After a night of social engagements, he approached the small courtyard where he was temporarily staying. It was already close to midnight.
Because he was forced to drink a lot of wine, he vomited once. Wen Shoubin couldn't stand the bumpy carriage, so he got off the carriage in an alley not far from the courtyard. He wanted to walk around and review the two social engagements tonight: who was easy to talk to, who was not easy to talk to, who had weaknesses, and who he could interact with.
If he was in other places, it would be more or less unsafe to walk outside at this time. But he was excited today, so excited that he couldn't describe it. Secondly, he also knew that recently, Chengdu was loose on the outside and tight on the inside. The Huaxia army used the power of defeating the Lady Zhenren to arrest a few people, so the public security on the streets was clear. He was not afraid that someone would kill him if he walked on the streets like this. If they wanted money, he could just give them the bag. He didn't care about these things today.
The night wind was warm and genial. On the way back to the entrance of the courtyard, his mood became cheerful. He hummed a tune as he entered the door. A maidservant came over and told him about Qu Longjun accidentally falling into the water today. Wen Shoubin's expression changed. "Miss, is there something wrong?"
"Nothing, but she might have been frightened …"
The maidservant told him the ins and outs of today's events in full detail. After listening, Wen Shoubin nodded silently. He went to the living room and asked someone to bring a pot of strong tea. He drank a few mouthfuls to disperse the smell of alcohol. Only then did he go to the small building at the back.
He went upstairs and knocked on the door outside the room. After waiting for a moment, he pushed the door open and entered. Qu Longjun was sleeping on the bed. The gauze curtain swayed with the wind. Wen Shoubin walked to the wooden table in the middle of the room and took out a match to light the oil lamp. He then moved a chair to the side of the bed and sat down.
"Father …"
Sensing Wen Shoubin's arrival, Qu Longjun opened her mouth and wanted to get up. Wen Shoubin stretched out his hand and pressed her shoulder. "Sleep. They said that you accidentally fell into the water today. I was worried and came to see you. It's good to see that you are fine. "
Although he had drunk the tea, his body still reeked of alcohol. He sat there, seemingly exhausted, looking at the starlight shining in through the window.
Both father and daughter didn't speak for a while. After a long silence, Wen Shoubin sighed and said, "Previously, I gave Ah Chang to Shan Gong. Shan Gong likes her quite a lot. Perhaps she can live a good life for a few days. Tonight, I gave Yan Ting away. I just hope … they can have a good home. Long Jun, although you talk about the righteousness of the country, in the end, she was the one who brought you to the southwest without a word. You are unfamiliar with this place and you have to do something dangerous. You are also … very afraid, right? "
"Father …" Qu Longjun's voice was choked with emotion.
Wen Shoubin was quiet for a few moments, then he rubbed his forehead. "No matter how I put it, the matter of the southwest can only be done if you want to. Long Jun, it's easy to talk about righteousness, but it's really difficult to do it. If your father had the choice back then, he wouldn't have chosen to rely on that Liu Yu. I … really don't want to deal with these people today. The country is in danger. They get drunk and talk about love affairs all the time. Sometimes, I wonder, can these people really accomplish anything … "
He leaned back in his chair and didn't say anything for a while.
"But the more I look at this world, the more I feel that people are like this. There are always seventy percent right and thirty percent wrong. Without these things, people are not people. Without these mistakes and doing things according to the words of the sages, wouldn't there have been a Great Harmony several thousand years ago? The words of the sages and the knowledge of the Confucian school are all for the sake of finding a compromise in this world. The sages call it the golden mean. Hardness cannot last long; softness cannot be defended. So it is the golden mean … "
He said, "In this world, if it is said to be absolute, then there is nothing to say. I've raised daughters like you. To put it bluntly, they'll say you're prostitutes … "He smiled casually." In the past, what did those great scholars and scholars think of me? I've only raised some … prostitutes. I taught you the four arts, calligraphy, and painting, taught you to serve others, but … heh. So it makes sense for them to look down on people … "
"Father …"
"Regarding this, I can't refute them. To put it bluntly, this is what you do. You're like a madam in a brothel. You teach you things and push you into the fire pit just to earn money. Money that you earn with your blood, sweat and tears, money that goes against your conscience!" He paused.
