"The situation in the Central Plains has undergone a drastic change. Although it was anticipated, the specific response requires significant adjustments. The Propaganda Department has been extremely busy recently..."

It was sometime in the night, and from the courtyard of Mahavihara, one could occasionally hear voices from a distance. In the study, Shishi spoke rather casually.

Yu Hezhong thought for a moment and whispered, "How is this related to your Propaganda Department..."

"The propaganda work has entered a completely new phase. In the past, many people's attitudes were somewhat ambiguous, but this time, two major events have intensified the conflict. One is the preliminary implementation of land reform, which clarified the stance of the Chinese Army. The other is Dai Mengwei's actions, which made him and Zou Xu key figures in opposing the Chinese Army at a crucial moment. In the future, complex public opinion battles will no longer be limited to words..."

"...Those who support the Chinese Army will seriously consider the possibility of land redistribution and establishing a new era. Those who oppose the Chinese Army must be prepared to shed blood and sacrifice for their family's land. In this situation, public opinion is very different from before. Even many people in the Propaganda Department are re-evaluating the meaning of this matter. You know, many of us who were chosen to write operas still have good relationships with old Confucians and teachers. Some have even studied under them. In the past two years, everyone in Chengdu has been arguing about whether they acknowledge the Chinese Army's achievements and whether they can let go of the matter of killing the emperor. But recently, they have probably realized that people will die for land in the future..."

Perhaps because of the private setting, or perhaps because she had been saying it too much lately, Shishi's words were calm and fluent. Yu Hezhong's chaotic thoughts were somewhat calmed, but then he was alarmed by the implications of the latter half of her statement.

He hesitated, "Does the Chinese Army really intend to do this? Does Ning Yi really want to eradicate Confucianism in this way?"

"...What does Brother Yu think?" Shishi asked, smiling at him.

Yu Hezhong thought for a moment, "...There's no real feeling of it yet, but if it's as perilous as you say... That's right, in the past two years, many old Confucians, even though they cursed in their mouths, almost seemed to want to reconcile with the Chinese Army in private. But if land redistribution is pushed forward like this, those with land outside will probably stand behind Zou Xu and Dai Mengwei and fight the Chinese Army. Is it really... necessary?"

"Such questions have been asked every day in Chengdu for the past two years, but things will still come to this point today. In fact, the answer has long been there. What's needed next are some decisions." Shishi smiled and looked at him, "Brother Yu, what are you going to do next?"

"I..." Asked this question, Yu Hezhong fell silent. He lowered his head, took a breath, and then took a deep breath again. His lips opened several times, and finally he whispered, "...What can I do? I'm not some... big shot. And since Lord Liu is dead, what can I do? Am I... out of the game?"

He looked up at Shishi, who looked at him with a gentle gaze, tinged with a hint of regret. As a friend of many years, Yu Hezhong was not foolish. He could actually see the implication of her words, but he was also helpless. For a moment, he opened his mouth again, "Actually... you... you knew about what happened in the city these past few days, right? I... I..."

"Brother Yu, people need to be calm in the face of major events. In fact, Liheng has a very interesting saying, saying that men, oh, only hold on until they die. There are no big shots, just those who hold on until they die." Shishi said, reaching out to tidy up the manuscripts on the desk, "Actually, Brother Yu, think about it. The news of Dai Mengwei, Xiao Zheng and others killing Liu Guangshi caused chaos in Chengdu. But what is the situation like in the Central Plains and Chu regions now? Liu Guangshi is dead. Will the warlord alliance he cobbled together obediently listen to Dai Mengwei and Zou Xu's orders and hand over power?"

"This..."

"Now in the Central Plains, the mountains are blocked by heavy snow. The alliance is scattered. Several big leaders may start contacting Zou Xu and negotiating terms. But various middle and lower levels are probably in chaos. Those without strength are trying to take advantage of opportunities. Those with strength are waiting for a price. Some people like Dai Mengwei and Zou Xu, and some people will think that this is not as good as the Wu Dynasty back then. Or I might as well join the Chinese Army... Brother Yu, you have been in Chengdu for more than a year, with high status. How many people do you know who have looked for you and talked to you? You know so many people, how can you feel useless and out of the game when something happens?"

"I... but..." Yu Hezhong widened his eyes. He opened his mouth slightly, "I... I thought the Chinese Army didn't care about... those things outside..."

"The Chinese Army is not a spendthrift." Shishi smiled.

"But... Ning Yi hasn't come back..."

"Ning Yi didn't come back because, compared to land reform, things are not that big. But the Chinese Army will not push away anything that can be delivered to their mouths. You don't even know, to write off the two debts that you owed, Ning... ha, let's not talk about this. Brother Yu, the Chinese Army really doesn't support idlers. Originally, when the news from the Central Plains came, I considered whether to stop here and let your identity be released from here. But..." Shishi hesitated here, "Whether you can do something ultimately depends on your own thoughts."

"I... Shishi means, let me recruit those who want to come over for the Chinese Army..."

"Recruit useful people. The Chinese Army also has its own standards."

"But... my ability..." Yu Hezhong hesitated, "I... I'm afraid I'll mess things up..."

"Brother Yu." Shishi called him, looked at him, and after a moment, spoke slowly, "If you don't do this, someone else will. If you can do it, you may be the one to do it in the future."

