"...This time, there are three delegations in Jiangning City that are the most special, because only these three have the righteousness on their side. Whether Gao Tianwang wants it or not, you have to choose one to cooperate with..."

The autumn sunlight shone in from the window, and leaves fell on the terrace outside. Inside the room, Zuo Xiuquan skillfully poured tea and pushed it in front of Gao Chang.

"The specific identities of these three are not surprising. The Black Flag in the southwest defeated the Jurchens on the battlefield with honor, possessing both righteousness and strength. His Majesty in the southeast inherits the mantle of the orthodox Wu Dynasty, with diminished strength, but unmatched righteousness. Thirdly, Dai Mengwei, allied with Liu Guangshi, inherits not the orthodox Wu Dynasty's monarchy, but the so-called old Confucianism of the southwest, born from the resistance against the Black Flag's actions to destroy Confucianism. Today, many Confucian scholars who dislike the Black Flag but cannot find hope in Fujian will fight alongside him."

"Since ancient times, to achieve great things, righteousness and strength are indispensable."

"The Fairness Party also has its own righteousness; your righteousness was originally the word 'Fairness.' This is a banner that countless rebels have naturally used throughout history. Borrowing the Black Flag of the southwest's discussion of human rights, Fairness King He Wen has deepened it somewhat. But in general, you are all using the Black Flag's rhetoric to promote yourselves. Unfortunately, those who have tried to grasp this righteousness have been He Wen and the Reading Society. Now that He Wen has won over the Reading Society, he is fearless, and you can no longer use this banner."

"Without this righteousness, you have to borrow from elsewhere. Of the three forces today, the world favors the Black Flag. If Ning Yi sends someone to say, 'Gao Tianwang, I support you; let's cooperate,' I believe Gao Tianwang could not refuse such temptation. Alas, things are not so simple."

Zuo Xiuquan took a sip of tea.

"Everyone is not a child. General Gao must understand that cooperation in this world is often about mutual need. Everyone wants the good things in the Black Flag's hands, but how many people have things that can catch Ning Yi's eye? General Gao, you are good at leading troops in the Fairness Party, but in this world, how many can fight better than the Jurchens or the Black Flag? The things in General Gao's hands, Ning Yi doesn't fancy."

In the room, the old man spoke calmly. Gao Chang looked at the dust outside the window, listening while tapping his fingers on the table. Then, he turned his head. "So, He Wen has something Ning Yi wants? Or perhaps your little emperor in the southeast? I know he's not stingy with you, just for a favor from years ago?"

Zuo Xiuquan smiled, replying without much hesitation.

"Over the years, Ning Yi has wanted many things. On one hand, he established the Black Flag, aiming for progress, proposing the concept of 'Four Peoples', opening the minds of the people, establishing human rights, promoting physical sciences, and stimulating commerce, seeking to create a new era unseen in a thousand years. But on the other hand, General, you know that outsiders doubt his methods. Dai Mengwei says he is too rigid and easily broken, and Wu Qimei even sings a constant dirge of decline. Even those who admire him, like you and me, cannot help but have doubts."

Gao Chang said, "Yet he has already defeated the Jurchens."

"He defeated the Jurchens to demonstrate his strength to the world," Zuo Xiuquan said. "Even so, what makes Ning Yi unmatched by the heroes of the world is that he remains wary of himself."

"Oh?" Gao Chang frowned.

Zuo Xiuquan smiled.

"In the eyes of outsiders, Ning Yi acts decisively and is unparalleled in his dominance. When Zhou Zhe acted perversely, he walked onto the court and beheaded the emperor, and from then on, the world was overturned. But if you analyze it carefully, from the moment he committed regicide, he chose the most extreme path, yet never hindered the paths of others, even being happy to see those with ambition exploring other paths."

"When the Southwest War was imminent, the Chinese Army lacked soldiers. In Lao Niutou, a group of people rebelled against Ning Yi, wanting to divide the land like the Fairness Party. Ning Yi silently bore the consequences, letting them explore. Later, when the land redistribution in Lao Niutou failed, Ning Yi sent people to clean up the mess, even having the process of the land redistribution's failure recorded in detail."