"But in this line of work, it is somewhat different from being a madam. I don't let you touch this man or that. When I treat you as my daughters, I raise you as my daughters. I try my best to find a good family for you. Even when you are married, I will always treat you as my daughters … As for Aunt Hui, even after she is married, she has always asked me to visit her. I don't want to go. After all, I am not her biological father. If I go and let Master Liu see me, it will be so annoying. I can't … I can't let Aunt Hui not have a good life in the future. But she … she was defiled by Lady Zhenren two years ago. I didn't even get to see her for the last time …"
At this point, Wen Shoubin raised his hand to cover his eyes. His words were choked with sobs. "And Aunt Ping, Ah Cui, and your sisters … at least they are all men from the beginning to the end. Isn't this how women live their whole lives? Yes, you can't be the wife of someone else, but at least you won't be a vagabond for the rest of your life, right … Of course, if I tell these words to those great scholars, they will definitely scoff at me. Who do I think I am, flaunting myself here …"
"Long Jun, do you know … why I read the books of sages?" He said, "In the beginning, I just read and casually learn a few sentences. You know that in my business, I have a lot of dealings with wealthy families. They read a lot and have a lot of rules. From the bottom of their hearts, they look down on me — a man who sells his daughter. So, I talk to them about books, about the things in the books. I let them feel that I have great ambitions, but in reality, I have no choice but to sell my daughter to make a living … When I talk to them about selling my daughter, they feel that I am a lowly man. But if I talk to them about the books of sages, they feel that I am pitiful … Forget it, I will give you more money. Get lost. "
"At the beginning, I read the books like this. But slowly, I felt that what the saints and teachers said really made sense. Those words were all targeted. There are so many people in this world. If we don't use those principles, how can we be orderly? As a father who sells his daughter, do I have to rely on money? Do soldiers have to kill people? Do businessmen have to ignore their conscience? Only scholars can be sages? "
"This is the way of the world. You are 70% right, but it is inevitable that you are 30% wrong. I am 70% wrong, but in the end, I am 30% right. That is not bad. As a father, I raise my daughters and give them a good life. Even if I exchange them for money, at least I am better than the madam in the courtyard, right? Businessmen can also serve the country and the people. Soldiers can also be reasonable. Now that the world is in such a situation, I also hope that I can do something … Only then can the way of the world truly become better. "
He rubbed his forehead. "The Hua Xia Army … makes it sound good to the outside world. But from what I have seen over the years, the more it is like this, the more I don't know what will happen. On the contrary, some small flaws can last for a long time. Of course, my knowledge is limited. I can't say what Duke Mei and Duke Dai said. I brought you here in the hope that you can do something in the future. At the very least, I hope that you can spread the news about the situation of the Hua Xia Army here … Of course, of course, you are very afraid … "
"Heh, if there is a choice, who doesn't want to live a clean and simple life? If I had a choice in the past, I wanted to be a scholar. I wanted to read the books of sages for the rest of my life, take exams, and get a small scholarly title. I remember when Aunt Ping got married, she said that she wanted a simple small family, a husband who loved her dearly, and a child. Who doesn't want that … But in this world, either you have no choice, or you can only choose the lesser of two evils. Everyone wants to live a peaceful and peaceful life. But when the Lady Zhenren came, the world was in chaos … Long Jun, there is no other way. You can't avoid it … "
Wen Shoubin was also restless. At this point, he lowered his head for a long time before finally raising it. "Of course, if Long Jun really doesn't want to stay in a place like the southwest, when you met those people today, Tang Shizhong repeatedly hinted to me that he has a good impression of you … Do you still remember him? He was one of the people who came with Duke Shan that day. He had two freckles on his face and didn't like to talk much. This person comes from a scholarly family and I heard that he is very rich. Ever since he saw you that day, he couldn't forget you. I think the others also have the same thoughts …"
"If you marry them, you can indeed have a good life. But if the Lady Zhenren comes again, or if the Black Flag attacks, you can't avoid running away …"
Qu Longjun's weak voice came from the mosquito net. "If I follow them, father, you won't be able to do what you came to the southwest. Will Duke Shan and the others still put you in an important position?"
Wen Shoubin was stunned. "… I can't think too much about that." After a while, he said, "And your other three sisters."
Qu Longjun thought for a moment and said, "… I really fell into the water. It's true. "
"Yes." Wen Shoubin nodded. "… I know."
