The afternoon sun streamed into the courtyard, where a hen led her chicks, clucking softly. Ning Yi paused, his pen still in hand, and gazed through the window at the scene, lost in thought. Little Chan and the children of the house had raised the chickens, along with a dog named "啾啾" (Chiu Chiu). Little Chan, the children, and the dog were all away from home at the moment.

Soon after, Qin Shaoqian arrived.

The one-eyed general held a few melon seeds in his hand, humming a tune in a rather undignified manner, reminiscent of his days frequenting brothels in Bianliang more than a decade ago. Entering the study, he placed the last two melon seeds, undoubtedly pilfered from somewhere, on Ning Yi's desk. He glanced at the manuscript Ning Yi was working on. "Chairman, so busy."

"I'm squeezing in time for family matters. I had to postpone over a dozen meetings and cut back on a lot of writing, so I need to catch up. By the way, I sent Weiwen after Ning Ji."

"That kid's hopeless, tricked into fighting his own brother over a woman. I think neither of them should have held back; whoever died, died!" Qin Shaoqian went to the side to brew tea himself, muttering as he did so. "But it's good the way you handled it. He can catch up to Ning Ji, they can talk things out, and there won't be any lingering grudges. Or, if Qin Weiwen has some ambition, he can join Ning Ji in exploring the world. That wouldn't be bad either."

"Don't even mention it. I don't even know how to console his mother."

"Who was his mother again?"

"..."

Ning Yi stared at Qin Shaoqian, who chuckled, holding his teacup. "Speaking of which, you wouldn't know. I came back the other day, ready to give those two boys a good beating and give them a lecture. I only managed to kick each of them once before your women… good grief, they blocked me right there and said I wasn't allowed to hit their sons. I'm telling you, in your house, the second one is the most spoiled. You… how do you say it… you manage your household well. Admirable." He gave a thumbs up.

"Qin Lao Er, you're becoming more and more improper."

"Let's talk about serious things. This matter needs to be kept under wraps. I've already issued strict orders on my end; anyone who leaks it will die. I'm not worried about your side, but I'm afraid Lao Da doesn't have the experience. You need to remind him. Throughout history, the sons of emperors never had good outcomes regarding succession. You've changed your name now, but power is still power. The easiest way for someone to unsettle you is to disrupt your household. Honestly, Weiwen getting involved in this is a test for him. As for Little Ji, it depends on fate."

Ning Yi nodded, not saying much. Then he smiled and said, "How's things on your side? I heard you've been getting along well with Lu Qiaoshan lately?"

"Not bad. He's a capable man. I didn't expect you to keep him under your thumb for so long before releasing him."

"I captured him during the first battle after coming out of He Deng County and fought all the way to Zizhou. He was loyal to the Wu Dynasty and had a strong will, but honestly, he hadn't committed any major atrocities, so I didn't plan to kill him. I let him wander around and see things for himself. Later, I assigned him to a factory for a year. When the Jurchen Western Route Army entered Jianmen Pass, he asked to join the army as a suicide squad, but I refused. After the Jurchens were repelled, he slowly accepted us, and then he became useful."

Ning Yi chuckled as he recounted the story.

After the Southwest War ended, the Chinese Army faced the rapid expansion of territory on one hand and a sharp decline in troop strength on the other. Before the Chengdu Conference last year, the armies first focused on reorganizing the captured soldiers. Those who were useful were kept, and those who were not were dismissed. Those with heinous crimes were punished. After the Chengdu Conference, they entered a stage of rallying support and recruiting new soldiers.

During this process, the Fifth Army's base remained in the Chengdu Plain to Jian阁 line, and because the Southwest War ended in Hanzhong, the Chinese Army had a piece of land leading directly to the Han River from Jian閣 towards Hanzhong. This area was also a bridgehead for future trade and potential conquests, and it was currently guarded by the Seventh Army.

The Seventh Army suffered more than half casualties in the Battle of Hanzhong. Later, in addition to incorporating some of Wang Zhai Nan's elite troops, it did not undergo a large-scale expansion. It was not until this spring that Lu Qiaoshan led more than twelve thousand soldiers, reorganized and trained, to join the Seventh Army.

Within the Chinese Army, there was actually some disdain for these armies that surrendered and accepted reorganization. After all, for a long time, the Chinese Army had won many battles with fewer soldiers, especially the Seventh Army, which had defeated Zonghan and Xiyin's Western Route Army with more than 20,000 people, and faintly had the prestige of the strongest army in the world. They would rather accept new recruits with strong wills than welcome the Han army of the Wu Dynasty who had been stained with the disgrace of defecting to the enemy.