"Ning Yi committed regicide. His old friend Li Pin tried to assassinate him, but Ning Yi forced him to explore new Confucianism with a single sentence about destroying Confucianism, using reason as a foundation, trying to rewrite Confucius and Mencius. Since then, the southwest has even sent several cartloads of books to Li Pin during several exchanges, all of which were the Chinese Army's discussions on new Confucianism."

"After the defeat of the Jurchen Western Route Army, when the world was settled, he sold technology and ideas to other forces. He helped the new emperor in the southeast a lot, and he helped the Lady Prime Minister in Jin, who had contributed to resisting the Jin, a lot. He even did not stint on the flow of technology and ideas to Dai Mengwei. Why? The public reason is that one day he will sweep the world, and all these things will be his. But at the same time, there is an unspoken sentence in between..."

"Ning Yi started his uprising to save China. If one day, his uprising fails, and someone else succeeds... it's also acceptable."

The fragrance of tea filled the air. Gao Chang turned to look at Zuo Xiuquan.

"...Are there really such people in the world?"

"I am dull and ignorant, but my uncle, Zuo Gong Duanyou, could even break with Qin Siyuan when his temper flared up, and he is not someone that a bloodthirsty and overbearing man can subdue."

Gao Chang slowly took a sip of tea, and said with a laugh, "I thought Zuo Gong came here today to persuade me to ally with the southeast. If you praise that Ning Liheng so much, aren't you afraid that I will yearn for him and defect to the southwest, becoming his humble servant?"

"If General Gao is willing, I would really suggest that you cooperate with He Wen and defect to the southwest, then vigorously reform, eliminate redundancy in the army, and clean up all kinds of nepotism. If you can succeed, then the world will have another strong army, and there will be another path to take."

Gao Chang narrowed his eyes: "Zuo Gong, is this sincere advice, or are you satirizing me? I don't understand."

"There is both sincere advice and sarcasm," Zuo Xiuquan said frankly. "If the army can be completely cleaned up, and people are disciplined with military law, and orders are strictly enforced, then it will naturally become a strong army like the Black Flag. But throughout history, haven't people really thought of such a simple truth? Just like fairness, equality, land redistribution, and great harmony, people were thinking about these things two thousand years ago. Why is Confucius called the Sage Teacher by us? It is because he was the first to clearly express the concept of great harmony, but who has done it? Who can do it?"

Zuo Xiuquan's smile was helpless and sarcastic: "This world will never give way to your beautiful ideas. Even today, Ning Yi is still cleansing military discipline again and again. Every year, a large number of corrupt people are found in his Chinese Army. This is because the Chinese Army has been fighting in adversity from the beginning to the end. Ning Yi uses his authority to preside over the operation of this matter, but if one day, they fight less and less, and the factions in the army become more and more numerous, will Ning Yi's authority still be useful? One day he dies, how many people can be investigated in this year-by-year cleansing?"

"In the southeastern court, there are also useful armies. Yue Fei's Beiwei and Han Shizhong's Zhenhai systems are now forcibly supported by His Majesty's authority and the two generals' consciousness, not allowing other civil officials to interfere, so that the combat power is preserved. These things cannot last long... As for General Gao, where does your authority come from? Is it because of military discipline? Is it because every soldier under your command recognizes you?"

The old man shook his head and poured a cup of tea for Gao Chang: "Your authority does not come from the millions of people under your command, but only from the dozens below you, those dozens of generals, and each of their subordinates has dozens of people, and so on, millions of people. If you want to kill them all and change this rule, it is actually a good thing. People have the ambition to move upwards, and everyone should cheer for it... General Gao, will you change it?"

Gao Chang looked out the window, silent.

Zuo Xiuquan changed the water and made tea.

