Chapter 342: I’ve Never Lost, I Don’t Know How to Write “Lose”!
“Disperse, all of you, disperse! There’s nothing interesting to see!” Lin Beifan waved his hand, shooing away those who were making sarcastic remarks.
As soon as everyone saw Lin Beifan, they scattered and left, not daring to say more.
Zhao Kuo, who was too drunk to be aware of his surroundings, heard a familiar voice. He struggled to open his eyes in a daze and saw a familiar figure. He grinned, tremblingly raised the bottle in his hand, and said, “So it’s Prime Minister… It’s an honor to meet you here. This official… This official hasn’t congratulated you on your promotion yet, uh… care for a drink?”
Sensing the strong smell of alcohol, Lin Beifan furrowed his brows and said, “Zhao Kuo, look at yourself now. You’re a descendant of the Zhao family and an official of the court. Yet, you’re in such a state. Is this appropriate?”
“But if I don’t drink, what else can I do?”
Zhao Kuo suddenly burst into tears, “400,000 soldiers, the lives of 400,000 brave men, all because of me, lost in Northern Hebei! Experts from various factions who came to assist were captured by the Northern Hebei Prince because of me, and almost couldn’t make it back! The Zhao family has been oppressed by the court because of me, and life is very difficult…”
“Everything is because of me!!!”
“I’m a criminal of the court, I’m a criminal of the Zhao family, I’m a criminal of Great Wu!”
“I’m useless, I even tried to imitate others in warfare!”
“I’m a fucking waste, a waste who talks about tactics on paper!”
“Waaaah!”
Hearing this, many were heartbroken, and tears welled up in their eyes.
A real man doesn’t lightly shed tears, but not until he reaches a point of sadness!
Lin Beifan sighed deeply. “While it’s true that you made mistakes in this battle, the blame doesn’t rest solely on your shoulders. Regardless of which general led, the outcome would have likely been the same. Your mistake was a single one – underestimating the Northern Hebei Prince and marching into Northern Hebei without fully comprehending his strength. You broke a fundamental rule of warfare.”
“Yes, I violated a fundamental rule of warfare! After a lifetime of studying military books, I made a fatal mistake when it mattered the most! I’m truly just a waste. I’m not fit for war! Waaah…” Zhao Kuo cried even more sorrowfully.
Lin Beifan grew tired of it and shouted, “Stop crying. What kind of man looks pitiful while crying? In the battlefield, who hasn’t experienced losses? Which general can guarantee they’ll always win? The saying goes, ‘Failure is the mother of success!’ Learn from your failures, draw lessons from them, and win the next time!”
“Yeah, who hasn’t lost a battle in their military career? Even the most famous generals in history couldn’t avoid it. Learn from your failures, draw lessons from them, and win the next time!” The little princess encouraged him.
Zhao Kuo seemed to take it in.
Reflecting on the military books and tactics he had studied over the years, he realized that no one could win continuously!
Even the most famous contemporary general, Gongsun Wudi of the Dayue Dynasty, died in the Phoenix Fortress. The 500,000 soldiers he brought were all buried there. As a result, the Dayue Dynasty fell into turmoil and declined in power.
If one were to talk about the most formidable contemporary general, it was probably the one in front of him, Lin Beifan!
From the beginning of the year until now, he had fought in four battles. Each one was tougher than the last, yet the outcomes became easier.
In the final battle, he won just by talking!
If there were to be a consistently victorious general, he might be the one!
Zhao Kuo’s thoughts stirred, and with a hint of hope, he asked, “Prime Minister, have you ever lost before?”
It seemed that he hoped to find some comfort and acknowledgment from Lin Beifan.
Lin Beifan’s lips twisted with bitterness. “Zhao Kuo, you’ve really asked the right person…”
Zhao Kuo was taken aback. “Even Prime Minister…”
Lin Beifan let out a deep sigh. “From childhood to now, I’ve experienced many things. But no matter what I do, it’s always smooth sailing, everything goes well. Whether it’s studying, being an official, or leading troops in battle, it’s all the same. I’ve never lost in my life, I don’t even know how to write the word ‘lose’.”
Zhao Kuo was shocked!
“I’ve never lost in my life, I don’t even know how to write the word ‘lose’.”
This statement was truly arrogant; he had never heard someone so arrogantly self-assured in his life!
Isn’t that infuriating?
His crying halted for a moment and then grew even more sorrowful.
“Waaah…”
The little princess beside him grew anxious. “Lin Beifan, you were supposed to comfort him, not provoke him!”
Lin Beifan looked innocent. “But I’m just speaking the truth!”
“Speaking the truth can hurt people!” The little princess’s small face wrinkled, and with a touch of weariness, she said, “Can’t you hold back a little? Don’t release your arrogance to hurt others?”
“Alright, I’ll hold back a bit.”
Lin Beifan continued to persuade, “Zhao Kuo, actually, I just wanted to tell you that failure really isn’t a big deal. We’re not the same; everyone has different experiences. Just look at it positively!”
“You still have the chance to taste failure, to rally from it and become stronger. But I don’t even have that chance. I can only taste loneliness! How bitter and painful that feeling is, do you understand?”
Their attention was drawn again. “What does loneliness… taste like?”
