Chapter 985: Betrayal? Selecting the Better Tree! Retesting? (1)

“Fine, this young master isn’t interested in going in circles with you all. I already know that you’re that Su Ming Zhang that should’ve been exiled. Wangye let me tell you, if you want to go meet with the people you want to meet, then need to have the resolution to stake your life. If you know your place and stay put, then perhaps can still preserve your life. Also, towards your real identity, don’t deny, it’s quite annoying.”

Since it was already said this bluntly, Su Ming Zhang wasn’t stupid either, becoming stiff all over. However, for people like them, they were always paranoid by nature. Even if already having an answer inside, they would still want to carry out a final confirmation, struggling on the deathbed, “Who is the wangye you speak of?”

He Shi Hai clicked his tongue, seemingly rather speechless, “This is why this young master hate people like you the most, speaking in circles, not the least bit straightforward. Coming to the end, with everything clearly displayed, yet still unable to frankly admit inside, dawdling to no end.”

Su Ming Zhang couldn’t help but tug the corner of his mouth. How was he not necessarily similarly hating He Shi Hai on the inside? However, he indeed already have an answer in his heart. He wasn’t frank? Seeing that He Shi Hai also won’t give him a straight answer either, he no longer continued clinging onto this question. However, there was still some things he couldn’t help but ask. In reality, towards his own life and death, he didn’t view that heavily. When when shedding the cicada shell, he couldn’t a hundred percent guarantee that he won’t be discovered. But, he didn’t want to, because of himself, drag down his whole family and entire clan, “What about my family? How does wangye plan on dealing with?”

“In the Su family, only you alone have a bit of ability. The rest of those trash, how do you think wangye will deal with?” He Shi Hai felt, asking this kind of question was practically just lowering wangye’s style. Merely a bunch of small fries, would wangye even care about?

Su Ming Zhang understood the meaning, but since it concerned his entire family, he can’t just carelessly make a decision when unable to obtain a precise answer. He was once a veteran of wordplay, always only saying half, and at the end, just a line of ‘never said before’ can brush off the matter. As such, he had no choice but to be serious, “I want a clear answer.”

He Shi Hai looked to the other party, somewhat as if looking at an idiot, “Su Ming Zhang, originally, this young master thought that you were a smart person, but looking at it now, also nothing much. What position do you have to be asking this kind of thing?”

In an instant, Su Ming Zhang’s complexion turned deathly pale. Indeed, right now, it was the other party holding the knife, while he was the fish on the cutting board. In a certain sense, he didn’t even have the ability to drag them down with him.

He Shi Hai waved his hand, “This young master doesn’t have any more to say to you, will be leaving first. Think it over clearly on your own. In any case, your life is in your own hands. What to do, completely depends on you. Perhaps you can try challenging it, secretly taking action, see whether or not wangye will find out. However, if you really do it, there probably won’t be a second chance. This young master rather look forward to you making a different kind of decision.” He Shi Hai in the end gave the other party a rather arrogant smile.

“Don’t the He family always pose as pure subjects? So what is the meaning of this, little General He?” Su Ming Zhang was angered to the point of speechlessness on the inside.

Speaking of which, He Shi Hai can be considered to have gotten ruthlessly trained by Li Hong Yuan, but because he didn’t experience the tragedy of his family, that’s why, he inherently was still a carefree brat, not liking the twist and turns, but it didn’t mean that he completely didn’t understand. “Tsk, this young master is this young master, what does it have to do with the He family.” Sensitive information and whatnot, he won’t easily hand out.

Su Ming Zhang stood in place, unable to move for a long time. Right now, his mind was a mess, unable sort out his thoughts.

“Yo, isn’t this Su…….., right, Su what again?” The voice of wanton mockery and disdain.

It was even accompanied by different degrees of laughter to the side.

Because of them, Su Ming Zhang suddenly returned to his sense. The confusion in his mind seemingly disappearing in an instant. Turning around, he looked towards the people that have been targeting him at all times these two three days. Clearly a bunch of grown men, yet in Su Ming Zhang’s eyes, they were practically even more annoying than certain harsh women that liked to bicker. There was a saying called, ‘women and despicable people are difficult to get along with^[1]‘, yet these people were even less than the two. However, they were nevertheless all high ranking officers of different levels in the military. It was truly too unsightly.

Wasn’t it said that men in the army were all openminded and forthright by nature, not bothered about trifles, honest and magnanimous? People like this, Su Ming Zhang really didn’t see many of, or perhaps, he was just unlucky, only encountering despicable people. After all, true men of character, how could they behave like this?

Meeting Su Ming Zhang’s gaze, they all simultaneously went silent. Those eyes were dark and sinister, like concentrated ice shards, the chill penetrating the heart, making one produce fear.

Speaking of which, Su Ming Zhang was once the Assistant Minister of Revenue, residing in a high position. There really weren’t many that had a higher official post than him, so in a sense, he was also a true and honest power wielder. Having amassed power for years, when truly becoming serious, it was more than enough to suppress many people. In this moment, Su Ming Zhang didn’t hold back at all.

Su Ming Zhang turned and left. Some things, he needed to properly think over.

Once Su Ming Zhang left, those people just now finally slowly returned to their sense. When they realized that they actually got frightened by the other party’s gaze, they flew into a rage out of humiliation, their face revealing a malevolent expression, “Tsk, what the hell, really think that with little General He coming, he can just make connections with the He family?” The He family were honest subjects, so how could they reach out to generals outside of the Northeast Army.

They inwardly vowed, definitely need to find an opportunity to get back at him, else where will their face go?

