The sky was gloomy and overcast, with snow swirling down once more.

It was December when Jun Wu returned from Lianjiang. When Zhou Pei saw him in the palace, he was sitting amidst the snow-covered pavilions, reviewing memorials.

Outside the palace, the reckoning for the major families of Fujian, including the Bao and Pu families, had begun, following the failed assassination attempt on the king.

Zhou Pei placed a cushion beneath her younger brother's bottom, then sat down beside him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning something like this?"

"I wasn't certain they would act." Jun Wu paused in his reading, then resumed writing as if nothing had happened. "But it's true that troubled times breed heroes. Many wanted to strike first. It wasn't for nothing that Zuo Qing and the others have been watching them for days."

Zhou Pei, dressed in a pale yellow dress, sat there, watching her younger brother, with his newly grown beard, writing silently for a long while before speaking slowly.

"The Bao and Pu families have committed a heinous crime, a great act of treason. The old dignitaries in the court have already agreed to take action against them. But no one is blind to what's happening. Jun Wu, our... the Zhou family was taken in by the people of Fujian when we had nowhere else to go. They were initially well-intentioned..."

Jun Wu put down his brush. "If the Wu Dynasty is to be revitalized, it is destined to break the old ways, to appoint new officials, to break the control of those old Confucians and aristocratic families over the military and the government... The conflicts that arise from this were inevitable from the very first day we decided to reform. Elder Sister, if we don't act this year, we might be able to smooth things over a bit. But next year, something is going to happen... Of course, I was only preparing for the worst. I was quite surprised they dared to act."

Jun Wu spoke calmly, and as he finished, he smiled slightly, perhaps inevitably proud of the operation. Zhou Pei smiled back, a complex expression on her face.

"Thunder and dew are both imperial grace. If you've thought it through, then so be it. But Jun Wu, from this moment on, you've displayed your dominance. If we fail again, no one will take us in. You and I will have no choice but to die for our country."

As she said this, she reached out and grasped the back of her brother's hand. Jun Wu returned the grip, smiling as he thought about it.

"The Wu Dynasty has fled from Bianliang to Lin'an, from Lin'an to the sea, and from the sea here. The Zhou family has lost its virtue, causing suffering to the world. If we can't find a way out this time, then perhaps we shouldn't run anymore. I've made promises to General Yue and the others regarding this."

This coup, with the participation of the Fujian gentry, seems to have been easily crushed, and the siblings have always been on the side of reason. But in reality, it holds decisive significance for the future path of the Southeast court. From the moment Zhou Pei chose to deal with the Fujian gentry on the charge of "treason," the pragmatic royal way, passed down from the Wu Dynasty's orthodoxy, was squandered. From now on, there may still be great Confucian scholars who come to rely on them, but any powerful families with a certain amount of local influence will probably not easily accept the arrival of an emperor like Jun Wu. The siblings have entered a point of no return.

The psychological pressure that has truly troubled Zhou Pei in recent days perhaps stems from this. At this moment, communicating with her brother and seeing his frank and calm attitude, Zhou Pei relaxed and smiled. She exhaled, then heard Jun Wu say.

"Actually, there's no need to think like that. If we ever truly run out of options, I'll have Wen Huai take Elder Sister to the Southwest to seek refuge with our teacher. We may not be able to achieve imperial dominance, but we can still save our lives."

Zhou Pei's expression shifted slightly. She looked at her brother's attitude, then withdrew her hand, gently patting the back of his hand. "To be so disheveled and still go to the Southwest to be disliked? I don't want to be scorned."

"What are you saying?" Jun Wu smiled. "Our teacher wouldn't despise you and me."

"How do you know? The last time I saw him in Jiangning, you were just a little radish. The last time I saw him in Bianliang, I was just a naive little girl. Almost twenty years have passed. Things have changed, and we've both seen so much change in people's attitudes..."

As Zhou Pei said this, her pace quickened, and her eyes unconsciously turned cold. Jun Wu smiled and reached out his hand again.

"Just as Elder Sister said, we were just children when we parted. How could someone like our teacher not care for two children..."

"I'm not a child. I got married as soon as I came back. You're the child. And even if he doesn't despise us on the surface, everyone in the Southwest will..." Zhou Pei retorted quickly.

"It's all the same." Jun Wu said, holding her hand. Then he paused slightly. "Speaking of which, Wen Huai has told me a lot about our teacher. Elder Sister, you don't know, he's still as interesting as ever, not at all pretentious with his own people, loves to joke, but his enemies suffer terribly. Wen Huai told me about how he scolded Nianhan at the Zizhou front, and I couldn't help but think of his methods against the Wu family back then, Elder Sister..."

