Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 191: The Twin Pillars of the Empire! The Butcher of the Empire! The False Emperor: The Tiger of My Empire
Taizhou Bay, the night is as dark as ink.

The moonlight was thin, the stars were hidden, and only a few dim rays of light barely penetrated the clouds. The sea was no longer as gentle as it was during the day. At this moment, the waves were surging and rolling, like a giant beast in the depths of the sea tossing restlessly in its sleep, with a force that should not be underestimated, hitting the shore again and again, making a deafening roar.

In this chaos and wildness, the navy's warships were like silent beasts, quietly anchored in the bay, their huge bodies even more majestic in the night. The sea breeze whistled through the gaps between the masts and the canvas, making a low whimper.

Zhang Lun, dressed in armor, stood at the bow, tall and straight like a pine tree, his eyes piercing through the night, looking at the boundless sea. All around him were the deep and powerful breathing of the navy officers and soldiers, as well as the occasional sound of weapons colliding, as they prepared to go in the dark.

"Set sail!" Zhang Lun ordered.

Their target this time was the 3,000 Japanese pirates entrenched on Hengshan Island. This group of Japanese pirates was the most arrogant and had been entrenched on the island for more than two years. They burned, killed, looted, and committed all kinds of evil on weekdays, leaving the coast uninhabited for hundreds of miles.

The imperial court had sent troops to suppress them several times, but all returned in vain. On the one hand, the Japanese pirates on this island were extremely powerful. They came from Kyushu, Japan, and the local residents were vicious and barbaric, and were extremely good at fighting. Their leader, Miyamoto Raizo, was very knowledgeable in military strategy and was also an extremely strong samurai.

On the other hand, Hengshan Island is very special. The tide rises in the morning and recedes in the afternoon. When the tide rises, the sea surges, bringing with it countless mud and sand. When the tide recedes, the beach becomes a quagmire, and people cannot walk on it at all.

The tide rises during the day and falls in the afternoon and evening, so it is impossible to attack at night. The imperial army chose to attack during the day, and the time was extremely urgent because they had to capture the island before the tide rose. However, the Japanese pirates on the island were well-equipped and would greet you with muskets when they saw you attacking. The attacking Ming army was stuck in a quagmire.

So, after two years, this group of Japanese pirates has not been wiped out, and they have become more and more arrogant.

……

The warship advanced in the night, Zhang Lun returned to the cabin and opened a letter. This was a letter from Yang Guifang, in which he talked about his thoughts on fighting the Japanese pirates. At the end of the letter, there was also a poem called "Victory Song". Yang Guifang said that it was not written by him, but he saw it in the study of His Majesty, and he copied it to encourage the soldiers.

"The two pillars of the empire." Zhang Lun raised the corners of his mouth slightly.

This is what the Emperor called him and Yang Guifang in the court, which is actually a compliment. Zhang Lun knew that the Emperor wanted to create a younger generation of heroes, and he and Yang Guifang were chosen.

Of course, he was excited. His Majesty was wise and mighty, and he might be able to create a new prosperous Ming Dynasty. He was just in time, so how could he not be excited?
His and Yang Guifang's future may surpass Yu Qian!

"General, we will arrive at Hengshan Island before dawn." The guard reported.

"Let the soldiers prepare." Zhang Lun's eyes were sharp. "When we arrive, the tide will probably be out. We will launch the attack immediately. We only have six hours for this battle. We must all land on the island within six hours."

The guards took the order and left. Zhang Lun clenched the knife in his hand. This was the first battle of the First Fleet of the Ming Navy, and they had to win. If they lost, the morale of the army would be unstable, and there would be trouble in the future.

The sea breeze blew, he calmed himself down, sat quietly on the chair, and closed his eyes to rest.

After about an hour, the guards came in and reported: "General, we are almost there, and the generals are waiting for you."

Zhang Lun stood up suddenly and came to the bow. The warship he was on was 444 feet long and 180 feet wide, making it the largest one.

The generals lined up at the bow, the moonlight falling on their resolute faces. Zhang Lun glanced at them and said in a deep voice:
"Everyone, you all know about the situation on Hengshan Island. This is our first battle and we must win. His Majesty is still waiting for our victory report."

"In this battle, once we reach the island, there will be no retreat! If we cannot win, when the tide rises again, we will die."

