Chapter 7166 Environmental Traces

Chapter 7166 Environmental Traces

Although Cyprian betrayed Rome, the family a person lived in during childhood and the environment they experienced during their adolescence will forever influence their values ​​and perceptions. No matter how much Cyprian betrayed Rome, he would still subconsciously use Roman measurement methods in certain matters.

For example, if you tell Cyprian that Huangfu Song is a very powerful commander, Cyprian may need to think about it and observe him for a while. Even though Cyprian already knew that Huangfu Song had achieved amazing results in fighting against Rome in Eastern Europe when he was with the Yuan family.

However, wise people are inherently skeptical. They will naturally and unconsciously rely on their own abilities to gather information and obtain what they consider to be more accurate knowledge.

However, if we consider another interpretation—that Huangfu Song was also addressed as emperor by the Romans—then Cyprian would naturally understand Huangfu Song's power.

After all, that's Rome. Even if you leave that environment and see far more of the world, as long as you're born there, there will always be a filter on your perception of it.

That's why Sima Yi used the simplest method to tell Cyprian just what level the person who had just run away was.

"He's very strong, and he achieved some truly remarkable results, eliminating another commander whom the Romans called emperor. He truly used his military achievements to climb onto the throne." Sima Yi gazed in the direction Zhou Yu had gone, his expression complex.

To be honest, Sima Yi thought Zhou Yu's condition was a bit excessive. When faced with Chen Xi and Zhou Yu, most aristocratic scions of the world were somewhat unable to communicate. Chen Xi used his strength to completely subdue them, while Zhou Yu truly outshone them in terms of background, appearance, and ability.

So much so that even Sima Yi could understand why Zhou Yu spoke so arrogantly. After all, if he had Zhou Yu's background, appearance, and strength, would he be just as arrogant? Most of the time, when a person falls into depression, it is because they are forced into it by their environment.

If you're always the center of attention, surrounded by admirers, and able to realize your own ideas every day, it's honestly hard to develop depression.

No matter how much Chen Xi forced Zhou Yu's head down, everyone else still respected him. This was because everyone understood that when Chen Xi forced Zhou Yu's head down, it wasn't because Zhou Yu wasn't strong enough, but because he was too strong. No one else could hold him down, so Chen Xi had to step in. It was like gods playing around. If they tried to squeeze in, they might get crushed by the aftershocks of the gods' play.

In short, the reality is quite harsh.

"Oh, I think I've heard of him. The emperor he killed was called Serian, and he was the first invincible being on the four seas." Upon hearing Sima Yi's introduction, Cyprian quickly realized what was going on. No matter how unfamiliar he was with Zhou Yu, Cyprian at least knew that Rome had been preparing to send people to Kushan to learn advanced naval warfare for a period of time, and had provided Kushan with a lot of shipbuilding materials for this purpose.

This incident actually caused quite a stir, because it was the only time Rome had ever given supplies first, only to receive nothing in return and have nowhere to seek redress.

There was no way around it; Rome spent its days leisurely in the Mediterranean, a place that was mostly calm and tranquil. People from later times who smuggled themselves across could swim across using just a bathtub, which shows how calm the Mediterranean was.

Therefore, the Roman navy was merely a showpiece, quite different from the navies of the Kushan Empire and the Han Dynasty. Thus, when the Han Dynasty and the Kushan Empire were engaged in a large-scale naval battle, the Roman Empire suddenly realized that its own navy seemed rather ordinary, so it decided to learn from the Kushan Empire.

There was no other way; everyone knew the situation at the time. Serian was beating the Han navy to a pulp, beating them terribly. Considering that the Kushans lacked the materials needed for shipbuilding, the Romans naturally stepped in, offering to provide logistical support and asking Serian to teach them. Serian was already quite old at the time and didn't care about his knowledge being leaked. He said that once the Romans delivered the supplies, he could send students.

Out of respect for the strong, the Romans agreed to the request and sent the Kushans a large amount of timber for shipbuilding. After the Kushans confirmed the quality of the timber, they sent a Roman observation team. What followed was the absurd situation where the Roman observation team had just arrived when Zhou Yu killed Serian. This is why the Romans directly called Zhou Yu the Emperor.

This title was originally very difficult to obtain, as it was the highest title in the Roman Empire, a consensus, and a praise for personal ability.

Therefore, when praising an opponent, one would carefully assess the opponent's strength. Huangfu Song, for example, was judged by Rome for several years before being called an emperor. Of course, as one of the most outstanding living people, Huangfu Song did not disgrace the title of emperor.

Therefore, theoretically, it should have been very difficult for Zhou Yu to obtain the title of emperor, but Zhou Yu killed the previous person who held this title, so what judgment? He just skipped the process and ascended the throne by assassination!

