The distant night remained clamorous.

Ding Songnan patrolled the sentries near the courtyard in the darkness, reminding them to be vigilant, before returning to his room. The orderly accompanying him served hot tea. He dimmed the room's lights to a single lamp before dismissing the orderly.

"Tell the others not to use too many candles, to avoid unnecessary prying."

The orderly obeyed and left.

Fresh tea fragrance wafted from the hot water in the cup. Ding Songnan sat there holding the cup. The tea was truly excellent, but the cup seemed large and rough – he always used such large cups for water in Xiaocang River. His fondness for tea had developed in the Central Plains these past two years.

During these years dealing with Yin Zong, Chen Shiquan, and others, he had been surrounded by countless treasures and valuables. If he wanted women, they would come at his beck and call. Ding Songnan gradually learned to savor the taste of various fine teas, and gradually developed his own preferences. However, he still scoffed at the elaborate tea-making rituals, choosing to brew his tea in this rough, large cup and drink it slowly, as if resisting that extravagant atmosphere.

Not long after determining their split from the Huaxia Army in Funiu Mountain, Zou Xu had several serious meetings with the other accompanying workgroup members. They analyzed their own abilities and strengths, and what Yin Zong, Chen Shiquan, and others relied on them for.

Having come from the Southwest, they possessed skills in military training, management, and operations, and a mastery of organization that Yin Zong and Chen Shiquan, with their bureaucratic and landowning backgrounds, could never match. The Huaxia Army's military discipline was too strict, with only responsibility and no enjoyment, which ultimately went against the principles of human nature. But if, after the split, they indulged in pleasure and became addicted to it, losing their past abilities and talents, they would be nothing more than pigs and sheep at the mercy of Yin Zong and Chen Shiquan.

Amidst such analysis and self-reflection, Zou Xu and the other workgroup members cautiously managed their forces. While acknowledging that there could be enjoyment, Zou Xu's requirements for performance remained extremely strict, and he absolutely forbade his subordinates from neglecting their duties due to indulgence.

Zou Xu's clarity was supported by other workgroup members, including Ding Songnan. Subsequently, several overly decadent "comrades" were even expelled from the Funiu Mountain leadership team. Now, in the long-term game with local powerhouses like Yin Zong and Chen Shiquan, the military system led by Zou Xu had gained the upper hand in all aspects.

Has my ability improved, or declined?

Holding the teacup, inhaling the enticing aroma, Ding Songnan engaged in such introspection.

If we really were to confront the Southwest, what would be the result…?

He pondered such things, lost in thought for a while. At some point, there was a knock on the door, and the orderly came in again: "Mr. Chen is here."

"Oh, let him in."

Ding Songnan tidied up his desk, made tea again, and prepared slightly. Footsteps approached from outside.

Led in by the orderly was a scholar of about thirty years old, wearing a black gown and a hat, looking like an ordinary accountant. This was a scholar named Chen Ting, whom Zou Xu, Ding Songnan, and others had absorbed after establishing themselves in Bianliang and other places. After entering and closing the door, they exchanged a bow. The other man then smiled and said, "So you've moved again."

Ding Songnan said, "We received some news and are avoiding the limelight."

"Is it someone from the Southwest…?"

Ding Songnan smiled and nodded: "Take a seat first."

Chen Ting nodded, sat down on a chair, and was extremely curious about the news: "Who's coming? Do you know?"

"A workgroup led by Qian Baye. It's best not to run into them."

"Qian Baye… oh, the 'Feather Knife' from Miao country…" In the dim light, Chen Ting's face changed several times, then he smiled and said, "If there's a chance, I'd really like to meet him."

"Maybe there will be a chance."

They chatted about news from the Southwest quite naturally for a few sentences, enough to show "I'm not afraid." After the pleasantries were over, the other man took out a small cloth bag from his arms.

"I've been contacting various parties these past few days and have gathered a lot of information. I've already compiled a round-up of several leads here. If some of this information is accurate, the Jiangning affair will be difficult to resolve peacefully this time."

