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After a night of constant socializing, it was almost midnight when Wen Shoubin approached the small courtyard where he was temporarily residing.

Having been plied with a good amount of alcohol and even vomiting once, Wen Shoubin couldn't stand the jolting of the carriage any longer and got off in the street not far from the courtyard. He wanted to take a walk and review the two social gatherings of the evening: who was easy to talk to, who wasn't, who had weaknesses, and who he could develop relationships with.

In other places, walking outside at such an hour might be somewhat unsafe. But first, he was in high spirits and filled with excitement; second, he knew that Chengdu had recently tightened security both inside and outside the city. The Huaxia Army, riding the momentum of defeating the Jurchens, had cracked down on several prominent cases, ensuring clear law and order on the streets. He wasn't afraid someone would try to kill him while walking around – if they wanted money, he'd just give them the bag; he didn't care about that today.

The night breeze was warm and gentle. Walking back to the courtyard gate, his mood lifted. He hummed a little tune as he entered, and a maid came over to tell him about Qu Longjun accidentally falling into the water that day. Wen Shoubin's expression changed: "Is Miss alright?"

"She's fine, but she might be frightened..."

The maid recounted the entire incident in detail. After listening, Wen Shoubin nodded silently. He went to the living room, had the servants bring him a pot of strong tea, and drank a few mouthfuls to dispel the alcohol. Only then did he head towards the small building in the back.

He went upstairs, knocked on the door, and waited for a moment before pushing it open. Qu Longjun was fast asleep in bed, the gauze curtains swaying in the breeze. Wen Shoubin walked to the wooden table in the center of the room, took out a fire starter, and lit the oil lamp. Then he moved a chair, placed it by the bed, and sat down.

"Father..."

Sensing Wen Shoubin's arrival, Qu Longjun spoke. She tried to get up, but Wen Shoubin gently pressed her shoulder: "Stay down. They said you accidentally fell into the water today. Your father was worried and came to check on you. I'm glad you're alright."

Although he had drunk tea, he still smelled of alcohol. Sitting there, he seemed exhausted, watching the starlight shine in through the window.

Father and daughter remained silent for a long time. Wen Shoubin sighed and finally spoke: "Earlier, I gave Ah Chang to Master Shan. Master Shan seems to like her, hopefully, she can have a few good days. Tonight, I also sent away Yan Ting. I just hope... they can find good homes. Longjun, even though I talk about national righteousness, ultimately, I brought you to the southwest without a word. It's an unfamiliar place, and you have to do dangerous things. You must be... very scared, right?"

"Father..." Qu Longjun's voice was slightly choked.

Wen Shoubin was silent for a moment, then raised his hand and rubbed his forehead: "The affairs of the southwest, no matter how you put it, can only be done if you want to do them. Longjun, holding great righteousness in your heart is easy to say, but really difficult to do. If your father could have chosen back then, he wouldn't have joined that damn Liu Yu. And I... I really don't want to deal with these people today. The country is in peril, and they're drinking themselves drunk, talking only about frivolous matters. Sometimes I wonder, can these people accomplish anything?"

He leaned back in his chair, silent for a long time.

"But the more I see of this world, the more I feel that people are just like this, always having seven parts right and three parts wrong. Without these things, people wouldn't be people. Without these flaws, doing things according to the words of the sages, wouldn't we have achieved a harmonious society thousands of years ago? For thousands of years, the words of the sages, Confucian learning, have been about seeking a compromise in this world. The sage said 'the Middle Way.' Strength cannot last long; softness cannot be maintained. Therefore, it is the Middle Way..."

He said: "Everything in this world, if it's said absolutely, there's nothing more to say. I raised you daughters, and others plainly say, they say I'm a pimp..." He smiled casually, "In the past, those great Confucians, those scholars, how did they see me? I was just raising some... prostitutes. Teaching you music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, teaching you to serve others, it's just... ha. So they look down on people, and there's reason for that..."

"Father..."

"I can't refute them on this matter. To put it bluntly, that's what you're doing, like a madam in a brothel, teaching you things, pushing you into the fire pit, just to make money, making money by exploiting your sweat and blood, unconscionable money!"