However, when these twelve thousand people came over and were reorganized and scattered to experience some activities, the generals of the Seventh Army realized that those who had been transferred over were perhaps the most useful part of the surrendered army. Most of them had experienced life and death on the battlefield, and their original distrust of the people around them had been greatly improved after half a year of transformation. Although there was still room for adjustment, they were indeed more useful than new recruits many times over.

On the other hand, as part of the Chinese Army's external extension, the Seventh Army, which is now located in the territory, is mainly responsible for diplomacy, trade, logistics, and other work for two years. These specific affairs are certainly not led by the army, but there are still many places where the Seventh Army needs to participate, and the entire Seventh Army's style is too tough. They are good at killing people and seizing cities, but they are not very good at communicating well with the people around them. After Ning Yi communicated with Qin Shaoqian several times, he sent Lu Qiaoshan over.

After that, the complaints from merchants have decreased a lot, thanks to the martial artist from the Wu Dynasty who seems to be flexible but actually has clear goals.

"...There are several considerations for sending Lu Qiaoshan over, and the effect seems to be okay now. Take a look at this manuscript." Ning Yi said, opening the drawer beside him and handing two sheets of paper to Qin Shaoqian.

Qin Shaoqian took it and looked at it for a few times. One of them was aimed at the wounded soldiers in the previous war, establishing the second batch of sanatoriums in various places, and increasing the treatment of soldiers. The other was a plan to purify military discipline, which looked stable and stable, but actually revealed a **** atmosphere inside and outside.

"When is this going to be announced?"

"Wait two more months." Ning Yi said, "Since ancient times, the armies that occupy foreign trade checkpoints have the most income. After defeating the Jurchens last year, we had a period of calm, the wounded soldiers were recuperating, and the army was waiting for reorganization, but then the temptation came. The Seventh Army did not react for a while, which does not mean that they will never react. The two violations you dealt with at the end of last year were simply robbing, but fortunately no one was killed. But you know those people under your command, in the future, they will realize that money is good, and they will not be stingy to kill people."

Qin Shaoqian put the manuscript aside and nodded.

"That's why I sent Lu Qiaoshan's people over, and those who have been reorganized... Soldiers are actually good soldiers, but some of the leaders inside have seen the world before. The reorganization last year may not be able to stabilize them. Now that they have a good place, they are eager to try... I know that in the Seventh Army, some people complain that these surrendered soldiers came and occupied their income. These incomes will become the guillotine. They are chickens for the monkeys to see. Without these chickens, we would have to kill anti-Jin heroes."

"This is a good thing, it must be done." Qin Shaoqian said, "We can't kill them all. From last year to this year, some of my men have also had crooked thoughts. Let's rectify them together in two months."

"Yeah." Ning Yi nodded and smiled, "The main thing today is to discuss this matter with you. How to rectify the Seventh Army is still up to you. In any case, in the future Chinese Army, the army will only be responsible for fighting and taking orders. Any political or commercial matters are not allowed to participate. This must be the highest principle. Whoever reaches out, chop off their hand. But in addition to fighting, the open and honest welfare can be increased. I will sell blood to make them live well."

"It's a bit pitiful for Lu Qiaoshan to take the blame... But it can also be seen that you sincerely accept him." Qin Shaoqian smiled and then said, "I heard that you may be moving Li Rulai?"

"Lu Qiaoshan has backbone and ability, Li Rulai is different." Ning Yi said, "He surrendered in the face of war, and he made some contributions, but not great contributions. The most important thing is not to let people think that it is right to kill and set fire to be recruited. Li Rulai... The rumors outside are that I am knocking on these people. We accept them, and they have to show their due value. If there is no positive value, they should retreat smoothly. I will give them a good death. If they are not aware of this, I will pull them all out in two years."

"Aren't you afraid that people outside will say that we are kicking away the ladder after crossing the river?"

"The principle of the political system is to ensure that our ship can sail well. Brotherhood is for others to see. One day when you and I are useless, we should also be eliminated... Of course, it should be."

Qin Shaoqian smiled and said different opinions: "It is also important to look good."

Ning Yi thought for a while and nodded sincerely. He looked at the half-written manuscript on the table and sighed.

"Actually, the recent events have made me very annoyed. Tangible enemies have been defeated, and invisible enemies have reached out. The army is one thing, and Chengdu is another. Since defeating the Jurchens last year, a large number of people have begun to pour into the southwest. By April this year, there were more than 20,000 Confucian scholars in this place. Because they were allowed to discuss openly, there were fierce debates on the newspapers, and some consensus was reached, but honestly, in some places, we are about to fail."

Ning Yi said these things, sighing and laughing, "These people have eaten the rice bowl of writing all their lives. When they write articles, they are stable and balanced, citing scriptures and referring to classics. They are all talking about how the four people of the Chinese Army have problems. In some aspects, they have really convinced people. Some of our students sit and talk with them and feel that their arguments are deafening."

"Didn't you say it would be like this from the beginning?" Qin Shaoqian smiled.

