Chapter 245 The Wind Rises
As much as Sun Qingchen hated Xu Zhenying before, he now admired him as much.
If we put aside our prejudice, the textbooks written by Xu Zhenying are truly amazing works. Perhaps it was this mentality that made him fear Xu Zhenying from the very beginning and dared not get close to him.
But now that he has changed his attitude and looks at it again, Sun Qingchen feels that if Xu Zhenying is really a person from another world, then isn't he the destined person who can change the dynasty?
"I asked you to come here because I know these books are from Jinzhou. I want to ask if you know who wrote these books? How old is he? Does he have any aspirations to leave the world? If he wants to seek an official position, I am willing to offer my humble help."
Sun Qingchen exclaimed in astonishment, "Master Lin, don't you think this man is too unorthodox? Have you read his book 'Common Sense'? The so-called natural laws in it completely contradict our current notion of the Son of Heaven as a divine representative recognized by Heaven, the link between humanity and Heaven and Earth. If we truly follow what this book says, then everything in the world, including spring plowing and planting, spring thunder and rain, astronomical calendars, geomancy, farming seasons, and hunting and fishing, all have traces that can be mastered and utilized. Isn't this a powerful technique?"
A faint fire seemed to flicker in the depths of Elder Lin's cloudy eyes. "It's quite unorthodox, even misleading! But it's also quite reasonable! To be honest, I've already had people verify some of the experiments in it. At least what the book says about gravity, the world revolving around the sun, and two iron balls of different masses falling to the ground at the same time is true! This shows that although this book is shocking, it's not completely fabricated! The person who compiled this book... I suspect he is a fairy from outer space!"
Sun Qingchen was shocked.
Is Xu Zhenying an outsider?
Judging from her behavior, she is no different from the people here, except for her thoughts and ways of doing things!
"Master Sun!" Elder Lin grabbed his hand excitedly. "You came from Jinzhou Prefecture. If you recognize these books, you must also recognize the author, right?!"
Facing Mr. Lin's urgent gaze, Sun Qingchen was a little evasive.
Seeing this, Elder Lin was somewhat displeased: "Master Sun, you clearly know this, why don't you tell me? Could it be that you are afraid of this person's extraordinary talent and worried that I can't tolerate him?"
"Mr. Lin, that's not true!" Sun Qingchen sighed. "I really don't know how to begin! I do know this person, but she's not some legendary figure. She's just a fifteen-year-old girl! Have you ever heard of Xu Zhenying, the traitor from Jinzhou Prefecture?"
Elder Lin was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Fifteen years old?! She truly is a celestial being! No one in this world has such a detached and calm mind. She must not be from our time!"
Xu Zhenying, who was thousands of miles away, sneezed several times at this moment.
She probably hadn't expected it either. Who said ancient people lacked imagination? Look at Elder Lin and Elder Fang, each of them possessed a mindset beyond their time, even accepting the so-called reincarnation and time travel without hesitation.
Sun Qingchen frowned, feeling that his ideas were somewhat different from those of Old Lin.
Mr. Lin accepted it with pleasure and was even very curious.
But he only has fear and suspicion of unknown things.
"But she looks no different than us."
"Of course. Do all rebels have supernatural powers? I remember you were in Lan County, right? How's it going over there? Besides writing these books, what else has she done?"
Faced with the excited Mr. Lin, Sun Qingchen had no choice but to tell Mr. Lin the truth about everything Xu Zhenying had done since entering the city.
When Old Lin heard that, his eyes lit up, especially when he heard Sun Qingchen talking about the universal education that Jinzhou Prefecture was vigorously promoting, Old Lin wanted to stand up and dance and sing a song.
Sun Qingchen also mentioned that half of the people in Lan County are now literate. Old Lin actually burst into tears and shouted that a bright and prosperous era has arrived!
He was obviously insane.
As Sun Qingchen spoke, he felt a sense of emotion in his heart. He had been blinded by hatred in the past, but now it seemed that Xu Zhenying was indeed a rare genius in a century.
Her declaration that "the people are the masters of this land and everyone is equal" was so thought-provoking that even now, I still feel overwhelmed when I hear it!
Not to mention the lower-class people who were exploited by the imperial court!
