Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 472: A Too Powerful Teammate Isn’t Always a Good Thing_1
"This is outrageous!" Zhang Lin’s face was filled with rage.
"First, there were the Twelve Golden Orders, and now a Decree of Punishment. With such unkingly behavior, are they not afraid of becoming a laughingstock?"
He was infuriated to learn that after Wang Linchi had accomplished the great unification, Emperor Jing had again sent a reprimand, questioning why he had not obeyed the imperial command to return to the Capital.
"It’s already a joke," Wang Linchi remarked, glancing at the imperial edict, surprisingly unbothered.
"You... you’re not planning a rebellion, are you?" Seeing Wang Linchi’s nonchalance, Zhang Lin cautiously ventured. The two were familiar, and Zhang Lin had some grasp of Wang Linchi’s temperament, which was why he dared to ask.
"No, why should I rebel?" Wang Linchi rolled his eyes. Why does everyone seem to think I’m capable of rebellion?
Indeed, the only thing left for me is to don the golden robe and become emperor, but that’s not what I want.
"Then, how do you plan to resolve this? Are you considering deposing the current ruler?" Zhang Lin’s boldness grew.
If Wang Linchi truly intended to rebel, then his Southern Zhang Clan, along with the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes, would definitely join him; they always sided with the victor.
And in this situation, who could prevail if not Wang Linchi?
"I have my own plans for this," Wang Linchi simply responded.
He certainly wouldn’t disclose his plans right away, as they concerned his own future.
"So that’s why you came back to the Capital, specifically to resolve this issue," Zhang Lin breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Wang Linchi has a better solution than rebellion or deposition, I’m content. Otherwise, the Capital will once again plunge into chaos.
Wang Linchi was indeed back in the Capital now. However, he had not rushed back immediately after receiving the Decree of Punishment but rather after meticulously arranging all his affairs. Consequently, a month had passed, during which the rumors had continued to ferment.
The moment Wang Linchi returned, Zhang Lin sought him out. After all, he and Wang Linchi were the most steadfast of allies bound by interest; as long as those interests remained, Zhang Lin would not choose to betray Wang Linchi.
"Exactly. Everything will be clear at tomorrow morning’s court session," Wang Linchi said languidly.
I can hardly wait to ’die’. I’ve spent so much time and energy on this, all for the sake of taking the next step.
By now, my power can no longer be enhanced through external means. The only way for me to become stronger is through my own autonomous development. As a world embryo, I will certainly develop bit by bit. My strength won’t stagnate; it will just grow relatively slowly. I’m not the type of long-lived being who takes things slowly; my own growth rhythm is very fast. If this were a world, its rhythm would be even slower. Long-lived beings might use years as a unit of time, but a world probably uses entire civilizations. The birth and death of a civilization might just be a fleeting change in the eyes of a world. This makes me feel very conflicted. I myself am strengthening quickly, yet my own intrinsic development is extremely slow.
"When the time comes, I hope Your Highness will leave His Majesty some face," Zhang Lin reminded him.
He reasoned that if Wang Linchi wasn’t planning to rebel or depose the Emperor, he shouldn’t take things too far. Moreover, this wasn’t about saving face for Emperor Jing, but for the Royal Family. The current Emperor Jing was indeed too inept, unable to even fully control the Royal Family. Thus, even though Wang Linchi and his allies had long been at odds with Emperor Jing, their relationship with the Royal Li Clan was exceptionally close. The Royal Family, after all, was one of the Great Families; despite their seemingly transcendent status, they still had worldly needs and interests.
"Rest assured, I will give him plenty of face," Wang Linchi responded. I’m prepared to return governance and hand over power. That’s not just leaving him some face; that’s practically sending him soaring to the heavens.
Yet, Zhang Lin couldn’t shake the feeling that Wang Linchi was brewing some mischief; otherwise, it was unlikely he’d be so readily agreeable. Of course, Zhang Lin couldn’t guess Wang Linchi’s true thoughts, and Wang Linchi had no intention of telling them. If I actually spelled it out, I’d be stopped at once.
Like all those in high positions, Wang Linchi was now the nexus of Dajing’s interests. As long as he lived and held power, the entire realm would enjoy peace and prosperity. However, if he died or was stripped of power, the consequences would be severe.
The premise of binding the realm with shared interests was that there had to be someone capable of ensuring everyone could "eat meat and drink soup," rather than distributing benefits arbitrarily.
"That’s good. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back and prepare. Tomorrow’s court session will likely be quite a spectacle," Zhang Lin said, rising to leave.
Since Wang Linchi is prepared to resolve this, it definitely won’t be a superficial fix but a fundamental one. It must be something that makes Emperor Jing utterly compliant. How could such a scene be small?
