Because of what he saw and heard that night, the fourteen-year-old young man had a bizarre and dazzling dream that very night. The scene in the dream made him blush. It was really amazing.
The next morning, he woke up in an awkward situation. From a medical point of view, he naturally knew that this was a sign of health, but the ignorant boy felt ashamed. He had killed countless enemies on the battlefield, but now he was seduced by a silly girl who he knew was an enemy. Women were the source of trouble. That was right.
Fortunately, he lived alone now, so no one would find anything embarrassing. When he got up, it was still dark. After the morning class, he hurried to a deserted river to wash his pants. In order to deceive people, he added another basin of clothes. After washing for a long time, he thought that his martial arts skills were too low. If he practiced for a few more years, his internal energy would be higher, and he could refine essence into Qi. Then, he wouldn't waste essence and blood like this. Well, he really had to practice hard.
Thinking of this, he exerted force and tore the clothes he was washing. This clothes was made by his mother. He had to find someone to mend it when he went back.
When he was emotional, he couldn't control his strength. It was also a sign that his martial arts skills were low. If he practiced for a few more years, he would be able to control it well and it wouldn't be like this … Practice hard, practice hard …
With such thoughts in mind, he finished washing his clothes and returned to the courtyard to do morning exercises at the beginning of the day. Inner force, fist technique, saber and spear … The ancient city of Chengdu gradually woke up in such darkness. Thin fog floated in the sky. Not long after dawn, a cart carrying steamed buns came to the courtyard and called out. Halfway through his practice, Ning Ji went out to greet the boss and bought 20 steamed buns. He bought them every day, so he was familiar with the boss. Every morning, the boss would stay outside for a while.
At this time, the steamed buns were also called dumplings. There were stuffing inside, which was equivalent to the steamed buns in the future. 20 steamed buns filled a cloth bag, which was equivalent to the food of three to five people. Ning Ji bought breakfast and ate two at random before going back to continue his practice. When he finished his practice, the morning sun had already risen in the city. He washed a little and changed into new clothes. Then he carried the cloth bag and left the courtyard while eating breakfast.
It was still early. Considering the situation last night, he went all the way to the Maha Pool. He planned to catch an acquaintance of the intelligence department and secretly ask him about Shan Gong.
At this time, the Hua Xia Army had already occupied Chengdu. In the future, it might be managed as the core of power. As for the Intelligence Department, they had already set up a designated office. But Ning Ji did not intend to go there to show off.
After the war, the Huaxia army was short of manpower. The rear had been reorganizing and drilling the surrendered Han army and settling the Jin captives. Chengdu was currently open to the outside world. Here, many forces, whether in the open or in the dark, were in a new period of probing and wrestling. The Chinese army was monitoring the enemy in Chengdu, and various enemies were probably monitoring the Chinese army at the entrance of the various departments. Before the Hua Xia Army completely digested the results of this war, it would not be surprising for there to be games, friction, and even open fire in Chengdu.
This was also a form of training for the Huaxia Army — their sphere of influence had expanded from one million to ten million, and their policies had to be open to the outside world. Such a test would also have to be experienced in the future. Of course, it was also because of this reason that although it was decided that the meeting would be held in Chengdu, at this time, the Ning family could only stay in Chengdu, including his father, Aunt Gua, his brother, and himself. Aunt Red Ti, who was the most skilled in martial arts, was now staying in Zhang Village to be responsible for internal security. This was to prevent some hot-blooded young man from rushing over to cause trouble out of desperation.
Of course, on the other hand, Ning Ji did not want the Intelligence Department to be too involved in the matter in his hands. Anyway, it was a slow thing. A weak woman with evil intentions and a few silly old pedants, he could take action at any time. If he really found something shady, he could also drag his elder brother and Sister Chuyi into it. At that time, the brothers could work together and cut through gold, and they would not be able to overturn the sky.
Thinking of this, he came near the Maha Pool while eating the steamed bun, and observed the people coming in and out of the Welcome Way. There were many young people in the inner circle of the Huaxia Army's Intelligence Department, and Ning Ji knew many of them. This was also the result of the situation of the army in the past. Most of the people who could fight had to be called to the battlefield, and there were old people, children, and women who stayed in the rear. At first, the trustworthy young people helped to pass the message, and later they gradually became skilled internal personnel.
At a quarter to seven in the morning, Hou Yuanyong jogged out of the guest path. She briefly sized up the passersby nearby. After picking out a few suspicious figures, she also saw the young man who was walking through the crowd and making a secret gesture. He went to the side of the road and walked a few streets before he met up with the other party in an alley.
Ning Ji was stuffing the steamed bun in his hand into his mouth, and then he handed him one. "This is the last one."