Lin Beifan took a deep breath and sang with sorrow,
“How lonely it is, how lonely it is for the undefeated.”
“How empty it is, how empty it is for the undefeated.”
“Alone on the pinnacle, the cold wind keeps blowing.”
“My loneliness, who can understand me…”
Zhao Kuo and the little princess burst into laughter.
Zhao Kuo burst into tears again, crying bitterly, so heartbroken that it felt as if his liver and intestines were about to split.
The little princess was furious. “Can you please stop saying hurtful things? I really want to hit someone right now, do you know?”
Lin Beifan immediately consoled her. “Little princess, calm down. Violence won’t solve the problem, but money might!”
The little princess took out her money and stuffed it into Lin Beifan’s arms. “Take it, take it. Just shut up, alright?”
Then, she crouched down and advised, “Lin Beifan is just talking nonsense. You absolutely shouldn’t listen to him…”
Zhao Kuo, crying, said, “Actually, I understood Prime Minister’s words! People are different from each other. Prime Minister is above others, and I’m just trash, genuine trash! Waaah…”
The little princess grew even more anxious. “No! He really didn’t mean that…”
“Exactly, I meant exactly that!” Lin Beifan said with a smiling expression, “Everything you have now is provided by your family! Your life, your honor, money, and martial arts skills—all were given to you by your family! Without these, you would be trash, living worse off than ordinary people!”
“Waaah…”
The little princess was exasperated. “Lin Beifan, can you please stop talking? He’s already pitiable enough!”
Lin Beifan sneered. “What kind of pity is this? Truly pitiable people can’t even cry, because their hearts are already dead! Yet Zhao Kuo has the time to cry here. Do you know how fortunate he is?”
Lin Beifan waved his hand towards a nearby figure.
A middle-aged man with a confident stride approached, bowing respectfully to Lin Beifan. “Greetings, Prime Minister!”
This man was none other than Zhao Hai, Zhao Kuo’s uncle. He had been keeping an eye on Zhao Kuo to prevent any mishaps.
Lin Beifan smiled. “No need for excessive formalities. Seal Zhao Kuo’s cultivation, then send him to the cement factory in Minxin City to work! During this period, cut off all his economic transactions, don’t give him money, don’t let him drink, don’t offer him any assistance. Let him earn his own living!”
Zhao Hai was astonished. “Prime Minister, this…”
Lin Beifan waved his hand. “If you want Zhao Kuo to wake up, follow my instructions!”
Frowning, Zhao Hai thought for a moment before nodding respectfully. “Yes, Prime Minister.”
He extended his hand and tapped Zhao Kuo’s body a few times, sealing his cultivation. Then, he lifted Zhao Kuo onto his back, nodded at Lin Beifan and the little princess, and left.
The little princess was somewhat puzzled. “Lin Beifan, what are you trying to do? Will this really help Zhao Kuo recover?”
Lin Beifan smiled. “I’m pretty confident it will.”
The little princess tilted her head, unable to comprehend. She asked, “Why? Can you tell me?”
“It’s simple! Zhao Kuo’s journey has been smooth sailing all along. He’s never lost a single time in his life. You could call him an exceptional talent. But this battle has hit him hard, shattered his confidence, and led him to self-deprecation and degradation. In other words, his ability to endure psychological setbacks is weak.”
“So, I’m sending him to the cement factory to experience some hardship, without relying on his family. He’ll have to support himself with his own hands. Only when he’s experienced the bitterness of life, witnessed the suffering of the common people, will he realize that the hardships he’s endured so far are nothing!”
“While others endure such hardships and still manage to live well, with his advantages and opportunities, why can’t he? This will force him to make a fresh start, regain his spirit!”
The little princess nodded, somewhat understanding. “It sounds reasonable!”
Lin Beifan gave an exasperated look. “It’s naturally reasonable. You, as a little princess born with a silver spoon, wouldn’t understand!”
“Ugh, you’re so annoying!” The little princess covered her forehead and blinked her watery eyes. With a touch of sympathy, she asked, “Lin Beifan, since you know so much, were you also in a difficult situation before?”
Lin Beifan sighed. “Yes, I was in a tough situation before. My ancestors were all farmers. They relied on the land to eat, didn’t dare spend a single penny carelessly. We were always poor and struggling!”
The little princess was sympathetic yet envious. “That’s so pitiable! Since you’ve been through such hardships, why do you still look so youthful and well-fed?”
“Maybe it’s because of my innate good looks. I can’t control it myself!” Lin Beifan said with frustration. “Sometimes, even though I could rely on my talents to make a living, in the end, I’m invited to banquets because of my appearance. Little princess, you’re so beautiful and lovely; you must have experienced it too.”
The little princess agreed wholeheartedly. “Yes, being good-looking is sometimes really annoying!”
The two exchanged a glance and sighed deeply. “Sigh…”
Just then, in the distance, a soaring sword aura and a soaring blade aura appeared, interweaving in the sky, stunning all the experts in the city!
“What powerful sword aura! It has reached the level of a grandmaster, incredibly terrifying!”
“The blade aura is also extraordinary, so strong!”
“This sword and blade aura, they look somewhat familiar!”
…
Subsequently, two hearty laughter echoed from afar.
“Old friend Lin, we’ve come to see you!”
