At noon, sunlight streamed into the bright courtyard of the Grand Princess's residence. In the main hall, where over fifty people were gathered for a banquet, the Emperor's words were gentle. Huang Shengyuan couldn't help but look up, glancing at the people around him. Several familiar faces, almost instinctively, met his gaze, and he understood that something was likely amiss.

"...For wealthy families to grow and clans to endure, these are perfectly normal human desires. After all, when your families prosper and your lives improve, the nation's fortunes will also be better. Therefore, I have consulted many, many people on this matter. Today, I am here to share some of my thoughts on the longevity of families with everyone present..."

"Firstly, there's a story about the Zuo family..."

At the front of the main hall, Jun Wu smiled, surveying the room.

"...Speaking of the Zuo family, everyone is quite familiar with them. It's a large clan passed down from the time of the dynasty's founding by Lord Zheng Lian. The previous family head, Lord Duan You, is a name you've all heard... Last year, the news of a group of Zuo family members coming from the Southwest caused quite a stir. I entrusted them with important tasks, which made many people unhappy... Haha, there's no need for anyone to turn their heads. We're not talking about anything else today, not politics, only clans. Everyone, this group of Zuo family members are truly talented. They've been on the battlefield, killed Jurchens, and handle matters with efficiency..."

"...But why does the Zuo family have so much talent? Some say the Zuo family has many great scholars, and everyone in the family studies. These children are influenced from a young age, laying a good foundation. Others say that dragons beget dragons and phoenixes beget phoenixes. Even a daughter-in-law of the Zuo family must be a learned woman. In addition, they are a high-ranking family, marrying equals, so the children born are naturally outstanding, blessed with high talent..."

"...But actually, none of that is true. When Lord Zuo was still alive, I had the good fortune to be taught by him. When he spoke of the children in his family, he only sighed, saying that by the time of his grandchildren, many were ignorant and incompetent, only knowing how to enjoy themselves. He feared that if things continued this way, the Zuo family wouldn't even be able to maintain their current status... At that time, the Central Plains fell, and the Zuo family moved south as a whole. It was also at that time that he made a decision that no one could have imagined..."

"...Among the direct and collateral lines of his family, he selected a total of over one hundred and twenty children and teenagers and sent them to the Xia Military of Little Cang River at that time. He also donated some grain to them, entrusting Ning Yi, who is now in the Southwest, to take care of the children on the front lines of the battle against the Jurchens."

The Zuo family can now almost be considered the largest clan closest to the Wu Dynasty. There are many rumors about the family's affairs, and occasionally some people secretly mention them. But the Emperor so openly discussing Little Cang River, even revealing the possibility of the Zuo family "colluding with bandits" without concern, still caused those at the table to look at each other in surprise.

Jun Wu waved his hand from above.

"As I said, we're not discussing politics today, only clans..."

"...Whether Lord Zuo's decision was right at the time has been debated by many who knew about it. Firstly, the Zuo family was originally a large clan in Hedong. When the Central Plains fell and there was a sea of ​​blood and deep hatred, he placed his family in the Northwest, with the idea that wherever there were Jurchens, he would place his family there. Secondly, Lord Zuo and Ning Yi also had a contract with three articles, agreeing that the Zuo family would never be enemies with the Wu Dynasty. Many things happened during this period, one of which was very touching to me..."

"...That was in the autumn of the third year of Jianshuo. The Jurchens began to mobilize troops one after another, besieging the Northwest. The Xia Military knew that this battle would be very fierce. Ning Yi contacted Lord Zuo to ask if he wanted to take the children left here away in advance, otherwise, they would inevitably die. Lord Zuo refused... This matter has actually been heard of by some, but what many people haven't heard is that by the fifth year of Jianshuo, the Northwest had been turned into a wasteland, and Little Cang River had long been besieged and beaten to pieces. At that time, Ning Yi contacted Lord Zuo again, saying... 'Nearly half of the strong men in your clan have been killed or injured, but they have also seen blood and been tempered... Do you want to take them back?'"

"...Lord Zuo... His health was already very poor at the time, nearing his final moments. The elders of the clan felt that it was enough, and they should be taken back, so they could see Lord Zuo one last time. Some of the children's parents were crying and shouting, wanting the children to come back. When Lord Zuo woke up, everyone tried to persuade him, saying that the Xia Military was unreasonable, just in that mountain nest, fighting to the death with the Jurchens... After Lord Zuo heard this, he raised his hand and slapped the bed hard..."