*****
The Milky Way was dense.
After listening to the confused conversation between the old and young dogs, Ning Ji, who had waited for a long time, finally got up from the roof. His hands were already clenched into fists. If he hadn't learned martial arts since he was a child and received the strict education of "keeping a knife in a sheath" at home, he would have already gone downstairs and killed these two with his knife.
Wen Shoubin's words sounded normal at first, but when it came to the content, Ning Ji, who was only fourteen years old, couldn't understand some of it. Some of it he understood, but it sounded extremely twisted in his ears. "Oh, once the Lady Zhenren is in chaos, you can't hide anymore. If you want to do something, very good, go and fight with the Lady Zhenren. You suddenly changed the topic and came to the southwest to make trouble. What kind of bullshit is this?"
This old dog kept talking, but he couldn't go down to refute it. It was even more impossible to kill them. Now these people were only at the stage of "wanting to do bad things". Disgusting thoughts were not a crime, but if he really did it, he couldn't explain it to his father and Aunt Gua.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He angrily punched a few times on the roof, then quietly went down and rushed home. After going back, he began to practice the unfamiliar Eagle Claw. He tore a few pieces of wood, found a bluestone by the river, and practiced the Golden Bell Shield. After practicing like this for more than an hour, he took a cold shower and finally calmed down a little.
When he was practicing, he was upset. After thinking for a while, he simply told his father about Wen Shoubin's shameless words. His father must know how to slap the old dog's face. After calming down, he gave up the idea. Now that so many shameless people had come to this city, it was unknown how many of them his father had seen. He must have arranged a way to beat up all of them. If he went over and asked him to pay attention to this person with the surname Wen, he would be overestimating this old dog.
What on earth did his father arrange? There were so many bad people who said so many disgusting words every day. There were probably hundreds and thousands of people who were more disgusting than Wen Shoubin … If it was him, he would probably have to catch all of them and kill them. There should be a better way on his father's side, right?
The little bitch was also not a good thing. When he saw her commit suicide, he thought there was something hidden in it. After hearing the old dog's words, he planned to continue doing evil. If he had known earlier, he would have let her drown directly in the river. Now, he could only hope that they really planned to do something big. If he just caught her and sent her out, he couldn't swallow this anger …
After confirming that he had saved the wrong person, the young man's thoughts were a little upset. That night, he fell asleep with such tangled thoughts.
*****
The city gradually became quiet at night and entered the lowest consumption operation. Except for the night watchmen, arresters, and guards on duty on the city wall, most people fell asleep. In the depths of the night, people could only hear rustling sounds, but the sounds began to become louder, followed by the crowing of chickens and the barking of dogs. Light rippled in the city, and then white appeared on the horizon.
The huge Chengdu woke up in such an atmosphere. Ning Ji woke up together with thousands of people in the city. On this day, he ran to the military doctor's office and took a large bag of medicine. Then, he mixed some imperceptible spices into it and went to the army to borrow a dog …
At the same time, thousands of people were carrying out their actions in the city.
In the early morning, Qu Longjun sat in the pavilion by the river and looked at the rising sun. As she had done countless times in the past, she recalled the life in the Central Plains when her father was still alive.
Her courage to commit suicide had been exhausted last night. Even though she was sitting here, she didn't dare to take another step forward. Not long after, Wen Shoubin came to greet her. The "father and daughter" talked for a while. After making sure that his "daughter" had calmed down, Wen Shoubin left home and began his new day of social activities.
In another residence, after Guan Shanhai had finished reading the day's news, he began to meet with some of the outstanding scholars who had gathered in Chengdu this time. He discussed with them the flaws and weaknesses of the Huaxia army's so-called 'four citizens' and 'contract'. This kind of one-on-one private social interaction was a way to show that he valued the other party and quickly build up his prestige in the other party's heart.
In the afternoon, he would also go to an open discussion among some scholars in an inn. There were many people who came to Chengdu this time. In the past, most of them were famous and rarely saw each other. Guan Shanhai's appearance would satisfy the needs of many scholars and famous people to "sit down and discuss". His reputation would also become more stable because of his performance at these times.
