In the chaos of a troubled world, people sought their own paths.

After leaving Bazhong, the traveling merchant caravan had emptied a large portion of its goods and was reduced by dozens of personnel.

Two of the five scholars also parted ways with Ning Ji and the others here. The remaining "full of potential" Lu Wenke, "respectful of the gods" Fan Heng, and the occasionally opinionated "cold-faced cheapster" Chen Junsheng made plans to travel together, passing through Bazhong into Dai Mengwei's territory, and then heading east along the Han River. Ning Ji was headed in the same direction as them, so they travelled together.

Leaving Bazhong heading north, the caravan sold off all its goods in the next county town. Theoretically, their journey should have ended there. Ning Ji and Lu Wenke were left to either find another caravan to join or set off on their own. However, that evening, the caravan leader found them at the inn and said that he had taken on a good temporary job, which also headed to Dai Mengwei's territory, so they could still travel together for a while.

The two parties had become familiar with each other over the past month or so, and Lu Wenke and the others gladly accepted. Ning Ji was indifferent. So, on the fifth day of the sixth lunar month, the team, consisting of dozens of horses, over ninety people, some goods, and fellow travelers, totaled a hundred people and headed east along the winding mountain roads.

Among the newly joined travelers were also two scholars who soon became acquainted with Lu Wenke and the others. The "pedantic scholar" team was restored to five, chattering around Ning Ji every day. As for the monkey-playing performers Wang Jiang and Wang Xiuniang, father and daughter, they were still following the team. Everyone had become more familiar with each other. During the day, they walked mountain roads, and in the evening, they lit bonfires and chatted together. The ordinary-looking but agile Wang Xiuniang was even able to exchange a few witty remarks with Lu Wenke and the others.

The area near Bazhong was still mountainous. Going north would eventually reach the Han River and enter Hanzhong, which was under the control of the Huaxia Army. Traveling east along the rugged mountain roads was not easy, but crossing the Micang Mountains would enter the heart of Dai Mengwei's territory.

Due to the special circumstances recently, there were several times more merchants traveling along this east-west mountain road than in previous years. However, apart from a very few locals, most were profit-seeking merchants with their own special purposes and demands. Scholars like Lu Wenke, Fan Heng, and Chen Junsheng, who were considering "reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles" and therefore planned to visit the rear of Dai Mengwei's territory, were in the minority.

In fact, before they traveled through the Han River, through the Jianmen Pass, and arrived in the southwest, Lu Wenke, Fan Heng, and the others had no intention of wandering around. Only after spending several months in the bustling atmosphere of Chengdu did these few scholars prepare to see the whole world in a relatively harsh environment.

Of course, Ning Ji was even less aware of these things in the middle. His current strategy was still to endure humiliation under the name of Long Aotian. However, in the past few days, he could vaguely sense the subtle changes in the tone of the scholars' conversations.

When these scholars were in the Huaxia Army's territory, they spoke of many major events in the world with high spirits and arrogance, occasionally pointing out this or that inappropriateness in the Huaxia Army's territory. However, after entering Bazhong, the scenes of loudly pointing out the country gradually decreased. In many cases, comparing the external scenes with those of the Huaxia Army, they were mostly reluctant to admit that the Huaxia Army did have some advantages, although a few "however..." were inevitably added afterward, but these "however..." were ultimately much quieter than when they were on the Jianmen Pass side.

The Wu Dynasty was not without times of peace and prosperity, but those dreamlike scenes were already more than ten years ago. The arrival of the Jurchens destroyed the dreams of the Central Plains. Even though there had been several years of peace and prosperity in Jiangnan afterward, that short-lived prosperity could not truly cover up the humiliation of the Central Plains being lost and the fear of the Jurchens. The ten years of Jianshu were not enough to create a solid atmosphere of "taking Hangzhou as Bianzhou."