Zhou Pei laughed, pinching her brother's hand. "Look at you now. Where's the determination you had just now? Jun Wu, if you're always thinking about going to the Southwest if you fail, then we siblings might really die for our country."

"...Elder Sister is right." As he said this, Jun Wu paused slightly before stopping, then sighed softly. "Is there anything else important happening outside?"

"Several old dignitaries have approved of our actions and will help appease public opinion. Minister Chen Minxue submitted a memorial today and also spoke to me privately, suggesting that we immediately open a special class at the Martial Academy. Each of the Fujian gentry families who did not participate in the rebellion should recommend several young people to enroll in the Martial Academy as soon as possible. This is also to make it clear that we want people who can get things done, and we don't necessarily reject the descendants of great families. I think his idea is very good."

"That's a good thing." Jun Wu thought for a moment, his eyes shifting, then slowly nodded. "I was a little impulsive in this matter, because I wasn't sure what would happen. I only prepared arrangements for how to defeat the enemy beforehand. Later, when I went to Lianjiang, it took some time to arrest and interrogate them. I got a little carried away. Lord Zuo was busy writing letters to appease all parties, and Mr. Cheng was in charge of calculations... If you want to do things properly, you still need these old dignitaries..."

For a long time, he has been imitating his teacher in the Southwest, making great strides. Although he has also been grateful for and appeased the Confucian scholars, he has actually neglected them quite a bit after his wings gradually grew stronger. This time, he noticed some clues, ventured out, and then defeated more than a thousand enemies with just over two hundred men, winning a great victory. It was truly the most passionate moment of his life, and as an emperor, it was indeed a remarkably beautiful action.

With the support of heroes like Cheng Zhouhai and Zuo Wenhuai by his side, and with Yue Fei and Han Shizhong stationed in the army, and after Zhou Pei smoothed things over with the group of Confucian ministers in Fuzhou and approved of his actions, Jun Wu's power grab was almost a certainty. He was extremely happy in his heart, and couldn't help but take a few hot springs baths in Lianjiang to celebrate. After that, he planned a lot of arrangements, but when he returned to Fuzhou, he realized that his approach was not necessarily meticulous.

"In the past, aristocratic families valued literary pursuits and were extremely repelled by ideas such as respecting the king and expelling the barbarians. Therefore, the Martial Academy could only recruit personnel from the army and the lower classes. This time, we dealt with the two families that stood out, making room for those below. The others should understand the importance of the Martial Academy after that, and it's the right time to recruit them... I was slow to realize this, and didn't think of it right away..."

As Jun Wu thought, he spoke in a low voice. Then he said, "The descendants of various great families are easily connected to each other and take care of each other. They are likely to clash with the children from the army and the poor families. Therefore, should this promotion class be listed as a separate class, or should it be scattered and mixed with others? We also need to consider this... We'll ask Wen Huai about these details later. In addition, I want to arrange for a dinner with several old dignitaries, to have a heart-to-heart talk with them, and also let their family members study at the academy more. What does Elder Sister think?"

Zhou Pei laughed. "You are making great strides. The dignitaries in the court are both pleased and a little afraid. They are pleased that the Wu Dynasty can finally have such an ambitious ruler, but they are afraid that you are a reckless young man who will truly learn from the Southwest's extremes and wipe out all the Confucians, and even the aristocratic families... If you can have this attitude, they will definitely be pleased."

"Our teacher said that destroying Confucianism is still far from being achieved. With my mediocre talent, how can I be so arrogant? It's just that the old people are used to being comprehensive in everything, and many even cling to outdated ideas. I want to break the situation, and young people are easier to use. But in reality, why wouldn't I want to get along well with those old dignitaries?" Jun Wu smiled. "It's just that the situation is such that weak people have to take a dangerous gamble."

Zhou Pei looked at her brother's appearance. She actually had a lot more to say when she came over. For example, she would be afraid every time she thought about how he, as the emperor, took such a dangerous gamble by leading just over two hundred people to face more than a thousand. But seeing the high-spirited look on her brother's face at this time, and hearing his last sentence, Zhou Pei could understand his feelings in her heart. She pinched the back of his hand.

"Try to let others take the risks in the future." She simply said this.

"I know." Jun Wu smiled and nodded. "However, it only sounds dangerous. Elder Sister, you don't know, after half a year of study at the Martial Academy, plus the help of Zuo Wenhuai and the others, two hundred against a thousand is really like cutting melons and vegetables. I previously thought that the family guards they sent out must be confidants and elites. Who knew that we would charge forward and directly break through. In the end, people are different now. Those who have gone to the Martial Academy and studied with Zuo Wenhuai and the others are really different..."