"Various arguments will be integrated in the killing of the debate, and a forward-looking plan that a large number can accept as much as possible will be found. I thought about these, but when things come, you will still feel very annoyed. We use drama, vernacular, and news to unite the lower-level people, but the lower-level people cannot write articles. The students taught by my cram school have incomplete systems, and there are not many who have good writing skills that can fight against those great Confucian scholars. Most of the time, only Yong Jinnian and Li Shishi can be used..."

Ning Yi tapped his fingers on the manuscript and smiled, "I can only go on the court anonymously every day, and sometimes Yunzhu is also caught by me as a strong man, but honestly, we are not as powerful in this tug-of-war as we are on the battlefield. On the whole, we are at a disadvantage. The reason why we have not been completely defeated is still thanks to the fact that we defeated the Jurchens on the battlefield."

Qin Shaoqian frowned, and his expression became serious: "Actually, several teachers under my command have similar ideas. They feel that Chengdu should not open up newspapers and let everyone discuss politics, policies, and policies. Throughout the dynasties, unifying ideas is one of the most important things. A hundred flowers blooming looks wonderful, but in reality, it will only bring chaos. As far as I know, because of the exercises during the military parade last year, the security in Chengdu is still good, but in the surrounding cities, gangs have been incited to fight privately, and even some murders have this aspect."

"A hundred flowers blooming will bring chaos. This sentence is correct, but unifying ideas, the most important thing is to unify what kind of ideas. After the past dynasties were established, they all took the existing ideas and used them. These ideas were actually developed in chaos. When we get here, I hope our ideas will go a few steps further, and stability will be put in the future, it can be slower. Of course, now it really feels like ants are pulling the wheels and desperately moving forward. Qin Lao Er, aren't you from a Confucian family? You used to pretend to be a pig to eat a tiger. Now that your brother is in trouble, help me write a few lines."

"It's a pity that my eldest brother is not here, otherwise his writing skills would be good." Qin Shaoqian was a little regretful.

"If your father and eldest brother were here, they would be my biggest enemies." Ning Yi shook his head and patted the newspaper on the table, "What I am writing today to refute is this article. You talk about equality for all, and he quotes scriptures and says that people are born unequal. You talk about social progress, and he directly says that Wang Mang's reform failed a thousand years ago, saying that you are walking too fast and want to pull your eggs. The argument is well-founded... This article is really like what Lao Qin wrote."

Qin Shaoqian took the newspaper and looked at it.

"Sun Yuan... This is an uncle I met back then. He's in his seventies, right? He came to Chengdu from thousands of miles away?"

"You see, that's how it is..." Ning Yi shrugged, picked up the pen, "Old thing, I'm going to write a mean one to piss him off."

"These old people have a very good cultivation. Once people know that the rebuttal article was written by you, they won't be angry even if you scold his eighteenth generation ancestors. They will only be excited to sit down and talk to you. After all, this is a direct exchange with Mr. Ning, and it is glorious to say it out loud..."

"That's why I'm anonymous." Ning Yi smiled narrowly.

"You'll be recognized..." Qin Shaoqian muttered.

"...Say more if you can talk."

"No, since the overall situation is at a disadvantage, don't you want to use some private means? Just resist it so hard? In the past dynasties, especially at the beginning of the founding of the country, these people were killed."

"The continuity of the thinking system is a law that cannot be violated. If killing can be counted, I really want to throw away my own ideas and let everyone accept new ideas for decades, but..." He sighed, "In reality, we can only walk slowly, based on the past thinking, first change a part, then change a part, until it is completely changed beyond recognition, but this process cannot be omitted..."

"But in the past, you could kill..."

"Because in the past, every reformer in power, his so-called new ideas were based on the old Confucian thinking."

"You..."

"I am like Wang Mang, born with knowledge. Therefore, the advanced ideas I have can only be done this way."

Ning Yi stood up, waved his hand, and made a rogue joke, then added hot water to his teacup: "Fortunately, the debate emphasizes citing scriptures and classics, but it is also based on real results. In a few years, the results of material exploration will be promoted on a large scale, and we will win a few more battles on the battlefield, and the disadvantage of the debate will naturally become an advantage. This process will also be a process in which everyone is constantly influenced. There is still hope. For now... Men, just hang in there."

He said this optimistically. After pouring the hot water, he picked up the teacup and blew on it at the table. As soon as he finished speaking, the secretary came in from the outside and handed over an urgent report. Ning Yi took a look, and his whole face turned black, and he put the teacup down heavily.

"What's wrong?" Qin Shaoqian stood up.

"...Go and prepare the carriages and horses, go to Leshan Research Institute..." Ning Yi said, handing the report to Qin Shaoqian. After the secretary left the study, Ning Yi waved his hand and slammed the teacup against the wall with a bang, and the porcelain fragments splashed everywhere.