"We have no choice but to fight to the death!"

The generals showed no fear, their eyes were blazing:
"Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"

……

Finally arriving at Hengshan Island, Zhang Lun immediately ordered his troops to land on the island.

So, under the bright moonlight, the Ming army began to land on the island. At this time, the tide had just receded and it was still dark, which was when the Japanese pirates were most relaxed.

When the Ming army landed, they encountered a problem. It was muddy and impossible to walk on. At this time, they took out the straw they had prepared in advance and spread it to pave the road.

Even so, the march was very slow, and soon the sky was slightly bright. The Japanese pirates on the island had discovered the Ming army, but they did not open fire immediately, but waited.

The Japanese pirates were very familiar with everything on the island and had faced many attacks before, so they were very calm. They knew that they could not reach the island by relying on straw.

When the Ming army was halfway through the journey, they found that the mud was getting deeper and deeper, and it was simply a quagmire. Putting straw on it was useless. They were wearing heavy armor and carrying weapons. They almost got stuck in the quagmire when marching in this quagmire, which was extremely exhausting. Even if they landed on the island, they didn't have the energy to fight the Japanese pirates.

Zhang Lun stood at the bow, knowing that it was a critical moment. At this time, it was all about willpower. Although willpower sounds illusory, it exists. Once it erupts, even I dare not believe it.

As the Ming army struggled forward in the quagmire, suddenly, drums sounded. The Ming army turned their heads and saw the commander Zhang Lun beating the drums, his red cape fluttering in the wind, and a majestic voice fell:

If everyone is united, even the mountains can be shaken.

Only loyalty and righteousness come, and the bullfight is full of anger.

The Lord will kiss me better than a parent.

If you violate military law, you will not be free.

The orders are clear and the rewards and punishments are given.

If you go through fire and water, don't dare to stay later!

Report to the emperor, and save the head of Guizhou.

Kill all the Japanese slaves and find a marquis.

……

This is the poem written by Your Majesty that Yang Guifang copied in the letter to him. It is about resisting the Japanese invaders.

As Zhang Lun's thunderous voice fell, a magical scene appeared. The Ming army, which had been exhausted, seemed to suddenly have strength and continued to move forward.

Having come from thousands of miles away, how can we retreat?

The relatives at home and the ancestors in the underground are all watching.

The Japanese pirates have seized my homeland and killed my compatriots. I will never retreat until I kill the Japanese pirates.

Seeing this scene, the Japanese pirates on the island panicked a little. They could see that these people were here to fight to the death. The Japanese pirates immediately prepared themselves and waited for the Ming army to land on the island, and then launched an attack while they were still unstable.

The leading Ming army arrived at the shore and did not attack, but quickly formed a defensive formation. Before the Japanese pirates could figure out the situation, the Ming army behind them also landed on the island and formed a strange formation.

Mandarin duck array!
The Japanese pirates on this island had never seen this formation before, because all the Japanese pirates who had seen it died, and Zhang Lun never left a single one alive. When the Ming army's mandarin duck formation was formed, they won the battle.

The Japanese pirates launched an attack with all their might as they had done before, but they soon discovered that everything was so powerless in front of this formation.

Before long, the Japanese pirates collapsed across the board.

Zhang Lun issued a murderous order: massacre everyone on the island, leaving no one alive.

Hengshan Island became a real isolated island. The Japanese pirates had no way to go up to the sky or down to the earth. They had to either die or jump into the sea. Even if you jumped into the sea, the Ming army on the warships at sea would shoot you again.

Three hours later, Hengshan Island was filled with the corpses of Japanese pirates.

After this battle, countless caravans and pirates passing through Hengshan Island saw the corpses hanging on the island. Zhang Lun also got a new title: The Imperial Butcher.

Perhaps Zhang Lun himself did not know that this title would accompany him throughout his life. Slaughtering Hengshan Island was just the beginning. Whoever killed Zhang Lun would be famous all over the world.

……

Beijing, Qianqing Palace.

After reading the victory report in his hand, Zhu Qizhen smiled at Yang Guifang and said, "Zhang Lun is so impressive, the butcher of the empire."

