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In the fifth month of the second year of Wu Zhenxing, Jin.

Outside the east gate of Weisheng City, a new official road has been widened.

This spacious road, rare in Jin, began construction in September last year, extending eastward for more than ten miles along the hills and mountains outside the city. Then, it stopped at a place called Liangjiahe, widened the original village, and built a new town against the mountain and by the river.

As if having a feud with words like "West" and "South," the town, personally supervised by the female prime minister, was named "East City."

In early May, everything here seemed tense and busy. Vehicles and caravans going back and forth were carrying a large amount of materials in and out of the city. Entering from the west, the defending city wall had not yet been built, but there were watchtowers and patrolling troops. The city was divided by simple roads, and construction sites were still in full swing. There were small residential areas gathered by sheds, and seemingly chaotic markets, where small vendors pushed carts and carried burdens, delivering food or water to the construction sites...

From the second half of last year, news about the Southwest Conference gradually swept the entire world.

The "Number One Martial Arts Tournament in the World," which could enrich the storytellers' repertoire, was just a trivial detail in this information. The Hua Xia Army's almost "fully open" move in the following period almost affected all people in Jiangnan, the Central Plains, including scholars, farmers, workers, and merchants. A force that relied on the study of material science (Gewu) to defeat the Jurchens actually began to generously sell its achievements to the outside world. Sensitive people could perceive that the impact of a huge wave was coming.

Just like Jin, from September last year, news about the Southwest selling iron smelting, artillery making, glass, papermaking, and other crafts to this area had been released one after another. The Southwest would send a delegation to teach Jin various crafts, and the rumor that the female prime minister wanted to build a new city to accommodate many industries continued to ferment throughout the winter. By the time spring arrived, almost all of the major merchants in Jin were eager to try to find an opportunity to get a piece of the pie.

In the past, Jin and the Southwest were far apart. The exquisite utensils, glass, perfumes, books, and even weapons from there, when they reached here, were worth dozens of times more. And once such a place was built in Jin, the best-made utensils within hundreds or even thousands of miles would be transported from here, and no one wouldn't be envious of the profits in between.

So, taking advantage of this wave of opportunity, before East City even started construction, Lou Shuwan had already distributed many of the benefits at sky-high prices. Except for the military industry, which was not transferred, all other industries, such as glass, perfume, weaving, books, canned food, and all other livelihood and even luxury goods industries, were generously divided among everyone. First, the teachers from the Hua Xia Army would teach the first batch of Jin masters, build the most important demonstration workshops, and then each family would send people to learn, and then spread their businesses on a large scale.

This was almost equivalent to the government coming forward to introduce technology to each household. The huge benefits mobilized everyone's enthusiasm. In the later stages of the road construction in East City, almost all the major families and merchants in Jin had already participated. They organized personnel themselves, mobilized materials, and continuously transported their strength to the newly constructed town. Such a large-scale mobilization of personnel and the enthusiasm shown within it even made many Jin officials gasp in amazement.

At the same time, Lou Shuwan's generosity also made most of Jin's gentry and merchant forces form a "common benefit." The words of praise about the female prime minister in Jin had risen steadily in the past few months, and the assassinations or criticisms caused by various reasons in the past had also been reduced by more than half.

After all, in private, the rumor that the Jin female prime minister and the Southwest's Devil Ning had a private affair had never stopped. And this Southwest Conference, there were also well-informed people who secretly compared the benefits obtained by various forces. At least on the surface, the benefits obtained by Jin were comparable to, or even surpassed, those of Liu Guangshi, who was the most wealthy. In everyone's opinion, if the female prime minister didn't have such a deep relationship with the Southwest, how could Jin have gotten so many benefits?

The rumors were spread like this, as for the truth of the matter, it was often so intertwined that even the parties involved couldn't quite explain it. At last year's Southwest Conference, the team led by An Xifu did achieve great results. And these great results were not obtained by paying a huge and solid price like Liu Guangshi's mission. To be honest, under the instruction of the female prime minister, they were a bit rogue, basically treating the past two times of helping Liu Chengzong and Liangshan Hua Xia Army as endlessly usable bargaining chips, asking for this and that like a lion's mouth.

