RPAGF Chapter 45 The only true hero is Cheng!
Chapter 45 The only true hero is Cheng!
Inside the study, the lamplight flickered, and Gao Yang, Duan Shao, and Huli Guang clasped their hands in unison, their eyes burning with fervor.
The secret letter contained numerous and shocking pieces of evidence, enough to bring Sun Teng and his ilk to justice.
Now that the evidence is conclusive, it is the perfect opportunity to achieve our goal in one fell swoop. How could the three of them not be excited?
However, Gao Cheng, seeing the three of them so eager to volunteer, simply shook his head and said calmly, "No rush."
"What?"
These words, once spoken, were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing the raging fire burning in the hearts of the three.
Gao Yang's excited expression suddenly froze, turning into disbelief in an instant.
After a moment, he stepped forward, incredulous, and said, "Brother, this corrupt official who preys on the people is guilty of unforgivable crimes. Now that the evidence is conclusive, it is the right time to capture him in one fell swoop. Why not act quickly?"
"Those people are nothing but withered bones in a tomb; they cannot stir up any trouble. Therefore, our most urgent task at present is to relieve the predicament of the powerful families in Hebei."
Gao Cheng was not in a hurry. He simply looked up at him and spoke slowly and calmly.
As a retrospector standing at the end of history, he knew very well that the four nobles of Ye were nothing but paper tigers, seemingly powerful but actually weak inside.
Even in history, after Gao Cheng arrived in Ye, he managed to bring down all four of them within a few months without much trouble.
Of course, in Gao Cheng's view, the original owner's methods of defeating the four people in history were somewhat crude.
They only know how to get rid of it as quickly as possible, but they don't know how to make use of waste.
Therefore, he has no intention of learning it.
After all, the Four Nobles still have residual value that hasn't been fully exploited, so it would be a waste to follow the original owner's "tiger-hunting operation".
The three men were taken aback when they heard Gao Cheng's words.
It seemed as if he had just remembered that the unrest in Hanoi was still not quelled, and that the 30,000 shi of military rations were still being held by the Zheng family of Xingyang.
Even so, Gao Yang was still unwilling to give up.
He then frowned and argued, "But the court is controlled by those people. If you don't seize power first, how will you deal with the powerful families?"
Upon hearing this question, Gao Chengfu's lips curled into a smile, and he shook his head, saying, "Second Brother, you overestimate this person. He is merely fortunate to follow the Emperor into seclusion and sit at the end of the table. In terms of talent, he may not be as good as you. Besides, I still have a use for him."
"Still useful?"
The three of them were taken aback again upon hearing this.
Gao Yang, his face full of doubt, pressed on, "What use is there in keeping such a corrupt person around?"
Gao Cheng smiled but did not explain, only saying calmly, "You will understand its use in the future."
Having said that, he made no further elaboration, instead saying, "As for the powerful families of Hebei, there's no need for a major conflict. They are not a united front, and their actions today are merely for personal gain."
He paused, then continued, "Since they desire profit, let them have it. Perfect timing, once those old fogies fall from power, the court will be filled with countless vacancies."
Upon hearing this, the three exchanged glances, their brows furrowing slightly.
After a long pause, Duan Shao tentatively asked, "Does the Crown Prince intend to use one tiger to devour another?"
"Don't put it so harshly, it's just a matter of each getting what they need."
Gao Cheng waved his hand and laughed, "Gentlemen, the world is too vast for a few of us to govern alone. Moreover, since we want to clean up the bureaucracy and reform old abuses, we will inevitably need Kong Cai to guide us. In this way, we can borrow the power of the aristocratic families to make up for our shortcomings."
After these words were spoken, all three fell silent, knowing that there was truth to them.
After all, the world is so vast that it is impossible for just a few of them to control it all. Therefore, it would be better to distribute power to others in exchange for allies and other necessities.
However, the three still had doubts in their hearts.
It should be understood that the strategy of using one tiger to devour another has always been fraught with danger. While employing this tactic may bring about a temporary balance, it can even greatly enhance one's own strength.
But as time goes on, who can guarantee that the wolf that drove away the tiger won't turn into a new tiger?
Hulü Guang, being the most straightforward and unable to keep a secret, immediately cupped his hands and asked, "Your Highness, we rely on aristocratic families to influence nobles. What if these families become powerful in the future?"