After a while, Gao Chang smiled sarcastically. He looked at Zuo Xiuquan: "Does He Wen really want to change it?"

"How can I be sure of this?"

Gao Chang thought for a while: "I heard that Ning Yi and He Wen had conflicts in the southwest back then. Although the Fairness Party started their uprising in the name of the Black Flag, He Wen's fear of Ning Yi in the past two years is not a pretense. Can they really join forces?"

"...So, General Gao is afraid of this."

"In any case, some things always have to be done, but before doing them, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to winning every battle. It's always good to figure things out."

Zuo Xiuquan pondered for a moment: "Back then, He Wen went to the southwest as an undercover agent for the Wu Dynasty. He was romantic and eloquent, and won the heart of Ning Yi's adopted daughter. Later, when things were revealed, given Ning Yi's care for his family, he shouldn't have any good feelings for He Wen anymore. But on the other hand, when it comes to Ning Yi's vision, he doesn't seem to be bound by this in these big things. Therefore, there is a possibility that He Wen's words are true or false."

"Zuo Gong has close relations with the southwest. Did you see anyone from the southwest this time?" Gao Chang stared at Zuo Xiuquan.

Zuo Xiuquan smiled: "The alliance has not yet been discussed, but General Gao is really well-informed."

Gao Chang smiled: "Zuo Gong can also choose not to answer."

Zuo Xiuquan poured tea: "I haven't seen the legendary Black Flag envoy. But in my opinion, General Gao's choice doesn't depend on whether the Black Flag has come, but only on whether you want to change your way of life... or choose a way to die."

"...Without the Black Flag, He Wen would already be dead if he did this," Gao Chang said coldly.

Zuo Xiuquan smiled.

Gao Chang looked at him: "Since the old man wants me to choose the southeast, what can you give me? Besides that damn righteousness."

"Isn't it enough to have righteousness? General Gao, don't let people underestimate you."

"As you said, Dai Mengwei also has righteousness. He is even going to enter Bianliang soon."

Zuo Xiuquan laughed: "Where does General Gao's lifelong ambition lie?"

"Hmm?"

"I have been in the city for nearly a month, coming for the affairs of the southeast. I have carefully examined the five families of the Fairness Party, and finally chose to formally discuss with General Gao. Naturally, there is a reason..." Zuo Xiuquan smiled, "He Wen was an undercover agent for the Wu Dynasty back then. When he returned from the southwest, he encountered corrupt officials, and his family was destroyed in prison. After being released from prison, he happened to meet His Majesty wandering around Jiangnan after his enthronement. He mingled among the refugees, originally relying on His Majesty's army. Who knew that His Majesty took a detour to the southeast by boat, and this group of refugees was abandoned. From then on, the Fairness Party came into being."

"Humph." Gao Chang sneered, "You also know what your little emperor did back then!"

"His Majesty has been feeling guilty about this matter ever since, so he has repeatedly proposed to transport grain to provide disaster relief to the Fairness Party, but He Wen has refused," Zuo Xiuquan sighed. "Of course, there is no point in exploring all aspects of this matter today. His Majesty has reason to run, and He Wen has reason to make trouble. But in any case, He Wen cannot accept the southeastern court. He and Zhou Shang are most likely to choose to join forces with the southwest..."

"Zhou Shang?" Gao Chang frowned, "Zhou Shang is a madman."

"Ning Yi is too."

"..."

Gao Chang tilted his head.

Zuo Xiuquan spoke calmly.

"If He Wen and Zhou Shang are removed, then there are only Xu, Shi, and General Gao left. But to be honest, Xu Zhaonan and Shi Baofeng have ambitions to become emperors. Whether it's wishful thinking or not, they are ambitious people, and they are probably more suited to Dai Mengwei."

"Why would ambitious people choose Dai Mengwei?"

"Because you can replace Liu Guangshi. But if you join forces with the southeast, it will be difficult for you to replace His Majesty."

Gao Chang fell silent.

