Chapter 303 The Tragic Empress
"Take a look at this too." Although Zhou Zhong was cowardly, he was still open-minded.
The Great Zhou Dynasty had a set of rules that strictly prohibited people in the harem from interfering in politics, but extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and he didn't want the queen to be unable to protect herself.
Only a strong mother can protect their two young children.
Zhou Zhong then handed over the Jinzhou Prefecture newspaper. "This thing is called a newspaper. It's a newfangled gadget from Jinzhou Prefecture. It's said to be published once a month, and somehow it made its way to Bianjing City. It records the latest wars and other news from the Great Zhou Dynasty. Some of the news is even more accurate and up-to-date than what our secret agents report back."
Empress Yuan Chun, of course, could read. She quickly read through it, then swayed, unable to conceal her shock. "Has the situation in the Great Zhou Dynasty really reached this point?"
"Yes, the one who controls Jinzhou Prefecture has already occupied eleven prefectures. The King of Zhoushan to the west has been beaten to a pulp by her, and is now leading his frenzied followers in a desperate resistance. It's said that there's some incredibly powerful firearm in the east that's capable of conquering cities with ease, leaving Zhou Heng powerless and forced to retreat. The eastern front is currently in complete disarray. In a few months, I'm afraid they'll reach Zhou Heng's home turf, Qiongzhou!"
Empress Yuan Chun was silent.
Eleven states!
This is equivalent to half of the territory of the entire Zhou Dynasty!
Now, the orthodox Zhou Dynasty is only surviving in this corner.
That female queen was truly extraordinary. In just a few years, she had quietly occupied half of the country!
If Zhou Heng continues to lose ground, the Zhou Dynasty will really have to change its owner!
"Firearms?" Empress Yuan Chun bit her lip. "Are those weapons really that powerful? I remember Your Majesty saying that Zhou Heng's soldiers were quite capable and could fight on par with General Zhao Yi's army. How come they're so vulnerable now?"
"Today's news has also caused an uproar in the court. You should know that in the past, all the civil and military officials laughed at the people in Jinzhou Prefecture for specializing in such trivial tricks. Now that firearms have appeared, those ministers in the court who previously talked about conquering Jin are immediately dumbfounded. Now I'm afraid they only regret not having the opportunity to defect to Jinzhou Prefecture. I saw that the ministers in the court today had different intentions. My father was furious and had a huge temper. He even pulled out all the officials who had previously advocated for peace and gave them dozens of beatings-"
Just by listening to this, Empress Yuan Chun realized the turbulent situation in the previous dynasty.
Although they were emperors and empresses, they were like duckweed in the chaotic world, and had to rely on others for life and death.
How sad.
Empress Yuan Chun lamented, "Is there not a single loyal and patriotic person in my great court?"
"So Sun Qingchen is considered a loyal and patriotic man, right? Look at what happened to him in the end?" Zhou Zhong muttered, remembering how Sun Qingchen braved the danger to report the crisis in Jinzhou Prefecture four years ago, and how no one in the room took him seriously. His father even wanted to punish him for lying about military intelligence. "Well, it's better that he escaped. Staying in Bianjing would have been like me, a dead end."
Sensing the wailing coming from Zhou Zhong, Empress Yuan Chun felt heartbroken. She wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and helped him sit down. The couple sat face to face, holding hands, snuggling up to each other for warmth like dying animals.
Zhou Zhong smiled uncomfortably and reached out to wipe away the tears from her eyes. "From the day I ascended the throne, I knew this would happen. But I was greedy, thinking of my two young children, so I bravely challenged the heavens. Unfortunately, I am not a genius like Xu Zhenying. Even if I had the intention, the ending is not what I want."
Empress Yuan Chun wept, "Your Majesty, please don't say that. We don't know who will win yet. Didn't you say that General Zhao Yi is loyal to you? There are certainly other ministers in the court who are loyal to you. The outcome is still uncertain."
Zhou Zhong forced a smile, "The Queen is right, I shouldn't blame myself."
Thinking she had persuaded Zhou Zhong, Empress Yuan Chun was delighted and wiped her tears with a handkerchief. "That's right, Your Majesty should think positively. You must be hungry. I have some snacks sent from the imperial kitchen this afternoon. Please have a few bites first—"
Seeing that Empress Yuan Chun no longer looked worried, Zhou Zhong smiled and said okay.
