"I won't let you succeed!" Tang San gritted his teeth; he wouldn't allow anyone to disrupt his plans. "I want everyone to know that I'm doing this for their own good! I want them to choose for themselves whether to believe me!" Tang San already had a plan in mind; he would make it public and let the people know his reasons. Tang San's emotions had calmed down, and he decided to go to Xue Qinghe first thing tomorrow morning. He would hold a National Preceptor Conference at Heaven Dou Square; he wanted the people to know his determination!
He went directly to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
It was already late at night, but the palace was brightly lit. Xue Qinghe was sitting in the imperial study, his face pale, looking very similar to Xue Ye from before, as if he were seriously ill.
"Grand Preceptor Tang, cough cough cough, what urgent matter brings you to see me so late?" Xue Qinghe asked, somewhat surprised to see Tang San arrive so late at night. Tang San solemnly replied, "Your Majesty, I wish to convene a Grand Preceptor Conference. I want everyone to understand that I am doing this for their benefit!"
"For their sake?" Xue Qinghe was taken aback, not understanding Tang San's meaning.
Tang San nodded and gave a general overview of what he planned to say at the National Preceptor Conference. Xue Qinghe became more and more surprised as he listened, his expression filled with disbelief as he looked at Tang San.
"Grand Preceptor, are you sure you want to face, cough cough, the masses all by yourself?" Xue Qinghe asked in a deep voice.
Tang San nodded again. Although there were risks involved, he believed the people would understand his good intentions. Xue Qinghe remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "If you believe the people can accept all of this, then do as you wish."
With Xue Qinghe's support, Tang San felt much more confident. He left the palace and began preparing for tomorrow's National Preceptor Conference.
Soon, news spread that the National Preceptor Conference would be held at Heaven Dou Square in three days. Anyone could attend, and the National Preceptor would accept criticism from anyone without consequence.
Three days passed quickly. Early that morning, countless people had gathered in Heaven Dou Square, completely surrounding the Heaven Dou Square. They seemed to have come spontaneously, wanting to see who this new national advisor really was.
Soon, a figure appeared on the high platform in the square.
He was a young man, dressed in a blue robe, with long hair flowing down his shoulders. He was handsome and had bright, piercing eyes. As soon as he appeared, the originally noisy square became much quieter, and countless eyes were focused on him.
"I am Tang San. I have gathered you all here today to share some heartfelt words with you." Tang San stood on the high platform, looking calmly at the people below.
Upon hearing Tang San's words, the crowd immediately began to discuss among themselves. They had never expected that the Imperial Preceptor, whom they had ridiculed and insulted, would actually stand here and explain everything to them.
Tang San continued, "Our Heaven Dou Empire has always been oppressed by the Spirit Hall Empire. They consider themselves the overlords of the Douluo Continent and oppress us. The reason we want to start a war is not because we want war, but Spirit Hall Empire has threatened our very survival."
At this point, Tang San's gaze sharpened. "I am not a person who likes war, but I understand that only through war can we achieve true peace. I am not doing this for myself, but for our country and for our people."
The murmurs among the crowd gradually subsided. They looked at Tang San, still somewhat puzzled, but all wanted to hear what Tang San would say next.
"I know there are many rumors about me right now, and I don't want to defend myself. I just want to tell everyone that everything I've done is for our country. Our Heaven Dou Empire and the Spirit Hall Empire went to war out of necessity. If we had any other choice, we wouldn't want war either."
Tang San looked at the crowd below and continued, "I know many people don't understand my actions, and some even misunderstand me. But I want to tell you all, I am not afraid. Because I know history will prove everything. Our country needs peace and development. And only through this war can we achieve true peace."
"Don't give me that! It's easy for you to say, but you're not the one who goes to the battlefield to fight!"
A burly middle-aged man shouted loudly. He had a full beard, several scars on his face, and a robust build, but his accent was somewhat harsh. Tang San looked at him and smiled slightly, "Brother, I understand your thoughts. But I want to tell you that this war is a competition between empires, a war between nations."
Every one of us is a part of this country and has a responsibility to contribute to it. I, Tang San, am willing to give my all for our nation." At this point, Tang San's voice suddenly became impassioned. "I want everyone to know that our war is not driven by personal greed, but by the need for our nation's survival. What we need is peace, not war! But we are not afraid of war! For the sake of our country and our people, I, Tang San, am willing to personally go to the battlefield and fight the enemy to the death!"
"You can fool yourself with your high-sounding words, but don't even think about fooling us. My entire battalion of brothers is dead except for me. Originally, after the war, I only needed to guard the border for two years before I could retire. But now, you've made us fight again, so I have no choice but to resign from my post and come back here," the middle-aged man roared.
Upon hearing the middle-aged man's account, Tang San's eyes were filled with disdain. In his view, wasn't this middle-aged man's behavior tantamount to desertion? He sneered and said in a contemptuous tone, "Are you afraid of the Spirit Hall Empire? So you're thinking of deserting in the face of battle and becoming a deserter?"
"I'm not afraid of your ass!" The middle-aged man suddenly burst into a tirade, his face flushed red. He glared at Tang San and continued cursing, "If I were afraid, I wouldn't have gone to be a border guard back then. I've killed more enemies in these past ten years than you've ever seen. What I hate most are hypocrites like you, all talk and no action. If you really had any backbone, you wouldn't be sitting here eating abalone and drinking fine wine every day. You should have gone to the battlefield long ago and fought the Spirit Hall Empire to the death. Stop spouting your high-sounding rhetoric here, it's disgusting!"
"Do you know why I came back? Because I promised those brothers I'd take care of their families. My life was bought with the lives of those brothers on the battlefield! You can call me a coward, but I'm definitely not a deserter!"
(End of this chapter)