Shang Lu, the chief minister of the cabinet, frowned and said, "Your Majesty, our Ming Dynasty wins people over with virtue. General Zhang's behavior is not appropriate and undermines your majesty's benevolence."

"Benevolence is bullshit!" Zhu Qizhen snorted, "Be ruthless! Make sure the Japanese pirates never dare to invade the Ming Dynasty in their next life."

Yang Guifang echoed: "Benevolence, be kind to our own people, but be kind to the enemy? When the Japanese pirates killed our people, they showed no mercy at all."

Shang Lu sighed and said nothing more. He was worried that the young and vigorous faction of the Ming Dynasty was gradually entering the core. Their style was the same as the emperor's, fierce and decisive, which always felt like a bad thing.

"Your Majesty, Goryeo, Annan, Siam, and Japan have sent students to study at our Imperial Academy." Minister of Rites Yang Shan reported, "How should we entertain them? The Ministry of Rites means that the tuition will be waived, and we will provide accommodation, and they will be responsible for food and clothing."

Zhu Qizhen pondered for a moment and nodded: "Yes!"

He thought, aren't these people just overseas students? Maybe some of them will stay and serve the Ming Dynasty in the future. They are all talented people. The number of people from these countries alone is still too small. We need to introduce some talents from the West.

"Not only these countries, but Westerners can also come to the Imperial College. We will waive tuition and provide accommodation." He waved his hand.

"Yes, sir." Yang Shan accepted the order.

Zhu Qizhen glanced over and said in a deep voice: "Shang Gelao, Yang Aiqing, the imperial examination will be held soon. You should pay more attention to it. It is a big event, just like fighting a war."

He gave some instructions and the officials withdrew.

……

British government.

Concubine Xian came back to visit the Duke of England. Ever since the last time the Duke of England went to the palace and confronted the emperor, he returned to his mansion and never went out again, closing the door to visitors.

There were gusts of cold wind in the backyard of the mansion.

The virtuous concubine walked with the Duke of England under the bamboo forest. She looked at the grandfather with white hair and sighed, "Grandpa, you are old now. You don't need to worry about many things."

The Duke of England snorted, "I heard that your brother won a great victory in the southeast? And was given the title of 'The Butcher of the Empire'?"

"That's also your grandson." Concubine Xian was unhappy.

"That fake emperor is just using him. How capable does he think he is?" The Duke of England said coldly.

The virtuous concubine paused, hesitated for a while, and said, "Grandpa, I am now the concubine of the fake emperor you mentioned, and your grandson is a general he relies on. What do you want? Do you want to pull him down? Then none of the more than a hundred people in our family will survive."

The Duke of England's body trembled slightly, and sadness flashed in his cloudy eyes. He stood there in a daze, not saying a word.

Xianfei took him by the arm and continued, "Grandpa, look at the Ming Dynasty today. It is thriving. No one cares whether the emperor is real or fake. The people of the world need such an emperor. Your Majesty's prestige even exceeds that of the late emperor. He is still young, and his achievements will be even greater in the future, even surpassing Emperor Taizong."

"Even so, he is fake." The Duke of England said coldly.

"No! He is real." Xianfei said, "History books of later generations will record it this way, and the Ming Dynasty has always had the surname Zhu!"

The Duke of England was anxious: "Someone in history will always say he is a fake."

"Who cares?" Concubine Xian spread her hands. "Hundreds of years later, history books will only record your majesty's great achievements, and what you said is just unofficial history. Who cares? People in later generations will only treat it as a topic of conversation after dinner. However, when scholars in later generations read this chapter of your majesty in the official history, their blood will boil. A great ruler, expanding the territory, the Ming Empire dominates the world."

The Duke of England was silent.

who cares?
These three words seemed to break him.

"No! No one cares!"

"I made this mistake, so I will make it right."

He silently thought to himself that there were still many people who cared about him, and they should all care about those who had received favors from the Zhu family.

……

Twilight Quadruple.

Zhu Qizhen walked on the imperial road, the cold wind penetrated his robe, and he could not help but wrap himself up tightly. Although there was no frost, it was not yet spring, and the temperature was still very low, especially at night.

He ran into Kunning Palace and instantly felt warm. The Queen Mother was not reading, but writing something with a pen. She was wearing a light blue dress, and her figure showed a charming curve. After writing, she raised her hand, and the long sleeves slowly slid down, revealing her fair wrists.