After Empress Yuan Chun left, Zhou Zhong's face was still gloomy. He read the newspaper that Empress Yuan Chun had placed on the table again and again, looking at it from side to side, with mixed feelings in his heart.
Everyone said that Jinzhou Prefecture was prosperous, but he could not imagine that there was a place in the world more prosperous than Bianjing City. If there was, what kind of life would it be like?
But just from looking at this novel item, the newspaper, Zhou Zhong knew that Jinzhou Prefecture's manufacturing level was far superior to theirs.
Not to mention anything else, just look at this newspaper. The handwriting is so small and beautiful, but there is no ink smudges. Each word is the same size, but they are arranged so neatly.
Not to mention that this newspaper was printed in tens of thousands of copies and sold throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even many children from poor families could afford it. With just one copy of the newspaper, they could grasp the general situation of the world.
This requires not only strong intelligence capabilities, but also money.
It is no wonder that as soon as this newspaper reached the city of Bianliang, it caused a sensation among the entire scholar circle. Scholars were proud to own a newspaper, and many scholars even formed book clubs to specialize in studying the war, people's livelihood, and economy mentioned in the newspaper.
Even though the imperial court had listed it as a banned book and prohibited its circulation within the Zhou Dynasty, it was still banned repeatedly and scholars continued to circulate and collect it privately, which became a common practice.
Who made the editor-in-chief of this monthly newspaper the famous Lin Han?
The literary master Lin Han, who was initially said to have been kidnapped by Sun Qingchen, is now thriving under Xu Zhenying of Jinzhou Prefecture, and has even become the editor-in-chief of a monthly newspaper. It can be said that he is living a very comfortable life.
By the time the imperial court reacted, Lin Han's family had already been secretly sent to Jinzhou Prefecture by people from Jinzhou Prefecture.
hateful.
It's really hateful.
This Lin Han is a thousand times more hateful than Sun Qingchen!
When Zhou Chong was studying at the Imperial College, he knew that Lin Han was not doing his job well. He thought that he was an immortal, disliked officialdom, and only loved romance. He was an interesting old man. Who knew that he would take the initiative to surrender to Xu Zhenying and stab the Zhou Dynasty in the back.
Zhou Zhong was very anxious.
The power of the female queen was growing. As the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty was shrinking, a newspaper caused a turmoil in the city of Bianjing. In addition, the Taoist doctrine of equality for all made the lower-class people in the city of Bianjing ready to make moves.
Although he was the emperor and loved his people, he also looked down on them.
He loved the people because only by loving the people could he consolidate his power. He scoffed at the Jinzhou government's claim that even lowly people had dignity.
What kind of personality do ignorant people who have not read and have no wisdom have?
Do they understand what personality is?
But until now, he seemed to have come to his senses.
Any Taoist tradition exists for the emperor.
No matter what the queen's true thoughts were, as long as she put forward the idea of equality for all, she would have captured the hearts of all the suffering people in the Zhou Dynasty.
Who had the most people in the Zhou Dynasty?
That is naturally the lower class people.
Readers will always be a minority.
Just this one move can win the hearts of the people over to her.
Zhou Zhong looked at the newspaper and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Xu Zhenying is a terrible enemy.
He truly regretted not listening to Sun Qingchen's advice. He had actually allowed himself to become a dangerous tiger due to his negligence. It would probably not be that easy to deal with this tiger now.
So what about him?
Where is his way out?
——————————————————————
In a small alley in Jinzhou Prefecture.
The Fang family has been divided since Fang Ruyu defected to the enemy. The clan members hated the eldest branch of the Fang family, expelled them from the Fang family, and cut off all contact with them.
Even if they meet, they pretend not to see it. Some of them are even quick-tempered and will curse and spit before leaving.
The Fang family members almost became mortal enemies.
Therefore, except for the main branch of the Fang family, everyone else moved to this alley called Hulu Lane.
It was lunch time. The second wife of the Fang family prepared some simple food and invited Fang Xun and his son to come out for dinner.
Although the Fang family has some savings, their current status is awkward.