The Jurchens' fourth southward invasion indeed brought a great disaster that caused the entire Wu Dynasty to fall apart. However, in the later period of this disaster, the Huaxia Army, which had always been on the periphery, suddenly emerged, defeating the Jurchens' most powerful Western Route Army, and brought them too great an impact.

These scholars mustered the courage to go to the southwest and saw the development and prosperity of Chengdu. This kind of prosperity was not the most touching thing for them. What really made them feel helpless was that behind this prosperity, there was a core of theories and sayings that they could not understand and were incompatible with the past prosperous times. These sayings made them feel frivolous and uneasy. In order to resist this unease, they could only shout loudly and try to prove their value.

However, after truly leaving the land of the southwest, what they needed to face was ultimately a fragmented land.

What was the use of continuing to speak loudly?

These things, for Ning Ji, would only be truly clear when he recalled them several years later.

……

"...However, the biggest problem of the Huaxia Army, in my opinion, is still that they cannot win over the scholars."

The caravan crossed the mountains, and at this moment when they camped and made a fire on the hillside by the road in the evening, Fan Heng and others continued such discussions. It seemed that they realized that they had already left the southwest, so they wanted to summarize their previous experiences while their memories were still vivid. The discussions in the past two days were more in-depth than the places they had not elaborated on before.

"...Going to the southwest for several months, all kinds of things were dazzling, the market was extravagant, and all kinds of news on the newspapers were eye-opening, but what is most important to you all? To put it bluntly, isn't it still the system of selecting scholars in the southwest. The so-called civil servant examinations, I went there once, have you all been there?"

The middle-aged Confucian scholar named Fan Heng said this, looking at the people around him. Chen Junsheng smiled coldly and inscrutablely, Lu Wenke shook his head, and the other two scholars said, "I got a B grade." Someone said, "Not bad." Fan Heng also smiled.

"On the day of the exam, not long after entering the venue, two candidates tore up their papers and cursed that the paper was bullshit. They had studied scriptures all their lives and had never seen such a vulgar system for selecting scholars, and then they were asked out of the examination room by the staff. To be honest, although I was prepared before, I never thought that Mr. Ning would do it so thoroughly... The five subjects of the examination, namely language, mathematics, science, *gewu*, and essay, completely overturned what Confucian scholars had learned in the past. It's no wonder that everyone later quarreled in the newspapers..."

Fan Heng said, shaking his head and sighing. Lu Wenke said: "The two subjects of language and essay are still somewhat related to what we have learned."

"Brother Lu, this is wrong." A scholar next to him also shook his head. "We have been studying and governing for decades, from literacy to the Four Books and Five Classics. What we have understood in our lives are the subtle and great meanings of the sages. However, the language tested in the southwest is only the foundation of literacy. Look at the so-called language test questions... The first half of the paper requires translating a chapter of *Xue Er* into colloquial language, and requires correct punctuation. *Xue Er* is only the opening chapter of the *Analects*. We have to memorize it by heart when we are children. It is written on it. What is the significance of this kind of test question?"

This man spread his hands: "As for the second half of the volume, something happened in a certain place, and you are asked to write a letter to summarize it... Everyone, only the language volume has been reduced by more than 20 years of what we have learned. What is tested is only the foundation of literacy. What Mr. Ning wants is just someone who can write and write fluently. This volume is 100 points. It is said that we have taken advantage of it, but as long as you are literate, who can't get 80 points? Later, I heard people secretly say that those with neat and gorgeous handwriting can get up to five points... five points."

He spoke of the five points with indignation. Everyone naturally nodded.

"This is where we have the most advantage." The man said hatefully, "And in parallel with language, that mathematics is also 100 points. What kind of people are selected? Just shopkeepers and accountants! Of course, Mr. Ning is high-sounding. There is a number in the six arts of a gentleman. We can admit that we can't compare to those accountants. Basic physics is their own stuff, but to this day, it can't be said that it is unreasonable. After all, those who came to the southwest have all read Mr. Ning's *Introduction to Physics*... But what is the so-called *gewu* thinking! Most of the test paper has five patterns, one or two of which are different from the others. Why are they different? Later, there was a lot of controversy. Mr. Ning was full of physics and *gewu*. What does this kind of test question have to do with *gewu*!"