"This is what I said..."

These days, due to family matters and all kinds of trivial situations, Ning Yi's emotions were not good. Qin Shaoqian said the problems Ning Ji would face, and how could Ning Yi not understand it. Now there was bad news, which made him erupt in front of Qin Shaoqian.

"This is what I said... Just like in Chengdu, I made a series of safety standards for their factories, and they thought they were too perfect and unnecessary, and they always cut corners! People died, and they even thought it was acceptable. It is a rare prosperous age, anyway, there are so many workers who want to come to the southwest now, and they can't use them all! I have set rules and standards for their circuit court, and they also think they are too trivial, and one or two are going to be Bao Qingtian! The top and bottom are calling it good!"

"Now it's good... Leshan Research Institute, the strictest safety regulations! I made them! If not enough people die, they think it's too strict. Now it's good, the prototype of the boiler has been blown up, and Lin Jingwei has been seriously injured by me! This is what I said, ants are dragging the wheels forward, you give them good things and no one knows, all the safety regulations and all the laws have to be written in blood! Let them shed a little less!"

"Okay, okay, what are you angry about." Qin Shaoqian came over and patted him on the shoulder, "It's not that the problem hasn't been determined yet."

"It's mostly like that, it must be like that, how many things like this have happened recently!" Ning Yi packed up his things, packed up the half-written manuscript, and remembered when he was about to go out, "I was going to comfort Xiao Chan, these things..."

"Then don't go to Leshan first, find someone else to take charge."

Ning Yi thought about it: "...Let's go. I'll talk about it when I come back. By the way, you are also preparing to go back today, right?"

"Yeah." The two walked out together, Qin Shaoqian nodded, "I plan to go to the First Military Industry to take a look. The new rifling has been pulled, and a batch of guns have come out. I'll go and see."

"This batch of rifling is okay, it is relatively stable. Our directions are different, goodbye."

"I'll walk with you for a while longer, so you don't feel reluctant to leave."

"I'm not reluctant to leave you either."

The carriages and guard teams had been quickly prepared. Ning Yi and Qin Shaoqian left the courtyard. It was about 3:00 in the afternoon. People who should be working were working, and children were in school. Tan'er and Hongti hurried back from outside. Ning Yi told them the whole situation: "...Where's Xiao Chan?"

"Taking people to buy things at the market. Do you want to call her back?"

"..." Ning Yi was silent for a moment, "Forget it, I'll coax her when I come back."

"Boys have to go out when they reach the age. Although their parents are worried, they won't get over it." Tan'er smiled, "You don't need to coax her."

"...Still need to... Forget it, I'll talk about it when I come back."

He got into the carriage and said goodbye to everyone.

The team began to move forward. He roughly finished the entire manuscript in the bumpy environment in the car. When his head cleared, he felt that what happened at the Leshan Research Institute should not be just a simple failure to operate according to safety regulations. The operating procedures of a large number of factories in Chengdu have been quantified, so a complete set of procedures can be completely set down. However, research work is always a new field, and regulations cannot be determined in many cases. Excessive dogmatism will restrict innovation.

After defeating the Jurchens last year, the southwest had the qualifications to carry out a large amount of commercial trade with the outside world. Everyone also optimistically said in research: "We can finally start getting some big guys on the horse." But now, the No. 2 steam prototype was actually blown up, and Lin Jingwei was seriously injured, which is really depressing - a bunch of guys who are eager for success.

He remembered his son who ran away from home today. Where is Ning Ji now... Qin Weiwen caught up with him, right? What would they say? Would the second child be tricked by his letter and simply come back home and not go out again? Rationally speaking, this is not good, but emotionally, he also hopes that Ning Ji will not go out. It's really a mood I've never had in my life...

Thinking of Ning Ji, I can't help but think of Xiao Chan. I should have comforted her a few more words this morning. In fact, I couldn't find the words to comfort her. I didn't know what to say, so I used the work that had been piled up for a few days to push things back. I originally wanted to push it to the evening and use words and actions such as: "Let's have another one." to make her less sad. Who knew that something happened in Leshan again.

In a larger place, those invisible enemies are even more annoying to him. In the previous life, opening a company only required pursuing economic benefits, and in this life, fighting only required killing enemies. Now that the enemy has become an invisible thing, he can kill the tangible spokespersons, but if the new thinking is not truly understood, any so-called truth is just dogmatism, and the biggest role is just to kill people in political struggles.

The landing of thinking requires refutation and debate, and thinking is integrated into new thinking in debate, but no one can guarantee what kind of appearance that new thinking will present, even if he can kill everyone, he cannot control this matter.

The carriage traveled all the way to Leshan, and he gradually fell asleep in such a bumpy ride. After arriving at the destination, he still has many things to do...