"Oh? How so?"

"Please see, Commander Ding." The scholar opened the small cloth bag and took out several stacks of papers containing various intelligence. "These are messages I've bought through various channels in recent days, all leaked from the most reliable sources within the Five Factions of the Fairness Party. Among the most credible information, there are these few leads about He Wen's actions, which are quite unusual. Then I found these pieces of information to corroborate each other…"

As he spoke, Chen Ting spread the information on the nearby table. Ding Songnan brought the oil lamp over and watched as the other man presented the papers one by one.

“…The Five Factions of the Fairness Party appear deeply rooted, but overall, there are still several major directions of development… Since capturing Jiangning, Zhou Shang and Gao Chang have been advancing south with all their might, trying to devour the Lin'an's small court. Xu Zhaonan and Shi Baofeng, one is consolidating the inner perimeter, trying to nibble away at the Fairness Party from within using the guise of the Great Brightness Cult, and the other is expanding trade routes westward, wanting to connect with Liu Guangshi and others. As for He Wen, besides releasing news about holding this conference, his main action is to extend northward, trying to open up Xuzhou, wanting to conduct a major battle in the Xuzhou area… but there are several unusual pieces of information in the middle…"

Chen Ting spoke as he selected several pieces of intelligence: “…Commander Ding, look, in July and August, ‘Sea Sage’ He Miao was still deploying his fleets towards Tai Lake. This fleet appears to be resting, but before the fleet moved, the price of grain in Jiangbei showed unusual fluctuations. Outwardly, this is said to be preparing for the Xuzhou battle, but in reality, Ji Luan, the head of their logistics, happened to appear in Suzhou at this time and carried out a round of rectifying the bureaucracy…"

This scholar named Chen Ting was originally a Confucian scholar who studied the books of sages, but in the past two years, having received the guidance of Zou Xu, Ding Songnan, and others, his analysis of intelligence had already become methodical and insightful.

“…There can be several explanations for this matter. For example, with the conquest of Xuzhou imminent, Tai Lake is the most important rear area, so Ji Luan was sent to stabilize the situation. But in these messages, we also discovered these two suspicious pieces of information…"

“…The Five Factions of the Fairness Party rose up in Jiangnan, and the most deeply rooted power is in the area around Tai Lake. We can now basically confirm that Long Xian's 50,000 directly subordinate troops appear to be advancing north, but are actually still south of the Yangtze River and north of Tai Lake, not moving. The seemingly loud Xuzhou strategy is very likely to be covering He Wen's six troops moving south…"

“…According to current judgment, Long Xian, Fu Pingbo's direct lineage is in Tai Lake, facing Xu Zhaonan's throat, his largest granary, Changzhou. Zhao Jingci's Reclamation Army is currently wandering around Yangzhou, corresponding to Gao Chang's main force in Zhenjiang… He Miao's navy has been closely watching Shi Baofeng's fleet for two months… Military Sage Lin Jiao Jiu, his largest unit seems to have gone to Xuzhou, but his most capable 8,000 direct lineage troops are now north of Jiangning, guarding He Wen… In fact, in the past eight months, He Wen's new army trained by Shen Ling has drawn a large number of elites from Lin Jiao Jiu's hands. Now no one knows where they are. According to common sense, it seems that they went to Xuzhou, but in the Jingjiang and Jiangyin areas, there are very unusual movements. Commander Ding, look at these two messages again…"

Chen Ting organized some key information, and Ding Songnan looked at it expressionlessly, then nodded as he put it down.

Chen Ting's expression was somewhat excited. He was quick-witted, and after learning the Southwest's method of handling intelligence from Zou Xu, Ding Songnan, and others, he underwent a lot of training and simulation. This time was finally his first time using his personal ability in the practice of such a major event.