"As for General Gao, you like drinking from big bowls, eating large chunks of meat, and traversing the world with dozens of friends, achieving worldly fame. Your misdeeds in matters such as killing people and seizing property are fewer. Even if they happen, they mostly happen on the battlefield, and these things have been understood by people since ancient times. So, you are more compatible with His Majesty in the southeast. If you can form an alliance, you will be a Great Marshal on par with Marshal Yue and Marshal Han. When the southeast is at its most difficult, you will lead millions of people in Jiangnan to return to the Wu Dynasty first, which will have the effect of buying bones with gold for the southeast. As long as General Gao doesn't plot to usurp the throne, you will have a good outcome in the future."

Zuo Xiuquan poured tea: "You see, things in the world are like this. Some things sound good, but what people take depends on what suits them. The path of the southwest sounds very powerful, making people look up to it, but even Ning Yi himself knows that the risks are extremely high... With Dai Mengwei, you might be able to become emperor by getting rid of Liu Guangshi, but lords are rising together, and ambitious people are all on this side... His Majesty's side is the most stable. His Majesty is young and energetic and enterprising, not a mediocre ruler. You hold a large army and provide timely help, which is the right time. And taking advantage of this opportunity, even if you don't make a thorough reform, you can still severely rectify military discipline. According to my many years of experience, those who succeed in this world are often not the most radical, nor the most conservative, but precisely those who are moderate and just right."

He picked up the teacup and pushed it towards Gao Chang: "This is the path that suits you and me. Think about it."

In the distance, the smoke and dust dissipated.

Gao Chang held the teacup, looking in that direction, silent.

...

The flames caused by the arrest of members of the Reading Society spread throughout the city.

As it approached noon, groups of people who had been watching the martial arts competition were leaving the arena near the center of the city, gathering in the nearby streets.

In just two or three days, the atmosphere in Jiangning City had become chaotic and restless.

On the one hand, the lively martial arts competition was still being held in the city, having reached the semi-finals. On the other hand, the chaos caused by the pursuit of members of the Reading Society had broken out in hundreds of places in the city, some of which had even spread to the martial arts arena, briefly interrupting the competition.

In this suddenly started chaos, those who were first arrested and killed were mostly members of the Fairness Party. As for the foreign merchants and knights, they were less affected for the time being. Therefore, watching the outbreak of one chaos after another, as long as it had not affected them, some people even had a strange feeling of watching the Fairness Party make a fool of themselves.

At this time, the morning martial arts competition ended, and the people who came out of the arena, whether they were foreign merchants or knights carrying swords, walked to the largest intersection nearby while talking. Then, they saw racks being erected in the square.

There were countless cries of sorrow.

In everyone's view, teams of prisoners were being transported over in prison carts. These prisoners were constantly crying and shouting, and after listening for a while, everyone understood what was happening.

"King Yama" Zhou Shang's subordinates were cleaning up the members of the Reading Society, implementing the "one in a hundred killing order." Every one hundred members of "King Yama" Zhou Shang's subordinates had to find at least one rebellious member of the Reading Society, and they could report and expose each other. From the large-scale arrests to the execution, it took less than two days.

There were not many literate people under "King Yama" Zhou Shang's command, and most of those who were arrested this time were these people. Among those in the prison carts, a few were constantly shouting injustice, and these few people actually didn't even know how to read.

The merchants and greenwoodsmen gathered around the street corner were all dumbfounded as they watched the impending execution.

In a corner of the street, a girl named Qu Longjun was wrapped in her dirty clothes, also watching this scene from a distance, looking for companions from the "small courtyard" among these prisoners, stamping her feet anxiously.

A lecturer was loudly announcing the crimes of these people on the stage:

"...These literate people are usually arrogant and swaggering, looking down on those of us who are illiterate... They also formed a Reading Society, privately united, saying bad things about our Fairness Party, saying that there are problems with our Fairness Party... They just feel that we, the illiterate, are not worthy of being equal to them. They want to be superiors, to become officials, to become landlords, to accumulate private fields, to raise powerful slaves, and to marry many wives... You have all seen such people before. But today, we will tell them that we are equal—"

There was whispering among the crowd.

