It was evening when Zhuo Yunfeng came to find Ning Yi. Before this, Ning Yi had been considering the issue of establishing a huge public opinion system in the Wu dynasty, and he had reached a point where he was somewhat vexed.
Regarding the steps Ning Yi had to take in Shangjing, the first was naturally to deal with Liangshan, but the fundamental goal was to begin to deal with similar disasters that might come in a few years from Jingkang or the Jin invading south. For a country, most things were done step by step. How to make the country rich and powerful, the things that needed to be done were actually pretty much the same in the general direction. A person's ability was actually manifested in countless details. But of course, there were some things that could bring about a certain change at the root, such as finding a fulcrum to pry open the whole situation, such as reform.
But for the overall reform, Ning Yi politely declined. He didn't dare to get involved in matters of this level. This time in Shangjing, what he could do was his ability in many details, his experience in running a company, the management and coordination of logistics, the resolution of all kinds of small problems, and the use of conspiracies. As long as human nature didn't change too much, he wouldn't mess up when he did things. After all, a business war was also a confrontation between people who used all kinds of extreme methods. And outside of this, there was a fundamental blank area that he considered filling.
The steps were like this. After Shangjing, with Qin Siyuan's approval and his previous experience, he would spread "Takeshi" throughout the country as quickly as possible. Even though every era had its own characteristics, with the support of the state, many modern business experiences could still be used in the Wu dynasty. This wasn't a big problem. Then, with "Takeshi" as the foundation, he would spread out a huge storytelling and entertainment industry. The audience would be the completely illiterate rural people, which was also the entire population of the Wu dynasty that had no right to speak. In this area, he shouldn't encounter a counterattack from the aristocratic class for a while.
To spread out such a thing, of course, the conditions that needed to be met were the establishment of various standards, the standardization of the training system, the reduction of production costs, and the loss of circulation channels. It was just like how supermarkets gradually replaced department stores in the future, and online stores began to squeeze the entire real market.
Even though the Wu dynasty did not have the foundation to develop capitalism at present, Ning Yi had more than an era of usable experience in his hands. As long as he was not suppressed at the political level for a while, Takeshi could spread rapidly everywhere like locusts. How to deal with the government, how to bribe, how to deal with the local gangs, these things were also extremely professional in the developed capitalist system of the future.
When he really wanted to release these things, Takeshi might be like the first piranha to enter the freshwater system. As for what harm it would cause after it reproduced, Ning Yi didn't care for the time being. But with Takeshi, this entertainment system would spread some extremely simple and cheap principles to the whole society, such as "great heroes serve the country and the people." After a few years, the entire society would be led north.
The current Wu dynasty didn't have enough public opinion monitoring and propaganda systems. Although every dynasty and every generation certainly had literary inquisitions, their targets were still scholars, who made up less than 10 percent of society's population. And the propaganda system was almost non-existent. In particular, no one would publicize anything to the common people at the bottom of society. Those people who faced the yellow soil with their backs to the sky might not have heard many stories in their entire lives. As for the people of the jianghu, the bandits, and the like, they would only listen to some simple storytelling and opera. The stories in these things were simple and straightforward, but most of them didn't deliberately guide public opinion. At most, it was some happy revenge, swordsmanship, luck with women, and other such fantasies and adventures. It was practically a virgin land that hadn't been developed yet.
But as the later generations knew, many of the poems and prose about patriotism written by scholars might be able to draw the cheers of a group of scholars in the court or at a literary conference, but if it was placed at the bottom of society, to put it bluntly, who would know what you were promoting? How many of the bandits in the woods could read "Shi Biao", and how many understood its meaning? How many of the hoes and soldiers would be filled with grief and indignation because of Du Fu's poems?
At this time, the entire society of the Wu dynasty was extremely simple. The illiterate people were far easier to fool than the nerds of later generations who were used to using the Internet. In just a few years, people would develop a greater sense of concern for the country. Even if they couldn't fundamentally get rid of the bandits and martial artists, as long as the overall situation was tilted a little, this combined force would be enough to move the entire society. In this sense, raising a group of people to write novels and plays was far more cost-effective than raising a few top-notch scholars to write poems that would be handed down through the ages.
