The convoy entered the city in the last ray of light of dusk. In the dim light of night, they drove to a courtyard with green walls and gray tiles on the east side of the city.
There were a total of 14 people in the first batch that Old Ox had brought over. Most of them were core department staff who had survived by following Chen Shanjun and the others during the turmoil. Among them, eight of them originally had identities in the Hua Xia Army, while the other six were staff members who had been promoted after the war. There were seemingly reckless guards, as well as young orderlies who followed Chen Shanjun and the others to pour tea. Their positions were not necessarily high, but they had been rescued and brought along.
The 14 people were arranged in the courtyard with two entrances. The soldiers in charge of the garrison announced the rules to them. Each person had a room, and they were not allowed to move around or talk casually for the time being. It was basically similar to imprisonment. However, the people who had just escaped from Old Ox Head during the turmoil did not have much to be picky about.
Not long after everyone entered the room, simple food was sent over. After dinner, the night in Chengdu was quiet. Some of the people locked in the room were confused, while others were anxious. They did not know how the Huaxia Army would deal with them. Ming checked the layout of the room over and over again and listened carefully to the outside world. As he sighed, he made himself a pot of tea. Chen Shanjun just sat quietly next to him.
Around 11 pm, he heard footsteps coming in from outside. There were about seven or eight people. Under the lead, they first walked to Chen Shanjun's room and knocked on the door. Chen Shanjun opened the door and saw Ning Yi standing outside in a black military coat. He whispered something to the people beside him and then waved his hand to let them leave.
"Mr. Ning …" Chen Shanjun looked at him and slowly saluted. Ning Yi also returned a military salute. "You look a lot older." His gaze was calm. There was no accusation or judgment, nor was there a smug look of "I told you so". There was a dignified look in his calm eyes. Chen Shanjun opened his mouth but could not say anything.
"Let's go in and talk?" Ning Yi said.
Chen Shanjun moved his body. "Please come in, come in …"
The decorations in the room were simple, but there were tables, chairs, hot water, teacups, tea leaves, and so on. Ning Yi walked into the room and sat down. He flipped over the teacups and began to make tea. Amidst the sound of porcelain, he spoke.
"You won't be quarantined for too long. I've arranged for Chen Zhusheng and the others to come over and give you the first round of statements. This is mainly to avoid any bullies or criminals who have committed crimes. Also, I hope that I can be as objective as possible regarding Old Ox Head's first opinion. All of you came from the center of the turmoil, so your views on things are most likely different. However, if you carry out a conscious discussion, your views will converge … "
As Ning Yi spoke, he placed a large porcelain cup in front of Chen Shanjun. Chen Shanjun was still a little confused. "Transcript …"
"After success, there must be a review. After failure, there must be a lesson. This way, we won't gain nothing."
"Old Ox Head …" Chen Shanjun muttered. Then, he slowly pushed away the stool beside him and knelt down. "I, I'm the biggest criminal …"
Ning Yi crossed his fingers on the table and sighed. He didn't help the white-haired loser in front of him up. "But Old Chen … what's the use of you kneeling in front of me …"
This sigh floated in the air. The room was quiet. Tears flowed down from Chen Shanjun's eyes and landed on the ground.
Ning Yi was silent for a long time. Then, he looked out of the window and said, "There are two circuit court teams. They have already received orders to go to Old Ox Head. They will immediately record the criminals they catch. During this time, their views on Old Ox Head and you will also be recorded. If you really did something outrageous for your own selfish desires, we will deal with you together. We won't tolerate it. So, you can think clearly about what you're going to say next … "
He paused for a while. "But other than that, I don't know how to evaluate your adventure in Old Ox Head for now."
"Of course I'm guilty." Chen Shanjun supported himself on the stool and slowly stood up. When he said this, his tone was firm. "I was the one who encouraged them to go to Old Ox Head. I used the wrong method. I was the one who caused the deaths of so many people. Since I made the decision, of course I am guilty —"
"You used the wrong method …" Ning Yi looked at him. "Where did you go wrong?"
"Old Ox … made too many mistakes, I … if I …" Speaking of this matter, Chen Shanjun shook his head in pain, as if he wanted to express it simply and clearly, but he could not make an accurate conclusion in a short period of time.