“The credibility of this intelligence varies. We don't have more reliable sources of intelligence in the short term…” he said cautiously, “But if these key pieces of information are correct, I am very confident in judging that He Wen has been meticulously preparing for a showdown at this conference two to four months ago. Regarding this reading club, he blocked Shi Baofeng's launch of criticism, and others thought he was a little rigid, and thought that he might be playing some political tricks, causing the other four to be confused and disoriented, but… he may really have left no room for maneuver, he wants to fight four against one…”

After Chen Ting finished speaking, he became quiet. Ding Songnan picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea. The room was silent for a long time.

"In the Southwest, He Wen was just an idealistic scholar." After a while, Ding Songnan slowly opened his mouth and said, "Now it seems that after a round of family destruction and death, he has still learned something."

“…There has also been movement in the reading club in recent days.” Chen Ting whispered, “According to the information that has been sent back these days, since He Wen began to send orders to various places not to persecute members of the reading club, the other four of the Fairness Party have begun a blatant confrontation. They have blockaded roads in large areas and begun to arrest members of the Fairness Party who are hiding pamphlets, but the whole thing is not as smooth as imagined…"

“…In the past, the four parties arrested members of the reading club, mainly people with radical ideas who were secretly colluding to try to lean towards the Southwest, but this time, it has expanded to the scope where anyone who retains Southwest classics is guilty. At the first moment, each party arrested tens of thousands of people, but then discovered that a large number of wrongful convictions and frame-ups occurred… After all, the judgment of being guilty for privately hiding books is too general. Some members of the reading club directly threw the pamphlets into the homes of opponents or innocent people, and there were also a large number of situations where political enemies were eliminated by similar means…"

“…From the information sent to Jiangning from various parties in these two days, we have bought out some, and found that most of them are documents from the middle level reporting such chaos. Some of the frame-ups are extremely obvious. The local authorities arrest people, and they do not dare to take action at the first moment, which is still relatively rational. But after a few days, we can find at least a dozen towns or middle and low-level forces in towns where the chief officials and deputies seized the opportunity to attack each other, causing infighting.”

Chen Ting handed over a report: "Look here, in Ganhua Township in Changshu, a middle-level deputy of 'Avici Naraka' rebelled, killed his boss, and thousands of people fought each other, but this report came this morning, saying that the chaos may have been caused by the reading club incident. The two chief officials had long had suspicions, and after receiving the order, they immediately framed each other… Now it is no longer clear who is who, and this deputy, after killing his boss, also conducted a purge locally, and then threatened to surrender to Xu Zhaonan, emphasizing that he is not a traitor of the reading club…”

“This kind of infighting caused by attacks between chief officials and deputies is a trouble, and framing each other is also a trouble. At the same time, assassinations have also begun to appear. Some members of the reading club tried to transfer to He Wen's territory at the first moment after receiving the news, but the roads have been blockaded. Some of these reports show that some people usually show a tendency towards the reading club, and like to talk about Southwest ideas with others. They probably realized that they couldn't escape, and took the risk of assassinating chief officials or even killing people indiscriminately… There are dozens of similar situations, only more, and these people all say that they are for the future of the Fairness Party…”

Ding Songnan held the oil lamp and looked at the items listed in these messages roughly for a while, and then opened his mouth when he put it down.

"Looking at these things, perhaps this is the main reason why He Wen wants to innovate."

"Commander Ding is referring to…"

"Organization." Ding Songnan sighed, "When I was in the Southwest in the past, Mr. Ning said several times that the power of an individual is limited, and that people can become the masses. The most core indicator that determines the power of a group, that is, organization, is the ultimate goal. A lofty ideal is for organization, strict discipline is for organization, and layers of supervision are for organization. The biggest difficulty in violating organization lies in the weakness of human nature."

“Everyone has weaknesses. They want to enjoy themselves, they want to be lazy, they want to gain without working. Ignorant people cannot see the benefits of the future, and think that as long as they have food in front of them, all kinds of tossing are unnecessary… Then there must be preaching, there must be indoctrination, and the truth must be broken down and softened, so that everyone can see the necessity of effort in the medium and long term. At the same time, it is best to have good gains in the short term, so that the benefits of the long, medium, and short term can achieve the best balance with human nature. You can't directly stop people from eating in the short term for the sake of long-term benefits. By finding these balance points, an organization can obtain the best organization… Mr. Ning once admitted frankly that he didn't know where this best balance point was.”