Ning Yi ultimately had no choice but to reluctantly agree to most of the requests.

In his serious conversations with others, the legitimate reasons revealed were two: The first was certainly looking at the feelings of the Liangshan team and making a repaying act of gratitude; the second was that among the various forces in the world, Jin was the most energetic force representing the Han people's resistance, so even if they didn't mention it, Ning Yi had originally planned to give many things to them.

Of course, this second reason was extremely personal and was not widely spread due to the need for confidentiality. Against the background of the Jin female prime minister smiling and ignoring such rumors, it is not surprising that later generations passed down mostly scandalous news about this period of history.

The East City, built with the efforts of each household, first took shape in the military camp, residential area, and demonstration factory area located on the east side of the city. This was not the territory of each household, but no one complained about first sending people to divide the labor and construct this area. At this moment in early May, the most important iron smelting plant area had already built two experimental blast furnaces. In the past few days, they had been ignited and put into operation. Black smoke columns rose into the sky, and many blacksmith masters who had come to learn had been put into work.

In the northeast of the town, near the nearby hills and a small stream, there was a residential and learning area connected to the military camp. Currently, the first to live here were the more than 300-person delegation from the Southwest, which included more than 100 artisans, more than 20 teachers, and a reinforced company of Hua Xia Army escort troops. The head of the delegation was named Xue Guangcheng.

In addition to the people of the Hua Xia Army, a large number of artisans selected from Jin and young scholars with flexible thinking had gathered here. Before the workshop started, these artisans and scholars had to receive a round of Gewu knowledge, including mathematics, physics, and chemistry. This was to teach them the basic principles, hoping that they could learn by analogy. At the same time, they also tried to select some people among these artisans who could become researchers, so that the cycle of Gewu could continue to move forward.

This kind of basic Gewu teaching was priced high by the Hua Xia Army, and even Liu Guangshi did not purchase it, but for Jin, Ning Yi almost forcibly sold it over.

This also included dividing the shares of various technologies other than the military industry, and a large number of supporting plans to "share benefits" with the Jin noble families to attract them to jointly build a new industrial zone, which was something that no one else could buy except for the new Fujian Dynasty. Although Lou Shuwan also muttered disdainfully after seeing it: "Does this guy want to teach me how to do things?" But then she also felt that the ideas of the two sides had a lot in common. After adapting to local conditions, her words became sighs like "These places are too simple" and "It's really childish."

In the afternoon, crowds gathered in the learning area in the north, and all the more than ten classrooms were filled with people. Curtains were hung on the windows outside the first classroom in the east, and guards were stationed outside. The female teacher in the classroom lit candles and was conducting an experiment on pinhole imaging in her lecture.

"...The first person to do this experiment was actually the sage Mozi. He described such things in the *Mo Jing*, saying, 'The image arrives, and at noon there is an end, and it is long with the image. The explanation lies in the end.' Its meaning is... Through these seemingly ordinary physics and optics experiments, we can derive some useful principles. Finally, it is because of these principles that we created the binoculars used on the battlefield. Even in the future, we may be able to create binoculars that can see thousands or even ten thousand miles away... In the Southwest, a large binocular that can be used to see the moon has already been created..."

The female teacher was not beautiful, but her words were warm and clear, and they sounded very organized. At this moment, sitting at the forefront below was Lou Shuwan, the female prime minister who was wearing a long cyan dress and looked imposing even when sitting there. Accompanied by Shi Jin and An Xifu, she watched the experiment with great interest and even made a question like, "What's on the moon? Did you see Chang'e?"

The female teacher then combined the "heaven is round and the earth is square" theory to talk about the earth being a ball, the moon being a ball, and other novel words, which made a group of artisans and scholars marvel. Lou Shuwan was somewhat frustrated after hearing that there was no Chang'e and rabbit on the moon. Then, she asked if the binoculars in the Southwest were not good enough and could not see clearly enough. The female teacher had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"I guess that's the case." Lou Shuwan said with a smile.

After listening to this class in general, Lou Shuwan, Shi Jin, An Xifu, and others went out of the classroom, and some of the young officials who had participated in the class followed. Lou Shuwan talked to An Xifu about Ning Yi.

