"Brother, why must you follow the Lords King?"
"The demonic empress has thrown the Great Han's Altars of State into turmoil, and powerful ministers control the Liu Clan's imperial authority. Why do you think I follow the Lords King?"
"But the four kings let the rebel army advance toward Chang'an, doing something that grieves their own and delights their enemies. Are they really worth following?"
"Those who accomplish great things do not fuss over trifles!"
"Brother, have you thought about what this world will become?
Have you thought about what role you want to play in it?
Have you thought about how to bring peace to the Altars of State?"
"Why think about those things? With weapons in our hands, where could we brothers not find a place?"
"Brother, you're wrong.
One who does not plan for ten thousand generations is unfit to plan for a single moment.
Since leaving Nanyang Commandery, we have crossed the entire Central Plains and seen countless scenes of displacement. Have you really noticed nothing?
Wars are breaking out everywhere now, and the common people are suffering. Yet the root of this great turmoil lies not merely with the common people, but with the powerful gentry spread across the land. They are the ones who plunged the world into chaos.
The one who tied the bell must untie it. To restore peace as quickly as possible, we must let the powerful gentry remain securely in their commanderies and counties, and bring them securely into the court's order."
"But striking at the powerful gentry is the Great Han's national policy. Although Wang Mang's Institutional Reform failed, striking at the powerful gentry was right. Reclaiming the land they annexed is something that must be done."
"Yes, striking at the powerful gentry is right.
But all this displacement