"...He laughed loudly, saying that the strong men of my clan are fighting the Jurchens and will fight to the death without retreating! They are fighting to the death without retreating! How dare you let them come back! Ruin their lives! They—will fight to the death without retreating!"

Jun Wu's palm struck the table, making a series of bangs. For a moment, everyone seemed to see the scene of the dying old man laughing and clapping on the bed. The Emperor, wearing a dragon robe, seemed to have mist in his laughing eyes, but of course, no one dared to look closely.

Everyone simply listened to the sound echoing in the hall.

"...So Lord Zuo had Zuo Jiyun write a letter back, telling Ning Yi that no matter when your Black Flag stops fighting, my Zuo family will fight until then. Ning Yi happily agreed."

"...After another year of fighting, the Xia Military finally went south, reaching Liangshan. At that time, of the one hundred and twenty-seven members of the Zuo family who were initially sent to the Southwest, only fifty-five remained... This was the most difficult part. Later, they also participated in the great battle in the Southwest. In the end, thirty-seven survived. These thirty-seven had all experienced the flames of war on the front lines. They learned the practical skills of the Southwest, and their hands were stained with the blood of the Jurchens. Later, when Zuo Xiuquan went to the Southwest, he brought them back to the Wu Dynasty..."

"...Regarding this matter, some people will say that the Black Flag in the Southwest has an irreconcilable hatred with my Wu Dynasty. But I think that when the country is broken and the family is destroyed, and when the Han people are in danger, the greatest enemy is a foreign race. Lord Zuo placed his family's children on the front lines fighting the Jurchens, and nearly a hundred were killed or injured. Was his heart in pain? I think it must have been. But they fought to the death with the Jurchens... Without retreating, and in the end, they brought good things back to the Wu Dynasty. I think this is his heart for the Wu Dynasty and for the country as a large clan... This is the first story I can tell you today."

Jun Wu paused here for a moment.

"There is also a second story, which originally should not be told to you..."

"This time, it's about my own心得..."

"...When I was young, I was the son of a leisurely prince in Jiangning City. My imperial sister kept a close watch on me, so I didn't pick up any major bad habits from a young age, but to be honest, I didn't bear too many expectations. Cockfighting and dogfighting were certainly out of the question, and I was never good at poetry and arithmetic either. At that time, many people had passed judgment, saying that I was of average talent..."

"...Being of average talent is also pretty good. A minor prince doesn't have to bear too much responsibility in the future. But slowly, responsibility still came. My father became the Emperor, and I became the Crown Prince. The Central Plains fell, and we retreated to Lin'an..."

"...When I was still the Crown Prince, I was forced to take on military affairs... Do you know what it feels like when hundreds of thousands of troops are stacked up and fighting fiercely? Tens of thousands of people just died like that, and blood flowed like a river. I didn't know how to fight. Even if I kept telling myself that it was a national and family vendetta, I was still afraid when standing on the battlefield, where I could die at any moment..."

"...Do you know when I started not being afraid?"

Jun Wu's gaze rested on the people below.

"...When defending the Yangtze River, the battle was going very badly. I was riding a horse, going everywhere to encourage the soldiers not to collapse. Later, an arrow suddenly shot over and pierced my stomach, right... here."

He extended his finger and slowly pointed to a spot on his stomach.

"...From that time on, whether I was on the battlefield or doing other things that ordinary people wouldn't dare to do, I was no longer afraid. I led troops through the Jurchen army formation outside Jiangning City, and in Fuzhou, I also fought two large and small battles, you all know... I can't say that I am a wise and ambitious pioneering monarch. Whether many things can be accomplished can only be known after we have done them. But if I were really given a small family, whether it was to expand or maintain it, I would really have some confidence..."

Jun Wu laughed to himself.

"The two things I said today are a bit fierce, but I am still young, and this is who I am. Please forgive me... What exactly are these two things saying? What does a large clan need to continue and prosper? In the final analysis, it's not scheming or relationships, but talented young people..."