"I've eaten." Hou Yuanyong looked at the cloth bag hanging by his side, which had been completely stuffed, and said with a smile, "Xiaoji, why don't you go in?"
"There are people watching outside, and I have nothing very important to do. Forget it. This time I came to find you, Brother Ji. "
"Hmm?"
"I want to investigate someone."
"Xiaoji, tell me."
"An old man called 'Shan Gong' or 'Hao Ran Gong'. He is a scholar, has a long face, a goatee, and is about fifty years old …"
Ning Ji described the characteristics of the old man to Hou Yuanyong, and Hou Yuanyong nodded as he memorized. When Ning Ji finished, he frowned. "Why are you investigating him? Is there anything? If there's anything suspicious, I can report it first. "
"There's no need for that now. If it's something serious, I won't come here to stop you."
"Hmm, okay." Hou Yuanyong nodded. He naturally understood that although his identity was hidden after the war, the young man in front of him had a way to contact the Huaxia military at any time. Since he didn't come here through official channels to stop him, it was obviously for confidentiality reasons. In fact, he had a general idea of the information about the Shan Gong as soon as he heard it, but he still had to ask before he could answer.
"… If 'Shan Gong' plus' Hao Ran ', then it must be Guan Shanhai who entered the city at the end of May. I heard that he is an old Confucian scholar named Hao Ran. He has some influence outside of Sword Gate Pass. After entering the city, he found the newspapers here and published three articles. I heard that the moral articles are powerful, so he is indeed on the list of people who have been paying attention recently."
"Moral articles …" Ning Ji was expressionless. He scratched his cheek with his fingers. "I heard that he is the 'Bull Ear of Chengdu' …"
"Bull ear is not his turn." Hou Yuanyong laughed. "But he is probably at the top of the list. What's wrong … If someone is bragging about him like this, they probably want to ask him to do something for them."
"Is there anyone in the intelligence department following him?"
"Not really. After all, we need a lot of people. Unless we are sure that he might cause trouble, they can't arrange it. But some basic information should be recorded. Xiaoji, if you have a direction, I can go back and inquire about it. Of course, if he has a big problem, you have to let me report it. "
Ning Ji thought for a moment. "I want to know who he usually interacts with, who can be considered his helpers, and who he will go to if he wants to inquire about information."
"I understand." Hou Yuanyong nodded. "Let's set up a place, and I will try to get back to you by tonight."
The two discussed for a while, and after setting a time and place, they parted ways.
At this time, the morning sun had become bright and beautiful, and the streets of the city looked peaceful. Ning Ji finished eating his steamed bun and sat by the roadside to watch for a while. The clanking of carriages and horses was accompanied by the stench of muddy water in the marketplace. Scholars were chatting among the simple crowds, joyful children were holding their parents' hands, and martial artists were only beginning to shout at the other end of the street … There was no sign of a bad person anywhere. But Ning Ji knew the real reason why his mother, aunt, and younger siblings could not come to Chengdu.
After the war in the southwest had ended, his mother had taken him to visit the widows of some comrades who had died in the war. The Huaxia army had endured in hardship for more than ten years. Seeing their first great victory at hand, these people had sacrificed themselves before the victory. The cries of their parents, wives, and children at home had moved one. After that, Ning Ji's mood had dropped. Bystanders had thought that this visit had affected him.
But in reality, it was not just this. For a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old youth, fighting with the enemy on the battlefield, getting injured, and even dying, all of this made one feel generous. When heroes who could rise up and fight died, their families would feel sad and even despair. Of course, this kind of emotion would infect him, but he regarded these families as his own and would always find a way to repay them.
But then they began to talk about the celebration in Chengdu.
Ning Ji had originally thought that after defeating the Female Zhenren, there would be a vast and clear sky, but in reality, that was not the case. Aunt Hong Ti, who was the strongest in martial arts, had to stay in Zhang Village to protect her family. His mother and the other aunts had come to persuade him not to go to Chengdu for the time being, and even his elder brother had said the same thing. When asked why, it was because there would be more complicated struggles in Chengdu.
In the past, the big clans in the world, who had neglected the power of the Huaxia army, would come to test the strength of the Huaxia army. All kinds of Confucian sects would come to oppose the rise of the Huaxia army like Dai Mengwei and others. Those who were powerless in front of the ferocious Female Zhenren would try to take advantage of the Huaxia army, and even wanted to tear a piece of meat off the Huaxia army. The difference was that the Female Zhenren would kill them all, but the Huaxia army was also Han people like them.
And countless civilians would choose to wait and see, waiting to be roped in.
This was something that made Ning Ji confused and angry.
Why?
They were beaten like pigs and dogs in front of the Female Zhenren. The Central Plains had fallen, the country had been robbed, and the people had been slaughtered. Wasn't this because of their cowardice and incompetence?
