The night wind had replaced the heat of day, and under its constant caress, the clamor that had risen in Fuzhou city gradually subsided. Government yamen runners patrolled the streets outside the Princess Manor again and again. Officials in black robes inspected the scene of the fight, confirming the losses. Groups of twos and threes talked about the day's commotion. Due to the tense atmosphere, small riots and ripples occasionally broke out in the city streets further away, like sudden sparks, indicating the mal-functioning of this vast city.

The exhausted emperor sat in his carriage, slowly returning to the palace. He wanted to rest, but lingering excitement and unease filled his mind. The child of that Miss Xiao Chan from many years ago was in the city, bringing him memories of the past and information about a great figure. He was now piloting a small sampan through towering waves, and he didn't know how he would account for this journey in the years to come.

Behind the Princess Manor, little Zhou Fu'er was swaying her hands as she talked to her aunt sitting in a recliner. She made clumsy gestures, holding a piece of candy and opening her mouth to stuff it in. But of course, her little mouth couldn't manage such a feat. The clumsy little girl and her aunt on the chair both laughed. Soon after, Zhou Pei rubbed her forehead and patiently began to teach her that girls shouldn't do such things, that it would make their mouths bigger and less attractive. Zhao Xiaosong walked in and whispered in her ear that the troublemaker had been taken care of.

Tun Yun walked through the city's dimness, feeling the thickness and harmony of the inner energy within his body, savoring the battle against hundreds of pursuers. Occasionally fighting a hard battle like this allowed him to feel the boiling of his blood and the strength of his martial arts – since Zhou Tong's departure and the scattering of the old masters, he was stronger than ever. Of course, in the past, he hadn't cared about or promoted such head-on clashes, but tonight, his heroic figure must have been imprinted in the lecherous young man's mind.

Soon, he would return to Mount Jiuxian and casually mention his encounter with the other party. He didn't need to assert his strength to the other, anyone who had seen the commotion around the Princess Manor tonight would understand everything. As for how to gain the lecherous young man's trust and connect with him, that was Chen Shuangran's business. Tun Yun understood that after learning the young man had potentially broken into the Princess Manor several times and survived, this fickle little madwoman had already taken an interest.

This madwoman was no good match. Beneath that passable appearance lay a pool of foul water rotten to the core, worse than a prostitute who had spent years in a brothel. Tun Yun, a master who had enjoyed playing with women all his life, couldn't muster any interest in her. He knew that the woman's interest in the young man was likely driven by some perverted, twisted psychology. If he truly took the bait, he would probably be as pathetic as the foolish Cao Jinlong. But it didn't matter. Men could only grow after being hurt by women. With his guidance, he could show the young man the reality of the world and teach him some life lessons.

These lessons were precious, only learned once or twice in a lifetime, hurting people to the bone and making them grow. It was better to understand them early than late.

The mortal world was like a tide, and people were like the sea. He was old and began to envy the uncarved children.

Of course, he didn't know that Ning Ji was already dirty in that regard.

The evening breeze came gently, gradually thinning out the pedestrians on the streets, and then gently blowing past midnight. The curfew bell rang in the city. After a short period of peace and rest, some places gradually awoke again.

Dawn.

Li Pin was already awake, and Luo Shouwei, who slept with him, woke up almost at the same time. She helped him put on his clothes and then had the maidservant bring in the water for washing his face.

"...Today is a big day."

"I know." Luo Shouwei buttoned his clothes for him.

Li Pin reached out and held the back of her hand, "There might be a fight."

"Mm." Taking advantage of the action of tying his belt, Luo Shouwei hugged him and then turned to wring out the face towel for him.

This was a familiar way for the two to get along, with a quiet, ambiguous understanding and warmth. Luo Shouwei was a female Taoist of the Zheng Yi Sect. She held the hatred of her father and brothers in her heart, and she admired Li Pin's talent. But at the same time, she also had her own personality. In the interaction with Li Pin, the two occasionally had conflicts and quarrels. Luo Shouwei loved to sulk, but Li Pin did not coax her, which often caused a cold war between the two.

In fact, Li Pin had been quite a well-rounded person many years ago. In Jiangning, he could befriend Ning Yi and other talented scholars of various shapes and minds. However, after defending Taiyuan, the weight of family and country gradually changed some of his temperament. Many minor, elegant mannerisms that could be called scholarly were deliberately put down by him. Especially after the split with Ning Yi in Xiao Canghe, many pressures were actually tormenting him in the dark. Few people understood that sometimes focusing on those around him and his family would make him feel a huge sense of guilt.

The Xiongnu have not been destroyed, so how can there be a home?