"Many of our clans here today were built from scratch through struggles and battles in the first generation. But when the previous generation suffered and toiled, they began to dote on the second generation. Then, by the third generation, it was even more impossible to beat or scold them from the beginning. If a family has wealth but the children are not talented, after the ancestors die and there is no pillar of support, they will eventually be scattered. The saying 'wealth doesn't last three generations' mostly comes from this..."

"Everyone here today, I know, are family heads who have had a hard time. You want to get an official position for your children through privilege, you want to get some power. The details recorded in this book, I have read, and they are actually all the pitiful hearts of parents... Have the children in your families also begun to be spoiled and unable to do anything? Or... Do they seem to be only of average talent, causing you all to worry every day?"

He looked at the changes in the eyes of the people below and sighed.

"...The two stories I just told actually came from these feelings... Everyone, in fact, everyone knows many truths. I know that if a family in each large clan produces a child who can study or a great genius, the entire clan will be happy and proud. Why? Because everyone knows that such a child will be able to protect the prosperity of the clan in the future. But, is the success of a person really only dependent on geniuses?"

"...Not to mention me, just look at the people in the Zuo family. Are they geniuses? Actually, none of them are... When Lord Zuo selected children from the main and collateral lines of the Zuo family, the biggest criteria was not how smart the child was, but whether there were children who could endure hardship. He threw one hundred and twenty-seven children into the Black Flag, and thirty-seven remained. After enduring the bitterness of bitterness, they became superior people. Everyone, if you take out the various geniuses you have seen and put them up against these members of the Zuo family, no genius can beat them..."

"...I said when I came that the marriage of one person is a small matter." Jun Wu paused, "But the wishes of the people are a big matter... My imperial sister sent this booklet into the palace. After I read it, I could see everyone's difficulties. You all want your families to have a good future, you want your children to have a smooth path. For this reason, many people have really taken out everything they can..."

"...But, even if choosing a few concubines is really selling official positions, how many of you can be satisfied? The fact that you can take out these things for this matter is enough to show your loyalty to my Wu Dynasty. I don't want any of you to be disappointed in this heart. So in the past few days, I have discussed this in detail with several senior officials and finally decided to open another privileged examination in the Wu Bei Academy for everyone..."

"...If there are young heroes in your families, or children who can endure hardship, send them to me... I cannot promise them wealth in the present, but I will arrange for the best teachers such as Li Guang, Li Pin, and Zuo Wenhuan to teach them. I will arrange for them to experience the most difficult environments. I will make them useful people, and then entrust them with important tasks. In the future, some of them will become the real pillars of your families!"

"...Since I ascended the throne, I have known that there have been several public criticisms. One is that I am carrying out reforms forcefully, not listening to anyone's advice, and am a tyrant; the second is that I like to appoint scholars with no background and am unwilling to appoint any aristocratic families, unwilling to share power... Actually, the world is my world, and you are my subjects. What is the difference between aristocratic families and ordinary people? When ordinary people become officials, they naturally slowly become aristocratic families. If aristocratic families can manage the local areas well for me, why should I use a greenhorn?"

"...National affairs are difficult, and I am actually eager for talent. But what exactly is talent? Because of kinship, give your children an enyin position? Grant them an official position? Guarantee their peace for a lifetime? But in this regard, to be honest, I am very harsh. But I believe that even if ordinary people are put into the fire to be tempered, there will definitely be fine iron born. I also know that your expectations for the continuation and growth of your families must be placed on such fine iron!"

"...In the past, we were very far apart. You didn't know what kind of person I was, and I didn't understand you clearly enough. But this time, I am speaking from the bottom of my heart and have already told you my thoughts. What kind of talent I want, how I will do it, has all been laid out here. After this luncheon, each of your families will have two to three places. They will come to Fuzhou to study and will not have an easy time, but they will be granted official positions in the future. I hope that the children in your families will become the pillars of the court in the future, and your families will become the pillars of the world... Let us raise this cup to encourage each other."

Jun Wu raised his wine glass above.

Below at the banquet, everyone happily raised their glasses and praised him. Huang Shengyuan also had a smile on his face, but his heart was a little confused, and he was just thinking: Here we go again...

