Chapter 438: Weapons Are the Instruments of a Nation

u."Li Chen saw that Su Jinpa had given up on taking off the ring, and he walked forward contentedly with his hands behind his back."I was going to your house, but the servants at General's Mansion sai...Chapter 438: Weapons are the Instrument of a Nation

At Mr. Mirror's invitation, Li Chen and Su Jinpa went to the Guanhaitai in the backyard of Guanhaishu Institute together.

This seaside pavilion was deliberately built. On one side, a large stone platform stands majestically above the sea. Waves crash below. Sitting on the platform, facing the salty sea breeze and listening to the rhythmic waves, although the wind is quite strong, it helps release pent-up emotions.

Standing at the edge of the sea-watching pavilion, leaning on the railing and gazing out, Li Chen suddenly turned to the Mirror Master beside him and asked, "Master, do you know that across the Bohai Sea from where we stand is..."

"If the nautical chart is accurate, it should be Xianchao," Mr. Mirror replied casually.

Li Chen nodded. Weihaiwei faced the Korean peninsula directly, something that anyone who had studied a bit of geography in later generations would know. But in feudal times, for Mr. Jing to be able to say it offhand showed his vast knowledge.

“It is the time of flourishing youth, and now, tens of thousands of our great Qin Empire’s sons are fighting bravely for their country on the land across the sea.” Li Chen said.

Mr. Mirror frowned and said, "Fighting for the country I'm afraid it's fighting for the Xian Dynasty. Even though Your Highness wants to inspire morale, there are many ways to do so. There is no need to use the lives of our Han men to shed blood in a foreign land."

This single sentence reveals the conflict between Mirror Master's ideology and Li Chen's.

Li Chen smiled and didn't blame him. After all, history has its limitations. No matter how knowledgeable Jingzhi was, he couldn't escape them.

"If the Xiongnu controlled this territory bordering our great Qin Empire, what would be the consequences if it fell to the people of the East Island"

Li Chen said leisurely, “Just by looking at the long border defense line in the north, you can see that the Xian Chao is not just a small vassal state of our great Qin Empire. They bear the responsibility of replacing the Qin Empire and resisting the pirates from Dong Ying.”

“Right now, the Eastern Isles have been harassing our coast for years. Every year, fishermen and common people die at their hands. If it weren't for the fact that the Empire is currently too weak, I would have already ordered the construction of warships to crush the Eastern Isles.”

Li Chen's words were spoken calmly, but when mixed with the sea breeze, they couldn't be blown away. They carried an indomitable fighting spirit and a grand ambition to encompass the world.

Mr. Mirror, however, listened with growing concern.

He said softly, "A gentleman is like jade, should be humble and courteous, frugal and kind. Your Highness's heart for killing and conquering is so heavy, it's unlikely to bring any good to the country or the society."

In response to the Confucian disciple's advice, Li Chen simply replied, "Throughout history, dynasties have not been established by gentlemen yielding to others. All powerful rulers did not attain their kingdoms through meekness."

Mr. Mirror furrowed his brow and said, "However, what the country needs right now is gentle governance, not aggressive warfare. To raise arms is to disrupt one's vital energy, much like a frail patient who should be lying in bed recuperating instead of going out to fight every day. How could they possibly recover"

War is a national instrument.

Li Chen calmly said: "If you lay down your arms, national treasures will be neglected, and the result will be foreign invasion. Look at the Jin and Liao countries, the Xiongnu, Khitan, Jurchen tribes are still ambitious, and the southwest chieftain and Tibetan lamas, which one is easy to get along with"

"Just as Mr. has said, the Qin Empire today is like a patient with an illness. Our neighbors have seen this and are taking advantage of it, bullying us. If we continue to swallow our anger, they will become bolder. Today they might steal some firewood, tomorrow they could dare to tear down your door. And the day after, who knows They might even imprison your wives and daughters and kill your sons."

"Don't the lessons of a thousand years still fail to convince you"vince who disobeyed him would be dismissed from office at best, or thrown into prison with their property confiscated at worst. Such tyranny plunged Xishan Province into even greater chaos.”"Therefore...