Jian Ning, you really know how to talk," Suo Lun said with a smile, then his gaze turned to Tutor Niya.

Niya lowered her gaze, continuing to enjoy the delicacies. After all, everything happening around her had nothing to do with her.

Suo Lun invited her to dine as a way to help her vent, and at this moment her heart was already content. She didn’t pay attention to the matters Suo Lun was talking about, not caring even if the Jian Family would be put to use again in the future.

After all, she was a kind woman. Having seen her ex-husband Jian Ning’s shameful behavior, all her anger had dissipated.

Suo Lun said, "For thousands of years, a saying has been passed down: as a ruler, one should seek the virtuous and avoid the petty. Tutor Niya, how do you think one distinguishes a petty person from a virtuous official?"

Niya, propping up her chin, said, "A petty person probably gets by on flattery and sucking up. A virtuous official, probably gets by on real ability."

Suo Lun said with a laugh, "Someone named Wei Xiaobao once said, all who flatter are petty people. Virtuous officials with real ability, they won’t flatter. The commander of the Southwestern Legion, Jian Ze, never flatters, sure doesn’t know how to behave! When Jian Yong went to persuade him to surrender to me, what do you guess Jian Ze said?"

Jian Ning immediately fully prostrated himself, motionless.

Suo Lun said, "Jian Ze said he wants me to visit him three times and personally request his service."

Upon hearing this, Jian Ning kept kowtowing, his voice trembling, "My Lord, forgive me, my Lord, forgive me!"

Suo Lun said, "Jian Ze always prided himself on just doing things, not dealing with people, and definitely not acting. He loathes acting. Now it seems he does not loathe acting, but loathes acting himself—yet he seems to enjoy watching others perform!"

Isn’t this so-called three-time visit and being modest in valuing the virtuous to a large extent just acting?

Suo Lun’s words were extremely scornful. Jian Ning was already kneeling on the ground, shivering uncontrollably.

Suo Lun said, "Me? I also don’t like acting. Even in the toughest times, I didn’t want to perform to amuse others. Now is the time of my success, of course I’m even less willing. However, there’s one good quality about me, and that’s that I won’t force others to perform for me. If you’re willing to perform, I’m willing to watch. If you’re not willing, I won’t blame you!"

"I am willing, I am willing!" Jian Ning kept kowtowing.

Suo Lun said, "If someone is noble and unblemished, then even if they ask for something unreasonable from me, I have no right to kill them. But if someone is dirty themselves and still dares to snub me, then I definitely have to kill. Your uncle Jian Ze has some ability, to be fair. As for virtue? Average at best. It’s just that I’m short of people right now. After the expansion ended, the Rage Wave Kingdom was almost at peace for decades, and no new brilliant generals emerged. In an era without heroes, mediocrity becomes fame, and your uncle Jian Ze managed to gain some minor renown, but... he should not consider himself a prized steed, don’t you think?"

At this moment, Jian Ning was truly trembling with fear, his heart filled with extreme hatred for his uncle Jian Ze.

Damn fool, clown! We pinned all our hopes for the family’s glory and wealth on you. And look at you now, putting on airs.

How did those civil officials in the Southeast Province die? How was Yan Wuzhi slapped in the face, and in the end, knelt in front of Suo Lun to pledge loyalty?

Yan Wuzhi was a civil official; after he knelt and kowtowed, all was well.

You, Jian Ze, are a military officer, one who must lead troops, one who must wield the tool of violence. Once you’re no longer needed, there’s only one outcome, and that’s death!

Damn it, you’re an utter fool!

Oh, the commander of the Dragon Guard Legion, the Rage Wave Kingdom’s de facto strongest warrior, just like that—gone!

The Jian Family’s chance to reach the pinnacle of power just slipped by. You deserve to die, Jian Ze; you should be torn into a thousand pieces!

Your father, Jian Yong, even willingly offered his own concubine for Zhi Li to play with. And you, Jian Ning, because of one word from Zhi Li, could only obediently agree to offer your wife, Niya. Who knew how agonizingly painful that was for you at that moment.

But for the sake of the family’s strength, you were willing to make any sacrifice.

You, Jian Ze, think you’re something special? Wanting Suo Lun to come and visit you, to plead with you? Who the hell do you think you are? You’re just a ferocious hound kept by the royal family. The leash simply changed hands from the King, to Zhi Li, and now to Suo Lun.

At this point, no words could describe the sorrow and rage in Jian Ning’s heart.

"Embrace the virtuous officials, shun the petty ones!" Suo Lun read once more and then asked, "Jian Ning, are you a petty person?"