In the pavilion where the snowflakes were fluttering, Jun Wu seemed to understand the concerns of the relatives beside him, and he smiled as he talked about the situation that day. He spoke faster, like a child. Zhou Pei had not seen her brother like this for a long time, and after a while, she also laughed.

After a while, Zuo Wenhuai was summoned to discuss the issue of recruiting new students for the Martial Academy. Zhou Pei also had to arrange a dinner with a group of dignitaries. After chatting for a moment, she left. As she walked through the snow, she remembered what her brother had just said about seeking refuge in the Southwest if there came a day when this path was difficult to walk.

In the blink of an eye, nearly twenty years had passed. The former girl had already experienced complex worldly affairs. The lazy and even somewhat detestable teacher in the past had also experienced countless killings. Just like those aristocratic families and those worldly Confucian scholars, what people were thinking about was no longer those simple thoughts of the past.

What would it be like if they met again?

The carriage left the palace and passed through the snow-covered streets. Zhou Pei sat in a corner of the carriage, quietly recalling herself in Bianliang.

She was already living in a complex world.

Soon after, she received even more complex battle reports from this complex world.

Liu Guangshi was out of the game, and Dai Mengwei joined forces with Zou Xu to restore Bianliang in the name of the old ministers of the Wu Dynasty.

……

Countless people were floating and sinking in this cruel world.

In this winter when land reform was being carried out in the Southwest, even more severe snow began to fall in the Central Plains.

With the snowfall, the flames of war in the Bianliang area had a brief pause.

Leading a coalition force that was said to be 800,000 strong, but in reality exceeded 300,000, Liu Guangshi, with the support of superior forces and advanced weapons purchased from the Southwest, advanced all the way, sweeping across half of the Central Plains in the autumn. When the heavy snow fell, he had already laid siege to Bianliang and begun the process of encirclement, attack and surrender.

Throughout the war, Zou Xu, who was at a disadvantage, mobilized his forces and took several risky moves, encirclements, and raids. Each attack demonstrated a high level of military skill, but Liu Guangshi resisted the opponent's surprise attacks with his imposing manner and advanced weaponry. Even if there were occasional minor defeats, the entire coalition force continued to capture territory on the larger battlefield.

During this period, some staff members from the Huaxia Army also provided many insightful suggestions for dealing with Zou Xu.

After spending money, he truly felt his strength.

However, the judgment of fate came suddenly, but also seemed extremely natural.

While he was commanding the battle at the front lines, preparing to complete the final step of restoring the Central Plains, Dai Mengwei, with the name of "Sage," colluded in the rear. He first invited people from all parties in the coalition army to visit and inspect his jurisdiction, recognizing his ability to govern the local area in an orderly manner with Confucian methods. Then, he selected some people and privately lobbied them.

In November, he led his students and the more than 30,000 original complex logistics garrison troops under his command, along with Xiao Zheng and Xiao Pingbao of Hanyang, to launch an attack on the logistics route arranged for Liu Guangshi's army.

This "Confucian Sage," who seemed to only be good at forming alliances, showed decisive thunderous actions when he took action. His soldiers then also showed a brave combat quality to a certain extent. Liu Guangshi's rear was cut off, and then Dai Mengwei braved the wind and snow, personally lobbied several key coalition generals with only a light vehicle team as protection.

His lobbying was not complicated. He simply stated the situation frankly, explained the fact that Liu Guangshi was ambitious but incompetent, and only knew how to manage things in the past. Then, he explained the benefits of combining the reputation of Confucianism with Zou Xu - as the Huaxia Army that the whole world feared, the only one who could treat them as equals, understood them extremely well, but was not as strict as the Southwest, was probably Zou Xu of Bianliang. Zou Xu had strength but no status, and he, Dai Mengwei, held the hope of the world's Confucians. The most likely way out in the future was this combination.

As for following Liu Guangshi, everyone knew that it was just a group of rabble-rousers warming each other. In this harsh troubled world, everyone would have to find a new path sooner or later.

Dai Mengwei's statement was very persuasive.

In the past period of time, Liu Guangshi held Dai Mengwei up as a banner of Confucianism and carried out extensive publicity in the army. At this time, he also saw the effect.

While Dai Mengwei, in the posture of "Sage of Today," was pressing in from the south, Zou Xu was conducting even more enthusiastic war mobilization in Bianliang every day. The war drums sounded like thunder, becoming more and more enthusiastic day by day.

In late November, when the gates of Bianliang opened wide and Zou Xu led his army out like a fierce tiger, hundreds of thousands of soldiers led by Liu Guangshi either surrendered or mutinied. The area around Bianliang was once again turned into a chaotic mess.

