nashuaworldcup Chapter 382 Zhuge among girls
Chapter 382 Zhuge among girls
Lin Shiyue's question was very sharp, and Lin Tianming was a little embarrassed, not knowing how to answer. He walked to the tent entrance, looked around, and only felt relieved when he saw that no one was around. He whispered, "Yueyue, you shouldn't say such things in the future. Be careful, walls have ears. The current Holy Emperor is on the throne, and the court is full of righteous people. The restoration of the Ming Dynasty is just around the corner. How come you say that the Ming Dynasty is going to perish?"
Liu Ye waited for a while, but the father and daughter still hadn't come out. Growing impatient, he headed towards his own tent. Just as he reached the door, he heard Lin Shiyue's clear voice.
"What is a sage emperor? What is a court full of upright officials? And what is a restoration? I only know that after the emperor eliminated the eunuch faction, there is nothing else to commend him. The government is controlled by the likes of Wen Tiren. There is only factional strife in the court. No one is genuinely concerned about the country and the people's suffering. The Liaodong Tartars are regarded as a minor ailment by these officials, and the bandits in the Central Plains are seen as easy to wipe out in the blink of an eye. Nothing is more important than the power in their hands. If this is what 'a court full of upright officials' means, then the Ming Dynasty is in grave danger!"
Liu Ye was taken aback. This girl was practically cheating; this kind of God's-eye view was something only someone like him, a time traveler, should have. How could a young woman like her have such sharp insights?
Lin Tianming was silent for a moment before asking, "Then what do you think I should do?"
Lin Shiyue said seriously, "Hold on to Liu Ye and find a way to get on his side. In this world, no matter how high a civil official's position is, the emperor can bring them down with a single word. There are examples of this in the past, like Yuan Chonghuan, and more recently, Yang He. Even the Grand Secretary can be dismissed at will. Only military generals who hold significant military power, no matter how arrogant they are, can be tolerated by the court. For example, Zu Dashou, the General Commander of Liaodong, was once captured, surrendered to the Tartars, and then escaped back. Such a serious crime was never investigated, and he was even reinstated. If it were a civil official, his entire family would have been executed long ago!"
Lin Tianming was speechless. His daughter's words were all true, and he couldn't refute them. Although in the late Ming Dynasty, civil officials were valued far more than military officers in terms of political status, no one could deny that powerful military officers were untouchable even by the emperor. Zu Dashou's surrender was also true. During the Battle of Dalinghe, Zu Dashou was besieged by Huang Taiji for several months. He ran out of ammunition and food, and even civilians were slaughtered as food for the army. Left with no other choice, he surrendered. Later, he lied that he was willing to act as an inside agent to trick the city of Jinzhou into opening, and took the opportunity to escape back to the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Chongzhen not only did not blame him, but also promoted him to Left Commander-in-Chief.
Liu Ye, standing outside the door, was amazed. Lin Shiyue looked like a delicate young lady, but she was more insightful than many men. If given the right stage, she might become a legendary figure like Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi. It was just a pity that she was born a woman.
Not only him, but even Lin Shiyue's biological father found it unbelievable. Although Lin Tianming had long known that his daughter was intelligent, he was still surprised by the rapid progress in her thinking after two years in Guangzhou. He couldn't help but ask, "Yueyue, did your uncle teach you these words, or did you think of them yourself?"
“My uncle wouldn’t teach me these things. He and my aunt only want to find a talented young man to marry me off to…” At this point, Lin Shiyue couldn’t help but blush. She knew who her uncle’s preferred candidate was. “I care about my father’s career and the fate of the Lin family. Every day I’m at the governor’s office reading the court’s gazette, pondering the general trend of the world. Naturally, I’ve figured out some tricks of the trade. When Liu Ye rose to prominence in Qiongzhou and took a completely different path from other military generals, it inspired me, and I suddenly understood many things.”
"What have you figured out?"
"Military officers are not necessarily destined to only reach the position of general and live a life of ease, and civil officials are not necessarily required to follow the established path of seniority and rank. Clinging to a powerful figure in the court is not necessarily safe and reliable. Even if my father is under the patronage of the current Grand Secretary, who knows who will be the Grand Secretary tomorrow?"
Lin Tianming pondered all this, "Let me explain it more clearly..."
Lin Shiyue whispered a few words in his ear. Liu Ye, outside the tent, didn't hear a word and was a little curious about what they were talking about.
At this moment, Lin Tianming exclaimed in surprise, "Is that really true? Does he have such ability and ambition?"
Liu Ye couldn't stand it any longer. The father and daughter kept whispering to each other, and he couldn't just stand outside forever. So he went in and greeted them as if he knew nothing.
"Inspector Lin, you've arrived? I'm glad I didn't fail you and brought your daughter here safely. Miss Lin, I'm sorry you had to suffer on the island, but the conditions in the camp aren't much better, so you'll just have to bear with it a little longer."
Lin Tianming didn't reply, but stared intently at him, looking him up and down as if it were the first time he had met him, making Liu Ye feel a little uncomfortable.
Lin Shiyue regained her composure and replied calmly, "It's a bit boring on Changdao Island, but it's alright. I just count the clouds every day and the days pass by. I won't be staying in the military camp for too long either. The recapture of Dengzhou will be over in the blink of an eye, so I won't be bothering General Liu for too long."
Lin Tianming coughed and said to Lin Shiyue, "I've already spoken with Lieutenant General Lin, and he'll take care of you for a few days. Just stay here and relax. I have some military affairs to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."
Lin Shiyue obediently replied, "Please rest assured, Father, I will take good care of myself."
Liu Ye inwardly scoffed. This obedient girl's image was completely different from the shrewd, commanding woman who had just been giving her father advice and pontificating. One shouldn't judge a book by its cover. If he hadn't overheard their conversation, he wouldn't have known that Lin Shiyue had done extensive research and was fully aware of his actions in Qiongzhou. However, since she meant no harm and even urged his father to form an alliance with him, which aligned with his own interests, he decided not to expose her.
As Lin Tianming passed by Liu Ye, he remembered his daughter's instructions and wanted to say something to get closer to him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it right away. Feeling a little awkward, he smiled at Liu Ye and hurriedly left.
Liu Ye was confused by this mysterious smile. What exactly did Lin Shiyue say that made Lin Tianming, who considered himself an elder and a senior official, smile so obsequiously?
However, he didn't dwell on it, as he had more important matters to discuss with Lin Shiyue. It seemed more appropriate for Lin Shiyue to communicate with Lin Tianming through her, since he and Lin Tianming hadn't yet established sufficient trust, and discussing this topic too intimately would be inappropriate. From the conversation he'd overheard, he understood that the Lin family father and daughter also wanted to form an alliance with him, so this matter wouldn't end up benefiting someone else.
"Miss Lin, I want to help your father secure a fourth-rank official position..."