Fang Ruyu's escape caused a sensation in the city. They couldn't stand the gossip from others, so they gave up the idea of going out to work.
Mrs. Fang II spent her time at home fiddling with some flowers and plants.
Master Fang Er was not a man obsessed with fame and fortune. He had been cooperating with some educational work before, and now that he had some free time, he and Fang Xun spent the whole day in the house studying, tutoring, and compiling teaching materials.
The family's life was a little harder than before and apart from the occasional gossip and criticism, they were living a good life.
But sometimes when she thinks of the good old days, Mrs. Fang can't help but complain about the first wife.
The father and son could only pretend not to hear.
That day, the three of them were having dinner when they suddenly saw Fang Ningmo's figure wandering outside. Madam Fang Er naturally had a bad face towards the people from the first house.
Especially when Fang Ningmo was still calling Fang Xun's name at the door, Mrs. Fang put on a sullen face, pretending not to see Fang Ningmo outside the door, and put down the dishes with a ping-pong sound.
Fang Ningmo also knew that he was not welcome, so he did not go into the house, but just paid his respects to Master Fang Er outside.
Fang Xun said, "My cousin is here, I'll go out for a while."
Madam Fang II muttered bitterly, "We've already separated from the family, why do you still keep coming here? Aren't you disgusted enough with the burden you've inflicted on us?"
Master Fang Er then said, "That incident was done by Fang Ruyu, not Ning Mo. My brothers and the others were also innocently implicated."
"They are innocent? If they had discovered it earlier and tied Fang Ruyu up at home, this wouldn't have happened! Besides, Fang Ruyu already has a criminal record. They say it's the father's fault if he doesn't teach his children well. I think the Fang family's current situation is all due to your eldest brother who was obsessed with mathematics and ignored worldly affairs!"
Master Fang Er naturally felt guilty, so he had to lower his head and remain silent.
Madam Fang's anger was still lingering as she continued, "My son has such a miserable life! Now that His Highness has conquered eleven states, he's only one step away from the supreme throne, and yet it has to be this time! Alas! Fang Xun will be eighteen next year, and I'm afraid he won't even be able to find a good in-law!"
Whenever this matter was mentioned, Master Fang II felt unhappy, but he and his eldest brother had a good relationship since childhood. Although he felt resentful, he felt sorry for the other people in the first house.
He could only be stuck in the middle, saying nothing.
Fang Xun walked outside the fence and saw Fang Ningmo running out, looking exhausted. He asked, "What happened to Grandfather?"
Fang Ningmo shook his head. "Grandfather's fine, but he's just hiding away, just like before. I came here today to ask my cousin, didn't he say a few days ago that a breeding farm wanted to hire you as deputy director? Why didn't you go?"
"So that's what happened..." Fang Xun smiled faintly. His youthful appearance had transformed into that of a young man, and his every move seemed even more composed than before. "That person is too utilitarian. He thinks I, Fang Xun, can still rise to prominence, so he hired me with the intention of climbing up the social ladder. But you should know that after our family encountered something like that, His Highness will never use us again. Why bother disappointing others?"
Fang Ruyu's face was filled with shame and irritation, as if ever since Fang Ruyu left with the people from Qiongzhou Prefecture, their eldest wife could not avoid this great shame and humiliation. This humiliation seemed to have grown behind her, and no matter where she went or what she did, she felt like she was being pricked by a thorn.
It's okay now.
In the first one or two months after the incident, there were always some people with bad intentions throwing things into their house, sometimes night-scented incense, sometimes stones, and sometimes even funeral items like paper money and white banners.
Wherever their family goes, there are always people pointing fingers at them.
——Traitor.
She heard these three words clearly.
Like a sword piercing the heart.
It was then that Fang Ningmo experienced what it meant to be able to escape the death penalty but unable to escape the punishment of life.
Xu Zhenying spared their death penalty and did not even punish them, but only expelled them from the official team. However, the great shame and humiliation lingered in her heart for a long time and made her toss and turn at night, unable to sleep. Her tears wet her pillow, and she wished she could grow wings and fly to Qiongzhou to bring Fang Ruyu back.
When the Fang family incident was mentioned, both siblings fell silent.