Whether such a state of mind was good or bad, outsiders could not comment. In fact, Luo Shouwei probably understood Li Pin's character. She occasionally got angry, and the two occasionally separated, but there were always some reasons that made them "have to" get together again. Just like this time, staying by his side to protect his safety, Luo Shouwei came over without saying much. The two often slept together, and occasionally had quite intimate behavior. Many times, Luo Shouwei also helped Li Pin take care of his seriously ill original wife, observing the etiquette of a concubine. In her opinion, this was not a big deal, and both had more important things to do.

The guards arranged by the imperial court had already gathered in the courtyard. Soon after, the carriage left the academy and headed towards the newspaper office, which had already started working.

Outside the curtain, the night was a quiet, gray sky. Li Pin looked outside for a while: "What happened at the Princess Manor last night? Did you send someone to ask about it later?"

"It was quite a commotion, but Zhao Xiaosong was secretive and gave people two words: 'It's alright.' But a more accurate message is that Tun Yun did take action."

"It seems the situation is complicated, not clear in a few words..." Li Pin sighed, "The Princess Manor has been attacked two or three times, the thieves are rampant. Is there no one to restrain this Tun Yun?"

"His lightness skill is superb, good at fighting and escaping, really hard to deal with."

"Mm."

Li Pin nodded, then took a box from under the carriage seat, took out the object inside, and carefully checked it again, loading it with gunpowder. This was a firelock that Cheng Zhouhai had obtained from Ning Yi and then passed on to him.

"Ning Yi has foresight and experience in dealing with bandits." He looked at the firelock in his hand and then pressed it under his palm, "I have this thing for self-defense, even if I encounter some master, it's not like I have no ability to fight back. If that Tun Yun comes to kill, don't engage him head-on, prioritize protecting yourself."

Luo Shouwei sat opposite him and looked at him, "How to protect people, that's up to me to decide... Mr. Dexin."

"Then let me ask you as a man, don't get hurt too much," Li Pin said, "...It won't look good."

Luo Shouwei's expression softened when Li Pin said the first half of the sentence and was about to agree, but when she heard the last half of the sentence, she snorted slightly, turned her head to the side, and looked at the night outside the curtain.

"...Anyway, it doesn't look good on me."

She muttered.

As a martial artist who had followed the imperial court all the way to Fuzhou, Luo Shouwei had scars all over her body. Li Pin didn't actually mind, but the way he said it made her a little unhappy.

Li Pin sighed and didn't bother to say anything more.

The carriage quieted down, passed through the heavy night, and when it arrived at the newspaper office, the first edition of the newspaper had already been printed.

News from Lin'an spread, and the rebellious forces, knowing that the imperial court was struggling in all aspects, were invigorated. The imperial court deliberated for a day and finally made a decision. This decision had now been printed into words, ready to be released in the morning, to engage in a round of competition with the restless forces. Li Pin carefully checked the newspaper again and then picked out a few copies, sealed them, and instructed his subordinates: "Send them to the palace."

Messengers rode horses through the night, rushing towards the palace city.

In response to the re-capture of Lin'an and the devastation of Jiangnan, the imperial court had first sent envoys to persuade and appease the various lords of the Fair Party army, requesting that the parties entering the city treat the people of Lin'an well, at the cost of the imperial court ceding many powers. At the same time, the troops of Yue Fei and Han Shizhong began to move north, to take over and appease all the people affected by the war.

Zhou Junwu also issued a self-criticism edict in the newspaper. In the context of the imperial court's financial constraints, it was not realistic to immediately recover Lin'an, which had fallen into war. But the imperial court would do its best to settle all the people entering safe areas. In order to support such expenses, from now on, the imperial court would implement large-scale expenditure reduction measures, and even the imperial palace's fixed expenses would be reduced to 30% of the original amount. The emperor himself would only eat one meal a day. Until the southern seaship fleet returned, the imperial court would immediately send troops north to save all the suffering Wu Dynasty people.

In order to maximize the resettlement of the people affected by this war, the imperial court also adopted a large number of measures, which were now densely recorded in the newspaper.

This was an extraordinary, rare, detailed edict...

The newspaper was sent to the palace.

The work of the newspaper office was still being carried out repeatedly under the lights. Li Pin inspected the workshop and then began to gather the various stewards, repeatedly confirming and optimizing the propaganda slogans that needed to be used in the newspapers. These words would be passed down layer by layer, falling into the mouths of newspaper boys, newspaper sellers, and storytellers, and finally entering the ears of every recipient.

Some people would perceive the unusual nature of these remarks...

Cock-a-doodle-doo.

The bugle sounded in the Military Academy, and a large number of students were awakened and began to gather on the playground.

Zuo Wenhuai and Xiao Jingyi walked to the front.