"There are five items for selecting scholars. Except for language, which is slightly related to the past study of classics and literature, mathematics, physics, and *gewu* are all private goods. As for the last item of essay that Brother Lu said earlier, although you can write about the situation of the world, you still have to talk about his *gewu* when it comes to the southwest. The southwest now has muskets, hot air balloons, and rockets, as well as factories and workshops all over the mountains and plains. If you don't talk about these, how can you talk about its development? Once you talk about these, how can you discuss its development if you don't understand its principles? So in the end, everything here is Mr. Ning's private goods. So these days, how many scholars who went to the southwest left in anger. Brother Fan's so-called inability to win over scholars hits the nail on the head."

He said here, and everyone nodded. Chen Junsheng, with a cold face on the side, threw a piece of firewood into the fire:

"It's not surprising. There were rumors in the early years that the Devil's lifelong ambition was to destroy Confucianism, but later, the southwest did not ban Confucian classics. Even the *Four Books* annotated by the former Right Prime Minister Qin SiYuan, which led people to desire and tend to the principles of heaven, were still popular in the southwest. All parties in the world thought that he knew he couldn't do it and retreated. Who knew that this southwest selection of scholars would show that he was at the end of his rope, but he was really ruthless in his hands. The language volume only tests literacy, first denying everyone's decades of hard work, and then a few volumes of strategies and calculation methods. If the Black Flag really won the world, the superiors in the future may really become shopkeepers and accountants."

Chen Junsheng didn't speak much along the way, but whenever he opened his mouth, he was often targeted. Everyone knew that he was talented and knowledgeable, and couldn't help but ask at this time: "Brother Chen, didn't you pass the exam either?"

Chen Junsheng said proudly: "What I have in my heart is not in the southwest. After reading it, I will eventually go back."

Everyone admired him very much. Long Aotian, who was sitting on the side, shrank his head. At this time, he also felt that this scholar was domineering, and he was slightly shorter—he was highly skilled in martial arts and wanted to be the best in the world in the future, but after all, he didn't like to read and had no fate with the academic bully, so he always felt a little unclear about the people with profound knowledge. Of course, at this time, only Chen Junsheng could give him this feeling.

"What I have in my heart is not in the southwest. After reading it, I will eventually go back... Write it down, write it down..." he thought in his heart. In the future, when he meets other people, he can also say this.

At this time, the sun had already set, and starlight and night filled the dark mountains. Wang Jiang and Wang Xiuniang, father and daughter, and two bookboys brought food from the side, and everyone continued to talk while eating.

"That's right. In the past, everyone was unaware of the theory of destroying Confucianism in the southwest. By the first half of this year, they were clear about these things. I have several friends who also went out together to join Duke Dai, saying that the southwest is going backward and will eventually have major events. We people who study and do scholarship will not be able to stay out of it in the future. The southwest relies on the way of shopkeepers and accountants to win over the Jurchens for a while, but the Confucian family has been passed down for thousands of years. Could it be that it is really not as good as this kind of profit-seeking path?"

"It is useless to talk about morality and articles. There is no refutation to this statement, but if you don't talk about morality and articles at all, can it last for a long time? I think Duke Dai is right. He is unpopular and will eventually ruin things, but his ruining of things may make the world chaotic for decades..."

"I think the essence of the southwest lies in *gewu*. The way of physics is indeed broad and profound, but the lack lies in morality and articles. Governing the world with *gewu* can make the world rich in materials and sufficient, but Confucianism focuses on people's hearts. The point between these two is the measure of abandonment."