She looked at the silent Yu Hezhong: "Actually, these past two years, after I joined the Propaganda Department, the previous work was gradually handed over, and your connection is the last intelligence line I have retained. To be honest, earlier we predicted that Liu Guangshi might fail and reminded you to bring your sister-in-law over... Now that Liu Guangshi's big ship has sunk, and going to his and Zou Xu's territory to steal from the fire will be very dangerous. If you consider it and feel that you can't do it, I will also hand over and put down this intelligence line..."

Shishi's temperament was clear, and in the past, she rarely wanted to force the few people around her to do something. At this time, she said no more, but went to the door and asked Xiaoling to bring in the cooked noodles.

Yu Hezhong was in a mess. Although he had suffered some grievances these days, he understood the nature of this "joining" that Shishi was talking about. Liu Guangshi was dead, and his detached position in Chengdu was no longer there. If he wanted to retain something, he had to leave here and go to the Central Plains to recruit people for the Chinese Army.

But his ability was low, and he didn't know if he could do things well. If he were to directly oppose Dai Mengwei and Zou Xu, if he were caught, would he be worse than dead? And once he took on these things, if he betrayed the Chinese Army, he would definitely be dealt with by them in the future.

The Central Plains had fallen, and he had wandered for many years, seeing many unspeakable things. And in Chengdu for more than a year, he had heard many such pros and cons. Once he chose a side to stand on, there would be no more leisure.

But what other roads could he take?

He hesitated for a while.

He had enjoyed more than a year of good fortune in Chengdu, and he hadn't even prepared himself psychologically. In fact, from the tenth day of the new year, when he came to Shishi, he had still been hoping for the best. He really didn't want this kind of life to be gone, and he hoped that Shishi would be able to arrange a similar path for him.

But just like those old Confucians who saw that the Chinese Army was determined to distribute land, some things would become reality sooner or later.

He picked up the noodles, and in the steam, he thought of Gao Wenjing and Wei Rou, who had been by his side for the past year...

Suddenly, it seemed very far away.

"There are no other paths, right?" he whispered.

"Not really." Shishi sighed, "Find a place and continue to be a salted fish is also fine..."

"But like that... Shishi, you would look down on me, right?"

Shishi sat down opposite him, raised her head, and smiled slightly: "Before... everyone was okay, and I was indifferent to everyone. That's probably what is called Buddha-nature. With this nature, I was quite happy in Fanlou. But these years... I may have been corrupted by Liheng. Sometimes, I become very harsh. Liheng said that everyone should be awakened. How is it possible for everyone to be awakened... But seeing those who are striving, those who are enterprising, those who are working hard, and many of them died, sometimes, I don't want to be friends with mediocre people. Brother Yu... if you secretly go to some place and live well, I should be happy if I remember it occasionally, but I would also feel that there is probably nothing to talk about..."

She paused: "Liheng, he is determined to climb a high mountain. He doesn't want to be an emperor, seeking three hundred years of prosperity. He really wants to create a completely different situation from before. Many people are gritting their teeth and running forward. Brother Yu, you also thought about helping the world and saving the people in the past. When you were with Chen Sifeng, you talked about doing many great things. At that time, I knew many people, and sometimes I thought that it would be good for the two friends around me not to do great things, but now, Brother Yu, it would be a pity not to do great things. Because in the past, it was a prosperous age, and a prosperous age could allow some people to be salted fish. Now, it is a chaotic world of rise and fall. Salted fish can no longer be salted fish. Moreover, seeing Liheng doing such great things, how can you stay out of it? This is land equalization, it is to let the tillers have their land, it is to build rural schools, it is to let thousands of people be able to read, it is to cross over what Confucius could not do, Brother Yu, how can you stay out of it? This is an opportunity that is not encountered for three hundred years, or even a thousand years."

Her words were gentle, but towards the end, her tone finally became surging. This was also the way she had never shown to Yu Hezhong in the past. Until this time, Yu Hezhong understood that Shishi not only loved that king-slaying, domineering, and capable Ning Liheng, but she was truly infected by the other party's ideals, and therefore wholeheartedly admired him.

There was some bitterness in his heart, but it was different from the past. In the past, he had imagined himself doing certain great things, so that Shishi would look at him with new eyes and favor him, because the women in the world all loved strong men. However, he had never even imagined in his heart that Shishi would recognize his great ideals and thus be admired, and that might be true love.

He smiled bitterly in the heat of the noodles: "Shishi, you really are the Propaganda Department,

bewitching people. But... just like they said, the things that Confucianism has never been able to cross over in thousands of years, enlightenment, land division, many people in this world have done, and no one has ever succeeded. Why is the Chinese Army really able to do it? What if it can't be done..."

"Whether things can be done or not depends on what specific problems are encountered. If there are specific problems, discuss the problems and find ways to solve them. Isn't that what the Chinese Army has been doing in Chengdu for the past two years in big discussions? If you don't discuss specific problems, and only say that no one has ever done it before, so you won't be able to do it in the future, what's the difference between that and playing hooliganism. For thousands of years, there will always be a time when things that couldn't be done in the past can be done today..."

"And the most important thing is, if there are always some people who want to solve these problems, why can't these people be us..."

Across the heat, Shishi suddenly reached out and shook Yu Hezhong's arm. In the dim light, those eyes shone brightly.

Looking at this scene, Yu Hezhong's nose suddenly tingled. He understood that in so many years of acquaintance, he had never truly approached the woman's heart in front of him. And even in her most youthful years in Fanlou, in the scenes where they pointed out the country and stirred up writing, there had never been such a vibrant and energetic look...

What had Ning Yi done...

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Lack of sleep, update a small chapter.