"Old Chen, you don't have to tell me today." Ning Yi said, "I'll send Chen Zhusheng and the rest to record your testimonies immediately. They'll record what happened to Old Ox Head. Apart from the fourteen of you, there will also be a large amount of testimonies recorded, regardless of whether they are guilty or innocent. I hope that in the future, someone will be able to sum up what exactly happened to Old Ox, and what exactly you did wrong. As for you, Old Chen, there will be a long time for you to slowly think about and conclude your thoughts … "
"I shouldn't be alive …"
"You might not be able to live! Chen Shanjun, do you think I care about your life or death!? "Ning Yi stared at him.
Chen Shanjun was stunned.
Ning Yi said, "If you really did something deserving of death for your own selfish desires in Old Ox-Head, I will immediately execute you if you deserve to be executed! But at the same time, Chen Shanjun, is the world the same? Is it wrong for everyone to be equal? You've failed once, and you think that these thoughts are all wrong? "
"…" Chen Shanjun shook his head. "No, these thoughts can't be wrong."
"Yes, these thoughts can't be wrong. What did Old Ox Head do wrong? He didn't manage to get things done, so naturally, the method was wrong. " Ning Yi said, "Before you did anything, I reminded you of the problem of long-term and short-term benefits. The driving force behind every action in this world is needs. Needs produce benefits. A person wants to eat today, go out to play tomorrow. Within a year, he wants to satisfy his needs at different stages. In the biggest sense, everyone wants the world the same …"
"However, it is impossible for long-term and short-term benefits to be completely unified. A person who lives by the water may want to eat and play today, but half a year later, the flood will destroy his home. Therefore, he will use today's time to repair the river bank. If the world is not peaceful and there are problems with the government, his daily life will also be affected. Some people will study and become officials. If you want to do something that has long-term benefits, it will definitely harm your short-term benefits. So, everyone will balance their expenditure on something … "
"From the beginning, Old Ox Head attacked the landlords and equalized the land. You said that he wanted to achieve fairness in the means of production, but everyone in the middle obtained huge short-term benefits. A few months later, no matter what they do, they won't be able to obtain that huge satisfaction. This huge difference will cause people to become bad. They will either start to become lazy, or they will rack their brains to think of ways to obtain similarly huge short-term benefits, such as using their power for personal gain. The short-term benefits can't be sustained in the long run, and the medium-term benefits are empty. Then, he promises a long-term benefit that can only be realized in a hundred years. So, he collapses … "
Ning Yi looked at him. "I thought of this logic, and I also saw that everyone is driven by their own needs. So, I want to first develop the study of things and try to expand productivity. I want one person to be able to match the needs of several or even dozens of people. I want to make the production as abundant as possible, so that people have enough food and clothing and know honor and disgrace … It's just like the common saying that some landlords who are poor will be greedy and rich will have a conscience. After everyone is satisfied, they will have a little more conscience …"
Chen Shanjun shook his head. "But, such people …"
"You want to say that they aren't really kind." Ning Yi sneered. "But how can there be a truly kind person? Chen Shanjun, humans are a type of animal! Humans have their own habits, and they will change in different environments and rules. Perhaps in certain environments, they will become better, and that is what we seek to be better. Under some rules and preconditions, humans can be more equal, so we pursue more equality. All things have spirits, but heaven and earth are not benevolent. Old Chen, no one can truly get rid of their own temperament. The reason why you choose to pursue the greater self and give up the smaller self is because you see the greater self as a higher need. "
The room fell silent. Ning Yi tapped his fingers on the table a few times. "So, Chen Shanjun, is my idea right? Will my path … be able to be taken? "
Chen Shanjun raised his head. "You …" What he saw was a calm and unanswered face.
Ning Yi stood up and covered the teacup. "Your idea has taken away more than a thousand people from the Huaxia army. He Wen of Jiangnan has already gathered an army of hundreds of thousands of people under the banner of equality. Going forward, the Fang La Uprising said that the law is equal, and there is no superior or inferior. Going forward, there are countless uprisings that have shouted this slogan … If we don't make a summary and generalization, the word 'equality' will forever be an unseen and untouchable castle in the air. Chen Shanjun, I don't care about your life … "
Ning Yi stared at him, his eyes seeming to contain both a blazing fire and a callous ice.
