Chapter 11 - Ideals of Unification.

“They would not be willing. Some things, especially civilization, are more important to them than their lives.”

“That's why they need to understand universal love and non-aggression, isn't it?”

“They won't listen. It's like for the various states, if you ask their kings to give up their thrones to virtuous people, would they really easily relinquish power? If you ask those in high positions and those in low positions to eat the same food and do the same things, would they truly be willing?”

“Perhaps not, but we Mohists can lead by example. Until we gain the recognition of everyone under heaven, by then, even if they don't want to agree, they won't be able to stop the surging will of the people.”

“But that's too difficult. The probability of success is too small.”

“Just because it's difficult, should we not do it? Someone must do it. For the sake of all people under heaven, no matter how difficult, someone must do it, right?”

“Yes, perhaps thousands of years from now, many Mohist ideas will become reality.” Xu Xuan said, bowing to Mo Li: “But in this chaotic era, it's not feasible. As long as the world remains divided, none of these can be achieved. It's like the reason for the Xiongnu's southward invasion that I mentioned. Each state might have its own reasons for attacking other states, and these reasons are often to make their own people live better. You spoke of merchant trade, but business is often unequal. Therefore, to achieve Mohist ideals like valuing the virtuous and universal love, the world must first be unified. Only with a unified world can all this be possible. And to unify the world, non-aggression naturally cannot be the way.”

“Unifying the world, do you know how much slaughter that would cause? Our Huaxia is vastly different from ancient times. The population has increased by dozens of times, and the territory by several times. How difficult would it be for a single state to unify such a world? Even Emperor Xuanyuan, and later the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, never truly achieved so-called unification, ultimately relying on enfeoffing feudal lords to manage the land.”

“Just because it's difficult, should we not do it?”

“Many people would die, and it might even plunge all people under heaven into suffering. Moreover, the writing systems and customs of the various states are all different. Each state has its own script; just the character for 'sword' alone has seventeen different ways of writing it. How difficult would it be to unify them?”

“Then, standardize carriage axles, unify writing, standardize weights and measures, then abolish the enfeoffed kings and marquises of all states, and have officials manage them. Officials would be elected by the people or recruited through examinations, and they would not be allowed to govern their hometowns, with rotations every few years. Build roads to thoroughly connect all states, creating a superpower spanning the entire continent. Only in this way can the strength of all Huaxia people be concentrated to strive for a great ideal. Everything would be more convenient then.” When Xu Xuan spoke of this, he had a feeling of commanding the world. His gaze was fixed on Mo Li. And Mo Li, at this moment, was sitting upright, watching him intently.

“As you said before, some traditions are more important to those people than their lives. How can they be abolished just like that?”

“If they're more important than life, then let them lose their lives. A bloodless reform is never a complete reform, and a revolution without blood cannot break the shackles of predecessors.”

“Wouldn't doing so make you an enemy of the world? And for these things, if the opponents are all good people, would you still have the heart to kill them?”

“For the prosperity and continuation of humanity for millions of years to come, and to deeply engrave the idea of great unification in everyone's minds. Even if the opponents are good people, they should be killed, because they stand in the way of the advancing wheel of time.”

“Abusing the people's strength, brutal slaughter, genocide, burning scholarship, killing the innocent. How is such conduct different from that of strange demons? Such a state will eventually be attacked by all, perish in war, and leave countless chaotic wars for the future. I cannot agree.”

“The sin is in the present, but the merit is for a thousand generations.” In response to Mo Li's words, Xu Xuan took a sip of wine and said lightly: “For the unification of the world, someone must be the executioner. And don't forget, for states to stop attacking each other, only by making the world one family can wars cease. Only then can future generations of people have the chance to recuperate. At the same time, a unified country can more conveniently manage its people and resist strange demons, can't it? What I want is never a country that will quickly perish, but to leave a concept in the hearts of the people under heaven.”

“What concept?”

“Great Unification!! Just like how Emperor Xuanyuan declared that we are all descendants of Yanhuang, let all the people on this land yearn for unity in their hearts and acknowledge themselves as part of Huaxia Yanhuang. As long as the mark of great unification is etched into people's minds, no matter what divisions this land experiences in the future, it will eventually reform into a whole and rise again.” Xu Xuan said, taking another sip of wine, but this time he didn't continue speaking, because he noticed Mo Li across from him staring intently at him. Not just Mo Li, even Chiyou Sword Spirit beside him was staring intently. Xu Xuan inexplicably seemed to see a kind of shock in both their eyes simultaneously.

In an instant, Xu Xuan sobered up. Having had a bit of wine, he seemed to have gotten carried away, inadvertently bringing out the passion he used to have when discussing grand strategies with friends over drinks. After sobering up, Xu Xuan suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of awkwardness and shame.