The army scattered and fled, and Liu Guangshi also fled in the night.

Zou Xu led his pursuers, closely following behind.

On November 27, in the evening, it began to snow lightly. Zou Xu and Dai Mengwei, who had come from the south, met outside the camp after the battle. Zou Xu had a dignified appearance, with calm and restrained eyes. Dai Mengwei was dressed in a long robe, with a straight posture and tightly pursed lips. He also brought several leaders of the surrendered army.

Under the introduction of Ding Songnan, this was the first time the two had met. After a brief greeting and introduction, the group entered the tent. Dai Mengwei said, "Have you captured Liu Pingzhu?"

"I was just about to mention this." Zou Xu smiled. He did not explain, but everyone could hear faint roars coming from outside the tent.

The curses became clearer and clearer, and it was Liu Guangshi. Before long, this warlord, who was still wearing armor, was dragged into the tent, bound hand and foot. He did not have many injuries on his body, and even had an iron helmet on his head. As soon as he entered the tent and saw the people inside, his eyes turned red and he cursed even more fiercely. At first, he only said that people were ungrateful, but gradually he began to reveal people's secrets. He also frequently cursed rotten words such as "Xiao Zheng, your wife was fucked by your nephew." If the two soldiers next to him had not held him down tightly, he would probably have pounced on everyone on the spot.

Zou Xu smiled as he watched all of this. Dai Mengwei frowned as he looked at him, also with a calm gaze. After a while, he only heard Zou Xu say, "Lord Dai is indeed the Sage of Today, responding to every call. If it weren't for Lord Dai's help today, it would have been difficult to capture this brute alive. However, he is too noisy today, and it is really unsightly. Why doesn't Lord Dai... help me see it through?"

As Zou Xu spoke, he took out a dagger from his arms and held it in his hand. Dai Mengwei turned his head to look at him, and he smiled back at Dai Mengwei. Only after a moment did he say, "Or is Lord Dai merciful and has the habit of a gentleman staying away from the kitchen, and wants to let others do it for you?"

The two most relied upon disciples by Dai Mengwei's side wanted to come out, but at this time, the old man slowly reached out his hand. "General Zou is right, I can do it too."

He picked up the dagger and walked towards Liu Guangshi. Liu Guangshi cursed loudly and struggled even more violently. Zou Xu said, "Don't let him hurt Lord Dai." The soldiers next to him pressed Liu Guangshi to kneel on the ground.

Dai Mengwei walked up to Liu Guangshi, drew the dagger, and Liu Guangshi was still struggling violently, shouting loudly, "You look at me, you have the guts to look at me! Come on! Come on—"

Dai Mengwei then leaned over slightly, looking at him with a calm gaze. Then he said, "I'm looking at you, please don't move, Lord Liu."

Liu Guangshi's previous struggle was almost crazy, but hearing Dai Mengwei's words, he couldn't help but pause slightly. He opened his mouth, "You... you old dog, you..." For a time, he couldn't find a good curse word.

Dai Mengwei stabbed the dagger over. Liu Guangshi wore armor and used all his strength to lean back. He frantically dodged the dagger in Dai Mengwei's hand, but Dai Mengwei looked at him, and then slowly and firmly stabbed the dagger into the gap between his armor and neck. The blood was scarlet and viscous, gushing out from the gap. Liu Guangshi's body jerked violently, and the blood stained Dai Mengwei's arms and robe.

Everyone silently watched all of this, even Zou Xu narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly also shocked by the scene of this seemingly frail old man slowly and firmly taking a life.

Before long, Dai Mengwei pulled out the dagger and handed it to a student next to him. Xiao Zheng, who had started the army with Dai Mengwei, pulled out a knife from a soldier next to him and cut off Liu Guangshi's head with one stroke. The others also went up in turn and chopped Liu Guangshi's corpse two times.

Zou Xu picked up a handkerchief and handed it to Dai Mengwei to wipe away the blood. Then he spread out his hands, sincerely convinced.

"Lord Dai, please take a seat."

Before winter was over, the whole world knew what had happened here. Then, many people suddenly recalled what had happened in Jiangning: if Dai Mengwei restored Bianliang one day, he would invite the heroes of the whole world to gather and establish a "Chinese Martial Arts Association" and share the grand event.

At the Jiangning Conference, many people had even mocked Dai Mengwei's pie in the sky, but at this moment, all the foreshadowing was connected. Since sending a delegation to Jiangning in the second half of the year, this Confucian Sage had long anticipated everything six months later.

After saving millions of lives from the hands of the Jurchens, at this moment, he once again became the most prominent figure of the entire second year of revitalization.

Strategic maneuvers, like a god.