"Why are you so interested in practicing calligraphy today?" Zhu Qizhen walked over and asked with a smile.

"Just write something." The Queen Mother put down her pen and her beautiful eyes fell on him. "I heard that there was a great victory in the southeast? Another great victory. The Japanese pirates should not dare to come again, right?"

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands helplessly and shook his head: "The main force of the Japanese pirates is still there, we can't relax. Besides, Japan will be in chaos, and the number of Japanese pirates will only increase. They have no food to eat, so they can only come to rob."

The Queen Mother frowned slightly, revealing an indescribable beauty in her smile and sighed, "It seems that it still depends on your plan to be successfully implemented? Once Ning Rongrong can contain the Japanese, and with our own defense, there will be no Japanese pirates."

"I hope so." Zhu Qizhen sat down on the soft mat, "Come and help me massage. My eyes and the back of my head have been hurting for the whole afternoon." The Queen Mother's eyes flashed with worry. She walked behind him, stretched out her delicate hands and began to massage gently, wondering, "Didn't the imperial physician see it last time? Why doesn't the prescription work?"

Zhu Qizhen leaned on her and closed his eyes and said, "Obviously, it doesn't work! I'm probably too tired. Medicine won't work. I still have to start my exercise."

The Queen Mother pressed his shoulders, leaned over slightly, and whispered in his ear, "You... should be more restrained. You must have done too much between men and women."

After she finished speaking, she blushed, and her beautiful face was flushed with an intoxicating blush, which made her appearance and temperament even more charming.

"I... didn't." Zhu Qizhen held his forehead with his hand, "I've noticed that I've been sleeping alone in the Qianqing Palace recently."

The imperial physician did hint at this last time, and he himself felt that he should exercise restraint, but the two annoying witches, Concubine Xian and Concubine De, used all kinds of tricks to get pregnant with a dragon seed.

……

Southeast Sea, a certain sea area.

Several large ships, either wrecked or completely capsized, were slowly sinking to the bottom of the sea, their masts broken, their sails charred, and their flames leaping.

Hundreds of bodies drifted on the sea, some were gently rocked by the waves, while others were ruthlessly pushed away. Seagulls circled at low altitude, occasionally making a few shrill cries, adding a bit of vitality to the dead sea.

Ning Rongrong, dressed in black, stood at the bow, with more than a hundred warships lined up behind her. They had just wiped out the pirates in this sea area, and from now on, she had the final say in this sea area.

Her cold gaze fell on the sea, where there were still a few surviving pirates, some clinging to driftwood, some huddled together on the wreckage, their eyes full of fear and despair.

"Kill them all!" She waved her hand.

Soon, a ship sailed over, and the last few pirates were all killed by muskets. The sea breeze blew, carrying a faint smell of blood.

"Mr. Ning, shall we continue to move towards Japan?" a subordinate came up and asked.

"Of course, we are going to Japan." Ning Rongrong turned around and said, "Bai Wuqi, is there no news from your Jinyiwei yet?"

It turned out that this subordinate was a member of the Imperial Guards. The emperor sent dozens of them to protect Ning Rongrong, and he was the captain. He bowed to Ning Rongrong and said, "I have received a letter. In the waters of Hengshan Island outside Taizhou, the Ming army will send someone to meet with the Ning family to discuss the follow-up plan."

"Okay, let's go to Hengshan." Ning Rongrong ordered.

The fleet set off again, and Ning Rongrong returned to the cabin. Bai Wu stood at the bow, facing the sea breeze, and he exhaled a breath of foul air. During this period, he followed Ning Rongrong to travel around the southeastern sea area, and he felt that this Ning family was more ruthless than a man.

This woman is capable of accomplishing great things. No wonder she is favored by His Majesty.

Bai Wuqi was ordered by the emperor to protect Ning Rongrong, and he respected Ning Rongrong very much. Of course, he was also monitoring Ning Rongrong. After drifting on the sea for so long, he had too much information to pass on to the emperor.

……

Ten days later, in the sea outside Hengshan Island.

Ning Rongrong saw the rows of corpses on the island, and a chill ran down her spine. She muttered to herself, "What a butcher of the empire! I'm still far from being that good."