"...Students, brothers, His Majesty has made a decision regarding the matter of Lin'an, and these decisions will be implemented this morning... What needs to be told to you here is that your studies have temporarily ended... The exam is coming--"

Zuo Wenhuai raised his hand under the gray sky.

"The period of study for everyone gathered here today varies in length. During this time at the Military Academy, you have learned military strategy, war, and the ways of being an official, but what is most important... is that you learn how to be a righteous person, that you learn what it means to 'serve the emperor above, and save the people below'... And next, it is time for us to truly save the people--"

"Dear students, today in this Military Academy, you come from different places, your family backgrounds are good and bad, but in any case, you have been able to study quietly in the past, and have a meal to eat, but we will remember that at the same time, there are countless people in this world, countless people like us, who are suffering, they are displaced, their families are destroyed... We have discussed this matter, we have analyzed the gains and losses, some of us have come from Jiangnan, we are indignant, we empathize, and in any case, dear students... the time for practice has finally come."

"Next, we will go to the front line, together with the soldiers of the Beiwei Army and the Zhenhai Army, together with those compatriots, the people, living and eating together, using our skills to allow the most people to survive. To allow everyone--to survive--"

"Everyone, the situation in Fujian is not stable, His Majesty is determined to make reforms, but those who only have themselves in their hearts, the beneficiaries, the selfish ones, do not allow it. They cannot see the huge danger after a system becomes rigid, they cannot see the滔天災禍after ignoring the people... The nearly 300-year-old court has no new ideas, no new methods, and is in danger. His Majesty originally could have chosen the simplest method, to prolong the Wu Dynasty's life, to maintain an old, lingering system with the original beneficiaries... But those systems and methods do not have true people, so His Majesty wants new methods, in these new methods, the people of the world are equal, whether they are local gentry or vendors, His Majesty hopes that they can all survive equally... Equally, and for a long time..."

"We are not walking easily now, because reform has just begun, many people do not understand, many people do not accept... But things are always like this, we have discussed it, we have said it, there must always be awakened ones, pioneers walking ahead of others, and on this matter, His Majesty places his hope on us..."

"His Majesty hopes that we can put down the concept of sects in our hearts and try our best to save the people of the world--"

"His Majesty hopes that we can let the people of this world truly see what is meant by serving the emperor above and saving the people below, what are the real people--"

"His Majesty hopes that we can break through this ice... Everyone, governing the world with the scholar-officials will turn the scholar-officials into a stagnant pool, and only governing the world with the people of the world can stir it up--"

"Everyone, His Majesty wants to achieve these things, he wants to have a new atmosphere, he wants to have a country for ten thousand generations, he wants to give the power and the possibility of awakening to everyone in this world... And he hopes that we become role models."

"Everyone, become role models, one day, history and countless people will remember us--"

The curfew had been lifted, the sky revealed the goose yellow and white of the morning, and as the birds flew over the city, the people of the Military Academy began to line up to leave the city.

The people distributing the newspapers began to extend in all directions, weaving a spider web in the city. Soon after, newspaper boys ran through the streets, shouting the information in today's newspapers.

Junwu slept in. He rubbed his eyes and woke up from his dream. The chief eunuch handed him the newspaper. Soon after, he climbed the city wall of the palace, overlooking the bits and pieces of the city.

In fact, the various leaders of the city, including Chen Shuangran, had learned of the imperial court's decisions and arrangements in the early hours of the morning.

Yesterday's meeting was too long, and there was no morning court today. Li Guang, Hu Quan, and the rest of the Confucian officials, as the heads of the group, met in a teahouse in the city. They held different newspapers, looked at the details above, and after noticing the unusual frequency of the words used in the newspaper and the content of the declaration of the Military Academy's departure that the subordinates had sent back, some people sat down dejectedly in the room, while others slammed the table and stood up.

"A wolf's ambition..."

"The Zuo family has taken control of the public opinion..."

"The people, the people, openly and uprightly pulling... This is the 四民 of the southwest--"

"The plan is revealed... Ning Yi wants to replace the blood of Confucianism... Why does Li Pin support it--"

Someone walked to the window and looked down at the morning of Fuzhou.

"It's no wonder the various large clans are not convinced..."

"Wait and see, something will happen in the city..."

Newspaper office, Li Pin's carriage left the entrance of the alley.

Arrows flew, and the sound of whistling arrows rose.

Li Pin reached out and took out the firelock, pressing it on his lap.

Luo Shouwei drew her sword, lifted the curtain, and walked out.

In front of her, the swordsmen were coming.

Mount Jiuxian.

Chen Shuangran took the newly bought newspaper and read it through.

"Those old things have no way out."

...

"...Let's fight."