Nan Hanwen, with almost the last shred of sanity, managed to finish writing the letter, inscribing the final sentence.
[Otherwise, how many elites and heroes within our nation might change their loyalty, develop divided hearts, and abandon respect for the king’s laws, even to the extent of defecting to Prince Qin!!!]
[Beware, beware!!!]
He finally penned this sentence and threw down the pen.
His assistant had not gone to attend the Crowning Ceremony today but was instead busily arranging for craftsn to enter the Eighteen States of Jiangnan, intending to roll up his sleeves and create an extravagant and luxurious ’palace’ in an attempt to tempt Prince Qin. Upon seeing the content of the letter and those four words about defecting to Prince Qin, he was stunned and hesitated for a long ti, unable to comprehend the deeper aning. Thus, he respectfully asked Nan Hanwen:
"My lord, I recognize Prince Qin’s overwhelming charisma, but can such things really affect the scholars and youth of our country? Isn’t it a bit exaggerated?"
Nan Hanwen sighed and said: "It is not an exaggeration."
The assistant was puzzled: "But how are you so certain it can have such an impact?"
Nan Hanwen remained silent for a long ti.
Because I am like this.
Such a sigh, such words from the heart, could not be spoken aloud, so he rely said: "Being cautious is never a mistake."
"Prince Qin has won people over with benevolence and virtue. If he harbors such grand ambitions to attract the world’s talents, how will we confront him one day?"
Xiao Shaohui fell silent and said: "But if Prince Qin truly has such grand heroism and charisma, will building a palace for him really help? Can it really erode the heroic spirit in his heart? I start to worry whether he is just tempting us into using our Great Chen’s gold and craftsn to build a palace for him, which he might actually use for other purposes."
Xiao Shaohui, having been appointed early in life, was a brilliant young official.
Quick-witted and intelligent, he finally began to have so suspicions.
Nan Hanwen, however, was not speculating but had already confird that soone who could display such spirit at the Crowning Ceremony could not easily beco indulgent in debauchery and luxury. Logically, he should return to Chen Country; staying here is just a waste of gold, ti, and the craftsn from Chen Country. Nonetheless, after pondering for a long ti, Nan Hanwen found himself feeling a slight and inappropriate sense of guilt towards Prince Qin.
Perhaps he wanted to chat with Prince Qin again.
Perhaps, back in Chen Country, the emperor saw him only as a useful pawn, formidable and inscrutable, never discussing world affairs and the future as candidly as Prince Qin did.
Perhaps, even for soone with old bones, with white hair like his.
Still longed to see that vast dream.
Nan Hanwen remained silent for a long ti, finally betraying his true intentions, saying:
"But at this mont when the world has just ceased hostilities and the nations are recuperating, we cannot defeat Prince Qin on the battlefield, yet the tides of events will surely lead to future conflict. In such circumstances, even if the odds are small that gold can corrupt him or that building a palace could make him indulge in luxury, it’s worth trying."
He paused and said: "Even if the possibility is so small."
"It still has to be better than confronting Prince Qin on the battlefield among a million soldiers and defeating him, right?"
Nan Hanwen managed to persuade Xiao Shaohui.
Xiao Shaohui thought for a while and praised: "You really see things clearly, elder!"
Nan Hanwen said: "Why not build the entire palace in the grandest, most magnificent manner, enough to accommodate five thousand, even eight thousand people, and that towering structure like the Star-picking Tower, making it the most luxurious and grand establishnt within Prince Qin’s domain. How could he not reside in it? Even if he is unwilling to indulge in luxury, as a king, he will eventually live there."
"Once he moves in, how could he resist indulging in luxury?"
"Human desire, like a rolling stone down a hill, once it starts, is hard to stop."
"For instance, a king in ancient tis, with ivory chopsticks, would require matching exquisite food; with exquisite food, there must be finer utensils, and with such utensils and food, how could there be no splendid garnts and expansive palaces? Step by step, it leads to decline."
The Ministry of Industry official, Xiao Shaohui, listened with eyes shining bright.
"Brilliant, brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"
"Lord Nan is truly a genius!"
Nan Hanwen, who once governed under Tantai Xianming for twenty years, was not truly the most trusted confidant, nor did he know the Pri Minister’s connections and thods with Ying Country, but he was influenced by Tantai Xianming’s actions in the Pri Minister’s Mansion. Only after Xiao Shaohui left did he realize what he had said.
Given the disposition Prince Qin had shown, how could he possibly care to reside in the grandest mansion in all of Jiangnan?
He wouldn’t be so petty!
Nan Hanwen murmured with his eyes closed: "I am still a loyal minister of Great Chen, yes, still a loyal minister of Great Chen."
"I have not leaned towards Prince Qin, no, not at all!"
"I continue to stay here only because, only because..."
"I just need to observe Prince Qin for a while longer."
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