Unexpectedly, upon hearing Huli Guang's worries, Gao Cheng immediately clapped his hands and burst into laughter.
The three were baffled by his laughter and looked at each other in astonishment, wondering what they had said wrong.
Hulü Guang frowned and asked, "Why is the Crown Prince laughing?"
After a long pause, Gao Cheng stopped laughing, looked at the three of them, and said with deep satisfaction, "The fact that you can think of this shows that you have already begun to have the ability to govern, which is very good."
The three of them were taken aback upon hearing this.
Upon seeing this, Gao Cheng stopped keeping it a secret.
He immediately composed himself and said seriously, "You must know that we and the aristocratic families are not allies, but rather drivers and the driven. If the tool is not useful, we can replace it; what is there to regret?"
"If aristocratic families cannot be employed, then powerful and influential families should be employed; if powerful and influential families cannot be employed, then noble and meritorious families of the Xianbei should be employed; even if noble and meritorious families cannot be employed, there are still countless poor families and hundreds of millions of common people in the world."
"In short, you only need to remember that the world is vast, and no one is ever indispensable. For among the common people, are there no capable individuals?"
"Gentlemen, do you understand?"
As soon as Gao Cheng finished speaking, the three of them were instantly stunned, as if their worldviews had been completely reshaped.
This is because Gao Cheng's words were truly inconceivable.
Born in a chaotic era and raised in aristocratic families, they were accustomed from childhood to hearing the saying, "The upper class has no poor families, and the lower class has no noble families."
In their past understanding, powerful families were born to rule the world and serve as officials for generations.
In Gao Cheng's words, those noble families who had served as high-ranking officials for generations and wielded great power were merely tools that could be discarded and replaced at any time.
It can be used by the poor, by ordinary people, and even by hundreds of millions of living beings in the world!
What a spirit and what a vision this is!
In an instant, all three were speechless, yet seemed to have grasped something.
Seeing that the three of them seemed to have understood, Gao Cheng knew that they had taken his words to heart.
He then smiled and waved his hand, continuing, "Of course, before using tools, they must be tapped and even cleaned to prevent them from hurting their owner's hands. Therefore, when dealing with the Hebei aristocratic families, we must still tap them when necessary."
After Gao Cheng said this, the three of them finally came to their senses.
However, when she met Gao Cheng's faint smile, her feelings became complicated.
Gao Yang, in particular, stared blankly at Gao Cheng, feeling a buzzing in his head, unable to speak for a long time.
Although he had kept his talents hidden since childhood, he sincerely believed that he was not much worse than Gao Cheng, and always felt that he just lacked an opportunity.
That's why he was so eager to show off when he came to Ye City.
But only at this moment did he truly understand the meaning of Gao Cheng's words to him: "You are just reaching adulthood, and your knowledge is still shallow. To see me is like looking at the moon from the bottom of a well. Wait until the day when you truly become a hero, and you will know that looking up at me is like a mayfly looking up at the blue sky."
When he heard this, he was quite indignant, feeling that Gao Cheng was arrogant and conceited.
But at this moment, he suddenly realized that Gao Cheng was absolutely right.
He would have to exert all his strength to even catch a glimpse of Gao Cheng's back, let alone stand shoulder to shoulder with him for the rest of his life.
Thinking of this, Gao Yang felt both defeated and dejected.
I just felt that God was so unfair.
Giving Gao Cheng such a beautiful and enchanting appearance was not enough; he was also given such extraordinary talent.
In comparison, the phrase "My brother has the potential to be a hero" seems like a huge joke.
Meanwhile, Hulü Guang and Duan Shao, standing to the side, were no less shocked than Gao Yang.
They were much older than Gao Cheng and Gao Yang, and they considered that they had seen many heroic figures over the years.
Leaving aside other figures, Ge Rong, Du Luozhou, Erzhu Rong of the past, Hebasheng of the future, and Gao Wang and Yuwen Tai of the present are all considered heroes of the world.
But they had never felt such spirit from any of these people as Gao Cheng.
Even King Gao, though a hero of unparalleled stature, had never given them such a shocking feeling.
That arrogance that disregarded all the heroes of the world, and that composure that treated all the officials as mere tools, chilled them to the bone and impressed them deeply.