"Everyone is equal, fair, and free! This is exactly the world of great harmony described by the ancients!" Old Lin excitedly raised his arms and shouted, his face full of peach blossoms, and he seemed to be a little confused because of drinking. "Although I can't go there physically, my heart yearns for it--"
Sun Qingchen had to remind him, "Mr. Lin, the Great Zhou Dynasty has such a huge enemy. It is already facing internal and external troubles. Aren't you worried about the court?"
Elder Lin's expression froze, then he smiled meaningfully, "Lord Sun, you came back this time to warn the court, right? But look at what you've ended up with?"
Sun Qingchen's face turned pale.
"Lord Sun, the Great Zhou Dynasty no longer has room for people like us... The court is now in a state of chaos. Even facing internal and external troubles, it remains completely unprepared. The Great Zhou Dynasty is like a lamb walking in a dense jungle, targeted by ferocious beasts from all sides. Sooner or later, it will be torn apart and eaten."
Sun Qingchen's eyelids jumped. He never expected that Mr. Lin would be so pessimistic!
"Even mortals must die, and the laws of nature must be reincarnated. How much more so for dynasties? The transfer of imperial power is as common as birth, aging, sickness, and death. It just makes the common people suffer!"
Sun Qingchen nodded, and couldn't help but admire Mr. Lin's detached mind.
As Xu Zhenying said, if we step out of the shackles of historical cycles, we will see that dynasties are just like ordinary people, and are equally subject to birth, aging, sickness and death.
The old dynasty will eventually fall, and a new world will always come.
Elder Lin looked at him with a piercing gaze. "I remember His Majesty hasn't issued an order to release you yet. Have you escaped from prison now?"
Sun Qingchen didn't hide it from him. "To be honest, I was released by a jailer who wanted to seek refuge with Xu Zhenying. We've already agreed to set off together for Jinzhou tomorrow."
Mr. Lin said nothing, but just stroked his beard, seeming to be lost in thought.
Sun Qingchen looked at Old Lin's silence and felt a pang in his heart. No way, could Old Lin also want to join them in rebellion?
Old Lin is almost sixty years old, and he still represents the literati power of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If he were to join Jinzhou Prefecture, the world would probably be in turmoil!
Then Xu Zhenying would definitely be the first to be affected and truly enter the emperor's vision.
Since Sun Qingchen had already sided with Xu Zhenying, he naturally wanted to recruit talented individuals for her. However, he also knew that Mr. Lin was no ordinary scholar; he was a role model for scholars throughout the land. A single move could have far-reaching consequences. If he hadn't arrived in Jinzhou and had already caused Xu Zhenying so much trouble, it would have been disastrous.
Sun Qingchen was also puzzled. How could Mr. Lin, who was already sixty years old, still be so rebellious?
Look at Mr. Fang. Although he is in the rebel camp, his heart is in the Great Zhou Dynasty. He refuses to come out and work for Xu Zhenying no matter what.
But why does Mr. Lin look like he is afraid that the world will not be in chaos?
Sun Qingchen's heart was in turmoil, wondering how he would respond if Elder Lin actually asked to go to Jinzhou Prefecture with him. Then Elder Lin spoke up, "In that case, I'll give you some money. You can go and seek refuge with Miss Xu. Remember to tell her that there's an old man waiting for her in Bianjing City. Let's see how she can turn the world upside down."
The sweat on Sun Qingchen's forehead finally stopped, and he said with almost gratitude, "Thank you, Mr. Lin. I will definitely pass on your greetings."
Old Lin stared at Sun Qingchen, and on his wrinkled face was a naughty smile.
The next day, Sun Qingchen took his wife to the South City Gate as promised.
It was not until he walked under the big willow tree outside the south city gate that he saw dozens of heads in front of him. The one in front was Zhao Qiaonian, who waved to him from a distance as soon as he saw him.
Sun Qingchen hurriedly asked, "Sir, why are there so many people?"
Zhao Qiaonian smiled innocently, "Well, I didn't know when I'd be able to return from Jinzhou, so I wanted to tell my brothers about it. But they couldn't bear to leave me, so I had no choice but to take them with me."
Sun Qingchen frowned, feeling that Zhao Qiaonian was slippery and much harder to control than he had imagined.