Fang Ruyu had no choice but to say, "Didn't Brother Danniu ask you to go into the cement business with him? He's very successful in Jinzhou Prefecture now, very wealthy, and even has connections with the Ministry of Commerce. It's better for you to follow him than to write some guidebooks for civil servant exams right?"
Fang Xun still shook his head, "That's even worse. Brother Da Niu is a friend of His Highness. He's probably only doing this for His Highness's sake. His Highness has gone against all odds to save our family and has endured a lot of criticism. How can I continue to owe His Highness a favor?"
Fang Ningmo was speechless for a moment.
Fang Ruyu's escape affected everyone in the Fang family.
Seeing Fang Ningmo picking at his fingers helplessly, Fang Xun smiled nonchalantly: "Don't frown. It's not you who did this. Why are you being so hesitant? His Highness isn't angry with you, so why should I be angry?"
Fang Ningmo's eyes reddened slightly, as if tears were about to burst out because of Fang Xun's words. She said aggrievedly, "I really hate her."
She raised her hand and wiped away her tears. "Father said he was going to publish an announcement in the newspaper to disown her. Mother cried all night last night and didn't say whether she agreed or not. She just kept saying it was a tragedy for our family. I just left and my father went to the Propaganda Department. It looks like he's serious about it."
Fang Xun sneered, "She deserves it for bringing us to this point."
"Yes, she's confused! She doesn't even think about what kind of person Zhou Heng is. He's probably just using the firearm blueprints to sweet-talk her for a few months, and she'll be the only one to suffer for the rest of her life!"
"Let's not talk about her. Let's talk about you. I heard that your aunt is planning to find a son-in-law for you recently?"
Fang Ningmo smiled bitterly. "How could I be in such a mood? If it were in the past, maybe someone would have looked up to me. But now that the Fang family has fallen on hard times, we can only look for idle men. Grandfather meant that day for us to consider moving out of Jinzhou Prefecture—"
"You're leaving Jinzhou Prefecture?" Fang Xun was a little surprised. "Where are you going?"
"I don't know. We've saved some money before, so maybe we can go to the countryside and buy a few acres of land, or start a small business from scratch. It's better than being pointed at and criticized every day in Jinzhou Prefecture."
"Land is probably hard to buy right now. The people of Jinzhou Prefecture are all wealthy, and with the relief center, few are willing to sell their land."
"Who says not? We can only take it one step at a time. Jinzhou Prefecture is full of acquaintances, making it difficult to do anything. Although the city lord didn't hold us accountable, Daddy is too embarrassed to bear it. He's so uncomfortable every day that he hardly even leaves the house. It looks like he's about to get sick. Grandmother said, why not just move to another place? After all, Your Highness now controls eleven states and has such good policies, he can live anywhere."
Fang Xun said, "Jinzhou Prefecture is a key seat for the Emperor, a place where dragon energy gathers. Naturally, it possesses unique conditions. Moreover, with wars raging in both the east and the west, where are you going to move? I suggest you move nowhere but Jinzhou Prefecture. I have a feeling that the time will soon for His Highness to unify the country. You and I have worked so hard for these past few years. Don't you want to stay here and watch His Highness ascend the throne?"
Fang Ningmo hesitated, "Of course I thought so."
"Ning Mo, do you remember what His Highness once said? If someone in this world slanders me, bullies me, humiliates me, laughs at me, looks down on me, despises me, hates me, or deceives me, how should I deal with it? Just tolerate him, let him be, let him be, avoid him, endure him, respect him, ignore him, and wait a few years, and you will see what happens. My grandfather, when he was an official in the Zhou Dynasty, still experienced many ups and downs. What are the hardships that we young people have experienced compared to them?"
Fang Ningmo smiled wryly at Fang Xun, "I never thought my cousin would be the most resilient among our younger generation. You have a point. I'll have a good talk with my grandparents when I get back."
"Okay, if you still insist on leaving, you must let me know."
Fang Ningmo nodded, then glanced at Second Aunt, who was wearing a long face inside the room, and said a little embarrassedly, "In that case, I'll take my leave first."
Not long after Fang Ningmo turned around, she heard her second aunt cursing behind her. She had no choice but to hunch her shoulders, lighten her steps, and leave quietly.
Her shoulders were tense, and she stared down at her shoes like a lost dog, then quietly disappeared into Hulu Alley.
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