She suddenly felt frustrated. It was too difficult for a woman to compete with men. She asked herself, could she be like Zhang Lun?

No, at least not now.

"Mr. Ning, the Ming army's ships are coming." Bai Wuqi came over and pointed.

"Come closer." Ning Rongrong waved her hand.

Soon, the two ships met on the sea, and a long board was set up in the middle. Zhang Lun walked over on the board. He arrived at the opposite ship and clasped his fists towards the cold and fairy-like woman: "It's Mrs. Ning, right?"

Ning Rongrong's eyes were cold and she bowed slightly: "My humble lady greets General Zhang."

"No need to be so polite." Zhang Lun raised his hand. "I've heard of Mr. Ning's great name for a long time, and today I finally meet him."

Ning Rongrong smiled slightly: "I didn't expect that General Zhang would come here in person."

Zhang Lun spread his hands helplessly: "There is nothing I can do. His Majesty's order requires me to help you with all my strength. Otherwise, if I return to Beijing, he will break my legs."

Ning Rongrong smiled slightly and extended her hand to invite him in. "General, let's talk inside."

Zhang Lun nodded and followed her into the cabin. He came this time to discuss with Mr. Ning how to help her gain a foothold in Japan.

An hour later, they left the cabin.

"Mr. Ning, take care of yourself." Zhang Lun clasped his fists, "Everything is done according to plan. His Majesty said that Mr. Ning's life and safety are the most important no matter what."

"I'll have to rely on General Zhang in the future." Ning Rongrong bowed and smiled.

Zhang Lun returned to his boat with something Bai Wuqi had given him in his hand, which needed to be delivered to the capital to the Emperor as soon as possible.

……

Beijing.

Finally the sun came out, and Zhu Qizhen, walking incognito on the street, could already see a hint of spring. Occasionally, one or two willow trees that had woken up early swayed gently in the breeze, and the tender green buds on their slender branches bravely poked their heads out.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and revived plants. On the street corner, several children were chasing and playing, and the vendors along the street began to get busy, with all kinds of spring small items on their stalls.

"Master." Chao Xiaotian followed him and asked while eating a sesame cake, "Did the Ning family really leave the capital? The guild hall has been replaced by Roujia, and that woman doesn't look like a good person."

Zhu Qizhen asked with interest: "Why is he not a good person?"

Chao Xiaotian spread his hands with disdain on his face: "She flirts with those men, how can she be a decent woman? All women in the world should be like Master's wife, dignified and elegant."

Your master's wife? She is very changeable, sometimes dignified and sometimes wild.

Zhu Qizhen complained in his heart, but changed the subject and asked, "I asked you to investigate the Junshan Society, how is it going?"

"They must have left the capital." Chao Xiaotian said, "After that, they never showed up again."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

Could it be that Junshan has gone into hiding? No activities for the time being?
"They will definitely appear again." Zhu Qizhen said, "You can't let your guard down. Tell your men to keep a close eye on them."

He nodded heavily to Xiaotian: "Yes, Master."

Zhu Qizhen stretched and waved his hand: "Go away, I want to go around alone and think deeply."

This is his habit, to think deeply while walking, and he always gains a lot.

……

The sky is clear and the sun shines on my body, making me feel warm.

Zhu Qizhen was also walking and eating a sesame cake in his hand, and he looked up and saw a team of luxurious carriages coming from the city gate. When the team got closer, he took a closer look and found that it was a team of Koreans.

Only then did he remember that Goryeo had sent some young students to study at the Imperial Academy of the Ming Dynasty, and the people in the carriage should all be students from Goryeo.

A carriage stopped in front of him, and two people jumped out of the carriage. One of them was a young girl, beautiful and charming, with a slim waist and a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes wide open, full of curiosity: "This is the capital of the Ming Dynasty."

She still spoke the official language of the Ming Dynasty. Although her accent was a bit strange, she could still understand it. A young man stood behind her. He was very heroic and looked alert. "Princess, get in the car and go to the Imperial College first. Once you are settled, you will have plenty of time to go shopping later."

It turns out she is a princess.

Zhu Qizhen looked at her with interest, looking her up and down, secretly praising her in his heart, what a beautiful little loli.

"Bold." The man noticed him.

Indeed, his gaze was a little too unscrupulous.