This was the only fulcrum that Ning Yi could think of that might be able to move the entire society without alarming the privileged classes too much. But there were still many problems. The most important thing was that he was hesitant about whether or not to let the Wu dynasty get hold of such a nuclear weapon. He had once told Liu Watermelon how to brainwash the soldiers at the bottom of society, and he had also mentioned the importance of propaganda to Lu Hong. But to be honest, a convenient public opinion propaganda system that spread throughout the entire society was the best foundation for these things to be truly implemented. But if it was really put into operation, whether it was the Tyrant's Saber Camp or Lu Liangshan, their days in the future would only be even more difficult. This was like boiling a frog in warm water. There was no way to prevent it no matter what.
Ning Yi didn't know what his relationship with the Wu dynasty would be like in the future. He only wanted to stop the Jin people from moving south, but there were some things that he had thought about from the beginning. In the future, he would inevitably offend people, perhaps a lot of people. He wasn't a good person who cared about the country and the people. He wanted to do things because he saw people like Qian Xiwen, Liu Watermelon, and Chen Fan. There were people that he could identify with and that were worth saving. But if many things turned against him in the end, he wouldn't sit still and wait for death. This was the worst outcome that he had ever thought of.
Because of this, when the idea of this public opinion propaganda system was basically done, he was a little hesitant and made some changes after that. When Zhuo Yunfeng came to find him, things had reached a critical point. But it seemed that what he wanted to say was not a small matter.
"I know that Zhou Pei is next door, in the room that Mr. Ning used to live in."
He led Zhuo Yunfeng into the room and sat down, pouring him a glass of water. Sure enough, after sitting down, the young man in front of him went straight to the point. Such a straightforward answer made Ning Yi's mind pause for a moment. He nodded and held the brush in his hand, waiting for the young man to continue.
"I've known the princess since we were young. I know what she's thinking and what she's thinking. Since two years ago, when Prince Kang's Mansion first prepared to choose a husband for her, she was a little reluctant. I know her temperament. She wants to see more people and things, but when she sees a single Jiang Ning, she will always feel that it isn't enough. Mister Ning should also know that the princess is very intelligent. Most men … can't compare to her. "
Zhuo Yunfeng paused and looked at Ning Yi. The latter looked at him with a smile and nodded. In fact, Ning Yi's reaction surprised him. Regarding this meeting with Ning Yi, he had thought about what to say many times. He had planned to shock the other with his first sentence, but who knew that Ning Yi's reaction would be so calm. He felt that he had indeed underestimated a smart person. But in his opinion, Zhuo Yunfeng's heart must have been turned upside down. It was just that he did a good job of not showing his emotions on his face. Now that he was smiling and nodding, it should be a sign that his heart was in chaos.
What he didn't know was that Ning Yi was thinking about how to persuade Qin Siyuan to give enough political resources to Takeshi if he didn't use publicity as a reason. But in his opinion, as long as he didn't promote too much, even if Qin Siyuan knew that publicity was useful, he shouldn't pay too much attention to the entertainment industry of the restaurant. In any case, what Takeshi wanted to do was simple. It was nothing more than to make a lot of money and then hire people to tell stories and sing operas all day long. Besides … this Zhuo Yunfeng seemed to be quite smart.
"In the early days, the Prince Kang's Mansion was pressuring her because of this matter. When she talked to me in private, she already had the intention to leave, but she wasn't very determined. But this time … I think she's really made up her mind. Originally, I was just guessing, but I confirmed it yesterday. I know that the Princess has always admired Mister Ning's talent, but I don't know how she convinced you … Originally, I shouldn't say too much about this, but we are friends. Mister Ning, this matter concerns the Princess's reputation. The Prince of Kang's selection of a son-in-law is imminent, but she ran away from home. Originally, it wasn't a big deal to go all the way to the north, but if people found out … that the Princess was in the same room with someone … Mister Ning, I'll say this more seriously. In the end, I'm afraid that she will harm others and herself. It's not good for me to mention this to others, but Mister Ning should always prepare for a rainy day. "
Naturally, what Zhuo Yunfeng said was a relatively euphemistic way of saying it. Among all of Zhou Pei's friends, Zhuo Yunfeng's temperament and wisdom were quite outstanding, but he was also a rather proud person. After Zhou Pei rejected his family's proposal for the first time, Zhuo Yunfeng never mentioned it again. He knew Zhou Pei's character all too well. He knew that Zhou Pei had been influenced by Kang Xian since she was a child, so she admired those who were capable and talented. But she was still a young girl, and she always felt that there were many better things in the world. If he couldn't prove his ability at the highest level, it would be difficult to win her heart.
