Chapter 89: The Art of Persuasion (Part 2)

  Gao Yuan nodded and said, "In theory, it is."

  Although Jun Yu Bo was hearing the phrase "in theory" for the first time, he could also tell that Gao Yuan was agreeing with him, so he continued: "The adults should acknowledge that now there is only one country capable of unifying the world, and that is Qin. Moreover, since Shang Yang's reforms, it has been over a hundred years, spanning six generations, with internal stability and peace, even if there were minor disturbances, they did not affect the overall situation, while externally, they won battle after battle, even if occasionally losing, without damaging the national prestige or losing an inch of land."

  Gao Yuan Dao: "Sir, in Gong Suo Jia Fu, you once quoted Xunzi's words to explain that the governance of Qin was far superior to that of the six states of Shandong. I still remember it now, and I also think that Xunzi's words are not empty, the governance of Qin is indeed much stronger than that of the six states of Shandong."

  "Moreover, the current King Zheng of Qin is wise and resolute. As soon as he took power, he quickly quelled the rebellion of Lao Ai and grasped the great authority of the state of Qin. He issued a decree to seek advice and drive away guests, showing that he accepts remonstrance like a flowing river and does not demand strict adherence to royal etiquette from those who are weak. This shows that he is courteous to the worthy and humble towards scholars. I ask you, sir, among the six states of the east, is there such a wise ruler?"

  Gao Yuan shook his head and said, "The current rulers of the six states are either incompetent or mediocre, with short-sighted vision, making it difficult for them to achieve great things. Compared to King Zheng of Qin, they are like a slow horse compared to a qilin, unable to keep up."

  Jun Yu Bo chuckled and said, "In the past decade or so, my father and I have traveled to various countries, observing their rulers. Only Qin has a strong national power, with a wise ruler above and a gathering of heroes below. Within ten years, it can unify the world, eliminating war and restoring peace, allowing the people to live in happiness and prosperity."

  Jun Yu Zhongxiu said: "My daughter and I are not from the state of Qin, nor are we envoys for Qin. We only hope that you, sir, will consider the world at large, move with the times, and surrender to Qin. If you can persuade Wu Anjun, that would be even better. It can also reduce the number of wars and casualties in the process of unifying the world. With your and Wu Anjun's talents, you will certainly be valued in Qin and make contributions to the unification of the world. When the world is at peace, you will have a share of the credit, and your names will be remembered for eternity. Please think thrice, sir."

  The plateau also fell silent for a moment, regardless of whether this father-daughter pair was an envoy for the Qin state or not. Their words were not unreasonable either. The argument that "after unifying the world, there will be peace throughout the land" was not new in this era, as the fragmented situation had been maintained for hundreds of years, and wars between states had never ceased. The people's lives were rarely stable, so many wise men believed that only by reunifying the world and merging all states into one could war be eliminated, and without war, the people would naturally be able to live in peace and prosperity. This argument was also reasonable from a logical point of view.

  Now the Qin state has indeed met all the conditions for unifying the world. After six generations of rulers, the Qin state has accumulated great national strength. The policy of rewarding military achievements has also made the combat effectiveness of the Qin army exceptionally strong. Moreover, the current ruler of the Qin state, King Zheng, is in his prime and has shown outstanding political and governing abilities. What he has done in over a decade of ruling can be described as bold and visionary, which is not excessive at all. Therefore, it is reasonable for Xunzi Bo and his daughter Xunzi Zhongxiu to hope that the Qin state will unify the country, end the chaotic era, and bring stability to the world. It is also reasonable for them to persuade themselves to surrender to the Qin state.

  If he had just arrived in this era, Gao Yuan might have accepted Chun Yu's father and daughter's suggestion and really defected to the Qin State. But now Gao Yuan is no longer a lone person, with too many ties in Zhao State, unless Li Mu also defects to the Qin State, otherwise Gao Yuan would not be able to abandon Li Mu and Li Xuanhong, as well as other comrades-in-arms of the Zhao army, and defect alone to the Qin State.

  Moreover, the highlands also knew that after unifying the six countries and promoting Qin Wang Zheng to Qin Shi Huang, he was also full of ambition and became more and more extravagant. In a chorus of praise, Qin Shi Huang's character underwent tremendous changes, from being wise and intelligent to becoming self-righteous, from being hot-tempered to becoming arrogant and overbearing, from being meticulous to becoming suspicious and tyrannical, from being decisive to becoming stubborn and arbitrary, from valuing the law to abusing it, from striving for progress to seeking grandeur, being reckless and abusing power, engaging in large-scale construction projects, and being extravagant and tyrannical.

  But the world did not become peaceful just because it was unified, and the people were not only unable to live in peace and contentment, but on the contrary, in many places, the people's lives were more difficult than before unification. Moreover, Gao Yuan did not think that he could change Qin Shi Huang after arriving in the state of Qin, so he was also very hesitant about whether or not to go to the state of Qin. Only these words were something Gao Yuan couldn't say out loud.

  Of course, at this time, Gao Yuan is even more unlikely to go to the Qin State. Therefore, Gao Yuan also nodded and said: "The intention of the two of you, I have already understood, but please forgive me for not being able to agree with your suggestion. If Wu Anjun does not surrender to the Qin State, I will never betray the Qin State either."