“But looking at the Fairness Party, the organization is a complete mess. In two years, it seems huge, but in reality it is a mess. There is no restraint between the five kings. As for the five kings below? What about the Eight Executives, the Three Talents, the Four Towns, and the Seven Killers? Can the five kings really command them like arms and fingers? No, these leaders also have their own mountains and ideas. Below these people, this middle-level leader of Ganhua Township has mountains between the chief official and the deputy. To put it bluntly, this Fairness Party of tens of millions of people is actually more like a result of tens of thousands of bandit villages taking a few flags and gathering at will…"

Ding Songnan paused: "This time, He Wen is making a lot of noise at the Fairness Party Congress. His purpose... is not really for these four great kings. It is more like attracting the attention of everyone, and then holding another... recruitment meeting?"

His words were low and somewhat hesitant. Over the past few days, all parties in the world have turned their attention to Jiangning, and their ideas and guesses are naturally how the five parties of the Fairness Party will carry out a round of integration. Even if there is a complex political struggle in the middle, it is nothing more than one or two parties being eliminated, and outsiders betting on this to gain huge benefits in the future.

But if He Wen's idea is not to form an alliance at all, the whole thing will deviate completely from the previous expectations.

Of course, the news gathered from all sources has not yet formed strong evidence to confirm this point, and Ding Songnan's idea is somewhat reserved.

Chen Ting also hesitated for a moment: "This matter... is actually a bit difficult for this humble official to imagine... Although it sounds very generous, can the people who started by burning, killing, and looting really be convinced by those big talk and platitudes in the reading club pamphlets… to reform themselves and abide by discipline?"

“…Ten years ago, there was no possibility at all.”

Ding Songnan sighed: “But now… the Huaxia Army has defeated the Jurchens, and Mr. Ning is peddling his little books everywhere, what are the four peoples, what is freedom, what are the limitations of peasant uprisings, what is the corruption of feudal bureaucrats… Of course, these things can be completely banned in the places of Dai Mengwei, Wu Qimei, Liu Guangshi, and others, but in the Fairness Party, they rose up under the banner of the Southwest.”

“…In the past year or two, even if members of the reading club were arrested in private, it was only believed that these people wanted to help the Southwest seize power. But in the middle and high levels of the real Fairness Party, who hasn't read a few books from the Southwest? Even if they are illiterate, they have already had their teachers read books to them… Everyone doesn't like the Southwest because they don't like him to seize power. How many people think that Mr. Ning is telling lies?"

"The thing about ideas is that they are afraid of no one discussing them. Once someone discusses them, there is always the possibility of taking root. What's more... even some people who don't care about ideas will want to bet with the Southwest..."

Speaking of this, Ding Songnan shook his head slightly: "He Wen knows that his Fairness Party has a big problem. He is not satisfied with the kind of compromise alliance in the Jiangning talks, and wants to further improve the quality of the organization, so he takes the risk. Then there are two possibilities. First, the greatest possibility is that good slogans will eventually lose to the evil in people's hearts, and the other four great kings will unite to eat him… In fact, this is the best result for us. At that time, the Fairness Party will really become a mess, and after the Battle of Bianliang, we can plan for Jiangnan.”

"But if He Wen really finds a group of like-minded 'comrades' in this situation and raises the level of organization by a few steps at the cost of bloodletting, then the future of the Fairness Party may really get on the right track... It will be chaotic in the short term, but in the long run, it will be very troublesome…"

Chen Ting thought for a while: "He Wen said outside… that the Huaxia Army has sent people and is already standing on his side."

"A few days ago, when I met He Wen, he reminded me that the team from the Southwest was led by Qian Baye, so we moved our location." Ding Songnan smiled slightly, "If this is true, it means that he is using the power of the Southwest while also wanting to collude with us; if this is false, it means that there are few credible things in his mouth - so whether it is true or false, at least it can show that He Wen is not an honest person in the political arena, and he can do anything."