Because of the Roman observation mission, the Romans learned directly that Zhou Yu had killed Serian. In addition, the Romans were also well aware of Serian's strength. As a result, Zhou Yu was promoted to the position of emperor in Rome. From then on, the Romans also addressed Zhou Yu as emperor.

Incidentally, although Huangfu Song and Zhou Yu said things like, "Don't talk nonsense in front of the Han Dynasty. I, XXX, am a loyal subject of the Great Han Dynasty. What we call this is usurpation," and they always said it with righteous indignation, they actually quite enjoyed it when the Romans called it that.

This is what it means to be shaped by one's family during childhood and by one's environment during adolescence. No matter how much they express their loyalty, being called emperor still brings them great pleasure.

“Yes, that’s the guy.” Zhuge Liang nodded and said, “I didn’t expect you to know about him too.”

Zhuge Liang glanced at Cyprian. He had heard Chen Xi mention this guy before, but judging from the way Cyprian's eyes were slanted, he knew that Cyprian didn't recognize him. However, based on Zhuge Liang's understanding of Sima Yi, Sima Yi must have introduced Chen Xi and himself to Cyprian, but the other party didn't seem to care much.

Of course, Cyprian, who had communicated with Chen Xi, still had some respect for Chen Xi. However, he might not believe hearsay about Zhuge Liang. But after seeing Zhuge Liang in person, hearing Zhuge Liang explain the Three-Five Plan, and having a brief exchange here, Cyprian had some understanding of Zhuge Liang's abilities.

“I know you too.” Cyprian thought for a moment. Although this man was arrogant, he was not an ignorant fellow. He was not sure how strong Zhuge Liang was, and he did not quite believe that he was stronger than him, but Zhuge Liang was definitely not weak.

"Then I must thank Lord Cyprian for knowing me," Zhuge Liang said with a smile, but for some reason, his words sounded somewhat sarcastic at this moment.

“I heard that Lord Chen speaks highly of you.” Cyprian originally wanted to say it was Chen Zichuan, but after thinking about the authority the other party had given him, he decided to give him face. Besides, rambling on in front of the other party’s admirers and followers would not only embarrass others, but also his own.

"Sima Zhongda also has a high opinion of you," Zhuge Liang said with a smile. He naturally wouldn't tolerate the other party's poor manners. Everyone is a genius, and these days geniuses are sold wholesale by the sack. It's no big deal.

“Zhongda, it seems you need to work harder.” Cyprian was not annoyed by the two setbacks he encountered from Zhuge Liang. He liked the feeling of arguing with people, especially when the other party could completely follow his line of thought.

The main reason Cyprian could get along with Sima Yi was that Sima Yi could barely keep up with Cyprian's leaps of thought. As for Sima Yi's morality and Zhang Chunhua's constant secret spying, these were not big issues for Cyprian. To be honest, Cyprian's morality was also mediocre.

Oh, to be precise, Cyprian uses his morality as a tool, and as such, he will maintain and repair it properly. But just as easily, he will discard it without hesitation when necessary.

Therefore, it is entirely understandable that he could get along well with Sima Yi.

Upon hearing Cyprian's words, Sima Yi became as listless as a salted fish. He glanced at the two immortals beside him and, to be honest, he didn't like them. Why were there always so many monsters in the world? These two were just too strange.

"Alright, enough of the small talk. I've come here not only to persuade Zhongda, but also to see you and to borrow your eyes to examine the existing system of the Han Dynasty." Zhuge Liang glanced at Sima Yi and found that the other party was like a salted fish, not even wanting to turn over. He sighed inwardly and looked at Cyprian, no longer being so sarcastic, but getting straight to the point.

Talking to smart people in circles is pointless; it's better to just state your purpose directly.

“Oh, because we live in this environment, we can’t see the problems with the system. So we need to bring in outsiders to observe. That’s a good idea, and it’s open and enlightened enough.” After Zhuge Liang changed his previous attitude, Cyprian also returned to normal. He was willing to communicate with smart people because he could learn something from them.

“Yes, everything that exists has been optimized by Chen Hou and me, but due to our own limited understanding, we can no longer fill in the gaps. Therefore, we need outsiders to observe from different perspectives and with different eyes.” Zhuge Liang nodded and said, “What you said about openness and enlightenment is correct. Chen Hou also told me about this. The inclusiveness of a powerful civilization is that it can accept its own weaknesses and defects, and its self-esteem can withstand the criticism of others.”

Therefore, when you are strong, it is the right thing to do is to correct any weaknesses that might cause you to become weak. On the contrary, when you are weak, you should not do these things, whether out of consideration for your self-esteem or to expose your shortcomings.

Of course, this doesn't mean the latter is correct. Rather, purely from a national perspective, at that level, the upper echelons would never accept such behavior. The weaker a nation is, the more it needs some kind of support and the more it rejects the civilization infused by the powerful. Because at this point, it can barely survive by relying on conservatism. If it were to be enlightened and reformed at this time, the most likely outcome would be that it would be completely destroyed by the powerful civilization.