“Wuwu, Mama...” It was at this moment that the little girl, who had fallen asleep nearby, suddenly mumbled twice. Ever since being picked up by the Automaton, the girl seemed to have fallen into a coma due to excessive fright. The sound of their argument earlier was probably a bit loud, accidentally waking the girl.

Hearing the girl's voice, Mo Li quickly went to her side and gently embraced the little girl.

“Wuwu, Mama... Papa...” The little girl said, opening her eyes.

“It's alright now, child. You are safe.” Mo Li said, holding the little girl, in a gentle tone.

“Wah!!!” Seeing the gentle elder sister holding her, the little girl immediately burst into tears: “Wah!! Sister!! Papa... Papa and Mama... they... they were eaten by that thing!!! Wah!! And everyone else in the village, wuwu... they were all eaten!!!”

“It's alright now, that monster has been killed by us, and your parents' bodies have also been taken care of.” Patting the girl's back, Mo Li said gently: “From now on, stay with me, don't worry, I will take care of you. Come to the Mohist School, and you will have many family members.”

“What you just said was quite domineering! This concubine was even a little excited listening to it. It's a pity you're not an emperor or a noble, otherwise, it would surely be passed down through the ages.” As the girl woke up, the atmosphere eased, and at this moment, Chiyou Sword Spirit floated to Xu Xuan's side, smiling and saying: “Do you want to be a king? With this concubine's power, it can be achieved, you know. Even Emperor Xuanyuan didn't truly accomplish what you just envisioned. Can you do it?”

“...I just had a bit too much to drink and couldn't control my mouth. Don't mind it, I was just talking.” Xu Xuan said with a helpless expression in response to Chiyou Sword Spirit's words. Then his gaze turned towards the little girl.

A seven or eight-year-old girl witnessing her parents being torn apart by a monster right before her eyes, the trauma she suffered is imaginable. Ever since she woke up, she clung to Mo Li like a plaster. Honestly, Xu Xuan felt a bit envious watching it.

“Um, excuse me, I got a bit drunk just now and accidentally went off-topic.” Seeing the little girl calm down again, Xu Xuan said to Mo Li. Read at Novels Haven (novelshaven.com)

“It's just a very normal discussion of strategy; such things often happen among the Hundred Schools.” Seeing Xu Xuan's embarrassed look, Mo Li couldn't help but smile. Gently stroking the child's head in her arms, Mo Li softly asked the girl: “Child, what is your name?”

“My name is Xiaoyu.”

“Do you have a surname?”

“No, Mama said that commoners like us aren't worthy of surnames; only those noble people high above can have them.”

“Another poor soul. Xiaoyu, would you like to join the Mohist School?”

“What is the Mohist School?”

“It's a big family, everyone in the Mohist School is family. And in the Mohist School, you can also learn many skills and knowledge.”

“Really? I'd like to. Are there other pretty people like you, Sister, in the Mohist School?”

“Sorry, Sister is the prettiest person in the Mohist School.”

While talking to the little girl, Mo Li's ears suddenly twitched, and then her gaze turned to behind a tree not far away: “Come out, I heard you. If you don't come out, I might not be so polite.”

As her voice fell, the two Automatons beside them suddenly stood up, each having two extra arms emerge from their backs, and each arm was embedded with a weapon.

“Excuse me, this old man means no harm.” Hearing Mo Li's words, a scrawny old man walked out from the woods, and behind him were four equally gaunt men. Seeing their tattered clothes, they were clearly refugees fleeing disaster.

“Excuse me, we didn't mean to spy, we just wanted to beg for some food. We were dozens of people fleeing here, and now only five of us old folks are left.”

“If you want to beg for food, why are you being so sneaky?” Hearing his words, Mo Li asked, rather puzzled.

“To be honest, we saw this village before. But from a distance, we saw a monster in it.” The leading old man replied: “We really couldn't walk anymore, so we hid in the woods outside the village to look for something to eat. Just now we heard people talking here and came to check, and the reason we were hiding was because we were scared by that monster!”

“So that's it. Old man, you all come and sit too. Don't worry, that monster has been killed by us.”

“So it's the Demon Exterminator sirs. This old man failed to recognize your eminence.”

“We are merely Qi Practitioners,” Mo Li said, taking out several dry rations from the satchel behind her and distributing them to the people present. Those who received the rations seemed to be very hungry. As soon as they got the dry rations, they began to frantically stuff them into their mouths.

“Hey, hey, eat slowly.” Seeing this, Xu Xuan quickly took out a water skin and handed it to a few people. They had seen many such refugees along the way. It seemed that a large number of strange creatures had appeared in the capital of the Eastern Chu State, and the Eastern Chu State seemed to have greatly increased grain taxes. Many common people who couldn't pay the grain tax were arrested and thrown into prison, then sacrificed to some deity. This led to a large number of people becoming displaced and fleeing their homes.