He paused: "But our line is a little different from the madams. I don't let you touch this or that man. When I treat you as daughters, I raise you as daughters. I try my best to find you good husbands. Even after you're married, I always treat you as daughters... Hui Gu, even after she married, kept asking me to visit her. But I didn't go, after all, I'm not her biological father. If Master Liu saw me, it would be annoying. I can't... I can't let Hui Gu not have a good life in the future, but she... she was violated by the Jurchens two years ago, and I couldn't even see her one last time..."

Wen Shoubin covered his eyes, his voice choked up: "And there's Ping Gu, A Cui, and your sisters... at least they've been with only one man from beginning to end. That's how a woman's life is. Yes, you can't be someone's first wife, but at least it's not a life of wandering, right... Of course, if I said these words to those talented scholars, they would definitely sneer. What am I? Here, praising myself..."

"Longjun, do you know... why your father reads the books of sages?" he said, "At first, it was just to read a little, learn a few phrases casually. You know, in my business, I have to deal with high-ranking families, they read a lot, and they have a lot of rules. They look down on people like me from the bottom of their hearts – just someone who sells daughters. So I talk to them about books, about the things in the books, to make them think that I have lofty aspirations, but in reality, I have to sell my daughters to make a living... If I talk to them about selling daughters, they think I'm despicable, but if I talk to them about the books of sages, they feel sorry for me... Never mind, give you more money, and get out of here."

"That's how I started reading books, but gradually I felt that what the Supreme Sage and Teacher said was really reasonable. Those words were all targeted. If there weren't those principles, how could so many people in the world be organized? Am I, a seller of daughters, only pointing to money? Should soldiers only be killing people? Should merchants only be unconscionable? Are only those who study meant to be sages?"

"The world is like this, you have seven parts right, but you can't avoid three parts wrong. I have seven parts wrong, but later, if I have three parts right, that's pretty good too. I raise my daughters, give them good lives. Even if I exchange them for money, at least I'm better than the madams in the brothels, right? Merchants can also serve the country and the people, soldiers can also be reasonable. When the world is in such a state, I also hope to do something... then the world can really get better."

He rubbed his forehead: "The Huaxia Army... says extremely good things to the outside world, but in my experience over the years, the more things like this are, the more you don't know where things will go wrong. On the contrary, things with some minor flaws can last longer. Of course, my learning is limited, I can't speak like Master Mei, Master Dai, and others. I brought you here, hoping that you can do something in the future, at the very least, hoping that you can spread the situation here in the Huaxia Army... Of course, you must be very scared..."

"Ha, if there were a choice, who wouldn't want to live a clean and simple life? If there had been a choice back then, I would have wanted to be a scholar, studying the books of sages for a lifetime, taking exams, earning a small official title. I remember Ping Gu said when she got married that she just wanted a simple little family, a loving husband, and to have a child, who wouldn't want that... But people in this world either have no choice, or they can only choose the lesser of two evils. Everyone wants to live in peace, but when the Jurchens come, and the world is in chaos... Longjun, there's no way, you can't escape it..."

Wen Shoubin was also uneasy, and after saying this, he lowered his head for a long time before finally looking up: "Of course, if you really don't want to stay in a place like the southwest, today when I met those people, Tang Shizhong hinted to me several times that he has a good impression of you... you remember him, right? He was one of the people who came with Master Shan that day, the one with two moles on his face, who didn't talk much. He comes from a scholarly family, and I heard he's very wealthy. Since he saw you that day, he's been thinking about you. I think the others also have the same thoughts..."

"If you marry them, you can indeed have a good life, but if the Jurchens come again, or the Black Flag Army strikes, you can't avoid a flight..."

Qu Longjun's weak voice came from inside the mosquito net: "If I follow them, you won't be able to do things here in the southwest, and you won't be reused by Master Shan and the others, will you?"

Wen Shoubin was stunned: "...I can't care about so much." After a moment, he said again, "There are your other three sisters."

Qu Longjun thought for a moment and said: "...I really just accidentally fell into the water. Really."

"Mm." Wen Shoubin nodded, "...I know."

***************

The stars were dense.

After listening to the cloudy and confusing conversation of the two old and young cheap dogs, Ning Ji, who had been waiting for half the evening, finally got up from the roof. He had already clenched his fists. If he hadn't practiced martial arts since childhood and been strictly taught "to keep the knife in its sheath" at home, he probably would have already gone downstairs and killed these two things under the blade.