Su Ming Zhang this time acted very quickly. After spending less than a night, he just had many things thought through, clearly understanding his path.

Once it succeeds, although not advancing further, it probably won’t be more worse than the present, and his family perhaps won’t have riches and honor, but at least can be safe and well. His son in the future perhaps can even have the opportunity to climb up again, restoring the Su family’s honor.

Su Ming Zhang relatively secretly looked for Jin Qinwang. Compared to the careful and detailed plan previously when preparing to go look for Rui Qinwang, this time, his movements weren’t particularly mindful, appearing a bit carefree. In a certain sense, how was this not a ‘test’ for his ‘new master’. Of course, this thought in essence was actually just a joke.

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Su Ming Zhang was already prepared to be rejected at the door. However, things once again were beyond his expectations. His request to meet, practically immediately after getting reported up, just got granted by Jin Qinwang.

Su Ming Zhang produced a strange feeling inside. He suspected whether or not his guess was wrong, or perhaps Jin Qinwang wasn’t that powerful as he’d imagined, and that the usable people under him weren’t that many. Jin Qinwang’s scheme, from the start, perhaps was just for the sake of having him taken under his banner, and not for the sake of disposing a good pawn from the opponent’s hand?

However, this kind of thought, after seeing Jin Qinwang, just got thoroughly dispelled.

Su Ming Zhang saw a completely different Jin Qinwang from his memories. There wasn’t the overflowing dark currents and condescending air, looking down on all things from above, nor was there the cold and aloof demeanor, having nothing in his eyes. There was only the pearl of wisdom in hand, remotely controlling the battlefield from a tent, and the farsightedness that saw through everything. Everyone and everything, in his eyes, seemingly all didn’t have secrets. This kind of feeling compared to completely having the emotions revealed on the outside, purely just ruthless and vicious, made one further fear.

Su Ming Zhang was shocked on the spot, unable to return to his sense for a long time, just having one thought left in his heart: ‘This was the real Jin Qinwang!’

Li Hong Yuan retracted his gaze, continuing to nonchalantly flip through the letters in hand, “You coming to look for this prince, what for?”

“Wish to give my humble efforts for wangye.”

“What, you plan on betraying your master?” Li Hong Yuan’s tone didn’t change, indifferent like plain water.

Su Ming Zhang just felt a burst of cold air shoot up from the bottom of his feet. His forehead also drenched with fine beads of cold sweat. This question wasn’t easy to answer. One wrong move and perhaps his life that has been preserved with great difficulty previously will once again get thrown in. “This one believes it’s selecting the better tree to perch.”

“This prince is the better tree, but may not necessarily have a place for you to perch.” Li Hong Yuan lifted the brush to dip in the ink, casually writing something.

“Not asking to climb a high branch, just asking for a small spot of shade under the tree.”

“You’re sure one without desire.” Li Hong Yuan placed down the brush and glanced at him.

Su Ming Zhang inwardly complained, it’s not that he didn’t have any desire, but rather his situation was awkward, desiring contributions just for the sake of ‘atoning his crimes’.

“This prince understands, you can withdraw.”

Not having obtained any promises, Su Ming Zhang naturally felt discontent, but it was also just as he’d thought, for the sake of ‘atoning’, and it was also him that came looking, so he had already lowered his own worth. As such, how can one ask the other party to give a promise? Su Ming Zhang filled with bitterness inside.

Just, never mind that there weren’t any promises, seemingly even whether or not he was accepted, Jin Qinwang also didn’t state clearly. How can this be good? Could it be that he really doesn’t plan on using him? One has to know, on Rui Qinwang’s side, he can be said to be quite influential, knowing many things others don’t know. If used nicely, it’ll certainly be half the work, twice the effect. If switched with any of the other princes, afraid they would all tightly grasp in hand, and afterwards, think of every way to squeeze him dry of his worth.

In this way, perhaps can only prove, in Jin Qinwang’s eyes, he really was just dispensable. Or perhaps this was Jin Qinwang’s test for him, waiting for him to give a satisfying ‘entrance fee’. After all, just moving the mouth didn’t have any use.

However, the most frustrating was precisely this kind of situation right now, not having any kind of hint.

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[1] 唯女子与小人难养也 – This line is quoted from ‘The Analects’, the whole line is actually ‘唯女子与小人为难养也，近之则不孙，远之则怨’, can be interpreted in a literal way as ‘for women and despicable/lowly people, it’s difficult for them to cultivate a openminded and righteous character, so when interacting with them one needs have a good grasp of distance. If too close, it’ll be considered rude and lacking etiquette, but if overly distancing, it’ll attract resentment’.

It’s important to note that the phrase in its original context is not used in a derogatory way at all. The original quote is meant to be directed at a ruler. The women and ‘little people’ in the line refers to the ruler’s wives and subjects. It serves as an advice to the ruler on how he should interact with the people by his side. The first line more so just meaning it’s difficult to interact with women and one’s servant/subjects.

There’s also a second interpretation to this line, due to how the language used in ancient times differs from modern usage, the women(女子) in the line may also be interpreted to mean ‘your children’. As the character for woman(女) is a phonetic loan character, referring to the pronoun character (汝 – you/thou). In ancient times, 汝 is interchangeable with the character for women(女), and 子 refers to one’s children. So the line ‘唯女子与小人难养也’ can also be interpreted to mean, if your children hangs out with despicable people, they will become difficult to raise. Classical chinese is generally very vague that it ends up being opened to interpretation, in addition to how the linguistics has changed over time.

Lastly, for the context of this chapter at least, Su Ming Zhang for sure is using the line in a derogatory way.

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