And the highest level of the stage was naturally the capital.
From many previous events, he had guessed that Zhou Pei had the intention of running away to the capital. Later, when Ning Yi returned, it probably deepened her intention to put her plan into practice. From their earlier conversation, Zhuo Yunfeng had roughly guessed this. He was determined to go to the capital. Of course, this idea was a little risky. Fortunately, he had confirmed in the past two days that the Little Canton Princess had really done such an outrageous thing. At least his trip was not in vain.
In his original plan, the best possibility was that he would help and take care of the Princess on the way to the capital, and then subdue everyone in Bianliang with his literary talent. At the same time, he could temporarily make a name for himself among the royal family. Unfortunately, when he confirmed that Zhou Pei was staying in Ning Yi's room, he felt that something was wrong. Before he came this time, he originally thought of two possibilities. Either the two of them really had a simple master-disciple relationship, or... Ning Yi was only six or seven years older than Zhou Pei. He was brimming with talent, and the Princess had always admired him. If there was something shameful between the master-disciple pair, then... it was hard to say.
Therefore, when he came to find Ning Yi, there was actually a hidden hint in his words. "Zhou Pei will be on the ship to the capital. If she gets involved with a small son-in-law on the way, people may say that Zhou Pei's reputation and integrity will be damaged, but if Prince Kang's Mansion really gets angry, the one who really can't bear the consequences is you, Ning Yi."
As he spoke, he observed Ning Yi's expression. When he saw Ning Yi occasionally nodding or frowning in thought, although he did not turn pale with fright, it was obvious that he had realized how terrible the problem was. He was also considered a member of the royal family, so this kind of hinting, beating, and observing were all cultivated since childhood. At this time, he knew that his goal had been achieved, and could not help but feel a little proud. If Ning Yi was smart enough to get out of this matter, he had to make some deals with him.
In the end, the existence of the young Commandery Princess would still be announced, and the best way was to show that the young Commandery Princess was with him. Ning Yi was just a commoner, so he couldn't bear the gossip of being with the Commandery Princess, but he could. After that, all the dignitaries on the ship would subconsciously associate him with the young Commandery Princess. These gossips would eventually accumulate in the young princess's heart.
With this thought in mind, he said a few more words about the relationship between his family and the Princess. Then, he saw Ning Yi nod and stand up, saying, "What you said makes sense." Zhuo Yunfeng did not expect him to explain things too clearly. However, after he said that, what happened next was beyond his expectations. Ning Yi led him out of the door and knocked on the door next door. Zhuo Yunfeng heard him say, "Zhou Pei, are you there?"
Zhuo Yunfeng could not help but be stunned. There was already a light but soft footsteps in the room, "Yes, sir, I also have something to do..." It was Zhou Pei's light voice, which he had almost never heard before. As she spoke, the girl in the room opened the door, and then she was slightly stunned. At this time, Zhou Pei was wearing a rather common dress, which she had originally borrowed from Xiaochan. But for some reason, the beautiful and elegant dress worn by Xiaochan was somewhat out of place on Zhou Pei.
Usually, Zhou Pei was very natural around Ning Yi, even a little impudent. But now that she saw Zhuo Yunfeng, she suddenly calmed down, lowered her head slightly, and pulled up the open coat — in fact, it was also a coat inside, but Zhou Pei's body was a little weak, so she wore two coats, and the outer one was not buttoned. After subconsciously pulling up the coat, she lowered her head, "What..."
"Someone is looking for you, your friend. Entertain yourself."
"... Okay."
Zhou Pei looked at Zhuo Yunfeng and nodded slightly. At this time, Zhuo Yunfeng also did not know how to respond. This was supposed to be a conversation between men. He had predicted Ning Yi's mood, reaction, and predicted various responses, but because he was cautious and solemn, he did not expect that Ning Yi would directly push him to Zhou Pei. Now he did not know what to say... He was greeting Zhou Pei when Ning Yi frowned and thought for a moment, then asked Zhou Pei, "What did you say just now?"
"No, nothing." Zhou Pei shook her head, and then seeing that Ning Yi was about to leave, she said, "I'll talk to you later..."
"Oh." Ning Yi nodded and went back, for the moment he could not be bothered to care about the entanglement between Zhou Pei and Zhuo Yunfeng, this young man and woman. But in his heart, he thought that although Zhou Pei had the noble temperament of a princess when she wore those expensive clothes, she looked like a village girl when she wore Xiaochan's clothes, which was quite interesting.