"In fact, this time in the southwest, although many people were caught off guard by the five test papers of language, mathematics, physics, *gewu*, and essay, the most sensitive thinkers in the world are still among our scholars. After a while, those shopkeepers and accountants will not be able to take any advantage. After we literati have thoroughly studied the *gewu*, we will definitely use it better than the vulgar people in the southwest. Mr. Ning is called a demon, but all he has accepted are all kinds of vulgar things, which will inevitably be the biggest mistake in his life."

"In my opinion, whether the thinking is agile or not does not depend on what you read. It's just that in the past, it was our Confucian world. Most of the smart people in childhood were screened out in this way. It was those who didn't study well who became shopkeepers, accountants, and craftsmen... In the past, the world didn't know the benefits of *gewu*. This is a great omission, but even if you want to make up for this omission, you need agile thinkers in the crowd to do it. Mr. Ning of the southwest is promoting *gewu*. I don't think it's wrong. What's wrong is that he acts too hastily. Since the elites of the world used to study Confucianism, then today, we can only use Confucian methods to screen out the elites, and then use these elites as a basis to gradually change them. This is the right way. Now these shopkeepers, accountants, and craftsmen are engaged in cheap industries because of their mediocre qualifications. He wants to screen out those with mediocre qualifications and carry out reforms. How can he succeed?"

"Brother's high theory."

"Reasonable, reasonable..."

After a discussion, everyone talked about the fact that many Confucian scholars in the southwest went out to choose their future. One of the two newly arrived Confucian scholars asked: "Have you ever considered Duke Dai?"

Fan Heng, Lu Wenke, Chen Junsheng and others looked at each other. Fan Heng frowned: "We have discussed each other on the way, and we have considered it, but at this time, we have a lot of doubts in our hearts. To be honest, the situation that Duke Dai has encountered from last year to this year is really not easy, and his response is admirable when heard from afar..."

Everyone talked about the situation on Dai Mengwei's side, and they all nodded to Fan Heng's statement.

After the end of the great war in the southwest last year, Dai Mengwei saved millions of people from Zong Han and Xi Yin as a prisoner of war, and in the blink of an eye, he became the helm of several of the world's largest forces, and he made it clear that he would confront the Huaxia Army, which also made the Huaxia Army retreat. He was really the most glorious figure in the world besides the Huaxia Army in the southwest.

In a sense, his round of turning his hands into clouds and covering his hands into rain was even more in line with the imagination of Confucian literati for a figure than the Huaxia Army's bravery. Just like when the Jin Dynasty rose and the Liao Dynasty was not destroyed, all kinds of plans for the Wu Dynasty literati to unite and make plans were also emerging one after another, but the Jin people were too barbaric, and eventually these plans went bankrupt.

However, this time Dai Mengwei's success undoubtedly told the world that the possibility of manipulating the world in the palm of his hand with the power of Confucian scholars by relying on the strategies in his chest, seizing the opportunity, and decisively taking action still exists.

Of course, despite such encouragement, in the year that followed, everyone more or less knew that Dai Mengwei was not doing well either.

Earlier, the Western Route Army of the Jin Kingdom killed from Jingxiang to Hanzhong, and from Hanzhong all the way to Jianmen Pass. Almost all the large and small cities along the way were burned, killed, and looted. After that, there were a large number of porters transporting grain, who were stuffed into the river by the Jurchen army along the Han River.

After the Western Route Army retreated in embarrassment, these people and materials could not be taken away. Millions of people, already dilapidated cities, few remaining materials, plus several large Han army teams with weak combat power... were all stuffed to Dai Mengwei. Although the Huaxia Army retreated temporarily, what was left to Dai Mengwei was still an embarrassing mess.

For most of the onlookers at the time, if Dai Mengwei was really just a pedantic Confucian scholar who only knew morality and articles, then this Dai regime, pieced together by special circumstances, might have fallen apart due to various objective factors in the second half of last year.

However, things did not develop like this.