Yes, it’s my fault for underestimating the enemy.
Anyone who can travel thousands of miles to join Xu Zhenying is probably as cunning as Xu Zhenying.
Thinking that he was no longer an official, and that Zhao Qiao Nian might become his colleague on his way to Jinzhou Prefecture, he could only endure it and said, "Okay, if that's the case, let's get going quickly so that there aren't too many people and it won't attract attention."
"Okay, just waiting for your word!" Zhao Qiaonian shouted, and the couple took action.
Of course, it was several days later when Mr. Lin left his family behind and came alone to seek refuge and catch up with them.
But now, the women who came to Xingyuan Prefecture to work encountered trouble.
Early in the morning, dozens of police officers with swords came to the farm. They pushed the door open and broke into the yard where the women were working. Then they aggressively arrested dozens of female workers from Jinzhou Prefecture, including Sister Liu and others.
Hundreds of female workers were terrified. Some of them quickly called Qi Erguniang and others, some hurriedly protected their cotton coats and trousers, and some just hid to the side.
The leading officer looked ferocious. His piercing eyes swept across the entire room, and then he said in a stern voice, "Who is the person in charge from Jinzhou Prefecture?"
Lian was immediately pushed forward, "It's her, it's her!"
Lian could only bite the bullet and step forward, bowing slightly. "Excuse me, sir. We are just a group of weak women who can't even lift a chicken. We came from Jinzhou Prefecture to do some housework to earn some money for our family. I wonder what crime we have committed to deserve the official to come to our door in person?"
"Hmph, someone reported you, saying you're a den of traitors. You're using the guise of making clothes, but you're actually spies sent from Jinzhou Prefecture! You're trying to spy on our military intelligence! No need to say more, take this woman, lock them all up, and interrogate them thoroughly!"
Lian was horrified and cried out that he was innocent, but he had no power to resist before he was taken away.
More than 20 soldiers from Jinzhou Prefecture were ready to go, but were stopped by Feng'er on the side with a look. Now they were in the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and every move they made could trigger a war. Therefore, even though they were furious, they strictly followed Feng'er's orders.
Qi Er had already heard the news and rushed over. When he saw this situation, he almost immediately took out some silver and handed it to the leader.
The two seemed to be old acquaintances. The leader finally took the call after some pushing and shoving. He then said, "Second Master Qi, please don't make things difficult for us. The higher-ups have issued an order that these women who are spreading lies must be brought back for questioning today! If it weren't for Master Qi, you would be in big trouble today!"
Qi Er said calmly, "Thank you so much for your mercy, Lord! But there must be a misunderstanding. These women work all day at the farm and never leave. How could they become spies? You can see that these women are honest people. They can't make ends meet, so they come to me to make a living. How could they... how could they falsely accuse someone without any evidence?"
"That's none of my business! I'm only responsible for arresting people! If you have any questions, go to the Lord of the Mansion to seek justice!"
Miss Qi had no choice but to hand over a few more ingots of silver, and said in a very humble manner: "Master Xu, I will not embarrass you. I hope you can be flexible and talk to the brothers in prison to not make things too difficult for these women! As for the other matters, let me think of a solution!"
The man refused to take the silver and said coldly, "Second Miss Qi, don't be so shameless! You're really overreaching! As I said before, we'll have to interrogate them to find out whether they are spies from Jinzhou Prefecture or whether they are traitors!"
After saying this, the man took the twenty or so women away.
Everyone was panicking like ants on a hot pan, but Feng'er was the first to calm them down: "Don't panic, Boss Qi and I will find a solution. Don't delay your work. Don't worry about other things. The bosses are waiting for our goods. If we break our promise, we won't have any business next time."
The women had no choice but to return to their seats in a panic.
Miss Qi was extremely anxious. Although she was a prominent figure in Xingyuan Prefecture, she was still worried that the people would not fight against the officials. She had never encountered such a thing in her life. She was at a loss for a moment and just pulled Feng'er, "They have taken everyone away. What should we do?"
Feng'er frowned, as if lost in thought. After a moment, she said, "This manor is on the outskirts of the city. Although there are people coming and going, how did the news reach the Lord of the Mansion? Someone must have deliberately reported it. Second Miss Qi, first check everyone who has entered and left the manor in the past two days to see if there is a traitor among us."