It was the Huaxia army who defeated the Female Zhenren for them. Why did they still have the face to be hostile to the Huaxia army?
Their failure was so obvious, and the victory of the Huaxia army was also obvious. Why did the losers have to lie with their eyes open?
Wasn't it clear who was right and who was wrong?
Why did those so-called well-read teachers, those scholars who were called "great Confucians", fail to distinguish the most basic right and wrong?
Did they do it on purpose? But he, who was only fourteen years old, could imagine that if he lied to someone with his eyes wide open, his face would turn red and he would be ashamed. He was also a student, and his teachers had taught him these things from the beginning. Why did people become like that when they were 40, 50, or 60 years old?
"The Huaxia army won, but it will fail in 50 years." Why did a person who had not won a single battle say such a thing? What right did he have to do that?
This kind of thinking made him angry.
It was also these things that made him understand that those heroes who fell in the war were only regarded as heroes by the Huaxia army. There were millions of people in the world who did not understand, did not understand, and did not recognize their sacrifice and value. They would even continue to fight against the Huaxia army in the future.
At present, the Huaxia army only had a million people, but they had to fight against millions or even millions of people. According to his brother and other people, they had to slowly change them and "beg" them to understand their thoughts. Then they would continue to fight against the Female Zhenren. Those who had awakened would rush to the front, and those who had awakened would die first. But those who had not awakened would fail and complain while waiting for others to help them.
This kind of world was not right … In this kind of world, didn't the right people always have to pay more, and the weak and incompetent people had no responsibility at all? The Huaxia army had made countless efforts and sacrifices to defeat the Female Zhenren. In the end, the Huaxia army had to change them and save them. The Huaxia army had to "beg" for their "understanding". In the end, there might be a good result. But in this way, didn't the latecomers pay nothing, and everything was on the shoulders of the first to pay?
The awakened would get a good result, and the weak and dirty would die. That's how a fair world should be. Those people studied only to distort their own hearts. They became officials for their own selfishness and benefits. They were weak in the face of the enemy and could not work hard after being slaughtered. When others defeated a strong enemy, they still had dirty thoughts in the dark … These people, all deserved to die … Perhaps many people would still live like this, still unrepentant, but at least, no one would feel pity for them to die.
For a fourteen-year-old boy, this kind of "death cannot wipe out the expiation" feeling, of course, he could not understand and could not change the other party's thinking of "incompetence and rage". But it had indeed become the main theme of his thinking during this period. He gave up showing his face in public, and looked at the outsiders in the corner, as if he was looking at a clown.
These people's thinking was twisted, their hearts were dirty, and their lives were meaningless. He did not care about them, but because of the opinion of his father, brother, and family, he did not kill these people. Every night, he ran to the small yard to spy on Wen Shoubin and Qu Longjun, naturally with such a mentality.
If he was not discovered, he would see what kind of twisted drama they were going to put on. If he was really discovered, or the drama began to get out of control, he would kill them. Anyway, they deserved to be killed — he was extremely happy.
After watching the street for a while, Ning Ji left for the Martial Arts Contest to start work.
At the same time, Yan Daolun led Yu Ho-chung to the Heroes Guild at the south end of Yingbin Road and handed over the visiting card. This place was used by the Huaxia army to accommodate foreign guests. Now, many people had already moved in, and the diplomatic group sent by Liu Guangshi on the surface was also staying here.
"Wen Shuai" Liu Guangshi was very thoughtful. He sent out two members of his team, one in the open and one in the dark. On the surface, he was the first among the various factions of the original Wu dynasty to make a change. If the Huaxia army wanted to show their sincerity, they would definitely give him preferential treatment. But considering the previous bad impression, he also chose to use various spies in the dark, and this secret force was controlled by Yan Daolun.
A few days ago, Yan Daolun visited Li Shishi for the first time under the leadership of Yu Ho-chung. Yan Daolun had a good sense of propriety, and left immediately after saying hello. But later, he came to visit alone and handed over the visiting card. After this kind of visiting card was rejected, he found Yu Ho-chung and took him to join the diplomatic group on the surface.
"Now that the heroes of the southwest have gathered, the first batch of people from various places have all been settled here."
The Hall of Heroes occupied a large area. As they walked in, the road was wide and the trees were dense. It seemed that the scenery here was even better than in the north. Groups of twos and threes could be seen gathering among the flowers in the various gardens. Some were chatting casually, some were sizing each other up, and some were probing and cautious. Yan Daolun led Yu Ho-chung in as he introduced them to him.