In the second half of last year, while the founding conference of the Huaxia People's Regime attracted the attention of the world, Dai Mengwei also completed his regime layout in the Han River area. In the case of lack of clothing and food, on the one hand, he sought help from the outside world—mainly from Liu Guangshi—and on the other hand, he selected respected elders and village sages internally, combined with the military situation, and divided the land and settlements at all levels. Dai Mengwei himself took the lead in practicing frugality and also called on all the people below to share the difficulties and resume production. Even on the banks of the Han River, he himself had personally gone into the water to fish as an example.

In the past half year, this place under Dai Mengwei's jurisdiction has experienced a difficult famine. Later, there was also Cao Silong's rebellion, which split a narrow area near the Huaxia Army into a neutral area. However, in most places under Dai Mengwei's jurisdiction, the system of assigning responsibilities at all levels, from the army to middle-level officials, and then to village sages and elders, played its role to a certain extent.

Although some people starved to death inside, except for Cao Silong's department, which had a cat in the bag and broke out a "just right" rebellion, there were not many traces of turmoil in the rest of the place. Even this year, the various miscellaneous generals who were still left here by the Jurchens and the soldiers under their command seemed to be even more sincerely loyal to Dai Mengwei. All parties in the world have their own guesses about the detailed reasons, but the admiration for Dai Mengwei's methods is still a consistent emotion.

This old man, who had risen to a high position in the blink of an eye with unconventional methods, contained not only some unconventional plans in his chest. In terms of upright governance, he also had his own solid skills.

As a result, in the first half of this year, after the Confucian scholars who went to the southwest finally understood Mr. Ning's ulterior motives, the praise for Dai Mengwei, in turn, became more enthusiastic. Many people felt that this Dai Mengwei had the posture of "ancient sages," such as Tie Yan and Wu Qimei in Lin'an City, who also confronted the Huaxia Army, but they were really not comparable to him.

"...While in the southwest, I even heard privately that Mr. Ning, when talking about Duke Dai, couldn't help but have ten words of evaluation, saying that he was 'nourishing the upright spirit of heaven and earth and imitating the perfect people of ancient and modern times'... It seems that their demon and Duke Dai are in opposing positions, but they sympathize with each other's abilities and can't help but feel admiration..."

In the light of the bonfire, Fan Heng shook his head and said the gossip he had heard from the southwest, and everyone listened with relish. After saying this, he paused slightly.

"However, there are roughly three reasons why we didn't come to Duke Dai's side... First, naturally, everyone has their own destinations; second, we can't help but worry that even if Duke Dai is outstanding in virtue and has high-minded methods, this piece of land he is in is still the first leg of the Huaxia Army's march out of Sichuan. Whether the world can resist it in the future is another matter, but those who bear the brunt of it are mostly without any luck. Duke Dai is an enemy of the Huaxia Army, and his will is firm, the best in the world, and there is no room for maneuver. In the future, it will inevitably be a dead end, after all, this location is too close..."

"As for the third concern, it is the news that has been spread on the road recently that Duke Dai's subordinates are selling people. If this rumor is confirmed, it will greatly damage Duke Dai's reputation. Although most of it may be the Huaxia Army deliberately spreading rumors and slandering, it is still inevitable to feel uneasy before it is confirmed..."

He said here, slightly lowered his voice, and gestured slightly towards the direction of other people in the camp:

"The original itinerary of this caravan was to stop in the north of Bazhong. Who knew that when we arrived at the place, Chief Lu came over and said that there was a new business, so we traveled east together. I inquired privately and said that it was to come here to transport a batch of people to Jianmen Pass... Duke Dai's side is short of food and clothing, and it is estimated that it will be difficult to have a big relief this year. Many people are about to starve to death, so they have to sell themselves and their families together. They signed a dead contract for 20 or 30 years, with almost no remuneration. The caravan prepares some food, and they can take people away. People are transported to Jianmen Pass like animals. As long as they don't die, they can make a lot of money by contacting the southwest black merchants outside Jianmen Pass."