"Don’t prepare too much. Just adapt to the circumstances as they arise," Wang Linchi hinted, implying Zhang Lin shouldn’t busy himself unnecessarily.
To Zhang Lin, this meant Wang Linchi was confident and had a plan, not needing his assistance. He’s got it all figured out; he doesn’t need my help.
"Alright, it will be arranged properly," Zhang Lin responded.
Even though Wang Linchi might not need my help, I can’t appear unsupportive or ignorant of the situation. We’re in the same camp, so of course, we advance and retreat together.
After speaking, Zhang Lin left in a hurry, leaving Wang Linchi feeling somewhat exasperated.
Why does every single one of them think I’m going to win? I’ve already arranged the plot for Emperor Jing to make a desperate comeback! No, I have to think of a plan. Otherwise, what if *I’m* the one who ends up staging a comeback? I have far too many ’god-tier’ teammates, and more importantly, the advantage is still on my side. If I’m not careful, I really will win.
"This is the first time I’ve found it so hard to try and lose," Wang Linchi muttered to himself. I’ve only ever seen people who would stoop to anything to win; this is the first time I’m experiencing having to stoop to anything to *lose*.
I’ll just have to be more ruthless. Either make it so they can’t speak, or so they can’t attend court. Silencing them is simple: just eliminate them. Preventing them from attending court is more difficult. Given the stakes of this court session, they’d probably drag themselves there even with broken legs. A broken leg can heal, but if their interests are severed, that’s truly the end for them.
If all else fails, I’ll just make them all incapacitated by severe diarrhea, Wang Linchi decided. That’s a good idea. You can walk a thousand li while needing to pee, but you can’t take a single step when you’ve got the runs. Making them get diarrhea is also simple. I’ve placed ’memory bodies’ in the residences of all the high-ranking officials, and most of them are positioned as chefs. The only people who can truly control the life and death of the masters of a household are the chefs. They can poison food and also move freely in and out of the mansions. That’s why most Great Families only use their own trusted people as chefs and treat them exceptionally well, fearing they might make a move or be bought off. True, one can settle scores after the fact, but even if the chef is punished, a dead person cannot be brought back to life.
But wouldn’t that be a bit too obvious? Wang Linchi quickly reconsidered. One person getting diarrhea is understandable. But if everyone gets it, anyone with eyes could see something is amiss. Everyone falling ill at once is also unrealistic. It would easily attract suspicion to me. Such a large-scale poisoning incident, coinciding with my presence... even if I’m not initially suspected, it would inevitably draw unwanted attention.
「...」
"You said this time there was a seventy percent chance of success. Is that truly the case?" Emperor Jing asked.
"Naturally, Your Majesty. King Heaven Equivalent values his reputation. If Your Majesty first accuses him in public and then orders him to hand over power, King Heaven Equivalent, for the sake of his reputation, will inevitably choose to relinquish power," the Aide said with conviction.
"From what I’ve observed of King Heaven Equivalent, he doesn’t seem like someone who would be burdened by his reputation," Emperor Jing remarked. I’ve actually noticed that this Aide seems to be constantly scheming. However, I genuinely have no one else available to use, so I’ve been turning a blind eye—especially since he’s acting to help me reclaim power. Therefore, despite my reservations, I never considered vetoing his plan.
"If he isn’t burdened by reputation and still returns political power..." the Aide paused for a moment, then continued, "Then King Heaven Equivalent might truly be a pillar of the state."
This statement stunned Emperor Jing; he never expected to hear such words from his own Aide.
"Impossible!" Emperor Jing retorted subconsciously. If Wang Linchi were truly a loyal subject, then I would indeed be an inept emperor. Therefore, even if he is loyal, he cannot be allowed to be so now.
"Your Majesty is absolutely right. From my observations, King Heaven Equivalent is a man of great treachery who feigns loyalty. He certainly cannot be a pillar of the state!" the Aide readily concurred.
Whatever Emperor Jing said now, the Aide would smoothly agree. This is the final step, the Aide thought. I mustn’t do anything superfluous that might cause unexpected problems.
With someone affirming his views, Emperor Jing naturally felt much more relieved. At the very least, I can use this Aide as a scapegoat in the future. As for his unwavering loyalty? Isn’t that just to serve as my stepping stone? Otherwise, how could it be called ’unwavering loyalty’? In any case, as long as I can preserve myself, an Aide like him can be sacrificed at any time. Once I regain power, will I have to worry about not having subordinates? To be an emperor, I must be ruthless. It’s just... my ruthlessness is being misapplied here. Being ruthless towards my own people feels a bit like bullying my own family.