"Okay, okay, I'll do it right away. But what about the people who were arrested? Prison is no place for women. Mr. Xu's aunt is among them. What if they torture him?"
Feng Er's face also turned pale. "Let's spend a lot of money first and see if we can bribe the jailer to give us all the information."
Feng'er waved her hand again, and the twenty soldiers all gathered around her and listened to her orders.
Feng'er didn't know what she was thinking of, her eyes lit up and she smiled faintly.
She lowered her voice, a smile on her face: "Now there is a great military merit in front of you, do you have the courage to accept it?"
The twenty soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment. Then, squad leader Ma smiled arrogantly, "Minister Xu, you're joking. We are all soldiers. What kind of soldiers are we without military merit? What kind of soldiers are we? Danger is nothing. Even if we die or become disabled, the city lord will still take care of us. What are we afraid of?"
Others also expressed their opinions: "That's right, Jinzhou Prefecture hasn't fought a war in a long time. We new recruits are itching to fight and can't wait to follow the city lord into battle."
"Okay!" Feng'er smiled with satisfaction. "Since that's the case, I won't hide it from you. Xingyuan Prefecture is just a stone's throw away from our Jinzhou Prefecture, almost close to the center of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The city lord of this place is determined to capture it. Since that's the case, we'll give her a legitimate reason to capture Xingyuan Prefecture. Now that the people from Xingyuan Prefecture have captured our people, this is the best excuse."
The twenty people's eyes lit up when they heard this, and they looked at Feng'er with a little more respect. "Minister Xu, please give us your instructions. Before we set off, the city lord told us to follow your instructions when we arrive in Xingyuan Prefecture."
"With our limited manpower, it's unrealistic to seize Xingyuan Prefecture. However, before the city lord arrives, we can do some propaganda work. As the saying goes, to attack a city, you must first attack the heart. We can start by dismantling the enemy's willpower from within. Split up into several groups. One group will immediately go back and report the situation to the city lord. Ask him to make a decision immediately. One group will go to the teahouse, one group will go to the streets, one group will go to the guard post, and one group will go to the city defense. We will immediately spread the news of their capture throughout Xingyuan Prefecture!"
Several people were puzzled.
Squad Leader Ma, however, came to his senses and said with a smile, "The most important thing isn't that they were captured, but why they were captured. Everyone, please be alert and tell us about the recent situation in Jinzhou Prefecture, especially the division of land between the common people and the soldiers. The soldiers in Xingyuan Prefecture only make half a penny a month. Let them see what life is like for our Jinzhou soldiers. It will make them envious and distract them from fighting. Ideally, they can even contact us to open the city gates."
"That's right. The situation in Xingyuan Prefecture must be very tense these past two days. Everyone, please pay attention to your safety and protect yourselves! Let's disperse!"
The twenty soldiers then announced to disperse.
Miss Qi, who was standing by, was terrified. She seemed to not understand what Feng'er was saying at all. She just felt that Feng'er's strategizing looked very much like someone else.
Miss Qi grabbed her and said, "Feng'er, what on earth are you going to do? What do you mean by capturing Xingyuan Mansion? Aren't you Xu Zhenying's man?"
The more Miss Qi thought about it, the more confused she became, and the more she felt something was wrong.
Feng'er clearly came from the south, but Lian came from the direction of Jinzhou Prefecture.
These soldiers called Lian and Feng'er ministers.
And there is that huge monster that they always talk about, the city lord!
Who is the city lord?
Qi Er's face changed and he exclaimed, "Feng'er, your daughter actually joined the thieves?"
Yes, this is the only reason that can explain it.
Xu Zhenying followed the thief!
Moreover, her status is not low, otherwise the people under Xu Zhenying would not regret helping the city lord so wholeheartedly, and even want to stir up trouble in Xingyuan Prefecture and use internal and external cooperation to open the city gate!
Miss Qi Er suddenly broke out in a cold sweat on her back!
It turns out that they are actually traitors!
And she, Qi Er, had unknowingly become an accomplice of the rebels!
No—
Let's put it this way. Xu Zhenying had some friendship with her, but rebelling! That could cost her her life!
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