"...I remember many years ago in Hangzhou, when the Saint Duke's army hadn't attacked yet, Ning Yi and his wife Tan'er came to visit. The young ladies of an official family in the city were confined at home all day long and were depressed. Everyone was helpless. Su Tan'er went to visit, and Ning Yi gave her an idea, asking her to send a box of silkworms over. Before long, the young ladies were picking mulberry leaves and feeding the silkworms every day, and they became energetic..."

She smiled coldly: "Those who are covered in silk and brocade are not silkworm raisers. Later, Ning Yi manipulated people's hearts and made many achievements. Outsiders called him a demon of the heart, saying that he understood the truth of people's hearts. But now it seems that the principles of heaven and earth are what he wants. It's more than just people's hearts."

She smiled relatively kindly in the classroom. At this time, away from the classroom, her pace was rapid, and her words were fast. She was not angry but majestic. The surrounding young officials listened to the stories of the past from the mouths of these big figures. For a while, no one dared to answer. Everyone walked into a small building not far away, entered the reception and discussion room, and Lou Shuwan waved her hand to let everyone sit down.

"This teacher, Hu Meilan, has clear ideas and quick reactions. What does she usually like? Does anyone here know?" Lou Shuwan asked An Xifu next to her.

An Xifu nodded and told her what the teacher usually liked, including what kind of food she liked to eat, that she usually liked paintings, and that she occasionally painted herself, and listed the information in general. Lou Shuwan looked at the officials in the room: "What is her background? Can anyone guess something?"

"She must be from a family with rich knowledge..."

"Her father must be a great Confucian..."

The officials said some ideas one after another, Lou Shuwan raised her eyebrows at An Xifu, An Xifu looked at everyone: "This woman is from a peasant family, but she has a good and patient nature since she was a child. After the Hua Xia Army arrived in the Southwest, they took her into the school to be a teacher. Her only task is to teach students. She has not read poetry and books extensively, and she doesn't paint well, but she does a good job of teaching and imparting knowledge."

The room was quiet for a moment, and everyone looked at each other. Lou Shuwan smiled and tapped her fingers on the small table next to her, but then restrained her smile.

"We used to think that such quick-witted people must be from a well-educated family, just like reading the Four Books and Five Classics. First, they memorize them by rote. When they reach middle age, they see more and think more, and then they learn how to use each principle. To be able to teach students so flexibly, they may have to be a few years older. But in the Southwest, that Devil Ning's method is completely different. He doesn't force people to read the Four Books and Five Classics. Teaching knowledge is all based on practicality. This teacher, Hu Meilan, was taught to teach. If the method of teaching her is used well, dozens of teachers can be taught in a few years, and dozens of teachers can become hundreds in a few years..."

"You are the second batch of officials who have come here. You are still young and have good brains. Although some people have read the books of sages for more than ten years and have some literary jargon, they can still be changed. I'm not saying that the old methods are bad, but there are new methods here. You have to figure them out and learn them. So put aside the learning of sages in your hearts first. During your time here, you should humbly learn the methods of the Southwest clearly. This is a task for you. Whoever learns well, I will reuse him in the future."

Lou Shuwan looked around at everyone: "In addition to this, there is another thing... You are all the best young people in our family. You have read poetry and books, have ideas, and some of you know how to play and make friends. You all have official positions, which represents the face of our Jin... The masters and teachers who have come from the Southwest this time are our distinguished guests. Since you are here, you should make more friends with them. If there are any oversights or things that you can't do, you should pay more attention. If they want anything, try to satisfy them. You have to make them eat well, live well, and have a good time here, so that they feel at home..."

"The ultimate goal of this matter is to hope that they can stay in Jin. But you have to be generous and enthusiastic, but don't be mean. Don't take the purpose too seriously. Making friends with the people of the Hua Xia Army will also have many benefits for you in the future. They will stay here for a year or two. They are also outstanding people. The more you learn, the wider your path will be in the future. So don't screw it up..."