"The group that has been arranged to take the main position in the north is the group from Jin. They are the subordinates of the female minister, Lou Shuwan, and the chaotic army, Wang Juyun. In the past, they have had dealings here and there. The leader is called An Xifu. He has a stern face and isn't someone to be trifled with. This time, they want to take the biggest share … The Zuo family has been arranged to the east. Duke Zuo Xiuquan is Zuo Jiyun's right-hand man, and can also be considered the Zuo family's chief steward. Relying on Zuo Duanyou's good fortune, they have always acted as a mediator between the Huaxia army and the Wu dynasty. This matter of regicide can't be reconciled, but it's not a big problem to pretend to be ignorant and ask for some benefits for Fuzhou … Apart from these two families that have been on good terms with the Huaxia army in the past, it's our turn next … "
"In today's Chengdu, there are no more than three forces standing on the surface. The Huaxia army is the landlord and occupies one side. Like here, they can still form a relationship with the Huaxia army and get some benefits, so they are the second side. The Huaxia army said that they want to open the door, to put it bluntly, they want to rope us in. So, the first to stand up will have some advantages in the following negotiations. But how much advantage will it be depends on how we talk. Brother Yu, I asked you to come out because of this matter … "
Yu Ho-chung thought, 'So it's like this.' His heart settled, and he asked tentatively, "I wonder what benefits the Huaxia army will give …"
"Technology." Yan Daolun lowered his voice, "When the Huaxia army gathered all sides, they secretly revealed some clues. In this Chengdu conference, Mr. Ning will not only sell things, but he will also sell some manufacturing technology. You should know that this is the hen that lays eggs …"
Yu Ho-chung frowned, "This is an overt plot. In this way, the hearts of the people outside will not be united, and the Huaxia army will be able to succeed."
"Brother Yu, you see it clearly." Yan Daolun cupped his hands and smiled, "This is how the world is. The Huaxia army has the upper hand, and they are willing to take out the benefits, so everyone will go their own way and take what they need. For example, Dai Mengwei and Wu Qimei, who have been enemies with the Huaxia army for a long time, may send people to destroy this conference, but who knows who they will send to pretend to be a buyer and take advantage of them? It just so happens that there are third parties like them who are determined to be enemies with the Huaxia army, so General Liu will have a better chance of getting benefits from the Huaxia army. "
He smiled and paused, "Throughout history, the game between the three countries is the most interesting. The strong can be weak, and the weak can be strong. It is precisely because the situation is chaotic that it is the right time for men like us to make contributions and gain some merits. These are my words from the bottom of my heart, and I am only saying them because we are on good terms. Regardless of whether it is reasonable or not, I hope that Brother Yu will not spread it. "
Yu Ho-chung nodded solemnly. Yan Daolun's words were also what he was thinking. If it was not for this situation, if it was not for the karma that he and Shishi had formed, how much connection would he, Yu Ho-chung, have with the world? Now that the Huaxia army wanted to rope in people outside, and Liu Guangshi wanted to stand out first to get some benefits, he would be the middleman, and it would be perfect for both sides. On one hand, he would get some benefits, and on the other, he would be doing it for the country and the people.
As he thought about this, the leader of the diplomatic mission had already come out from the hall to welcome them. This was an important official under Liu Guangshi. Following that, the group of people went in and introduced many of Liu Guangshi's famous officials to Yu Ho-chung. These important people in the past complimented Yu Ho-chung, and after that, they discussed and talked about the expectations of the diplomatic mission this time: gun technology, iron smelting technology, gunpowder technology … If the situation was ideal, of course, they wanted everything, and if not, they hoped to be able to buy back a few important technologies.
Yu Ho-chung, who had been flattered, finally fell from the clouds. He thought to himself, "Aren't you guys bluffing me? You want me to get back so many things through Shishi's connections? Are you guys crazy, or is Ning Yi crazy? " As he thought about this, he became more and more nervous as he listened to the discussions of the crowd. He knew that after this conversation, he would be bringing a few important people to visit Shishi. If Shishi found out about this and shut him out, it would be hard for him to be an ordinary person when he returned home …
"Actually … Miss Shishi and I only have some childhood friendship, and we can talk to each other. Regarding this matter, I can ask Miss Shishi to pass on a message and think of a solution, but … after all, this is a matter of national importance, and it's hard to say whether Miss Shishi has such a position in the Huaxia military … So, I can only give it a try … I'll do my best … "
After the discussion, Yu Ho-chung finally couldn't help but say these words. The important people in the hall looked at each other with a smile, and their gazes towards Yu Ho-chung were all kind and close.
"Of course, of course …"
"You just need to do your best …"
"Brother Yu, you've worked hard …"
"You don't have to feel burdened, whether you succeed or not …"
The crowd said many words of loyalty, and then two representatives were chosen to follow Yu Ho-chung to visit Miss Shishi.
As he handed over the name card and waited for a reply, Yu Ho-chung's entire inner shirt was drenched in sweat …
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