Inside the main camp of Anqing Prefecture.
"My lord, Yin Duwei is back!"
Zhu Yuan gave a soft hum, not surprised at all, and continued to focus on the map.
Yin Shengrong dusted himself off before walking in with his head held high.
Only Zhu Yuan was inside the tent. Yin Shengrong took a few steps toward Zhu Yuan, cupped his hands and said, "My lord, I have fulfilled my mission and have completed it."
Zhu Yuan then raised his head and nodded in satisfaction: "I understand. You did a good job. You've worked hard these past few days. Go home and see your children, and rest for a few days before coming back to the camp."
Having been away for so long, Yin Shengrong really misses his wife and children. His wife gave birth to their son a few days ago, and they haven't seen each other yet.
Thinking of his soft and cuddly son, Yin Shengrong couldn't help but smile, his eyes filled with warmth.
"This subordinate takes his leave!" With that, Yin Shengrong prepared to leave.
"Wait a moment!"
Zhu Yuan called out to the person, and Yin Shengrong looked at him in confusion, only to see Zhu Yuan take out a gift box from the corner.
“This was sent by my wife. You can take it back for the children to use.”
Yin Shengrong was stunned for a moment, then realized that the gift box was for his newborn child.
Regardless of his inner shock, his face was full of gratitude.
"Thank you for your understanding, sir and madam. On behalf of my child, I express my gratitude."
Zhu Yuan waved his hand awkwardly, dismissing the person.
After Yin Shengrong left, he summoned the generals of Qi Army into his tent to discuss how to fight the next battle.
In fact, with the cannons that Feng He and Zhen Fu brought back, they could have easily wiped out the enemy and ended the war as quickly as possible.
But if that happens, the enemy will be completely wiped out, but what about the innocent civilians...?
On the surface, Zhu Yuan appears ruthless and never shows mercy to his enemies, but deep down he is kind and gentle.
The common people are so innocent; they are already pitiful enough because they cannot afford to eat due to the famine.
If we, disregarding the consequences, recklessly attack the city in order to end the war as quickly as possible, then those civilians will surely perish with us.
This was not what they wanted, and his wife was determined to make him famous for his benevolence and win the hearts of the people to help him.
Even so, he could not disregard the safety of the people, so their next task was to figure out how to get those people out.
One of the generals suggested, "My lord, we have all witnessed the power of cannons. With such a divine weapon, we can surely defeat the enemy without losing a single soldier! They have suffered a defeat this time, and Prince Yang is dead. We can take advantage of their unpreparedness and seize them in one fell swoop..."
Another person had some concerns: "The cannons are powerful, but they're too powerful! The Northern Barbarians have already allied with the Fifth Prince. If we attack the Northern Barbarians alone, what harm is there in blowing up their stronghold? But... there are still many people in the Fifth Prince's fiefdom... I'm afraid that if this cannon fire goes down, the city will be destroyed and people will die!"
If that's the case, even if they conquer the world, what's the point of an emperor who's all alone without the people?
Listening to their discussion, Zhu Yuan said calmly, "I called you here for this reason. I want to issue a challenge to the Northern Hu people and their fifth prince, to lure them out of the city to fight, so as to avoid harming innocent people."
“That may not be easy. The scouts have reported that the Northern Hu people have been terrified by the cannons and are hiding in the city, afraid to come out. The Fifth Prince had already suffered a major defeat and is severely weakened. I'm afraid neither of them will come out easily.” Lu Yunshen frowned and said in a muffled voice.
Zhu Yuan stroked the mandarin duck sachet that Zhen Wanwan had given him; though it was called a mandarin duck sachet, it looked more like two birds without wings.
He was thinking about how to get some people back for his wife. He had heard that his wife wanted to expand her power, and how could she do that without people?
The crowd below was still brainstorming ideas on how to lure out the Fifth Prince and the Northern Hu people, engaging in a lively discussion.
Lu Yunshen's eyes flickered slightly, as if he had thought of something, and he suddenly laughed out loud.
Everyone was bewildered by his smile and looked at him, wanting to hear his explanation.
Lu Yunshen bowed apologetically to everyone: "I apologize, colleagues. I'm not very talented, but I've come up with a plan. We can..."
Outside, the sky was clear and the air was filled with conversation. Inside the tent, people were talking non-stop, while dozens of miles away, Zhen Wanwan was so busy that her feet barely touched the ground.
For no other reason than that Fan Jian had already gathered all the materials needed to build the academy.
Fan Jian was busy recruiting workers, measuring the academy's area on-site, and perfecting the blueprint details. Otherwise, it would be very troublesome to make changes after construction officially started.
Zhen Wanwan was panting heavily, wiping the thin layer of sweat from her forehead from time to time. She felt a pang of sadness as she watched her hard-won fair skin begin to turn yellow and dark.
But just thinking about how, once the academy is built, countless children who can't afford to go to school will have the opportunity to attend, and that both boys and girls will have the chance to study, makes her happy.
Reading can change one's destiny, and people's lives will be better.
Of course, this is just a small prototype. When Zhuyuan expands its territory, everything will be different, but her original intention will remain unchanged.
After a month, everything was ready. Zhen Wanwan invited Magistrate Chen, gentry from various villages in Anqing Prefecture, and prominent families to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony.
Those who knew Zhen Wanwan's identity, including Magistrate Chen, consciously centered their attention around her, while the other wealthy households who were unaware of the truth also wisely stepped aside.
Among them, one person stood out. He was wearing a kasaya, his head was glowing, he held a Buddhist rosary in his hand, and he looked at the crowd with a kind expression.
That's clearly a monk!
Surrounded by the crowd, Zhen Wanwan spoke kindly with the monk, while those unaware of the situation curiously asked those around her why.
They learned that the monk was actually Master Guiyi of Lingyin Temple!
As Zhen Wanwan exchanged pleasantries with Master Guiyi with a smile, her heart was screaming wildly.
Ever since that time she guessed that the other party knew her secret, Zhen Wanwan always felt a little guilty when facing Master Guiyi.
In all honesty, she only had a sudden inspiration this time. She thought that if a holy monk came to attend such a big event as establishing an academy, it would be a great honor.
After thinking it over, she realized that she only knew Master Guiyi. She decided to give it a try, and if it didn't work out, so be it.
I never expected my boyfriend would actually show up!
Master Guiyi seemed oblivious to Zhen Wanwan's discomfort and said kindly, "Woman benefactor, you are so compassionate. On behalf of the people, this old monk thanks you."
Master Guiyi bowed respectfully to Zhen Wanwan, who immediately stepped aside the moment he lowered his head.
“Master Guiyi, you are an enlightened monk! You are too kind to me! Besides, this is just my duty, you don’t need to thank me.”
Master Guiyi felt both gratified and a little guilty when he saw that Zhen Wanwan was speaking from the heart.
Actually, there was a reason behind the scene when we met.
He lied to her!
He had foreseen two years ago that Lingyin Temple would face a calamity, one that would lead to the temple's destruction!
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