Ding Songnan paused: "But it's good, such people will definitely regard whoever offers benefits as their mother, as long as we still have value, he will definitely cooperate with us. On the contrary... there is no need to try to get close to him."

“…Then, which side should we… bet on?"

"We have nothing difficult. The result of the Central Plains War has not yet come out, so naturally, like Dai Mengwei, we will bet on all sides. If we defeat Liu Guangshi, then we will open the door to do business. If we lose, all the agreements will naturally be in vain… In the current situation, no one is embarrassed, which is very good.”

After he finished speaking with a smile, he reached out and patted Chen Ting on the arm: “Leave these intelligence reports behind. You can go back and rest first. Thank you for your hard work. There are still some things to do in the next two days. We will leave the city when things are roughly settled."

"Yes."

Chen Ting left the room. Ding Songnan summarized the intelligence, turned up the oil lamp, and looked at all the information again carefully. When the work came to an end, the tea was cold. He didn't reheat the water. He took two sips, walked out of the door, and the night outside was even darker. The sound occasionally came from the distant city, intense and eerie.

He walked under the eaves and went to the edge of the courtyard, and then subconsciously patrolled the surrounding sentries. The city was not peaceful at the moment. The original residences had already put up frames, and the sentries were hidden in the darkness like city walls. Ding Songnan stayed in the high place in the darkness for a while, and thought of the days he spent in Ji Mountain in the past.

In the conversation just now, it can be seen that Chen Ting is very interested in the topic of the Southwest, but in fact, for those of us who came out of the Southwest, the news about that place always seems to carry a strange taboo.

In Funiu Mountain, in Bianliang, and other places, Zou Xu and I would certainly analyze the shortcomings of the Southwest and the excessive suppression of human nature frankly. In front of Chen Ting and other students, they always spoke very frankly, as if they could avoid the fear in their hearts. But in today's conversation, both sides have actually been avoiding the most important possibility.

If the Huaxia Army really came, what should we do if we met them?

As a force, what is the attitude of the Huaxia Army towards us?

As an enemy, am I qualified to face them?

I am trying to get around these questions, which is caused by the fear in my heart - he analyzed himself with the method of self-examination learned from the Southwest, and tried to summarize.

However, there is still hope after all... According to the strict rules and rigid laws of the Southwest, it will ultimately not reach the future. According to Mr. Ning, in the game between the weakness of human nature and long-term interests, he did not choose Lao Niutou's radical approach, nor did he directly carry out large-scale distribution of land to local tyrants like the Fairness Party - although he had already mastered this weapon - he chose a degree that the Huaxia Army can currently control, but will this degree still be too strict for this world?

Perhaps in the end, his ideas will collapse, and Zou Xu and I will be inferior, but we can exist in the world for a long time?

Maybe... he can tolerate Lao Niutou's radicalism, tolerate He Wen's extremism, and even tolerate Dai Mengwei's conservatism, and ultimately he can also tolerate Zou Xu's path?

The city was noisy and unstable in the darkness. Ding Songnan stood in this darkness, looking into the distance with uneasiness.

…Where will this troubled world go?

Under the same dark sky, at the north end of the city, He Wen was also contemplating the distance on a high platform.

In the northeast, Gao Chang declined the invitation of a group of brothers to have a carnival, drank a little wine, and sat quietly in the deserted hall. In the darkness, his eyes became clearer.

In Xinhu Palace, Xu Zhaonan visited Lin Zongwu, and then began a round of secret summons.

Shi Baofeng looked at the injury of his second son, Shi Weiyang, and took a carriage to travel on the road for the next visit.

Zhou Shang sat in the old ancestral hall reading books, and occasionally someone would send such and such information.

Lin Zongwu practiced boxing in the night. His steps and boxing skills were slow, and his sleeves were waving, as if he was in a thousand pounds of water.