Wen Shoubin's words sounded normal at first, but as for the content, some of it was incomprehensible to Ning Ji, who was only fourteen years old, and what he did understand was distorted in his ears. Oh, when the Jurchens cause chaos, you can't escape it, and you want to do something, that's great, go fight the Jurchens – but then you turn around and come to the southwest to cause trouble, what kind of bullshit reasoning is that?

This old dog was rambling on and on, but he couldn't refute him. It was even more impossible to kill them. Right now, these people are only in the "wanting to do bad things" stage. Having disgusting thoughts isn't a crime. If he really took action, he wouldn't be able to explain it to his father and Aunt Gua.

The more the teenage mind thought about it, the angrier he became. He waved his fists angrily on the roof before quietly going down and barging his way home. After returning, he began to practice the unfamiliar Eagle Claw technique, tearing apart several pieces of wood. Then he found a bluestone by the river and smashed it repeatedly, practicing the Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Refining Golden Bell Cover. After hitting and smashing for half an hour and taking a cold shower, his heart finally calmed down slightly.

While practicing, his mind was disturbed. He thought for a while about simply telling his father Wen Shoubin's shameless words. His father would definitely know how to slap the old dog in the face, but after calming down, he dismissed the idea. Now that so many shameless things have come to this city, his father must have seen countless of them. He must have arranged a way to beat all the guys up. If he went to get him to pay attention to this Wen guy, it would be too much of an elevation for the old dog.

What exactly did his father arrange? So many bad people, saying so many disgusting things every day, there are probably hundreds or thousands who are more disgusting than Wen Shoubin... If it were him, he would probably just arrest them all and kill them. His father should have a better way, right?

The little cheap dog is not a good thing either. Seeing her attempt suicide, he thought there was something hidden in the middle, but after the old dog babbled on and on, she planned to continue doing evil. He should have let her drown directly in the river. Now, he can only hope that they really plan to do something very evil. If they are just caught and sent out, he can't swallow this breath...

The teenager, who had determined that he had saved the wrong person, was a little disturbed in his thoughts. This night, he fell asleep in such conflicting thoughts.

***************

The city gradually calmed down in the night, entering its lowest level of operation. Except for the watchmen patrolling the night, the constables, and the guards on duty on the city walls, the vast majority of people went to sleep. As the dark night deepened, people could only hear rustling sounds, but these sounds began to grow louder. Then came the crowing of chickens and the barking of dogs. Light rippled in the city, and then white appeared on the horizon.

The vast Chengdu awakened in such an atmosphere. Ning Ji woke up with the tens of thousands of people in the city. That day, he ran to the military medical station and took a large bag of wound medicine, then mixed imperceptible spices into it, and then borrowed a dog from the army...

At the same time, tens of thousands of people were carrying out their actions in the city.

In the early morning, Qu Longjun sat in the pavilion by the river, looking at the rising sun, recalling the blurred life in the Central Plains when her father was still around, as she had countless times in the past.

The courage to commit suicide had been exhausted last night. Even sitting here, she dared not take another step forward. Not long after, Wen Shoubin came over and greeted her. The "father and daughter" spoke for a while. After confirming that the "daughter's" emotions had stabilized, Wen Shoubin left the house and began his new day of social engagements.

In another residence, after reading the day's newspaper, Guan Shanhai began to meet with some of the outstanding scholars gathered in Chengdu this time, discussing with them one by one the loopholes and weaknesses in the Huaxia Army's so-called "four people" and "contract" theories. This kind of one-on-one private social interaction was a means of showing importance to the other party and quickly establishing prestige in their hearts.

In the afternoon, he would also participate in a public discussion among some literati in a certain inn. Many people had come to Chengdu this time, mostly known by name but rarely meeting. Guan Shanhai's appearance would satisfy the needs of many scholars to "sit down and discuss the Way" with celebrities, and his reputation would be more solid because of his performance at these times.