At night, it was time to deal with some more covert affairs. For example, meeting with schemers like Wen Shoubin who could not see the light, discussing with some trusted confidants about the weaknesses of the Huaxia army, and discussing how to deal with them. Due to the Huaxia army's pervasive use of spies, these matters could no longer be resolved by hot-blooded gathering of people. They had to adopt a more stable pace and act according to the situation.
There were many conspiracies and discussions like this in the dark in Chengdu. Many of them would even surface from time to time.
This day was June 22nd. The two leaders of Yan Daolun and Liu Guangshi's diplomatic group met with Lin Qiu in private again. They began to bid to the Huaxia army with some of the prices and payment methods they had discussed. They tried to have an in-depth discussion about the purchase of some firearms technology. It was impossible for such a discussion to be finalized in a few days, but if they showed their sincerity, got to know each other's background, and talked about a stage of intention, they would have a lot of advantages in the future bidding.
In the interval between bidding and chatting, Yan Daolun warned and advised Lin Qiu, "… There are many people who came to Chengdu this time.
"… There are many people who have come to Chengdu this time. It is a mix of dragons and snakes. According to my private investigation, there are some people who have made preparations to take risks out of desperation … Now that the Hua Xia Army has shown such sincerity, my General Liu naturally hopes that your side and Mister Ning's stability and safety can be guaranteed. There is no need to talk about the clowns here, but I hope that Brother Lin can report the whereabouts of one person to the higher-ups. This person is dangerous, and may already be preparing to assassinate …"
He spoke in a low voice and revealed information, thinking that it was his sincerity. Lin Qiu listened carefully. Then, he revealed a look of realization and hurriedly asked someone to pass the information back to him. Then, he expressed his gratitude.
"Brother Yan is very righteous. I will also tell Mister Ning about this later."
"I am just a servant. Brother Lin, please tell Mister Ning that this is mainly General Liu's intention."
"Of course, of course. However, although the overall kindness comes from General Liu, Mister Yan is the one in charge at the front. I will not forget this favor."
"Haha." Yan Daolun stroked his beard and laughed. "Actually, General Liu has a lot of friends in the world today. This time, there are many people who trust me in Chengdu. However, some news is not confirmed after all, so I can't say bad things about people. But Brother Lin, please rest assured. As long as this deal is done, General Liu will not allow anyone to ruin the big thing in the southwest. This matter concerns the rise and fall of the world. It is not something that can be opposed by a few old pedants who can't keep up with the changes. The Jurchen people are the biggest enemy of Huaxia. With the enemy in front of us, and Mister Ning willing to open up everything to the Han people in the world, they will definitely not fight among themselves! "
"That's right!" Lin Qiu slapped Yan Daolun's leg. "Well said!"
Then, they continued to enter the negotiation stage.
In the same morning, Watermelon went to her office and gathered a few specific people to come one after another. Not long after, a total of seven people came from different places and met with Watermelon in the small conference room.
These people had different identities, statuses, and ages. The oldest was Yong Jinnian from the cultural front, and there was also Lin Jingmei, the goddaughter that Ning Yi took in. There was a disabled soldier who lost a hand, and there was also a young soldier who looked scholarly. After everyone sat down, Watermelon rubbed her forehead and began to speak.
"… Regarding the idea of a Great Society, Mister Ning had a discussion with me. I feel that I need to remember it and let you think about it. Mister Ning, he … imagined a very long process to explain what he thinks is difficult about this matter. I will try to say it once, and you can think about what needs to be done …"
She recalled Ning Yi's words and explained to everyone after deleting the beginning and end of the conversation last night. She especially emphasized the words "social consensus" and "group subconsciousness" — these people could be considered as members of her think tank in promoting democracy. Similar discussions had happened many times over the years, and she did not hide it from Ning Yi. As for these analyses and records, Ning Yi actually tacitly approved of them.
After she finished explaining the whole concept, someone laughed. "Mister Ning really seems to have seen such a world before. Could it be that he came from there? That's why he can be so powerful."
Yong Jinnian said, "Fables are used to express one's will. Just like how Zhuang Zhou used the theory of gods and monsters to teach people, the important thing is what is contained in the gods and monsters. These stories of Mister Ning roughly explain the process of the change of people's hearts in his ideas. He should also be talking about what he thinks are the difficulties in the reform. We might as well make an interpretation based on this … "
The sun was shining brightly outside the window. The eight people at the door immediately began to discuss. This was just one of countless ordinary discussions, and not many people knew the meaning behind it.