  Chunyu Bo's expression changed slightly, but he remained calm and composed. He knew that trying to persuade Li Mu to surrender to Qin was basically impossible. Chunyu Zhongxiu, however, looked displeased and said: "Sir, why are you still so obstinate? Now that Qin has unified the world, it is the trend of the times. Must you go against heaven's will? And disregard the safety of the people?"

  Gao Yuan felt uncomfortable in his heart after hearing it, but he still endured and didn't say anything.

  At this time, Jun Yu Bogao said: "Sir, if you are thinking of your friendship with Wu Anjun, why don't you advise Wu Anjun to also defect to the Qin state? The King of Qin values and employs talented people, seeking them out like a thirsty man seeks water. If Wu Anjun were to go to the Qin state, he would certainly be given an important position. Wouldn't that be better than staying in Zhao and suffering under the rule of King Qian?"

  Gao Yuan smiled wryly and said, "I appreciate your kindness, sir, but I also have some unspoken difficulties that I cannot express in words. Therefore, I can only disappoint your good intentions."

  Jun Yu Zhongxiu was extremely unhappy, in her view, Gao Yuan's words were just an excuse, so she said: "Wu Anjun indeed has a deep understanding of the great man, and I also know that Wu Anjun plans to marry his daughter to the great man. However, the relationship between the great man and Wu Anjun is still a private one. To follow the trend and assist Qin in unifying the world is for the public good. Why does the great man want to abandon the public interest for personal reasons? Doesn't the great man feel that just for his own selfish desires, he would sacrifice countless lives and innocent civilians?"

  Sun Yu Bo also felt that Sun Yu Zhong Xiu had said too much and couldn't help but say: "Zhong Xiu."

  At this time, Gao Yuan was indeed very angry, because what he disliked the most was being pressed down by a big hat. Chun Yu Zhong Xiu also couldn't help but be a bit self-righteous, so Gao Yuan raised an eyebrow and said: "Miss Chun Yu, just now you kept saying that everything was for the sake of the people, does that mean that only listening to your words is for the sake of the people? Not respecting your words means not caring about the lives of the common people. Tell me, Miss, what makes you think you can represent the world?"

  Jun Yu Zhongxiu's face also suddenly turned bright red, and she didn't expect Gao Yuan's words to be so sharp. However, from the age of ten or so, she had been traveling with Jun Yu Bo all over the world, seeing all sorts of people and experiencing all sorts of situations. She immediately said: "Of course, Zhongxiu doesn't dare represent the whole world, but just speaking of the matter at hand, Qin's unification of the world is a major trend, which you also acknowledged earlier."

  Gao Yuan shook his head and said, "Firstly, I have never acknowledged that Qin State must unify the world. It can only be said that Qin State has the greatest possibility of unifying the world, but other states also have opportunities to unify the world, just smaller than Qin State. Therefore, it is unreasonable for other states to surrender to Qin State unconditionally. This is not for the sake of the people's affairs. Miss, why don't you advise the King of Qin to surrender to other states for the benefit of the people of the world? Isn't it the same?"

  Jun Yu Zhongxiu said: "Your Excellency just acknowledged that the wisdom of the King of Qin far surpasses that of the six kingdoms, only a wise and enlightened ruler can be the master of the world. Is there any reason for a wise and enlightened ruler to surrender to an incompetent ruler?"

  Gao Yuan Dao: "People are changeable, the current Qin Wang Zheng is indeed a wise and virtuous ruler, but who can guarantee that he will remain so in the future? Zhou of Shang was also renowned for his virtue before he became tyrannical. Even the virtuous Duke of Zhou had his day of fearing slander and rejection. If he had died at that time, how would one evaluate his accomplishments and mistakes?"

  Although Chun Yu Zhongxiu felt that Gao Yuan's distinction was a case of strong words and robbery, he couldn't find the language to refute him because what Gao Yuan said wasn't fact but just one possibility for how things might develop. Of course, Chun Yu Zhongxiu had no way to prove that this possibility didn't exist.

  "Moreover, even if the world is unified, it does not mean that the people will be able to live in peace and prosperity. Now, if one country is not good, the people can still flee to another country. But after unification, if they encounter a ruler who is devoid of virtue and treats his people like fish and meat, where can the people turn to? They can only suffer under the oppression of an incompetent ruler. It's not necessarily better than the current situation where different countries coexist. Miss Chun Yu wouldn't think that all rulers are wise and virtuous, would she?"

  Jun Yu Zhong opened his mouth, but still couldn't say a word.

  At this time, Jun Yu Bo Dao said: "Then, sir, how can the world be at peace?"

  "The world is at peace, but that doesn't mean there's only one way to achieve it. There are many possibilities, and we can't generalize. You have your thoughts, I have mine, and no one can guarantee their own thoughts are absolutely right. So let each of us act according to our own thoughts, and as for success or failure, let history be the judge."

  Jun Yu Bo nodded after a moment of silence, smiling: "Your insight is indeed unique and your words are sharp. I have learned from you this time. It was our fault as father and daughter, please forgive us."

  The other party has already admitted defeat, and Gao Yuan cannot be too proud of himself. He also knows that he is actually quibbling, so he hastily says: "I don't dare."

  Sun Bo stood up and said: "Since that's the case, I'll bid farewell to you, sir. My daughter and I will take our leave. We'll have another chance to ask for your guidance in the future. Zhong Xiu, let's go."

  Jun Yu Zhongxiu also stood up and glared at Gao Yuan fiercely before turning around to follow his father out.