"I don't care about your life," he repeated. He repeated, "For the sake of this fire you lit at Old Ox's Head, the Hua Xia Army gave you a path of survival despite being stretched thin. They gave you resources. A thousand people isn't a lot, but it's not a small number either. If you had these thousand people, many of the heroes who died in the Southwest War might still be alive … I've given up so much to explore this path for you. I want to summarize its principles for future explorers to use."
He paused. "Old Chen, every change in this world will bleed. Walking from today to the world of Great Harmony won't be accomplished in one go. Starting from today, we will bleed countless times. Failed changes will cause the blood to be shed in vain. Is it because it will bleed, so it won't change? Is it because it will change, so it doesn't care about bleeding? We must treasure every time we bleed. We must let it be a lesson, a lesson. If you want to atone for your sins, if you are lucky enough not to die this time, then leave behind a true reflection and lesson. "
"Think about it carefully in the next few days." After saying this, Ning Yi turned and walked out the door.
…
The autumn wind rustled, blowing through the courtyard in the night.
After leaving Chen Shanjun's room, Ning Yi went to Lu Mingming's room next door. Ning Yi didn't need to lay too much groundwork for this traitor who had been caught. He roughly explained the entire arrangement and asked Lu Mingming to recall and explain in detail what he had seen and heard at Old Ox's Head over the past two years, including the reason for the problems at Old Ox's Head, the reason for their failure, and so on. Since this was a scholar with ideas and knowledge, it wasn't difficult to summarize these things.
However, after he finished speaking, Lu Mingming unexpectedly opened his mouth. At first, he was a little timid, but then he summoned his courage and made a decision. "Mr. Ning, I have an idea. If I may be so bold … I would like to ask Mr. Ning to agree to it."
"Huh?" Ning Yi looked at him.
Since he had started speaking, Lu Mingming's expression gradually became calm. "I … came to the Huaxia Army because of a conversation with Li Dexin. I originally wanted to be a spy and cause some damage in the Huaxia Army. However, in the past two years, under Mr. Chen's influence, Old Ox has slowly thought through some things … Mr. Ning has assigned Old Ox to other places, and now you've sent someone to record and seek experience from the beginning. You can be said to be very broad-minded …"
"If you have something to say, say it. Don't flatter me."
"… I will record down everything that happened to Old Ox Head. After I finish recording, I want to go to Fuzhou to find Li Dexin and tell him everything about the southwest. I heard that the new ruler has ascended the throne in Fuzhou, and He Wen and the others have formed a fair party in Jiangnan. What we saw and heard at Old Ox's Head might be of help to them … "
Lu Mingming was not young. Because he had been threatened to go undercover for a long time, it was difficult for him to straighten his back at the beginning. After saying these thoughts, his gaze became resolute. Ning Yi looked at him coldly. After a while, he retracted his gaze. Ning Yi pressed the table and stood up.
"I'll give you two months to leave behind everything that should be left behind. Then, return to Fuzhou and tell Li Pin everything … As long as you don't play any tricks, your family and dog will be safe."
Ning Yi's tone was cold as he left the room. Behind him, Lu Mingming, whose hair was slightly white, cupped his hands and bowed deeply at Ning Yi's back.
Ning Yi left the ordinary courtyard. A group of mentally and physically exhausted people were waiting for the next examination. Soon, the things they brought would go in different directions in the world. Under the dark sky, a dream staggered and fell to the ground. Ning Yi knew that countless people would grow old in this dream. People would suffer, bleed, and pay with their lives. People would be exhausted, at a loss, and speechless.
But other than moving forward, what other path was there?
… …
Under the illumination of the lanterns, the carriage passed through the streets of the city and headed into the blurred distance. In the sky, the Milky Way flowed.
The pace of the river of stars never lingered for the insignificant beings beneath the sky. In the blink of an eye, the night passed. On the morning of the 24th day of the seventh month, in a corner of the vast land, Wanyan Qingjue heard the order to assemble.
He and the Jurchen generals and elites left the barracks and were herded by the Chinese army to assemble in the plaza. Then, the Chinese army put shackles on them.
"It's time to go."
The officer of the Hua Xia army said.
Wanyan Qingjue knew that they would become a part of the Chinese army's prisoners of war …
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