On the other side of the city, Lu Xiaolun and the others who failed to get a job from Watermelon began to go out and visit various heroes with the name card of Elder Lu Liutong.
They were going to be shocked again.
At the same time they went out, in the guest house not far from Watermelon, An Xifu and Fang Shuchang were walking by the river and talking about the past. He talked about some of his experiences in the north, and Fang Shuchang also talked about the development in the southwest. In the past, both sides were rebels under the command of the Holy Duke, but An Xifu was a rising general under Fang Baihua who was responsible for enforcing military law, and Fang Shuchang was a disciple of the Tyrant Blade. Their friendship was not particularly deep, but after so many years, even an ordinary friendship could leave a deep impression.
Moreover, the benefits that were prepared for Jindi in the southwest this time had been decided internally, so An Xifu did not need to be so vigilant all the time. Today, all the heroes in the world were rising together, but to really keep up with the pace of Black Flag and form a wave of cooperation, apart from Liangshan's Guangwu Army, only Jindi, which was under Lou Shuwan's control.
This was the way of the world. Only when one was strong enough and had a firm attitude could one consider less tricks and conspiracies.
The two of them talked about Fang La's rebellion more than ten years ago. Later on, they talked about the great defeat, the great destruction, and the death of Fang Baihua. An Xifu talked about the 'Peacock King Sword' Wang Shangshu, who was now in the north. Fang Shuchang talked about some of the things Ning Yi had done. Logically speaking, there should have been a lot of grudges between them, but in the past decade or so, they were nothing. Fang La's destruction had long been set in stone, and the deaths of some people could not be prevented at the end of the day.
After talking for a while, they talked about Ning Yi. An Xifu also said, "Chengdu seems peaceful, but in reality, undercurrents are surging, and all sides are restless. To tell you the truth, we have already received all kinds of rumors, saying that there are people who want to cause trouble, that there will be people who will carry out assassinations in the early days of your so-called meeting. If the situation is even the slightest bit off, many people will follow. Your side's response is so negative, if I write a letter back, I bet the female minister will scold Mister Ning for being useless. "
He had been in charge of military law for many years, and his face had never had much expression. He only smiled slightly when he talked about Lou Shuwan and Ning Yi with Fang Shuchang. These two people had killed their fathers, but now many people said that they were having an affair. An Xifu occasionally thought about Lou Shuwan's insults towards Ning Yi, and he could not help but find it interesting.
Fang Shuchang laughed, "You are not familiar with this place, where did you receive the news from?"
"It doesn't matter which side the news came from. Nowadays, all sides are trying to rope in people, and there are many people who want to be friends with the Land of Jin. Those who say this may not dare to do anything, but since such news is spreading everywhere, there must be people who dare to do it. On your side, do you really want to let things continue to brew like this? Today's gossip might be a test. Slowly, seeing that you have no reaction, maybe they want it to come true. If there really is a fight, can you still hold a meeting? "
"Based on Mister Ning's character, how could he not have made preparations when he was in Hangzhou back then?" Fang Shuchang said with a smile, "It's hard to say the details, mainly because the war has just ended, and not everyone has arrived yet. On our side, the 7th Division is still waiting outside, and they can only come in after a few days. Also, there is the Tan Province, it will take time. Chen Fan will probably need ten days to half a month before he can rush over. "
"Oh yes, you were close to Chen Fan back then, and we haven't seen each other for so many years, when the time comes, we can really catch up. Soon. "He said as he patted An Xifu's shoulder.
"Chen Fan …" An Xifu said this name, and laughed. "That year, I brought the account book to the north, and I thought I could see him again, who would have thought that after so many years … In the end, he is still with Sister Qian 'er …"
Fang Shuchang laughed heartily.
The sun was golden, and someone walked into the seemingly ordinary but actually nervous courtyard, summarizing the new day's surveillance list and the suspicious information.
In the city where thousands of people gathered, a myriad of life dramas were playing out. Countless people suppressed their emotions, waiting for the moment when the conflict would start and the outbreak would start.
The next day was the 23rd of June. Ning Ji brought the medicine mixed with special spices to the venue of the Martial Arts Contest to trade. His world was not big, but for a young man who was about to turn fourteen, it was no less than the turbulence of the world, and the mixture of joy, anger, sorrow, and joy …
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