Wen Tai looked at Yu Changsi, then at Wen Hu, and asked suspiciously, "Are you two crazy?"

Why not?

Wen Hu seized the opportunity and pressed his advantage, shouting, "Didn't Zhao Cheng use the same old tricks from the martial arts world to take over Mujing Bay in Changsui? If he dared to use knives in Changsui, why can't we do the same in Yanchuan?"

"Uncle, we can't be soft-hearted anymore!"

Wen Tai frowned and said, "It's not that I'm soft-hearted, but since we're going to take this step, we must make sure it's a sure thing. Mr. Yu just said that Yan Chuan City is now under Zhao Cheng's control. So, do we really have the confidence to make a move in Yan Chuan City?"

"Wen Pojun suffered a setback at the Right Prime Minister's residence, so how could Luo Ying be so confident?"

Wen Hu said, "I'll go with Luo Ying, and we'll bring along some experts from the Maoshan Sect. If we're not absolutely certain, we have at least a 90% chance!"

Wen Tai said, "Don't act rashly unless there's a 100% chance."

"uncle!"

Yu Changsi interjected, "Lord Sha, I was only suggesting that we get rid of the Right Prime Minister's residence as soon as possible; it's not about going to be a life-or-death situation right now."

Wen Hu turned his face away, looking sullen.

Yu Changsi said slowly, "Even if we use the methods of the martial arts world to resolve this, we still need a plan and to choose the most appropriate time."

Wen Tai, knowing Yu Changsi's thoughts, asked, "Sir, do you have an idea?"

Yu Changsi was silent for a moment, seemingly reviewing his thoughts, before saying, "The Emperor misses his sister very much, doesn't he?"

Wen Tai raised an eyebrow, understanding what Yu Changsi meant.

Yu Changsi continued, "How to intensify the emperor's longing for the eldest princess and arouse his desire to see his nephew is up to the Left Prime Minister."

Wen Hu understood and said, "We're going to lure Zhao Cheng and the others to..."

Yu Changsi nodded.

Wen Tai got up and walked to the lakeside. After thinking for a while, he picked up his fishing rod and continued fishing, saying, "In that case, I'll give it a try and see if the fish will bite."

...

It was already mid-November, and the eleventh year of the reign of Emperor Dajing was almost over. Yanchuan City was getting colder.

Compared to last year, there weren't many major events in the Dajing Dynasty this year; the imperial court's announcements only mentioned three major events.

The three counties in New Taipei City have successfully quelled the violence, and urban development is now on a regular track.

A major victory at Muqiaokou on the southern border;

The observatory was completed.

The summary of these three matters comes from the imperial court and is merely a way to fool the common people. Those in the know understand that, apart from the first matter which is plausible, the latter two are fabricated.

First of all, the completion of the Star Observation Tower was an important matter for the emperor, but it had nothing to do with the common people.

Then came the great victory at Muqiaokou... was it really a great victory?

It was nothing more than a case of losing and then regaining, a victory after initial defeat.

Some audacious commoners even went so far as to say during their leisure time that the emperor, in order to achieve political achievements, had shamelessly embellished his image.

"My friend, if the emperor has no shame, why does he still try to gild his own face?"

The Oriental Restaurant, which has officially opened, is packed with guests and bustling with activity.

Thanks to Zhao Cheng and the Eastern Chamber of Commerce, job opportunities in Yanchuan City have increased, people's incomes have risen, and more and more people are living better lives.

Although Dongfang Restaurant is decorated in a high-end style and has become the best restaurant in Yanchuan City, its market positioning is both high and low, with both luxurious private rooms with low spending and ordinary tables.

Although most of the people who come to the restaurant to eat and drink are obedient citizens who do not talk about national affairs, there are also troublemakers who speak out after drinking, and there are also drinkers who like to watch the fun and make trouble.

"What do you know about the emperor's thoughts? Shamelessness is a strategy, and embellishment is a way to save face. These are all imperial tactics!"

One of the drinkers picked up a newspaper with the four large characters "Anecdotes and True Stories" prominently displayed on it and exclaimed, "If you ask me, the imperial court's announcements are so vague and leave us guessing. It's better to read this newspaper. Have you all seen it? The Anecdotes Society's three top headlines—that's really exciting!"

Yuan Fei sat in a private room on the second floor, pushed the screen open a crack, and looked down at the newspapers held by the patrons.

This is the first newspaper published by Yiwenshe, the first issue of "Yiwen Shilu"!

To bolster his political achievements, Yuan Xiu had the court issue a proclamation recording the three major events of the year. A few days later, the *Anecdotes and Records* was officially published, its inaugural issue also featuring three headlines:

Article 1: "After retiring, Qi Nian, the former prefect of Jingdong County, did not enjoy a peaceful life at home playing with his grandchildren. Instead, he recruited crew members to spend long periods at sea fishing for pleasure. The old prefect, already in his seventies, was still fearless of wind and waves and difficulties, and even caught a rare deep-sea blue fan shark juvenile, a sight rarely seen in a century! Upon hearing this news, wealthy merchants of Jingdong spent thousands of taels of gold to win the juvenile shark, bidding wildly, with the highest bid reaching 100,000 taels of gold. But Qi Nian remained unmoved and released the juvenile shark, moving countless people. Upon hearing this, the literary master Jiu Xian was deeply moved. After being drunk for three days, he wrote the novel 'The Old Prefect and the Sea' for seven days and seven nights without sleep, and it quickly became a bestseller."

Article 2: "Gun Demon Wen Pojun, seeking revenge for his brother, travels to the Western Regions to hunt down the murderer. On his journey, he encounters the Jinghai Sword Master, who is traveling in the western part of Dajing. Wen Pojun has wanted to challenge the Jinghai Sword Master for many years, but he has never been able to find him. Upon meeting him, Wen Pojun challenges the Jinghai Sword Master without hesitation, but is defeated, wounded, and disappears without a trace."

Article 3: "The Emperor of Dajing realized the far-reaching harm caused by the pirates and personally supervised the establishment of the Dajing Zhenhai Camp, appointing General Anyuan Duyu Chengdu as its commander, and determined to wipe out the pirates along the coast of Dajing. Duyu Chengdu lived up to the Emperor's favor and drove out the pirates along the coast of Jingdong County in less than a month, and then advanced towards Jiangyang County and Yunjing County with thunderous force!"

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