"You are so bold." Zhu Qizhen chuckled, "This is the capital of the Ming Dynasty."

The man snorted coldly, raised his hand and slapped Zhu Qizhen, wanting to teach him a lesson. Zhu Qizhen shook his head speechlessly and raised his hand to fight back.

boom!
The man was knocked flying and hit the wall nearby. He got up and was about to rush towards Zhu Qizhen. The girl stopped him and said, "Don't be rude. This is the Ming Dynasty. Do you think you are in the capital?"

After reprimanding the guard, the girl bowed slightly to Zhu Qizhen and said, "He is ignorant of etiquette, please forgive me, young master."

Zhu Qizhen shrugged: "It's okay! Here's a suggestion for you. Now that you have come to the Ming Dynasty, no matter what your status is in your own country, you must keep a low profile when you are here."

The girl was very polite: "Thank you."

Then, she bought a few things on the street, got on the carriage, and drove away slowly.

……

Zhu Qizhen continued to stroll around.

The capital city has been very busy recently, as students from all over the country are coming to the capital for imperial examinations. All the inns are full, and scholars can be seen studying hard with books in their hands everywhere.

He wandered around for a while and went up to Taibai Tower to drink alone. As soon as he reached the door, he ran into Ke Qian, who was with a young boy.

"Your Majesty..." Ke Qian was very surprised to see Zhu Qizhen.

"Oh, Lord Ke, what a coincidence, you're here to have a drink?" Zhu Qizhen interrupted him.

The young man looked at Zhu Qizhen and exclaimed, "Mr. Zhu? It's been a long time since we last met. Do you still remember me? Li Dongyang, you treated me to a drink before the last imperial examination."

"How can you not remember? Li Dongyang from Xihu can write calligraphy with a diameter of one foot." Zhu Qizhen said with a smile.

Ke Qian knew that he couldn't reveal the emperor's identity, so he smiled and said, "So you two know each other. That's great, Mr. Zhu, how about a drink together?"

Zhu Qizhen laughed and said, "Okay, let's wish Dongyang a successful graduation in advance."

Li Dongyang had a calm expression, he spread his hands and smiled: "Even if I fail again, I'm not afraid. At worst, I can try again. Who makes me young?"

It seems that he is much more mature and has a better mentality than he was three years ago.

Zhu Qizhen thought to himself that old man Hu Yi was really capable of training this young man at the right time. When he thought of Hu Yi, he missed Hu Yi and Wang Zhi. These two old men traveled around the world and hadn't sent any memorials for a while. Who knew where they were?

The three of them went to the second floor and sat down by the window. After the food and drinks were served, they began to drink and chat. Ke Qian knew Zhu Qizhen's identity and was a little reserved, but Li Dongyang was the one who talked the most.

"This time, the number of participants in the imperial examination is the largest, nearly 5,000 people." Li Dongyang said excitedly, "Even people from Guanxi came to Beijing to take the imperial examination, but some of them took the art examination."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

Someone is coming from Kansai? This is surprising. It's a good start to take part in the art course.

"Arts are just minor subjects after all." Li Dongyang said with disdain, "Of course, we still have to read the books of sages."

Zhu Qizhen was annoyed when he heard this: "If you only read the books of sages, who will treat you when you are sick? How can you build houses of all sizes? The art of learning is important, but the books of sages are even more important."

He recalled reading the history of the Ming Dynasty in his previous life. After the Age of Discovery, a large amount of silver poured into the Ming Dynasty, but there was no one who understood economics to regulate it. The civil and military officials in the court only knew how to read the books of sages. However, after the Renaissance in Europe, various disciplines flourished.

"During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were many schools of thought and a hundred schools of thought flourished." Zhu Qizhen frowned, "Why are we not as good as before?"

Li Dongyang stared at Zhu Qizhen and said sternly, "Mr. Li, how could you have such an idea? Banishing all schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone is the reason why Confucianism now rules the world."

Zhu Qizhen took a deep breath.

Damn, all scholars have this idea. It’s really difficult to change the Ming Dynasty.

……

Ps: Today is just one chapter, I will sort out the outline, so as not to be accused of being sloppy!! The subscription is not so good, it is difficult, but I will still stick to it.

(End of this chapter)