"...Of course, we will not be stingy with rewards for those who can stay in Jin. Official positions and fame are all available. I guarantee that they will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of their lives. Even if they have family members in the Southwest, I will personally negotiate with Devil Ning to bring their family members over safely so that they don't have to worry about these things. And you will also be heavily rewarded for accomplishing this matter. An Xifu will tell you all these things clearly in the days to come..."

The matter of wooing the delegation had actually been rumored before coming, and the young officials looked at each other and nodded one after another. Lou Shuwan gave a few more instructions before waving her hand to let them leave. After these officials left the room, An Xifu said: "Xue Guangcheng has been watching these Hua Xia Army people very closely recently. I'm afraid it will be difficult to achieve any results in a short time."

Lou Shuwan smiled and nodded: "There is still a long time, so take your time. Xue Guangcheng is not simple. He directly kidnapped Liu Yu in Bianliang and sent Liu Yu away. After sending Liu Yu away, he returned to Bianliang alone and used what Little Prince Wanyan Qingjue as a bargaining chip to exchange for the lives of everyone in Bianliang. In the end, he still survived. This kind of person is not as easy to deal with as Zhan Wu. Now that he and Zhan Wu are colluding, they are even more arrogant. You have to keep an eye on them here. The most important thing is to prevent them from acting rashly and making people hate them."

"Then why did you tell them these things clearly at this time?"

"This matter must be done with generosity, and the news can be spread out first. It doesn't matter." Lou Shuwan said, "We just want to keep people here and offer them high positions and generous salaries. We also have to tell them that even if they stay, they will not have bad relations with the Hua Xia Army. I will negotiate with Ning Yi openly and honestly. In this way, they will have less worries."

"Will Ning Yi... agree?"

"Since he can send people over, he must be prepared. He is a businessman and likes to do business. As long as these people nod their heads, I am sure that we can talk to the Southwest. As for here, we can use our brains more. We can also use beauty traps. They will be here for a few years without anyone to take care of them. Which family has knowledgeable women who can meet them? If they are willing, it will not insult anyone... In addition, there is that teacher Hu. She has family members in the Southwest, but she will be here alone for so long. Maybe she is lonely in her empty room..."

Lou Shuwan was talking, and An Xifu was nodding at first, but when she mentioned Hu Meilan, she frowned slightly. Lou Shuwan stopped here, and after a moment, she shook her head and smiled: "Forget it, it's immoral to do this kind of thing. It's too petty. For those who don't have families, we can use it. But for those who have families, let's forget it and let it be. We can arrange a few knowledgeable women to make friends with her."

The breeze blew the curtains in the room, and the afternoon sun seeped in through the window. Lou Shuwan was talking about these things, and her eyes flashed with a complex look. Her mind recalled herself in Hangzhou many years ago. Now, the only thing she said was that it was too petty. Slightly, there was a hint of sigh on her lips that were caressed by her hair...

In the next moment, the complexity in her eyes disappeared, and her eyes became clear again: "By the way, Liu Guangshi is eager to move in the Central Plains and may send troops north soon. The ultimate goal should be to take Bianliang and all the territories south of the Yellow River. This matter is already clear."

"Many people saw it last year in Chengdu." An Xifu said, "What we received first was the delegation, and what he received was the first batch of military equipment made in the Southwest. Now he has strong soldiers and horses and is not surprised to prepare to take action."

Lou Shuwan smiled: "If he wants to go north, Yin Zong, Zou Xu, and others will start to worry. After all, Zou Xu betrayed the Hua Xia Army. This time, he didn't get any benefits from the Southwest's business. Ning Yi is also ruthless. He privately expressed his position to Liu Guangshi that if he could defeat Zou Xu and hand him over to the Hua Xia Army, he could return one to two tenths of the money he paid in the past. This is not a small deal, and Liu Guangshi is eager to try."

An Xifu frowned slightly when he heard this: "Is there any reaction from Zou Xu?"

"You're so smart." Lou Shuwan said, "He wants to cooperate with me and buy some things back for emergency use. He is willing to come to Jin in person to talk to me about the details."

An Xifu looked at her, and Lou Shuwan said, "I agreed."

"Zou Xu is a figure. Isn't he afraid that we will sell him back to the Southwest?"