Just as the wine in the glass was drunk, an old man in the front row began to cry and kneel on the ground, only to hear him say: "Today I have seen Your Majesty's face, and I know that Your Majesty is a wise and enlightened emperor. The Wu Dynasty has hope of revitalization. All the younger members of my family are willing to be handed over to Your Majesty to be whipped..." After that, naturally, there was a series of messy praises. This person was a wealthy man from the countryside who had never seen such a big scene. Even though the words he spoke were a little out of place, everyone acted normally. Who knew that after speaking for a while, the tone gradually became a little strange, and then he suddenly kowtowed his forehead to the ground.

"...This old man... after much painful deliberation, still has something to report at the risk of his life. Your Majesty, this old man is guilty, this old man has long heard that among those who came to the capital with us this time, there are bad people, there are people plotting evil things, Your Majesty—"

The hall became quiet, and everyone looked at each other. Then they turned to look above, only to see the Emperor's face gradually becoming calm and serious, and then he raised his hand slightly.

"Since this is the case, please ask Lord Ming to come to the back hall to speak..."

Then a guard came over and led the crying old local official into the back hall.

As soon as the person left, Huang Shengyuan heard a bang, and someone next to him knelt down: "This humble person is guilty, this matter has also been heard by this humble person, and this humble person is also willing to explain it to Your Majesty and the Princess..."

Arranged...

Two were arranged...

Too fake, ah, too fake, ah...

Huang Shengyuan looked around, almost wanting to shout out. His gaze trembled non-stop.

Here we go again...

Here we go again...

…

The distant temple rang its bells, and the time passed noon.

The news of the Emperor's first move against the large-scale entry of people into Beijing in May had not yet spread widely. Cao Jinlong, sitting in a carriage, passed through the streets of the city and arrived at Xiangyu Ward in the south of the city.

This was an ordinary ward where civilians lived in Fuzhou City. After reconfirming his disguise, Cao Jinlong walked along the long street and sat in a simple teahouse for a while, watching the movements of a courtyard across the street.

After halfway through Weishi time (1-3 PM), there were gradually some special movements in the courtyard. The person he was waiting for had returned.

Cao Jinlong left the teahouse, walked into the old courtyard next door, and then went to the innermost room on the second floor along the dark corridor that had been closed.

The room was dark. The window facing the street was not open, but the room next door was connected to the wooden building in another courtyard. He pulled a rope on the wall. After a while, someone came over from that room and gently knocked on the partition on the wall. Cao Jinlong also knocked.

A small piece of wood on the room was opened.

Cao Jinlong stood here, looking at the side face revealed on the other side of the wooden frame. He could smell the enticing fragrance. He was silent for a while before finally speaking: "Shuang'er..."

"...Cao Lang."

The voice from the opposite side also came over.

It was Chen Shuangran.

…

Conspirators have the means of conspirators, and adulterers and adulteresses have the stories of adulterers and adulteresses. On a June afternoon, large and small causes and effects, accompanied by ubiquitous sunlight, poured into the prosperous and crowded city of Fuzhou, gradually converging into the bustling voices and traffic of the streets and alleys, and extending endlessly to the distance.

Ning Ji and Qu Longjun bought some dishes for dinner at the vegetable market and were walking towards Huaiyun Ward carrying large and small bags. Beside the crowded market on the side, two green forest people wearing short clothes suddenly opened their clothes and rushed towards a green-robed official who was buying things with his child at a grocery stall.

In an instant, chaotic noises rang out. On the afternoon street, the two green forest people stabbed several times, cutting the official down on the steps outside the roadside door. Then they rushed into the crowd and fled in the confusion.

Fresh blood flowed all over the street, and the child who had been brought by the official stood crying in the pool of blood.

Ning Ji and Qu Longjun both watched this scene with some bewilderment.

The same incident occurred several times in Fuzhou City that day.

…

The sun was setting in the west, and the world was at dusk.

The weather was still hot.

At the street entrance of Yinqiao Ward, Aunt Pang had a lot of sweat while starting a fire to cook. After setting up the tables and chairs, she was even more tired and sat down on the roadside, panting.

"This damn weather... It's better to have a big storm..."

She was chatting with a familiar partner from the next stall, who came closer and made a gesture to slap her mouth.

"Bah, bah, bah, innocent words, innocent words... It's still better not to have a big storm..."

"Hehe, I'm just saying..."

People who live in seaside cities and make a living, even if it's extremely hot, don't expect typhoons to come.

But they all understand.

The typhoon will come.