A little further away, on top of a阁楼(gé lóu, a multi-storied building with carved and painted eaves) , "Heaven Killer" Wei Xuwen was watching this scene with great interest. After a while, someone privately reported something. Then, "Measuring Ruler" Meng Zhuotao appeared at the window of the阁楼(gé lóu).

"The charges against the Reading Society don't seem to be like this, do they?" Meng Zhuotao listened for a while.

"Who cares?" Wei Xuwen smiled ambiguously.

"I just happened to be passing by, so I came to join in the fun," Meng Zhuotao also smiled slightly, "But killing people like this, I'm afraid there will be problems."

"Hasn't Brother Meng killed anyone on your side?"

"I've killed a lot, but I also know that I've killed a lot of innocent people... You guys are the most outrageous. What's the benefit of killing like this?"

"With the "one in a hundred" killing order, there's so much pressure, surely we can find people." Wei Xuwen smiled, looking down, tilting his head slightly. "Regarding the Reading Society, I recently had an idea, I don't know if it's right or wrong, would Brother Meng like to hear it?"

"Tell me."

"With the "one in a hundred" killing order, I don't know how many innocent people Wei has killed. But in this situation, if anyone still dares to come to Wei to speak up for the Reading Society, no matter how reasonable he is, I think he is most likely a member of the Reading Society." Wei Xuwen's eyes slowly turned to Meng Zhuotao next to him. "Brother Meng... do you think that makes sense?"

"...I offered my true heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shines into the ditch." Meng Zhuotao's eyes turned cold, and then he turned to look at Wei Xuwen, "Come and bite me."

"Hahahaha..." Wei Xuwen laughed, "Just kidding, just kidding. How dare I make fun of Brother Meng, but... six people came to persuade me before, and they are all down there now."

Meng Zhuotao looked at the scene downstairs, the executioners were already preparing their large knives, and the first batch of people was being押上刑场(yā shàng xíng chǎng, escort to the execution ground), constantly crying, shouting, and cursing. He turned around: "Goodbye."

Wei Xuwen looked at him: "Brother Meng, we are on the same side this time, right?"

"You and your boss are both sick."

"This world is sick." Wei Xuwen said with a smile, murmuring.

Meng Zhuotao was about to leave, when he caught a glimpse of the flags of "Fairness King" and "Dragon Sage" surging towards him from the streets not far away.

"There's going to be a war." Wei Xuwen said without surprise, and then said: "Call people."

A huge confrontation was about to unfold in this square.

Among the forces of the Fairness Party, the cleaning orders of "Gao Tianwang" Gao Chang, "Wheel Turning King" Xu Zhaonan, "Equality King" Shi Baofeng, and "King Yama" Zhou Shang against the Reading Society had all been issued. On September 12th, at noon, He Wen, in the capacity of "Fairness King", issued an order to the entire Fairness Party territory, forbidding the indiscriminate killing of internal members of the Fairness Party—especially those called "Reading Society" members—and began to "roughly" interfere in the internal affairs of the other four lines. This was an unprecedented practice.

In the afternoon, at the residence of Fairness King He Wen in the north of the city, countless lobbyists and persuaders were also surging in.

Many people still don't understand He Wen's intentions. From the perspective of political struggle, this recent approach is too rough. In the eyes of many people, it may be more like brewing some kind of reversal, but even if there is a reversal, this approach has already approached the bottom line of tolerance of the other four sides.

In the afternoon of the same day, Xu Zhaonan visited He Wen.

That evening, Shi Baofeng visited He Wen.

The next day, Zhou Shang visited He Wen.

After that, there were several rounds of talks between multiple people.

At the same time, the city rose and fell with the sun and moon.

Under an inconspicuous bridge hole, a woman's life was gradually leaving her body, and two teenagers were running around in the chaotic city for this.