In the night, the firelight wailed, and the faces of the people by the bonfire were bright and dark. They remembered the scene when they came across the rugged mountain road along the way. They did brush shoulders with two caravans suspected of "selling people" on the road, but these people were mostly sold "voluntarily," so their freedom was not restricted, and it was difficult to draw a conclusion, but at this time, imagining it, it felt seven or eight points credible.

"...Duke Dai's side is indeed short of food. If he has done his best, it seems that it is not a big evil thing for some people to sell themselves to the southwest..."

Lu Wenke thought for a while and said hesitatingly.

Fan Heng shook his head, and his voice was even lower: "If it is just voluntarily sold, then there is nothing to say, but what if the army and village sages under Duke Dai's command are involved in all of this? On the one hand, the people under his rule who cannot support themselves are easily sold off, and on the other hand, they collude with the black merchants on the southwest side, and the local village sages and the army earn the bulk of it... If things are like this, how do you see it?"

His low voice was mixed in the wind. The people by the bonfire leaned forward to listen, and even Ning Ji was listening with his ears perked up while eating from the empty bowl. Only Chen Junsheng, who was beside him, picked up a branch and poked the bonfire in front of him. Sparks rose in the "crackling" sound, and he smiled coldly.

"If this is the case, it can only show that Duke Dai is really shrewd and powerful... Think about it carefully, in this situation, he does not have enough money and food, and he cannot support so many people. So he sells off the people at the bottom who cannot support themselves to the southwest to work. As a result, he gets money and food, and he uses this money and food to stabilize the army under his command and the elders and village sages in various places. Because there is suppression from the middle and upper levels of the army, elders, and village sages, although there is famine in various places, it is not to the point of chaos. Because all levels from the top to the bottom have benefited, the rabble left by a group of Jurchens in the first place have been truly united in this year, and they have sincerely recognized Duke Dai as their master. According to the southwest, they have been united by Duke Dai..."

The branches in his hand were pulling at the flames: "In this troubled world, if there is no such means, how can he really be able to compete with the northern Jin people and the southwest Black Flag. If Duke Dai did not have such ability, how could he get Mr. Ning's sincerely admired 'perfect person of ancient and modern times'? I said as early as in Bazhong, where did so many people come from? At that time, there were also guesses, but if it is true, I admire Duke Dai even more. You must know that when he took over the territory from the Jin people, his subordinates were still a rabble. In one year, all parties have taken care of their interests. From top to bottom, everything is in order. I admire him. I think Mr. Ning of the southwest really regarded him as an opponent after seeing these things."

"The words can be said like this." Fan Heng sighed, "But those who are sold..."

"In this troubled world, they can still live, after all, so how can they complain?" Chen Junsheng said, "And they will be sold to the southwest in the future. Think about it, they signed a contract to sell themselves for 20 or 30 years and work for those black merchants without any reward. After eight or ten years, resentment will erupt, and I am afraid that it will be vented on the Huaxia Army. Duke Dai will show his benevolence at that time, and maybe he can turn the tables on the other side. As I said, the southwest says that it respects the contract, but in the end, it leaves such a big loophole. After all, Mr. Ning is not all-knowing and all-powerful. Sooner or later, he will suffer a big loss in these things..."

Everyone's mood was complicated. Hearing this, they nodded one after another. Ning Ji, who was next to him, licked the empty bowl in his arms. At this time, he tightened his face and couldn't help but nodded. According to the "cold-faced cheapster", the old man surnamed Dai is too bad, just like the people in the General Staff, all of them are scheming dogs who are good at digging pits...

And he overheard such a big secret today, and he doesn't know whether to write a letter back to warn his father. His running away from home is a big deal, but the news from the old dog Dai is obviously also a big deal. It is difficult to make a decision for a while, and he licks the rice bowl in a tangled way...