Meng Zhuo Tao went to see the paralyzed junior brother as usual. He has not woken up yet. The doctor said that he might not wake up. The junior sisters and others looked at him hatefully under the eaves of the courtyard. Lanterns were hung in the courtyard, and the rockery and dwarf trees were blurred in the light, which reminded him of thousands of lights.

Monkey King Li Yanfeng practiced boxing with injuries, and was still powerful.

More people were fighting in the chaotic darkness...

…

Zhong'anfang, the small square outside Juxian Pavilion's street, Yan Tiehe staggered to the corner in front, and when he saw the scene in the dim light, he leaned his body against the wall at the corner, as if he had lost the strength to stand.

Yan Yunzhi came from behind and tried to help him, but Yan Tiehe pushed him away forcefully.

"Get out."

He said weakly.

There were corpses on the platform in the small square in front.

A few days ago, in order to lure Yan Yunzhi out, Jin Yongsheng secretly found someone to hurt Yan Tiehe and set a trap to lure her out. After Shi Weiyang's arm was cut off, Hei Niu and others, who happened to be there, took advantage of the opportunity to rescue Yan Yunzhi and Yan Tiehe, trying to find out the gossip about this little girl and Ning Ji.

Shi Baofeng then arrested all the people who came from Yanjia Fort as attendants. Today, these people were all killed on this execution ground outside Zhong'anfang.

The situation in Jiangning City is becoming more and more complicated. He used the reading club's matter to launch an attack. He originally hoped that the progress of cooperation in the city would become more in-depth, but the situation of the Fairness King has been out of control, and his highly anticipated second son was seriously injured with a broken arm. Shi Baofeng finally didn't care about a little dignity about the Yan family.

"You..." In the dim light, Yan Tiehe pointed to Yan Yunzhi with bloodshot eyes, "It's all you... who killed them—"

Yan Yunzhi clenched her fists, her lips pursed into a line, and her eyes trembled slightly. She melted into the darkness and remained silent for a long time.

Not far away, Hei Niu and the other three were also quietly watching all of this. Yuwen Feidu spat on the ground.

"A fucking place..."

…

At the other end of the city, Qu Longjun, who looked like a beggar, returned to the vicinity of the broken courtyard where "White Rakshasa" was located under the cover of night. Wei Xuwen's "100 Out of 1 Killing Order" had already passed one round in the city, so she quietly returned, wanting to see what was happening here.

There was a fire in the broken courtyard.

She approached there in the darkness, and not far from the road, Grandma Huo's body was hung on the street. This courtyard was broken into, some women were killed in a pool of blood, and some were still alive. At this time, their necks were tied with ropes and they were kneeling in rows on the street outside the courtyard. Their bodies were doused with feces and urine, and in the cold autumn wind, some of these thin women were trembling and some were crying softly, like skeletons about to die.

The people who broke into the courtyard were vaguely holding the banner of "Heavenly King Gao."

Since the Jurchens invaded south for the fourth time, these women have experienced various tragedies, and in the subsequent process, they joined "White Rakshasa" and created various cruelties, but what came at this moment was not retribution, but what was reflected in Qu Longjun's eyes was like hellish ghosts eating each other. Her body trembled and she curled up in the corner of the street.

After regaining her freedom in the Southwest, the only place she could think of going, restricted by her father's revenge, was to return to Jiangnan.

…There is no Jiangnan anymore.

…

The night grew deeper.

At midnight, He Wen completed a secret conversation with a person who came quietly. After the night traveler left, he sat in the room for a while, and then summoned the staff from the next room.

"Release the news… I will be at the next conference. I will… give everyone a thorough… explanation of what everyone cares about."

The staff member agreed and left. The darkness returned to silence again. He Wen sat in the depths of the night and looked into the distance.

The city's darkness connected with the sky, with occasional ripples, like looking up from the deep seabed…

The possibility of destruction was overlooking him there, but no matter how much he repeatedly recalled, those people he valued had already returned to darkness.

Screw it…

He said in a low voice.