If he wanted to fix these things in his heart, it would be very difficult to settle in a short period of time. After thinking for a while, he heard the conversation between the young man and woman next door, and vaguely, they did not sound very intimate. Zhuo Yunfeng was in high spirits in front of Ning Yi, but in front of Zhou Pei, he was a little upset and depressed. From Ning Yi's point of view, this was clearly because Zhuo Yunfeng liked Zhou Pei. He thought that if Zhou Pei came to look for him later, he would have to say a few words to her, so that she wouldn't miss out on a good marriage because of her high standards. This Zhuo Yunfeng seemed pretty good at his age.
After a while, Xiaochan, who had gone out, returned. She had gone out to see how Su Wenyu's seasickness was recovering. As they were docking in Xuyi that day, Ning Yi let Su Wenyu, who was suffering from severe seasickness, disembark and seek medical attention, so that he could avoid further torture. On this trip to the capital, the Su family, including the servants and maids, had only sent a little more than ten people. Xiaochan had a clear understanding of everyone's situation. It could be said that she had taken over Su Tan'er's mantle, and had the demeanor of a "little mistress of the household". Ning Yi poured her a cup of tea. She sat by the bed and held the teacup in her hands as she talked about everyone's situation, her hair swaying cutely behind her head. Ning Yi tilted his head and watched for a while, then smiled and told her about Zhou Pei's suitor.
Not long after, after dinner, there was still no further news about the young Duke. This side of the dock was brightly lit, and the opera stage was lively. The lights on several large ships were connected. After Zhou Pei and Zhuo Yunfeng had chatted, she had already gone to the front hall for dinner. Ning Yi remembered that Zhou Pei seemed to have something to talk to him about. After dinner, he continued to think about things and tinker with his clothes. Xiaochan did not disturb him, and went to watch the opera after making tea for him. But after waiting for a while, Zhou Pei still had not returned. Ning Yi guessed that she must have had a lot of social engagements to attend to, so he got up and went out to clear his head. He did not intend to wait any longer, so he went to another ship to look for Yun Zhu and Jin 'er.
He knew that Yunzhu and Jin'er did not appear in public these days, so he went straight to the room. When he walked to the door of the room, he was slightly stunned, because there was a faint voice coming from the room. It was not Yunzhu or Jin'er's voice. It sounded a little low, but the things it said were very familiar.
"... At that time, there was no one he knew. Son-in-law was alone. He had just recovered from his injury, and he had to bring along a little maid like me who could not help at all. Miss Yunzhu, Miss Jin'er, think about it. In a place like Hangzhou, there were traitors everywhere, and there were people who wanted to kill Son-in-law to avenge someone else. The attitude of the Tyrant's Blade Camp was also unclear. I really did not know when he would be killed. But even at that time, Son-in-law did not make any expression of embarrassment. Many times, he purposely made me happy... I pretended to be very happy, and sometimes hid behind the house and cried secretly. I was not afraid, I just felt that Son-in-law was really too good... Uh, now he is Husband... "
The last sentence was said in a small voice, with some satisfaction, but also a little embarrassed because she was in front of others. Who else could it be but Xiaochan? Ning Yi could almost see her embarrassed expression as she spoke and touched her fingers. He pressed his forehead against the cabin wall, a little speechless. On the way here, he had been hiding the matter of Yunzhu from Xiaochan. He had also thought that Xiaochan had "fiercely" told him that she would join forces with Miss to bully other women, but he did not expect that the two sides had already colluded. Actually, thinking about it now, when Xiaochan carried Ning Xi and ran away from the Su mansion, it was Yunzhu who came out to save the child. With Xiaochan's personality, it was not strange that she was grateful to Yunzhu for that favor.
When he found out about this on the ship, the largest brothel in Xuyi County was in the midst of singing and dancing. In a small room on the side of the main hall, a pair of eyes quietly looked out from the window and glanced at the guests who came this time, as well as the servant girl she arranged to wait at the door, slightly frowning. When she was young, she was the focus of a group of children and brothel mothers. Since she became famous, there were even more visitors and admirers rushing to visit her. For a moment, she did not expect that she had been stood up by Ning Yi. No matter what, even if it was a childhood friendship, he should have come!
Thinking of this, she became a little worried. Recently, Xuyi did not seem to be very peaceful. Did something happen to him...
*****
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