"Why should I sell him? I'm not very familiar with Ning Yi. It's the hatred of killing his father." Lou Shuwan laughed, "Moreover, Ning Yi sells things to Liu Guangshi, and I can also sell things to Zou Xu. They fight in the Central Plains, and we sell at both ends. The longer they fight, the better. It's impossible to let the Southwest take advantage of this kind of thing alone. This business can be done, and I want you to participate in the specific negotiations."

An Xifu nodded and then looked at the school outside: "However, after all, we are building here now. If the Hua Xia Army protests..."

Lou Shuwan smiled indifferently.

"Then let Ning Yi write a letter from the Southwest to scold me. Who's afraid of whom?"

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

The afternoon sun gradually slanted, and the sunlight coming in through the window became more and more golden. Lou Shuwan arranged the next things one by one, and An Xifu also left. Only then did she call Shi Jin in from outside, let him sit down beside her, and then poured a cup of tea for this knight who had followed her for several years and protected her safety for several years.

"Mr. Shi, I have seen that you have been preoccupied recently. Has something happened?"

Shi Jin had saved her life countless times over the years, so Lou Shuwan always respected this great knight. Shi Jin frowned slightly, then looked at her and smiled.

"Some news has come from the *jianghu*, and I have been paying attention to it these days."

"Can you tell me about it?"

"I have been looking for the child of Brother Lin for the past few years. Lou Prime Minister knows that Wojhou suffered a war disaster that year, and the child's whereabouts are difficult to find. In addition, with the situation in Jin over the years, many people can no longer be found. However, recently I heard a message that the great monk Lin Zongwu has been traveling in the *jianghu* recently, accompanied by a little monk named Ping An, who is eleven or twelve years old, but is highly skilled in martial arts. Coincidentally, my Brother Lin's child was originally named Mu Anping, and he is also about the same age..."

Lou Shuwan nodded: "Mr. Shi thinks they might be the same person?"

"When I inquired about the news of Wojhou that year, I heard people say that just around the time that Brother Lin had an accident, the great monk competed with a madman. The madman was a disciple taught by Grandmaster Zhou. The great monk almost lost that fight... If it was really Brother Lin whose family was destroyed at that time, then perhaps Lin Zongwu later found his child. I don't know what his intentions are. Perhaps he felt ashamed, kidnapped the child to take revenge, but unfortunately, Brother Lin died after sending the message, so he took the child as his apprentice."

"That's certainly possible." Lou Shuwan said softly. She looked at Shi Jin and said after a moment: "Mr. Shi, you have protected me well over the years. Lou Shuwan will be difficult to repay in this life. Now it is related to the child of that great knight Lin. This is a big matter, and I cannot force you to stay. If you want to go and find him, Shuwan can only let you go. You don't have to hesitate about this matter. Now the situation in Jin is initially stable, and after all, there are fewer assassins coming to assassinate. I only hope that Mr. Shi can come back after finding the child. Here, we will definitely give the child the best things."

The evening sun shone in through the window, crossed the room, and Lou Shuwan spoke about this matter with a smile, openly and honestly. Shi Jin looked at her, then also smiled openly and shook his head: "The matter here is more important. I have already entrusted someone to find the child. It's just that I have been thinking about this matter these days, and it is inevitable that my heart is moved. I will stay here and will not leave."

Lou Shuwan stood there and tilted her head to look at him. After a long time, she finally let out a long sigh. She bent her knees, patted her chest, and squinted her eyes with a forceful smile: "You scared me to death. I thought I might die just now... It's really great that Mr. Shi said he won't leave."

She rarely reveals this kind of playful expression, which vaguely carries the imprint of a girl, in front of others. After a moment, they went out of the room, and she returned to the demeanor of the Jin female prime minister, who was not angry but majestic.

This was a busy day, and she still had many people to meet next, including that difficult head of the Hua Xia Army delegation, Xue Guangcheng. But at this time, Lou Shuwan seemed to be able to hold her own even when confronting Mr. Ning from the Southwest.

Of course, they hadn't seen each other for a long, long time...

What would it be like at the moment of seeing each other again?

She sometimes thinks about this.

Perhaps... they will all be old soon...

But she, is still looking forward to it...

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