This is what is meant by "the body cannot tolerate nourishment."

After all, when you are strong, you can fully absorb anything good that others have and make it a part of yourself. You can be inclusive and open-minded, and you won't feel inferior because of what others have. You will only say that each has its own strengths and advantages. Moreover, the fact that we are so strong is enough to prove that our internal drive is stronger than theirs.

But if one becomes weak, everything about oneself may be negated. At this point, absorption is not absorption, but assimilation.

Chen Xi explained the relevant content to Zhuge Liang in detail. Zhuge Liang also had his own understanding of this and felt that what Chen Xi said was very correct. The reason why the Han Dynasty could freely use good things from abroad was because it was a superior country that had been powerful for hundreds of years and could afford these things. But what if it were to decline? Then foreign things would truly be poisonous.

Everything foreign carries traces of other civilizations. When you are strong, you can refine and absorb these traces, turning them into your own power. But if you are weak, these traces might just destroy you. That's what civilization is all about.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang approached Cyprian with the intention of eliminating his own weaknesses, since this guy was strong enough, considered one of his own, and trustworthy.

If the Romans had spoken more, understood the true nature of Han civilization, and discovered its fatal flaws, their actions would have been uncertain. As the saying goes, one should always be wary of others. The closest connection between nations is actually shared interests.

Morality, friendship, and even at the national level, are all things that cannot be trusted.

Under Zhuge Liang's sincere and direct questioning, Cyprian lowered his head and pondered for a while. How to put it, he had been thinking about these things ever since he came to the Han Dynasty, because he clearly felt the difference between the Han Dynasty and Rome, a difference that was fundamental.

"Let me state my position first. I do not believe that the Roman system is superior, nor do I believe that the Han system can completely surpass the Roman system. Therefore, I judge the Han system from a Roman perspective. I am merely stating a difference; how you interpret or summarize it is your business." Cyprian clarified his position first to avoid offending Zhuge Liang later.

Even though Cyprian thought Zhuge Liang was quite kind, at most a bit sarcastic, sometimes the truth can cut people so deeply that they can't help but turn against them.

Therefore, he had to say these words.

“Alright.” Zhuge Liang nodded, then looked at Sima Yi and said, “Zhongda, if you have any different opinions, you can speak them out and write them down.”

"Let me hear what you have to say first. I've noticed some things over the past few years, but they're not systematic. I just feel that each has its own way of development and its own strengths." Sima Yi nodded. He hadn't just been drifting around abroad these past few years; he had seen some different things and had his own insights. He just wanted to hear what Cyprian, this Roman, had to say first before he could express his own thoughts.

“Zhongda, if you don’t speak first, you won’t have a chance to speak later.” Cyprian glanced at Sima Yi and said. If it were anything else, Sima Yi might be able to add something after he finished speaking, but when it came to systems, organizations, and the operation of large institutions, Cyprian could guarantee that once he finished speaking, Sima Yi would have virtually no chance to add anything.

"Then speak, I'd like to hear your insightful opinion." Sima Yi wasn't annoyed by Cyprian's words. He had witnessed Cyprian's power over the past few years, but no matter how outrageous the other party was, he shouldn't be so speechless that he couldn't even add anything. If that were the case, would he still have any reason to exist? Could he still be considered a top-tier sage?

“Then don’t blame me for being impolite.” Seeing Sima Yi’s attitude, Cyprian didn’t say much, but looked at Zhuge Liang. “Let me first tell you what I know about Rome and the Han Dynasty. You can distinguish between them yourselves and see if what I say is correct.”

Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi nodded slightly, also wanting to hear what Cyprian had to say.

“Let’s start with Rome, or even earlier, Greek civilization. The environment there was much better. The Mediterranean climate made farming easy, and the calm Mediterranean made maritime trade extremely easy. So from the beginning, Greece operated on a city-state model, where a city and a lord were essentially a country,” Cyprian explained earnestly, raising his index finger.

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi frowned, not understanding why Cyprian would speak of this. On the contrary, Zhuge Liang's expression became quite solemn. He understood what Cyprian was explaining; it was about the very foundation of civilization.

"So Greece lacked strong leadership and organization because the population was small and food was not difficult to obtain, so there was no strong idea of ​​unity," Cyprian said with a touch of nostalgia. "As a result, many philosophers emerged. These people spent their days studying trivial questions such as what freedom is and what humanity is, but these questions eventually formed a foundation."

Zhuge Liang, combining this with Chen Xi's previous explanation, instantly understood.

"So they were an alliance, so they were senators, so their fiefdoms were of that kind." Zhuge Liang suddenly realized that he finally had a clear understanding of why the Roman Empire had a Senate and why it maintained a citizenship system. From the moment the Aegean civilization took shape, the Roman Empire's Senate and citizenship system were destined to exist.