In the evening, it was time to deal with more hidden matters, such as meeting with shady figures like Wen Shoubin and discussing the weaknesses of the Huaxia Army with some trusted confidant party members, and discussing how to deal with them – due to the Huaxia Army's pervasive use of spies, these things were no longer possible to rely on enthusiasm and people to gather together. They had to take a more stable step-by-step approach and act when the opportunity arose.

Similar conspiratorial discussions were not uncommon in Chengdu's undercurrents, and many of them even surfaced from time to time.

This day was June 22. Yan Daolun and Liu Guangshi, the two leaders of the envoy group, met privately with Lin Qiu again, and used some of the costs and payment methods they had discussed to start bidding to the Huaxia Army, trying to conduct in-depth discussions on the purchase of some firearms technology – such negotiations could not be finalized in a few days, but showing sincerity, feeling each other out, and talking out a phased intention would allow them to gain a lot of advantages in future bidding.

In the gap between bidding and chatting, Yan Daolun warned and advised Lin Qiu:

"...There are many people who have come to Chengdu this time, and they are a mixed bag. According to Yan's private investigation, there are some people who are prepared to take risks... Now that the Huaxia Army has such sincerity, General Liu naturally hopes that the stability and safety of your side and Mr. Ning can be guaranteed. There is no need to say more about some clowns, but I hope that Brother Lin can report to the higher-ups about the whereabouts of one person. This person is dangerous and may be preparing to assassinate..."

He spoke in a low voice, revealing information as a sign of sincerity. Lin Qiu listened carefully, then revealed a look of sudden realization and quickly asked someone to send the information back, then expressed his gratitude.

"Brother Yan is noble, and I will also convey it to Mr. Ning later."

"Yan is just a messenger, and I hope Brother Lin will convey to Mr. Ning that this is mainly General Liu's intention."

"Naturally, naturally, but although the overall goodwill comes from General Liu, Mr. Yan is the person in charge in front. This time's favor will not be forgotten."

"Hehe." Yan Daolun stroked his beard and smiled, "Actually, General Liu has extensive connections in the world today. Many people who trust Yan have come to Chengdu this time, but after all, some news has not been confirmed, and Yan cannot speak ill of people, but please rest assured, Brother Lin, as long as this transaction can be completed, General Liu will never allow anyone to ruin this major event in the southwest. This matter is related to the rise and fall of the world, and it is by no means something that a few old scholars who can't keep up with the changes can object to. The Jurchens are the number one enemy of our Huaxia, with a great enemy in front of us, and Mr. Ning is willing to open all of this to the Han people of the world. They are fighting internally – it must not work!"

"That's the truth!" Lin Qiu slapped Yan Daolun's leg: "Well said!"

They then continued to enter the negotiation phase.

That same morning, Xigua went to her office and summoned several specific people to come over one after another. Before long, a total of seven people came from different places and met with Xigua 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, a goddaughter adopted by Ning Yi, a disabled soldier who had lost one hand, and a young warrior with a refined appearance. After everyone sat down, Xigua rubbed her forehead and began to speak.

"...Regarding the idea of a harmonious society, Mr. Ning had a discussion with me, and I think it should be recorded and thought about by you. Mr. Ning... envisioned a very long process to illustrate the difficulties he thought of in this matter. I will try my best to say it again, and you think about what needs to be done..."

She recalled Ning Yi's words, deleted the beginning and end of last night's conversation, and explained it to everyone, especially emphasizing the concepts of "social consensus" and "group subconscious" – these people were considered members of her think tank for promoting the democratic process. Similar discussions had been held many times over the years, and she had never concealed them from Ning Yi, and Ning Yi had actually acquiesced to these analyses and records.

After she finished explaining the whole concept, someone laughed: "Mr. Ning really seems to have seen such a world. Could it be that he came from there, so he can be so amazing."

Yong Jinnian said: "Allegory in things, entrusting ambition to things, just like Zhuang Zhou used the theory of gods and monsters to teach the world. What is important is what the gods and monsters imply. Mr. Ning's stories probably also explain several processes of the transformation of people's hearts in his vision, and he should have also said the difficulties he thinks of in the innovation. We might as well interpret it accordingly..."

The sun was shining brightly outside the window, and the eight people in the room then began a discussion. This was just one of countless ordinary discussions, and not many people knew the meaning of it.

