parentshiftbook Chapter 247: One Must Be Worthy Of One's Own Conscience
Chapter 247: One Must Be Worthy Of One's Own Conscience
For three days, the swords were not sheathed, allowing the city to be plundered and looted as a reward for the three armies.
This is the cruel retaliation by the rulers against the resistance of the ruled.
Clearly, it is the heavy burden of excessive taxes that forces people to barely survive, coupled with some ideas spread by the Taiping Dao of the Southern Yanxian Dynasty that have sparked a change in people's minds.
The ultimate result, however, is that the rebels are mercilessly killed, and those who do not resist are also killed. Their wealth, children, and possessions are divided among the rulers and executioners, completing the final facade of "peace in the world."
"It is simply inhumane. Is this the 'great righteousness of the human race' that your Great Tang Xian Dynasty follows?"
Upon learning of the situation, Chu Shen tried to stop this disaster.
The envoy of the Great Tang Xian Dynasty, however, responded firmly, "This is the national affair of our Great Tang Xian Dynasty. Your interference is not tolerated!"
Chu Shen turned to the people sent by the prestigious families of the Langhun Heavenly Palace and said, "Immediately call back your people and do not participate in this matter!"
These people looked away, pretending not to hear, and said, "We are ordered to assist the Great Tang Xian Dynasty. We dare not disobey the vice palace lord's command!"
Although Chu Shen had long known that this would be the response, he couldn't help but laugh in anger. He could only say something threatening in a sinister manner, "You are all very good. Remember today, don't forget!"
He just wanted to make one last effort, but for these people, the lives of mortals are no different from ants. If they are killed, they will grow back like chives in no time, without any need for cherishing.
This is the true mentality of most people in the Dongxuan Heavenly Palace who possess "power."
In comparison, the people-oriented ideology forged by Chu Shen under the dual baptism of modernization on Blue Star and traditional thinking in Dragon Country is considered heretical.
However, while Chu Shen can integrate into the Dongxuan Tian in terms of lifestyle and habits, he cannot integrate into the fundamental principles of being a person in Dongxuan Tian. Even if he cannot change the environment of Dongxuan Tian, he cannot accept the environment of Dongxuan Tian changing his essence - he ultimately wants to be a human, not a beast. He cannot identify with this barbaric and cruel "survival of the fittest" mentality.
After making tough remarks, he did not rush into the human hell to become a rescuer who saves others, but returned to his room on the Lanfeng spacecraft and summoned Li Xiangqi to discuss the situation.
This disappointed both the Tang Xian Dynasty delegation and the prominent families of the Langhun Heavenly Palace.
"I thought he would intervene in the massacre, but I didn't expect him to speak so passionately and do nothing in the end!"
"Nonsense, don't underestimate this Chu guy just because he's young. Can't you see that he knows what we're expecting from him?"
"That's true. We were too obvious, and he became aware of it!"
"It's not that obvious. It's just that this kid is too cunning. In this aspect, he doesn't resemble an impulsive and foolish young person at all. Instead, he has some scheming."
"Are you praising him?"
"No, I'm just stating a fact and expressing regret. It would have been great if he had really taken action in a fit of anger. In the chaos, there would have been many people who were dissatisfied with his intervention. A Spirit Gathering realm facing a surging crowd could easily handle it!"
"Yeah, what a pity!"
The conspirators openly expressed the thoughts of the crowd.
Under the protection of the Lanfeng spacecraft and Li Xiangqi, they couldn't lay a hand on Chu Shen even if they had ideas about him. However, once Chu Shen left the range that could protect him, it would be their area of expertise.
As long as there is an excuse, even burnt celery can be a famous dish, let alone Chu Shen, who is surrounded by enemies.
Chu Shen, however, realized this point and found that these people were not moved by his commands. He realized that he was powerless in the massacre of the city. If he intervened, it might even give these people an opportunity to deal with him. So he turned around and locked himself in the room, pretending not to see anything.
But he still tried to make some efforts.
Returning to the residence of the Lanfeng, he found Li Xiangqi and handed her a storage bag, saying, "The officials of the Great Tang Xian Dynasty and the noble families of the Langhun Heavenly Palace are all crazy and inhumane. In their eyes, the lives of the people in the city are just chips to stabilize the Beast Army and deter others, or even an opportunity to deal with me.
Under these circumstances, I cannot personally intervene, but doing nothing makes me feel guilty. So I hope you can help me with something."
Li Xiangqi's divine sense circled in the storage bag and she knew that it was filled with gold, a considerable amount, probably over ten thousand taels, as well as some spirit stones. She asked with some confusion, "What does the task you want me to do have to do with this gold?"
The gold in the bag was naturally obtained by Chu Shen and his concubines through their efforts. The concubines, who were of mortal origin, could not obtain spirit stones, so they could only obtain gold. But Chu Shen did not neglect them. Over time, the accumulated amount of gold was quite substantial, and this bag was only a small part of it.
This time, he was going to the capital of the Great Tang Xian Dynasty, and there would definitely be places in the mortal realm where it would come in handy, so he took a portion as a backup.
But he didn't expect to encounter this incident before even reaching the capital of the Great Tang Xian Dynasty.
"I want you to use as much of this gold as possible to save people."
The reason why the generals of the Great Tang Xian Dynasty allowed the soldiers to massacre the city was not because of the instigation of the Great Tang Xian Dynasty delegation and the noble families of the Langhun Heavenly Palace, but to calm the accumulated violence in the army during the war.
The psychological pressure that this brutal war brought to ordinary people was extremely terrifying. The constant death of familiar people around them made them fear that they could be the next to die. This fear would accumulate endless hatred, resentment, and violence in a person.
Old-style armies without strong faith support can only allow soldiers to fully vent their emotions towards the defeated after the war, to release these emotions.
At the same time, the soldiers in old-style armies often come from complex sources, including ruffians, bankrupt farmers, forcibly conscripted men, and various other types of people. They can be described as a collection of the dark side of society. Don't expect them to have much human quality. They join the army to eat, to rob, to rape.
The leaders of old-style armies are not good people either. Most of them are for promotion and wealth. They rely on the deterrent power of "military discipline" to exploit and withhold soldiers' pay.
However, during wartime, when soldiers bear enormous casualties, the constraints of military discipline will be greatly reduced.
No gratitude in peacetime, no righteousness in wartime, and still wanting to use military discipline to restrain soldiers after the war. It is feared that the soldiers, who have gone crazy, will settle old and new accounts with them.
It is better to indulge the soldiers in plundering and raping, to vent their emotions, and to transfer the internal contradictions of the army to the defeated.
Even after everything calms down, those leaders can still receive a large amount of wealth provided by their subordinates who have engaged in plunder and rape. Naturally, they are willing to turn a blind eye and have no motivation to restrain the soldiers.
But in the end, both the leaders and the soldiers in the old-style army still prefer money!
Soldiers rob for money, rape because they lack channels for sexual release due to a lack of money, and kill for a more direct way to obtain money.
The leaders are the same. Money can help them get promoted, maintain their luxurious lifestyle, and attract more elite soldiers.
Money has a special effect on the old-style army.
Chu Shen, unable to stop the massacre by force, can only use money to save as many people as possible from the slaughter.
He still has a conscience after all.