At the other end of the city, Lu Xiaolun and others, who had failed to seek a job from Xigua, began to visit heroes from all walks of life with the name card of the old man Lu Liutong.

They will stir up another wave.

At the same time they went out, An Xifu and Fang Shuchang were walking and reminiscing by the river in the guest house not far from Xigua. He talked about his experiences in the north, and Fang Shuchang also talked about the development of the southwest – in the past, both sides were rebels under the command of Sheng Gong, but An Xifu was a rising general under Fang Baihua responsible for executing military law, and Fang Shuchang was a disciple of the Tyrant Blade, so their friendship was not particularly deep, but so many years had passed, and even ordinary friendship could give people a deep touch.

What's more, the benefits that the southwest was preparing to give to Jin had been predetermined, and An Xifu did not need to be so vigilant in handling affairs all the time – the heroes of the world rose together today, but to say that they could really keep up with the steps of the Black Flag and form a wave of cooperation in many times, apart from Liangshan's Guangwu Army, there was only Jin, which was controlled by Lou Shuwan.

The world is like this, only when the strength is enough and the attitude is tough, can you consider less conspiracy and intrigue.

The two talked about Fang La's rebellion more than ten years ago, and then talked about that great defeat and great annihilation, talking about Fang Baihua's death. An Xifu talked about Wang Shangshu, the "Peacock King Sword" in the north, and Fang Shuchang talked about some of the things Ning Yi did. In theory, there were also many grievances in between, but under the impact of the general trend of these ten years, these were not worth mentioning. Fang La's destruction was already doomed, and the death of some people was, in the final analysis, something that could not be saved.

After talking for a while, talking about Ning Yi, An Xifu also said: "Chengdu City seems peaceful, but in fact, there are undercurrents surging and unrest on all sides. To be honest, we have now received such and such statements, saying that someone wants to cause trouble, and someone will assassinate before your so-called conference, If the situation is slightly wrong, many people will follow up. Your response here is so passive. If I write a letter back, it is estimated that the female minister will scold Mr. Ning for being incompetent."

He had been executing military law for many years, and there was never much expression on his face, only when talking to Fang Shuchang about Lou Shuwan and Ning Yi, did he smile slightly. These two had the hatred of killing their father, but now many people say they have something going on, An Xifu occasionally thinks about Lou Shuwan's insults to Ning Yi, and can't help but find it interesting.

Fang Shuchang laughed: "You are unfamiliar with the place, which side did you receive the news from?"

"Which side the news comes from is not important. Now all parties are contacting and wooing each other, and there are many people who want to be friends with Jin. The people who say these words may not dare to do anything, but since this kind of information is circulating everywhere, then there must be someone who dares to do it. Are you really going to let things brew like this? Today's idle talk may be a test, and slowly, seeing that you have no reaction, maybe they want to make it true, if you really have a fight, can you still hold a meeting?"

"With Mr. Ning's character of being able to do things like that in Hangzhou City back then, how could he not be prepared?" Fang Shuchang said with a smile, "The specific details are not easy to say, mainly because the wars on all sides have just ended, and the people have not arrived yet. On our side, the Seventh Army is still outside and will not be able to come in for a few days. In addition, there is Tanzhou, which also takes time. Chen Fan will probably have to wait ten and a half days before he can rush over."

"By the way, you had a good relationship with Chen Fan back then. You haven't seen each other for so many years. When the time comes, you can really reminisce about the past. It's coming soon." He said, patting An Xifu's shoulder.

"Chen Fan..." An Xifu laughed when he mentioned this name, "Back then, I took the account books north, and I thought I could see him again, but I didn't expect so many years to have passed... He finally ended up with Sister Qian'er..."

Fang Shuchang laughed heartily.

The sun was golden, and someone walked into the seemingly ordinary but tense courtyard, summarizing the new day's monitoring list and the inquired suspicious information.

In the city where tens of thousands of people gathered, life's dramas were showing their different attitudes, and countless people were holding back their emotions, waiting for the moment when things began to conflict and explode.

The next day was June 23. Ning Ji took the wound medicine mixed with special spices and went to the martial arts competition site to trade. His world was not big, but for a boy who was just fourteen years old, there was a mixture of joys, sorrows, and emotions that were by no means inferior to the waves of the world...

(End of this chapter)
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